"Do they! Well, I fancy they have not much right to hold their heads much higher than the Brudenells of Brudenell Hall hold theirs. Hannah, do you happen to know who our first ancestor was?"
"Adam, my dear, I believe.""
"Nonsense, Hannah; I do not mean the first father of all mankind--I mean the head of our house."
"Our house? Indeed, my dear, I don"t even know who our grandfather was."
"Fudge, Hannah, I am not talking of the Worths, who of course have no history. I am talking of our family--the Brudenells!"
"Oh!" said Hannah dryly.
"And now do you know who our first ancestor was?"
"Yes; some Norman filibuster who came over to England with William the Conqueror, I suppose. I believe from all that I have heard, that to have been the origin of most of the n.o.ble English families and old Maryland ones."
"No, you don"t, neither. Herman says our family is much older than the Conquest. They were a n.o.ble race of Saxon chiefs that held large sway in England from the time of the first invasion of the Saxons to that of the Norman Conquest; at which period a certain Wolfbold waged such successful war against the invader and held out so long and fought so furiously as to have received the surname of "Bred-in-h.e.l.l!""
"Humph! do you call that an honor, or him a respectable ancestor?"
"Yes, indeed! because it was for no vice or crime that they give him that surname, but because it was said no man born of woman could have exhibited such frantic courage or performed such prodigies of valor as he did. Well, anyway, that was the origin of our family name. From Bred-in-h.e.l.l it became Bredi-nell, then Bredenell, and finally, as it still sounded rough for the name of a respectable family, they have in these latter generations softened it down into Brudenell. So you see! I should like to detect the Mervins looking down upon us!" concluded Nora, with a pretty a.s.sumption of dignity.
"But, my dear, you are not a Brudenell."
"I don"t care! My husband is, and Herman says a wife takes rank from her husband! As Nora Worth, or as Mrs. Herman Brudenell, of course I am the very same person; but then, ignorant as I may be, I know enough of the world to feel sure that those who despised Nora Worth will not dare to slight Mrs. Herman Brudenell!"
"Take care! Take care, Nora, dear! "Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty temper before destruction!"" said Hannah, in solemn warning.
"Well, I will not be proud if I can help it; yet--how hard to help it!
But I will not let it grow on me. I will remember my humble origin and that I am undeserving of anything better."
At this moment the latch of the door was raised and Jem Morris presented himself, taking off his hat and bowing low, as he said:
"Evening, Miss Hannah; evening, Miss Nora. Hopes you finds yourselves well?"
"Why, law, professor, is that you? You have just come in time. Hannah wants you to put a new bottom in her tin saucepan and a new cover on her umbrella, and to mend her coffee-mill; it won"t grind at all!" said Nora.
"Yes, miss; soon"s ever I gets the time. See, I"ve got a well to dig at Colonel Mervin"s, and a chimney to build at Major Blackistone"s, and a hearth to lay at Commodore Burgh"s, and a roof to put over old Mrs.
Jones"; and see, that will take me all the rest of the week," objected Jem.
"But can"t you take the things home with you and do them at night?"
inquired Hannah.
"Yes, miss; but you see there"s only three nights more this week, and I am engaged for all! To-night I"ve got to go and sit up long of old Jem Brown"s corpse, and to-morrow night to play the fiddle at Miss Polly Hodges" wedding, and the next night I promised to be a waiter at the college ball, and even Sunday night aint free, "cause our preacher is sick and I"ve been invited to take his place and read a sermon and lead the prayer! So you see I couldn"t possibly mend the coffee-mill and the rest till some time next week, nohow!"
"I tell you what, Morris, you have the monopoly of your line of business in this neighborhood, and so you put on airs and make people wait. I wish to goodness we could induce some other professor of odd jobs to come and settle among us," said Nora archly.
"Yes, miss; I wish I could, for I am pretty nearly run offen my feet,"
Jem agreed. "But what I was wishing to say to you, miss," he added, "was that the madam sent me here with a message to you."
"Who sent a message, Jem?"
"The madam up yonder, miss."
"Oh! you mean Mrs. Brudenell! It was to Hannah, I suppose, in relation to work," said Nora.
"Yes, miss; but this time it was not to Miss Hannah; it was to you, Miss Nora. "Go up to the hut on the hill, and request Nora Worth to come up to see me this evening. I wish to have a talk with her?" Such were the madam"s words, Miss Nora."
"Oh, Hannah!" breathed Nora, in terror.
"What can she want with my sister?" inquired Hannah.
"Well, yes, miss. She didn"t say any further. And now, ladies, as I have declared my message, I must bid you good evening; as they expects me round to old uncle Jem Brown"s to watch to-night." And with a deep bow the professor retired.
"Oh, Hannah!" wailed Nora, hiding her head in her sister"s bosom.
"Well, my dear, what is the matter?"
"I am so frightened."
"What at?"
"The thoughts of Mrs. Brudenell!"
"Then don"t go. You are not a slave to be at that lady"s beck and call, I reckon!"
"Yes, but I am Herman"s wife and her daughter, and I will not slight her request! I will go, Hannah, though I had rather plunge into ice water this freezing weather than meet that proud lady!" said Nora, shivering.
"Child, you need not do so! You are not bound! You owe no duty to Mrs.
Brudenell, until Mr. Brudenell has acknowledged you as his wife and Mrs.
Brudenell as her daughter."
"Hannah, it may be so; yet she is my mother-in-law, being dear Herman"s mother; and though I am frightened at the thought of meeting her, still I love her; I do, indeed, Hannah! and my heart longs for her love!
Therefore I must not begin by disregarding her requests. I will go! But oh, Hannah! what can she want with me? Do you think it possible that she has heard anything? Oh, suppose she were to say anything to me about Herman? What should I do!" cried Nora, her teeth fairly chattering with nervousness.
"Don"t go, I say; you are cold and trembling with fear; it is also after sunset, too late for you to go out alone."
"Yes; but, Hannah, I must go! I am not afraid of the night! I am afraid of her! But if you do not think it well for me to go alone, you can go with me, you know. There will be no harm in that, I suppose?"
"It is a pity Herman had not stayed a little longer, we might have asked him; I do not think he would have been in favor of your going."
"I do not know; but, as there is no chance of consulting him, I must do what I think right in the case and obey his mother," said Nora, rising from her position in Hannah"s lap and going to make some change in her simple dress. When she was ready she asked:
"Are you going with me, Hannah?"
"Surely, my child," said the elder sister, reaching her bonnet and shawl.
The weather was intensely cold, and in going to Brudenell the sisters had to face a fierce northwest wind. In walking through the valley they were sheltered by the wood; but in climbing the hill upon the opposite side they could scarcely keep their feet against the furious blast.
They reached the house at last. Hannah remembered to go to the servants"