"I"d ask them, if I were you," said Marjorie, in a coaxing, tremulous voice; "they"re nice, kind people."
"Well, then, I will," he said, hurrying on.
She lingered, breathing more freely; he would certainly overtake her again before she could reach the next house and if she did not agree with everything he proposed he might become angry with her. Oh, dear! how queerly this day was ending! She did not really want anything to happen; the quiet days were the happiest, after all. He strode on before her, turning once in a while, to learn if she were following.
"That"s right; walk slow," he shouted in a conciliatory voice.
By the wayside, near the fence opposite the gate he was to enter, there grew a dense clump of blackberry vines; as the gate swung behind him, she ran towards the fence, and, while he stood with his back towards her in the path talking excitedly to a little boy who had come to meet him, she squeezed herself in between the vines and the fence, bending her head and gathering the skirt of her dress in both hands.
He became angry as he talked, vociferating and gesticulating; every instant she the more congratulated herself upon her escape; some of the girls were afraid of him, but she had always been too sorry for him to be much afraid; still, she would prefer to hide and keep hidden half the night rather than be compelled to walk a long, lonely mile with him. Her father or mother had always been within the sound of her voice when he had talked with her; she had never before had to be a protection to herself. Peering through the leaves, she watched him, as he turned again towards the gate, with her heart beating altogether too rapidly for comfort: he opened the gate, strode out to the road and stood looking back.
He stood a long, long time, uttering no exclamation, then hurried on, leaving a half-frightened and very thankful little girl trembling among the leaves of the blackberry vines. But, would he keep looking back? And how could she ever pa.s.s the next house? Might he not stop there and be somewhere on the watch for her? If some one would pa.s.s by, or some carriage would only drive along! The houses were closer together a mile further on, but how dared she pa.s.s that mile? He would not hurt her, he would only look at her out of his wild eyes and talk to her. Answering Captain Rheid"s questions was better than this! Staying at her grandfather"s and confessing about the pitcher was better than this!
Suddenly--or had she heard it before, a whistle burst out upon the air, a sweet and clear succession of notes, the air of a familiar song: "Be it ever so humble, there"s no place like home."
Some one was at hand, she sprang through the vines, the briers catching the old blue muslin, extricating herself in time to run almost against the navy-blue figure that she had not yet become familiar with.
The whistle stopped short--"Well, Mousie! Here you are!"
"O, Hollis," with a sobbing breath, "I"m so glad!"
"So am I. I jumped off and ran after you. Why, did I frighten you? Your eyes are as big as moons."
"No," she laughed, "I wasn"t frightened."
"You look terribly like it."
"Perhaps some things are _like_--" she began, almost dancing along by his side, so relieved that she could have poured out a song for joy.
"What do you do nowadays?" he asked presently. "You are more of a _live_ mouse than you used to be! I can"t call you Mousie any more, only for the sake of old times."
"I like it," said Marjorie.
"But what do you do nowadays?"
"I read all the time--when I can, and I work, different kinds of work.
Tell me about the little city girls."
"I only know my cousins and one or two others, their friends."
"What do they look like?"
"Like girls! Don"t you know how girls look?"
"Not city girls."
"They are pretty, most of them, and they dress older than you and have a _manner;_ they always know how to reply and they are not awkward and too shy; they know how to address people, and introduce people, and sometimes to entertain them, they seem to know what to talk about, and they are bright and wide-awake. They play and sing and study the languages and mathematics. The girls I know are all little ladies."
Marjorie was silent; her cheeks were burning and her eyes downcast. She never could be like that; she never could be a "little lady," if a little lady meant all those unattainable things.
"Do they talk differently from us--from country girls?" she asked after a long pause.
"Yes, I think they do. Mira Crane--I"ll tell you how the country girls talk--says "we am," and "fust rate," and she speaks rudely and abruptly and doesn"t look directly at a person when she speaks, she says "good morning" and "yes" and "no" without "sir" or "ma"am" or the person"s name, and answers "I"m very well" without adding "thank you.""
"Yes," said Marjorie, taking mental note of each expression.
"And Josie Grey--you see I"ve been studying the difference in the girls since I came home--"
Had he been studying _her_?
"Is there so much difference?" she asked a little proudly.
"Yes. The difference struck me. It is not city or country that makes the difference, it is the _homes_ and the _schools_ and every educating influence. Josie Grey has all sorts of exclamations like some old grandmother, and she says "I tell you," and "I declare," and she hunches all up when she sits or puts her feet out into the middle of the room."
"Yes," said Marjorie, again, intently.
"And Nettie Trevor colors and stammers and talks as if she were afraid of you. My little ladies see so many people that they become accustomed to forgetting themselves and thinking of others. They see people to admire and imitate, too."
"So do I," said Marjorie, spiritedly. "I see Miss Prudence and I see Mrs.
Proudfit, our new minister"s wife, and I see--several other people."
"I suppose I notice these things more than some boys would. When I left home gentleness was a new language to me; I had never heard it spoken excepting away from home. I was surprised at first that a master could command with gentleness and that those under authority could obey with gentleness."
Marjorie listened with awe; this was not like Hollis; her old Hollis was gone, a new, wise Hollis had come instead. She sighed a little for the old Hollis who was not quite so wise.
"I soon found how much I lacked. I set myself to reading and studying.
From the first of October all through the winter I attend evening school and I have subscribed to the Mercantile Library and have my choice among thousands of books. Uncle Jack says I shall be a literary business man."
A "literary business man" sounded very grand to Marjorie. Would she stay home and be ignorant and never be or do anything? At that instant a resolve was born in her heart; the resolve to become a scholar and a lady. But she did not speak, if possible she became more quiet. Hollis should not be ashamed of being her friend.
"Mousie! Why don"t you talk to me?" he asked, at last.
"Which of your cousins do you like best?"
"Helen," he said unhesitatingly.
"How old is she?" she asked with a sinking at her heart.
"Seventeen. _She"s_ a lady, so gentle and bright, she never rustles or makes a noise, she never says anything to hurt any one"s feelings: and how she plays and sings. She never once laughed at me, she helps me in everything; she wanted me to go to evening school and she told me about the Mercantile Library. She"s a Christian, too. She teaches in a mission school and goes around among poor people with Aunt Helen. She paints and draws and can walk six miles a day. I go everywhere with her, to lectures and concerts and to church and Sunday school."
How Marjorie"s eyes brightened! She had found her ideal; she would give herself no rest until she had become like Helen Rheid. But Helen Rheid had everything to push her on, every one to help her. For the first time in her life Marjorie was disheartened. But, with a rea.s.suring conviction, flashed the thought--there were years before _she_ would be seventeen.
"Wouldn"t you like to see her, Mousie?"
"Indeed, I would," said Marjorie, enthusiastically.
"I brought her photograph to mother--how she looked at me when "marm"
slipped out one day. The boys always used to say "Marm,"" he said laughing.