But I certainly cannot permit you now to spoil every chance of getting out of this slough. You may not be able to do as well as you could have done, but if you are once called working-girls, what can you do?
"In the first place we must go into the best society of this town. Our position warrants it of course. Therefore, for heaven"s sake don"t let it get abroad that we are a.s.sociating with these drunken Laceys."(Mrs.
Allen in her rapid generalization gave the impression that the entire family were habitually "on the rampage," and Edith remembered with misgivings that she had drunk tea with Arden Lacey on that very spot.) "Moreover," continued Mrs. Allen, "there is a large summer hotel near here, and "my friends" have promised to come and see me this summer.
"We must try to present an air of pretty, rural elegance, and your young gentleman friends from the city will soon be dropping in. Then Gus Elliot and Mr. Van Dam continue very kind and cordial, I am sure.
Zell, though so young, may soon become engaged to Mr. Van Dam, and it"s said he is very rich--"
"I can"t get up much faith in these two men," interrupted Edith, "and as for Gus, he can"t support himself."
"I hope you don"t put Gus Elliot and my friend on the same level,"
said Zell indignantly.
"I don"t know where to put "your friend,"" said Edith curtly. "Why doesn"t he speak out? Why doesn"t he do something open, manly, and decided? It seems as if he can see nothing and think of nothing but your pretty face. If he would become engaged to you and frankly take the place of lover and brother, he might be of the greatest help to us. But what has he done since father"s death but pet and flatter you like an infatuated old--"
"Hush!" cried Zell, blazing with anger and starting up; "no one shall speak so of him. What more has Gus Elliot done?"
"He has been useful as my errand boy," said Edith contemptuously, "and that"s all he amounts to as far as I"m concerned. I am disgusted with men. Who in all our trouble has been n.o.ble and knightly toward us?--"
"Be still, children; stop your quarrelling," broke in Mrs. Allen. "You have got to take the world as you find it. Men of our day don"t act like knights any more than they dress like them. The point I wish you to understand is that we must keep every hold we have on our old life and society. Next winter some of my friends will invite you to visit them in the city and then who knows what may happen?"--and she nodded significantly. Then she added, with a regretful sigh, "What chances you girls have had! There"s Cheatem, Argent, Livingston, Pamby, and last and best, Goulden, who might have been secured if Laura had been more prompt, and a host of others. Edith had better have taken Mr.
Fox, even, than have had all this happen."
An expression of disgust came out on Edith"s face, and she said, "It seems to me that I would rather go to work than take any of them."
"You don"t know anything about work," said Mrs. Allen. "It"s a great deal easier to marry a fortune than to make one, and a woman can"t make a fortune. Marrying well is the only chance you girls have now, and it"s my only chance to live again as a lady ought, and I want to see to it that nothing is done to spoil these chances."
Laura listened with a dull a.s.sent, conscious that she would marry any man _now_ who would give her an establishment and enable her to sweep past Mr. Goulden in elegant scorn. Zell listened, purposing to marry Mr. Van Dam, though Edith"s words raised a vague uneasiness in her mind, and she longed to see him again, meaning to make him more explicit. Edith listened with a cooling adherence to this familiar faith and doctrine of the world in which the mother had brought up her children. She had a glimmering perception that the course indicated was not sound in general, or best for them in particular.
"And now," continued Mrs. Allen, becoming more definite, "we must have a new roof put on the house right away, or we shall all be drowned out, and the house must be painted, a door-bell put in, and fences and things generally put in order. We must fit this room up as a parlor, and we can use the little room there as a dining and sitting-room.
Laura and I will take the chamber over the kitchen, and the one over this can be kept as a spare room, so that if any of our city friends come out to see us, they can stay all night."
"Oh, mother, the proposed arrangements will make us all uncomfortable, you especially," remonstrated Edith.
"No matter, I"ve set my heart on our getting back to the old life, and we must not stop at trifles."
"But are you sure we have money to spare for all these improvements?"
continued Edith anxiously.
"Oh, yes, I think so," said Mrs. Allen indefinitely. "And as your poor father used to say, to spend money is often the best way to get money."
"Well, mother," said Edith dubiously, "I suppose you know best, but it doesn"t look very clear to me. There seems nothing definite or certain that we can depend on."
"Perhaps not to-day, but leave all to me. Some one will turn up, who will fill your eye and fill your hand, and what more could you ask in a husband? But you must not be too fastidious. These difficult girls are sure to take up with "crooked sticks" at last." (Mrs. Allen"s views as to straight ones were not original.) "Leave all to me. I will tell you when the right ones turn up."
CHAPTER XII
WAITING FOR SOME ONE TO TURN UP
And so the girls were condemned to idleness and ennui, and they all came to suffer from these as from a dull toothache, especially Laura and Zell. Edith had great hopes from her garden, and saw the snow finally disappear and the mud dry up, as the imprisoned inmates of the ark might have watched the abatement of the waters.
On the afternoon of the council wherein Mrs. Allen had marked out the family policy, Edith and Zell walked to the village, and going to one of the leading stores, made arrangements with the proprietor to have his wagon stop daily at their house for orders. They also asked him to send them a carpenter. They made these requests with the manner of olden time, when money seemed to flow from a full fountain, and the man was very polite, thinking he had gained profitable customers.
While they were absent, Rose stepped in to see if she could be of any further help. Mrs. Allen surmised who she was and resolved to snub her effectually. To Rose"s question as to their need of a.s.sistance, she replied frigidly, that they had two servants now, and did not wish to employ any more help.
Rose colored, bit her lip, then said with an open smile:
"You are under mistake. I am Miss Lacey, and helped your daughter the first two days after she came."
"Oh! ah! Miss Lacey. I beg your pardon," said Mrs. Allen, still more distantly. "My daughter Edith is out. Did she not pay you?"
Rose"s face became scarlet, and rising hastily she said, "Either I misunderstand, or am greatly misunderstood. Good-afternoon."
Mrs. Allen slightly inclined her head, while Laura took no notice of her at all. When she was gone, Mrs. Allen said complacently, "I think we will see no more of that bold-faced fly-away creature. The idea of her thinking that we would live on terms of social equality with them!"
Laura"s only reply was a yawn, but at last she got up, put on her hat and shawl and went out to walk a little on the porch. Arden, who was returning home with his team, stopped a moment to inquire if there was anything further that he could do. He hoped the lady he saw on the porch was Edith, and the wish to see her again led him to think of any excuse that would take him to the house.
As Laura turned to come toward him, he surmised that it was another sister, and was disappointed and embarra.s.sed, but it was too late to turn back, though she scarcely appeared to heed him.
"I called to ask Miss Edith if I could do anything more that would be of help to her," he said diffidently.
Giving him a cold, careless glance, Laura said, "I believe my sister wants some work done around the house before long. I will tell her that you were here looking for employment, and I have no doubt she will send for you if she needs your services," and Laura turned her back on him and continued her walk.
He whirled about on his heel as if she had struck him, and when he got home his mother noted that his face looked more black and sullen than she had ever seen it before. Rose was open and strong in her indignation, saying:
"Fine neighbors you have introduced us to! Nice return they make for all our kindness; not that I begrudge it. But I hate to see people get all out of you they can, and then about the same as slap your face and show you the door."
"Did you see Miss Edith?" asked Arden quickly.
"No, I saw the old lady and a proud pale-faced girl who took no more notice of me than if I had come for cold victuals."
"I suppose they have heard," said Arden dejectedly.
"They have heard nothing against me, nor you, nor mother," said Rose hotly. "If I ever see that Miss Edith again, I will give her a piece of my mind."
"You will please do nothing of the kind," said her brother. "She has not turned her back on you. Wait till she does. We are the last people to condemn one for the sake of another."
"I guess they are all alike; but, as you say, it"s fair to give her a chance," answered Rose quietly.
With his habit of reticence he said nothing about his own experience.
But it was a cruel shock that those connected with the one who was becoming the inspiration of his dreams should be so contemptible, as he regarded them, and as we are all apt to regard those who treat us with contempt. His faith in her was also shaken, and he resolved that she must "send for him," feeling her need, before he would go near her again. But, after all, his ardent fancy began to paint her more gentle and human on the background of the narrow pride shown by the others.
He longed for some absolute proof that she was what he believed her, but was too proud to put himself in the way of receiving it.
When Edith heard how the Lacey acquaintance had been nipped in the bud, she said with honest shame, "It"s too bad, after all their kindness."
"It was the only thing to be done," said Mrs. Allen. "It is better for such people to talk against you than to be claiming you as neighbors, and all that. It would give us a very bad flavor with the best people of the town."