Hills of the Shatemuc Part 56

"What 'such a person'?"

"O, a farmer's boy. Mr. Haye wouldn't have done it once. But that's the way he always comes round to people when they get up in the world."

"This one hasn't got much up in the world yet."

"He is going to, you know. Mr. Herder says so; and President Darcy says there are not two such young men seen in half a century as he and his brother."

Elizabeth laid down her book and looked over at her companion, with an eye the other just met and turned away from.

"Rose, -- how _dare_ you talk to me so!"

"So how?" said the other, pouting and reddening, but without lifting her face from her work.

"You know, -- about my father. No matter what he does, if it were the worst thing in the world, your lips have no business to mention it to my ears."

"I wasn't saying anything _bad_," said Rose.

"Your notions of bad and good, and honourable and dishonourable, are very different from mine! If he did as you say, I should be bitterly ashamed."

"I don't see why."

"I will not have such things _spoken_ of to me, -- Rose, do you understand? What my father does, no human being has a right to comment upon to me; and none shall!"

"You think you may talk as you like to _me_," said Rose, between pouting and crying. "I was only laughing."

"Laugh about something else."

"I wish Winthrop Landholm had been here."

"Why?"

"He'd have given you another speech about engineering."

Elizabeth took her candle and book and marched out of the room.

CHAPTER XVIII.

One man has one way of talking, and another man has another, that's all the difference between them.

GOOD-NATURED MAN.

Winthrop found he could go. So according to his promise he dressed himself, and was looking out a pockethandkerchief from the small store in his trunk, when the door opened.

"Rufus! --"

"Ah! -- you didn't expect to see me, did you?" said that gentleman, taking off his hat and coming in and closing the door with a face of great life and glee. -- "Here I am, Governor!"

"What brought you here?" said his brother shaking his hand.

"What brought me here? -- why, the stage-coach, to be sure; except five miles, that I rode on horseback. What should bring me?"

"Something of the nature of a centrifugal force, I should judge."

"Centrifugal! -- _You_ are my centre, Governor, -- don't you know that? I tend to you as naturally as the poor earth does to the sun. That's why I am here -- I couldn't keep at a distance any longer."

"My dear sir, at that rate you are running to destruction."

"No, no," said Rufus laughing, -- "there's a certain degree of license in our moral planetary system -- I'm going away again as soon as I am rightly refreshed with the communication of your light and warmth."

"Well," said Winthrop untying his neckcloth, "it would seem but courtesy in the sun to stand still to receive his visitor -- I'm very glad to see you, Will."

"What's the matter?"

"The sun was going out to dinner -- that's all, -- but you are a sufficient excuse for me."

"Going to dinner? -- where?"

"No. 11, on the Parade."

"No. 11? -- Mr. Haye's? were you? I'll go too. I won't hinder you."

"I am not sorry to be hindered," said Winthrop.

"But I am! -- at least, I should be. We'll both go. How soon, Governor?"

"Presently."

"I'll be ready," said Rufus, -- "here's my valise -- but my s.h.i.+rt ruffles, I fear, are in a state of impoverished elegance. -- I speak not in respect of one or two holes, of which they are the worse, -- but solely in reference to the coercive power of narrow circ.u.mstances -- which n.o.body knows anything of that hasn't experienced it," said Rufus, looking up from his valise to his brother with an expression half earnest, half comical.

"You are not suffering under it at this moment," said Winthrop.

"Yes I am -- in the form of my frills. Look there! -- I'll tell you what I'll do -- I'll invoke the charities of my good friend, Mrs. Nettley. Is she down stairs? -- I'll be back in a moment, Winthrop."

Down stairs, s.h.i.+rt in hand, went Rufus, and tapped at Mrs.

Nettley's door. That is, the door of the room where she usually lived, a sort of better cla.s.s kitchen, which held the place of what in houses of more pretension is called the 'back parlour.' Mrs. Nettley's own hand opened the door at his tap.

She was a strong contrast to her brother, with her rather small person and a face all the lines of which were like a cobweb set to catch every care that was flying; but woven by no malevolent spider; it was a very nest of kindliness and good-will.

"How d'ye do, Mrs. Nettley," said Rufus softly.

"Why, Mr. Landholm! -- are you there? Come in -- how good it is to see you again! but I didn't expect it."

"Didn't expect to see me again?"

"No -- O yes, of course, Mr. William," said Mrs. Nettley laughing, -- "I expected to see you again; but not now -- I didn't expect to see you when I opened the door."