第146章

第146章“iwasataboarding-schooleightyears.”

sheopenedhereyeswide.“whatevercannotyekeepyourselffor,then?”

“ihavekeptmyself;and,itrust,shallkeepmyselfagain.whatareyougoingtodowiththesegooseberries?”iinquired,asshebroughtoutabasketofthefruit.

“mak’emintopies.”

“givethemtomeandi’llpickthem.”

“nay;idunnutwantyetodonought.”

“butimustdosomething.letmehavethem.”

sheconsented;andsheevenbroughtmeacleantoweltospreadovermydress,“lest,”asshesaid,“ishouldmuckyit.”

“ye’venotbeenusedtosarvant’swark,iseebyyourhands,”sheremarked.“happenye’vebeenadressmaker?”

“no,youarewrong.andnow,nevermindwhatihavebeen:don’ttroubleyourheadfurtheraboutme;buttellmethenameofthehousewhereweare.”

“somecallsitmarshend,andsomecallsitmoorhouse.”

“andthegentlemanwholiveshereiscalledmr.st.john?”

“nay;hedoesn’tlivehere:heisonlystayingawhile.whenheisathome,heisinhisownparishatmorton.”

“thatvillageafewmilesoff?

“aye.”

“andwhatishe?”

“heisaparson.”

irememberedtheansweroftheoldhousekeeperattheparsonage,whenihadaskedtoseetheclergyman.“this,then,washisfather’sresidence?”

“aye;oldmr.riverslivedhere,andhisfather,andgrandfather,andgurt(great)grandfatheraforehim.”

“thename,then,ofthatgentleman,ismr.st.johnrivers?”

“aye;st.johnislikehiskirstenedname.”

“andhissistersarecalleddianaandmaryrivers?”

“yes.”

“theirfatherisdead?”

“deadthreeweekssin’ofastroke.”

“theyhavenomother?”

“themistresshasbeendeadthismonyayear.”

“haveyoulivedwiththefamilylong?”

“i’velivedherethirtyyear.inursedthemallthree.”

“thatprovesyoumusthavebeenanhonestandfaithfulservant.iwillsaysomuchforyou,thoughyouhavehadtheincivilitytocallmeaar.”

sheagainregardedmewithasurprisedstare.“ibelieve,”shesaid,“iwasquitemista’eninmythoughtsofyou:butthereissomonycheatsgoesabout,youmunforgieme.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“andthough,”icontinued,ratherseverely,“youwishedtoturnmefromthedoor,onanightwhenyoushouldnothaveshutoutadog.”

“well,itwashard:butwhatcanabodydo?ithoughtmoreo’th’childernorofmysel:poorthings!they’velikenobodytotak’careon’embutme.i’mliketolooksharpish.”

imaintainedagravesilenceforsomeminutes.

“youmunnutthinktoohardlyofme,”sheagainremarked.

“butidothinkhardlyofyou,”isaid;“andi’lltellyouwhy—notsomuchbecauseyourefusedtogivemeshelter,orregardedmeasanimpostor,asbecauseyoujustnowmadeitaspeciesofreproachthatihadno‘brass’andnohouse.someofthebestpeoplethateverlivedhavebeenasdestituteasiam;andifyouareachristian,yououghtnottoconsiderpovertyacrime.”

“nomoreiought,”saidshe:“mr.st.johntellsmesotoo;andiseeiworwrang—buti’veclearadifferentnotiononyounowtowhatihad.youlookaraightdowndacentlittlecrater.”

“thatwilldo—iforgiveyounow.shakehands.”

sheputherflouryandhornyhandintomine;anotherandheartiersmileilluminedherroughface,andfromthatmomentwewerefriends.

hannahwasevidentlyfondoftalking.whileipickedthefruit,andshemadethepasteforthepies,sheproceededtogivemesundrydetailsaboutherdeceasedmasterandmistress,and“thechilder,”asshecalledtheyoungpeople.

oldmr.rivers,shesaid,wasaplainmanenough,butagentleman,andofasancientafamilyascouldbefound.marshendhadbelongedtotheriverseversinceitwasahouse:anditwas,sheaffirmed,“aboontwohundredyearold—forallitlookedbutasmall,humbleplace,naughttocomparewi’mr.oliver’sgrandhalldowni’mortonvale.butshecouldrememberbilloliver’sfatherajourneymanneedlemaker;andth’riversworgentryi’th’owddayso’th’henrys,asonybodymightseebylookingintoth’registersi’mortonchurchvestry.”still,sheallowed,“theowdmaisterwaslikeotherfolk—naughtmichouto’t’commonway:starkmado’shooting,andfarming,andsichlike.”themistresswasdifferent.shewasagreatreader,andstudiedadeal;andthe“bairns”hadtakenafterher.therewasnothinglikethemintheseparts,noreverhadbeen;theyhadlikedlearning,allthree,almostfromthetimetheycouldspeak;andtheyhadalwaysbeen“ofamak’oftheirown.”mr.st.john,whenhegrewup,wouldgotocollegeandbeaparson;andthegirls,assoonastheyleftschool,wouldseekplacesasgovernesses:fortheyhadtoldhertheirfatherhadsomeyearsagolostagreatdealofmoneybyamanhehadtrustedturningbankrupt;andashewasnownotrichenoughtogivethemfortunes,theymustprovideforthemselves.theyhadlivedverylittleathomeforalongwhile,andwereonlycomenowtostayafewweeksonaccountoftheirfather’sdeath;buttheydidsolikemarshendandmorton,andallthesemoorsandhillsabout.theyhadbeeninlondon,andmanyothergrandtowns;buttheyalwayssaidtherewasnoplacelikehome;andthentheyweresoagreeablewitheachother—neverfelloutnor“threaped.”shedidnotknowwheretherewassuchafamilyforbeingunited.

havingfinishedmytaskofgooseberrypicking,iaskedwherethetwoladiesandtheirbrotherwerenow.

“goneovertomortonforawalk;buttheywouldbebackinhalf-an-hourtotea.”

theyreturnedwithinthetimehannahhadallottedthem:theyenteredbythekitchendoor.mr.st.john,whenhesawme,merelybowedandpassedthrough;thetwoladiesstopped:mary,inafewwords,kindlyandcalmlyexpressedthepleasureshefeltinseeingmewellenoughtobeabletocomedown;dianatookmyhand:sheshookherheadatme.

“youshouldhavewaitedformyleavetodescend,”shesaid.“youstilllookverypale—andsothin!poorchild!—poorgirl!”