Emma Leslie

“ I was making an omelette for Arthur's supper, only I forgot all about it while I was talking to—"
"Wasting my eggs in this fashion!" snorted Hannah.
"They won't be wasted. I can eat it, Hannah," said Arthur.
"Eat it, then," she said, turning the half-cooked omelette out upon a plate.
Arthur carried it to the dining-room, where supper was laid. "It's just as good, Moll, as though Hannah had roasted herself over the fire at it," said Arthur good-naturedly. ”

“ Now, when I tell you that this sort of thing has been going on for years and years, that he has constantly been leading my poor boy into mischief of some sort or other, you will understand how anxious I am to remove him from such bad company, and the only way to do it is for one or other of them to leave the neighbourhood. I cannot part with my dear Adrian for any length of time, and so I do hope you will help me to get rid of Arthur, for he is, I can assure you, a dreadful boy! Actually calls me a dragon, I hear from my cook, who lived with them as long as they could keep a decent servant! ”

“ Annie sighed. "Oh, how hateful poverty is!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, but we can conquer it if we only put our shoulder to the wheel resolutely. And after all, I think I would rather people said, 'How shabby that young Murray looks!' than that they should whisper, 'Eh, Murray looks smart, don't he? But you know his clothes aren't paid for; the Murrays never do pay their bills until they are obliged to.'"
"Arthur!" exclaimed Molly indignantly. "Nobody ever would say such a thing about us!"
"Oh, wouldn't they though! Don't you make any mistake, Molly. People all live in glass houses nowadays. ”

“ Then Alice went into the scullery to scour some dirty sauce-pans, and amused herself by singing a popular ditty at the top of her voice, which she was not always so free to do as she was this morning.
She had finished her scullery work, to her own satisfaction at least, and was tying on a clean apron preparatory to setting the dinner-table, when there came a knock at the door which she instantly recognized as Miss Molly's, and ran to open it.
"Thank you, Alice!" said Molly pleasantly, and then she went to the foot of the stairs and called: "We have come home, Mamma." ”

“ But Arthur shook his head. "That won't do at all. I would rather pay for a cab than do that. I must hold a pocket-handkerchief up to that side of my face, as though I had got the toothache—" And at this point his elder sister came in and at once declared that he could not go out that day.
"I shall send Alice for some lotion, and you must keep your eye bandaged well to-day, and then you may be able to go out to-morrow."
"Send for the lotion by all means, Annie, and I will use it, but I cannot stay at home, we are too busy."
"But you are such a sight!" said his sister. ”

“ Brading's hospitality, and then behaving like that. "Don't be a cad, Adrian! I hate such meanness," protested Arthur. "What has come to you that you cannot behave like a gentleman?"
"I behave according to the company I am in," sullenly muttered the young fellow.
"Very well, I won't talk to a cad," said Arthur. And he turned on his heel and went into the drawing-room.
In a few minutes he was whirling round in a waltz, and the vexation he felt at his cousin's behaviour was well-nigh forgotten. ”

“ He has to open the letter-bag at Brading's, and she might—they might—there is no telling what people might say."
"Pigs might fly," suggested the irreverent Molly.
"Aunt Mary might say spiteful things about you, Arthur, if she heard that you had the handling of her letters."
"Ah, she might! But how is she to hear? I have not seen Adrian for a long time. I expect he has gone to Oxford long ago."
"I have not seen him, or Aunt Mary either, for some time," said Annie. "Perhaps she has heard that you have gone to that shop and is quite offended about it," suggested Annie. ”

“ Arthur, of course, thought Lady Mary unreasonable in her treatment of Adrian, and may have urged him into rebellion in the boyish days, when they used to get into scrapes together. But the experience of the past few months had sobered him a good deal, and now he thought that it was a pity the mother and son could not agree better, and he said so:
"You have no father, old fellow, and naturally your mother will look to you for comfort and—"
"Will she! Then she'll have to make me a bit comfortable first," fumed Adrian. ”

“ He talked and laughed as though he had known the Bradings all his life, for Jack's youngest sister, who sat beside him, reminded him of his own sister Molly, and very soon he was telling Miss Ethel Brading all about her, and they were making merry over some of Molly's escapades when they had been out together.
"Arthur Murray is a nice boy, Papa," said the young lady when dinner was over. "I only hope he can dance, and will take the trouble to make himself as agreeable to the rest as he has been all dinner-time. You know, we are just going to have a few dances by and by." ”

“ The next minute a young man came in, and he was asked if he knew Arthur.
"Never set eyes on the gent before," replied the young fellow briskly. "He don't look the sort that comes to our market. Our Mr. Murray was a little, weazel-like chap. Thought he knew a thing or two more than most of us, and we let him think so, as it paid the saloon well to. No, bless you, he isn't a bit like our Mr. Murray," concluded the young fellow.
"Thank you!" put in Mr. Andrews at this point, for, having got the evidence he wanted for the next day's examination, he did not wish to waste his time on gossip. ”

“ I can't even walk about the town but he is dogging my steps and trying to get things out of me, asking me questions about my affairs in the most impudent fashion, considering that he has disgraced our family and name by going to serve in a shop."
"He always was a most impudent, mischievous boy, and he certainly must be got rid of somehow."
"Well, if you can do it, I shall be glad enough. Only do it quietly, Mother. I don't want our name dragged through the gutter, the police called in, and all that sort of thing."
"I certainly shall call in the police, if he will not leave Fairmead without!" ”

“ And as he entered, a faint mew came from the stairs.
"Poor pussy!" said Arthur, and he held the greasy parcel towards her. The Persian caught a whiff of the tasty contents, and uttered a louder mew, while Arthur ran off to the kitchen followed by Tuffy.
The next minute, Mrs. Murray appeared at the top of the stairs, and Molly ran up to see what had brought her mother out of her room.
"My poor pets are so hungry!" said the lady plaintively.
"Yes, Mamma, and so are you, I am sure. Arthur has brought the fish, and Annie has gone to cook it before Hannah comes in." ”

“ And without another word, he went out of the room, took his candle, and went up to bed.
"Oh, Annie, it was a shame of you to talk like that to poor Arthur, when he is trying so hard to set things right. Of course he is quite disheartened, and no wonder, poor boy!"
"But what are we to do? He must learn that we want dresses and must have them somehow. Mamma has always been well dressed, though she sits in her own room."
"Well, Mamma cannot have a new dress just now, and I shall tell her so to-morrow. Of course, what Mr. Andrews and Arthur are trying to do is worth twenty new dresses. ”

“ Then he touched the gong on his table, and a young clerk came in from the outer office. "Send Phillips to me," he said.
"Mr. Phillips is just going to his dinner, sir."
"Run after him, then, and tell him I want to see him first," said Mr. Andrews.
The old clerk, who knew all the secrets of the office as well as Mr. Andrews did himself, came back the next minute.
"I want a word with you," said Mr. Andrews, "before you go out. Sit down for a moment. Have you heard any talk of the new railway lately?"
The man smiled, and shook his head. "That is as dead as a door-nail," he said in a lower tone. ”

“ I tell you none of her family has ever been engaged in trade—"
"Except your father, and perhaps he had done with the pies and sausages before you were born," interrupted Arthur, still in the same mocking tone.
"Well, if you will be a fool, and not only scorch yourself, but put the rest of them at home in the fire, why, you must do it, I suppose. I cannot help you any more. I cannot help myself. When the Mater has set her heart upon a thing, you may bet she'll have it somehow, by hook or by crook, and it's no good standing out against her." ”

“ Arthur had to pause before going in, for he was not in the habit of fetching errands, and he had almost forgotten what he wanted, until he heard a customer inside ask the price of sole, and then he remembered what he had been sent for, and was careful to note the price given to the other customer.
"Eighteen pence a pound," said the fishmonger, picking up a fish and holding it up. "That will weigh about a pound," he said, putting it into the scale.
"It is dreadfully dear," said the customer dubiously.
"Not for sole, ma'am, at this time of year. Can I serve you, sir?" ”

“ You say you must keep a servant, and that she wastes things dreadfully. Don't you see that what I can earn will help to pay for what Hannah wastes?"
"You ridiculous boy! As though we should let you do that!" exclaimed Molly, as she poured the boiling water into the tea-pot.
"Boy!" repeated Arthur. "You forget that I am assistant-accountant to the great emporium of Brading and Co. Boy, indeed! I ought to be growing up by this time at any rate."
They were both laughing when they carried the tea into the dining-room, but Annie was still looking very grave. ”

“ Brading, or else that he would cheat somebody. Oh, Arthur, I do see how particular you have to be! It is quite different from what it was at school, when, if you got a sum wrong, it only meant the loss of a mark to yourself. Now your sums mean the loss of money to other people."
"Well done, Molly! That was just what I was thinking when I was dressing this morning, but I don't think I could have explained it so clearly."
"Isn't it rather nice to think it is real things you have to do with now?" asked Molly, rather wistfully. "Think how much better it is than our life here at home. ”

“ You will have to get a new one, I am sure," said his elder sister.
"Quite impossible!" said Arthur. "We can't afford it."
"But, Arthur, you can't go out to dinner without a coat!" said Molly. "And you know you have grown so fast lately that it won't fit you."
"I haven't tried it yet. Go and fetch it, Molly, and if it wants altering, I'll take it with me this morning and see whether Mr. Langley can get anything done with it in our tailoring shop."
Molly ran up and fetched the coat, and Arthur put it on. "You never will be able to wear that again!" exclaimed Molly in dismay. ”

“ And Arthur walked away whistling. But when he reached the corner of the street, he dug his hands deep into his pockets, and forgot his whistle as he pondered over Adrian's words, wondering what they could mean, and whether there was any truth in the assertion that Lady Mary had him and his in her power, and could drive them out of Fairmead if he did not go willingly.
"Oh, dear! Those dreadful debts of the Pater's! It is enough to make a fellow say he would rather live on dry bread than go in debt for butter. ”

“ Arthur went home to discuss the matter with his sisters, and tell them he felt sure that Mr. Andrews would see to the bills being paid, and give them a fair chance of living within their income, provided there were no milliners' and drapers' bills contracted after the present ones had been paid.
"You must agree to wait for a new dress until you can pay for it," added Arthur.
Annie looked struck with amazement that such a proposal should be made to her. "I never heard of such a thing! To ask a lady to pay for everything when she buys it!" ”

“ Binding's mind, and that if there was not this inheritance of debt clinging to him, he would never have thought twice before deciding that he, Arthur, was innocent of this theft, wherever the letter might have gone. If only he could get rid of it; if only he could earn the right to say, "No man was ever wronged of a penny through my father!" ”

“ Brading was all that a lady should be in the reception of her guests and the ordering of her household. He found his friend's two sisters were much like his own: well-mannered, quietly-dressed girls, who received him as their brother's friend in a perfectly natural manner, so that he speedily felt at ease and at home among them.
They were all assembled in the drawing-room, waiting for the dinner-gong to sound, when the door opened and the servant announced "Mr. Adrian Murray."
"I didn't know you knew my Cousin Ted," exclaimed Arthur, turning to Jack Brading. ”

“ I think we ought to be willing to spend all her seventy-five pounds on these if she wants them."
"Don't you think if the cats had their food downstairs it might be managed?" suggested Arthur.
At this moment Mrs. Murray's bell rang violently, and Annie ran upstairs in a fright to see what was the matter, closely followed by Molly.
"My poor dear Tuffy, my poor dear Tuffy!" wailed Mrs. Murray. "That wicked girl downstairs has been beating her. I could hear it up here!"
"Well, Mamma, she deserved it, I am sure; and if a cat can't be taught how to behave herself, she will have to go." ”

“ I have not been able to pay the bills as it is," retorted Annie. "Mamma must have what she fancies; it is so little she can eat."
"Well, we must feed the cats down here, and then that will cost less, though I don't believe I should ever have thought of it, if Arthur had not bought this fish. Why, they have had a better supper for twopence than if Arthur had spent another shilling for filleted soles, and I am sure they have enjoyed it quite as much."
"Of course they have, and the fish is good, or people would not eat it, even if they are poor," said Arthur. ”