Flo

“ This friend was the dog, Scamp. We can never speak with certainty as to the positive feelings of the dumb creatures, but it is plain that ever since Flo turned into this bad street Scamp—as the vulgar saying has it—smelt a rat. Perhaps it called up too vividly before his memory his old days with Maxey—be that as it may, from the time they entered the street he was restless and uneasy, looking behind him, and to right and left of him, every moment, and trying by all means in his power to quicken Flo’s movements. ”

“ Right and left, before and behind, pretty things would surround her, and Flo did so love pretty things.
It would be a grander sight than Regent Street, or Swan and Edgar’s, grander, because the fine ladies, and the smart dresses, and the lovely spirited horses would be there in such much vaster numbers! ”

“ She was only Flo, working as a translator of old boots and shoes, down in a dark cellar—she had no fine dresses, no pretty ornaments, no money, she was hungry and cold, and generally miserable, and as far as she could possibly see there was never any chance of her being anything else.
She generally came down from her high imaginings to this stern reality, with a great burst of tears, only one sad thought comforting her, to be alive at all she could never be worse than she was, she could never sink any lower. ”

“ You’re shaking all over. Why, he’s just one of those people. Good Lord, Gin.... I’ve half a mind to go with you and walk it off.”
“Well, come on. Put something on over your pajamas. Nobody’s going to see you.”
Flo, surprisingly, acted on the suggestion. She pulled on a skirt and a pair of sandals, then shrouded herself in a coat. “All right, kid,” she said. “Let’s go. You look like Lady Macbeth.”
This was better. Flo was decent all right. It was thrilling, walking through the empty streets. If anyone should stop them and see those pajama-legs dragging! She giggled. ”

“ I will at least have that much money at my disposal.”
“What do you want me to do, Susie?” said Florence, with that new-born dignity which suited her so very well, and with that wonderful, new pathos in her eyes which made her look altogether lovely.
“I want you to do this,” said Susie; “to come straight back with me to the Grange. Neither father nor I want ten guineas, nor one penny a week, and you are to stay as long as ever you like. I want you to come now. Why, Flo, it is you I love just for yourself, not because you are an heiress. As a rule, I hate heiresses—not that I have met many.” ”

“ And so it happened that when a half hour passed, and the bright-eyed bevy missed Flo and couldn't find her, wisely giving up the search at last, that she, the quietest and most bashful of the lot, was being initiated into the mysteries of "what life is."
Down Bourbon Street and on Toulouse and St. Peter Streets there are quaint little old-world places, where one may be disguised effectually for a tiny consideration. Thither guided by the shapely Mephisto, and guarded by the team of jockeys and ballet girls, tripped Flo. ”

“ She had never touched a penny that was not her own, she was just and true in all her dealings. She was proud of saying—and the pride had caused her sunken, dying eyes to brighten even at the last—that none of her belongings, however low they had fallen, had ever seen the inside of a prison, or ever stood in a prisoner’s dock. They were honest people, and Dick and Flo must keep up the family character. Come what might, happen what would, they must ever and always look every man in the face, with the proud consciousness, “I have stolen from none.” ”

“ At Flo’s question she patted the dog’s head, and answered gently—
“Yes, dear, I loves all dumb creatures.”
“Then, Mrs Jenks, may be yer’d like fur to keep Scamp?”
“Why, my child, of course you are both on a little visit with me for the present. See, Flo, I am going to teach you needlework—it is what all women should be adepts in, dear.” ”

“ She had just offered him a thousand a year as pocket-money. You will scarcely believe it, Flo, but the ungrateful wretch gave it all up for the sake of that girl. I never heard of such a man, and to think that I should have angled—yes, I did, dear—that you should know him!"
"Here is your tea, mother. Can you not stop talking for a little? You will wear yourself out."
"What a queer, stern, cold voice you have, Florence! You are not half as interested as you used to be."
"Do drink your tea, mother."
Mrs. Aylmer was not proof against the fragrant cup. ”

“ Aylmer the less; "you used to be an affectionate girl."
"Oh, used!" said Florence. "But people change as they grow older. Sometimes I think I have not any heart."
"But you have engaged yourself to that man. I presume you love him."
"No, I don't love him at all."
"Flo, it is impious to hear your talk; it is just on a par with those awfully clever papers of yours—those stories and those articles. You have made a terrible sensation at Dawlish. You are becoming notorious, my dear. It is awful for a little widow like me to have a notorious daughter. You must stop it, Flo; you really must!" ”

“ When you go to sleep His arm is under your head; when you walk abroad, He’s by your side—He’s with you now, and He’ll be with you for ever. When you come to die He’ll be with you. You need never fear for nothing, for God will be always with you. He says ‘Certainly,’ and His certainly, is as big, and wide, and strong as eternity, Flo Darrell.”
“Yes, ma’am,” replied Flo very softly, and then Mrs Jenks went and lay down on her mattress, and was presently sleeping the sweet and heavy sleep of the hard worker. ”

“ But the damp, dark cellar was unendurable to the bright little fellow, and he had to be, as he himself expressed it, a goodish bit peckish before he could bear it. So Flo uncomplainingly worked in the dismal room, and paid the small rent, and provided the greater part of the scanty meals, and Dick thought this arrangement fair enough; “for was not Flo a gel? she could bear the lonely, dark, unwholesome place better’n him, who was a boy, would one day be a man, and—in course it was the place of womens to kep at ’ome.” ”

“ Mrs Jenks paused, but Flo was quite silent.
“Well, dear,” she said cheerfully, “we’ll all three lie warm and snug to-night, and we needn’t meet to-morrow’s troubles half way. Now come over, child, and I’ll give you instruction in needlework, ’tis an hart as all women should cultivate.” ”

“ Nothing could ever make that fire anything but bright, nothing could ever make that room anything but clean, but the widow herself had lost her old cheery look, she shivered, and drew close to the warm blaze. This might be caused by the outside cold, for the snow lay thick on the ground, but the expression on her brow could hardly come from any change of weather, neither could it be caused by the death of Flo.
Mrs Jenks sorrowed for the child, but not rebelliously—perhaps not overmuch. Those who loved her hardly spoke of her going away as a death at all. ”

“ If you love Him He will give you a better time than the Queen has on her throne—a time so good, that you will never want to change with anybody in all the world.”
“Tell me about God,” asked Flo in a breathless voice, and she left her stool and knelt at Mrs Jenks’ feet.
“God,” said little Mrs Jenks, putting down her work and looking up solemnly, “God—He’s the Father of the fatherless, and you are fatherless. God’s your Father, child.” ”

“ A second time that night was Scamp disturbed by sobs, but the sobs did not proceed from Flo this time. The tired little girl was sleeping heavily, her head on the dog’s neck. Scamp could only open his eyes, which he did very wide; if he moved the least bit in the world he would wake Flo. The sounds of distress grew louder, he gave a low growl, then a bark, then with a sudden, uncontrollable impulse, he was off Flo’s lap and on the bed with Dick,—he was cuddling down by Dick, fawning on him, and licking the tears off his face. ”

“ Florence succeeded admirably with her embroidering. She managed to earn some pretty dresses for herself, and added enough to Hal's store to enable him to purchase a suit of clothes, though they were not as grand as Joe's.
Hal and Granny took a wonderful sight of comfort sitting on the doorstep through the summer evenings, [104] and talking over old times. Granny would tell how they did when his father, her own dear Joe, was alive, and how pretty his mother had been.
"Flo's a good deal like her," she would always say; "only Flo's wonderful with her fingers. She can do any thing with a needle." ”

“ A year ago Flo’s mother had died in this cellar. She was a young woman, not more than thirty, but the damp of the miserable cellar, together with endless troubles and hardships, had fanned the seeds of consumption within her, and before her thirty-first birthday she had passed away. She knew she was dying, and in her poor way had done her best to prepare her children for her loss. She taught them both her trade, that of a translator,—not a literary translator, poor Mrs Darrell could not read,—but a translator of old boots and shoes into new ”

“ At first they walked alone, then two or three, going in the same direction, joined them, then half-a-dozen more, and so on, until they found themselves with quite a number of people all Epsom bound.
At first Flo did not like this, she would have much preferred to trudge along, away past hot and dismal London, with only Dick and Jenks for company, but after a time she saw the advantage of this arrangement, for she was unaccustomed to walking, and soon her little feet grew very, very weary, and then the good-natured cadgers and tramps turned out agreeable acquaintances. ”

“ I was always aware you had the very devil of a temper, Florence, and now, after fifteen years of married life, I [Pg 32] make the discovery that you can be excessively—ahem!—unladylike.
Lady Flo: It's highly amusing to hear you express an opinion on the subject of how a lady should behave. When one remembers your sisters, one is inclined to believe you were not, perhaps, brought up in a school of the very highest standard.
Sir W.: You insult my sisters! (Becomes much excited and takes her by the arm.) Repeat that again!
(Enter Jem. Stands in amazement.) ”

“ I’ll tell ’bout the ghost fur a penny, no fur three ha’pence—there!”
“Well, tell away,” said Flo, throwing the coins into her companion’s lap.
Janey thrust them into her mouth, then taking them out rubbed them bright with her pinafore, and held them firmly in her bony little hand.
“Pease puddin’ fur the ha’penny,” she said, “meat and taters fur the penny—’tis real mean o’ yer not to make it tuppence. Now I’ll begin. Were’s that ere dawg? were’s that hawful, ’owlin’ dawg?”
“Oh! I don’t know,” said Flo, “I don’t know nothink ’bout my dear Scamp.” ”

“ And Flo can hear every word. It's all up!
Plant. They can talk of nothing else.
(Doctor pulls Plant's coat.)
It's Jack, dear Jack, darling Jack, (same Bus.) Ah, you have robbed me of my precious jewels.
Doctor. (glancing nervously at couch, with assumed levity) Nonsense!
Plant. (indignant) It's not nonsense at all, it's very serious. Heaven forbid that I should speak, harshly to a young man with a rich—ahem!—future—but as their father—from whom they have never had a secret all their blameless lives—— (crosses R.) I tell you, sir, you have broken two hearts in one afternoon. ”

“ Dick ’ull start in another ’rection wid the fusees, and I must be yere, and there, and hevery wheres, to keep the gents’ boots bright. So good mornin’ to yer, Flo; you meet us yere in the evenin’ wid a good pocket full, and yere’s sixpence fur yer breakfast,” and before Flo had time to open her lips from sheer astonishment, Jenks was gone.
She was alone, alone on Epsom common. With that sea of strange faces round her she was utterly alone.
Very poor children, at least those children who have to fight the battle of life, never cry much. ”

“ Its too good to be true! (rises) No, it isn't Quayle's right again! Flo has brought me luck, and on our wedding day! (pause) The very day! That's what that silly old man with the dyed hair meant. By Jove! he is a fairy prince! Oh, Flo, Flo, what a honeymoon we'll have! (dances all over the room with delight, seizing a sofa cushion to dance with)
(Enter Aurora. followed by Ruby. Pearl. Waverly and Andrew in single file.)
Aurora. The Doctor'll see you directly. Take your seats, please.
(Ruby and Pearl sit on couch, Ruby L. of Pearl; Andrew and Waverly R. C, laughing.) ”

“ As long as you stay he shall stay, but when you go back to your cellar he shall go too.”
Scamp, whose eyes expressed that he knew all about it, and fully believed that Mrs Jenks understood his character, looked satisfied, and licked her hand, but Flo had still an anxious frown on her face. “Ef you please, ma’am,” she said, “’tis better fur me to know how much longer am I to have the loan of your bed, ma’am?” ”

“ Every morning he carried away his broom, and every evening, the weather being rather wet, he brought her in a nice little handful of coppers, as the result of his day’s brooming; quite enough money to buy honest red herrings and other dainties for supper and even breakfast.
Flo began to consider a broom and crossing quite a good trade, and rather contemplated taking it up herself. But in this desire both Jenks and Dick quite vehemently opposed her, and for the present she was happy over her never-ending cobbling. ”