"You've had Miss
Sampson, you know, Aunt Lucy."
"I want you both," Miss Merivale said in an eager voice. "Rose, you will
try to love her, won't you? She is so lonely. Mrs. M'Alister and her
children have gone to Devonshire, and Rhoda was left behind. She has
nobody but us. You won't treat her like a stranger, will you, dearest?"
Rose felt chilled and hurt by her aunt's strange eagerness. It was all
very well for Tom to speak so, but her aunt was different. Why should she
plead for Rhoda like that?
"You'll see how sweet I mean to be to her, Aunt Lucy," she said gaily; and
Miss Merivale did not notice that the gaiety was forced. "I'll go up now
and send her down to you. I wonder why Pauline is keeping her."
She hastened away, and Miss Merivale sat down in the porch and put her
hand on the head of Bruno, Tom's black Newfoundland, who had come to her
side with an inquiring glance in his beautiful eyes.
"Your master will be home soon, Bruno," she said. The dog wagged his tail,
but still kept looking at her. She went on speaking to him. "And
everything is coming right, Bruno," she said. "I am glad I was silent.
It's all coming right. We shall all be happy together."
She looked round as she spoke, and saw Rhoda coming down the broad shallow
stairs into the wainscoted hall. A tender smile brightened her face as she
watched her.
Pages:
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100