CHAPTER XXXI.
A "CONTINUAL READER."
A few days after the girls were comfortably settled in their newquarters Primrose went out. She went out all alone, for by this timeLondon streets and London ways were familiar to her. Neatly and veryquietly dressed, with the usual serene light on her sweet face, andthat dignity about her whole bearing which prevented any one from everbeing rude to her, she went, not to her china-painting as usual, butsimply to take exercise in the London streets.
The fact was, Primrose wanted to be alone--she wanted to think out aproblem. She was beginning to be perplexed, and even slightly alarmed.Her alarm was not caused at present by anything in connection withDaisy, for Daisy seemed almost bright and well again; but moneymatters were not too prosperous with the young housekeeper, the lifeof independence she had hoped to attain for herself and her sistersseemed to recede from her view day by day--the china-painting broughtin no apparent results; Mr. Jones never did anything except "all but"get customers--the quarter's allowance from Mr. Danesfield lookedsmaller and more inadequate to Primrose the more her experience inexpenses grew, and now something about Miss Egerton added to hercares. It seemed to Primrose that Miss Egerton was holding backsomething--she had always been frank and open with the girls, but whenPrimrose asked her how much their furniture had cost, and whether shehad opened Mr. Danesfield's letter to pay for it the good lady's browhad grown troubled, and she had replied--
"I am busy to-day--I will go fully into the matter presently,Primrose;" but when morning after morning Miss Egerton was still toobusy to go into the question, Primrose began to have nameless littlefears, and had to scold herself for being fanciful and nervous.
On this afternoon she walked quickly, and without being herself awareof it she presently found herself in the neighborhood of Regent'sPark, and at last not very far from Penelope Mansion. She was thinkinghard, and paying little attention to any of the objects that met hereyes, when she was suddenly pulled up short by a round and heartyvoice, a fat hand was laid on her shoulder, and she found herself faceto face with Mrs. Dredge.
"Well, my dear, how are you, Miss Mainwaring? Oh, yes, I'm delightedto see you. You did give us the slip, you and your pretty sisters. Idon't think Mrs. Flint quite liked it; we all questioned her, me, andMiss Slowcum, and Mrs. Mortlock, and we said, 'At any rate give ustheir address, Mrs. Flint--we take an interest in them--they arepretty-spoken young ladies, and they were a credit to theestablishment.' But Mrs. Flint only frowned and bit her lips, andcolored. Then Mrs. Mortlock put her foot in it as far as Miss Slowcumwas concerned, for she said 'I'm sorry the girls from the country havedeparted, and that they found us so disagreeable that they had to doit unbeknown and quiet, for it was a real pleasure for ancient femaleslike ourselves to have young and bonny creatures about us.'
"Miss Slowcum got very stiff at this, for she apes youth, my dear, ina way that's past belief, and Mrs. Mortlock had her little fling onpurpose. Well, dear, and how are you? You look thin to what you were,and a bit pale. How is that pretty little sister of yours who wantedthe cheap lodgings, that was to be so clean you might eat on thefloor?"
"We are all fairly well, Mrs. Dredge," replied Primrose, when shecould edge in a word--for Mrs. Dredge was extremely voluble--"we arefairly well, only Daisy has been suffering from cold. We have gotclean rooms too, thank you, Mrs. Dredge."
"Well now, dear, I'm glad to hear it; that pretty child amused me whenshe spoke of cheapness and cleanliness going hand in hand. Bless herlittle heart! little she knew.
"We have learned a great many things we knew nothing about six monthsago Mrs. Dredge," answered Primrose, a tinge of sadness in her voice."Yes, I am very glad to see you again--please, remember me to all theladies at Penelope Mansion."
"Oh, my dear, they'll be glad to hear I met you--even Miss Slowcumwill, though she's a little bitter on the subject of age; and as tothat poor Sarah Maria, or Sarah Martha--I forget which she is, only Iknow she's Sarah, with something tacked to the end of it--why, she'llbe fairly skipping with delight. That poor girl, she just worships theground you three young ladies walk on."
"Oh, do give our dear love to Poppy," said Primrose tears springing toher eyes.
Those sudden tears did not escape the notice of fat, good-humored Mrs.Dredge.
"I hope you're getting on comfortably in every way, dear," she said,"money matters and all. I had sore worries myself in the money lineuntil poor Dredge made his fortune in the chandlery business. My dear,I was almost forgetting to tell you that we've had an affliction atthe Mansion."
"I'm very sorry," began Primrose.
"Yes, dear, and it's an affliction which is likely to continue, and togrow heavier. It's poor Mrs. Mortlock, dear--I'm afraid she's losingher sight, and very troublesome she'll be, and a worry to us all whenit's gone, for poor woman, she has a passion for politics that'salmost past bearing. Miss Slowcum and me, we take turns to read herthe papers now, but though our throats ache, and we're as hoarse asravens, we don't content her. Mrs. Mortlock is looking out for whatshe is pleased to call a 'continual reader,' dear, and what I'mthinking is that perhaps you or your sister would like to try for thepost--I believe you'd suit her fine, and she can pay well, for she'sfairly made of money."
Primrose colored. To read to Mrs. Mortlock was about the lastoccupation she would have chosen, but the thought of the purse at homewhich was getting so sadly light, and the feeling that after all herefforts she might never do much in the china-painting line, caused herto reflect anxiously.
"May I think about it and let you know, Mrs. Dredge?"
"No, no, my dear, not by any means, for she has advertised, and theyare pouring in. Poor Sarah Susan is almost off her head answering thedoor to them. Stout readers and thin readers, old readers and youngreaders, they're all flying to the post, as if there were nothing inlife so delightful as being 'continual reader' of politics to poorMrs. Mortlock. She ought to have been suited long ago, but I've astrong hope that she isn't, for she's as fidgety and particular as ifshe were a countess. Your best chance, dear, is to come straight homewith me--we'll see Mrs. Mortlock on the spur of the moment, and tryand arrange it all."
In this way Primrose obtained her first situation, for Mrs. Mortlockwas glad to feel her soft young hand, and her gentle and refined toneshad an instant and soothing effect on the poor lady's irritablenerves.
"My dear," she said, "what with rasping voices, and piping voices, anddroning voices, to say nothing of voices that were more like growlsthan anything else, I felt nearly demented. Yes, Miss Mainwaring, thisis a sore affliction that has befallen me, and I knew there wasnothing before me but the services of a 'continual reader,' for poorMrs. Dredge, though she did her best, was decidedly thick in herutterance; and Miss Slowcum, oh dear! the affectations of Miss Slowcumwere quite beyond me, besides our differing altogether in politics--meholding for Gladstone, and she fairly hating the poor man. You'll dovery well, Miss Mainwaring, and I hope you'll study your papers wellwhile you're at home, so that you may know what you are reading about,and read intelligent accordingly. I always like both sides of thequestion, which was my poor husband's habit, for he was a veryintelligent man, Miss Mainwaring. And then I like my bit of gossip andmy Court news. I adore my Queen, Miss Mainwaring, and it is a real_bona fide_ pleasure to learn when and where she drives abroad. You'llcome, please, in the morning, and set to work at your continualreading. Salary, fifteen shillings a week certain. Now, now, youneedn't hesitate at taking what I call a lofty salary, for it alwayswas my way to pay down handsome. There now, that's settled. Shakehands, dear; good-bye till the morning. Sarah Maria, you needn't showup no more of the 'continual readers,' for I believe I have made abargain with this young lady."
"Oh, Miss Primrose!" said poor Poppy, as she showed her out, "I ammore than thankful that you are coming here, miss--that's for my sake,miss, though I'm dreadful afraid you'll suffer yourself. I'm awfulafraid you'll get muddled in your head, miss, for as to mine, it hasswam away long ago. I begin not to
know in the least who I am, miss.Poppy, why it ain't nowhere! only I'm Sarah, with all the other wordsin the dictionary tacked on to it. I don't mind it now; they say folkscan get accustomed to anything, so I don't mind being Sarah, andeverything else too, only it has a very swimming effect on the head,Miss Primrose. Oh, my darling young lady! do ask Miss Jasmine and MissDaisy to let me come and see them."
"Yes, Poppy, you shall come and see us all again, if you will onlykeep our little secret, for just at present we don't want the peopleat home to know where we are; and remember, Poppy dear, that you arealways Poppy to us three girls."
"I'll hold on to that," said poor Poppy, "when my head's fairlyreeling. I'll clutch on to it, and hold firm. Poppy, which means atare, I am, to my own dear young ladies. Oh dear! oh dear! they'recalling me--it's Sarah Matilda this time. Good-bye until to-morrow,dear Miss Primrose."