CHAPTER VIII MISS CELIA'S MAN

ore.Can'tyouguesswhatitis?"andMissCeliawatchedhisanxiousfaceashiseyeswanderedfromthetipsofLita'searstothehind-wheelofthephaeton,tryingtodiscoverwhathadbeenomitted. "No,miss,Idon'tsee—"hebegan,muchmortifiedtothinkhehadforgottenanything. "Wouldn'talittlegroomupbehindimprovetheappearanceofmyturnout?"shesaid,withalookwhichleftnodoubtinhismindthathewastobethehappyboytooccupythatproudperch. Hegrewredwithpleasure,butstammered,ashehesitated,lookingdownathisbarefeetandblueshirt,— "Iain'tfit,missandIhaven'tgotanyotherclothes." MissCeliaonlysmiledagainmorekindlythanbefore,andanswered,inatonewhichheunderstoodbetterthanherwords,—"Agreatmansaidhiscoat-of-armswasapairofshirt-sleeves,andasweetpoetsangaboutabarefootedboysoIneednotbetooproudtoridewithone.Upwithyou,Ben,myman,andletusbeoff,orweshallbelateforourparty." Withoneboundthenewgroomwasinhisplace,sittingveryerect,withhislegsstiff,armsfolded,andnoseintheair,ashehadseenrealgroomssitbehindtheirmastersinfinedog-cartsorcarriages.Mrs.Mossnoddedastheydrovepastthelodge,andBentouchedhistornhat-briminthemostdignifiedmanner,thoughhecouldnotsuppressabroadgrinofdelight,whichdeepenedintoachucklewhenLitawentoffatabrisktrotalongthesmoothroadtowardtown. Ittakessolittletomakeachildhappy,itisapitygrownpeopledonotoftenerrememberitandscatterlittlebitsofpleasurebeforethesmallpeople,astheythrowcrumbstothehungrysparrows.MissCeliaknewtheboywaspleased,buthehadnowordsinwhichtoexpresshisgratitudeforthegreatcontentmentshehadgivenhim.Hecouldonlybeamatallhemet,smilewhenthefloatingendsofthegrayveilblewagainsthisface,andlonginhishearttogivethenewfriendaboyishhug,asheusedtodohisdear'Meliawhenshewasverygoodtohim. Schoolwasjustoutastheypassedanditwasaspectacle,Iassureyou,toseetheboysandgirlsstareatBenupaloftinsuchstatealsotoseethesuperbindifferencewithwhichthatyoungmanregardedthevulgarherdwhowentafoot.Hecouldn'tresistanaffablenodtoBabandBetty,fortheystoodunderthemaple-tree,andthememoryoftheircirculatinglibrarymadehimforgethisdignityinhisgratitude. "Wewilltakethemnexttime,butnowIwanttotalktoyou,"beganMissCelia,asLitaclimbedthehill."Mybrotherhasbeenill,andIhavebroughthimheretogetwell.Iwanttodoallsortsofthingstoamusehim,andIthinkyoucanhelpmeinmanyways.WouldyouliketoworkformeinsteadoftheSquire? "IguessIwould!"ejaculatedBen,soheartilythatnofurtherassuranceswereneeded,andMissCeliawento