CHAPTER XI.

uckinafterapatternfromwhichshewascarefultoallownoaberrationandasforherownperson,itgavethesameideaofperfectunvaryingneatnessasthebodyofalittlebird.Itistruethatherlight-brownhairwascroppedbehindlikeaboy’s,andwasdressedinfrontinanumberofflatrings,thatlayquiteawayfromherfacebuttherewasnosortofcoiffurethatcouldmakeMissNancy’scheekandnecklookotherwisethanprettyandwhenatlastshestoodcompleteinhersilverytwilledsilk,herlacetucker,hercoralnecklace,andcoralear-drops,theMissGunnscouldseenothingtocriticiseexceptherhands,whichborethetracesofbutter-making,cheese-crushing,andevenstillcoarserwork.ButMissNancywasnotashamedofthat,forevenwhileshewasdressingshenarratedtoheraunthowsheandPriscillahadpackedtheirboxesyesterday,becausethismorningwasbakingmorning,andsincetheywereleavinghome,itwasdesirabletomakeagoodsupplyofmeat-piesforthekitchenandassheconcludedthisjudiciousremark,sheturnedtotheMissGunnsthatshemightnotcommittherudenessofnotincludingthemintheconversation.TheMissGunnssmiledstiffly,andthoughtwhatapityitwasthattheserichcountrypeople,whocouldaffordtobuysuchgoodclothes(reallyMissNancy’slaceandsilkwereverycostly),shouldbebroughtupinutterignoranceandvulgarity.Sheactuallysaid“mate”for“meat”,“’appen”for“perhaps”,and“oss”for“horse”,which,toyoungladieslivingingoodLytherlysociety,whohabituallysaid’orse,evenindomesticprivacy,andonlysaid’appenontherightoccasions,wasnecessarilyshocking.MissNancy,indeed,hadneverbeentoanyschoolhigherthanDameTedman’s:heracquaintancewithprofaneliteraturehardlywentbeyondtherhymesshehadworkedinherlargesamplerunderthelambandtheshepherdessandinordertobalanceanaccount,shewasobligedtoeffecthersubtractionbyremovingvisiblemetallicshillingsandsixpencesfromavisiblemetallictotal.Thereishardlyaservant-maidinthesedayswhoisnotbetterinformedthanMissNancyyetshehadtheessentialattributesofalady—highveracity,delicatehonourinherdealings,deferencetoothers,andrefinedpersonalhabits,—andlesttheseshouldnotsufficetoconvincegrammaticalfaironesthatherfeelingscanatallresembletheirs,Iwilladdthatshewasslightlyproudandexacting,andasconstantinheraffectiontowardsabaselessopinionastowardsanerringlover. TheanxietyaboutsisterPriscilla,whichhadgrownratheractivebythetimethecoralnecklacewasclasped,washappilyendedbytheentranceofthatcheerful-lookingladyherself,withafacemadeblowsybycoldanddamp.Afterthefirstquestionsandgreetings,sheturnedtoNancy,andsurveyedherfromheadtofoot—thenwheeledherround,toascertainthatthebackviewwasequallyfaultless. “Whatdoyouthinko’thesegowns,auntOsgood?”saidPriscilla,whileNancyhelpedhertounrobe. “Veryhandsomeindeed,niece,”saidMrs.Osgood,withaslightincreaseofformality.ShealwaysthoughtniecePriscillatoorough. “I’mobligedtohavethesameasNancy,youknow,forallI’mfiveyearsolder,anditmakesmelookyallowforsheneverwillhaveanythingwithoutIhaveminejustlikeit,becauseshewantsustolooklikesisters.AndItellher,folks’ullthinkit’smyweaknessmakesmefancyasIshalllookprettyinwhatshelooksprettyin.ForIamugly—there’snodenyingthat:Ifeaturemyfather’sfamily.But,law!Idon’tmind,doyou?”PriscillahereturnedtotheMissGunns,rattlingonintoomuchpreoccupationwiththedelightoftalking,tonoticethathercandourwasnotappreciated.“Theprettyunsdoforfly-catchers—theykeepthemenoffus.I’venoopiniono’themen,MissGunn—Idon’tknowwhatyouhave.Andasforfrettingandstewingaboutwhatthey’llthinkofyoufrommorningtillnight,andmakingyourlifeuneasyaboutwhatthey’redoingwhenthey’reouto’yoursight—asItellNancy,it’safollynowomanneedbeguiltyof,ifshe’sgotagoodfatherandagoodhome:letherleaveittothemashavegotnofortin,andcan’thelpthemselves.AsIsay,Mr.Have-your-own-wayisthebesthusband,andtheonlyoneI’deverpromisetoobey.Iknowitisn’tpleasant,whenyou’vebeenusedtolivinginabigway,andmanaginghogsheadsandallthat,togoandputyournoseinbysomebodyelse’sfireside,ortositdownbyyourselftoascragoraknucklebut,thankGod!myfather’sasobermanandlikelytoliveandifyou’vegotamanbythechimney-corner,itdoesn’tmatterifhe’schildish—thebusinessneedn’tbebrokeup.” Thedelicateprocessofgettinghernarrowgownoverherheadwithoutinjurytohersmoothcurls,obligedMissPriscillatopauseinthisrapidsurveyoflife,andMrs.Osgoodseizedtheopportunityofrisingandsaying— “Well,niece,you’llfollowus.TheMissGunnswillliketogodown.” “Sister,”saidNancy,whentheywerealone,“you’veoffendedtheMissGunns,I’msure.” “WhathaveIdone,child?”saidPriscilla,insomealarm. “Why,youaskedthemiftheymindedaboutbeingugly—you’resoveryblunt.” “Law,didI?Well,itpoppedout:it’samercyIsaidnomore,forI’mabaduntolivewithfolkswhentheydon’tlikethetruth.Butasforbeingugly,lookatme,child,inthissilver-colouredsilk—Itoldyouhowit’udbe—Ilookasyallowasadaffadil.Anybody’udsayyouwantedtomakeamawkinofme.” “No,Priscy,don’tsayso.Ibeggedandprayedofyounottoletushavethissilkifyou’dlikeanotherbetter.Iwaswillingtohaveyourchoice,youknowIwas,”saidNancy,inanxiousself-vindication. “Nonsense,child!youknowyou’dsetyourheartonthisandreasongood,foryou’rethecolouro’cream.It’udbefinedoingsforyoutodressyourselftosuitmyskin.WhatIfindfaultwith,isthatnotiono’yoursasImustdressmyselfjustlikeyou.Butyoudoasyoulikewithme—youalwaysdid,fromwhenfirstyoubeguntowalk.Ifyouwantedtogothefield’slength,thefield’slengthyou’dgoandtherewasnowhippingyou,foryoulookedasprimandinnicentasadaisyallthewhile.” “Priscy,”saidNancy,gently,asshefastenedacoralnecklace,exactlylikeherown,roundPriscilla’sneck,whichwasveryfarfrombeinglikeherown,“I’msureI’mwillingtogivewayasfarasisright,butwhoshouldn’tdressalikeifitisn’tsisters?Wouldyouhaveusgoaboutlookingasifwewerenokintooneanother—usthathavegotnomotherandnotanothersisterintheworld?I’ddowhatwasright,ifIdressedinagowndyedwithcheese-colouringandI’dratheryou’dchoose,andletmewearwhatpleasesyou.” “Thereyougoagain!You’dcomeroundtothesamethingifonetalkedtoyoufromSaturdaynighttillSaturdaymorning.It’llbefinefuntoseehowyou’llmasteryourhusbandandneverraiseyourvoiceabovethesingingo’thekettleallthewhile.Iliketoseethemenmastered!” “Don’ttalkso,Priscy,”saidNancy,blushing.“YouknowIdon’tmeanevertobemarried.” “Oh,younevermeanafiddlestick’send!”saidPriscilla,asshearrangedherdiscardeddress,andclosedherbandbox.“WhoshallIhavetoworkforwhenfather’sgone,ifyouaretogoandtakenotionsinyourheadandbeanoldmaid,becausesomefolksarenobetterthantheyshouldbe?Ihaven’tabito’patiencewithyou—sittingonanaddledeggforever,asiftherewasneverafreshunintheworld.Oneoldmaid’senoughouto’twosistersandIshalldocredittoasinglelife,forGodA’mightymeantmeforit.Come,wecangodownnow.I’masreadyasamawkincanbe—there’snothingawantingtofrightenthecrows,nowI’vegotmyear-droppersin.” AsthetwoMissLammeterswalkedintothelargeparlourtogether,anyonewhodidnotknowthecharacterofbothmightcertainlyhavesupposedthatthereasonwhythesquare-shouldered,clumsy,high-featuredPriscillaworeadressthefacsimileofherprettysister’s,waseitherthemistakenvanityoftheone,orthemaliciouscontrivanceoftheotherinordertosetoffherownrarebeauty.Butthegood-naturedself-forgetfulcheerinessandcommon-senseofPriscillawouldsoonhavedissipatedtheonesuspicionandthemodestcalmofNancy’sspeechandmanners