Forbes herself followed Sam to the door, and cast an exploring look in every direction.
"I don't see no signs of him up nor down," said she, returning to Ellen; "but I'm pretty sure he ain't gone home. Come in here come in here, dear, and make yourself comfortable; it'll be a while yet, maybe, afore Mr. Van Brunt comes, but he'll be along by-and-by; come in here and rest yourself."
She opened a door, and Ellen followed her into a large kitchen, where a fire was burning, that showed wood must be plenty in those regions. Mrs. Forbes placed a low chair for her on the hearth, but herself remained standing by the side of the fire, looking earnestly, and with a good deal of interest, upon the little stranger. Ellen drew her white bonnet from her head, and sitting down with a wearied air, gazed sadly into the flames that were shedding their light upon her.
"Are you going to stop a good while with Miss Fortune?" said
Mrs. Forbes.
"I don't know, Maam yes, I believe so," said Ellen, faintly.
"Han't you got no mother?" asked Mrs. Forbes, suddenly, after a pause.
"Oh, yes!" said Ellen, looking up. But the question had touched the sore spot. Her head sank on her hands, and "Oh, Mamma!" was uttered with a bitterness that even Mrs. Forbes could feel.
"Now, what made me ask you that!" said she. "Don't cry! don't, love; poor little dear! you're as pale as a sheet; you're tired, I know ain't you? Now, cheer up, do I can't bear to see you cry. You've come a great way to-day, han't you?"
Ellen nodded her head, but could give no answer.
"I know what will do you good," said Mrs. Forbes, presently, getting up from the crouching posture she had taken to comfort Ellen; "you want something to eat that's the matter. I'll warrant you're half starved; no wonder you feel bad. Poor little thing! you shall have something good directly."
And away she bustled to get it. Left alone, Ellen's tears flowed a few minutes very fast. She felt forlorn; and she was, besides, as Mrs. Forbes opined, both tired and faint. But she did not wish to be found weeping; she checked her tears, and was sitting again quietly before the fire when the landlady returned.
Mrs. Forbes had a great bowl of milk in one hand, and a plate of bread in the other, which she placed on the kitchen table, and setting a chair, called Ellen to come and partake of it.
"Come, dear here is something that will do you good. I thought there was a piece of pie in the buttery, and so there was, but Mr. Forbes must have got hold of it, for it ain't there now; and there ain't a bit of cake in the house for you; but I thought maybe you would like this as well as anything. Come!"
Ellen thanked her, but said she did not want anything.
"Oh, yes, you do," said Mrs. Forbes; "I know better. You're as pale as I don't know what. Come! this'll put roses in your cheeks. Don't you like bread and milk?"
"Yes, very much indeed, Maam," said Ellen; "but I'm not hungry."
She rose, however, and came to the table.
"Oh, well, try to eat a bit, just to please me. It's real good country milk not a bit of cream off. You don't get such milk as that in the city, I guess. That's right! I see the roses coming back to your cheeks already?"
"Is your pa in New York now?"
"Yes, Maam."
"You expect your pa and ma up to Thirlwall by-and-by, don't you?"
"No, Maam."
Mrs. Forbes was surprised, and longed to ask why not, and what Ellen had come for; but the shade that had passed over her face as she answered the last question, warned the landlady she was getting upon dangerous ground.
"Does your aunt expect you to-night?"
"I believe so, Maam I don't know she was to have met me; papa said he would write."
"Oh, well! maybe something hindered her from coming. It's no matter; you'll get home just as well. Mr. Van Brunt will be here soon, I guess; it's 'most time for him to be along."
She went to the front door to look out for him, but returned without any news. A few minutes passed in silence, for, though full of curiosity, the good landlady dared not ask what she wanted to know, for fear of again exciting the sorrow of her little companion. She contented herself with looking at Ellen, who, on her part, much rested and refreshed, turned from the table, and was again, though somewhat less sadly, gazing into the fire.
Presently the great wooden clock struck half-past five, with a whirring, rickety voice, for all the world like a hoarse grasshopper. Ellen at first wondered where it came from, and was looking at the clumsy machine, that reached nearly from the floor of the kitchen to the ceiling, when a door at the other end of the room opened, and "Good day, Mrs. Forbes," in a rough but not unpleasant voice, brought her head quickly round in that direction. There stood a large, strong-built man, with an ox-whip in his hand. He was well made, and rather handsome, but there was something of heaviness in the air of both face and person mixed with his certainly good-humoured expression. His dress was as rough as his voice a coarse gray frock-coat, green velveteen pantaloons, and a fur cap that had seen its best days some time ago.
"Good day, Mrs. Forbes," said this personage; "Sam said you wanted me to stop as I went along."
"Ah, how d'ye do, Mr. Van Brunt?" said the landlady, rising "you've got the ox-cart here with you, han't you?"
"Yes I've got the ox-cart," said the person addressed. "I came in town for a barrel of flour; and then the near ox had lost both his fore-shoes off, and I had to go over there; and Hammersley has kept me a precious long time. What's wanting, Mrs. Forbes? I can't stop."
"You've no load in the cart, have you?" said the landlady.
"No; I should have had, though, but Miller had no shorts nor fresh flour, nor won't till next week. What's to go down, Mrs. Forbes?"
"The nicest load ever you carried, Mr. Van Brunt. Here's a little lady come to stay with Miss Fortune. She's a daughter of Captain Montgomery, Miss Fortune's brother, you know. She came by the stage a little while ago, and the thing is now to get her down to-night. She can go in the cart, can't she?"
Mr. Van Brunt looked a little doubtful, and pulling off his cap with one hand, while he scratched his head with the other, he examined Ellen from head to foot, much as if she had been some great bale of goods, and he were considering whether his cart would hold her or not.
"Well," said he at length, "I don't know but she can; but there ain't nothing on 'arth for her to sit down upon."
"Oh, never mind; I'll fix that," said Mrs. Forbes. "Is there any straw in the bottom of the cart?"
"Not a bit."
"Well, I'll fix it," said Mrs. Forbes. "You get her trunk into the cart, will you, Mr. Van Brunt? and I'll see to the rest."
Mr. Van Brunt moved off without another word, to do what was desired of him apparently quite confounded at having a passenger instead of his more wonted load of bags and barrels. And his face still continued to wear the singular doubtful expression it had put on at first hearing the news. Ellen's trunk was quickly hoisted in, however; and Mrs. Forbes presently appeared with a little arm-chair,
