“Well, I’m in good health, sir, I thank you; how do you get along?”
“Oh, very well, Mrs. Wendell, I’ve nothing to complain of. And how is the young lady?”
“Well, she’s pretty smart, now.”
“That’s all right. But you’ve had some considerable trouble with her.”
“Well, the only trouble I had was the fear of her death. Folks like her bring blessings with them wherever they go.”
“Ah, is that the way you take it? Then I suppose you will have no objection to her remaining with you altogether. Some people say that’s likely to happen.
“What’s likely to happen, sir?”
“That she and Mr. Dillon will make a match.”
“It’s the first I ever heard of it. I thought you were too wise to put faith in idle gossip, Mr. Hubbs.”
“Ah, well, Mrs. Wendell, I only say what I hear. But if Mr. Dillon’s not going to marry her, what is she going to do? Is she going back to her friends in Quebec?”
“I guess all the friends she had worth speaking about went when she lost her father, except Him that never deserts the fatherless. No, she ain’t going to Quebec; she means to set up a school here, for she’s a fine scholar.”
“Has she got any money?”
“She has no more than she’ll need, I dare say, sir; but here’s a gold watch and chain that she wishes to sell, and I thought you might buy it, Mr. Hubbs.”
Mr. Hubbs took it, and examined it closely.
“It is a valuable watch,” he said.
“Well, she told me her father paid a hundred guineas for the watch and chain in London.”
“She doesn’t expect to get that sum here for them, I suppose, does she?” asked Mr. Hubbs.
“Mr. Hubbs, you are a sensible man, and you know the value of the watch and chain, and how much it’s worth to you; you’re a honest man, too, so you just let me know what you’re willing to give for it.”
“Why, you see, Mrs. Wendell, if I bought it, it would be to sell again, for I have a gold watch already as good as I want to use, and there’s always a risk in dealing with such expensive articles. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll advance the young lady ten pounds upon it, if she likes to leave it with me. If I sell it, as I expect I shall the next time I go to New York, I’ll give her as much more as I get for it, and ask nothing for my trouble. You can tell her this, and let me know how she decides.”
Mrs. Wendell quietly acquiesced, and was about to leave the store, when Mr. Hubbs stopped her.
“I’ve something else to say to you, Mrs. Wendell, that has just entered my mind. You know we’ve had no teacher in the school, since that rascal O’Brien went off; don’t you think it would be better for Miss Lennox to take that situation, than to set up a school on her own account?”
“Well, it might be; but would she get it, do you think?”
“Certainly she would, if I recommended her. Her board and lodging would be paid for, and she would have thirty pounds a year without any further trouble. It’s the best thing she can do.”
“I dare say it is, sir,” said Mrs. Wendell, “and I’ll tell her what you say.”
“Do so, Mrs. Wendell; she can board at Mrs. PRior’s, I suppose. I dare say she’d be rather particular on that point. But you must make her understand what sort of children her pupils will be. I hope she won’t be too much of a fine lady for them.”
“Well, she’s fine enough in some ways, no doubt,” said Mrs. Wendell; “it’s easy to see she never met with any coarseness and freedom, and guess she couldn’t abide them; but she’s got no foolish scorn and affectation in her nature, and wouldn’t be above doing anything that she thought it her duty to do. She’s as gentle, and simple, and sweet-tempered with me, as a little child; but under her quiet pleasant way, I can see she’s got a mind and a will of her own, too deep, may be, for all folks to understand.”
“She’s a girl of sense, I conclude; well, I like her the better for that,” said Mr. Hubbs patronisingly.
“It’s beautiful to hear her read the Bible,” continued Mrs. Wendell; “she reads it better than any minister I ever heard in my life, and she draws off a picture of anything she likes with a lead pencil, just like life only it ain’t coloured, and I guess, she could colour it, too, if she had the paints.”
“No doubt of it; and are she and Keefe Dillon very good friends? Of course, she can’t forget that she owes her life to him; though, as I often say, his rashness hardly deserved his good fortune.”
“Well, sir, there’s times, when what wise folks call rashness is a brave heart’s truest instinct, and following it makes all the difference between a common man and a hero. Miss Lennox said that the other day, and I think it’s true.”
“Miss Lennox said so, did she? She thinks Keefe a hero then, does she?”
“Well, she never named him when she said it, but it’s not unlikely that she thought of him. I suppose no one would think the less of a brave and noble deed, because it was done for them; and, at any rate, Miss Lennox wouldn’t; she feels she owes her life to Mr. Dillon, and she’s that one would be grateful for a far less thing than that.”
“Yes, I dare say, but gratitude often leads to something else, doesn’t it?”
“If you mean marriage, Mr. Hubbs, I guess Miss Lennox is not the sort of girl it would be easy to please in a husband, and I reckon Mr. Dillon would be just as difficult to suit in a wife; as far as I can see, he seems to think no more of marriage than you do yourself, Mr. Hubbs.”
Mr. Hubbs laughed complacently.
“Well, there’s luck in leisure, they say, Mrs. Wendell; but perhaps Mr. Dillon intends going after his pretty little playfellow, Coral, one of these days; she’ll be worth looking after, for I’m told her father is a rich man.”
“Well, I’m sure I can’t say, sir. Mr. Dillon don’t say anything to me about it, or I to him. And, now, I’ll wish you good evening, Mr. Hubbs.”
