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But what did ye do when your aunt died, an' why didna ye come to live in this country, bein' as Mrs. Poyser's your aunt too?" Dinah, seeing that Lisbeth's attention was attracted, told her the story of her early life how she had been brought up to work hard, and what sort of place Snowfield was, and how many people had a hard life there all the details that she thought likely to interest Lisbeth.
Between those hung bunches of herbs and strings of bright-hued peppers, and in and out on the walls, and above, from the rafters, were Christmas greens, all arranged by the servants themselves, with that unerring eye for grace and color which is an attribute of the colored race. Aunt Dinah, the presiding genius of the kitchen, stood at one end of the room.
"Yes, I guess so," ventured Freddie; "it's because you came," and then Dinah brought in little play cups of chocolate with jumbles on the side, and Mrs. Bobbsey said that would be better than the pudding for Freddie and Sandy. "I guess I'll just live here," solemnly said the little stranger, as if his decision in such a matter should not be questioned. "I guess you better!"
"No one is going to insult me on the road," she assured them. "And besides, if they did, Dinah would do the screaming. That's why I brought her." She had enjoyed her evening amazingly. She took her departure with a few happily chosen words which left no doubt of it. After divesting himself of his coat that night, Captain Cai laid a hand on his upper arm and felt it timidly.
She could not prevail on herself to say, "I will go to Dinah": she only thought of that as a possible alternative, if she had not courage for death. The good landlady was amazed when she saw Hetty come downstairs soon after herself, neatly dressed, and looking resolutely self-possessed. Hetty told her she was quite well this morning.
But the wound was wide and deep and healed slowly, and it was not until Douglas Fraser had married a noble-hearted and beautiful woman, whom he called his Lady of Consolation, that Dinah recovered a measure of her former cheerfulness. But the day she heard that he was no longer an agnostic was always kept by her as a festival. Then indeed the cup of her pure joy seemed full to the very brim.
"We are not clever enough for him," she said to herself regretfully; but Malcolm's next speech dispelled this idea. Dinah had just expressed her regret at losing him. "I have no wish to go, I assure you," was his reply; "I have never spent a happier week in my life. But you know in another two or three weeks I hope to be settled at the Crow's Nest. We shall be near neighbours then."
However, Nan managed to carry Flossie over to a path Mr. Bobbsey had told Sam, who was Dinah's husband, to shovel through the snow that morning. It was easier for Flossie to walk on the shoveled path, so Nan put her down. The two girls went into the house, Flossie to get her doll, while Nan went to the kitchen and said something to Dinah, the fat, jolly cook.
"You are kinder than I deserve. I have done nothing to win your confidence, so it is all the more generous of you to bestow it. On the strength of your generosity I am going to ask you a question which only a friend could ask. Dinah, is there any understanding of any sort apart from friendship between you and Scott?"
Dinah chuckled silently to herself in a way she had. She opened the kitchen window, and in one second three little girls had climbed on three chairs, and three curly heads had met over the saucer of currant juice which stood on the sill. "I think it's going to jelly," said May. Lulu touched it delicately with the point of her small forefinger. "There!" she cried triumphantly.
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