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"Why not, indeed?" said Alison. "But are you sure you are really comfortable, Grannie?" "And why shouldn't I be comfortable, child? I don't look uncomfortable, do I?" "No, not really, but somehow " "Yes, I know what you mean," interrupted David. "Somehow," said Alison, "you look changed." "Oh, and ef I do look a bit changed," said the old woman, "it's cause I'm a-frettin' for you.
And yet, again, he had learned to recognize her footsteps at the farm, and where the heart is given the senses are subtly acute, and she had slackened her pace somewhat as she drew near. "Yes; I am going to the doctor." "Why who ?" "Grannie is ill in pain. He will give me something to ease her." He had turned and was walking by her side. "I am sorry. You will let me go with you?"
The last few words had been between these two when the others had gone out of the room. Grannie had a little of the spirit of which Katie had a good deal.
Not, of course, that she was totally ignorant on the subject of our Australian colonies, but her knowledge was vague, and her interest before this time had been so faint that it was hardly worth mentioning. Grannie, on the other hand, had had a brother and many friends in Australia, and had, at one time or another, corresponded with a number of people there.
He began to talk of the great doings of the day at Tynwald, then of Philip, and finally of Kate, apologising a little wildly for the mother not coming home sooner to the child, but protesting that she had sent the little one no end of presents. "Presents, bless ye," he began rapturously "You don't ate enough, Pete, 'deed you don't," said Grannie. "Ate? Did you say ate?" cried Pete.
Harry heard the news as he was coming home from doing a message for Grannie; Grannie heard it when she went shopping; Alison heard it from the boy who sold the milk in short, this little bit of tidings of paramount interest in Alison's small world was dinned into her ears wherever she turned. Jim was engaged.
After a few minutes the matron appeared, accompanied by a stoutly built woman, who called herself the labor matron, and into whose care Grannie was immediately given. She was taken away to the bath-room first of all. There her own neat, pretty clothes were taken from her, and she was given the workhouse print dress, the ugly apron, the hideous cap, and the little three-cornered shawl to wear.
If you hadn't said that because of a certain conjunction of planets or whatever it was in my horoscope, I should have an accident to-night, I shouldn't have jumped out of the brougham. I should have waited for Mr. Ferdinand to assist me, as befits a gentlewoman." "But, grannie, I assure you I was most anxious to save you. I hoped I had made a mistake in your horoscope. I did, really.
"No, no, my child, never too quick," said the old lady; "and did you get a good bargain?" she added the next minute anxiously. "Were you careful in the spending of that shillin'? Why, I don't see any parcels. For mercy's sake child, don't tell me that you dropped the shillin'." "No, I didn't, Grannie; here it is. Somehow I am out of humor for bargains to-night that's why I come back."
He kept the household so stirred up with his stories, recitations and continual ebullitions, which so fairly entranced his Grannie and Grandpa and the cousins, that the whole household economy was disordered. They lost their sleep, for "Jamie" held them spellbound night after night with his wonderful performances.