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"Must I be as she says I am, or must I be as she wants me to be?" "Be yourself, and you will be as we want you," said the marchioness, kindly. "Jean and Philippe do not have the chance to meet many American girls and they do not, as a rule, care to meet Henny's boarders, who are usually dry-as-dust old maids, especially the ones Henny recommends."
I avoided the wharf-lane, however, more than a little scared by this sudden new aspect of the Minister, and got myself out to the shore street by Miah White's yard and the grocery porch, and there I found myself face to face with Mate Snow. That frightened me still more, for the light from Henny's Notions' window was shining oddly in his eyes.
"God help us!" sighed pious Miss Penny, folding her old hands, as if they did that often now. "Drifting away, I fear;" and Miss Henny's plump face looked almost beautiful, with the tears on it, as she leaned nearer to listen to the faint breath at the child's lips. "No; we will keep her, please the Lord! If we can make her sleep quietly for the next few hours she is safe. Let me try.
"She's above, doin' her hair, and Henny's sewin' the bows on her dress." "Well, well, I'll call them. You'll have to keep the shop goin' altogether, Elleney, this day. All the girls is wild to have a chance, an' I know ye won't mind doin' a bit extra." "I wonder which it will be," meditated Elleney. "If I was him I'd take Nanny." But Mr. Brian seemed quite unmoved by Nanny's rollicking charms.
Once on the pavement she looked nervously up and down the street, gathered her pretty skirts tight in her hand and with the fluttered flight of a scared bird darted across the park, dashed through her swinging gate, and so on up to her bedroom. There she buried her face in Mammy Henny's lap and burst into an agony of tears.
Miss Penny knelt down near by, and laying her white head on the other pillow, again besought God to spare this treasure to the father and mother over the sea. How long they remained so none of them ever knew, silent and motionless but for the slow waving of the noiseless fan, which went to and fro like the wing of a great white bird, as if Miss Henny's stout arm could never tire.
Nor was she frightened nor eager. She just lifted her cheek from Mammy Henny's caressing hand pushed back the hair from her face with a movement as if she was trying to collect her thoughts, and without rising from her knees heard Ben's message to the end. Then she answered calmly: "Did you say Mr. Harry Rutter, Ben? Tell him I'll be down in a moment."
"Did you ever see such beauties?" "Oh, Dan, how lovely they are! Thank you ever so much! If you are going over to the Lake this afternoon, will you please call at Mrs. Henny's and get those nutmeg geranium slips she promised me? Just look how nice my others are growing. The pink one is going to bloom." "I'll bring you all the geranium slips at the Lake, if you like.
Eliza and Bud had rolled over the wheelbarrow, led by the prancing team. "No'm," answered Eliza, "everybody's been good and the Deacon have told us three Bible tales, and my side have beat Henny's five catches and one loose. But Henny played his'n good," she added, with a worthy victor's generosity to the fallen foe.
I do long to see if the moss ones are out, and the cherries ripe," said Rosy, clasping her hands imploringly. "It can do no harm, Henrietta. Yes, dear, run away and get some catnip for Tabby, and see if the balsams are up yet." That last suggestion won Miss Henny's consent; and Button was off at once, skipping like a young colt all over the garden, which now seemed delightful to her.
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