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Updated: June 10, 2025
"I declare," said Nancy, "it's a good thing to have friends, ain't it? I'll try and get some. Hollo? what's wanting? Mr. Van Brunt's calling you, Ellen." Ellen ran down. "The butter's come," said he. "Now, do you know what to do with it?" "Oh, yes," said Ellen, smiling; "Margery showed me nicely."
Van Brunt's ox-cart standing anywhere I dare say he's at Mr. Miller's, or maybe at Mr. Hammersley's, the blacksmith and ask him to stop here before he goes home. Now hurry! and don't run over him, and then come back and tell me he ain't in town." Mrs. Forbes herself followed Sam to the door, and cast an exploring look in every direction.
The night fell fast; it was very darkling by the time they reached the bottom of the hill, and the road did not yet allow them to turn their faces towards Mrs. Van Brunt's. A wearisome piece of the way this was, leading them from the place they wished to reach. They could not go fast, either; they were too weary, and the walking too heavy.
Van Brunt's voice sounded downstairs in tones of business; what could he be about? it must be very uncommon business that kept him in the house.
"Is there any word you'd like to get home, Miss Alice? I'm going to ride a good piece that way, and I can stop as good as not." "To-night, Mr. Van Brunt?" exclaimed Alice, in astonishment. Mr. Van Brunt's silence seemed to say that to-night was the time and no other. "But the storm is too bad," urged Alice. "Pray don't go till to-morrow." "Pray don't, Mr. Van Brunt," said Ellen.
To her, when others were not by, her face wore constantly something of the same cold, hard, disagreeable expression it had put on after Mr. Van Brunt's interference a look that Ellen came to regard with absolute abhorrence. She kept away by herself as much as she could; but she did not know what to do with her time, and for want of something better often spent it in tears.
Ellen brought them, and while he was busy with the ham, she made the coffee, and set it by the side of the fire to boil; got the cream and butter, and set the bread on the table; and then set herself down to rest, and amuse herself with Mr. Van Brunt's cookery. He was no mean hand: his slices of ham were very artist-like, and frying away in the most unexceptionable manner.
And he felt guilty because he only went to chapel about once in two months, and even then from sheer moral cowardice. "Can you give me those measurements, Maggie?" Mrs Hamps asked suddenly. "I'm on my way to Brunt's." The women left the room together. Edwin walked idly to the window. After all, he had been perhaps wrong concerning the motive of her visit.
Van Brunt privately asked Ellen if she chose to have Nancy stay; and told her, if she gave her any trouble, to let him know, and he would make short work with her. The young lady herself also had a hint on the subject. "I'll tell you what," said Nancy, when this business was settled, "we'll let the men go off to Mrs. Van Brunt's to meals; we'll have enough to do without 'em.
Vandover took off his coat, his old and greasy cutaway, and began work. He drew a pail of water from the garden faucet in a neighbour's yard, and commenced washing the windows. First he washed the panes from the inside, very careful not to disturb Adams & Brunt's signs, and then cleaned the outside, sitting upon the window ledge, his body half in and half out of the house.
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