Margaret Maliphant

								

first, when he was certainly in a touchy frame of mind towards these,
his first employers, Mr. Harrod treated mother with just the same
reverential consideration that every one always used towards her.
In spite of it all that first evening was not a comfortable time.
Father and Mr. Harrod compared notes upon different breeds of cattle
and upon different kinds of grains; but there was a restraint upon us
all, and I think every one was glad when mother made the move from the
table and father lit his pipe. I have no knowledge of how they got on
afterwards over their tobacco; when I rose from the table the room swam
around me, and if it had not been for Deborah, who, entering on some
errand at the moment, took me by the shoulders and pushed me out of the
door in front of her, I am afraid I should have made a most unusual and
undignified exhibition of myself in the Grange parlor. As it was I had
to submit to be tucked up in bed by the old woman, and only persuaded
her with the greatest difficulty not to tell mother of my accident,
some account of which, as was to be expected, she wrung from me in
explanation of Mr. Harrod's words in the parlor.
"I'd not have been beholden to him if I could have helped it," were the
consoling words with which she left me; and as I lay there, aching and
miserable, I became quite convinced that any comradeship between myself
and my father's bailiff had become all the more impossible because of
the occurrence of the afternoon.

CHAPTER XV.

I got up the next morning just as usual. Nothing should have induced
me to confess that there was anything the matter with me, although my
arm was so stiff that it was with the greatest pain that I carried in
the breakfast urn, and my head ached so from my fall that it was hard
enough to put a good face upon it when mother remarked again upon the
disfigurement that I had upon my cheek. But although I gave no sign, I
was not used to being ill, and it did not improve my temper.
Things were not comfortable in the house, and I did nothing to make
them better. To be sure, I kept my promise of talking to Reuben, but
I'm afraid that I did not even do that in a manner to be of any use. I
met Mr. Harrod as I passed out into the stable-yard, and he asked me
how I did? That alone put me out.
To have been asked how I did by any one that morning would have annoyed
me, but to be asked how I did by the man who was somehow connected
with my doing ill annoyed me specially. I fancied it would have been
in better taste if he had not remarked upon a body's appearance when
she was looking her worst; and anyhow it seemed to me an unnecessary
formality. I feel really ashamed now to write down such nonsense, but
there is no doubt that such were my feelings at the time. I do not
think that I even answered him by anything more than a "good-morning,"
but passed on as though I had the affairs of the world on my shoulders.