‘Well,’ said Elizabeth, drawing a long
breath, as she went out to walk with Anne and Helen,
’there is the even-handed justice of this world.
Of the four delinquents of last Friday, there goes
one with flying colours, in all the glory of a successful
deceit; you, Anne, who, to say the best of you, acted
like a very great goose, are considered as wise as
ever; I, who led you all into the scrape with my eyes
wilfully blinded, am only pitied and comforted; poor
Kitty, who had less idea of what she was doing than
any of us, has had more crying and scolding than anybody
else; and Lucy, who behaved so well —oh!
I cannot bear to think of her.’
‘It is a puzzle indeed,’ said Helen; ’I
mean as far as regards Harriet and Lucy.’
‘Not really, Helen,’ said Elizabeth; ’it
is only a failure in story book justice. Lucy
is too noble a creature to be rewarded in a story-book
fashion; and as for Harriet, impunity like hers is
in reality a greater punishment than all the reproof
in the world.’
’How could she sit by and listen to all that
Papa and Mrs. Hazleby were saying?’ said Helen.
‘How could she bear the glance of Papa’s
eye?’ said Elizabeth; ’did you watch it?
I thought I never saw it look so stern, and yet that
contemptible creature sat under it as contentedly as
possible. Oh! it made me quite sick to watch
her.’
Are you quite sure that she knew whether my uncle
was aware of her share in the matter?’ said
Anne.
’She must have seen it in that glance, or have
been the most insensible creature upon earth,’
said Elizabeth.
‘Ah!’ said Anne, ’I have some notion
what that eye of your Papa’s can be.’
‘You, Anne?’ said Elizabeth; ’you
do not mean that you could ever have done anything
to make him look at you in that way?’
‘Indeed I have,’ said Anne; ‘do
not you remember?’
‘No, indeed,’ said Elizabeth.
‘However, it was not quite so bad as this,’
said Anne.
‘But do tell us what it was,’ said Elizabeth,
’or I shall think it something uncommonly shocking.’
‘I never spoke of it since, because I was too
much ashamed,’ said Anne; ‘and it was
very silly of me to do so now.’
‘But when was it?’ said Elizabeth.
‘Two years ago,’ said Anne, ’when
you were all staying at Merton Hall, just before that
nice nursery-maid of yours, Susan, married our man
Evans.’
‘Yes, I remember,’ said Elizabeth; ’but
what has that to do with your crime, whatever it may
be?’
‘A great deal,’ said Anne; ’do not
you recollect our hunting all over the garden one
day for Winifred and Dora, and at last our asking old
Ambrose whether he had seen them?’
‘Oh yes, I think I do,’ said Elizabeth;
’and he said that he had seen Susan and the
children go down the blind walk. Then I said
Dora had talked of seeing a blackbird’s nest
there, and he answered, with a most comical look,
’Ah! ha! Miss Woodbourne, I fancy they be
two-legged blackbirds as Susan is gone to see.’’
