This Man's Wife. Fenn George Manville

before the grate was blackleaded, or using up one loaf in the kitchen before a second was cut. In fact, Thisbe had been all smiles that morning, and had uttered a few croaks in the kitchen, which she did occasionally under the impression that she was singing; but all at once she had rushed upstairs like the wind in winter when the front door was opened, and to carry out the simile, she had dashed back a bedroom door, and closed it with a bang.

      This done, she had made a bed furiously – so furiously that the feathers flew from a weak corner, and had to be picked up and tucked in again. After this, red-faced and somewhat refreshed, Thisbe pulled a housewife out of a tremendous pocket like a saddle-bag, threaded a needle, and sewed up the failing spot.

      “It’s dreadful, that’s what it is!” she muttered at last, “and I’m going to speak my mind.”

      She did not speak her mind then, but went down to her work, and worked with her ears twitching like those of some animal on the qui vive for danger; and when Thisbe twitched her ears there was a corresponding action in the muscles about the corners of her mouth, which added to the animal look, for it suggested that she might be disposed to bite.

      Some little time afterwards she walked into the drawing-room, looking at its occupant in a soured way.

      “Letter for you, Miss Milly,” she said.

      “A note for me, Thisbe?” And Millicent took the missive which Thisbe held with her apron to keep it clean.

      “Mr Bayle give it me hissen.”

      Millicent’s face grew troubled, and Thisbe frowned, and left the room shaking her head.

      The note was brief, and the tears stood in Millicent’s eyes as she read it twice.

      “Pity me. Forgive me. I was mad.”

      “Poor boy!” she said softly as she refolded it and placed it in her desk, to stand there, thoughtful and with her brow wrinkled.

      She was in the bay-window, and after standing there a few minutes, her face changed; the troubled look passed away as a steady, regular step was heard on the gravel path beyond the hedge. There was the faint creaking noise, too, at every step of the hard tight boots, and as their wearer passed, Millicent looked up and returned the salute: for a glossy hat was raised, and he who bowed passed on, leaving her with her colour slightly heightened and an eager look in her eyes.

      “Any answer, miss?”

      Millicent turned quickly, to see that Thisbe had returned.

      “Answer?”

      “Yes, miss. The note.”

      “Is Mr Bayle waiting?”

      “No, miss; but I thought you might want to send him one, and I’m going out and could leave it on the way.”

      “No, Thisbe, there is no answer.”

      “Are you sure, miss?”

      “Sure, Thisbe? Of course.”

      Thisbe stood pulling the hem of her apron and making it snap.

      “Oh! I would send him a line, miss. I like Mr Bayle. For such a young man, the way he can preach is wonderful. But, Miss Milly,” she cried with a sudden, passionate outburst, “please, don’t – don’t do that!”

      “What do you mean, Thisbe?”

      “I can’t abear it, miss. It frightens and worries me.”

      “Thisbe!”

      “I can’t help it, miss. I’m a woman too, and seven years older than you are. Don’t, please don’t, take any notice of me. There, don’t look cross at me, miss. I must speak when I see things going wrong.”

      “What do you mean?” cried Millicent, crimsoning. “I mean I used to lead you about when you was a little thing and keep you out o’ the puddles when the road was clatty, and though you never take hold o’ my hand now, I must speak when you’re going wrong.”

      “Thisbe, this is a liberty!”

      “I can’t help it, Miss Milly; I see him coming by in his creaking boots, and taking off his hat, and walking by here, when he has no business, and people talking about it all over the town.”

      “And in this house. Thisbe, you are forgetting your place.”

      “Oh, no, I’m not, miss. I’m thinking about you and Mr Hallam, miss. I know.”

      “Thisbe, mamma and I have treated you more as a friend than a servant; but – ”

      “That’s it, miss; and I shouldn’t be a friend if I was to stand by and see you walk raight into trouble without a word.”

      “Thisbe!”

      “I don’t care, Miss Milly, I will speak. Don’t have nowt to do wi’ him; he’s too handsome; never you have nowt to do wi’ a handsome man.”

      Millicent’s ordinarily placid face assumed a look foreign to it – a look of anger and firmness combined; but she compressed her lips, as if to keep back words she would rather not utter, and then smiled once more.

      “Ah, you may laugh, Miss Milly; but it’s nothing to laugh at. And there’s Mr Bayle, too. You’re having letters from he.”

      Millicent’s face changed again; but she mastered her annoyance, and, laying her hand upon Thisbe’s shoulder, said with a smile:

      “I don’t want to be angry with you, Thisbe, but you have grown into a terribly prejudiced woman.”

      “Enough to make me, seeing what I do, Miss Milly.”

      “Come, come, you must not talk like this.”

      “Ah, now you’re beginning to coax again, as you always did when you wanted your own way; but it’s of no use, my dear, I don’t like him, and I never shall. I’d rather you’d marry old Sir Gordon; he is nice, though he do dye his hair. I don’t like him and there’s an end of it.”

      “Nonsense, Thisbe!”

      “No, it isn’t nonsense. I don’t like him, and I never shall.”

      “But why? Have you any good reason?”

      “Yes,” said Thisbe with a snort.

      “What is it?”

      “I told you before. He’s so horrid handsome.”

      “Why, you dear, prejudiced, silly old thing!” cried Millicent, whose eyes were sparkling, and cheeks flushed.

      “I don’t care if I am. I don’t like handsome men: they’re good for nowt.”

      “Why, Thisbe!”

      “I don’t care, they arn’t; my soldier fellow was that handsome it made you feel wicked, you were so puffed out with pride.”

      “And so you were in love once, Thisbe?”

      “Why, of course I was. Think I’m made o’ stone, miss? Enough to make any poor girl be in love when a handsome fellow like that, with moustache-i-ohs, and shiny eyes, and larnseer uniform making him look like a blue robin redbreast, came and talked as he did to a silly young goose such as I was then. I couldn’t help it. Why, the way his clothes fitted him was enough to win any girl’s heart – him with such a beautiful figure too! He looked as if he couldn’t be got out of ’em wi’out unpicking.”

      “Think of our Thisbe falling in love with a soldier!” cried Millicent, laughing, for there was a wild feeling of joy in her heart that was intoxicating, and made her eyes flash with excitement.

      “Ah, it’s very funny, isn’t it?” said Thisbe, with a vicious shake of her apron. “But it’s true. Handsome as handsome he was, and talked so good that he set me thinking always about how nice I must be. Stuffed me out wi’ pride, and what did he do then?”

      “I’m sure I don’t know, Thisbe.”

      “Borrered three pun seven and sixpence of my savings, and took my watch, as I bought at Horncastle fair, to be reggilated, and