The Maidens Lodge | Page 4

those two words. She
recognised her aunt's name, and knew now of whom they were
speaking.

Had Molly been retained as counsel for Mrs Latrobe, she could hardly
have spoken more judiciously than she did. She went on now,--
"And, O Madam! when all was done, and the five coffins carried out,
she says to me, Mrs Latrobe says, `Molly,' she says, `I'd ought to be
very thankful. I haven't been a good child,' she says, `to my father and
mother. But they'll never pay me back my bitter ways,' she says. And
I'm right sure, Madam, as Miss Phoebe never will, for she's that sweet
and good, she is! So you see, Madam, Mrs Latrobe, she's had her
troubles, and if so be she's sent to you for comfort, Madam, I take the
liberty to hope as you'll give her a bit."
"You can go back to the kitchen, Molly," said Madam, in what was for
her a very gracious tone. "I will order you a night's lodging here, and
to-morrow one of my carters, who is going to Gloucester, shall take
you so far on your way. I will give you a letter to carry."
"Thank you kindly, Madam!"
And with half a dozen courtesies, one for Rhoda, and the rest for
Madam, Molly retreated, well pleased. Madam sat down and wrote her
letter. This was Madam's letter, written in an amiable frame of mind:--
"Daughter,--I have yowr leter. Your father is ded thise foreteen yeres. I
promissed him as he lay a dyeing yt wou'd doe some thing for you. You
have nott desarv'd itt, but I am sory to here of your troble. If you will
sende youre childe to mee, I will doe so mutch for yow as too brede her
upp with my granedor Roda, yowr sistar Catterin's child. I wou'd not
have yow mistak my meaneing, wch is nott that shee shou'd be plac'd
on a levell with her cosin, for Roada is a jantlewoman, and yt is moar
than she can say. But to be Rodes wating mayd, and serve her in her
chamber, and bere her cumpany when she hath need. I will give the
girle too sutes of close by the yere, and some tims a shillinge in her
pockit, and good lodgeing and enow of victle. And if shee be obediant
and humbel, and order her self as I wou'd she may, I will besyde al this
give her if shee mary her weding close and her weddying diner,--yt is,
if she mary to my minde,--and if noe, thenn shee may go whissel for
anie thing I will doe for her. It is moar than she cou'd look for anie

whear els. You will bee a foole to say Noe.
"P. Furnival.
"Lett the girle come when you goe to your place. There is a carrer goes
from Bristoll to Teukesburry, and a mann with an horse shal mete her
at the Bell."
Be not horrified, accomplished modern reader, at Madam's orthography.
She spelt fairly well--for a lady in 1712.
An interval of about two months followed, and then came another letter
from Mrs Latrobe. She wrote in a most grateful strain; she was
evidently even more surprised than pleased with the offer for Phoebe.
There was a reference of penitent love to her father; a promise that
Phoebe should be at Cressingham on or as near as possible to the
twenty-ninth of January; and warm thanks for her mother's undeserved
kindness, more especially for the consideration which had prompted the
promise that Phoebe should be met at Tewkesbury, instead of being left
to find her way alone in the dark through the two miles which lay
between that town and Cressingham.
So, on the afternoon of that twenty-ninth of January, an hour after the
man and horses had started, Madam and Rhoda sat in the Abbey
parlour, sipping their tea, and both meditating on the subject of Phoebe.
Madam, as became a widow, was attired in black. A stiff black
bombazine petticoat was surmounted by a black silk gown adorned
with flowers in raised embroidery, and the train of the gown was pulled
through the pocket-hole of the petticoat. At that time, ladies of all ages
wore their dresses low and square at the neck, edged with a tucker of
nett or lace; the sleeves ended at the elbows with a little white ruffle of
similar material to the tucker. In London, the low head-dress was
coming into fashion; but country ladies still wore the high commode, a
superb erection of lace and muslin, from one to three feet in height.
Long black silk mittens were drawn up to meet the sleeves. The shoes
reached nearly to the ankles, and were finished with large silver
buckles.

Rhoda was much smarter. She