by L. T. Meade
her, as far as church indoors can be church, andshe wouldn't see you if you called fifty times. But you might goto-morrow, if you so liked it."
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
APPLYING FOR A SITUATION.
On the morrow between twelve and one o'clock, Nesta, who had no bestclothes to put on, but who had to make the best of what she stood up in,as Mrs Hogg expressed it, started on her mission of inquiry to MrsJohnston's. Mrs Johnston lived in the high street. It was not much ofa street, for Souchester was quite a tiny place; but still there were afew houses, and three or four shops, and amongst those houses was onewith a hall door painted yellow, and pillars painted green. In thathouse lived Mrs Johnston. Nesta's whole horizon, every scrap of herfuture, seemed now to be centred in Mrs Johnston. She had lain awake agood part of the night thinking about her, and making her plans. IfMrs Johnston would pay her--say ten shillings a week, she could easilymanage to live quite well. She would still board with the Hoggs andtake her food with them. She would soon get accustomed to the redherrings and to the half of Mrs Hogg's bed. She would soon getaccustomed to the boys, who could only articulate, as far as she wasconcerned, the words "Hooray" and "Hurroa." In fact she would getaccustomed to anything, and she would stay there until her family, tiredout with looking for her, would cease to trouble their heads. By-and-byperhaps they would be sorry, and they would hold out the olive branch,and she would go home, but that time was a long way off.
Meanwhile all her future would depend on Mrs Johnston. She reached thehouse and rang the bell.
The house was not pretty, but it seemed to be immaculately neat. A girlas neat as the house itself presently opened the door. When she sawNesta, she said:
"My missus can't see anybody to-day," and was about to slam the door inNesta's face, when that young lady adroitly slipped her foot in.
"I must see her. It is most important. It has something to do with theSt Justs," said Nesta.
She was desperate and had to make up an excuse to secure her interviewat any cost. The servant girl was impressed by the word St Just, andtelling Nesta she might stay in the hall and she would inquire, she wentaway to find her mistress.
Mrs Johnston's celebrated rheumatism was at its worst that day. Shewas consequently more cranky than usual, and less inclined to be civilto any who wanted her.
"A girl, did you say, Mercy? Speak out, my lass. What sort of a girl?"
"A kind of lady girl, ma'am."
"A stranger?"
"Yes; I never seen her before."
"Did she say what she wanted?"
"I think the people from the Castle sent her, ma'am. She said it was todo with the St Justs."
"Why, then, for goodness' sake show her in. I am expecting Miss Angela,and perhaps she will call some time to-day. We must have the place inapple-pie order. I hope to goodness that girl hasn't come to say thatMiss Angela can't come. I've been counting on her visit more thananything."
"In course, you have, ma'am, and no wonder. She's a beautiful younglady."
"Well, show the other young lady in, Mercy," said Mrs Johnston; "buttell her that I'm bad with the rheumatics and I can't entertain herlong. If I ring the bell twice, Mercy, you will bring up thegingerbread and milk; but if I ring it three times, it will be for thegingerbread and cowslip wine, and if I don't ring it at all, why, youare to bring up nothing. It all depends on what the young lady wants."
How poor Nesta would have enjoyed the gingerbread and milk, let alonethe gingerbread and cowslip wine which she was never to taste, for herdiet at the Hoggs' was the reverse of appetising. Try as she would shecould scarcely manage it; hunger would, of course, bring her to it intime. But although she was nearly starving for her ordinary food, shewas not hungry enough yet for the food which the Hoggs consumed. Mercycame back to her.
"You may come in, Miss," she said. "It is entirely because you are ayoung lady from the Castle; but my missis wishes to tell you that herrheumatics are awful bad to-day. You'll be as gentle as you can withher, Miss."
Nesta nodded, and entered the room, the door of which Mercy held openfor her.
Now, Nesta could never be remarked for her graceful or gentle movements,and she managed, in coming into the room, to excite Mrs Johnston'squickly aroused ire, by knocking violently against a little table whichheld a tray full of some pretty silver ornaments. One of them wasknocked down, and the whole arrangement was destroyed.
"Clumsy girl!" muttered Mrs Johnston under her breath. She looked upwith a frown on her face as Nesta approached.
Mercy stooped to rearrange the silver ornaments.
"Go away, Mercy, for goodness' sake!" snapped the old lady. "Shut thedoor, and remember about the bell. If I don't ring, bring nothingwhatever, Mercy. You understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Mercy.
Nesta went and stood in front of Mrs Johnston.
"Take a seat, my dear," said the good lady, for she recalled that even aclumsy visitor from the Castle was worth propitiating. "So you havecome from Miss Angela St Just. I do trust and hope that the sweetyoung lady isn't going to disappoint me?"
"But I haven't," said Nesta, "and she didn't send you a message."
"But you are staying there?"
"No; I'm not."
"Then what message have you from the St Justs, may I ask?"
Mrs Johnston held herself very upright. Even her rheumatism gave wayto her anger.
"What has brought you here, may I ask, young girl?"
"I came," said Nesta, "because Mrs Hogg sent me."
"Mrs Hogg? Hogg? You don't mean Mary Hogg, the laundress?"
"I don't know whether she's a laundress or whether she's not, but I amlodging there."
Mrs Johnston sat still more upright. "I am lodging there for thepresent I know the St Justs, but I am lodging there, and I wantsomething to do in this place, and I thought perhaps you'd let me--oh,please don't get so red in the face! Please don't! Please hear me out.I thought perhaps you'd let me come and read to you, the same as thegirl who went to America. Mrs Hogg said you wanted some one."
"Mary Hogg shall never have one scrap of my washing again. What doesshe mean by sending me a total stranger? I shall request Mary Hogg tomind her own business."
"Please, it isn't her fault. I wanted a blind one, but when therewasn't one, I thought, perhaps, you'd do."
"What?" said Mrs Johnston.
"Some one who is blind; but you aren't blind."
"Thank Heavens, no! I can see quite well, and I don't much admire yourface, Miss."
"But I could read to you. I can read, oh, so well. I have an invalidmother, and I've read to her, oh, stories upon stories out of the pennypapers. I can read ever so quickly. I wish you'd try me. What I wantis ten shillings a week, and, and--oh, not my food. I could have myfood at Mrs Hogg's. It is awfully plain--pease pudding and herringsmostly; but I don't mind that if only you'd pay me ten shillings a weekand let me come to you every day."
"You are the most audacious girl! I really never heard of anythingquite so extraordinary in the whole course of my life. And, pray, may Iask why you said you had come from the St Justs?"
"I know them, you see, and I thought your maid wouldn't let me in, so Imade up an excuse."
"Then you are a liar as well. Now, let me give you my answer. I don'tknow you or anything about you. I don't like your appearance. I don'tintend to employ you as my reader. You are exceedingly awkward and yourdress is untidy. If you are a lady you scarcely look like one, andladies don't go to lodge with women like Mary Hogg."
"If they are very poor they do," said Nesta. "I have got very littlemoney."
"What is your name?"
"Oh, please, don't ask me. I would rather not say."
"Indeed! You'd rather not say. And do you suppose that I'd take a girlinto my employment--a girl who cannot give me her name?"
"I'd rather not. What is the use? You are very cruel. I wish therehad been a blind one about; she wouldn't be so cruel."
"Will you please go. Just go straight out by that door. Don't knockyourself against my silver again. The hall is very short, and the frontdoor within a few feet away. Open it; get to the other side; shut itfirmly after you and depart. Don't let me see you again."
Nesta did depart. She felt as though some one had beaten her. She hadnever, perhaps, in all her pampered existence, received so many blows insuch a short time as that terrible old Mrs Johnston had managed toinflict. At first,