The Errand Boy; Or, How Phil Brent Won Success

by Jr. Horatio Alger

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  MRS. BRENT'S PANIC.

  The chambermaid in the Granville household was a cousin of Dan, older bythree years. She took a warm interest in Dan's welfare, though there wasnothing but cousinly affection between them.

  Fresh from his interview with Mrs. Brent, Dan made his way to thekitchen.

  "Well, Aggie," he said, "I may have to say good-by soon."

  "What, Dan! You're not for lavin', are you?" asked Aggie, in surprise.

  "Mrs. Brent has just given me notice," answered Dan.

  "Mrs. Brent! What business is it of her's, and how did it happen,anyway?"

  "She thinks it's her business, and it's all on account of that stuck-upPhilip."

  "Tell me about it, Cousin Dan."

  Dan did so, and wound up by repeating his young master's unfinishedsentence.

  "It's my belief," he said, "that there's something between those two. Ifthere wasn't, why is Mrs. Brent here?"

  "Why, indeed, Dan?" chimed in Aggie. "Perhaps I can guess something."

  "What is it?"

  "Never you mind. I'll only say I overheard Mrs. Brent one day speakingto Master Philip, but she didn't call him Philip."

  "What then?"

  "JONAS! I'm ready to take my oath she called him Jonas."

  "Perhaps that is his real name. He may have it for his middle name."

  "I don't believe it. Dan, I've an idea. I'm going to see Mrs. Brent andmake her think I know something. You see?"

  "Do as you think best, Aggie. I told her I wouldn't take a dismissal fromher."

  Mrs. Brent was in her own room. She was not a woman who easily forgave,and she was provoked with Dan, who had defied her authority. She knewvery well that in dismissing him she had wholly exceeded her authority,but this, as may readily be supposed, did not make her feel any morefriendly to the young gardener. Jonas artfully led her indignation.

  "Dan doesn't have much respect for you, mother," he said. "He doesn'tmind you any more than he does a kitchen-girl."

  "He may find he has made a mistake," said Mrs. Brent, a bright red spotin each cheek, indicating her anger. "He may find he has made a mistakein defying my authority."

  "I wouldn't stand it if I was you, ma."

  "I won't!" said Mrs. Brent decidedly, nodding vigorously and compressingher lips more firmly.

  Soon after a knock was heard at Mrs. Brent's door.

  "Come in!" she said in a sharp, incisive voice.

  The door was opened and Aggie entered.

  "What do you want of me, Aggie?" asked Mrs. Brent, in some surprise.

  "I hear you've been tellin' Dan he'll have to go," said the chambermaid.

  "Yes," answered Mrs. Brent, "but I fail to see what business it is ofyours."

  "Dan's me cousin, ma'am."

  "That's nothing to me. He has been impertinent to Master Philip, andafterward to me."

  "I know all about it, ma'am. He told me."

  "Then you understand why he must leave. He will do well to be morerespectful in his next place."

  "It wasn't his fault, ma'am, accordin' to what he told me."

  "No doubt!" sneered Mrs. Brent. "It is hardly likely that he would admithimself to be in fault."

  "Dan's a good, truthful boy, ma'am."

  "What did he tell you?"

  The moment had come for Aggie's master-stroke, and she fixed her eyeskeenly on Mrs. Brent to watch the effect of her words.

  "He said he was at work in the garden, ma'am, when Master Jonas----"

  "WHAT!" exclaimed Mrs. Brent, staring at the girl in dismay.

  "He was at work in the garden, ma'am when Master Jonas----"

  "What do you mean, girl? Who is Master Jonas?" asked Mrs. Brent, tryingto conceal her agitation.

  "Did I say Jonas, ma'am. La, what could I be thinking of? Of course Imean Master Philip."

  "What should have put the name of Jonas into your head?" demanded Mrs.Brent nervously.

  "I must have heard it somewhere," said Aggie, with a quick, shrewd lookout of the corner of her eyes. "Well, Dan just asked the young mastera civil question, and Master Philip, he snapped him up rude-like. Mrs.Brent I think you'd better not make any fuss about Dan. It wasn't somuch his fault as the fault of Master Jonas--oh, dear! I beg pardon, Imean Master Philip."

  "Don't repeat that ridiculous name again, Aggie!" said Mrs. Brent. "Youryoung master has nothing to do with it. You ought to know that his nameis Philip."

  "I should say so!" broke in Jonas. "I ain't goin' to be called out of myname!"

  "As to Dan," proceeded Mrs. Brent. "I am willing to overlook hisimpertinence this time. I won't say a word to Mr. Granville, but he mustbe more careful hereafter."

  "I'm sure I'm obliged to you, ma'am," said Aggie demurely.

  When she was out of the room she nodded to herself triumphantly.

  "Sure, I've got the old lady under me thumb, but divil a bit I know how.It's all in the word Jonas. When I want a favor, all I've got to do isto say that word. I wonder what it manes now, anyhow."

  However, Aggie communicated to Dan the welcome intelligence that hewould have no trouble with Mrs. Brent or Philip, but as to the way inwhich she had managed she kept that to herself.

  "I want to think it over," she said. "There's a secret, and it's aboutJonas. I'll wait patiently, and maybe I'll hear some more about it."

  As for Mrs. Brent, she was panic-stricken. Uncertain how much Aggieknew, she feared that she knew all. But how could she have discoveredit? And was it come to this that she and Jonas were in the power of anIrish chambermaid? It was galling to her pride.

  She turned to her son when they were left alone.

  "How could she have found out?" she asked.

  "Found out what, mother?"

  "That your name is Jonas. She evidently knows it. I could see that inher eyes."

  "She must have heard you calling me so. I've told you more than once,ma, that you must never call me anything but Philip."

  "It is hard to have to keep silent always, never to speak to you as myown boy. I begin to think it is a dear price to pay, Jonas."

  "There you go again, mother!" said Jonas, peevishly.

  His mother had seated herself and spoke despondently.

  "I am afraid it will all come out some day," she said.

  "It will if you don't take better care, ma. I tell you, it would bethe best thing for you to go away. Mr. Granville will give you a goodincome. If I was left alone, there'd be no fear of its leaking out."

  "Oh, Jonas! would you really have me leave you? Would you really have melive by myself, separated from my only child?"

  Cold as she was, her heart was keenly wounded, for, looking at the boy,she saw that he was in earnest, and that he would prefer to have her go,since thereby he would be safer in the position he had usurped.