White Lilac; or the Queen of the May - Amy Walton (mystery books to read TXT) 📗

And a nice set they are, giggling flighty things with nothing but their ribbons and their sweethearts in their heads."

"Lor'! Ma, don't fret," said Bella consolingly; "you got along without Lilac before, and you'll get along without her again."

"I shan't ever replace her," continued her mother in the same dejected voice; "she doesn't care for ribbons, and she's not old enough for sweethearts. I do think it's not acting right of Mrs Leigh to go and entice her away."

"If here isn't Mr Snell coming in alonger Pa," said Agnetta, craning her neck to see out of the window. "He's sure to stay to tea." She immediately drew her chair up to the table and helped herself largely to jam.

"And of all evenings in the week I wish he hadn't chosen this," said Mrs Greenways. "Poking and meddling in other folks' concerns. Now mind this, girls,--don't you let on as if I wanted to keep Lilac, or was sorry she's going. Do you hear?"

It did not at first appear, however, that this warning was necessary, for Joshua said no word of Lilac or her affairs; he seemed fully occupied in drinking a great deal of tea and discussing the events of the neighbourhood with the farmer, and it was not till the end of his meal that he looked round the table enquiringly, and asked the dreaded question.

"And what's Lilac settled to do about going?"

"You know as much about that as we do, Mr Snell," replied Mrs Greenways loftily.

"There's no doubt," continued the cobbler, fixing his eye upon her, "as how Mrs Leigh's friend is going to get a prize in Lilac White. She's only a child, as you once said, ma'am, but I know what her upbringing was: `As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined'. There's the making of a thorough good servant in her. Well worth her wages she'll be."

"She's been worth more to us already than ever I knew of, or counted on, till lately," put in the farmer. "Just now, I met Benson, and says he: `You're losing your dairymaid by what I hear, and I can but wish you as good a one.'"

"That's not so easy," said Joshua, shaking his head. "Good workers don't grow on every bush. It's a pity, too, just when your butter was getting back its name."

"I'd half a mind," said the farmer, "to offer the child wages to stop, but then I thought it wouldn't be acting fair. She ought to have the chance of bettering herself in a place like that. If she goes she's bound to rise, and if she stays she won't, for I can't afford to give her much."

"And what's your opinion, ma'am?" asked Joshua politely of Mrs Greenways.

"Oh, it isn't worth hearing, Mr Snell," she replied with a bitter laugh; "its too old-fashioned for these days. I should 'a thought Lilac owed summat to us, but my husband don't seem to take no count of that at all. Not that it matters to me."

As she spoke, with the colour rising in her face and a voice very near tears, the door opened and Lilac came quickly in. The conversation stopped suddenly, all eyes were fixed on her; perhaps never since she had been Queen had her presence caused so much attention: even Agnetta paused in her repast, and looked curiously round to see what she would do or say.

Without giving a glance at anyone else in the room, Lilac walked straight up to where Mrs Greenways sat at the head of the table:

"Aunt," she said rather breathlessly, "I've come to say as I've made up my mind."

Mrs Greenways straightened herself to receive the blow. She knew what was coming, and it was hard to be humiliated in the presence of the cobbler, yet she would put a brave face upon it. With a great effort she managed to say carelessly:

"It don't matter just now, Lilac. Sit down and get your tea."

But Mr Greenways quite spoilt the effect of this speech.

"No, no," he called out. "Let her speak. Let's hear what she's got to say. Here's Mr Snell'd like to hear it too. Speak out, Lilac."

Thus encouraged, Lilac turned a little towards her uncle and Joshua.

"I've made up my mind as I'd rather bide here, please," she said.

The teapot fell from Mrs Greenways' hands with such a crash on the tray that all the cups rattled, the air of indifference which she had struggled to keep up vanished, her whole face softened, and as she looked at the modest little figure standing at her side tears of relief came into her eyes. Uncle Joshua and her old feelings of jealousy and pride were forgotten for the moment as she laid her broad hand kindly on the child's shoulder:

"You're a good gal, Lilac, and you shan't repent your choice," she said; "take my word, you shan't."

"And that's your own will, is it, Lilac?" said her uncle. "And you've thought it well over, and you won't want to be altering it again?"

"No, Uncle," said Lilac. "I'm quite sure now." Her aunt's kind manner made her feel more firmly settled than before.

"It's a harassing thing is a choice," said Mr Greenways. "I know what it is myself with the roots and seeds. Well, I won't deny that I'm glad you're going to stop, but I hope you've done the best for yourself, my maid."

"Lor', Greenways, don't worry the child," interrupted his wife, who had recovered her usual manner. "She knows her own mind, and I'm glad she's shown so much sense. You sit down and get your tea, Lilac, and let's be comfortable and no more about it."

Lilac slipped into the empty place between the cobbler and Agnetta, rather abashed at so much notice. Agnetta pushed the pot of jam towards her.

"I'm glad you're going to stop," she said. "Have some jam."

Joshua had not spoken since Lilac's entrance, but Mrs Greenways, eyeing him nervously, felt sure he was preparing to "preachify." She went on talking very fast and loud in the hope of checking this eloquence, but in vain; Joshua, after a few short coughs, stood upright and looked round the table.

"Friends," he said, "I knew Lilac's mother well, and I call to mind this evening what she often said to me: `I want my child to grow up self-respecting and independent. I want to teach her to stand alone and not to be a burden on anyone.' And then, poor soul, she died sudden, and the child was left on your hands. And she couldn't but be a burden at first, seeing how young she was and how little she knew. And now look at it! How it's all changed. 'Tain't long ago, and she isn't much bigger to speak of, and yet she's got to be something as you value and don't want to part with. She's made her own place, and she stands firm in it on her own feet, and no one would fill it as well. It's wonderful that is, how small things may help big ones. Look at it!" said Joshua, spreading out the palms of his hands. "You take a little weak child into your house and think she's of no count at all, either to help or to hinder; she's so small and the place is so big you hardly know she's there. And then one day you wake up to find that she's gone quietly on doing her best, and learning to do better, until she's come to be one of the most useful people on the farm. Because for why? It's her mother's toil and trouble finding their fruit; we oughtn't to forget that. When folks are dead and gone it's hard on 'em not to call to mind what we owe 'em. They sowed and we reap. Lilac's come to be what she is because her mother was what she was, and I expect Mary White's proud and pleased enough to see how her child's valued this day. And so I wish the farm luck, and all of you luck, and we'll all be glad to think as we're not going to lose our little bit of White Lilac as is growing up amongst us."

Lilac's eyes had been fixed shyly on her plate. It was like being Queen a second time to have everyone looking at her and talking of her. As Joshua finished there was a sound at the door of gruff assent, and she looked round. It came from Peter, who stood there with all his features stretched into a wide smile of pleasure.

"They're all glad I'm going to bide," she said to herself, "and so am I."


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Publication Date: 09-10-2009

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