CHAPTER IV.

WHO IS MISTRESS?

IN a day or two, Lily was entirely restored to health. The story of Aunt Mercy had made a deep impression on her mind, causing a shade of thought to rest on her fair features. The old lady she treated with great attention, notwithstanding sundry hints thrown out by Ann that she was a fidgety, fussy, meddling woman; that visitors had better keep in their own rooms, and not interfere with what didn't belong to them.

It was Mrs. Lovell's method to go into the kitchen at the most unexpected hours. Sometimes she arose early and took a general survey of the premises before any one was stirring; and then again she would wait till they had retired for the night; or, she would appear in the midst of the preparation for dinner. Finding she paid no attention to their sullen disregard of her wishes, cook and Tom grew more insolent than ever, and on one occasion bolted the door in her face. To be sure, she might at any minute have caused their dismissal by reporting their conduct to her nephew, but she reasoned that the next set might prove no better; and she was convinced that there were some underhand dealings in the kitchen which, if she could prove upon them, would be a lesson of warning to poor, unsuspecting Lady-bird.

From the first she had suspected Tom. Ever since he could remember, he had lived in the street, from which he had been rescued by Mr. Percival after being detected in petty larceny only to be placed in circumstances of far greater temptation. Besides, his looks were greatly against him. He had a low, retreating forehead, and never could be made to look you full in the face. Many times the old lady had noticed a glance toward his fellow-servants, low, cunning, and malicious, such as had for an instant appeared on his face when notified by Mr. Everett that he was to go to market under the direction of his aunt.

On several occasions, Aunt Mercy, whose eyes were wide open, had noticed glances of warning when she suddenly entered the kitchen; and then the cook had hurried away to the pantry, where she was apparently busy at work when Mrs. Lovell entered. Keeping her suspicions entirely to herself, she became every day more convinced that, aside from the great waste of every article of provision, flour, coffee, tea, sugar, butter, etc., there was a most mysterious disappearance of these articles, especially the latter.

Setting her wits at work, she tried to contrive some method of detecting the plot. Sometimes she resolved to go in person to the grocer and look at the books, but though she might thus ascertain how much butter, for instance, had been ordered, she couldn't say it had not all been used in the family. The more she saw of the servants, the more she was convinced that, unless this terrible leak in her nephew's expenditures could be stopped, he would be ruined.

She had been in the house nearly a month, when her nephew came one morning to her chamber holding a paper in his hand. His face was very grave as he seated himself by her, saying,—

"I have just received the grocer's bill, which I ordered to be sent once a month. It is nearly three, and it has swelled to such an amount that I am frightened. Why, at this rate, our mere living will cost us between four and five thousand dollars a year!"

"More than that, as I have calculated it," eagerly answered Aunt Mercy. "Beside the shocking waste, I'm convinced there's dishonesty in your kitchen."

She related facts on which she had founded her suspicions until he grew very angry.

"I can do no good here," she added. "As you are now situated, I am only one against three; for I feel confident they are all implicated. There must be a thorough overturn,—new servants, new rules. Some one who can be trusted must keep the keys to the store-room, and deal out the articles as they are needed. I wish Lily—"

"Don't expect Lily to undertake such business," he answered, almost petulantly. "The drudgery and confinement would crush her; and then if such an arrangement be proposed, her mother would insist that we should break up housekeeping, and take rooms at some of the fashionable hotels. No, that wont do at all."

He rose and walked back and forth across the room, his brow knit with anxiety. At length he said,—

"It isn't this one bill that worries me. I can pay this easily enough, but it's the idea of living at such a rate of extravagance. I wish you had come to us at first, Aunt Mercy, before these wasteful creatures were established."

A low, timid knock interrupted them, and Lady-bird appeared looking as sweet and happy as though no cares ever intruded themselves into her mind.

"I heard your voice in here," she said, smiling upon her husband. "Are you getting up a conspiracy against me that you look so sober?"

"Yes, darling, a conspiracy to make you more happy," he answered, for the time throwing all his care to the winds.

The next day, Mrs. Lovell noticed that when Lily came to dinner, her eyes were red with weeping. It was so unusual a circumstance to have even a cloud shadowing her beaming face that she would have spoken instinctively of it, had she not met a warning glance from her nephew. A ride was planned for the afternoon, and Lawrence devoted himself to her comfort, as he told her, for the rest of the day.

As he was passing his aunt's room while Lady-bird was preparing for the drive, he looked in and said, hurriedly,—

"No more interference with the servants; let them go on as they please. I will explain when I can."

"'Tisn't right, Lawrence!" She spoke decidedly.

"Hush!" he said. "Lily will hear you. It's only a matter of dollars and cents, which is nothing in comparison with her comfort."

Before she could say more, he had shut the door softly, and was gone. It was not till evening that she saw him again. They had gone to her father's to tea, and returned with some friends, who were to pass the night with them. When the company were talking gayly in the parlor, he slipped away and knocked on his aunt's door.

"I came," he began "to explain what I said this morning. Instead of meeting me with smiles at the door, as Lily generally does, Ann came and informed me that her mistress wished to see me in her chamber. I found her weeping bitterly. Failing to get rid of your interference, I have no doubt it was a plan of the three to appeal to her.

"First, cook rushed to her room, and gave notice of an intention to quit, professing that she 'could live to the end of her days with so swate a mistress as herself, but she couldn't stand interference, and niver could.'

"Then Ann made a pretext of carrying an armful of dresses to the room, and echoed the same story. She was willing to do her best, and thought nothing too much trouble when she could plaze so kind a mistress, but everything was different from what it was when she was hired. She made a great favor of consenting to stay till her lady was supplied.

"Lily had scarcely recovered her breath before there came a request for Mrs. Everett to step to the hall, and spake to poor Tom, who was suffering because he was going away,—back to Mr. Percival's. 'Sure my auld mistress never said a word about my being under any one but yourself, ma'am; and though I'm a poor bye, I values my character too much to stay where I'm not wanted.'

"Ann came back and found her crying, and told a doleful tale of your suspicious looks, etc., ending with,—

"'Feth, ma'am, it's enough to make honest folks rogues to be watching 'em in that fashion, and so I can't risk myself nohow; for I couldn't tell what I'd become with the likes of Miss Lovell put over my head.'

"My poor Lady-bird was terribly grieved by all this, and began to think trouble had come upon her in earnest, but I made light of it. I told her you were a thoroughly good housekeeper, and that I had requested you to look a little after kitchen affairs during your visit, but that it was an awkward job for you, and you'd be glad to be relieved of it. Still she looked very sober, and presently it all came out.

"'Are you sure,' she said, shyly, 'that you are not sorry you took such a useless little girl to be your wife? I'm afraid I'm very, 'very' ignorant about housekeeping. I know Aunt Mercy thinks so, though she is so kind, and I love her so dearly.'

"'You can learn,' I said, encouragingly. 'In time you will become used to care. You are very young yet.'

"'But,' she said, with fresh tears, 'it does seem dreadful to have to think about servants from morning to night, and to keep the closets locked up, as Aunt Mercy says I ought, and give out the sugar and eggs; besides, I never could learn how many were needed for all the puddings and cake that cook makes so nicely. Oh, Lawrence, you can't tell how much I dread to do it!'

"What could I say but that I would arrange it with cook and the rest to stay? I sent for them to the dining-room, and gave each of them a five-dollar bill, charging them to let me hear no more of their going to their mistress with stories of leaving. I saw they thought they had triumphed, and I hated myself for giving them the occasion, but there was no other way."

"You will live to regret it, Lawrence. Lily cannot be happy while neglecting positive duties. How long do you imagine either the cook or Ann will remain content to be servants when they can be mistresses? You have only begun to see the trouble they will give your wife, setting aside all their waste and extravagance."

"I know, I know," he answered, reddening, "but it can't be helped now."

"I shall start for home to-morrow," she added, after a moment's pause. "You will need me more by and by."

There was a most affectionate parting between Aunt Mercy and her niece. Lily kissed her repeatedly, and begged her to come again, not a suspicion entering her mind that the old lady's visit had been abruptly terminated in consequence of what had occurred; while Mrs. Lovell in her turn thanked her young hostess for the pains taken to make her stay agreeable, and reminded her that there was always a home for them in her house.