CHAPTER IV.

COMPLICATIONS.

"IF you please, Miss Hetty, Thompson's have sent the bill for those jellies and things, and the boy says he is to wait for the money."

"But I can't pay it, Hannah. I told you to tell him I would call in a few days."

"It's a week now since we had these things," said Hannah, stolidly.

"Well, I can't pay it to-day. I'll talk to mamma when she comes home this evening."

"You've told me that before, Miss Hetty, and if I hadn't thought you'd done it, and asked the mistress for some more money, I shouldn't have told her the things were all paid for last week."

"I wish you hadn't told her," said Hetty, fairly bursting into tears at the thought of the complicated troubles she had got into through her grand garden-party.

"Well, now, it's no good crying over spilt milk, Miss Hetty. Just make a clean breast of it, and tell the mistress all about everything to-night."

"I wish I could tell her, but, oh I Hannah, you don't know how changed mamma is. She never speaks to me now as she used before this garden-party. And I think my cousins saw that something was wrong, for they seemed glad to go home to-day. Oh! Hannah, I do feel so miserable."

Hannah scarcely needed to be told this, for poor Hetty looked utterly wretched. She sat indoors all day alone, because she felt ashamed to go out. And yet there was a greater dread looming in the future, for Mrs. Mavor had not yet returned, but an angry letter had been received from her concerning the damage done to her garden.

Hannah sincerely pitied her young mistress, and went back to the door to persuade the boy to leave the bill, with the promise that Hetty would call and pay it in a day or two. But an hour afterwards another bill was brought—from the fruiterer's this time—and this messenger was also told to wait for the money, for Mrs. Golding was not a regular customer, which made them the more pressing.

Hetty lifted her tear-stained face as Hannah opened the door. "What is it now?" she said, impatiently.

"It's for the fruit, Miss Hetty," said Hannah, laying another bill on the table, "and the boy says his master can't wait any longer."

"Tell him he shall have it to-morrow. I will ask mamma to let me have my month's allowance this evening, and then I can pay this and nearly all Thompson's, if mamma will advance me another month as well."

"Yes, do tell the mistress, Miss Hetty, it'll take off half the load I know. And I'll coax the boy to go back without the money," and Hannah did the coaxing effectually.

But this turning people away from the door without money was being talked of in the village, for the boy had left a companion waiting for him a few yards off, who casually asked if he had got what he went for.

"No, they'll pay to-morrow. They told me the same when I took the things though."

"And they've just had a grand garden-party; why don't they pay their debts?"

The boy made some such remark to his sister when he went home, and by her it was carried to half-a-dozen others. And then another piece of gossip was whispered: Madame Newton's son had failed in business, or something; at all events, they were ruined, and Mrs. Golding was ruined too.

Hetty heard nothing of this rumour, but when her mother came home that evening, she received what would have seemed like a confirmation of it if she had been told. Mrs. Golding looked worried and anxious, and seemed very ill.

"Mamma, shall I get you a little wine?" said Hetty, in some alarm.

"No, thank you. I must learn to do without wine in the future," said Mrs. Golding, in the stiff, stern voice she had always used to Hetty lately.

Hetty dropped upon a chair, and her hands fell helplessly into her lap. How could she tell her mother the trouble she was in while she kept her at such a distance? But Mrs. Golding paused at the door before going upstairs.

"Your money is due to-day, Hetty," she said, "but I shall not be able to let you have it just yet, and you must be exceedingly careful in the household expenses, for I have had some heavy losses lately." And Mrs. Golding went on to her room without another word of explanation.

This was a cruel blow to Hetty. At any other time her mother would have told her what had happened, for until this unlucky garden-party there had been perfect confidence, as there always should be, between mother and daughter. But now Mrs. Golding shut her lips firmly, and Hetty did not dare ask her a question, although she was burning with curiosity as well as anxiety to know how her mother could have had heavy losses.

After sitting for a little while waiting for her mother to come downstairs, she ran into the kitchen to Hannah.

"Have you heard anything—anything about mamma losing money?" she said. "Has she told you about it?"

"Bless me! No, Miss Hetty. And I hope she hasn't been lending the Newtons any, for they do say they're ruined, for all they have held their heads so high for years and years."

"The Newtons ruined!" exclaimed Hetty. "Oh! Hannah, then I am afraid we are ruined too, for I know mamma drew money out of the bank to lend Mr. Newton a little while ago." And Hetty began to wonder what they were to do.

She went to bed that night feeling more anxious than over. Hannah called her at breakfast time.

"I wish you'd rouse yourself, Miss Hetty, and come into the mistress's room."

"Why, what is the matter?" she asked.

"Matter enough. Old Mrs. Newton is dead, and though I went to tell the mistress an hour ago, she hasn't got up, and I don't know what to make of her."

"Is she awake?" asked Hetty, springing out of bed, and hastily scrambling on some of her clothes.

"I don't know what to make of her, but I'm afraid she must be very ill. For she took no notice when I told her Mrs. Newton was dead, though I thought at first she must have heard me, but felt too bad about it to speak now. I'm afraid she's off her head with the worry of one thing after the other."

"Mamma has been worried lately," said Hetty, with a little twinge of conscience, but feeling thankful now that she had not told her mother of the monetary difficulties she had got into.

She went into her mother's room, and saw at once that she was very ill. A doctor was sent for at once, who decided that it was a very serious attack of brain fever, and ordered that a nurse should be obtained, and nothing likely to excite the invalid was to be mentioned in her presence.

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