I was on a visit at the Vicarage then.
Of course, it must not be supposed that Miss Michin read Nancy Forest's
face in this way; but the little dressmaker had a warm heart, though
worried by the making of garments, and more by making two ends meet
which nature had apparently not intended for such close proximity; but
she had certainly noticed that for the last few weeks Nancy had not
looked well.
It was growing dark one Thursday evening, and Sarah Ann had just brought
the lamp into her mistress's parlour. Miss Michin turned up the light
slowly, remarking, as she did so, "I don't want this glass to crack. I
might do nothing else but buy lamp-glasses if I left the turning-up of
them to Sarah Ann. This one has been boiled, which, Mrs. Dodd says, is a
good thing to make them stand heat." Then she broke off suddenly, and
stared at her apprentice, exclaiming, "Nancy, child, how pale you look!
You must leave off and go home. You shall have a nice cup of tea first.
Where do you feel bad?"
The sympathetic tone brought the tears to Nancy's eyes, perhaps more
than the words, but she answered hastily: "Oh, indeed, dear Miss Michin,
I need not go home. I have a headache, that is all, and I must not leave
off before my time. I ought to stop later, and you so busy."
"That frock of Emma Dodd's is just on finished, isn't it?" said Miss
Michin, in answer.
"All but the hooks," replied Nancy.
"Then sew them on while I make some tea, and you can leave it at the
post-office as you go.
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