"Anything the matter?" inquired Mrs. Bazalgette, attracted by the
bruskness of his entry.
"Yes, there is," said David sternly.
Lucy looked up.
"Miss Fountain's old nurse has been sitting in the hall more than half
an hour, and nobody has had the politeness to go near her."
"Oh, is that all? Well, don't look daggers at me. There is Lucy; give
her a lesson in good-breeding, Mr. Dodd." This was said a little
satirically, and rather nettled David.
"Perhaps it does not become me to set up for a teacher of that. I know
my own deficiencies as well as anybody in this house knows them; but
this I know, that, if an old friend walked eight miles to see me, it
would not be good-breeding in me to refuse to walk eight yards to see
her. And, another thing, everybody's time is worth something; if I did
not mean to see her, I would have that much consideration to send down
and tell her so, and not keep the woman wasting her time as well as
her trouble, and vexing her heart into the bargain."
"Where is she, Mr. Dodd?" asked Lucy quickly.
Where is she?" cried David, getting louder and louder. "Why, she is
cooling her heels in the hall this half hour and more. They hadn't the
manners to show her into a room."
"I will go to her, Mr. Dodd," said Lucy, turning a little pale. "Don't
be angry; I will go directly"; and, having said this with an abject
slavishness that formed a miraculous contrast with her late crossness
and imperious chilliness, she put down her work hastily and went out;
only at the door she curved her throat, and cast back, Parthian-like,
a glance of timid reproach, as much as to say, "Need you have been so
very harsh with a creature so obedient as this is?"
That deprecating glance did Mr.
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