lydia had just then plenty of cause for anxiety; for that kind of anxiety which such a woman would feel. she was anxious about the gold she had been so carefully saving, putting by here a pound and there a pound, until the bank held a goodly sum sufficient to support her in comfort in the not very distant day when her residence in warren's grove would come to an end.
whenever mrs. bell died, lydia knew she must look out for a fresh home, and that day could surely now not be very distant.
the old woman had seen her eighty-fifth birthday. death must be near one so feeble, who was also eighty-five years of age. lydia would be comfortably off when mrs. bell died, and she often reflected with satisfaction that this money, as she enjoyed it, need trouble her with no qualms of conscience—it was all the result of hard work, of patient industry. in her position she could have been dishonest, and it would be untrue to deny that the temptation to be dishonest when no one would be the wiser, when not a soul could possibly ever know, had come to her more than once. but she had never yet yielded to the temptation. "no, no," she had said to her own heart, "i will enjoy my money by and by with clean hands. it shall be good money. i'm a hard woman, but nothing mean nor unclean shall touch me." lydia made these resolves most often sitting by mercy's grave. for week after week did she visit this little grave, and kept it bright with flowers and green with all the love her heart could ever know.
but all the same it was about this money which surely she had a right to enjoy, and feel secure and happy in possessing, that lydia was so anxious now.
she had ground for her fears. as i said before lydia purcell had once done a foolish thing. now her folly was coming home to her. she had been tempted to invest two hundred pounds in an unlimited company. twenty per cent. she was to receive for this money. this twenty per cent. tempted her. she did the deed, thinking that for a year or two she was safe enough.
but this very morning she had been made uneasy by a letter from mr. preston, her own and mrs. bell's man of business.
he knew she had invested this money. she had done so against his will.
he told her that ugly rumors were afloat about this very company. and if it went, all lydia's money, all the savings of her life would be swept away in its downfall.
when he called, which he did that same morning, he could but confirm her fears.
yes, he would try and sell out for her. he would go to london for the purpose that very day.
lydia, anxious about her golden calf, the one idol of her life, was not a pleasant mistress of the farm. she was never particularly kind to the children; but now, for the next few days, she was rough and hard to everyone who came within her reach.
the dairymaid and the cook received sharp words, which, fortunately for themselves, they were powerful enough to return with interest. poor old mrs. bell cowered lonely and sad by her fireside. now and then she asked querulously for mercy, but no mercy, real or imaginary, ever came near her; and then her old mind would wander off from the land of beulah, where she really lived, right across to the celestial city at the other side of the river. mrs. bell was too old and too serene to be rendered really unhappy by lydia's harsh ways! her feet were already on the margin of the river, and earth's discords had scarcely power to touch her.
but those who did suffer, and suffer most from lydia's bad temper, were the children.
they were afraid to stay in her presence. the weather had suddenly turned cold, wet, and wintry. cecile dared not take maurice out into the sleet showers which were falling about every ten minutes. all the bright and genial weather had departed. their happy days in the woods and fields were over, and there was nothing for them but to spend the whole day in their attic bedroom. here the wind howled fiercely. the badly-fitting window in the roof not only shook, but let in plenty of rain. and maurice cried from cold and fright. in his london home he had never undergone any real roughing. he wanted a fire, and begged of cecile to light one; and when she refused, the little spoiled unhappy boy nearly wept himself sick. cecile looked at toby, and shook her head despondingly, and toby answered her with more than one blink from his wise and solemn eyes.
neither cecile nor toby would have fretted about the cold and discomfort for themselves, but both their hearts ached for maurice.
one day the little boy seemed really ill. he had caught a severe cold, and he shivered, and crouched up now in cecile's arms with flushed cheeks. his little hands and feet, however, were icy cold. how cecile longed to take him down to mrs. bell's warm room. but she was strictly forbidden to go near the old lady.
at last, rendered desperate, she ventured to do for maurice what nothing would have induced her to do for herself. she went downstairs, poked about until she found lydia purcell, and then in a trembling voice begged from her a few sticks and a little coal to build a fire in the attic bedroom.
lydia stared at the request, then she refused it.
"that grate would not burn a fire even if you were to light it," she said partly in excuse.
"but maurice is so cold. i think he is ill from cold, and you don't like us to stay in the kitchen," pleaded the anxious little sister.
"no, i certainly can't have children pottering about in my way here," replied lydia purcell. "and do you know, cecile—for if you don't 'tis right you should—all that money i was promised for the care of you and your brother, and the odious dog, has never come. you have been living on me for near three months now, and not a blessed sixpence have i had for my trouble. that uncle, or cousin, or whoever he is, in france, has not taken the slightest notice of my letter. there's a nice state of things—and you having the impudence to ask for a fire up in yer very bedroom. what next, i wonder?"
"i can't think why the money hasn't come," answered cecile, puckering her brows; "that money from france always did come to the day—always exactly to the day, it never failed. father used to say our cousin who had bought his vineyard and farm was reliable. i can't think, indeed, why the money is not here long ago, mrs. purcell."
"well, it han't come, child, and i have got mr. preston to write about it, and if he don't have an answer soon and a check into the bargain, out you and maurice will have to go. i'm a poor woman myself, and i can't afford to keep no beggar brats. that'll be worse nor a fire in your bedroom, i guess, cecile."
"if the money don't come, where'll you send us, mrs. purcell, please?" asked cecile, her face very pale.
"oh! 'tis easy to know where, child—to the union, of course."
cecile had never heard of the union.
"is it far away? and is it a nice place?" she asked innocently.
lydia laughed and held up her hands.
"of all the babies, cecile d'albert, you beat them hallow," she said. "no, no, i'll tell you nothing about the union. you wait till you see it. you're so queer, maybe you'll like it. there's no saying—and maurice'll get his share of the fire. oh, yes, he'll get his share."
"and toby! will toby come too?" asked cecile.
"toby! bless you, no. there's a yard of rope for toby. he'll be managed cheaper than any of you. now go, child, go!"
