it may have seemed a strange thing, but, nevertheless, it was a fact, that one who appeared to make no difference to anybody while she was alive should yet be capable of causing quite a commotion the moment she was dead.
this was the case with old mrs. bell. for years she had lived in her pleasant south room, basking in the sun in summer, and half sleeping by the fire in winter. she never read; she spoke very little; she did not even knit, and never, by any chance, did she stir outside those four walls. she was in a living tomb, and was forgotten there. the four walls of her room were her grave. lydia purcell, to all intents and purposes, was mistress of all she surveyed.
but from the moment it was discovered that mrs. bell was dead—from the moment it was known that the time had come to shut her up in four much smaller walls—the aspect of everything was changed. she was no longer a person of no importance.
no importance! her name was in everybody's mouth. the servants talked of her. the villagers whispered, and came and asked to look at her; and then they commented on the peaceful old face, and one or two shed tears and inwardly breathed a prayer that their last end might be like hers.
the house was full of subdued bustle and decorous excitement; and all the bustle and all the excitement were caused by mrs. bell.
mrs. bell, who spent her days from morning to night alone while she was living, who had even died alone! it was only after death she seemed worth consideration.
between the day of death and the funeral, mr. preston, the lawyer, came over to warren's grove many times. he was always shut up with lydia purcell when he came, though, had anyone listened to their conversation, they would have found that mrs. bell was the subject of their discourse.
but the strange thing, the strangest thing about it all, was that lydia purcell and mrs. bell, from the moment mrs. bell was dead, appeared to have changed places. lydia, from ruling all, and being feared by all, was now the person of no account. the cook defied her; the dairymaid openly disobeyed her in some important matter relating to the cream; and the boy whose business it was to attend to lydia's own precious poultry, not only forgot to give them their accustomed hot supper, but openly recorded his forgetfulness over high tea in the kitchen that same evening; and the strange thing was that lydia looked on, and did not say a word. she did not say a word or blame anybody, though her face was very pale, and she looked anxious.
the children noticed the changed aspect of things, and commented upon them in the way children will. to maurice it was all specially surprising, as he had scarcely been aware of mrs. bell's existence during her lifetime.
"it must be a good thing to be dead, cecile," he said to his little sister, "people are very kind to you after you are dead, cecile. do you think aunt lydia purcell would give me a fire in our room after i'm dead?"
"oh, maurice! don't," entreated cecile, "you are only a little baby boy, and you don't understand."
"but i understood about the yard of rope," retorted maurice slyly.
yes, cecile owned that maurice had been very clever in that respect, and she kissed him, and told him so, and then, taking his hand, they ran out.
the weather was again fine, the short spell of cold had departed, and the children could partly at least resume their old life in the woods. they had plenty to eat, and a certain feeling of liberty which everyone in the place shared. the cook, who liked them and pitied them, supplied them with plenty of cakes and apples, and the dairymaid treated maurice to more than one delicious drink of cream.
maurice became a thoroughly happy and contented little boy again, and he often remarked to himself, but for the benefit of cecile and toby, what a truly good thing it was that mrs. bell had died. nay, he was even heard to say that he wished someone could be always found ready to die, and so make things pleasant in a house.
cecile, however, looked at matters differently. to her mrs. bell's death was a source of pain, for now there was no one at all left to tell her how to find the guide she needed. perhaps, however, mrs. bell would talk to jesus about it, for she was to see jesus after she was dead.
cecile used to wonder where the old woman had gone, and if she had found the real mercy at last.
one day, as jane, the cook, was filling the children's little basket, cecile said to her:
"has old mrs. bell gone into the celestial city?"
"no, no, my dear, into heaven," replied the cook; "the blessed old lady has gone into heaven, dear."
cecile sighed. "she always spoke about going to the celestial city and the new jerusalem," she said.
now the dairymaid, who happened to be a methodist, stood near. she now came forward.
"ain't heaven and the new jerusalem jest one and the same, jane parsons? what's the use of puzzling a child like that? yes, miss cecile, honey, the old lady is in heaven, or the new jerusalem, or the celestial city, which you like to call it. they all means the same."
cecile thanked the dairymaid and walked away. she was a little comforted by this explanation, and a tiny gleam of light was entering her mind. still she was very far from the truth.
the halcyon days between mrs. bell's death and her funeral passed all too quickly. then came the day of the funeral, and the next morning the iron rule of lydia purcell began again. whatever few words she said to cook, dairymaid, and message-boy, they once more obeyed her and showed her respect. and there was no more cream for maurice, nor special dainties for the little picnic basket. that same day, too, lydia and mr. preston had a long conversation.
"it is settled then," said the lawyer, "and you stay on here and manage everything on the old footing until we hear from mr. bell. i have telegraphed, but he is not likely to reply except by letter. you may reckon yourself safe not to be disturbed out of your present snug quarters for the winter."
"and hard i must save," said lydia; "i have but beggary to face when i'm turned out."
"some of your money will be secured," replied the lawyer. "i can promise you at least three hundred."
"what is three hundred to live on?"
"you can save again. you are still a young woman."
"i am forty-five," replied lydia purcell. "at forty-five you don't feel as you do at twenty-five. yes, i can save; but somehow there's no spirit in it."
"i am sorry for you," replied the lawyer. then he added, "and the children—the children can remain here as long as you stay."
but at the mention of the children, the momentary expression of softness, which had made lydia's face almost pleasing, vanished.
"mr. preston," she said, rising, "i will keep those children, who are no relations to me, until i get a letter from france. if a check comes with the letter, well and good; if not, out they go—out they go that minute, sure as my name is lydia purcell. what call has a frenchman's children on me?"
"where are they to go?" asked mr. preston.
"to the workhouse, of course. what is the workhouse for but to receive such beggar brats?"
"well, i am sorry for them," said the lawyer, now also rising and buttoning on his coat. "they don't look fit for such a life; they look above so dismal a fate. poor little ones! that boy is very handsome, and the girl, her eyes makes you think of a startled fawn. well, good-day, mrs. purcell. i trust there will be good news from france."
just on the boundary of the farm mr. preston met maurice. some impulse, for he was not a softhearted man himself, made him stop, call the pretty boy to his side, and give him half a sovereign.
"ask your sister to take care of it for you, and keep it, both of you, my poor babes, for a rainy day."
