I Placed The Arm-Chair By
The Fire, And Told Him That I Would Prepare Tea For Him As Soon As
I Could.
"It may be as well to tell you, Mrs. Moodie," said he sulkily, for
he was evidently displeased by my husband's want of recognition on
his first entrance, "that I have had no dinner."
I signed to myself, for I well knew that our larder boasted of
no dainties; and from the animal expression of our guest's face,
I rightly judged that he was fond of good living.
By the time I had fried a rasher of salt pork, and made a pot of
dandelion coffee, the bread I had been preparing was baked; but
grown flour will not make light bread, and it was unusually heavy.
For the first time I felt heartily ashamed of our humble fare. I was
sure that he for whom it was provided was not one to pass it over in
benevolent silence. "He might be a gentleman," I thought, "but he
does not look like one;" and a confused idea of who he was, and
where Moodie had met him, began to float through my mind. I did not
like the appearance of the man, but I consoled myself that he was
only to stay for one night, and I could give up my bed for that one
night, and sleep on a bed on the floor by my sick husband. When I
re-entered the parlour to cover the table, I found Moodie fallen
asleep, and Mr. Malcolm reading.
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Page 440 of 670
Words from 119259 to 119518
of 181664
