"
"To be sure. I desired Mrs. Johnson to tell you so last night. Old
Ormerod was dining here; he is clerk to the magistrates, and I told him
of your wish. He said he would see Sir Henry Croper, and have the order
here before ten. But all this time Mrs. Johnson is waiting breakfast for
us. Let me take you into the dining-room."
It was very hard work for Ellinor to do her duty as a guest, and to allow
herself to be interested and talked to on local affairs by her host and
hostess. But she felt as if she had spoken shortly and abruptly to Mr.
Johnson in their previous conversation, and that she must try and make
amends for it; so she attended to all the details about the restoration
of the church, and the difficulty of getting a good music-master for the
three little Miss Johnsons, with all her usual gentle good breeding and
patience, though no one can tell how her heart and imagination were full
of the coming interview with poor old Dixon.
By-and-by Mr. Johnson was called out of the room to see Mr. Ormerod, and
receive the order of admission from him. Ellinor clasped her hands tight
together as she listened with apparent composure to Mrs Johnson's never-
ending praise of the Hullah system. But when Mr. Johnson returned, she
could not help interrupting her eulogy, and saying--
"Then I may go now?"
Yes, the order was there--she might go, and Mr.
Pages:
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249