Cruel As The Grave

Rosa Blondelle passed into the little adjoining nursery, to see after

her child.

The room, small as it was, had two windows, one west and one south, and

a little fireplace north. The east side was only broken by the door

that communicated with the bedroom. There were green curtains to the two

windows, green carpet on the floor, and green covers to the

rocking-chair and the child's chairs, which were the only ones in the

room. There was a cot-bed for the nurse and a crib for the child. A

well-supplied wash-stand completed the furniture. The child lay sleeping

soundly in his crib, and the nurse sat by him, occupying herself with

some white embroidery that she habitually carried in her pocket, to fill

up spare moments profitably.

"Crow is quite well, Janet?" inquired the young mother, approaching and

looking at her rosy boy.

"Yes, me leddy, and sleeping like an angel," answered the woman.

"Those are very comfortable quarters, Janet."

"Yes, me leddy, though the roaring of yon Black Torrent, as they ca' it,

gars me grew. I wonder does it always roar sae loud."

"Oh no, Janet. Mr. Berners says that it only sounds so when very much

swollen by the rains. And Mr. Berners should know."

"Aye, ma'am, and sae he suld! And a very fine gentleman is the laird!"

"He is not a laird, Janet! There are no lairds in America."

"And what will he be then, ma'am?"

"Simply a gentleman--Mr. Berners."

"It is a pity he is na a laird, ma'am, and a duke to the back of that! a

princely gentleman he is, me leddy."

"I quite agree with you, Janet. Well, leave your charge for a moment,

and come and arrange my hair for me. Unluckily I can not change my

dress, for my luggage was left behind at Blackville, and I don't suppose

it has arrived here yet," said Rosa Blondelle, as she returned to her

room attended by her maid. But there an agreeable surprise met her. She

found her trunks set in order, ready for her.

"I declare, there they are! And I suppose the servants who brought them,

finding the door wide open and no one in the room, just put them in here

and retired. Janet, open that trunk and get out my black velvet, and

point lace set. I must not wear anything very light and gay on this

first evening, after a fatiguing journey, when we all feel so tired as

to be fit for nothing but bed," said Rosa Blondelle, throwing herself

languidly into the green-covered easy-chair before the dressing-table.

"And, 'deed, me leddy, there's nae dress ye look sae weell in as that

bonny black velvet," said the maid.

Rosa knew this well, and for this reason, perhaps, selected the dress.