poor and proud-第28节

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〃Not　your　cousin？〃　said　Katy；　a　shade　of　disappointment　crossing　her　animated　features。

〃No；　for　Mrs。　Gordon　is　not　really　my　mother；　only　my　stepmother；　but　she　is　just　as　good　as　a　real　mother；　for　I　never　knew　any　other。　Dear　me！　how　strange　all　this　is！　And　you　will　go　up　and　live　with　us　in　Temple　Street；　and〃

〃I　can't　leave　my　mother；〃　interrupted　Katy。

〃You　mother　shall　go；　too。〃

〃She　is　too　sick　now。〃

Grace　continued　to　talk　as　fast　as　she　could；　laying　out　ever　so　many　plans　for　the　future；　till　the　carriage　reached　Colvin　Court。　I　will　not　follow　them　into　the　chamber　of　the　sick　woman；　where　Mrs。　Gordon；　by　a　slow　process　that　did　not　agitate　the　invalid　too　violently；　revealed　herself　to　her　sister。　The　fine　lady　of　Temple　Street　had　a　heart；　a　warm　and　true　heart；　and　not　that　day；　nor　that　night；　nor　for　a　week；　did　she　leave　the　sick　bed　of　the　sufferer。　There；　in　the　midst　of　her　sister's　poverty；　she　did　a　sister's　offices。

It　was　three　weeks　before　Mrs。　Redburn　was　in　a　condition　to　be　moved　to　her　sister's　house；　and　then　she　was　once　more　in　the　midst　of　the　luxury　and　splendor　of　her　early　life。　One　day；　when　she　had　improved　so　much　as　to　be　able　to　bear　the　fatigue　of　a　long　conversation；　Mrs。　Gordon；　who　had　thus　far　declined　to　discuss　any　exciting　topics　with　the　invalid　proposed　to　have　everything　explained。　Each　had　a　very　long　story　to　tell；　but　as　the　reader　already　knows　Mrs。　Redburn's　history；　I　shall　only　briefly　narrate　that　of　Mrs。　Gordon　and　the　Guthrie　family；　after　the　departure　of　the　former。

Mr。　Guthrie；　the　father　of　both；　died　two　years　after　the　flight　of　MargaretMrs。　Redburnwhen　of　course　there　was　a　large　property　to　be　divided。　Diligent　search　was　made　for　Margaret　in　America　but　her　husband　had　declared　to　some　person　in　Liverpool　that　he　had　an　engagement　in　Montreal。　This　place　was　thoroughly　canvassed；　but　without　success。　No　trace　of　the　runaways　could　be　discovered。　Agents　were　sent　to　various　parts　of　America；　and　no　tidings　of　Margaret　had　ever　reached　them。

About　two　year　after　her　father's　death；　JaneMrs。　Gordonhad　married　a　very　wealthy　gentleman　from　Baltimore。　He　was　then　a　widower　with　one　childGrace　Gordon。　She　had　come　to　America　with　him；　and　resided　in　Baltimore　till　his　death；　a　period　of　only　two　years。　Then；　having　never　liked　to　live　in　that　city；　she　had　removed　to　Boston；　where　she　had　a　few　friends。　She　had　invested　her　money　and　resided　there；　very　happily　situated；　and　with　no　desire　to　return　to　her　native　land。

Her　father's　estate　had　been　divided；　and　the　portion　which　belonged　to　Margaret　was　held　in　trust　for　seven　yearswhen　the　law　presumed　she　was　deadand　was　then　delivered　to　her　sister；　who　was　the　only　remaining　heir。　Now　that　she　had　appeared；　it　was　promptly　paid　over　to　her；　and　Mrs。　Redburn；　before　poor　and　proud；　was　now　rich；　and　humility　never　sat　more　gracefully　on　the　brow　of　woman　than　on　hers。

Katy　and　her　mother　had　entered　upon　a　new　life；　and　in　the　midst　of　luxury　and　splendor；　they　could　not　forget　the　past　nor　cease　to　thank　God　for　His　past　and　present　mercies。　Mrs。　Gordon　used　to　declare　it　was　strange　she　had　never　thought　that　Mrs。　Redburn　might　be　her　sister；　but　it　was　declared　that　stranger　things　than　that　had　happened。

Katy　continued　to　go　to　school　with　great　regularity；　and　became　an　excellent　scholar。　She　was　beloved　by　all　her　companions　and　Grace；　who　was　married　shortly　after　Katy　entered　the　family；　always　regarded　her　with　the　affection　of　a　sister；　insisting　that　she　should　spend　half　the　time　at　her　house。　Mrs。　Redburn　was　soon　completely　restored　to　health。　She　had　a　fortune　to　manage　now；　and　when　Dr。　Flynch　proposed　to　collect　her　rents　and　take　charge　of　her　affairs；　she　respectfully　declined　the　offer。　Mrs。　Gordon　did　not　like　him　as　well　as　formerly；　for　her　sister　had　opened　her　eyes　in　regard　to　his　true　character；　and　she　soon　found　an　opportunity　to　discharge　him。

Having　carried　Katy　through　her　principal　troubles　and　chronicled　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　candy　trade　we　shall　step　forward　ten　years　to　take　a　final　look　at　her　and　her　friends；　and　then　bid　them　farewell。



CHAPTER　XXI。

KATY　GOES　TO　CHURCH；　AND　HAS　A　BIRTHDAY　PARTY。


Ten　years　is　a　long　timelong　enough　to　change　the　child　into　a　woman；　the　little　candy　merchant　into　a　fine　lady。　I　suppose；　therefore；　that　my　young　friends　will　need　to　be　introduced　to　Miss　Redburn。　There　she　sits　in　the　pleasant　apartment　in　Temple　Street；　where　the　picture　of　the　mischievous　girl　still　hangs；　though　it　looks　very　little　like　the　matron　at　her　side；　for　whom　it　was　taken。　She　is　not　beautiful　enough　to　be　the　heroine　of　a　romance；　neither　has　she　done　any　absurd　thing；　she　has　only　supported　her　mother　when　she　had　no　one　else　to　care　for　her。　But　Katy　is　irresistible　if　she　is　not　pretty。　She　still　looks　as　pleasant　as　a　morning　in　June；　and　smiles　sweetly　when　any　one　speaks　to　her　and　when　she　speaks　to　any　one。

I　am　sorry　I　cannot　inform　my　young　lady　friends　how　Miss　Redburn　was　dressed；　or　how　she　proposed　to　dress；　at　her　birthday　party；　which　was　to　come　off　the　following　weekwhat　silks；　what　laces　what　muslins；　and　what　jewels　she　was　to　wear。　I　can　only　say　that　she　was　dressed　very　plainly；　and　that　her　garments　were　exceedingly　becoming；　and　that　she　had　steadily　resisted　the　solicitations　of　sundry　French　milliners　and　dressmakers　to　exceed　her　usual　simplicity　at　the　partyand　I　cordially　command　her　example　to　all　young　ladies。

While　Miss　Redburn　sat　at　the　window；　the　doorbell　rang　with　great　violence；　and　Michael　yes；　Michaelhe　is　still　there；　a　veteran　in　the　service　of　Mrs。　Gordon；　and　fully　believing　that　Katy　is　an　angelMichael　hastened　to　admit　Grace。　She　is　a　little　older　than　when　we　saw　her　last；　but　she　is　the　same　Grace。　She　enters　the　room；　kisses　Katy　with　as　much　zeal　as　though　she　had　not　seen　her　for　months；　though　they　had　met　the　day　before。　She　had　scarcely　saluted　her　cousin　before　a　little　fat　man　of　six　came　tumbling　into　the　room；　for　he　had　not　been　able　to　keep　up　with　his　mother。

〃Come；　aunty；〃　said　little　Tommy；　who　persisted　in　calling　her　by　this　title；　as　he　rolled　up　to　Miss　Redburn；　who　gave　him　a　hearty　kiss〃come；　aunty；　I　want　you　to　come　right　down　into　the　kitchen；　and　make　me　a　lot　of　molatheth　candy。〃

〃Not　now；　Tommy〃would　you　believe　it；　reader？　that　little　boy's　name　is　Thomas　Howard　Parker〃not　now；　Tommy。　I　came　to　tell　you；　Katy；　that　the　King　of　the　Billows　has　been　telegraphed。〃

〃Has　she？〃　exclaimed　Katy；　a　deep　blush　suffusing　her　cheek。

〃Yes；　and　you　must　go　right　down　to　the　wharf；　or　we　shall　not　be　in　season　to　see　Captain　Howard；　who　is　coming　up　in　a　pilot　boat。〃

Miss　Redburn　hastened　to　put　on　her　things；　and　she　and　Mrs。　Parker　seated　themselves　in　the　carriage　that　waited　them。

Of　course；　you　know　Captain　Howard；　reader？　He　has　followed　the　sea　only　eleven　years；　and　though　but　twenty…five　years　old；　he　is　the　commander　of　a　fine　clipper；　and　sails　in　the　Liverpool　line。　He　is　frequently　quoted　as　an　example　of　what　patient　perseverance　will　accomplish；　for；　with　very　little　aid　from　friends；　he　has　worked　his　way　from　the　forecastle　into　the　cabin。　He　is　a　self…educated　man；　and　has　the　reputation　of　being　a　thorough　sailor　and　a　perfect　gentleman。

Pursuant　to　a　little　arrangement　made　between　Captain　Howard　and　Miss　Redburn；　just　as　he　departed　on　this　voyage；　they　were　both　seen　in　church　on　the　following　Thursday　afternoon；　and　when　they　came　out；　people　addressed　Katy　as　Mrs。　Howard。　But　to　pass　on　to　the　occasions　which　she　had　chosen　to　call　a　birthday　party；　though　it　was　not　exactly　that；　and　as　it　came　immediately　after　the　church　service；　some　called　it　a　levee。

There　are　a　great　many　persons　in　the　Gordon　mansion；　as　many　as　two　hundred；　I　should　think。　Of　course；　I　cannot　stop　to　introduce　all　of　them；　but　there　are　a　few　who　deserve　this　favor。

〃Mr。　Sneed；　I　am　delighted　to　see　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Howard；　as　a　very　tall　and　very　slim　gentleman；　elegantly　dressed；　approached。

〃You　do　me　honor；　madam。　It　is　the　superlative　felicity　of　my　sublunary　existence　to　congratulate　you　on　this　auspicious　occasion；〃　replied　Mr。　Sneed；　as　he　gently　pressed　the　gloved　hand　of　the　lady。

That　sounds　just　like　Master　Simon　Sneed；　only　very　much　intensified。　Simon　is　a　salesman　still　in　a　large　establishmenthas　never　risen　above　that　position　and　probably　never　will；　for；　born　to　be　a　gentleman；　he　feels　as　much　above　his　business　as　his　business　really　is　above　him。

Simon's　father　and　mother　say　a　pleasant　word　to　the　bride；　and　pass　on。　And　here　comes　a　great　fat　woman；　whose　tongue　flies　like　the　shuttle　in　a　loom。　Well；　it　is　the　captain's　mother。　Since　her　son　has　been　prosperous；　she　has　had　an　easy　time　of　it；　and　has　grown　very　corpulent。

〃Who　do　you　think　has　come；　Katy？〃　puffed　Mrs。　Howard。

〃I　don't　know。　Who？〃

〃Mrs。　Colvin；　that　was！　Mrs。　McCarty；　that　is。〃

Some　of　the　very　good…natured　people　laughed；　and　some　of　the　very　fastidious　ones　turned　up　their　noses；　when　they　saw　Mrs。　McCarty　so　warmly　received　by　the　bride；　but　she　did　not　care　who　laughed　or　who　sneered；　she　was　not　too　proud　to