Ellen felt almost inclined to quarrel with the breakfast that was offered in exchange for her comfortable wrapper; she pulled it off, however, and sat down without saying anything. Mr. Van Brunt put some cakes on her plate.
"If breakfast's agoing to warm you," said he, "make haste and get something down; or drink a cup of coffee you're as blue as skim milk."
"Am I?" said Ellen, laughing; "I feel blue, but I can't eat such a pile of cakes as that, Mr. Van Brunt."
As a general thing, the meals at Miss Fortune's were silent solemnities; an occasional consultation, or a few questions and remarks about farm affairs, being all that ever passed. The breakfast this morning was a singular exception to the common rule.
"I am in a regular quandary," said the mistress of the house, when the meal was about half over.
Mr. Van Brunt looked up for an instant, and asked, "what about?"
"Why, how I am ever going to do to get those apples and sausage-meat done? If I go to doing 'em myself, I shall about get through by spring."
"Why don't you make a bee?" said Mr. Van Brunt.
"Ain't enough of either on 'em to make it worth while. I ain't agoing to have all the bother of a bee without some thing to show for't."
"Turn'em both into one," suggested her counsellor, going on with his breakfast.
"Yes let'em pare apples in one room and cut pork in t'other."
"But I wonder who ever heard of such a thing before," said Miss Fortune, pausing with her cup of coffee half-way to her lips. Presently, however, it was carried to her mouth, drunk off, and set down with an air of determination.
"I don't care," said she, "if it never was heard of. I'll do it for once anyhow. I'm not one of them to care what folks say. I'll have it so! But I won't have 'em to tea, mind you I'd rather throw apples and all into the fire at once. I'll have but one plague of setting tables, and that. I won't have 'em to tea. I'll make it up to 'em in the supper, though."
"I'll take care to publish that," said Mr. Van Brunt.
"Don't you go and do such a thing," said Miss Fortune, earnestly. "I shall have the whole country on my hands. I won't have but just as many on 'em as'll do what I want done; that'll be as much as I can stand under. Don't you whisper a word of it to a living creature. I'll go round and ask 'em myself to come Monday evening."