FOOTINGS
On reaching No. 16, Joan was at once aware that something had
gone wrong. Several girls, on their way home from bank, had
dropped in, and were standing in perplexity looking at Sibyll, who sat crying in a rocking-chair by the hearth, whilst the good-natured Bessie Callear was kneeling beside her, attempting vainly to tranquillise her.
Joan could read mortification and ill-temper in her sister's
face, and she saw that the well-intentioned efforts of Bessie and
such as seconded her but aggravated the evil. She accordingly at
once proceeded to create a diversion.
"Girls," she said, "glad to see you all again, and I have got
a trifle for every one of you—just to show that I had you in my
mind whilst I was away. You can have buttered toast as much as
you can manage, Bessie! And you, Polly, shall have your slice of
bread with butter laid on with a trowel. And you, Essie Gott, can
stick a big pat into a mealy potato. Look! there is a pound for
each in the back kitchen, done up in white muslin. As to my
sister, you must excuse her. She is tired out and unhappy. Remember that she has had a hard day, leaving her old home, so that the best place for her is bed, and the best medicine a good sleep."
The girls rushed into the back kitchen, where the butter was
ranged; and Joan took occasion to go to her sister and
whisper—
"Do not be put out; I will dismiss them in two minutes. They
really mean well, and are come to welcome you."
"Is this a public-house or a parish club?" asked Sibyll
peevishly. "I did hope that if we had ever so small a house, we
should have it to ourselves. To be mobbed in this way is
intolerable."
Joan could not answer, for the girls returned in exuberant
delight, and insisted on kissing her. Nothing she could have
given them would have caused greater pleasure.
"There's one over," said Polly; "you take my advice and send
it down with your respects to Lena Battersby. She is to take you
on as 'prentice in the painting-room; she'll receive it as an
attention, and you'll be the gainer for that."
"I will certainly do so," said Joan.
"Then, mind you write on a slip, 'With Miss Frobisher's
compliments and kind regards to Miss Battersby.' I'll take it to
her. She don't live in our street."
This was cheerfully agreed to. Then the guests departed, full
of smiles and thanks.
When the sisters were left to themselves, Sibyll assumed an
air of injured innocence. She was the youngest, and must
accordingly submit, but she was constrained to remark that she
thought she might have been consulted, at least considered, when
Joan selected a place of habitation, and companions. It was no
obligation binding on a sister to be friends with the
acquaintances of her sister; on the contrary, usually each
selected her own associates. She must say that from what she had
seen of Joan's mode of living, she regarded it as peculiar. Of
course these friends of hers had brothers, and where these girls
entered there their male relations would thrust themselves. Then
a condition of affairs would be reached that would be worse than
peculiar, one that the rector of their parish at home would
reprobate, one that would make her dear father turn in his
grave.
Joan bore this grumbling good-humouredly and without
contradiction.
As the following day was Sunday, she endeavoured to get Sibyll
to resolve whether she preferred going to church in the morning
or in the evening, as one of the twain must be at home to prepare
the early dinner. Joan had some difficulty in getting her sister
to come to a decision. Finally, however, Sibyll said that very
possibly she might attend divine worship in the morning, as she
was convinced of her incapacity to execute the most ordinary
kitchen work.
When Sunday morning came, Joan undertook the preparations for
the meal, and Sibyll, who did not leave her room till late, described herself as being too tired, and too afraid of losing her way, and too much ashamed of her condition, to care to go to church at all.
On Monday morning Joan's work at the "bank" was to begin. She
rose before daylight, made herself a cup of cocoa, laid the fire
for Sibyll, put on the kettle, and started for the pottery
works.