“Yes,” said Durant; “I agree with you, Miss Bates. Girls, so far as I have seen them, are very queer.”
“Ain’t they?” cried Sarah Jane, relieved as to his circumstances, of which a momentary doubt had crossed her mind; “never to be relied on, and eating, ma says, as much as any two of us. So I go to the shops. I don’t mind it, generally; and then if I didn’t go, who would? Matilda has no eyes. She never sees when a thing doesn’t match; and Nancy, you know, she’s always either with Arthur, or doing something for him. I daresay he’s there now.”
“Is he there all day? That must be rather a bore for you.”
“That’s what I always say, Mr. Durant. I daresay Nancy may like it, for, of course, he is her young man; but we can’t do a thing like we used, with him always there. I wish to goodness gracious they were married. Our parlour is a very nice room, but it’s too small to have these two continually there. Mamma always will call it a parlour, though drawing-room is so much better.”
“Do you now? how funny! All our friends say drawing-room, though I think, after all, they oughtn’t to, as we take our meals there. It is such a trouble running in and out from one room to another, and keeping up two fires. At least, I should not think it a trouble, but mamma does. She likes her old-fashioned ways. Will Arthur be very rich, Mr. Durant, and will he be a baronet when his father dies?”
“He will certainly be a baronet when his father dies.”
“What luck for Nancy!” cried Sarah Jane; “and she met him just by chance, you know, as I might meet--anyone in the street.” She had intended to say “you,” but paused in time. “When old Aunt Anna died, it was her she left everything to, all her funny old dresses, and her money. Perhaps you did not know that she was the rich one? People say it is a shame, and that Matilda should have got it, as she is the eldest; but Matilda isn’t so kind as Nancy. I should not have got any good of it if Matilda had been the heiress. But fancy! when Nancy gets a dress for herself, she always gets one for me too, so I am just as well off as though the money were mine.”
“That is very kind of Miss Bates,” said Durant, not seeing how to find his way through all this prattle, and a little impatient of the long detour.