"Aunt has found out the slit, and poor I will be set to the darning to-morrow."
The whole party were seated before Henry came in; he had been seeing John put up the carriage. John had been busy, and Henry trying to help--so Henry was not like the boy who helped his brother to do nothing.
"Well, Master Henry," said Miss Bessy, calling over to the other end of the table, "so you speak to my aunt, and say you are glad she is come, and you don't speak to me."
"Eh?" cried Miss Bessy, "don't call me ma'am;" and she burst into a giggle, which made Henry open his eyes and look very hard at her.
This made her laugh the more; and, as she had her teacup in her hand, she spilt a quantity of tea on the unfortunate black frock.
"Bessy," said Mrs. Goodriche gently, "you had better set down your cup and wipe your frock, or I shall have to ask Mrs. Fairchild to lend you one of Henry's pinafores."
"It is not hurt, aunt; it will all come out. I threw a cup of milk over it the other day, and no one could see the mark unless I stood quite opposite them, and they looked quite hard at it."
"Well, then, Miss Bessy," said Mrs. Goodriche, "when you wear that frock, or any other of your frocks which people should not look hard at, I would advise you to keep in the background."
"Aunt is making sport of me, Mrs. Fairchild," said Bessy, with another giggle; "do you know what she means? She is advising me, in her cunning way, always to keep in the background of company."
"Always?" said Mr. Fairchild, smiling; "why, have you not any dresses which would bear close inspection?"
"Not many, I fear!" replied Miss Bessy; "I was always uncommon unlucky in tearing my clothes and getting them stained."
"Suppose we say careless," said Mrs. Goodriche; "but it is no laughing matter, niece. Have you never heard the old saying, 'Wilful waste makes woful want'?"
"Well, well," replied the niece, with something like a sigh, "I can't help it--I never could;" but before Mrs. Goodriche could say another word, she cried out, "You have got a magpie--have you not, Henry?"
"Sukey told me," she answered, "and Mary Lampet told her. Mary was with the person who gave you the magpie, when she sent it to you."
"One of Bessy's new friends," said Mrs. Goodriche; "a woman who sometimes comes for a day's work to my house."