She turned her
tearful eyes upon her sympathizing servant, and said, "Oh, Mary!" and
her soft hand pressed the girl's harder palm gratefully.
Mary spoke first. "Oh, my lady," she sobbed, "it breaks my heart to see
you so. And what a shame to blame you for what is no fault of yourn. If
I was your husband the cradles would soon be full in this house; but
these fine gentlemen, they be old before their time with smoking of
tobacco; and then to come and lay the blame on we!"
"Mary, I value you very much--more than I ever did a servant in my
life; but if you speak against your master we shall part."
"La, my lady, I wouldn't for the world. Sir Charles is a perfect
gentleman. Why, he gave me a sovereign only the other day for nursing
of him; but he didn't ought to blame you for no fault of yourn, and to
make you cry. It tears me inside out to see you cry; you that is so
good to rich and poor. I wouldn't vex myself so for that: dear heart,
'twas always so; God sends meat to one house, and mouths to another."
"I could be patient if poor Sir Charles was not so unhappy," sighed
Lady Bassett; "but if ever you are a wife, Mary, you will know how
wretched it makes us to see a beloved husband unhappy."
"Then I'd make him happy," said Mary.
"Ah, if I only could!"
"Oh, I could tell you a way; for I have known it done; and now he is as
happy as a prince.
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