Queechy Volume Ii Part 39

"You ha'n't got one speck o' good by _this_ journey to New York," was Miss Elster's vexed salutation.

"Do you think so?" said Fleda, rousing herself. "I wouldn't venture to say as much as that, Barby."

"If you have, 'tain't in your cheeks," said Barby, decidedly.

"You look just as if you was made of anything that wouldn't stand wear, and that isn't the way you used to look."

"I have been up a good while without breakfast ? my cheeks will be a better colour when I have had that, Barby ? they feel pale."

The second breakfast was a cheerfuller thing. But when the second traveller was despatched, and the rest fell back upon their old numbers, Fleda was very quiet again. It vexed her to be so, but she could not change her mood. She felt as if she had been whirled along in a dream, and was now just opening her eyes to daylight and reality. And reality ? she could not help it ? looked rather dull after dream-land. She thought it was very well she was waked up; but it cost her some effort to appear so. And then she charged herself with ingrat.i.tude, her aunt and Hugh were so exceedingly happy in her company.

"Earl Dougla.s.s is quite delighted with the clover hay, Fleda.

said Hugh, as the three sat at an early dinner.

"Is he?" said Fleda.

"Yes ? you know he was very unwilling to cure it in your way, and he thinks there never was anything like it now."

"Did you ever see finer ham, Fleda?" inquired her aunt. "Mr.

Plumfield says it could not be better."

"Very good!" said Fleda, whose thoughts had somehow got upon Mr. Carleton's notions about female education, and were very busy with them.

"I expected you would have remarked upon our potatoes before now," said Hugh. "These are the Elephants ? have you seen anything like them in New York?"

"There cannot be more beautiful potatoes," said Mrs. Rossitur.

"We had not tried any of them before you went away, Fleda, had we?"

"I don't know, aunt Lucy ? no, I think not."

"You needn't talk to Fleda, mother," said Hugh, laughing ?

"she is quite beyond attending to all such ordinary matters; her thoughts have learned to take a higher flight since she has been in New York."

"It is time they were brought down, then, said Fleda, smiling; "but they have not learned to fly out of sight of home, Hugh."

"Where were they, dear Fleda?" said her aunt.

"I was thinking, a minute ago, of something I heard talked about in New York, aunt Lucy; and, afterwards, I was trying to find out by what possible or imaginable road I had got round to it."

"Could you tell?"

Fleda said, "No," and tried to bear her part in the conversation. But she did not know whether to blame the subjects which had been brought forward, or herself, for her utter want of interest in them. She went into the kitchen, feeling dissatisfied with both.

"Did you ever see potatoes that would beat them Elephants?"

said Barby.

"Never, certainly," said Fleda, with a most involuntary smile.

"I never did," said Barby. "They beat all, for bigness and goodness both. I can't keep 'em together. There's thousands of 'em, and I mean to make Philetus eat 'em for supper ? such potatoes and milk is good enough for him, or anybody. The cow has gained on her milk wonderful, Fleda, since she begun to have them roots fed out to her."

"Which cow?" said Fleda.

"Which cow? ? why ? the blue cow ? there aint none of the others that's giving any, to speak of," said Barby, looking at her. "Don't you know ? the cow you said them carrots should be kept for?"

Fleda half laughed, as there began to rise up before her the various magazines of vegetables, grain, hay, and fodder, that for many weeks had been deliciously distant from her imagination.

"I made b.u.t.ter for four weeks, I guess, after you went away,"

Barby went on; ? "just come in here and see ? and the carrots makes it as yellow and sweet as June ? I churned as long as I had anything to churn, and longer; and now we live on cream ?

you can make some cheesecakes just as soon as you're a mind to ? see! aint that doing pretty well? ? and fine it is ? put your nose down to it ?"

"Bravely, Barby ? and it is very sweet."

"You ha'n't left nothing behind you in New York, have you?"

said Barby, when they returned to the kitchen.

"Left anything! no ? what do you think I have left?"

"I didn't know but you might have forgotten to pack up your memory," said Barby, drily.

Fleda laughed, and then in walked Mr. Dougla.s.s.

"How d'ye do?" said he. "Got back again. I heerd you was hum, and so I thought I'd just step up and see. Been getting along pretty well?"

Fleda answered, smiling internally at the wide distance between her "getting along," and his idea of it.

"Well, the hay's first rate!" said Earl, taking off his hat, and sitting down in the nearest chair ?"I've been feedin' it out now for a good spell, and I know what to think about it.

We've been feedin' it out ever since some time this side o'

the middle o' November ? I never see nothin' sweeter, and I don't want to see nothin' sweeter than it is! and the cattle eats it liked May roses ? they don't know how to thank you enough for it."

"To thank _you_, Mr. Dougla.s.s," said Fleda, smiling.

"No," said he, in a decided manner ? "I don't want no thanks for it, and I don't deserve none! 'Twa'n't thanks to none or _my_ foresightedness that the clover wa'n't served the old way.

I didn't like new notions, and I never did like new notions, and I never see much good of 'em; but I suppose there's some on 'em that aint moons.h.i.+ne ? my woman says there is, and I suppose there is, and after this clover hay I'm willin' to allow that there is. It's as sweet as a posie if you smell to it ? and all of it's cured alike; and I think, Fleda, there's a quarter more weight of it. I ha'n't proved it nor weighed it, but I've an eye and a hand as good as most folks, and I'll qualify to there being a fourth part more weight of it ? and it's a beautiful colour. The critters is as fond of it as you and I be of strawberries."

"Well, that is satisfactory, Mr. Dougla.s.s," said Fleda. "How is Mrs. Dougla.s.s and Catherine?"

"I ha'n't heerd 'em sayin' nothin' about it," he said; "and if there was anythin' the matter, I suppose they'd let me know.

There don't much go wrong in a man's house without his hearin'

tell of it. So I think. Maybe 'tan't the same in other men's houses. That's the way it is in mine."

"Mrs. Dougla.s.s would not thank you," said Fleda, wholly unable to keep from laughing. Earl's mouth gave way a very little, and then he went on.

"How be you?" he said. "You ha'n't gained much, as I see. I don't see but you're as poor as when you went away."

"I am very well, Mr. Dougla.s.s."

"I guess New York aint the place to grow fat. Well, Fleda, there ha'n't been seen in the hull country, or by any man in it, the like of the crop of corn we took off that 'ere twenty- acre lot ? they're all beat to hear tell of it ? they wont believe me ? Seth Plumfield ha'n't showed as much himself; he says you're the best farmer in the state."

"I hope he gives you part of the credit, Mr. Dougla.s.s ? how much was there?"