Ida laughed.
"That's pride on Jason's part; wicked pride, Jessie," she said. "If you
sell your butter and eggs, it can't very much matter whether you sell
them at the market or direct. Oh, yes: tell Jason he can let them have
anything we can spare."
Jessie's face cleared and broke into a smile: she came of a race that
looks after the pennies and loves a good "deal."
"Thank you, miss!" she said, as if Ida had conferred a personal favour.
"And they'll take all we can let 'em have, for they've a mortal sight
of folk up there at Brae Wood. William says that there's nigh upon
fifty bedrooms, and that they'll all be full. His sister is one of the
kitchen-maids--there's a cook from London, quite the gentleman, miss,
with, rings on his fingers and a piano in his own room--and Susie says
that the place is all one mass of ivory and gold, and that some of the
rooms is like heaven--or the queen's own rooms in Windsor Castle."
Ida laughed.
"Susie appears to have an enviable acquaintance with the celestial
regions and the abode of royalty, Jessie."
"Yes, miss; of course, it's only what she've read about 'em. And she
says that Sir Stephen--that's the gentleman as owns it all--is a kind
of king, with his own body servant and a--a--I forget what they call
him; it's a word like a book-case."
"A secretary," suggested Ida.
"Yes, that's it, miss! But that he's quite simple and pleasant-like,
and that he's as easily pleased as if he were a mere nobody. And Susie
says that she runs out after dinner and peeps into the stables, and
that it's full of horses and that there's a dozen carriages, some of
'em grand enough for the Lord Mayor of London; and that there's a head
coachman and eight or nine men and boys under him. I'm thinking, Miss
Ida, that the Court"--the Court was the Vaynes' place--"or Bannerdale
Grange ain't half so grand."
"I daresay," said Ida. "Is the lunch nearly ready, Jessie?"
"Yes, miss; I was only waiting for you to come in. And Suzie's seen the
young Mr. Orme, Sir Stephen's son, and she says that he's the
handsomest gentleman she ever saw; and she heard Mr. Davis tell one of
the new hands that Mr. Stafford was a very great gentleman amongst the
fashionable people in London; and that very likely he'd marry one of
the great ladies that is coming down. Mr. Davis says that a duchess
wouldn't be too fine for him, he stands so high; and yet, Susie says,
he's just as pleasant and easy as Sir Stephen, and that he says 'thank
you' quite like a common person. But there, how foolish of me! I'm
standing here chattering while you're wet through. Do ye run up and
change while I put the lunch on, Miss Ida, dear!"