Better than Play Part 8

"Doesn't it make a difference how anybody speaks?" said Tom, receiving unconsciously a lesson in good manners and bad that he never forgot to the end of his life. But the woman's bad manners and temper had affected Bella so strongly that her eyes had filled with tears, and the little courage she had had ebbed away.

"I shall know now what it feels like to be spoken to so," she said in a husky voice, as she hastily wiped her eyes.

"Flowers, ma'am? Tuppence and a penny a bunch. Fresh this morning," said Tom brightly.

An old lady was peering closely into his basket, examining the contents.

"Give me three of those that are smelling so sweet."

Tom picked out one of stocks and 'boy's love,' and one of pinks and mignonette, and a bunch of roses.

"Have you got any lavender?"

"No, ma'am."

"I could bring you some in a week or two, ma'am," said Bella promptly, forgetting the snub she had received in the old lady's enjoyment of her flowers. "It isn't quite ready to cut yet."

"Very well, bring me two shillings' worth. I make it up into cushions to sell for Missions. If it is nice, I may order more."

"Thank you, ma'am; I'll cut it fresh the morning I bring it," said Bella delightedly.

"Very well; I live in this house we are standing by," and she pointed to the very one they had just been turned away from.

Bella's face flushed at the mere thought of having to face the bad-tempered servant again, but, as she remarked to Tom afterwards, they were told to call, and they wouldn't have gone unless they had been.

"That makes eighteenpence," said Tom, as Bella slipped the money into her purse, "and an order for two shillings' worth for another week.

Ain't we getting on!"

"If we can only sell a few more bunches we'll go and get something to eat," said Bella. "I'm hungry; ain't you?"

"Starving," said Tom, with emphasis. "Let's get into a better place, where the people can see us."

"Flowers, penny a bunch," he called to the people as they pa.s.sed by, and so many turned and looked, and then stopped, that they had soon sold half a dozen of their big bunches and many of the small ones.

Their flowers were certainly very good and very cheap, and Norton people had not had the chance of buying such before. The florist who had pa.s.sed the children on the road had a stall in the market-place, but he only sold hothouse flowers, and charged very highly for them.

"We have only six bunches left," said Bella joyfully; "we'll go and have something to eat now. Where can we go for it, Tom?"

"There's a stall in the market-house where they sell limpets and c.o.c.kles, and----"

"Oh, I don't want limpets and c.o.c.kles! I want a gla.s.s of milk and some buns. Don't you?"

"Rather," said Tom; "let's buy some buns at that shop down there, and go somewhere quiet to eat them. I wouldn't like to eat them in the shop, with every one looking, would you?"

"No; but we can't take milk away without something to carry it in."

"Well, we'll drink water. There's sure to be a pump or a drinking-fountain near."

So they went to the shop, and very proud Bella felt as she took out her purse and paid for the four buns the woman put in a bag for her.

"Anything else, missie?"

"No, thank you," said Bella, but rather regretfully, as her eyes fell on the tarts and sausage-rolls, and the bottles of sweets, and on the gla.s.ses of milk labelled 'Penny a gla.s.s.' A gla.s.s each would have cost twopence, and that with the buns would amount to sixpence. "It would be a dreadful lot out of what we've made," thought Bella, and bravely turned away.

The smell of the new buns was very enticing to two hungry little people who had had nothing to eat since their seven o'clock breakfast, and they did not dawdle on their way back to the friendly shelter of the church steps.

"Won't Charlie and Margery be excited to hear all about it?" laughed Bella, as she munched in placid content. "We ought to take something home to them."

"We'll take them one of those peppermint walking-sticks," said Tom, "shall we? They love that. I had one once, and Charlie always wanted one like it. I saw some in the market."

"We'll take them one each. Isn't it lovely to have money, and be able to buy things for people?"

"Rather," agreed Tom heartily. "Bell, I'm going to bring something from my garden next week. I've got French beans and marrows ready to cut."

A lady pa.s.sed, and looked hard at the children and at the baskets standing beside them.

"Flowers, ma'am?" said ready Tom.

The lady paused. "I must see if I have any change," she said, and stood still while she looked in her hand-bag. "Yes, I've just threepence," and she went away carrying two of their remaining bunches.

For a few minutes longer they sat on, loth to move. "My legs are aching a bit, aren't yours?" asked Bella.

Tom nodded. "I shouldn't be sorry if we were at the other end of the five miles, should you?"

"I wish we were," sighed Bella, "and just meeting Charlie and Margery.

I wonder if they've started yet?"

A lady came along pushing an invalid carriage, on which a little girl was lying. She lay perfectly flat, and looked very white and ill. As she pa.s.sed she looked with wistful, weary eyes at Tom and Bella. Bella had picked up her basket to make room for the carriage to pa.s.s.

"Oh, what lovely flowers!" cried the little girl. "Mummy darling, do buy some. Are they for sale?" she added quickly, looking at Bella, a hot blush pa.s.sing swiftly over her pale face.

"Yes, miss," said Bella, blushing too.

"I am sorry, darling, but I came out without my purse. I haven't a penny with me."

"Oh!" there was deep disappointment in the little invalid's tone.

Bella picked out the nicest bunch she had left. "Will you please to accept one?" she asked, blushing again, but very prettily. "I grew them myself. Will you take one, miss?"

The lady looked pleased, yet embarra.s.sed. "It is very, very kind of you,"

she said, hesitating, "but I hardly like to. It seems almost like asking for them, and I expect you wanted to sell them?"

"We have sold a lot, nearly all we brought in. Please take them, ma'am;"

and the lady, feeling it would give Bella more pleasure to have them accepted as a gift than paid for, did so with many thanks, and the little lady's delight was the richest payment Bella had had that day.

"Oh, thank you, thank you very much!" she cried delightedly, pressing the flowers to her pale face and breathing in the scent. "Do you come here often with flowers?"

"This is the first time," said Bella; "but we want to have some to bring every week. We've sold all we brought but these."