The door opened so suddenly that Hepsie was quite confused, and for the
moment took the stately old butler for her grandfather himself, offered
her hand, and then turned crimson.
"Good gracious me!" she said in her brisk voice. "Do you stand behind
the door all day? You made me jump so that I don't know what I am
saying, but--well--I must see my grandfather at once, please."
Every one in the village knew all about the child and who she was, and
the man was more than surprised at seeing her dare to come there, and he
also felt very nervous.
"You run away, miss," he said in a confidential whisper, "an' more's the
shame I should have to say so, but, bless your heart, the master
wouldn't see you, and it's more than I dare to tell him you're wanting."
"You need not trouble," Hepsie said; "if I had not made a big resolution
to look after my tongue, I should say more than you would enjoy
hearing--talking to a lady (who comes to visit your master on Christmas
Day) like you are doing to me; not that you may not mean kindly, now I
come to think of it, but meaning goes for nothing, my good man, if you
do a wrong thing, and you can't tell me that you are the one to decide
whom your master will see or not." She waited to take a breath, while
the man rubbed his white hair in great perplexity, and feeling rather
breathless himself; but Hepsie calmly walked by him, and before he
could recover from the shock, he saw her disappear into the dining-room!
Hepsie never forgot that moment.
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