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Page 14
"There he is!" exclaimed Tommy. "Remember, we mustn't be caught. Run
back to bed."
Johnnie caught up the handkerchief, and smothering their laughter, the
two scrambled back up the ladder, and dashed straight into the heather.
Meanwhile the poor Tailor came wearily down-stairs. Day after day,
since his wife's death, he had come down every morning to the same
desolate sight--yesterday's refuse and an empty hearth. This morning
task of tidying was always a sad and ungrateful one to the widowed
father. His awkward struggles with the house-work in which _she_
had been so notable, chafed him. The dirty kitchen was dreary, the
labour lonely, and it was an hour's time lost to his trade. But life
does not stand still while one is wishing, and so the Tailor did that
for which there was neither remedy nor substitute; and came down this
morning as other mornings to the pail and broom. When he came in he
looked round, and started, and rubbed his eyes; looked round again,
and rubbed them harder: then went up to the fire and held out his hand,
(warm certainly)--then up to the table and smelt the mushrooms,
(esculent fungi beyond a doubt)--handled the loaf, stared at the open
door and window, the swept floor, and the sunshine pouring in, and
finally sat down in stunned admiration. Then he jumped up and ran to
the foot of the stairs, shouting,
"Mother! mother! Trout's luck has come again." "And yet, no!" he
thought, "the old lady's asleep, it's a shame to wake her, I'll tell
those idle rascally lads, they'll be more pleased than they deserve. It
was Tommy after all that set the water and caught him." "Boys! boys!"
he shouted at the foot of the ladder, "the Brownie has come!--and if he
hasn't found my measure!" he added on returning to the kitchen; "this
is as good as a day's work to me."
There was great excitement in the small household that day. The boys
kept their own counsel. The old Grandmother was triumphant, and tried
not to seem surprised. The Tailor made no such vain effort, and
remained till bed-time in a state of fresh and unconcealed amazement.
"I've often heard of the Good People," he broke out towards the end of
the evening. "And I've heard folk say they've known those that have
seen them capering round the grey rocks on the moor at midnight: but
this is wonderful! To come and do the work for a pan of cold water! Who
could have believed it?"
"You might have believed it if you'd believed me, son Thomas," said the
old lady tossily. "I told you so. But young people always know better
than their elders!"
"I didn't see him," said the Tailor, beginning his story afresh; "but I
thought as I came in I heard a sort of laughing and rustling."
"My mother said they often heard him playing and laughing about the
house," said the old lady. "I told you so."
"Well, he sha'n't want for a bowl of bread-and-milk to-morrow, anyhow,"
said the Tailor, "if I have to stick to Farmer Swede's waistcoat till
midnight."
But the waistcoat was finished by bed-time, and the Tailor set the
bread-and-milk-himself, and went to rest.
"I say," said Tommy, when both the boys were in bed, "the Old Owl was
right, and we must stick to it. But I'll tell you what I don't like,
and that is Father thinking we're idle still. I wish he knew we were
the Brownies."
"So do I," said Johnnie; and he sighed.
"I tell you what," said Tommy, with the decisiveness of elder
brotherhood, "we'll keep quiet for a bit for fear we should leave off;
but when we've gone on a good while, I shall tell him. It was only the
Old Owl's grandmother's great-grandmother who said it was to be kept
secret, and the Old Owl herself said grandmothers were not always in
the right."
"No more they are," said Johnnie; "look at Granny about this."
"I know," said Tommy. "She's in a regular muddle."
"So she is," said Johnnie. "But that's rather fun, I think."
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