The Errand Boy [35]
say. "If he had been at home, it would not have benefited you. He is violently prejudiced against you, and would not have listened to a word you had to say."
"I did not think he would have harbored resentment so long," murmured the poor woman. "He never seemed to me to be a hard man."
Phil gazed at the poorly dressed woman with a surprise which he did not attempt to conceal, for in her he recognized the familiar figure of his landlady. What could she have to do in this house? he asked himself.
"Mrs. Forbush!" he exclaimed.
"Philip!" exclaimed Mrs. Forbush, in a surprise as great as his own, for she had never asked where her young lodger worked, and was not aware that he was in the employ of her cousin's husband and well acquainted with the rich uncle whom she had not seen for years.
"Do you know each other?" demanded Mrs. Pitkin, whose turn it was to be surprised.
"This young gentleman lodges in my house," answered Mrs. Forbush.
"Young gentleman!" repeated Alonzo, with a mocking laugh.
Philip looked at him sternly. He had his share of human nature, and it would have given him satisfaction to thrash the insolent young patrician, as Alonzo chose to consider himself.
"And what do you want here, young man?" asked Mrs. Pitkin in a frosty tone, addressing Phil of course.
"I wished to see Mr. Carter," answered Phil.
"Really, Mr. Carter seems to be very much in request!" sneered Mrs. Pitkin. "No doubt he will be very much disappointed when he hears what he has lost. You will have to go to Florida to see him, I think, however." She added, after a pause: "It will not be well for either of you to call again. Mr. Carter will understand the motive of your calls."
"How cruel you are, Lavinia!" said Mrs. Forbush sadly.
"My name is Mrs. Pitkin!" said that lady frigidly.
"You have not forgotten that we are cousins, surely?"
"I do not care to remember it, Mrs. Forbush. Good-day."
There was no alternative but for Mrs. Forbush to say "good-day" also, and to descend the steps.
Philip joined her in the street.
"Are you really the cousin of Mrs. Pitkin?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Mrs. Forbush. "I bear the same relationship to Mr. Carter that she does. We were much together as girls, and were both educated at the same expensive schools. I offended my relatives by marrying Mr. Forbush, whose fault was that he was poor, and chiefly, I think, through the efforts of Lavinia Pitkin I was cast out by the family. But where did you meet Uncle Oliver?"
Philip explained the circumstances already known to the reader.
"Mr. Carter seems to me to be a kind-hearted man," he said. "I don't believe he would have cast you off if he had not been influenced by other parties."
"So I think," said Mrs. Forbush. "I will tell you," she continued, after a pause, "what drew me here this afternoon. I am struggling hard to keep my head above water, Mr. Brent, but I find it hard to meet my expenses. I cannot meet my rent due to-morrow within fifteen dollars, and I dared to hope that if I could meet Uncle Oliver face to face and explain matters to him, he would let me have the money."
"I am sure he would," said Phil warmly.
"But he is in Florida, and will probably remain there for a month or two at least," said Mrs. Forbush, sighing. But even if he were in the city I suppose Lavinia would do all in her power to keep us apart."
"I have no doubt she would, Mrs. Forbush. Though she is your cousin, I dislike her very much."
"I suppose the boy with whom you were talking was her son Alonzo?"
"Yes; he is about the most disagreeable boy I ever met. Both he and his mother seem very much opposed to my having an interview with your uncle."
"Lavinia was always of a jealous and suspicious disposition," said Mrs. Forbush. "I have not seen Alonzo since he was a baby. He is two years older than my Julia. He was born before I estranged my relatives by marrying a poor man."
"What are you going to do, Mrs. Forbush, about the rent?" asked Phil, in a tone of sympathy.
"I don't know.
"I did not think he would have harbored resentment so long," murmured the poor woman. "He never seemed to me to be a hard man."
Phil gazed at the poorly dressed woman with a surprise which he did not attempt to conceal, for in her he recognized the familiar figure of his landlady. What could she have to do in this house? he asked himself.
"Mrs. Forbush!" he exclaimed.
"Philip!" exclaimed Mrs. Forbush, in a surprise as great as his own, for she had never asked where her young lodger worked, and was not aware that he was in the employ of her cousin's husband and well acquainted with the rich uncle whom she had not seen for years.
"Do you know each other?" demanded Mrs. Pitkin, whose turn it was to be surprised.
"This young gentleman lodges in my house," answered Mrs. Forbush.
"Young gentleman!" repeated Alonzo, with a mocking laugh.
Philip looked at him sternly. He had his share of human nature, and it would have given him satisfaction to thrash the insolent young patrician, as Alonzo chose to consider himself.
"And what do you want here, young man?" asked Mrs. Pitkin in a frosty tone, addressing Phil of course.
"I wished to see Mr. Carter," answered Phil.
"Really, Mr. Carter seems to be very much in request!" sneered Mrs. Pitkin. "No doubt he will be very much disappointed when he hears what he has lost. You will have to go to Florida to see him, I think, however." She added, after a pause: "It will not be well for either of you to call again. Mr. Carter will understand the motive of your calls."
"How cruel you are, Lavinia!" said Mrs. Forbush sadly.
"My name is Mrs. Pitkin!" said that lady frigidly.
"You have not forgotten that we are cousins, surely?"
"I do not care to remember it, Mrs. Forbush. Good-day."
There was no alternative but for Mrs. Forbush to say "good-day" also, and to descend the steps.
Philip joined her in the street.
"Are you really the cousin of Mrs. Pitkin?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Mrs. Forbush. "I bear the same relationship to Mr. Carter that she does. We were much together as girls, and were both educated at the same expensive schools. I offended my relatives by marrying Mr. Forbush, whose fault was that he was poor, and chiefly, I think, through the efforts of Lavinia Pitkin I was cast out by the family. But where did you meet Uncle Oliver?"
Philip explained the circumstances already known to the reader.
"Mr. Carter seems to me to be a kind-hearted man," he said. "I don't believe he would have cast you off if he had not been influenced by other parties."
"So I think," said Mrs. Forbush. "I will tell you," she continued, after a pause, "what drew me here this afternoon. I am struggling hard to keep my head above water, Mr. Brent, but I find it hard to meet my expenses. I cannot meet my rent due to-morrow within fifteen dollars, and I dared to hope that if I could meet Uncle Oliver face to face and explain matters to him, he would let me have the money."
"I am sure he would," said Phil warmly.
"But he is in Florida, and will probably remain there for a month or two at least," said Mrs. Forbush, sighing. But even if he were in the city I suppose Lavinia would do all in her power to keep us apart."
"I have no doubt she would, Mrs. Forbush. Though she is your cousin, I dislike her very much."
"I suppose the boy with whom you were talking was her son Alonzo?"
"Yes; he is about the most disagreeable boy I ever met. Both he and his mother seem very much opposed to my having an interview with your uncle."
"Lavinia was always of a jealous and suspicious disposition," said Mrs. Forbush. "I have not seen Alonzo since he was a baby. He is two years older than my Julia. He was born before I estranged my relatives by marrying a poor man."
"What are you going to do, Mrs. Forbush, about the rent?" asked Phil, in a tone of sympathy.
"I don't know.