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Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
235
I
then
stole
out
of
the
house-door,
and
made
my
appearance
as
if
I
were
a
customer
in
the
shop,
just
to
take
Miss
Matty
by
surprise,
and
gain
an
idea
of
how
she
looked
in
her
new
situation.
It
was
warm
May
weather,
so
only
the
little
half-door
was
closed;
and
Miss
Matty
sat
behind
the
counter,
knitting
an
elaborate
pair
of
garters;
elaborate
they
seemed
to
me,
but
the
difficult
stitch
was
no
weight
upon
her
mind,
for
she
was
singing
in
a
low
voice
to
herself
as
her
needles
went
rapidly
in
and
out.
I
call
it
singing,
but
I
dare
say
a
musician
would
not
use
that
word
to
the
tuneless
yet
sweet
humming
of
the
low
worn
voice.
I
found
out
from
the
words,
far
more
than
from
the
attempt
at
the
tune,
that
it
was
the
Old
Hundredth
she
was
crooning
to
herself;
but
the
quiet
continuous
sound
told
of
content,
and
gave
me
a
pleasant
feeling,
as
I
stood
in
the
street
just
outside
the
door,
quite
in
harmony
with
that
soft
May
morning.
I
went
in.
At
first
she
did
not
catch
who
it
was,
and
stood
up
as
if
to
serve
me;
but
in
another
minute
watchful
pussy
had
clutched
her
knitting,
which
was
dropped
in
eager
joy
at
seeing
me.
I
found,
after
we
had
had
a
little
conversation,
that
it
was
as
Martha
said,
and
that
Miss
Matty
had
no
idea
of
the
approaching
household
event.
So
I
thought
I
would
let
things
take
their
course,
secure
that
when
I
went
to
her
with
the
baby
in
my
arms,
I
should
obtain
that
forgiveness
for
Martha
which
she
was
needlessly
frightening
herself
into
believing
that
Miss
Matty
would
withhold,
under
some
notion
that
the
new
claimant
would
require
attentions
from
its
mother
that
it
would
be
faithless
treason
to
Miss
Matty
to
render.
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