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257
Cranford
·
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
59
I
received
a
warm
welcome,
in
spite
of
the
little
flurry
produced
by
my
impromptu
visit,
for
I
had
only
been
able
to
give
a
day’s
notice.
Miss
Matilda
looked
miserably
ill;
and
I
prepared
to
comfort
and
cosset
her.
I
went
down
to
have
a
private
talk
with
Martha.
“How
long
has
your
mistress
been
so
poorly?”
I
asked,
as
I
stood
by
the
kitchen
fire.
“Well!
I
think
it’s
better
than
a
fortnight;
it
is,
I
know;
it
was
one
Tuesday,
after
Miss
Pole
had
been,
that
she
went
into
this
moping
way.
I
thought
she
was
tired,
and
it
would
go
off
with
a
night’s
rest;
but
no!
she
has
gone
on
and
on
ever
since,
till
I
thought
it
my
duty
to
write
to
you,
ma’am.”
“You
did
quite
right,
Martha.
It
is
a
comfort
to
think
she
has
so
faithful
a
servant
about
her.
And
I
hope
you
find
your
place
comfortable?”
“Well,
ma’am,
missus
is
very
kind,
and
there’s
plenty
to
eat
and
drink,
and
no
more
work
but
what
I
can
do
easily—
but—”
Martha
hesitated.
“But
what,
Martha?”
“Why,
it
seems
so
hard
of
missus
not
to
let
me
have
any
followers;
there’s
such
lots
of
young
fellows
in
the
town;
and
many
a
one
has
as
much
as
offered
to
keep
company
with
me;
and
I
may
never
be
in
such
a
likely
place
again,
and
it’s
like
wasting
an
opportunity.
Many
a
girl
as
I
know
would
have
’em
unbeknownst
to
missus;
but
I’ve
given
my
word,
and
I’ll
stick
to
it;
or
else
this
is
just
the
house
for
missus
never
to
be
the
wiser
if
they
did
come:
and
it’s
such
a
capable
kitchen—
there’s
such
dark
corners
in
it—
I’d
be
bound
to
hide
any
one.
I
counted
up
last
Sunday
night—
for
I’ll
not
deny
I
was
crying
because
I
had
to
shut
the
door
in
Jem
Hearn’s
face,
and
he’s
a
steady
young
man,
fit
for
any
girl;
only
I
had
given
missus
my
word.”
Martha
was
all
but
crying
again;
and
I
had
little
comfort
to
give
her,
for
I
knew,
from
old
experience,
of
the
horror
with
which
both
the
Miss
Jenkynses
looked
upon
“followers”;
and
in
Miss
Matty’s
present
nervous
state
this
dread
was
not
likely
to
be
lessened.
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