Chapter III: Misunderstandings

MRS. BATESON at first thought of sending word to Kate's mother that the girl would leave her place at the month's end. But after a little consideration, she decided to wait and see how she conducted herself in the meanwhile, as well as to give her an opportunity of asking forgiveness.

Mrs. Bateson naturally felt that the girl ought to do this, and would do it if she were sensible of her fault and anxious to retain her place.

She attributed what had passed to Fanny's evil influence, and regretted that Kate had been brought within it. Now Fanny was gone, and if Kate were really sorry, she had nothing to prevent her from saying so.

Yes, there was something which neither Mrs. Bateson nor cook quite understood. The same disposition which made Kate susceptible to any outside influence, also rendered her timid and fearful of receiving a rebuff.

She was easily led and easily frightened. The one thought in her mind was, "Everybody is against me; I have done wrong, I know, but they need not be so hard. Cook will not speak if she can help it, the rest are sure to do the same as she does, and Fanny, that persuaded me and got me into trouble, has gone and left me in it. If only my mistress would give me one kind look or word, I could speak. But I am so frightened."

It is a great pity that people are so often brave enough to take a wrong step, and so frightened of turning back. And it is a great pity, too, that the elders do not always remember, that words which would come easily from their tongues are hard to be uttered by the young, not on account of unwillingness, but of dread as to how they will be received and answered.

Kate Evans went about her work with increased diligence, leaving nothing undone, and doing everything as well as possible. She hoped this would speak to her mistress in one way, and show her that she was sorry and wished her to know it. But whenever Mrs. Bateson was near, the girl seemed to shrink into herself, and she dared not express the feelings with which her heart was full.

Mrs. Bateson noted the careful work, but she also noticed Kate's silence and averted looks, and mistook both. She said to herself, "Kate is determined that she will deserve a good character for the way in which her work is done, but she is too proud to ask forgiveness, if indeed she wishes to stay, which I begin to doubt. She seems so sullen, and evidently tries to avoid me as much as possible."

Then Mrs. Bateson spoke to cook on the subject. "Do you think Kate is sorry that she will have to leave?" she asked.

"Indeed, ma'am, I cannot tell," was the reply. "When I spoke to her before that pert Fanny went away, and put her in mind of what you had done for her, and how you took her with scarce a gown to her back, and had her clothed and taught and made into what she is, she flew up at me like anything. That's just the way with these young girls. You take them out of a poor place where they have had bare bread, and you bring them into a home like a palace by comparison, and they neither know how to value their blessings nor to be thankful for them."

"I never used to think Kate an ungrateful girl," said Mrs. Bateson. "I have wondered whether she was troubled and afraid to speak to me, or stubborn and resolved not to own that she has done wrong. I feel grieved about the girl, both for her own sake, and her mother's."

"Indeed, ma'am," said cook, "and so do I, and disappointed too, for being so much older I have tried to help and advise her. But when she turned on me so, I made up my mind that unless she came to me again of her own accord, she should take her own way.

"I am civil to Kate, I never give her a cross word, but I only speak about work and house matters. I think she is just 'stunt,' and having turned in the wrong way, has made up her mind to go on. She takes herself off to her room when she can, and is close and quiet to all alike."

"She is doing her work better than ever, I think."

"Yes, ma'am, and thanks to you, she knows how it should be done, and Fanny has told her that a three years' character from this place will get her a pick of good situations without people troubling about how she spends her Sundays out."

Mrs. Bateson was very sorry to find her own impressions as to Kate's feelings confirmed by her old and faithful servant.

She came to the conclusion that Kate was sullen and too proud to own her fault, whilst the girl was longing for an opportunity to speak, but dreading that all she might say would avail nothing.

This state of things continued for a fortnight, when Kate received a second letter from Fanny Ellis. She had written as soon as possible after leaving to tell Kate that she was looking out for her, and that there were plenty of places to be had, only she wanted to get her "a real good one," and near to herself.

Kate was doubtful by this time whether Fanny's idea of a real good place and her own would agree, and whether such a neighbour would benefit her or otherwise.

By degrees, as the girl saw that no notice was taken of her painstaking work, no kind look or word of encouragement reached her, she began first to despair, then to feel indignant. She shed bitter tears in the quiet of her own little room as she said to herself, "Mrs. Bateson might give me another chance. She must know that I am sorry, for I do try my very best to please her. I think if I were a lady and mistress of a great house, I would not be so hard on a young girl. It is not likely she will ask me to stay, but she need not look so hard and cold as to frighten me out of trying to speak. She just passes me as if she never saw me now."

Then angry thoughts came, and Kate began to say to herself, "I don't care for stopping now. I should only be miserable here with cook, too, that used to be so kind. Everybody has turned against me, and all for one little thing. It is too bad. I know mother will be vexed at me leaving; but she'll have to get pleased again. Mrs. Bateson cannot have written to her yet, and I shall not till I am sure of a place."

The certainty came just when Kate had got to this stage.

Fanny wrote:

"I have got you a first-rate place, and three pounds a year more wages than you have now. All is as good as settled, for the lady, Mrs. Maybrick, is writing for your character to-day. Mrs. Bateson cannot help speaking well of your work.

"Your mistress that is to be said that it was only a matter of form writing for a character at all. Three years' service in such a place as you are at was good enough for any one. I told you it would be, Kate, and now you may snap your fingers at the crabby old cook, and make yourself comfortable, for you will be quite independent of her, and Mrs. Bateson too.

"You will have every third Sunday out, and all to yourself. Nobody will ask you where you go, or preach at you if you take a walk instead of sitting in a stuffy pew with a mistress's eye on you all the while. I'll try and get out on the same day whenever I can, and we shall not be far off one another at any time.

"There's just one thing you may not quite like. You will have to come straight to Mrs. Maybrick's the day you leave your place. Her housemaid goes four days earlier, and she is expecting company and cannot be for longer without, but she will wait so long for you.

"Now I hope you think I have done well for you, so with love, and
reckoning on seeing you soon, your affectionate friend,—

"FANNY ELLIS."

This letter confirmed Kate's indignant and independent feelings. She wrote at once, expressing her willingness to go straight to Mrs. Maybrick's.

She was glad to be spared seeing her mother at present—glad, too, that now Mrs. Bateson would have to speak to her when she was applied to for a character, and that she should soon turn her back on all those who had been so ready to take sides against her.

Mrs. Maybrick's letter of inquiry surprised and pained Kate's mistress. She did not think the girl would have gone to this length and acted independently of her mother, for she felt sure that, had Mrs. Evans known that her daughter was about to leave, she would at once have come, or communicated with herself.

When Kate was summoned to Mrs. Bateson's presence, the change in her manner was sufficiently apparent, and all the lady's previous impressions were confirmed.

The girl no longer met her with downcast eyes, but stood erect, waiting to be addressed. There was nothing pert or disrespectful, only an air of independence about her, which could not be mistaken.

"I do not wish to answer a letter I have just received without first speaking to you about it, Kate," said Mrs. Bateson. "I suppose you knew there would be an inquiry as to your character, from a Mrs. Maybrick."

"Yes, ma'am. I heard this morning that the lady was going to write to you," replied Kate.

"I am afraid your mother knows nothing of this. Have you told her that you are leaving your place, and why I was obliged to give you notice?"

"No, ma'am. I did not want to trouble mother if I could help it. She has plenty to do for the young ones at home, so I thought I would make sure of another place before she knew that I was leaving here."

"And do you think it will be no trouble to your mother that you are acting in such a matter without asking her advice, or treating her with the confidence a daughter is bound to give that best of earthly friends, a loving parent?"

Kate hesitated a little before replying, and for the moment, a slight trembling of the lip and a flush on her cheek showed that the question had touched her. But she conquered the softer feelings, and answered steadily, "I did it for the best, ma'am. I had to get a place, for I did not want to be hanging on mother."

"Perhaps you may think I have no right to ask you any questions of this kind as you are leaving my service, Kate, but for your mother's sake, and for your own, too, I should like to know how you heard of the situation at Mrs. Maybrick's," said Mrs. Bateson.

"Fanny Ellis went after it for me. She is living at Manchester now, and if I get the place, I shall not be very far away from her, so I shall have one friend to speak to," replied Kate.

"I was afraid Fanny was answerable for this, as well as for having induced you to set our household rules at defiance when she was here. She is not the friend your mother would choose for you, and I, too, regret that you ever met her.

"I must answer Mrs. Maybrick's letter at once. It will be a very easy matter, because she only asks how you do your work; there is no question about matters of more importance still."

"That is," thought Kate, "she does not trouble herself whether I pretend to be very religious or not, or make a fuss about church-going and keeping Sunday in Mrs. Bateson's fashion. So much the better. I'll show her I can do my work well; and I don't see that a mistress has a right to interfere with us servants beyond the doorstep. I've had enough of that sort of thing."

Perhaps Mrs. Bateson read something of what was passing through the girl's mind in the expression on her face, for there was now no sign of softening or regret visible.

That allusion to Mrs. Maybrick's inquiries had touched a jarring chord, and Kate was thinking, "I've begun, and I will go through with it. I should have been glad enough to give in and ask to be forgiven at first; but I have had cold shoulder all round, and I do not mean to eat humble pie to finish with."

What the girl said aloud was, "I hope you have nothing to find fault with about my work, ma'am. I 'have' always tried to do that well."

In her heart, she could not help adding, "I have you to thank for all the pains and patience, the telling and teaching that have made me into a capable servant." But she did not say it aloud.

It was a pity she did not, for the same thought was in her mistress's mind, and she could not help deeply feeling Kate's indifference and ingratitude. If only the girl had so far conquered the foolish pride which made her unwilling to own the obligations she was under as to utter a word of thanks! Just one short sentence would have been enough to prove that all the kindness of three past years was not forgotten, and that, in spite of the fault which had led to her dismissal, she was not ungrateful.

Kate had the chance and let it slip, and Mrs. Bateson felt that there was nothing for it but to let her go.

"I shall tell Mrs. Maybrick that you know the duties of such a place, and that you do your work well. She does not ask why you are leaving."

"I think Fanny told her all about it to save trouble," replied Kate, who also knew that the lady had laughed on hearing the particulars, and remarked that she should not be likely to send away a good servant for such a trifle.

"I feel it my duty to write to your mother now, Kate. She ought to know both what has passed here and what you purpose doing," said Mrs. Bateson.

"I hope you will tell her, ma'am, that you gave me notice. I did not want to leave, I am sure."

"I shall tell your mother exactly what occurred, Kate, and let her know that on Monday week I shall cease to be in any way responsible for your movements. I can only hope that this change may be overruled for your good, and not be the means of bringing fresh anxiety upon your mother."

Mrs. Bateson did not condescend to answer Kate's remark that she did not want to leave. Unaccompanied by any word of regret, it seemed almost impertinent. What could it mean but that the girl wished to stay, yet on her own terms and provided that she might disobey her mistress with impunity, and set her rules at defiance whenever she chose?