a simpleton-第31章

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rivals；　and　that　is　where　few　beauties　would　object　to　sit。

All　this　time　he　wrote　nice　letters　to　Phoebe；　and　adopted　the　tone
of　the　struggling　artist；　and　the　true　lover；　who　wins　his　bride　by
patience；　perseverance；　and　indomitable　industry；　a　babbled　of
〃Self　Help。〃

Meantime；　Phoebe　was　not　idle：　an　excellent　business　woman；　she
took　immediate　advantage　of　a　new　station　that　was　built　near　the
farm；　to　send　up　milk；　butter；　and　eggs　to　London。　　Being　genuine；
they　sold　like　wildfire。　　Observing　that；　she　extended　her
operations；　by　buying　of　other　farmers；　and　forwarding　to　London：
and　then；　having　of　course　an　eye　to　her　struggling　artist；　she
told　her　father　she　must　have　a　shop　in　London；　and　somebody　in　it
she　could　depend　upon。

〃With　all　my　heart；　wench；〃　said　he；　〃but　it　must　not　be　thou。　　I
can't　spare　thee。〃

〃May　I　have　Dick；　father？〃

〃Dick！　he　is　rather　young。〃

〃But　he　is　very　quick；　father；　and　minds　every　word　I　tell　him。〃

〃Ay；　he　is　as　fond　of　thee　as　ever　a　cow　was　of　a　calf。　　Well；　you
can　try　him。〃

So　the　love…sick　woman　of　business　set　up　a　little　shop；　and　put
her　brother　Dick　in　it；　and　all　to　see　more　of　her　struggling
artist。　　She　stayed　several　days；　to　open　the　little　shop；　and
start　the　business。　　She　advertised　pure　milk；　and　challenged
scientific　analysis　of　everything　she　sold。　　This　came　of　her　being
a　reader；　she　knew；　by　the　journals；　that　we　live　in　a　sinful　and
adulterating　generation；　and　anything　pure　must　be　a　godsend　to　the
poor　poisoned　public。

Now；　Dr。　Staines；　though　known　to　the　profession　as　a　diagnost；　was
also　an　analyst；　and　this　challenge　brought　him　down　on　Phoebe
Dale。　　He　told　her　he　was　a　physician；　and　in　search　of　pure　food
for　his　own　familywould　she　really　submit　the　milk　to　analysis？

Phoebe　smiled　an　honest　country　smile；　and　said；　〃Surely；　sir。〃
She　gave　him　every　facility；　and　he　applied　those　simple　tests
which　are　commonly　used　in　France；　though　hardly　known　in　England。

He　found　it　perfectly　pure；　and　told　her　so；　and　gazed　at　Phoebe
for　a　moment；　as　a　phenomenon。

She　smiled　again　at　that；　her　broad　country　smile。　　〃That　is　a
wonder　in　London；　I　dare　say。　　It's　my　belief　half　the　children
that　die　here　are　perished　with　watered　milk。　　Well；　sir；　we　shan't
have　that　on　our　souls；　father　and　I；　he　is　a　farmer　in　Essex。
This　comes　a　many　miles；　this　milk。〃

Staines　looked　in　her　face；　with　kindly　approval　marked　on　his　own
eloquent　features。　　She　blushed　a　little　at　so　fixed　a　regard。
Then　he　asked　her　if　she　would　supply　him　with　milk；　butter；　and
eggs。

〃Why；　if　you　mean　sell　you　them；　yes；　sir；　with　pleasure。　　But　for
sending　them　home　to　you　in　this　big　town；　as　some　do；　I　can't；　for
there's　only　brother　Dick　and　me：　it　is　an　experiment　like。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Staines：　〃I　will　send　for　them。〃

〃Thank　you　kindly；　sir。　　I　hope　you　won't　be　offended；　sir；　but　we
only　sell　for　ready　money。〃

〃All　the　better：　my　order　at　home　is；　no　bills。〃

When　he　was　gone；　Phoebe；　assuming　vast　experience；　though　this　was
only　her　third　day；　told　Dick　that　was　one　of　the　right　sort：　〃and
oh；　Dick；〃　said　she；　〃did　you　notice　his　eye？〃

〃Not　particklar；　sister。〃

〃There　now；　the　boy　is　blind。　　Why；　'twas　like　a　jewel。　　Such　an
eye　I　never　saw　in　a　man's　head；　nor　a　woman's　neither。〃

Staines　told　his　wife　about　Phoebe　and　her　brother；　and　spoke　of
her　with　a　certain　admiration　that　raised　Rosa's　curiosity；　and
even　that　sort　of　vague　jealousy　that　fires　at　bare　praise。　　〃I
should　like　to　see　this　phenomenon；〃　said　she。　　〃You　shall；〃　said
he。　　〃I　have　to　call　on　Mrs。　Manly。　　She　lives　near。　　I　will　drop
you　at　the　little　shop；　and　come　back　for　you。〃

He　did　so；　and　that　gave　Rosa　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to　make　her
purchases。　　When　he　came　back　he　found　her　conversing　with　Phoebe；
as　if　they　were　old　friends；　and　Dick　glaring　at　his　wife　with　awe
and　admiration。　　He　could　hardly　get　her　away。

She　was　far　more　extravagant　in　her　praises　than　Dr。　Staines　had
been。　　〃What　a　good　creature！〃　said　she。　　〃And　how　clever！　　To
think　of　her　setting　up　a　shop　like　that　all　by　herself；　for　her
Dick　is　only　seventeen。〃

Dr。　Staines　recommended　the　little　shop　wherever　he　went；　and　even
extended　its　operations。　　He　asked　Phoebe　to　get　her　own　wheat
ground　at　home；　and　send　the　flour　up　in　bushel　bags。　　〃These
assassins；　the　bakers；〃　said　he；　〃are　putting　copper　into　the　flour
now；　as　well　as　alum。　　Pure　flour　is　worth　a　fancy　price　to　any
family。　　With　that　we　can　make　the　bread　of　life。　　What　you　buy　in
the　shops　is　the　bread　of　death。〃

Dick　was　a　good；　sharp　boy；　devoted　to　his　sister。　　He　stuck　to　the
shop　in　London；　and　handed　the　money　to　Phoebe；　when　she　came　for
it。　　She　worked　for　it　in　Essex；　and　extended　her　country
connection　for　supply　as　the　retail　business　increased。

Staines　wrote　an　article　on　pure　food；　and　incidentally　mentioned
the　shop　as　a　place　where　flour；　milk；　and　butter　were　to　be　had
pure。　　This　article　was　published　in　the　Lancet；　and　caused　quite　a
run　upon　the　little　shop。　　By　and　by　Phoebe　enlarged　it；　for　which
there　were　great　capabilities；　and　made　herself　a　pretty　little
parlor；　and　there　she　and　Dick　sat　to　Falcon　for　their　portraits；
here；　too；　she　hung　his　rejected　landscapes。　　They　were　fair　in　her
eyes；　what　matter　whether　they　were　like　nature？　his　hand　had
painted　them。　　She　knew；　from　him；　that　everybody　else　had　rejected
them。　　With　all　the　more　pride　and　love　did　she　have　them　framed　in
gold；　and　hung　up　with　the　portraits　in　her　little　sanctum。

For　a　few　months　Phoebe　Dale　was　as　happy　as　she　deserved　to　be。
Her　lover　was　working；　and　faithful　to　herat　least　she　saw　no
reason　to　doubt　it。　　He　came　to　see　her　every　evening；　and　seemed
devoted　to　her：　would　sit　quietly　with　her；　or　walk　with　her；　or
take　her　to　a　play；　or　a　music…hallat　her　expense。

She　now　lived　in　a　quiet　elysium；　with　a　bright　and　rapturous　dream
of　the　future；　for　she　saw　she　had　hit　on　a　good　vein　of　business；
and　should　soon　be　independent；　and　able　to　indulge　herself　with　a
husband；　and　ask　no　man's　leave。

She　sent　to　Essex　for　a　dairymaid；　and　set　her　to　churn　milk　into
butter；　coram　populo；　at　a　certain　hour　every　morning。　　This　made　a
new　sensation。　　At　other　times　the　woman　was　employed　to　deliver
milk　and　cream　to　a　few　favored　customers。

Mrs。　Staines　dropped　in　now　and　then；　and　chatted　with　her。　　Her
sweet　face　and　her　naivete　won　Phoebe's　heart；　and　one　day；　as
happiness　is　apt　to　be　communicative；　she　let　out　to　her；　in　reply
to　a　feeler　or　two　as　to　whether　she　was　quite　alone；　that　she　was
engaged　to　be　married　to　a　gentleman。　　〃But　he　is　not　rich；　ma'am；〃
said　Phoebe　plaintively；　〃he　has　had　trouble：　obliged　to　work　for
his　living；　like　me；　he　painted　these　pictures；　EVERY　ONE　OF　THEM。
If　it　was　not　making　too　free；　and　you　could　spare　a　guineahe
charges　no　more　for　the　picture；　only　you　must　go　to　the　expense　of
the　frame。〃

〃Of　course　I　will；〃　said　Rosa　warmly。　〃I'll　sit　for　it　here；　any
day　you　like。〃

Now；　Rosa　said　this；　out　of　her　ever　ready　kindness；　not　to　wound
Phoebe：　but　having　made　the　promise；　she　kept　clear　of　the　place
for　some　days；　hoping　Phoebe　would　forget　all　about　it。　Meantime
she　sent　her　husband　to　buy。

In　about　a　fortnight　she　called　again；　primed　with　evasions　if　she
should　be　asked　to　sit；　but　nothing　of　the　kind　was　proposed。
Phoebe　was　dealing　when　she　went　in。　　The　customers　disposed　of；
she　said　to　Mrs。　Staines；　〃Oh；　ma'am；　I　am　glad　you　are　come。　　I
have　something　I　should　like　to　show　you。〃　　She　took　her　into　the
parlor；　and　made　her　sit　down：　then　she　opened　a　drawer；　and　took
out　a　very　small　substance　that　looked　like　a　tear　of　ground　glass；
and　put　it　on　the　table　before　her。　　〃There；　ma'am；〃　said　she；
〃that　is　all　he　has　had　for　painting　a　friend's　picture。〃

〃Oh！　what　a　shame。〃

〃His　friend　was　going　abroadto　Natal；　to　his　uncle　that　farms　out
there；　and　does　very　well；　it　is　a　first…rate　part；　if　you　take　out
a　little　stock　with　you；　and　some　money；　so　my　one　gave　him　credit；
and　when　the　letter　came　with　that　postmark；　he　counted　on　a　five…
pound　note；