CHAPTER IX 74
It seemed as if all the interesting things were happening in one day. To think of going over the moor in the daylight and when the sky was blue! To think of going into the cottage which held twelve children!
" Does she think Mrs. Medlock would let me go?" she asked, quite anxiously.
" Aye, she thinks she would. She knows what a tidy woman mother is and how clean she keeps the cottage."
" If I went I should see your mother as well as Dickon," said Mary, thinking it over and liking the idea very much. " She doesn ' t seem to be like the mothers in India."
Her work in the garden and the excitement of the afternoon ended by making her feel quiet and thoughtful. Martha stayed with her until tea-time, but they sat in comfortable quiet and talked very little. But just before Martha went down-stairs for the tea-tray, Mary asked a question.
" Martha," she said, " has the scullery-maid had the toothache again to-day?" Martha certainly started slightly. " What makes thee ask that?" she said.
" Because when I waited so long for you to come back I opened the door and walked down the corridor to see if you were coming. And I heard that far-off crying again, just as we heard it the other night. There isn ' t a wind to-day, so you see it couldn ' t have been the wind."
" Eh!" said Martha restlessly. " Tha ' mustn ' t go walkin ' about in corridors an ' listenin '. Mr. Craven would be that there angry there ' s no knowin ' what he ' d do."
" I wasn ' t listening," said Mary. " I was just waiting for you--and I heard it. That ' s three times."