CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WEANGLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2913, 17 March 1891, Page 4

CAMELLA ; OR, AN IGNORANT WEANGLER.

"By Mus L. Frost Eattk.vy (Author of " Brntondoll.")

CHAPTER XI. (costixued). TirK handle of Camella's door was cautiously turned, and Stanley came in. " Oil, yon are awake at last V he said. " IJow do you feel, dear?' , " Quite rested, thank you. What time is it 1" "Only a quarter past four.' "Nonsense? Why did you not wake me sooner ? I wanted to do

some unpacking." " That can wait. I say Ella, can you got up now 1 Hetty and undo have ridden over, He is so sorry he was awny yesterday aud could not conic with the others. Shall 1 say you will be then: in a minute?" " Yes, please do, I will be. as quick as I can. Stanley, have they come for afternoon tea '.' You might tell Mrs Fritt to bring it in." " My sweet unsophisticated little new ciiuni ! They have come for dinner of course. I should like to see my uncle's face if you tried to put him oil with afternoon tea !" and he left the room, highly amused.

From the burst of laughter which presently reached her from the din-ing-room, Cauiella inferred that Stanley had shared the joke with his uncle w.nd cousin, and she felt rather annoyed. Stanley might laugh at her as much as he pleased, it was, she supposed, his prerogative, but it was not at all necessary that he should invite others to laugh too. She felt halt inclined to remain in her own room ; it would bo so awkward meeting those whom she know had just been induliug in broad smiles at her expense. But she knew that it would never do, and giving a last glanco at the white dress, hanging in the soft foldsCamella affected, relieved only by a spray of crimson and white pelargoniums which grew against the verandah under her window, Mrs Taiiorson, prepared to moot her hor husband's uncle.

To her great relief, the bluff, redfaced farmer did not oiler to kiss

her. In reality, ho was rather taken aback by the quiot stateliness of her demeanour, a trifle more stately than usual, as a sort of mute protost against the injury her husband had done her, in holding her ideas up as objects of ridicule. "Ho'ty was very demonstrative, and presently asked Camolla if she could iond her a skirt as it was so uncomfortable waJkiag about iu a habit.

Camella took her to her own room, and offered the dress she had worn the previous day, say id g simply that her boxes were not yet unpacked. •' Would you believe," said Hetty, describing tho events of the visit to her mother and sisters after her return home, " that mean girl never showed me a single thing of hers. Why, of course I went on purpose to see her trousseau, and get an idea for my new dress !'' She just said in that cool way of hers, "My boxes arc not unpacked ye.t' Isn't she lazy ?" " I say, Stanley," said his uncle as the two girls left the room, "I don't wonder you fell in love with my lady. Cut slits looks more iit for a London drawing-room than for a fanner's wife."

" She has plenty of pluck, and saver., she will soon know her way about Ruiiinoa," answered Stanley.

" 1 wondered why what the girls said of her, and what Lawrence said, were so wonderfully d Hie runt. Now uhat I see her, 1 can guess pretty well how it was. They thinks she's going to take tin; shine out of them, that's about it, I fancy."

" Tliov need not be afraid," said Stanley,' "they arc not likely to clash."

" No," chuckled the farmer, mistaking his meaning, "my girls are pretty country wenches ; plenty of colour and all that, and plenty to say for themselves too. They would take a lot of putting down, and that pale wife of yours, though she's as pretty as a lily, isn't the sort that most people would admire." Stanley drew a little breath of satisfaction as his queenly wife and his pretentious cousin came round the verandah aud looked in at the

window. We are going to have some tea, , said Camella " now, uncle," coaxing

ly, " won't you have a cup V" "What now i No, my dear, but, I say Stanley, I don't mind a thimble ful out of that stone bottle in the pantry." Stanley rose to get what his uncle required, and Hetty proposed they should have their tea on the veraudah. Mr Tallot presently, passed, looking so hot and tired that Camella called to him to come in and have a refreshing cup of tea. :, As 1 inn '.'" lie inquired. " Yes, of course, we do not expect :i Muck coal, in thf aftiTimnn when vou are working. " You arc vitv ljoo.l. Mrs Tafl'urson, but what dues -Miss Hetty say?" " How ridiculous you tiro ! As if I haven't soon you working with-out a coat, many times," cried Hetty. " H. really seems as if wo were all to put on, goodness knows what airs and graces, p,ineo Stanley's wife cainn." Mr Tallot looked a trillo uneasily atCaiiH'lla. Would she indignantly repudiate the insinuation ? There was a little extra colour in her face, ; which, was still flushed with her

recent sleep, but he could hardly tell whether any of it had been called up by her cousin words. '•Did you get any lunch V she asked him, passing over Miss Hetty'a observation in anianner that secretly delighted Mr Tallot, "Yes, I had some bread and cheese with me. 1 now present my apologies for being absent without leave." " Did not my husband send you?" asked Camella drily.

" lie did, but then you see you are hostess, and I am quite under your direction, indoors at least. "Do you imagine Mrs Pritt, will brin" the tea," asked Hetty, vexed at being left out of the conversation in this way. " Why should sho not T calmly inquired Camella "I told her we would like some out here."

" Shall 1 go and see, Mrs Taflerson ? I daresay the good woman doesn't know very much about it; we don't indulge in it you see."

" No, you sit down and rest, you look quite done up, I must talk to Mrs Tritt," Camella made her way to the kitchen, and found MrsPritt busily engaged in propaiations for dinner. "Is our tea ready ?" asked the mistress pleasantly, " I am so thirsty." "Ten," growled the housekeeper, who was in fact a general servant, only she preferred the grander appellation. "Is it ton you want now? Well, Mrs Tafferson. it's just this, how do you expect tea all the afternoon 1 I'm not asla\e woman." Camella was cowed for a moment, tlv.u she said with gracious dignity, " If you will show m<; where the teathings are, I will get it myself." "Is it the first time you've see'd a kettle, Mrs Tatl'erson V the housekeeper, asked as she noticed Camella look at the steaming kettle. "No," said Camella rather shortly. Each moment, now, «he was being made to feel that she had rashly undertaken a life's work for which

she seemed quite unsuited. " Why, you're putting in the tea without first wanning the pot, I do declare !"' Mrs Pritt seized the tea-pot from Camella's white hand and rinsed it out. " Now. then, you can't go wrong, ,, she said. " But I can," said Camella, desperately. " I really do not know how much I ought to put in." " Bless my soul," exclained Mrs Pritt, "wherever was you brought up?" " At my uncle's the house-maid or some-one, always made tea : at least I never did, and at Newnhani, I had a friend who never allowed me to have anything to do with it." "You'll find a bit of cuke in the cupboard in the dining room," said Mrs Pritt, as Camella carried the tray away.

She placed it on the table, which Mr Tallothad thoughtfully brought out, and said, "I am sorry I have been so long. I will get the cake, and then we can begin." " I will get that," said Mr Tallot, " I know whore it is." " Please excuse the shabby traycloth, Hetty, I have sorm; nice ones in my box." "Oh, pray do not make a stranger of me. Any old rag in good enough for a cousin." Camella almost fancied she glanced at the borrowed skirt as she spoke, but surely she could not have intended her words to apply to a nearly new dress ? " 1 say, Mrs Tatt'erson, some-one has been at you epke." thus Mr Tallot heralded its approch. " I vow there was a much larger piece left when I saw it this morning." " You might have had sonic for lunch," said Gamellii. " So I did. with the bread and cheese, that's how I knew -what was left." "It dees not matter, if there is not enough, I will get sorun biscuits." " Mercy," cried Stanley's voice, as lie and his uncle appeared from the orchard, "we've had a pipe, and taken a stroll, and these people are eating yet." "You are mistaken, Stanley," said ;lletty's sharp voice. "We have not had a, luonthful, and I am starving." "You don't y-iy so? What on earth have you being doing f •' I fancy Camella aud Mrs Pritt had a row about the tea. Your wife does not yet understand that colonial servants will not stand the imperious ordering about that the English ones meekly put with."

An indignant denial of this statement, rose to Oamella's lipa, but she checked it, and merely said, " Is it difficult to get servants here ?"

'•' It depends a good deal on the mistress and the sort of place. But it is not a question that at all concerns us. We are quite independent " " How is that 1 Please speak if I have not put suflicient sugar in,' and she hauded Hetty a cup of tea. " We do not keep a servant at all. It gives us plenty to do of course, but, then you see we are all iirst-rate cooksand housemaids." Hetty looked at Stanley, as though to say, "See what you have lost." "It will be very nice when you marry," said Camella, "to know exactly what to do about the household arrangements." " Yes," said Hetty, complacently " I fancy few girls have been as well brought up as we have. But then, I do not think any one lias any business to attempt to take charge of a house unless she knows quite well how to look after it properly. Ido not think it is fair or kind to her husband.' , Camella gave Stanley an imploring glance which he did not notice, though it did not escape Mr Tallot's sharp eyes. He was beginning to feel very sorry for this ignorant Newnhani girl. " That's a pretty hard hit at us, Ella," said Stanley. " but we don't mind it", do wo?" and he came and

stood by her, putting his hand caressingly on her shoulder. Overcome by a sudden grateful impulse, Camella bent her lips on the firm brown fingers, whilst Hetty, maddened by the trust and confidence so plainly manifest between the husband and wife, said scornfully, "I think some of us are not wanted hero, whilst all this billing and cooing is going on." Stanley quickly removed his hand Mr Tallot made some remarks about the crops. (To he continued.)