Family life -- Juvenile fiction; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile fiction
"No, my dear, yer father had that little bit of money coming in from
France every year. It will come in for four or five years more, and it
will be enough to pay Aunt Lydia for taking care on you both. No,
Cecile, I did not work for myself, nor for you and Maurice--I worked
for Lovedy. All that beautiful church embroidery as I sat up so late at
night over, the money I got for it was for my girl; every lily I
worked, and every passion-flower, and every leaf, took a little drop of
my heart's blood, I think; but 'twas done for her. Now, Cecile, put yer
hand under my pillow--there's a purse there."
Cecile drew out an old, worn Russia-leather purse.
"Lovedy 'ud recognize that purse," said her mother, "it belonged to her
own father. She and I always kept our little earnings in it, in the old
happy days. Now open the purse, Cecile; you must know what is inside
it."
Cecile pressed the spring and took out a little bundle of notes.
"There, child, you open them--see, there are four notes--four Bank of
England notes for ten pounds each--that's forty pounds--forty pounds as
her mother earned for my girl. You give her those notes in the old
purse, Cecile. You give them into her own hands, and you say, 'Your
mother sent you those. Your mother is dead, but she broke her heart for
you, she never forgot your voice when you said for pity's sake, and she
asks you now for pity's sake to forgive her.' That's the message as you
has to take to Lovedy, Cecile."
"Yes, stepmother, I'll take her that message--very faithful; very, very
faithful, stepmother."
"And now put yer hand into the purse again, Cecile; there's more money
in the purse--see! there's fifteen pounds all in gold. I had that money
all in gold, for I knew as it 'ud be easier for you--that fifteen
pounds is for you, Cecile, to spend in looking for Lovedy; you must not
waste it, and you must spend it on nothing else. I guess you'll have to
go to France to find my Lovedy; but ef you're very careful, that money
ought to last till you find her."
"There'll be heaps and heaps of money here," said Cecile, looking at
the little pile of gold with almost awe.
"Yes, child, but there won't, not unless you're _very_ saving, and ask
all sensible questions about how to go and how best to find Lovedy. You
must walk as much as you can, Cecile, and live very plain, for you may
have to go a power of miles--yes, a power, before you find my girl; and
ef you're starving, you must not touch those four notes of money, only
the fifteen pounds. Remember, only that; and when you get to the little
villages away in France, you may go to the inns and ask there ef an
English girl wor ever seen about the place. You describe her,
Cecile--tall, a tall, fair English girl, with hair like the sun; you
say as her name is Lovedy--Lovedy Joy. You must get a deal o' sense to
do this business proper, Cecile; but ef you has sense and patience, why
you will find my girl."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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