Nancys aching sympathy for the poor little forlornness beside her turned suddenly into shocked terror.
Oh, but but youve made an awful mistake, d-dear, she faltered. Im only Nancy. I aint your Aunt Polly, at all!
You you ARENt? stammered the little girl, in plain dismay.
No. Im only Nancy. I never thought of your takin me for her.[18] We we aint a bit alike we aint, we aint!
Timothy chuckled softly; but Nancy was too disturbed to answer the merry flash from his eyes.
But who ARE you? questioned Pollyanna. You dont look a bit like a Ladies Aider!
Timothy laughed outright this time.
Im Nancy, the hired girl. I do all the work except the washin an hard ironin. Mis Durgin does that.
But there IS an Aunt Polly? demanded the child, anxiously.
You bet your life there is, cut in Timothy.
Pollyanna relaxed visibly.
Oh, thats all right, then. There was a moments silence, then she went on brightly: And do you know? Im glad, after all, that she didnt come to meet me; because now Ive got HER still coming[19], and Ive got you besides.
Nancy flushed. Timothy turned to her with a quizzical smile.
I call that a pretty slick compliment, he said. Why dont you thank the little lady?
I I was thinkin about Miss Polly, faltered Nancy.
Pollyanna sighed contentedly.
I was, too. Im so interested in her. You know shes all the aunt Ive got, and I didnt know I had her for ever so long. Then father told me. He said she lived in a lovely great big house way on top of a hill.
She does. You can see it now, said Nancy. Its that big white one with the green blinds, way ahead.
Oh, how pretty! and what a lot of trees and grass all around it! I never saw such a lot of green grass, seems so, all at once. Is my Aunt Polly rich, Nancy?
Yes, Miss.
Im so glad. It must be perfectly lovely to have lots of money. I never knew any one that did have, only the Whites theyre some rich[20]. They have carpets in every room and ice-cream Sundays. Does Aunt Polly have ice-cream Sundays?
Nancy shook her head. Her lips twitched. She threw a merry look into Timothys eyes.
No, Miss. Your aunt dont like ice-cream, I guess; leastways I never saw it on her table.
Pollyannas face fell.
Oh, doesnt she? Im so sorry! I dont see how she can help liking ice-cream. But anyhow, I can be kinder glad about that, cause the ice-cream you dont eat cant make your stomach ache[21] like Mrs. Whites did that is, I ate hers, you know, lots of it. Maybe Aunt Polly has got the carpets, though.
Yes, shes got the carpets.
In every room?
Well, in almost every room, answered Nancy, frowning suddenly at the thought of that bare little attic room where there was no carpet.
Oh, Im so glad, exulted Pollyanna. I love carpets. We didnt have any, only two little rugs that came in a missionary barrel, and one of those had ink spots on it. Mrs. White had pictures, too, perfectly beautiful ones of roses and little girls kneeling and a kitty and some lambs and a lion not together, you know the lambs and the lion. Oh, of course the Bible says they will sometime, but they havent yet that is, I mean Mrs. Whites havent. Dont you just love pictures?
I I dont know, answered Nancy in a half-stifled voice.
I do. We didnt have any pictures. They dont come in the barrels much, you know. There did two come once, though. But one was so good father sold it to get money to buy me some shoes with; and the other was so bad it fell to pieces just as soon as we hung it up. Glass it broke, you know. And I cried. But Im glad now we didnt have any of those nice things, cause I shall like Aunt Pollys all the better not being used to em, you see. Just as it is when the PRETTY hair-ribbons come in the barrels after a lot of faded-out brown ones. My! but isnt this a perfectly beautiful house? she broke off fervently, as they turned into the wide driveway.
It was when Timothy was unloading the trunk that Nancy found an opportunity to mutter low in his ear:
Dont you never say nothin ter me again about leavin, Timothy Durgin. You couldnt HIRE me ter leave![22]
Leave! I should say not, grinned the youth. You couldnt drag me away. Itll be more fun here now, with that kid round, than movin-picture shows, every day!
Fun! fun! repeated Nancy, indignantly, I guess itll be somethin more than fun for that blessed child when them two tries ter live tergether; and I guess shell be a-needin some rock ter fly to for refuge. Well, Im a-goin ter be that rock, Timothy; I am, I am! she vowed, as she turned and led Pollyanna up the broad steps.
Chapter IV
The Little Attic Room
Miss Polly Harrington did not rise to meet her niece. She looked up from her book, it is true, as Nancy and the little girl appeared in the sitting-room doorway, and she held out a hand with duty written large on every coldly extended finger.
How do you do, Pollyanna? I She had no chance to say more. Pollyanna had fairly flown across the room and flung herself into her aunts scandalized, unyielding lap.
Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, I dont know how to be glad enough that you let me come to live with you, she was sobbing. You dont know how perfectly lovely it is to have you and Nancy and all this after youve had just the Ladies Aid!