Australian Tales - Setis

think he likes sage and onions — and he had gone into Sydney. So
naturally enough I began to look about the house, as it belongs to me in a
manner of speaking, and, of course, I was anxious to see what was in it.
In peeping into his wardrobe, what do you think I beheld?”
“Patience knows! A lot of old fusty clothes, I suppose.”
“No, I didn't look at the clothes, but I dare say they are mere rags. A
shelf full of doctor's bottles and pots caught my eye, and my curiosity
was excited in an instant; so I began to examine them, and the very first
thing I looked at was a big pot, marked in pencil, ‘salve for sore legs.’
Ugh! fancy how I felt, my dear! I was too much shocked to look any
further, for I was afraid of seeing something worse still, so I slammed the
wardrobe door to and sat down to stifle my feelings, which kept bubbling
up like boiling stew. Presently Mrs. Budge came into the room; so
without telling her what I had seen, I said to her as calmly as I could:
‘Mrs. Budge, you are a mother and know a mother's feelings, tell me like
a good honest soul, what is the matter with your master's legs?’ She
seemed startled at the solemnity of the question, but after a moment she
said, ‘Upon my word and honour I don't know, ma'am — leastways, I
don't know for certain, for I never saw them in my life. I have lately
noticed his knees knock together harder than they used to do, and he has
worn long worsted stockings all the summer; but I didn't suspect there
was much the matter with his legs, till two nights ago I overheard him
say — mind this is a secret, Mrs. Mayberry, I would not for the world let
him know that I was listening — he said to old Mr. Grouts, in this very
room, that Kitty would nurse him and do him more good than a hot
brick.’
“ ‘Ugh! the nasty old fellow!’ said I, boiling over with wrath. ‘How
dare he compare my daughter to a hot brick? How dare he to have the
impudence to say that she would nurse him? Bah! she wouldn't touch
him with a clothes prop,’ said I. ‘Oh, the dirty old man! I'll let him see
when he comes home; I'll talk to him with a vengeance. He ought to be
ashamed of himself!’
“ ‘Oh for goodness sake, ma'am, don't say a word to him,’ said Mrs.
Budge, beginning to cry. ‘I shall lose my place, and my poor boy Billy
will be turned out of house and home. I'm sorry I told you, ma'am,’ said
she; ‘but, as you say, I know a mother's feelings, and I shouldn't like for
a girl belonging to me to be compared to a lump of dirt — for a brick is
nothing more — and be made to nurse a miserable old man all the days
of her life. I had no other motive in telling you, I assure you, ma'am
— for I have no objection to your daughter as my mistress — and I hope
you won't get me into trouble.’
“So I promised I wouldn't say a word about it, and told her not to let
her master know that I had called. Then I went straight home and told
Kitty.”