Chapter 12 - Page 2

"No, it's clear."

"She would like to get out."

"No, she was terrible pleased to get in."

It was characteristic of him that he soon had Elspeth happy by arguments
not one of which he believed himself; characteristic also that his own
grief was soothed by the sound of them. Aaron, who was in the garret
preparing their bed, had told the children that they must remain indoors
to-day out of respect to their mother's memory (to-morrow morning they
could explore Thrums); but there were many things in that kitchen for
them to look at and exult over. It had no commonplace ceiling, the
couples, or rafters, being covered with the loose flooring of a romantic
garret, and in the rafters were several great hooks, from one of which
hung a ham, and Tommy remembered, with a thrill which he communicated to
Elspeth, that it is the right of Thrums children to snip off the ham as
much as they can remove with their finger-nails and roast it on the ribs
of the fire. The chief pieces of furniture were a dresser, a corner
cupboard with diamond panes, two tables, one of which stood beneath the
other, but would have to come out if Aaron tried to bake, and a bed
with a door. These two did not know it, but the room was full of
memories of Jean Myles. The corner cupboard had been bought by Aaron at
a roup because she said she would like to have one; it was she who had
chosen the six cups and saucers with the blue spots on them. A
razor-strop, now hard as iron, hung on a nail on the wall; it had not
been used since the last time Aaron strutted through the Den with his
sweetheart. One day later he had opened the door of the bird-cage, which
still stood in the window, and let the yellow yite go. Many things were
where no woman would have left them: clothes on the floor with the nail
they had torn from the wall; on a chair a tin basin, soapy water and a
flannel rag in it; horn spoons with whistles at the end of them were
anywhere--on the mantelpiece, beneath the bed; there were drawers that
could not be opened because their handles were inside. Perhaps the
windows were closed hopelessly also, but this must be left doubtful; no
one had ever tried to open them.

The garret where Tommy and Elspeth were to sleep was reached by a ladder
from the hallan; when you were near the top of the ladder your head hit
a trap-door and pushed it open. At one end of the garret was the bed,
and at the other end were piled sticks for firewood and curious
dark-colored slabs whose smell the children disliked until Tommy said,
excitedly, "Peat!" and then they sniffed reverently.

It was Tommy, too, who discovered the tree-tops of the Den, and Elspeth
seeing him gazing in a transport out at the window cried,