Van Brunt can go for you morning and
evening in the ox-cart, if that will answer."
"The ox-cart! But, dear me! it would take him all day, Aunt
Fortune. It takes hours and hours to go and come with the oxen
— Mr. Van Brunt wouldn't have time to do anything but carry me
to school, and bring me home."
"Of course — but that's of no consequence," said Miss Fortune,
in the same dry tone.
"Then I can't go — there's no help for it," said Ellen
despondingly. "Why didn't you say so before? When you said
yes, I thought you meant yes."
She covered her face. Miss Fortune rose with a half-smile and
carried her jar of scalded meal into the pantry. She then came
back and commenced the operation of washing up the breakfast-
things.
"Ah, if I only had a little pony," said Ellen, "that would
carry me there and back, and go trotting about with me
everywhere — how nice that would be!"
"Yes, that would be very nice! And who do you think would go
trotting about after the pony? I suppose you would leave that
to Mr. Van Brunt; and I should have to go trotting about after
you, to pick you up in case you broke your neck in some ditch
or gulley — it would be a very nice affair altogether, I
think."
Ellen was silent. Her hopes had fallen to the ground, and her
disappointment was unsoothed by one word of kindness or
sympathy. With all her old grievances fresh in her mind, she
sat thinking her aunt was the very most disagreeable person
she ever had the misfortune to meet with.
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