ge
everything himself.

A ship really had sailed that day, so as well as telegraphing to Sally,
Potter went to the offices, then to the docks, and made all sorts of
enquiries. From what he heard about some people who had engaged berths
at the last minute, he couldn't be quite sure I wasn't one of them,
having gone under an assumed name. To add to the trouble, no answer
came from Sally. Mrs. Hale, according to instructions, had opened the
telegram, and knowing something of the story from Sally, wasn't anxious
to relieve Mrs. Ess Kay's mind about me, in too much of a hurry.
Instead of having the message wired again, she enclosed it in an
envelope, and sent it on to Sally by post, so there was another delay;
and they knew nothing for certain until a letter from Sally and one
from me arrived at about the same time.

Sally's opinion was and is, that Mrs. Ess Kay has something up her
sleeve; that she won't write to me because she wants to show how hurt
and scandalised she is by my ungracious conduct, but that she has some
idea for getting even with me sooner or later. If she hadn't that to
keep her up, Sally thinks she couldn't have resisted answering my
letter with a tirade. Fortunately she can't claw me away from the
Trowbridges and make me marry Potter--even if he would have me now,
after all my badness--otherwise she would perhaps have tried to act at
once. And she can't have me put in prison on bread and water and
solitary confinement, as no doubt she would like to do. Still, I don't
feel quite easy in my mind about her silence, lest Sally may be right
about some disagreeable plan she's hatching. However, as long as Mr.
Brett is here, I feel as if he would contrive not to let anything very
dreadful happen to me.

I've found out everything about all the members of the family at Valley
Farm, now; and I've got acquainted with most of the neighbours. They
call them neighbours if they live anywhere within twelve or fifteen
miles, and a good many are related to each other, or connected by
marriage, while even those who are not have mostly known each other
ever since they were children; probably went to school together at a
funny little white-painted, wooden building on a hill, which is the
"district school." It must be rather fun to teach in it, because if
some American stories I've read since I came here are true to life, you
board first at one house and then another, giving good advice and
helping everyone; and all the y