"
"What is it, then?" asked Ida.
"It's just Peg, no more and no less. You may call me Aunt Peg."
"I would rather call you Mrs. Hardwick."
"Then you'll have a good many years to call me so. You'd better do
as I tell you if you want any favors. Now what do you say?"
"Yes, Aunt Peg," said Ida, with a strong effort to conceal her
repugnance.
"That's well. Now the first thing to do, is to stay here for the
present."
"Yes--aunt."
"The second is, you're not to tell anybody that you came from New
York. That is very important. You understand that, do you?"
The child replied in the affirmative.
"The next is, that you're to pay for your board, by doing whatever I
tell you."
"If it isn't wicked."
"Do you suppose I would ask you to do anything wicked?"
"You said you wasn't good," mildly suggested Ida.
"I'm good enough to take care of you. Well, what do you say to that?
Answer me."
"Yes."
"There's another thing. You ain't to try to run away."
Ida hung down her head.
"Ha!" said Peg. "So you've been thinking of it, have you?"
"Yes," said Ida, boldly, after a moment's hesitation; "I did think I
should if I got a good chance."
"Humph!" said the woman; "I see we must understand one another.
Unless you promise this, back you go into the dark closet, and I
shall keep you there all the time.
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