Then she must dust the room , and what a trying job that was . Not a speck escaped Aunt March 's eye , and all the furniture had claw legs and much carving , which was never dusted to suit . Then Polly had to be fed , the lap dog combed , and a dozen trips upstairs and down to get things or deliver orders , for the old lady was very lame and seldom left her big chair . After these tiresome labors , she must do her lessons , which was a daily trial of every virtue she possessed . Then she was allowed one hour for exercise or play , and did n't she enjoy it ? Laurie came every day , and wheedled Aunt March till Amy was allowed to go out with him , when they walked and rode and had capital times . After dinner , she had to read aloud , and sit still while the old lady slept , which she usually did for an hour , as she dropped off over the first page . Then patchwork or towels appeared , and Amy sewed with outward meekness and inward rebellion till dusk , when she was allowed to amuse herself as she liked till teatime . The evenings were the worst of all , for Aunt March fell to telling long stories about her youth , which were so unutterably dull that Amy was always ready to go to bed , intending to cry over her hard fate , but usually going to sleep before she had squeezed out more than a tear or two . If it had not been for Laurie , and old Esther , the maid , she felt that she never could have got through that dreadful time . The parrot alone was enough to drive her distracted , for he soon felt that she did not admire him , and revenged himself by being as mischievous as possible . He pulled her hair whenever she came near him , upset his bread and milk to plague her when she had newly cleaned his cage , made Mop bark by pecking at him while Madam dozed , called her names before company , and behaved in all respects like an reprehensible old bird . Then she could not endure the dog , a fat , cross beast who snarled and yelped at her when she made his toilet , and who lay on his back with all his legs in the air and a most idiotic expression of countenance when he wanted something to eat , which was about a dozen times a day . The cook was bad-tempered , the old coachman was deaf , and Esther the only one who ever took any notice of the young lady . Esther was a Frenchwoman , who had lived with ` Madame ' , as she called her mistress , for many years , and who rather tyrannized over the old lady , who could not get along without her . Her real name was Estelle , but Aunt March ordered her to change it , and she obeyed , on condition that she was never asked to change her religion . She took a fancy to Mademoiselle , and amused her very much with odd stories of her life in France , when Amy sat with her while she got up Madame 's laces . She also allowed her to roam about the great house , and examine the curious and pretty things stored away in the big wardrobes and the ancient chests , for Aunt March hoarded like a magpie . Amy 's chief delight was an Indian cabinet , full of queer drawers , little pigeonholes , and secret places , in which were kept all sorts of ornaments , some precious , some merely curious , all more or less antique . To examine and arrange these things gave Amy great satisfaction , especially the jewel cases , in which on velvet cushions reposed the ornaments which had adorned a belle forty years ago .
There was the garnet set which Aunt March wore when she came out , the pearls her father gave her on her wedding XXXXX , her lover 's diamonds , the jet mourning rings and pins , the queer lockets , with portraits of dead friends and weeping willows made of hair inside , the baby bracelets her one little daughter had worn , Uncle March 's big watch , with the red seal so many childish hands had played with , and in a box all by itself lay Aunt March 's wedding ring , too small now for her fat finger , but put carefully away like the most precious jewel of them all .
Amy Estelle Indian Polly day left pigeonholes teatime wardrobes years