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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.12.12.00*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced from the 1902 Macmillan and Co. edition by +David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + + +THE STOKESLEY SECRET + +by Charlotte M. Yonge + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + + +"How can a pig pay the rent?" + +The question seemed to have been long under consideration, to judge +by the manner in which it came out of the pouting lips of that sturdy +young five-year-old gentleman, David Merrifield, as he sat on a volume +of the great Latin Dictionary to raise him to a level with the tea-table. + +Long, however, as it had been considered, it was unheeded on account +of one more interesting to the general public assembled round the table. + +"I say!" hallooed out a tall lad of twelve holding aloft a slice +taken from the dish in the centre of the table, "I say! what do you +call this, Mary?" + +"Bread and butter, Master Sam," replied rather pettishly the maid who +had brought in the big black kettle. + +"Bread and butter! I call it bread and scrape!" solemnly said Sam. + +"It only has butter in the little holes of it, not at the top, Miss +Fosbrook," said, in an odd pleading kind of tone, a stout good- +humoured girl of thirteen, with face, hair, and all, a good deal like +a nice comfortable apricot in a sunny place, or a good respectable +Alderney cow. + +"I think it would be better not to grumble, Susan, my dear," replied, +in a low voice, a pleasant dark-eyed young lady who was making tea; +but the boys at the bottom of the table neither heard nor heeded. + +"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," was Sam's cry, in so funny a voice, +that Miss Fosbrook could only laugh; "is this bread and scrape the +fare for a rising young family of genteel birth?" + +"Oh!" with a pathetic grimace, cried the pretty-faced though sandy- +haired Henry, the next to him in age, "if our beloved parents knew +how their poor deserted infants are treated--" + +"A fine large infant you are, Hal!" exclaimed Susan. + +"I'm an infant, you're an infant, Miss Fosbrook is an infant--a +babby." + +"For shame, Hal!" cried the more civilized Sam, clenching his fist. + +"No, no, Sam," interposed Miss Fosbrook, laughing, "your brother is +quite right; I am as much an infant in the eye of the law as little +George." + +"There, I said I would!" cried Henry; "didn't I, Sam?" + +"Didn't you what?" asked Susan, not in the most elegant English. + +"Why, Martin Greville twitted us with having a girl for a governess," +said Henry; "he said it was a shame we should be taken in to think +her grown up, when she was not twenty; and I said I would find out, +and now I have done it!" he cried triumphantly. + +"Everybody is quite welcome to know my age," said Miss Fosbrook, the +colour rising in her cheek. "I was nineteen on the last of April; +but I had rather you had asked me point blank, Henry, than tried to +find out in a sidelong way." + +Henry looked a little surly; and Elizabeth, a nice-looking girl, who +sat next to him and was nearest in age, said, "Oh! but that would +have been so rude, Miss Fosbrook." + +"Rude, but honest," said Miss Fosbrook; and Susan's honest eyes +twinkled, as much as to say, "I like that;" but she said, "I don't +believe Hal meant it." + +"I don't care!" said Sam. "Come, Mary, this plate is done--more +bread and butter; d'ye hear? not bread and gammon!" and he began the +chant, in which six voices joined till it became a roar, pursuing +Mary down to the lower regions:- + + +"Thick butter and thin bread, +Or it shall be thrown at Mary's head; +Thick bread and thin butter, +Is only fit for the ducks in the gutter." + + +Elizabeth looked appealingly at Miss Fosbrook; but Miss Fosbrook was +leaning back in her chair, her handkerchief up to her mouth, in fits +of laughing, seeing which, the children bawled louder and louder; and +Elizabeth only abstained from stopping her ears because she knew that +was the sure way to be held fast, and have it bellowed into them. + +Little Annie blundered in her eagerness upon + + +"Thick bread and thin butter," + + +whereupon there was a general outcry. "Nanny likes thick bread and +thin butter, let her have it!" and Sam, Henry, and Johnnie directed a +whole battery of their remaining crusts towards her cup, which would +presently have been upset into her lap but for Miss Fosbrook, who +recovered herself, and said gravely, "This must not be, Sam; I shall +send you away from the table if you do." + +Sam wanted to see whether she would, and threw the crust. + +"Sam," she said very decidedly, though there was a quiver in her +voice, as if she were frightened. + +Sam looked up, and did not move. + +"Oh, Miss Fosbrook!" cried Susan, "we were all just as bad. Don't +punish Sam!" + +"It is time that Sam should show that he has the feelings of a manly +boy," said Miss Fosbrook, looking full at him. "He knows that I must +keep my word, and that I have no strength to fight with him.--Sam, go +and finish your tea on the window-seat." + +Her clear brown eyes looked full at him as she spoke, and all the +young population watched to see what he would do. He hesitated a +moment, then took up his cup and plate, and sat down in the window- +seat. + +Miss Fosbrook breathed freely, and she had almost said, "Thank you, +Sam," but she did not think this was the time; and collecting +herself, she said, "Fun is all very well, and I hope we shall have +plenty, but we ought not to let it grow riotous; and I don't think it +was of a good sort when it was complaining of the food provided for +us." + +The children were all rather subdued by what she said; some felt a +little cross, and some rather ashamed; and when Mary brought back the +dish replenished with slices, no one said a word as to whether the +butter were thick or thin. The silence seemed to David a favourable +occasion for renewing the great question, "How does a pig pay the +rent?" + +There was a general giggle, and again Miss Fosbrook was as bad as +any: while David, looking affronted, tapped the table with the +handle of his spoon, and repeated, "I want to know." + +"I'll tell you, Davy man," began Henry, first recovering. "The pig +is a very sagacious animal, especially in Hampshire, and so he smells +out wherever the bags of money are sown underground, and digs them up +with his nose. Then he swings them on his back, and gives a curl of +his tail and a wink of his eye, and lays them down just before the +landlord's feet; and he's so cunning, that not an inch will he budge +till he's got the receipt, with a stamp upon it, on his snout." + +"No; now is that a true story?" cried little Annie, who was the only +person except David grave enough to speak; while Sam, exploding in +the window, called out, "Why, don't you know that's why pigs have +rings in their noses?" + + +"There was a lady loved a swine; + 'Honey,' says she, +I'll give you a silver trough.' + 'Hunks!' says he," + + +continued Hal; "that shows his disinterestedness. Oh, werry +sagacious haminals is pigs!" + +"For shame, Hal," cried Elizabeth, "to confuse the children with such +nonsense." + +"Why, don't you think I know how the rent is paid? I've seen Papa on +rent-day hundreds of times." + +"But the pigs, Hal; did you ever see the pigs?" + +"Thousands of times." + +"Bringing bags of gold? O Hal! Hal!" + +"I want to know," continued David, who had been digesting the +startling fact, "how the pig swings the bag on his back? I don't +think ours could do it." + +"It's a sort made on purpose," said Hal. + +"Made on purpose by Mr. Henry Merrifield," said Susan, at last able +to speak. "Don't believe one word, David dear; Hal is laughing at +you." + +"But how does a pig do it?" asked David, returning to the charge. + +"Why do you want to know, my dear?" asked Miss Fosbrook. + +"Mary's sister said so." + +"I know," exclaimed Susan; "Davy went out with the nursery children +to-day, and they went to see Mary's sister. Her husband is drowned +because he was a sailor; and the Mermaid went to South America; and +there are five little tiny children." + +"Of the mermaid's?" cried Harry. + +"No, no; the Mermaid was the ship, and it was wrecked, and they have +noticing to live upon; and she takes in washing, and is such a nice +woman. Mamma said we might take them our old winter frocks, and so +David went there." + +"And she said if she had a pig to pay the rent she should be quite +happy," said David. "How could he?" + +"I suppose," said Miss Fosbrook, "the pig would live on her garden- +stuff, her cabbage-leaves and potato-skins; and that when he was fat +she would sell him, and pay the rent with the money. Am I right, +Sam? you know I am a Cockney." + +"You could not be more right if you were a Hampshire beg," said Sam. +"Jack Higgins was her husband's name, and a famous fellow he was; he +once rigged a little boat for me." + +"And he sailed with Papa once, long ago," added Susan; to which Sam +rejoined, + +"More fool he to go into the merchant service and get drowned, with +nothing for his widow to live upon." + +"I say," cried Hal, "why shouldn't we give her a pig?" + +"Oh, do!" earnestly exclaimed David. + +"I'll catch one," broke from John and Annie at once; "such lots as +there are in the yard!" + +"You would catch it, I believe," said Sam disdainfully; while Susan +explained, + +"No; those are Papa's pigs. Purday would not let you give them +away." + +"Of course," said Henry, "that was only those little geese. I meant +to make a subscription among ourselves, and give her the pig; and +won't she be surprised!" + +"Oh! yes, yes," shouted the children; "let's do it all ourselves!" + +"I've got one-and-threepence, and sixpence next Saturday," cried Hal. + +"And I've eightpence," quoth Annie. + +"And I've a whole shilling," said David. + +"I've fourpence," said Johnnie. + +"I've not much, I'm afraid," said Susan, feeling in her pocket, with +rather black looks. + +"Oh!" said Sam, "everybody knows simple Sukey never has a farthing in +her pocket by any chance!" + +"Yes, but I have, Sam;" and with an air of great triumph, Susan held +up three-halfpence, whereat all the party screamed with laughter. + +"Well, but Bessie always has lots! She's as rich as a little Jew. +Come, Bet, Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy, and Bess, what will you give?-- +what have you got?"--and one hand came on her shoulder, and another +on her arm but she shook herself free, and answered rather crossly, + +"Don't--I can't--I've got something else to do with my money." + +"Oh! you little stingy avaricious crab!" was the outcry beginning; +but Miss Fosbrook stopped it before Elizabeth had time to make the +angry answer that was rising on her lips. + +"No, my dears, you must not tease her. Each of you has a full right +to use your own money as you may think best; and it is not right to +force gifts in this manner." + +"She's a little affected pussy-cat," said Hal, much annoyed; "I know +what she wants it for--to buy herself a ridiculous parasol like Ida +Greville, when she would see poor Hannah Higgins starving at her +feet." + +Elizabeth bit her lip, and tossed up her head; the tears were in her +eyes, but she made no answer. + +"Come, never mind," said Sam; "she's as obstinate as a male when she +gets a thing into her head. Let's see what we've got without her. +I've only sevenpence: worse luck that I bought ball of string +yesterday." + +The addition amounted to three shillings and elevenpence halfpenny: +a sum which looked so mighty when spread out, chiefly in coppers, on +the window-seat, that Annie and David looked on it as capable of +buying any amount of swine; but Sam looked rather blank at it, and +gazing up and down, said, "But what does a pig cost?" + +"Miss Fosbrook, what does a pig cost?" + +Miss Fosbrook shook her head and laughed, saying that she knew much +less of pigs than they did; and Susan exclaiming, "There's Purday in +the court," they all tumbled to the window, one upon the top of the +other. + +The window was a large heavily-framed sash, with a deep window-seat, +and a narrow ledge within the sill--as if made on purpose, the first +for the knees the second for the elbows of the gazers therefrom. + +As to the view, it was into a walled kitchen court, some high +chestnut and lime trees just looking over the grey roofs of the +offices. On the ground lay a big black Newfoundland dog, and a +couple of graceful greyhounds, one of them gnawing a bone, cunningly +watched by a keen-looking raven, with his head on one side; while +peeping out from the bars of the bottle-rack was the demure face of +the sandy cat, on the watch for either bones or sparrows. + +A stout, stumpy, shrewd-looking labourer, in a short round frock, +high buskins, an old wide-awake, short curly hair, and a very large +nose, stood in front of the dairy door, mixing a mess of warm milk +for the young calves. + +"Purday! Master Purday!" roared nearly the whole young population +above; but he was so intent on his mixture, that he went on as if he +were deaf, till a second explosion of "Purday! Purday! I say!" made +him turn up his face in an odd half-awake kind of manner. + +"Purday, what's the price of a pig?" and, "What does a pig cost, +Purday?" + +"What d'ye all holler at once for? A body can't hear a word," was +all the answer they got; whereupon they all started together again, +and Purday went on with his mixture as if they had been so many hens +cackling. + +Then Sam got up his breath again and called alone, "Purday!" and Hal +and Susan by pats and pinches strangled the like outcry from Annie +and John, so as to leave the field clear for the great question, +"Purday, what does a pig cost?" + +"More than your voices up there, sir," growled Purday, making some +laugh; but Henry cried impatiently, + +"Now, Purday, we really do want to know what is the price of pigs." + +"They was high last market," began Purday. + +"I don't care if they were high or low," said Hal; "I want to know +what money they cost." + +"Different pigs cost different prices," quoth the oracle, so +sententiously, that Miss Fosbrook's shoulders shook with laughing as +she stood a little in the background of the eager heap in the window. + +"A nice little pig, such as you'd give--" + +"Hush, hush, Hal, it's a secret," cried Susan. + +"A pretty sort of secret--known to eight already, and bawled out all +over the yard," said Sam. + +"But don't tell him what it's for; you can ask him without that." + +"A nice little young pig," said Sam, "such as you'd keep all the +summer, and fat in the winter." + +"Mind, it ain't for you, Purday," cried Hal. + +"Never fear my being disappointed, sir," said the free-spoken Purday, +with a twinkle of his eye, which Hal understood so well that he burst +out, + +"Ah! you think I can never do what I say I will; but you'll see, +Purday, if we don't give a pig to--" + +He was screamed at, and pulled into order and silence, ere the words, +"Hannah Higgins" had quite come out; and Sam repeated his question. + +"Well," said Purday at last, "if pigs was reasonable, you might get a +nice little one to fat, at Kattern Hill fair, somewhere about ten +shillings, or maybe twelve--sometimes more, sometimes less." + +"Ten shillings!" The community stood round and looked at one another +at the notion of such an awful sum; but Hal was the first to cast a +ray of hope on the gloom. "Kattern Hill fair ain't till Midsummer, +and perhaps Grandmamma will send us some money before that. If +anybody's birthday was but coming!" + +"Better save it out of our allowance," said Sam. "How long is it to +the fair?" + +Miss Fosbrook's pocket-book declared it to be four weeks. + +"Well, then," said Hal, "we three big ones have sixpence a week each, +that's six shillings, leaving out stingy Bess, and the little ones +threepence, that's three times three is nine, and three times nine is +thirty-six, that's three shillings, and six is nine, and very near +four is fourteen. We shall do the pig yet." + +"Yes, Hal; but if pigs are reasonable, I am afraid three times nine +never yet were so much so as to make thirty-six," objected Miss +Fosbrook. + +Sam whistled. + +"Twenty-seven--that's three and twopence--it's all the same," said +Hal; then at the scream of the rest, "at least two and threepence. +Well, any way there's plenty for piggy-wiggy, and it shall be a jolly +secret to delight Hannah Higgins, and surprise Papa and Mamma: +hurrah!" + +"Yes," said Sam; "but then nobody must have any fines." + +"Ay, and Sue must keep her money. That will be a wonder!" shouted +Harry. + +"Well, I'll try," said Susan. "I'll try not to have a single fine, +and I'll not buy a single lump of sugar-candy, for I do want poor +Hannah to have her pig." + +"And so will we!" cried the younger ones with one voice. + +"Only," added Susan, "I must buy Dicky's canary seed." + +"And I must have a queen's head to write to Mamma," said Annie. + +"Oh! never mind that, such trumpery as your letters are," said Hal. +"Mamma could say them by heart before she gets them. What does she +care for them?" + +Little Annie looked very deplorable. + +"Never mind, my dear," said Miss Fosbrook, "mammas always care for +little girls' letters, and you are quite right to keep a penny for +your stamp for her.--You see, Hal, this scheme will never come to +good if you sacrifice other duties to it." + +Henry twirled round impatiently. + +"Now suppose," said Miss Fosbrook, "that we set up a treasury, and +put all in that we can properly afford, and then break it open on the +day before the fair, and see how much we have." + +"Oh! yes, yes," cried the children in raptures. + +"Will you help, Miss Fosbrook?" said Susan, clasping her hands. + +"I should like to do a very little, if you will take this silver +threepenny; but I do not think it would be right for me to spare one +penny more, for all I can afford is very much wanted at home." + +"What shall we have for treasury?" said Hal, looking round. + +"I know!" cried Susan. "Here, in the baby-house; here's the Toby, +let's put it inside him." + +The so-called baby-house was an old-fashioned cupboard with glass +doors, where certain tender dolls, and other curiosities, playthings +too frail to be played with and the like, were ranged in good order, +and never taken out except when some one child was unwell, and had to +stay in-doors alone. + +Toby Fillpot was a present from Nurse Freeman. It was a large mug, +representing a man with a red coat, black hat, and white waistcoat, +very short legs, and top-boots. The opening of the cup was at the +top of his head, and into this was dropped all the silver and pence +at present mustered, and computed to be about four shillings. + +"And, Miss Fosbrook, you'll not be cross about fines?" said Johnnie, +looking coaxing. + +"I hope I shall not be cross," she answered; "but I do not engage to +let you off any. I think having so good a use to put your money to +should make you more careful against forfeiting it." + +"Yes," said Johnnie disconsolately. + +"Well, I never get fined," cried Hal joyfully. + +"Except for running up stairs in dirty shoes," said Sam. + +"Oh! there's no dirt now." + +"Let me see, what are the fines?" said Miss Fosbrook. + +"Here's the list," said Susan; and sighing, she said, "I'm afraid I +shall never do it! If Bessie only would help!" + +The fines of the Stokesley schoolroom were these for delinquencies-- +each value a farthing - + + +For being dressed later than eight o'clock. +For hair not properly brushed. +For coming to lessons later than five minutes after ten. +For dirty hands. +For being turned back twice with any lesson. +For elbows on the table. +For foolish crying. +For unnecessary words in lesson-time. +For running up stairs in wet shoes. +For leaving things about. + + +Each of these bits of misbehaviour caused the forfeit of a farthing +out of the weekly allowance. Susan looked very gloomy over them; but +Hal exclaimed, "Never mind, Susie; we'll do it all without you, never +fear!" + +"And now," said Sam, "I vote we have some fun in the garden." + +Some readers may be disposed to doubt, after this specimen, whether +the young Merrifields could be really young ladies and gentlemen; but +indeed their birth might make them so; for there had been Squire +Merrifields at Stokesley as long as Stokesley had been a parish, and +those qualities of honour and good breeding that mark the gentleman +had not been wanting to the elder members of the family. The father +of these children was a captain in the navy, and till within the last +six years the children had lived near Plymouth; but when he inherited +the estate they came thither, and David and the two little ones had +been born at Stokesley. The property was not large; and as Captain +Merrifield was far from rich, it took much management to give all +this tribe of boys and girls a good education, as well as plenty of +bread and butter, mutton, and apple-pudding. There was very little +money left to be spent upon ornament, or upon pleasuring; so they +were brought up to the most homely dress suited to their station, and +were left entirely to the country enjoyments that spring up of +themselves. Company was seldom seen, for Papa and Mamma had little +time or means for visiting; and a few morning calls and a little +dining out was all they did; which tended to make the young ones more +shy and homely, more free and rude, more inclined to love their own +ways and despise those of other people, than if they had seen more of +the world. They were a happy, healthy set of children, not faulty in +essentials, but, it must be confessed, a little wild, rough and +uncivil, in spite of the code of fines. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + + +Mrs. Merrifield had taught her children herself, till Samuel and +Henry began going to the Curate for a couple of hours every day, to +be prepared for school. Lessons were always rather a scramble; so +many people coming to speak to her, and so many interruptions from +the nursery; and then came a time when Mamma always was tired, and +Papa used to come out and scold if the noises grew very loud indeed, +and was vexed if the children gave Mamma any trouble of any kind. +Next they were told they were to have a governess--a sort of piece of +finery which the little savages had always despised--and thereupon +came Miss Fosbrook; but before she had been a week in the house Mamma +was quite ill and in her bed-room, and Papa looked graver than he had +ever done before; and Mr. Braddon, the doctor, came very often: and +at last Susan was called into Mamma's room, and it was explained to +her that Mamma was thought so ill, that she must go to be under a +London doctor, and would be away, she could not tell how long; so +that meantime the children must all be left to Miss Fosbrook, with +many many injunctions to be good and obedient, for hearing that they +were going on well would be poor Mamma's only comfort. + +It was three days since Captain and Mrs. Merrifield had gone; and +Miss Fosbrook stood at the window, gazing at the bright young green +of the horse-chestnut trees, and thinking many various thoughts in +the lull that the children had left when they rushed out of doors. + +She thought herself quite alone, and stood, sometimes smiling over +the odd ways of her charges, and at what they put her in mind of, +sometimes gravely thinking whether she had said or done the wisest +things for them, or what their mother would have most approved. She +was just going to move away from the window, when she saw a little +figure curled up on the floor, with her head on the window-seat. +"Bessie, my dear, what are you doing here? Why are not you gone +out?" + +"I don't want to go out." + +"I thought they were to have a great game at whoop-hide." + +"I don't like whoop-hide. Johnnie pulls the clothes off my back." + +"My dear, I hope you are not staying in because they called you those +foolish names. It was all in good humour." + +"It was not kind," said Elizabeth, her throat swelling. "It was not +true." + +"Perhaps not; but you did not speak to give your reasons; and who +could tell how good they might be?" + +"I've a right to my secrets as well as they have," said the little +maiden. + +Miss Fosbrook looked kindly at her, and she turned wistful eyes on +the young governess. + +"Miss Fosbrook, will you keep a secret?" + +"That I will." + +"I want my money to buy some card-board--and some ribbon--and some +real true paints. I've got some vermilion, but I want some real good +blue. And then I want to make some beautiful bands with ties--like +what Papa has for his letters--for all Mamma's letters in her desk. +There's a bundle of Papa's when he was gone out to the Crimean War, +and that's to have a frigate on it, because of the Calliope--his +ship, you know; and there's one bundle of dear Aunt Sarah's--that's +to have a rose, because I always think her memory is like the rose in +my hymn, you know; and Grandmamma, she's to have--I think perhaps I +could copy a bit of the tower of Westminster Abbey out of the print, +because one sees it out of her window; and, oh! I thought of so many +more, but you see I can't do it without a real good paint-box, and +that costs three and sixpence. Now, Miss Fosbrook, is it stingy to +wish to do that?" + +"Not at all, my dear; but you could not expect the others to +understand what they never were told." + +"I'd have said something if they had not called me stingy," said +Bessie. + +"It certainly was rude and hasty; but if we bear such things good- +naturedly, they become better; and they were very eager about their +own plan." + +"Such a disagreeable thing as a pig!" continued Bessie. "If it had +been anything nice, I should not have minded so much." + +"Yes; but, my dear, you must remember that the pig will be a more +useful present than even your pretty contrivances. You cannot call +them doing good, as the other will be." + +"Then you are like them! You think I ought to spend all my money on +a great horrid pig, when Mamma--" and the tears were in the little +girl's eyes. + +"No, indeed, my dear. I don't think anyone is called on to give +their all, and it is very nice and quite right for a little girl to +try to make a pretty present to please her mamma. There is plenty of +time before you, and I think you will manage to have some share in +the very kind action your brothers and sisters are contriving." + +Elizabeth had not forgiven, as she should have done, the being called +stingy; it rankled on her feelings far more than those who said the +word understood; and she presently went on, "If they knew ever so +much, they would only laugh at me, and call it all Bessie's nonsense. +Miss Fosbrook, please, what is affectation?" + +"I believe it is pretending to seem what we are not by nature," said +Miss Fosbrook; "putting on manners or feelings that do not come to us +of themselves." + +"Then I shall tell them they make me affected," exclaimed she. "If I +like to be quiet and do things prettily, they teaze me for being +affected, and I'm forced to be as plain and blunt as their are, and I +don't like it! I wish I was grown up. I wish I was Ida Greville!" + +"And why, my dear?" + +"Because then things might be pretty," said Elizabeth. "Everything +is so plain and ugly, and one gets so tired of it! Is it silly to +like things to be pretty?" + +"No, far from it; that is, if we do not sacrifice better things to +prettiness." + +Elizabeth looked up with a light in her dark eyes, and said, "Miss +Fosbrook, I like you!" + +Miss Fosbrook was very much pleased, and kissed her. + +She paused a moment, and then said, "Miss Fosbrook, may I ask one +question? What is your name? Mamma said it must be Charlotte, +because you signed your letter Ch. A. Fosbrook, but your little +sister's letter that you showed us began 'My dear Bell.' If it is a +secret, indeed I will keep it." + +"It is no secret at all," said Miss Fosbrook, laughing. "My name is +Christabel Angela." + +Elizabeth opened her eyes, and said it by syllables. "Christabel +Angela! that's a prettier name than Ida. Does it make you very glad +to have it?" + +"I like it for some reasons," said Miss Fosbrook, smiling. + +"Oh, tell me!" cried Bessie. "Mamma always says we should not be a +bit happier if our names were pretty ones; but I don't know, I feel +as if one would; only the others like to make things plainer and +uglier than they are." + +"I never could call your name ugly; it is such a dignified, old, +respectable name." + +"Yes; but they call me Betty!" + +"And they call me Bell, and sometimes Jelly-bag and Currant-jelly," +said Miss Fosbrook, laughing and sighing, for she would have liked to +have heard those funny names again. + +"Then it is no good to you!" exclaimed Elizabeth. + +"I don't know that we talk of good in such a matter. I like my name +because of the reason it was given to me." + +"Oh, why?" eagerly asked the little girl. + +"When I was born, my papa was a very young man, and he was very fond +of reading poetry." + +"Why, I thought your papa was a doctor." + +"Well!" + +"I thought only ladies, and poets, and idle silly people, cared for +poetry." + +"They can hardly be silly if they care rightly for real poetry, +Bessie," said Miss Fosbrook; "at least, so my papa would say. It has +been one of his great helps. Well, in those days he was very fond of +a poem about a lady called Christabel, who was so good and sweet, +that when evil came near, it could not touch her so as to do her any +harm; and so he gave his little daughter her name." + +"How very nice!" cried Elizabeth. + +"You must not envy me, my dear, for I have been a good deal laughed +at for my pretty name, and so has Papa; and I do not think he would +have chosen anything so fanciful if he had been a little older." + +"Then isn't he--what is it you call it--poetical now?" + +"Indeed he is, in a good way;" and as the earnest eyes looked so +warmly at her, Christabel Fosbrook could not help making a friend of +the little maiden. "He has very little time to read it; for you know +he is a parish surgeon in a great parish in London, full of poor +people, worse off than you can imagine, and often very ill. He is +obliged to be always hard at work in the narrow close streets there, +and to see everything sad, and dismal, and disagreeable, that can be +found; but, do you know, Bessie, he always looks for the good and +beautiful side; he looks at one person's patience, and another +person's kindness, and at some little child's love for its mother or +sister, that hinders it from being too painful for him." + +"But is that poetry? I thought poetry meant verses." + +"Verses are generally the best and most suitable way of expressing +our feelings about what is good and beautiful; but they are not +always poetry, any more than the verses they sang to-night about the +bread and butter, because, you know, wanting thick butter was not +exactly a beautiful feeling. I think the denying themselves their +little indulgences for the sake of giving the poor woman a pig, is +much more poetical, though nobody said a word in verse." + +They both laughed; and Elizabeth said, "That wasn't what you meant +about your papa. Susy cares for goodness." + +"No, it was not all I meant; but it was seeing high and noble +thoughts expressed in beautiful verses that gives him pleasure; and +when he has a little bit of leisure, it is his great treat to open a +book of that sort, and read a little bit to us, and tell us why we +like it. He says it makes him young again, and takes him out of the +dingy streets, and from all his cares as to how the bills are to be +paid." + +"Did you like coming here?" was Bessie's home question; and Miss +Fosbrook winked away a little moisture, as she said, + +"I was glad to be growing a woman, and to be able to help about some +of those bills; and then I was glad to come into the beautiful +country that Papa has so often told us about." + +"I did not know there was anything beautiful here." + +"O Bessie, you never lived in London! You can't think how many +things are beautiful to me here! I want to be writing about them to +Papa and Kate all day long." + +"Are they?" said Bessie. "Mamma has pretty things in the drawing- +room, but she keeps them out of the way; and everything here is so +dull and stupid!" and the little girl gave a yawn. + +Miss Fosbrook understood her. The wainscoted room in which they were +sitting had been painted of a uniform creamy brown; the chairs were +worn; the table was blistered and cracked; the carpet only covered +the middle of the room, and was so threadbare, that only a little red +showed here and there. All that was needful was there, but of the +plainest kind; and where the other children only felt ease and +freedom, and were the more contented and happy for the homely good +sense of all around them, this little girl felt a want that she +scarcely understood, but which made her uncomfortable and +discontented, even when she had so much to be thankful for. + +Miss Fosbrook moved nearer to the window. Down below there was +certainly not much to be seen; only Pierce cleaning the knives in the +knife-house, and Martha washing out her pans before the dairy-door; +but that was not where she looked. She turned the little half- +fretful face upwards. "Look there!" she said; "and talk of seeing +nothing pretty!" + +"I see nothing--" + +"Do you not see the pale clear green of those noble horse-chestnut +leaves just sprung into their full summer dress--not in the least +worn nor stained yet? And those fine spikes of white blossom, all +tending up--up--while the masses of those leaves fall so gracefully +down, as if lifting them up, and then falling back to do them +honour." Bessie smiled, and her eye lighted up. "And see the colour +against the sky--look at the contrast of that bright light green with +the blue, so very deep, of the sky--and oh! see that train of little +clouds, red with soft sunny light, like a little soft flock of rosy +lambs, if there were such things, lying across the sky. O Bessie! you +can't talk of wanting the sight of pretty things while you have that +sky." + +Bessie was coming closer to her, when in burst Sam and Johnnie. + +"Hello, Bess! moping here, I declare! I suppose you and Miss +Fosbrook are telling each other all your secrets." + +"I was just coming out," said Miss Fosbrook. "I want to make out +something about those noble flowers of the horse-chestnut, and why +they don't look whiter. Could you gather one for me, Sam?" + +Sam was only too glad of an excuse for climbing a tree, however +cheaply he might hold one who cared for flowers; and by the time +Bessie had put on her lilac-spotted sun-bonnet--a shapeless article +it must be confessed, with a huge curtain serving for a tippet, very +comfortable, and no trouble at all--he had scrambled into the fork, +and brought down a beautiful spire of blossoms, with all the grand +leaves hanging round in their magnificent fans. + +"What will you do with it?" said the children, standing round. + +"Do you think you could ask Mary to spare us a jug, Susan? If I +might put it in water in the schoolroom fireplace, it would look +fresh and cheerful for Sunday." + +"Oh, yes," said Susan, pleased with the commission, "that I will;" +and away she ran, while Miss Fosbrook examined the spike to her own +great enjoyment. "I see," she said, "the flowers are not really +white, they each have a patch of pink or yellow on them, which gives +them their softness. Yes; and do you see, Bessie, they are in +clusters of three, and each three has one flower with a pink spot, +and two with a yellow one." + +"That is very curious," said Bessie: the fretfulness was very much +gone out of her tone, and she stood looking at the beautiful flower, +without a word, till Susan came back, when she began to show her what +Miss Fosbrook had pointed out. Susan smiled with her really good +nature, and said, "How funny!" but was more intent on telling Miss +Fosbrook that she had brought the jug, and then on hauling Elizabeth +away to a game at Tom Tittler's ground. + +Miss Fosbrook said she would put away the flower and come back again; +and she settled the branch in the chimney, where it looked very +graceful, and really did enliven the room, and then walked out +towards the lawn. + +There was a lawn in front of the house, part of which had been +formerly levelled for a bowling-green, and was kept clear of shrubs +or flower-beds. Beyond was a smooth, rather rapid slope towards a +quiet river, beyond which there rose again a beautiful green field, +crowned above by a thick wood, ending at the top in some scraggy +pine-trees, with scanty dark foliage at the top of their rude russet +arms. Fine trees stood out here and there upon the slope of the +field; and Captain Merrifield's fine sleeked cows were licking each +other, or chewing the cud, under them. + +There was a white Chinese bridge, the rails all zigzags, and patterns +running this way and that, so that it must have been very ugly and +glaring before the white paint had faded so much. + +The house was a respectable old stone building, rather brown and +grey, and the stone somewhat disposed to peel off in flakes; the +windows large sashes, set in great projecting squared stones, the +tallest and biggest at the top. It was a house of a very sober +pleasant countenance, that looked as if it had always been used to +have a large family in it; and there was a vine, with all its +beauteous leaves, trained all across the garden front, making a +pleasant green summer-blind over the higher half of the drawing-room +windows, that now stood open, telling of the emptiness within. + +Christabel stood for a few moments looking round, and thinking what a +paradise of green rest this would be to her hard-worked father and +anxious mother; and how she should like to see her little brothers +and sisters have one free run and roll on that delicious greensward, +instead of now and then walking to one of the parks as a great +holiday. Yet hers was a very happy home, and, except her being +absent from it, nothing had befallen her to sadden her merry young +spirits; so when she heard the joyous cry behind her - + + +"I'm on Tommy Tittler's ground, +Picking up gold and silver," + + +she turned about, and laughed as she saw the gold-finders stooping +and clawing at the grass, with eyes cast round about them for Hal, +who was pursuing Susan in and out, up and down till, with screams of +exultation, she was safely across the ridge of the bowling-green, +that served as "home." + +When Hal turned back, Miss Fosbrook was as heedfully and warily +picking up gold and silver as any of the rest of them. He was +resolved on capturing her; but first David was such a tempting prize, +with his back so very near, and so unconscious, that he must be made +prisoner. A catch at the brown-holland blouse--a cry--a shout of +laughter, and Davy is led up behind the standard maiden-blush rose, +always serving as the prison. And now the tug of war rages round it, +he darts here and there within his bounds, holding out his hand to +any kind deliverer whose touch may set him free; and all the others +run backwards and forwards, trying to circumvent the watchful jailor, +Tom Tittler, who, in front of the rose-bush, flies instantly at +whoever is only coming near his captive. + +Ha! Susan had nearly--all but done it, while Hal was chasing away +Annie. No, not she; Hal is back again, and with a shriek away she +scours. Sam! oh, he is very near; if that stupid little Davy would +only look round, he would be free in another moment; but he only +gapes at the pursuit of Susan, and Sam will touch him without his +being aware! No--here's Hal back again. Sam's off. What a scamper! +Now's the time--here's Miss Fosbrook, lighter-footed than any of the +children, softly stealing on tip-toe, while Hal is scaring Johnnie. +Her fingers just touch Davy's. "Freed! Freed!" is the cry; and off +goes he, pounding for home! but Hal rushes across the path, he +intercepts Miss Fosbrook, and, with a shout of triumph--There is the +sound of a rent. Everybody stands a little aghast. + +"It is only the gathers," says Miss Fosbrook good-humouredly. "I'll +tuck them up and sew them in by and by; but really, Hal, you need not +pull so furiously; I would have yielded to something short of that." + +"Gowns are such stuff!" said Hal, really meaning it for an apology, +though it did not sound like one, for her good-natured face abashed +him a little. + +"Touch and take used to be our rule," said Miss Fosbrook. + +Bessie eagerly said that would be the best way, the boys were so +rude; but all the rest with one voice cried out that it would be very +stupid; and Miss Fosbrook did not press it, but only begged in a +droll way that some one would take pity on her; and come to release +her; and so alert was she in skipping towards her allies from behind +the rose-bush, that Bessie presently succeeded in giving the rescuing +touch, and she flew back quick as a bird to the safe territory, +dragging Bessie with her, who otherwise would have assuredly been +caught; and who, warm with the spirit of the game, felt as if she +should have been quite glad to be made prisoner for her dear +Christabel's sake. + +An hour after, and all the children were in bed. Susan and Annie +agreeing that a governess was no such great bother after all; and +Elizabeth lying awake to whisper over to herself, "Christabel Angela, +Christabel Angela! That's my secret!" in a sort of dream of pleasure +that will make most people decide on her being a very silly little +girl. + +And Christabel Angela herself sat mending her gathers, and thinking +over her first week of far greater difficulties than she had +contemplated when she had left home with the understanding that she +was to be entirely under Mrs. Merrifield's direction. Poor Mrs. +Merrifield had said much of regret at leaving her to such a crew of +little savages, and she had only tried to set the mother's mind at +rest by being cheerful; and though she felt that it was a great +undertaking to manage those great boys out of lesson-hours, she knew +that when a thing cannot be helped, strength and aid is given to +those who seek for it sincerely. + +And on the whole, she felt thankful to the children for having +behaved even as well as they had done. + + + +CHAPTER III. + + + +"Grant to us, Thy humble servants, that by Thy holy inspiration we +may think those things that be good, and by Thy merciful guiding may +perform the same," spelt out David with some trouble and difficulty, +as he stood by Miss Fosbrook on Sunday morning. + +"Miss Fosbrook?" + +"Well, my dear." + +"Miss Fosbrook?" + +Another "Well." + +"Is wanting to buy a pig one of the 'things that be good'?' + +"Anything kind and right is good, my dear," said Miss Fosbrook, a +little vexed at a sort of snorting she heard from the other end of +the room. + +"Davy thinks the pig is in his Collect," said Sam. + +He was one of those who were especially proud of being downright, and +in him it often amounted to utter regardlessness of people's +feelings, yet not out of ill-nature; and when Susan responded, "Don't +teaze Davy--he can't bear it," he was silent; but the mischief was +done; and when Miss Fosbrook went on saying that the wish to help the +poor woman was assuredly a good thought, which the little boy might +well ask to be aided in fulfilling, David had grown ashamed, and +would not listen. But the mention of the pig had set off Master +Henry, who was sitting up in the window-seat with Annie, also +learning the Collect, and he burst out into descriptions of the +weight of money that would be found in Toby, and how he meant to go +to the fair with Purday, and help him to choose the pig, and drive it +home. + +"More likely to hinder," muttered Sam. + +"Besides, Papa wouldn't let you," added Bessie; but Hal did not +choose to hear, and went on as to how the pig should ran away with +Purday, and jump into a stall full of parliament gingerbread (whereat +Annie fell into convulsions of laughing), and Hal should be the first +to stop it, and jump on its back, and ride out of the fair holding it +by the ears; and then they should pop it into the sty unknown to +Hannah Higgins, and all lie in wait to hear what would happen; and +when it squealed, she would think it the baby crying; but there Susan +burst out at the notion of any one thinking a child could scream like +a pig, taking it as an affront to all babyhood; and Miss Fosbrook +took the opportunity of saying, + +"Hadn't you better hatch your chickens before you count them, Henry? +If you prevent everyone from learning the Collect, I fear there will +be the less hope of Mr. Piggy." + +"Oh! we don't have fines on Sundays," said Henry. + +"Mamma says that on Sundays naughtiness is not such a trifle that we +can be fined for it," said Susan. + +"It is not naughtiness we are ever fined for," added Elizabeth: +"THAT we are punished and talked to for: but the fines are only for +bad habits." + +"Oh! I hope I sha'n't have any this week," sighed Susan. + +"You may hope," said Sam. "You're sure of them for everything +possible except crying." + +"Yes, Bessie gets all the crying fines," said Hal; "and I hope she'll +have lots, because she won't help the pig." + +Bessie started up from her place and rushed out of the room; while +Miss Fosbrook indignantly exclaimed, + +"Really, boys, I can't think how you can be so ill-natured!" + +They looked up as though it were quite a new light to them; and Susan +exclaimed, + +"Oh, Miss Fosbrook! they don't mean it: Sam and Hal never were ill- +natured in their lives." + +"I don't know what you call ill-natured," said Miss Fosbrook, "unless +it is saying the very things most likely to vex another." + +"I don't mean to vex anybody," said Henry, "only we always go on so, +and nobody is such a baby as to mind, except Bessie." + +And Sam muttered, "One can't be always picking one's words." + +"I am not going to argue about it," said Miss Fosbrook; "and it is +time to get ready for church. Only I thought manliness was shown in +kindness to the weak, and avoiding what can pain them." + +She went away; and Susan was the first to exclaim, + +"I didn't think she'd have been so cross!" + +"Stuff, Sue!" said Sam; "it's not being cross. I like her for having +a spirit; but one can't be finikin and mealy-mouthed to suit her +London manners. I like the truth." + +It would have been well if any one had been by to tell Mr. Samuel +that truth of character does not consist in disagreeable and +uncalled-for personalities. + +Miss Fosbrook did not wonder at little Elizabeth for her discomfort +under the rude homeliness of Stokesley, where the children made a bad +copy of their father's sailor bluntness, and the difficulties of +money matters kept down all indulgences. She knew that Captain +Merrifield was as poor a man for an esquire as her father was for a +surgeon, and that if he were to give his sons an education fit for +their station, he must make his household live plainly in every way; +but without thinking them right feelings, she had some pity for +little Bessie's weariness and discontent in never seeing anything +pretty. The three girls came in dressed for church, in the plainest +brown hats, black capes, and drab alpaca frocks, rather long and not +very full; not a coloured bow nor handkerchief, not a flounce nor +fringe, to relieve them; even their books plain brown. Bessie looked +wistfully at Miss Fosbrook's pretty Church-service, and said she and +Susan both had beautiful Prayer-Books, but Mamma said they could not +be trusted with them yet--Ida Greville had such a beauty. + +Was it the effect of Miss Fosbrook's words, that Sam forbore to teaze +Bessie about Ida Greville?--whose name was a very dangerous subject +in the schoolroom. Also, he let Bessie take hold of Miss Fosbrook's +hand in peace, though in general the least token of affection was +scouted by the whole party. + +It was a pretty walk to church, over a paddock, where the cows were +turned out, and then along a green lane; and the boys had been +trained enough in Sunday habits to make them steady and quiet on the +way, especially as Henry was romancing about the pig. + +By and by Elizabeth gave Miss Fosbrook's hand a sudden pull; and she +perceived, in the village street into which they were emerging, a +party on the way to church. There were two ladies, one in stately +handsome slight mourning, the other more quietly dressed, and two or +three boys; but what Elizabeth wanted her to look at was a little +girl of nine years old, who was walking beside the lady. Her hat was +black chip, edged and tied with rose-coloured ribbon, and adorned +with a real bird, with glass eyes, black plumage, except the red +crest and wings. She wore a neatly-fitting little fringed black +polka, beneath which spread out in fan-like folds her flounced pink +muslin, coming a little below her knees, and showing her worked +drawers, which soon gave place to her neat stockings and dainty +little boots. She held a small white parasol, bordered with pink, +and deeply fringed, over her head, and held a gold-clasped Prayer- +Book in her hand; and Miss Fosbrook heard a little sigh, which told +her that this was the being whom Elizabeth Merrifield thought the +happiest in the world. She hoped it was not all for the fine +clothes; and Sam muttered, + +"What a little figure of fun!" + +Martin and Osmond Greville went daily to Mr. Carey's, like Sam and +Hal, so the boys ran on to them; and Mrs. Greville, turning round, +showed a very pleasant face as she bowed to Miss Fosbrook, and +shaking hands with Susan and Elizabeth, asked with much solicitude +after their mamma, and how lately they had heard of her. + +Susan was too simple and straightforward to be shy, and answered +readily, that they had had letters, and Mamma had been sadly tired by +the journey, but was better the next day. The little girls shook +hands; and Mrs. Greville made a kind of introduction by nodding +towards her companion, and murmuring something about "Fraulein +Munsterthal;" and Miss Fosbrook found herself walking beside a lady +with the least of all bonnets, a profusion of fair hair, and a good- +humoured, one-coloured face, no doubt Miss Ida's German governess. +She said something about the fine day, and received an answer, but +what it was she could not guess, whether German, French, or English, +and her own knowledge of the two first languages was better for +reading than for speaking; so after an awkward attempt or two, she +held her peace and looked at her companions. + +Susan and Mrs. Greville seemed to be getting on very well together; +but Elizabeth's admiration of Ida seemed to be speechless, for they +were walking side by side without a word, perhaps too close to their +elders to talk. + +Annie and David were going on steadily hand in hand a little way off; +and Miss Fosbrook chiefly heard the talk of the boys, who had fallen +behind; perhaps her ears were quickened by its personality, for +though Sam was saying, "I'll tell you what, she's a famous fellow!" +the rejoinder was, "What! do you mean to say that you mind her?" + +"Doesn't he?" said Hal's voice; "why, she sent him away from tea last +night, just for shying crusts." + +"And did he go?" and there was a disagreeable sounding laugh, in +which she was sorry that Hal joined. + +"Catch the Fraulein serving me so!" + +"She never tries!" + +"She knows better!" + +"I say, Sam, I thought you had more spirit. You'll be sitting up +pricking holes in a frill by the time the Captain comes back." + +"And Hal will be mincing along with his toes turned out like a +dancing-master!" continued an affected voice. + +"No such thing!" cried Hal angrily: "I'm not a fellow to be ordered +about!" + +The Grevilles laughed; and one of them said, "Well, then, why don't +you show it? I'd soon send her to the right-about if she tried to +interfere with me!" + +Miss Fosbrook could bear it no longer; and facing suddenly round, +looked the speaker full in the face, and said, "I am very much +obliged to you--but you should not speak quite so loud." + +The boys shrank back out of countenance; and Sam, who alone had not +spoken, looked up into her face with a merry air, as if he were +gratified by her spirited way of discomfiting them. + +Osmond tried to recover, and muttered, "What a sell!" rather +impudently; but they were now near the churchyard, and Mrs. Greville +turning round, all was hushed. + +Christabel felt much vexed that all this should have happened just +before going into church; she felt a good deal ruffled herself, and +feared that Bessie's head was filled with nonsense, if Hal's were not +with something worse. + +The church looked pretty outside, with the old weather-boarded wooden +belfry rising above the tiled roof and western gable; and it was +neatly kept but not pretty within, the walls all done over with pale +buff wash, and the wood-work very clumsy. Sam and Susan behaved well +and attentively; but Bessie fidgeted into her mamma's place, and +would stand upon a hassock. Miss Fosbrook was much afraid it was to +keep in sight of the beautiful bird. Hal yawned; and Johnnie not +only fidgeted unbearably himself, but made his sister Annie do the +same, till Miss Fosbrook scarcely felt as if she was at church, and +made up her mind to tell Johnnie that she should leave him at home +with the babies unless he changed his ways. Little David went on +most steadily with his Prayer-Book, and scarcely looked off it till +the sermon, when he fell asleep. + +Miss Fosbrook had one pleasure as she was going home. The children +had all gone on some steps before her, chattering eagerly among +themselves, when Sam turned back and said abruptly, "Miss Fosbrook, +you didn't mind THAT, I hope?" + +"What those boys were saying? It depends on you whether you make me +mind it." + +"I don't mean to make any rows if I can help it," said Sam. + +"I am sure I hope you will be able to help it! I don't know what I +should do if you did!" + +Sam gave an odd smile with his honest face. "Well, you've got a good +spirit of your own. It would take something to cow you." + +"Pray don't try!" + +Sam laughed, and said, "I did promise Papa to be conformable." + +"And I was very much obliged to you yesterday evening. The behaviour +of the other boys depends so much on you." + +"Yes, I know," said Sam; "and I don't mind it so much now I see you +can stand up for yourself." + +"Besides, what would it be if I had to write to your father that I +could not manage such a bear-garden?" + +"I'll take care that sha'n't happen," exclaimed Sam. "It would +hinder all the good to Mamma! I'll tell you what," he added, after a +confidential pause, "if we get beyond you, there's Mr. Carey." + +"I thought you did not mean to get beyond me." + +Sam looked a little disconcerted, and it struck her that, though he +would not say so, he was doubtful whether the Greville influence +might not render Henry unmanageable; but he quickly gave it another +turn. "Only you must not plague us about London manners." + +"I don't know what you mean by London manners. Do you mean not +bawling at tea? for I mean to insist upon that, I assure you, and I +want you to help me." + +"Oh! not being finikin, and mincing, and nonsensical!" + +"I hope I'm not so!" said Miss Fosbrook, laughing heartily; "but I'll +tell you one thing, Sam, that I do wish you would leave off--and that +is teazing. I don't know whether that is country manners, but I +don't like to see a sensible kind fellow like you just go out of your +way to say something mortifying to a younger one." + +"You don't know," said Sam. "It is fun. They like it." + +"If they really like it, there is no objection. I know I should like +very much to have my brother here quizzing me; but you know very well +there are two sorts of such fun, and one that is only sport to the +stronger side." + +"Bessie is so ridiculous." + +"She is the very one I want to protect. I don't think that teazing +her does any good; it only gives her cross feelings. And she really +has more right on her side than you think. You might be just as +honest and bold if you were less rude and bearish." + +"I can't bear to see her so affected and perked up." + +"It is not affectation. She is really more gentle and quiet than you +are; you don't think it so in your Mamma, and she is like her." + +"Mamma is not like Bessie." + +"And then about Davy. How could you go and stop the poor little boy +when he was trying to think and feel rightly?" + +"He was so funny," repeated Sam. + +"I hope you will think another time whether your fun is safe and +kind." + +"One can't be so particular," he said impatiently. + +"I am sorry to hear it. I thought the only way to do right was to be +particular." + +He grunted, and flung away from her. She was vexed to have sent him +off in such a mood; but, unmannerly as he was, she saw so much good +in him, that she could not but hope he would be her friend and ally. + +Dinner went off very peaceably, and then Susan fetched her two +darlings from the nursery, George and Sarah, of three years and +eighteen months old. Her great perfection was as a motherly elder +sister; and even Sam was gentle to these little things, and played +with them very nicely. + +Miss Fosbrook reminded Hal of his Collect; but he observed that there +was plenty of time, and continued to stand by the window, pursuing +the flies with his finger, not killing them, but tormenting them and +David very seriously, by making them think he would--not a very +pretty business for the day when all things should be happy, more +like that which is always found "for idle hands to do." + +Evening service-time put an end to this sport; but Miss Fosbrook +could not set off till after a severe conflict with Johnnie. She had +decreed that he should not go again that day, after his behaviour in +the morning; and perhaps he would not have minded this punishment +much if David had not been going, which made him think it a disgrace. +So, in the most independent manner be put on his hat, and was +marching off, when Miss Fosbrook stood in front of him, and ordered +him back. + +He repeated, "I'm going to church." It was plain enough that he had +heard what those boys had said about not submitting. + +"Church is not the place to go to in a fit of wilfulness, Johnnie," +she said; and his sisters broke out, "O Johnnie!" but the naughty +boy, fancying, perhaps, that want of time would lead to his getting +his own way, marched on, sticking up his toes very high in the air. + +Hal laughed. + +"Johnnie, Johnnie dear," entreated Susan, "what would Mamma say?" + +John would not hear, and walked on. + +"John," said Miss Fosbrook, "if you do not come back directly, I must +carry you." + +She had measured her strength with his: he was only eight years old, +and she believed that she could carry him; but he heard the church- +bells ringing, and thought he should have his way. + +She laid hold of him, and he began fighting and kicking, in stout +shoes, whose thumps were no joke. She held fast, but she felt +frightened, and doubtful of the issue of the struggle; and again +there was Hal laughing. + +"For-shame, Henry!" burst out Sam; and the same moment those two feet +were secured, and John was a prisoner. Miss Fosbrook called out to +the rest to go on to church, and she and Sam dragged the boy up to +the nursery, and shut him in there, roaring passionately. + +Nurse Freeman, knowing nothing about it, could not believe but that +the stranger lady had made her child naughty, and said something +about their Mamma letting him go to church; and "when the child +wished to go to church, it seemed strange he should not." + +Miss Fosbrook would not defend herself, for she was in great haste; +but Sam exclaimed, "Stuff! he was as naughty as could be all this +morning, and only wanted to go now because he was told not." + +Johnnie bellowed out something else, but Miss Fosbrook would not let +Sam go on; she touched his arm, and drew him off with her, he +exclaiming, "Foolish old Freeman! she will pet and spoil him all +church-time, till he is worse than ever." + +It was lucky for her that she was too much hurried to dwell on this +vexation; she almost ran to save herself from being late, and +scarcely heard Sam's mutterings about wishing to break Martin +Greville's head. + +"You need not hurry so much," he said; "there's a shorter cut, only I +suppose you can't get through a gap." + +"Can't I?" she laughed; and he led her on straight through the Short- +horns. Some of them looked at her more than she fancied, but she +knew she might give up all hopes of Sam if he detected her fears. +Then came the gap, where a tree had been cut down in the hedge, and +such a jump down from it! But she gathered up her muslin, and made +her leap so gallantly, that the boy cried, + +"Hurrah! well done!" and came and walked close to her, saying +confidentially, "I say, do you think we shall ever do the pig?" + +"I am sure it might be done. If you are likely to do it you must +know better than I." + +"I don't know that I much care about it. It will be rather a bother; +only now we have said it, I shall hate it if we don't do it." + +"I think the pleasure of giving it will be a delightful reward for a +little self-command." + +"Only Hal and the girls will make such a work about it. I'm glad, +after all, that Bessie has nothing to do with it, or she would want +to dress it up in flowers and ribbons. Ha-ha! But what a little +crab it is!" + +"Don't be too sure of that. People may have other designs." + +"Bessie's can't be anything but trumpery." + +"Sometimes present trumpery is a step to something better. 'A was an +Archer' is not very wise, but it is the road to reading--and even if +it were not so, Sam, it is not right to shame people into giving; for +what is not bestowed for the true reasons, does no good to giver nor +to receiver. + +Sam looked up with a frown of attention, as if he were trying to take +in the new light; but he did take it in, and smacking his hands +together with a noise like a pistol-shot, said, "Ay, that's it! We +don't want what is grudged." + +Miss Fosbrook thought of words that would another time be more +familiar to Sam. "Not grudgingly, nor of necessity, for God loveth a +cheerful giver." + +What she said was, "You see, if you plague Bessie too much, to make +her like ourselves, when she is really so different, you are driving +her to the shamming you despise so much." + +"But ought not she to be cured of being silly?" + +"When we have quite made up our minds upon what silliness is. There, +the bell has stopped." + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + + +The most part of church-time Johnnie was eating Nurse Freeman's plum- +cake. Perhaps this did not make him any easier in the conscience, +but he had a very unlucky sentiment, that as he was already naughty +and in disgrace, it was of no use to take the trouble of being good +till he could make a fresh beginning; and after what the Grevilles +had said, he did not think that would be till Papa and Mamma came +home; he did not at all mean to give in to a girl that was not even +twenty. So he would not turn to the only wise thing he could have +done, the learning of his Collect, but he teased Nurse out of more +cake and more, and got what play he could out of little George, and +that was not much, for Johnnie was not in a temper to be pleasant +with a little one. + +Coming home from church, Collects were to be learnt and said before +tea: but Hal, after glancing over his own, took up his cap and said, +"Come along, Sam, Purday will be feeding the pigs; I want to choose +the size of ours." + +"I've not done," said Sam. + +"Papa never said we were to say them to Miss Fosbrook." + +"He meant it though," was all Sam's answer. "Don't hinder me." + +"Well, I've no notion of being bound by what people mean," continued +Hal; and no one could imagine the torment he made himself, neither +going nor staying, arguing the matter with his elder brother, as if +Sam's coming would justify him, and interrupting everyone; till at +last Miss Fosbrook gathered all her spirit, and ordered him either to +sit down and learn properly at once, or to go quite away. She was +very much vexed, for Henry had been the most obliging and good- +natured of all at first, and likely to be fond of her; but such a +great talker could not fail to be weak, and his vanity had been set +against her. He looked saucy at first, and much inclined to resist; +if he had seen any sympathy for him in Sam he might have done so, but +Miss Fosbrook's steady eye was too much for him, so he saved his +dignity, as he thought, by exclaiming, "I'm sure I don't want to stay +in this stuffy hole with such a set of owls; I shall go to Purday." +And off he marched. + +The others stayed, and said their Collects and Catechism very +respectably, all but John, who had not learned the Collect at all, +and was sent into another room to finish it, to which he made no +resistance; he had had enough of actual fighting with Miss Fosbrook. + +Then she offered to read a story to the others, but she found that +this was distasteful even to her friend Sam; he thought it stupid to +be read to, and said he should see after Hal; David trotted after +him, and Susan and Anne repaired to the nursery to play with the +little ones and the baby. She minded it the less, as they all had +some purpose; but she had already been vexed to find that all but +Davy preferred the most arrant vacant idleness to anything rational. +To be sure, Susan sometimes, Bessie and Hal always, would read any +book that made no pretensions to be instructive, but even a fact +about a lion or an elephant made them detect wisdom in disguise, and +throw it aside. She thought, however, she would make the most of +Bessie, and asked whether she would like to hear reading, or read to +herself. + +"To myself," said Bessie; and there was a silence, while Miss +Fosbrook, glad of the quiet, began reading her Christian Year. +Presently she heard a voice so low that it seemed at a distance and +it made her start, for it was saying "Christabel!" then she almost +laughed, for it seemed to have been an audacious experiment, to judge +by little Elizabeth's scared looks and the glow on her cheeks. + +"May I say it sometimes when we are alone together?" she said +timidly. "I do like it so much!" + +"If it is such a pleasure to you, I would not deprive you of it," +said Miss Fosbrook, laughing; "but don't do so, except when we are +alone, for your Mamma would not like me to seem younger still." + +"Oh, thank you! Isn't it a nice secret?" cried Bessie, clinging to +her hand: "and will you let me hug you sometimes?" + +A little love was pleasant to Miss Fosbrook, when she was feeling +lonely, and she took Bessie in her lap, and they exchanged caresses, +to the damage of the collar that Miss Fosbrook's sister had worked +for her. + +"And you don't call me silly?" cried Bessie. + +"That depends," was the answer, with some arch fun; but Bessie had +not much turn for fun, and presently went on - + +"And you saw Ida Greville?" + +"Yes." + +"What did you think of her?" + +"I had not much opportunity of learning what to think." + +"But her parasol, and her bird! Did you think her mama very silly to +give her pretty things?" + +"No, certainly not, unless she wore them at unsuitable times, or +thought too much about them." + +"Ida has so many, she does not think of them at all. And she has +shells, and such a lovely work-box, and picture-books; she has all +she wants." + +"Are you quite sure?" + +"Oh, yes, quite sure! and they don't tease her for liking pretty +things; her brothers keep quite away, and never bother about the +schoolroom; but she learns Italian and German, and drawing and +singing. Mr. Greville said something about our spending the day +there. Oh! if we do but go! Won't you, Miss Fosbrook?" + +"If I am asked, and if your Mamma would wish it." + +"Oh, Mamma always lets us go, except once--when--when--" + +"When what?" + +"When I cried," said Elizabeth, hanging down her head; "I couldn't +help it. It did seem so tiresome here, and she said I was learning +to be discontented; but nobody can help wishing, can they?" + +"There must be a way of not breaking the Tenth Commandment." + +"I don't covet; I don't want to take things away from Ida, only to +have the same." + +"Yes; but what does the explanation at the end of the Duty to our +Neighbour say, filling out that Commandment?" + +"I think I'll go and see what Susie is doing," said Elizabeth. + +Christabel sighed as the little girl walked off, displeased at having +her repinings set before her in a graver light than that in which she +had hitherto chosen to regard them. + +She saw no more of her charges till tea-time, when the bell brought +them from different quarters, Johnnie with such a grimy collar and +dirty hands, that he was a very un-Sunday-like figure, and she would +have sent him away to make himself decent, but that she was desirous +of not over-tormenting him. + +Sunday was always celebrated by having treacle with the bread, so the +butter riot was happily escaped; and Bessie was not in a gracious +mood, and the corners of her mouth provoked the boys to begin on what +they knew would make her afford them sport. Hal first: "I say, Bet, +didn't Purday want his gun to-day at church?" + +Elizabeth put out her lip in expectation that something unpleasant +was intended, and other voices were not slow to ask an explanation. + +"Shooting the cocky-olly birds!" + +A general explosion of laughter. + +"I say (always the preface to the boy's wit), shall I get a jay down +off the barn to stick into your hat, Betty?" + +"Don't, Hal," said such a deplorable offended voice, that Sam, who +had really held his tongue at first, could not help chiming in, + +"No, no; a cock-sparrow, for her London manners." + +"No, that's for me, Sam," said Christabel good-humouredly. "A +London-bred sparrow; a pert forward chit." + +She really had found a safety-valve; the boys were entertained, and +diverted from their attack on their favourite victim, by finding +everyone an appropriate bird; and when they came to "Tomtits" and +"Dishwashers," were so astonished at Miss Fosbrook's never having +seen either, that they instantly fell into the greatest haste to +finish their tea, and conduct her into the garden, and through a +course of birds, eggs, and nests, about which, as soon as she was +assured that there was to be no bird's-nesting, she was very eager. + +Bessie ought to have been thankful that her persecutors were called +off, but she was in a dismal mood, and was taken with a fit of +displeasure that her own Christabel Angela was following the rabble +rout into the garden, instead of staying in the school-room at her +service. + +The reason of her gloom was, that Miss Fosbrook had spoken a word +that she did not choose to take home, and yet which she could not +shake off. So she would neither stay in nor go out cheerfully, and +sauntered along looking so piteous, that Johnnie could not help +making her worse by plucking at her dress, by suddenly twisting her +cape round till the back was in front, and pushing her hat over her +eyes, till "Don't Johnnie," in a dismal whine, alternated with "I'll +tell Miss Fosbrook." + +Christabel did not see nor hear. She had gone forward with a boy on +either side of her, and Susan walking backwards in front, all telling +the story of a cuckoo,--or gowk, as Sara called it in Purday's +language,--which they had found in a water-wagtail's nest in a heap +of stones; how it sat up, constantly gaping with its huge mouth, +while the poor little foster-parents toiled to their utmost to keep +it supplied with caterpillars, and the last time it was seen, when +full-fledged, were trying to lure it to come out of the nest by +holding up green palmers at some little distance before it. This was +in the evening; by morning it was gone, having probably taken flight +at sunrise. + +Miss Fosbrook listened with all the pleasure the boys could desire. +She had read natural history, and looked at birds stuffed in the +British Museum, or alive at the Zoological Gardens, on the rare days +when her father had time to give himself and his children a treat; +and her fresh value and interest in all these country things were +delightful to the boys. + +It was a lovely summer evening. The sun was low enough to make the +shadows long and refreshing, as they lay upon the blooming grass of +the wilderness, softly swaying in the breeze, all pale with its +numerous chaffy blossoms, and varied by the tall buttercups that +raised up their shining yellow heads, or by white clouds of bold- +faced ox-eye daisies. + +The pear-trees were like white garlands; the apple-trees covered with +white blossoms and rosy buds; the climbing roses on the wall were +bursting into blossom; the sky was one blue vault without a cloud. + +Surely Elizabeth had no lack here of what was pretty. Then why did +she lag behind, unseeing, unheeding of all, but peevishly pushing off +John and Anne, thinking that they always teased her worst on Sundays, +and very much discomfited that Miss Fosbrook was not attending to +her? Surely the fault was not altogether in what was outside her. + +"See!" cry the boys. Miss Fosbrook must first look up there, high +upon the side of the house, niched behind that thick stem of the +vine. What, can't she see those round black eyes and little beak? +They see her plain enough. Ah! now she has them. That's a fly- +catcher. By and by they shall be able to show her the old birds +flying round, catching flies on the wing, and feeding the young ones, +all perched in a row. + +Now, can she scramble up the laurels? Yes, she hopes so; though she +wished she had known what was coming, for she would have changed her +Sunday muslin. But a look of anxiety came on Sam's face as he peeped +into the clump of laurels; he signed back the others, sprang upon the +dark scraggy bough of the tree, and Hal called out, + +"Gone! has Ralph been there?" + +"Ay, the black rascal; at least, I suppose so. Not an egg left, and +they would have hatched this week!" + +"Well, Purday calls him his best friend," said Harry. "He says we +should not get a currant or a gooseberry if it wasn't for that there +raven, as Papa won't have the small birds shot." + +"Bring down the nest, Sam," cried Susan; "Georgy will like to have +it." + +The children behind, who never could hear of anything to be had +without laying a claim to it, shouted that they wanted the nest; but +Sam said Sue had spoken first, and they fell back discontented, and +more bent on their unkind sport. Miss Fosbrook was rather shocked at +the tearing out the nest, and asked if the old bird would not have +another brood there; but it was explained that a thrush would never +return to a forsaken nest; and when Sam came down with it in his +hand, she was delighted with the wonderful cup that formed the +lining, so smooth and firm a bason formed of dried mud set within the +grassy wall. She had thought that swallows alone built with mud, and +had to learn that the swallows used their clay for their outer walls, +and down for their lining, whereas the thrush is a regular plasterer. + +Sam promised her another thrush to make up for her disappointment, +and meantime conducted her to a very untidy old summer-house, the +moss of whose roof hung down loose and rough over a wild collection +of headless wooden horses, little ships with torn sails, long sticks, +battered watering-pots, and old garden tools. She was desired to +look up to one of the openings in the ragged moss, and believe that +it housed a kitty wren's family of sixteen or eighteen; but she had +to take this on trust, for to lay a finger near would lead to +desertion; in fact, Sam was rather sorry to be able to point out to +her, on coming out, the tiny, dark, nutmeg, cock-tailed father kitty, +popping in and out of the thorn hedge, spying at the party. + +Now then for a wonder as they came out. Sam waved everybody away-- +nay, waved is a small word for what he did--shouted, pushed, ordered, +would be more like it. He was going to give Miss Fosbrook such a +proof of his esteem as hardly any one enjoyed, not even Hal, twice in +the summer. + +Everybody submitted to his violent demonstrations, and Christabel +followed him to the back of the summer-house. There stood a large +red flower-pot upside down. + +"Now, Miss Fosbrook!" + +Sam's finger hooked into the hole at the top. Off came the flower- +pot, and disclosed something flying off with rushing wings, and +something confused remaining,--a cluster of grey wings all quill, +with gaping yellow mouths here and there opening, a huddling movement +always going on in the forlorn heap, as if each were cold, and wanted +to be undermost. + +"Tits, my tits!" said Sam triumphantly; "they've built their nest +here three years following." + +"But how do they get in and out?" + +"Through the hole. Take care, I'll show you one." + +"Won't you frighten away the bird?" + +"Oh dear no! Ox-eyes aren't like wrens; I go to them every day. +See!" and he took up in his hand a creature that could just be seen +to be intended for a bird, though the long skinny neck was bare, and +the tiny quills of the young wings only showed a little grey +sprouting feather, as did the breast some primrose-coloured down. +Miss Fosbrook had to part with some favourite cockney notions of the +beauty of infant birds, and on the other hand to gain a vivid idea of +what is meant by "callow young." + +Sam quickly put his nestling back, and showed her the parent. She +could hardly believe that the handsome bird in the smooth grey coat +and bright straw-coloured waistcoat, with the broad jet-black line +down the centre, the great white cheeks edged with black, and the +bold knowing look, could be like what the little bits of deformity in +the nest would soon become. + +"Ay, that's an ox-eye," said Sam. "You'll hear them going on peter-- +peter--peter--all the spring." + +But Sam was cut short by a loud and lamentable burst of roaring where +they had left the party. + +Miss Fosbrook hurried back, hearing Hal's rude laugh as she came +nearer, it was Elizabeth, sobbing in the passionate way in which it +is not good to see a child cry, and violently shaking off Susan, who +was begging her to stop herself before Miss Fosbrook should come. + +What WAS the matter? + +"Oh! Betty's nonsense." + +"Johnnie DID--" + +"Johnnie only--" + +"Now, Hal!" + +"Tell-tale!" "Cry-baby!" + +"She only cried that Miss Fosbrook might hear." + +So shouted the little Babel, Bessie sobbing resentfully between her +words, till Miss Fosbrook, insisting that everybody should be quiet, +desired her to tell what had happened. + +"Johnnie--Johnnie called me a toad." + +The others all burst out laughing, and Miss Fosbrook, trying to +silence them with a frown, said it was very rude of John, but she saw +no reason why a girl of Bessie's age should act so childish a part. + +"He's been teasing me, and so has Anne, all this time!" cried Bessie. +"They've been at me ever since I came out, pulling me and plaguing +me, and--" + +"Well," said Susan, "I told you to walk in front of Miss Fosbrook, +where they could not." + +"I didn't do anything to her," said John. + +"Now, Johnnie!" + +"He only pulled her frock and poked her ankles," said Anne pleadingly + +"Only--and why did you do what she did not like?" + +Johnnie looked sturdy and cross. Anne hung her head; and Elizabeth +burst out again, + +"They always do--they always are cross to me! I said I'd tell you, +and now they said Ida was a conceited little toad, and stingy Bet was +another;" and out burst her howls again. + +"A very sad and improper way of spending a Sunday evening," said Miss +Fosbrook, who had really grown quite angry. "Anne and John, I WILL +put an end to this teasing. Go to bed this instant." + +They did not dare to disobey, but went off slowly with sulky +footsteps, muttering to one another that Miss Fosbrook always took +pipy Betty's part; Nurse said so, and they wished Mamma was at home. +And when they came up to the nursery, Nurse pitied them. She had +never heard of a young lady doing such a thing as ordering off two +poor dear children to bed for only just saying a word; but it seemed +there were to be favourites now. No, she could not put them to bed; +they must wait till Mary came in from her walk; she wasn't going to +put herself out of the way for any fine London governess. + +So Johnnie had another conquest over Miss Fosbrook; but Anne was +uncomfortable, and went and sat in a corner, wishing she had had her +punishment properly over, and kicking her brother away when he wanted +to play with her. + +As for Bessie, she only cried the more for Miss Fosbrook's trying to +talk to her. It was a way of hers, perhaps from being less strong +than the others, if once she started in a cry she could not leave +off. + +Susan told Miss Fosbrook so; and the boys tried to drag her on with a +promise of a blackbird's nest; but she thought them unfeeling to such +woeful distress, and first tried to reason with Bessie, then to +soothe her, till at last, finding all in vain, she thought bed the +only place for the child, and led her into the house, helped her, +still shaking with sobs, to undress, and was going to see her lie +down in the bed which she shared with Susan. Elizabeth was still +young enough to say her prayers aloud. The words came out in the +middle of choking sobs, not as if she were much attending to them. +Miss Fosbrook knelt down by her as she was going to rise, and said in +her own words, + +"Most merciful God, give unto this Thy child the spirit of content, +and the spirit of love, that she may bear patiently all the little +trials that hurt and vex her, and win her way as Thy good soldier and +servant. Amen." + +Elizabeth held her breath to listen. It was new and odd. She did +not like to say Amen; she did not know if the governess were not +taking a liberty. Perhaps it was a new way of telling her she was +wrong--Christabel, whom she had thought on her side. + +The bad temper woke up, and would not let her offer a friendly kiss. +She hid her face in the pillow, and as soon as Miss Fosbrook had shut +the door, went off into a fresh gust of piteous sobs, because Miss +Elizabeth Merrifield was the most miserable ill-used child in all the +world. + +She might be one of the most miserable, but it was not because of her +ill-usage, but because she had no spirit to be cheerful, and had +turned away from comfort of the right kind. She was in such a frame +as to prefer thinking everyone against her, to supposing that +anything she could do would mend matters. + +Christabel was much grieved at this unfortunate end to the Sunday +evening. She looked over all the boys' birds' eggs--they were +allowed to keep two of every sort as curiosities--and listened to +some wonderful stories of Henry's about climbing trees, and shooting +partridges, and she kept the remaining children quiet and amused; but +she was not happy in her mind. + +She thought she must have been wrong in not watching them more +closely, and she felt more dislike and indignation against Johnnie +than she feared was altogether right in his governess. Also, she +feared to make too much of Elizabeth, and was almost afraid that +notice taught her to be still more fretful. And yet there was a +sense of being drawn to her by their two minds understanding each +other, by likeness of tastes, by pity, and by a wish to protect one +whom her little world oppressed. + +Nurse Freeman could not be more afraid of Miss Fosbrook making +favourites than she was herself. + +All she could do in the matter was that which she had already done at +Bessie's bedside, and much more fully than when the little girl was +listening to her. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + + +With Monday morning began the earning of the pig. Miss Fosbrook's +first business after prayers was to deal out the week's allowance-- +sixpence to each of the four elders, threepence apiece to the three +younger ones. + +"May there be no fines," she said. + +"I'll not have the hundredth part of a fine!" shouted Henry, tossing +his money into the air. + +Little David's set lips expressed the same purpose. + +"Please let me have a whole sixpence," said Susan. "If I haven't any +change, I sha'n't spend it." + +"You, Sukey! you'd better have the four farthings," laughed Sam. +"You'll be the first to want them." + +Susan laughed; and Miss Fosbrook, partly as an example to the +plaintive Elizabeth, said, "You are so good-humoured, Susie, that I +can't find it in my heart to demand a fine--or--your hair; and +there," pointing to the stout red fingers, "did you ever behold such +a black little row?" + +"Oh dear!" cried Susan, in her good-humoured hearty voice, "how +tiresome, when they were SO clean this morning, and I've only just +been feeding the chicken, and up in the hay-loft for the eggs, and +pulling the radishes!" + +"Well, go and wash and brush, and to-morrow remember the pig," said +Miss Fosbrook, unable to help comparing the radishes and the fingers +for redness and for earthiness. + +It was a more difficult matter when, as Elizabeth put her silver coin +into her purse, John must needs repeat the stupid old joke, "There +goes stingy Bet!" and Bessie put on her woeful appealing face. + +"John, I shall punish you if I hear those words again." + +"I don't mind. Nurse says you have no business to punish me! She +did not put me to bed; and I had such fun! Oh, such fun!" and the +boy looked up with a grin that set all the others laughing. + +Christabel resolutely kept silence, and hoped her looks did not show +her annoyance, as the boy went on, "I got lots of goodies, for Nurse +said she had no notion of no stranger punishing her children. Oh! +Oh! Oh!" For Samuel had hold of his ear, and was tweaking it +sharply. + +"There! Go and tell Nurse, if you like, baby!" + +"Sam, indeed I can't have my battles fought in that way!" cried the +governess, much distressed, as Johnnie roared, perhaps that old Nurse +might hear, and, to all attempts to find out whether he were hurt, +offered only heels and fists, till Susan came back and hugged him +into quiet. + +"Now Johnnie has cried before breakfast on a Monday morning," said +Annie, "all the rest of the week will go wrong with him." + +"Indeed," said Miss Fosbrook, "I hope no such thing.--Suppose we try +and show Annie she is wrong, Johnnie!" + +But Johnnie was sulky, and even Susan looked as if she thought this a +new and dangerous notion. Sam laughed, and said, "I wish you joy, +Miss Fosbrook. Now he'll think he must be naughty." + +"Johnnie," said David solemnly, "the pig." + +The pig was a very good master of the ceremonies, and kept all elbows +off the table at breakfast-time; and Bessie, who was apt to stick +fast in the midst of her bread and milk, and fall into disgrace for +daintiness and dawdling, finished off quietly and prosperously. + +Then every one was turned loose till nine o'clock. Susan had charge +of Mamma's keys, and had to go down to the kitchen, see what the cook +wanted, and put it out, but only on condition that no brother or +sister ever went with her to the store-closet. Susan was highly +trustworthy, but Mamma was too wise to let her be tempted by voices +begging for one plum, one almond, or the last spoonful of Jam. It +took away a great deal of the pleasure of jingling the keys, and +having a voice in choosing the pudding. + +The two elder boys went to their tutor, the other children to the +nursery, except Elizabeth, who was rummaging in her little box, and +David, whom Miss Fosbrook found perched on the ledge of the window, +reading a book that did not look as if it were meant for men of his +size. + +But Miss Fosbrook thought David like the oldest person in the house-- +infinitely older than John, who could do nothing better than he +except running and bawling, and a good deal older than even Hal and +Sam. Nay, there were times when he raised his steady eyes and slowly +spoke out his thoughts, when she felt as if he were much more wise +and serious than her twenty-years old self. + +"Well, Davy," she asked, as at the sound of the lesson-bell the +little old man uncrossed his sturdy legs, closed his book, and arose +with a sigh, "have you found out all about it?" + +"I have found out why a pig is a profitable investment," he answered +gravely. + +"And why?" + +"Because he will feed upon refuse, and fatten upon cheap food," said +David, in the words of his book; "only I can't make out why. Do you +know, Miss Fosbrook?" + +"I don't quite see what you want to know, Davy." + +"I want to know why a pig gets fat on barley-meal, when an ox wants +mange, and oil-cake and hay. I asked Nurse, and she said little boys +mustn't ask questions; and I asked Purday, and he said it was because +pigs is pigs, and oxen is oxen. Why do you think it is, Miss +Fosbrook?" + +"I don't think; I know it is because the great God has made one sort +of creature to be easily fed, and made good for poor people to live +upon," said Miss Fosbrook. + +David's eyes were fixed on her as if he still had questions to ask, +and she was quite afraid of her powers of answering them, for he was +new in the world, and saw the strangeness of many things to which +older people become used by living with them, but which are not the +less strange for all that. + +However, the trampling of many feet put an end to question and +answer, and the day's work had to begin with the Psalms, and reading +the Morning Lessons. Bessie was by far the best reader; and David +did very well, though he made very long stops to look deliberately at +any long new word, and could not bear to be told before he had +mastered it for himself. Even Susan was sadly given to gabbling and +missing the little words that she thought beneath her attention; and +the other two stumbled so horribly, that it was pain to hear them. + +This beginning might be taken as the sign of how all would do their +lessons. It is only a child here and there, generally a lonely one, +to whom lessons can be anything but a toil and an obligation. Even +with clever ones, who may be interested in some part of their study, +some other branch will be disagreeable; and there is nothing in the +whole world to be learnt without drudgery, so it would be +unreasonable to expect lessons to be regarded as delightful; but +there is one thing that is to be expected of any good child--not to +enjoy lessons; not to surpass others; not to do anything surprising; +only to make a conscience of doing what is required as well as +possible. + +Now do not many children seem to think that they are to receive as +little as they can possibly take in without being punished; or that, +if they make any exertion, their teachers ought to be so much obliged +to them, that some great praise or reward is due to them? + +Let us see whether anyone in Stokesley school-room was making a +conscience of the day's tasks. It is not of much use to ask for any +at present in Johnnie--not for a whole week, as Annie would declare; +he does not know his single Latin declension; his spelling, is all +abroad; his geography wild; yet though turned back once, he misses +the fine by just saying his lessons passably the last time. They +perhaps ought, in strict justice, to have been sent back; but Miss +Fosbrook was very glad to be saved the uproar that would have ensued, +and almost wondered whether she were not timidly merciful to the +horrible copy and the greasy slate. But Johnnie had no fine, and was +as proud of it as if he had been a good boy. "She hadn't caught him +out," he said, as if his kind governess had been his enemy. + +As to Annie, her French verbs were always dreadful things to hear, +and the little merry face, usually so bright, used to grow quite +deplorable with the trouble she took not to use her mind. Using her +memory was bad enough, but saying things by heart was an affliction +she was used to, and it was very shocking of Miss Fosbrook to require +her to find out HOW many years Richard II. had reigned, if he began +in 1377 and ended in 1399. Susan prompted her, however; so she +really got a triumph over Miss Fosbrook, and was quite saved from +thinking. Oh, but the teasing woman! she silenced Susan, and would +have this poor injured Annie tell how old the tiresome man was. +"Began to reign at eleven years old, dethroned after twenty-two +years; how old was he?" Annie found bursting out crying easier than +thinking, and then they all cried out, "O Nanny, the pig!" and Miss +Fosbrook had the barbarity to call that FOOLISH crying! What might +one cry for, if not at being asked how old Richard II. was? If the +fine must be paid, there was no use in stopping; so Annie howled till +Miss Fosbrook turned her out to finish on the stairs; and as Nurse +Freeman was out with the little ones, there was no one to comfort +her; so she cried till she was tired, and when the noise ceased, +Susan was allowed to come and coax her, and fetch her back to go on +with her copy, as soon as her hand was steady enough. She felt very +foolish by this time, and thought David eyed her rather angrily and +contemptuously; so she crept quietly to her corner, and felt sad and +low-spirited all the rest of the morning. Now that thirty-three had +come into her head, it seemed so stupid not to have thought of it in +time; and then she would have saved her farthing, and her eyes would +not have been so hot. + +Maybe, too, Susan's French phrases would not have been turned back. +Miss Fosbrook would have given a great deal not to have been obliged +to do it, but she had prompted flagrantly already, and a teacher is +obliged to have a conscience quite as much as a scholar; so the book +was given back, and Susan spent twelve minutes in see-sawing herself, +and going over the sentences in a rapid whispering gabble, a serious +worry to the governess in listening to Bessie's practising and +David's reading, but she thought it would be a hardship to be +forbidden to learn in her own way at that moment, and forbore. David +was interrupted in his "Little Arthur's History," and looked rather +cross about it, for Susan to try again. She made all the same +blunders--and more too! Back again! Poor Susie! Once, twice, +thrice, has she read those stupid words over, and knows less of them +than before. Davy's loud voice will go into her understanding +instead of those French phrases. She looks up in dull stupefaction. + +William Rufus is disposed of, and David, as grave as a judge, is +taking up his slate, looking a little fussed because there is a +scratch in the corner. "Well, Susan," says Miss Fosbrook. + +Susan jumps up in desperation, and puts her hands behind her. Oh +dear! oh dear! all that the gentlemen on a journey were saying to one +another has gone clean out of her head! + +She cannot recollect the three first words. She only remembers that +this is the third time, and another farthing is gone! She stands and +stares. + +"Susan," says Miss Fosbrook severely, "you never tried to learn +this." + +Susan gives a little gasp; and Elizabeth, who has said her French +without a blunder, puts in an unnecessary and not very sisterly word: +"Susan never will learn her French." + +Susan's honest eyes fill with tears, but she gulps them back. She +will not cry away another farthing, but she does feel it very cross +in Bessie, and she is universally miserable. + +Christabel feels heated, wearied, and provoked, and as if she were +fast losing her own temper; and that made her resolve on mercy. + +"Susie," she said with an effort, "run twice to the great lime-tree +and back. Then take the book into my room, read this over three +times, and we will try again." + +Susan looked surprised, but she obeyed, came back, and repeated the +phrases better than she had ever said French before. She was +absolutely surprised and highly pleased, and she finished off her +other lessons swimmingly; but oh, she was glad to be rid of them! +Yes, they were off her mind, and so she deserved that they should be! +She flew away to the nursery, and little Sarah was soon crowing in +her arms. + +Elizabeth? Not a blunder in French verbs or geography--very tidy +copy. French reading good; English equally so, only it ended in a +pout, because there was not time for her to go on to see what became +of Carthage; and she was a most intolerable time in learning her +poetry out of the book of Readings, or rather she much preferred +reading the verses in other parts of the book to getting perfect in +her lesson, and then being obliged to turn her mind to arithmetic. +Miss Fosbrook called her three times; and at last she turned round +peevishly at being interrupted in the middle of the "Friar of Orders +Gray," and repeated her twenty lines of Cowper's "Winter's Walk" in a +doleful whine, though without a blunder. + +It was one of the horrible novelties that Miss Fosbrook was bringing +in, that she expected people to understand their sums as well as work +them. She gave much shorter ones, to be sure, than Mamma, who did +sometimes set a long multiplication sum of such a huge size, that it +looked as if it were meant to keep the victim out of the way; but who +would not prefer casting up any length of figures, to being required +to explain the meaning of "carrying"? + +Really, if it had not been for the pig, that shocking question might +have led to a mutiny in the school-room. When it was bad enough to +do the thing, how could anyone ask what was meant by the operation, +and why it was performed? + +What did Bessie do when her sum was being overlooked? Miss Fosbrook +read on: "4 from 8, 4; 7 from 1--how's this, Bessie? 7 from 10 are- +-" + +"3, and 1 are 4," dolorously, as her 3 was changed. + +"Now then, what next?" + +"Carry one." + +"What did I tell you was meant by carry one?" + +"The tens," said Bessie, not in the least thinking "the tens" had +anything to do with the matter, but only that she had heard something +about them, and could thus get rid of the subject. + +"Now, Bessie, what tens can you possibly mean? Think a little." + +"I'm sure you said tens once," said injured innocence. + +"That was in an addition sum. See, here it is quite different. I +told you." + +Bessie put on a vacant stare. She was not going to attend to what +she did not like. + +Miss Fosbrook saw the face. She absolutely shrank from provoking +another fit of crying, and went quickly through the explanation. She +saw that her words might as well have been spoken to the slate. +Bessie neither listened nor took them in. Not all her love for her +dear Christabel Angela could stir her up to make one effort contrary +to her inclinations. The slate was given back to her, she wiped out +the sum in a pet, and ran away. + +Miss Fosbrook turned round, David, whose lessons had been perfectly +repeated an hour ago, was sitting cross-legged in the window, with +his slate and pencil, and a basket of bricks, his great delight, +which he was placing in rows. + +"Miss Fosbrook," said he, "isn't this it? Twelve bricks; take away +those seven, then--l, 2, 3, 4, 5--the twelve is only 5: the 10 is +gone, isn't it? so you must leave one out of the next figure in the +upper line of the sum." + +Now Davy had only begun arithmetic on the governess's arrival, but he +had learnt numeration and addition in her way. She was so delighted, +that she stooped down and kissed him, saying, "Quite right, my little +man." + +Davy rather disapproved of the kiss, and rubbed his brown-holland +elbow over his face, as if to clear it off. + +"Well," thought Christabel, as she hurried away for five minutes' +peace in her own room before the dinner-bell, "it is a comfort to +have one pupil whose whole endeavour is not to frustrate one's +attempts to educate him." + +Poor young thing! that one little bit of sense had quite cheered her +up. Otherwise she was not one whit less weary than the children. +She had been learning a very tough lesson too--much harder than any +of theirs; and she was not at all certain that she had learnt it +right. + +Now, readers, of all the children, who do you think had used the most +conscience at the lessons? + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + + +What an entirely different set of beings were those Stokesley +children in lesson-time and out of it! Talk of the change of an old +thorn in winter to a May-bush in spring! that was nothing to it! + +Poor, listless, stolid, deplorable logs, with bowed backs and crossed +ankles, pipy voices and heavy eyes! Who would believe that these +were the merry, capering, noisy creatures, full of fun and riot, +clattering and screeching, and dancing about with ecstasy at Sam's +information that there was a bonfire by the potato-house! + +"A bonfire!" said the London governess, thinking of illuminations; +"what can that be for?" + +"Oh, it is not FOR anything," said Susan; "it is Purday burning +weeds. Don't you smell them? How nice they are! I was afraid it +was only Farmer Smith burning couch." + +All the noses were elevated to scent from afar a certain smoky odour, +usually to be detected in July breezes, and which reminded Miss +Fosbrook of a brick-field. + +"Potatoes! Potatoes! We'll roast some potatoes, and have them for +tea!" bellowed all the voices; so that Miss Fosbrook could hardly +find a space for very unwillingly saying, + +"But, my dears, I don't know whether I ought to let you play with +fire." + +"Oh, we always do," roared the children; and Susan added, + +"We always roast potatoes when there's a bonfire. Mamma always lets +us; it is only Purday that is cross." + +"Yes, yes; Mamma lets us." + +"Well, if Sam and Susan say it is right, I trust to them," said Miss +Fosbrook gladly; "only you must let me come out and see what it is. +I am too much of a Londoner to know." + +"Oh yes; and we'll roast you some potatoes." + +So the uproarious population tumbled upstairs, there to be invested +with rougher brown-holland garments than those that already concealed +the sprigged cottons of the girls; and when the five came down again, +they were so much alike in dress, that it was not easy to tell girls +from boys. Susan brought little George down with her, and off the +party set. Sam and Hal, who had been waiting in the hall, took Miss +Fosbrook between them, as if they thought it their duty to do the +honours of the bonfire, and conducted her across the garden, through +the kitchen-garden, across which lay a long sluggish bar of heavy and +very odorous smoke, to a gate in a quickset hedge. Here were some +sheds and cart-houses, a fagot pile, various logs of timber, a +grindstone, and--that towards which all the eight children rushed +with whoops of ecstasy--a heap of smoking rubbish, chiefly dry +leaves, and peas and potato haulm, with a large allowance of cabbage +stumps--all extremely earthy, and looking as if the smouldering smoke +were a wonder from so mere a heap of dirt. + +No matter! There were all the children round it, some on their +knees, some jumping; and voices were crying on all sides, + +"O jolly, jolly!" "I'll get some potatoes!" "Oh, you must have some +sticks first, and make some ashes." "There's no flame--not a bit!" +"Get out of the way, can't you? I'll make a hot place." "We'll each +have our own oven, and roast our own potatoes!" "Don't, Sam; you're +pushing me into the smoke!" + +This of course was from Elizabeth; and there followed, "Don't, +Bessie, you will tread upon Georgie.--Yes, Georgie, you SHALL have a +place." + +"Sticks, sticks!" shouted Henry; while Sam was on his knees, poking +out a species of cavern in the fire, where some symptoms of red +embers appeared, which he diligently puffed with his mouth, feeding +it with leaves and smaller chips in a very well practised way. +"Sticks, Annie! Johnnie! Davy! get sticks, I say, and we'll make an +oven." + +Annie obeyed; but the two little boys were intent on imitating Sam on +another side of the fire, and Johnnie uttered a gruff "Get 'em +yourself," while David took no notice at all. + +Perhaps Hal would have betaken himself to no gentle means if Susan +had not hastily put in his way a plentiful supply of dead wood, which +she had been letting little George think he picked up all himself; +and there was keen excitement, which Christabel could not help +sharing, while under Sam's breath the red edges of the half-burnt +chip glowed, flushed, widened, then went sparkling doubtfully, +slowly, to the light bit of potato-stalk that he held to it, glowing +as he blew--fading, smoking, when he took breath. Try again--puff, +puff, puff diligently; the fire evidently has a taste for the +delicate little shaving that Annie has found for it; it seizes on it; +another--another; a flame at last. Hurrah! pile on more; not too +much. "Don't put it out!" Oh, there! strong flame--coming crackling +up through those smothering heaps of stick and haulm; it won't be +kept down; it rises in the wind; it is a red flaring banner. The +children shriek in transports of admiration, little George loudest of +all, because Susan is holding him tight, lest he should run into the +brilliant flame. Miss Fosbrook is rather appalled, but the children +are all safe on the windward side, and seem used to it; so she +supposes it is all right, and the flame dies down faster than it +rose. It is again an innocent smouldering heap, like a volcano after +an eruption. + +"We must not let it blaze again just yet," said Sam; "keep it down +well with sticks, to make some nice white ashes for the potatoes. +See, I'll make an oven." + +They were all stooping round this precious hot corner, some kneeling, +some sitting on the ground, David with hands on his sturdy knees--all +intent on nursing that creeping red spark, as it smouldered from chip +to chip, leaving a black trace wherever it went, when through the +thick smoke, that was like an absolute curtain hiding everything on +the farther side, came headlong a huge bundle of weeds launched +overwhelmingly on the fire, and falling on the children's heads in an +absolute shower, knocking Johnnie down, but on a soft and innocent +side of the fire among the cabbage-stumps, and seeming likely to bury +Sam, who leant over to shelter his precious oven, and puffed away as +if nothing was happening, amid the various shouts around him, in +which "Purday" was the most audible word. + +"Ah, so you've got at he, after all," said Purday, leaning on the +fork with which he had thrown on the weeds. "Nothing is safe from +you." + +"What, you thought you had a new place, Purday, and circumvented us!" +cried Hal; "but we smelt you out, you old rogue; we weren't going to +be baulked of our bonfire." + +Miss Fosbrook here ventured on asking if they were doing mischief; +and Purday answered with an odd gruff noise, "Mischief enough--ay, to +be sure--hucking the fire all abroad. It's what they're always +after. I did think I'd got it safe out of their way this time." + +"Then," in rather a frightened voice, for she felt that it would be a +tremendous trial of her powers, "should I make them come away?" + +"Catch her!" muttered Hal. + +There was horror and disapprobation on Susan's face. Annie stood +with her mouth open; while John, throwing himself on the ground with +fury, rolled over, crying out something about, "I won't," and "very +cross;" and David lay flat on his face, puffing at his own particular +oven, like a little Wind in an old picture. Sam waited, leaning on +the ashen stick that served him as a poker. It was the most +audacious thing he had ever heard. Rob them of their bonfire! Would +that old traitor of a Purday abet her? + +Perhaps Purday was as much astonished as the rest; but, after all, +much as the children tormented his bonfires, overset his haycocks, +and disturbed his wood-pile, he did not like anyone to scold them but +himself, much less the new London Lady; so he made up an odd sort of +grin, and said, "No, no, Ma'am, it ain't that they do so much harm; +let 'em bide;" and he proceeded to shake on the rest of his +barrowful, tumbling the weeds down over David's cherished oven in +utter disregard; but the children cried with one voice, "Hurrah! +hurrah! Purday, we don't do any harm, so don't ever grumble again. +Hurrah!" + +"And I don't care for HER, the crosspatch," said Johnnie to Annie, +never hearing or heeding Miss Fosbrook's fervent "I am so glad!" + +And as long as the foolish boy remembered it, he always did believe +that Miss Fosbrook was so cross as to want to hinder them from their +bonfire, only Purday would not let her. + +Miss Fosbrook did not trouble herself to be understood; she was +relieved to have done her duty, and be free to rejoice in and share +the pleasure. She ran about and collected materials for Sam till she +was out of breath, and joined in all the excitement as the fire +showed symptoms of reviving, after being apparently crushed out by +Purday. Sam and Susan, at least, believed that she had only spoken +to Purday because she thought it right; but even for them to forgive +interference with their bonfire privileges was a great stretch. + +At last she thought it time to leave them to their own devices, and +seize the moment for some quiet reading; but she had not reached the +house before little steps came after her, and she saw Elizabeth +running fast. + +"They are so tiresome," she said. "Sam won't let me stand anywhere +but where the smoke gets into my eyes, and George plagues so! May I +come in with you, dear Christabel?" + +"You are very welcome," said Miss Fosbrook, "but I am sorry to hear +so many complaints." + +"They are so cross to me," said Bessie; "they always are." + +"You must try to be cheerful and good-humoured with them, and they +will leave off vexing you." + +"But may I come in? It will be a nice time for my secret." + +Christabel saw little hope for her intended reading, but she was +always glad of a space for making Bessie happy, so she kindly +consented to the bringing out of the little girl's treasury, and the +dismal face grew happy and eager. The subjects of the drawings were +all clear in her head; that was not the difficulty, but the +cardboard, the ribbon, the real good paints. One little slip of card +Miss Fosbrook hunted out of her portfolio; she cut a pencil of her +own, and advised the first attempt to be made upon a piece of paper. +The little bird that Bessie produced was really not at all bad, and +her performance was quite fair enough to make it worth while to go +on, since Miss Fosbrook well knew that mammas are pleased with works +of their children, showing more good-will than skill. For why? +Their value is in the love and thought they show. + +The little bird was made into a robin with the colours in a paint-box +that Bessie had long ago bought; but they were so weak and muddy, +that the result was far from good enough for a present, and it was +agreed that real paints must be procured as well as ribbon. Miss +Fosbrook offered to commission her sisters to buy the Prussian blue, +lake, and gamboge in London, and send them in a letter. This was a +new idea to Bessie, and she was only not quite decided between the +certainty that London paints must be better than country ones, and +the desire of the walk to Bonchamp to buy some; but the thought that +the ribbon, after all, might be procured there, satisfied her. The +little doleful maid was changed into an eager, happy, chattering +child, full of intelligence and contrivance, and showing many pretty +fancies, since there was no one to tease her and laugh at her; and +her governess listened kindly and helpfully. + +Miss Fosbrook could not help thinking how much happier her little +companion would have been as an only child, or with one sister, and +parents who would have made the most of her love of taste and +refinement, instead of the hearty busy parents, and the rude brothers +and sisters, who held her cheap for being unlike themselves. But +then she bethought her, that perhaps Bessie might have grown up vain +and affected, had all these tastes been petted and fostered, and that +perhaps her little hardships might make her the stronger, steadier, +more useful woman, instead of living in fancies. It was the +unkindness on one side, and the temper on the other, that made Miss +Fosbrook uneasy. + +The work had gone on happily for nearly an hour, and Bessie was +copying a forget-me-not off a little painted card-board pincushion of +her own, when steps were heard, little trotting steps, and Susan came +in with little George. He had been pushed down by Johnnie, and was +rather in a fretful mood; and Susan had left all her happy play to +bring him in to rest and comfort him, coming to the school-room +because Nurse Freeman was out. Before Elizabeth had time to hide +away her doings, George had seen the bright pincushion, and was +holding out his hands for it. Bessie hastily pocketed it. George +burst out crying; and Susan, without more ado, threw herself on her +sister, and, pinioning Bessie's slight arm by the greater strength of +her firm one, was diving into her pocket in spite of her struggles. + +"Susan, leave off," said Miss Fosbrook; "let your sister alone. She +has a right to do what she likes with her own." + +"It is so cross in her," said Susan, obeying however, but only to +snatch up little George, and hug and kiss him. "Poor dear little +man! is Betty cross to him? There! there! come with Sue, and SHE'LL +get him something pretty." + +"Susie, Susie, indeed it's only that I don't want him to spoil it," +said Elizabeth, distressed. + +"A foolish thing like that! Why, the only use of it is to please the +children; but you are just such a baby as he is," said Susan, still +pitying George. + +"You had better put your things away, Bessie," said Miss Fosbrook, +interfering to stop the dispute; and as soon as Elizabeth was gone, +and George a little pacified by an ivory ribbon-measure out of Miss +Fosbrook's work-box, she observed to Susan, "My dear, you must not +let your love for the little ones make you unjust and unkind to +Bessie." + +"She always is so unkind to them," said Susan resentfully. + +"I don't think she feels unkindly; but if you tyrannize over her, and +force her to give way to them, you cannot expect her to like it." + +"Mamma says the elder must give way to the younger," said Susan. + +"You did not try whether she would give way." + +"No, because I knew she wouldn't; and I could not have my little +Georgie vexed." + +"And I could not see my little Susie violent and unjust," said Miss +Fosbrook cheerfully. "Justice first, Susan; you had no right to rob +Bessie for George, any more than I should have to give away a dinner +of your papa's because he had refused a beggar." + +"Papa never would," said Susan, rather going off from the point. + +"Very likely; but do you understand me, Susan? I will not have +Bessie FORCED out of her rights for the little ones. Not Bessie +only, but nobody is to be tyrannized over; it is not right." + +"Bessie is so nonsensical," was all Susan said, looking glum. + +"Very likely she may seem so to you; but if you knew more, you would +see that all is not nonsense that seems so to you. Some people would +admire her ways." + +"Yes, I know," said Susan. "Mrs. Greville told Mrs. Brownlow that +Bessie was the only one among us that was capable of civilisation; +but Mrs. Greville is a fine lady, and we always laugh at her." + +"And now," as Bessie returned, "you want to go out to your play +again, my dear. Will you leave Georgie with us?" + +Susan was a little doubtful about trusting her darling with anyone, +especially one who could take Bessie's part against him; but she +wished exceedingly to be present at the interesting moment of seeing +whether the potatoes were done enough, and George was perfectly +contented with measuring everything on the ribbon, so she ran quickly +off, without the manners to thank Miss Fosbrook, but to assure the +rest of the party that the governess really was very good-natured, +and that she would save her biggest and best potato for Miss +Fosbrook's tea. + +Christabel managed very happily with little George, though not quite +without offending Elizabeth, who thought it very hard to be desired +to put away her painting instead of tantalizing her little brother +with the sight of what he must not have. Miss Fosbrook could not +draw her into the merry game with little George, which made his +shouts of glee ring out through the house, and meet Nurse Freeman's +ear as she came in-doors with the baby, and calling at the school- +room door, summoned him off to his tea, as if she were in a pet with +Miss Fosbrook for daring to meddle with one of HER own nursery +children. + +Nothing more was heard of the others, and Christabel and Elizabeth +both read in peace till the tea-bell rang, and they went down and +waited and waited, till Miss Fosbrook accepted Bessie's offer of +going out to call the rest. But Bessie returned no more than the +rest; and the governess set forth herself, but had not made many +steps before the voices of the rabble rout were heard, and they all +were dancing and clattering about her, while Susan and Hal each +carried aloft a plate containing articles once brown, now black, and +thickly powdered with white ashes, as were the children themselves up +to their very hair. + +As a slight concession to grown-up people's prejudices, they did, at +the risk of their dear potatoes getting cold, scamper up to perform a +species of toilette, and then sat down round the tea-table, Susie, +David, and Sam each vociferous that Miss Fosbrook should eat "my +potato that I did on purpose for her." Poor Miss Fosbrook! she would +nearly as soon have eaten the bonfire itself as those cinder-coated +things, tough as leather outside, and within like solid smoke. +Indeed the children, who had been bathing in smoke all day, had +brought in the air of it with them; but their tongues ran fast on +their adventures, and their taste had no doubt that their own bonfire +potatoes were the most perfect cookery in art! Miss Fosbrook picked +out the most eatable bits of each of the three, and managed to +satisfy the three cooks, all zealous for their own. Other people's +potatoes might be smoky, but each one's own was delicious--"quite +worthy of the pig when he was bought," thought Miss Fosbrook; but she +made her real pleasure at the kind feeling to cover her dislike of +the black potatoes, and thus pleased the children without being +untrue. + +"Line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a +little." That is the way habits are formed and characters made; not +all at once. So there had been an opportunity for Susan to grow +confirmed in her kindness and unselfishness, as well as to learn that +tyranny is wrong, even on behalf of the weak; and Bessie, if she +would take home the lesson, had received one in readiness to be +cheerful, and to turn from her own pursuits to oblige others. +Something had been attempted toward breaking her habit of being +fretful, and thinking herself injured. It remained to be seen +whether the many little things that were yet to happen to the two +girls would be so used as to strengthen their good habits or their +bad ones. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + + +It is not worth while to go on describing every day at Stokesley, +since lessons were far too much alike; and play-times, though varied +enough for the house of Merrifield, might be less entertaining to the +readers. + +Enough to say, that by Saturday afternoon John had not only forfeited +his last farthing, but was charged with another into next week, for +the poor pleasure of leaving his hat on the school-room floor because +Elizabeth had told him of it. At about four o'clock it set in for +rain, catching the party at some distance from home, so that, though +they made good speed, the dust turned into mud, and clung fast to +their shoes. + +David, never the best runner, was only in time to catch Johnnie by +the skirt upon the third step of the staircase, crying out, "The +pig!" but Johnnie, tired of the subject, and in a provoking mood, +twitched away his pinafore, crying, "Bother the pig!" and rushed up +after the four who had preceded him, leaving such lumps of dirt on +the edge of every step, that when Miss Fosbrook came after with +Elizabeth she could not but declare that a shower was a costly +article. + +"You see," observed Susan, "when it's such fine weather it puts one's +feet out of one's head." + +While Sam, Henry, and Bessie were laughing at Susan for this speech, +little George trotted in, crying out, "Halty man come, Halty man +come; Georgie want sweetie!" + +"The Gibraltar man!" cried John and Annie with one voice, and they +were at the bottom of the stairs with a bound. + +"Oh, send him away, send him away. They'll spend all their money, +and there will be none left!" was David's cry; while George kept +dragging his eldest sister's frock, with entreaties of "Susie, Susie, +come." + +"They call him the Gibraltar man, because he sells Gibraltar rock, +and gingerbread, and all those things," said Henry in explanation. +"We have always dealt with him; and he is very deserving; and his +wife makes it all--at least I know she makes ginger-beer--so we must +encourage him." + +So Henry hastened downstairs to encourage the Gibraltar man; and +Susan, saying soothingly, "Yes, yes, Georgie;--never mind Davie, +we'll make up for it; I can't vex him," had taken the little fellow +in her arms and followed. + +"Pigs enough here, without sending to the fair," muttered Sam. + +"Please, Sam, please, Miss Fosbrook, send the Gibraltar man away, and +don't let him come," cried David quite passionately. "Nasty man! he +will come every Saturday, and they'll always spend all their money." + +"But, my friend," said Miss Fosbrook good-humouredly, "suppose we +have no right to banish the Gibraltar man?" + +"_I_ don't wan't him," said Bessie; "it makes my fingers sticky." + +"You're no good," said David vehemently. "I don't like you, and I +hate the Gibraltar man, taking away all our money from poor Hannah." + +"Gently, gently, Davie; nobody makes you spend your money; and +perhaps the poor man has children of his own who want food as much as +Hannah's do." + +"Then can't they eat the Gibraltar rock and bulls' eyes?" + +Sam suggested that this diet would make them sick; to which poor +little earnest David answered, that when once the pig was bought, he +would give all his money for a whole month to the Gibraltar man, if +he would not come for the next four weeks. + +And Christabel thought of what she had once read, that people would +often gladly put away from their children friends the very trials +that are sent by Heaven to prove and strengthen their will and power +of resisting self-indulgence. Before she had quite thought it out, +the quick steps were back again, and Sam greeted the entrance of John +thus: "Well, if that isn't a shame! Have you been and done Sukey +out of all that, Jack?" + +"It was only three bulls' eyes," said Susan, following. "You know he +had nothing of his own, and it was so hard, and Annie gave him some." + +"And Nurse some," added Hal. "Trust Jackie for taking care of +himself." Well he might say so, considering how full were John's +mouth, hands, and pockets. + +"And Davie has had nothing!" said kind Susan. "Here, Davie!" holding +out to him an amber-like piece of barley-sugar. + +"I don't want your stuff," said David roughly. "You've spent all +away from the pig." + +"No, Davie, indeed, only twopence," said Susan; "pray have a bit." + +"You might at least say thank you," said Miss Fosbrook. + +But how difficult is that middle road which is the only right one! +David, being too much set on one single purpose, good though it was, +could see nothing else. It was right and generous to abstain from +sweets with this end in view; but it was wrong to be rude and +unthankful to the sister who meant all so kindly, and was the most +unselfish of all. She turned round to Elizabeth with the kind offer +of the dainty she had not even tasted herself, but was not more +graciously treated. + +"How can you, Susie? it is all pulled about with your fingers." + +This was a matter on which the Misses and Masters Merrifield were not +wont to be particular; and with one of the teasing laughs that Bessie +hated, Sam exclaimed as Susan turned to him, "Yes, thank you, Sukey, +_I_ don't mind finger sauce," but not before John was stretching out +a hand glazed with sugar, and calling out, "Oh, give it to me!" and +as it disappeared in his brother's mouth, he burst out angrily, "How +cross, Sam! You did that on purpose!" + +"Yes," said Sam, "I did; for though pigs on four legs are all very +well, I don't like pigs on two." + +"Here, Jackie, never mind," said Susan, seeing him about to begin to +cry, and offering him her last sugar-plum. + +"I don't want sugar-plums, I want barley-sugar," said John devouring +it nevertheless. + +"I haven't one bit more," said Susan regretfully. + +"Have you had any yourself, Susan?" asked Sam. + +"No; but I didn't want any." + +"Oh then, here Susie, I always keep a reserve," said Henry. "No, no, +not you, Jack; I don't feed little pigs, whatever Susie does." + +And in spite of Susan, both the elder brothers set on John, teasing +him about his greediness, till he burst out crying, and ran away to +the nursery. Miss Fosbrook hated the teasing, but she thought it +served John so rightly, that she would not save him from it; and she +only interfered to remind the others that their fingers would bring +them in for fines unless they were washed before tea. + +"And how much have you spent?" reproachfully asked that rigid young +judge, David; but all the answer he got was a pull by the hair from +Hal, and "Hollo, young one! am I to give my accounts to you?" + +David gravely put up his hand and smoothed his ruffled locks, +repeating, in his manful way, "I want to know what you have left for +the pig?" + +Whereupon Hal laid hold of him, pulled him off the locker, and rolled +him about on the floor like a puppy dog, crying, "I'll tell you what, +if you make such a work about it, I'll spend all my allowance, and +not subscribe at all." + +"Sam!" cried the tormented David, and "Sam!" cried the governess, +really afraid the little boy would be hurt; but Sam only stood +laughing with his back to the shutter, and Christabel herself hurried +to the rescue, to pick Henry off his victim, holding an arm tight, +while the child got up, and ran away to get his hair re-brushed for +tea. + +"Now, Hal, you might have hurt him," argued the governess. + +"Very good thing for him too," said the brothers with one voice. + +She was very much shocked; but when she thought it over she perceived +that though Hal might be to blame, yet in the long run even this +rough discipline might be more useful to her dear little David than +being allowed to take upon him with his elder brothers, and grow +conceited and interfering. + +Miss Fosbrook was not surprised when, next morning, a frightful +bellowing was heard instead of Johnnie being seen, and she learnt +that Master John was in the hands of Nurse Freeman, who was +administering to him a dose in consequence of his having been greatly +indisposed all night. It must be confessed that Christabel was not +very sorry to hear it, nor that Nurse would keep him to herself all +day; for bad company as Johnnie had been on the week-days, he had +been worse on the Sunday. + +And when John came out on Monday, he looked like a different boy; he +had lost his fractious, rebellious look; he spoke as civilly as could +be expected of a small Merrifield, and showed no signs of being set +against his lessons. To be sure it was a bad way of spending a +Sunday, to be laid up with ailments brought on by over-eating; but +even this was better than spending it, like the former one, in wilful +misbehaviour; and John, who knew that Papa, Mamma, brothers, and +sisters all alike detested and despised real greediness, had been +heartily ashamed of himself, both for this and his forfeits. A new +week was a new starting-point, and he meant to spend this one well. +For indeed it is one of the blessings of our lives that we have so +many stages--days, weeks, years, and the like--from each of which we +may make fresh starts, feel old things left behind, and go on to lead +a new life. + +Besides, Johnnie was quite well now; and perhaps no child, so well +brought up, could have been so constantly naughty the whole week +without some degree of ailment, suspected neither by himself nor +others. For this is one of our real troubles, when either young or +old, that sometimes there is a feeling of discomfort and vexation +about us that, without knowing why, makes everything go amiss, causes +everybody else to appear cross, and all tasks, all orders, all +misadventures, to become great grievances. Grown-up people feel this +as well as children; but they have gone through it often enough to +know what is the matter, and they have, or ought to have, more self- +command. But children have yet to learn by experience that the outer +things are not harder and more untoward, so much as that they +themselves are out of sorts. This is poor comfort; and certainly it +is dangerous to say to ourselves that being poorly is any excuse for +letting ourselves be cross, or for not doing our best. If Mrs. +Merrifield had thought so, what miserable lives her husband and +children would have led! No, the way to use the certain fact that +the state of our bodies affects our tempers and spirits, is to say to +ourselves, "Well, if this person or this thing do seem disagreeable, +or if this work, or even this little bit of obedience, be very +tiresome, perhaps it may really be only a fancy of mine, and if I go +to it with a good will, I may work off the notion;" or, "Perhaps I am +cross to-day, let me take good care how I answer." And a little +prayer in our hearts will be the best help of all. Self-command and +goodness will not come by nature as we grow up, but we must work for +them in childhood. + +When the Monday allowances were brought out, and the pig's chance +inquired into, David alone produced his whole sum, untouched by +forfeiture or waste, and dropped it into "Toby Fillpot." Elizabeth +had her entire sixpence; but a penny had been spent on a letter to +Mamma, and she gave but one to the fund, in spite of the black looks +she met from David. Sam had lost a farthing by the shower, and had +likewise bought a queen's head, to write to his father. The rest, +fourpence-three farthings, he paid over. Poor Johnnie! his last +week's naughtiness had exceeded his power of paying fines, and a +halfpenny was subtracted from this week's threepence; while the +Gibraltar man had consumed all that fines had spared to little Annie, +had left Susan only threepence, and Henry but twopence-halfpenny. +This, with twopence that Miss Fosbrook had found in her travelling- +bag, made one shilling and fourpence-farthing--a very poor collection +for one week. David was quite melancholy. + +"Never mind," said Henry; "Mr. Carey's brother, the Colonel, is +coming to stay here the last week in July, and he gives us boys half- +a-sovereign each, so that we might buy a stunning pig all ourselves +twice over." + +"Always? He never did so but once," said Sam. + +"That was the only time he saw us, though," said Hal; "and we were +quite little boys then. I'll tell you what, Sam, he'll give us each +a sovereign this time, and then I'll buy a bow and arrows." + +"Stuff!" said Sam. "I hope he won't." + +"Why not?" + +"I hate it! I hate saying thank you; I shall get out of the way, if +I can." + +"Sam has no manners!" said Hal, turning round to Miss Fosbrook. "To +think that he had rather go without a sovereign or two than say thank +you!" + +"I'M too much of a gentleman to lay myself out for presents!" +retorted Samuel; and the two boys fell on each other, buffeting one +another, all in good part on Sam's side, though there was some temper +and annoyance on Henry's. + +When Sam was out of hearing, Hal discoursed very grandly on the +sovereign he intended Colonel Carey to give him, and the prodigious +things he meant to do with it. A gentleman once gave Osmond Greville +two sovereigns; why should not Colonel Carey be equally liberal? And +to hear the boy, those two sovereigns would buy everything in the +world, from the pig to a double-barrelled gun. David began to grow +hurt, and to fear the Toby fund would be lost in this magnificence; +but Hal assured him that it would be a help, and they should all have +a share in the pig, promising presents to everybody, which Susan and +Annie expected with the more certainty that Sam was never present to +laugh down these fine projects. + +Indeed Miss Fosbrook had laughed at them once or twice, and observed +that she thought money earned or spared a better thing than money +given; and this caused Hal to cease to try to dazzle her, though he +could not give up the pleasure of regaling his sisters in private +with the wonders to be done with Colonel Carey's possible sovereigns. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + + +The second week was prosperous: the treasury made progress; and +Christabel began to feel as if her pupils were not beyond her +management, as at first she had feared. Collectively they were less +uncouth and bearish, not so noisy at their meals, nor so needlessly +rude to one another; and the habit of teasing Elizabeth whenever +there was nothing else to do was greatly lessened. Indeed Sam did +not plague her himself, nor let his brothers do so, unless she +tempted him by some very foolish whine or bit of finery; and in such +eases a little friendly merriment is a sound cure, very unlike the +hateful fault of tormenting for tormenting's sake. + +Nor did Elizabeth give nearly so much cause for their rough laughter, +since Miss Fosbrook had given wholesome food to her tastes and +likings, partly satisfying the longing for variety, beauty, or +interest which had made her discontented and restless. Her head was +full of HER secret, and her pretty plans for her gift. Such lovely +drawings she saw in her mind's eye, such fairies, such delightful +ships, kittens, babies in the cradle! But when the pencil was in her +hand, the lines went all ways but the right; her fairy was a grimy +little object, whose second wing could never be put on; the ships +were saucers; the kitten might have been the pig; the baby was an owl +in an ivy-bush; and to look at the live baby in the cradle only +puzzled her the more. Miss Fosbrook gave her real drawing lessons; +but boxes, palings, and tumble-down sheds, done with a broad black +pencil, did not seem to help her to what she wished. Yet sometimes +her fingers produced what surprised and pleased herself and +Christabel; and she never was happier than when safely shut into Miss +Fosbrook's bed-room with her card and her paints. She used to bolt +herself in, with a little parade of mystery that made Annie +exceedingly curious, though the others generally let it alone as +"Betty's fancy." + +Christabel wanted to learn botany for her own pleasure. She found a +book which Susan and Bessie pronounced to be horridly stupid (indeed +Annie called it nasty, and was reproved for using such a word), but +when the information in it was minced up small, and brought out in a +new form, Bessie enjoyed it extremely. The whole party were +delighted to gather flowers for Miss Fosbrook--the wetter or the +steeper places they grew in the better; but the boys thought it +girlish to know the names; and Susan, though liking gardening, did +not in the least care for the inside of a flower. Elizabeth, +however, was charmed at the loveliness that was pointed out to her; +and even Annie, when the boys were not at hand, thought it very +entertaining to look at petals, stamens, and pistils, and to see that +a daisy is made up of a host of tiny flowers. Both little sisters +were having their eyes opened to see some of the wonder and some of +the glory of this earth of ours. It made Bessie much less often +tired of everything and everybody; though after all there is but one +spirit that is certain never to be weary or dissatisfied, and into +that she had yet to grow. + +Fines were much less frequent: there were no foolish tears; only one +lesson of John's turned back, two of Annie's, one of Susan's; some +unbrushed hair of Susan's too--an unlucky mention of the raven by +Annie in lesson-time--and some books left about by Sam. Henry's +fines were the serious ones: he had two for incorrect sums, one for +elbows on the table, three for talking, one for not putting his +things away; and besides, he COULD NOT go without a pennyworth of +string; and the Grevilles would have laughed at him if he had not +bought some more marbles. + +But what did that signify when Colonel Carey was coming? and a +sovereign would buy a pig three times over--at least, if it was quite +a little one. Christabel wished the hope of that sovereign had never +occurred to him, for he seemed to think it quite set him free from +the little self-restraints by which the others were earning the +pleasure of making the gift; and though he still talked the most +about the pig, he denied himself the least for it. + +One evening the boys came in with a great piece of news. Their tutor +had read in the paper that Admiral Penrose was appointed to the +Ramilies, to take command in the Mediterranean. He was a great +friend of their father, and, said the boys, was most likely to make +him his flag-captain. + +"And me a naval cadet!" said Hal. "He said he would, when he was +here!" + +"One of you, he said," put in Susan. + +"I know it will be me!" said Hal. "He looked at the rigging of my +frigate, and said I knew all the ropes quite well; and he told Papa +he might be proud of such a son!" + +"Oh! oh!" groaned the aggrieved multitude. + +"Well--such a family; but he was looking at me; and I know he will +give me the appointment; and I shall sail in his ship--you'll see. +And when I get to the Mediterranean, I'll tell you what I'll do--I +shall kill a shark all my own self!" + +"A shark in the Mediterranean!" + +"Well, why shouldn't they get in by the Straits of Magellan? Oh! is +that the other place? Well, never mind--I'll shoot the shark." + +"Stuff, Hal!" said Sam rather gruffly. + +Hal went off on another tack. "Well, at least he has set me down by +this time; and Papa will have me up to London for my outfit." + +"I hope you will have leave, and come and see us," said Annie. + +"I'll try; but, you see, I shall be an officer on duty, and I dare +say Admiral Penrose will hardly be able to spare me; but I'll send +you all presents out of my pay." + +"You'll spend all your pay on yourself," said David. + +"Out of my prize-money then." + +"You can't get prize-money without a war," said Elizabeth. + +"Oh! don't let there be a war!" cried Susan. + +"Yes, but there is!" said Harry in a tremendous tone; and as Miss +Fosbrook held up her hands, "at least there was one in the Black Sea; +and I know there was a battle in the newspaper--at least, Mr. Carey +read about Palermo." + +"I don't think Garibaldi in Sicily will put much prize-money into +your pocket, Hal," said Miss Fosbrook. + +"Oh! but there's sure to be a war! and I shall get promoted, and be a +man before any of you. I shall go about, and see condors, and lions, +and elephants, and wear a sword--at least, a dirk--while you are +learning Latin and Greek at Uncle John's!" + +"Don't make such a noise about it!" said Sam crossly. + +"I don't know why you should be the one to go," said Elizabeth. "Sam +is the eldest." + +"Yes; but Sam is such a slow-coach. Papa said I was the only one fit +to make a sailor of--at least, he said I was smart, and--Hollo! Sam, +I won't have you kicking my legs!" + +"Don't keep up such a row then!" growled Sam; but Hal was in too full +swing to be reached by slight measures. He pushed his chair back, +tucked up his feet like a tailor's, out of reach, and went on: "Then +I shall come home in my cocked hat, like Papa's--at least, my cap-- +and come and ask for a holiday for you all at Uncle John's." + +Uncle John was an under-master at one of the great public schools, +and the children were all a good deal in awe of him. + +"Uncle John won't give one for YOU!" said Sam. + +"Come, boys, I can't have this bickering," said Miss Fosbrook. "I +can't see you trying which can be most provoking. Stand up. Now, +David, say grace. There, Annie, finish that bit of bread out of +doors. Go out, and let us have no more of this." + +She spoke now with much less fear of not being minded; and having +seen one of the quarrelsome parties safe out of the school-room, she +went to fetch from her own room a glove that wanted mending; and on +her return found Sam alone there, curled up over his lesson-books on +the locker, looking so gloomy, that she was afraid she had made him +sulky, for which she would have been very sorry, since she had a +respect for him. + +"What is the matter?" she asked; and his "Nothing" did not at all +assure her that he was in a right mood. She doubted whether to leave +him alone; but presently thought he looked more unhappy than ill- +tempered, and ventured to speak. "Have you a hard piece to learn? +Perhaps I could help you." + +He let her come and look at his book; but, to her surprise, he had +before him a very easy problem in Euclid. + +"Indeed, if you only gave your mind to this," she said, "you would +soon make it out." + +"Stupid stuff!" exclaimed Sam. "It is all along of that, and the +rest of it, that I have got to be a land-lubber!" and he threw the +book to the other end of the room. + +"Have you no chance?" said Miss Fosbrook, without taking notice of +this rudeness, for she saw that the boy could hardly contain himself. + +"No! The Admiral did take notice of Hal; and one day when I was slow +at a proposition, my father said I was too block-headed to beat +navigation into, and that Hal is a smart fellow, worth two of me. I +know he is! I know that; only if he would not make such an +intolerable crowing--" + +"Then you wish it very much?" + +"Wish it! Of course I do. Why, my father is a sailor; and I +remember the Fury, and I saw the Calliope--his ship that he had in +the war time. Before I was as big as little George I always thought +I should be a sailor. And now if Papa goes out with Admiral Penrose, +and Hal too--oh! it will be so horrid home!" + +"But can't you both go?" + +"No; my father said he couldn't ask to have two of us put down, +unless perhaps some younger one had a chance by and by. And Hal is +the sharpest, and does everything better than I can when he has a +mind. My father says, among so many all can't choose; and if this +place is to be mine, Hal may want to be in the navy more than I. +Yes, it is all right, and Hal must go. But--but--when my father is +gone--"and Sam fairly burst out crying. "I didn't hardly know how +different it is with him away till this month. I was such a little +fellow when he went to the Black Sea; but now--never mind, though!" +and he stamped his foot on the floor. "Papa said it, and it must be. +Don't tell the others, Miss Fosbrook;" and he resolutely went and +picked up his Euclid, and began finding the place. + +"You will do your duty like a man, wherever you are, Sam," said +Christabel heartily. + +Sam looked as if he had rather that she had not said it, but it was +comfortable to him for all that; and though she kept further +compliments to herself, she could not but think that there was no +fear but that he would be a man, in the best sense of the word, +before Hal, when she saw him so manfully put his sore grievance out +of his head, and turn to the present business of conquering his +lesson. Nor did she hear another word from him about his +disappointment. + +It made her dislike Henry's boasts more than ever; and she used to +cut them short as fast as she could, till the young chatterer decided +that she was "cross," and reserved all his wonderful "at leasts" for +his sisters, and his proofs of manliness for the Grevilles. + +The Gibraltar man did not come on Saturday; and Miss Fosbrook had +been the saving of several stamps by sending some queer little +letters in her own to Mrs. Merrifield, so that on Monday morning the +hoard was increased to seven-and-sixpence; although between fines and +"couldn't helps," Henry's sixpence had melted down to a halfpenny, +which "was not worth while." + +On this day arrived a servant from the Park, bringing a delicate +little lilac envelope, stamped with a tiny rose, and directed to Miss +Merrifield. There was another rose on the top of the lilac paper; +and the writing was in a very neat hand. + + +My dear Susan, + +Mamma desires me to say that she hopes you and Bessie and Annie will +come to dine early to-morrow, and play with me, and that Miss Fosbury +will come with you. She hopes your Mamma is better, and would be +glad to have her address in London. + +I am your affectionate +IDA ARABELLA GREVILLE. + + +"Oh! Miss Fosbrook, may we go?" cried the girls with sparkling eyes. + +Mrs. Merrifield had written that one or two such invitations might be +accepted, but she had rather it did not happen too often, as visits +at the Park were unsettling to some of the children. So as this was +the first, Christabel gladly consented, rather curious and rather shy +on her own account. + +Elizabeth begged for the rose, to copy it, and as there were no +little ones present to seize it, she was allowed to have it; while +Susan groaned and sighed over the misfortune of having to write a +"horrible note" just at play-time; and the boys treated it as a sort +of insult to the whole family that Ida should have mistaken their +governess's name. + +"Tell her you won't go till she has it right," said Sam; at which +Annie made a vehement outcry of "No, no!" such as made them all laugh +at her thinking him in earnest. + +Susan's note began - + + +My dear Ida, + +We shuold - + + +But then perceiving that something was the matter with her word, +Susan sat and looked at it, till at last, perceiving that her u and o +had changed places, she tried putting a top to the u, and made it +like an a; while the filling up the o made it become a blot, such as +caught Bessie's eye. + +"O Susie, you won't send such a thing as that up to Ida?" + +"No--that WOULD be a 'horrible note,'" said her governess; and she +ruled the lines again. + +"Dear me," said Susan impatiently; "can't one send a message up by +the man that we'll all come, without this fuss?" + +But Miss Fosbrook said that would be very uncivil; and Susan, +groaning, stretched every finger till the lines were finished, and +began again, in her scraggy round-hand--getting safely through the +"should," and also through "like to come very much;" but when Miss +Fosbrook looked up next, she saw that the rest of the note consisted +of - + + +Mamma is at Grandmamma's, No. 12, St., Grovensor Place. + +I am your affectionate +SUSANNA MERRIFIELD. + + +"My dear, I am very sorry." + +"What! won't that do?" sighed Susan, beginning to get into despair. + +Miss Fosbrook pointed to the word "Grovensor." + +"Oh dear! oh dear! I thought I had got that tiresome word this time. +Why can't it put its ss and ns into their proper sensible places?" +cried poor Susan, to whom it was a terrible enemy. She used to try +them in different places all the way round, in hopes that one might +at last be right. + +"Can't you remember what I told you, that the first Grosvenor was the +grand huntsman? Grosveneur in French; that would show you where to +put the s--gros, great." + +But Susan never wished to remember anything French; and Sam observed +that "the man deserved to be spelt wrong if he called himself by a +French name. Why couldn't he be content to be Mr. Grandhunter?" + +"But as he is not, we must spell his name right, or Mrs. Greville +will be shocked," said Miss Fosbrook. + +"Please can't you scratch it out?" said the disconsolate Susan. + +"_I_ should not like to send a note with a scratch in it. Besides, +yours is hardly civil." + +"No, indeed," said Elizabeth; "don't you know how people answer +invitations, Susie? I'll tell you. 'Miss Susanna, and Miss +Elizabeth, and Miss Annie Merrifield will be very happy to do the +honour of dining with--' Sam, why do you laugh at me always?" + +"Why, you are telling Ida you will do her honour by dining with her." + +"People always do honour when they dine," said Elizabeth. "I know +they do." + +"They profess to receive the honour, not confer it, Bessie," said +Miss Fosbrook, laughing; "but I don't think that is the model for +Susie's note. It would be as much too formal as hers was too blunt." + +"Must I do it again?" said Susan. "I had rather not go, if it is to +be such a plague." + +"Indeed, I fear you must, Susie. It is quite needful to learn how to +write a respectable note; really a more difficult thing than writing +a long letter. I am sorry for you; but if you were not so careless +in your letters to Mamma this would come more easily to you." + +But this time Miss Fosbrook not only ruled another sheet, but wrote, +in fair large-hand on a slate, the words, that Susan might copy them +without fresh troubles: + + +We are much obliged to your Mamma for her kind invitation, and shall +have much pleasure in coming with Miss Fosbrook to dine with you and +spend the day. I am sorry to say that Mamma was not quite so well +when last we heard. Her address is--No. 12,--St., Grosvenor-place. + + +Susan thought that here were a very serious number of words, and +begged hard for leave to leave out her sorrow. Of course she was +sorry, but what was the use of telling Ida so? + +Miss Fosbrook thought it looked better, but Susan might do as she +pleased. + +"I wouldn't say it, then," said Sam. "I wouldn't say it only to look +better to Ida." With which words he and Hal walked off to the +garden. + +Would it be believed? Susan, in her delight at being near the end, +forgot the grand huntsman, and made the unlucky Place "Grovesnor," +and then, in her haste to mend it, put her finger into the wet ink, +and smeared not only that word, but all the line above! + +It was a shame and a wonder that a girl of her age should be so +incapable of producing a creditable note; and Miss Fosbrook was very +near scolding her but she had pity on the tearful eyes and weary +fingers, and spoke cheerfully: "There, that was almost the thing. +One more trial, Susan, and you need never be afraid of Ida's notes +again." + +If Susan could not write notes, at least she was not cross; and it +would be well if many who could send off a much better performance +with far less difficulty could go to work as patiently as she did, +without one pettish word to Miss Fosbrook, though that lady seemed to +poor Susie as hard a task mistress as if she could have helped it. +This time Miss Fosbrook authorized the leaving out of the spending +the day, and suggested that S. would be enough without the whole +Susanna, and she mercifully directed the cover to Miss Greville. + +"There, my dear, you have worked hard for your pleasure," she said, +as Susan extended each hand to its broadest stretch to uncramp them, +and stretched herself backwards as if she wanted to double her head +down to her heels. "I shall give you a good mark, Susie, as if it +had been a lesson." + +Susan deserved it, for her patient perseverance had been all out of +obedience, not in the mere desire of having her note admired. +Indeed, good child, at the best it was a very poor affair for a girl +of twelve, and Miss Fosbrook was ashamed of it when she looked at +Ida's lady-like little billet. + +"But I wonder," said she to herself, "whether I shall feel as if I +would change my dear stupid Susan for Miss Ida?" + +Meanwhile Susan flew screaming and leaping out into the garden in a +mad tom-boy fashion; but that could well be pardoned, as there were +only her sisters to see her; and the pleasure of having persevered +and done her best was enough to make her heart and her limbs dance +for merriment. + +Depend upon it, however wretched and miserable hard application to +what we do not like may seem at the moment, it is the only way to +make play-times really delicious. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + + +Miss Fosbrook soon knew what Mrs. Merrifield meant by saying that +visits at the Park unsettled the children. Susan indeed, though +liking anything that shortened lessons by an hour, and made a change, +was not so fond of being on her good behaviour at the Park as to be +greatly exalted at the prospect; but Elizabeth and Annie were changed +beings. They were constantly breaking out with some new variety of +wonder. They wondered whether they should dine in the school-room, +or at Mrs. Greville's luncheon; they wondered if Mr. Greville would +speak to them; they wondered whether Fraulein Munsterthal would be +cross; they wondered if Ida still played with dolls; and they looked +as if they thought themselves wonderful, too, for going out for a +day! + +Nay, the wonders were at their tongues' end even when lessons began, +and put their farthings in great peril; and when they had nothing +else to wonder at, they wondered when it would be twelve o'clock, and +took no pains to swallow enormous yawns. Once, over her copy, +Elizabeth exclaimed, "Now! yes, this is necessary, Miss Fosbrook! +May not we wear our white frocks?" + +"They are not ironed," answered Susan. + +"Oh, do let me go and tell Mary! There's lots of time," said Bessie, +who had lately thought it cruel of the clock to point only to half- +past ten, and never bethought herself how Mary would like to be +called off from her scrubbing to iron three white frocks. + +"Would your Mamma wish it?" asked Christabel. + +"Oh dear no," was Susan's answer; "we always wear clean ones of our +every-day frocks. Our white ones are only for dinner-parties and +Christmas-trees." + +Bessie grumbled. "How cross! I hate those nasty old spotty +cottons;" and Johnnie returned to the old story--"Little vain pussy- +cat." + +Up went Miss Fosbrook's warning pencil, she shook her head, and held +out her hand for two fines. Elizabeth began to gulp and sob. + +"Oh, don't, Betty!" cried Susan. "Stop while you can. You won't +like going up with red eyes. There, I'll pay your fine; and there's +another for my speaking." + +"No, Susie; that was not foolish speaking, but kind words," said Miss +Fosbrook; "but no more now; go on, Annie." + +But Annie, who was reading a little history of St. Paul, would call +Cilicia, Cicilia, and when told to spell it she began to cry too +decidedly for Susan's good-nature to check her tears. And not only +did Elizabeth's copy look as if she had written it with claws instead +of fingers, but she was grieving over her spotted cotton instead of +really seeking for places in her map. Thus the Moselle obstinately +hid itself; and she absolutely shed tears because Miss Fosbrook +declared that Frankfort WAS on the Maine. For the first time she had +her grammar turned back upon her hands. How many mistakes Annie made +would be really past telling; for these two little girls had their +whole minds quite upset by the thought of a day's pleasure; and as +they never tried to restrain themselves, and to "be sober, be +vigilant," they gave way before all the little trials in their paths- +-were first careless, and then fractious. Perhaps when they were +older they would find out that this uplifted sense of excited +expectation is the very warning to be heedful. + +If Miss Fosbrook had been a strict governess, she would have told +them they did not deserve to go at all; or at any rate, that Bessie +must repeat her grammar better, and re-write her copy, and that +Annie's unlucky addition sum must be made to prove; but she had seen +her little sisters nearly as bad in prospect of a pantomime, so she +was merciful, and sent them in good time to brush their hair, put on +their spotted cottons, and wash off as much as possible of the red +mottling left by those foolish tears. + +Their spirits rose again as fast as they had sunk; and it was a +lively walk through the park to the great house, with a good deal of +skipping and jumping at first, and then, near the door, a little awe +and gravity. + +They were taken through a side-door of the hall to the school-room, +where Ida and her governess received them. It was the first time +that Christabel had seen her out of her beplumed hat, and she thought +her a pleasant, bright-looking little girl, not at all set up or +conceited. Her mauve muslin, flounced though it was up to her waist, +showed that it had been wise to withstand Bessie's desire for the +white muslins; but Miss Fosbrook had enough to do on her own account +with the endeavour to understand the German governess's foreign +accent, without attending to the children more than was necessary. + +It was not a very remarkable day, and the pleasures of it seemed +hardly enough to justify the little girls' great excitement. There +was first the dinner at the luncheon of the parents, where the +children sat up rather formal and subdued, and not quite certain what +all the dishes might contain, a little afraid of getting what they +COULD not eat, though desirous of making experiments in this land of +wonders. None of them had forgotten, and they thought no one else +had, how Bessie had once come to disgrace by bursting out crying over +the impossibility of finishing some terrible rice-bordered greenish +yellow stuff that burnt her mouth beyond bearing, and which Ida +called curry, and said people in the East Indies liked. However, +that was when Bessie had been a very little girl; and she still +continued adventurous, saying, "Yes, if you please," to cutlets set +round in a wreath, with all their bones sticking up, and covered with +a reddish incrustation that Susan and Annie thought so unnatural, +that they preferred the boiled chicken that at least they could +understand, though it had funny-hooking accompaniments in the sauce. +And Hal's report of some savoury jelly which he had once encountered +would have deterred them from the pink transparency in the shape of a +shell, if they had not seen Bessie getting on very well with it, Miss +Fosbrook happily perceiving and cutting short Annie's intended +inquiry whether it were nice. To her great relief, this was the only +want of manners betrayed by her little savages, and she was able to +keep her attention tolerably free from them, so as to look at the +pictures on the walls, observe the two boys, Hal's friends, and talk +to Mrs. Greville, who made conversation with her very pleasantly. + +She was much grieved to perceive, from what that lady said, that Mrs. +Merrifield was thought to be much more ill, and in a far more +alarming state, than she had at all understood. The girls were too +young to enter into the tone of sad sympathy with which Mrs. Greville +spoke, and the manner in which a doubt was expressed whether the +Captain would be able to sail with Admiral Penrose if he should have +the offer; and as soon as she saw that they and their governess were +in ignorance, she turned it off; but she had said enough to fill +Christabel with anxiety and desire to know more; and as soon as the +dinner was over, and the little girls had run off together to visit +Ida's beautiful cockatoo in the conservatory, she turned to Fraulein +Munsterthal, and begged to hear whether she knew more than had been +said. + +Fraulein Munsterthal did not quite know that such a person as Mrs. +Merrifield was in existence; but she was very amiable and warm- +hearted, and said how sad it was to think of the trouble that hung +over "these so careless children," and was doubly kind to the girls +when they came back from their conversation with pretty "Cocky," who +set up his lemon-coloured crest, coughed, sneezed, and said "Cocky +want a biscuit!" to admiration, till the boys were seen approaching; +when Ida, knowing that some torment would follow, took herself and +her visitors back to the protection of the governesses in time to +prevent the cockatoo from being made to fly at the girls, and powder +them with the white dust under his feathers. + +The afternoon was spent in the garden, the little girls betaking +themselves to a pretty moss-covered arbour, where there was a grand +doll's feast. Ida had no less than twenty-three dolls, ranging from +the magnificent Rosalind, who had real hair that could be brushed, +and was as large as little Sally at home, down to poor little china +Mildred, whose proper dwelling-place was a bath, and who had with +great difficulty been put into petticoats enough to make her fit to +be seen out of it. Now nobody at home could have saved the life of a +doll for a single day, and Susan and Elizabeth were both thought far +above them; but these beautifully arrayed young ladies had always +been the admiration of the heart of Bessie as well as of Annie, and +they were not too old for extreme satisfaction in handling their +elegant ladyships, and still more their beautiful dinner and tea- +service of pink and white ware. + +Susan, though she could not write a note, or do lessons like Ida, was +older in the ways of life, and played rather as she did with the +little ones at home than for her own amusement. She would much +rather have had the fun of "cats and mice" with her brothers; and but +for the honour of the thing, so perhaps would Annie. However, they +were all very happy, getting the dolls up in the morning, giving +Mildred washing enough for all the twenty-three, making them +breakfast, hearing lessons, in which Ida was governess, and made them +talk so many languages that Annie was alarmed. Of course one of the +young ladies was very naughty, and was treated with extreme severity; +then there was dinner, a walk, an illness, and a dinner-party. While +all the time the two real governesses sat in the shade outside, and +talked in English or German as best they might, the Fraulein +understanding Christabel's English the best, as did Christabel the +Fraulein's German. They began to make friends, and to wish to see +more of one another. + +There was a walk round the garden, and admiration of the beautiful +flowers, and the fountain and pond of gold-fish, till the boys came +home, and got hold of the garden-engine for watering, crying out, +"Fire! fire!" and squirting out the showers of water very much in the +direction of the girls. + +Ida became quite crimson red, and got hold of Susan's hand to drag +her away; then, as the foremost drops of another shower touched her, +she faced about, and said, "Osmond! don't, or I'll tell Mamma." +There was a great rude laugh, as of boys who well knew the threat was +never put in execution; and poor Fraulein Munsterthal only shook her +head at Miss Fosbrook's look of amaze, and said in German that "die +Knaben" were far too unartig for her to keep in order. She pitied +Miss Fosbrook for having so many in charge as to destroy all peace. +And if Sam and Hal had been like these two, Christabel felt that she +could have done nothing with them. To her dismay, Osmond and Martin +came in to the school-room tea; and she never had thought to feel so +thankful for poor dear Susan's slowness of comprehension, for, from +their whispers among themselves, and from their poor tormented +sister's blushes, she was clear that the "fire" was a piece of bad +wit on Susan's red hair. Boys who could so basely insult a guest, +and that a girl, she was sure must be bad companions for Sam and +Henry. Such little gentlemen as they had been at dinner too, so +polite and well-behaved before their father and mother! There could +be no doubt that something must be very wrong about them, or they +would not change so entirely when out of sight. It is not always +true that a child must be deceitful who is less good in the absence +of the authorities; because their presence is a help and a restraint, +checking the beginning of mischief, and removing temptation; but one +who does not fall by weakness, but intentionally alters his conduct +the instant the elder is gone, shows that his will has been +disobedient all along + +By and by Mr. Greville's voice was heard calling, "Martin! Osmond!" +As they went out to meet him in the passage, Miss Fosbrook clearly +overheard, "Here is the spring of the garden-engine spoilt. Do you +know anything about it?" + +"No." + +"You have not been meddling with it?" + +"No." And they ran downstairs. + +The colour flushed into Christabel's cheeks with horror. She was +glad that her little girls were all in Ida's room, listening to a +musical-box, and well out of hearing of such fearfully direct +falsehoods, as it seemed to her, not knowing that the boys excused it +to their own minds by the notion that it was not the SPRING of the +engine that they had been meddling with, and that so they did not +know how the harm had been done--as if it made it any better that +they lied to themselves as well as their father! The German saw her +dismay, and began to say how unlike her Ida was to her brothers--so +truthful, so gentle, and courteous; but poor Christabel could not get +over the thought of the ease and readiness with which deceit came to +these boys. Could their daily companions, Samuel and Henry, have +learnt the same effrontery, and be deceiving her all this time? No, +no, she could not, would not think it! Assuredly not of Sam! She +was very glad not to see the boys again, and went home with her +pupils, rather heavy-hearted, at eight o'clock, just as Ida was to +put on her white muslin and pink ribbons, and go down after dinner +for half an hour. + +There were many kisses at parting, and a whole box of sweets, done up +in beautifully coloured and gold and silver paper, presented to the +little visitors; but it might be supposed that the girls were tired, +for there was a fretful snarling all the way across the park, because +Elizabeth insisted that the gifts should be called bon-bons, and the +others would hear of nothing but goodies. Nobody looked at the +beautiful evening sky, nor at the round red moon coming up like a +lamp behind the trees, nor at the first stars peeping out, nor even +at the green light of the glow-worm--all which were more beautiful +than anything Ida had shown them, except perhaps the hothouse +flowers; and at last two such cross ill-tempered voices sounded from +Bessie and Annie, that Christabel turned round and declared that she +should not let the sugar-plums be touched for a week if another word +were said about them. + +She hoped that when the visit was over it would be done with; but no +such thing. Though Susan was her own good hearty self, Elizabeth had +not recovered either on that day of the next from the effects of the +pleasuring. On each she cried over her lessons, and was cross at +whatever the boys said to her, made a fuss about keeping the +ornamental cases of the bon-bons, and went about round-backed, +peevish, and discontented, finding everything flat and ugly after her +one peep at the luxuries of the Park. Her farthings melted away +fast; but she seemed to think this her misfortune, not her fault. +She did not try to talk to Miss Fosbrook, feeling perhaps that she +was in a naughty mood, which she would not try to shake off; and she +made no attempt to go on with her present for her Mamma, it looked so +poor and trumpery after the beautiful things she had seen. + +Nor did Christabel like to remind her of it, fearing that the +occasion for giving it might never come; but she did feel that it was +a mournful thing to see the child, who was in danger of so fearful a +sorrow, wasting her grief in pining after foolish fancies, and +turning what should have been a refreshing holiday into an occasion +of longing after what she thus made into pomps and vanities of this +wicked world. Christabel had heard that people who murmur among +blessings often have those blessings snatched away, and this made her +tremble for poor little discontented Elizabeth. + + + +CHAPTER X. + + + +"There!" exclaimed Susan, "I really have got a letter from Papa +himself. What a prize!" + +"You'll have to mind your Grosvenor when you answer HIM," said Sam; +"but hollo, what's the matter?" + +For Susan's eyes had grown large, and her whole face scarlet, and she +gave a little cry as she read. + +"Your Mamma, my dear?" asked Miss Fosbrook. + +"Oh, Mamma--Mamma is so very ill!" and Susan throw the letter down, +and broke into a fit of sobbing. + +Sam caught it up, and Elizabeth came to read it with him, both +standing still and not speaking a word, but staring at the letter +with their eyes fixed. + +"What is it, my dear?" said Miss Fosbrook, tenderly putting her arm +round Susan; but she sobbed too much to make a word distinct, and +Bessie held out the letter to her governess, looking white, and too +much awed to speak. + +Captain Merrifield wrote in short, plain, sad words, that he thought +it right that his children should know how matters stood. The +doctors' treatment, for which their mother had been taken to London, +had not succeeded, but had occasioned such terrible illness, that +unless by the mercy of God she became much better in the course of a +day or two, she could not live. If she should be worse, he would +either write or telegraph, and Susan and Sam must be ready to set out +at once on the receipt of such a message, and come up by the next +train to London, where they should be met at the station. He had +promised their mother that in case of need he would send for them. + + +God bless you, my poor children, and have mercy on us all! +Your loving father, +H. MERRIFIELD. + + +That was all; and Christabel felt, more than even the children did, +from how full and heavy a heart those words had been written. + +Though she hardly knew how to speak, she tried to comfort Susan by +showing her that her father had evidently not given up all hope; but +Susan was crying more at the thought of her Mamma's present illness +and pain than with fear of the future; and Sam said sadly, "He would +not have written at all unless it had been very bad indeed." + +"Yes," said Miss Fosbrook; "but I believe, in cases like this, there +is often great fear, and then very speedy improvement." + +"Oh dear," said Bessie, speaking for the first time, "I know it will +be. Little girls in story-books always do have their mammas--die!" + +"Story-books are all nonsense, so it won't happen," said Sam; and +really it seemed as if the habit of contradicting Bessie had +suggested to him the greatest consolation that had yet occurred. + +Just then Henry and the younger ones came in, and learnt the tidings. +Henry wept as bitterly as his elder sister, and John and Annie both +did the same; but David did not speak one word, as if he hardly took +in what was the matter, and, going to the window, took up his lesson- +books as usual. + +"It is nine o'clock, Hal," said Sam presently. + +"Oh, we can't go to Mr. Carey to-day," said Hal. + +"Yes, we shall," returned Sam. + +"Oh don't," cried Susan. "Suppose a telegraph should come!" + +"Well, then you can send for me," said Sam. "Come, Hal." + +"How can you, Sam?" said Henry crossly; "I know Mr. Carey will give +us leave when he knows." + +"I don't want leave," said Sam; "I don't want to kick up a row, as +you'll do if you stay at home." + +"Well then, if the message comes, I shall take Susie to London +instead of you. I'm sure they want me most!" + +"No, go down to Mr. Carey's with your brother, if you please, Hal," +said Miss Fosbrook decidedly. "If he should tell you not to stay, I +can't help it; but you will none of you do any good by hanging about +without doing your daily duties." + +Hal saw he had no chance, and marched off, muttering about its being +very hard. Sam picked up his books, and turned to go, with a grave +steady look that was quite manly in its sadness, only stopping to +say, "Now, Jackie, you be good!--Please Miss Fosbrook, let him run +down after me if the message comes, and I'll be back before the horse +is out." + +Miss Fosbrook promised, and could not help shaking hands with the +brave boy, if only to show that she felt with him. + +"Then must we all do our lessons?" asked Annie disconsolately, when +he was gone. + +"Yes, my dear; I think we shall all be the better for not neglecting +what we ought to do. But there is one thing that we can do for your +dear Mamma; you know what I mean. Suppose you each went away alone +for five minutes, and were to come back when I ring the little bell?" + +The first to come back was Annie, with the question in a low whisper, +"Miss Fosbrook, will God make Mamma better if we are very good?" + +Miss Fosbrook kissed her, saying, "My dear little girl, I cannot +tell. All I can certainly tell you is, that He hears the prayers of +good children, and if it be better for her and for you He will give +her back to you." + +Annie did not quite understand, but she entered into what Miss +Fosbrook said enough to wish to be good; so she took up her book, and +began to learn with all her might. + +Elizabeth would have thought it much more like a little girl in a +book to have done no lessons, but have sat thinking, and perhaps +reading the Bible all day; but on the whole Elizabeth had hardly +thoughts enough to last her so long; nor was she deep or serious +enough to have done herself much good by keeping the Bible open +before her. In fact she did lose her verse in merely reading the +chapter for the day! So it was just as well that she had something +to do that was not play, and that was a duty, and thus might give the +desire to be good something to bear upon. + +But Christabel saw by Susan's face, and heard in the shaken voice +with which she took her turn in the reading, that she could not have +given her mind to her tasks, and did not need them to keep her out of +mischief. It would have been cruel to have required her to sit down +to them just then, and her governess was glad to be able to excuse +her on account of the packing-up. All her things and Sam's must be +got ready in case of an immediate start, and she was sent up to the +nursery to take care of the little ones, while Nurse and Mary mended, +ironed, and packed. + +To be sure Nurse Freeman made poor Susan unnecessarily unhappy by +being sure that it was all the fault of the London doctors; but she +was a kind, tender old woman, and her petting was a great comfort to +the poor girl. What did her most good, however, was sitting quite +quiet with the little ones while they were asleep, and all alone; it +seemed to rest and compose her, and she always loved to be in charge +of them. Poor child! she might soon have to be their little mother! +She was able to play with them when they awoke, and cheered herself +up with their pretty ways, and by finding how quickly Baby was +learning to walk. Ah! but would Mamma ever see her walk? + +If any of the children thought it unjust that Susan's lessons should +be let off, they were wrong. Parents and teachers must have the +power of doing such things without being judged. Sometimes they see +that a child is really unable to learn, when the others perceive no +difference; and it would be very harsh and cruel to oppress one who +is out of order for fear little silly, idle, healthy things should +think themselves hardly used. + +At any rate, the lessons were capitally done; and when the children +met again, they were all so much brighter and more hopeful, that they +quite believed that their Mamma was going to get better very fast. +Bessie especially was so resolved that thus it should be, that she +shut herself into Miss Fosbrook's room, and drew and painted with all +her might, as if preparing for Mamma's birthday made it certain that +it would be kept. + +The boys brought word that they would have a holiday the next day, as +it was the Feast of St. Barnabas, and after morning service Mr. +Carey was going to meet his brother and bring him home. + +"I shall be all the more certain to get the sovereign, or two +sovereigns," said Henry to David, the only person whom he could find +to listen to him, "if Sam is gone; and everyone will be caring about +me." + +"And then you'll give it to the pig," said David. + +"Oh yes, to be sure. You will grow into a pig yourself if you go on +that way, David." + +However, David, partaking the family distrust of Hal's birds-in-the- +bush, and being started on the subject of the hoard, ran up to Sam, +who was learning his lessons by way of something to do, and said, "If +you go to London, Sam, may I have your sixpence on Monday for the +pig?" + +"I don't know that I am going." + +"But if you do--or we sha'n't get the pig." + +"I don't care." + +"Don't you care if we don't get the pig?" + +"No. Be off with you." + +David next betook himself to his eldest sister, who was trying to +write to her father, and finding such a letter harder and sadder work +than that to Ida Greville, though no one teased her about writing, +blots, or spelling. + +"If you go to London, Susie," said he, in the very same words, "may I +have your sixpence on Monday for the pig?" + +"Oh, Davie, don't be tiresome!" + +David only said it over again in the same words, and put his hand +down on her letter in his earnestness. + +"Come away, Davie," said Miss Fosbrook; "don't tease your sister." + +"I want her to say I may have her sixpence on Monday for the pig." + +"No, you sha'n't, then," said Susan angrily; "you care for the nasty +pig more than for poor Mamma or anyone else, and you sha'n't have +it." + +So seldom did Susan say anything cross, that everyone looked up +surprised. Miss Fosbrook saw that it was sheer unhappiness that made +her speak sharply, and would not take any notice, except by gently +taking away the pertinacious David. + +He was very much distressed at the refusal; and when Miss Fosbrook +told him that his brother and sister could not think of such things +when they were in such trouble, he only answered, "But Hannah Higgins +won't get her pig." + +Miss Fosbrook was vexed herself that her friend David should seem +possessed with this single idea, as if it shut out all others from +his mind. He was consoled fast enough; for Susan, with another great +sob, threw down her pen, and coming up to stroke him down with her +inky fingers, cried out, "O Davie, Davie, I didn't mean it; I don't +know why I said it. You shall have my sixpence, or anything! But, +oh dear, I wish the message was come, and we were going to dear +Mamma, for I can't write, and I don't know what to do." + +Then she went back to her place, and tried to write, and sat with her +head on her hand, and dawdled and cried and blotted till it grew so +near post-time that at last Miss Fosbrook took the longest of her +scrawls, and writing three lines at the bottom to say how it was with +them all, directed it to Captain Merrifield, thinking that he would +like it better than nothing from home, sent it off, and made Susan +come out to refresh her hot eyes and burning head in the garden. + +Sam presently came and walked on her other side, gravely and in +silence, glad to be away from the chatter and disputes of the younger +ones. That summons had made them both feel older, and less like +children, than ever before; but they did not speak much, only, when +they sat down on a garden bench, as Miss Fosbrook held Susan's hand, +she presently found some rough hard young fingers stealing into her +own on the other side, and saw Sam's eyes glistening with unshed +tears. She stroked his hand, and they dropped fast: but he was +ashamed to cry, and quickly dried them. + +"I think," she said, "that you will be a man, Sam; take care of +Susan, and be a comfort to your father." + +"I hope I shall," said Sam; "but I don't know how." + +"Nobody can tell how beforehand," she said. "Only watch to see what +he may seem to want to have done for him. Sit quietly by, and don't +get in the way." + +"Were you ever so unhappy, Miss Fosbrook?" asked Susan. + +"Yes, once I was, when my father was knocked down by an omnibus, and +was very ill." + +"Tell us about it?" said Susan. + +She did tell them of her week of sorrow and anxious care of the +younger children, and the brightening ray of hope at last. It seemed +to freshen both up, and give them hopes, for each drew a long sigh of +relief; and then Sam said, "Papa wrote to Mr. Carey. She is to be +prayed for in church to-morrow." + +"Oh," said Susan, with a sound as of dismay, which made Christabel +ask in wonder why she was sorry, when, from Susan's half-uttered +words, she found that the little girl fancied that a "happy issue out +of all her afflictions" meant death. + +"Oh no, my dear," she said. "What it means is, that the afflictions +may end happily in whatever way God may see to be best; it may be in +getting well; it may be the other way: at any rate, it is asking +that the distress may be over, not saying how." + +"Isn't there some other prayer in the Prayer-book about it?" said +Sam, looking straight before him. + +"I will show you where to find it, in the Visitation of the Sick. I +dare say it has often been read to her." + +The boy and girl came in with her, and brought their Prayer-books to +her room, that she might mark them. + +This had been a strange, long, sad day of waiting and watching for +the telegram, and the children even fancied it might come in the +middle of the night; but Miss Fosbrook thought this unlikely, and +looked for the morrow's post. There was no letter. It was very +disappointing, but Miss Fosbrook thought it a good sign, since at +least the danger could not be more pressing, and delay always left +room for hope. + +The children readily believed her; they were too young to go on +dwelling long on what was not in sight; and even Susan was cheerful, +and able to think about other things after her night's rest, and the +relief of not hearing a worse account. + +The children might do as they pleased about going to church on +saints' days, and on this day all the three girls wished to go, as +soon as it had been made clear that even if the message should come +before the short service would be over, there would be ample time to +reach the station before the next train. Miss Fosbrook was glad to +prove this, for not only did she wish to have them in church, but she +thought the weary watching for the telegram was the worst thing +possible for Susan. Sam was also going to church, but Henry hung +back, after accompanying them to the end of the kitchen-garden. "I +wouldn't go, Sam; just suppose if the message came without anyone at +home, and you had to set out at once!" + +"We couldn't," said Sam; "there's no train." + +"Oh, but they always put on a special train whenever anyone is ill." + +"Then there would be plenty!" + +"At least they did when Mr. Greville's mother was ill, so they will +now; and then you may ride upon the engine, for there won't be any +carriages, you know. I say, Sam, if you go to church, and the +telegraph comes, I shall set off." + +"You'll do no such thing," said Sam. "You had much better come to +church." + +"No, I sha'n't. It is like a girl to go to church on a week-day." + +"It is much more like a girl to mind what a couple of asses, like the +Grevilles, say," returned Sam, taking up his cap and running after +his sisters and their governess. + +"It is quite right," observed Henry to John and David, who alone +remained to listen to him, "that one of us should stay in case the +telegraph comes in, and there are any orders to give. I can catch +the pony, you know, and ride off to Bonchamp, and if the special +train is there, I shall get upon the engine." + +"But it is Sam and Susan who are going." + +"Oh, that's only because Sam is eldest. I know Mamma would like to +have me much better, because I don't walk hard like Sam; and when I +get there, she will be so much better already, and we shall be all +right; and Admiral Penrose will be so delighted at my courage in +riding on the engine and putting out the explosion, or something, +that he will give me my appointment as naval cadet at once, and I +shall have a dirk and a uniform, and a chest of my own, and be an +officer, and get promoted for firing red-hot shot out of the +batteries at Gibraltar." + +"Master Hal!" exclaimed Purday, "don't throw them little apples +about." + +"They are red-hot shot, Purday!" + +"I'll red-hot shot you if you break my cucumber frames, young +gentleman! Come, get out with you." + +Probably anxiety made Purday cross as well as everyone else, or else +he distrusted Henry's discretion without Sam, for he hunted the +little boys away wherever they went. Now they would break the +cucumber frames; now they would meddle with the gooseberries, or +trample on the beds; and at last he only relented so far as to let +David stay with him on condition of being very good, and holding the +little cabbages as he planted them out. + +"Master Davie was a solemn one," Purday said, and they were great +friends; but Hal and Johnnie were fairly turned out, as their idle +hands were continually finding fresh mischief to do in their +sauntering desultory mood. + +"I think," said Hal, "since Purday is so savage, we'll go and look +out at the gate, and then we shall see if the telegraph comes." + +Johnnie had no clear idea what a telegraph was, and was curious to +know how it would come, rather expecting it to be a man in a red coat +on horseback, blowing a horn--a sight that certainly was not to be +missed; so he willingly strolled down after Henry to the gate leading +to the lane. + +"I can't see any way at all," said Henry, looking out into the lane. +"I shall get up, and so see over into the bend of the road;" and Hal +mounted to the topmost bar of the gate, and sat astride there, John +scrambling after him not quite so easily, his legs being less long, +and his dress less convenient. Both knew that their Papa strongly +objected to their climbing on this iron gate, the newest and +handsomest thing about the place; but thought Hal, "Of course no one +will care what I do when I am so anxious about poor Mamma!" and +thought Johnnie, "What Hal does, of course I may do!" + +So there the two young gentlemen sat perched, each with one leg on +either side of the new iron gate. It was rather like sitting on the +edge of a knife; and John could scarcely reach his toes down to rest +them on the bar below, but he held on by the spikes, and it was so +new and glorious a position, that it made up for a good deal to be +five feet above the road; moreover, Hal said it was just like the +mast-head of a man-of-war--at LEAST, when the waves didn't dash right +overhead, like the picture of the Eddystone Lighthouse. + +"Hollo! what, a couple of cherubs aloft!" cried a voice from the +road; and looking round, Henry beheld the two Grevilles. + +"Yes," he answered; "it's very jolly up here." + +"Eh! is it? Riding on a razor, to my mind. Come down, and have a +lark," said Osmond; while Martin, undoing the gate, proceeded to +swing it backwards and forwards, to John's extreme terror; but the +more he clung to the spikes, and cried for mercy, the quicker Martin +swung it, shouting with laughter at his fright. Henry meanwhile +scrambled and tumbled to the ground, and caught the gate and held it +fast, while he asked what his friends had been about. One held up a +scarlet flask of powder, the other a bag of shot. + +"You haven't got a gun!" + +"No, but we know where gardener keeps his; and the governor's out for +the day. Come along, Hal: you shall have your turn." + +"I don't want to go far from home to-day." + +"Oh, stuff! What was it Mamma heard, Osmond? That your mother was +ever so much better, wasn't it?" + +"I thought it was worse," said Osmond. + +"Well, never mind: your hanging about here won't do her any good, I +suppose." + +"No; but--" + +"Oh, he'll catch it from the governess!--I say, how many seams shall +you have to sew to-day, Hal?" + +"I don't sew seams: I do as I please." + +"Ha! Is that them coming out of church!" + +"Oh, it is! it is!" cried John from his elevation. "Oh, help me +down, Hal!" + +But Henry did not want Miss Fosbrook to find him partaking in gate- +climbing; and either that desire, or the general terror a bad +conscience, made him and the Grevilles run helter-skelter the +opposite way, leaving poor little John stuck on the top of the gate, +quite giddy at the thought of coming down alone, and almost as much +afraid of being there caught by Miss Fosbrook coming home from +church. + +It was a false alarm after all, that the congregation were coming +out. John would have been glad if they had; for nothing could be +more miserable than sitting up there, his fingers tired of clutching +the spikes, his feet strained with reaching down to the bar, his legs +chilled with the wind, his head almost giddy when he thought of +climbing down. He would have cried, could he have spared a hand to +rub his eyes with; he had a great mind to have roared for help, +especially when he heard feet upon the road; but these turned out to +belong to five little village boys, still smaller than himself, who, +when they saw the young gentleman on his perch, all stood still in a +row, with their mouths wide open, staring at him. Johnnie scorned to +let them think he was not riding there for his own pleasure; so he +tried to put a bold face of the matter, and look as much at ease and +indifferent as he could, under great bodily fear and discomfort, the +injury of his brother's desertion, the expectation of disgrace, and +the reflection that he was being disobedient to his parents in the +height of their trouble! + +There is nothing in grief that of necessity makes children or grown +people good. Sometimes, especially when there is suspense, it fills +them with excitement, as well as putting them out of their usual +habits; and thus it often happens that there are tremendous +explosions of naughtiness just when some one is ill in a house, and +the children ought to be most good. But it is certain that unless +trouble be taken in the right way, it makes people worse instead of +better + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + + +Hal had got into a mood in which he was tired of fears and of waiting +for tidings, and was glad to shake off the thought, and be carried +along to something new, he and the Grevilles were rather fond of one +another's company, in an idle sort of way. They "put him up to +things," as he said; they made a variety; and he was always glad of +listeners to his wonderful stories, which rather diverted the other +boys, who, though they sometimes made game of them, were much less +apt to pick them to pieces than was Sam. + +Poor Captain Merrifield! what had not befallen him, according to his +son? He had been stuck on to a rock of loadstone; he had been bitten +by mosquitos as big as jackdaws--at least as jack-snipes; he had sat +down to rest on the trunk of a fallen tree, and it whisked him over +on his face, and turned out to he a rattle-snake--at least, a boa- +constrictor! Nay, Henry discoursed on the ponies he had himself +tamed, the rabbits he had shot, the trees he had climbed, the nests +he had found, the rats he had killed, in terms he durst not use when +his brother was by; or if he did, and Sam brought him to book, he +always said "it was all fun." It often seemed as if he did not +himself know whether he meant to be believed or otherwise; and as to +his intentions for his sailor life, they were, as has been already +seen, of the most splendid character! Sometimes he shot the French +admiral dead from the mast-head; sometimes he sailed into Plymouth +with the whole enemy's fleet behind him; sometimes he, the youngest +midshipman, rescued the whole crew in a wreck where all the other +officers were drowned; sometimes he shot a shark through the head, +just as it was about to make a meal of Prince Alfred! + +He certainly was thus an entertaining companion to those who did not +pay heed to truth, and liked to hear or laugh at great swelling +words; and the Grevilles, on their idle day, were glad to have him +with them, and were rather curious to prove how much fact there was +in his boast of being a most admirable shot. + +Meddling with guns was absolutely forbidden to all the three, except +by special permission and with an elder looking on; but the Grevilles +were not in the habit of obeying, except when they were forced to do +so; and Henry, having once begun to think no one would heed his +present doings, was ready to go on rather than be accused of minding +his governess. + +So the gardener's gun was taken from the hiding-place, whither it had +been conveyed from the tool-house; and the three boys ran off +together, their first object being to get out of the Greville +grounds, where they could be met by any of the men. They got quite +out into the fields, before they ventured to stop that Osmond might +load the gun. Each was to take a shot in turn; Osmond tried first, +at a poor innocent young thrush, newly come out for his earliest +flight. Happily he missed it; Martin claimed the next, and for want +of anything better to shoot, took aim at the scare-crow in the middle +of Farmer Grice's beans. He was sure that he had hit it, and showed +triumphantly the great holes in its hat; but the other boys were +strongly persuaded that they had been there before. + +"Well, come away," said Osmond; "this is a great deal too near old +Grice's farm-yard. If we go popping about here, we shall have him +out upon us, for an old tiger as he is!" + +"Come along, then," said Martin. + +But Hal had just got the gun, and saw something so black and shiny +through the hedge, that he was persuaded that a flock of rooks were +feeding in the next field, and he fired! + +Such a cackling and screeching as arose! and with it one dying +gobble, and a very loud "Hollo! you rascal!" + +"My eyes! you've been and gone and done it!" cried Osmond. + +"Cut! cut!" screamed Martin; and Hal, not exactly knowing what he had +done, but sure that it was something dreadful, and hearing voices in +pursuit, threw down the gun, and took to his heels; but the others +had the start of him, and were over the gap long before he could get +to it. And even as he did reach it, a hand was on his throat, almost +choking him, and a tremendous voice cried, "You young poacher, you +sha'n't get off that way! I'll have you up to the Bench, that I +will, for shooting the poor old turkey-cock before my very eyes." + +"Oh! don't, don't! I didn't mean it," cried Hal, turning in the +terrible grip; "I thought it was only a rook!" + +"A rook, I dare say! And what business had you to think, coming +trespassing here on my ground, and breaking the hedges! I'd have you +up for that, if for nothing else, you young vagabond!" + +"Oh, don't, don't! I'm Henry Merrifield!" + +"I don't care if you're Henry Merry Andrew!" said Farmer Grice, who +was a surly man, and had a grudge of long standing against the +Captain, for withstanding him at the Board of Guardians. "I'll have +the law out of you, whoever you are." + +"But--but--Mamma is so very ill!" cried Hal, bursting into tears. + +"The more shame for you to be rampaging about the country this +fashion," said the farmer, giving him a shake that seemed to make all +his bones rattle in his skin. "Serve you right if I flogged you +within an inch of your life." + +"Oh, please don't--I mean please do--anything but have me up to the +magistrates! I'll never do it again, never!" sobbed Henry in his +terror. + +Mr. Grice had some pity, and also knew that his wife and all the +neighbours would be shocked at his prosecuting so young a boy, whose +parents were in such distress. So he said, "There, then, I'll +overlook it this time, sir, so as I have the value of the bird." + +"And what is the value--" asked Henry, trembling. + +"Value! Why, the breed came from Norfolk; he was three years old; +and my missus set great store on him, he was as good as a house-dog, +to keep idle children out of the yard; and it was quite a picture to +see him posturing about, and setting up his tail! Value! not less +than five-and-twenty shillings, sir." + +"But I have not five-and-twenty shillings. I can't get them," said +Hal, falling back into misery. + +"You should have thought of that before you shot poor old Tom +Turkey!" quoth Farmer Grice. + +"But what in the world shall I ever do?" said Henry. + +"That's for you to settle, sir," said the farmer, taking up the +unlucky gun. "I shall take this, and keep it out of further harm." + +"Oh pray, pray!" cried Henry. "It is not my gun; it is Mr. +Greville's; please let me have it!" + +"What! was it those young dogs, the Master Grevilles, that were with +you!" growled Mr. Grice. "If I'd known that, I'd not have let you +off so easy. Those boys are the plague of the place; I wish it had +been one of them as I'd caught, I'd have had some satisfaction out of +them!" + +Henry entreated again for the gun, explaining that they had not leave +to take it; but the farmer was unrelenting. He might go to them, he +said, to make up the price of the poor turkey-cock; how they could +have got the gun was no affair of his; have it they should not, till +the money was brought to him; and if it did not come before night, he +should carry the gun up to the Park, and complain to Mr. Greville. + +With this answer the unhappy Hal was released, and ran after his +friends to tell them of the terms. He found them sitting on a low +wall, just within their own grounds, waiting to hear what had become +of him. When he had told his story, they both set upon him for +betraying them, and declared that they should send him to Coventry +ever after, and never do anything with him again; but as it was plain +that the gun must be redeemed, if they wished to avoid severe +punishment, there was a consultation. Nobody had much money; but +Osmond consolingly suspected that the farmer would take less; five- +and-twenty shillings was an exorbitant price to set on a turkey- +cock's head, and perhaps half would content him. + +The half, however, seemed as impossible as the whole. Osmond had +three shillings, Martin two, Hal fourpence! What was to be done? +And the boys declared that if it should come to their father's +knowledge, Hal, who had given up their names, should certainly not be +shielded by them. In fact, he, who had done the deed, was the only +one who ought to pay. + +The sound of the servants' dinner-bell at the Park broke up the +consultation; the boys must not be missed at luncheon; and they +therefore separated, agreeing to meet at that same place at four +o'clock, to hear the result of Hal's negotiation with the farmer; for +neither of the Grevilles would hear of helping him to face the enemy. + +Poor Hal plodded home disconsolately. Once he thought of telling +Sam, and asking his help; but Sam would be so much shocked at such a +scrape at such a time, as possibly to lick him for it before helping +him. Indeed Hal did not see much chance of Sam being able to do +anything for them; and he had too often boasted over his elder +brother to like to abase himself by such a confession--when, too, it +would almost be owning how much better it would have been to have +followed Sam's advice and have gone safely to church. + +Could he borrow of any one? Had he nothing of his own to sell or +exchange? Ah! if it had not been for that stupid hoard of little +David's, he might have had even so much! By-the-bye, some of that +collection was his own. He might quite lawfully take that back +again. How much could it be? How much did he put in last week? the +week before? Oh, never mind; some of it was his at all events; there +was no harm in taking that. Most likely he should be able to restore +it four-fold when Colonel Carey made his present; or, if not, nobody +knew exactly what was in Toby Fillpot; and after all very likely they +would forget all about it; people could not think about pigs when +Mamma was ill; or, maybe, he should go to join his ship, and hear no +more of it. So he came home, and crossed the paddock just as the +dinner-bell was ringing, opening the hall-door as the children were +running across it to the dining-room. + +Miss Fosbrook, who was walking behind them, turned as he came in. + +"Henry," she said, "I have sent Johnnie to dine in the nursery, for +his disobedience in climbing the gate. I certainly shall not give +you a less punishment. You must have led him into it; and how could +you be so cruel as to leave the poor little fellow alone in such a +dangerous place?" + +"Stupid little coward! it was not a bit of danger!" said Hal. + +"So young a child--" began Miss Fosbrook. + +"Oh, that's all your London notions," said Hal. "Why, I climbed up +our gate at Stonehouse, which was twice as high, when I wasn't near +as old as that!" + +"I am not going to argue with you, Henry; but after such an act of +disobedience, I cannot allow you to sit down to dinner with us. Go +up to the school-room, and Mary shall bring you your dinner." + +"I'm sure I don't want to dine with a lot of babies and governesses!" +exclaimed Henry, and bounced up-stairs, leaving Miss Fosbrook quite +confounded at such an outbreak of naughtiness. + +She intended, as soon as dinner should be over, to go up to him, and +try to lead him to be sorry for his conduct, and to think what a +wretched moment this was for such audacity; and then she feared that +she ought to punish him farther, by keeping him in all the afternoon. +He was so soft and easily impressed, that she almost trusted to make +him feel that it would be right that he should suffer for his +misconduct. + +When she went up-stairs, almost as soon as grace had been said, he +was gone. Nobody could find him, and calling produced no answer. +She became quite distressed and anxious, but could not go far from +the house herself, nor send Sam, in case the message should arrive. + +"Oh," said Sam, "no doubt he's after something with the Grevilles, +and was afraid you would stop him in." + +She tried to believe this, but still felt far from satisfied all the +afternoon, and was glad to see the boy come back in time for tea. + +He said he had been with the Grevilles; he did not see why anybody +need ask him questions; he should do what he pleased without being +called to account. Nobody told him not to run away after dinner; he +was not going to stay to be ordered about for nothing. + +This was so bad a temper, that Christabel could not bear to try to +touch him with the thought of his sick mother. She knew that +softening must come in time, and believed the best thing to do at the +moment would be to put a stop to his disrespectful speeches to her, +and his cross ones to his brothers and sisters, by sending him to bed +as soon as tea was over, as the completion of his punishment. He did +not struggle, for she had taught him to mind her; but he went up- +stairs with a gloomy brow, and angry murmurs that it was very hard to +be put under a stupid woman, who knew nothing about anything, and was +always cross. + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + + +Saturday's post brought a letter, and a comfortable one. All +Thursday Mrs. Merrifield had been in so doubtful a state, that her +husband could not bear to write, lest he should fill the children +with false hopes, or alarm them still more; but she had had a good +night, was stronger on Friday, and when the post went out, the +doctors had just ventured to say they believed she would recover +favourably. The letter was finished off in a great hurry; but +Captain Merrifield did not forget to thank his little Susan warmly +for her poor scrambling letter, and say he knew all she meant by it, +bidding her give Miss Fosbrook his hearty thanks for forwarding it, +and for telling him the children were all behaving well, and feeling +properly. His love to them all; they must try to deserve the great +mercy that had been granted to them. + +To the children, this was almost as good as saying that their mother +was well again; but there was too much awe about them for their joy +to show itself noisily. Susan ran away to her own room, and Bessie +followed her; and Sam said no word, only Miss Fosbrook remarked that +he did not eat two mouthfuls of breakfast. She would not take any +notice; she knew his heart was full; and when she looked round on +that little flock, and thought of the grievous sorrow scarcely yet +averted from them, she could hardly keep the tears from blinding her. +They were all somewhat still and grave, and it was too happy a +morning to be broken into by the reproofs that Henry deserved, even +more richly than Christabel knew. She had almost forgotten his bad +behaviour; and when she remembered something of it, she could not but +hope that silence, on such a day as this, might bring it home to him +more than rebuke. Yet when breakfast was ever, he was among the +loudest of those who, shaking off the strange, awed gravity of deep +gladness, went rushing together into the garden, feeling that they +might give way to their spirits again. + +Sam shouted and whooped as if he were casting off a burthen, and +picking little George up in his arms, tossed him and swung him round +in the air in an ecstasy; while John and Annie and David went down on +the grass together, and tumbled and rolled one over the other like +three kittens, their legs and arms kicking about, so that it was hard +to tell whose property were the black shoes that came wriggling into +view. + +Susan was quieter. She told Nurse the good news, and then laid hold +upon Baby, and carried her off into the passage to hug all to +herself. She could tell no one but Baby how very happy she was, and +how her heart had trembled at her mother's suffering, her father's +grief, and at the desolateness that had so nearly come on them. Oh, +she was very happy, very thankful; but she could not scream it out +like the others, Baby must have it all in kisses. + +"Christabel," said a little voice, when all the others were gone, "I +shall never be pipy again." + +"You must try to fight against it, my dear." + +"Because," said Elizabeth, coming close up to her, "when dear Mamma +was so ill, it did seem so silly to mind about not having pretty +things like Ida, and the boys plaguing, and so on." + +"Yes, my dear; a real trouble makes us ashamed of our little +discontents." + +"I said so many times yesterday, and the day before, that I would +never mind things again, if only Mamma would get well and come home," +said the little girl; "and I never shall." + +"You will not always find it easy not to mind," said Christabel; "but +if you try hard, you will learn how to keep from showing that you +mind." + +"Oh!" said Elizabeth, (and a great mouthful of an oh! it was,) "those +things are grown so silly and little now." + +"You have seen them in their true light for once, my dear. And now +that you have so great cause of thankfulness to God, you feel that +your foolish frets and discontents were unthankful." + +"Yes," said Bessie, her eyes cast down, as they always were when +anything of this kind was said to her, as if she did not like to meet +the look fixed on her. + +"Well then, Bessie, try to make the giving up of these murmurs your +thank-offering to God. Suppose every day when you say your prayers, +you were to add something like this--" and she wrote down on a little +bit of paper, "O Thou, who hast raised up my mother from her +sickness, teach me to be a thankful and contented child, and to guard +my words and thoughts from peevishness." + +"Isn't it too small to pray about?" said Elizabeth. + +"Nothing is too small to pray about, my dear. Do you think this +little midge is too small for God to have made it, and given it life, +and spread that mother-of-pearl light on its wings? Do you think +yourself too small to pray? or your fault too small to pray about?" + +Elizabeth cast down her eyes. She did not quite think it was a +fault, but she did not say so. + +"Bessie, what was the great sin of the Israelites in the wilderness?" + +The colour on her cheek showed that she knew. + +"They tempted God by murmurs," said Christabel. "They tried His +patience by grumbling, when His care and blessings were all round +them, and by crying out because all was not just as they liked. Now, +dear Bessie, God has shown you what a real sorrow might be; will it +not be tempting Him to go back to complaints over what He has +ordained for you?" + +"I shall net complain now; I shall not care," said Elizabeth. But +she took the little bit of paper, and Christabel trusted that she +would make use of it, knowing that in this lay her hope of cure; for +whatever she might think in this first joy of relief, her little +troubles were sure to seem quite as unbearable while they were upon +her as if she had never feared a great one. + +However, nothing remarkable happened; everyone was bright and happy; +but still the influence of their past alarm subdued them enough to +make them quiet and well-behaved, both on Saturday and Sunday; and +Miss Fosbrook had never had so little trouble with them. + +In consideration of this, and of the agitation and unsettled state +that had put the last week out of all common rules, she announced on +Monday morning that she would excuse all the fines, and that all the +children should have their allowance unbroken. Maybe she was moved +to this by the suspicion that these four sixpences and three +threepennies would make up the fund to the price of a "reasonable +pig;" and she thought it time that David's perseverance should be +rewarded, and room made in his mind for something beyond swine and +halfpence. + +Her announcement was greeted by the girls with eager thanks, by the +boys with a tremendous "Three times three for Miss Fosbrook!" and +Bessie was so joyous, that instead of crying out against the noise, +she joined in with Susan and Annie; but they made such a ridiculous +little squeaking, that Sam laughed at them, and took to mocking their +queer thin hurrahs. Yet even this Elizabeth could bear! + +David was meanwhile standing by the locker, his fingers at work as if +he were playing a tune, his lips counting away, "Ninety-two, ninety- +three, ninety-four--that's me; ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven- +-that's Jack," and so on; till having plodded up diligently, he +turned round with a little scream, "One hundred and twenty! That's +the pig!" + +"What?" cried Annie. + +"One hundred and twenty pence. Sukey said one hundred and twenty +pence were ten shillings. That will do it! That's the pig! Oh, +we've done it! May I take it to Purday?" + +"It was to be let alone till fair-day, you little bother!" said Hal. + +"No, no, no," cried many voices; "only till we had enough." + +"And I am sure nobody knows if we have," added Hal hotly. "A lot of +halfpence, indeed!" + +"But I know, Hal," insisted David. "There are eighty-nine pence and +one farthing in Toby Fillpot, and this makes one hundred and twenty- +two pence and one farthing." + +"You'd no business to peep," said Sam. + +"I didn't peep," said David indignantly. "There were forty-eight +pence at first, and then Susie had three, that was fifty-one--" And +he would have gone on like a little calculating machine, with the +entire reckoning in his head, if the others had had patience to hear; +but Annie and Johnnie were urgent to have the sum counted out before +their eyes. Hal roughly declared it was against the rules, and +little inquisitives must not have their way. But others were also +inquisitive; and Sam said it would be best to know how much they had, +that Purday might be told to look out for a pig at the price; +besides, he wanted to have it over; it was such a bore not to have +any money. + +"It's not fair!" cried Henry passionately. "You don't keep the +rules! You sha'n't have my sixpence, I can tell you; and I won't--I +won't stay and see it." + +"Nobody wants you," said Sam. + +"I didn't know there were any rules," said the girls; but Hal was +already off. + +"Hal has only put in fivepence-halfpenny," said David, "so no wonder +he is ashamed. Such a big boy, with sixpence a week! But if he +won't let us have his sixpence now--" + +"Never mind, we will make it up next week," said Susan. + +"Now, then, who will take Toby down?" said Miss Fosbrook, unbuttoning +one glass door, and undoing the two bolts of the second, behind which +the cup of money stood. + +"Susie ought, because she is the eldest." + +"Davie ought, because he is the youngest." + +David stood on a chair to take Toby off his shelf. Solemn was the +face with which the little boy lifted the mug by the handle, putting +his other hand to steady the expected weight of coppers; but there +was at once a frown, a little cry of horror. Toby came up so light +in his hand, that all his great effort was thrown away, and only made +him stagger back in dismay, falling backward from the chair, and poor +Toby crashing to pieces on the floor as he fell, while out rolled-- +one solitary farthing + +Nobody spoke for some moments; but all stood perfectly still, staring +as hard as if they hoped the pence would be brought out by force of +looking for them. + +Then David's knuckles went up into his eyes, and he burst forth in a +loud bellow. It was the first time Miss Fosbrook had heard him cry, +and she feared that he had been hurt by the fall, or cut by the +broken crockery; but he struck out with foot and fist, as if his +tears were as much anger as grief, and roared out, "I want the +halfpence for my pig." + +"Sam, Sam," cried Susan, "if you have hid them for a trick, let him +have them." + +"I--I play tricks NOW?" exclaimed Sam in indignation. "No, indeed!" + +"Then perhaps Hal has," said Elizabeth. + +"For shame, Bessie!" cried Sam. + +"I only know," said Elizabeth, half in self-defence, half in fright, +"that one of you must have been at the baby-house, for I found the +doors open, and shut them up." + +"And why should it be one of us?" demanded Sam; while David stopped +crying, and listened. + +"Because none of the younger ones can reach to undo the doors," said +Elizabeth. "It was as much as I could do to reach the upper bolt, +though I stood upon a chair." + +This was evident; for the baby-house was really an old-fashioned +bureau, and below the glass doors there was a projecting slope of +polished walnut, upon which only a fly could stand, and which was +always locked. No one whose years were less than half a score was +tall enough to get a good hold of the button, even from the highest +chair, far less to jerk down the rather stiff upper bolt. + +"It cannot have been a little one, certainly," said Miss Fosbrook; +"but you should not be so ready to accuse your brothers, Bessie." + +David, however, had laid hold of a hope, and getting up from the +floor, hastened out of the room, followed by John; and they were +presently heard shouting "Hal!" all over the house. + +"What day was it that you found the door open, Bessie?" asked Miss +Fosbrook. + +"It was just after dinner," said Elizabeth, recollecting herself. + +"It was on Friday. Yes, I remember it was Friday, because I went +into the school-room to get my pencil, and I was afraid Hal would +jump out upon me, and looked in first to see whether he was going to +be tiresome; but he was gone." + +"Yes," said Susan; "it was the day we found poor Jack stuck up on the +gate, when he and Hal were in disgrace. Oh, he never would have +played tricks then." + +"Did you go up before me, Bessie?" asked Miss Fosbrook; "for I went +up directly after dinner to speak to Henry." + +"Yes, I did," said she. "I thought if you got in first, you would be +scolding him ever so long, and would let nobody in, so I would get my +pencil first; and I slipped up before you had left the table." + +Just then the two boys were heard stumping up the stairs, and ran in, +panting with haste and excitement, David with a fiery red ear. + +"No, no; Hal didn't hide it!" + +"But he boxed Davie's ear for thinking he did," added John; "and said +he'd do the same for spiteful Bet!" + +"Then he never played tricks," said Susan. + +"I told you not," said Sam. + +"No," reiterated David; "and he said I'd no business to ask; and if +Bet went prying about everywhere, I'd better ask her. Have you got +it, Betty?" + +"I!" cried Elizabeth. "How can you, Davie?" + +"You have got a secret," exclaimed David; "and you always were cross +about Hannah Higgins's pig. You have got it to tease me! Miss +Fosbrook, make her give it back." + +"Nonsense, David," said Miss Fosbrook; "Bessie is quite to be +trusted; and it is wrong to make unfounded accusations." + +"Never mind, Betty," added Sam kindly; "if Davie wasn't a little +donkey, he wouldn't say such things." + +"Where is Henry?" asked the governess. "Why did he not come himself? +Call him; I want to know if he observed this door being open." + +"He is gone down to Mr. Carey's," said John. + +"And it is high time you were there too, Sam," said Miss Fosbrook, +starting. "If you are late, beg Mr. Carey's pardon from me, and tell +him that I kept you." + +Sam was obliged to run off at full speed; and the other children +stood about, still aghast and excited. Miss Fosbrook, however, told +them to take out their books. She would not do anything more till +she had had time to think, and had composed their minds and her own; +for she was exceedingly shocked, and felt herself partly in fault, +for having left the hoard in an unlocked cupboard. She feared to do +anything hastily, lest she should bring suspicion on the innocent; +and she thought all would do better if time were given for settling +down. All were disappointed at thus losing the excitement, fancying +perhaps that instant search and inquiry would hunt up the money; and +David put himself quite into a sullen fit. No, he would not turn +round, nor read, nor do anything, unless Miss Fosbrook would make +stingy Bet give up the pence. + +Miss Fosbrook and Susan both tried to argue with him; but he had set +his mind upon one point so vehemently, that it was making him +absolutely stupid to everything else; and he was such a little boy +(only five years old), that his mind could hardly grasp the exceeding +unlikelihood of a girl like Elizabeth committing such a theft, either +in sport or earnest, nor understand the injury of such a suspicion. +He only knew that she had a secret--a counter secret to his pig; and +when she hotly assured him that she had never touched the money, and +Susan backed her up with, "There, she says she did not," he answered, +"She once told a story." + +Elizabeth coloured deep red, and Susan cried out loudly that it was a +shame in David; then explained that it was a long long time ago, that +Hal and Bessie broke the drawing-room window by playing at ball with +little hard apples, and had not 'told, but when questioned had said, +"No;" but indeed they had been so sorry then that she knew they would +never do so again. + +Again David showed that he could not enter into this, and sulkily +repeated, "She told a story." + +"I will have no more of this," said Christabel resolutely. "You are +all working yourselves up into a bad spirit: and not another word +will I hear on this matter till lessons are over." + +That tone was always obeyed; but lessons did not prosper; the +children were all restless and unsettled; and David, hitherto for his +age her best scholar, took no pains, and seemed absolutely stupefied. +What did he care for fines, if the chance of the pig was gone? And +he was sullenly angry with Miss Fosbrook for using no measures to +recover the money, fancied she did not care, and remembered the +foolish nursery talk about her favouring Bessie. + +Once Miss Fosbrook heard a little gasping from the corner, and +looking round, saw poor Bessie crying quietly over her slate, and +trying hard to check herself. She would not have noticed her, though +longing to comfort her, if David had not cried out, "Bet is crying! +A fine!" + +"No," said Miss Fosbrook; "but a fine for an ill-natured speech that +has made her cry." + +"She has got the pig's money," muttered David. + +"Say that again, and I shall punish you, David." + +He looked her full in the face, and said it again. + +She was thoroughly roused to anger, and kept her word by opening the +door of a small dark closet, and putting David in till dinner-time. + +Then she and Susan both tried to soothe Bessie, by reminding her how +childish David was, how he had caught up some word that probably Hal +had flung out without meaning it, and how no one of any sense +suspected her for a moment. + +"It is so ill-natured and hard," sobbed Bessie. "To think I could +steal! I think they hate me." + +"Ah," said Susan, "if you only would never be cross to the boys, +Bessie, and not keep out of what they care for, they would never +think it." + +"Yes, Susie is right there," said Christabel. "If you try to be one +with the others, and make common cause with them, giving up and +forbearing, they never will take such things into their heads." + +"And WE don't now," said Susan cheerily. "Didn't you hear Sam say +nobody but a donkey could think it?" + +"But Bessie has a secret!" said Annie. + +Again stout Susan said, "For shame!" + +"I'll tell you what my secret is," began Bessie. + +"No," said Susan, "don't tell it, dear! We'll trust you without; and +Sam will say the same." + +Bessie flung her arms round Susan's neck, as if she only now knew the +comfort of her dear good sister. + +Lessons were resumed; and as soon as these were done, Miss Fosbrook +resolved on a thorough search. Some strange fit of mischief or +curiosity might have actuated some one, and the money be hidden away; +so she brought David out of his cupboard, and with Susan's help +turned out every drawer and locker in the school-room, forbidding the +others to touch or assist. They routed out queer nests of broken +curiosities, disturbed old dusty dens of rubbish, peeped behind every +row of books; but made no discovery worth mentioning, except the left +leg of Annie's last doll, the stuffing of Johnnie's ball, the tiger +out of George's Noah's ark, and the first sheet of Sam's Latin +Grammar, all stuffed together into a mouse-hole in the skirting. + +At dinner Christabel forbade the subject to be mentioned, not only to +hinder quarrelsome speeches, but to prevent the loss being talked of +among the servants; since she feared that one of them must have +committed the theft, and though anxious not to put it into the +children's heads, suspected Rhoda, the little nursery-girl, who was +quite a child, and had not long been in the house. + +Henry ate his dinner in haste, but could not get away till Miss +Fosbrook had called him away from the rest, and told him that if he +had been playing a trick on his little brother, it was time to put an +end to it, before any innocent person fell under suspicion. + +"I--I've been playing no tricks--at least--" + +"Without any AT LEAST, Henry, have you hidden the money?" + +"No." + +"You dined in the school-room on Friday. Were the baby-house doors +open then!" + +"I--I'm sure I didn't notice." + +"You didn't open them to take anything out?" + +"What should I want with the things in the baby-house?" + +"Did you, or did you not!" + +"I--I didn't--at least--" + +"In one word, did you open them? yes or no." + +"No." + +"What time did you go out after eating your dinner?" + +"Bother! how is one to remember! It's all nonsense making such a +fuss. The children fancied they put in ever so much more than they +did, and very likely took out some." + +"No; David's reckoning was accurate. I wrote down all I knew of; and +I am sure none was taken out, for early that very morning I had put +in a sixpence myself, and the cup was then full of coppers, with that +little silver threepenny of David's with the edge turned up upon the +top." + +"Then you must have left the door undone!" said Henry delighted. + +"I dare not be positive," said Christabel; "but I believe I remember +bolting it; and if I had not done so, it would have flown open +sooner." + +"Oh, but the wind, you know." + +"If the doors did open, it would not account for the loss of the +money." + +"Well, I can't help it," said Henry ungraciously, trying to move off: +but she first required him to tell her what he had said to the +younger boys to make them suspect Elizabeth. + +"Did I?" said Henry, "I am sure I didn't; at least, if I did, I only +said Bess peeped everywhere, and was very close. I didn't suspect +her, you know." + +"I should think not!" said Miss Fosbrook indignantly. "Now please to +come up with me." + +"I want to go out," said Henry. + +No, she would not let him go. She thought Elizabeth ought to clear +herself, so far as it could be done, by making her secret known, +since that had drawn suspicion on her; and when all the children were +together, she called the little girl and told her so. + +"It is very unkind of them," said Bessie, with trembling lip; "but +they shall see, if they want THAT to show I am not a thief!" + +"I said I wouldn't see," said Susan. "You knows Bessie, I trust +you." + +"And I," said Sam; "I don't care for people's secrets. I don't want +to pry into Bessie's." + +No one followed their example; all either really suspected, or else +were full of curiosity, and delighted to gratify it. + +Half a dozen slips of card, with poor little coloured drawings on +them, and as many lengths of penny ribbon! + +"Is that all?" said Annie, much disappointed. + +"So that's what Bet made such a fuss about," said John; and David's +face fell, as if he had really expected to see the lost pence. + +The next thing, after the search had been made through all the +children's bed-rooms, was to go to the nursery: and thither Miss +Fosbrook allowed only Susan and Sam to follow her. Nurse Freeman was +very stiff and stately, but she had no objection to searching; and +the boy and girl began the hunt, while Miss Fosbrook meantime +cautiously asked whether Nurse were sure of Rhoda, and if she were +trustworthy. + +This made Mrs. Freeman very angry; and though her words were +respectful, she showed that she was much offended at the strange lady +presuming to suspect anyone, especially one under her charge. + +Miss Fosbrook wanted to have asked Rhoda whether the doors were open +or shut when she carried Henry his dinner, but Nurse would not +consent to call her. "I understood the nursery and the girl were to +be my province," she said. "If Miss Merrifield heard her mamma say +otherwise, then it is a different thing." + +Susan cowered into the dark cupboard. Nurse must be in a dreadful +way to call her Miss Merrifield, instead of Missy! + +Nothing more could be done. The pence could not be found. Nurse +would not let Rhoda be examined; and all that could be found out from +the children had been already elicited. + +Christabel could only beg that no more should be said, and, her head +aching with perplexity, hope that some light might yet be thrown on +the matter. There must be pain and grief whenever it should be +explained; but this would be far better, even for the offender, than +the present deception: and the whole family were in a state of +irritation and distrust, that hurt their tempers, and made her +bitterly reproach herself with not having prevented temptation by +putting the hoard under lock and key. + +She ordered that no more should be said about it that evening, and +made herself obeyed; but play was dull, and everything went off +heavily. The next morning, Susan came back early from her +housekeeping business, with her honest face grave and unhappy, and +finding Miss Fosbrook alone, told her she had something REALLY to say +to her if she might; and this being granted began, with the bright +look of having found a capital notion: "I'll tell you what I wish +you would do." + +"Well?" + +"If you would call every one in all the house, and ask them on their +word and honour if they took the pence." + +"My dear, I am not the head of the house, and I have no right to do +that; besides, I do not believe it would discover it." + +"What! could a thief get in from out of doors!" said Susan looking at +the window. + +"Hardly that, my dear; but I am afraid a person who could steal would +not scruple to tell a falsehood, and I do not wish to cause this +additional sin." + +"It is very horrid; I can't bear it," said Susan, puckering up her +face for tears. "Do you know, Miss Fosbrook, the maids are all so +angry that you said anything about Rhoda?" + +"You did not mention it, my dear?" + +"Oh no; nor Sam. It was Nurse herself! But they all say that you +want to take away her character; and they won't have strangers put +over them." + +"Pray, Susie; don't tell me this. It can do no good." + +"Oh, but PLEASE!" cried Susan. "And then Mary--I can't think how she +could--but she said that poor dear Bessie was always sly, and that +she had been at the cupboard, and had got the pence; but she was your +favourite, and so you vindicated her. And Nurse began teasing her to +confess, and tell the truth, and told her she was a wicked child +because she would not; but it was all because we were put under +strangers! I'm sure they do set on Johnnie and Davie to be cross to +her." + +"When was this, my dear?" + +"Last night, when we went to the nursery to be washed. It was our +night, you know. Oh! I wish Mamma was well!" + +"Indeed I do my dear. And how did poor Bessie bear it!" + +"She got quite white, and never said a word, even when they told her +she was sulky. But when we got into bed, and I kissed her and +cuddled her up, oh! she did cry so; I didn't know what to do. So, do +you know, I got my shawl on, and went and called Sam; and he was not +gone to sleep, and he came and sat by her, and told her that he +believed her, and knew she was as sound a heart of oak as any of us; +and we both petted her, and Sam was so nice and kind, till she went +to sleep. Then he went to the nursery, and told Nurse how horrid it +was in her; but Cook said it only made her worse, because she is +jealous of our taking part with you." + +"My dear, I DO like to hear of your kindness to Bessie; but I wish +you would not mind what any of the maids say, nor talk to them about +it. It only distresses you for nothing." + +"But I can't help it," said Susan. + +"You could not help this attack in the nursery, but you need not talk +to Cook or Mary about it. It is of no use to vex ourselves with what +people say who don't know half a story." + +"Can't you tell them not?" said simple Susan. + +"No, I cannot interfere. They would only do it the more. We can +only keep Bessie as much out of the way of the maids as we can, and +show our confidence in her." + +Certainly Elizabeth had been known to look infinitely more glum when +nothing was the matter than under all this vexation, even though the +servants were really very unkind to her; and her two little brothers +both behaved as ill as possible to her whenever they had the +opportunity--David really believing that she had made away with the +money, and ought to be tortured for it; and Johnnie taking it on his +word, and being one of those little boys who have a positive taste +for ill-nature, and think it fun. They pinched her, they bit her, +they rubbed out her sums, they shut up her lesson-books and lost her +place, they put bitten crusts into her plate, and did whatever they +knew she most disliked, whenever Miss Fosbrook or Sam was not in the +way; but she never told. She did not choose to be called a tell- +tale; and besides, they really did not succeed in making her life +miserable, so much was she pleased with the real kindness her trouble +had brought out from Susan and Sam. Susan could not prevent the +persecution of the two naughty little boys, but she defended her +sister to her utmost; and Sam cuffed them if they said a word or +lifted a finger against Bessie before him; and he gave her such +notice and kindness as she never had received from him before. One +afternoon, when he was going to walk to Bonchamp, he asked leave for +her to come with him, and would take nobody else; and hot day as it +was, Bessie had never had such a charming walk. She kept herself +from making one single fuss; and in return, he gathered wild +strawberries for her, showed her a kingfisher, and took her to look +in at a very grand aquarium in the fishing-tackle maker's window, +where she saw some gold-fish, and a most comical little newt. And +going home, they had a real good talk about their father's voyage, +and how they should get on without him; and Bessie found to her great +pleasure, that Sam hoped Miss Fosbrook would stay when Mamma Came +home. + +"For I do think she has put some sense into you, Bessie," said Sam. + +She was so delighted, that instead of preparing to fret if Sam did +but hold up a finger at her, she looked up with a smile when he came +in her way, sure of protection, and expecting something pleasant, as +well as thinking it an honour to be asked to help him in anything. +The next day, when Mr. Carey had insisted on his verifying by the map +all the towns which he had been contented to say were in Asia Minor +(where every place in ancient history is always put if its +whereabouts be doubtful), she saved him so much time and trouble, +that he got out into the garden full half an hour earlier than he +would otherwise have done. Thereupon he told her she was a jolly +good fellow, and gave her such a thump on the back, as a few weeks +ago would have made her scream and whine; but this time she took it +as a new form of thanks, and felt highly honoured by being invited to +help him to fish for minnows, though it almost made her sick to stick +the raw meat upon his hooks. + +The threatening of a true sorrow, the bearing a real trouble, and the +opening to her brother's kindness, had done far more to make her a +happy little girl than all Miss Fosbrook's attempts to satisfy her +cravings or please her tastes. These had indeed done her some good, +and taught her to find means of enjoyment for those likings that no +one else cared for; but it had been the SPIRIT of delight that had +been chiefly wanting; and when thankfulness and love were leading her +to that, it was much easier to see that the evening clouds or the +rising moon were lovely, than when she was looking out for affronts. + +Nothing was said in public about the loss; and Christabel hoped that +the bad impression as to Elizabeth would wear out in the young minds +of the lesser children; but David's whole nature seemed to have been +disorganized by the disappointment. Instead of being a pattern child +for diligence and good behaviour, very fond of Miss Fosbrook, and not +only inoffensive, but often keeping John and Anne in order, he seemed +absolutely stupid and senseless at lessons, became stubborn at +reproof, seemed to take pleasure in running counter to his governess, +and rendered the other two, who, though his elders, were both of weak +natures compared with his own, more openly naughty than himself. +Sometimes it seemed to Christabel that the habit of spiting Bessie +was getting so confirmed, that it would last even when the cause was +forgotten; and yet the more she strove to put it down in sight, the +more it throve out of sight; and when she looked at David, and +thought how she had once admired him, she could not but remember the +text that says, "Thy goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the dew +shall it vanish away." She had thought it goodness based upon +religious feeling, as well as on natural gravity and orderliness; and +so perhaps it had once been, but the little fellow had fixed his +whole soul on one purpose, and though that was a good one, it had +grown into an idol, and swallowed up all his other motives, till of +late he had only been good for the sake of the pig, not because it +was right. Being disappointed of the pig, he had nothing to fall +back upon, but felt himself so ill-used, that it seemed to him that +it was no use to be good; and he revenged himself by naughtiness. + +Such sturdy strong characters as little David's, when they are once +set on the right object, come to the very best kind of goodness; but +when they take a wrong turn, they are the very worst, both for +themselves and others. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + + +The Monday after the loss of the pence was a pouring wet day. The +whole court was like a flood, and the drops went splashing up again +as if in play; Purday wore his master's old southwester coat, and +looked shiny all over; and when the maids had to cross the court, +they went click, click, in their pattens under their umbrellas. + +But it was baking day, and Susan and Annie had been down to coax the +cook into making them a present of a handsome allowance of dough, and +Miss Fosbrook into letting them manipulate it in the school-room. +Probably this was the only way of preventing the dough from being +turned into bullets, and sent flying at each other's eyes, or +possibly plastered on somebody's nose, and the cook and kitchenmaid +from being nearly driven crazy. + +The dough was justly divided, and an establishment set up in each +locker. Bessie declined altogether; Sam had lent her his beautiful +book of The British Songsters, and she was hard at work at the table +copying a tom-tit, since she no longer carried on the work in secret; +but at one locker were the other three elders, at the other the three +lesser ones, and little George in a corner by Susan, pegging away at +his own private lump, and constantly begging for more. Susan's +ambition was to make a set of real twists, just like Cook's; and she +pulled out and twisted and plaited, though often robbed of her dough +by the two boys, whose united efforts were endeavouring to produce a +likeness of Purday, with his hat on his head, plums for eyes, a pipe +in his mouth, and driving a cow; but unluckily his neck always got +pinched off, and his arms would not stay on! No matter; the more +moulding of that soft dough the better! Johnnie and Annie had a +whole party of white clammy serpents, always being set to bite one +another, and to melt into each other; and David was hard at work on a +brood of rabbits with currant eyes, and would let no one interfere +with him. + +"Didn't I hear something!" asked Bessie, looking up. + +"Oh, it's only the roller," said Sam; "Purday always rolls on a wet +day." + +Something, however, made the whole party of little bakers hold up +their heads to listen. There was a gleam on their faces, as a quick +alert step sounded on the stairs, and Bessie, the nearest to the +door, and not cramped like the rest, who were sitting on their heels, +sprang forward and opened it with a scream of joy. + +There he was--the light, alert, weather-beaten man, with his loose +wavy hair, and bright sailor face! There was Papa! Oh, the hurly- +burly of children, tumbling up as well as they could on legs crooked +under them, and holding out great fans of floury doughy paws, all +coming to be hugged in his arms in turn, so that before he had come +to the end of the eight in presence, Bessie had had time to whisk off +to the nursery, snatch Baby up from before Nurse's astonished eyes, +rush down with her, and put her into his arms. Baby had forgotten +him, and was taken with such a fit of screaming shyness, that Susan +had to take her, and Annie to play bo-peep with her, before she would +let anyone's voice be heard. + +"I've taken you by surprise, Miss Fosbrook," said the Captain, +shaking hands with her in the midst of the clatter. + +"Oh, it is such a pleasure!" she began. "I hope you left Mrs. +Merrifield much better." + +"Much better, much better, thank you. I hope to find her on the sofa +when I go back on Thursday. I could only run down for a few days, +just to settle things, and see the children, before I join the +Ramilies. Admiral Penrose very good-naturedly kept it open for me, +till we could tell how SHE was," said the Captain, with rather a +trembling voice. + +"Then you are going! O Papa!" said Susan, looking up at him; "and +Baby will not know you till--" + +"Hold your tongue, Miss Croaker," said the Captain, roughly but +kindly; and Miss Fosbrook could see that he was as much afraid of +crying himself as of letting Susan cry; "I've no time for that. I've +got a gentleman on business down stairs, and your Uncle John and I +must go down to them again. We sha'n't want dinner; only, Sue, tell +them to send in some eggs and bacon, or cold meat, or whatever there +may be, for tea; and get a room ready for your uncle." + +He would have gone, but Susan called out, "O Papa, may we drink tea +with you, Georgy and all!" + +"Yes, to be sure, if you won't make a bear-fight, any of you, for +your uncle." + +"Mayn't I come down with you?" added Sam, looking at him as if he +wanted to make the most of every moment of that presence. + +"Better not, my boy," said the Captain; "I've got law business to +settle, and we don't want you. Better stay and make yourselves +decent for tea-time. Mamma's love, and she hopes you'll not drive +Uncle John distracted." And he was gone. + +"Bother Uncle John!" first muttered Sam (I am sorry to say). + +"I can't think what he's come for," sighed Annie. + +"To spoil our fun," suggested Johnnie disconsolately. + +"To take Sam to school," added Hal, "while I go to sea." + +"You don't know that you are going," said Elizabeth. "Papa said +nothing about it." + +"Oh! but I know I shall. Admiral Penrose promised." + +"You know a great many things that don't happen. You knew Colonel +Carey would give you two sovereigns." + +Henry looked as if he could bite. + +"Well, I shall finish Purday," said Sam, turning away with a sigh; +"and they shall have him for tea." + +"Tea will be no fun!" repeated Annie. "Oh dear! what does Uncle John +come here for?" + +"May not he come to be with his brother?" suggested Christabel. + +"Oh! but they are grown up," said Annie. + +"Can't he have him in London, without coming here to worry us in our +little time!" added Johnnie. + +"Perhaps he will not worry you." + +"Oh! but--" they all cried, and stopped short. + +"He plagues about manners," said Annie. + +"He wanted Susie and me to be sent to school!" said Bessie. + +"He said it was like dining with young Hottentots." + +"He told Papa it was disgraceful, when we had all been sliding on the +great pond in the village," added Annie. + +"And he gave Sam a box on the ear, for only just taking a dear little +river cray-fish in his fishing-net to show Aunt Alice." + +"The net was dripping wet," observed Bessie. + +"Yes," said Anne; "but Aunt Alice is so finikin and fidgety; she +never wets her feet, and can't get over a stile, and is afraid of a +cow; and he wants us all to be like her." + +"And he makes Papa and Mamma mind things that they don't mind by +nature," said Susan. + +"Mamma always tells us to be good, and never play at hockey in the +house when he's there," said Anne. + +"She has not told us so this time," said John triumphantly. + +"No, but we must mind all the same," said Susan; and Sam silenced +some independent murmurs, about not minding Uncle John, by saying it +was minding Mamma. + +Miss Fosbrook herself was a little alarmed, for she gathered that +Mamma was in some fear of this terrible uncle, that he had much +influence with his brother, and was rather a severe judge of the +young family. She sincerely hoped that he would not find things much +amiss, for the honest goodness of the two eldest had won so much +regard from her, that she could not bear them to be under any cloud; +and indeed she felt as if the whole flock were her own property, as +well as her charge, and that she, as well as they, were about to be +tried. She would have felt it all fair and just before their kindly +father, but it seemed hard that all should be brought before the +school-master uncle; and she was disposed to be tender for her +children, and exceedingly anxious as to the effect they might +produce. She was resolved that the Captain should hear of the affair +of the pence; but the presence of his brother would make the speaking +a much greater effort. Meantime, she saw that all the fingers were +clean, and all the hair brushed. She flattered herself that Susan's +yellow locks had learnt that it was the business of hair to keep +tidy, and had been much less unmanageable of late; but she had her +fears that they would ruffle up again when their owner, at the head +of a large detachment, rushed out to take the "fancy bread" out of +the oven, and she came half-way down stairs, in case it should be +necessary to capture them, and brush them over again. + +While thus watching, the door of the dining-room (the only down +stairs room in order) opened suddenly, and the Captain came forth. +"Oh, Miss Fosbrook," he said, "please come in here: I was just +coming to look for you. My brother--Miss Fosbrook." + +To her surprise, Miss Fosbrook received a very pleasant civil +greeting from a much younger man than she had expected to see, +looking perhaps more stern about the mouth and sharp about the eye +than his elder brother, and his clerical dress very precise; but +somehow he was so curiously like his niece, Elizabeth, that she +thought that his particularity might spring from the same love of +refinement. + +"All going on well?" asked the Captain. + +"Fairly well," she answered. "Sam and Susan are most excellent +children. There is only one matter on which I should like to speak +to you, at some time when it might suit you." + +"Is it about this?" he said, putting into her hand a sheet written in +huge round-hand in pencil, no words misspelt, but the breaks in them +at the end of the lines perfectly regardless of syllables:- + + +My dear Papa, + +Please let me +have a poli +ceman. Bet h +as got at Toby +and stole our +pence which was +for a secret. Nu +rse says she is a +favourite and Miss +Fosbrook will not +find them. + +Your affectionate son + +DAVID DOUGLAS MERRIFIELD. + + +"Oh! this was the letter David insisted on sealing before I put it +into mine!" exclaimed Miss Fosbrook, as soon as she had made out the +words. "We have been in great trouble at the loss; but we agreed not +to write to you, because you had so much on your mind." + +"Is Bessie in fault?" + +"No, no; none of us believe it; but I am very anxious that you should +make an investigation, for the maids suspect her, and have made the +younger children do so." + +"And who is Toby?" + +"Toby is only a jug--called Toby Fillpot, I believe--shaped like a +man." + +"I know!" put in Mr. John Merrifield, laughing. "Don't you remember +him, Harry? We had the like in our time." + +"Well?" interrogated the Captain. + +"Just after you left home," said Christabel, as shortly and clearly +as she could, "the children agreed to save their allowance to buy a +pig for Hannah Higgins. They showed great perseverance in their +object; and by the third week they had about seven shillings in this +jug, which, to my grief and shame, I let them keep in the glass +cupboard, not locked, but one door bolted, the other buttoned. On +Friday morning, the 11th, I know the cup was full of coppers and +silver, for I took it down to add something to it. On the next +Monday morning the money was gone, all but one farthing." + +"Can you guess who took it?" + +"I should prefer saying nothing till you have examined the children +and servants for yourself." + +"Right!" said the Captain. "Very well.--I am sorry to treat you to a +court-martial, John, but I must hold one after tea." + +Christabel pitied the children for having to speak before this +formidable uncle; but there could be no help for it, since no other +sitting-room was habitable, and there were torrents of rain out-of- +doors. + +There was just time to show the glass cupboard, and the shelf where +Toby had stood, and to return to the dining-room, before the children +began to stream in and make their greetings to their uncle, Susan +with George in one hand, and her plate of bakings in the other. Very +fancy bread indeed it was! as Uncle John said. The edge of Purday's +hat had been quite baked off, and one of his arms was gone; he was +black in the wrong places, and was altogether rather an +uncomfortable-looking object. David's brood of rabbits were much +more successful, though the ears of many had fallen off. Uncle John +was very much diverted, and took his full share of admiring and +tasting the various performances. On the whole, the meal went off +much better than Christabel had feared it would. She had really +broken the children of many of the habits with which they used to +make themselves disagreeable; there was no putting of spoons into +each other's cups, nor reaching out with buttery fingers; lips were +wiped, and people sat still upon their chairs, even if they fidgeted +and sighed; and there was only one slop made all tea-time, and that +was by Johnnie, and not a very bad one. Indeed, it might be hoped +that Mr. Merrifield did not see it, for he was talking to Sam about +the change of footpath that Mr. Greville was making. There was +indeed no fun, but it might be doubted whether Papa would have been +in a mood for fun even had his brother not been there; and Miss +Fosbrook was rather glad there was nothing to make the children +forgetful of propriety. + +As soon as Mary had carried off the tea-things and wiped the table, +Uncle John put himself as much out of the way as he could behind the +newspaper in the recess of the window; and Miss Fosbrook would have +gone to the school-room, but Captain Merrifield begged her to stay. + +"I hear," he said, "that a very unpleasant thing has taken place in +my absence, and I wish to learn all that I can about it, that the +guilty person may be brought to light, and the innocent cleared from +any suspicion." + +The children looked at one another, wondering how he had heard, or +whether Miss Fosbrook had told him; but this was soon answered by his +calling out, "David! come here, and tell me what you meant by this +letter." + +David walked stoutly to his father's knee, nothing daunted, though +his brothers muttered behind him, "So he wrote!" "Little sneak!" and +"He knew no better!" Not that it was wrong to lay the case before +his father; but boys had usually rather suffer injustice than make an +accusation. + +"Why did you write this letter, David?" said his father. + +"Because I want my pence for the pig." + +"Tell me how you lost them?" + +"Bess took them!" + +Elizabeth sprung up, crimson, and with tears in her eyes, and Sam and +Susan were both bursting out into an angry "No, no!" but their father +made a sign to all to keep still; and they obeyed, though each of the +elder ones took hold of a hand of their sister and squeezed it hard. + +"Did you see her take them?" asked the Captain. + +"No!" + +"Then why do you say she did? I don't want to frighten you, David; I +only want to hear why you think she did so." + +David was getting alarmed now, and his childish memory better +retained the impression than what had produced it. He hung down his +head, scraped one foot, and finding that he must answer, mumbled out +at last, "Nurse said it, and Hal." + +"Henry, come here. Did you accuse your sister to David?" + +"No!" burst out Henry at once; but there was a rounding of everyone's +mouth to cry out Oh! and he quickly added, in a hasty scared way, "At +least, when Davie came bothering me, I said he had better ask Betty, +because she had been prying about, and meddling with the baby-house. +I never meant that she had done it; but Davie is such a little jack- +ass!" + +"Did you see her meddle with the baby-house!" + +"She said that herself," muttered Henry. + +"Yes, Papa," said Elizabeth, starting forward, "I did find the doors +of the baby-house open, and shut them up, but I never touched +anything in it! Sam and Susie know I would not, and that I would not +tell a story now, though I once did, you know, Papa!" + +Captain Merrifield still kept his grave set face, and only asked, +"When did you find the doors open?" + +"On Friday, Papa--Friday week--St. Barnabas' Day--just after dinner." + +"Was no one with you?" + +"No, Papa." + +"You came up-stairs first?" + +"Yes; I wanted my pencil before--" and she stopped short. + +"Before what?" + +"Before Miss Fosbrook went in to speak to Hal," said Elizabeth, +getting red all over. + +"Hal had been dining in the school-room," said Miss Fosbrook, "on +account of a little bit of disobedience." + +Captain Merrifield looked keenly at Henry, who tried to return the +look, but shuffled uncomfortably under it. + +"Then Hal had been dining in the school-room? Was he there when you +came in?" + +"No." + +"Were the doors open when you were dining there, Henry?" + +"N--no." + +"You are sure that you did not meddle with them?" + +"I do not know why I should," said Henry, hastily and confusedly. +"It is only the girls and the babies that have things there--and--and +Miss Fosbrook herself had been at the cupboard in the morning; why +shouldn't she have left it undone herself, and the doors got open?" + +"No, no!" cried Susan; "if they aren't fastened they always burst +open directly; and we never could have been in the room half the +morning without noticing them!" + +"Then you are certain that they were closed when you went down to +dinner?" + +Everyone was positive that the great glass doors flying out must have +made themselves observed in that room full of children, especially as +Susan remembered that she had been making a desk of the sloping part +under them. + +"Does anyone remember how long it was between Hal's leaving the room +and Bessie's coming up?" + +"I don't know when he went out," said all those who had been in the +dining-room; but there spoke up a voice, quite proud of having +something to tell among the others--"I saw Hal go out, and Bessie +come up directly." + +"You, Johnnie! How was that?" + +"Miss Fosbrook made me dine in the nursery, Papa, because Hal and I +had been riding on the new iron gate, to see if the telegraph would +come in while the others were at church; and then Hal ran away with +the Grevilles, and I couldn't get down till Sam came and helped me; +and so Miss Fosbrook made me dine in the nursery; and when I had +done, I went and sat upon the top of the garret stairs, to watch when +they came out from dinner, and ask if I might come down again." + +"And what did you see, Johnnie?" + +"First, I saw a wasp," said Johnnie. + +"Never mind the wasp. Did you see when Henry went out?" + +"I saw him come in first," said John, "and Miss Fosbrook order him up +and say she would send him his dinner, and come and speak to him +presently. So I watched to catch her when she was coming up to him, +and I saw Mary bring him up some mince veal, and the last bit of the +gooseberry pie; and then, very soon, he bolted right downstairs. I +didn't think he could have had time to eat the pie; and I was going +to see if there was a bit left, when I saw Bessie coming up, and I +whipped up again." + +"Then nobody went into the room between Henry and Bessie?" + +"No; there wasn't any time." + +The whole room was quite silent. There was no sound but a quick +short breathing from the Captain: but he had rested his brow upon +his hand, and his face could not be seen. It was as if something +terrible had flashed upon him, and he was struggling with the first +shock, and striving to deal with it. If they had seen him in a +tempest, with his ship driving to pieces on a rock, he would not have +been thus shaken and dismayed. However, by the time he looked up +again, he had brought his face back to its resolute firmness, and he +spoke in a clear, stern, startling voice, that made all the children +quake, and some catch hold of each other's hands: "Henry! tell me +what you have done with your theft!" + +Miserable Henry! He did not try to deny it any longer; but burst out +into a loud sobbing cry, "O Papa! Papa! I meant to have put it back +again! I couldn't help it!" + +"Tell me what you have done with it!" repeated the Captain. + +"I--I paid it to Farmer Grice; I was obliged; and I thought I could +have put it back again; and some of it was my own!" + +"Fivepence-farthing!" cried David. "You thief, you!" + +The child's fists were clenched, and his young face all one scowl of +passion, quite shocking to see. His father put him aside, and said, +"Hush, David! no names.--Now, Henry, what do you say to your sister +for your false accusation, which has thrown your own shame on her?" + +"Oh, no, no, Papa; he never did accuse me!" cried Bessie, for the +first time bursting into tears. "He never said I did it; that was +only Davie's fancy; and it has made Susie and Sam so kind, I have not +minded it at all. Please don't mind that, Papa!" + +"Come away, Henry!" said the Captain; "now that your sister has been +cleared, we had better have the rest out of the sight of these +tender-hearted little girls." + +He stood up, and without a word, stroked down Elizabeth's smooth +brown hair, raised her face up by the chin, and kissed her forehead, +the only place free from tears; then he took Henry by the shoulder, +and marched him out of the room. Bessie could not stop herself from +crying, and was afraid of letting Uncle John see her; so she flew out +after them, and straight up-stairs to her own room. Miss Fosbrook +and Susan both longed to follow her, but they had missed this +opportunity; and the sound of voices outside showed so plainly that +the Captain and Henry were in the hall that they durst not open the +door. + +Everyone was appalled, and nothing was said for a few seconds. The +first to speak was Annie, in a low, terror-stricken whisper, yet with +some curiosity in it: "I wonder what Papa will do to him?" + +"Give him nine dozen, I hope!" answered David through his small white +teeth, all clenched together with rage. + +"For shame, Davie!" said Susan; "you should not wish anything so +dreadful for your brother." + +"He has been so wicked! I wish it! I WILL wish it!" said David. + +"Hush, David!" said Miss Fosbrook; "such things must not be said. I +will talk to you by and by." + +"I am glad poor Bessie is cleared!" added Susan; "though I always +knew she could not have done it." + +"To be sure--I knew it was Hal!" + +"Sam! you did?--why didn't you tell?" cried Annie. + +"I wasn't--to say--sure," said Sam; "and I couldn't go and get him +into a scrape. I thought he might tell himself, if he could ever +make up the money again!" + +"Yes," said Susan; "he would have done that. He always fancied he +should get a sovereign from Colonel Carey." + +"He talked till he thought so," said Sam. + +"But what made you guess he had done so, Sam?" said Miss Fosbrook. +"I did suspect him myself, but I never felt justified in accusing him +of such a thing." + +"I don't know! I saw he had been getting into a fix with those +Grevilles, and had been sold somehow. They said something, and got +out of my way directly, and I was sure they had done some mischief, +and left him to pay the cost." + +"Did you ask him?" said Susan. + +"What was the use? One never knows where to have him. He will eat +up his words as fast as he says them, with his AT LEAST, till he +doesn't know what he means. Nor I didn't want to know much of it." + +"Still I can't think how you could let poor Bessie live under such a +cloud," said Christabel. + +"You didn't believe it," said Sam, "nor anyone worth a snap of my +finger. Besides, if I had known, and had to tell, what a horrid +shame it would have been if the naval cadetship had been to be had +for him! I knew Bessie would have thought so too, and then he would +have been out of the way of the Grevilles, and would have got some +money to make it up." + +"Then is there no chance of the cadetship now?" + +"Oh, we should have heard of it long ago if there had been! So I +mind the coming out the less; but it's perfectly abominable to have +had all this row, and for Papa to be so cut up in this little short +time at home." + +"I never saw him more grieved," said Mr. Merrifield. "He was hardly +more overcome when your mother was at the worst." + +They started, for they had forgotten Uncle John, or they would never +have spoken so freely; but he now put down his newspaper, and looked +as if he meant to talk. + +Susan ventured to say, "And indeed they had all been so very good +before. The pig made them so." + +"A learned pig, I should think," said her uncle, laughing good- +naturedly. + +"We were obliged to take care," said Susan, "or we got so many +fines." + +Christabel, finding that Mr. Merrifield looked at her, helped out +Susan by explaining that various small delinquencies were visited +with fines, and that the desire to save for the pig had rendered the +children very careful. + +"Indeed," she said, "I was thankful for the incentive, but I am +afraid that it was over-worked, and did harm in the end:" and she +glanced towards David. + +"It is the way with secondary motives," was the answer. + +Here Captain Merrifield came back alone; and his brother was the only +person who ventured to say, "Well?" + +"I have sent him to his room," said the Captain. "It is a very bad +business, though of course he made excuses to himself." + +The Captain then told them Henry's confession. He had been too much +hurried by the fear of being caught, to take out his own share of the +hoard, and had therefore emptied the whole cupful into his pocket- +handkerchief, tied it up, and run off with it, intending to separate +what was honestly his own. What that was he did not know, but his +boastful habits and want of accuracy had made his memory so careless, +that he fancied that a far larger proportion was his than really was, +and his purposes were in the strange medley that falls to the lot of +all self-deceivers, sometimes fancying he would only take what he had +a right to (whatever that might be), sometimes that he would borrow +what he wanted, and replace it when the sovereign should be given to +him, or that the Grevilles would make it up when they had their +month's allowance. + +When he came to the farm Mr. Grice was resolved to take nothing less +than the whole sum that he had with him. Perhaps this was less for +the value of the turkey-cock than for the sake of giving the boys +such a lesson as to prevent them from ever molesting his poultry +again. At any rate, he was inexorable till the frightened Henry had +delivered up every farthing in his possession; and then, convinced +that no more was forthcoming, he relented so far as to restore the +gun, and promise to make no complaint to either of the fathers. + +At first Henry lived on hopes of being able to restore the money +before the hoard should be examined, but Colonel Carey went away, +and, as might have been expected, left no present to his brother's +pupils. Still Henry had hopes of the Grevilles, and even when the +loss was discovered, hoped to restore it secretly, and make the whole +pass off as a joke; but the 1st of August came, Martin and Osmond +received their pocket-money, but laughed his entreaty to scorn, +telling him that he had shot the turkey-cock, not they. Since that +time, his only hope had been in the affair blowing over--as if a sin +ever DID blow over! + +"One question I must ask, Miss Fosbrook," said the Captain, "though +after such a course of deceit it hardly makes it worse. Has he told +any direct falsehood?" + +She paused, and recollected. "Yes, Sir," she said, "I am afraid he +did; he flatly told me that he had not touched the baby-house." + +"I expected nothing else," said the Captain gravely. "What has +become of Bessie?" + +"She ran up-stairs. May I go and call her?" said Susan. + +"I will go myself," said her father. + +He found Elizabeth in the school-room, all flushed and tear-stained +in the face; and he told her affectionately how much pleased he was +with her patience under this false accusation. Delight very nearly +set her off crying again, but she managed to say, "It was Miss +Fosbrook and Sam and Susie that made me patient, Papa; they were so +kind. And nobody would have believed it, if I wasn't always cross, +you know." + +"Not cross now, my little woman," he said smiling. + +"Oh! I said I never could be cross again, now Mamma is better; but +Miss Fosbrook says I shall sometimes feel so, and I do believe she is +right, for I was almost cross to Georgie to-day. But she says one +may FEEL cross, and not BE cross!" + +He did not quite know all that his little girl was thinking of; but +he patted her fondly, and said, "Yes, there is a great deal to be +thankful for, my dear; and I shall trust to you elder ones to give +your Mamma no trouble while I am afloat." + +"I will try," said Bessie. "And please, Papa, would you tell Nurse +about it? She doesn't half believe us, and she is so tiresome about +Miss Fosbrook!" + +"Tiresome! what do you mean?" + +"She always thinks what she does is wrong, and she puts nonsense into +Johnnie's head, and talks about favourites. Mary told Susan it was +jealousy." + +The Captain spoke pretty strongly to Nurse Freeman that evening, but +it is doubtful if she were the better for it. She was a very good +woman in most things, but she could not bear that the children should +be under anyone but herself; and just as Henry lost the truth by +inaccuracy, she lost it by prejudice. + +Miss Fosbrook was glad to get away from the dining-room, where it was +rather awful to sit without her work and be talked to by Mr. +Merrifield, even though she liked him much better than she had +expected. + +When David came to bed, she sat by him and talked to him about his +angry unforgiving spirit. She could not but think he was in a +fearful temper, and she tried hard to make him sorry for his brother, +instead of thirsting to see the disappointment visited on him; but +David could not see what she meant. Wicked people ought to be +punished; it was wicked to steal and tell stories, and he hoped Henry +would be punished, so as he would never forget it, for hindering poor +Hannah from getting her pig. + +He would not understand Henry's predicament; he was only angry, +bitterly angry, and watching for vengeance. Miss Fosbrook could not +reason or persuade him out of it, nor make him see that he could +hardly say his prayers in such a mood. Indeed, he would rather have +gone without his prayers than have ceased to hope for Henry's +punishment. + +Perhaps in this there was sense of justice and indignation against +wrong doing, as well as personal resentment. Miss Fosbrook tried to +think so, and left him, but not without praying for him, that a +Christian temper of forgiveness might be sent upon him. + +All the others were subdued and awe-struck. It was not yet known +what was to happen to Henry; but there was a notion that it would be +very terrible indeed, and that Uncle John would be sure to make it +worse; and they wished Miss Fosbrook good-night with very sad faces. + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + + +Nothing had as yet befallen Henry, for he came down to breakfast in +the morning; but his father did not greet him, and spoke no word to +him all the time they were in the room together. The children felt +that this was indeed terrific. Such a thing had never befallen any +of them before. They would much rather have been whipped; and even +David's heart sank. + +Something, however, was soon said that put all else out of his +sisters' minds. The Captain turned to them with his merry smile, +saying, "Pray what would Miss Susie and Miss Bessie say to coming up +to London with me to see Mamma?" + +The two girls bounded upon their chairs; Susan's eyes grew round, and +Bessie's long; the one said, "O Papa!" and the other, "Oh, thank +you!" and they looked so overwhelmed with ecstasy, and all the three +elders laughed. + +"Then you will behave discreetly, young women?" + +"I'll try," said Susan; "and Bessie always does. Oh, thank you, +Papa!" + +"Grandmamma should be thanked; she asked me to bring a child or two, +to be with Mamma when I go down to Portsmouth. We had thought of +Susan; but I think Betty deserves some amends for what she has +undergone." + +"Oh yes, Papa! thank you!" cried Susan, Sam, and David, from their +hearts; John and Annie because the others did so. + +"Then you won't kick her out if she shares your berth, Sue?" + +"Oh, I am so glad, Papa! It is so nice to go together." + +"Then, Miss Fosbrook, will you be kind enough to rig them out? I +must drive into Southminster at ten o'clock; and if you would be so +good as to see them smartened up for London there, I should be much +obliged to you." + +The mere drive to the country town was a great event in itself, even +without the almost incredible wonder that it was to lead to; and the +delights of which Ida and Miss Fosbrook had told them in London went +so wildly careering through the little girls' brains, that they +hardly knew what they said or did, as they danced about the house, +and ran up-stairs to get ready, long before ten o'clock. + +Mr. Carey had been informed that his pupils would not come to him +during the few days of their father's stay; and Sam begged to ride in +on his pony by the side of the carriage; but he was desired to fetch +his books, and call Henry, as his uncle wished to give them both an +examination. Was this the beginning of captivity to Uncle John? +David and Johnnie were quite angry. They considered it highly proper +that Hal should be shut up with Uncle John, but they thought it very +hard that Sam should be so used too; and Sam himself looked very +round-backed, reluctant, and miserable, partly at the task, partly at +being deprived of the sight of his father for several hours of one of +those few precious days. + +Miss Fosbrook wished Susan to have sat on the front seat of the old +phaeton with her father; but he would not consent to this, and +putting the two little girls together behind, handed the governess to +the place of honour beside him, where she felt rather shy, in spite +of his bright easy manner. + +"I am afraid," he said, after having flourished his whip merrily at +Johnnie, Annie, and Davie, who were holding open the iron gate, "that +you have had a tough job with those youngsters! We never meant you +to have been left so long to their mercy." + +"I know--I know; I only wish I could have done better." + +"You have done wonders. My brother hardly knows where he is--never +saw those children so mannerly." + +Miss Fosbrook could not show how delighted she was. + +"I could hardly have ventured on taking those two girls to town +unless you had broken them in a little. I would say nothing last +night till I had watched Susan; for my mother is particular, and if +my wife was to be always worrying herself about their manners, they +had better be at home." + +"Indeed, I think you may quite trust to their behaving well. Those +two and Sam are so thoroughly trustworthy, that I had no real +difficulty till this unhappy business." + +The Captain wanted to talk this over with her, and hear her account +of it once more. She gave it fully, thinking he ought to know +exactly how his children had acted in the matter, and wishing to +explain where she thought she had made mistakes. When she had +finished, he said, "Thank you," and considered a little while; then +said, "A thing like this brings out a great deal of character; and a +new eye sometimes sees more what is in a child than those that bred +him up." + +"It has been a touchstone, indeed," she answered. + +"Poor Hal!" he said sadly; then resumed, "I've said nothing of it yet +to the boys--but Admiral Penrose has promised to let me take out one +with me. I had thought most of Hal; he seemed to me a smarter +fellow, more likely to make his way than his brother; but this makes +me doubt whether there can be stuff enough in him. I might not be +able to look after him, nor do I know what his messmates may be; and +I should not choose to risk it, except with a boy I could thoroughly +trust." + +"Those young Grevilles seem to me Hal's bane and temptation." + +"Ay, ay; but if a boy is of the sort, he'll find someone to be his +bane, wherever he goes. I'll have no more of the Grevilles though. +If he should not go with me, my brother John would take him into his +house, and keep a sharp look out after him. Just tell me, if you +have no objection, how the boy strikes you. Most people think him +the most taking of the lot." + +"So he is," said Christabel thoughtfully; "he has more ease and +readiness, and he is affectionate and warm-hearted; but then he is a +great talker, and fond of boasting." + +"Exactly. I told him that was the very way he learnt falsehood." + +"I am afraid, too," she was obliged to add, "that his resolutions run +away in talk. He has not much perseverance; and he is easily led." + +"Well, I believe you are right; but then what's to be done? I can +hardly afford to lose this chance; but Sam was always backward; and I +doubt his even caring to go to sea." + +"Oh! Captain Merrifield!" + +"What! has he given you reason to think that he does?" She told him +how she had found Sam struggling with his longing for the sea and his +father; and how patiently the boy had resigned himself to see his +brother put before him, and himself condemned for being too dull and +slow. + +"Did I say so? I suppose he had put me past my patience with +blundering over his lessons. I never meant to make any decision; but +I did not think he wished it." + +"He said it had been his desire from the time he could remember, +especially when he felt the want of you during your last voyage." + +"Very odd; how reserved some boys are! I declare I was vexed that it +had gone out of his head; though I thought it might be for the best. +You know I was not born to this place. I never dreamt of it till my +poor brother Sam's little boy went off in a fever six years ago, and +we had to settle down here. Before that, we meant my eldest to +follow my own profession; but when he seemed to take to the soil so +kindly, I thought, after all, he might make the happier squire for +never having learnt the smell of salt water, nor the spirit of +enterprise; but if it were done already, the first choice is due to +him. You are sure?" + +"Ask the girls." + +He leant back and shouted out the question, "Sue! do you know whether +Sam wishes to go to sea?" + +"There's nothing he ever wished so much," was the answer. + +"Then why didn't he say so?" + +"Because he thought it would be no use," screamed Susan back. + +"No use! why?" + +"Because Hal says Admiral Penrose promised him. O Papa! are you +going to take Sam?" + +"Oh dear! we can't get on without him!" sighed Elizabeth. + +"Are you sure he would like it?" said her father. "I thought he +never cared to hear of the sea." + +"He can't bear to talk of it, because it makes him so sorry," said +Susan. + +"And," cried Bessie, "he burnt his dear little ship, the Victory, +because he couldn't bear to look at it after you said THAT, Papa." + +"After I said what?" + +"That he was not smart enough to learn the ropes." + +"Very silly of him," said the Captain, "to take in despair what was +only meant to spur him on. I suppose now I shall find he has dawdled +so much that he couldn't get through an examination." + +This shut up the mouths of both the girls, who were afraid that he +might not, since they saw a good deal of his droning habits over his +lessons, and heard more of Hal's superior cleverness. + +Miss Fosbrook ventured to say, "You may expect a great deal of a boy +who works on a pure principle of obedience." + +"You think a great deal of that youngster," said the Captain, highly +gratified. "It is the first time I ever knew a stranger take to +him." + +"I did not take to him as a stranger. I thought him uncouth and +dull. I only learnt to love and respect him, as I felt how perfectly +I might rely on him, and how deep and true his principles are. If +the children have gone on tolerably well in your absence, it is +because he has always stood by me, and his weight of character has +told on them." + +Captain Merrifield did not answer at once; he bit his lip, then blew +his nose, and cleared his throat, before he said, "Miss Fosbrook, you +have made me very happy; it will make his mother so. She always +rated him so high, that I half thought it was a weakness for her +eldest son; but there! I suppose he was down-hearted about this +fancy of his, poor boy; and that hindered him from making the most of +himself. I wonder what sort of a figure he is cutting before his +uncle!" + +The town was at length reached; and the shopping was quite wonderful +to the sisters. Miss Fosbrook found a shop where the marvellous +woman undertook to send home two grey frocks trimmed with pink, by +the next evening; and found two such fashionable black silk jackets, +that Susie felt quite ashamed of herself, though rather pleased; and +Bessie only wished she could see her own back, it must look so like +Ida's. Then there were white sleeves, and white collars, that made +them feel like young women; and little pink silk handkerchiefs for +their necks; and two straw hats, which Miss Fosbrook undertook to +trim with puffs of white ribbon, and a pink rosette at each ear. +Bessie thought they would be the most beautiful things that had ever +been in her possession, and was only dreading that Sam would say they +were like those on Ida Greville's donkey's best harness; while Susan +looked quite frightened at them, whispered a hope that Mamma would +not think them too fine, and that Miss Fosbrook would not let them +cost too much money; and when assured that all fell within what Papa +had given to be laid out, she begged that Annie and little Sally +might have the like. + +But as they were not going to London, Miss Fosbrook could not venture +on this; and as Bessie had set her affections upon a certain white +chip hat, with a pink border and a white feather, both sisters +remained wishing for something--as is sure to happen on such +occasions. + +However, Elizabeth recovered from the hat when she was out of sight +of it; and they went and saw the cathedral, where the painted windows +and grave grand arches filled her with a truer and wiser sense of +what was beautiful; and then they walked a long time up and down +under its buttressed wall, waiting for Papa, till they grew tired and +hungry; but at last he came in a great hurry, and sorry to have been +hindered. With naval politeness, he gave his arm to Miss Fosbrook, +and carried them off to a pastry-cook's, where he bade them eat what +they pleased, and spend the rest of the florin he threw them on buns +for the little ones, while he fetched the carriage; and so they all +drove home again, and found the rest of the party ravenous, having +waited dinner for three-quarters of an hour. + +Wonderful to relate, Uncle John had not eaten anybody up! not even +Baby; though Papa advised Susan to make sure that she was safe, and +then sent Sam to ask Purday for a salad. Perhaps this was by way of +getting rid of this constant follower while he asked his brother what +he thought of the boys' attainments. + +Uncle John could not speak very highly of the learning of either; but +he said, "Sam knows thoroughly what he does know. As to the other, +he thinks he knows everything, and makes most awful shots. When I +asked them who Dido's husband was, Sam told me he did not know, and +Hal, that he was Diodorus Siculus--AT LEAST, Scipio--no, he meant +Sicyon." + +"Then you think neither could stand an examination for the +cadetship?" + +"I could not be sure of Sam; but I am quite sure that Hal could not." + +Here the dinner-bell rang; the hungry populace rushed to the dining- +room, and the meal was gone through as merrily as could be, while +still the father never spoke to Henry. Uncle John was as pleasant +and good-natured as possible. Who would have thought of the marked +difference he made between dining with barbarians, or young +gentlefolks! + +Dinner over, Captain Merrifield called Sam,--or rather, since that +was not necessary, as Sam was never willingly a yard from his elbow, +he ordered the others not to follow as they went into the garden +together. + +"Sam," he said, "Admiral Penrose is kind enough to offer me a berth +in the Ramilies for one of you. If you can pass the examination, +should you wish to avail yourself of the offer?" + +Sam grew very red in the face, looked down, and twirled the button of +his sleeve. He certainly was not a gracious boy, for all he said was +in a gruff hoarse voice, without even thanks, "Not if it is for +this." + +"For this! What do you mean, Sam?" said Captain Merrifield, thinking +either that the boy was faint-hearted, or that his wish had been the +mere fancy of the girls. + +"Not if it is to punish Hal," said Sam, with another effort. + +"That is not the question. Do you wish it?" + +Sam hung his head, and made his eyebrows come down, as if they were +to serve as a veil to those horrid tears in his eyes; and after all, +his voice sounded sulky, as he said, "Yes." + +"Is that all?" said the Captain, angry and disappointed. "Is that +the way you take such an offer? If you had rather stay here, and be +bred up to be a country squire, say so at once; don't mince the +matter!" + +"O Papa!" cried Sam indignantly, "how can you think that? Didn't I +always want to be like you?" + +"Then why can't you say so?" + +"Because I can't bear to cut Hal out!" said Sam, putting his arm over +his eyes, as a way he considered secret of disposing of his tears. + +"Put that out of your head, Sam; or if you don't fancy the sea, have +it out at once." + +"O Papa! please listen. You know, though Miss Fosbrook is very +jolly, we couldn't help getting nohow when you were away, US two +particularly." + +"You have no mischief to confess, surely, Sam?" said his father, +really imagining that this preference to Hal was acting on him so as +to make him mention some concealed misdemeanour; "if you have, you +know truth is the best line." + +"But I haven't, Papa," said Sam, looking up, quite surprised. "You +know I am a year older, and couldn't help caring more; and Miss +Fosbrook is so nice, one couldn't bother her; but you see the +Grevilles WOULD put it into Hal's head that it was stupid and like a +girl to mind her. It is all their fault; and they were sneaks about +the turkey-cock, and wouldn't pay--and I know he would have ended by +putting the money back when he could, only Davie made such a row +before he could; and he did so reckon on the navy--he would pay it +back the first thing." The last sentences came between gasps, very +like sobs. + +"Have done with Hal," said Captain Merrifield, still with +displeasure. "I wouldn't take him now on any account. If the +Grevilles lead him wrong, what would he do among the mids? If he +acts dishonourably here, we should have him disgracing himself and +his profession. Since he can't take it, and you won't, I shall try +to make some exchange of the chance till John or David will be old +enough." + +"But Papa, I--" began Sam. + +"_I_ don't want to force you to it," continued Captain Merrifield, in +his vexed voice. "I never mean to force my sons to any profession if +I can help it; and you have a right to be considered. It has always +been a disadvantage to me, and to this place, that I was bred to the +sea instead of to farming; and though you can't live on the property +without some profession, it may be quite as well that you should turn +your mind to something else--only if it be the army, I can't help you +on in it." + +"I had rather go to sea, if you please," said Sam. + +"Don't say so to please me," said his father. "I tell you, the +examinations are a pretty deal harder than they were in my time. It +is not a trade for a youngster to be idle in; and I won't have you, +just when you've knocked about a few years, and are getting fit to be +of use on board and nowhere else, calling yourself heartily sick of +it, and turning round to say it was my doing." + +"I'll never do that, Papa," said poor Sam, unable to understand why +his father should speak as though scolding him. + +"No? And mind, you must take the rough with the smooth, if you sail +with me, and not be always running after me, Papa-ing me. I can't +see after you, and should only get you ill will if I tried." + +"I had rather go," said Sam. + +"I'm sure I don't know what to make of you," said his father, looking +at him in a puzzle. "However, if you do mean to go, you may tell +Freeman to get your things ready to come up with me on Thursday; only +if you don't really like the notion, find out your own mind, and let +me know in time, that's all." + +The Captain turned away, and gave a long whistle--an accustomed +signal--that brought children and dogs all rushing and tumbling about +him together, to walk with him about the farm, and his brother among +them; but Sam hung back. He had not the heart to go with that merry +throng; for he did not know whether his father were not displeased +with him, and he therefore thought he must be to blame. + +People who, like Sam, rather cultivate the habit of gruffness and +reserve, and prefer to be short and rude, become so utterly unable to +express what they mean, that on great occasions they are +misunderstood, and give pain by supposed ingratitude and dislike, +even when they feel most warmly. Captain Merrifield could only judge +from looks and words; and even when Sam had been satisfied about +Henry, he had shown so little alacrity or satisfaction, as really to +leave a doubt whether he were not unwillingly yielding to his +father's wishes; which would have been a mistaken act, as the Captain +thought no one ought to be a sailor unless with a very strong desire +that way. Thus Sam really perplexed and distressed his father, when +he least intended it; and unable to understand what was the matter, +yet feeling heavy and sad, he turned aside from the rest, and, by way +of the quietest place he could find, climbed up a tall pear-tree, to +the very highest branch he could reach. He put himself astride on +one bough, his feet upon another below, and his back leaning against +the main stem. No one could see him up so high among the thick +leaves; but he could see all around the village, and over the house; +he could look down into the farm-court at the pigs burying themselves +in the straw; and out beyond at the geese and ducks in the meadow, +and the broods of chickens pecking and scratching about, or the older +poultry rolling in the dust-holes they had scraped for themselves. +He could see Purday among his cabbages in the garden; and further +off, could watch the walking-party through the fields, his father +with little George in his arms, and Uncle John as often as possible +by his side; while the others frisked about, sometimes spreading out +like a flock of sheep in the pasture land, or when they came to the +narrow paths in the cornfields, all getting into single file, and +being lost sight of all but their heads. + +Sam recollected how, the day when he had heard that he was not likely +to be a sailor, he had felt as if he hated Stokesley, and as if it +would be a prison to him, and how everything reminding him of the sea +had been a misery to him. He would not then have believed anyone who +had told him that he would really hear of his appointment and be so +little glad. Yet for two whole years the loss of the hope had +weighed on him, and made him dull whenever he thought of grown-up +life, heard of the sea, or was asked what he was to be: and almost +always, at his prayers, he had that meaning in his mind, when he said +"Thy Will be done;" he had really submitted patiently, and tried to +put away the longing from his mind, and would, there can be no doubt, +have been happy and dutiful at home; but at length the wish of his +heart was suddenly granted. + +And then, wish though it still were, there came all this grief and +discomfort. The gladness was in him somewhere, but he could not get +at it, either for his own comfort, or that of his father. He missed +his mother exceedingly. SHE would know what he meant, and tell Papa +that he did care to go. Yet, did he care so very much? Only think +of beginning to be a stranger at this dear old home! and seeing no +mother, no Susie, nor any of them, for years together--probably not +his father after the first voyage! However, the sailor was too +strong in Sam for that grief not to pass off; and his chief trouble +was the sense of supplanting Henry. He knew the disappointment would +be most bitter; and he could not get rid of the sense of having taken +an unfair advantage of the disgrace of Henry's adventure. As to his +father's manner, he got over that more easily, for his conscience was +free; he knew that the tone of displeasure would be gone at the next +meeting, and he was too sure of his own love of the sea to fear that +he should not show it enough. After all, he was to be a naval cadet! +He could not be sorry. Nay, he felt he had his wish; the very wish +he had thought it wrong to put into a prayer. He thought he ought to +be thankful that it was granted, in the same way as he had been when +his mother began to recover. So he put his hands together, and +looked up into the summer blue sky through the leaves, and his lips +moved, as he whispered his thanks, and asked to be helped in being a +good brave sailor, and that something as good might happen to poor +Henry. + +After this, somehow, the weight was gone, he knew not where. All he +recollected was, that he should see Mamma in two days, and that he +was to sail with Papa if he could get through his examination. There +was a sort of necessity of doing something comical; and just then +spying Miss Fosbrook with a book walking slowly below, he could not +resist the temptation of sending down on her a shower of little hard +pears and twigs. + +Bob came one down on her book, and another on her bonnet. She looked +up, and saw a leg stretching out for a branch, apparently in such a +dangerous manner, that she did not know whether she should not have +Sam himself on her head next, and started back, watching as he swung +himself from branch to branch, and then slid down, embracing the +trunk. + +"Did I hit you!" said he. "I couldn't help trying it; it was such +fun." + +It was a great liberty; but she was so good-humoured as to laugh, and +said he had taken good aim. + +"Please, Miss Fosbrook," next said he, "would you hear how many +propositions I can say!" And as she opened her eyes at this holiday +amusement, he added, "Papa has got the appointment after all, and +means me to have it." + +"I am so glad, Sam! I give you joy!" she said, and took his hand to +shake it heartily. + +"I wish Hal could go too," said Sam. + +"Dear Sam," she said kindly, and guessing his feelings, as having +gone along with them, "I don't wonder you are sorry for him; but +indeed I think it is better for him to be sheltered from beginning +real life just now." + +"Papa said he would not have taken him," said Sam; "but it seems so +hard to have all his life changed for a thing that sounds worse than +he meant it to be." + +"Sam," said Miss Fosbrook, "I once read a sermon, that said that our +conduct in little things does decide the tenor of our lives. You +know one moment of hastiness cost Moses the Promised Land; and only a +little while ago, we heard how Joash had but few victories allowed to +him, because he did not think it worth while to strike the ground as +often as Elisha told him. It is the little things that show whether +we are to be trusted with great." + +"It is such a tremendous punishment," said Sam, "when he would have +put it back again." + +"My brother knew a banker's clerk who was transported for borrowing +what he meant to put back again. No, Sam; people must bear the +result of their doings; and your father judges for Hal as much in +kindness as in anger." + +"I know he knows best." + +"You may see it as well as trust. With all his grand talk, do you +really think that Hal would not be upset at the first hardship, or +that he could face bullying or danger? Remember the bull, that was +at least a vicious cow, and turned out to be a calf." + +Sam could not help laughing, as he said, "Yes, that would never do at +sea; and he would be done for if he were cowardly there. But I wish +I could get out of sight of him till I am gone. And please hear my +Euclid; I'll get the book, if you'll stay out here." + +"Therefore, if the two sides of two triangles be equal to one +another, and the adjacent angles be equal each to each," resounded +through the laurels, as the walking party returned. + +"Hallo! al fresco Euclid!" exclaimed Uncle John, as Sam with a blush +ran after his blotted diagrams, as a sudden gust of wind blew them +dancing over the garden. Captain Merrifield caught one, and restored +it to Sam, with a pat on the back that made his teeth rattle in his +head, but which made him as happy as a young sea-king, showing that +they perfectly understood each other. + +But to be ever so good a boy does not carry one through the +examinations that stand at the door of every road of life for those +who are not wealthy. Sam knew he was the dull boy of Mr. Carey's +four pupils; and though from sheer diligence he was less often turned +back than the rest, yet they could all excel him whenever they chose: +his lessons all went against the grain, and were a sore trouble to +him; and his uncle had shown much wrath to-day at his ignorance and +backwardness. He was therefore in a great fright, and gave himself +and Miss Fosbrook no peace, running after her every moment with his +Euclid, his Colenso, or his slate. + +"That boy will stupefy himself and his admirable cramming machine!" +exclaimed Uncle John, when coming out into the court after tea to +talk to Purday, the two brothers heard, "The complement A E is equal +to the complement D E," proceeding out of the school-room window. + +"A truce with your complements to-night," shouted the Captain; "come +down, Sam; I must have a game at hide-and-seek!" + +Though hide-and-seek on the lawn with Papa was the supremest bliss +that life had yet offered to the young Merrifields, and though Susan, +Bessie, Annie, and Johnnie, had all severally burst into the room to +proclaim it and summon Sam, he had refused them all; but this call +settled it; he broke off in the middle of his rectangle, and dashed +down stairs, to the great relief of kind Miss Fosbrook, who, with all +her good-will, found her head beginning to grow weary of angles and +right-angles on a hot evening in the height of summer. + +The summer-house was to be HOME, and there the party were assembled-- +nine in number, for not only Papa, but Uncle John, was going to play; +and Henry, though forlorn and unnoticed, had wandered about with the +rest all day, trying to do as usual, to forget the heavy load that +pressed on him, and to believe that he was not going to be punished +for mere unluckiness in borrowing, and for not answering impertinent +questions. The world was very unlike itself to him; and he saw the +enjoyment without being able to enter into it, just as a sick person +sees the sunshine without feeling the warmth; but instead of +penitence, he merely tried to shake off his compunction. + +So there he stood in the ring, as Susan was finding out who was to be +the first to hide, by pointing to each, at each word of the formula, + + +"Eggs, butter, cheese, bread, +Sticks, stocks, stones, dead." + + +"Dead" came to Uncle John, as perhaps Susan had contrived; and +shrugging up his shoulders, he went off to hide, and his whoop was +presently heard. He was not VERY good game; maybe he did not wish to +be very long sought, for he was no further than in the tall French +beans, generally considered as a stupid place to hide in. The +children had been in hopes that he would catch Papa, which was always +a very difficult matter, for the sailor was lighter of foot, as well +as, of course, longer in limb, than any of the children; but they saw +that Uncle John had not the slightest chance with him, and it was +Bessie who was caught in her homeward race. + +Bessie was rather a good hider, and was searched for far and wide +before Sam's "I spy! I spy!" gave the signal that a bit of the +spotty cotton had been seen peeping out from under Purday's big +potato-basket in the tool-house, and the whole party flew towards +home. Bessie would not aim at Papa, for if so, she would certainly +catch no one; but she hunted down David, who was too sturdy to be a +quick runner, and who was very well pleased to be caught. + +"I'll have Papa!" he said, as she captured him. "I know of such a +cunning place." + +David's place proved to be in among his likenesses, the cabbages, +immediately in front of the summer-house. There he lay flat on the +very wet mould, among the stout cabbages, all of which had a bead of +wet in every wrinkle of their great leaves, so that when Susan had at +length spied him, and he came plunging out, his brown-holland--to say +nothing of his knees--was in a state that would have caused most +mammas to send him to be instantly undressed; but nobody even saw it, +and he charged instantly towards the door of the summer-house, not +pursuing anyone in particular, but cutting all off from their +retreat. He slipped aside, however, and let all the lesser game pass +by uncaught; his soul soared higher than even Uncle John, who looked +on exceedingly amused at the small man's stratagem, and at the long +dodging that took place between him and his father, the quick lithe +Captain skipping hither and thither, and trying to pop in one side +while his enemy was on the other; and the square, determined, little, +puffing, panting boy, guarding his door, hands on knees, ever ready +for a dart wherever the attempt was made. The whole party in the +home nearly went into fits at the fun, and at the droll remarks Uncle +John made at this hare and tortoise spectacle; till at last either +the Captain gave in, or Davie made a cleverer attack than ever, for +with a great shout he flew upon Papa, and held him fast by the legs. +Everyone shrieked with delight; Papa hid in such clever places, and +when found, he roared so splendidly, that it struck the little ones +with terror, and did the hearts of the elders good, to hear him; +indeed, the greatest ambition Johnnie entertained was to roar like +Papa. Then he could make his voice sound as if out of any place he +chose, so that no one could guess by his "whoop" where to look for +him; and this time it seemed to be quite out at the other end of the +kitchen-garden, where they were all looking, when another "whoop" +came apparently down from Sam's pear-tree on the lawn; and while they +were peeping up into it, "whoop" re-echoed from the stables! At +last, as Annie was gazing up and round as if she even thought it as +well to look right into the sky for Papa, she suddenly beheld the two +merriest eyes in the world, on the roof of the summer-house itself. +He had been lying there on the thatch, watching at his ease all the +wanderings of the seekers, and uttering those wonderful whoops to +bewilder them. + +"I spy! I spy!" shrieked Annie, flying in, even while her father +sprang to the ground, and with Davie's manoeuvre on a larger scale, +seemed to be taking his choice of all the fugitives rushing up from +all parts. + +One elder boy, and one younger, he was hunting down the gooseberry- +path, when just as he was about to pounce on the former, he said that +it was not Sam, stood still, and folded his arms. A shriek made him +look round; little David stood sobbing and crying piteously. + +"Davie! what, Davie! What is it, my man? Where are you hurt!" + +"No, no! I'm not hurt! Catch Hal, Papa." + +"No, David. I do not play with boys that act like Henry." + +"Speak to him, Papa; oh, speak!" + +"I shall, before I go," said the Captain gravely. + +"Now, now! Papa. Oh, do! I did want him to be punished, but not +like this." + +"No, David. If he can expect to play with me, and be treated like +the others, he is not in the state to receive forgiveness. There, +have done crying; let us go on with the game." + +But David could not go on playing; he was too unhappy. Not to be +forgiven, even if punished, seemed to him too dreadful to happen to +anyone; and he thought that he had brought it all on Henry by his +letter of accusation. Tardily and dolefully he crept into the house; +and Miss Fosbrook met him, looking so woe-begone, that she too +thought he had hurt himself. She took him, dirt and all, on her lap; +and there he sobbed out that Papa wouldn't speak to Hal, and it was +very dreadful; and he wished there were no such things as pigs, or +money, or secrets; they only made people miserable! + +"Dear Davie, they only make people miserable when they care too much +about them. Papa will forgive Hal before he goes away, I am sure; +only he is making him sorry first, that he may never do such a thing +again." + +"I don't like it." And David cried sadly, perhaps because partly he +was tired with having been on his legs more than usual that day; but +his good and loving little self was come home again. He at least had +forgiven his brother the wrong done to himself; and there was no +hanging back that night from the fulness of prayer; no, he rather +felt that he had been unkind; and the last thing heard of him that +night was, that as Sam and Hal were coming up-stairs to bed, a little +white figure stood on the top of the stairs, and a small voice said, +"Hal, please kiss me! I am so sorry I told Papa about--" + +"There, hold your tongue," said Hal, cutting him short with the +desired kiss, "if you hadn't told, someone else would." + +But long after Sam was asleep, Hal was wetting his pillow through +with tears. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + + +Still the silence lasted. Henry had tried at first to persuade +himself that it was only by chance that he never heard his own name +from lips that used to call it more often than any other. Indeed, he +was so much used to favour, that it needed all the awe-struck pity of +the rest to prove to him its withdrawal; and he was so much in the +habit of thrusting himself before Samuel, that even the sight and +sound of the First Book of Euclid, all day long, failed to convince +him that his brother could be preferred; above all, as Nurse Freeman +had been collecting his clean shirts as well as Sam's, and all the +portmanteaus and trunks in the house had been hunted out of the roof. +Once, either the spirit of imitation, or his usual desire of showing +himself off, made him break in when Sam was knitting his brows +frightfully over a sum in proportion. Hal could do it in no time! + +So he did; but he put the third term first, and multiplied the hours +into the minutes, instead of reducing them to the same denomination; +so that he made out that twenty-five men would take longer to cut a +field of grass than three, and then could not see that he was wrong; +but Miss Fosbrook and Sam both looked so much grieved for him, that a +start of fright went through him. + +Some minds really do not understand a fault till they see it severely +visited; and "at least" and "couldn't help" had so blinded Henry's +eyes that he had thought himself more unlucky than to blame, till his +father's manner forced it on him that he had done something dreadful. +Vaguely afraid, he hung about, looking so wretched that he was a +piteous sight; and it cut his father to the heart to spend such a +last day together. Mayhap the Captain could hardly have held out all +that second day, if he had not passed his word to his brother. + +The travellers were to set off at six in the morning, to meet the +earliest train: and it was not till nine o'clock at night, when the +four elder ones said good-night, that the Captain, following them out +of the room, laid his hand on Henry as the others went up-stairs, and +said, "Henry, have you nothing to say to me?" + +Henry leant against the baluster and sobbed, not knowing what else to +do. + +"You can't be more grieved than I am to have such a last day +together," said his father, laying his hand on the yellow head; "but +I can't help it, you see. If you will do such things, it is my duty +to make you repent of them." + +Hal threw himself almost double over the rail, and something was +heard about "sorry," and "never." + +"Poor little lad!" said his father aloud to himself; "he is cut up +enough now; but how am I to know if his sorrow is good for anything?" + +"O Papa! I'll never do such a thing again!" + +"I wish I knew that, Hal," said the Captain, sitting down on the +stairs, and taking him between his knees. "There, let us talk it +over together. I don't suppose you expected to steal and deceive +when you got up in the morning." + +"Oh no, no!" + +"Go back to the beginning. See how you came to this." + +As he waited for an answer, Hal mumbled out after some time, "You +said we need not go to church on a week-day." + +"Well, what of that?" + +"I didn't go in case the telegraph should come." + +"There are different ways of thinking," said his father. "Church was +the only place where I COULD have gone that St. Barnabas' Day." + +"I would have gone," said the self-contradictory Henry, "only the +Grevilles are always at one for being like a girl." + +"Ha! now we see daylight!" said the Captain. + +"'The Grevilles are at one,'--that's more like getting to the bottom +of it." + +"Yes, Papa," said Hal, glad to make himself out a victim to +circumstance; "you can't think what a pair of fellows those are for +not letting one alone; Purday says they haven't as much conscience +between them as a pigeon's egg has meat; and going down to Mr. +Carey's with them every day, they let one have no peace." + +"You will find people everywhere who will let you have no peace, +unless you do not care for them; though you will not be left to the +Grevilles any longer." + +"Yes, Papa; when I am away from them, you will see--" + +"No, Hal, I shall not see, I shall hear." + +"Shall not I sail with you, then, Papa?" + +"You will not sail at all: I thought you knew that." + +"I thought the Admiral must have given you two appointments," said +Hal timidly. + +"He gave me ONE, for one of my sons. The first choice is Sam's +right, even if he had not deserved it by his brave patient +obedience." + +Hal hung his head; then said, "But, Papa, if Sam broke down in his +examination, please mightn't I--" + +"No, Henry. Not only does your uncle say that though Sam's success +is very doubtful, your inaccuracy would make your failure certain; +but if your knowledge were ever so well up to the mark, I could not +put you into the navy. Left to yourself here, you have been +insubordinate, vain, weak, shuffling: can I let you go into greater +temptation, where disgrace would be public and without remedy?" + +"Oh, but, Papa! Papa! Away from the Grevilles, and not under only a +governess--" + +"You shall be away from the Grevilles, and not under a governess. +Your uncle is kind enough to take you with him to his house, and will +endeavour to make you fit to try to get upon the foundation by the +time there is a vacancy." + +"O Papa! don't," sobbed Henry. + +"I can't help it, Hal! You have shown yourself unfit either for the +sea or for home. What can I do with you?" + +"Try me--only try me, Papa. I would--" + +"I cannot go by what you say you would be, but what you are. Deeds, +not words." + +"But if you won't let me go into the navy, only let me be in real +school." + +"No, Henry; I have not the means of sending you there: excepting on +the foundation; and if you get admittance there at all, it will only +be by great diligence, and your uncle's kindness in preparing you." + +Henry cried bitterly. It was a dreadful prospect to do his lessons +alone with Uncle John in the boys' play-hours, and be kept in order +by Aunt Alice when his uncle was in school. Perhaps his father would +not have liked it himself, for his voice was very pitying, though +cheering, as he said, "One half year, Hal, very likely no more if you +take pains, and you'll get into school, and be very happy, so long as +you don't make a Greville of every idle chap you meet." + +Henry cried as though beyond consolation. + +"I hate leaving you this way," continued his father; "but by the time +I come home you will see it was the best thing for you; and look up +to Uncle John as your best friend. Why, Hal, boy, you'll be a tall +fellow of fourteen! Let me find you godly and manly: you can't be +one without the other. There now, good night, God bless you." + +More might have been said to Henry on his fault and what had led to +it; but what his father did say was likely to sink deeper as he grew +older, and had more sense and feeling. + +From him Captain Merrifield went to the school-room, where Miss +Fosbrook was packing up for the little girls, and putting last +stitches to their equipments, with hearty good-will and kindness, as +if she had been their elder sister. + +He thanked her most warmly; and without sending away the girls, who +were both busy tacking in little white tuckers to the evening frocks, +he began to settle about the terms on which she was to remain at +Stokesley. He said that he could not possibly have left his wife +without a person on whose friendly help and good management of the +children he could depend. Important as it was to him to be employed, +he must have refused the appointment if Miss Fosbrook had been +discontented, or had not had the children so well in hand. He +explained that he had reason to think that Mrs. Merrifield's present +illness had been the effect of all she had gone through while he was +in the Black Sea during the Crimean War. She had been a very strong +person, and had never thought of sparing herself; but she and all her +little children had had to get into Stokesley in his absence; she had +to manage the estate and farm, teach the elder children, and take +care of the babies, with no help but Nurse Freeman's: and though he +had been wounded when with the Naval Brigade, and had been at death's +door with cholera, the effects had done him no lasting harm at all; +while the over-strain of the anxiety and exertion that she had +undergone all alone had so told upon her, that she had never been +well since, and he much feared, would never be in perfect health +again. He must depend upon Miss Fosbrook for watching over her and +saving her, as his little Susie could not yet do; and for letting him +know from time to time how she was going on, and whether he ought to +give up everything and come home. + +He had tears in his eyes as he thanked Christabel for her earnest +promise to watch and tend Mrs. Merrifield with a daughter's care; and +her heart swelled with strong deep feeling of sorrow and sympathy +with these two brave-hearted loving people, doing their duty at all +costs so steadily; and she was full of gladness and thankfulness that +they could treat her as a true and trusty friend. He walked away, +feeling far too much to bear any eye upon him; and Susan was found to +be crying quietly, making her thread wet through, and her needle +squeak at every stitch, at the sad news that Mamma never was to be +quite well, even though assured that she was likely to be much better +than she had been for months past. + +Bessie shed no tears; but Miss Fosbrook, who had been hindered all +day by Sam's Euclid and Colenso, and had sat up till half-past eleven +o'clock to make the two Sunday frocks nice enough for the journey, on +going into the bed-room to lay them out for the morning, saw a little +face raised from the pillow of one of the small white beds, and found +her broad awake. Bessie never could go to sleep properly when +anything out of the common way was coming to pass, so that was the +less wonder; but she had a great deal in her head, and she was glad +to get Christabel to kneel down by her, to listen to her whispers. + +"Dear Christabel, I am so sorry. I never cared about it before!" + +"About what, my dear?" + +"What Papa said about when he was in the Black Sea. I never knew +Mamma cared so much." + +"I dare say not, my dear; you were much younger then." + +"And I didn't know all about it," said Bessie, "or else I've +forgotten. I have been trying to remember whether we ever thought +about Mamma; and oh, Christabel! do you know--I believe we only +thought she was cross! Oh dear! it was so naughty and bad of us!" + +"I can guess how it happened, my dear. You were not old enough to be +made her friends, and you could not understand quiet sorrow." + +"To think we should have said she was cross!" + +"That was wrong, because it was disrespectful. You see, my dear, +when grown people are in trouble, you young ones can't enter into +their feelings, nor always even find out that anything is amiss; and +you get vexed at there being a cloud over the house, and call it +crossness." + +"Grown-up people are sometimes cross, aren't they?" said Bessie. +"Nurse is; and I heard Papa say Aunt Alice was." + +"We have tempers, certainly," said Miss Fosbrook; "and unless we have +conquered them as children, there will be signs of them afterwards; +but very few people, and certainly no children, can tell when grave +looks, or words sharper than usual, come from illness or anxiety or +sorrow; and it is the only way to save great grief and self-reproach +to give one's own faults the blame, and try to be as unobtrusive and +obliging as possible." + +"And I am older now, and can understand," said Bessie; "but then, it +is Susie that is right hand, and does everything." + +"There's plenty in your own line, Bessie--plenty of little kindly +services that are very cheering; and above all--" + +"What?" + +"Attending to your Mamma's troubles will drive away your own +grievances. Only I will not talk to you any more now, for I want you +to go to sleep; if you lie awake, you will be tired to-morrow, and +that will incline you to be fretful." + +"Fretful to-morrow!" + +Bessie could not believe it possible; and indeed Miss Fosbrook did +not think the chance great, as long as there was amusement and +excitement. The danger would be in the waitings and disappointments +that will often occur, even in the height of enjoyable schemes. + +It would take too long to tell of all the good-byes. The children +old enough to enter into the parting were setting off too; and Miss +Fosbrook felt more for the little ones than they did for themselves, +as they watched their father and uncle and two sisters into the gig, +and the boys into the cart, with Purday to drive them and the boxes, +Sam sitting on his father's old midshipman's chest, trying, as well +as the jolting would let him, to con over that troublesome Thirty- +fifth Proposition, which nine times repetition to Miss Fosbrook had +failed to put into his head. + +Johnnie and Annie wished themselves going to sea, or to London, or +anywhere, rather than having the full force of Miss Fosbrook on their +lessons! She did not make them do more, but she took the opportunity +of making everything be done thoroughly, and, as they thought, +bothered them frightfully about pronouncing their words in reading, +and holding their pens when they wrote. After a little while, +however, they found that really their hands were much less tired, and +their lines much smoother and more slanting, than when they crooked +their fingers close down over the ink. Absolutely they began to know +the pleasure of doing something well, and they felt so comfortable, +that they were wonderfully good; and the pig fund might have had a +chance, but David did not seem to think of reviving it. Perhaps his +great vehemence had tired itself out; and maybe he was ashamed of the +great disturbance he had made and all that had come upon Henry, and +did not wish to think of it again, for St. Katherine's fair-day +passed over without a word of the pig. + +The young ladies were not great letter-writers; and all that was +known of them was that Mamma was better, they had been to the +Zoological Gardens and the hyena was so funny, and Mrs. Penrose was +so nice. Then that Papa and Sam were gone to Portsmouth, and that +they had telegraphed that Sam had succeeded. + +If it had been her own brother, Miss Fosbrook could not have been +much happier; and in honour of it she and the three children all went +to drink tea in the wilderness, walking in procession, each with a +flag in hand, painted by her for the occasion. + +Three days after, when the post came in, there was a letter directed +to Master David Douglas Merrifield, Stokesley House, Bonchamp. It +was a great wonder; for David was not baby enough, nor near enough to +the youngest, to get letters as a pet, nor was he old enough to be +written to like an elder one. He spelt the address all over before +he made up his mind to open it, and then exclaimed, "But it is not a +letter! It's green!" + +"It is a post-office order, Davie," said Miss Fosbrook. "Let me +look. Yes, for ten shillings. Write your name there; and if we take +it to the post-office at Bonchamp, they will give you ten shillings." + +"Ten shillings! Oh, Davie!" cried Johnnie, "I wish it was to me!" + +"It just makes up for what Hal took, and more too," said Annie. +"Where can it come from, Davie?" + +"From the Queen," said Davie composedly; "the Queen always does +justice." + +Miss Fosbrook was quite sorry to confess, for truth's sake, that she +did not think the Queen could have heard of the loss of the pig fund, +and that it was more likely to be from someone who wished to make up +for the disaster--who could it be? She looked at the round stamp +upon the green-lettered paper, and read "Portsmouth." Could it be +from Papa? Then she looked at the cover; but it was not a bit like +the Captain's writing; it was pretty, lady-like, clear-looking hand- +writing, and puzzled her a great deal more. If the children had once +had a secret of their own, there was a very considerable one to +puzzle them now; and they could hardly believe that Miss Fosbrook +knew nothing about it, any more than themselves. + +So restless and puzzled were they, that she thought they would never +be able to settle quietly to their lessons, and that it would save +idleness if she walked with them at once to Bonchamp to get the +money. It was two miles; but all three were stout walkers, and they +were delighted to go; indeed, they would have fancied that someone +else might run away with the ten shillings if they had not made haste +to secure it. So "David Douglas Merrifield" was written, with much +difficulty to make it small enough, in the very best and roundest +hand. The boys were put into clean blouses, Annie's striped cotton +came to light; and off set the party through the lanes, each with +sixpence in their hand, for it was poor fun to go to Bonchamp, unless +one had something to spend there. David wanted a knife, Johnnie +wanted a whip, Annie nothing in particular, only to go into a shop, +and buy--she didn't know what. + +But the wonderful affair at the post-office must have the first turn; +and very grand did David feel as the clerk peeped out from his little +hole, and looked amused and gracious as the little boy stood on +tiptoe to give in his green paper. + +"Will you have it in gold or silver, Sir?" he asked. + +"In gold, please," said David. + +It was something to have a bit of gold in one's possession for the +first time in one's life; and David felt as if he had grown an inch +taller, and were as good as six years old, as he walked away with the +half sovereign squeezed into his hot little palm. + +The toy-shop was at the end of the street, and in they went; Johnnie +to try all the whistles in the handles of the whips, and be much +disgusted that all that had a real sound lash cost a shilling; David +to open and shut the sixpenny knives with the gravity of a judge +examining their blades; and Annie to gape about, and ask the price of +everything, after the tiresome fashion of people, old or young, when +they come out bent on spending, but without any aim or object. +However, Annie was kind, if she were silly, and she was very fond of +Johnnie; so it ended, after a little whispering, in her sixpence +being added to his, to buy a real good whip, such as would crack, and +not come to pieces. + +Just then, what should the children espy, but a nice firm deal box, +containing a little saw, a little plane, a hammer, a gimlet, a +chisel, and sundry different sizes of nails. Was there ever anything +so delightful, especially to David, who loved nothing so well as +running after George Bowles the carpenter, and handling his tools. +What was the price of them? + +Just ten shillings and sixpence. They were very cheap, the woman of +the toy-shop said. They had been ordered by an old lady at her +grandson's entreaty; but afterwards a misgiving had seized her that +the young gentleman would cut his fingers, and she would not take +them. + +"Miss Fosbrook," whispered David, "may I give back the knife? then I +could buy it." + +"You have bought and paid for it," said Christabel. + +"Somebody else will buy the box," said David wistfully. + +Miss Fosbrook, within herself, thought this unlikely, for nobody went +to Bonchamp for costly shopping; and she saw that the woman would +gladly have had the knife back, if she could have sold the tool-box, +which, even at this reduced price, was much too dear for the little +boys who frequented the shop. + +"Come away now, my dear," she said decidedly. "No, another time, +thank you." + +David was as nearly crying as ever he was, as he was forced to follow +her out of the shop. Those tools were so charming; his fingers +tingled to be hammering, sawing, boring holes. Had he lost the +chance for that poor blunt knife? Must he wait a whole fortnight for +another sixpence, and find the delicious tool-chest gone? + +"Dear Davie, I am very sorry," said Christabel when they were in the +street. + +"That nasty knife!" cried David. + +"It is not the knife, Davie," said she; "but that I want to think--I +want you to think--why these ten shillings must have been sent." + +"Because we lost the money for the pig," said David. "But Kattern +Hill fair is over, and I don't want a pig now; I do want the gimlet +to make holes--" + +"Yes, David; but you know what was saved for the pig came from all of +you; you would have had no right to spend it on anything else, unless +they all had consented." + +"This is my very own," said David; "it was sent to me--myself--me." + +"So it seems now; but just suppose you were to have a letter to say +that someone--poor Hal himself, perhaps--or Papa--had sent ten +shillings to make up the money for the pig, and directed it to you +because you cared so much, would it not be a shame to have spent the +money upon yourself?" + +"Then they should not have sent it without saying," said David. + +Miss Fosbrook thought the same, when she saw how hard the trial was +to the little boy; but she hoped she was taking the kindest course, +as she said, "Now, David, in nine days time, if you are good, you +will have had another sixpence. I see no chance of the tools being +sold; or if they are, I could send for such a box from London. By +that time, perhaps, something will have happened to show who sent the +money, and why." + +"And if it is all for myself, I may have the tools!" cried David. + +"You shall have them, if you really think it is right, when Monday +week comes." + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + + + +Ideas were slow in both entering or dying out of David's mind; but +while there they reigned supreme. Carpentry had come in as the pig +had gone out, and with the more force, because a new window was being +put into Mamma's room; and George Bowles was there, with all his +delightful tools, letting the little boys amuse themselves therewith, +till they had hardly three sound fingers between them; and Nurse +Freeman, when she dressed their wounds, could not think what was the +use of a lady if she could not keep the children from hurting +themselves; but Miss Fosbrook thought that it was better that boys +should get a few cuts and bruises than that they should be timid and +unhandy. + +One evening, all the party walked to carry to Hannah Higgins's little +girl a pinafore that Annie had been making. She was a nice, tidy +woman, but there was little furniture in her house, and she looked +very poor. The garden was large, and in pretty good order; and there +was an empty pig-sty, into which Annie peeped significantly. + +"No, Miss Annie, we haven't no pig," said Mrs. Higgins. "Ben says, +says he, 'Mother, when I'm taken on for carter boy, see if I don't +get you a nice little pig, as will eat the garden stuff, and pay the +rent.' + +"Oh, but--" began Annie, and there she came to a sudden stop. + +"Is he likely soon to be a carter boy?" asked Miss Fosbrook. + +"No, Ma'am; he is but ten years old, and they don't often take them +on under twelve; but he is a good boy to his mother, and a terrible +one for leasing." + +Miss Fosbrook was obliged to have it explained to her that "leasing" +meant gleaning; and she saw the grand pile of small neat bundles of +wheat put out to dry on the sunny side of the house. + +"O Davie!" cried Annie, as soon as they were outside the gate, +"sha'n't we get the pig for Hannah?" + +"It is my money, not yours; I shall do what I please with it," said +David, rather crossly. + +Miss Fosbrook pulled Annie back, and desired her to let David alone; +herself wondering what would be the effect of what he had seen. + +He had been eager to do good to Hannah when no desire of his own +stood in the way; but a formed wish had arisen in his mind, and he +loved himself better than Hannah. Christabel dreaded the clearing-up +of the secret of the post-office order, lest he should be proved to +love himself more than right and justice. + +There were not many letters from the absent pair of sisters; they +seemed to be much too busy and happy to write, and appeared to be +"seeing everything," and to be only just able to put down the names +of the wonders. The chief of all, however, was that kind Mrs. +Penrose had actually taken them to Portsmouth for a couple of nights, +to see the Ramilies, in which she was going to remain till it sailed. +They had sat in the Admiral's cabin, and had slept upon "dear little +sofas," where they wished they always slept; they had been in Papa's +cabin, which was half filled up with a great gun, that can only be +fired out at the window (scratched out, and "port-hole" put in.) + +"Oh, how delightful! I wish I had a big gun in my room!" cried +Johnnie. + +And they had seen Sam's chest; and Sam did look so nice in his +uniform; and he had dined with them every day. They had dined late, +with the grown-up people; and the Admiral was so kind, only rather +funny. + +Annie wished she were as old as Bessie, as much as John wished to +have a gun filling up his whole bed-room. + +The next day, their Papa had taken them into the country to see Lady +Seabury, Bessie's godmother, a very old lady indeed, older than +Grandmamma, and who could not move out of her chair. "She gave me--" +wrote Bessie. There again something had been scratched out, and "a +kiss" written overhead. + +That something was quite a long word, but it had been very completely +blotted out; not like the "window," which had only a couple of cross +bars, through which it could be plainly read; but there had plainly +been first an attempt at smearing it out with the finger, and that +not succeeding, an immense shiny black mess, like the black shade of +a chafer grub, had been put down on it, and had come off on the +opposite side of the sheet. + +What could the word be? Annie and David were both sure they could +read the lines through all the blot. The first letter was certainly +S. + +"But," said Miss Fosbrook, "do you think it is quite honourable to +try to read what Bessie did not mean us to see?" + +They did not quite enter into this, but they left off trying. + +"Mamma had been out in the carriage several times; and they were all +coming home on Saturday week"--that was the best news of all--"and +then we have a secret too for Miss Fosbrook." + +David said he was tired of secrets, and would not guess. Annie +guessed a great deal; but Miss Fosbrook thought more about the word +she would not try to read. She began to have a strong suspicion from +whom the post-office order had come, and was the more uneasy about +the spending of David's half sovereign; but she durst say nothing, +for she knew it could do no good if he felt himself compelled against +his own will; and she saw that he was full of thought. + +One day the lawn had been mown, and the children where all very busy +wheeling their little barrows, and loading them with the short grass; +David was with them at first, but when Purday left off work, he +marched after the old man in his grave deliberate way, and was seen +no more till nearly tea-time, when he walked into the school-room +with a very set look upon his solemn face, and sat himself down +cross-legged on the locker, with a sigh that seemed to come out of +the very depths of his heart. + +"What's the matter, David?" + +He made no answer, and Miss Fosbrook let him alone; but Annie +presently bounced in, crying out, "Davie, Davie! where were you? we +have been hunting for you everywhere! Where did you go?" + +"I went with Purday." + +"What, to milk the cows?" + +"Yes." + +"And then?" + +"I went with him to Farmer Long's, to see his little Chinese pigs." + +"And you have bought one! O Davie!" + +"Purday is to ask the farmer about the price to-morrow morning, +because he wasn't at home." + +"Then you won't get the carpenter's tools?" said Annie. + +"No," said David; "Purday said tools that they make for little boys +never will cut." + +"So you told Purday all about it?" + +David nodded his head. + +"Oh, do tell me what Purday said!" continued Annie. + +"It's nothing to you," said David bluntly. But by and by, when John +came in, and a few more questions were asked, David let out that +Purday had said, "Well, he thought sure enough if the money was sent +to Master David for that intent, he did not ought to spend it no +other ways; and whether or not, Hannah Higgins was a deserving woman; +and Master Davie didn't know what it was like never to have a bit of +bacon ne'er a Sunday in the winter. He couldn't say but it was hard +that those poor folks should get nothing but bread and cabbages from +week's end to week's end, just that Master Davie might spoil bits of +deal board with making chips of them." + +And when David was sure he shouldn't spoil his wood, Purday had told +him that them toy-shop young gentleman's tools were made to sell, and +not made to cut. Best save up his money, and buy one real man's tool +after another; and then he'd get a set equal to George Bowles's in +time! + +Though so young, David was long-sighted and patient enough to see the +sense of this, and had already made up his mind that he would begin +with a gimlet. And though he did not say so, and the first +resolution had cost a very tough struggle, his heart seemed to have +freed itself in that one great sigh, and he was at peace with +himself. + +Miss Fosbrook was very glad he had gone to so wise and good an +adviser as Purday, and was almost as happy as David himself. She +gave him and John leave to go with Purday the next day to bargain for +the pig, as David was very anxious for one in especial, whose face he +said was so jolly fat; and it was grand to see the two little boys +consequentially walking on either aide of Purday, who had put on his +whitest round frock for the great occasion. + +Farmer Long was at home; he came out and did the honours of his ten +little pigs; and when he found which was David's favourite, he +declared that it was the best of the lot, and laughed till David +blushed, at the young gentleman's having got such an eye for a pig. +"It was a regular little Trudgeon," said Purday, (meaning perhaps a +Trojan;) and it was worth at least twelve shillings, but the farmer +in his good-nature declared that little Master should have it for the +ten, as it was for a present. Hannah's boy was working for him, and +was a right good lad, and he would give him some straw for the pig's +bed when he went home at night. Then he took the two boys into the +parlour, and while Purday had a glass of beer in the kitchen, Mrs. +Long gave each of them a big slice of plum-cake, and wanted very much +to have given them some wine, but that they knew they must not have; +and she inquired after their Mamma and Papa, and made them so much of +visitors, that David was terribly shy, and very glad when it was +over, though John liked it, and talked fast. + +As to the giving the pig, that was a serious business; and David felt +hot and shy, and wanted to get it over as soon as possible without a +fuss. + +So he bolted into Mrs. Higgins's cottage, put his hands behind his +back, and spoke thus:- "Please, Mrs. Higgins, put your pig-sty in +order! We've all done it--at least they all wanted to--and a green +order came down in a letter--and we've bought the pig, and Ben will +drive it home when he comes from work!" + +And then, as if he had been in a great fright, he ran away; while +Johnnie stayed, and, when Hannah understood, received so many +curtsies, and listened to so much pleasure, that he could hardly +think of anything else, and felt very glad that SOME pence of his had +been in Toby Fillpot. + +Annie said that it was not fair that she had not been at the giving +the pig; and Miss Fosbrook was a little disappointed too; but then it +was much better that David should not want to make a display, so she +would not complain, and comforted Annie by putting her in mind that +they could go and see the little pig in his new quarters. + +A few days more, and the carriage was driving up to the door with +dear Mamma in it, and--why, there were three little girls, not two! +One look, and the colour came into Christabel's face. It was her +youngest little sister, Dora, who sat beside Bessie! Mrs. Merrifield +had gone to see Mrs. Fosbrook, and ask if she could take anything for +her to her daughter; and she had been so much shocked at the sight of +the little pale London faces, that she had begged leave to take home +one of the children to spend a month with her sister at Stokesley, +since Miss Fosbrook could not be spared to go home at present. Was +not that a secret for Christabel? How these two sisters did hug each +other! + +But the Stokesley secrets have lasted long enough; and there is no +time to tell of the happy days of Dora's visit, and the good care +that Johnnie took of her whenever she went out, and of her pretty +quiet ways that made Bessie take her for her dearest of friends. And +still less can be told of the smooth, peaceful, free spirit that +seemed to have come home with Mamma, even though she was still able +to do little among the children, for the very having her in the house +appeared to keep things from going wrong. + +One thing must be told, however, and that is, that when Annie told +all the wonderful story of the post-office order and the Chinese pig, +Bessie grew redder and redder in the face, and Susan squeezed both +her hands tight together, and said "May I tell, Bessie!" + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext The Stokesley Secret, by Charlotte M. Yonge + |