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diff --git a/42556-0.txt b/42556-0.txt index 5af2ba8..76b21ca 100644 --- a/42556-0.txt +++ b/42556-0.txt @@ -1,36 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Girls of the True Blue, by L. T. Meade - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Girls of the True Blue - -Author: L. T. Meade - -Illustrator: Percy Tarrant - -Release Date: April 18, 2013 [EBook #42556] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42556 *** [Illustration: “He is not horrid at all,” said Nan, very cross.] @@ -11330,357 +11298,4 @@ Published by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Girls of the True Blue - -Author: L. T. Meade - -Illustrator: Percy Tarrant - -Release Date: April 18, 2013 [EBook #42556] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: "He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross.] - - - - -GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE - -BY - -L. T. MEADE - -Author of - -"Miss Nonentity," "The Odds and the Evens," "Light o' the Morning," -"The Girls of St. Wode's," etc. - -WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS - -BY - -PERCY TARRANT - -W. & R. CHAMBERS, Limited - - - - -LONDON AND EDINBURGH - -1901 - -Edinburgh: - -Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited - - - - -CONTENTS. - - I. "I PROMISE" - II. "I WON'T EVER GO TO YOU" - III. THE FROCK WITH CRAPE - IV. THE BEST GIRL - V. THE MYSTERY-GIRL - VI. THE BULL-PUP - VII. THE FALL - VIII. PIP - IX. UNDER HER THUMB - X. A MYSTERY - XI. THE MIDDLE WAY - XII. "I SHALL STAY FOR A YEAR" - XIII. UNCLE PETER - XIV. "IT WAS NOT WORTH WHILE" - XV. SOLDIERS OF THE TRUE BLUE - XVI. TIGHTENING HER CHAIN - XVII. AUGUSTA'S RESOLVE - XVIII. AUGUSTA'S SIGNATURE - XIX. THE ASPRAYS - XX. THE ORDERLY-BOOK - XXI. THE PICNIC - XXII. THE BROKEN LOCK - XXIII. "PRIZE-DAY COMES IN A MONTH" - XXIV. THE GIPSY TEA - XXV. THE PACKET OF LETTERS - XXVI. SUNBEAM - XXVII. "WAS THAT THE REASON?" - XXVIII. "IS WRONG RIGHT?" - XXIX. DOWN BY THE WISTARIA - XXX. AUGUSTA IS FRIGHTENED - XXXI. UNCLE PETER'S CONSIDERING CAP - XXXII. THE BEGINNING OF THE SHADOW - XXXIII. THE CROSS - XXXIV. THE LETTER - XXXV. THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - "He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross. - - Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire holding the - kittens. - - "Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the dearest - little faces in the world." - - "Here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. Write - the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper." - - Augusta nearly fell back as she read the words. - - "What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie!" - - "I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go in and see - her at once?" said Nancy. - - Augusta in terror was hiding behind a bush of laurustinus. - - "As to your shilling, miss, you can keep it, for I don't want - none of it." - - "Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan, then I shall feel - better." - - - - -GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -"I PROMISE." - - -"And how is she to-day, Nan?" said the kindly voice of Mrs. Richmond. - -The time was early spring. The lady in question had come into a dark -and somewhat dismal room; she herself was richly wrapped in furs and -velvet; her large, smooth face was all beams and smiles. A dark little -girl with thin cheeks, about eleven years of age, clasping a battered -doll in her arms, looked full up at her. - -"She is no better," said Nan; "and I think perhaps it would be a good -plan for you to go." - -"What a little monkey you are!" said Mrs. Richmond. "But I do not mind -you, my dear Anna; I have known you too long. Come here, dear, and let -me look at you." - -Nan laid her doll on the table and approached slowly. Her dress was -untidy, her hair unkempt. There were traces of tears round her eyes, -but none showed at that moment; the sad eyes looked bold and full and -defiant into the kindly face of the lady. - -"You are not too tidy, my dear little girl; that pinafore would be the -better for the wash-tub. And must you play with that horrid old doll?" - -"I would not give up dear Sophia Maria for anybody on earth," said Nan -in a determined voice; and now she went back and clasped her ragged -and disreputable-looking baby to her breast. - -"But you might have a new one." - -"I would not like a new one, thank you." - -"And you are rather old to play with dolls. Now, my Kitty and my -Honora have long ceased to make babies of themselves; you must when -you come." - -"I must when I come!" repeated Nan; and now, her eyes grew very big -and bright and angry. "Oh! please," she added, "will you excuse me? I -want to go up to mother." - -"Certainly, dear. Tell her I am here, and would be glad to have a talk -with her." - -Nan vouchsafed no reply to this, and left the room. Mrs. Richmond sat -on in thought; she folded her hands in her lap. - -"I will do my duty," she said to herself; "it is my duty. Poor, dear -Amy was always improvident, and careless of her health. She married -without means; her husband died within a year; there is this child now -eleven years of age and with no provision. Ah!" - -There came a tap at the door, and the wizened and somewhat cross face -of a middle-aged woman appeared. - -"How do you do, Mrs. Vincent?" said Mrs. Richmond. She always spoke -cordially to every one; her face beamed kindness itself on all the -world. - -Mrs. Vincent came in slowly. - -"I am glad you have called, ma'am; the poor thing upstairs is very -bad--very bad indeed--not likely to live many hours, the doctor says." - -"Oh! my good soul, I had not an idea that it was so near as that." - -"I am telling you the truth, madam; and the fact is, her poverty is -excessive, and"---- - -"Now listen to me, Mrs. Vincent. Everything she needs as far as you are -concerned will be paid for; see that she has every imaginable comfort. -And leave the room." - -Mrs. Richmond's kindly eyes could flash when occasion arose, and Mrs. -Vincent, curtsying and mumbling, but highly delighted all the same, -went downstairs. - -There was no sign of Nan coming back, and Mrs. Richmond, after waiting -for a quarter of an hour, determined to go upstairs to her sick -friend's room. The door was a little ajar; she pushed it open and went -in. Nan was lying across the bed, her face close to the very white -face of a woman whose features were wonderfully like her own. The -woman's eyes were open, and her lips were moving. Mrs. Richmond came -and, without saying a word, lifted the child off the bed. Nan turned -in a wild fury; she felt very much inclined to strike the intruder, -but the look on her visitor's face restrained her. - -"You can stay, dear, if you like," said Mrs. Richmond; and then she -went round to the other side of the bed. - -"Have you anything to tell me, Amy, before you go?" she asked. - -There came a low--very low--murmur, and a glance of the dying woman's -eyes in the direction of the child. - -"Only--only"----she began. - -"I will see to everything, dear; I have promised." - -"And if--if at the end of a year---- You remember--you remember that -part, don't you, Caroline?" - -"I remember it. It will not be necessary." - -"But if it is--if it should be--you will send her"---- - -"I faithfully promise." - -"You are so good!" said the dying woman. - -"God bless you! You have made things easy for me." - -"Come here, Nan, and kiss your mother," said Mrs. Richmond suddenly. - -The child, overawed by the entire scene, advanced. She pressed her -lips to the lips growing colder moment by moment. - -"And now leave the room," said Mrs. Richmond. "Go--obey me." - -Nan went. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -"I WON'T EVER GO TO YOU." - - -But she only went as far as the landing; there she crouched down in a -corner and waited. She did not know what she feared, nor exactly what -was going to happen; it seemed to her that there was a great darkness -everywhere, and that it pressed her round and shut away the light. - -The outward circumstances of Nan Esterleigh's life had never been too -bright, but all the same she had been a happy little girl; she had -been petted and fussed about and loved, and her battered doll, Sophia -Maria, had been the greatest imaginable comfort to her. She was quite -accustomed to scanty meals and poor rooms and cross landladies. She -was, alas! too, poor little girl, thoroughly accustomed to her -mother's state of miserable health. Mother had been often as bad -before. Ever since Nan could remember, her mother had ached and -shivered and moaned with pain; she had spent restless nights, and had -stayed in bed to breakfast, and had struggled against the illness -which crept on her more and more day by day. Nan in her heart of -hearts supposed that very few people were well; she thought children -enjoyed good health as a rule, and that grown people had illness. It -was the law of life, she supposed. Now and then she confided her -thoughts to Sophia Maria. - -"My darling," she used to say, "you must be as happy as you can while -you are young, because there is no chance at all when you are -grown-up. You will have pains then, Maria, and aches, and you will -grow old, and you won't have any strength. I'll be the same; there'll -be two of us to keep each other company--that is one comfort." - -Now she crouched in the corner, feeling a little more depressed and a -little more anxious than usual, but not really alarmed or stricken or -subdued. She wondered, however, what her mother meant by the curious -words she had spoken, with long pauses between, to Mrs. Richmond. They -certainly pointed to a future for Nan herself; she was to go -somewhere, and if all was not well she was at the end of a year to go -somewhere else. - -"But I am not going to leave my own mother," thought the little girl. -"Oh dear! oh dear! I know now why I am lonely; I want my poor darling -Sophia." - -She ran downstairs, clasped her doll to her heart, and crouching over -the fire, presently fell asleep. - -It was during Nan Esterleigh's sleep that her mother died. Mrs. -Esterleigh died without a pang or a struggle--she just ceased to -breathe; and Mrs. Richmond, with tears in her eyes, came downstairs. - -Nan had stretched herself full length on the hearth-rug. The doll was -clasped to her breast; her sallow little face looked more sallow than -usual, and Mrs. Richmond noticed how black and long were the lashes -that rested against her cheeks. - -"Poor little girl, she is my care now," thought the good woman. "I -know what I should like to do; I should like to pick her up, and wrap -a shawl round her, and take her right away in the cab with me. Nora -will be nice to her, and Kitty will show her her favourite kittens. I -have a great mind to try." - -But just then the big black eyes were opened wide, and Nan sat up and -stared at Mrs. Richmond. - -"What are you doing here?" she said. "Is mother no better? Has nobody -thought of giving her her tea?" - -"Come here, Nancy," said Mrs. Richmond. "I have something I want to say -to you." - -"But I don't want to listen," answered Nan; and she clutched her doll -tightly in her embrace, staggered to her feet, and stood, with -defiance in her eyes, a few feet away from Mrs. Richmond. - -"Dear, dear! she is an extraordinary child," thought the good lady. -"She will be very difficult to manage. I should not be a scrap -surprised if she felt this very much; some children do, and I should -not be astonished if she was the sort, she is so stubborn and -self-contained--not a pleasant child by any means. But Amy's little -girl shall always have a warm corner in my heart--always, always." - -"Come here, Nan," she said again. - -"If you want to say anything to me, please, Mrs. Richmond, be quick," -said Nan, who was now wide awake and felt absolutely composed; "I must -go up to mother. This is the hour for her tea; I always make it myself -for her. I know just how much she wants put into the little brown -teapot, and the right quantity of milk and sugar; and, oh! I am going -to toast her bread for her, for Mrs. Vincent does send it up so hard -and untempting. Perhaps you will come another day, Mrs. Richmond, and -talk to me then." - -"I must talk to you now, Nancy, my poor little girl; I have something -to say." - -Curious emotions stirred in the child's breast. She stood quite still -for a moment; then she said slowly: - -"You had better not say it." - -"I must; it is about your mother." - -"What! is mother worse?" - -"She is better, Nancy." Mrs. Richmond's eyes brimmed over with tears. - -"Then how silly of you to cry!" said the child, her face brightening -up, and smiles dawning round her lips. "If she was worse you might -cry--not that you ought ever to cry, for she is no relation of yours; -but if she is better, Sophia Maria and I will sing." - -"Nancy dear, I cannot break it to you. I must tell it to you at once, -and God help you to bear it. Your mother is better in one sense--in -the sense that God has taken her away from all her pains. She won't -ever be tired or ill or sorry any more, and she will never again have -aches or wakeful nights or sad days; she has gone to God. There is a -beautiful heaven, you know, Nan, and---- Oh, good gracious! what ails -the child?" - -Nan had given one smothered scream and had rushed from the room. -Fast--very fast--did the little feet run upstairs. Mrs. Esterleigh's -room was on the third floor. Past the drawing-room landing she ran, -where a good-natured-looking old gentleman resided. He was coming out -of his comfortable drawing-room, and he saw the scared little face. He -knew, of course, what had happened, and he wondered if the child knew. -He called to her: - -"Nancy, come in and sit by my fire for a little." - -But she did not heed him. She ran past the second floor; no one called -her here or detained her. There was a very cross old maid who lived on -that floor, and Nancy had always hated her. She ran on and on. -Presently she reached her mother's room. - -"It is not true," she gasped. "It is that dreadful Mrs. Richmond trying -to frighten me. It is not a bit true--not a bit." And then she took -the handle and tried to turn it and to open the door, but the door was -locked. - -"Mother, mother!" she shrieked. "Mother, it is me--it is Nan. Don't -let them keep me out. Get some one to open the door. Mother, mother!" - -Footsteps sounded in the room, and an elderly woman, whom Nancy had -never seen before, opened the door, came quickly out, and stood with -her back to it. - -"You must go away, my dear little girl," she said. "I will bring you -to see your mother presently. Go away now, dear; you cannot come in." - -"But I will. You shall not keep me out. You are hurting mother. You -have no right to be in the room with her;" and Nancy pommelled at the -woman's hands and arms. But she was strong and masterful, and -presently she picked up the exhausted child and carried her right -downstairs. - -"Oh! give her to me," said Mrs. Richmond. "Poor little child! Nancy -dear, I am so sorry for you! And I promise, darling, to be a mother to -you." - -"Don't!" said Nan. "I don't want you as a mother--no, I don't want -you." - -"Never mind, I will be a friend to you--an aunt--anything you like. I -have promised your own dear mother; and she is quite well, and it -would be selfish to wish her back." - -"But I want to be selfish; I want to have her back," said Nan. "I -don't believe that God has come and taken her. He would not take -mother and leave me; it is not likely, is it?" - -"God sometimes does so, and He has His wise reasons." - -"I don't believe it. You only want me not to go to her, and you are -telling me lies." - -"It is the truth, Nancy; and I wish for your sake it were not. Will -you come back with me to-night, dear?" - -"I won't. I won't ever go to you. I will always stay just outside -mother's door until they let me in. I do not believe she is dead--no, -not for a moment." - -In vain Mrs. Richmond argued and pleaded and coaxed; Nan was firm. -Presently the good lady had to consult with Mrs. Vincent, who promised -to look after the child. The landlady was now all tears and -good-nature, and she assured Mrs. Richmond that Nan should have all her -wants attended to. - -"I have got a very nice, good-natured servant-girl," she said. "Her -name is Phoebe. I will send her upstairs, and she shall sit in the -room with Miss Nan, and if necessary stay with her to-night." - -"Very well," said Mrs. Richmond. "It is the best that I can do; but, oh -dear! how anxious I feel about the unhappy child!" - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE FROCK WITH CRAPE. - - -All the lodgers in the house, the landlady, and the servants were -extremely kind to Nan that night; but Nan would have none of them. -Presently Phoebe was sent to sit in the parlour with her. The lamp, -which usually smoked, burned brightly, and there was quite a good fire -in the grate--of late it had been a miserable one--and the curtains -were drawn, and a clean cloth had been put on the table, and Nan was -treated as if she were a princess. Phoebe, too, dressed in her Sunday -best, came and sat with her. Phoebe was sixteen years of age; she had -left her country home about two months ago, and felt now wonderfully -important. She took a sorrowful, keen, and at the same time -pleasurable interest in Nan. She put the bowl of bread and milk, which -Mrs. Vincent considered the best solace for grief, inside the fender to -keep warm, and then she sat on a hard-bottomed chair, very erect, with -her hands folded in her lap. For a long time her eyes sought the -ground, but then curiosity got the better of her. She began to watch -Nan. Nan sat with her back to her. Sophia Maria was lying on the table -near. As a rule this battered and disreputable doll was clutched tight -in her little mistress's embrace, but even the doll could not comfort -Nan now. Phoebe gave a groan. - -"What are you doing that for?" said the child. She raised her eyes; -there came a frown between her brows; she looked full at Phoebe. - -"I am so sorrowful about you, missy!" replied Phoebe. - -There was something in Phoebe's hearty tone that interested Nan. She -hated Mrs. Richmond and Mrs. Vincent when they expressed their grief; -even the dear old gentleman, Mr. Pryor, on the first floor was -intolerable to her to-night. As to Miss Edgar, the old maid who lived -on the second floor, Nan would have fled any distance from her; but -there was something about Phoebe's country tone, and her round face, -and the tears which filled her blue eyes which touched Nan in spite of -herself. - -"I wish you would eat your supper, miss," was Phoebe's next remark. - -Nan shook her head. After a time she spoke. - -"If your mother had just gone to heaven, would you eat a big bowl of -bread and milk?" - -"Oh, lor', miss! I don't know." - -"Has your mother gone to heaven?" was Nan's next question. - -"Indeed and she has not, miss; I would break my heart if she had." - -"Oh!" said Nan. - -For the first time tears rose to her eyes. She looked again at Phoebe, -then she glanced at the fire, then at the doll. - -"Sophia Maria does not comfort me any longer," she said. "Would it -kill you, Phoebe, if your mother went to heaven?" - -"I 'spect so, miss. Oh dear, missy! I 'spect so." - -"Then," said Nan--and the next instant she had tumbled from her seat, -had tottered forward, and was clasped in Phoebe's arms--"let me cry. -Don't say anything to comfort me; I want to cry such a big, big lot. -Let me cry, and clasp me tight--very tight--Phoebe." - -So Phoebe did clasp the motherless little girl, and the two mingled -their tears. After that affairs moved better. Phoebe herself fed Nan, -and then they cuddled up on the sofa, which Phoebe drew in front of -the fire. Phoebe found her occupation intensely interesting. She was -very, very sorry for Nan, and very comfortable in the thought that her -own mother was alive. Nan began to ask her questions, and Phoebe -answered. - -"Did you ever know a little girl whose mother died 'cept me--did you, -Phoebe?" - -"Oh yes, miss; there was a girl in our village. It was a more mournful -case than yours, miss, for there were two little brothers--they were -young as young could be, nothing more than babies--and she was left to -mind them, so to speak." - -"That must have been very nice for her. I wish I had two little -brothers to mind. And did she mind them, Phoebe? Was she good to -them?" - -"No, miss; that she warn't. She were for a bit, but afterwards she -took to neglecting of them, and they were sent to an orphan school, -and the girl went to service." - -"Oh! she was not a lady," said Nan in a tone of slight contempt. - -"We 'as our feelings even if we ain't ladies," was Phoebe's somewhat -sharp retort. - -"Dear, dear Phoebe, I know you have; but tell me more about her. What -happened just immediately afterwards, before she began to be cross to -the little brothers?" - -"Well, miss, there was the funeral and the funeral feast." - -"A feast!" interrupted Nan. - -"In the country, miss, and amongst us we always take the occasion to -have a big and hearty meal; but that ain't interesting to you." - -"I could not eat--not now that mother is dead." - -"Well, miss, that was in the country; it is different there--grief -makes us hungry. And she had her mourning to get." - -"Her mourning! What is that?" - -"Black, miss--black from head to foot--and crape. She went into debt -for the crape." - -"Did she? What is crape?" - -"Something they put on black dresses to make people know that you are -mourning for a near relative; and according to the amount of crape you -puts on, so is the relation between you and the deceased," said Phoebe -in a very oracular voice. - -Nan became intensely interested. - -"Then I ought to get a black dress at once," she said. - -"As you will, miss. Mrs. Richmond will see to that." - -"I don't want Mrs. Richmond to. I would rather get it myself. I have a -little money. Don't you think I could get my own dress?" - -"Of course, miss, if you have the money." - -"Are you anything of a dressmaker, Phoebe?" - -"Well, miss, I made the dress I am now wearing." - -"And it is awfully nice," said Nan. "And Sophia Maria ought to wear -black too." - -"To be sure, miss." - -"I wish I could get it to-night. But you might go out early in the -morning and get the stuff, and we could begin to make it." - -"So we could," said Phoebe, who wondered much if her mistress would -allow her to devote all her time to Nan. - -"I know a little bit about dressmaking myself; we could easily make -the dress," continued Nan. "And we need not let any one into the room; -I could keep the door locked, and we could both make the dress that I -am to wear for my own mother. Phoebe, would it make her happier to -know I was putting stitches into a black, black dress with crape on it -to wear because of her, because she has gone to God?" - -"It would make a wonderful difference," said Phoebe. - -"Would it indeed? Then I will have it very black, and a lot of crape. -If I have a lot of crape, would she be glad?" - -"If anything could make her more glad than she is now, that would," -said Phoebe; "I know it for a fact." - -"And Sophia Maria would wear crape and a black dress too?" - -"Yes, miss." - -After that the two girls talked on until they grew sleepy, and finally -Phoebe wrapped her little mistress in a warm blanket, and lay down -herself on the rug; and so the first night passed away. - -Nan possessed exactly two pounds, which she had saved, sixpence by -sixpence. She broke into her little savings-bank now and gave the -money to Phoebe, who went out at an early hour and purchased coarse -cashmere and the poorest crape she could get, and brought the -materials to Nan. - -They kept the parlour door locked, and sewed and sewed. Nan was -interested, and although her tears often dropped upon the black stuff, -yet, when Phoebe assured her that her mother was growing happier each -moment at the thought of the very deep mourning her little daughter -was to wear, she cheered up. - -"You are quite, quite certain you are telling me the truth, Phoebe?" -said Nan at last. - -"Certain sure, miss. Didn't I live through it all when poor Susan -Fagan lost her mother? This is a dress for all the world the same as -Susan appeared in at the funeral." - -After two or three days' hard work the dress was finished. It was -certainly not stylish to look at. Then there came an awful time when -carriages drove up to the house, and all that was left of poor Mrs. -Esterleigh was borne away to her long home. Nan could never afterwards -quite recall that dreadful day. Mrs. Richmond arrived early. She had -borne with Nan's wish to stay locked into the parlour with what -patience she could; but on the day of the funeral she insisted on the -door being opened, and when Nan appeared before her in her lugubrious -dress, badly made, with no fit whatever, the good woman gave a shocked -exclamation. - -"My dear child," she said, "I have got a suitable dress for you. I -found a frock of yours upstairs and had it measured. Take off that -awful thing." - -"This awful thing!" said Nan. "I bought it with my own money. I won't -wear anything--anything else. And Sophia Maria is in mourning too," -she added; and she pointed to her doll, which was attired in crape -from head to foot. - -"Let her wear it," said a voice behind her; and raising her eyes, Nan -saw the kindly face of Mr. Pryor looking at her. - -He had always been a strange sort of character, and it seemed now that -in one glance he understood the child; he held out his hand and drew -her towards him. - -"You bought this out of your own money?" he asked, - -"Yes," answered Nan. - -Tears trembled on her eyelashes; she raised her eyes and looked full -at Mr. Pryor. - -"And there is a lot of crape," she said. "Everybody must know that she -was a very near relation." - -"And you made it yourself?" - -"Phoebe and I made it ourselves; and Maria is in black too." She -touched the doll with her finger. - -"Then you shall go to the funeral in that dress," said Mr. Pryor. "I -take it upon me to say that your mother would wish it, and that is -enough." - -So Nan attended her mother's funeral in the dress she had made -herself, and stood close to the grave, and tried vaguely to realise -what was taking place. But what chiefly impressed her was the depth of -the shabby crape on her little skirt, and the fact that she had bought -her mourning out of her very own savings, and that the doll, Sophia -Maria, from whom she would not be parted for a single moment, was also -in mourning. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE BEST GIRL. - - -Immediately after the funeral Mrs. Richmond took Nan's hand. - -"Now, dear," she said, "you come home with me." - -Nan turned first red and then very white. She was just about to reply -when Mr. Pryor came forward. - -"Madam," he said, "may I make a request? I want to ask a very great -favour." - -"If possible I will grant it," replied Mrs. Richmond. - -"I have known Mrs. Esterleigh, this dear little girl's mother, for two -or three years; and on the whole, although I am not specially fond of -children, I think I also know Nan well. Now, I want to know if you -will grant me the great favour of allowing me to take Nan home to my -rooms until this evening. I will promise to bring her to you this -evening." - -"Oh yes, I will go with you and with Phoebe," said Nan. She clasped -hold of Mr. Pryor's hand and held it to her heart, and she looked round -for Phoebe, who in her shabby frock was standing on the outskirts of -the group. - -Phoebe was nodding to Nan and making mysterious signs to her. Mrs. -Richmond looked full at Mr. Pryor. - -"I do not wish to make Nan more unhappy than I can help to-day," she -said; "so if you will bring her to my house by six o'clock this -evening I will be satisfied." - -She turned away and entered her own carriage, and Mr. Pryor looked at -Nan. - -"It is only two o'clock," he said; "we have four hours. A great deal -can be done in four hours. What do you say to our spending the day out -here in the country?" - -"Oh," said Nan, "in the country! Is this the country?" - -"This is Highgate. I have a carriage, and I will get the man to drive -us quite out into the country parts--perhaps to Barnet. The day -happens to be a lovely one. I have a kind of desire to go into the -Hadleigh Woods with you; what do you say?" - -Nan gave a vague nod, and looked round for Phoebe. - -"You would like your little friend Phoebe to come too?" - -Nan's whole face lit up. - -"Oh, very, very much!" she said. - -"Well, she is standing there; go and ask her." - -So Nan rushed up to Phoebe. - -"Phoebe," she said, "shall we go into the country with Mr. Pryor? I -need not be back till six o'clock." - -"I don't know if my mistress would wish it," said Phoebe. - -"I will take upon myself to say that Mrs. Vincent will not be angry -with you," said Mr. Pryor, coming up at this moment. "Now, children, -get into my carriage; I will give the driver directions." - -So they left the cemetery and drove away and away into the heart of -the country. It took them some little time to reach it, but at last -they got where the trees grew in numbers and houses were few and far -between; and although it was winter the day was a lovely one, and -there was a warm sunshine, and it seemed to Nan that she had come out -of the most awful gloom and misery into a peace and a joy which she -could scarcely understand. - -Mr. Pryor dismissed the carriage when it set them down at a pretty -little inn, and he took Nan by the hand and led her into the parlour, -and asked the landlord for a private room; and there he and Nan and -Phoebe had dinner together. - -It was a simple dinner--the very simplest possible--and Sophia Maria -sat on Nan's lap while she ate, and Mr. Pryor talked very little, and -when he did it was in a grave voice. - -Phoebe looked somewhat awed; and as to Nan, the sense of grief and -bewilderment grew greater each moment. - -"Now, Phoebe," said Mr. Pryor when the meal was over, "I want our -little party to divide. There are four of us, for of course I consider -Sophia Maria quite one of the family." - -"Oh, she is quite, the darling!" said Nan. - -"Will you take charge of her for a little, Phoebe," said Mr. Pryor, -"while Nan and I go for a walk?" - -"Oh, must we?" said Nan, looking full at him. - -He smiled very gravely at her. - -"We will not be long," he said. "There are a few things your mother -has asked me to say to you. I would rather say them to you alone, -without even Sophia Maria listening." - -Then Nan's little white face lit up. - -"Phoebe," she said, "Mr. Pryor and I have something most important to -say to each other. Be sure you take great care of Maria, and don't let -her catch cold." - -Phoebe promised, and Mr. Pryor and Nan, hand in hand, walked in the -direction of the Hadleigh Woods. - -They walked in absolute silence until they reached the woods, and then -their steps became slower, and Nan looked up into the face of her -companion and said: - -"I wish you would tell me. What did mother say?" - -"My dear Nan, your mother knew very well that the day was soon coming -when God would send for her. She did not like to talk to you about it, -although she often tried to; she was anxious about you, but not very -anxious." - -"I wonder mother was not very anxious when she thought of leaving me -so far, far behind," said Nan. - -"You see, she did not think that, for in reality those who go to God -are not separated very far from those they leave." - -"Then is mother near me?" - -"You cannot see her, nor can you realise it, but I should not be -surprised if she were quite near you." - -"She knows all about my black dress and my crape?" said Nan. "Phoebe -said she would be so glad about the crape!" - -"Well, Nan, the fact is that the crape could not make her glad, nor -the black dress; but the thought that you, her little girl, made it -and wore it for love of her would make her glad. It is not the colour -of the dress makes her happy; it is the love you put into it." - -"Oh! I don't quite understand," said Nan. - -"You will when you think it over. You see, she is in white; she has a -crown and a harp. That is what we have learnt about those who leave -us--that if they have loved God they go into His presence, and their -dress is white and glistening, and they have harps to sing to and -crowns to wear; and we know the more we love the nearer we get to -them. So, Nan, the message your mother has left me is this: 'Tell Nan -to be as good as girl can be--to be the best girl she knows. By being -the best she must be the most loving, she must be the most unselfish. -She must not wish to be the best to be thought well of by her -fellow-men, but she must be the best because God loves those who try -to follow Him.' Do you follow me, Nan, when I say these words?" - -"I follow you," said Nan. "You want me to be good, but I do not think -I can; and as to being the best, that I can never be. You want me to -have a great deal of love, and I only love mother and Phoebe a little -bit. And to-night everything is to be changed; I won't even have you." - -"I am going to ask Mrs. Richmond to send you to see me -sometimes--perhaps once a fortnight or so." - -"Will you?" said Nan. "I think if I could like anything I should like -that." - -"I will arrange it then; and perhaps although you do not exactly love -me now, you will regard me as your friend and love me presently. But -there is something else I want to say. Your mother wished all these -things for you, but she knew that you would have certain difficulties -in your life. I am sorry to have to tell it to you, my dear little -girl, but it is the fact: your mother left you without any money." - -"But mother could scarcely do that, because we had something to live -on," said Nan. "Has mother taken our money away with her up to God?" - -"No, dear. In the home where she is now money is not needed; but the -little money she had was only to be here during her lifetime. It was -what is called an annuity; that means, she could have the use of it -for her life, but only for her life. So, my dear little girl, you have -no money." - -"Then I expect," said Nan, drawing herself up and fixing her eyes full -on Mr. Pryor's face, "that I had best go to the workhouse. I can go to -the workhouse until I am old enough to take a place as servant; and I -would like, please, to go into the same house with Phoebe. Perhaps Mrs. -Vincent would have me as her little servant, and Phoebe could teach -me." - -"That is not necessary; you are not suited for that kind of life, and -God does not require it of you. Mrs. Richmond is very well off; she has -more money than she knows what to do with, and she always loved your -mother, so she is going to take you to bring you up with her two -little girls. You will be trained and educated, and have everything -that a little girl can require, and all Mrs. Richmond wants in return -is your love and your obedience." - -"But I don't think I can love her. I wish--oh, I wish she would not do -it!" said Nan. - -"Now, Nan, the first proof of your love for your mother has arrived, -for she wanted you to go to Mrs. Richmond. She would be dreadfully -pained--far, far more pained, if trouble could reach her in heaven, by -your not going there than even if you still wore a coloured frock." - -"Oh, how puzzling it is, and how difficult!" said Nan. "I shall quite -hate to go to Mrs. Richmond. I never liked her much, and now to think -that I owe everything to her!" - -"I have something more to say. There is a man who owed your father -money long ago, and he has promised to adopt you in case you are not -happy with Mrs. Richmond; but you must spend quite a year with her -before you go to him. You would have a different life with him--freer, -wilder. Your mother preferred the idea of your being with Mrs. -Richmond, but if you are unhappy with her you are to go to the -Asprays; when last I heard of them they lived in Virginia, in the -States of America." - -Nan pressed her hand to her forehead. - -"That does not seem much better," she answered; "and I think my head -aches, but I am not sure. Shall we go back again now, Mr. Pryor?" - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE MYSTERY-GIRL. - - -Kitty and Honora Richmond were in high spirits. Even the knowledge -that Nan's mother had been buried that day could scarcely depress -them. They had heard of Nan a great deal for the last couple of years -of their lives, but they had never seen her. Honora called her the -little mystery-girl, and Kitty invariably made the same remark when -her name was mentioned. - -"I wonder if her eyes are blue or brown. If she has brown eyes she -will be like me, and if she has blue eyes she will be like you, Nora." - -"As if the colour of her eyes mattered!" said Honora. "For my part," -she added, "I do not think any girl matters, and I do not see why you -are so excited about her. If she were a dog it would be a different -thing." - -"Yes, of course it would," answered Kitty, looking wistfully round. -"But you see she is a girl, and mother will not let us keep any more -dogs." - -"The darlings!" cried Honora; "what a sin! Oh Kitty! do you know, I -saw a dear little fox-terrier to-day when I was out. I know he was -lost. He had one of those darling little square heads, and he did look -so sweet! I would have given anything to bring him home, but when I -spoke to nurse she said, 'There are enough waifs and strays coming to -the house without having stray dogs.'" - -"I do wonder what she meant by that!" said Kitty. - -"I expect," said Nora in a thoughtful voice, "she must have meant poor -Nan. It was not nice of her--not a bit. Do you know that Nan has no -money? Nurse told me so last night; she said that if mother had not -adopted her she would have had to go to the workhouse. Is it not -awful?" - -"Poor darling!" said Kitty. "Then we will be good to her; and it is -almost as nice as if she were a dog. I like her twice as well since I -know that. If she were a rich girl I should hate her coming, but as -she is a poor one we will give her the very best--won't we, Noney?" - -"The best we could do," said Honora in a thoughtful voice, "would be -to give her Sally's pup--you know, little Jack; would she not love -it?" - -Kitty looked very thoughtful. - -"I thought perhaps I might keep Jack," she said. "Do you think I ought -to give Jack to Nan--do you, Nora?" - -"Yes," replied Nora in an emphatic voice. "We have just said that we -ought to give her the best, and as Jack is your best, you ought to -hand him over. Come, now, let us make the schoolroom look pretty. -Mother said she would be here at six o'clock. She will be very sad, -you know, Kitty; you must not laugh or be at all gay this evening. You -must try to feel as if mother were in her coffin." - -"Oh, don't!" said Kitty. "How horrid of you, Noney! How could I think -of anything so awful?" - -"But poor Nan has to think of it. Oh dear! oh dear! it is exciting. Do -you know what I should like to do? I'd like to rush downstairs and -fling my arms round her neck, and drag her up to the schoolroom, and -say, 'You poor little motherless, penniless creature, here is Jack to -comfort you.' That is what I should like to do; but, of course, I -suppose it would not be right." - -Miss Roy, the children's governess, now entered the schoolroom. She -was a kindly, good-natured woman. They went to school for most of -their lessons, but she looked after their dress, and took them for -walks, and saw to their comforts generally. - -"What are you two puzzling your little heads over?" she said. "Oh -Nora, my dear, why is the schoolroom in such a mess?" - -"We were teaching Jack some of his tricks," said Nora. "Do you know, -Miss Roy, he begs so beautifully, and he quite winks one of his dear -little eyes when he sits upright and takes his biscuit." - -"But he sulks a good bit when we teach him to trust," interrupted -Kitty. - -"Well, dears, get the brush now and sweep away the crumbs; when your -little friend comes she will not like to see an untidy room." - -"I hope she will," said Kitty. "It will be very much the worse for her -if she is of the tidy sort." - -"What nonsense, Kitty! You know I have always trained you to be most -careful and tidy." - -"Yes," answered Kitty, with a sigh; "and when you do train us, Miss -Roy, do you know what Nora and I think of?" - -"What, dear?" - -"Of the happy, happy days when we are quite grown-up, and can be as -awfully untidy as we like, and sweep all our things into bundles, and -never have a tidy drawer, and never be able to find anything; and have -six or seven dogs, all in baskets, sleeping about the room; and a few -cats, more particularly if they are sick cats, to bear them company; -and birds, of course; and mice, and white rats, and"---- - -Miss Roy put her hands to her ears. - -"Don't introduce your menagerie until I am out of the country. I would -rather leave England, although I am devoted to my native land, than be -anywhere near such an awful room." - -"We told mother on Sunday," said Nora, "and she quite laughed. I think -she was ever so glad." - -Just then there came a sound of commotion downstairs. Nora drew -herself up to her full height, and her heart beat a little faster than -usual. Kitty rushed to her sister and clasped her hand. - -"Oh Noney, has the little mystery girl come?" - -"I think so," said Nora; and just then her mother's voice was heard -shouting, and the two children ran downstairs. - -Once again Honora thought of the impulse which she longed to give way -to--the impulse to rush to the forlorn little figure in its quaint and -peculiar frock and clasp it tightly in her arms, and sweep the child -upstairs to the warm schoolroom, where Kitty would sit at her feet, -and Nora would hold her round the waist, and Jack would sit on her -lap, and they would talk and talk, and be happy and free, and even -mingle their tears together. But Mrs. Richmond, although the most -good-natured and kindest of women, would have been much shocked by -such a proceeding on Honora's part. She had lectured the little girls -with regard to Nan's arrival for the last couple of days, and had -given them so many things to be careful about, so many subjects on -which they must on no account touch, that now they felt quite -constrained, and it was a rosy-faced and apparently unconcerned little -girl who came up now and took Nan's cold hand in hers; and a little -girl in all respects her ditto, except that her eyes were brown, -followed suit; and Nan gave one forlorn, frightened glance at the two -little sisters, and then turned aside, a look of almost sullenness on -her face. - -"Take her upstairs, dears, and ask nurse to get her hot water; and -then you shall all come downstairs to supper with me," said Mrs. -Richmond. - -Kitty said in a very low and frightened voice, "Will you come, -please?" and the three children went upstairs. - -They went through the cheerful schoolroom, where a fire was blazing -brightly, and a lamp making a pleasant glow on the centre-table, and -where there was a fascinating basket, out of which a bull-terrier -raised his head and growled, and another basket with a cat and a heap -of kittens in it; and there was a huge cage in the window in which -swung a parrot, who called out the moment he saw them, "Here comes the -naughty girl--here comes the naughty girl!" Nan, notwithstanding her -misery, would have given worlds to rush to the bull-terrier's basket -to examine its pups, or to the cat's basket to look at the kittens, or -to laugh when Poll the parrot said, "Here comes the naughty girl!" But -she did not dare to do any of these things, and she was led swiftly -past the impertinent bird, and the dog, and the cat, into her own -little room. - -Nan's room opened out of the pretty bedroom where the sisters slept, -and there was a fire here also, and a nice white bed, and pretty -furniture, and even a few flowers on the dressing-table; and nurse, a -stout, shrewd-looking woman, was standing in the room; and there was a -jug of hot water on the washing-stand. The moment Nan appeared, nurse -spoke to the little girls. - -"Now go away, my dears," she said. "I will look after Miss Esterleigh. -Come, miss, you would like me to wash your face and hands, would you -not?" - -What reply Nan made the little sisters did not hear, for they found -themselves pushed out into the schoolroom and the door was shut. - -"Oh Nora, what do you think of her?" said Kitty. - -"Well," replied Nora, "I suppose it is because she is unhappy, but she -looks rather cross." - -"I do not think she is really. Did you see how her eyes danced when -Sally growled?" - -"Sally has very bad manners," said Nora. - -"And, oh Noney, Noney, was it not shocking of Poll to say, 'Here comes -the naughty girl'? She will think always now, to her dying day, that -he meant her." - -"You know Poll always says that whenever we bring a stranger into the -schoolroom," said Nora. "But come, Kitty; let us wash our hands and -get ready for supper. I suppose we'll like her after a bit--although -I'm not sure." - -"Did you notice the doll she had in her arms? Was it not too funny?" -said Kitty. - -"I expect she loves it," said Nora, "but she won't do so for long; we -gave up dolls when we were ever so young. A doll is no fun when you -have got a live thing to pet." - -At this juncture Nora rushed to Sally's basket, took Jack from his -mother, and clasped him tight in her arms. - -"Oh! is he not just an angel?" she said; and then the little girls -went to their room to get ready for supper. - -Nan appeared, just as pale and just as unsmiling, in the schoolroom -after she had submitted to nurse's ministrations. She hated the bright -fires and the gay lamp and the comforts. - -"It is all charity," she thought. - -That afternoon she had questioned Phoebe as to the position of a girl -whose mother had died without leaving any money behind; and Phoebe, -who had no idea that her remarks would have any personal meaning, had -said at once: - -"Why, she is nothing in the world but a girl, miss; I'd not like to be -her--that I wouldn't." - -So Nan stood now with a bitter smile on her face. But as she stood -alone in the schoolroom, looking wistfully about her, and wondering -how she was to please her mother, and how by any possibility she could -ever be the best girl whom Mr. Pryor spoke about, there came a funny -little yap, and behold! Jack the bull-pup was at her feet. - -Now, even a charity-girl could scarcely resist a bull-pup of six weeks -old, and Nan felt a shiver of longing and delight creeping over her. -She forgot Sophia Maria (the neglected doll was thrown on the nearest -chair), and the next instant the little pup was clasped in the girl's -arms. She was hugging it and petting it when Kitty came back. If there -was one creature on earth whom Kitty loved it was Jack, and she had -been wondering if another of the pups, little Flo or Tommy, would do -equally well for Nan's possession. But Flo and Tommy were not nearly -as perfect as Jack, for Jack was a little prince of bull-pups, perfect -in every respect, with one white ear and one black, and with the most -impudent face it was possible for a dog to have; and now Nan was -smiling at him, and pressing his little cheek against hers, and then -Kitty knew it was all up with her as far as Jack was concerned. She -ran quickly forward. - -"Oh! you have got Jack; he is yours, you know." - -She panted out the words, being anxious to get the presentation over, -to have the thing done beyond recall. Nan's face turned a little -whiter. - -"I am so sorry!" she said. "I know I ought not to have touched your -pup, but he came to my feet, and he is so sweet!" - -"Oh! you would like him, would you not?" said Kitty. - -"Like him!" cried Nan. "I love him!" - -"Then he is yours--yours! You may have him altogether." - -"I--what!" cried Nan. - -"I mean that he is mine, and I give him to you. We have got plenty -more; will you take him? Say so--quick!" - -Nan looked full into Kitty's eyes. Now, this was the last thing Kitty -wished, for in spite of all her heroism and her desire to be as -generous as possible, her eyes were full of tears. - -"Oh, as if I could take him!" cried Nan. "But thank you--thank you." - -"You are to take him; Nora and I wish it. We said so; we made up our -minds that you must be comforted by Jack. We cannot comfort you, -because we do not know, and---- Anyhow, we are not dogs. No person can -comfort like a dog can. So, will you have him--will you, please?" - -"Oh, I will!" said Nan; and then Kitty went up to her and kissed her; -and Nan dropped Jack, and flung her arms round Kitty's neck, and said: - -"Thank you--and thank God!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE BULL-PUP. - - -But when the little girls went down to supper, Jack had to stay -behind. Had he come downstairs, cuddled up contentedly on Nan's -forlorn little shoulder, she might have been able to bear things; but -as it was, all her miseries returned to her in a full tide. For the -first time she observed how very peculiar and remarkable the dress was -which Phoebe had made. - -Nan was rather a small girl of eleven years of age, and the dress came -down to her ankles. It was, of course, made without any attempt at -style. The bodice fitted anyhow; the crape was put on in rucks instead -of smoothly; the sleeves were too wide for the fashion, and too long -for the little girl's arms; the neck was too big, the part which -covered her chest too narrow. She was, as nurse expressed it, all -askew in that frock, and poor Mrs. Richmond quite shuddered as she -looked at her. - -If Nan had been a dazzlingly fair child, black might have been -becoming to her; but as she was sallow, with quantities of jet-black -hair, and big, very black eyes, there was not a scrap of beauty about -her little face just now, although it was possible she might grow up -handsome by-and-by. - -Little, however, Nan recked about her appearance either in the future -or the present. Just then she kept repeating to herself, "I am only a -charity-girl;" and then she sat down and ate her supper without well -knowing what she ate. Mrs. Richmond was very kind, and the two girls -were as grave and sober as possible. They were not the least like -themselves; they only spoke when they were spoken to; even the subject -of the dogs did not draw them out. Kitty's merry eyes kept looking -down, and Honora's sweet, bright face, with its wealth of light hair -and smiling lips, seemed transformed into that of a very sober little -girl indeed. Towards the end of supper Nan yawned once or twice. Mrs. -Richmond suddenly rose. - -"Come here, Nancy," she said. - -She took the little girl's hand and drew her to her side. - -"Nancy, you are my little girl henceforward." - -Nancy's lips quivered. - -"And these are your little sisters. This is Honora, aged twelve; and -this is Kitty, aged eleven. You will be, I hope, the very best of -friends; everything that Kitty has you have, and everything that -Honora has also belongs to you. There will be three little sisters in -this house instead of two. You will learn with the same kind -governess, and go to the same nice school; and except that you will -wear black and Kitty and Honora colours, you will be dressed alike. -You will have the same pleasures and the same duties. I promised your -mother that this should be the case, and all I ask of you in return -is"--Mrs. Richmond paused and looked full at Nan-"happiness." - -"I cannot be happy," whispered Nan then. - -"Not yet, dear--no, not yet; but I want you to be contented, and to -feel that I love you and will do what I can for you. I do not want you -to feel that"---- - -"I am a charity-girl, and I hate it," suddenly burst from Nan's lips. - -Mrs. Richmond took both the little hands very firmly in hers and drew -the unwilling child to sit on her knee. - -"Nan," she said, "you must get that thought out of your head once and -for ever. I am going to tell you something. Years and years ago, when -I was young and when your mother was young, your mother did something -for me which I can never repay--never. I will tell you what that thing -was when you are older. Your mother died; and when dying, I asked her -to let me adopt you as my own little girl. To do that does not -anything like repay her for what she did for me, for she saved all my -life and all my happiness. But for her I might not be alive now; and -if spared, certainly be a most miserable woman. Sometime I will tell -you everything; but what I want you clearly to know is this, that in -taking you to live with me I still owe your mother something. You have -a right to my home and my love for her sake. Now, does this make -things any better?" - -"Oh yes!" said Nan. "And, oh" she added, "I am a horrid girl not to -feel very glad! I will try to be very glad, but do not ask me any more -to-night." - -"Poor little darling!" said Mrs. Richmond. - -She kissed Nan, and nodded to Kitty to run up to Nan and take her -hand. - -"You are my sister, you know, and I love you already," said Kitty; and -so Nan went upstairs to bed. - -Early the next morning, when the little girl felt that she had already -only enjoyed her first sleep, she was awakened by some one pulling her -rather violently by the arm. She looked up in astonishment. Just at -first she could not in the least remember where she was, nor what had -happened. Then it all rushed over her--her mother's funeral of the day -before, her own great misery, the change in her life. But she had -scarcely time to realise these things, and certainly had not a moment -to fret about them, when the eager voice of Kitty was sounding in her -ears. - -"Get up, please, Nan; dress yourself as fast as ever you can in the -dark, and come into the schoolroom. If you are not very quick you will -miss seeing the animals getting their breakfasts, and that is the best -fun of the day. Now, be quick--be quick! I will come back again in a -few minutes. I have lit the candle for you; here it is. Hot water? No; -you must do without that. Fly--dash into your clothes, and be in the -schoolroom in a quarter of an hour." - -Kitty disappeared, and Nan got up. She felt quite excited; she could -not help herself. It was useless to pretend that she felt anything but -a sense of rejoicing as she thought of the animals. When with human -beings she must remember her mother, and her own suffering, and her -great loss, but with the animals she could only rejoice. She scrambled -into her clothes, making, it is true, a very sorry spectacle of -herself. - -"Sophia Maria, my darling," she said to her doll, "you had better get -warm into bed, and lie tucked up there while I am attending to the -animals. I will never love them better than I love you, but I must see -how they get their breakfasts. They are alive, Maria darling--they are -alive; you understand, don't you?" - -Sophia Maria stared with her vacant smile at her little mistress. - -"How good she is! she never frets," thought the little girl; and then -she went into the schoolroom, where a fire was lighted--a dull, -dim-looking fire, which certainly gave forth no heat whatever just -yet--and the gas was turned on. - -"Is it not a good thing we have gas?" said Kitty. - -Honora and Kitty were both in the schoolroom. They were wearing a long -kind of holland smocks over their dresses; their faces looked quite -serene and important. - -"Now, Nan, which will you take? I think this morning, if you were to -hold all the kittens in your lap, you might just watch us. We have to -be ever so busy; Miss Roy only gives us a quarter of an hour at this -time of day to clean out all the animals' homes, and I can tell you it -is exciting when you have got pups and kittens and birds and mice and -rats. Is it not nice of Miss Roy? The mice and rats she will not allow -in the room, but she allows the others. We keep them upstairs in the -top attic. Sometimes the rats bite, and the mice too; but who minds a -little pain when it is an animal--a darling--that has to be attended -to?" - -[Illustration: Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire -holding the kittens.] - -Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire holding the kittens. -There were two Persian kittens, and their names were Lord and Lady. -They were very handsome, with long, soft chinchilla fur, tiny tails at -present, and big heads. Nan stroked them in ecstasy; there was not the -slightest doubt that thrills of comfort went through her heart which -Sophia Maria had never yet been able to bestow. - -Kitty and Honora meanwhile were very busy. The parrot's cage required -a great deal of attention. The parrot was inclined to be rather -fierce; he would fly frantically after the little hands when they were -put in to take out the seed-trough, and he would cock his head to one -side, and then shout out, "Here comes the naughty girl!" and fix his -eyes on Nan all the time. - -"He does mean me," said Nan, forgetting the kittens and going up to -the cage in her excitement. "Oh dear! is it not funny of him? And I -suppose I am a naughty girl." - -"Well, I hope so," said Kitty. "We don't want you to be a goody girl; -we should not like that at all. We don't want you to be mournful and -sulky and anything like that; we like you to have some spirit in you. -You know your darling little Jack who belongs to you altogether? Well, -you are to have all the trouble of him; and you are to take the blame -also if he is naughty and fidgety, and tears our dresses, and bites -the tablecloth. You will be the one to be reprimanded; don't forget -that." - -"I don't think I shall like that." - -"Well, but surely you do not expect us to be blamed about your animal! -I never heard of such a thing!" said Nora "Now we have done -everything; go back and get as tidy as you can for breakfast." - -Nan went back to her room feeling much excited. While she was out -nurse had entered. - -"So you are going to have an animal, miss; and you are going to get up -every morning to help the young ladies to feed their pets and clean -out their cages?" - -"Yes; they have asked me to," said Nan. - -"That is right, my dear; and I hope you will have a happy time and -make yourself one of the family." - -"I will try to," said Nan. - -"The first thing you have to do is to give me the frock you wore last -night." - -"But, oh!" said Nan, "that is my own frock, bought out of my own -money. Please, I would rather--I would rather not give it." - -"I am afraid if you are one of the family you have got to obey Mrs. -Richmond, and she does not intend you to wear that ugly frock any -more." - -"It is not ugly," said Nan, colouring high. - -"Well, miss, I am afraid it is; and anyhow you cannot wear it, for I -am going to take it away. Here is a nice little suitable dress--black, -of course, and made the same way as Miss Kitty's dresses are made. -Here, put it on, miss, or you will be late for breakfast." - -All poor Nan's misery returned to her at these words. She felt as if -she were most unjustly treated; she could scarcely bear her own -feelings. The pretty frock in which she looked so nice and fresh, and -in which she had once again the appearance of a lady, did not appeal -to her. She shrugged her shoulders discontentedly, and was only -comforted when nurse insisted on her wearing a white pinafore which -nearly covered the frock. - -Just as she was leaving her bedroom she turned and spoke. - -"If you will not let me wear my own frock--and I bought all my own -mourning for my own mother--may I at least keep it?" - -"Oh yes, poor little girl!" said nurse, much touched by these words. -"I will put it in the bottom of the little trunk you brought with you. -You might give it to a poor girl some day, and she might make it fit -her; it is not fit for any one to wear at present." - -Nan was fain to be comforted with this sort of half-promise of -nurse's, and entered the school-room, where she stood, looking -somewhat forlorn, by the fire. But this mood was not to be of long -duration, for Nora and Kitty came bounding in. They had made up their -minds: the time of gloom was past; they were going to be their own -riotous, gay, merry, rebellious, fidgety, almost unruly little selves -once again to-day. - -Miss Roy was almost as merry as her pupils. At breakfast they screamed -with laughter; animals, of course, were the subjects of conversation. -The virtues of Jack, the vices of Poll the parrot, the exquisite -beauties of Lord and Lady and the bad manners of their mother, the -good manners of the bull-terrier--all were discussed with animation. -Each little point was noted. Nan listened, her eyes growing wider and -wider. - -"What is the matter? Why do you not talk?" said Kitty at last. - -"I am so astonished," answered Nan. - -"What about?" - -"Why, you speak, you and Honora, as if--as if there were no girls and -boys in the world." - -"Oh! I suppose there are," answered Honora. "I am afraid there are," -she continued after a pause. "They are great worries, are they not?" - -"I don't know." - -"Compared to animals, I mean. Who would compare them?" - -"I don't know," said Nan again. - -"You will when you have been here a little longer.--Oh, Miss Roy, -Kitty has given Jack to Nan. He is her very own bull-puppy. She has -got to train him; and, please, if he does anything naughty you are to -blame her." - -"Well, now, children," said Miss Roy, "put on your hats and coats and -get ready for school. Nan, my dear, Mrs. Richmond has not arranged for -your school until next week, so will you please stay in the schoolroom -until I come back to you? I will hear you a few lessons then, and we -can go out for a walk together." - -"And may she take Jack for a little airing?" asked Kitty. - -"Yes, if she has a leash--not otherwise." - -"Oh! I can lend her a leash," said Kitty. "You will find it hanging up -in the passage outside the schoolroom," she added, turning to the -little girl; "and there is a collar as well. Now we must be off." - -In a moment they dashed away, Miss Roy following them. From intense -excitement and vigorous conversation and loud noise and hearty laughs -the schoolroom was reduced to absolute silence. Nan felt a sense of -relief. She crept into her bedroom, took Sophia Maria from between the -sheets, clasped her in her arms, and sitting down by the fire, called -to Jack to come and make friends. - -Now, Jack was of the most sociable nature, but it is, alas! true that -he was possessed with a petted little dog's invariable infirmity--that -of intense jealousy. He had taken to Nan; he had liked the position on -her shoulder, and had quite slobbered with bliss when she had kissed -him on his little cheek the night before. But Nan was now hugging a -hideous object in her arms, and Jack did not see why such a thing -should be permitted. He was wary, however, and did not intend to give -himself away. He knew by experience that in small puppies -mischievousness was reproved by two-footed creatures who had the -control of them; but in all the world what could be more delicious -than the sort of mischief which meant tearing and rending, using his -teeth and puppy paws to some purpose? That horrid thing in Nan's arms -could be rent and torn and demolished and worried, and what a time of -enjoyment he would have while doing it! Accordingly he raised his -dancing eyes to Nan's face, and jumped backwards and forwards, -inviting her as bewitchingly as puppy could to a game of romps. She -played with him for a little, trying to catch him, which he avoided, -for it was quite beyond the dignity of puppydom to repose in the same -lap with the hideous doll dressed in crape. The dog was biding his -time. Nan looked again at Maria. She still wore her inane smile. Nan -kissed her. She was so cold; she did not seem to take any interest. - -"She is not so nice as Jack," thought the little girl, "but of course -I like her best. Did not mother give her to me, and have not I over -and over and over again cried with her in my arms? She comforted me, -then, but not as little Jack does." - -Presently Miss Roy came in, bustling and fresh from the outside world. - -"Now, get on your things, Nan," she said. "I will take you for a walk -first of all, as it may rain later on; it is a beautiful morning, and -we will go for a walk in Hyde Park. You had better leave little Jack -at home; dogs are not allowed in Hyde Park except on a leash." - -Nan got up joyfully. Sophia Maria was put comfortably sitting in the -arm-chair in which the little girl had herself reposed, and a few -minutes later Nan and her governess went out. - -Now was Jack's opportunity. The schoolroom was silent; the mother -bull-terrier was sound asleep, with the other pups nestling up to her. -Jack, bent on mischief, was practically alone. The Persian cat turned -her back upon him with the most lofty disdain in her attitude; the -parrot winked at him out of her wicked eye, and said, "Here we are -again!" another favourite expression of hers. Jack cared little; with -a dexterous leap he secured Sophia Maria, and what immediately -followed may be left to the imagination of the readers. - -When Nan returned from her walk there were morsels of crape on the -floor, and tiny pieces of coarse black cashmere, and a naked doll, -which, rent and torn and injured, lay in a distant corner; but her -clothes--alas! where were they? Jack waggled up to his little -mistress, coaxing and canoodling, and saying by a thousand pretty -motions, "You must forgive me if it was wrong. I am sorry, but I would -do it again if I had the chance; only please forgive me." And then Nan -uttered a sudden shriek and flew towards the battered remains of her -doll, which she clasped in her arms. - -"Oh, Miss Roy--oh, Miss Roy!" screamed the little girl. - -"What is it, my dear?" said the astonished governess. - -"Oh, see what Jack has done!" - -"Naughty Jack!" said Miss Roy. "But really, Nan, it was a very ugly -doll; if you wish to dress it again I will find some pieces for you -some half-holiday. Put it in the cupboard now and forget about it. -Come to me in a few minutes for your lessons." - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE FALL. - - -Nan had gone about for the remainder of the day with a lump in her -throat. It was not the least like the heavy weight of sorrow which -pressed on her yesterday--but nevertheless it was a curious and -strange sensation. To all intents and purposes Sophia Maria no longer -existed; that battered and torn and disreputable doll in the cupboard -could not be the darling whom she had pressed to her heart and loved -and worshipped during all the sorrowful days when her mother lay dead -in the lodging-house in Bloomsbury. - -But although the lump was there, and the sorrow and the dismay there -also, Nan's day was one rush, one continued succession, of excitement; -there was literally no time in Mrs. Richmond's happy house for brooding -or grieving. - -"I must try and forget Sophia Maria for the present," thought the -child; "there is such a lot to be done! But when I get into bed -to-night, oh! won't I have a good cry?" - -She made up her mind also not to tell either Nora or Kitty what had -happened to her dear baby. - -"As for Jack," she said to herself, "I shall hate him all the rest of -my days." - -But when he came up to her, and sprang with great appreciation into -her lap and cuddled down there, and licked her hand with his little -red tongue, she found that, far from hating him, she was loving him -better and better each moment. At last bedtime came, and Nan as she -laid her head on her pillow and said "Good-night" to nurse, who had -come in to put out her candle, whispered to herself: - -"Now I _must_ have a tremendous cry for my darling Sophia Maria." - -But, behold! the very next instant she was sound asleep. So Maria lay -neglected in the cupboard. Some day, of course, Nan would dress her, -and make her a pet and an idol once more, but meantime she was too -busy. - -As the days flew on she grew busier and busier, for on the following -Monday she went to school with Nora and Kitty. It was discovered at -school that she was a very clever and well-informed little girl for -her age, and she was put into quite a high-up class for a girl of -eleven, and had many lessons to learn, and much to attend to. And as -Nan had not only school-hours to live through, but private lessons in -music to work for at home, and walks to take, and romps to enjoy, and -the animals one and all to idolise, she had not been a month in Mrs. -Richmond's house before she became a very merry and a very happy -little girl. Not that for a single moment she forgot her mother; but -she was wise enough and sensible enough to know that if she would -really please that mother she would do it best by being happy and -contented. Once she saw Mr. Pryor; and when Mr. Pryor said to her, "Are -you trying to be the best girl?" Nan coloured, and squeezed his hand, -and said: - -"Oh! but I have got such a darling little puppy--all my very, very -own--and his name is Jack. And I do love Kitty and Nora! And Mrs. -Richmond is very kind." - -Then Mr. Pryor looked straight into the dancing, dark eyes of Nan, and -he laid his hand for a moment on her head and said: - -"I think you are going to be the best girl." - -"I wonder what he really means," thought Nan. "It is nice to be happy; -even in mother's time I was never as happy as I am now. In mother's -time there was always the pain--her pain--to remember, and the empty -purse, and Mrs. Vincent, who was so cross, and---- Oh! lots and lots of -such things. But now nothing seems sad, and no one seems sorry; and -the animals alone would make any girl happy." - -But as it is not appointed in this life for any one to pass from the -cradle to the grave without anxiety and troubles and temptations and -fears, so was Nan Esterleigh no exception to the general rule. - -She had been two months at Mrs. Richmond's, and in that time had grown -strong and healthy, and a pretty rose colour had beautified her dark -little face, and her eyes were very bright, and her whole appearance -that of an intelligent and happy child. During those two months the -spring had advanced so far that it was now the daffodil and primrose -time, and the children had arranged to go to the nearest woods to -gather baskets of primroses on a certain Saturday, which was of course -a whole holiday. Saturday was the most delightful day of the seven in -Nan's opinion, for there was no school and there were no classes of -any sort. It was the animals' special day, when extra cleanings had to -be given and extra groomings gone through; when the cages and baskets -had to get fresh flannels and fresh gravel; when the mice and the rats -had in especial to be looked after. Nan always enjoyed Saturday best -of all, and this special Saturday was to be indeed a red-letter day, -for Miss Roy had decided to take the children to the country by a -train which left Victoria at one o'clock. They would get to Shirley -Woods in half-an-hour; there they could pick primroses to their -hearts' content, and bring them back in basketfuls. Nan was very much -excited. She had never been to Shirley Woods, and the thought of some -hours in the country filled her with the wildest glee. - -"Why, you dance about and make more fuss even than we do," said Nora, -looking at her as she skipped up and down the room. - -"Yes; I am in very high spirits," said Nan, "and I am ever so happy." - -"I wonder how you will enjoy it when our cousin Augusta comes." - -"Who is your cousin Augusta? I have never heard of her." - -"I dare say not; but she is coming for a couple of months, either -to-night or to-morrow morning--to-night, probably. Mother had a letter -from our aunt, and she wants mother to take care of Augusta until she -comes back from the Riviera. Her name is Augusta Duncan. She is a very -handsome girl, and has a lot of spirit. She is the fashionable sort, -and thinks a lot of her dress and her appearance. What fun we shall -all have together!" - -"But is she coming to school with us? How will she spend her day?" -asked Nan. - -"No, she is not going to school, for she has not been quite strong, -and is to have a complete holiday. I expect she will stay here a good -bit and amuse herself." - -"How old is she?" said Nan again. - -"She is a year and a half older than me," replied Nora, "so she is -going on for fourteen. She is a very big girl for her age. I am quite -curious to see her." - -"Well, don't let us bother about her now," said Nan. "Let us get ready -to go off for our happy day in the country." - -Kitty looked at the clock. - -"I had not the least idea it was so late," she said. "What is to be -done? Mother wants us to get some flowers for the drawing-room before -we start. Cannot you go, Nan? Just run and ask Susan the housemaid to -go with you. You have very nice taste, and can choose just the flowers -mother would like. Get them at Johnson's at the corner. I know mother -wants heaps of violets, and as many yellow flowers as you can put -together. You had better select about five shillings' worth, for some -people are coming to tea with mother this afternoon." - -"Very well," said Nan, in high good-humour. "I'll be off at once." - -She put on her hat and jacket and ran downstairs, calling to Susan to -accompany her. Susan, however, was very busy, and grumbled when the -little girl made her request. - -"Dear me, Miss Nan!" she said; "nurse has given me a lot to do, and I -am very late as it is. Cannot the flowers wait?" - -"Oh! it does not matter," answered Nan. - -A daring idea rushed through her mind. Why should she have Susan, to -keep her company? It was only a step from the Richmonds' house to -Johnson's shop; she could easily go there alone. The fact that she was -forbidden ever to go out by herself was completely forgotten. In her -mother's time she had constantly been sent on messages, and surely she -was just as sensible a little girl now. So, calling Jack the puppy to -accompany her, she started on her mission. She arrived at the shop in -good time, and there she saw two girls standing by the counter. They -were ordering flowers too, and talking to each other in a somewhat -excited manner. Their accents were not the accents of London girls; -they had a high-pitched note in them, which Nan at first thought very -disagreeable, and then considered fascinating. The girls were -beautifully and extravagantly dressed. They were taller and older than -Nan. They wore velvet frocks of a rich blue, and fawn-coloured -jackets, and they had blue velvet hats which drooped over their faces. -The hats were trimmed with enormous ostrich-feathers, also a deep -royal-blue. The girls had quantities of very thick and very bright -golden hair, which hung in curly masses down their backs and over -their shoulders. They had each of them deep-blue eyes--very deep and -very dark--and long, curly black lashes. Nan considered them quite the -most lovely human beings she had ever looked at. They would not have -taken the least notice of the quiet, grave-looking little girl who had -come into the shop but for the fact that Jack suddenly made a dive at -one of their dresses, and catching it in his teeth, pulled at it, as -much as to say, "Now for a game of play!" - -The girl whose dress was attacked immediately tried to shake the -bull-terrier off; but the bull-terrier would not let go. It was the -mission of all bull-pups never to let go, and here was his -opportunity. He hung on as if for grim death, and the girl's face got -red and her eyes flashed with temper. She turned to Nan and said in an -imperious voice: - -"Do take your dog off, please. What a horrid little beast he is!" - -"He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross at anything -disparaging being said of Jack; but she caught the pup in her arms, -and stood red and panting, waiting for the girls to leave the shop. - -The elder girl, whose dress had been the subject of Jack's attack, -found that it was slightly torn, and she turned to her sister and -said: - -"What an insufferable little dog, and what a still more insufferable -girl!" - -"Oh, hush, Flora!" said the girl so addressed. - -"Where shall I send the flowers to, miss?" asked the man who was -serving the girls, bending over the counter as he did so. - -"Send them to Mrs. Aspray, Court Mansions," was the elder girl's reply. -"Be quick, please," she added; "you had better send a man round with -all those flowers in pots. We are expecting company this afternoon, -and mother says the flowers must arrive before two o'clock." - -The man promised; and the girls, the elder one still very cross and -angry, left the shop. - -Just as she was doing so she flashed her handsome blue eyes in Nan's -direction, and Nan gave her back quite as indignant a glance. - -"Well, miss, and what can I do for you?" said the shopman, now turning -to Nan. - -Nan gave her order; the man promised to attend to it immediately, and -the little girl returned home. - -Now, how it happened she never knew, but going back, she trod suddenly -on a piece of orange-peel. The next moment she was lying on her face, -white and sick and dizzy with pain. She had sprained her ankle. For a -moment or two she lay still. Then a man rushed up and raised her to -her feet. She made a frantic effort, and leaning on his arm, got as -far back as Mrs. Richmond's house. When the door was opened for her, -great was the astonishment of Caroline the parlour-maid. - -"Why, Miss Nan," she cried, "how white you are! What has happened?" - -"I have sprained my foot. I fell when I was out; I trod on a piece of -orange-peel." - -"And you were out, miss, all alone?" - -"Yes, yes; Susan was not able to come." - -"My mistress will be angry, miss." - -"I am ever so sorry; but please don't tell her--please don't, -Caroline." - -"She will find out when she discovers that you have sprained your -foot." - -"Please don't tell her; I will manage somehow," said the child; and -she limped upstairs. - -In consequence of her escapade, however, she could not possibly go to -the country that day. Kitty and Nora decided that they would not tell -about her naughtiness in going out alone. They were really fond of -Nan. They said that she was very silly to have disobeyed their mother, -and very wrong, but they would make some excuse about her not going -into the country; and as Mrs. Richmond was extremely busy, what with -Augusta's expected arrival and her visitors of that afternoon, it was -unlikely that she would miss Nan or say anything about her. -Accordingly, at half-past twelve Miss Roy and the two little Richmonds -started alone for their country expedition, and Nan was left in the -schoolroom. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -PIP. - - -The sunshiny morning brought a still more lovely afternoon in its -train. Nan felt cross and discontented. She had looked forward for -long to that happy day in Shirley Woods; she had a passionate love for -all flowers, and for primroses in especial. She had gone -primrose-hunting when quite a little child with her mother in the -happy, happy days when they were not so poor, and mother was not so -ill, and their home had been in the country. As she lay in bed at -night for the past week she had thought of the intense joy of picking -primroses. - -"Even if mother is dead," she had said to herself, "I shall love to -hold them in my hands; and if it is true that mother is in a beautiful -country where there are spring flowers that never wither, perhaps she -is picking primroses too." - -But now everything had come to an end. She had been good-natured -although disobedient, and her punishment had come. Her foot did not -ache very badly except when she walked on it; still, she felt very -impatient alone in the schoolroom--forgotten, doubtless, by every one -else in the house, for even nurse had taken the opportunity to go and -visit an old friend, and Susan the housemaid just peeped in once to -see if there were enough coals to put on the fire. But the day was too -warm for Nan to need much fire. Her book did not interest her; she -knew her lessons already by heart. She did not care to practise on the -piano. Even Jack tired her by his constant and officious attentions. - -"Oh dear!" she said to herself, "was there ever such a long afternoon? -How I wish Phoebe would come to see me! How I wish that I had my -darling Sophia Maria again! I might make some more clothes for her; -there are all kinds of odds and ends in nurse's basket, and she would -not mind my rummaging in it. But there! I really have not the energy. -How dull it is! I wonder if Kitty will bring me a special bunch of -primroses, and if they will be big ones with long stems, the sort -mother used to love. Oh dear! I am tired." - -She yawned, shut up the book which she had already read, and taking -Jack into her arras, kissed him on his little round forehead. - -Just then a memory came to her. Kitty had been anxious about one of -the white rats that morning. It was her favourite rat, Pip. Pip had -not been well; he had refused his breakfast--an almost unheard-of -thing in the annals of the rat world. Even a nut did not tempt him, -and he had turned away from a piece of cheese. Kitty adored Pip. He -was a large, rather dangerous rat. Nan as a rule kept a wide berth -when she was asked to visit the rats and mice, for Pip had very sharp -teeth, and a vicious way of darting at you and giving you a sharp -bite. But Nan now thought of him with much interest. The very last -thing Kitty had said before she went out was this: - -"I sha'n't enjoy myself very much after all, for Pip is not well. I -cannot think what is the matter with him. I should just break my heart -if anything happened to my darling Pip." - -Nan had asked one or two questions, and Kitty had turned round and -looked at her. - -"Oh! you can do nothing," she said. "I have put him away from Glitter -and Snap. I think he looks very bad indeed; he must have eaten -something poisonous. No, please, do not go near the room, Nan, -whatever you do, for you know you have not the slightest control over -the rats and mice." - -Now Nan thought of the sick rat, and a curious and ever-increasing -desire to go and look at him, to find out if he were better, if he had -eaten the cheese which Kitty had last tried to tempt him with, took -possession of her. - -"It can do no harm," she thought. "I will just go and have a peep; it -certainly can do no harm. I shall be very careful; I will just open -the door and look in." - -Notwithstanding the pain in her foot, Nan contrived to limp up to the -attics. There were five or six attics on the next floor--large rooms, -all of them. The smallest one, that facing the stairs, had been given -over to the girls for their pets. They owned several boxes of mice, -different kinds of breeds--harvest mice, dormice, Japanese mice, white -mice. Nan considered all the mice most fascinating. At the opposite -side of the room were the cages where the rats reposed. - -Nan knew Pip very well by appearance. He was snowy white, had a long, -hairless tail, and a little patch of black just behind his left ear. -It was a tiny patch of black, and Kitty considered it one of his -beauties. Nan opened the door softly now and went in. She had left it -a little ajar, not thinking much of what she was doing. When she -entered the room her dullness vanished on the spot. She could examine -one cage after the other; could poke in her hand and draw it away -again when the mice tried to bite her. There were a lot of little baby -mice in one cage. She thought it would be nothing short of bliss to -examine them, to count them, and to see what they were really like. -But of course the sick rat, Pip, must have her first attentions. He -was in a cage all alone--by no means a perfect cage, for it was broken -at one side. Kitty, however, had secured it against the chance of the -rat's escape by leaning a bit of board up against the broken side. Nan -knew nothing of this; she moved the cage so as to get it into a better -light, and peering down, looked at the sick rat. He was lying curled -up in the bottom of his cage, but the sudden movement and the sight of -Nan's comparatively unfamiliar face gazing at him caused Pip to become -wide awake. At that instant a thrill of fear shot through his rodent -heart. Nan, without knowing it, had caused the piece of wood to slip. -The very next instant the rat was out of his cage, and was scuttling -as fast as ever he could rush across the floor. - -Now, this was bad enough--for nothing would induce poor Nan to catch -him--but worse was to follow; for Jack, grown a large pup now and full -of spirit, had followed his little mistress, unknown to her, into the -attic. The next moment there was a cry, a scuffle, and Jack had caught -the sick rat by the neck. Nan screamed, rushed at the dog and rat, and -tried to separate them. Alack and alas! the spirit of his ancestors -was in Jack's veins at that moment; his hairs bristled in excitement. -It did not take him long to shake the life out of poor Pip, who lay -dead and torn on the floor of the attic. - -Nan's consternation exceeded all bounds. - -"What shall I do? What shall I do?" she exclaimed. - -She said the words aloud. A light, low laugh falling on her ears -caused her to turn quickly, and she saw, standing in the doorway, a -fair-haired girl with large blue eyes and an exceedingly amused -expression on her face. - -"Oh!" said Nan, giving a jump. - -"What is the matter?" said the girl. - -"Who are you?" said Nan. - -"I am Augusta Duncan. But what have you been doing? You are a funny -girl, ratting up here all by yourself." - -"Oh! you don't know what it means. It is perfectly awful! I came up to -see Kitty's sick rat, Pip. She just worships Pip. She has had him -almost since he was born; and he was ill to-day, and she put him into -a separate cage, and while I was looking at him he escaped, and my -bull-terrier killed him.-- Oh Jack! oh Jack! what have you done?" - -The smile on the strange girl's face became a little broader; she -slowly crossed the room, looked at the rat, and then going away, came -back with a pair of tongs. With the tongs she lifted the rat and laid -him on a shelf. - -"He does not look bruised," she said; "at least not much--a little -perhaps. His fur is wet, but I do not suppose Kitty will know what has -killed him. Have you courage to put him back into his cage?" - -"Why should I do that?" asked Nan. - -"Well, have you courage? I could not touch the horror." - -The laughing, curious eyes were fixed on Nan's face. She did not know -why--she often wondered afterwards what had ailed her during that -miserable day--but the next instant she had slipped the rat back into -his cage. - -"That is all right," said the girl. "You need not tell; I will not. -Come, let us lock the door. Have you done any further mischief in the -room? I see not. Come downstairs to the schoolroom and amuse me." - -Nan followed the girl as though she were mesmerised, Jack trotting -behind her heels. They went into the schoolroom; the girl turned full -round and looked at Nan. - -"Now, who are you?" she said. - -"I am Nan Esterleigh." - -"Oh! And has my aunt adopted you?" - -"Yes." - -"Do you know that I am tired? I have had a very long journey; I have -come all the way from France. Aunt Jessie is very busy, and said that -I might come up to the schoolroom and amuse myself. She did not know -that you were here; she said nothing about you. Now, what I want to -say is this: if I keep your secret, will you make things pleasant to -me?" - -"But--but," said Nan, "I don't know that I want it to be kept a -secret." - -"Oh! you would like Kitty to know that you had stolen into her -preserves when she was out, and that your dog had killed her pet rat? -It would be so pleasant for you, would it not?" - -"It would not be pleasant at all," replied Nan. "Why are you speaking -in that tone?" - -"I only thought that perhaps you were going to enjoy it. And what good -would it do making Kitty unhappy? The rat was ill when she left; she -would take its death as a matter of course. She would not know that -Jack had killed it." - -"But suppose--oh, suppose she ever finds out!" - -"How can she find out if you do not tell and I do not tell?" - -"You tempt me," said Nan; "but it does not seem right." - -"Never mind whether it is right or not; do it." - -"Very well," said Nan. - -She sat down on the hearth-rug and began poking up the fire. - -"That is right. If I do it, you must do things for me. Build up that -fire to begin." - -Nan looked round at the insolent young figure stretched out in the -easiest chair which the room contained. She built up the fire without -a word. - -"That is right; you can make yourself very useful. Now, run downstairs -and ask one of the servants to bring me up some tea and toast, and a -new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. Do not forget--toast, butter, -tea, new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. I must say I think it was -very thoughtless of Aunt Jessie not to order any food for me when I -arrived." - -"Oh! did not she? Of course I will go and order the tea," said Nan in -a good-natured voice. - -She left the room. Her heart was beating loudly. She did not like the -position of things a bit, but she seemed to be whirled along by an -influence stronger than her own. - -"I am not even trying now to be one of the best girls," she said under -her breath. - -When she came back to the schoolroom, Augusta was curled up close to -the fire with Jack in her lap. - -"What a nice little dog!" she said. "I should rather like to have him -for my own." - -"Oh! but you can't," said Nan. "He is mine." - -Augusta gave her a quizzical glance. - -"You can call him yours," she said. "While I am here he is to be my -dog--hey, you little beauty?" and she caught up Jack and pressed his -head against her cheek. - -Presently Susan appeared with the tea, which was nicely prepared, -Augusta's instructions being carried out to the letter. - -"Here, Jack," said Augusta; "stand on your hind-legs and beg. You -shall have some sugar." - -"Oh! please, sugar is not good for him at all," said Nan in a tone of -entreaty. - -Augusta laughed, picked out the largest lump, and presented it to -Jack. He crunched it with appetite; when he had finished she gave him -another, and another. - -"You will ruin him. He will get to be a horrid dog at this rate," said -Nan. - -"Well, when I leave here you can do what you like with him. While I am -on the spot it is my will and pleasure to treat little Jack exactly as -I think best." - -Nan turned away. She felt a strange, sick sensation round her heart. - -"I cannot allow myself to get into the power of this horrid girl," she -said to herself. "It would be better to have Kitty quite furiously -angry with me for an hour or two; yes, it would be much better than to -have that girl spoiling Jack, and ordering me about just as though I -were her slave." - -"I wish you would get me something to read," called out Augusta. - -"There is a shelf full of books there," replied Nan. "You can choose -which one you like. I am not allowed to walk much because I have hurt -my foot." - -"How did you hurt it?" - -"I was out to-day getting flowers for Mrs. Richmond, and I fell." - -"Oh, how stupid! Did you go out by yourself?" - -"Yes." - -"Hum! Where did you go?" - -"Not very far off; just round the corner. There is a beautiful -florist's shop just at that corner." - -"I dare say; but you are rather young to go out alone. Did Aunt Jessie -say you might?" - -Nan coloured and bit her lips. Augusta noticed the expression on the -little girl's face. - -"Perhaps you would rather I did not say anything about this either," -she remarked. "I won't, you know, if you tell me not. I never make -mischief. I would not do so for all the world." - -"Well," said Nan, "I did disobey Mrs. Richmond; but I was in such a -hurry because we were all going to the country--we were to have such a -lovely, lovely afternoon! I was very sorry afterwards that I did not -insist on Susan's coming with me." - -"We are mostly sorry when we do wrong things," said Augusta. "I am; -but then, you see, I do not get into scrapes. I would not for all the -world. I am the sort of girl who gets other girls out of scrapes. I -sometimes think that is my mission in life. What a lot of wrong things -you have done to-day! Gone out without permission, and been the cause -of poor Kitty's favourite rat's death. I would not be in your shoes -for a good deal--that is, unless I had a girl like me to help me. Now, -like a good child, bring me the least objectionable of the books on -that shelf." - -"Augusta," said Nan. - -"What a portentously solemn voice! Well? Augusta is listening." - -"I think it is better to say that--that I do not want you to keep -secrets for me." - -"Oh! all right, my dear--all right; you can please yourself exactly. -I'll be able to explain just how I saw you with the dog in the room, -and the dead rat. Kitty will think you did it on purpose." - -"She could not think such a thing." - -"Well, you must admit that it looks like it; you up there, and the rat -dead, and Jack--_your_ Jack--having done it. However, please -yourself. We will see when the time comes what you will choose. We -will not decide at present. Now then, which is the best of the books?" - -"I don't know. Here is _The Fairchild Family_." - -"Never heard of it. It sounds goody-goody." - -"It is rather nice," said Nan. "And here is _Ministering -Children_." - -"Oh! I do not want anything of the religious order." - -"And here is--oh! here is a charming book--_The Heir of Redclyffe_, -by Miss Yonge." - -"I have read it before, but I will glance through it again; just toss -the volume across to me." - -Nan brought it in a meek fashion to Augusta, who took it, raised her -eyes to the little dark face, and smiled. - -"You are not a bad sort," she said; "and you can be useful to me. I -mean to make you useful. Now sit down, Nan, and do not make a noise. -Read anything you like, only don't disturb me." - -Augusta buried herself against some comfortable cushions, opened her -book, and was lost in its contents. Nan, feeling sick and miserable, -her ankle aching terribly, took the next most comfortable chair. - -By-and-by there came a message for Augusta to go downstairs to Mrs. -Richmond. - -"That is right," she said, jumping up. "How do I look, Nan? Hair -tidy--eh?" - -"Oh yes," said Nan; "it is pretty well." - -"Pretty well! If you talk in that tone I shall send you for a brush -and comb and glass. Let me look at myself through your eyes. What big, -dark eyes you have! They are very pretty. You will be a handsome girl -by-and-by." - -"Shall I?" replied Nan, much comforted, not to say charmed, by these -words. - -"Of course you will. And you are a nice little thing--quite nice. Now, -keep the fire alive, and look after _my_ Jack until I return." - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -UNDER HER THUMB. - - -Augusta Duncan was considered by her elders to be one of the best -girls in existence. She was always neat and nice to look at; she had -refined, gracious, gentle manners. At school she learnt her lessons -correctly, and took place after place in form, rising by slow but sure -degrees to the head of the school. But Augusta was not a favourite -with her companions. Even they themselves did not always know why this -was the case. The fact is, they were a little afraid of her; she had -a way of getting them under her thumb, as she expressed it. Augusta -was never happy in any house until she had got the other girls into -this position. She had no special reason to make Nan Esterleigh's life -a misery; but the moment she saw the little girl she grasped the -opportunity, and her favourite passion being immediately fed, her -appetite grew greater every moment. She was now resolved to have -complete power over Nan, who, she felt certain, could be very useful -to her. - -"My dear Gussie," said her aunt, coming forward and kissing her -affectionately as she entered the room, "you must have thought me -terribly rude on your arrival to send you upstairs; but I was -expecting some special friends, and was anxious to finish a lot of -letters. My friends will be with me in about half-an-hour, and -meantime you and I can have tea cosily together. How is your mother, -dear?" - -"She and father are very well indeed. Is it not hard lines that I -cannot be with them?" - -"Well, I hope you will be happy with me. We will all do what we can to -make you so." - -"Thank you, Aunt Jessie; I am always happy when I am with you and the -girls." - -"That is right, my love. You have grown a good deal, Augusta. I see -you are going to take after your father's family; you will be tall." - -"I am glad of that," said Augusta. "I would rather be tall than short; -it gives one more power in the world." - -"You silly child," laughed her aunt; "what do you want with power?" - -"I love to feel that I have power, Aunt Jessie. I always like to -exercise it when I can." - -"Well, the time may come when it will be useful, but at present your -lot in life is to obey your elders, and to be happy with your young -companions." - -"Of course, Aunt Jessie--of course. May I sit on this little footstool -at your feet, and may I hold your hand?" - -"Indeed you may, my darling child. I am so happy to have you with me -for a little!" - -"Thank you, Aunt Jessie." - -"It must be lonely for you, dear, up in the schoolroom at present, but -the three girls will be in to supper; they have gone to Shirley -Woods--a long-promised treat." - -"The three girls!" said Augusta, raising her calm blue eyes. "Then -there are four girls now in the house?" - -"Counting you, there are." - -"But I mean without me." - -"I do not understand you, dear." - -"Well, Aunt Jessie, there is a girl up in the schoolroom. She says -her name is Nan--Nan Esterleigh." - -"Little Nan," cried Mrs. Richmond. "Did not she go with the others?" - -"No; I found her in the schoolroom when I arrived." - -"I wonder what can be wrong with the child." - -"I don't think much; she has slipped and hurt her foot, but it is -nothing." - -"I must go up to see about her." - -"Oh! please, not now, just when you have sent for me, and I am longing -to have a talk with you. Nan was as happy as possible when I came down -here. I left her playing with her little dog, and seated by the fire." - -"If you can assure me she is not in pain I will not go to her till -after tea," said Mrs. Richmond; "I am rather tired, having had a lot of -running about this morning. But what a pity the poor child never told -me of this! How strange of Miss Roy to have gone off without her!" - -"I know nothing about that, of course," replied Augusta. "But tell me -about her, Aunt Jessie. Is she any relation? Does she live here now? I -never heard of her before." - -"She does live here, Augusta, and I hope she will continue to do so." - -"How mysterious you look, Aunt Jessie! Is there any story about her?" - -"In one sense there is, Augusta; but I do not care to talk about it. -The dear child is a great pleasure to me. We all love her very much." - -"But do tell me, please, Aunt Jessie--do. I so love to hear anything -mysterious!" - -"There is nothing mysterious, darling; but perhaps, as you have asked -me, I may as well tell. Nan is the dear little daughter of a great -friend of mine, a Mrs. Esterleigh, who died about three months ago. At -her death Nan came here." - -"Oh!" said Augusta. - -She was silent for a minute, thinking. - -"And is she no relation?" she asked then. - -"No; only the daughter of a very great friend." - -"Is she, Aunt Jessie, a--rich little girl?" - -"Rich in friends, I hope, Augusta; but rich, poor darling, in nothing -else. Her mother did not leave any money behind her. But it is a great -pleasure to have Nan, and I hope she will live here always." - -"Then you have adopted her." - -"Practically; only the matter cannot be fully arranged for a time." - -"Why? What do you mean?" - -"There are some other people--friends of her father's--who have also -the right to adopt Nan." - -"What a curious, romantic story! People do not as a rule want to adopt -little penniless girls." - -"I want to adopt her; and I do not quite like that tone in your voice, -Augusta. Nan is not under the slightest obligation to me, and I wish -you to understand that. Her mother once on a most important occasion -in my life did me a kindness which I can never, never forget, and for -her sake nothing that I could do for her child would be too much." - -"And you will not tell me what it is?" - -"I have told no one yet. When Nan is older she shall know." - -"And these other people?" - -"The Asprays. I hope Nan will not go to them. They have quite another -reason for wishing to have her as one of the family. Now, do not ask -me any more. I hear our guests arriving. Will you stay with me, or go -upstairs to Nan?" - -"I think I will stay if you do not mind; I can go up to Nan later on. -What an interesting story! And what a dear aunty you are!" - -Augusta rose as she spoke, and kissed Mrs. Richmond on her cheek. - -Several ladies came into the room, and one and all admired Augusta; -for her manners were good, and she had an attentive, thoughtful way -which stood her in excellent stead with her elders. By-and-by she went -upstairs of her own accord, and then the ladies turned to Mrs. -Richmond and praised her, saying what a very nice girl they considered -her. - -When Augusta went back to the schoolroom she found that Nan's foot was -really very painful. - -"I must not walk any more," she said. "What have you been doing, -Augusta? Have you had a good time?" - -"I have been listening to a story about you," said Augusta in a marked -voice. - -She looked full at Nan, who felt her heart beat, and who coloured -uncomfortably. Just then there came the sound of laughter and of -voices, and the next instant the two little girls and their governess -entered the room. They brought big baskets of violets and primroses. -The air of the schoolroom was full of the sweet scent of the violets. -Kitty rushed up to Nan and kissed her: then they both saw Augusta, who -was standing in the background, and uttered a shout of delight. -Augusta went up to them, kissed them both, and stood close to Nan. - -"I must run up at once to see how Pip is," cried Kitty. "I have been -thinking of the darling all the time I have been coming home. I wonder -if he is better. Do not keep me, please, Nan. I won't be a minute, but -I want just to see how he is." - -She was dashing out of the room when Nan's voice came faintly--very -faintly--on the air: - -"Kitty, one minute first!" - -"Little fool!" said Augusta. She bent down close to the child and laid -her hand across her mouth. - -Nobody else had heard Nan's low tones. Nora followed Kitty out of the -room; she also ran upstairs to see the sick rat. - -"You are too late now," said Augusta. "Just keep your own counsel. -Pretend that your foot is aching; that will account for your queer -looks. And, by-the-bye, I let Mrs. Richmond understand that you had -slipped on the stairs and strained your foot, and you must stick to -the story when she asks you about it. Now then, just keep your -courage, hold your tongue, and all will be well." - -There came a piercing cry from poor Kitty, who rushed into the room, -her face white, and tears in her big eyes. - -"Pip is dead!" she said. - -She flung herself into a chair, panting slightly. It was not her -nature to cry, and she did not cry now; but her face looked white and -startled. Augusta gave her a quick look. Nan shivered all over with -sympathy for Kitty and longing to speak; but Augusta's eyes met hers, -and there was such a world of warning and determination in their -glance that she succumbed. - -"Why, what is the matter," said Miss Roy, who at that moment entered -the room. "What a tragic group! Nan looking as though the world were -coming to an end, and Kitty---- Why, my darling, what is wrong?" - -"It is Pip," said Kitty. "He is dead. He died when I was out. He must -have had a fit or something, for he looks so queer; and nothing could -have got at him, for the cage is firmly fastened, and just as I left -it. I will never love another rat. I want to go away by myself for a -little. Do not talk to me. Oh! I will not make a fuss, but I cannot be -very cheerful to-night." - -She went sadly out of the room. - -"And Nan, what is wrong with you?" said her governess. "You were not -well when we left, and you look worse now." - -"It is my foot," said Nan. "I said that I had hurt it--don't you -remember? And it has got worse; it hurts very much indeed." - -"Poor little girl! You must let me look at it." - -Nan pulled down her stocking and showed a much-swollen ankle. - -"My dear child, this will never do. I must bandage it immediately. You -have given yourself quite a nasty sprain; for the next few days you -must keep your foot up. Have you been using it much this afternoon?" - -"Only a very little." - -"I am afraid I have been to blame," said Augusta, speaking at this -juncture in her most amiable voice. "I did not know that poor little -Nan was suffering from a sprained ankle, and asked her to go a few -messages for me. I am ever so sorry!" - -"But why did you go, Nan? Why did you not tell Augusta?" - -"I did not want to," replied Nan. - -"Well, you were very silly. Now, dear, I am going to bathe your poor -ankle and bind it up." - -This was done very skilfully. Nan's foot was supported on a chair; and -soon, had it not been for the dead rat, and for the fact that she was -concealing the truth, she might have been almost happy. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -A MYSTERY. - - -All in good time Nan's foot got better, but for a week she was kept -away from school, and during that week Augusta contrived to rivet her -chains. At the end of that time she was able to walk again, and, to -her own infinite relief, she went back to school. She learnt her -lessons just as carefully as ever; she was pronounced by her teachers -to be a remarkably clever and intelligent child; but there was a -change in her face. It had not the look that it had worn when first -she had come to the Richmonds', but in some respects its expression -was even sadder. Then it was just grief, absolute and terrible, for -the loss of her mother; now there was a new expression in the frank -eyes and sensitive lips, which puzzled those who looked at her. In -process of time Kitty had got over the death of Pip. Her affections -were deep, and nothing would induce her to talk about the rat; but she -was a merry and happy child in other respects. She would not have a -rat again, she said--at least, not for a very long time; but she -attended to her mice, and looked after Nora's rat, and saw that the -dogs and kittens were comfortable, and that Polly had a good time in -her cage. Not the faintest gleam of suspicion attached itself to Nan. -Jack's share in the death of Pip was likely to remain a secret to the -end of time; so also was the true story of Nan's sprained foot. But -what ailed Nan herself? Kitty remarked on the change in her one day to -Nora. - -"She is not a bit the same, and I cannot make out what is wrong with -her," she said. "Do you think by any chance, Noney, that Augusta has -anything to do with it?" - -"Oh no!" replied Nora. "Augusta is a very nice girl, and she is -extremely fond of Nan: she often says so." - -"Well, I am not quite so sure," replied Kitty. "I saw her two days -ago"---- - -"Yes; what did you see two days ago?" - -"I do not like to tell tales, but I came into the schoolroom quite -unexpectedly. I slipped away, and no one saw." - -"Well, go on; you always are so mysterious, Kitty." - -"Nan was crying." - -"Yes." - -"And Augusta was scolding her. I heard Augusta say, 'If you tell you -will be the biggest little fool that I ever heard of.' Now, why should -she say that?" - -"Are you sure you heard those words?" asked Nora in a tone of great -astonishment. - -"Yes, I am certain she said them; and she meant them. And Nan's face -was--oh, so miserable! I got out of the room, and no one knew that I -was listening; but I have a great mind to speak to Nan about it." - -"I wish you would. If Nan has a secret on her mind she had much better -tell us. She is looking so pale! She seems to have no life in her--no -interest in anything." - -"Very well; I will. I will tell her what I overheard." - -Nora and Kitty were as downright and honest as Augusta was the -reverse. But Augusta was very clever; she knew well what sort of -characters she had to deal with in the two little sisters; and whereas -she secretly bullied Nan, held her secret for her, and had her -absolutely in thrall, she was careful not to pursue any such methods -with the sisters. With them she was open and above-board, delighting -them with her apparent frankness, telling good stories, taking their -parts, laughing with them--making the schoolroom party a very merry -one indeed. - -On the evening of the very same day that Kitty had made her small -confidence to Nora, Nora and Augusta were walking home together. In -consequence of Augusta's superior age they were allowed to go as far -as the Park by themselves, and they were hastening home now to be in -time for the schoolroom tea. - -"How nice it will be when I am grown-up," said Augusta. "I shall be -fifteen before very long, and then it will not take many years before -I am out and enjoying myself. I mean to get mother to take me a great -deal into society. I should love balls and parties, and gay frocks, -and--and admirers." - -"Oh dear! it is more than I would," said Nora. "I do not a bit want to -be grown-up." - -"You will when the time comes; and of course you are too young to -think of it at present. I expect you will look very nice when you grow -up, Nora." - -"I don't care whether I do or not. I don't care twopence about my -looks. I want to do my lessons well, and to learn a good bit, and then -to devote myself to natural history. I shall never care for human -beings as I care for animals. I want some day to own a complete -menagerie or a sort of Zoo. If ever I have money in the future I will -buy a great big garden, and have high--very high--walls round it; and -I will keep all sorts of animals in great cages--wild creatures, you -know--leopards and tigers and pumas. Oh! and wild-cats. And I will -have a deep, deep sunken pond with alligators. I suppose I must not -venture on a crocodile. I'll have a snake-house, too. And of course -I'll have lots of domestic animals. I think Kitty will share what -money she has with me, so we will make it quite a big thing. We will -not want to have anything to do with men and women; we will live alone -with our darlings. Oh! I think they are so sweet--so very, very -superior to men and women." - -"You are an extraordinary girl," said Augusta; "but of course you will -change when the time comes. You cannot be different from the rest of -the world. When I am married, and have a beautiful carriage, and a -very rich husband, and heaps and heaps and heaps of money, I will come -and see you, and drag you out of your Zoo, and take you about and show -people what a pretty face you have; and then a prince will come along -and make love to you, and--and you will forget your animals because of -the beautiful words of the prince, and the poor animals will be -neglected and they will die off because you will have married the -prince and have gone away with him. That will be the end of your -day-dream, my dear, funny Nora." - -Nora laughed. - -"We will see," she answered. "But, talking of pretty girls, do you not -think that Nan will be very, very pretty when she is grown-up, -Augusta?" - -"Hum!" said Augusta. "Well, yes, if she is happy I suppose she will. -Don't you think there is something funny the matter with Nan, Nora? -Can you account for it?" - -"I cannot," said Nora, startled and amazed at Augusta's words. "I wish -you could tell me. Can you throw any light on the change in her?" - -"Oh! you have observed the change?" - -"Of course I have. And, do you know, it all began the day you came -here. Of course, dear little Nan was very sad when first she came to -live with mother, but she had got over it, and we were all so fond of -her; we thought her such a darling! And she was so merry; she used to -laugh so heartily. And she was quite comforted because we gave her -Jack as her own special little dog; but now it seems to us that Jack -is more your Jack than hers, and Nan is very sad." - -"Poor Nan! I have noticed it myself. I am anxious about her." - -"Then you do not know what is the matter?" - -"I think I do partly, but I must not say; perhaps she will tell you -herself." - -"Oh! but won't you say? It does seem unkind to have a weight of care -on her dear little mind and not to have it relieved." - -"Why do you always talk about her as though she were such a tiny -creature? She is nearly as old as you." - -"She is the same age as Kitty, but somehow she looks and feels -younger." - -"Well, if I were you I would not take much notice," said Augusta. "She -will come right all in good time. Of course, you know, it is not as if -she had been brought up with you; she was brought up by her mother, -who was a very poor woman." - -"It is not poverty that makes Nan so strange and queer at present," -answered Nora. - -"I know it is not. I cannot make her out myself, poor child; I am -afraid she is naturally of a very melancholy disposition." - -The girls chatted a little longer. Nora had obtained no light whatever -on Nan's trouble, and went into the house feeling worried and -distressed. - -Augusta managed to rush into the schoolroom before the sisters -appeared. - -"You must try to be cheerful, Nan," she said; "they are both -suspecting that there is something amiss. You must really rouse -yourself or the whole thing will be discovered, and where would you be -then?" - -"What would happen if it were?" said Nan. - -"Happen! I suppose they would forgive you; but, seeing the peculiar -circumstances under which you live in this house, I should not like to -be in your shoes. Whoever could think well again of a girl who is -deceitful?" - -"But I am not. Oh! I would tell now--I would tell gladly were it not -for you." - -"It certainly would not be very kind of you to get me into a scrape -when I did what I could to get you out of one," was Augusta's answer. -"But come! cheer up--do. We will have some jolly games after dinner; -and, if you are an awfully good girl, I have something rather exciting -to tell you to-morrow. No, not to-day--to-morrow." - -The girls came in; Miss Roy followed. They had all high tea together -at half-past six, and immediately afterwards Augusta proposed games. - -She was a splendid leader when there was anything of that sort for her -to do, and soon the children--even Nan--were laughing merrily and -enjoying themselves to their hearts' content. It was not until bedtime -that Kitty ran up to Nan, put her arms round her neck, looked into her -eyes, and said in her sweetest, most coaxing voice: - -"Nancy, I am coming into your room early tomorrow morning--quite -early. When I come, may I creep into your bed, and put my arms round -your neck, and kiss you a lot of times?" - -"I should like it ever so much," said Nan. - -"I will come. Good-night, Nan darling." - -Augusta was standing near when Kitty made her petition of Nan. - -As Augusta herself was going to bed she went up to Nan and kissed her. - -"What did Kitty say to you?" she asked in a whisper. - -"Nothing." - -"Nonsense! Tell me at once." - -"She said that she was coming to see me to-morrow morning early, to -get into my bed." - -"Oh," said Augusta, "that sort of thing means confidences. Be careful, -Nan; be careful what you are doing." - -Nan said nothing, but went away to her room. When she got there she -fell on her knees by the open window and looked out. - -It had been a lovely day in spring, and the night was clear, fine, and -balmy. Nan opened her window and let the soft air blow on her hot -little face. - -"It is four months since mother died," she said to herself; "a great, -great deal has happened, and I scarcely know myself. I have learnt to -love Mrs. Richmond and the two girls. As to Jack, I think he is the -dearest little thing in the world; and I have forgotten Sophia Maria. -I have almost forgotten Phoebe; but I still love Mr. Pryor. And, oh! -mother, mother, up in heaven, do you see Nan now, and are you pitying -her, and are you telling me what is right to do? For I am not a good -girl; and as to being the best girl that Mr. Pryor speaks about--oh -I--I am more like the worst. And I am so afraid of Augusta! I think I -do really, out and out, hate her. I do not know what she means by -frightening me and making me so unhappy. Oh! I wish I had never -yielded to her. I wish I had the courage to tell Kitty the truth." - -As Nan knelt at the window it came into her head that she might ask -God to give her the necessary courage, but then a wild sensation of -terror swept over her. - -"If Augusta were not in the house I might tell, but Augusta would make -it out to be so bad; she told me she would. She told me that if I ever -told what I had done she would say that I implored of her not to tell, -and she said that her word would be believed before mine; and I know -it would, of course, because she is quite old beside me. What a -miserable girl I am!" - -Nan went to bed, and after a time, wretched as she felt, she fell -asleep. But her sleep was haunted by dreams, and it was with a cry -that she woke on the following morning when Kitty touched her. - -"Here I am, Nancy," said Kitty. "Just push over to the left side and -let me get into your bed." - -Nan made room, and the two little girls lay side by side. - -"Now, this is quite cosy," said Kitty. - -"Isn't it?" replied Nan. - -"You are very fond of me, are you not, Nancy?" - -"Oh yes; very--very." - -"And of Nora too?" - -"Very; I love you both most dearly." - -"And you love mother?" - -"Not as I love you two, but I do love her." - -"And you love Augusta?" - -Nan was silent. - -"I thought you did; you are so much together, and you do such a lot of -things for her. Sometimes Nora and I are rather angry when we see you -trotting here and there, up and down stairs, fetching and carrying for -Gussie. It is all very well, but Gus ought not to put things on you. -If you do not like her, why do you do it?" - -"Oh! never mind, Kitty. I do it because"---- - -"Well, because of what?" - -"Because I do." - -"That is a very silly reason--and for such a clever girl to give!" - -"I cannot help it; that is why I do it." - -"Then let me tell you why you do it," said Kitty: "because you are -afraid of her." - -Nan gave a sudden shrink into herself, and the little start all over -her frame was not lost on Kitty, who lay so close to her. - -"Nan," said Kitty after a pause, "why are you afraid of her?" - -"I did not say I was." - -"But I know it; and so does Nora." - -"You know it! Oh--oh! please--please do not know it any more." - -"I am going to tell you something. Two days ago I came into the -schoolroom; it was in the dusk, before the lamps were lit. You were -standing up, and Augusta was lying back in the easy-chair. Your face -was turned towards the door, and Augusta's back was to the door, but -neither of you saw me; and I heard Augusta say to you, 'If you tell -you will be the biggest little fool that I ever heard of.' Yes, Nan, -those were her words; and you--you began to cry. You had been crying -before, and you cried harder than ever. I slipped out of the room; but -I want to know the meaning--yes, I want to know the meaning, Nancy." - -When Kitty finished speaking Nan suddenly flung both her arms very -tightly round her neck. - -"Why, you are trembling all over, Nan; what does it mean?" - -"It means this," said Nan--"this." - -"But what? You are not saying anything; you are only just shivering -and clinging to me. What is the matter? Of course, Nora and I notice -how terribly changed you are and how unhappy you look." - -"Never mind about that; please answer me one question." - -"Yes; what is it?" - -"Do you love me?" - -"Of course I love you. We all do--I mean Nora and mother and I; we -love you dearly--dearly." - -"Better than the animals?" - -"Oh, well! I am not sure, but in a different way, anyhow." - -"Better than your white rat that died?" - -"I wish you would not talk about Pip. He is dead, poor darling. I -think of him often at night. I loved him. I love him still. Do not let -us talk about him." - -"Kitty, will you promise?" - -"What, Nan--what?" - -"That you will not ever say anything again about--about Augusta and -me." - -"What about you?" - -"What you overheard." - -"Well, if you do not wish it. But why will you not tell? You are -afraid of her; what power has she over you?" - -"I do not know. I mean I do; I want to tell you, but I don't dare to. -Let us talk about your rat--poor Pip." - -"How very queer you are, Nan! If there is a subject that I hate -talking about it is about Pip." - -"But why?" - -"I will tell you why. I have not told anybody else, not even Nora, but -I will tell you. I ought not to have gone away that day in the country -when Pip was so ill. It was awfully selfish of me! Perhaps if I hadn't -gone he would not have had that fit, poor dear! and he might have been -alive still." - -"He might, of course," said Nan, who knew well that he would have been -alive, for certainly Jack would not have got at him had Kitty remained -at home. - -"That is why I am so absolutely miserable when I think about it," -continued Kitty. "The poor darling died quite neglected; even you did -not go up to see him, because I asked you not." - -"And if," said Nan, trembling very much--"if Pip had not died in the -way you think, but from a sort of an accident, how would you feel -then?" - -"How would I feel if Pip had met with an accident? But he did not meet -with an accident." - -"But let us suppose," said Nan--"it is fun sometimes to suppose--let -us suppose that he did, that that was the way he died." - -"I cannot suppose what did not happen, and I hate to talk of it." - -"But if it had, and--and somebody was to blame, how would you feel -towards that somebody?" - -"You really are too extraordinary, Nan! I should hate that somebody. I -tell you what it is," continued Kitty, "I would never forgive that -person--never, never. But there! what nonsense you are talking! -Nothing of the kind did happen. That is not your secret, is it?" - -"Oh! of course not--of course not," said Nan, frightened, and plunging -into the biggest lie she had yet told. "No, no--of course not; only I -like to wonder and think things out. It amuses me; I was always given -that way." - -"Well," said Kitty, "you gave me a fright. You talked as if it might -be the case; and your voice was so queer and shaky! I do believe there -is a mystery, but of course it is not that." - -"No, it is not that." - -"You did not go up to see Pip?" - -"Of course not." - -"I am sorry I asked, for of course you would not do it, as I told you -not. Nan darling, do please tell me what makes you so unhappy; please -tell me. Let us forget about my little Pip. He is in his grave, poor, -darling little rat, and all his troubles are over. He was so -affectionate, and I was so fond of him! But he will never feel any -pain ever again. And I love you, Nan; and Noney and I are wretched to -think that you are so unhappy." - -"It is all right," said Nan. "I will try not to be unhappy in the -future. I have things that worry me now and then." - -"I will tell you what one of them is: you are afraid of Augusta; she -has a power over you. You will be all right again when she goes away." - -"I don't know," said Nan; "perhaps so." - -Kitty could get nothing further out of Nan, and as it was now time to -get up, she went slowly back to her own room. - -Nora raised her head when Kitty came. - -"Well," she said, "have you discovered anything?" - -"Nothing. I begin to think Nan a very strange little girl. Do you -know, she asked me such a funny question! She said, 'Suppose Pip had -died by an accident, and somebody was to blame, how would you feel -towards the somebody?'" - -"What did you say?" - -"That I would hate that somebody, and never forgive her." - -"I wonder why she said it," continued Nora. - -"Oh! I am sure I don't know. I asked her point-blank if Pip had come -by an accident, and she said 'No,' and that nobody had been upstairs. -She is a very strange girl, but I love her all the same." - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE MIDDLE WAY. - - -On the following Sunday Nan came to Mrs. Richmond with a request. - -"I do so want to see Mr. Pryor!" she said. "I have not seen him for two -or three months; and he said that he was always at home on Sundays. -May I go there this afternoon with Susan? Do, please, let me, Mrs. -Richmond." - -"Certainly, Nan dear; I am always glad that you should see your -mother's dear old friend." - -So after early dinner, Nan, dressed in her pretty and neat mourning, -started off, accompanied by Susan, to visit Mr. Pryor. She had not -ventured to the house where her mother had died before, for on the -last occasion of their meeting Mr. Pryor had come to see her. The door -was opened by Phoebe, who, in her delight at seeing Nan, forgot all -decorum, and shocked Susan almost out of her wits by flinging her arms -round the little girl's neck and hugging her tightly. - -"Oh, Miss Nan! it is good to see you; and my missus, Mrs. Vincent, will -be that pleased! You will come down, miss, and have a cup of tea with -my mistress before you go back, won't you? Oh! it is elegant you look. -What a pretty frock, miss! It ain't cut by our pattern, be it, miss?" - -"No," said Nan. "Please, Phoebe, can I see Mr. Pryor?" - -"It is delighted he will be to see you, darling. I'll just run up and -ask him. Won't you come into the parlour, dear? The parlour lodgers -has gone, and there is no one there at present. Wait a minute, love, -while I inquire whether Mr. Pryor is in. Oh! of course he must be; but -I'll go and find out." - -Nan and Susan went into the parlour, and presently Phoebe rushed -downstairs. - -"Mr. Pryor says you are to go up this very minute, miss. And he has -ordered tea for two, and muffins and cream. And perhaps this young -person would come to the kitchen." - -Poor Phoebe glanced with admiring eyes at Susan. Susan's manners were -staid and of a rebuking character. She did not think Phoebe at all the -sort of girl she would care to associate with; but as Nan said in a -careless tone, "Yes, Susan, go downstairs," and then ran by herself to -the drawing-room floor, there was nothing for it but to obey. - -"What an elegant young lady Miss Nan has grown," said Phoebe. "Come -downstairs, won't you, miss? My mistress will make you right welcome." - -So Susan had to make the best of it, and tripped down, accompanied by -Phoebe. - -Upstairs a very hearty welcome had taken place. Mr. Pryor had kissed -Nan, and taken her hand and made her seat herself in the most -comfortable armchair in the room; and then he had stood in front of -her and looked her all over, from her head to the points of her neat -little shoes. - -"Well, Nancy," he said, "and how goes the world?" - -"I am very unhappy," replied Nan at once. "For a time I felt better, -but I am unhappy now. I have a great big secret, and it weighs on me -and gets heavier and heavier every day; and I can never tell it, not -to you nor to anybody; and I can never, never, never now be the best -girl that mother wanted me to be." - -"That is very sad indeed, Nancy," replied her friend; "and I cannot -understand it, my dear. Nobody ought to be in the position you have -just described yourself to be in, far less a little girl who is -treated with such kindness and love." - -"It is because I am loved, and because they are so sweet, that I am so -dreadfully unhappy," said Nan. "I have told a lot of lies, Mr. Pryor, -and I can never unsay them. I can never tell the truth, for if I did -those whom I love would cease to love me. When it began I did not -think it would be such a big thing, but now it has grown and grown, -and I can think of nothing else. My lessons, and my play, and my -walks, and even dear little Jack, are not a bit interesting to me -because of this big Thing. There is no way out, Mr. Pryor; there is no -way out at all." - -"That is not true, Nancy, my dear." - -Mr. Pryor sat down and looked thoughtful. The little girl's face, the -tone of her voice, the suffering which filled her eyes, showed him -that her sorrow, whatever its nature, was very real. - -"Suppose we ask God to help us out of this," he said after a moment's -pause. - -"I don't want to ask God, for I know what He will say, and I cannot do -it." - -"What will God say, Nancy?" - -"That I must tell--that I am to tell the people what I did. And they -will never, never forgive me, and I cannot tell--I cannot tell, Mr. -Pryor." - -"Then, my dear Nancy, why did you come to see me?" - -"Because I thought perhaps you would find the middle way." - -"The middle way, Nancy?" - -"The way between the very naughty and the very good. There must be a -middle way, and I want to get into it and to keep in it. Cannot you -find it for me?" - -"I have never heard of it, Nancy--never. I am afraid there is no -middle way. You have done, I take it, something wrong; and you have, -I take it, told a lie about it." - -"That is it." - -"And one lie, as is invariably the case, has led to another, and to -another, and to another." - -"Oh yes, Mr. Pryor, that is certainly it." - -"And each lie makes your poor little heart feet more sad, and each lie -shuts out more and more of the beautiful sunshine of God's love from -your spirit. Nancy, there is no middle way. You must go on telling -those lies, and adding to the misery of your life, and getting lower -and lower and your heart harder and harder, until after a time that -happens which"---- - -"What?" said Nan. "You frighten me." - -"That happens which is the result of sin. You do not suffer any more -pain; your conscience ceases to prick you; that voice within you is -tired, and will not speak any more because you have treated it so -badly. That is what will happen in the lower path on which you are -preparing to walk." - -"You terrify me. I am sorry I came. I will not stay any longer. I -could not tell." - -"Come here, Nancy, and let us talk it over." - -"I cannot--I do not want to say any more. Let us forget it." - -"My dear child, you would not have come to me if you had not -hoped"---- - -"Yes; I hoped that you would show me the middle path." - -"There is none. Nancy dear, will you not confide in me if I faithfully -promise that I will not tell any one what you have done." - -Nan paused to think. - -"I should like to," she said, "but I have promised not to tell." - -"Who did you promise?" - -"I cannot even tell you that. Perhaps I will some day; perhaps I will -get the person to allow me to tell you. It is a dreadful thing, and it -seemed so small at the beginning! I am a very unhappy girl." - -"It requires a little pluck to get out of this dilemma, Nancy. But the -strong hand of God would help you over this crisis in your life, and, -lo and behold! the darkness would go, and sunshine and joy would be -yours again." - -"I hoped so once, but I spoke to Kitty the other morning. I made up a -sort of case, and I tried to find out what she would feel; and she -said that if anybody had done such an awful thing, that person would -be her enemy, and she would never, never forgive her. And then she -asked me what I meant, and if anybody had done it; and I told a lot of -fresh lies, and said no--nobody had done it; and I cannot go to Kitty -now and tell her that I did it after all." - -"You are very mysterious, Nancy, and you make me very unhappy; but if -you have quite made up your mind to go on being a naughty girl and -adding to this burden of lies, I will not talk about it any more just -now. But I will pray a great deal for you, and beg of God not to let -your conscience go to sleep." - -"Oh, please, do not, for I am so miserable!" - -"Here comes the tea. Will you pour me out a cup?" was Mr. Pryor's -answer. - -Phoebe, with her beaming face, brought in the tray. - -"If you please, miss, Mrs. Vincent would like to see you very much -before you go away. Susan is having an agreeable time in the kitchen -with a new-laid egg and buttered toast to her tea; and Mrs. Vincent -will be so glad to see you once again, miss!" - -Nan murmured something. Phoebe left the room. Even Phoebe noticed the -shadow on the little face. - -"Now, come," said Mr. Pryor; "you know exactly how I like my tea; pour -it out for me. One lump of sugar and a very little cream. Ah! that is -right." - -Nan ministered to the dear old gentleman, and as he chatted upon every -subject but the one closest her heart, she tried to cheer up for his -sake. - -By-and-by her visit came to an end. She bade Mr. Pryor good-bye. He -told her that he would be in any day if she wished to speak to him, -but he did not again allude to her secret. Mrs. Vincent was enraptured -with Nan's appearance, and made her turn round two or three times in -order to get a good view of the cut of her dress. - -"I declare, Phoebe," she said, "you could take the pattern of that in -your mind, so to speak. It is a very stylish little costume; most -elegant it would look on my little granddaughter, Rosie Watson." - -Phoebe sniffed in a somewhat aggressive way; she did not consider that -Rosie Watson had any right to the same pattern as Nan. Soon afterwards -Susan and Nan left the house and went back to Mayfield Gardens. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -"I SHALL STAY FOR A YEAR." - - -Nan was so unhappy that night that she could not sleep. She was glad -that she had a room to herself, for it did not matter how often she -tossed from side to side, or how often she turned her pillow, or how -often she groaned aloud. Mr. Pryor's words, "There is no middle path," -kept ringing over and over in her ears. She thought of her mother, -too, and of what her mother would feel if she saw her now--a little -girl surrounded by every kindness, surrounded by luxuries and the good -things of life, and yet, because she was afraid, going down and down -and down the broad and steep path which led to destruction. - -"It means that I will not see mother if I do not tell," thought the -child; and then she burst into tears. Towards morning she made up her -mind that she would try to overcome her terrors; she would at least -see Mr. Pryor and tell him exactly what had happened--she would tell -him the whole truth--and be guided by his advice. - -"Perhaps he will not think it necessary for me to tell everything," -thought the child. "Anyhow, I know he will not be hard on me, for I do -not think he could be that on any one." - -Having finally made up her mind to confide in Mr. Pryor, she became -soothed and comparatively happy, and dropped off towards morning into -a quiet sleep. - -She overslept herself, as was but natural, and had to jump up and -dress in a hurry; but hurry as she would she was late for breakfast. -Miss Roy said: - -"Nancy, this is not as it should be." - -But she was a very gentle and considerate person, and when she saw how -pale Nan's face looked, and how sad was the expression round her lips, -she forbore to chide her further. - -The children started off for school immediately after breakfast, and -the day's routine proceeded as usual. In the afternoon Nan went up to -Miss Roy and made a request. - -"I want to know if you will do something for me; there is something I -want very, very badly." - -"What is it, my dear?" asked the governess. - -"Will you walk with me as far as Mr. Pryor's? I want to see him." - -"But, my dear Nancy, you saw him yesterday." - -"But I want to see him awfully badly again to-day." - -"That sounds rather absurd." - -"He was a great friend of mother's, and it is most important; may I -go, Miss Roy?" - -Just at that moment Augusta strolled into the schoolroom. - -"Ah, Nancy!" she said, "you promised to hold this wool for me. There -is a great lot to be wound; it will take us quite half-an-hour. Come, -we may as well start; I have got to wind all the coloured balls and -put them in order for Lady Denby's bazaar." - -"I cannot do it this evening," replied Nan, shrugging her shoulders -and turning back in sheer desperation to speak to Miss Roy. - -"And I am afraid," said Miss Roy, "I cannot go with you, dear, so -there is an end of it." - -"What is it?" said Augusta. "What does she want, Miss Roy?" - -"Why, this silly little girl," said Miss Roy, who saw no reason for -keeping Nan's request a secret, "wants me to walk with her as far as -Mr. Pryor's." - -"Who in the name of fortune is Mr. Pryor?" asked Augusta. - -"A friend of mine, and you have nothing to do with him," said Nan, -speaking fast, and her cheeks flushing with anger. - -"Hoity-toity!" cried Augusta. "But I rather think I have something to -do with all your friends; for are you not my very own most special -friend--are you not, Nan? Come here and tell me so; come and tell me -so now before Miss Roy." - -"I won't," said Nan. - -"But I think you will, darling. Just come along this minute." - -Nan went as if some one were pulling her back all the time. She got -within a foot of Augusta; there she stood still. - -"Nearer still, sweet," said Augusta. "You are my very great friend, -and I am your very great friend." - -"How mysterious you are, Gussie," said Miss Roy. "Why, of course, -everybody knows that you and Nancy are great friends." - -"That is all right," said Augusta, "I just wish to proclaim it in -public. I am very proud of our friendship.--I like you immensely, -Nancy; all my life long I hope to be good to you. And now, kneel; you -will oblige me by winding this wool." - -"I cannot. I must go out this evening." - -"And I cannot go with you, Nancy, so there is an end of it, I fear," -said Miss Roy; and she walked out of the room, feeling rather annoyed -with Nancy. - -"Now, Nancy, what is it?" asked Augusta. - -"Nothing. I will hold your wool while you wind." - -"What a cross face! It is not at all agreeable to me to have a girl -like you standing in front of me. And I am so good to you, and -absolutely soiling my conscience for your sake--for, of course, I -ought to tell what I know; I ought, but I will not. Now then, smile, -won't you?" - -"I cannot." - -"Well, then, you need not smile. Here, hold this wool." - -The next half-hour was occupied by poor Nan in holding skeins of wool -until her arms ached. At the end of that time, to her great relief, -Augusta was called by Mrs. Richmond to go downstairs. Nan had the -schoolroom to herself. She stood still, pressing her hand to her eyes. -The next instant Augusta dashed into the room. - -"Hurrah!" she said, "my dear aunty Jessie is going to take me to the -theatre. I shall be out the whole evening. What fun! We are to get -ready immediately; we will be off in no time." - -Augusta ran off to her own bedroom, and Nan went slowly into hers. -Quick as thought she made up her mind. If no one would take her to Mr. -Pryor, she would go to visit him alone. Miss Roy would be busy -downstairs for some time and would not miss her; Mrs. Richmond and -Augusta would be out; the two girls were spending the evening with -friends. - -"The thing is too important. All my future hangs on it. I must see -him, and soon," thought the child. - -She put on her hat and coat, watched her opportunity, and slipped -downstairs. She got out without any one noticing her, and having a -very good eye for locality, in course of time found her way to Mr. -Pryor's lodgings. She had walked the entire distance; it took her -exactly half-an-hour. Trembling in every limb, she mounted the steps -and rang the bell. How often she had stood on those steps by her -mother's side! That failing form, that wan face, those loving eyes, -all returned to her memory now. - -"It is for mother's sake--for mother's sake," she said to herself; and -then Phoebe opened the door. She gave a start of rapture, and catching -hold of Nan's hand, pulled her into the house. - -"Why, Miss Nan," she said, "this is better and better. Yesterday -evening you came unexpected, and to-day you come again. But you are -all alone, miss; where is Susan?" - -"I ran away this time, and you must not tell anybody, Phoebe." - -"Oh, ain't you got spirit just?" said Phoebe in a tone of admiration. -"But, miss, I hopes you won't get into trouble." - -"No, no. I mean it does not matter. I want to see Mr. Pryor at once." - -"Oh, Miss Nancy! ain't you heard, miss?" - -"No. What--what?" - -"Why, my dear, I am afraid you will be disappointed. He got a telegram -this morning from his son, who is took very bad in Spain, and he has -gone off to him. You know he had only one son, and he lives most of -his time at Madrid, and he is took shocking bad--almost at death's -door--with some sort of fever; and the dear old gentleman was near off -his head all day, and he has gone to him. He is away, Miss Nan, in the -train, being whirled out of London by this time. You cannot see him, -miss, however hard you try." - -"It does not matter," said Nan. She spoke in a low tone; there was a -sense at once of relief and of disappointment in her breast. It seemed -to her at that moment that her good angels left her, and that her bad -angels drew near. Nevertheless, she was relieved. - -"I will see you back if you wish, miss." - -"No; it does not matter. I will get home as soon as I can." - -"Have you any message, miss? Perhaps mistress has Mr. Pryor's address." - -"No; I could not write anything. Good-bye, Phoebe." - -"And you will not see my mistress?" - -"No; I cannot." - -"And you would not like me to see you back?" - -"No, no; I will go alone." - -Before Phoebe could utter another word, Nan was running up the street -in the direction of Mayfield Gardens. - -"God did not want me to tell, and there must be a middle path--there -must," thought the child. - -She got back to the house without any one missing her. She went -upstairs again to the schoolroom. A moment or two later she had taken -off her hat and jacket, put them away neatly in the orderly little -room which nurse insisted on her keeping, and sat down by the -schoolroom fire. The day had been a warm one and the fire had only -been lit an hour ago, but Nan felt cold, and was grateful for its -warmth. She crouched near it, shivering slightly. - -"I would have done it," she said to herself, "if Mr. Pryor had been at -home; but God sent him away, and--well, I cannot do it now. I hope my -conscience will not trouble me too badly. I will try to be awfully -good in every other way, and I must forget this; I must--I must." - -It was a few days after Nan's stolen visit to Mr. Pryor that great -excitement reigned in the house in Mayfield Gardens. In the first -place, there had come a letter which greatly concerned Augusta. This -letter was from her mother, begging of Mrs. Richmond to look after -Augusta for a year, for Mrs. Duncan and her husband were going to South -America on special business. They would be wandering about from place -to place for quite that time, and it would suit Mrs. Duncan uncommonly -well if Augusta remained with her sister. Mrs. Richmond herself spoke -to Augusta about it. - -"If you can put up with me, dear," she said, "I shall be glad to have -you; but you know that ours is a somewhat humdrum life, and you are -older than my girls. Your mother proposed as an alternative that you -should go to a very fashionable finishing-school, where you would have -a good deal of excitement and interest and be prepared for your -entrance into society." - -"It does not matter," said Augusta. "I am just fifteen. When father -and mother come back I shall be only sixteen; it will be time enough -then to go to a finishing-school. And I am very happy with you, Aunt -Jessie." - -"I am glad of that, my dear; and I like to have you. Well, you can run -upstairs to the schoolroom and tell the children; I am sure they will -be delighted." - -"The only one who may not be delighted is Nan Esterleigh," remarked -Augusta in a dubious voice. - -"Come, my dear child, what do you mean? Nan not delighted! Why, I -thought you were such special friends!" - -"To tell you the truth, Aunt Jessie, I do not quite understand Nan; -she is a very strange little girl. I have done my utmost to be -friendly with her." - -"That you certainly have, darling." - -"And although to all appearance she is devoted to me, that is not the -case in reality. I think if you were to question her you would find -she does not like me at all. It is the fact of Nan's extraordinary -attitude towards me that makes me have any doubt of staying with you -for the next year, sweet Aunt Jessie." - -"Then, my dear child, if such is the case I will have a talk with Nan -myself. You certainly must not be made unhappy by any such ridiculous -reason. Nan is a dear little girl, and I promised her mother to bring -her up and do for her and make her happy, but I certainly did not mean -her to be rude or unpleasant to my own sister's child." - -"Oh! I do not mind, Aunt Jessie; do not worry her. I just thought I -would mention it. Perhaps I shall win her in the end if I continue to -be awfully kind, as I have been in the past. I take a lot of notice of -her, as you know." - -"That you certainly do, dear." - -"And you are so good to her--so wonderfully good!" continued Augusta. - -"Never mind that, my child; I could never be anything else. And Nan -owes me nothing; I have said that before." - -Augusta kissed her aunt, and presently ran upstairs to the schoolroom. -The children were having breakfast when she entered. - -"Hurrah! Good news," said Augusta. "Of course, that is how people take -it. You thought, all of you, that I would be going back to father and -mother in a few weeks' time. Well, I am not; I am to stay here for a -year--a year, positive. I am to be with you day and night for twelve -whole months. When you go to the country I will go with you, and when -you come back from the country I will come back with you. And I am to -have regular lessons from this at school; and---- Oh, dear me! Nancy, -you are glad, whoever else is sorry." - -"Yes--of course," said Nancy. She said it in a trembling voice, and -her face turned from white to red, and then from red to white again. - -"Does she not look enraptured," said Augusta, turning with laughing -eyes to Kitty. - -Kitty made no reply. She was glad on the whole that her cousin should -stay. "The more the merrier" was her motto. She felt almost annoyed -with Nan for the peculiarity of her attitude. - -But the tidings that Augusta was to stay with them was completely -eclipsed by other news, which filled the hearts of the two little -girls, Kitty and Nora, with untold bliss. - -"What do you think?" said Kitty, rushing into the room just as Nora -and Nan were putting on their hats to go to school. "Uncle Peter is -coming here to-day. He will stay for a fortnight or three weeks, -mother says. Oh, this is heavenly! I am nearly off my head with -delight." - -"Who is Uncle Peter? What does it mean?" said Nan. - -"You will know what it means when you have seen him," said Kitty; "but -I will try and tell you something. It means the height of happiness; -it means the extreme of joy; it means--oh, everything delightful! He -is just perfect! He will be so sweet to you, too, Nan! He will be -sweet to Augusta. He will be sweet to us all. He is father's youngest -brother--much, much younger than father. He is quite young still, and -he is a captain in the army. And he is great fun--oh! great fun--and -the house gets full of sunshine when he is with us." - -"I have never seen him," said Augusta; "I should like to." - -"He will be sweet to you, Gussie. He will be delightful to us all. Oh, -it is too good news! You never saw anything like the delight mother is -in. I must rush off now and tell nursey; won't she be glad!" - -That day as she walked to school, and worked at her lessons, and came -back again, there were three pieces of news rushing backwards and -forwards in poor Nan's heart. Two of them were bad, and one was good. -Mr. Pryor was away, therefore there was no middle path; Augusta--the -terrible Augusta, whom she hated and feared--was absolutely to live in -the house for a whole year; and the children's uncle Peter, the man -who made everything right and turned gloom into sunshine, was coming -to stay with them. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -UNCLE PETER. - - -On her way to school Nan made up her mind to a certain course of -action. When she had done so she was full of a sense of relief. She -resolved to tell Augusta what she had determined to do as soon as -possible. And as the two girls generally had the schoolroom to -themselves after early dinner, her opportunity was not far to seek. - -On this special day the whole house was more or less in a state of -excitement; the spare room--the best spare room of all, the room which -was called the Blue Room--was being got ready. The housemaids were -busy turning out all the furniture, sweeping and dusting, polishing -and cleaning. - -"We never give that room except to some one who is very, very sweet," -said Nora; "but nothing is good enough for Uncle Peter." - -Mrs. Richmond's face fairly shone with pleasure, and her little -daughters laughed often for no special reason, the invariable remark -being, "It is only because of Uncle Peter." But they had gone back to -school, and the midday meal was over, and Nan and Augusta were alone -in the schoolroom. Augusta was seated in a rocking-chair in the -window, Jack curled up in her lap. Jack had long ceased to take any -notice of Nan, and Nan had sorrowfully resigned him to his real -mistress. - -"He is my dog no more," the little girl thought; but the weight on her -heart prevented her feeling the loss of Jack as she otherwise would -have done. - -Nan sat at the table, her lesson-books piled up in front of her; -Augusta was buried in a new story-book, and forgot every one but -herself. Presently Nan spoke. - -"Augusta," she said, "I have been thinking." - -"Well?" said Augusta. She put down her book and glanced at Nan. - -Nan had a frown between her brows, but notwithstanding this fact her -handsome little face looked very striking. - -"She will be far more beautiful than any of us when she is grown-up," -thought Augusta. "Why should she have such a remarkable face? I hate -her for it." - -"Unless you have something very important to say, please reserve your -conversation until I get to a less fascinating part of my book," said -Augusta. "The hero is on the eve of proposing to the heroine, and I -cannot make out whether she will accept him or not." - -"That is only a book, and I am real," was Nan's answer. "I want to say -something to you." - -"Yes?" - -"I have been making up my mind. You know what happened on the day you -came." - -"Oh, that old story over again!" said Augusta. "Well, of course I -know." - -"I cannot forget it." - -"So I see. You certainly have a terribly tender conscience, seeing the -way you abuse it." - -"Oh, you do not know how unhappy I feel! You were surprised when, a -night or two ago, I wanted to see Mr. Pryor. I will tell you what I -did; I do not mind confessing to you. No one would take me, and I ran -there all the way by myself." - -"You did, Nan! You are a daring little piece. Upon my word, there is -something I rather admire about you. I could not be so out and out -wicked--not for anybody." - -"All the same, I think you are wickeder than me, Augusta," said Nan. - -"You do, do you? Well, now, do you think that is a very polite thing -to say, particularly when you have put yourself in my power as you are -doing?" - -"I am so much in your power," replied poor Nan, "that a little more or -a little less does not matter. I did go and see Mr. Pryor." - -"And whoever is this wonderful Mr. Pryor?" - -"He is an old gentleman--awfully good." - -"Awfully dull, you mean." - -"No; that he is not. He is not a bit dull; he has always been great -fun. He lived in the house with me and mother, and when mother died he -was so kind! And when mother was ill he often talked to her, and he -told me---- Oh Augusta! please--please listen. He told me that mother -wanted me to be the best girl." - -"Poor thing! it is well that she is out of the world," said Augusta. - -"I know it is, Augusta--I know it is--for I am not a bit good; but Mr. -Pryor wants me to be good, and I went to see him, but---- Oh, well! -never mind; he is gone." - -"What! has he died too?" - -"No, he is not dead, but it is as bad as if he were to me. He has gone -to Spain to see his son, who is very ill. I went to visit him all for -nothing." - -"You disobeyed Aunt Jessie for nothing. Certainly you are a nice girl! -Don't you think you owe something to her?" - -"I owe a lot to her. Now, Augusta, I am coming to what I want to say -to you. I want to forget what happened that time, and I want to live -quite straight from this out. I am going to put all the past away from -me, and I want to live straight." - -"What do you mean by straight?" - -"Oh! how am I to explain? I want to get in the middle of the road, you -know--always in the middle, never going the least bit to the left or -the right." - -"That sounds very pretty, but the meaning of it is beyond me," said -Augusta. - -"You would understand if you tried to; you are not at all stupid, you -know." - -"Thanks, dear, for the compliment." - -"And I wanted to tell you I am going to keep straight; and as you are -to be here for a year"---- - -"Ah! I thought the shoe pinched in that direction," said Augusta, with -a laugh. - -"It does, Gussie--it does. I am ever so sorry! I could have loved you, -of course; but I have always been just afraid of you." - -"And you will go on being afraid of me, honey, won't you?" - -"That is what I do not want to be. I want you never, never again to -tempt me to be naughty. Do not tempt me any more, Augusta; that is -what I want to ask." - -"You are a nice girl! I tempt you! What next?" - -"Oh! you know you did. You know but for you I would have told all -about Pip. You know but for you---- Oh Augusta! how can you pretend? -You know; you must know." - -"I know you are a very stupid, silly little girl, and that you grow -more troublesome and more silly every day. Why, what is the matter -now?" - -"I cannot bear it," said Nan. - -She gave a cry and burst into floods of tears. - -Now, this was by no means what Augusta wished. Nan in tears--in -violent tears--was intolerable. She put down her book. She advanced -towards Nan; then she stood still. - -She stood absolutely still, staring straight before her; for the door -was open, and a tall young man, with slim and graceful figure, bright -blue eyes, curly hair, and the pleasantest face in the world, was -standing on the threshold. - -"I am Uncle Peter," he said in the gayest of voices. "Is anybody at -home?" - -Poor Nan dashed away her tears. The stranger--this delightful uncle of -the little girls--even he was to see her in disgrace and in tears. -Augusta spoke at once. - -"I am Augusta Duncan," she said. "I am no relation of yours, but I do -hope you will take me for a niece too. Aunt Jessie will be so sorry to -miss you! But she will be back again in an hour or two." - -"And this little girl?" said Uncle Peter. He glanced with the kindest -of expressions in his eyes at Nan. "She is a little bit troubled about -something." - -"Nan darling, do cheer up now," said Augusta; "do, darling--do." - -Augusta went up to Nan and kissed her. - -"What a kind--hearted girl!" thought Captain Richmond. "And what a -cross face the little one has! But she seems to be in trouble all the -same." - -"Come!" he said in a pleasant voice; "no one cries when I am by. I -hate tears so much that they never flow when I am in the -neighbourhood. You must cheer up now that I have come to the house. -And is no one else at home? Is there no one to welcome me but a -pretence niece, and the other"---- - -"Oh! no niece at all--no niece at all," said poor Nan; "but I wish I -was." - -"Then you shall be; you shall be little niece---- What is your name?" - -"Nancy." - -"Little new niece Nancy. Come over here." - -So Nan went to the Captain, and he put his arm round her waist, and -she leant up against him while he chatted to Augusta. - -He did not say another word to her, but once he took her little hand -and squeezed it. What was the matter with her? All her sorrows seemed -to go, and all her anxieties to melt into thin air. Augusta was doing -the grown-up young lady, chatting on all sorts of subjects, and Nan -did not speak a word--not even once did she open her lips--but when -Captain Richmond looked down at her she raised her eyes and looked -full at him. - -"Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the dearest little -faces in the world. But who is the poor little one, and why was she so -very sad when I put in my appearance?" - -"We must get you tea; you shall have it in the schoolroom," said -Augusta. "Aunt Jessie will not be in till about six o'clock; you know, -no one expected you until the evening." - -"It is my way always to do the unexpected," replied Captain Richmond. -"I took an earlier train and got here about six hours before I was -expected. And where are my nieces proper? Why do not they come to -embrace their uncle?" - -"They are at school; but, oh! won't they be delighted? I am afraid -your room is not ready. Nan, go and tell the servants that Captain -Richmond has come. Go at once, dear, and order tea up here.--Do you -greatly mind, Uncle Peter (because I must call you that), having tea -in the schoolroom with us?" - -"I should love it," replied Captain Richmond. "But see, Nan, little -one, that you order a big tea. I want a whole pot of sardines--there -is nothing on earth I love like sardines--and a couple of new-laid -eggs, and toast and cream. Do you understand?" - -[Illustration: "Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the -dearest little faces in the world."] - -"Oh yes," said Nan, colouring very high; "and may you not have -muffins, don't you think?" - -"I do quite think I might. Now be quick, little woman, and order the -biggest tea cook will send up." - -"He is good," thought Nan as she went singing down the passage. "He is -nice. He is quite as nice as Kitty said he was; I think he is even -nicer. It is not what he says; it is the look in his eyes. I am sure -he keeps in the middle of the road, and I will--I will keep there -notwithstanding Augusta. Oh! I am glad he has come. He makes me feel -strong. I was so shaky, as if I had no backbone, but I think he will -give it to me--I am sure he will give it to me--and I will keep in the -middle of the road. Oh! he is nice--he is." - -While Nan was away Captain Richmond asked one or two questions about -her of Augusta. - -"Who is that dear little mite?" he said. "What a sweet little face she -has!" - -"She is a little girl to whom Aunt Jessie is very kind," replied -Augusta. - -"Any one would be kind to her; she looks such a sweet little thing!" - -Augusta longed to give some of her true opinions of Nan, but she was -far too astute for this. - -"Of course, she is a very nice child," she said; "and she is greatly -to be pitied." - -"Poor little thing! What was she crying about? Her sobs were so -bitter!" - -"She is very sensitive; I was just trying to put a little common-sense -into her." - -"She wants very special treatment," said Captain Richmond. "I am glad -I have come; I always like children of that sort. She is in deep -black, too." - -"She is in mourning for her mother." - -"Oh! an orphan? Poor little one! Is her father alive?" - -"No. I think perhaps, Uncle Peter, you ought to know: dear Aunt Jessie -is supporting her for nothing. Is it not splendid of her?" - -"It is the sort of thing my sister-in-law would do," replied the -Captain; and he gave Augusta a very straight and cold look out of his -eyes. She saw that he did not think the better of her for having made -this speech, and jumped up to get the table ready for tea. - -The meal was in full progress; Nan, at Captain Richmond's special -request, was pouring out cup after cup for his benefit; Augusta was -seated near, with flushed cheeks, entertaining him to the best of her -abilities, when shouts and whoops were heard, and Nora and Kitty -danced into the room. - -Then indeed there were high-jinks. - -"Oh, for shame! Uncle Pete--oh, for shame! to come -beforehand.--Augusta, how long have you had him?--Nan, is he not -just--just as nice as I said?" These words came from Kitty. - -"You really make me blush, Kitty; you must be careful what you say," -remarked her uncle. "Do not mind her, Nancy; I am a very ordinary -person, with lots of faults." - -"You have not a fault--not one," said Nora. - -"Oh! haven't I? I will just declare to you now a very big fault of -mine. It is this--I hate being praised." - -The Captain looked as if he meant this, for his bright blue eyes -flashed fire just for an instant, but then they resumed their old -merry expression. - -"I have all kind of plans to propose," he said. "I shall be here for -at least a fortnight, and then I am not going very far away--only as -far as Aldershot--so you will see a good bit of me." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -"IT WAS NOT WORTH WHILE." - - -It was a week later. Every one in the house had got accustomed to the -presence of Captain Richmond, and Nan more fully, day by day, endorsed -Nora's and Kitty's verdict with regard to him. He was delightful; he -was kind; he was sunshiny. It seemed much easier to be good now that -he was there. The children--even Augusta--were all anxious to please -him, and at odd moments when lessons were over, and on half-holidays, -he always had a pleasant scheme to propose, and would take his four -nieces, as he called them, to all kinds of places which Nan had never -seen before. When there, he had a way of singling her out, taking her -hand, and explaining things to her, so that from the first she was his -very special little friend. - -A week went by in this fashion, and then all of a sudden, just when -they least wished for it, came a pouring wet Sunday. It was early in -June and the weather ought to have been fine. Captain Richmond said -the clerk of the weather-office was seriously to blame; but whoever -was wrong, the clouds were unmistakably there, and out of their sullen -depths poured the rain without a moment's intermission. The children -had managed to go to church in the morning, but in the afternoon it -was hopeless. - -"Uncle Peter," said Kitty, "come up to the schoolroom and let us have -a cosy time." - -"I am quite agreeable," replied the Captain. - -"But, Peter," said his sister-in-law, "I am expecting quite a number -of guests this afternoon; you surely will not leave me in the cold!" - -Uncle Peter put on a very wry face. - -"You know, Jessie," he answered, "that I am not at all fond of what -may be called callers; I never know what to say to them, and I do not -think they find me at all agreeable. May I not go and be happy in my -own way with the children?" - -"Very well," said Mrs. Richmond in a resigned voice; "but please send -Augusta downstairs, for she always helps me so nicely to entertain my -Sunday visitors." - -"And now come, Uncle Peter--do not let us delay--come at once," said -Kitty. - -So, with Kitty hanging on one arm and Nora appropriating the other, -the Captain made his way to the schoolroom. Here he was welcomed with -shouts of glee by Nan and Augusta. Chairs were pulled forward, and the -little party settled themselves in a happy circle. - -"Oh Gussie!" said Kitty all of a sudden, "I quite forgot; mother wants -you to go downstairs and help her entertain the Sunday visitors." - -"Oh, but I won't! It is quite too bad," said Augusta, flushing with -indignation. "Why should I?" - -"You do most Sundays, and you always said you liked it so much." - -"Well, I won't go now; it is not fair.--I need not go, need I, Uncle -Peter?" - -"You must arrange that with your aunt, Augusta; it is not my affair." - -Once again Captain Richmond put on that straight look which Augusta -both adored and feared. It always caused her heart to palpitate, and -gave her a sensation of longing to be quite a different girl from what -she really was. She got up now, frowning as she did so. - -"It is too bad," she said--"just when we were going to have real fun." - -"If you like, Augusta," suddenly said Nan, "I will go down when half -the time is up, and you can come back. I dare say Mrs. Richmond will -not mind; she only wants some one just to hand round the cups of tea." - -"Oh no; that would never do," said Captain Richmond. "I will go down -when half the time is up and send you back, Augusta. Nan is too young -to be initiated into the ways of drawing-room folks." - -So Augusta had to go, very unwillingly, and the two little sisters and -Nan were alone with the Captain. - -"Now, Uncle Peter," said Kitty the moment the door closed behind -Augusta, "we want you to be your very nicest self." - -"And what is my nicest self?" he answered. - -"We want you to be your exciting self." - -"You quite mystify me, Kitty. I should like to know when I am nicest. -And I never knew before that I was exciting." - -"But you are when you make schemes." - -"Oh! that is it, is it?" - -"And we want a big, big scheme now--something to last us for -months--something to---- You know what I mean, don't you, Noney?" - -"To rouse us all up--to make us walk with our heads in the air," said -Nora. - -"Dear me! How very funny!" - -"We want to be soldiers. Do you not remember you talked to us before -about being soldiers? Let us be soldiers for a bit, and make lovely -plans, and you be our captain," said Kitty again. - -"Well, of course you can be soldiers; that is easy enough." - -"But you must settle a sort of victory time for us--a great big reward -time--and let it come three months from now, after we come back from -the summer holidays, or _perhaps_ before. Plan it all out, Uncle -Peter; plan everything out as straight as possible. Make us soldiers, -and give us a battle to fight." - -"Dear me!" said Uncle Peter, "this is quite a Sunday afternoon talk. -Do you mean it in the religious sense?" - -"Oh yes, if you like; but what we want is to have something to fight -hard about.--Don't you think so, Nan?" - -Nan's face had turned very white; her eyes, shining with intense -earnestness, fixed themselves on Captain Richmond's face. - -"A sort of moral battle," said the Captain. "Well, of course it can be -done. I will plan it all out and tell you what we will do to-morrow; I -cannot think of it in an instant. Those who wish to join must be -regularly enrolled as soldiers." - -"Soldiers under Captain Richmond," laughed Nora--"or Captain Peter, as -we always call you. You will have to set us things to do, and you will -have to write to us from Aldershot, and you must make a whole lot of -punishments if we go wrong. Oh! it will be exciting--quite splendid." - -Just then Miss Roy came into the room. - -"How cosy you all look!" she said "What is up?" - -"We are frightfully excited," said Nan. "We are going to be turned -into soldiers, and we are going to fight under the banner of Captain -Peter. This is our captain," she added, touching the young soldier's -arm with great affection; "there is nothing we would not do for -him--nothing." - -"I declare you quite touch me," said the good-natured fellow. "Well, I -will think something out and let you know to-morrow. Now let us talk -of something commonplace." - -The conversation was merry and full of laughter; the wet afternoon was -forgotten. Augusta came back long before they expected her. - -"There are no visitors," she said, "and Aunt Jessie did not want me." - -"I was just coming down, but this is much pleasanter,"--said the -Captain. - -"Oh Augusta! we have something wonderful to tell you," said Nora. "Sit -right down here in this comfortable chair.--Please, Uncle Peter, tell -her." - -"Oh! it is a wild scheme of these little folk," he answered. "I do not -suppose a great tall girl like Augusta will join under any -consideration whatever. Well, it is this, my dear niece Gussie--these -children want to become soldiers." - -"Play soldiers?" asked Augusta. - -"No, not exactly, but good, tough, moral soldiers; and they want to -enlist under me, and I am to help them, forsooth! I will draw up -plans, and those who want to join can be enrolled to-morrow afternoon. -But I do not suppose you will care about it." - -"Oh yes, but I will!" said Augusta. Her eyes wore a startled look; a -red flush came into her cheeks. She looked at Nan, who shuffled -uneasily and looked down. - -"I shall join," she said the next moment; "it sounds very exciting, -and the sort of thing I should like." - -"Then there will be four of us.--Perhaps Miss Roy will join too?" said -Kitty. - -"Yes, dear; I should quite like to," said the governess. "I want -something to stimulate me, and I should like to serve under Captain -Peter." - -"Then I shall deserve my captaincy," said the young man.--"And now, -chicks, I am going away, for you have given me a pretty nut to crack. -We will arrange to meet here at six o'clock tomorrow, when I shall -have all my plans drawn up." - -When the Captain left the room the four children were silent for a -short time; then Miss Roy burst in. - -"My dears," she said, "the clouds are breaking; there is a ray of -sunshine. We will have tea immediately, and then get ready to go to -evening service." - -As Nan knelt in church she thought of Captain Peter, and wondered what -sort of soldier she would turn out under his leadership. - -"If it were not for Augusta I should be the happiest of girls," she -thought. "I do hope that to be one of his soldiers will mean lots of -hard lessons and stiff sort of things to do, and it won't mean being -good and straight and honourable. Oh! I do hope and trust he won't -want us to be any of those, for I am not straight, Gussie is not -straight. Oh dear! oh dear! it is exciting. I am afraid." - -Augusta rather avoided Nan that evening, to Nan's own great relief. -The next day brought as usual a rush of work, with no opportunity for -any private talks, and it was not until a few minutes to six that -Augusta and Nan found themselves alone. - -Nan had gone into her room to brush her hair, preparatory to the -Captain's visit, when there came a tap at her door and in walked -Gussie. - -"Well, Nan," she said, "are you prepared for this?" - -"Prepared for what?" asked Nancy. - -"You know what I mean: for this sort of soldier business--folly, I -call it. Of course, I am going to join; but are you?" - -"Yes, Augusta, I am," said Nancy. She spoke in a very firm voice. - -"Well, all right; you know what it means, I suppose. There will be a -lot of morality in the matter." - -"What do you mean by morality?" - -"Keeping straight--keeping in the centre of that road where you want -to walk, but where you never do walk. I thought I would warn you. If -you are thinking of doing what the others are going to do, you will -have an impossible time; but do not say I did not warn you." - -"No, I won't, Augusta. Oh! please remember that you are not"---- - -"That I am not what?" - -"That you are not going quite straight yourself." - -"You little wretch!" said Augusta. "If you ever dare--dare to breathe -what I in a moment of kindness helped you to do, won't you catch it -from me? You do not know what I can be when I am really your enemy. -Your own position, too; what are you in this house? A nobody. There! I -will say no more." - -Augusta ran out of the room. Nan stood white and trembling. She -clasped her hands together; her eyes, brimful of tears, were fixed on -the window. - -"How am I to bear it?" she thought. "Just when I was beginning to be -so happy! Why am I so awfully miserable? I wonder what it means. I do -think that I really quite hate Augusta." - -Just then Kitty's gay voice was heard. - -"Come, Nancy; our captain will arrive in a minute or two, and he will -want all the soldiers to be waiting for him." - -Kitty's laughing face, wreathed in smiles, was poked round the door. -Nan made an effort to cheer up. - -"How white you look!" said Kitty. "Is anything worrying you?" - -"Oh no; nothing really." - -"I thought you would be so glad about this! You do not know what -heavenly plans Uncle Peter is always making up. I will tell you about -some of his funny plans when we were children another time; but of -course there is nothing like this, and it was my thought to begin. You -will see how splendidly he will draw up his rules, and how easy and -yet how difficult it will be to obey them. He has a sort of way of -searching through you, and dragging the best out of you, and crushing -down the bad in you. Oh, he is a darling! He is like no one else in -the world." - -"I think so too," said Nan. - -"And yet you look so sad, Nancy! I am sure you need not be, for every -one is so fond of you! And as for Uncle Peter, there is hardly -anything he would not do for you. He always calls you his dear little -new niece; he is quite as fond of you as if you were his real niece." - -"Is he--is he really?" said Nan. "Would he be as fond of me if he -knew"---- - -"Knew what, Nan?" - -"That I---- Oh Kitty! you know that I have no money, and you know -that"---- - -"Now stop," said Kitty. "If you do want to make me angry you will talk -of that sort of thing again; it is very unfair of you after what -mother said." - -"Oh, then, I won't--I won't!" - -"If that is all that is worrying you, cheer up; Uncle Peter does not -want sad faces." - -"And if---- Suppose--suppose I was not good at any time, would he hate -me then?" asked the little girl. - -"I am sure he would not. Once, do you know, I did such a naughty -thing! I spilt a lot of ink on the carpet. I was a tiny child, and -when Miss Roy came in--Miss Roy had not been with us more than a -month, and I did not know how kind she would be--I said pussy had -jumped on the table; and I had scarcely said it before Uncle Peter -came in--he was staying in the house, you know. He sat down by the -fire. It was wintertime, and he asked me to come and sit on his knee; -and he put his arm round me, and I sat there so cosy, though I had a -big, big ache in my heart. Miss Roy quite believed me about pussy, and -she got the ink wiped up, and washed the carpet with milk, so that it -should not show; and then she went out of the room, and I nestled up -close to Uncle Peter. There was a big pain in my heart. Uncle Peter -looked straight down at me. - -"You see how the milk has taken out the ink; you can scarcely see it -at all now," he said; and then he raised my face and looked into my -eyes, and he said, "Kitty, it was not worth while." - -Then I knew that he knew; and, oh, I cried so! And I said, "Did you -hear?" And he said, "I saw you spill the ink, and I heard." - -"And, oh! I was so sad, and he comforted me. He was not angry after -the first, but he got me to go straight up to Miss Roy and tell her -the truth. It was awfully hard to do, but I did it; and then he -forgave me, and I had no more pain in my heart. Come now, Nan--come." - -"I want to kiss you first," said Nan. "Kitty, you do not know how much -I love you. I love you better at this moment than I have ever done -before." - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -SOLDIERS OF THE TRUE BLUE. - - -The schoolroom was very daintily arranged; there were flowers on the -mantelpiece and on a little table, near which an arm-chair had been -placed for Uncle Peter. On the table were some sheets of foolscap -paper, a bottle of ink, pen, blotting-paper, &c. Just as the children -entered, the door was opened and Uncle Peter himself came in. He -generally wore a smiling face, but now he looked grave and determined. -He walked across the room with, as Nan expressed it, his most military -step. He stopped when he came opposite the children, and bowed gravely -to them, and then sat down in the chair. - -"It is too exciting for anything!" thought Kitty. "How is he going to -begin? I am sure he has made all his plans. I can judge that by his -face; it is the sort of face which makes me thrill and want to do -anything in the world for him." - -Miss Roy had taken her place with the children. She looked grave and -earnest, too, and Augusta for a wild moment wished she was out of it. -Then the Captain raised his eyes. He had been arranging the paper -before him, and trying the pen to see if it would write smoothly. Now -he began to address the little group in front of him. - -"I have been thinking over our scheme," he said in his most pleasant -voice; "and if you are all determined, I want you to take, not an oath -to me--nothing of that sort--but to take a promise, by which you will -be enrolled. The regiment in which you will be members we will call -the Royal True Blue. I am its captain, general, or what you will; and, -as far as possible, the rules which will guide your conduct will be -much the same rules as a real regiment which serve our King would -have. Loyalty will be its motto. There are three ways in which the -soldiers can serve in the Royal True Blue. They can serve by keen -attention to intellectual matters, by keen attention to physical -matters, and by keen attention to morals." - -Miss Roy nodded her head as each of these remarks fell from the -Captain's lips. - -"I quite agree with you," she said; and then she coloured slightly. - -The Captain looked at her and gave a smile. - -"There will be," he said, "different grades, of course; month by month -the soldiers will rise to higher and higher responsibilities. There -will be an orderly-book, in which Miss Roy, in my absence, must write -down the events of every day truthfully, exactly as they occur to her. -Neglect of the different heads under which the soldiers serve will -merit punishment; careful attention to these details will merit -rewards. I shall visit the soldiers' camp at least every month, have a -consultation with Miss Roy, who will be my sergeant, and measure out -my rewards and punishments accordingly. I should like this scheme to -continue until the end of the summer holidays, when to the victorious -soldier I will award, if she deserves it, something similar to the -Victoria Cross. It will be a cross made of silver, tied with blue -ribbon, and will be as far as possible an imitation of the cross which -her late beloved Majesty gave to her most distinguished soldiers. -Perhaps you all understand what alone wins a Victoria Cross? It is -given 'for valour'--for valour, as a rule, in the field of battle. -Now, as you are all soldiers you must have a field of battle. Your -battlefield is in this house; wherever you are together, whether you -are in the country or in town; in your school; in your own rooms, when -you lie down and when you rise up: at all times you soldiers of the -Royal True Blue will be in the battlefield, and doubtless a time for -valour will arrive--when one of you will endanger herself for the sake -of another. It is possible that none of these soldiers will win the -Royal Cross, but I mean to hold it out as an incentive--the very best -I can give. And now, children, I have lectured enough; will you each -in turn come forward and make the necessary promise?" - -"Oh, this is dreadful!" said Augusta; she squeezed Nan's hand in her -excitement. "I--I do not think I can." - -"But I can," said Nan. "I can; I mean to." - -"What is it, Augusta--are you frightened?" said the Captain. "Oh, -come! you promised to join; do not draw back now. You do not know what -a world of good it will do you. This scheme means bracing; it means a -strong effort to do the right. Come! if you live in this house you -will have a dull time if you are not a soldier." - -"All right," said Augusta; "but I will not be the first to take the -promise." - -"Then you shall be the first, Kitty," said the Captain; "that is only -right, for it is your scheme." - -Kitty rose from her chair and came forward. Captain Richmond had some -small pieces of blue ribbon fastened with silver mottoes. He held one -of these up, and Kitty approached. He took her hand, looked solemnly -into her eyes, and said: - -"Are you willing to serve in the Royal True Blue as a soldier of the -King of Heaven? Are you willing to obey the rules of the regiment, to -be loyal and true, to shun what is deceitful and wrong? Are you -willing?" - -"Yes," said Kitty. - -Then the Captain bent forward and kissed her. - -"This is our seal of consecration," he said; "and here is your motto. -Wear it openly when you like, or when you do not care to show it to -the world keep it safely hidden, but never lose it. On the day it is -taken from you you are disgraced; you lose this ribbon as a soldier -loses his sword--only by public disgrace." - -Kitty went back to her seat trembling and with tears in her eyes. The -same promise was exacted from the others, and then Captain Richmond -looked at the four. - -"I am very proud of my battalion," he said, "and I think you will all -do well, soldiers of the Royal True Blue. Now, I want to give you a -few directions. There are three distinct paths in which the soldiers -must walk. First, there is the path of intellect. Now, that means -great attention to your lessons at school; it means diligent reading. -I do not mean that kind of slippery reading which goes on when one is -thinking of a hundred things at the same time: I do not mean the -reading of silly novels. I mean the reading of good books, -stimulating, with nice thoughts in them. There is nothing to my mind -like the life of a soldier, and there is nothing more splendid than to -read accounts of what brave soldiers have done; and as you five are -now soldiers, you might, during the months that you servo under me, -read as many books about soldiers as possible. I can furnish you with -a list. I believe such reading will do you a lot of good. This, of -course, is not a command of mine; it is a suggestion which you may -like to carry out. In the orderly-book there will be careful reports of -your transgressions in intellectual respects; the number of bad marks -at school, the getting down to the bottom of your form, lateness also -in attending your different classes, will all mean marks against you. -On the other hand, diligence in learning, briskness and anxiety to -excel, will mean good marks. I will explain the marks to my sergeant, -Miss Roy, presently. So much for intellect. Now we come to the -physical part of the scheme. I believe very strongly in physical -exercise. I do not mean the sort of exercise which tires one to -death--over-cycling, for instance, or playing lawn-tennis too -long--but I do mean steady exercise every day; and part of your duties -will be your drill. I will speak to Mrs. Richmond, and she will get a -real army sergeant to come here daily to drill you. You will feel as -you are marching, and turning from right to left, and going through -the different maneuvers that you are real soldiers, and it will do -you a world of good. Other exercise ought also to be taken, and under -this head I would advocate early rising. I would also advocate order -and neatness. Each day ought to be planned out, and there ought to be -very little time for idling, for a real soldier in the enemy's country -has to be on the alert morning, noon, and night. He ought never to be -away from his post; he ought to watch for the approach of the enemy at -every corner, at every unexpected point. We now come to the third -head, which surely is the most important of all, for in my regiment, -the Royal True Blue, I want to have soldiers worthy of the name: a -coward would be detestable to me; a liar could not be borne. I want my -soldiers to be straight, to be upright, to be honourable; I want them -to walk in the middle of the road." - -"Oh! oh!" suddenly came from Nan's lips. - -The Captain gave her a long, penetrating glance. She coloured, and -dropped her head. - -"It can be done," he said, "but it is not specially easy; and I hope -it will be done. And now, surely we have had enough morality and -enough solemn talk even for the soldiers of the True Blue. I propose -an entertainment this evening. I have consulted with your mother, and -she gives me leave to take you all to the theatre--yes, every single -one of you--to see a fine play about a soldier and how he acted under -difficulties." - -The wild delight of the children at this last announcement can be -better understood than explained. Captain Richmond knew what he was -about; he knew that the eager young minds had gone through sufficient -strain. The girls rushed off to their rooms, and the Captain and Miss -Roy were alone. - -"It is very good of you to join this," he said, turning to the -governess. - -"I like it," she replied. "Whether the children can stand this -somewhat severe discipline remains to be proved." - -"I believe they can; they have all character," replied the Captain. "I -shall be deeply interested to know how this experiment progresses. I -will give you your orderly-book to-morrow, and explain to you how the -marks are to be put down. There is only one thing, however, Miss -Roy--there must be no favouritism; you must be as strict and as severe -with your favourite, Kitty, as you are with Augusta, whom I do not -think you much care about." - -"I do not," replied Miss Roy. "I do not understand her. She is popular -with most people; Mrs. Richmond is very much attached to her, and Kitty -and Nora are fond of her." - -"But Nan is not," said the Captain. - -"No," replied Miss Roy; "Nan is afraid of her." - -"I have seen that from the first," replied Captain Richmond; "and, to -tell you the truth, in planning my rules I thought a good deal both of -Nancy and Augusta. This thing will try them both pretty stoutly; I -have no doubt that in the end all will be well. And now, one more word -in your ear: I do not think I ever met a dearer little girl than Nancy -Esterleigh." - -"She is a sweet child," replied Miss Roy; "and she was very, very -happy with us before Augusta came." - -The children, now all dressed for their evening's entertainment, came -into the room. Captain Richmond had ordered a carriage; it was now at -the door, and the happy party, including Miss Roy, started off for -their evening's pleasure. - -In the play a soldier received the Victoria Cross. He was one who had -been snubbed and looked down upon, and always shoved into the cold: he -had been overlooked when others were promoted; when others were -ordered to the front, he was expected to stay behind in England; the -girl he loved was given to a man over his head. Everything seemed to -be against him, but never once through all these trying circumstances -did he lose his brightness, his freshness, his courage. He had a gay -and cheerful word for each comrade and for each friend, and in the end -his chance came: he managed to get to the front--how, it does not -matter; he rescued another at the risk of his own life--how, does not -matter either; the thing that matters is that he received that -decoration of all others the most thrilling, the most ennobling, the -Cross of the Order of Victoria. - -Nan's little face turned white with excitement as she watched the -progress of the play; and at last, when the happy soldier was -decorated for valour in the field, she burst into tears. - -Captain Richmond took her hand, and bent and whispered to her: - -"Odds against, but he won," was his remark. "Cheer up, Nancy; you too -can win." - -"Even if the odds are against me?" she whispered back. - -"Ah! of course. Look well to the front, soldier of the True Blue." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -TIGHTENING HER CHAIN. - - -In about a week's time Captain Richmond went away. By then the brigade -of the Royal True Blue was in full working order: the rules had been -carefully drawn up, the orderly-book was given to Miss Roy, the -drill-sergeant had arrived, and the soldiers were enjoying the life. -The vigorous eyes of the Captain kept everything in order; he promised -to come once a month to see his soldiers, and left them, having won -every heart in his little brigade. It was now towards the end of June, -and in a month's time the entire party would go into the country. This -was the last month of school, and the girls were busy. Nan was working -with tremendous diligence for a prize; she did not much care about it -before she became a soldier, but now she was keen in order to ensure -the marks which Miss Roy would give her if she were successful. - -"Suppose you do win the prize," said Augusta, "what will it mean to -you? Nothing whatever but a stupid book. For my part, I think the -prize-books at school are all too dull for anything--a dreadful old -Macaulay's History of England, or Tennyson's Poems, or something of -that sort. I do not see why the girl who wins the prize should not be -consulted." - -"But we do not win it just for the sake of the book," said Nan, -colouring and trembling a little. - -"Well, I do. I am not going in for a prize this term, of course; I -cannot.--Miss Roy, I am sure our captain would not like Nan to read so -hard as to make her eyes ache. Do you know what I found her doing last -night?" - -"Oh! please--please do not tell; it is not right," said Nan. - -"I will, for I must. We are supposed not to read after we get to bed, -but there was Nan reading away by the light of a night-light. She had -borrowed it from nurse, I believe. She was half-sitting up in bed -devouring her book, and the night-light was on a little table near. I -found her.--I did, you know, Nan; and I said I would tell." - -"It was not at all right, Nan," said Miss Roy; "and it must not happen -again." - -"But I wanted to work up my lesson; I was not at all sure of my -French," replied Nan. "And the prize will be given in ten days now. -There is so little time!" - -"You must remember," said Miss Roy, "that in the orderly-book, even -though you do get high marks for intellect, your merit marks will go -down if this sort of thing occurs again. Nan, it was a distinct act of -disobedience.--But at the same time, Augusta, I would rather you did -not tell tales." - -Augusta flushed with indignation. - -"I thought you would like to keep the house from being burnt down," -she said. "Of course, in future Nan can do as she pleases." - -Miss Roy said nothing more, and Augusta left the room. - -"What is the matter, Nan?" said her governess suddenly. "I often -wonder, my dear, why you look so sad and troubled." - -"You would if you were me," said Nan then. - -"Why? Is it because your mother has died, my poor little girl? I have -great sympathy for you." - -"No; it is not only that," said Nan, making a great effort to be -honest. "It is because I have a load at my heart, and I cannot ever -tell you; and if all was known I ought not to be a soldier of the -Royal True Blue at all--I ought not--but I cannot draw back now." - -"The past is past," said Miss Roy. "Go straight forward in the future; -try and believe that the future is yours, that you can be a very brave -and a very good girl." - -"But is the past past?" asked Nan. - -"There may come a day when you will be able to tell me all about it; -go straight forward now into the future. And, Nancy, my dear, nothing -has been said, but I cannot help using my eyes. Do not be afraid of -Augusta; give her back in her own coin. Show her that you are not in -the slightest degree under her control." - -"Oh, but I am!" thought poor Nancy. "And I can never tell--less now -than ever--for to lose that splendid chance of winning the Royal -Cross, and to be deprived of my blue ribbon, would break my heart." - -"Nancy," said Augusta, a few evenings after this, as the two girls -were alone in the schoolroom. - -Nan was toiling steadily through the books which she had to prepare -for her examination; she raised her eyes when Augusta spoke, and a -slight frown came between her brows. - -"Now, stop that," said Augusta, petulance in her tone. - -"Stop what?" asked Nancy. - -"Frowning when I speak to you." - -"Oh, I will--I will! What is it? I wish I did not feel so cross." - -"You are not much of a soldier if you give way to your passions every -moment. But now, to the point. I want you to read aloud to me while I -am making a copy of this stupid old cast. It is too dull for anything, -and I want to finish the story-book which I took from the -drawing-room." - -"But I have to go on with my lessons. Don't you see that I am awfully -busy?" - -In reply to this Augusta got up and put the book in question into -Nan's hand. - -"Read," she said. "I will let you off in half-an-hour; in half-an-hour -I shall have done as much as I can of this horrible drawing. I do -positively hate drawing. Now then, start away. If you do not read, -there is something I can tell you which you will not at all like to -hear." - -"You are always frightening me. I do not see why I should be under -your control," said Nan. - -"Get out of it, then, my dear, your own way. Remember what will happen -if you do." - -"What?" - -"I shall be obliged to tell all that occurred in the attic when the -white rat died." - -"All? But you won't leave out your own part, Augusta?" - -"Yes, but I shall. I shall tell that you implored and begged of me to -keep it a secret, and that I listened to you. You know what this -means, Nan. Your blue ribbon is given back; you are a soldier without -his sword, disgraced for life. Now then, do not fret; I am not going -to be too hard, but I must be read to, for I am suffering from -irritation of the nerves, and nothing soothes me like a real jolly -story-book." - -"If I must, I must," said Nan. She opened the book languidly. "Where -is the place?" she asked. - -"Page 204. Read from the top, and go straight on until I tell you to -stop." - -Nan began. She could read well when she liked, but now her voice was -little more than a gabble, for she was thoroughly annoyed and also -decidedly cross. - -"That will not do at all," said Augusta. "Read as if you enjoyed it. -Is it not a splendid scene? Does not Rudolf speak up to Bertha? Now -then, go on. I am sure he will propose to her in the end; I am certain -of it." - -Nan read to the bottom of the next page; then she put down the book. - -"Where did you get this book from?" she asked. - -"What does it matter to you, Nancy? Go on reading--do. Oh, I am just -dying to hear what will happen! I adore Rudolf; don't you?" - -"No; I do not like him at all. I don't like the book. I don't think -Uncle Peter--I mean Mrs. Richmond--would want me to read this book; it -is not a nice book." - -"And what do you know about books, whether they are nice or nasty?" - -"I don't like this book. I am sure Mrs. Richmond would not like you to -read it. May I go down and ask her?" - -For answer to this Augusta rose and snatched the book from Nan's hand. - -"You troublesome little thing!" she said. "You really rouse me to be -provoked with you. There! go back to your stupid lessons; but -remember, you shall pay for this." - -"I wonder how," thought Nan. "Oh dear! oh dear!" - -She sighed deeply. - -"Really, Nancy, your sighs and groans are past bearing. What is the -matter with you?" - -"You make me very unhappy." - -"I make the house too hot for you; is not that it?" - -"No, Augusta, that is not it. I have a right to be here; Mrs. Richmond -says so." - -Augusta gave a taunting laugh. - -"A right to be here!" she said. "A pretty right; but still, if you -like to think so, I am not going to interfere. If you are unhappy in -the house with Aunt Jessie and Kitty and Nora you can say so; you have -the remedy in your own hands." - -"I! How? What do you mean?" - -"You can go to the Asprays, of course." - -"But who are the Asprays?" - -"You little goose! don't you know?" - -"No. Please, do tell me." - -"Well, I will, for it is only fair that you should know. Have you -never heard that there are other people who would take care of you, -and pet you, and adopt you, and bring you up as one of the family -besides my poor, darling aunt Jessie?" - -"Yes, I have heard of it. Mr. Pryor spoke of some people, but he said -they did not live in England." - -"But they do; they live close here. Their name is Aspray. They are -Virginians, and have just settled in London. They live within a -stone's-throw of here." - -"And are you certain I could go to them?" - -"Certain? Of course I am certain. You can really go any day, but you -have a right to go when a few months are up--six or eight months, or -something like that. You have a right to go and stay with them, and to -make your own choice as to whether you will be Mrs. Richmond's child or -Mr. Aspray's child in the future; it rests with you altogether." - -Into Nan's cheeks now there had come a very brilliant colour, and her -eyes were large and bright. She stood still, thinking deeply. After a -time she got up and left the room; she left her lesson-books behind -her. She entered her bedroom and shut the door. In this tiny room Nan -often battled out her troubles, and struggled hard to know what was -right to be done. She felt much puzzled on this occasion. As to -Augusta's sharp words and tones of authority, she was accustomed to -them by this time; she saw there was no chance of her ever getting -away from her influence. - -"And she is ruining me," thought the child. "I did hope a fortnight -ago that I should do better, that I should be a worthy soldier. But I -must write to Uncle Peter; I cannot do right with Augusta always near. -What is to be done? What is to be done? Oh, it would kill me to leave -the Richmonds now! But what does this mean about the Asprays? I know -what I'll do; I'll go down and see Mrs. Richmond, and ask her straight -out to tell me the truth." - -No sooner had this resolve come to Nan than she ran downstairs. - -It was Mrs. Richmond's at-home day; callers had stayed until late, but -they had all gone now. She was preparing to go upstairs to dress for -dinner when Nan appeared. - -"Ah, Nancy!" said the good woman. "Do you want me, darling?" - -"Please, Mrs. Richmond, may I say something?" asked Nan. - -"Of course you may, dear." - -Mrs. Richmond sat down and drew Nan towards her. - -"Well, Nancy," she said, "you look well; you have grown, and have got -more colour in your cheeks." - -Here she bent forward and kissed Nan on her forehead. - -"Oh, I love you so much!" said Nancy; and she put up both her soft -arms, and kissed Mrs. Richmond with passionate fervour on her cheeks. - -"That is very pleasant to hear, my dear little girl; and I think we -may all say with truth that we love you. Now, what is the trouble, -dear?" - -"Oh, there is a trouble!" said Nan; "and I must ask you a question." - -"You are going to tell me about the trouble?" - -"I wish I could, but I cannot. I have only just heard something, and I -want you to explain, please, oh, so very badly! Who are the Asprays, -Mrs. Richmond?" - -"The Asprays!" said Mrs. Richmond. "What Asprays?" - -"The Asprays who have the right to adopt me." - -"No, darling--no. You are my little girl, adopted by me. They have no -right over you unless you will it." - -"But who are they?" - -"Rich people from Virginia." - -"And are they living near us?" - -"I believe so; but I do not know them--I mean, we do not visit." - -"And I can go to them if I like?" - -"That is true; but then, you would hardly like to go away to -strangers--to strangers from those who love you." - -"No," said Nan in a smothered sort of voice; "I should hate it--hate -it." - -Here she squeezed up closer to Mrs. Richmond, who put her arm round the -child's waist and drew her up tightly to her side. - -"Who has been talking to my little Nancy? Who has been troubling you -in this matter?" - -"Please, I would rather not tell." - -"I cannot force you to speak, my darling; but I want you to put the -Asprays out of your head." - -"Perhaps I will after you have answered me a few questions." - -"What questions, Nancy?" - -"How is it that I can go to them if I like?" - -"They are friends of your father's." - -"And you are?" - -"I am a friend of your mother's." - -"But are they related to my father?" - -"No; but Mr. Aspray once made your father a promise that if you were -really in difficulties or thrown on the world he would adopt you, -because your father had lent him a very considerable sum of money when -he was in great difficulties. He could not pay back the money during -your father's life-time, so he gave him a letter instead, which your -mother left with me. That letter promises to adopt you, if necessary. -That, I understand, is the story. Mr. Aspray made the promise, and if -you ask him you could claim it and go to him as his adopted daughter; -but from the little I have heard of the family I do not think they -would suit you." - -"But still," said Nan, puckering her brows and looking very anxious, -"I should have a sort of right there, should I not?" - -"Nancy, my dear, have you no right here?" - -"No, no, Mrs. Richmond," said Nancy--"no right at all, because there -is no money, and you have just taken me out of kindness." - -"Now, Nancy, listen. I have not taken you out of kindness. I have -taken you, it is true, because I am fond of you, and because I loved -your mother, but I take you also to relieve my own mind. I should be -quite unhappy if you were not with me." - -"Why is that?" - -"Because I owe your mother a debt which, even with you in the house, I -can never repay." - -"Won't you tell me what it is?" - -"I will when you are old enough--not now. You must take it on trust -for the present. Now, dear, this sort of conversation is very bad; you -are my happy little girl, a child of the house, petted and loved by us -all. Cease to fret, my dear; rouse yourself to do your duty and to be -happy. Kiss me, darling, now, and go upstairs. Forget about the -Asprays. I should be sorry if you went to them." - -Mrs. Richmond patted Nan on her cheek, and rising, she dismissed her -with a good-natured nod. Nan went slowly upstairs. - -For the rest of the evening she was a very sad and silent little girl, -and during the night which followed she dreamt of the Asprays. After -all, in that house she might have a chance of doing right; and they -ought to take her. If Mr. Aspray owed her father money, it was but fair -that he should bring Nan up; and there would be no Augusta there to -taunt her and keep her from doing right. - -"Oh! even being a soldier in Captain Peter's regiment does not make me -do right," thought the child. "I am always going to the side of the -road. I shall never, never be the best girl. What is to become of me? -What am I to do?" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -AUGUSTA'S RESOLVE. - - -The four girls in Mayfield Gardens were very busy just now. From -morning to night there was not a moment to spare, for the holidays -were drawing near, and the prizes were to be competed for. It is true -that Augusta was not competing for any prize, but somehow in this -busy, energetic, lively household she did not count for as much as she -herself believed she ought. Nan was trying hard, with all her might, -with every scrap of energy she possessed; and so was Kitty trying, and -so was Nora. Nora was perhaps less energetic than Kitty, but she was a -very honourable, downright, straight sort of girl. She knew her mother -wished her to bring home a prize after the final examinations at her -school, and she was determined, if girl could succeed, to do so. - -Immediately after the school broke up, Mrs. Richmond was going to take -the four children to her country place in Devonshire. This was a -lovely place within a hundred yards or so of the seashore. Mrs. -Richmond kept boats, and even a little yacht, and Kitty and Nora were -never tired of telling the other two of the happy, happy time which -lay before them. But Nan, although she was working so hard, had a care -on her mind; never, day or night, did it leave her. It is true her -reports in the orderly-book were first-rate; she seemed, as far as -Miss Roy could make out, to do everything not only well, but with -spirit. Her drill was splendid; she held herself erect like a real -soldier; she understood her drill-sergeant's directions as if by -magic. Then there were other exercises to be gone through, and Nan -never failed in her early rising. No one could be more attentive and -earnest over her lessons than Nan Esterleigh; and as to her morals, -Miss Roy could find no fault with them. Sometimes, it is true, as -night after night she put down most justly and fairly the marks of -each young soldier, she would look up after her invariable question, -"Well, any special thing on your consciences, or may I mark 'Good' -against your character for to-day?" - -A wild light would come into Nan's eyes, and her face would turn pale; -but ever and always, before she could say the fatal word, Augusta -would manage to fix her bold, bright eyes on the little girl's face, -and Nan would drop her head and say: - -"Oh yes--at least, I mean, I have tried." - -Nevertheless, she was anything but happy, and she thought of the -Asprays as a possible means of relief. She made up her mind to see -them for herself before she went to the country; not to speak to -them--oh no! she would not do that for worlds: that time would not -come until she had fully made up her mind that she would give up the -Richmonds, whom she so dearly loved, and would cast in her lot with -the Asprays. But she must see them. - -One day, with her heart beating, and with great outward -_sang-froid_, she asked Mrs. Richmond if she knew where they -lived. Mrs. Richmond told her. - -"Quite close to this," she said; "just at the corner turning into the -square. It is a very large house with green railings round it; but, my -darling, you need have nothing to do with them." - -"Oh! I know. I only wanted to be sure where they lived," answered Nan. - -By-and-by, when tragic things happened, Mrs. Richmond remembered this -remark of Nancy's. - -That day the little girl was sent out for a message with Susan. Susan -the housemaid was very fond of Nan; she had quite a respect for her -since that interesting time when she went with her to see Mr. Pryor and -Phoebe and Mrs. Vincent gave her tea in the kitchen. - -"I am so glad we are out together, Susan!" said Nan. "You need not -hurry back very soon, need you?" - -"No, miss--that is, I expect not. I don't think there is anything very -special doing this afternoon. I can stay with you for a little--an -hour or so, anyhow." - -"Oh! that will do splendidly," said Nan. "You know, Susan, I like you -very much." - -"And so do I like you, Miss Nancy; but it is more than I do Miss -Augusta. We none of us can bear her--nasty, sly young lady!" - -Poor Nan felt a fierce desire to corroborate these words, but she -remembered her duty as a soldier prevented her speaking evil even of -her enemies, and she restrained herself. - -"We need not talk about Augusta now, need we?" she said. - -"No, my dear Miss Nancy; but anybody with half an eye can see that she -worries you almost past bearing. Dear, dear! there are things I could -tell of her if I liked; but I don't want to be spiteful." - -"It would be very wrong indeed to tell tales, Susan." - -"I ain't telling them," said Susan somewhat tartly. "Now miss, hadn't -we best do our messages first?" - -Nan agreed to this. They went to one or two shops for Mrs. Richmond, -and Susan put her purchases into a bag which hung upon her arm. - -"Now then, Miss Nancy, shall we go home, or what shall we do?" - -"I know what I want to do," said Nancy. "I want to walk up and down -outside a house." - -"Oh, lor', Miss Nancy! that do sound queer." - -"And there is another thing," continued Nancy, speaking very eagerly, -and a spot of bright colour coming into each of her cheeks; "I want -you, Susan, not to tell anybody what we are going to do. Do not gossip -about it when you get back to the servants' hall. You won't, will you?" - -"Not me," said Susan; "I ain't that sort." - -"I know you are not," said Nancy in a sweet tone of voice, touching -Susan's arm for a minute with her hand; "and because I know it, that -is why I like you so much. Now then, this is the house." - -Nan found herself outside the Asprays' dwelling. She looked up with a -beating heart. The house was handsome, large, and commodious; compared -with the Richmonds' house, which was also a very handsome one, it -looked palatial. There were balconies to most of the windows; and -awnings were put up now, and sun-blinds, and a lot of people were -seated in the drawing-room balcony chatting and laughing. Their -laughter was borne down on the breeze, and it reached Nan's ears. They -were having tea on the balcony, and a couple of girls were seated -close together talking eagerly. One of them turned to her companion -and said: - -"Do you see that odd-looking child? She keeps walking up and down just -outside our house. I suppose the person with her is her maid. Don't -you recognise her, Flora?" - -"No, I am sure I do not, Constance." - -"Well, you have a very short memory. Don't you know that time when we -were at the florist's round the corner, and a nasty, horrid -bull-terrier came and pulled your skirt? It belonged to that child. -Oh, see! oh, see! She has raised her eyes and is looking at us. Of -course it is she." - -"Of course; I remember quite well now," said Constance. "How funny! -She is a strange-looking little girl! I do not admire her at all. I -trust we may never see her again." - -Down in the street, Nancy said in a faint voice to Susan: - -"I have walked up and down long enough now, Susan; I should like to go -home." - -For she, too, had recognised the girls with golden hair and handsome -faces. They were the Asprays! Would she exchange to a better fate if -she threw in her lot with theirs? She felt very sad and lonely. - -But the busy time was at hand; the very next day the school -examinations began. These continued for nearly a week, and then came -the prize-day, when all the parents and friends of the girls were -invited; and Nan had the extreme felicity of winning a prize for her -French studies. Oh, how proud she felt as she walked up to receive the -handsome volume from the hands of her mistress! She trembled all over -as she clasped it to her heart, bowed to her mistress, said "Thank -you" in a tremulous voice, and went back to her seat. She was so happy -and pleased that she even forgot Augusta in her joy. Kitty and Nora -had also won prizes, and three happy, almost riotous schoolgirls -assembled in the schoolroom that night. Augusta came in with her head -in the air. - -"Hoity-toity!" she cried; "what a noise! Well, let me see the books. I -trust they are novels, for I have read through all my own store, and -want some fresh ones to amuse myself with.--Nan, you come and show me -yours. Why, child, you look as if you were standing on your head; what -is the matter with you?" - -"I am so awfully delighted," said Nan, "that I did get it.--Oh Kitty, -Kitty, I almost wonder if it is true!" - -"It is true enough, Nan," said Kitty. "Don't be over-excited, darling. -Oh! I know you want to write to Uncle Peter." - -"Indeed I do: and I will, too. I expect he will be pleased." - -"He will," said Kitty. "He will be extra pleased with you, for you -worked so very hard." - -"Well, show me the book, and do stop talking," said Augusta. - -Nan put her treasured volume in Augusta's hands. It was a beautifully -bound copy of the works of Racine. Augusta tossed it back. - -"Beyond words tiresome," she said. "Who wants to read that stupid -thing?" - -"But I do; I mean to read every word of it. And, oh, it is so -beautifully bound! And see--do see where they have put my name--'Nancy -Esterleigh, Prize I. for'"---- - -"Oh! don't go on," said Augusta.--"Show me your book, Kitty." - -"You need not be so ungracious," said Kitty. "I do not think I will -show you my book. Nancy has got a darling, lovely prize.--Have you -not, Nancy pet?" - -Kitty's prize consisted of a vellum-bound copy of Macaulay's History, -and Nora had the works of Shakespeare in several small volumes. -Augusta pronounced all the prizes not worth considering, and -ensconcing herself in a low chair in the window, continued to devour a -volume which she had secreted from the drawing-room. Nan was not the -only one who had noticed this habit of Augusta's. Miss Roy was also -aware of it; but she had made up her mind to say nothing yet. - -On the very day before the little party were to go to the country, -Augusta received a letter from her mother. It was written from South -America, and evidently caused the young recipient a good deal of -consternation. - -"My dear Augusta," wrote her mother, "I have been wishing for some -time to send you a really serious letter. I am leaving you at present -in Aunt Jessie's care, and I have no doubt that all has been done for -your benefit. My dear, we left home in a great hurry, and a quick -change had to be made in all our plans. You know, Augusta, that one or -two things occurred at home before we left which displeased your -father and me very much. I allude to a certain matter when you were -not quite straight with us. If there is one thing more than another -which your father and I would break our hearts over, it is that you, -our precious only child, should be guilty of want of openness or want -of regard for the truth. Now, my dear, I wish to say that we intend to -put you on trial during your stay with Aunt Jessie. I have not -breathed a word to her of that fault which, alas! most undoubtedly -lies in your character--you are arrogant and selfish, and if it were -to further your own interests you would not hesitate to tell a lie. It -is terribly painful to me to have to write like this to you whom I so -dearly love; there is a dreadful pain in my heart, and I could cry -over it. But now, Augusta, your father and I have made up our minds. -If during your stay with Aunt Jessie you are discovered to have -swerved in the very least from the path of truth and honour, we will -not send you to school in Paris, which it is our present intention to -do on our return to England; on the contrary, we will keep you at home -with a very strict governess. My dear, I am obliged to say this, and -you must take what comfort you can out of this letter. It remains with -you whether you go to Paris or not; all, all depends on your conduct -while we are away from you. Pray to God to help you, my dear girl. I -write in great sorrow of mind.--Your affectionate mother." - -Augusta read this letter over twice; then she took it to her room and -put it away in a little drawer, which she locked. That night as she -lay down to, rest she thought a good deal over what her mother had -said. She was quite determined, at any cost, to go to Paris. If her -conduct with regard to Nan were ever known she would lose her chance -of this delightful plan being carried out. Far from going to Paris, -she would be immured at home with a dull, old-fashioned, and tiresome -governess to look after her. Augusta knew by past experience what such -a life would mean. She had more than once already tried the patience -and half-broken the hearts of different governesses who had been -engaged to instruct her. She was fully resolved to have nothing more -to do with so dull an existence. At any cost, therefore, Nan must be -silenced. For if Nan brought herself to confess what lay so heavily on -her conscience, Augusta must be implicated; therefore Nan must keep -silence. - -"What a tiresome little girl she is! I have met no one like her. How -swiftly she fell! and ever since she has been in a wretched state of -mind--making my life quite a misery. Well, I have her pretty much in -my power. I will cosset her up a little when I get to the country, and -make a fuss over her. With all her faults, she is affectionate, and if -I coax and flatter her a bit she will come over to my way of thinking. -But I do wish one thing, and it is this---- Why did that tiresome -Uncle Peter propose that extraordinary plan of his? I am sure I don't -want to be a soldier. Tiresome, stupid man! But I have promised, and I -must go on with it. To be degraded from the ranks now would be as good -as a failure; to have bad marks in the orderly-book would stamp me for -ever in mother's eyes. Captain Richmond's plan is just what would -delight the mother; and father too would be pleased. Of course, when -they both come back they will hear all about it. Yes, I see what must -be done: Nan must be encouraged and petted and fussed over, and I must -take my laurels modestly; and then, when the good parents come back -from America, hurrah for Paris and a good time!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -AUGUSTA'S SIGNATURE. - - -A few days later the four girls went into the country. At first Nan -was so delighted with the change that she forgot all her trials and -worries; the air was so fresh, and the gardens round the house so -beautiful; the woods, which were near by, were so fragrant, so shady, -so delicious to roam about in; and last but not least came the walks -by the seashore, the long rambles on the yellow sands, the hours when -the girls floated away in their little boats on the surface of the -blue waters. But still happier hours were those when the yacht carried -them like a white bird over the dancing waves. Oh! all day and every -hour was perfect with bliss. Nan sometimes wondered what had happened -to her. Was she indeed the little girl who had lived a sad and anxious -and lonely life in a back-street in London; who had wanted for clothes -and for nourishing food; who had been satisfied with the delights of -her doll, and who had known no better joys? Indeed, she was very far -from being the same. It is true that in the old days she had mother, -and mother counted for a good deal in Nan's loving heart. But mother -had suffered sorely, and God and the good angels had taken her away. -Yes, Nan was happy now. She did not mind confessing it--she was happy; -and the world was good, and all the friends she had made were very -kind to her. - -Miss Roy accompanied the children into the country, and for the first -fortnight all went well. Night after night the marks were put down in -the orderly-book, and day after day the Captain's scheme for the -improvement of his little band of soldiers was carried out, and at the -end of each week Miss Roy sent to the Captain a report of progress. -But the good-natured, kind-hearted governess was going for her -holidays, and Mrs. Richmond was coming to the country to take her -place. On the day before Miss Roy left Augusta came into the pretty -room which was used as a schoolroom at Fairleigh. Miss Roy was just -closing the orderly-book; she raised her eyes as Augusta advanced. - -"Well, dear," said the governess, "can I do anything for you?" - -"I have been wondering," Augusta answered, "who will put down our -marks in your absence." - -"I believe," said Miss Roy, "that Mrs. Richmond will undertake that -duty." - -"But why trouble Aunt Jessie? I could do it so nicely if you would -entrust it to me." - -Miss Roy looked full up at Augusta. - -"I think not," she said slowly; "it would not be fair to the others." - -"But why? I should be absolutely fair to them and to myself." - -"It is not to be thought of," said Miss Roy a little sharply. "Mrs. -Richmond must undertake this responsibility." - -Augusta said no more, and early the next morning the governess went -away. A week or so after her departure Uncle Peter was expected. If -Nora and Kitty had been wild with delight at the thought of his visit -when he came to London, now there were four eager and anxious girls -waiting to welcome him. What would he say? How would he look? What -expeditions would he plan? In what manner would he add to the -fascination and happiness of these long summer days? - -Mrs. Richmond raised her eyes from the letter which announced his -arrival, and looked at the four eager faces. - -"Well, dears," she said, "it is a great relief to me that your uncle -should be coming. You see," she added, "I call him your uncle -indiscriminately, for I am given to understand that Peter has adopted -you all as nieces." - -"I love him fifty times better than an ordinary uncle," cried Nan, -with extraordinary fervour. - -Augusta gave her a spiteful glance, and Mrs. Richmond, for a wonder, -noticed it. She noticed it, and it disturbed her. She had a great -affection for her sister's child, and believed fully in Augusta, -having never yet encountered any of that young lady's acts of deceit; -but the look on her face was arresting and disturbing, and she thought -about it when the children went out for their "morning walk. - -"What could it have meant?" thought the kind-hearted woman; and then -she rose and went slowly to the secretaire in her study, and opening a -drawer, she took out her sister's last letter. The sentences which her -eyes rested on ran as follows: - -"I am very loath, my dear Jessie, to put any suspicious thoughts into -your head with regard to my darling and only child, but her father and -I both feel that you ought to know that there have been times in her -life when she has not been quite straight. Say nothing of this, -Jessie, but perhaps in dealing with her character you will be more just -to her, more fair to her, and more able to influence her if you get a -hint of the truth." - -"Not quite straight," murmured Mrs. Richmond; and she put the letter -back into its envelope and locked the drawer in which she kept it. An -hour afterwards she went out. She was walking slowly through a -shrubbery which ran at the back of the house when the sound of voices -fell on her ears. There was a high-pitched voice which undoubtedly -belonged to Augusta, and there were the low and sweet tones of Nan. - -Augusta was holding Nan by both her hands. She was a great deal taller -than the little girl, and a great deal stronger, and she had drawn the -child close to her. - -"I would kill you if you told," she said, with extraordinary passion. -"But there! you know you daren't. Go--I hate you!" and she pushed Nan -from her, who ran fast and quickly out of sight. - -Mrs. Richmond waited for a moment, too stunned to move or to speak. -Then she went quickly round the tall holly which had hidden her from -Augusta's view, and putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, turned -her round. - -"My dear," she said. - -"Yes, Aunt Jessie," said Augusta; "what is it?" She had managed to -control herself, and her face looked almost as usual. - -"I happened to overhear you just now, Gussie, and I must say that your -words displeased me very much. I do not understand what you were -talking about, but you used the most cruel and unjustifiable -expressions. I wish to say, my dear, that I cannot permit you to bully -little Nancy. The child is an orphan, and I should be very angry if -any one were unkind to her. As to the meaning of your words, Augusta, -I think they demand an explanation." - -"Oh, Aunt Jessie!" said Augusta, "Nan is terribly provoking; she is -such a peculiar little thing that she sometimes almost drives me wild. -She has been fretting and fidgeting about a trifling matter for days." - -"Something she wants to tell?" interrupted Mrs. Richmond. "And why -should she not tell? Why should you be so violent as to terrify the -poor child by informing her that you would kill her if she told? How -dared you say anything so wicked?" - -"I lost my temper, Aunt Jessie, and that is the truth. The whole thing -referred to a little matter with regard to myself which I do not want -any one to know. You surely would not encourage Nancy to be a -tell-tale!" - -"I feel it is my duty to speak to her," said Mrs. Richmond. - -"Oh no, no, Aunt Jessie! I beseech you not;" and going close up to -her, Augusta raised her hand to her lips and kissed it. - -"Please--please, Aunt Jessie, don't say anything about it. I will make -it up with Nan, and I promise never to be so nasty again. You cannot -speak to her, you know, for you happened to overhear us; and it would -not be fair, would it?" - -"No; perhaps not," said Mrs. Richmond a little doubtfully. "Well, my -dear, I don't want to be hard on you, and you know I have always loved -you very much." - -"And I am away from my parents, too," said Augusta, eager to take -advantage of Mrs. Richmond's softening mood. "And I am really awfully -sorry that I lost my temper that time. I will go this very minute to -Nan and make it up with her. You won't speak to her about it, will -you, Aunt Jessie?" - -"I suppose not; but I hope very much that I am doing right." - -"Why, Aunt Jessie, you have never found me out in any meanness yet, -have you? Why should you doubt me now?" - -"I will try not to doubt you, dear. I will try to believe in you. -Only, one thing, Augusta, your unkindness to Nan will have at least to -undergo this punishment--you will receive a bad mark in the -orderly-book for your conduct tonight." - -Now, up to the present Augusta's marks in the orderly-book had been -good, and she had done her utmost to fulfil the letter at least of -Captain Richmond's conditions. She had abstained from rudeness or -roughness in her manner. She had--to the Richmond girls at least--been -good-natured. Her private cruelties and unkindnesses to Nancy were not -known to the rest of the party. Nancy herself never told. Augusta had -therefore received good marks for conduct as well as for general -intelligence and physical discipline. Her great hope was that Captain -Richmond would bestow upon her what he called the Victoria Cross of -his scheme; for after having received so valuable a proof of her -excellent conduct, her father and mother would be abundantly -satisfied, and would send her, on their return, to the longed-for -school in Paris. But a bad mark for conduct just the day before the -Captain's return would seriously interfere with Augusta's schemes. She -walked down the shrubbery in deep thought and very much disturbed in -her mind. Through the shrubbery there was a winding and very pretty -path straight to the seashore. On the shore the Richmonds had arranged -a tent. The tent was placed above high-water mark, and it was not only -used for bathing purposes, but was also a favourite resort of the -children's for all kinds of picnics and pleasure expeditions. They -used to sit there with their work and storybooks. They often brought -their tea there. It was their favourite place of retirement, too, be -the weather wet or fine. Augusta now approached the tent, wondering if -Nancy were there. Nan had withdrawn far back into its darkest corner; -she was not reading, although a story-book lay at her side. She had -evidently been crying very bitterly, for her face was disfigured and -her eyes swollen. Augusta looked at her with great dislike; then it -occurred to her that Nancy might be very useful to her, and in short -that there was no use in making her unhappy. She sank down on a -cushion near the little girl's side, and said in a voice which she -tried to make very sad and sympathetic: - -"I am awfully angry with myself, Nancy. I know I ought not to have -spoken to you as I did. I hope you will forgive me and let bygones be -bygones." - -Nancy was naturally of a forgiving temperament; she looked up at -Augusta now, and said in a low tone: - -"Why do you say such dreadful things to me? Why must I keep my -conscience burdened because of you?" - -"Now, listen, Nancy," said Augusta; "I am speaking quite frankly to -you. I will be as open to you as you are to me." - -"Well, what are you going to say?" asked Nancy. - -"This: it might do me great harm if you were to tell now, but if you -will only wait until the holidays are over and we are back in town, -why, I will give you leave to say anything you please." - -"Why would my telling now injure you? I need not mention your name. I -just want to tell dear, kind Mrs. Richmond about my own part. And of -course I want to tell Uncle Peter. It is so dreadful to look into his -eyes and to know that I am not what he thinks me! May I not tell my -part and leave yours out? Please--please let me, Gussie. You can't -know the pain of the burden I am bearing, and how miserable I am." - -"You couldn't tell your part without telling mine," said Augusta, "and -I don't wish mine spoken about at present. You will have to be silent. -But never mind, Nancy; you--shall tell, as I promised you, when we get -back to London. Won't you be kind to me and keep the secret until -then?" - -"And may I positively--certainly--tell when we get back to London?" -asked the child. - -"Yes; have I not said it? And now, let us talk no more of the matter." - -"But, Augusta," said Nancy, rising, "will you do something for me--if -I agree to this, will you do something definite?" - -"Oh, what a queer child you are!" said Augusta. "What am I to do?" - -"Will you write it down?" - -"I write it down! Why should I do that?" - -"Will you give me the words in writing? _Nancy may tell when she -gets back to town_: just those words, and sign them '_Augusta_'." - -Augusta had her own reasons for wishing to please the little girl. - -"And here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. Write -the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper." - -[Illustration: "Here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. -Write the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper."] - -"You will never show any one?" said Augusta. - -"Indeed--indeed I won't." - -"And if I do this for you, will you do something for me?" - -"If I can." - -"Very well." Augusta spoke in quite a cheerful tone. "I will do what -you wish and sign the paper, and you can keep it and show it to me to -remind me of my promise when we get back to London. In the meantime -you mustn't talk any more of this nonsense. You mustn't worry me from -morning to night as you have been doing ever since I have had the -pleasure of knowing you. And there is still something more." - -"I won't talk of it; and I'll be very, very grateful," said Nancy. - -"Well; child, so far so good; but now for my real condition. Do you -know, Nancy, that you--you little wretch!--have just got me into a -most horrible scrape?" - -"How?" asked Nancy, fixing her wondering eyes on Augusta's face. - -"You have, you monkey--you have. This is what you have done. When I -was talking to you just now in the shrubbery, and giving you some -plain words with regard to your conduct, you put on the airs of a -martyr, and, lo and behold, little Miss Martyr! somebody listened, and -somebody was very angry." - -"Whom?" asked the child. - -"No less a person than my aunt Jessie. You ran away in one of your -fits of passion and left me to face the brunt of the storm. Didn't I -get it, too? Oh, Aunt Jessie was in a rage! She spoke of you as if you -were a poor, half-murdered angel. I declare it was sickening to hear -her. And there is worse to follow. You know what we all think of Uncle -Peter and his scheme, and how anxious we are to get the best that he -can give us; and I want the Royal Cross that he has promised to the -most victorious." - -"Oh no, Augusta," said Nancy, with a faint and quickly suppressed -smile; "you can't mean that you are going in for that." - -"And why not, miss? I mean to go in for it." - -"Well, but the Royal Cross is for valour and noble conduct, -and--Augusta, you can't mean it." - -"You are a nice child!" said Augusta, her eyes flashing with fury. -"How dare you speak to me like that, you poor little charity-girl, -kept here by Aunt Jessie--kept here out of kindness"---- - -"Oh, don't! You dare not say that! It is not true." - -"Well, I won't. But really, Nancy, you have the power of nearly -driving me mad; a more irritating creature I have never come across. -But now, what I want you to do is this. Aunt Jessie is angry, and she -is going to give me a bad mark to-night in the orderly-book; and if I -get it I am done for, for a bad mark for conduct will be talked about -and commented on, and my chances of the great prize will be -practically _nil_. Now, I want you, Nancy, to tell her that I was -not to blame this morning, or at least _scarcely_ to blame; that -you were very naughty and irritating, and it was no wonder I got -cross. You must do everything in your power to prevent her giving me a -bad mark. And remember another thing, Nancy; if she asks you what was -the matter, you are not to let out _anything_. Simply say: -'Augusta is rather quick-tempered, and I worried her and talked -nonsense. I was to blame, and not Augusta, and she ought not to have a -bad mark.' Do you promise? Surely you can do nothing else when you -have got me into this horrid scrape." - -Nancy thought hard for a minute. - -"I do want to get that paper signed!" she said to herself. "It will -make things quite right when we get back to London, for Gussie cannot -go back from her own written promise; and then, too, I need tell no -lie to Mrs. Richmond." So after a moment she said: - -"Very well; I will do my best. Of course, I can't promise to succeed, -but I will do my best." - -"That is all right," said Augusta. "Here, give me that half-sheet of -paper." - -Nan did so. - -Augusta wrote quickly, finishing with a dashing signature. - -"There!" she said; "keep it carefully. Don't, for goodness' sake, let -any one see it. And now, run off as fast as you can and find Aunt -Jessie." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE ASPRAYS. - - -Mrs. Richmond had just finished lunch, and was preparing to go out for -a drive, when Nancy, her cheeks flushed and her eyes very bright, -rushed into the room. - -"Well, my dear child," said the good lady, drawing the little girl -towards her, "and what do you want now? I am so glad to see my dear -little Nancy with that bright face! I was sorry that you were troubled -this morning, my dear. I have promised Augusta not to say anything -about it, nor will I; but I conclude from your face now that the -trouble, whatever it was, is over." - -"Yes," said Nancy, "it is quite over." - -"And you are really happy, my darling?" - -"I am, Mrs. Richmond. I cannot help it; you are so kind to me." - -"Come close to me, dear; I want to say something to you." As Mrs. -Richmond spoke she drew Nancy to her side, and put her arm round the -little girl's waist and kissed her. "Why do you call me Mrs. Richmond?" -she said. "I want to be as a mother to you." - -"Oh!" said Nancy, with a gasp. - -"I know, dear, that your own dear and sweet mother is no longer here. -But my wish is, as far as possible, to take her place. I cannot really -take her place, I know, Nancy, but I can at least be to you a good and -kind and loving aunt. Now, Nancy, what I wish is this--I want you to -promise to call me Aunt Jessie. Will you, dear?" - -"I will if I may," said Nancy, with her eyes shining; "I'd like to -just awfully." - -"That is all right. And will you give your Aunt Jessie a kiss?" - -Nancy flung her arms round Mrs. Richmond's neck. - -"How much I love you! How very, very good you are to me?" she said. - -"What is it you specially want to say to me, Nancy?" - -"It is about Augusta," said the child. "I think perhaps I made too -much fuss this morning. I know Augusta was---- I mean that it sounded -cruel, but---- I don't know how to express it. If you would not mind, -Aunt Jessie, just _quite_ forgiving her." - -"What do you mean by quite forgiving her, little woman?" - -"She is in great trouble. She spoke to me about it. We are good -friends now, she and I. She spoke to me, and I told her I would come -and plead for her. If, Aunt Jessie, you would quite forgive her!" - -"Well, dear child, I have quite forgiven her; we will let bygones be -bygones." - -"If that is the case, you won't give her a bad mark in the -orderly-book?" - -A look of great surprise came over Mrs. Richmond's face when Nancy said -this. She rose and said hurriedly: - -"I am going for a drive, and cannot talk any more; but tell Augusta -she ought not to have sent you." - -"Are you angry?" asked Nancy. - -"Not with you, but with Augusta." - -"Then you won't do what I ask"---- - -"I cannot, and Augusta knows the reason why. When you four girls -enrolled yourselves as soldiers in Captain Richmond's battalion you -were in earnest; it was not a joke. Augusta behaved badly to-day, and -she deserves the punishment which a bad mark in the orderly-book will -bestow. Say no more about it, Nancy. Run away and play; you are -looking quite pale and ill." - -As Mrs. Richmond uttered the last words she left the room. - -Nancy stood still for a moment with her hands clasped; then she went -very slowly in the direction of the seashore. The children were to -have tea in the tent this afternoon, and Kitty and Nora were busy -bringing down baskets of picnic things: cups and saucers, plates, -knives and forks, cakes innumerable, jam, bread and butter, &c. When -they saw Nancy they shouted to her to come and help them. The three -children went quickly down the steep path through the shrubbery, and -soon found themselves by the sea. The tide was half out, and the whole -place looked perfect. There was a gay town not far from Fairleigh, and -at this time of the year the sands were strewn with children and -nurses--in short, with the usual holiday folks. But the part of the -shore just beside Mrs. Richmond's place was considered more or less to -belong to her young people, and as a rule no other children came there -to play. To-day, however, as the girls, heavily laden with the -materials for their afternoon picnic, approached, they saw Augusta -talking to two rather showily dressed girls, whose long golden hair -hung down their backs. Augusta seemed in high spirits, and her gay -laughter floated on the breeze. - -"Who can she be talking to?" said Kitty. "I never knew such a girl for -picking up friends." - -"Well, don't mind her now," said Nora, going into the tent and making -preparations. "We are going to boil the kettle on the sands and have -real, proper tea.--Nancy, if you have nothing better to do, you might -go along by the shore and pick up bits of firewood." - -Nancy ran off immediately. - -"What can be the matter with her?" Nora said. "Her eyes look as if she -had been crying. I wonder if Gussie has been worrying her again." - -Before Kitty had time to reply, Gussie was seen coming towards them. -"Kitty," she said, raising her voice, "I want to introduce Miss Aspray -and her sister. They are so anxious to know us, and they seem so very -nice! You know, of course, who they are--the Americans who live at the -corner of our street." - -"But what would mother say?" asked Nora. "You know, Augusta, she -doesn't want us ever to make acquaintance with people that she herself -does not know." - -"Oh! I can't help that now," said Augusta. "Here they are coming to -meet us. Don't you think we might ask them to tea?" - -The two girls now approached the tent. Flora, the elder, looking -prettier and more full of spirit than any one Kitty had seen for a -long time, held out her hand. - -"How do you do, Miss Richmond?" she said. "Constance and I know you -quite well by sight. We have often looked at you four girls with great -envy; and just now, when we found Miss Duncan standing by herself on -the sands, it seemed almost too good to be true. She seemed to us, in -this outlandish, out-of-the-way spot, to be quite an old friend. May -we join you; or will you join us? Mother is having a grand picnic on -the rocks round the other side of the bay, and I know she will be -delighted to see you all. Will you come or not?" - -Augusta's eyes were sparkling, and she evidently longed to accept the -Asprays' invitation. But Nora, drawing herself up, said in her very -quiet tone, "We shall be pleased if you will join us. We are just -having tea on the sands; it is not a regular picnic." - -"But quite too lovely!" said Constance. "Of course we will stay--only -too glad. And is this your tent? How charming!" As she spoke she -entered the tent, and flung herself down on a large cushion covered -with an Oriental brocade. "Dear, dear!" she said, "you do seem to -enjoy things." - -"Of course we do," said Kitty, viewing her with some disfavour. "Why -else should we come to the seashore?" - -"Do you live in that nice place which I see through the trees?" - -"Yes," answered Nova. "It is our own place. We come here every year." - -Just then Nancy appeared, holding a lot of brushwood in the skirt of -her frock. She coloured and started when she saw the Asprays, who had -now both taken possession of the tent. - -"Nancy," said Kitty, going up to the little girl and putting her arm -round her waist, "Augusta has met the two Miss Asprays, and has -invited them to tea here.--Miss Aspray, may I introduce my great -friend, Nancy Esterleigh?" - -The elder Miss Aspray coloured brightly when Kitty made this remark. -The younger shrugged her shoulders and poked her sister in the side. -Augusta's eyes sparkled, and Nancy turned very white. - -"How do you do?" she said in a low voice. - -"Why, if it isn't---- Yes, it is, Constance." - -"It is what?" said Constance. "I do wish you would mind your manners, -Flora." - -"But it is quite too funny!" said Flora.-- "Why, little girl, don't -you remember us? How is your dog? Does he bite as well as ever? Is he -as vindictive as he was on a certain day in a florist's shop? Oh, if -you only knew how poor Constance's ankle ached after his very -gentlemanly attentions! And you, my dear, were not quite as -sympathetic as might have been expected." - -"Explain--explain!" cried Augusta. "This sounds most interesting." - -"Let me tell," said Nancy. She turned suddenly, faced the group, and -told her little story. "I was sorry," she said in conclusion, "and I -would have said so, only you were both so terribly angry, and you -seemed to think---- But there! I won't say any more." - -"No, no," said Kitty; "of course you won't say any more. And the Miss -Asprays are our guests, remember.--Now then, let us hurry with tea." - -The girls, their party augmented to six, had on the whole a jolly -time. Nancy was only too glad to bustle about in order to keep her -excited heart quiet. Were these the girls with whom she might have to -spend her life? Were these the girls whose father had a right to -maintain her and adopt her as his own child? Oh, how thankful she was -that Mrs. Richmond had already adopted her! - -"I would rather be a charity-child with Mrs. Richmond," thought the -little girl, "than have the greatest right in the world to live with -the Asprays, for, oh dear! I don't like them a bit--no, not a bit. -What a comfort it is that I have got that promise in writing from -Augusta!--for now I need never leave my darling Aunt Jessie. Yes, she -asked me to call her Aunt Jessie; and how much I do love her!" - -While these thoughts were passing through Nancy's head, she was busy -spreading bread and butter and opening pots of jam. She was kneeling -on the sands to perform these offices, and happened to be a little -away from the rest of the party. - -Suddenly Augusta approached with the excuse of wanting to borrow a -knife from her. - -"Well," she said in a whisper, "and what do you think of them? You -would like awfully to live with them, wouldn't you?" - -"No, no," said Nancy, shaking her head. - -"No, no," echoed Augusta, mimicking her. "And why not, my little -beauty?" - -"Don't tease me, Gussie; you know what I mean." - -"No, indeed, I don't. I like the Asprays immensely. How stylish and -handsome they both are, and so well dressed! I trust we shall see a -great deal of them. They are going to stay at Fairlight for a month, -and they say a great many friends are going to be with them--American -friends--gentlemen and ladies also. I know that they mean to see a -good deal of us--of me in especial. So, little Nancy, as you are my -special friend, you must be extremely nice to Flora and Constance -Aspray, and pay them a considerable amount of attention." - -"What do you mean, Gussie?" - -"What I say, little woman. Now, for instance, when we are all taking -tea in the tent, you are to see that Constance and Flora get the -strongest cups of tea, the most cream, and the most richly buttered of -the scones, and the thickest pieces of cake. I am rather famous for -reading character, and I am positively sure that these two girls are -possessed by greediness. You will remember my injunctions, won't you, -Nancy?" - -"I don't mind helping them to the nice things if they really want -them, Augusta. But, oh! please, Gussie, you won't say anything about -me--I mean anything special?" - -Augusta laughed. "I am not at all sure," she said; "it all depends on -your behaviour. And, oh, by the way, have you seen Aunt Jessie?" - -"Yes--yes, I have; and I am ever so sorry!" - -"What! you have not succeeded?" - -Nancy shook her head. - -Augusta's face grew black with anger; she also looked seriously -alarmed. - -"You must talk to her again," she said. "I cannot have that bad mark -entered in the orderly-book. Do you hear? I cannot!" - -"I am very sorry, Augusta. You had better speak to Aunt Jessie -yourself, for I can do nothing." - -"I don't believe you have pleaded with her. You had got what you -wanted, and did not care twopence for me and my fate. It is just like -you--just." - -"No; that is not true," answered Nancy. "I did my very, very best; and -I am terribly sorry. I tell you what it is, Gussie, I would take that -bad mark for myself--I would gladly--if only you need not have it." - -"Oh! it is all very fine to talk," said Augusta; "but acts tell more -than words." - -"What are you two chattering about?" suddenly burst from Nora's lips. -"The kettle has boiled, and the tea is made, and we are all waiting -for the bread and butter." - -Nancy rose at once, and Augusta followed her. The picnic tea -commenced, and no one noticed in the general mirth that one girl was -looking perturbed, cross, and anxious, and that another was strangely -silent and depressed. The Asprays, whatever their faults, were the -gayest of the gay, and very merry and witty. Nora was not inclined to -be too cordial to girls whom her mother did not know, but Kitty -quickly succumbed to their charm. The picnic tea came to an end, and -when the Asprays took leave, it was with warm assurances that they -would soon come again, and that their mother should call on Mrs. -Richmond if Mrs. Richmond did not first call on her--in short, that -during their stay at Fairlight, the Richmonds of Fairleigh and they -themselves must be bosom friends. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE ORDERLY-BOOK. - - -The children returned to the house only just in time to dress for late -dinner, for while in the country Mrs. Richmond had the four young -people to dine with her. As they walked up through the shrubbery the -one topic of conversation was the guests who had just picnicked with -them. - -"I don't believe mother will like it," said Nora. "We ought not to -have done it without asking her permission. It was your fault, -Augusta; you should not have done it." - -"Nonsense!" said Augusta. "I could not help myself. Americans are not -so frightfully formal and stuck-up as we English. For my part, I think -the Asprays are the most charming girls? Nancy, don't you agree with -me?" - -"I don't know anything about them," replied Nancy. - -"Well, dear, you can know all about them if you like," said Augusta in -a very marked tone. - -Kitty opened her eyes in bewilderment. What did Augusta mean? Nancy -was colouring again painfully. As they reached the house the first -thing they saw was a pile of travelling-cases in the hall. - -"Uncle Peter must have come," cried Kitty. "Now everything will be all -right. How glad I am!" But the next moment she saw her mother, whose -face was very grave and disturbed. - -"My darlings," she said, "since you went out I have had a telegram -from my special friend in the north, Mrs. Rashleigh. She has just lost -her only son, and is in the most terrible grief. She has begged me to -go to her. I shall have to go up to town to-night, and shall go down -to Yorkshire to-morrow. I am terribly sorry to leave you four to your -own devices, particularly as Miss Roy is away. But fortunately Uncle -Peter arrives in the morning, and I have no doubt that you will all be -as good as possible under your uncle's care." - -"Isn't Uncle Peter coming to-night?" said Nancy, speaking very slowly, -and with great anxiety in her tone. - -"Oh, you thought so because his luggage has arrived!" said Mrs. -Richmond. "No. I have had a wire from him. He has sent his luggage on, -but is staying with an old friend at Tiverton till the morning." - -"Oh mother, how we shall miss you!" here exclaimed Kitty. - -"And I you, my darlings; but I am so shocked at my dear friend's -trouble that I cannot really stay away from her. Now, my own two -little girls, will you come upstairs and help mother to finish her -packing?" - -Kitty and Nora both quickly complied. Their mother's room was in a -great state of confusion. Her maid was strapping boxes and writing -labels, and looking very much put out. Mrs. Richmond tied on her -bonnet; then she turned to the girls. - -"You will find the orderly-book," she said, "in the chiffonier in the -drawing-room; here is the key. I have just entered your marks for -to-day. When Uncle Peter comes, give him the book. He will be -responsible for it and for you until I come back. Now I hear the -wheels of the carriage on the gravel. I must be off." - -"Oh mother! one word first," said Nora. - -"It must be a very brief word, then, Nora, or I shall miss my -train"---- - -"We met the Asprays on the beach, mother." - -"The Asprays, dear? I don't understand." - -"If you please, mum," said the parlour-maid at this moment, "Harris -says that unless you come at once you won't catch your train." - -"I am quite ready," said Mrs. Richmond. "Come, Merton, you cannot waste -any more time over the packages.--Darlings, the Asprays, whoever they -are, must keep. Good-bye, my pets--good-bye." - -In two minutes more the carriage was bowling down the avenue, Mrs. -Richmond was gone, and the four girls looked at each other. - -"It is most provoking," said Nora. "She never told us anything about -the Asprays. What are we to do?" - -"To do!" said Augusta. "To take all the fun we can out of them. What -else could we do?" - -"All the same, I don't think they are a bit the sort of girls that -mother would like," said Kitty. "But there! it doesn't matter, for -when Uncle Peter comes he will know what we ought or ought not to do." - -The rest of the evening passed somewhat sadly. Not only Kitty and -Nora, but Nancy, too, missed the gentle presence of kind Mrs. Richmond. -Augusta's mind, too, was full of many things, and she was as silent as -her cousins. Nancy was the first to suggest an early retirement to -bed, and the others quickly followed her example. - -Fairleigh was a large, rambling, old-fashioned house. It had belonged -to the Richmonds for many generations, and had been added to and -altered from time to time. The bedrooms were numerous but small. -Augusta had been given a very tiny room leading out of Mrs. Richmond's -larger bedroom. Kitty, Nora, and Nancy had also bedrooms apiece, but -their rooms were in the opposite wing of the house. - -Augusta was tired and her head ached. The day through which she had -just lived had been anything but to her taste. It is true there had -been a certain amount of excitement, which had carried her through the -long hours. But her mind was ill at ease. That bad mark in the -orderly-book came between her and her rest. To receive a bad mark for -conduct in Captain Richmond's orderly-book would, she knew, be all but -fatal for her chance of the Royal Cross. He was anxious and particular -with regard to physical training and intellectual training, but first -of all came conduct--conduct straight and conduct honourable. Augusta -admired him very much, but at the same time she was afraid of him; for -the Captain had a look in those blue eyes of his which caused her own -to drop. She had an uncomfortable sensation when she saw him looking -at her that he was reading right down into her heart. When he saw the -bad-conduct mark he would not rest until he found out all particulars -with regard to it. Mrs. Richmond, if she had given it at all, had given -it for cruelty--for cruelty to Nancy, who was a special favourite of -the Captain's. But had Mrs. Richmond given that mark? That was the -question which tormented Augusta and kept her from sleep. She got into -bed, it is true, but instead of dropping off, as was her usual custom, -into happy and healthy slumber, she tossed from side to side, thinking -and thinking of Captain Richmond, and the bad mark. He would arrive in -the morning, and would naturally inquire how his battalion was -progressing--how his soldiers were conducting themselves. He would be -very jolly, very agreeable, and a great acquisition, but at the same -time he would come on Augusta at that moment of her career as a sort -of Nemesis. "Notwithstanding all his agreeableness," she said to -herself, "I do wish he would not come just now. He is certain to make -a fuss, too, about the Asprays; and from what Flora and Constance tell -me, we are likely to have a splendid time with them--that is, _I_ -shall have a splendid time. Brilliant, handsome, gay sort of girls -like Constance and Flora are not likely to meet with my painfully -old-fashioned cousins' approval. And as to Nancy, of course, she -doesn't count. But _I_ should enjoy their society, and if Uncle -Peter were not coming _I_ should have it. Oh! I know they won't -suit him. Dear, dear! what a nuisance and worry everything is!" - -At this juncture in her thoughts Augusta dropped into an uneasy doze, -but she awakened in an hour or two to see the moonlight streaming into -her room, and to find herself more awake than ever. - -"I wonder if Aunt Jessie has given me that bad mark," she thought. "I -do wish I could see for myself. It is quite possible that in the hurry -of her departure she forgot to make the entry. What a rare bit of luck -it would be if such were the case!--for she is certain to forget all -about it when she returns. I wish I could see the book; it would be -such a tremendous rest to my mind?" - -The more Augusta thought over this suddenly conceived idea, the more -she longed to put it into execution. Sleep would not again visit her. -It was dull beyond words to lie awake all night. Now that Mrs. Richmond -was away, she was in a part of the house quite away from the rest of -the family. If she got up no one would hear her. She would get up. She -would go downstairs and examine the orderly-book, and find out the -truth for herself. - -She jumped out of bed, put on her dressing-gown and slippers, and -going very softly up the three steps which communicated with Mrs. -Richmond's room, opened the door and went in. This room was also -bright with moonlight. Augusta crossed the room and opened the door -which led on to the landing, and a moment later found herself in the -drawing-room. She knew where Mrs. Richmond kept the orderly-book. There -was a very pretty old Sheraton chiffonier in one corner of the room, -which contained many old-world drawers and queer hiding-places. Its -legs were thin and spindly. It was a frail piece of furniture, but -very good to look at. Mrs. Richmond was charmed with it, and as it was -a recent acquisition she made use of it to keep her letter-paper and -writing materials, and many other things, besides the orderly-book. -But Augusta had quite forgotten that the drawer in which this book was -always kept was locked, and she tugged and tugged now with a feeling -of great irritation. To go so far and risk so much and to meet failure -after all was anything but to her mind. She could be at times almost -reckless in her desire to carry out her own wishes. She entered the -dining-room now, opened a drawer in the sideboard, and taking out a -stout knife, she returned to the Sheraton chiffonier. The chiffonier -was old, and the locks not of the strongest. A little manipulation -with the knife caused the hasp to go back, and without seriously -injuring the piece of furniture, Augusta managed to open the drawer. - -While upstairs she had not dared to strike a match, but in the -drawing-room she was too far away to run any risk of being overheard. -Accordingly she lit a couple of candles, and taking the heavy book, -she laid it on Mrs. Richmond's desk. Never before had she been -permitted to see the entries made in the orderly-book, and she was -deeply interested now. In particular the pages devoted to "Augusta -Duncan" claimed her attention. After all she need not have been -nervous, for Augusta had done well--very well--and, oh, wonder of -wonders, delight of delights! there were so far no bad marks set -against her name. On the contrary, the words "Good--good--good" -appeared as she turned page after page. - -"What a blessing!" she said to herself. "Aunt Jessie did forget; and -now I can face the whole world with an easy mind." - -She was about to shut the book when it occurred to her to see what -sort of marks the other girls had got. Captain Richmond had so -arranged his orderly-book that day by day each girl had a page devoted -to herself. These pages might be filled up or left blank according to -the wishes and inclination of the person who entered the daily record. -But for Kitty, for Nora, for Augusta, and for Nancy there was for each -day a complete and separate page. Upon that page stood the record of -the young life which had been lived during that special day. Now, the -day which had just gone by was the 24th of August. Augusta amused -herself reading the different remarks with regard to her cousins. Both -Nora and Kitty had scored high. Their industry was considerable; they -had risen early; they were neat in their persons and with regard to -their rooms. Finally, the conduct of each girl was excellent. Yes, -that was the word. - -Augusta turned back to the page which recorded her own life on this -special day. She too had "excellent" put against her conduct. She had -not noticed this before. - -"It is too funny!" she thought. "Nancy must have been very persuasive -although she knew it not. Aunt Jessie has never spoken of my conduct -before as excellent. Dear, dear! I could hug the dear old aunty were -she here. Why, she could not have said better of Nancy herself. She -was evidently in a hurry, for she has not filled up the page. But my -conduct is excellent. I declare it is a huge joke. Well, this sets my -mind absolutely at rest. I will just glance at Nancy's page. If Aunt -Jessie considered my conduct excellent to-day, what will she have to -say with regard to the little favourite?" - -Augusta turned the leaves of the book, and soon arrived at Nancy's -page. It looked strangely empty. There were no remarks about early -rising, nor intelligence, nor order, nor neatness. There were only -blanks there, and under the heading "Conduct" Augusta read, "_Bad -conduct_--_guilty of cruelty_." - -[Illustration: Augusta nearly fell back as she read the words.] - -She nearly fell back as she read the words. The colour rushed in a -crimson tide to her face, and just for an instant she felt strangely -giddy. Then she shut the book, and putting it back into the -chiffonier, stole softly and quietly upstairs to bed. She knew, of -course, exactly what had happened. Aunt Jessie in her hurry had made -an extraordinary and inexplicable mistake. She had written Nancy's -record on Augusta's page. - -"Well, I never!" said Augusta to herself. She quite panted in her -excitement and flurry. When she first lay down in bed she was cold and -trembling, and her impulse was to explain the matter to every one and -clear Nancy. - -But, alas! to do this required some nobility of nature, and Augusta -was not noble enough. To expose herself, to show herself in her true -light in the eyes of Captain Richmond, was more than she could stand; -and she had not been half-an-hour in bed before she began to -congratulate herself on her lucky--most lucky--escape. - -"They will never, never know that I know," she said to herself. "I -have but to remain quiet and allow things to run their course. No -chance of the Royal Cross for you, little Miss Nancy; but there are -great chances of my obtaining the longed-for prize. I am in luck. I -declare I am quite sleepy, the relief is so great." - -She turned on her side, and a moment later was sleeping as innocently -as a baby. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE PICNIC. - - -At breakfast next morning the children were in high spirits. - -Augusta had awakened without any headache or any pricks of conscience. -"Let Uncle Peter come now," she said to herself; "I won't be afraid of -him." - -It happened to be a lovely morning, and the windows of the pretty -breakfast-room were wide open. The gardener was mowing the grass on -the tennis-lawn; the roses and other climbing flowers peeped in at the -lattice-window, and sweet summer scents filled the room. - -"Poor, poor darling mother," exclaimed Kitty as she seated herself at -the breakfast-tray; "how awfully fagged she must be! I do hope she -will soon come back." - -"We ought not to wish her to come back too soon," said Nora, who -always happened to say just the right thing; "for if Mrs. Rashleigh is -very sad mother can comfort her." - -"Do see what you are doing!" cried Augusta at that moment. "You have -overfilled the teapot, and the tea is running out on the tray." - -Kitty laughed gleefully, and soon rectified her mistake, and the meal -progressed, accompanied by gay remarks of all sorts. - -"Uncle Peter ought to be here by eleven o'clock," said Nora. "The -train arrives at Fairlight at half-past ten; he is sure to come by -it." - -"What are we to do to-day?" asked Augusta. "Have we any plans, girls? -I think we might"---- - -"Oh! I know what you are going to say," exclaimed Nora. "You want to -go to see those tiresome Aspray girls. But we can't do anything until -Uncle Peter arrives. He will direct us, and we will do exactly what he -wishes." - -"Tiresome man!" muttered Augusta under her breath. Aloud she said: -"Pass me that brown scone, Nancy. And for goodness' sake, child, don't -open your eyes so wide whenever I speak to you!" - -"I tell you what it is," said Nora--"I have lacked courage to say it -for some days, but I will say it now--I do wish you would not scold -Nancy whenever you speak to her." - -"I don't; I know I don't," said Augusta.--"Do I scold you whenever I -speak to you, Nancy, _mignon_?" - -"_I_ don't mind," said Nancy; and before anything else could be -said the servant entered, bearing a note and also a telegram on a -salver. She handed the telegram to Nora, and the note to Augusta. - -"The messenger is waiting, miss," said the girl, speaking to Nora. - -"What can it mean?" cried Nora; while Kitty craned her neck forward to -watch her sister as she read. - -"Oh dear!" exclaimed Nora; "how very provoking! It is from Uncle Pete. -He says he cannot arrive before dinner-time.--There is no answer, -thank you, Ellen." - -Ellen left the room, and Augusta now turned her attention to her note. -She tore it open, and the next moment she exclaimed in great -excitement: - -"Oh, I say, this is jolly! Here is a line from Flora Aspray. They want -us to join them all for a big picnic. They are going to Fairlight -Towers--you know, that charming old ruin that we have always wanted to -see. They are starting at eleven o'clock, and they ask us to meet them -at the crossroads. They say they will have carriages enough to take us -all, and we shall be back soon after dusk. Isn't it quite too -heavenly? Of course we will go--eh, Nora?--eh, Kitty?" - -"I wish Uncle Peter were here," said Kitty; "he would tell us whether -it were right or wrong." - -"What folly! If Aunt Jessie were at home she would certainly allow us -to go. Anyhow, I intend to go, whether you are silly or not." - -"I am sure it is not right, and I am sure mother would not like it," -said Kitty again. "May I look at Flora's letter, please, Gussie?" - -Augusta handed the letter across to her cousin. - -"There is no mention of Mrs. Aspray. Flora seems to have asked us quite -from herself," said Kitty. "What do you say, Nora? What do you say, -Nancy?" - -"I don't want to go at all. To be frank with you, Gussie, I don't care -for those girls," said Nora. - -"Well, you do like to spoil one's pleasure whenever you can. I suppose -there is nothing for it but for Nancy and me to go alone." - -"Must I go with you?" cried Nancy. - -"Yes--certainly," replied Augusta. - -"She sha'n't go unless she wishes to," here interposed Kitty. "Why do -you bully her? I think you are very unkind." - -"And I think you are all perfectly hateful!" said Augusta, who was red -with passion. "Well," she added, "have it your own way. I shall go by -myself; I do not intend to miss the fun." - -She marched out of the room as she spoke, and the three other girls -glanced at one another. - -"Perhaps I had better go with her," said Nancy. "What do you think, -Kitty? It doesn't matter so much for me, you know; I am not your real -sister. I mean that Aunt Jessie would be more particular about you and -what you did than about what I do." - -"You may go, of course, if you like," said Kitty; "but you shall not -go if you do not like. Gussie shall not make your life a burden to -you." - -"I think I'll go," said Nancy. She rose very slowly and left the room. - -"What a darling little thing she is!" said Kitty; "always so -self-denying and so anxious to please others. Now, I know she is -merely doing this to please Gussie; and why Gussie should be humoured -at every turn is more than I can understand. Nancy would have enjoyed -a long, quiet, happy day with us; and why should she make herself -perfectly miserable?" - -"Augusta has a power over her which I can never understand," replied -Nora. "She does very wrong indeed to accept the Asprays' invitation; -but perhaps it is as well, since she insists on going, that Nancy -should go with her. She won't be quite so daring and so unladylike if -Nancy is by." - -"Oh dear!" cried Kitty, "do you really think our cousin Augusta -unladylike?" - -"When she does underhand things I do," replied Nora. "But there, Kit! -don't let us worry any more. We have a lot to do, and on this day of -all days we must not be idle, with dear Uncle Peter coming in the -evening." - -"Do you know," exclaimed Kitty, "that I cannot find the key of the -chiffonier where the orderly-book is kept. Mother put it into my hand -just when she was going, and I can't imagine where I placed it. Let us -go up and search mother's room. It will never do for the key to be -lost just when Uncle Peter arrives." - -The girls ran upstairs and began to search in their mother's room, but -nowhere, high or low, could they find the missing key. They questioned -the servants, and begged them to have a good search for it, and -presently, absorbed by other matters, forgot the circumstance. - -Meanwhile Augusta was putting on her gayest and most becoming -costume. - -When Nancy put her sad little face round the door and said "I am -going with you, Gussie," just for a moment Augusta's conscience did -give her a sharp prick. - -"You are good-natured," she said, "and I won't forget it. Put on -something nice. Wear your pretty white dress and your white hat. You -look so nice all in pure white!" - -Nancy nodded and went off to her room. - -"She is a good-natured little soul," thought Augusta. "It will be much -nicer for me to go with her than alone. If by any chance anything is -said, she must naturally take her share of the blame. What a blessing -that tiresome captain put off his visit till to-night! I only wish, -for my part, he would put it off altogether. Now, do I look best in -pink or blue? Pink, I think. Pale pink suits almost any one. My white -hat with the blush-roses will look sweet with this frock. I don't want -those handsome girls to outshine me. Now I fancy I'll do. I shall be -quite as smart as they are, and that is all I am going to trouble my -head about." - -At a quarter to eleven Augusta and Nancy left Fairleigh, and walked -down the dusty road until they came to the cross-roads where they were -to wait for the Asprays' picnic party. - -Punctual almost to the moment, a wagonette, a pony-carriage, and a -phaeton appeared in sight. The gaily dressed party shouted welcomes to -the two girls; and Mrs. Aspray, an exceedingly stout woman with a timid -face and a good-natured expression, bent forward and held out her hand -to welcome Augusta and Nancy. - -"Why, I thought there were four of you," she said. "Florrie said -four.--Didn't you, Flo? You mentioned four girls; I am certain of it." - -"Yes, mother," replied Flora; "but you can see for yourself that there -are only two waiting for us at the cross-roads." - -"I am so sorry," here interrupted Augusta, speaking in her most -ladylike, company, and grownup manner, "but my cousins, Kitty and -Nora, are both suffering from bad colds, otherwise they would have -been delighted to come." - -Nancy's face first grew red and then white when Augusta told this -falsehood. She was about to say something, but receiving a sharp nudge -on her elbow from the irrepressible Augusta, she held her peace. - -Room was made for the two girls in the wagonette, and the party -proceeded gaily on their way. The day was a perfect one--neither too -hot nor too windy; the great heat of the summer's sun was tempered by -refreshing breezes. The destination of the party was an old castle -which hung over the sea at the edge of a great promontory. The castle -was one of the show-places of the neighbourhood, and picnic parties -there were very common. - -The custodian was very pleased to receive the Asprays and their -friends, and he told Mrs. Aspray that they could all have dinner in the -great stone hall where once upon a time, many ages ago, the monks of -the order of Ethelbert used to feed. - -Augusta was in wild spirits, and Nancy tried hard to enjoy herself. -There were one or two quiet, gentle sort of girls who attached -themselves to her, and they walked about, examining the old place and -trying to piece together its past history. - -Augusta meanwhile scarcely left Flora's side. She liked her even -better than Constance. Flora was so gay, so hearty in her manner--so -daring, too. She was absolutely astonished when Augusta told her that -she, in her own sheltered life, had to conform to rules and to obey -conditions. - -"But you are too old," said Flora. "Why, you are seventeen, are you -not?" - -"No," answered Augusta; "I am only just sixteen." - -"As if that mattered! Why, in America we often marry as young as -sixteen, and we certainly do exactly what we like. Oh! I am so anxious -to introduce you to a great friend of ours--Mr. Archer. I did so hope -he would be here to-day! He is an American, and such fun! He will put -you up to a wrinkle or two. We heard from him this morning, and he -will arrive to-morrow. I know you would admire him; and what is more -to the point, I am certain he would like you. You are exactly the sort -of English girl to take his fancy." - -Augusta blushed when Flora talked about Mr. Archer and the extreme -likelihood of his taking a fancy to her. - -"I don't suppose he would for a minute. And I don't know--this is -quite between ourselves--that I shall see much more of any of you." -she answered. - -"What do you mean by that? Don't you like us?" asked Flora bluntly. - -"Need you ask?" replied Augusta. "I cannot express to you what a -blessing it is to me having people like you close to us; but the -Richmonds have very funny ideas, and the fact is, as my aunt has not -called on your mother---- Oh, you understand, don't you?" - -"But your aunt is away. How can she call on mother? She would, -naturally, if she were at home." - -"Yes--yes; I know." - -"And being away," continued Flora, "the necessary formalities cannot -be gone through. Surely we can all have fun together. There is -Constance.--Constance, I want to say a word to you." - -Constance danced up to her sister. - -"Here is Miss Duncan," continued Flora, "hinting to me that she won't -be able to see much of us in future. Don't you think that would be a -vast pity, Connie? And with David Archer coming, too!" - -Constance laughed. - -"You will like him immensely if you see him," she said, staring full -at Augusta. - -Once more the colour rushed into her guest's face. - -"Well," said Augusta, "I must do my best. You may be sure I should -like to come. I have said so to your sister already. But there is a -Captain Richmond coming this evening--I call him Uncle Peter, although -he is not my real uncle--and he is awfully particular, and may prevent -me." - -"Captain Richmond!" cried both the girls. - -"Is he young, and is he nice?" questioned Flora. - -"Yes; I expect you would think him both young and good-looking. As to -his being nice, I expect he is that too, only he might not fulfil your -ideas." - -"I should like to see him," said Flora. "Now, I tell you what, Gussie -(oh! you must let me call you Gussie--'Miss Duncan' is far too stiff), -you must manage--quite by accident, you know--to meet us to-morrow, or -next day, with your dear, particular Captain Richmond; then you will -be forced, you know, to introduce us, and we will introduce you to -David Archer." - -"All right. I will see what I can do," answered Augusta. - -A shout from another member of the party caused the three girls to -look up. - -Mr. Aspray, a very stout man with a pale face, was calling to them to -hurry down and help to make tea, and no further private conversation -was possible. But as the carriages drew up at the crossroads for the -two girls to alight, Flora whispered in Augusta's ear: - -"Don't forget, Gussie. Constance and I will be walking in the -Fairleigh woods to-morrow. Now, be as clever as you look, and do what -we want." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -THE BROKEN LOCK. - - -It was quite dusk when Augusta and Nancy found themselves once more -back at Fairleigh. From the moment they left the cross-roads to the -time they reached the house neither of the girls spoke. - -Augusta was full of the delights of the past day, and was turning over -in her mind what possible stratagems she might employ to enable her to -see more of the Asprays. - -Nancy was equally busy wondering if Uncle Peter had yet arrived; and -when they turned the corner and saw Kitty and Nora each hanging on the -arm of the Captain, she uttered a glad cry and ran forward. - -"Ah! here you are. Good-evening, little niece Nancy.--And how are you, -Augusta?" - -"I am so sorry we were not here when you arrived, Uncle Peter!" said -Augusta. "We were away at a picnic." - -"I told Uncle Peter you were having a gay time and I did not know when -you would be back," remarked Nora, "but we waited supper for you all -the same. Shall we go in now?--for I am sure Uncle Peter must be very -hungry." - -"Hungry is no word for it," cried Captain Richmond. "I am starving. -Don't stay long tittivating, girls, but come down as soon as ever you -can, for the patience of a hungry man has its limits." - -The four girls ran upstairs laughing merrily. - -"Isn't he nice?" thought Nancy to herself. "Doesn't he make the whole -house seem breezy and happy? I am glad that he has come. Gussie won't -dare to tell any more lies now. And I hope--oh! I do hope she won't -often expect me to go with her to see the Asprays. Oh, to think that I -might have had to live with them! I should indeed have been a most -miserable girl. I would not exchange such darlings as Nora and Kitty -for Flora and Constance Aspray." - -"Are you ready?" cried Kitty at that moment, tapping at the door of -the little girl's room. - -"Yes. Just come in, please, Kitty," cried Nancy. - -Kitty entered. She wore a white dress with a pale-blue sash, and she -looked most sweet and charming. - -"Oh, you darling!" said Nancy, running up to her. "I must kiss you--I -must. Oh, how different you are! Oh, it is such a relief to get home -again!" - -"What queer, broken sentences, Nancy!" exclaimed Kitty. "Why is it -such a relief to get home; and who am I different from?" - -"The Asprays," said Nancy. - -"Then you had not a happy day?" - -"Oh, never mind! I suppose I ought to have had." - -"You need not see any more of them; you may be sure of that, Nancy. -Uncle Peter was rather surprised at your both going. I think Uncle -Peter is what you call punctilious--yes, that is the word. I am sure -he won't let us have anything to say to them until mother returns. But -now let us hurry down to supper. Do you know, Nancy, that he is nicer -than ever, and he has got no end of lovely schemes. I can see that we -are going to have a most heavenly time." - -"Did he--did he say anything," said Nancy slowly "did he say anything -about our battalion?" - -"No; not a single word. I expected him to, and so did Nora; but I -could see that it was in the back of his head all the time. I expect -the grand prize-day, when the best girl receives the Royal Cross, will -take place before we return to town. And, oh, Nancy darling! I have a -shrewd suspicion that you will win." - -"I!" said Nancy. "Certainly not. _I_ am not better than you or -Nora." - -"In some ways you are better. You are more patient; and then, you have -more to put up with. Uncle Peter is the sort of man to take all that -into consideration. He is very just--very just _indeed_--and he -is quite safe to give the cross to the person who has really earned -it." - -"What _are_ you two chattering about?" now came from Augusta. "We -are all waiting downstairs. Do hurry up." - -The girls flew down, their arms encircling each other. - -"Oh," thought Nancy to herself, "how sweet, how delightful is Kitty! -How happy she makes me!" - -The dining-room table was prettily laid; the supper was good and -abundant; Uncle Peter had a joke for every one. Never was there a more -delightful meal. When the Captain assured the girls he felt quite like -a paterfamilias with four grown-up daughters, they considered it the -hugest fun in the world, and laughed with uncontrolled delight. But -the gayest of meals come to an end, and once again the little party -went out and paced up and down on the moonlit lawn. - -It was now Nancy's turn to clasp her hand inside Captain Richmond's -arm, and with Nora on the other side, to walk backwards and forwards -in front of the old house. Meanwhile Kitty and Augusta fell behind the -others. - -"I hope you had a good time, Gussie," said her cousin. - -"You mean to-day," said Augusta. "There is only one word for -to-day--it was _ripping_. Yes; I can call it nothing else. Oh -Kit, you will help me, won't you?" - -"In what way, Gussie?" - -"I want to see some more of them--oh, so badly! You won't put an -obstacle in my way, will you?" - -"I am not the one to do it," answered Kitty; "but, of course, you can -understand, Gussie, that we have all got to obey the Captain." - -"I wish he hadn't come," said Augusta suddenly. - -"You wish that Uncle Peter--_darling_ Uncle Peter--hadn't -_come_?" - -"Yes; but you need not cry it out quite so loud. I don't, of course, -want _him_ to hear. I am sorry he has come because he is sure to -be very strict and proper, and perhaps he won't like the Asprays." - -"I don't believe he will have anything to do with them. Oh dear! there -is ten o'clock striking, and we must go to bed." - -"Girls," said the Captain as they re-entered the house, "this night -has been pure pleasure; but, you know, business awaits us to-morrow, -and before I retire for the night I should just like to run my eye -over the orderly-book. Can you get it for me, Nora? Your mother must -have left it where you could find it." - -Nora's face turned white and then pink. - -"I am so dreadfully sorry, Uncle Peter," she exclaimed, "but we have -lost the key of the drawer in mother's chiffonier in which she keeps -the orderly-book. It is altogether my fault and Kitty's. Mother was -going off in a great hurry, and she gave us the key, and we can't find -it high or low." - -"You had better have a good search for it to-morrow," answered the -Captain. "Never mind about it now. Good-night to you all. We will -begin brisk and early to-morrow, soldiers of the True Blue." - -He gave the little party a military salute, and going to the -drawing-room, he shut the door. - -The girls went upstairs, Augusta thanking her stars that the key was -lost. - -"So much the better for my purposes," she said to herself. "It will -never occur to him to try that special drawer; if he did it would open -fast enough. What a bit of luck that Kitty and Nora should have lost -the key!" - -The girls had now reached the broad landing which led by different -corridors to their bedrooms. Here they said good-night, and Augusta -quickly entered her own room. She felt excited and not at all disposed -to sleep. The Asprays had fascinated her, and the thought of meeting -that delightful American, Mr. David Archer, the man whom Flora had -assured her would take a great fancy to her, very nearly turned the -silly girl's head. - -"I wonder if I am really handsome," she said to herself. "I wonder if -there is something remarkable and fascinating about me. I should like -so much to know! Perhaps if I met him he would tell me. I wonder if he -would. It would be very nice to be pretty; pretty girls have such a -jolly time. Now, Nancy is pretty. It is horribly unfair, but although -she is nothing but a charity-child, she has far and away the most -charming face of any of us. What would I not give for her complexion, -and those beautiful wide dark eyes of hers, and that thick, thick -ebony-black hair? But I dare say I am very passable myself. I observed -Flora looking at me quite with approbation to-day. I shall light some -candles and see how I look before I go to bed." - -Augusta accordingly lit two candles which stood in heavy oak stands on -the mantelpiece. These she placed one on each side of her -looking-glass, and then, drawing the glass forward, she sat down and -stared into her face. But the glass was somewhat dim from age, and the -light altogether inefficient. - -"Why, I see nothing but a blur," thought the girl; and then it -occurred to her to go into her aunt's room and fetch some more candles -from there. - -The thought had no sooner come than she acted on it, bringing in a -heavy pair of candlesticks with tall wax candles in them. Just as she -reached her own door her foot knocked against something metallic. She -stooped and picked up a little key. - -"The lost key," she murmured under her breath; and then she slipped it -into her pocket. - -With the aid of the four candles Augusta got a good view of her -features. Her face was well shaped, and her eyes of a nice colour. She -was altogether, as she expressed it, "more than passable." - -"If only I grow tall, and have a good figure, and am dressed as I -ought to be, I shall be a success," she said to herself. "Those two -years in Paris will do wonders for me. Parisian polish is so -effective! Yes, I shall have a good time when I do go into society. -But, dear, dear! why should I wait for two or three years to have a -good time when I may have it now? What fun to talk to a man like David -Archer! Flora will do her best for me if I introduce Uncle Peter to -them. I suppose they think they will fascinate Uncle Peter, but they -don't know him. Yes, he is a charming man, only I do wish he were not -quite so awfully good." - -Augusta put out her candles and got into bed. As she laid her head on -the pillow she remembered that she had just found the missing key. - -"I am in luck," she said to herself--"in rare luck. The first thing -to-morrow I shall lock the chiffonier, and then I can throw the key -down--the well in the garden. That orderly-book won't be found then -until Aunt Jessie returns." - -But man proposes, God disposes. This trite proverb proved its right to -existence just at the time when Augusta thought all things were -moulding themselves in her favour. For while the four girls slept -peacefully in their different rooms, Captain Richmond thought and -pondered in the drawing-room. He paced up and down until he had -finished his cigarette. He then went and stood by the window, which -was open. - -He was thinking of his girls, and wondering how his battalion had -behaved. In particular his thoughts were occupied with Nancy. He had -taken a great fancy to Nancy when he had met her in London. He was -sorry for her, and he thought he understood her character. His own -nieces had always been to him as an open book, but Nancy puzzled while -she interested him. "As to Augusta--I cannot make her out. Quite down -in the bottom of my heart I don't like Augusta," said the Captain to -himself. "It is very uncharitable of me not to like her, for I know -nothing whatever to her discredit. But one is not accountable for -these sort of feelings. Why do I like Nancy so much? Why am I certain -that she is straight and noble and sweet and generous? I do believe -that it was mostly on account of Nancy I thought of my little scheme -to enroll the girls in my battalion. Well, I suppose as that key is -lost I had better go to bed. We shall have a good time to-morrow. Yes, -I must make those children happy. Jessie has entrusted them to my -care, and they sha'n't see more of those objectionable Asprays than I -can help." - -The Captain was about to leave the room, having first shut the window -and fastened the shutters, when his attention was attracted by the -chiffonier. He was fond of Sheraton furniture, and saw at once that -this was a particularly fine specimen. During his last visit to -Fairleigh this handsome piece of furniture had not been in the -drawing-room. He went up to it now, put down his candle, and looked it -over with great care. - -"I wonder where Jessie picked it up," he said to himself, "and what -she paid for it. It is certainly genuine. And how particularly fine -these brass mountings are." The chiffonier contained many drawers, -some shallow and some deep. Each drawer was opened by a small brass -handle, the lock being just above the handle. Captain Richmond took -hold of one of the handles and pulled the drawer, which immediately -slid out, and there, staring him in the face, was the well-known -orderly-book. - -"What a piece of luck!" he cried. "I am not a bit sleepy. So Jessie -never locked the drawer. As I have found the book I may as well run my -eye over its contents to-night. I shall make a more careful -examination to-morrow, but I am curious to know how my soldiers have -got on." - -The Captain lit another pair of candles, and drawing a comfortable -chair forward, seated himself and opened the book. His practised eyes -ran quickly over the pages. Augusta's entries were very much what he -had expected; they were fairly good without being anything remarkable. -His own two nieces were also creditable soldiers--neat, punctilious as -to behaviour, early risers, well forward in their athletics, and each -girl bore marks of excellent conduct. - -"Now for Nancy," thought the Captain. - -Nancy's pages came last, as she was the youngest girl of the four. As -Captain Richmond read the entries, made first by Miss Roy and then by -his sister-in-law, he smiled to himself. - -"Well done, Nancy!" he said more than once. "Brave little soldier. I -rather gather that you had a tussle with yourself on this day, and -that you conquered again on this day. Strange that I should read -between the lines! I was not mistaken in my estimate of your -character, little Nancy. But, oh! what have we here?" - -The Captain was now reading the brief entry made in Mrs. Richmond's -writing on 24th August. He read the few remarks, once in puzzled -bewilderment, twice in incredulity, and a third time with the colour -mounting to his face and apprehension in his eyes. - -"It can't be true," he said to himself. "Nancy guilty of cruelty! -_Impossible_." - -He shut the book as if he were thoroughly dissatisfied, and returning -it to its drawer, he went up to bed. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -"PRIZE-DAY COMES IN A MONTH." - - -The next day at breakfast Kitty began to talk of the lost key. - -"It is most provoking," she said. "What shall we do without having our -orderly-book properly signed? I cannot find the key anywhere." - -"I have spoken to the servants," interrupted Nora, "and they have -searched mother's room, and even taken up the rugs and shaken them. I -know for a positive fact," she added, "that neither Kitty nor I took -the key from mother's room." - -"What did I hear you say about the orderly-book?" asked Captain -Richmond. - -"Why, Uncle Peter, how funny of you, and what a peculiar expression -your eyes have! The orderly-book is locked up in the Sheraton -chiffonier; and we cannot get it from a locked drawer, can we?" - -"No, unless we break the lock or find that the drawer is already -open." - -"But it can't be; mother always kept it locked, and when she gave us -the key she spoke about its being locked." - -"She _thought_ she locked it," said Captain Richmond; "but as a -matter of fact I found it open. I read the orderly-book last night." - -There was something very grave in his tone, and Kitty stopped talking -and stared at him with knitted brows. Nora went calmly on pouring out -tea. Augusta got very red, and as she helped herself to a piece of -toast her hand trembled; while Nancy, with her wide-open, innocent -dark eyes, looked full into the Captain's face. - -He did not return Nancy's gaze. - -"I hope we have all been good enough soldiers to satisfy you, Uncle -Peter," said Kitty. "You won't tell us what you think, will you?" - -"No," he answered--"not now; prize-day comes in a month." - -"Oh, Uncle Pete, what shall we do on prize-day? We must have a gay -time." - -"The prizes will be given in the evening. The greatest prize--the -Royal Cross--will be presented with the others. But do not ask me to -tell you any more; that would be giving myself away." - -He got up as he spoke and left the room. When he got to the hall he -stood still for a moment, raised his hand, and pushed his short, crisp -hair up on his head. He then turned in the direction of the -drawing-room. There was a very wide and spacious hall to the Fairleigh -house. The dining-rooms opened into one end, the great drawing-room, -the library, and morning-room into the other. Captain Richmond -strolled now through the big drawing-room. The French windows were -wide open; the sunlit lawn blazed outside. The sun-blinds had been -already drawn down, and the cool effect of the room itself compared to -the heat on the lawn was most refreshing. Captain Richmond opened the -drawer of the chiffonier and examined it carefully. His practised eye -easily detected the marks of a tool which had forced the lock. He saw -also that the lock itself was poor and of a very simple make. He -pushed the drawer in and sat down by the window. Who could possibly -have meddled with the lock? He took up the newspaper, opened it, and -pretended to read it, but in reality his thoughts were far from the -news of the day. He continued wondering over the open drawer, over the -lost key, and most of all did his thoughts puzzle over the -orderly-book itself. - -Nancy, whom he had trusted, had failed him; she had been guilty of the -sin of all others most terrible and grave in his eyes--the sin of -cruelty. That gentle, kind, and loving child guilty of so grave a -fault! He could scarcely believe it. - -Just at this juncture in his thoughts the door opened and Augusta came -in. Augusta was in reality very nervous and troubled, and she had come -now, as she expressed it, to take the bull by the horns. - -"Well, Uncle Peter," she said; and she chose a seat opposite to that -in which the Captain was sitting. "Oh, how hot it is outside," she -continued, "and how beautifully cool here! I have brought my knitting. -I am making a tie for you, Uncle Peter. May I work here while you read -the paper?" - -"Of course, Augusta; just as you like," answered Captain Richmond. - -Augusta took her work from its bag and began slowly to knit. Presently -she dropped a stitch, which caused her to utter an exclamation of -annoyance. - -"What is it?" said the Captain; and he flung down his newspaper and -looked at her. - -"I have dropped a stitch in my knitting. But it doesn't matter; Nancy -will find it for me by-and-by." - -"Has Nancy such good sight?" - -"Yes. My eyes ache very often. And Nancy is very good-natured; she -always does what I ask her." - -The Captain looked both pleased and relieved. - -"You have found Nancy good-natured?" he asked. - -"He is thinking of the report in the orderly-book," Augusta thought to -herself. "I won't do poor little Nancy more harm than I can help." - -"Nan is certainly good-natured," she said aloud. - -"I am glad you like her," continued the Captain; and he sighed a very -little as he spoke. - -Augusta fiddled with her knitting. After a time she looked up. - -"As we are quite by ourselves, may I speak to you?" she said suddenly. - -"Why, of course, Gussie. What is it?" - -"Well, you know that father and mother are away?" - -"So my sister-in-law has told me." - -"And I am their only child, and I feel being parted from my parents -very much." - -"Of course you do," said the Captain; and he looked with sudden -interest at Augusta. Hitherto he had not admired her in any way. "When -will your parents be back?" he asked. - -"Next year; and when they come back they are going to send me to -Paris." - -"To Paris! What for?" - -"Oh, Uncle Peter, don't you know? To be educated--to be finished--to -get Parisian French and Parisian deportment and dancing, you know, and -all the rest." - -"I am afraid I do not know, Augusta. I am unacquainted with any young -ladies who have been educated in the French capital. I have no -particular love for the French ways. You see, I am an Englishman to -the backbone." - -"But I shall still be an English girl even if I have got a little bit -of French polish. Besides, it will so please father and mother! If I -go it will be because"---- Here she dimpled and smiled and looked full -at the Captain. - -"Because of what?" - -"Because of you, Uncle Peter." - -"Now I do fail to understand you. What on earth can I have to do with -it?" - -"You have a great deal more to do with it than you can guess. If my -marks are very good--particularly my marks as regards conduct--I shall -go. And, oh, I am so anxious to go! And if by any chance I could win -the Royal Cross, then indeed I should be safe." - -"And suppose you did win it, would that be your object?" - -"Oh! besides that there would be many others; but that too. Can you -blame me, Uncle Peter? It would so please my parents!" - -"No, I cannot blame you, Augusta; and, without giving myself away in -any manner, I may as well say that you have at least as good a chance -as the others." - -"Have I indeed? Have I truly? Oh, how very happy you have made me!" - -"Continue to behave well, Augusta, and nobody knows what will happen." -He rose as he spoke. - -"I am bound," he thought, "after the excellence of Augusta's marks, to -give her that much encouragement, but surely never before was there -man so disappointed.--I am going into the woods," he said aloud. -"Good-bye for the present." - -"Oh! one word, please, before you go. What do you say to our walking -through the woods and having a gipsy tea there this afternoon?" - -"If your cousins like it, Augusta, I am quite agreeable. Do you prefer -the woods to the seashore?" - -"Yes; it will be so very hot on the sands to-day," said Augusta. - -"I am, as I said, at your disposal." - -The Captain strolled away, and the moment he had gone Augusta flew to -the chiffonier, pulled open the drawer, and looked at it. - -"Any one can see that it has been tampered with," she said to herself. -"I am certain by his manner that he has discovered it. But one thing -at least is clear--he has not the remotest suspicion of me.--Oh Nancy, -what are you doing here?" - -"I thought Uncle Pete was here," said Nancy, who had entered the room -and looked with disappointed eyes all over it; "Kitty said he was, and -I wanted to talk to him. What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie? Is -it not very strange that it should be open--that Aunt Jessie left it -unlocked?" - -[Illustration: "What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie?"] - -"Solve the mystery if you can, Nancy," said Augusta, quite vexed at -being discovered. "But if you want your darling Captain, he has just -strolled through the woods." - -"Of course I want him," replied Nancy; "I love him so much." - -She ran out of the open window, and was soon seen flitting across the -lawn in the direction of the cool and sheltered woods. Captain -Richmond was not far off. Nancy called his name, and he whistled to her -to come to him. She ran quickly to his side. - -"It is so lovely to have you here!" she exclaimed. "And, oh, Uncle -Pete, I _have_ tried! It has been very hard, but I have tried." - -Her eyes were raised to his face. There were dimples in her cheeks and -smiles round her lips. - -"What a face!" thought the Captain. "Angelic is the only word for it. -And yet, my eyes cannot deceive me--she is a hypocrite;" and in spite -of himself he shook off the loving hand which touched his arm, and -began to talk quickly of indifferent matters. - -For a moment a cold, curious sensation visited Nancy's heart, but it -soon passed off! She was so sympathetic that she could throw herself -with zest and interest into almost any conversation. Notwithstanding -his grief and displeasure, the Captain could not help confiding in -her, telling her some of his own worries, and laughing when she gave -childish but practical advice. - -"I am so excited about the prize!" she said as the two presently -returned to the house. "I don't believe I have any chance of getting -the Royal Cross, but I have tried for it." - -"Have you indeed, Nancy?" - -"Yes, Uncle Pete. Why do you look at me with such a sad face? Do you -think I would not try?" - -"I always thought you would try," he answered. "But remember, it is a -cross _for valour_. Do you know what that means?" - -"Bravery," said Nancy. - -"I think it means rather more than ordinary bravery. It needs both a -tender and gallant heart to really aspire to valour; it needs a rare -unselfishness. I want you all to forget the prize in the joy of -attaining to it. It is the attainment that really matters; the prize -in itself is but a symbol." - -"Yes," said Nancy gravely, "but the symbol testifies to the -attainment." - -"What a serious subject for a little girl!" said the Captain. - -Nancy's eyes were full of tears. - -"Sometimes it is rather hard for me," she said, "but when you are here -I can do almost anything." - -"Is it possible that that child can be cruel?" thought the Captain -after she had left him. "It certainly seems inconceivable; and yet -Jessie would not have put such a mark in the orderly-book for nothing. -If there is a very capable, careful, and trustworthy person it is my -sister-in-law. And she loves Nancy, too; she would not act so to her -unless there were some very grave reason. Poor little girl, when did -everything fail and the great crash come? She doesn't look a bit like -it." - -At early dinner the four girls and the Captain were, to all -appearance, in the highest spirits; and soon afterwards they started -on their expedition to the woods. - -Augusta had now fully and absolutely made up her mind to obtain the -Royal Cross, and for this reason she was determined to show to the -utmost advantage in Captain Richmond's eyes. - -It was arranged they were to have their gipsy tea in a part of the -pine-woods about two miles away from the house. This part was just -above the seashore. The place of rendezvous was not only sheltered -from the rays of the sun, but freshened by the sea-breezes. - -The picnic basket was packed, and the kettle, spirit-lamp, &c. were -put into another basket. - -"Come," said the Captain, seizing the heavy basket and striding -forward; "you girls must take turns in carrying the edibles." - -"I will carry the basket first," said Augusta. - -She dragged it out of Nancy's hands, who gave it up in some -astonishment, for, as a rule, the office of carrying Augusta's things -devolved upon her. Having secured the basket, Augusta ran forward and -joined Captain Richmond. The three other girls walked together behind. - -Augusta's heart beat hard, for not only had she to play the part of a -good and unselfish girl for the Captain's benefit, but she was looking -forward to meeting her fascinating friends, the Asprays, and their -delightful companion, Mr. Archer. What would happen when the meeting -took place she must leave to circumstances. - -But she was quite resolved that if it lay within the realm of -possibility she would get the Captain to admire her friends and to let -them join their picnic party. By-and-by Kitty ran up to her. - -"Come, give me the basket now, Augusta," she said; "you are looking -very hot and red in the face. Nancy and I will carry it between us." - -"No, thank you," said Augusta, "I don't feel its weight at all, and -you are so pale it would tire you to carry it. Leave it to me," she -added. "I really like it; I assure you I do." - -"Then leave her the basket by all means," said the Captain. "It is -such a pity to take from us what we like, particularly when we are -doing a service to others." - -Augusta could not be quite sure whether Uncle Peter was laughing at -her or not. But in another moment a sudden bend in the road -effectually diverted her thoughts, for coming to meet them were the -two Aspray girls, looking remarkably pretty in white embroidered -dresses and big shady hats; and walking between the two girls was a -tall young man of about two-and-twenty years of age. The moment Flora -Aspray saw Augusta she gave a shout of welcome, and rushing to meet -her, kissed her with great _empressement_. - -"How very nice!" she said. "Oh, so you are all here! Now I do think -this is a rare piece of luck. Let me introduce Mr. Archer." - -"Captain Richmond, this is my friend, Flora Aspray; and this is my -other friend, Constance Aspray," said Augusta. - -The Captain talked to the two girls in a polite and pleasant fashion; -Mr. Archer began to notice Augusta; and the three girls from behind -came and joined the group. In a very short time, no one quite knew -how, the Asprays and Mr. Archer found themselves invited to join the -Richmond party. They now all turned in a mass and walked in the -direction where the picnic was to take place. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -THE GIPSY TEA. - - -The gipsy tea was pronounced afterwards to have been a great success. -Mr. Archer was agreeable, bright, and witty. He talked with a slight -American twang, which added to his fascination in Augusta's eyes. -Whenever he looked at you his eyes seemed to laugh. He had white -teeth, too, which he showed constantly. His hands were strong and -muscular, and also very white. He was slenderly made, and looked years -younger than Captain Richmond. - -Augusta, determining to be her very best, her most amiable, and her -most fascinating self, won approval on all sides. She was really a -clever girl, and having been in her father's and mother's house more -or less accustomed to society, knew better what to say and how to act -than either her cousins or Nancy. The Richmond girls were only too -pleased to remain in the background, and Nancy of course kept them -company. - -When the kettle boiled, and the hot cakes, mysteriously toasted by a -special arrangement of cook's, not only appeared on the scene, but -vanished; when the tea itself had come absolutely to an end, the -little party strolled in twos and threes through the wood. The great -heat of this lovely summer's day was tempered by a slight breeze, and -under the trees the shade was a comfort. Captain Richmond could not -help remarking on the great beauty of the scene. He turned as he spoke -and met the clear, wide gaze of Nancy. He was about to say something -to her when a laugh from Flora Aspray diverted his attention. - -"Ah!" she said, "who will race with me to catch that admiral -butterfly? I am collecting butterflies, and I must have it to add to -my collection." - -"I hate that sort of thing," said Captain Richmond; and as he spoke he -again looked at Nancy. Her colour was coming and going. - -"Oh! never mind, Captain Richmond; you must put up with it," said the -American, with a slight laugh. "And I am not so cruel after all. I -generally use a chloroform-bottle. Now, who will take this net and try -and catch that beauty?--Will you, little Miss Nancy? You would oblige -me so much!" - -"I could not for worlds," said Nancy. She coloured crimson, and then -turned very pale. - -"But if I make it a request, and a very great request; if I ask it as -a personal favour," continued Flora. - -"Nancy shall not be pressed," said Captain Richmond.--"Go back to the -others, Nancy, and leave this matter to me.--Suppose, Miss Aspray, -that I request the life and liberty of the beautiful admiral -butterfly, will you, instead of hunting it down, take a walk with me -through the woods?" - -Flora Aspray gave an indignant toss to her head, but Captain Richmond -looked both handsome and gentlemanly, and she found it impossible to -resist him, and soon was walking rapidly away from the others by his -side. - -Augusta found herself between Mr. Archer and Constance, and the three -had a very gay time. - -"I wonder what this all means," said Kitty. "I want to ask you a -direct question, Nancy. Do you, or do you not, like the Asprays?" - -"I wish you had not asked me," said Nancy; "but I don't." - -"What is the matter with you, child? You look so queer and nervous. -What can the Asprays have done to you?" - -"Nothing--nothing. Of course, I ought not to dislike them, but I do. I -wish they were not here. I had hoped that when Uncle Peter came -everything would be all right, but I sometimes think that nothing will -ever be right any more." - -"Why, Nancy," said Nora--"why are you so miserable?" - -"I wish--I _wish_ I could tell you." - -"But can't you, darling--can't you?" - -"No--no, I can't--not now; perhaps in a few months' time, but not now. -Don't ask me. Don't take any notice of me. I will try and keep it to -myself." - -"Oh, whatever is worrying you?" said Nora. "You are getting quite pale -and thin. Kitty and I have noticed it, and we don't like it at all. We -feel somehow that Augusta is to blame, but we are not sure." - -"Don't blame anybody," said Nancy. "It was my own fault in the first -instance, and nothing can remedy it--at least until the holidays are -over." - -"Well, let us forget it," said Kitty, going up to her little friend -and kissing her. "It is so lovely in these darling woods! Don't you -just adore that peep of the blue, blue sea between those trees? And, -oh, how pretty the butterflies look flitting from flower to flower! I -don't think it is right to be unhappy in such a perfect place as -this." - -Nancy tried to smile. - -"There, that is better," said Nora; "come and sit between us. Let us -talk about prize-day. Won't it be exciting when it comes?" - -"Yes--very," said Nancy. - -"Do you know what Kit and I are quite certain about?" continued Nora. -"We are positively sure that you will get the Royal Cross." - -"Oh no, I sha'n't! Why should I?" - -"Well, you see, as far as we can tell, you have never had even what -might be called a _dubious_ mark for conduct. Your conduct every -single day has been good, or very good, or excellent." - -"But how do you know?" said Nancy. "Have you seen the marks?" - -"I did once, when Miss Roy was here. She just let me look at a page or -two, and then shut the book and said I must not see any farther; but I -saw quite enough to perceive how high you were on the ladder of good -conduct. Neither Nora nor I will grudge you the great honour, Nancy; -but I am afraid if Gussie took the prize we should be green with -jealousy." - -"She has not a chance," said Kitty. "And now let us pack up the -baskets. It will soon be time to return to the house." - -The little girls busied themselves. The crockery was washed and put -carefully away, the tablecloth folded, the knives and forks and spoons -wrapped in tissue-paper. - -"Wasn't it funny Gussie insisting on carrying this heavy basket all -the way here? Why did you offer to help her, Nancy? I quite loved to -see her dragged down by the weight," said Kitty. - -"There is one thing certain," said Nora--"_we_ shall have to -carry the things back. Why, even Uncle Peter has deserted us. I did -think he would have stayed. I suppose he has fallen a victim to the -charms of the Asprays." - -Now, Captain Richmond had done nothing of the sort. He was a grave -man, with lofty views on all subjects. He also had considerable -insight into character. Augusta was a girl who could never be in the -very least to his taste, but as she happened to be his sister-in-law's -niece, he was bound to be kind to her. She was also living in the same -house with Nora, Kitty, and Nancy. He had not taken to the Asprays, -nor did he consider them suitable companions for his nieces; and it -gave him a certain sense of satisfaction to see that Nora, Kitty, and -Nancy were as indifferent to these gay young ladies as he was himself. -It was Augusta who liked them. Now, in the absence of his -sister-in-law he felt it his duty to look after Augusta, and it was -really for her sake that he took this walk alone with Flora Aspray. - -Flora found him exceedingly fascinating. A red colour had come to her -cheeks, and her eyes were bright. She put on her most up-to-date -society airs for his benefit, and felt sure in her silly little heart -that she was making a conquest, for the Captain replied to her light -and silly nothings with such politeness. He was determined to perform -for her benefit those thousand and one little attentions which mark, -as a rule, the gentleman and the soldier. She laughed merrily about -nothing at all, and was highly pleased with herself. But when Captain -Richmond began to talk of graver matters Flora quickly got out of her -depths. She did not know that she was being weighed in the balance and -found wanting. From one subject to another did the Captain lead her, -and more and more did she disappoint him. None of his feelings, -however, were allowed to appear, and they said good-bye to each other -apparently the best of friends. - -Augusta and Captain Richmond walked home together. As soon as they -were out of earshot of the Asprays, Augusta turned to her companion -and said eagerly: - -"Didn't you have a delightful afternoon? I am sure I did. I do think -Constance the most charming girl! And as to Mr. Archer, he is so -American, is he not? You like him very much, don't you?" - -"What a quantity of liking I have to do, Gussie!" said the Captain. -"Now, do you want the truth, or just a polite remark?" - -"Oh! the truth--the truth, of course," said Augusta, colouring, and -then dropping her eyes under Uncle Peter's steadfast gaze. - -"Very well; I will give it to you, for I think I ought. I don't care -about Mr. Archer. He may be harmless, but that is the most that can be -said of him. I don't like Miss Flora, and I have a strong persuasion -that Miss Constance is as like her as one pea resembles another." - -"And why don't you like Flora? I am sure she tried to be nice to you." - -"She was extremely nice to me, but she is not the sort of girl I care -about. Why need we talk about them any more? They are not our friends; -they are only chance acquaintances." - -"But I want them to be our friends," said Augusta; "it is so lonely -and dull here, and their society would make such a great difference. -At the worst you have to admit that they are harmless, Uncle Peter, -and you cannot possibly object to our seeing a good deal of them." - -"I will write to your aunt to-night, Augusta, and ask her what are her -views on the subject. Until I hear from her you must not have much to -do with the Asprays. Of course, if you meet them by accident, as we -did to-day, you will be polite and all that. But you are not to go to -Fairlight; neither are they to come here until I hear from your aunt -Jessie." - -"Oh dear!" said Augusta, "I did hope you would have liked them." - -"I am here to look after you all," said the Captain, "and I want your -companions to be worthy." - -"But how are they unworthy?" - -"Ask yourself, Augusta; you are not without common-sense. And now, -don't talk to me any more on this matter." - -Augusta had to make a great effort to keep back her temper, but the -prize, which was so near, had to be thought of. She remained silent -for a few minutes, and then spoke as cheerfully as she could on other -subjects. - -Immediately after supper that night Augusta went up to her own room, -and Nancy too disappeared; thus the Captain found himself alone with -his nieces. - -"Now, this is really cosy," said Kitty, taking his right side. "Sit -here, Nora.--You are not to stir, Uncle Pete; we are each going to sit -on an arm of this exceedingly comfortable chair. You are going to have -your nieces very, very near to you. Oh, isn't it quite delicious?" - -The Captain smiled and patted Kitty's soft white hand. - -"How are you getting on?" he said. "How does the soldiering -prosper--or are you both tired of the campaign?" - -"No; we both love it," said Nora. "But I am afraid we are poor -soldiers--very; still, I think we do our best. Uncle Pete, may we talk -to you about something? Are we to see a lot of these new people, the -Asprays, during the holidays?" - -"I cannot tell you. Augusta wishes it, and her desires ought not to be -altogether ignored. But nothing can be done until I hear from your -mother." - -"I hope you will tell mother the exact truth about them," said Kitty. -"I am most anxious to have nothing further to do with them." - -"Well, you had very little to do with them to-day, Kit; you talked to -Nora or Nancy all the time." - -"They didn't want me. I am nothing but a child compared to Flora and -Constance. But it isn't that, Uncle Pete. I should not really greatly -care if they came or not were it not for Nancy." - -"And what about Nancy?" - -"Ah! I wish I could tell you, for I don't think she likes them at all, -but she is too good-natured to say a word against any one." - -"I wish you could find out what ails her," said the Captain, with -interest. "Does she admit that something does?" - -"Yes--oh yes, poor darling; and she looked so sad when she just -alluded to it! She is awfully patient, you know, and I think---- Nora, -may I tell?" - -"Of course you may," said Nora. "Uncle Pete is like one of our very -own selves." - -"Well, what Nora and I think is that Gussie worries her; that she has -got a sort of hold over her. We can't make it out, but we have thought -it for some time." - -"I don't see how that is possible," said the Captain. "Perhaps there -may be some other reason for Nancy's unhappiness." - -"But what can there be?" - -"How can I tell you?" - -"Uncle Pete, why do you get up from your chair and look so funny? You -almost tossed me on the floor." - -"A thousand pardons, Kit.--I am going to have a smoke on the terrace, -and I think it is time for you little women to go to bed." - -"But have you nothing to propose about Nancy?" - -"I am afraid not." - -"Are not you interested in her, Uncle Peter? You always seemed to like -her so very much." - -"I am interested, but sometimes one cannot see an inch beyond one's -own nose." - -"Oh, Uncle Pete, you are not so blind as all that!" - -"At the present moment I am, Kitty. Don't say any more to-night. -Justice must be done to Nancy; of that rest assured." - -The Captain left the room, and the little girls stared at each other; -presently they went hand in hand up to bed. - -It was not until they left the room that a girl suddenly stepped out -from behind a screen, where she had been hiding for the last quarter -of an hour. The girl was Augusta. - -"Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves," was her inward comment; -"but all information is useful. So those impudent little chits think I -am bullying Nancy, and they will try to persuade Uncle Pete to their -way of thinking if I don't put a spoke in their wheel. I must, and -will, or my name is not Augusta. Uncle Pete thinks at the present -moment that that pretty and fascinating Nancy is guilty of cruelty. I -will prove it before his very eyes between now and the day when the -prizes are given away. Nancy, I have no dislike to you personally, but -I am determined to get the Royal Cross, for it means Paris and a good -time in the future; and I am also determined to get you more than ever -into my power, for you must help me with regard to the Asprays. See -them again I will--ay, many times. I am not going to be balked of the -first bit of genuine fun that has come across my path." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE PACKET OF LETTERS. - - -Two or three days later Captain Richmond received a long letter from -his sister-in-law. The post arrived at breakfast-time, and the four -girls watched him with more or less interest while he read. - -He read the letter very carefully over to himself, and his face -expressed no emotion whatever. Mrs. Richmond, in reply to a long letter -from him, had written as follows: - - "My Dear Peter,--I am so thankful that you are able to stay - with the children at Fairleigh for the present; you understand - Nora and Kitty so well, and I am quite certain that you - equally understand our dear little Nancy. As to Augusta, she - is more difficult, but I trust the dear child will behave well - and not give you any anxiety. Before I reply to your letter, - just received, I must tell you that my own plans are somewhat - puzzling; and were it not for you, and also for the fact that - Miss Roy will be almost immediately returning to Fairleigh, I - could not carry them out. My dear friend is in the most - alarming condition both of body and mind. The death of her son - has completely shattered her, and the doctors have ordered her - to go to South Africa immediately to pay a visit to her - married daughter. She is quite incapable of taking the voyage - alone, and I am forced to go with her. I shall only stay to - see her settled, and after putting her into the care of her - daughter, will return home by the first boat possible to - England. But the whole thing will probably take a couple of - months, and during that time I want you and Miss Roy to keep - house for me. I have not even time to come home to say - good-bye to the dear children, but they are quite well and in - the best of hands. I am writing to my own girls, and they will - receive their letter by the next post. Please tell them so, - and give them my dear love. My maid, Justine, will return to - Fairleigh to pack some things for me, for I cannot leave my - poor friend even for a day. We sail, all being well, on - Monday. - - "Now to come to the subject of your letter. I do not know the - Asprays personally, although their name is familiar to me. My - dear brother, I have something curious to tell you with regard - to them. You know how fond I am of Nancy Esterleigh. I have - adopted her as my own dear child, and trust she will never - give her affections to any other so-called mother. But this is - the state of the case: By her father's will she is entitled, - should she ever wish to claim it, to a permanent home and also - to provision for the future from Mr. Aspray. Were she to leave - me and go to him he could not refuse her this home. The matter - was arranged many years ago, when dear Nancy was only a baby. - It has something to do with a considerable sum of money which - Mr. Aspray borrowed from Nancy's father. He was unable to pay - it back at the time, but offered, if ever necessary, to take - his little daughter and to do for her and bring her up with - his own children, and to provide for her future. Nancy's - mother told me all about this when she herself was dying, and - she gave me the letter which Nancy, if necessary, is to take - to Mr. Aspray. Nancy's mother anything but wished that her - little girl should be adopted by the Americans, and implored - of me to do all in my power to prevent such a contingency. I - feel, therefore, that any intimate acquaintance is scarcely - desirable. Not that I am in the least afraid that Nancy would - prefer those people to my little girls or me. - - "What I have told you with regard to Nancy is for yourself - alone, and you will be guided how best to act under the - circumstances. - - "Yes, Peter, Augusta is certainly the one who troubles me, - and I am going to write her a special and private letter. She - is sure to take a fancy to the Asprays, for she is more - worldly-minded than my own dear children. Now I think I have - explained everything to you. Of course, we cannot be rude to - them, but any intimacy with the Asprays is the reverse of - desirable.--Your affectionate sister-in-law, - - "Jessie Richmond." - -Having read this letter once, Captain Richmond slowly and carefully -perused it again, and then raised his eyes. - -"Oh, Uncle Pete! that is good," cried Nora; "you have looked up at -last. We have been watching you by the clock, and you have been a -quarter of an hour and two minutes reading mother's letter. What can -she possibly have to say? We expected to hear from her this morning, -but she has not written. Is anything wrong, Uncle Pete? How funny you -look! You have your half-glad and half-sorry face on.--Hasn't he, -Kitty?" - -"Yes," said Kitty; "and we can't keep in our curiosity any longer, so -please read that long, long--wonderfully long--letter aloud." - -Captain Richmond rose. - -"No," he said; "the letter is private. But if you will all come to me -on the terrace in a quarter of an hour I will tell you what parts of -it you ought to know. Be sure you come, Nancy--and you, Augusta. Ta-ta -for the present." - -He blew a kiss to his nieces, nodded to the other girls, and left the -room. - -"Then it is something very exciting," said Kitty. "I thought so when -he frowned and his brows met in a line, and then when he gave that -quick little jerk and sort of sigh. Oh dear! aren't you nearly mad -with curiosity, Nancy?" - -"I should like to know what Aunt Jessie has written about," said -Nancy. "But, after all, Uncle Pete will tell us in a very short time; -and I must go now and feed my canary." - -Nora and Kitty had given Nancy a very beautiful canary a few days -before. The bird was a splendid specimen of its kind, and sang -magnificently. She had hung it up in her own bedroom, and now went up -to give it fresh seed and groundsel. - -The quarter of an hour soon passed, and the four girls met Captain -Richmond on the terrace, which at that hour in the morning was quite -cool and sheltered from the fierce rays of the sun. He was seated -reading that wonderful letter for the third time; but when he saw the -girls he thrust it into his pocket and came to meet them. - -"Now then," he said, "for my news, which is somewhat startling. We -shall not have your dear, kind mother here for the present." - -"Why?" said Kitty. "Is her friend so very ill?" - -"Poor thing, she is very ill indeed, Kitty--I fear alarmingly so; and -your mother--just like her kindness--is going to accompany her to -South Africa. They start on Monday, and your mother says she has no -time to return home between now and then. Indeed, even if she had, she -could not leave Mrs. Rashleigh. Justine will arrive to-day or -to-morrow and pack her things." - -"Don't cry, Kitty," said Nora; "mother would not go if she could help -it." - -"Of course not," said Kitty; but as she sat down on the nearest seat -her pretty little face was white and tears were brimming over in her -eyes. - -Nancy immediately seated herself next to Kitty, and flung one -protecting arm round her neck. - -"I understand--I understand," she whispered in her ear. - -The low and intensely sympathetic words comforted the little girl, and -she squeezed Nancy's hand and nestled up against her. - -"Well," continued Captain Richmond, "that is one part of the letter. -Miss Roy returns to resume her duties next week, and between now and -then I shall be in charge. You have been very good girls in the past, -and I trust you will be equally good in the future. You may be certain -I shall do all I can to promote happiness and good-will amongst us." - -Here he laughed, and his eyes met those of Augusta, who was gazing at -him as if she would read him through. - -"Now to take the bull by the horns," thought Captain Richmond to -himself. He paused for a minute, and then he said slowly and -emphatically: - -"With regard to the subject about which I wrote to your mother, Nora -and Kitty, and to your aunt, Augusta, she--as I thought she -would--agrees with me. We are to be polite to the Asprays, but there -is to be no intimacy. We cannot dispute my sister-in-law's wishes; we -may therefore regard that subject as a closed book." Captain Richmond -put on his most determined air as he spoke, and held out his hand to -Kitty. "Who will come for a walk with me in the woods?" he said. - -"No, thank you; I don't want to go," cried Augusta; and she turned and -went very sulkily into the house. - -She ran up to her own room. Shutting the door and turning the key in -the lock, she took out of her pocket a letter which she had slipped -into it unperceived by any one that morning. The letter had been lying -on her plate at breakfast, but she had managed to secrete it before -the other girls had come down. She had read it once, and now she -proceeded to read it again. It was from Flora Aspray, and its contents -were of the deepest interest to Augusta. Flora wrote with great -earnestness and spirit. - - "Oh, we want you so badly!" explained the letter. "I don't - like to say too much, but, you dear, bewitching girl, you have - made a _conquest._ However, more of that anon. Yours is - the very first invitation sent out. We are getting up a little - dance--quite a scratch affair. It is to be this day week--only - a poor little Cinderella, from eight to twelve o'clock. There - will be several girls quite as young as yourself, so the most - fastidious could not object. If you could come to us we could - give you a bed for the night; and if you must have company, do - ask any of the other three girls you like to come with you. - But, to be frank, we only want _you._ David Archer says - that your cousins and your queer little friend are too funny - for anything. You know, David is quite a mimic; you would - die with laughter if you saw him taking off that funny, prim - little Nancy. Oh! and, my dear girl, that precious Captain - Richmond of yours is too good for life. I never had a duller - walk than the one we took together. David Archer takes him - off, too, with his saintliness and goody-goody airs. Oh, it is - killing! But there, Augusta; how my pen runs on! The main - thing that all this leads up to is, _will_ you come? Will - you give us the great pleasure of your company? Oh, of course - you will! You cannot help yourself. If you were not present it - would nearly break the heart of your most devoted--Flo. - - "_P.S._ If you have not a suitable dress with you, - either Constance or I can give you a big selection to choose - from, so don't worry on that score--only come." - -"Go I will," said Augusta to herself when she had finished reading the -letter. "I would not lose the fun for all the world. But now, how -shall I manage it?" - -She sat with Flora's letter upon her lap and gave herself up to -meditation. It was a lovely day, and the window of her pretty bedroom -was wide open. The sky was blue, and the trees a brilliant green. The -lawns, which rolled away right down to the end of the paddock, were -smooth as velvet. Presently a little figure crossed one of them and -came slowly towards the house. Augusta's eyes contracted and her brows -met in a frown as she watched the little figure. - -"It is odd how I dislike Nan," she said to herself. "Poor child, I -suppose she is quite passable, and even agreeable to others, but she -always does manage to rub me the wrong way. She could be wonderfully -useful now, however. If I could get her to run to the post with my -answer I should feel more or less relieved; and if things are -eventually found out, and it is discovered she has a finger in the -pie, so much the better for me." - -Augusta sprang up, put her head out of the window, and called to -Nancy. - -"Come here, Nancy; I want you," she cried. - -Nancy ran towards her, standing under the window and looking up. - -"What are you doing?" asked Augusta. - -"Oh! lots of things; but nothing very, _very_ special. Do you -want me, Gussie?" - -"Yes; there is no one else to send, and I just want some one to run to -the village and put a letter I am about to write into the post for me. -Will you go? It would be awfully good-natured of you." - -"Yes; of course I will." - -"Well, come up to my room in ten minutes and I'll have the letter -ready." - -Augusta seated herself at her little table, and wrote quickly: - - "My Dear Flo,--The fat is in the fire, and we are forbidden - all intercourse with you. Mean, horrid, disgraceful, - unbearable, I call it! Don't think for a single moment that I - submit. I love you better than any girl I have ever met. I - love Constance, too. But, oh! I must hurry, for I want you to - get this letter by the middle of the day. Don't come near the - place at present, and don't walk in the woods, for if I met - you I might be discovered, and I don't want anything to be - known until after the Cinderella. Of course I am going, but - how I do not know at the present moment. I can't sleep at your - house; that is certain. You will hear from me nearer the time. - And now, good-bye.--Your affectionate friend, - - "Augusta Duncan." - -Augusta had scarcely finished her letter before Nancy's tap was heard -at her door. - -"Come in," called out the young lady; and Nancy entered. - -"Is the letter ready, Augusta?" she asked. - -"Yes; I am directing it. Have you got a stamp about you?" - -"Yes." - -"Lend me one, like a good child." - -Nancy took out her purse, produced a stamp, and gave it to Augusta. - -Augusta proceeded to affix it to the letter, which she then gave to -Nancy. - -"It is private," she said; "don't for the life of you show it to any -one. And now be off; put wings to your feet, or you will lose the -half-past ten clearance." - -"But it is to one of the Asprays," said Nancy, taking up the letter -and looking at it, and then putting it down again. - -"Well, and what of that?" asked Augusta, turning very red, and looking -extremely angry. - -"Oh! nothing, of course; only you heard what Uncle Peter said this -morning." - -"Certainly I did; I am not deaf." - -"And after hearing what he said, ought you to write to them?" -stammered Nancy. - -"What a silly child you are! Have I not told them we are to keep out -of their way in the future? How comfortable we should feel if they -were haunting our woods and we could not talk to them! Now, as I have -explained matters, I suppose you will post the letter." - -"I don't know; I don't think it is quite right. Can't you post it -yourself?" - -"I can't, and won't. There are things I could tell about you. I could -give you an uncommonly hot time. You had better be off. Drop that -letter into the pillar-box and you will be worried by no more Asprays. -Refuse to drop it in and you will have a pleasant time in the future." - -Nancy took up the letter very gingerly. She stood still for a moment; -then she turned and left the room. - -"Be sure you don't show it to any one." - -"No." - -"And be quick." - -"Yes." - -"There! that's a good thing," said Augusta to herself. "If I am -discovered I can prove that Nancy posted my letter for me. When they -rouse my worst passions as they are doing in this house they little -know what it means. Where my own interests are concerned I stop at -nothing--nothing. Go to that dance. I will. Oh dear, what a worry -things are, all the same! I wish I could see the whole of Aunt -Jessie's letter. I am sure there are allusions to me in it; I guessed -as much by the expression in our gallant captain's eyes." - -Augusta left her room and went downstairs and joined the rest of the -party. The remainder of the day passed without anything special -occurring. Kitty and Nora, having got over the fact that their mother -was not returning home at present, gave themselves up to the -delightful time Uncle Peter always managed to arrange for them. -Augusta pretended to be equally cheerful; and Nan, though a little -pale and silent, behaved quite in an unremarkable fashion. - -Late that evening a telegram came from Justine to say that she was -travelling all night, and would arrive at Fairleigh between nine and -ten the following morning. - -She did arrive at the time stated, and went immediately up to her -mistress's room to pack the things necessary for the voyage. She had -not been long there before Augusta appeared at the door. - -"Can I help you, Justine?" she asked. "The others have all gone out -boating, but I had a headache. It is better now, and therefore I can -do anything you like, if you will only tell me what." - -"Thank you very much, miss," replied the woman. "I should be pleased -if you would help me. My mistress wants a lot of things, not only for -herself but for Mrs. Rashleigh, for the poor lady had no time to get -any sort of wardrobe for so unexpected a voyage, and my mistress is -going to lend her some of her things. What I want to do is this, -miss--to make two separate lists, one of my mistress's things, and one -of those which are to be lent to Mrs. Rashleigh. I am going to pack the -things for Mrs. Rashleigh in one trunk, and the things for my mistress -in another; and as I have got to catch the three o'clock train back to -town on my way to the north, there is not too much time to spare." - -"Of course there is not, Justine. How glad I am I asked if I could -help you! Shall I make out the lists for you?" - -"Will you, miss? That was just what I wanted to propose." - -Augusta went to her room, fetched paper and pens, and was soon seated -beside a small table, writing out lists of different garments under -Justine's directions. - -Augusta could be both quick and orderly, so she was of substantial -help to the maid. - -"I am sure, miss, I don't know how to thank you; your help makes all -the difference," said the good woman. "Oh dear, Miss Gussie! we have -had a terrible time. I never saw a poor lady in such an awful state. -Me and her maid, Fanny, thought she was going off her head. It was -terrible, miss--terrible." - -Augusta listened, and asked several questions. She was by nature very -curious, and Justine's narrative gave her some pleasant and exciting -thrills. - -"I could make a splendid story out of this and frighten Flora so that -she would scream," thought Augusta to herself. "It is such fun -frightening people, particularly in the dark, or just when you are -going to bed. I do wish I could sleep at the Asprays' house next week. -However, that is not to be thought of." - -"Now, miss," said Justine, "there is only one thing more of any -importance to-day. Do you see these keys?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. "Why, these are Aunt Jessie's special private -keys." - -"They are, miss, and she trusted me with them. I am sure I feel highly -honoured. She said I was to give them to Captain Richmond, and that he -would do what she wanted; but I do declare, what with being up all -night and being dead fagged, I forgot it. What is to be done? I -suppose the Captain will be in soon, miss?" - -"Indeed he won't," answered Augusta. "They have all gone across to the -Sovereign Islands, and have taken some lunch with them. They can't be -back, for the tide won't let them--at least, not before five o'clock." - -"And I hope to be getting towards London by that hour, so whatever is -to be done?" said Justine. - -"Oh, can't I do it?" said Augusta. "If those are the keys, you can -give me the same directions you were to have given to Captain -Richmond." - -"To be sure," said Justine. "But I could do it myself, for that -matter." - -"No, no, Justine; you had better let me. You know, I am Aunt Jessie's -very own niece, and you are only her servant." - -"Thank you, miss, but servants can be faithful." - -"I know that; and there never was a more faithful creature than you. -If you think you are to be more trusted than me, do what is necessary, -Justine; I have not a word more to say." - -Justine stood silent, pressing her hand to her cheek. She had never -known anything against Augusta, whose manners were pleasant enough -when she chose to make herself agreeable. Augusta certainly was Mrs. -Richmond's niece, and as the matter in question was of some -importance, and Captain Richmond could not possibly be got at, she -decided to trust her. - -"Here, miss," she said; "you know the Sheraton chiffonier in the -drawing-room?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. - -"And you know that all the drawers have different keys?" - -"Have they?" - -"Yes, miss, they have. My missus keeps her valuable papers and things -of importance in the different drawers of the Sheraton chiffonier, and -she told me to ask the Captain to open the top drawer at the -right-hand side, and press a spring, which reveals a secret drawer, -and take out from it a little box, which he was to give me to take -back to my mistress. Mrs. Richmond only thought of this box at the last -minute. It has some jewels in it which she wants to have set in a -particular way at the Cape for the young ladies, and she had not even -a minute to write. Do you understand, Miss Augusta?" - -"Am I stupid?" said Augusta. "Why, it is the simplest thing in the -world. Give me the keys, please, Justine." - -"Thank you, miss; here they are. And I think, while you are getting me -the little box, I will go down to the servants' hall and have my -dinner, for I am not only tired but faint." - -Augusta nodded, and in high spirits, her heart beating, went down to -the drawing-room. She had no special desire to possess herself of her -aunt's secrets. The contents of the little box did not interest her in -the least, but she was the sort of girl who liked to put her finger -into every pie. - -"There is never any saying _what_ I may come across," she -whispered to herself; "and knowledge is power. I have always felt -that, and I have always proved it. Dear, dear! I am lucky. No one -suspects me of having broken open one of these precious drawers. Aunt -Jessie is going away, so Uncle Peter will not have an opportunity of -asking her about that curious mark against Nancy's conduct. And long -before Aunt Jessie comes back the prize-day will have come and gone. -Yes, I certainly am in luck. And now, if I can but keep up my -character for good and excellent conduct, and at the same time have my -bit of fun, then I shall regard myself as one of the luckiest girls in -the world." - -Augusta closed the drawing-room door after her, walked up the long -room and standing before the chiffonier, she inserted the key which -Justine had given her into the lock, opened the little drawer, and -proceeded to press the spring which revealed the secret drawer. Her -pressure acted immediately; the bolt shot back, and another drawer was -discovered behind it. She pulled it open. It contained a small -jewel-case, a little wooden box, and also a packet of letters. Augusta -took out the box, which she thought must be the one described by -Justine. She was about to shut the drawer when her attention was -attracted by the handwriting on the letters. They were all tied -together by a piece of ribbon, and the words "About Nancy and the -Asprays" were written across them. - -"Nancy and the Asprays," said Augusta to herself. "Ah! I may indeed -find out something to my own advantage now. I have plenty of time, -too, for Justine won't hurry with her lunch." - -Accordingly, Augusta seated herself calmly on a small chair which -stood by, and untying the packet, proceeded to read the letters. She -read them one after the other. There were only three or four, and -nothing could be plainer than their meaning. The colour rushed into -Augusta's cheeks as she perused them, and her eyes grew very bright. -Having finished them, she sat silent for a minute; then, tying them up -again so as to look exactly as they had done before, she returned them -to their place in the secret drawer. She pushed back the hinge, shut -the outer drawer and locked it, and, with the little box in her hand, -went upstairs. She had been longer than she thought, for Justine, in -some impatience, was waiting for her. - -"I was just coming down to the drawing-room to look for you, Miss -Augusta," she said. - -"Oh! I didn't hurry," said Augusta; "I thought you would be at your -dinner." - -"I could not eat, miss, my head was that bad. And, oh dear! time is -going; I have to leave here not a minute later than half-past two. Is -that the box, miss?" - -"Yes; and here is the key. I wonder, Justine," she added---- - -"Yes, miss." - -"I don't know whether I ought to say it, but--don't you think it would -simplify matters if you _didn't tell_ that you had forgotten to -speak to Captain Richmond of this?" - -Justine coloured. - -"But if I kept it secret you would tell." - -"Indeed I would not. Why should I get you into a scrape, poor Justine, -situated as you are?" - -"Indeed, Miss Gussie, that is true, for I have had a time since I left -here, and me expecting my holiday and all. I know mistress will be -vexed with me if I tell, but I don't like, somehow, to make a secret -of it." - -"If I were you I would not tell," said Augusta; "you will only get -into a scrape. And, of course, I will never breathe it to a soul. But -please yourself, of course." - -"Well then, miss, if you promise it won't pass your lips, I don't see -why I should get myself into hot water." - -"I won't speak of it, Justine. And now, do lie down for a minute. I -have some lovely aromatic vinegar in my room; I will bathe your face -and hands." - -"Oh miss! but I am sure I could not let you." - -"Nonsense! Why shouldn't I help you? Even though you are a servant, -you are a fellow-creature. There! lie down on this little bed; there -is lots of time--it is not two o'clock yet." - -So Augusta waited on Justine, and soothed and comforted her, and made -her forget her headache; and when at last she left the house the good -woman said to herself that a dearer and nicer young lady than Miss -Gussie never walked the earth. - -"All the same," said Justine, "it would not have occurred to me to -keep my forgetfulness from my mistress if she hadn't put it into my -head; but as she did, doubtless it is the best way. She is a very -clever young lady for her years; and very thoughtful, too." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -SUNBEAM. - - -Mrs. Richmond sailed for the Cape on the following Monday; sending a -telegram to her daughters to announce her departure just before she -left England; and on the following Wednesday evening Miss Roy came -back. - -Miss Roy had been in the Richmond family for five years. She was a -woman of about forty years of age, extremely kind, most faithful, most -devoted to the interests of her employer, and most affectionate to her -little charges. She was not a finishing-governess by any means. But -she was just the sort of useful person who could be invaluable in -times of difficulty or distress. Mrs. Richmond felt that in her absence -Miss Roy would act almost as a mother to her children, and she went -away happily in consequence. - -The good governess had debarred herself from a whole fortnight of her -usual holiday to meet this time of need. - -Nora, Kitty, and Nancy hailed her return with delight; and Augusta, -who in her heart of hearts regarded her as a tiresome, tyrannical old -maid, was equally loud in her affectionate expressions on the night of -her return. - -On the following day Captain Richmond asked Miss Roy to have a private -interview with him. No one was better pleased than he that she should -come back to help him in the management of his battalion, as he still -in fun called the four girls. - -"Well, sergeant," he said, coming into the schoolroom, and speaking in -as cheerful a manner as possible, "I want to talk over things with -you.--Soldiers, I must deprive you of your sergeant for a short -time.--This way, please, Sergeant Roy." - -He opened the door as he spoke, and Miss Roy, laughing heartily, went -out with him. - -"Isn't Uncle Pete funny?" said Kitty. "He is always making us laugh. I -do think he is a darling." - -"You don't call that sort of talk, funny, do you?" said Augusta, who -was by no means pleased at the Captain's desire for a private -interview with Miss Roy. "If that is your idea of fun I pity you. Uncle -Peter forgets that we are growing up very fast, and are not babies to -be amused by infant talk." - -"Uncle Pete could not be silly," replied Nora. - -"If you don't like him, why don't you hold your tongue?" replied -Kitty. - -"And why do you pretend to like him so much?" said Nora again. - -"Of course I like him," cried Augusta, who feared that she might have -gone too far. "Well, let's go on with our history; we may as well have -good marks. All these sort of things will tell when the great day of -the prize-giving arrives." - -Meanwhile Captain Richmond had conducted Miss Roy to the drawing-room. -They both stood close to the chiffonier. Captain Richmond pushed -forward a chair and asked the governess to seat herself. - -"I want to show you something," he said, "and I should be extremely -glad if you could throw some light upon it. It has troubled me a good -bit." - -"What do you mean?" said Miss Roy. - -"I allude to an entry in the orderly-book." - -"An entry in the orderly-book!" - -"Yes--made in your absence--made by my sister-in-law. Perhaps you can -explain it." - -As Captain Richmond spoke he opened the drawer of the chiffonier where -the orderly-book was kept, took out the book, and placed it on a small -table before the governess; then opening the book, he pointed to the -page where poor Nancy's cruel conduct was testified to. - -"Look," he said. "You would not have supposed that _she_ could be -cruel." - -"Nancy cruel!" said Miss Roy. "Excuse me one moment, Captain Richmond; -I will put on my glasses. This puzzles me." - -Miss Roy adjusted her glasses and bent over the book. She was -naturally a very calm woman, and was in no hurry to give herself away. -She turned page after page and examined the marks of the other girls. -Finally, she took the marks for conduct, diligence, intellectual -employments on the 24th of August by themselves, looking separately at -the page devoted to each girl. - -"Well?" said Captain Richmond, who was watching her with interest. - -"I cannot understand it," she said. "It cannot possibly be true." - -"So I thought," said the Captain. - -"It cannot be true," repeated Miss Roy. "A mark for carelessness, for -forgetfulness, even for untidiness, might be possible in the case of -Nancy Esterleigh, but cruelty---- No, Captain Richmond, the child -could not be cruel." - -"And yet," said the Captain, "the mark is there--most distinctly -written. You observe how empty the page is--blanks in most -departments--and this terrible mark for conduct. We cannot get over -it." - -"It is very unaccountable," said Miss Roy. "There must be a mistake." - -"I have thought of that," said the Captain; "but I don't see how there -can be. My sister-in-law is extremely particular, and not at all -careless." - -"You must remember," said Miss Roy, "that she entered these marks on -the very day when she was sent for in a hurry to Mrs. Rashleigh." - -"That might account for something, but not for this--this gross act of -injustice. Miss Roy, I have watched little Nancy; this mark caused me -anxiety. I have watched the child at all hours. I have never seen a -trace of cruelty. But there is something the matter. She is not at her -ease. She is unhappy. She is like a child who carries a secret." - -"Augusta again," said Miss Roy. - -"I think not," answered the Captain. "I have observed them together, -and have noticed that Augusta is extremely kind to Nancy. I don't -personally care for Augusta. She is not at all to my taste. But one -must not be unjust to her. No, it is not that. Nancy carries a secret. -Why should she carry a secret, Miss Roy? Painful as it is to say, does -it not rather point to the truth of this terrible report?" - -"The thing to do," said Miss Roy, "is to appeal to Mrs. Richmond. I -wonder you did not think of this before, Captain Richmond." - -"I did; but I did not want to worry her while she was away, and with a -great deal of care on her shoulders. And remember, we expected her -home about now. Her sudden visit to South Africa upset all our -calculations, and as a matter of fact put this thing out of my head. -But even if I had thought of asking for an explanation, I should -scarcely like to have done so just at present. She would naturally -say, 'You ought to accept my plain statements without comment.'" - -"Not in this case, and with such an extraordinary accusation against a -most tender-hearted child," was Miss Roy's answer. "Well, what is to -be done now? Even if we were to write to Mrs. Richmond, we could not -get an answer for six weeks." - -"We cannot wait for that," said the Captain; "the prizes are to be -given in three weeks' time from to-day." - -"And you will let this influence you, Captain Richmond?" said Miss -Roy. - -"What am I to do?" he answered, shrugging his shoulders; and as he -spoke he shut the orderly-book. "I am glad I have confided in you," he -said. "You may throw light on the matter; I sincerely hope you will. -But for this dreadful mark, Nancy would get the Royal Cross. As it -is"---- - -He paused and shrugged his shoulders again. "There is just one thing -more," he added. "Some one has broken open this drawer in the -chiffonier. See for yourself." - -The open drawer showed the marks where a knife had been used, making -distinct indentations in the delicate wood. - -"The mystery thickens," said Miss Roy. "Well, I will watch and do what -I can." - -"You will be very careful not to let any one know I have spoken to -you," said Captain Richmond. - -"Certainly, Captain Richmond; I will be most careful." - -Miss Roy went away. She felt very much troubled and perplexed. The -Captain's remarks with regard to Nancy troubled her almost as much as -the extraordinary and unaccountable entry in the orderly-book. - -"What can it all mean? There are some crimes which it is impossible to -associate with certain natures," was her thought. "Nancy would not -hurt a fly. She is over-sensitive and over-affectionate; if any one -could be over-kind it would be Nancy. And yet--and yet---- Oh, I do -trust light will be thrown on this mystery! I hope Captain Richmond -will not give away the prizes before Mrs. Richmond returns. I am quite -sure she can explain what is wrong. Then, who opened the drawer -without a key? It would be an act of cruel injustice to deprive Nancy -of the prize until we discover who has done that. Poor, dear little -girl; I will try and find her, and see if I can lead her to talk of -this matter. Of course, I am bound by my promise to Captain Richmond -not to ask her any direct questions." - -Miss Roy entered the schoolroom. It was empty. She went into the -shrubbery, and walked round the grounds. She could not find any of the -girls. Finally, she went back to the house, and went into Nancy's -bedroom. - -Nancy's room was a very small one, and was entered through the larger -room occupied by Nora and Kitty. Nancy was always neat, and her little -room was in absolute order. Her bird's cage hung in the window. The -canary, which had been in full feather and lively song, sat upon its -perch. Miss Roy was very fond of birds, and she went up now to this -one to speak to him. - -"Ah, Sunbeam," she said, "and how are you?" - -As she said this she noticed that the bird was not in his usual -spirits. His feathers were ruffled, and he looked at the governess -with a dull expression in his eye. - -"Poor dicky--poor Sunbeam," said Miss Roy--"what can be wrong with -you?" - -The cage was hung high to be out of the way of the cats. Miss Roy -lifted it down off its hook, and put it on a little table which stood -near. The next moment she uttered a shocked exclamation. - -No wonder the bird was dull and unable to sing. His water-trough was -empty, and he had scarcely any seed left in his seed-drawer. - -"Impossible!" said Miss Roy. "Nancy to forget the bird she loves so -much! And yet I must believe my own sight." - -She felt very angry. Cruelty to dumb animals was the one sin she could -not overlook. Taking the trough, she proceeded to fill it with water; -and she was just replenishing the seeds when the door opened, and -Augusta, singing a gay song, and carrying a bunch of groundsel in her -hand, entered the room. - -"Oh, Miss Roy, you here!" she cried. "I was bringing a piece of -groundsel for Sunbeam. Why, what is the matter? Is the bird ill?" - -"It looks like it," said Miss Roy. - -She did not want Augusta to share her discovery. But that young lady -was a great deal too astute to be easily hoodwinked. - -"Why, what is it?" she said. "What can be the matter?" - -Then she went up to the cage, and made precisely the same discovery -Miss Roy had made. - -"Oh, I say!" exclaimed Augusta. "How downright wicked!" - -"I will put it right," said Miss Roy, trembling a little. "Leave me -the groundsel. Go--please go." - -A voice below shouted Augusta's name, and she ran off. Miss Roy -attended to the suffering bird, giving him seed and water and a nice -bunch of groundsel. He began to eat and drink at once, and before she -left the room she had the satisfaction of seeing that he was much -revived. - -"I will see to this matter myself," she said under her breath. "There -must be no dumb creature in this house liable to such neglect. Alas, -how little one knows any one! Mrs. Richmond may have given that bad -mark for just such another act of carelessness. It seems to explain -things. But who would have thought it of Nancy?" - -At lunch that day Augusta suddenly looked up and fixed her bright eyes -on Nancy. - -"I have a crow to pluck with you," she said. - -"What is it?" asked the little girl. - -"Come, Augusta," said the Captain, "none of this! I am sure Nancy has -not done anything wrong." - -"Oh, hasn't she? You ask Miss Roy.--Miss Roy, don't you think the -little favourite wants a word of caution?" - -"You ought not to call Nancy by that silly name," said Miss Roy; but -she looked uneasy and troubled. - -Augusta said nothing more, but nodded in a very knowing way to Nancy. -Immediately after dinner she rushed up to the child, slipped her hand -through her arm, and pulled her aside. - -"Well, Nancy," she said, "it will be all up with you if you are not -careful." - -"What do you--what _do_ you mean, Augusta?" - -"Listen. I don't think Miss Roy is going to tell. She really is kind, -and I don't fancy she will tell; and if she doesn't, the Captain, who -has now charge of the orderly-book, will know nothing about it." - -"Oh Augusta, you are so mysterious! What are you talking about?" - -"I am surprised at you," said Augusta. "I hate cruelty myself." - -"And you think that I am cruel!" said Nancy. "What next?" - -"I don't trouble myself to think about what I know," said Augusta. "A -girl who had any love for dumb creatures would not starve her pet -bird." - -"My canary! I starve my canary! What do you mean?" - -"Ask Miss Roy. She went into your bedroom and found poor old Sunbeam -anything but sun-shiny--all ruffled up and dull and drooping. The -reason was not far to seek. There was no water in his trough and no -seed in his drawer. Now then, Miss Nancy, what do you say to that?" - -"That it is a lie--an awful lie," said Nancy, her gentle face quite -transformed with rage. "What do you mean? I fed my bird this morning. -I gave him water, and plenty of seed, and a lump of sugar. What are -you talking about?" - -"Ask Miss Roy, my dear, if you don't believe me. I happened to come -into the room with some groundsel. I had been getting some to give the -birds in the aviary downstairs, and I thought of Sunbeam. Miss Roy was -in the room, and before she could stop me I had discovered what was -wrong. Make what use you can of my information. Speak to her about it. -She saw with her own eyes. Who else is responsible for the bird? Why, -what is the matter, Nancy? Where are you going to?" - -"To Miss Roy. I cannot stand this. I have an enemy, and I can't make -it out. Oh, I am a very unhappy girl! Augusta, what have I done to -you? Why do you make my life so miserable?" - -"Make your life miserable!" said Augusta, who by no means wished to -bring things to a crisis. "I am sure I am very far from doing that. Do -you think I would really tell the Captain? You may be sure Miss Roy -won't; and I will go to her this minute, if you like, and _beg_ -her not to. Now, am I not kind?" - -"Don't go; I would rather speak to her myself. I would rather brave -things out;" and Nancy suddenly rushed away from Augusta. She went -into the house and looked for Miss Roy, whom she found in the -schoolroom. - -"Miss Roy, I want to say something," cried the little girl, the colour -mantling her cheeks. - -"What is it, Nancy?" said Miss Roy just a trifle coldly, for the -incident of the starving bird had troubled the governess a great deal. - -"Augusta told me," continued Nancy; "and it is not true. There is not -a word of it true. Oh, what is to be done? I did feed my canary this -morning. I gave him water and seed, and cleaned out his cage. I have -never neglected my bird yet--never." - -"My dear Nancy, I am sorry even to appear to doubt you, but I saw with -my own eyes that the bird was without seed. Seeing is believing, you -know." - -"And you believe that I could be so cruel?" said Nancy. - -"Seeing is believing," repeated Miss Roy. - -"I didn't do it. Oh, you will drive me wild! I did not think that you -would turn against me." - -"No one attends to the bird except yourself. Who in this house would -be so wicked and malicious as to take away the seed and water? No, my -dear Nancy; you forgot. It was unlike you, and I am disappointed in -you. But I have decided not to tell Uncle Peter; I will give you -another chance. Had I been in charge of the orderly-book I should have -been obliged to enter this circumstance in the book; but as I am not I -do not hold myself responsible. Go away now, dear. Don't keep me. Try -and be more careful another time." - -Nancy stood perfectly still. Her face, which had been red with anger, -was now white. She turned abruptly and walked out of the room. - -"It is all most unaccountable," thought the governess to herself. "But -to suppose for a single instant that any one could have removed the -seed and water is not to be thought of. Yes, I am sorry for Nancy. She -forgot the bird: such things have happened even with tender-hearted -and considerate children. She forgot the bird, and has not the courage -to own to her fault. Poor, poor child; I fear that remark in the -orderly-book is correct." - -Meanwhile Nancy went up to her room. Never before had such mad passion -seized her. She felt like a wounded creature in a trap. But of one -thing she was resolved. - -"My dicky-bird, my darling, shall not run such a risk again," she -thought. "Oh, of course it must be Augusta! No one else could do such -a fiendish thing. But my darling shall not suffer. I know who will -care for him." - -She put on her hat, took the cage down from the hook, threw a -handkerchief over it, and went out. - -About a mile away there lived a woman with a sick child. Nancy and -the two Richmond girls had visited this woman once or twice. And Nancy -had spoken to little Grace of her bird. Grace had been deeply -interested. - -"Oh, if only my poor little Grace could have a bird all to herself!" -said her mother. "But there! I cannot afford it. I offered to buy her -a linnet--one can get linnets quite cheap--but she would not have it. -'No, mother,' she said, 'I would not take the liberty from an English -bird. It is a canary I want. I'd like to have one more than anything -else in the world.'" - -Nancy had made up her mind now to give her treasured bird to Grace. -She was relieved to see that no one was about. She walked slowly for -fear of spilling the water in the cage. Presently she entered the -woods, and setting the cage down on the ground, she removed the -handkerchief, and threw herself on her face and hands close to the -bird. She pressed her pretty, gentle face up against the bars of the -cage, whistling softly to Sunbeam. He sidled up to her, and presently -printed a soft kiss from his beak on her rosy lips. - -"They say that I starve you, darling," said Nancy. "You know better, -don't you? But you sha'n't ever run such an awful risk again, my own -little bird. You sha'n't be at the mercy of any cruel girl. I would -sooner part from you. You will soon forget me, my little dicky-bird, -but I will never, never forget you. Come, you shall go to a good -home--to a little girl who will be kind to you." - -She walked on through the wood holding the cage, and presently she -reached Mrs. Hammond's cottage. The day was hot with a languorous sort -of heat. There was little or no wind, and thunder rumbled in the sky. - -Grace had been very tired all that morning; her back ached, and life -seemed weary. She had refused her dinner, and had turned away from all -her mother's attempts at consolation. When Nancy's tap was heard on -the door, Mrs. Hammond threw down her sewing and went to open it. A -pale little girl with bright eyes, holding a cage in her hand, stood -without. - -"Why, if it ain't one of the dear little ladies from Fairleigh!" cried -the widow. "My Grace is very poorly to-day, but a sight of you will do -her a lot of good, miss." - -"I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go in and see her -at once?" said Nancy. - -[Illustration: "I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go -in and see her at once?" said Nancy.] - -"A bird!" cried the mother. "Oh, won't it be just heaven to her? Yes, -she is very poorly, and so dull; but a bird all her own---- Oh, I say, -miss! come this way at once.--Grace, here is somebody to cheer you -up," continued Mrs. Hammond.--"Come right in, miss; I will stay in the -kitchen while you talk to her." - -So Nancy entered with Sunbeam in his pretty coloured cage. - -Grace, who had been lying down, started up in her delight. - -"For me! It can't be," she exclaimed. "You have brought him to see me, -miss. Oh, ain't he just pretty?" - -"I have brought him to give him to you," cried Nancy. "He is your very -own from this minute. You will be kind to him, won't you?" - -"Kind to him! Oh miss--oh miss!" - -"You will never forget his water nor his seed?" - -"As if I could, miss!" - -"And you won't let the cats get to him?" - -"We ain't got a cat, miss. He shall stay with me morning and night. -Oh, Miss Nancy, I'll get well now; I feel that I will. Oh, the joy of -having him! How can I thank you? But there! I can't even try to." - -"Don't try, Grace; your face is thanks enough. No, I won't stay. He -will want lots of water; and here is a whole canister of seed--every -sort. You must dry his cage after he has his bath. I give him his bath -every morning before I clean and feed him.--Good-bye, my Sunbeam." - -Nancy bent towards the cage. Her curly hair fell across her face, and -even the little sick girl did not notice the tears in her eyes. She -ran out of the cottage before Mrs. Hammond could interrupt her. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -"WAS THAT THE REASON?" - - -After breakfast the next morning Miss Roy felt a strong desire to go -into Nancy's bedroom. The fact was, she had dreamt of the starving -bird the night before. She quite longed to see for herself that the -little prisoner was attended to, that he was bright and cheerful and -happy. But she scarcely liked to do this, for it seemed like doubting -Nancy. - -Nancy was avoiding Miss Roy. She was spending most of her time in the -open air, and very often she would go away quite by herself. As she -complained of nothing, however, and ate her meals all right, no one -remarked on her strange conduct. Miss Roy said to herself that Nancy -was repenting of what she had done. - -"I shall try to find out from her if she has ever neglected the bird -before," she thought. - -The morning pursued the even tenor of its way. The four girls went out -on the water with Captain Richmond; and Miss Roy, at last overcome by -her desire to see the canary, went into Nancy's bedroom. She uttered -an exclamation when she saw the hook on which the cage used to hang. -What could have happened? Where was the bird? She went downstairs to -see if it had been removed to the schoolroom. It was not there. She -then questioned the housemaid, but beyond the fact that she had not -seen the bird when she went to draw down the blinds on the previous -evening, the girl could tell her nothing. - -"This must be inquired into," said Miss Roy to herself; and when the -girls came in she spoke to Nancy, doing so openly before the others. - -"Nancy," she said, "I happened to go into your bedroom, and I could -not see your bird there. What have you done with Sunbeam?" - -Augusta immediately fixed her bold eyes on Nancy's face. The other -girls looked up, wondering. They knew how passionately Nancy adored -her bird. - -"Well, Nancy, why don't you speak?" said her governess. - -Just then Captain Richmond appeared. - -"Why, Miss Roy," he said, "what is this solemn conclave? I heard you -ask Nancy something.--What is it, Nancy?" - -"You asked me about my bird," said Nancy, raising her head and -speaking bravely. "I have given him away." - -"Nancy! you have given Sunbeam away?" cried Kitty. - -"Yes. I took him yesterday to a little girl--you know her, Nora--you -remember her, Kitty--Grace Hammond. She wanted a bird, and I gave her -Sunbeam. He was my own, and I could do what I liked with him. Don't -keep me, please." - -She pushed past the girls. Her manner was almost rude. Before any one -could utter an additional word she had left the room. - -"What does this mean?" said Captain Richmond. - -"I think it is very generous of Nancy," here exclaimed Augusta. - -But no one else applauded Nancy for her generosity. There was a weight -in the air which every one felt. - -Immediately after lunch Captain Richmond went away to pay a round of -calls. Miss Roy retired to her own room--she happened to have a very -acute headache--and the four girls were alone. - -Kitty fixed her eyes on Nan. Nan shuffled uncomfortably with her feet. - -"Where are you going?" cried Nora. "It is such a lovely day," she -continued, "can we not all go for a ramble on the seashore?" - -"I am not going with you," replied Nancy. Her tone was almost rude. -She left the room, slamming the door after her. - -Augusta raised her brows. Getting up daintily, she went out by the -open window. The two little Richmond girls thus found themselves -alone. - -"Oh Kit," cried Nora, "what can be happening? I am quite unhappy; I -don't like this at all." - -"Come out, Nora," answered Kitty; "we can talk better in the open -air." - -They went out, linking their arms round one another, and paced slowly -up and down. Augusta was lying lazily in a hammock near by. She -watched them. - -"How they love each other!" she said to herself. "I never saw such -affectionate sisters. But they are a dull little pair all the same. -They are the sort of girls who will never do anything very wrong, and -perhaps, on the other hand, never do anything very good. I know the -sort. They will be medium all their days--medium pretty, too. Even Nan -is better fun than Kitty and Nora. Now they are discussing her. I see -it by the way Kitty nods her head, and Nora looks at her and then -looks away again; and they are twining their arms tighter round each -other. They are very sorry for Nan, but they don't understand her. -Even I understand that poor, miserable mite better than they do. I -have a hold over my little lady, and I must tighten the knot--and very -quickly, too, for Miss Nancy must help me to-morrow night. But now to -find out what they are really saying, for Nancy will have to be -protected by me in one sense in order that I may use her in another." - -So Augusta slipped out of her hammock, and approached the little -girls. - -"What a wonderful confab!" she said. "Shall I guess what it is all -about?" - -"Oh no, Gussie; I wish you would go away," exclaimed Nora. "Kitty and -I are having _quite_ a private talk all by ourselves." - -"But do let me guess what it is about," answered Augusta. "Now then, -see if I am not right. You are talking about the little favourite and -her pet canary." - -"Yes; but what has that to do with you?" answered Kitty. - -"My dear Kit, what a way to speak to your cousin! Now, let me tell you -that it has a great deal to do with me. If I were you I would not -worry Nancy; she has reasons for what she has done." - -"But why give her canary away?" said Kitty. "Nora and I subscribed -together and gave it to her, and she seemed so pleased. It was rather -difficult to get enough money, but when we saw how _awfully_ -delighted she was, we felt that that made up for everything." - -"It was good-natured of you," said Augusta. "I forgot that you had -given it to her. Poor old Nan!" - -"But why do you call her poor old Nan? I don't see that she is to be -pitied at all. We have always been very fond of her, but we cannot see -that she has done right in giving away her bird." - -"Dear me," said Augusta, "what a fuss! If you gave her the bird it was -her own, to do what she liked with. She took a fit of pity for that -poor sick girl, Grace Hammond, and gave her the bird. Grace wants the -bird far more than Nancy does, for she lies on her back most of the -day in a shabby little room. I think it was extremely kind and -self-sacrificing of Nan, and she ought to be petted, not scolded." - -"I never thought of that," said Nora. "Of course, Gussie, you are -right. Dear old Nan! Yes, it was sweet of her, and I suppose she felt -it awfully." - -"Couldn't you see for yourselves? Why, she scarcely ate any lunch, and -ran off to her room soon afterwards. Oh, for goodness' sake," added -Augusta, "don't make a mystery out of nothing! She gave the bird -because the girl was ill and wanted it, and there the matter ends." - -Augusta ran off, and Kitty and Nora owned that they felt considerably -cheered. - -When they saw Nancy next, Kitty ran up to her, kissed her, and said: - -"We are neither of us angry now." - -"What do you mean?" answered Nancy. - -"About the bird, you know." - -"But were you angry with me, Kitty?" - -"Why, yes, Nancy; we both were a little. We gave it to you, you know, -and we had to save up a good bit to get a really nice one." - -"I forgot about that," said Nancy. - -"But you did quite right, Nancy," said Nora; "and we are not a scrap -angry now. We are so glad that the little girl should have it; she -must have wanted it far more than you did. It was very brave of you to -give it to her, Nan, and we both love you more than ever." - -"But I didn't give it to Grace to comfort her--not for a single -moment," said Nancy; and then she stopped short and faced the two -little Richmond girls, and said emphatically: "Don't let us talk any -more about Sunbeam, for if you do I shall break my heart. Oh, how you -do stare, Kitty! You look quite silly with your mouth open. Come, who -will race me to the end of the avenue?" - -Away the three went, flying as if on the wings of the wind. They came -bang up against Captain Richmond, who was returning from his calls. - -"Hullo!" he said. "Well won, Nancy; you are considerably ahead of the -others. Is it a race or what?" - -The three were now all laughing heartily; but when she got back her -breath, Nancy's face looked paler than its wont. The Captain noticed -it, and holding out his hand, clasped hers. - -"Come here," he said. "Are you fretting about your bird? What is -wrong?" - -Tears filled Nancy's eyes; she could not speak. - -"Don't question her, please, Uncle Pete," said Kitty. "She has been -quite, quite darling and sweet about Sunbeam. But she must not be -questioned. Only if you stoop down I will tell you in a whisper.--Go -on, Nancy; walk on with Nora." - -"Please don't talk about it," said Nancy in an imploring voice; but -she took Nora's hand and walked on in front. - -"Stoop, Uncle Pete; she must not hear," said Kitty. "She gave her -darling Sunbeam, whom she loves so passionately, to that little sick -girl in the wood--Grace Hammond--because the little girl wants the -bird more than she does." - -"Was that the reason? Oh, how pleased I am!" said the Captain. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -"IS WRONG RIGHT?" - - -The day arrived when Augusta was to go to the Cinderella dance at the -Asprays'. All her plans were made. She was to go unknown to her -family. She was to return equally unknown. As far as she was -concerned, not a single member of the Richmond family was ever to -discover this escapade. - -How delicious the whole thing sounded! How she would enjoy herself! -She was to be daring and disobedient: she was to defy all the laws -which ruled her life. She was to slip away under cover of the -darkness, and come back again in the small hours, and no one was to -know. She was to wear her prettiest dress, and dance, and be merry; -and no one was to find out. And all the time she would pose as the best -of girls--the noblest member of Captain Richmond's battalion--the -soldier who on the great day of the prize-giving would be presented -with the Royal Cross. - -"Some day, perhaps, I will tell them," she said to herself--"some -long, happy, delicious day in the future, when I have been to Paris -and got all my fun out of that; when I am engaged to a sort of prince, -when my trousseau is being made, when my wedding presents are -arriving. When life can scarcely present me with anything more, then, -_perhaps_, I will tell how I slipped out and went to a dance in -the dead of night, and came back, and no one ever found out. I will -tell then of my pleasure. But, oh, the present fun--the present fun!" - -Now, for a long time Augusta had made up her mind that she would tell -her secret to no one; but on looking into matters she feared it would -be absolutely impossible for her to get back again into the house if -she had not a confederate. The right person to share it--the only one, -indeed, who could possibly help her--was Nan. Nan must make things -possible for her. She thought she knew a way of making her do this. - -Accordingly, after breakfast on the auspicious day, Augusta called the -little girl into her room. - -"Come here, Nancy," she said. "Come close to me; I want to look at -you. Do you know that you are an extremely pretty girl? When you are -grown-up you will be very much better-looking than either Kitty or -Nora. I only wish I had a face like yours. Such splendid eyes, and such -thick hair, and---- Why, what is the matter?" - -"Only I hate being flattered," answered Nancy. - -"Oh, as to that," replied Augusta, giving her head a toss, "I am -the last person to flatter any one; but you are so strange, Nancy, -one doesn't know how to take you. However, to the point. I am in -reality, although you don't think it, your very good friend. I am -always taking your part--_always_, Nancy. Oh! it is useless for you to -shake your head and look so glum and obstinate; it is a fact. And -now---- Why, child, how you stare!" - -"What do you want me to do, Augusta?" said Nan. - -Augusta could not help bursting out laughing. - -"What a cute young un it is!" she said. "You are quite right, Nancy -mine; I do require a little favour, which I hope you will grant--just -a tiny thing, Nancy. Will you grant it to your own poor Gussie who -loves you so much?" - -"Tell me what it is, Augusta." - -"Oh, how downright we are! Well, listen; it is for your private ear, -little Nan. Your dear Augusta is disposed to have a bit of a -spree--just a tiny morsel of adventure on her own account--something -not a bit wrong, but something that no one in the house, except sweet -Nancy, is to know about. Will Nancy help Augusta, or will she not?" - -"I would rather not, Gussie. I would rather not, really. I know it is -not right. I am so tired--oh, so dreadfully tired!--of doing naughty -things for you. Please don't ask me; and please don't do it, -Gussie--please, please don't." - -Augusta laughed again. - -"What a sweet, touching little plea!" she said. "But just too late, my -dear. Augusta is going to have her fun, and whether you help or not, -she intends to go through with it. You can make things easy for me, -and I shall get into no scrape, and be your humble and devoted servant -for ever after; or you can refuse, and I shall still do the naughty -thing--although, in that case, with a certain amount of risk. Will you -subject me to that, Nancy, when _you_ alone can make it quite -safe?" - -"I don't see why I shouldn't," replied Nancy. "If you choose to be -very naughty, why should I be naughty too?" - -"Oh darling, you are quaint; you really are the most _nave_ -creature I have ever come across. Now let me explain. I shall really -not be naughty at all. It is not as if my own father and mother or -Aunt Jessie were here. I owe no oath of fealty to that delightful -model, Uncle Peter; if he disapproves, that is his own lookout. In -short, Nancy, this is it (I will let the cat out of the bag): I want -to go to-night to a small dance--the most harmless, childish little -dance--at the Asprays'. Flora and I have arranged everything, and I am -to meet her at the other side of our wood. She drives me to their -house in a dogcart, and will bring me back again. And what I want you, -sweet Nancy, to do is to open the door for me--the hall door, -darling--yes, no less. I shall fling some gravel up to this -window--for you must sleep here to-night, Nancy--and when you hear it -you must patter, patter, patter downstairs on your ten little pink -toes and open the door for your darling, who will slip in and bless -you ever after." - -"I am not going to do it," said Nancy. "It is very, very wicked -indeed, and I won't do it." - -"Oh, come, how high and mighty we are!" - -"I won't do it, Gussie. I won't tell, of course; but let me go, -please. I don't want to be in the room with you. I don't like you at -all, Augusta. I don't want to have anything more to do with you." - -Nancy backed away; her eyes were full of fear. Augusta's eyes flashed -with downright anger. - -"It doesn't matter to me," she said, "whether you like me or not. -Before long now our dealings with each other will be at an end. But I -should like to keep in the good graces of the family till after -prize-day. Nancy, I could make it worth your while. You have done a -good many wrong things since you and I made each other's acquaintance. -You have been unhappy about it. Do you remember that paper you made me -write, in which I promised to give you leave to tell your own story -when we got back to town?" - -"Of course," said Nancy, "I remember all about it; it is the comfort -of my life." - -"I thought so, and that is why I saved it for you." - -"_You_ saved it for _me_! _You!_ I have it myself in my desk in -my room." - -"Once that little desk was left open," said Augusta, "and a bird of -the air came and informed somebody of the fact; and somebody, guided -by that mischievous little bird, went to see, and found that the -songster was right. Behold!" - -As she spoke Augusta opened a drawer and took out a sheet of paper, -and held it high above Nancy's head. - -"Oh, how mean and dreadful you are!" said Nancy. "Give it back; give -it back." - -"Certainly--to-morrow morning, after you have let me in." - -"Gussie, what am I to do? I cannot"---- - -"Now listen. I will give this back to you to-morrow morning. I will do -more for you--to-morrow morning. You are in trouble about your bird -Sunbeam. The supposition all over the house is that you neglected -it--forgot its water and its seed--in short, that but for Miss Roy -your pretty bird would have died of starvation. Now, I can put that -right for you--to-morrow morning. And there is another thing. Has it -never occurred to you to wonder why Mrs. Richmond, who is no relation -at all, is so good--so very good--to you? I can tell you that story, -and I can also explain about something with regard to the Asprays -which will put you into such a comfortable position that you will -literally have two homes to choose from, having absolute and complete -right to live in either. Few girls are as lucky as that. You can hold -up your head very high, Nancy Esterleigh, after I have told you what I -shall tell you--to-morrow morning. Now, having had several little -escapades with your conscience, will you have one more--the last--and -so put yourself into such a position that the worries of the past need -be worries no longer?" - -"Is it true that you can tell me all these things?" said Nancy. - -"True as I am standing here." - -"All about Mrs. Richmond?" - -"All about Mrs. Richmond." - -"And the true story about my darling, darling bird?" - -"I can clear you as regards the charge of cruelty; is not that -sufficient? There, Nancy, you are yielding; I thought you were." - -"I don't know whether I am yielding or not," said Nancy, "_but_ -you are tempting me;" and she ran across the room to the window. She -looked out. Kitty was going past with her apron full of corn; she was -about to feed the fowls in the farmyard. Seeing Nancy, she called out -to her: - -"There is a fresh brood of the downiest and sweetest little chicks -out, Nancy; won't you come and see them?" - -"Yes," called back Nancy; "in five minutes." - -"I will wait for you under the window if you will be quick," cried -Kitty. - -Nancy turned with an eager face to Augusta. - -"Tell me exactly--exactly what you want me to do," she said. - -"Oh, you little duck, you darling!" said Augusta. "How happy you will -be this time to-morrow! And _how_ obliged to you I am!" - -"Only tell me quick, Augusta." - -"Well, it is this, you little love--this, and this only. You must be -pretty loving to me to-day. You must, as it were, fawn on me, come -close to me after dinner and snuggle up to me, slip your hand inside -my arm, and all that sort of thing--you understand. And you are to say -to me before the others--Uncle Peter and all the rest--you are to say, -'Gussie darling, _may I_ sleep with you to-night?' And I am to -say 'No;' and you are to coax and coax me, and in the end I am to -yield. You are to do it in your very, very prettiest way, Nancy, and -the others are to hear you. Then, to-night I am going to pretend to -have a bit of a headache, and go to my room quite early. And you are -to say, 'Poor Gussie, her head is bad; I think I will go and bathe it -with aromatic vinegar;' and you are to slip up to my room, and you -need not come out again as far as the others are concerned. Then, -after I am gone, if any one comes to the door, you are to say, 'Hush! -Gussie's head is very bad;' and of course the some one will go away. -And then, oh! you are not to sleep, for that would be fatal; you are -to lie awake thinking over the wonderful things I am going to tell you -to-morrow. And at about half-past twelve, or perhaps nearer one -o'clock, I will throw a little gravel up to the window; and then you -are to slip down, softly, softly, and open the door and let me in. -Afterwards we _will_ have a time. I will tell you about my -partners, and how much Mr. Archer, that distinguished American, admires -me; and I will even repeat to you the compliments they have made to -me. And then in the morning you will have your reward. This is simple -enough, isn't it, Nan?" - -"Yes," said Nan. - -"And you will do it, darling--you will do it?" - -"Nancy, Nancy," shouted Kitty from below, "the five minutes are up." - -"Yes, I'll do it," answered Nancy. "It is very wicked--awfully -wicked--but I'll do it;" and she walked out of the room. - -"How flushed your cheeks are, Nancy!" said Kitty when the little girl -joined her. - -"Never mind, Kit," answered Nancy in an almost cross tone for her. -"Come and let us look at the pretty chicks. I am so sick of being -flattered!" - -"Has Augusta been doing that?" - -"Oh yes--no--I mean I don't know; but don't let us bother about her." - -"You are getting quite fond of Gussie, aren't you, Nan?" - -Nan opened her eyes very wide. An emphatic "No" was on her lips, but -instead she said, "Yes--of course." - -They went to the farmyard and spent an hour of what was perfect bliss -to Kitty, examining the birds. Then they each occupied a hammock in -the garden. Kitty read a new story-book, and Nancy lay with her eyes -shut, thinking of the dreadful thing which had befallen her. - -"I was wicked before," she said to herself, "but never as wicked as I -shall be to-night. Oh, how I hate myself! But she has got my paper -which has her promise that I may tell. She can put things right about -my darling bird; and she can tell me the story which Mrs. Richmond has -promised to tell me some day. Oh! she has tempted me, and I will do -it; I must, for I am too miserable to stay any longer as I am." - -"Nancy," said Uncle Peter's voice at that moment, "will you come for a -walk with me? I want to go down to the seashore; will you be my -companion?" - -"Won't you go, Kitty?" asked Nancy, for the Captain's society was by -no means to her taste just then. - -"I can't," answered Kitty, "for I have promised to go to the village -with Miss Roy and Nora." - -"Do you refuse me?" asked the Captain, putting on his most quizzical -expression. - -"No; of course not, Uncle Peter. I shall be delighted," she answered. - -He took her hand and helped her out of her hammock, and they were soon -going by their favourite walk in the woods to the seashore. - -"How silent you are, Nancy! Are you not going to cheer me up and make -my walk pleasant?" asked Uncle Peter. - -"I think I have a headache," replied Nancy. "Anyhow, I feel rather -dull." Then she looked suddenly up at the Captain, and said with eager -emphasis, "I know what I really want. I want to ask you a question." - -"Certainly, my dear little girl; what is it?" - -"Will you answer it without thinking that it has anything to do with -me?" - -"I will try, Nancy." - -The Captain's eyes were dancing as he fixed them on Nancy's flushed -face. - -"Oh! please don't look at me like that; it is just an ordinary -question. Perhaps I was reading a book and came to it; anyhow, that -explanation will do." - -"Yes, as a _preface_; now for the question." - -"Is it right," said Nancy--"I mean, could a boy--say a boy, or perhaps -a girl, or a man, or a woman--could they, any of them, be put in the -sort of position that they must do wrong to make things come right? -Would it be possible?" - -"I have never heard of the occasion where wrong could be put right by -that means," said the Captain. "Can you give me an instance? Then, -perhaps, I could explain better." - -"No, I can't give you any instance. I was just thinking about it." - -"And it has made you very grave." - -"It--oh no, it hasn't made me grave." - -"Nancy, it has troubled you." - -"Please, Uncle Peter, I was telling you, you know, because of the -book." - -"The book of your heart, Nancy; why don't you confide in me -altogether?" - -"There is nothing to confide; _indeed_ there is not." - -"Only if you had known of such a case you would be quite happy?" - -"I should be _happier_." - -"Then let me tell you quite frankly that I don't think there is such a -case. When people do wrong they have got to turn round and do right in -future. But it is impossible, at least to my way of thinking, to do -further wrong in order to make the old wrong come right." - -"I see," said Nancy. Her brow cleared; she took the Captain's hand and -pressed it warmly. "I am very glad I belong to your battalion," she -said--"very, very glad." - -"Has the fight been difficult, Nancy?" - -"You don't know--you will never know---- _Difficult_! Oh yes." - -"I am your captain, and again I say you ought to confide in me." - -"I will, whatever happens, when we go back to town. And thank you so -much, Uncle Peter!" - -"You will be able to go on reading that book now with a sense of -satisfaction." - -"The book is the story of a fight," said Nancy very slowly. "I think," -she added, "the poor, mangled soldier won't cave in to the enemy." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -DOWN BY THE WISTARIA. - - -Augusta came down to lunch in high spirits. All was going swimmingly. -She would have no difficulty now in carrying out her daring scheme. -The point of danger was practically passed. Nancy sat during lunch at -the same side as Augusta, so that astute young lady could not manage -to see her face; but after lunch the beginning of the little programme -which she had sketched out for Nancy's benefit ought to have been -begun. The endearing words, the suggestion of the night to be spent -together, ought to be spoken. But immediately after the meal was over -Nancy jumped up and ran out of the room. - -"Tiresome little thing, is she forgetting?" said Augusta to herself. -"Oh! perhaps it will do equally well at tea-time." - -But at tea-time Nancy was not there, and when Augusta inquired in -solicitous tones where the little favourite could have hidden herself, -Nora said: - -"Oh! Nancy is not coming back to tea; she has gone for a walk in the -woods with Miss Roy. She has gone, I think, to see little Grace -Hammond, and to find out how her bird is." - -"Did you want her for anything?" asked Kitty. - -"No," replied Augusta crossly; "I just asked where she could be. I am -very fond of little Nancy." - -All Augusta's plans had now to be rearranged. Having got over her -first wild anger against Nancy, she determined to ignore her, to do -exactly what she pleased in spite of her, and trust to the little -girl's promise not to tell unless she were obliged to. - -"Of course, she will never be obliged to," said Augusta to herself; "I -shall take good care of that." - -She then sat down and thought over matters. Yes, there was nothing -whatever for it but to get out of her window, to climb down by the -wistaria, and at night to return the same way. She could not possibly -risk the chance of a window being open downstairs. - -Fairleigh was an old-fashioned house, with shutters to all the lower -windows, which were fastened by iron bars. It was situated quite by -itself, and in a somewhat lonely part of the country, and these -precautions were considered advisable. Night after night the servants -closed the shutters and barred them, so there was no possible ingress -by any of the lower windows. - -Augusta considered herself in luck to have a room practically in a -wing all by herself. She went to the window and looked down. Neither -Nora nor Kitty would have thought anything of descending to the ground -and climbing up again by the thick arm of the wistaria which ran all -round this part of the house. But Augusta was not athletic, and had -she been less set upon her evening's amusement, she might have -hesitated at the peril of letting herself down and of returning again -by such romantic means. - -"Nothing venture, nothing have," however, and to go to the party she -was resolved. She went downstairs, saw Kitty, and said in a voice -which she rendered quite hollow: - -"I am very ill indeed, Kitty; I have one of my desperate headaches. Do -say good-night to the others, and forget all about me until you see me -to-morrow morning." - -"Are you going to bed?" said Kitty. "It is not seven o'clock yet." - -"I must lie down; I cannot hold my head up another moment." - -"But can't I do something for you? May I come and bathe your head, -Gussie? I should like to, really." - -"No, thanks," replied Augusta. "I would far rather be alone; quiet is -all that I require. Don't send me up anything to eat. Don't have me -disturbed on any account whatever. Good-night, Kitty, and say -good-night to the others for me; what I want is quiet." - -"You do look bad," said Kitty in an affectionate tone. She kissed her -cousin, and then ran into the grounds. Nora and Uncle Peter were -enjoying themselves under the shade of a big elm tree. - -"I am so sorry about poor Augusta!" said Kitty. - -"What about her?" said Uncle Peter. - -"She has gone to bed with a bad headache; she says she is not to be -disturbed. Oh! there is Nancy.--Come right over here, Nancy, and tell -us about the bird." - -"The bird is quite well," answered Nancy. - -Her pretty face was pale, and there were big dark shadows under her -eyes. Uncle Peter stretched out his hand and made room for her to seat -herself near him. - -"Has the wrong been put right?" he whispered. - -She coloured and looked up at him. - -"No," she answered slowly, speaking almost into his ear. "But the -wrong is not _more_ wrong than it was this morning." - -"What a conundrum!" he said, with a laugh; but his laugh was uneasy, -and he looked seriously at the child. - -"There is something more the matter with her than I had any idea of," -was his thought. - -"Augusta is ill," here called out Kitty; "she has gone to her room, -and is not to be disturbed." - -Captain Richmond had his arm round Nancy, and he felt a shiver run -through her frame as Kitty uttered these words. - -"What _can_ it all mean?" he said to himself. - -Meanwhile Augusta upstairs, even the mere thought of a headache -forgotten, was getting ready for her party. She put on her prettiest -white dress; the idea of borrowing a dress from the Asprays was not to -be thought of for a moment. She tied a pale gold sash round her waist, -and arranged her hair simply. Finally, she encircled her round and -pretty throat with a single row of valuable pearls, and slipped a gold -bangle on her arm. Her dress was pretty and suitable, and she looked -well in it. She gazed at her own reflection in the glass with -complacency. As a rule she had very little colour, but it was mounting -now with a rich damask hue into each of her cheeks. Having attired -herself all but her dancing-shoes, her gloves, and her fan, she -slipped on her waterproof. This completely covered the white dress. -She buttoned it right down, put a cap on her head, and looked out. The -ground was about five-and-twenty feet away, but it seemed to Augusta -then to be quite at a giddy distance. For a careful climber there was -no difficulty in the descent. It was but to place a foot on one branch -after the other of the wistaria, which spread forth its branches to -within three feet of the ground, and the deed was done. - -In order to make things more safe Augusta had tied a strong cord to -her window-sash; and then, the time being come and the home party all -in the house enjoying their supper, she locked her door, put out the -light, and began her descent. With the aid of the rope she was able to -manage it, and trembling very much, she finally reached the ground. - -Were the moon to come out brightly, and were any one to walk round to -that part of the house, that person might observe the rope hanging -from the window, and the window itself a little open. But Augusta must -take her chance of that. The sky was clouded over, too; it would -probably rain before long. So much the better for her. - -She ran quickly across the grounds and entered the woods. How dark and -solemn they were at this hour! Had she been less excited she might -even have felt a little bit afraid. But her excitement kept all -nervousness at bay. - -She ran on and on. Once she stumbled upon the stump of a tree which -was sticking out of the ground. She fell and slightly grazed her arm, -jumped up again, and went on. - -At last she had reached the farther entrance to the wood. Here Flora, -with the dogcart, ought to have met her; but there was no Flora and no -vehicle of any sort in sight. What was to be done? Was it possible -that Flora could have forgotten? Oh no, that would not be like her -friend. - -Augusta stood still, panting slightly, and feeling, for the first -time, subdued and a little alarmed. Should she go back and give up all -her glorious fun for which she had risked so much, or should she go -forward? - -The Asprays' house was two miles away. She made up her mind to walk -there. - -"Oh, how unkind of Flora--how horrid of her!" thought Augusta. "What -can--what can be the meaning of this? Well, I will get there somehow, -and shame her to her face." - -Accordingly, she started off to walk as fast as she could over the -dusty roads. It was nearly ten o'clock when she reached the Asprays'. -She was surprised to see no signs of festivity. A few lights were -burning in the drawing-room, and a few also in the dining-room. But -the place wore no air of expectancy or bustle or gaiety. - -"What can it mean? Have I come on the wrong night?" thought Augusta. - -She ran up the steps and sounded the front-door bell. In a moment the -butler threw open the door. - -"Is Miss Flora in?" asked Augusta, in some wonder. - -"Yes, miss; but---- - -"I want to see her. I must see her at once. Show me somewhere," said -Augusta in peremptory tones. - -"My mistress said, miss, no one was to come into the house, but"---- - -"Nonsense!" said Augusta. "I will see Miss Flora, and immediately." - -The man took Augusta into a small room on the ground floor, switched -on the light, and left her. In a minute or two Flora rushed in. - -"Gussie," she said, "how madly dangerous! What have you done it for?" - -"What have you neglected me for?" said Augusta, opening her mackintosh -and revealing her pretty evening-dress. "What is the matter? This is -the night of your party, and you promised to meet me outside our wood. -You never came, and I have walked all the way; and, oh, I am so tired, -and so dreadfully frightened! What is it, Flo? What is wrong?" - -"Then you never got my letter?" said Flora. - -"Oh no; but please explain this mystery. I am so tired. Is not there a -party to-night? Oh, I have gone through such a lot to come! And now -what can this mean?" - -"I am ever so sorry," said Flora. "Mother would be quite mad if she -knew you had come into the house, Gussie. It is too late for the rest -of us, unfortunately; but for you"---- - -"Oh, what is it?" - -"It is Constance. She is awfully ill--most fearfully, dangerously ill. -We have all been with her until this morning, and the doctor says the -whole house is infected. It is smallpox. Oh, isn't it frightful?" - -"Smallpox!" said Augusta. - -She would not have feared scarlet-fever or diphtheria. But -smallpox--that ghastly disease which did not always kill, but which -took the lovely and the graceful and the gracious and defiled them; -which made the fair face hideous, destroyed the right proportions, and -stamped them for life! - -Augusta, like every other girl in all the world, was afraid of -smallpox. - -"How was it I never got your letter?" she said. - -"It was only known this morning," continued Flo. "Even last night we -did not think much about it. She was fearfully ill, of course, and I -slept in her room. But she is subject to bad feverish attacks, and we -hoped she would get well, and that we need not put off the party. The -doctor came early this morning; and--she is covered with it. Oh, it is -frightful! I have been vaccinated, and so has every one else in the -house. But the doctor says we have all run the gravest risk. There is -no use in our going away, however, for no one would take us in." - -"And is she--is she in danger?" Augusta cried, feeling a slight pang -of remorse as she remembered Constance's delicate and lovely features. - -"Oh, I don't know. They say it is a very bad case; she is quite -delirious. Oh, it is awful! I saw her this morning, and I would not -have known her. I am awfully upset, and I feel sick with terror. -Gussie, you ought not to have come in." - -"Perhaps I had better go away," said Augusta. "I am very sorry, of -course. It was a pity you didn't let me have the letter." - -"Mother gave it to the groom to take to you, but I suppose in the -scare he forgot it. I will speak to him in the morning. Would you like -him to drive you back now, Gussie? But the dogcart is not quite safe, -for poor Constance drove in it the day before yesterday. She fainted -before we brought her home; that was the beginning of her illness." - -"I had better walk," said Augusta. "Good-night." - -"Good-night. I won't tell mother that you came, as she would be in -such an awful fright. But I hope you have not run any danger. Perhaps -you had better tell your doctor and be vaccinated at once. -Good-night--good-night." - -Augusta went away. She did not even turn to kiss Flora. She nodded to -her vaguely, as though she were not thinking about her, and walked -down the avenue. When she had gone down a little way she turned and -looked up at the windows of the room where the sick girl lay -struggling with death. She gave a shudder, and hurried her footsteps. - -What an end to her mad adventure! - -She was very tired, and all the excitement which had kept her up -during the past day was now merged into a great terror. What should -she do? Had she contracted infection in that terrible house? Ought she -to be vaccinated? - -All her thoughts were for herself. She was more angry with Constance -than sorry for her. How severely that groom ought to be blamed for not -delivering the note! - -It was after eleven o'clock when she got back to Fairleigh. Had things -turned out as she expected she would not have got back nearly so soon. -The house was in darkness except for a light in the library window. -The window was shut, and so were the shutters, but the light came out -on the gravel through one or two of the chinks. - -Augusta knew that Captain Richmond was there. He generally stayed in -the library for an hour or so after the others had gone to bed. Just -for a moment a wild longing came over her to tell him what had -happened--to seek his advice. If she were infected, had she any right -to infect the others? - -She must not attempt to go back to her room while Captain Richmond was -in the library, for the library was almost immediately under her room. - -"What a nuisance his sitting up so late!" she thought. - -She was too tired to walk another step. She sank down on a garden -seat, wrapped her mackintosh round her, and tried to think; but her -head was giddy, and her brain in a whirl. Her one and only desire was -to get back safely to her room--to fling herself on her bed and lose -consciousness in sleep. - -Even the prize, the great and glorious prize, was as nothing to her -now. Even school in Paris seemed remote and uninteresting. Suppose she -sickened for smallpox. Suppose her face, so smooth and fair and -attractive-looking, was altered and made ugly. Suppose she--died. - -"Oh, why doesn't that horrid man go to bed?" thought the girl. She -jumped up and paced about on the grass. She had been too hot; she was -now too cold. - -After a time, to her horror, she heard the shutters being unbarred. -The window opened, and Captain Richmond put out his head. - -"Is anybody there?" he said. "I thought I heard some one speak. Is -anybody there?" - -There was no answer. - -Augusta, in terror, was hiding behind a bush of laurustinus. - -[Illustration: Augusta in terror was hiding behind a bush of -laurustinus.] - -"I must have fancied it," thought the Captain, - -He waited for another minute, then shut the window, refastened the -shutters, put out the light, and went up to his own room. - -Augusta breathed a sigh of relief. Creeping carefully forward, she -reached the wistaria, and clutching the cord, began cautiously to -ascend. But if she had been nervous descending from her window, that -was nothing at all to her present feelings. She was thoroughly -unstrung, and very tired. When she had nearly reached the top she gave -a sudden lunge forward, missed the rope, and only saved herself by -clutching hold of the bare arm of a part of the vine. - -In doing so she gave her wrist intolerable pain, and very nearly -fainted. But the danger in which she found herself steadied her nerves -sufficiently to enable her to make another great effort, and a moment -later she was safe inside her room. - -"So much for stolen pleasures," thought the miserable girl. "Here I am -back again, battered, torn--oh, how my wrist aches!--and having run -into the gravest danger of my whole life. But there! I must only hope -for the best. Now to untie the cord, put it carefully out of sight, -shut the window, take off my horrid, useless finery, and get into -bed." - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -AUGUSTA IS FRIGHTENED. - - -The next day Augusta's wrist was considerably swollen, and she was in -such pain that when Miss Roy went to see her she immediately said the -doctor had better be sent for. Augusta herself was scarcely thinking -of her wrist. - -"If I can only see the doctor by himself," she thought, "and get him -to vaccinate me and say nothing about it. But that is quite -impossible. And yet, it certainly ought to be done." - -The girls were all very kind to Augusta, whose head ached, and who was -quite willing to remain in bed. But the one question on all the pairs -of lips was: - -"How did you do it, Gussie? How did you give your wrist such an awful -sprain?" - -"I did it shutting the window," said Augusta, jumping at the first -excuse she could think of. "Oh, it is nothing; I shall get up -presently. It is not my wrist that I mind so much, but the headache I -had yesterday evening has not quite gone." - -The doctor came, and said the wrist was badly sprained. He bandaged it -carefully, and told Augusta she must wear her arm in a sling. - -"How did you say you did it?" was his final remark. - -"In shutting the window," said Augusta. "I slipped somehow." - -The doctor made no reply, but he gave Augusta a somewhat searching -look. - -"He doesn't believe me," thought the girl. "I wonder what he thinks I -have been up to. Have I really such a wicked look? For one who means -to win the Royal Cross that would never do. That dear, sanctimonious -Uncle Peter would scent mischief, and my chances would be over." - -Augusta put on a very mournful expression. The doctor took his leave, -assuring her that he would return on the following morning. - -"I wish he were a nice, young, handsome doctor," thought Augusta; -"then perhaps I could coax him to keep my secret for me, and to -vaccinate me without telling the others. But he is just the most -stupid sort--middle-aged and matter-of-fact." - -She lay back on her pillows, feeling exhausted and languid. She had -gone through a great deal more than she had any idea of herself on the -previous night. - -The other girls took turn about to come and sit in her room. Nancy -came early in the afternoon. The day was hot and one of the windows -was wide open. Nancy sat with her elbows on the window-sill, and now -and then she looked out. - -Augusta pretended to read a book; she did not care to talk to Nancy. -Presently the little girl's voice sounded in her ear. - -"You didn't really sprain your wrist when you shut the window, did -you?" she asked. - -"The less you know, Nancy, the better for you." Augusta answered. - -Nancy coloured, and shut her lips. Augusta again took up her book. - -"What trash this is!" she said. "I do hate children's books. Is there -nothing racy and lively in the house?" - -"I will go to the library and look," said Nancy. - -"Get a novel--a good, rousing love story." - -"I don't know what sort of books those are," replied Nancy. - -"Oh, you are too good to live, Nancy! You make me perfectly sick. Get -one of Mrs. Henry Wood's books. I don't much care for her, but she is -better than no one." - -Nancy left the room. She went down to the library and searched for a -long time, but could not find any of Mrs. Henry Wood's novels, and was -returning again to Augusta's room when she met the Captain. - -"Whither away, Nancy?" he asked in a cheerful tone. - -"I am sitting with Augusta," answered Nancy. "She is better, but she -is not at all like herself. I wanted something exciting for her to -read." - -"Have you found what you wanted?" - -"No." - -"Come back to the library and we will look together." - -They searched along the well-lined walls, and presently Nancy took -_King Solomon's Mines_ up to Augusta. - -"Little stupid! I have read it," said Augusta; and she flung the book -with passion to the other side of the room. - -"You will hurt your wrist if you are so rough," said Nancy. She went -and stood by the window. She looked out, and suddenly made an -exclamation. - -"Why, Gussie!" she cried. - -"Well, what now?" - -"How did you do---- Oh, I say! there is your gold bangle hanging on -one of the small branches of the wistaria--just half-way down. How -_did_ it get there?" - -"Can it be seen?" asked Augusta. - -"Seen!" answered Nancy. "Of course it can; it shines like anything." - -"Run down at once; go under my window and find out if you can see it -from below." - -"But I am sure I can. Why should I go?" - -"Go to oblige me; and be quick, Nancy--be quick." - -Nancy went. She returned in a few minutes. - -"It can be seen," she said; "and very plainly, too." - -"Then you must manage to get it off that branch, Nancy. Do you hear? -You must." - -"I!" cried Nancy. "But how, Gussie? How am I to get down? It is ever -so many feet away." - -"You must climb down." - -"But I am afraid of climbing. I always get giddy when I look from any -height. I daren't do it, Gussie; I should fall on my head and get -killed." - -"You really are the most tiresome child," said Augusta. "Here, stand -out of my way. Let me look for myself." - -Augusta got out of bed, and peeped over the window-sill. - -"How very awkward!" she said. "How could it have got there? It must -have dropped from my arm last night when I went to look out." - -"Just before you shut the window?" said Nancy. - -"Well, yes. Do you think any one will believe that story?" - -"No, I don't," replied Nancy after a moment's pause. - -Augusta laughed. "Goosey, goosey, gander!" she said. "I might have -known that you were not quite such a goose as all that. Now, could we -not hook it up with an umbrella handle? Do let's try." - -Both girls tried, but in vain. - -"There is nothing for it, Nancy, but to get the gardener to bring a -ladder. You must point it out to him, and ask him to take it down. -Where is the gardener to-day?" - -"I don't know," replied Nancy. "I have not seen him." - -"Well, you must go and look for him. What are the rest of them doing?" - -"We are all going to have tea in the woods." - -"And leave me! How unkind!" - -"Miss Roy said she would sit with you." - -"No, Nancy; she must not. You will have to stay with me. Do you hear? -You must make up some sort of excuse, and then when they are all away -we will ask the gardener to get us back the bracelet. Do you hear, -Nancy? You must do it. I should get into the most horrible scrape -otherwise; and after the way you deserted me last night it is the very -least you can do." - -"Very well," said Nancy in a low tone. "But I did want to go to the -woods," she murmured under her breath. - -"I know you are to be trusted," said Augusta. "And now I think I may -have a few minutes' sleep. You can wake me when tea arrives." - -Nancy went downstairs and told the others that she intended to stay -with Augusta. Miss Roy exclaimed: - -"My dear, you are looking quite pale. I often feel anxious about you. -You want the air. You have been with Augusta for ever so long to-day." - -"Indeed, I would rather stay," answered Nancy; and she coloured so -painfully, and there was such an eager, supplicating glance in her -eyes, that Miss Roy said nothing further. - -"What a dear, sweet, unselfish little soul she is!" thought Captain -Richmond. He was disappointed not to have her company in the woods; -but as he passed her side he patted her on the shoulder. - -"I can quite understand that the brave soldier sometimes denies -himself," he said. - -A lump came into Nancy's throat, but she made no reply. - -The party went off, carrying a kettle and a tea-basket. Their voices -faded away in the distance, and Nancy went up to Augusta. - -"They have gone; I have heard them," cried Augusta. "Now fetch the -gardener, and be very, very quick." - -Nancy went downstairs. She raced all over the place, and at last she -found Simpson, the very worthy old gardener whom Mrs. Richmond always -employed. - -"Can you come with a ladder, and can you come at once?" asked the -little girl. - -"Well now, miss, I am particular busy to-day," was Simpson's answer; -"but if so be as you want me very bad, why, I'll do what I can for -you, miss. But if it is for that other young lady----" - -"Is it for the other young lady, miss?" - -"It is for me, because I want to help her," said Nancy. "She has -dropped a bracelet--a gold bangle--into the wistaria which grows up to -her window." - -"Oh! I know that wistaria," said Simpson, with a laugh. "It is a good, -steady sort of tree, and afore now it has been made useful. Well, -missy, if Miss Augusta has dropped her bangle into the wistaria it can -wait till to-night. I need not lug a ladder all that way in the midst -of my other work." - -"Oh! she wants you to come _now_; she does indeed, Simpson." - -"Then I must go," replied the old man; and presently he and his ladder -appeared under the window of Augusta's room. Augusta had partly -dressed, and stood by the window giving directions. When the bangle -was handed in to her she seized it, but not very graciously. - -"Here," she said to Simpson, "is a shilling; and I am much obliged to -you. You will never speak of it, of course; it is _quite_ a -private matter, and you must never on any account tell." - -"I ain't likely to tell what don't concern me," replied Simpson--"that -is, I don't tell unless I am arsked. But as to your shilling, miss, -you can keep it, for I don't want none of it." - -[Illustration: "As to your shilling, miss, you can keep it, for I -don't want none of it."] - -He stepped down from the ladder and moved slowly away. - -"What a horrid, impertinent old man!" said Augusta when he had -gone. "But there! the bangle is all right. Put it into my jewellery -drawer, Nancy. Oh dear! I wonder, Nancy, if you have ever felt -frightened--scared, you know." - -"Yes; once I did," replied Nancy. - -"Did you? Oh! I wish you would tell me about it. It would interest me; -it would be as good as a novel." - -"It was when mother was alive," said Nancy. "The doctor said she was -very ill, that she might be dead in the morning. She did not -die--not--not then; but I spent an awful night. Yes, I was scared." - -"I don't think the account of your being scared sounds very -fascinating, Nancy," said Augusta. "It is not like my scare." - -"But are you scared about something?" - -"Yes; I have had a great and terrible scare." - -"Won't you tell me?" - -"Not yet; I will some time, but not yet. I think I'll get up now; I am -much better. Come, help me into my dress. We will both be downstairs -when they come back from the woods." - -Nancy helped Augusta to dress, and the two girls went downstairs. - -The party from the woods returned about eight o'clock. They were all -excited, and brimful of news. Miss Roy was the first to speak of it. - -"How lucky," she said--"how very, very lucky it is that Mrs. Richmond -has forbidden you girls to have anything to do with the Asprays!" - -"Why?" asked Nancy. - -"My dear, a terrible--most terrible--thing has happened. That poor, -pretty girl Constance is down with malignant smallpox. She is terribly -ill, and the doctors say not likely to recover. The doctors are -terribly anxious, and they have sent for a specialist from town." - -"How did you hear it?" asked Augusta. She was standing in the shadow, -and as she spoke she pulled Nancy towards her. - -"Keep quiet," she whispered in her ear.--"How did you hear it, Miss -Roy?" she repeated; and she fixed her eyes, bold and restless, on the -governess's face. - -"Some friends of ours passed through the woods, and they told us," she -answered. "How terrible it all is! I only wish we could help them, -poor creatures, but that is not to be thought of. They say the whole -family are liable to catch it, as the unfortunate girl was with them -during the first stage of the disease. There is no more fearful -disease than smallpox. I almost wonder, girls, if your mother would -like you to remain here." - -"Oh! the girls are perfectly safe at Fairleigh," said the Captain. "I -can take it upon myself to say that. But it may be better for them not -to go into the town until we find out how the poor girl got the -complaint." - -"Nancy, I am not quite well; will you help me back to my room?" -Augusta tottered as she spoke, and fell into a chair which stood near. - -Both Kitty and Nora rushed up to her, and Miss Roy went to the -sideboard and fetched a glass of wine. - -"Your wrist has hurt you very much, dear," she said. "You ought not to -have come down. What a very excellent thing that you have not been -near the Asprays for a long time! It is quite a fortnight since you -saw any of them." - -"Oh, quite--quite!" answered Augusta. - -"And now, as you suggested," said Miss Roy, "you had better go to your -room.--Kitty, you go with your cousin. Nancy ought to have a run in -the fresh air before night." - -"No; I want Nancy. I can't--I won't have any one else," said Augusta. - -"And I don't want to go out, really," said Nancy, looking full at Miss -Roy as she spoke. - -The two girls left the room and went upstairs. - -The moment they got to her room Augusta said, "Lock the door, Nancy; -lock it, and come over close to me. Take my hands in yours. Feel how -cold I am. Feel how I tremble." - -"Yes--yes; I know," said Nancy. - -"And you know also about my terror--my scare?" - -"Yes; I think so. But, Gussie, _were_ you there last night?" - -"Yes; in the house--the very house. I saw Flora, and Flora had slept -in the room with Connie the night before; and they said I ought not to -have come in, but I went. Oh! I am sure I am infected, and if I get it -I shall die. Oh Nan! I am sick with terror--sick with terror." - -"You must tell," said Nancy. "You must tell Uncle Peter and Miss Roy -at once. I know they will forgive you and be sorry for you; but, -Augusta, you must tell." - -"Tell!" said Augusta. "You little horror, if you let it out, I don't -know what I shall not do to you. Of course I won't tell; why should I? -Tell! Why, that would mean no Paris, no Royal Cross. It would mean -disgrace; it would mean ruin. I am _never_ going to tell." - -"But suppose you get smallpox." - -"Will telling save me?" - -"But it will save the others. You ought not to be with them. You may -give it to Kitty and Nora." - -"And to Nancy. Now I know why Nancy is so anxious that I should make a -confession. But I won't tell; and you must not tell. Now sit close to -me, and let us think. It is a real comfort to have you to confide in. -There! put your arms round my neck and hug me. Oh dear, how miserable -I am!" - -Augusta was so really wretched, and so genuinely terrified, that Nancy -could not but pity her. It was impossible to be cross in the midst of -such agony; and when Augusta crept close to the little girl, and -squeezed her tight, and laid her head on her shoulder, Nancy found -herself, in spite of everything, returning her embrace. - -"You are a nice little thing," said Augusta--"so soft and petable. -You don't know how you comfort me and help me to bear up. What I -really ought to do is to be vaccinated. Dr Earle ought to vaccinate -me, but I am afraid to speak to him." - -"He certainly would tell the others," said Nancy; "and," she added, "I -must, of course, tell them. You know, Gussie, it would be very, -_very_ wrong of me to keep this a secret." - -Augusta sat still, thinking hard. Notwithstanding her softness and -gentle appearance, she knew well that Nancy could be obstinate. She -could be firm; she could be valiant for the truth. Augusta had proved -all that the day before when the little girl had refused to help her -in her escapade; so she tried to consider the best possible means of -securing poor Nancy's silence by guile. - -"After all, now that I come to think of it, there would be no use in -my being vaccinated," she said. - -"Why?" Nancy asked. "I thought it was considered a sort of safeguard." - -"Yes; but I was done two years back, and I didn't take it. The doctor -did me twice, and I didn't take it either time, and he said that -proved I was not liable to smallpox. What a good thing I remembered! I -am not half so frightened now, for our clever doctor at home must have -known what he was talking about. Don't you think his opinion worth -having, Nancy?" - -"Yes; it comforts me too," said Nancy. "But still, I am sure you ought -to tell." - -"Now, why, you little goose? Do consider and be sensible, Nan. Oh, you -must squeeze your arms round my neck again; I do so love to feel them! -You know I am deeply attached to you, Nancy. I never mean to let you -go out of my life--never." - -"Oh!" answered Nancy. - -"And you love me too; don't you, little darling?" - -"I--I _pity_ you," said Nancy, her voice trembling. - -"Well, well! pity is akin to love. But now to the point at issue. -Remember what my doctor said. I am almost sure I shall not take the -smallpox, and there would be no use in vaccinating me, for I certainly -should not take that; so what would be the good of frightening every -one? Think of the awful fortnight they would have, not being certain -any moment whether I should get ill or not." - -"Yes, but Nora and Kitty could go away." - -"Where would be the use of that? I cannot infect them unless I get it. -The clothes I wore when I was with Flora are hanging up in my -cupboard. I have nothing on me that I wore then. Nancy, do believe -that I am wiser than you. It would be cruel to frighten them all. I -will tell them _afterwards_--yes, I will tell them afterwards, -when the fortnight is past, when the danger is over; and meanwhile, if -you will only be silent, I will do everything for you that I promised -to do if you had helped me last night. Think what that means: the -paper I robbed you of returned; and all the story of your past life -explained. What a time we shall have together! And how wise you will -be when you know the truth!" - -"And my bird--my darling Sunbeam?" whispered Nancy. - -"Perhaps I will tell about that too. I am awfully sorry about it. But, -anyhow, you shall know the two other things, and we will be a good bit -together for the next few days. Nancy, the moment I feel ill, the -least little scrap ill, with a headache or anything, I will go away to -my room, and no one shall see me but you. You are not nervous about -yourself, are you?" - -"Not a scrap," answered Nancy. - -"You promise that you will not tell?" - -"Oh, I suppose it is frightfully wrong--I am almost sure it is -frightfully wrong--but you do tempt me; and if what you say is quite -true--I mean about the vaccination--perhaps it would do no good to -tell." - -"But I'll tell you what you can do. Now that Miss Roy knows about -Connie, you can put it into her head to have the rest of you -vaccinated. Oh, my dear Nancy, I feel quite happy at last." - -So Nancy yielded. She was sorry enough afterwards, but she yielded, -being compelled by Augusta's entreaties, by the look in her eyes, and -the tempting bait she held up for her acceptance. - -That night Nancy was in possession of some important pieces of -information. She knew exactly the position she held with regard to the -Asprays. She could claim the Asprays' house as her home by right at -any moment. She could leave Mrs. Richmond, and go to Mr. Aspray and say, -"You owed my father money, and now I have come to you, and you are -bound by your own solemn promise to my father to take me and provide -for me. This is my _right_, and I owe nothing to you, because my -father helped you with a large sum of money." - -This was the news that Nancy was told by Augusta, but she took good -care not to enlighten the little girl as to how she came by the -information, Nancy listened with flushed cheeks and shining eyes; and -presently, tired out, she went away to bed. - -"I suppose I ought to be glad," she thought as she laid her head on -her pillow; "but I am not glad, for I can never consider the Asprays' -house my own. And, yes--oh yes--I would _rather_ be Mrs. -Richmond's little charity-girl than be the grandest girl in the world -as Mr. Aspray's adopted daughter." - -This news kept her from thinking so much about the smallpox, and about -the danger which Augusta had run. - -"Nan," said Kitty as she tumbled into bed, "how hot your face is! You -tire yourself over Gussie." - -"Oh, I am all right," said Nancy. - -"Isn't it a good thing," said Nora, "that Augusta has not been so much -with the Asprays? She might have got into most awful danger; but, as -it is, all is safe." - -Nancy was silent, and Kitty gave her a very earnest glance. - -"You know something, and you are not going to tell us," she said -abruptly. - -"I wish you would not question me. I have a headache," pleaded Nancy. - -"Well, no, we won't. Gussie could not have been so awfully, awfully -wicked as to disobey Uncle Peter. We do know that she might be guilty -of tiny sins, but a great monstrous one like that--oh, it is -impossible! Now, Nan, get into bed and get your headache well. Oh, -what a pity you were not downstairs to-night! We were discussing all -about prize-day. Uncle Peter has arranged that it comes off on -Thursday week--that is, in about ten days from now. Oh, it will be a -day and a half, I can tell you!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -UNCLE PETER'S CONSIDERING CAP. - - -Certainly prize-day was to lose no outward manifestation of its great -importance. A telegram had arrived from Mrs. Richmond announcing her -safe arrival at the Cape. But when she would be back again was quite -uncertain. - -The girls, however, determined to have a right good time in her -absence; and in this they were aided and abetted by the Captain, who, -for all his moral qualities, enjoyed a lark with the best. - -So far as the special prizes went, they were to be bestowed upon the -successful candidates in private. "For our battalion is more or less a -secret one," said the Captain. "We fight, you know, against -_invisible_ foes, against the powers of the air, so to speak, and -we don't want _visible_ people--acquaintances, and so on--to -behold us either in our defeat or victory. I propose that the prizes -should wind up the day, when all the guests have gone, and the dance -is over, and the fun is at an end. Then will come the crowning event, -after which all must necessarily be bathos." - -The girls willingly agreed, and preparations were set on foot for the -festival. Captain Richmond decided that the early part of the day -should be given up to the poor people of the neighbourhood. There -should be a dinner on the lawn, followed by games and tea. Several -prizes for feats of skill were to be offered, and the usual amusements -provided. - -Captain Richmond, who came down to Fairleigh almost every year, -belonged to a workmen's club and a boys' cricket club, and was -consequently well known by most of the people in the place. -Invitations were sent out to quite a hundred poor people, and very -busy were the Fairleigh servants preparing for the work which lay -before them. For visitors were also to arrive in the afternoon--the -several young folks whom the Richmonds happened to know. They were to -help to entertain the poor people, who were expected to take their -departure at six o'clock. Then would follow a dance in the great -drawing-room, ending by supper. Supper would usher in the departure of -the guests, and after that the successful winner of the Royal Cross -would be decorated with her great honour. This was the plan, and great -delight did it cause among the young people. - -Augusta was now as gay as the others. She had forgotten all possible -danger, and except that she avoided speaking of the Asprays, turning a -little white when the subject of Connie's terrible illness was -broached, she certainly looked as if nothing ailed her. She was quite -in her element making preparations for the great prize-day, and proved -a most useful, clever, and efficient mistress of the ceremonies; for, -being the eldest girl, Captain Richmond was forced to put her into -this position. Neither Kitty nor Nora wished for it; and as to Nancy, -she was of course quite out of the running. - -"We must have new dresses for the dance," said Augusta. "We ought to -send to town for them." - -"As to that," replied Captain Richmond, "you must please yourselves, -girls. I never did know anything about dress; but it seems to me that -all girls look much alike--that is, as far as their dress is -concerned. Oh yes, put on something white and feathery-looking; that -is the correct thing, is it not?" - -"Uncle Pete, you are quite too killing!" said Gussie; and she laughed -with great enjoyment. That afternoon she sent a long letter to her -mother's dressmaker in town, the result of which was that an -interesting and mysterious-looking box arrived for her on the day -before the dance. It was taken straight up to her room, and she -invited the three other girls and Miss Roy to come and witness the -unpacking. - -"I just do _adore_ finery," said Gussie. "I don't pretend for a -moment that I am made any other way. I revel in pretty things. No one -could ever give me too much dress or too many fine feathers. Now -then"---- - -The cord of the box was removed, the lid was lifted, and between folds -of tissue-paper a beautiful white silk, soft as quantities of delicate -lace and chiffon could make it, was unfolded. - -"Isn't it just too sweet?" said Gussie. "Fancy me in it. I wish I were -quite grown-up so that I might have a train. Well, I shall be grownup -in two years' time. Two years don't take _very_ long to run--do -they, Miss Roy?" - -"Not when you get as old as I am," said Miss Roy; "but at your age -they go somewhat slowly. Yes, it is a pretty frock, but, in my -opinion, a little too dressy for the occasion.--My dear Nora and Kitty -and Nancy, you will look very countrified beside Augusta." - -"Oh, we don't mind," said Nora, with a laugh. - -"In fact," said Kitty, "we would rather wear plain washing frocks, -which can just be put into the tub and come out as fresh as ever." - -"Sour grapes," said Augusta. "Now, Nancy here would like a dress of -this sort.--Wouldn't you, Nancy?" - -"Yes--very much," replied Nancy. - -Miss Roy gave her a critical and somewhat surprised glance. - -"I didn't know that you cared about fine clothes, Nancy," she said. - -"Not always; but I should have liked a dress like Augusta's for -to-morrow. All the same," she added, "I am not going to be unhappy -about it." - -"Put your dress back, dear," said Miss Roy. "I am glad you are -pleased. And now let us go downstairs. You know, my dears, the news -about poor Connie Aspray is very serious indeed. She was so ill last -night that she was not expected to live. If anything were to happen to -her, our party to-morrow could scarcely take place. However, we must -hope for the best.--Augusta, you are looking very white and tired; you -won't be good for anything unless you go to bed soon. Now come down; -Uncle Peter is waiting for his supper." - -After supper that night Kitty ran up to Nora and began to whisper to -her. Nora looked excited, and nodded her head once or twice. The end -of the little girls' confab was a sudden rushing of two eager pairs of -feet all over the grounds looking for Uncle Peter. Eventually the -Captain was discovered, smoking by himself in an arbour at one end of -the grounds. - -"We knew you by the glow-worm in your mouth," said Nora, with a peal -of laughter. "And now we want you to do something for us--oh, so very, -very badly!" - -"Well, come, young monkeys," said the Captain, making room for a -niece to sit on each side of him. "Now then, what is the news? Oh, how -your eager, silly little hearts beat! What is up, young-uns?" - -"It is about Nan," said Nora. "You know, Uncle Pete, that there never -was a little girl less vain than Nancy." - -"My dear child, I am quite willing to believe you; but why should -Nancy be vain?" - -"Oh, you know she is sweetly pretty." - -"She is," said the Captain; "she has quite a charming face." - -"And we want her to look the very prettiest girl in the room to-morrow -night. Augusta has such a grand frock, sent all the way from London--a -flounced and billowed and chiffoned dress, Uncle Pete--and she is so -conceited about it; and to-night, when we were looking at it, Nancy -said she would like a frock like that. Poor darling! we were rather -surprised--though, after all, it did seem quite natural. And, Uncle -Pete, we want her to have one; and, Uncle Pete, _can_ you manage -it?" - -"Good gracious, my dear child! I know nothing about clothes." - -"Oh, couldn't you go to town and see what the very grandest shop -has--ready-made, you know? Surely there must be something that Nan -could wear." - -"But to-morrow is the day of the festival. Even if I started now to -London I could not be back in time." - -"But couldn't you go to Exeter? You could get to Exeter in an hour and -a half." - -"And find all the shops shut, Nora." - -"Couldn't you take the very earliest train tomorrow morning and get -back in time?" - -"I could, of course, only what state should I find this place in -here?" - -"Oh! we will see to that. We will do every single thing in your -absence." - -"What devoted little friends Nan has!" - -"Of course we are devoted to our darling; who would not be?" said -Nora. - -"It would be so lovely to see Gussie coming in all bows and smiles and -curtsies, and with that sort of affected way she has, and then Nancy -dancing in in her pretty dress, looking more beautiful than Gussie -could ever look!" said Kitty. - -"Really, Kitty, you can be quite eloquent when you please," said the -Captain. "Well, leave the matter to me." - -"You will do it, Uncle Peter; and you will manage the money part?" - -"Oh yes, child; I will manage the money part." - -"Well then, good-night, _dear_ Uncle Peter; we must be going to -bed." - -They tripped off through the darkness; and the Captain put on his -considering cap with a vengeance. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE BEGINNING OF THE SHADOW. - - -The day of the party dawned on the world as sunshiny as day could -dawn. The fierce heat of the sun was tempered by just the right amount -of breeze. The sultry weather of the past ten days had given place to -a fresher and clearer atmosphere. All the world ought to have been in -the best of spirits on such a glorious day in early autumn. - -About eleven o'clock Captain Richmond appeared on the scene, carrying -a square box in his hand. He entered the library, where Miss Roy -happened to be alone. - -Miss Roy's face was preternaturally grave, and when she saw the -Captain she uttered an exclamation of relief. - -"I am so glad you have come!" she said. "I want to speak to you -badly." - -"What is it?" asked Captain Richmond. - -"Will you shut the door and turn the key? I don't want any of the -children to overhear us." - -"Where are the children?" asked Captain Richmond. - -"Busy all over the place--busy as you might expect such little bees to -be on such an occasion. Oh, but I forgot! Gussie is lying down; she -has a slight headache and pain in her back." - -"Augusta doesn't seem too strong," said the Captain. "I have heard of -several headaches lately." - -"She is a very queer girl, and I don't understand her," said Miss Roy. - -"After all, Miss Roy," said the Captain, "she must be a very good -girl, for beyond doubt she will be the happy possessor of the Royal -Cross to-night." - -"You don't say so! I am amazed!" answered the governess. - -"To tell the truth, I am amazed myself, and a little disappointed. It -is wrong to say it, but I am. Still, there is no question with regard -to the matter. Augusta is the only one of the little battalion who has -not had a single bad mark for conduct." - -"I am sure poor Nora and Kitty have tried their best," said Miss Roy, -standing up for her pupils, as was natural. - -"Just so. I am sure you are right. Nevertheless, the poor mites have -little gray marks for carelessness, untidiness, forgetfulness, -registered against them on several occasions." - -"Yes," said Miss Roy, "that is true. I have entered those marks -myself, and regret having had to do so." - -"What else could you do?" said the Captain. "If there was anything in -my little scheme, absolute truth and justice were essential." - -"What about Nancy?" said Miss Roy, fixing her eyes on the Captain's -face. - -"Nancy!" said the Captain. "Don't you remember?" - -"Remember? Oh yes! Could I forget? But I had hoped"---- - -"What, my dear lady?" - -"That some explanation had been arrived at. How is it possible to -credit a child like Nancy with cruelty?" - -But then Miss Roy recalled the incident of the starving canary, and -her voice faltered as she spoke. - -"There is no explanation," said Captain Richmond. "I feel nearly wild -about it, I assure you. I have thought over the matter until my head -ached; but the entry was made by my sister-in-law, a woman who does -not make mistakes. It is impossible there could be anything wrong in -the entry. What Nancy did we don't know, but that mark takes away even -the remotest chance of her winning the Royal Cross." - -"Then you will tell her," said Miss Roy; "you will at least give her a -chance of explaining, if any explanation is possible?" - -"Yes; I shall have to speak of it at the time. It will be a painful -moment, but it is only just to the little girl." - -"I feel certain," said Miss Roy, "that Nancy will be able to put -matters right." - -But then again she thought of the canary, and once again her speech -seemed to choke her. - -"You must not worry about it," said Captain Richmond. "And now," he -added in a good-natured tone, "can I do anything for you? Pray command -me." - -"There is something I must speak to you about, Captain -Richmond--something very serious and painful. I cannot tell you how -grieved I am that such bad news should reach us on this auspicious -day. I think it will be our duty to keep what I am about to -communicate from the young people. Let them have one day of pleasure -at any rate. But the fact is, poor Constance Aspray is not expected to -live out the day, and a servant in the house has now developed -smallpox." - -"Indeed!" said the Captain. "How terrible!" - -"We cannot put off our guests now," said Miss Roy; "nor would it be -wise. Any kind of panic at such a time would be sure to make the -mischief worse. There have been a few other cases in the village, and -although they have been removed to hospital at once, yet it would -certainly be best for us to leave here to-morrow morning. I should not -feel I was fulfilling my duty to Mrs. Richmond if I allowed the -children to run any further risk." - -"Very well," said the Captain, "you must do as you think best. Only -let them all be happy for this day at least." - -He was about to leave the room, when he turned suddenly: - -"Could you have this box conveyed to Nancy's bedroom?" he said. "There -is a little surprise within for her; and I only wish I were able to -give her the Royal Cross to-night." - -Miss Roy promised to attend to Captain Richmond's request, and the -young man left the house. - -Outside, Kitty, Nora, and Nancy were rushing wildly about, arranging -benches, seeing to the best position for garden chairs, and helping -here, there, and everywhere. They rushed to the Captain with glad -welcomes, and he was soon as busy as the rest making preparations for -the evening. - -Lunch was extra early that day, in order to have everything in -readiness for the advent of the poor people early in the afternoon. - -Nancy and the other two girls went up to their rooms, and soon a -shriek from Nancy brought Kitty and Nora running to her bedroom. - -"Oh, is it a fairy--is it--is it? I don't know whether I am on my head -or on my heels," cried the little girl; "but such a darling, such a -beauty! Oh, isn't it just sweet? Who gave it to me? Kitty, it can't be -true; it must be meant for some other little girl." - -"No, it isn't. See what is written on that piece of paper," said -Kitty, whose face was red and her eyes dancing with joy. "See for -yourself, Nancy; see for yourself." - -Nancy read the following words on a little white card: - -"From a genie to a good fairy, with compliments." - -"Oh, it is quite mysterious!" said Nancy. "But are you certain that I -am the good fairy?" - -"Certain--positive," said Kitty. "Why, I could not wear that dress; it -is a great deal too small. What a figure of fun I should look with my -long legs! But it will suit you, Nancy, to perfection. I knew -that"---- - -"Hush, Kitty!" said Nora. - -"You are hiding something from me," said Nancy. - -"Nothing--nothing, truly: but do let us examine it. Is it not -wonderful to have a genie for a friend?" - -"What is a genie?" said Nancy. - -"A sort of grown-up fairy--better than a fairy, because he is -stronger, and he is quite grownup, you know. And if a little girl has -a genie for a friend, why, anything may happen to her. She might ask -for anything and she would probably get it. And, oh, what sweet little -shoes! And the stockings! Well done, Unc"---- - -"Kitty, you are quite incorrigible," said Nora. "But there, Nan! you -are in luck; the dress is yours, and you are to wear it to-night. Now -do come, Kit, for if we don't hurry we shall be late for lunch." - -Nancy folded the pretty frock and put it into its box. Kitty's words -had enlightened her: Uncle Pete was the genie; and, of course, she was -the good little fairy. - -"But am I a good fairy?" thought the child. "Oh, if he only knew! And -if he could only guess how my heart aches--often, often. I know I have -no chance of the Royal Cross to-night. I wonder who will get it. -Gussie hopes that she will. Perhaps she will, for she is so clever; no -one guesses when Gussie does wrong things--no one but me. Oh, how -unhappy she has made my life! Well, I must go to her now. I must find -out if her head is any better." - -Nan flew along the corridors, and soon reached Augusta's room, opened -the door without knocking, and went in. - -Augusta was lying in an uneasy doze, and her face was considerably -flushed. - -"It is lunch-time," said Nan; "aren't you coming down?" - -"No," said Augusta; "I could not eat anything." - -"Are you ill?" asked Nancy in a low, terror-stricken whisper. - -"No, I am not a bit ill," said Augusta; "but I have got one of my -stupid headaches. Don't look so scared, child. Come here, close to me, -Nan." - -"Yes," said Nancy; and she went to Augusta's side and bent over her. -"You are hot, Gussie; and, oh dear, how your face burns!" - -"I always get hot like that when I have these stupid headaches; but it -is better. I don't feel it when I am lying down. Nancy, has there been -any news from the Asprays?" - -"I have not heard of any," said Nancy. - -"Oh, what a relief"---- - -"We would have heard if--if the worst----" said Nancy. - -"Oh, of course; but don't let as think any more about them," said -Augusta. "And I am not a bit ill, really. Tell them all I am coming -down this afternoon, but I shall stay quiet until then." - -"But won't you have anything to eat, Gussie?" - -"No, no; nothing. I could not touch a morsel. Go away now; there's a -good child." - -"Do you know, Gussie, Uncle Pete--a good genie, I mean--has brought -me such a lovely frock; very like yours, only, I think, nicer. It was -in a box, and the box was on my bed. I have just unfastened it and -looked at the frock. But isn't it just too sweet of him?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. "Then there will be two of us to look pretty -to-night." - -"I want to look very, very pretty," said Nancy, "just to show Uncle -Pete how grateful I am to him." - -"Well, don't chat any more now; your silly talk makes my head worse -than ever. Run away now. Only listen; if there is any worse news, be -sure you let me know." - -"Yes," said Nancy; and she left the room. - -Augusta tossed from side to side of her bed. Troubled thoughts were -visiting her. A fear, grave and mighty, was lying dormant in her -breast; very little would make it start into full growth. She sat up -presently and pushed the thick hair from her brows. - -One of the housemaids came in, and started when she saw Augusta; then -coming forward, she said in a tone of commiseration: - -"Oh, Miss Gussie! I didn't know you were here. And you do look bad, -miss. Is there much the matter?" - -"Only a stupid headache," said Augusta. "It will be all right -presently. I shall come down to have my fun when those tiresome poor -people have gone; I am not going before." - -"We are all going to have a lark," said the girl, who saw no reason -for being extra respectful to Augusta, who was no favourite with the -servants. "There are a lot of them coming; but Gaffer Jones can't, nor -can old Tilbury." - -"Who are they? And why can't they come?" asked Augusta. - -"Because of the sickness, miss." - -"Sickness!" said Augusta, at once on the alert. "Is any one ill?" - -"Three cases of smallpox in the village, miss. But the sick people is -took to the hospital--two in Gaffer Jones's house, and one in -Tilbury's--three in all. It do seem sad about that poor, handsome young -lady." - -"Miss Aspray, do you mean?" said Augusta, whose face had now turned -deadly white. - -"Yes, miss--of course." - -"She is not dead?" - -"No, no, miss. How bad you look! But she is likely to be afore long. -There! I won't talk to you no more, miss, if I can't do nothing for -you; but if you would like a cup of tea"---- - -"No; leave me, please, Jane. All I want is to be quiet." - -Jane withdrew, and Augusta flung herself once more on her bed and -covered her head. - -"Of course it is nothing," she said to herself; "only this headache. I -am safe now, and I won't even think there is anything to fear. -But--but, oh, the pain in my back!" - -Notwithstanding the shadow of illness which rested so darkly over one -house, and which was already making its cruel and awful presence felt -in the village, the party at Fairleigh was a merry one. Everything -was done to make the guests happy. There was no selfish element at -work, and the guests were delighted--there was no hitch anywhere. Poor -Augusta upstairs, in pain and terror, was for the time forgotten. - -But the gayest time will come to an end, and when the party had run -races innumerable, swarmed up greasy poles, leapt barriers, and jumped -about in sacks, and gone through the different feats which are the -pride and honour of an Englishman's holiday, a good meal followed. -Then the children of the neighbourhood appeared on the scene, and soon -after six o'clock the first batch of guests took their leave. - -It was now the turn of the young people of the house to rush off to -their rooms to get ready for the dance, which was to be, in one sense, -the greatest event of the day. - -Nan, with her heart smiting her for having forgotten Augusta so long, -went first to that young lady's room. - -She knocked. Gussie said, "Come in;" and she entered. - -"How do I look?" said Augusta. - -Nancy started with genuine pleasure when she saw her. She was up, and -was arrayed in her beautiful frock. The maid Jane had been summoned, -and had tied all the strings and fastened the different hooks. - -"You do look well now, Gussie," said Nancy. "I am so happy!" - -Augusta, always a striking-looking girl, looked distinctly handsome -to-night. The brightness of incipient fever shone in her eyes, making -them both large and dark; a rich colour mantled her cheeks, and the -very dread which filled her softened her beauty and gave character to -her face. Her lovely dress fitted her to perfection, and showed off -her young graces, making her look quite remarkable. - -"How nicely you have your hair done! Did Jane do it?" asked Nancy. - -"No; I did it myself." - -"And is your headache quite well now?" - -"It aches now and then, but it is nothing to signify. When I have -danced a little I shall be quite all right." - -"Oh Gussie! you are shivering, and your face has turned white." - -"I must have taken a chill," said Augusta. "I have been like this, off -and on, all day." - -"Have you had anything to eat, Gussie?" - -"No; I could not eat. But I should like something to drink. My eyes -burn, and I am awfully thirsty." - -"Oh, there are such piles of ices downstairs! I will go and fetch you -a strawberry ice." - -"You really are a good little thing. But come here. Have you heard -anything fresh about the Asprays?" - -"About the Asprays?" said Nancy. "No--nothing at all." - -"But I have. Jane has told me that Constance is worse--so bad that -they don't think she can recover. And, oh! if Connie dies, I can't--I -_can't_ bear it." - -"Oh, but she won't die! And please--please, Gussie, do bear up. I am -sure God will spare Constance." - -"I don't know. I don't seem able to believe anything--anything good, I -mean, Nancy. But did I tell you that there are cases in the village?" - -"Are there?" said Nancy. "But it can't be true," she added, "for if -there were Miss Roy would have told us." - -"It is true; and I watched the people as they came on the lawn. I -watched them on purpose. Gaffer Jones was not there, nor was Mrs. -Tilbury, nor any of her family. Some of the Tilburys are down with it, -Nancy, and some of the Joneses. And, oh dear! I wish I could get it -all out of my head--it is so--so dreadful." - -"I must rush away to dress," said Nancy. "It is very sad, but we are -bound to make ourselves happy to-night, and forget such things." - -She ran off, having quite forgotten about the ice which she had -promised to bring to Augusta. - -Augusta stood for a long while by the window; then she went -downstairs. - -The final touches had been given to the long supper-table. Nancy was -right; there were pails full of ice under the sideboard. - -"I am so thirsty, Walter; will you give me some ice?" said Augusta. - -The man helped her to a strawberry ice, which she ate greedily. "Now I -will have something to drink," she said; "iced champagne--anything." - -There was no iced champagne, but iced claret-cup was forthcoming, and -Augusta drank it, declaring to herself that she felt vastly better. -She then went out on the lawn. - -There she was met by Uncle Peter in his evening-dress, and soon -afterwards the three girls joined them. - -Nancy looked just as sweet as the genie thought she would when he -selected her dress. Her face was pale beside the flaming colour which -painted Augusta's cheeks, but--there was no doubt about it--the little -girl possessed the rarer sort of beauty. Nancy's was of the spiritual -order, filling her eyes with sadness and sympathy, and making the -expression of her little face unworldly and high in tone. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -THE CROSS. - - -Never had Augusta looked so well as she did that night. She danced -quite beautifully, and was really a brilliant young mistress of the -ceremonies. Many were the admiring glances cast at her, and loud the -admiration she evoked. For the time being Augusta was unselfish. She -thought of the comfort and pleasure of her guests. She managed to make -the awkward ones feel at ease, and the shy ones feel at home; at the -same time she kept the too forward children in order--in short, she -was invaluable. - -Uncle Peter was especially struck both by her conduct and her -appearance. - -"She really is a fine girl," he said to himself. "There is something -wonderfully taking about her to-night; and how good she is, and -self-forgetful! I shall have more pleasure than I had the least idea -of a few hours ago in presenting her with the Royal Cross." - -As these thoughts came to him, he observed that Augusta was standing -where the full draught of the open door blew upon her thin -evening-dress. She shivered, and sank down on the nearest chair. - -Captain Richmond immediately went to her side. - -"Augusta," he said, "have you a dance to spare for me? You haven't -given me one yet." - -"I can give you the present one," she replied at once, "if you will -sit it out with me." - -"With pleasure! Where shall we go? You are in a fearful draught just -here, and you look positively cold." - -"I am shivering," replied Augusta. "Let us go to the conservatory." - -They went there. The conservatory was too hot for many people on this -summer's night, and was comparatively empty. Augusta sank down on a -seat. - -"I will get you a wrap," said the Captain. "You ought not to feel cold -on a night like this." - -"Oh, I am quite all right," she answered. "Don't leave me; let us sit -down and talk. You are very fond of Nancy, are you not?" - -"Of course; we all are," he replied. - -"I should like to say----" stammered Augusta. - -"What, my dear?" - -She paused and looked full at her questioner. - -"This," she said: "you know I am not an especially nice girl, but I -can admire goodness when I see it in others. Now, no one was ever half -so good as Nancy; and even if appearances seem to have been against -her, she was far and away the best of us all.--Oh, what am I saying? -What utter nonsense am I talking? Will you take me back to the -ballroom, please? I would not miss the next waltz for anything." - -"I will take you back when you have explained your last words." - -"There is nothing to explain--nothing at all. I spoke quite at random. -Dear little Nancy! I am as fond of her as you are." - -"Listen, Augusta," said the Captain. "I didn't mean to confide in you, -but I will. You know of the little ceremony which is to take place -to-night when the dance is over. We are to go into the inner -drawing-room, and there it will be decided, from what I shall read -aloud out of the orderly-book, which of you four girls is to receive -the Royal Cross." - -"Of course; I know that," answered Augusta. - -"Yes; but listen. There is an entry in the orderly-book against -Nancy's name which puts her out of the running." - -"Puts her out of the running!" whispered Augusta. Her very lips were -white. - -Captain Richmond's eyes seemed like gimlets piercing into her soul. - -"There is a charge against Nancy which, made against any child, would -condemn her--condemn her so utterly that one could not think of her as -a winner of that great prize which means nobleness of conduct, valour, -and all the rest. Augusta, you will all know soon, but it does not -matter my telling you an hour or so before the others. Nancy -Esterleigh is charged with _cruelty_. Can you, Gussie, help me to -throw light upon, in her case, such an unnatural accusation?" - -There was a wild beating in Augusta's ears; her head ached so terribly -that she was almost giddy, and a cold chill ran down her back. She -turned aside and plucked a geranium blossom from a great flowering -bush near by. - -"Can you?" said the Captain again. - -"No. How is it possible? The accusation has astonished me." - -"There is also that curious thing which happened with regard to her -bird. Can you throw any light upon that?" - -"No--no; a thousand times no. What do you take me for? Do you think I -would let little Nancy suffer _if_ I could help her?" - -"Of course not," said the Captain coldly. "I think the dance has come -to an end. May I take you back to the ballroom?" - -For the rest of that evening Augusta was not still for a single -moment. When she was not dancing she was walking about. Her laugh -could be heard gay, almost shrill. Her cheeks wore pink with the flush -of fever, which those who saw her mistook for health. She was far and -away the most successful girl at the dance. Even Nancy, beautiful -little girl as she was, and lovely as she looked in the new frock, was -not to be compared with her. - -But all good things, as well as bad things, come to an end, and -by-and-by the ball was over. The party broke up; the young folk put on -their wraps, said good-bye to their hosts, and left Fairleigh. The -last sound of the last carriage-wheel died away. The four girls, Miss -Roy, and Captain Richmond faced each other. It was on the stroke of -midnight. - -"How tired you all look!" said Miss Roy. "Shall we defer the further -ceremony until to-morrow?" - -"No," said Captain Richmond; "this is the appointed day. Come at once, -all of you." - -The servants were rushing about, locking up and putting things in -order. Captain Richmond conducted his party to the front drawing-room, -and turned the key in the lock. The electric light made the room -bright as day. The windows looking on to the lawn were wide open. When -they all entered the room, Captain Richmond opened the drawer, the -lock of which had been injured by Augusta, and took the orderly-book -out. At the same moment he put his hand in his pocket and produced a -small morocco case, which he laid on the table. - -"Now, my little soldiers," he said, "the crucial moment of our -campaign has arrived. You have been under my command, and have also -been disciplined by my good ally, Sergeant Roy, for the last few -months; and, on the whole, I trust you feel better, morally and -physically, for the soldier's life." - -"Oh yes, indeed!" cried Nora. "We like it awfully. I hope we are not -going to cease to be soldiers to-night, Uncle Pete." - -"Certainly not, Nora. In one sense you must always be soldiers, but -whether you remain in my battalion will depend a great deal on -yourselves. But now to business; you are tired, and we must not -linger. This book gives, in a condensed form, the history of your -lives from the moment you enlisted under my banner. Now then, soldiers -of the True Blue, we will see what it says about you." - -Here Captain Richmond opened the book. He looked quickly down the -pages which related to Nora's life. - -"An excellent report on the whole, Nora," he said when he had -finished, "but conduct not immaculate--a few errors, dear, in the form -of untidy rooms, lost property, and forgotten duties. Nothing exactly -serious, but"---- - -The Captain's "but" was emphatic. Nora turned from pink to white. - -"I knew it," she said to her sister. "I never, never expected"---- - -"Hush!" said Kitty, "Uncle Pete is speaking again." - -"Kitty, on the whole you have done better than Nora. Your industry has -been unparalleled, and, in short, I think you are deserving of a -prize. If you hadn't been so inveterately careless, my little girl, -there might have been a chance of my giving you _the_ prize. But -see here, Kit--here, and here, and here." The Captain laid his finger -against certain marks in Kitty's record. - -Kitty coloured and stepped back. - -"I deserve them all," she said. - -"Well, that is something worth hearing," he answered with heartiness, -"for when we know our faults, then is the time when we begin to mend -them.--Now then, Nancy." - -Nancy was standing by an open window. Her face looked serene and -quiet. She did not for a moment think that she would win the Royal -Cross; but, at the same time, she did not think there could be any -grave charge chronicled against her name. - -"Nancy, I have something sad to say to you," said the Captain, going -forward and taking her hand in his as he spoke. "Even still I think -there must be some explanation." - -"What--what," cried Nancy--"what do you mean?" - -"Don't tremble so, Nancy. Listen. Your conduct has been -irreproachable, and your struggle to maintain a high level in morals -and intellect very great; but, alas! on one occasion you fell--a good -deep fall, Nancy--you fell from a high ladder." - -"I fell from a height! Oh, what do you mean?" - -She looked wildly at Augusta, who glanced at Miss Roy. Miss Roy turned -aside; Augusta's bold eyes were fixed upon her face. - -"I have fallen from a height! When? Where? How?" - -"Here," said the Captain; "see for yourself. Every one need not know, -but you must know; read for yourself." - -Dizzily the little girl bent her head. For a moment she could see -nothing. Then she read, as though they were written in letters of -fire, the dreadful words, "Guilty of cruelty." - -She read this aloud and flung back her head. - -"_That_ I have never been guilty of. It is a _lie_; it is a -black lie. I have never been cruel in all my life." - -The Captain sighed. - -"It is in Aunt Jessie's own handwriting. I am afraid there is no -refuge from this storm. You had better not add to"---- - -"Oh! don't say any more; I cannot--cannot stand it," said the child. - -She was about to rush through the open window, when Augusta stepped -forward and held her hand. - -"Be quiet," she said--"for my sake." - -Again the extraordinary influence which Augusta had over the little -girl made itself felt. Nancy stood still, allowing Augusta to hold her -hand within her own hot clasp; she partly turned her back upon the -others. - -"There is no bad mark against your name, Augusta," said the Captain -after a pause, his voice slightly shaking. "All through these months -of training and discipline your conduct has been admirable. You have -been industrious; you have been courteous; you have been kind. You -have, I doubt not, been also unselfish; therefore I proclaim you the -happy possessor of the Royal Cross. Come here and let me fasten it -round your neck." - -Augusta came totteringly forward. All eyes were fixed upon her; -Nancy's, no longer gentle, but fierce and defiant, were raised to -watch her face, but Augusta would not now look at Nancy. - -The Royal Cross was made of deep-blue enamel, inlaid in rich silver. -It was in the shape of an Irish cross, and was very beautiful. On it -were engraved the words, _For valour in the fight_. The cross was -attached to a narrow silver chain. Captain Richmond slipped the chain -round Augusta's throat, and the deep-blue cross shone on her bare -white neck. - -Just then, before any one could speak, there came on the air the sound -of a tolling bell. It was distinctly audible. It tolled three times -and then stopped, three times again and then stopped, and then three -times once more. - -"Some woman has died, poor thing!" said the Captain. - -Then the solemn notes rang out again. They sounded sixteen times. - -Augusta uttered a cry. - -"It is Connie!" she said. "Oh, what shall I do?" - -The next instant the wretched girl had fallen in a dead faint on the -floor. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE LETTER. - - -The confusion and consternation which followed poor Augusta's utter -collapse can be better imagined than described. The sick girl was -tenderly lifted from the ground in Captain Richmond's strong arms. She -was conveyed to a sofa, and the usual restoratives were administered; -and when she opened her eyes and cried wildly, "Oh, my head!--oh, my -back!" Miss Roy motioned to the other children to leave the -room. Nancy was about to follow the example of the two little Richmond -girls, when Augusta's feverish eyes rested on her face. - -"Don't go. I can't part from you--I can't--I won't.--Let Nancy stay, -please--please, Miss Roy." - -"Stay for the present, dear," said Miss Roy, nodding towards Nancy. - -"Oh! let her hold my hand; let her kneel by me; no one else comforts -me," almost screamed the excited girl. - -"You must control yourself, Augusta," said the Captain, speaking now -in an almost stern voice. "We must get you to your room. If you are -too weak to walk I will carry you." - -"No; I can walk," said Augusta. "I will lean on you if I may. My head -feels as if it would burst. Oh, is she dead? Nan--Nan, tell me the -truth. Constance can't--no, she can't be dead." - -"We don't know who is dead, dear," said Miss Roy. "We must only hope -that it is not your poor young friend. Now, don't talk any more; just -let us get you to your room." - -It was with some difficulty that Augusta, who was half-delirious with -illness, pain, and terror, could be got to her own apartment. At last, -however, Miss Roy and the Captain succeeded in doing so. She was got -into bed, and, late as it was, Captain Richmond went for the doctor. - -Dr Earle happened to be in, and returned at once with Captain Richmond -to Fairleigh. - -He saw Augusta, took her temperature, examined her very carefully, -looked into her eyes, felt her pulse, and then called Miss Roy aside. - -"She is very ill, poor girl!" said the doctor. - -"Her temperature is high, her pulse rapid, and she is undoubtedly very -feverish. If it were not---- But no, that is impossible." - -"What do you mean?" said Miss Roy, in great alarm. - -"Oh, nothing. I am sorry I alarmed you. Miss Duncan has not been near -any infection, has she?" - -"No; certainly not." - -"We have a few cases of smallpox; but, of course, if she has not been -in the village she is safe. I am not attending poor Miss Aspray; Dr -Reynolds is her physician. She was frightfully ill this afternoon; and -the other sister, Flora, they say, is sickening. Miss Duncan has not -been near them, has she?" - -"No; of that I am positive," replied Miss Roy. "Mrs. Richmond did not -wish the children to make any fresh friends during her absence, and -Augusta has had nothing to do with those young people for several -weeks." - -"Oh! then, of course, it is not that--although some of the symptoms -point to it." - -"Dr Earle, you quite terrify me." - -"You need not be frightened; of that I am certain. But don't let the -little girl, Miss Nancy, stay too much in the room; it is never wise -in these feverish cases. I will call in early in the morning. I trust -by then the fever will have abated." - -The doctor went away. When Miss Roy returned to the sickroom Augusta -was lying half across the bed, her arms flung round Nancy's neck, who -was kneeling by her side. As Miss Roy came in she heard Augusta say: - -"Take the cross off my neck, Nancy, and put it on yours. I shall die -if I wear it any longer. It is so heavy--so heavy--like lead--it goes -through me; it burns through my flesh. Wear it--wear it, to please -me--to please me." - -Nancy began to take the cross off with trembling fingers. - -"Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan; then I shall feel better. Oh! -it is some sort of--some sort of"---- - -[Illustration: "Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan, then I shall -feel better."] - -The words gradually trailed away into silence. The miserable girl had -fallen into a broken slumber. - -"Get up at once, Nancy," said Miss Roy; "and take that off--do, my -dear. And--and go away to bed." - -Nancy rose to her feet looking pale and scared. The dark blue cross -with its silver mountings shone up against her white neck. Miss Roy -herself removed it, and laid it on the table. - -"Good-night, darling," she said to the little girl. - -"Mayn't I stay?" asked Nancy. - -"No; and you are not to come back until I give you leave. Now run -away; you are looking tired." - -"It is not being just tired," said Nan slowly; "it is--the -other--it--_it kills me_." - -"I am very sorry for you, and I don't understand it," said Miss Roy. -"Perhaps, if you are good and patient, God will give us an explanation -some day. Now we are all in trouble about Augusta, and must try to -forget ourselves. Goodnight, dear; go to bed." - -"I will," said Nancy. - -She walked feebly out of the room. When she reached the door she -turned and looked again at Augusta; but Augusta's head was buried in -the bedclothes. Nancy gave another sigh, and shut the door. - -All during the night that followed, Miss Roy did not leave the sick -girl. Captain Richmond waited in the anteroom to give what aid he -could. - -Towards morning Augusta dropped into a more refreshing sleep; but she -presently awakened, screaming out that Connie was dead, and that she -could not bear it. Miss Roy did all she could to soothe her, and -presently called Captain Richmond to the door of the sickroom. - -"The day has come," she said. "That poor child is in a frenzy of grief -and terror about Constance Aspray. How could one guess she loved the -girl so much?--for they had seldom or never been together. I wish we -could find out if the passing-bell was tolling for her. To know that -she is still alive would give poor Augusta more rest than anything -else." - -"It is nearly seven o'clock," said the Captain. "I will stroll down -towards the village. Doubtless, if it is true, some of the poor people -will know." - -He left the house at once. The morning was beautiful. The dew still -lay on grass and shrub and flower. The world outside seemed so pure -and restful after the miserable and restless night through which he -had just lived. But the heart of the young soldier was full of -strange, inexplicable fear. He had a dread of something which was -close at hand--something intangible. He thought of Nancy's face of -agony the night before; the ring in her voice when she said that the -charge against her was a lie--a black lie. The words were the words of -injured innocence. It was, in truth, impossible to associate so gentle -a child with so strange a crime. - -"Who can have done it?" thought the Captain. "Poor little Nancy! I am -certain--positive--that she is innocent." - -He had now reached the village. He walked down the street, and at the -farther end encountered a somewhat belated milkman hurrying by on his -rounds. Captain Richmond called out to him: - -"Can you tell me for whom the bell was tolling last night?" - -"Oh sir, for that poor girl of Mrs. Sherlock. She's been given over in -consumption for many a day. She died just at midnight, and the ringers -went at once to toll for her. She had a fancy for the passing-bell, -and begged that it should be tolled the minute the breath was out of -her body, poor soul! Yes, sir; God help her, she is out of her misery -now." - -Captain Richmond said one or two suitable words, and, with a great -sense of relief, continued his walk. There was no use in returning at -once to the house, so he struck a path which brought him down to the -seashore. The tide was at the full. He walked along by the edge of the -shingle. Suddenly he heard his name called, and looking up, saw a lady -who appeared to be a total stranger. - -"You are Captain Richmond, and you live at Fairleigh?" she said. "I -feel certain I am right from the description I have received of you." - -"My name is Richmond," he answered, removing his hat, "and I am -staying at Fairleigh for the present." - -"Now, that is extremely lucky, and will prevent my having to write to -the house, which might not have been advisable under the -circumstances. Don't come any nearer, please. You are quite safe with -six feet of pure air between us. I am Mrs. Aspray." - -"Oh, indeed!" said the Captain. "Of course, I have heard of you, Mrs. -Aspray. We have all been so terribly troubled about your great -anxiety. May I ask you how your daughter is?" - -"My daughter Constance has passed the crisis. She was at death's door -all yesterday, but about midnight she fell into a refreshing sleep. I -have left her sleeping now. I have gone through a time enough to -madden any one, but the doctor is with her at the present moment and -says that the danger is practically over. I felt I must get a breath -of fresh air before any one else was stirring. You see, I have been -with her day and night. Oh, it has been a fearful case--fearful! And -now poor Flo is down--took ill yesterday morning; the disease declared -itself last night. Poor Flo gave me a message, which I was to convey -somehow, in some fashion, to Fairleigh. Providence has brought you -here, Captain Richmond." - -"I will take the message," said the Captain. "Who is it to?" - -"To you--to the governess--to whoever has charge of the young people. -I understand Mrs. Richmond is away. There is a young girl in your house -of the name of Augusta Duncan, isn't there?" - -"Yes." - -"She has been a good deal with my girls. She was invited to a dance, -which was to have taken place on the very day that Constance took ill. -Without my knowing it, she arrived at our house late that evening. -Contrary to my orders, she was admitted and saw Flora. Flora only -confessed to it last night. Of course, Miss Duncan ran risk of -infection, but it may not be too late--I mean, that you may have time -to remove the other girls. At any rate, it is only right that you -should know." - -Captain Richmond's face turned very white. - -"I am afraid I have given you a shock," said Mrs. Aspray; "but -perhaps--God knows how I feel this thing!--_perhaps_ I am in -time." - -"Alas! no," he replied. "Augusta is very ill indeed, and another of -the children has been much with her. Another child who"---- He broke -off, and his lips trembled. "From what Dr Earle said last night, there -is small or, indeed, no doubt what Augusta is sickening for. But thank -you for telling me; anything is better than suspense, and I will do -what I can." - -He turned without another word and went back to Fairleigh. - -Mrs. Aspray looked after his retreating figure. - -"Poor fellow!" she said to herself. "My news seemed to stun him. What -an awful pity that Flo kept this thing to herself! I am afraid that -Augusta cannot be a very nice girl. I did feel annoyed when those -young people were not inclined to follow up our advances, but I would -not have one of them in the house under the rose, as it were, on any -condition whatever. Flo certainly behaved very badly." - -The anxious and burdened woman went slowly back to the infected house, -and Captain Richmond returned to Fairleigh. On his way home he met the -postman. Among the letters was one which bore the Capetown postmark. -It was addressed to himself. He looked up at the windows of the house -where the children, tired out by the excitement of the past day, still -slept. - -"I may as well read what Aunt Jessie has to say out here," he murmured -to himself. - -He sat down on a garden bench and opened the letter, which ran as -follows: - - "My Dear Peter,--You will want to know all my news, which I am - telling Nora and Kitty in the enclosure which goes with this. - In the meantime I have something else to tell you. It is - extraordinary what tricks memory plays one. During the voyage - we had rather a bad storm; we tossed about a good bit, and - some of the passengers were considerably frightened. I was not - among the number; but as I lay awake I kept recalling - different incidents in the happy home-life. My friend was in - the berth above mine, and she kept moaning all the time, and - talking to herself of her terrible loss. Although I pitied - her, my thoughts would keep going back and back to the life at - Fairleigh; and, do you know, a sudden quite dreadful memory - came to me. You know, of course, the orderly-book. Well, my - dear Peter, I am strongly under the impression that in the - great hurry of leaving home I turned over two pages when I - ought to have turned over one. If that is the case I have put - certain marks into Nancy's entry which ought to have stood - against Augusta's. I feel so uncomfortable about this that I - wish you would ascertain for yourself. I don't know whether - you have yet bestowed the great prize, but I rather gather - that it is to be awarded in a short time. Well, it so happened - that on the very day I was obliged to hurry off to my poor - friend I came across Augusta treating Nancy in a very - high-handed and cruel manner. I was greatly distressed, and - entered into the thing as fully as I could. It is not - necessary, and I have no time now, to give you all the - circumstances. But the fact is, I had no choice left but to - give Augusta that evening a mark for cruelty. Now, it would be - too horrible if that mark, through my carelessness, was - entered against Nancy. If you have not awarded the prizes, you - will look into this matter and put it straight; if you have---- - But I won't think of that. - - "Long before this reaches you we shall be on our way to Mrs. - Rashleigh's daughter. I shall not make a long stay. I will - just remain a night or two, and hurry home by the first boat. - With much love to everybody.--Your affectionate sister, - - "Jessie Richmond." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD. - - -It is a trite saying, illustrated over and over again in many lives, -that the way of transgressors is hard; and when Augusta lay on her -sickbed, stricken down by the fell disease, she was paying a bitter -price for her days of selfishness, hypocrisy, cunning, and cruelty. - -When God struck so hard it was impossible for man to say anything. No -one could have nursed the poor girl more devotedly than did Miss Roy. -Professional nurses were of course sent for; and Nora and Kitty were -sent immediately to the house of a cousin who promised to receive them -and take every care of them. The doctor said, when he learnt all -particulars, that it would not be safe to send Nancy away. She was not -allowed to go near Augusta, but she still remained at Fairleigh. - -Nan and Captain Richmond had a little talk together. Nan came away -after that talk and crept into a corner by herself, and cried and -cried for a long time; then she came back to the Captain, put her arms -round his neck, and kissed him. - -"I don't mind anything now, for _you_ understand, and God -understands. And please--please forgive poor Gussie; she could not -have known what she was doing." - -But the Captain would make no promises about Augusta. - -"We will leave her out for the present," he said. "You and I are happy -together; we understand each other, and that which rested like a -nightmare on your poor little soul is lifted. The weather is fine; we -will spend all our time in the open air, and I will tell you some more -things about what soldiers do." - -So in those dark days the Captain and Nancy became better friends than -ever. - -At last there came the hour when the crisis had passed for Augusta. -The danger was over--she would get well. Then both the Captain and -Miss Roy looked with fear at Nan; would she sicken, or would she -escape the danger? Ten days passed; then slowly--very slowly--the -fortnight of probation came to an end, and Nancy was still well, still -smiling, still happy. - -"I do believe she will escape," said the Captain. "It seems almost too -good to be true." - -Wonderful as it is to relate, Nancy did not become ill. And when this -point was clearly ascertained, she was taken to join Nora and Kitty at -their cousin's house. - -There the children had a gay time together while Augusta slowly came -back to convalescence. Very slow indeed was her recovery, for she had -taken the complaint badly, and for some time the fresh, fair beauty of -her face was marred. "But not for ever," said Dr Earle. "By-and-by she -will recover her looks; but she has had a narrow escape both of her -life and of her eyesight." - -When Augusta was comparatively well again, on an evening in late -October, Mrs. Richmond arrived at her home. - -Augusta was seated by herself in the drawing-room. She sat with her -back to the light. Her eyes were weak, and she did not like people to -see more of her poor disfigured face than was absolutely necessary. -But when Mrs. Richmond came in, and the girl noticed the kindly face, -so like her own mother's, she uttered a strangled cry, and running -forward, flung her arms round her neck. - -"Oh, Aunt Jessie, it _is_ good to see you. Oh, now I believe I -shall have a chance of being happy again." - -"Yes, my darling, I am glad to have got back. Oh, what I have suffered -on your account!" - -"But don't you know the truth? Hasn't Uncle Pete told you?" - -"He came down with me from London, Augusta. And--yes--he has told me -everything." - -"Then you can never really love me again." Mrs. Richmond did not reply -for a moment; then she said slowly: - -"When you lay in great pain and delirium, when you were nigh to death, -and missed your own mother, and felt, as you must have felt for a -short time at least, that God Himself was hiding His face from you, -then was your punishment, Augusta dear. If you have received it in due -submission and repentance, who am I that I should not love you?" - -"And does Nan--does Nan forgive me?" - -"She is in the other room. You are quite free from infection; she will -speak to you in a moment. But, Gussie, before you meet I have one -little thing to tell you: Nan will never go to the Asprays. She will -be my child always, for I owe to Nancy just as great a debt as Mr. -Aspray owed her father. It is an old story, dear, and I will not tell -it to Nancy yet for she is too young; but I think it right that you -should hear it. Long, long ago, before you were born, and before your -mother was married, Nancy's mother and I were friends. But a great -trouble arrived, for we both--each unknown to the other--loved the -same man. He cared more for Nancy's mother than he did for me; and -Nancy's mother loved him with all her heart and soul and strength. I -didn't know it at the time, although the knowledge came to me -afterwards. She refused him for my sake. She loved him, and allowed -him to think she cared nothing at all for him; and she did it -altogether for me. - -"I married him: he was my husband. He was very good to me. I never -learnt the truth from him. He died, and after his death, somehow, I -learnt the truth. My dear friend married in time another man. The -marriage was not happy, and they were terribly poor. He died too, and -little Nancy was left unprovided for. So I told her mother on her -deathbed that Nancy would always be my tender care, my most cherished -darling. Now, Augusta, you know for yourself that she has a right to -my home and my love and my money. She is no charity-child, but a child -any mother would be proud of." - -"There never was any one like her," said Augusta slowly. "There was a -time when I was mad with jealousy of her; but I know at last what she -really is. But, oh, Aunt Jessie! I am tired, and I want to be forgiven -right out. I have told Uncle Peter everything--every single thing from -the first. And now let me see Nancy, that she also may forgive me." - -THE END. - -Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - -BOOKS BY MRS L. T. MEADE. - - SEVEN MAIDS. Illustrated by Percy Tarrant. - - THE ODDS AND THE EVENS. Ten Illustrations by Percy Tarrant. - - A VERY NAUGHTY-GIRL. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey. - - MISS NONENTITY. Illustrated by W. Rainey. - - LIGHT O' THE MORNING. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey. - - THE GIRLS OF ST WODE'S. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey - - WILD KITTY. Eight Illustrations by J. Ayton Symington. - - CATALINA. Eight Illustrations by W. Boucher. - - GIRLS NEW AND OLD. Illustrated by J. Williamson. - - BETTY: A School-Girl. Illustrated by Everard Hopkins. - - FOUR ON AN ISLAND. Illustrated by W. Rainey. - - THE CHILDREN OF WILTON CHASE. Six Illustrations by Everard Hopkins. - - PLAYMATES. Six Illustrations by G. Nicolet. - - LITTLE MARY. AND OTHER STORIES. Illustrated. - - A FARTHINGFUL. Illustrated. - - POOR MISS CAROLINA. Illustrated. - - THE GOLDEN LADY. Illustrated. - - - - -BOOKS BY MRS MOLESWORTH - -Published by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - MEG LANGHOLME; or, The Day after To-morrow. Eight Illustrations - by W. Rainey. - - PHILIPPA. Eight Illustrations by J. Finnemore. - - OLIVIA. Eight Illustrations by Robert Barnes. - - BLANCHE. Eight Illustrations by Robert Barnes. - - "MY PRETTY AND HER BROTHER TOO." Illustrated by Lewis Baumer. - - THE THREE WITCHES. Illustrated by Lewis Baumer. - - THE BOYS AND I: A Child's Story for Children. Seventeen - Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - HOODIE. Seventeen Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - HERMY. Seventeen Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - ROBIN REDBREAST. Six Illustrations by R. Barnes. - - GREYLING TOWERS: A Story for the Young. Seventeen Illustrations - by P. Tarrant. - - WHITE TURRETS. Four Illustrations by W. Raines. - - IMOGEN: or, Only Eighteen. Four Illustrations by Herbert A. Bone. - - THE NEXT-DOOR HOUSE. Six Illustrations by W. Hatherell. - - THE GREEN CASKET, AND OTHER STORIES. Illustrated. - - THE BEWITCHED LAMP. Frontispiece by R. Barnes. - - NESTA; or, Fragments of a Little Life. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Girls of the True Blue, by L. T. 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T. Meade</title> <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg"/> <meta name="author" content="L. T. Meade"/> @@ -38,44 +38,8 @@ .caption p { font-size:smaller; text-align: center; text-indent: 0; margin: 0.25em 0; } </style> </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Girls of the True Blue, by L. T. Meade - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Girls of the True Blue - -Author: L. T. Meade - -Illustrator: Percy Tarrant - -Release Date: April 18, 2013 [EBook #42556] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark - - - - - -</pre> - +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42556 ***</div> <div class='image-center'> <img src='images/cover.jpg' class='img-limits' alt=''/> @@ -11205,378 +11169,6 @@ the first. And now let me see Nancy, that she also may forgive me.”</p> <p> NESTA; or, Fragments of a Little Life.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Girls of the True Blue, by L. T. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Girls of the True Blue - -Author: L. T. Meade - -Illustrator: Percy Tarrant - -Release Date: April 18, 2013 [EBook #42556] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: "He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross.] - - - - -GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE - -BY - -L. T. MEADE - -Author of - -"Miss Nonentity," "The Odds and the Evens," "Light o' the Morning," -"The Girls of St. Wode's," etc. - -WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS - -BY - -PERCY TARRANT - -W. & R. CHAMBERS, Limited - - - - -LONDON AND EDINBURGH - -1901 - -Edinburgh: - -Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited - - - - -CONTENTS. - - I. "I PROMISE" - II. "I WON'T EVER GO TO YOU" - III. THE FROCK WITH CRAPE - IV. THE BEST GIRL - V. THE MYSTERY-GIRL - VI. THE BULL-PUP - VII. THE FALL - VIII. PIP - IX. UNDER HER THUMB - X. A MYSTERY - XI. THE MIDDLE WAY - XII. "I SHALL STAY FOR A YEAR" - XIII. UNCLE PETER - XIV. "IT WAS NOT WORTH WHILE" - XV. SOLDIERS OF THE TRUE BLUE - XVI. TIGHTENING HER CHAIN - XVII. AUGUSTA'S RESOLVE - XVIII. AUGUSTA'S SIGNATURE - XIX. THE ASPRAYS - XX. THE ORDERLY-BOOK - XXI. THE PICNIC - XXII. THE BROKEN LOCK - XXIII. "PRIZE-DAY COMES IN A MONTH" - XXIV. THE GIPSY TEA - XXV. THE PACKET OF LETTERS - XXVI. SUNBEAM - XXVII. "WAS THAT THE REASON?" - XXVIII. "IS WRONG RIGHT?" - XXIX. DOWN BY THE WISTARIA - XXX. AUGUSTA IS FRIGHTENED - XXXI. UNCLE PETER'S CONSIDERING CAP - XXXII. THE BEGINNING OF THE SHADOW - XXXIII. THE CROSS - XXXIV. THE LETTER - XXXV. THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - "He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross. - - Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire holding the - kittens. - - "Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the dearest - little faces in the world." - - "Here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. Write - the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper." - - Augusta nearly fell back as she read the words. - - "What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie!" - - "I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go in and see - her at once?" said Nancy. - - Augusta in terror was hiding behind a bush of laurustinus. - - "As to your shilling, miss, you can keep it, for I don't want - none of it." - - "Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan, then I shall feel - better." - - - - -GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -"I PROMISE." - - -"And how is she to-day, Nan?" said the kindly voice of Mrs. Richmond. - -The time was early spring. The lady in question had come into a dark -and somewhat dismal room; she herself was richly wrapped in furs and -velvet; her large, smooth face was all beams and smiles. A dark little -girl with thin cheeks, about eleven years of age, clasping a battered -doll in her arms, looked full up at her. - -"She is no better," said Nan; "and I think perhaps it would be a good -plan for you to go." - -"What a little monkey you are!" said Mrs. Richmond. "But I do not mind -you, my dear Anna; I have known you too long. Come here, dear, and let -me look at you." - -Nan laid her doll on the table and approached slowly. Her dress was -untidy, her hair unkempt. There were traces of tears round her eyes, -but none showed at that moment; the sad eyes looked bold and full and -defiant into the kindly face of the lady. - -"You are not too tidy, my dear little girl; that pinafore would be the -better for the wash-tub. And must you play with that horrid old doll?" - -"I would not give up dear Sophia Maria for anybody on earth," said Nan -in a determined voice; and now she went back and clasped her ragged -and disreputable-looking baby to her breast. - -"But you might have a new one." - -"I would not like a new one, thank you." - -"And you are rather old to play with dolls. Now, my Kitty and my -Honora have long ceased to make babies of themselves; you must when -you come." - -"I must when I come!" repeated Nan; and now, her eyes grew very big -and bright and angry. "Oh! please," she added, "will you excuse me? I -want to go up to mother." - -"Certainly, dear. Tell her I am here, and would be glad to have a talk -with her." - -Nan vouchsafed no reply to this, and left the room. Mrs. Richmond sat -on in thought; she folded her hands in her lap. - -"I will do my duty," she said to herself; "it is my duty. Poor, dear -Amy was always improvident, and careless of her health. She married -without means; her husband died within a year; there is this child now -eleven years of age and with no provision. Ah!" - -There came a tap at the door, and the wizened and somewhat cross face -of a middle-aged woman appeared. - -"How do you do, Mrs. Vincent?" said Mrs. Richmond. She always spoke -cordially to every one; her face beamed kindness itself on all the -world. - -Mrs. Vincent came in slowly. - -"I am glad you have called, ma'am; the poor thing upstairs is very -bad--very bad indeed--not likely to live many hours, the doctor says." - -"Oh! my good soul, I had not an idea that it was so near as that." - -"I am telling you the truth, madam; and the fact is, her poverty is -excessive, and"---- - -"Now listen to me, Mrs. Vincent. Everything she needs as far as you are -concerned will be paid for; see that she has every imaginable comfort. -And leave the room." - -Mrs. Richmond's kindly eyes could flash when occasion arose, and Mrs. -Vincent, curtsying and mumbling, but highly delighted all the same, -went downstairs. - -There was no sign of Nan coming back, and Mrs. Richmond, after waiting -for a quarter of an hour, determined to go upstairs to her sick -friend's room. The door was a little ajar; she pushed it open and went -in. Nan was lying across the bed, her face close to the very white -face of a woman whose features were wonderfully like her own. The -woman's eyes were open, and her lips were moving. Mrs. Richmond came -and, without saying a word, lifted the child off the bed. Nan turned -in a wild fury; she felt very much inclined to strike the intruder, -but the look on her visitor's face restrained her. - -"You can stay, dear, if you like," said Mrs. Richmond; and then she -went round to the other side of the bed. - -"Have you anything to tell me, Amy, before you go?" she asked. - -There came a low--very low--murmur, and a glance of the dying woman's -eyes in the direction of the child. - -"Only--only"----she began. - -"I will see to everything, dear; I have promised." - -"And if--if at the end of a year---- You remember--you remember that -part, don't you, Caroline?" - -"I remember it. It will not be necessary." - -"But if it is--if it should be--you will send her"---- - -"I faithfully promise." - -"You are so good!" said the dying woman. - -"God bless you! You have made things easy for me." - -"Come here, Nan, and kiss your mother," said Mrs. Richmond suddenly. - -The child, overawed by the entire scene, advanced. She pressed her -lips to the lips growing colder moment by moment. - -"And now leave the room," said Mrs. Richmond. "Go--obey me." - -Nan went. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -"I WON'T EVER GO TO YOU." - - -But she only went as far as the landing; there she crouched down in a -corner and waited. She did not know what she feared, nor exactly what -was going to happen; it seemed to her that there was a great darkness -everywhere, and that it pressed her round and shut away the light. - -The outward circumstances of Nan Esterleigh's life had never been too -bright, but all the same she had been a happy little girl; she had -been petted and fussed about and loved, and her battered doll, Sophia -Maria, had been the greatest imaginable comfort to her. She was quite -accustomed to scanty meals and poor rooms and cross landladies. She -was, alas! too, poor little girl, thoroughly accustomed to her -mother's state of miserable health. Mother had been often as bad -before. Ever since Nan could remember, her mother had ached and -shivered and moaned with pain; she had spent restless nights, and had -stayed in bed to breakfast, and had struggled against the illness -which crept on her more and more day by day. Nan in her heart of -hearts supposed that very few people were well; she thought children -enjoyed good health as a rule, and that grown people had illness. It -was the law of life, she supposed. Now and then she confided her -thoughts to Sophia Maria. - -"My darling," she used to say, "you must be as happy as you can while -you are young, because there is no chance at all when you are -grown-up. You will have pains then, Maria, and aches, and you will -grow old, and you won't have any strength. I'll be the same; there'll -be two of us to keep each other company--that is one comfort." - -Now she crouched in the corner, feeling a little more depressed and a -little more anxious than usual, but not really alarmed or stricken or -subdued. She wondered, however, what her mother meant by the curious -words she had spoken, with long pauses between, to Mrs. Richmond. They -certainly pointed to a future for Nan herself; she was to go -somewhere, and if all was not well she was at the end of a year to go -somewhere else. - -"But I am not going to leave my own mother," thought the little girl. -"Oh dear! oh dear! I know now why I am lonely; I want my poor darling -Sophia." - -She ran downstairs, clasped her doll to her heart, and crouching over -the fire, presently fell asleep. - -It was during Nan Esterleigh's sleep that her mother died. Mrs. -Esterleigh died without a pang or a struggle--she just ceased to -breathe; and Mrs. Richmond, with tears in her eyes, came downstairs. - -Nan had stretched herself full length on the hearth-rug. The doll was -clasped to her breast; her sallow little face looked more sallow than -usual, and Mrs. Richmond noticed how black and long were the lashes -that rested against her cheeks. - -"Poor little girl, she is my care now," thought the good woman. "I -know what I should like to do; I should like to pick her up, and wrap -a shawl round her, and take her right away in the cab with me. Nora -will be nice to her, and Kitty will show her her favourite kittens. I -have a great mind to try." - -But just then the big black eyes were opened wide, and Nan sat up and -stared at Mrs. Richmond. - -"What are you doing here?" she said. "Is mother no better? Has nobody -thought of giving her her tea?" - -"Come here, Nancy," said Mrs. Richmond. "I have something I want to say -to you." - -"But I don't want to listen," answered Nan; and she clutched her doll -tightly in her embrace, staggered to her feet, and stood, with -defiance in her eyes, a few feet away from Mrs. Richmond. - -"Dear, dear! she is an extraordinary child," thought the good lady. -"She will be very difficult to manage. I should not be a scrap -surprised if she felt this very much; some children do, and I should -not be astonished if she was the sort, she is so stubborn and -self-contained--not a pleasant child by any means. But Amy's little -girl shall always have a warm corner in my heart--always, always." - -"Come here, Nan," she said again. - -"If you want to say anything to me, please, Mrs. Richmond, be quick," -said Nan, who was now wide awake and felt absolutely composed; "I must -go up to mother. This is the hour for her tea; I always make it myself -for her. I know just how much she wants put into the little brown -teapot, and the right quantity of milk and sugar; and, oh! I am going -to toast her bread for her, for Mrs. Vincent does send it up so hard -and untempting. Perhaps you will come another day, Mrs. Richmond, and -talk to me then." - -"I must talk to you now, Nancy, my poor little girl; I have something -to say." - -Curious emotions stirred in the child's breast. She stood quite still -for a moment; then she said slowly: - -"You had better not say it." - -"I must; it is about your mother." - -"What! is mother worse?" - -"She is better, Nancy." Mrs. Richmond's eyes brimmed over with tears. - -"Then how silly of you to cry!" said the child, her face brightening -up, and smiles dawning round her lips. "If she was worse you might -cry--not that you ought ever to cry, for she is no relation of yours; -but if she is better, Sophia Maria and I will sing." - -"Nancy dear, I cannot break it to you. I must tell it to you at once, -and God help you to bear it. Your mother is better in one sense--in -the sense that God has taken her away from all her pains. She won't -ever be tired or ill or sorry any more, and she will never again have -aches or wakeful nights or sad days; she has gone to God. There is a -beautiful heaven, you know, Nan, and---- Oh, good gracious! what ails -the child?" - -Nan had given one smothered scream and had rushed from the room. -Fast--very fast--did the little feet run upstairs. Mrs. Esterleigh's -room was on the third floor. Past the drawing-room landing she ran, -where a good-natured-looking old gentleman resided. He was coming out -of his comfortable drawing-room, and he saw the scared little face. He -knew, of course, what had happened, and he wondered if the child knew. -He called to her: - -"Nancy, come in and sit by my fire for a little." - -But she did not heed him. She ran past the second floor; no one called -her here or detained her. There was a very cross old maid who lived on -that floor, and Nancy had always hated her. She ran on and on. -Presently she reached her mother's room. - -"It is not true," she gasped. "It is that dreadful Mrs. Richmond trying -to frighten me. It is not a bit true--not a bit." And then she took -the handle and tried to turn it and to open the door, but the door was -locked. - -"Mother, mother!" she shrieked. "Mother, it is me--it is Nan. Don't -let them keep me out. Get some one to open the door. Mother, mother!" - -Footsteps sounded in the room, and an elderly woman, whom Nancy had -never seen before, opened the door, came quickly out, and stood with -her back to it. - -"You must go away, my dear little girl," she said. "I will bring you -to see your mother presently. Go away now, dear; you cannot come in." - -"But I will. You shall not keep me out. You are hurting mother. You -have no right to be in the room with her;" and Nancy pommelled at the -woman's hands and arms. But she was strong and masterful, and -presently she picked up the exhausted child and carried her right -downstairs. - -"Oh! give her to me," said Mrs. Richmond. "Poor little child! Nancy -dear, I am so sorry for you! And I promise, darling, to be a mother to -you." - -"Don't!" said Nan. "I don't want you as a mother--no, I don't want -you." - -"Never mind, I will be a friend to you--an aunt--anything you like. I -have promised your own dear mother; and she is quite well, and it -would be selfish to wish her back." - -"But I want to be selfish; I want to have her back," said Nan. "I -don't believe that God has come and taken her. He would not take -mother and leave me; it is not likely, is it?" - -"God sometimes does so, and He has His wise reasons." - -"I don't believe it. You only want me not to go to her, and you are -telling me lies." - -"It is the truth, Nancy; and I wish for your sake it were not. Will -you come back with me to-night, dear?" - -"I won't. I won't ever go to you. I will always stay just outside -mother's door until they let me in. I do not believe she is dead--no, -not for a moment." - -In vain Mrs. Richmond argued and pleaded and coaxed; Nan was firm. -Presently the good lady had to consult with Mrs. Vincent, who promised -to look after the child. The landlady was now all tears and -good-nature, and she assured Mrs. Richmond that Nan should have all her -wants attended to. - -"I have got a very nice, good-natured servant-girl," she said. "Her -name is Phoebe. I will send her upstairs, and she shall sit in the -room with Miss Nan, and if necessary stay with her to-night." - -"Very well," said Mrs. Richmond. "It is the best that I can do; but, oh -dear! how anxious I feel about the unhappy child!" - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE FROCK WITH CRAPE. - - -All the lodgers in the house, the landlady, and the servants were -extremely kind to Nan that night; but Nan would have none of them. -Presently Phoebe was sent to sit in the parlour with her. The lamp, -which usually smoked, burned brightly, and there was quite a good fire -in the grate--of late it had been a miserable one--and the curtains -were drawn, and a clean cloth had been put on the table, and Nan was -treated as if she were a princess. Phoebe, too, dressed in her Sunday -best, came and sat with her. Phoebe was sixteen years of age; she had -left her country home about two months ago, and felt now wonderfully -important. She took a sorrowful, keen, and at the same time -pleasurable interest in Nan. She put the bowl of bread and milk, which -Mrs. Vincent considered the best solace for grief, inside the fender to -keep warm, and then she sat on a hard-bottomed chair, very erect, with -her hands folded in her lap. For a long time her eyes sought the -ground, but then curiosity got the better of her. She began to watch -Nan. Nan sat with her back to her. Sophia Maria was lying on the table -near. As a rule this battered and disreputable doll was clutched tight -in her little mistress's embrace, but even the doll could not comfort -Nan now. Phoebe gave a groan. - -"What are you doing that for?" said the child. She raised her eyes; -there came a frown between her brows; she looked full at Phoebe. - -"I am so sorrowful about you, missy!" replied Phoebe. - -There was something in Phoebe's hearty tone that interested Nan. She -hated Mrs. Richmond and Mrs. Vincent when they expressed their grief; -even the dear old gentleman, Mr. Pryor, on the first floor was -intolerable to her to-night. As to Miss Edgar, the old maid who lived -on the second floor, Nan would have fled any distance from her; but -there was something about Phoebe's country tone, and her round face, -and the tears which filled her blue eyes which touched Nan in spite of -herself. - -"I wish you would eat your supper, miss," was Phoebe's next remark. - -Nan shook her head. After a time she spoke. - -"If your mother had just gone to heaven, would you eat a big bowl of -bread and milk?" - -"Oh, lor', miss! I don't know." - -"Has your mother gone to heaven?" was Nan's next question. - -"Indeed and she has not, miss; I would break my heart if she had." - -"Oh!" said Nan. - -For the first time tears rose to her eyes. She looked again at Phoebe, -then she glanced at the fire, then at the doll. - -"Sophia Maria does not comfort me any longer," she said. "Would it -kill you, Phoebe, if your mother went to heaven?" - -"I 'spect so, miss. Oh dear, missy! I 'spect so." - -"Then," said Nan--and the next instant she had tumbled from her seat, -had tottered forward, and was clasped in Phoebe's arms--"let me cry. -Don't say anything to comfort me; I want to cry such a big, big lot. -Let me cry, and clasp me tight--very tight--Phoebe." - -So Phoebe did clasp the motherless little girl, and the two mingled -their tears. After that affairs moved better. Phoebe herself fed Nan, -and then they cuddled up on the sofa, which Phoebe drew in front of -the fire. Phoebe found her occupation intensely interesting. She was -very, very sorry for Nan, and very comfortable in the thought that her -own mother was alive. Nan began to ask her questions, and Phoebe -answered. - -"Did you ever know a little girl whose mother died 'cept me--did you, -Phoebe?" - -"Oh yes, miss; there was a girl in our village. It was a more mournful -case than yours, miss, for there were two little brothers--they were -young as young could be, nothing more than babies--and she was left to -mind them, so to speak." - -"That must have been very nice for her. I wish I had two little -brothers to mind. And did she mind them, Phoebe? Was she good to -them?" - -"No, miss; that she warn't. She were for a bit, but afterwards she -took to neglecting of them, and they were sent to an orphan school, -and the girl went to service." - -"Oh! she was not a lady," said Nan in a tone of slight contempt. - -"We 'as our feelings even if we ain't ladies," was Phoebe's somewhat -sharp retort. - -"Dear, dear Phoebe, I know you have; but tell me more about her. What -happened just immediately afterwards, before she began to be cross to -the little brothers?" - -"Well, miss, there was the funeral and the funeral feast." - -"A feast!" interrupted Nan. - -"In the country, miss, and amongst us we always take the occasion to -have a big and hearty meal; but that ain't interesting to you." - -"I could not eat--not now that mother is dead." - -"Well, miss, that was in the country; it is different there--grief -makes us hungry. And she had her mourning to get." - -"Her mourning! What is that?" - -"Black, miss--black from head to foot--and crape. She went into debt -for the crape." - -"Did she? What is crape?" - -"Something they put on black dresses to make people know that you are -mourning for a near relative; and according to the amount of crape you -puts on, so is the relation between you and the deceased," said Phoebe -in a very oracular voice. - -Nan became intensely interested. - -"Then I ought to get a black dress at once," she said. - -"As you will, miss. Mrs. Richmond will see to that." - -"I don't want Mrs. Richmond to. I would rather get it myself. I have a -little money. Don't you think I could get my own dress?" - -"Of course, miss, if you have the money." - -"Are you anything of a dressmaker, Phoebe?" - -"Well, miss, I made the dress I am now wearing." - -"And it is awfully nice," said Nan. "And Sophia Maria ought to wear -black too." - -"To be sure, miss." - -"I wish I could get it to-night. But you might go out early in the -morning and get the stuff, and we could begin to make it." - -"So we could," said Phoebe, who wondered much if her mistress would -allow her to devote all her time to Nan. - -"I know a little bit about dressmaking myself; we could easily make -the dress," continued Nan. "And we need not let any one into the room; -I could keep the door locked, and we could both make the dress that I -am to wear for my own mother. Phoebe, would it make her happier to -know I was putting stitches into a black, black dress with crape on it -to wear because of her, because she has gone to God?" - -"It would make a wonderful difference," said Phoebe. - -"Would it indeed? Then I will have it very black, and a lot of crape. -If I have a lot of crape, would she be glad?" - -"If anything could make her more glad than she is now, that would," -said Phoebe; "I know it for a fact." - -"And Sophia Maria would wear crape and a black dress too?" - -"Yes, miss." - -After that the two girls talked on until they grew sleepy, and finally -Phoebe wrapped her little mistress in a warm blanket, and lay down -herself on the rug; and so the first night passed away. - -Nan possessed exactly two pounds, which she had saved, sixpence by -sixpence. She broke into her little savings-bank now and gave the -money to Phoebe, who went out at an early hour and purchased coarse -cashmere and the poorest crape she could get, and brought the -materials to Nan. - -They kept the parlour door locked, and sewed and sewed. Nan was -interested, and although her tears often dropped upon the black stuff, -yet, when Phoebe assured her that her mother was growing happier each -moment at the thought of the very deep mourning her little daughter -was to wear, she cheered up. - -"You are quite, quite certain you are telling me the truth, Phoebe?" -said Nan at last. - -"Certain sure, miss. Didn't I live through it all when poor Susan -Fagan lost her mother? This is a dress for all the world the same as -Susan appeared in at the funeral." - -After two or three days' hard work the dress was finished. It was -certainly not stylish to look at. Then there came an awful time when -carriages drove up to the house, and all that was left of poor Mrs. -Esterleigh was borne away to her long home. Nan could never afterwards -quite recall that dreadful day. Mrs. Richmond arrived early. She had -borne with Nan's wish to stay locked into the parlour with what -patience she could; but on the day of the funeral she insisted on the -door being opened, and when Nan appeared before her in her lugubrious -dress, badly made, with no fit whatever, the good woman gave a shocked -exclamation. - -"My dear child," she said, "I have got a suitable dress for you. I -found a frock of yours upstairs and had it measured. Take off that -awful thing." - -"This awful thing!" said Nan. "I bought it with my own money. I won't -wear anything--anything else. And Sophia Maria is in mourning too," -she added; and she pointed to her doll, which was attired in crape -from head to foot. - -"Let her wear it," said a voice behind her; and raising her eyes, Nan -saw the kindly face of Mr. Pryor looking at her. - -He had always been a strange sort of character, and it seemed now that -in one glance he understood the child; he held out his hand and drew -her towards him. - -"You bought this out of your own money?" he asked, - -"Yes," answered Nan. - -Tears trembled on her eyelashes; she raised her eyes and looked full -at Mr. Pryor. - -"And there is a lot of crape," she said. "Everybody must know that she -was a very near relation." - -"And you made it yourself?" - -"Phoebe and I made it ourselves; and Maria is in black too." She -touched the doll with her finger. - -"Then you shall go to the funeral in that dress," said Mr. Pryor. "I -take it upon me to say that your mother would wish it, and that is -enough." - -So Nan attended her mother's funeral in the dress she had made -herself, and stood close to the grave, and tried vaguely to realise -what was taking place. But what chiefly impressed her was the depth of -the shabby crape on her little skirt, and the fact that she had bought -her mourning out of her very own savings, and that the doll, Sophia -Maria, from whom she would not be parted for a single moment, was also -in mourning. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE BEST GIRL. - - -Immediately after the funeral Mrs. Richmond took Nan's hand. - -"Now, dear," she said, "you come home with me." - -Nan turned first red and then very white. She was just about to reply -when Mr. Pryor came forward. - -"Madam," he said, "may I make a request? I want to ask a very great -favour." - -"If possible I will grant it," replied Mrs. Richmond. - -"I have known Mrs. Esterleigh, this dear little girl's mother, for two -or three years; and on the whole, although I am not specially fond of -children, I think I also know Nan well. Now, I want to know if you -will grant me the great favour of allowing me to take Nan home to my -rooms until this evening. I will promise to bring her to you this -evening." - -"Oh yes, I will go with you and with Phoebe," said Nan. She clasped -hold of Mr. Pryor's hand and held it to her heart, and she looked round -for Phoebe, who in her shabby frock was standing on the outskirts of -the group. - -Phoebe was nodding to Nan and making mysterious signs to her. Mrs. -Richmond looked full at Mr. Pryor. - -"I do not wish to make Nan more unhappy than I can help to-day," she -said; "so if you will bring her to my house by six o'clock this -evening I will be satisfied." - -She turned away and entered her own carriage, and Mr. Pryor looked at -Nan. - -"It is only two o'clock," he said; "we have four hours. A great deal -can be done in four hours. What do you say to our spending the day out -here in the country?" - -"Oh," said Nan, "in the country! Is this the country?" - -"This is Highgate. I have a carriage, and I will get the man to drive -us quite out into the country parts--perhaps to Barnet. The day -happens to be a lovely one. I have a kind of desire to go into the -Hadleigh Woods with you; what do you say?" - -Nan gave a vague nod, and looked round for Phoebe. - -"You would like your little friend Phoebe to come too?" - -Nan's whole face lit up. - -"Oh, very, very much!" she said. - -"Well, she is standing there; go and ask her." - -So Nan rushed up to Phoebe. - -"Phoebe," she said, "shall we go into the country with Mr. Pryor? I -need not be back till six o'clock." - -"I don't know if my mistress would wish it," said Phoebe. - -"I will take upon myself to say that Mrs. Vincent will not be angry -with you," said Mr. Pryor, coming up at this moment. "Now, children, -get into my carriage; I will give the driver directions." - -So they left the cemetery and drove away and away into the heart of -the country. It took them some little time to reach it, but at last -they got where the trees grew in numbers and houses were few and far -between; and although it was winter the day was a lovely one, and -there was a warm sunshine, and it seemed to Nan that she had come out -of the most awful gloom and misery into a peace and a joy which she -could scarcely understand. - -Mr. Pryor dismissed the carriage when it set them down at a pretty -little inn, and he took Nan by the hand and led her into the parlour, -and asked the landlord for a private room; and there he and Nan and -Phoebe had dinner together. - -It was a simple dinner--the very simplest possible--and Sophia Maria -sat on Nan's lap while she ate, and Mr. Pryor talked very little, and -when he did it was in a grave voice. - -Phoebe looked somewhat awed; and as to Nan, the sense of grief and -bewilderment grew greater each moment. - -"Now, Phoebe," said Mr. Pryor when the meal was over, "I want our -little party to divide. There are four of us, for of course I consider -Sophia Maria quite one of the family." - -"Oh, she is quite, the darling!" said Nan. - -"Will you take charge of her for a little, Phoebe," said Mr. Pryor, -"while Nan and I go for a walk?" - -"Oh, must we?" said Nan, looking full at him. - -He smiled very gravely at her. - -"We will not be long," he said. "There are a few things your mother -has asked me to say to you. I would rather say them to you alone, -without even Sophia Maria listening." - -Then Nan's little white face lit up. - -"Phoebe," she said, "Mr. Pryor and I have something most important to -say to each other. Be sure you take great care of Maria, and don't let -her catch cold." - -Phoebe promised, and Mr. Pryor and Nan, hand in hand, walked in the -direction of the Hadleigh Woods. - -They walked in absolute silence until they reached the woods, and then -their steps became slower, and Nan looked up into the face of her -companion and said: - -"I wish you would tell me. What did mother say?" - -"My dear Nan, your mother knew very well that the day was soon coming -when God would send for her. She did not like to talk to you about it, -although she often tried to; she was anxious about you, but not very -anxious." - -"I wonder mother was not very anxious when she thought of leaving me -so far, far behind," said Nan. - -"You see, she did not think that, for in reality those who go to God -are not separated very far from those they leave." - -"Then is mother near me?" - -"You cannot see her, nor can you realise it, but I should not be -surprised if she were quite near you." - -"She knows all about my black dress and my crape?" said Nan. "Phoebe -said she would be so glad about the crape!" - -"Well, Nan, the fact is that the crape could not make her glad, nor -the black dress; but the thought that you, her little girl, made it -and wore it for love of her would make her glad. It is not the colour -of the dress makes her happy; it is the love you put into it." - -"Oh! I don't quite understand," said Nan. - -"You will when you think it over. You see, she is in white; she has a -crown and a harp. That is what we have learnt about those who leave -us--that if they have loved God they go into His presence, and their -dress is white and glistening, and they have harps to sing to and -crowns to wear; and we know the more we love the nearer we get to -them. So, Nan, the message your mother has left me is this: 'Tell Nan -to be as good as girl can be--to be the best girl she knows. By being -the best she must be the most loving, she must be the most unselfish. -She must not wish to be the best to be thought well of by her -fellow-men, but she must be the best because God loves those who try -to follow Him.' Do you follow me, Nan, when I say these words?" - -"I follow you," said Nan. "You want me to be good, but I do not think -I can; and as to being the best, that I can never be. You want me to -have a great deal of love, and I only love mother and Phoebe a little -bit. And to-night everything is to be changed; I won't even have you." - -"I am going to ask Mrs. Richmond to send you to see me -sometimes--perhaps once a fortnight or so." - -"Will you?" said Nan. "I think if I could like anything I should like -that." - -"I will arrange it then; and perhaps although you do not exactly love -me now, you will regard me as your friend and love me presently. But -there is something else I want to say. Your mother wished all these -things for you, but she knew that you would have certain difficulties -in your life. I am sorry to have to tell it to you, my dear little -girl, but it is the fact: your mother left you without any money." - -"But mother could scarcely do that, because we had something to live -on," said Nan. "Has mother taken our money away with her up to God?" - -"No, dear. In the home where she is now money is not needed; but the -little money she had was only to be here during her lifetime. It was -what is called an annuity; that means, she could have the use of it -for her life, but only for her life. So, my dear little girl, you have -no money." - -"Then I expect," said Nan, drawing herself up and fixing her eyes full -on Mr. Pryor's face, "that I had best go to the workhouse. I can go to -the workhouse until I am old enough to take a place as servant; and I -would like, please, to go into the same house with Phoebe. Perhaps Mrs. -Vincent would have me as her little servant, and Phoebe could teach -me." - -"That is not necessary; you are not suited for that kind of life, and -God does not require it of you. Mrs. Richmond is very well off; she has -more money than she knows what to do with, and she always loved your -mother, so she is going to take you to bring you up with her two -little girls. You will be trained and educated, and have everything -that a little girl can require, and all Mrs. Richmond wants in return -is your love and your obedience." - -"But I don't think I can love her. I wish--oh, I wish she would not do -it!" said Nan. - -"Now, Nan, the first proof of your love for your mother has arrived, -for she wanted you to go to Mrs. Richmond. She would be dreadfully -pained--far, far more pained, if trouble could reach her in heaven, by -your not going there than even if you still wore a coloured frock." - -"Oh, how puzzling it is, and how difficult!" said Nan. "I shall quite -hate to go to Mrs. Richmond. I never liked her much, and now to think -that I owe everything to her!" - -"I have something more to say. There is a man who owed your father -money long ago, and he has promised to adopt you in case you are not -happy with Mrs. Richmond; but you must spend quite a year with her -before you go to him. You would have a different life with him--freer, -wilder. Your mother preferred the idea of your being with Mrs. -Richmond, but if you are unhappy with her you are to go to the -Asprays; when last I heard of them they lived in Virginia, in the -States of America." - -Nan pressed her hand to her forehead. - -"That does not seem much better," she answered; "and I think my head -aches, but I am not sure. Shall we go back again now, Mr. Pryor?" - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE MYSTERY-GIRL. - - -Kitty and Honora Richmond were in high spirits. Even the knowledge -that Nan's mother had been buried that day could scarcely depress -them. They had heard of Nan a great deal for the last couple of years -of their lives, but they had never seen her. Honora called her the -little mystery-girl, and Kitty invariably made the same remark when -her name was mentioned. - -"I wonder if her eyes are blue or brown. If she has brown eyes she -will be like me, and if she has blue eyes she will be like you, Nora." - -"As if the colour of her eyes mattered!" said Honora. "For my part," -she added, "I do not think any girl matters, and I do not see why you -are so excited about her. If she were a dog it would be a different -thing." - -"Yes, of course it would," answered Kitty, looking wistfully round. -"But you see she is a girl, and mother will not let us keep any more -dogs." - -"The darlings!" cried Honora; "what a sin! Oh Kitty! do you know, I -saw a dear little fox-terrier to-day when I was out. I know he was -lost. He had one of those darling little square heads, and he did look -so sweet! I would have given anything to bring him home, but when I -spoke to nurse she said, 'There are enough waifs and strays coming to -the house without having stray dogs.'" - -"I do wonder what she meant by that!" said Kitty. - -"I expect," said Nora in a thoughtful voice, "she must have meant poor -Nan. It was not nice of her--not a bit. Do you know that Nan has no -money? Nurse told me so last night; she said that if mother had not -adopted her she would have had to go to the workhouse. Is it not -awful?" - -"Poor darling!" said Kitty. "Then we will be good to her; and it is -almost as nice as if she were a dog. I like her twice as well since I -know that. If she were a rich girl I should hate her coming, but as -she is a poor one we will give her the very best--won't we, Noney?" - -"The best we could do," said Honora in a thoughtful voice, "would be -to give her Sally's pup--you know, little Jack; would she not love -it?" - -Kitty looked very thoughtful. - -"I thought perhaps I might keep Jack," she said. "Do you think I ought -to give Jack to Nan--do you, Nora?" - -"Yes," replied Nora in an emphatic voice. "We have just said that we -ought to give her the best, and as Jack is your best, you ought to -hand him over. Come, now, let us make the schoolroom look pretty. -Mother said she would be here at six o'clock. She will be very sad, -you know, Kitty; you must not laugh or be at all gay this evening. You -must try to feel as if mother were in her coffin." - -"Oh, don't!" said Kitty. "How horrid of you, Noney! How could I think -of anything so awful?" - -"But poor Nan has to think of it. Oh dear! oh dear! it is exciting. Do -you know what I should like to do? I'd like to rush downstairs and -fling my arms round her neck, and drag her up to the schoolroom, and -say, 'You poor little motherless, penniless creature, here is Jack to -comfort you.' That is what I should like to do; but, of course, I -suppose it would not be right." - -Miss Roy, the children's governess, now entered the schoolroom. She -was a kindly, good-natured woman. They went to school for most of -their lessons, but she looked after their dress, and took them for -walks, and saw to their comforts generally. - -"What are you two puzzling your little heads over?" she said. "Oh -Nora, my dear, why is the schoolroom in such a mess?" - -"We were teaching Jack some of his tricks," said Nora. "Do you know, -Miss Roy, he begs so beautifully, and he quite winks one of his dear -little eyes when he sits upright and takes his biscuit." - -"But he sulks a good bit when we teach him to trust," interrupted -Kitty. - -"Well, dears, get the brush now and sweep away the crumbs; when your -little friend comes she will not like to see an untidy room." - -"I hope she will," said Kitty. "It will be very much the worse for her -if she is of the tidy sort." - -"What nonsense, Kitty! You know I have always trained you to be most -careful and tidy." - -"Yes," answered Kitty, with a sigh; "and when you do train us, Miss -Roy, do you know what Nora and I think of?" - -"What, dear?" - -"Of the happy, happy days when we are quite grown-up, and can be as -awfully untidy as we like, and sweep all our things into bundles, and -never have a tidy drawer, and never be able to find anything; and have -six or seven dogs, all in baskets, sleeping about the room; and a few -cats, more particularly if they are sick cats, to bear them company; -and birds, of course; and mice, and white rats, and"---- - -Miss Roy put her hands to her ears. - -"Don't introduce your menagerie until I am out of the country. I would -rather leave England, although I am devoted to my native land, than be -anywhere near such an awful room." - -"We told mother on Sunday," said Nora, "and she quite laughed. I think -she was ever so glad." - -Just then there came a sound of commotion downstairs. Nora drew -herself up to her full height, and her heart beat a little faster than -usual. Kitty rushed to her sister and clasped her hand. - -"Oh Noney, has the little mystery girl come?" - -"I think so," said Nora; and just then her mother's voice was heard -shouting, and the two children ran downstairs. - -Once again Honora thought of the impulse which she longed to give way -to--the impulse to rush to the forlorn little figure in its quaint and -peculiar frock and clasp it tightly in her arms, and sweep the child -upstairs to the warm schoolroom, where Kitty would sit at her feet, -and Nora would hold her round the waist, and Jack would sit on her -lap, and they would talk and talk, and be happy and free, and even -mingle their tears together. But Mrs. Richmond, although the most -good-natured and kindest of women, would have been much shocked by -such a proceeding on Honora's part. She had lectured the little girls -with regard to Nan's arrival for the last couple of days, and had -given them so many things to be careful about, so many subjects on -which they must on no account touch, that now they felt quite -constrained, and it was a rosy-faced and apparently unconcerned little -girl who came up now and took Nan's cold hand in hers; and a little -girl in all respects her ditto, except that her eyes were brown, -followed suit; and Nan gave one forlorn, frightened glance at the two -little sisters, and then turned aside, a look of almost sullenness on -her face. - -"Take her upstairs, dears, and ask nurse to get her hot water; and -then you shall all come downstairs to supper with me," said Mrs. -Richmond. - -Kitty said in a very low and frightened voice, "Will you come, -please?" and the three children went upstairs. - -They went through the cheerful schoolroom, where a fire was blazing -brightly, and a lamp making a pleasant glow on the centre-table, and -where there was a fascinating basket, out of which a bull-terrier -raised his head and growled, and another basket with a cat and a heap -of kittens in it; and there was a huge cage in the window in which -swung a parrot, who called out the moment he saw them, "Here comes the -naughty girl--here comes the naughty girl!" Nan, notwithstanding her -misery, would have given worlds to rush to the bull-terrier's basket -to examine its pups, or to the cat's basket to look at the kittens, or -to laugh when Poll the parrot said, "Here comes the naughty girl!" But -she did not dare to do any of these things, and she was led swiftly -past the impertinent bird, and the dog, and the cat, into her own -little room. - -Nan's room opened out of the pretty bedroom where the sisters slept, -and there was a fire here also, and a nice white bed, and pretty -furniture, and even a few flowers on the dressing-table; and nurse, a -stout, shrewd-looking woman, was standing in the room; and there was a -jug of hot water on the washing-stand. The moment Nan appeared, nurse -spoke to the little girls. - -"Now go away, my dears," she said. "I will look after Miss Esterleigh. -Come, miss, you would like me to wash your face and hands, would you -not?" - -What reply Nan made the little sisters did not hear, for they found -themselves pushed out into the schoolroom and the door was shut. - -"Oh Nora, what do you think of her?" said Kitty. - -"Well," replied Nora, "I suppose it is because she is unhappy, but she -looks rather cross." - -"I do not think she is really. Did you see how her eyes danced when -Sally growled?" - -"Sally has very bad manners," said Nora. - -"And, oh Noney, Noney, was it not shocking of Poll to say, 'Here comes -the naughty girl'? She will think always now, to her dying day, that -he meant her." - -"You know Poll always says that whenever we bring a stranger into the -schoolroom," said Nora. "But come, Kitty; let us wash our hands and -get ready for supper. I suppose we'll like her after a bit--although -I'm not sure." - -"Did you notice the doll she had in her arms? Was it not too funny?" -said Kitty. - -"I expect she loves it," said Nora, "but she won't do so for long; we -gave up dolls when we were ever so young. A doll is no fun when you -have got a live thing to pet." - -At this juncture Nora rushed to Sally's basket, took Jack from his -mother, and clasped him tight in her arms. - -"Oh! is he not just an angel?" she said; and then the little girls -went to their room to get ready for supper. - -Nan appeared, just as pale and just as unsmiling, in the schoolroom -after she had submitted to nurse's ministrations. She hated the bright -fires and the gay lamp and the comforts. - -"It is all charity," she thought. - -That afternoon she had questioned Phoebe as to the position of a girl -whose mother had died without leaving any money behind; and Phoebe, -who had no idea that her remarks would have any personal meaning, had -said at once: - -"Why, she is nothing in the world but a girl, miss; I'd not like to be -her--that I wouldn't." - -So Nan stood now with a bitter smile on her face. But as she stood -alone in the schoolroom, looking wistfully about her, and wondering -how she was to please her mother, and how by any possibility she could -ever be the best girl whom Mr. Pryor spoke about, there came a funny -little yap, and behold! Jack the bull-pup was at her feet. - -Now, even a charity-girl could scarcely resist a bull-pup of six weeks -old, and Nan felt a shiver of longing and delight creeping over her. -She forgot Sophia Maria (the neglected doll was thrown on the nearest -chair), and the next instant the little pup was clasped in the girl's -arms. She was hugging it and petting it when Kitty came back. If there -was one creature on earth whom Kitty loved it was Jack, and she had -been wondering if another of the pups, little Flo or Tommy, would do -equally well for Nan's possession. But Flo and Tommy were not nearly -as perfect as Jack, for Jack was a little prince of bull-pups, perfect -in every respect, with one white ear and one black, and with the most -impudent face it was possible for a dog to have; and now Nan was -smiling at him, and pressing his little cheek against hers, and then -Kitty knew it was all up with her as far as Jack was concerned. She -ran quickly forward. - -"Oh! you have got Jack; he is yours, you know." - -She panted out the words, being anxious to get the presentation over, -to have the thing done beyond recall. Nan's face turned a little -whiter. - -"I am so sorry!" she said. "I know I ought not to have touched your -pup, but he came to my feet, and he is so sweet!" - -"Oh! you would like him, would you not?" said Kitty. - -"Like him!" cried Nan. "I love him!" - -"Then he is yours--yours! You may have him altogether." - -"I--what!" cried Nan. - -"I mean that he is mine, and I give him to you. We have got plenty -more; will you take him? Say so--quick!" - -Nan looked full into Kitty's eyes. Now, this was the last thing Kitty -wished, for in spite of all her heroism and her desire to be as -generous as possible, her eyes were full of tears. - -"Oh, as if I could take him!" cried Nan. "But thank you--thank you." - -"You are to take him; Nora and I wish it. We said so; we made up our -minds that you must be comforted by Jack. We cannot comfort you, -because we do not know, and---- Anyhow, we are not dogs. No person can -comfort like a dog can. So, will you have him--will you, please?" - -"Oh, I will!" said Nan; and then Kitty went up to her and kissed her; -and Nan dropped Jack, and flung her arms round Kitty's neck, and said: - -"Thank you--and thank God!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE BULL-PUP. - - -But when the little girls went down to supper, Jack had to stay -behind. Had he come downstairs, cuddled up contentedly on Nan's -forlorn little shoulder, she might have been able to bear things; but -as it was, all her miseries returned to her in a full tide. For the -first time she observed how very peculiar and remarkable the dress was -which Phoebe had made. - -Nan was rather a small girl of eleven years of age, and the dress came -down to her ankles. It was, of course, made without any attempt at -style. The bodice fitted anyhow; the crape was put on in rucks instead -of smoothly; the sleeves were too wide for the fashion, and too long -for the little girl's arms; the neck was too big, the part which -covered her chest too narrow. She was, as nurse expressed it, all -askew in that frock, and poor Mrs. Richmond quite shuddered as she -looked at her. - -If Nan had been a dazzlingly fair child, black might have been -becoming to her; but as she was sallow, with quantities of jet-black -hair, and big, very black eyes, there was not a scrap of beauty about -her little face just now, although it was possible she might grow up -handsome by-and-by. - -Little, however, Nan recked about her appearance either in the future -or the present. Just then she kept repeating to herself, "I am only a -charity-girl;" and then she sat down and ate her supper without well -knowing what she ate. Mrs. Richmond was very kind, and the two girls -were as grave and sober as possible. They were not the least like -themselves; they only spoke when they were spoken to; even the subject -of the dogs did not draw them out. Kitty's merry eyes kept looking -down, and Honora's sweet, bright face, with its wealth of light hair -and smiling lips, seemed transformed into that of a very sober little -girl indeed. Towards the end of supper Nan yawned once or twice. Mrs. -Richmond suddenly rose. - -"Come here, Nancy," she said. - -She took the little girl's hand and drew her to her side. - -"Nancy, you are my little girl henceforward." - -Nancy's lips quivered. - -"And these are your little sisters. This is Honora, aged twelve; and -this is Kitty, aged eleven. You will be, I hope, the very best of -friends; everything that Kitty has you have, and everything that -Honora has also belongs to you. There will be three little sisters in -this house instead of two. You will learn with the same kind -governess, and go to the same nice school; and except that you will -wear black and Kitty and Honora colours, you will be dressed alike. -You will have the same pleasures and the same duties. I promised your -mother that this should be the case, and all I ask of you in return -is"--Mrs. Richmond paused and looked full at Nan-"happiness." - -"I cannot be happy," whispered Nan then. - -"Not yet, dear--no, not yet; but I want you to be contented, and to -feel that I love you and will do what I can for you. I do not want you -to feel that"---- - -"I am a charity-girl, and I hate it," suddenly burst from Nan's lips. - -Mrs. Richmond took both the little hands very firmly in hers and drew -the unwilling child to sit on her knee. - -"Nan," she said, "you must get that thought out of your head once and -for ever. I am going to tell you something. Years and years ago, when -I was young and when your mother was young, your mother did something -for me which I can never repay--never. I will tell you what that thing -was when you are older. Your mother died; and when dying, I asked her -to let me adopt you as my own little girl. To do that does not -anything like repay her for what she did for me, for she saved all my -life and all my happiness. But for her I might not be alive now; and -if spared, certainly be a most miserable woman. Sometime I will tell -you everything; but what I want you clearly to know is this, that in -taking you to live with me I still owe your mother something. You have -a right to my home and my love for her sake. Now, does this make -things any better?" - -"Oh yes!" said Nan. "And, oh" she added, "I am a horrid girl not to -feel very glad! I will try to be very glad, but do not ask me any more -to-night." - -"Poor little darling!" said Mrs. Richmond. - -She kissed Nan, and nodded to Kitty to run up to Nan and take her -hand. - -"You are my sister, you know, and I love you already," said Kitty; and -so Nan went upstairs to bed. - -Early the next morning, when the little girl felt that she had already -only enjoyed her first sleep, she was awakened by some one pulling her -rather violently by the arm. She looked up in astonishment. Just at -first she could not in the least remember where she was, nor what had -happened. Then it all rushed over her--her mother's funeral of the day -before, her own great misery, the change in her life. But she had -scarcely time to realise these things, and certainly had not a moment -to fret about them, when the eager voice of Kitty was sounding in her -ears. - -"Get up, please, Nan; dress yourself as fast as ever you can in the -dark, and come into the schoolroom. If you are not very quick you will -miss seeing the animals getting their breakfasts, and that is the best -fun of the day. Now, be quick--be quick! I will come back again in a -few minutes. I have lit the candle for you; here it is. Hot water? No; -you must do without that. Fly--dash into your clothes, and be in the -schoolroom in a quarter of an hour." - -Kitty disappeared, and Nan got up. She felt quite excited; she could -not help herself. It was useless to pretend that she felt anything but -a sense of rejoicing as she thought of the animals. When with human -beings she must remember her mother, and her own suffering, and her -great loss, but with the animals she could only rejoice. She scrambled -into her clothes, making, it is true, a very sorry spectacle of -herself. - -"Sophia Maria, my darling," she said to her doll, "you had better get -warm into bed, and lie tucked up there while I am attending to the -animals. I will never love them better than I love you, but I must see -how they get their breakfasts. They are alive, Maria darling--they are -alive; you understand, don't you?" - -Sophia Maria stared with her vacant smile at her little mistress. - -"How good she is! she never frets," thought the little girl; and then -she went into the schoolroom, where a fire was lighted--a dull, -dim-looking fire, which certainly gave forth no heat whatever just -yet--and the gas was turned on. - -"Is it not a good thing we have gas?" said Kitty. - -Honora and Kitty were both in the schoolroom. They were wearing a long -kind of holland smocks over their dresses; their faces looked quite -serene and important. - -"Now, Nan, which will you take? I think this morning, if you were to -hold all the kittens in your lap, you might just watch us. We have to -be ever so busy; Miss Roy only gives us a quarter of an hour at this -time of day to clean out all the animals' homes, and I can tell you it -is exciting when you have got pups and kittens and birds and mice and -rats. Is it not nice of Miss Roy? The mice and rats she will not allow -in the room, but she allows the others. We keep them upstairs in the -top attic. Sometimes the rats bite, and the mice too; but who minds a -little pain when it is an animal--a darling--that has to be attended -to?" - -[Illustration: Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire -holding the kittens.] - -Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire holding the kittens. -There were two Persian kittens, and their names were Lord and Lady. -They were very handsome, with long, soft chinchilla fur, tiny tails at -present, and big heads. Nan stroked them in ecstasy; there was not the -slightest doubt that thrills of comfort went through her heart which -Sophia Maria had never yet been able to bestow. - -Kitty and Honora meanwhile were very busy. The parrot's cage required -a great deal of attention. The parrot was inclined to be rather -fierce; he would fly frantically after the little hands when they were -put in to take out the seed-trough, and he would cock his head to one -side, and then shout out, "Here comes the naughty girl!" and fix his -eyes on Nan all the time. - -"He does mean me," said Nan, forgetting the kittens and going up to -the cage in her excitement. "Oh dear! is it not funny of him? And I -suppose I am a naughty girl." - -"Well, I hope so," said Kitty. "We don't want you to be a goody girl; -we should not like that at all. We don't want you to be mournful and -sulky and anything like that; we like you to have some spirit in you. -You know your darling little Jack who belongs to you altogether? Well, -you are to have all the trouble of him; and you are to take the blame -also if he is naughty and fidgety, and tears our dresses, and bites -the tablecloth. You will be the one to be reprimanded; don't forget -that." - -"I don't think I shall like that." - -"Well, but surely you do not expect us to be blamed about your animal! -I never heard of such a thing!" said Nora "Now we have done -everything; go back and get as tidy as you can for breakfast." - -Nan went back to her room feeling much excited. While she was out -nurse had entered. - -"So you are going to have an animal, miss; and you are going to get up -every morning to help the young ladies to feed their pets and clean -out their cages?" - -"Yes; they have asked me to," said Nan. - -"That is right, my dear; and I hope you will have a happy time and -make yourself one of the family." - -"I will try to," said Nan. - -"The first thing you have to do is to give me the frock you wore last -night." - -"But, oh!" said Nan, "that is my own frock, bought out of my own -money. Please, I would rather--I would rather not give it." - -"I am afraid if you are one of the family you have got to obey Mrs. -Richmond, and she does not intend you to wear that ugly frock any -more." - -"It is not ugly," said Nan, colouring high. - -"Well, miss, I am afraid it is; and anyhow you cannot wear it, for I -am going to take it away. Here is a nice little suitable dress--black, -of course, and made the same way as Miss Kitty's dresses are made. -Here, put it on, miss, or you will be late for breakfast." - -All poor Nan's misery returned to her at these words. She felt as if -she were most unjustly treated; she could scarcely bear her own -feelings. The pretty frock in which she looked so nice and fresh, and -in which she had once again the appearance of a lady, did not appeal -to her. She shrugged her shoulders discontentedly, and was only -comforted when nurse insisted on her wearing a white pinafore which -nearly covered the frock. - -Just as she was leaving her bedroom she turned and spoke. - -"If you will not let me wear my own frock--and I bought all my own -mourning for my own mother--may I at least keep it?" - -"Oh yes, poor little girl!" said nurse, much touched by these words. -"I will put it in the bottom of the little trunk you brought with you. -You might give it to a poor girl some day, and she might make it fit -her; it is not fit for any one to wear at present." - -Nan was fain to be comforted with this sort of half-promise of -nurse's, and entered the school-room, where she stood, looking -somewhat forlorn, by the fire. But this mood was not to be of long -duration, for Nora and Kitty came bounding in. They had made up their -minds: the time of gloom was past; they were going to be their own -riotous, gay, merry, rebellious, fidgety, almost unruly little selves -once again to-day. - -Miss Roy was almost as merry as her pupils. At breakfast they screamed -with laughter; animals, of course, were the subjects of conversation. -The virtues of Jack, the vices of Poll the parrot, the exquisite -beauties of Lord and Lady and the bad manners of their mother, the -good manners of the bull-terrier--all were discussed with animation. -Each little point was noted. Nan listened, her eyes growing wider and -wider. - -"What is the matter? Why do you not talk?" said Kitty at last. - -"I am so astonished," answered Nan. - -"What about?" - -"Why, you speak, you and Honora, as if--as if there were no girls and -boys in the world." - -"Oh! I suppose there are," answered Honora. "I am afraid there are," -she continued after a pause. "They are great worries, are they not?" - -"I don't know." - -"Compared to animals, I mean. Who would compare them?" - -"I don't know," said Nan again. - -"You will when you have been here a little longer.--Oh, Miss Roy, -Kitty has given Jack to Nan. He is her very own bull-puppy. She has -got to train him; and, please, if he does anything naughty you are to -blame her." - -"Well, now, children," said Miss Roy, "put on your hats and coats and -get ready for school. Nan, my dear, Mrs. Richmond has not arranged for -your school until next week, so will you please stay in the schoolroom -until I come back to you? I will hear you a few lessons then, and we -can go out for a walk together." - -"And may she take Jack for a little airing?" asked Kitty. - -"Yes, if she has a leash--not otherwise." - -"Oh! I can lend her a leash," said Kitty. "You will find it hanging up -in the passage outside the schoolroom," she added, turning to the -little girl; "and there is a collar as well. Now we must be off." - -In a moment they dashed away, Miss Roy following them. From intense -excitement and vigorous conversation and loud noise and hearty laughs -the schoolroom was reduced to absolute silence. Nan felt a sense of -relief. She crept into her bedroom, took Sophia Maria from between the -sheets, clasped her in her arms, and sitting down by the fire, called -to Jack to come and make friends. - -Now, Jack was of the most sociable nature, but it is, alas! true that -he was possessed with a petted little dog's invariable infirmity--that -of intense jealousy. He had taken to Nan; he had liked the position on -her shoulder, and had quite slobbered with bliss when she had kissed -him on his little cheek the night before. But Nan was now hugging a -hideous object in her arms, and Jack did not see why such a thing -should be permitted. He was wary, however, and did not intend to give -himself away. He knew by experience that in small puppies -mischievousness was reproved by two-footed creatures who had the -control of them; but in all the world what could be more delicious -than the sort of mischief which meant tearing and rending, using his -teeth and puppy paws to some purpose? That horrid thing in Nan's arms -could be rent and torn and demolished and worried, and what a time of -enjoyment he would have while doing it! Accordingly he raised his -dancing eyes to Nan's face, and jumped backwards and forwards, -inviting her as bewitchingly as puppy could to a game of romps. She -played with him for a little, trying to catch him, which he avoided, -for it was quite beyond the dignity of puppydom to repose in the same -lap with the hideous doll dressed in crape. The dog was biding his -time. Nan looked again at Maria. She still wore her inane smile. Nan -kissed her. She was so cold; she did not seem to take any interest. - -"She is not so nice as Jack," thought the little girl, "but of course -I like her best. Did not mother give her to me, and have not I over -and over and over again cried with her in my arms? She comforted me, -then, but not as little Jack does." - -Presently Miss Roy came in, bustling and fresh from the outside world. - -"Now, get on your things, Nan," she said. "I will take you for a walk -first of all, as it may rain later on; it is a beautiful morning, and -we will go for a walk in Hyde Park. You had better leave little Jack -at home; dogs are not allowed in Hyde Park except on a leash." - -Nan got up joyfully. Sophia Maria was put comfortably sitting in the -arm-chair in which the little girl had herself reposed, and a few -minutes later Nan and her governess went out. - -Now was Jack's opportunity. The schoolroom was silent; the mother -bull-terrier was sound asleep, with the other pups nestling up to her. -Jack, bent on mischief, was practically alone. The Persian cat turned -her back upon him with the most lofty disdain in her attitude; the -parrot winked at him out of her wicked eye, and said, "Here we are -again!" another favourite expression of hers. Jack cared little; with -a dexterous leap he secured Sophia Maria, and what immediately -followed may be left to the imagination of the readers. - -When Nan returned from her walk there were morsels of crape on the -floor, and tiny pieces of coarse black cashmere, and a naked doll, -which, rent and torn and injured, lay in a distant corner; but her -clothes--alas! where were they? Jack waggled up to his little -mistress, coaxing and canoodling, and saying by a thousand pretty -motions, "You must forgive me if it was wrong. I am sorry, but I would -do it again if I had the chance; only please forgive me." And then Nan -uttered a sudden shriek and flew towards the battered remains of her -doll, which she clasped in her arms. - -"Oh, Miss Roy--oh, Miss Roy!" screamed the little girl. - -"What is it, my dear?" said the astonished governess. - -"Oh, see what Jack has done!" - -"Naughty Jack!" said Miss Roy. "But really, Nan, it was a very ugly -doll; if you wish to dress it again I will find some pieces for you -some half-holiday. Put it in the cupboard now and forget about it. -Come to me in a few minutes for your lessons." - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE FALL. - - -Nan had gone about for the remainder of the day with a lump in her -throat. It was not the least like the heavy weight of sorrow which -pressed on her yesterday--but nevertheless it was a curious and -strange sensation. To all intents and purposes Sophia Maria no longer -existed; that battered and torn and disreputable doll in the cupboard -could not be the darling whom she had pressed to her heart and loved -and worshipped during all the sorrowful days when her mother lay dead -in the lodging-house in Bloomsbury. - -But although the lump was there, and the sorrow and the dismay there -also, Nan's day was one rush, one continued succession, of excitement; -there was literally no time in Mrs. Richmond's happy house for brooding -or grieving. - -"I must try and forget Sophia Maria for the present," thought the -child; "there is such a lot to be done! But when I get into bed -to-night, oh! won't I have a good cry?" - -She made up her mind also not to tell either Nora or Kitty what had -happened to her dear baby. - -"As for Jack," she said to herself, "I shall hate him all the rest of -my days." - -But when he came up to her, and sprang with great appreciation into -her lap and cuddled down there, and licked her hand with his little -red tongue, she found that, far from hating him, she was loving him -better and better each moment. At last bedtime came, and Nan as she -laid her head on her pillow and said "Good-night" to nurse, who had -come in to put out her candle, whispered to herself: - -"Now I _must_ have a tremendous cry for my darling Sophia Maria." - -But, behold! the very next instant she was sound asleep. So Maria lay -neglected in the cupboard. Some day, of course, Nan would dress her, -and make her a pet and an idol once more, but meantime she was too -busy. - -As the days flew on she grew busier and busier, for on the following -Monday she went to school with Nora and Kitty. It was discovered at -school that she was a very clever and well-informed little girl for -her age, and she was put into quite a high-up class for a girl of -eleven, and had many lessons to learn, and much to attend to. And as -Nan had not only school-hours to live through, but private lessons in -music to work for at home, and walks to take, and romps to enjoy, and -the animals one and all to idolise, she had not been a month in Mrs. -Richmond's house before she became a very merry and a very happy -little girl. Not that for a single moment she forgot her mother; but -she was wise enough and sensible enough to know that if she would -really please that mother she would do it best by being happy and -contented. Once she saw Mr. Pryor; and when Mr. Pryor said to her, "Are -you trying to be the best girl?" Nan coloured, and squeezed his hand, -and said: - -"Oh! but I have got such a darling little puppy--all my very, very -own--and his name is Jack. And I do love Kitty and Nora! And Mrs. -Richmond is very kind." - -Then Mr. Pryor looked straight into the dancing, dark eyes of Nan, and -he laid his hand for a moment on her head and said: - -"I think you are going to be the best girl." - -"I wonder what he really means," thought Nan. "It is nice to be happy; -even in mother's time I was never as happy as I am now. In mother's -time there was always the pain--her pain--to remember, and the empty -purse, and Mrs. Vincent, who was so cross, and---- Oh! lots and lots of -such things. But now nothing seems sad, and no one seems sorry; and -the animals alone would make any girl happy." - -But as it is not appointed in this life for any one to pass from the -cradle to the grave without anxiety and troubles and temptations and -fears, so was Nan Esterleigh no exception to the general rule. - -She had been two months at Mrs. Richmond's, and in that time had grown -strong and healthy, and a pretty rose colour had beautified her dark -little face, and her eyes were very bright, and her whole appearance -that of an intelligent and happy child. During those two months the -spring had advanced so far that it was now the daffodil and primrose -time, and the children had arranged to go to the nearest woods to -gather baskets of primroses on a certain Saturday, which was of course -a whole holiday. Saturday was the most delightful day of the seven in -Nan's opinion, for there was no school and there were no classes of -any sort. It was the animals' special day, when extra cleanings had to -be given and extra groomings gone through; when the cages and baskets -had to get fresh flannels and fresh gravel; when the mice and the rats -had in especial to be looked after. Nan always enjoyed Saturday best -of all, and this special Saturday was to be indeed a red-letter day, -for Miss Roy had decided to take the children to the country by a -train which left Victoria at one o'clock. They would get to Shirley -Woods in half-an-hour; there they could pick primroses to their -hearts' content, and bring them back in basketfuls. Nan was very much -excited. She had never been to Shirley Woods, and the thought of some -hours in the country filled her with the wildest glee. - -"Why, you dance about and make more fuss even than we do," said Nora, -looking at her as she skipped up and down the room. - -"Yes; I am in very high spirits," said Nan, "and I am ever so happy." - -"I wonder how you will enjoy it when our cousin Augusta comes." - -"Who is your cousin Augusta? I have never heard of her." - -"I dare say not; but she is coming for a couple of months, either -to-night or to-morrow morning--to-night, probably. Mother had a letter -from our aunt, and she wants mother to take care of Augusta until she -comes back from the Riviera. Her name is Augusta Duncan. She is a very -handsome girl, and has a lot of spirit. She is the fashionable sort, -and thinks a lot of her dress and her appearance. What fun we shall -all have together!" - -"But is she coming to school with us? How will she spend her day?" -asked Nan. - -"No, she is not going to school, for she has not been quite strong, -and is to have a complete holiday. I expect she will stay here a good -bit and amuse herself." - -"How old is she?" said Nan again. - -"She is a year and a half older than me," replied Nora, "so she is -going on for fourteen. She is a very big girl for her age. I am quite -curious to see her." - -"Well, don't let us bother about her now," said Nan. "Let us get ready -to go off for our happy day in the country." - -Kitty looked at the clock. - -"I had not the least idea it was so late," she said. "What is to be -done? Mother wants us to get some flowers for the drawing-room before -we start. Cannot you go, Nan? Just run and ask Susan the housemaid to -go with you. You have very nice taste, and can choose just the flowers -mother would like. Get them at Johnson's at the corner. I know mother -wants heaps of violets, and as many yellow flowers as you can put -together. You had better select about five shillings' worth, for some -people are coming to tea with mother this afternoon." - -"Very well," said Nan, in high good-humour. "I'll be off at once." - -She put on her hat and jacket and ran downstairs, calling to Susan to -accompany her. Susan, however, was very busy, and grumbled when the -little girl made her request. - -"Dear me, Miss Nan!" she said; "nurse has given me a lot to do, and I -am very late as it is. Cannot the flowers wait?" - -"Oh! it does not matter," answered Nan. - -A daring idea rushed through her mind. Why should she have Susan, to -keep her company? It was only a step from the Richmonds' house to -Johnson's shop; she could easily go there alone. The fact that she was -forbidden ever to go out by herself was completely forgotten. In her -mother's time she had constantly been sent on messages, and surely she -was just as sensible a little girl now. So, calling Jack the puppy to -accompany her, she started on her mission. She arrived at the shop in -good time, and there she saw two girls standing by the counter. They -were ordering flowers too, and talking to each other in a somewhat -excited manner. Their accents were not the accents of London girls; -they had a high-pitched note in them, which Nan at first thought very -disagreeable, and then considered fascinating. The girls were -beautifully and extravagantly dressed. They were taller and older than -Nan. They wore velvet frocks of a rich blue, and fawn-coloured -jackets, and they had blue velvet hats which drooped over their faces. -The hats were trimmed with enormous ostrich-feathers, also a deep -royal-blue. The girls had quantities of very thick and very bright -golden hair, which hung in curly masses down their backs and over -their shoulders. They had each of them deep-blue eyes--very deep and -very dark--and long, curly black lashes. Nan considered them quite the -most lovely human beings she had ever looked at. They would not have -taken the least notice of the quiet, grave-looking little girl who had -come into the shop but for the fact that Jack suddenly made a dive at -one of their dresses, and catching it in his teeth, pulled at it, as -much as to say, "Now for a game of play!" - -The girl whose dress was attacked immediately tried to shake the -bull-terrier off; but the bull-terrier would not let go. It was the -mission of all bull-pups never to let go, and here was his -opportunity. He hung on as if for grim death, and the girl's face got -red and her eyes flashed with temper. She turned to Nan and said in an -imperious voice: - -"Do take your dog off, please. What a horrid little beast he is!" - -"He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross at anything -disparaging being said of Jack; but she caught the pup in her arms, -and stood red and panting, waiting for the girls to leave the shop. - -The elder girl, whose dress had been the subject of Jack's attack, -found that it was slightly torn, and she turned to her sister and -said: - -"What an insufferable little dog, and what a still more insufferable -girl!" - -"Oh, hush, Flora!" said the girl so addressed. - -"Where shall I send the flowers to, miss?" asked the man who was -serving the girls, bending over the counter as he did so. - -"Send them to Mrs. Aspray, Court Mansions," was the elder girl's reply. -"Be quick, please," she added; "you had better send a man round with -all those flowers in pots. We are expecting company this afternoon, -and mother says the flowers must arrive before two o'clock." - -The man promised; and the girls, the elder one still very cross and -angry, left the shop. - -Just as she was doing so she flashed her handsome blue eyes in Nan's -direction, and Nan gave her back quite as indignant a glance. - -"Well, miss, and what can I do for you?" said the shopman, now turning -to Nan. - -Nan gave her order; the man promised to attend to it immediately, and -the little girl returned home. - -Now, how it happened she never knew, but going back, she trod suddenly -on a piece of orange-peel. The next moment she was lying on her face, -white and sick and dizzy with pain. She had sprained her ankle. For a -moment or two she lay still. Then a man rushed up and raised her to -her feet. She made a frantic effort, and leaning on his arm, got as -far back as Mrs. Richmond's house. When the door was opened for her, -great was the astonishment of Caroline the parlour-maid. - -"Why, Miss Nan," she cried, "how white you are! What has happened?" - -"I have sprained my foot. I fell when I was out; I trod on a piece of -orange-peel." - -"And you were out, miss, all alone?" - -"Yes, yes; Susan was not able to come." - -"My mistress will be angry, miss." - -"I am ever so sorry; but please don't tell her--please don't, -Caroline." - -"She will find out when she discovers that you have sprained your -foot." - -"Please don't tell her; I will manage somehow," said the child; and -she limped upstairs. - -In consequence of her escapade, however, she could not possibly go to -the country that day. Kitty and Nora decided that they would not tell -about her naughtiness in going out alone. They were really fond of -Nan. They said that she was very silly to have disobeyed their mother, -and very wrong, but they would make some excuse about her not going -into the country; and as Mrs. Richmond was extremely busy, what with -Augusta's expected arrival and her visitors of that afternoon, it was -unlikely that she would miss Nan or say anything about her. -Accordingly, at half-past twelve Miss Roy and the two little Richmonds -started alone for their country expedition, and Nan was left in the -schoolroom. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -PIP. - - -The sunshiny morning brought a still more lovely afternoon in its -train. Nan felt cross and discontented. She had looked forward for -long to that happy day in Shirley Woods; she had a passionate love for -all flowers, and for primroses in especial. She had gone -primrose-hunting when quite a little child with her mother in the -happy, happy days when they were not so poor, and mother was not so -ill, and their home had been in the country. As she lay in bed at -night for the past week she had thought of the intense joy of picking -primroses. - -"Even if mother is dead," she had said to herself, "I shall love to -hold them in my hands; and if it is true that mother is in a beautiful -country where there are spring flowers that never wither, perhaps she -is picking primroses too." - -But now everything had come to an end. She had been good-natured -although disobedient, and her punishment had come. Her foot did not -ache very badly except when she walked on it; still, she felt very -impatient alone in the schoolroom--forgotten, doubtless, by every one -else in the house, for even nurse had taken the opportunity to go and -visit an old friend, and Susan the housemaid just peeped in once to -see if there were enough coals to put on the fire. But the day was too -warm for Nan to need much fire. Her book did not interest her; she -knew her lessons already by heart. She did not care to practise on the -piano. Even Jack tired her by his constant and officious attentions. - -"Oh dear!" she said to herself, "was there ever such a long afternoon? -How I wish Phoebe would come to see me! How I wish that I had my -darling Sophia Maria again! I might make some more clothes for her; -there are all kinds of odds and ends in nurse's basket, and she would -not mind my rummaging in it. But there! I really have not the energy. -How dull it is! I wonder if Kitty will bring me a special bunch of -primroses, and if they will be big ones with long stems, the sort -mother used to love. Oh dear! I am tired." - -She yawned, shut up the book which she had already read, and taking -Jack into her arras, kissed him on his little round forehead. - -Just then a memory came to her. Kitty had been anxious about one of -the white rats that morning. It was her favourite rat, Pip. Pip had -not been well; he had refused his breakfast--an almost unheard-of -thing in the annals of the rat world. Even a nut did not tempt him, -and he had turned away from a piece of cheese. Kitty adored Pip. He -was a large, rather dangerous rat. Nan as a rule kept a wide berth -when she was asked to visit the rats and mice, for Pip had very sharp -teeth, and a vicious way of darting at you and giving you a sharp -bite. But Nan now thought of him with much interest. The very last -thing Kitty had said before she went out was this: - -"I sha'n't enjoy myself very much after all, for Pip is not well. I -cannot think what is the matter with him. I should just break my heart -if anything happened to my darling Pip." - -Nan had asked one or two questions, and Kitty had turned round and -looked at her. - -"Oh! you can do nothing," she said. "I have put him away from Glitter -and Snap. I think he looks very bad indeed; he must have eaten -something poisonous. No, please, do not go near the room, Nan, -whatever you do, for you know you have not the slightest control over -the rats and mice." - -Now Nan thought of the sick rat, and a curious and ever-increasing -desire to go and look at him, to find out if he were better, if he had -eaten the cheese which Kitty had last tried to tempt him with, took -possession of her. - -"It can do no harm," she thought. "I will just go and have a peep; it -certainly can do no harm. I shall be very careful; I will just open -the door and look in." - -Notwithstanding the pain in her foot, Nan contrived to limp up to the -attics. There were five or six attics on the next floor--large rooms, -all of them. The smallest one, that facing the stairs, had been given -over to the girls for their pets. They owned several boxes of mice, -different kinds of breeds--harvest mice, dormice, Japanese mice, white -mice. Nan considered all the mice most fascinating. At the opposite -side of the room were the cages where the rats reposed. - -Nan knew Pip very well by appearance. He was snowy white, had a long, -hairless tail, and a little patch of black just behind his left ear. -It was a tiny patch of black, and Kitty considered it one of his -beauties. Nan opened the door softly now and went in. She had left it -a little ajar, not thinking much of what she was doing. When she -entered the room her dullness vanished on the spot. She could examine -one cage after the other; could poke in her hand and draw it away -again when the mice tried to bite her. There were a lot of little baby -mice in one cage. She thought it would be nothing short of bliss to -examine them, to count them, and to see what they were really like. -But of course the sick rat, Pip, must have her first attentions. He -was in a cage all alone--by no means a perfect cage, for it was broken -at one side. Kitty, however, had secured it against the chance of the -rat's escape by leaning a bit of board up against the broken side. Nan -knew nothing of this; she moved the cage so as to get it into a better -light, and peering down, looked at the sick rat. He was lying curled -up in the bottom of his cage, but the sudden movement and the sight of -Nan's comparatively unfamiliar face gazing at him caused Pip to become -wide awake. At that instant a thrill of fear shot through his rodent -heart. Nan, without knowing it, had caused the piece of wood to slip. -The very next instant the rat was out of his cage, and was scuttling -as fast as ever he could rush across the floor. - -Now, this was bad enough--for nothing would induce poor Nan to catch -him--but worse was to follow; for Jack, grown a large pup now and full -of spirit, had followed his little mistress, unknown to her, into the -attic. The next moment there was a cry, a scuffle, and Jack had caught -the sick rat by the neck. Nan screamed, rushed at the dog and rat, and -tried to separate them. Alack and alas! the spirit of his ancestors -was in Jack's veins at that moment; his hairs bristled in excitement. -It did not take him long to shake the life out of poor Pip, who lay -dead and torn on the floor of the attic. - -Nan's consternation exceeded all bounds. - -"What shall I do? What shall I do?" she exclaimed. - -She said the words aloud. A light, low laugh falling on her ears -caused her to turn quickly, and she saw, standing in the doorway, a -fair-haired girl with large blue eyes and an exceedingly amused -expression on her face. - -"Oh!" said Nan, giving a jump. - -"What is the matter?" said the girl. - -"Who are you?" said Nan. - -"I am Augusta Duncan. But what have you been doing? You are a funny -girl, ratting up here all by yourself." - -"Oh! you don't know what it means. It is perfectly awful! I came up to -see Kitty's sick rat, Pip. She just worships Pip. She has had him -almost since he was born; and he was ill to-day, and she put him into -a separate cage, and while I was looking at him he escaped, and my -bull-terrier killed him.-- Oh Jack! oh Jack! what have you done?" - -The smile on the strange girl's face became a little broader; she -slowly crossed the room, looked at the rat, and then going away, came -back with a pair of tongs. With the tongs she lifted the rat and laid -him on a shelf. - -"He does not look bruised," she said; "at least not much--a little -perhaps. His fur is wet, but I do not suppose Kitty will know what has -killed him. Have you courage to put him back into his cage?" - -"Why should I do that?" asked Nan. - -"Well, have you courage? I could not touch the horror." - -The laughing, curious eyes were fixed on Nan's face. She did not know -why--she often wondered afterwards what had ailed her during that -miserable day--but the next instant she had slipped the rat back into -his cage. - -"That is all right," said the girl. "You need not tell; I will not. -Come, let us lock the door. Have you done any further mischief in the -room? I see not. Come downstairs to the schoolroom and amuse me." - -Nan followed the girl as though she were mesmerised, Jack trotting -behind her heels. They went into the schoolroom; the girl turned full -round and looked at Nan. - -"Now, who are you?" she said. - -"I am Nan Esterleigh." - -"Oh! And has my aunt adopted you?" - -"Yes." - -"Do you know that I am tired? I have had a very long journey; I have -come all the way from France. Aunt Jessie is very busy, and said that -I might come up to the schoolroom and amuse myself. She did not know -that you were here; she said nothing about you. Now, what I want to -say is this: if I keep your secret, will you make things pleasant to -me?" - -"But--but," said Nan, "I don't know that I want it to be kept a -secret." - -"Oh! you would like Kitty to know that you had stolen into her -preserves when she was out, and that your dog had killed her pet rat? -It would be so pleasant for you, would it not?" - -"It would not be pleasant at all," replied Nan. "Why are you speaking -in that tone?" - -"I only thought that perhaps you were going to enjoy it. And what good -would it do making Kitty unhappy? The rat was ill when she left; she -would take its death as a matter of course. She would not know that -Jack had killed it." - -"But suppose--oh, suppose she ever finds out!" - -"How can she find out if you do not tell and I do not tell?" - -"You tempt me," said Nan; "but it does not seem right." - -"Never mind whether it is right or not; do it." - -"Very well," said Nan. - -She sat down on the hearth-rug and began poking up the fire. - -"That is right. If I do it, you must do things for me. Build up that -fire to begin." - -Nan looked round at the insolent young figure stretched out in the -easiest chair which the room contained. She built up the fire without -a word. - -"That is right; you can make yourself very useful. Now, run downstairs -and ask one of the servants to bring me up some tea and toast, and a -new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. Do not forget--toast, butter, -tea, new-laid egg, and a little marmalade. I must say I think it was -very thoughtless of Aunt Jessie not to order any food for me when I -arrived." - -"Oh! did not she? Of course I will go and order the tea," said Nan in -a good-natured voice. - -She left the room. Her heart was beating loudly. She did not like the -position of things a bit, but she seemed to be whirled along by an -influence stronger than her own. - -"I am not even trying now to be one of the best girls," she said under -her breath. - -When she came back to the schoolroom, Augusta was curled up close to -the fire with Jack in her lap. - -"What a nice little dog!" she said. "I should rather like to have him -for my own." - -"Oh! but you can't," said Nan. "He is mine." - -Augusta gave her a quizzical glance. - -"You can call him yours," she said. "While I am here he is to be my -dog--hey, you little beauty?" and she caught up Jack and pressed his -head against her cheek. - -Presently Susan appeared with the tea, which was nicely prepared, -Augusta's instructions being carried out to the letter. - -"Here, Jack," said Augusta; "stand on your hind-legs and beg. You -shall have some sugar." - -"Oh! please, sugar is not good for him at all," said Nan in a tone of -entreaty. - -Augusta laughed, picked out the largest lump, and presented it to -Jack. He crunched it with appetite; when he had finished she gave him -another, and another. - -"You will ruin him. He will get to be a horrid dog at this rate," said -Nan. - -"Well, when I leave here you can do what you like with him. While I am -on the spot it is my will and pleasure to treat little Jack exactly as -I think best." - -Nan turned away. She felt a strange, sick sensation round her heart. - -"I cannot allow myself to get into the power of this horrid girl," she -said to herself. "It would be better to have Kitty quite furiously -angry with me for an hour or two; yes, it would be much better than to -have that girl spoiling Jack, and ordering me about just as though I -were her slave." - -"I wish you would get me something to read," called out Augusta. - -"There is a shelf full of books there," replied Nan. "You can choose -which one you like. I am not allowed to walk much because I have hurt -my foot." - -"How did you hurt it?" - -"I was out to-day getting flowers for Mrs. Richmond, and I fell." - -"Oh, how stupid! Did you go out by yourself?" - -"Yes." - -"Hum! Where did you go?" - -"Not very far off; just round the corner. There is a beautiful -florist's shop just at that corner." - -"I dare say; but you are rather young to go out alone. Did Aunt Jessie -say you might?" - -Nan coloured and bit her lips. Augusta noticed the expression on the -little girl's face. - -"Perhaps you would rather I did not say anything about this either," -she remarked. "I won't, you know, if you tell me not. I never make -mischief. I would not do so for all the world." - -"Well," said Nan, "I did disobey Mrs. Richmond; but I was in such a -hurry because we were all going to the country--we were to have such a -lovely, lovely afternoon! I was very sorry afterwards that I did not -insist on Susan's coming with me." - -"We are mostly sorry when we do wrong things," said Augusta. "I am; -but then, you see, I do not get into scrapes. I would not for all the -world. I am the sort of girl who gets other girls out of scrapes. I -sometimes think that is my mission in life. What a lot of wrong things -you have done to-day! Gone out without permission, and been the cause -of poor Kitty's favourite rat's death. I would not be in your shoes -for a good deal--that is, unless I had a girl like me to help me. Now, -like a good child, bring me the least objectionable of the books on -that shelf." - -"Augusta," said Nan. - -"What a portentously solemn voice! Well? Augusta is listening." - -"I think it is better to say that--that I do not want you to keep -secrets for me." - -"Oh! all right, my dear--all right; you can please yourself exactly. -I'll be able to explain just how I saw you with the dog in the room, -and the dead rat. Kitty will think you did it on purpose." - -"She could not think such a thing." - -"Well, you must admit that it looks like it; you up there, and the rat -dead, and Jack--_your_ Jack--having done it. However, please -yourself. We will see when the time comes what you will choose. We -will not decide at present. Now then, which is the best of the books?" - -"I don't know. Here is _The Fairchild Family_." - -"Never heard of it. It sounds goody-goody." - -"It is rather nice," said Nan. "And here is _Ministering -Children_." - -"Oh! I do not want anything of the religious order." - -"And here is--oh! here is a charming book--_The Heir of Redclyffe_, -by Miss Yonge." - -"I have read it before, but I will glance through it again; just toss -the volume across to me." - -Nan brought it in a meek fashion to Augusta, who took it, raised her -eyes to the little dark face, and smiled. - -"You are not a bad sort," she said; "and you can be useful to me. I -mean to make you useful. Now sit down, Nan, and do not make a noise. -Read anything you like, only don't disturb me." - -Augusta buried herself against some comfortable cushions, opened her -book, and was lost in its contents. Nan, feeling sick and miserable, -her ankle aching terribly, took the next most comfortable chair. - -By-and-by there came a message for Augusta to go downstairs to Mrs. -Richmond. - -"That is right," she said, jumping up. "How do I look, Nan? Hair -tidy--eh?" - -"Oh yes," said Nan; "it is pretty well." - -"Pretty well! If you talk in that tone I shall send you for a brush -and comb and glass. Let me look at myself through your eyes. What big, -dark eyes you have! They are very pretty. You will be a handsome girl -by-and-by." - -"Shall I?" replied Nan, much comforted, not to say charmed, by these -words. - -"Of course you will. And you are a nice little thing--quite nice. Now, -keep the fire alive, and look after _my_ Jack until I return." - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -UNDER HER THUMB. - - -Augusta Duncan was considered by her elders to be one of the best -girls in existence. She was always neat and nice to look at; she had -refined, gracious, gentle manners. At school she learnt her lessons -correctly, and took place after place in form, rising by slow but sure -degrees to the head of the school. But Augusta was not a favourite -with her companions. Even they themselves did not always know why this -was the case. The fact is, they were a little afraid of her; she had -a way of getting them under her thumb, as she expressed it. Augusta -was never happy in any house until she had got the other girls into -this position. She had no special reason to make Nan Esterleigh's life -a misery; but the moment she saw the little girl she grasped the -opportunity, and her favourite passion being immediately fed, her -appetite grew greater every moment. She was now resolved to have -complete power over Nan, who, she felt certain, could be very useful -to her. - -"My dear Gussie," said her aunt, coming forward and kissing her -affectionately as she entered the room, "you must have thought me -terribly rude on your arrival to send you upstairs; but I was -expecting some special friends, and was anxious to finish a lot of -letters. My friends will be with me in about half-an-hour, and -meantime you and I can have tea cosily together. How is your mother, -dear?" - -"She and father are very well indeed. Is it not hard lines that I -cannot be with them?" - -"Well, I hope you will be happy with me. We will all do what we can to -make you so." - -"Thank you, Aunt Jessie; I am always happy when I am with you and the -girls." - -"That is right, my love. You have grown a good deal, Augusta. I see -you are going to take after your father's family; you will be tall." - -"I am glad of that," said Augusta. "I would rather be tall than short; -it gives one more power in the world." - -"You silly child," laughed her aunt; "what do you want with power?" - -"I love to feel that I have power, Aunt Jessie. I always like to -exercise it when I can." - -"Well, the time may come when it will be useful, but at present your -lot in life is to obey your elders, and to be happy with your young -companions." - -"Of course, Aunt Jessie--of course. May I sit on this little footstool -at your feet, and may I hold your hand?" - -"Indeed you may, my darling child. I am so happy to have you with me -for a little!" - -"Thank you, Aunt Jessie." - -"It must be lonely for you, dear, up in the schoolroom at present, but -the three girls will be in to supper; they have gone to Shirley -Woods--a long-promised treat." - -"The three girls!" said Augusta, raising her calm blue eyes. "Then -there are four girls now in the house?" - -"Counting you, there are." - -"But I mean without me." - -"I do not understand you, dear." - -"Well, Aunt Jessie, there is a girl up in the schoolroom. She says -her name is Nan--Nan Esterleigh." - -"Little Nan," cried Mrs. Richmond. "Did not she go with the others?" - -"No; I found her in the schoolroom when I arrived." - -"I wonder what can be wrong with the child." - -"I don't think much; she has slipped and hurt her foot, but it is -nothing." - -"I must go up to see about her." - -"Oh! please, not now, just when you have sent for me, and I am longing -to have a talk with you. Nan was as happy as possible when I came down -here. I left her playing with her little dog, and seated by the fire." - -"If you can assure me she is not in pain I will not go to her till -after tea," said Mrs. Richmond; "I am rather tired, having had a lot of -running about this morning. But what a pity the poor child never told -me of this! How strange of Miss Roy to have gone off without her!" - -"I know nothing about that, of course," replied Augusta. "But tell me -about her, Aunt Jessie. Is she any relation? Does she live here now? I -never heard of her before." - -"She does live here, Augusta, and I hope she will continue to do so." - -"How mysterious you look, Aunt Jessie! Is there any story about her?" - -"In one sense there is, Augusta; but I do not care to talk about it. -The dear child is a great pleasure to me. We all love her very much." - -"But do tell me, please, Aunt Jessie--do. I so love to hear anything -mysterious!" - -"There is nothing mysterious, darling; but perhaps, as you have asked -me, I may as well tell. Nan is the dear little daughter of a great -friend of mine, a Mrs. Esterleigh, who died about three months ago. At -her death Nan came here." - -"Oh!" said Augusta. - -She was silent for a minute, thinking. - -"And is she no relation?" she asked then. - -"No; only the daughter of a very great friend." - -"Is she, Aunt Jessie, a--rich little girl?" - -"Rich in friends, I hope, Augusta; but rich, poor darling, in nothing -else. Her mother did not leave any money behind her. But it is a great -pleasure to have Nan, and I hope she will live here always." - -"Then you have adopted her." - -"Practically; only the matter cannot be fully arranged for a time." - -"Why? What do you mean?" - -"There are some other people--friends of her father's--who have also -the right to adopt Nan." - -"What a curious, romantic story! People do not as a rule want to adopt -little penniless girls." - -"I want to adopt her; and I do not quite like that tone in your voice, -Augusta. Nan is not under the slightest obligation to me, and I wish -you to understand that. Her mother once on a most important occasion -in my life did me a kindness which I can never, never forget, and for -her sake nothing that I could do for her child would be too much." - -"And you will not tell me what it is?" - -"I have told no one yet. When Nan is older she shall know." - -"And these other people?" - -"The Asprays. I hope Nan will not go to them. They have quite another -reason for wishing to have her as one of the family. Now, do not ask -me any more. I hear our guests arriving. Will you stay with me, or go -upstairs to Nan?" - -"I think I will stay if you do not mind; I can go up to Nan later on. -What an interesting story! And what a dear aunty you are!" - -Augusta rose as she spoke, and kissed Mrs. Richmond on her cheek. - -Several ladies came into the room, and one and all admired Augusta; -for her manners were good, and she had an attentive, thoughtful way -which stood her in excellent stead with her elders. By-and-by she went -upstairs of her own accord, and then the ladies turned to Mrs. -Richmond and praised her, saying what a very nice girl they considered -her. - -When Augusta went back to the schoolroom she found that Nan's foot was -really very painful. - -"I must not walk any more," she said. "What have you been doing, -Augusta? Have you had a good time?" - -"I have been listening to a story about you," said Augusta in a marked -voice. - -She looked full at Nan, who felt her heart beat, and who coloured -uncomfortably. Just then there came the sound of laughter and of -voices, and the next instant the two little girls and their governess -entered the room. They brought big baskets of violets and primroses. -The air of the schoolroom was full of the sweet scent of the violets. -Kitty rushed up to Nan and kissed her: then they both saw Augusta, who -was standing in the background, and uttered a shout of delight. -Augusta went up to them, kissed them both, and stood close to Nan. - -"I must run up at once to see how Pip is," cried Kitty. "I have been -thinking of the darling all the time I have been coming home. I wonder -if he is better. Do not keep me, please, Nan. I won't be a minute, but -I want just to see how he is." - -She was dashing out of the room when Nan's voice came faintly--very -faintly--on the air: - -"Kitty, one minute first!" - -"Little fool!" said Augusta. She bent down close to the child and laid -her hand across her mouth. - -Nobody else had heard Nan's low tones. Nora followed Kitty out of the -room; she also ran upstairs to see the sick rat. - -"You are too late now," said Augusta. "Just keep your own counsel. -Pretend that your foot is aching; that will account for your queer -looks. And, by-the-bye, I let Mrs. Richmond understand that you had -slipped on the stairs and strained your foot, and you must stick to -the story when she asks you about it. Now then, just keep your -courage, hold your tongue, and all will be well." - -There came a piercing cry from poor Kitty, who rushed into the room, -her face white, and tears in her big eyes. - -"Pip is dead!" she said. - -She flung herself into a chair, panting slightly. It was not her -nature to cry, and she did not cry now; but her face looked white and -startled. Augusta gave her a quick look. Nan shivered all over with -sympathy for Kitty and longing to speak; but Augusta's eyes met hers, -and there was such a world of warning and determination in their -glance that she succumbed. - -"Why, what is the matter," said Miss Roy, who at that moment entered -the room. "What a tragic group! Nan looking as though the world were -coming to an end, and Kitty---- Why, my darling, what is wrong?" - -"It is Pip," said Kitty. "He is dead. He died when I was out. He must -have had a fit or something, for he looks so queer; and nothing could -have got at him, for the cage is firmly fastened, and just as I left -it. I will never love another rat. I want to go away by myself for a -little. Do not talk to me. Oh! I will not make a fuss, but I cannot be -very cheerful to-night." - -She went sadly out of the room. - -"And Nan, what is wrong with you?" said her governess. "You were not -well when we left, and you look worse now." - -"It is my foot," said Nan. "I said that I had hurt it--don't you -remember? And it has got worse; it hurts very much indeed." - -"Poor little girl! You must let me look at it." - -Nan pulled down her stocking and showed a much-swollen ankle. - -"My dear child, this will never do. I must bandage it immediately. You -have given yourself quite a nasty sprain; for the next few days you -must keep your foot up. Have you been using it much this afternoon?" - -"Only a very little." - -"I am afraid I have been to blame," said Augusta, speaking at this -juncture in her most amiable voice. "I did not know that poor little -Nan was suffering from a sprained ankle, and asked her to go a few -messages for me. I am ever so sorry!" - -"But why did you go, Nan? Why did you not tell Augusta?" - -"I did not want to," replied Nan. - -"Well, you were very silly. Now, dear, I am going to bathe your poor -ankle and bind it up." - -This was done very skilfully. Nan's foot was supported on a chair; and -soon, had it not been for the dead rat, and for the fact that she was -concealing the truth, she might have been almost happy. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -A MYSTERY. - - -All in good time Nan's foot got better, but for a week she was kept -away from school, and during that week Augusta contrived to rivet her -chains. At the end of that time she was able to walk again, and, to -her own infinite relief, she went back to school. She learnt her -lessons just as carefully as ever; she was pronounced by her teachers -to be a remarkably clever and intelligent child; but there was a -change in her face. It had not the look that it had worn when first -she had come to the Richmonds', but in some respects its expression -was even sadder. Then it was just grief, absolute and terrible, for -the loss of her mother; now there was a new expression in the frank -eyes and sensitive lips, which puzzled those who looked at her. In -process of time Kitty had got over the death of Pip. Her affections -were deep, and nothing would induce her to talk about the rat; but she -was a merry and happy child in other respects. She would not have a -rat again, she said--at least, not for a very long time; but she -attended to her mice, and looked after Nora's rat, and saw that the -dogs and kittens were comfortable, and that Polly had a good time in -her cage. Not the faintest gleam of suspicion attached itself to Nan. -Jack's share in the death of Pip was likely to remain a secret to the -end of time; so also was the true story of Nan's sprained foot. But -what ailed Nan herself? Kitty remarked on the change in her one day to -Nora. - -"She is not a bit the same, and I cannot make out what is wrong with -her," she said. "Do you think by any chance, Noney, that Augusta has -anything to do with it?" - -"Oh no!" replied Nora. "Augusta is a very nice girl, and she is -extremely fond of Nan: she often says so." - -"Well, I am not quite so sure," replied Kitty. "I saw her two days -ago"---- - -"Yes; what did you see two days ago?" - -"I do not like to tell tales, but I came into the schoolroom quite -unexpectedly. I slipped away, and no one saw." - -"Well, go on; you always are so mysterious, Kitty." - -"Nan was crying." - -"Yes." - -"And Augusta was scolding her. I heard Augusta say, 'If you tell you -will be the biggest little fool that I ever heard of.' Now, why should -she say that?" - -"Are you sure you heard those words?" asked Nora in a tone of great -astonishment. - -"Yes, I am certain she said them; and she meant them. And Nan's face -was--oh, so miserable! I got out of the room, and no one knew that I -was listening; but I have a great mind to speak to Nan about it." - -"I wish you would. If Nan has a secret on her mind she had much better -tell us. She is looking so pale! She seems to have no life in her--no -interest in anything." - -"Very well; I will. I will tell her what I overheard." - -Nora and Kitty were as downright and honest as Augusta was the -reverse. But Augusta was very clever; she knew well what sort of -characters she had to deal with in the two little sisters; and whereas -she secretly bullied Nan, held her secret for her, and had her -absolutely in thrall, she was careful not to pursue any such methods -with the sisters. With them she was open and above-board, delighting -them with her apparent frankness, telling good stories, taking their -parts, laughing with them--making the schoolroom party a very merry -one indeed. - -On the evening of the very same day that Kitty had made her small -confidence to Nora, Nora and Augusta were walking home together. In -consequence of Augusta's superior age they were allowed to go as far -as the Park by themselves, and they were hastening home now to be in -time for the schoolroom tea. - -"How nice it will be when I am grown-up," said Augusta. "I shall be -fifteen before very long, and then it will not take many years before -I am out and enjoying myself. I mean to get mother to take me a great -deal into society. I should love balls and parties, and gay frocks, -and--and admirers." - -"Oh dear! it is more than I would," said Nora. "I do not a bit want to -be grown-up." - -"You will when the time comes; and of course you are too young to -think of it at present. I expect you will look very nice when you grow -up, Nora." - -"I don't care whether I do or not. I don't care twopence about my -looks. I want to do my lessons well, and to learn a good bit, and then -to devote myself to natural history. I shall never care for human -beings as I care for animals. I want some day to own a complete -menagerie or a sort of Zoo. If ever I have money in the future I will -buy a great big garden, and have high--very high--walls round it; and -I will keep all sorts of animals in great cages--wild creatures, you -know--leopards and tigers and pumas. Oh! and wild-cats. And I will -have a deep, deep sunken pond with alligators. I suppose I must not -venture on a crocodile. I'll have a snake-house, too. And of course -I'll have lots of domestic animals. I think Kitty will share what -money she has with me, so we will make it quite a big thing. We will -not want to have anything to do with men and women; we will live alone -with our darlings. Oh! I think they are so sweet--so very, very -superior to men and women." - -"You are an extraordinary girl," said Augusta; "but of course you will -change when the time comes. You cannot be different from the rest of -the world. When I am married, and have a beautiful carriage, and a -very rich husband, and heaps and heaps and heaps of money, I will come -and see you, and drag you out of your Zoo, and take you about and show -people what a pretty face you have; and then a prince will come along -and make love to you, and--and you will forget your animals because of -the beautiful words of the prince, and the poor animals will be -neglected and they will die off because you will have married the -prince and have gone away with him. That will be the end of your -day-dream, my dear, funny Nora." - -Nora laughed. - -"We will see," she answered. "But, talking of pretty girls, do you not -think that Nan will be very, very pretty when she is grown-up, -Augusta?" - -"Hum!" said Augusta. "Well, yes, if she is happy I suppose she will. -Don't you think there is something funny the matter with Nan, Nora? -Can you account for it?" - -"I cannot," said Nora, startled and amazed at Augusta's words. "I wish -you could tell me. Can you throw any light on the change in her?" - -"Oh! you have observed the change?" - -"Of course I have. And, do you know, it all began the day you came -here. Of course, dear little Nan was very sad when first she came to -live with mother, but she had got over it, and we were all so fond of -her; we thought her such a darling! And she was so merry; she used to -laugh so heartily. And she was quite comforted because we gave her -Jack as her own special little dog; but now it seems to us that Jack -is more your Jack than hers, and Nan is very sad." - -"Poor Nan! I have noticed it myself. I am anxious about her." - -"Then you do not know what is the matter?" - -"I think I do partly, but I must not say; perhaps she will tell you -herself." - -"Oh! but won't you say? It does seem unkind to have a weight of care -on her dear little mind and not to have it relieved." - -"Why do you always talk about her as though she were such a tiny -creature? She is nearly as old as you." - -"She is the same age as Kitty, but somehow she looks and feels -younger." - -"Well, if I were you I would not take much notice," said Augusta. "She -will come right all in good time. Of course, you know, it is not as if -she had been brought up with you; she was brought up by her mother, -who was a very poor woman." - -"It is not poverty that makes Nan so strange and queer at present," -answered Nora. - -"I know it is not. I cannot make her out myself, poor child; I am -afraid she is naturally of a very melancholy disposition." - -The girls chatted a little longer. Nora had obtained no light whatever -on Nan's trouble, and went into the house feeling worried and -distressed. - -Augusta managed to rush into the schoolroom before the sisters -appeared. - -"You must try to be cheerful, Nan," she said; "they are both -suspecting that there is something amiss. You must really rouse -yourself or the whole thing will be discovered, and where would you be -then?" - -"What would happen if it were?" said Nan. - -"Happen! I suppose they would forgive you; but, seeing the peculiar -circumstances under which you live in this house, I should not like to -be in your shoes. Whoever could think well again of a girl who is -deceitful?" - -"But I am not. Oh! I would tell now--I would tell gladly were it not -for you." - -"It certainly would not be very kind of you to get me into a scrape -when I did what I could to get you out of one," was Augusta's answer. -"But come! cheer up--do. We will have some jolly games after dinner; -and, if you are an awfully good girl, I have something rather exciting -to tell you to-morrow. No, not to-day--to-morrow." - -The girls came in; Miss Roy followed. They had all high tea together -at half-past six, and immediately afterwards Augusta proposed games. - -She was a splendid leader when there was anything of that sort for her -to do, and soon the children--even Nan--were laughing merrily and -enjoying themselves to their hearts' content. It was not until bedtime -that Kitty ran up to Nan, put her arms round her neck, looked into her -eyes, and said in her sweetest, most coaxing voice: - -"Nancy, I am coming into your room early tomorrow morning--quite -early. When I come, may I creep into your bed, and put my arms round -your neck, and kiss you a lot of times?" - -"I should like it ever so much," said Nan. - -"I will come. Good-night, Nan darling." - -Augusta was standing near when Kitty made her petition of Nan. - -As Augusta herself was going to bed she went up to Nan and kissed her. - -"What did Kitty say to you?" she asked in a whisper. - -"Nothing." - -"Nonsense! Tell me at once." - -"She said that she was coming to see me to-morrow morning early, to -get into my bed." - -"Oh," said Augusta, "that sort of thing means confidences. Be careful, -Nan; be careful what you are doing." - -Nan said nothing, but went away to her room. When she got there she -fell on her knees by the open window and looked out. - -It had been a lovely day in spring, and the night was clear, fine, and -balmy. Nan opened her window and let the soft air blow on her hot -little face. - -"It is four months since mother died," she said to herself; "a great, -great deal has happened, and I scarcely know myself. I have learnt to -love Mrs. Richmond and the two girls. As to Jack, I think he is the -dearest little thing in the world; and I have forgotten Sophia Maria. -I have almost forgotten Phoebe; but I still love Mr. Pryor. And, oh! -mother, mother, up in heaven, do you see Nan now, and are you pitying -her, and are you telling me what is right to do? For I am not a good -girl; and as to being the best girl that Mr. Pryor speaks about--oh -I--I am more like the worst. And I am so afraid of Augusta! I think I -do really, out and out, hate her. I do not know what she means by -frightening me and making me so unhappy. Oh! I wish I had never -yielded to her. I wish I had the courage to tell Kitty the truth." - -As Nan knelt at the window it came into her head that she might ask -God to give her the necessary courage, but then a wild sensation of -terror swept over her. - -"If Augusta were not in the house I might tell, but Augusta would make -it out to be so bad; she told me she would. She told me that if I ever -told what I had done she would say that I implored of her not to tell, -and she said that her word would be believed before mine; and I know -it would, of course, because she is quite old beside me. What a -miserable girl I am!" - -Nan went to bed, and after a time, wretched as she felt, she fell -asleep. But her sleep was haunted by dreams, and it was with a cry -that she woke on the following morning when Kitty touched her. - -"Here I am, Nancy," said Kitty. "Just push over to the left side and -let me get into your bed." - -Nan made room, and the two little girls lay side by side. - -"Now, this is quite cosy," said Kitty. - -"Isn't it?" replied Nan. - -"You are very fond of me, are you not, Nancy?" - -"Oh yes; very--very." - -"And of Nora too?" - -"Very; I love you both most dearly." - -"And you love mother?" - -"Not as I love you two, but I do love her." - -"And you love Augusta?" - -Nan was silent. - -"I thought you did; you are so much together, and you do such a lot of -things for her. Sometimes Nora and I are rather angry when we see you -trotting here and there, up and down stairs, fetching and carrying for -Gussie. It is all very well, but Gus ought not to put things on you. -If you do not like her, why do you do it?" - -"Oh! never mind, Kitty. I do it because"---- - -"Well, because of what?" - -"Because I do." - -"That is a very silly reason--and for such a clever girl to give!" - -"I cannot help it; that is why I do it." - -"Then let me tell you why you do it," said Kitty: "because you are -afraid of her." - -Nan gave a sudden shrink into herself, and the little start all over -her frame was not lost on Kitty, who lay so close to her. - -"Nan," said Kitty after a pause, "why are you afraid of her?" - -"I did not say I was." - -"But I know it; and so does Nora." - -"You know it! Oh--oh! please--please do not know it any more." - -"I am going to tell you something. Two days ago I came into the -schoolroom; it was in the dusk, before the lamps were lit. You were -standing up, and Augusta was lying back in the easy-chair. Your face -was turned towards the door, and Augusta's back was to the door, but -neither of you saw me; and I heard Augusta say to you, 'If you tell -you will be the biggest little fool that I ever heard of.' Yes, Nan, -those were her words; and you--you began to cry. You had been crying -before, and you cried harder than ever. I slipped out of the room; but -I want to know the meaning--yes, I want to know the meaning, Nancy." - -When Kitty finished speaking Nan suddenly flung both her arms very -tightly round her neck. - -"Why, you are trembling all over, Nan; what does it mean?" - -"It means this," said Nan--"this." - -"But what? You are not saying anything; you are only just shivering -and clinging to me. What is the matter? Of course, Nora and I notice -how terribly changed you are and how unhappy you look." - -"Never mind about that; please answer me one question." - -"Yes; what is it?" - -"Do you love me?" - -"Of course I love you. We all do--I mean Nora and mother and I; we -love you dearly--dearly." - -"Better than the animals?" - -"Oh, well! I am not sure, but in a different way, anyhow." - -"Better than your white rat that died?" - -"I wish you would not talk about Pip. He is dead, poor darling. I -think of him often at night. I loved him. I love him still. Do not let -us talk about him." - -"Kitty, will you promise?" - -"What, Nan--what?" - -"That you will not ever say anything again about--about Augusta and -me." - -"What about you?" - -"What you overheard." - -"Well, if you do not wish it. But why will you not tell? You are -afraid of her; what power has she over you?" - -"I do not know. I mean I do; I want to tell you, but I don't dare to. -Let us talk about your rat--poor Pip." - -"How very queer you are, Nan! If there is a subject that I hate -talking about it is about Pip." - -"But why?" - -"I will tell you why. I have not told anybody else, not even Nora, but -I will tell you. I ought not to have gone away that day in the country -when Pip was so ill. It was awfully selfish of me! Perhaps if I hadn't -gone he would not have had that fit, poor dear! and he might have been -alive still." - -"He might, of course," said Nan, who knew well that he would have been -alive, for certainly Jack would not have got at him had Kitty remained -at home. - -"That is why I am so absolutely miserable when I think about it," -continued Kitty. "The poor darling died quite neglected; even you did -not go up to see him, because I asked you not." - -"And if," said Nan, trembling very much--"if Pip had not died in the -way you think, but from a sort of an accident, how would you feel -then?" - -"How would I feel if Pip had met with an accident? But he did not meet -with an accident." - -"But let us suppose," said Nan--"it is fun sometimes to suppose--let -us suppose that he did, that that was the way he died." - -"I cannot suppose what did not happen, and I hate to talk of it." - -"But if it had, and--and somebody was to blame, how would you feel -towards that somebody?" - -"You really are too extraordinary, Nan! I should hate that somebody. I -tell you what it is," continued Kitty, "I would never forgive that -person--never, never. But there! what nonsense you are talking! -Nothing of the kind did happen. That is not your secret, is it?" - -"Oh! of course not--of course not," said Nan, frightened, and plunging -into the biggest lie she had yet told. "No, no--of course not; only I -like to wonder and think things out. It amuses me; I was always given -that way." - -"Well," said Kitty, "you gave me a fright. You talked as if it might -be the case; and your voice was so queer and shaky! I do believe there -is a mystery, but of course it is not that." - -"No, it is not that." - -"You did not go up to see Pip?" - -"Of course not." - -"I am sorry I asked, for of course you would not do it, as I told you -not. Nan darling, do please tell me what makes you so unhappy; please -tell me. Let us forget about my little Pip. He is in his grave, poor, -darling little rat, and all his troubles are over. He was so -affectionate, and I was so fond of him! But he will never feel any -pain ever again. And I love you, Nan; and Noney and I are wretched to -think that you are so unhappy." - -"It is all right," said Nan. "I will try not to be unhappy in the -future. I have things that worry me now and then." - -"I will tell you what one of them is: you are afraid of Augusta; she -has a power over you. You will be all right again when she goes away." - -"I don't know," said Nan; "perhaps so." - -Kitty could get nothing further out of Nan, and as it was now time to -get up, she went slowly back to her own room. - -Nora raised her head when Kitty came. - -"Well," she said, "have you discovered anything?" - -"Nothing. I begin to think Nan a very strange little girl. Do you -know, she asked me such a funny question! She said, 'Suppose Pip had -died by an accident, and somebody was to blame, how would you feel -towards the somebody?'" - -"What did you say?" - -"That I would hate that somebody, and never forgive her." - -"I wonder why she said it," continued Nora. - -"Oh! I am sure I don't know. I asked her point-blank if Pip had come -by an accident, and she said 'No,' and that nobody had been upstairs. -She is a very strange girl, but I love her all the same." - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE MIDDLE WAY. - - -On the following Sunday Nan came to Mrs. Richmond with a request. - -"I do so want to see Mr. Pryor!" she said. "I have not seen him for two -or three months; and he said that he was always at home on Sundays. -May I go there this afternoon with Susan? Do, please, let me, Mrs. -Richmond." - -"Certainly, Nan dear; I am always glad that you should see your -mother's dear old friend." - -So after early dinner, Nan, dressed in her pretty and neat mourning, -started off, accompanied by Susan, to visit Mr. Pryor. She had not -ventured to the house where her mother had died before, for on the -last occasion of their meeting Mr. Pryor had come to see her. The door -was opened by Phoebe, who, in her delight at seeing Nan, forgot all -decorum, and shocked Susan almost out of her wits by flinging her arms -round the little girl's neck and hugging her tightly. - -"Oh, Miss Nan! it is good to see you; and my missus, Mrs. Vincent, will -be that pleased! You will come down, miss, and have a cup of tea with -my mistress before you go back, won't you? Oh! it is elegant you look. -What a pretty frock, miss! It ain't cut by our pattern, be it, miss?" - -"No," said Nan. "Please, Phoebe, can I see Mr. Pryor?" - -"It is delighted he will be to see you, darling. I'll just run up and -ask him. Won't you come into the parlour, dear? The parlour lodgers -has gone, and there is no one there at present. Wait a minute, love, -while I inquire whether Mr. Pryor is in. Oh! of course he must be; but -I'll go and find out." - -Nan and Susan went into the parlour, and presently Phoebe rushed -downstairs. - -"Mr. Pryor says you are to go up this very minute, miss. And he has -ordered tea for two, and muffins and cream. And perhaps this young -person would come to the kitchen." - -Poor Phoebe glanced with admiring eyes at Susan. Susan's manners were -staid and of a rebuking character. She did not think Phoebe at all the -sort of girl she would care to associate with; but as Nan said in a -careless tone, "Yes, Susan, go downstairs," and then ran by herself to -the drawing-room floor, there was nothing for it but to obey. - -"What an elegant young lady Miss Nan has grown," said Phoebe. "Come -downstairs, won't you, miss? My mistress will make you right welcome." - -So Susan had to make the best of it, and tripped down, accompanied by -Phoebe. - -Upstairs a very hearty welcome had taken place. Mr. Pryor had kissed -Nan, and taken her hand and made her seat herself in the most -comfortable armchair in the room; and then he had stood in front of -her and looked her all over, from her head to the points of her neat -little shoes. - -"Well, Nancy," he said, "and how goes the world?" - -"I am very unhappy," replied Nan at once. "For a time I felt better, -but I am unhappy now. I have a great big secret, and it weighs on me -and gets heavier and heavier every day; and I can never tell it, not -to you nor to anybody; and I can never, never, never now be the best -girl that mother wanted me to be." - -"That is very sad indeed, Nancy," replied her friend; "and I cannot -understand it, my dear. Nobody ought to be in the position you have -just described yourself to be in, far less a little girl who is -treated with such kindness and love." - -"It is because I am loved, and because they are so sweet, that I am so -dreadfully unhappy," said Nan. "I have told a lot of lies, Mr. Pryor, -and I can never unsay them. I can never tell the truth, for if I did -those whom I love would cease to love me. When it began I did not -think it would be such a big thing, but now it has grown and grown, -and I can think of nothing else. My lessons, and my play, and my -walks, and even dear little Jack, are not a bit interesting to me -because of this big Thing. There is no way out, Mr. Pryor; there is no -way out at all." - -"That is not true, Nancy, my dear." - -Mr. Pryor sat down and looked thoughtful. The little girl's face, the -tone of her voice, the suffering which filled her eyes, showed him -that her sorrow, whatever its nature, was very real. - -"Suppose we ask God to help us out of this," he said after a moment's -pause. - -"I don't want to ask God, for I know what He will say, and I cannot do -it." - -"What will God say, Nancy?" - -"That I must tell--that I am to tell the people what I did. And they -will never, never forgive me, and I cannot tell--I cannot tell, Mr. -Pryor." - -"Then, my dear Nancy, why did you come to see me?" - -"Because I thought perhaps you would find the middle way." - -"The middle way, Nancy?" - -"The way between the very naughty and the very good. There must be a -middle way, and I want to get into it and to keep in it. Cannot you -find it for me?" - -"I have never heard of it, Nancy--never. I am afraid there is no -middle way. You have done, I take it, something wrong; and you have, -I take it, told a lie about it." - -"That is it." - -"And one lie, as is invariably the case, has led to another, and to -another, and to another." - -"Oh yes, Mr. Pryor, that is certainly it." - -"And each lie makes your poor little heart feet more sad, and each lie -shuts out more and more of the beautiful sunshine of God's love from -your spirit. Nancy, there is no middle way. You must go on telling -those lies, and adding to the misery of your life, and getting lower -and lower and your heart harder and harder, until after a time that -happens which"---- - -"What?" said Nan. "You frighten me." - -"That happens which is the result of sin. You do not suffer any more -pain; your conscience ceases to prick you; that voice within you is -tired, and will not speak any more because you have treated it so -badly. That is what will happen in the lower path on which you are -preparing to walk." - -"You terrify me. I am sorry I came. I will not stay any longer. I -could not tell." - -"Come here, Nancy, and let us talk it over." - -"I cannot--I do not want to say any more. Let us forget it." - -"My dear child, you would not have come to me if you had not -hoped"---- - -"Yes; I hoped that you would show me the middle path." - -"There is none. Nancy dear, will you not confide in me if I faithfully -promise that I will not tell any one what you have done." - -Nan paused to think. - -"I should like to," she said, "but I have promised not to tell." - -"Who did you promise?" - -"I cannot even tell you that. Perhaps I will some day; perhaps I will -get the person to allow me to tell you. It is a dreadful thing, and it -seemed so small at the beginning! I am a very unhappy girl." - -"It requires a little pluck to get out of this dilemma, Nancy. But the -strong hand of God would help you over this crisis in your life, and, -lo and behold! the darkness would go, and sunshine and joy would be -yours again." - -"I hoped so once, but I spoke to Kitty the other morning. I made up a -sort of case, and I tried to find out what she would feel; and she -said that if anybody had done such an awful thing, that person would -be her enemy, and she would never, never forgive her. And then she -asked me what I meant, and if anybody had done it; and I told a lot of -fresh lies, and said no--nobody had done it; and I cannot go to Kitty -now and tell her that I did it after all." - -"You are very mysterious, Nancy, and you make me very unhappy; but if -you have quite made up your mind to go on being a naughty girl and -adding to this burden of lies, I will not talk about it any more just -now. But I will pray a great deal for you, and beg of God not to let -your conscience go to sleep." - -"Oh, please, do not, for I am so miserable!" - -"Here comes the tea. Will you pour me out a cup?" was Mr. Pryor's -answer. - -Phoebe, with her beaming face, brought in the tray. - -"If you please, miss, Mrs. Vincent would like to see you very much -before you go away. Susan is having an agreeable time in the kitchen -with a new-laid egg and buttered toast to her tea; and Mrs. Vincent -will be so glad to see you once again, miss!" - -Nan murmured something. Phoebe left the room. Even Phoebe noticed the -shadow on the little face. - -"Now, come," said Mr. Pryor; "you know exactly how I like my tea; pour -it out for me. One lump of sugar and a very little cream. Ah! that is -right." - -Nan ministered to the dear old gentleman, and as he chatted upon every -subject but the one closest her heart, she tried to cheer up for his -sake. - -By-and-by her visit came to an end. She bade Mr. Pryor good-bye. He -told her that he would be in any day if she wished to speak to him, -but he did not again allude to her secret. Mrs. Vincent was enraptured -with Nan's appearance, and made her turn round two or three times in -order to get a good view of the cut of her dress. - -"I declare, Phoebe," she said, "you could take the pattern of that in -your mind, so to speak. It is a very stylish little costume; most -elegant it would look on my little granddaughter, Rosie Watson." - -Phoebe sniffed in a somewhat aggressive way; she did not consider that -Rosie Watson had any right to the same pattern as Nan. Soon afterwards -Susan and Nan left the house and went back to Mayfield Gardens. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -"I SHALL STAY FOR A YEAR." - - -Nan was so unhappy that night that she could not sleep. She was glad -that she had a room to herself, for it did not matter how often she -tossed from side to side, or how often she turned her pillow, or how -often she groaned aloud. Mr. Pryor's words, "There is no middle path," -kept ringing over and over in her ears. She thought of her mother, -too, and of what her mother would feel if she saw her now--a little -girl surrounded by every kindness, surrounded by luxuries and the good -things of life, and yet, because she was afraid, going down and down -and down the broad and steep path which led to destruction. - -"It means that I will not see mother if I do not tell," thought the -child; and then she burst into tears. Towards morning she made up her -mind that she would try to overcome her terrors; she would at least -see Mr. Pryor and tell him exactly what had happened--she would tell -him the whole truth--and be guided by his advice. - -"Perhaps he will not think it necessary for me to tell everything," -thought the child. "Anyhow, I know he will not be hard on me, for I do -not think he could be that on any one." - -Having finally made up her mind to confide in Mr. Pryor, she became -soothed and comparatively happy, and dropped off towards morning into -a quiet sleep. - -She overslept herself, as was but natural, and had to jump up and -dress in a hurry; but hurry as she would she was late for breakfast. -Miss Roy said: - -"Nancy, this is not as it should be." - -But she was a very gentle and considerate person, and when she saw how -pale Nan's face looked, and how sad was the expression round her lips, -she forbore to chide her further. - -The children started off for school immediately after breakfast, and -the day's routine proceeded as usual. In the afternoon Nan went up to -Miss Roy and made a request. - -"I want to know if you will do something for me; there is something I -want very, very badly." - -"What is it, my dear?" asked the governess. - -"Will you walk with me as far as Mr. Pryor's? I want to see him." - -"But, my dear Nancy, you saw him yesterday." - -"But I want to see him awfully badly again to-day." - -"That sounds rather absurd." - -"He was a great friend of mother's, and it is most important; may I -go, Miss Roy?" - -Just at that moment Augusta strolled into the schoolroom. - -"Ah, Nancy!" she said, "you promised to hold this wool for me. There -is a great lot to be wound; it will take us quite half-an-hour. Come, -we may as well start; I have got to wind all the coloured balls and -put them in order for Lady Denby's bazaar." - -"I cannot do it this evening," replied Nan, shrugging her shoulders -and turning back in sheer desperation to speak to Miss Roy. - -"And I am afraid," said Miss Roy, "I cannot go with you, dear, so -there is an end of it." - -"What is it?" said Augusta. "What does she want, Miss Roy?" - -"Why, this silly little girl," said Miss Roy, who saw no reason for -keeping Nan's request a secret, "wants me to walk with her as far as -Mr. Pryor's." - -"Who in the name of fortune is Mr. Pryor?" asked Augusta. - -"A friend of mine, and you have nothing to do with him," said Nan, -speaking fast, and her cheeks flushing with anger. - -"Hoity-toity!" cried Augusta. "But I rather think I have something to -do with all your friends; for are you not my very own most special -friend--are you not, Nan? Come here and tell me so; come and tell me -so now before Miss Roy." - -"I won't," said Nan. - -"But I think you will, darling. Just come along this minute." - -Nan went as if some one were pulling her back all the time. She got -within a foot of Augusta; there she stood still. - -"Nearer still, sweet," said Augusta. "You are my very great friend, -and I am your very great friend." - -"How mysterious you are, Gussie," said Miss Roy. "Why, of course, -everybody knows that you and Nancy are great friends." - -"That is all right," said Augusta, "I just wish to proclaim it in -public. I am very proud of our friendship.--I like you immensely, -Nancy; all my life long I hope to be good to you. And now, kneel; you -will oblige me by winding this wool." - -"I cannot. I must go out this evening." - -"And I cannot go with you, Nancy, so there is an end of it, I fear," -said Miss Roy; and she walked out of the room, feeling rather annoyed -with Nancy. - -"Now, Nancy, what is it?" asked Augusta. - -"Nothing. I will hold your wool while you wind." - -"What a cross face! It is not at all agreeable to me to have a girl -like you standing in front of me. And I am so good to you, and -absolutely soiling my conscience for your sake--for, of course, I -ought to tell what I know; I ought, but I will not. Now then, smile, -won't you?" - -"I cannot." - -"Well, then, you need not smile. Here, hold this wool." - -The next half-hour was occupied by poor Nan in holding skeins of wool -until her arms ached. At the end of that time, to her great relief, -Augusta was called by Mrs. Richmond to go downstairs. Nan had the -schoolroom to herself. She stood still, pressing her hand to her eyes. -The next instant Augusta dashed into the room. - -"Hurrah!" she said, "my dear aunty Jessie is going to take me to the -theatre. I shall be out the whole evening. What fun! We are to get -ready immediately; we will be off in no time." - -Augusta ran off to her own bedroom, and Nan went slowly into hers. -Quick as thought she made up her mind. If no one would take her to Mr. -Pryor, she would go to visit him alone. Miss Roy would be busy -downstairs for some time and would not miss her; Mrs. Richmond and -Augusta would be out; the two girls were spending the evening with -friends. - -"The thing is too important. All my future hangs on it. I must see -him, and soon," thought the child. - -She put on her hat and coat, watched her opportunity, and slipped -downstairs. She got out without any one noticing her, and having a -very good eye for locality, in course of time found her way to Mr. -Pryor's lodgings. She had walked the entire distance; it took her -exactly half-an-hour. Trembling in every limb, she mounted the steps -and rang the bell. How often she had stood on those steps by her -mother's side! That failing form, that wan face, those loving eyes, -all returned to her memory now. - -"It is for mother's sake--for mother's sake," she said to herself; and -then Phoebe opened the door. She gave a start of rapture, and catching -hold of Nan's hand, pulled her into the house. - -"Why, Miss Nan," she said, "this is better and better. Yesterday -evening you came unexpected, and to-day you come again. But you are -all alone, miss; where is Susan?" - -"I ran away this time, and you must not tell anybody, Phoebe." - -"Oh, ain't you got spirit just?" said Phoebe in a tone of admiration. -"But, miss, I hopes you won't get into trouble." - -"No, no. I mean it does not matter. I want to see Mr. Pryor at once." - -"Oh, Miss Nancy! ain't you heard, miss?" - -"No. What--what?" - -"Why, my dear, I am afraid you will be disappointed. He got a telegram -this morning from his son, who is took very bad in Spain, and he has -gone off to him. You know he had only one son, and he lives most of -his time at Madrid, and he is took shocking bad--almost at death's -door--with some sort of fever; and the dear old gentleman was near off -his head all day, and he has gone to him. He is away, Miss Nan, in the -train, being whirled out of London by this time. You cannot see him, -miss, however hard you try." - -"It does not matter," said Nan. She spoke in a low tone; there was a -sense at once of relief and of disappointment in her breast. It seemed -to her at that moment that her good angels left her, and that her bad -angels drew near. Nevertheless, she was relieved. - -"I will see you back if you wish, miss." - -"No; it does not matter. I will get home as soon as I can." - -"Have you any message, miss? Perhaps mistress has Mr. Pryor's address." - -"No; I could not write anything. Good-bye, Phoebe." - -"And you will not see my mistress?" - -"No; I cannot." - -"And you would not like me to see you back?" - -"No, no; I will go alone." - -Before Phoebe could utter another word, Nan was running up the street -in the direction of Mayfield Gardens. - -"God did not want me to tell, and there must be a middle path--there -must," thought the child. - -She got back to the house without any one missing her. She went -upstairs again to the schoolroom. A moment or two later she had taken -off her hat and jacket, put them away neatly in the orderly little -room which nurse insisted on her keeping, and sat down by the -schoolroom fire. The day had been a warm one and the fire had only -been lit an hour ago, but Nan felt cold, and was grateful for its -warmth. She crouched near it, shivering slightly. - -"I would have done it," she said to herself, "if Mr. Pryor had been at -home; but God sent him away, and--well, I cannot do it now. I hope my -conscience will not trouble me too badly. I will try to be awfully -good in every other way, and I must forget this; I must--I must." - -It was a few days after Nan's stolen visit to Mr. Pryor that great -excitement reigned in the house in Mayfield Gardens. In the first -place, there had come a letter which greatly concerned Augusta. This -letter was from her mother, begging of Mrs. Richmond to look after -Augusta for a year, for Mrs. Duncan and her husband were going to South -America on special business. They would be wandering about from place -to place for quite that time, and it would suit Mrs. Duncan uncommonly -well if Augusta remained with her sister. Mrs. Richmond herself spoke -to Augusta about it. - -"If you can put up with me, dear," she said, "I shall be glad to have -you; but you know that ours is a somewhat humdrum life, and you are -older than my girls. Your mother proposed as an alternative that you -should go to a very fashionable finishing-school, where you would have -a good deal of excitement and interest and be prepared for your -entrance into society." - -"It does not matter," said Augusta. "I am just fifteen. When father -and mother come back I shall be only sixteen; it will be time enough -then to go to a finishing-school. And I am very happy with you, Aunt -Jessie." - -"I am glad of that, my dear; and I like to have you. Well, you can run -upstairs to the schoolroom and tell the children; I am sure they will -be delighted." - -"The only one who may not be delighted is Nan Esterleigh," remarked -Augusta in a dubious voice. - -"Come, my dear child, what do you mean? Nan not delighted! Why, I -thought you were such special friends!" - -"To tell you the truth, Aunt Jessie, I do not quite understand Nan; -she is a very strange little girl. I have done my utmost to be -friendly with her." - -"That you certainly have, darling." - -"And although to all appearance she is devoted to me, that is not the -case in reality. I think if you were to question her you would find -she does not like me at all. It is the fact of Nan's extraordinary -attitude towards me that makes me have any doubt of staying with you -for the next year, sweet Aunt Jessie." - -"Then, my dear child, if such is the case I will have a talk with Nan -myself. You certainly must not be made unhappy by any such ridiculous -reason. Nan is a dear little girl, and I promised her mother to bring -her up and do for her and make her happy, but I certainly did not mean -her to be rude or unpleasant to my own sister's child." - -"Oh! I do not mind, Aunt Jessie; do not worry her. I just thought I -would mention it. Perhaps I shall win her in the end if I continue to -be awfully kind, as I have been in the past. I take a lot of notice of -her, as you know." - -"That you certainly do, dear." - -"And you are so good to her--so wonderfully good!" continued Augusta. - -"Never mind that, my child; I could never be anything else. And Nan -owes me nothing; I have said that before." - -Augusta kissed her aunt, and presently ran upstairs to the schoolroom. -The children were having breakfast when she entered. - -"Hurrah! Good news," said Augusta. "Of course, that is how people take -it. You thought, all of you, that I would be going back to father and -mother in a few weeks' time. Well, I am not; I am to stay here for a -year--a year, positive. I am to be with you day and night for twelve -whole months. When you go to the country I will go with you, and when -you come back from the country I will come back with you. And I am to -have regular lessons from this at school; and---- Oh, dear me! Nancy, -you are glad, whoever else is sorry." - -"Yes--of course," said Nancy. She said it in a trembling voice, and -her face turned from white to red, and then from red to white again. - -"Does she not look enraptured," said Augusta, turning with laughing -eyes to Kitty. - -Kitty made no reply. She was glad on the whole that her cousin should -stay. "The more the merrier" was her motto. She felt almost annoyed -with Nan for the peculiarity of her attitude. - -But the tidings that Augusta was to stay with them was completely -eclipsed by other news, which filled the hearts of the two little -girls, Kitty and Nora, with untold bliss. - -"What do you think?" said Kitty, rushing into the room just as Nora -and Nan were putting on their hats to go to school. "Uncle Peter is -coming here to-day. He will stay for a fortnight or three weeks, -mother says. Oh, this is heavenly! I am nearly off my head with -delight." - -"Who is Uncle Peter? What does it mean?" said Nan. - -"You will know what it means when you have seen him," said Kitty; "but -I will try and tell you something. It means the height of happiness; -it means the extreme of joy; it means--oh, everything delightful! He -is just perfect! He will be so sweet to you, too, Nan! He will be -sweet to Augusta. He will be sweet to us all. He is father's youngest -brother--much, much younger than father. He is quite young still, and -he is a captain in the army. And he is great fun--oh! great fun--and -the house gets full of sunshine when he is with us." - -"I have never seen him," said Augusta; "I should like to." - -"He will be sweet to you, Gussie. He will be delightful to us all. Oh, -it is too good news! You never saw anything like the delight mother is -in. I must rush off now and tell nursey; won't she be glad!" - -That day as she walked to school, and worked at her lessons, and came -back again, there were three pieces of news rushing backwards and -forwards in poor Nan's heart. Two of them were bad, and one was good. -Mr. Pryor was away, therefore there was no middle path; Augusta--the -terrible Augusta, whom she hated and feared--was absolutely to live in -the house for a whole year; and the children's uncle Peter, the man -who made everything right and turned gloom into sunshine, was coming -to stay with them. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -UNCLE PETER. - - -On her way to school Nan made up her mind to a certain course of -action. When she had done so she was full of a sense of relief. She -resolved to tell Augusta what she had determined to do as soon as -possible. And as the two girls generally had the schoolroom to -themselves after early dinner, her opportunity was not far to seek. - -On this special day the whole house was more or less in a state of -excitement; the spare room--the best spare room of all, the room which -was called the Blue Room--was being got ready. The housemaids were -busy turning out all the furniture, sweeping and dusting, polishing -and cleaning. - -"We never give that room except to some one who is very, very sweet," -said Nora; "but nothing is good enough for Uncle Peter." - -Mrs. Richmond's face fairly shone with pleasure, and her little -daughters laughed often for no special reason, the invariable remark -being, "It is only because of Uncle Peter." But they had gone back to -school, and the midday meal was over, and Nan and Augusta were alone -in the schoolroom. Augusta was seated in a rocking-chair in the -window, Jack curled up in her lap. Jack had long ceased to take any -notice of Nan, and Nan had sorrowfully resigned him to his real -mistress. - -"He is my dog no more," the little girl thought; but the weight on her -heart prevented her feeling the loss of Jack as she otherwise would -have done. - -Nan sat at the table, her lesson-books piled up in front of her; -Augusta was buried in a new story-book, and forgot every one but -herself. Presently Nan spoke. - -"Augusta," she said, "I have been thinking." - -"Well?" said Augusta. She put down her book and glanced at Nan. - -Nan had a frown between her brows, but notwithstanding this fact her -handsome little face looked very striking. - -"She will be far more beautiful than any of us when she is grown-up," -thought Augusta. "Why should she have such a remarkable face? I hate -her for it." - -"Unless you have something very important to say, please reserve your -conversation until I get to a less fascinating part of my book," said -Augusta. "The hero is on the eve of proposing to the heroine, and I -cannot make out whether she will accept him or not." - -"That is only a book, and I am real," was Nan's answer. "I want to say -something to you." - -"Yes?" - -"I have been making up my mind. You know what happened on the day you -came." - -"Oh, that old story over again!" said Augusta. "Well, of course I -know." - -"I cannot forget it." - -"So I see. You certainly have a terribly tender conscience, seeing the -way you abuse it." - -"Oh, you do not know how unhappy I feel! You were surprised when, a -night or two ago, I wanted to see Mr. Pryor. I will tell you what I -did; I do not mind confessing to you. No one would take me, and I ran -there all the way by myself." - -"You did, Nan! You are a daring little piece. Upon my word, there is -something I rather admire about you. I could not be so out and out -wicked--not for anybody." - -"All the same, I think you are wickeder than me, Augusta," said Nan. - -"You do, do you? Well, now, do you think that is a very polite thing -to say, particularly when you have put yourself in my power as you are -doing?" - -"I am so much in your power," replied poor Nan, "that a little more or -a little less does not matter. I did go and see Mr. Pryor." - -"And whoever is this wonderful Mr. Pryor?" - -"He is an old gentleman--awfully good." - -"Awfully dull, you mean." - -"No; that he is not. He is not a bit dull; he has always been great -fun. He lived in the house with me and mother, and when mother died he -was so kind! And when mother was ill he often talked to her, and he -told me---- Oh Augusta! please--please listen. He told me that mother -wanted me to be the best girl." - -"Poor thing! it is well that she is out of the world," said Augusta. - -"I know it is, Augusta--I know it is--for I am not a bit good; but Mr. -Pryor wants me to be good, and I went to see him, but---- Oh, well! -never mind; he is gone." - -"What! has he died too?" - -"No, he is not dead, but it is as bad as if he were to me. He has gone -to Spain to see his son, who is very ill. I went to visit him all for -nothing." - -"You disobeyed Aunt Jessie for nothing. Certainly you are a nice girl! -Don't you think you owe something to her?" - -"I owe a lot to her. Now, Augusta, I am coming to what I want to say -to you. I want to forget what happened that time, and I want to live -quite straight from this out. I am going to put all the past away from -me, and I want to live straight." - -"What do you mean by straight?" - -"Oh! how am I to explain? I want to get in the middle of the road, you -know--always in the middle, never going the least bit to the left or -the right." - -"That sounds very pretty, but the meaning of it is beyond me," said -Augusta. - -"You would understand if you tried to; you are not at all stupid, you -know." - -"Thanks, dear, for the compliment." - -"And I wanted to tell you I am going to keep straight; and as you are -to be here for a year"---- - -"Ah! I thought the shoe pinched in that direction," said Augusta, with -a laugh. - -"It does, Gussie--it does. I am ever so sorry! I could have loved you, -of course; but I have always been just afraid of you." - -"And you will go on being afraid of me, honey, won't you?" - -"That is what I do not want to be. I want you never, never again to -tempt me to be naughty. Do not tempt me any more, Augusta; that is -what I want to ask." - -"You are a nice girl! I tempt you! What next?" - -"Oh! you know you did. You know but for you I would have told all -about Pip. You know but for you---- Oh Augusta! how can you pretend? -You know; you must know." - -"I know you are a very stupid, silly little girl, and that you grow -more troublesome and more silly every day. Why, what is the matter -now?" - -"I cannot bear it," said Nan. - -She gave a cry and burst into floods of tears. - -Now, this was by no means what Augusta wished. Nan in tears--in -violent tears--was intolerable. She put down her book. She advanced -towards Nan; then she stood still. - -She stood absolutely still, staring straight before her; for the door -was open, and a tall young man, with slim and graceful figure, bright -blue eyes, curly hair, and the pleasantest face in the world, was -standing on the threshold. - -"I am Uncle Peter," he said in the gayest of voices. "Is anybody at -home?" - -Poor Nan dashed away her tears. The stranger--this delightful uncle of -the little girls--even he was to see her in disgrace and in tears. -Augusta spoke at once. - -"I am Augusta Duncan," she said. "I am no relation of yours, but I do -hope you will take me for a niece too. Aunt Jessie will be so sorry to -miss you! But she will be back again in an hour or two." - -"And this little girl?" said Uncle Peter. He glanced with the kindest -of expressions in his eyes at Nan. "She is a little bit troubled about -something." - -"Nan darling, do cheer up now," said Augusta; "do, darling--do." - -Augusta went up to Nan and kissed her. - -"What a kind--hearted girl!" thought Captain Richmond. "And what a -cross face the little one has! But she seems to be in trouble all the -same." - -"Come!" he said in a pleasant voice; "no one cries when I am by. I -hate tears so much that they never flow when I am in the -neighbourhood. You must cheer up now that I have come to the house. -And is no one else at home? Is there no one to welcome me but a -pretence niece, and the other"---- - -"Oh! no niece at all--no niece at all," said poor Nan; "but I wish I -was." - -"Then you shall be; you shall be little niece---- What is your name?" - -"Nancy." - -"Little new niece Nancy. Come over here." - -So Nan went to the Captain, and he put his arm round her waist, and -she leant up against him while he chatted to Augusta. - -He did not say another word to her, but once he took her little hand -and squeezed it. What was the matter with her? All her sorrows seemed -to go, and all her anxieties to melt into thin air. Augusta was doing -the grown-up young lady, chatting on all sorts of subjects, and Nan -did not speak a word--not even once did she open her lips--but when -Captain Richmond looked down at her she raised her eyes and looked -full at him. - -"Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the dearest little -faces in the world. But who is the poor little one, and why was she so -very sad when I put in my appearance?" - -"We must get you tea; you shall have it in the schoolroom," said -Augusta. "Aunt Jessie will not be in till about six o'clock; you know, -no one expected you until the evening." - -"It is my way always to do the unexpected," replied Captain Richmond. -"I took an earlier train and got here about six hours before I was -expected. And where are my nieces proper? Why do not they come to -embrace their uncle?" - -"They are at school; but, oh! won't they be delighted? I am afraid -your room is not ready. Nan, go and tell the servants that Captain -Richmond has come. Go at once, dear, and order tea up here.--Do you -greatly mind, Uncle Peter (because I must call you that), having tea -in the schoolroom with us?" - -"I should love it," replied Captain Richmond. "But see, Nan, little -one, that you order a big tea. I want a whole pot of sardines--there -is nothing on earth I love like sardines--and a couple of new-laid -eggs, and toast and cream. Do you understand?" - -[Illustration: "Cross!" he said to himself; "why, it is one of the -dearest little faces in the world."] - -"Oh yes," said Nan, colouring very high; "and may you not have -muffins, don't you think?" - -"I do quite think I might. Now be quick, little woman, and order the -biggest tea cook will send up." - -"He is good," thought Nan as she went singing down the passage. "He is -nice. He is quite as nice as Kitty said he was; I think he is even -nicer. It is not what he says; it is the look in his eyes. I am sure -he keeps in the middle of the road, and I will--I will keep there -notwithstanding Augusta. Oh! I am glad he has come. He makes me feel -strong. I was so shaky, as if I had no backbone, but I think he will -give it to me--I am sure he will give it to me--and I will keep in the -middle of the road. Oh! he is nice--he is." - -While Nan was away Captain Richmond asked one or two questions about -her of Augusta. - -"Who is that dear little mite?" he said. "What a sweet little face she -has!" - -"She is a little girl to whom Aunt Jessie is very kind," replied -Augusta. - -"Any one would be kind to her; she looks such a sweet little thing!" - -Augusta longed to give some of her true opinions of Nan, but she was -far too astute for this. - -"Of course, she is a very nice child," she said; "and she is greatly -to be pitied." - -"Poor little thing! What was she crying about? Her sobs were so -bitter!" - -"She is very sensitive; I was just trying to put a little common-sense -into her." - -"She wants very special treatment," said Captain Richmond. "I am glad -I have come; I always like children of that sort. She is in deep -black, too." - -"She is in mourning for her mother." - -"Oh! an orphan? Poor little one! Is her father alive?" - -"No. I think perhaps, Uncle Peter, you ought to know: dear Aunt Jessie -is supporting her for nothing. Is it not splendid of her?" - -"It is the sort of thing my sister-in-law would do," replied the -Captain; and he gave Augusta a very straight and cold look out of his -eyes. She saw that he did not think the better of her for having made -this speech, and jumped up to get the table ready for tea. - -The meal was in full progress; Nan, at Captain Richmond's special -request, was pouring out cup after cup for his benefit; Augusta was -seated near, with flushed cheeks, entertaining him to the best of her -abilities, when shouts and whoops were heard, and Nora and Kitty -danced into the room. - -Then indeed there were high-jinks. - -"Oh, for shame! Uncle Pete--oh, for shame! to come -beforehand.--Augusta, how long have you had him?--Nan, is he not -just--just as nice as I said?" These words came from Kitty. - -"You really make me blush, Kitty; you must be careful what you say," -remarked her uncle. "Do not mind her, Nancy; I am a very ordinary -person, with lots of faults." - -"You have not a fault--not one," said Nora. - -"Oh! haven't I? I will just declare to you now a very big fault of -mine. It is this--I hate being praised." - -The Captain looked as if he meant this, for his bright blue eyes -flashed fire just for an instant, but then they resumed their old -merry expression. - -"I have all kind of plans to propose," he said. "I shall be here for -at least a fortnight, and then I am not going very far away--only as -far as Aldershot--so you will see a good bit of me." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -"IT WAS NOT WORTH WHILE." - - -It was a week later. Every one in the house had got accustomed to the -presence of Captain Richmond, and Nan more fully, day by day, endorsed -Nora's and Kitty's verdict with regard to him. He was delightful; he -was kind; he was sunshiny. It seemed much easier to be good now that -he was there. The children--even Augusta--were all anxious to please -him, and at odd moments when lessons were over, and on half-holidays, -he always had a pleasant scheme to propose, and would take his four -nieces, as he called them, to all kinds of places which Nan had never -seen before. When there, he had a way of singling her out, taking her -hand, and explaining things to her, so that from the first she was his -very special little friend. - -A week went by in this fashion, and then all of a sudden, just when -they least wished for it, came a pouring wet Sunday. It was early in -June and the weather ought to have been fine. Captain Richmond said -the clerk of the weather-office was seriously to blame; but whoever -was wrong, the clouds were unmistakably there, and out of their sullen -depths poured the rain without a moment's intermission. The children -had managed to go to church in the morning, but in the afternoon it -was hopeless. - -"Uncle Peter," said Kitty, "come up to the schoolroom and let us have -a cosy time." - -"I am quite agreeable," replied the Captain. - -"But, Peter," said his sister-in-law, "I am expecting quite a number -of guests this afternoon; you surely will not leave me in the cold!" - -Uncle Peter put on a very wry face. - -"You know, Jessie," he answered, "that I am not at all fond of what -may be called callers; I never know what to say to them, and I do not -think they find me at all agreeable. May I not go and be happy in my -own way with the children?" - -"Very well," said Mrs. Richmond in a resigned voice; "but please send -Augusta downstairs, for she always helps me so nicely to entertain my -Sunday visitors." - -"And now come, Uncle Peter--do not let us delay--come at once," said -Kitty. - -So, with Kitty hanging on one arm and Nora appropriating the other, -the Captain made his way to the schoolroom. Here he was welcomed with -shouts of glee by Nan and Augusta. Chairs were pulled forward, and the -little party settled themselves in a happy circle. - -"Oh Gussie!" said Kitty all of a sudden, "I quite forgot; mother wants -you to go downstairs and help her entertain the Sunday visitors." - -"Oh, but I won't! It is quite too bad," said Augusta, flushing with -indignation. "Why should I?" - -"You do most Sundays, and you always said you liked it so much." - -"Well, I won't go now; it is not fair.--I need not go, need I, Uncle -Peter?" - -"You must arrange that with your aunt, Augusta; it is not my affair." - -Once again Captain Richmond put on that straight look which Augusta -both adored and feared. It always caused her heart to palpitate, and -gave her a sensation of longing to be quite a different girl from what -she really was. She got up now, frowning as she did so. - -"It is too bad," she said--"just when we were going to have real fun." - -"If you like, Augusta," suddenly said Nan, "I will go down when half -the time is up, and you can come back. I dare say Mrs. Richmond will -not mind; she only wants some one just to hand round the cups of tea." - -"Oh no; that would never do," said Captain Richmond. "I will go down -when half the time is up and send you back, Augusta. Nan is too young -to be initiated into the ways of drawing-room folks." - -So Augusta had to go, very unwillingly, and the two little sisters and -Nan were alone with the Captain. - -"Now, Uncle Peter," said Kitty the moment the door closed behind -Augusta, "we want you to be your very nicest self." - -"And what is my nicest self?" he answered. - -"We want you to be your exciting self." - -"You quite mystify me, Kitty. I should like to know when I am nicest. -And I never knew before that I was exciting." - -"But you are when you make schemes." - -"Oh! that is it, is it?" - -"And we want a big, big scheme now--something to last us for -months--something to---- You know what I mean, don't you, Noney?" - -"To rouse us all up--to make us walk with our heads in the air," said -Nora. - -"Dear me! How very funny!" - -"We want to be soldiers. Do you not remember you talked to us before -about being soldiers? Let us be soldiers for a bit, and make lovely -plans, and you be our captain," said Kitty again. - -"Well, of course you can be soldiers; that is easy enough." - -"But you must settle a sort of victory time for us--a great big reward -time--and let it come three months from now, after we come back from -the summer holidays, or _perhaps_ before. Plan it all out, Uncle -Peter; plan everything out as straight as possible. Make us soldiers, -and give us a battle to fight." - -"Dear me!" said Uncle Peter, "this is quite a Sunday afternoon talk. -Do you mean it in the religious sense?" - -"Oh yes, if you like; but what we want is to have something to fight -hard about.--Don't you think so, Nan?" - -Nan's face had turned very white; her eyes, shining with intense -earnestness, fixed themselves on Captain Richmond's face. - -"A sort of moral battle," said the Captain. "Well, of course it can be -done. I will plan it all out and tell you what we will do to-morrow; I -cannot think of it in an instant. Those who wish to join must be -regularly enrolled as soldiers." - -"Soldiers under Captain Richmond," laughed Nora--"or Captain Peter, as -we always call you. You will have to set us things to do, and you will -have to write to us from Aldershot, and you must make a whole lot of -punishments if we go wrong. Oh! it will be exciting--quite splendid." - -Just then Miss Roy came into the room. - -"How cosy you all look!" she said "What is up?" - -"We are frightfully excited," said Nan. "We are going to be turned -into soldiers, and we are going to fight under the banner of Captain -Peter. This is our captain," she added, touching the young soldier's -arm with great affection; "there is nothing we would not do for -him--nothing." - -"I declare you quite touch me," said the good-natured fellow. "Well, I -will think something out and let you know to-morrow. Now let us talk -of something commonplace." - -The conversation was merry and full of laughter; the wet afternoon was -forgotten. Augusta came back long before they expected her. - -"There are no visitors," she said, "and Aunt Jessie did not want me." - -"I was just coming down, but this is much pleasanter,"--said the -Captain. - -"Oh Augusta! we have something wonderful to tell you," said Nora. "Sit -right down here in this comfortable chair.--Please, Uncle Peter, tell -her." - -"Oh! it is a wild scheme of these little folk," he answered. "I do not -suppose a great tall girl like Augusta will join under any -consideration whatever. Well, it is this, my dear niece Gussie--these -children want to become soldiers." - -"Play soldiers?" asked Augusta. - -"No, not exactly, but good, tough, moral soldiers; and they want to -enlist under me, and I am to help them, forsooth! I will draw up -plans, and those who want to join can be enrolled to-morrow afternoon. -But I do not suppose you will care about it." - -"Oh yes, but I will!" said Augusta. Her eyes wore a startled look; a -red flush came into her cheeks. She looked at Nan, who shuffled -uneasily and looked down. - -"I shall join," she said the next moment; "it sounds very exciting, -and the sort of thing I should like." - -"Then there will be four of us.--Perhaps Miss Roy will join too?" said -Kitty. - -"Yes, dear; I should quite like to," said the governess. "I want -something to stimulate me, and I should like to serve under Captain -Peter." - -"Then I shall deserve my captaincy," said the young man.--"And now, -chicks, I am going away, for you have given me a pretty nut to crack. -We will arrange to meet here at six o'clock tomorrow, when I shall -have all my plans drawn up." - -When the Captain left the room the four children were silent for a -short time; then Miss Roy burst in. - -"My dears," she said, "the clouds are breaking; there is a ray of -sunshine. We will have tea immediately, and then get ready to go to -evening service." - -As Nan knelt in church she thought of Captain Peter, and wondered what -sort of soldier she would turn out under his leadership. - -"If it were not for Augusta I should be the happiest of girls," she -thought. "I do hope that to be one of his soldiers will mean lots of -hard lessons and stiff sort of things to do, and it won't mean being -good and straight and honourable. Oh! I do hope and trust he won't -want us to be any of those, for I am not straight, Gussie is not -straight. Oh dear! oh dear! it is exciting. I am afraid." - -Augusta rather avoided Nan that evening, to Nan's own great relief. -The next day brought as usual a rush of work, with no opportunity for -any private talks, and it was not until a few minutes to six that -Augusta and Nan found themselves alone. - -Nan had gone into her room to brush her hair, preparatory to the -Captain's visit, when there came a tap at her door and in walked -Gussie. - -"Well, Nan," she said, "are you prepared for this?" - -"Prepared for what?" asked Nancy. - -"You know what I mean: for this sort of soldier business--folly, I -call it. Of course, I am going to join; but are you?" - -"Yes, Augusta, I am," said Nancy. She spoke in a very firm voice. - -"Well, all right; you know what it means, I suppose. There will be a -lot of morality in the matter." - -"What do you mean by morality?" - -"Keeping straight--keeping in the centre of that road where you want -to walk, but where you never do walk. I thought I would warn you. If -you are thinking of doing what the others are going to do, you will -have an impossible time; but do not say I did not warn you." - -"No, I won't, Augusta. Oh! please remember that you are not"---- - -"That I am not what?" - -"That you are not going quite straight yourself." - -"You little wretch!" said Augusta. "If you ever dare--dare to breathe -what I in a moment of kindness helped you to do, won't you catch it -from me? You do not know what I can be when I am really your enemy. -Your own position, too; what are you in this house? A nobody. There! I -will say no more." - -Augusta ran out of the room. Nan stood white and trembling. She -clasped her hands together; her eyes, brimful of tears, were fixed on -the window. - -"How am I to bear it?" she thought. "Just when I was beginning to be -so happy! Why am I so awfully miserable? I wonder what it means. I do -think that I really quite hate Augusta." - -Just then Kitty's gay voice was heard. - -"Come, Nancy; our captain will arrive in a minute or two, and he will -want all the soldiers to be waiting for him." - -Kitty's laughing face, wreathed in smiles, was poked round the door. -Nan made an effort to cheer up. - -"How white you look!" said Kitty. "Is anything worrying you?" - -"Oh no; nothing really." - -"I thought you would be so glad about this! You do not know what -heavenly plans Uncle Peter is always making up. I will tell you about -some of his funny plans when we were children another time; but of -course there is nothing like this, and it was my thought to begin. You -will see how splendidly he will draw up his rules, and how easy and -yet how difficult it will be to obey them. He has a sort of way of -searching through you, and dragging the best out of you, and crushing -down the bad in you. Oh, he is a darling! He is like no one else in -the world." - -"I think so too," said Nan. - -"And yet you look so sad, Nancy! I am sure you need not be, for every -one is so fond of you! And as for Uncle Peter, there is hardly -anything he would not do for you. He always calls you his dear little -new niece; he is quite as fond of you as if you were his real niece." - -"Is he--is he really?" said Nan. "Would he be as fond of me if he -knew"---- - -"Knew what, Nan?" - -"That I---- Oh Kitty! you know that I have no money, and you know -that"---- - -"Now stop," said Kitty. "If you do want to make me angry you will talk -of that sort of thing again; it is very unfair of you after what -mother said." - -"Oh, then, I won't--I won't!" - -"If that is all that is worrying you, cheer up; Uncle Peter does not -want sad faces." - -"And if---- Suppose--suppose I was not good at any time, would he hate -me then?" asked the little girl. - -"I am sure he would not. Once, do you know, I did such a naughty -thing! I spilt a lot of ink on the carpet. I was a tiny child, and -when Miss Roy came in--Miss Roy had not been with us more than a -month, and I did not know how kind she would be--I said pussy had -jumped on the table; and I had scarcely said it before Uncle Peter -came in--he was staying in the house, you know. He sat down by the -fire. It was wintertime, and he asked me to come and sit on his knee; -and he put his arm round me, and I sat there so cosy, though I had a -big, big ache in my heart. Miss Roy quite believed me about pussy, and -she got the ink wiped up, and washed the carpet with milk, so that it -should not show; and then she went out of the room, and I nestled up -close to Uncle Peter. There was a big pain in my heart. Uncle Peter -looked straight down at me. - -"You see how the milk has taken out the ink; you can scarcely see it -at all now," he said; and then he raised my face and looked into my -eyes, and he said, "Kitty, it was not worth while." - -Then I knew that he knew; and, oh, I cried so! And I said, "Did you -hear?" And he said, "I saw you spill the ink, and I heard." - -"And, oh! I was so sad, and he comforted me. He was not angry after -the first, but he got me to go straight up to Miss Roy and tell her -the truth. It was awfully hard to do, but I did it; and then he -forgave me, and I had no more pain in my heart. Come now, Nan--come." - -"I want to kiss you first," said Nan. "Kitty, you do not know how much -I love you. I love you better at this moment than I have ever done -before." - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -SOLDIERS OF THE TRUE BLUE. - - -The schoolroom was very daintily arranged; there were flowers on the -mantelpiece and on a little table, near which an arm-chair had been -placed for Uncle Peter. On the table were some sheets of foolscap -paper, a bottle of ink, pen, blotting-paper, &c. Just as the children -entered, the door was opened and Uncle Peter himself came in. He -generally wore a smiling face, but now he looked grave and determined. -He walked across the room with, as Nan expressed it, his most military -step. He stopped when he came opposite the children, and bowed gravely -to them, and then sat down in the chair. - -"It is too exciting for anything!" thought Kitty. "How is he going to -begin? I am sure he has made all his plans. I can judge that by his -face; it is the sort of face which makes me thrill and want to do -anything in the world for him." - -Miss Roy had taken her place with the children. She looked grave and -earnest, too, and Augusta for a wild moment wished she was out of it. -Then the Captain raised his eyes. He had been arranging the paper -before him, and trying the pen to see if it would write smoothly. Now -he began to address the little group in front of him. - -"I have been thinking over our scheme," he said in his most pleasant -voice; "and if you are all determined, I want you to take, not an oath -to me--nothing of that sort--but to take a promise, by which you will -be enrolled. The regiment in which you will be members we will call -the Royal True Blue. I am its captain, general, or what you will; and, -as far as possible, the rules which will guide your conduct will be -much the same rules as a real regiment which serve our King would -have. Loyalty will be its motto. There are three ways in which the -soldiers can serve in the Royal True Blue. They can serve by keen -attention to intellectual matters, by keen attention to physical -matters, and by keen attention to morals." - -Miss Roy nodded her head as each of these remarks fell from the -Captain's lips. - -"I quite agree with you," she said; and then she coloured slightly. - -The Captain looked at her and gave a smile. - -"There will be," he said, "different grades, of course; month by month -the soldiers will rise to higher and higher responsibilities. There -will be an orderly-book, in which Miss Roy, in my absence, must write -down the events of every day truthfully, exactly as they occur to her. -Neglect of the different heads under which the soldiers serve will -merit punishment; careful attention to these details will merit -rewards. I shall visit the soldiers' camp at least every month, have a -consultation with Miss Roy, who will be my sergeant, and measure out -my rewards and punishments accordingly. I should like this scheme to -continue until the end of the summer holidays, when to the victorious -soldier I will award, if she deserves it, something similar to the -Victoria Cross. It will be a cross made of silver, tied with blue -ribbon, and will be as far as possible an imitation of the cross which -her late beloved Majesty gave to her most distinguished soldiers. -Perhaps you all understand what alone wins a Victoria Cross? It is -given 'for valour'--for valour, as a rule, in the field of battle. -Now, as you are all soldiers you must have a field of battle. Your -battlefield is in this house; wherever you are together, whether you -are in the country or in town; in your school; in your own rooms, when -you lie down and when you rise up: at all times you soldiers of the -Royal True Blue will be in the battlefield, and doubtless a time for -valour will arrive--when one of you will endanger herself for the sake -of another. It is possible that none of these soldiers will win the -Royal Cross, but I mean to hold it out as an incentive--the very best -I can give. And now, children, I have lectured enough; will you each -in turn come forward and make the necessary promise?" - -"Oh, this is dreadful!" said Augusta; she squeezed Nan's hand in her -excitement. "I--I do not think I can." - -"But I can," said Nan. "I can; I mean to." - -"What is it, Augusta--are you frightened?" said the Captain. "Oh, -come! you promised to join; do not draw back now. You do not know what -a world of good it will do you. This scheme means bracing; it means a -strong effort to do the right. Come! if you live in this house you -will have a dull time if you are not a soldier." - -"All right," said Augusta; "but I will not be the first to take the -promise." - -"Then you shall be the first, Kitty," said the Captain; "that is only -right, for it is your scheme." - -Kitty rose from her chair and came forward. Captain Richmond had some -small pieces of blue ribbon fastened with silver mottoes. He held one -of these up, and Kitty approached. He took her hand, looked solemnly -into her eyes, and said: - -"Are you willing to serve in the Royal True Blue as a soldier of the -King of Heaven? Are you willing to obey the rules of the regiment, to -be loyal and true, to shun what is deceitful and wrong? Are you -willing?" - -"Yes," said Kitty. - -Then the Captain bent forward and kissed her. - -"This is our seal of consecration," he said; "and here is your motto. -Wear it openly when you like, or when you do not care to show it to -the world keep it safely hidden, but never lose it. On the day it is -taken from you you are disgraced; you lose this ribbon as a soldier -loses his sword--only by public disgrace." - -Kitty went back to her seat trembling and with tears in her eyes. The -same promise was exacted from the others, and then Captain Richmond -looked at the four. - -"I am very proud of my battalion," he said, "and I think you will all -do well, soldiers of the Royal True Blue. Now, I want to give you a -few directions. There are three distinct paths in which the soldiers -must walk. First, there is the path of intellect. Now, that means -great attention to your lessons at school; it means diligent reading. -I do not mean that kind of slippery reading which goes on when one is -thinking of a hundred things at the same time: I do not mean the -reading of silly novels. I mean the reading of good books, -stimulating, with nice thoughts in them. There is nothing to my mind -like the life of a soldier, and there is nothing more splendid than to -read accounts of what brave soldiers have done; and as you five are -now soldiers, you might, during the months that you servo under me, -read as many books about soldiers as possible. I can furnish you with -a list. I believe such reading will do you a lot of good. This, of -course, is not a command of mine; it is a suggestion which you may -like to carry out. In the orderly-book there will be careful reports of -your transgressions in intellectual respects; the number of bad marks -at school, the getting down to the bottom of your form, lateness also -in attending your different classes, will all mean marks against you. -On the other hand, diligence in learning, briskness and anxiety to -excel, will mean good marks. I will explain the marks to my sergeant, -Miss Roy, presently. So much for intellect. Now we come to the -physical part of the scheme. I believe very strongly in physical -exercise. I do not mean the sort of exercise which tires one to -death--over-cycling, for instance, or playing lawn-tennis too -long--but I do mean steady exercise every day; and part of your duties -will be your drill. I will speak to Mrs. Richmond, and she will get a -real army sergeant to come here daily to drill you. You will feel as -you are marching, and turning from right to left, and going through -the different maneuvers that you are real soldiers, and it will do -you a world of good. Other exercise ought also to be taken, and under -this head I would advocate early rising. I would also advocate order -and neatness. Each day ought to be planned out, and there ought to be -very little time for idling, for a real soldier in the enemy's country -has to be on the alert morning, noon, and night. He ought never to be -away from his post; he ought to watch for the approach of the enemy at -every corner, at every unexpected point. We now come to the third -head, which surely is the most important of all, for in my regiment, -the Royal True Blue, I want to have soldiers worthy of the name: a -coward would be detestable to me; a liar could not be borne. I want my -soldiers to be straight, to be upright, to be honourable; I want them -to walk in the middle of the road." - -"Oh! oh!" suddenly came from Nan's lips. - -The Captain gave her a long, penetrating glance. She coloured, and -dropped her head. - -"It can be done," he said, "but it is not specially easy; and I hope -it will be done. And now, surely we have had enough morality and -enough solemn talk even for the soldiers of the True Blue. I propose -an entertainment this evening. I have consulted with your mother, and -she gives me leave to take you all to the theatre--yes, every single -one of you--to see a fine play about a soldier and how he acted under -difficulties." - -The wild delight of the children at this last announcement can be -better understood than explained. Captain Richmond knew what he was -about; he knew that the eager young minds had gone through sufficient -strain. The girls rushed off to their rooms, and the Captain and Miss -Roy were alone. - -"It is very good of you to join this," he said, turning to the -governess. - -"I like it," she replied. "Whether the children can stand this -somewhat severe discipline remains to be proved." - -"I believe they can; they have all character," replied the Captain. "I -shall be deeply interested to know how this experiment progresses. I -will give you your orderly-book to-morrow, and explain to you how the -marks are to be put down. There is only one thing, however, Miss -Roy--there must be no favouritism; you must be as strict and as severe -with your favourite, Kitty, as you are with Augusta, whom I do not -think you much care about." - -"I do not," replied Miss Roy. "I do not understand her. She is popular -with most people; Mrs. Richmond is very much attached to her, and Kitty -and Nora are fond of her." - -"But Nan is not," said the Captain. - -"No," replied Miss Roy; "Nan is afraid of her." - -"I have seen that from the first," replied Captain Richmond; "and, to -tell you the truth, in planning my rules I thought a good deal both of -Nancy and Augusta. This thing will try them both pretty stoutly; I -have no doubt that in the end all will be well. And now, one more word -in your ear: I do not think I ever met a dearer little girl than Nancy -Esterleigh." - -"She is a sweet child," replied Miss Roy; "and she was very, very -happy with us before Augusta came." - -The children, now all dressed for their evening's entertainment, came -into the room. Captain Richmond had ordered a carriage; it was now at -the door, and the happy party, including Miss Roy, started off for -their evening's pleasure. - -In the play a soldier received the Victoria Cross. He was one who had -been snubbed and looked down upon, and always shoved into the cold: he -had been overlooked when others were promoted; when others were -ordered to the front, he was expected to stay behind in England; the -girl he loved was given to a man over his head. Everything seemed to -be against him, but never once through all these trying circumstances -did he lose his brightness, his freshness, his courage. He had a gay -and cheerful word for each comrade and for each friend, and in the end -his chance came: he managed to get to the front--how, it does not -matter; he rescued another at the risk of his own life--how, does not -matter either; the thing that matters is that he received that -decoration of all others the most thrilling, the most ennobling, the -Cross of the Order of Victoria. - -Nan's little face turned white with excitement as she watched the -progress of the play; and at last, when the happy soldier was -decorated for valour in the field, she burst into tears. - -Captain Richmond took her hand, and bent and whispered to her: - -"Odds against, but he won," was his remark. "Cheer up, Nancy; you too -can win." - -"Even if the odds are against me?" she whispered back. - -"Ah! of course. Look well to the front, soldier of the True Blue." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -TIGHTENING HER CHAIN. - - -In about a week's time Captain Richmond went away. By then the brigade -of the Royal True Blue was in full working order: the rules had been -carefully drawn up, the orderly-book was given to Miss Roy, the -drill-sergeant had arrived, and the soldiers were enjoying the life. -The vigorous eyes of the Captain kept everything in order; he promised -to come once a month to see his soldiers, and left them, having won -every heart in his little brigade. It was now towards the end of June, -and in a month's time the entire party would go into the country. This -was the last month of school, and the girls were busy. Nan was working -with tremendous diligence for a prize; she did not much care about it -before she became a soldier, but now she was keen in order to ensure -the marks which Miss Roy would give her if she were successful. - -"Suppose you do win the prize," said Augusta, "what will it mean to -you? Nothing whatever but a stupid book. For my part, I think the -prize-books at school are all too dull for anything--a dreadful old -Macaulay's History of England, or Tennyson's Poems, or something of -that sort. I do not see why the girl who wins the prize should not be -consulted." - -"But we do not win it just for the sake of the book," said Nan, -colouring and trembling a little. - -"Well, I do. I am not going in for a prize this term, of course; I -cannot.--Miss Roy, I am sure our captain would not like Nan to read so -hard as to make her eyes ache. Do you know what I found her doing last -night?" - -"Oh! please--please do not tell; it is not right," said Nan. - -"I will, for I must. We are supposed not to read after we get to bed, -but there was Nan reading away by the light of a night-light. She had -borrowed it from nurse, I believe. She was half-sitting up in bed -devouring her book, and the night-light was on a little table near. I -found her.--I did, you know, Nan; and I said I would tell." - -"It was not at all right, Nan," said Miss Roy; "and it must not happen -again." - -"But I wanted to work up my lesson; I was not at all sure of my -French," replied Nan. "And the prize will be given in ten days now. -There is so little time!" - -"You must remember," said Miss Roy, "that in the orderly-book, even -though you do get high marks for intellect, your merit marks will go -down if this sort of thing occurs again. Nan, it was a distinct act of -disobedience.--But at the same time, Augusta, I would rather you did -not tell tales." - -Augusta flushed with indignation. - -"I thought you would like to keep the house from being burnt down," -she said. "Of course, in future Nan can do as she pleases." - -Miss Roy said nothing more, and Augusta left the room. - -"What is the matter, Nan?" said her governess suddenly. "I often -wonder, my dear, why you look so sad and troubled." - -"You would if you were me," said Nan then. - -"Why? Is it because your mother has died, my poor little girl? I have -great sympathy for you." - -"No; it is not only that," said Nan, making a great effort to be -honest. "It is because I have a load at my heart, and I cannot ever -tell you; and if all was known I ought not to be a soldier of the -Royal True Blue at all--I ought not--but I cannot draw back now." - -"The past is past," said Miss Roy. "Go straight forward in the future; -try and believe that the future is yours, that you can be a very brave -and a very good girl." - -"But is the past past?" asked Nan. - -"There may come a day when you will be able to tell me all about it; -go straight forward now into the future. And, Nancy, my dear, nothing -has been said, but I cannot help using my eyes. Do not be afraid of -Augusta; give her back in her own coin. Show her that you are not in -the slightest degree under her control." - -"Oh, but I am!" thought poor Nancy. "And I can never tell--less now -than ever--for to lose that splendid chance of winning the Royal -Cross, and to be deprived of my blue ribbon, would break my heart." - -"Nancy," said Augusta, a few evenings after this, as the two girls -were alone in the schoolroom. - -Nan was toiling steadily through the books which she had to prepare -for her examination; she raised her eyes when Augusta spoke, and a -slight frown came between her brows. - -"Now, stop that," said Augusta, petulance in her tone. - -"Stop what?" asked Nancy. - -"Frowning when I speak to you." - -"Oh, I will--I will! What is it? I wish I did not feel so cross." - -"You are not much of a soldier if you give way to your passions every -moment. But now, to the point. I want you to read aloud to me while I -am making a copy of this stupid old cast. It is too dull for anything, -and I want to finish the story-book which I took from the -drawing-room." - -"But I have to go on with my lessons. Don't you see that I am awfully -busy?" - -In reply to this Augusta got up and put the book in question into -Nan's hand. - -"Read," she said. "I will let you off in half-an-hour; in half-an-hour -I shall have done as much as I can of this horrible drawing. I do -positively hate drawing. Now then, start away. If you do not read, -there is something I can tell you which you will not at all like to -hear." - -"You are always frightening me. I do not see why I should be under -your control," said Nan. - -"Get out of it, then, my dear, your own way. Remember what will happen -if you do." - -"What?" - -"I shall be obliged to tell all that occurred in the attic when the -white rat died." - -"All? But you won't leave out your own part, Augusta?" - -"Yes, but I shall. I shall tell that you implored and begged of me to -keep it a secret, and that I listened to you. You know what this -means, Nan. Your blue ribbon is given back; you are a soldier without -his sword, disgraced for life. Now then, do not fret; I am not going -to be too hard, but I must be read to, for I am suffering from -irritation of the nerves, and nothing soothes me like a real jolly -story-book." - -"If I must, I must," said Nan. She opened the book languidly. "Where -is the place?" she asked. - -"Page 204. Read from the top, and go straight on until I tell you to -stop." - -Nan began. She could read well when she liked, but now her voice was -little more than a gabble, for she was thoroughly annoyed and also -decidedly cross. - -"That will not do at all," said Augusta. "Read as if you enjoyed it. -Is it not a splendid scene? Does not Rudolf speak up to Bertha? Now -then, go on. I am sure he will propose to her in the end; I am certain -of it." - -Nan read to the bottom of the next page; then she put down the book. - -"Where did you get this book from?" she asked. - -"What does it matter to you, Nancy? Go on reading--do. Oh, I am just -dying to hear what will happen! I adore Rudolf; don't you?" - -"No; I do not like him at all. I don't like the book. I don't think -Uncle Peter--I mean Mrs. Richmond--would want me to read this book; it -is not a nice book." - -"And what do you know about books, whether they are nice or nasty?" - -"I don't like this book. I am sure Mrs. Richmond would not like you to -read it. May I go down and ask her?" - -For answer to this Augusta rose and snatched the book from Nan's hand. - -"You troublesome little thing!" she said. "You really rouse me to be -provoked with you. There! go back to your stupid lessons; but -remember, you shall pay for this." - -"I wonder how," thought Nan. "Oh dear! oh dear!" - -She sighed deeply. - -"Really, Nancy, your sighs and groans are past bearing. What is the -matter with you?" - -"You make me very unhappy." - -"I make the house too hot for you; is not that it?" - -"No, Augusta, that is not it. I have a right to be here; Mrs. Richmond -says so." - -Augusta gave a taunting laugh. - -"A right to be here!" she said. "A pretty right; but still, if you -like to think so, I am not going to interfere. If you are unhappy in -the house with Aunt Jessie and Kitty and Nora you can say so; you have -the remedy in your own hands." - -"I! How? What do you mean?" - -"You can go to the Asprays, of course." - -"But who are the Asprays?" - -"You little goose! don't you know?" - -"No. Please, do tell me." - -"Well, I will, for it is only fair that you should know. Have you -never heard that there are other people who would take care of you, -and pet you, and adopt you, and bring you up as one of the family -besides my poor, darling aunt Jessie?" - -"Yes, I have heard of it. Mr. Pryor spoke of some people, but he said -they did not live in England." - -"But they do; they live close here. Their name is Aspray. They are -Virginians, and have just settled in London. They live within a -stone's-throw of here." - -"And are you certain I could go to them?" - -"Certain? Of course I am certain. You can really go any day, but you -have a right to go when a few months are up--six or eight months, or -something like that. You have a right to go and stay with them, and to -make your own choice as to whether you will be Mrs. Richmond's child or -Mr. Aspray's child in the future; it rests with you altogether." - -Into Nan's cheeks now there had come a very brilliant colour, and her -eyes were large and bright. She stood still, thinking deeply. After a -time she got up and left the room; she left her lesson-books behind -her. She entered her bedroom and shut the door. In this tiny room Nan -often battled out her troubles, and struggled hard to know what was -right to be done. She felt much puzzled on this occasion. As to -Augusta's sharp words and tones of authority, she was accustomed to -them by this time; she saw there was no chance of her ever getting -away from her influence. - -"And she is ruining me," thought the child. "I did hope a fortnight -ago that I should do better, that I should be a worthy soldier. But I -must write to Uncle Peter; I cannot do right with Augusta always near. -What is to be done? What is to be done? Oh, it would kill me to leave -the Richmonds now! But what does this mean about the Asprays? I know -what I'll do; I'll go down and see Mrs. Richmond, and ask her straight -out to tell me the truth." - -No sooner had this resolve come to Nan than she ran downstairs. - -It was Mrs. Richmond's at-home day; callers had stayed until late, but -they had all gone now. She was preparing to go upstairs to dress for -dinner when Nan appeared. - -"Ah, Nancy!" said the good woman. "Do you want me, darling?" - -"Please, Mrs. Richmond, may I say something?" asked Nan. - -"Of course you may, dear." - -Mrs. Richmond sat down and drew Nan towards her. - -"Well, Nancy," she said, "you look well; you have grown, and have got -more colour in your cheeks." - -Here she bent forward and kissed Nan on her forehead. - -"Oh, I love you so much!" said Nancy; and she put up both her soft -arms, and kissed Mrs. Richmond with passionate fervour on her cheeks. - -"That is very pleasant to hear, my dear little girl; and I think we -may all say with truth that we love you. Now, what is the trouble, -dear?" - -"Oh, there is a trouble!" said Nan; "and I must ask you a question." - -"You are going to tell me about the trouble?" - -"I wish I could, but I cannot. I have only just heard something, and I -want you to explain, please, oh, so very badly! Who are the Asprays, -Mrs. Richmond?" - -"The Asprays!" said Mrs. Richmond. "What Asprays?" - -"The Asprays who have the right to adopt me." - -"No, darling--no. You are my little girl, adopted by me. They have no -right over you unless you will it." - -"But who are they?" - -"Rich people from Virginia." - -"And are they living near us?" - -"I believe so; but I do not know them--I mean, we do not visit." - -"And I can go to them if I like?" - -"That is true; but then, you would hardly like to go away to -strangers--to strangers from those who love you." - -"No," said Nan in a smothered sort of voice; "I should hate it--hate -it." - -Here she squeezed up closer to Mrs. Richmond, who put her arm round the -child's waist and drew her up tightly to her side. - -"Who has been talking to my little Nancy? Who has been troubling you -in this matter?" - -"Please, I would rather not tell." - -"I cannot force you to speak, my darling; but I want you to put the -Asprays out of your head." - -"Perhaps I will after you have answered me a few questions." - -"What questions, Nancy?" - -"How is it that I can go to them if I like?" - -"They are friends of your father's." - -"And you are?" - -"I am a friend of your mother's." - -"But are they related to my father?" - -"No; but Mr. Aspray once made your father a promise that if you were -really in difficulties or thrown on the world he would adopt you, -because your father had lent him a very considerable sum of money when -he was in great difficulties. He could not pay back the money during -your father's life-time, so he gave him a letter instead, which your -mother left with me. That letter promises to adopt you, if necessary. -That, I understand, is the story. Mr. Aspray made the promise, and if -you ask him you could claim it and go to him as his adopted daughter; -but from the little I have heard of the family I do not think they -would suit you." - -"But still," said Nan, puckering her brows and looking very anxious, -"I should have a sort of right there, should I not?" - -"Nancy, my dear, have you no right here?" - -"No, no, Mrs. Richmond," said Nancy--"no right at all, because there -is no money, and you have just taken me out of kindness." - -"Now, Nancy, listen. I have not taken you out of kindness. I have -taken you, it is true, because I am fond of you, and because I loved -your mother, but I take you also to relieve my own mind. I should be -quite unhappy if you were not with me." - -"Why is that?" - -"Because I owe your mother a debt which, even with you in the house, I -can never repay." - -"Won't you tell me what it is?" - -"I will when you are old enough--not now. You must take it on trust -for the present. Now, dear, this sort of conversation is very bad; you -are my happy little girl, a child of the house, petted and loved by us -all. Cease to fret, my dear; rouse yourself to do your duty and to be -happy. Kiss me, darling, now, and go upstairs. Forget about the -Asprays. I should be sorry if you went to them." - -Mrs. Richmond patted Nan on her cheek, and rising, she dismissed her -with a good-natured nod. Nan went slowly upstairs. - -For the rest of the evening she was a very sad and silent little girl, -and during the night which followed she dreamt of the Asprays. After -all, in that house she might have a chance of doing right; and they -ought to take her. If Mr. Aspray owed her father money, it was but fair -that he should bring Nan up; and there would be no Augusta there to -taunt her and keep her from doing right. - -"Oh! even being a soldier in Captain Peter's regiment does not make me -do right," thought the child. "I am always going to the side of the -road. I shall never, never be the best girl. What is to become of me? -What am I to do?" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -AUGUSTA'S RESOLVE. - - -The four girls in Mayfield Gardens were very busy just now. From -morning to night there was not a moment to spare, for the holidays -were drawing near, and the prizes were to be competed for. It is true -that Augusta was not competing for any prize, but somehow in this -busy, energetic, lively household she did not count for as much as she -herself believed she ought. Nan was trying hard, with all her might, -with every scrap of energy she possessed; and so was Kitty trying, and -so was Nora. Nora was perhaps less energetic than Kitty, but she was a -very honourable, downright, straight sort of girl. She knew her mother -wished her to bring home a prize after the final examinations at her -school, and she was determined, if girl could succeed, to do so. - -Immediately after the school broke up, Mrs. Richmond was going to take -the four children to her country place in Devonshire. This was a -lovely place within a hundred yards or so of the seashore. Mrs. -Richmond kept boats, and even a little yacht, and Kitty and Nora were -never tired of telling the other two of the happy, happy time which -lay before them. But Nan, although she was working so hard, had a care -on her mind; never, day or night, did it leave her. It is true her -reports in the orderly-book were first-rate; she seemed, as far as -Miss Roy could make out, to do everything not only well, but with -spirit. Her drill was splendid; she held herself erect like a real -soldier; she understood her drill-sergeant's directions as if by -magic. Then there were other exercises to be gone through, and Nan -never failed in her early rising. No one could be more attentive and -earnest over her lessons than Nan Esterleigh; and as to her morals, -Miss Roy could find no fault with them. Sometimes, it is true, as -night after night she put down most justly and fairly the marks of -each young soldier, she would look up after her invariable question, -"Well, any special thing on your consciences, or may I mark 'Good' -against your character for to-day?" - -A wild light would come into Nan's eyes, and her face would turn pale; -but ever and always, before she could say the fatal word, Augusta -would manage to fix her bold, bright eyes on the little girl's face, -and Nan would drop her head and say: - -"Oh yes--at least, I mean, I have tried." - -Nevertheless, she was anything but happy, and she thought of the -Asprays as a possible means of relief. She made up her mind to see -them for herself before she went to the country; not to speak to -them--oh no! she would not do that for worlds: that time would not -come until she had fully made up her mind that she would give up the -Richmonds, whom she so dearly loved, and would cast in her lot with -the Asprays. But she must see them. - -One day, with her heart beating, and with great outward -_sang-froid_, she asked Mrs. Richmond if she knew where they -lived. Mrs. Richmond told her. - -"Quite close to this," she said; "just at the corner turning into the -square. It is a very large house with green railings round it; but, my -darling, you need have nothing to do with them." - -"Oh! I know. I only wanted to be sure where they lived," answered Nan. - -By-and-by, when tragic things happened, Mrs. Richmond remembered this -remark of Nancy's. - -That day the little girl was sent out for a message with Susan. Susan -the housemaid was very fond of Nan; she had quite a respect for her -since that interesting time when she went with her to see Mr. Pryor and -Phoebe and Mrs. Vincent gave her tea in the kitchen. - -"I am so glad we are out together, Susan!" said Nan. "You need not -hurry back very soon, need you?" - -"No, miss--that is, I expect not. I don't think there is anything very -special doing this afternoon. I can stay with you for a little--an -hour or so, anyhow." - -"Oh! that will do splendidly," said Nan. "You know, Susan, I like you -very much." - -"And so do I like you, Miss Nancy; but it is more than I do Miss -Augusta. We none of us can bear her--nasty, sly young lady!" - -Poor Nan felt a fierce desire to corroborate these words, but she -remembered her duty as a soldier prevented her speaking evil even of -her enemies, and she restrained herself. - -"We need not talk about Augusta now, need we?" she said. - -"No, my dear Miss Nancy; but anybody with half an eye can see that she -worries you almost past bearing. Dear, dear! there are things I could -tell of her if I liked; but I don't want to be spiteful." - -"It would be very wrong indeed to tell tales, Susan." - -"I ain't telling them," said Susan somewhat tartly. "Now miss, hadn't -we best do our messages first?" - -Nan agreed to this. They went to one or two shops for Mrs. Richmond, -and Susan put her purchases into a bag which hung upon her arm. - -"Now then, Miss Nancy, shall we go home, or what shall we do?" - -"I know what I want to do," said Nancy. "I want to walk up and down -outside a house." - -"Oh, lor', Miss Nancy! that do sound queer." - -"And there is another thing," continued Nancy, speaking very eagerly, -and a spot of bright colour coming into each of her cheeks; "I want -you, Susan, not to tell anybody what we are going to do. Do not gossip -about it when you get back to the servants' hall. You won't, will you?" - -"Not me," said Susan; "I ain't that sort." - -"I know you are not," said Nancy in a sweet tone of voice, touching -Susan's arm for a minute with her hand; "and because I know it, that -is why I like you so much. Now then, this is the house." - -Nan found herself outside the Asprays' dwelling. She looked up with a -beating heart. The house was handsome, large, and commodious; compared -with the Richmonds' house, which was also a very handsome one, it -looked palatial. There were balconies to most of the windows; and -awnings were put up now, and sun-blinds, and a lot of people were -seated in the drawing-room balcony chatting and laughing. Their -laughter was borne down on the breeze, and it reached Nan's ears. They -were having tea on the balcony, and a couple of girls were seated -close together talking eagerly. One of them turned to her companion -and said: - -"Do you see that odd-looking child? She keeps walking up and down just -outside our house. I suppose the person with her is her maid. Don't -you recognise her, Flora?" - -"No, I am sure I do not, Constance." - -"Well, you have a very short memory. Don't you know that time when we -were at the florist's round the corner, and a nasty, horrid -bull-terrier came and pulled your skirt? It belonged to that child. -Oh, see! oh, see! She has raised her eyes and is looking at us. Of -course it is she." - -"Of course; I remember quite well now," said Constance. "How funny! -She is a strange-looking little girl! I do not admire her at all. I -trust we may never see her again." - -Down in the street, Nancy said in a faint voice to Susan: - -"I have walked up and down long enough now, Susan; I should like to go -home." - -For she, too, had recognised the girls with golden hair and handsome -faces. They were the Asprays! Would she exchange to a better fate if -she threw in her lot with theirs? She felt very sad and lonely. - -But the busy time was at hand; the very next day the school -examinations began. These continued for nearly a week, and then came -the prize-day, when all the parents and friends of the girls were -invited; and Nan had the extreme felicity of winning a prize for her -French studies. Oh, how proud she felt as she walked up to receive the -handsome volume from the hands of her mistress! She trembled all over -as she clasped it to her heart, bowed to her mistress, said "Thank -you" in a tremulous voice, and went back to her seat. She was so happy -and pleased that she even forgot Augusta in her joy. Kitty and Nora -had also won prizes, and three happy, almost riotous schoolgirls -assembled in the schoolroom that night. Augusta came in with her head -in the air. - -"Hoity-toity!" she cried; "what a noise! Well, let me see the books. I -trust they are novels, for I have read through all my own store, and -want some fresh ones to amuse myself with.--Nan, you come and show me -yours. Why, child, you look as if you were standing on your head; what -is the matter with you?" - -"I am so awfully delighted," said Nan, "that I did get it.--Oh Kitty, -Kitty, I almost wonder if it is true!" - -"It is true enough, Nan," said Kitty. "Don't be over-excited, darling. -Oh! I know you want to write to Uncle Peter." - -"Indeed I do: and I will, too. I expect he will be pleased." - -"He will," said Kitty. "He will be extra pleased with you, for you -worked so very hard." - -"Well, show me the book, and do stop talking," said Augusta. - -Nan put her treasured volume in Augusta's hands. It was a beautifully -bound copy of the works of Racine. Augusta tossed it back. - -"Beyond words tiresome," she said. "Who wants to read that stupid -thing?" - -"But I do; I mean to read every word of it. And, oh, it is so -beautifully bound! And see--do see where they have put my name--'Nancy -Esterleigh, Prize I. for'"---- - -"Oh! don't go on," said Augusta.--"Show me your book, Kitty." - -"You need not be so ungracious," said Kitty. "I do not think I will -show you my book. Nancy has got a darling, lovely prize.--Have you -not, Nancy pet?" - -Kitty's prize consisted of a vellum-bound copy of Macaulay's History, -and Nora had the works of Shakespeare in several small volumes. -Augusta pronounced all the prizes not worth considering, and -ensconcing herself in a low chair in the window, continued to devour a -volume which she had secreted from the drawing-room. Nan was not the -only one who had noticed this habit of Augusta's. Miss Roy was also -aware of it; but she had made up her mind to say nothing yet. - -On the very day before the little party were to go to the country, -Augusta received a letter from her mother. It was written from South -America, and evidently caused the young recipient a good deal of -consternation. - -"My dear Augusta," wrote her mother, "I have been wishing for some -time to send you a really serious letter. I am leaving you at present -in Aunt Jessie's care, and I have no doubt that all has been done for -your benefit. My dear, we left home in a great hurry, and a quick -change had to be made in all our plans. You know, Augusta, that one or -two things occurred at home before we left which displeased your -father and me very much. I allude to a certain matter when you were -not quite straight with us. If there is one thing more than another -which your father and I would break our hearts over, it is that you, -our precious only child, should be guilty of want of openness or want -of regard for the truth. Now, my dear, I wish to say that we intend to -put you on trial during your stay with Aunt Jessie. I have not -breathed a word to her of that fault which, alas! most undoubtedly -lies in your character--you are arrogant and selfish, and if it were -to further your own interests you would not hesitate to tell a lie. It -is terribly painful to me to have to write like this to you whom I so -dearly love; there is a dreadful pain in my heart, and I could cry -over it. But now, Augusta, your father and I have made up our minds. -If during your stay with Aunt Jessie you are discovered to have -swerved in the very least from the path of truth and honour, we will -not send you to school in Paris, which it is our present intention to -do on our return to England; on the contrary, we will keep you at home -with a very strict governess. My dear, I am obliged to say this, and -you must take what comfort you can out of this letter. It remains with -you whether you go to Paris or not; all, all depends on your conduct -while we are away from you. Pray to God to help you, my dear girl. I -write in great sorrow of mind.--Your affectionate mother." - -Augusta read this letter over twice; then she took it to her room and -put it away in a little drawer, which she locked. That night as she -lay down to, rest she thought a good deal over what her mother had -said. She was quite determined, at any cost, to go to Paris. If her -conduct with regard to Nan were ever known she would lose her chance -of this delightful plan being carried out. Far from going to Paris, -she would be immured at home with a dull, old-fashioned, and tiresome -governess to look after her. Augusta knew by past experience what such -a life would mean. She had more than once already tried the patience -and half-broken the hearts of different governesses who had been -engaged to instruct her. She was fully resolved to have nothing more -to do with so dull an existence. At any cost, therefore, Nan must be -silenced. For if Nan brought herself to confess what lay so heavily on -her conscience, Augusta must be implicated; therefore Nan must keep -silence. - -"What a tiresome little girl she is! I have met no one like her. How -swiftly she fell! and ever since she has been in a wretched state of -mind--making my life quite a misery. Well, I have her pretty much in -my power. I will cosset her up a little when I get to the country, and -make a fuss over her. With all her faults, she is affectionate, and if -I coax and flatter her a bit she will come over to my way of thinking. -But I do wish one thing, and it is this---- Why did that tiresome -Uncle Peter propose that extraordinary plan of his? I am sure I don't -want to be a soldier. Tiresome, stupid man! But I have promised, and I -must go on with it. To be degraded from the ranks now would be as good -as a failure; to have bad marks in the orderly-book would stamp me for -ever in mother's eyes. Captain Richmond's plan is just what would -delight the mother; and father too would be pleased. Of course, when -they both come back they will hear all about it. Yes, I see what must -be done: Nan must be encouraged and petted and fussed over, and I must -take my laurels modestly; and then, when the good parents come back -from America, hurrah for Paris and a good time!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -AUGUSTA'S SIGNATURE. - - -A few days later the four girls went into the country. At first Nan -was so delighted with the change that she forgot all her trials and -worries; the air was so fresh, and the gardens round the house so -beautiful; the woods, which were near by, were so fragrant, so shady, -so delicious to roam about in; and last but not least came the walks -by the seashore, the long rambles on the yellow sands, the hours when -the girls floated away in their little boats on the surface of the -blue waters. But still happier hours were those when the yacht carried -them like a white bird over the dancing waves. Oh! all day and every -hour was perfect with bliss. Nan sometimes wondered what had happened -to her. Was she indeed the little girl who had lived a sad and anxious -and lonely life in a back-street in London; who had wanted for clothes -and for nourishing food; who had been satisfied with the delights of -her doll, and who had known no better joys? Indeed, she was very far -from being the same. It is true that in the old days she had mother, -and mother counted for a good deal in Nan's loving heart. But mother -had suffered sorely, and God and the good angels had taken her away. -Yes, Nan was happy now. She did not mind confessing it--she was happy; -and the world was good, and all the friends she had made were very -kind to her. - -Miss Roy accompanied the children into the country, and for the first -fortnight all went well. Night after night the marks were put down in -the orderly-book, and day after day the Captain's scheme for the -improvement of his little band of soldiers was carried out, and at the -end of each week Miss Roy sent to the Captain a report of progress. -But the good-natured, kind-hearted governess was going for her -holidays, and Mrs. Richmond was coming to the country to take her -place. On the day before Miss Roy left Augusta came into the pretty -room which was used as a schoolroom at Fairleigh. Miss Roy was just -closing the orderly-book; she raised her eyes as Augusta advanced. - -"Well, dear," said the governess, "can I do anything for you?" - -"I have been wondering," Augusta answered, "who will put down our -marks in your absence." - -"I believe," said Miss Roy, "that Mrs. Richmond will undertake that -duty." - -"But why trouble Aunt Jessie? I could do it so nicely if you would -entrust it to me." - -Miss Roy looked full up at Augusta. - -"I think not," she said slowly; "it would not be fair to the others." - -"But why? I should be absolutely fair to them and to myself." - -"It is not to be thought of," said Miss Roy a little sharply. "Mrs. -Richmond must undertake this responsibility." - -Augusta said no more, and early the next morning the governess went -away. A week or so after her departure Uncle Peter was expected. If -Nora and Kitty had been wild with delight at the thought of his visit -when he came to London, now there were four eager and anxious girls -waiting to welcome him. What would he say? How would he look? What -expeditions would he plan? In what manner would he add to the -fascination and happiness of these long summer days? - -Mrs. Richmond raised her eyes from the letter which announced his -arrival, and looked at the four eager faces. - -"Well, dears," she said, "it is a great relief to me that your uncle -should be coming. You see," she added, "I call him your uncle -indiscriminately, for I am given to understand that Peter has adopted -you all as nieces." - -"I love him fifty times better than an ordinary uncle," cried Nan, -with extraordinary fervour. - -Augusta gave her a spiteful glance, and Mrs. Richmond, for a wonder, -noticed it. She noticed it, and it disturbed her. She had a great -affection for her sister's child, and believed fully in Augusta, -having never yet encountered any of that young lady's acts of deceit; -but the look on her face was arresting and disturbing, and she thought -about it when the children went out for their "morning walk. - -"What could it have meant?" thought the kind-hearted woman; and then -she rose and went slowly to the secretaire in her study, and opening a -drawer, she took out her sister's last letter. The sentences which her -eyes rested on ran as follows: - -"I am very loath, my dear Jessie, to put any suspicious thoughts into -your head with regard to my darling and only child, but her father and -I both feel that you ought to know that there have been times in her -life when she has not been quite straight. Say nothing of this, -Jessie, but perhaps in dealing with her character you will be more just -to her, more fair to her, and more able to influence her if you get a -hint of the truth." - -"Not quite straight," murmured Mrs. Richmond; and she put the letter -back into its envelope and locked the drawer in which she kept it. An -hour afterwards she went out. She was walking slowly through a -shrubbery which ran at the back of the house when the sound of voices -fell on her ears. There was a high-pitched voice which undoubtedly -belonged to Augusta, and there were the low and sweet tones of Nan. - -Augusta was holding Nan by both her hands. She was a great deal taller -than the little girl, and a great deal stronger, and she had drawn the -child close to her. - -"I would kill you if you told," she said, with extraordinary passion. -"But there! you know you daren't. Go--I hate you!" and she pushed Nan -from her, who ran fast and quickly out of sight. - -Mrs. Richmond waited for a moment, too stunned to move or to speak. -Then she went quickly round the tall holly which had hidden her from -Augusta's view, and putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, turned -her round. - -"My dear," she said. - -"Yes, Aunt Jessie," said Augusta; "what is it?" She had managed to -control herself, and her face looked almost as usual. - -"I happened to overhear you just now, Gussie, and I must say that your -words displeased me very much. I do not understand what you were -talking about, but you used the most cruel and unjustifiable -expressions. I wish to say, my dear, that I cannot permit you to bully -little Nancy. The child is an orphan, and I should be very angry if -any one were unkind to her. As to the meaning of your words, Augusta, -I think they demand an explanation." - -"Oh, Aunt Jessie!" said Augusta, "Nan is terribly provoking; she is -such a peculiar little thing that she sometimes almost drives me wild. -She has been fretting and fidgeting about a trifling matter for days." - -"Something she wants to tell?" interrupted Mrs. Richmond. "And why -should she not tell? Why should you be so violent as to terrify the -poor child by informing her that you would kill her if she told? How -dared you say anything so wicked?" - -"I lost my temper, Aunt Jessie, and that is the truth. The whole thing -referred to a little matter with regard to myself which I do not want -any one to know. You surely would not encourage Nancy to be a -tell-tale!" - -"I feel it is my duty to speak to her," said Mrs. Richmond. - -"Oh no, no, Aunt Jessie! I beseech you not;" and going close up to -her, Augusta raised her hand to her lips and kissed it. - -"Please--please, Aunt Jessie, don't say anything about it. I will make -it up with Nan, and I promise never to be so nasty again. You cannot -speak to her, you know, for you happened to overhear us; and it would -not be fair, would it?" - -"No; perhaps not," said Mrs. Richmond a little doubtfully. "Well, my -dear, I don't want to be hard on you, and you know I have always loved -you very much." - -"And I am away from my parents, too," said Augusta, eager to take -advantage of Mrs. Richmond's softening mood. "And I am really awfully -sorry that I lost my temper that time. I will go this very minute to -Nan and make it up with her. You won't speak to her about it, will -you, Aunt Jessie?" - -"I suppose not; but I hope very much that I am doing right." - -"Why, Aunt Jessie, you have never found me out in any meanness yet, -have you? Why should you doubt me now?" - -"I will try not to doubt you, dear. I will try to believe in you. -Only, one thing, Augusta, your unkindness to Nan will have at least to -undergo this punishment--you will receive a bad mark in the -orderly-book for your conduct tonight." - -Now, up to the present Augusta's marks in the orderly-book had been -good, and she had done her utmost to fulfil the letter at least of -Captain Richmond's conditions. She had abstained from rudeness or -roughness in her manner. She had--to the Richmond girls at least--been -good-natured. Her private cruelties and unkindnesses to Nancy were not -known to the rest of the party. Nancy herself never told. Augusta had -therefore received good marks for conduct as well as for general -intelligence and physical discipline. Her great hope was that Captain -Richmond would bestow upon her what he called the Victoria Cross of -his scheme; for after having received so valuable a proof of her -excellent conduct, her father and mother would be abundantly -satisfied, and would send her, on their return, to the longed-for -school in Paris. But a bad mark for conduct just the day before the -Captain's return would seriously interfere with Augusta's schemes. She -walked down the shrubbery in deep thought and very much disturbed in -her mind. Through the shrubbery there was a winding and very pretty -path straight to the seashore. On the shore the Richmonds had arranged -a tent. The tent was placed above high-water mark, and it was not only -used for bathing purposes, but was also a favourite resort of the -children's for all kinds of picnics and pleasure expeditions. They -used to sit there with their work and storybooks. They often brought -their tea there. It was their favourite place of retirement, too, be -the weather wet or fine. Augusta now approached the tent, wondering if -Nancy were there. Nan had withdrawn far back into its darkest corner; -she was not reading, although a story-book lay at her side. She had -evidently been crying very bitterly, for her face was disfigured and -her eyes swollen. Augusta looked at her with great dislike; then it -occurred to her that Nancy might be very useful to her, and in short -that there was no use in making her unhappy. She sank down on a -cushion near the little girl's side, and said in a voice which she -tried to make very sad and sympathetic: - -"I am awfully angry with myself, Nancy. I know I ought not to have -spoken to you as I did. I hope you will forgive me and let bygones be -bygones." - -Nancy was naturally of a forgiving temperament; she looked up at -Augusta now, and said in a low tone: - -"Why do you say such dreadful things to me? Why must I keep my -conscience burdened because of you?" - -"Now, listen, Nancy," said Augusta; "I am speaking quite frankly to -you. I will be as open to you as you are to me." - -"Well, what are you going to say?" asked Nancy. - -"This: it might do me great harm if you were to tell now, but if you -will only wait until the holidays are over and we are back in town, -why, I will give you leave to say anything you please." - -"Why would my telling now injure you? I need not mention your name. I -just want to tell dear, kind Mrs. Richmond about my own part. And of -course I want to tell Uncle Peter. It is so dreadful to look into his -eyes and to know that I am not what he thinks me! May I not tell my -part and leave yours out? Please--please let me, Gussie. You can't -know the pain of the burden I am bearing, and how miserable I am." - -"You couldn't tell your part without telling mine," said Augusta, "and -I don't wish mine spoken about at present. You will have to be silent. -But never mind, Nancy; you--shall tell, as I promised you, when we get -back to London. Won't you be kind to me and keep the secret until -then?" - -"And may I positively--certainly--tell when we get back to London?" -asked the child. - -"Yes; have I not said it? And now, let us talk no more of the matter." - -"But, Augusta," said Nancy, rising, "will you do something for me--if -I agree to this, will you do something definite?" - -"Oh, what a queer child you are!" said Augusta. "What am I to do?" - -"Will you write it down?" - -"I write it down! Why should I do that?" - -"Will you give me the words in writing? _Nancy may tell when she -gets back to town_: just those words, and sign them '_Augusta_'." - -Augusta had her own reasons for wishing to please the little girl. - -"And here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. Write -the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper." - -[Illustration: "Here is some paper," said Nancy, "and here is a pencil. -Write the words down, Augusta, and let me keep the paper."] - -"You will never show any one?" said Augusta. - -"Indeed--indeed I won't." - -"And if I do this for you, will you do something for me?" - -"If I can." - -"Very well." Augusta spoke in quite a cheerful tone. "I will do what -you wish and sign the paper, and you can keep it and show it to me to -remind me of my promise when we get back to London. In the meantime -you mustn't talk any more of this nonsense. You mustn't worry me from -morning to night as you have been doing ever since I have had the -pleasure of knowing you. And there is still something more." - -"I won't talk of it; and I'll be very, very grateful," said Nancy. - -"Well; child, so far so good; but now for my real condition. Do you -know, Nancy, that you--you little wretch!--have just got me into a -most horrible scrape?" - -"How?" asked Nancy, fixing her wondering eyes on Augusta's face. - -"You have, you monkey--you have. This is what you have done. When I -was talking to you just now in the shrubbery, and giving you some -plain words with regard to your conduct, you put on the airs of a -martyr, and, lo and behold, little Miss Martyr! somebody listened, and -somebody was very angry." - -"Whom?" asked the child. - -"No less a person than my aunt Jessie. You ran away in one of your -fits of passion and left me to face the brunt of the storm. Didn't I -get it, too? Oh, Aunt Jessie was in a rage! She spoke of you as if you -were a poor, half-murdered angel. I declare it was sickening to hear -her. And there is worse to follow. You know what we all think of Uncle -Peter and his scheme, and how anxious we are to get the best that he -can give us; and I want the Royal Cross that he has promised to the -most victorious." - -"Oh no, Augusta," said Nancy, with a faint and quickly suppressed -smile; "you can't mean that you are going in for that." - -"And why not, miss? I mean to go in for it." - -"Well, but the Royal Cross is for valour and noble conduct, -and--Augusta, you can't mean it." - -"You are a nice child!" said Augusta, her eyes flashing with fury. -"How dare you speak to me like that, you poor little charity-girl, -kept here by Aunt Jessie--kept here out of kindness"---- - -"Oh, don't! You dare not say that! It is not true." - -"Well, I won't. But really, Nancy, you have the power of nearly -driving me mad; a more irritating creature I have never come across. -But now, what I want you to do is this. Aunt Jessie is angry, and she -is going to give me a bad mark to-night in the orderly-book; and if I -get it I am done for, for a bad mark for conduct will be talked about -and commented on, and my chances of the great prize will be -practically _nil_. Now, I want you, Nancy, to tell her that I was -not to blame this morning, or at least _scarcely_ to blame; that -you were very naughty and irritating, and it was no wonder I got -cross. You must do everything in your power to prevent her giving me a -bad mark. And remember another thing, Nancy; if she asks you what was -the matter, you are not to let out _anything_. Simply say: -'Augusta is rather quick-tempered, and I worried her and talked -nonsense. I was to blame, and not Augusta, and she ought not to have a -bad mark.' Do you promise? Surely you can do nothing else when you -have got me into this horrid scrape." - -Nancy thought hard for a minute. - -"I do want to get that paper signed!" she said to herself. "It will -make things quite right when we get back to London, for Gussie cannot -go back from her own written promise; and then, too, I need tell no -lie to Mrs. Richmond." So after a moment she said: - -"Very well; I will do my best. Of course, I can't promise to succeed, -but I will do my best." - -"That is all right," said Augusta. "Here, give me that half-sheet of -paper." - -Nan did so. - -Augusta wrote quickly, finishing with a dashing signature. - -"There!" she said; "keep it carefully. Don't, for goodness' sake, let -any one see it. And now, run off as fast as you can and find Aunt -Jessie." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE ASPRAYS. - - -Mrs. Richmond had just finished lunch, and was preparing to go out for -a drive, when Nancy, her cheeks flushed and her eyes very bright, -rushed into the room. - -"Well, my dear child," said the good lady, drawing the little girl -towards her, "and what do you want now? I am so glad to see my dear -little Nancy with that bright face! I was sorry that you were troubled -this morning, my dear. I have promised Augusta not to say anything -about it, nor will I; but I conclude from your face now that the -trouble, whatever it was, is over." - -"Yes," said Nancy, "it is quite over." - -"And you are really happy, my darling?" - -"I am, Mrs. Richmond. I cannot help it; you are so kind to me." - -"Come close to me, dear; I want to say something to you." As Mrs. -Richmond spoke she drew Nancy to her side, and put her arm round the -little girl's waist and kissed her. "Why do you call me Mrs. Richmond?" -she said. "I want to be as a mother to you." - -"Oh!" said Nancy, with a gasp. - -"I know, dear, that your own dear and sweet mother is no longer here. -But my wish is, as far as possible, to take her place. I cannot really -take her place, I know, Nancy, but I can at least be to you a good and -kind and loving aunt. Now, Nancy, what I wish is this--I want you to -promise to call me Aunt Jessie. Will you, dear?" - -"I will if I may," said Nancy, with her eyes shining; "I'd like to -just awfully." - -"That is all right. And will you give your Aunt Jessie a kiss?" - -Nancy flung her arms round Mrs. Richmond's neck. - -"How much I love you! How very, very good you are to me?" she said. - -"What is it you specially want to say to me, Nancy?" - -"It is about Augusta," said the child. "I think perhaps I made too -much fuss this morning. I know Augusta was---- I mean that it sounded -cruel, but---- I don't know how to express it. If you would not mind, -Aunt Jessie, just _quite_ forgiving her." - -"What do you mean by quite forgiving her, little woman?" - -"She is in great trouble. She spoke to me about it. We are good -friends now, she and I. She spoke to me, and I told her I would come -and plead for her. If, Aunt Jessie, you would quite forgive her!" - -"Well, dear child, I have quite forgiven her; we will let bygones be -bygones." - -"If that is the case, you won't give her a bad mark in the -orderly-book?" - -A look of great surprise came over Mrs. Richmond's face when Nancy said -this. She rose and said hurriedly: - -"I am going for a drive, and cannot talk any more; but tell Augusta -she ought not to have sent you." - -"Are you angry?" asked Nancy. - -"Not with you, but with Augusta." - -"Then you won't do what I ask"---- - -"I cannot, and Augusta knows the reason why. When you four girls -enrolled yourselves as soldiers in Captain Richmond's battalion you -were in earnest; it was not a joke. Augusta behaved badly to-day, and -she deserves the punishment which a bad mark in the orderly-book will -bestow. Say no more about it, Nancy. Run away and play; you are -looking quite pale and ill." - -As Mrs. Richmond uttered the last words she left the room. - -Nancy stood still for a moment with her hands clasped; then she went -very slowly in the direction of the seashore. The children were to -have tea in the tent this afternoon, and Kitty and Nora were busy -bringing down baskets of picnic things: cups and saucers, plates, -knives and forks, cakes innumerable, jam, bread and butter, &c. When -they saw Nancy they shouted to her to come and help them. The three -children went quickly down the steep path through the shrubbery, and -soon found themselves by the sea. The tide was half out, and the whole -place looked perfect. There was a gay town not far from Fairleigh, and -at this time of the year the sands were strewn with children and -nurses--in short, with the usual holiday folks. But the part of the -shore just beside Mrs. Richmond's place was considered more or less to -belong to her young people, and as a rule no other children came there -to play. To-day, however, as the girls, heavily laden with the -materials for their afternoon picnic, approached, they saw Augusta -talking to two rather showily dressed girls, whose long golden hair -hung down their backs. Augusta seemed in high spirits, and her gay -laughter floated on the breeze. - -"Who can she be talking to?" said Kitty. "I never knew such a girl for -picking up friends." - -"Well, don't mind her now," said Nora, going into the tent and making -preparations. "We are going to boil the kettle on the sands and have -real, proper tea.--Nancy, if you have nothing better to do, you might -go along by the shore and pick up bits of firewood." - -Nancy ran off immediately. - -"What can be the matter with her?" Nora said. "Her eyes look as if she -had been crying. I wonder if Gussie has been worrying her again." - -Before Kitty had time to reply, Gussie was seen coming towards them. -"Kitty," she said, raising her voice, "I want to introduce Miss Aspray -and her sister. They are so anxious to know us, and they seem so very -nice! You know, of course, who they are--the Americans who live at the -corner of our street." - -"But what would mother say?" asked Nora. "You know, Augusta, she -doesn't want us ever to make acquaintance with people that she herself -does not know." - -"Oh! I can't help that now," said Augusta. "Here they are coming to -meet us. Don't you think we might ask them to tea?" - -The two girls now approached the tent. Flora, the elder, looking -prettier and more full of spirit than any one Kitty had seen for a -long time, held out her hand. - -"How do you do, Miss Richmond?" she said. "Constance and I know you -quite well by sight. We have often looked at you four girls with great -envy; and just now, when we found Miss Duncan standing by herself on -the sands, it seemed almost too good to be true. She seemed to us, in -this outlandish, out-of-the-way spot, to be quite an old friend. May -we join you; or will you join us? Mother is having a grand picnic on -the rocks round the other side of the bay, and I know she will be -delighted to see you all. Will you come or not?" - -Augusta's eyes were sparkling, and she evidently longed to accept the -Asprays' invitation. But Nora, drawing herself up, said in her very -quiet tone, "We shall be pleased if you will join us. We are just -having tea on the sands; it is not a regular picnic." - -"But quite too lovely!" said Constance. "Of course we will stay--only -too glad. And is this your tent? How charming!" As she spoke she -entered the tent, and flung herself down on a large cushion covered -with an Oriental brocade. "Dear, dear!" she said, "you do seem to -enjoy things." - -"Of course we do," said Kitty, viewing her with some disfavour. "Why -else should we come to the seashore?" - -"Do you live in that nice place which I see through the trees?" - -"Yes," answered Nova. "It is our own place. We come here every year." - -Just then Nancy appeared, holding a lot of brushwood in the skirt of -her frock. She coloured and started when she saw the Asprays, who had -now both taken possession of the tent. - -"Nancy," said Kitty, going up to the little girl and putting her arm -round her waist, "Augusta has met the two Miss Asprays, and has -invited them to tea here.--Miss Aspray, may I introduce my great -friend, Nancy Esterleigh?" - -The elder Miss Aspray coloured brightly when Kitty made this remark. -The younger shrugged her shoulders and poked her sister in the side. -Augusta's eyes sparkled, and Nancy turned very white. - -"How do you do?" she said in a low voice. - -"Why, if it isn't---- Yes, it is, Constance." - -"It is what?" said Constance. "I do wish you would mind your manners, -Flora." - -"But it is quite too funny!" said Flora.-- "Why, little girl, don't -you remember us? How is your dog? Does he bite as well as ever? Is he -as vindictive as he was on a certain day in a florist's shop? Oh, if -you only knew how poor Constance's ankle ached after his very -gentlemanly attentions! And you, my dear, were not quite as -sympathetic as might have been expected." - -"Explain--explain!" cried Augusta. "This sounds most interesting." - -"Let me tell," said Nancy. She turned suddenly, faced the group, and -told her little story. "I was sorry," she said in conclusion, "and I -would have said so, only you were both so terribly angry, and you -seemed to think---- But there! I won't say any more." - -"No, no," said Kitty; "of course you won't say any more. And the Miss -Asprays are our guests, remember.--Now then, let us hurry with tea." - -The girls, their party augmented to six, had on the whole a jolly -time. Nancy was only too glad to bustle about in order to keep her -excited heart quiet. Were these the girls with whom she might have to -spend her life? Were these the girls whose father had a right to -maintain her and adopt her as his own child? Oh, how thankful she was -that Mrs. Richmond had already adopted her! - -"I would rather be a charity-child with Mrs. Richmond," thought the -little girl, "than have the greatest right in the world to live with -the Asprays, for, oh dear! I don't like them a bit--no, not a bit. -What a comfort it is that I have got that promise in writing from -Augusta!--for now I need never leave my darling Aunt Jessie. Yes, she -asked me to call her Aunt Jessie; and how much I do love her!" - -While these thoughts were passing through Nancy's head, she was busy -spreading bread and butter and opening pots of jam. She was kneeling -on the sands to perform these offices, and happened to be a little -away from the rest of the party. - -Suddenly Augusta approached with the excuse of wanting to borrow a -knife from her. - -"Well," she said in a whisper, "and what do you think of them? You -would like awfully to live with them, wouldn't you?" - -"No, no," said Nancy, shaking her head. - -"No, no," echoed Augusta, mimicking her. "And why not, my little -beauty?" - -"Don't tease me, Gussie; you know what I mean." - -"No, indeed, I don't. I like the Asprays immensely. How stylish and -handsome they both are, and so well dressed! I trust we shall see a -great deal of them. They are going to stay at Fairlight for a month, -and they say a great many friends are going to be with them--American -friends--gentlemen and ladies also. I know that they mean to see a -good deal of us--of me in especial. So, little Nancy, as you are my -special friend, you must be extremely nice to Flora and Constance -Aspray, and pay them a considerable amount of attention." - -"What do you mean, Gussie?" - -"What I say, little woman. Now, for instance, when we are all taking -tea in the tent, you are to see that Constance and Flora get the -strongest cups of tea, the most cream, and the most richly buttered of -the scones, and the thickest pieces of cake. I am rather famous for -reading character, and I am positively sure that these two girls are -possessed by greediness. You will remember my injunctions, won't you, -Nancy?" - -"I don't mind helping them to the nice things if they really want -them, Augusta. But, oh! please, Gussie, you won't say anything about -me--I mean anything special?" - -Augusta laughed. "I am not at all sure," she said; "it all depends on -your behaviour. And, oh, by the way, have you seen Aunt Jessie?" - -"Yes--yes, I have; and I am ever so sorry!" - -"What! you have not succeeded?" - -Nancy shook her head. - -Augusta's face grew black with anger; she also looked seriously -alarmed. - -"You must talk to her again," she said. "I cannot have that bad mark -entered in the orderly-book. Do you hear? I cannot!" - -"I am very sorry, Augusta. You had better speak to Aunt Jessie -yourself, for I can do nothing." - -"I don't believe you have pleaded with her. You had got what you -wanted, and did not care twopence for me and my fate. It is just like -you--just." - -"No; that is not true," answered Nancy. "I did my very, very best; and -I am terribly sorry. I tell you what it is, Gussie, I would take that -bad mark for myself--I would gladly--if only you need not have it." - -"Oh! it is all very fine to talk," said Augusta; "but acts tell more -than words." - -"What are you two chattering about?" suddenly burst from Nora's lips. -"The kettle has boiled, and the tea is made, and we are all waiting -for the bread and butter." - -Nancy rose at once, and Augusta followed her. The picnic tea -commenced, and no one noticed in the general mirth that one girl was -looking perturbed, cross, and anxious, and that another was strangely -silent and depressed. The Asprays, whatever their faults, were the -gayest of the gay, and very merry and witty. Nora was not inclined to -be too cordial to girls whom her mother did not know, but Kitty -quickly succumbed to their charm. The picnic tea came to an end, and -when the Asprays took leave, it was with warm assurances that they -would soon come again, and that their mother should call on Mrs. -Richmond if Mrs. Richmond did not first call on her--in short, that -during their stay at Fairlight, the Richmonds of Fairleigh and they -themselves must be bosom friends. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -THE ORDERLY-BOOK. - - -The children returned to the house only just in time to dress for late -dinner, for while in the country Mrs. Richmond had the four young -people to dine with her. As they walked up through the shrubbery the -one topic of conversation was the guests who had just picnicked with -them. - -"I don't believe mother will like it," said Nora. "We ought not to -have done it without asking her permission. It was your fault, -Augusta; you should not have done it." - -"Nonsense!" said Augusta. "I could not help myself. Americans are not -so frightfully formal and stuck-up as we English. For my part, I think -the Asprays are the most charming girls? Nancy, don't you agree with -me?" - -"I don't know anything about them," replied Nancy. - -"Well, dear, you can know all about them if you like," said Augusta in -a very marked tone. - -Kitty opened her eyes in bewilderment. What did Augusta mean? Nancy -was colouring again painfully. As they reached the house the first -thing they saw was a pile of travelling-cases in the hall. - -"Uncle Peter must have come," cried Kitty. "Now everything will be all -right. How glad I am!" But the next moment she saw her mother, whose -face was very grave and disturbed. - -"My darlings," she said, "since you went out I have had a telegram -from my special friend in the north, Mrs. Rashleigh. She has just lost -her only son, and is in the most terrible grief. She has begged me to -go to her. I shall have to go up to town to-night, and shall go down -to Yorkshire to-morrow. I am terribly sorry to leave you four to your -own devices, particularly as Miss Roy is away. But fortunately Uncle -Peter arrives in the morning, and I have no doubt that you will all be -as good as possible under your uncle's care." - -"Isn't Uncle Peter coming to-night?" said Nancy, speaking very slowly, -and with great anxiety in her tone. - -"Oh, you thought so because his luggage has arrived!" said Mrs. -Richmond. "No. I have had a wire from him. He has sent his luggage on, -but is staying with an old friend at Tiverton till the morning." - -"Oh mother, how we shall miss you!" here exclaimed Kitty. - -"And I you, my darlings; but I am so shocked at my dear friend's -trouble that I cannot really stay away from her. Now, my own two -little girls, will you come upstairs and help mother to finish her -packing?" - -Kitty and Nora both quickly complied. Their mother's room was in a -great state of confusion. Her maid was strapping boxes and writing -labels, and looking very much put out. Mrs. Richmond tied on her -bonnet; then she turned to the girls. - -"You will find the orderly-book," she said, "in the chiffonier in the -drawing-room; here is the key. I have just entered your marks for -to-day. When Uncle Peter comes, give him the book. He will be -responsible for it and for you until I come back. Now I hear the -wheels of the carriage on the gravel. I must be off." - -"Oh mother! one word first," said Nora. - -"It must be a very brief word, then, Nora, or I shall miss my -train"---- - -"We met the Asprays on the beach, mother." - -"The Asprays, dear? I don't understand." - -"If you please, mum," said the parlour-maid at this moment, "Harris -says that unless you come at once you won't catch your train." - -"I am quite ready," said Mrs. Richmond. "Come, Merton, you cannot waste -any more time over the packages.--Darlings, the Asprays, whoever they -are, must keep. Good-bye, my pets--good-bye." - -In two minutes more the carriage was bowling down the avenue, Mrs. -Richmond was gone, and the four girls looked at each other. - -"It is most provoking," said Nora. "She never told us anything about -the Asprays. What are we to do?" - -"To do!" said Augusta. "To take all the fun we can out of them. What -else could we do?" - -"All the same, I don't think they are a bit the sort of girls that -mother would like," said Kitty. "But there! it doesn't matter, for -when Uncle Peter comes he will know what we ought or ought not to do." - -The rest of the evening passed somewhat sadly. Not only Kitty and -Nora, but Nancy, too, missed the gentle presence of kind Mrs. Richmond. -Augusta's mind, too, was full of many things, and she was as silent as -her cousins. Nancy was the first to suggest an early retirement to -bed, and the others quickly followed her example. - -Fairleigh was a large, rambling, old-fashioned house. It had belonged -to the Richmonds for many generations, and had been added to and -altered from time to time. The bedrooms were numerous but small. -Augusta had been given a very tiny room leading out of Mrs. Richmond's -larger bedroom. Kitty, Nora, and Nancy had also bedrooms apiece, but -their rooms were in the opposite wing of the house. - -Augusta was tired and her head ached. The day through which she had -just lived had been anything but to her taste. It is true there had -been a certain amount of excitement, which had carried her through the -long hours. But her mind was ill at ease. That bad mark in the -orderly-book came between her and her rest. To receive a bad mark for -conduct in Captain Richmond's orderly-book would, she knew, be all but -fatal for her chance of the Royal Cross. He was anxious and particular -with regard to physical training and intellectual training, but first -of all came conduct--conduct straight and conduct honourable. Augusta -admired him very much, but at the same time she was afraid of him; for -the Captain had a look in those blue eyes of his which caused her own -to drop. She had an uncomfortable sensation when she saw him looking -at her that he was reading right down into her heart. When he saw the -bad-conduct mark he would not rest until he found out all particulars -with regard to it. Mrs. Richmond, if she had given it at all, had given -it for cruelty--for cruelty to Nancy, who was a special favourite of -the Captain's. But had Mrs. Richmond given that mark? That was the -question which tormented Augusta and kept her from sleep. She got into -bed, it is true, but instead of dropping off, as was her usual custom, -into happy and healthy slumber, she tossed from side to side, thinking -and thinking of Captain Richmond, and the bad mark. He would arrive in -the morning, and would naturally inquire how his battalion was -progressing--how his soldiers were conducting themselves. He would be -very jolly, very agreeable, and a great acquisition, but at the same -time he would come on Augusta at that moment of her career as a sort -of Nemesis. "Notwithstanding all his agreeableness," she said to -herself, "I do wish he would not come just now. He is certain to make -a fuss, too, about the Asprays; and from what Flora and Constance tell -me, we are likely to have a splendid time with them--that is, _I_ -shall have a splendid time. Brilliant, handsome, gay sort of girls -like Constance and Flora are not likely to meet with my painfully -old-fashioned cousins' approval. And as to Nancy, of course, she -doesn't count. But _I_ should enjoy their society, and if Uncle -Peter were not coming _I_ should have it. Oh! I know they won't -suit him. Dear, dear! what a nuisance and worry everything is!" - -At this juncture in her thoughts Augusta dropped into an uneasy doze, -but she awakened in an hour or two to see the moonlight streaming into -her room, and to find herself more awake than ever. - -"I wonder if Aunt Jessie has given me that bad mark," she thought. "I -do wish I could see for myself. It is quite possible that in the hurry -of her departure she forgot to make the entry. What a rare bit of luck -it would be if such were the case!--for she is certain to forget all -about it when she returns. I wish I could see the book; it would be -such a tremendous rest to my mind?" - -The more Augusta thought over this suddenly conceived idea, the more -she longed to put it into execution. Sleep would not again visit her. -It was dull beyond words to lie awake all night. Now that Mrs. Richmond -was away, she was in a part of the house quite away from the rest of -the family. If she got up no one would hear her. She would get up. She -would go downstairs and examine the orderly-book, and find out the -truth for herself. - -She jumped out of bed, put on her dressing-gown and slippers, and -going very softly up the three steps which communicated with Mrs. -Richmond's room, opened the door and went in. This room was also -bright with moonlight. Augusta crossed the room and opened the door -which led on to the landing, and a moment later found herself in the -drawing-room. She knew where Mrs. Richmond kept the orderly-book. There -was a very pretty old Sheraton chiffonier in one corner of the room, -which contained many old-world drawers and queer hiding-places. Its -legs were thin and spindly. It was a frail piece of furniture, but -very good to look at. Mrs. Richmond was charmed with it, and as it was -a recent acquisition she made use of it to keep her letter-paper and -writing materials, and many other things, besides the orderly-book. -But Augusta had quite forgotten that the drawer in which this book was -always kept was locked, and she tugged and tugged now with a feeling -of great irritation. To go so far and risk so much and to meet failure -after all was anything but to her mind. She could be at times almost -reckless in her desire to carry out her own wishes. She entered the -dining-room now, opened a drawer in the sideboard, and taking out a -stout knife, she returned to the Sheraton chiffonier. The chiffonier -was old, and the locks not of the strongest. A little manipulation -with the knife caused the hasp to go back, and without seriously -injuring the piece of furniture, Augusta managed to open the drawer. - -While upstairs she had not dared to strike a match, but in the -drawing-room she was too far away to run any risk of being overheard. -Accordingly she lit a couple of candles, and taking the heavy book, -she laid it on Mrs. Richmond's desk. Never before had she been -permitted to see the entries made in the orderly-book, and she was -deeply interested now. In particular the pages devoted to "Augusta -Duncan" claimed her attention. After all she need not have been -nervous, for Augusta had done well--very well--and, oh, wonder of -wonders, delight of delights! there were so far no bad marks set -against her name. On the contrary, the words "Good--good--good" -appeared as she turned page after page. - -"What a blessing!" she said to herself. "Aunt Jessie did forget; and -now I can face the whole world with an easy mind." - -She was about to shut the book when it occurred to her to see what -sort of marks the other girls had got. Captain Richmond had so -arranged his orderly-book that day by day each girl had a page devoted -to herself. These pages might be filled up or left blank according to -the wishes and inclination of the person who entered the daily record. -But for Kitty, for Nora, for Augusta, and for Nancy there was for each -day a complete and separate page. Upon that page stood the record of -the young life which had been lived during that special day. Now, the -day which had just gone by was the 24th of August. Augusta amused -herself reading the different remarks with regard to her cousins. Both -Nora and Kitty had scored high. Their industry was considerable; they -had risen early; they were neat in their persons and with regard to -their rooms. Finally, the conduct of each girl was excellent. Yes, -that was the word. - -Augusta turned back to the page which recorded her own life on this -special day. She too had "excellent" put against her conduct. She had -not noticed this before. - -"It is too funny!" she thought. "Nancy must have been very persuasive -although she knew it not. Aunt Jessie has never spoken of my conduct -before as excellent. Dear, dear! I could hug the dear old aunty were -she here. Why, she could not have said better of Nancy herself. She -was evidently in a hurry, for she has not filled up the page. But my -conduct is excellent. I declare it is a huge joke. Well, this sets my -mind absolutely at rest. I will just glance at Nancy's page. If Aunt -Jessie considered my conduct excellent to-day, what will she have to -say with regard to the little favourite?" - -Augusta turned the leaves of the book, and soon arrived at Nancy's -page. It looked strangely empty. There were no remarks about early -rising, nor intelligence, nor order, nor neatness. There were only -blanks there, and under the heading "Conduct" Augusta read, "_Bad -conduct_--_guilty of cruelty_." - -[Illustration: Augusta nearly fell back as she read the words.] - -She nearly fell back as she read the words. The colour rushed in a -crimson tide to her face, and just for an instant she felt strangely -giddy. Then she shut the book, and putting it back into the -chiffonier, stole softly and quietly upstairs to bed. She knew, of -course, exactly what had happened. Aunt Jessie in her hurry had made -an extraordinary and inexplicable mistake. She had written Nancy's -record on Augusta's page. - -"Well, I never!" said Augusta to herself. She quite panted in her -excitement and flurry. When she first lay down in bed she was cold and -trembling, and her impulse was to explain the matter to every one and -clear Nancy. - -But, alas! to do this required some nobility of nature, and Augusta -was not noble enough. To expose herself, to show herself in her true -light in the eyes of Captain Richmond, was more than she could stand; -and she had not been half-an-hour in bed before she began to -congratulate herself on her lucky--most lucky--escape. - -"They will never, never know that I know," she said to herself. "I -have but to remain quiet and allow things to run their course. No -chance of the Royal Cross for you, little Miss Nancy; but there are -great chances of my obtaining the longed-for prize. I am in luck. I -declare I am quite sleepy, the relief is so great." - -She turned on her side, and a moment later was sleeping as innocently -as a baby. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -THE PICNIC. - - -At breakfast next morning the children were in high spirits. - -Augusta had awakened without any headache or any pricks of conscience. -"Let Uncle Peter come now," she said to herself; "I won't be afraid of -him." - -It happened to be a lovely morning, and the windows of the pretty -breakfast-room were wide open. The gardener was mowing the grass on -the tennis-lawn; the roses and other climbing flowers peeped in at the -lattice-window, and sweet summer scents filled the room. - -"Poor, poor darling mother," exclaimed Kitty as she seated herself at -the breakfast-tray; "how awfully fagged she must be! I do hope she -will soon come back." - -"We ought not to wish her to come back too soon," said Nora, who -always happened to say just the right thing; "for if Mrs. Rashleigh is -very sad mother can comfort her." - -"Do see what you are doing!" cried Augusta at that moment. "You have -overfilled the teapot, and the tea is running out on the tray." - -Kitty laughed gleefully, and soon rectified her mistake, and the meal -progressed, accompanied by gay remarks of all sorts. - -"Uncle Peter ought to be here by eleven o'clock," said Nora. "The -train arrives at Fairlight at half-past ten; he is sure to come by -it." - -"What are we to do to-day?" asked Augusta. "Have we any plans, girls? -I think we might"---- - -"Oh! I know what you are going to say," exclaimed Nora. "You want to -go to see those tiresome Aspray girls. But we can't do anything until -Uncle Peter arrives. He will direct us, and we will do exactly what he -wishes." - -"Tiresome man!" muttered Augusta under her breath. Aloud she said: -"Pass me that brown scone, Nancy. And for goodness' sake, child, don't -open your eyes so wide whenever I speak to you!" - -"I tell you what it is," said Nora--"I have lacked courage to say it -for some days, but I will say it now--I do wish you would not scold -Nancy whenever you speak to her." - -"I don't; I know I don't," said Augusta.--"Do I scold you whenever I -speak to you, Nancy, _mignon_?" - -"_I_ don't mind," said Nancy; and before anything else could be -said the servant entered, bearing a note and also a telegram on a -salver. She handed the telegram to Nora, and the note to Augusta. - -"The messenger is waiting, miss," said the girl, speaking to Nora. - -"What can it mean?" cried Nora; while Kitty craned her neck forward to -watch her sister as she read. - -"Oh dear!" exclaimed Nora; "how very provoking! It is from Uncle Pete. -He says he cannot arrive before dinner-time.--There is no answer, -thank you, Ellen." - -Ellen left the room, and Augusta now turned her attention to her note. -She tore it open, and the next moment she exclaimed in great -excitement: - -"Oh, I say, this is jolly! Here is a line from Flora Aspray. They want -us to join them all for a big picnic. They are going to Fairlight -Towers--you know, that charming old ruin that we have always wanted to -see. They are starting at eleven o'clock, and they ask us to meet them -at the crossroads. They say they will have carriages enough to take us -all, and we shall be back soon after dusk. Isn't it quite too -heavenly? Of course we will go--eh, Nora?--eh, Kitty?" - -"I wish Uncle Peter were here," said Kitty; "he would tell us whether -it were right or wrong." - -"What folly! If Aunt Jessie were at home she would certainly allow us -to go. Anyhow, I intend to go, whether you are silly or not." - -"I am sure it is not right, and I am sure mother would not like it," -said Kitty again. "May I look at Flora's letter, please, Gussie?" - -Augusta handed the letter across to her cousin. - -"There is no mention of Mrs. Aspray. Flora seems to have asked us quite -from herself," said Kitty. "What do you say, Nora? What do you say, -Nancy?" - -"I don't want to go at all. To be frank with you, Gussie, I don't care -for those girls," said Nora. - -"Well, you do like to spoil one's pleasure whenever you can. I suppose -there is nothing for it but for Nancy and me to go alone." - -"Must I go with you?" cried Nancy. - -"Yes--certainly," replied Augusta. - -"She sha'n't go unless she wishes to," here interposed Kitty. "Why do -you bully her? I think you are very unkind." - -"And I think you are all perfectly hateful!" said Augusta, who was red -with passion. "Well," she added, "have it your own way. I shall go by -myself; I do not intend to miss the fun." - -She marched out of the room as she spoke, and the three other girls -glanced at one another. - -"Perhaps I had better go with her," said Nancy. "What do you think, -Kitty? It doesn't matter so much for me, you know; I am not your real -sister. I mean that Aunt Jessie would be more particular about you and -what you did than about what I do." - -"You may go, of course, if you like," said Kitty; "but you shall not -go if you do not like. Gussie shall not make your life a burden to -you." - -"I think I'll go," said Nancy. She rose very slowly and left the room. - -"What a darling little thing she is!" said Kitty; "always so -self-denying and so anxious to please others. Now, I know she is -merely doing this to please Gussie; and why Gussie should be humoured -at every turn is more than I can understand. Nancy would have enjoyed -a long, quiet, happy day with us; and why should she make herself -perfectly miserable?" - -"Augusta has a power over her which I can never understand," replied -Nora. "She does very wrong indeed to accept the Asprays' invitation; -but perhaps it is as well, since she insists on going, that Nancy -should go with her. She won't be quite so daring and so unladylike if -Nancy is by." - -"Oh dear!" cried Kitty, "do you really think our cousin Augusta -unladylike?" - -"When she does underhand things I do," replied Nora. "But there, Kit! -don't let us worry any more. We have a lot to do, and on this day of -all days we must not be idle, with dear Uncle Peter coming in the -evening." - -"Do you know," exclaimed Kitty, "that I cannot find the key of the -chiffonier where the orderly-book is kept. Mother put it into my hand -just when she was going, and I can't imagine where I placed it. Let us -go up and search mother's room. It will never do for the key to be -lost just when Uncle Peter arrives." - -The girls ran upstairs and began to search in their mother's room, but -nowhere, high or low, could they find the missing key. They questioned -the servants, and begged them to have a good search for it, and -presently, absorbed by other matters, forgot the circumstance. - -Meanwhile Augusta was putting on her gayest and most becoming -costume. - -When Nancy put her sad little face round the door and said "I am -going with you, Gussie," just for a moment Augusta's conscience did -give her a sharp prick. - -"You are good-natured," she said, "and I won't forget it. Put on -something nice. Wear your pretty white dress and your white hat. You -look so nice all in pure white!" - -Nancy nodded and went off to her room. - -"She is a good-natured little soul," thought Augusta. "It will be much -nicer for me to go with her than alone. If by any chance anything is -said, she must naturally take her share of the blame. What a blessing -that tiresome captain put off his visit till to-night! I only wish, -for my part, he would put it off altogether. Now, do I look best in -pink or blue? Pink, I think. Pale pink suits almost any one. My white -hat with the blush-roses will look sweet with this frock. I don't want -those handsome girls to outshine me. Now I fancy I'll do. I shall be -quite as smart as they are, and that is all I am going to trouble my -head about." - -At a quarter to eleven Augusta and Nancy left Fairleigh, and walked -down the dusty road until they came to the cross-roads where they were -to wait for the Asprays' picnic party. - -Punctual almost to the moment, a wagonette, a pony-carriage, and a -phaeton appeared in sight. The gaily dressed party shouted welcomes to -the two girls; and Mrs. Aspray, an exceedingly stout woman with a timid -face and a good-natured expression, bent forward and held out her hand -to welcome Augusta and Nancy. - -"Why, I thought there were four of you," she said. "Florrie said -four.--Didn't you, Flo? You mentioned four girls; I am certain of it." - -"Yes, mother," replied Flora; "but you can see for yourself that there -are only two waiting for us at the cross-roads." - -"I am so sorry," here interrupted Augusta, speaking in her most -ladylike, company, and grownup manner, "but my cousins, Kitty and -Nora, are both suffering from bad colds, otherwise they would have -been delighted to come." - -Nancy's face first grew red and then white when Augusta told this -falsehood. She was about to say something, but receiving a sharp nudge -on her elbow from the irrepressible Augusta, she held her peace. - -Room was made for the two girls in the wagonette, and the party -proceeded gaily on their way. The day was a perfect one--neither too -hot nor too windy; the great heat of the summer's sun was tempered by -refreshing breezes. The destination of the party was an old castle -which hung over the sea at the edge of a great promontory. The castle -was one of the show-places of the neighbourhood, and picnic parties -there were very common. - -The custodian was very pleased to receive the Asprays and their -friends, and he told Mrs. Aspray that they could all have dinner in the -great stone hall where once upon a time, many ages ago, the monks of -the order of Ethelbert used to feed. - -Augusta was in wild spirits, and Nancy tried hard to enjoy herself. -There were one or two quiet, gentle sort of girls who attached -themselves to her, and they walked about, examining the old place and -trying to piece together its past history. - -Augusta meanwhile scarcely left Flora's side. She liked her even -better than Constance. Flora was so gay, so hearty in her manner--so -daring, too. She was absolutely astonished when Augusta told her that -she, in her own sheltered life, had to conform to rules and to obey -conditions. - -"But you are too old," said Flora. "Why, you are seventeen, are you -not?" - -"No," answered Augusta; "I am only just sixteen." - -"As if that mattered! Why, in America we often marry as young as -sixteen, and we certainly do exactly what we like. Oh! I am so anxious -to introduce you to a great friend of ours--Mr. Archer. I did so hope -he would be here to-day! He is an American, and such fun! He will put -you up to a wrinkle or two. We heard from him this morning, and he -will arrive to-morrow. I know you would admire him; and what is more -to the point, I am certain he would like you. You are exactly the sort -of English girl to take his fancy." - -Augusta blushed when Flora talked about Mr. Archer and the extreme -likelihood of his taking a fancy to her. - -"I don't suppose he would for a minute. And I don't know--this is -quite between ourselves--that I shall see much more of any of you." -she answered. - -"What do you mean by that? Don't you like us?" asked Flora bluntly. - -"Need you ask?" replied Augusta. "I cannot express to you what a -blessing it is to me having people like you close to us; but the -Richmonds have very funny ideas, and the fact is, as my aunt has not -called on your mother---- Oh, you understand, don't you?" - -"But your aunt is away. How can she call on mother? She would, -naturally, if she were at home." - -"Yes--yes; I know." - -"And being away," continued Flora, "the necessary formalities cannot -be gone through. Surely we can all have fun together. There is -Constance.--Constance, I want to say a word to you." - -Constance danced up to her sister. - -"Here is Miss Duncan," continued Flora, "hinting to me that she won't -be able to see much of us in future. Don't you think that would be a -vast pity, Connie? And with David Archer coming, too!" - -Constance laughed. - -"You will like him immensely if you see him," she said, staring full -at Augusta. - -Once more the colour rushed into her guest's face. - -"Well," said Augusta, "I must do my best. You may be sure I should -like to come. I have said so to your sister already. But there is a -Captain Richmond coming this evening--I call him Uncle Peter, although -he is not my real uncle--and he is awfully particular, and may prevent -me." - -"Captain Richmond!" cried both the girls. - -"Is he young, and is he nice?" questioned Flora. - -"Yes; I expect you would think him both young and good-looking. As to -his being nice, I expect he is that too, only he might not fulfil your -ideas." - -"I should like to see him," said Flora. "Now, I tell you what, Gussie -(oh! you must let me call you Gussie--'Miss Duncan' is far too stiff), -you must manage--quite by accident, you know--to meet us to-morrow, or -next day, with your dear, particular Captain Richmond; then you will -be forced, you know, to introduce us, and we will introduce you to -David Archer." - -"All right. I will see what I can do," answered Augusta. - -A shout from another member of the party caused the three girls to -look up. - -Mr. Aspray, a very stout man with a pale face, was calling to them to -hurry down and help to make tea, and no further private conversation -was possible. But as the carriages drew up at the crossroads for the -two girls to alight, Flora whispered in Augusta's ear: - -"Don't forget, Gussie. Constance and I will be walking in the -Fairleigh woods to-morrow. Now, be as clever as you look, and do what -we want." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -THE BROKEN LOCK. - - -It was quite dusk when Augusta and Nancy found themselves once more -back at Fairleigh. From the moment they left the cross-roads to the -time they reached the house neither of the girls spoke. - -Augusta was full of the delights of the past day, and was turning over -in her mind what possible stratagems she might employ to enable her to -see more of the Asprays. - -Nancy was equally busy wondering if Uncle Peter had yet arrived; and -when they turned the corner and saw Kitty and Nora each hanging on the -arm of the Captain, she uttered a glad cry and ran forward. - -"Ah! here you are. Good-evening, little niece Nancy.--And how are you, -Augusta?" - -"I am so sorry we were not here when you arrived, Uncle Peter!" said -Augusta. "We were away at a picnic." - -"I told Uncle Peter you were having a gay time and I did not know when -you would be back," remarked Nora, "but we waited supper for you all -the same. Shall we go in now?--for I am sure Uncle Peter must be very -hungry." - -"Hungry is no word for it," cried Captain Richmond. "I am starving. -Don't stay long tittivating, girls, but come down as soon as ever you -can, for the patience of a hungry man has its limits." - -The four girls ran upstairs laughing merrily. - -"Isn't he nice?" thought Nancy to herself. "Doesn't he make the whole -house seem breezy and happy? I am glad that he has come. Gussie won't -dare to tell any more lies now. And I hope--oh! I do hope she won't -often expect me to go with her to see the Asprays. Oh, to think that I -might have had to live with them! I should indeed have been a most -miserable girl. I would not exchange such darlings as Nora and Kitty -for Flora and Constance Aspray." - -"Are you ready?" cried Kitty at that moment, tapping at the door of -the little girl's room. - -"Yes. Just come in, please, Kitty," cried Nancy. - -Kitty entered. She wore a white dress with a pale-blue sash, and she -looked most sweet and charming. - -"Oh, you darling!" said Nancy, running up to her. "I must kiss you--I -must. Oh, how different you are! Oh, it is such a relief to get home -again!" - -"What queer, broken sentences, Nancy!" exclaimed Kitty. "Why is it -such a relief to get home; and who am I different from?" - -"The Asprays," said Nancy. - -"Then you had not a happy day?" - -"Oh, never mind! I suppose I ought to have had." - -"You need not see any more of them; you may be sure of that, Nancy. -Uncle Peter was rather surprised at your both going. I think Uncle -Peter is what you call punctilious--yes, that is the word. I am sure -he won't let us have anything to say to them until mother returns. But -now let us hurry down to supper. Do you know, Nancy, that he is nicer -than ever, and he has got no end of lovely schemes. I can see that we -are going to have a most heavenly time." - -"Did he--did he say anything," said Nancy slowly "did he say anything -about our battalion?" - -"No; not a single word. I expected him to, and so did Nora; but I -could see that it was in the back of his head all the time. I expect -the grand prize-day, when the best girl receives the Royal Cross, will -take place before we return to town. And, oh, Nancy darling! I have a -shrewd suspicion that you will win." - -"I!" said Nancy. "Certainly not. _I_ am not better than you or -Nora." - -"In some ways you are better. You are more patient; and then, you have -more to put up with. Uncle Peter is the sort of man to take all that -into consideration. He is very just--very just _indeed_--and he -is quite safe to give the cross to the person who has really earned -it." - -"What _are_ you two chattering about?" now came from Augusta. "We -are all waiting downstairs. Do hurry up." - -The girls flew down, their arms encircling each other. - -"Oh," thought Nancy to herself, "how sweet, how delightful is Kitty! -How happy she makes me!" - -The dining-room table was prettily laid; the supper was good and -abundant; Uncle Peter had a joke for every one. Never was there a more -delightful meal. When the Captain assured the girls he felt quite like -a paterfamilias with four grown-up daughters, they considered it the -hugest fun in the world, and laughed with uncontrolled delight. But -the gayest of meals come to an end, and once again the little party -went out and paced up and down on the moonlit lawn. - -It was now Nancy's turn to clasp her hand inside Captain Richmond's -arm, and with Nora on the other side, to walk backwards and forwards -in front of the old house. Meanwhile Kitty and Augusta fell behind the -others. - -"I hope you had a good time, Gussie," said her cousin. - -"You mean to-day," said Augusta. "There is only one word for -to-day--it was _ripping_. Yes; I can call it nothing else. Oh -Kit, you will help me, won't you?" - -"In what way, Gussie?" - -"I want to see some more of them--oh, so badly! You won't put an -obstacle in my way, will you?" - -"I am not the one to do it," answered Kitty; "but, of course, you can -understand, Gussie, that we have all got to obey the Captain." - -"I wish he hadn't come," said Augusta suddenly. - -"You wish that Uncle Peter--_darling_ Uncle Peter--hadn't -_come_?" - -"Yes; but you need not cry it out quite so loud. I don't, of course, -want _him_ to hear. I am sorry he has come because he is sure to -be very strict and proper, and perhaps he won't like the Asprays." - -"I don't believe he will have anything to do with them. Oh dear! there -is ten o'clock striking, and we must go to bed." - -"Girls," said the Captain as they re-entered the house, "this night -has been pure pleasure; but, you know, business awaits us to-morrow, -and before I retire for the night I should just like to run my eye -over the orderly-book. Can you get it for me, Nora? Your mother must -have left it where you could find it." - -Nora's face turned white and then pink. - -"I am so dreadfully sorry, Uncle Peter," she exclaimed, "but we have -lost the key of the drawer in mother's chiffonier in which she keeps -the orderly-book. It is altogether my fault and Kitty's. Mother was -going off in a great hurry, and she gave us the key, and we can't find -it high or low." - -"You had better have a good search for it to-morrow," answered the -Captain. "Never mind about it now. Good-night to you all. We will -begin brisk and early to-morrow, soldiers of the True Blue." - -He gave the little party a military salute, and going to the -drawing-room, he shut the door. - -The girls went upstairs, Augusta thanking her stars that the key was -lost. - -"So much the better for my purposes," she said to herself. "It will -never occur to him to try that special drawer; if he did it would open -fast enough. What a bit of luck that Kitty and Nora should have lost -the key!" - -The girls had now reached the broad landing which led by different -corridors to their bedrooms. Here they said good-night, and Augusta -quickly entered her own room. She felt excited and not at all disposed -to sleep. The Asprays had fascinated her, and the thought of meeting -that delightful American, Mr. David Archer, the man whom Flora had -assured her would take a great fancy to her, very nearly turned the -silly girl's head. - -"I wonder if I am really handsome," she said to herself. "I wonder if -there is something remarkable and fascinating about me. I should like -so much to know! Perhaps if I met him he would tell me. I wonder if he -would. It would be very nice to be pretty; pretty girls have such a -jolly time. Now, Nancy is pretty. It is horribly unfair, but although -she is nothing but a charity-child, she has far and away the most -charming face of any of us. What would I not give for her complexion, -and those beautiful wide dark eyes of hers, and that thick, thick -ebony-black hair? But I dare say I am very passable myself. I observed -Flora looking at me quite with approbation to-day. I shall light some -candles and see how I look before I go to bed." - -Augusta accordingly lit two candles which stood in heavy oak stands on -the mantelpiece. These she placed one on each side of her -looking-glass, and then, drawing the glass forward, she sat down and -stared into her face. But the glass was somewhat dim from age, and the -light altogether inefficient. - -"Why, I see nothing but a blur," thought the girl; and then it -occurred to her to go into her aunt's room and fetch some more candles -from there. - -The thought had no sooner come than she acted on it, bringing in a -heavy pair of candlesticks with tall wax candles in them. Just as she -reached her own door her foot knocked against something metallic. She -stooped and picked up a little key. - -"The lost key," she murmured under her breath; and then she slipped it -into her pocket. - -With the aid of the four candles Augusta got a good view of her -features. Her face was well shaped, and her eyes of a nice colour. She -was altogether, as she expressed it, "more than passable." - -"If only I grow tall, and have a good figure, and am dressed as I -ought to be, I shall be a success," she said to herself. "Those two -years in Paris will do wonders for me. Parisian polish is so -effective! Yes, I shall have a good time when I do go into society. -But, dear, dear! why should I wait for two or three years to have a -good time when I may have it now? What fun to talk to a man like David -Archer! Flora will do her best for me if I introduce Uncle Peter to -them. I suppose they think they will fascinate Uncle Peter, but they -don't know him. Yes, he is a charming man, only I do wish he were not -quite so awfully good." - -Augusta put out her candles and got into bed. As she laid her head on -the pillow she remembered that she had just found the missing key. - -"I am in luck," she said to herself--"in rare luck. The first thing -to-morrow I shall lock the chiffonier, and then I can throw the key -down--the well in the garden. That orderly-book won't be found then -until Aunt Jessie returns." - -But man proposes, God disposes. This trite proverb proved its right to -existence just at the time when Augusta thought all things were -moulding themselves in her favour. For while the four girls slept -peacefully in their different rooms, Captain Richmond thought and -pondered in the drawing-room. He paced up and down until he had -finished his cigarette. He then went and stood by the window, which -was open. - -He was thinking of his girls, and wondering how his battalion had -behaved. In particular his thoughts were occupied with Nancy. He had -taken a great fancy to Nancy when he had met her in London. He was -sorry for her, and he thought he understood her character. His own -nieces had always been to him as an open book, but Nancy puzzled while -she interested him. "As to Augusta--I cannot make her out. Quite down -in the bottom of my heart I don't like Augusta," said the Captain to -himself. "It is very uncharitable of me not to like her, for I know -nothing whatever to her discredit. But one is not accountable for -these sort of feelings. Why do I like Nancy so much? Why am I certain -that she is straight and noble and sweet and generous? I do believe -that it was mostly on account of Nancy I thought of my little scheme -to enroll the girls in my battalion. Well, I suppose as that key is -lost I had better go to bed. We shall have a good time to-morrow. Yes, -I must make those children happy. Jessie has entrusted them to my -care, and they sha'n't see more of those objectionable Asprays than I -can help." - -The Captain was about to leave the room, having first shut the window -and fastened the shutters, when his attention was attracted by the -chiffonier. He was fond of Sheraton furniture, and saw at once that -this was a particularly fine specimen. During his last visit to -Fairleigh this handsome piece of furniture had not been in the -drawing-room. He went up to it now, put down his candle, and looked it -over with great care. - -"I wonder where Jessie picked it up," he said to himself, "and what -she paid for it. It is certainly genuine. And how particularly fine -these brass mountings are." The chiffonier contained many drawers, -some shallow and some deep. Each drawer was opened by a small brass -handle, the lock being just above the handle. Captain Richmond took -hold of one of the handles and pulled the drawer, which immediately -slid out, and there, staring him in the face, was the well-known -orderly-book. - -"What a piece of luck!" he cried. "I am not a bit sleepy. So Jessie -never locked the drawer. As I have found the book I may as well run my -eye over its contents to-night. I shall make a more careful -examination to-morrow, but I am curious to know how my soldiers have -got on." - -The Captain lit another pair of candles, and drawing a comfortable -chair forward, seated himself and opened the book. His practised eyes -ran quickly over the pages. Augusta's entries were very much what he -had expected; they were fairly good without being anything remarkable. -His own two nieces were also creditable soldiers--neat, punctilious as -to behaviour, early risers, well forward in their athletics, and each -girl bore marks of excellent conduct. - -"Now for Nancy," thought the Captain. - -Nancy's pages came last, as she was the youngest girl of the four. As -Captain Richmond read the entries, made first by Miss Roy and then by -his sister-in-law, he smiled to himself. - -"Well done, Nancy!" he said more than once. "Brave little soldier. I -rather gather that you had a tussle with yourself on this day, and -that you conquered again on this day. Strange that I should read -between the lines! I was not mistaken in my estimate of your -character, little Nancy. But, oh! what have we here?" - -The Captain was now reading the brief entry made in Mrs. Richmond's -writing on 24th August. He read the few remarks, once in puzzled -bewilderment, twice in incredulity, and a third time with the colour -mounting to his face and apprehension in his eyes. - -"It can't be true," he said to himself. "Nancy guilty of cruelty! -_Impossible_." - -He shut the book as if he were thoroughly dissatisfied, and returning -it to its drawer, he went up to bed. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -"PRIZE-DAY COMES IN A MONTH." - - -The next day at breakfast Kitty began to talk of the lost key. - -"It is most provoking," she said. "What shall we do without having our -orderly-book properly signed? I cannot find the key anywhere." - -"I have spoken to the servants," interrupted Nora, "and they have -searched mother's room, and even taken up the rugs and shaken them. I -know for a positive fact," she added, "that neither Kitty nor I took -the key from mother's room." - -"What did I hear you say about the orderly-book?" asked Captain -Richmond. - -"Why, Uncle Peter, how funny of you, and what a peculiar expression -your eyes have! The orderly-book is locked up in the Sheraton -chiffonier; and we cannot get it from a locked drawer, can we?" - -"No, unless we break the lock or find that the drawer is already -open." - -"But it can't be; mother always kept it locked, and when she gave us -the key she spoke about its being locked." - -"She _thought_ she locked it," said Captain Richmond; "but as a -matter of fact I found it open. I read the orderly-book last night." - -There was something very grave in his tone, and Kitty stopped talking -and stared at him with knitted brows. Nora went calmly on pouring out -tea. Augusta got very red, and as she helped herself to a piece of -toast her hand trembled; while Nancy, with her wide-open, innocent -dark eyes, looked full into the Captain's face. - -He did not return Nancy's gaze. - -"I hope we have all been good enough soldiers to satisfy you, Uncle -Peter," said Kitty. "You won't tell us what you think, will you?" - -"No," he answered--"not now; prize-day comes in a month." - -"Oh, Uncle Pete, what shall we do on prize-day? We must have a gay -time." - -"The prizes will be given in the evening. The greatest prize--the -Royal Cross--will be presented with the others. But do not ask me to -tell you any more; that would be giving myself away." - -He got up as he spoke and left the room. When he got to the hall he -stood still for a moment, raised his hand, and pushed his short, crisp -hair up on his head. He then turned in the direction of the -drawing-room. There was a very wide and spacious hall to the Fairleigh -house. The dining-rooms opened into one end, the great drawing-room, -the library, and morning-room into the other. Captain Richmond -strolled now through the big drawing-room. The French windows were -wide open; the sunlit lawn blazed outside. The sun-blinds had been -already drawn down, and the cool effect of the room itself compared to -the heat on the lawn was most refreshing. Captain Richmond opened the -drawer of the chiffonier and examined it carefully. His practised eye -easily detected the marks of a tool which had forced the lock. He saw -also that the lock itself was poor and of a very simple make. He -pushed the drawer in and sat down by the window. Who could possibly -have meddled with the lock? He took up the newspaper, opened it, and -pretended to read it, but in reality his thoughts were far from the -news of the day. He continued wondering over the open drawer, over the -lost key, and most of all did his thoughts puzzle over the -orderly-book itself. - -Nancy, whom he had trusted, had failed him; she had been guilty of the -sin of all others most terrible and grave in his eyes--the sin of -cruelty. That gentle, kind, and loving child guilty of so grave a -fault! He could scarcely believe it. - -Just at this juncture in his thoughts the door opened and Augusta came -in. Augusta was in reality very nervous and troubled, and she had come -now, as she expressed it, to take the bull by the horns. - -"Well, Uncle Peter," she said; and she chose a seat opposite to that -in which the Captain was sitting. "Oh, how hot it is outside," she -continued, "and how beautifully cool here! I have brought my knitting. -I am making a tie for you, Uncle Peter. May I work here while you read -the paper?" - -"Of course, Augusta; just as you like," answered Captain Richmond. - -Augusta took her work from its bag and began slowly to knit. Presently -she dropped a stitch, which caused her to utter an exclamation of -annoyance. - -"What is it?" said the Captain; and he flung down his newspaper and -looked at her. - -"I have dropped a stitch in my knitting. But it doesn't matter; Nancy -will find it for me by-and-by." - -"Has Nancy such good sight?" - -"Yes. My eyes ache very often. And Nancy is very good-natured; she -always does what I ask her." - -The Captain looked both pleased and relieved. - -"You have found Nancy good-natured?" he asked. - -"He is thinking of the report in the orderly-book," Augusta thought to -herself. "I won't do poor little Nancy more harm than I can help." - -"Nan is certainly good-natured," she said aloud. - -"I am glad you like her," continued the Captain; and he sighed a very -little as he spoke. - -Augusta fiddled with her knitting. After a time she looked up. - -"As we are quite by ourselves, may I speak to you?" she said suddenly. - -"Why, of course, Gussie. What is it?" - -"Well, you know that father and mother are away?" - -"So my sister-in-law has told me." - -"And I am their only child, and I feel being parted from my parents -very much." - -"Of course you do," said the Captain; and he looked with sudden -interest at Augusta. Hitherto he had not admired her in any way. "When -will your parents be back?" he asked. - -"Next year; and when they come back they are going to send me to -Paris." - -"To Paris! What for?" - -"Oh, Uncle Peter, don't you know? To be educated--to be finished--to -get Parisian French and Parisian deportment and dancing, you know, and -all the rest." - -"I am afraid I do not know, Augusta. I am unacquainted with any young -ladies who have been educated in the French capital. I have no -particular love for the French ways. You see, I am an Englishman to -the backbone." - -"But I shall still be an English girl even if I have got a little bit -of French polish. Besides, it will so please father and mother! If I -go it will be because"---- Here she dimpled and smiled and looked full -at the Captain. - -"Because of what?" - -"Because of you, Uncle Peter." - -"Now I do fail to understand you. What on earth can I have to do with -it?" - -"You have a great deal more to do with it than you can guess. If my -marks are very good--particularly my marks as regards conduct--I shall -go. And, oh, I am so anxious to go! And if by any chance I could win -the Royal Cross, then indeed I should be safe." - -"And suppose you did win it, would that be your object?" - -"Oh! besides that there would be many others; but that too. Can you -blame me, Uncle Peter? It would so please my parents!" - -"No, I cannot blame you, Augusta; and, without giving myself away in -any manner, I may as well say that you have at least as good a chance -as the others." - -"Have I indeed? Have I truly? Oh, how very happy you have made me!" - -"Continue to behave well, Augusta, and nobody knows what will happen." -He rose as he spoke. - -"I am bound," he thought, "after the excellence of Augusta's marks, to -give her that much encouragement, but surely never before was there -man so disappointed.--I am going into the woods," he said aloud. -"Good-bye for the present." - -"Oh! one word, please, before you go. What do you say to our walking -through the woods and having a gipsy tea there this afternoon?" - -"If your cousins like it, Augusta, I am quite agreeable. Do you prefer -the woods to the seashore?" - -"Yes; it will be so very hot on the sands to-day," said Augusta. - -"I am, as I said, at your disposal." - -The Captain strolled away, and the moment he had gone Augusta flew to -the chiffonier, pulled open the drawer, and looked at it. - -"Any one can see that it has been tampered with," she said to herself. -"I am certain by his manner that he has discovered it. But one thing -at least is clear--he has not the remotest suspicion of me.--Oh Nancy, -what are you doing here?" - -"I thought Uncle Pete was here," said Nancy, who had entered the room -and looked with disappointed eyes all over it; "Kitty said he was, and -I wanted to talk to him. What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie? Is -it not very strange that it should be open--that Aunt Jessie left it -unlocked?" - -[Illustration: "What are you doing by that drawer, Gussie?"] - -"Solve the mystery if you can, Nancy," said Augusta, quite vexed at -being discovered. "But if you want your darling Captain, he has just -strolled through the woods." - -"Of course I want him," replied Nancy; "I love him so much." - -She ran out of the open window, and was soon seen flitting across the -lawn in the direction of the cool and sheltered woods. Captain -Richmond was not far off. Nancy called his name, and he whistled to her -to come to him. She ran quickly to his side. - -"It is so lovely to have you here!" she exclaimed. "And, oh, Uncle -Pete, I _have_ tried! It has been very hard, but I have tried." - -Her eyes were raised to his face. There were dimples in her cheeks and -smiles round her lips. - -"What a face!" thought the Captain. "Angelic is the only word for it. -And yet, my eyes cannot deceive me--she is a hypocrite;" and in spite -of himself he shook off the loving hand which touched his arm, and -began to talk quickly of indifferent matters. - -For a moment a cold, curious sensation visited Nancy's heart, but it -soon passed off! She was so sympathetic that she could throw herself -with zest and interest into almost any conversation. Notwithstanding -his grief and displeasure, the Captain could not help confiding in -her, telling her some of his own worries, and laughing when she gave -childish but practical advice. - -"I am so excited about the prize!" she said as the two presently -returned to the house. "I don't believe I have any chance of getting -the Royal Cross, but I have tried for it." - -"Have you indeed, Nancy?" - -"Yes, Uncle Pete. Why do you look at me with such a sad face? Do you -think I would not try?" - -"I always thought you would try," he answered. "But remember, it is a -cross _for valour_. Do you know what that means?" - -"Bravery," said Nancy. - -"I think it means rather more than ordinary bravery. It needs both a -tender and gallant heart to really aspire to valour; it needs a rare -unselfishness. I want you all to forget the prize in the joy of -attaining to it. It is the attainment that really matters; the prize -in itself is but a symbol." - -"Yes," said Nancy gravely, "but the symbol testifies to the -attainment." - -"What a serious subject for a little girl!" said the Captain. - -Nancy's eyes were full of tears. - -"Sometimes it is rather hard for me," she said, "but when you are here -I can do almost anything." - -"Is it possible that that child can be cruel?" thought the Captain -after she had left him. "It certainly seems inconceivable; and yet -Jessie would not have put such a mark in the orderly-book for nothing. -If there is a very capable, careful, and trustworthy person it is my -sister-in-law. And she loves Nancy, too; she would not act so to her -unless there were some very grave reason. Poor little girl, when did -everything fail and the great crash come? She doesn't look a bit like -it." - -At early dinner the four girls and the Captain were, to all -appearance, in the highest spirits; and soon afterwards they started -on their expedition to the woods. - -Augusta had now fully and absolutely made up her mind to obtain the -Royal Cross, and for this reason she was determined to show to the -utmost advantage in Captain Richmond's eyes. - -It was arranged they were to have their gipsy tea in a part of the -pine-woods about two miles away from the house. This part was just -above the seashore. The place of rendezvous was not only sheltered -from the rays of the sun, but freshened by the sea-breezes. - -The picnic basket was packed, and the kettle, spirit-lamp, &c. were -put into another basket. - -"Come," said the Captain, seizing the heavy basket and striding -forward; "you girls must take turns in carrying the edibles." - -"I will carry the basket first," said Augusta. - -She dragged it out of Nancy's hands, who gave it up in some -astonishment, for, as a rule, the office of carrying Augusta's things -devolved upon her. Having secured the basket, Augusta ran forward and -joined Captain Richmond. The three other girls walked together behind. - -Augusta's heart beat hard, for not only had she to play the part of a -good and unselfish girl for the Captain's benefit, but she was looking -forward to meeting her fascinating friends, the Asprays, and their -delightful companion, Mr. Archer. What would happen when the meeting -took place she must leave to circumstances. - -But she was quite resolved that if it lay within the realm of -possibility she would get the Captain to admire her friends and to let -them join their picnic party. By-and-by Kitty ran up to her. - -"Come, give me the basket now, Augusta," she said; "you are looking -very hot and red in the face. Nancy and I will carry it between us." - -"No, thank you," said Augusta, "I don't feel its weight at all, and -you are so pale it would tire you to carry it. Leave it to me," she -added. "I really like it; I assure you I do." - -"Then leave her the basket by all means," said the Captain. "It is -such a pity to take from us what we like, particularly when we are -doing a service to others." - -Augusta could not be quite sure whether Uncle Peter was laughing at -her or not. But in another moment a sudden bend in the road -effectually diverted her thoughts, for coming to meet them were the -two Aspray girls, looking remarkably pretty in white embroidered -dresses and big shady hats; and walking between the two girls was a -tall young man of about two-and-twenty years of age. The moment Flora -Aspray saw Augusta she gave a shout of welcome, and rushing to meet -her, kissed her with great _empressement_. - -"How very nice!" she said. "Oh, so you are all here! Now I do think -this is a rare piece of luck. Let me introduce Mr. Archer." - -"Captain Richmond, this is my friend, Flora Aspray; and this is my -other friend, Constance Aspray," said Augusta. - -The Captain talked to the two girls in a polite and pleasant fashion; -Mr. Archer began to notice Augusta; and the three girls from behind -came and joined the group. In a very short time, no one quite knew -how, the Asprays and Mr. Archer found themselves invited to join the -Richmond party. They now all turned in a mass and walked in the -direction where the picnic was to take place. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -THE GIPSY TEA. - - -The gipsy tea was pronounced afterwards to have been a great success. -Mr. Archer was agreeable, bright, and witty. He talked with a slight -American twang, which added to his fascination in Augusta's eyes. -Whenever he looked at you his eyes seemed to laugh. He had white -teeth, too, which he showed constantly. His hands were strong and -muscular, and also very white. He was slenderly made, and looked years -younger than Captain Richmond. - -Augusta, determining to be her very best, her most amiable, and her -most fascinating self, won approval on all sides. She was really a -clever girl, and having been in her father's and mother's house more -or less accustomed to society, knew better what to say and how to act -than either her cousins or Nancy. The Richmond girls were only too -pleased to remain in the background, and Nancy of course kept them -company. - -When the kettle boiled, and the hot cakes, mysteriously toasted by a -special arrangement of cook's, not only appeared on the scene, but -vanished; when the tea itself had come absolutely to an end, the -little party strolled in twos and threes through the wood. The great -heat of this lovely summer's day was tempered by a slight breeze, and -under the trees the shade was a comfort. Captain Richmond could not -help remarking on the great beauty of the scene. He turned as he spoke -and met the clear, wide gaze of Nancy. He was about to say something -to her when a laugh from Flora Aspray diverted his attention. - -"Ah!" she said, "who will race with me to catch that admiral -butterfly? I am collecting butterflies, and I must have it to add to -my collection." - -"I hate that sort of thing," said Captain Richmond; and as he spoke he -again looked at Nancy. Her colour was coming and going. - -"Oh! never mind, Captain Richmond; you must put up with it," said the -American, with a slight laugh. "And I am not so cruel after all. I -generally use a chloroform-bottle. Now, who will take this net and try -and catch that beauty?--Will you, little Miss Nancy? You would oblige -me so much!" - -"I could not for worlds," said Nancy. She coloured crimson, and then -turned very pale. - -"But if I make it a request, and a very great request; if I ask it as -a personal favour," continued Flora. - -"Nancy shall not be pressed," said Captain Richmond.--"Go back to the -others, Nancy, and leave this matter to me.--Suppose, Miss Aspray, -that I request the life and liberty of the beautiful admiral -butterfly, will you, instead of hunting it down, take a walk with me -through the woods?" - -Flora Aspray gave an indignant toss to her head, but Captain Richmond -looked both handsome and gentlemanly, and she found it impossible to -resist him, and soon was walking rapidly away from the others by his -side. - -Augusta found herself between Mr. Archer and Constance, and the three -had a very gay time. - -"I wonder what this all means," said Kitty. "I want to ask you a -direct question, Nancy. Do you, or do you not, like the Asprays?" - -"I wish you had not asked me," said Nancy; "but I don't." - -"What is the matter with you, child? You look so queer and nervous. -What can the Asprays have done to you?" - -"Nothing--nothing. Of course, I ought not to dislike them, but I do. I -wish they were not here. I had hoped that when Uncle Peter came -everything would be all right, but I sometimes think that nothing will -ever be right any more." - -"Why, Nancy," said Nora--"why are you so miserable?" - -"I wish--I _wish_ I could tell you." - -"But can't you, darling--can't you?" - -"No--no, I can't--not now; perhaps in a few months' time, but not now. -Don't ask me. Don't take any notice of me. I will try and keep it to -myself." - -"Oh, whatever is worrying you?" said Nora. "You are getting quite pale -and thin. Kitty and I have noticed it, and we don't like it at all. We -feel somehow that Augusta is to blame, but we are not sure." - -"Don't blame anybody," said Nancy. "It was my own fault in the first -instance, and nothing can remedy it--at least until the holidays are -over." - -"Well, let us forget it," said Kitty, going up to her little friend -and kissing her. "It is so lovely in these darling woods! Don't you -just adore that peep of the blue, blue sea between those trees? And, -oh, how pretty the butterflies look flitting from flower to flower! I -don't think it is right to be unhappy in such a perfect place as -this." - -Nancy tried to smile. - -"There, that is better," said Nora; "come and sit between us. Let us -talk about prize-day. Won't it be exciting when it comes?" - -"Yes--very," said Nancy. - -"Do you know what Kit and I are quite certain about?" continued Nora. -"We are positively sure that you will get the Royal Cross." - -"Oh no, I sha'n't! Why should I?" - -"Well, you see, as far as we can tell, you have never had even what -might be called a _dubious_ mark for conduct. Your conduct every -single day has been good, or very good, or excellent." - -"But how do you know?" said Nancy. "Have you seen the marks?" - -"I did once, when Miss Roy was here. She just let me look at a page or -two, and then shut the book and said I must not see any farther; but I -saw quite enough to perceive how high you were on the ladder of good -conduct. Neither Nora nor I will grudge you the great honour, Nancy; -but I am afraid if Gussie took the prize we should be green with -jealousy." - -"She has not a chance," said Kitty. "And now let us pack up the -baskets. It will soon be time to return to the house." - -The little girls busied themselves. The crockery was washed and put -carefully away, the tablecloth folded, the knives and forks and spoons -wrapped in tissue-paper. - -"Wasn't it funny Gussie insisting on carrying this heavy basket all -the way here? Why did you offer to help her, Nancy? I quite loved to -see her dragged down by the weight," said Kitty. - -"There is one thing certain," said Nora--"_we_ shall have to -carry the things back. Why, even Uncle Peter has deserted us. I did -think he would have stayed. I suppose he has fallen a victim to the -charms of the Asprays." - -Now, Captain Richmond had done nothing of the sort. He was a grave -man, with lofty views on all subjects. He also had considerable -insight into character. Augusta was a girl who could never be in the -very least to his taste, but as she happened to be his sister-in-law's -niece, he was bound to be kind to her. She was also living in the same -house with Nora, Kitty, and Nancy. He had not taken to the Asprays, -nor did he consider them suitable companions for his nieces; and it -gave him a certain sense of satisfaction to see that Nora, Kitty, and -Nancy were as indifferent to these gay young ladies as he was himself. -It was Augusta who liked them. Now, in the absence of his -sister-in-law he felt it his duty to look after Augusta, and it was -really for her sake that he took this walk alone with Flora Aspray. - -Flora found him exceedingly fascinating. A red colour had come to her -cheeks, and her eyes were bright. She put on her most up-to-date -society airs for his benefit, and felt sure in her silly little heart -that she was making a conquest, for the Captain replied to her light -and silly nothings with such politeness. He was determined to perform -for her benefit those thousand and one little attentions which mark, -as a rule, the gentleman and the soldier. She laughed merrily about -nothing at all, and was highly pleased with herself. But when Captain -Richmond began to talk of graver matters Flora quickly got out of her -depths. She did not know that she was being weighed in the balance and -found wanting. From one subject to another did the Captain lead her, -and more and more did she disappoint him. None of his feelings, -however, were allowed to appear, and they said good-bye to each other -apparently the best of friends. - -Augusta and Captain Richmond walked home together. As soon as they -were out of earshot of the Asprays, Augusta turned to her companion -and said eagerly: - -"Didn't you have a delightful afternoon? I am sure I did. I do think -Constance the most charming girl! And as to Mr. Archer, he is so -American, is he not? You like him very much, don't you?" - -"What a quantity of liking I have to do, Gussie!" said the Captain. -"Now, do you want the truth, or just a polite remark?" - -"Oh! the truth--the truth, of course," said Augusta, colouring, and -then dropping her eyes under Uncle Peter's steadfast gaze. - -"Very well; I will give it to you, for I think I ought. I don't care -about Mr. Archer. He may be harmless, but that is the most that can be -said of him. I don't like Miss Flora, and I have a strong persuasion -that Miss Constance is as like her as one pea resembles another." - -"And why don't you like Flora? I am sure she tried to be nice to you." - -"She was extremely nice to me, but she is not the sort of girl I care -about. Why need we talk about them any more? They are not our friends; -they are only chance acquaintances." - -"But I want them to be our friends," said Augusta; "it is so lonely -and dull here, and their society would make such a great difference. -At the worst you have to admit that they are harmless, Uncle Peter, -and you cannot possibly object to our seeing a good deal of them." - -"I will write to your aunt to-night, Augusta, and ask her what are her -views on the subject. Until I hear from her you must not have much to -do with the Asprays. Of course, if you meet them by accident, as we -did to-day, you will be polite and all that. But you are not to go to -Fairlight; neither are they to come here until I hear from your aunt -Jessie." - -"Oh dear!" said Augusta, "I did hope you would have liked them." - -"I am here to look after you all," said the Captain, "and I want your -companions to be worthy." - -"But how are they unworthy?" - -"Ask yourself, Augusta; you are not without common-sense. And now, -don't talk to me any more on this matter." - -Augusta had to make a great effort to keep back her temper, but the -prize, which was so near, had to be thought of. She remained silent -for a few minutes, and then spoke as cheerfully as she could on other -subjects. - -Immediately after supper that night Augusta went up to her own room, -and Nancy too disappeared; thus the Captain found himself alone with -his nieces. - -"Now, this is really cosy," said Kitty, taking his right side. "Sit -here, Nora.--You are not to stir, Uncle Pete; we are each going to sit -on an arm of this exceedingly comfortable chair. You are going to have -your nieces very, very near to you. Oh, isn't it quite delicious?" - -The Captain smiled and patted Kitty's soft white hand. - -"How are you getting on?" he said. "How does the soldiering -prosper--or are you both tired of the campaign?" - -"No; we both love it," said Nora. "But I am afraid we are poor -soldiers--very; still, I think we do our best. Uncle Pete, may we talk -to you about something? Are we to see a lot of these new people, the -Asprays, during the holidays?" - -"I cannot tell you. Augusta wishes it, and her desires ought not to be -altogether ignored. But nothing can be done until I hear from your -mother." - -"I hope you will tell mother the exact truth about them," said Kitty. -"I am most anxious to have nothing further to do with them." - -"Well, you had very little to do with them to-day, Kit; you talked to -Nora or Nancy all the time." - -"They didn't want me. I am nothing but a child compared to Flora and -Constance. But it isn't that, Uncle Pete. I should not really greatly -care if they came or not were it not for Nancy." - -"And what about Nancy?" - -"Ah! I wish I could tell you, for I don't think she likes them at all, -but she is too good-natured to say a word against any one." - -"I wish you could find out what ails her," said the Captain, with -interest. "Does she admit that something does?" - -"Yes--oh yes, poor darling; and she looked so sad when she just -alluded to it! She is awfully patient, you know, and I think---- Nora, -may I tell?" - -"Of course you may," said Nora. "Uncle Pete is like one of our very -own selves." - -"Well, what Nora and I think is that Gussie worries her; that she has -got a sort of hold over her. We can't make it out, but we have thought -it for some time." - -"I don't see how that is possible," said the Captain. "Perhaps there -may be some other reason for Nancy's unhappiness." - -"But what can there be?" - -"How can I tell you?" - -"Uncle Pete, why do you get up from your chair and look so funny? You -almost tossed me on the floor." - -"A thousand pardons, Kit.--I am going to have a smoke on the terrace, -and I think it is time for you little women to go to bed." - -"But have you nothing to propose about Nancy?" - -"I am afraid not." - -"Are not you interested in her, Uncle Peter? You always seemed to like -her so very much." - -"I am interested, but sometimes one cannot see an inch beyond one's -own nose." - -"Oh, Uncle Pete, you are not so blind as all that!" - -"At the present moment I am, Kitty. Don't say any more to-night. -Justice must be done to Nancy; of that rest assured." - -The Captain left the room, and the little girls stared at each other; -presently they went hand in hand up to bed. - -It was not until they left the room that a girl suddenly stepped out -from behind a screen, where she had been hiding for the last quarter -of an hour. The girl was Augusta. - -"Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves," was her inward comment; -"but all information is useful. So those impudent little chits think I -am bullying Nancy, and they will try to persuade Uncle Pete to their -way of thinking if I don't put a spoke in their wheel. I must, and -will, or my name is not Augusta. Uncle Pete thinks at the present -moment that that pretty and fascinating Nancy is guilty of cruelty. I -will prove it before his very eyes between now and the day when the -prizes are given away. Nancy, I have no dislike to you personally, but -I am determined to get the Royal Cross, for it means Paris and a good -time in the future; and I am also determined to get you more than ever -into my power, for you must help me with regard to the Asprays. See -them again I will--ay, many times. I am not going to be balked of the -first bit of genuine fun that has come across my path." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE PACKET OF LETTERS. - - -Two or three days later Captain Richmond received a long letter from -his sister-in-law. The post arrived at breakfast-time, and the four -girls watched him with more or less interest while he read. - -He read the letter very carefully over to himself, and his face -expressed no emotion whatever. Mrs. Richmond, in reply to a long letter -from him, had written as follows: - - "My Dear Peter,--I am so thankful that you are able to stay - with the children at Fairleigh for the present; you understand - Nora and Kitty so well, and I am quite certain that you - equally understand our dear little Nancy. As to Augusta, she - is more difficult, but I trust the dear child will behave well - and not give you any anxiety. Before I reply to your letter, - just received, I must tell you that my own plans are somewhat - puzzling; and were it not for you, and also for the fact that - Miss Roy will be almost immediately returning to Fairleigh, I - could not carry them out. My dear friend is in the most - alarming condition both of body and mind. The death of her son - has completely shattered her, and the doctors have ordered her - to go to South Africa immediately to pay a visit to her - married daughter. She is quite incapable of taking the voyage - alone, and I am forced to go with her. I shall only stay to - see her settled, and after putting her into the care of her - daughter, will return home by the first boat possible to - England. But the whole thing will probably take a couple of - months, and during that time I want you and Miss Roy to keep - house for me. I have not even time to come home to say - good-bye to the dear children, but they are quite well and in - the best of hands. I am writing to my own girls, and they will - receive their letter by the next post. Please tell them so, - and give them my dear love. My maid, Justine, will return to - Fairleigh to pack some things for me, for I cannot leave my - poor friend even for a day. We sail, all being well, on - Monday. - - "Now to come to the subject of your letter. I do not know the - Asprays personally, although their name is familiar to me. My - dear brother, I have something curious to tell you with regard - to them. You know how fond I am of Nancy Esterleigh. I have - adopted her as my own dear child, and trust she will never - give her affections to any other so-called mother. But this is - the state of the case: By her father's will she is entitled, - should she ever wish to claim it, to a permanent home and also - to provision for the future from Mr. Aspray. Were she to leave - me and go to him he could not refuse her this home. The matter - was arranged many years ago, when dear Nancy was only a baby. - It has something to do with a considerable sum of money which - Mr. Aspray borrowed from Nancy's father. He was unable to pay - it back at the time, but offered, if ever necessary, to take - his little daughter and to do for her and bring her up with - his own children, and to provide for her future. Nancy's - mother told me all about this when she herself was dying, and - she gave me the letter which Nancy, if necessary, is to take - to Mr. Aspray. Nancy's mother anything but wished that her - little girl should be adopted by the Americans, and implored - of me to do all in my power to prevent such a contingency. I - feel, therefore, that any intimate acquaintance is scarcely - desirable. Not that I am in the least afraid that Nancy would - prefer those people to my little girls or me. - - "What I have told you with regard to Nancy is for yourself - alone, and you will be guided how best to act under the - circumstances. - - "Yes, Peter, Augusta is certainly the one who troubles me, - and I am going to write her a special and private letter. She - is sure to take a fancy to the Asprays, for she is more - worldly-minded than my own dear children. Now I think I have - explained everything to you. Of course, we cannot be rude to - them, but any intimacy with the Asprays is the reverse of - desirable.--Your affectionate sister-in-law, - - "Jessie Richmond." - -Having read this letter once, Captain Richmond slowly and carefully -perused it again, and then raised his eyes. - -"Oh, Uncle Pete! that is good," cried Nora; "you have looked up at -last. We have been watching you by the clock, and you have been a -quarter of an hour and two minutes reading mother's letter. What can -she possibly have to say? We expected to hear from her this morning, -but she has not written. Is anything wrong, Uncle Pete? How funny you -look! You have your half-glad and half-sorry face on.--Hasn't he, -Kitty?" - -"Yes," said Kitty; "and we can't keep in our curiosity any longer, so -please read that long, long--wonderfully long--letter aloud." - -Captain Richmond rose. - -"No," he said; "the letter is private. But if you will all come to me -on the terrace in a quarter of an hour I will tell you what parts of -it you ought to know. Be sure you come, Nancy--and you, Augusta. Ta-ta -for the present." - -He blew a kiss to his nieces, nodded to the other girls, and left the -room. - -"Then it is something very exciting," said Kitty. "I thought so when -he frowned and his brows met in a line, and then when he gave that -quick little jerk and sort of sigh. Oh dear! aren't you nearly mad -with curiosity, Nancy?" - -"I should like to know what Aunt Jessie has written about," said -Nancy. "But, after all, Uncle Pete will tell us in a very short time; -and I must go now and feed my canary." - -Nora and Kitty had given Nancy a very beautiful canary a few days -before. The bird was a splendid specimen of its kind, and sang -magnificently. She had hung it up in her own bedroom, and now went up -to give it fresh seed and groundsel. - -The quarter of an hour soon passed, and the four girls met Captain -Richmond on the terrace, which at that hour in the morning was quite -cool and sheltered from the fierce rays of the sun. He was seated -reading that wonderful letter for the third time; but when he saw the -girls he thrust it into his pocket and came to meet them. - -"Now then," he said, "for my news, which is somewhat startling. We -shall not have your dear, kind mother here for the present." - -"Why?" said Kitty. "Is her friend so very ill?" - -"Poor thing, she is very ill indeed, Kitty--I fear alarmingly so; and -your mother--just like her kindness--is going to accompany her to -South Africa. They start on Monday, and your mother says she has no -time to return home between now and then. Indeed, even if she had, she -could not leave Mrs. Rashleigh. Justine will arrive to-day or -to-morrow and pack her things." - -"Don't cry, Kitty," said Nora; "mother would not go if she could help -it." - -"Of course not," said Kitty; but as she sat down on the nearest seat -her pretty little face was white and tears were brimming over in her -eyes. - -Nancy immediately seated herself next to Kitty, and flung one -protecting arm round her neck. - -"I understand--I understand," she whispered in her ear. - -The low and intensely sympathetic words comforted the little girl, and -she squeezed Nancy's hand and nestled up against her. - -"Well," continued Captain Richmond, "that is one part of the letter. -Miss Roy returns to resume her duties next week, and between now and -then I shall be in charge. You have been very good girls in the past, -and I trust you will be equally good in the future. You may be certain -I shall do all I can to promote happiness and good-will amongst us." - -Here he laughed, and his eyes met those of Augusta, who was gazing at -him as if she would read him through. - -"Now to take the bull by the horns," thought Captain Richmond to -himself. He paused for a minute, and then he said slowly and -emphatically: - -"With regard to the subject about which I wrote to your mother, Nora -and Kitty, and to your aunt, Augusta, she--as I thought she -would--agrees with me. We are to be polite to the Asprays, but there -is to be no intimacy. We cannot dispute my sister-in-law's wishes; we -may therefore regard that subject as a closed book." Captain Richmond -put on his most determined air as he spoke, and held out his hand to -Kitty. "Who will come for a walk with me in the woods?" he said. - -"No, thank you; I don't want to go," cried Augusta; and she turned and -went very sulkily into the house. - -She ran up to her own room. Shutting the door and turning the key in -the lock, she took out of her pocket a letter which she had slipped -into it unperceived by any one that morning. The letter had been lying -on her plate at breakfast, but she had managed to secrete it before -the other girls had come down. She had read it once, and now she -proceeded to read it again. It was from Flora Aspray, and its contents -were of the deepest interest to Augusta. Flora wrote with great -earnestness and spirit. - - "Oh, we want you so badly!" explained the letter. "I don't - like to say too much, but, you dear, bewitching girl, you have - made a _conquest._ However, more of that anon. Yours is - the very first invitation sent out. We are getting up a little - dance--quite a scratch affair. It is to be this day week--only - a poor little Cinderella, from eight to twelve o'clock. There - will be several girls quite as young as yourself, so the most - fastidious could not object. If you could come to us we could - give you a bed for the night; and if you must have company, do - ask any of the other three girls you like to come with you. - But, to be frank, we only want _you._ David Archer says - that your cousins and your queer little friend are too funny - for anything. You know, David is quite a mimic; you would - die with laughter if you saw him taking off that funny, prim - little Nancy. Oh! and, my dear girl, that precious Captain - Richmond of yours is too good for life. I never had a duller - walk than the one we took together. David Archer takes him - off, too, with his saintliness and goody-goody airs. Oh, it is - killing! But there, Augusta; how my pen runs on! The main - thing that all this leads up to is, _will_ you come? Will - you give us the great pleasure of your company? Oh, of course - you will! You cannot help yourself. If you were not present it - would nearly break the heart of your most devoted--Flo. - - "_P.S._ If you have not a suitable dress with you, - either Constance or I can give you a big selection to choose - from, so don't worry on that score--only come." - -"Go I will," said Augusta to herself when she had finished reading the -letter. "I would not lose the fun for all the world. But now, how -shall I manage it?" - -She sat with Flora's letter upon her lap and gave herself up to -meditation. It was a lovely day, and the window of her pretty bedroom -was wide open. The sky was blue, and the trees a brilliant green. The -lawns, which rolled away right down to the end of the paddock, were -smooth as velvet. Presently a little figure crossed one of them and -came slowly towards the house. Augusta's eyes contracted and her brows -met in a frown as she watched the little figure. - -"It is odd how I dislike Nan," she said to herself. "Poor child, I -suppose she is quite passable, and even agreeable to others, but she -always does manage to rub me the wrong way. She could be wonderfully -useful now, however. If I could get her to run to the post with my -answer I should feel more or less relieved; and if things are -eventually found out, and it is discovered she has a finger in the -pie, so much the better for me." - -Augusta sprang up, put her head out of the window, and called to -Nancy. - -"Come here, Nancy; I want you," she cried. - -Nancy ran towards her, standing under the window and looking up. - -"What are you doing?" asked Augusta. - -"Oh! lots of things; but nothing very, _very_ special. Do you -want me, Gussie?" - -"Yes; there is no one else to send, and I just want some one to run to -the village and put a letter I am about to write into the post for me. -Will you go? It would be awfully good-natured of you." - -"Yes; of course I will." - -"Well, come up to my room in ten minutes and I'll have the letter -ready." - -Augusta seated herself at her little table, and wrote quickly: - - "My Dear Flo,--The fat is in the fire, and we are forbidden - all intercourse with you. Mean, horrid, disgraceful, - unbearable, I call it! Don't think for a single moment that I - submit. I love you better than any girl I have ever met. I - love Constance, too. But, oh! I must hurry, for I want you to - get this letter by the middle of the day. Don't come near the - place at present, and don't walk in the woods, for if I met - you I might be discovered, and I don't want anything to be - known until after the Cinderella. Of course I am going, but - how I do not know at the present moment. I can't sleep at your - house; that is certain. You will hear from me nearer the time. - And now, good-bye.--Your affectionate friend, - - "Augusta Duncan." - -Augusta had scarcely finished her letter before Nancy's tap was heard -at her door. - -"Come in," called out the young lady; and Nancy entered. - -"Is the letter ready, Augusta?" she asked. - -"Yes; I am directing it. Have you got a stamp about you?" - -"Yes." - -"Lend me one, like a good child." - -Nancy took out her purse, produced a stamp, and gave it to Augusta. - -Augusta proceeded to affix it to the letter, which she then gave to -Nancy. - -"It is private," she said; "don't for the life of you show it to any -one. And now be off; put wings to your feet, or you will lose the -half-past ten clearance." - -"But it is to one of the Asprays," said Nancy, taking up the letter -and looking at it, and then putting it down again. - -"Well, and what of that?" asked Augusta, turning very red, and looking -extremely angry. - -"Oh! nothing, of course; only you heard what Uncle Peter said this -morning." - -"Certainly I did; I am not deaf." - -"And after hearing what he said, ought you to write to them?" -stammered Nancy. - -"What a silly child you are! Have I not told them we are to keep out -of their way in the future? How comfortable we should feel if they -were haunting our woods and we could not talk to them! Now, as I have -explained matters, I suppose you will post the letter." - -"I don't know; I don't think it is quite right. Can't you post it -yourself?" - -"I can't, and won't. There are things I could tell about you. I could -give you an uncommonly hot time. You had better be off. Drop that -letter into the pillar-box and you will be worried by no more Asprays. -Refuse to drop it in and you will have a pleasant time in the future." - -Nancy took up the letter very gingerly. She stood still for a moment; -then she turned and left the room. - -"Be sure you don't show it to any one." - -"No." - -"And be quick." - -"Yes." - -"There! that's a good thing," said Augusta to herself. "If I am -discovered I can prove that Nancy posted my letter for me. When they -rouse my worst passions as they are doing in this house they little -know what it means. Where my own interests are concerned I stop at -nothing--nothing. Go to that dance. I will. Oh dear, what a worry -things are, all the same! I wish I could see the whole of Aunt -Jessie's letter. I am sure there are allusions to me in it; I guessed -as much by the expression in our gallant captain's eyes." - -Augusta left her room and went downstairs and joined the rest of the -party. The remainder of the day passed without anything special -occurring. Kitty and Nora, having got over the fact that their mother -was not returning home at present, gave themselves up to the -delightful time Uncle Peter always managed to arrange for them. -Augusta pretended to be equally cheerful; and Nan, though a little -pale and silent, behaved quite in an unremarkable fashion. - -Late that evening a telegram came from Justine to say that she was -travelling all night, and would arrive at Fairleigh between nine and -ten the following morning. - -She did arrive at the time stated, and went immediately up to her -mistress's room to pack the things necessary for the voyage. She had -not been long there before Augusta appeared at the door. - -"Can I help you, Justine?" she asked. "The others have all gone out -boating, but I had a headache. It is better now, and therefore I can -do anything you like, if you will only tell me what." - -"Thank you very much, miss," replied the woman. "I should be pleased -if you would help me. My mistress wants a lot of things, not only for -herself but for Mrs. Rashleigh, for the poor lady had no time to get -any sort of wardrobe for so unexpected a voyage, and my mistress is -going to lend her some of her things. What I want to do is this, -miss--to make two separate lists, one of my mistress's things, and one -of those which are to be lent to Mrs. Rashleigh. I am going to pack the -things for Mrs. Rashleigh in one trunk, and the things for my mistress -in another; and as I have got to catch the three o'clock train back to -town on my way to the north, there is not too much time to spare." - -"Of course there is not, Justine. How glad I am I asked if I could -help you! Shall I make out the lists for you?" - -"Will you, miss? That was just what I wanted to propose." - -Augusta went to her room, fetched paper and pens, and was soon seated -beside a small table, writing out lists of different garments under -Justine's directions. - -Augusta could be both quick and orderly, so she was of substantial -help to the maid. - -"I am sure, miss, I don't know how to thank you; your help makes all -the difference," said the good woman. "Oh dear, Miss Gussie! we have -had a terrible time. I never saw a poor lady in such an awful state. -Me and her maid, Fanny, thought she was going off her head. It was -terrible, miss--terrible." - -Augusta listened, and asked several questions. She was by nature very -curious, and Justine's narrative gave her some pleasant and exciting -thrills. - -"I could make a splendid story out of this and frighten Flora so that -she would scream," thought Augusta to herself. "It is such fun -frightening people, particularly in the dark, or just when you are -going to bed. I do wish I could sleep at the Asprays' house next week. -However, that is not to be thought of." - -"Now, miss," said Justine, "there is only one thing more of any -importance to-day. Do you see these keys?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. "Why, these are Aunt Jessie's special private -keys." - -"They are, miss, and she trusted me with them. I am sure I feel highly -honoured. She said I was to give them to Captain Richmond, and that he -would do what she wanted; but I do declare, what with being up all -night and being dead fagged, I forgot it. What is to be done? I -suppose the Captain will be in soon, miss?" - -"Indeed he won't," answered Augusta. "They have all gone across to the -Sovereign Islands, and have taken some lunch with them. They can't be -back, for the tide won't let them--at least, not before five o'clock." - -"And I hope to be getting towards London by that hour, so whatever is -to be done?" said Justine. - -"Oh, can't I do it?" said Augusta. "If those are the keys, you can -give me the same directions you were to have given to Captain -Richmond." - -"To be sure," said Justine. "But I could do it myself, for that -matter." - -"No, no, Justine; you had better let me. You know, I am Aunt Jessie's -very own niece, and you are only her servant." - -"Thank you, miss, but servants can be faithful." - -"I know that; and there never was a more faithful creature than you. -If you think you are to be more trusted than me, do what is necessary, -Justine; I have not a word more to say." - -Justine stood silent, pressing her hand to her cheek. She had never -known anything against Augusta, whose manners were pleasant enough -when she chose to make herself agreeable. Augusta certainly was Mrs. -Richmond's niece, and as the matter in question was of some -importance, and Captain Richmond could not possibly be got at, she -decided to trust her. - -"Here, miss," she said; "you know the Sheraton chiffonier in the -drawing-room?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. - -"And you know that all the drawers have different keys?" - -"Have they?" - -"Yes, miss, they have. My missus keeps her valuable papers and things -of importance in the different drawers of the Sheraton chiffonier, and -she told me to ask the Captain to open the top drawer at the -right-hand side, and press a spring, which reveals a secret drawer, -and take out from it a little box, which he was to give me to take -back to my mistress. Mrs. Richmond only thought of this box at the last -minute. It has some jewels in it which she wants to have set in a -particular way at the Cape for the young ladies, and she had not even -a minute to write. Do you understand, Miss Augusta?" - -"Am I stupid?" said Augusta. "Why, it is the simplest thing in the -world. Give me the keys, please, Justine." - -"Thank you, miss; here they are. And I think, while you are getting me -the little box, I will go down to the servants' hall and have my -dinner, for I am not only tired but faint." - -Augusta nodded, and in high spirits, her heart beating, went down to -the drawing-room. She had no special desire to possess herself of her -aunt's secrets. The contents of the little box did not interest her in -the least, but she was the sort of girl who liked to put her finger -into every pie. - -"There is never any saying _what_ I may come across," she -whispered to herself; "and knowledge is power. I have always felt -that, and I have always proved it. Dear, dear! I am lucky. No one -suspects me of having broken open one of these precious drawers. Aunt -Jessie is going away, so Uncle Peter will not have an opportunity of -asking her about that curious mark against Nancy's conduct. And long -before Aunt Jessie comes back the prize-day will have come and gone. -Yes, I certainly am in luck. And now, if I can but keep up my -character for good and excellent conduct, and at the same time have my -bit of fun, then I shall regard myself as one of the luckiest girls in -the world." - -Augusta closed the drawing-room door after her, walked up the long -room and standing before the chiffonier, she inserted the key which -Justine had given her into the lock, opened the little drawer, and -proceeded to press the spring which revealed the secret drawer. Her -pressure acted immediately; the bolt shot back, and another drawer was -discovered behind it. She pulled it open. It contained a small -jewel-case, a little wooden box, and also a packet of letters. Augusta -took out the box, which she thought must be the one described by -Justine. She was about to shut the drawer when her attention was -attracted by the handwriting on the letters. They were all tied -together by a piece of ribbon, and the words "About Nancy and the -Asprays" were written across them. - -"Nancy and the Asprays," said Augusta to herself. "Ah! I may indeed -find out something to my own advantage now. I have plenty of time, -too, for Justine won't hurry with her lunch." - -Accordingly, Augusta seated herself calmly on a small chair which -stood by, and untying the packet, proceeded to read the letters. She -read them one after the other. There were only three or four, and -nothing could be plainer than their meaning. The colour rushed into -Augusta's cheeks as she perused them, and her eyes grew very bright. -Having finished them, she sat silent for a minute; then, tying them up -again so as to look exactly as they had done before, she returned them -to their place in the secret drawer. She pushed back the hinge, shut -the outer drawer and locked it, and, with the little box in her hand, -went upstairs. She had been longer than she thought, for Justine, in -some impatience, was waiting for her. - -"I was just coming down to the drawing-room to look for you, Miss -Augusta," she said. - -"Oh! I didn't hurry," said Augusta; "I thought you would be at your -dinner." - -"I could not eat, miss, my head was that bad. And, oh dear! time is -going; I have to leave here not a minute later than half-past two. Is -that the box, miss?" - -"Yes; and here is the key. I wonder, Justine," she added---- - -"Yes, miss." - -"I don't know whether I ought to say it, but--don't you think it would -simplify matters if you _didn't tell_ that you had forgotten to -speak to Captain Richmond of this?" - -Justine coloured. - -"But if I kept it secret you would tell." - -"Indeed I would not. Why should I get you into a scrape, poor Justine, -situated as you are?" - -"Indeed, Miss Gussie, that is true, for I have had a time since I left -here, and me expecting my holiday and all. I know mistress will be -vexed with me if I tell, but I don't like, somehow, to make a secret -of it." - -"If I were you I would not tell," said Augusta; "you will only get -into a scrape. And, of course, I will never breathe it to a soul. But -please yourself, of course." - -"Well then, miss, if you promise it won't pass your lips, I don't see -why I should get myself into hot water." - -"I won't speak of it, Justine. And now, do lie down for a minute. I -have some lovely aromatic vinegar in my room; I will bathe your face -and hands." - -"Oh miss! but I am sure I could not let you." - -"Nonsense! Why shouldn't I help you? Even though you are a servant, -you are a fellow-creature. There! lie down on this little bed; there -is lots of time--it is not two o'clock yet." - -So Augusta waited on Justine, and soothed and comforted her, and made -her forget her headache; and when at last she left the house the good -woman said to herself that a dearer and nicer young lady than Miss -Gussie never walked the earth. - -"All the same," said Justine, "it would not have occurred to me to -keep my forgetfulness from my mistress if she hadn't put it into my -head; but as she did, doubtless it is the best way. She is a very -clever young lady for her years; and very thoughtful, too." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -SUNBEAM. - - -Mrs. Richmond sailed for the Cape on the following Monday; sending a -telegram to her daughters to announce her departure just before she -left England; and on the following Wednesday evening Miss Roy came -back. - -Miss Roy had been in the Richmond family for five years. She was a -woman of about forty years of age, extremely kind, most faithful, most -devoted to the interests of her employer, and most affectionate to her -little charges. She was not a finishing-governess by any means. But -she was just the sort of useful person who could be invaluable in -times of difficulty or distress. Mrs. Richmond felt that in her absence -Miss Roy would act almost as a mother to her children, and she went -away happily in consequence. - -The good governess had debarred herself from a whole fortnight of her -usual holiday to meet this time of need. - -Nora, Kitty, and Nancy hailed her return with delight; and Augusta, -who in her heart of hearts regarded her as a tiresome, tyrannical old -maid, was equally loud in her affectionate expressions on the night of -her return. - -On the following day Captain Richmond asked Miss Roy to have a private -interview with him. No one was better pleased than he that she should -come back to help him in the management of his battalion, as he still -in fun called the four girls. - -"Well, sergeant," he said, coming into the schoolroom, and speaking in -as cheerful a manner as possible, "I want to talk over things with -you.--Soldiers, I must deprive you of your sergeant for a short -time.--This way, please, Sergeant Roy." - -He opened the door as he spoke, and Miss Roy, laughing heartily, went -out with him. - -"Isn't Uncle Pete funny?" said Kitty. "He is always making us laugh. I -do think he is a darling." - -"You don't call that sort of talk, funny, do you?" said Augusta, who -was by no means pleased at the Captain's desire for a private -interview with Miss Roy. "If that is your idea of fun I pity you. Uncle -Peter forgets that we are growing up very fast, and are not babies to -be amused by infant talk." - -"Uncle Pete could not be silly," replied Nora. - -"If you don't like him, why don't you hold your tongue?" replied -Kitty. - -"And why do you pretend to like him so much?" said Nora again. - -"Of course I like him," cried Augusta, who feared that she might have -gone too far. "Well, let's go on with our history; we may as well have -good marks. All these sort of things will tell when the great day of -the prize-giving arrives." - -Meanwhile Captain Richmond had conducted Miss Roy to the drawing-room. -They both stood close to the chiffonier. Captain Richmond pushed -forward a chair and asked the governess to seat herself. - -"I want to show you something," he said, "and I should be extremely -glad if you could throw some light upon it. It has troubled me a good -bit." - -"What do you mean?" said Miss Roy. - -"I allude to an entry in the orderly-book." - -"An entry in the orderly-book!" - -"Yes--made in your absence--made by my sister-in-law. Perhaps you can -explain it." - -As Captain Richmond spoke he opened the drawer of the chiffonier where -the orderly-book was kept, took out the book, and placed it on a small -table before the governess; then opening the book, he pointed to the -page where poor Nancy's cruel conduct was testified to. - -"Look," he said. "You would not have supposed that _she_ could be -cruel." - -"Nancy cruel!" said Miss Roy. "Excuse me one moment, Captain Richmond; -I will put on my glasses. This puzzles me." - -Miss Roy adjusted her glasses and bent over the book. She was -naturally a very calm woman, and was in no hurry to give herself away. -She turned page after page and examined the marks of the other girls. -Finally, she took the marks for conduct, diligence, intellectual -employments on the 24th of August by themselves, looking separately at -the page devoted to each girl. - -"Well?" said Captain Richmond, who was watching her with interest. - -"I cannot understand it," she said. "It cannot possibly be true." - -"So I thought," said the Captain. - -"It cannot be true," repeated Miss Roy. "A mark for carelessness, for -forgetfulness, even for untidiness, might be possible in the case of -Nancy Esterleigh, but cruelty---- No, Captain Richmond, the child -could not be cruel." - -"And yet," said the Captain, "the mark is there--most distinctly -written. You observe how empty the page is--blanks in most -departments--and this terrible mark for conduct. We cannot get over -it." - -"It is very unaccountable," said Miss Roy. "There must be a mistake." - -"I have thought of that," said the Captain; "but I don't see how there -can be. My sister-in-law is extremely particular, and not at all -careless." - -"You must remember," said Miss Roy, "that she entered these marks on -the very day when she was sent for in a hurry to Mrs. Rashleigh." - -"That might account for something, but not for this--this gross act of -injustice. Miss Roy, I have watched little Nancy; this mark caused me -anxiety. I have watched the child at all hours. I have never seen a -trace of cruelty. But there is something the matter. She is not at her -ease. She is unhappy. She is like a child who carries a secret." - -"Augusta again," said Miss Roy. - -"I think not," answered the Captain. "I have observed them together, -and have noticed that Augusta is extremely kind to Nancy. I don't -personally care for Augusta. She is not at all to my taste. But one -must not be unjust to her. No, it is not that. Nancy carries a secret. -Why should she carry a secret, Miss Roy? Painful as it is to say, does -it not rather point to the truth of this terrible report?" - -"The thing to do," said Miss Roy, "is to appeal to Mrs. Richmond. I -wonder you did not think of this before, Captain Richmond." - -"I did; but I did not want to worry her while she was away, and with a -great deal of care on her shoulders. And remember, we expected her -home about now. Her sudden visit to South Africa upset all our -calculations, and as a matter of fact put this thing out of my head. -But even if I had thought of asking for an explanation, I should -scarcely like to have done so just at present. She would naturally -say, 'You ought to accept my plain statements without comment.'" - -"Not in this case, and with such an extraordinary accusation against a -most tender-hearted child," was Miss Roy's answer. "Well, what is to -be done now? Even if we were to write to Mrs. Richmond, we could not -get an answer for six weeks." - -"We cannot wait for that," said the Captain; "the prizes are to be -given in three weeks' time from to-day." - -"And you will let this influence you, Captain Richmond?" said Miss -Roy. - -"What am I to do?" he answered, shrugging his shoulders; and as he -spoke he shut the orderly-book. "I am glad I have confided in you," he -said. "You may throw light on the matter; I sincerely hope you will. -But for this dreadful mark, Nancy would get the Royal Cross. As it -is"---- - -He paused and shrugged his shoulders again. "There is just one thing -more," he added. "Some one has broken open this drawer in the -chiffonier. See for yourself." - -The open drawer showed the marks where a knife had been used, making -distinct indentations in the delicate wood. - -"The mystery thickens," said Miss Roy. "Well, I will watch and do what -I can." - -"You will be very careful not to let any one know I have spoken to -you," said Captain Richmond. - -"Certainly, Captain Richmond; I will be most careful." - -Miss Roy went away. She felt very much troubled and perplexed. The -Captain's remarks with regard to Nancy troubled her almost as much as -the extraordinary and unaccountable entry in the orderly-book. - -"What can it all mean? There are some crimes which it is impossible to -associate with certain natures," was her thought. "Nancy would not -hurt a fly. She is over-sensitive and over-affectionate; if any one -could be over-kind it would be Nancy. And yet--and yet---- Oh, I do -trust light will be thrown on this mystery! I hope Captain Richmond -will not give away the prizes before Mrs. Richmond returns. I am quite -sure she can explain what is wrong. Then, who opened the drawer -without a key? It would be an act of cruel injustice to deprive Nancy -of the prize until we discover who has done that. Poor, dear little -girl; I will try and find her, and see if I can lead her to talk of -this matter. Of course, I am bound by my promise to Captain Richmond -not to ask her any direct questions." - -Miss Roy entered the schoolroom. It was empty. She went into the -shrubbery, and walked round the grounds. She could not find any of the -girls. Finally, she went back to the house, and went into Nancy's -bedroom. - -Nancy's room was a very small one, and was entered through the larger -room occupied by Nora and Kitty. Nancy was always neat, and her little -room was in absolute order. Her bird's cage hung in the window. The -canary, which had been in full feather and lively song, sat upon its -perch. Miss Roy was very fond of birds, and she went up now to this -one to speak to him. - -"Ah, Sunbeam," she said, "and how are you?" - -As she said this she noticed that the bird was not in his usual -spirits. His feathers were ruffled, and he looked at the governess -with a dull expression in his eye. - -"Poor dicky--poor Sunbeam," said Miss Roy--"what can be wrong with -you?" - -The cage was hung high to be out of the way of the cats. Miss Roy -lifted it down off its hook, and put it on a little table which stood -near. The next moment she uttered a shocked exclamation. - -No wonder the bird was dull and unable to sing. His water-trough was -empty, and he had scarcely any seed left in his seed-drawer. - -"Impossible!" said Miss Roy. "Nancy to forget the bird she loves so -much! And yet I must believe my own sight." - -She felt very angry. Cruelty to dumb animals was the one sin she could -not overlook. Taking the trough, she proceeded to fill it with water; -and she was just replenishing the seeds when the door opened, and -Augusta, singing a gay song, and carrying a bunch of groundsel in her -hand, entered the room. - -"Oh, Miss Roy, you here!" she cried. "I was bringing a piece of -groundsel for Sunbeam. Why, what is the matter? Is the bird ill?" - -"It looks like it," said Miss Roy. - -She did not want Augusta to share her discovery. But that young lady -was a great deal too astute to be easily hoodwinked. - -"Why, what is it?" she said. "What can be the matter?" - -Then she went up to the cage, and made precisely the same discovery -Miss Roy had made. - -"Oh, I say!" exclaimed Augusta. "How downright wicked!" - -"I will put it right," said Miss Roy, trembling a little. "Leave me -the groundsel. Go--please go." - -A voice below shouted Augusta's name, and she ran off. Miss Roy -attended to the suffering bird, giving him seed and water and a nice -bunch of groundsel. He began to eat and drink at once, and before she -left the room she had the satisfaction of seeing that he was much -revived. - -"I will see to this matter myself," she said under her breath. "There -must be no dumb creature in this house liable to such neglect. Alas, -how little one knows any one! Mrs. Richmond may have given that bad -mark for just such another act of carelessness. It seems to explain -things. But who would have thought it of Nancy?" - -At lunch that day Augusta suddenly looked up and fixed her bright eyes -on Nancy. - -"I have a crow to pluck with you," she said. - -"What is it?" asked the little girl. - -"Come, Augusta," said the Captain, "none of this! I am sure Nancy has -not done anything wrong." - -"Oh, hasn't she? You ask Miss Roy.--Miss Roy, don't you think the -little favourite wants a word of caution?" - -"You ought not to call Nancy by that silly name," said Miss Roy; but -she looked uneasy and troubled. - -Augusta said nothing more, but nodded in a very knowing way to Nancy. -Immediately after dinner she rushed up to the child, slipped her hand -through her arm, and pulled her aside. - -"Well, Nancy," she said, "it will be all up with you if you are not -careful." - -"What do you--what _do_ you mean, Augusta?" - -"Listen. I don't think Miss Roy is going to tell. She really is kind, -and I don't fancy she will tell; and if she doesn't, the Captain, who -has now charge of the orderly-book, will know nothing about it." - -"Oh Augusta, you are so mysterious! What are you talking about?" - -"I am surprised at you," said Augusta. "I hate cruelty myself." - -"And you think that I am cruel!" said Nancy. "What next?" - -"I don't trouble myself to think about what I know," said Augusta. "A -girl who had any love for dumb creatures would not starve her pet -bird." - -"My canary! I starve my canary! What do you mean?" - -"Ask Miss Roy. She went into your bedroom and found poor old Sunbeam -anything but sun-shiny--all ruffled up and dull and drooping. The -reason was not far to seek. There was no water in his trough and no -seed in his drawer. Now then, Miss Nancy, what do you say to that?" - -"That it is a lie--an awful lie," said Nancy, her gentle face quite -transformed with rage. "What do you mean? I fed my bird this morning. -I gave him water, and plenty of seed, and a lump of sugar. What are -you talking about?" - -"Ask Miss Roy, my dear, if you don't believe me. I happened to come -into the room with some groundsel. I had been getting some to give the -birds in the aviary downstairs, and I thought of Sunbeam. Miss Roy was -in the room, and before she could stop me I had discovered what was -wrong. Make what use you can of my information. Speak to her about it. -She saw with her own eyes. Who else is responsible for the bird? Why, -what is the matter, Nancy? Where are you going to?" - -"To Miss Roy. I cannot stand this. I have an enemy, and I can't make -it out. Oh, I am a very unhappy girl! Augusta, what have I done to -you? Why do you make my life so miserable?" - -"Make your life miserable!" said Augusta, who by no means wished to -bring things to a crisis. "I am sure I am very far from doing that. Do -you think I would really tell the Captain? You may be sure Miss Roy -won't; and I will go to her this minute, if you like, and _beg_ -her not to. Now, am I not kind?" - -"Don't go; I would rather speak to her myself. I would rather brave -things out;" and Nancy suddenly rushed away from Augusta. She went -into the house and looked for Miss Roy, whom she found in the -schoolroom. - -"Miss Roy, I want to say something," cried the little girl, the colour -mantling her cheeks. - -"What is it, Nancy?" said Miss Roy just a trifle coldly, for the -incident of the starving bird had troubled the governess a great deal. - -"Augusta told me," continued Nancy; "and it is not true. There is not -a word of it true. Oh, what is to be done? I did feed my canary this -morning. I gave him water and seed, and cleaned out his cage. I have -never neglected my bird yet--never." - -"My dear Nancy, I am sorry even to appear to doubt you, but I saw with -my own eyes that the bird was without seed. Seeing is believing, you -know." - -"And you believe that I could be so cruel?" said Nancy. - -"Seeing is believing," repeated Miss Roy. - -"I didn't do it. Oh, you will drive me wild! I did not think that you -would turn against me." - -"No one attends to the bird except yourself. Who in this house would -be so wicked and malicious as to take away the seed and water? No, my -dear Nancy; you forgot. It was unlike you, and I am disappointed in -you. But I have decided not to tell Uncle Peter; I will give you -another chance. Had I been in charge of the orderly-book I should have -been obliged to enter this circumstance in the book; but as I am not I -do not hold myself responsible. Go away now, dear. Don't keep me. Try -and be more careful another time." - -Nancy stood perfectly still. Her face, which had been red with anger, -was now white. She turned abruptly and walked out of the room. - -"It is all most unaccountable," thought the governess to herself. "But -to suppose for a single instant that any one could have removed the -seed and water is not to be thought of. Yes, I am sorry for Nancy. She -forgot the bird: such things have happened even with tender-hearted -and considerate children. She forgot the bird, and has not the courage -to own to her fault. Poor, poor child; I fear that remark in the -orderly-book is correct." - -Meanwhile Nancy went up to her room. Never before had such mad passion -seized her. She felt like a wounded creature in a trap. But of one -thing she was resolved. - -"My dicky-bird, my darling, shall not run such a risk again," she -thought. "Oh, of course it must be Augusta! No one else could do such -a fiendish thing. But my darling shall not suffer. I know who will -care for him." - -She put on her hat, took the cage down from the hook, threw a -handkerchief over it, and went out. - -About a mile away there lived a woman with a sick child. Nancy and -the two Richmond girls had visited this woman once or twice. And Nancy -had spoken to little Grace of her bird. Grace had been deeply -interested. - -"Oh, if only my poor little Grace could have a bird all to herself!" -said her mother. "But there! I cannot afford it. I offered to buy her -a linnet--one can get linnets quite cheap--but she would not have it. -'No, mother,' she said, 'I would not take the liberty from an English -bird. It is a canary I want. I'd like to have one more than anything -else in the world.'" - -Nancy had made up her mind now to give her treasured bird to Grace. -She was relieved to see that no one was about. She walked slowly for -fear of spilling the water in the cage. Presently she entered the -woods, and setting the cage down on the ground, she removed the -handkerchief, and threw herself on her face and hands close to the -bird. She pressed her pretty, gentle face up against the bars of the -cage, whistling softly to Sunbeam. He sidled up to her, and presently -printed a soft kiss from his beak on her rosy lips. - -"They say that I starve you, darling," said Nancy. "You know better, -don't you? But you sha'n't ever run such an awful risk again, my own -little bird. You sha'n't be at the mercy of any cruel girl. I would -sooner part from you. You will soon forget me, my little dicky-bird, -but I will never, never forget you. Come, you shall go to a good -home--to a little girl who will be kind to you." - -She walked on through the wood holding the cage, and presently she -reached Mrs. Hammond's cottage. The day was hot with a languorous sort -of heat. There was little or no wind, and thunder rumbled in the sky. - -Grace had been very tired all that morning; her back ached, and life -seemed weary. She had refused her dinner, and had turned away from all -her mother's attempts at consolation. When Nancy's tap was heard on -the door, Mrs. Hammond threw down her sewing and went to open it. A -pale little girl with bright eyes, holding a cage in her hand, stood -without. - -"Why, if it ain't one of the dear little ladies from Fairleigh!" cried -the widow. "My Grace is very poorly to-day, but a sight of you will do -her a lot of good, miss." - -"I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go in and see her -at once?" said Nancy. - -[Illustration: "I have brought a bird for her--my own bird. May I go -in and see her at once?" said Nancy.] - -"A bird!" cried the mother. "Oh, won't it be just heaven to her? Yes, -she is very poorly, and so dull; but a bird all her own---- Oh, I say, -miss! come this way at once.--Grace, here is somebody to cheer you -up," continued Mrs. Hammond.--"Come right in, miss; I will stay in the -kitchen while you talk to her." - -So Nancy entered with Sunbeam in his pretty coloured cage. - -Grace, who had been lying down, started up in her delight. - -"For me! It can't be," she exclaimed. "You have brought him to see me, -miss. Oh, ain't he just pretty?" - -"I have brought him to give him to you," cried Nancy. "He is your very -own from this minute. You will be kind to him, won't you?" - -"Kind to him! Oh miss--oh miss!" - -"You will never forget his water nor his seed?" - -"As if I could, miss!" - -"And you won't let the cats get to him?" - -"We ain't got a cat, miss. He shall stay with me morning and night. -Oh, Miss Nancy, I'll get well now; I feel that I will. Oh, the joy of -having him! How can I thank you? But there! I can't even try to." - -"Don't try, Grace; your face is thanks enough. No, I won't stay. He -will want lots of water; and here is a whole canister of seed--every -sort. You must dry his cage after he has his bath. I give him his bath -every morning before I clean and feed him.--Good-bye, my Sunbeam." - -Nancy bent towards the cage. Her curly hair fell across her face, and -even the little sick girl did not notice the tears in her eyes. She -ran out of the cottage before Mrs. Hammond could interrupt her. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -"WAS THAT THE REASON?" - - -After breakfast the next morning Miss Roy felt a strong desire to go -into Nancy's bedroom. The fact was, she had dreamt of the starving -bird the night before. She quite longed to see for herself that the -little prisoner was attended to, that he was bright and cheerful and -happy. But she scarcely liked to do this, for it seemed like doubting -Nancy. - -Nancy was avoiding Miss Roy. She was spending most of her time in the -open air, and very often she would go away quite by herself. As she -complained of nothing, however, and ate her meals all right, no one -remarked on her strange conduct. Miss Roy said to herself that Nancy -was repenting of what she had done. - -"I shall try to find out from her if she has ever neglected the bird -before," she thought. - -The morning pursued the even tenor of its way. The four girls went out -on the water with Captain Richmond; and Miss Roy, at last overcome by -her desire to see the canary, went into Nancy's bedroom. She uttered -an exclamation when she saw the hook on which the cage used to hang. -What could have happened? Where was the bird? She went downstairs to -see if it had been removed to the schoolroom. It was not there. She -then questioned the housemaid, but beyond the fact that she had not -seen the bird when she went to draw down the blinds on the previous -evening, the girl could tell her nothing. - -"This must be inquired into," said Miss Roy to herself; and when the -girls came in she spoke to Nancy, doing so openly before the others. - -"Nancy," she said, "I happened to go into your bedroom, and I could -not see your bird there. What have you done with Sunbeam?" - -Augusta immediately fixed her bold eyes on Nancy's face. The other -girls looked up, wondering. They knew how passionately Nancy adored -her bird. - -"Well, Nancy, why don't you speak?" said her governess. - -Just then Captain Richmond appeared. - -"Why, Miss Roy," he said, "what is this solemn conclave? I heard you -ask Nancy something.--What is it, Nancy?" - -"You asked me about my bird," said Nancy, raising her head and -speaking bravely. "I have given him away." - -"Nancy! you have given Sunbeam away?" cried Kitty. - -"Yes. I took him yesterday to a little girl--you know her, Nora--you -remember her, Kitty--Grace Hammond. She wanted a bird, and I gave her -Sunbeam. He was my own, and I could do what I liked with him. Don't -keep me, please." - -She pushed past the girls. Her manner was almost rude. Before any one -could utter an additional word she had left the room. - -"What does this mean?" said Captain Richmond. - -"I think it is very generous of Nancy," here exclaimed Augusta. - -But no one else applauded Nancy for her generosity. There was a weight -in the air which every one felt. - -Immediately after lunch Captain Richmond went away to pay a round of -calls. Miss Roy retired to her own room--she happened to have a very -acute headache--and the four girls were alone. - -Kitty fixed her eyes on Nan. Nan shuffled uncomfortably with her feet. - -"Where are you going?" cried Nora. "It is such a lovely day," she -continued, "can we not all go for a ramble on the seashore?" - -"I am not going with you," replied Nancy. Her tone was almost rude. -She left the room, slamming the door after her. - -Augusta raised her brows. Getting up daintily, she went out by the -open window. The two little Richmond girls thus found themselves -alone. - -"Oh Kit," cried Nora, "what can be happening? I am quite unhappy; I -don't like this at all." - -"Come out, Nora," answered Kitty; "we can talk better in the open -air." - -They went out, linking their arms round one another, and paced slowly -up and down. Augusta was lying lazily in a hammock near by. She -watched them. - -"How they love each other!" she said to herself. "I never saw such -affectionate sisters. But they are a dull little pair all the same. -They are the sort of girls who will never do anything very wrong, and -perhaps, on the other hand, never do anything very good. I know the -sort. They will be medium all their days--medium pretty, too. Even Nan -is better fun than Kitty and Nora. Now they are discussing her. I see -it by the way Kitty nods her head, and Nora looks at her and then -looks away again; and they are twining their arms tighter round each -other. They are very sorry for Nan, but they don't understand her. -Even I understand that poor, miserable mite better than they do. I -have a hold over my little lady, and I must tighten the knot--and very -quickly, too, for Miss Nancy must help me to-morrow night. But now to -find out what they are really saying, for Nancy will have to be -protected by me in one sense in order that I may use her in another." - -So Augusta slipped out of her hammock, and approached the little -girls. - -"What a wonderful confab!" she said. "Shall I guess what it is all -about?" - -"Oh no, Gussie; I wish you would go away," exclaimed Nora. "Kitty and -I are having _quite_ a private talk all by ourselves." - -"But do let me guess what it is about," answered Augusta. "Now then, -see if I am not right. You are talking about the little favourite and -her pet canary." - -"Yes; but what has that to do with you?" answered Kitty. - -"My dear Kit, what a way to speak to your cousin! Now, let me tell you -that it has a great deal to do with me. If I were you I would not -worry Nancy; she has reasons for what she has done." - -"But why give her canary away?" said Kitty. "Nora and I subscribed -together and gave it to her, and she seemed so pleased. It was rather -difficult to get enough money, but when we saw how _awfully_ -delighted she was, we felt that that made up for everything." - -"It was good-natured of you," said Augusta. "I forgot that you had -given it to her. Poor old Nan!" - -"But why do you call her poor old Nan? I don't see that she is to be -pitied at all. We have always been very fond of her, but we cannot see -that she has done right in giving away her bird." - -"Dear me," said Augusta, "what a fuss! If you gave her the bird it was -her own, to do what she liked with. She took a fit of pity for that -poor sick girl, Grace Hammond, and gave her the bird. Grace wants the -bird far more than Nancy does, for she lies on her back most of the -day in a shabby little room. I think it was extremely kind and -self-sacrificing of Nan, and she ought to be petted, not scolded." - -"I never thought of that," said Nora. "Of course, Gussie, you are -right. Dear old Nan! Yes, it was sweet of her, and I suppose she felt -it awfully." - -"Couldn't you see for yourselves? Why, she scarcely ate any lunch, and -ran off to her room soon afterwards. Oh, for goodness' sake," added -Augusta, "don't make a mystery out of nothing! She gave the bird -because the girl was ill and wanted it, and there the matter ends." - -Augusta ran off, and Kitty and Nora owned that they felt considerably -cheered. - -When they saw Nancy next, Kitty ran up to her, kissed her, and said: - -"We are neither of us angry now." - -"What do you mean?" answered Nancy. - -"About the bird, you know." - -"But were you angry with me, Kitty?" - -"Why, yes, Nancy; we both were a little. We gave it to you, you know, -and we had to save up a good bit to get a really nice one." - -"I forgot about that," said Nancy. - -"But you did quite right, Nancy," said Nora; "and we are not a scrap -angry now. We are so glad that the little girl should have it; she -must have wanted it far more than you did. It was very brave of you to -give it to her, Nan, and we both love you more than ever." - -"But I didn't give it to Grace to comfort her--not for a single -moment," said Nancy; and then she stopped short and faced the two -little Richmond girls, and said emphatically: "Don't let us talk any -more about Sunbeam, for if you do I shall break my heart. Oh, how you -do stare, Kitty! You look quite silly with your mouth open. Come, who -will race me to the end of the avenue?" - -Away the three went, flying as if on the wings of the wind. They came -bang up against Captain Richmond, who was returning from his calls. - -"Hullo!" he said. "Well won, Nancy; you are considerably ahead of the -others. Is it a race or what?" - -The three were now all laughing heartily; but when she got back her -breath, Nancy's face looked paler than its wont. The Captain noticed -it, and holding out his hand, clasped hers. - -"Come here," he said. "Are you fretting about your bird? What is -wrong?" - -Tears filled Nancy's eyes; she could not speak. - -"Don't question her, please, Uncle Pete," said Kitty. "She has been -quite, quite darling and sweet about Sunbeam. But she must not be -questioned. Only if you stoop down I will tell you in a whisper.--Go -on, Nancy; walk on with Nora." - -"Please don't talk about it," said Nancy in an imploring voice; but -she took Nora's hand and walked on in front. - -"Stoop, Uncle Pete; she must not hear," said Kitty. "She gave her -darling Sunbeam, whom she loves so passionately, to that little sick -girl in the wood--Grace Hammond--because the little girl wants the -bird more than she does." - -"Was that the reason? Oh, how pleased I am!" said the Captain. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -"IS WRONG RIGHT?" - - -The day arrived when Augusta was to go to the Cinderella dance at the -Asprays'. All her plans were made. She was to go unknown to her -family. She was to return equally unknown. As far as she was -concerned, not a single member of the Richmond family was ever to -discover this escapade. - -How delicious the whole thing sounded! How she would enjoy herself! -She was to be daring and disobedient: she was to defy all the laws -which ruled her life. She was to slip away under cover of the -darkness, and come back again in the small hours, and no one was to -know. She was to wear her prettiest dress, and dance, and be merry; -and no one was to find out. And all the time she would pose as the best -of girls--the noblest member of Captain Richmond's battalion--the -soldier who on the great day of the prize-giving would be presented -with the Royal Cross. - -"Some day, perhaps, I will tell them," she said to herself--"some -long, happy, delicious day in the future, when I have been to Paris -and got all my fun out of that; when I am engaged to a sort of prince, -when my trousseau is being made, when my wedding presents are -arriving. When life can scarcely present me with anything more, then, -_perhaps_, I will tell how I slipped out and went to a dance in -the dead of night, and came back, and no one ever found out. I will -tell then of my pleasure. But, oh, the present fun--the present fun!" - -Now, for a long time Augusta had made up her mind that she would tell -her secret to no one; but on looking into matters she feared it would -be absolutely impossible for her to get back again into the house if -she had not a confederate. The right person to share it--the only one, -indeed, who could possibly help her--was Nan. Nan must make things -possible for her. She thought she knew a way of making her do this. - -Accordingly, after breakfast on the auspicious day, Augusta called the -little girl into her room. - -"Come here, Nancy," she said. "Come close to me; I want to look at -you. Do you know that you are an extremely pretty girl? When you are -grown-up you will be very much better-looking than either Kitty or -Nora. I only wish I had a face like yours. Such splendid eyes, and such -thick hair, and---- Why, what is the matter?" - -"Only I hate being flattered," answered Nancy. - -"Oh, as to that," replied Augusta, giving her head a toss, "I am -the last person to flatter any one; but you are so strange, Nancy, -one doesn't know how to take you. However, to the point. I am in -reality, although you don't think it, your very good friend. I am -always taking your part--_always_, Nancy. Oh! it is useless for you to -shake your head and look so glum and obstinate; it is a fact. And -now---- Why, child, how you stare!" - -"What do you want me to do, Augusta?" said Nan. - -Augusta could not help bursting out laughing. - -"What a cute young un it is!" she said. "You are quite right, Nancy -mine; I do require a little favour, which I hope you will grant--just -a tiny thing, Nancy. Will you grant it to your own poor Gussie who -loves you so much?" - -"Tell me what it is, Augusta." - -"Oh, how downright we are! Well, listen; it is for your private ear, -little Nan. Your dear Augusta is disposed to have a bit of a -spree--just a tiny morsel of adventure on her own account--something -not a bit wrong, but something that no one in the house, except sweet -Nancy, is to know about. Will Nancy help Augusta, or will she not?" - -"I would rather not, Gussie. I would rather not, really. I know it is -not right. I am so tired--oh, so dreadfully tired!--of doing naughty -things for you. Please don't ask me; and please don't do it, -Gussie--please, please don't." - -Augusta laughed again. - -"What a sweet, touching little plea!" she said. "But just too late, my -dear. Augusta is going to have her fun, and whether you help or not, -she intends to go through with it. You can make things easy for me, -and I shall get into no scrape, and be your humble and devoted servant -for ever after; or you can refuse, and I shall still do the naughty -thing--although, in that case, with a certain amount of risk. Will you -subject me to that, Nancy, when _you_ alone can make it quite -safe?" - -"I don't see why I shouldn't," replied Nancy. "If you choose to be -very naughty, why should I be naughty too?" - -"Oh darling, you are quaint; you really are the most _naive_ -creature I have ever come across. Now let me explain. I shall really -not be naughty at all. It is not as if my own father and mother or -Aunt Jessie were here. I owe no oath of fealty to that delightful -model, Uncle Peter; if he disapproves, that is his own lookout. In -short, Nancy, this is it (I will let the cat out of the bag): I want -to go to-night to a small dance--the most harmless, childish little -dance--at the Asprays'. Flora and I have arranged everything, and I am -to meet her at the other side of our wood. She drives me to their -house in a dogcart, and will bring me back again. And what I want you, -sweet Nancy, to do is to open the door for me--the hall door, -darling--yes, no less. I shall fling some gravel up to this -window--for you must sleep here to-night, Nancy--and when you hear it -you must patter, patter, patter downstairs on your ten little pink -toes and open the door for your darling, who will slip in and bless -you ever after." - -"I am not going to do it," said Nancy. "It is very, very wicked -indeed, and I won't do it." - -"Oh, come, how high and mighty we are!" - -"I won't do it, Gussie. I won't tell, of course; but let me go, -please. I don't want to be in the room with you. I don't like you at -all, Augusta. I don't want to have anything more to do with you." - -Nancy backed away; her eyes were full of fear. Augusta's eyes flashed -with downright anger. - -"It doesn't matter to me," she said, "whether you like me or not. -Before long now our dealings with each other will be at an end. But I -should like to keep in the good graces of the family till after -prize-day. Nancy, I could make it worth your while. You have done a -good many wrong things since you and I made each other's acquaintance. -You have been unhappy about it. Do you remember that paper you made me -write, in which I promised to give you leave to tell your own story -when we got back to town?" - -"Of course," said Nancy, "I remember all about it; it is the comfort -of my life." - -"I thought so, and that is why I saved it for you." - -"_You_ saved it for _me_! _You!_ I have it myself in my desk in -my room." - -"Once that little desk was left open," said Augusta, "and a bird of -the air came and informed somebody of the fact; and somebody, guided -by that mischievous little bird, went to see, and found that the -songster was right. Behold!" - -As she spoke Augusta opened a drawer and took out a sheet of paper, -and held it high above Nancy's head. - -"Oh, how mean and dreadful you are!" said Nancy. "Give it back; give -it back." - -"Certainly--to-morrow morning, after you have let me in." - -"Gussie, what am I to do? I cannot"---- - -"Now listen. I will give this back to you to-morrow morning. I will do -more for you--to-morrow morning. You are in trouble about your bird -Sunbeam. The supposition all over the house is that you neglected -it--forgot its water and its seed--in short, that but for Miss Roy -your pretty bird would have died of starvation. Now, I can put that -right for you--to-morrow morning. And there is another thing. Has it -never occurred to you to wonder why Mrs. Richmond, who is no relation -at all, is so good--so very good--to you? I can tell you that story, -and I can also explain about something with regard to the Asprays -which will put you into such a comfortable position that you will -literally have two homes to choose from, having absolute and complete -right to live in either. Few girls are as lucky as that. You can hold -up your head very high, Nancy Esterleigh, after I have told you what I -shall tell you--to-morrow morning. Now, having had several little -escapades with your conscience, will you have one more--the last--and -so put yourself into such a position that the worries of the past need -be worries no longer?" - -"Is it true that you can tell me all these things?" said Nancy. - -"True as I am standing here." - -"All about Mrs. Richmond?" - -"All about Mrs. Richmond." - -"And the true story about my darling, darling bird?" - -"I can clear you as regards the charge of cruelty; is not that -sufficient? There, Nancy, you are yielding; I thought you were." - -"I don't know whether I am yielding or not," said Nancy, "_but_ -you are tempting me;" and she ran across the room to the window. She -looked out. Kitty was going past with her apron full of corn; she was -about to feed the fowls in the farmyard. Seeing Nancy, she called out -to her: - -"There is a fresh brood of the downiest and sweetest little chicks -out, Nancy; won't you come and see them?" - -"Yes," called back Nancy; "in five minutes." - -"I will wait for you under the window if you will be quick," cried -Kitty. - -Nancy turned with an eager face to Augusta. - -"Tell me exactly--exactly what you want me to do," she said. - -"Oh, you little duck, you darling!" said Augusta. "How happy you will -be this time to-morrow! And _how_ obliged to you I am!" - -"Only tell me quick, Augusta." - -"Well, it is this, you little love--this, and this only. You must be -pretty loving to me to-day. You must, as it were, fawn on me, come -close to me after dinner and snuggle up to me, slip your hand inside -my arm, and all that sort of thing--you understand. And you are to say -to me before the others--Uncle Peter and all the rest--you are to say, -'Gussie darling, _may I_ sleep with you to-night?' And I am to -say 'No;' and you are to coax and coax me, and in the end I am to -yield. You are to do it in your very, very prettiest way, Nancy, and -the others are to hear you. Then, to-night I am going to pretend to -have a bit of a headache, and go to my room quite early. And you are -to say, 'Poor Gussie, her head is bad; I think I will go and bathe it -with aromatic vinegar;' and you are to slip up to my room, and you -need not come out again as far as the others are concerned. Then, -after I am gone, if any one comes to the door, you are to say, 'Hush! -Gussie's head is very bad;' and of course the some one will go away. -And then, oh! you are not to sleep, for that would be fatal; you are -to lie awake thinking over the wonderful things I am going to tell you -to-morrow. And at about half-past twelve, or perhaps nearer one -o'clock, I will throw a little gravel up to the window; and then you -are to slip down, softly, softly, and open the door and let me in. -Afterwards we _will_ have a time. I will tell you about my -partners, and how much Mr. Archer, that distinguished American, admires -me; and I will even repeat to you the compliments they have made to -me. And then in the morning you will have your reward. This is simple -enough, isn't it, Nan?" - -"Yes," said Nan. - -"And you will do it, darling--you will do it?" - -"Nancy, Nancy," shouted Kitty from below, "the five minutes are up." - -"Yes, I'll do it," answered Nancy. "It is very wicked--awfully -wicked--but I'll do it;" and she walked out of the room. - -"How flushed your cheeks are, Nancy!" said Kitty when the little girl -joined her. - -"Never mind, Kit," answered Nancy in an almost cross tone for her. -"Come and let us look at the pretty chicks. I am so sick of being -flattered!" - -"Has Augusta been doing that?" - -"Oh yes--no--I mean I don't know; but don't let us bother about her." - -"You are getting quite fond of Gussie, aren't you, Nan?" - -Nan opened her eyes very wide. An emphatic "No" was on her lips, but -instead she said, "Yes--of course." - -They went to the farmyard and spent an hour of what was perfect bliss -to Kitty, examining the birds. Then they each occupied a hammock in -the garden. Kitty read a new story-book, and Nancy lay with her eyes -shut, thinking of the dreadful thing which had befallen her. - -"I was wicked before," she said to herself, "but never as wicked as I -shall be to-night. Oh, how I hate myself! But she has got my paper -which has her promise that I may tell. She can put things right about -my darling bird; and she can tell me the story which Mrs. Richmond has -promised to tell me some day. Oh! she has tempted me, and I will do -it; I must, for I am too miserable to stay any longer as I am." - -"Nancy," said Uncle Peter's voice at that moment, "will you come for a -walk with me? I want to go down to the seashore; will you be my -companion?" - -"Won't you go, Kitty?" asked Nancy, for the Captain's society was by -no means to her taste just then. - -"I can't," answered Kitty, "for I have promised to go to the village -with Miss Roy and Nora." - -"Do you refuse me?" asked the Captain, putting on his most quizzical -expression. - -"No; of course not, Uncle Peter. I shall be delighted," she answered. - -He took her hand and helped her out of her hammock, and they were soon -going by their favourite walk in the woods to the seashore. - -"How silent you are, Nancy! Are you not going to cheer me up and make -my walk pleasant?" asked Uncle Peter. - -"I think I have a headache," replied Nancy. "Anyhow, I feel rather -dull." Then she looked suddenly up at the Captain, and said with eager -emphasis, "I know what I really want. I want to ask you a question." - -"Certainly, my dear little girl; what is it?" - -"Will you answer it without thinking that it has anything to do with -me?" - -"I will try, Nancy." - -The Captain's eyes were dancing as he fixed them on Nancy's flushed -face. - -"Oh! please don't look at me like that; it is just an ordinary -question. Perhaps I was reading a book and came to it; anyhow, that -explanation will do." - -"Yes, as a _preface_; now for the question." - -"Is it right," said Nancy--"I mean, could a boy--say a boy, or perhaps -a girl, or a man, or a woman--could they, any of them, be put in the -sort of position that they must do wrong to make things come right? -Would it be possible?" - -"I have never heard of the occasion where wrong could be put right by -that means," said the Captain. "Can you give me an instance? Then, -perhaps, I could explain better." - -"No, I can't give you any instance. I was just thinking about it." - -"And it has made you very grave." - -"It--oh no, it hasn't made me grave." - -"Nancy, it has troubled you." - -"Please, Uncle Peter, I was telling you, you know, because of the -book." - -"The book of your heart, Nancy; why don't you confide in me -altogether?" - -"There is nothing to confide; _indeed_ there is not." - -"Only if you had known of such a case you would be quite happy?" - -"I should be _happier_." - -"Then let me tell you quite frankly that I don't think there is such a -case. When people do wrong they have got to turn round and do right in -future. But it is impossible, at least to my way of thinking, to do -further wrong in order to make the old wrong come right." - -"I see," said Nancy. Her brow cleared; she took the Captain's hand and -pressed it warmly. "I am very glad I belong to your battalion," she -said--"very, very glad." - -"Has the fight been difficult, Nancy?" - -"You don't know--you will never know---- _Difficult_! Oh yes." - -"I am your captain, and again I say you ought to confide in me." - -"I will, whatever happens, when we go back to town. And thank you so -much, Uncle Peter!" - -"You will be able to go on reading that book now with a sense of -satisfaction." - -"The book is the story of a fight," said Nancy very slowly. "I think," -she added, "the poor, mangled soldier won't cave in to the enemy." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -DOWN BY THE WISTARIA. - - -Augusta came down to lunch in high spirits. All was going swimmingly. -She would have no difficulty now in carrying out her daring scheme. -The point of danger was practically passed. Nancy sat during lunch at -the same side as Augusta, so that astute young lady could not manage -to see her face; but after lunch the beginning of the little programme -which she had sketched out for Nancy's benefit ought to have been -begun. The endearing words, the suggestion of the night to be spent -together, ought to be spoken. But immediately after the meal was over -Nancy jumped up and ran out of the room. - -"Tiresome little thing, is she forgetting?" said Augusta to herself. -"Oh! perhaps it will do equally well at tea-time." - -But at tea-time Nancy was not there, and when Augusta inquired in -solicitous tones where the little favourite could have hidden herself, -Nora said: - -"Oh! Nancy is not coming back to tea; she has gone for a walk in the -woods with Miss Roy. She has gone, I think, to see little Grace -Hammond, and to find out how her bird is." - -"Did you want her for anything?" asked Kitty. - -"No," replied Augusta crossly; "I just asked where she could be. I am -very fond of little Nancy." - -All Augusta's plans had now to be rearranged. Having got over her -first wild anger against Nancy, she determined to ignore her, to do -exactly what she pleased in spite of her, and trust to the little -girl's promise not to tell unless she were obliged to. - -"Of course, she will never be obliged to," said Augusta to herself; "I -shall take good care of that." - -She then sat down and thought over matters. Yes, there was nothing -whatever for it but to get out of her window, to climb down by the -wistaria, and at night to return the same way. She could not possibly -risk the chance of a window being open downstairs. - -Fairleigh was an old-fashioned house, with shutters to all the lower -windows, which were fastened by iron bars. It was situated quite by -itself, and in a somewhat lonely part of the country, and these -precautions were considered advisable. Night after night the servants -closed the shutters and barred them, so there was no possible ingress -by any of the lower windows. - -Augusta considered herself in luck to have a room practically in a -wing all by herself. She went to the window and looked down. Neither -Nora nor Kitty would have thought anything of descending to the ground -and climbing up again by the thick arm of the wistaria which ran all -round this part of the house. But Augusta was not athletic, and had -she been less set upon her evening's amusement, she might have -hesitated at the peril of letting herself down and of returning again -by such romantic means. - -"Nothing venture, nothing have," however, and to go to the party she -was resolved. She went downstairs, saw Kitty, and said in a voice -which she rendered quite hollow: - -"I am very ill indeed, Kitty; I have one of my desperate headaches. Do -say good-night to the others, and forget all about me until you see me -to-morrow morning." - -"Are you going to bed?" said Kitty. "It is not seven o'clock yet." - -"I must lie down; I cannot hold my head up another moment." - -"But can't I do something for you? May I come and bathe your head, -Gussie? I should like to, really." - -"No, thanks," replied Augusta. "I would far rather be alone; quiet is -all that I require. Don't send me up anything to eat. Don't have me -disturbed on any account whatever. Good-night, Kitty, and say -good-night to the others for me; what I want is quiet." - -"You do look bad," said Kitty in an affectionate tone. She kissed her -cousin, and then ran into the grounds. Nora and Uncle Peter were -enjoying themselves under the shade of a big elm tree. - -"I am so sorry about poor Augusta!" said Kitty. - -"What about her?" said Uncle Peter. - -"She has gone to bed with a bad headache; she says she is not to be -disturbed. Oh! there is Nancy.--Come right over here, Nancy, and tell -us about the bird." - -"The bird is quite well," answered Nancy. - -Her pretty face was pale, and there were big dark shadows under her -eyes. Uncle Peter stretched out his hand and made room for her to seat -herself near him. - -"Has the wrong been put right?" he whispered. - -She coloured and looked up at him. - -"No," she answered slowly, speaking almost into his ear. "But the -wrong is not _more_ wrong than it was this morning." - -"What a conundrum!" he said, with a laugh; but his laugh was uneasy, -and he looked seriously at the child. - -"There is something more the matter with her than I had any idea of," -was his thought. - -"Augusta is ill," here called out Kitty; "she has gone to her room, -and is not to be disturbed." - -Captain Richmond had his arm round Nancy, and he felt a shiver run -through her frame as Kitty uttered these words. - -"What _can_ it all mean?" he said to himself. - -Meanwhile Augusta upstairs, even the mere thought of a headache -forgotten, was getting ready for her party. She put on her prettiest -white dress; the idea of borrowing a dress from the Asprays was not to -be thought of for a moment. She tied a pale gold sash round her waist, -and arranged her hair simply. Finally, she encircled her round and -pretty throat with a single row of valuable pearls, and slipped a gold -bangle on her arm. Her dress was pretty and suitable, and she looked -well in it. She gazed at her own reflection in the glass with -complacency. As a rule she had very little colour, but it was mounting -now with a rich damask hue into each of her cheeks. Having attired -herself all but her dancing-shoes, her gloves, and her fan, she -slipped on her waterproof. This completely covered the white dress. -She buttoned it right down, put a cap on her head, and looked out. The -ground was about five-and-twenty feet away, but it seemed to Augusta -then to be quite at a giddy distance. For a careful climber there was -no difficulty in the descent. It was but to place a foot on one branch -after the other of the wistaria, which spread forth its branches to -within three feet of the ground, and the deed was done. - -In order to make things more safe Augusta had tied a strong cord to -her window-sash; and then, the time being come and the home party all -in the house enjoying their supper, she locked her door, put out the -light, and began her descent. With the aid of the rope she was able to -manage it, and trembling very much, she finally reached the ground. - -Were the moon to come out brightly, and were any one to walk round to -that part of the house, that person might observe the rope hanging -from the window, and the window itself a little open. But Augusta must -take her chance of that. The sky was clouded over, too; it would -probably rain before long. So much the better for her. - -She ran quickly across the grounds and entered the woods. How dark and -solemn they were at this hour! Had she been less excited she might -even have felt a little bit afraid. But her excitement kept all -nervousness at bay. - -She ran on and on. Once she stumbled upon the stump of a tree which -was sticking out of the ground. She fell and slightly grazed her arm, -jumped up again, and went on. - -At last she had reached the farther entrance to the wood. Here Flora, -with the dogcart, ought to have met her; but there was no Flora and no -vehicle of any sort in sight. What was to be done? Was it possible -that Flora could have forgotten? Oh no, that would not be like her -friend. - -Augusta stood still, panting slightly, and feeling, for the first -time, subdued and a little alarmed. Should she go back and give up all -her glorious fun for which she had risked so much, or should she go -forward? - -The Asprays' house was two miles away. She made up her mind to walk -there. - -"Oh, how unkind of Flora--how horrid of her!" thought Augusta. "What -can--what can be the meaning of this? Well, I will get there somehow, -and shame her to her face." - -Accordingly, she started off to walk as fast as she could over the -dusty roads. It was nearly ten o'clock when she reached the Asprays'. -She was surprised to see no signs of festivity. A few lights were -burning in the drawing-room, and a few also in the dining-room. But -the place wore no air of expectancy or bustle or gaiety. - -"What can it mean? Have I come on the wrong night?" thought Augusta. - -She ran up the steps and sounded the front-door bell. In a moment the -butler threw open the door. - -"Is Miss Flora in?" asked Augusta, in some wonder. - -"Yes, miss; but---- - -"I want to see her. I must see her at once. Show me somewhere," said -Augusta in peremptory tones. - -"My mistress said, miss, no one was to come into the house, but"---- - -"Nonsense!" said Augusta. "I will see Miss Flora, and immediately." - -The man took Augusta into a small room on the ground floor, switched -on the light, and left her. In a minute or two Flora rushed in. - -"Gussie," she said, "how madly dangerous! What have you done it for?" - -"What have you neglected me for?" said Augusta, opening her mackintosh -and revealing her pretty evening-dress. "What is the matter? This is -the night of your party, and you promised to meet me outside our wood. -You never came, and I have walked all the way; and, oh, I am so tired, -and so dreadfully frightened! What is it, Flo? What is wrong?" - -"Then you never got my letter?" said Flora. - -"Oh no; but please explain this mystery. I am so tired. Is not there a -party to-night? Oh, I have gone through such a lot to come! And now -what can this mean?" - -"I am ever so sorry," said Flora. "Mother would be quite mad if she -knew you had come into the house, Gussie. It is too late for the rest -of us, unfortunately; but for you"---- - -"Oh, what is it?" - -"It is Constance. She is awfully ill--most fearfully, dangerously ill. -We have all been with her until this morning, and the doctor says the -whole house is infected. It is smallpox. Oh, isn't it frightful?" - -"Smallpox!" said Augusta. - -She would not have feared scarlet-fever or diphtheria. But -smallpox--that ghastly disease which did not always kill, but which -took the lovely and the graceful and the gracious and defiled them; -which made the fair face hideous, destroyed the right proportions, and -stamped them for life! - -Augusta, like every other girl in all the world, was afraid of -smallpox. - -"How was it I never got your letter?" she said. - -"It was only known this morning," continued Flo. "Even last night we -did not think much about it. She was fearfully ill, of course, and I -slept in her room. But she is subject to bad feverish attacks, and we -hoped she would get well, and that we need not put off the party. The -doctor came early this morning; and--she is covered with it. Oh, it is -frightful! I have been vaccinated, and so has every one else in the -house. But the doctor says we have all run the gravest risk. There is -no use in our going away, however, for no one would take us in." - -"And is she--is she in danger?" Augusta cried, feeling a slight pang -of remorse as she remembered Constance's delicate and lovely features. - -"Oh, I don't know. They say it is a very bad case; she is quite -delirious. Oh, it is awful! I saw her this morning, and I would not -have known her. I am awfully upset, and I feel sick with terror. -Gussie, you ought not to have come in." - -"Perhaps I had better go away," said Augusta. "I am very sorry, of -course. It was a pity you didn't let me have the letter." - -"Mother gave it to the groom to take to you, but I suppose in the -scare he forgot it. I will speak to him in the morning. Would you like -him to drive you back now, Gussie? But the dogcart is not quite safe, -for poor Constance drove in it the day before yesterday. She fainted -before we brought her home; that was the beginning of her illness." - -"I had better walk," said Augusta. "Good-night." - -"Good-night. I won't tell mother that you came, as she would be in -such an awful fright. But I hope you have not run any danger. Perhaps -you had better tell your doctor and be vaccinated at once. -Good-night--good-night." - -Augusta went away. She did not even turn to kiss Flora. She nodded to -her vaguely, as though she were not thinking about her, and walked -down the avenue. When she had gone down a little way she turned and -looked up at the windows of the room where the sick girl lay -struggling with death. She gave a shudder, and hurried her footsteps. - -What an end to her mad adventure! - -She was very tired, and all the excitement which had kept her up -during the past day was now merged into a great terror. What should -she do? Had she contracted infection in that terrible house? Ought she -to be vaccinated? - -All her thoughts were for herself. She was more angry with Constance -than sorry for her. How severely that groom ought to be blamed for not -delivering the note! - -It was after eleven o'clock when she got back to Fairleigh. Had things -turned out as she expected she would not have got back nearly so soon. -The house was in darkness except for a light in the library window. -The window was shut, and so were the shutters, but the light came out -on the gravel through one or two of the chinks. - -Augusta knew that Captain Richmond was there. He generally stayed in -the library for an hour or so after the others had gone to bed. Just -for a moment a wild longing came over her to tell him what had -happened--to seek his advice. If she were infected, had she any right -to infect the others? - -She must not attempt to go back to her room while Captain Richmond was -in the library, for the library was almost immediately under her room. - -"What a nuisance his sitting up so late!" she thought. - -She was too tired to walk another step. She sank down on a garden -seat, wrapped her mackintosh round her, and tried to think; but her -head was giddy, and her brain in a whirl. Her one and only desire was -to get back safely to her room--to fling herself on her bed and lose -consciousness in sleep. - -Even the prize, the great and glorious prize, was as nothing to her -now. Even school in Paris seemed remote and uninteresting. Suppose she -sickened for smallpox. Suppose her face, so smooth and fair and -attractive-looking, was altered and made ugly. Suppose she--died. - -"Oh, why doesn't that horrid man go to bed?" thought the girl. She -jumped up and paced about on the grass. She had been too hot; she was -now too cold. - -After a time, to her horror, she heard the shutters being unbarred. -The window opened, and Captain Richmond put out his head. - -"Is anybody there?" he said. "I thought I heard some one speak. Is -anybody there?" - -There was no answer. - -Augusta, in terror, was hiding behind a bush of laurustinus. - -[Illustration: Augusta in terror was hiding behind a bush of -laurustinus.] - -"I must have fancied it," thought the Captain, - -He waited for another minute, then shut the window, refastened the -shutters, put out the light, and went up to his own room. - -Augusta breathed a sigh of relief. Creeping carefully forward, she -reached the wistaria, and clutching the cord, began cautiously to -ascend. But if she had been nervous descending from her window, that -was nothing at all to her present feelings. She was thoroughly -unstrung, and very tired. When she had nearly reached the top she gave -a sudden lunge forward, missed the rope, and only saved herself by -clutching hold of the bare arm of a part of the vine. - -In doing so she gave her wrist intolerable pain, and very nearly -fainted. But the danger in which she found herself steadied her nerves -sufficiently to enable her to make another great effort, and a moment -later she was safe inside her room. - -"So much for stolen pleasures," thought the miserable girl. "Here I am -back again, battered, torn--oh, how my wrist aches!--and having run -into the gravest danger of my whole life. But there! I must only hope -for the best. Now to untie the cord, put it carefully out of sight, -shut the window, take off my horrid, useless finery, and get into -bed." - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -AUGUSTA IS FRIGHTENED. - - -The next day Augusta's wrist was considerably swollen, and she was in -such pain that when Miss Roy went to see her she immediately said the -doctor had better be sent for. Augusta herself was scarcely thinking -of her wrist. - -"If I can only see the doctor by himself," she thought, "and get him -to vaccinate me and say nothing about it. But that is quite -impossible. And yet, it certainly ought to be done." - -The girls were all very kind to Augusta, whose head ached, and who was -quite willing to remain in bed. But the one question on all the pairs -of lips was: - -"How did you do it, Gussie? How did you give your wrist such an awful -sprain?" - -"I did it shutting the window," said Augusta, jumping at the first -excuse she could think of. "Oh, it is nothing; I shall get up -presently. It is not my wrist that I mind so much, but the headache I -had yesterday evening has not quite gone." - -The doctor came, and said the wrist was badly sprained. He bandaged it -carefully, and told Augusta she must wear her arm in a sling. - -"How did you say you did it?" was his final remark. - -"In shutting the window," said Augusta. "I slipped somehow." - -The doctor made no reply, but he gave Augusta a somewhat searching -look. - -"He doesn't believe me," thought the girl. "I wonder what he thinks I -have been up to. Have I really such a wicked look? For one who means -to win the Royal Cross that would never do. That dear, sanctimonious -Uncle Peter would scent mischief, and my chances would be over." - -Augusta put on a very mournful expression. The doctor took his leave, -assuring her that he would return on the following morning. - -"I wish he were a nice, young, handsome doctor," thought Augusta; -"then perhaps I could coax him to keep my secret for me, and to -vaccinate me without telling the others. But he is just the most -stupid sort--middle-aged and matter-of-fact." - -She lay back on her pillows, feeling exhausted and languid. She had -gone through a great deal more than she had any idea of herself on the -previous night. - -The other girls took turn about to come and sit in her room. Nancy -came early in the afternoon. The day was hot and one of the windows -was wide open. Nancy sat with her elbows on the window-sill, and now -and then she looked out. - -Augusta pretended to read a book; she did not care to talk to Nancy. -Presently the little girl's voice sounded in her ear. - -"You didn't really sprain your wrist when you shut the window, did -you?" she asked. - -"The less you know, Nancy, the better for you." Augusta answered. - -Nancy coloured, and shut her lips. Augusta again took up her book. - -"What trash this is!" she said. "I do hate children's books. Is there -nothing racy and lively in the house?" - -"I will go to the library and look," said Nancy. - -"Get a novel--a good, rousing love story." - -"I don't know what sort of books those are," replied Nancy. - -"Oh, you are too good to live, Nancy! You make me perfectly sick. Get -one of Mrs. Henry Wood's books. I don't much care for her, but she is -better than no one." - -Nancy left the room. She went down to the library and searched for a -long time, but could not find any of Mrs. Henry Wood's novels, and was -returning again to Augusta's room when she met the Captain. - -"Whither away, Nancy?" he asked in a cheerful tone. - -"I am sitting with Augusta," answered Nancy. "She is better, but she -is not at all like herself. I wanted something exciting for her to -read." - -"Have you found what you wanted?" - -"No." - -"Come back to the library and we will look together." - -They searched along the well-lined walls, and presently Nancy took -_King Solomon's Mines_ up to Augusta. - -"Little stupid! I have read it," said Augusta; and she flung the book -with passion to the other side of the room. - -"You will hurt your wrist if you are so rough," said Nancy. She went -and stood by the window. She looked out, and suddenly made an -exclamation. - -"Why, Gussie!" she cried. - -"Well, what now?" - -"How did you do---- Oh, I say! there is your gold bangle hanging on -one of the small branches of the wistaria--just half-way down. How -_did_ it get there?" - -"Can it be seen?" asked Augusta. - -"Seen!" answered Nancy. "Of course it can; it shines like anything." - -"Run down at once; go under my window and find out if you can see it -from below." - -"But I am sure I can. Why should I go?" - -"Go to oblige me; and be quick, Nancy--be quick." - -Nancy went. She returned in a few minutes. - -"It can be seen," she said; "and very plainly, too." - -"Then you must manage to get it off that branch, Nancy. Do you hear? -You must." - -"I!" cried Nancy. "But how, Gussie? How am I to get down? It is ever -so many feet away." - -"You must climb down." - -"But I am afraid of climbing. I always get giddy when I look from any -height. I daren't do it, Gussie; I should fall on my head and get -killed." - -"You really are the most tiresome child," said Augusta. "Here, stand -out of my way. Let me look for myself." - -Augusta got out of bed, and peeped over the window-sill. - -"How very awkward!" she said. "How could it have got there? It must -have dropped from my arm last night when I went to look out." - -"Just before you shut the window?" said Nancy. - -"Well, yes. Do you think any one will believe that story?" - -"No, I don't," replied Nancy after a moment's pause. - -Augusta laughed. "Goosey, goosey, gander!" she said. "I might have -known that you were not quite such a goose as all that. Now, could we -not hook it up with an umbrella handle? Do let's try." - -Both girls tried, but in vain. - -"There is nothing for it, Nancy, but to get the gardener to bring a -ladder. You must point it out to him, and ask him to take it down. -Where is the gardener to-day?" - -"I don't know," replied Nancy. "I have not seen him." - -"Well, you must go and look for him. What are the rest of them doing?" - -"We are all going to have tea in the woods." - -"And leave me! How unkind!" - -"Miss Roy said she would sit with you." - -"No, Nancy; she must not. You will have to stay with me. Do you hear? -You must make up some sort of excuse, and then when they are all away -we will ask the gardener to get us back the bracelet. Do you hear, -Nancy? You must do it. I should get into the most horrible scrape -otherwise; and after the way you deserted me last night it is the very -least you can do." - -"Very well," said Nancy in a low tone. "But I did want to go to the -woods," she murmured under her breath. - -"I know you are to be trusted," said Augusta. "And now I think I may -have a few minutes' sleep. You can wake me when tea arrives." - -Nancy went downstairs and told the others that she intended to stay -with Augusta. Miss Roy exclaimed: - -"My dear, you are looking quite pale. I often feel anxious about you. -You want the air. You have been with Augusta for ever so long to-day." - -"Indeed, I would rather stay," answered Nancy; and she coloured so -painfully, and there was such an eager, supplicating glance in her -eyes, that Miss Roy said nothing further. - -"What a dear, sweet, unselfish little soul she is!" thought Captain -Richmond. He was disappointed not to have her company in the woods; -but as he passed her side he patted her on the shoulder. - -"I can quite understand that the brave soldier sometimes denies -himself," he said. - -A lump came into Nancy's throat, but she made no reply. - -The party went off, carrying a kettle and a tea-basket. Their voices -faded away in the distance, and Nancy went up to Augusta. - -"They have gone; I have heard them," cried Augusta. "Now fetch the -gardener, and be very, very quick." - -Nancy went downstairs. She raced all over the place, and at last she -found Simpson, the very worthy old gardener whom Mrs. Richmond always -employed. - -"Can you come with a ladder, and can you come at once?" asked the -little girl. - -"Well now, miss, I am particular busy to-day," was Simpson's answer; -"but if so be as you want me very bad, why, I'll do what I can for -you, miss. But if it is for that other young lady----" - -"Is it for the other young lady, miss?" - -"It is for me, because I want to help her," said Nancy. "She has -dropped a bracelet--a gold bangle--into the wistaria which grows up to -her window." - -"Oh! I know that wistaria," said Simpson, with a laugh. "It is a good, -steady sort of tree, and afore now it has been made useful. Well, -missy, if Miss Augusta has dropped her bangle into the wistaria it can -wait till to-night. I need not lug a ladder all that way in the midst -of my other work." - -"Oh! she wants you to come _now_; she does indeed, Simpson." - -"Then I must go," replied the old man; and presently he and his ladder -appeared under the window of Augusta's room. Augusta had partly -dressed, and stood by the window giving directions. When the bangle -was handed in to her she seized it, but not very graciously. - -"Here," she said to Simpson, "is a shilling; and I am much obliged to -you. You will never speak of it, of course; it is _quite_ a -private matter, and you must never on any account tell." - -"I ain't likely to tell what don't concern me," replied Simpson--"that -is, I don't tell unless I am arsked. But as to your shilling, miss, -you can keep it, for I don't want none of it." - -[Illustration: "As to your shilling, miss, you can keep it, for I -don't want none of it."] - -He stepped down from the ladder and moved slowly away. - -"What a horrid, impertinent old man!" said Augusta when he had -gone. "But there! the bangle is all right. Put it into my jewellery -drawer, Nancy. Oh dear! I wonder, Nancy, if you have ever felt -frightened--scared, you know." - -"Yes; once I did," replied Nancy. - -"Did you? Oh! I wish you would tell me about it. It would interest me; -it would be as good as a novel." - -"It was when mother was alive," said Nancy. "The doctor said she was -very ill, that she might be dead in the morning. She did not -die--not--not then; but I spent an awful night. Yes, I was scared." - -"I don't think the account of your being scared sounds very -fascinating, Nancy," said Augusta. "It is not like my scare." - -"But are you scared about something?" - -"Yes; I have had a great and terrible scare." - -"Won't you tell me?" - -"Not yet; I will some time, but not yet. I think I'll get up now; I am -much better. Come, help me into my dress. We will both be downstairs -when they come back from the woods." - -Nancy helped Augusta to dress, and the two girls went downstairs. - -The party from the woods returned about eight o'clock. They were all -excited, and brimful of news. Miss Roy was the first to speak of it. - -"How lucky," she said--"how very, very lucky it is that Mrs. Richmond -has forbidden you girls to have anything to do with the Asprays!" - -"Why?" asked Nancy. - -"My dear, a terrible--most terrible--thing has happened. That poor, -pretty girl Constance is down with malignant smallpox. She is terribly -ill, and the doctors say not likely to recover. The doctors are -terribly anxious, and they have sent for a specialist from town." - -"How did you hear it?" asked Augusta. She was standing in the shadow, -and as she spoke she pulled Nancy towards her. - -"Keep quiet," she whispered in her ear.--"How did you hear it, Miss -Roy?" she repeated; and she fixed her eyes, bold and restless, on the -governess's face. - -"Some friends of ours passed through the woods, and they told us," she -answered. "How terrible it all is! I only wish we could help them, -poor creatures, but that is not to be thought of. They say the whole -family are liable to catch it, as the unfortunate girl was with them -during the first stage of the disease. There is no more fearful -disease than smallpox. I almost wonder, girls, if your mother would -like you to remain here." - -"Oh! the girls are perfectly safe at Fairleigh," said the Captain. "I -can take it upon myself to say that. But it may be better for them not -to go into the town until we find out how the poor girl got the -complaint." - -"Nancy, I am not quite well; will you help me back to my room?" -Augusta tottered as she spoke, and fell into a chair which stood near. - -Both Kitty and Nora rushed up to her, and Miss Roy went to the -sideboard and fetched a glass of wine. - -"Your wrist has hurt you very much, dear," she said. "You ought not to -have come down. What a very excellent thing that you have not been -near the Asprays for a long time! It is quite a fortnight since you -saw any of them." - -"Oh, quite--quite!" answered Augusta. - -"And now, as you suggested," said Miss Roy, "you had better go to your -room.--Kitty, you go with your cousin. Nancy ought to have a run in -the fresh air before night." - -"No; I want Nancy. I can't--I won't have any one else," said Augusta. - -"And I don't want to go out, really," said Nancy, looking full at Miss -Roy as she spoke. - -The two girls left the room and went upstairs. - -The moment they got to her room Augusta said, "Lock the door, Nancy; -lock it, and come over close to me. Take my hands in yours. Feel how -cold I am. Feel how I tremble." - -"Yes--yes; I know," said Nancy. - -"And you know also about my terror--my scare?" - -"Yes; I think so. But, Gussie, _were_ you there last night?" - -"Yes; in the house--the very house. I saw Flora, and Flora had slept -in the room with Connie the night before; and they said I ought not to -have come in, but I went. Oh! I am sure I am infected, and if I get it -I shall die. Oh Nan! I am sick with terror--sick with terror." - -"You must tell," said Nancy. "You must tell Uncle Peter and Miss Roy -at once. I know they will forgive you and be sorry for you; but, -Augusta, you must tell." - -"Tell!" said Augusta. "You little horror, if you let it out, I don't -know what I shall not do to you. Of course I won't tell; why should I? -Tell! Why, that would mean no Paris, no Royal Cross. It would mean -disgrace; it would mean ruin. I am _never_ going to tell." - -"But suppose you get smallpox." - -"Will telling save me?" - -"But it will save the others. You ought not to be with them. You may -give it to Kitty and Nora." - -"And to Nancy. Now I know why Nancy is so anxious that I should make a -confession. But I won't tell; and you must not tell. Now sit close to -me, and let us think. It is a real comfort to have you to confide in. -There! put your arms round my neck and hug me. Oh dear, how miserable -I am!" - -Augusta was so really wretched, and so genuinely terrified, that Nancy -could not but pity her. It was impossible to be cross in the midst of -such agony; and when Augusta crept close to the little girl, and -squeezed her tight, and laid her head on her shoulder, Nancy found -herself, in spite of everything, returning her embrace. - -"You are a nice little thing," said Augusta--"so soft and petable. -You don't know how you comfort me and help me to bear up. What I -really ought to do is to be vaccinated. Dr Earle ought to vaccinate -me, but I am afraid to speak to him." - -"He certainly would tell the others," said Nancy; "and," she added, "I -must, of course, tell them. You know, Gussie, it would be very, -_very_ wrong of me to keep this a secret." - -Augusta sat still, thinking hard. Notwithstanding her softness and -gentle appearance, she knew well that Nancy could be obstinate. She -could be firm; she could be valiant for the truth. Augusta had proved -all that the day before when the little girl had refused to help her -in her escapade; so she tried to consider the best possible means of -securing poor Nancy's silence by guile. - -"After all, now that I come to think of it, there would be no use in -my being vaccinated," she said. - -"Why?" Nancy asked. "I thought it was considered a sort of safeguard." - -"Yes; but I was done two years back, and I didn't take it. The doctor -did me twice, and I didn't take it either time, and he said that -proved I was not liable to smallpox. What a good thing I remembered! I -am not half so frightened now, for our clever doctor at home must have -known what he was talking about. Don't you think his opinion worth -having, Nancy?" - -"Yes; it comforts me too," said Nancy. "But still, I am sure you ought -to tell." - -"Now, why, you little goose? Do consider and be sensible, Nan. Oh, you -must squeeze your arms round my neck again; I do so love to feel them! -You know I am deeply attached to you, Nancy. I never mean to let you -go out of my life--never." - -"Oh!" answered Nancy. - -"And you love me too; don't you, little darling?" - -"I--I _pity_ you," said Nancy, her voice trembling. - -"Well, well! pity is akin to love. But now to the point at issue. -Remember what my doctor said. I am almost sure I shall not take the -smallpox, and there would be no use in vaccinating me, for I certainly -should not take that; so what would be the good of frightening every -one? Think of the awful fortnight they would have, not being certain -any moment whether I should get ill or not." - -"Yes, but Nora and Kitty could go away." - -"Where would be the use of that? I cannot infect them unless I get it. -The clothes I wore when I was with Flora are hanging up in my -cupboard. I have nothing on me that I wore then. Nancy, do believe -that I am wiser than you. It would be cruel to frighten them all. I -will tell them _afterwards_--yes, I will tell them afterwards, -when the fortnight is past, when the danger is over; and meanwhile, if -you will only be silent, I will do everything for you that I promised -to do if you had helped me last night. Think what that means: the -paper I robbed you of returned; and all the story of your past life -explained. What a time we shall have together! And how wise you will -be when you know the truth!" - -"And my bird--my darling Sunbeam?" whispered Nancy. - -"Perhaps I will tell about that too. I am awfully sorry about it. But, -anyhow, you shall know the two other things, and we will be a good bit -together for the next few days. Nancy, the moment I feel ill, the -least little scrap ill, with a headache or anything, I will go away to -my room, and no one shall see me but you. You are not nervous about -yourself, are you?" - -"Not a scrap," answered Nancy. - -"You promise that you will not tell?" - -"Oh, I suppose it is frightfully wrong--I am almost sure it is -frightfully wrong--but you do tempt me; and if what you say is quite -true--I mean about the vaccination--perhaps it would do no good to -tell." - -"But I'll tell you what you can do. Now that Miss Roy knows about -Connie, you can put it into her head to have the rest of you -vaccinated. Oh, my dear Nancy, I feel quite happy at last." - -So Nancy yielded. She was sorry enough afterwards, but she yielded, -being compelled by Augusta's entreaties, by the look in her eyes, and -the tempting bait she held up for her acceptance. - -That night Nancy was in possession of some important pieces of -information. She knew exactly the position she held with regard to the -Asprays. She could claim the Asprays' house as her home by right at -any moment. She could leave Mrs. Richmond, and go to Mr. Aspray and say, -"You owed my father money, and now I have come to you, and you are -bound by your own solemn promise to my father to take me and provide -for me. This is my _right_, and I owe nothing to you, because my -father helped you with a large sum of money." - -This was the news that Nancy was told by Augusta, but she took good -care not to enlighten the little girl as to how she came by the -information, Nancy listened with flushed cheeks and shining eyes; and -presently, tired out, she went away to bed. - -"I suppose I ought to be glad," she thought as she laid her head on -her pillow; "but I am not glad, for I can never consider the Asprays' -house my own. And, yes--oh yes--I would _rather_ be Mrs. -Richmond's little charity-girl than be the grandest girl in the world -as Mr. Aspray's adopted daughter." - -This news kept her from thinking so much about the smallpox, and about -the danger which Augusta had run. - -"Nan," said Kitty as she tumbled into bed, "how hot your face is! You -tire yourself over Gussie." - -"Oh, I am all right," said Nancy. - -"Isn't it a good thing," said Nora, "that Augusta has not been so much -with the Asprays? She might have got into most awful danger; but, as -it is, all is safe." - -Nancy was silent, and Kitty gave her a very earnest glance. - -"You know something, and you are not going to tell us," she said -abruptly. - -"I wish you would not question me. I have a headache," pleaded Nancy. - -"Well, no, we won't. Gussie could not have been so awfully, awfully -wicked as to disobey Uncle Peter. We do know that she might be guilty -of tiny sins, but a great monstrous one like that--oh, it is -impossible! Now, Nan, get into bed and get your headache well. Oh, -what a pity you were not downstairs to-night! We were discussing all -about prize-day. Uncle Peter has arranged that it comes off on -Thursday week--that is, in about ten days from now. Oh, it will be a -day and a half, I can tell you!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -UNCLE PETER'S CONSIDERING CAP. - - -Certainly prize-day was to lose no outward manifestation of its great -importance. A telegram had arrived from Mrs. Richmond announcing her -safe arrival at the Cape. But when she would be back again was quite -uncertain. - -The girls, however, determined to have a right good time in her -absence; and in this they were aided and abetted by the Captain, who, -for all his moral qualities, enjoyed a lark with the best. - -So far as the special prizes went, they were to be bestowed upon the -successful candidates in private. "For our battalion is more or less a -secret one," said the Captain. "We fight, you know, against -_invisible_ foes, against the powers of the air, so to speak, and -we don't want _visible_ people--acquaintances, and so on--to -behold us either in our defeat or victory. I propose that the prizes -should wind up the day, when all the guests have gone, and the dance -is over, and the fun is at an end. Then will come the crowning event, -after which all must necessarily be bathos." - -The girls willingly agreed, and preparations were set on foot for the -festival. Captain Richmond decided that the early part of the day -should be given up to the poor people of the neighbourhood. There -should be a dinner on the lawn, followed by games and tea. Several -prizes for feats of skill were to be offered, and the usual amusements -provided. - -Captain Richmond, who came down to Fairleigh almost every year, -belonged to a workmen's club and a boys' cricket club, and was -consequently well known by most of the people in the place. -Invitations were sent out to quite a hundred poor people, and very -busy were the Fairleigh servants preparing for the work which lay -before them. For visitors were also to arrive in the afternoon--the -several young folks whom the Richmonds happened to know. They were to -help to entertain the poor people, who were expected to take their -departure at six o'clock. Then would follow a dance in the great -drawing-room, ending by supper. Supper would usher in the departure of -the guests, and after that the successful winner of the Royal Cross -would be decorated with her great honour. This was the plan, and great -delight did it cause among the young people. - -Augusta was now as gay as the others. She had forgotten all possible -danger, and except that she avoided speaking of the Asprays, turning a -little white when the subject of Connie's terrible illness was -broached, she certainly looked as if nothing ailed her. She was quite -in her element making preparations for the great prize-day, and proved -a most useful, clever, and efficient mistress of the ceremonies; for, -being the eldest girl, Captain Richmond was forced to put her into -this position. Neither Kitty nor Nora wished for it; and as to Nancy, -she was of course quite out of the running. - -"We must have new dresses for the dance," said Augusta. "We ought to -send to town for them." - -"As to that," replied Captain Richmond, "you must please yourselves, -girls. I never did know anything about dress; but it seems to me that -all girls look much alike--that is, as far as their dress is -concerned. Oh yes, put on something white and feathery-looking; that -is the correct thing, is it not?" - -"Uncle Pete, you are quite too killing!" said Gussie; and she laughed -with great enjoyment. That afternoon she sent a long letter to her -mother's dressmaker in town, the result of which was that an -interesting and mysterious-looking box arrived for her on the day -before the dance. It was taken straight up to her room, and she -invited the three other girls and Miss Roy to come and witness the -unpacking. - -"I just do _adore_ finery," said Gussie. "I don't pretend for a -moment that I am made any other way. I revel in pretty things. No one -could ever give me too much dress or too many fine feathers. Now -then"---- - -The cord of the box was removed, the lid was lifted, and between folds -of tissue-paper a beautiful white silk, soft as quantities of delicate -lace and chiffon could make it, was unfolded. - -"Isn't it just too sweet?" said Gussie. "Fancy me in it. I wish I were -quite grown-up so that I might have a train. Well, I shall be grownup -in two years' time. Two years don't take _very_ long to run--do -they, Miss Roy?" - -"Not when you get as old as I am," said Miss Roy; "but at your age -they go somewhat slowly. Yes, it is a pretty frock, but, in my -opinion, a little too dressy for the occasion.--My dear Nora and Kitty -and Nancy, you will look very countrified beside Augusta." - -"Oh, we don't mind," said Nora, with a laugh. - -"In fact," said Kitty, "we would rather wear plain washing frocks, -which can just be put into the tub and come out as fresh as ever." - -"Sour grapes," said Augusta. "Now, Nancy here would like a dress of -this sort.--Wouldn't you, Nancy?" - -"Yes--very much," replied Nancy. - -Miss Roy gave her a critical and somewhat surprised glance. - -"I didn't know that you cared about fine clothes, Nancy," she said. - -"Not always; but I should have liked a dress like Augusta's for -to-morrow. All the same," she added, "I am not going to be unhappy -about it." - -"Put your dress back, dear," said Miss Roy. "I am glad you are -pleased. And now let us go downstairs. You know, my dears, the news -about poor Connie Aspray is very serious indeed. She was so ill last -night that she was not expected to live. If anything were to happen to -her, our party to-morrow could scarcely take place. However, we must -hope for the best.--Augusta, you are looking very white and tired; you -won't be good for anything unless you go to bed soon. Now come down; -Uncle Peter is waiting for his supper." - -After supper that night Kitty ran up to Nora and began to whisper to -her. Nora looked excited, and nodded her head once or twice. The end -of the little girls' confab was a sudden rushing of two eager pairs of -feet all over the grounds looking for Uncle Peter. Eventually the -Captain was discovered, smoking by himself in an arbour at one end of -the grounds. - -"We knew you by the glow-worm in your mouth," said Nora, with a peal -of laughter. "And now we want you to do something for us--oh, so very, -very badly!" - -"Well, come, young monkeys," said the Captain, making room for a -niece to sit on each side of him. "Now then, what is the news? Oh, how -your eager, silly little hearts beat! What is up, young-uns?" - -"It is about Nan," said Nora. "You know, Uncle Pete, that there never -was a little girl less vain than Nancy." - -"My dear child, I am quite willing to believe you; but why should -Nancy be vain?" - -"Oh, you know she is sweetly pretty." - -"She is," said the Captain; "she has quite a charming face." - -"And we want her to look the very prettiest girl in the room to-morrow -night. Augusta has such a grand frock, sent all the way from London--a -flounced and billowed and chiffoned dress, Uncle Pete--and she is so -conceited about it; and to-night, when we were looking at it, Nancy -said she would like a frock like that. Poor darling! we were rather -surprised--though, after all, it did seem quite natural. And, Uncle -Pete, we want her to have one; and, Uncle Pete, _can_ you manage -it?" - -"Good gracious, my dear child! I know nothing about clothes." - -"Oh, couldn't you go to town and see what the very grandest shop -has--ready-made, you know? Surely there must be something that Nan -could wear." - -"But to-morrow is the day of the festival. Even if I started now to -London I could not be back in time." - -"But couldn't you go to Exeter? You could get to Exeter in an hour and -a half." - -"And find all the shops shut, Nora." - -"Couldn't you take the very earliest train tomorrow morning and get -back in time?" - -"I could, of course, only what state should I find this place in -here?" - -"Oh! we will see to that. We will do every single thing in your -absence." - -"What devoted little friends Nan has!" - -"Of course we are devoted to our darling; who would not be?" said -Nora. - -"It would be so lovely to see Gussie coming in all bows and smiles and -curtsies, and with that sort of affected way she has, and then Nancy -dancing in in her pretty dress, looking more beautiful than Gussie -could ever look!" said Kitty. - -"Really, Kitty, you can be quite eloquent when you please," said the -Captain. "Well, leave the matter to me." - -"You will do it, Uncle Peter; and you will manage the money part?" - -"Oh yes, child; I will manage the money part." - -"Well then, good-night, _dear_ Uncle Peter; we must be going to -bed." - -They tripped off through the darkness; and the Captain put on his -considering cap with a vengeance. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE BEGINNING OF THE SHADOW. - - -The day of the party dawned on the world as sunshiny as day could -dawn. The fierce heat of the sun was tempered by just the right amount -of breeze. The sultry weather of the past ten days had given place to -a fresher and clearer atmosphere. All the world ought to have been in -the best of spirits on such a glorious day in early autumn. - -About eleven o'clock Captain Richmond appeared on the scene, carrying -a square box in his hand. He entered the library, where Miss Roy -happened to be alone. - -Miss Roy's face was preternaturally grave, and when she saw the -Captain she uttered an exclamation of relief. - -"I am so glad you have come!" she said. "I want to speak to you -badly." - -"What is it?" asked Captain Richmond. - -"Will you shut the door and turn the key? I don't want any of the -children to overhear us." - -"Where are the children?" asked Captain Richmond. - -"Busy all over the place--busy as you might expect such little bees to -be on such an occasion. Oh, but I forgot! Gussie is lying down; she -has a slight headache and pain in her back." - -"Augusta doesn't seem too strong," said the Captain. "I have heard of -several headaches lately." - -"She is a very queer girl, and I don't understand her," said Miss Roy. - -"After all, Miss Roy," said the Captain, "she must be a very good -girl, for beyond doubt she will be the happy possessor of the Royal -Cross to-night." - -"You don't say so! I am amazed!" answered the governess. - -"To tell the truth, I am amazed myself, and a little disappointed. It -is wrong to say it, but I am. Still, there is no question with regard -to the matter. Augusta is the only one of the little battalion who has -not had a single bad mark for conduct." - -"I am sure poor Nora and Kitty have tried their best," said Miss Roy, -standing up for her pupils, as was natural. - -"Just so. I am sure you are right. Nevertheless, the poor mites have -little gray marks for carelessness, untidiness, forgetfulness, -registered against them on several occasions." - -"Yes," said Miss Roy, "that is true. I have entered those marks -myself, and regret having had to do so." - -"What else could you do?" said the Captain. "If there was anything in -my little scheme, absolute truth and justice were essential." - -"What about Nancy?" said Miss Roy, fixing her eyes on the Captain's -face. - -"Nancy!" said the Captain. "Don't you remember?" - -"Remember? Oh yes! Could I forget? But I had hoped"---- - -"What, my dear lady?" - -"That some explanation had been arrived at. How is it possible to -credit a child like Nancy with cruelty?" - -But then Miss Roy recalled the incident of the starving canary, and -her voice faltered as she spoke. - -"There is no explanation," said Captain Richmond. "I feel nearly wild -about it, I assure you. I have thought over the matter until my head -ached; but the entry was made by my sister-in-law, a woman who does -not make mistakes. It is impossible there could be anything wrong in -the entry. What Nancy did we don't know, but that mark takes away even -the remotest chance of her winning the Royal Cross." - -"Then you will tell her," said Miss Roy; "you will at least give her a -chance of explaining, if any explanation is possible?" - -"Yes; I shall have to speak of it at the time. It will be a painful -moment, but it is only just to the little girl." - -"I feel certain," said Miss Roy, "that Nancy will be able to put -matters right." - -But then again she thought of the canary, and once again her speech -seemed to choke her. - -"You must not worry about it," said Captain Richmond. "And now," he -added in a good-natured tone, "can I do anything for you? Pray command -me." - -"There is something I must speak to you about, Captain -Richmond--something very serious and painful. I cannot tell you how -grieved I am that such bad news should reach us on this auspicious -day. I think it will be our duty to keep what I am about to -communicate from the young people. Let them have one day of pleasure -at any rate. But the fact is, poor Constance Aspray is not expected to -live out the day, and a servant in the house has now developed -smallpox." - -"Indeed!" said the Captain. "How terrible!" - -"We cannot put off our guests now," said Miss Roy; "nor would it be -wise. Any kind of panic at such a time would be sure to make the -mischief worse. There have been a few other cases in the village, and -although they have been removed to hospital at once, yet it would -certainly be best for us to leave here to-morrow morning. I should not -feel I was fulfilling my duty to Mrs. Richmond if I allowed the -children to run any further risk." - -"Very well," said the Captain, "you must do as you think best. Only -let them all be happy for this day at least." - -He was about to leave the room, when he turned suddenly: - -"Could you have this box conveyed to Nancy's bedroom?" he said. "There -is a little surprise within for her; and I only wish I were able to -give her the Royal Cross to-night." - -Miss Roy promised to attend to Captain Richmond's request, and the -young man left the house. - -Outside, Kitty, Nora, and Nancy were rushing wildly about, arranging -benches, seeing to the best position for garden chairs, and helping -here, there, and everywhere. They rushed to the Captain with glad -welcomes, and he was soon as busy as the rest making preparations for -the evening. - -Lunch was extra early that day, in order to have everything in -readiness for the advent of the poor people early in the afternoon. - -Nancy and the other two girls went up to their rooms, and soon a -shriek from Nancy brought Kitty and Nora running to her bedroom. - -"Oh, is it a fairy--is it--is it? I don't know whether I am on my head -or on my heels," cried the little girl; "but such a darling, such a -beauty! Oh, isn't it just sweet? Who gave it to me? Kitty, it can't be -true; it must be meant for some other little girl." - -"No, it isn't. See what is written on that piece of paper," said -Kitty, whose face was red and her eyes dancing with joy. "See for -yourself, Nancy; see for yourself." - -Nancy read the following words on a little white card: - -"From a genie to a good fairy, with compliments." - -"Oh, it is quite mysterious!" said Nancy. "But are you certain that I -am the good fairy?" - -"Certain--positive," said Kitty. "Why, I could not wear that dress; it -is a great deal too small. What a figure of fun I should look with my -long legs! But it will suit you, Nancy, to perfection. I knew -that"---- - -"Hush, Kitty!" said Nora. - -"You are hiding something from me," said Nancy. - -"Nothing--nothing, truly: but do let us examine it. Is it not -wonderful to have a genie for a friend?" - -"What is a genie?" said Nancy. - -"A sort of grown-up fairy--better than a fairy, because he is -stronger, and he is quite grownup, you know. And if a little girl has -a genie for a friend, why, anything may happen to her. She might ask -for anything and she would probably get it. And, oh, what sweet little -shoes! And the stockings! Well done, Unc"---- - -"Kitty, you are quite incorrigible," said Nora. "But there, Nan! you -are in luck; the dress is yours, and you are to wear it to-night. Now -do come, Kit, for if we don't hurry we shall be late for lunch." - -Nancy folded the pretty frock and put it into its box. Kitty's words -had enlightened her: Uncle Pete was the genie; and, of course, she was -the good little fairy. - -"But am I a good fairy?" thought the child. "Oh, if he only knew! And -if he could only guess how my heart aches--often, often. I know I have -no chance of the Royal Cross to-night. I wonder who will get it. -Gussie hopes that she will. Perhaps she will, for she is so clever; no -one guesses when Gussie does wrong things--no one but me. Oh, how -unhappy she has made my life! Well, I must go to her now. I must find -out if her head is any better." - -Nan flew along the corridors, and soon reached Augusta's room, opened -the door without knocking, and went in. - -Augusta was lying in an uneasy doze, and her face was considerably -flushed. - -"It is lunch-time," said Nan; "aren't you coming down?" - -"No," said Augusta; "I could not eat anything." - -"Are you ill?" asked Nancy in a low, terror-stricken whisper. - -"No, I am not a bit ill," said Augusta; "but I have got one of my -stupid headaches. Don't look so scared, child. Come here, close to me, -Nan." - -"Yes," said Nancy; and she went to Augusta's side and bent over her. -"You are hot, Gussie; and, oh dear, how your face burns!" - -"I always get hot like that when I have these stupid headaches; but it -is better. I don't feel it when I am lying down. Nancy, has there been -any news from the Asprays?" - -"I have not heard of any," said Nancy. - -"Oh, what a relief"---- - -"We would have heard if--if the worst----" said Nancy. - -"Oh, of course; but don't let as think any more about them," said -Augusta. "And I am not a bit ill, really. Tell them all I am coming -down this afternoon, but I shall stay quiet until then." - -"But won't you have anything to eat, Gussie?" - -"No, no; nothing. I could not touch a morsel. Go away now; there's a -good child." - -"Do you know, Gussie, Uncle Pete--a good genie, I mean--has brought -me such a lovely frock; very like yours, only, I think, nicer. It was -in a box, and the box was on my bed. I have just unfastened it and -looked at the frock. But isn't it just too sweet of him?" - -"Yes," said Augusta. "Then there will be two of us to look pretty -to-night." - -"I want to look very, very pretty," said Nancy, "just to show Uncle -Pete how grateful I am to him." - -"Well, don't chat any more now; your silly talk makes my head worse -than ever. Run away now. Only listen; if there is any worse news, be -sure you let me know." - -"Yes," said Nancy; and she left the room. - -Augusta tossed from side to side of her bed. Troubled thoughts were -visiting her. A fear, grave and mighty, was lying dormant in her -breast; very little would make it start into full growth. She sat up -presently and pushed the thick hair from her brows. - -One of the housemaids came in, and started when she saw Augusta; then -coming forward, she said in a tone of commiseration: - -"Oh, Miss Gussie! I didn't know you were here. And you do look bad, -miss. Is there much the matter?" - -"Only a stupid headache," said Augusta. "It will be all right -presently. I shall come down to have my fun when those tiresome poor -people have gone; I am not going before." - -"We are all going to have a lark," said the girl, who saw no reason -for being extra respectful to Augusta, who was no favourite with the -servants. "There are a lot of them coming; but Gaffer Jones can't, nor -can old Tilbury." - -"Who are they? And why can't they come?" asked Augusta. - -"Because of the sickness, miss." - -"Sickness!" said Augusta, at once on the alert. "Is any one ill?" - -"Three cases of smallpox in the village, miss. But the sick people is -took to the hospital--two in Gaffer Jones's house, and one in -Tilbury's--three in all. It do seem sad about that poor, handsome young -lady." - -"Miss Aspray, do you mean?" said Augusta, whose face had now turned -deadly white. - -"Yes, miss--of course." - -"She is not dead?" - -"No, no, miss. How bad you look! But she is likely to be afore long. -There! I won't talk to you no more, miss, if I can't do nothing for -you; but if you would like a cup of tea"---- - -"No; leave me, please, Jane. All I want is to be quiet." - -Jane withdrew, and Augusta flung herself once more on her bed and -covered her head. - -"Of course it is nothing," she said to herself; "only this headache. I -am safe now, and I won't even think there is anything to fear. -But--but, oh, the pain in my back!" - -Notwithstanding the shadow of illness which rested so darkly over one -house, and which was already making its cruel and awful presence felt -in the village, the party at Fairleigh was a merry one. Everything -was done to make the guests happy. There was no selfish element at -work, and the guests were delighted--there was no hitch anywhere. Poor -Augusta upstairs, in pain and terror, was for the time forgotten. - -But the gayest time will come to an end, and when the party had run -races innumerable, swarmed up greasy poles, leapt barriers, and jumped -about in sacks, and gone through the different feats which are the -pride and honour of an Englishman's holiday, a good meal followed. -Then the children of the neighbourhood appeared on the scene, and soon -after six o'clock the first batch of guests took their leave. - -It was now the turn of the young people of the house to rush off to -their rooms to get ready for the dance, which was to be, in one sense, -the greatest event of the day. - -Nan, with her heart smiting her for having forgotten Augusta so long, -went first to that young lady's room. - -She knocked. Gussie said, "Come in;" and she entered. - -"How do I look?" said Augusta. - -Nancy started with genuine pleasure when she saw her. She was up, and -was arrayed in her beautiful frock. The maid Jane had been summoned, -and had tied all the strings and fastened the different hooks. - -"You do look well now, Gussie," said Nancy. "I am so happy!" - -Augusta, always a striking-looking girl, looked distinctly handsome -to-night. The brightness of incipient fever shone in her eyes, making -them both large and dark; a rich colour mantled her cheeks, and the -very dread which filled her softened her beauty and gave character to -her face. Her lovely dress fitted her to perfection, and showed off -her young graces, making her look quite remarkable. - -"How nicely you have your hair done! Did Jane do it?" asked Nancy. - -"No; I did it myself." - -"And is your headache quite well now?" - -"It aches now and then, but it is nothing to signify. When I have -danced a little I shall be quite all right." - -"Oh Gussie! you are shivering, and your face has turned white." - -"I must have taken a chill," said Augusta. "I have been like this, off -and on, all day." - -"Have you had anything to eat, Gussie?" - -"No; I could not eat. But I should like something to drink. My eyes -burn, and I am awfully thirsty." - -"Oh, there are such piles of ices downstairs! I will go and fetch you -a strawberry ice." - -"You really are a good little thing. But come here. Have you heard -anything fresh about the Asprays?" - -"About the Asprays?" said Nancy. "No--nothing at all." - -"But I have. Jane has told me that Constance is worse--so bad that -they don't think she can recover. And, oh! if Connie dies, I can't--I -_can't_ bear it." - -"Oh, but she won't die! And please--please, Gussie, do bear up. I am -sure God will spare Constance." - -"I don't know. I don't seem able to believe anything--anything good, I -mean, Nancy. But did I tell you that there are cases in the village?" - -"Are there?" said Nancy. "But it can't be true," she added, "for if -there were Miss Roy would have told us." - -"It is true; and I watched the people as they came on the lawn. I -watched them on purpose. Gaffer Jones was not there, nor was Mrs. -Tilbury, nor any of her family. Some of the Tilburys are down with it, -Nancy, and some of the Joneses. And, oh dear! I wish I could get it -all out of my head--it is so--so dreadful." - -"I must rush away to dress," said Nancy. "It is very sad, but we are -bound to make ourselves happy to-night, and forget such things." - -She ran off, having quite forgotten about the ice which she had -promised to bring to Augusta. - -Augusta stood for a long while by the window; then she went -downstairs. - -The final touches had been given to the long supper-table. Nancy was -right; there were pails full of ice under the sideboard. - -"I am so thirsty, Walter; will you give me some ice?" said Augusta. - -The man helped her to a strawberry ice, which she ate greedily. "Now I -will have something to drink," she said; "iced champagne--anything." - -There was no iced champagne, but iced claret-cup was forthcoming, and -Augusta drank it, declaring to herself that she felt vastly better. -She then went out on the lawn. - -There she was met by Uncle Peter in his evening-dress, and soon -afterwards the three girls joined them. - -Nancy looked just as sweet as the genie thought she would when he -selected her dress. Her face was pale beside the flaming colour which -painted Augusta's cheeks, but--there was no doubt about it--the little -girl possessed the rarer sort of beauty. Nancy's was of the spiritual -order, filling her eyes with sadness and sympathy, and making the -expression of her little face unworldly and high in tone. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -THE CROSS. - - -Never had Augusta looked so well as she did that night. She danced -quite beautifully, and was really a brilliant young mistress of the -ceremonies. Many were the admiring glances cast at her, and loud the -admiration she evoked. For the time being Augusta was unselfish. She -thought of the comfort and pleasure of her guests. She managed to make -the awkward ones feel at ease, and the shy ones feel at home; at the -same time she kept the too forward children in order--in short, she -was invaluable. - -Uncle Peter was especially struck both by her conduct and her -appearance. - -"She really is a fine girl," he said to himself. "There is something -wonderfully taking about her to-night; and how good she is, and -self-forgetful! I shall have more pleasure than I had the least idea -of a few hours ago in presenting her with the Royal Cross." - -As these thoughts came to him, he observed that Augusta was standing -where the full draught of the open door blew upon her thin -evening-dress. She shivered, and sank down on the nearest chair. - -Captain Richmond immediately went to her side. - -"Augusta," he said, "have you a dance to spare for me? You haven't -given me one yet." - -"I can give you the present one," she replied at once, "if you will -sit it out with me." - -"With pleasure! Where shall we go? You are in a fearful draught just -here, and you look positively cold." - -"I am shivering," replied Augusta. "Let us go to the conservatory." - -They went there. The conservatory was too hot for many people on this -summer's night, and was comparatively empty. Augusta sank down on a -seat. - -"I will get you a wrap," said the Captain. "You ought not to feel cold -on a night like this." - -"Oh, I am quite all right," she answered. "Don't leave me; let us sit -down and talk. You are very fond of Nancy, are you not?" - -"Of course; we all are," he replied. - -"I should like to say----" stammered Augusta. - -"What, my dear?" - -She paused and looked full at her questioner. - -"This," she said: "you know I am not an especially nice girl, but I -can admire goodness when I see it in others. Now, no one was ever half -so good as Nancy; and even if appearances seem to have been against -her, she was far and away the best of us all.--Oh, what am I saying? -What utter nonsense am I talking? Will you take me back to the -ballroom, please? I would not miss the next waltz for anything." - -"I will take you back when you have explained your last words." - -"There is nothing to explain--nothing at all. I spoke quite at random. -Dear little Nancy! I am as fond of her as you are." - -"Listen, Augusta," said the Captain. "I didn't mean to confide in you, -but I will. You know of the little ceremony which is to take place -to-night when the dance is over. We are to go into the inner -drawing-room, and there it will be decided, from what I shall read -aloud out of the orderly-book, which of you four girls is to receive -the Royal Cross." - -"Of course; I know that," answered Augusta. - -"Yes; but listen. There is an entry in the orderly-book against -Nancy's name which puts her out of the running." - -"Puts her out of the running!" whispered Augusta. Her very lips were -white. - -Captain Richmond's eyes seemed like gimlets piercing into her soul. - -"There is a charge against Nancy which, made against any child, would -condemn her--condemn her so utterly that one could not think of her as -a winner of that great prize which means nobleness of conduct, valour, -and all the rest. Augusta, you will all know soon, but it does not -matter my telling you an hour or so before the others. Nancy -Esterleigh is charged with _cruelty_. Can you, Gussie, help me to -throw light upon, in her case, such an unnatural accusation?" - -There was a wild beating in Augusta's ears; her head ached so terribly -that she was almost giddy, and a cold chill ran down her back. She -turned aside and plucked a geranium blossom from a great flowering -bush near by. - -"Can you?" said the Captain again. - -"No. How is it possible? The accusation has astonished me." - -"There is also that curious thing which happened with regard to her -bird. Can you throw any light upon that?" - -"No--no; a thousand times no. What do you take me for? Do you think I -would let little Nancy suffer _if_ I could help her?" - -"Of course not," said the Captain coldly. "I think the dance has come -to an end. May I take you back to the ballroom?" - -For the rest of that evening Augusta was not still for a single -moment. When she was not dancing she was walking about. Her laugh -could be heard gay, almost shrill. Her cheeks wore pink with the flush -of fever, which those who saw her mistook for health. She was far and -away the most successful girl at the dance. Even Nancy, beautiful -little girl as she was, and lovely as she looked in the new frock, was -not to be compared with her. - -But all good things, as well as bad things, come to an end, and -by-and-by the ball was over. The party broke up; the young folk put on -their wraps, said good-bye to their hosts, and left Fairleigh. The -last sound of the last carriage-wheel died away. The four girls, Miss -Roy, and Captain Richmond faced each other. It was on the stroke of -midnight. - -"How tired you all look!" said Miss Roy. "Shall we defer the further -ceremony until to-morrow?" - -"No," said Captain Richmond; "this is the appointed day. Come at once, -all of you." - -The servants were rushing about, locking up and putting things in -order. Captain Richmond conducted his party to the front drawing-room, -and turned the key in the lock. The electric light made the room -bright as day. The windows looking on to the lawn were wide open. When -they all entered the room, Captain Richmond opened the drawer, the -lock of which had been injured by Augusta, and took the orderly-book -out. At the same moment he put his hand in his pocket and produced a -small morocco case, which he laid on the table. - -"Now, my little soldiers," he said, "the crucial moment of our -campaign has arrived. You have been under my command, and have also -been disciplined by my good ally, Sergeant Roy, for the last few -months; and, on the whole, I trust you feel better, morally and -physically, for the soldier's life." - -"Oh yes, indeed!" cried Nora. "We like it awfully. I hope we are not -going to cease to be soldiers to-night, Uncle Pete." - -"Certainly not, Nora. In one sense you must always be soldiers, but -whether you remain in my battalion will depend a great deal on -yourselves. But now to business; you are tired, and we must not -linger. This book gives, in a condensed form, the history of your -lives from the moment you enlisted under my banner. Now then, soldiers -of the True Blue, we will see what it says about you." - -Here Captain Richmond opened the book. He looked quickly down the -pages which related to Nora's life. - -"An excellent report on the whole, Nora," he said when he had -finished, "but conduct not immaculate--a few errors, dear, in the form -of untidy rooms, lost property, and forgotten duties. Nothing exactly -serious, but"---- - -The Captain's "but" was emphatic. Nora turned from pink to white. - -"I knew it," she said to her sister. "I never, never expected"---- - -"Hush!" said Kitty, "Uncle Pete is speaking again." - -"Kitty, on the whole you have done better than Nora. Your industry has -been unparalleled, and, in short, I think you are deserving of a -prize. If you hadn't been so inveterately careless, my little girl, -there might have been a chance of my giving you _the_ prize. But -see here, Kit--here, and here, and here." The Captain laid his finger -against certain marks in Kitty's record. - -Kitty coloured and stepped back. - -"I deserve them all," she said. - -"Well, that is something worth hearing," he answered with heartiness, -"for when we know our faults, then is the time when we begin to mend -them.--Now then, Nancy." - -Nancy was standing by an open window. Her face looked serene and -quiet. She did not for a moment think that she would win the Royal -Cross; but, at the same time, she did not think there could be any -grave charge chronicled against her name. - -"Nancy, I have something sad to say to you," said the Captain, going -forward and taking her hand in his as he spoke. "Even still I think -there must be some explanation." - -"What--what," cried Nancy--"what do you mean?" - -"Don't tremble so, Nancy. Listen. Your conduct has been -irreproachable, and your struggle to maintain a high level in morals -and intellect very great; but, alas! on one occasion you fell--a good -deep fall, Nancy--you fell from a high ladder." - -"I fell from a height! Oh, what do you mean?" - -She looked wildly at Augusta, who glanced at Miss Roy. Miss Roy turned -aside; Augusta's bold eyes were fixed upon her face. - -"I have fallen from a height! When? Where? How?" - -"Here," said the Captain; "see for yourself. Every one need not know, -but you must know; read for yourself." - -Dizzily the little girl bent her head. For a moment she could see -nothing. Then she read, as though they were written in letters of -fire, the dreadful words, "Guilty of cruelty." - -She read this aloud and flung back her head. - -"_That_ I have never been guilty of. It is a _lie_; it is a -black lie. I have never been cruel in all my life." - -The Captain sighed. - -"It is in Aunt Jessie's own handwriting. I am afraid there is no -refuge from this storm. You had better not add to"---- - -"Oh! don't say any more; I cannot--cannot stand it," said the child. - -She was about to rush through the open window, when Augusta stepped -forward and held her hand. - -"Be quiet," she said--"for my sake." - -Again the extraordinary influence which Augusta had over the little -girl made itself felt. Nancy stood still, allowing Augusta to hold her -hand within her own hot clasp; she partly turned her back upon the -others. - -"There is no bad mark against your name, Augusta," said the Captain -after a pause, his voice slightly shaking. "All through these months -of training and discipline your conduct has been admirable. You have -been industrious; you have been courteous; you have been kind. You -have, I doubt not, been also unselfish; therefore I proclaim you the -happy possessor of the Royal Cross. Come here and let me fasten it -round your neck." - -Augusta came totteringly forward. All eyes were fixed upon her; -Nancy's, no longer gentle, but fierce and defiant, were raised to -watch her face, but Augusta would not now look at Nancy. - -The Royal Cross was made of deep-blue enamel, inlaid in rich silver. -It was in the shape of an Irish cross, and was very beautiful. On it -were engraved the words, _For valour in the fight_. The cross was -attached to a narrow silver chain. Captain Richmond slipped the chain -round Augusta's throat, and the deep-blue cross shone on her bare -white neck. - -Just then, before any one could speak, there came on the air the sound -of a tolling bell. It was distinctly audible. It tolled three times -and then stopped, three times again and then stopped, and then three -times once more. - -"Some woman has died, poor thing!" said the Captain. - -Then the solemn notes rang out again. They sounded sixteen times. - -Augusta uttered a cry. - -"It is Connie!" she said. "Oh, what shall I do?" - -The next instant the wretched girl had fallen in a dead faint on the -floor. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE LETTER. - - -The confusion and consternation which followed poor Augusta's utter -collapse can be better imagined than described. The sick girl was -tenderly lifted from the ground in Captain Richmond's strong arms. She -was conveyed to a sofa, and the usual restoratives were administered; -and when she opened her eyes and cried wildly, "Oh, my head!--oh, my -back!" Miss Roy motioned to the other children to leave the -room. Nancy was about to follow the example of the two little Richmond -girls, when Augusta's feverish eyes rested on her face. - -"Don't go. I can't part from you--I can't--I won't.--Let Nancy stay, -please--please, Miss Roy." - -"Stay for the present, dear," said Miss Roy, nodding towards Nancy. - -"Oh! let her hold my hand; let her kneel by me; no one else comforts -me," almost screamed the excited girl. - -"You must control yourself, Augusta," said the Captain, speaking now -in an almost stern voice. "We must get you to your room. If you are -too weak to walk I will carry you." - -"No; I can walk," said Augusta. "I will lean on you if I may. My head -feels as if it would burst. Oh, is she dead? Nan--Nan, tell me the -truth. Constance can't--no, she can't be dead." - -"We don't know who is dead, dear," said Miss Roy. "We must only hope -that it is not your poor young friend. Now, don't talk any more; just -let us get you to your room." - -It was with some difficulty that Augusta, who was half-delirious with -illness, pain, and terror, could be got to her own apartment. At last, -however, Miss Roy and the Captain succeeded in doing so. She was got -into bed, and, late as it was, Captain Richmond went for the doctor. - -Dr Earle happened to be in, and returned at once with Captain Richmond -to Fairleigh. - -He saw Augusta, took her temperature, examined her very carefully, -looked into her eyes, felt her pulse, and then called Miss Roy aside. - -"She is very ill, poor girl!" said the doctor. - -"Her temperature is high, her pulse rapid, and she is undoubtedly very -feverish. If it were not---- But no, that is impossible." - -"What do you mean?" said Miss Roy, in great alarm. - -"Oh, nothing. I am sorry I alarmed you. Miss Duncan has not been near -any infection, has she?" - -"No; certainly not." - -"We have a few cases of smallpox; but, of course, if she has not been -in the village she is safe. I am not attending poor Miss Aspray; Dr -Reynolds is her physician. She was frightfully ill this afternoon; and -the other sister, Flora, they say, is sickening. Miss Duncan has not -been near them, has she?" - -"No; of that I am positive," replied Miss Roy. "Mrs. Richmond did not -wish the children to make any fresh friends during her absence, and -Augusta has had nothing to do with those young people for several -weeks." - -"Oh! then, of course, it is not that--although some of the symptoms -point to it." - -"Dr Earle, you quite terrify me." - -"You need not be frightened; of that I am certain. But don't let the -little girl, Miss Nancy, stay too much in the room; it is never wise -in these feverish cases. I will call in early in the morning. I trust -by then the fever will have abated." - -The doctor went away. When Miss Roy returned to the sickroom Augusta -was lying half across the bed, her arms flung round Nancy's neck, who -was kneeling by her side. As Miss Roy came in she heard Augusta say: - -"Take the cross off my neck, Nancy, and put it on yours. I shall die -if I wear it any longer. It is so heavy--so heavy--like lead--it goes -through me; it burns through my flesh. Wear it--wear it, to please -me--to please me." - -Nancy began to take the cross off with trembling fingers. - -"Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan; then I shall feel better. Oh! -it is some sort of--some sort of"---- - -[Illustration: "Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan, then I shall -feel better."] - -The words gradually trailed away into silence. The miserable girl had -fallen into a broken slumber. - -"Get up at once, Nancy," said Miss Roy; "and take that off--do, my -dear. And--and go away to bed." - -Nancy rose to her feet looking pale and scared. The dark blue cross -with its silver mountings shone up against her white neck. Miss Roy -herself removed it, and laid it on the table. - -"Good-night, darling," she said to the little girl. - -"Mayn't I stay?" asked Nancy. - -"No; and you are not to come back until I give you leave. Now run -away; you are looking tired." - -"It is not being just tired," said Nan slowly; "it is--the -other--it--_it kills me_." - -"I am very sorry for you, and I don't understand it," said Miss Roy. -"Perhaps, if you are good and patient, God will give us an explanation -some day. Now we are all in trouble about Augusta, and must try to -forget ourselves. Goodnight, dear; go to bed." - -"I will," said Nancy. - -She walked feebly out of the room. When she reached the door she -turned and looked again at Augusta; but Augusta's head was buried in -the bedclothes. Nancy gave another sigh, and shut the door. - -All during the night that followed, Miss Roy did not leave the sick -girl. Captain Richmond waited in the anteroom to give what aid he -could. - -Towards morning Augusta dropped into a more refreshing sleep; but she -presently awakened, screaming out that Connie was dead, and that she -could not bear it. Miss Roy did all she could to soothe her, and -presently called Captain Richmond to the door of the sickroom. - -"The day has come," she said. "That poor child is in a frenzy of grief -and terror about Constance Aspray. How could one guess she loved the -girl so much?--for they had seldom or never been together. I wish we -could find out if the passing-bell was tolling for her. To know that -she is still alive would give poor Augusta more rest than anything -else." - -"It is nearly seven o'clock," said the Captain. "I will stroll down -towards the village. Doubtless, if it is true, some of the poor people -will know." - -He left the house at once. The morning was beautiful. The dew still -lay on grass and shrub and flower. The world outside seemed so pure -and restful after the miserable and restless night through which he -had just lived. But the heart of the young soldier was full of -strange, inexplicable fear. He had a dread of something which was -close at hand--something intangible. He thought of Nancy's face of -agony the night before; the ring in her voice when she said that the -charge against her was a lie--a black lie. The words were the words of -injured innocence. It was, in truth, impossible to associate so gentle -a child with so strange a crime. - -"Who can have done it?" thought the Captain. "Poor little Nancy! I am -certain--positive--that she is innocent." - -He had now reached the village. He walked down the street, and at the -farther end encountered a somewhat belated milkman hurrying by on his -rounds. Captain Richmond called out to him: - -"Can you tell me for whom the bell was tolling last night?" - -"Oh sir, for that poor girl of Mrs. Sherlock. She's been given over in -consumption for many a day. She died just at midnight, and the ringers -went at once to toll for her. She had a fancy for the passing-bell, -and begged that it should be tolled the minute the breath was out of -her body, poor soul! Yes, sir; God help her, she is out of her misery -now." - -Captain Richmond said one or two suitable words, and, with a great -sense of relief, continued his walk. There was no use in returning at -once to the house, so he struck a path which brought him down to the -seashore. The tide was at the full. He walked along by the edge of the -shingle. Suddenly he heard his name called, and looking up, saw a lady -who appeared to be a total stranger. - -"You are Captain Richmond, and you live at Fairleigh?" she said. "I -feel certain I am right from the description I have received of you." - -"My name is Richmond," he answered, removing his hat, "and I am -staying at Fairleigh for the present." - -"Now, that is extremely lucky, and will prevent my having to write to -the house, which might not have been advisable under the -circumstances. Don't come any nearer, please. You are quite safe with -six feet of pure air between us. I am Mrs. Aspray." - -"Oh, indeed!" said the Captain. "Of course, I have heard of you, Mrs. -Aspray. We have all been so terribly troubled about your great -anxiety. May I ask you how your daughter is?" - -"My daughter Constance has passed the crisis. She was at death's door -all yesterday, but about midnight she fell into a refreshing sleep. I -have left her sleeping now. I have gone through a time enough to -madden any one, but the doctor is with her at the present moment and -says that the danger is practically over. I felt I must get a breath -of fresh air before any one else was stirring. You see, I have been -with her day and night. Oh, it has been a fearful case--fearful! And -now poor Flo is down--took ill yesterday morning; the disease declared -itself last night. Poor Flo gave me a message, which I was to convey -somehow, in some fashion, to Fairleigh. Providence has brought you -here, Captain Richmond." - -"I will take the message," said the Captain. "Who is it to?" - -"To you--to the governess--to whoever has charge of the young people. -I understand Mrs. Richmond is away. There is a young girl in your house -of the name of Augusta Duncan, isn't there?" - -"Yes." - -"She has been a good deal with my girls. She was invited to a dance, -which was to have taken place on the very day that Constance took ill. -Without my knowing it, she arrived at our house late that evening. -Contrary to my orders, she was admitted and saw Flora. Flora only -confessed to it last night. Of course, Miss Duncan ran risk of -infection, but it may not be too late--I mean, that you may have time -to remove the other girls. At any rate, it is only right that you -should know." - -Captain Richmond's face turned very white. - -"I am afraid I have given you a shock," said Mrs. Aspray; "but -perhaps--God knows how I feel this thing!--_perhaps_ I am in -time." - -"Alas! no," he replied. "Augusta is very ill indeed, and another of -the children has been much with her. Another child who"---- He broke -off, and his lips trembled. "From what Dr Earle said last night, there -is small or, indeed, no doubt what Augusta is sickening for. But thank -you for telling me; anything is better than suspense, and I will do -what I can." - -He turned without another word and went back to Fairleigh. - -Mrs. Aspray looked after his retreating figure. - -"Poor fellow!" she said to herself. "My news seemed to stun him. What -an awful pity that Flo kept this thing to herself! I am afraid that -Augusta cannot be a very nice girl. I did feel annoyed when those -young people were not inclined to follow up our advances, but I would -not have one of them in the house under the rose, as it were, on any -condition whatever. Flo certainly behaved very badly." - -The anxious and burdened woman went slowly back to the infected house, -and Captain Richmond returned to Fairleigh. On his way home he met the -postman. Among the letters was one which bore the Capetown postmark. -It was addressed to himself. He looked up at the windows of the house -where the children, tired out by the excitement of the past day, still -slept. - -"I may as well read what Aunt Jessie has to say out here," he murmured -to himself. - -He sat down on a garden bench and opened the letter, which ran as -follows: - - "My Dear Peter,--You will want to know all my news, which I am - telling Nora and Kitty in the enclosure which goes with this. - In the meantime I have something else to tell you. It is - extraordinary what tricks memory plays one. During the voyage - we had rather a bad storm; we tossed about a good bit, and - some of the passengers were considerably frightened. I was not - among the number; but as I lay awake I kept recalling - different incidents in the happy home-life. My friend was in - the berth above mine, and she kept moaning all the time, and - talking to herself of her terrible loss. Although I pitied - her, my thoughts would keep going back and back to the life at - Fairleigh; and, do you know, a sudden quite dreadful memory - came to me. You know, of course, the orderly-book. Well, my - dear Peter, I am strongly under the impression that in the - great hurry of leaving home I turned over two pages when I - ought to have turned over one. If that is the case I have put - certain marks into Nancy's entry which ought to have stood - against Augusta's. I feel so uncomfortable about this that I - wish you would ascertain for yourself. I don't know whether - you have yet bestowed the great prize, but I rather gather - that it is to be awarded in a short time. Well, it so happened - that on the very day I was obliged to hurry off to my poor - friend I came across Augusta treating Nancy in a very - high-handed and cruel manner. I was greatly distressed, and - entered into the thing as fully as I could. It is not - necessary, and I have no time now, to give you all the - circumstances. But the fact is, I had no choice left but to - give Augusta that evening a mark for cruelty. Now, it would be - too horrible if that mark, through my carelessness, was - entered against Nancy. If you have not awarded the prizes, you - will look into this matter and put it straight; if you have---- - But I won't think of that. - - "Long before this reaches you we shall be on our way to Mrs. - Rashleigh's daughter. I shall not make a long stay. I will - just remain a night or two, and hurry home by the first boat. - With much love to everybody.--Your affectionate sister, - - "Jessie Richmond." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS IS HARD. - - -It is a trite saying, illustrated over and over again in many lives, -that the way of transgressors is hard; and when Augusta lay on her -sickbed, stricken down by the fell disease, she was paying a bitter -price for her days of selfishness, hypocrisy, cunning, and cruelty. - -When God struck so hard it was impossible for man to say anything. No -one could have nursed the poor girl more devotedly than did Miss Roy. -Professional nurses were of course sent for; and Nora and Kitty were -sent immediately to the house of a cousin who promised to receive them -and take every care of them. The doctor said, when he learnt all -particulars, that it would not be safe to send Nancy away. She was not -allowed to go near Augusta, but she still remained at Fairleigh. - -Nan and Captain Richmond had a little talk together. Nan came away -after that talk and crept into a corner by herself, and cried and -cried for a long time; then she came back to the Captain, put her arms -round his neck, and kissed him. - -"I don't mind anything now, for _you_ understand, and God -understands. And please--please forgive poor Gussie; she could not -have known what she was doing." - -But the Captain would make no promises about Augusta. - -"We will leave her out for the present," he said. "You and I are happy -together; we understand each other, and that which rested like a -nightmare on your poor little soul is lifted. The weather is fine; we -will spend all our time in the open air, and I will tell you some more -things about what soldiers do." - -So in those dark days the Captain and Nancy became better friends than -ever. - -At last there came the hour when the crisis had passed for Augusta. -The danger was over--she would get well. Then both the Captain and -Miss Roy looked with fear at Nan; would she sicken, or would she -escape the danger? Ten days passed; then slowly--very slowly--the -fortnight of probation came to an end, and Nancy was still well, still -smiling, still happy. - -"I do believe she will escape," said the Captain. "It seems almost too -good to be true." - -Wonderful as it is to relate, Nancy did not become ill. And when this -point was clearly ascertained, she was taken to join Nora and Kitty at -their cousin's house. - -There the children had a gay time together while Augusta slowly came -back to convalescence. Very slow indeed was her recovery, for she had -taken the complaint badly, and for some time the fresh, fair beauty of -her face was marred. "But not for ever," said Dr Earle. "By-and-by she -will recover her looks; but she has had a narrow escape both of her -life and of her eyesight." - -When Augusta was comparatively well again, on an evening in late -October, Mrs. Richmond arrived at her home. - -Augusta was seated by herself in the drawing-room. She sat with her -back to the light. Her eyes were weak, and she did not like people to -see more of her poor disfigured face than was absolutely necessary. -But when Mrs. Richmond came in, and the girl noticed the kindly face, -so like her own mother's, she uttered a strangled cry, and running -forward, flung her arms round her neck. - -"Oh, Aunt Jessie, it _is_ good to see you. Oh, now I believe I -shall have a chance of being happy again." - -"Yes, my darling, I am glad to have got back. Oh, what I have suffered -on your account!" - -"But don't you know the truth? Hasn't Uncle Pete told you?" - -"He came down with me from London, Augusta. And--yes--he has told me -everything." - -"Then you can never really love me again." Mrs. Richmond did not reply -for a moment; then she said slowly: - -"When you lay in great pain and delirium, when you were nigh to death, -and missed your own mother, and felt, as you must have felt for a -short time at least, that God Himself was hiding His face from you, -then was your punishment, Augusta dear. If you have received it in due -submission and repentance, who am I that I should not love you?" - -"And does Nan--does Nan forgive me?" - -"She is in the other room. You are quite free from infection; she will -speak to you in a moment. But, Gussie, before you meet I have one -little thing to tell you: Nan will never go to the Asprays. She will -be my child always, for I owe to Nancy just as great a debt as Mr. -Aspray owed her father. It is an old story, dear, and I will not tell -it to Nancy yet for she is too young; but I think it right that you -should hear it. Long, long ago, before you were born, and before your -mother was married, Nancy's mother and I were friends. But a great -trouble arrived, for we both--each unknown to the other--loved the -same man. He cared more for Nancy's mother than he did for me; and -Nancy's mother loved him with all her heart and soul and strength. I -didn't know it at the time, although the knowledge came to me -afterwards. She refused him for my sake. She loved him, and allowed -him to think she cared nothing at all for him; and she did it -altogether for me. - -"I married him: he was my husband. He was very good to me. I never -learnt the truth from him. He died, and after his death, somehow, I -learnt the truth. My dear friend married in time another man. The -marriage was not happy, and they were terribly poor. He died too, and -little Nancy was left unprovided for. So I told her mother on her -deathbed that Nancy would always be my tender care, my most cherished -darling. Now, Augusta, you know for yourself that she has a right to -my home and my love and my money. She is no charity-child, but a child -any mother would be proud of." - -"There never was any one like her," said Augusta slowly. "There was a -time when I was mad with jealousy of her; but I know at last what she -really is. But, oh, Aunt Jessie! I am tired, and I want to be forgiven -right out. I have told Uncle Peter everything--every single thing from -the first. And now let me see Nancy, that she also may forgive me." - -THE END. - -Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - - - -BOOKS BY MRS L. T. MEADE. - - SEVEN MAIDS. Illustrated by Percy Tarrant. - - THE ODDS AND THE EVENS. Ten Illustrations by Percy Tarrant. - - A VERY NAUGHTY-GIRL. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey. - - MISS NONENTITY. Illustrated by W. Rainey. - - LIGHT O' THE MORNING. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey. - - THE GIRLS OF ST WODE'S. Eight Illustrations by W. Rainey - - WILD KITTY. Eight Illustrations by J. Ayton Symington. - - CATALINA. Eight Illustrations by W. Boucher. - - GIRLS NEW AND OLD. Illustrated by J. Williamson. - - BETTY: A School-Girl. Illustrated by Everard Hopkins. - - FOUR ON AN ISLAND. Illustrated by W. Rainey. - - THE CHILDREN OF WILTON CHASE. Six Illustrations by Everard Hopkins. - - PLAYMATES. Six Illustrations by G. Nicolet. - - LITTLE MARY. AND OTHER STORIES. Illustrated. - - A FARTHINGFUL. Illustrated. - - POOR MISS CAROLINA. Illustrated. - - THE GOLDEN LADY. Illustrated. - - - - -BOOKS BY MRS MOLESWORTH - -Published by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. - - MEG LANGHOLME; or, The Day after To-morrow. Eight Illustrations - by W. Rainey. - - PHILIPPA. Eight Illustrations by J. Finnemore. - - OLIVIA. Eight Illustrations by Robert Barnes. - - BLANCHE. Eight Illustrations by Robert Barnes. - - "MY PRETTY AND HER BROTHER TOO." Illustrated by Lewis Baumer. - - THE THREE WITCHES. Illustrated by Lewis Baumer. - - THE BOYS AND I: A Child's Story for Children. Seventeen - Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - HOODIE. Seventeen Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - HERMY. Seventeen Illustrations by Lewis Baumer. - - ROBIN REDBREAST. Six Illustrations by R. Barnes. - - GREYLING TOWERS: A Story for the Young. Seventeen Illustrations - by P. Tarrant. - - WHITE TURRETS. Four Illustrations by W. Raines. - - IMOGEN: or, Only Eighteen. Four Illustrations by Herbert A. Bone. - - THE NEXT-DOOR HOUSE. Six Illustrations by W. Hatherell. - - THE GREEN CASKET, AND OTHER STORIES. Illustrated. - - THE BEWITCHED LAMP. Frontispiece by R. Barnes. - - NESTA; or, Fragments of a Little Life. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Girls of the True Blue, by L. T. Meade - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE *** - -***** This file should be named 42556.txt or 42556.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/5/5/42556/ - -Produced by Roger Frank and Sue Clark - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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