The Story Book Girls

by S. R. Crockett

  CHAPTER XV

  The Arrival

  The 4.50 train hammered and pounded in a jerkily driven manner toRidgetown. It was hot, and most of the windows lay open in theendeavour to catch any air that had escaped being stifled in smoke andthe dust of iron. Miss Meredith occupied a first-class carriagetogether with two people. One, an old gentleman who travelled daily andwho did not count, the other a dark-eyed girl of pale complexion. Shewore irreproachably fitting tweeds, and as though to contradict theseverity of their trim appearance, a very flamboyant red hat. It wastip-tilted in a smart way over her nose, and had an air of seeming tomake every other hat within eyeshot scream dejectedly, "I come from thecountry."

  The red hat came from the town, London presumably. The dark girl seemedin a petulant mood, as though the atmosphere of the carriage stifled herin more ways than by its being uncontrollably hot. It was out of gearwith the smooth, madonna-like appearance of her features, that sheshould be petulant at all. There was an indescribable placidity abouther carriage and expression which contradicted her movements at thismoment of nearing Ridgetown. She caught Miss Meredith's eye on her, andseemed annoyed at the interest it displayed. Miss Meredith was muchimpressed by her appearance. As a rule, she confined her ideas ofpeople in Ridgetown either to their being "refined" or "rather vulgar."This girl had not the air of being either of those two. She was a typewhich had never been dissected in Ridgetown. It was as evident that onewould neither say of her that she was the complete lady, nor yet thatshe was un-ladylike. One could say that she was good-looking, adorablygood-looking. Calm, lucid eyes, containing a calculating challenge intheir expression, milky complexion framing their mysterious depths ofdarkness, red lips parting occasionally with her breathing overstartlingly white teeth, this was all very different to the rosebudcomplexions, the rather shy demeanour of Ridgetown.

  Miss Meredith could act as a very capable little policeman when shebecame interested in any one. She determined to act the policeman nowthat she was aware this must be a visitor to Ridgetown. They had passedthe last slow stopping-place, and were nearing what must be herdestination. Each station without the name of Ridgetown had evidentlyannoyed the dark girl.

  "The next station is Ridgetown," said Miss Meredith pleasantly.

  The dark girl stared.

  "Oh, ah, is it?" she asked negligently.

  An old gentleman rose from the corner and began collecting hisbelongings.

  "May I help you?" he asked, and lifted down her dressing case.

  She became radiant.

  "Thank you so much," she said very gracefully.

  Miss Meredith felt in an annoyed manner that her own overtures had beenunrecognized in favour of these. She could be an abject person,however, wherever she intended to make an impression, and decided not tobe non-plussed too soon. Doubtless the dark girl was about to visitsome friend of her own. She rose at her end of the carriage to get aparasol from the rack. It allowed the new arrival to swing out on theplatform even before the train was stopped.

  Miss Meredith saw Isobel being received by the Leightons.

  This was enough to allow of Miss Meredith's slipping away unnoticedbefore a porter came to find the neglected dressing bag. But she wentunwillingly, and in a new riot of opinion. The truth came forcibly thatthe new cousin would be a great sensation in Ridgetown. It was strangethat she had never dreamed that the dark girl might be the Leightons'cousin. No occasion would be complete without her. A few weeks ago,and she might have had her first reception at the Merediths', where theyshould have had the distinction of introducing her. Now, owing to lateevents, relations might be rather strained between themselves and theLeightons.

  Miss Meredith had grown more ambitious each year with regard to herbrother. She was the ladder by which he had climbed into socialprominence in Ridgetown. Her diligence overcame all obstacles. Atfirst, she had deemed it delightful that he should be attached to Mabel,now it seemed much more appropriate that he should make the most of theDudgeons. Through the Leightons they had formed a slight acquaintancethere, which had lately shown signs of development. It became necessaryto sow seeds of disaffection in the mind of Robin where the Leightonswere concerned. He had become too much of their world. He was a man noteasily influenced, and he had had a great affection for Mabel. But theconstant wearing of the stone had invariably been the treatment forRobin, and lately a good deal of wearing had been necessary on accountof Mr. Symington.

  She began to recall just how much she had said to Mr. Symington. Herface burned with the recollection that he had shown how much he thoughtof Mabel. She had put the matter from Mabel's point of view. While Mr.Symington was there, Mabel's happiness with Robin was interfered with.Miss Meredith had intended to infer that it was his constant attendanceat the White House which was being called in question. Whereas, he hadalready, unknown to her, settled on it as meaning Ridgetown. He hadinterrupted her abruptly, with stern lips, "Pardon me, but will you letme know distinctly,--is Miss Leighton engaged to your brother?" MissMeredith saw her chance and took it at a run. "Yes," she said. It washardly a lie, considering how Robin and Mabel had been linked for somany years in a tacit sort of manner.

  "That--I had not understood," said Mr. Symington. Whereupon heimmediately wrote his letter to Mabel.

  Miss Meredith had always had her own ideas of Mr. Symington. He was notthe companion for these very young girls. He was not old, on the otherhand, but he possessed a temperament which put him on another plane thanthat of the rather boisterous Leighton family. On the Meredith plane, ifone would have the words spoken.

  "Robin," she said that evening, after the arrival of Isobel, "let us godown to the Leightons' as though nothing had happened."

  Robin turned a reserved mask of a countenance in her direction.

  "You women can do anything," he said.

  The weariness of being without these kaleidoscopic friends of theirs hadalready beset him. They were still in time to find the old level again.It would certainly be a freezing world without the Leightons. Everybodyknew that one might get social advantages with the Dudgeons, but one hadalways a ripping time with the Leightons.

  Miss Meredith, on her part, began to wonder, now that Mr. Symington waswarned and would keep Robin from feeling the desirability of the girlwhom two men were after, whether Robin himself might be more gentlyweaned than by thus being borne away on an open rupture. Robin was inthe position of a man who had been brought up by mother and sister.Practically, whatever he had touched all his life had remained his own,sacred and inviolate. It seemed that Mabel ought to have remained hisown merely because he had once stretched out his hand in her direction.Then, he began to find that he reckoned with a family which had beentaught unselfishness.

  Isobel, to do her justice, always imagined that Mabel from the reserveof her welcome on the occasion of her arrival, resented her presence atthe White House. She noticed that of all the girls to welcome her, Mabelkept a constrained silence. This she immediately put down to a personaldistaste of herself, and controlled her actions accordingly. From thefirst moment of greeting her aunt and uncle, and sitting down to table,she upheld a sweetness of character which was unassailable, and whichput Mabel's distrait manner into rather wicked relief. Isobel's was anature, formed and articulate, entirely independent of the feelings andsympathies of others, a nature which could thrive and blossom on anytrouble and disappointment, so long as these were not her own. She hadlearned in the mixed teaching of her rather stranded life, that verylittle trouble or disappointment came in the way of those who could seewhat they wanted and grab with both hands accordingly. She determined tograb with both hands every benefit to be derived from being leader inthe Leighton family. She had come there with the intention of beingleader. Before the meal was over, she had gained the good opinion of allexcept Mabel, an intentional exclusion on her part. Mabel had receivedher without effusion. Here was rivalry. In the most meth
odical anddetermined manner, she began a long siege of those rights and privilegeswhich Mabel, as head of the Leighton girls, had never had reallyquestioned before. She supplied a link in their musical circle,incomplete before. She could sing. Her methods were purely technicaland so highly controlled, that the rather soulful playing of theLeighton girls shrank a little into a background of their own making.Isobel's voice was like a clear photograph, developed to the last shredof minuteness. One heard her notes working with the precision of amusical box. The tiring nature of her accomplishments was never evidentat a first performance. These only appeared to be ripplingly brilliant.She had the finished air and mechanical mannerisms of the operaticartist, and they became startlingly effective in a room where music onlyin its natural and most picturesque aspect had been indulged. Mr.Leighton endeavoured to reconcile himself to a person who was invariablyat top notes, and Isobel deceived herself into thinking that she charmedhim. She charmed the others however, and Jean especially was at herfeet. It struck her that probably she would be able to get more of thefat of life out of Jean than out of any one. She noted that Jeanordered a good deal where others consulted or merely suggested. Orderingwas more in her line.

  Of Mrs. Leighton she took no account whatever, except that she wasinvariably sweet in her presence.

  It dawned on no one that a very dangerous element had been introducedinto the clear heaven of the wise rule of the White House.

  Mabel's mind at the start, it is true, was in a subconscious conditionof warning. The particular kind of warning she could not recognize,but, long after, attached it to the attitude of Isobel. In a month ortwo, she found that while her family still remained outwardly at onewith her, a subtle disrespect of any opinion of hers, a discontent atsome of her mildest plans, seemed to invade the others. It came uponher that her ideas were very young and crude with Isobel there to givefiner ones.

  Ah! that was it. Isobel was so much better equipped for deciding thingsthan she was. It affected Mabel's playing when she imagined that herfamily found it at last not good enough. She never could play forIsobel. On the first night of arrival, Mabel was most concerned,however, on how she was to give certain news to her father and mother.Mr. Leighton had heard from Mr. Symington--only that he had been calledaway. Mabel took the news in public with a great shrinking Her heartcried out in rebellion, and instead of indulging that wild cry, she hadto be interested in the arrival of Isobel. She caught Isobel's keendarkness of gaze on her, and shifted weakly under its influence toapparent unconcern and laughter.

  At the worst of it, when they were taking tea in the drawing-room afterdinner, Robin and his sister came in. Miss Meredith's _coup_ was worthher fear and distrust in experimenting with it. Robin became genuinelyinterested in Isobel. This made him almost kind to Mabel.

  It concentrated all Mabel's wild rush of feelings to a triumph of pride.Where she would willingly have gone to her room and had it out withherself, she waited calmly in the drawing-room and heard Isobel's firstsong.

  Miss Meredith's heart glowed feebly. She had won her point. ButMabel's face heralded disaster.

  Elma too would not look at her.

  Elma trembled with the weight of what she would like to say to SarahMeredith, and could not. Feebly she determined not to shake hands withher, then found herself as having done it.

  Mr. Leighton talked quite unconcernedly about the departure of Mr.Symington. "Can you tell me why he leaves us so suddenly?" he asked ofMiss Meredith.

  She had always made a point of liking to be asked about Mr. Symington.This time she seemed afraid of the subject, certainly of Mr. Leighton'sairy manner of handling it. Robin's face flushed hotly in an enragedsort of manner. Mabel's grew cold.

  With all their experience of each other, and their knowledge of what hadbeen going on, none in the room knew the nature of the crisis at hand,except the actors in it, and Elma. But, by the intuition of a naturethat scented disaster easily and wilfully, Isobel, without a word fromone of them, saw some of these hearts laid bare.

  Miss Meredith, ill at ease, interested her immensely.

  Miss Meredith at last answered that she knew nothing of the reason whyMr. Symington had left so abruptly.

  Elma rose shaking in every limb.

  "That is not true," she said. Her voice, more that her words carriedeffect.

  She could go no further, she could only say, "That is not true."

  Mrs. Leighton looked very surprised, and then helplessly bewildered.Miss Meredith had a talent for seeing her chance. She saw it here. Sheturned in a rather foolish way, as though they intended some compliment.

  "Indeed," said she, "you all over-rate my influence with Mr. Symington.It is nothing to me whether he goes or stays."

  Mabel pulled Elma into a corner.

  "Oh shut up dear, for Heaven's sake shut up!" she whispered, and thatincident was closed.

  But Isobel began to play with a loud triumphant accompaniment and sangin a manner which might have shown every one the thing which she thoughtshe had just discovered.

  Instead, they all declared they had never heard such clear top notes.