would never befrightened of one's own servants, however grand they were," saidCharlotte innocently. "Besides, even if one was a little, just at thebeginning, one would soon get accustomed to them. Jerry, I wonder whichis _her_ room. There must be a lovely room at that corner, in that sortof tower, where the roof goes up to a point--do you see? I dare say herroom is there. The French governess said that Miss Lloyd said thatevidently Lady Mildred makes a tremendous pet of her, and doesn't thinkanything too good for her."
Jerry was getting rather tired of the nameless heroine. His eyes wentroaming round the long irregular pile of building.
"I wonder," he said, "if there's a haunted room at Silverthorns.Doesn't it look as if there should be?"
The wind was getting up a little by now; just as he spoke there came agusty wail from the trees on one side, dying away into a flutter andquiver among the leaves. It sounded like an answer to his words.Charlotte gave a little start and then pressed closer to her brother,half laughing as she did so.
"Oh, Jerry," she said, "you make me feel quite creepy. I shouldn't liketo hear the wind like that at night. I certainly don't envy the girl ifthere is a haunted room and she has to sleep anywhere near it."
"There now--you have found out one thing you don't envy her for," saidJerry, triumphantly. "But the door's opening, Charlotte. There'spapa."
Papa it was, accompanied to the steps by the amiable Mr Bright, whoseemed really distressed at not having been allowed to make himself ofany use. For Mr Waldron cut him short in the middle of some elaboratesentences by a civil but rather abrupt "Thank you--exactly so. Goodevening," and in another moment he was up in his place, and had takenthe reins from Jerry's hands.
"You're not cold, I hope," he said. "Dolly all right, eh? Well,Gipsy"--his pet name for Charlotte--"you've had enough of Silverthornsby moonlight, I suppose?"
Charlotte gave a little sigh.
"It was very nice," she said. "I wish it were ours, papa."
"My dear child," he exclaimed in surprise.
"I do, papa. I think it would be delightful to be as rich as--as that.I just don't believe people who pretend that being rich and havinglovely houses and things like that is all no good."
Mr Waldron hesitated. He understood her, though she expressed herselfso incoherently.
"My dear child," he said again, "if it were not natural to wish for suchthings, there would be no credit in being contented without them. Onlyremember that they are not the best things. And if it is any comfort toyou, take my word for it that the actual having them gives less than youwould believe, when you picture it in all the glow of your imagination."
"Still," said Charlotte, "I think one might be awfully good, as well ashappy, if one were as rich and all that as Lady Mildred. Think whatlots of kind things one might do for other people--I wonder if shedoes--do you think she does, papa?"
"I believe she does some kind things," said Mr Waldron; "but I scarcelyknow her. As a rule rich people do _not_ think very much about doingthings for others, Charlotte. I don't say that they mean to be selfishor unkind, but very often it does not occur to them. They don't realisehow much others have to go without. I think it would be terrible to bethus shut off from real sympathy with the mass of one's fellows, eventhough I don't altogether blame the rich for it. But this is one amongseveral reasons why I am not sorry not to be rich."
"But, papa--" Charlotte began.
"Well, my dear?"
"If--if rich people aren't good--if they are selfish without its beingaltogether their fault as you say, doesn't it seem unfair on them?Wouldn't it be better if there were no rich people--fairer for all?"
Mr Waldron gave a little laugh.
"You are treading on difficult ground, Gipsy. Many things would bebetter if many other things did not exist at all. But then this worldwould no longer be this world! As long as it exists, as long as we comeinto it human beings and not angels, there will be rich and poor. Why,if we were all started equally to-morrow, the differences would be thereagain in a month! I give Arthur and Ted exactly the same allowance, butat this moment Arthur has some pounds in the Savings' Bank, and Ted notonly is penniless, but probably owes all round."
"He borrowed threepence from me this afternoon," said Jerry laughing.
"Just so. No--it has been tried many times, and will be tried as manymore perhaps, but with the same result. I don't say that the_tremendous_ disproportions that one sees might not be equalised alittle without injustice. But I don't want to give you a lecture onpolitical economy. Only don't mistake me. All I mean is, that in someways the narrow road is harder for rich people than for others. Butwhen they do walk in it, they are not seldom the best men and women thisworld knows. Still you can perhaps understand my meaning when I saythat the possession of great riches would make me afraid."
"Thank you, papa," said Charlotte. "I think I do understand a little.I never thought of it like that before." She was silent for a fewminutes; then with the pertinacity of her age she returned to thesubject with which her thoughts were really the most occupied.
"I don't fancy somehow that Lady Mildred Osbert is one of the _best_rich people. Is she, papa? You don't speak as if you liked her verymuch?"
"I don't think one is justified in either liking or disliking `verymuch' any person whom one scarcely knows," Mr Waldron replied. "I havetold you that I believe she does kind things. I believe she has doneone lately. But if you ask me if I think--she is an old woman now--sheis the sort of woman your mother would have been in the samecircumstances, well no--certainly I don't."
And Mr Waldron laughed, a happy genial little laugh this time.
"That's hardly fair upon Lady Mildred, papa," said Jerry. "We all knowthat there never _could_ be any woman as good as mamma."
"My dear boy, what would mamma say if she heard you?"
"Oh, she'd quote some proverb about people thinking their own geeseswans, or something like that, of course," said Jerry unmoved. "That'sbecause she's so truly modest. And if she wasn't truly modest shewouldn't be so good, and then--and then--she wouldn't be herself. But Iagree with you, papa," he went on in his funny, old-fashioned way, "itis a good thing mamma isn't rich. She'd worry--my goodness, wouldn'tshe just!--she'd worry herself and all of us to death for fear shewasn't doing enough for other people."
"That would certainly not be charity beginning at home, eh, Jerry?" saidhis father, laughing outright this time.
"Papa," said Charlotte, "what is the kind thing Lady Mildred has donelately? Is it about--the girl?"
"What girl?--what do you know about it?" said Mr Waldron, rathersharply.
But Charlotte was not easily disconcerted, especially when very much inearnest.
"A girl she has adopted. They say she is going to leave this girl allher money, so she--the girl--will be a great heiress. And she isawfully pretty, and--and--just everything. I heard all about it thismorning at school," and Charlotte went on to give her father the detailsshe had learnt through the French governess's gossip. "She is to driveherself in every morning in her pony-carriage, except if it rains, andthen she is to be sent and fetched in the brougham. Fancy her having apony-carriage all of her own!"
Mr Waldron listened without interrupting her. He understood betterthan before his little daughter's sudden curiosity about Silverthornsand Lady Mildred, and her incipient discontent. But all he said was:
"Ah, well, poor child! It is to be hoped she will be happy there."
"Papa, can you doubt it?" exclaimed Charlotte.
"Papa isn't at all sure if Lady Mildred will be very good to her,whether she makes her her heiress or not," said Jerry bluntly.
"I don't say that, Jerry," said his father. "I don't know Lady Mildredwell enough to judge. I said, on the contrary, I had known of her doingkind things, which is true."
"Papa only said Lady Mildred wasn't a woman like mamma," said Charlotte."She might well not be _that_, and yet be very good and kind. Ofcourse we are more lucky than any childr
en in having mamma, but still ifone has everything else--"
"One could do without a good mother? Nay, my Gipsy, I can't--"
"Papa, papa, I don't mean that--you know I don't," exclaimed Charlotte,almost in tears.
"No, I know you don't really. But even putting mamma out of thequestion, I doubt if Lady Mildred--however, it is not our place to passjudgment."
Suddenly Charlotte gave a
Silverthorns Page 4