ways been too smooth for you, Charlotte."
"Mamma, I am not so selfish as you think. It is not only for myself I'dlike some things to be different. Besides, I am old enough now to knowthat you and papa have a great deal of anxiety. Do you think I onlycare for myself, mamma?"
"No, dear, I don't. But don't you think the best way to help us wouldbe by letting us see that you are happy, and appreciating the advantageswe _can_ give you?"
"Yes, mamma," said Charlotte, submissively enough. But her mother'seyes followed her somewhat anxiously as she left the room.
The amount of gossip at Miss Lloyd's school about the expected new pupilwas certainly absurd. The young lady's riches and beauty andconnections were discussed and exaggerated as only school-girls candiscuss and exaggerate such matters, and the one girl who said nothing,and scarcely seemed to listen to all the chatter, was yet perhaps themost impressed by it.
Charlotte took care to be early in her place that Monday morning. Therewas half-an-hour's "preparation"--spent by the conscientious pupils inrefreshing their memories by running over the lessons already thoroughlylearnt, by the lazy ones in endeavouring to compress into the shortspace of time the work which should have taken several hours, and by theincorrigibly careless and indifferent in whispered banter or gossip--before the regular work of the day began. And Charlotte, who it needhardly be said belonged to the first category, was looking over a Germantranslation in which she was soon so interested as really to haveforgotten the impending arrival, when the class-room door opened, andMiss Lloyd appeared, conducting the new pupil.
"Good morning, young ladies," she said quietly as usual, glancing roundat the two rows of girls who stood up as she came in.
"I wish to introduce you all and Miss Meredon to each other. MissMeredon is to be a fellow-worker with you for some time."
This was Miss Lloyd's customary formula of presentation, and she made itwith simplicity and dignity, in no way departing from her usual words ormanner. Some of the girls raised their eyebrows with surprise that theadvent of this much-talked-of young lady should have called forth nogreater demonstration; some, and Mr Waldron's daughter among them, felttheir respect for the quiet, somewhat prim little lady sensibly rise asthey listened to her.
"_She's_ not a snob, any way," thought Charlotte, and then she halfreluctantly allowed her eyes to turn to the girl standing beside thelady-principal. "Papa" had said she was lovely, so had Dr Lewis, butpapa's opinion carried of course far more weight. But, even without it,even without any prepossession or expectation on the subject, Charlottefelt that her very first glance decided it. The girl _was_ lovely--far,far more than "pretty," like little Isabel Lewis, with her merry eyesand turned-up nose, or "interesting," like pale-faced Gueda Knox. Shewas really lovely. Not very fair, but with a brightness rather thanbrilliance about her which came from one scarcely knew where--it seemeda part of herself, of her sunny hair, of her slightly flushed cheeks, ofher smiling and yet appealing eyes, of her whole self. Her veryattitude suggested full, springing, and yet gentle, youthful life as shestood there, one foot slightly advanced, her hand half upraised, as ifready and desirous to be friends and friendly with every one; and aslight, very slight shade of disappointment seemed to pass over her facewhen she saw that nothing followed the little formal speech, that no oneamong the several girls came forward to greet or welcome her. And asMiss Lloyd turned towards her the hand dropped quietly, and the speakingeyes looked gravely and inquiringly at her conductress.
"What am I to do now?" they seemed to say. "I was ready to shake handswith them all; I do hope I shall understand what to do."
Miss Lloyd spoke as if in reply to her unexpressed question.
"You can sit here in the mean time, Miss Meredon," she said, pointing toa side-table. "I shall give you a regular place when it is decided whatclasses you shall join. In a few minutes the first--that means the headGerman class--will begin. You can take part in it, so that HerrMarklestatter can judge if you are sufficiently advanced to join in it."
Then Miss Lloyd's keen eyes ran along the rows of girls still standing;as they rested for a moment on Charlotte Waldron's grave, almost solemnface she hesitated, but only for that moment, and then looked past heragain.
"Sit down, young ladies," she said. "But you, Miss Lathom," she wenton, addressing a thin, delicate-looking girl with a gentle expression--poor thing, she was training for a governess, for which, alas! herfragile health ill-suited her,--"bring your German books here, and giveMiss Meredon some little idea of what you are doing."
"Thank you, that will be very kind," said the new pupil brightly, as ifdelighted to have an opportunity of expressing some part of her eagergood-will; and as Miss Lathom, blushing with the distinction, came shylyfrom her place, Miss Meredon hastened forward a step or two to meet her,and took some of the pile of books out of her hands. Then the two satdown at the side-table, and the other girls having resumed their places,the class-room subsided into its usual quiet.
Charlotte's mind was in a curious state of confusion. She was in asense disappointed, yet at the same time relieved that she had not beenpicked out to act mentor to the new pupil. She knew that Miss Lloyd'snot having chosen her in no way reflected upon her position in theGerman class, where she had long ago distanced her companions.
"If it had been French," she thought to herself, "I might have been alittle vexed, for Miss Lathom does speak French better than I do, withhaving been so much in France; but in German--she is further back thanGueda even. I suppose Miss Lloyd chose Fanny Lathom because she knowsshe is going to be a governess."
She was about right; but had she overheard a conversation the day beforebetween Lady Mildred and the lady-principal, she would have felt lessphilosophical as to the choice not having fallen on herself.
"I have a very nice set of pupils," Miss Lloyd had said, "none whom MissMeredon can in the least dislike associating with. Indeed, two or threeof them belong to some of our leading families--Miss Knox, the vicar'sdaughter, and the two little Fades, whose father is Colonel of theregiment stationed here, and Miss Waldron--she is a most charming girl,and, I may say, my most promising pupil, and nearly of Miss Meredon'sage."
"Waldron," Lady Mildred had repeated. "Oh, yes, to be sure, thelawyer's daughter; I remember the name. Oh, indeed, very respectablefamilies no doubt. But I wish you to understand, Miss Lloyd, that it isnot for companionship but for lessons that I send you my niece. I wishher to make _no_ intimacies. She knows my wishes and she will adhere tothem, but it is as well you should understand them too."
"So far as it is in my power, I shall of course be guided by them," MissLloyd had replied somewhat stiffly. "All my pupils come here to learn,not to amuse themselves. But I can only act by Miss Meredon preciselyas I do by the others. It would be completely contrary to the spirit ofthe--the establishment,"--Miss Lloyd's one weakness was that she couldnot bring herself to speak of her "school,"--"of my classes, were I tokeep any one girl apart from the others, `hedging her round' with someimpalpable dignities, as it were," she went on with a little smile,intended to smooth down her protest.
Lady Mildred was not foolish enough to resent it, but she kept herground.
"Ah, well," she said, "I must leave it to my niece's own sense. She isnot deficient in it."
Still the warning had not been without its effect. Miss Lloyd had nowish to offend the lady of Silverthorns. And a kindly idea of being ofpossible use to Fanny Lathom had also influenced her.
"If this girl is backward, as she probably is," she thought, "Fanny mayhave a chance of giving her private lessons in the holidays, or somearrangement of that kind."
But Charlotte was in happy ignorance of Lady Mildred's depreciatingremarks, as she sat, to all outward appearance, buried in her Germantranslation, in reality peeping from time to time at the bright head inthe corner of the room, round which all the sunshine seemed to linger,listening eagerly for the faintest sound of the pretty voice, or wishingthat Miss Meredon would look up fo
r a moment that she might catch thebeautiful outlines of her profile.
"She _is_ lovely," thought Charlotte, "and she is most perfectlydressed, though it looks simple. And--it is true she seems sweet. Butvery likely that look is all put on, though even if it isn't what creditis it to her? Who wouldn't look and feel sweet if they had everythingin the world they could wish for? I dare say I could look sweet too inthat case. There's only one comfort, I'm not likely to have much to dowith her. If Fanny Lathom's German is good enough for her I may bepretty sure she won't be in the top classes. And any one so pretty asshe is--she must give a great deal of
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