by L. T. Meade
Clara want?"
"Just to speak to you. Won't you come down?"
"Can you spare me, dear?" said Marcia, turning to the invalid.
"Yes, of course, Marcia. Go, my dear, and don't hurry back. I feelinclined to ask Miss Angela St Just to come and see me this morning.You have told me so much about her that I should like to see her; shemust be a very nice girl."
"She is, very nice and very beautiful. She is one of God's angels. Hername is one of the most appropriate things about her," said Marcia.
"Do you think she would care to come up to see me?"
"She would be delighted, if you are strong enough."
"Yes," said Nurse Davenant, "Mrs Aldworth is doing finely to-day. Now,Miss Nesta, if you don't wish to sit down, please leave the room, foryour mother cannot be fatigued by your moving about in that restlessfashion."
Nesta decided that she would leave the room.
"I'll go and get some flowers for mothery," she said, glancing at thedifferent flower glasses, and the next minute, making her escape, sheovertook Marcia, who was halfway downstairs.
"What is it, Nesta, what are you so excited about?"
"It's because Clay is coming to ask you something most important I dohope you won't say no. They're all most keenly anxious. Molly andEthel don't want it, but I do. I promised Penelope when I was there,that I'd do my utmost, but the others are against it."
"Whatever can it be?" said Marcia.
"Well, you see, the Carters are most anxious to know the St Justs,Angela in particular, and Clara is coming here. Oh, don't go so fast,Marcia, I must tell you. Clara is coming here on purpose, for sheguessed that Angela would be coming to see you to-day."
"You mean Miss St Just," said Marcia steadily.
"Why mayn't I call her Angela as well as you?"
"Simply because, Nesta, you don't know her."
"Well, Miss St Just, whatever you like to call her."
"And how could Miss Carter possibly know that my friend was coming tosee me to-day?"
"Because she knew from her father that Sir Edward had to come toNewcastle for an important meeting, and she guessed somehow, that MissAngela--I must call her that--would come also, and she is just coming onpurpose that you may introduce her. She doesn't want to say so, but shewants to talk to you until Miss St Just arrives, and you mustn'tgainsay her. You won't--will you? It's the greatest fun in the world--it means a great deal to me."
"Now, Nesta, what can it mean?"
"I won't tell you. You can't turn her away--you can't be so rude.There she is, sitting by the window. She's a dear old thing."
Nesta did not accompany Marcia into the drawing room. Marcia wentforward and shook hands with Clara, who was looking as such a girl mustlook when she is particularly anxious to make an impression. Clara, inher cotton frock, with her wild, somewhat untidy mop of hair, was atleast natural at Court Prospect; but Clara, with that same hair confinedin every direction by invisible nets, with her showy hat, and her dressaltogether out of taste, her hands forced into gloves a size too smallfor her, was by no means a very pleasing object to contemplate. Shecould not boast of good looks, and she had no style to recommend her.She was natural with the younger Aldworths, but Marcia rather frightenedher. She came forward, however, and spoke enthusiastically.
"It is good of you, Miss Aldworth, to give me some of your valuabletime. I assure you I'm as proud as possible. I said to Mabel thismorning, and to Annie, that I would come to see you. Father was drivinginto Newcastle to attend that meeting of the Agriculturists. Of coursefather, as you may know, is on the Board." Marcia made no reply.
"He is on the Board, and will be made Chairman at the next election ofofficers. It is a most important matter, isn't it, Miss Aldworth? Youare interested in the welfare of the farmers, are you not?"
"I regret to say that I don't know anything about them," said Marcia."I have lived a great deal out of England," she continued, "and since Icame home I have been much occupied."
"Oh, yes," said Clara with enthusiasm, "we all know how noble you havebeen--you saved the life of the poor dear girls' mamma, didn't you?"
"No, it was God who did that."
"Oh, thank you so much for reproving me. I didn't mean in that way.But for you, for your finding her just when you did, she might havedied. It was very awful, wasn't it? I did so pity Molly and Ethel.You see, they had invited us to tea, and they gave us, poor girls, avery nice meal; we all quite enjoyed it, and Molly looked so pretty inher blue dress. I think Molly is quite pretty, don't you?"
No reply from Marcia.
"You know she went up to her mother because Nesta--naughty Nesta, hadrun away. Nesta is very naughty, isn't she?"
Marcia very faintly smiled.
"May I draw down this blind?" she said. "The sun is getting into youreyes."
"Thank you, how kind of you--how considerate. Well, as I was saying, aservant came out and spoke to Molly, and said that her mother wantedher. Molly went in, and she came back in a few minutes and seemed quitejolly and happy. She thought that her mother was going to sleep. Butit wasn't a real sleep, was it? Do tell me the truth. I have alwaysbeen so anxious to know. You see, when the girls came to us, they werein such a dreadful state of grief, that we did not dare to questionthem, and we have never dared to question them from that day to this.But I should like to know the truth. Was it a natural sleep?"
"I am sorry, very sorry," replied Marcia, "that I cannot enlighten you.That dreadful time is over, and thank God, Mrs Aldworth's life has beenspared."
Clara coloured; she felt the reproof in Marcia's tone. "I know youthink me a very silly, curious girl," she said; "but I really do want tobe nice and good and to improve myself. Now you, Miss Aldworth--"
Marcia fidgeted. She rose, and opened the window.
"The day is very hot," she said.
"Indeed it is. We are all going to the seaside on Saturday. I supposeyou couldn't spare one of the girls--Ethel, or Molly, or Nesta?"
"I fear not. I wish we could, for their sakes. Our hope is that MrsAldworth may be better, and then we may be able to take her to theseaside."
There came a ring at the front door. Marcia coloured brightly. Shefelt her cheeks growing hot and then cold. Clara was watching her face.
"I think that is the ring of a friend of mine," she said, "and if you--"
Before she could finish her sentence the door was flung open and Susanannounced Miss St Just. Enter a tall girl in white, with a whitemuslin hat to match, and a face the like of which Clara had never seenbefore. The room seemed transfigured. Marcia herself sank intoinsignificance beside Angela.
Angela came up quickly and kissed her friend.
"You are surprised, Marcia? I want to take you back with me just forthe day. If we are quick we can catch the next train."
"Won't you introduce me?" said Clara's voice, somewhat high-strained andmincing, at that moment.
"Oh, I beg your pardon. Angela, this is Miss Carter, Miss ClaraCarter."
Angela turned. There was no false pride about her.
"You live at Court Prospect?" she said, "our old place. How do you do?I hope you like it."
"Very much indeed," said Clara, stammering in her eagerness. "It is alovely place. We have, I think--and we'd be proud to show it to you--improved the place immensely."
"Improved it?" said Angela. "The cedar avenue, and the beech avenue,and the old Elizabethan garden?"
"We have altered the garden a good deal--I hope you don't mind. Youknow, it was very confined and old-fashioned, with its prim box hedges,and those quaint things that looked like animals cut out in box at eachcorner."
"And the sundial--you haven't destroyed that, have you!"
"If you mean that queer stone in the centre--well, yes, we have turnedthe whole garden into a tennis lawn. It is so delightful. If you couldonly come and see it."
"Some day, perhaps. Thank you very much." Angela turned again, toMarcia.
"
Do run up and put on your things. I know you can be spared quite well.I want a whole day in the woods. We can catch the next train to HurstCastle, and my little pony trap is waiting. Be quick, Marcia, bequick."
Marcia flew from the room. Now indeed was Clara's chance.
"I hope you're not hurt, Miss St Just," she began. "If I'd known evenfor a single moment that you valued those things--"
"Thank you," said Angela, "I value their memory. Of course the place isno