by L. T. Meade
well inthe world. He hoped that his daughters would marry gentlemen, and hissons ladies. He hoped to die in a better position than that in which hewas born. For this reason he encouraged the Aldworths, and rathersnubbed the Griffiths; and for the same reason he was anxious to becomeacquainted with the St Justs, not in a business capacity, but as afriend. He had none of the finer perceptions of character. It neveroccurred to him that it might be painful to Sir Edward to visit his oldhome under such changed conditions. On the contrary, he thought howagreeable it would be to show the ex-owner how much better the placelooked since Clay had suggested the cutting down of those magnificenttrees, and the opening up of that glade. What a beautiful tennis lawnthat was, where the ancient garden used to stand. It never occurred tohim for a single moment that the bric-a-brac, the beautiful furniture,the old pictures, the old oak which had belonged to the St Justs, wasnot more than replaced by the modern splendours of modern and depravedtaste. These things he knew nothing about. He was exceedingly anxiousto know the St Justs and their set, and would have given a good dealmore than the sovereign which poor Penelope had taken to attain thatobject.
Nevertheless, Penelope felt that the whole thing had an ugly appearanceon the present occasion. The sovereign, however, must be put back inthe purse, or the truth confessed before Saturday morning, that wasevident. This was Wednesday. There was all Thursday and Friday. Therewould be a little packing to do--not that Penelope would trouble herselfabout that--but there would be a little commotion in getting the familyoff to the sea. Her father was not going with them, at least not forthe first few days, but he would follow.
That evening Penelope determined to make a confidante of her sister,Clara.
Clara was in a specially good humour. She had had, as she expressed it,a stunning day, one long series of triumphs, as she said now to hersisters, Mabel and Annie, as they clustered round her.
"Oh, and there's little Pen," she cried. "Come along, Penelope. Youlooked quite nice to-day. You'll take the shine out of us all when youare grown up. One or two people asked me who you were. Your hair is sopretty, and you will be taller than the rest of us."
"I don't care," said Penelope.
Clara pinched her cheek.
"You don't care? But you will care fast enough when you are older, andwhen you have several Berties walking with you, and other fellowsanxious to get introductions to you. You wait and see."
Penelope looked what she felt, cross and discontented.
"What is it, Puss? What are you frowning about?"
"I'm only thinking. I want to have a talk with you all by myself."
"Oh, indeed, and so we're not to be with you?" said Mabel in somesurprise.
"No, I want old Clay. Can't I go somewhere with you all by yourself,Clara?"
Now this sort of homage was sweet to Clara. She kissed the child, andsaid affectionately:
"Well, I'm a bit tired; what with running about all over the place andentertaining folks, I don't seem to have a leg to stand on; but Isuppose we can just cross the lawn and get into the summerhouse and havea chat. Come along, Pen."
Penelope fastened herself on to her elder sister's arm and they wentacross to the summerhouse in question.
"Now, then," said Clara, somewhat severely, "they tell me that I spoilyou."
"Oh, but you don't, Clay, you are ever so nice to me."
"Well, I don't mean to spoil you. Of course, these are holiday times;but when lessons begin again I am going to be ever so strict. It hasjust occurred to me that I might get an introduction for you throughMiss Angela St Just to that charming school at Frankfort."
"What charming school at Frankfort?" asked Penelope. "Frankfort--where's that?"
"Oh, you dreadful child! Don't you know?"
"I hate geography. I don't want to learn. I don't want to be a good,model, knowledgeable girl. And I hate Miss Just. I do; so there!"
"Well, Penelope, you are a good deal too young to choose for yourself,and if father can get an introduction to Mrs Silchester, I am sure hewill avail himself of it. The school is most select; only the verynicest of girls go there."
"Isn't it the school where that horrid Marcia Aldworth was--thatdetestable old-maid thing."
"She is an exceedingly nice girl."
"Clay! As though she suited you one little bit! Why, I saw her oneday, and she was as pokery as possible."
"But she is a friend of Miss St Just's."
"Oh, Clay! Clay! I will be good; I will be good, and we needn't talkof that horrid school just now, need we, just when my long beautifulholidays are beginning. I will be good, I will, if you will only helpme."
"Well, Puss, what can I do?"
"I did something to-day--it wasn't really wrong, but I am a bitfrightened. I must tell you."
"You are a queer little thing--what can it be?" Penelope looked full upat her sister.
"You are as proud as Punch--you are, you old thing! And now I shallwhisper to you why you are go proud?"
"Yes, do; whisper to me."
"You have got to know that Miss St Just--that idol of yours, that angelup in the clouds that you are always thinking is too good for thisworld; you got to know her to-day at the Aldworths'."
"I did, and I find her not at all an angel up in the clouds, but a verypretty and sweet angel with her feet on the solid earth. And she isever so pleased to know me; she showed it, and spoke about CourtProspect, and I described how we had improved it, and she was sointerested. I asked her if she would come to see it, and I'm convincedshe will come, and right gladly. I'm going to tell father all about it.Father will be pleased."
"Then, that's all right. If you tell father about that at the same timeyou are telling him about me, why it will be all right."
"About you? What in the world about you?"
"Oh, I'm coming to that. You remember that time when that Nesta wasstaying here?"
"That Nesta. I thought you adored her."
"I don't adore her; I dislike her very much. She is not a bit a nicegirl. She is of the Flossie Griffiths style, and you know quite wellfather wouldn't like us to associate with the Griffiths."
"I should think not, indeed," said Clara.
She had visions, of herself as the special friend of Angela St Just, ofvisiting Hurst Castle, of getting to know the county folks. She hadvisions of Angela reposing in the spare room at Court Prospect, with itsgilt and ormolu and white paint, which used to be called the Cedar roomin the days of the St Justs. She had visions of Angela laying her headon the richly embroidered linen, and saying to herself, "What cannotmoney do to improve a place."
Among the many thoughts which flitted into her brain, she forgot Pen'sanxious, little piquant face, and just at that moment Mr Carter camealong. He paused, stared at his two daughters, and came deliberatelyin.
"There, now, Pen, if you want to say anything to father, you can say ityourself; here he is. Father, Penelope wants to speak to you aboutsomething."
"No, I don't--I don't," said Penelope, all her courage oozing out, asshe expressed it, at her finger tips.
"Then if Penelope has nothing to say, I have," said Clara, who beingquite selfish and commonplace, forgot the wistfulness which had gatheredfor a moment round her little sister's face.
Penelope stole away.
"I'll tell Clay in the morning," she said. "Father won't miss the moneybefore Saturday. I'll tell old Clay to-morrow."
Meanwhile Clara poured the welcome news into her father's ears that theintroduction to Miss St Just had been accomplished. He was quiteelated.
"That's capital," he said. "We must make much of that girl, the eldestMiss Aldworth. She is worth twenty of her sisters."
"Of course she is, father; I have always said so."
"Have you now, Clay? I shouldn't have guessed it. I thought you wereentirely taken up with Miss Ethel and Miss Molly, and that little Nesta.Nesta seems to me to be the best of the bunch--a rollicking littlething, and full of daring. By the way,
I saw her here to-day, and ourPen with her. What did she come about?"
"Nesta here to-day? I didn't see her," said Clara.
"Well, I did. She and Pen seemed to be having a sort of quarrel. Youhad best say nothing about it. Those sort of quarrels between girlssoon melt into thin air when you take no notice of them. But I tell youwhat; this is good news. We'll have a big function after we have spentour month at the seaside. I know for a fact that the St Justs aregoing to be at Hurst Castle for the entire season, and when you return,Clay, we'll just do the thing in topping style. I'll