The Two Elsies

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XX.

  "Let come what will, I mean to bear it out."

  SHAKESPEARE.

  "The hour for your music-lesson has arrived, Miss Raymond," announcedMiss Manton.

  Rosie and Evelyn both looked entreatingly at Lulu; but scarcely raisingher eyes, she simply said, "I shall not take it to-day, Miss Diana."

  "Very well; you will have to abide the consequences of your refusal,"returned Miss Diana severely.

  "Is it so very dreadful to live in this house with you?" queried saucyLulu.

  "What do you mean by that impertinent question?" asked Miss Diana, facinground angrily upon her.

  "I only wanted to know in time," said Lulu. "What you said just nowsounded as if you thought so; for that is the consequence I'll have toabide if I continue to refuse to take my music-lessons."

  "It shall be about as unpleasant as I can well make it, in return foryour impudence," was the furious rejoinder. "Also, you will remain inyour seat during recess to-day."

  "Oh, Lulu," whispered Evelyn at the first opportunity, "it was notprudent to say what you did to Miss Diana; she will have it in her powerto make your life here very uncomfortable."

  "Yes," Lulu said with indifference, "I expect to have to pay for thepleasure of speaking my mind; but if she makes _me_ uncomfortable, I'llmanage to make _her_ so too."

  As the hour drew near when the school would be dismissed for the day, aservant came in with a message. She said a few words in a low tone toMiss Diana, who at once turned to Lulu, saying,

  "You are wanted in the parlor, Miss Raymond."

  The child's heart beat fast as she rose and obeyed the summons, butquieted when, on entering the parlor, she found Elsie and Violet its soleoccupants. They had always been gentle and kind to her, and she lovedwithout fearing them.

  They made a place for her on the sofa between them, and taking her handin a kind clasp, Elsie said, "We have come to take you home, dear child,if you are now ready to be good and obedient."

  "I didn't take the lesson, Grandma Elsie, and I don't intend ever to doit as long as I live," Lulu answered in even, steady tones. "It was verykind in you and Mamma Vi to come for me, but I shall have to stay heretill Grandpa Dinsmore gives up asking such an unreasonable thing of me."

  "Then, Violet," Elsie said, "nothing remains for us but to see that shehas comfortable accommodations, and leave her here."

  At this moment Mrs. Manton came hurrying in with profuse apologies fornot having come sooner, but through the negligence of the servant she hadbeen until this moment kept in ignorance of their arrival.

  "No, you must not blame the servant," Elsie said; "she acted by mydirections. We wished to see this little girl alone for a few minutes,and not to disturb you; knowing that you are busy with your pupils atthis hour of the day."

  "Ah! then perhaps I am intruding;" and Mrs. Manton drew herself up withdignity.

  "Oh no, not at all," Elsie returned pleasantly; "our privateinterview with the child is at an end. She is now to be placed here as aboarder--as you may perhaps know; and, if you please, we would like tosee the room she is to occupy."

  "Certainly, Mrs. Travilla. She can have her choice of several--or you thechoice for her," Mrs. Manton replied, graciously leading the way as shespoke.

  "You would like to come too?" Elsie said inquiringly, holding out a handto Lulu.

  "Yes, ma'am, thank you," Lulu answered, slipping hers into it.

  They were shown several large rooms, intended and furnished for from fourto six occupants each; two others of somewhat smaller size, which Mrs.Manton called double rooms; and one little one over the hall, which shesaid Lulu could have to herself, if she liked that better than sharing alarger one with a schoolmate.

  To Lulu's eyes it looked uninviting enough: so small, furnished with onlyone window, a single bed, one chair, bureau and wash-stand of very plain,cheap material, somewhat the worse for wear, and just a strip or two ofcarpet both faded and worn.

  "I think this will hardly do," Violet said gently. "Have you nothingbetter to offer, Mrs. Manton?"

  "No room that the young girl can have to herself," was the cold,half-offended reply. "Excuse me for saying so, but I think it is quitegood enough for so obstinate and rebellious a child as I have understoodshe is."

  "I am quite of your opinion, Mrs. Manton," said a familiar voice behindthem; and turning, they perceived that they had been joined by Mr.Dinsmore, with Professor Manton bringing up the rear.

  Lulu was growing very red and angry.

  "But she is my husband's child, grandpa," urged Violet.

  "And I am quite certain he would say she deserved nothing better whileshe continues obstinate in her rebellion against lawful authority," heanswered.

  Lulu flashed an angry glance at him.

  "It is no matter," she said; "papa will set things right when he comes.And, Mamma Vi, don't be troubled about it; I shall tell him it was nofault of yours."

  "No," Mr. Dinsmore said, smiling grimly. "I shall not share theresponsibility; my shoulders are quite broad enough to bear it all."

  Violet drew Lulu aside when they had all gone down stairs again, and withher arm about her waist pleaded tenderly, affectionately, with her togive up her rebellion and go home with them.

  "We will start in a few minutes now," she said; "and oh, dear child, Idon't want to leave you behind. I shall grieve very much to think of youall alone in that miserable little room. Does it not seem a poor placeafter those you have had at Ion and Viamede?"

  "Yes, Mamma Vi, I have an idea that it's a good deal like a prison-cell;but what do I care for that? I'd despise myself if I could give up justfor that."

  "No, dear, not for that, but because it is right to do it."

  "'Tisn't worth while for you to trouble yourself to urge me any more,Mamma Vi," Lulu said loftily; "I am as fully resolved as ever not tobreak my word."

  "Then good-by," Violet said, with a sigh and a kiss. "You are not to beill-treated--I settled that question with grandpa before we came; and ifany one should attempt to ill-use you, let me know all about it at once."

  Elsie, too, kissed Lulu in bidding her good-by; but Mr. Dinsmore simplytook her hand,--given with evident reluctance,--and said he was sorry tobe compelled to banish her from the family-circle; yet if she willed itso, restoration to the comforts and privileges of home would not be longdelayed.

  Lulu followed them out to the veranda, expecting to see thefamily-carriage there with the other children, including her sisterGrace, but was sorely disappointed to perceive that it had already drivenaway.

  A smaller one, which had brought Mr. Dinsmore and the ladies, was stillthere, and she saw them enter, and watched it drive away till it was lostto sight among the trees.

  Then a sudden sense of almost utter loneliness came over her, and rushingaway to a secluded part of the grounds, she gave vent to her feelings ina storm of tears and sobs.

  But by its very violence it soon spent itself; in a few moments shebecame quite calm, did her best to remove the traces of her tears, andwent back to the house, reaching it just as her trunk arrived.

  It was carried at once to her room, and she followed to unpack andarrange her clothes in the drawers of the bureau and wash-stand.

  There was no closet, and she found herself much cramped for room. It wasvery disheartening, for she loved neatness and order, and perceived thatit would be no easy matter to maintain them here, where it was sodifficult to find a place for everything and keep it there.

  The supper-bell rang, but she delayed obeying the summons in order tofinish the work in hand. She was hardly more than five minutes behindtime, yet received a sharp reprimand from Professor Manton, and a blackmark.

  Of course she was angry and indignant, and plainly showed that she was;not mending matters in the least thereby.

  In sullen displeasure she took the seat assigned her, and glancing overthe table, was tempted to turn away in disgust.

  The food provided was of the plainest, scant in quantit
y, inferior inquality, and neither well prepared nor daintily served; in all which itpresented a striking contrast to the meals that Lulu had been accustomedto sit down to at Ion and Viamede.

  She ate but little; in fact, homesickness had nearly destroyed herappetite.

  "What a miserable supper!" she remarked to a school-mate, when they hadgone from the dining-room and were gathered on the veranda for the shorthalf-hour that intervened between the meal and the evening study-hour.

  "It was quite as good as usual," was the rejoinder in a sneering tone."What did you expect? Do you suppose the Mantons don't want to makeanything off us as boarders?"

  "I hadn't thought about that at all," Lulu said, with a look of surpriseand perplexity. Then after a moment's cogitation, "I suppose they do wantto make all they can out of us, and that would be the reason there was solittle on the table; but would it have cost any more to have it cookedproperly? The bread was both sour and heavy, and the butter so strongthat I'd rather go without than eat it."

  "Rancid butter is cheaper than sweet, both as costing less and goingfarther," answered her companion, "and good cooks are apt to be able tocommand higher wages than poor ones; also, like butter, bread goesfarther if it is unpalatable."

  "But it makes people sick?" Lulu said, half in assertion, half ininquiry.

  "Of course; but the Mantons don't pay our doctor bills, or support us ininvalidism if it comes to that."

  The girl walked away, and Lulu stood leaning against a pillar, lost inthought, and feeling more homesick than ever.

  The boarding-scholars were all some years older than herself, and did notseem to desire her companionship; in fact, they looked upon and treatedher as one in disgrace, shunned her society, and almost ignored herexistence.

  The study-hour over, they gathered in groups, chatting together on suchthemes as school-girls find most interesting, one or another now and thenlooking askance at Lulu, who sat at a distance, lonely and forlorn,watching them and half-envying their apparent gayety andlightheartedness.

  How she longed for Evelyn, Grace, Max; even Rosie and the grown up-peopleat Viamede!

  It was a long evening to her; she thought the hands of the clock hadnever before moved so slowly.

  At nine a bell called them all into Professor Manton's school-room, wherehe read a chapter from the Bible, and made a long prayer in a dull,monotonous tone, that set most of his hearers to nodding or indulging inhalf-suppressed gapes and yawns.

  It struck Lulu as a very different service as conducted by him, from whatshe had been accustomed to under the lead of her father or Mr. Dinsmore.They had always shown by tone and manner that they esteemed it a solemnand a blessed thing to read the words of inspiration and draw near to Godin prayer; while this man went through it as a mere matter of form, of nomore interest than the calling of the roll at the opening of school.

  The service was followed by a formal good-night, and the pupils scatteredto their rooms.

  "The bell will tap in half an hour, Miss Raymond, and at the first soundevery light must be instantly extinguished," Miss Diana said harshly, asshe gave Lulu her candle.

  "But what if I have not finished undressing?" Lulu asked in dismay.

  "Then you will be obliged to finish in the dark."

  "There won't be time to write in my diary, and I'll have to say myprayers in the dark," Lulu said to herself as she hastened up the stairsand into her closet-like apartment.

  "What a forlorn bit of a place it is!" she grumbled half aloud; "oh, sodifferent from my pretty rooms at Ion and Viamede! Oh dear, oh dear! Iwish that horrid Signor Foresti was back in his own country. I'm glad hedoesn't live in this house, so I'd have to see him every day; it's badenough to have to stay here without that. But I don't mean to let GrandpaDinsmore find out how bad his punishment is; no, nor to be conquered byit either."

  She had set down her candle and was hurriedly making ready for bed.

  On creeping in, having blown out her candle just as the signal sounded,she discovered a new reason for regretting her change of residence; shemust sleep--if she could--on a hard pallet of straw, instead of the soft,springy mattress she had been accustomed to rest upon at home.

  She uttered an exclamation of disgust and impatience, fidgeted about inthe vain effort to find a comfortable spot, and sighed wearily over thehard hills and hollows.

  How Mamma Vi and Grandma Elsie too would pity her! Probably they wouldsay she must have a better bed, even if it had to be sent from Viamede.

  But then Grandpa Dinsmore might put his veto upon that, saying, as he hadthat day in regard to the room, that it was quite as good as shedeserved; and she would not give him the chance: she would put up withthe hard bed, as well as with all the other disagreeables of thesituation, nor give up in the very least about the music-lessons.

  The situation seemed no brighter or cheerier the next morning; there wasno one to give her a smile, a kiss, or so much as a pleasant word;breakfast was no improvement upon last night's supper; Mrs. Mantonscolded all through the meal--at her husband, daughters, pupils,servants; the professor bore it meekly as regarded her, was captious andirritable toward every one else; Miss Diana looked glum, Miss Emily timidand ashamed.

  The morning service in the schoolroom, that followed the meal, was verylike a repetition of that of the previous evening, and Lulu withdrew fromthe room after it was over, feeling less respect and liking than ever forthe principal of the institution.

  To her great joy the Viamede carriage drove up a full half-hour earlierthan usual; Grace alighted from it with the others, and running to hersaid, "O Lulu, I'm so glad to see you! And I may stay till school-time;mamma told me so. Grandma Elsie told Uncle Ben to bring us early, andwait here for me till you go into school."

  "It's very kind in them," returned Lulu, hugging and kissing her littlesister. "And I'm ever so delighted to see you all," she added to theothers who had gathered round her.

  "And we to see you," Evelyn said, embracing her.

  "What kind of a time have you had?" asked Rosie and Max in a breath.

  "About such as I anticipated," answered Lulu, nonchalantly. "Of courseit's not like home; but I didn't expect that."

  She afterward, under a promise of secrecy, let Evelyn more into herconfidence; described her bed, the meals, telling that she had learnedfrom one of the older boarders that those she had partaken of were ofaverage quality; and the unpleasant manners of Professor Manton, hiswife, and Miss Diana.

  "O Lu, it is quite too bad that you should be exposed to such things!"said Evelyn. "Do give up to Grandpa Dinsmore and go home with usto-night!"

  Lulu shook her head decidedly.

  "Well then, at least let me tell your mamma, or Grandma Elsie about thehard bed, and they will surely see that a better one is provided foryou."

  But Lulu negatived that also. "I can stand it," she said, "and I wouldn'tfor a great deal let Grandpa Dinsmore know what a hard time I am having.He would triumph over me, and say it was just what I deserved."

  So no complaint was made, and Evelyn was the only person at Viamede whohad any idea of the many discomforts Lulu was enduring for self-will'ssake.

  Sunday morning came and Lulu made herself ready for church, all the timefearing that she would have to go with the Mantons and sit with them andtheir other boarding-scholars.

  Great, then, was her joy on seeing Max drive up in a light two-seatedcarriage, Violet and Grace on the back seat, a vacant space on the frontbeside the young charioteer.

  "Oh, they've come for me!" cried Lulu, half aloud, glancing from thewindow of her room. "How nice is Mamma Vi to do it!" and she flew down tothe front door to greet them.

  The professor was there before her, bowing, smirking, and asking in hismost obsequious tones if Mrs. Raymond would be pleased to alight and walkinto the parlor.

  "Thank you, no," Violet said. "We have come merely to pick up Lulu andtake her to church with us. Come, dear," to the little girl; "theprofessor will help you in, if you are quite ready to go."
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  "Yes, Mamma Vi," Lulu answered eagerly, and with the aid of theprofessor's hand quickly climbed to her place.

  "Mamma Vi, you are very good," she said, as the carriage rolled on again.

  "Yes, isn't she?" said Max. "She says she isn't at all afraid to trust meto drive her."

  "No," said Violet, smiling affectionately on him; "you do great credit toUncle Ben's teaching. I think your father would be much pleased with yourproficiency."

  "Were you expecting us, Lulu?" asked Grace.

  "No, indeed! How should I, when nothing had been said about it? But oh, Iwas so glad to see you coming."

  The children seemed happy in being together again and chatted cheerily,Violet occasionally joining in.

  She had fully gained their respect and affection, yet they now never felther presence the slightest damper upon their enjoyment of each other'ssociety.

  On their return, while yet at some little distance from the academy,Violet asked,

  "Lulu, dear, do you find yourself quite comfortable and happy atOakdale--so that you wish to continue there as a boarder?"

  "I wish that rather than to go home again on Grandpa Dinsmore'sconditions," Lulu said with a frown, and with that the subject wasdropped.