by L. T. Meade
his great adventure and Harriet and he wenttogether, side by side, into Mrs Burton's private sitting-room. ThereHarriet told all.
"I don't want the pony," she said in conclusion; "and I'm not a bit fitto be a school-mother! But I love him all the same."
"I must punish you, Harriet," said Mrs Burton. "I should not do myduty else. For the remainder of the term, Robina will be Ralph'sschool-mother; but you shall see him every day, and it remains withRalph himself to decide whether he loves you in future or not."
"Oh, don't I love her just this very instant-minute," said Ralph: and heflung his arms round Harriet's neck. Thus Harriet found out what reallove meant. She found it out in her pain, the pain she had sufferedduring that lonely night--she found it out also in her joy--the joy thathad come to her when she saw Ralph again.
The pony and the habit and the side-saddle did not matter a bit toHarriet now, for she had more--the true heart of Ralph himself. Lovecan destroy jealousy and all bad things in the heart. So it was withHarriet, even though Robina became the little boy's school-mother, andeven though she won the big prize. Harriet was happy.
Book 2--CHAPTER ONE.
A DELIGHTFUL PROPOSAL.
When Ralph Durrant's father came for him on the day of the greatbreak-up at the school, he found a little boy who said with emphasisthat he had several school-mothers, and that he did not wish to saygood-bye to any of them. This state of things rather puzzled MrDurrant, whose one desire in life was to make Ralph intensely happy.
"How am I to manage such a lot of mothers, little man?" he said.
"You must, Father," replied Ralph. "There is my naughty school-mother--her name is Harriet. She is both naughty and good, and I love her likeanything. And there is my beautiful, good school-mother--Robina; and Iwant not to say good-bye to either of them. I s'pose," continued Ralph,"that Robina must have the pony; only I wish there were two ponies--"
But here Mrs Burton interfered.
"Ralph," she said, "I have something to say to your father. Run awayfor a short time and play with Curly Pate, my dear."
Ralph, who had been excellently trained by Robina, ran immediately outof the room. Mr Durrant turned and faced Mrs Burton.
"Well," he said, with a smile, "my little scheme seems to have answered.Ralph was fretting a good deal when I brought him here. He had beenbadly managed at home: none of his aunts understood him. He missed hisdear mother,--who died two years ago,--more than words can say. It wasnot that he fretted about her, for the dear little man was too young tofret, but he just missed the mothering part of life which all littlechildren need and cannot do without. His aunts are good, butold-fashioned people, and they failed just where they most meant tosucceed. Now, I see a dear, healthy, happy little boy, with rosy cheeksand bright eyes. I have to thank you, Mrs Burton, for a great deal.
"You know that I must leave him very soon to return to South Africa.You know, too, that my work while there, leads me into very possibledangers: in fact, I think I may add into certain dangers; and if it werepossible to secure a permanent home for my little man in your house, Ishould love to do so."
"But this is a school for girls," said Mrs Burton, with a smile.
"Still, one little boy--my dear friend--one little motherless boy, notsix years of age--"
"He is a baby," said Mrs Burton, "and we all love him. I will think itover."
"Do, my dear friend. I can scarcely tell you what a weight of care willbe lifted from my mind if you will allow me to send Ralph back here atthe end of the holidays. But in the meantime, what is this talk aboutseveral school-mothers, and in especial about two; one naughty--one whomhe loves very dearly, and one good--one whom he also seems to adore? AmI really to give two ponies, two side-saddles, two habits, and providefor the keep of two of these little animals for many years? If you canprove to me that such an action on my part is necessary, I will gladlygive not two, but twenty, ponies to Ralph's little mothers in thisschool."
"You are so generous, Mr Durrant, that you would really spoil all mylittle girls if you were allowed to have your own way," said theheadmistress. "The fact is, this your proposal with regard to the ponywas so tempting and so unlooked for, that it very nearly turned the headand the heart of one child in this school. That child--your little boywill tell you her name, so there is no use in my withholding it--iscalled Harriet Lane. She behaved as she ought not to have done; andalthough circumstances occurred--which I will also tell you later on--that so terrified her and so appealed to her conscience that she is verymuch improved now; nevertheless it would never do to give her a pony.You must keep to your decision, Mr Durrant, one pony for one girl, andone school-mother for little Ralph."
"Very well," said Mr Durrant. "But I suppose I may do something elsefor the would-be school-mothers."
He talked a little longer with Mrs Burton, and the result of thisconference was that just before break-up on that lovely summer's day,the great African explorer made a proposal to the school. It was this:
"I have heard a great deal," said Mr Durrant, standing on a platformand looking at all the eager faces, "about your goodness to my littleboy. I have further heard that the girls of the third form have each inturn acted as his school-mother."
"Oh yes--oh yes!" said Ralph, coming forward now, and speaking withgreat eagerness: "I has got eight mothers, and I don't want to lose oneof them. My bestest mothers are my naughty one and my goodest one.Robina is my goodest one, and Harriet is my naughtiest one: I love thembest, but I love all the others too."
"You, I think, are Robina Starling," said Mr Durrant, fixing his eyeson Robina's face.
"Yes, sir;" she answered.
"And you have taken good care of my little boy."
"I love Ralph very much, sir," said Robina simply.
"And you, too, love him," said Mr Durrant, turning his eyes by a sortof instinct in the direction where Harriet stood, Harriet still lookingpale and lanky and different from the rest of her school-fellows.
"Yes," said Harriet, with a sort of choke in her voice; "I care forRalph."
Little Ralph himself looked full at her. He ran up to her now and tookher hand.
"Don't think about your naughtiness," he whispered to her. "You isforgived, you know."
Harriet squeezed the little hand and then let it go. There was a lumpin her throat. She could not imagine why Ralph Durrant--a little,little boy--had such power over her.
"And the rest of you are mothers too," said Mr Durrant, looking fromone to the other.
"We all love Ralph," they answered.
"Well now: I have a proposal to make. I am taking a house at theseaside--a very nice country house for the holidays; and I want to knowif all the school-mothers can come and stay with Ralph and me in myhouse. You are all invited. Will you come? There will be the pony forthe _special_ school-mother--for you, Robina. The pony which will beyour property, and which you can ride as much as you like, and as longas you like, and lend to your companions when you wish to begood-natured, will be with you. And there will be donkeys--excellentdonkeys for the rest of you, and also bicycles, and also a waggonette,and a governess cart; so I think there will be no difficulty in yourgetting about; and I can promise you beforehand that I am a first-rateperson for managing picnics; and that my cook-housekeeper, Mrs Joseph,is famous for her cakes, pies, and puddings; and that my otherhousekeeper, Mrs Scott, will see to your wardrobes and look after yourother comforts. But I wish to warn you beforehand, that there will beno lady in the house. There will be no grown-up lady-woman in my house,so you children will have to look out for storms; for I can be, when Ilike, a _very_ fierce man, and if there are really naughty children, Ican make it unpleasant for them. There, my dear little girls, I am onlyjoking--"
"Father's awful at his jokes," interrupted Ralph at that moment. "You_is_ silly, father; you know that you is never cross."
"Perhaps," said Mr Durrant, "you had better, girls, take Ralph'sestimate of my character. Anyhow, come those of you wh
o wish to try me,and stay away, those of you who are afraid. The house will be ready toreceive you in a fortnight from now. During that time, Ralph and I willenjoy ourselves together. This day fortnight, we shall both be preparedto welcome you at Sunshine Lodge. I am calling the house by that namein advance, for I mean to have the sunshine in it day and night; and bythe special sort of sun that I allude to, I mean Kindness, Charity,Unselfishness, Forbearance; and last, but not least, Love. I mean, too,that Pleasure should enter the house--nice, jolly Pleasure--and thatCare should keep her wrinkled old face out-of-doors. I mean, in orderto secure these things, to have a certain amount of discipline in