by L. T. Meade
thehouse, but that I shall exercise myself, and in my own way. Now, allthose who wish to come to Sunshine Lodge, have the kindness to hold uptheir hands. Those who do not wish to come can keep their hands down."
"In course you will _all_ come!" said Ralph. "It's Father's way to talklike that; but he's awfu' jolly, is Father!"
"Yes: I believe I am jolly," said Mr Durrant. "You had best takeRalph's estimate of me: it is fair, on the whole. Now girls: who'llcome? who'll stay?"
Was there an instant's hesitation? Every hand was raised: every eyesaid "Yes." Every mouth shouted, "I am going!" Every little heartquivered with excitement.
"Then you will all come: you will all trust me," said Mr Durrant. "Nowyou need not trouble any more about the matter. Get ready for the fun;for fun it will be, I assure you--fun, fast and furious; fun frommorning till night, and in a certain sense from night till morning. Iwill get the addresses of your parents from Mrs Burton, and will writeto them individually, and I think I can promise that there won't be onerefusal. The eight little mothers shall join Ralph and me at SunshineLodge in a fortnight. And now, my dears, good-bye for the present."
Mr Durrant took Ralph's hand as he spoke. Ralph turned, however, asthey were leaving that sunny part of the grounds where this animated andexciting scene had just taken place.
"Good-bye, mothers: good-bye, all of you!" shouted Ralph, kissing hishand frantically to the eight little girls.
He disappeared round the corner, a proud little figure in his prettycostume, and the school-girls looked one at the other.
Book 2--CHAPTER TWO.
ROBINA AT HOME.
The next day, the different girls went to their several homes. Robinahad to make a longer journey than the others; but she arrived at lengthat the somewhat solitary house on the borders of Wales where she livedwith her father and mother, and two little sisters.
Robina's mother was one of those rather trying invalids who without everbeing in any danger yet manage to make all those around themuncomfortable. Now, Robina loved her mother, but she never managed tobe an hour in her presence without rubbing the poor invalid the wrongway. Mrs Starling said that this big, firm, almost manly sort of childwas too much for her. She did not mind the two _little_ girls sittingin her shaded room and playing quietly with their toys. Now and then,she even permitted them to climb up on her sofa and pat her pale cheeks,and kiss her hands. But Robina was too lively and too full of vitalityfor this sort of existence; and, as Mrs Starling was fond of remarking,she tired her out without meaning to do so.
Now poor little Robina loved her mother passionately, and it was one ofher secret troubles that she could not manage to make that mother happy.Mrs Starling had been an invalid for so long that her sister, MissFelicia Jennings, had charge of the house; and Miss Felicia was also thesort of person who had the power of rubbing Robina the wrong way.
She was a very fussy woman who was so fond of saying `Don't' that Robinawondered if she had any other word in her vocabulary.
"Now, Robina," she said on the present occasion, the moment the littlegirl entered the house--"_don't_ make so much noise: walk quietly; go upto your room, and _don't_ slam the door; also--_don't_ neglect to putyour boots outside on the mat, so that Fanny may take them down in goodtime to get them cleaned. And, Robina--_don't_ forget to wash yourhands and brush your hair, and _don't_ on any account fail to rememberthat your mother has a bad headache and cannot have noise or excitementin her room."
"I am not going to make any noise; and I will try not to be excited,"said Robina. "I have been very happy at school, Aunt Felice, and peoplehaven't said such a lot of `_don'ts_' to me. I think it is `don't'makes me so naughty when I am at home."
"Well--_don't_ oblige me to say `Don't,'" was Aunt Felicia's remark.
Robina ran upstairs. She was never cross at school. Why did she feelirritation the very moment she got home? She had looked forward verymuch to her holidays. She had all sorts of schemes in her practicallittle brain for improving and rendering life agreeable to little Violetand little Rose, her two small sisters.
She had quite expected that Violet and Rose would be waiting to welcomeher. She had pictured them to herself all during the long, hot journeyto Wales.
Violet was five years old, and a very pretty little girl. Curly Patehad always more or less reminded Robina of Violet. And then there wasRose, who was not yet four years old, and who was a very delicate littlechild and rather fractious. Rose in some sort of intangible mannerrecalled Harriet to Robina's memory; for she was lanky, and thin, andhad poor little weak legs, and a weak sort of crying voice, and peoplesaid that she took after her mother, and would never be specially goodfor anything.
Before she went to school, Robina had much preferred to play withViolet, and had often left Rose more or less out in the cold. But nowshe resolved to correct all this, and to try to get to understand littleRose, and to add to the happiness of her life.
"For if I don't," thought Robina, "she may grow up like Harriet: she mayeven learn to be deceitful, and that would never do. Oh, I know--I knowquite well the person who is better than all the rest of us put togetherat the school, and that person is Ralph. Who else would have changedHarriet, and made her so that she could even bear to allow me to beRalph's school-mother, and yet to love little Ralph all the time? Imust own that I do not love Harriet even now; but I suppose it is wrongof me; anyhow, I see that there are possibilities of good in her; and Iwill be very good to little Rose during the fortnight that I am at homebecause of Harriet."
But Violet and Rose were both in bed, although they had pleaded veryhard indeed to be let stay up, and Mrs Starling was not considered wellenough to be disturbed by Robina that evening. Robina's father was notat home, and there was no one, therefore, to welcome the little girlexcept Aunt Felicia.
"It is dull," thought Robina. "I am glad that I am going to SunshineLodge in a fortnight: I wonder if the invitation has come yet. Howjolly we shall all be when we are there! If mother were really glad tosee me, and if Rose and Violet were up, I should be a very happy girlthis evening; but as it is--"
Robina entered her rather bare and decidedly ugly bedroom, tossed herhat on the bed, went to the small cracked looking-glass in order to seehow to put her thick hair straight, and then was preparing to rundownstairs again, when she saw the nursery room door very softly opened,and a little figure peeped out.
"I am in my nighty, and so is Rose; but we're both 'ide awake," saidViolet's voice. "Oo's come back, Wobbin. Come and kiss us; do, do!"
"Oh, you darlings! you pets!" said Robina.
She went noisily into the nursery, and alack! and alas! the next minutethe door slammed after her. Violet's little rosy face turned pale, andthe real Rose began to cry.
"Aunt Felice will come up and scold!" said Violet. "Oh, put us intobed, do! and don't go away--please, please, Wobina!"
"No, I won't," said Robina. "I don't mind a bit whether I'm scolded ornot. Of course, I didn't mean to slam the door. You little darlings,both of you! You sweet pets! Here I am back again, and won't we havegood times! I have some chocolates for you in a corner of my schooltrunk: I bought it out of the savings of my pocket-money; and it isright good, I can tell you."
"All keemy in middle?" enquired Rose, in a voice of great eagerness.
"Yes," said Robina, "and browny outside."
"Can't us have some now?" asked Violet.
"I will try," said Robina. "You lie quite still, and pretend to beasleep, and I'll bring you some in a minute or two. Aunt Felicecouldn't have heard the door slam, or she would be up here on thelanding by now. Oh dear! oh dear! I'll creep out ever so quietly.Now, mum's the word. Stay as still as mice, you two, until I return."
Two eager pairs of eyes in the midst of two small wide awake facesfollowed Robina as she went to the nursery door. She opened it softly,and shut it behind her. In a minute or two, she was back with thechocolates, and each little child was made intensely happy. Robinapromised
all sorts of good things on the morrow--pick-a-back was one;and oh! there was a wonderful secret: something amazing was going tohappen: for of course Robina knew well that the pony with theside-saddle and the habit would arrive early the next day. He could notbe objected to, for part of the prize was that all his expenses were tobe paid.
There was an old stable at the back of the house where he could lodge,and the services of a special man were to be secured to look after him.The thought of the pony comforted Robina immensely on that first eveningat home. When she sat opposite to Aunt Felicia at supper, it occurredto her to mention