The Little School-Mothers

by L. T. Meade

pounds that mygod-mother allows me on each of my birthdays."

  "Five pounds!" said Jane, with a gasp.

  "Yes; if I am allowed to stay as Ralph's companion, I will give you thatmoney this year. Think what that will mean."

  Jane was absolutely silent. The girls went away from under the shadowof the thick plantation, and walked like any other innocent little pairin the sunshine. Robina, after a long time, crept out of her hammockand went to the house. She had a dreadful feeling at her heart. Shemust be alone. She reached her bedroom and locked herself in.

  Book 2--CHAPTER TEN.

  HARRIET PLEADS.

  Half an hour afterwards, Robina went downstairs. It was a perfectsummer's afternoon. She felt she could not stand the house. She wentout. The great heat of the day was over. The stars were beginning tocome out in the sky. They could hardly be seen as yet for there was toomuch light, but by-and-by they would shine brilliantly.

  Robina raised her head to the sky, and wondered in a vague, girlish sortof fashion what sort of life it was up there, and if God reallyunderstood people, and if, in God's other worlds, things were right, notwrong. She felt depressed as she had never been depressed before.

  Ralph was playing eagerly with the three Amberleys. He looked a bonny,happy little boy. The rich colour had returned to his cheeks, he hadlost that slight look of delicacy which had characterised him for ashort time after his illness.

  His illness! Robina knew about it now. She had guessed about itbefore, but now, she knew. Those wet clothes which the maid servant hadshown her, were explained. The feverish chill which both Ralph andHarriet had suffered from was also explained. Everything was made clearto Robina. She felt herself almost shuddering. Such wickedness! suchdeceit! such a deeply laid plot to steal the affections of one littleboy seemed too horrible to poor Robina! She felt she could scarcely goon in her present position.

  "Harriet is too clever for me," she thought. "I ought to tell MrDurrant that I listened: I ought to explain to him what really happened.Oh, what--what am I to do! Ralph of course loves Harriet best now. Henaturally thinks her conduct heroic. He is the sort of boy to beenraptured with a deed of that sort; and she did it all on purpose--onpurpose--and just to win his love from me. Oh, how am I to bear it!Why did I ever know Ralph? Why was I ever sent to school? I was happyenough at home. There were troubles, of course. There was poor AuntFelicia, and there was mother--darling mother, who never did understandme, much as I cared for her. But all the same, compared to this life,things were peaceful enough."

  "Hullo, Robina!" said a voice at that moment. "A penny for yourthoughts, my dear!"

  Robina turned swiftly. Her honest grey eyes flashed, then grew a littledim. Mr Durrant came up to her.

  "Do you want to walk about with me for a little, my child, or would yourather I left you by yourself?"

  "I will walk with you, of course," said Robina--"that is, if you care tobe with me. But," she added, "I am not a good companion to-night."

  "And why not? is anything wrong?"

  "There is something wrong, and I cannot tell it you. Please don't askme."

  "Of course I won't, my dear girl. In a little company of this sortthere are sure to be small jars, but what I feel about your character isthis--that there is nothing mean about you. You naturally have yourfaults. I could imagine, for instance, that you were exceedinglyhigh-spirited--too high-spirited at times. I could also imagine thatyou yourself needed a little discipline in life."

  "I do," said Robina, suddenly. "I need everything--every sort oftraining. You don't know, you can't realise, what a wild sort of heartI have. It seems to be too difficult at times to control. I thoughtwhen I was at school, and when I was given the charge of Ralph, and whenI won that dear pony, that I could never know unhappiness again; andthen when you asked me here, I felt sure that I could never knowunhappiness again."

  "And you did know it once again?" said Mr Durrant, looking kindly andyet with anxiety at the girl.

  "Yes," she said, nodding her head, and tears filling her eyes as sheturned away.

  "Listen to me, Robina. There are some things about you that appeal tome very forcibly. I know you are not perfect. I have been to your homeand have heard the opinion of your father and aunt, and of your motherwith regard to you. They have given their true opinions. Your fatheradmires those things in you which try your mother and aunt very much.But I, my dear child, take you on my own valuation. I see in you oneinestimable quality. I do not believe under any circumstances you wouldtell me a lie. That, to me, is the unpardonable sin. A girl who coulddo anything deceitful would be an impossible companion for my littleRalph. I do not believe you would be that."

  Robina was quite silent. Her silence, and the extreme moodiness of herappearance, rather surprised Mr Durrant.

  "As a matter of fact," he said, after a moment's pause, "if I am to beable to carry out my plan, which I am exceedingly desirous to do, Ishall have to choose between you and Harriet as a companion for mylittle boy. All my inclinations tend towards you, Robina; but, on theother hand, I have been speaking to Ralph, and Ralph seems to wish me tochoose Harriet as his school-mother during the year of my absence. Nowthe wishes of so young a child cannot altogether guide me in thismatter, and I do not mean to come to a decision for at least a week onthe subject. During that time, I shall watch you both--not obtrusivelyin any way, but still with a keen observation, for a great deal dependson the choice which I am forced to make. I am, to tell you the truth, agood deal puzzled at Ralph's preference for Harriet, and feel, withoutbeing able to lay my hand on the mystery, that there is a mystery withregard to it, and that Harriet has a power over him which I am notpermitted to know anything about."

  Mr Durrant paused and looked at Robina. She was quite silent.

  "It would," said the traveller, after a long pause, "be a very, veryserious thing--in fact, it would be exceedingly wrong for me to entrustmy boy to the companionship of a girl who was not truthful, who had theelements of deceit in her composition; and I do beseech of you, Robina,not to consider yourself in the matter, but if you know anything againstHarriet, to confide that something to me."

  "You must not ask me," said Robina, suddenly. "I do not say I knowanything; she is my school companion. She is clever; she is notcleverer than I am, but she is undoubtedly clever. You never can tellwhy a person cares for another. Ralph was fond of Harriet when he wasat school, then he turned to me because poor Harriet was tempted to takehim away to visit a friend of hers--but you know all about that story."

  "Yes, I know all about it, and about poor Harriet's subsequentrepentance. The incident has, therefore, quite faded from my mind, andcannot influence me in my present decision in the very least."

  "Of course not," said Robina. "Well, I cannot tell you any more."

  "I am much puzzled," said Mr Durrant, "and your manner to-night is thereverse of reassuring." He left Robina a few minutes afterwards, andshe walked by herself for a short time. She was just going back to thehouse when a hand was laid on her arm, and a girl looked eagerly intoher face.

  "So you were talking to him?"

  "What do you mean?" said Robina. She almost flung Harriet's hand aside.

  "I have discovered something," said Harriet. Harriet's face wasabsolutely white. It looked curious and almost dreadful in the lightcaused by the moon which was now rising. "It was Jane who found out,"she said. "You were in the hammock all the time. You heard us; youlistened; you are an eavesdropper. Have you told Mr Durrant what Isaid to Jane?"

  "No," replied Robina, in a low tone.

  "But you did listen?"

  "I did: I was in the hammock. How did you find out?"

  "We found your handkerchief on the ground when we were passing a fewmoments afterwards; and you left your book behind you. Your book was inthe hammock; your handkerchief on the ground; you dare not deny it; youheard every word."

  "I heard every word," said Robina.

  "Then
what do you mean to do?" said Harriet.

  "Nothing," replied Robina.

  "Nothing?" said Harriet. "That is so like you. You mean to give upyour golden chance?"

  Robina folded her hands. She stood and faced Harriet.

  "If I can keep straight, I will," she said--"if by any means it ispossible for me to keep straight in the company of a girl like you, Iwill do so. I believe, hard as it may seem, that that would be betterfor me in the long run even than spending a whole year with Ralph."

  "Do you indeed think so?" said Harriet. She spoke eagerly. "In thatcase, Robina, you can help me."

  "No," said Robina,