The Little School-Mothers
Page 39
was determined to give thegirl all the advantages of a good education; no one knew this; it wasnever whispered in the school that Harriet and Jane were taken on verydifferent terms from their companions. Their rooms were just ascomfortable, their education just as complete: but the girls themselvesknew, and the thought rankled sorely in each young breast.
Harriet had an aunt, it is true, who paid something for her schooling,but Jane Bush's father paid practically nothing at all. He was a verypoor artist who could scarcely make two ends meet. Jane's mother wasdead, and the girl would have been absolutely neglected but for MrsBurton's great kindness to her.
Jane Bush had a little brother and sister who were cared for, after afashion, by an aunt, and, with the exception of her school-companions,they were the only people she loved in the world.
Now, the thought of that five pounds, which was to be hers if Harrietwas lucky enough to be selected as school-mother to Ralph, visited herheart again and again. What wonders could she not achieve with so largea sum? Why, five pounds! Five pounds meant one hundred shillings, andone hundred shillings meant two hundred sixpences and four hundredthreepences! and as to the pennies which that mighty sum represented--Jane felt that she was not old enough yet even to begin to calculate themagnitude of the amount! Yes, if she helped Harriet--she, who hadalways helped her more or less, would be the happy possessor of thatsum. What could she not do for little Bobbie and small, round,black-eyed Miriam if she had five pounds of her own? She remembered toowell the sordid condition of these poor little ones; how many thingsthey wanted; how shabby were their little wardrobes; how thin theirwinter frocks; how bitterly Miriam complained of the cold, and howBobbie cried when his chilblains hurt him!
While the others were singing and laughing and making merry on board the"Sea-Gull," and Jane's very round cheeks got rounder and browner and hereyes blacker and more staring, and people said to themselves, "What acommonplace, careless sort of little girl that is and what anuninteresting face she has," they little guessed that Jane's heart wasfull of care, that she was thinking of Bobbie and Miriam and the thingsthat might be done for their happiness if only she was the possessor offive pounds.
She was completely under Harriet's spell, and never more so than at thepresent moment when Harriet dangled before her so tempting a bait. NowHarriet, exceedingly annoyed at what Ralph had communicated, sought herchosen friend.
"Well, Jane," she said, "this is Friday. We shall be back at SunshineLodge on Tuesday next, and then the great decision has to be made. Haveyou thought of anything?"
"Have I thought of anything?" said Jane, almost crossly. "I am alwaysthinking of things, Harriet, you know very well."
"But if you don't think of something good and clever, you may as wellnot think at all," said Harriet. "Now, do you know that I don't like mypresent position at all. There's that horrid Robina--she is exactly thesort of girl who, to spoil my chances, would equally spoil her own. Shesaid as much, and if we don't manage to circumvent her between now andTuesday, all will be up."
"I would do anything in all the world to help you, as you know,Harriet," said Jane; "but please tell me what circumvent means?"
"Why, get the better of her, of course, you goose! You really are toosilly," said Harriet. "Well, how are we to get the better of her? Iwant you to tell me."
"I wish I could!"
"Oh, you don't think at all!" said Harriet in a fretful tone. "If,instead of romping and joking and laughing all day with that sillyVivian or Rose or any of the other girls, you were to put on yourconsidering cap, you would soon find a way to earn your five pounds."
"I want it most dreadfully," said Jane: "but please tell me how I am toearn it, Harriet. What is it you want me to do?"
"Well, I tell you what I want you to do. I want you to do; two things.To prove in some sort of fashion to Mr Durrant that Robina isdeceitful--yes, that is it, deceitful; he thinks more of truth than ofanything under the sun--and that I am exceedingly brave, and exceedinglynoble. I gave Ralph the hint to tell his father that I was both braveand noble--you know all about that as far as is connected with the pond.Well, what do you think Mr Durrant has said? He says that if Ralphcan prove his words, he will elect me as the school-mother. The deedwill be done. There will be no getting out of it; but it has got to beproved--how? I leave you, Jane, to find out a way."
"Oh, it isn't so easy," said Poor Jane.
"You want your five pounds, don't you?" said Harriet, with a sneer.
"Yes, I want it awfully. I heard from Bobbie and Miriam this morningand--"
"I don't want to hear about those tiresome children. Now let us come tothe boat; they are calling us: don't you hear them?"
Book 2--CHAPTER TWELVE.
EDGED TOOLS.
Mr Durrant's prophecies with regard to the weather turned out true.The "Sea-Gull" made with some difficulty into Yarmouth harbour, where itremained snugly ensconced for the night. But even there, althoughsecurely at anchor, it tossed about a good deal, and none of thechildren slept particularly well.
Towards morning, however, the storm abated: the wind went down almost assuddenly as it rose, and Mr Durrant determined to take the yacht as faras Totland Bay, and to give the children a run on the shore. They wereall pleased with this decision, and when they landed on the pier, weremuch delighted to find themselves again on _terra firma_.
The day was a very hot one; and, except for the swell after the storm,all traces of the tempest of the preceding night had vanished. Theentire party went into the hotel for lunch, and afterwards took a longwalk on the beach in the direction of the far-famed Needles.
It was so fine and warm that the girls begged to be allowed to bathe.There was a sheltered cove about a mile beyond Totland Bay where theycould go into the water; and all the party, provided with their bathingthings, started on their expedition.
Harriet and Jane walked on a little in front of the others: Robina, onthis occasion, found herself with the Amberley girls: Mr Durrant,Patience and Frederica Chetwold and Ralph brought up the rear. Janeturned now and spoke eagerly to Harriet.
"I have thought of something," she said.
"Well, what is it?" asked Harriet.
"We are all going to bathe, aren't we?"
"I suppose so," said Harriet: "not that I much care for the look of thewater," she added. "There is an awful swell, and I remember my fatheronce telling me that there were strong currents all round this part ofthe coast. Only very good swimmers ought to go out; but of course weare safe enough, those of us who choose to stay in our depths."
"Yes,"--said Jane--"those of us who choose; but you won't, you know--itwill be your chance."
"My chance? of what?" asked Harriet.
"Why, of proving what you want to prove to Mr Durrant."
Harriet turned and looked full at her companion. It is true she was agood swimmer, and she was not a coward; but she knew enough about thewater to understand that even the best swimmer cannot cope against a seawhich is still perturbed by a recent storm. She said, after a pause:
"I always knew you were clever enough, Jane, when you chose to put yourbrains in soak. Now, what is your thought? Out with it."
"Well," said Jane; "it is this way. They're all going to bathe--all ofthem--Ralph and Mr Durrant, and all the girls. You coax Ralph to get alittle out of his depth, and then you save him. Why, it's done as easyas possible. Why, Mr Durrant, he'll feel then just as Ralph feels foryou--that there's nothing in all the world that he won't do for you, andRobina won't be in it at all."
Harriet was so astonished at these words, that she stood stock-still andturned and stared at her companion.
"But if Mr Durrant is in the water himself, he will save Ralph.Besides, he won't allow him to go out of his depth; he will just keephim to himself. Why, Ralph is the apple of his eye, you goose!"
"Yes," said Jane; "but suppose he isn't with him."
"Now what are you talking about?"
"If something was to happen to
make him go back and just let the rest ofus wait in the cove for him and oh! I know that I am a very bad girl;but I think that if you were to make up a message of some sort he mightgo back to the yacht, and while he is away, we could go into the water,and then you will do that fine, splendid thing and--and--all will beright."
"Yes," said Harriet; "yes." She looked at the sea. Each moment thewaves seemed to be going down; there were no "white horses" anywhere.The whole sea as far as the distant horizon was a blue expanse. Therewas not much, if any, danger, and people said it was so safe to bathe inthe cove, which they were approaching. "But