The Little School-Mothers
Page 44
you need not havethem. I can assure you it is an immense sacrifice on my part to giveyou so much money; but when I make a promise, I keep it. You haven'tdone much for me, so don't you think it: but I promised you five pounds.My birthday will be this week: god-mother never forgets me. When thefive pound note comes, it will be handed over to you: you can take it orleave it."
Why _was_ it that the last words of Harriet's sentence were wafted toRobina's ears? "When the five pound note comes, you can take it orleave it." Harriet turned pale and drew herself up abruptly.
"Well," she said, "have you been eavesdropping again?"
"No," said Robina, stoutly. "I came to speak to you as I heard that youand Jane were walking in the shrubbery. I did hear your last sentence;I heard you say to Jane, `When the five pounds comes, you can take it orleave it.' I haven't an idea what that sentence means, nor does itconcern me. I want to speak to you, however, Harriet. Will you kindlylisten, please."
"Hadn't I better go?" said Jane, who felt exceedingly uncomfortable.
"No," said Robina; "unless Harriet greatly minds, I should prefer you tostay, Jane. You are her special friend, and you ought to witness what Iam about to say to her. I don't think that you, Harriet, and you, Jane,have many secrets from each other."
The two other girls were silent, but they both felt uncomfortable.
"What I have to say," continued Robina, "can be said in a very few wordsindeed. I have just to tell you this, Harriet. I have made up my mindto withdraw from the competition which was set to all the school-girlswho came to this house, but which was especially intended to be acompetition between you and me. I do not now wish to be Ralph Durrant'sschool-mother: you will therefore have no difficulty to-morrow morning,for there will be no one to compete with you. I am now going to tellMr Durrant what I have decided."
"But I say," cried Harriet, "you must have some reason for this!"
"I have my reasons, but those I am not prepared to give," said Robina.
"I know," continued Harriet, speaking in great excitement; "you nasty,horrid spitfire! You find that you have utterly failed--that you havenot a chance of getting the position that you so covet; therefore youthink you will make an imposing appearance if you withdraw from thecompetition. But let me tell you, that is monstrously unfair! Youought not to withdraw at the eleventh hour."
"That is my affair," said Robina. "Even if I were elected school-motherto-morrow, I should not accept the position."
"Oh, wouldn't you?" said Harriet. "It is so fine to hear you talking inthat way; you know perfectly well that you would just give your eyes forit."
"If that is your opinion, you are welcome to keep it," said Robina."But anyhow, my mind is quite made up."
She was turning to go, when Harriet ran after her.
"Robina," she said, "do you mean--that is, you will go without sayinganything?"
"Ask me no questions; when you are made school-mother, I suppose youwill be content: and I suppose--at least I hope you will be good tolittle Ralph."
Robina's lips quivered. Before Harriet could utter another word she hadpushed her brusquely aside, and disappeared in the direction towards thehouse.
Book 2--CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
PATIENCE INTERFERES.
It was now early in September, and although the weather was quite warm,the days were of course shortening considerably. Mrs Burton's schoolwas to re-open on the fifteenth of September. It was now the fourth dayof the month; there was, therefore, practically ten days' holiday stillremaining for the girls.
These last few days, as all school-girls know, are very precious: eachone, as it arrives, seems more valuable than its predecessor. More andmore pleasures seem to crowd into these last hours, more and more thingsare there to talk about, more and more matters to arrange. There is atonce pain and pleasure mingled in each young breast: the pain of partingfrom the beloved friends who have been with one during the long summervacation, the pain of giving up pleasure for discipline, of giving upfreedom for a certain amount of restraint. But the girl who reallylongs to do her best in life does not go back to school with unmixedsensations of regret. Healthier feelings than these visit her heart.She will accomplish much in the weeks that lie before her. She will getto the other side of this and that difficulty. She will take anhonourable place in the report which is sent to her parents at the endof the term. She will enjoy the healthy life of routine and wholesomediscipline.
The young girls who were inmates now of Sunshine Lodge were all of them,with the exception of Harriet Lane and Jane Bush, healthy-minded. Theyliked their pleasant school life: they were devoted to their parents andguardians: but they were also devoted to Mrs Burton and to the teachersin that delightful home of culture, Abbeyfield School. They thereforetalked much of their future as they wandered about now in the duskbefore coming in to late supper; and for a time even Robina and Harrietand Jane and little Ralph were forgotten.
Had not Patience to make the very most of her last term at school? andhow soon would Cecil Amberley be moved from the third to the sixth form?What would be the big prize to be competed for next Christmas? Whatwould the new French Mademoiselle be like? and would their dear oldFraulein return once more to the school? Such and such questionsoccupied them: but by-and-by it was time to go indoors to dress forsupper, and when they entered the house a shadow seemed to fall overtheir bright young spirits and they looked one at the otherquestioningly.
"How selfish I am?" whispered Patience Chetwold to her sister. "Iforgot in the excitement of our chat all about poor Robina. Girls, wemust stick to our promise and worry out this thing to the very bottom."
"But if Robina has spoken to Mr Durrant, what is there to be done?"remarked Rose. "Mr Durrant is a very determined man, and hatesanything that he considers small and mean: he will not like ourinterfering. You see," continued Rose, "we have been out of this matterfrom the very first; the whole thing has rested between Harriet andRobina."
"Yes," said Patience; "and very, very cleverly has Harriet played hercards. Well, all that I can say is that if I can circumvent that horridsly creature in favour of poor dear true-hearted Robina, I shall do so.But now, let us run upstairs and get tidy for supper. This may beLiberty Hall, girls, but Mr Durrant likes form and ceremony as much asanyone I know; and if the girls of Sunshine Lodge--as he calls us--don'tmake a presentable appearance at the last meal in the day, he is alwayssomewhat annoyed." The different girls went off immediately to theirrooms, where they arrayed themselves in pretty evening dress. Theshortness of the evenings by no means took from the pleasure of being atSunshine Lodge; in fact, of late, the evenings had been almost the mostdelightful part of the day. With such a host as Mr Durrant it wasquite impossible to be dull. He was the best story teller and the bestcomrade in the world. He had a way of making every child with whom hecame in contact feel perfectly at home with him. But, at the same time,that child would not dare to take an undue liberty. He expected thechild to be happy--very, very happy--but he also expected and insistedon instant obedience.
"When I put my foot down, it is down," he was heard to say; "when Iorder a thing to be done, that thing is to be done; there is no walkinground it, or squeezing out of it, or circumventing it in any waywhatsoever. My object is the pleasure of all these young people; but Iam the captain of this ship--if I may be permitted to use the simile--and the general in this battlefield. The captain must be obeyed, or theship founders; and the general must give his orders, or the battle islost."
The girls knew all these things, and the very fact that there was unseendiscipline at Sunshine Lodge gave the final zest to their enjoyments.Ralph would not have been the charming boy he was, but for thisadmirable trait of his father's. Ralph, from his earliest days hadobeyed at a word, at a nod. When he was told to go to bed, he went. Hewas never heard to plead for one minute or two minutes more. When hewas ordered to get up, he rose. When he was expected to attend to hislessons, he did so. All the same, Ralph felt himself free as a li
ttlebird in the air, and happy as any child will be who clings to hisbeloved father's hand. Even when parted from his father, Ralph hadmetaphorically clung to that strong brown hand. When he found thingsdifficult in his little life, he remembered it,--how firm it was, howsupporting. Even when his father was not present, he did instinctivelywhat that father wished.
The happy little party at Sunshine Lodge came downstairs on this specialevening with a certain feeling of expectancy. The Chetwolds and theAmberleys were very much concerned to know if anything decisive had yettaken place; if Robina had met Mr Durrant and had told him herdecision, if Harriet knew, and if when they all met--first of all in thepleasant drawing-room and