The Little School-Mothers
Page 45
then in the still more delightfuldining-room--they would see Robina's proud calm face looking a littleprouder and a little more resolved than usual, and Harriet's queer paleface somewhat triumphant in its expression and Jane looking queer andfrightened and worried as she had always done of late.
But when they all did come downstairs, the first thing they noticed wasthat although Robina was in the room, and Harriet and Jane, Mr Durrantwas absent. Robina was seated in a distant corner where the electriclight fell full on the pages of her open book. She wore a white frock,but had not taken otherwise much pains with her appearance. Robina didnot even look up when her companions entered the room. Harriet, dressedin all the finery she could lay hands on, was standing by a tabletalking in a low tone to Jane. Ralph, who, as a rule, never sat up tosupper, was also present on this occasion. He was dancing about in thatradiant fashion he had, flying excitedly from one object of interest toanother.
"Oh, what do you think, Patience?" he said. "I's got to sit up tosupper to-night!"
"Have you, indeed, Ralph?" replied Patience in some surprise, "but it'srather late for you, isn't it?"
"It's not at all too late," said Harriet, just raising her eyes andglancing defiantly at Patience and then turning to Ralph. "In theabsence of your father, Ralph, I give you leave to sit up," she said.
"Sankoo, Harriet," said Ralph, taking her hand, and giving it a mostaffectionate squeeze. "Oh! I _is_ glad!" he said. "I feel quite agrown-up person to-night."
Robina did not take the slightest notice, but Frederica now enquiredeagerly if Mr Durrant were really absent.
"Yes," said Jane; "when we came in, expecting to find him here as usual,we were told that he was obliged to go suddenly to London, but would beback here by a very early train in the morning."
"John told us," continued Harriet, "that Mr Durrant will return in timefor breakfast; we must spend this evening as best we can without him."
Here she glanced at Robina. Ralph, who had been pulling excitedly atHarriet's hand without receiving any attention, now left her and ran upto Robina.
"Is you sad about anything, Robin?" he asked.
"Oh, no," replied Robina. She laid down her book and looked full athim. He looted full back at her.
"Don't," he said suddenly, in a low voice.
"Why did you ask me that?" she responded.
Her tone was dropping to a whisper.
"Your eyes hurt," said the little fellow; "they go inside me and--and--burn something."
He touched his little breast. Robina bent forward and without amoment's warning gave him a quick and passionate kiss.
"Hypocrite!" whispered Harriet under her breath. She called Ralph toher.
"Come here," she said.
He went slowly and with manifest unwillingness.
"Sit there for a minute," said Harriet.
She stalked across the room and stood in front of Robina's chair.
"Did you mean," she said, in a very low voice, "to do what you said youwould just now?"
"Did I mean it?" replied Robina. "Yes; I meant it."
"But Mr Durrant is away," continued Harriet.
"Yes."
"You will see him in the morning, will you not--I mean as soon as hecomes back?"
"Yes," said Robina again.
None of the others could hear this low-voiced conversation, but Harrietwent back to the centre of the room with a satisfied expression. Ralph,who had been watching the two girls, now said in a tone of excitement:
"Has you found out what is wrong with Robin?"
"There is nothing whatever wrong with her: don't be a goose, Ralph,"said Harriet.
But Ralph's longing brown eyes went straight to the sorrowful girlseated by herself in the distant corner. His little child fancyreturned to her in her trouble. Harriet, however, who felt now quitesure of her own position, was not going to permit Ralph to forsake her.She sat down in a chair and called him to her side.
"Who allowed you to sit up to supper?"
"Why, you, in course, Harriet."
"Which of the school-mothers do you love best?"
"Harriet," said Ralph, glancing again at Robina's bowed head: "I hassaid it so often."
"All right, say it once more, or you go to bed."
"I love you," said the child.
"Put your arms tight around me, and kiss me, as you did round Robinajust now."
"No," said Ralph. He put both his little hands to his sides, standingstill very near Harriet, but not touching her.
"If you refuse, you go to bed."
"All wight, Harriet," replied the little chap.
"Then you won't kiss me--you, who love me so dearly--you _won't_ kissthe Harriet who saved your life?"
"Oh--'course I love you," said Ralph, "does you want me to kiss you likethat? I only kiss when I--I--can't help it. I am not a sort of kissingboy at all. I am like father--I think just a look is enough, and a sortof smile now and then, and a sort of feel--oh, you know it--down--deep,deep here. I doesn't kiss father much; he doesn't think it man-like forboys to kiss."
"Kiss me the way you kissed Robina, and do it at once," said Harriet,"or you go to bed."
"No," said Ralph again.
The other girls were scarcely listening, but this little scene betweenthe two was drawing general attention. Patience, in particular, guessedthat there was some struggle going on between Harriet and Ralph, andalthough she pretended to talk to her companions, she could not helplistening.
"Kiss me," repeated Harriet, guessing that she was drawing the attentionof the room, and getting excited in her determination to win thevictory. "Kiss me, or you go to bed!"
"No," said Ralph again. Then he added, now putting his two hands behindhim, "I won't ever kiss you, Harriet, because you threat me--that isn'tme at all. I wouldn't be a man-like boy if I did things 'cause o'threats."
"Well," said Harriet, who was terribly afraid of not scoring the victoryin this encounter, and being forced therefore to change her tactics,"kiss me because twice I risked my life for you and because I want yourkiss. Do you remember when you went down beneath the soft wave and whenyou came up again and I caught you and--and--saved you?"
"Yes, yes!" said Ralph in a ferment of admiration. "Dear Harriet!" Hisarms went tightly round her neck. He kissed her twice. "And now I'sgoing to bed," he said.
"What in the world do you mean by that, you little silly?"
"'Cause you said I was to go to bed if I didn't kiss you. I didn't kissyou 'cause of your threat; I kissed you 'cause you 'minded me of thegreat thing you had done. But I is going to bed, all the same."
"No, you sit up because I order it; now don't be a goose, and don't pawme any more."
Harriet stood up, yawning as she did so. Ralph sunk on to the nextchair. He felt very despondent, he knew not why. Again he could nothelp glancing at Robina and wishing that she would not keep on reading.He found himself watching her. What a long time she was before sheturned a page. Ralph thought he would count the seconds. He knew theclock, and glanced at it. Five whole minutes passed. Still Robina satwith her head of thick hair bent and without a page being turned. Ralphwould have given worlds to say: "Is that a very difficult book, Robina,and can't you read it any quicker than I can read my `Reading withoutTears' book?" But somehow or other, Harriet's presence prevented hisapproaching Robina.
The next minute, there came the welcome relief of hearing that supperwas served, and all the girls trooped into the dining-room.
Ralph had a high chair close to Harriet's side; who told him at oncecarelessly that he might eat anything he liked for supper, and thendevoted herself to telling amusing stories to two of the Amberleys andto Jane. But Ralph was not hungry. He was sleepy, and really wantedhis bed. He was thinking very hard of his father. If only father wereat home, things would be quite different. He would have said good-nightlong ago, and father would have come just before going downstairs, andwould have kissed him, and would have said, "Good-night Ralph, old boy
,sleep well, and dream good dreams, and remember to-morrow morning thatyou are some hours older than when you went to sleep, and ought to besome hours wiser." And then father would go away, and Ralph wouldwhisper to himself the old childish charm which his nurse had taughthim--his nurse who died long ago, and which he had never forgotten:
"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Bless the bed I lie on. Four corners to my bed: Five angels be there spread. Two at my head: Two at my feet: One at my