The Little School-Mothers

by L. T. Meade

heart, my soul to keep..."

  And then in a few minutes he would have been sound asleep. He noddedhis head once or twice now, and finally upset a cup of chocolate whichhad been placed by his side. Some of the chocolate streamed overHarriet's white dress. She did not possess many clothes, and wasconsequently exceedingly angry. She tried to keep in her anger as bestshe could, but showed it notwithstanding all her efforts, by the colourin her cheeks and the way her pale blue eyes flashed.

  "Oh Ralph, how careless and awkward you are! Really, you must not dothis sort of thing again."

  "I is seepy: I really want to go to bed," said Ralph. "I am awfu'sorry, Harriet, and when you saved my life and all! Oh, let me sop itup."

  He took his own table-napkin and tried to repair the mischief, butHarriet pulled her dress roughly out of his hands and, telling the othergirls that she must go away to wash the stains out, left the room.

  "Now, Ralph," said Patience, when this had happened; "if I were you Iwould go straight off to my by-by downy nest; you know you are justlonging to be in it."

  "I is," said Ralph, "but I mustn't go, must I, Robina?"

  He looked straight at Robina for guidance.

  "I don't know," replied Robina, just glancing at him, and then lookingaway.

  "But Robina, do tell him to _go_," said Patience. "If any two people atthe present moment are supposed to have authority over Ralph, you andHarriet are those individuals. Harriet has gone away to mop her dress,and Ralph looks quite white with fatigue."

  "I cannot interfere," said Robina.

  "Very well," said Patience; "then I will: I am a school-mother too.This sort of thing has got to end. Come, Ralph, I shall take you tobed."

  "But won't Harriet be--be--angry?" said the little fellow, his lipsquivering.

  "You leave the matter to me," said Patience. She looked strong anddetermined. "Your father would wish it," she said; and at these wordsand at the cool feel of her hand, Ralph yielded to his own inclinationsand left the room with her.

  When they got upstairs, however, he asked her once or twice ratherpiteously if she thought Harriet would mind.

  "I will see that she doesn't," said Patience. "You leave it to me,Ralph."

  "Oh but," said Ralph, as he got into his little pyjamas, "she has beenso awfully brave, you know--saved my life, you know."

  "Yes, I know all that," said Patience, "and I know of course that youare very grateful to her; but I do wonder something, Ralph."

  "What is that?" asked the child.

  "If you understand the difference between very grateful to a person andloving a person very dearly?" Ralph looked immensely puzzled.

  "I mean this," said Patience, wondering at her own audacity. "You saythat Harriet saved your life."

  "Yes," said Ralph, with great determination. "Her did."

  "But before she saved your life, you didn't care for her so very, verymuch, did you?"

  "Not so awfully as all that," said Ralph, considering his words.

  "But afterwards?" continued Patience.

  "Couldn't help it arterards," said Ralph. "Her did it twice, you know."

  Patience did not know, but she was determined to treasure up theinformation given unwittingly by Ralph.

  "Well," she said after a minute's pause, "I understand of course quitewell that you are awfully obliged to her and all that, and that perhapsyou do love her. But you don't love her better than your father, doyou?"

  "Better nor father?" said Ralph. "In _course_ not?"

  "But did he ever save your life?"

  "No," said Ralph; "but then he _is father_."

  "I see quite well, my wise little man," said Patience, tucking him upand kissing him. "Now Robina never saved your life: but you--you loveher notwithstanding that?"

  "Awful much!" said Ralph.

  "I saw you kiss her to-night," said Patience.

  "Cause I love her so much," said Ralph.

  "Good-night now, Ralph. Sleep very sound."

  "Wait till I say my `Matthew, Mark,'" said Ralph.

  He closed his eyes, repeated the old song rapidly and, before the lastwords had come to an end, was asleep.

  Patience went downstairs. By this time Harriet had returned. She hadbeen forced to remove the poor chocolate-stained white frock and to puton another, which did not make her look half so well dressed. She wasstill feeling cross and sore. As soon as she entered the room, herfirst exclamation was, "Where is Ralph?"

  "Gone to bed," said Frederica Chetwold.

  "Gone to bed?" said Harriet. "Who has given Ralph leave to go to bed?"

  "Patience took him to bed. You had better not interfere about it," saidFrederica: "for if you do," she continued, "we'll all tell Mr Durrantin the morning. You are not school-mother yet, so don't be over sure ofthings."

  At that moment, Robina got up and left the room. Harriet sank down in achair. She was trembling with suppressed passion.

  "I wonder," she said, after a pause, "why you all dislike me as you do.Of course," she added, "there can be but one explanation, and that is,jealousy."

  "Not at all," said Patience. "As a matter of fact, I don't believethere is a girl amongst us who would change with you; for to change withyou, Harriet Lane, would be to possess your nature, and that is whatnone of us wish for. But we are quite determined to see justice done toRalph."

  "Justice done to Ralph?" said Harriet.

  "Yes: and to Robina. We know what has happened to-night, for Robinatold us."

  "Oh, she told you!" said Harriet. "That is so like her."

  "Yes; she said she was not going to compete. Now, she must have areason for that, and Frederica and I and Rose and Cecil and Vivian areall absolutely resolved to find out what that reason is. We have beeninvited to this house and have been given this happy time, because in asort of way we also are Ralph's school-mothers. You expect a greattriumph in the morning, Harriet. Well all I can say is this: look outfor storms."

  "It is that horrid, horrid Robina! There is no spiteful thing she wouldnot do against me," said Harriet. "But Ralph loves me best. I don'tpretend that I don't want the post: I do want it. I haven't a happyhome like most of you: and to be Ralph's school-mother, and to live herewould be of great moment to me. It would mean all my future beingassured. You can't think what it would mean; for you don't any of youknow what it is to be--oh--poor!" Harriet's face turned very pale.

  "Ralph does love me, and why should not he? and if Mr Durrant iscontented to choose me, and Robina doesn't want to be school-mother--"

  "Robina doesn't want to be school-mother!" interrupted Patience. "Youare either a goose or a liar, Harriet; for you know that in her heart ofhearts, Robina is dying to be school-mother to little Ralph--and not foryour horrid worldly reasons, but because she--she loves him! Oh, we didthink that you repented that time at school, but your conduct since youcame here has puzzled us dreadfully."

  Harriet, however, had now recovered herself. This attack on the part ofher school-fellows was unexpected, and at first she was almost thrownoff her usual balance of mind. Her customary self-possession verynearly deserted her, but now she recovered it.

  "After all," she said, "you may think what you please. By this timeto-morrow I shall be established in my position, and I don't thinkeither Ralph or his father will regret it. As you, Patience, have takenit upon you to order Ralph to bed--a thing which I imagine you willnever have the power to do again--I shall not disturb him to-night: butwhen I am his school-mother, he will do what I wish, please understand:he will have passed out of your life, Patience, and out of the lives ofall the rest of you, and you need not call yourselves by the ridiculousname of school-mothers any longer. You will be back to your horridschool life, and I wish you joy of it. I shall stay here, and be happy.I wish, however, to say one thing. I think it exceedingly shabby ofRobina to give up the contest at the eleventh hour. It shows thatnotwithstanding your high opinion of her she is a coward at heart. Sheis so certain that she will be beate
n, that she won't wait to witnessher own discomfiture. Ralph choose Robina, indeed! There never was anychance of that."

  "No," said Patience, "and that brings us to another thing. Dear littleRalph told me that you saved his life--"

  "Good gracious!" said Harriet: "didn't you all see me do it?"

  "Yes, but he said you saved his life twice. When was the firstoccasion?"

  Harriet bit her lips.

  "Children exaggerate things," she said after a pause. "I did risk myown life for Ralph at Totland Bay, and the dear little man gotconfused."

  "I don't think so," said Patience; "he is never confused about things.Well, at any rate, Harriet, we should like you to explain that remark ofRalph's to-morrow to Mr Durrant before the great decision is finallycome to."

  "Your likings or not likings, Patience Chetwold, will probably not be ofthe slightest consequence," said Harriet, leaving the room as she spokewith her head in the air.

  The moment she had gone, the rest of the girls drew close together.

  "Now listen," said Patience. "I have talked to that poor child. In hisheart of hearts he doesn't really love Harriet. She would be a crueland dreadful girl to leave him with. Didn't you watch her to-night, anddidn't you see how she was forcing him to do something, and how he wasrefusing, and how she was making him do it in the end? and didn't younotice the way he hugged Robina? Oh! it's Robina he loves in his heartof hearts: he doesn't care for Harriet, but she has got the poor littledarling into her power, and he is such a brave pet, and is so impressedby his sense of gratitude to her, he will do anything for her. Now,girls, we have a great deal to do between now and eleven o'clockto-morrow morning. We have to get our evidence together."

  "Oh what, Patience, what?" asked Rose: while the others clustered roundher.

  "Let me see," said Patience. "You, of course, Frederica, and you threeAmberley girls will help me. There are five of us in all. Robina mustnot lose this chance: Harriet must not get the victory. The person toapproach on the subject is Jane Bush."

  Book 2--CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  ANXIOUS TIMES.

  The other girls started when Patience delivered herself of this lastremark.

  "Jane Bush?" they said, looking at one another as though they thoughtPatience Chetwold--Patience, the most down-right, matter-of-fact,sensible girl on earth--had suddenly taken leave of her senses. "Whatdo you mean, Patience?" they said, almost in chorus. "What can poorJane have to do with it?"

  "Anyone can see," remarked Rose, "that Jane is terribly afraid ofHarriet, but she herself, poor little thing, has done nothing."

  "Yes, she has," remarked Patience; "Jane has done a great deal more thanany of the rest of you have the least idea of. And now, girls," sheadded, "I am going to prove my words."

  As Patience finished speaking, she abruptly left the room. She was onlygone a few minutes, and when she came back, she was holding theunwilling hand of poor terrified looking Jane Bush. Jane had saidgood-night to Harriet, and had gone away to her own room. It sohappened that the chamber in which she reposed was nowhere nearHarriet's, which, as Patience remarked, was a good thing on the presentoccasion; and Harriet being certain that nothing could really happenfurther to damage her cause, had gone safely and comfortably to bed.Little did she guess that Jane, when in the very act of preparing forher own night's rest, was forcibly conducted to be cross-questioned byfive very determined school-mothers.

  As soon as Patience got into the room, she quite calmly locked the door.

  "Now," she said, looking at the others, "we shall be quite undisturbed.Sit down, Jane," she said; "you need not be frightened, you have onlyjust to tell the truth, and we, between us, will look after you. Thereis no possible way of shirking the truth, Jane Bush; you may as well outwith it, sooner or later. If you tell it without difficulty and atonce, you will suffer less than if you struggled to keep it to yourself:you will be less miserable afterwards than you are now, for it is onlyto look at your face, Jane, to know that you are a thoroughly wretchedgirl. Well, here you are, quite outside Harriet's influence for thetime being, and here are we five of us, all full of suspicion withregard to you, and I think," continued Patience, glancing at the rest ofthe girls,--"that we have got quite as much brains as you, Jane Bush; sofive sets of brains against one set of brains must win the victory,mustn't they? That's common-sense, isn't it, Jane? Now then; let usbegin. Which amongst us girls will begin to question Jane first?"

  "I don't want any of you to talk to me; I have nothing to say at all: Iwant to go back to my bed," said Jane, who was so terribly frightenedthat she forgot all that remorse which troubled her, her only presentdesire being to fly from the presence of the dreadful five girls who hadentrapped her into their power.

  "Come, come," said Patience; "there's no good in giving way: it will beall right if you only tell us the truth. Sit down in that chair andmake yourself comfy. Now then, you poor little thing, we know quitewell that you are the cat's-paw, and that your poor little paw isdreadfully burnt. But never mind, Janie, you will be out of all thismisery if you will take the advice of girls who at least have a shadowof honour in their disposition."

  At these words, Jane stopped crying, raised her head, and looked withher round black eyes full into the faces of all five. It was true whatthey had said: they were honourable and she, if left to herself, wouldmuch rather not walk in deceit's crooked ways. She gave a sigh deepfrom her heart. A memory stole over her of the little children who werereally all her world--little Miriam, little Bobbie, they thought theirown Jane perfect; but if they could look into her heart, would even suchtiny children trust her? She shivered, and sat very still.

  "You had best do the questioning, Patience," said Frederica; "you havetaken this matter in hand, and you had best pull it through."

  "Very well," said Patience; "then I will make short work of it. It isthis way, Jane. You know quite well that Harriet wants to be electedschool-mother to Ralph. She wants to live here and to have all theadvantages of the home Mr Durrant means to offer to the girl who iselected to the post. You know that at least, don't you?"

  Jane nodded her head.

  "So far, so good," said Patience. "You will please note on a piece ofpaper, Frederica, that Jane Bush admits that Harriet is anxious to beRalph's school-mother."

  Frederica, seeing that the proceedings were to take such an orderlycourse, immediately approached the centre-table and wrote down Jane'sreply on a piece of paper.

  "That is statement one," continued Patience. "Now statement two isthis: another girl equally wishes for the post, and that girl is RobinaStarling. You admit that also, don't you, Jane?"

  "Yes," said Jane.

  "Note it down, please, Frederica," said Patience. "Now, Jane,"continued Patience, "we come to the really important part. For someextraordinary reason Robina, who is admirably suited to become Ralph'sschool-mother is likely--more than likely--to be worsted in thisconflict by Harriet, who is not suitable at all. Now, there is not theslightest doubt in the minds of us five girls that there is foul play inthis matter: yes, Jane, foul play. Is there foul play or is there not?"

  Jane grew scarlet and fidgetted in her chair.

  "Is there foul play?" repeated Patience.

  "I am not going to say," remarked Jane.

  "Note that down, please, Frederica," said Patience.

  Frederica did so.

  "Can you state now," continued Patience, very solemnly, "can you as aChristian child who has been baptised and has gone to church everySunday and who hopes to be confirmed next year--can you state solemnlythat to your certain knowledge there is no foul play in this matter?If, after careful consideration, you will tell us that, we shall beinclined to believe you. But pause a minute first," continued Patience;"we want you to consider very carefully what such a statement on yourpart means. It means that Harriet, who is unsuited in every respect tolook after Ralph, will be elected as his school-mother, and it means, ifyou state a false thing, that you can never, n
ever, as long as you live,be a truly happy girl again. Now, tell us the truth. We promise tobelieve you as far as we can. Yes or no, Jane? yes or no?"

  "You frighten me," said Jane.

  "That is not the point. What do you mean to say?"

  "I--I can't--" Jane wriggled.

  "Look up," said Patience. "You are not a coward by nature. Can youpositively declare that there is no foul play?"

  "I can't," said Jane then; and at these words she subsided into her seatsobbing, not loudly, but in the most heart-broken and terrible manner,swaying from side to side, bemoaning her own lot, and then suddenlyspringing up and confronting the five girls.

  "Oh, you are cruel!" she said. "You persecute me! You have not got alittle Bobbie and a little Miriam waiting and wanting--waiting andwanting all you can get for them."

  "You poor child!" said Patience. Her tone changed. She went straightup to the culprit and