Blanche: A Story for Girls

by Mrs. Molesworth

holland as too stiff andungracious a material to be becoming, for Archie was a great connoisseurin such matters. Its creamy shade even seemed to deepen her blue eyes,lighted up by the transient smile. He had been a little doubtful aboutthe colour of her eyes before, but now he was quite satisfied. Theywere thoroughly blue, but never had he seen so rich a shade inconjunction with that complexion and hair. He forgot he was looking ather, till a slight flush, for which the sunshine was not responsible,creeping over the girl's cheeks, made him realise his unconscious breachof good manners.

  The little bustle of handing cups and plates covered his momentaryannoyance with himself.

  "Really," he thought, "what's coming over me? I must be losing myhead."

  The next quarter of an hour or so, however, passed very pleasantly. MrDunstan began to hope that he might feel himself re-established in thelittle family's good graces.

  "Are you going to be at Alderwood for some time?" asked Mrs Derwent inthe course of conversation. "Isn't it rather dull for you?"

  "I don't mind it," replied Archie. "I'm rather used to being alone--inthe country, that's to say. I've no one but myself at my own home.I've been an orphan, you know, since I was a little fellow, and my onlysister has been married for several years. Her husband is NormanMilward's half-brother, Charles Conniston. They live in Ireland. Bythe way, you must have seen them that--that first afternoon I met you atAlderwood. They were staying at Crossburn then."

  "No," said Blanche, whom he seemed to be addressing. "I don't think Iremember any one except old Mrs Selwyn that day, though I have seenyoung Mr Milward--Lady Hebe's _fiance_--once or twice, and his sisterseveral times."

  "Oh, Rosy!" said Mr Dunstan. "Isn't she nice? But isn't she plain--almost odd-looking?"

  Blanche did not reply.

  "Blanche never thinks people that she likes, plain," said Stasy.

  "I beg your pardon," said Blanche, "I'm not so silly. But the worddoesn't seem to me to suit Miss Milward, she has such wonderful eyes."

  "Yes indeed," agreed Archie, almost too evidently eager to endorsewhatever Blanche said. "I quite agree with you. They are reallybeautiful eyes, because there's no sham about them. She is as good asthey would lead you to believe."

  Again the same bright smile of approval came over Blanche's face, and MrDunstan felt himself rewarded. Just then Aline appeared at the door.

  "Mademoiselle," she said; then coming closer, she spoke to Blanche in alower voice, though unluckily Mr Dunstan was so near that he could notbut overhear what she said.

  "Some ladies are in the shop. Miss Halliday is very sorry, but shefears you must come."

  "Of course," said Blanche, springing to her feet--for the moment, shehad begun to forget the present facts of her daily life, and she gaveherself a sort of mental shake--"of course," she repeated, "I'll come atonce.--Mr Dunstan, will you excuse me?" and she held out her hand, as ifin farewell.

  The young man's face had grown visibly redder.

  "Good-bye," he said, repressing the effect that Alines words had hadupon him.

  Then turning to Mrs Derwent:

  "Will you allow me to call again?" he said very clearly. "I intend tostay at Alderwood for two or three days longer."

  "Oh, certainly, if you happen to be anyway near," she replied simply.

  Then a bright idea struck Archie, as his glance fell on Herty.

  "I wish you'd allow this young man to spend a day with me," he said."I'd take good care of him, and it is holidays just now, I know. Ishall be driving in to-morrow morning in my dog-cart, and I will callfor him, if he may come."

  "Oh mamma, mamma," said Herty, ecstatically, "do say I may!"

  It would have required a heart of stone to refuse the poor littlefellow, and Mrs Derwent's heart was by no means of that material.

  "It is very good indeed of you, Mr Dunstan," she replied; "and I am sureHerty would enjoy it immensely. Of course he has not nearly so much toamuse him here as at Pinnerton."

  "Then I will call for him at--let me see--shall we say eleven o'clock?and I'll bring him safe back in the afternoon. Between four and five,if that will do?"

  "Perfectly," said Mrs Derwent, and then Mr Dunstan left taking care notto glance into the shop as he passed its open door on his way out.

  Herty was ready the next morning betimes. Long before eleven had struckhe was fidgeting about, asking every one half-a-dozen times in a minutewhat o'clock it was, so that it was a relief to everybody when thedog-cart drew up to the door and Herty was safely hoisted up to his seatbeside his friend.

  "I was so afraid it would rain or something, and that perhaps youwouldn't come," said the little boy.

  "I would have come all the same if it had rained," said Archie. "Icould have wrapped you up in a mackintosh, and I daresay we'd have foundsomething to amuse you at Alderwood."

  "These holidays are very dull," said Herty with a sigh. "I have got norabbits, nor nothing like I had at Pinnerton. I'd almost rather go backto France."

  "There's no chance of that?" said Mr Dunstan quickly.

  "Oh no," said Herty. "Blanchie says we must stay here for--always, Isuppose. Anyway, till I'm a man; and then I mean to make money forthem. You know we've got no money now, at least scarcely any exceptwhat they make with having a shop. It's rather horrid, don't youthink?"

  "Yes," agreed Archie, somewhat incautiously; "I think it's exceedinglyhorrid. And I can quite understand that you feel in a great hurry to bea man, so as to be able to help them."

  "It'll take a good while, though," said Herty prudently, and then hebegan talking about the horse, extracting a promise from Archie that hewould let him hold the reins when they got to a perfectly quiet part ofthe road.

  But with some skill Mr Dunstan managed to bring him back to the subjectthey had been discussing.

  "Do you think your sister minds much?" he asked, when Herty had beenretailing some of his own grievances.

  Herty considered.

  "Well," he said, "she hadn't any rabbits, you see, and I think she likesmaking bonnets. They made them for the girls at Pinnerton, you know.But I think she does rather mind not having such a nice garden; sheminds it for mamma, you see. And Stasy gets awfully cross sometimes! Iheard Blanche speaking to her one day about being cross to the people inthe shop."

  "And is Blanche never cross?" inquired Mr Dunstan, with great interest.

  "Not like Stasy," said Herty. "But she was very angry with me once whenI was little. It was when I cut some hairs off Flopper's tail. Flopperwas grandpapa's dog, an English dog, and those hairs are veryparticular, and then--and then," said Herty, very slowly, "I said Ihadn't done it. It was that made Blanchie so cross. Telling a story,you know."

  "Yes," said Archie, with preternatural gravity. "But that was a longtime ago; of course you know better now," he went on, cheerfully. "Younever vex your sister now."

  "No, not as badly as that," said Herty. "But one day, not long ago, Idid see her crying. It wasn't my fault, but I was very sorry; I thinkshe had a headache, perhaps."

  The horse gave a spring forward at that moment, nearly dislodging MasterHerty from his seat.

  "I say, Mr Archie," he exclaimed reproachfully, "what are you whippinghim for? He's going along quite nicely! I nearly tumbled out, I reallydid."

  "I beg your pardon, Herty," said Mr Dunstan. "I'll be more careful infuture. I suppose I wasn't thinking."

  Herty's visit was a great success, the day passing to his completesatisfaction; and between four and five that afternoon the pair offriends found themselves at Miss Halliday's door. Not this time in thedog-cart, for Mr Dunstan had left it at the "George," a little way downthe High Street.

  "I won't come in, I think, Herty," he said, as Aline appeared in answerto the bell.

  But Herty clung on to him.

  "Oh, you must, just for a minute," said the child. "I'm sure mammawould like to see you."

  "Madame is in the drawing-room," put in Aline discreetly.

  So, b
etween the two, Archie allowed himself to be over-persuaded.

  As Mr Dunstan, an hour later, passed the post-office on his way to the"George," it suddenly struck him that he might call for the afternoonletters. There were two for himself, forwarded from his club--one of nospecial interest; the other a few hurried words from Norman Milward,whom he had not seen for a considerable time. "Hebe wants to