Daddy's Girl

by L. T. Meade

  CHAPTER XII.

  The next day was a glorious one, and Lady Helen, Mr. Rochester, Mrs.Ogilvie, and Sibyl all met at Victoria Station in time to catch the11.20 train to Richmond, the nearest station to Silverbel. There acarriage was to meet them, to take them to the house. They were tolunch at a small inn close by, and afterwards have a row on the river;altogether a very delightful day was planned.

  It was now the heart of a glorious summer--such a summer as does notoften visit England. The sky was cloudless; the sun shone, but thegreat heat was tempered by a soft, delicious breeze.

  Sibyl, all in white, with a white shady hat making her little faceeven more lovely than usual, stood by her mother's side, close to afirst-class carriage, to await the arrival of the other two.

  Lady Helen and Rochester were seen walking slowly down the platform.Sibyl gave one of her gleeful shouts, and ran to meet them.

  "Here you both is!" she said, and she looked full up at Lady Helen,with such a charming glance of mingled affection and understanding,that Lady Helen blushed, in spite of herself.

  Lady Helen Douglas was a very nice-looking girl, not exactly pretty,but her gray eyes were capable of many shades of emotion. They werelarge, and full of intelligence. Her complexion was almost colorless.She had a slim, graceful figure. Her jet-black hair, which she woresoftly coiled round her head, was also thick and beautiful. Sibyl usedto like to touch that hair, and loved very much to nestle up close tothe graceful figure, and take shy peeps into the depths of the eyeswhich seemed to hold secrets.

  "You do look nice," said Sibyl, speaking in a semi-whisper, but in atone of great ecstasy, "and so does Mr. Rochester. Do you know, Ialways call him nice Mr. Rochester. Watson is so interested in him."

  "Who is Watson?" asked Lady Helen.

  "Don't you know, he is our footman. He is very nice, too; he is fullof impulses, and they are all good. I expect the reason he is soawfully interested in _dear_ Mr. Rochester is because they are bothhaving love affairs. You know, Watson has a girl, too, he is awfullyfond of; I 'spect they'll marry when father comes back with all thegold. You don't know how fond I am of Watson; he's a very great,special friend of mine. Now here's the carriage. Let's all get in.Aren't you both glad you're coming, and coming together, both of you_together_, to visit Silverbel. It's a 'licious place; there are allkinds of little private walks and shrubberies, and seats for two undertrees. Two that want to be alone can be alone at Silverbel. Now let'sall get into the carriage."

  Poor Rochester and Lady Helen at that moment thought Sibyl almost an_enfant terrible_. However, there was no help for it. She would haveher say, and her words were bright and her interest of the keenest. Itmattered nothing at all to her that passers-by turned to look andsmiled in an amused way.

  Mrs. Ogilvie was in an excellent humor. All the way down she talked toLady Helen of the bazaar which she had already arranged was to takeplace at Silverbel during the last week in August.

  "I had meant to put it off until my husband returned," she remarkedfinally, "but on reflection that seemed a pity, for he is scarcelylikely to be back before the end of October, and by then it would betoo late; and, besides, the poor dear Home for Incurables needs itsfunds, and why should it languish when we are all anxious, more thananxious, to be charitable? Mr. Acland, my lawyer, is going to pay adeposit on the price of the estate, so I can enter into possessionalmost immediately. I am going to get Morris & Liberty to furnish theplace, and I shall send down servants next week. But about thebazaar. I mean it to be perfect in every way. The stalls are to beheld by unmarried titled ladies. Your services, Lady Helen, must besecured immediately."

  "Oh, yes," cried Sibyl, "you are to have a most beautiful stall, aflower stall: what do you say?"

  "If I have a stall I will certainly choose a flower stall," repliedLady Helen, and she smiled at Sibyl, and patted her hand.

  They soon arrived at Richmond, and got into the carriage which waswaiting for them, and drove to Silverbel. They had lunch at the inn asarranged, and then they wandered about the grounds, and presentlySibyl had her wish, for Rochester and Lady Helen strolled away fromher mother and herself, and walked down a shady path to the right ofthe house.

  "There they go!" cried the child.

  "There who go, Sibyl?" asked Mrs. Ogilvie.

  "The one who wants to marry the other," replied Sibyl. "Hush, mother,we are not to know, we are to be quite blind. Aren't you awfullyincited?"

  "You are a very silly, rude little girl," replied the mother. "Youmust not make the sort of remarks you are always making to Mr.Rochester and Lady Helen. Such remarks are in very bad form. Now,don't take even the slightest notice when they return."

  "Aren't I to speak to them?" asked Sibyl, raising her eyes in wonder.

  "Of course, but you are not to say anything special."

  "Oh, nothing special. Am I to talk about the weather?"

  "No; don't be such a little goose."

  "I always notice," replied Sibyl, softly, "that when _quite_ strangersmeet, they talk about the weather. I thought that was why. Can't I sayanything more--more as if they were my very dear old friends? Ithought they'd like it. I thought they'd like to know that there wasone here who understanded all about it."

  "About it?"

  "Their love, mother, their love for--for each other."

  "Who may the one be who is supposed to understand?"

  "Me, mother," said Sibyl.

  Mrs. Ogilvie burst into a ringing laugh.

  "You are a most ridiculous little girl," she said. "Now, listen; youare not to take any notice when they come back. They are not engaged;perhaps they never will be. Anyhow, you will make yourself anintensely disagreeable child if you make such remarks as you havealready made. Do you understand?"

  "You has put it plain, mother," replied Sibyl. "I think I do. Now,let's look at the flowers."

  "I have ordered the landlord of the inn to serve tea on the lawn,"continued Mrs. Ogilvie. "Is it not nice to feel that we are going tohave tea on our own lawn, Sibyl?"

  "It's lovely!" replied Sibyl.

  "I am devoted to the country," continued the mother; "there is noplace like the country for me."

  "So I think, too," replied Sibyl. "I love the country. We'll have allthe very poorest people down here, won't we, mother?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "All the people who want to be made happy; Mr. and Mrs. Holman, andthe other faded old people in the almshouses that I went to see onetime with Miss Winstead."

  "Now you are talking in your silly way again," replied Mrs. Ogilvie."You make me quite cross when you talk of that old couple, Mr. andMrs. Holman."

  "But, mother, why aren't they to be rich if we are to be rich? Do youknow that Mrs. Holman is saving up her money to buy some of the goldout of father's mine. She expects to get two hundred pounds instead ofone. It's very puzzling, and yet I seem to understand. Oh, here comesMr. Landlord with the tea-things. How inciting!"

  The table was spread, and cake, bread and butter, and fruit provided.Lady Helen and Rochester came back. They both looked a littleconscious and a little afraid of Sibyl, but as she turned her back onthem the moment they appeared, and pretended to be intensely busypicking a bouquet of flowers, they took their courage in their handsand came forward and joined in the general conversation.

  Lady Helen elected to pour out tea, and was extremely cheerful,although she could not help reddening when Sibyl brought her a verylarge marguerite daisy, and asked her to pull off the petals and seewhether the rhyme came right.

  "What rhyme?" asked Lady Helen.

  "I know it all, shall I say it to you?" cried Sibyl. She began to pulloff the different petals, and to repeat in a childish sing-songvoice:--

  "One he loves, two he loves, three he loves they say, Four he loves with all his heart, five he casts away, Six _he_ loves, seven _she_ loves, eight they both love, Nine he comes, ten he tarries, Eleven he woos, twelve he marries."

  Sibyl repeated this nonsense
with extreme gusto, and when the finalpetal on the large daisy proclaimed that "twelve he marries," sheflung the stalk at Rochester and laughed gaily.

  "I knew _you'd_ have luck," she said. Then she caught her mother'swarning eye and colored painfully, thus making the situation, ifpossible, a little more awkward.

  "Suppose we go for a row on the river this lovely afternoon," saidLady Helen, starting up restlessly. She had talked of the comingbazaar, and had wandered through the rooms at Silverbel, and hadlistened to Mrs. Ogilvie's suggestions with regard to furniture anddifferent arrangements until she was almost tired of the subject.

  Rochester sprang to his feet.

  "I can easily get a boat," he said; "I'll go and consult with minehost."

  He sauntered across the grounds, and Sibyl, after a moment'shesitation, followed him. A boat was soon procured, and they all foundthemselves on the shining silver Thames.

  "Is that why our house is called Silverbel?" asked Sibyl. "Is it 'coswe can see the silver shine of the river, and 'cos it is _belle_,French for beautiful?"

  "Perhaps so," answered the mother with a smile.

  The evening came on, the heat of the day was over, the sun faded.

  "What a pity we must go back to London," said Sibyl. "I don't think Iever had such a lovely day before."

  "We shall soon be back here," replied Mrs. Ogilvie. "I shall see aboutfurnishing next week at the latest, and we can come down whenever weare tired of town."

  "That will be lovely," said Sibyl. "Oh, won't my pony love canteringover the roads here!"

  When they landed at the little quay just outside the inn, the landlordcame down to meet them. He held a telegram in his hand.

  "This came for you, madam, in your absence," he said, and he gave thetelegram to Mrs. Ogilvie. She tore it open. It was from her lawyer,Mr. Acland, and ran as follows:

  "Ominous rumors with regard to Lombard Deeps have reached me. Betternot go any further at present with the purchase of Silverbel."

  Mrs. Ogilvie's face turned pale. She looked up and met the fixed stareof her little daughter and of Rochester. Lady Helen had turned away.She was leaning over the rails of the little garden and looking downinto the swiftly flowing river.

  Mrs. Ogilvie's face grew hard. She crushed up the telegram in herhand.

  "I hope there is nothing wrong?" asked Rochester.

  "Nothing at all," she replied. "Yes, we will come here next week.Sibyl, don't stare in that rude way."

  The return journey was not as lively as that happy one in the morning.

  Sibyl felt through her sensitive little frame that her mother wasworried about something. Rochester also looked anxious. Lady Helenalone seemed unconscious and _distrait_. When the child nestled up toher she put her arm round her waist.

  "Are you sad about anything, darling Lady Helen?" whispered Sibyl.

  "No, Sibyl; I am quite happy."

  "Then you are thinking very hard?"

  "I often think."

  "I do so want you to be awfully happy."

  "I know you do, and I think I shall be."

  "Then that is right. _Twelve he marries_. Wasn't it sweet of themarguerite daisy to give Mr. Rochester just the right petal at theend; wasn't it luck?"

  "Yes; but hush, don't talk so loud."

  Mr. Rochester now changed his seat, and came opposite to where LadyHelen and the child had placed themselves. He did not talk to LadyHelen, but he looked at her several times. Presently he took one ofSibyl's hands, and stroked it fondly.

  "Does Lady Helen tell you beautiful stories too?" asked Sibyl,suddenly.

  "No," he answered; "she is quite naughty about that. She never tellsme the charming stories she tells you."

  "You ought to," said Sibyl, looking at her earnestly; "it would do himgood. It's an awfully nice way, if you want to give a person a hometruth, to put it into a story. Nurse told me about that, and Iremembered it ever since. She used to put her home truths intoproverbs when I was quite young, such as, 'A burnt child dreads thefire,' or 'Marry in haste, repent at leisure,' or----"

  "Oh, that will do, Sibyl." Lady Helen spoke; there was almost apiteous appeal in the words.

  "Well," said Sibyl, "perhaps it is better to put home truths intostories, not proverbs. It's like having more sugar. The 'home truth'is the pill, and when it is sugared all over you can swallow it. Youcan't swallow it _without_ the sugar, can you? Nursie begins herstories like this: 'Miss Sibyl, once upon a time I knew a littlegirl,' and then she tells me all about a horrid girl, and I know thehorrid girl is me. I am incited, of course, but very, very soon I getdown to the pill. Now, I am sure, Mr. Rochester, there are some thingsyou ought to be told, there are some things you do wrong, aren'tthere, Mr. Rochester?"

  "Oh, Sibyl, do stop that ceaseless chatter," cried her mother from theother end of the carriage; "you talk the most utter nonsense," andSibyl for once was effectually silenced.

  The party broke up at Victoria Station, and Mrs. Ogilvie and herlittle daughter drove home. As soon as ever they arrived there Watsoninformed Mrs. Ogilvie that Mr. Acland was waiting to see her in thelibrary.

  "Tiresome man!" she muttered, but she went to see him at once. Theelectric light was on; the room reminded her uncomfortably of herhusband. He spent a great deal of time in his library, more than avery happy married man would have done. She had often found him therewith a perplexed brow, and a heart full of anxiety. She had found himthere, too, in his rare moments of exultation and happiness. She wouldhave preferred to see the lawyer in any room but this.

  "Well," she said, "why did you send me that ridiculous telegram?"

  "You would not be surprised if you had read the article which appearedto-day in _The Financial Enquirer_."

  "I have never heard of _The Financial Enquirer_."

  "But City men know it," replied Mr. Acland, "and to a great extent itgoverns the market. It is one of our leading financial papers. Therumors it alludes to may be untrue, but they will influence thesubscriptions made by the public to the share capital. In fact, withso ominous an article coming from so first-rate a source, nothing buta splendid report from Ogilvie can save the mine."

  Mrs. Ogilvie drummed with her delicate taper fingers on the nearesttable.

  "How you puzzle a poor woman with your business terms," she said."What do I know about mines? When my husband left me he said that hewould come back a rich man. He gave me his promise, he must keep hisword."

  "He will naturally keep his word if he can, and if the mine is allthat Lord Grayleigh anticipates everything will be right," repliedAcland. "There is no man more respected than Ogilvie in the City. Hisreport as assayer will save the situation; that is, if it isfirst-rate. But if it is a medium report the capital will not besufficiently subscribed to, and if the report happens to be bad thewhole thing will fall through. We shall know soon now."

  "This is very disturbing," said Mrs. Ogilvie. "I have had a long,tiring day, and you give me a headache. When is my husband's reportlikely to reach England?"

  "Not for several weeks, of course. It ought to be here in about twomonths' time, but we may have a cablegram almost any day. The publicare just in a waiting attitude, they want to invest their money. Ifthe mine turns out a good thing shares will be subscribed to anyextent. Everything depends on Ogilvie's report."

  "Won't you stay and have some supper?" said Mrs. Ogilvie, carelessly."I have said already that I do not understand these things."

  "I cannot stay, I came to see you because it is important. I want toknow if you really wish to go on with the purchase of Silverbel. I amready to pay a deposit for you of L2,000 on the price of the estate,which will, of course, clinch the purchase, and this deposit I havearranged to pay to-morrow, but under the circumstances would it not bebest to delay? If your husband cannot give a good report of the minehe will not want to buy an expensive place like Silverbel. My adviceto you, Mrs. Ogilvie, is to let Silverbel go. I happen to know at thismoment of another purchaser who is only waiting to close if youdecline. When your
husband comes back rich you can easily buy anotherplace."

  "No other place will suit me except Silverbel," she answered.

  "I strongly recommend you not to buy it now."

  "And I intend to have it. I am going down there to live next week. Ofcourse, you arranged that I could go in at once after the deposit waspaid?"

  "Yes, on sufferance, subject to your completing the purchase inOctober."

  "Then pray don't let the matter be disturbed again. I shall orderfurniture immediately. You are quite a raven, a croaker of bad news,Mr. Acland."

  Mr. Acland raised his hand in deprecation.

  "I thought it only fair to tell you," he answered, and the next momenthe left the house. As he did so, he uttered a solitary remark:

  "What a fool that woman is! I pity Ogilvie."