Bountiful Lady

by G. A. Henty

  VII

  THE STORY OF THE LITTLE GIRL, THE DOG, AND THE DOLL

  Once upon a time there was a little girl whose name was Bertha. She hadno brother or sister, but she had two very dear friends: one was a dollwith a broken nose and only half an arm; the other was a white terrierwith a brown patch on his back, a short stump of a tail, and a coldblack nose.

  The dog's name was Samuel, and whilst he was very fond of Bertha he wasdeeply attached to Moggy too; Moggy, you understand, was the doll. Moggymight often be seen leaning against the nursery fender, with Samuel byher side blinking solemnly at the fire. But every now and then he wouldturn to look at Moggy, and put out his tongue and waggle his stumpy tailfrom side to side on the carpet.

  Though Samuel wore a handsome collar he had quite forgotten what a chainwas, for he had not been tied up for years. He never slept in the oldkennel outside the kitchen door, because he preferred the mat in thehall.

  Now, for a long time Moggy had slept on Bertha's pillow, and thoughBertha had other dolls who were much prettier than Moggy she never tookthem to bed with her. But one day--it was Bertha's birthday--her motherbought her the prettiest doll she could find, a doll that opened andshut her eyes.

  'I really think,' said Mrs. Western when Bertha bade her good-night,'you ought to take the new doll to bed with you, or what is the use ofhaving a doll who can go to sleep?'

  'What would Moggy do?' asked Bertha, looking doubtful about it.

  'Moggy is really too old to be jealous,' answered her mother.

  So Bertha said she would take the new doll to bed, then she wentupstairs with Samuel who was always in the room whilst she undressed.Bertha slept in a room by herself, but there was a door that led to hermother's room and this stood open all night. Moggy lay on the roundtable in the middle of the room, and she looked very shabby beside thefine new doll; still Bertha felt sorry for her as she got into bed. Sheplaced the new doll on her pillow and said good-night to the nurse.

  'Good-night, Miss Bertha.'

  'Don't quite shut the door, please,' said Bertha; and leaving the door alittle open as usual the nurse went downstairs, followed by Samuel. Andnobody heard anything more of Bertha until the next morning.

  As soon as she awoke she turned to look at her new doll, but to hergreat astonishment she could not see her. She could not see anything ofthe new doll, but there lay Moggy on the pillow just as she had done formany months past. Bertha sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, thinking shecould not be quite awake yet, but there was no mistake about it; it wascertainly Moggy on her pillow, and there was no sign of the new doll.

  'Nurse!' cried Bertha, when it was time to be dressed, 'what have youdone with my new doll?'

  'Why, Miss Bertha,' answered the nurse, 'you laid her on your pillowlast night.'

  'But she's not there now,' said Bertha, 'and Moggy is there. I can't seemy new doll anywhere!'

  The nurse stared at Moggy, and Moggy stared back with her dark eyes atthe nurse; then the nurse began to search for the lost doll, but shecould not find her anywhere. So she dressed Bertha, who went downstairsto breakfast.

  'Mother!' she exclaimed, 'where's my new doll?'

  'I thought you were going to take it to bed with you last night,' saidMrs. Western.

  'So I did,' answered Bertha; 'and I left poor Moggy on the table, butwhen I woke this morning the other doll was gone and Moggy was on mypillow.'

  'Nonsense,' said Mrs. Western; 'you must be making a mistake,' andBertha looked as if she was going to cry. 'Sit down to breakfast,' hermother continued, 'and when we have finished we will go upstairs to lookfor her.'

  But although they searched all over the nursery and looked into everycorner, and although Samuel trotted about the room with his ears cockedand his tail waggling, the new doll could not be seen.

  'Nurse,' said Mrs. Western, 'what can have become of Miss Bertha's newdoll? She says she took it to bed with her last night!'

  'So she did,' answered the nurse, 'because I gave the doll to MissBertha after she was in bed, and Moggy was lying on the table.'

  'Then who do you suppose can have taken her away?' exclaimed Mrs.Western. Bertha seemed so disappointed that Mrs. Western took her outthat afternoon to buy another doll--not quite such a nice doll as thatwhich had disappeared, but a pretty doll all the same. 'This time,' saidMrs. Western, 'I shall see it laid on your pillow myself,' and shestayed in the nursery whilst Bertha had her bath. Then, as Samuelfrisked about the room, Bertha got into bed and Mrs. Western placed thenewest doll beside her on the pillow.

  'Don't quite shut the door, please!' cried Bertha, and in two minutesshe fell fast asleep. But on waking the next morning, it seemed a verystrange thing! she found that her newest doll had disappeared whilstMoggy lay peacefully beside her on the pillow. She dressed more quicklythan usual and ran downstairs so fast that her mother came out of thedining-room to tell her not to tumble head-foremost to the hall.

  'Mother!' cried Bertha, 'she's gone! The doll you bought me yesterday'sgone and Moggy was lying on the pillow.'

  'Nonsense, Bertha,' said Mrs. Western, 'you must be making a mistake,because I laid her on your pillow myself.'

  'She wasn't there when I woke this morning,' answered Bertha.

  'Well, I cannot understand it!' cried Mrs. Western.

  'I can understand it very easily,' said Mr. Western; 'of course thechild is making a mistake. It must have been Moggy she took to bed.'

  'I am sure it was not,' answered Mrs. Western; 'besides, what has becomeof the two new dolls? How do you account for their disappearance?'

  'Oh, you will find them in the nursery!' he insisted. 'But to make sure,I will go upstairs with Bertha after breakfast and help her look.' Sothey all went upstairs together this time: Mr. Western, Mrs. Western,Bertha, and Samuel. And they examined every corner; they opened everycupboard, Samuel sniffed about the fireplace and waggled his tail, butstill they saw nothing of either doll. 'Well,' said Mr. Western, 'Ireally can't lose any more time. You have put the dolls away somewhereand forgotten where.'

  'I am positive,' said Mrs. Western, 'that the doll lay on Bertha'spillow last night and Moggy was on this table.'

  'I wish you would buy another doll this afternoon,' he replied with alaugh, 'and to-night I will see it safely on Bertha's pillow myself.'

  That day Mrs. Western bought a third doll, and when Bertha wascomfortably tucked up in bed, her father came to her room to the greatdelight of Samuel. They all stood beside the bed, and having made surethat Moggy was on the table, they saw that the new black-haired doll laybeside Bertha.

  'There will be no mistake this time,' said Mr. Western, and Samuelwaggled his tail as if he thought on the whole his master was quiteright. 'There she lies,' said Mr. Western, 'and she isn't likely to movebefore breakfast-time.'

  But he was quite mistaken and also very much surprised. Being dressedearly that morning, Mr. Western went to Bertha's room before she was up,she was in fact still asleep.

  'This is really very remarkable!' he exclaimed. For there, on thepillow, lay poor Moggy, whilst he could not see the new black-haireddoll anywhere. 'I can't buy a new doll every day,' he said when theywere all downstairs. 'Besides, it seems to be of no use to buy them.' Helooked quite bothered about it; he could not enjoy his breakfast, whichwas a good thing for Samuel, who had a whole sausage off his plate.'Well,' said Mr. Western presently, 'I suppose Bertha must have anotherdoll; this will be the fourth in four days! But,' he added, 'I amdetermined she shall not get away this time. I shall tie her to thebed.'

  And this was what he did. He went to Bertha's room after she was in bed,and with a strong piece of string he tied the fourth fair-haired doll tothe back of the bedstead. 'There!' exclaimed Mr. Western, 'I don't thinkthis one will disappear.'

  It did not disappear. But to his astonishment, when he came to the roombefore Bertha was awake, he saw two dolls on her pillow: one being thenew, fair-haired doll, the other Moggy, whom he had left on the table inthe middle of the room.

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bsp; 'I can't understand it at all,' he said at breakfast-time; 'any onewould think that Moggy was alive.'

  'At all events, she must be jealous,' answered Mrs. Western, whileSamuel sat on his haunches begging for bacon.

  'Well,' said Mr. Western, 'we shall not have to buy another dollto-day--that will be a change anyhow. But I am determined to find outhow it happens. To-night I shall leave the new doll untied and fastenMoggy to the table.'

  'Poor Moggy!' cried Bertha, looking quite tearful about it.

  When bedtime came, Mr. Western took a piece of cord from his pocket andtied it tightly round Moggy's waist--she had a rather large waist, Moggywas not at all a fashionable doll--then he passed the cord under thetable and fastened it securely to the leg. Samuel agreed with Bertha; hedid not like to see his dear old friend treated in this way; he seemedvery much distressed about it, and Bertha almost thought she heard himgrowl.

  'There, Miss Moggy!' cried Mr. Western; 'I don't think your rest will bedisturbed to-night.' And her rest was not disturbed, for when Mr.Western visited the nursery the next morning he found Moggy lying on thetable in the middle of the room just as he had left her. 'Ah!' he saidto himself, 'I thought so; I thought you would be safe this time!' Andhe turned towards Bertha's bed.

  But where was the new doll? It was certainly not on the pillow where Mr.Western had left it last night! What could have become of it? He lookedabout the room, but there was no sign of the doll anywhere.

  All breakfast-time Mr. Western was silent. He said nothing about thedoll, he took no notice of Samuel, but when he rose from his chair, hesaid in a low, solemn voice--

  'I should like you to buy another doll to-day--it need not be anexpensive doll, because this will be the fifth doll we have bought insix days. But,' he added, 'it shall certainly be the last.'

  So that afternoon Mrs. Western took Bertha out to buy another doll. Nowshe was growing used to it, Bertha rather liked the idea of having a newdoll almost every day. But this doll was not a very nice one. Its hairwas not real; it was only painted on its head. Bertha never felt quiteat home with the doll, and it did not feel soft and warm when shepressed it against her cheek. Still her mother wished her to take it tobed with her and to leave Moggy on the table.

  'Good-night, nurse,' said Bertha; 'don't quite shut the door, please.'She felt just a little disappointed that neither her father nor hermother came up as they had done the last two nights, but she soon fellasleep and forgot all about them.

  Bertha had not been asleep many minutes before her door was pushedfarther open, and Mr. Western softly entered the bedroom. Crossing thefloor on tip-toes, he went to the window and loosening the widecurtains, carefully hid himself behind them. There he stood in a veryuncomfortable position without moving for a long time. Now and thenBertha stirred in her sleep, but neither Moggy on the table nor thenewest doll with the painted head, who lay on the pillow, moved thehundredth part of an inch. Although the room was dim it was not quitedark, because some light came in from the gas outside on the landing.For a long time Mr. Western stood behind the window-curtain, andpresently--it must have been about a quarter to ten--he heard a softpattering on the floor. Peeping out cautiously from behind the curtain,he saw first the tip of Samuel's nose, then his whole head, and at lasthis body. And now Mr. Western knew how the dolls had disappeared. Heknew that Samuel was the culprit, and he smiled as he waited, expectingto see the terrier jump on the chair which stood beside the table andseize Moggy's skirt between his teeth. But before Samuel reached thechair he suddenly stopped and began to sniff. Then putting his noseclose to the floor he slowly drew near to the window. After sniffing atthis for some moments he seemed quickly to change his mind, and turninground he ran out of the room.

  Mr. Western at once followed him. On reaching the drawing-room door,Samuel wanted to enter, but Mr. Western said--

  'Samuel, come along!' and with his short tail close to his body and hishead held very near the ground Samuel followed his master downstairs. Ateach step the dog looked more guilty, and when Mr. Western stoppedoutside the kitchen door, Samuel lay flat on the ground and turned overon his back, looking out of the corners of his eyes all the time. Butwhen Mr. Western put his right hand into the kennel which Samuel neverslept in, the dog became so excited again that he sprang to his feet andbegan to frisk about as if he had done something very clever indeed.

  Mr. Western put his hand into the old kennel, and you can guess what hedrew out. He drew out the black-haired doll, and with this in his handhe looked down and shook his head at Samuel. Then Samuel turned over onto his back again just as he did when he pretended to be dead. One afterthe other Mr. Western drew out of the kennel five new dolls, and as hestood holding them in his arms Samuel got upon his legs again and beganto howl dismally.

  'Come upstairs to your mistress, sir,' said Mr. Western, and Samuelfollowed him upstairs. But when she saw Mr. Western enter thedrawing-room with the five dolls in his arms Mrs. Western laughed, andhe threw them all into an arm-chair by the fireplace.

  'The fact is,' said Mrs. Western, 'Samuel is a great friend of Moggy's,and I suppose he did not like to see another doll put into her place,'and Samuel waggled his tail just as if he understood all she said andquite approved of it. 'So,' she continued, 'he must have gone to thenursery after Bertha was asleep and moved Moggy from the table and puther on the pillow. Then he must have dragged the new doll downstairs.Very naughty of you, Samuel,' said Mrs. Western, shaking her finger.

  Samuel crept along the carpet to her shoes and began to lick them.

  'Up!' she cried, and as quickly as possible Samuel was in her lap, beingkissed and patted and made completely happy. 'What a fine story we shallhave to tell Bertha to-morrow!' said Mrs. Western, 'and I really thinkshe will have to take Moggy back to sleep with her.'