by Anonymous
CHAPTER XXI.
_THE MAGIC OF LOVE._
The next morning everything was bustle till the boys were off; forimperceptibly they had got a little later during holiday time, and onthis first day of school they discovered it, in finding no breakfastready when they came down.
But by dint of a little hurrying, and a decidedly short meal for theboys, they really did start in time.
"Thanks to you girls," said John gratefully, as he caught up his booksand ran off. "My last term at school, Agnes!"
"Now here we are once more," said Agnes with a deep sigh, gazing roundon the room, which looked ever so much more empty than if her brothershad just started for an ordinary walk.
"Now I suppose _we_ have to begin school?" said Alice with a wry face.But the wry face was put on, and the frown was gone--gone from her hearttoo; for yesterday she had looked once more at the text on the wall,and had yielded herself again to its influence.
"I was thinking," answered Agnes, "that we would give ourselves aholiday to do John's room."
"Jolly!" exclaimed Minnie. "I can clean and scrub beautifully; Jane saysI can."
"We must all help to surprise him, for they will be home at one, and wehave plenty of work before us."
"What shall we begin on?" asked Alice.
"I have to do a very quick piece of business, which if you like you maycome up to the top to superintend; and then, Alice, I want you to goround to the picture-frame shop in Southampton Street, and tell the manI will send for it at eleven o'clock."
She ran upstairs without explaining further, followed by the wonderinggirls; and then they saw her take down John's cardboard text verycarefully, and wrap it in paper.
"Now, Alice, as fast as you like there and back; and Minnie must go withyou."
"But you will do ever so much before we come," said Alice, lookingdisappointed.
"No; I am going down to see about the dinner, and if you are not longwill wait till you return."
"But will the man understand what is to be done?"
"Yes; I went about it yesterday, and I told him it was a secret, and sohe would have to do it expeditiously."
"I see. Well, come along Minnie, the sooner we are off the sooner weshall be home."
In half an hour's time they were back, and met Agnes coming up from herconfabulations with the cook.
"Just in time," she said, smiling.
"Should you have begun without us?" asked Minnie.
"Not till ten."
"That's all right. Now then, Agnes, what are we to do?"
"Go down and ask Jane for some cloths, and brooms, and a tin basin."
Minnie opened her eyes, but Alice ran off.
They met Jane on the stairs with a pail and scrubbing-brush. "Are yougoing to help us?" asked Alice; and Jane nodded with a smile.
Up they all went, and found a bright little fire burning in the alreadyclean grate of John's little attic.
"Oh!" exclaimed Alice; "whoever thought of that? What's it for?"
"What are fires generally for?" asked Agnes.
"To warm people," said Minnie.
"And don't you think we should feel it rather cold to be up here forthree hours, straight off, this bitter day?"
"So we should. Well, Agnes, what first?"
"Jane is to properly clean that smeary window; and we will wash thechest of drawers and the washstand and the crockery while she is doingit."
"Whatever for?"
"To get off the dirt," laughed Agnes.
"I can't think why things get dirty!"
"It's London smoke," remarked Alice sententiously.
"And dust," said Agnes. While she spoke she handed two aprons to hersisters, and a clean piece of flannel each; and before they could askany more questions she had lifted out the drawers, one by one, and wassweeping the ledges inside. Then she began washing and rubbing anddrying in fine style, the little girls imitating her example as fast asthey could.
But Jane's window was done before their furniture, and she immediatelybegan to clean the paint round the room.
"This paper looks dirty, miss. I wish you would let me rub it with somebread."
"I do not mind," answered Agnes, looking up from under the washstand,"if you think it will look better."
"I'm sure it will, miss."
"I'll run for the bread," exclaimed Minnie, starting up.
"Mind you say a stale loaf, miss; and a knife!" called Jane, turninground, to see only the tip of one of Minnie's curls flying down thestairs.
Then all was sober work for another half-hour, and after that came apause.
"This floor looks black; it wants doing, I think," remarked Minnie.
Jane laughed.
"Don't you think it does, Jane?" said Minnie soberly. "Look there, andthere; but it's all over."
"I shouldn't wonder," said Jane.
"Then do you mean to do it?" asked Minnie.
For answer Jane went down on her knees and began to scrub, while Agnesled the way into the box-room, the children following to see what shewas going to do.
She drew out the roll of carpet which Hugh had fixed his eyes on the daybefore, and they carried it to the landing and spread it open under theskylight.
Agnes selected what she wanted for her purpose, and told Alice to rollthe other up again. Then she produced from her pocket a skein of threadand two large needles, and handing one to Alice, she proceeded to threadher own.
"What am I to do?" asked Alice.
"Sew up that bit of seam that is ripped."
Alice sat down on the ground, and after some difficulty succeeded inreducing a rent of a quarter of a yard to a pretty respectable seam.
"Well done!" said Agnes. "Now let us have another look. Oh, yes, thereis a place torn! and while I do it will you two go round again for myframe? The room will be dry, and we can do the final touches alltogether."
There could be no objection to this, and the children hastened away justas Jane came out with her pail and brushes. "It's all done, miss," shesaid.
"Then, when they return, will you come up again, Jane? I shall not wantyou till then."
They all ran down, and left Agnes alone. She finished the carpet, andthen went into the box-room and looked round.
"Oh, Master John," she said, half aloud, "of course you were not goingto give me anything to do; but just look here! However," she added,smiling to herself, "perhaps _this_ was Hugh!"
So patiently she set herself to make the best of it. She folded, andsorted, and pinned up in bundles, and had nearly finished tidying thegreat heap, when the children came hurrying back, bearing in their armsa nice Oxford frame, through the glass of which shone out what was to beJohn's life-text, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"
"Oh, Agnes," said Minnie, "did you buy it with your very own money?"
"Don't you like it?" answered Agnes.
"I wish _I_ had one," said Alice wistfully.
"If you will paint one for yourself I'll have it framed," promisedAgnes.
Then up came Jane, and once more they set to work.
Agnes found a piece of red valance for the top of the window, and gotout two clean toilet-covers, and they laid the carpet down, hung theframe on the wall, and Alice dusted the mantelshelf. Then they pausedand looked round.
"It is lovely!" said Minnie. "I wish it were _my_ room."
"So does everybody," said Alice. "Is it really finished, Agnes?"
"I think so. Now as we still have half-an-hour, let us go and see whatcan be done for poor old Hugh. His room looks rather forlorn as it is."
"So it does," said Minnie; "and the place where John's bed stood is allbare."
"He wants a table _dreadfully_," said Alice, "now John's is gone."
"Well, I haven't one for him; but we will go and have a look, while Janesweeps a little; perhaps we may find something which will serve forone."
They went back into the box-room. "Here is a little round table with oneleg off," announced Alice, from the depths of a corner.
"Is the leg there?"
"I can't see it."
"Then it's of no use."
"My eyes are sharp," exclaimed Minnie, jumping over the boxes andbundles and sliding down somewhere near Alice.
"How you startled me!" said Alice; "but however sharp your eyes are,Miss Minnie, you won't find it here."
But she did for all that. She went to work carefully, poking about withher little hands without disturbing anything, and when the others hadgiven it up as hopeless, a joyful cry from her announced its discovery.
They were just fitting it into its place and considering whether Hughwould be able to mend it, when the two boys came rushing up the stairsfrom school.
"I'm moved up!" exclaimed Hugh, long before he got in sight of hissisters. "Whatever are you girls doing up here? Isn't that jolly forme?"
They congratulated him on this joyful piece of school news, and thenAgnes, who had been holding the handle of John's door in her hand allthis time, said solemnly:
"John, the dirt in your room has disappeared by magic!"
"_How?_" asked John.
"By magic--look!"
She flung the door open, and the boys crowded in.
"Well," exclaimed John, "words fail me!" Then he paused as his eyes fellupon his text in its new setting.
"Agnes!"
"That's with my best love," answered Agnes, blushing. "It is worthframing."