CHAPTER II.
AN INVITATION.
It is a curious fact, and makes life very interesting, that, generallyspeaking, none of us have any expectation that things are going tohappen till the very moment when they do happen. We wake up some morningwith no idea that a great happiness is at hand, and before night it hascome, and all the world is changed for us; or we wake bright andcheerful, with never a guess that clouds of sorrow are lowering in oursky, to put all the sunshine out for a while, and before noon all isdark. Nothing whispers of either the joy or the grief. No instinct bidsus to delay or to hasten the opening of the letter or telegram, or thelifting of the latch of the door at which stands the messenger of goodor ill. And because it may be, and often is, happy tidings that come,and joyful things which happen, each fresh day as it dawns upon us islike an unread story, full of possible interest and adventure, to bemade ours as soon as we have cut the pages and begun to read.
Nothing whispered to Katy Carr, as she sat at the window mending a longrent in Johnnie's school coat, and saw Mrs. Ashe come in at the sidegate and ring the office bell, that the visit had any specialsignificance for her. Mrs. Ashe often did come to the office to consultDr. Carr. Amy might not be quite well, Katy thought, or there might be aletter with something about Walter in it, or perhaps matters had gonewrong at the house, where paperers and painters were still at work. Soshe went calmly on with her darning, drawing the "ravelling," with whichher needle was threaded, carefully in and out, and taking nice evenstitches without one prophetic thrill or tremor; while, if only shecould have looked through the two walls and two doors which separatedthe room in which she sat from the office, and have heard what Mrs. Ashewas saying, the school coat would have been thrown to the winds, and forall her tall stature and propriety, she would have been skipping withdelight and astonishment. For Mrs. Ashe was asking papa to let her dothe very thing of all others that she most longed to do; she was askinghim to let Katy go with her to Europe!
"I am not very well," she told the Doctor. "I got tired and run downwhile Walter was ill, and I don't seem to throw it off as I hoped Ishould. I feel as if a change would do me good. Don't you think soyourself?"
"Yes, I do," Dr. Carr admitted.
"This idea of Europe is not altogether a new one," continued Mrs. Ashe."I have always meant to go some time, and have put it off, partlybecause I dreaded going alone, and didn't know anybody whom I exactlywanted to take with me. But if you will let me have Katy, Dr. Carr, itwill settle all my difficulties. Amy loves her dearly, and so do I; sheis just the companion I need; if I have her with me, I sha'n't be afraidof anything. I do hope you will consent."
"How long do you mean to be away?" asked Dr. Carr, divided betweenpleasure at these compliments to Katy and dismay at the idea oflosing her.
"About a year, I think. My plans are rather vague as yet; but my ideawas to spend a few weeks in Scotland and England first,--I have somecousins in London who will be good to us; and an old friend of minemarried a gentleman who lives on the Isle of Wight; perhaps we might gothere. Then we could cross over to France and visit Paris and a fewother places; and before it gets cold go down to Nice, and from there toItaly. Katy would like to see Italy. Don't you think so?"
"I dare say she would," said Dr. Carr, with a smile. "She would be aqueer girl if she didn't."
"There is one reason why I thought Italy would be particularly pleasantthis winter for me and for her too," went on Mrs. Ashe; "and that is,because my brother will be there. He is a lieutenant in the navy, youknow, and his ship, the 'Natchitoches,' is one of the Mediterraneansquadron. They will be in Naples by and by, and if we were there at thesame time we should have Ned to go about with; and he would take us tothe receptions on the frigate, and all that, which would be a nicechance for Katy. Then toward spring I should like to go to Florence andVenice, and visit the Italian lakes and Switzerland in the early summer.But all this depends on your letting Katy go. If you decide against it,I shall give the whole thing up. But you won't decide againstit,"--coaxingly,--"you will be kinder than that. I will take the bestpossible care of her, and do all I can to make her happy, if only youwill consent to lend her to me; and I shall consider it _such_ a favor.And it is to cost you nothing. You understand, Doctor, she is to be myguest all through. That is a point I want to make clear in the outset;for she goes for my sake, and I cannot take her on any other conditions.Now, Dr. Carr, please, please! I am sure you won't deny me, when I haveso set my heart upon having her."
Mrs. Ashe was very pretty and persuasive, but still Dr. Carr hesitated.To send Katy for a year's pleasuring in Europe was a thing that hadnever occurred to his mind as possible. The cost alone would haveprevented; for country doctors with six children are not apt to be richmen, even in the limited and old-fashioned construction of the word"wealth." It seemed equally impossible to let her go at Mrs. Ashe'sexpense; at the same time, the chance was such a good one, and Mrs. Asheso much in earnest and so urgent, that it was difficult to refuse pointblank. He finally consented to take time for consideration before makinghis decision.
"I will talk it over with Katy," he said. "The child ought to have a sayin the matter; and whatever we decide, you must let me thank you in hername as well as my own for your great kindness in proposing it."
"Doctor, I'm not kind at all, and I don't want to be thanked. My desireto take Katy with me to Europe is purely selfish. I am a lonely person,"she went on; "I have no mother or sister, and no cousins of my own age.My brother's profession keeps him at sea; I scarcely ever see him. Ihave no one but a couple of old aunts, too feeble in health to travelwith me or to be counted on in case of any emergency. You see, I am areal case for pity."
Mrs. Ashe spoke gayly, but her brown eyes were dim with tears as sheended her little appeal. Dr. Carr, who was soft-hearted where women wereconcerned, was touched. Perhaps his face showed it, for Mrs. Ashe addedin a more hopeful tone,--
"But I won't tease any more. I know you will not refuse me unless youthink it right and necessary; and," she continued mischievously, "I havegreat faith in Katy as an ally. I am pretty sure that she will say thatshe wants to go."
And indeed Katy's cry of delight when the plan was proposed to her saidthat sufficiently, without need of further explanation. To go to Europefor a year with Mrs. Ashe and Amy seemed simply too delightful to betrue. All the things she had heard about and read about--cathedrals,pictures, Alpine peaks, famous places, famous people--came rushing intoher mind in a sort of bewildering tide as dazzling as it wasoverwhelming. Dr. Carr's objections, his reluctance to part with her,melted before the radiance of her satisfaction. He had no idea thatKaty would care so much about it. After all, it was a greatchance,--perhaps the only one of the sort that she would ever have.Mrs. Ashe could well afford to give Katy this treat, he knew; and itwas quite true what she said, that it was a favor to her as well as toKaty. This train of reasoning led to its natural results. Dr. Carrbegan to waver in his mind.
But, the first excitement over, Katy's second thoughts were more soberones. How could papa manage without her for a whole year, she askedherself. He would miss her, she well knew, and might not the charge ofthe house be too much for Clover? The preserves were almost all made,that was one comfort; but there were the winter clothes to be seen to;Dorry needed new flannels, Elsie's dresses must be altered over forJohnnie,--there were cucumbers to pickle, the coal to order! A host ofhousewifely cares began to troop through Katy's mind, and a littlepucker came into her forehead, and a worried look across the face whichhad been so bright a few minutes before. Strange to say, it was thatlittle pucker and the look of worry which decided Dr. Carr.
"She is only twenty-one," he reflected; "hardly out of childhood. Idon't want her to settle into an anxious, drudging state and lose heryouth with caring for us all. She shall go; though how we are to managewithout her I don't see. Little Clover will have to come to the fore,and show what sort of stuff there is in her."
"Little Clover" came gallantly "to the fore" when the first s
hock ofsurprise was over, and she had relieved her mind with one long privatecry over having to do without Katy for a year. Then she wiped her eyes,and began to revel unselfishly in the idea of her sister's having sogreat a treat. Anything and everything seemed possible to secure it forher; and she made light of all Katy's many anxieties and apprehensions.
"My dear child, I know a flannel undershirt when I see one, just as wellas you do," she declared. "Tucks in Johnnie's dress, forsooth! why, ofcourse. Ripping out a tuck doesn't require any superhuman ingenuity!Give me your scissors, and I'll show you at once. Quince marmalade?Debby can make that. Hers is about as good as yours; and if it wasn't,what should we care, as long as you are ascending Mont Blanc, andhob-nobbing with Michael Angelo and the crowned heads of Europe? I'llmake the spiced peaches! I'll order the kindling! And if there evercomes a time when I feel lost and can't manage without advice, I'll goacross to Mrs. Hall. Don't worry about us. We shall get on happily andeasily; in fact, I shouldn't be surprised if I developed such a turn forhousekeeping, that when you come back the family refused to change, andyou had just to sit for the rest of your life and twirl your thumbs andwatch me do it! Wouldn't that be fine?" and Clover laughed merrily. "So,Katy darling, cast that shadow from your brow, and look as a girl oughtto look who's going to Europe. Why, if it were I who were going, Ishould simply stand on my head every moment of the time!"
"Not a very convenient position for packing," said Katy, smiling.
"Yes, it is, if you just turn your trunk upside down! When I think ofall the delightful things you are going to do, I can hardly sit still. I_love_ Mrs. Ashe for inviting you."
"So do I," said Katy, soberly. "It was the kindest thing! I can't thinkwhy she did it."
"Well, I can," replied Clover, always ready to defend Katy even againstherself. "She did it because she wanted you, and she wanted you becauseyou are the dearest old thing in the world, and the nicest to haveabout. You needn't say you're not, for you are! Now, Katy, don't wasteanother thought on such miserable things as pickles and undershirts. Weshall get along perfectly well, I do assure you. Just fix your mindinstead on the dome of St. Peter's, or try to fancy how you'll feel thefirst time you step into a gondola or see the Mediterranean. There willbe a moment! I feel a forty-horse power of housekeeping developingwithin me; and what fun it will be to get your letters! We shall fetchout the Encyclopaedia and the big Atlas and the 'History of ModernEurope,' and read all about everything you see and all the places yougo to; and it will be as good as a lesson in geography and history andpolitical economy all combined, only a great deal more interesting! Weshall stick out all over with knowledge before you come back; and thismakes it a plain duty to go, if it were only for our sakes." With thesezealous promises, Katy was forced to be content. Indeed, contentmentwas not difficult with such a prospect of delight before her. When onceher little anxieties had been laid aside, the idea of the comingjourney grew in pleasantness every moment. Night after night she andpapa and the children pored over maps and made out schemes for traveland sight-seeing, every one of which was likely to be discarded as soonas the real journey began. But they didn't know that, and it made noreal difference. Such schemes are the preliminary joys of travel, andit doesn't signify that they come to nothing after they have servedtheir purpose.
Katy learned a great deal while thus talking over what she was to seeand do. She read every scrap she could lay her hand on which related toRome or Florence or Venice or London. The driest details had a charm forher now that she was likely to see the real places. She went about withscraps of paper in her pocket, on which were written such things asthese: "Forum. When built? By whom built? More than one?" "What does_Cenacola_ mean?" "Cecilia Metella. Who was she?" "Find out about SaintCatherine of Siena." "Who was Beatrice Cenci?" How she wished that shehad studied harder and more carefully before this wonderful chance cameto her. People always wish this when they are starting for Europe; andthey wish it more and more after they get there, and realize of whatvalue exact ideas and information and a fuller knowledge of the foreignlanguages are to all travellers; how they add to the charm of everythingseen, and enhance the ease of everything done.
All Burnet took an interest in Katy's plans, and almost everybody hadsome sort of advice or help, or some little gift to offer. Old Mrs.Worrett, who, though fatter than ever, still retained the power oflocomotion, drove in from Conic Section in her roomy carryall with thepresent of a rather obsolete copy of "Murray's Guide," in faded redcovers, which her father had used in his youth, and which she was sureKaty would find convenient; also a bottle of Brown's Jamaica Ginger, incase of sea-sickness. Debby's sister-in-law brought a bundle of driedchamomile for the same purpose. Some one had told her it was the"handiest thing in the world to take along with you on them steamboats."Cecy sent a wonderful old-gold and scarlet contrivance to hang on thewall of the stateroom. There were pockets for watches, and pockets formedicines, and pockets for handkerchief and hairpins,--in short, therewere pockets for everything; besides a pincushion with "Bon Voyage" inrows of shining pins, a bottle of eau-de-cologne, a cake of soap, and ahammer and tacks to nail the whole up with. Mrs. Hall's gift was a warmand very pretty woollen wrapper of dark blue flannel, with a pair ofsoft knitted slippers to match. Old Mr. Worrett sent a note of advice,recommending Katy to take a quinine pill every day that she was away,never to stay out late, because the dews "over there" were said to beunwholesome, and on no account to drink a drop of water which had notbeen boiled.
From Cousin Helen came a delightful travelling-bag, light and strong atonce, and fitted up with all manner of nice little conveniences. MissInches sent a "History of Europe" in five fat volumes, which was soheavy that it had to be left at home. In fact, a good many of Katy'spresents had to be left at home, including a bronze paper-weight in theshape of a griffin, a large pair of brass screw candlesticks, and anormolu inkstand with a pen-rest attached, which weighed at least a poundand a half. These Katy laid aside to enjoy after her return. Mrs. Asheand Cousin Helen had both warned her of the inconvenient consequences ofweight in baggage; and by their advice she had limited herself to asingle trunk of moderate size, besides a little flat valise for use inher stateroom.
Clover's gift was a set of blank books for notes, journals, etc. In oneof these, Katy made out a list of "Things I must see," "Things I mustdo," "Things I would like to see," "Things I would like to do." Anothershe devoted to various good shopping addresses which had been given her;for though she did not expect to do any shopping herself, she thoughtMrs. Ashe might find them useful. Katy's ideas were still so simple andunworldly, and her experience of life so small, that it had not occurredto her how very tantalizing it might be to stand in front of shopwindows full of delightful things and not be able to buy any of them.She was accordingly overpowered with surprise, gratitude, and the senseof sudden wealth, when about a week before the start her father gave herthree little thin strips of paper, which he told her were circularnotes, and worth a hundred dollars apiece. He also gave her five Englishsovereigns.
"Those are for immediate use," he said. "Put the notes away carefully,and don't lose them. You had better have them cashed one at a time asyou require them. Mrs. Ashe will explain how. You will need a gown or sobefore you come back, and you'll want to buy some photographs and so on,and there will be fees--"
"But, papa," protested Katy, opening wide her candid eyes, "I didn'texpect you to give me any money, and I'm afraid you are giving me toomuch. Do you think you can afford it? Really and truly, I don't want tobuy things. I shall see everything, you know, and that's enough."
Her father only laughed.
"You'll be wiser and greedier before the year is out, my dear," hereplied. "Three hundred dollars won't go far, as you'll find. But it'sall I can spare, and I trust you to keep within it, and not come homewith any long bills for me to pay."
"Papa! I should think not!" cried Katy, with unsophisticated horror.
One very interesting thing was to happen before they sailed, the thoughtof
which helped both Katy and Clover through the last hard days, whenthe preparations were nearly complete, and the family had leisure tofeel dull and out of spirits. Katy was to make Rose Red a visit.
Rose had by no means been idle during the three years and a half whichhad elapsed since they all parted at Hillsover, and during which thegirls had not seen her. In fact, she had made more out of the time thanany of the rest of them, for she had been engaged for eighteen months,had been married, and was now keeping house near Boston with a littleRose of her own, who, she wrote to Clover, was a perfect angel, and moredelicious than words could say! Mrs. Ashe had taken passage in the"Spartacus," sailing from Boston; and it was arranged that Katy shouldspend the last two days before sailing, with Rose, while Mrs. Ashe andAmy visited an old aunt in Hingham. To see Rose in her own home, andRose's husband, and Rose's baby, was only next in interest to seeingEurope. None of the changes in her lot seemed to have changed herparticularly, to judge by the letter she sent in reply to Katy'sannouncing her plans, which letter ran as follows:--
"LONGWOOD, September 20.
"My dearest child,--Your note made me dance with delight. I stood on myhead waving my heels wildly to the breeze till Deniston thought I mustbe taken suddenly mad; but when I explained he did the same. It is tooenchanting, the whole of it. I put it at the head of all the nice thingsthat ever happened, except my baby. Write the moment you get this bywhat train you expect to reach Boston, and when you roll into thestation you will behold two forms, one tall and stalwart, the othershort and fatsome, waiting for you. They will be those of Deniston andmyself. Deniston is not beautiful, but he is good, and he is prepared to_adore_ you. The baby is both good and beautiful, and you will adoreher. I am neither; but you know all about me, and I always did adore youand always shall. I am going out this moment to the butcher's to order acalf fatted for your special behoof; and he shall be slain and made intocutlets the moment I hear from you. My funny little house, which isquite a dear little house too, assumes a new interest in my eyes fromthe fact that you so soon are to see it. It is somewhat queer, as youmight know my house would be; but I think you will like it.
"I saw Silvery Mary the other day and told her you were coming. She isthe same mouse as ever. I shall ask her and some of the other girls tocome out to lunch on one of your days. Good-by, with a hundred and fiftykisses to Clovy and the rest.
"Your loving
"ROSE RED."
"She never signs herself Browne, I observe," said Clover, as shefinished the letter.
"Oh, Rose Red Browne would sound too funny. Rose Red she must stay tillthe end of the chapter; no other name could suit her half so well, and Ican't imagine her being called anything else. What fun it will be to seeher and little Rose!"
"And Deniston Browne," put in Clover.
"Somehow I find it rather hard to take in the fact that there is aDeniston Browne," observed Katy.
"It will be easier after you have seen him, perhaps."
The last day came, as last days will. Katy's trunk, most carefullyand exactly packed by the united efforts of the family, stood in thehall, locked and strapped, not to be opened again till the partyreached London. This fact gave it a certain awful interest in theeyes of Phil and Johnnie, and even Elsie gazed upon it with respect.The little valise was also ready; and Dorry, the neat-handed, hadpainted a red star on both ends of both it and the trunk, that theymight be easily picked from among a heap of luggage. He now proceededto prepare and paste on two square cards, labelled respectively,"Hold" and "State-room." Mrs. Hall had told them that this was thecorrect thing to do.
Mrs. Ashe had been full of business likewise in putting her house torights for a family who had rented it for the time of her absence, andKaty and Clover had taken a good many hours from their own preparationsto help her. All was done at last; and one bright morning in October,Katy stood on the wharf with her family about her, and a lump in herthroat which made it difficult to speak to any of them. She stood sovery still and said so very little, that a bystander not acquainted withthe circumstances might have dubbed her "unfeeling;" while the fact wasthat she was feeling too much!
The first bell rang. Katy kissed everybody quietly and went on boardwith her father. Her parting from him, hardest of all, took place in themidst of a crowd of people; then he had to leave her, and as the wheelsbegan to revolve she went out on the side deck to have a last glimpse ofthe home faces. There they were: Elsie crying tumultuously, with herhead on papa's coat-sleeve; John laughing, or trying to laugh, with bigtears running down her cheeks the while; and brave little Clover wavingher handkerchief encouragingly, but with a very sober look on her face.Katy's heart went out to the little group with a sudden passion ofregret and yearning. Why had she said she would go? What was all Europein comparison with what she was leaving? Life was so short, how couldshe take a whole year out of it to spend away from the people she lovedbest? If it had been left to her to choose, I think she would have flownback to the shore then and there, and given up the journey, I also thinkshe would have been heartily sorry a little later, had she done so.
But it was not left for her to choose. Already the throb of the engineswas growing more regular and the distance widening between the greatboat and the wharf. Gradually the dear faces faded into distance; andafter watching till the flutter of Clover's handkerchief became anundistinguishable speck, Katy went to the cabin with a heavy heart. Butthere were Mrs. Ashe and Amy, inclined to be homesick also, and in needof cheering; and Katy, as she tried to brighten them, gradually grewbright herself, and recovered her hopeful spirits. Burnet pulled lessstrongly as it got farther away, and Europe beckoned more brilliantlynow that they were fairly embarked on their journey. The sun shone, thelake was a beautiful, dazzling blue, and Katy said to herself, "Afterall, a year is not very long, and how happy I am going to be!"
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