by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XXVII.
"WAS THAT THE REASON?"
After breakfast the next morning Miss Roy felt a strong desire to gointo Nancy's bedroom. The fact was, she had dreamt of the starvingbird the night before. She quite longed to see for herself that thelittle prisoner was attended to, that he was bright and cheerful andhappy. But she scarcely liked to do this, for it seemed like doubtingNancy.
Nancy was avoiding Miss Roy. She was spending most of her time in theopen air, and very often she would go away quite by herself. As shecomplained of nothing, however, and ate her meals all right, no oneremarked on her strange conduct. Miss Roy said to herself that Nancywas repenting of what she had done.
"I shall try to find out from her if she has ever neglected the birdbefore," she thought.
The morning pursued the even tenor of its way. The four girls went outon the water with Captain Richmond; and Miss Roy, at last overcome byher desire to see the canary, went into Nancy's bedroom. She utteredan exclamation when she saw the hook on which the cage used to hang.What could have happened? Where was the bird? She went downstairs tosee if it had been removed to the schoolroom. It was not there. Shethen questioned the housemaid, but beyond the fact that she had notseen the bird when she went to draw down the blinds on the previousevening, the girl could tell her nothing.
"This must be inquired into," said Miss Roy to herself; and when thegirls came in she spoke to Nancy, doing so openly before the others.
"Nancy," she said, "I happened to go into your bedroom, and I couldnot see your bird there. What have you done with Sunbeam?"
Augusta immediately fixed her bold eyes on Nancy's face. The othergirls looked up, wondering. They knew how passionately Nancy adoredher bird.
"Well, Nancy, why don't you speak?" said her governess.
Just then Captain Richmond appeared.
"Why, Miss Roy," he said, "what is this solemn conclave? I heard youask Nancy something.--What is it, Nancy?"
"You asked me about my bird," said Nancy, raising her head andspeaking bravely. "I have given him away."
"Nancy! you have given Sunbeam away?" cried Kitty.
"Yes. I took him yesterday to a little girl--you know her, Nora--youremember her, Kitty--Grace Hammond. She wanted a bird, and I gave herSunbeam. He was my own, and I could do what I liked with him. Don'tkeep me, please."
She pushed past the girls. Her manner was almost rude. Before any onecould utter an additional word she had left the room.
"What does this mean?" said Captain Richmond.
"I think it is very generous of Nancy," here exclaimed Augusta.
But no one else applauded Nancy for her generosity. There was a weightin the air which every one felt.
Immediately after lunch Captain Richmond went away to pay a round ofcalls. Miss Roy retired to her own room--she happened to have a veryacute headache--and the four girls were alone.
Kitty fixed her eyes on Nan. Nan shuffled uncomfortably with her feet.
"Where are you going?" cried Nora. "It is such a lovely day," shecontinued, "can we not all go for a ramble on the seashore?"
"I am not going with you," replied Nancy. Her tone was almost rude.She left the room, slamming the door after her.
Augusta raised her brows. Getting up daintily, she went out by theopen window. The two little Richmond girls thus found themselvesalone.
"Oh Kit," cried Nora, "what can be happening? I am quite unhappy; Idon't like this at all."
"Come out, Nora," answered Kitty; "we can talk better in the openair."
They went out, linking their arms round one another, and paced slowlyup and down. Augusta was lying lazily in a hammock near by. Shewatched them.
"How they love each other!" she said to herself. "I never saw suchaffectionate sisters. But they are a dull little pair all the same.They are the sort of girls who will never do anything very wrong, andperhaps, on the other hand, never do anything very good. I know thesort. They will be medium all their days--medium pretty, too. Even Nanis better fun than Kitty and Nora. Now they are discussing her. I seeit by the way Kitty nods her head, and Nora looks at her and thenlooks away again; and they are twining their arms tighter round eachother. They are very sorry for Nan, but they don't understand her.Even I understand that poor, miserable mite better than they do. Ihave a hold over my little lady, and I must tighten the knot--and veryquickly, too, for Miss Nancy must help me to-morrow night. But now tofind out what they are really saying, for Nancy will have to beprotected by me in one sense in order that I may use her in another."
So Augusta slipped out of her hammock, and approached the littlegirls.
"What a wonderful confab!" she said. "Shall I guess what it is allabout?"
"Oh no, Gussie; I wish you would go away," exclaimed Nora. "Kitty andI are having _quite_ a private talk all by ourselves."
"But do let me guess what it is about," answered Augusta. "Now then,see if I am not right. You are talking about the little favourite andher pet canary."
"Yes; but what has that to do with you?" answered Kitty.
"My dear Kit, what a way to speak to your cousin! Now, let me tell youthat it has a great deal to do with me. If I were you I would notworry Nancy; she has reasons for what she has done."
"But why give her canary away?" said Kitty. "Nora and I subscribedtogether and gave it to her, and she seemed so pleased. It was ratherdifficult to get enough money, but when we saw how _awfully_delighted she was, we felt that that made up for everything."
"It was good-natured of you," said Augusta. "I forgot that you hadgiven it to her. Poor old Nan!"
"But why do you call her poor old Nan? I don't see that she is to bepitied at all. We have always been very fond of her, but we cannot seethat she has done right in giving away her bird."
"Dear me," said Augusta, "what a fuss! If you gave her the bird it washer own, to do what she liked with. She took a fit of pity for thatpoor sick girl, Grace Hammond, and gave her the bird. Grace wants thebird far more than Nancy does, for she lies on her back most of theday in a shabby little room. I think it was extremely kind andself-sacrificing of Nan, and she ought to be petted, not scolded."
"I never thought of that," said Nora. "Of course, Gussie, you areright. Dear old Nan! Yes, it was sweet of her, and I suppose she feltit awfully."
"Couldn't you see for yourselves? Why, she scarcely ate any lunch, andran off to her room soon afterwards. Oh, for goodness' sake," addedAugusta, "don't make a mystery out of nothing! She gave the birdbecause the girl was ill and wanted it, and there the matter ends."
Augusta ran off, and Kitty and Nora owned that they felt considerablycheered.
When they saw Nancy next, Kitty ran up to her, kissed her, and said:
"We are neither of us angry now."
"What do you mean?" answered Nancy.
"About the bird, you know."
"But were you angry with me, Kitty?"
"Why, yes, Nancy; we both were a little. We gave it to you, you know,and we had to save up a good bit to get a really nice one."
"I forgot about that," said Nancy.
"But you did quite right, Nancy," said Nora; "and we are not a scrapangry now. We are so glad that the little girl should have it; shemust have wanted it far more than you did. It was very brave of you togive it to her, Nan, and we both love you more than ever."
"But I didn't give it to Grace to comfort her--not for a singlemoment," said Nancy; and then she stopped short and faced the twolittle Richmond girls, and said emphatically: "Don't let us talk anymore about Sunbeam, for if you do I shall break my heart. Oh, how youdo stare, Kitty! You look quite silly with your mouth open. Come, whowill race me to the end of the avenue?"
Away the three went, flying as if on the wings of the wind. They camebang up against Captain Richmond, who was returning from his calls.
"Hullo!" he said. "Well won, Nancy; you are considerably ahead of theothers. Is it a race or what?"
The three were now all laughing heartily; but when she got back herb
reath, Nancy's face looked paler than its wont. The Captain noticedit, and holding out his hand, clasped hers.
"Come here," he said. "Are you fretting about your bird? What iswrong?"
Tears filled Nancy's eyes; she could not speak.
"Don't question her, please, Uncle Pete," said Kitty. "She has beenquite, quite darling and sweet about Sunbeam. But she must not bequestioned. Only if you stoop down I will tell you in a whisper.--Goon, Nancy; walk on with Nora."
"Please don't talk about it," said Nancy in an imploring voice; butshe took Nora's hand and walked on in front.
"Stoop, Uncle Pete; she must not hear," said Kitty. "She gave herdarling Sunbeam, whom she loves so passionately, to that little sickgirl in the wood--Grace Hammond--because the little girl wants thebird more than she does."
"Was that the reason? Oh, how pleased I am!" said the Captain.
