Silverthorns

by Mrs. Molesworth

glow of the fire,towards the boy, who was now comfortably ensconced in a big arm-chairwith a blanket round him.

  "You'll have to alter your opinion of me, Gervais. I'm not `grand' atall."

  "But I think you are; and I think you are _very_ pretty. If you onlysaw now how the flames make your hair shine!" said the child dreamily."And you are very, very kind. I shall tell Charlotte. I am not surethat she wouldn't have laughed at me a little about the ghost. Shethinks being frightened so babyish."

  "Perhaps she has never been tried," said Claudia.

  "What was it you heard, Gervais?"

  "It was like sobbing and groaning in a muffled kind of way. It camefrom up-stairs, at least I fancied so; perhaps it was because I knew thehaunted room is up-stairs--papa told me. At first I was rather sleepy,and I thought I was dreaming--I've had such queer dreams all night;perhaps it was with them giving me brandy, you know. And so I thought Iwas dreaming, and then when I woke up and heard it still, I thought itwas the wind. But it seemed to come down the stair in the queerestway--really as if it was somebody, and almost into the room, as if itwanted me to get up and see what was the matter. And all of a sudden Iseemed to remember where I was, and all that papa had told us came backinto my mind, and I thought of the tower room up-stairs and the poorghost crying all alone. Miss Meredon, I'm awfully sorry for the ghost,do you know! I used to think if ever I got a chance I'd speak to him,and ask him if I could do anything for him. But--" and Jerry drew adeep breath.

  "Only, Gervais, it couldn't have been him after all; you see you're nota relation of his."

  "No, but I didn't know that. I'll try to think that it was the wind, orthe owls, or anything."

  "And that you were not quite well, and that made you more fanciful; yousee you had been dreaming already in a fanciful way."

  "Yes," said Jerry, though his tone was only half convinced.

  "And now don't you think you can manage to go to sleep? Get into bed,and I'll sit here beside you. I will leave the candle alight, and Iwill make up the fire so that it shall last till morning. It is nearmorning now, I fancy."

  "Thank you, awfully," said Jerry. "Yes, I'll try to go to sleep. Idon't like you to have to sit up like that; as soon as I'm at allasleep, please go. I have a feeling that I won't hear any more noisesnow.--Oh what a lot I shall have to tell Charlotte about how awfullygood she is," he said to himself. And he lay perfectly still and triedto breathe regularly so that Claudia should think he was asleep, and assometimes happens, the simulation brought the reality. In ten minuteshe was really and truly in a deep and peaceful slumber.

  Then Claudia went quietly back to her own room. All was perfectly stillup the stair leading to the tower, but a strange, puzzled, half-sadfeeling crept over the girl.

  "It really seems as if there were something in that old story," shethought. "Why should that poor little fellow be so impressed by it? Ican't understand his father's having heard it too. And Gervais said hisfather used to stay here as a boy. How could that have been? I wonderif it can have anything to do with Aunt Mildred's prejudice against theWaldrons--for I am sure she _is_ a little prejudiced against them."

  But Claudia was too tired and sleepy to pursue her reflections further,and her slumbers till the next morning were dreamless and undisturbed.

  The little guest was fast asleep when Mrs Ball went to look after him.

  "It is the best thing he can do, poor child. It would be a shame todisturb him. He does look a delicate little creature, to be sure. Onesees it even plainer by daylight," she said, when she came to Claudia'sroom to report. "But you're looking tired yourself, Miss Meredon, thismorning. It was rather an upset for you last night. He did lookdeathly when they brought him in."

  "Yes; he looked dreadful," Claudia agreed. "How is her ladyship, MrsBall? It was an upset for her too."

  "I've not seen her, miss; but she was ringing to know if the lettershadn't come. It will be a very dull Christmas here if my lady goes upto spend it in town. We were hoping with a young lady like you here,missy, it would have been a bit livelier. There are some nice familiesabout, where there are young people, but my lady's got so out of the wayof seeing any one, but just her own old friends."

  "I'm afraid my being here wouldn't have made Christmas any cheerier,Mrs Ball," said Claudia. "I don't much mind whether we spend it hereor in London. I'm glad to be a companion to Aunt Mildred, at least I'mglad that she seems to like to have me."

  "That she does, missy," said the old housekeeper heartily.

  Lady Mildred still seemed anxious and pre-occupied when Claudia met herat breakfast; but she was gentle and less irritable than was usual withher when she was at all uneasy.

  "I have no letter from Mr Miller, yet. I cannot understand it," shesaid; "he promised to write at once, and explain what this businessis that he wants to see me about. He said it was nothingpressing--`pressing' is such an indefinite word. If it was nothingpressing what did he say he wanted to see me for, and ask soparticularly if I was likely to be in town."

  "It is as if he wished to talk over something with you, perhaps to seeyou more than once, and not hurriedly," said Claudia.

  "Yes," said Lady Mildred, "that is the feeling his letter gave me. Thelittle boy seems better this morning Mrs Ball tells me," she went on.

  "Yes, she came to my room to tell me so," Claudia replied; she was onthe point of going on to tell her aunt about the disturbances of thenight when something made her stop short. It would be scarcely fair toGervais to do so, she reflected; at any rate while he was still in thehouse and might dislike being cross-questioned about the matter, as LadyMildred would probably insist upon. Then she shrank a little frombringing up the old ghost-story just now, when her aunt was alreadyevidently rather uneasy, for Claudia had detected a certain dislike toand avoidance of the subject on Lady Mildred's part, even while sheaffected to treat it all as nonsense.

  "I will say nothing about it just now," the girl decided.

  They had scarcely finished breakfast when wheels were heard on thegravel drive outside, and there came a ring at the bell.

  "Mr Waldron, if you please, my lady," Ball came in to announce with hisusual urbane solemnity. "He begs to apologise for coming so early, butif he can go up-stairs to see the young gentleman, he hopes it will notin any way disturb your ladyship."

  Lady Mildred rose from the table.

  "Show Mr Waldron into the morning room," she said; and when the visitorentered the room he found her already there.

  "I am ashamed--" he began, his usual rather cold courtesy to LadyMildred tempered by the sense of his obligation to her; but sheinterrupted him.

  "Pray don't thank me, Mr Waldron," she said; "I have done nothing to bethanked for. Hospitality in such a case is an absolute matter ofcourse. I am only thankful the accident proved no worse. I have a goodaccount of your little son this morning. You would like to see him, nodoubt?"

  Mr Waldron bowed.

  "At once if possible," he said.

  Lady Mildred rang the bell.

  "He is a fine little fellow," she said, with perhaps the shadow of aneffort perceptible in her tone; "but evidently delicate. You willexcuse me for saying that it seems to me very rash to let a boy like himbe so far from home and on foot in such weather."

  Mr Waldron's face flushed slightly. He did not like being taken totask especially about his care and management of his children, but hefelt that there was room for Lady Mildred's censure.

  "You are right," he said; "but `accidents will happen in thebest-regulated families,'" he went on with a slight smile. "It was alla mistake, the other boys would never have let him start to walk backalone from the pond had they not felt sure he would meet the dog-cart.I can scarcely even now make out how he missed it."

  "He is not your eldest son, then," said Lady Mildred. Mr Waldron'sface flushed again.

  "No," he said; "I have three older."

  "Oh, indeed," said Lady Mildred, with a not altogether agreeableinflec
tion in her voice; "then there is no fear of the Waldron familycoming to an end."

  But the entrance of the footman prevented any necessity of the visitor'sreplying.

  "Show Mr Waldron up to the chintz room," said Lady Mildred.

  Jerry's father started a little. Had they put the child _there_--in hisown old quarters? It was a curious coincidence.

  His mind was full of many thoughts as he followed the servant. He hadnever been at Silverthorns except once or twice for an interview of fiveminutes or so, on business