Silverthorns

by Mrs. Molesworth

anxiously at Jerry when she came home from school thatafternoon. He was lying asleep on his sofa, and her mother made alittle sign not to disturb him as the girl opened the door.

  "Is he no better to-day, mamma?" she whispered, as she sat down quietlybeside her mother in the further corner of the room.

  "Much as usual, I think," Mrs Waldron replied, in the same tone."Perhaps in himself he has been a little brighter. He was interested inwhat we were talking about."

  "Yes?" and Charlotte looked up inquiringly.

  "Dr Lewis was here this morning. He examined Jerry thoroughly again,and still says the same thing. There is no actual disease, it is onlyweakness and want of tone that he speaks of. But those may be thebeginning of anything! Charlotte, my dear, I have been feeling nearlydesperate about Jerry."

  Then she went on to tell the girl all that the doctor had said--all thatshe had been thinking and resolving in her own mind.

  She found full sympathy.

  "Yes, mamma," Charlotte agreed, "at all costs it must be done. Butwhere should he go, and with whom, and how?"

  "I don't think it matters very specially where," Mrs Waldron replied,"so long as it is a bright and sunny place. But how? Ah, I wish Iknew! I am so ignorant of all those winter places--I don't know whichare the cheapest. I fancy they are all dear! Jerry has been writing tohis friend, Miss Meredon, again. She wrote to him that she and her auntare going abroad. I wish--I wonder if we could get any information fromthem."

  "Oh, no," Charlotte interposed hastily; "don't let us put ourselvesunder any more obligation to them. I don't want to be horrid, mamma,but that girl seems to be _always_ coming in my way. Even now that shehas left school for a while, the next thing is we must hear of her goingabroad for the winter like a princess, just when we'd give _anything_ tobe able to send Jerry."

  "Charlotte, my dear, you really are unreasonable," said Mrs Waldron."I thought you were grateful to this young girl, as we all are, for herkindness to Jerry. You told me yourself that you would never again sayshe was spoilt, or selfish, or any of the terrible things you had madeup your mind she _must_ be."

  "I know I did," said Charlotte half penitently. "I did not mean tospeak that way; but oh, mamma, it makes me wild to think about Jerry--hedoes look so white and thin?" She got up as she spoke, and went acrossthe room on tip-toe, and stood for a moment looking down at the sleepingboy, her eyes filling with tears. "Mamma," she said again as shereturned to her mother, "we _must_ manage it."

  But two or three days went by without any solution to the problemoffering itself. Mr Waldron was exceedingly busy just at this time,and his wife shrank from saying much to him about what was constantly inher thoughts, till she had some at least _possible_ plan to suggest. Atlast one night a sudden idea struck her.

  "I will write to Mrs Knox," she thought; "she may know of some place,some kind of _pension_, perhaps, or some doctor's family, where Jerrywould be well cared for, on pretty moderate terms. And once we hear ofsuch a place we just _must_ find the money somehow,"--and her mind ranover the few treasured pieces of silver plate in their possession,--"andEdward must take him there. Only will he not be terribly home-sick,alone among strangers?"

  But Charlotte agreed that it seemed the only thing to do. The letter toMrs Knox was written, and that evening after dinner Mr Waldron, hiswife decided, must be told of all Dr Lewis had said. Dinner-time drewnear, however, and instead of Mr Waldron there came a boy from hisoffice with a note to say that he was not to be waited for; he had beendetained unexpectedly, but would be home before long.

  "How unlucky," sighed Mrs Waldron. "I cannot send the letter withouttalking to your father, and he will come home so tired. Arthur," forArthur as well as Charlotte was in her confidence, "can you manage tokeep Ted and Noble quiet in the school-room so that I can speak to yourfather uninterruptedly? Tell them he will be tired, and will like to bequiet."

  "All right, mother; I'll see to it," and a moment or two later certainominous sounds from the school-room announced that Arthur was favouringhis younger brothers with a specimen of certain strong measures heintended to resort to, should occasion arise, such as their "kicking upa row or making fools of themselves when mamma wanted to be quiet."

  He achieved his purpose, however. Mrs Waldron was alone, and the housewas unusually silent when their father came in; he went straight to thedrawing-room.

  "You must be very tired, Edward," said Mrs Waldron, starting up, "andhungry too. You have not had dinner."

  "Yes, thank you; I have had all I want," he replied. "Tea then, orcoffee?"

  "In a little while, perhaps, but not just yet. I'm glad you are alone,Amy; I want to talk to you. How is Jerry to-day?"

  "Much the same. I want to talk to you too--about Jerry--about what DrLewis has been saying," Mrs Waldron began.

  Her husband looked up sharply, and then she noticed that he was verypale, and as she mentioned the doctor's name he started.

  "Not anything worse? You are not trying to break anything dreadful tome, Amy," he said hoarsely. "What a mockery it would all seem if it hadcome too late!" he added, as if speaking to himself, in a lower voice,though not so low as not to be heard by his wife. But she did not stopto ask the meaning of his words--she was too eager to set his anxiety atrest.

  "Oh, no, no," she said; "there is nothing new. It is only that DrLewis does so very earnestly advise--"

  "His going abroad for some months," interrupted Mr Waldron, his faceclearing. "Yes, I know that. You spoke of it a little the other day;but I did not know till to-day that he urged it so very strongly."

  "Till to-day," repeated Mrs Waldron, bewildered; "how did you hear itto-day? Has Dr Lewis been to see you?"

  "No," said her husband, with a rather peculiar smile, "it was not fromhim I heard it. Why did you not tell me how much he had said about it,Amy?"

  "I have been going to do so all these last days," she said; "but Iwaited to think over any feasible plan before saying more to you. Iknew you were busy and worried. And even now I have but little topropose," and she went on to tell of her letter to Mrs Knox, and herhopes of some advice or help in that quarter. Mr Waldron listened andagain he smiled.

  "I think I have a better plan than that to talk about," he said. "Youwill scarcely believe me, Amy, when I tell you that I have thisafternoon a letter from Lady Mildred Osbert offering to take charge ofJerry at Cannes for some weeks, or months--in fact for as long as itwould be well for him to stay there."

  "From Lady Mildred!" Mrs Waldron ejaculated. "Edward! How ever didshe know about his being ordered to go?"

  "For that, and perhaps for the idea itself, we have to thank that youngniece of hers, Charlotte's schoolfellow. Jerry told us how kind thegirl was to him, and in writing to her he must have said, quiteinnocently, of course, what Dr Lewis wished for him. They are leavingthemselves for Cannes to-morrow; but Lady Mildred proposes that--that_I_ should take Jerry to them next week."

  "_You_?" said Mrs Waldron, growing pale with suppressed anxiety andexcitement. "Oh, Edward, you have more to tell me. What should shewant to see you for, when she has always so completely ignored us asrelations, unless there is some great change in some way."

  "Yes, Amy; there is a great change. That is what I wanted to tell you.The reason I did not come home earlier as usual to dinner was that Iwanted to think it over quietly, to take it in as it were, before Itried to tell you about it. I have felt as if I were dreaming since Igot the letters."

  "Letters?" half whispered Mrs Waldron; "were there more than one then?You said the one about Jerry was from Lady Mildred herself."

  "Yes; but it referred to another--a long and clear and most importantletter from the London solicitors; it was in fact written by old Millerhimself. I will show it you afterwards, but just now I want merely totell you the drift of it all."

  "I think I can guess it," said Mrs Waldron; "Lady Mildred has found outthat she has been unfairly prejudiced against you, and she wants now todo something to
help us. It will be a great boon, whatever it is--thisoffer for Jerry alone has lifted a terrible weight from my mind. Buthow has she changed so?"

  "My dear Amy, don't run on so fast. It is true that Lady Mildred haschanged, but there is a great deal more to tell. You heard of MrOsbert's death, the General's elder son? Well it appears that thesecond one, the only other--is dying. He has been in a hopeless statefor years, but Lady Mildred did not know it. Mr Miller evidentlythinks it was concealed purposely. She has had very littlecommunication with the