by L. T. Meade
door, or let me." She approached thedoor, but before she could raise her hand to ring the bell she turned tome again.
"What is the subject of your father's next lecture?"
"I'm sure I don't know from Adam," I replied.
"What a vulgar way of expressing it! How terrible to think you are hischild!"
"Augusta," I said, "there is one thing that puzzles me. I am theProfessor's child, and doubtless I am commonplace; but I am glad of it,for I wouldn't be like you for all the world."
"I don't want you to envy me," she said. "I never ask any one to envyme. Those who are geniuses are above anything of that sort."
"But I should like to ask you a question."
"What is it? Has it something to do with the great departed, or--"
"It has not," I said. "It is, how do you ever manage to get to schoolin the morning? Are you awake? Can you get along the streets? Are youalways in a dream as you are now?"
"Mary Roberts, who also comes to the school, but who is in a veryinferior class, calls for me. She has done that ever since I lost myway in a distant part of Regent's Park and was very much scolded by myteacher. I forgot the school; I forgot everything that day. I waspuzzling out a problem. Your father could reply to it."
I made no answer to this, except to pull the bell vigorously myself.This brought Mrs Moore on to the scene. It was a great relief to see aplacid-looking, blue-eyed little lady, neatly and nicely dressed, whosaid, "Augusta, late as usual! And this is your dear little friend.--How do you do, Miss Grant? Come in, dear--come in."
"Mother," said Augusta, "while you are on the scold, you may as wellscold Miss Grant, or Dumps, as we call her. I am going to my room. Ihave received two tickets for the next great meeting of the RoyalSociety. I shall live in bliss with the thought of those tickets untilthat night. You are to come with me."
"What night is your father's lecture?" asked Mrs Moore, glancing at me.
"Next Wednesday," I answered.
"We cannot possibly go on Wednesday; you know that, Augusta. It is youruncle Charles's birthday, and we have both been invited to dine withhim; he would never forgive us if we did not go."
"Just as you please, mother, as far as you are concerned. I shall go,"said Augusta; and she went into her bedroom and slammed the door behindher.
Mrs Moore gave one patient sigh. "Would you like to take your jacketoff?" she said.
I hastily removed it. She began to pour boiling water into the teapot.The little room was very neat and clean, and there was quite a cosy,appetising tea spread on the board.
"I have heard a great deal about your father, my dear," said Mrs Mooreafter a pause. "And now I also hear about you. I am glad to welcomeyou here. You are Augusta's special friend, are you not?"
"Oh, I know her very well," I said.
"She told me to-day at dinner that you wished to be a chum of hers. Shesaid she was willing. I felt quite relieved, for I think it would bevery good for Augusta to have a sort of human influence; she needs humaninfluence so badly."
"But can't she get it, Mrs Moore?" I asked. "Surely it is all roundher?"
"Well, dear, the fact is, she always stays amongst the dry bones; that'swhat I call that terrible sort of learning which she so clings to. Nota word when she comes out, my love. I assure you it is quite a comfortto confide in you."
She motioned to me to draw my chair to the table. I sat down.
"You look quite an interesting person," said Mrs Moore.
"Oh no, I am not at all interesting," I replied.
"Here is a cup of tea, love." She handed me one.
"Ought I not," I said, "to wait for Augusta?"
"Dear me, no! on no account. She will probably not come in at all.Doubtless by now she has forgotten that you are in the house."
I could not help laughing.
"But doesn't she ever eat?"
"I bring her her food. She takes it then without knowing what she istaking. She is a very strange child."
"Well," I said as I helped myself to a very nice piece of hot cake, "Idon't think I should have got her here to-day without pinching andpoking her. She took me quite a long way round. I believe," I added,"that I shall not be able to get back, for I don't know this part ofLondon well."
"I will take you to the Twopenny Tube myself, dear. Don't imagine for asingle instant that you will see anything more of Augusta."
When I discovered that this was really the case I gave myself up to theenjoyment of Mrs Moore's pleasant society. She was a very nice woman,not at all commonplace--at least, if that meant commonplace, it was avery good thing to be. She was practical, and had a great deal ofsense. She talked to me about my life, and about my father, and saidshe wished we lived a little nearer.
"You must sadly want a lady friend, my dear," she said.
Then she stared at me very hard, and I saw a curious change come overher face.
"Perhaps you will have one in the future," was her next remark.
"Oh yes," I answered briskly, "I have one now--a most dear, sweet lady.She came to see me quite a short time ago, and I went to stay with herlast Saturday, and came home only last night. I love her dearly; hername is Miss Grace Donnithorne."
"Then that is excellent--excellent," said Mrs Moore. She looked at mewistfully, as though she meant to say something, but her next remarkwas, "It is a very nice, suitable arrangement."
When tea was over I said I thought I ought to be going home. I had ahunger which was filling my heart. My body had been well fed--surprisingly well fed for me--that day. Had not Hannah supplied me withmutton-chops and potatoes, and Mrs Moore with hot cakes and fragranttea? But I was hungry in another sort of way. I wanted to look at mymother's picture. I wanted to gaze at the face of my very own mother.I meant to do so when I was quite alone in my bedroom that night. So Isaid hastily, "I must go back now;" and Mrs Moore went to put on herbonnet.
While she was away I knocked at Augusta's door.
"Who's there?" she called out.
"It's I. I want to say good-bye."
"Don't come in, I beg of you. Good-bye."
"Good-bye," I answered, feeling somewhat offended. I heard hermuttering words inside the room. They became louder:
"And like a dying lady, lone and pale, Who totters forth wrapped in a gauzy veil."
Mrs Moore opened her door.
"What is the matter with Augusta?" I said.
"Nothing; she is only reciting. She is mad on Shelley at present.--Good-bye, Gussie; I am going to see your friend, Miss Grant, to theTwopenny Tube."
Augusta replied in a still louder rendering of the words:
"Art thou pale from weariness Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth--"
We went into the street. Mrs Moore took me to the station, and sayingshe had something to do in another part of the street, she bade me onaffectionate good-bye.
I returned to our own house, and when I got there I found Alex andCharley and Von Marlo, as we always called him, waiting for me.
"Then it's quite true," said Alex, "that we are to have the wholeevening to ourselves? I have brought some grub in, and we are going tocook it ourselves in the parlour. You must help us, Dumps. It doesn'tmatter how shabby your frock is; you have got to be the cook."
"Oh, how scrumptious!" I cried. I felt just in the humour.
"And we can be as noisy as ever we like," said Charley.
"Only we won't do anything to hurt your feelings, Miss Rachel," said VonMarlo.
"The main thing of all is," said Charley, "that Hannah isn't to know."
"Oh, we can easily manage that," I said. "She won't come upstairsunless we ring for her. She never does."
"I've taken precious good care that she doesn't come upstairs," saidAlex, "for I've locked the door at the top of the kitchen stairs;" andhe produced the key in triumph from his pocket.
"Oh Alex, suppose by any sort of manner or means she wanted to come!Why, she would never forgive us."
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"Serve her right. She won't answer our rings of late, so now we'll keepher downstairs in that sweet spot in which she so loves to dwell."
"But," I said, "our dinner?"
"Oh, here it is--a mutton bone, barer than usual, and a few potatoes. Ithought we'd have a real feast. Did father give you any of the needfulwhen he was going away to-day, Dumps?"
"Why, yes," I said, "he gave me five shillings."
"And he
