by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER III.
A GYPSY TEA.
Lessons were not to begin until the following morning, and the sixboarders were feeling in consequence a trifle disconsolate. They did notknow what to do with themselves. They had explored the place the daybefore. They had visited the kitchen-garden and the flower-garden, andthe paddocks and the shrubberies and the lawns, and they had wandereddown towards the river. There seemed to be nothing special to do. Thetennis-lawn was not properly mowed for tennis, and anyhow the net wasnot out, and there seemed to be no croquet-ground anywhere. Inconsequence, there was nothing whatever to do but to pace up and downunder the shadow of the trees a little way from the house.
Rosamund Cunliffe walked with Phyllis Flower, Jane Denton with AgnesSparkes, and Laura Everett with her special friend and factotum, AnnieMillar. They were all good-natured, kind-hearted girls, ready to makethe best of things; but as they walked now, pacing up and down, Rosamundsuddenly stopped, faced round, and addressed the rest of her companions.
"Well, girls," she said, "I must say that I think we are placed in arather disagreeable position at Sunnyside."
"What do you mean?" asked Laura, opening her wide blue eyes to theirfullest extent.
"Why, can't you judge for yourself? That little Lucy Merriman isdetermined to be disagreeable to us. We cannot get her to make herselfthe least pleasant; whatever we do she interprets in the wrong manner,and how we are to keep the peace I don't know. I am sure I don't wantto dislike her or be disagreeable to her; but she is at home, and we arestrangers. She is exceedingly ill-bred, there is no doubt of that. Whyshould we put up with it? Ought we not at once to declare ourindependence, and to let her know that as we pay--or, rather, ourparents pay for us--a very good sum for our education, she is bound atleast not to make herself obnoxious?"
"Oh, I don't think she is obnoxious," said Agnes Sparkes. "She is just alittle bit jealous. I used to be jealous of a girl once. It is a horridsensation."
"Oh, my dear!" said Rosamund slowly, stamping her foot in her endeavorto speak with emphasis, "it is absolutely ridiculous for any one to giveway to those morbid feelings in these days. If her mother wished us tocome here to be educated, I suppose she had her good reasons for it, andthat Lucy should be such a goose is really past enduring."
"I quite agree with what you say," replied Laura in her quiet voice,"and my only remedy is this: don't take the least notice of her."
"But that is not so easy when she pokes her disagreeable little face inat every turn."
"And her still more disagreeable little words," said Phyllis Flower.
"Now, Phyllis, don't you make mischief," said Annie Millar. "You knowperfectly well that you are cleverer than the whole lot of us puttogether, whether you like to acknowledge it or not."
"I am not a bit clever, and I always say so," was Phyllis's response. "Ihave got far less than most people: no looks, no stature, no abilities.No one need ever come to me for anything, for I have nothing to give,having got nothing for myself."
"You have one gift, dear," said Rosamund, looking at her kindly; "youare an excellent listener, and you can make as pertinent a remark asany one in the school. I maintain that I consider you clever, and youwill prove my words before many terms are over."
"But the point now," said Laura, "is Lucy. We begin lessons to-morrow. Ishould say that Miss Archer is an exceedingly nice woman--in fact, sheis vastly superior to most--and the French governess is very good, too.They are both busy arranging our work for us; and of course we shallhave masters innumerable, and several mistresses also, and we shall goto Dartford twice a week for lessons, so we shall be just as busy asbees. I think the only plan is to let Lucy alone."
It was while this conversation was going on, and the girls were standingtogether in a group, that Mrs. Brett, accompanied by no less a personthan Lucy herself, appeared in view. Lucy shrank from the six girls whostood together under one of the big elm-trees, and she was about toloosen her hold of Mrs. Brett's arm, but that good lady drew herforward.
"Now come, Lucy; don't be silly. Now is your chance. I want to beintroduced to those nice girls. Exceedingly nice they look, and pleasantcompanions they will be for you. Come and do your duty, my love."
"Oh, if only mother had such dignified manners!" thought the girl. Shefound herself yielding to Mrs. Brett's commands, and in a minute wasstanding amongst the other girls, introducing one after another to thewife of the rector of Dartford.
"My dears, I am heartily glad to see you," said Aunt Susan in hercheerful voice. "I am Aunt Susan, or Aunty Susy, to all the world, andany one who comes to Dartford finds his or her way to my cosy littlebower sooner or later. Lucy is a special friend of mine.--Aren't you,Lucy?"
"You are my aunt, remember," said Lucy in a choking voice.
"She is her aunt, remember," said Phyllis Flower in a sort of mockingtone.
The other girls tittered. Mrs. Brett's calm voice continued: "I am avery plain old woman; I have no youth to boast of, and no looks to boastof; but I think I have got a somewhat capacious heart, and it is amplywilling to take you all in if you wish to come. Now, let me see. This isWednesday. I think you will come to Dartford on Saturday for lessons.Will you all come and have tea with me? You shall meet my husband, whois a very jolly sort of man, and we can show you some of ourcuriosities, which we have collected from time to time in our scantytravels. We are precious poor, so you mustn't expect anything but a veryplain tea--bread and butter and jam; but you will have enough, and thatis something, and you will see the inside of a plain working-man'shouse."
"Oh, Aunt Susy! Not a working-man!" said Lucy.
"Yes, a working-man, my dear," persisted Aunt Susy. "He is a minister ofthe Gospel, and he works hard for his Lord; and he is very proud of hisMaster, and very proud of the service among his Master's work-men.--So,girls, you can come if you like, or stay away if you like. We can all bevery jolly together. Do you accept my invitation?"
"Indeed, we shall be delighted," said Agnes Sparkes eagerly. "What doyou say, Jane?" she continued, turning to Jane Denton.
Jane Denton signified her approval with sparkling eyes, and the othergirls followed suit.
"Well, that is settled," said Mrs. Brett. "You may call me Aunt Susy,those of you who like."
Lucy looked at her aunt almost as though she hated her at that moment.Mrs. Brett did not pretend to see the glance.
"Now," she said, "what are you going to do this afternoon? Why shouldnot we all go and have tea down by the river? Why shouldn't we? Yourmother wouldn't object, would she?"
"Oh, no; mother never objects to anything," said Lucy, with a littlesigh.
"But you do, don't you, Lucy?" said Rosamund in a low voice.
"I dislike innovations," said Lucy.
Their eyes met. Rosamund's flashed angrily. Lucy felt that all thejealousy which she had promised Aunt Susan to bury for ever in a lowgrave was rising up stronger than before. Aunt Susan was in realitywatching her niece, and was quite determined to have her way.
"Won't some one go into the house," she said, addressing the girls in amass, "and ask Mrs. Merriman if you may yourselves carry down the cupsand saucers and teapot, and jam and bread and butter, and whatever isrequired for a gipsy tea? I have just one hour before I must trot backto catch my train, and during that hour I can help you to get it. Thereis a lovely bank just above the river, where we can make our gipsy fireand enjoy ourselves."
Where was the _ennui_ now? Agnes Sparkes rushed off to fulfil Mrs.Brett's bidding. Lucy, ashamed, she knew not why, followed her moreslowly. In a few minutes, owing to Mrs. Brett's breezy talk, there wereseven girls, all apparently happy, very busily preparing tea. The firesoon crackled and blazed; the kettle quickly did its part by singingmerrily and boiling sturdily. Tea was made in the old brown teapot whichwas always kept for such occasions. How good it tasted in the open air!how different from any made indoors! No longer was Sunnyside a dullplace, for Mrs. Brett kept all the girls laughing with the funny storiesshe told and the e
xtraordinary sort of free-and-easy manner in whichshe did everything. And yet she was so good-natured, so full of fun and_bonhomie_!
With regard to Rosamund, Mrs. Brett saw at once that she would be Lucy'sworst enemy, and she determined in her own mind to take the girl in tow.
"I will just knock some of her pride out of her, to begin with," thoughtthe good lady.
Accordingly, when tea was over, and every scrap of bread and butter hadbeen consumed, she selected Rosamund as the person to wash up thetea-things.
"Why me?" said Rosamund, opening her pretty brown eyes in someastonishment.
"Because you are the tallest, and you look the strongest," said AuntSusan. "Now, be quick about it.--Lucy, did you bring out the towel?"
"I did," said Lucy; "and the little wooden bowl, and here is hot water.And do you want me to help, Aunt Susy?"
"Help, child? Of course you shall help. Rosamund shall wash and youshall dry. Now then, be as quick as ever you can."
The two girls were thus brought face to face with each other. Mrs. Brettlooked at her watch, said that she had quite another ten minutes tospare, and suggested a walk down a favorite path, where they couldgather some delicate maidenhair which she happened to know grew there.
How they walked and talked! Even Rosamund, left behind washing thetea-things while Lucy dried them, felt her ill-humor vanish.
"Isn't she charming?" she said.
"Yes," said Lucy; but then she added, "I don't want you to like her.That would be the last straw."
"And why shouldn't I like her?" asked Rosamund.
"Because she belongs to me."
Rosamund was quite silent for a minute. "While Mrs. Brett was here,"she said slowly, "I was quite happy. Now I do not feel happy, and it isowing to you, Lucy. Can we not meet and talk this over, and come to asort of compact, a sort of armistice? Do you mind if we do?"
Just then Mrs. Brett was seen returning. Lucy stood up hastily. "I willtalk to you. It would be best," she said then.
"To-night," said Rosamund--"to-night, after prayers, let us meet outsideunder the elm-trees. We can talk there and put things a bit straight. Idon't think we can go on as we have begun. It would make us bothunhappy."
"My dear girls," called out Mrs. Brett--"ah! I see the tea-things areall washed up and put away in the basket. Well, they will be quite safe;there are no gipsies in these parts. Now, who will come with me as faras the station? Don't all speak at once. I shall be very glad of thecompany of those who like to come; but those who don't may stay behind,and they won't offend me in the very least."
But all the girls wanted to accompany Mrs. Brett; and, surrounded by acrowd of eager young people, the good lady walked to the railwaystation.
