by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XIII.
IN ANOTHER DRESS.
When Rosamund went out, feeling both flushed and tired, she saw Irenewaiting for her. She wore her favorite red dress, which was exceedinglyshabby and by no means becoming. Rosamund felt just like St. George whenhe was about to slay the dragon. Irene at the present moment was thedragon. That dreadful part of her which was such a nuisance to herneighbors must be kept under by a firm hand. One person at least musthave complete control of her.
"There you are!" said Irene, dancing up to her friend. "Oh, it is niceto see you, and how sweet you look! Do you know, I never noticedpeople's looks before. I always said to myself, 'They are all exactlyalike--a pair of eyes, a nose, a mouth, a chin of sorts, eyebrowsindifferent or not, hair dark or fair.' Oh, they're all alike--at leastthat is what I did think. Now I see you, there seems a difference."
"I hope I haven't got three eyes or two noses, or anything of that sort,to make you single me out for special observation."
"Oh, it isn't your features a bit--it's your way. You are different, andI like you."
"Do you know, Irene," said Rosamund very slowly and emphatically, andtaking the little girl's thin hand as she spoke, "that you are the mostwonderfully beautiful girl I have ever seen?"
"Am I?" said Irene, and a new light sparkled in her eyes. "People havealways spoken of me as a horror, a terror, a nuisance, the wildest andmost awful creature on earth. But if I am so pretty"----
"You could be lovely," said Rosamund. "I must say that red dress israther trying, but your face is exquisite. Now, what do you say to goinginto the house and going quietly up to your own room? I will come withyou and help you to choose another frock, which I think will make youlook more beautiful than ever. Just let me dress you as I like foronce."
"I trust it won't be tight, or too long," said Irene.
"I am sure you have abundance of frocks."
"I don't know. I dare say I have. I believe there is a wardrobe full;but I prefer my red dress because it annoys mother. When one is wornout, I ask for another made just on the same pattern, and just becausethey all hate it so."
"But you will change it for me. Come at once, Irene."
Rosamund took her friend's hand and led her upstairs to her room. Now,Irene's bedroom was not at all an attractive place to go into. In itselfit was an exceedingly large and airy apartment, and the furniture wasexcellent. But the small bed was drawn up close to the window, and wasmore cot than bed, having iron bars all round it. Near the bed wereseveral jars and basins containing toads and frogs and newts and watercreatures of all sorts. Besides these, there was a box of caterpillars,most of which had escaped, and on the mantelpiece Irene proudly pointedto a bottle of leeches.
"I bought them, for a pound that I had given to me, from a chemist; andwhen any of the servants are quite determined to stick in the place Ilet the leeches loose, and that generally sends the housemaids away. Iwouldn't part with my darling leeches for all the world. Do you see howthey are dancing now? That means rain. When they lie quite sullen at thebottom of the glass, then I know we are going to have fine weather.That one on the stalk--do you see how he is wriggling, poor sweetpet?--that one I call Fuzz, and this one at the bottom of the glass isBuzz. Then there are their children, Thunder and Lightning, and thelittle Stars. The Stars are the tiny ones. I manage them myself. I lovethem better than any of my pets. Would you like me to take them out?You'll see how they crawl about on the floor; only they get ratherdusty. Do you mind?"
"Not in the very least," said Rosamund.
"Well, you have spunk! You know, if you annoy me in any way, I shouldthink nothing of putting either Fuzz or Buzz into your bed."
"Then I should leave the next day, that's all," replied Rosamund in acalm voice. "I shouldn't be afraid; but I should simply go. If you wantme to be your friend you must not play tricks of that sort. But weneedn't talk any more about leeches now. They seem happy and well. Letme see what dresses you have."
Rosamund herself opened the wardrobe and took out a quantity ofbeautiful dresses of all sorts and descriptions, mostly white washingsilks and muslins and cambrics. She chose a neat white cambric, andinsisted on Irene putting it on. She fastened it on the little girlherself, and saw that it fitted her perfectly. She then brushed her hairand made her wash her hands, which this wild tomboy strongly objectedto. But Rosamund was firm.
"I hope you're not always going to be like this," said Irene, stampingher foot.
"Oh, dear, no! because soon you will do it for its own sake. Now, here'sa long mirror; come and see yourself in the glass. Can't you fancy whatyou are like?"
But Irene started away.
"No, no, no!" she said. "There's a pool at the bottom of the garden, andthere are water-lilies all around it. We'll go, both of us, and look atourselves there; that will be much prettier."
"As you please. I am quite indifferent; only I want you to respectyourself, Irene."
"Respect myself? But then, no one else does."
"Well, I intend to respect you, and I can only do it by your respectingyourself. Come along; let us look at ourselves in the pool. I amconsidered fairly good-looking--I don't pretend to deny it; but I amnothing to you to-day, for you gave me a very tiring night."
"So I did, you poor dear! This white dress is rather nice, but Iwouldn't wear it for mother for all the world; I only wear it now. Nowthen, come along."
The two raced downstairs; the servants peeped out from different cornersin astonishment. Miss Irene, who would make such a show of herself, wasabsolutely pretty in her shady hat of softest white, and her white dressto match, and that face, which, notwithstanding all her naughtiness, wasand must ever be beautiful above ordinary faces.
By-and-by the girls reached the pool. They both fell on their knees, andRosamund desired Irene to gaze at her reflection.
"Here are some forget-me-nots," said Rosamund. "I am going to make awreath to put round your hair. Take your hat off."
She made a little wreath in a few minutes, and twined them throughIrene's curling locks.
"Now look again. What do you see?"
"Why, she is somebody rather--I mean she is beautiful, very beautiful,"said Irene in a low voice. "But she is not me."
"She is you. Look again. Don't you see that soft little mouth, and thatnose, so beautifully formed, and those bright, bright eyes, and thathair, and the whole thing? It was God who made you, Irene, and He madeyou beautiful, and beautiful people have a great gift."
Irene ceased to look at herself. She flung off the forget-me-not wreathand turned to Rosamund.
"Now, what do you mean by all this lecturing?" she said.
"Beautiful people have a great responsibility," continued Rosamund in astout voice. "They are sent into the world to make it better. As far asI can make out, up to the present time you have done nothing whateverbut make the world worse. You have never, so far as I can tell, beenkind to your mother. You have made the servants most unhappy. You havedone your utmost to render your governesses' position impossible."
"Because I hate them, and don't want to learn."
"Not want to learn," said Rosamund, "with that forehead so full, sointelligent? Why, you could learn in a flash. You could get knowledgewith the utmost ease, and you would love it when once you began. If I amto be your friend you have got to turn over a new leaf. There, I havesaid enough about yourself for the present. Just let us walk about untiltea-time."
"No; I want to go in the boat."
"We won't go in the boat till after tea. I want to talk to you."
"I wonder why I am obeying you?" said Irene, slipping her hand insideRosamund's.
"Because I mean you to."
"I wonder why I'm not hating you?"
"Because if you did I should leave you."
"I couldn't let you go. It seems to me the whole world is differentsince I got you. But do tell me, you are not very good yourself?"
"I am not at all so good. Ask the people at Sunnyside what they think ofme. There is m
y dearest friend lying at death's door--that is not myfault, of course; but when I can smile at all when I remember her, youmust see for yourself that there is a great deal that is very far fromgood in me. But there, now, I want to talk about Miss Frost."
"Now, why?" said Irene. "That horror! That dreadful stick-in-the-mud!Oh, she is detestable! I cannot tell you how I loathe her."
"You do, because you don't understand her."
"And pray do you?"
"I understand her more than you do; and in any case I could not be cruelto her."
"But she is so old, and so ugly."
"I thought you didn't mind about people's appearance. You said so aminute ago."
"Well, I didn't; but it seems to me that you have opened my eyes. If Iam so beautiful I ought to be with beautiful people, like you, Rosamund;for, now I come to look at you, you are very beautiful."
"It is by no means necessary that you should be with beautiful people;but you should give pleasure to people who are not beautiful, becausethey would like to look at you, and hear your voice, and be refreshed byyour kind actions."
"Good gracious me! Kind actions!" said Irene.
"In future I believe they will be kind. Now, please understand you havebeen exceedingly cruel to Miss Frost."
"I want her to go."
"She is not going."
"How do you know? I did think those wood-lice would finish her. Ithought and thought, and the happy idea came to me this morning. I wasquite certain she'd give notice, just as Carter did. They could take heron at the Merrimans'. It seems to me that my governesses always find aberth near, so as to spread the fame of my dreadful character."
"Well, she is not going. She can't go. She has a little brother andsister, and she has got to provide for them."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She has got to feed and clothe them, and to put them to school, and doeverything for them. If she left your mother's house she would have nomoney, and might find it difficult to get another post. So she is notgoing. I asked her to stay, and she is going to teach me as well asyou."
"Dear me!"
"Yes; and we are going to make it exceedingly interesting. I mean you tolearn a lot. I assure you, if I come here and give up the next fewmonths of my life to you, I don't mean to do nothing in the time. I wantto work hard, and you will have to work hard too. I am not bound to staywith you for a single hour. The moment your pranks begin, the moment Ihear of any more toads being put into the bread-pan, or wasps andcaterpillars descending on poor James's head, or spiders put down thehousemaids' backs, or leeches being allowed to run about your bedroom, Ishall just go off. If you want me you must refrain from that sort ofthing."
"But won't I have any outlet?"
"Indeed you will have plenty."
"Of what sort?"
"You will see. But there is the tea-bell; let us go in."
Irene looked wonderfully thoughtful, for her. She walked slowly byRosamund's side into the house. Still slowly, and with that thoughtfulexpression on her face; she passed along the hall until she reached thepretty parlor where tea was always served. Here Lady Jane herself waswaiting in a state of nervous expectancy, and here was Miss Frost, verypale, shaky, and troubled, declaring stoutly to Lady Jane that "they"were running about inside her still.
When the girls entered there was a moment of silence, then a start ofsurprise, for Irene in white, and wearing her pretty shady hat, looked atotally different Irene from the untidy little creature who usuallyrushed about in her red frock at all hours and seasons. Rosamund gaveLady Jane a warning glance to take no notice of Irene, who flungherself, very much in her old manner, into a chair exactly opposite MissFrost.
Of course she was going to be good. At least she supposed she must. Itwas horrid work, she so infinitely preferred being naughty; but thenthere was Rosamund, and Rosamund wished it, and she--oh, she did notreally think she loved Rosamund, but she had a strange sort of longingto be with her, and Rosamund was free as air, and could go at anymoment. Therefore, to keep Rosamund, she must be good. But that needn'tprevent her staring hard at Miss Frost, which she proceeded to do withgreat alacrity.
Meanwhile Lady Jane poured out tea, and talked in her lady-like andrefined tones to Rosamund, who replied in exactly the same style.
"Are they alive still?" asked Irene when there was a slight pause in theconversation; and she fixed her dancing eyes full on her governess'sface.
"Oh, Irene, it was unkind!" began Miss Frost; but Rosamund hastilyinterrupted.
"Irene, you know what I mean. That subject is not to be alluded to. MissFrost, I beg of you not to speak of it before Irene, and do forgoodness' sake eat a good meal. Forgive me, Lady Jane, but I want us allto have a very good tea; and as it is such a lovely, lovely day, may wego for a little picnic afterwards, and take our supper with us into thewoods? Will you come too, and Miss Frost? It would be so delightful!"
Lady Jane's plan had been to leave Irene entirely to herself. She was tohave so many hours' lessons in the day, which generally resulted in notworking at all, and the rest of her time she spent either in her boat orhatching mischief to annoy some inmate of the house. But now the idea ofa picnic, with supper out-of-doors, on this most glorious summer's day,was altogether new.
"We might have the governess-cart, mightn't we, mothery?" said Irene,turning her eyes away from Miss Frost, and gazing at her mother withgreat anxiety and interest.
"Certainly, dear, but I"----
"Oh, you must come too," said Rosamund.
She knew very well that Lady Jane would say that she could not go out onthe anniversary of her husband's death; but she felt at the same timethat it was necessary for Irene's reform that both her mother andgoverness should accompany her.
"I want us all to go," she said. "I have got a plan in my head. You willlet us, won't you?--Irene, you and I will choose what supper we willtake, after tea is over. And now, will you kindly pass me theplum-jam--yes, and the butter too?"
What a masterful young person Rosamund Cunliffe was, and how Irene beganto lean upon her! She no longer troubled herself even to glance at MissFrost, who in consequence began to get back her courage and to make agood tea. "The creatures," as she termed them, were certainly lesslively, and on the whole she felt better and more disposed to believethe doctor.
As soon as tea was over Rosamund took Irene out of the room, and theywent together to the cook.
"Now, the very first thing you are to say to cook is this," saidRosamund: "'Cook, I am exceedingly sorry I put a toad into yourbread-pan, and I am not going to do it again. I want you to give me thevery nicest supper you can possibly collect at short notice.' You mustput on your very prettiest manner when you speak to cook. Will you,Irene?"
"It will be horrid work, for she isn't a lady, you know."
"She is far more a lady than you were when you put the toad into thebread-pan."
"You are sharp, aren't you?" said Irene.
"Because you need it. I won't be sharp with you soon, for I know you aregoing to be a model girl, and the most beautiful creature in the wholecountry. You don't know how nice it will feel after being naughty for solong."
"I wonder if it will?" said Irene, beginning to dance along byRosamund's side.
The necessary apology was made to the cook, who received it with dubioussurprise, the other servants standing near; but when they saw Ireneglancing in their direction they darted off in more or less pretendedterror. Cook, however, was mollified by Rosamund's sweet face, and anexcellent supper was packed in a hamper.
The governess-cart was brought round to the front door, and Lady Jane,to her own amazement and much against her will, took the reins and droveas far as Parson's Dale, a most lovely spot four miles away. Miss Frostfelt the soft evening air fanning her cheeks and taking some of thenervousness out of her. Irene sat thoughtful, and looking exquisitelypretty. Rosamund chatted on all sorts of subjects. In short, such a dayhad never before been known to the younger girl.
