The Little Clown Part 4

'Boxes, miss,' was the answer.

'Please don't be stupid,' said Miss Morton.

'I beg pardon,' replied the butler.

'I see quite distinctly that they are boxes,' she said. 'What I wish to know is, whom the boxes belong to.'

'To Master Wilmot,' said the butler.

Miss Morton gave such a violent start that her eye-gla.s.ses fell from her nose.

'Master Wilmot!' she exclaimed.

'Yes, miss.'

'You do not mean to tell me that the boy is here!'

'He's been here since about two o'clock,' said the butler.

'Surely he did not come alone?' cried Miss Morton.

'No, miss.'

'Who brought him?'

'A young lady who seemed to be his governess,' the butler explained.

'She said that Miss Lawson was ill, and that she'd sent all the young gentlemen home.'

'This is certainly not his home,' said Miss Morton.

'No, miss,' answered Jones. 'I told the young lady you wouldn't be best pleased, but she insisted on leaving him.'

'Where is Master Wilmot?' asked Miss Morton.

'In the dining-room,' was the answer, and the butler opened the door.

Miss Morton had spoken rather loudly, quite loudly enough for Jimmy to overhear every word she had said. It made him feel uncomfortable, and as the door opened he stood with his back to the window, with his hands in his jacket pockets, waiting until his Aunt Selina entered the room, and the butler shut the door after her.

She put on her eye-gla.s.ses again, and it seemed a long time before either she or Jimmy spoke. She moved her head as if she were looking at him all over from top to toes. Jimmy began to feel more uncomfortable than ever, and at last he thought he really must say something.

'Good-morning,' he cried.

'Why did the people send you here?' asked Aunt Selina.

'You see,' said Jimmy, 'Aunt Mary and Uncle Henry were out and the house was shut up.'

'I always said it was foolish to travel at this time of year,' was the answer.

'So Miss Roberts brought me here,' said Jimmy.

'Well,' exclaimed Aunt Selina, 'I am sure I don't know what is to be done with you.'

'I didn't want to come,' answered Jimmy.

'Don't be rude,' said his aunt. 'Now you are here, I suppose I must keep you for to-night. But there is no accommodation here for boys.'

'I had a very nice dinner, though,' said Jimmy.

'Have you washed your face?' she asked suddenly.

'No,' he answered, for was.h.i.+ng his face was a thing he never felt anxious about.

Miss Morton walked to the bell and rang it. A few moments later the butler re-entered the room, standing with one hand on the door.

'Jones,' she said, 'take Master Wilmot to the spare bedroom to wash his face; and give him a comb and brush to do his hair.'

Jones took Jimmy upstairs to a large bedroom, and poured some water into a basin. Then he brought a clean towel, and showed Jimmy where to find the soap and the comb and brush. The butler then left him alone, and the boy took off his jacket and dipped his hands in the water. When he thought his hands were clean enough, he washed a round place on his face, and having wiped this nearly dry, he went to the looking-gla.s.s and brushed the front of his hair where he had made it wet. When he had put his coat on again he wondered whether he ought to wait for the butler or to go downstairs alone; but as Jones did not come back, Jimmy opened the door and went down.

He saw Miss Morton sitting in an arm-chair, and now that she had taken off her bonnet and veil he thought she looked more severe than ever.

'Come here, James,' she said, as he stood near the door. No one else had ever called him James. 'When did you hear from your mother?' she asked.

'I didn't have a letter last month,' he answered.

'I asked when you did have a letter,' said Aunt Selina,--'not when you didn't have one.'

'I think it was about two months ago,' said Jimmy.

'Did she say anything about coming home?' asked Aunt Selina.

'She said I might see her soon,' cried Jimmy. 'I do hope I shall.'

'Very likely you will,' said his aunt, 'although your mother has not written to me for six months.'

'Then how do you know?' asked Jimmy.

'Because she wrote to your Aunt Ellen at Chesterham, and your Aunt Ellen wrote to me. I should not be surprised if your father and mother were on their way home now. They may arrive in England quite soon.'

'It would be nice,' said Jimmy, and he began to laugh. 'Will they come here?' he asked.

'Certainly not,' was the answer. 'I have no accommodation for visitors.'

'There's the spare bedroom,' cried Jimmy.

'I have no doubt,' said Aunt Selina, 'that they will go to Aunt Ellen's at Chesterham----'

'Couldn't I go to Aunt Ellen's?' asked Jimmy eagerly.