Frederica and her Guardians Part 3

"Mama," said she, "it is the loveliest of spring days. You think it cold, I daresay, as you have a fire, but it is just like summer, and I am going to drive you and Selina; and afterwards I will drive the boys, if they are very good. We will go very slowly; not in the streets, but away in the country. Mama, you are not afraid of my driving?" Mrs Vane shook her head. "No, love; I am not afraid. I am sure you can drive the ponies; but it is a long time since I was out. Selina will like to go, however."

"And you too, mama--just a little way. Are you not so well, mama? You are tired. Something has tired you. Ah! these papers. I see. She could not have gone to church, and said her prayers quite happily, unless she had left you something to vex yourself with while she was away. Where are they? Why, mama, these are the very same I saw at Christmas--some of them at least," added she, after turning over a bundle of papers that lay on the dressing-table. "I see butcher's bill--baker's bill--grocer's bill. What quant.i.ties you and Selina must eat, mama! I don't understand them in the least. Were not all these things paid before, mama?"

"Some of them must have been," replied Mrs Vane, wearily; "but I do not understand them."

"And why should you be vexed? Is not Mrs Ascot here for no other reason than to save you all this trouble? And surely papa--"

Mrs Vane made a sudden impatient gesture. "Papa can do nothing. There is nothing to be done but pay the bills, and he cannot pay them."

"Has anything happened since we were at home?" asked Frederica anxiously. "Have we grown poor?"

"No, no. Everything is as usual. Indeed, Mr St. Cyr gave me more money than usual. Rents have risen, he says. He was here not a month since, but the money has all gone--'to pay servants' wages and old debts,' Mrs Ascot says. I do not understand how it can be."

"But, mama, there must be some mistake. I wish I knew about bills and things. Papa ought to examine these. He would understand them. Why should you be vexed about them?"

"My love, there is nothing to understand, he says, but that the bills must be paid; and he says I must ask Mr St. Cyr for more money--that we have not enough to live upon. I cannot do it. It is not in his power to increase it. He gave me more once, but I think, it was his own. It was for Mrs Glencairn. I could not bear that she who is so good to you should be without her money. But I could not ask him again."

"But, mama," said Frederica, hesitating, "has papa no money? He goes to the office, and all that--and has he no salary, like other gentlemen?"

"There is many a family kept on less than his income, Mr St. Cyr told me; but the keeping up of the place is expensive; and I cannot ask him.

And oh, darling, to think that I should have spoiled your holiday with all this!"

"Mama, don't you remember how you put these bills away at Christmas, not to vex yourself and us? And here they are again. It is right that I should be vexed with what vexes you, although I am a child."

"Yes, if you could help me, dear."

The children had gone out to the garden by this time. Selina sat holding her mother's hand, listening with a grave face to all that pa.s.sed.

"Mama," said she, "Frederica ought to know. She is a child, but she has sense; and, with her to help us, we might be able to understand. Have you the papers, Frederica? Mama read them all at Christmas after you went away, and she gave Madame Ascot money to pay some of them at least, and it cannot be right that they all should come back. There must be some mistake."

Frederica opened a great many papers and read patiently through long household accounts, and in a little while became utterly bewildered.

Nothing but the grave looks of her mother and Selina prevented her from bursting into childish laughter, so comical did the going over and over the same thing seem to her. The grocer's bill was the most amusing.

"Tea, sugar, coffee, soap, candles, salt," and so on, over again.

"Dear me, mama, how many things people need?"

Then there were other bills, the butcher's, the baker's, and then a wine merchant's bill. There was one which had "paid M. Leroy" at the end of it, and Frederica said--

"Madame Ascot did not intend you should have this, mama. However, we may as well put it with the rest."

Selina listened earnestly, but said nothing. Indeed, when they had all wearied themselves, they were no wiser, and no nearer the end of their trouble.

"Mama, ought people to have bills?" said Frederica; "ought not people to pay when they buy things? It would save a great deal of trouble."

"I think they ought; but Mrs Ascot seems to have fallen into this way.

It was not done when I was well. Oh, if I were only able to attend to these things myself! It is quite wrong that things should have fallen into such a state. I do not believe there is any need that it should be so. Everything is wrong, and I can do nothing. I do not trust Madame Ascot: and your father,--there is no use speaking to him."

She was getting excited, and would be ill soon, her daughters knew, unless this could be put out of her mind.

"I will tell you what we must do, mama. We will take all these papers to Mr St. Cyr--not to ask more money. But he will understand them, and he will help us. Mama, he was quite nice to-day, not at all cross, though we nearly knocked him down; and he said I was to come to him when I was in trouble, and I am sure this is dreadful trouble. Selina, don't you think we might go to Mr St. Cyr?"

Selina waited for her mother to speak.

"I don't think Mrs Ascot would like it, nor papa. He says Mr St. Cyr must advance the money to pay the bills, that is all."

"Oh! as for papa, he won't trouble himself; and I think I should rather like to vex madame. She need not be vexed if she has made no mistakes, and if she is quite to be trusted," said Frederica, with some hesitation.

"There is no good in struggling against Mrs Ascot," said Mrs Vane hopelessly; "I have tried often, and there is no use. I have not the strength nor the courage."

The papers fell to the floor, as Frederica started up suddenly.

"Mama, I have strength and courage to tear Madame Ascot into fifty thousand little pieces, if she dares to trouble you," cried she; and then, as she saw her mother's face, she hung her head, adding, "I beg your pardon, mama: that was very foolish and wicked."

"My darling, there is no use in doing anything that Mrs Ascot will not like. I have tried to bring things right often."

"Because you are not strong. Papa ought to do it," said Frederica.

"And, mama, this cannot go on always. There must come an end some time, and I think Frederica is right, and these papers should be sent to Mr St. Cyr." Selina spoke very quietly.

"And why should Madame Ascot care?" said Frederica. "I hope she will care. I should like to see her face when she knows Mr St. Cyr has got those disagreeable papers. I have a fancy that their only use is to make you uncomfortable, you and Selina. Now I shall put them away, and you must promise not to think of them again, till Cousin Cyprien shall make them all right. And I will order the ponies, and drive you first, mama, and Lina, and afterwards Tessie and the boys, if they are very good."

"Mama," said Selina, "I think this is quite the best way--about the papers, I mean. You know you have thought about giving them to him before. And he will be quite willing to take the trouble, and he will know what to do; he is wise. Say that this is right, mama."

"Indeed, love, I do not know what is right; but we will send them: I can do nothing else."

"And it will all be made easy, mama. I only wonder we have not sent them long ago. And you are really not to think about them--promise, dear mama."

And so the disagreeable subject was put away for that time.

CHAPTER FOUR.

The orders were given, and all preparations made, and in a little time the pony carriage stood at the door. It was a carriage which Mr St.

Hubert had had made for his daughter's use, after she became an invalid.

It was open and quite low, and large enough to hold two persons, besides the fortunate ones who should occupy the luxurious chief seats.

But the boys were restless, and sometimes noisy, and Tessie was to stay at home with them, so that their mother and Selina might sit in state and comfort. Frederica, on the high front seat, acted as driver, and enjoyed it well. Dixen was there beside her, so that her mother need not have the least cause for being frightened or nervous, and so lose the pleasure of the drive.

Dixen had once been a soldier, and Mr Vane's servant while he was in the army, and had lived with him since his marriage in various capacities. Lately he had been called the coachman; but to take Mrs Vane and Selina out to their unfrequent drives, was only a small part of what was expected from him. He waited on Mr Vane, he worked under the gardener, and held himself ready to do whatever else might be found for him to do. The other servants had got into the fas.h.i.+on of calling him old and good for little; but none of them all worked so faithfully for their wages as he.

He did not feel affronted that the reins were taken out of his hands on this occasion; for the young lady had been taught to drive by him, and he was proud of her skill and success in the art.

They left the city streets, and pa.s.sing the toll-gate, soon found themselves with the river on one side and the dull grey fields and leafless trees on the other, with nothing to hinder the putting of the ponies to their speed. It was a summer day for brightness and mildness, but Mrs Vane drew her fur cloak close around her, as the breeze from the river reached her; for she had made herself a prisoner in the house for a long time, and the keen air made her s.h.i.+ver. Selina smiled with pleasure as she felt the wind on her face, and drew in long breaths of the sweet refres.h.i.+ng air.

"Is not this nice, mama?" asked she, laying herself back among the cus.h.i.+ons with a sigh of satisfaction.

"Very nice and pleasant," said her mother, touching her hand gently.

This stood to the blind girl for a smile.

"And you are glad you came, mama?"