Scenes and Characters, or, Eighteen Months at Beechcroft Part 43

When Phyllis came up to wish her good-night, she was received with an exclamation at her lateness in a peevish tone: 'Yes, I am late,'

said Phyllis, merrily, 'but we had not done dancing till tea-time, and then Eleanor was so kind as to say I might sit up to have some tea with them.'

'Ah! and you quite forgot how tiresome it is up here, with n.o.body to speak to,' said Ada. 'How cross they were not to stop the music when I said it made me miserable!'

'Claude said it was selfish to want to stop five people's pleasure for one,' said Phyllis.

'But I am so ill,' said Ada. 'If Claude was as uncomfortable as I am, he would know how to be sorry for me. And only think--Phyl, what are you doing? Do not you know I do not like the moonlight to come on me. It is like a great face laughing at me.'

'Well, I like the moon so much!' said Phyllis, creeping behind the curtain to look out, 'there is something so white and bright in it; when it comes on the bed-clothes, it makes me go to sleep, thinking about white robes, oh! and all sorts of nice things.'

'I can't bear the moon,' said Ada; 'do not you know, Maurice says that the moon makes the people go mad, and that is the reason it is called lunacy, after la lune?'

'I asked Miss Weston about that,' said Phyllis, 'because of the Psalm, and she said it was because it was dangerous to go to sleep in the open air in hot countries. Ada, I wish you could see now. There is the great round moon in the middle of the sky, and the sky such a beautiful colour, and a few such great bright stars, and the trees so dark, and the white lilies standing up on the black pond, and the lawn all white with dew! what a fine day it will be to-morrow!'

'A fine day for you!' said Ada, 'but only think of poor me all alone by myself.'

'You will have baby,' said Phyllis.

'Baby--if he could talk it would be all very well. It is just like the cross people in books. Here I shall lie and cry all the time, while you are dancing about as merry as can be.'

'No, no, Ada, you will not do that,' said Phyllis, with tears in her eyes. 'There is baby with all his pretty ways, and you may teach him to say Aunt Ada, and I will bring you in numbers of flowers, and there is your new doll, and all the pretty things that came from London, and the new book of Fairy Tales, and all sorts--oh! no, do not cry, Ada.'

'But I shall, for I shall think of you dancing, and not caring for me.'

'I do care, Ada--why do you say that I do not? I cannot bear it, Ada, dear Ada.'

'You don't, or you would not go and leave me alone.'

'Then, Ada, I will not go,' said Phyllis; 'I could not bear to leave you crying here all alone.'

'Thank you, dear good Phyl, but I think you will not have much loss.

You know you do not like dancing, and you cannot do it well, and they will be sure to laugh at you.'

'And I daresay Redgie and Marianne will tell us all about it,' said Phyllis, sighing. 'I should rather like to have seen it, but they will tell us.'

'Then do you promise to stay?--there's a dear,' said Ada.

'Yes,' said Phyllis. 'Cousin Robert is coming in, and that will be very nice, and I hope he will not look as he did the day the gunpowder went off--oh, dear!' She went back to the window to get rid of her tears unperceived. 'Ah,' cried she, 'there is some one in the garden!'

'A man!' screamed Ada--'a thief, a robber--call somebody!'

'No, no,' said Phyllis, laughing, 'it is only William; he has been out all the evening, and now papa has come out to speak to him, and they are walking up and down together. I wonder whether he has been sitting with Cousin Robert or at Broomhill! Well, good-night, Ada.

Here comes Hannah.'

CHAPTER XXV: THE THIRTIETH OF JULY

'The heir, with roses in his shoes, That night might village partner choose.'

The 30th of July was bright and clear, and Phyllis was up early, gathering flowers, which, with the help of Jane's nimble fingers, she made into elegant little bouquets for each of her sisters, and for Claude.

'How is this?' said Mr. Hawkesworth, pretending to look disconsolate, 'am I to sing "Fair Phyllida flouts me," or why is my b.u.t.ton-hole left dest.i.tute?'

'Perhaps that is for you on the side-table,' said Lily.

'Oh! no,' said Phyllis, 'those are some Provence roses for Miss Weston and Marianne, because Miss Weston likes those, and they have none at Broomhill. Redgie is going to take care of them. I will get you a nosegay, Frank. I did not know you liked it.'

She started up. 'How prudent, Phyllis,' said Eleanor, 'not to have put on your muslin frock yet.'

'Oh! I am not going,' said Phyllis.

'Not going!' was the general outcry.

'No, poor Ada cries so about being left at home with only baby, that I cannot bear it, and so I promised to stay.'

Away went Phyllis, and Reginald exclaimed, 'Well, she shall not be served so. I will go and tell Ada so this instant.'

Off he rushed, and putting in his head at the nursery door, shouted, 'Ada, I am come to tell you that Phyl is not to be made your black-a- moor slave! She shall go, that is settled.'

Down he went with equal speed, without waiting for an answer, and arrived while Eleanor was saying that she thought Ada was provided with amus.e.m.e.nt with the baby, her playthings, and books, and that Mr.

Devereux had promised to make her a visit.

'Anybody ought to stay at home rather than Phyllis,' said Lily; 'I think I had better stay.'

'No, no, Lily,' said Jane, 'you are more wanted than I am; you are really worth talking to and dancing with; I had much better be at home.'

'I forgot!' exclaimed William. 'Mrs. Weston desired me to say that she is not going, and she will take care of Ada. Mr. Weston will set her down at half-past ten, and take up one of us.'

'I will be that one,' said Reginald, 'I have not seen Miss Weston since I came home. I meant to walk to Broomhill after dinner yesterday, only the Baron stopped me about that country-dance. Last Christmas I made her promise to dance with me to-day.'

Lily had hoped to be that one, but she did not oppose Reginald, and turned to listen to Eleanor, who was saying, 'Let us clearly understand how every one is to go, it will save a great deal of confusion. You and Jane, and Maurice, go in the phaeton, do not you?

And who drives you?'

'William, I believe,' said Lily. 'Claude goes earlier, so he rides the gray. Then there is the chariot for you and Frank, and papa and Phyllis.'

So it was proposed, but matters turned out otherwise. The phaeton, which, with a promoted cart-horse, was rather a slow conveyance, was to set out first, but the whole of the freight was not ready in time.

The ladies were in the hall as soon as it came to the door, but neither of the gentlemen were forthcoming. Reginald, who was wandering in the hall, was sent to summon them; but down he came in great wrath. Maurice had declared that he was not ready, and they must wait for him till he had tied his neckcloth, which Reginald opined would take three quarters of an hour, as he was doing it scientifically, and William had said that he was not going in the gig at all, that he had told Wat Greenwood to drive, and that Reginald must go instead of Maurice.

In confirmation of the startling fact Wat, who had had a special invitation from the Marquis, was sitting in the phaeton in his best black velvet coat. Jane only hoped that Emily would not look out of the window, or she would certainly go into fits on seeing them arrive with the old phaeton, the thick-legged cart-horse, and Wat Greenwood for a driver; and Reginald, after much growling at Maurice, much bawling at William's door, and, as Jane said, romping and roaring in all parts of the house, was forced to be resigned to his fate, and all the way to Hetherington held a very amusing conversation with his good-natured friend the keeper.

They were overtaken, nodded to, and pa.s.sed by the rest of their party. Maurice had been reduced to ride the pony, William came with the 'Westons, and the chariot load was just as had been before arranged.

Claude came out to meet them at the door, saying, 'I need not have gone so early. What do you think has become of the hero of the day?

Guess, I will just give you this hint,