Wild Heather Read online

  CHAPTER II

  A few minutes later we went into another room to lunch. It was a verysmall room, smaller than many of the state cabins on board the good ship_Pleiades_. There was a little table in the centre of the room, andthere were places for three laid at the table. Opposite to me was a milkpudding, and opposite to Aunt Penelope was a tureen of soup, andopposite to Daddy I really forget what. The boy in buttons came up andhelped me to a portion of pudding.

  "I don't like it," I said at once. "Take it away, please, boy."

  Aunt Penelope said: "Leave the pudding where it is, Jonas. Heather, mydear, you must invariably eat what is put before you. I consider milkpudding proper food for little girls, and had this made on purpose foryou."

  "But I hate milk puddings, Aunt Penelope," I answered, "and I never,never eat them."

  "The child is accustomed to feed as I do," said my father, speaking in aharsh, grating sort of voice, and avoiding my eyes.

  "Well, in future," said Aunt Penelope, "she will eat as I want her toeat. I must bring her up in my way or not at all, Gordon."

  "Eat your pudding like a darling," said my father, and as Aunt Penelopehad really made a most silly speech, for father and I were leaving forLondon almost immediately, I ate the horrid pudding just to please him.

  When lunch was finished, Aunt Penelope went up to father and spoke tohim. He nodded, and I noticed that his face was very pale. Then he said:

  "Perhaps so; perhaps it is the best thing." Then, all of a sudden, hestooped and took me in his arms and pressed me very, very close to hisheart, and let me down on the floor rather suddenly. The next minute hehad taken half-a-crown out of his pocket.

  "Your Aunt Penelope and I want to have a little private talk," he said,"and I was thinking that you might--or rather your aunt was thinkingthat you might--go out for a walk with Buttons."

  "His name is Jonas," said Aunt Penelope.

  "I beg his pardon--with Jonas--and he will take you to a toy shop. Youhave never seen any English toys, and you might buy a new doll withthis."

  "I'd like to buy some sort of toy," I answered, "but I don't wantdolls--I hate them. Can I buy a parrot, do you think, and would he talkto me? I'd rather like that, and it would be great, great fun to havehim when we are sailing back with gentle gales and a prosperous sail todarling India."

  "Well, go and buy something, darling," said father, and I nodded to himbrightly and went out of the room.

  Buttons, as I continued to call him in my own heart, for I could not getround his other name of Jonas, was really quite agreeable. He took meaway to a high part of the town and very far from the shops, and on to awild stretch of moor; here he told me all kinds of extraordinary storiesabout rats and cats and mice and caterpillars. He confided the fact tome that he kept white mice in his attic bedroom, but that if MissDespard found it out he would be sent about his business on the spot. Heimplored me to be extremely secret with regard to the matter, and Inaturally promised that I would.

  "You need not fear, Buttons," I said. "Ladies, who are true ladies,never repeat things when they are asked not."

  "And you are a real, true lady, missy," was his answer.

  He further promised to enlighten me with regard to the method ofproducing silk from silk-worms, and told me what fun it was to wind thesilk off the big yellow cocoons.

  "I think," I said, "I should like that very much, for if I got a big lotI should have enough silk to make a yellow silk dress for Anastasia."

  "Whoever's she?" asked Buttons.

  "I believe, Buttons," I said, dropping my voice, "that Aunt Penelope isreally aunt to her, too, and she is coming on by the next train. She isvery nice when she is not a cry-baby, and when she doesn't stick pinsinto you. She has a somewhat yellow complexion, so, of course, theyellow silk dress would suit her."

  "Yes, miss, I am sure of that," said Buttons.

  He took me so far that I began to get tired, and the sun was going downbehind the hills when we returned to the town. We had very nearlyreached the little house of Hill View when I remembered Daddy'shalf-crown, and that I had never bought a toy.

  "It's too late to-day, miss," said Buttons, "but you can come outwalking with me to-morrow and we can get it then."

  I laughed.

  "I can get it in London, I expect," I said. "London's a great bigplace. Oh, I do hope," I continued, "that I haven't been keeping darlingDaddy waiting!"

  When Buttons opened the little gate of Hill View I ran up theneatly-kept avenue and pounded with my hands on the glass panels of thedoor. It was Aunt Penelope herself who opened it.

  "Where's Daddy?" I said. "Am I late? Oh, I hope I am not! And hasAnastasia come?"

  Aunt Penelope looked quite gentle. She took my hand and led me into thedrawing-room. The drawing-room was bigger than the dining-room, but wasstill a very tiny room.

  "Now, Heather," she said, "I have something to say to you."

  "Where's Daddy? I want Daddy," I said. "Where is he?"

  I began to tremble for fear of I did not know what. The terror ofsomething hitherto unknown came over me.

  "He sent you his best love and his good-bye, and he will come and seeyou again before he sails."

  Aunt Penelope tried to speak kindly, although she had not by nature akind voice. I stared at her with all my might and main.

  "He went away without me?" I said.

  "He had to, dear. Now, Heather, I can quite understand that this is atrial for you, but you've got to bear it. Your father will come and seeyou again before he returns to India, and meanwhile you are my littlegirl and will live with me."

  I stood perfectly still, as though I were turned into stone. AuntPenelope put out her hand to touch me, and just at that moment theparrot cried, "Stop knocking at the door!" Aunt Penelope tried to drawme towards her, she tried to lift me on to her knee.

  "Come," she said, "come--be a good little girl. I shall try to be goodto you."

  I raised my hand and slapped her with extreme violence on the face.

  "I hate you and all aunts, and I will never, never be good to you or toanyone!"

  And then, somehow or other, I think I lost consciousness, for I cannotremember, even after this lapse of years, what immediately followed.