The Squire's Little Girl Page 3

course you shall play after a fashion. Youmust take regular exercise, and have half-an-hour a day at gymnastics,and I may be able to arrange to take you to Dartfield for tennis andhockey according to the season."

  "But why go to Dartfield for my games?" said Phyllis. "There are theRectory children."

  Miss Fleet opened her eyes. She did not speak at all for a moment; thenshe said gently--

  "As we have finished breakfast, will you please say grace, Phyllis, andthen meet me here in half-an-hour for lessons?" Phyllis muttered hergrace in a decidedly cross voice. Miss Fleet immediately afterwardsleft the room. Phyllis went and stood by the fire. Suddenly she gave alittle jump and her eyes danced.

  "Why, of course I can't go with her--horrid old thing!--to Dartfieldto-day," she exclaimed joyfully. "They are coming, the darlings, and Icannot be out of the way on any account whatsoever."

  The remembrance that the Rectory children were coming cheered herimmensely, and she danced gaily about the room putting things in orderfor Miss Fleet.

  The moment the governess appeared Phyllis ran up to her.

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  "Oh, you have brought all those horrid dingy books!" said Phyllis,seeing that Miss Fleet carried a huge pile of half-worn-out lesson-booksin her arms.

  "Keep away, Phyllis, a minute; I want to put them on the table," saidthe governess.

  "What stupid things they are!" said Phyllis, forgetting for a minute theexcitement which the thought of her little guests had given her, in herdismay at the appearance of the books.

  She took up one volume after another, letting it fall on the table withan expression of great disdain.

  "_Child's Guide to Knowledge_," she said. "Horrid book. And oh! whatis this? _Mrs Markham's History of England_. I hate _Mrs Markham_.Oh, and this--and this!--I say, Miss Fleet!"

  "Phyllis, I wish to speak to you," said her governess.

  "What is it now?" said Phyllis, but she was aroused by the tone.

  She looked full up into Miss Fleet's small grey eyes, and her heart beatfast. For although Miss Fleet was really affectionate to the littlegirl, and was as a rule gentle, there were times when she could be quitethe reverse. Phyllis saw that such a time had arrived.

  "I wish to speak to you," said Miss Fleet. "During lessons you are tobe industrious, careful, studious, and respectful. These books are notto be treated with levity; they are to be studied, and pondered over,and digested."

  "Well, let's begin and get it over," said Phyllis.

  She sat down by the table, drew a blotting-pad towards her and a bottleof ink, and looked up at her governess.

  "And, oh, Miss Fleet! I want to say something. I can't go with you toDartfield to-day."

  "Why not, pray?"

  "The four Hilchesters, the Rectory children, are coming here; I askedthem yesterday. They are coming immediately after lunch, and they willstay to supper. I thought perhaps we might have supper in the eveningsnow that father is away. You don't mind, do you, Fleetie dear?"

  "But I do mind very much indeed," said Miss Fleet. "What business hadyou to ask the Hilchesters without my permission?"

  Phyllis bit her lips; her face grew scarlet.

  "Well, I did, you know," she said.

  "And extremely naughty you were. Did your father know that you hadasked them?"

  "I never told Dad; I--I forgot."

  "Then you, a little girl of twelve years old, took it on you to ask aparty of wild, disreputable, untrained children to this house withouteither his leave or mine!"

  "Please, Miss Fleet," said Phyllis, who had a very quick temper whenroused, "they are not disreputable and they are not wild."

  "I repeat what I have said--disreputable, untrained children. I willhave none of it."

  "You cannot prevent it now--you daren't."

  "Oh, we will see. Take this page of _Child's Guide_ and learn itcarefully. I will be back in a few minutes."

  Miss Fleet went out of the room. Phyllis looked after her until thedoor was closed; then she gave a wild, sharp scream, and rushing to thewindow, looked out. From there she had a view of the stables, andpresently she saw one of the grooms get on her own special pony, Bob,and gallop off. The groom carried a note in his hand.

  "What are you doing, David?" shrieked Phyllis from the schoolroomwindow.

  The man paused, turned round in amazement, and looked up at the excitedchild.

  "I am going with a note to the Rectory, Miss; it is from Miss Fleet."

  "Stop one minute."

  Phyllis dashed to the table, seized a sheet of paper, scribbled on it,"Come and save me; I am in the claws of a dragon," folded the note,directed it to Ralph, and threw it out of the window.

  "Take that note too to the Rectory," she said.

  David picked it up, grinned from ear to ear, and galloped off.

  When Miss Fleet returned she found Phyllis bending attentively over her_Child's Guide_.

  "I hope you know it," said Miss Fleet.

  "I have sent a line to Mrs Hilchester to say that it is not convenientfor the children to come to-day. If you are very good I will ask thetwo girls to tea some afternoon when we have settled to our routine ofwork. Now don't say any more about them; attend like a good girl toyour lessons."

  "But I'm not going to Dartfield this afternoon," said Phyllis.

  "You are if I desire it."

  Phyllis shut up her lips. She could look very obstinate when shepleased. Her eyes now fixed themselves boldly on the governess's face,and her eyes seemed to say:

  "I am hating you for being cruel; I am hating you right hard." But MissFleet was impervious to the flashing glances of her rebellious pupil.

  Lessons went on after a fashion, and at last luncheon was announced.Miss Fleet and her pupil lunched in the library.

  "Now go upstairs, Phyllis," said her governess, "put on your hat, andcome down within a quarter of an hour. Tell Nurse to see that yourgloves are in order; and you had better wear a jacket; it may rain."

  Phyllis went out of the room without a word. Miss Fleet stood at thelibrary door and watched the little figure as it mounted slowly--veryslowly--the winding stairs.

  There was something very naughty about that little figure just then, andyet at the same time something pathetic.

  "Poor child! I am sorry I disappointed her," thought the governess;"but I have my duty to perform. I hear on all hands that the four youngHilchesters are the terror of the neighbourhood: so wild, so untrained,so disobedient. I should certainly be unworthy of the position I holdif I allowed Phyllis to have anything to do with them. Yes, I will keepmy word, and the girls may have tea here in a week or so, but they shallnot be alone with Phyllis; of that I am resolved."

  Meanwhile the little girl, having turned a certain angle of the stairs,stood quite still, uttered a strange laugh, and then, turning quiteaside from the nursery, ran down an unfrequented corridor and out intothe back yard. She had already secured, in preparation for a certainadventure which she was fully resolved to have, a half-worn-out jacketand a torn and very dirty sailor-hat. She popped the hat on her headand fastened the jacket. Then she stood in the yard and looked aroundher. The only person within view was David the groom. Somehow, Phyllisexpected to see David in the yard.

  "Did you give the note?" asked the little girl, turning and speaking tohim in an imperious way.

  "Yes, Miss. I met the young gentleman all alone in the avenue, and Igave it him."

  "And what did he say?"

  "He only said, `All right,' Miss."

  "Thank you, David," said Phyllis; "I am very much obliged to you."

  She ran across the yard and into a small fir plantation just beyond, andthere she stood leaning over the railing. David could see her, and hesmiled to himself.

  "She is a spirited little miss," he thought. "Didn't Master Ralph showhis white teeth just, when he read her note. His `All right' meant allright, or I am much mistook. My word! the little miss will get intotrouble if she ain't car
eful; but I ain't the one to split on her."

  So when the pony-trap came round to take Miss Fleet and her small chargeto Dartfield, nowhere could Phyllis be found. The whole house wassearched, and the servants were questioned, but no one had seen thechild.

  Miss Fleet, in alarm, gave up her expedition and instituted a morevigorous search, but try as she would, nowhere could she or Nurse get aglimpse of the child. David, who alone knew the direction in whichPhyllis had gone, had taken care to absent himself, and no one else hadthe slightest clue by which her whereabouts could be discovered.Presently Miss Fleet, in great anger, started off to drive to theRectory.

  "This really is intolerable,"