The Little School-Mothers Read online

form slept. Shehad shown her the little cubicle which was to be all her own, and saidthat she felt quite certain Robina would be happy at school.

  "There is no unhappy girl in my school," she said, "and if you are notas gay as a lark and as bright as the sunshine, you will be the firstdiscontented girl who ever came to Abbeyfield. Now, dear, your thingswill be unpacked for you by Preston; but, in the meantime, you mightbrush your hair and wash your hands; then you can come down to me. Weshall have tea together this first night. Afterwards, I will take youto the parlour, where you can wait for your companions."

  Mrs Burton left the dormitory as she spoke, and Robina stood there allalone. When she found herself quite alone, she blinked her eyes hardtwo or three times, then, tossing back her great mane of thick brownhair, said under her breath, "Now I am better." Then she proceeded toinvestigate the room.

  There were eight beds in the room, and it was, of course, very large.This dormitory, occupied by the third form girls, was perhaps the mostbeautiful bedroom it was possible to see. Each girl's little division,or cubicle, was quite as large as an ordinary small bedroom. It wascurtained off, and was completely furnished within with everyrequirement that a small girl could desire. There was, to begin with, avery pretty wash-hand stand with rows of wide, deep drawers beneath, andover the stand was a looking-glass. The wash-hand stand, with itsdrawers and glass, was so placed that a girl could see her face nicely.There was a little toilet table without a glass, and there was a deepcupboard in the wall full of shelves at one side and a hanging press atthe other. The floor of the little cubicle was carpeted with prettyfelt, and there were curtains to match at the windows.

  Robina found herself in one of the most charming of the eight cubicles.Each cubicle was arranged with a different colour, and Robina's was of avery delicate shade of mauve; the paint was white and the decorationsmauve; the felt carpet was mauve, the curtains were mauve, and thelittle bed had a French canopy over it of mauve and white curtains tiedback with broad mauve ribbons. There was also a mauve silk _couvrepied_on the bed, so that altogether the effect was most charming.

  Robina was not, perhaps, a shy girl; and, having quickly taken in whather own cubicle contained, she marched into the others. Each cubiclewas exactly like its fellow, except that its colouring was different:some were all in pink, some all in blue, some again in red and white,some again in palest primrose.

  "I have the prettiest," thought Robina; "not that I care."

  She now looked out of her window. The cubicle next to hers had nowindow, so she was highly privileged; but she was not in a mood tonotice this at present. She stood quite still, gazing steadily out atthe view. Her face was peculiar for so young a child, and had a look ofpower about it which would distinguish it all through life, and makepeople inclined to look twice at her. It was not exactly a beautifulface, but it arrested attention. The little nose was short, andperfectly straight; the brows thick; the forehead broad and very white.The eyes were good, but of a nondescript colour; so that one moment youspoke of them as brown, at another as blue, at another as grey. Atnight, they looked very black, and in times of emotion they wouldsparkle in quite a dangerous way. Robina's mouth was well cut, but alittle large. She had a clear skin that was somewhat pale, and was asquare-built child, neither especially tall nor especially short for herage.

  Having completed her toilet--not with any particular view to being tidyor making herself charming--she went downstairs. A maid directed her toMrs Burton's sitting-room, where she and her mistress had tea.

  During tea-time, Mrs Burton did what she could to draw Robina out. Butthis was not at all an easy task. Robina did not want to be drawn; andshe was the sort of child whom it was absolutely difficult to force outof the way in which she washed to go. Mrs Burton tried her on thesubject of her sick mother; but although Robina did blink her eyes twicein a rather suspicious manner, she replied quite calmly, saying that hermother was always an invalid and could not stand noise.

  "I am noisy," said Robina, "so that is why I have been sent to you. Didyou know that?"

  "Yes," replied Mrs Burton.

  "Do you expect me to be very quiet here?" continued Robina.

  "In play-time," answered Mrs Burton, "you can be as noisy as you like."

  "But when I am in the mood I am always noisy," said Robina.

  "We don't have moods here," replied Mrs Burton, whereupon Robinastretched out her hand and helped herself without asking to a largepiece of cake. She ate it almost greedily, stuffing great pieces intoher mouth.

  Mrs Burton was determined that no discipline should begin that evening,so she turned now to the subject of lessons. What did Robina know?Nothing, it seemed, and yet in a way everything.

  "I have read lots," answered that young lady calmly; "but they couldn'tmanage me about my lessons; that was another reason why they sent mehere. Did you know that?"

  "Yes; I have heard it," replied Mrs Burton.

  "Do you mean to manage me here?" asked Robina.

  "I hope so," replied the headmistress.

  "Nobody else has been able to do it," said Robina in a very calm voice.

  Then she got up, allowing a lot of crumbs to fall upon the floor, andwalked to the window. She stood--perhaps with intention--her broad backto her governess. Mrs Burton looked at the back, the well-squaredshoulders, the sturdy little figure, the thick hair which fell inluxuriant masses far below the child's waist.

  Mrs Burton was not one either to sigh or despair; but she knew quitewell that she had undertaken no mean task in introducing Robina Starlinginto her orderly school. After a minute's pause she got up, and, goingto her little pupil, took her hand.

  "I want you to help me, Robina," she said. The wild eyes darted a quickglance into her face.

  "How?" asked Robina. "I am not much good at that sort of thing."

  "I won't tell you how to-night, my dear; but perhaps to-morrow we willhave a talk. There is one rule in the school which has never beenbroken yet; and that is, that a new pupil--quite a new pupil--has teawith me all by herself on the day after her arrival. So you, Robina,will have the privilege of having tea alone with me to-morrow evening.You must come to me here at five o'clock--sharp at five o'clock,remember--and then you and I will have a little talk and I hope a nicetime together. It is considered an honour, my love."

  "That depends on who is considering, doesn't it?" said Robina verycalmly.

  "I am sure you will think it an honour," said Mrs Burton in as calm avoice. Then she took her pupil's hand, and led her into the schoolparlour. "You will find books here," she said, "and every single thingyou want until the other girls come back. I expect them at eighto'clock, when you will all have supper, and then you will go to bed."

  Robina said nothing, and the headmistress went away.

  There were three special parlours in the school. They were called bythe old-fashioned name of parlour, but they were in reality ordinarysitting-rooms. One was devoted to the sixth form girls, and this was alarge and truly elegant apartment, furnished well, with a grand piano,and easels, and beautiful pictures on the walls. The sixth form girlshad all sorts of comfortable chairs and everything to conduce to thatfeeling of being grown-up which is so much liked by girls of fromsixteen to eighteen years of age.

  The little ones had also a parlour which was more like a play-room thananything else; and the third form parlour, in which Robina now foundherself, was a large, square room with a round table in the middle, abook-shelf full of story-books, another book-shelf full of histories andworks of travel, a pair of globes, and several bird-cages. A bird-cagehung down before each of the four windows, and in the cages werecanaries, bullfinches, and other tame birds. There was also a parrot ina large cage in one corner of the room.

  Robina, whose eyes had been quite dull, and who had felt anindescribable and most painful weight at her heart, quite brightened upwhen she saw the birds. She amused herself taking her chair from onewindow to another and examining the feathered cre
atures, who had nowcurled themselves up into round fluffy balls, and were sound asleep.Not for the world would she awaken them; but a new, tender sort of lightcame into her eyes as she watched them.

  "Pretty darlings!" she said softly, under her breath. Her whole queerlittle face became happier in expression after she had examined the petbirds of the third form. She then crossed the room to look at theparrot. The parrot was an old grey bird with a solemn, wise face. Hewas not asleep: no one ever seemed to catch him nodding. He turned hishead to one side and looked full at the new-comer.

  "Mind what you're about!" he said sharply, and then he turned his backto her as though she were not of the slightest consequence.

  Robina burst out laughing. The parrot laughed too, but