Girls of the True Blue Read online

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE BULL-PUP.

  But when the little girls went down to supper, Jack had to staybehind. Had he come downstairs, cuddled up contentedly on Nan'sforlorn little shoulder, she might have been able to bear things; butas it was, all her miseries returned to her in a full tide. For thefirst time she observed how very peculiar and remarkable the dress waswhich Phoebe had made.

  Nan was rather a small girl of eleven years of age, and the dress camedown to her ankles. It was, of course, made without any attempt atstyle. The bodice fitted anyhow; the crape was put on in rucks insteadof smoothly; the sleeves were too wide for the fashion, and too longfor the little girl's arms; the neck was too big, the part whichcovered her chest too narrow. She was, as nurse expressed it, allaskew in that frock, and poor Mrs. Richmond quite shuddered as shelooked at her.

  If Nan had been a dazzlingly fair child, black might have beenbecoming to her; but as she was sallow, with quantities of jet-blackhair, and big, very black eyes, there was not a scrap of beauty abouther little face just now, although it was possible she might grow uphandsome by-and-by.

  Little, however, Nan recked about her appearance either in the futureor the present. Just then she kept repeating to herself, "I am only acharity-girl;" and then she sat down and ate her supper without wellknowing what she ate. Mrs. Richmond was very kind, and the two girlswere as grave and sober as possible. They were not the least likethemselves; they only spoke when they were spoken to; even the subjectof the dogs did not draw them out. Kitty's merry eyes kept lookingdown, and Honora's sweet, bright face, with its wealth of light hairand smiling lips, seemed transformed into that of a very sober littlegirl indeed. Towards the end of supper Nan yawned once or twice. Mrs.Richmond suddenly rose.

  "Come here, Nancy," she said.

  She took the little girl's hand and drew her to her side.

  "Nancy, you are my little girl henceforward."

  Nancy's lips quivered.

  "And these are your little sisters. This is Honora, aged twelve; andthis is Kitty, aged eleven. You will be, I hope, the very best offriends; everything that Kitty has you have, and everything thatHonora has also belongs to you. There will be three little sisters inthis house instead of two. You will learn with the same kindgoverness, and go to the same nice school; and except that you willwear black and Kitty and Honora colours, you will be dressed alike.You will have the same pleasures and the same duties. I promised yourmother that this should be the case, and all I ask of you in returnis"--Mrs. Richmond paused and looked full at Nan-"happiness."

  "I cannot be happy," whispered Nan then.

  "Not yet, dear--no, not yet; but I want you to be contented, and tofeel that I love you and will do what I can for you. I do not want youto feel that"----

  "I am a charity-girl, and I hate it," suddenly burst from Nan's lips.

  Mrs. Richmond took both the little hands very firmly in hers and drewthe unwilling child to sit on her knee.

  "Nan," she said, "you must get that thought out of your head once andfor ever. I am going to tell you something. Years and years ago, whenI was young and when your mother was young, your mother did somethingfor me which I can never repay--never. I will tell you what that thingwas when you are older. Your mother died; and when dying, I asked herto let me adopt you as my own little girl. To do that does notanything like repay her for what she did for me, for she saved all mylife and all my happiness. But for her I might not be alive now; andif spared, certainly be a most miserable woman. Sometime I will tellyou everything; but what I want you clearly to know is this, that intaking you to live with me I still owe your mother something. You havea right to my home and my love for her sake. Now, does this makethings any better?"

  "Oh yes!" said Nan. "And, oh" she added, "I am a horrid girl not tofeel very glad! I will try to be very glad, but do not ask me any moreto-night."

  "Poor little darling!" said Mrs. Richmond.

  She kissed Nan, and nodded to Kitty to run up to Nan and take herhand.

  "You are my sister, you know, and I love you already," said Kitty; andso Nan went upstairs to bed.

  Early the next morning, when the little girl felt that she had alreadyonly enjoyed her first sleep, she was awakened by some one pulling herrather violently by the arm. She looked up in astonishment. Just atfirst she could not in the least remember where she was, nor what hadhappened. Then it all rushed over her--her mother's funeral of the daybefore, her own great misery, the change in her life. But she hadscarcely time to realise these things, and certainly had not a momentto fret about them, when the eager voice of Kitty was sounding in herears.

  "Get up, please, Nan; dress yourself as fast as ever you can in thedark, and come into the schoolroom. If you are not very quick you willmiss seeing the animals getting their breakfasts, and that is the bestfun of the day. Now, be quick--be quick! I will come back again in afew minutes. I have lit the candle for you; here it is. Hot water? No;you must do without that. Fly--dash into your clothes, and be in theschoolroom in a quarter of an hour."

  Kitty disappeared, and Nan got up. She felt quite excited; she couldnot help herself. It was useless to pretend that she felt anything buta sense of rejoicing as she thought of the animals. When with humanbeings she must remember her mother, and her own suffering, and hergreat loss, but with the animals she could only rejoice. She scrambledinto her clothes, making, it is true, a very sorry spectacle ofherself.

  "Sophia Maria, my darling," she said to her doll, "you had better getwarm into bed, and lie tucked up there while I am attending to theanimals. I will never love them better than I love you, but I must seehow they get their breakfasts. They are alive, Maria darling--they arealive; you understand, don't you?"

  Sophia Maria stared with her vacant smile at her little mistress.

  "How good she is! she never frets," thought the little girl; and thenshe went into the schoolroom, where a fire was lighted--a dull,dim-looking fire, which certainly gave forth no heat whatever justyet--and the gas was turned on.

  "Is it not a good thing we have gas?" said Kitty.

  Honora and Kitty were both in the schoolroom. They were wearing a longkind of holland smocks over their dresses; their faces looked quiteserene and important.

  "Now, Nan, which will you take? I think this morning, if you were tohold all the kittens in your lap, you might just watch us. We have tobe ever so busy; Miss Roy only gives us a quarter of an hour at thistime of day to clean out all the animals' homes, and I can tell you itis exciting when you have got pups and kittens and birds and mice andrats. Is it not nice of Miss Roy? The mice and rats she will not allowin the room, but she allows the others. We keep them upstairs in thetop attic. Sometimes the rats bite, and the mice too; but who minds alittle pain when it is an animal--a darling--that has to be attendedto?"

  Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fireholding the kittens.]

  Nan was perfectly satisfied to sit near the fire holding the kittens.There were two Persian kittens, and their names were Lord and Lady.They were very handsome, with long, soft chinchilla fur, tiny tails atpresent, and big heads. Nan stroked them in ecstasy; there was not theslightest doubt that thrills of comfort went through her heart whichSophia Maria had never yet been able to bestow.

  Kitty and Honora meanwhile were very busy. The parrot's cage requireda great deal of attention. The parrot was inclined to be ratherfierce; he would fly frantically after the little hands when they wereput in to take out the seed-trough, and he would cock his head to oneside, and then shout out, "Here comes the naughty girl!" and fix hiseyes on Nan all the time.

  "He does mean me," said Nan, forgetting the kittens and going up tothe cage in her excitement. "Oh dear! is it not funny of him? And Isuppose I am a naughty girl."

  "Well, I hope so," said Kitty. "We don't want you to be a goody girl;we should not like that at all. We don't want you to be mournful andsulky and anything like that; we like you to have some spirit in you.You know your darling little Jack who belongs to you a
ltogether? Well,you are to have all the trouble of him; and you are to take the blamealso if he is naughty and fidgety, and tears our dresses, and bitesthe tablecloth. You will be the one to be reprimanded; don't forgetthat."

  "I don't think I shall like that."

  "Well, but surely you do not expect us to be blamed about your animal!I never heard of such a thing!" said Nora "Now we have doneeverything; go back and get as tidy as you can for breakfast."

  Nan went back to her room feeling much excited. While she was outnurse had entered.

  "So you are going to have an animal, miss; and you are going to get upevery morning to help the young ladies to feed their pets and cleanout their cages?"

  "Yes; they have asked me to," said Nan.

  "That is right, my dear; and I hope you will have a happy time andmake yourself one of the family."

  "I will try to," said Nan.

  "The first thing you have to do is to give me the frock you wore lastnight."

  "But, oh!" said Nan, "that is my own frock, bought out of my ownmoney. Please, I would rather--I would rather not give it."

  "I am afraid if you are one of the family you have got to obey Mrs.Richmond, and she does not intend you to wear that ugly frock anymore."

  "It is not ugly," said Nan, colouring high.

  "Well, miss, I am afraid it is; and anyhow you cannot wear it, for Iam going to take it away. Here is a nice little suitable dress--black,of course, and made the same way as Miss Kitty's dresses are made.Here, put it on, miss, or you will be late for breakfast."

  All poor Nan's misery returned to her at these words. She felt as ifshe were most unjustly treated; she could scarcely bear her ownfeelings. The pretty frock in which she looked so nice and fresh, andin which she had once again the appearance of a lady, did not appealto her. She shrugged her shoulders discontentedly, and was onlycomforted when nurse insisted on her wearing a white pinafore whichnearly covered the frock.

  Just as she was leaving her bedroom she turned and spoke.

  "If you will not let me wear my own frock--and I bought all my ownmourning for my own mother--may I at least keep it?"

  "Oh yes, poor little girl!" said nurse, much touched by these words."I will put it in the bottom of the little trunk you brought with you.You might give it to a poor girl some day, and she might make it fither; it is not fit for any one to wear at present."

  Nan was fain to be comforted with this sort of half-promise ofnurse's, and entered the school-room, where she stood, lookingsomewhat forlorn, by the fire. But this mood was not to be of longduration, for Nora and Kitty came bounding in. They had made up theirminds: the time of gloom was past; they were going to be their ownriotous, gay, merry, rebellious, fidgety, almost unruly little selvesonce again to-day.

  Miss Roy was almost as merry as her pupils. At breakfast they screamedwith laughter; animals, of course, were the subjects of conversation.The virtues of Jack, the vices of Poll the parrot, the exquisitebeauties of Lord and Lady and the bad manners of their mother, thegood manners of the bull-terrier--all were discussed with animation.Each little point was noted. Nan listened, her eyes growing wider andwider.

  "What is the matter? Why do you not talk?" said Kitty at last.

  "I am so astonished," answered Nan.

  "What about?"

  "Why, you speak, you and Honora, as if--as if there were no girls andboys in the world."

  "Oh! I suppose there are," answered Honora. "I am afraid there are,"she continued after a pause. "They are great worries, are they not?"

  "I don't know."

  "Compared to animals, I mean. Who would compare them?"

  "I don't know," said Nan again.

  "You will when you have been here a little longer.--Oh, Miss Roy,Kitty has given Jack to Nan. He is her very own bull-puppy. She hasgot to train him; and, please, if he does anything naughty you are toblame her."

  "Well, now, children," said Miss Roy, "put on your hats and coats andget ready for school. Nan, my dear, Mrs. Richmond has not arranged foryour school until next week, so will you please stay in the schoolroomuntil I come back to you? I will hear you a few lessons then, and wecan go out for a walk together."

  "And may she take Jack for a little airing?" asked Kitty.

  "Yes, if she has a leash--not otherwise."

  "Oh! I can lend her a leash," said Kitty. "You will find it hanging upin the passage outside the schoolroom," she added, turning to thelittle girl; "and there is a collar as well. Now we must be off."

  In a moment they dashed away, Miss Roy following them. From intenseexcitement and vigorous conversation and loud noise and hearty laughsthe schoolroom was reduced to absolute silence. Nan felt a sense ofrelief. She crept into her bedroom, took Sophia Maria from between thesheets, clasped her in her arms, and sitting down by the fire, calledto Jack to come and make friends.

  Now, Jack was of the most sociable nature, but it is, alas! true thathe was possessed with a petted little dog's invariable infirmity--thatof intense jealousy. He had taken to Nan; he had liked the position onher shoulder, and had quite slobbered with bliss when she had kissedhim on his little cheek the night before. But Nan was now hugging ahideous object in her arms, and Jack did not see why such a thingshould be permitted. He was wary, however, and did not intend to givehimself away. He knew by experience that in small puppiesmischievousness was reproved by two-footed creatures who had thecontrol of them; but in all the world what could be more deliciousthan the sort of mischief which meant tearing and rending, using histeeth and puppy paws to some purpose? That horrid thing in Nan's armscould be rent and torn and demolished and worried, and what a time ofenjoyment he would have while doing it! Accordingly he raised hisdancing eyes to Nan's face, and jumped backwards and forwards,inviting her as bewitchingly as puppy could to a game of romps. Sheplayed with him for a little, trying to catch him, which he avoided,for it was quite beyond the dignity of puppydom to repose in the samelap with the hideous doll dressed in crape. The dog was biding histime. Nan looked again at Maria. She still wore her inane smile. Nankissed her. She was so cold; she did not seem to take any interest.

  "She is not so nice as Jack," thought the little girl, "but of courseI like her best. Did not mother give her to me, and have not I overand over and over again cried with her in my arms? She comforted me,then, but not as little Jack does."

  Presently Miss Roy came in, bustling and fresh from the outside world.

  "Now, get on your things, Nan," she said. "I will take you for a walkfirst of all, as it may rain later on; it is a beautiful morning, andwe will go for a walk in Hyde Park. You had better leave little Jackat home; dogs are not allowed in Hyde Park except on a leash."

  Nan got up joyfully. Sophia Maria was put comfortably sitting in thearm-chair in which the little girl had herself reposed, and a fewminutes later Nan and her governess went out.

  Now was Jack's opportunity. The schoolroom was silent; the motherbull-terrier was sound asleep, with the other pups nestling up to her.Jack, bent on mischief, was practically alone. The Persian cat turnedher back upon him with the most lofty disdain in her attitude; theparrot winked at him out of her wicked eye, and said, "Here we areagain!" another favourite expression of hers. Jack cared little; witha dexterous leap he secured Sophia Maria, and what immediatelyfollowed may be left to the imagination of the readers.

  When Nan returned from her walk there were morsels of crape on thefloor, and tiny pieces of coarse black cashmere, and a naked doll,which, rent and torn and injured, lay in a distant corner; but herclothes--alas! where were they? Jack waggled up to his littlemistress, coaxing and canoodling, and saying by a thousand prettymotions, "You must forgive me if it was wrong. I am sorry, but I woulddo it again if I had the chance; only please forgive me." And then Nanuttered a sudden shriek and flew towards the battered remains of herdoll, which she clasped in her arms.

  "Oh, Miss Roy--oh, Miss Roy!" screamed the little girl.

  "What is it, my dear?" said the astonished governess.

  "Oh,
see what Jack has done!"

  "Naughty Jack!" said Miss Roy. "But really, Nan, it was a very uglydoll; if you wish to dress it again I will find some pieces for yousome half-holiday. Put it in the cupboard now and forget about it.Come to me in a few minutes for your lessons."