Turquoise and Ruby Page 8

darling, you would not take the money. You would not, because you could not.

  "I hope whoever the man is who cares for you and who wants to see you in your fine dress and your pretty hat and ruffles, that he will not take the little affection you have for me away. But, even if that happens, my love for you is so true, and so very, very deep, that I think I would not change my purpose, even though I knew, by so doing, I should lose the little love you give me. For, Brenda,--I must say it now--I read you quite truly--you have got a lovely face and a beautiful manner and all people are attracted to you. But it is I-- your sister--who have got the heart; and the one who has the heart suffers. I accept the position. I know quite well that no one will ever care for me in the way people will care for you; but so great is my love for you, that I am satisfied even to do what is wrong for your sake. It is all dreadful, but it can't be helped.

  "Your affectionate sister,--

  "Penelope Carlton."

  Having finished her letter, Penelope addressed it to: Miss BrendaCarlton, c/o Rev Josiah Amberley, The Rectory, Harroway; and, leavingher room, she ran with it into the hall, where it was deposited in thepost box in sufficient time to go out with the evening letters.

  The four girls who had promised to get the money for Penelope had beenequally busy with their pens, and each had written the sort of letterwhich would assuredly bring back five pounds in its train. Cara Burtwrote briefly and decidedly. She wanted plenty of pocket money justnow, and wouldn't darling great-grand-dad supply her? and would hepromise to keep it dark from grandfather and grandmother and father andmother and from every one else at home, and just let it be a secretbetween his own Cara and himself; and if he did this, would not shereward him by a special walk, and a special button-hole, which she wouldmake for him on the day of the break-up?

  Cara knew her man to a nicety, and was assured of the dear little crispfive-pound note that arrived by return of post. Annie Leicester alsowrote with calm assurance to her parents. She wanted a little extramoney. She knew she had been a trifle extravagant with regard tochocolates and suchlike things. If she could have a five-pound note tosee her safely to the end of term, it would put her into such excellentspirits that she could act Fair Rosamond to perfection. She wanted themoney, and by return of post, and of course it would be forthcoming.Mary L'Estrange found more difficulty with her letter; for, although herpeople were rich, they were careful; but she managed to write such aletter as would make her mother deny herself a summer ruffle or somesuch luxury for the sake of supplying her little daughter with what thatdaughter considered necessary. Susanna was the only one who had anyreal difficulty in penning her letter.

  Now, Susanna's people were much richer than the parents of any othergirls in the school. They counted their money by tens of thousands; forSusanna's father was, in his way, a sort of Rothschild and he was fondof saying that everything he touched turned into gold. But if what hetouched turned to gold, he was very fond of that said metal and did notat all like to part with it, and Susanna knew that it would be perfectlyuseless to apply to her mother on the subject, for Mrs Salmi had alwaysto go to her husband for every penny she spent. Great lady as shesupposed herself to be, she was not favoured with a separate bankingaccount; but her bills were paid off with loud protestations by her lordand master. Susanna, however, was perhaps more anxious than the othersto take the part of Cleopatra. She felt that she could do the swarthyqueen of Egypt full justice. Her blood tingled at the thought of whather appearance would be, decked in the jewels which her own mother wouldlend her for the occasion. How her eyes would flash! how striking wouldbe her appearance! Not for twenty-five five-pound notes would she giveup so delightful a part.

  Accordingly, she wrote straight to her father and, after manycogitations with herself, this was her letter:

  "My Dear Old Dad: I am sending this straight to your office in the City, for I don't want the mum-mum to know anything about it. There are times when a girl has to apply straight to her dad to put things right for her.

  "Now, dad, darling; I want five pounds. I am having a little speculation on my own account in the school. You know from whom I have inherited the spirit of speculation. It is from no one else than the dear dad himself--that wealthy delightful creature, who turns everything he touches into gold. Well, your own Susanna has inherited your peculiarities, and when I leave school, there is no saying but I may be able to give you some points. Anyhow, if you will trust me with the money and not say a single word about it to mummy, you may have it back again double, some day--I don't exactly say when. Don't refuse me, like a dear, for my heart is really set on this, or I would not apply to you; and what use is it to be the only daughter of the richest dad in England if he can't grant me such a small whim? Five pounds, therefore, please, daddie mine, by return of post, and no questions asked.

  "Your loving daughter,--

  "Susanna.

  "P.S. You and mother will be sure to come to Hazlitt Chase on the day of the break-up, and then I think you will see what will surprise you, namely: your own girl in a very prominent and exalted position. Breathe not this to the mummy, or to anybody, but be your Susanna's best of friends."

  Susanna was decidedly under the impression that this letter would do thebusiness, and she was right. For she had taken the great City merchantby surprise, and although most men would be shocked to think that aschoolgirl daughter was engaged in money speculations, this man onlylaughed and shook from side to side in his merriment and, opening adrawer on the spot, took a crisp five-pound note from a certain recessand popped it into an envelope with the words: "Go it, Susanna." Themoney reached Susanna accordingly by the first post on the followingmorning. The other girls received their five-pound notes at differenttimes during the day, and Penelope was in possession of twenty poundsthat very evening.

  But now arose an unlooked-for and unexpected difficulty. Mrs Hazlittwas not so unobservant as her pupils supposed her to be. She trustedthem, it is true; but she never absolutely gave them her fullconfidence. Their letters were supposed to be under her jurisdiction;but she was not the sort of woman to open a letter addressed to a parentor guardian, although at the same time she clearly gave the saidguardians and parents to understand that, if necessity arose, she wouldfeel obliged to open letters.

  She had not opened any one of the five letters which left her house on acertain evening, but she did observe the excited appearance of Penelope,the change from dull apathy into watchfulness; the manner, too, in whichSusanna absolutely neglected all her lessons, Mary L'Estrange's anxiousface, Annie Leicester's want of appetite, and Cara Burt's headache.Cara Burt was, indeed, so overpowered that she could neither attend toher lessons, nor appear at the mid-day meal.

  Now, all these symptoms--strange in themselves as only assailing thefive girls who were to take part in "A Dream of Fair Women"--could notbut arouse the headmistress' suspicions; but when they unaccountablyvanished on the arrival of the post on the following morning, and wheneach girl seemed happy and relieved once more, Mrs Hazlitt felt surethat something had occurred which she ought to know about. Sheaccordingly spoke to Deborah, who was her factotum in the school.

  Deborah has been mentioned hitherto as the English governess. She heldthat position, but not in its entirety. It is true that she taught theyoung girls English history and literature, helped them with theirspelling, and attended to their writing. But there was also a veryspecial, highly educated woman to give lessons in English literature andEnglish composition to all the elder girls, and, besides this, MrsHazlitt herself taught English as no one else could, for she was aprofound scholar and had a mind of the highest order. Deborah, however,was indispensable for the simple reason that she was honest, exceedinglyunselfish, and could do those thousand and one things for the girlswhich only a person who never thought of herself could achieve. MrsHazlitt, therefore, determined to speak to Deborah now on the subject ofthe girls.

  It was the
pleasant hour of recess. What a beautiful calm rested overthe place! The sun shone forth from a cloudless sky; the trees were intheir full summer green; there were shadow and sunlight intermingled allover the lovely old place. The house itself was so old and the walls sothick that great heat could never penetrate; and Mrs Hazlitt chose asher place of confidence her own tiny oak parlour where she sat when shewanted to rest and did not wish to be intruded upon.

  "Deborah," she said on this occasion, "will you come with me into theparlour? I suppose the children are all right, and you need not troubleabout them. That good-natured girl, Penelope Carlton, will look afterthem if you ask her."

  "I don't know," replied Deborah; "she is up in her room writing. Shesaid she had a special letter she wanted to write, but I have no doubtthey won't get into any mischief. I will just go and talk