"Tasmania is not England, miss. It would not suit her ladyship for you to wear your hair so."
"Then I won"t wear it any other way."
"As you please, miss. I can put on your dress, and you can arrange your hair yourself, but I won"t give you what will be a bit of a surprise to you."
"Oh, do it as you please," said Evelyn.
Her hair, very pretty in itself, although far too thin to make much show, was accordingly arranged in childish fashion; and when Evelyn presently found herself arrayed in her high-bodied and long-sleeved white muslin dress, with white silk stockings and little silk shoes to match, and a white sash round her waist, she gazed at herself in the gla.s.s in puzzled wonder.
Read stood for a moment watching her face.
"I am pretty, am I not?" said Evelyn, turning and looking full at her maid.
"It is best not to think of looks, and it is downright sinful to talk of them," was Read"s somewhat severe answer.
Evelyn"s eyes twinkled.
"I feel like a very good, pretty little girl," she said. "Last night I was a charming grown-up young lady. Very soon again I shall be a charming grown-up young lady, and whether Aunt Frances likes it or not, I shall be much, much better-looking than Audrey. Now, please, I have been good, and I want what you said you had for me."
"It is a letter from Jasper," replied Read. "She told me I was to give it to you. Now, please, miss, don"t make yourself untidy. You look very nice and suitable. When the gong rings you can go down-stairs, or sooner if your fancy takes you. I am going off now to attend to my mistress."
When alone, Evelyn tore open the letter which Jasper had left for her.
It was short, and ran as follows:
My darling, precious Lamb,-The best friends must part, but, oh, it is a black, black heart that makes it necessary! My heart is bleeding to think that you won"t have me to make your chocolate, and to lie down in the little white bed by your side this evening. Yes, it is bleeding, and bleeding badly, and there will be no blessing on her who has tried to part us. But, Miss Evelyn, my dear, don"t you fret, for though I am away I do not mean to be far away, and when you want me I will still be there. I have a plan in my head, and I will let you know about it when it is properly laid. No more at present, but if you think of me every minute to-night, so will I think of you, my dear little white Eve; and don"t forget, darling, that whatever they may do to you, the time will come when they will all, the Squire excepted, be under your thumb.
-Your loving "Jasper."
The morsel of content and satisfaction which Evelyn had felt when she saw herself looking like a nice, ordinary little girl, and when she had sat in the schoolroom surrounded by all the gay young folks of her cousin"s station in life, vanished completely as she read Jasper"s injudicious words. Tears flowed from her eyes; she clenched her hands.
She danced pa.s.sionately about the room. She longed to tear from her locks the white ribbons which Read had arranged there; she longed to get into the white satin dress which she had worn on the previous occasion; she longed to do anything on earth to defy Lady Frances; but, alack and alas! what good were longings when the means of yielding to them were denied?-for all that precious and fascinating wardrobe had been put into Evelyn"s traveling-trunks, and those trunks had been conveyed from the blue-and-silver bedroom. The little girl found that she had to submit.
"Well, I do-I do," she thought-"but only outwardly. Oh, she will never break me in! Mothery darling, she will never break me in. I am going to be naughty always, always, because she is so cruel, and because I hate her, and because she has parted me from Jasper-your friend, my darling mothery, your friend!"
CHAPTER XII.-HUNGER.
When Jasper was conveyed from Wynford Castle she drove to the "Green Man" in the village. There she asked the landlady if she could give her a small bedroom for the night. The landlady, a certain Mrs. Simpson, was quite willing to oblige Miss Jasper. She was accommodated with a bedroom, and having seen her boxes deposited there, wandered about the village. She took the bearings of the place, which was small and unimportant, and altogether devoted to the interests of the great folks at Castle Wynford. Wynford village lived, indeed, for the Castle; without the big house, as they called it, the villagers would have little or no existence. The village received its patronage from the Squire and his family. Every house in the village belonged to Squire Wynford. The inhabitants regarded him as if he were their feudal lord.
He was kindly to all, sympathetic in sorrow, ready to rejoice when bright moments visited each or any of his tenants. Lady Frances was an admirable almoner of the different charities which came from the great house. There was not a poor woman in the length and breadth of Wynford village who was not perfectly well aware that her ladyship knew all about her, even to her little sins and her small transgressions; all about her struggles as well as her falls, her temptations as well as her moments of victory. Lady Frances was loved and feared; the Squire was loved and respected; Audrey was loved in the sort of pa.s.sionate way in which people will regard the girl who always has been to them more or less a little princess. Therefore now, as Jasper walked slowly through the village with the fading light falling all over her, she knew she was a person of interest. Beyond doubt that was the case; but although the villagers were interested in her, and peeped outside their houses to watch her (even the grocer, who did a roaring trade, and took the tenor solo on Sunday in the church choir, peered round his doorstep with the others), she knew that she was favored with no admiring looks, and that the villagers one and all were prepared to fight her. That was indeed the case, for secrets are no secrets where a great family are concerned, and the villagers knew that Jasper had come over from the other side of the world with the real heiress.
"A dowdy, ill-favored girl," they said one to the other; "but nevertheless, when the Squire-bless him!-is gathered to his fathers, she will reign in his stead, and sweet, darling, beautiful Miss Audrey will be nowhere."
They said this, repeating the disagreeable news one to the other, and vowing each and all that they would never care for the Australian girl, and never give her a welcome.
As Jasper slowly walked she was conscious of the feeling of hostility which surrounded her.
"It won"t do," she said to herself. "I meant to take up my abode at the "Green Man," and I meant that no one in the place should turn me out, but I do not believe I shall be able to continue there; and yet, to go far away from my sweet little Eve is not to be thought of. I have money of my own. Her mother was a wise woman when she said to me, "Jasper, the time may come when you will need it; and although it belongs to Eve, you must spend it as you think best in her service."
"It ain"t much," thought Jasper to herself, "but it is sixty pounds, and I have it in gold sovereigns, scattered here and there in my big black trunk, and I mean to spend it in watching over the dear angel lamb. Mrs.
Simpson of the "Green Man" would be the better of it, but she sha"n"t have much of it-of that I am resolved."
So Jasper presently left the village and began strolling in the direction where the river Earn flows between dark rocks until it loses itself in a narrow stream among the peaceful hills. In that direction lay The Priory, with its thick yew hedge and its shut-in appearance.
As Jasper continued her walk she knew nothing of the near neighborhood of The Priory, and no one in all the world was farther from her thoughts than the pretty, tall slip of a girl who lived there.
Now, it so happened that Sylvia was taking her walks abroad also in the hour of dusk. It was one of her peculiarities never to spend an hour that she could help indoors. She had to sleep indoors, and she had to take what food she could manage to secure also under the roof which she so hated; but, come rain or shine, storm or calm, every sc.r.a.p of the rest of her time was spent wandering about. To the amount of fresh air which she breathed she owed her health and a good deal of her beauty.
She was out now as usual, her big mastiff, Pilot, bearing her company.
She was never afraid where she wandered with this protection, for Pilot was a dog of sagacity, and would soon make matters too hot for any one who meant harm to his young mistress.
Sylvia walked slowly. She was thinking hard. "What a delightful time she was having twenty-four hours ago! What a good dinner she was about to eat! How pleasant it was to wear Audrey"s pretty dress! How delightful to dance in the hall and talk to Arthur Jervice! She wondered what his sister with the curious name was like. How beautiful his face looked when he spoke of her!
"She must be lovely too," thought Sylvia. "And so restful! There is nothing so cool and comfortable and peaceful as a mossy bank. I suppose she is called Moss because she comforts people."
Sylvia hurried a little. Presently she stood and looked around her to be sure that no one was by. She then deliberately tightened her belt.
"It makes me feel the pangs less," she thought. "Oh dear, how delightful, how happy those must be who are never, never hungry!
Sometimes I can scarcely bear it; I almost feel that I could steal something to have a big, big meal. What a lot I ate last night, and how I longed to pocket even that great hunch of bread which was placed near my plate! But I did not dare. I thought my big meal would keep off my hunger to-day, but I believe it has made it worse than ever. I must have a straight talk with father to-night. I must tell him plainly that, however coa.r.s.e the food, I must at least have enough of it. Oh dear, I ache-I _ache_ for a good meal!"
The poor girl stood still. Footsteps were heard approaching. They were now close by. Pilot p.r.i.c.ked up his ears and listened. A moment later Jasper appeared on the scene.
When she saw Sylvia she stopped, dropped a little courtesy, and said in a semi-familiar tone:
"And how are you this evening, Miss Leeson?"
Sylvia had not seen her as she approached. The girl started now and turned quickly round.
"You are Jasper?" she said. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking the air, miss. Have you any objection?"
"None, of course," replied Sylvia.
Had there been light enough to see, Jasper would have noticed that the girl"s face took on a cheerful expression. She laid her hand on Pilot"s forehead. Pilot growled. Sylvia said to him:
"Be quiet; this is a friend."
Pilot evidently understood the words. He wagged his bushy tail and looked in Jasper"s direction. Jasper came boldly up and laid her hand beside Sylvia"s on the dog"s forehead. The tail wagged more demonstratively.
"You have won him," said Sylvia in a tone of delight. "Do you know, I am glad, although I cannot tell why I should be."
"He looks as if he could be very formidable," said Jasper.-"Ah, good dog-good dog! n.o.ble creature! So I am your friend? Good dog!"
"But it must be rather unpleasant for visitors to come to call on you, Miss Sylvia, with such a dog as that loose about the place. Now, I, for instance--"
"If you had a message from Evelyn for me," said Sylvia, "you could call now with impunity. Strangers cannot; that is why father keeps Pilot. He is trained never to touch any one, but he is also trained to keep every one out. He does that in the best manner possible. He stands right in the person"s path and shows his big fangs and growls. n.o.body would dream of going past him; but you would be safe."
Jasper stood silent.