"And what became of the girl? Did she marry--someone else?"
"Which girl? Oh--I suppose so! I went out to India and lost sight of her. I did not want to see her again. I hope she settled down with a good fellow who could take care of her. Hullo, what"s this?"
The man-servant had entered the room with a tray, which he proceeded to place on a table by Jill"s side. It contained the usual paraphernalia for afternoon tea, but it appeared that the General did not as a rule indulge in this meal, hence his astonishment at its appearance.
"Thought the young lady would like some, eh? Quite right--quite right.
You keep me up to my duties as usual! Johnson has been with me for the last thirty years!" he explained to his guests. "We fought together in the East, and I should get on badly without him nowadays. Now, my dear, help yourself. You are the lady of the party, so you must preside."
Jill pulled off her gloves, gave a surrept.i.tious lick to an ink-stain on the second finger of her right hand, rubbed it dry on the side of her dress, and proceeded to do the honours with equal self-possession and enjoyment. If Betty could see her now! A real General with a man- servant to wait upon him! It was a hundred times more important and exciting than Mrs Vanburgh and her governesses!
"Have you got any medals--Victoria Crosses and things?" she asked, with a view to adding point to her account of the interview, and the General gave a loud guffaw of amus.e.m.e.nt.
"A selection of Victoria Crosses! Eh, what? No, I am sorry to say I have not; only one or two medals, such as any man might possess who has served the same number of years. Where are they? In a drawer in my bedroom, of course! You don"t expect me to hang them up on the wall, do you?"
"Yes, I do. I should! Where everyone would see and ask questions about them. I"d wear them, too, whenever I possibly could!" cried Jill, unabashed, and once more the General shook his head and exclaimed--
"Woman, woman!" in a tone of tragic significance.
When the meal was over, however, he yielded to Jack"s entreaties, and escorted his visitors into the adjoining bedroom, where various warlike trophies reposed with the medals in the drawers of an old cabinet. The boy"s interest was intense, but Jill soon wearied and turned to inspect the general furnishing of the room. It was very bare and plain--a narrow camp bed, a few chairs, and a dressing-table--bare of everything but the absolute necessities of toilet, and those of the simplest description. One saw the old soldier in every arrangement, but it was on the opposite corner of the room that Jill"s eyes rested with the greatest astonishment.
On the wall hung a picture which she did not remember having seen before, representing a group of Eastern beggars, and in the foreground the figure of Christ with a beautiful, earnest face--a _young_ face, not the worn and haggard representation so often seen--talking to one whose handsome robes showed him to be a person of position, who stood with hanging head and pained, disappointed expression. Beneath the picture stood a kneeling-chair with a pile of devotional books on the ledge.
The whole effect was that of a quiet corner or "closet," as the Apostle calls it, and Jill was still staring at it with distended eyes when the General turned round and discovered her.
"You appear to be astonished by the sight of my corner! Why?" he inquired, and a more observant listener might have discovered a certain tension and anxiety in his tone, but Jill noticed nothing, and answered with the brutal candour of youth--
"I--I did not think you were--like that!"
"Ah! Why not? Because I lost my temper, and railed at you the other day. Eh, what?"
Jack and Jill gave a simultaneous exclamation of denial, for there had been a note of real pain and shame in the old man"s voice which was quick to reach their hearts. In truth, they had thought no less of the General for his expression of temper. It was only what was to be expected under the circ.u.mstances, and he had been a brick in defending them from their father"s anger. It was difficult to explain the real reason of their surprise at the discovery of his Christianity. One could not say, for instance, "because your face is so red, and your eyes are so fierce, and your voice is so loud, and your manner of conversation so abrupt and startling; because you have been a slayer of men, and have lived a life of storm and adventure," yet it was in truth the contrast to the pale, anaemic type which young people instinctively picture in a devotee which caused the astonishment in their minds. They remained silent, hanging their heads, while the General continued sadly--
"Well, well, I don"t wonder! That tongue of mine has dishonoured me a hundred times before now, but, bad specimen as I am, I should be a hundred times worse but for the time spent in that corner. Have you seen that picture before?"
Jill shook her head.
"No, it is not half so well-known as it deserves to be! "Christ and the Young Ruler," who went away sorrowful "because he had great possessions." It has never entered your head, I suppose, to pray to be preserved from prosperity, or _in_ prosperity, if you like that better?
Of course not! Precious few people ever do, yet the temptations of prosperity are fifty times more subtle, if they are less pressing, than those of poverty. I tell you, sir, when a man is young and strong, and feels the blood coursing in his veins, and when his balance at the banker"s allows him to do pretty well as he chooses, it is precious difficult to realise that he needs any help, human or Divine. Even now--selfish old beggar that I am!--I have no one"s convenience but my own to consider, and if I want a thing there"s no end of a fuss if I don"t get it in the twinkling of an eye. So I keep that picture there to remind me that my money is only lent to me to use for the good of others. Christ, the Captain! I am here to obey His orders!"
As he spoke he lifted his hand to his brow in stiff military salute, and over the fierce old face came the same wonderful softening which the twins had noticed a few minutes before.
They were speechless with embarra.s.sment, as young things often are when a conversation suddenly takes a serious turn; but when they had taken their leave, with many invitations to repeat their visit, the same thought lingered in the mind of each as they made their way homeward.
"Fancy him turning out so--good!" cried Jill wonderingly. "He really almost--preached. I _was_ surprised!"
"Humph!" returned Jack vaguely, for the figure of the old soldier saluting his Captain had made too deep an impression on his heart to be lightly discussed. "Christ, the Captain!" The idea appealed to his boyish instincts, and awoke a new ambition. Hitherto he had looked upon religion as a thing apart from his own life, the monopoly of women and clergymen, whose business it was; now for the first time it appealed to him as a fine and manly virtue.
Sitting by his lonely fireside, General Digby reproached himself for his lack of influence on his new friends. He would have been a happy man if he had known that by G.o.d"s grace he had that afternoon planted a seed for G.o.d in Jack Trevor"s careless heart. "Christ, the Captain!" To the last day of the boy"s life he never forgot those words, nor the picture of the old soldier with his hand raised to the salute.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
BETTY AND CYNTHIA MEET.
"Jill, do you know where my green check blouse has gone? I can"t find it anywhere."
"How should I know? I haven"t taken it--wouldn"t be seen in the horrid old thing! Why are you worrying if it has disappeared? I thought you said the other day that it was too shabby to wear any more?"
"So I did, but I want the b.u.t.tons to put on a new blouse. It was hanging up in my cupboard last week."
"I expect it"s there still, only you can"t see it because it"s hidden away behind your dresses. What is far more important is my umbrella.
Somebody has eaten it, I believe--it"s simply _gone_!"
"You have left it at school again. You are always losing your umbrellas."
"People steal them, I suppose, because they are so beautiful! Alpaca-- three and eleven! Mother says it"s no use giving me a silk because I"m not careful. That"s bad reasoning! I should be careful if I had a silk. But it"s not my fault this time. I know I brought it home, because there was an apple inside it which Norah gave me in prep. I ate it last night, and this morning the brolley has vanished. It"s hard lines, for I shall get a rowing if it doesn"t turn up, and it isn"t my fault a bit."
"Oh, I expect you"ll find it all right. It"s so tiresome, because the b.u.t.tons exactly match this blouse, and I want it for Sat.u.r.day," returned Betty, too much absorbed in her own affairs to have any sympathy to spare for Jill"s loss. All the week long she lived in the thought of Sat.u.r.day, and when at long last the day arrived she could hardly wait until three o"clock, so anxious was she to be at her post.
Mrs Vanburgh came to meet her at the door of the dining-room, looking flushed and excited.
"Come in here!" she said. "We are beginning to set out the table, so you are just in time. I want to have everything ready by the half- hour."
"Who are "we," I wonder?" was Betty"s mental question as she crossed the threshold, and the next moment brought with it a shock of surprise, for, standing in the middle of the room, her hair shining like an aureola round her head, stood no less a person than the Pampered Pet herself. A plate of cakes was held in one hand, and a plate of bread-and-b.u.t.ter in the other, and she stood stock still, staring at the new-comer, apparently as much surprised to recognise Betty as Betty was to recognise herself.
"This is my friend Cynthia Alliot; this is my friend Betty Trevor!"
cried Mrs Vanburgh, introducing the two girls with an easy wave of the hand. "She can"t shake hands, poor dear, so you"ll have to take the will for the deed. Where shall we put those plates? There doesn"t seem much room left."
There did not, indeed! Betty stared in amazement at the n.o.ble feast which had been provided for the expected guests. The dining-table was profusely decorated with flowers, which looked especially beautiful at this dull, wintry season. Dishes of cold fowls, ham, and tongue, were flanked by every imaginable description of cakes, both small and large.
Different sorts of jam were dotted here and there among the larger dishes; tea and coffee cups were ranged at the farther end. It was, in fact, a North Country high-tea of the most complete and tempting description.
"Light refreshments are to be served in the drawing-room. This is for those who can stay on for several hours. My husband is going to dine at his club, so we can keep the dear things as long as they are happy,"
said Nan with a gush, while the two girls smiled at each other with shy friendliness.
"Now I shall get to know them! Now they may get to like me, and ask me to sit with them in their schoolroom," thought lonely Cynthia longingly.
"The Pet herself! She _is_ pretty! Miles would admire her more than ever; and oh, what a blouse, and I thought mine was quite nice!" sighed Betty dolorously.
Both Mrs Vanburgh and her friend were very simply attired, but with a dainty finish and elegance from which Betty"s home-made garment was very far removed. She felt plain and dowdy beside them, and her spirits suffered in consequence. Superior people may despise her for so doing, but they don"t understand how a girl feels, so their opinion is not worth having. At seventeen it takes real grace to be a contented Cinderella, and poor Betty did not at all enjoy the position.
It was difficult, however, for any companions of Nan Vanburgh to be depressed for long together, so bright was she, so radiant, so brisk, friendly, and confidential. The girls were sent flying hither and thither until all the preparations were finished, then--
"Let"s go out into the hall, and pretend to be governesses, and walk in again, to see how the effect strikes us," she cried; and out they rushed, like a trio of merry schoolgirls, drawing their faces into expressions of abnormal gravity, to march back again solemn and slow.
"Pray be seated. You must be exhausted after your long walk. To what can I a.s.sist you?"
"The breast of a fowl, please, and a portion of ham; a cup of tea and a few hot m.u.f.fins-- Goodness me, are you going to talk to the poor creatures like that? They _will_ be daunted!" replied Cynthia, all in a breath. She was not at all proper, Betty was glad to see, but as full of fun as an ordinary commonplace girl. "What are you going to talk to them about?" she demanded of her hostess, who shook her head in somewhat helpless fashion, and replied--