"Yes, we must go; yonder comes Katy for us. Good-evening, sir."
"Good-evening, my little friend. Some of these days I shall come to the asylum to see you all, and have you sing that song again."
She made no reply, but, catching her sister"s hand, walked rapidly homeward. Katy delivered Mrs. Williams" message, and a.s.sured Beulah she must make haste, for Miss Dorothy was displeased that the children were absent.
"What! is she there again, the hateful--"
Beulah"s hand was over Claudia"s mouth, and prevented the remainder of the sentence. That short walk was painful, and conflicting hopes and fears chased each other in the sister"s heart, as she tightened her hold on Lilly"s hand.
"Oh, what a beautiful carriage!" cried Claudia, as they approached the door, and descried an elegant carriage, glittering with silver mountings, and drawn by a pair of spirited black horses.
"Yes, that it is, and there is a lady and gentleman here who must be very rich, judging from their looks. They brought Miss White."
"What do they want, Katy?" asked Claudia.
"I don"t know for certain, though I have my own thoughts," answered the girl, with a knowing laugh that grated on Beulah"s ears.
"Here, Beulah, bring them to the dormitory," said Mrs. Williams, meeting them at the door and hurrying them upstairs. She hastily washed Claudia"s face and recurled her hair, while the same offices were performed for Lillian by her sister.
"Don"t rub my hand so hard; you hurt," cried out Claudia sharply, as in perfect silence, and with an anxious countenance, the kind matron dressed her.
"I only want to get it white and clean, beauty," was the conciliatory reply.
"Well, I tell you that won"t come off, because it"s turpentine,"
retorted the self-willed little elf.
"Come, Beulah; bring Lilly along. Miss White is out of patience."
"What does all this mean?" said Beulah, taking her sister"s hand.
"Don"t ask me, poor child." As she spoke the good woman ushered the trio into the reception room. None of the other children were present. Beulah noted this circ.u.mstance, and, drawing a long breath, looked around.
Miss White was eagerly talking to a richly dressed and very pretty woman, while a gentleman stood beside them, impatiently twirling his seal and watch-key.
All looked up, and Miss White exclaimed:
"Here they are! Now my dear Mrs. Grayson, I rather think you can be suited. Come here, little ones." She drew Claudia to her side, while Lilly clung closer to her sister.
"Oh, what beauties! Only look at them, Alfred!" Mrs. Grayson glanced eagerly from one to the other.
"Very pretty children, indeed, my dear. Extremely pretty; particularly the black-eyed one," answered her husband, with far less ecstasy.
"I don"t know; I believe I admire the golden-haired one most. She is a perfect fairy. Come here, my love, and let me talk to you,"
continued she, addressing Lilly. The child clasped her sister"s fingers more firmly, and did not advance an inch.
"Do not hold her, Beulah. Come to the lady, Lillian," said Miss White. As Beulah gently disengaged her hand, she felt as if the anchor of hope had been torn from her hold; but, stooping down, she whispered:
"Go to the lady, Lilly darling; I will not leave you."
Thus encouraged, the little figure moved slowly forward, and paused in front of the stranger. Mrs. Grayson took her small, white hands tenderly, and, pressing a warm kiss on her lips, said in a kind, winning tone:
"What is your name, my dear?"
"Lillian, ma"am; but sister calls me Lilly."
"Who is "sister"--little Claudia here?"
"Oh, no; sister Beulah." And the soft blue eyes turned lovingly toward that gentle sister.
"Good Heavens, Alfred; how totally unlike! This is one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen, and that girl yonder is ugly,"
said the lady, in an undertone to her husband, who was talking to Claudia. It was said in a low voice, but Beulah heard every syllable, and a glow of shame for an instant bathed her brow.
Claudia heard it too, and, springing from Mr. Grayson"s knee, she exclaimed angrily:
"She isn"t ugly, any such thing; she is the smartest girl in the asylum, and I love her better than anybody in the world."
"No, Beulah is not pretty, but she is good, and that is far better,"
said the matron, laying her trembling hand on Beulah"s shoulder. A bitter smile curled the girl"s lips, but she did not move her eyes from Lillian"s face.
"f.a.n.n.y, if you select that plain-spoken little one you will have some temper to curb," suggested Mr. Grayson, somewhat amused by Claudia"s burst of indignation.
"Oh, my dear husband, I must have them both. Only fancy how lovely they will be, dressed exactly alike. My little Lilly, and you Claudia, will you come and be my daughters? I shall love you very much, and that gentleman will be your papa. He is very kind. You shall have big wax dolls, as high as your heads, and doll-houses, and tea-sets, and beautiful blue and pink silk dresses, and every evening I shall take you out to ride in my carriage. Each of you shall have a white hat, with long, curling feathers. Will you come and live with me, and let me be your mamma?"
Beulah"s face a.s.sumed an ashen hue, as she listened to these coaxing words. She had not thought of separation; the evil had never presented itself in this form, and, staggering forward, she clutched the matron"s dress, saying hoa.r.s.ely:
"Oh, don"t separate us! Don"t let them take Lilly from me! I will do anything on earth, I will work my hands off. Oh, do anything, but please, oh, please, don"t give Lilly up. My own darling Lilly."
Claudia here interrupted: "I should like to go well enough, if you will take Beulah too. Lil, are you going?"
"No, no." Lillian broke away from the stranger"s clasping arm and rushed toward her sister; but Miss White sat between them, and, catching the child, she firmly, though very gently, held her back.
Lilly was very much afraid of her, and, bursting into tears, she cried imploringly:
"Oh, sister! take me, take me!"
Beulah sprang to her side, and said, almost fiercely: "Give her to me; she is mine, and you have no right to part us." She extended her arms toward the little form struggling to reach her.
"The managers have decided that it is for the child"s good that Mrs.
Grayson should adopt her. We dislike very much to separate sisters, but it cannot be avoided; whole families can"t be adopted by one person, and you must not interfere. She will soon be perfectly satisfied away from you, and instead of encouraging her to be rebellious, you ought to coax her to behave and go peaceably,"
replied Miss White, still keeping Beulah at arm"s length.
"You let go Lilly, you hateful, ugly, old thing you! She shan"t go if she don"t want to? She does belong to Beulah," cried Claudia, striding up and laying her hand on Lilly"s arm.
"You spoiled, insolent little wretch!" muttered Miss White, crimsoning to the roots of her fiery hair.
"I am afraid they will not consent to go. f.a.n.n.y, suppose you take Claudia; the other seems too reluctant," said Mr. Grayson, looking at his watch.
"But I do so want that little blue-eyed angel. Cannot the matron influence her?" She turned to her as she spoke. Thus appealed to, Mrs. Williams took the child in her arms, and caressed her tenderly.
"My dear little Lilly, you must not cry and struggle so. Why will you not go with this kind lady? She will love you very much."