Rosie"s voice was summoning Vi. The children were in the veranda ready for their morning walk, waiting only for "Sister Vi."
"Let"s go to the Oaks," said Rosie, slipping her hand into Vi"s; "it"s a nice shady walk, and I like to throw pebbles into the water. But I"ll feed the fishes first. See what a bag full of crumbs mammy has given me."
Violet was very patient and indulgent toward the little pet sister, yet obliged to cut short her sport with the pebbles and the fishes, because the hour for lessons drew near.
CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.
"The lilies faintly to the roses yield, As on thy lovely cheek they struggling vie, And thoughts are in thy speaking eyes revealed, Pure as the fount the prophet"s rod unseal"d."
--HOFFMAN.
"Dr. Arthur lef" dis for you, Miss Wi"let," said one of the maids, meeting her young mistress on the veranda and handing her a note.
"Cousin Arthur? was he here?"
"Yes, miss. He axed for you, but hadn"t no time to stop, not even to see po" Miss Molly. "Spect somebody"s mighty sick."
Arthur Conly had entered the medical profession, and for the last two years had been practicing in partnership with Dr. Barton.
Vi glanced over the note and hastened to Eddie, whom she found in the schoolroom, its only occupant at the moment.
"Here"s a note from Isa, asking me to bring Rosie and come to Roselands for the rest of the day, after lessons are done. She thinks I must feel lonely. It is very kind, but what shall I do about it? Rosie would enjoy going, but would it be kind to you or the boys, or Molly?"
"I might take the boys over to the Oaks, but I don"t know--oh, I think Molly would probably prefer solitude, as I happen to know that she has some writing to do. Well, what now?" seeing a hesitating, perplexed look on Vi"s face.
"I cannot ask permission of papa or mamma."
"No, of course not; we must go to Mr. Daly for that now."
"I don"t like it," she answered coloring; "it does seem as if n.o.body has the right to control us except our father and mother, and our grandparents."
"Only that they have given him the right for the present."
Mr. Daly came in at that instant, and Vi, placing the note in his hand, said "Will you please to look at this, sir, and tell me if I may accept the invitation?"
"I see no objection," he said, returning it with a kindly smile, "provided your lessons are well recited."
Mr. Daly was an excellent teacher, thoroughly prepared for his work by education, native talent for imparting the knowledge he possessed, love for the employment and for the young creatures entrusted to his care.
The liking was mutual, and study hours were soon voted only less enjoyable than when mamma was their loved instructress.
Molly occupied her place in the schoolroom as regularly as the others. It adjoined her apartments, and her wheeled chair required a very slight exertion of strength on the part of friend or servant to propel it from room to room.
Molly had already made herself a very thorough French and German scholar, and was hoping to turn her ability to translate to good account in the way of earning her own support; for there was no pauper instinct in the girl"s n.o.ble nature, and able and willing as her cousin was to support her, she greatly preferred to earn her own living, though at the cost of much wearisome labor of hand and brain.
She was not of those who seem to forget that the command, "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work," is equally binding with that other, "In it (the seventh day) thou shalt not do any work," This lesson--that industry is commanded, idleness forbidden--was one which Elsie had ever been careful to instil into the minds of her children from their earliest infancy; nor was it enough, she taught them, that they should be doing something, they must be usefully employed, remembering that they were but stewards who must one day give an account to their Lord of all they had done with the talents entrusted to them.
"Is d.i.c.k well? was it a nice letter?" Violet asked, leaning over her cousin"s chair when lessons were done.
"Oh very nice! he"s well and doing famously, I must answer it this afternoon."
"Then you will not care for company?"
"Not particularly. Why?"
Vi told of her invitation.
"Go, by all means," said Molly. "You know Virgy has a friend with her, a Miss Reed. I want you to see her and tell me what she"s like."
"I fear you"ll have to see her yourself to find that out; I"m no portrait painter," Violet said with a smile as she ran lightly away to order the carriage and see to her own toilet and Rosie"s.
They were simple enough; white dresses with blue sash and ribbons for Vi, ditto of pink for Rosie.
Miss Reed, dressed in a stiff silk and loaded with showy jewelry, sat in the drawing-room at Roselands in a bay-window overlooking the avenue. She was gazing eagerly toward its entrance, as though expecting some one.
"Yes, I"ve heard of the Travillas," she said in answer to a remark from Virginia Conly who stood by her side almost as showily attired as herself, "I"ve been told she was a great heiress."
"She was; and he was rich too; though I believe he lost a good deal during the war."
"They live splendidly, I suppose?"
"They"ve everything money can buy, but are nearly breaking their hearts just now, over one of their little girls who seems to have some incurable disease."
"Is that so? Well, they ought to have some trouble as well as other folks. I"m sorry though; for I"d set my heart on being invited there and seeing how they live."
"Oh they"re all gone away except Vi and Rosie and the boys. But may be Vi will ask us there to dinner or tea. Ah here they come!"
"What splendid match horses! What an elegant carriage!" exclaimed Miss Reed, as a beautiful barouche, drawn by a pair of fine bays, came bowling up the avenue.
"Yes, they"ve come, it"s the Ion carriage."
"But that"s a young lady Pomp"s handing out of it!" exclaimed Miss Reed the next moment, "and I thought you said it was only two children you expected."
"Yes, Vi"s only thirteen," answered Virginia running to the door to meet her. "Vi, my dear, how good in you to come. How sweet you look!" kissing her. "Rosie too," bestowing a caress upon her also, "pink"s so becoming to you, little pet, and blue equally so to Vi. This is my friend Miss Reed, Vi, I"ve been telling her about you."
Violet gave her hand, then drew back blushing and slightly disconcerted by the almost rude stare of the black eyes that seemed to be taking an inventory of her personal appearance and attire.
"Where is Isa?" she asked.
"Here, and very glad to see you, Vi," answered a silvery voice, and a tall, queenly looking girl of twenty, in rustling black silk and with roses in her hair and at her throat, took Violet"s hands in hers and kissed her on both cheeks, then letting her go, saluted the little one in like manner.
"Why don"t you do that to me? guess I like kisses as well as other folks, ha! ha!" cried a shrill voice, and a little withered up, faded woman with a large wax doll in her arms, came skipping into the room.
Her hair, plentifully sprinkled with grey, hung loosely about her neck, and she had bedizened herself with ribbons and faded artificial flowers of every hue.