With a bound, Polly was at Mr. King"s side, with her face on his coat, close to the little tear-stained one. The fat, little arms unclasped their hold, and transferred themselves willingly to Polly"s neck; and Phronsie hugged up comfortingly to Polly"s heart, who poured into her ear all the loving words she had so longed to say.
Just then there was a great rush and a scuffling noise; and something rushed up to Phronsie "Oh!" And then the next minute, she had her arms around Prince"s neck, too, who was jumping all over her and trying as hard as he could, to express his overwhelming delight.
"She"s the cunningest little thing I ever saw," said Mrs. Whitney, enthusiastically, afterward, aside to Mr. King. "Such lovely yellow hair, and such exquisite brown eyes--the combination is very striking.
How did her mother ever let her go?" she asked impulsively, "I didn"t believe you could persuade her, father."
"I didn"t have any fears, if I worked it rightly," said the old gentleman complacently. "I wasn"t coming without her, Marian, if it could possibly be managed. The truth is, that Phronsie had been pining for Polly to such an extent, that there was no other way but for her to have Polly; and her mother was just on the point, although it almost killed her, of sending for Polly--as if we should have let her go!" he cried in high dudgeon; just as if he owned the whole of the Peppers, and could dispose of them all to suit his fancy! "So you see, I was just in time; in the very nick of time, in fact!"
"So her mother was willing?" asked his daughter, curiously. "Oh, she couldn"t help it," cried Mr. King, beginning to walk up and down the floor, and beaming as he recalled his successful strategy; "there wasn"t the smallest use in thinking of anything else. I told her "twould just stop Polly from ever being a musician if she broke off now--and so "twould, you know yourself, Marian, for we should never get the child here again, if we let her go now; and I talked--well, I had to talk some; but, well--the upshot is I did get her, and I did bring her--and here she is!" And the old gentleman was so delighted with his success, that he had to burst out into a series of short, happy bits of laughter, that occupied quite a s.p.a.ce of time. At last he came out of them, and wiped his face vigorously.
"And to think how fond the little girl is of you, father!" said Mrs.
Whitney, who hadn"t yet gotten over her extreme surprise at the old gentleman"s complete subjection to the little Peppers: he, whom all children had by instinct always approached so carefully, and whom every one found it necessary to conciliate!
"Well, she"s a nice child," he said, "a very nice child; and,"
straightening himself up to his fullest height, and looking so very handsome, that his daughter could not conceal her admiration, "I shall always take care of Phronsie Pepper, Marian!"
"So I hope," said Mrs. Whitney; "and father, I do believe they"ll repay you; for I do think there"s good blood there; these children have a look about them that shows them worthy to be trusted."
"So they have: so they have," a.s.sented Mr. King, and then the conversation dropped.
PHRONSIE
Phronsie was toiling up and down the long, oak staircase the next morning; slowly going from one step to the other, drawing each little fat foot into place laboriously, but with a pleased expression on her face that only gave some small idea of the rapture within. Up and down she had been going for a long time, perfectly fascinated; seeming to care for nothing else in the world but to work her way up to the top of the long flight, only to turn and come down again. She had been going on so for some time, till at last, Polly, who was afraid she would tire herself all out, sat down at the foot and begged and implored the little girl, who had nearly reached the top, to stop and rest.
"You"ll be tired to death, Phronsie!" she said, looking up at the small figure on its toilsome journey. "Why you must have gone up a million times! Do sit down, pet; we"re all going out riding, Phronsie, this afternoon; and you can"t go if you"re all tired out."
"I won"t be tired, Polly," said Phronsie, turning around and looking at her, "do let me go just once more!"
"Well," said Polly, who never could refuse her anything, "just once, Phronsie, and then you must stop."
So Phronsie kept on her way rejoicing, while Polly still sat on the lowest stair, and drummed impatiently on the stair above her, waiting for her to get through.
j.a.ppy came through the hall and found them thus. "Halloa, Polly!" he said, stopping suddenly; "what"s the matter?"
"Oh, Phronsie"s been going so," said Polly, looking up at the little figure above them, which had nearly reached the top in delight, "that I can"t stop her. She has really, j.a.ppy, almost all the morning; you can"t think how crazy she is over it."
"Is that so?" said Jasper, with a little laugh. "Hulloa, Phronsie, is it nice?" and he tossed a kiss to the little girl, and then sat down by Polly.
"Oh," said Phronsie, turning to come down, "it"s the beyew-tiflest place I ever saw, Jasper! the very be-yew-tiflest!"
"I wish she could have her picture painted," whispered Jasper, enthusiastically. "Look at her now, Polly, quick!"
"Yes," said Polly, "isn"t she sweet!"
"Sweet!" said Jasper. "I should think she was!"
The sunlight through an oriel window fell on the childish face and figure, glinting the yellow hair, and lighting up the radiant face, that yet had a tender, loving glance for the two who waited for her below.
One little foot was poised, just in the act of stepping down to the next lower stair, and the fat hand grasped the polished railing, expressive of just enough caution to make it truly childish. In after years Jasper never thought of Phronsie without bringing up this picture on that April morning, when Polly and he sat at the foot of the stairs, and looked up and saw it.
"Where"s j.a.p?" called one of the boys; and then there was a clatter out into the hall.
"What are you doing?" and Van came to a full stop of amazement and stared at them.
"Resting," said j.a.ppy, concisely, "what do you want, Van?"
"I want you," said Van, "we can"t do anything without you, j.a.ppy; you know that."
"Very well," said Jasper, getting up. "Come on, Polly, we must go."
"And Phronsie," said Van, anxiously, looking up to Phronsie, who had nearly reached them by this time, "we want her, too."
"Of course," said Polly, running up and meeting her to give her a hug; "I don"t go unless she does."
"Where are we going, Polly?" asked Phronsie, looking back longingly to her beloved stairs as she was borne off.
"To the greenhouse, chick!" said Jasper, "to help Turner; and it"ll be good fun, won"t it, Polly?"
"What is a greenhouse?" asked the child, wonderingly. "All green, Jasper?"
"Oh, dear me," said Van, doubling up, "do you suppose she thinks it"s painted green?"
"It"s green inside, Phronsie, dear," said Jasper, kindly, "and that"s the best of all."
When Phronsie was really let loose in the greenhouse she thought it decidedly best of all; and she went into nearly as much of a rapture as Polly did on her first visit to it.
In a few moments she was cooing and jumping among the plants, while old Turner, staid and particular as he was, laughed to see her go.
"She"s your sister, Miss Mary, ain"t she?" at last he asked, as Phronsie bent lovingly over a little pot of heath, and just touched one little leaf carefully with her finger.
"Yes," said Polly, "but she don"t look like me."
"She is like you," said Turner, respectfully, "if she don"t look like you; and the flowers know it, too," he added, "and they"ll love to see her coming, just as they do you."
For Polly had won the old gardener"s heart completely by her pa.s.sionate love for flowers, and nearly every morning a little nosegay, fresh and beautiful, came up to the house for "Miss Mary."
And now n.o.body liked to think of the time, or to look back to it, when Phronsie hadn"t been in the house. When the little feet went pattering through halls and over stairs, it seemed to bring sunshine and happiness into every one"s heart just to hear the sounds. Polly and the boys in the schoolroom would look up from their books and nod away brightly to each other, and then fall to faster than ever on their lessons, to get through the quicker to be with her again.
One thing Phronsie always insisted on, and kept to it pertinaciously--and that was to go into the drawing-room with Polly when she went to practice, and there, with one of her numerous family of dolls, to sit down quietly in some corner and wait till she got through.
Day after day she did it, until Polly, who was worried to think how tedious it must be for her, would look around and say, "Oh, childie, do run out and play."
"I want to stay," Phronsie would beg in an injured tone; "please let me, Polly."
So Polly would jump and give her a kiss, and then, delighted to know that she was there, would go at her practicing with twice the vigor and enthusiasm.