"Here comes Grandpapa!" announced Polly gleefully, from a station nearer the library. "Hush, now, Mr. Frazer"s going!"
The library door opening at this announcement, and a few sentences charged with business floating up the staircase, the bustle around Phronsie became joyfully intense.
"Mamsie, don"t you think she ought to have a shawl on?" cried Polly anxiously, running over the stairs. "She"s been shut up so long!"
"No," said Mother Fisher. "Doctor told me particularly not to bundle her up. It was the last thing he said before he went to his office."
"Well," said Polly with a sigh, "then there isn"t absolutely anything more to do for her. Why doesn"t Grandpapa come?"
"You are worse than d.i.c.ky," said Mrs. Fisher with a little laugh. "Dear me, Polly, just think how old you are."
Phronsie stood quite still in the middle of the floor and folded her hands. "I want to see Grandpapa all alone when he comes up," she said.
"What for?" cried Polly, pausing in astonishment.
"Do you want us all to go out, Phronsie?" asked her mother slowly.
"Yes," said Phronsie, shaking her yellow head with great decision, "please every single one go out, Mamsie. I want to see Grandpapa quite alone."
"All right, child," said Mrs. Fisher, with a look at Polly. So after a little demur and consequent delay on the part of the others, the door was closed and she was left standing all alone.
Phronsie drew a long breath. "I wish Grandpapa would come," she said to herself.
"And so you wanted me, did you, dear?" cried Mr. King joyfully, as he hurried in and closed the door carefully. "Well, now, see if I can guess what you want to tell me."
"Grandpapa," said Phronsie, standing quite still and turning a puzzled face toward him, "I don"t want to tell you anything; I want to ask you something."
"Well, well, dear, what is it?" Old Mr. King, not stopping for a chair, leaned over her and stroked her yellow head. "Now, then, look up, and ask me right off, Phronsie."
"Must a person keep a promise?" asked Phronsie, "a really and truly promise, Grandpapa?"
"Yes, yes," said the old gentleman with great abruptness, "to be sure one must, Phronsie. To be sure. So now if any one has promised you anything, do you make him stick to it. It"s mean enough to break your word, child."
Phronsie drew a long breath.
"That"s all, Grandpapa," she said, and lifting up her arms; "now take me downstairs, please." She laid a cool little cheek against his, as he raised her to his shoulder.
"Remember what I say, Phronsie," laughed Mr. King, his mind more intent on the delightful fact that he was carrying down the longed-for burden to the family life, than on what he was saying, "and if any one has promised you anything, keep him up sharp to pay you. I verily believe it is that scamp d.i.c.k. Here goes!" and reaching the door he threw it wide. "Forward, march!"
"Well, is the important conference over?" asked Polly, with a keen look at them both.
Mrs. Fisher"s eyes did their duty, but she said nothing.
"Yes, indeed," declared Mr. King, marching on gaily. "Now clear the way there, all you good people. Here, you d.i.c.k, drumming your heels, go ahead, sir."
"I"m glad enough to," shouted d.i.c.k, racing down the remainder of the stairs. "Halloo, Phronsie," waving his hand at her, "three cheers and a tiger! Bother! Here comes Mrs. Chatterton."
Which was quite true. To every one"s astonishment the door of that lady"s apartment opened slowly, disclosing her in new morning wrapper, preparing to join the cavalcade.
"Good morning, Cousin Eunice," cried Mr. King gaily. He could be merry with any one this day. "Come on, this is a festal occasion, you see; Phronsie"s going downstairs for the first time. Fall into line!"
"I"m not able to go down," said Mrs. Chatterton, coming slowly out into the hall, "but I"ll stand here and see the parade."
"Bully!" exploded d.i.c.k softly, peering up from the foot of the stairs.
Phronsie looked over Mr. King"s shoulder at her as she was borne down the stairs, and, putting out her hand, "I"m all well now," she said.
"Yes, I see," said Mrs. Chatterton. Then she pulled up her white shawl with a shiver. "It"s rather cold here," she said; "after all, I believe I must get back to my room."
n.o.body noticed when she crept back, the hilarity now being so great below stairs.
"I certainly am losing ground," she muttered, "every little thing affects me so. I"ll step into Bartram"s office next time I go down town and set that little matter straight, since I"ve made up my mind to do it. It never would do to let him come to the house. Horatio would suspect something to see my lawyer here, and the whole household imagine I was going to die right off. No, no; I must go there, that"s clear. Then if it"s attended to, I"ll live all the longer, with nothing on my mind."
Phronsie, meanwhile, was going around from room to room in a pleased way, and touching different objects gently "Everything"s new, isn"t it, Polly," she said at last, "when you stay upstairs? Oh! there"s my kittens in the basket," pointing to a bisque vase on the table.
"Yes," said Polly; "Mamsie brought it in here. And we"ve some flowers; Alexia sent them over. They"re out in the back hall; we saved them for you to put in yourself."
"Oh!" exclaimed Phronsie, "that"s so good in you, Polly."
"Don"t stop now," cried d.i.c.k in disgust. "Faugh! you can fix flowers any time. Come out into the dining-room--and you"ll see something you"ll like."
Phronsie smothered a sigh, and turned slowly away from the kittens waiting in their basket for Alexia"s flowers. "Come on!" shouted d.i.c.k, seizing her hand. "You never can guess what it is, in all this world."
"Is it a new dog?" asked Phronsie fearfully, whose memory of d.i.c.k"s latest purchase was not altogether happy.
"No," said d.i.c.k, pulling her on, "better than that."
"Don"t hurry her so," said Polly. "What have you got, d.i.c.k?"
"Now, do you mind, sir," cried Jasper, "else well stop your pretty plan."
"I won"t hurry her," said d.i.c.k, slackening his gait. "Well, here we are," opening the dining-room door. "Why, Jane has let it out!"
Phronsie fell back a step at this and tried to cover her feet with her gown, searching the floor for the "it."
"Lookout!" cried d.i.c.k suddenly. "There he goes!" And something whirred over Phronsie"s head.
"Oh! what is it?" she cried, tumbling into Jasper"s arms and clasping his neck. "Oh! oh!"
"Why, it"s a swallow," cried d.i.c.k, in the babel that ensued, "a beautiful one, too. I"ve just caught him, and I made Jane let me bring it in here to surprise you," he added proudly.
"Well, you"ve succeeded," cried Jasper, holding Phronsie close. "There, there, child, it"s all right. It"s a bird, Phronsie, and he"s gone upstairs."
"He"ll frighten my dolls," cried Phronsie in new alarm, hanging to Jasper"s neck. "Oh! do let us go upstairs, and tell them he"s only a bird."
"Run along, d.i.c.k, and catch your old bird," cried Jasper, "and clear out with him--quick now!"
"He"s the best thing there is in this house," cried d.i.c.k, going over the back stairs two at a time. "Girls are so silly."