There is nothing in its way more difficult than to start a new school; and Mrs Macintyre, with all her vast experience--for she had been mistress of more than one of the celebrated houses at Cheltenham College in the time of the great and n.o.ble Miss Beale, and had in fact, until her marriage, been a teacher--knew well what special difficulties she had before her, more particularly in a mixed school. There was no reason, however, why such schools should not exist, and do well. But she knew they had a fight before them, and that conflict lay in her path. She did not, however, know that this conflict was to take place so soon.
Mrs Macintyre was a good deal surprised by what followed Hollyhock"s stolen visit to Ardshiel. The children--boys and girls alike--were now hard at work at their daily tasks. The first day pa.s.sed splendidly.
The Precious Stones became extremely great friends with Roger Carden, Ivor Chetwode, and Henry Anstel. There were also some other boys whose parents were negotiating to send their sons to Mrs Macintyre, for the fame of her school and the beauty of its surroundings were much talked of, and the idea of a mixed school highly pleased some people, while it equally annoyed others.
It was on the first Sat.u.r.day morning, when the Precious Stones and the Flower Girls were to return home, that Mrs Macintyre was informed by one of her servants (Magsie, no less) that a lady, a Mrs Maclure, had called, and was waiting to see her in the white drawing-room. Mrs Macintyre"s husband had been Scots, and she herself was Scots. She therefore knew many of the Edinburgh people, and had drawn upon this knowledge in getting pupils for her school. She wondered if Mrs Maclure was a certain Jane Scott whom she knew in her youth, and who had married a Dr Maclure. She felt not a little surprise at this visit at so early and important an hour.
"The leddy kens ye are busy, but will not keep you long," said Magsie, who was struggling in vain to acquire an English accent.
"I will be with her immediately," said Mrs Macintyre, and Magsie tripped away, her eyes very bright. She was enjoying herself immensely. As a matter of fact she had never known real life before.
Mrs Macintyre went at once into the drawing-room, having given different orders to her teachers to proceed with their work, and promising to be with them again before long. The moment she entered the drawing-room she gave a little gasp of pleasure.
"Why, Jane, is it indeed you?" she could not help remarking.
"Ah, yes, Elsie, it"s no other."
"Well, sit down, Jane, won"t you?"
"I suppose I "ve come at an inconvenient time, Elsie?"
"Well, I do happen to be busy."
I can"t help that, my dear," said Mrs Maclure. "The business that hurries me to your side is too urgent and important to brook a moment"s delay."
"Dear me, what can be wrong?" said Mrs Macintyre.
"I"m told that you keep a mixed school."
"Yes, I do. I have a few small boys here."
"Shocking!" said Mrs Maclure.
"What do you mean, Jane? Why shouldn"t the boys be here?"
"This is a costly place," said Mrs Maclure, looking round her. "The laying out of it must have cost a deal of money."
"It did; but generous friends helped, and the Duke was not stingy with his purse."
"I don"t want to know any of the financial particulars," continued Mrs Maclure. "But tell me one thing, Elsie. Do you want your school to pay?"
"Of course I do."
"Ah, I thought as much. Now, I "ll tell you what it is, Elsie. I have come here with a scheme, and if you see your way to carry it out, why, the school will pay, and pay again and again; but there must be no mixing in it. I mean by that, the eggs must be in one basket and the b.u.t.ter in another."
"You puzzle me very much, Jane."
"Well, I was always outspoken, my dear, and I heard of your trials, and your n.o.ble courage, and the fact that you "d got hold of one of the bonniest bits of land in the whole of Scotland. Why, Ardshiel could be full over and over again if it wasn"t mixed. But mixed it must not be."
"I "m very sorry to displease you, Jane," said Mrs Macintyre; "but the thing cannot be altered now. I have, after all, at the present moment only got eight boys in my school, although others will probably arrive.
I cannot turn those dear little fellows out."
"Well, then, the girls must go."
"No; I mean to keep my girls."
"Elsie, you were always obstinacy personified. You"ve got a good school in a lovely spot, within easy reach of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and also capable of receiving children from different parts of England.
The establishment is in working order. Now pray tell me how many you have got in the school?"
Mrs Macintyre said, "Reckoning the boys first, I have got eight, as I said; but I have had letters this morning from several parents who wish to send their sons to my school."
"Well, we "ll say eight boys," said Mrs Maclure. "I suppose they are quite babies?"
"Not at all. Jasper is fifteen. He is the eldest boy in the school, but will only stay for a year, as he has been very well taught by his gifted mother and by Mr Lennox, the father of my sweet little Flower Girls, as I call them."
"Elsie, you are becoming sadly romantic. It runs in the blood. You must be careful. Fancy a big boy of fifteen in a girls" school."
"He"s a gentleman and my right hand," said Mrs Macintyre.
"That has nothing whatsoever to do with it. He"s fifteen, and ought to be in a public school."
"He wants a year"s training before he can go to Eton. He is a singularly gifted lad, and is the life of the house."
"He must be the life of some other house. Now, then, for the girls.
How many of them have you got?"
"To begin with, I"ve got Lucy, Margaret, Rose, and Dorothy Lennox; their father is the Honourable George Lennox, who lives in a house called The Garden close by."
"Well, go on. I suppose you have more girls than that. That makes four. Now proceed with the rest."
"Well, there"s Lady Leucha Villiers."
"You don"t say so!"
"I do, my friend. Her mother, the Countess of Crossways, has entrusted her to my care."
"You amaze me!"
"Perhaps I shall amaze you further. I have also got the Ladies Barbara and Dorothy Fraser, daughters of the Marquis of Killin."
"You astound me!"
"Then I have the Honourable Daisy Watson. In addition I have Miss Augusta Fane, Miss Agnes Featherstonhaugh"----
"Good name that," muttered Mrs Maclure.
"Miss Margaret Drummond."
"I know them well--Scots to the backbone," said Mrs Maclure.