It was on the lips of Lennox to say, "I am not going to send my girls to your school," but he found, as he looked into her sad dark eyes, that he could not dash the hopes of such a woman to the ground. He was therefore silent, and the evening pa.s.sed agreeably.
Immediately after dinner Mrs Macintyre sat at the piano and sang one Scots song after another. She had a really exquisite voice, and when "Robin Adair" and "Ye Banks and Braes" and "Annie Laurie" rang through the old hall, the man gave himself up to the delight of listening. He stood by her and turned the pages of music, while the two ladies, Mrs Constable and Miss Delacour, looked on with smiling faces. Miss Delacour knew that her cause was won, and that she might with safety leave the precincts of the horrible Garden to-morrow. How miserable she was in that spot! Yes, her friend"s future was a.s.sured, and she herself must go to Edinburgh and to London to secure sufficiently aristocratic pupils for the new school.
CHAPTER VI.
THE HEAD-MISTRESS.
It was, after all, Mrs Macintyre who made the school a great success.
Her gentleness, her sweet and n.o.ble character, overcame every prejudice, even of Mr Lennox. When she said that she thought his children and their flower names beautiful, the heart of the good man was won. Later in the evening, when the lively little party of Lennoxes, accompanied, of course, by Miss Delacour, went back to The Garden, his sister-in-law called him aside, and informed him somewhat brusquely of the fact that she was leaving for London on the following day.
"Mrs Macintyre will remain behind," she said. "I gave her at parting five hundred pounds. You will do your part, of course, George, unless you are an utter fool."
George Lennox felt so glad at the thought of parting from Miss Delacour that he almost forgave her for calling him a possibly utter fool; nay, more, in his joy at her departure, he nearly, but not _quite_, kissed his sister-in-law.
Every attention was now paid to this good lady. At a very early hour on the following morning the motor-car conveyed her to Edinburgh. It seemed to the Lennoxes, children and father alike, that when Aunt Agnes departed the birds sang a particularly delightful song, the roses in the garden gave out their rarest perfume, the sweet-peas were a glory to behold, the sky was more blue than it had ever been before; in short, there was a happy man in The Garden, a happy man with five little Flower Girls. How _could_ he ever bring himself to call his Jasmine, Lucy; his Gentian, Margaret; his Hollyhock, Jacqueline; his Rose of the Garden, mere Rose; and his Delphinium, Dorothy?
"Oh, isn"t it good that she"s gone?" cried Jasmine.
"Your aunt has left us, and we mustn"t talk about her any more," said Lennox, whose relief of mind was so vast that he could not help whistling and singing.
"Why, Daddy Dumps, you _do_ look jolly," said Hollyhock.
"We are all jolly--it is a lovely day," said Mr Lennox.
So they had a very happy breakfast together, and joked and laughed, and forgot Aunt Agnes and her queer ways. The only person who slightly missed her was Magsie, on whom she had bestowed a whole sovereign, informing her at the same time that she, Margaret, might expect good tidings before long.
"Whatever does she mean?" thought Magsie. "She has plenty to say. I didn"t tak" to her at first, but pieces o" gold are no to be had every day o" the week, and she has a generous heart, although I can see the master is not much taken wi" her."
The Flower Girls and their father were rowing on the lake, when a shout from the sh.o.r.e called them to stop. There stood Mrs Constable; there stood Mrs Macintyre; there also stood in a group Jasper, Garnet, Emerald, Sapphire, and Opal.
"Come ash.o.r.e, come ash.o.r.e," called Jasper; and the boat was quickly pulled toward the little landing-stage.
The ten happy children romped away together.
"Isn"t it good that she"s gone?" said Hollyhock. "Isn"t she a downright horror?"
"But mother says she means well," said Jasper; "and who could be nicer than Mrs Macintyre?"
"I suppose not," said Hollyhock. "Is she going to stay with Aunt Cecil long, Jasper?"
"Long? Why, don"t you know the news?"
"What? Oh, do tell us!" cried Delphinium.
"She"s going to stay for ever," said Jasper, "except of course in the holidays. She has taken Ardshiel, and she is going to turn it into a great school, a great, monstrous, magnificent school; and we are _all_ going--we, and you, and heaps more children besides; and mother is nearly off her head with delight. Of course, as far as I am concerned, I shall only be able to stay at such a school for one year, for I must then go on to a public school. But Mrs Macintyre has been talking to mother, and says she can prepare me for Eton with perfect ease in a year from now."
"Oh, bother!" said Jasmine. "We don"t want other boys and girls. We are quite happy by ourselves."
"But mother thinks we must mix with the world, girls; and so does Mrs Macintyre," continued Jasper.
"Well, I"m not going to school, anyhow," said Hollyhock. "You and your mother may go into raptures over Mrs Macintyre as much as ever you please, but I stay at home with Dumpy Dad. Why should _he_ be left out in the cold? He is the dearest Dump in the world, and I "m not going to have him slighted. You are very fond of romancing, Jasper, and I don"t believe a word of your story."
"All right," said Jasper, looking with his honest, Scots face full into the eyes of Hollyhock. "There they are--the princ.i.p.als, I mean."
"Princ.i.p.als! What nonsense you do talk!"
"I mean my mother, your father, and Mrs Macintyre."
"And what are they princ.i.p.als of?" asked the angry girl.
"Why, the school, of course."
"The school? There"s no school."
"Well, let"s run and ask them. Hearing is believing, surely."
The ten children raced after Mrs Macintyre, Mr Lennox, and Mrs Constable.
"Daddy," exclaimed Hollyhock, "there"s not going to be a school set up near here? You are not going to send your Flower Girls to school?"
"Wouldn"t you like me to help you a little, darling?" said Mrs Macintyre in her gentle voice. "You look such an intelligent, pleasant girl, and I would do all in my power for you; and although your father and Mrs Constable are quite wonderful in educating you so far, I think a little outside life, outside teaching, and the meeting with outside boys and girls would be for your benefit, dear child. I do, really! I don"t think you"ll oppose me, Hollyhock, when your father wishes it."
"Dumpy Dad, do you wish it?"
"Well--ah, _yes_, I think it would be a good plan," said George Lennox.
"Then I"m done," said Hollyhock. "Where"s Magsie? She"s the only bit of comfort left to me. Let me seek her out and put a stop to this madness." Hollyhock really felt very, very angry. She was not yet under Mrs Macintyre"s charm. "Where"s my brave Magsie?" she cried, and presently she heard an answering voice.
"Eh, but is that you, Miss Hollyhock? Why, la.s.sie, you look pale.
Your eyes waver. I don"t like ye to look so white in the complexion.
What may ye be wantin" wi" me, my la.s.s?"
"They are trying to whip me off to school," said Hollyhock; "that"s what they are after. That"s what that horrid Aunt Agnes came about."
"Eh, but she is a fine gentlewoman," replied Magsie. "She gave me a whole sovereign. What _I_ ken o" her, I ken weel, and I ken kind. Eh, but ye "ll hae to soople your backbone, Miss Hollyhock, and think a pickle less o" your dainty self. It "ll be guid for ye to go to that schule."
"_You_ are no good at all," cried Hollyhock. "I "m the most miserable girl in the world, and I hate Mrs Macintyre."
"I haven"t set eyes on her yet," said Magsie. "Suppose I go out and tak" a squint. I can always tell when women are good or the other thing. Why, Miss Hollyhock, you look for all the world as though you were scared by bogles; but I "ll soon see what sort the leddy is, and I "ll bring ye word; for folks canna tak" in Magsie Dawe."
Hollyhock sat down, feeling very queer and stupid. She had not long to wait before Magsie dashed into her bedroom.
"Hoots, now, and what a fuss ye mak" o" nothing at a"! A kinder leddy never walked. What ails her? says I. Indeed, I think ye "ll enjoy schule, and muckle fun ye "ll hae there. Ye canna go on as ye are goin". Hech! I wouldna be you, stayin" at hame, for a guid deal.
It"s richt for ye to gang; that"s what I think, havin" seen the leddy and glowerin" at her as I did; but not one thocht but o" love could rise in my breast for her. I"d gie a guid deal for her to teach _me_, that I would. I wouldna sit down and greet like a bairn."