There was no more philandering, he was just ... Oh, Jan, he was just such a daylight person, and might have been Daddie. I should have died without him."
"Fay, tell me--I"ll never ask again--was Hugo unkind to you?"
"No, Jan, truly not unkind. He shut me away from the greater part of his life ... and there were other people ... not ladies"--Fay felt the shoulder she leant against stiffen--"but I didn"t know that for quite a long time ... and he wasn"t ever surly or cross or grudging. He always wanted me to have everything very nice, and I really believe he always hoped the mines and things would make lots of money.... You know, Jan, I"d _rather_ believe in people. I daresay you think I"m weak and stupid ... but I can never understand wives who set detectives on their husbands."
"It isn"t done by the best people," Jan said with a laugh that was half a sob. "Let"s hope it isn"t often necessary...."
Fay drew a little closer: "Oh, you are dear not to be stern and scolding...."
"It"s not you I feel like scolding."
"If you scolded him, he"d agree with every word, so that you simply couldn"t go on ... and then he"d go away and do just the same things over again, and fondly hope you"d never hear of it. But he _was_ kind in lots of ways. He didn"t drink----"
"I don"t see anything so very creditable in that," Jan interrupted.
"Well, it"s one of the things he didn"t do--and we had the nicest bungalow in the station and by far the best motor--a much smarter motor than the Resident. And it was only when I discovered that Hugo had made out I was an heiress that I began to feel uncomfortable."
"Was he good to the children?"
"He hardly saw them. Children don"t interest him much. He liked little Fay because she"s so pretty, but I don"t think he cared a great deal for Tony. Tony is queer and judging. Don"t take a dislike to Tony, Jan; he needs a long time, but once you"ve got him he stays for ever--will you remember that?"
Again, Jan felt that cold hand laid on her heart, the hand of chill foreboding. She had noticed many times already that when Fay was off her guard she always talked as though, for her, everything were ended, and she was only waiting for something. There seemed no permanence in her relations with them all.
A shadowy white figure lifted the curtain between the two rooms and stood salaaming.
Jan started violently. She was not yet accustomed to the soundless naked feet of the servants whose presence might be betrayed by a rustle, never by a step.
It was Ayah waiting to know if Fay would like to go to bed.
"Shall I go, Jan? Are you tired?"
Jan was, desperately tired, for she had had no sleep the night before, but Fay"s voice had in it a little tremor of fear that showed she dreaded the night.
"Send her to bed, poor thing. I"ll look after you, brush your hair and tuck you up and all.... Fay, oughtn"t you to have somebody in your room?
Couldn"t my cot be put in there, just to sleep?"
"Oh, Jan, would you? Don"t you mind?"
"Shall I help her to move it?" Jan said, getting up.
Fay pulled her down again. "You funny Jan, you can"t do that sort of thing here. The servants will do it."
She sat up, gave a rapid, eager order to Ayah, and in a few minutes Jan heard her bed being wheeled down the pa.s.sage. Every room had wide double doors--like French rooms--and there was no difficulty.
Fay sank down again among her cushions with a great sigh of relief: "I don"t mind now how soon I go to bed. I shan"t be frightened in the long dark night any more. Oh, Jan, you _are_ a dear daylight person!"
CHAPTER V
THE CHILDREN
Jan made headway with Tony and little Fay. An aunt who carried one pick-a-back; who trotted, galloped, or curvetted to command as an animated steed; who provided spades and buckets, and herself, getting up very early, took them and the children to an adorable sandy beach, deserted save for two or three solitary hors.e.m.e.n; an aunt who dug holes and built castles and was indirectly the means of thrilling rides upon a real horse, when Peter was encountered as one of the mounted few taking exercise before breakfast; such an aunt could not be regarded otherwise than as an acquisition, even though she did at times exert authority and insist upon obedience.
She got it, too; especially from little Fay, who, hitherto, had obeyed n.o.body. Tony, less wilful and not so p.r.o.ne to be destructive, was secretly still unwon, though outwardly quite friendly. He waited and watched and weighed Jan in the balance of his small judgment. Tony was never in any hurry to make up his mind.
One great hold Jan had was a seemingly inexhaustible supply of rhymes, songs, and stories, and she was, moreover, of a telling disposition.
Both children had a quite unusual pa.s.sion for new words. Little Fay would stop short in the midst of the angriest yells if anyone called her conduct in question by some new term of opprobrium. Ayah"s vocabulary was limited, even in the vernacular, and nothing would have induced her to return railing for railing to the children, however sorely they abused her. But Jan occasionally freed her mind, and at such times her speech was terse and incisive. Moreover, she quickly perceived her power over her niece in this respect, and traded on the baby"s quick ear and interest.
One day there was a tremendous uproar in the nursery just after tiffin, when poor Fay usually tried to get the sleep that would partially atone for her restless night. Jan swept down the pa.s.sage and into the room, to find her niece netted in her cot, and bouncing up and down like a newly-landed trout, while Ayah wrestled with a struggling Tony, who tried to drown his sister"s screams with angry cries of "Let me get at her to box her," and, failing that, vigorously boxing Ayah.
Jan closed the door behind her and stood where she was, saying in the quiet, compelling voice they had both already learned to respect: "It"s time for Mummy"s sleep, and how can Mummy sleep in such a pandemonium?"
Little Fay paused in the very middle of a yell and her face twinkled through the restraining net.
"Pandemolium," she echoed, joyously rolling it over on her tongue with obvious gusto.
"Pandemolium."
"She kickened and fit with me," Tony cried angrily. "I _must_ box her."
"Pandemolium?" little Fay repeated inquiringly. "What nelse?"
"Yes," said Jan, trying hard not to laugh; "that"s exactly what it was ... disgraceful."
"What nelse?" little Fay persisted. She had heard disgraceful before. It lacked novelty.
"All sorts of horrid things," said Jan. "Selfish and odious and ill-bred----"
"White bled, blown bled, ill-bled," the person under the net chanted.
"What nother bled?"
"There"s well-bred," said Jan severely, "and that"s what neither you nor Tony are at the present moment."
"There"s toas" too," said the voice from under the net, ignoring the personal application. "Sall we have some?"
"Certainly not," Jan answered with great sternness. "People who riot and brawl----"
"Don"t like zose words," the netted one interrupted distastefully (R"s always stumped her), "naughty words."
"Not so naughty as the people who do it. Has Ayah had her dinner? No?
Then poor Ayah must go and have it, and I shall stay here and tell a very soft, whispery story to people who are quiet and good, who lie in their cots and don"t quarrel----"
"Or blawl" came from the net in a small determined voice. She could not let the new word pa.s.s after all.
"Exactly ... or brawl," Jan repeated in tones nothing like so firm.