"Not much; but she might as well have been candid with us at d.y.k.e Manor."
"A governess is a lady."
"Ought to be. But why did she make out to us that she had been a visitor at the Diffords", when she was only the teacher? We should have respected her just as much; perhaps made more of her."
"What are you cavilling at? As if a lady was never a teacher before!"
"Oh, Tod! it is not that. Don"t you see?--if she had kept a chandler"s shop, and been open about it, what should we have cared? It was the sailing under false colours; trying to pa.s.s herself off for what she is not."
He gave no answer to this, except a whistle.
"She is turned six-and-twenty, Tod. And she was not a school-girl at Miss Lakon"s, but governess-pupil."
"I suppose she was a schoolgirl once?"
"I suppose she was."
"Good. What else have you to say, wise Johnny?"
"Nothing."
Nothing; for where was the use? Sophie Chalk would have been only an angel in his eyes, though he heard that she had sold apples at a street-corner. Sophie, that very morning, had begged Lady Whitney to let her instruct the younger children, "as a friend," so long as they were in town; for the governess at Whitney was a daily one, and they had not brought her. Lady Whitney at first demurred, and then kissed Sophie for her goodness. The result was, that a bed was found for Miss Chalk, and she stayed with them altogether.
But I can"t say much for the teaching. It was not Sophie Chalk"s fault, perhaps. Helen would be in the schoolroom, and Harry would be there; and I and Anna sometimes; and Tod and Bill always. Lady Whitney looked upon this London sojourn as a holiday, and did not mind whether the children learnt or played, provided they were kept pa.s.sably quiet. I told Sophie of my visit to take the fichu, and she made a wry face over the lame girl.
"That Mabel Smith! Poor morbid little object! What she would have grown into but for the fortunate chance of my sister"s marrying into the house, I can"t imagine, Johnny. I"ll draw you her portrait in her night-cap, by-and-by."
The days went on. We did have fun: but war was growing up between William Whitney and Tod. There could no longer be a mistake (to those who understood things and kept their eyes open) of the part Sophie Chalk was playing: and that was trying to throw Tod over for William Whitney, and to make no fuss about it, I don"t believe she cared a bra.s.s b.u.t.ton for either: but Bill"s future position in life would be better than Tod"s, seeing that his father was a baronet. Bill was going in for her favour; perhaps not seriously: it might have been for the fun of the moment, or to amuse himself by spiting Tod. Sir John and my lady never so much as dreamt of the by-playing going on before their faces, and I don"t think Helen did.
"I told you she"d fascinate the eyes out of your head, Bill, give her the chance," said I to him one day in the schoolroom, when Miss Chalk was teaching her pupils to dance.
"You shut up, Johnny," he said, laughing, and shied the atlas at me.
Before the day was out, there was a sharp, short quarrel. They were all coming for the evening to Miss Deveen"s. I went in at dusk to tell them not to make it nine at night. Turning into the drawing-room, I interrupted a scene--Bill Whitney and Tod railing at one another. What the bone of contention was I never knew, for they seemed to have reached the end of it.
"You did," said Tod.
"I did not," said Bill.
"I tell you, you _did_, William Whitney."
"Let it go; it"s word against word, and we shall never decide it. You are mistaken, Todhetley; but I am not going to ask your leave as to what I shall do, or what I shan"t."
"You have no right to say to Miss Chalk what I heard you saying to-day."
"I tell you, you did not hear me say anything of the sort. Put it that you did--what business is it of yours? If I chose to go in for her, to ask her to be the future Lady Whitney--though it may be many a year, I hope, before I step into my father"s place, good old man!--who has the right to say me nay?"
Tod was foaming. Dusk though it was, I could see that. They took no more account of my being present, than of Harry"s little barking dog.
"Look here, Bill Whitney. If----"
"Are you boys quarrelling?"
The interruption was Anna"s. Pa.s.sing through the hall, she had heard the voices and looked in. As if glad of the excuse to get away, Bill Whitney followed her from the room. Tod went out and banged the hall-door after him.
I waited, thinking Anna might come in, and strolled into the little drawing-room. There, quiet as a mouse, stood Sophie Chalk. She had been listening, for certain; and I hope it gratified her: her eyes sparkled a little.
"Why, Johnny! was it _you_ making all that noise? What was the matter?
Anything gone wrong?"
It was all very fine to try it on with me. I just looked straight at her, and I think she saw as much. Saying something about going to search for Helen, she left the room.
"What was the trouble, Johnny?" whispered Anna, stealing up to me.
"Only those two having a jar."
"I heard that. But what was it about? Sophie Chalk?"
"Well, yes; that was it, Anna."
We were at the front window then. A man was lighting the street-lamps, and Anna seemed to be occupied in watching him. There was enough care on her face to set one up in the dismals for life.
"No harm may come of it, Anna. Any way, you can do nothing."
"Oh, Johnny, I wish I knew!" she said, clasping her hands. "I wish I could satisfy myself which way _right_ lies. If I were to speak, it might be put down to a wrong motive. I try to see whether that thought is not a selfish one, whether I ought to let it deter me. But then--that"s not the worst."
"That sounds like a riddle, Anna."
"I wish I had some good, judicious person who would hear all and judge for me," she said, rather dreamily. "If you were older, Johnny, I think I would tell you."
"I am as old as you are, at any rate."
"That"s just it. We are neither of us old enough nor experienced enough to trust to our own judgment."
"There"s your mother, Anna."
"I know."
"What you mean is, that Sir John and Lady Whitney ought to have their eyes opened to what"s going on, that they may put an end to Miss Chalk"s intimacy here, if they deem the danger warrants it?"
"That"s near enough, Johnny. And I don"t see my way sufficiently clearly to do it."
"Put the case to Helen."
"She would only laugh in my face. Hush! here comes some one."
It was Sophie Chalk. She looked rather sharply at us both, and said she could not find Helen anywhere.
And the days were to go on in outward smoothness and private discomfort, Miss Sophie exercising her fascinations on the whole of us.