"Now indeed I can"t tell you!" returned Pixie regretfully. She was proudly conscious of having made a sensation, and it did seem hard to be obliged to dispel it as soon as it was made! "There"s nothing settled, for, to tell you the truth, he has never so much as seen her yet, but she was visiting old Biddy Gallagher when he drove past to the meet, and at lunch says she, "He"s the elegant creature, that duke! I"m thinking of marrying him myself!" and took Bridgie"s advice on the trousseau that very afternoon. She says she won"t be engaged until she is twenty-one, and that it"s a pity to unsettle him about it yet awhile, as there"s over two years to wait. He wouldn"t want to wait if he saw her, for she"s more beautiful than anyone you ever saw out of a picture, though it"s himself I pity when the tantrums is on her. We often talk about it, and plan how we will spend his money, and if you want to put her in a good temper you"ve nothing to do but call her "Your Grace!""
"I never heard anything so silly!" cried Ethel scornfully. Kate gave a mild "He, he!" as she watched the process of hair-dressing in the mirror, and reflected pensively that spectacles seemed strangely out of keeping with evening dress. There was no doubt about it, she was astonishingly plain, and oh, how nice it must be to be beautiful like Esmeralda--so beautiful that even your own brothers and sisters admired you! It was a natural longing, for every girl wishes to be attractive to others, and feels a pang if obliged to realise that the tribute of admiration can never be hers; but Kate was too sensible to grieve long over impossibilities. "I shall have to be extra amiable to make up for it, that"s all!" she told herself philosophically, as she lifted the hand-gla.s.s, and wriggled about before the gla.s.s to view the effect of the new coiffure. It was most elaborate and hairdresser-windowish in effect, and if it were not exactly becoming, that was perhaps more her own misfortune than the fault of the operator, who had bestowed such pains upon the erection. So she declared truthfully enough that she had never felt so fine in her life, and threatened to sit at the piano the whole of the evening, so that all beholders might have an opportunity of admiring her "back hair."
Her toilet was now finished, but Ethel"s bows were waiting to be tied and smoothed out, and Flora had to be laced into her dress, and to be consoled when again visited with the dread of finishing her career as the fat woman in a show. Finally, the first bell for tea was heard pealing downstairs, and away ran the three girls, leaving poor Cinderella to tidy the cubicles, and almost forgetting to thank her for her services; for in truth they had been so cheerfully rendered as to appear a favour given, rather than received.
Left to herself, Pixie stole into the corridor and flattened herself into a doorway to watch the gay figures descending the staircase. The tidying away could wait for a few moments, but it was not often that one had the opportunity of watching so festive a scene. Doors opened on every side, and out they came, one girl after another, so smart and fine that one could hardly recognise them for the blue-serged damsels of ordinary school life. Down the stairs they tripped, with rustlings of silk and crinklings of muslin, dainty white shoes, looking daintier than ever against the well-worn carpet. Such a crowd of girls, and each one looking brighter and happier than the one before. Lottie in white, Margaret in blue, with her brown hair coiled round her head in a shining chestnut coronet, one after another, until at last there was no one left, and silence reigned in the corridor, broken only by a little sniff and sigh from the shadow of a doorway. "And one little p-ig stayed at h-ome," sighed Pixie, trying hard to laugh, and a.s.siduously licking the tears from her cheeks, as she hung school skirts in the cupboards, and folded everyday garments on bedroom chairs, in readiness for use on the following day.
"Now they are all sitting down and beginning to eat! There"ll be nothing but jam and cakes and elegant bread-and-b.u.t.ter--so thin you might eat a plateful, and starve upon it! I wonder what they"ll be sending me upstairs. I couldn"t look at a bit of plain food, but plum cake would be medicine to me. Me digestion was always delicate.
Bridgie said so. "The child needs tempting!" I"ve heard her say, over and over again, when the milk pudding came in at the door, and my appet.i.te went out. I must go to the schoolroom now, I suppose, for Miss Phipps said I must be in my bed by seven. Ellen has the soft heart--I wouldn"t wonder if she brought me something nice to cheer me spirits!"
Buoyed up by this hope, she ran off to the cla.s.sroom, and there was Ellen herself at the door, looking at her with such kind, sorry-looking eyes, as if there was nothing she would like better than to carry her bodily downstairs.
"Your tea is ready, Miss Pixie. Miss Emily"s orders were that I was not to bring you any cake, but I have brought something else that you will like better."
What could that be? Pixie rushed to the table, and oh, joy of joys, there lay a big fat letter with the Bally William postmark in the corner, and Bridgie"s dear, well-known writing straggling over its surface. No one in the world wrote such sweet letters as Bridgie, and how dear of her to time this one to arrive at the moment of all others when it was most desired! Pixie gloated over it with sparkling eyes, kissed it, hugged it, poked at it with her fingers to discover exactly how many sheets it might contain, and finally devoured it and the bread- and-b.u.t.ter together in one long beam of delight.
"Littlest and dearest, do you want to see us all, and know what we are doing? It is eight o"clock, and we have had three dinners in succession, each lordly male waiting until the other had finished his meal before he could resign himself to come indoors, and at the third coming Molly sent for me to the kitchen to give warning for this day month, which same I took smiling, for it"s never a bribe she would take to leave Knock Castle while an O"Shaughnessy was within its walls. It"s Pat that"s sitting at the table now, eating apples and cracking nuts as languid as if the day was his own, and Esmeralda frowning thunder at him because she wants the table to draw a sketch for the newest picture, which is to make all our fortunes yet. The Major is reading the newspaper, and groaning aloud at every comma, because the Government has no sense at all, and the only man who could put things straight is tied by the heel by half a dozen children. The dogs are sitting in a circle round Pat, watching every bite with such big, longing eyes, and myself writing on my knee by the fire, with the ink on the fender,--looking threatening at the rug! Says Esmeralda, "Five days more, and we shall see her again," meaning yourself, to whom I write. "Will she be grown, I"m wondering! She"s too small altogether, and yet we don"t want our Pixie changed. And the mimic she is! Wait till we hear the fine English talk, and have her correcting us all, on account of our brogue!"
Then Pat must up and say there was no room for him and an English accent in the Castle at the same time, and the Major rebuked him, and asked was it for pleasure he paid as much for schooling as could be spent sensibly on as fine a hunter as a man could wish, and besought us all to put ourselves at your feet, and learn what you could teach us.
Then Esmeralda sighed and clasped her hands, and says she, "It"s tired to death I am of my own family, and longing to meet somebody who has seen more of the world than Bally William. Couldn"t we tell the Pixie to bring home one of her friends with her, to divert us during the Christmas holidays?" and at that we all called out together, for we have been dull without you, little one, and looking forward to a frolic on Christmas. Last year we were all too sad thinking of the dear mother, but this year she will want to see us happy. I am sure she sees us, and often and often when I sit alone sewing as she used to do, I think about her, and feel she is near still, and it"s only because my eyes are dim that I can"t see her. Well then, dearie, think over your friends, and decide which it shall be! There"s room at Castle Knock for anyone who has been kind to its baby, and it won"t be our fault if she hasn"t a happy memory of Old Ireland."
The letter went on for another sheet, but Pixie"s mind was so full of this new idea that she was hardly able to take in the words, on which her eye rested. To take home a friend to Bally William! To give an invitation on her own account, and be able to show the glories of the dear old Castle! This was indeed a dazzling prospect, and the problem of deciding which friend it should be kept her occupied even when tea was over, and she was undergoing the humiliation of putting herself to bed in the chilly little cubicle. Should it be Margaret? No; for Margaret, with all her sweetness, had little sense of humour, and though Pixie could not reason out the matter for herself, she yet realised instinctively that she would be uncomfortable and out of place in the haphazard atmosphere of the Irish household. Should it be Kate? No, that would not do either, for at first sight Kate was not prepossessing, and the Major and the boys would certainly take a dislike to her straightway. Should it be Flora--dear, fat, good-tempered Flora? But what fun Esmeralda would make of her, to be sure, and how helpless she would be when attacked by the boys" badinage! Pixie grew quite tired and sleepy puzzling out the question; her eyelids drooped down and down until the lashes rested upon her cheeks, and her thoughts pa.s.sed unconsciously into dreams.
Meantime, in the large cla.s.sroom downstairs the other thirty pupils were enjoying themselves with a zest all the greater for the dullness of the weeks which had gone before. The floor had been sponged with milk until it was quite smooth and slippery, a table supplied with such refreshments as lemonade, ginger-beer, and sweet biscuits, was placed outside the door, and the violin pupils took it in turns to accompany the piano, so that nothing was lacking to enhance the grandeur of the occasion. Pretty little programmes were distributed around the room; blue for the ladies, pink for the "gentlemen," and after each dance the couples marched round and round the room, conversing together as if they were at "a real party," and tabooing the affairs of ordinary school life. Then the gentlemen deposited their partners on chairs, and inquired, "May I bring you a little refreshment?" until the last drop of lemonade was drained, and only crumbs remained in the cake-baskets.
They were all flushed and panting with the vigour with which they had joined in the dance, and at last Miss Phipps thought it wise to call a halt.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, you must really sit down for ten minutes!"
she cried laughingly. "If you get so overheated, you will be catching chills next, and I am sure you don"t want to be invalided just before the holidays. Come and take your places round the room, and we will ask Lottie to dance her pretty scarf-dance for us, as she looks the only cool member of the party. There"s your scarf, dear, in that drawer, and Miss Bruce will play for you. You dance so nicely that it is a pleasure to see it."
Lottie blushed with pleasure at such words of praise, and took her place in the centre of the room with smiling alacrity, and the watchers whispered admiringly to each other as they looked at the dainty, satin- clad figure. Lottie was not really pretty, but she was always so charmingly dressed that she gave the effect of beauty, and to-night in her gala frock she certainly looked her best. She danced gracefully and modestly, waving her chiffon scarf in the air, and moving it to and fro in a manner which looked easy enough, but which was in reality extremely difficult, and required no little effort of strength, so that by the time the dance was finished she was as flushed as her friends, and her breath came in quick, short pants. Poof--how hot she felt, and how tired! It was a relief to give the scarf into Mademoiselle"s outstretched hands, and be free to feel for a handkerchief with which to wipe the moisture from her brow. There was a little difficulty in finding her pocket, and the girls watched her fumbles with amused attention. It was a little pause in the evening"s entertainment, and for want of something better to do all eyes were fixed upon the figure which stood so prominently in the middle of the room. "Try again!" they cried encouragingly, and Lottie made yet another dive downwards. This time she was successful, for her hand disappeared into her pocket, and presently jerked upwards, bringing with it a small lace handkerchief rolled up into a ball, as if it had lain forgotten since the last time that the dress was worn. She flicked it in the air, and at that something flew out and clattered on the floor near her feet.
Mademoiselle stooped to pick it up, and threw up her hands with a cry of dismay. It was a piece of gla.s.s, about half an inch in size, and in one corner was clearly discernible the end of an engraved letter--the letter "T!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
EXPLANATIONS.
"Pixie, awake! awake! Oh, Pixie, open your eyes! Get up, dear, get up!
We want you downstairs!"
Margaret bent over Pixie"s bedside, tears shining in her eyes, and lifting the slight figure in her arms, shook it to and fro, until the grey eyes opened in astonishment, and a sleepy voice murmured--
"Is"t morning? Time get up?"
"Morning, no! It is not nine o"clock, and Miss Phipps thought you would certainly be awake, with so much music going on; but it"s no use, I must wake you, whatever happens! Here"s your dressing-gown. Here are your bedroom slippers. You have to come downstairs with me this minute!"
"Am I the queen?" asked Pixie, waking up all in a moment, and peering mischievously into Margaret"s face. "When you are wakened up in the middle of the night, and taken downstairs in your dressing-gown and slippers, it"s either a fire, or you are the queen, and the courtiers are waiting to kiss your hand. You know it is, Margaret! You have seen it in the pictures!"
"Yes, I"ve seen it? and perhaps there may be courtiers waiting for you, Pixie; and kisses too, and a dear little crown to put on that s.h.a.ggy head! Great excitements have happened since you went to bed, and we know now that it was not you who broke Mademoiselle"s scent-bottle. We are almost certain that it was Lottie herself, and Miss Phipps has sent for you to help us!"
Pixie gave a start of dismay, and the laughter died out of her face, leaving it scared and white. Her fingers tightened round Margaret"s arm, and she hung back trembling as they neared the schoolroom door.
Another moment and they stood within the threshold, looking round on what seemed suddenly to have taken upon itself the aspect of a court of justice. The girls were as before ranged round the walls, and at the end of the room stood a row of teachers; Fraulein and Miss Bruce flushed and excited, Mademoiselle with tears in her eyes, Miss Phipps with an awful sternness of expression, which gave place to a momentary softness as she looked at the new-comers. Pixie glanced at them all, one after the other, and from them to the figure standing in the centre of the room, like a prisoner at the bar, her face white as her dress, her eyes full of terror and despair. She gave a sharp cry of distress, and rushed forward with outstretched arms.
"Lottie, Lottie, I didn"t tell! I never told--Lottie, Lottie, I kept my word!"
A deep murmur sounded through the room as each hearer drew her breath in a sob of mingled conviction and regret, and of all the number Lottie seemed the most affected. She burst into a paroxysm of tears, clasped Pixie in an hysterical embrace, then, thrusting her aside, turned eagerly towards Miss Phipps.
"Oh, I will tell--I will! It was all my fault--Pixie had nothing to do with it--I will tell you all about it."
"It is more than time, Lottie. Begin at once, and pray calm yourself until you have finished!" returned Miss Phipps coldly; and Lottie wiped away her tears, and struggled to keep back the rising sobs.
"It was the night of the term-holiday--I was going out--I was dressed and going along the pa.s.sage, and Mademoiselle"s door stood open, and I saw the light shining upon the gold of the scent-bottle. I had no scent of my own, and I thought I would go in and take a little of Mademoiselle"s. I knew she would give it to me if I asked, and if I told her next day there wouldn"t be any harm. But I was in a hurry, and I heard Pixie calling, and I put the bottle down too quickly, and the gla.s.s struck the corner of the table and fell into pieces in my hand. I was so frightened--and there was no time to think, for Pixie was running along the pa.s.sage, so I just mopped up the scent with my handkerchief, and flew to the door. I suppose the piece of gla.s.s must have got in then, for the handkerchief has never been out of my pocket until to- night. Pixie said, "Oh, what a smell of scent!" and I said something--I forget what--about its being rude to make remarks, and ran downstairs as quickly as I could go. I was so wretched all the evening I didn"t know what to do. I thought when it was found out Pixie would be sure to tell; but when I came home the girls all said how lucky I was to have been out, for no one could suspect me, and I said nothing. And I saw Mademoiselle crying, and I said nothing, and then I was afraid to speak, for it was too late! Pixie came to me next morning and said, "Lottie, they think I broke the bottle because I was the only girl in Mademoiselle"s room last night; but I know that you were there too, and that you had been taking some scent!" and I begged and prayed her not to tell anyone else. I was so confused that I let her see I had broken it, but I said if she told I should get into trouble with my father, and she promised at once. She was so willing, that I didn"t feel as uncomfortable as I expected, but I was miserable when everyone blamed her, and she was punished. I comforted myself by thinking that I would ask her to stay with me in the holidays, and make it up to her then.
She never told me what she was doing in Mademoiselle"s room--I tried to believe that she was really to blame. She might have cracked the bottle, and that was why it broke so easily!"
"And so the best reward you could give to the friend who shielded you at her own expense was to suspect her of deceit! That will do, Lottie!
You can go to your own room now. I will deal with you to-morrow. Now we will hear what Pixie has to say!"
Miss Phipps paused impressively for a moment, and then spoke again in tones so sweet and gentle that it was difficult to recognise them as coming from the same voice which had spoken but a moment before.
"Pixie, you have heard Lottie"s explanation. I will speak about that later on, but now I have a favour to ask you. For my sake, dear--for all our sakes--to help us to get at the whole truth of this unhappy affair, I ask you to tell me frankly what you were doing in Mademoiselle"s room when Ellen saw you there?"
Pixie hung her head, and her cheeks grew am scarlet as the scarlet dressing-gown itself. She lifted one little slippered foot and stood perched on the other like a funny little ruffled stork in the midst of the shining floor, and the watching faces of the girls were pretty to see with their expressions of tender amus.e.m.e.nt and sympathy.
"Please, Miss Phipps," said Pixie hoa.r.s.ely, "I was doing nothing. I was only after putting in the hot bottle!"
Miss Phipps stared, Mademoiselle gave a sharp exclamation of surprise, and turned impetuously to her Princ.i.p.al.
"The "ot bottle! It is true. I "ave one every night, but I thought that Ellen--that one of the maids--"
"We have put no hot bottle in your bed, Mademoiselle. It is Miss Emily"s rule that any of the young ladies may have bottles of their own, if they take the trouble to fill them in the bathroom as they go to bed, and to put them back there in the morning. We never put one in a bed unless in the case of illness," said Ellen, who stood in a corner of the room, one of the most anxious and interested of the spectators; and at that Miss Phipps turned once more to Pixie.
"Then are we to understand that it was your own bottle of which you are talking? And what made you think of lending it to Mademoiselle?"
"She told me that she was always cold," said Pixie faintly. "I didn"t like to think of her lying there shivering. Bridgie gave me the bottle when I came away in a little red flannel cover. "You"re such a frog!"
says she, "maybe this will warm you," but I just roll my feet in my nightgown and hug them in my hands until they are warm. I thought perhaps Mademoiselle couldn"t do that. Ye can"t bend so easy when you"re old, so she needed the bottle most."
"_Ma pet.i.te_!" cried Mademoiselle. "_Ma cherie_!"--and she would have rushed forward and taken Pixie into her arms straight away, had not Miss Phipps held her back with a restraining touch.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
PIXIE INTERCEDES.
"One more question, Pixie, and remember I place absolute reliance on what you say, for you have given proof that you are to be trusted. You heard Lottie"s insinuation that you might have had some share in the accident! Had you touched the scent-bottle at all that night?"
"I had not, Miss Phipps!" The grey eyes looked into the face of the questioner with a steady light. "I never noticed it at all until the girls began talking about it, and then said I, "I must have a look at that bottle before I"m much older," and so I did that very same evening, but never a finger did I lay upon it. I put me hands behind me back and just doubled meself over the table--like this!--looking at it all I knew, but not daring as much as to breathe upon it, and from that hour I was never within yards of its presence."
"I understand! But why, dear, have you refused to give us this simple explanation all these weeks? It was surely only to your credit that you had thought of Mademoiselle"s comfort before your own, so there was no reason for being so secret about it. Did you not see that it would have helped your cause to have given this explanation?"