_Miss Wilc.o.x._ But how did you get such nice things in the evening?
_Henrietta._ We bought them, to be sure: bought them with our own money.
That was the only way. When the little girls had all gone to bed, and Madame Disette, and Madame Trompeur, and Mademoiselle Mensonge were engaged in the parlour with their company, we all (that is, the first cla.s.s) subscribed something; and we commissioned the chambermaid to bring us whatever we wanted from the confectioner"s. O, what delightful feasts we had!
_Miss Thomson._ Did Madame Disette never find you out?
_Henrietta._ O, no!--we laid our plans too cunningly. And Benson, the teacher, was a good creature, and always joined our party; so we knew she would not tell.
_Miss Scott._ I am sure we never could prevail on our teacher, Miss Loxley, to be concerned in such things. _She_ would think it so very improper.
_Henrietta._ Well, we must take an opportunity when Miss Loxley is not at home. Mrs. Middleton permits her to go out whenever she requests it.
She does not keep her so closely confined as Madame Disette did poor Benson.
_Miss Scott._ Mrs. Middleton has so much reliance on her elder pupils, that she is not afraid to trust us sometimes without Miss Loxley. And we, certainly, have never yet abused her confidence.
_Henrietta._ O, you are undoubtedly a most exemplary set! But you never had one like _me_ among you. I shall soon put a little spirit into you all, and get you out of this strict-propriety sort of way. I do not despair even of my friend Isabella Caldwell, the good girl of the school.
_Isabella._ Our way is a very satisfactory one. It is impossible for boarding-school girls to be happier than we are. Our minds are not exhausted with long and difficult lessons, and with studies beyond our capacity. When school-hours are over, we have full time for recreation, and are amply provided with the means of amusing ourselves. We have a library of entertaining books; and we have liberty to divert ourselves with all sorts of juvenile plays and games. Then how much attention is paid to our health and our comforts, and how kindly and judiciously are we treated in every respect! Certainly, we ought to think ourselves happy.
_Henrietta._ Ay! so you are made to say in the letters which you write home to your parents. All our French letters, at Madame Disette"s were written first by her niece Mademoiselle Mensonge; and the English letters were manufactured by poor Benson; and then we copied them in our very best hands, with a new pen at every paragraph. They were all nearly the same; and told of nothing but the superabundant kindness and liberality of Madame Disette, our high respect and esteem for Madame Trompeur, her sister, and our vast affection for her amiable niece, Mademoiselle Mensonge: together with our perfect health, and extreme felicity. In every letter we grew happier and happier.
_Miss Snodgra.s.s._ And were you not so in reality?
_Henrietta._ No, indeed,--all the happiness we had was of our own making, for we derived none from any thing our governess did for us; though we were obliged in our letters to call her our beloved Madame Disette, and to express the most fervent hopes that we might one day exactly resemble her; which, I am sure, was the last thing we could have desired; for she was one of the ugliest women that I ever saw in my life.
_Miss Thomson._ But you might have wished to resemble her in mind and manners.
_Henrietta._ Why, as to that, her mind was worse than her face, and her manners we all thought absolutely ridiculous. Benson could mimic her exactly.
_Miss Marley._ I do not wonder that your parents took you away from such a school.
_Henrietta._ The school was certainly bad enough. We had dirty, uncomfortable chambers; scanty fires; a mean table, and all such inconveniences. But then it was a very fashionable school; all the masters were foreigners, and above all things there was a great point made of our speaking French. We knew the common phrases perfectly well.
We could all say, _Comment vous portez vous_,--_Je vous remercie_,--_Il fait beau-temps_,--_Donnez-moi un epingle_,--_Lequel aimez-vous mieux, le bleu ou le vert?_ and many other things equally sensible and interesting. This was what was called French conversation, and we were all able to join in it, after taking lessons in French a very few quarters.
But after all, we had a great deal of fun, and that made up for every thing. Madame Disette and her sister and niece, always hurried over the school-business as fast as possible, that they might have time to pay and receive visits; and every evening they were either out, or engaged at home with company; so that we had n.o.body to watch us but poor Benson, and none of us cared for _her_. And then we could make her do just as we pleased. She only got seventy-five dollars a year, for which she was obliged to perform all the drudgery of the school, even to washing and dressing the little girls; putting them to bed; darning their stockings and mending their clothes; besides doing all Madame Disette"s plain sewing. Poor Benson could not afford to dress half so well as the chambermaid. So how could we have any respect for her? Even the servants despised her, and never would do any thing she asked them.
_Miss Snodgra.s.s._ Well, we all respect Miss Loxley. She gets a good salary, dresses genteelly, is treated with proper consideration by every one in the house, and we obey her just as we do Mrs. Middleton.
_Henrietta._ Yes, and for those very reasons, we never can ask her to a.s.sist in any little private scheme of our own. Benson was certainly a much more convenient person. But to resume our first subject--I do really long for a feast.
_Miss Roberts._ Well,--Mrs. Middleton occasionally gives us a feast as you call it; for instance, on the birth-day of the young lady who is head of her cla.s.s.
_Henrietta._ O, but then at these regular feasts Mrs. Middleton is always present herself. I like to steal a little secret pleasure, unsuspected by any one that would check it. Ah! you have never dealt in mysteries; you know not how delightful they are. One half the enjoyment is in planning and carrying on the plot. Come now, girls, let us get up a little feast to-morrow evening. You know Miss Loxley will be out again, as her aunt is still sick; and the French teacher always goes home at dusk, as she does not sleep here.
_Miss Watkins._ But if Mrs. Middleton should discover us.
_Henrietta._ No. Her sister and brother-in-law are coming to spend the evening with her, and to bring a lady and gentleman from Connecticut.
To-morrow is the very best night we can possibly have. Leave it all to me, and I will engage that there shall be no discovery; and we will get the little girls to bed very early, that we may have the longer time to enjoy ourselves.
_Several of the young ladies._ O, indeed we are afraid!
_Henrietta._ Nonsense--I will answer for it that there shall be no cause for fear. Why, we did these things fifty times at Madame Disette"s, and were never once detected. Come, I will lay down a dollar as the first contribution towards the feast. Brownie, how much will you give?
_Miss Brownlow._ I will give half a dollar.
_Miss Watkins._ And I will give a dollar and a half. I have always plenty of money.
_Henrietta._ Well done, Watty. And you Scotty, how much?
_Miss Scott._ A quarter of a dollar is all I have left.
_Miss Wilc.o.x._ And I have only ten cents.
_Henrietta._ O, poor c.o.xey! But never mind, you shall have as large a share of the good things as any of us, notwithstanding you can only muster ten cents. And now, Snoddy?
_Miss Snodgra.s.s._ Why, I will give a quarter of a dollar and eight cents. I have another quarter of a dollar, but I wish to keep it to buy a bottle of Cologne water.
_Henrietta._ Pho.--Try to live another week without the Cologne.
_Miss Snodgra.s.s._ No indeed,--I never in my life had a bottle of Cologne water all to myself, to use just as I pleased; and I really have set my mind on it.
_Henrietta._ Well, we must try to do without Snoddy"s other quarter-dollar. Well, Bob, what say you?
_Miss Roberts._ I will give half a dollar.
_Henrietta._ O, Bob, Bob! You have more than that, I am sure.
_Miss Roberts._ Yes, I have another half dollar, but I wish to buy the book of Fairy Tales you told me of.
_Henrietta._ O, never mind buying the Fairy Tales! I will tell you all of them without charging for my trouble. Come now, be good and give the whole dollar, and we will have an iced pound-cake.
_Miss Roberts._ Well, if you will _certainly_ tell me all the Fairy Tales.
_Henrietta._ Every one of them; twice over if you choose. And now, Marley.
_Miss Marley._ I know all this is very improper.
_Henrietta._ Just for once in your life try how it seems to be improper.
_Miss Marley._ Well then for this time only--Here are three quarters of a dollar.
_Henrietta._ Now, Tommy!
_Miss Thomson._ I have not resolution to resist. There are half a dollar and twelve cents.
_Henrietta._ And now, Isabella Caldwell,--though last not least.
_Isabella._ Excuse me, Henrietta: my contribution will be far less than that of any other young lady. In fact, nothing at all.