"I want my niece Charlotte to go to her school of design," the captain went on, imperturbably.
"We mean that she shall."
"I wish you people would let me alone!" he cried. "Here I am, your only brother, without a chick or a child of my own. Am I to be denied what is the greatest delight I can have? By a lucky accident my money was safe in the panic that swept away yours. Pure luck or providence, or whatever you choose to call it--certainly not because my business sagacity was any greater than yours. You wouldn"t take a cent from me at the time, but you"ve got to let me have my way now. Celia goes with me--if you agree. Charlotte goes to her art school, and if you refuse me the fun of a.s.suming both expenses, I"ll be tremendously offended--no joke, I shall."
He looked so fierce that everybody laughed--somewhat tremulously. There could be no doubt that he meant all he said. Celia"s cheeks were pink with excitement; Mrs. Birch"s were of a similar hue, in sympathy with her daughter"s joy.
"I tell you, that girl Charlotte," began the captain again, "deserves all anybody can do for her. She has developed three years in one. Fond as I"ve always been of her, I hadn"t the least idea what was in the child. She"s going to make a woman of a rare sort. Look here!" A new idea flashed into his mind.
He considered it for the s.p.a.ce of a half-minute, then brought it forth:
"Let me take her, too. Not for the year--don"t look as if I"d hit you, Helen--just till October. I mean to sail in ten days, you know. I"ve engaged plenty of room. There"ll be no trouble about a berth----"
"O Uncle Ray!" Celia interrupted him. There could be no question about her unselfish soul. If she had been happy before, she was rapturous now.
"Three months will give her quite a journey," the captain hurried on, leaving n.o.body any time for objections. "I"ll see that she gets art enough out of it to fill her to the brim with inspiration. And there will surely be somebody she can come back with. May I have her?"
"What shall we do with you?" his sister said, softly. "I can"t deny you--or her. If her father agrees----"
"If I didn"t know your big heart so well, Jack," said Roderick Birch, slowly, "I should be too proud to accept so much, even from my wife"s brother. But I believe it would be unworthy of me--or of you--to let false pride stand in my girls" way."
From the distance two figures were approaching, one in blue linen, the other in white flannel--Charlotte and Doctor Churchill.
They were talking gaily, laughing like a pair of very happy children, and carrying between them a great bunch of daisies and b.u.t.tercups that would have hid a church pulpit from view.
"Let"s tell her now," proposed Celia. "I can"t wait to have her know."
"Go ahead," agreed her uncle. "And let the doctor hear it, too. If he isn"t a brother of the family, it"s because the family doesn"t know one of the finest fellows on the face of the earth when it sees him."
"You"re a most discerning chap, Jack Rayburn," said his brother-in-law, heartily, "but there are other people with discernment. I have liked young Churchill from the moment I saw him first. All that Forester says of him confirms my opinion."
"How excited you people all look!" called Charlotte, merrily, as she drew near. "Tell us why."
Captain Rayburn nodded to Celia. She shook her head vigorously in return. He glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Birch, both of whom smilingly refused to speak. So he looked up at Charlotte, and put his question as he might have fired a shot.
"Will you sail for Europe with Celia and me week after next, to stay till October? Celia will stay the year with me; you I shall ship home as useless baggage in the fall."
Charlotte stood still, her arms tightening about the daisies and b.u.t.tercups, as if they represented a baby whom she must not let fall. A rich wave of colour swept over her face. She looked from one to another of the group as if she could not believe her good fortune. Then suddenly she dropped her flowers in an abandoned heap, clasped her hands tightly together, and drew one long breath of delight.
"Can you spare me?" she murmured, her eyes upon her mother.
Mrs. Birch nodded, smiling. "I surely can," she said.
"Turn about is fair play," said Mr. Birch, "and your uncle seems to consider himself a person of authority."
"I want," declared Captain Rayburn, his bright eyes studying each niece"s winsome young face in turn, "in the interest of the family orchestra, to tune the violins."
"Speaking of violins," said the captain, half an hour later, quite as if no interval of busy talk and plan-making had occurred, "suppose we see about how far off the key they are at present. Jeff--Just----"
Everybody stared, then laughed, for Jeff and Just instantly produced, from behind that same screen, five green-flanneled, familiar shapes. The entire company had rea.s.sembled under the oak-trees, drawn together by a secret summons from the captain.
"Now see here, Uncle Ray," remonstrated his eldest nephew, "this is stealing a march on us with a vengeance."
"I"m entirely willing you should let a march steal on me," retorted the captain, disposing himself comfortably among his rugs and cushions, "or a waltz, or a lullaby, or anything else you choose. But music of some sort I must have."
Laughing, they tuned their instruments, and the rest of the company settled down to listen. Lanse, his eyes mischievous, pa.s.sed a whispered word among the musicians, and presently, at the signal, the well-known notes of "_Hail to the Chief_" were sounding through the woods, played with great spirit and zest. And as they played, the five Birches marched to position in front of the captain, then stood still and saluted.
"Off with you, you strolling players!" cried the captain. "The spectacle of a "cello player attempting to carry his instrument and perform upon it at the same time is enough to upset me for a week. Sit down comfortably, and give us "_The Sweetest Flower That Blows_.""
So they played, softly now, and with full appreciation of the fact that the melodious song was one of their mother"s favourites.
But suddenly they had a fresh surprise, for as they played, a voice from the little audience joined them, under his breath at first, then--as the captain turned and made vigorous signs to the singer to let his voice be heard--with tunefully swelling notes, which fell upon all their ears like music of a rare sort:
"The sweetest flower that blows I give you as we part.
To you it is a rose, To me it is my heart."
The captain knew, as the voice went on, that those barytone notes were very fine ones--knew better than the rest, as having a wider acquaintance with voices in general. But they all understood that it was to no ordinary singer they were listening.
When the song ended the captain reached over and laid a brotherly arm on Doctor Churchill"s shoulder. "Welcome, friend," he said, with feeling in his voice. "You"ve given the countersign."
But the doctor, although he received modestly the words of praise which fell upon him from all about, would sing no more that day. It had been the first time for almost three years. And "_The Sweetest Flower That Blows_" was not only Mrs. Birch"s favourite song; it had been Mrs.
Churchill"s also.
"See here, Churchill," said Lanse, as the orchestra rested for a moment, "do you play any instrument?"
"Only as a novice," admitted the doctor, with some reluctance.
"Which one?"
"The fiddle."
"And never owned up!" chided Lanse. "You didn"t want to belong to such an amateurish company?"
"I did--very much," said Churchill, with emphasis. "But you needed no more violins."
"If I"m to be away all next year," said Celia, quickly, "they will need you. Will you take my place?"
"No, indeed, Miss Celia," the doctor answered, decidedly. "But if you would let me play--second."
He looked at Charlotte, smiling. She returned his smile, but shook her head. "I"m Second Fiddle," she said. "I"ll never take Celia"s place."
The eyes of the two sisters met, affectionately, comprehendingly.
"I should like to have you, dear," said Celia, softly.
But Charlotte only shook her head again, colouring beneath the glances which fell on her from all sides. "I"d rather play my old part," she answered.