"Well, at all events, I think you might be naughty just now and then, Prissie, and give Cathie and me a half-holiday."
"I would do anything else to please you, dear, but not that; you must not ask me to do what is impossible."
Alas! not even this angelic behaviour, not even the loving admonitions, the tender rebukes, the shocked reproaches that fell, accompanied by perfect cascades of jewels, from the lips of our pattern little Priscilla, succeeded in removing the utterly unfounded prejudices of her cousins, though it was some consolation to feel that she was gradually acquiring a most beneficial influence over her aunt, who called Priscilla "her little conscience." For, you see, Priscilla"s conscience had so little to do on her own account that it was always at the service of other people, and indeed quite enjoyed being useful, as was only natural to a conscientious conscience which felt that it could never have been created to be idle.
Very soon another responsibility was added to little Priscilla"s burdens. Her cousin d.i.c.k, the worldly one with the yellow boots, came home after his annual holiday, which, as he was the junior clerk in a large bank, he was obliged to take rather late in the year. She had looked forward to his return with some excitement. d.i.c.k, she knew, was frivolous and reckless in his habits--he went to the theatre occasionally and frequently spent an evening in playing billiards and smoking cigars at a friend"s house. There would be real credit in reforming poor cousin d.i.c.k.
He was not long, of course, in hearing of Priscilla"s marvellous endowment, and upon the first occasion they were alone together treated her with a respect and admiration which he had very certainly never shown her before.
"You"re wonderful, Prissie!" he said; "I"d no idea you had it in you!"
"Nor had I, d.i.c.k; but it shows that even a little girl can do something."
"I should rather think so! and--and the way you look--as grave as a judge all the time! Prissie, I wish you"d tell me how you manage it, I wouldn"t tell a soul."
"But I don"t know, d.i.c.k. I only talk and the jewels come--that is all."
"You artful little girl! you can keep a secret, I see, but so can I. And you might tell me how you do the trick. What put you up to the dodge?
I"m to be trusted, I a.s.sure you."
"d.i.c.k, you can"t--you mustn"t--think there is any trickery about it! How can you believe I could be such a wicked little girl as to play tricks?
It was an old fairy that gave me the gift. I"m sure I don"t know why--unless she thought that I was a good child and deserved to be encouraged."
"By Jove!" cried d.i.c.k, "I never knew you were half such fun!"
"I am not fun, d.i.c.k. I think fun is generally so very vulgar, and oh, I wish you wouldn"t say "by Jove!" Surely you know he was a heathen G.o.d!"
"I seem to have heard of him in some such capacity," said d.i.c.k. "I say, Prissie, what a ripping big ruby!"
"Ah, d.i.c.k, d.i.c.k, you are like the others! I"m afraid you think more of the jewels than of any words I may say--and yet _jewels_ are common enough!"
"They seem to be with you. Pearls, too, and such fine ones! Here, Priscilla, take them; they"re your property."
Priscilla put her hands behind her: "No, indeed, d.i.c.k, they are of no use to me. Keep them, please; they may help to remind you of what I have said."
"It"s awfully kind of you," said d.i.c.k, looking really touched.
"Then--since you put it in that way--thanks, I will, Priscilla. I"ll have them made into a horse-shoe pin."
"You mustn"t let it make you too fond of dress, then," said Priscilla; "but I"m afraid you"re that already, d.i.c.k."
"A diamond!" he cried; "go on, Priscilla, I"m listening--pitch into me, it will do me a _lot_ of good!"
But Priscilla thought it wisest to say no more just then.
That night, after Priscilla and Cathie and Belle had gone to bed, d.i.c.k and his mother sat up talking until a late hour.
"Is dear little cousin Priscilla to be a permanency in this establishment?" began her cousin, stifling a yawn, for there had been a rather copious flow of precious stones during the evening.
"Well, I shall keep her with us as long as I can," said Mrs. Hoyle, "she"s such a darling, and they don"t seem to want her at home. I"m sure, limited as my means are, I"m most happy to have such a visitor."
"She seems to pay her way--only her way is a trifle trying at times, isn"t it? She lectured me for half an hour on end without a single check!"
"Are you sure you picked them all up, dear boy?"
"Got a few of the best in my waistcoat-pocket now. I"m afraid I scrunched a pearl or two, though: they were all over the place, you know. I suppose you"ve been collecting too, mater?"
"I picked up one or two," said his mother; "I should think I must have nearly enough now to fill a bandbox. And that brings me to what I wanted to consult you about, Richard. How are we to dispose of them? She has given them all to me."
"You haven"t done anything with them yet, then?"
"How could I? I have been obliged to stay at home: I"ve been so afraid of letting that precious child go out of my sight for a single hour, for fear some unscrupulous persons might get hold of her. I thought that perhaps, when you came home, you would dispose of the jewels for me."
"But, mater," protested d.i.c.k, "I can"t go about asking who"ll buy a whole bandbox full of jewels!"
"Oh, very well, then; I suppose we must go on living this hugger-mugger life when we have the means of being as rich as princes, just because you are too lazy and selfish to take a little trouble!"
"I know something about these things," said d.i.c.k. "I know a fellow who"s a diamond merchant, and it"s not so easy to sell a lot of valuable stones as you seem to imagine, mother. And then Priscilla really overdoes it, you know--why, if she goes on like this, she"ll make diamonds as cheap as currants!"
"_I_ should have thought that was a reason for selling them as soon as possible; but I"m only a woman, and of course _my_ opinion is worth nothing! Still, you might take some of the biggest to your friend, and accept whatever he"ll give you for them--there are plenty more, you needn"t haggle over the price."
"He"d want to know all about them, and what should I say? I can"t tell him a cousin of mine produces them whenever she feels disposed."
"You could say they have been in the family for some time, and you are obliged to part with them; I don"t ask you to tell a falsehood, Richard."
"Well, to tell you the honest truth," said d.i.c.k, "I"d rather have nothing to do with it. I"m not proud, but I shouldn"t like it to get about among our fellows at the bank that I went about hawking diamonds."
"But, you stupid, undutiful boy, don"t you see that you could leave the bank--you need never do anything any more--we should all live rich and happy somewhere in the country, if we could only sell those jewels! And you won"t do that one little thing!"
"Well," said d.i.c.k, "I"ll think over it. I"ll see what I can do."
And his mother knew that it was perfectly useless to urge him any further: for, in some things, d.i.c.k was as obstinate as a mule, and, in others, far too easy-going and careless ever to succeed in life. He had promised to think over it, however, and she had to be contented with that.
On the evening following this conversation cousin d.i.c.k entered the sitting-room the moment after his return from the City, and found his mother to all appearances alone.
"What a dear sweet little guileless angel cousin Priscilla is, to be sure!" was his first remark.
"Then you _have_ sold some of the stones!" cried Aunt Margarine. "Sit down, like a good boy, and tell me all about it."
"Well," said d.i.c.k, "I took the finest diamonds and rubies and pearls that escaped from that saintlike child last night in the course of some extremely disparaging comments on my character and pursuits--I took those jewels to Faycett and Rosewater"s in New Bond Street--you know the shop, on the right-hand side as you go up----"
"Oh, go on, d.i.c.k; go on--never mind _where_ it is--how much did you get for them?"
"I"m coming to that; keep cool, dear mamma. Well, I went in, and I saw the manager, and I said: "I want you to make these up into a horse-shoe scarf-pin for me.""
"You said that! You never tried to sell one? Oh, d.i.c.k, you are too provoking!"
"Hold on, mater; I haven"t done yet. So the manager--a very gentlemanly person, rather thin on the top of the head--not that that affects his business capacities; for, after all----"