"Oh, well, it"s only an expression of mine. I heard Sam use it last week. I often copy his phrases, they"re so fine and full of flourish.
Well, now, if you don"t spoil sport, Elma will get into an altogether different circle from your humble servant. Mother and I will go one way, and Elma another. Elma, with her grand notions and her set-you-up sort of airs, will rise in life. She"s heartily welcome to go her own way, and I wish her G.o.dspeed, for she is the only sister I have got."
"I don"t understand," interrupted Kitty.
"If you"ll let me speak I"ll soon explain. You don"t suppose that girls such as I am are often to be seen at Middleton School?"
"Well, I have not seen any like you," said Kitty, gazing from head to foot at her very peculiar visitor.
"No more you have, bless you; and I"m not the least offended by your very frank stare. Sam admires me, and that"s enough for me. Now, Elma looks a lady, doesn"t she?"
"I suppose so," said Kitty in a dubious tone.
"You suppose so indeed! Let me tell you that Elma is a born little lady, a real lady, and she looks it, every inch of her. That is why she goes to Middleton School; but now, who do you think pay for her?"
"How can I tell?"
"Do you think mother, or father, or I? Now, who do you think does? I should be interested to know your thoughts."
"I cannot really tell you, Miss Lewis."
"Oh, it does sound fine to hear you Miss Lewising me. My name is Carrie."
"I prefer to call you Miss Lewis."
"Highty! tighty! we are haughty. Well, the person who pays for Elma is our Aunt Charlotte--a certain Mrs. Steward, wife of the Reverend John Steward, rector of St. Bartholomew"s, Buckinghamshire. There"s a grand enough name for you; and I suppose, being a clergyman, you"ll consider that he is a gentleman and that his wife is a lady. Aunt Charlotte happens to be own sister to mother; and when Elma made her little complaint to her she took pity on her; and now she pays all her expenses at Middleton School. And if Elma does well and nothing disagreeable comes to Aunt Charlotte"s ears, she will send her presently to Newnham or Girton. Think of that I Elma will be a college girl; she will be an undergraduate of one of the universities--and some day a graduate; and then she will get a first-cla.s.s post as high-school mistress, or mistress of something or other. But if you tell on her and make things bad, and the truth gets out--You look pale; are you ill?"
"I am all right," said Kitty. She staggered across the room and poured some water into a gla.s.s.
"I did not eat much lunch," she continued; "and I am--Never mind; go on."
"Well," continued Carrie, "if nothing comes to Aunt Charlotte"s ears to turn her mind the other way, Elma will be all right; she will move in your sphere--yes, she will, whether you like it or not. She is just so clever she is able to do anything. So I have come to say that I hope to goodness you won"t split on her, for it would be mighty cruel of you.
You would ruin her for life, and that would be a nice consolation for you when you came to die. She did not steal your money, remember; you gave it to her."
"I lent it to her."
"Oh, how you will harp upon that! But you didn"t tell her to a day when she was to pay it back again."
"No, I certainly did not; but, of course, I expected that she would return it to me when I asked for it; and then she spent it on dress."
"Spent it on dress? What do you mean?"
"She told me so."
"Oh, naughty, naughty little Elma!" said Carrie, shaking her forefinger in a very knowing manner "She didn"t like to tell about Sam, and so she made up that story, did she? Well, it was an untruth. She didn"t spend that money on dress; she--well, I will tell you--I stole it from her."
"You!" gasped Kitty, backing away in horror.
"Yes. Good gracious! how scared you are! You don"t understand the larks of girls like me. I didn"t mean any harm. I took it and gave it to Sam to keep for her."
"Then," said Kitty, coming close up to Carrie, her lips parted, the color flooding her cheeks, her eyes full of light, "then, of course, you, Carrie----"
"Oh, I"m Carrie now, am I?"
"Yes, you are; but never mind. Then, you, Carrie, can get it back for me?"
"So I will, all in good time, my pretty little dear. You shall have the money if you are willing to wait, say a month."
"There"s no use at all in that," said Kitty, her voice sounding faint and far away.
"I am afraid there must be, as far as that eight pounds is concerned.
The fact is, Sam is speculating with the money, and when we get it back it will be doubled. Elma and I will divide the profits between us, and you shall have your eight pounds back. Now, I think I have told you everything except--"
"And, having told me, I wish you would go away," said Kitty. "I don"t know that you have bettered matters in any way. Of course I am sorry for Elma; but it is only right that you should know something. It would be well also for Elma to know the truth. I told her yesterday when I went to your house that I would keep her secret until after morning school."
"Good gracious! You have not blurted out the truth?"
"Wait till you hear. When I was at school this morning I was--oh so miserable! I could not help thinking of--But never mind; you would not understand."
"No, no, of course not; pray proceed."
"I was thinking how soon I might tell."
"Nice sort of creature you are!"
"Why will you interrupt me?" said Kitty. "But then I looked at Elma, and I saw that she seemed very anxious and miserable; and wretched as I was, I made up my mind to be kind to her. I said to myself I will keep her secret; and--and I wrote her a note to tell her so. You would not understand if I said any more; but--but immediately after morning school she--she was false to me; utterly false. You ask her when you see her how she received that letter I wrote to her at the risk of getting into terrible trouble myself. I have been angry, furious, beside myself; and now Miss Sherrard knows everything."
"You don"t mean it?" said Carrie. Her florid face had turned perfectly white. She bit her lip and looked out of the window. After a time she looked back again at Kitty, and said slowly:
"You are very cruel, and you have ruined Elma; but after all it is partly my fault. I ought not to have taken that money. Now, look here, shall I tell you what I really came for to-day?"
"If you would do so quickly and then go."
"You won"t be in such a hurry to part from me when you know the truth.
Now, then, listen. You want some money; I think I see a way to getting it for you."
"Do you really?"
"Yes, I do; that is, if you on your part will do what I want."
"I will do anything to get the money. I want to send it to Laurie if I can this evening. There"s nothing I would not give you."
"I will remember that small promise presently," said Carrie in a frank voice. "But now let me tell you what my plan is. You have a great many clothes, have you not?"
"Yes; but please don"t bother me about them now. I was always fond of pretty dress; but I should not care if I had to wear rags at the present moment if only I might get that eight pounds."
"If them"s your sentiments," said Carrie, "you very soon can have your wish."
"What in the world do you mean?"