The School Queens

Meanwhile the children themselves absorbed the most loving care of their parents. Mr. Cardew was, as has already been said, a great merchant-prince. He often went to London to attend to his business affairs, but he spent most of his time in the exquisite country home. It was quite true that discontent seemed far, very far away from so lovely a spot as Meredith Manor. Nevertheless, Mr. Cardew had seen it to-day on the face of his best-loved child, his little Merry. The look had hurt him; and while he was having lunch with her, and joking with her, and talking, in his usually bright and intelligent way, her words, and still more the expression of her face and the longing look in her sweet brown eyes, returned to him again and again.

He was, therefore, more thoughtful than usual as he sat by his wife’s side now under the elm-tree. He had a pile of newspapers and magazines on the grass at his feet, and his favorite fox-terrier Jim lay close to his master. Mrs. Cardew had her invariable knitting and a couple of novels waiting to occupy her attention when Mr. Cardew took up one of the newspapers. But for a time the pair were silent. Mrs. Cardew was thinking of something which she wanted to say, and Mr. Cardew was thinking of Merry. It was, as is invariably the case, the woman who first broke the silence.

“Well, Cyril,” said his wife, “to find ourselves seated here all alone, without the children’s voices to listen to reminds me of the old times, the good times, the beautiful times when we were first married.”

“My dear,” he answered, starting slightly as she spoke, “those were certainly good and beautiful times, but surely not more good and beautiful than now, when our two dear little girls are growing up and giving us such great happiness.”

“That is true. Please don’t misunderstand me, love; but you come even before the children.”

He felt touched as she said this, and glancing at her, said to himself that he was indeed in luck to have secured so priceless a woman as his wife.

“We have had happy times together, Cyril,” she said, returning his glance.

“Yes, Sylvia,” he answered, and once again he thought of Merry’s face.

“Nothing can alter that,” she continued.

“Nothing, my love,” he said.

Then he looked at her again, and saw that she was a little troubled about something; and, as was his custom, he determined to take the bull by the horns.

“You have something on your mind, Sylvia. What is it?”

“I have,” she said at once; “and something of very great importance. I have a sort of fear that to talk of it with you may possibly trouble you a little. Shall we defer it, dear? The day is so peaceful, and we are so happy.”

“No, no,” he replied at once. “We will take the opportunity of the children being perfectly happy at the rectory to discuss the thing that worries you. But what can it be?” he continued. “That is more than I can imagine. I have never seen you worried before.”

Again he thought of Merry, but it was impossible to connect his wife’s trouble with his child’s discontent.

“Well, I will tell you just out, Cyril,” said his wife. “I urge nothing, but I feel bound to make a suggestion. I know your views with regard to the girls.”

“My views, dear! What do you mean?”

“With regard to their education, Cyril.”

“Yes, yes, Sylvia; we have done our very best. Have you any reason to find fault with Miss Beverley or with Vaughan or Bennett?”

“Unfortunately,” said Mrs. Cardew, “Miss Beverley, who, you know, is an admirable governess, and whom we can most thoroughly trust, wrote to me yesterday morning saying that she was obliged to resign her post as daily governess to our girls. She finds the distance from Warwick too far; in fact, she has her physician’s orders to take work nearer home. She regrets it immensely, but feels that she has no alternative.”

“Provoking!” said Mr. Cardew; “but really, Sylvia, I wouldn’t allow it to upset me if I were you. Surely there are plenty of other Miss Beverleys in the world; and” – again he thought of Merry – “we might perhaps find some one a little less old-fashioned.”

“I am afraid, dear, that is impossible, for you will not allow a resident governess in the house.”

“I will not,” said Mr. Cardew with decision. “Such an arrangement would break in on our family life. You know my views.”

“Yes, dear; and I must say I approve of them.”

“You must find some one else in Warwick who is not too tired to take the train journey. Doubtless it would be quite easy,” said Mr. Cardew.

“I went to Warwick this morning in order to make inquiries,” said Mrs. Cardew in her gentle voice, “and I grieve to say there is no one who can in the least take the post which dear Miss Beverley has so worthily filled. But I have further bad news to give you. Mr. Bennett is leaving Warwick for a better post in London, and we shall be at our wits’ end to get the girls good music-lessons for next term.”

“How provoking! how annoying!” said Mr. Cardew, and his irritation was plainly shown in his face. “It does seem hard,” he said after a moment’s pause, “that we, with all our wealth, should be unable to give our girls the thorough education they require.”

“The fact is this, dear,” said Mrs. Cardew, “and I must speak out plainly even at the risk of displeasing you – Cicely and Merry are exceedingly clever girls, but at the present moment they are very far behind other girls of their age. Their knowledge of foreign languages is most deficient. I have no doubt Miss Beverley has grounded them well in English subjects; but as to accomplishments, they are not getting the advantages their rank in life and their talent demand. Dear Cyril, we ought to forget ourselves and our interests for the children.”

“What has put all this into your head?” said Mr. Cardew. “As, for instance – ” He paused. “It seemed impossible–”

“What, dear?” asked his wife very earnestly.

“Well, I may as well say it. Has Merry been talking to you?”

“Our little Merry!” said Mrs. Cardew in astonishment. “Of course not. What in the world do you mean?”

“I will not explain just at present, dear. You have some idea in your head, or you wouldn’t speak to me as you do.”

“Well, the fact is, when my cousin, Lucia Lysle, was here yesterday she spoke very strongly to me on the subject of the girls’ education, and urged me to do what I knew you would never for a moment consent to.”

“And what is that?” asked Mr. Gardew. “I seem to be an awful bugbear in this business.”

“No, dear, no. I quite understand your scruples, and – and – respect them. But Lucia naturally wanted us to seize the opportunity of two vacancies at Aylmer House, Mrs. Ward’s school.”

“I shall soon begin to hate the name of Mrs. Ward,” said Cardew with some asperity.

“My cousin spoke most highly of the school,” continued Mrs. Cardew. “She said that two years there, or perhaps a little longer, would give the girls that knowledge of life which will be all-essential to them in the future.”

“Home education is best; I know it is best,” said Mr. Cardew. “I hate girls’ schools.”

“I gave her to understand, dear, that those were your views; but I have something else to tell you. You know how attached we both are to the dear Tristrams.”

“Of course, of course,” said Mr. Cardew with impatience.

“Well, at supper yesterday evening Mr. Tristram began to talk to me on the very same subject as my cousin, Lady Lysle, had spoken of earlier in the day.”

“Very interfering of Tristram,” replied Mr. Cardew.

“He didn’t mean it in that way, I assure you, my love; nothing could be nicer than the way he spoke. I was telling him – for I had not mentioned the fact to you, and it was troubling me a little – about Miss Beverley and Mr. Bennett, and asking his advice, as I often do. He immediately urged Aylmer House as the best possible substitute for Miss Beverley and Mr. Bennett. I repeated almost the same words I had used to Lucia Lysle – namely, that you were dead-set against girls’ schools.”

“That was scarcely polite, my love, seeing that he sends his own daughters to school.”

“Well, yes,” said Mrs. Cardew; “but of course their circumstances are very different.”

“I would be sorry if he should feel that difference, Sylvia. Tristram is a most excellent fellow.”

“He is – indeed he is!” said Mrs. Cardew. “Feeling for him, therefore, as you do, dear, you may perhaps be more inclined to listen to an alternative which he proposed to me.”

“And what is that, my dear?”

“Well, he thinks we might occupy our house in London during the school terms of each year–”

“During the school terms of each year!” echoed Mr. Cardew in a voice of dismay. “But I hate living in London.”

“Yes, dearest; but you see we must think of our girls. If you and I took the children to town they could have governesses and masters – the very best – and would thus be sufficiently educated to take their place in society.”

Mr. Cardew was quite silent for a full minute after his wife had made this suggestion. To tell the truth, she had done a somewhat extraordinary thing. Amongst this great lady’s many rich possessions was a splendid mansion in Grosvenor Street; but, as she hated what is called London society, it had long been let to different tenants, for nothing would induce the Cardews to leave their delightful home, with its fresh air and country pursuits, for the dingy old house in town. They knew that when the girls came out – a far-distant date as yet – they would have to occupy the house in Grosvenor Street for the season; but Mrs. Cardew’s suggestion that they should go there almost immediately for the sake of their daughters’ education was more annoying to her husband than he could possibly endure.

“I consider the rector very officious,” he said. “Nothing would induce me to live in town.”

“I thought you would feel like that, dear. I was certain of it.”

“You surely would not wish it yourself, Sylvia?”

“I should detest it beyond words,” she replied.

“Besides, the house is occupied,” said Mr. Cardew, catching at any excuse not to carry out this abominable plan, as he termed it.

“Well, dear, at the present moment it is not. I had a letter a week ago from our agent to ask if he should relet it for the winter and next season, and I have not yet replied to him.”

“Nonsense, nonsense, Sylvia! We cannot go to live there.”

“I don’t wish it, my love.”

The pair sat quite silent after Mrs. Cardew had made this last remark.

After a time her husband said, “We’re really placed in a very cruel dilemma; but doubtless there are schools and schools. Now, I feel that the time has arrived when I ought to tell you about Merry.”

“What about the dear child?” asked her mother. “Isn’t she well?”

“Absolutely and perfectly well, but our dear little girl is consumed by the fever of discontent.”

“My dear, you must be mistaken.”

“I am not. Listen, and I will tell you what has happened.”

Mr. Cardew then related his brief interview with Merry, and Merry’s passionate desire to go to Aylmer House.

“And what did you say to her, love?” asked his wife.

“I told her it was impossible, of course.”

“But it really isn’t, dear, you know,” said Mrs. Cardew in a low tone; “and as you cannot make up your mind to live in London, those two vacancies at Aylmer House seem providential.”

At these words Mr. Cardew sprang to his feet. “Nothing will ever shake my opinion with regard to school-life,” he said.

“And yet the life in town–”

“That is impossible. Look me straight in the face, Sylvia. If by any chance – don’t, please, imagine that I’m giving way – but if, by any possible chance, I were to yield, could you, my darling, live without your girls?”

“With you – I could,” she answered, and she held out her hand to him, which he raised to his lips and kissed.

“Well, I am upset,” he said. “If only Miss Beverley and Bennett were not so silly, we should not be in this awkward fix. I’ll go for a ride, if you don’t mind, Sylvia, and be back with you in an hour’s time.”

During that ride Mr. Cardew felt as a strong man does when his most cherished wishes are opposed, and when circumstance, with its overpowering weight, bears down every objection. Beyond doubt the girls must be educated. Beyond doubt the scheme of living in London could not be entertained. Country life was essential. Meredith Manor must not be deserted for the greater part of the year. He might visit the girls whenever he went to London; but, after all, he was now more or less a sleeping partner in his great firm. There was no necessity for him to go to London more than four or five times a year. Oh! school was hateful, but little Merry had longed for it. How troublesome education was! Surely the girls knew enough.

He was riding home, his thoughts still in a most perturbed condition, when he suddenly drew up just in front of a little figure who stood by the roadside, attired as a gipsy, with a scarlet bandana handkerchief twisted round her head, a short skirt reaching not quite to her ankles made also of scarlet, and a little gay blue shawl across her shoulders. She was carrying a tambourine in one hand and in the other a great bunch of many-colored ribbons.

This little, unexpected figure was seen close to the rectory grounds, and Mr. Cardew was so startled by it, and so also was his horse, that he drew up abruptly and looked imperiously at the small suppliant for his favor.

“If you please, sir,” said Maggie Howland, speaking in her most enticing voice, and knowing well that her dress magnified her charms, “will you, kind sir, allow me to cross your hand with silver and let me tell your fortune?”

Mr. Cardew now burst into a merry laugh.

“Why, Miss Howland,” he said, “I beg your pardon; I did not recognize you.”

Maggie dropped a low curtsy. “I’m the gipsy girl Caranina, and I should like to tell your fortune, kind and generous sir.”

Just then the pretty face of Cicely was seen peeping over the rectory grounds. She was dressed as a flower-girl, and looked more lovely than he had ever seen her before.

“Why, dad, dad,” she cried, “oh! you must come in and join our fun. Mustn’t he, Maggie?”

“I am Caranina, the gipsy girl,” said Maggie, dropping another low curtsy, and holding her little tambourine in the most beseeching attitude; “and you are Flora, queen of the flowers.”

“Well, really, this is entertaining,” said Mr. Cardew. “What queer little minxes you all are! And may I really come in and see the fun?”

“Indeed you may, dad,” said the flower-girl. “Oh, and please we want you to look at Merry. Merry’s a fairy, with wings. We’re going to have what we call an evening revel presently, and we are all in our dress for the occasion. But Maggie – I mean Caranina – is telling our fortunes – that is, until the real fun begins.”

“Do please come in, Mr. Cardew. This is the height of good luck,” said Mrs. Tristram, coming forward herself at this moment. “Won’t you join my husband and me under the shadow of the tent yonder? The young people are having such a good time.”

“I will come for a minute or two,” said Cardew, dismounting as he spoke. “Can some one hold Hector for me?”

David was quickly summoned, and Mr. Cardew walked across the hay-field to where the hastily improvised tent was placed.

“No one can enter here who doesn’t submit to the will of the gipsy,” remarked Caranina in her clear and beautiful voice. “This is my tent, and I tell the fortunes of all those kind ladies and gentlemen who will permit me to do so.”

“Then you shall tell mine, with pleasure, little maid,” said Mr. Cardew, who felt wonderfully cheered and entertained at this al fresco amusement.

Quick as thought Maggie had been presented with a silver coin. With this she crossed the good gentleman’s palm, and murmured a few words with regard to his future. There was nothing whatever remarkable in her utterance, for Maggie knew nothing of palmistry, and was only a very pretense gipsy fortune-teller. But she was quick – quicker than most – in reading character; and as she glanced now into Mr. Cardew’s face an inspiration seized her.

“He is troubled about something,” thought the girl. “It’s the thin end of the wedge; I’ll push it in a little farther.”

Her voice dropped to a low tone. “I see in your hand, kind sir,” she said, “all happiness, long life, and prosperity; but I also see a little cross, just here – ” she pointed with her pretty finger – “and it means self-sacrifice for the sake of a great and lasting good. Kind sir, I have nothing more to add.”

Mr. Cardew left the tent and sat down beside the rector and his wife. Maggie’s words were really unimportant. As one after the other the merry group of actors went to have their fortunes told he paid no attention whatever to them. Gipsy fortune-tellers always mixed a little sorrow with their joyful tidings. It was a bewitching little gipsy after all. He could not quite make out her undefined charm, but he was interested in her; and after a time, when the fortune-telling had come to an end and Maggie was about to change her dress for what they called the evening revels, he crossed the field and stood near her.

“So you, Miss Howland, have been telling my daughter Merry a good many things with regard to your new school?”

She raised her queer, bright eyes, and looked him full in the face. “I have told Merry a few things,” she said; “but, most of all, I have assured her that Aylmer House is the happiest place in the world.”

“Happier than home? Should you say it was happier than home, Miss Howland?”

“Happier than my home,” said Maggie with a little sigh, very gentle and almost imperceptible, in her voice. “Oh, I love it!” she continued with enthusiasm; “for it helps – I mean, the life there helps – to make one good.”

Mr. Cardew said nothing more. After a time he bade his friends good-by and returned to Meredith Manor. In course of time the little pony-carriage was sent down to the rectory for the Cardew girls, who went back greatly elated.

How delightful their evening had been, and what a marvelous girl Maggie Howland was.’

“Why, she even manages to subdue and to rule those really tiresome boys,” said Cicely.

“Yes,” remarked Merry, “she is like no one else.”

“You have quite fallen in love with her, haven’t you, Merry?”

“Well, perhaps I have a little bit,” said Merry. She looked thoughtful. She longed to say to Cicely, “How I wish beyond all things on earth that I were going to the same school!” But a certain fidelity to her father kept her silent.

She was startled, therefore, when Cicely herself, who was always supposed to be much calmer than Merry, and less vehement in her desires, clasped her sister’s hand and said with emphasis, “I don’t know, after all, if it is good for us to see too much of Maggie Howland.”

“Why, Cissie? What do you mean?”

“I mean this,” said Cicely: “she makes me – yes, I will say it – discontented.”

“And me too,” said Merry, uttering the words with an emphasis which astonished herself.

“We have talked of school over and over again,” said Cicely, “with Molly and Belle; but notwithstanding their glowing accounts we have been quite satisfied with Miss Beverley, and dear, gray-haired Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Vaughan; but now I for one, don’t feel satisfied any longer.” “Nor do I,” said Merry.

“Oh Merry!”

“It is true,” said Merry. “I want to go to Aylmer House.”

“And I am almost mad to go there,” said Cicely.

“I’ll tell you something, Cissie. I spoke to father about it to-day.”

“Merry! you didn’t dare?”

“Well, I just did. I couldn’t help myself. It is hateful to be under-educated, and you know we shall never be like other girls if we don’t see something of the world.”

“He didn’t by any chance agree with you?” said Cicely.

“Not a bit of it,” said Merry. “We must bear with our present life, only perhaps we oughtn’t to see too much of Maggie Howland.”

“Well,” said Cicely, “I’ve something to tell you, Merry.”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t know just at present why mother and I went to Warwick this morning?”

“No,” said Merry, who was rather uninterested. “I had a very good time with Maggie, and didn’t miss you too dreadfully.”

“Well, you will be interested to know why we did go, all the same,” said Cicely. “It’s because Miss Beverley is knocked up and can’t teach us any more, and Mr. Bennett is going to London. Mother can’t hear of anyone to take Miss Beverley’s place, or of any music-teacher equal to Mr. Bennett; so, somehow or other, I feel that there are changes in the air. Oh Merry, Merry! suppose–”

“There’s no use in it,” said Merry. “Father will never change. We’ll get some other dreadfully dull daily governess, and some other fearfully depressing music-master, and we’ll never be like Molly and Belle and Maggie and our cousin Aneta. It does seem hard.”

“We must try not to be discontented,” said Cicely.

“Then we had best not ask Maggie here too often,” replied Merry.

“Oh, but they’re all coming up to-morrow morning, for I have asked them,” said Cicely.

“Dear, dear!” replied Merry.

“We may as well have what fun we can,” remarked Cicely, “for you know we shall be going to the seaside in ten days.”

CHAPTER VIII.

MRS. WARD’S SCHOOL

It is to be regretted that Mr. Cardew spent a restless night. Mrs. Cardew, on the contrary, slept with the utmost peace. She trusted so absolutely in her husband’s judgment and in in his power to do the very best he could on all possible occasions for her and hers that she was never deeply troubled about anything. Her dear husband must not be forced to live in London if he did not like to do so, and some arrangement must be made for the girls’ home education if he could not see his way to sending them to school.

Great, therefore, was her astonishment on the following morning when he came hastily into her room.

“My dear,” he said, “I am off to London for the day.”

“What for?” she asked.

“I will tell you, darling, when I return to-night.”

“Cyril, may I not come with you?”

“I think not, my love. Make all the young people as happy as you can. I’m just off to the station, in the motor-car.”

Mr. Cardew left his wife’s room. The girls were told at breakfast that their father had gone to London; but as this frequently happened, and was invariably connected with that business which they knew nothing whatever about, they were not keenly interested. As a matter of fact, they were much more absorbed in getting things ready for the entertainment of their friends; and in this Mrs. Cardew very heartily joined them. She proposed that during Maggie Howland’s visit the five girls should have as happy a time together as possible; and as the weather was perfect the invariable picnics and gipsy teas were arranged for their benefit.

“You can all make yourselves happy here to-day, my darlings,” said Mrs. Cardew, addressing Cicely and Merry. “To-morrow, when your father is here, the Tristrams, he and I, and you girls will have a very pleasant picnic to the Aldersleigh woods. We will arrange it to-day, for there is nothing your father enjoys more than a whole, long, happy day in the open air. I will speak to Mrs. Fairlight, and tell her to have all things in readiness for our picnic.”

“Oh mummy, how good! how good!” said Merry, clasping her mother’s hand. Then she added, “Mummy, is it true that Miss Beverley is never going to teach us any more?”

“I am afraid it is only too true, Merry; but this is holiday-time, darling; we needn’t talk of your education just at present.”

“Only, we must be educated – mustn’t we, mother?”

“Of course, dearest. Your father will see to that.”

Merry ran off to join her sister, and it is not too much to say that the whole of that glorious day was one of unalloyed pleasure. The Tristram girls were always delightful to the Cardew girls, but now that they were accompanied by Maggie Howland there was a great addition to their charm. Nevertheless, Maggie, with her purpose full in view, with her heart beating a little more quickly than usual when she heard that Mr. Cardew had gone to London, religiously avoided the subject of the life at Aylmer House. She felt, somehow, that she had done her part. A great deal of her own future depended on these two girls coming to Aylmer House. She would make use of them – large use of them – at school. She was fond of Molly and Belle; but they were poor. Maggie herself was poor. She wanted to have rich friends. The Cardews were rich. By their means she would defeat her enemy, Aneta Lysle, and establish herself not only in the school but with regard to her future life. Maggie felt that she could make herself indispensable to Cicely and Merry. Oh yes, they would certainly go to Aylmer House in September. She need not worry herself any further, therefore, with regard to that matter. Little would they guess how much she had really done toward this desirable goal, and how fortunate circumstances had been in aiding her to the accomplishment of her desire. It was enough for Maggie that they were certainly going. She could, therefore, give herself up to enjoyment.