Part 9 (1/2)

Hugh John agreed, and added that he had too. But he said that Sir Toady could not be expected to act, seeing that he had already ”sucked up” to the maker of the strawberry shortcake, not to mention the maple-sugar toffee. He could therefore get as much as he wanted for himself without paying, owing to Mrs. Donnan's weakness!

”And do you think that a young dev--imp like Sir Toady does not know when he is well off?” concluded Hugh John. ”As for father, he has too much to do to bother his head about things like that--at least I shan't ask him; no, Sis, if anybody, it is you who ought to suggest to Butcher Donnan, or better, to Mrs. Donnan----”

”But,” said I, ”he is a violent man, and would not listen to a word his wife says. You know that very well!”

Hugh John considered, throwing his chin into the air with a gesture which, if he had not worn his hair of military shortness, would have cast it back elegantly and poetically. But he disdained such things.

”Oh, yes,” he said, ”Donnan makes a lot of noise, I know. He pretends to authority, but--don't tell anybody--he has it not. _His wife can wear him down!_ She seems to submit. His authority at home is undisputed. So he tires of it, and finishes by letting her have her own way. That is the secret. Of course at the least word of objection it would be, 'What ho! my highest of high horses!' And crying aloud he would mount and ride. But Mrs. Donnan never gives him a chance. She knows better. And as he is really a good-hearted man--if he does bully, she just waits till he is sorry for it! It does not take long.”

Thus in the depths of the cave, his chin on his hands and his eye glued to the telescope, spake the Philosopher of Esk Water Side.

I could not but admit that in the main he was right. Hugh John follows a truth with a certain slow, patient, tireless, sleuth-hound trot, which never puts him out of breath. But in the end he finishes by getting there. And now without ever moving he extorted from me the promise that, when I could (and as soon as I could) I should take in hand the task of restoring the married happiness of Mr. and Mrs. Donnan--retired from business, and fallen into the practice of idleness as a profession, and unhappiness as the wages thereof.

IX

THE NEW SHOP

_Aged about Fifteen. The Cave, in July._

It wasn't a job I liked. Nor would almost anybody. Still people can't _say_ very much to a girl, and I had been at school and so had lost my--what shall I call it?--”sensitiveness.”

As Sir Toady says, the golden rule is a first-rate thing--when you leave school. Even with a little addition, it flourishes there too. But you don't want to set up as a Christian martyr at school, I can tell you. It was very n.o.ble in the time of St. Francis, and Dr. Livingstone, and these people, and now-a-days there are people to whom we have to send our sixpences--people we never see. Perhaps I shall be one when I am older, but at school--these are Sir Toady's words--you find out what boy has a down on you _and down him first_! It saves trouble.

Afterwards you can be as sweet and child-like as possible, and go about the world taking people in with blue Madonna eyes all your life. But at school, if you don't want to have the life of a dog, it has got to be different.

Hugh John, of course, says that the principle of school life is for everybody to obey one person. But, you see, that person is Hugh John. If they don't, most likely he will hammer them. And afterwards he will prove how they were wrong. He will do it at length, and at breadth, and at depth, and unto the fourth dimension, till even fellows who can stand up to his fists give in to him so as not to get lectured--or ”jawed” as they ignorantly call it. For really what Hugh John says could be taken down and printed right off in a book.

And you have got to believe it, too. For he is always ready to support his opinion, in the same manner as the Highland chief in _Kidnapped_.

”If any gentleman is not preceesely satisfied, I shall be proud to step outside with him.”

Joined to this faculty for laying down the law, he possesses an admirable barbaric power of enforcing it, which would have been invaluable in feudal times, and is not without its uses even now.

Well, three days after I went and called on Mrs. Donnan. It came about quite naturally. She is a first-cla.s.s person to call upon. No fuss or anything--only you have to catch her on the hop. This time I saw her in the garden gathering gooseberries, and in a moment she had her sunbonnet half off her head, and the basket dropped in the furrow, but I was upon her before she could get away.

”Oh, Mrs. Donnan, do let me help you!” I said.

”But, Miss----” she began, not knowing how to go on.

”I should love it,” I added quickly, ”and I promise not to eat a single one. In fact I shall whistle all the time!”

”Oh, miss,” she said, all in a flurry, ”you know it is not that! You or any of your family are only too welcome to come, and take as many as they like.”

”If you want to keep any for the preserving pot,” I said, smiling at her, ”I should advise you not to say that to my entire family. There are certain members of it who are capable of cleaning up the branches as your dog Toby there would clean a bone!”

”Oh, you mean Master Toady,” she said, all dimples in a moment at the recollection. ”He comes here often. But the garden is large, and bless him! even he can't eat more than he can. More than that, he often leaves a rabbit, or even a brace--and my man havin' been a butcher, is remarkable fond of a bit o' game.”

”Yes,” I said, ”my brother's shootings are like your garden, extensive.

Still, it is a wonder how he can keep them up on a s.h.i.+lling a day, and all but twopence of it deferred pay!”