Part 21 (1/2)
”No,” said Rosalind; ”I mean--yes. I'll put on some more--I mean coals.
In half an hour Esther and Mellicent will be here--”
”Oh, so they will! How lovely!” Peggy seized gladly on the new opening, and proceeded to enlarge on the joy which she felt at the prospect of seeing her friends again, for on that afternoon Robert and the vicarage party were to be allowed to see her for the first time, and to have tea in her room. She had been looking forward to their visit for days, and, new that the longed-for hour was at hand, she was eager to have the lamps lit, and all preparations made for their arrival.
Robert appeared first, having ridden over in advance of the rest. And Rosalind, after going out to greet him, came rus.h.i.+ng back, all shaken with laughter, with the information that he had begun to walk on tiptoe the moment that he had left the drawing-room, and was creeping along the pa.s.sage as if terrified at making a sound.
Peggy craned her head, heard the squeak, squeak of boots coming nearer and nearer, the cautious opening of the door, the heavy breaths of anxiety, and then, cras.h.!.+--bang!--cras.h.!.+ down flopped the heavy screen round the doorway, and Rob was discovered standing among the ruins in agonies of embarra.s.sment. From his expression of despair, he might have supposed that the shock would kill Peggy outright; but she gulped down her nervousness, and tried her best to rea.s.sure him.
”Oh, never mind--never mind! It doesn't matter. Come over here and talk to me. Oh, Rob, Rob, I am so glad to see you!”
Robert stood looking down in silence, while his lips twitched and his eyebrows worked in curious fas.h.i.+on. If it had not been altogether too ridiculous, Peggy would have thought that he felt inclined to cry. But he only grunted, and cried--
”What a face! You had better tuck into as much food as you can, and get some flesh on your bones. It's about as big as the palm of my hand!
Never saw such a thing in my life.”
”Never mind my face,” piped Peggy in her weak little treble. ”Sit right down and talk to me. What is the news in the giddy world? Have you heard anything about the prize? When does the result come out?
Remember you promised faithfully not to open the paper until we were together. I was so afraid it would come while I was too ill to look at it!”
”I should have waited,” said Robert st.u.r.dily. ”There would have been no interest in the thing without you; but the result won't be given for ten days yet, and by that time you will be with us again. The world hasn't been at all giddy, I can tell you. I never put in a flatter time.
Everybody was in the blues, and the house was like a tomb, and a jolly uncomfortable tomb at that. Esther was housekeeper while Mrs Asplin was away, and she starved us! She was in such a mortal fright of being extravagant that she could scarcely give us enough to keep body and soul together, and the things we had were not fit to eat. Nothing but milk puddings and stewed fruit for a week on end. Then we rebelled. I nipped her up in my arms one evening in the schoolroom, and stuck her on the top of the little bookcase. Then we mounted guard around, and set forth our views. It would have killed you to see her perched up there, trying to look prim and to keep up her dignity.
”'Let me down this moment, Robert. Bring a chair and let me get down.'
”'Will you promise to give us a pie to-morrow, then, and a decent sort of a pudding?'
”'It's no business of yours what I give you. You ought to be thankful for good wholesome food!'
”'Milk puddings are not wholesome. They don't agree with us--they are too rich! We should like something a little lighter for a change. Will you swear off milk puddings for the next fortnight if I let you down?'
”'You are a cruel, heartless fellow, Robert Darcy--thinking of puddings when Peggy is ill, and we are all so anxious about her!'
”'Peggy would die at once if she heard how badly you were treating us.
Now then, you have kept me waiting for ten minutes, so the price has gone up. Now you'll have to promise a pair of ducks and mince-pies into the bargain! I shall be ashamed of meeting a sheep soon, if we go on eating mutton every day of the week.'
”'Call yourself a gentleman!' says she, tossing her head and withering me with a glance of scorn.
”'I call myself a hungry man, and that's all we are concerned about for the moment,' said I. 'A couple of ducks and two nailing good puddings to-morrow night, or there you sit for the rest of the evening!'
”We went at it hammer and tongs until she was fairly spluttering with rage; but she had to promise before she came down, and we had no more starvation diet after that. Oswald went up to town for a day, and bought a pair of blue silk socks and a tie to match--that's the greatest excitement we have had. The rest has been all worry and grind, and Mellicent on the rampage about Christmas presents. Oh, by the bye, I printed those photographs you wanted to send to your mother, and packed them off by the mail a fortnight ago, so that she would get them in good time for Christmas.”
”Rob, you didn't! How n.o.ble of you! You really are an admirable person!” Peggy lay back against her pillows and gazed at her ”partner”
in great contentment of spirit. After living an invalid's life for these past weeks, it was delightfully refres.h.i.+ng to look at the big strong face. The sight of it was like a fresh breeze coming into the close, heated room, and she felt as if some of his superabundant energy had come into her own weak frame.
A little later the vicarage party arrived, and greeted the two convalescents with warmest affection. If they were shocked at the sight of Rosalind's disfigurement and Peggy's emaciation, three out of the four were polite enough to disguise their feelings; but it was too much to expect of Mellicent that she should disguise what she happened to be feeling. She stared and gaped, and stared again, stuttering with consternation--
”Why--why--Rosalind--your hair! It's shorter than mine! It doesn't come down to your shoulders! Did they cut it all off? What did you do with the rest? And your poor cheek! Will you have that mark all your life?”