Part 34 (1/2)
”I think you have, and I think you must; and as you have forgiven, so, of course, you will absolutely forget.”
She made no reply for a long time. Then she rose, kissed me lightly on the forehead, and said:
”You are a good child, Heather, you take after your poor mother. Now go out and help Jonas with the tea.”
I went out, and it was that very day that an extraordinary thing happened--that thing which, all of a sudden, changed my complete life.
Jonas and I were in the kitchen; we were excellent friends. I was busy b.u.t.tering some toast, which he was making at the nice, bright, little fire. Tea had been made and it was drawing on the top of the range.
There was a snowy-white cloth on the little tray, and when enough b.u.t.tered toast had been made I was going to carry the tray into the drawing-room, for Aunt Penelope liked me to do this, in order to save b.u.t.tons and give him more time to ”look after the garden,” as she expressed it. We were so employed, and were fairly happy, although we both knew quite well that I must shortly take my leave, and that the little house would have to do without me--that Jonas would have n.o.body to help him, and that Aunt Penelope would miss me every hour of the day.
Well, as we were thus occupied, I suddenly heard someone run up the steps which led to the front door. There were four or five steps, rather steep ones. The person who ascended now must have been young and agile, for there was quite a ringing sound as each step was surmounted. Then there came a pull at the bell and a sharp, very quick ”rat-tat” on the front door.
”Miss Heather, who can it be?” said Jonas.
He had his toasting-fork in his hand and a great slice of tempting brown toast, which he was just finis.h.i.+ng, on the edge of it; his round, very blue eyes were fixed on my face. For no earthly reason that anyone can tell I felt myself changing colour, and I knew that my heart began to beat in a very queer and excitable way.
”What can it be?” repeated Jonas. ”It's a man, by the step. I'll take a peep out by the area.”
”Oh no, Jonas, you mustn't,” I said; but I might as well have spoken to the wind. Jonas, toasting-fork, toast and all, were out of sight. The next minute he came tiptoeing back.
”It's as smart a young gent as I ever laid eyes on,” he said. ”Miss Heather, for the Lord's sake slip upstairs and put on your best 'Sunday-go-to-meeting' dress and tidy your 'air, miss, it's ruffled from doing things in the kitchen, and take the s.m.u.t off your cheek, and--there! I mustn't keep him waiting any longer. He be a bloomin' fine boy and no mistake.”
”Let me pa.s.s you, Jonas; I'll go first,” I said, and in this fas.h.i.+on we both left the kitchen, I rushed to my room--I wasn't above taking a hint from Jonas; soon one of my pretty frocks, which I used to wear at Lady Helen's, was on once more, a white embroidered collar encircled my throat, my hair was tidily arranged, the obnoxious s.m.u.t removed, and I came slowly downstairs. Jonas was waiting for me on the bottom step.
”It's you he's asked for, miss--he's a captain in the harmy, no less.
Carbury his name be. I 'as took in the tea, and my missus is chatting with him as lively and pleasant as you please. You go in, miss; you're all right now, you look like any queen. Ring if you want me, Miss Heather; don't you be doing things yourself when a gent like that's in the house. Ring and give your orders properly, same as if there was twenty Jonases here instead of one. I'm not tired, not a bit of it; I'm real pleased to see you looking so perky, miss.”
I put out my hand and touched his; he grasped mine in a sort of pleased astonishment, and tears absolutely moistened his eyes.
”Go in and prosper, miss,” he said, and then he dashed downstairs.
I entered the drawing-room.
There was no one like Vernon. He had a trick of making friends with people in about two minutes and a half. It could never be said of Aunt Penelope that she was a person who was brought quickly round to be cosy and confidential and friendly with anyone; it had taken me the greater part of my life to know the dear old lady as she really ought to be known, and yet, here was Vernon, seated on a low chair facing the tea table, and absolutely pouring out tea for himself and Aunt Penelope! He looked up as I entered, threw down the sugar tongs with a slight clatter, came towards me and gave my hand a squeeze.
”She's much too weak, Heather, to be bothered making tea, so I thought I'd do it.”
”He is making it very nicely, Heather, my dear,” said Aunt Penelope, ”and I don't see why he should not go on. I'm quite interested in Captain Carbury's stories about the army; it is so long since I have met a soldier. I a.s.sure you, Captain Carbury, in my young days I hardly ever met anyone else.”
”And a very great advantage for the army, madam,” said Vernon, with that pleasant twinkle in his eyes which would have made an Irish girl call him ”a broth of a boy” at once.
I sat down; I found it difficult to talk. Aunt Penelope took no notice of me; she kept up a ceaseless chatter with Vernon. He was in the best of spirits; I never saw anything like the way he managed her. What could he have said to her during those very few minutes while I was changing my dress and tidying my hair and getting that s.m.u.t off my cheek?
The tea came to an end at last, and then the dear old lady rose.
”Heather,” she said, ”I am a little tired, and am going to lie down. You can entertain Captain Carbury. Captain, I have not the least idea what this dear child of mine has ordered for supper, but whatever it is I hope you will share it with us. We should both like you to do so.”
”Thank you, I shall be delighted,” he replied, and then Aunt Penelope went out of the room. The moment she had gone Vernon looked at me and I looked at him.