Part 38 (2/2)
”Only since the night before last. I wanted Ermie to tell you herself.
Basil wouldn't tell, and he wouldn't let me. Now it's all right. Oh, how happy I am! Now it's all right.”
”And you really mean me to let Ermengarde off her punishment, Mag?”
”Well, father?”
Marjorie put her head a little on one side, and adopted her most sagacious and goody-goody manner.
”Wouldn't it be well to see if Ermie hasn't learnt something by this lesson, you know? I expect Ermie has suffered a lot.”
”Not she--not she.”
”Oh, but, father, I think she has. Couldn't you wait until the next time to punish Ermie, father?”
”Well, you're a dear child,” said Mr. Wilton, ”and perhaps, for your sake----”
”Oh, no, father, for Basil's sake.”
”Well then, for Basil's sake.”
Marjorie kissed her father about a dozen times.
”You'll let Ermie just learn by her experience to be better another time, and that will be her only punishment,” said Marjorie, in her wisest manner.
”Well, Maggie, I suppose I must yield to you. And now, as this is to be, and I am not to a.s.sume the role of the severe father--between ourselves, Maggie, I hate roles--do let us drop the subject. I feel inclined for a game with the young ones. What do you say?”
”I say that the sun has come out, and I am as happy as the day is long,” replied Marjorie. ”Give me another kiss, please, father. Lucy, is that you? Father is coming to have a romp with us all. Just one minute, please, father. I must go and tell Miss Nelson the good news.”
”What a blessed, happy, dear little thing Maggie is!” thought Mr.
Wilton as, holding Lucy's hand, he walked slowly to the nursery playground. ”She's more like her mother than any of them. Yes, this may be a lesson to Ermengarde. Poor child, I hope so.”
It was late that evening when Ermengarde and Basil, standing side by side under their mother's picture, solemnly kissed each other.
”Basil, you will never love me in the old way again.”
”I love you better than anyone else in all the world, Ermie. Look up into mother's eyes; they are smiling at you.”
”I know what they are saying,” answered Ermengarde. She clasped her hands; there was a stronger, better look than Basil had ever noticed before on her pretty face. ”Mother's eyes are saying, 'You have been very selfish, Ermie, and very----' What is it, Basil?”
”Yes,” interrupted Basil. ”I think selfishness was at the root of all this trouble. I never knew any one so _unselfish_ as Maggie.”
”And mother's eyes say,” continued Ermengarde, ”'Take courage--and--and----'”
”I think mother is telling you to try to copy our dear little Maggie,”
said Basil.
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