Part 6 (1/2)

”Oh, but it's little divils yez are, the lot of ye!” cried Kitty as she separated them.

During fits of nervous irritability Captain Caldwell had a habit of pacing about the house for hours at a time. One evening he happened to be walking up and down on the landing outside the nursery door, which was a little way open, and his attention was attracted by Beth's voice. She was reciting a Catholic hymn softly, but with great feeling, as if every word of it were a pleasure to her.

”What's the meaning of this?” he demanded, breaking in on her devotions. ”What papistical abominations have you been teaching the child, Kitty?”

”Shure, sorr, it's jest a bit of a hymn,” said Kitty bravely; but her heart sank, and the colour left her lips.

Captain Caldwell was furious.

”Caroline!” he called peremptorily, going to the head of the stairs, ”Caroline, come up directly!”

Mrs. Caldwell fussed up in hot haste.

”Do you know,” Captain Caldwell demanded, ”that this woman is making idolaters of your children? I heard this child just now praying to the Virgin Mary! Do you hear?”

Mrs. Caldwell's pale face flushed with anger.

”How dare you do such a thing, you wicked woman?” she exclaimed. ”I shall not keep you another day in the house. Pack up your things at once, and go the first thing in the morning.”

”O mamma!” Beth cried, ”you're not going to send Kitty away? Kitty, Kitty, you won't go and leave me?”

”There, you see!” Captain Caldwell exclaimed. ”You see the influence she's got over the child already! That's the Jesuit all over!”

”An ignorant woman like you, who can hardly read and write, setting up to teach _my_ children, indeed--how dare you?” Mrs. Caldwell stormed.

”Well, m'em, I _am_ an ignorant woman that can hardly read and write,”

Kitty answered with dignity; ”but I could tell you some things ye'll not find out in all yer books, and may be they'd surprise ye.”

”Kitty, ye'll not go and leave me,” Beth repeated pa.s.sionately.

”Troth, an' I'd stay for your sake if I could,” said Kitty, ”fur it's a bad time I'm afraid ye'll be havin' once I'm gone.”

”Do you hear that?” Captain Caldwell exclaimed. ”Now you see what comes of getting people of this kind into the house. She's going to make out that the child is ill-treated.”

”One of _my_ children ill-treated!” Mrs. Caldwell cried scornfully.

”Who would believe her?” Then turning to Beth: ”If I ever hear you repeat a word that wicked woman has taught you, I'll beat you as long as I can stand over you.”

Kitty looked straight into Mrs. Caldwell's face, and smiled sarcastically, but uttered not a word.

”How dare you stand there, grinning at me in that impertinent way, you low woman?” Mrs. Caldwell exclaimed with great exasperation. ”I believe you _are_ a Jesuit, sent here to corrupt my children. But go you shall to-morrow morning.”

”Oh, I'll go, m'em,” Kitty answered quietly. She knew the case was hopeless.

”There, now,” said Mrs. Caldwell, turning to her husband. ”Do you see?

That shows you! She doesn't care a bit.”

Beth was clinging to Kitty, but her mother seized her by the arm, and flung her half across the room, and was about to follow her, but Captain Caldwell interfered. ”That will do,” he said significantly.

”It's no use venting your rage on the child. In future choose your nurses better.”