Part 19 (1/2)

”Oh no,” said the old lady, ”Myra has her own home where she must spend part of her time, though grandfather and I hope to have her here a good deal too. It is easy to manage now Miss Fenmore is with her always.”

In my heart I thought Myra a most fortunate child--_two_ homes were really hers; and I--I had none. This thought made me sigh again. I don't know if Myra guessed what I was thinking of, but she came close up to me and put her arms round my neck and kissed me.

”Geraldine,” she whispered, by way of giving me something pleasant to think of, perhaps, ”as soon as you are able to walk about a little I want you to come downstairs with me to see the lions.”

”Yes,” I said in the same tone, ”but you did give them my message, Myra?”

”Of course I did, and they sent you back their love, and they are very glad you're better, and they want you very much indeed to come to see them.”

Myra and I understood each other quite well about the lions, you see.

I went on getting well steadily after that, and not many days later I went downstairs with Myra to the big show-room to see the lions. It gave me such a curious feeling to remember the last time I had been there, that rainy evening when I crept in, as nearly broken-hearted and in despair as a little girl could be. And as I stroked the lions and looked up in their dark mysterious faces, I could not get rid of the idea that they knew all about it, that somehow or other they had helped and protected me, and when I tried to express this to Myra she seemed to think the same.

After this there were not many days on which we did not come downstairs to visit our strange play-fellows, and not a few interesting games or ”actings,” as Myra called them, did we invent, in which the lions took their part.

We were only allowed to be in the show-rooms at certain hours of the day, when there were not likely to be any customers there. Dear old Mrs.

Cranston was as particular as she possibly could be not to let me do anything or be seen in any way which mamma could possibly have disliked.

And before long I began to join a little in Myra's lessons with Miss Fenmore--lessons which our teacher's kind and ”understanding” ways made delightful. So that life was really very happy for me at this time, except of course for the longing for mamma and father and Haddie, which still came over me in fits, as it were, every now and then, and except--a still bigger ”except”--for the dreaded thought of the return to school which must be coming nearer day by day.

Myra and I never spoke of it. I tried to forget about it, and she seemed to enter into my feeling without saying anything.

I had had a letter from mamma in answer to the one I wrote to her just after my illness. In it she said she was pleased with all I said, and my promise to try to get on better at Green Bank, but ”in the meantime,”

she wrote, ”what we want you to do is to get _quite_ strong and well, so put all troubling thoughts out of your head and be happy with your kind friends.”

That letter had come a month ago, and the last mail had only brought me a tiny little note enclosed in a letter from mamma to Mrs. Cranston, with the promise of a longer one ”next time.” And ”next time” was about due, for the mail came every fortnight, one afternoon when Myra and I were sitting together in our favourite nook in the show-room.

”I have a fancy, Myra,” I said, ”that something is going to happen. My lion has been so queer to-day--I see a look on his face as if he knew something.”

For we had each chosen one lion as more particularly our own.

”I think they always look rather like that,” said Myra dreamily. ”But I suppose something must happen soon. I shall be going home next week.”

”Next week,” I repeated. ”Oh, Myra!”

I could not speak for a moment. Then I remembered how I had made up my mind to be brave.

”Do you mind going home?” I asked. ”I mean, are you sorry to go?”

”I'm always sorry to leave grandpapa and grandmamma,” she said, ”and the lions, and this funny old house. But I'm very happy at home, and I shall like it still better with Miss Fenmore. No, I wouldn't be unhappy--I'd be very glad to think of seeing father and mother and my little brothers again--I wouldn't be unhappy, except for--you know, Geraldine--for leaving you,” and my little friend's voice shook.