Part 5 (1/2)
”Oh! yes, aunt,” answered Mervyn, flus.h.i.+ng, ”I only meant that I would rather have my own dear nurse, and that I was very sorry she had been sent away to India again.”
”She was not sent away, dear,” answered Mrs. Dashwood; ”she went by her own wish. She was fond of you, Mervyn, but she did not like to live in England, so she hurried back to India as soon as she could.
It will be better for you to learn English well, and try to pick up a little French from Sophie, than to be always talking with an Indian, my child. But the first thing you have to do, Mervyn, is to get fat and rosy like Bunny here. And you must grow tall, dear boy, for you are very, very small for your age; you must grow as fast as you can or this little girl will soon be the tallest,” and Mrs.
Dashwood pinched her daughter's plump cheek.
”Oh! but mama, dear, he can't make himself grow,” remarked Bunny, as she stood up to measure herself with her cousin. ”He has not got a key to wind up the works of himself, so he must just wait small till he begins to grow big.”
”You are sharp enough, Miss Pert,” said her mother, laughing. ”I wish you would learn to be more steady and to remember what is said to you.”
”Oh! I can remember,” cried Bunny gaily; ”I've got a splendid memory, haven't I, Miss Kerr?”
”Yes, I think you have, dear,” said Miss Kerr gravely; ”but I am afraid you do not always remember at the right time. Eh! Bunny?”
”No, I don't,” said the little girl, hanging her head; ”I quite forgot when I got up and went to feed Frisk. But I don't think G.o.d minded that much; it was not much harm.”
”G.o.d is always displeased at disobedience, Bunny,” said Mrs.
Dashwood very seriously. ”The first thing G.o.d expects of a little child is that she should be obedient, and so my Bunny must try and remember things that she is not allowed to do, and then be very careful not to do them.”
”Yes, mama, I will try,” said Bunny in a subdued voice.
”That is right, dear, and I hope little Mervyn will do the same.”
”Yes, aunt, I will indeed; papa told me to be very good until he came home, and I mean to be,” he said, drawing himself up in a determined manner.
”Well, then, I am sure you will do Bunny good and help her to remember. But now run away like good children and tell Sophie to take you out for a walk. It is a lovely morning, and a run on the sands will give you an appet.i.te for your dinner.”
”Very well, mama,” cried Bunny gaily, and away she darted out of the room singing and shouting at the top of her voice.
”Good morning, aunt,” said Mervyn gently, and he followed his little cousin in a slow dignified manner, turning quietly to shut the drawing-room door behind him.
”What a harum-scarum that Bunny is!” said Mrs. Dashwood with a sigh.
”It is very hard to make an impression on her.”
”Yes, it is certainly, at least for more than a few minutes at a time,” answered Miss Kerr; ”she is always so ready to be good, no matter what she has done, that it is not easy to scold her much. But she is a good-hearted child, and I am sure in a short time you will see a great change in her.”
”I hope so, indeed,” said Mrs. Dashwood, ”for she is a constant worry at present and extremely hard to manage.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: Chapter decoration.]
CHAPTER VI.
BUNNY FORGETS AGAIN.
Out of the gate and down the road went the two little cousins hand in hand, whilst close behind them walked Sophie, holding up a big umbrella, and carrying a yellow-covered novel under her arm.
On they went; the little ones laughing and talking pleasantly together, until they came to the entrance of the Spa, a gay promenade which the fas.h.i.+onables of the place were in the habit of frequenting in the morning to inhale the sea breezes, listen to sweet music and meet their friends.