Part 12 (2/2)

But in defiance of her remonstrance, the stirring strains continued, till suddenly through the clamour a tiny shrill voice made itself heard.

”Let Towzer sing, let Towzer sing,” it pleaded. ”Towzer wants to sing all be-lone.”

There was a rush in the three-year-old baby's direction.

”Sing, of course she shall, the darling!” cried Maggie, the ”Jack-in-the-middle” of the five little sisters, and the first to reach the small aspirant to vocal honours. ”She shall stand on the table,” she continued, struggling breathlessly with ”Towzer,” as she tried to lift her in her arms, ”and----”

”Out of the way, Maggie. Out of the way, Flop!” shouted Jack, charging down ruthlessly on to the little girls, sending Maggie to the right-about and Flop to the left. ”You are not to try to lift Towzer, Maggie; mother has said so, ever so many times. You'll be dropping her and smas.h.i.+ng her to pieces some day, the way you smashed Lady Rosalinda--you're far too little. There now, Towzer, my pet,” as he safely established her on the st.u.r.dy wooden table; ”sing, and we'll all clap.”

Maggie retreated resentfully, muttering as she did so, ”I'm not little--I'm seven; and Towzer isn't made of wax.”

”Silence,” shouted Jack, and the baby began her song.

”Miss Tammel are coming out of L. D.,” she began. Shouts of laughter.

”Go on, darling; that's beautiful. Clap, clap, can't you! She thinks we're laughing at her,” said Jack, the latter part of his speech an ”aside” to the audience.

But it was too late; Towzer's feelings were deeply wounded.

”Towzer won't sing no more, naughty Jack, and naughty Patty, and Edith, and naughty all boys and girls to laugh at Towzer,” she cried, her very blue eyes filling with tears. She was such a pretty little girl, ”fair, fair, with” not ”golden,” I should rather say, ”silvern hair,” so very pale were the soft silky locks that cl.u.s.tered round her little head. How she ever came to be called ”Towzer,” her real name being Angela, would have puzzled any one unused to the extraordinary things invented by children's brains, and the queer grotesque charm which the ”rule of contrary,” especially as applied to nicknames, seems to possess for them.

Towzer's tears flowed piteously; everybody at once was trying to console her, and poor Towzer was all but suffocated among them, when there came a sudden interruption--a maid servant appeared at the door.

”Master Jack and Master Max,” she said as soon as she could make herself heard, ”your mamma wished me to say as she hoped you were remembering about finis.h.i.+ng your lessons early, for Miss Campbell's train is due at Stapleham at five, and your papa's ordered the carriage at four, and will be annoyed if you're not ready. And Miss Patty, I was to say,” she was continuing, when suddenly she caught sight of ”the baby” still on the table, in a sad state of crush and discomposure, as, Jack and Max having already rushed off, all the remaining children were fighting for her possession. ”Now that is too bad, I do declare! What are you all pulling and dragging at the dear child for? Making her cry, too. Miss Maggie, you've been teasing her, I'm certain--you're always in mischief.

I'm sure I don't know whatever nurse will say--Miss Hangela's frock just clean on! I'm sure I hope Miss Campbell will keep you in better order, I do; for since your mamma's been ill, it's just dreadful the way you go on.”

”I didn't make her cry,” ”And I'm sure I didn't,” cried Patty and Edith at once.

”Then it's Miss Maggie, as usual; you come too, Miss Florence,”

said Dawson, as she walked off with the rescued Towzer in her arms and Flop at her heels, taking no notice of Maggie's indignant exclamation--”You're a nasty, horrid, cross thing, Dawson! and I only hope Miss Campbell will set you down when she comes.”

Great things were evidently expected of ”Miss Campbell,” and by no one in the house was her return looked for more eagerly than by her invalid mother, who had of late found the care of her many boys and girls, weigh heavily on her. For this reason Eleanor, the eldest daughter of the family, a girl of seventeen, had been recalled from a school in Paris sooner than would otherwise have been the case, and it was her expected arrival this very evening that had caused all the playroom commotion. It was a year, fully a year, since she had been at home, and it was no wonder that all her brothers and sisters rejoiced at her return, for she was kind and unselfish, bright and merry, and the old Manor House without her had lost half its suns.h.i.+ne.

Five o'clock--all the children are already at the windows, some at the door, though ”she cannot be here till six or half-past,” says mamma; and nurse valiantly refuses to put on Towzer's second clean frock for another hour at least.

Six o'clock at last--five minutes, ten minutes, a quarter past--oh, how slowly the time goes! At last wheels, unmistakable wheels up the drive!

Jack's head poked ever so far out of the carriage window on one side, and Max's on the other. A general shriek, ”They've come! they've come!”

and in another minute Eleanor is in her mother's arms, to be released from them only to be hugged and re-hugged and hugged again; while from every direction comes the cry, ”Miss Campbell has come, dear Miss Campbell.” ”Miss Tammel are tum, dear Miss Tammel.”

At last they are all in bed--Jack, Max, Harry, Chris, Patty, Edith, Maggie, Flop, and Towzer; and Miss Campbell is free to sit quietly beside her mother's sofa, with her soft thin hands in hers.

”Oh, dear Eleanor, how nice it is to have you home again!”

”Oh, dear mamma, how nice it is to be at home again!”

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