Part 12 (1/2)
”It was born in them,” replied Martha. ”If you can't see it for yourself, Sibyl, I am not able to show it to you.”
Mrs. Haddo took the girls to London and gave them a very good day. It is true they spent a time which seemed intolerably long to Betty in having pretty white blouses and smartly made skirts and neat little jackets fitted on. They spent a still more intolerable time at the dressmaker's in being measured for soft, pretty evening-dresses. They went to a hairdresser, who cut their very thick hair and tied it with broad black ribbon. They next went to a milliner and had several hats tried on. They went to a sort of all-round shop, where they bought gloves, boots, and handkerchiefs innumerable, and some very soft black cashmere and even black silk stockings. Oh, but _they_ didn't care; they thought the whole time wasted. Nevertheless they submitted, and with a certain grace; for was not the precious packet safe--so safe that no one could possibly discover its whereabouts? And was not Betty feeling her queer, sensitive heart expanding more and more under Mrs. Haddo's kind influence?
”Now, my dears,” said that good lady, ”we will go back to Miss Watts the dressmaker at three o clock; but we have still two hours to spare.
During that time we'll have a little lunch, for I am sure you must be hungry; and afterwards I will take you to the Wallace Collection, which I think you will enjoy.”
”What's a collection?” asked Sylvia.
”There are some rooms not far from here where beautiful things are collected--pictures and other lovely things of all sorts and descriptions. I think that you, at least, Betty, will love to look at them.”
Betty afterwards felt, deep down in her heart, that this whole day was a wonderful dream. She was starvingly hungry, to begin with, and enjoyed the excellent lunch that Mrs. Haddo ordered at the confectioners. She felt a sense of curious joy and fear as she looked at one or two of the great pictures in the Wallace Collection, and so excited and uplifted was she altogether that she scarcely noticed when they returned to the shops and the coa.r.s.e, ugly black serges were exchanged for pretty coats and skirts of the finest cloth, for neat little white blouses, for pretty shoes and fine stockings. She did not even object to the hat, which, with its plume of feathers, gave a look of distinction to her little face. She was not elated over her fine clothes, neither was she annoyed about them.
”Now, Miss Watts,” said Mrs. Haddo in a cheerful tone, ”you will hurry with the rest of the young ladies' things, and send them to me as soon as ever you can. I shall want their evening-dresses, without fail, by the beginning of next week.”
They all went down into the street. Sylvia found herself casting shy glances at Betty. It seemed to her that her sister was changed--that she scarcely knew her. Dress did not make such a marked difference in Hetty's appearance; but Hetty too looked a different girl.
”And now we are going to the Zoological Gardens,” said Mrs. Haddo, ”where we may find some spiders like d.i.c.kie, and where you will see all sorts of wonderful creatures.”
”Oh Mrs. Haddo!” exclaimed Betty.
They spent an hour or two in that place so fascinating for children, and arrived back at Haddo Court just in time for supper.
”We have had a happy day, have we not?” said Mrs. Haddo, looking into Betty's face and observing the brightness of her eyes.
”Very happy, and it was you who gave it to us,” answered the girl.
”And to-morrow,” continued Mrs. Haddo, ”must be just as happy--just as happy--because lessons will begin; and to an intelligent and clever girl there is nothing in the world so delightful as a difficulty conquered and knowledge acquired.”
That evening, when the Vivian girls entered the room where supper was served, every girl in the upper school turned to look at them. The change in their appearance was at once complete and arresting. They walked well by nature. They were finely made girls, and had not a sc.r.a.p of self-consciousness.
”Oh, I say, Fan,” whispered Susie in her dear friend's ear, ”your cousins will boss the whole school if this sort of thing goes on. To be frank with you, Fan, I have fallen in love with that magnificent Betty myself. There is nothing I wouldn't do for her.”
”You ought not to whisper in English, ought you?” was f.a.n.n.y's very significant response, uttered in the German tongue.
Susie shrugged her shoulders. The Specialities generally sat close to each other; and she looked down the table now, and saw that Margaret, and the Bertrams, and Olive Repton were equally absorbed in watching the Vivian girls. Nothing more was said about them, however; and when the meal came to an end Miss Symes took them away with her, to give them brief directions with regard to their work for the morrow. She also supplied them with a number of new books, which Betty received with rapture, for she adored reading, and hitherto had hardly been able to indulge in it. Miss Symes tried to explain to the girls something of the school routine; and she showed each girl her own special desk in the great schoolroom, where she could keep her school-books, and her different papers, pens, pencils, ink, etc.
”I cannot tell until to-morrow what forms you will be in, my dears; but I think Betty will probably have a good deal to do with me in her daily tuition; whereas you, Sylvia, and you, Hester, will be under the charge of Miss Oxley. I must introduce you to Miss Oxley to-morrow morning. And now you would like, I am sure, to go to bed. Mrs. Haddo says that you needn't attend prayers to-night, for you have had a long and tiring day; so you may go at once to your room.”
The girls thanked Miss Symes, and went. They heard voices busily conversing in f.a.n.n.y's room--eager voices, joined to occasional peals of merry laughter. But they were too tired, too sleepy, and, it may be added, too happy, to worry themselves much over these matters. They were very quickly in bed and sound asleep.
Meanwhile f.a.n.n.y was much enjoying the unstinted praise which her friends were bestowing on the beautiful tea-set which her father had given her.
”Oh, but it is perfectly lovely!” exclaimed Olive. ”Why, Fan, you are in luck; it's real old Crown Derby!”
”Yes,” said f.a.n.n.y; ”I thought it was. Whenever father does a thing he does it well.”
”We'll be almost afraid to drink out of it, f.a.n.n.y!” exclaimed Julia Bertram. ”Fancy, if I were to drop one of those little jewels of cups!
Don't the colors just sparkle on them! Oh, if I were to drop it, and it got broken, I don't think I'd ever hold up my head again!”
”Well, dear Julia, don't drop it,” said f.a.n.n.y, ”and then you will feel all right.”