Part 43 (1/2)

At last, summoning up courage, she did so. To her horror, she saw an enormous spider, the largest she had ever beheld, in the center of the bed! This, then, was d.i.c.kie! He was curled up as though he were asleep.

But as f.a.n.n.y ventured to approach a step nearer it seemed to her that one wicked, protruding eye fastened itself on her face. The next instant d.i.c.kie began to run, and when d.i.c.kie ran he ran towards her. f.a.n.n.y uttered a shriek. It was the culmination of all she had lived through during that miserable evening. One shriek followed another, and in a minute Susie Rushworth and Olive Repton ran into the room.

”Oh, save me! Save me!” said f.a.n.n.y. ”Those little horrors have done it!

I don't know where it is! Oh, it is such an odious, dangerous, awful kind of reptile! It's the biggest spider I ever saw in all my life, and those horrible twins came and put it into my bed! Oh, girls, what I am suffering! Do have pity on me! Do help me to find it! Do help me to kill it!”

”To kill d.i.c.kie!” said Susie. ”Why, the poor little twins were heartbroken for two or three days because they thought he was lost. I for one certainly won't kill d.i.c.kie.”

”Nor I,” said Olive.

”Oh, dear! what shall I do?” said poor f.a.n.n.y. ”I really never was in such miserable confusion and wretchedness in my life.”

”Do, f.a.n.n.y, cease to be such a coward!” said Susie. ”I must say I am surprised at you. The poor little twins are almost beside themselves--that is, on account of darling Betty. Betty is so ill; and they think--the twins do----I mean, they have got it into their heads that you--you don't like Betty, although she is your cousin and the very sweetest girl in all the world. But as to your being afraid of a spider!

We'll have a good hunt for him, and find him. f.a.n.n.y, I never thought you could scream out as you did. What a mercy that Miss Symes's room is a good way off from poor darling Betty's!”

”Do try to think of some one besides Betty for a minute!” said f.a.n.n.y; ”and you find that horror and put him into his box, or put him into anything, only don't have him loose in the room.”

”Well, we'll have a good search,” said both the girls, ”and we may find him.”

But this was a thing easier said than done; for if there was a knowing spider anywhere in the world, that spider was d.i.c.kie of Scotland. d.i.c.kie was not going to be easily caught. Perhaps d.i.c.kie had a secret sense of humor and enjoyed the situation--the terror of the one girl, the efforts of the others to put him back into captivity. In vain Susie laid baits for d.i.c.kie all over the room--bits of raw meat, even one or two dead flies which she found in a corner. But d.i.c.kie had secured a hiding-place for himself, and would not come out at present.

”I can't sleep in the room--that's all!” said f.a.n.n.y. ”I really can't--that's flat.”

”Oh, stop talking for a minute!” said Olive suddenly. ”There! didn't you hear it? Yes, that is the sound of the carriage coming back from the station. Dr. Jephson has come. Oh, I wonder what he will say about her!”

”Don't leave me, girls, please!” said f.a.n.n.y. ”I never was so utterly knocked to bits in my whole life!”

”Well, we must go to bed or we'll be punished,” said Susie.

”Susie, you are not a bit afraid of reptiles; won't you change rooms with me?” asked f.a.n.n.y.

”I would, only it's against the rules,” said Susie at once.

Olive also shook her head. ”It's against the rules, f.a.n.n.y; and, really, if I were you I'd pull myself together, and on a night like this, when the whole house is in such a state of turmoil, I'd try to show a spark of courage and not be afraid of a poor little spider.”

”A _little_ spider! You haven't seen him,” said f.a.n.n.y. ”Why, he's nearly as big as an egg! I tell you he is most dangerous.”

”That's the doctor! Oh, I wonder what he is going to say!” exclaimed Olive. ”Come, Susie,” she continued, turning to her companion, ”we must go to bed. Good-night, f.a.n.n.y; good-night.”

CHAPTER XX

A TIME OF DANGER

f.a.n.n.y was left alone with d.i.c.kie. It was really awful to be quite alone in a room where a spider nearly the size of an egg had concealed himself. If d.i.c.kie would only come out and show himself f.a.n.n.y thought she could fight him; but he was at once big enough to bite and terrify her up to the point of danger, and small enough effectually to hide his presence. f.a.n.n.y was really nervous; all the events of the day had conspired to make her so. She, who, as a rule, knew nothing whatever about nerves, was oppressed by them now. There had been the meeting of the Specialities; there had been the blunt refusal to make Sibyl one of their number. Then there was the appalling fact that she (f.a.n.n.y) was turned out of her bedroom. There was also the unpleasantness of Sibyl's insurrection; and last, but not least, a spider had been put into her bed by those wicked girls.

Oh, what horrors all the Vivians were! What turmoil they had created in the hitherto orderly, happy school! ”No wonder I hate them!” thought f.a.n.n.y. ”Well, I can't sleep here--that's plain.” She stood by the fire.

The fire began to get low; the hour waxed late. There was no sound whatever in the house. Betty's beautiful room was in a distant wing. The doctors might consult in the adjoining room that used to be f.a.n.n.y's as much as they pleased, but not one sound of their voices or footsteps could reach the girl. The other schoolgirls had gone to bed. They were all anxious, all more or less unhappy; but, compared to f.a.n.n.y, they were blessed with sweet peace, and could slumber without any sense of reproach.

f.a.n.n.y found herself turning cold. She was also hungry. She looked at the clock on the mantelpiece; the hour was past midnight. As a rule, she was in bed and sound asleep long before this time. Her cold and hunger made her look at the fire; it was getting low.