Volume I Part 4 (2/2)

The room they were in was a large square room, and off it was a room that corresponded with the drawing-room below, having equally with it the only bow window in the house, and commanding a country view over some green fields.

It was full of lumber--of old maps, school-books, &c.,--and, as is often the case where no womanly eye is there to interfere, various acc.u.mulations it was n.o.body's business to look after, had gathered there.

Broken china and broken chairs, some old prints, with their gla.s.ses broken also. Whatever happened was there concealed from Mr. Sandford's view.

”We will clear this out,” said Grace, ”put it to rights, and make this our sitting-room.”

But she found her determination confronted at the very outset by Mr.

Sandford's opposition.

”Is the drawing-room not big enough for you? What do you want a sitting room for? You should be glad enough to have a good warm room; let it be, I am not going to have the house upset by you or any one else.”

”But we want a place where we can work and not mind making a litter,”

urged Grace, ”and we can do it ourselves.”

”Leave it alone,” he said, gruffly, and he walked out of the room.

Grace made a gesture of despair.

”Here will be a more difficult task than I thought,” she said, pathetically, to her sister. ”Is it not hard that I should have so much trouble at the very beginning?”

”It is hard, darling,” said Margaret, gently, ”but you will get all you want soon; you know every one does what you like at last; you must just make him do it after a bit, when you know him better.”

Grace's next effort was in the direction of the cook; she was determined to bring about a great improvement in her performances. Had she not attended a whole series of cookery cla.s.ses, and learned how to ice cakes, and many other useful things? With great dignity she rang the drawing-room bell, and when Robert appeared she said, ”Send the cook to me.”

Robert grinned from ear to ear, and came back again in a very few minutes.

”Cook's busy and cannot come.” He stood and looked at her.

Grace made no answer.

”I am to take any message,” he said, longing to raise some little disturbance.

”If she does not choose to come for orders I shall give none,” she said after a moment with a visible accession to her dignity, and Robert reluctantly departed.

The sisters began unpacking their things, and Grace's spirits rose when they had made their room more like the only home they had ever known.

That evening, when dinner was over, Grace began upon the subject of her duties to Mr. Sandford.

”I do not want to lead a useless life,” she began, having well thought over her speech beforehand, but finding it terribly difficult to say it to him now, while his grey eyes, keen, hard, and cold, looked at her unflinchingly, ”I want to be useful.”

”Indeed?”

”Yes,” she said, gaining more courage, ”I intend taking a great deal of trouble and getting things right, and being really useful, I do not intend to eat the bread of idleness.”

”Are you thinking of being a governess?”

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