Betty's Discovery
Molly and Douglas were up in an apple tree in the orchard late one
afternoon, when Betty and Prince came rushing by.
'Hullo, where are you going?' shouted Douglas.
Betty came to a standstill, and Prince likewise, the latter putting his
tongue out and looking up inquiringly, as he panted for breath.
Betty cut a caper. 'I'm going to spend the day with Miss Fairfax
to-morrow; me and Prince, hurray!'
And Prince danced round his little mistress's legs with delighted barks.
'I don't believe it,' said Molly, looking down through the leafy
branches; 'didn't she ask us too?'
'No, only me; she said she'd ask you another day.'
'Where did you see Miss Fairfax?'
'In church; she has been making the loveliest music, and Prince and I
have been singing.'
'Prince singing!' said Douglas contemptuously; 'I should like to hear
him!'
'He does,' Betty said eagerly; 'he really does. He kind of whines in
his throat and up his nose, and sometimes he puts up his head, opens
his mouth wide, and gives a lovely howl! And he looks awfully pleased
when he's done it; he thinks he sings very nicely. Where's nurse?'
'She's washing Bobby; he tumbled right into the pig-stye, and came out
a disgusting objec'!'
'Is she rather cross?'
'Of course she is; she won't let you go to Miss Fairfax if you ask her
now.'
'Then I'll wait till tea.'
Betty threw herself down on the grass, and Prince sat at her feet,
thumping his tail on the ground, and watching intently every change
that flitted across her face. Now and then he would make a snap at
some flies; if Betty spoke to him, his whole body would wriggle with
ecstasy; he seemed to live on her smiles and caressing words.
'It will be very dull to spend the day with a grown-up person,' said
Douglas presently; 'I'm glad she didn't ask me; I never do care for
grown-up persons.'
His lordly air in making this assertion helped to fortify Molly, who
was bitterly disappointed in not being included in the invitation.
'I love her!' exclaimed Betty; 'she's the nicest grown-up I've ever
seen. She does laugh so, and isn't a bit proper.'
'Well, you'll be sick of it before the day is over, you see if you
aren't! Now Molly and I are going to have a lovely day. Would you
like to know what we're going to do?'
Molly listened eagerly, for Douglas's plans were always sudden and
unexpected.
'We're going off directly after breakfast with our dinner in our
basket, and we're going down to the brook. I'm going to build a bridge
over it at the widest part!'
Both sisters looked aghast at this audacity.
'What will you build it of?' questioned Betty sceptically.
'Of stones and clay. We shall make the clay down there; and I shall
put a few boards in, and make it all smooth with some putty that I saw
in the stable.'
'You will fall in the water and get drowned,' said Betty; and then she
jumped up and ran off to the house, to escape a pelting shower of small
green apples from her irate brother.
Nurse made a few objections at first, when she heard of Betty's
invitation; but when she knew that Miss Fairfax was going to call for
her little guest, and had promised to bring her safely back again, she
gave the required permission; and Betty's sleep that night was full of
wonderful dreams about her coming visit.
She woke very early the next morning, and was full of confidences to
Prince of all that they were going to do and say. She gave nurse no
rest after breakfast until she had dressed her in her best white frock
and tan shoes and stockings; then, with her large white Leghorn hat and
little white silk gloves, she sat up on a chair in the best front
parlour, feeling very important, and making a dainty little picture as
she sat there. Prince had a piece of pink ribbon tied round his neck;
Mrs. Giles had produced it from her work-basket, and had gained a
fervent kiss and hug from the little maiden thereby.
At last Nesta arrived in a low pony carriage, to Betty's intense
delight. She wished that Molly and Douglas had waited to see her step
in and drive off, but they had run off half an hour before, nurse
having packed them a lunch-basket, as desired.
Nesta smiled at the excited child, as she and Prince tumbled themselves
into the carriage with a good deal of fuss; but when they were once
off, driving through the shady lanes, Betty folded her little hands
demurely round Prince in her lap, and upon her face came that dreamy
look her friend so loved to see. She did not ask questions, and the
drive was a quiet one, until they at length drove through some iron
gates round a thick shrubbery, and up to a big white house with green
Venetian shutters, and a brilliant show of roses in front. Betty was
lifted out, and taken up some low stone steps into a broad
old-fashioned hall. It seemed very cool and quiet inside; thick soft
rugs lay about the tiled floor, large pots of flowering shrubs stood
here and there, and at the farther end was an open door with striped
awning outside, and a glimpse of a smooth grassy lawn and bright
flower-beds.
Nesta opened a door, and led Betty into a darkened room, full of sweet
scents of heliotrope and roses.
'Now I am going to bring you something, so sit down and wait for me.'
Betty's quick eyes were taking in everything; and as for Prince, his
nose was as busy as his eyes, and a low growl and a stiffening of his
ears soon told his little mistress that he had discovered something
objectionable. When Betty crossed the room on tip-toe, she found him
in front of a large mirror, and the snarl on his lips was not pleasant
to see, as he faced his mock antagonist.
'Oh, Prince, for shame! I must hold you; what would I do if you broke
that glass? Now come and look at these beautiful pictures. Look at
that lady up there; she has got a little dog in her arms very like you.'
It was a pleasant morning-room, with plenty of pretty ornaments
scattered about, and after the farm kitchen it had a great fascination
for Betty.
Nesta presently returned with some sponge cakes and a glass of
raspberry vinegar, which Betty found most refreshing.
'Do you live here all alone?' she asked.
'No,' said Miss Fairfax, smiling; 'I have my mother and sister here.
My mother is not very well to-day, but I will take you to see my sister
now. Come along, this way; will Prince be good?'
'Yes, he won't bark at all unless he meets another dog.'
Betty trotted along, following her guide across the hall to another
room, where on a couch near the window lay a lady.
'I've brought a little visitor to see you, Grace,' Nesta said in cheery
tones. 'This is the little girl I was telling you about the other day.'
'I can't bear children,' was the fretful reply; 'why do you bring her
here?'
But nevertheless she put the book down that she was reading, and
scanned the child from head to foot. Betty's grave face and earnest
scrutiny in return seemed to vex her more.
'How children stare! Do you think me a scarecrow, child? can't you
keep your eyes to yourself? What is your name?'
'Betty,' and the little girl drew to her friend's side rather shyly.
'Go and shake hands,' whispered Nesta.
Betty went up to the couch and held out her little hand. The invalid
took it, and the fair, flushed little face seemed to attract her.
'This is a perfect baby, Nesta; I thought you meant a much older child.
Well, little girl, haven't you a tongue in your head? Have you nothing
to say? It's the way of this house: here I lie from morning to night
without a soul to speak to, and if I do have a visitor it is half a
dozen words, and then off they go! I should like them to lie here and
suffer as I do--perhaps they might have a little more feeling for an
invalid if they did.'
'Are you going to die?' asked Betty timidly.
'Take her away!' gasped Miss Grace; 'don't bring a child to mock me;
and I suppose you will be devoting yourself to her the whole day, and I
shall have no one to read the paper to me.'
'No,' said Nesta brightly, 'I am going to let her play in the garden,
and then I shall come to you as usual. Come along, Betty; now you and
Prince can have a scamper.'
Out into the garden they went; but Betty rubbed her eyes in
bewilderment when she got there. Surely she had seen this garden
before! Was it in her dreams last night?
She tripped across the velvet lawn, answering Nesta's questions and
remarks rather absently, and then suddenly she turned round with a
beaming face. 'I've been here before,' she said; 'I had some lilies
from over there, and I came through that little door in the wall from
the wood. Do you know my lady? She looks like a queen. Does she live
with you?'
Nesta looked perfectly bewildered.
'You must be dreaming, Betty. How could you have come here? When did
you come?'
Betty told her of her adventure in the wood, and Nesta listened in
wonder.
'It must have been my mother, and yet I can hardly understand it. It
is unlike her to take any notice of children.' Then she added, 'Do you
think you can make yourself happy in the garden, Betty, or would you
like to go down the green walk outside the little gate?'
'Will you open the gate and let me see?' said Betty thoughtfully.
Nesta took her to it, and then for a moment they stood silent, looking
down the green avenue, with the golden sunshine glinting through the
leafy trees, and the tall bracken swaying to and fro in the summer
breeze.
'Which do you like best, Betty--the garden or this?'
Betty turned and looked behind her at the lovely flowers and
beautifully kept grass and gravel walks, and then she heaved a little
sigh as she looked out into the wood.
'My beautiful old lady asked me that question before, and I thought
then I liked the garden, but now I like this green walk best,' she said.
'You prefer nature uncultivated, don't you? So do I. But I do not
often come out here. This is my mother's favourite spot.'
'Did you say "Nature"?' questioned betty eagerly. 'Do you mean Mother
Nature? You said you would show her to me one day.'
'So I did, I have quite forgotten. Well, there she is out there,
Betty. Nature is God's beautiful earth: the country, the birds, the
rabbits, and the squirrels--everything that He makes and that man
leaves alone.'
'I don't understand;' and the child's white brow was creased with
puckers. 'I thought she was a woman: Mr. Roper said she was; he said
he had learnt many a lesson from her.'
'And so have I,' said Nesta softly. 'Listen, Betty. Sometimes I have
gone out of doors tired and worried and sad; I have wandered through
the wood, and the sweet sounds and sights I have seen in it have
brought me home rested and refreshed. They have spoken to me of God's
love, and God's care, and God's perfection. You are too little to
understand me, I expect, but you will when you get older. God makes
everything beautiful, and He watches over the tiny birds and insects
whom no one but Himself ever sees. The tiniest flower is noticed by
Him, and all His works in nature lead us to think of Him, and to
remember how He loves and cares for us.'
Betty's blue eyes were raised earnestly upwards.
'God does love everything, doesn't He? And He loves Prince just as
much as He does you and me.'
Nesta hesitated. 'I think, darling, God has a different love for us to
what He has for animals. We have cost the dear Saviour His life; our
souls have been redeemed. Animals have no souls, they do not know the
difference between right and wrong----'
'But Prince does,' broke in Betty hastily; 'he knows lots of the Bible,
for I've told him about it, and I read The Peep of Day to him on
Sunday. He likes it; he lies quite still on my lap and folds his paws
and listens like anything. And I've told him about Jesus dying for
him, and how he must try to be good. And he does try: he wanted to run
after some little chickens yesterday, and I called him and told him it
was wicked, and he came away from them directly; and I know he wanted
to go after them dreadfully, for he was licking his lips and glaring at
them!'
This outburst from Betty was too much for Nesta. She looked at her
with perplexity, then wisely turned the subject, and after a few
minutes' more chat left her, and went back to the house.
Betty wandered out into the wood, and then seating herself on a soft
bank surrounded by ferns and foxgloves, she drew Prince to her.
'Come, you little darling, how do you like this? Isn't it lovely to be
spending a day in that lovely house, and not have to be shut out with
only some lilies to take away? Do you like it, Prince? And do you
think we shall see that nice queen, and find out if she sent you in a
basket to me? Do you understand about nature, Prince? I wish I did,
but it's the earth, I think; you put your mouth down and kiss it.
Isn't it nice and soft?'
And then, laying her curly head on the velvet moss, Betty pressed her
lips to it, whispering, 'Mother Nature, Mr. Roper sent you his love and
a kiss!'
Prince was not content to stay as quiet as this for long, and when a
rabbit popped out from a hole close by, he was after it like lightning.
Betty tore after him delightedly, and a scamper removed from her busy
little mind for the time thoughts that were beginning to trouble her.
When Nesta returned to the garden half an hour after, she found Betty
deep in conversation with the old gardener, and Prince was hunting for
snails in a thick laurel hedge close by.
'We didn't stay out in the wood very long,' Betty explained; 'we got
tired of running after rabbits.'
'You must come in to luncheon now; I want you to come up to my room to
wash your face and hands.'
'Will the cross lady be at lunch?' asked Betty, as she trotted up the
broad oak stairs a few minutes later.
'Hush, dear; she is ill, remember. I don't think she will lunch with
us.'
Nesta took her little visitor through a long passage to a pretty
bedroom, and Betty looked about at all the pictures and knick-knacks,
asking ceaseless questions, and fingering everything that she could get
hold of. Her curls were brushed out, her hands and face washed, and
then she was brought down to the large drawing-room.
'This is my little friend, mother,' said Nesta, going in.
A tall figure turned round from the window, and Betty saw her
mysterious lady once again. She looked colder and sterner than ever,
and put up her gold pince-nez to scan the little new-comer down; but
Betty's radiant face, dimpling all over with pleasure as she held up
her face for a kiss, brought a softer gleam to the old grey eyes, and,
to her daughter's astonishment, Mrs. Fairfax stooped to give the
expected kiss.
'It is the little trespasser,' she said. 'I did not know I should see
you again so soon.'
Then she turned to Nesta. 'Grace informed me she intended to lunch
with us. She is in the dining-room already, so we will wait no longer.'
They walked in silence across to the dining-room, and Betty, awed by
the big table, the noiseless butler, and the cold, formal stateliness
of the meal, sat up in her big chair, subdued and still.