"I am afraid, papa--that Mrs Ascot is not a very good woman."
Mr Vane looked at her without speaking.
"I mean that she is too clever to make mistakes--that she must know if--
if there is anything wrong about the money."
"She is clever, but she is not too clever to make mistakes. She has
made one now--she will find."
"I think so, papa. Mrs Glencairn could not have been mistaken. She
must know, of course. And, papa--it is not pleasant to speak about--but
I don't think Mrs Ascot is nice with mama and Lina. I mean she is not
considerate."
"That will do, Fred. We won't discuss Madame Ascot. It was not by my
will that she was brought into the house. Your grandfather--but I can't
speak to you about all that. Go home, or go back to your school. This
matter shall be cleared up and put right."
"To-day, papa? Papa, I shall be ashamed to look at Miss Robina till
this money is paid. Can you not give it to me to take back to-day?
Please do, dear papa."
Mr Vane laughed a very unpleasant laugh.
"Don't be foolish, Fred. I have not the money to give you to-day, or
any day. I must speak to Mrs Ascot: there must be some mistake. She
and your mother have always managed these things, with Mr St. Cyr's
help. I can do nothing."
"But, papa--" entreated Frederica.
"Hush, say nothing more. As Mrs Glencairn said nothing to you, you are
not supposed to know anything about the matter. Go back to school at
once. Or are you going home for the day?"
"I meant to do so, but I don't wish to trouble mama. I might speak to
Mrs Ascot."
"Much good that would do," said her father, with his unpleasant laugh.
"No, I will speak to her. Go now, there are people coming in."
As the door opened to admit some one, Frederica passed out, but she did
not turn her face towards home, nor towards school.
"I will go to Cousin Cyprien," said she to herself. "I cannot trouble
mama, and I cannot go back to Mrs Glencairn's without some hope that it
will all be set right. Papa so soon forgets."
And not giving herself time to lose courage by thinking about the
difficulties before her, she hastened away. But when she found herself
in the dismal hall into which Mr St. Cyr's office opened, and from
which the staircase to his house led, she wished herself well away
again. It was late in the morning by this time, but Mr St. Cyr had not
come down to his office, the man who opened the door told her, and
Frederica went upstairs with a beating heart. She thought she had come
at a wrong time, when she opened the door, and found that Mr St. Cyr
was not alone. But her friend hastened to welcome her, and though he
expressed some surprise at the sight of her, he expressed pleasure also.
"Only I fear you must be in trouble again," said he, kindly. "Is it
something very serious this time? Ah! yes, your face says so. It is
not--is it Prickly Polly? But first let me introduce my brother to you,
whom you ought to know. Jerome, this is Theresa's daughter--Mr St.
Hubert's grandchild."
"It must be Theresa herself, I think," said the dark man, who rose and
held out his hand.
"No, I am Frederica. Theresa is younger than I."
"She is very like her, is she not? Just the same bright little
creature. But she is not bright to-day. Tell me what is the matter, my
little cousin."
Frederica hesitated. She did not like to speak before Mr St. Cyr's
brother. She would not have liked to speak before anyone, but, as she
told Tessie afterwards, the Reverend Mr St. Cyr had not a nice face.
It was a face that somehow made her think of a mask, and she looked with
a little startled curiosity at him, wondering what might be behind it.
"It brings back your youth, does it not? She is very like what her
mother was in those days. But her mother is changed. Ah! so sadly
changed," said Mr St. Cyr, with a sigh.
But the priest did not answer a word.
"Well, what can I do for you?" said Mr St. Cyr, turning to Frederica.
"Who has been troubling you this time? Not Prickly Polly, sorely? I
thought I had settled her affairs the other day. What is it now?"
"Did you?" said Frederica, eagerly. "And was it very disagreeable?"
"Well, for her, rather so, I fancy. What is it now? Is it a secret?
And does Madame the Schoolmistress let you go here and there about the
city by yourself? She thinks you `sensible,' I suppose?"
Frederica shook her head.
"I was not alone. Nora took me to papa's office, and then I came here.
It is not a secret, but--"
The Rev. Mr St. Cyr sat down, and took up a book.
"Regard him as if he were made of wood," said Cousin Cyprien, laughing;
"and now tell me all your trouble."
"I don't know whether I ought to tell you, but I don't know what else to
do."
And then she told him all her trouble; how she had heard by accident
that Mrs Glencairn had received nothing for their board and education
for a long time, and how she had gone to her father, and he had been
angry, and said he could do nothing, and then she added,--
"I think Mrs Ascot, must know. Do you think Madame Ascot is a
trustworthy person, Cousin Cyprien? Of course she is disagreeable, and
cross, and all that; but not to be trustworthy is something quite
different. And papa says it was not his fault that she came to our
house. Do you think her a good woman. Mr St. Cyr? Is she
trustworthy?"
He listened to her story without a word, only smiling and nodding now
and then till she came to the end and asked those questions about Mrs
Ascot. Then he looked uneasily towards his brother, but his brother
never lifted his eyes from his book, nor seemed to hear a word.
"We must not speak evil of her, nor accuse her without sufficient
grounds," said he gravely.
"No," said Frederica faintly. "But I do not mean because of this
altogether. She is not always considerate towards mama, I am afraid,
and mama is ill, and--alone. But I need not trouble you about it.
Pardon me if I ought not to have come to you."
"You did right to come to me. I can set right all this mysterious
affair. You shall not hear of it again. Of course you are to come to
me."
"But, Cousin Cyprien," said Frederica, taking courage from his kindness,
"ought I to need to come to you always? Is there not something wrong
that might be remedied?"
"My dear child, almost everything in the world is wrong, and I very much
fear must always remain so. But this can be remedied, and it shall be
on one condition. You are not to trouble yourself about it. Are you
the little girl who the other day nearly overturned me? You look like
an old woman with that naughty wrinkle in your forehead."
Frederica laughed.
"What should I do, if I might not come to you? And yet I ought not to
need to come. There must be something wrong," added she, the naughty
wrinkle coming to her forehead again. "Was it grandpapa who put it all
wrong, as papa says? or is it Madame Ascot? or perhaps papa himself?"
added she, with some hesitation.
Mr St. Cyr answered her gravely.
"My little girl, we will not ask. I will set this matter right--no, not
to-day, but soon, and you must not think of it any more."
His promise sounded very different in Frederica's ears, from the promise
her father had made. Mr St. Cyr did not forget. Still she lingered as
if she had more to say, and as if she were not quite sure whether she
ought to say it.
"Do you wish Mrs Ascot to stay in our house, Cousin Cyprien? Papa said
to-day it was not by his wish that she ever came. Do you like her, Mr
St. Cyr? Have you confidence in her? I am quite sure I could make mama
and Selina much happier than she makes them."
"This terrible Madame Ascot!" said Mr St. Cyr with a shrug. "No, I
don't think I like her very much, or have much confidence in her. But
we will not speak of her. When you are old enough and wise enough to
take care of your mama and your sister, and the housekeeping, and all
that, we shall dispense with madame altogether, I fancy. But this must
be a secret till the right time comes, and we shall say no more about
it."
"I am almost old enough, am I not? Well, I will wait patiently."
"Good child! that will be best," said Mr St. Cyr.
Then he showed her several curious things that were in the cabinet, and
a fine picture he had lately purchased, and then he rang for some fruit,
and was very attentive and full of ceremony in serving her; and then he
went downstairs with her, when she went away.
"Good day, my little cousin," said he. "Be sure you come to me always.
I wish I could put aside all trouble from you as easily as I can put
aside this one. Though, indeed, I may have vexation more than enough,
before I am done with it," he muttered, as he went upstairs to his
brother again.
And he did have vexation, and so had Mrs Ascot, and Mr Vane did not
escape without his share. But Frederica had no more. In a day or two
she gathered from various sources that Mrs Glencairn had been paid in
full, and with interest, and that was enough for her. She never heard
another word more about the matter.