'GEORDIE STOOD UP AND WAVED HIS CAP'
No--papa and mamma had not been thinking of anything of that
kind--afterwards mamma told me they had only been saying to each other
how sweet and pretty it all looked and--though perhaps they did not say
so aloud--feeling no doubt how sad it was that we should so soon have to
leave it.
But they came in quite brightly, and mamma answered gaily to Esme's
exclamations about the 'lovely tea-party.'
'Yes,' she said, 'it does look nice. And muffins too'--as Geordie
glanced up with a very red face from the fire where he was toasting one;
'don't scorch yourself _too_ much, in our service, my dear boy.'
'It's a good bit for myself as well,' said Geordie in his rather gruff
way. He always spoke like that if he thought he was being praised--above
all, the least _over_-praised. 'I like muffins better than any kind of
cake or things.'
He certainly knew how to toast and butter them to perfection. I remember
how very good they were that day. Indeed, the tea-party was a great
success altogether. After it was over we carried all the cups and
saucers and plates into the kitchen, to be ready for Margery to wash up,
for mamma had left word at home that she was to come down to the hut to
do so, which we were very glad of.
'I wanted to be together as much as possible to-day,' said mamma in her
kind way. And just as we had cleared away everything in the parlour we
saw Margery coming, and to my great delight Esme asked if she and Denzil
might 'help her' in the kitchen, for Dods and I had been wondering how
we could get rid of the little ones without seeming unkind.
So off they ran, and then for a few minutes we four--'big ones,' I was
going to say, only that does seem putting Geordie and myself too much on
a line with papa and mamma, doesn't it?--sat silent. I was feeling
rather nervous, not afraid of papa and mamma, but afraid of them
thinking it was all a perfectly impossible plan.
But at last, after looking at me several times and even giving me two
or three little kicks, Geordie plunged in, as was his way--
'Ida has something to say to you,' he began. 'It's only fair for her to
say it, for it's all her own idea, though we have talked about it a good
deal.'
Papa looked at me very kindly.
'What is it, my little girl?' he said. 'I am sure you know how pleased
I--and your mother--will be to do anything we can to--to brighten all
these troubles.'
He seemed to know by instinct that what I had to say must have to do
with what he had told us the day before. Yes--only the day before! I
could scarcely believe it--it seemed years ago.
I felt my face growing red; mamma was looking at me too, and though her
eyes were very kind, I grew more and more nervous, and of course I
blurted it out quite differently from what I had meant to.
'It isn't only for us ourselves,' I began, 'though we should like it
ever so much--awfully much better than anything else. But I feel as if
it would be nicer for everybody--for mamma too, and for papa, when you
are far away, you know,' and here I turned specially to him, 'not to
have to think of us in a strange place and among strange people.
And--and--there are lots of little bits of it that seem to fit in so
well.'
'But, my dear child, I must interrupt you,' said papa smiling, 'before
you go on to the "bits," do tell us what the whole is?'
I had really forgotten that I had not done so--my own mind was so full
of it, you see.
'Oh,' I said, feeling very much ashamed of myself, especially as I knew
Geordie's blue eyes were fixed on me reproachfully. 'I'm very sorry for
being so stupid. It's just this, papa--we've been thinking, at least I
thought of it first, and Dods has joined in the planning, that--why
shouldn't we all, mamma and us four, come to _live_ here, really to live
here altogether, while you are away?'
Papa gazed at me as if he did not understand, and no doubt just at first
he did not.
'Live _here_,' he repeated, 'but that is just----'
'Yes,' I interrupted,--'here, in the hut. I don't mean of course go on
living at home, at Eastercove, though it would be Eastercove too. That's
the beauty of it; you would be able to feel that we _were_ at home, and
close to all our friends.'
But still papa repeated, in a dazed sort of way, I would say 'stupid,'
only it would seem rude--
'Live _here_.'
(I do think men are far slower at taking up new ideas than women.)
'Live _here_,' he said again, till I really wished it would not be
disrespectful to give him a little shake, and even Dods, who is far
patienter and less im----what should I say?--impetuous or impulseful, I
must ask mamma which is best, began to look rather provoked. But mamma
put it all right.
'Yes, Jack,' she said, the colour rushing into her face and her eyes
sparkling,--'yes, _here_ in the hut, is what the child means, and,
really, I think it is an inspiration.' Mamma _is_ quick, and she has
such a beautifully ready imagination. 'I don't see why we shouldn't. It
is perfectly healthy; dry and airy and quite warm except perhaps in the
middle of winter, and we surely could find ways and means of making a
_dry_ house warm. Ida, darling, I believe you have hit upon a way out of
our greatest difficulty. _Do_ say you think so too, Jack!'
Light was gradually penetrating into papa's mind.
'Here in the hut! Yes, I wish it were possible,' he said, 'and I agree
with you both so far. It _is_ dry and healthy, and might be made warm,
but--it is so small! Ah!' and he started to his feet, his whole face
changing, 'talking of inspirations, I'm not sure but that _I_ have got
one too--the------'
Here to our amazement, mamma's and mine I mean, in _his_ turn up jumped
Dods, and, respectful or not, interrupted papa in the most barefaced
way--
'Stop, stop!' he cried, 'let me say it, Dad, do, before you do. I want
to have a bit of it. Is your inspiration the old parish room? The iron
room they want to get rid of? _Is_ it?--do say.'
They were both so excited it was quite funny to see them, Geordie
especially, for he is much calmer than papa naturally. Papa turned to
him smiling--
'You have guessed it, my boy. Yes, we might buy the room and turn it
into two or three at least. It could not cost much--our own men could do
it, I believe. It has doorways and windows and fireplaces too, I think,
all ready, and I believe we can have it for an old song----'
'I hope I shan't be the one chosen to sing it!' exclaimed Dods, at which
we all laughed, though it was not particularly witty. But we were just
in the sort of humour to laugh at the least little piece of fun.
'I wish--upon my word, I wish I could see about it this very
afternoon,' went on papa, who was now racing ahead of us all in his
eagerness.
'But you can't, dear; it's Sunday, you know,' said mamma, patting his
arm; 'and we have plenty to think about. There is no fear of Mr. Lloyd's
selling it before to-morrow morning. Let us hear some more of your plan,
Ida, dear.'
I was only too ready to tell it--I was bursting to do so, and so was
Geordie. We set to work and talked--how we did talk!--papa and mamma
putting in a word now and then, though they were so kind, understanding
our wish to be considered the 'discoverers,' as it were, of the new
home, that they really let us talk ourselves out. Then we four made a
sort of progress through the rooms, papa measuring here and there with
the little folding-up foot-rule he always carried in his pocket, and
mamma planning where she would put such and such a piece of furniture
which could be quite well spared from the almost too full rooms up at
the house, not to speak of the stores--treasures they were fast becoming
in our eyes now--crowded away in the big garret.
'We must go up there first thing to-morrow morning,' said mamma, 'and
have a good look round. I don't believe I know half the things we
have--no one does, except Hoskins.'
'You will have to take her into your confidence at once, I expect,' said
papa.
'Yes, I was just thinking so,' mamma replied; 'but I shall wait till you
have inquired about the iron room. She knows our troubles already,' she
went on, turning to Geordie and me; 'she has known about them for some
days, and she says whatever we do, or wherever we go, she will not leave
us.'
'Oh, I _am_ so glad!' exclaimed Geordie and I in a breath. 'We thought
she would be like that,' I went on; 'and I should hope she'd like the
hut far, far better than going away to some horrid little poky house
among strangers. And, mamma, don't you think Margery would be the best
for the other servant.'
'Are we to have two?' said mamma laughing. 'Your plans are getting quite
grand, Ida!'
'Of course you must have two,' said papa, 'and one of the men to look
after things outside. I have an idea about that; Geordie and I will talk
about it together,' and he nodded to Geordie, who looked very pleased at
being consulted in this way, as if he were quite big.
'When will you ask about the parish room?' he said to papa. 'May I go
with you when you do? Perhaps I could help about the measuring.'
For they had already settled as to where it should be placed--at one
side of the hut, but a little to the back, so that it should not spoil
the rather pretty look we were gradually managing to give to the front,
by training creepers over the porch, and filling two or three large
square tubs with bushy, hardy plants which would stand the winter, and
placing them at each side of the long low windows.
'Certainly,' said papa. 'We can drive down to Kirke immediately after
breakfast to-morrow morning. And if it is all right about the room, I
will see the man whom, I think, Mr. Lloyd employed to put it up. He will
understand the best way of partitioning it off, and our own men can work
under his directions.'
So it was in the best of spirits--considering, that is to say, the real
sorrow of parting with dear papa, and the real anxiety that _must_ hang
over us for many months to come, at least--that we set off home again,
Esme chattering about how she had wiped all the tea-cups and saucers,
and how Margery had said that she could not possibly have 'got through'
without her.
'That is not a very elegant expression, my little girl,' said papa.
'Don't you think you could say it some other way.'
Esme looked rather puzzled.
'You says,' she replied, and at that papa laughed--I think he felt it
was out of the frying-pan into the fire,--'you says to mamma or to Ida
when we're playing croquet, "Now see if you can't get through that
hoop."'
'But cups and saucers isn't croquet hoops,' said Denzil solemnly, at
which we all laughed. A very small joke will go a long way when people
are all happy together, and each one trying to do his best to please or
amuse the others.
When I awoke on Monday morning it was with much more quietly hopeful
feelings than on that sad Saturday I could have believed possible. I
seemed to myself to have grown years older in the two days, which was
partly nice and partly, just a very little, 'frightening.' I was proud
of my idea being thought so well of, and I was very anxious to think it
out more and more, so as really to help mamma and to prove that it _was_
a good one. So, though it was still very early, I lay quite quietly and
did not mind the having a good while to wait till it was time to get
up, so busied was my brain in going into all the details which I was
able to think about.
'Two little beds for Esme and me,' I began. 'Let me see which are the
smallest, to take up the least room? This one is rather too big, and
besides, the people who have taken the house will most likely need it
left. I wonder what they will do with this room. I daresay they will use
it for visitors. It is so pretty--my own dear room!' For since my last
birthday I had had a room to myself, all freshly done up with light
chintz curtains and covers and white furniture. But I resolutely put the
thought of my regret out of my mind, and went on thinking about the hut.
Esme's cot would be big enough for her for a good while, and there was
at least one old small bedstead up in the garret, and then Dods and I
had saved enough money to buy one, as I said.
'We must spend it on _something_ for the hut,' I reflected. 'Perhaps we
had better ask mamma what would be the most useful.'
Then my mind went on again about the other rooms and what would be
needed for them, and I had just arrived at the chests of drawers when I
must have fallen asleep, for when I was awakened by Margery and the
announcement, 'Seven o'clock, Miss Ida,' I found myself dreaming that I
was hanging up curtains in front of the fireplace instead of the window,
and wondering how we could prevent their flying up the chimney!
After breakfast papa and Geordie set off almost immediately for Kirke,
to catch Mr. Lloyd before his week's work began again, papa said. And as
soon as mamma had finished her regular housekeeping business for the
day, she and I went up to the garret together, to spy the land, or
rather the stores. I forget if I said that we happened to be in the
middle of our Easter holidays just then, which was most lucky, was it
not?
Mamma and I really enjoyed ourselves up in the garret. It was all so
neat, and not fusty or dusty or musty, and we came upon treasures--as
often is the case if you explore a lumber-room--whose very existence
even mamma had forgotten.
'I really think, Ida,' mamma began, pushing her hair out of her eyes in
a pretty way she has; her hair is lovely, so curly and fuzzy, like
Esme's, though mine is dreadfully smooth! and theirs never _looks_
messy, however untidy it really may get,--'I really think we could find
enough furniture here to do for all the rooms, after a fashion. And we
can certainly take a few things away from downstairs without spoiling
the look of the house. Two beds at least--and one or two small tables. I
must have a writing-table for myself--and several of the wicker chairs
in the verandah might be spared. Yes--I really don't think the
furnishing will be much difficulty or expense.'
'And Doddie and I have saved sixteen and sixpence, you know, mamma,' I
said. 'We meant to buy a camp bedstead for the hut, you know, whenever
you would let us furnish the room that is going to be our drawing-room
now. So we can still get one for Dods if you like, or anything else
needed.'
'Yes, darling,' said mamma. 'That will be very nice. We can wait a
little till we see what is most required.'
She spoke quite as seriously as I had done, though I know _now_ that
sixteen and sixpence is really not nearly as much money as I then
thought it. But that is what has always been so dear about mamma; she
never 'snubs' us. And many people, even really very kind people, do hurt
children's feelings dreadfully sometimes without in the least meaning
it. It is one of the things I mean to try always to remember when I am
quite grown-up myself, and it would be very wrong and ungrateful of any
of _us_ ever to forget it, for our father and mother have shown us such
a good example about it.
Then mamma went off to write some letters and I to the schoolroom to
practise, which had to be done, holidays or no holidays!
'I wonder if we shall have a piano at the hut,' I thought. 'I shan't
very much mind if we don't,' for at that time I did not care much for
music, not, at least, for my own performances. Since then I have come to
'appreciate' it a little better, though I am not at all clever about it,
and I am afraid papa and mamma are rather disappointed at this. But Esme
is learning the violin and plays already so well that I hope she will
make up for me.
I kept running to the window--the schoolroom overlooks the drive--every
time I heard the sound of wheels, to see if it was papa and Geordie
coming back, which was very silly, as of course they would have a good
deal to do, measuring and seeing the carpenter and arranging it all. But
I felt as if I could not settle to anything till I knew about the iron
room, as it did seem as if the whole plan depended a good deal on our
getting it. And when at last I did catch sight of the dogcart coming
swiftly along the avenue, my heart began to beat so fast that I had to
stop once or twice to take breath on my way to the hall-door.
Mamma was there before me, as anxious as I, I do believe, though she was
too sensible to show it.
But before they got to the house, we knew it was all right. Geordie
stood up in the cart and waved his cap for us to understand.
'Oh, I am so glad!' I cried, and mamma smiled.
How strangely things change their--oh, dear, I can't find just the right
word; yes, I have it now 'aspects'--in life sometimes. This was Monday;
on Saturday only had we heard _the_ sad news, and here we were, quite in
good, almost high spirits again, about a little bettering of what, if we
had foreseen it a week ago, we should certainly have thought a cloud
with no silver lining!
Papa and Dods jumped down in a moment, and threw the reins to the groom.
'Is it----' I began.
'All right,' papa interrupted. 'Lloyd is delighted. Very kind and
sympathising, of course, with us, but so interested in our--I should
say,' with a smile to me, 'Ida's scheme. He thinks it a first-rate
idea, at any rate till the autumn.'
'And he is coming up himself this afternoon,' said Geordie, 'with the
drawings and measures of the room, that he got when he bought it.'
'Very good of him,' said mamma.
'And Jervis, the carpenter, is coming too,' George went on; 'and we must
all go down to the hut together. Mr. Lloyd said _particularly_ Ida.'
I felt myself grow red with pleasure.
'Yes,' said papa; 'we must all go and give our opinions. I am very glad
to have secured the room. They were already beginning to take it down.
It is a very good size really, larger than you would think; and there
are two doorways, I am glad to find, and a little porch. I have two or
three ideas in my head as to how to join it on and so forth, but I can
go into them better on the spot.'
'Ida and I have been busy too,' said mamma. 'Really, Jack, you would
scarcely believe the amount of extra furniture we have. There will be
very little to buy--only, I do believe, one camp bedstead for Geordie,
and perhaps a servant's one; and a few bright, warm-looking rugs.'
'_We_ might buy those, mamma,' I interrupted eagerly. 'I have told
mamma about our sixteen and sixpence, Doddie,' I went on, turning to
George. 'I knew you wouldn't mind.'
Geordie nodded.
'Sixteen and sixpence,' repeated papa. 'How have you managed to get
together all that?'
'It's _hut_ money,' I replied. 'I mean it's on purpose to spend on the
hut. We have other savings, too, for Christmas and birthdays--this is
all for the hut.'
'And it shall be spent on the hut,' said papa, 'on something lasting--to
do honour to you both.'
Wasn't that nice of him?