Sibyl and her mother went to Grayleigh Manor on the following
Saturday. Sibyl was wild with excitement. Nurse was going, of course,
to look after her, but Miss Winstead was to remain at home. Sibyl felt
that she could manage nurse, but there were moments when Miss Winstead
was a little obstinate. She would have a delightful time now in the
country with her perfect mother. Of course, there was the pain of
parting with father, who was just as perfect, if not a little more so.
In her heart of hearts Sibyl felt that she understood her father, and
that there were times when she did not quite understand her mother;
but, never mind, her mother was the perfection of all feminine beauty
and loveliness, and grace and goodness, and her father was the
perfection of all masculine goodness and nobility of character. Sibyl
in her heart of hearts wished that she had been born a boy.
"I am much more like a boy than a girl," she thought, "and that is why
I understand father so well. But it will be lovely going to the
country with mother, my ownest mother. I expect I'll have great fun;
and, as mother doesn't care so very much whether I am perfect or not,
perhaps I can be a little naughty on my own account. That will be
lovely. I can't be really naughty with father, it is impossible;
father is so very tall up, and has such grand thoughts about things;
but I can with mother."
So Sibyl watched the packing of her dainty frocks and gay sashes and
pretty ribbons, and then ran down to the smoking-room to kiss and hug
her father.
Ogilvie was very grave and silent, and did not say a word, nor draw
her out in any way, and her mother was out most of the time either
paying calls or shopping, and at last the day dawned when they were to
go away. Ogilvie had kissed Sibyl with great passion the night before.
"Don't forget me while you are away, little woman," he said, "and look
after mother, won't you?"
"She won't need me to look after her, she's quite, quite perfect,"
said Sibyl; "but I'm going to watch her, and try to copy her."
"Child, don't do that," said the man.
"Not copy my ownest mother? What do you mean, father?"
"Well, well, darling, God will look after you, I do believe. You are
not far from Him, are you, Sib? You know we call you the Angel. Angels
are supposed to have their home in heaven."
"Well, my home is right down here on earth," said Sibyl in a very
contented tone. "I'll have a real jolly time away, I 'spect."
"I hope there will be some nice little boys and girls there with whom
you can play; and go to bed early, Sib, just for father's sake, and
don't forget to pray for me."
"I will, I will," said the child; "I always thank God for you because
he made you so beautiful and good."
"Well, I am busy now; go to bed, little woman."
That was the last Sibyl saw of her father before she went away, for he
did not go to see his wife and daughter off, and Mrs. Ogilvie looked
decidedly cross as they stepped into the train. But they soon found
themselves at Grayleigh Manor.
Sibyl and her nurse were hurried off to the nursery regions, very much
to the little girl's secret indignation, and Mrs. Ogilvie seemed to be
swept into a crowd of people who all surrounded her and talked eagerly
and laughed noisily. Sibyl gave them a keen glance out of those very
blue eyes, and in her heart of hearts thought they were a poor lot.
She and nurse had two nice rooms set apart for their own special use,
a sitting-room and a sleeping-room, and nurse proceeded to unpack the
little girl's things, and then to dress her in one of her prettiest
frocks.
"You are to go to tea in the schoolroom," she said. "There are two or
three other children there, and I hope you will be very good, Miss
Sibyl, and not spoil this beautiful frock."
It was a white cashmere frock, very much embroidered and surrounded by
little frills and soft laces, and, while absolutely simple and quite
suited to the little girl, was really a wonder of expense and art.
"It's a beautiful dress," she said; "you are wearing money now."
"Money," said Sibyl, "what do you mean?"
"This frock is money; you look very nice in it. Be sure, now, you
don't spot it. It would be wicked, just as if you were throwing
sovereigns into the fire."
"I don't understand," said Sibyl; "I wish it wasn't a grand frock. Did
you bring any of my common, common frocks, nursie?"
"I should think not, indeed. Your fine lady mother would be angry if
she saw you looking a show."
"If you speak again in that tone of my mother I'll slap you," said
Sibyl.
"Highty-tighty!" said the nurse; "your spirit is almost past bearing.
You need to be broke in."
"And so do you," answered Sibyl. "If mother is good you are not, and
I'm not, so we both must be broke in; but I've got a bit of a temper.
I know that. Nursie, when you were a little girl did you have a bit of
a temper of your own?"
"That I did. I was a handful, my mother used to say."
"Then we _has_ something in common," said Sibyl, her eyes sparkling.
"I'm a handful, too. I'm off to the schoolroom."
"There never was such a child," thought the woman as Sibyl dashed
away, banging the door after her; "she's not shy, and she's as sweet
as sweet can be, and yet she's a handful of spirit, of uppishness and
contrariness. Well, God bless her, whatever she is. How did that
heartless mother come by her? I can understand her being the master's
child, but her mother's! Dear me, I'm often sorry when I think how
mistook the poor little thing is in that woman she thinks so perfect."
Sibyl, quite happy, her heart beating high with excitement, poked her
radiant little face round the schoolroom door. There were three
children already in the room--Mabel, Gus, and Freda St. Claire. They
were Lord Grayleigh's children, and were handsome, and well cared for,
and now looked with curiosity at Sibyl.
"Oh, you're the little girl," said Mabel, who was twelve years of
age. She raised her voice in a languid tone.
"Yes, I _are_ the little girl," said Sibyl. She came forward with
bold, confident steps, and looked at the tea table.
"Where is my place?" she said. "Is it laid for me? I am the visitor."
Gus, aged ten, who had been somewhat inclined to sulk when Sibyl
appeared, now smiled, and pulled out a chair.
"Sit down," he said; "you had better sit there, near Mabel; she's
pouring out tea. She's the boss, you know."
"What's a boss?" said Sibyl.
"You must be a silly not to know what a boss is."
"I aren't no more silly than you are," said Sibyl. "May I have some
bread and butter and jam? I'll ask you some things about town, and
perhaps you can't answer me. What's a--what's a--oh, I'll think of
something real slangy presently; but please don't talk to me too much
while I'm eating, or I'll spill jam on my money frock."
"You are a very queer little girl," said Mabel; but she looked at her
now with favor. A child who could talk like Sibyl was likely to be an
acquisition.
"What a silly you are," said Gus. "What did you put on that thing
for? We don't want frilled and laced-up frocks, we want frocks that
girls can wear to climb trees in, and----"
"Climb trees! Oh," cried Sibyl, "are you that sort? Then I'm your
girl. Oh, I am glad! My ownest father would be pleased. He likes me to
be brave. I'm a hoyden--do you know what a hoyden is? If you want to
have a few big larks while I am here, see to 'em quick, for I'm your
girl."
Gus burst into a roar of laughter, and Mabel smiled.
"You are very queer," she said. "I don't know whether our governess
will like our being with you. You seem to use strange words. We never
get into scrapes--we are quite ladylike and good, but we don't wear
grand frocks either. Can't you take that thing off?"
"I wish I could. I hate it myself."
"Well, ask your servant to change it."
"But my nurse hasn't brought a single shabby frock with me."
"Are all your frocks as grand as that?"
"Some of 'em grander."
"We might lend her one of our own brown holland frocks," said Freda.
"Oh, do!" said Sibyl; "that will be lovely."
"We are going to do some climbing this afternoon, so you may as well
put it on," continued Freda.
Sibyl clapped her hands with delight. "It's a great comfort coming
down to this place," she said finally, "'cos I can give way a little;
but with my father and mother I have to keep myself in."
"Why?"
"It's mostly on account of my most perfect of fathers."
"But isn't Philip Ogilvie your father?" said Gus.
"Mr. Ogilvie," corrected Sibyl, in a very proud tone.
"Oh, fudge! I heard father call him Philip Ogilvie. He's not perfect."
Sibyl's face turned white; she looked full at Gus. Gus, not observing
the expression in her eyes, continued, in a glib and easy tone:
"Father didn't know I was there; he was talking to another man. I
think the man's name was Halkett. I'm always great at remembering
names, and I heard him say 'Philip Ogilvie will do what we want. When
it comes to the point he's not too scrupulous.' Yes, scrupulous was
the word, and I ran away and looked it out in the dictionary, and it
means--oh, you needn't stare at me as if your eyes were starting out
of your head--it means a person who hesitates from fear of acting
wrongly. Now, as your father isn't scrupulous, that means that he
doesn't hesitate to act wrong."
Sibyl with one swift, unerring bang struck Gus a sharp blow across the
cheek.
"What have you done that for, you little beggar?" he said, his eyes
flashing fire.
"To teach you not to tell lies," answered Sibyl. She turned, went up
the room, and stood by the window. Her heart was bursting, and tears
were scorching her eyeballs. "But I won't shed them," thought the
child, "not for worlds."
Sibyl's action was so unexpected that there was a silence in the room
for a few moments, but presently Freda stole softly to Sibyl's side
and touched her on her arm.
"Gus is sorry he said anything to hurt you," she said; "we didn't
understand that you would feel it as you do, but we are all sorry, and
we like you all the better for it. Won't you shake hands with Gus and
be friends?"
"And I'll never say a word against your father again," said Gus.
"You had better not," answered Sibyl. "No, I won't shake hands; I
won't make friends with you till I know something more about you. But
I'd like to climb trees, and to get into a holland frock."