Of course, my step-mother made a great change in the house. I cannot
exactly describe how things were gradually altered, and how the desolate
old mansion became a habitable and cheerful home. But it certainly was
completely metamorphosed. The old regime with regard to fires was the
first change. Mrs Grant said that such a big, empty, rambling place
must be kept thoroughly warmed in winter. Accordingly, in the
dining-room a fire always blazed, and was kept well piled up with solid
lumps of shining black coal of the very best Silkstone, which Hannah
would never dream of affording in the old days. Then into my bedroom
and into the boys' bedroom were introduced wonderful new gas-stoves,
which gave not the slightest smell, but which could be lit at a moment's
notice, and would make the bedrooms thoroughly warm and comfortable.
But I no longer slept in my attic. I had struggled hard against Mrs
Grant's wish to move me into another part of the house, but in the end I
yielded, and now I had a pretty room, brightly papered and nicely
furnished, on the floor just above the drawing-room.
"Why," said my step-mother, "we do not need to use those desolate attics
at all. This room will do for Alex, this for Charley, and this for
Dumps; and this, when we have visitors, for the spare room. Hannah and
the other servants can sleep upstairs. For you, children, this ought to
be your floor, and it shall be," continued the little lady, speaking
with that spirit which always characterised her.
As to the boys, they were delighted with their new rooms. They were
furnished exceedingly simply; indeed, they looked quite bare enough to
make most people consider them somewhat hermit-like sort of sleeping
apartments; but then those people had never visited the attics where
Alex and Charley used to sleep.
"These rooms are quite good enough for boys; you mustn't pamper boys,
whatever happens," said Mrs Grant. "Girls are different; girls need
softer treatment."
But her most delightful innovation was the introduction into the house
of two excellent servants to help Hannah. There had been, I have not
the slightest doubt of it, a very terrible scene in the kitchen when
Mrs Grant interviewed Hannah. Hannah was not visible at all for the
rest of the day, and my step-mother and I went out for our meals.
On the next day Hannah came upstairs and said she wished to speak to
Mrs Grant. They had a long conference, and when Hannah came out of her
presence, the eyes of that good woman were very red, but she succumbed
without a word.
A new range was now put into the kitchen, a boy came every morning to
help Hannah with the heaviest part of her work, an excellent housemaid
attended to the bedrooms, and a first-rate parlour-maid opened the hall
door and served up our meals. In short, we were a new family.
The drawing-room, however, had not yet been touched. I wondered what
Mrs Grant would make of the drawing-room. I did not like to question
her. I was quite good--outwardly good, I mean--all this time to my
step-mother, but we did not come a bit nearer to each other. The little
trunk with the letters R.G. on the cover seemed to stand between my
heart and her heart. Nevertheless, we chatted together all day long,
and planned how we would meet this contingency and the other, and what
surprises we would give to father, and how we could manage things.
One day about six weeks after father's second marriage Mrs Grant came
to me. She had a pleased and delighted expression on her face.
"Rachel, my dear child," she said, "how old are you?"
"I shall be sixteen on my birthday, and my birthday comes in May. It is
a long way off yet."
Then I gave a sigh, and felt a sudden contraction of my heart.
"Well, anyhow, dear, this is Quarter Day, the 21st of December. I have
been speaking to your father, and he means to give you a dress
allowance."
"A what?" I said.
"A dress allowance, dear. You must, you know, have clothes suitable to
your father's daughter. Here is the first quarter's money."
She put two crisp Bank of England notes, worth five pounds each, into my
hand. I started; I coloured crimson; I looked at the money.
"But I--I don't know what to do with this," I said.
"Oh yes, you will know very well what to do with it. Now the question
is, would you like me to help you to choose some pretty dresses, or
would you rather manage the whole affair yourself?"
Again there was that pathetic expression in her eyes which I had seen
for a minute or two before. She was looking at me very earnestly. I
was about to say, "Oh, will you help me to choose, for I don't know
anything about dress?" when I remembered the pretty dark-blue dress with
the grey fur. That dress, which I always felt had been given me under
false pretences, seemed to rise up now to slay the feeling of kindness
which, in spite of everything, I could not help entertaining for my
step-mother in my heart. "If you don't greatly mind," I said, "perhaps
this first time I had better choose my own dresses."
"As you like, dear, of course; but you mustn't go alone. You might ask
one of your schoolfellows to go with you. And, Dumps dear, ask as many
of your friends in to tea as you like on Wednesday afternoons and
Saturday afternoons; those are your half-holidays, and you can go to
visit those whom I like you to know also on those days. I want you to
have a very pleasant life, my dear child."
"Thank you," I answered.
"You understand, Rachel, that my wish is to make you happy."
"I am sure of it," I said.
"And you are happy?"
"I am comfortable," I said.