Louise was at the nursery window, staring out into the brown, bare
garden. The sky was smooth and a dark yellow, the naked trees barred it
like a tiger's hide. The gathering dusk had swallowed up the wind. Not a
twig stirred, not a sparrow's chirp broke the thick stillness.
Spellbound, the world awaited the imminent snow.
Louise, sitting motionless in the window-seat, with her little pink nose
flattening itself against the panes in dreary expectation of a stray
unlikely postman, looked, with her peaked, ivory face and dark,
unwinking eyes, her colourless clothes, and the sprig of holly with
never a scarlet berry pinned to her flat little chest, like the mood of
the December day made flesh.
Clare, at least, thought so. Dispensing with the indifferent maid, she
had found her own way to the nursery, and pushing open the unlatched
door, stood an instant, appraising the child and her surroundings. She
noted with distaste the remains of the barely tasted lunch, still
encumbering the table, and impingeing on the little pile of austere
Christmas presents, so carefully arranged: the gloves and stockings and
the prim Prayer Book a mere background for a dainty calendar that she
recognised. She smiled, with a touch of irritation--did Alwynne ever
forget any one, she wondered? But it was not suitable for a mistress to
send her pupils presents.... She wished she had thought of sending
Louise something herself ... something more original than that obviously
over-prized calendar.... It was not much of a Christmas table, she
thought ... not much of a Christmas Day for a child....
She marvelled that a well-furnished room could look so dreary. Louise's
huddled pose, the neglected fire, the book crushed face downwards on
the floor, combined to touch her. With her incurable feeling for the
effective attitude, she remained straight and stiff in the shadows of
the doorway, but her gesture was beautiful in its awkward tenderness as
she stretched out her hand to the window.
"Merry Christmas, Louise!"
For an instant the child was silent, rigid, incredulous: then came a
whirl of petticoats and a flash of black legs. Louise, wild with
excitement, dropped to the floor and dashed across the room.
"Oh, Miss Hartill! Oh, Miss Hartill! You?"
"Well, are you pleased to see me?"
"Please, won't you sit down?" Louise, between delight and embarrassment,
did curious things with the big arm-chair. "I can't believe it's you.
And on Christmas Day! Won't you please sit down? Is the room too warm
for you? Will you take off your furs? Would you like some tea? I'll make
up the fire--it's cold in here. Will you take this chair? Oh, Miss
Hartill! It's like the Queen calling on one. I don't know what to do."
She looked up at Clare, blushing. Her pleasure and excitement were
pretty enough.
Clare laughed.
"I'll tell you what to do. Run and put on your coat and hat. Would you
like to come and spend the rest of the day with me?"
"With you?" Louise's eyes opened. "But it's Christmas Day?"
"Well?"
"I shan't be in the way?"
"I don't think so," said Clare coolly. "I'll send you home if you are."
She twinkled, but Louise was serious.
"You could do that, couldn't you?" she remarked with relief. "Oh, Miss
Hartill, you are good! And I was hating my Christmas Day so. Won't you
sit down while I get my things on?"
"Hurry up!" said Clare. And Louise fled to her bedroom.
Their walk back to Friar's Lane was a silent one. The snow was at last
beginning to fall. Clare, half hypnotised by the steady silent motion,
tramped forward, keeping time to some fragment of tune within her head.
She was warmed by the pleasant consciousness of a kindly action
performed, but its object, trotting beside her, was half forgotten.
Louise, very shy at encountering Miss Hartill unofficially, was far too
timid to speak unless she were addressed. But she was perfectly happy;
marvelling and rejoicing at her situation (Miss Hartill's guest, bound
for her home!), overflowing with dog-like devotion to the Olympian who
had actually remembered her existence. She was glad of the silent walk.
It gave her time to realise her own happiness; to learn by heart that
picture of Clare, against the background of the empty nursery, to get
her every sentence by rote, and store all safely in her memory before
turning to the contemplation of the incredible adventure upon which she
was now embarking.
Clare, preceding Louise up the staircase, found Alwynne's note awaiting
her. She frowned as she read it and felt for her latch-key. It was just
like Alwynne to leave a note like that for any one to read.... And the
hatpin for any one to steal.... She wished it had been stolen before it
had scratched her paint.... And the bell! It was really annoying of
Alwynne! It would cost her five shillings to put right.... She, Clare,
was not mean, but she did begrudge money for that sort of thing....
Really, Alwynne might offer to pay for it.... But that, of course, would
never occur to Alwynne.... She was altogether too reckless about other
people's belongings.... Her own were her own affair.... But to break
Clare's bell.... She must have been quite comprehensively annoyed to
have actually broken it.... Clare laughed. She had had a sudden vision
of Alwynne's blank face and indignant pealings. Poor old Alwynne!
Well--it wouldn't hurt her.... If she were careful to let Alwynne know
to whom she had been sacrificed, Alwynne might not be quite so partisan
over Louise next term.... That wouldn't be a bad thing.... She did not
approve of intimacies between the girls and the mistresses.... But she,
Clare, would make it up to both of them.... She would begin now, with
Louise.... She would devote herself to amusing Louise.... She would give
Louise the time of her life.... Louise would be sure to tell Alwynne
about it afterwards....