CECIL.
AT six o'clock Cecil found herself shown into Miss Forester's presence.
Miss Forester was sitting just as Molly had left her: she had been
thinking of Molly a good deal, and with considerable pleasure.
"Molly Lavender is just the sort of girl who will make a splendid woman
by and by," thought the principal. "She is not especially clever, but
she is capable and lovable; she is just the sort of womanly girl who
will help on the cause of the new woman in the most effective way; she
will take up all the best of the movement, and leave the bad alone.
Dear child, I hope she will have courage to keep her vow; it was like
her to make it in that moment of passion and despair. What a queer,
fascinating creature Kate O'Connor is! What a strong influence she has
on the other girls! She is evidently meant to be a leader. Ah, here
comes my genius: now then for a serious talk with her; whoever loses
her chances here, she must not."
"Sit down by me, Cecil; I am very pleased to see you," said Miss
Forester. "Have you had tea?"
"Yes, thank you, Miss Forester."
"Well, my dear, I want to talk to you about a great many matters, and
first of all, with regard to your studies. You have not been with us
a whole term yet, and it is early days to predict anything for you,
Cecil; still, the reports from your different mistresses are highly
satisfactory I trust you will work very hard next term. You are
advanced in every way, and there is nothing whatever to prevent your
trying for the governor's scholarship next June."
"It is a very stiff examination, is it not?" asked Cecil.
"Yes; but not for a girl of your abilities. I have heard a little of
your story. It is very important for you to get on, and quickly, is it
not?"
"Yes, Miss Forester. I have four brothers, all younger than myself. My
eldest brother, Maurice, is very clever, very brilliant--a splendid
fellow. Whatever happens, he must go to one of the universities."
"I should recommend you to try and get him into a good school, where he
can work for a valuable scholarship," said Miss Forester.
"There are several scholarships connected with Hazlewick Grammar
School," said Cecil. "Maurice intends to try for one when he is a
little older; he could not do it before."
"But, my dear, four brothers to support and start in life means a very
heavy burden for such slight shoulders as yours to carry."
"We are not quite without money," said Cecil, blushing as she spoke.
"We have a hundred and fifty pounds a year between us, and perhaps you
know, Miss Forester, that dear old Mrs. Lavender, Molly's grandmother,
is giving me my education here free."
"That is a very sensible way for such a rich woman to spend her money,"
said Miss Forester. "Well, Cecil, a hundred and fifty yearly is not a
large income on which to feed, educate, and start in the world four
stalwart young sons of Britain."
"No; and that is the reason why I want to earn money before Maurice is
eighteen."
"How old is he now?"
"Just fourteen."
"Then you have four years before you," said Miss Forester. "By the time
Maurice is eighteen you ought to be earning something. But have you any
special wish with regard to yourself?"
"I should like best to be what I am afraid I cannot--a doctor."
"You will not earn money in that profession for some time, Cecil."
"No; I quite understand that it cannot be," said Cecil, with a sigh.
"And you love it better than anything else?"
"Yes; I have always wished for it, since I was quite a small child.
When mother died, however, I tried to put the thought away from me. I
should like to try to get a post in a high school where I was offered a
good salary--at any rate until the boys are started in life."
"You ought to do well as a classical mistress; I know at first-class
high schools the classical mistress is given a very high salary. Your
knowledge of Greek and Latin is quite surprising for so young a girl.
My dear, I truly sympathize with you in the burden you have got to
carry, and in the sacrifice you make when you resign what you feel
yourself most fitted for. At present I do not know how you could become
a doctor and also help your brothers, but you may be quite certain I
will bear your wishes in mind. Work with all your heart and soul next
term, Cecil; try for the scholarship, and there is no saying what there
may be before you. And now to revert to another matter!"
"Oh, yes! to Kate," said Cecil suddenly.
"Kate has had a very narrow escape," said Miss Forester. "When Sir John
Williamson came down to see her six weeks ago, he only performed that
critical operation as a _dernier ressort_. It turned out successful,
but she will not be strong enough for real hard work for some time;
she is a very brilliant and gifted creature, but she has not got
your stamina and working powers; her brain is of the imaginative and
creative order. Such brains are delicate, and the nervous systems of
persons so endowed are very easily put out of order. Kate ought to
take a year's rest, and then come back to us. I don't know well how to
propose that, however, because----"
"Because of what?" asked Cecil.
"Because something has happened. Poor Kate's little money has all been
swallowed up by one of those rascally lawyers."
Miss Forester said the last words with such sudden vehemence that Cecil
could not help laughing.
"The man went bankrupt," she said abruptly. "He had invested poor
Kate's money in some scheme of his own, and at the present moment the
poor child has not got sixpence."
"Does she know it?" asked Cecil.
"No; and I don't mean her to know it until after the holidays. Have you
heard anything about it, Cecil?"
"Yes, from Alice Wright; the lawyer who went bankrupt is a cousin of
Kate's. She told me a week ago, but she said she would not breathe it
to anyone else."
"I hope she will not; I should be sorry if it got to Kate's ears until
she is stronger. She is going to stay here during Christmas. I fear,
poor child! she will have a dull time, as I shall be away, and most of
the other teachers."
"Oh, I think I may tell you," said Cecil, "that Kate will not have a
dull time. Dear Mrs. Lavender has proposed a lovely scheme."
Here Cecil explained in a few words Molly's plan for taking her
schoolfellows and Cecil's brothers with her to the seaside.
"Nothing could be more delightful," said Miss Forester, her eyes
sparkling; "such a change may set Kate up completely. When the
holidays are over I must speak to her. I can partly help her expenses
here by means of a fund which enables me to help girls who can't get
through the school without such assistance, but I cannot meet all her
expenses, and what is to be done at the present moment I am unable to
say. I beg of you, Cecil, to ask Molly to be very careful to keep all
knowledge of this calamity from Kate's ears for the present. It was
arranged, when she came here, that all moneys was to be paid direct to
me, and when she goes away with you, I will give her a little sum to
put in her pocket. The truth, therefore, need not leak out until she
is stronger. She is a proud girl, with a good deal of spirit. I don't
think anything would induce her to accept what she would call charity."
"I wish, Miss Forester, you had heard her when she spoke of her old
life," said Cecil. "Oh, she is not proud in the wrong way! It was
splendid the way she owned up to having been born to poverty and a
humble life, and how beautiful she made the thing seem--like a poem."
"Miss Leicester told me about it," said Miss Forester. "Poor Kate
herself has just the nature that may be called upon to suffer much in
life; but she is full of gifts, and the mere fact of her not having
money need not discourage one so beautiful, lovable, and talented."
"Of course it need not," said Cecil, rising as she spoke. "Surely Kate
has enough given her to enable her to conquer fate."
"She has, my love, she has. But just at present, she is weak, and might
not rise above a blow of this sort. Keep the knowledge from her, Cecil,
until she returns; then we will have a grand conference. If only I
can conquer that obstinate pride of hers, I know one or two wealthy
women here who would, I am sure, subscribe enough money to finish her
education; but I should not wish to do that without her knowledge. Now,
Cecil, I see you wish to go. We break up on Monday; I shall not see you
alone again. God bless you, my love! Remember, I look to girls like you
and Molly Lavender and Kate to uphold the honor of this great house of
learning, and to show the nation what English girls can achieve."