MOUSEY GOES OUT TO TEA
MOUSEY had been perfectly correct in her surmise that Nellie Thomas
would make fun of Mr. Harding. This she did on the following day, when
all the girls were assembled in the playground.
"I wish you could have seen Mousey's cousin yesterday," she said,
laughing merrily. "Such a funny old man he looked, and, oh, so shabby!
Mousey, I wonder you were not ashamed to be seen with him!"
"Ashamed!" Mousey cried, her cheeks burning, her heart swelling with
anger; "why should I be ashamed of Cousin Robert?"
"Because he's such a miser, and dresses so shabbily," Nellie retorted.
"I declare it's positively wicked of him to be so mean! My father says
Mr. Harding could afford to live in a nice house, and keep several
servants; but he prefers that dirty little shop of his. He won't give
money to anything, or anybody—not even to the hospital. And he never
goes to church, does he, Mousey?"
"No," Mousey acknowledged reluctantly, in a troubled voice, feeling
ready to cry. It was very trying for her to be obliged to stand by and
listen to all this; but she could not prevent the girls discussing Mr.
Harding if they were inclined to do so. "I wish you wouldn't run out
against Cousin Robert," she added, looking appealingly at Nellie:
"I can't bear to hear it."
"Very well," Nellie responded good-humouredly; "but why should you
mind?"
"He is very good to me," Mousey said earnestly.
"So he ought to be! Mother said yesterday that you looked a nice
little girl, and she was glad we were friends. And, oh, Mousey, she
said I might ask you to tea next Saturday! Do you think Mr. Harding
will let you come?"
"Yes, I think he will. How kind of your mother, Nellie!"
Much to Mousey's delight she had no difficulty in obtaining Mr.
Harding's permission to spend the following Saturday afternoon at
Halcyon Villa, which was the name of Nellie's home. She thought of
little else but the pleasure in store for her during the days which
followed; and when Saturday afternoon arrived, her excitement seemed,
in a lesser degree, to affect the whole household. Maria combed and
brushed her glossy brown hair, giving her well-meant instructions all
the while as to how she was to behave.
"Mind you thank Mrs. Thomas for her kindness in inviting you," she
said as she accompanied Mousey downstairs when the little girl was at
last ready to start.
"I will be sure to do that," Mousey answered.
Mr. Harding was in the parlour. He looked the child up and down
critically as she entered the room, and nodded his approval as he
told her—
"John Monday shall go with you to show you the way, and I will send
him to fetch you this evening. I hope you will have a pleasant time.
Good-bye, child."
"Good-bye, Cousin Robert," she replied, putting her arms about his
neck and kissing his cheek.
He followed her into the shop, where the assistant was waiting, cap
in hand, to escort her to Halcyon Villa, and afterwards stood on the
doorstep watching the young folks out of sight.
In about half an hour's time John Monday returned, and informed his
master that he had delivered Mousey in safety into the keeping of her
friend.
"The little Thomas girl was at the garden gate waiting," he said.
"What a pretty house Halcyon Villa is—all covered with roses and
creepers. Shouldn't I like to live in a place like that!"
"I dare say you would," Mr. Harding replied sarcastically. "It must
cost a fine penny to keep up."
"Mr. Thomas does a good trade," the lad remarked. "I don't see the use
of money if one can't spend it."
"Eh? What?" the old man almost shouted. "Who asked your opinion? What
do you know about it, pray?"
"They say Mr. Thomas gives away a lot of money," John Monday
continued. "Don't you remember, sir, he gave fifty pounds to the
hospital last Christmas?"
"What of that? I could give ten times fifty pounds and not feel the
want of it! I wonder which of us will leave most money behind him—
Thomas or I?"
Mr. Harding rubbed his hands and chuckled, whilst his assistant gazed
at him with interest. The boy knew his master's greatest ambition was
to die a wealthy man. A question he had longed to ask often before
trembled on his lips, but he hesitated to put it.
"Well!" the old man cried testily; "why are you staring at me
like that?"
"I was wondering why you wanted to die a rich man," the boy responded
bluntly. "Money is no good to folks after they're dead."
For a minute Mr. Harding seemed about to make an angry reply, for he
darted a furious glance at his companion; but, apparently changing his
mind, he told him to take charge of the shop, and retired to the
parlour, perhaps to think over the question, and answer it to himself.
Meanwhile, Mousey had been introduced to Mrs. Thomas, and to Nellie's
little brothers, who were a few years her junior. Soon the children
were playing games in the garden, and thoroughly enjoying the
beautiful May afternoon. The time passed all too quickly, so that
Mousey was greatly surprised when Mrs. Thomas came out and called them
into the house for tea.
Mrs. Thomas was a kind-hearted, motherly woman, whose sympathies had
been aroused by the account Nellie had given her of the old jeweller's
lonely little cousin.
"I am sure you must be dull sometimes, my dear, living in a house
without other children," she said, turning to Mousey when they were
all seated at the tea-table; "you must come and see us as often as you
like. We shall always be glad to see you."
Mousey thanked her gratefully, and acknowledged she was often dull on
the Saturday holiday, because she had no one to talk to but Maria, her
cousin and John Monday being always busy in the shop. Mrs. Thomas had
not heard of John Monday before, so Mousey had to explain who he was,
and was relieved to find that Nellie's mother did not appear shocked
and astonished, as Nelly had seemed, on hearing the boy had been born
and bred in the workhouse, and in consequence her heart warmed towards
her kind hostess. Shortly before the time arrived for Mousey to leave,
Mr. Thomas returned from business, and gathered a big bunch of flowers
for her. He invited her to come again when the strawberries would be
ripe, and pointed out that the berries were already set.
Presently John Monday was discovered lurking outside the garden gate,
too shy to walk boldly up to the front door and announce his presence;
and then Mousey said good-bye to her new friends, after thanking them
gratefully for their kindness to her.
"I've had a lovely time," she told John Monday as they walked home
together. "I've not been so happy since mother died as I've been to
day. You shall have some of my flowers. Aren't they beauties? Look at
these lilies of the valley, and smell how sweet they are."
She lifted the nosegay to his face whilst he sniffed at it, and smiled
his appreciation.
"Why didn't you come up to the door and ring the bell?" she asked.
"I hadn't been waiting very long," he answered evasively; "not more
than a quarter of an hour."
"Oh, but that was a long time! I would have come before if I had known
you were there. Mr. Thomas gave me these flowers, and he asked me
to come again when the strawberries are ripe. That will be soon,
won't it?"
"In a week or so, I suppose. I say, doesn't it seem horrid going back
to Mr. Harding's dull old place after having been there?" the lad
asked, jerking his thumb backwards in the direction from which they
had come.
"Yes, perhaps it does a little."
"Wouldn't you like to live in a pretty house with fine gardens?"
Mousey nodded. She was in capital spirits, and at that moment the
thought of her cousin's home did not depress her; on the contrary,
she felt eager to return to tell Mr. Harding and Maria what a pleasant
afternoon she had spent.
After that, Mousey became a constant visitor at Halcyon Villa. Her
friendship with Nellie Thomas strengthened day by day, and was the
source of much happiness to both children; but Nellie was never asked
to visit Mousey's home, although Mousey was always made welcome and
greeted kindly and affectionately by each member of the Thomas
household.