THE HEAD-MISTRESS.
It was, after all, Mrs Macintyre who made the school a great success.
Her gentleness, her sweet and noble character, overcame every
prejudice, even of Mr Lennox. When she said that she thought his
children and their flower names beautiful, the heart of the good man
was won. Later in the evening, when the lively little party of
Lennoxes, accompanied, of course, by Miss Delacour, went back to The
Garden, his sister-in-law called him aside, and informed him somewhat
brusquely of the fact that she was leaving for London on the following
day.
'Mrs Macintyre will remain behind,' she said. 'I gave her at parting
five hundred pounds. You will do your part, of course, George, unless
you are an utter fool.'
George Lennox felt so glad at the thought of parting from Miss Delacour
that he almost forgave her for calling him a possibly utter fool; nay,
more, in his joy at her departure, he nearly, but not _quite_, kissed
his sister-in-law.
Every attention was now paid to this good lady. At a very early hour
on the following morning the motor-car conveyed her to Edinburgh. It
seemed to the Lennoxes, children and father alike, that when Aunt Agnes
departed the birds sang a particularly delightful song, the roses in
the garden gave out their rarest perfume, the sweet-peas were a glory
to behold, the sky was more blue than it had ever been before; in
short, there was a happy man in The Garden, a happy man with five
little Flower Girls. How _could_ he ever bring himself to call his
Jasmine, Lucy; his Gentian, Margaret; his Hollyhock, Jacqueline; his
Rose of the Garden, mere Rose; and his Delphinium, Dorothy?
'Oh, isn't it good that she's gone?' cried Jasmine.
'Your aunt has left us, and we mustn't talk about her any more,' said
Lennox, whose relief of mind was so vast that he could not help
whistling and singing.
'Why, Daddy Dumps, you _do_ look jolly,' said Hollyhock.
'We are all jolly--it is a lovely day,' said Mr Lennox.
So they had a very happy breakfast together, and joked and laughed, and
forgot Aunt Agnes and her queer ways. The only person who slightly
missed her was Magsie, on whom she had bestowed a whole sovereign,
informing her at the same time that she, Margaret, might expect good
tidings before long.
'Whatever does she mean?' thought Magsie. 'She has plenty to say. I
didn't tak' to her at first, but pieces o' gold are no to be had every
day o' the week, and she has a generous heart, although I can see the
master is not much taken wi' her.'
The Flower Girls and their father were rowing on the lake, when a shout
from the shore called them to stop. There stood Mrs Constable; there
stood Mrs Macintyre; there also stood in a group Jasper, Garnet,
Emerald, Sapphire, and Opal.
'Come ashore, come ashore,' called Jasper; and the boat was quickly
pulled toward the little landing-stage.
The ten happy children romped away together.
'Isn't it good that she's gone?' said Hollyhock. 'Isn't she a
downright horror?'
'But mother says she means well,' said Jasper; 'and who could be nicer
than Mrs Macintyre?'
'I suppose not,' said Hollyhock. 'Is she going to stay with Aunt Cecil
long, Jasper?'
'Long? Why, don't you know the news?'
'What? Oh, do tell us!' cried Delphinium.
'She's going to stay for ever,' said Jasper, 'except of course in the
holidays. She has taken Ardshiel, and she is going to turn it into a
great school, a great, monstrous, magnificent school; and we are _all_
going--we, and you, and heaps more children besides; and mother is
nearly off her head with delight. Of course, as far as I am concerned,
I shall only be able to stay at such a school for one year, for I must
then go on to a public school. But Mrs Macintyre has been talking to
mother, and says she can prepare me for Eton with perfect ease in a
year from now.'
'Oh, bother!' said Jasmine. 'We don't want other boys and girls. We
are quite happy by ourselves.'
'But mother thinks we must mix with the world, girls; and so does Mrs
Macintyre,' continued Jasper.
'Well, I'm not going to school, anyhow,' said Hollyhock. 'You and your
mother may go into raptures over Mrs Macintyre as much as ever you
please, but I stay at home with Dumpy Dad. Why should _he_ be left out
in the cold? He is the dearest Dump in the world, and I 'm not going
to have him slighted. You are very fond of romancing, Jasper, and I
don't believe a word of your story.'
'All right,' said Jasper, looking with his honest, Scots face full into
the eyes of Hollyhock. 'There they are--the principals, I mean.'
'Principals! What nonsense you do talk!'
'I mean my mother, your father, and Mrs Macintyre.'
'And what are they principals of?' asked the angry girl.
'Why, the school, of course.'
'The school? There's no school.'
'Well, let's run and ask them. Hearing is believing, surely.'
The ten children raced after Mrs Macintyre, Mr Lennox, and Mrs
Constable.
'Daddy,' exclaimed Hollyhock, 'there's not going to be a school set up
near here? You are not going to send your Flower Girls to school?'
'Wouldn't you like me to help you a little, darling?' said Mrs
Macintyre in her gentle voice. 'You look such an intelligent, pleasant
girl, and I would do all in my power for you; and although your father
and Mrs Constable are quite wonderful in educating you so far, I think
a little outside life, outside teaching, and the meeting with outside
boys and girls would be for your benefit, dear child. I do, really! I
don't think you'll oppose me, Hollyhock, when your father wishes it.'
'Dumpy Dad, do you wish it?'
'Well--ah, _yes_, I think it would be a good plan,' said George Lennox.
'Then I'm done,' said Hollyhock. 'Where's Magsie? She's the only bit
of comfort left to me. Let me seek her out and put a stop to this
madness.' Hollyhock really felt very, very angry. She was not yet
under Mrs Macintyre's charm. 'Where's my brave Magsie?' she cried, and
presently she heard an answering voice.
'Eh, but is that you, Miss Hollyhock? Why, lassie, you look pale.
Your eyes waver. I don't like ye to look so white in the complexion.
What may ye be wantin' wi' me, my lass?'
'They are trying to whip me off to school,' said Hollyhock; 'that's
what they are after. That's what that horrid Aunt Agnes came about.'
'Eh, but she is a fine gentlewoman,' replied Magsie. 'She gave me a
whole sovereign. What _I_ ken o' her, I ken weel, and I ken kind. Eh,
but ye 'll hae to soople your backbone, Miss Hollyhock, and think a
pickle less o' your dainty self. It 'll be guid for ye to go to that
schule.'
'_You_ are no good at all,' cried Hollyhock. 'I 'm the most miserable
girl in the world, and I hate Mrs Macintyre.'
'I haven't set eyes on her yet,' said Magsie. 'Suppose I go out and
tak' a squint. I can always tell when women are good or the other
thing. Why, Miss Hollyhock, you look for all the world as though you
were scared by bogles; but I 'll soon see what sort the leddy is, and I
'll bring ye word; for folks canna tak' in Magsie Dawe.'
Hollyhock sat down, feeling very queer and stupid. She had not long to
wait before Magsie dashed into her bedroom.
'Hoots, now, and what a fuss ye mak' o' nothing at a'! A kinder leddy
never walked. What ails her? says I. Indeed, I think ye 'll enjoy
schule, and muckle fun ye 'll hae there. Ye canna go on as ye are
goin'. Hech! I wouldna be you, stayin' at hame, for a guid deal.
It's richt for ye to gang; that's what I think, havin' seen the leddy
and glowerin' at her as I did; but not one thocht but o' love could
rise in my breast for her. I'd gie a guid deal for her to teach _me_,
that I would. I wouldna sit down and greet like a bairn.'
Meanwhile Miss Delacour, having thoroughly propounded her scheme,
returned first to Edinburgh, where she made known her plan of the great
school, which was to be opened in September for the young sons and the
daughters of the highest gentry and nobility. She was a woman who
could speak well when she pleased. She said the terms for the school
education would be high, as was to be expected where such excellent
teaching would be given.
She spoke of Mrs Macintyre with tears in her eyes. 'That noble woman
would win any heart,' she said. She then described her
brother-in-law's daughters, and the sons of her brother-in-law's
sister. She spoke of these ten children with enthusiasm. She spoke of
the mother of the boys with delight. She was a little sad when she
mentioned her brother-in-law. It was really necessary to save his
pretty girls. He was a man who meant well, but acted foolishly. The
school would be superb--the very first of its kind in Scotland. She
wanted English children to come to it. She wanted it for a short time
to be a mixed school, but that scheme would probably die out
eventually. Her great object at the present moment was to secure
worthy pupils for her dear friend, and to introduce the very best boys
and girls into the Palace of the Kings, one of the most beautiful homes
of the great Duke of Ardshiel. The terms for weekly pupils would
necessarily be high--namely, two hundred pounds a year; while the terms
for those boys and girls who spent all their time, excluding the
holidays, at the great school would be still higher, even as much as
two hundred and fifty pounds a year. But the education was worth the
price, for where was there another school in the whole of the United
Kingdom to compare with the Palace of the Kings? The very best
teachers from Edinburgh would come, if necessary, to the school; and
what centre so great as Edinburgh for learning? The best foreign
governesses were to be employed. An elderly tutor or two were also to
live in the house. These were to be clergymen and married men.
Having done her work in Edinburgh, Miss Delacour proceeded to London,
and soon had the happiness of securing Master Henry de Courcy Anstel,
the Lady Leucha Villiers, the Lady Barbara Fraser, the Lady Dorothy
Fraser, the Hon. Daisy Watson, Miss Augusta Fane, Miss
Featherstonhaugh, Miss Margaret Drummond, Master Roger Carden, Master
Ivor Chetwode, Miss Mary Barton, Miss Nancy Greenfield, Miss Isabella
Macneale, and Miss Jane Calvert. There were many more to follow, but
she felt that she had done well for her friend with this number, and
that the noble old Palace was well started.
After a few days spent first with Mrs Constable and then with Mr
Lennox, and having heard the good news from her friend Miss Delacour,
Mrs Macintyre went to London to select suitable teachers. The school
was put into the hands of the best decorators, upholsterers, and
builders. The furniture was polished; the gardens were remade; in
short, all was in readiness for that happy day in September when the
greatest private school in Scotland was to be opened, and opened with
éclat.
The parents of the children were all invited to see the great school
the day before lessons began, and they could not help expressing their
delight with the lovely place. The gentlemanly little Constables and
the charming little Flower Girls were present, and gave a delightful
effect. Even Hollyhock condescended to go to the school on this one
occasion to see what it was like, more particularly as that horrid
Magsie was going there as one of the maids. As for the rest of the
Lennoxes, they were simply wild to go to school, and Mr Lennox was now
as keen to see them there as he had at first been opposed to the whole
idea. But he was the sort of man who would force none of his children,
and if Hollyhock preferred to stay at home with him--why, she might.
He rather suspected that she would soon come round.