THE FIRE SPIRITS.
A fortnight with so much excitement in the air passes very quickly.
The girls felt this excitement, although they did not talk of it one to
the other.
Leucha sat alone when she was not engaged at her school tasks, and made
her essay on the kitchen cat as venomous as she knew how. Luckily for
poor Leucha, she had not the ability to do much in the way of sarcasm,
and although every single girl in the school must know at a glance that
this feeble caricature was meant for their beloved Hollyhock, it would
certainly not injure the dear Hollyhock in the least.
Meanwhile Holly, absorbed in helping the other girls to make the time
pass as pleasantly as possible, and in doing mysterious things on
Sunday with Lightning Speed, also forgot Leucha for the time being.
Whenever she did think of her she was sorry for her; but she had not
time to think much of any single person just at present. The horse,
the darling horse, the Arab, the treasure of her life, must be trained
to the task which lay before him. Hollyhock had the knack of making
all animals love her, and the pure-bred Arab is noted for being a most
affectionate creature. He was sulky, and disinclined to obey big
grooms or any one except Hollyhock. But for her he would have given
his life.
The eyes, so flashing black; the coat, black also and of such a silken
sheen; the tail, a little longer than that of most horses; and the
great lovely mane, all gave to the gallant animal a look of
determination and of spirit, which drew the remarks of the neighbours,
who could not imagine why Hollyhock had been presented by her father
with so much finer a horse to ride than the other Flower Girls. But
the fact was that the four other Flower Girls did not so greatly care
for riding, and although they often went out accompanied by their
father on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons, yet they preferred steeds
less spirited in nature than Lightning Speed.
Hollyhock had, therefore, her own way entirely with her precious
treasure, and for his sake she would not, if possible, endanger the
life of Lightning Speed. She knew well that the leap of twelve feet
which she intended to take would be a mere nothing to Lightning Speed
in the ordinary hours of daylight; but with the moon shining
brilliantly and casting strange lights and also queer black shadows,
and with the terrific noise made by the foaming torrent below, the
horse, brave as he was, might refuse the leap at the last moment.
'At any cost he must not do that,' thought Hollyhock.
'You must not disgrace me, my bonnie beastie,' she whispered into his
sensitive ear; and certainly the Arab looked as if he had no intention
of disgracing the girl he loved.
She took him to the gorge on two Saturdays and Sundays in succession,
and gave him imperious orders to leap across, which he did without a
moment's hesitation, leaping back again with equal ease. But this was
daylight. Things looked different at night. Animals were known to see
strange, uncanny things at night; the shadows were not mere shadows to
them. They were monsters beckoning them to destruction. The light,
too, of the full moon--for it would be full moon that night--would add
to the terrors of Lightning Speed. That intense white world would be
as terrifying to him as the blackness of the gorge and the sudden awful
gap over which he was expected to leap.
Now the prizes were to be presented to the girls of the school by the
great Duke himself, and Mrs Macintyre assumed that the three or four
young maids who were to perform their deeds of daring would choose the
daytime for the display of their courage.
As a matter of fact, very few girls did go in for this prize--five or
six at the most--and these, so far as Mrs Macintyre could tell, chose
the broad light of day to show the stuff they were made of. It never
entered her wildest dreams that Hollyhock would perform her feat, her
daring adventure, about midnight. It was _then_ that the moon would be
at the full.
Hollyhock could not have carried out the design without the help of
Magsie, who had got her sweetheart, Joey Comfort, one of the grooms at
The Garden, to bring Lightning Speed to the Palace of the Kings. But
even Magsie, who knew the horse was there, had not the faintest idea
that her young mistress would take out so spirited a steed in the
uncanny hours of the night. She did, however, wonder during the day on
which the other competitors were performing their feats of bravery why
her favourite, Miss Hollyhock, was holding back. One by one the
different girls did different small things, which were brave enough in
their way, and all the time a mistress stood by and marked the girl and
her achievement. But Hollyhock had not come forward. She, who was so
extraordinarily brave, kept in the background. The girls were not
allowed to be questioned as to their intentions in this open
competition, and the teachers therefore assumed that although the
different essays had gone to the head-mistress in their sealed
envelopes under feigned names, and the other prizes had been competed
for and were waiting a judgment in Mrs Macintyre's room, Holly would
doubtless have plenty of time to perform something brilliant, and they
only hoped not too reckless, early on the following day. That would be
quite time enough for her deed of courage, and no one thought of a
midnight ride--a wild, half-despairing girl, and a horse so full at
once of timidity and courage, who would go forth to perform their feat
of all feats at the hour of midnight.
As usual, the girls crowded round Hollyhock that evening and asked for
bogy and ghost stories. She told them with a _verve_ which she had
never shown before, and they listened with awed and loving admiration.
Oh, was there ever the like of this girl before in the wide world?
thought those who loved her. Never, never had she spoken as she did
to-night. They shrank together under the spell of her words. A few of
them even wept as they listened, and the one who wept most sadly was
Meg, that pious maid, who had done such mischief to save her soul.
'Oh Holly, but I do love you!' said Meg, laying her head for a minute
on Hollyhock's shoulder.
Hollyhock, who, as is well known, could not bear kisses, gently patted
Meg's hand, and then stood up.
'Well, girls,' she said, 'to-morrow will be the great day, the grand
day, when the Duke gives prizes to the school. I think nothing myself
of the prizes, having a right on my mother's side to the grand crest of
the Camerons; but I 'm drowsy. Most of you have done your best, and
even Leuchy will be put about if she does not get a prize. Listen to
me, lassies. I have yet to perform my feat, and no one knows what the
feat is.'
'I suppose it will be to-morrow morning that you will do it?' said Meg.
'Please don't run into danger, Holly, for that would break the heart of
every girl in the school.'
'_Me_--run into danger! Is it like me, now? Do you think I 'm the
sort who 'd wilfully imperil my life? No, not me! But I 'm tired of
these constant headaches, and I 'd like a wee bit of rest. You say
I'll perform my feat in the morning. Some are clever at guessing--let
that be. But whatever happens in the future--and no one can tell--I
want Leuchy to know that I bear her no malice, and that if she thinks
me like poor Jean, the kitchen cat at The Garden, why, I'm satisfied.
You are all here round me with the exception of Leuchy, and I 'm
thinking of her loneliness. Well, whatever happens--and I don't think
for a moment anything _will_ happen--I'd like Leuchy to know that all
through this bitter, sad time, while Meg here was saving her soul--and
quite right you were, Meg--I have never ceased to love Leuchy--never.
She was not the sort of girl I 'd take up; but I did her a wrong, and
so I took her up; and I want her to forgive me, if indeed there is
anything to forgive. Now, good-night; I 'm off to my bed to ease my
troubled head. There's nothing like sleep for that, is there?'
To the astonishment of the girls, Hollyhock kissed one and all, and
said, 'I'm getting sentimental. I must to bed to cure my headache. A
very good night to you!'
She flitted out of the room, the girls looking after her in startled
amazement.
'I don't like it, for my part,' said Meg Drummond.
'Oh, but it's all right,' said Gentian. 'It's only our Holly's way.
She's excited, that's all.'
'Yes, I expect that's about all,' said Jasmine, but she spoke with a
certain uneasiness, which was not, however, apparent in her voice.
By-and-by the girls followed Hollyhock to their rooms. It has been
said already that Hollyhock's room and Leucha's were side by side.
Hollyhock went up to bed on this special night before nine o'clock.
She guessed well that Leucha would be in her room. In case anything
happened--_in case!_ but of course nothing would happen--she had left a
message for Leuchy with the other girls of the school; but now, as she
passed her door, a desire to make one last effort to speak to her, to
be friends with her once more, came over the brave child with a
passionate force.
She tapped at the door, and without waiting for an answer opened it
softly and went in. She had spent days in that room as sick-nurse.
How uncomfortable that camp-bed was, too; how restless and exigent was
Leucha! But the room looked tidy enough now with the camp-bed removed
and a brilliant fire blazing in the grate. Certainly the Duke's school
did not lack for luxury.
Leucha was seated by the fire. Her face was pale, and her light, thin
hair was unbecomingly dressed. She had been forced, of course, to
dress for the evening; but she was now wearing an old tea-gown, which
had been made for her out of one of Lady Crossways' worn-out garments.
The tea-gown was of a light brown; the make was poor, but it was warm
and comfortable, although nothing could be more trying to Leucha's
appearance. Holly could have worn it, as she could wear anything with
effect; but Leucha, with her pale eyes and scanty locks, was a
different sort of being. The brown tea-gown certainly did not suit
her. Hollyhock, who was wearing a dress of soft silk and brightest
crimson in colour, looked a magnificent young figure beside the dowdy
Leucha.
Leucha knew at once that she looked dowdy, and hated Holly all the more
for showing herself off, as she expressed it.
'What have you come for?' she said. 'I haven't invited you.'
'I only thought, Leuchy dear, I 'd like to say good-night,' said Holly
in her rich, gentle tones.
'Oh, good-night, good-night. But surely you are not going to bed yet?'
'Yes, that I am. My head aches, and there's no place for an aching
head like bed. I thought perhaps, perhaps'--Hollyhock's voice
trembled--'you'd give me one kiss, Leuchy.'
'Don't be such a goose,' said Leucha. 'I don't want to kiss you.'
'Very well; good-night, Leuchy dear!'
Hollyhock went into her own room. The moment she had gone Leucha
became possessed by a tremendous desire to give that kiss so sweetly
asked for. But her obstinate and silly pride prevented her. Besides,
how could Leucha possibly kiss a girl whom she had made such a rare
fool of? No, it could not be.
The fact was that Leucha was exceedingly pleased with her own work, and
quite hoped to take the Duke of Ardshiel's locket to her mother, and
thus get away from the horrid school. She had not the least suspicion
of its contents being known, or at least partly known, to several girls
in the school. But even she could not kiss Hollyhock to-night; even
she could not give that Judas kiss.
She snuggled into her chair, wrapped her ugly tea-gown round her, and
wondered what possessed Hollyhock to go to bed so early, and why she
was always suffering from headaches. So unlike her, too, for she
looked the very picture of rosy health. Leucha made up her mind that
Hollyhock was putting on these headaches to enlist the sympathy of the
school.
'Just like her,' thought Leucha; and yet through all her angry thoughts
and all through the writing of the vicious and silly essay she knew
well that she loved Hollyhock as she loved no one else in the school.
Yes, Hollyhock was the only girl she loved. She might bring herself to
make up the quarrel with her next term, but she could not give her a
Judas kiss to-night.
Hollyhock crept into bed without undressing fully. Her habit lay ready
beside her, but in such a position that no one would notice it. She
had taken off her pretty crimson frock, and had plaited her masses of
black hair into two thick tails, the ends of which she secured with
scarlet ribbons.
Half-dressed, she hid under the bedclothes. She could slip into her
habit and go downstairs with noiseless feet when the moon was near its
height. The adventure would be quickly over, and she would be free,
she would be happy. She would have done the bravest deed of all the
girls in the school, and her beloved, her best-beloved, Lightning Speed
would not come to harm. Mistress and horse loved each other too well
for that to happen. She could control him by a look, a touch, a word.
But the time was long in coming. Hollyhock had done her part as far as
girl could. She must now keep calm and try to ease that ever-aching
head.
One by one the girls went up to bed; but still Hollyhock had to lie
awake, waiting, waiting, pining for the weary hours to pass, for there
was no use in attempting the dangerous task before the moon was at its
full, and that would not be until midnight.
The dressing of herself, the arranging of her sidesaddle on Lightning
Speed, the starting for the celebrated gorge, would take her altogether
about half-an-hour, the gorge being some distance from the Palace of
the Kings.
At half-past eleven, therefore, she might safely get up and prepare for
her task. Every other girl in the school was long in bed and sound
asleep. The servants had retired to their rooms, the teachers had gone
to their rest, for to-morrow was to be a great day, as the Duke himself
was expected to present the lockets to the six successful candidates
for the prizes. The great Ardshiel would be at the school to-morrow at
mid-day, and Mrs Macintyre thought she had better go to bed early. She
was always the last to sit up in the Palace of the Kings; but to-night
she went to her room at sharp eleven, a little weary, a little
perplexed, a little sorry, for she had read Leucha's vindictive essay,
and felt that she could not possibly keep such a girl any longer in the
school.