"For what I will, I will, and there's an end."
SHAKESPEAKE.
Shortly after breakfast the next morning, and before the hour for setting
out for school, Elsie called Lulu aside, and in a gentle, affectionate
way asked if she were now willing to do as directed by Mr. Dinsmore.
"Grandma Elsie," said the little girl, "I am ready to do anything he bids
me if it is not to take lessons of that horrid man who dared to strike me
after being told by Grandpa Dinsmore himself that he must never do so."
"I am grieved, my child, that you have no better answer than that to give
me," Elsie said, "and I think you know that it will not satisfy my
father; he will have those committed to his care obedient in everything;
and he bade me tell you that if you will not submit to his authority in
this matter--if you do not to-day obey his order to finish that
interrupted music-lesson--you must, on returning home, go directly to
your own room and stay there; and as long as you continue rebellious, all
your time at home is to be spent in that room and alone."
She paused for a reply, but none came. Lulu sat with eyes cast down and
cheeks hotly flushing, her countenance expressing anger and stubborn
resolve.
Elsie sighed involuntarily.
"Lulu, my dear child," she said, "do not try this contest with my father.
I warn you that to do so will only bring you trouble and sorrow; he is a
most determined man, and because he feels that he has right on his side
in this thing, you will find him unconquerable."
"I think that is what he will find me, Grandma Elsie," replied the
determinately self-willed little girl.
"Surely you are showing scant gratitude for the many kindnesses received
at my father's hands," Elsie said; "but I will not upbraid you with them.
You may go now."
Feeling somewhat ashamed of herself, yet far from prepared to submit,
Lulu rose and hastened from the room.
She knew nothing of what had passed between Mr. Dinsmore and Professor
Manton after her dismissal the night before, and it was with a quaking
heart she entered the schoolroom at Oakdale that morning.
Yet though in fear and dread, she had not the slightest intention of
abandoning her position in regard to the music-lessons.
Nothing, however, was said to her on the subject till the hour for
meeting the signor. Then Miss Diana directed her to go and finish her
lesson of the previous day; but on receiving a refusal, merely remarked
that it should be reported to her guardians and her punishment left to
them.
Evelyn gave her friend an entreating look, but Lulu shook her head, then
fixed her eyes upon her book.
As they drove home to Viamede in the afternoon, Grace was waiting for
them on the veranda there.
"Oh, Lulu," she cried, as the latter came up the steps, "mamma has been
helping me to fix up my baby-house, and it is so pretty! Do come right up
to the play-room and see it."
"I can't, Gracie," Lulu answered, coloring and looking vexed and
mortified.
"Why not?" asked Grace in a tone of surprise and keen disappointment.
But before Lulu could reply, Mr. Dinsmore stepped from the door and
inquired, "What report have you to give me, Lulu?"
"I have not taken a music-lesson to-day," she answered.
"Were you not told to do so?"
"Yes, sir."
"And did not choose to obey? You know the consequence; you must go
immediately to your room and stay there alone during the hours spent at
home, until you are ready to obey."
Lulu assumed an air of indifference as she walked slowly away, but Grace
burst into tears, crying, "Oh, Grandpa Dinsmore! you won't keep me, her
own sister, away from her, will you? oh, please don't. I can't do without
her."
"My dear little girl," he said soothingly, and taking her hand in his, "I
am truly sorry to distress you so, but Lulu must be made obedient. She is
now in a very rebellious mood, and I should do wrong to indulge her in
it."
"Grandpa Dinsmore," she said, looking up pleadingly into his face; with
the tears streaming over her own, _I'd_ be frightened 'most to death if
_I_ had to take lessons of that cross, bad man. How can you want to make
poor Lulu do it?"
"Lulu is not the timid little creature you are," he said, bending down to
kiss her forehead, "and I am sure is not really afraid of the man; nor
need she be after what I have said to him about striking her or any of
the pupils I send him."
"It'll be a long, long while before she'll give up," said Grace; "maybe
she never will. Mayn't I go and talk to her a little and bid her good-by?
You know it's 'most as if she's going far away from us all."
She ended with a sob that quite touched Mr. Dinsmore's heart; also he
thought it possible that her grief over the separation from Lulu, and her
entreaties to her to be submissive and obedient, might have a good
effect. So after a moment's cogitation he granted her request.
"Thank you, sir," said Grace, and hurried upstairs to her sister's door.
"Please, Lu, let me in," she cried. "Grandpa Dinsmore said I might come."
"Did he?" returned Lulu, admitting her. "Well, it must have been
altogether for your sake, not a bit for mine; his heart's as hard as
stone to me."
"Oh, Lu, dear Lu, don't talk so; do give up, so we won't be separated!"
cried Grace, throwing her arms round her sister and giving her a vigorous
hug. "I never can do without you; and don't you care to be with me?"
"Of course I do," said Lulu, twinkling away a tear, for they were raining
from Grace's eyes now, and her bosom heaving with sobs, "and it's just
the cruelest thing that ever was to separate us!"
"But they won't if you'll only give up; and Grandpa Dinsmore says that
horrid man sha'n't strike you again."
"Grandpa Dinsmore is an old tyrant!" said Lulu. "Nobody but a tyrant
would want to force me to put myself in the way of being again treated in
the cruel and insulting way Signor Foresti has treated me once already;
and I _won't_ go back to him; no, not if they kill me!"
"But oh, Lu, think of me!" sobbed Grace. "Max can see you and talk with
you every day, going and coming in the carriage, but I'm afraid I won't
see you at all."
"Oh, Grade, I have a thought!" exclaimed Lulu. "Ask Mamma Vi if you
mayn't ride back and forth with us every morning and afternoon. There's
room enough in the carriage, and the rides would be good for you. You'd
have to ride alone, one way each time, but you wouldn't mind that, would
you?"
"Oh no, indeed!" exclaimed Grace, smiling through her tears; "it's a
bright thought, Lu. I'll ask mamma, and I'm 'most sure she'll say yes,
she's so good and kind."
Violet did say yes at once, making one condition only--that neither her
mother nor grandfather should object.
They did not, and every morning and afternoon Grace was ready in good
season for her drive to Oakdale.
The other children were glad of her company, and as by common consent
always gave her the seat next to Lulu.
For two weeks those short drives yielded the sisters all the intercourse
they had. They met with a warm embrace in the morning just before
stepping into the carriage, and parted in the same way on their return to
Viamede in the afternoon. Then Lulu went directly to her own room, shut
herself in, and was seen no more by the other children till the next day.
During that fortnight the confinement and solitude were her only
punishment; her meals were brought to her and consisted of whatever she
desired from the table where the family were seated; also books and toys
were allowed her.
Every night Violet and Elsie, her mother, came, separately, for a few
words with the little girl; always kind, gentle, loving words of
admonition and entreaty that she would return to her former dutiful and
docile behavior. But they were always met by the same stubborn resolve.
At length, one evening she was summoned to Mr. Dinsmore's presence,--in
the library as before,--again asked if she were ready to obey, and on
answering in the negative was told that, such being the case, she was to
be sent to Oakdale as a boarding scholar, and not to return home at all
until ready to give up her wilfulness and do as she was bidden.
She heard her sentence with dismay, but resolved to endure it rather than
submit.
"I'm not ready to break my word yet, Grandpa Dinsmore," she said with a
lofty air; "and perhaps Oakdale won't be a worse prison than those the
martyrs went to for conscience' sake."
"Lulu," he said sternly, "do not deceive yourself with the idea that you
are suffering for conscience' sake; a wicked promise--a promise to break
one of God's commands--is better broken than kept; the sin was in making
it."
"I don't know any commandment that says I must take lessons of Signor
Foresti, or obey somebody who is no relation to me," returned Lulu, half
trembling at her own temerity as she spoke.
"You are an extremely impertinent little girl," said Mr. Dinsmore, "and
not altogether honest in pretending such ignorance; you know that you are
commanded to obey your father, that he has directed you to be obedient to
me in his absence, and that I have ordered you to take lessons of Signor
Foresti."
He paused a moment, then went on: "If tomorrow you do as you are ordered
you will be at once restored to favor, and all the privileges you
formerly enjoyed in this house; otherwise you will not return from
Oakdale with the others in the afternoon."
He waved his hand in dismissal, and she left the room full of anger and
defiance, a most unhappy child.
In the hall she halted for a moment and glanced toward the outer door. A
sudden impulse moved her to run away. But what good would that do? Where
could she go? How find shelter, food, clothing? And should she ever see
father, brother, sisters again?
She moved on again down the hall, and slowly climbed the broad stairway
leading to the one above.
Violet met her there and felt her heart sink as she glanced at the
sullen, angry countenance. She stopped, laid her hand kindly on the
child's shoulder, and said,
"Lulu, dear, I know pretty well what you have just been told by grandpa,
and, my child, it distresses me exceedingly to think of you being sent
away from us all."
"You needn't care, Mamma Vi; _I_ don't," interrupted Lulu, angrily. "I'd
rather be away from people that ill-treat me so; I only wish I could go
thousands of miles from you all, and never, _never_ come back."
"Poor, dear, unhappy child!" Violet said, tears trembling in her
beautiful eyes; "I know you cannot be other than miserable while
indulging in such wrong feelings. If I have ill-treated you in any way I
have not been conscious of it, and am truly sorry, for it is my strong
desire to be all that I should to my husband's dear children. Come into
my dressing-room and let us have a little talk together about these
matters."
She drew Lulu into the room as she spoke, and made her sit down on a sofa
by her side.
"No, Mamma Vi, you have never ill-treated me," answered Lulu, her sense
of justice asserting itself; "but I think Grandpa Dinsmore has, and so
I'd rather go away from him."
"I am sorry you feel so little gratitude to one who has done so much
for you, Lulu," Violet said, not unkindly. "Surely you cannot deny
that it has been a very great kindness in him to take you into his own
family--giving you the best of homes--and instruct you himself, for no
reward but the pleasure of doing you good and seeing your improvement:
that, too, in spite of having to bear with much ill-behavior from you."
Lulu tried hard to think herself unjustly accused, but in her heart knew
very well that every word of Violet's reproof was richly deserved. She
made no reply, but hung her head, while a vivid blush suffused her
cheeks.
Silence in the room for several minutes; then Lulu said, "I think my
bedtime has come, Mamma Vi; may I go now?"
"Yes; good-night," said Violet, bending down to give her a kiss.
Lulu returned both the kiss and the good-night, then rose to leave the
room.
"Stay a moment, dear," Violet said in her gentlest, sweetest tone; "I am
writing to your father: what shall I say about you?"
"Anything you please," Lulu answered coldly, and walked away with head
erect, cheeks aflame, and eyes flashing.
"If she wants to tell tales on me, she may. I shan't try to stop her,"
she muttered to herself as she went into her own room and closed the
door; then sending a glance around upon all the luxury and beauty of the
apartment, the thought flashed painfully on her that these things, so
delightful to her, would have to be exchanged for others far inferior and
less enjoyable; for, of course, no boarding-school room would be
furnished at anything like the expense that had been lavished upon this
and others in this fine old mansion, so long owned and at times occupied
by the possessors of vast wealth joined to refined and cultivated taste.
During the last fortnight, enforced confinement there had sometimes made
the room seem like a prison; but now her heart swelled at the thought of
leaving it, perhaps never to return, for certainly, unless she became
submissive and obedient, she would be kept at the academy at least until
the family were ready to leave for Ion.
Then it occurred to her that there were advantages, companionships,
luxuries, to be given up, the resigning of which would be still harder.
Now that she was to leave them, she found she had grown fond of both her
young stepmother and the baby sister of whom she had once been so
jealous; and that she loved Grandma Elsie also, Aunt Elsie too; and
indeed, that almost every one in the family connection had proved
agreeable in such intercourse as she had held with them.
Alas! what a sorry exchange from their society to that of the Mantons,
and from all the loving care that had been bestowed upon her and the many
privileges accorded her at Ion and Viamede, to the neglect and
indifference to be expected from strangers! As she thought of all this
she could not contemplate the carrying out of her sentence of banishment
to Oakdale with anything like satisfaction.
Yet the idea of submitting to what she considered Mr. Dinsmore's tyranny
being still more repugnant to her, she resolved to abide by her decision,
risking all consequences.
She rose early the next morning, and busied herself for some time in
gathering together such book and toys as she wished to take with her;
then seeking her young step-mother, "Mamma Vi," she asked, "am I to pack
my trunk myself?"
"You are quite resolved to leave us, then, Lulu?" Violet inquired.
"I am quite resolved never to take another lesson from Signor Foresti,"
returned Lulu doggedly.
Violet sighed. "I had hoped you would wake this morning in a better
mood," she said. "No; you need not pack your trunk: Agnes shall do it
under my supervision. But it shall not be sent till the return of the
children from school this afternoon, as I still hope to see you with
them."
Grace, who was present, stood listening in wide-eyed astonishment.
"What is it all about?" she asked in alarm. "Is Lulu going away?"
"Yes," Lulu answered for herself; "Grandpa Dinsmore says if I won't take
lessons of Signor Foresti I must stay at Oakdale as a boarding-scholar."
"O Lu, Lu! do give up and come back home," entreated Grace, bursting into
tears; "I can't do without you, you know I can't?"
Lulu drew her aside and whispered words of comfort.
"It can't be for so very long, I think, Grace; because we'll all be going
back to Ion in two or three months. Besides, we can see each other every
day, if you keep on coming in the carriage as you've been doing."
"But it will be only for a few minutes, and you won't have a bit nice
time there."
"No, I suppose, not; but even if it's pretty hard, I'd rather stay there
than give up to that old tyrant."
"Please don't say that," pleaded Grace; "I love Grandpa Dinsmore."
When the carriage came to the door after breakfast, and the children
trooped down ready for school, Grandma Elsie joined them on the veranda,
wishing them a happy and profitable day at their studies; then putting an
arm about Lulu she said to her in an undertone,
"Lulu, dear child, I want to see you here with the rest to-night; you are
one of my little girls, and I would not have you so rebellious that you
must be shut out from my house. There! you need not answer, dear; only
remember that Grandma Elsie loves you, and longs to see you good and
happy."
"Thank you, ma'am; you're very good and kind," Lulu said a little
tremulously, then hurried into the carriage, Max giving her the help of
his hand.
The others were already in, and as Max took the only vacant seat, by
Lulu's side, he noticed that her face was very red, and that Grace was
crying.
"What's the matter?" he asked, glancing from one to the other.
"Lulu's not coming home with us to-night; she's going to board at
Oakdale, she says," sobbed Grace.
"Is that so? What for?" asked Max, looking at Lulu.
"Because Grandpa Dinsmore says I must, if I won't take lessons of Signor
Foresti."
It was news to Evelyn, Rose, and Walter as well as to Max, they having
heard nothing of it before. There was a moment of surprised silence,
broken by Rosie:
"Well, you may as well give up. Grandpa is not to be conquered, as I knew
when the contest began."
Max and Evelyn were looking much distressed.
"Oh, Lulu, do!" entreated the latter; "you surely have held out long
enough,"
"I should think so," said Max; "especially considering how kind Grandpa
Dinsmore has been to us all, and that papa ordered us to be obedient to
him."
"I'd give up," remarked Walter, "'cause there's no use fighting grandpa.
Everybody has to mind him. Even mamma never does anything he asks her not
to."
"The idea of not being your own mistress, even when you're a
grandmother!" exclaimed Lulu scornfully.
"Mamma _is_ her own mistress," retorted Rose. "It is only that she loves
grandpa so dearly, and thinks him so wise and good, that she _prefers_ to
do just as he wishes her to."