GREASED LIGHTNING.
At the end of half an hour the door of the small room was again
unlocked, and a woman with a thin, pale face, and somewhat frightened
manner, appeared. She carried a tray in her hand, which contained two
little bowls of porridge, and a small jug of milk. "So you are the two
young 'uns," she said. "Well, you had best be quick and eat up your
breakfast. Uncle Ben is going to have a rehearsal, and he wants you to
see what they are all doing."
"We hasn't got no Uncle Ben," said Diana; "don't be silly, woman.
What's your name?" she added.
"I'm generally called Aunt Sarah," was the reply; "and now, look here,
you two little mites; I'll be good to you if you'll let me. I'm real
sorry you has come, and it's against my wish, you remember that. Now,
eat up your breakfasts, both of you. Uncle Ben, he don't know that I
have brought you porridge and milk; but children as young as you are
can't eat coarse food. Sup up your porridge, my dears."
"Thank you very much indeed, Aunt Sawah," said Diana, slipping down
from her seat close to Orion on the bench, and preparing to attack her
breakfast. "P'w'aps," she continued, as she put great mouthfuls of
porridge into her mouth, "when we has finished this nice bekfus you'll
take us back to Wectory? You see, you isn't our aunt weally, not by no
manner of wights, and Uncle Ben isn't our uncle, and so we ought not
to stay here; and if we go back to Wectory, why, Uncle William, what's
our weal uncle, p'w'aps he would pay you money, if it's money you
wants."
"Yes; it's true enough, it is money we want," replied the woman; "but,
my dear," she added, the tears springing to her eyes, "I can't take
you back to no Rectory. You have just got to stay here and to watch
Uncle Ben when he's going through his rehearsal, and then this
afternoon we are going on a very long journey, and you are coming with
us--and oh, I forgot to say that, when you have finished your
breakfast, I must put something on your faces."
"Something on our faces?" said Diana.
"Yes, my little love; it has to be done. But when we get to another
part of the country I'll wash the ugly stuff off again, and you'll
look as fair and pretty as you do now. It won't make much difference
after all to you, little missy," she added, gazing fixedly at Diana,
"'cos you are very dark by nature. Yes, I had a little kid of my own,
a little gal, and she wasn't unlike you--no, not by no means. I'll be
kind to you for her pretty sake, my little dear. Now, eat your
breakfast, and be quick, the pair of you."
"Has your little girl what was like me got deaded?" asked Diana, in a
very thoughtful and earnest voice.
"She is dead, my dear. Yes, yes, she is dead," replied the woman. "Eat
up your breakfast now; I have no time to answer questions."
Orion did not need a second bidding; he had already plunged his spoon
into the porridge, and soon his little bowl was empty, and also the
jug of milk. Diana also finished her breakfast, but more thoughtfully.
She was a wonderfully wise little girl for her tender years, and at
the present moment she was dreadfully puzzled to know what to do. She
was quite shrewd enough to guess that Mother Rodesia was a bad sort of
woman, and that she, Diana, had done wrong ever to trust herself to
her. Uncle Ben, too, in spite of her brave words, terrified her more
or less. All things considered, therefore, she would not have been at
all sorry to find herself back again at the Rectory, with Miss Ramsay
to teach her, and Aunt Jane hovering in the background. "Isn't it
funny, we has got our nightdwesses on?" she said suddenly. "Woman,
it's not pwoper to have our bekfus in our nightdwesses; and these are
such keer nightdwesses, not at all what they ought to be. Our mother
would not like us to be dwessed in this sort of style. Can you get our
day dwesses, p'ease, for us to put on, Aunt Sawah?"
"No; I can't get the dresses you wore yesterday," replied Aunt Sarah;
"but for all that you shall wear a very pretty little frock. I have
got a blue one for you with white wings. What do you say to that?"
"B'ue, with white wings?" echoed Diana. "It sounds pwetty; but I must
have a b'ack bow, p'ease, woman, 'cos our mother has gone away to the
angels, you underland; and when mothers go to the angels little girls
wear b'ack bows--at least, that's what Iris says. Oh, I say, Orion,"
suddenly concluded Diana; "what is we to do without Iris? She is our
little mother now. You underland what I mean; doesn't you, Orion?"
The only answer Orion made was to fling himself flat down on the floor
and begin to howl with all his might.
"You had best not do that, young sir," said Aunt Sarah, "for if Uncle
Ben hears he'll be awful angry. He is a terrible man when he's
angered. It's only right I should tell you the solemn truth, you poor
little kids."
"We isn't kids; we is sildrens," said Diana.
"Well, you poor little children, then. Now, young master, if you'll
take my advice, you'll do exactly what I tell you. I'm going to be a
friend to you and to your little sister. I'll give you, by hook or by
crook, the very best food I can get, and the prettiest dresses to
wear, and I'll see that my husband, Ben Holt, aint rough to you, and
I'll see, also, that Molly and Kitty and Susan, the circus girls, are
kind to you, and that Tom, the clown, behaves as he ought; but I can
do nothing if you won't obey me. And if you begin by angering Uncle
Ben, why, it'll be all up with you, my little dears."
"I don't know what you mean by all up," answered Diana, her eyes
sparkling brightly; "and what's more, I don't care. But I'd like to
know if you has a weal live clown about, 'cos I like clowns and I love
pant'mimes. I went to a pant'mime 'fore mother was took to the
angels."
"Our show is something like a pantomime, and yet it's different,"
replied Aunt Sarah. "Now then, missy, stop talking, for we has no time
to waste. Come over here and let me put this nice stuff on your face.
It won't hurt you one little bit--it's just to make you look a little
browner than you do now, you and little master. Now, come along here,
and let me do it at once. Afterwards, I'll dress you in real pretty
things. You, little missy, shall wear some of my own child's
clothes--the little Rachel what died. My heart broke when she died,
missy, and if I didn't mean to be real kind to you I wouldn't put her
pretty little dress on you, that I wouldn't."
Orion stepped back in some alarm when he saw the woman stirring
something very brown and ugly in a tin can.
"I don't want that horrid stuff on my face," he said.
"But you must have it, master; if you don't, Uncle Ben will use you
dreadful," said the woman. "Now, missy, tell your little brother to be
guided by me. If he don't do what I tell 'im he'll suffer, and I won't
be able to help either of you."
"Don't be silly, Orion," said Diana. "What do a little bwown stuff
matter? And Aunt Sawah's wather a nice sort of woman. I'll do what you
wish, Aunt Sawah." She came up as she spoke, pushed her black, tangled
hair away from her charming little face, and allowed Aunt Sarah to
cover it with the walnut juice. "It's sort of sticky, and it don't
smell nice," said the little girl; "but I spects you can't help it. I
spects you is kind about your heart; isn't you?"
"Yes, my little dear; I try to be," said the woman. "Now, call your
brother over, and let me dye his face and neck and little hands."
"Come 'long, Orion," said Diana; "don't be silly."
"You do look so ugly, Diana," answered Orion.
"Well, what do it matter?" said Diana. "I has to p'ease Aunt Sawah;
she's a nice sort of a woman. I wather like her."
Orion, who had always submitted to Diana, submitted again now as a
matter of course. The walnut dye was not pleasant; he felt quite
sticky and uncomfortable, but he allowed it to cover his little face
and his white neck and hands.
The dye dried very quickly, and the children looked as like two
gypsies as possible when they surveyed one another.
"Now, I'm going to fetch the clothes," said Aunt Sarah.
She left the room, returning in a very few moments with a pretty
spangled suit of knickerbockers, which she put on Orion, and which
quite enchanted him.
"If you are a good boy," she continued, "you won't dislike the life
with us. I wonder if you are fond of horses?"
"Horses!" said Orion, his eyes sparkling. "Rather!"
"Well, Uncle Ben will teach you to ride, and to jump, and to do all
kinds of things. Now, just stand back, and let me dress little missy,
for Ben is waiting to begin the rehearsal. Missy, you let me put on
your dress."
Diana was only too willing to be attired in a flimsy skirt of white
tarlatan, which stuck out from her little figure; she also wore wings
on her shoulders, and her black hair was rendered gay with bows of
crimson ribbon. She felt quite excited and pleased with herself.
"I spects I look awfu' pwetty," she said. "I'd like to see my own self
in a looking-glass. Has you got a looking-glass in your pocket, Aunt
Sawah?"
"Yes, dear; a small one."
Aunt Sarah whipped her hand into a deep pocket and took out a glass.
Diana surveyed herself critically in its depths.
"I like my dwess," she said, "but I don't like this howid bwown stuff
on my face."
"Never mind, dear; bear it for the present. When we get down to the
southwest of England it shall all be taken off; but up here Uncle Ben
thinks it best for you both to have it on."
"Why?" asked Diana.
Aunt Sarah was puzzled for a moment.
"'Cos it's wholesome," she said at last.
"And isn't it wholesome in the southwest of England?" asked Diana.
Aunt Sarah was puzzled how to reply. Diana, who was gazing at her very
intently, burst into a clear, childish laugh.
"Do you know you _is_ a humbug?" she said. "You know perfect well why
you is using that. You want to hide us, that's why. What a silly old
Aunt Sawah you is!"
Before Aunt Sarah could make a suitable reply, the loud voice of Uncle
Ben was heard in the distance.
"Come, Sarah," he called, "bring those kids along. I can't be kept
waiting another minute."
"Now then, dears," said Aunt Sarah, "I'll take you to the circus."
"The circus!" cried Diana. "Is we going to a circus? I love 'em!"
"Well, my dear, you are not only going to _see_ a circus, but you are
going soon to be part of a circus. Uncle Ben owns one; it's a sort of
traveling circus. He takes it about with him from one part of the
country to another. You'll be part of the circus in the future, little
miss."
"And may I wide horses?" asked Diana.
"Surely, my dear, and perhaps other animals as well. Oh, never fear!
you'll be taught all kinds of queer things. You'll have quite a nice
time if you keep on the buttered side of Uncle Ben."
"The buttered side! That must be g'easy," said Diana.
"Well, you keep on it, miss. If he's kind to you, why, all will be
right, and, for my part, I'll see you want for nothing."
"I do believe," said Diana, her eyes sparkling; she turned as she
spoke and clasped one of Orion's hands--"I do weally b'lieve this is
better nor aunt's. Do come 'long, Orion; I always did love circuses."
Aunt Sarah led the children down a long, narrow passage, and then
across an open court, until presently they found themselves inside the
entrance of a huge circular tent. Here seats were arranged for a crowd
of people, all of which were, of course, empty at present; but the
whole of the center of the tent was occupied by a wide arena covered
with sand. In the middle of this space stood Uncle Ben. He had a big
whip in his hand, and looked very fierce and terrible.
"There you are at last, Sarah!" he called out. "Oh, and there are the
kids!" He stepped forward as he spoke. "Now, little missy," he said,
looking full at Diana, "what would you say if I was to put you on top
of a horse's back? You wouldn't be frightened, would you?"
"No," replied Diana.
"I don't believe you would. I believe you are a plucky little girl.
Well, I'd just as lief give you a lesson straight away, for you'll
have to take your part in the show in a week from now. We'll let her
ride round the arena on Greased Lightning; eh, Sarah?"
"Oh, I wouldn't! Not on that 'orse," said the woman. She clasped her
hands imploringly together. "Remember, Ben," she continued, speaking
in a timorous voice, and her color coming and going, "remember that
Greased Lightning is a very wicious sort of 'orse, and this is only a
little child. Has you ever been on a 'orse's back afore, little love?"
"Sometimes," replied Diana. "And my faver said when I got older he
would give me a horse of my own to wide. He said I was too young yet,
you know; but I aren't fwightened," she added. "I don't mind a bit
sitting on the back of G'eased Lightning. But what a funny name!"
"Right you are!" said the man. "You shall have your ride. I can see
that you have plenty of pluck, young 'un. Come along, then, little
missy. Tom, you go and bring out Greased Lightning this minute."
A tall lad, with red hair and a cast in one eye, now made his
appearance in the arena of the circus. At Uncle Ben's words he turned
abruptly, disappeared through a curtain, and a moment later
re-entered, leading a very graceful chestnut horse by a bridle. The
creature pawed the ground as it walked, and arched its stately neck.
"You had best have a saddle, guv'nor," said the boy.
"None of your sauce, Tom. The young 'un must learn to ride bare-back,
and at once. I'll walk round with her the first time. Now then,
missy."
Diana was clapping her hands; her eyes were blazing with excitement.
"It's kite 'licious," she said, jumping up and down. "I aren't
fwightened," she continued; "that aren't me."
The next moment she was lifted on to the back of Greased Lightning. In
all probability the horse which bore that title had never carried
such a feather-weight as little Diana before. Uncle Ben began to lead
him round and round the circus. Diana sat perfectly upright; she did
not attempt even to clutch a hair of his mane. Uncle Ben praised her.
"You are a plucky little missy," he said. "Why, you'll do fine. Now,
do you think you can stand on the horse?"
"Course," replied Diana. "What's foots for, you silly man, if not to
stand? You is silly, Uncle Ben."
"I never!" said Uncle Ben, bursting out laughing. "Well, missy, if I
am silly, you has got a lot of sauce. 'What's good for the goose is
good for the gander.'"
"That sounds howid vulgar, and I don't underland," answered Diana, in
a dignified tone. "I'll stand on my two foots if you'll hold G'eased
Lightning k'ite still."
"Woe! stay quiet this minute," said the man to the horse. The pretty
creature instantly obeyed, and little Diana, nothing loath, scrambled
on to her small feet. The horse moved gently forward, and the little
child managed to keep her balance. She went the entire round of the
circus two or three times in this position, and then Uncle Ben, saying
that she was a very fine little creature, and would answer his
purposes to a nicety, lifted her down in the height of good humor.
"Take care of her," he said, bringing her back to Aunt Sarah; "there's
a fortune in her, little mite that she is. She need not do any more
to-day. Why, I'll have her trained in no time when we get down to the
west of England. She'll do her work beautiful, and will take the house
by storm. Now then, master, it's your turn. We must have a pair of
you, you know--a boy and a girl. It's the very thing to draw crowds in
the west."
But alas! Orion, notwithstanding his brave name, was made of very
different stuff from his sister. He felt fear, where Diana, in all
truth, did not know the meaning of the word. He shivered visibly when
he was lifted on to Greased Lightning's back. Diana called out to him
in an encouraging and cheery voice.
"Don't forget you is a giant," she said. "Think, of yous sword and
yous belt. Now then, gee up! pretty horse; I only wishes I was widing
you."
"Come, young master, don't clutch the mane so hard," said Holt. "Hands
off, I say! Greased Lightning won't stand that kind of treatment."
But the more the manager spoke the tighter did Orion grasp the black
mane of the chestnut horse. Greased Lightning began to paw the ground
and to show many signs of discomfort; whereupon Orion uttered a
piercing cry and began slipping backwards, towards the tail of the
beast.
"Come," said the man; "get back to your seat this minute. I have a
whip in my hand, and it can sting; come, young sir!"
"Don't you dare to stwike my bwother!" said Diana, running across the
arena.
Some girls, who had just come in, and several men, all burst out
laughing.
"You had best come back, miss; you had best not anger him," said a
fair-haired girl, stretching out her hand to the little child as she
spoke.
"Anger him?" said Diana. "I doesn't know what you mean. Does you think
I are going to let Orion be hurted? Listen to me, man. You had best
let Orion jump off this morning, 'cos he's tired. I'll talk to him all
about widing to-morrow. Let him get down now, p'ease, big man."
"Not until he has been twice round the circus," said Uncle Ben. "You
stand aside, missy, or Greased Lightning may tread on you."
But Diana was not to be so easily restrained. She now flew up to Uncle
Ben and tried to pull his big whip from his hand.
"You don't dare to stwike my bwother!" she repeated, her eyes
flashing. Her determined attitude, the fearlessness of her whole
little nature induced Uncle Ben to yield to her for the nonce. This he
did more, particularly as he saw that the little boy was really
incapable of keeping his seat another moment.
"Well, then, look here, little miss," he said; "you has behaved very
well indeed yourself, and so I'll let the little chap off this
morning. Now you know, sir, it is 'cos of your sister, for she's a
plucky 'un; so you may go back to my wife. Here, Sarah; take the pair
of 'em. You can go and sit on one of them chairs over there, children,
and see us as we go through our rehearsal."
The rest of the morning was a truly exciting, not to say breathless,
time to Diana. She had not an instant to regret her absence from Iris
and Apollo. The exploits, the feats performed by the three circus
girls, and by Tom the clown, to say nothing of the advent of the
elephant and of the donkey who could perform numberless tricks, and
finally, the performances of the troop of dogs, who seemed more human
than most human beings, all fascinated the little girl. Even Orion
forgot his terrors as he looked on; his cheeks flamed through their
walnut dye, and his dark eyes grew brighter than ever.
When the rehearsal was at last over, the whole party rushed back to
their rooms, where a hasty meal was served; and little Diana sat
between two of the circus girls and was petted, and laughed at, and
made much of, and Orion kept close to Aunt Sarah, who took care that
he should have as many tit-bits as she could manage to secure for him.
At three o'clock there was a public performance, but now neither Diana
nor Orion was allowed to be present. They found themselves shut up
once more in the ugly little room, where Mother Rodesia had first
taken them. From this place they could hear as a sort of distant echo
the shouts of the men and women who were performing, and the cheers of
the people who were looking on.
At six o'clock the performance came to an end, and then, indeed, began
a fearful bustle and excitement. People were running here, there, and
everywhere, and, two hours later, the great vans were all packed, the
animals properly secured, and the party, with the exception of Aunt
Sarah, Diana, and Orion, had started _en route_ for the west of
England.
"Why isn't we going with the others?" asked Diana.
"'Cos the train is faster, little miss," answered Aunt Sarah. "And now
the cab is at the door, and, if you will jump in at once we will be at
the station in no time."
"I calls it lovely," said Diana, turning to secure Orion's approval.
"I like it miles better nor lessons with Miss Wamsay nor being beated
by Aunt Jane. Only, course," she added, in a meditative voice, "I's
twuly, twuly sossy for Uncle William and Iris and Apollo."