“How are you, mummy?” and Jack burst in upon the delighted household
gathered in the hall with a trail of loosely packed luggage behind him,
and a pair of skates he had forgotten to pack altogether, round his
neck. “I say, that's a ripping dress you have on. Cusack, our house
'pre,' says yours is the prettiest photo he ever saw. You're looking
fit, pater, but you must come a trot with me, or you'll have a pot soon.
Jolly journey? Should rather think so! dressed old Swallow up in a
rug, and laid him out on a seat; people thought he had small-pox, and
wouldn't come in; four of us had the place to ourselves all the way:
foxey, wasn't it? Cold, not a bit. We shoved every hot-water pan in
below the seats, and the chaps put more in at every stop, till we had
eight in full blast.
“Look out, cabby, and be kind to that hamper with my best china. What is
it? Oh, that's some really decent booze for the festivities--three dozen
Ripon stone ginger; and there's a dozen among my shirts. Can't get that
tipple in the South. How are you, Lucy and Mary? I've got a pair of
spiffing caps for you; do for church if you like. But where is the
youthful Marguerite? She used to be always dodging round, pretending
that she was just passing by accident. Dinner ready? All right; I'm
pretty keen, too. Tell Magsibus I'll be down after dessert with a
brimming bowl of stone ginger.
“Hello, old lady! As you didn't come up to welcome the returning
prodigal at the door, he's come down to give you his blessing. It's all
right, Mag, I was only fooling. You daren't have taken your eye off that
pudding one minute, I know. It was A 1; best thing you ever did, and
awfully good to have it for the first night.
“That gingerbread you sent took the cup this term, and no second.
Fellows offered to do my lines for me, and sucked up to me no end just
to get a slice. Ain't that the tin up there you make it in? Chap
next study had a thing he called gingerbread--feeblest show you ever
saw--burnt crust outside and wet dough inside.
“There's the old brass jam-pan, Peg, ain't it? Do you remember when
Billy Poole and I used to help at the boiling, and get the skim for our
share? Billy's won a scholarship at Cambridge; youngest chap to take it,
and is a howling Greek swell, but you bet he hasn't forgot that hot
jam. Not he; was asking for you last week. I'll get him here next autumn
before he goes up, and we'll have a jam blow-out.... What's wrong,
Magsy?
“Don't blub. Tell me who's been hitting you. Is it those two young
fools? The mater will soon settle their hash. Here's my handkerchief.
There, now you're all right, ar'n't you?”
“It's really silly of me, Master Jack, and I ought to be ashamed of
myself, at my age too, but it was you speaking of next year. I thought
perhaps your mother had told you that... I am leaving tomorrow.”
“Going to leave us and your home?” and Jack sat down on the kitchen
table in stark amazement. “Where would you go to, Magsy? Why, you nursed
me when I was a kid, and you knew the pater when he was a fellow at
school. Why, you couldn't get on without us, and, look here, this circus
can't be worked without you.
“If you don't feel fit for the cooking,--and it must be a beastly stew
over the fire,--mother'ill get another hand, and you'll just order her
round and have a good time.” But Margaret sat with sad, despairing eyes,
looking straight before her, and making no sign.
“You couldn't do it, Magsibus,” and the lad came over and put his arm
round her; “it would be too mean. Didn't you promise to wait and start
house with me, the same as you did with father? and now you calmly
announce that you are going to set up for yourself, and be a lady. Oh,
you treacherous, wicked woman!”
“Master Jack, I have not a relative living, and I couldn't go to another
place--I've been too long with one family--four-and-thirty years--and I
don't know what I'll do without the sight of you, for my heart has no
portion outside this house on earth; but I must go, I cannot do
otherwise, I must go.
“You see, I'm getting old, dear, and I've been so long here that
I forget it's not my own house--God knows that I would die for you
all--and I have a temper, and I shall be... a trouble and not a help.
Your mother has been a good mistress to me, and been kinder to me than
I have been to her. I'll pray for you all as long as I live, and I would
like to... see you sometimes; but I must go, Master Jack, I must go.”