CHAPTER III

GUESTS AT TEA

Rosamond drew a long breath as they reached the top of the mound.

'Oh!' she said. 'I never saw a moor before. What a long, long way you

can see!' and her eyes, full of wonder and pleasure, gazed before them

over the brown expanse, broken here and there by patches of green or by

the still remaining purple of the fast-fading heather; here and there,

too, gleams of lingering gorse faintly golden, and the little

thread-like white paths, sometimes almost widening into roads, crossing

in all directions, brightened the effect of the whole. For it was autumn

now--late autumn indeed--and the sun was well down on his evening

journey.

The breeze blew freshly in the little girl's face.

'It's rather cold,' she said, 'but I like it.'

'You might have brought your muff,' said Archie; 'though _I_ thought

people only had muffs when it was real winter.'

Miss Mouse reddened a little.

'So they do,' she said, 'but mine is such a dear little one, so light

and fluffy, and it was mamma's last present, so Aunt Mattie lets me take

it out in the pony-carriage.'

Justin and Archie had, like all boys, a horror of tears, and the sad

tone in Rosamond's voice made them quickly change the subject.

'Has Aunt Mattie never driven you round by the moor before?' said

Justin. 'She's so fond of it.'

'But I only came the day before yesterday, and her house is quite on the

other side, not wild-looking like here.'

'Of course I know that,' said Justin. 'I think it's ever so much jollier

up here. Indeed, _I_ would like to live in a cottage on the moor itself.

Fancy what fun it would be to race right out first thing in the morning

when you woke up, and see all the creatures waking up too--rabbits

scuttering about, and the wild birds, and the frogs, and rummy creatures

like that, that live about the marshy bits!'

Rosamond looked up at him with some surprise and more sympathy in her

eyes than she had yet felt for the eldest of her newly-adopted cousins.

'I know,' she said, 'it's like some fairy stories I've read.'

'Oh rubbish,' said Justin. 'If you want fairy stories you must go to Pat

for them. His head's full of them.'

Miss Mouse felt a little hurt at Justin's rough way of speaking. Archie,

always inclined to make peace, came to the rescue.

'You were asking about Bob Crag,' he said. 'That's where he lives.'

He pointed to a spot where a clump of bushes or stunted trees stood a

little way back from one of the wider tracks which ran like white tapes

across the moor. No house or cottage was to be seen, but a thin waft of

smoke rose slowly from the middle of the little planting.

'It's the queerest place you ever saw,' Archie went on. 'Papa says it's

something like an Irish cabin, only cleaner and tidier, for Bob's old

granny isn't dirty, though she's extremely queer, like her house. People

say she's a gipsy, but she's lived there so long that no one is sure

where she comes from. She's as old as old! I shouldn't wonder if she

were really Bob's great-grandmother.'

'Has _he_ always lived with her?' asked Rosamond. 'Fancy!

_great_-grandmother.'

'I don't know,' said Archie; 'he's been there as long as I can

remember.'

'And that's not very long,' said Justin, with the superiority of his

four more years of life. '_You_ can't remember more than six or seven

years back at most, Archie! I can remember ten good, if not eleven. And

Bob's two years older than I am. I should think he was about four or

five when I first remember him. Nurse wouldn't let Pat and me stop to

talk to him when we passed the cottage going a walk, he was such a

queer, black-looking little creature. Old Nancy went away once for ever

so long, and when she came back she brought this rum little chap with

her, and the people about said he was as uncanny as she. Nobody's very

kind to them, even now.'

'Poor things,' said Miss Mouse. 'They must be very dull and lonely.'

'They don't mind,' said Justin. 'Nance says she wouldn't stay if they

had neighbours, and she's jolly glad to have no rent. Once they tried to

make her pay for her cottage, but papa got her off, and ever since then

she'd do anything for us, and she always smiles and curtsies and blesses

us in her way when we pass. Yes, she'd do anything for us, and so would

poor old Bob.'

'Yes, but----' began Archie, but stopped short, for Justin's eye was

upon him.

'You're not to begin abusing Bob,' he said. 'It's not fair, _I_ count

him a friend of mine, whatever you do.'

Rosamond looked puzzled.

'Is he a naughty boy?' she said half timidly.

'No,' said Justin, 'I say he's not. He gets blamed for lots of things he

doesn't deserve, just because he and old Nancy are strange and queer.'

'I'd like to see them,' said Rosamond. 'It _does_ sound like a fairy

story, and it looks like one. Won't you take me to their cottage some

day?'

But before either Justin or Archie had time to reply, there came an

interruption.

'They're whistling for us,' exclaimed Archie. 'Yes, it's Pat and Aunt

Mattie coming across the paddock--and the little ones too. Isn't it nice

to hear Aunt Mattie whistling just like she used to, when she lived

here? Let's go back and meet them.'

'No,' said Justin, 'I'll stay here with Miss Mouse, and you run down to

them, Archie. Most likely Aunt Mattie wants to come up here too. She

always says there's a breeze up here almost as good as the sea.'

'I wish Aunt Mattie's house was near the moor too,' said Miss Mouse.

'Where is it you go to school, Justin, and how do you mean you only pass

the Crags' house on fine days?'

'Because when it's _awfully_ rainy or snowy, or anything out of the

common, we go in the pony-cart by the proper road, and when it's

middling we go half-way by the moor, turning into the road a good bit

before we come to Bob's. It's rather boggy land about there, and we get

all muddy and wet unless it's really dry weather. We don't go to school,

we go to Mr. Pierce's--at Whitcrow--two miles off--the _road_ to

Whitcrow crosses the road to Aunt Mattie's, farther on. You look out on

your way home, and you'll see a signpost with Whitcrow on one of the

spokes.'

'I'll ask auntie to show it me,' said Miss Mouse. 'O auntie,' she

exclaimed, as the newcomers came within speaking distance, 'it _is_ so

nice up here looking over the moor.'

Her little face had got quite rosy. Aunt Mattie was pleased to see it,

pleased too that Rosamond had evidently already begun to make friends

with Justin--girl-despiser though he was.

'Yes, dear,' she said, 'I love the moor, and I am very glad you do. I

love it all the year round, though it's pretty cold up here in winter,

isn't it, boys?'

Pat came forward a little. He wanted to please his aunt by being nicer

to Rosamond.

'It's _awfully_ cold going to the vicarage some mornings,' he agreed,

'but there's some nice things in winter. Can you skate, Miss Mouse?'

The little girl shook her head.

'No, but I'd like very much to learn,' she replied.

'Then I'll teach you,' said Pat, his face getting a little red, for it

was not certainly his way to put himself about to be amiable. And he had

to suffer for it.

'How polite we are growing all of a sudden,' said Justin, with a laugh.

But he could not mock at Pat's offer, for skating was the one thing of

outdoor exercises in which the younger brother outshone the elder.

Aunt Mattie was quick to scent any approach to a quarrel.

'It must be getting near tea-time,' she said. 'Are you going to invite

us to your schoolroom tea, Justin?'

'Oh yes, of course, if you like,' he answered, in a rather off-hand

tone, 'or we could bring you a cup into the drawing-room; mamma often

has it like that.'

For it was rather before the days of regular drawing-room 'afternoon'

teas.

'Thank you,' replied his aunt. 'I should much rather have it in the

schoolroom, and if Miss Ward isn't better, I can pour it out for you.'

'She's sure to be better by tea-time,' said Hec. 'She always

is'--without much satisfaction in his voice.

But this did not alter Aunt Mattie's choice. To tell the truth, she

thought it a good opportunity to see how things were going on in the

schoolroom in her sister's absence.

Just then a bell sounded.

'That is the tea-bell,' said Archie. 'Come along. The first in the

schoolroom to sit beside auntie.'

Off they set, all except little Gervais, but they had not gone many

paces before Pat turned back again.

'What's the matter?' said his aunt, and then she felt sorry that she had

said anything, when she saw it was an effort on the boy's part to behave

politely to the ladies of the party.

'Oh,' he replied, rather gruffly, 'I think I had better carry Ger down

till we get to the paddock.'

'No, you _san't_' said Ger ungratefully. 'Auntie, tell him he's not to,'

for Pat was preparing to pick him up willy-nilly, and a roar would no

doubt have been the consequence.

[Illustration: 'I'LL TAKE ONE HAND AND PAT ONE, AND THEN WE'LL ALL RUN

DOWN TOGETHER.']

'I'll tell you what, Ger,' said Rosamond quickly, 'I'll take one hand

and Pat one, and then we'll all run down together, and wait for auntie

at the bottom.'

To this arrangement Ger condescended, and Aunt Mattie, as she followed

the three more slowly, gave a little sigh of satisfaction.

'It's all quite true that her mother said of her,' she thought to

herself. 'She's a dear little soul, full of tact and good feeling. I

wonder why our boys are so very tiresome?'

For it was new to her to think of them as not _hers_ as much as their

parents'.

'I wonder if it's just that they _are_ boys, or have we mismanaged them

somehow or other? I did so hope that my being with Harriet since I

grew up had been a real help to her, but it scarcely looks like it.

These boys are very troublesome.'

Tea was ready when they all got back to the house--tea and the dispenser

of it, in the shape of Miss Ward, very meek and evidently rather sorry

for herself, though her face brightened as she caught sight of Aunt

Mattie and rose to greet her.

'I am sorry you have got a headache, Miss Ward,' said the young lady,

'I'm afraid you are rather subject to them.'

'N--no, I can't say that I am, or rather I never used to be, and I am

particularly sorry to have had one to-day when Mrs. Hervey was away. But

I daresay a cup of tea will put it all right--it often does,' replied

the governess.

'Then why didn't you ask for one early in the day; I'm sure you could

get it at any time,' said Aunt Mattie a little coldly. She was feeling

rather irritated with Miss Ward for seeming so doleful, for she had come

to them with the recommendation of being specially clever in managing

boys. She was no longer very young, but active and capable, at least so

she had appeared at first. She grew a little red as she replied,

'Oh! I don't want to give in to these headaches or to make any fuss

about them.'

'Poor Mith Ward,' said little Ger, 'all-bodies would have headaches if

naughty Jus throwed books at them!'

'Ger, Ger,' exclaimed Miss Ward; while up started Justin in a fury.

'I throw books at Miss Ward; what do you mean, you sneaking little

tell-tale?' he exclaimed. 'No, you're worse than that, you are a

right-down story-teller.'

'He's not,' said Hec. 'You've done it _twicet_, Jus, you know you have.'

Justin was on the point of rushing off from his place to seize Hec, when

Aunt Mattie turned to him.

'Be quiet, Justin,' she said, 'and behave like a gentleman. If not, you

must leave the room.'

The old habit of obedience to his young aunt told, and Justin sat down

again, though not without mutterings to himself.

'I don't want to spoil our tea-time,' said Aunt Mattie quietly, turning

to Miss Ward,' but I think it would be best for you to explain what the

little boys mean, and--what _you_ mean, Justin.'

'I didn't mean to hurt Miss Ward,' said Justin, 'and it was settled

that nothing more was to be said about it.'

'I don't think Hec and Ger were in the room when we settled that,' said

Miss Ward, smiling a little. 'The facts are these, Mrs. Caryll. Justin

meant to play a trick on Pat, some days ago--what they call a

"book-trap"--some volumes balanced on the top of a door--you have heard

of it, I daresay?--so that they fall on the head of the first person who

goes into the room. Unluckily for me, I was that person, as I had to go

into Pat's room unexpectedly. I did get a bad blow, but Justin was very

sorry and promised never to do it again.'

'But you say that was some days ago,' said Aunt Mattie.

'Well, yes,' the governess allowed. 'This morning it was quite a

different thing. Pat was not ready to go out when Justin wanted him, or

something of that kind, and Justin threw a book _at_ his door, to make

him hurry, I suppose, and again it hit _me_, as I was crossing the

passage. And--and--somehow a very little thing seems to make my head

ache lately.'

In her heart Aunt Mattie did not feel surprised.

'If what I have seen to-day goes on from morning till night, I am sure I

don't wonder,' she thought to herself, as she turned again to Justin.

But he stopped her before she had time to speak.

'Auntie,' he said, looking, and it is to be hoped, still more _feeling_,

very much ashamed of himself--'auntie, I _was_ very sorry the books hit

Miss Ward, especially this morning. But I didn't in the least mean it

for her----'

'I should hope not, indeed,' interrupted Mrs. Caryll.

'And,' continued Justin, 'Miss Ward knows I didn't, and we had made it

all up and nothing more would have been heard about it but for that

little sneak, Hec.'

'You meant to have told your father and mother about it when they came

home, surely?' said his aunt.

Justin reddened again, and muttered something about getting into scrapes

enough without needing to _put_ himself into them; remarks which Mrs.

Caryll thought it wiser not to hear.

'Please don't say anything more about it,' said Miss Ward, speaking more

decidedly than she had yet done. 'It is not often we have the pleasure

of visitors at tea, and my head is really much better now. I am _sure_

nothing of the kind will happen again, and--and--little Miss----'

'Mouth,' said Gervais quite gravely.

'Mouth?' repeated Miss Ward, looking very puzzled.

'No,' Hec corrected, '_Mouse_.'

'Miss Mouse,' she went on, 'will think us a party of----'

'Wild cats,' interrupted Archie.

And at this everybody burst out laughing, Miss Ward included, for she

_was_ very good-natured--and on the whole perhaps the laughing was the

best thing that could have happened. Then Aunt Mattie had to explain

that her little niece's name was not really 'Miss Mouse,' but

Rosamond--Rosamond Caryll, as her father was Uncle Ted's brother--though

the boys all joined, for once, in saying that _they_ were always going

to call her Miss Mouse, 'it suited her so well,' in which their

governess agreed.

And tea went on peacefully and pleasantly on the whole, though Miss

Mouse's eyes grew very round with surprise more than once at the pushes

and thumps that passed between the boys, and the growls and snaps and

mutterings, even though the five were decidedly on their best behaviour.

Aunt Mattie did her utmost quietly to keep things smooth, and so did

Miss Ward. But Aunt Mattie was feeling sorry and disappointed, though

she tried not to show it.

'I think Pat might do so much to make things better,' she thought to

herself. 'He is cleverer than Justin, who is just a great, rough, clumsy

schoolboy, not bad at heart, but awfully careless and thoughtless. Pat

is not thoughtless, but he keeps himself far too apart from his

brothers; if he would try to interest himself in their pleasures a

little, he might get to have far more influence. I must speak to him

again.'

And so she did. There was an opportunity for a little more talk when tea

was over and before the pony-carriage came round. Pat was quick at

noticing things, and he saw that his aunt's sweet face was less cheerful

than usual.

'You're not vexed with me now, auntie,' he said, half wistfully. 'I know

it was rather disgusting, that row at tea-time. Miss Mouse won't want to

come much to see us.'

'I hope she will,' said Mrs. Caryll. 'Of course I was ashamed for her to

hear of those quarrels between you and Justin, Pat. How is it you can't

get on better with him? Archie does.'

'Archie's better tempered than me, I suppose,' said Pat, 'and then he

daren't check Jus; he's a good bit younger, you see. And then they care

for the same sort of things'----

'Ah yes, there's a good deal in that,' she said. 'If you could manage to

show some interest in Justin's games and animals and all these things,

instead of reading quite so much, you might win him by sympathy and

really make home life happier.'

'It hasn't been very happy, lately, I know. And it worries mamma,' said

Pat gruffly. 'Aunt Mattie, I'll try. But I wish you were here again.'