TRIFLES.
Very rapidly the winter passed away, and one morning early in March
Maggie went down to the cottage with the news that Madam Conway was
intending to start immediately for England, where she had business
which would probably detain her until fall.
"Oh, won't I have fun in her absence!" she cried. "I'll visit every
family in the neighborhood. Here she's kept Theo and me caged up like
two wild animals, and now I am going to see a little of the world. I
don't mean to study a bit, and instead of visiting you once a day I
shall come at least three times."
"Lord help me!" ejaculated old Hagar, who, much as she loved Maggie,
was beginning to dread her daily visits.
"Why do you want help?" asked Maggie laughingly. "Are you tired of me,
Hagar? Don't you like me any more?"
"Like you, Maggie Miller!--like you!" repeated old Hagar, and in the
tones of her voice there was a world of tenderness and love. "There
is nothing on earth I love as I do you. But you worry me to death
sometimes."
"Oh, yes, I know," answered Maggie; "but I'm not going to tease you
for a while. I shall have so much else to do when grandma is gone that
I shall forget it. I wish she wasn't so proud," she continued, after a
moment. "I wish she'd let Theo and me see a little more of the world
than she does. I wonder how she ever expects us to get married, or be
anybody, if she keeps us here in the woods like young savages. Why, as
true as you live, Hagar, I have never been anywhere in my life, except
to church Sundays, once to Douglas' store in Worcester, once to Patty
Thompson's funeral, and once to a Methodist camp-meeting; and I never
spoke to more than a dozen men besides the minister and the school
boys! It's too bad!" and Maggie pouted quite becomingly at the
injustice done her by her grandmother in keeping her thus secluded.
"Theo don't care," she said. "She is prouder than I am, and does not
wish to know the Yankees, as grandma calls the folks in this country;
but I'm glad I am a Yankee. I wouldn't live in England for anything."
"Why don't your grandmother take you with her?" asked Hagar, who in a
measure sympathized with Maggie for being thus isolated.
"She says we are too young to go into society," answered Maggie. "It
will be time enough two years hence, when I am eighteen and Theo
twenty. Then I believe she intends taking us to London, where we can
show off our accomplishments, and practice that wonderful courtesy
which Mrs. Jeffrey has taught us. I dare say the queen will be
astonished at our qualifications;" and with a merry laugh, as she
thought of the appearance she should make at the Court of St. James,
Maggie leaped on Gritty's back and bounded away, while Hagar looked
wistfully after her, saying as she wiped the tears from her eyes:
"Heaven bless the girl! She might sit on the throne of England any
day, and Victoria wouldn't disgrace herself at all by doing her
reverence, even if she be a child of Hagar Warren."
As Maggie had said, Madam Conway was going to England. At first she
thought of taking the young ladies with her, but, thinking they were
hardly old enough yet to be emancipated from the schoolroom, she
decided to leave them under the supervision of Mrs. Jeffrey, whose
niece she promised to bring with her on her return to America. Upon
her departure she bade Theo and Maggie a most affectionate adieu,
adding:
"Be good girls while I am away, keep in the house, mind Mrs. Jeffrey,
and don't fall in love."
This last injunction came involuntarily from the old lady, to whom
the idea of their falling in love was quite as preposterous as to
themselves.
"Fall in love!" repeated Maggie, when her tears were dried, and she
with Theo was driving slowly home. "What could grandma mean! I wonder
who there is for us to love, unless it be John the coachman, or Bill
the gardener. I almost wish we could get in love though, just to see
how 'twould seem, don't you?" she continued.
"Not with anybody here," answered Theo, her nose slightly elevated at
the thought of people whom she had been educated to despise.
"Why not here as well as elsewhere?" asked Maggie. "I don't see any
difference. But grandma needn't be troubled, for such things as men's
boots never come near our house. It's a shame, though," she continued,
"that we don't know anybody, either male or female. Let's go down to
Worcester some day, and get acquainted. Don't you remember the two
handsome young men whom we saw five years ago in Douglas' store, and
how they winked at each other when grandma ran down their goods and
said there were not any darning needles fit to use this side of the
water?"
On most subjects Theo's memory was treacherous, but she remembered
perfectly well the two young men, particularly the taller one, who had
given her a remnant of blue ribbon which he said was just the color
of her eyes. Still, the idea of going to Worcester did not strike her
favorably. "She wished Worcester would come to them," she said, "but
she should not dare to go there. They would surely get lost. Grandma
would not like it, and Mrs. Jeffrey would not let them go, even if
they wished."
"A fig for Mrs. Jeffrey," said Maggie. "I shan't mind her much. I'm
going to have a real good time, doing as I please, and if you are wise
you'll have one too."
"I suppose I shall do what you tell me to--I always do," answered Theo
submissively, and there the conversation ceased.
Arrived at home they found dinner awaiting them, and Maggie, when
seated, suggested to Mrs. Jeffrey that she should give them a vacation
of a few weeks, just long enough for them to get rested and visit the
neighbors. But this Mrs. Jeffrey refused to do.
She had her orders to keep them at their books, she said, and "study
was healthful"; at the same time she bade them be in the schoolroom on
the morrow. There was a wicked look in Maggie's eyes, but her tongue
told no tales, and when next morning she went with Theo demurely to
the schoolroom she seemed surprised at hearing from Mrs. Jeffrey that
every book had disappeared from the desk where they were usually kept;
and though the greatly disturbed and astonished lady had sought for
them nearly an hour, they were not to be found.
"Maggie has hidden them, I know," said Theo, as she saw the
mischievous look on her sister's face.
"Margaret wouldn't do such a thing, I'm sure," answered Mrs. Jeffrey,
her voice and manner indicating a little doubt, however, as to the
truth of her assertion.
But Maggie had hidden them, and no amount of coaxing could persuade
her to bring them back. "You refused me a vacation when I asked for
it," she said, "so I'm going to have it perforce;" and, playfully
catching up the little dumpy figure of her governess, she carried her
out upon the piazza, and, seating her in a large easy-chair, bade her
take snuff, and comfort too, as long as she liked.
Mrs. Jeffrey knew perfectly well that Maggie in reality was mistress
of the house, that whatever she did Madam Conway would ultimately
sanction; and as a rest was by no means disagreeable, she yielded
with a good grace, dividing her time between sleeping, snuffing, and
dressing, while Theo lounged upon the sofa and devoured some musty old
novels which Maggie, in her rummaging, had discovered.
Meanwhile Maggie kept her promise of visiting the neighbors, and
almost every family had something to say in praise of the merry,
light-hearted girl of whom they had heretofore known but little. Her
favorite recreation, however, was riding on horseback, and almost
every day she galloped through the woods and over the fields, usually
terminating her ride with a call upon old Hagar, whom she still
continued to tease unmercifully for the secret, and who was glad when
at last an incident occurred which for a time drove all thoughts of
the secret from Maggie's mind.