BABY'S SECRET
"'Pussy, only you I'll tell,
For you can keep secrets well;
Promise, pussy, not a word.'
Pussy reared her tail and purred."
There was a cat at the Villa Desiree, Baby's, and Denny's, and "all of
them's house," as Baby would have called it. Where the cat came from I
don't know--whether it belonged to the villa and let itself out with it
every winter, like the furniture, or whether it was really the cat of
Madame Jean-Georges, and had followed Monsieur Jean-Georges back one
evening when he had been home to see his "good friend" (that was what he
called his wife), and his two "bebes," is what I cannot tell. I only
know the cat was there, and that when Baby could get a chance of playing
with it he was very pleased. He didn't often have a chance, in his own
room, for "Mademoiselle," as Celia was always called by the new
servants, a title which she thought much nicer than "Miss Aylmer," or
"Miss Celia," _Mademoiselle_, said "the stupid little footman," had
given strict orders that "Minet" was not to be allowed upstairs for fear
of the "pets," the "calanies," and the Bully, and Peepy-Snoozle, and
Tim, all of whom would have been very much to Minet's taste, I fear. It
was very funny to see the way the little footman went "shoo-ing" at the
poor cat the moment Celia appeared, for Celia had rather grand manners
for her age, and the servants thought her very "distinguished,"
especially the stupid little footman. But Herr Baby was very sorry for
poor Minet; he had no particular pet of his own here, nothing to make up
for his "labbits," and so he took a great fancy to the pussy.
"Poor little 'weet darling," he would call it; "Celia's a c'uel girl to
d'ive Minet away, _Minet_ wouldn't hurt the calanies, or the Bully, or
the sleepy-mouses; Minet is far too good."
"Pray, how do _you_ know, Baby?" Celia would say. "Cats are cats all the
world over, every one knows that."
"_Minet_ aren't," Baby would have it, "Minet has suts a kind heart. Him
asked Minet if her would hurt the calanies and the sleepy-mouses, and
her said 'no, sairtingly not.'"
"Baby!" said Denny, "what stories! Cats can't talk. You shouldn't tell
stories."
"Minet can talk," said Baby. "When him asks for somefin, her says
'proo-proo-oo,' and that means 'yes,' and if her means 'no,' her humps
up her back and s'akes her tail. When him asked Minet if her would like
to hurt the calanies, her humped up her back _never_ so high, and sook
and _sook_ her tail, for no, _no_, NO!"
Celia could not find an answer to this. Baby went on stroking Minet with
great satisfaction, as if there was nothing more to be said.
"All the same," said Celia at last, "I don't want Minet to come
upstairs. She's quite as happy downstairs, and, you see, it would
_frighten_ the birds and the dormice if they saw her, for _they_
mightn't understand that she wouldn't, on any account, hurt them."
"Werry well," said Baby, and he went on playing with his new pet.
"Herr Baby," said Lisa coming into the room a moment or two later; "mine
child, how is it that your coat is so dirty? All green, Herr Baby, as if
you had rubbed it on the wet grass."
"It's with his poking in among the bushes by the kitchen window," said
Denny of the ready tongue; "yesterday, you know, Baby, when you
thought----"
"Hush," said Baby, "don't talk to me. You distairb me and the cat--we'se
busy."
Denny and Lisa looked at each other and smiled.
"Pussy, pitty pussy, dear Minet," went on Baby, who wanted to stop
Denny's account of his fears.
"We're going out, Herr Baby," said Lisa. "There are commissions for your
lady mamma. We are to go to the patissier and----"
"Who are the pattyser?" said Baby.
"The cumfectioner," said Denny.
Baby pricked up his ears.
"We are to go to the patissier," said Lisa, "to order some cakes for
Miladi for to-morrow, when Miladi's friends come to dine; and perhaps we
will buy some little cake for Herr Baby's tea. Come, mine child, leave
Minet, and come."
Herr Baby got up from the corner of the room where he had been embracing
the cat; there was a grave look on his face, but he did not say anything
till he was out on the road with Lisa. Denny was not with them; she had
got leave to go a walk with Celia and the lady who came every day to
give her French lessons, which Denny thought much more grand than going
out with Baby and Lisa.
"Lisa," said Baby, after a few minutes, "are mother going to have a
party?"
"Not one very big party," said Lisa, "just some Miladis and some
Herren--some genkelmen--to dine."
"Will it look very pitty?" asked Baby.
"Not so pretty as at _home_," said Lisa, who, now that she was away from
it, of course looked upon The Manor--that was the name of "home"--as the
most lovely place in the world; "there's no nice glass, no nice pretty
dishes here. And Francois, he is so dumm--how you say 'dumm,' Herr
Baby?"
"Dumm," repeated Baby, exactly copying Lisa's voice, staring up in her
face.
"No, mine child, how you say it of English? Ah--I knows--_stupid_.
Francois, he is too stupid. Peters and I, we will make the table so
pretty as might be. Lisa will command some bon-bons."
"Mother will want the shiny jugs," thought poor Baby. "Him _s'ould_ have
brought him's pennies. Him would like to know if him has 'nuff pennies;
perhaps him could go to the little girl's shop when Lisa is at the
pattyser's."
But he said nothing aloud. How it was that he kept his thoughts to
himself, why he had such a dislike to any one knowing what was in his
mind, I cannot exactly tell; but so it was, and so it often is with very
little children, even though quite frank and open by nature. Baby had, I
think, a fear that mother might not like him to spend all his pennies on
the shiny jugs, perhaps she might say she would pay them herself, and
that would not have pleased him at all. Deep down in his honest little
heart was the feeling that _he_ had broken the glasses and _he_ should
pay for the new ones. But he said nothing to Lisa--he had never spoken
of the jugs to her--mother had been "so kind," never to tell any one
about what a silly little boy he had been, for mother knew that he
didn't like being laughed at. _Perhaps_ "they" would laugh at him now if
he told about wanting to buy the shiny jugs--he wouldn't mind so much if
he _had_ bought them, but "'appose they wouldn't let him go to the shop
to get them?" Poor little mother! She wouldn't have her pitty glasses
then for the party--no, it was much best to settle it all his own self.
Whom he meant by "they" I don't think Baby quite knew, he had a sort of
picture in his mind of grandfather and auntie and mother all talking
together, and Celia and Fritz and Denny all joining in, and saying that
"Baby was far too little to go to shops to buy things." And by the time
he had thought this all over, Herr Baby glancing up--for till now he had
been walking along with Lisa's hand, seeing and noticing nothing--found
that they were already in the street of the town where the biggest shops
were, and that Lisa was looking about to find the shop where she was to
give the orders for his mother.
It was a very pretty shop indeed--Baby had never seen such a pretty
shop. The cakes and bon-bons were laid out so nicely on the tables round
the wall, and they were all of such pretty colours. Baby walked round
and round admiring, and, I think, considering he was such a very little
boy, that it was very good of him not to think of touching any of the
tempting dainties. In a few minutes Lisa had ordered all she
wanted--then she chose some nice biscuits and a very few little
chocolate bon-bons, which she had put up in two paper parcels, and when
they came out of the shop she told Herr Baby that they were for him, his
mother had told her to get him something nice. Baby looked pleased, but
still he seemed very grave, and Lisa began wondering what he was
thinking of.
"Are you tired, mine child?" she said.
No, Herr Baby was not at all tired. He wanted to walk down the street to
the other end to see all the shops, he wanted to see _all_ the streets
and _all_ the shops before they went home. Lisa was rather amused. She
had not known Herr Baby was so _very_ fond of shops, she said, and it
would take far too long to see them _all_. But she went to the end of
that street with him, and then back again down the opposite side, and
then he begged her to turn down the other street they had crossed on
their way to the confectioner's, and they had gone quite to the end of
_it_, Baby staring in at all the shop windows in a way that really made
Lisa smile, for he looked so grave and solemn, when all of a sudden,
just as Lisa was thinking of saying they must go home, Baby gave a sort
of little scream and almost jumped across the street.
"Him sees it, him sees it," he cried, and when Lisa asked him what he
meant, all he would say was,
"That's the little street we went down with auntie the 'nother day," and
Lisa, who had forgotten all about the old shop window with the shiny
glass and the blue-eyed picture, wondered why he was so eager about it.
"Is that the way we came?" she said, "I am not sure. I not quite
remember."
But "him wants to go home that way," persisted Baby, and he tugged Lisa
along. They passed at the other side, but Baby did not mind that. He
could see across quite plainly, for the street was narrow, and there
were still the glasses in the corner and the sweet baby-girl face up on
the wall, looking down on them.
And after that he was quite satisfied to go quietly home; he did not
speak much on the way, but Lisa was accustomed to his grave fits, and
did not pay much attention to them. He only asked her one question--just
as they were getting close to the Villa.
"Is it to-morrow mother's going to have all the pitty things for
dinner?" he said.
"Yes, Herr Baby, and Lisa will be busy, to show Francois how Miladi
likes everything. Herr Baby and Fraeulein Denny will be goot and play
peacefully in the garden to-morrow, so she can be busy," said Lisa, who
was very proud of being of so much consequence.
"Yes," said Herr Baby, "him won't want you to take care of him."
After tea he got out his money-box. This he often did. He was such a
careful little boy that mother let him keep his money himself, and it
was a great pleasure to him to count over the different kinds of
"pennies;" he called them all "pennies," brown, white, and even yellow
pennies, for Baby had a pound and a ten shilling piece that had been
given him on his last birthday, and that he had never been able to make
up his mind how to spend. He looked at them now with great satisfaction.
"See, Denny," he said, "him has two yellow pennies, a big and a little,
and free white pennies, a big and a little and a littler, and five brown
pennies. Him knows there's five, for him can count up to five, 'cos
five's just as old as him is going to be. See, Denny, isn't there a lot?
And the yellow pennies could be turned into lots and lots of white
pennies Lisa says, and the white pennies could be turned into lots of
brown pennies, isn't it funny? Isn't him werry rich, Denny?"
"Yes, I suppose so," said Denny, "I really don't know. I wish you
wouldn't chatter so, Baby. I can't learn my lessons."
Poor Baby! It was not often he was to blame for "chattering so." But he
looked with great respect at Denny for having lessons to do, and was
not at all offended. Denny was proud of being with Celia and the new
governess, but I think her pleasure was a little spoilt by finding that
the new governess had no idea of taking care of a little girl who didn't
do any lessons, and this evening she was rather cross at a row of French
words which she had to learn to say the next morning. Baby went quietly
off into the corner with his money-box, but finding it rather dull to
have no one to show his pennies to, he went out of the room, which you
remember was downstairs, and, opening a door which led to the kitchen,
peeped about in hopes of seeing his friend Minet. He had not long to
wait--Minet had a corner of her own by the kitchen wall, on the other
side of which was the stove, and where she found herself almost as warm
as in the kitchen, when Monsieur Jean-Georges objected to her company.
She was curled up in this corner when she heard Baby's soft voice
calling her--"Minet, Minet, pussy, pussy," and up she got, slowly and
lazily, as cats do when they are half asleep, but still willingly
enough, for she dearly loved Herr Baby.
"Minet," said Baby, when she appeared, and coming up to him rubbed her
furry coat against his little bare legs, "Minet, dear, come and sit wif
him on the 'teps going down to the garden, and him'll tell you about
his money."
But Lisa, coming by just then, said it was too cold now to sit on stone
steps; for warm as it was in the day at Santino the evenings got quickly
chilly.
"Us can't go back to the 'coolroom," said Baby; "Denny won't let dear
Minet come there, and him must stay wif Minet, 'cos her waked up when
him called her."
"Miss Denny must let you stay in the school-room," said Lisa. "There is
no little birds there for Minet to touch."
She opened the door, and Denny was too busy with her lessons to scold.
"You will be very quiet, Herr Baby," said Lisa. So Baby and Minet went
off into a corner with the money-box.
"Minet, dear," said Baby, in a low voice, "see what lots of pennies him
has. Yellow pennies, and white pennies, and brown pennies."
Minet purred, naturally, for Baby was stroking her softly with one hand
all the time he was holding up his pennies with the other.
"Dear Minet," said Baby, much gratified, "you is pleased that him has so
many pennies. Now, Minet, him will tell you a secret, a _gate, gate_
secret, about what him's going to do wif all him's pennies."
Here Minet purred again. Baby looked round. There was no one listening.
Lisa was going backwards and forwards, putting away the tea-things;
Denny was still groaning and grumbling over her row of words; Baby might
safely tell Minet his secret. Still he lowered his voice _so_ low that
certainly no one but Minet could hear. And when he left off speaking,
Minet purred more than ever. Only Baby thought it just as well to say to
her, before Lisa took him away up to bed, "Minet, dear, you'll be _sure_
not to tell nobody;" and I suppose Minet promised, for Baby seemed quite
pleased.
He woke in the morning with his head quite full of his great idea. They
were not to go a regular walk that day, Lisa told him, for in the
afternoon she would be busy, and Herr Baby would be good and play
quietly in the garden, would he not?
"All alone?" asked Baby.
"Perhaps Miss Denny will stay, too, if Herr Baby wishes," said Lisa;
"she was going again with Miss Celia, but----"
"Oh no," said Baby, "him would rather be alone, kite alone, 'cept Minet.
Fritz is very good to him, but Fritz will be at school. Fritz is never
at home now 'cept Thursdays."
"No," said Lisa; "but Herr Fritz is very happy at school, and when Herr
Baby is big he will go too."
"Yes," said Baby; but he didn't seem to think much what he was saying.
Lisa thought he was dull about Fritz being at school--I forgot to tell
you that Fritz went every day now to a very nice school in the town,
where there were a few boys about his own age--but Lisa was mistaken.
That afternoon, any one passing the low hedge which at one side was all
that divided the Villa garden from the road, would have seen a pretty
little picture. There was Baby, seated on the grass, one arm fondly
clasping Minet's neck, while with the other he firmly held the famous
money-box. He was dressed in his garden blouse only, but for some reason
he had his best hat on. And he kept looking about him, first towards the
house and then towards the garden gate, in a funny considering sort of
way.
At last he seemed to have made up his mind.
"Minet," he said to the cat, "him thinks we'll go now. 'Amember, Minet,
you've _p'omised_ to go wif him. If you get werry tired, Minet, him'll
try to carry you. If you could carry the money-box, and him could carry
you, then it would be _kite_ easy. What a pity you haven't got two more
paws, that would do for hands, Minet!"
Minet purred.
"Yes, poor Minet. Nebber mind, dear; but we must be going." And closely
followed by the cat, who had no idea, poor thing, of what was before
her, Baby made his way down the path to the garden gate. It was open, at
least not latched. Baby easily pushed it wide enough for his little self
to go through, and stood, with Minet and the money-box, triumphant on
the highroad.
"It were the best way, thit way," he said to himself. For there was
another gate to the Villa, leading out to the upper road. But this gate
was guarded by a lodge, and the "concierge," as they called the
lodge-keeper, came out to open it for every one who went in and out. And
"p'raps," thought Baby, "the concierge mightn't have let him through,
'cos, of course, her didn't know why him was going out alone with
Minet."
So Minet and he and the money-box found themselves out on the road on
their own account.
All the family was scattered that afternoon. Celia and Denny had gone a
long walk with their governess, Fritz was at school, mother and auntie
had driven to see some friends a good way off, meaning to call for Fritz
at his school on their way home. The servants, too, were all more busy
than usual on account of the ladies and gentlemen coming to dinner. Lisa
and Linley and Peters were all trying to make the strange servants
understand just how they were used to have the table at home, and giving
themselves a great deal more trouble than grandfather or mother would
have wished had they known about it. Lisa was very clever at arranging
flowers prettily, and she was so sure of Baby's quiet ways when he was
left to himself, that she never gave a thought to him once she saw him
safely settled in the garden with Minet. It was such a safe garden.
There really was no part of it where a child could get into any trouble,
for though there was a little water in the basin from which rose the
fountain, it was so little, that not even Minet could have wetted much
more than her paws in it. So Lisa went on quite comfortably doing the
flowers and arranging the dessert in the pantry, by way of giving
Francois a lesson, and now and then she would glance out of the window
which looked on to the garden, and, seeing Baby there with Minet, she
felt quite easy. She did once say to herself,
"I wonder why Herr Baby begged so to have his best hat to-day--but he is
one good child, one should please him sometimes."
I am afraid the truth was that Lisa spoilt her dear Baby a little!
After a while she looked out again. She did not see Herr Baby this time,
but she did not think anything of it.
"They will have gone to play among the bushes," she said to herself,
meaning by "they" Baby and Minet of course, and she went on with what
she was doing, and got so interested in helping Peters to explain to
Francois that in England people always changed the wine glasses at the
end of dinner, and put clean ones for dessert, that the time went on
without it ever entering her head to say to herself, "What can have
become of Herr Baby?"
Mother and auntie were later than they had expected of returning from
their drive. They had gone a long way, and coming back it was mostly
up-hill.
"Fritz will be thinking we have forgotten him," said mother, looking at
her watch, "but I told him to be sure to wait till we came. He is too
little to go home alone yet, at least till he knows his way quite well
or can speak enough to ask."
"We might have told Celia and Denny to call for him, as they are out
with Mademoiselle," said auntie.
Just then in turning a corner, for they were quite in the town now,
auntie's eyes caught sight of the narrow street where the old curiosity
shop was.
"By the by," she said, "I should so like to ask about that picture. I
told you about it, you remember, May?"--May, you know, was the
children's mother's name--"have we time to go that way?"
"I'm afraid not; we are late already," said mother. "I'm so sorry."
"Oh, never mind, another day will do quite well," said auntie,
cheerfully.
So they drove home, quickly, just stopping a moment to pick up Fritz,
who was waiting for them at the gate of his school.
If they _had_ happened to go round by the old curiosity shop, how
surprised they would have been; but what a great deal of trouble it
would have saved them, as you shall hear.
Lisa met them as they got home, with a long story about the table and
the flowers and the stupidness of Francois, which mother and auntie
could hardly help laughing at.
"Never mind, Lisa," said mother; "it will do very well, I am sure. Where
are the children?"
"Upstairs, Miladi, taking off their things. They have just come in,"
said Lisa, never thinking, somehow, as mother said the "children," but
that she was talking of Celia and Denny. For, somehow, in this
family--in every family there are little habits of the kind--Baby was
not often spoken of among "the children." They had all got so used to
the name of Herr Baby, which Lisa had called him by since he was quite a
wee baby, that he was seldom spoken of by any other, and often Baby
himself would talk gravely about "the children," without any one seeming
to think it odd.
"Upstairs, are they?" said mother. "Well, run off, Fritz, dear, and try
and get some of your lessons done before tea. Mademoiselle will help you
a little, I daresay, before she goes."
Off ran Fritz. He was a very good boy about his lessons, and anxious to
get on well. More to please Lisa and the others than that they cared,
mother and auntie went into the dining-room. They were standing looking
at the pretty flowers and leaves, when suddenly Fritz put his head in at
the door again.
"Lisa," he said, "where's Baby? He's not upstairs, and he's not in the
garden. Linley said you told him to play there this afternoon, but he's
_not_ there."
Lisa started, and her face grew white.
"Mine child!" she cried. "Ah, but he must be in the garden, Master
Fritz! I saw him there so happy, with the cat, just--ah, how long ago
was it? Have I forgotten him for so long? He must be hiding--to play,
to--how do you say?" for Lisa's English was very apt to fly away when
she got frightened or upset. "Ach, where can he be?" and off darted poor
Lisa.
Mother and auntie and Fritz looked at each other.
"Can he be _lost_?" said Fritz, with a very frightened face.
"Oh no, no," said auntie. "Lisa is so easily startled. But still----"
"Let us all go and look for him at once," said mother. "What a good
thing poor grandfather isn't back yet!"