The next week brought with it a succession of bewildering excitements.
From morn till night, as it seemed, the bell rang, and visitors were
ushered in to congratulate Lady Hayes and her niece on the happy episode
of the jewel-finding, and to repeat _ad infinitum_ the same questions,
ejaculations, and remarks. People who had no personal interest in the
theft seemed, strangely enough, quite as excited and curious as those
who had; and even when their curiosity was satisfied there still
remained the servants in the house, the tradesmen in the village, the
very children in the roads, who seemed one and all possessed with a
thirst to hear the romantic story from the lips of the heroine herself.
Then letters from relations and friends! However minutely one might
retail every incident, there still seemed an endless number of details
which remained to be told to people who could not be satisfied without
knowing in each case what _he_ said, how _she_ looked, how _you_
yourself felt and behaved! The first three days were spent in talk; on
the fourth began a second and still more exciting stage. The bell rang,
a small, daintily tied parcel was handed in for Miss Garnett, which
being unwrapped revealed a red velvet jeweller's box, and within that a
small heart-shaped pendant, slung on a gold chain, and composed of one
large and several small rubies, set transparently, so as to show to
advantage their glowing rosy light. An accompanying card bore the
inscription, "A small expression of gratitude from Mrs Eustace
Ferriers"; but even this proof was hardly sufficient to convince Darsie
that such splendour was really for her own possession.
"Aunt Maria! Can she _mean_ it? Is it really to keep?"
"Certainly, my dear. Why not? It is quite natural that Mrs Ferriers
should wish to give you some little remembrance as you were the means of
restoring a valuable heirloom. It is a good stone. You must be careful
not to lose it."
"Is it valuable, Aunt Maria--worth a lot of money?"
"It is a pretty ornament, my dear. Do not look a gift horse in the
mouth."
It was all very well for Aunt Maria, a titled lady with a box full of
jewels of her own, to take things calmly, but for a member of a poor
large family to receive a ruby pendant was a petrifying experience, only
to be credited by a continual opening of the box and holding of it in
one's hand to gaze upon its splendours. And then the very next morning
the bell rang again, and in came another parcel, another jeweller's box,
and inside it a blue enamelled watch with an encircling glitter of light
where a family of tiny diamonds formed a border round the edge. There
was an enamel bow also to fasten it on to a dress, but Darsie fairly
quaked at the thought of the responsibility of wearing so gorgeous an
ornament.
"That will do for mother," she announced decidedly. "It wouldn't be
_decent_ for me to flaunt about in enamel and diamonds when she has an
old gold thing that is always slow. Besides, if she wears it I can
watch the diamonds flash, and that is the best part of the fun. Aunt
Maria, that's two! Do you suppose, should you imagine, that they'll
_all_--"
Lady Hayes looked shocked, as in duty bound.
"My dear, I don't suppose anything about it. That is not our affair.
It is sufficient that these two friends have been most kind and
generous, and that you ought to be a very grateful girl. Surmises as to
future gifts are in the worst possible taste."
Darsie wrinkled her nose and sat in silence for several moments, moving
the little watch to and fro to catch the play of light upon the stones.
Then suddenly she spoke again--
"Aunt Maria, what are your ideas with regard to _luck_?"
"I have none, my dear. I don't believe in its existence!"
"But you must, Aunt Maria. You must. It was the merest luck my seeing
that hole, and thinking of feeling inside, but it seems as if it were
going to have such big consequences. Just in a moment it has brought me
more influential friends than most girls meet with in the whole of their
lives. They are all grateful to me; they feel that I have helped them;
they want to help me in return; but after all there's no credit to me,
it was all done without one scrap of thought or trouble. It seems hard
to think that many people work and slave for years, and fail to gain a
quarter as much as I have done by just pure luck!"
"Don't be so sweeping in your assertions, child. These are early days
yet to talk about results. When you come to my age, my dear, you will
look back and realise that those who go through life in the right spirit
are never left to the mercy of what you call `luck.' `Submit thy way
unto the Lord, and _He_ will direct thy path.' I am an old woman,
Darsie, but I can say from my heart that goodness and mercy have
followed me all the days of my life."
Darsie sat gazing thoughtfully into her aunt's face. Within the last
weeks a degree of intimacy had developed between the old woman and the
girl, which made it possible for the latter to speak out more openly
than she would have believed possible a short month before.
"Aunt Maria," she said slowly, "I wish you would explain... You talk of
goodness and mercy, but--don't be shocked!--it doesn't seem to me that
you have so _much_ to be thankful for! ... You are rich, of course, but
that doesn't count for much by itself, and your life must have been
hard... You are delicate, and your husband died, and you have no
children--no one to live with you in this big house. Now when you _are_
old you are so lonely that you are glad to have me--a girl like me--for
a few weeks' visit! When I go away you will be lonely again..."
A tremor passed over Lady Hayes's face; the thin fingers crossed and
uncrossed themselves on her lap, but she smiled, a brave and patient
smile. "You are right, Darsie. I have had bitter trials, nevertheless
I have gained the greatest treasure that is given to any one on this
earth."
"What is that, Aunt Maria?"
"Peace in my soul, child--`the peace of God, which passeth
understanding,'" said the old woman solemnly.
There was silence in the room. Darsie bent her head, awed and touched
by the sound of those wondrous words. A month ago, at home with her
brothers and sisters, she would have scoffed at the idea of peace in
connection with Great-aunt Maria, but a closer intimacy had altered her
opinion. About the trifling affairs of every day Aunt Maria continued
to fuss. No one could deny for a moment that she fussed; but the big
demands of life found her calm, serene, prepared. On the surface the
waters might dash occasionally into foam, but the deep, strong current
bore steadily towards the sea!
Darsie pondered, and as though divining the course of her thoughts, Lady
Hayes spoke once more.
"Perhaps that appears to you a serious statement for me to make, since
there are times when I must appear a very unpeaceful person. I am apt
to be unduly concerned about trifles, to my own exhaustion and that of
others. I am aware of the fact, and also that to one of your impetuous
disposition such a failing must be particularly trying. Nevertheless,
Darsie,"--the old voice deepened impressively--"_the peace is there_!"
Slowly, thoughtfully Darsie bowed her head.
"Yes, I know. I've _felt_ it. It has made me ashamed. The human part
of you may get out of hand sometimes, but you are _very_ nearly an
angel, Aunt Maria. You haven't much more to learn!"
Lady Hayes shook her head, but her hand fell on Darsie's head with a
tender touch, and a light shone in the tired eyes. The lonely heart was
grateful for those words of encouragement.
Darsie's surmise that still more presents might arrive was justified by
the delivery of three more packets--a dainty little pearl necklace from
Mrs Percival, a turquoise and diamond ring (oh, the rapture of owning a
real ring of one's very own!) and a combination present of a jewelled
bangle from three other ladies who had benefited by the lucky find.
Thus in one short week had Darsie's jewellery risen from a total which
she herself described as consisting of "a few glass beads and a gold
safety-pin" to five separate articles of real beauty and value.
She was fond of spreading her treasures in a row on the table and gazing
at them _en bulk_, moving her head from side to side to enjoy the
flashing colours of the stones, and as she did so Lady Hayes was more
than surprised by a mercenary element which seemed out of keeping with
the girl's natural character.
"Rubies are the most valuable stones, aren't they, Aunt Maria--more
valuable than diamonds?"
"If they are of the right colour and depth, and of sufficient size."
"You said this was a good stone. It's a ripping colour. I should think
this must be a valuable stone, wouldn't you?"
"I prefer not to speculate on the subject, child."