A HAPPY DAY
And it _was_ a fine day! Things after all do not always go wrong in this
world, though some people are fond of talking as if they did.
That day, that happy birthday, stands out in my mind so clearly that I
think I must write a good deal about it, even though to most children
there would not seem anything very remarkable to tell. But to me it was
like a peep into fairyland. To begin with, it was the very first time in
my life that I had ever paid a visit of any kind except once or twice
when I had had tea in rather a dull fashion at the vicarage, where there
were no children and no one who understood much about them. Miss Linden,
the vicar's sister, a very old-maid sort of lady, though she meant to be
kind, had my tea put out in a corner of the room by myself, while she
and grandmamma had theirs in a regular drawing-room way. They had
muffins, I remember, and Miss Linden thought muffins not good for little
girls, and my bread-and-butter was cut thicker than I ever had it at the
cottage, and the slice of currant-bread was not nearly as good as
Kezia's home-made cake--even the plainest kind.
No, my remembrances of going out to tea at the vicarage were not very
enlivening.
How different the visit to Moor Court was!
It began--the pleasure of it at least to me--the first thing when I
awoke that morning, and saw without getting out of bed--for my room was
so little that I could not help seeing straight out of the window, and I
never had the blinds drawn down--that it was a perfectly lovely morning.
It was the sort of morning that gives almost certain promise of a
beautiful day.
In our country, because of the hills, you see, it isn't always easy to
tell beforehand what the weather is going to be, unless you really study
it. But even while I was quite a child I had learnt to know the signs of
it very well. I knew about the lights and shadows coming over the hills,
the gray look at a certain side, the way the sun set, and lots of things
of that kind which told me a good deal that a stranger would never have
thought of. I knew there were some kinds of bright mornings which were
really less hopeful than the dull and gloomy ones, but there was nothing
of that sort to-day, so I curled myself round in bed again with a
delightful feeling that there was nothing to be feared from the weather.
I did not dare to get up till I heard Kezia's knock at the door--for
that was one of grandmamma's rules, and though she had not many rules,
those there _were_ had to be obeyed, I can assure you.
I must have fallen asleep again, for the next thing I remember was
hearing grandmamma's voice, and there she was, standing beside my bed.
'Oh, granny!' I called out, 'what a shame for you to be the one to wake
me on _your_ birthday.'
'No, dear,' said grandmamma, 'it is quite right. Kezia hasn't been yet,
it is just about her time.'
I sprang up and ran to the table, where I had put my little present for
grandmamma the night before, for of course I had got a present for her
all of my own, besides having planned the treat with the Nestors.
I remember what my present was that year. It was a little box for
holding buttons, which I had bought at the village shop, and it had a
picture of the old, old Abbey Church at Middlemoor on its lid.
Grandmamma has that button-box still, I saw it in her work-basket only
yesterday. I was very proud of it, for it was the first year I had saved
pennies enough to be able to _buy_ something instead of working a
present for grandmamma.
She did seem so pleased with it. I remember now the look in her eyes as
she stooped to kiss me. Then she turned and lifted something which I had
not noticed from a chair standing near.
'This is my present for my little girl,' she said, and though I was
inclined to say that it was not fair for her to give me presents on her
birthday, I was so delighted with what she held out for me to see that I
really could scarcely speak.
What do you think it was?
A new frock--the prettiest by far I had ever had. The stuff was white,
embroidered by grandmamma herself in sky-blue, in such a pretty pattern.
She had sat up at night to do it after I was in bed.
'Oh, grandmamma,' I said, 'how beautiful it is! Oh, may I--' but then I
stopped short--'may I wear it to-day?' was what I was going to say. But,
'oh no,' I went on, 'it might get dirtied.'
'You are to wear it to-day, dear,' said grandmamma, 'if that is what you
were going to say, so you needn't spoil your pleasure by being afraid of
its getting dirtied; it will wash perfectly well, for I steeped the silk
I worked it in, in salt and water before using it, to make the colour
quite fast. I will leave it here on the back of the chair, and when the
time comes for you to get ready I will dress you myself, to be sure that
it is all quite right.'
I kept peeping at my pretty frock all the time I was dressing; the sight
of it seemed the one thing wanting to complete my happiness. For though
Sharley and Nan and Vallie were never too grandly dressed, their things
were always fresh and pretty, and I _had_ been thinking to myself that
none of my summer frocks were quite as nice or new-looking as theirs.
And to-day, though only May, was really summer.
Grandmamma wouldn't let me do very much that morning, as she did not
want me to be tired for the afternoon.
'Is it a very long walk to Moor Court?' I asked her.
Grandmamma smiled, a little funnily, I thought afterwards.
'Yes,' she said, 'it is between two and three miles.'
'Then we must set off early,' I said, 'so as not to have to go too fast
and be tired when we get there. I don't mind for coming back about being
tired; there'll be nothing to do then but go to bed, it'll all be over!'
and I gave a little sigh, 'but I don't want to think about its being
over yet.'
'We must start at half-past two,' said grandmamma. 'That will be time
enough.'
Long before half-past two, as you can fancy, I was quite ready. My frock
fitted perfectly, and even Kezia, who was rather afraid of praising my
appearance for fear of making me conceited, said with a smile that I did
look very nice.
I quite thought so myself, but I really think all my pride was for
grandmamma's frock.
I settled myself in the window-seat looking towards the road, as I have
explained.
'Stay there quietly,' grandmamma said to me, 'till I call you.'
And again I noticed a sort of little twinkle in her eyes, of which
before long I understood the reason. I must have been sitting there a
quarter of an hour at least when I thought I heard wheels coming. It
wasn't the usual time for the butcher or baker, or any of the
cart-people, as I called them, and wheels of any other kind seldom came
our way. So I looked out with great curiosity to see what it could be.
To my astonishment, there came trotting along the short bit of level
road leading to our own steep path the two ponies and the pretty
pony-carriage that had so delighted me the first time I saw them.
Sharley was driving, the little groom behind her. But this time my first
feeling was certainly not one of pleasure. On the contrary I started in
dismay.
'Oh dear,' I thought, 'there's something the matter, and Sharley has
come herself to say we can't go.'
I rushed upstairs, the tears already very near my eyes.
'Granny, granny,' I exclaimed, 'the pony-carriage has come and Sharley's
there! I'm sure she's come to tell us we can't go.'
My voice broke down before I could say anything more. Grandmamma was
coming out of her room quite ready, and even in the middle of my fright
I could not help thinking how nice she looked in her pretty dark gray
dress and black lace cloak, which, though she had had it a great, great
many years, always seemed to me rich and grand enough for the Queen
herself to wear.
'My dear little girl,' she said, 'you really must not get into the way
of fancying misfortunes before they come. It is a very bad habit. Why
shouldn't Sharley have come to fetch us? Don't you think it would be
nicer to drive to Moor Court than to walk all that way along the dusty
road?'
'Oh, granny,' I cried, and my tears, if they were there, vanished away
like magic. 'Oh, granny, that would be too lovely. But are you quite
sure?'
'Quite,' said grandmamma, 'I promised to keep it a secret to please
Sharley, as she is so fond of surprises. Run down now to meet her and
tell her we are quite ready.'
How perfectly delightful that drive was! I sat with my back to the
ponies, on the low seat opposite grandmamma and Sharley.
'Vallie wanted to come too,' said Sharley, 'but that seat isn't very
comfortable for two.'
It was very comfortable for one, at least I found it so. I had hardly
ever been in a carriage before, and Sharley drove so nice and fast; she
was very proud of being allowed to drive the two ponies. But they were
so good, they seemed, like every one and everything else, determined to
make that day a perfectly happy one.
When we got to the lodge of Moor Court Sharley began to drive more
slowly, and looked about as if expecting some one.
'The others said they would come to meet us,' she explained, 'and
sometimes Pert is rather naughty about startling the ponies, even though
he can't bear being startled himself. Oh, there they are!'
As she spoke the four figures appeared at a turn in the drive. Nan and
Vallie in the pretty pink frocks, which no longer made me feel
discontented with my own, as nothing could be prettier, I was quite
firmly convinced, than grandmamma's beautiful work, which Sharley had
already admired in her own pleasant and hearty way.
We two got out of the pony-carriage, leaving grandmamma to be driven up
to the house by the groom, the little girls saying that their mother was
waiting for her on the lawn in front.
I had never seen the boys before. Percival seemed to me quite big,
though he was one year younger than Sharley and smaller for his age.
Quintin was more like Nan, slow and solemn and rather fat, so his
nickname of Quick certainly didn't suit him very well. But they were
both very nice and kind to me. I am quite sure Sharley had talked to
them well about it before I came, though it was easy to see that when
Pert was not on his best behaviour he was very fond of playing tricks.
I felt very happy, and not at all strange or frightened as I walked
along between Sharley and Val, each holding one of my hands and
chattering away about all we were going to do, though I had a queer,
rather nice feeling as if I must be in a dream, it all seemed so pretty
and wonderful.
And indeed many people, far better able to judge of such things than I,
think that Moor Court is one of the loveliest places in England. I did
not see much of the inside of the house that day, though I learnt to
know it well afterwards. It was very old and very large, and everything
about it seemed to me quite perfect. But on this day we amused ourselves
almost altogether out of doors.
[Illustration: Grandmamma's chair was still waiting to be decorated, so
the next hour was spent very happily.--p. 67.]
The children had already done a good deal to the arbour where we were to
have tea; but grandmamma's chair was still waiting to be decorated, so
the next hour was spent very happily in gathering branches of ivy and
other pretty green things to twine about it, with here and there a bunch
of flowers, which Mrs. Nestor had told the gardener we were to have.
Vallie was very anxious to make a wreath for grandmamma, but though I
thought it a very nice idea, I was afraid it would look rather funny,
and when Sharley reminded us that wreaths couldn't be worn very well
above a bonnet, we quite gave it up.
But we did make the table look very pretty, and at last everything was
ready, except the tea itself and the hot cakes, which of course the
servants would bring at the very end.
By the time we had finished it was nearly four o'clock, and we were not
to have tea till half-past, so there was time for a nice game of
hide-and-seek among the trees. I don't think I ever ran so fast or
laughed so much in my life. They were all such good-natured children,
even if they did have little quarrels they were soon over, and then I
think they were all especially kind to me. I suppose they were sorry for
me in some ways that did not come into my own mind at all.
Then we all went to the house to be made tidy for tea, and in spite of
what grandmamma had said about not minding if my frock was dirtied I was
very pleased to find that it was perfectly clean.
Grandmamma and Mrs. Nestor were waiting for us in the drawing-room; and
we all went back to the arbour together, Sharley walking first with
grandmamma, which was quite right, as the plan about tea had been all
her own.
Grandmamma _was_ pleased. I think she liked to see how fond these
children had already got to be of her, though perhaps it would have been
as well if Quick had not informed us in the middle of tea that he liked
her a great, great deal better than his real grandmamma, whose nose was
very big and her hair quite black.
'But she's very kind to us too,' said Sharley, 'only I don't think she
cares much for little boys.'
'Nor for tomboys either,' said Pert, who did love teasing Sharley
whenever he had a chance.
'Jerry's her favourite,' said Nan.
'And I think he deserves to be,' said her mother.
'I wish he was here to-day, I know that,' said Sharley. 'It's such a
long time to the holidays, and it won't be so nice this year when they
do come, as most likely a boy's coming with Jerry.'
'Two boys,' corrected Pert, 'their name's Vandeleur, and they're his
greatest friends.'
'Vandeleur?' said grandmamma. 'I wonder if----' and then she stopped. 'I
have relations of that name,' she said, 'but I don't suppose they belong
to the same family.'
'It is not a common name,' said Mrs. Nestor. 'But these boys are, I
believe, orphans. Both their father and mother are dead, are they not,
Sharley? Sharley knows the most about them,' she went on, 'for Gerard
and she write long letters to each other always, and she hears all about
his school friends and everything he is interested in.'
'Yes,' said Sharley, 'they are orphans. They have an old aunt or some
relation who takes care of them. But I think they are rather lonely.
They often spend all their holidays at school--that was why Jerry
thought it would be nice to invite them here. I daresay it will be very
nice for _them_, but _I_ think it will quite spoil the holidays for
_us_.'
'Come, Sharley,' said her mother, 'you must not be selfish.'
'What are the boys' Christian names?' asked grandmamma.
'Harry and Lindsay,' Sharley replied.
Grandmamma shook her head.
'No,' she said, as if thinking aloud, 'I never heard those names in the
branch of the Vandeleurs I am connected with.'