"GOOD-BYE" TO THE OLD LIFE.
"Me want to see Hetty," said an imperious baby voice.
"No, no; not this morning, Miss Nan, dear."
"Me do want to see Hetty," was the quick, impatient reply. And a sturdy
indignant little face looked up at Nurse, to watch the effect of the
last decisive words.
Finding no affirmative reply on Nurse's placid face, the small lips
closed firmly--two dimples came and went on two very round cheeks--the
mischievous brown eyes grew full of laughter, and the next moment the
little questioner had squeezed her way through a slightly open door, and
was toddling down the broad stone stairs and across a landing to Hetty's
room. The room door was open, so the truant went in. A bed with the
bedclothes all tossed about, a half worn-out slipper on the floor, a
very untidy dressing-table met her eyes, but no Hetty.
"Me want Hetty, me do," piped the treble voice, and then the little feet
commenced a careful and watchful pilgrimage, the lips still firmly shut,
the dimples coming and going, and the eyes throwing many upward glances
in the direction of Nurse and the nursery.
No pursuit as yet, and great, great hope of finding Hetty somewhere in
the down-stair regions. Ah, now, how good! those dangerous stairs had
been descended, and the little voice calling in shrill tones for Hetty
rang out in the wide hall.
"Let her come to me," suddenly said an answering voice, and a girl of
about twelve, dressed in deep mourning, suddenly opened the door of a
small study and clasped the little one in her arms.
"So you have found me, my precious, my dearest! Brave, plucky little
Nan, you have got away from Nurse and found me out! Come into the
study, now, darling, and you shall have some breakfast."
"Me want a bicky, Hetty," said the baby voice; the round arms clasped
Hester's neck, but the brown eyes were already travelling eagerly over
the breakfast table in quest of spoil for those rosy little lips.
"Here are two biscuits, Nan. Nan, look me in the face--here, sit steady
on my knee; you lose me, don't you Nan?"
"Course me do," said the child.
"And I'm going away from you, Nan, darling. For months and months I
won't see anything of you. My heart will be always with you, and I
shall think of you morning, noon, and night. I love no one as I love
you, Nan. You will think of me, and love me too; won't you, Nan?"
"Me will," said Nan; "me want more bicky, Hetty."
"Yes, yes," answered Hester; "put your arms tight round my neck, and you
shall have sugar, too. Tighter than that, Nan, and you shall have two
lumps of sugar--oh, yes, you shall--I don't care if it makes you sick--
you shall have just what you want the last moment we are together."
Baby Nan was only too pleased to crumple up a crape frill and to smear a
black dress with sticky little fingers for the sake of the sugar which
Hetty plied her with.
"More, Hetty," she said; "me'll skeeze 'oo vedy tight for more."
On this scene Nurse unexpectedly entered.
"Well, I never! and so you found your way all downstairs by yourself,
you little toddle. Now, Miss Hetty, I hope you haven't been giving the
precious lamb sugar; you know it never does suit the little dear. Oh,
fie! baby; and what sticky hands! Miss Hetty, she has crumpled all your
crape frills."
"What matter?" said Hester. "I wanted a good hug, and I gave her three
or four lumps. Babies won't squeeze you tight for nothing. There, my
Nancy, go back to Nurse. Nurse, take her away; I'll break down in a
minute if I see her looking at me with that little pout."
Nurse took the child into her arms.
"Good-bye, Miss Hester, dear. Try to be a good girl at school. Take my
word, missy--things won't be as dark as they seem."
"Good-bye, Nurse," said Hester hastily. "Is that you, father? are you
calling me?"
She gathered up her muff and gloves, and ran out of the little study
where she had been making believe to eat breakfast. A tall,
stern-looking man was in the hall, buttoning on an overcoat; a brougham
waited at the door. The next moment Hester and her father were bowling
away in the direction of the nearest railway station. Nan's little
chubby face had faded from view. The old square grey house, sacred to
Hester because of Nan, had also disappeared; the avenue even was past,
and Hester closed her bright brown eyes. She felt that she was being
pushed out into a cold world, and was no longer in the same snug nest
with Nan. An intolerable pain was at her heart; she did not glance at
her father, who during their entire drive occupied himself over his
morning paper. At last they reached the railway station, and just as
Sir John Thornton was handing his daughter into a comfortable
first-class carriage, marked "For Ladies only," and was presenting her
with her railway ticket and a copy of the last week's illustrated
newspaper, he spoke--
"The guard will take care of you, Hester. I am giving him full
directions, and he will come to you at every station, and bring you tea
or any refreshment you may require. This train takes you straight to
Sefton, and Mrs Willis will meet you, or send for you there. Good-bye,
my love; try to be a good girl, and curb your wild spirits. I hope to
see you very much improved when you come home at Midsummer. Good-bye,
dear, good-bye. Ah, you want to kiss me--well, just one kiss. There--
oh, my dear! you know I have a great dislike to emotion in public."
Sir John Thornton said this because a pair of arms had been flung
suddenly round his neck, and two kisses imprinted passionately on his
sallow cheek. A tear also rested on his cheek, but that he wiped away.