When Annie ran out of the South Parlour she found herself suddenly face
to face with Mrs Willis.
"Well, my dear child," said the head-mistress in her kindest voice,
"where are you running to? But I suppose I must not ask; you are, of
course, one of the busy and secret conclave in the South Parlour?"
"No. I have left them," said Annie, bending her head, and after her
usual habit when agitated, shaking her hair about her face.
"Left them?" repeated Mrs Willis, "you mean, dear, that they have sent
you for some message."
"No. I am not one of them. May I go into the garden, Mrs Willis?"
"Certainly, my dear."
Annie did not even glance at her governess. She pushed aside the baize
door, and found herself in the great stone hall which led to the
play-room and school-room. Her garden hat hung on a peg in the hall,
and she tossed it off its place, and holding it in her hand ran toward
the side door which opened directly into the garden. She had a wild
wish to get to the shelter of the forsaken hammock and there cry out her
whole heart. The moment she got into the open air, however, she was met
by a whole troop of the little children, who were coming in after their
usual short exercise before going to bed. Miss Danesbury was with them,
and when Annie ran out by the open door, she entered holding two little
ones by the hands. Last in this group toddled Hester's little sister
Nan. The moment she saw Annie her little face broke into smiles; she
held out two hands eagerly, and fled to the young girl's side.
"Where dat pitty toy?" she said, raising her round face to Annie's;
"some one did buy dat toy, and it's vedy pitty, and me wants it--where's
dat toy?"
Annie stooped down, and spoke suddenly and impulsively to the little
child.
"You shall have the toy for your very own, Nan, if you will do something
for me?"
Nan's baby eyes looked straight into Annie's.
"Me will," she said emphatically; "me want dat toy."
"Put your arms round me, little darling, and give me a great, tight
hug."
This request was great fun to Nan, who squeezed her little arms round
Annie's neck, and pressed her dimpled cheek to her lips.
"Dere," she said triumphantly, "will dat do?"
"Yes, you little treasure, and you'll try to love me, won't you?"
"Me do," said Nan, in a solemn voice; but then Miss Danesbury called
her, and she ran into the house.
As Nan trotted into the house she put up her dimpled hand to wipe
something from her round cheek--it was a tear which Annie Forest had
left there.
Annie herself, when all the little ones had disappeared, walked slowly
and sadly down toward the shady walk. The sun had just set, and though
it was now nearly May, and the evenings long, the wind was sufficiently
cold to cause Annie to shiver in her thin house frock. At all times
utterly fearless with regard to her health, she gave it no thought now,
but entering the walk where she knew she should not be disturbed, she
looked up at the hammock, and wondered whether she should climb into it.
She decided, however, not to do so--the great and terrible weight of
tears which had pressed close to her heart were relieved by Nan's
embrace; she no longer cared to cry until she could cry no longer--the
worst of her pain had been soothed by the sweet baby graciousness of the
little one.
Then there darted into poor Annie's sore heart and perplexed brain that
dangerous thought and temptation which was to work so much future pain
and trouble. She already loved little Nan, and Nan, as most children
did, had taken a fancy to her. Annie stood still, and clasped her hands
as the dark idea came to her to steal the heart of little Nan from
Hester, and so revenge herself on her. By doing this she would touch
Hester in her most vulnerable point--she would take from her what she
valued most. The temptation came swiftly, and Annie listened to it, and
thought how easy it would be to carry it into effect. She knew well
that no little child could resist her when she chose to exercise her
charms--it would be easy, easy work to make that part of Nan which was
most precious all her own. Annie became fascinated by the idea; how
completely then she would have revenged all her wrongs on Hester! Some
day Hester would bitterly repent of her unjust prejudice toward her;
some day Hester would come to her, and beg of her in agony to give her
back her darling's love; ah! when that day came it would be her turn to
triumph.
She felt more than satisfied as the temptation grew upon her; she shut
out persistently from her view all the other side of the picture; she
would not let herself think that the work she was about to undertake was
cruel and mean. Hester had been more than unjust, and she was going to
punish her.
Annie paced faster and faster up and down the shady walk, and whenever
her resolution wavered, the memory of Hester's face as she had seen it
the same night in the South Parlour came visibly back and strengthened
it. Yes, her turn had come at last. Hester had contrived since her
entrance into the school to make Annie's life thoroughly miserable.
Well, never mind, it was Annie's turn now to make her wretched.