the stokesley secret-第16部分

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did　Elizabeth's　copy　look　as　if　she　had　written　it　with　claws　instead　of　fingers；　but　she　was　grieving　over　her　spotted　cotton　instead　of　really　seeking　for　places　in　her　map。　　Thus　the　Moselle　obstinately　hid　itself；　and　she　absolutely　shed　tears　because　Miss　Fosbrook　declared　that　Frankfort　WAS　on　the　Maine。　　For　the　first　time　she　had　her　grammar　turned　back　upon　her　hands。　　How　many　mistakes　Annie　made　would　be　really　past　telling；　for　these　two　little　girls　had　their　whole　minds　quite　upset　by　the　thought　of　a　day's　pleasure；　and　as　they　never　tried　to　restrain　themselves；　and　to　〃be　sober；　be　vigilant；〃　they　gave　way　before　all　the　little　trials　in　their　paths…　…were　first　careless；　and　then　fractious。　　Perhaps　when　they　were　older　they　would　find　out　that　this　uplifted　sense　of　excited　expectation　is　the　very　warning　to　be　heedful。

If　Miss　Fosbrook　had　been　a　strict　governess；　she　would　have　told　them　they　did　not　deserve　to　go　at　all；　or　at　any　rate；　that　Bessie　must　repeat　her　grammar　better；　and　re…write　her　copy；　and　that　Annie's　unlucky　addition　sum　must　be　made　to　prove；　but　she　had　seen　her　little　sisters　nearly　as　bad　in　prospect　of　a　pantomime；　so　she　was　merciful；　and　sent　them　in　good　time　to　brush　their　hair；　put　on　their　spotted　cottons；　and　wash　off　as　much　as　possible　of　the　red　mottling　left　by　those　foolish　tears。

Their　spirits　rose　again　as　fast　as　they　had　sunk；　and　it　was　a　lively　walk　through　the　park　to　the　great　house；　with　a　good　deal　of　skipping　and　jumping　at　first；　and　then；　near　the　door；　a　little　awe　and　gravity。

They　were　taken　through　a　side…door　of　the　hall　to　the　school…room；　where　Ida　and　her　governess　received　them。　　It　was　the　first　time　that　Christabel　had　seen　her　out　of　her　beplumed　hat；　and　she　thought　her　a　pleasant；　bright…looking　little　girl；　not　at　all　set　up　or　conceited。　　Her　mauve　muslin；　flounced　though　it　was　up　to　her　waist；　showed　that　it　had　been　wise　to　withstand　Bessie's　desire　for　the　white　muslins；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　had　enough　to　do　on　her　own　account　with　the　endeavour　to　understand　the　German　governess's　foreign　accent；　without　attending　to　the　children　more　than　was　necessary。

It　was　not　a　very　remarkable　day；　and　the　pleasures　of　it　seemed　hardly　enough　to　justify　the　little　girls'　great　excitement。　　There　was　first　the　dinner　at　the　luncheon　of　the　parents；　where　the　children　sat　up　rather　formal　and　subdued；　and　not　quite　certain　what　all　the　dishes　might　contain；　a　little　afraid　of　getting　what　they　COULD　not　eat；　though　desirous　of　making　experiments　in　this　land　of　wonders。　　None　of　them　had　forgotten；　and　they　thought　no　one　else　had；　how　Bessie　had　once　come　to　disgrace　by　bursting　out　crying　over　the　impossibility　of　finishing　some　terrible　rice…bordered　greenish　yellow　stuff　that　burnt　her　mouth　beyond　bearing；　and　which　Ida　called　curry；　and　said　people　in　the　East　Indies　liked。　　However；　that　was　when　Bessie　had　been　a　very　little　girl；　and　she　still　continued　adventurous；　saying；　〃Yes；　if　you　please；〃　to　cutlets　set　round　in　a　wreath；　with　all　their　bones　sticking　up；　and　covered　with　a　reddish　incrustation　that　Susan　and　Annie　thought　so　unnatural；　that　they　preferred　the　boiled　chicken　that　at　least　they　could　understand；　though　it　had　funny…hooking　accompaniments　in　the　sauce。　And　Hal's　report　of　some　savoury　jelly　which　he　had　once　encountered　would　have　deterred　them　from　the　pink　transparency　in　the　shape　of　a　shell；　if　they　had　not　seen　Bessie　getting　on　very　well　with　it；　Miss　Fosbrook　happily　perceiving　and　cutting　short　Annie's　intended　inquiry　whether　it　were　nice。　　To　her　great　relief；　this　was　the　only　want　of　manners　betrayed　by　her　little　savages；　and　she　was　able　to　keep　her　attention　tolerably　free　from　them；　so　as　to　look　at　the　pictures　on　the　walls；　observe　the　two　boys；　Hal's　friends；　and　talk　to　Mrs。　Greville；　who　made　conversation　with　her　very　pleasantly。

She　was　much　grieved　to　perceive；　from　what　that　lady　said；　that　Mrs。　Merrifield　was　thought　to　be　much　more　ill；　and　in　a　far　more　alarming　state；　than　she　had　at　all　understood。　　The　girls　were　too　young　to　enter　into　the　tone　of　sad　sympathy　with　which　Mrs。　Greville　spoke；　and　the　manner　in　which　a　doubt　was　expressed　whether　the　Captain　would　be　able　to　sail　with　Admiral　Penrose　if　he　should　have　the　offer；　and　as　soon　as　she　saw　that　they　and　their　governess　were　in　ignorance；　she　turned　it　off；　but　she　had　said　enough　to　fill　Christabel　with　anxiety　and　desire　to　know　more；　and　as　soon　as　the　dinner　was　over；　and　the　little　girls　had　run　off　together　to　visit　Ida's　beautiful　cockatoo　in　the　conservatory；　she　turned　to　Fraulein　Munsterthal；　and　begged　to　hear　whether　she　knew　more　than　had　been　said。

Fraulein　Munsterthal　did　not　quite　know　that　such　a　person　as　Mrs。　Merrifield　was　in　existence；　but　she　was　very　amiable　and　warm…　hearted；　and　said　how　sad　it　was　to　think　of　the　trouble　that　hung　over　〃these　so　careless　children；〃　and　was　doubly　kind　to　the　girls　when　they　came　back　from　their　conversation　with　pretty　〃Cocky；〃　who　set　up　his　lemon…coloured　crest；　coughed；　sneezed；　and　said　〃Cocky　want　a　biscuit！〃　to　admiration；　till　the　boys　were　seen　approaching；　when　Ida；　knowing　that　some　torment　would　follow；　took　herself　and　her　visitors　back　to　the　protection　of　the　governesses　in　time　to　prevent　the　cockatoo　from　being　made　to　fly　at　the　girls；　and　powder　them　with　the　white　dust　under　his　feathers。

The　afternoon　was　spent　in　the　garden；　the　little　girls　betaking　themselves　to　a　pretty　moss…covered　arbour；　where　there　was　a　grand　doll's　feast。　　Ida　had　no　less　than　twenty…three　dolls；　ranging　from　the　magnificent　Rosalind；　who　had　real　hair　that　could　be　brushed；　and　was　as　large　as　little　Sally　at　home；　down　to　poor　little　china　Mildred；　whose　proper　dwelling…place　was　a　bath；　and　who　had　with　great　difficulty　been　put　into　petticoats　enough　to　make　her　fit　to　be　seen　out　of　it。　　Now　nobody　at　home　could　have　saved　the　life　of　a　doll　for　a　single　day；　and　Susan　and　Elizabeth　were　both　thought　far　above　them；　but　these　beautifully　arrayed　young　ladies　had　always　been　the　admiration　of　the　heart　of　Bessie　as　well　as　of　Annie；　and　they　were　not　too　old　for　extreme　satisfaction　in　handling　their　elegant　ladyships；　and　still　more　their　beautiful　dinner　and　tea…　service　of　pink　and　white　ware。

Susan；　though　she　could　not　write　a　note；　or　do　lessons　like　Ida；　was　older　in　the　ways　of　life；　and　played　rather　as　she　did　with　the　little　ones　at　home　than　for　her　own　amusement。　　She　would　much　rather　have　had　the　fun　of　〃cats　and　mice〃　with　her　brothers；　and　but　for　the　honour　of　the　thing；　so　perhaps　would　Annie。　　However；　they　were　all　very　happy；　getting　the　dolls　up　in　the　morning；　giving　Mildred　washing　enough　for　all　the　twenty…three；　making　them　breakfast；　hearing　lessons；　in　which　Ida　was　governess；　and　made　them　talk　so　many　languages　that　Annie　was　alarmed。　　Of　course　one　of　the　young　ladies　was　very　naughty；　and　was　treated　with　extreme　severity；　then　there　was　dinner；　a　walk；　an　illness；　and　a　dinner…party。　　While　all　the　time　the　two　real　governesses　sat　in　the　shade　outside；　and　talked　in　English　or　German　as　best　they　might；　the　Fraulein　understanding　Christabel's　English　the　best；　as　did　Christabel　the　Fraulein's　German。　　They　began　to　make　friends；　and　to　wish　to　see　more　of　one　another。

There　was　a　walk　round　the　garden；　and　admiration　of　the　beautiful　flowers；　and　the　fountain　and　pond　of　gold…fish；　till　the　boys　came　home；　and　got　hold　of　the　garden…engine　for　watering；　crying　out；　〃Fire！　fire！〃　and　squirting　out　the　showers　of　water　very　much　in　the　direction　of　the　girls。

Ida　became　quite　crimson　red；　and　got　hold　of　Susan's　hand　to　drag　her　away；　then；　as　the　foremost　drops　of　another　shower　touched　her；　she　faced　about；　and　said；　〃Osmond！　don't；　or　I'll　tell　Mamma。〃　There　was　a　great　rude　laugh；　as　of　boys　who　well　knew　the　threat　was　never　put　in　execution；　and　poor　Fraulein　Munsterthal　only　shook　her　head　at　Miss　Fosbrook's　look　of　amaze；　and　said　in　German　that　〃die　Knaben〃　were　far　too　unartig　for　her　to　keep　in　order。　　She　pitied　Miss　Fosbrook　for　having　so　many　in　charge　as　to　destroy　all　peace。　And　if　Sam　and　Hal　had　been　like　these　two；　Christabel　felt　that　she　could　have　done　nothing　with　them。　　To　her　dismay；　Osmond　and　Martin　came　in　to　the　school…room　tea；　and　she　never　had　thought　to　feel　so　thankful　for　poor　dear　Susan's　slowness　of　comprehension；　for；　from　their　whispers　among　themselves；　and　from　their　poor　tormented　sister's　blushes；　she　was　clear　that　the　〃fire〃　was　a　piece　of　bad　wit　on　Susan's　red　hair。　　Boys　who　could　so　basely　insult　a　guest；　and　that　a　girl；　she　was　sure　must　be　bad　companions　for　Sam　and　Henry。　　Such　little　gentlemen　as　they　had　been　at　dinner　too；　so　polite　and　well…behaved　before　their　father　and　mother！　　There　could　be　no　doubt　that　something　must　be　very　wrong　about　them；　or　they　would　not　change　so　entirely　when　out　of　sight。　　It　is　not　always　true　that　a　child　must　be　deceitful　who　is　less　good　in　the　absence　of　the　authorities；　because　their　presence　is　a　help　and　a　restraint；　checking　the　beginning　of　mischief；　and　removing　temptation；　but　one　who　does　not　fall　by　weakness；　but　intentionally　alters　his　conduct　the　instant　the　elder　is　gone；　shows　that　his　will　has　been　disobedient　all　along

By　and　by　Mr。　Greville's　voice　was　heard　calling；　〃Martin！　　Osmond！〃　As　they　went　out　to　meet　him　in　the　passage；　Miss　Fosbrook　clearly　overheard；　〃Here　is　the　spring　of　the　garden…engine　spoilt。　　Do　you　know　anything　about　it？〃

〃No。〃

〃You　have　not　been　meddling　with　it？〃

〃No。〃　　And　they　ran　downstairs。

The　colour　flushed　into　Christabel's　cheeks　with　horror。　　She　was　glad　that　her　little　girls　were　all　in　Ida's　room；　listening　to　a　musical…box；　and　well　out　of　hearing　of　such　fearfully　direct　falsehoods；　as　it　seemed　to　her；　not　knowing　that　the　boys　excused　it　to　their　own　minds　by　the　notion　that　it　was　not　the　SPRING　of　the　engine　that　they　had　been　meddling　with；　and　that　so　they　did　not　know　how　the　harm　had　been　doneas　if　it　made　it　any　better　that　they　lied　to　themselves　as　well　as　their　father！　　The　German　saw　her　dismay；　and　began　to　say　how　unlike　her　Ida　was　to　her　brothersso