About Peggy Saville Read online

  CHAPTER NINE.

  THE HONOURABLE ROSALIND.

  By the beginning of October Peggy had quite settled down in her newhome, and had established her right to be Arthur Saville's sister byconvulsing the quiet household with her tricks and capers. She wasaffectionate, obedient, and strictly truthful; her prim little face,grandiose expressions, and merry ways, made her a favourite witheveryone in the house, from the vicar, who loved to converse with her inlanguage even more high-flown than her own, to the old North-countrycook, who confided in the housemaid that she "fair-ly did love thatlittle thing," and manoeuvred to have apple charlotte for dinner asoften as possible, because the "little thing" had praised her prowess inthat direction, and commended the charlotte as a "delicious confection."Mrs Asplin was specially tender over the girl who had been left in hercharge, and, in return, Peggy was all that was sweet and affectionate,vowed that she could never do enough to repay such kindness, andimmediately fell into a fresh pickle, and half frightened the life outof her companions by her hairbreadth escapes. Her careless,happy-go-lucky ways seemed all the more curious because of the almostQuaker-like neatness of her appearance. Mellicent was often untidy, andeven Esther had moments of dishevelment, but Peggy was a dainty littleperson, whose hair was always smooth, whose dress well brushed andnatty. Her artistic sense was too keen to allow of any shortcoming inthis respect; but she seemed blessed with a capacity of acting beforeshe thought, which had many disastrous consequences. She was by nomeans a robust girl, and Mrs Asplin fussed over her little ailmentslike an old mother-hen with a delicate nursling. One prescription afteranother was unearthed for her benefit, until the washstand in her roomlooked like a small chemist's shop. An array of doctor's tinctures,gargles, and tonics, stood on one side, while on the other were a numberof home-made concoctions in disused wine-bottles, such as a paregoriccough-mixture, and a cooling draught to be taken the first thing in themorning, which last pretended to be lemonade, but in reality contained anumber of medicinal powders. "Take it up tenderly, treat it with care!"was Peggy's motto with respect to this last-named medicine, for she haddiscovered that by judicious handling it was possible to enjoy a reallytasty beverage, and to leave the sediment untouched at the bottom of thebottle!

  Esther and Mellicent were almost equally well supplied by their anxiousmother, but their bottles behaved in a well-regulated fashion, and nevertook upon themselves to play tricks, while those in Peggy's room seemedinfected by the spirit of the owner, and amused themselves with seeinghow much mischief they could accomplish. A bottle of ammonia had beenprovided as a cure for bites of gnats and flies; Peggy flicked a towelmore hastily than usual, and down it fell, the contents streaming overthe wood, and splashing on to the wardrobe near at hand, with theconsequence that every sign of polish was removed, and replaced by whiteunsightly stains. The glass stopper of a smelling-salts bottle becamefixed in its socket, and, being anointed with oil and placed before thefire to melt, popped out suddenly with a noise as of a cannon shot,aimed accurately for the centre of the mirror, and smashed it into adozen pieces. The "safety ink-pot," out of which she indited herletters to her mother, came unfastened of its own accord and rolled upand down the clean white toilet cover. This, at least, was theimpression left by Peggy's innocent protestations, while the gas andsoap seemed equally obstinate--the one refusing to be lowered when sheleft the room, and the other insisting upon melting itself to pieces inher morning bath!

  "Mrs Saville was right--Peggy is a most expensive person!" cried MrsAsplin in dismay, when the bills for repairs came in; but when the vicarsuggested the advisability of a reproof, she said, "Oh, poor child; sheis so lonely--I haven't the heart to scold her;" and Peggy continued todetail accounts of her latest misfortune with an air of exaggeratedmelancholy, which barely concealed the underlying satisfaction. Itrequired a philosophic mind to be able to take damages to personalproperty in so amiable a fashion; but occasionally Peggy's pickles tookan irresistibly comical character. The story was preserved in thearchives of the family of one evening when the three girls had been sentupstairs to wash their abundant locks and dry them thoroughly beforeretiring to bed. A fire was kindled in the old nursery, which was nowused as a sewing-room, and Mrs Asplin, who understood nothing if it wasnot the art of making young folks happy, had promised a supper of roastapples and cream when the drying process was finished.

  Esther and Mellicent were squatted on the hearth, in their bluedressing-gowns, when in tripped Peggy, fresh as a rose, in a long robeof furry white, tied round the waist with a pink cord. One bath-towelwas round her shoulders, and a smaller one extended in her hands, withthe aid of which she proceeded to perform a fancy dance, calling outinstructions to herself the while, in imitation of the dancing-schoolmistress. "To the right--two--three! To the left--two--three! Spring!Pirouette! Atti-tude!" She stood poised on one foot, towel wavingabove her head, damp hair dripping down her back, while Esther andMellicent shrieked with laughter, and drummed applause with heel andtoe. Then she flopped down on the centre of the hearth, and there wasan instantaneous exclamation of dismay.

  "Phew! What a funny smell! Phew! Phew! Whatever can it be?"

  "I smelt it too. Peggy, what have you been doing? It's simply awful!"

  "Hair-wash, I suppose, or the soap--I noticed it myself. It will passoff," said Peggy easily; but at that moment Mrs Asplin entered theroom, sniffed the air, and cried loudly--

  "Bless me, what's this? A regular Apothecaries' Hall! Paregoric! Itsmells as if someone had been drinking quarts of paregoric! Peggy,child, your throat is not sore again?"

  "Not at all, thank you. Quite well. I have taken no medicine to-day."

  "But it is you, Peggy--it really is!" Mellicent declared. "There wasno smell at all before you came into the room. I noticed it as soon asthe door was opened, and when you came and sat down beside us--whew!simply fearful!"

  "I have taken _no_ medicine to-day," repeated Peggy firmly. Then shestarted, as if with a sudden thought, lifted a lock of hair, sniffed atit daintily, and dropped it again with an air of conviction. "Ah, Icomprehend! There seems to have been a slight misunderstanding. I havemistaken the bottles. I imagined that I was using the mixture you gaveme, but--"

  "She has washed her hair in cough-mixture! Oh, oh, oh! She has mixedparegoric and treacle with the water! Oh, what will I do! what will Ido! This child will be the death of me!" Mrs Asplin put her hand toher side, and laughed until the tears ran down her cheeks, whileMellicent rolled about on the floor, and Esther's quiet "He, he, he!"filled up the intervals between the bursts of merriment.

  Peggy was marched off to have her hair re-washed and rinsed, and cameback ten minutes later, proudly complacent, to seat herself in the mostcomfortable stool and eat roast apple with elegant enjoyment. She wasevidently quite ready to enlarge upon her latest feat, but the sistershad exhausted the subject during her absence, and had, moreover, a pieceof news to communicate which was of even greater interest.

  "Oh, Peggy, what y'think?" cried Mellicent, running her words into eachother in breathless fashion, as her habit was when excited; "I've gotsomething beautiful to tell you. S'afternoon Bob got a letter from hismother to say that they were all coming down next week to stay at theLarches for the winter. They come almost every year, and haveshooting-parties, and come to church and sit in the big square pew,where you can just see their heads over the side. They look so funny,sitting in a row without their bodies. Last year there was a young ladywith them who wore a big grey hat--the loveliest hat you ever saw--withroses under the brim, and stick-up things all glittering with jewels,and she got married at Christmas. I saw her photograph in a magazine,and knew her again in a moment. I used to stare at her, and once shesmiled back at me. She looked sweet when she smiled. Lady Darcy alwayscomes to call on mother, and she and father go there to dinner ever somany times, and we are asked to play with Rosalind--the HonourableRosalind. I expect they will ask you to go too. Isn't it exciting?"

&
nbsp; "I can bear it," said Peggy coldly. "If I try very hard, I think I cansupport the strain."

  The Larches, the country house of Lord Darcy, had already been pointedout to her notice; but the information that the family was coming downfor the yearly visit was unwelcome to her, for a double reason. Shefeared, in the first place, lest it should mean a separation from Bob,who was her faithful companion, and fulfilled his promise of friendshipin a silent, undemonstrative fashion, much to her fancy. In the secondplace, she was conscious of a rankling feeling of jealousy towards theyoung lady who was distinguished by the name of the Honourable Rosalind,and who seemed to occupy an exalted position in the estimation of thevicar's daughters. Her name was frequently introduced intoconversation, and always in the most laudatory fashion. When a heroinewas of a superlatively fascinating description, she was "Just likeRosalind"; when an article of dress was unusually fine and dainty, itwould "do for Rosalind." Rosalind was spoken of with bated breath, asif she were a princess in a fairy tale, rather than an ordinaryflesh-and-blood damsel. And Peggy did not like it; she did not like itat all, for, in her own quiet way, she was accustomed to queen it amongher associates, and could ill brook the idea of a rival. She had notbeen happy at school, but she had been complacently conscious that ofall the thirty girls she was the most discussed, the most observed, andalso, among the pupils themselves, the most beloved. At the vicarageshe was an easy first. When the three girls went out walking, she wasalways in the middle, with Esther and Mellicent hanging on an arm ateither side. Robert was her sworn vassal, and Max and Oswald herrespectful and, on the whole, obedient servants. Altogether, theprospect of playing second fiddle to this strange girl was by no meanspleasant. Peggy tilted her chin, and spoke in a cool, cynical tone.

  "What is she like, this wonderful Rosalind? Bob does not seem to thinkher extraordinary. I cannot imagine a `Miss Robert' being verybeautiful, and as she is his sister, I suppose they are alike."

  Instantly there arose a duet of protests.

  "Not in the least. Not a single bit. Rosalind is lovely! Blue eyes,golden hair--"

  "Down past her waist--"

  "The sweetest little hands--"

  "A real diamond ring--"

  "Pink cheeks--"

  "Drives a pony-carriage, with long-tailed ponies--"

  "Speaks French all day long with her governess--jabber, jabber, jabber,as quick as that--just like a native--"

  "Plays the violin--"

  "Has a lovely little sitting-room of her own, simply crammed with themost exquisite presents and books, and goes travelling abroad to Franceand Italy and hot places in winter. Lord and Lady Darcy simply worshipher, and so does everyone, for she is as beautiful as a picture. Don'tyou think it would be lovely to have a lord and lady for your father andmother?"

  Peggy sniffed the air in scornful superiority.

  "I am very glad I've not! Titles are so ostentatious! Vulgar, I callthem! The very best families will have nothing to do with them. Myfather's people were all at the Crusades, and the Wars of the Roses, andthe Field of the Cloth of Gold. There is no older family in England,and they are called `Fighting Savilles,' because they are always in thefront of every battle, winning honours and distinctions. I expect theyhave been offered titles over and over again, but they would not havethem. They refused them with scorn, and so would I if one were offeredto me. Nothing would induce me to accept it!"

  Esther rolled her eyes in a comical, sideway fashion, and gave a littlechuckle of unbelief; but Mellicent looked quite depressed by thisreception of her grand news, and said anxiously--

  "But, Peggy, think of it! The Honourable Mariquita! It would be toolovely! Wouldn't you feel proud writing it in visitors' books, andseeing it printed in newspapers when you grow up? `The HonourableMariquita wore a robe of white satin, trimmed with gold!'"

  "Peggy Saville is good enough for me, thank you," said that young lady,with a sudden access of humility. "I have no wish to have my clothesdiscussed in the public prints. But if you are invited to the Larchesto play with your Rosalind, pray don't consider me! I can stay at homealone. I don't mind being dull. I can turn my time to good account.Not for the world would I interfere with your pleasure?"

  "But P-P-Peggy, dar-ling Peggy, we would not leave you alone!"Mellicent's eyes were wide with horror, she stretched out entreatinghands towards the unresponsive figure. To see Peggy cross and snappishlike--any other ordinary mortal was an extraordinary event, and quitealarming to her placid mind. "They will ask you, too, dear! I am surethey will--we will all be asked together!" she cried; but Peggy tossedher head, refusing to be conciliated.

  "I shall have a previous engagement. I am not at all sure that they arethe sort of people I ought to know," she said. "My parents are soexclusive! They might not approve of the acquaintance!"