Blanche: A Story for Girls Read online

use in thinkingof, after a very sensible and practical fashion, which raised MrOtterson's opinion of her greatly.

  There would be a good deal to do to it; of that there was no doubt. Andrepairs, and alterations, and embellishments are not done for nothing.Mr Otterson looked grave.

  "The first thing to be done," he said, "is to get at an approximate ideaof the cost."

  "You cannot make even a guess at it?" said Mrs Derwent, glancing at theclock.

  For it had been already explained to her that all but the mostabsolutely necessary work must be at her own expense.

  The agent shook his head.

  "Not till to-morrow morning," he said. "I have a very clever builderclose at hand, who could give a rough idea almost at once, but not thisevening. You are not staying the night at Blissmore, I suppose, madam?"

  "We had not thought of doing so," Mrs Derwent replied doubtfully.

  "It would save a good deal of time, and indeed the man would almost needto see you to receive your personal instructions," said Mr Otterson."If it is impossible, perhaps you can manage to come down again nextweek."

  Blanche looked at her mother, as if to ask leave to speak.

  "Yes, my dear?" said Mrs Derwent inquiringly.

  "I think, mamma, it would be a good plan to stay the night," she said."It would be less tiring for you, and we should feel more settled if weknew a little more."

  "I think so too," said Mrs Derwent. "We can telegraph to Jermyn Street,so that Herty and Aline will not be frightened. I suppose there is agood hotel here?"

  Mr Otterson hesitated.

  "There are one or two fairly comfortable, but not exactly what I shouldrecommend for ladies," he said.

  "It is not very often hotel accommodation is needed here. People comedown for the day. I did not know--I thought perhaps you had friends inthe neighbourhood."

  "No, no one I could go to suddenly," said Mrs Derwent. "I daresay weshall manage well enough," and she was turning away, when a bright ideastruck the agent.

  "There are lodgings--private apartments--in the High Street," he said,"where you could certainly be accommodated for the night, and though itmight be in a plain way, it would be quieter and more retired for ladiesalone than the hotels. It is at number--What is Miss Halliday's numberin the High Street, Joseph?" he called out to an invisible somebody inthe inner office.

  There was a moment's delay. Then the invisible somebody replied.

  "Twenty-nine, sir--number twenty-nine."

  "Exactly--twenty-nine. Miss Halliday has a small millineryestablishment, but has more rooms than she wants--it is a good-sizedhouse--and lets them to lodgers. And I happen to know that they arevacant at present."

  "Thank you," said Mrs Derwent more cordially than she had yet spoken tothe house-agent; "I think that sounds much better. We will drive roundthere at once."

  "Mamma," said Blanche, when they were again in the fly, "it may be avery good thing to know of these rooms; for we may find it a convenienceto come down here before the house is ready, to superintend its gettinginto order."

  "Yes, that is a good idea," her mother agreed; "for I may find the hotelin London very dear. I really don't know. I could not get them to sayanything very definite, but English hotels are always dearer thanabroad, I believe. Yes, I really think we are very lucky."

  This opinion increased when, in reply to the flyman's knock at MissHalliday's door, it was opened by a neat, old-fashioned looking, littleservant-maid of twelve or thirteen, who replied that her missis was inthe shop, but she would see the ladies at once. It was evidently a caseof lodgings, not bonnets, and the small damsel appreciated itsimportance.

  Mrs Derwent and Blanche left Stasy, rather to her disgust, to wait forthem in the fly, while they were shown into Miss Halliday's bestsitting-room. A very nice old sitting-room it was, at the back of thehouse, looking out upon a long strip of walled-in garden, which insummer bade fair to be quaintly pleasant. And Miss Halliday matched herhouse. She was small and neat, with a certain flavour of "better days"about her, though without the least touch of faded or complaining,decayed gentility. On the contrary, she was briskly cheerful, thoughthe tones of her voice were gentle and refined. She took in thesituation at a glance, was honoured and gratified by the application,much obliged to Mr Otterson, and anxious at once to take upon her smallshoulders the responsibility of making her visitors as comfortable astheir sudden advent would allow.

  "Tell Stasy to come in, Blanchie dear," said Mrs Derwent. "I have nodoubt Miss Halliday will make us a cup of tea quickly, for we are coldand rather tired.--Will your servant ask the flyman his fare?" sheadded, turning to the little landlady; "and, oh, by-the-by, I forgot.Can I easily send a telegram?"

  "The post-office is only two doors off," Miss Halliday replied."Deborah shall run with it at once. And this room will soon be warm--the fire burns up very quickly once it is lighted--but if the ladieswould honour me by stepping into my own little parlour across thepassage. It is nice and warm, and tea shall be ready directly. Dear,dear, down from London to-day, and such cold weather! You must betired, and longing for tea."

  Now that they were free to rest, they _did_ begin to feel tired, andvery glad to escape the dark journey back to town, and the cold drivefrom the station. The bedrooms up-stairs were aired and ready, as MissHalliday was expecting visitors next week for a few days.

  "There's a good deal of coming and going at Blissmore, nowadays," shesaid. "It's a very improving place by what it used to be, every onesays," as she hospitably bustled about.

  "You have not been here many years, I suppose," said Mrs Derwent. "Icannot remember this house. I don't think it used to be a shop in theold days, otherwise I should recollect it. There were not many shopshere when I was a girl."

  Miss Halliday looked deeply interested, but she was too well-bred alittle woman to ask questions.

  "If you were here a good many years ago, madam," she said, "you mayremember my aunt, Mrs Finch, whom I succeeded. She had a nice littlemillinery business, and I came to her as a learner. Things had gonebadly at home, after my dear old father died, and I was very glad tohave the chance my aunt offered me. That was about seven years ago.There's been many changes here even since then, but the most of thebuilding had begun before I came."

  "Yes," said Mrs Derwent, "I had not heard anything of it. I was quiteastonished to find how the school had increased. Mrs Finch, did yousay? Oh yes, I remember her very well, but she did not live here--notin this house."

  "No," said Miss Halliday, "my aunt lived in the Market Place--a smallcorner house. But we got on pretty well, and then we moved here to joinapartments to the millinery. So many ladies disliked the hotels: theywere noisy and rough. And it's answered pretty well on the whole."

  "Then your aunt is dead, I suppose," said Mrs Derwent. "She must havebeen a good age, for when I remember her, she had already quite whitehair and stooped a good deal. She used to retrim and alter my hats verynicely, and I remember how interested she was when my new ones came downfrom London. I was--my unmarried name was Fenning. My father was therector of Fotherley, the village near Alderwood."

  Miss Halliday looked delighted at having her curiosity thus satisfied.

  "Oh indeed, madam," she said. "I'm sure I've heard my aunt speak of thelate Mr Fenning. When I first came to Blissmore, the vicar of Fotherleywas a Mr _Fleming_, and I recollect my aunt drawing a contrast, ifyou'll excuse my naming it, between that gentleman and his predecessor."

  Mrs Derwent smiled.

  "Yes," she said, "by all accounts there was a very marked contrast."

  Then Deborah appeared to say that the fire was burning up nicely in thebest parlour, and thither the ladies repaired to rest and talk.Blanche, the foreseeing, had taken the precaution of bringing a bag witha few necessary articles "just _in case_ we were kept too late," andMiss Halliday was only too ready to lend anything she could, so theprospects for the night were not very alarming.

  Altogether, the spirits of
the little family improved; and when MissHalliday's neatly prepared little supper made its appearance, they drewtheir chairs round the table, prepared to do full justice to it.

  "I really think," said Mrs Derwent for the second time that day, "thatwe have been very lucky. It is nice to have found out these lodgings.We could stay here quite comfortably for a few weeks while the house isgetting ready."

  "It would certainly be much less expensive than a London hotel," saidBlanche. "Yes, I do hope we may get to like Blissmore, if all goesthrough about the house."

  "You mean you