Nurse Heatherdale's Story Page 10

  CHAPTER X

  THE NEW BABY

  The weather did improve. The winter having been so unusually severe wasmade up for, as I think often happens, by a bright and early spring. Bythe beginning of April Master Francis was able to be out again, thoughof course only for a little in the middle of the day, and we had to bevery careful lest he should catch the least cold. I was exceedinglyglad, really more glad than I can say, that his getting well wentthrough without any backcasts. For himself he was really better than thedoctor had dared to hope, but as he began to move about more freely Iwas grieved to see that the stiffness of his leg seemed worse thanbefore his illness. I don't think it pained him much, at least he didn'tcomplain.

  In the meantime I thought it would be best to say nothing about it,half hoping that he didn't notice it himself, but I heard no talk of hisgoing to school.

  I shall never forget one morning in April--it was towards the end of themonth, a most lovely sunny morning it was, as I went up the windingstaircase leading to Master Francis's room in the tower. The sunshinecame pouring in through the narrow windows as brilliant as if it hadbeen midsummer, and the songs of the birds outside seemed to tell howthey were enjoying it, yet it was only half-past six! The little ladiesbelow were all sleeping soundly, but Master Francis, I knew, always wokevery early, and somehow I had a feeling that he must be the first tohear the good news.

  As I knocked at the door I heard him moving inside. He had got up toopen the window; the room seemed flooded with light as I went in. MasterFrancis was sitting up in bed reading, or learning some of his lessonsmore likely, for he was well enough now to have gone back to regularways. He looked up very brightly.

  'Isn't it a most beautiful morning, nurse?' he said. 'The sunshine wokeme even earlier than usual, so I'm looking over my Latin. Auntiedoesn't mind my reading in bed in the morning. It isn't like at nightwith candles.'

  'No, of course not,' I said. 'But, Master Francis, I want you to leaveoff thinking about your lessons for a minute. I rather fancy you'll havea holiday to-day. I've got a piece of news for you! I wonder if you canguess what has happened?'

  He opened his eyes wide in surprise.

  'It must be something good,' he said, 'or you wouldn't look so pleased.What _can_ it be? It can't be that Uncle Hulbert's got a lot of money.'

  'There are some things better than money,' I said. 'What would you thinkif a dear little baby boy had come in the night?'

  His whole face flushed pink with pleasure.

  'Nurse!' he said. 'Is it really true? Oh! how pleased I am. Just thevery thing auntie has wanted so--a little boy of her own. I may counthim like a brother, mayn't I? Won't Bess and Lally be pleased! Do theyknow? Mayn't I get up at once, and when do you think I may see him?'

  'Some time to-day, I hope,' I answered. 'No, the young ladies don't knowyet. They're fast asleep. But I thought you'd like to know.'

  'How good of you!' he said. 'I'm just _so_ pleased that I don't knowwhat to do.'

  What a morning of excitement it was, to be sure! The children were allhalf off their heads with delight. All, that is to say, except MissBaby, who burst out crying in the middle of her breakfast, sobbing thatshe 'wouldn't have no--something----' We couldn't make out what for everso long, till we found it was her name she was crying about, as ofcourse we were all talking of the new little brother as 'the baby.' Wecomforted her by saying that anyway he would not be 'Miss Baby'; andperhaps from that it came about that her old name clung to her till shewas quite a big girl, and almost from the first Master Bevil got hisreal name.

  He was a great darling--so strong and hearty too--and so handsome evenas an infant. Everything seemed to go right with him from the verybeginning.

  'Surely,' I often said to myself, 'he will bring a blessing with him.And now that my lady's great wish has been granted, I do hope she willfeel more trustful and less anxious.'

  I hoped too that she would now have happier feelings to poor MasterFrancis, especially when she saw his devotion to the baby boy. For ofall the children I must say he was the one who loved the little creaturethe most.

  And for a while all seemed tending in the right way, but when the babywas a few weeks old, I began to fear that something of the old troublewas in the air again. Fresh money difficulties happened about that time,though of course I didn't know exactly what they were. But it was easyto see that my lady was fretted, she was not one to hide anything shewas feeling.

  One day, it was in June, as far as I remember, my lady was in thenursery with Miss Lally and Miss Baby and the real baby. The two elderchildren were downstairs at their lessons with Sir Hulbert. Master Bevilwas looking beautiful that afternoon. We had laid him down on a rug onthe floor, and he was kicking and crowing as if he had been six monthsold, his little sisters chattering and laughing to him, while my ladysat by in the rocking-chair, looking for once as if she had thrown allher cares aside.

  'He really is getting on beautifully,' she said to me. 'Doesn't he looka great big boy?'

  I was rather glad of the remark, for it gave me a chance to saysomething that had been on my mind.

  'We'll have to be thinking of short-coating him, before we know where weare, my lady,' I said with a smile. 'And there's another thing I've beenthinking of. He's such a heavy boy to carry already, and as time gets onit would be a pity for our walks to be shortened in the fine weather. Wehad a beautiful basket for the donkey at Mrs. Wyngate's, it was made sothat even a little baby could lie quite comfortably in it.'

  'That would be very nice,' my lady answered. 'I'll speak to Sir Hulbertabout it. Only----,' and again a rather worried look came into her face.I could see that she had got back to the old thought, 'everything costsmoney.' 'We must do something about it before long,' she added.

  Just then Miss Bess ran into the room, followed more slowly by hercousin.

  'What are you talking about?' she said.

  'About how dear fat baby is to go walks with us when he gets stillfatter and heavier,' said Miss Lally. 'Poor nurse couldn't carry him sovery far, you know, and mamma says perhaps----'

  'Oh! nonsense,' interrupted Miss Bess; 'we'd carry him in turns, thedarling.'

  My lady looked up quickly at this.

  'Don't talk so foolishly, child,' she said sharply. For, fond as she wasof Miss Bess, she could put her down sometimes, and just now the littlegirl scarcely deserved it, it seemed to me. 'I won't allow anything ofthat kind,' she went on. 'You are far too young, all of you--Francisespecially, must never attempt to carry baby. Do you hear, children?Nurse, you must be strict about this.'

  'Certainly, my lady,' I replied. 'Master Francis and the young ladieshave never done more than just hold Master Bevil in their arms for amoment, me standing close by.'

  Then they went on to talk about getting a basket for the donkey, whichthey were very much taken up about. I didn't notice at the time thatMaster Francis had only looked in for an instant and gone off again; butthat evening at tea time, when Miss Bess and Miss Lally said somethingabout old Jacob, Master Francis asked what they meant, which Iremembered afterwards as showing that he had not heard his aunt's strictorders.

  It was a week or two after that, that one lovely afternoon we all setout on a walk together. We had planned to go rather farther than we hadyet been with the baby, resting here and there on the way, it was sowarm and sunny and he was not _yet_ so very heavy, of course.

  All went well, and we found ourselves close to home again in nice time.For of course I knew that if we stayed out too long it would be onlynatural for my lady to be anxious.

  'It's rather too soon to go in and it's such a beautiful afternoon,'said Miss Bess as we were coming up the drive. 'Do let us go into thelittle wood, for half an hour or so, nurse, and you might tell us astory.'

  The little wood skirts the drive at one side. It is a sweet place, inthe early summer especially, so many wild flowers and ferns, and lots ofsquirrels overhead among the branches, and little rabbits scudding aboutdown below.

  We found a cosy
nook, where we settled ourselves. The little brother wasfast asleep, the three elder ones sat round me, while Miss Baby toddledoff a little way, busy about some of her own funny little plays byherself, though well within sight.

  I was in the middle of a long story of having been lost in the firwoodsat home as a child, when a loud scream made us all start, and looking upI saw to my alarm that Miss Baby was no longer to be seen.

  'Dear, dear,' I cried, jumping up in a fright. 'She must have hurtherself. Here, Master Francis, hold the baby for a moment, don't getup;' and I put his little cousin down safely in his arms.

  I meant him not to stir till I came back, but he didn't understand this.Miss Bess was already off after her little sister, and after a minute ortwo we found her, not hurt at all, but crying loudly at having fallendown and dirtied her frock in running away from what _she_ called a'bear,' coming out of the wood--most likely only a branch of a treeswaying about.

  It took a little time to quiet her and to set her to rights again, andwhen we got back to the other children I was surprised to see that thebaby was now in Miss Lally's arms, Master Francis kneeling beside themwiping something with his handkerchief.

  'There's nothing wrong, I hope,' I said, rather startled again.

  'Oh no!' said Miss Lally. 'It's only that little brother cried andFrancie walked him up and down and somefing caught Francie's foot and hefelled, but baby didn't fall. Francie held him tight, only a twigscratched baby's nose a tiny little bit. But he doesn't mind, he'slaughing.'

  So he was, though sure enough there was a thin red line right across hisplump little nose, and the least little mark of blood on thehandkerchief with which his cousin had been tenderly dabbing it. MasterFrancis himself was so pale that I hadn't the heart to say more to himthan just a word.

  'I had meant you to sit still with him, my dear.'

  'But he cried so,' said the boy.

  However, there was no harm done, though I thought to myself I'd be morecareful than ever, but unluckily just as we were within a few steps ofthe house whom should we see but my lady coming to meet us. I'm neverone for hiding things, but I did wish she had not happened to come justthen.

  She noticed the scratch in a moment, as she stooped to kiss the baby,though really there was nothing to mind, seeing the dear child so rosyand happy looking.

  'What's the matter with his nose?' she said quickly. 'You haven't anypins about you, nurse, surely?'

  Pins were not in my way, certainly, but I could have found it in myheart to wish I could own to one just then, for Master Francis startedforward.

  'Oh no! Aunt Helen,' he said, 'it was my fault. I was walking him aboutfor a minute or two, while nurse went after Baby, and my foot slipt, butI only came down on my knees and _he_ didn't fall. It was only a twigscratched his nose, a tiny bit.'

  My lady grew first red then white.

  'He might have been killed,' she said; and she caught the baby from meand kissed him over and over again. Then she turned to Master Francis,and I could see that she was doing her best to keep in her anger.

  'Francis, how dared you, after what I said the other day so verystrongly about your _never_ carrying the baby? Your own sense might havetold you you are not able to carry him, but besides that, what I saidmakes it distinct disobedience. Nurse, did you _know_ of it?'

  'It was I myself gave Master Bevil to Master Francis to hold,' I said,flurried like at my lady's displeasure. 'I hadn't meant him to walkabout with him.'

  'Of course not,' said my lady. 'There now, you see, Francis, doubledisobedience! I must speak to your uncle. Take back baby, nurse, he musthave some _pomade divine_ on his nose when he gets in;' and before anyof us had time to speak again she had turned and hurried back to thehouse. My lady had always a quick way with her, pleased or displeased.

  'She's gone to tell papa,' said the young ladies, looking verydistressed.

  Master Francis was quite white and shaking like.

  'Nurse,' he said at last, when he had got voice enough to speak, 'Ireally don't know what auntie meant about something she said the otherday.'

  'O Franz! you can't have forgotten,' said Miss Bess, who often spokesharply when she was really very sorry. 'Mamma did say most plainly thatnone of us were to carry baby about.'

  But the boy still looked quite puzzled, and when we talked it over, wewere all satisfied that he hadn't been in the room at the time.

  'I must try to put it right with my lady,' I said, feeling that if anyone had been to blame in the matter it was certainly me much more thanMaster Francis, for not having kept my eye better on Miss Baby in thewood.

  But we were a very silent and rather sad party as we made our way backslowly to the house.

  I couldn't see my lady till late that evening, and then, though I didmy best, I didn't altogether succeed. She had already spoken to SirHulbert, and nothing would convince her that Master Francis had notheard at least some part of what she said.

  Sir Hulbert was always calm and just; he sent for the boy the nextmorning, and had a long talk with him. Master Francis came back to thenursery looking pale and grave, but more thoughtful than unhappy.

  'Uncle has been very good and kind,' was all he said. 'And I will trynever to vex him and auntie again.'

  Later that evening, when he happened to be alone with me, after theyoung ladies had gone to bed, he said a little more. I was sitting bythe fire with Master Bevil on my knee. Master Francis knelt down besideme and kissed the little creature tenderly. Then he stroked his tinynose--the mark of the scratch had almost gone already.

  'You darling!' he said. 'Oh! how glad I am you weren't really hurt.Nurse,' he went on, 'I'd do anything for this baby, I do _love_ him so.I only wish I could say it to auntie the way I can to you. If only Iwere big and strong, or very clever, and could work for him, to get himeverything he should have, and then it would make up a little for allthe trouble I've been always to them.'

  He spoke quite simply. There wasn't a thought of himself--as if he hadanything to complain of, or put up with, I mean--in what he said. Butall the more it touched me very much, and I felt the tears come into myeye, but I wouldn't have Master Francis see it, and I began laughing andplaying with the baby.

  'See his dear little feet,' I said. 'They're almost the prettiest partof him. He kicks so, he wears out his little boots in no time. It wouldbe nice if Miss Lally could knit some for him.'

  Master Francis looked surprised.

  'Why,' he said, 'do you call those little white things boots? And arethey made the same way as my socks? I've got them on now; aren't theysplendid? I really think it was very clever of Lally.'