Jasper Page 14

question."I'm certainly not meant to be a governess."

  Mrs Fortescue sighed, and the sigh went to Jasper's tender heart. Heflung his arms round her.

  "Mumsey, darling," he whispered, "Chrissie hasn't been cross to me--scarcely not--and I did try, but some of the words were _so_ hard. ButI don't want you to be sorry, and I'll try more to-morrow."

  In her own mind Mrs Fortescue felt very doubtful as to whether it wouldbe wise to repeat the experiment, but just now it was better not to sayso. So she soothed the little fellow, and reminded him that Chrissiedid know that he had tried; and Chrissie, though not over amiably,condescended to kiss him, though she added--

  "You are a baby, Jap. I hope you won't have red eyes when Aunt Margaretcomes."

  Mrs Fortescue started at the words.

  "By-the-bye," she said, "we have not too much time to spare," and sheglanced at the clock. "Put away the books, children, for Harriet mustget tea ready early. Your aunt will like to have it with all of ustogether, when she arrives. I wonder what Leila is about."

  "There isn't much need to wonder about _her_," said Chrissie, as shehastily collected the books and slates and bundled them into theirlittle owner's arms with an "_I_ don't know where you keep them, Jap."

  "I keep them in my own room now," he replied with pride, for thepossession of "my own room," a tiny slip of a place out of Roland's, hadgone far to console him for the loss of former luxuries and comforts;"and I'll tell Lelly to come down to be ready for Aunt Margaret; shallI, Mumsey?" and off he ran.

  So, thanks to Christabel's feeling vaguely wishful to make up for herimpatience with her pupil, and perhaps in her heart grateful to him forhaving made the best of it to her mother; thanks, too, to Jasper'stimely rousing Leila to come downstairs to be ready for their expectedguest, the sisters were in good trim when the four-wheeler drew up atthe door and Jasper's joyful cry, "They've come," brought them all outinto the hall.

  It was _such_ a rainy day--a really hopelessly wet winter's day--thedull street looking duller than ever, the sky without the faintestgleam--everybody knows what London, above all London "far out," andwhere there are no shops even near at hand, can look like in theseconditions. And to one whose whole home life till now had been spent inbeautiful places, the contrast must have been sharp. Yet never did aface look brighter than Aunt Margaret's as she got out of the cab andsmiled up at her nephew as if asking him, too, to be happy, which poorMr Fortescue just then was finding difficult.

  He glanced anxiously at the house, and was pleased to see the door openand a row of heads in the passage.

  "I am sure of Edith"--"Edith" was Mrs Fortescue--"and little Japs," hethought, "but those girls! I do hope they will be all light."

  Yes, they were at their best--gentle and affectionate, and indeed itwould have been difficult to greet their aunt in any other way. She wasnot a _very_ old lady, though her hair was quite white and she lookeddelicate, for she was many years younger than her brother, Sir Percy.

  She came in, her eyes bright with pleasure, her kind voice alreadymurmuring all their names, and the children gave a start of delight whenthey saw that their aunt was carrying a huge basket of the loveliestflowers--Fareham flowers, from the beloved hot-houses there. Theirdelicate fragrance already seemed to fill the little hall.

  Mrs Fortescue darted forward.

  "How good of you," she exclaimed, even before she kissed the new-comer,and indeed it would not have been easy to do so with the mass of flowersbetween them! "Oh, how delicious! Leila, Chrissie," and the littlegirls seized the treasures eagerly, and between them bore the basket offto a safe place.

  "I thought I would like to bring the flowers in myself for my darlings,"said Aunt Margaret, smiling, "as a sort of `good luck,' you know."

  Then she hugged them all round--Jasper coming in for a hearty share; andwhat with her pleasure and the scent and colour of her gift, somehowsunshine seemed to have come into the house for the time, and the rainy,muddy, gloomy street outside to have vanished.

  "Morris," Aunt Margaret went on, "Morris was so eager to send you a goodsupply. The last he can send, poor man," with a quick sigh, "for thetenants are expected to-morrow." Morris was the Fareham gardener oflongstanding. "And there is a hamper-full of plants in pots, with myluggage--oh no, coming by goods train, I mean. We thought, Morris andI, it would amuse the dear children, Edith, to do some indoorsgardening, so he chose ferns and flowers that will grow well in thehouse with a little care."

  "Oh, I am so glad," exclaimed Jasper. "May I have a planted one of mywerry own, Auntie?"

  "Of course you may--more than one," she replied, "and Leila and Chrissietoo," and she kissed them in turn as she named them. "My dears, how youhave grown!" she went on; "Leila especially, I think. And Chrissielooking so well and rosy."

  Leila was pleased to be told she had grown, and not sorry for the "sowell and rosy" to fall to her sister's share, for she liked to think sheherself looked rather pale and delicate. And Chrissie, to do herjustice, cared exceedingly little about "looks" at all. Just now herwhole attention was given to the flowers.

  "I do hope Mums will let me arrange them," she thought. "She'll verylikely say that Lell and I may do them together to-morrow morning, andif she does, I know what I'll do."

  By this time the whole party had somehow got into the dining-room,where, thanks to Mrs Fortescue's care, tea was all ready.

  "We thought you would not mind having it like this all together, thisfirst evening, dear Aunt," she said. "Just take off your thick cloakand--"

  "Please may I take it upstairs for Auntie," said Jasper, scrambling downfrom his chair and hurrying off with the heavy wrap, though it wasalmost more than he could carry. He managed it somehow, however, andwas back again almost immediately, his gaze fixed lovingly on somethinghe held in his hand.

  "Jasper," exclaimed Chrissie, forgetting her aunt's presence, "that'svery naughty of you. Mummy, he's taken a flower out of the basket."

  Mrs Fortescue winced at her sharp tone. She was so anxious foreverything to be smooth and peaceful.

  "It does smell so lovelily," said Jasper, for his treasure was a spikeof stephanotis, "but if it was naughty of me I'll put it back."

  "No, no, dear--keep it by all means," said Aunt Margaret. "There isplenty more of it. And--oh Roland, my dear boy," for just at thatmoment the elder brother luckily made his appearance, "how glad I am tosee you! Now we are _all_ together," she added with a glance round thewell-filled table, "and when one can say that, one should not feel thereis much to complain of--should we, dear Reginald?" and she turned to MrFortescue, beside whom she was sitting.

  "No indeed," he replied heartily. "You and gloomy feelings certainlycouldn't live together, Aunt Margaret--could they, eh, Jasper, my boy?what do you think about it?" for Jasper was listening with all his earsand a pleased smile on his face, while he fondled his preciousstephanotis.

  "How they do spoil that child," Leila whispered to Christabel.

  "Yes," was the reply in the same tone; "it looks as if it would be worsethan ever now _she's_ come." Then, as they had all finished tea, MrsFortescue took the traveller upstairs to her room.

  "Mumsey, darlin'," said Jasper, as she passed him, "mayn't we help youto rerange the flowers?"

  "Not to-night, dear. It's too late, and it would upset thedrawing-room. But I'll tell you what--listen, Leila and Chrissie--youmay _all_ do them to-morrow morning, as early as you like. I will sendthem down to the cellar for the night, and I will look out the biggestglasses and vases we have. I am so glad I kept several, though I didn'texpect to have so much to fill them with."

  "As early as you like," Chrissie repeated to herself. "That'll justsuit me. I love doing flowers if I'm not interfered with. And there'snot much fear of Lell turning out of bed early if I don't hurry her up,"for, in spite of all orders to the contrary, Leila was still naughtyenough often to read in bed at night with a candle lighted on a littletable by her side, which, naturally, did not make her very wake
ful inthe morning. And Chrissie, though she had threatened more than once totell their mother of this dangerous disobedience, took care that eveningto offer no objection to it, for the selfish and unsisterly reason thatI have spoken of.

  Aunt Margaret was tired, notwithstanding her good spirits, and not sorryto go to bed early. As she was on her way to her room, Mrs Fortescueaccompanying her, she glanced up the higher staircase.

  "Let us say good-night again to the children," she said. "I hear Leilaand Chrissie talking, so they cannot be in bed yet, and I have not yetseen their room," and as in that little house there was never far to go,Mrs Fortescue readily consented.

  "Leila, Chrissie," she said, "Aunt Margaret has come to say good-nightto you in your own domain," and they came forward to be kissed again.On the whole, things were not so desperately untidy as was often thecase, and their visitor glanced round approvingly.

  "Yes, it is really a nice room," she said. "Poor dears, they must missNurse. Still you are big girls now and will be pleased to beindependent," and she did not notice that there was only a very vaguelymurmured reply. "Let me have one peep at Jasper," she went on. "It isso long since I have seen the dear little fellow asleep, and I rememberhow sweet he used to look."

  Mrs Fortescue lighted a candle in Roland's room, out of which Jasper'sopened--Roland was still downstairs with his father,--and carefullyshading it from the little sleeper's eyes, led the way in. The childwas fast, very fast asleep--he looked prettier than when awake, forslumber brought a rosy flush to his face, as a rule paler than one wouldhave wished to see it.

  And to-night he looked particularly well and happy, for he was smiling,and murmured some words as his mother bent over him, which at firstpuzzled her--"the growin' ones," he said, "it must be somefin' growin'."

  "What can he be dreaming about?" she whispered to her aunt, and then hereye caught sight of the probable cause of Jasper's pleasant fancies. Itwas the sprig of stephanotis, carefully tied to a bar at the head of hislittle cot, so that the sweet perfume was doubtless wafted to him as helay.

  "I know," exclaimed Aunt Margaret. "Dear little fellow--it is somethingabout the plants that I said were coming by goods train to-morrow. Howglad I am that Morris thought of them!"

  She was right, though it was not till long afterwards that Jasper toldhis dream, which in time to come, as his ideas grew and developed,seemed to him almost, simple as it was, to have been a kind of allegory.And for fear I should forget about it as our story goes on, I may aswell tell it to you now.

  He dreamt that he was walking up a rather steep hill; it was grassy andpleasant to step on, but still he felt a little tired and wondered howmuch farther he would have to go. Where he was going, or why, he couldnot clearly understand; he only knew that go on he must, and all thetime, in his hand, he carried his sweetly scented flower. Then,suddenly, he became aware that, on his journey, whatever was the reasonand object of it, he was not alone--numbers and numbers of otherchildren were pressing on in the same direction. They did not speak tohim or to each other, every one seemed full of the same eagerness to getto the top of the hill; and soon the explanation of this grew plain tohim, for a breath, more than a voice, passed through the crowd of littletravellers, murmuring--

  "The gates, the gates of the beautiful garden." And lifting his eyes hesaw, now but a short way off, great gates of silvery trellis-work,through which he could already catch glimpses of stretches of exquisitelawns, and glorious trees, and smooth winding paths, bordered by plantsand flowers of indescribable loveliness. He seemed to himself to give abound of delight, for something told him that he and all his companionswere coming there by invitation, and in another moment or two the crowdof children had reached the top of the hill and were standing in frontof the gates. And then Jasper noticed another thing--each child wascarrying a flower, or a plant--many, like himself, a cut-off branch orblossom only; some, and the faces of these had a different expressionfrom that of the others, flowerpots filled with earth in which the plantwas happily alive and growing. They were not all of equal size orbeauty; several were very tiny, nothing but a few green leaves perhaps;some, what one would carelessly call "quite common" little things--adaisy root or a small nest of violets, of which only one timid head wasas yet to be seen. _But_ all these had roots, and were growing! Thenglancing at the other children, who like himself carried only a singleblossom, he saw an anxious look on their faces, and to his distress heperceived that these flowers were drooping and beginning to fade andwither, and he was just turning to examine his own, when he heard aneager cry--and looking up, he saw a figure coming down the garden andopening the gate at one side, not widely, but enough to let one childthrough at a time.

  Jasper pressed forward--the new-comer was all dressed in white--the facewas more beautiful than any face not seen in dreams.

  "It's an angel," thought Jasper, and some words he had heard or read ofcame into his mind.

  "`The garden of Paradise,' that must be it," he thought dreamily.

  And then he looked again and more anxiously, for he saw that by no meansevery child was allowed to enter--and of those who with saddened ordisappointed faces turned back, every one was the bearer of a singleblossom only, a poor, already-fading flower!

  The angel's face was grave as he slowly shook his head, when Jasperhimself drew near.

  "I cannot, my child, I cannot," he said; "you must bring a differentoffering;" and Jasper, on the point of tears, replied--

  "I didn't know--I didn't know. What shall I do?"

  And the angel smiled and said--

  "No, my darling, you did not know. But you can come again and bring aliving plant. All have to learn. Many of those you now see enteringdid not know the first time they came. Take courage--your growing plantis ready for you."

  And then it was, I think, that he smiled in his sleep and whispered, "Itmust be a growin' one."

  Yet for a moment or two he stood by the silver gate and watched, for hefelt the angel wanted him to do so. And some things surprised him. Themost beautiful plants were not always carried by the prettiest or mostattractive children. Some of their bearers were sadly poor-looking--one, above all, a little cripple in shabby clothes, who could scarcelyhobble in--but oh, what a glorious wealth of snow-white lilies hecarried, and how his face shone with delight at the gate-keeper'sapproving smile. And once inside--for Jasper gazed longingly afterhim--how was it?--such things come to us in dreams, and are they not theshadow of the true?--the shining seemed to clothe the stunted figure aswith a garment, till he stood there erect and beautiful--a very angelhimself. And murmuring, "P'raps he'll be the one at the gate the nexttime I come," Jasper awoke.

  But it was not yet even midnight, so, as the scent of his flower--poorlittle flower, faithful to the last, though it had to wither--reachedhis but half-awakened senses, the boy smiled again, and this time wentoff into dreamless slumber.

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  A CATASTROPHE.

  Chrissie, as I think you will remember, was not given to sleeping late.Indeed, laziness of any kind was not a weak point of hers.

  And on the morning after Aunt Margaret's arrival, she woke, as she hadgone to sleep determined to do, even earlier than usual. It was onlyjust beginning to be faintly light. She lay still for some little time,for it was as yet too dark to see what o'clock it was, and if she hadstruck a light it might have roused Leila--the last thing she wished todo.

  But before long, some slight sounds overhead gave notice that the twoservants, who, being young country-bred girls, had not yet lost theirgood habit of early rising, were getting up. Then, even in that quietside-street, came sounds of the great world of London being awakeagain--a church clock struck six, a milk cart or two rattled by, andfarther off in the distance was faintly heard the rumbling of heaviercarts and waggons.

  "I suppose it's no good my getting up till the servants are down, andtill it's lighter," thought the little girl. "I'll try to keep stilltill it strikes the half-hour, or at least
till I can see the figures onthe bee-clock. But it's awfully tiresome. I _can't_ understand Lellyliking to stay in bed."

  And never did a half-hour pass more slowly for an impatient child thandid this one. Still, Chrissie kept to her resolution; she could be bothsensible and self-controlled when it suited her.

  But by seven o'clock she was fully dressed, though there had been noquestion of a bath, seeing that Harriet only brought the hot water athalf-past, and I _fear_ the amount of washing that she had stealthilyperformed with cold water and a basin only, had better not be inquiredinto. All the same, she felt decidedly proud of her good managementwhen she found herself quietly slipping downstairs, leaving Leila stillpeacefully slumbering.

  It was not a very cold morning and it had quite left off raining.Still, it felt very chilly as she entered the drawing-room, whereHarriet had just opened the windows.

  "Miss Chrissie!" she exclaimed with a start.

  "Is there anything the matter?"

  "Of course not. I've got up early to do the flowers. Mother said Imight. So go and fetch them at once, and bring the glasses to put themin, and a big can