Jasper Page 4

then the lessons went swimmingly; brightlyenough even to satisfy her own enthusiasm. But at other and morefrequent times there was, alas, a very different story to tell, a sadlydisappointing report to make, and Miss Earle almost began to despair.She had not been with the Fortescues very long, and she was intenselyanxious to give satisfaction to their kind mother, who had behaved toher with the greatest consideration and liberality, and it grieved herto feel that, unless she could gain more influence over the girls, shemust resign her charge of them.

  "They are completely `out of hand,' as it were," she found herself oneday obliged to say to Mrs Fortescue. "They don't seem to know what`must' means; in fact, in their different ways, their only idea is to dowhat they like and not what they don't, and yet they are so clever andhonest and they _can_ be such darlings," and she looked up almost withtears in her eyes. "It is discipline they need," she added, "and--"hesitating a little, "unselfishness--thought for others."

  She need not have hesitated. Mrs Fortescue knew it was all true.

  "I suppose the simple explanation is that I--we--have spoilt them," shesaid sadly. "And now it is beginning to show. But Jasper, Miss Earle,the youngest--he _should_ be the most spoilt."

  Miss Earle shook her head.

  "And he is not spoilt at all!" she exclaimed. "He is not a very quickchild, perhaps, but he is painstaking and attentive. He will do verywell. And as to obedience and thoughtfulness--why, he has never givenme a moment's trouble."

  This talk had taken place some time ago. Over and over again the younggoverness had tried to hit upon some way of really impressing her pupilsmore lastingly, of checking their increasing self-will and heedlessness.For we don't stand still in character; if we are not improving, it isgreatly to be feared we are falling off. Now and then she felt happier,but never for more than a day or two, and this morning--this cold wintermorning when she herself had got up long before it was light, to do someextra bookwork, and attend to her invalid sister's breakfast--thismorning was again to bring disappointment.

  How cosy and comfortable the schoolroom looked as she came in, and heldout her cold hands to the fire!

  "Really, they are lucky children," she thought, as she remembered thebare walls and carpetless floor and meagre grates of the good but farfrom homelike great school where she herself had been educated. "Howgood they should be," as her glance wandered round the pretty,library-like little room. "But perhaps it is _not_ easy to be unselfishif one has everything one wants, every wish gratified!"

  Then came the tiresome waiting, the unnecessary waste of time--thefootman's cross face at the door, when she felt obliged to ring and sendup a rather peremptory summons, a summons only responded to by Jasper,burdened with Chrissie's far from satisfactory message--followed, justwhen Miss Earle was getting interested in the little boy's reading, by abang at the door and the younger girl's noisy entrance, for she hadovertaken Leila on the staircase and insisted on a race, in which, ofcourse, she had been the winner.

  "Chrissie!" exclaimed Miss Earle, surprised and remonstrant. "My dearchild, you should not burst into the room in that way. It is toostartling."

  "Yes, do speak to her, Miss Earle," said Leila, in a complaining tone,with which their governess at one time would have had more sympathy thanshe now felt. For truly the little girls' quarrels were almost always"six of one and half-a-dozen of the other."

  "She nearly knocked me downstairs and I was coming quite quietly."

  "And in the meantime neither of you has said good-morning to me, and itis eighteen minutes past the half-hour," Miss Earle continued. "Besideswhich, you know you should be here before I come, with your books andall ready."

  Both children were silent. Then Christabel said, rather sullenly--

  "I sent a message by Jasper. I suppose he didn't give it properly."

  "He gave it as properly as a message that was not a proper one could begiven," was the reply, and Miss Earle's voice was very cold.

  "I _must_ keep up my authority, such as it is," she said to herself,"but oh, what a pity it is to have so constantly to find fault, when Ilove them and we might be so happy together."

  It was a bad beginning for the morning's lessons, and as was to beexpected, things did not go smoothly. In their hearts both Leila andChristabel were feeling rather ashamed of themselves, but outwardly thisonly showed itself by increased sleepy inattention in the one, and akind of noisy defiance in the other. But Miss Earle knew children toowell to "pile on the agony," and said no more, hoping that the interestthey really felt in their work would gradually clear the atmosphere.

  So she gave them some history notes to copy out correctly, while Jasperwent on with his reading.

  He was not a very quick child, as I think I have said already, but itwas impossible to feel vexed with him, as he did his very best--gettingpink all over his fair little face when he came to some very difficultword. Nor was it always easy to help laughing at his comical mistakes,but a smile of amusement on his teacher's face never hurt his feelings.It was different, however, when Chrissie burst into a roar at hissolemnly narrating that "the _gay-oler_ locked the door of the cell onthe prisoner."

  "The _what_, my dear?" said Miss Earle.

  Jasper's eyes were intently fixed on the word.

  "Go-aler," he announced triumphantly.

  Then came his sisters noisy laughter, and the child's eyes filled withtears.

  "Be silent, Chrissie," said Miss Earle sternly, and Chrissie's face justthen was not pleasant to see.

  Nor did she recover her good temper till the French lesson came and hertranslation was found to have only two faults, whereas Leila's rejoicedin five!

  On fine days the three children went for a walk with Miss Earle fromtwelve to one--that, at least, was the rule. But how seldom was itobeyed! At a quarter to twelve they were sent upstairs to get ready,but in spite of Nurse's and Fanny's doing their best, it was rarely, ifever, that Leila and Chrissie made their appearance again till ten ortwenty minutes past the proper time. And to-day was no exception.Nurse brought them downstairs herself, almost in tears.

  "Miss Earle," she began, "I don't know _what_ to do. Will you--can yousay anything to the young ladies? I did so want to tell their Mammathat they had been good while she was away, and it's worse than ever.Miss Leila's been reading all the time I was trying to dress her, andMiss Chrissie pulled off her hat three times and stamped on it."

  "She put it all on one side. I looked like Falstaff in it," saidChristabel coolly.

  "Then why do you not put it on yourself?" said Miss Earle, as they wentout.

  "Why should I, when they're there to dress us?" was the reply. MissEarle was silent. Chrissie repeated her question.

  "I don't think there is any use in my answering you," she said at last."We look at these things in such a different way, according to differentideas."

  Chrissie grew more amiable at this. She liked to be spoken to as if shewere grown-up.

  "You may as well explain," she said condescendingly. "Tell me how youmean."

  "I mean that if I were rich enough to have half-a-dozen maids to dressme--or nurses to make a baby of me--I should be, and at your age should_have_ been, ashamed to be as helpless as you and Leila are," said MissEarle.

  Leila, who was listening, wriggled a little. Chrissie tossed her head.

  "I'm not helpless. I can do anything I choose to do."

  "Indeed," said their governess drily, "I should not have thought it."

  "But why should we?" said Leila, "We don't need to."

  "Why should you learn to be self-helpful and, to a certain extent,independent?" replied Miss Earle. "I should say, for two reasons.Because it would be good for your own characters, and also becausenobody can tell what they may not _have_ to do sooner or later, andsurely it is best to be a little prepared for the chances and changes oflife."

  "I suppose you mean we might be sent to school some day," said Chrissie;"but we shan't--that's certain."

  "I meant nothing in p
articular. I was only answering your question.But I must add something. If you do let yourselves be treated likebabies, at least you should be as nice as babies generally are--healthybabies, I mean--to those who treat them kindly."

  Both the girls grew red at this, and Miss Earle was glad to see it.

  "I don't fink I was a very nice baby," said Jasper consideringly."Mumsey says I cried lots. That's why I must try to be good now."

  "Poor Jasper!" said Miss Earle, "perhaps you were a very delicate baby."

  "I