L. T. Meade

“ As Miss Roy came in she heard Augusta say:
“Take the cross off my neck, Nancy, and put it on yours. I shall die if I wear it any longer. It is so heavy—so heavy—like lead—it goes through me; it burns through my flesh. Wear it—wear it, to please me—to please me.”
Nancy began to take the cross off with trembling fingers.
“Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan; then I shall feel better. Oh! it is some sort of—some sort of”——
“Let me fasten it round your neck, Nan, then I shall feel better.” ”

“ At first Nan was so delighted with the change that she forgot all her trials and worries; the air was so fresh, and the gardens round the house so beautiful; the woods, which were near by, were so fragrant, so shady, so delicious to roam about in; and last but not least came the walks by the seashore, the long rambles on the yellow sands, the hours when the girls floated away in their little boats on the surface of the blue waters. But still happier hours were those when the yacht carried them like a white bird over the dancing waves. Oh! all day and every hour was perfect with bliss. ”

“ Oh darling, you are quaint; you really are the most naïve creature I have ever come across. Now let me explain. I shall really not be naughty at all. It is not as if my own father and mother or Aunt Jessie were here. I owe no oath of fealty to that delightful model, Uncle Peter; if he disapproves, that is his own lookout. In short, Nancy, this is it (I will let the cat out of the bag) : I want to go to-night to a small dance—the most harmless, childish little dance—at the Asprays’. Flora and I have arranged everything, and I am to meet her at the other side of our wood. ”

“ Nan darling, do please tell me what makes you so unhappy; please tell me. Let us forget about my little Pip. He is in his grave, poor, darling little rat, and all his troubles are over. He was so affectionate, and I was so fond of him! But he will never feel any pain ever again. And I love you, Nan; and Noney and I are wretched to think that you are so unhappy.”
“It is all right,” said Nan. “I will try not to be unhappy in the future. I have things that worry me now and then.”
“I will tell you what one of them is: you are afraid of Augusta; she has a power over you. ”

“ Once she saw Mr. Pryor; and when Mr. Pryor said to her, “Are you trying to be the best girl?” Nan coloured, and squeezed his hand, and said:
“Oh! but I have got such a darling little puppy—all my very, very own—and his name is Jack. And I do love Kitty and Nora! And Mrs. Richmond is very kind.”
Then Mr. Pryor looked straight into the dancing, dark eyes of Nan, and he laid his hand for a moment on her head and said:
“I think you are going to be the best girl.”
“I wonder what he really means,” thought Nan. “It is nice to be happy; even in mother’s time I was never as happy as I am now. ”

“ Captain Richmond’s eyes seemed like gimlets piercing into her soul.
“There is a charge against Nancy which, made against any child, would condemn her—condemn her so utterly that one could not think of her as a winner of that great prize which means nobleness of conduct, valour, and all the rest. Augusta, you will all know soon, but it does not matter my telling you an hour or so before the others. Nancy Esterleigh is charged with cruelty. Can you, Gussie, help me to throw light upon, in her case, such an unnatural accusation?” ”

“ He has a sort of way of searching through you, and dragging the best out of you, and crushing down the bad in you. Oh, he is a darling! He is like no one else in the world.”
“I think so too,” said Nan.
“And yet you look so sad, Nancy! I am sure you need not be, for every one is so fond of you! And as for Uncle Peter, there is hardly anything he would not do for you. He always calls you his dear little new niece; he is quite as fond of you as if you were his real niece.”
“Is he—is he really?” said Nan. “Would he be as fond of me if he knew”——
“Knew what, Nan?”
“That I—— Oh Kitty! ”

“ Is it not wonderful to have a genie for a friend?”
“What is a genie?” said Nancy.
“A sort of grown-up fairy—better than a fairy, because he is stronger, and he is quite grownup, you know. And if a little girl has a genie for a friend, why, anything may happen to her. She might ask for anything and she would probably get it. And, oh, what sweet little shoes! And the stockings! Well done, Unc”——
“Kitty, you are quite incorrigible,” said Nora. “But there, Nan! you are in luck; the dress is yours, and you are to wear it to-night. Now do come, Kit, for if we don’t hurry we shall be late for lunch.” ”

“ Good-evening, little niece Nancy.—And how are you, Augusta?”
“I am so sorry we were not here when you arrived, Uncle Peter!” said Augusta. “We were away at a picnic.”
“I told Uncle Peter you were having a gay time and I did not know when you would be back,” remarked Nora, “but we waited supper for you all the same. Shall we go in now?—for I am sure Uncle Peter must be very hungry.”
“Hungry is no word for it,” cried Captain Richmond. “I am starving. Don’t stay long tittivating, girls, but come down as soon as ever you can, for the patience of a hungry man has its limits.” ”

“ I am not your real sister. I mean that Aunt Jessie would be more particular about you and what you did than about what I do.”
“You may go, of course, if you like,” said Kitty; “but you shall not go if you do not like. Gussie shall not make your life a burden to you.”
“I think I’ll go,” said Nancy. She rose very slowly and left the room.
“What a darling little thing she is!” said Kitty; “always so self-denying and so anxious to please others. Now, I know she is merely doing this to please Gussie; and why Gussie should be humoured at every turn is more than I can understand. ”

“ So I told her mother on her deathbed that Nancy would always be my tender care, my most cherished darling. Now, Augusta, you know for yourself that she has a right to my home and my love and my money. She is no charity-child, but a child any mother would be proud of.”
“There never was any one like her,” said Augusta slowly. “There was a time when I was mad with jealousy of her; but I know at last what she really is. But, oh, Aunt Jessie! I am tired, and I want to be forgiven right out. I have told Uncle Peter everything—every single thing from the first. ”

“ Augusta was seated near, with flushed cheeks, entertaining him to the best of her abilities, when shouts and whoops were heard, and Nora and Kitty danced into the room.
Then indeed there were high-jinks.
“Oh, for shame! Uncle Pete—oh, for shame! to come beforehand.—Augusta, how long have you had him?—Nan, is he not just—just as nice as I said?” These words came from Kitty.
“You really make me blush, Kitty; you must be careful what you say,” remarked her uncle. “Do not mind her, Nancy; I am a very ordinary person, with lots of faults.”
“You have not a fault—not one,” said Nora. ”

“ What is the matter with you?”
“You make me very unhappy.”
“I make the house too hot for you; is not that it?”
“No, Augusta, that is not it. I have a right to be here; Mrs. Richmond says so.”
Augusta gave a taunting laugh.
“A right to be here!” she said. “A pretty right; but still, if you like to think so, I am not going to interfere. If you are unhappy in the house with Aunt Jessie and Kitty and Nora you can say so; you have the remedy in your own hands.” ”

“ How very funny!”
“We want to be soldiers. Do you not remember you talked to us before about being soldiers? Let us be soldiers for a bit, and make lovely plans, and you be our captain,” said Kitty again.
“Well, of course you can be soldiers; that is easy enough.”
“But you must settle a sort of victory time for us—a great big reward time—and let it come three months from now, after we come back from the summer holidays, or perhaps before. Plan it all out, Uncle Peter; plan everything out as straight as possible. Make us soldiers, and give us a battle to fight.” ”

“ We have always been very fond of her, but we cannot see that she has done right in giving away her bird.”
“Dear me,” said Augusta, “what a fuss! If you gave her the bird it was her own, to do what she liked with. She took a fit of pity for that poor sick girl, Grace Hammond, and gave her the bird. Grace wants the bird far more than Nancy does, for she lies on her back most of the day in a shabby little room. I think it was extremely kind and self-sacrificing of Nan, and she ought to be petted, not scolded.”
“I never thought of that,” said Nora. “Of course, Gussie, you are right. Dear old Nan! ”

“ Nancy was about to follow the example of the two little Richmond girls, when Augusta’s feverish eyes rested on her face.
“Don’t go. I can’t part from you—I can’t—I won’t.—Let Nancy stay, please—please, Miss Roy.”
“Stay for the present, dear,” said Miss Roy, nodding towards Nancy.
“Oh! let her hold my hand; let her kneel by me; no one else comforts me,” almost screamed the excited girl.
“You must control yourself, Augusta,” said the Captain, speaking now in an almost stern voice. “We must get you to your room. If you are too weak to walk I will carry you.”
“No; I can walk,” said Augusta. ”

“ Richmond’s little charity-girl than be the grandest girl in the world as Mr. Aspray’s adopted daughter.”
This news kept her from thinking so much about the smallpox, and about the danger which Augusta had run.
“Nan,” said Kitty as she tumbled into bed, “how hot your face is! You tire yourself over Gussie.”
“Oh, I am all right,” said Nancy.
“Isn’t it a good thing,” said Nora, “that Augusta has not been so much with the Asprays? She might have got into most awful danger; but, as it is, all is safe.” ”

“ Nan’s little face turned white with excitement as she watched the progress of the play; and at last, when the happy soldier was decorated for valour in the field, she burst into tears.
Captain Richmond took her hand, and bent and whispered to her:
“Odds against, but he won,” was his remark. “Cheer up, Nancy; you too can win.”
“Even if the odds are against me?” she whispered back.
“Ah! of course. Look well to the front, soldier of the True Blue.” ”

“ The four girls ran upstairs laughing merrily.
“Isn’t he nice?” thought Nancy to herself. “Doesn’t he make the whole house seem breezy and happy? I am glad that he has come. Gussie won’t dare to tell any more lies now. And I hope—oh! I do hope she won’t often expect me to go with her to see the Asprays. Oh, to think that I might have had to live with them! I should indeed have been a most miserable girl. I would not exchange such darlings as Nora and Kitty for Flora and Constance Aspray.” ”

“ David Archer, the man whom Flora had assured her would take a great fancy to her, very nearly turned the silly girl’s head.
“I wonder if I am really handsome,” she said to herself. “I wonder if there is something remarkable and fascinating about me. I should like so much to know! Perhaps if I met him he would tell me. I wonder if he would. It would be very nice to be pretty; pretty girls have such a jolly time. Now, Nancy is pretty. It is horribly unfair, but although she is nothing but a charity-child, she has far and away the most charming face of any of us. ”

“ Richmond noticed how black and long were the lashes that rested against her cheeks.
“Poor little girl, she is my care now,” thought the good woman. “I know what I should like to do; I should like to pick her up, and wrap a shawl round her, and take her right away in the cab with me. Nora will be nice to her, and Kitty will show her her favourite kittens. I have a great mind to try.”
But just then the big black eyes were opened wide, and Nan sat up and stared at Mrs. Richmond.
“What are you doing here?” she said. “Is mother no better? Has nobody thought of giving her her tea?” ”

“ Seeing is believing, you know.”
“And you believe that I could be so cruel?” said Nancy.
“Seeing is believing,” repeated Miss Roy.
“I didn’t do it. Oh, you will drive me wild! I did not think that you would turn against me.”
“No one attends to the bird except yourself. Who in this house would be so wicked and malicious as to take away the seed and water? No, my dear Nancy; you forgot. It was unlike you, and I am disappointed in you. But I have decided not to tell Uncle Peter; I will give you another chance. ”

“ Nan looking as though the world were coming to an end, and Kitty—— Why, my darling, what is wrong?”
“It is Pip,” said Kitty. “He is dead. He died when I was out. He must have had a fit or something, for he looks so queer; and nothing could have got at him, for the cage is firmly fastened, and just as I left it. I will never love another rat. I want to go away by myself for a little. Do not talk to me. Oh! I will not make a fuss, but I cannot be very cheerful to-night.” ”

“ My dear, we left home in a great hurry, and a quick change had to be made in all our plans. You know, Augusta, that one or two things occurred at home before we left which displeased your father and me very much. I allude to a certain matter when you were not quite straight with us. If there is one thing more than another which your father and I would break our hearts over, it is that you, our precious only child, should be guilty of want of openness or want of regard for the truth. Now, my dear, I wish to say that we intend to put you on trial during your stay with Aunt Jessie. ”

“ Richmond was gone, and the four girls looked at each other.
“It is most provoking,” said Nora. “She never told us anything about the Asprays. What are we to do?”
“To do!” said Augusta. “To take all the fun we can out of them. What else could we do?”
“All the same, I don’t think they are a bit the sort of girls that mother would like,” said Kitty. “But there! it doesn’t matter, for when Uncle Peter comes he will know what we ought or ought not to do.”
The rest of the evening passed somewhat sadly. Not only Kitty and Nora, but Nancy, too, missed the gentle presence of kind Mrs. Richmond. ”