Alice Sit-By-The-Fire
and, in Amy's opinion, rather a dear). To take such a liberty, and allow the reader to look over our shoulders, as they often invite you to do in novels (which, howeve
te to make sure. On these occasions she undoubtedly lingers among the pages, re-reading the peculiarly delightful bit she wrote yesterday; so we could peep over her shoulder, while the reader peeps over ours. Then why don't we do it? Is it because this would be a form of eavesdropping, and that we cannot be sure our hands are clean enough to turn the pages of a young girl's thoughts? It cannot be that, because the novelists do it. It is because in a play we must tell nothing t
ave not always been such sticklers for the etiquette of the thing
pletely, for Amy in her pursuit of the arts has often to drop one in order to keep pace with another. Some of the chairs have escaped as yet, but their time will come. The table-cover and the curtains are of a lovely pink, perforated ingeniously with many tiny holes, which when you consider them against a dark background, gradually assume the appearance of something pictorial, such as a basket of odd flowers. The fender stool is in brown velvet, and there are words on it that invite you to sit down. Some of the letters of this message have been burned away. There are artistic white bookshelves hanging lopsidedly here and there, and they also have pink curtains, no larger than a doll's garments. These littl
e not strayed here, they live here; indeed this is among other things the dining-room of a modest little house in Brompton made beautiful, or nearly so, by a girl, who has a soul above food and con
position in which we can do justice to her undoubted facial charm. Seated near her is her brother Cosmo, a boy of thirteen, in naval uniform. Cosmo is a cadet at Osborne, and properly proud of his station, but just now he looks proud of nothing. He is plunged in gloom. The cause of hi
eyes. They always do this when they meet, though they meet several times a day, and it is worth doing, for what they see in those pellucid pools is love eternal. Thus they loved at school (in their last two terms), and thus they will
a, my b
my bett
othe
g almost painful
well, G
well,
f Amy because Gine
d my Am
a good
to some other room, his bedroom probably, where a man may be alone with mannish things, his razor, for instance. The maidens do not resent his rudeness. They know that poor Cosmo's time will come, and they are glad to be alone, for
we go to another to-night?' This does not puzzle Amy, she is prepared for it, her honest grey eyes even tell that she has wan
he says recklessly, 'but it is al
us so much, haven't they? Until Monday, dear, when we w
ached school-girls, Amy
hat gives Ginevra the moral a
now, 'of course I had my diary, dear, and I do think that, even be
a cruelly, 'that necessita
Ginevra. But we have made up for lost time. Every night s
she may see the revelations
when the love-maddened woman v
dened, Ginevra; she really love
he last act
in the crepe de chine, but we know that she only went to the man
alm,' says Ginevra
all at those chambers while she was there. And he did. Ginevra,
s her lips t
the nick of time her lady friend would step out f
omising hers
s so unexpectedly, with noble self-renu
ange, Ginevra, that it
ays are always about a lady and two men; and alas, only one of them is
I hope it wasn't wrong of me to go.
oth w
th a latchkey of your own; you have no one dependent
, if it can; and as the sister is only a baby, time
s place for the ti
go to thinki
seen since I was twelve years old. I don't even know if they will like the house. The rent is what they told me to give, but perhaps my scheme
are not both on their knees to you for the noble way in
l I ask is to be all
hen they return. Your mother having been so long in India can know little about
ght of that
another theatre to-night. I have three and ninepence,
girl, it
not,
he telegram more pugnaciously
Miss Dunbar t
'Boat arrived South
han they expecte
e other bit proves to be 'Hope to reach our pets this afternoon
Cosmo has bee
ies. 'What can the te
s, 'you want to k
ther I am worrying about; with his "kisses to both from all." All I ca
uncommonly like a father's kiss. He immediately begins to rehearse the greeting which is meant to ward off the fa
'How silly of us,' she says;
om, and we may gather that this is for the nonce the nursery of the house, though to most occupants it would be the back dining-roo
etter show her the telegram. She is sure to cry. She looks
of emotion without words, implies that she is nobody and must submit, nods humbly, sets her teeth, is both indignant and servile, and finally burs
slips the diary into the hand of Ginevra, who pops upstairs with it to read the latest instalment. Nurse rambles on. 'I have had her for seventeen months. She was just two months old, the angel, when they sent her to Englan
nurse for mother?' asks Cosmo
ldren,' the more expe
le beasts,'
a sense it's hard on all of us-I mean to be expecting parents in these circumstances. There mus
He goes to her as the awfulness of this sinks into him
tionate nature, is glad to
now about mother, Co
rhaps a tou
e her let
y your letters to her, saying that your motto is "Something at
ght that woul
ters she says thing
wrig
amping a fellow when he was t
loser to him, 'is that as brother and sister,
mo says, and ge
her that she hasten
at I'm very sorry I used
girls are. Amy, it's all ri
be a sort of moth
anxiously to the greater question, 'Am
course. We know that father
such an old chap shoul
ty,' Amy says
more than forty,' Cosmo sa
osmo.' But she has to add. 'Of course we
hy
ming from India, you know. The
smo says manfully, 'We shan't be any
ind
on it, and Cosmo
e these yellow flowers in t
ce. After all, Cosmo, we seem to know a good deal about
That's drin
youth she was one who did not love easily; but when she loved once it was for aye. A nature very difficult to understand, but profoundly interesting. I can feel her within me, as she was when she walked down the
about
ficers are paid in rupees, which means that for every 2s. due to them they get only
e. But what would you say
o if he was deceived would never face his fellow-creatures,
, that he takes a
e sort of man my m
he is just as likely
kes him feel that this r
up four things to say to father, and it's after I've said them that the awkward time will come. So then I say, "I wonder what is in the evening papers"; and out I slip, and whe
,' she reflects. 'Hav
nevra, to leap into
because that is what it is, though they are very se
u hand-sew them and stretch them over a tin cylinder, and they are the
Gossip says they h
ion I try goes out before
mbers th
evra like m
me down to speak about. You
forgive me? Let us go u
oice of Colonel Grey. He can talk coherently to Fanny, he can lend a hand in dumping down his luggage in the passage, he can select from a handful of silver wherewith to pay his cabman: all impossible deeds to his Alice, who would drop the luggage on your toes an
choes wofully, '
, ma
united fancies of her son and daughter; and she will dance them round the room many times before they know her better. Amy will never be so pretty as her mother, Cosmo will never be so gay, and it will be years before either of them is as young. But it is quite a minute before we suspect this; we must look the other way while the Colonel dries her tears. He is quite a grizzled ve
bert,' she says, thrilling. 'I da
, she did,'
, Amy's
keep cool,
e my orders from you now,' th
s, so timidly that Fanny
ll be a bit trying fo
s taken
hought of t
s it time to
ng your mistress a
y, ma'am. I can't take the resp
'I daren't break into Amy's caddy.
Fanny cannot but admire the Col
own house already. Don't stare at m
fe says; but as soon as they are alone she cri
s glad
had a real one before. Thank God,
y from one object in
ll Amy's work. They are splendid.' With pe
nd-painted curtains. 'She seems to have stopped everything in the middle. St
ing more precious. She utt
t is
re a dove. Then she is appalled. 'Robert, if I had met my baby coming a
'Don't break down now. Just think, Alice; af
y, joy
of her face changes
it now,
she won't
ossi
e of them wi
e their mother, whether they see mu
old yo
e. It was
st faith
warning note. 'Of course you
e ever love me. They mustn't think me over first or anything
ays, surveying her quizzically as if s
I always told you about it afterwards, didn't I? And I ce
apped me up fi
or lonely boys. What are you lo
re you as you will be
rly grown up. And yet it's true; it's the tragedy of Alice Gre
ged bloke. I chuckled over your gaiety, but it gave me lumbago to try to be gay with you. Poor old girl, you were like an only child who h
g, what nonsens
to myself when I was shaving, "I won't ask her to settle down until I have given her a year in England." A year from to-d
front of her, like the school-mistresses when they are teaching boys Latin. Dearest, you haven't been disap
comes by way of the nursery, and is a child's cry. The heart of Alice Grey stops beating for seve
Is it-Mr
'Yes. Is my-c
'Yes,
atch her if she fal
ingly, 'May I
m, and I have made it a rule to let her wake
t, 'I'm sure it's a good rul
e of, 'Gad, I will. It's the least s
rontery of the man, 'Do
ing? Why, she c
came out-to see who wa
yet when she is alone with M
it's old-fashioned of me. Not bein
, 'After all, s
mly, 'Come a
d prefer to go
break it to her that I'm
the door. The nurse d
, ma'am; she doesn't like t
'Stra
'Really
It's qui
gel if you have the
shouldn't have the
EL. '
man has sc
ees, 'Nurse, what sort of a wa
not fond of a
intly, 'I
discharge her if he dares, that is if he wishes to see his baby wither and die. One may as well say here that nur
n a rather undignified pursuit. He is listening avidly at the nursery door, and is thus discovered by another member of his family who has entered cautiously. This is Master Cosmo, wh
'Hullo,
es the door and
'Is it-it
fore, 'I'm awfully glad to see
own, my boy, and let
tingly, 'Have s
. 'Put
es for the worst. The Col
look at you. S
-pleased, while Cosmo bac
eeting is now an affair of the pa
e down? She'
e nursery door and
you do
d be-best.' In a burst of candour, 'Thi
ng it. My dear fellow, I was planning it too
Now that's over-our first meet
t yet. Come
and his boy of thirteen can sit in the same chair. Cosmo is
see-ways change. I daresay they did it, wh
isn't done, y
g both hands and saying 'Dear f
n glad you told me, Cosmo. Not having been a fa
's all right. You'll s
u could give me
urse you didn't mean any harm when you christened me Cosmo, but-I a
o they call
, no, they c
o you want me t
t before people, you know, you needn't call me anything. If you w
. But you won't make yo
'Oh no-of course w
inch and save more than I should have allowed-to be able
n planning how t
Good lad.
lly hides the 'yellow flowers' behind a photograph. This
t have your meda
ut. But your mother does, the goose.
blue, 'Yes
that he can only look it. He looks it so eloquently tha
ning papers. If you don't mi
n the room, the picture of distress. No wo
baby. Robert, listen; t
cowers
he is teething. It's her teeth, isn't it?' he barks at the nurse, wh
flection on her charge. 'S
rn, 'The better
d it. She is usually the best-tempered
eager to accept, but after one step t
to have anything to do with her till she
convey possibly this u
self-abnegation, 'Go, Robert. Pe
e's a contem
'I'll show her,' with a happy pretence that his object is merely to enforce discipline. The fo
tranced,
er!' She envelops him in her arms,
osmo-how sple
ly, 'That's all
'Say it
That's a
o, the ot
. 'Mo
. 'Ag
' When she has come to
my son, and he
llowances must be m
glad to see your
r! Will you h
do nothing for the rest of my
course, I h
Do the officers
, 'Love me! I s
to ask them all to c
Scott, mother, you can
? Are you very
re William Shakespeare and William Mil
; and I'm afraid they sometimes b
elief, 'Do th
ars again, 'But not half
help her, 'What
n't help wanting to hold her
of course you couldn't.' He refle
ppose in som
t like thi
omily, 'I
ould have done
shows her how t
ming humility, '
n the high good humour that comes to any man when
does a little sleight of hand-'is right. Another way is this, with their head hanging over your shoul
She practises diligently with the
ass. It's just a knack.
im instead of the cush
ear a boy calling t
e can be nothing in the evening papers
haven't seen Amy yet. It isn't fair of Amy. She
u don't mean that
is words, though well meant, are not so happy as his actio
ns, 'Yellow?' Her brain reels.
of the kind who judge people by their looks.
'Plai
y.' He lures her away from the subject. 'I can tell you a funny thing about that. We
hands, 'I played in
O. '
s. Why sho
t we did i
'So d
he universe crumbling
Take car
t you're o
tn't mother
they? I see. You had
I played the girl in
r, I played the girl in
on-this ought to brin
'But the reason I did it was that we were all boys.
. He accepts it as a smack. The Colonel foolishly chooses this moment to make his return. He is in
y, 'It's all right now, Ali
rtly, 'Oh
ed at me-pulled
u got on with our
sn't he a f
face.' She sits down and weeps, while
, I think you had better go
flying, and the bewildered
s face. But
He infur
seems such
he is. It must be very try
ps you were too
man he doesn't know! No
I can't ma
ite simple. He saw throug
e hears whisperings outside the do
there's a girl
r feet, with
embling, 'I
Robert, if she doesn't
But he has grown nervous. 'Don'
try to be cold.
o leap into the arms of the mother who craves for her. But Alice is afraid of
ventures at last to kiss her. 'It is a great p
f course I have been looking forwa
'It is very sweet
onel regards them uncomfortably. Amy turns to him. S
ou have known
der. She's not
sed to be demon
erly, 'W
, 'Oh, I grew ou
sympathetic, 'The we
ncing, 'N
ersation, 'You h
E. '
curiosity, 'What di
-seemed a
rt, 'An
'Yes-
sn't sh
. 'Is
e's head
se, sir-I think bab
es complacency, but he
at do you th
der the blow, 'B
come also? Perhaps
nihilating look, 'No, I-I had
with a countenance of foolish raptur
come back, 'You can't have bee
uite long
before she can speak again. 'Yo
dear.' They sit dow
ostess, 'Both m
ly a guest,
u will like the
have chosen wisely. I
shed. I haven't quite decided w
ne never
d you notice that there is a
o, I didn
the cab filled it; but you c
Grown desperate, 'Amy, have you no
hem. And here are the tradesmen's books. They are all paid up to Wednes
there not
de. 'Perhaps you have no
my, when you came into the roo
, 'Not very long. I-
ear, put it down again
rnly, 'I feel I
-you? Am I never to kno
arried before yo
mother. And even at tha
'Oh, mother, not s
'What can you kn
e I hope, mother, tha
ld!' Seizing her: 'Amy,
please. I have sworn
Sworn? T
To ano
s on her daughter's engagemen
me, Amy, who
y, 'It is o
Amy, I b
'Dear mother, I am so
shoulders. 'Amy, you drive me frantic. If you don't t
she is shaking Amy when th
eavens, Alice, again! Am
tears, from the room, 'It means, f
ed, 'Won't you
, I am in terr
EL. '
have spoken to her again.' She clings to her h
with our girl, there isn't, memsahi
'Yes, yes, has
l's well wit
it is. It was si
L. 'An
n his breast, 'I begin to feel Robert that I should have come ba
the villain we can provide for Amy. His entrance is less ostentatious than it might be if he knew of the role that has been assigned to him. He thi
Jericho; but it's six months since I saw
re's someone in this house glad to see me a
eek wet, 'You are not telli
can't unde
gods of India, you know, eve
'That's why I take
ould like to get rid of the Colonel for an hour or two, suppose he dines w
rsery door, 'No, Steve, I-the
y, 'He means he ca
t has tak
aggering, '
as stolen them from me. He has taken up
ome round to-night to see you after dinner, Ste
r about Amy, 'In the meantime I want to
Then I shall pop in here again. How is the tea busine
alary I had in India, but my he
e further subjugation of Molly. He sees his happy face in a lookin
ing scorn, 'Oh, go
el has gone she turn
andidly what you
have never set
ll. She goes sometimes to the Deans and
pened to be there at the same tim
What do
enthusiastic-an i
I'm so glad. Now y
of the belle of the Punjab
shall begin to think
he spell.' She shakes her hea
, 'They were
was the only one you
No one could flir
why.' The problem has troubl
'I wo
there's some sor
. No, it's because you we
ing I wanted to do it too, but I could never think of how to begi
erhaps it is the place I have left behind me.' The joyous gurgling of Molly draws them to the nursery door; and there they are observed by Amy and Ginevra who enter from the ha
e is now entering on the gay c
ert to get on with her so well
od afternoon, 'Of course
you for saying so.' The doomed
r to-night, Alice? Here, I'll leave my ca
r my silly husband wants to stay with his wretch of a baby. I'
ne go. Amy and Ginevra emerge white to the li
e screen for suppor
nly, 'He call
to his house to-nig
ays chambers. And after dinner, he said-so he's s
of him. They said
nsington West. That's the n
father. It w
ster mind, 'He
ra, what's
know exactly what to do. It
You mean I must g
irmly, 'At
vening
ess. And don't be afraid of his M
Oh, Gi
back their cloak-like this, dear. If that fails, threaten h
ld suspect and follo
acrifice yourself for her
o my duty. Oh, Ginevra, what things the