Capricious Caroline

e into the night, watching the fire-glow glint th

sent to bed

or thing," Camilla had sai

but she had insisted on Agnes Brenton and Car

estion that Miss Graniger wa

r Mrs. Brenton had gone downstairs, "I think we had better start as we intend to go on. Agnes, I know

t she was divided in her desire to show deference to b

shall do," she

ad laughe

n her knee, and was cu

m only afraid you won't stand our ways. This is

She looked so pretty with her br

ntroduced the subject

o have referred things to Mr. Haverfor

d last night because you did not know what else to do. But surely that does not entitle him to order all your ways?

t be disappointed,

had whisked away for a long-and a late-evening at cards, Mr

; you do look ver

ou exactly how I feel. Just a little while ago I seemed to have nothing given to me, that nothing wa

verness to two children who are bound to be

because of that,"

a small bed in a room with children, but this was the only e

ttle sleeping form to the other her eyes filled,

over full with sympathy and kindness, and with that r

ndowed with a perso

nding; now that the oppression of dependence had been lifted

self once or twice. "I know something will ha

eep; she thought of a doze

Agnes Brenton, the charm and prattle of the children, held her in sway alternati

, Rupert Haverford woul

stairs. In this Haverford had written that he regretted that he was called north on very important matters, but that he

mother," Rupert had written, "but in the event of your

sslike letter, but Caroline fe

led himself about her even t

she felt a l

sked his advice." The next moment, however, she dismis

t myself a few things to wear. I cannot go about with the children quite so shabby as I was to-day. But I shall n

bered his moth

ry evident that he does no

ed drowsily, and then she had slept scarcely

r, and a little voice was wh

oline! ... may I c

awake.... She sat up

had war

let her, miss," she had said; "you'll want all the rest you can

ions went down before the sweetness, the delight of h

y for a few minutes, and then lay quite still

*

back to the coun

managed to contract a very bad cold, and as he was not the strongest man in the world, his wif

me for Christmas; that is understood, Camilla. It will be delightful to have

so much, because you are always scolding me-aren't you? But I do want you, and I think it is horrid of you to go rush

other only intermittently dur

dous hurry. Except for breakfast, she d

a certain sort of excitement. The telephone

dash home in cabs every now and then in a violent hurry apparently. Though she might negl

kisses, precluded anything further than the interchange of sm

niger had settled down to her work admir

s of little things that nurse would never have dreamed of doing; and the way she understands children-well, there, it gets over me! Miss Betty was in on

, you know that," Camil

ords, conveying what Dennis had to

e of us since you left town, we are left conj

letter Camilla took out the pap

ldren to spend Christmas with him. I have not answered him, but I mean to tell him to go to ..."-she made a great dash-"chu

ccupation to give much heed to the fact that Rupert Haverf

olden-hued in these after days

ctly spoilt, certainly not trained

Caroline was resolved to find nothing too hard or difficult, and her

and put a little organization

some method to regulate the hours, but she quickly

en she learned how irregular had been the nursery arrangements, sh

her great

having your own way. The mistress won't interfere. Sh

s introduces the q

e a thought to the one as has to pay. Why, many's the time I've seen nurse pitch away a bottle

hat the children possessed more feathers and frills, more lace frocks than any other two children in the United Kingdom, and this was no e

ted herself to overlookin

as far as she could, but she could not spin stoc

t. She was really unwilling to do so, but finally decided it was better that she should go straig

arly dinner engagement, there came a knock at her do

of her looking-glass, her short, w

alarm, and, turning round, wav

to give me notice," she said for

ine l

ooked admiringly at Camilla. How pretty! how very pretty this woman was! Each

urly hair falling about her face, she look

yes that waked a strong rush of tenderness and protective a

talked side by side with the gaiety; long enough to have grasped with that intuition which was one of her strongest gifts that this c

aved a sig

much fatter. Are the chickies asleep? Dear child, I must congratulate you! You are a marvellous person. We have never had such peace in the house as we h

ing to wear, the crystal-topped toilet table with its burden of brushes, and jars, and scent-bottles, and nicknacks, the cosy chairs, the soft carpet, all made a picture of prettiness, luxury, and comfort such as had not even visioned itself

se, always clamoured for daddy's picture to do the same thing. Although, as B

r wandering attenti

to bother y

arrange them in a loose and a graceful manner, fa

st of the things tha

had new coats and hats the da

at Caroline handed he

Dear child! of course they shall have t

nodded

you to see," she said. "I have only wri

desperation in her voice. "Doesn't it make you want to shake nurs

er and every box," said Caroline, "and

xpression that said as plainly as words that these things would have been set r

asty about their bill. I'll tell you what, I will give you some ready money, and then you had better go and buy just what is actually required. What do you suppose these will all come to? Dennis, you are g

ennis. "Why, the money has just been pou

," her mistress said, as she took up her hand-gl

time that Mrs. Lancing should see how m

self. Do you think I doubt you? I know only too

f a cab stopping

be Sammy, and, of course, I am late! Denni

moved to

d. "I hope you are go

called h

down and tell Sir Samuel that I shall be with him directly. I promi

to the drawing-room as Carolin

nt, and then went

oxbourne, miss," th

nodded

g knows. I have a

g-room door was that the young man standing with his

at, and the heavy fur collar on this coat accent

come out of a bath, or had been running;

lance, and she decided right away

ll be down directly," she said, but

his "off" eye, and took a step forward. As Caroline was w

I mean is there any one in the hous

white gloves as he spok

d, paused an instant, and then adv

ff," said Sir Samuel; "the Johnnies that sell gl

was. He thought he had sampled all the inmates of Mrs. Lancing's small house

will not come off just yet," said Car

n she had vanished, and th

led the glove

she knows all about that, and

herself arrayed in all her glory as Caroline

urious?" aske

in a fashion paper." Her eyes had a glow in them as she scanned Camilla, over whose white clinging gown Dennis was just slipping a theatre wrap of pink chiffon and

. "But I simply detest being hurried! Dennis, put a saf

. Lancing paused by Caroli

coming with me. I shall take you to the play one night." Then gatherin

vaporated; he had emerged from the dr

g say, with her rippling laugh, "or you will wake the

sed, however, as Sir Samuel seemed to be so intimate, that he must be a connection, probably a near relative. Later on, however, when Dennis came up from her supper, and they went together through a minute examination of the children's belongings,

(since at school she had known nothing of what passed beyond the school boundaries, and in Octavia Baynhurst's house her outlook had been even more circumscribed), so that it was no great matter for surprise if she found herself unable to understand all that passed about and around her now. But what she lacked in actu

t had been such a trivial, such a petty untruth; but what had given it importance in Caroline's eyes, accentuating the unworthiness of the a

to doubt the light of the sun itself; but Caroline summed it up as

would be no sacrifice too great-of this the girl was convinced-for the mother t

not heroic lines, and she drew her conclusions from those unconscious signs and uncounted actions t

on her mistress's little ways; but she was loyal. It was

his wife died when Miss Camilla was born. But he wouldn't part with her-and so they went wandering about goodness knows where, never staying more nor a month in any place. How I came to know so much was because I took service with Sir Edmund's sister, Lady Settlewood, and a hard place I had with her too; a little bit different to what I get now! Her ladyship was for ever wantin' to have Miss Camilla to live with her, she'd no children of her own. She declared as it was

rposed here a

d rather not have these th

the clothes and putting them aw

traightening herself for a minute, "she wants a friend awful badly. Some one different to me. There's things she could talk to you about which she couldn't talk to me. I'd like you to know, now you're starting out, just what she is, and why things seem to g

nt for a while,

was a beauty." She talked on. "He'd always laughed when her ladyship kept on as he ought to have a governess or somebody about with Miss Camilla. He looked on her as no more nor a child. And so she was a child," said Dennis, hotly, as if she were suddenly defending her mistress against some accuser, and she flung the stockings on to the table viciously.

kings each will do for the

istory; at the same time, she shrank from hearing these things unknown to C

to leave it to but Miss Camilla, and if you believe me, when she went there wasn't not even the name of the poor child mentioned in the will! That's what's forced her to turn round and let these Lancings do for her. Her father had left her what he had, but, bles

at the children should have such costly clothes. They only grow out of them. Look at all these lace frocks. They must have

vexing her when there's such a lot of other people ready to worrit, and, bless you, you can't put it into the servants' heads. What is i

or Caroline at this moment, and she p

roughly well arranged D

children will enjoy it. Bless you, Miss Betty she loves sho

her letter when

r to the few lines she had sent him. Nothi

, Caroline felt that he was sharply annoyed at wha

to give him the obedience of slaves, that any sort of independence is objectionable to him. Well, he is mistaken as far as I am concerned. It

e letter th

er. "Perhaps it vexes him that I should be with one of his friends," was her next thought. "After all,

tly, and then sat staring

that the innumerable new sensations through which she was passing had taken from her altogether that k

things considered, that she had not been called upon to suffer for her strong will, her hot temper, and he

softness, or gentle thought, but equally there

In that deserted old school garden (that now gave her a pang to remember) there would be found a plot that had belonged entirely to herself, a

he unnatural confinement, the irritating atmosphere of M

pped slave beneath the bitter, biting sarcasm of her employer's tongue; she had been scourged all the time by the

se days, but only in a

r heart a hot flood of womanly tenderness; awakened with joy the knowledge that it was given to her to be blessed with love,

g personality was, like her brief intercour

sly; to realize that they recognized in her an equal, that friendship with her was not onl

elt she had drawn perceptibly nearer to comprehension of Camilla Lancing and her complex character, and the sugg

ds of annoyance came

perhaps, that she sho

thought came. "I wish I had not gone to him! And yet," was her next quick thought, "if I had not gone I should not

little short

this work that wou

ht low, and then went to bed. There she la

mood changed a little. She began to judge Haverford less sharply. "Certainly he was kind to me in his own peculiar way, and there was no need really for him to have done anything

ng of regret came in place of annoyance

s the conviction that he was just and honest and straightforward that had driven her towards him when she had found herself so greatly in need of help. And he had not belied this belief in him. When he had convinced himself that she had an undoubted claim on his mother, he ha

feel that I am sorry. Very probably he won't trouble himself

on, Caroline nestled down into