The Long Vacation Part 11

"Yes, I know. She wants to come here, and I mean to have her before the long vacation for a little while. We heard various outpourings, and I cannot quite think Miss Emilia a grateful person, though I can believe that she does not find it lively at home."

"She seems to be allowed plenty of slum work, as it is the fas.h.i.+on to call it, and no one can be more good and useful than Fernan and Marilda, so that I call it sheer discontent and ingrat.i.tude not to put up with them!"

"Only modernishness, my dear Wilmet. It is the spirit of the times, and the young things can't help it."

"You don't seem to suffer in that way--at least with Anna."

"No; Anna is a dear good girl, and Uncle Clem is her hero, but I am very glad she has nice young companions in the Merrifields, and an excitement in prospect in this bazaar."

"I thought a bazaar quite out of your line."

"There seems to be no other chance of saving this place from board schools. Two thousand pounds have to be raised, and though Lord Rotherwood and Mr. White, the chief owners of property, have done, and will do, much, there still remains greater need than a fleeting population like this can be expected to supply, and Clement thinks that a bazaar is quite justifiable in such a case."

"If there is nothing undesirable," said Mrs. Harewood, in her original "what it may lead to" voice.

"Trust Lady Merrifield and Jane Mohun for that! I am going to take you to call upon Lilias Merrifield."

"Yea; I shall wish to see the mother of Bernard's wife."

Clement, who went with them, explained to his somewhat wondering elder sister that he thought safeguards to Christian education so needful, that he was quite willing that, even in this brief stay, all the aid in their power should be given to the cause at Rockquay. Nay, as he afterwards added to Wilmet, he was very glad to see how much it interested Geraldine, and that the work for the Church and the congenial friends were rousing her from her listless state of dejection.

Lady Merrifield and Mrs. Harewood were mutually charmed, perhaps all the more because the former was not impa.s.sioned about the bazaar. She said she had been importuned on such subjects wherever she had gone, and had learnt to be pa.s.sive; but her sister Jane was all eagerness, and her younger young people, as she called the present half of her family, were in the greatest excitement over their first experience of the kind.

"Well is it for all undertakings that there should always be somebody to whom all is new, and who can be zealous and full of delight."

"By no means surtout point de zele," returned Geraldine.

"As well say no fermentation," said Lady Merrifield.

"A dangerous thing," said Clement.

"But sourness comes without it, or at least deadness," returned his sister.

Wherewith they returned to talk of their common relations.

It was like a joke to the brother and sisters, that their Bernard should be a responsible husband and father, whereas Lady Merrifield's notion of him was as a grave, grand-looking man with a splendid beard.

Fergus Merrifield was asked to become the protector of Adrian, whereat he looked sheepish; but after the round of pets had been made he informed his two youngest sisters, Valetta and Primrose, that it was the cheekiest little fellow he had ever seen, who would never know if he was bullied within an inch of his life; not that he (Fergus) should let the fellows do it.

So though until Monday morning Anna was the slave of her brother, doing her best to supply the place of the six devoted sisters at home, the young gentleman ungratefully announced at breakfast--

"I don't want gy-arls after me," with a peculiarly contemptuous twirl at the beginning of the word; "Merrifield is to call for me."

Anna, who had brought down her hat, looked mortified.

"Never mind, Annie," said her uncle, "he will know better one of these days."

"No, I shan't," said Adrian, turning round defiantly. "If she comes bothering after me at dinner-time I shall throw my books at her--that's all! There's Merrifield," and he banged out of the room.

"Never mind," again said his uncle, "he has had a large dose of the feminine element, and this is his swing out of it."

Hopes, which Anna thought cruel, were entertained by her elders that the varlet would return somewhat crestfallen, but there were no such symptoms; the boy re-appeared in high spirits, having been placed well for his years, but not too well for popularity, and in the playground he had found himself in his natural element. The boys were mostly of his own size, or a little bigger, and bullying was not the fas.h.i.+on. He had heard enough school stories to be wary of boasting of his t.i.tle, and as long as he did not flaunt it before their eyes, it was regarded as rather a credit to the school.

Merrifield was elated at the success of his protege, and patronized him more than he knew, accepting his devotion in a droll, contemptuous manner, so that the pair were never willingly apart. As Fergus slept at his aunt's during the week, the long summer evenings afforded splendid opportunities for what Fergus called scientific researches in the quarries and cliffs. It was as well for Lady Vanderkist's peace of mind that she did not realize them, though Fergus was certified by his family to be cautious and experienced enough to be a safe guide. Perhaps people were less nervous about sixth sons than only ones.

There was, indeed, a certain undeveloped idea held out that some of the duplicates of Fergus's precious collection might be arranged as a sample of the specimens of minerals and fossils of Rockquay at the long-talked-of sale of work.

CHAPTER VIII. -- THE MOUSE-TRAP

If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent.

Love's Labour's Lost.

The young ladies were truly in an intense state of excitement about the sale of work, especially about the authors.h.i.+p; and Uncle Lancelot having promised to send an estimate, a meeting of the Mouse-trap was convened to consider of the materials, and certainly the ma.s.s of ma.n.u.script contributed at different times to the Mouse-trap magazine was appalling to all but Anna, who knew what was the shrinkage in the press.

She, however, held herself bound not to inflict on her busy uncle the reading of anything entirely impracticable, so she sat with a stern and critical eye as the party mustered in Miss Mohun's drawing-room, and Gillian took the chair.

"The great design," said she impressively, "is that the Mouse-trap should collect and print and publish a selection for the benefit of the school."

The Mice vehemently applauded, only Miss Norton, the oldest of the party, asked humbly--

"Would any one think it worth buying?"

"Oh, yes," cried Valetta. "Lots of translations!"

"The Erl King, for instance," put in Dolores Mohun.

"If Anna would append the parody," suggested Gillian.

"Oh, parodies are--are horrid," said Mysie.

"Many people feel them so," said Gillian, "but to others I think they are almost a proof of love, that they can make sport with what they admire so much."

"Then," said Mysie, "there's Dolores' Eruption!"

"What a nice subject," laughed Gillian. "However, it will do beautifully, being the description of the pink terraces of that place with the tremendous name in New Zealand."

"Were you there?" cried Anna.

"Yes. I always wonder how she can look the same after such adventures,"

said Mysie.

"You know it is much the same as my father's paper in the Scientific World," said Dolores.