Dolores was really proud of its peculiarity, and delighted to have any one to sympathize with her, in that and a great deal besides, which she communicated to her new friend in the window-seat of her room. When the two ladies went home, Constance told her sister that dear little Dolores was a remarkable character, sadly misunderstood among those common-place people, the Merrifields, and unjustly used, too, and she should do her best for her!
Meantime Gillian, finding herself not wanted, had repaired to the schoolroom.
Oh, it is of no use, sighed Mysie, disconsolately. Ive ever so much mornings work to make up, too. And I never shall! Ive muzzled my head!
By which remarkable expression Mysie signified that fatigue, crying, and dinner had made her brains dull and heavy; but Gillian was a sensible elder sister.
Dont try your sum yet, then, she said. Practise your scales for half an hour, while I do my algebra, and then well go over your German verbs together. Ill tell Miss Vincent, and she wont mind, and I think mamma will be pleased if you try.
Gillian was too much used to noises not to be able to work an equation, and prepare her Virgil, to the sound of scales, and Mysie was a good deal restored by them and by hope.
So when at length Constance had been summoned by her sister, who tore herself away from the arrangements, being bound to five-oclock tea elsewhere, Mysie was discovered with a face still rather woe-begone, but hopeful and persevering, and though there still was a bill of parcels where 11 and 3/4 lbs. of mutton at 13 and 1/2d. per lb. refused to come right, Lady Merrifield kissed her, said she had been a diligent child, and sent her off prancing in bliss to the old still-room stove, where they were allowed a fire, basins, spoons, and strainers, and where the sugar lay in a snowy heap, and the blackberries in a sanguine pile.
Theres partiality! thought Dolores, and scowled, as she stood at the front door still gazing after Constance.
Wont you come, Dolly? said Mysie. Or havent you learnt your lessons?
No, said Dolly, making one answer serve for both questions.
Oh! then you cant. Shall I ask mamma to let you off?
No, I dont care. I dont like messes! And whats the use if you havent a cookery class?
Its such fun, said Val.
And our sisters did go to a cookery class at Dublin and taught Gill, added Mysie.
But if you havent done your lessons, you cant go, said Valetta decidedly.
Off they went, and Lady Merrifield presently crossed the hall, and saw Dolores attitude.
My dear, are you waiting to say those verses? she said kindly.
I hadnt time to learn them, I went to sleep, said Dolores.
A very good thing too, my dear. Suppose we go over them together.
Aunt Lilias took the unwilling hand, led Dolores into the schoolroom, and for half an hour she went over the verses with her, explaining what was new to the girl, and vividly describing the agitation of Plymouth, and the flocks of people thronging in. I must show her that I will be minded, but I will make it pleasant to her, poor child, she thought.
And it could not have been otherwise than pleasant to her, but that she was reflecting all this time that she was being punished while Mysie was enjoying herself. Therefore she put the lid on her intellect, and was inconceivably stupid.
CHAPTER VI. PERSECUTION
On Monday afternoon Dolores was sitting at the end of the long garden walk, upon a green garden-bench, with a crocodiles head and tail roughly carved. The shouts of the others were audible in the distance beyond the belt of trees. Aunt Lily had driven into the town to meet her sisters, taking Fergus with her, whereas Dolores had never been out in the carriage. There was partiality! Though, to be sure, Fergus was to have a tooth out! Harry and Gillian were playing with the rest, and she had been invited to join, but she had made answer that she hated romping, and on being assured that no romping was necessary, she replied that she only wanted to read in peace. She had refused the Thorn Fortress, which she was told would explain the game, and had hunted out Clare, or No Home, to compare her lot with that of the homeless one.
Certainly, she had not yet been sent to bed with a box on the ear because a countess had shown symptoms of noticing her more than her ugly, over-dressed cousin. But then Aunt Lily would not allow her to walk down alone to the Casement Villas to see dear Constance, and would let that farmer keep all those dreadful cows in the paddock, so that even going escorted was a terror to her.
Nor had her handsome mourning been taken from her and old clothes of her cousin substituted for it. No, but she had been cruelly pulled about between Mrs. Halfpenny and the Silverton dressmaker with a mouthful of pins; and Aunt Lily had insisted on her dress being trimmed with velvet, instead of the jingling jet she preferred.
Did they intercept her letters? She had had one from her father, sent from Falmouth, but only one from Maude Sefton in ten days! Moreover, she had one from Constance in her apron pocket, arrived that very afternoon, asking her to come down with Gillian on the Sundays, that the friends might enjoy themselves together while the classes were going on; but she made sure that all were so jealous of her friendship with Constance that no consent would be given.
She did not hear or notice the whisperings in the laurels behind her
Do you see that sulky old Croat, smoking his pipe under the tree?
No, he is a Black Brunswicker.
Nonsense, Willie; the Black Brunswickers werent till Bonapartes time.
I dont care, he is anything black and nasty; here goes!
Oh stop; dont shoot. I believe he is only a vivandiere. Besides, its treacherous
I tell you he is laying a train to blow up the tower. There!
An arrow struck the bench beside Dolores, who, more angry than she had ever been in her life, snatched it up, unheeding that it had no point to speak of, rushed headlong in pursuit, while, with a tremendous shout, Valetta and Wilfred flew before her to a waste overgrown place at the end of the kitchen garden.
Weve shot a Croat!
No, a Black Brunswicker.
Oh ah! They are comingthe enemy! Into the fortress! Bar the wolfs passage!
And as Dolores struggled through the bushes, she saw the whole family dashing into an outhouse, and the door slammed. She pushed against it, but an unearthly compound of howls, yells, shouts and bangs replied.
Gillian! Harry, I say, she cried in great anger; come out, I want to speak to you.
But her voice was lost in the war-whoops within, and the louder she knocked, the louder grew the din, till she walked off, swelling with grief and indignation. Mysie, after all her professions of friendship, to use her in this way! And Harry and Gillian, who should have kept the others within bounds!
Slowly she crossed the lawn, just as Lady Merrifield, the other two aunts, and Fergus, all came out from the glass door of the drawing-room. Aunt Jane, a trim little dark-eyed woman, looking at two and forty much the same as she might have done at five and twenty; and Aunt Adeline, pretty and delicately fair, with somewhat of the same grace as Lady Merrifield, but more languor, and an air as if everything about her were for effect. Though not specially fond of theses aunts, Dolores was glad to have them as witnesses of her ill-usage.
There stands Dolly, like a statue of Diana, dart in hand, exclaimed Aunt Adeline.
There stands Dolly, like a statue of Diana, dart in hand, exclaimed Aunt Adeline.
Yes, said Dolores; I wish to know, Aunt Lilias, if Wilfred and Valetta are to call me names, and shoot arrows at me?
What do you mean, my dear?
They came at me while I was sitting quietly readingthereand shot at me, and called me such horrid names I cant repeat them, and ran away. Then the others, Gillian and Harry and all, would not listen to me, but shut themselves up in an out-house and shouted at me.
I think there must be some mistake, Dolores, said her aunt. Where are they?
Out beyond there, said Dolores, pointing in the direction in which Fergus was running.
Lady Merrifield set off with her, and the other two ladies followed more slowly.
I thought it would not do, said Aunt Jane.
Lilys children are so rough, added Aunt Adeline.
I am not so sure that the fault is theirs, was the reply. She is a priggish little puss, who wants shaking up.
Ah! here come the hordes, sighed Adeline, shrinking a little, as the entire population, summoned by Fergus, came pouring forth to meet the advancing mother.
How is this, Wilfred? Have you been shooting arrows at your cousin?
Mama! cried Valetta, indignantly, he did not shoot at her; he only pretended, and shot the old crocodile-bench. He never meant any more. It was only play.
Have you not been forbidden to shoot in the direction of any person?
Nor I didnt! said Wilfred. I only shot the crocodile. I never tried to hit her. She is quite big enough to miss.
And she did look such a nice Croat, mamma, added Valetta. We were scouts out of the Thorn Fortress, Willie and I, and it was such a jolly dodge to steal upon one of the enemy.
You should have warned her.
Then it would not have been a surprise, said Val, seriously.
Was she not at play with you?
No, mamma, said Mysie. We asked her, and she would not. I say, pausing in consternation, Dolores, was it you that came and called at the door of the Wolfs passage?
Of course. I wanted to show Gillian how Wilfred behaved to me.
I thought it was Fergus come home to be the enemy.
Didnt you know her voice? asked the mother
We were all making such a noise ourselves in the dark, said Gillian, that there was no hearing any one; and Primrose was rather frightened, so that Hal was attending to her. Indeed, Dolores, I am very sorry. If we had guessed that it was you, we would have opened the door at once, and then you would have known that it was all fun and play, and not have troubled mamma about it.
Wilfred and Valetta knew, said Dolores, rather sullenly.
Oh! but it was such fun, said Val.
It was fun that became unkindness on your part, said her mother. You ought not to have kept it up without warning to her. And what do I hear about names? I hope that was also misunderstanding of the game. What did you call her?
Only a Croat, said Valetta, indignantly, and a Black Brunswicker.
Was that it, Dolores?
Perhaps, she muttered, disconcerted by a laugh from her Aunt Jane.
I do not know what you took them for, said Lady Merrifield, but you see some part of this trouble arose from a mistake on you part. Now, Wilfred and Valetta, remember that is not right to force a person into play against her will. And as to the shooting near, but not at her, you both know perfectly well that it is forbidden. So give me your bow, Wilfred. I shall keep it for a week, that you may remember obedience.
Wilfred looked sullen, but obeyed. Dolores could not call her aunt unjust, but as she look round, she met glances that made her think it prudent to shelter herself among the elders. Aunt Jane asked what the game was.
The Thorn Fortress, said Gillian. It comes out of that delightful S.P.C.K. book so called, where, in the Thirty Years War, all the people of a village took refuge from the soldiers in a field in the middle of a forest guarded by a tremendous hedge of thorns. Val had it for a birthday present, and the children have been acting it ever since.
It has quite put out the Desert Island passion, which used to be a regular stage in these childrens lives. Every voyage we have taken, somebody has come to ask whether there was any hope of being wrecked on one.
Fergus even asked when we crossed from Dublin, said Gillian.
He was put up to that, to keep up the tradition, observed Harry.
On reaching the house, the elders proceeded to five oclock tea in the drawing-room, the juniors to gouter in the dining-room. As Dolores entered, she beheld a row of all her five younger cousins drawn up looking at her as if she had committed high treason, and she was instantly addressed
Tell-take tit! began Valetta.
Sneak! cried Wilfred.
I will call her Croat! added Fergus.
Worse than Croat! Bashi Bazouk! exclaimed Valetta.
Worse than Crow! chimed in Primrose.
Oh, Dolores! How could you? said Mysie.
To get poor Willie punished! said Val.
Dolores stood her ground. It was time to speak when it came to shooting arrows at me.
Hush! hush! Willie, cried Mysie. I told you so. Now Dolores, listen. Nobody ever tells of anybody when it is only being tiresome and they dont mean it, or there never would be any peace at all. Thats honour! Do you see? One may go to Gill sometimes.
Ones a sneak if one does, put in Wilfred; but Mysie, unheeding went on
And Gill can help without a fuss or going to mamma.
Mamma always knows, said Val.
Mamma knows all about everything, said Mysie. I think its nature; ad if she does not always take notice at the time, she will have it out sooner or later. Then resuming the thread of her discourse: So you see, Dolly, we have made up our minds that we will forgive you this time, because you are an only child and dont know whats what, and thats some excuse. Only you mustnt go on telling tales whenever an evident happens.
Dolores thought it was she who ought to forgive, but the force against her was overpowering, though still she hesitated. But if I promise not to tell, she said, how do I know what may be done to me?
You might trust us, cried Mysie, with flashing eyes.
And I can tell you, added Wilfred, that if you do tell, it will be ever so much the worse for yougirl that you are.
War to the knife! Cried Valetta, and everybody except Mysie joined in the outcry. War to the knife with traitors in the camp.
Mysie managed to produce a pause, and again acted orator. You see, Dolores, if you did tell, it would not be possible for mamma or Gill to be always looking after you, and I couldnt do you much goodand if all these three are set against you, and are horrid to you, and I couldnt do you much goodhorrid to you, youll have no peace in your life; and, after all, we only ask of you to give and take in a good-natured sort of way, and not to be always making a fuss about everything you dont like. It is the only way, I assure you.
Dolores saw the fates were against her, and said
Very well.
You promise?
Yes.
Then we forgive you, and heres the box of chocolate things Aunt Ada brought. Well have a cigar all round and be friends. Smoke the pipe of peace.
Dolores afterwards thought how grand it would have been to have replied, Dolores Mohun will never be intimidated; but the fact was that her spirit did quail at the thought of the tortures which the two boys might inflict on her if Mysie abandoned her to their mercy, and she was relieved, as well as surprised to find that her offence was condoned, and she was treated as if nothing had happened.