Moreover, after one or two of these references, Mr. Ogilvie offered to look over her Latin and Greek exercises, and hear her construe on his Saturday half-holidays, declaring that it would be quite a refreshment. Caroline was shocked at the sacrifice, but she could not bear to affront her daughter, so she consented; but as she thought Janet was not old enough to need a chaperon, and as her boys did want her, she was hardly ever present at the lessons.
Moreover, Mr. Ogilvie had a lecturer from London to give weekly lectures on physical science to his boys, and opened the doors to ladies. This was a great satisfaction, chiefly for the sake of Bobus and Jock, but also for Janets and her mothers. The difficulty was to beat up for ladies enough to keep one another in countenance; but happily two families in the country, and one bright little bride in the town, were found glad to open their ears, so that Ellen had no just cause of disapproval of the attendance of her sister and niece.
Ellen had more cause to sigh when Michaelmas came, and for the first time taught poor Carey what money matters really meant. Throughout her married life, her only stewardship had concerned her own dress and the childrens; Mrs. Brownlows occasional plans of teaching her housekeeping had always fallen through, Janet being always her grandmammas deputy.
Thus Janet and nurse had succeeded to the management when poor Carey was too ill and wretched to attend to it; and it had gone on in their hands at the Pagoda. Janet was pleased to be respected accordingly by her aunt, who always liked her the best, in spite of her much worse behaviour, for were not her virtues her own, and her vices her mothers?
Caroline had paid the weekly books, and asked no questions, until the winding up of the executors business; and the quarterly settlement of accounts made startling revelations that the balance at her bankers was just eleven shillings and fourpence halfpenny, and what was nearly as bad, the discovery was made in the presence of her fellow executor, who could not help giving a low whistle. She turned pale, and gasped for breath, in absolute amazement, for she was quite sure they were living at much less expense than in London, and there had been no outgoings worth mentioning for dress or journeys. What were they to do? Surely they could not live upon less! Was it her fault?
She was so much distressed, that the good-natured Colonel pitied her, and answered kindly
My good little sister, you were inexperienced. You will do better another year.
But theres nothing to go on upon!
He reminded her of the rent for the London house, and the dividends that must soon come in.
Then it will be as bad as ever! How can we live more cheaply than we do?
Ellen is an excellent manager, and you had better consult her on the scale of your expenditure.
Carolines spirit writhed, but before she had time to say anything, or talk to Janet, the Colonel had heard his excellent housewifes voice, and called her into the council. She was as good as possible, too serenely kind to manifest surprise or elation at the fulfilment of her forebodings. To be convicted of want of economy would have been so dreadful and disgraceful, that she deeply felt for poor Caroline, and dealt with her tenderly and delicately, even when the weekly household books were opened, and disclosed how much had been spent every week in items, the head and front of which were oft repeated in old nurses self-taught writing
Man...... Glas of beare. 1d.
Creme........... 3d.
For had not the Colonels wife warned against the endless hospitality of glasses of beer to all messengers; and had not unlimited cream with strawberries and apple-tarts been treated as a kind of spontaneous luxury produced at the Belforest farm agents? To these, and many other small matters, Caroline was quite relieved to plead guilty, and to promise to do her best by personal supervision; and Ellen set herself to devise further ways of reduction, not realising how hopeless it is to prescribe for another persons household difficulties. It is not in the nature of things that such advice should be palatable, and the proverb about the pinching of the shoe is sure to be realised.
Too many servants, said prudence. If old nurse must be provided forand she ought to have saved enough to do withoutit would be much better to pension her off, or get her into an almshouse.
Caroline tried to endure, as she made known that she viewed nurse as a sacred charge, about whom there must be no question.
Ellen quietly said
Then it is no use to argue, but she must be allowed no more discretion in the housekeeping.
No, I shall do that myself, said Caroline.
An extravagant cook.
That may be my fault. I will try to judge of that.
Irregular hours.
They shall end with the holidays.
There was still another maid, whom Ellen said was only kept to wait on nurse, but who, Caroline said, did all their needlework, both making and mending.
That, said Ellen, I should have thought you and Janet could do. I do nearly all our work with the girls help; I am happy to say that Jessie is an excellent needlewoman, and Essie and Ellie can do something. I only direct the nursery maid; I never trust anything to servants.
I could never bear not to trust people, said Caroline.
Ellen sighed, believing that she would soon be cured of that; and Carey added
On true principles of economy, surely it is better that Emma, who knows how, should mend the clothes, than that I should botch them up in any way, when I can earn more than she costs me!
Earn!
Yes; I can model, and I can teach. Was I not brought up to it?
Yes, but now it is impossible! It is not a larger income that you want, but proper attention to details in the spending of it, as I will show you.
Whereupon Mrs. Brownlow, in her neat figures, built up a pretty little economical scheme, based on a thorough knowledge of the subject. Caroline tried to follow her calculations, but a dreaminess came over her; she found herself saying Yes, without knowing what she was assenting to; and while Ellen was discoursing on coals and coke, she was trying to decide which of her casts she could bear to offer for sale, and going off into the dear old associations connected with each, so that she was obliged at the end, instead of giving an unqualified assent, to say she would think it over; and Ellen, who had marked her wandering eye, left off with a conviction that she had wasted her breath.
Certainly she was not prepared for the proposal with which Mother Carey almost rushed into the room the next day, just as she was locking up her wine, and the Colonel lingering over his first glance at the days Times.
I know what to do! Miss James is not coming back? And you have not heard of any one? Then, if you would only let me teach your girls with mine! You know that is what I really can do. Yes, indeed, I would be regular. I always was. You know I was, Robert, till I came here, and didnt quite know what I was about; and I have been regular ever since the end of the holidays, and I really can teach.
My dear sister, edged in the Colonel, as she paused for breath, no one questions your ability, only the fitness of
I had thought over two things, broke in Caroline again. If you dont like me to have Jessie, and Essie, and Ellie, I would offer to prepare little boys. Ive been more used to them than to girls, and I know Mr. Ogilvie would be glad. I could have the little Wrights, and Walter Leslie, and three or four more directly, but I thought you might like the other way better.
I can see no occasion for either, said Ellen. You need no increase in income, only to attend to details.
And I had rather do what I canthan what I cant, said Caroline.
Every lady should understand how to superintend her own household, said her Serene Highness.
Granted; oh, granted, Ellen! Im going to superintend with all my might and main, but I dont want to be my own upper servant, and I know I should make no hand of it, and I had much rather earn something by my wits. I can do it best in the way I was trained; and you know it is what I have been used to ever since my own children were born.
Ellen heaved a sigh at this obtuseness towards what she viewed as the dignified and ladylike mission of the well-born woman, not to be the bread-winner, but the preserver and steward, of the household. Here was poor little Caroline so ignorant as actually to glory in having been educated for a governess!
The Colonel, wanting to finish his Times in peace, looked up and said, with the gracious tone he always used to his brothers wife
My good little sister, it is very praiseworthy in you to wish to exert yourself, and very kind and proper to desire to begin at home, but you must allow us a little time to consider.
She took this as a hint to retreat; and her Serene Highness likewise feeling it a dismissal, tried at once to obviate all ungraciousness by saying, We are preserving our magnum bonums, Caroline dear; I will send you some.
Magnum bonum! gasped Caroline, hearing nothing but the name. Do you know?
I know the recipe of course, and can give you an excellent one. I will come over by-and-by and explain it to you.
Caroline stood confounded. Had Joe revealed all to his brother? Was it to be treated as a domestic nostrum? Then you know what the magnum bonum is? she faltered.
Are you asking as a philosopher, said the Colonel, amused by her tone
I dont know what you mean, Colonel, said his wife. I offered Caroline a basket of magnum bonums for preserving, and one would think I had said something very extraordinary.
Perhaps it is my cockney ignorance, said Caroline, beginning to breathe freely, and thinking it would have been less oppressive if Sua Serenita would have either laughed or scolded, instead of gravely leading her past the red-baize door which shut out the lower regions to the room where white armies of jam-pots stood marshalled, and in the midst two or three baskets of big yellow plums, which awoke in her a remembrance of their name, and set her laughing, thanking, and preparing to carry home the basket.
This, however, as she was instantly reminded, was not country-town manners. The gardener was to be sent with them, and Ellen herself would copy out the recipe, and by-and-by bring it, with full directions.
Each lady felt herself magnanimously forbearing, as Caroline went home to the lessons, and Ellen repaired to her husband on his morning inspection of his hens and chickens.
Poor thing, she said, there are great allowances to be made for her. I believe she wishes to do right.
She knows how to teach, rejoined the Colonel. Bobus is nearly at the head of the school, and Johnny has improved greatly since he has been so much with her.
Johnny was always clever, said his mother. For my part, I had rather see them playing at good honest games than messing about with that museum nonsense. The boys did not do half so much mischief, nor destroy so many clothes, before they were always running down to the Pagoda. And as to this setting up a school, you would never consent to have Joes wife doing that!
There is no real need.
None at all, if she only wouldif she only knew how to attend to her proper duties.
At the same time, I should be very glad of an excuse for making her an advance, enough to meet the weekly bills, till her rent comes in, so that she may not begin a debt. Could you not send the girls to her for a few hours every day?
Thats not so bad as her taking pupils, for nobody need know that she was paid for it, said his wife, considering. I dont believe it will answer, or that she will ever keep to it steadily; but it can hardly hurt the children to try, if Jessie has an eye on Essie and Ellie. I will not have them brought on too fast, nor taught Latin, and all that poor little Babie is learning. I am sure it is dreadful to hear that child talk. I am always expecting that she will have water on the brain.
The decision, which really involved a sacrifice and a certain sense of risk on the part of these good people, was conveyed in a note, together with a recipe for the preservation of magnum bonums, and a very liberal cheque in advance for the first quarter of her three pupils, stipulating that no others should be admitted, that the terms should be kept secret, that the hours should be regular, and above all, that the pupils should not be forced.
Caroline was touched and grateful, but could hardly keep a little satire out of her promise that Essie and Ellie should not be too precocious. She wrote her note of thanks, despatched it, and then, in the interest of some arithmetical problems which she was working with Janet, forgot everything else, till a sort of gigantic buzz was heard near at hand. A sudden thought struck her, and out she darted into the hall. There stood the basket in the middle of the table, just where the boys were wont to look for refections of fruit or cake when they tumbled in from school. Six boys and Babie hovered round, each in the act of devouring a golden-green, egg-like plum, and only two or three remained in the leaves at the bottom!
Oh, the magnum bonums! she cried; and Janet came rushing out in dismay at the sound, standing aghast, but not exclaiming.
Werent they for us? asked Bobus, the first to get the stone out of his mouth.
No; oh, no! answered his mother, as well as laughter would permit; they are your aunts precious plums, which she gave us as a great favour, and I was going to be so good and learn to preserve and pickle them! Oh, dear!
Never mind, Mother Carey, mumbled her nephew Johnny, with his stone swelling out his cheek, where it was tucked for convenience of speech; Ill go and get you another jolly lot more.
You cant, grunted Robin; they are all gathered.
Then well get them off the old tree at the bottom of the orchard, where they are just as big and yellow, and mamma will never know the difference.
But they taste like soap!
That doesnt matter. Shed no more taste a magnum bonum, before it is all titivated up with sugar, thanthanthan
Babies head with brain sauce, gravely put in Bobus, as his cousin paused for a comparison. Its a wasting of good gifts to make jam of these, for jam is nothing but a vehicle for sugar.
Then the grocers cart is jam, promptly retorted Armine, for I saw a sugarloaf come in one yesterday.
Come on, then, cried Jock, ripe for the mischief; I know the tree! They are just like long apricots. Aunt Ellen will think her plums have been all a-growing!
No, no, boys! cried his mother, I cant have it done. To steal your aunts own plums to deceive her with!
We always may do as we like with that tree, said Johnny, because they are so nasty, and wont keep.
How nice for the preserves! observed Bobus.
They would do just as well to hinder Mother Carey from catching it.
No, no, boys; I ought to catch it! It was all my fault for not putting the plums away.