CHAPTER IV.--"I DRAW THE LINE AT UNCLE NED."
"Well, Jasper," said Evelyn in a very eager voice to her maid that firstnight, "and how do you like it all?"
"How do you like it, Evelyn?" was the response.
"That is so like you, Jasper!" replied the spoilt little girl. "When allis said and done, you are not a scrap original. You make me like you--Icannot help myself--but in some ways you are too cautious to please me.You don't want to say what you think of the place until you know myopinion. Well, I don't care; I'll tell you out plump what I think ofeverything. The place is horrid, and so are the people. I wish--oh! Iwish I was back again on the ranch with mother."
Jasper looked down rather scornfully at the small girl, who, in a richand elaborately embroidered dressing-gown, was kneeling by the fire.Evelyn's handsome eyes, the only really good feature she possessed, werefixed full upon her maid's face.
"The Castle is too stiff for me," she said, "and too--too airified andhigh and mighty. Mother was quite right when she spoke of CastleWynford. I don't care for anybody in the place except Uncle Ned. I don'tknow how I shall live here. Oh Jasper, don't you remember the eveningsat home? Cannot you recall that night when Whitefoot was ill, and youand mothery and I had to sit up all through the long hours nursing her,and how we thought the dear old moo-cow would die! Don't you rememberthe mulled cider and the gingerbread and the doughnuts and theapple-rings? How we toasted the apple-rings by the fire, and how theyspluttered, and how good the hot cider was? And don't you remember howmothery sang, and how you and I caught each other's hands and danced,and dear old Whitefoot looked up at us with her big, sorrowful eyes? Itis true that she died in the morning, but we had a jolly night. We'llnever have such times any more. Oh, I do wish my own mothery had notdied and gone to heaven! Oh, I do wish it--I do!"
Evelyn crossed her arms tightly on her breast and began to sway herselfbackwards and forwards. Tears streamed from her eyes; she did notattempt to wipe them away.
"Now then, it is my turn to speak," said Jasper. "I tell you what it is,Eve; you are about the biggest goose that was ever born in this world.Who would compare that stupid, rough old ranch with this lovely,magnificent house? And it is your own, Eve--or rather it will be yourown. I took a good stare at the Squire, and I do not believe he willlive to be very old; and whenever he dies you are to take possession--youand I together, Eve love--and out will go her ladyship, and out will goproud Miss Audrey. That will be a fine day, darling--a day worth livingfor."
"Yes," said Evelyn slowly; "and then we'll alter things. We'll make theCastle something like the ranch. We'll get over some of our friends, andthey shall live in the house. Mr. and Mrs. Petrie, who keep the egg-farmnot a mile from the ranch, and Mr. Thomas Longchamp and Pete and Dickand Tom and Michael. I told them all when I was going away that when Iwas mistress of the Castle they should come, and we'll go on much as wewent on at the ranch. If mothery up in heaven can see me she will beglad. But, Jasper, why do you speak in that scornful way of my cousinAudrey? I think she is very beautiful. I think she is quite the mostbeautiful girl I have ever looked at. As to her being stately, shecannot help being stately. I wish I could walk like her, and talk likeher, and speak like her; I do, Jasper--I do really."
"Let me see," said Jasper in a contemplative tone. "You are learning tolove her, ain't you?"
"I don't love easily. I love my own darling mothery, who is not dead atall, for she is in heaven with father; and I love you, Jasper, and myuncle Edward."
"My word! and why him?"
"I cannot help it; I love him already, and I'll love him more and morethe longer I see him and the more I know him. My father must have beenlike that--a gentleman--a perfect gentleman. Oh! I was happy at the ranch,and mothery was like no one else on the wide earth, but it gave me asort of quiver down my spine when Uncle Edward took my hand, and when hekissed me. He is like what father was. Had father lived I'd have spentall my days here, and I'd have been perhaps quite as graceful as Audrey,and nearly as beautiful."
"You will never be like her, so you need not think it. You are squatlike your mother, and you ain't got a decent feature in your face exceptyour eyes, and even they are only big, not dark; and your hair is skimpyand your face white. You are a sort of mix'um-gather'um--a sort ofbetwixt-and-between--neither very fair nor very dark, neither very shortnor very tall. You are thick-set, just the very image of your mother,and you will always be thick-set and always mix'um-gather'um as long asyou live. There! I have spoken. I ain't going to be afraid of you. Youhad better get into bed now, for it is late. You want your beauty-sleep,and you won't get it unless you are quick. Now march! Put on yournight-dress and step into bed."
"I have got to say my prayers first," said Evelyn, "and----" She pausedand looked full at her maid. "I have got to say something else. If youtalk like that I won't love you any more. You are not to do it. I won'thave it."
"Won't she, then?" said Jasper. Her whole manner changed. "And have Ihurt her--have I--the little dear? Come to me, my darling. Why, you areall trembling! Did you think I meant a word I said? Don't you know thatyou are the jewel of my eyes and the core of my heart and all the rest?Did your mother leave you to me for nothing, and would I ever leave you,sweetest and best? And if it is squat you are, there is no one like youfor determination and fire of spirit. Eh, now, come to my arms and I'llrock the bitterness out of you, for it is puzzled you are, and frettedyou are, and you shall not be--no, you shall not be either one or theother ever again while old Jasper lives."
Evelyn's eyes, which had flashed an almost ugly fire, now softened. Shelooked at Jasper as if she meant to resist her. Then she wavered, andcame almost totteringly across the room, and the next moment the strangewoman had clasped the girl to her embrace and was rocking her backwardsand forwards, Evelyn's head lying on her breast just as if she were ababy.
"Now then, that's better," said Jasper. "I'll undress you as though wewere back again on the ranch, and when you are snug and safe in yourlittle white bed we'll have a bit of fun."
"Fun!" said Evelyn. "What?"
"Don't you know how you like a stolen supper? I have got chocolate here,and a little pot, and a jug of cream, and a saucepan, and I'll make arich cup for you and another for myself; and here's a box of cakes, allsorts and very good. While you are sipping your chocolate I'll take offMiss Audrey and Lady Frances for you. The door is locked; no one can seeus. We'll be as snug as snug can be, and we'll have our fun just as ifwe were back at the ranch."
Evelyn was now all laughter and high spirits. She had no idea ofrestraining herself. She called Jasper her honey and her honey-pot, andkissed the good woman several times. She superintended the making of thechocolate with eager words and many directions. Finally, a cup of therich beverage was handed to her, and she sipped it, luxuriously curledup against her snowy pillows, and ate the sweet cakes, and watchedJasper with happy eyes.
"So it is Miss Audrey you'd like to take after?" said Jasper. "You thinkyou are not a patch on her. To be sure not--wait and we'll see."
In an instant Jasper had transformed her features to a comicalresemblance of Audrey's. She spoke in mincing tones, with justsufficient likeness to Audrey to cause Evelyn to scream with mirth. Shetook light, quick steps across the room, and imitated Audrey's verywords. All of a sudden she changed her manner. She now resembled MissSinclair, putting on the slightly precise language of the governess,adjusting her shoulders and arranging her hands as she had seen MissSinclair do for a brief moment that evening. Her personation of MissSinclair was as good as her personation of Audrey, and Evelyn became soexcited that she very nearly spilt her chocolate. But her crowningdelight came when all of a sudden, without the slightest warning, Jasperbecame Lady Frances herself. She now sailed rather than walked acrossthe apartment; her tones were stately and slow; her manner was the sortwhich might inspire awe; her very words were those of Lady Frances. Butthe delighted maid believed that she had a further triumph in store,for, with a quick change of mien, she now had the aud
acity to personatethe Squire himself; but in one instant, like a flash, Evelyn was out ofbed. She put down her chocolate-cup and rushed towards Jasper.
"The others as much as you like," she said, "but not Uncle Ned. You darenot. You sha'n't. I'll turn you away if you do. I'll hate you if you do.The others over and over again--they are lovely, splendid, grand--it putsheart in me to see you--but not Uncle Ned."
Jasper looked in astonishment at the little girl.
"So you love him as much as that already?" she said. "Well, as youplease, of course."
"Don't be cross, Jasper," said Evelyn. "I can stand all the others; Ican even like them. I told Audrey to-night how splendidly you can mimic,and you shall mimic her to her face when I know her better. Oh, it iskilling--it is killing! But I draw the line at Uncle Ned."