CHAPTER XI.
BOOBY-TRAPS.
Lady Jane Ashleigh was sitting at her early breakfast. She alwaysbreakfasted alone in a beautiful little room which her late husband hadspecially furnished for her. It was a room full of memories, for she hadpassionately loved her husband, and had never ceased to mourn his death.If she had been a more cheerful and less self-concentrated woman shemight long ago have won the love of her queer and erratic littledaughter. As it was, during her husband's lifetime she thought of no onebut him, and since his death her best thoughts were devoted to hismemory: to keep flowers always on his grave; to see that his portraitwas dusted day after day, and that flowers were put under it; to kneelthere and utter prayers that he and she might be reunited in a betterworld, absorbed her strongest thoughts.
Of late, however, Irene's queer conduct had terrified her very much. Toolate she discovered that she had no hold over the child, and the childwas now a source of misery to her. She could not manage Irene. Theservants were afraid of her. No governess would stay long. In short, shewas drifting from bad to worse; and yet it was impossible for Lady Janenot to love the queer, erratic little creature. Often at night, whenIrene was sound asleep, the mother would steal into the room and look atthe pretty face, quite soft then, with all the wildness gone out of it.She used to look down at the long, curling black lashes, on the pale,smooth, rounded cheeks, at the wealth of dark curling hair, and wonderand wonder why the child ever and always turned from her, why she neverreposed confidence in her, why she left her to live apart. If by anychance Lady Jane made a noise while she was in Irene's room and awakenedthat small sprite, then the scene would change. Irene would spring up inbed, dare her mother to invade her slumbers, and frighten her withimmediately vanishing into the night-air and spending the rest of hertime in the boat.
A short time ago, Irene had insisted on locking her door, and on oneoccasion had managed through utter carelessness to set fire to acurtain. Her own bravery had quenched the flames before any mischief wasdone; but the household had been alarmed, the room forcibly burst open,and the child, whose arm was badly burned, was carried fainting from theroom. After that Lady Jane removed all keys and bolts from the door, andno entreaties on Irene's part could induce her to have them put back.
On this lovely summer's morning Lady Jane was eating her delicatebreakfast in her usual delicate way. Her thoughts were divided betweenher husband, whom she would never see again in this world, and the childwhom she could not manage. She was also thinking of Rosamund, thedaughter of her dear friend.
A servant came in with the letter-bag. Lady Jane never had any specialcorrespondence, and she was in no hurry to open it; but having quiteconsumed her breakfast, she thought she might as well do so. Shetherefore languidly took a key from her chatelaine, inserted it into thelock, and took out the contents. She found amongst many other lettersone from her old friend, Rosamund's mother.
Mrs. Cunliffe wrote to say that she was glad Lady Jane liked Rosamund,and gave her hearty consent to Rosamund's spending a good deal of hertime at Lady Jane's house.
"I may as well tell you," continued the mother, "that Rosamund herselfis somewhat difficult to manage. I have always found her so; buthitherto nothing has gone very wrong between us, because I have led herby the golden rule of love. I have never driven her in any respect. Iheard a great deal of the Merrimans, the dear Professor, whose books areso well known, and the charming little school they proposed to open; andwhen I found that the school was in your neighborhood, my dear oldfriend, I decided to send Rosamund there. I am writing now to Professorand Mrs. Merriman to say that I wish Rosamund to spend as much time asever she can spare at your house and in the company of your sweet littlegirl. By the way, you have told me nothing about her. She must be abouttwelve years old now. Rosamund, dear child, is fifteen. I can fancy whata comfort the little Irene must be to her mother, so gentle and sweet,just like what that mother was when I was a somewhat wild and erraticgirl myself."
"Alas and alack!" thought poor Lady Jane, "how very little my dearfriend knows of the sort of creature whom Providence has bestowed uponme as a child!"
Just at that moment the room door was burst open, and Miss Frost, intears, her nose very red, her agitation extreme, followed by Irene,entered the room.
"She has poisoned me! She has absolutely poisoned me!" said theunfortunate governess, sinking on the first chair she could find. "Shebrought me my pills as usual this morning--you know I am ordered pillsfor indigestion--and after I had swallowed them she announced that shehad changed them for wood-lice, which curl up as you touch them."
"It was such fun!" laughed Irene. "Oh, Frosty, Frosty, it wasdelicious!"
"But what a wicked thing for you to do, Irene!" said her mother.
"They will multiply inside me," said poor Miss Frost. "Oh, what is to bedone? Can a doctor be summoned at once?"
"I am sure there can be no danger," said poor Lady Jane; "but it was awicked trick to play, Irene. But I believe wood-lice are harmless, and Isuppose they are dead. Still, Irene, your conduct is disgraceful. Youare really past bearing."
"All right, mumsy!" said Irene in a most cheerful tone. "I don't mindhow much you scold me, for I had such a happy time while I was watchingFrosty swallowing those digestive pills! She thought me so attentive,because as a rule I don't take any interest in her pills. I found a lotof the dear little wood-lice in the garden this morning, and it suddenlydarted through my mind that they could be swallowed just like pills. SoI put them into a box and rattled them well, and brought them to Frosty,and opened the box and said to her, 'Here, Frosty, here are yourdigestive pills;' and she had swallowed two before she found out whatshe had done. The rest began to uncurl in the box, and she discoveredwhat had happened. Oh, it was lovely to see her face!--You do feel bad,don't you? You'd like to go at once, wouldn't you, darling? I am soawfully anxious for you to go!"
"But if--if," said poor Miss Frost--"if you really think that thepills--I really can't call them by the other name--will do no harm, itseems almost a"----
"I tell you what I will do," said Lady Jane. "I will send you straightinto Dartford to see Dr. Marshall. He will tell you what is best to bedone. But I feel sure you are quite safe.--Irene, you are so naughtythat I cannot speak to you."
Miss Frost, who did not dare to give up her lucrative situation, leftthe room. Lady Jane went to the bell and rang it. A servant was desiredto have the carriage ordered immediately, and the unhappy and perplexedgoverness was soon out of the house on her way to Dartford to see Dr.Marshall or one of his assistants.
Meanwhile Irene, in the red dress she had worn all night, very muchcrumpled, very much disheveled and soiled, sat down and fixed her brighteyes on her parent.
"So she is not to go!"
"Was that why you did it, Irene?"
"Of course," said Irene in a laconic voice, "I'll have to think ofsomething else. She is an extraordinary woman is Frosty. I got rid ofCarter. You know how I got rid of her."
"You mustn't speak of it--it is too painful."
"Well, I'll have to get rid of Frosty."
"Now listen to me, Irene. Your governess is not to go."
"Mumsy dear, why that tone? You know you are a little bit afraid of yourIrene, aren't you?"
Irene danced up to her parent and looked at her with eyes bright asstars. Suddenly she flung herself on her knees by her mother's side.
"You didn't by any chance come to see me in my little bed last night?"she asked. "You didn't come perhaps in the early morning? You didn'tquote those well-known lines:
What does little birdie say In its nest at peep of day?
Mumsy dear, did you?"
"No, Irene; I was occupied with other things--with sad, very sadmemories. This is the anniversary of your dear, your precious father'sdeath."
Irene had the grace to be silent for a moment. After a pause she said,"I did remember that yesterday morning; and knowing that you'd befrightfully dumpy--oh, mummy! you know you never are cheerfu
l--I thoughtI'd have a spree on my own account. So I tell you what I did, mothery."
Lady Jane looked with absolute fear into Irene's face. After a time hereyes slowly welled up with tears.
"I can't imagine what I have done," she said. "I often wonder beyondwords why I am given such a very naughty child--a child who understandsme so very little, who cannot sympathize with my sorrows and cannotunderstand my griefs, and who contrives to make others miserable. It isyour cruelty that is so terrible, Irene."
"My cruelty!" said Irene, opening her bright eyes wide. Something seemedto hurt her. It was the first time Lady Jane had ever seen a spark ofreal feeling in this extraordinary child. "Well, now, listen," she said."I spent the night with Rosamund--dear Rosamund Cunliffe."
"You ran away from home and spent the night at the Merrimans'?"
"Oh, you needn't be afraid. I didn't even occupy one of their roomslong, and certainly didn't break bread with them. I wouldn't break breadin the house with that Lucy for all you could give me. Nevertheless, Ispent the night with Rosamund. Oh, she is a splendid creature! She isjolly enough, and she is brave enough. Why, she let me strike her on thecheek as hard as ever I could, and didn't utter a word. I wanted her tolock the door, and she had some queer notions about it that I couldn'tfathom; and when I struck her on her cheek, she only just offered methe other, and said, 'You may do what you like, but I will not lock thedoor.'
"Now, mother, if you'd stand up to me like that I'd just respect you.Anyhow, I respect Rosamund, and I dare say I'd have had to spend thenight in her room, or perhaps even have had to come home, but somethingmost welcome happened. Thank goodness, Rosamund isn't a prig! She'sawfully passionate, and has plenty of strong feelings. She's not a bit agoody-goody; I'd just hate her like anything if she were. But thatLucy--you know that prim thing, the daughter of the Professor and Mrs.Merriman? Well, she came into the room, and I was under the bed in atwinkling. She argued with Rosamund and found fault with her, and gotdear old Rose into a towering passion. Well, after that I could do whatI liked with her. She did lock the door, although she vowed she wouldn'tat first; and we got out through the window, and spent the night in thesummer-house in the plantation. I put my head on her lap, and she puther arms round me and tried to keep me warm; and then I went off tosleep so happily, for somehow or other--I didn't think I could ever loveanybody, but somehow or other there is a sort of feeling in me thatperhaps is love for her. I think I could even be good for her.
"In the morning she walked with me as far as The Follies, and I havebeen for the last few hours very busy. There'll be a good deal ofexcitement amongst the servants to-day. I did hope that the wood-licewould settle Frosty; but now you have interfered. Why can't you let hergo? She's no manner of use to me. Can't you give her whatever salary shehas now, and send her back to London, or wherever she lives?"
"And let you grow up wild, Irene, with no one to teach you--for you willnot learn from me?"
"Well, mother, I shall never learn anything from Frosty. Oh, what amorning it is! Is that the footman I hear outside? I expect he hasdiscovered."
Just then James, who had been in the family for the last five or sixyears, came staggering into the room. He had been caught by a booby-trapwhich Irene had placed just over his pantry door, and a shower ofspiders and caterpillars and other offensive insects had fallen all overhim. His face was deadly pale, and he declared that he had been severelystung.
"There were wasps there," he said, "and I have been stung in the cheekand on the hand; and, madam, I don't really know what to do."
"It was a booby-trap. You look beautiful, James!" said Irene.
James flashed her an angry glance. Poor Lady Jane started to the rescue.What was she to do with this intolerable child?
"There are a lot more traps laid for the other servants," said Ireneunder her breath. "I didn't want poor old James to be stung by thewasps. They stung me when I was catching them, but I didn't cry out. Inever cry out when I have pain. I wonder which insect stings worst? Iought to have a few handy for the worst of the servants. The only one Idon't want to part with is cook, for cook is so much afraid of me thatshe will give me any unwholesome food I like to ask her for. When dearRose comes we will have a feast. Oh, won't we have fun! I wonder--I dowonder--when she will come?"
Lady Jane left the room, and returned with a blue-bag, which she appliedto James's swollen hand and cheek. The frightened servant said he didnot think he could keep his situation much longer; but Lady Jane beggedof him to be patient. Irene had disappeared.
"It is the kind of shock, your ladyship," he said to his mistress. "It'sthat I can't bear. There was I a-walking in as innocent as you pleaseinto my pantry, carrying the hot dishes from your ladyship's breakfast.I just touched a string, and found a shower of the most venomous insectscrawling all over me. I dropped the dish on the spot, and if it hadn'tbeen a silver one it would have been in shivers. And how was she to knowthat it wouldn't be your ladyship's best Sevres or Crown Derby? How am Ito endure it, my lady?"
"She is a very naughty girl, and I will certainly punish her," said LadyJane, with a sigh. "But now, James, go about your business. The remediesI have used will soon take the pain out of your stings, and you will beall right again."
"There's poor Miss Frost," continued the man; "she has swallowed livingbeasts. It's all over the house, the story of Miss Irene giving her themhorrors instead of her pills. It's the most dreadful thing I ever heardtell of."
"I don't believe she is really seriously hurt at all. But I will seewhat can be done," said Lady Jane.
She sat for a time lost in thought. Irene must be sent away--school mustbe resorted to. She must not any longer be allowed to render The Folliesa home of terror to every individual who lived there. But what schoolwould take such a naughty girl? For an instant Lady Jane thought of theMerrimans. But no, that was worse than useless. Was there any school inany part of the world that would receive such a hopeless character aspoor Irene seemed to be turning into? Lady Jane could not tell.