CHAPTER XXXIV.
A PLAN.
Mrs. Ellsworthy had by no means forgotten the girls--they had allthree taken her fancy, and, as she said to her husband, she could notget them out of her head. Arthur Noel, who was a sort of adopted sonof the house, often now brought her information about her favorites,but the good little lady was impatient to see the girls herself, andfelt much annoyed at not being able to induce Arthur to give her theiraddress.
"I don't want them to succeed," she said, talking one day to the youngman. "I have plenty of money, more than I really know what to do with,and I particularly want to spend some of it on these girls. If theysucceed in what they are about they won't want my money, and of coursethat is the last thing I wish. If I cannot adopt all three, why atleast can I not have Jasmine?--Jasmine is my favorite, although I lovethat little pet Daisy too. Arthur, you may talk to me from morning tonight, but you will never persuade me but that Jasmine is the sort ofgirl who would shine better in prosperity than in adversity."
"You cannot take her from her sisters," said Noel; "I do not believeyou would get her to leave them--but if you were to try and were tosucceed, you would certainly lower her character, and having donethis, you could not say she would be a better girl in prosperity thanin adversity."
"You are so particular, Arthur," half grumbled Mrs. Ellsworthy; "youmust have forgotten your own very poor days, or you would not speak sowarmly for adversity."
"I don't quite forget them," said Arthur, a cloud coming over hisface, which was a particularly bright one. "I have a dim memory aboutthem, and a very, very dim memory about a mother and an old nurse, wholoved me very much. I can just recall crying night after night for mymother, and being beaten, and silenced, and half starved. Then Isuppose I was ill, for I know there is a blank which I never can fillup; but I shall always remember that day when I stood in the snowystreet, and cried so bitterly, and tried to ask for pennies, and howmy hat blew off, and I ran to catch it, and then--"
"Oh, it was horrible!" said Mrs. Ellsworthy, covering her face withher hands. "I shudder at it even now--the coachman could not keep thehorses in, and they went over you, and we thought you were killed. Youwere lifted into the carriage--such a ragged, thin little figure,with such a lovely face. You came to--you were not so badly hurt--itwas nothing short of a miracle, for you ought to have been almostkilled. My brother Arthur was with me, and when you opened your eyesyou stretched out your arms to him. He just took you to his heart onthe spot, and you were his son from that day forward. Well, Arthur, Idon't think, prosperity has done you any harm."
"I had no choice," said Noel. "Prosperity came to me as God's gift. Itso happens that I am now a rich man and I suppose even rich people canfind their mission. The girls at present are poor; our cases are in noway parallel. Oh! how gladly I would help them, but believe me, Iwould help them to keep their independence."
Mrs. Ellsworthy frowned.
"If you are going to thwart me, Arthur, I am done," she said.
"Can you not help them without adopting them?" asked Arthur.
"Oh! my dear boy, what am I to do? I know lots of influential people,but I can't go to them and say, 'I know three charming girls; they areall as ignorant as possible; they don't know any of our manners andcustoms; they are not educated up to the required standard; they arefearfully independent. Will you, my dear friend, take the eldest intoyour family, and give her a governess's salary, although she cannotteach? and will you, my other beloved friend, speak to the editor ofthe magazine you most admire, and ask him to accept poems which do notscan, and stories which are the feeble productions of an ambitiouschild? And will you, my last friend, come to the rescue by employing acertain sweet little girl to look after your kittens?' Arthur, how canthose girls be independent unless they are taught?"
"Still I believe the girls can be helped; and that it is the right andonly thing to do," said Noel. "I propose to talk to Miss Egerton aboutthem. I will ask her to go into figures with me, and to state what sumshe thinks ought to be expended on their education. She probably knowssomething about what talents they have by this time. After she and Ihave talked our plans over together we will ask you whether you areinclined to advance the necessary money. If you say 'Yes,' MissEgerton will speak to the girls, and tell them quite openly what youare doing, and appeal to their common sense not to reject their onlyreal chance of obtaining an independence bye-and-bye. They can, ifthey think right, arrange to pay you back within a certain term ofyears. I believe you will do best for them by making such anarrangement."
Mrs. Ellsworthy both frowned and smiled, but finally agreed to allowArthur Noel to have his own way.
That very afternoon the energetic young man went to see Miss Egerton.They discussed the subject in an its bearings, and Miss Egertonarranged to speak to Primrose at the first opportunity.