CHAPTER XLI.
MRS. DREDGE TO THE RESCUE.
High tea at Penelope Mansion was an institution. Mrs. Flint said inconfidence to her boarders that she preferred high tea to late dinner.She said that late dinner savored too distinctly of the mannishelement for her to tolerate. It reminded her, she said, of clerksreturning home dead-beat after a day's hard toil; it reminded her ofsordid labor, and of all kinds of unpleasant things; whereas high teawas in itself womanly, and was in all respects suited to the gentleappetites of ladies who were living genteelly on their means. Mrs.Flint's boarders were as a rule impressed by her words, and high teawas, in short, a recognized institution of the establishment.
On the evening of the day when poor little Daisy had disappeared fromher Palace Beautiful Mrs. Flint's boarders were enjoying their genteelrepast in the cool shades of her parlor. They had shrimps for tea, andeggs, and buttered toast, and a small glass dish of sardines, to saynothing of a few little dishes of different preserves. Mrs. Dredge,who was considered by the other ladies to have an appetite the reverseof refined, had, in addition to these slight refreshments, a muttonchop. This she was eating with appetite and relish, while Miss Slowcumlanguidly tapped her egg, and remarked as she did so that it washollow, but not more so than life. Mrs. Mortlock, since thecommencement of her affliction, always sat by Mrs. Flint's side, andwhen she imagined that her companions were making use of their sightto some purpose she invariably requested Mrs. Flint to describe to herwhat was going on. On this particular evening the whole party weremuch excited and impressed by the unexpected return of Poppy, aliasSarah.
"It took me all of a heap!" said Mrs. Flint; "I really thought thegirl was saucy, and had gone--but never a bit of it. If you'll believeme, ladies, she came in as humble as you please, and quite willing togo back to her work in a quiet spirit. 'Sarah,' I said to her in themorning, 'you'll rue this day,' and she did rue it, and to somepurpose, or she wouldn't have returned so sharp in the evening. She'sa good girl, taking her all in all, is Sarah, and being my own niece,of course I put up with a few things from her which I would not takefrom a stranger."
"She spoke pretty sharp this morning about you, Mrs. Flint, to mycontinual reader," said Mrs. Mortlock; "I wouldn't take no airs, if Iwas you, from Sarah Maria. Miss Slowcum, I'll trouble you for thepepper, please. Seeing that I'm afflicted, and cannot now use myeyesight, I think there might be a little consideration in the smallmatter of pepper shown to me, but feel as I will I can find it in noway handy. Thank you, Miss Slowcum; sorry to trouble you, I'm sure."
"She grows more snappish each day," whispered Miss Slowcum to Mrs.Dredge; but just then the attention of all the good ladies wasdiverted by a ringing peal at the hall door-bell, followed by eagervoices in the hall, and then by the entrance of Poppy, alias Sarah,who broke in upon the quiet of high tea with a red and startled face.
"An awful trouble has happened," she began, breathlessly. "Oh, ladies,you'll pardon me, but this is no time for standing on ceremony, whenmy own darling little lady, Miss Daisy Mainwaring, has gone and lefther sheltering home."
"Good gracious! my continual reader's little sister!" exclaimed Mrs.Mortlock. "Left her home! you must be mistaken, Sarah Jane."
"No, ma'am, it's a most sorrowful fact," said poor Poppy, who lookedterribly dejected, and nearly sobbed as she spoke; "the other two dearyoung ladies has come for me, and I must go back with them. I'msorry, Aunt Flint, to part again so soon, but this is unexpected, andmy duty lies with my young ladies."
"Your duty lies with your aunt, miss," here exclaimed the exasperatedMrs. Flint. "Sarah, I was taking your part, but your airs are now paststanding. Ladies three, I feel convinced that this story is all amake-up. I don't believe for a moment the child has gone away. It's amake-up of Sarah's, who is turning into a most wicked girl."
"I don't believe it," here exclaimed Miss Slowcum. "Sarah Bertha hasspoken the truth, I feel convinced. I had a warning dream last night.I dreamt of white horses, and that always signifies very greattrouble. It's my belief that the poor dear innocent little child hasbeen murdered!"
"Murdered!" almost screamed Mrs. Mortlock. "Miss Slowcum, I'll thankyou to come and take the seat next me, my dear, and tell me all yourreasons in full for making this most startling remark. My dear, Idon't object to holding your hand while you're pouring forth the taleof woe. How and where, Miss Slowcum, did the child meet her death?"
Meanwhile, during this wrangling and fierce disputing, Mrs. Dredge,more kind-hearted than the others, had left the room. She had goneinto the hall, where Primrose and Jasmine stood side by side. She hadlistened to their bewildered and agitated little story, and thenasking them to sit down and wait for her, she had returned to theparlor.
"Mrs. Flint," she said, "I have been talking to the two elderMainwaring girls; they are in the hall. No, Mrs. Mortlock, you can'tsee Miss Primrose at present. The girls are in great trouble, for thelittle one has gone away, and there seems to be a mystery about itall. Your niece Sarah seems to be the last person who has seen thechild, Mrs. Flint, and, of course, Miss Primrose and Miss Jasmine wantto talk to her, and she had better go home with them. The friend theylive with, a Miss Egerton, left home this very afternoon to spend aweek in the country, and so the girls are quite defenceless, and havenobody to consult. That being the case, I'm going back with them alsoto their lodgings in a four-wheeler. Sarah Ann, go and fetch afour-wheeler this instant, and don't stand gaping. Mind, afour-wheeler, girl, and don't bring a hansom on no account near theplace. Yes, ladies, it's my duty to go with the poor orphans, and go Iwill."
While Mrs. Dredge was speaking Mrs. Mortlock ceased to hold MissSlowcum's very thin hand. Miss Slowcum's face looked decidedlyjealous, for she would have dearly liked to have been herself in Mrs.Dredge's interesting and sympathizing position. Mrs. Mortlock raisedher almost sightless eyes to the fat little woman's face, and remarkedin a slightly acid voice--
"I'm obliged to you, Mrs. Dredge, for thinking that in the moment oftrial the sight of me and a sympathizing squeeze from my hand wouldhave done my continual reader any harm. It's very good-natured of youto go with the orphan girls, Mrs. Dredge, and I'm glad to think you'vejust had the support of your chop to sustain you under the fatigue.Please remember, Mrs. Dredge, that we lock up the house in this homeat ten o'clock, and no latch-keys allowed. Isn't that so, Mrs. Flint?"
"Under ordinary circumstances, quite so, ma'am," answered Mrs. Flint,who would not have minded snubbing Miss Slowcum, but was anxious topropitiate both the rich widows; "under ordinary circumstances that isso, but in a dire moment like the present I think the ten minutes'grace might be allowed to Mrs. Dredge's kind heart."
"Here's the four-wheeler!" exclaimed Mrs. Dredge.
"Good-bye, ladies. If I'm not in at ten minutes past ten don't lookfor me until the morning."
When Mrs. Dredge, Primrose, Jasmine, and Poppy got back to the girls'pretty sitting-room the good-natured little widow proved herself avery practical friend. First of all, she listened carefully to Poppy'saccount of all that had transpired that day. She then got Primrose totell her as much as possible about Daisy. All the child's distress andnervousness and unaccountable unhappiness were related, and the sagelittle woman shook her head several times over the narrative, and saidat last, in a very common-sense voice--
"It's as clear as a pikestaff to Jemima Dredge that that sweet littlechild has been tampered with. Somebody has been frightening the bit ofa thing, Miss Primrose, and it's for you to find out who that somebodyis. As to where she's gone? Why, she has gone back to where she wasborn, of course, and you and me will follow her by the first train inthe morning, my dear."
"She was taking care of a cheque of mine for seventeen pounds tenshillings," exclaimed Primrose, "and in her little note she speaks ofthe money being lost. I think nothing of the loss of the money besideDaisy, but, Mrs. Dredge, Jasmine and I cannot afford even athird-class ticket to Rosebury just at present."
"Tut, tut, my dear," said Mrs. Dredge, "what's the go
od of a fullpurse except to share it? My poor husband Joshua was his name--we wastwo J's, dear--he always said, 'Jemima, thank God the chandlery isprospering. A full purse means light hearts, Jemima. We can shedblessings with our means, Jemima.' Those was Joshua's words, MissMainwaring, and I hear him now telling them to me from his grave. Youand me will go down to Rosebury in the morning, dear, and MissJasmine will stay at home with Sarah Mary for company, for there's nosense in waste, and one of you is quite enough to come."
While this conversation was going on Bridget knocked at the girls'door, and presented Jasmine with a thick parcel, which had justarrived for her by post. It was some of the manuscript, and the firstproofs of her story. The parcel came to hand at a sorrowful moment,and Jasmine laid it on the sofa, made no comment about it, and did notattempt to open it. Primrose scarcely raised her head from her hands,and was not the least curious, but Poppy's eyes gleamed brightly, forsharp Poppy guessed what the parcel contained, and she sincerely hopedthat whatever happened this story would prove a great success, andthat it would bring in so many gold coins to her young lady that shewould become not only rich herself, but able to pay back what she hadborrowed from her. For although Poppy was the soul of generosity, she_did_ want her wages back.