'Me and Nobbles'

  Chapter XII.

  'A DELIGHTFUL TIME.'

  When Miss Robsart came the next morning she found her pupils in a greatstate of excitement, and she seemed quite as interested as they were intheir news.

  'I wish I could give you a holiday,' she said; 'and I should like onemyself, but it wouldn't be right, so we'll set to work and get lessonsdone as quickly as possible, and then you'll be ready for your uncle ifhe comes again.'

  'And,' suggested Bobby earnestly, 'you'll put down a nice short littlesum for me to do, mostly twos and fours; me and Nobbles does not likethe figures past six, they want such a lot of finking about.'

  Miss Robsart laughed, but promised she would do the best she could, andlessons went very smoothly on the whole. When they were finished shesaid a little wistfully:

  'I was hoping you would come to tea with me this afternoon, my sisterwants to see you; but now your uncle and this Lady Isobel has arrived,you will be occupied with them.'

  'I expecks we shall have tea with them today,' said Bobby.

  'Will you ask us another day?' asked True. 'Isn't it funny? Yesterdaywe were quite miserable because nothing nice was happening, and to-daywe're too full. But Bobby and I want to come to tea with you verymuch, we reely do, and we'll ask if you may come to the wedding.'

  She jumped up from her chair and gave Miss Robsart a loving hug as shespoke, and Bobby forthwith followed her example. Miss Robsart wentaway from them with a cheerful face.

  Margot dressed them in their best clothes directly their dinner wasover. It was in honour of Lady Isobel's expected visit.

  'We haven't had a lady of title to the house since we've been inEngland,' said Margot reflectively. I can't say I've run up muchagainst them, but I believe they're pretty much the same as otherfolks; still a lady is a lady, and I wants her to see you looking likeyour dear mother would have you, and you just sit still, now you'reclean, and don't dirty yourselves up with playing about.'

  'It's like the story mother told us of the two little girls with theirclean frocks,' said True.

  'Yes,' responded Bobby; 'I wonder how our inside frocks are to-day,True.'

  True shook her head doubtfully.

  'I s'pose God has such _very_ good eyes He always sees spots andstains; but I don't think mine is very bad to-day. I can't rememberanything just now.'

  'Oh, I can. You stamped when the comb pulled your hair!'

  'A stamp wouldn't make a very black mark,' said True. 'You werebeating the sofa with Nobbles this morning, and Mrs. Dodds would beawful angry if she knew.'

  'That was Nobbles.'

  'Ah, that's another spot on your dress; you're making 'scuses, andblaming Nobbles when it was reely you.'

  Bobby hastily changed the conversation, and then there was a knock andring at the hall door, and in another moment Mr. Egerton and LadyIsobel were in the room, and Bobby was in the arms of his friend. Shelooked younger and prettier than when he saw her last. She was in along white coat and black hat. A big bunch of violets was in herbutton-hole.

  'Oh, Bobby, you darling, how glad I am to see you again! I can hardlybelieve I may one day be your aunt.'

  'That day will very soon be here,' said Mr. Egerton.

  She laughed, and a pink colour stole into her cheeks.

  Bobby's arms were tightly clasped round her neck.

  'I never did forget you,' he assured her, 'not before your letter came;and my picsher is lovelly.'

  'And who is this little girl? Is she your little step-sister? Howdelightful to have a playfellow. May I have a kiss, dear?'

  True willingly submitted to be embraced.

  This sweet looking lady won her heart at once.

  Then Nobbles was brought forward, and Lady Isobel kissed his littleugly face.

  'Oh, how often have I thought of you and Nobbles when I was so far awayfrom you!' she said, sitting down and drawing Bobby to her. 'And doyou know, I think it was you who brought your uncle to me. He wantedto hear about you----'

  'Oh, come,' interrupted Mr. Egerton, 'we were old friends; you stole mybest caterpillar when you were a girl. I remember to this day my wrathwhen you made your confession.'

  'Yes,' said Lady Isobel laughing; 'and I remember why I did it.Because you tied my best doll round the neck of our old gander, and hedrowned her in a pond.'

  The children were enchanted at these reminiscences, but a shadow almostimmediately fell on Lady Isobel's face.

  'Ah,' she said with a little sigh, 'that was many years ago. I havebeen through a good deal since then.'

  'And are you reely going to live in grandmother's house?' questionedBobby.

  'Your uncle wants to,' said Lady Isobel softly, looking across at Mr.Egerton as she spoke. 'It is his old home, Bobby; he played in yournursery many years ago.'

  'Yes, I know,' said Bobby. 'Tom said "Master Mortimer be a merry younggentleman."'

  'Ah,' said Mr. Egerton, knitting his brows fiercely, 'wait till I catchTom cutting some of my shrubs, he won't find me very merry then.'

  'Don't you think you will like to pay us a visit one day, Bobby?'

  'I mustn't leave father,' said Bobby promptly. 'May he come too?'

  'If he likes; we shall be delighted to see him,' said Mr. Egerton.'How I wish he was here. Does he have a big beard, Bobby?'

  'No, not a little bit of one.'

  'But that is quite wrong. You always told me he would wear a beard andcarry an axe and pistol in his belt.'

  'Yes,' said Bobby; 'me and Nobbles finked quite wrong about him; onlyhe's nicer and better and gooder than anybody else. And we sometimesfinks'--he dropped his voice and spoke in a hushed whisper--'that he isnearly as kind as my Father--God.'

  No one spoke for a moment. Lady Isobel bent down and kissed the curlyhead.

  'My little Bobby,' she said; 'how happy your father must be to have youwith him!'

  They talked for some time, and then the children were told that theywere going to be driven round to the hotel where Lady Isobel wasstaying, and have tea with her.

  'I want you to know my great friend who has come all the way from Indiajust to see me married,' she said to Bobby with a laugh and blush. Wehave often talked about you, so you must not feel her a stranger.'

  It was a delightful afternoon, and True enjoyed it as much as Bobby.Lady Isobel's friend was a sweet-faced grey-haired lady who was veryfond of children, and knew how to talk to them. They had tea in aprivate sitting-room, and came home laden with chocolates and sweets.

  'Margot, just listen! Bobby and I are going to be bride's-maid andbride's-groom, and we shall walk up the church after the bride.'

  'I'm sure Master Bobby won't be the bridegroom,' said Margot.

  'No, she said a page,' corrected Bobby. 'What's that, Margot? Ithought it was a leaf of a book.'

  'We shall be all in white,' said True.

  'Like angels,' said Bobby.

  And so they chattered on, the only regret being the absence of theirfather.

  The next day they had another excitement. They went to tea with MissRobsart.

  For some time past they had looked forward to this, and truth to tell,Miss Robsart was quite as eager as they were for the treat.

  She called for them at four o'clock, and they walked to the house inwhich she and her sister lodged. It was a quiet little street leadingout of Kensington High Street. She took them upstairs to a very prettysitting-room with three large windows in it, one of which was filledwith flowers and plants. By the fireside in an invalid chair was MissRobsart's sister. The children felt shy of her at first, but she hadsuch a bright smile and voice that they soon became at ease with her.

  'I have heard so much about you from my little sister Daisy that I feelI know you already. Do you wonder that I call her little? I am tenyears older than she is, and she always seems a little girl to me.'

  'Now Kathleen, respect my office, and don't be giving me away to mypupils. Bobby, show my sister your wonderful Nobbles, and tell herabout him whil
e I get tea ready.'

  True was looking with admiring eyes round the room. On the walls hungnumbers of beautiful water-colour sketches; there was a piano, twolittle love birds in a cage, some old carved furniture, and numbers ofpretty foreign curiosities.

  'I wish we had a room like this,' she said admiringly.

  'Ah! but you see this is our own furniture, and that makes such adifference,' said their Miss Robsart. 'We took two unfurnished roomsand put our own furniture into them, so of course it looks homey. Andall those pretty pictures were painted by my sister. Before she metwith her accident she used to go down to the country and sketch. Shelongs to do it now, but we cannot manage it. Now would you like tohelp me get out some cakes and jam from that cupboard for tea?'

  True was only too delighted to do something. Whilst Bobby chatted withthe elder sister she helped the younger to lay the tea.

  And then Miss Robsart was wheeled in her chair to the table, and Bobbyand True began to enjoy the jam and cakes provided for them. Theytalked a good deal about Mr. Egerton and Lady Isobel, and the eldestMiss Robsart asked Bobby about his grandmother's house in the country.

  'What a happy little boy you must have been,' she said, 'to haveenjoyed a country life! I used to live in the country when I was alittle girl, and I have never forgotten it.'

  'Why don't you live in the country now?' asked True.

  'Ah!' said Daisy, 'we mean to one day, when our ship comes in. If onlythat time would come soon! And then, Kathleen, you would be able tomake some sketches again, and get a sale for them!'

  Her sister laughed.

  'People would say I could sketch in London if I chose, and perhaps if Iwere not such a cripple I could.'

  'I've seed a cripple do lovelly picshers on the path,' said Bobbyeagerly; 'he did them all in red and blue and yellow! How did you geta cripple?'

  Daisy looked at her sister anxiously, but she smiled at her.

  'I was run over by an omnibus only four years ago, Bobby. It was afrosty day, and I was crossing the road in a hurry and slipped underthe horses' feet. I don't think I could sit on the pavement and paintpictures, so I must hope that some day I may be able to get to mybeloved hills and trees and water again. Those are what I paint best,and I cannot get them in London.'

  'Lady Is'bel can paint picshers of gates and angels and heaven,' saidBobby.

  And then he began to describe the golden gates, and Miss Robsartlistened with amused interest. After tea they had games of differentsorts, and then at seven o'clock they were taken home, havingthoroughly enjoyed themselves.

  When Mr. Allonby returned to them a few days later there was a greatdeal to tell him. He took the children more than once to see LadyIsobel at her hotel, and Mr. Egerton got into the way of coming roundin the evening to have a smoke with him. Bobby and True thought thiswinter was a delightful time altogether, and when the wedding-day drewnear they could hardly contain themselves for excitement.

  It was to be a very quiet one, and the guests were few in number. MissRobsart was to be one of them. Lady Isobel had met her by this timeand took a great liking to her; she went to see her sister, not onceonly, but a good many times, and when she came round to see Bobby andTrue the day before the wedding, she said to them, 'Do you know I havemy head full of plans for you all? I will not tell you now, butperhaps when the spring comes you shall hear.'

  'Father is going away from us in the spring,' said Bobby sorrowfully.Then a twinkle came into his brown eyes: 'Me and Nobbles makes up planstoo in bed; we runned after father once, we hided from him in hismotor, and then he had to keep us.'

  'Yes, but you aren't going to do that again,' said True, looking at himseverely. 'Dad is going across the sea; you couldn't follow him there.'

  'I could follow him anywheres!' said Bobby earnestly.

  'Ah! but you wouldn't like to displease your father by doing so,' saidLady Isobel. 'He wants you to stay at home and learn as fast as youcan, and grow as fast as you can. And then when you get quite big andclever you will be able to go about with him.'

  'Mother said I was to be his kerpanion,' said Bobby. 'I don't want togo to school.'

  'Ah! my plan is better than school,' said Lady Isobel.

  She would say no more, and Mr. Egerton, happening to come into the roomand hear her, turned the whole thing into a joke at once.

  'Yes, Bobby, I'll whisper some of her plans for you. She is going tostart a school on new principles. It's a school for grown-ups; you areto be the schoolmaster and True the mistress. You will have to teachthe old men how to slide banisters and play hide-and-seek. There willbe a class for those who don't know how to make up stories in bed; theymust be taught how to do it. Another class will have to learn how tosee robbers and Indians when it's getting dusk. It only needs a littleexplanation and then it is quite easy. True will have to teach thefine ladies to make daisy-chains and drink tea out of thimbles. Thereis a lot that grown-ups have learnt and forgotten, and a lot they havenever learnt at all. And of course Nobbles will give them a rap overthe knuckles for every mistake they make.'

  Bobby laughed delightedly.

  'Go on! Tell us more!'

  'I can't. My brain is so frightened at all it has to do to-morrow thatit has stopped working. I want to give it a rest to-day, poor thing.It is never very bright. You ask Lady Isobel what she feels like.'

  'What do you feel like?' asked Bobby promptly, turning to her.

  'Very much inclined to shut myself in my room and not come to church atall to-morrow,' she replied with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks.

  Mr. Egerton shook his head at her.

  'If you play me false,' he said, 'Bobby will have to fill his bath fullof water, and I will come and drown myself in it!'

  'Do!' cried True; 'and then we will take you out and hang you up todry!'

  'We won't be too silly,' said Lady Isobel.

  'And a wedding is a very solemn thing, isn't it?' said Bobby. 'Mrs.Dodd telled Margot that she cried more at weddings than funerals.'

  'I shan't cry,' said True, 'because I would spoil my white frock.'

  She was delighted with her white costume, which Lady Isobel hadinsisted upon providing. Margot at first shook her head over it.

  ''Tis too soon after the dear mistress's death to put off her black,'she said; but True had retorted instantly:

  'Mother wouldn't mind, I know. She's in a white dress herself now; shedoesn't wear black, so why should I?' And Margot was silenced.

  Bobby was to wear his best white sailor suit. He had coaxed Margot tobuy him a white piece of ribbon with which Nobbles was to be decorated,and he and True spent quite half an hour in arranging it in the form ofa rosette.

  Mr. Allonby was the only one in the house who did not seem impressed bythe excitement and stir about the important event. His face was ashade graver than usual when Bobby went to wish him good-night.

  'I am going to cut and run to-morrow, sonny. Your uncle understands.I can't be with you. I shall be out of town.'

  Bobby's face fell tremendously.

  'Oh, father, I did think you'd come with us. Shall True and I have towalk up the church all alone?'

  'There won't be many people there, my boy. And they will send acarriage for you. You won't miss me. Don't look so doleful.'

  'Shall I stay with you, father? I would like to 'stremely.'

  'No, my boy; I'm going out of town for the day.'

  'Do take me with you. Are you going to picnic somewhere?'

  Mr. Allonby was silent for a minute, then he said:

  'I am going to see mother's grave, sonny. I want to put a stone overit. Can you think of a text she would like written upon it?'

  Bobby's face was a picture of sweet seriousness.

  'She loved my tex', father. Would it be too long? She made me say itto her before she went away.'

  'What was it?'

  '"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, thatthey may have right to the tree of l
ife, and enter in through the gatesinto the City."'

  Mr. Allonby's face lit up with a smile.

  'Thank you, sonny; that will do beautifully. I will have it put overher grave.'

  Bobby stole up to bed in an exalted frame of mind. When Margot came towish him good night, he looked up at her with big eyes.

  'You go to sleep, Master Bobby, or you will never be ready to get upto-morrow.'

  'It's a most wunnerful day coming,' said Bobby, 'but I wish I could cutmyself in halves. The wedding will be lovelly, but seeing my very owntex' being written on mother's grave by father himself would be almostlovelier still. He's going down to do it, Margot; he told me so.'

  Margot left him, muttering to herself:

  'Such a jumble children do make of things! Weddings and graves be allthe same to them; they speak of it in one breath, and would as soon beat one as the other! And of all queer children, Master Bobby be thequeerest, though I love him with all my heart! That text of his be allthe world to him.'

  Downstairs a tired, sad man was gazing into the fire and repeatingsoftly to himself the text that was going to be as precious to him asto his little son:

  '"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, thatthey may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gatesinto the City."'