them.They disliked Marcia more than they had ever disliked her. Their monthat the Carters' had effectually spoiled them.
But time and circumstances are relentless. The Aldworths were to returnto their home the next day, and although Molly dreamed that somethingcame to prevent it, and although Ethel vowed that she would imploreClara to keep her on as a sort of all-round useful sort of ladycompanion, and although Nesta threatened--her favourite threat--by theway--to run away, nothing did happen. Nesta did not run away; Ethel wasnot adopted as Mabel's slave; Molly was forced to go with just a nod anda good-natured regret from Jim.
"I'll miss you a bit at first, but I'll come round and see you, andyou'll come to see us; but you are going back to your mother, and youwill be pleased."
And then he was off to attend to his school, for he was still a bigschoolboy.
Clay and Mabel were heartily tired of the Aldworth girls. Penelope wasslightly annoyed at parting from Nesta, but only--and she vowed thisquite openly--because she was able to shirk her lessons when Nesta waspresent. And so they went away, not even in the dogcart, for Jim couldnot spare the time, but humbly and sadly on foot, and their trunks wereto follow later on.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
THE NEW LEAF.
As soon as ever the three Aldworth girls entered the house, they weremet by their father. This in itself was quite unlooked-for. As a rule,he never returned home until time for late dinner in the evening. Hewas a very busy professional man, and was looked up to by his fellowtownspeople. He now stood gravely in the hall, not going forward whenhe saw the girls, but waiting for them to come up to him.
"Well, Molly," he said, "how do you do? How do you do, Ethel?"
He just touched Nesta's forehead with his lips.
"I want you three in my study," he said.
"Good gracious," said Molly in a whisper, "it's even more awful than weexpected."
But Ethel and Nesta felt subdued, they scarcely knew why. They all wentinto the study, and Mr Aldworth shut the door.
"Now, girls," he said, "you have come back. You are, let me tell you,exceedingly lucky. That which happened a month ago might have broughtsorrow into your young lives which you could never have got over. Thatkind of silent sorrow which lasts through the years, and visits one whenone is dying. That sorrow might have come to you, but for your sisterMarcia."
"Father," began Molly.
"Hush, Molly, I don't wish for excuses. You were, Horace tells me andso does Marcia, intensely sorry and remorseful that night, and I trustGod in his heaven heard your prayers for forgiveness, and that you havecome back now, intending to turn over a new leaf."
"Yes, father, of course. We won't any of us neglect dear, dear motheragain," said Ethel. "We are most anxious to see her."
"I have taken steps," continued Mr Aldworth, "to see that you do notneglect her. For the present she will have Nurse Davenant--"
"Who is she?" asked Ethel.
"The nurse I was obliged to call in to help Marcia. For the presentNurse Davenant will be with her day and night, and your province will beto sit with her and amuse her under Nurse Davenant's directions. Butthe doctor wants a complete and radical change, which your sister Marciawill explain to you. Any possible fluctuation on your parts, anyshirking of the duties which you are expected to perform, will beimmediately followed by your absence from home."
Ethel looked up almost brightly.
"There is your Aunt Elizabeth in the country. I have written to her andshe will take one, two, or all three of you. She told me that you couldgo to her for three or four months. I do not think you will have muchfun, or much liberty there. If you don't choose to behave yourselves athome, you go to your Aunt Elizabeth. I have come back specially to sayso. And now, welcome home, my dears, and let us have no more nonsense."
The father who had never in the least won his children's affection, leftthe room, leaving the three girls gazing at each other.
"A pretty state of things," began Nesta, pouting.
"Oh, don't," said Ethel.
"Don't!" said Molly, who was nearer crying than either of them. "Tothink of Aunt Elizabeth--to have to go to her. Of course, it's allMarcia."
"Of course it's all Marcia," said a voice at the door, and the threegirls had the grace to blush hotly as they turned and looked at theirsister. She wore that immaculate white which was her invariable custom;her dark hair was becomingly arranged; her face was placid.
"My dear children, welcome home," she said affectionately, "and try notto blame your poor old Marcia too much. It is nice to see you. I havetea ready for you in the little summer parlour. You must be thirstyafter your long walk; I thought Jim Carter was going to bring you backin the dogcart."
"He couldn't," began Nesta.
"He couldn't," interrupted Ethel; "he had to go to school for a specialfield day."
"He would if he could," burst in Molly.
"Well, anyhow, you are here, and I suppose the luggage is to follow."
"Oh, yes; not that it matters," said Molly.
"But it does matter, dear. Now come and have your tea."
Marcia took Molly's damp, hot little hand in her own cool one, and ledthe way into the summer parlour. It had been a very ugly and neglectedroom, but it was so no longer. Marcia, by a very simple arrangement ofart muslin had contrived to transform it into a pale green bower ofbeauty. The tea equipage was on the table, and very pretty did the cupsand saucers look. There was fruit, the fruit that happened to be inseason; there were flowers; there were hot cakes; there was fragranttea; there were even new-laid eggs.
"Oh, I declare," said Nesta, cheering up, for she was fond of her meals;"this does look good."
"Shall I pour out tea?" said Molly.
"You may in future, Molly. I hope you will, but wouldn't you like me todo so to-day?"
"Yes, please, Marcia."
Marcia sat down and helped her sisters, and while she did so shechatted. She was quite bright and cheerful.
"I have had your rooms altered a little too," she said.
Molly looked up with a frown.
"Yes, I hope you will forgive me, but I think they look rather nice.And instead of that sort of lumber room where you always flingeverything you don't want to use at the moment, I have made a secondlittle bedroom for Nesta."
"For me?" said Nesta. "Golloptious! I did want a bedroom to myself."
"I thought you were fearfully crowded, and I wanted besides--"
"What is the matter?" said Molly suddenly.
"To make things as different as possible from what they were during thatnight."
"I do believe you are kind," said Molly, and something hot came at theback of her eyes, which made them suspiciously bright for a moment.
"If you will only believe that, my darlings, I don't care how hard Iwork," said the elder sister.
The meal came to an end, the girls had eaten even as much as Nesta'shealthy appetite demanded, and accompanied by Marcia they went upstairs.Did they not know those stairs well--that darn in the carpet, thatshabby blind at the lobby window, that narrow landing just above? Andmother's room at the far end of the passage--mother's room with thegreen baize door, which was supposed to shut away sound, but did not.Oh, did they not remember it all, and how it looked on that awful night?And this was the way to their room. What had they not endured duringthat night in their own room? Molly almost staggered.
"Aren't you well, dear?" said Marcia very tenderly.
"I--I don't know. Oh, yes, I suppose so. I'm all right--I mean it'sjust a little overcoming," she said, after a minute's pause. "Pastmemories, you know."
"I quite understand. But see your room, it is quite altered."
It was truly, and this was Marcia's surprise to her sisters. WithHorace's help, who had come forward rather liberally with his purse, theroom had been repapered; it had practically been refurnished. Thecommonplace beds were exchanged for brass ones, the commonplacefurniture for new, artistic wash-handstands and ch
ests of drawers andwardrobes. The shabby carpet was replaced by one of neat pale bluefelt; there were a few good pictures on the walls; there were pale bluehangings to the windows, and Nesta's room just beyond was a replica ofher sisters'.
The girls turned; it was Ethel who made the first step forward.
"I wouldn't have known it--why, you are a darling!"
"And to think we ever called you Miss Mule Selfish!" said Nesta.
"Miss--what!" said Marcia.
"I won't repeat it--forget it."
"But tell me--it did sound so funny. Miss