the faintest way even, of anything of the kind for her. Sheis not yet eighteen--why, Ermine never went out at all till she wasnineteen--"
"That was unusual however papa," Miss St Quentin ventured to say.
"Well, what can be more unusual than Ella's case? _It_ calls forunusual treatment certainly. She has been most injudiciously broughtup, I see it more and more clearly. A life of dependence--dependence onher own exertions not improbably--"
"Oh, papa," murmured Madelene reproachfully--"for which she is about asfit as--as that kitten of yours," contemptuously indicating Ermine'sPersian cat, who had long left all kittenishness behind it, and wassleeping on the hearth-rug in calm placidity.
"Tartuffe is _scarcely_ a kitten now, papa," Ermine could not resistinterrupting.
"Ermine!" said Madelene in a tone of remonstrance.
"And," pursued Colonel St Quentin unmoved, "just as the silly child issettling down a little, you would go and spoil it all by stuffing herhead with waltzing and admiration. No, no--I am surprised at you,Madelene, I really am. And if there were no other objection, there'sher health. You are afraid of her catching cold again if she changesher bedroom, and yet you would propose taking her off to a strangehouse, unaired beds possibly, and exposing her to the alternate heat andchills of a ball-room, and--"
Colonel St Quentin was working himself up to thorough unreasonableness.
"We won't say any more about it, papa," said Madelene, decidedly. "Wehave said _nothing_ to Ella, so you really needn't be vexed about it."
She refrained from adding, as she might have done, that the scare aboutElla's health had entirely originated with himself, and she was wise inso doing. What human being, man, woman or child, was ever rendered moreamenable to reason by being "put in the wrong?"
"I mind it principally, of course," she said to Ermine, "because it_will_ seem to her that it is our doing--negatively at least. She willthink that if we had begged papa to let her go he would have given in.And I haven't, in the faintest degree, let her think that we disagreewith him about it. It would alienate her still more from him, and,besides, it would be disloyal to papa."
"And, besides," added Ermine, "I hardly like to say so, but I doubt ifElla would believe our protestations. There is an element ofsuspiciousness in her character, which I don't at all like in so young aperson, and quite lately she has seemed to me to be wrapping herself upin it more and more."
"Yes, she has been very cold and stand-off to us lately," Madeleneagreed, "ever since that unlucky morning when I blurted out about theBelvoirs' dance."
"She would have had to hear about it sooner or later," said Ermine. "Idon't see that it would have made much difference."
"We might have managed it more diplomatically. We might have told herwe were going away for a day or two, and mentioned that there was to bea dance, incidentally," said Miss St Quentin.
Ermine looked up at her, half amused, half distressed.
"My dear Maddie," she said. "I do think you've got Ella on the brain.You mustn't give yourself such a lot of trouble about her--beating aboutthe bush and worrying lest she should be put out. It will become a kindof slavery. I almost feel inclined to speak to papa about it from_your_ point of view."
"No, no, you must not, Ermie," her sister replied. "Papa is alreadyirritated on the subject. It will come right in time, I dare say. Iwish Aunt Anna were at home. She might have had some influence withpapa about this dance. I do think he is making a mistake--I must tellMelanie," she went on, "that she need not do any more about the frock wewere planning for Ella."
"It's half made," said Ermine.
"Well, she must turn it into a dinner-dress. But there is no need forElla to know about it at present. It would only tantalise her, poorlittle thing. When will Aunt Anna be back, Ermine? You heard from herlast."
"A few days before Christmas--that was all she said," Ermine replied,"Philip will be coming about the same time. I wonder what papa wants usto do at Christmas, Maddie. Shall we go to Cheynesacre, do you think,or will they come to us?"
"I don't know. If papa remains in his present mood, I should sayneither," Miss St Quentin replied with some asperity. "He wouldprobably dislike the idea of Ella's going there with us, and a partyhere would be as bad. And if he proposed such a thing as our goingwithout her--well--I should certainly refuse. One must make a standsomewhere. How can he expect the child to get to love us?"
"Madelene is making quite a personal grievance of it," thought Ermine."I am much more concerned for her than for Ella,"--"It is very tiresomethat this should have happened just now," she said aloud. "For onething, I did so want Philip to see everything harmonious when he cameback."
"So did I," Madelene replied. "That is just another vexation."
The subject of the Manor dance was never named in Ella's presence, butshe was quick enough to see that it was in contemplation for hersisters.
"Will they really go so far as to leave me all alone?" she said toherself. "It will be a scandal if they do. If I am to be distinctlytreated in this way, ignored as if I were about seven years old--theyshould at least be consistent and get a governess to keep me companywhen they go off and leave me alone. As if either of _them_ was evertreated so at my age! What can Madelene want to go to a dance for--I amsure I wouldn't if I were as old as she--and really, sometimes latelysince she has had this cross fit, she has looked thirty."
It was almost true. Poor Madelene's real distress of mind at thefailure of all her hopes with regard to her half-sister, had preyed uponher. She was one of those much-to-be-pitied people who have but littlespontaneous power of expressing their deeper feelings; indeed the moreshe felt the less she showed it, though her very silence and apparentindifference told their own tale to those who knew her well. Ermine hadgood reason for feeling at the present juncture much more concern forMadelene than for Ella.
A week or two passed, uncomfortably enough. The weather, as in Englandis often the case, seemed to aggravate the dreary uneasiness of themental atmosphere at Coombesthorpe. It rained--a steady, pitilesswinter rain--almost incessantly for a week. There was no possibility ofwalking or driving, and more than once Ella found herself seriouslypicturing in her own mind the life she might now, had she exercised somediplomacy, have been leading with Mr and Mrs Burton, with actualregret.
"At worst, I might have gone out sometimes. In a town however it rainsone can always get out a _little_--and here,"--and she moved away with agesture of something approaching despair, as her glance fell on thegravel paths sodden with rain, on the dripping trees, on the stretch ofpark beyond the garden, where faint mists or clouds--it was difficult tosay which--hid the horizon, and made one feel as if shut in in auniverse of hopeless grey.
In those days Ermine, it must be owned, was barely kind, certainly notsympathetic towards the girl. She was sorry for her in her heart, butthis very feeling caused a certain irritation, for Ermine's nature wasmore prejudiced than Madelene's; she was vehement in her affections, andwhere these were strongly engaged, she was apt to be one-sided. In onedirection the two younger Misses St Quentin got on well together--Ellahad shown herself from the first an apt and interested pupil, and aboutthis time Ermine, rather to her surprise, remarked a distinct increasein her zeal and attention.
"This composition of yours is really very good--very good indeed, Ella,"she said one morning when she had been looking over an essay of heryoung sister's, compiled from notes of various writers on a certainperiod of history. "At your age I could not have done nearly so well."
Ella's eyes flashed, and there was a peculiar expression about hermouth--there was however a distinct mingling of satisfaction in her toneas she replied, though coldly.
"I am glad you approve of it. I am glad that you think it above theaverage of what girls of my age can do."
"Decidedly," said Ermine warmly. But as she glanced at Ella, she feltchilled again by the hard look on the round young face. She would havefelt more than chilled had she read the thou
ghts at that moment passingthrough the girl's brain.
"Yes," she was saying to herself, "I am clever, and they can't deny it.I shall learn all I can, and then, if this goes on, I shall run away andbecome a governess. I should manage it somehow, I am sure." Two dayslater, as they were going to bed one evening, Madelene called her for amoment into her own room.
"Ella," she said, "Ermine and I are going away from home for a few days.We are going to the Belvoirs; you may remember our speaking of theinvitation one morning when it came. Mrs Belvoir was here the