Six to Sixteen: A Story for Girls

  CHAPTER IX.

  HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS--DREAMS AND DAY DREAMS--THE VINE--ELSPETH--MYGREAT-GRANDFATHER.

  My father was brought up chiefly by his mother's relations. Thereligious question was always a difficulty as regarded the deVandaleurs, and I fancy extended to my own case. My guardians were notmy great-grandparents, but Major Buller, and Mr. Arkwright, a clergymanof the Church of England. My great-grandfather and great-grandmotherwere Roman Catholics. Though not my appointed guardians, they were mynearest relations, and when my great-grandmother had held out her littlehand towards me over the side of the pony-carriage and said, "You willlet the child come to me? Soon, very soon?" Major Buller had taken herhand in both his, and replied very cordially, "Of course, my dear madam,of course. Whenever it is convenient to yourself and to Mr. deVandaleur."

  And this promise had stirred my heart with such a flutter of happyexpectation as I had not felt since I persuaded my father to promisethat I should dine with him, all alone, like a grown-up lady, on thatsad birthday on which he died.

  It is perhaps useless to try and find reasons for the fancy I took tothe "Duchess"--as Aunt Theresa called her--since it was allowed that shefascinated every one who came near her. With the bright qualities whichmade her admirable in herself, she combined the gracious art of puttingother people at ease with themselves; and, remembering how sore thewounds of a child's self-love are, I think that her kindness must havebeen very skilful to make me forgive myself for that folly of thelooking-glass enough to forget myself in admiration of her.

  Like most children, I was given to hero and heroine worship. I admiredmore than one lady of Aunt Theresa's acquaintance, and had beenfascinated by some others whom I did not know, but had only seen inchurch, and had longed for the time when I also should no longer tripabout in short and simple skirts, and tie up my curls with a ribbon, butshould sweep grandly and languidly in to the parade service, bury half apew under the festoons and furbelows of my silk dress and velvettrimmings, sink into a nest of matchless millinery for the Litany, scentthe air with patchouli as I rose for the hymn, examine the other ladies'bonnets through one of those eyeglasses which are supposed to make it nolonger rude to stare, and fan myself from the fatigues of the serviceduring the sermon.

  But even the dignity of grown-updom embellished by pretty faces andsplendid costumes did not stir my imagination as it was stirred by thesight of my great-grandmother and by the history of her life. It waslike seeing the princess of a fairy tale with one's very own eyes. Thefaces of the fine ladies I had envied were a little apt to be insipidin expression, and to pass from the memory; but my great-grandmother'squick, bright, earnest face was not easily to be forgotten. I made up mymind that when I grew up I would not wear a large _chignon_ after all,nor a bonnet full of flowers, nor a dress full of flounces, but a rathershort skirt and buckled shoes and grey curls, and a big hat with manybows, and a green satin driving-cloak lined with fur.

  How any one, blessed with grown-up freedom of choice, could submit to bedriven about by a coach-man in a big carriage, as highly stuffed anduninteresting as a first-class railway carriage, when it was possible todrive one's self in a sort of toy-cart with a dear white pony as shaggyas a dog, I could not understand. I well knew which I should choose, andI thought so much of it that I remember dreaming that mygreat-grandmother had presented me with a pony and chaise thecounterpart of her own. The dream-joy of this acquisition, and the prideof driving up to the Bullers' door and offering to take Matilda for anexpedition, was only marred by one of those freaks which spoil thepleasure of so many dreams. Just as Matilda appeared, full of gratitude,and with a picnic luncheon in a basket, I became conscious that I was inmy night-gown, and had forgotten to dress. Again and again I tried to goback in my dream and put on suitable clothes. I never accomplished it,and only woke in the effort.

  In sober daylight I indulged no hope that Mrs. Vandaleur would give me acarriage and pony for my very own, but I did hope that I should go outin hers if ever I went to stay with her. Perhaps sometimes alone,driving myself, with only the rosy-cheeked Adolphe to open the gates anddeliver me from any unexpected difficulties with the reins. But Idreamed many a day-dream of the possible delights in store for me withmy new-found relatives, and almost counted the hours on the Duchess'swatch till she should send for me.

  As it happened, however, circumstances combined for some little time tohinder me from visiting my great-grandmother.

  The little Bullers and I had the measles; and when we were allconvalescent, Major Buller got two months' leave, and we went away forchange of air. Then small-pox prevailed in Riflebury, and we were keptaway, even after Major Buller returned to his duties. When we didreturn, before a visit to the Vandaleurs could be arranged, Adolphe fellill of scarlet fever, and the fear of contagion postponed my visit forsome time.

  I was eight years old when I went to stay at The Vine. This was the nameof the little cottage where my great-grandparents lived--so calledbecause of an old vine which covered the south wall on one side of theporch, and crept over a framework upon the roof. I do not now rememberhow many pounds of grapes it had been known to produce in one season,and yet I ought not to have forgotten, for it was a subject on which mygreat-grandfather, my great-grandmother, Adolphe, and Elspeth constantlyboasted.

  "And if they don't just ripen as the master says they do in France, it'sall for the best," said Elspeth; "for ripe grapes would be picked allalong, and the house not a penny the better for them. But green-grapetarts and cream are just eating for a king."

  Elspeth was "general servant" at my great-grandmother's. Her aunt Maryhad come from Scotland to serve "Miss Victoire" when she first married.As Mary's health failed, and she grew old, her young niece was sent forto work under her. Old Mary died with her hands in my great-grandmother's,and Elspeth reigned in her stead.

  Elspeth was an elderly woman when I first made her acquaintance. She hada broad, bright, sensible face, and a kindly smile that won me to her.She wore frilled caps, tied under her chin; and as to exchanging themfor "the fly-away bits of things servants stick on their heads at thepresent time," Elspeth would as soon have thought of abandoning thefaith of her fathers. She was a strict but not bitter Presbyterian. Shewas not tall, and she was very broad; her apparent width being increasedby the very broad linen collars which spread, almost like a cape, overher ample shoulders.

  My great-grandmother had an anecdote of me connected with this, whichshe was fond of relating.

  "And what do you think of Elspeth, little one?" she had said to me onthe first evening of my visit.

  "I think she's very big," was my reply.

  "Certainly, our good Elspeth is as wide as she is tall," said mygreat-grandfather, laughing.

  I wondered if this were so; and when my great-grandmother gave me alittle yard-measure in a wooden castle, which had taken my fancy amongthe treasures of her work-box, the idea seized me of measuring Elspethfor my own satisfaction on the point. But the silken measure slipped,and caught on the battlements of the castle, and I lost my place incounting the figures, and at last was fain to ask Elspeth herself.

  "How tall are you, Elspeth, please? As much as a yard?"

  "Ou aye, my dear," said Elspeth, who was deeply engaged in darning avery large hole in one of my great-grandfather's socks.

  "As much as two yards?" I inquired.

  "Eh, no, my dearie," said Elspeth. "That wad be six feet; and I'm notjust that tall, though my father was six feet and six inches."

  "How broad are you, Elspeth, please?" I persisted. "As much as a yard?"

  "I'm thinking I will be, my dear," said Elspeth, "for it takes the fullwidth of a coloured cotton to cut me a dress-front, and then it's notover-big."

  "Are you as broad as two yards, do you think?" I said, drawing my ribbonto its full length from the castle, and considering the question.

  Elspeth shook her head. She was biting the end off a piece ofdarning-cotton; but I rightly concluded that she would not confess tobeing two yards
wide.

  "Please, I have measured Elspeth," I announced over the tea-table, "andgrandpapa is quite right."

  "Eh?" said Mr. Vandaleur, who had a trick of requiring observations tobe repeated to him by his wife.

  "She says that she has measured Elspeth, and that you are right," saidmy great-grandmother. "But about what is grandpapa right, my littleone?"

  "Grandpapa said that Elspeth is as wide as she is tall," I explained."And so she is, for I measured her--at least, the ribbon would slip whenI measured her, so I asked her; and she's a yard tall, but not as muchas two yards; and a yard wide, but not as much as two yards. And sograndpapa is right."

  Some of the happiest hours I spent at The Vine were spent in Elspeth'scompany. I made tiny cakes, and tarts of curious shapes, when she wasbusy pastry-making, and did some clear-starching on my doll's accountwhen Elspeth was "getting-up" my great-grandfather's cravats.

  Elspeth had strong old-fashioned notions of paying respect where it wasdue. She gave Adolphe a sharp lecture one day for some lack of respectin his manner to "Miss Margery"; and, on the other hand, she taught meto curtsy at the door where I breakfasted with Mr. and Mrs. Vandaleur.

  Some dancing lessons that I had had in Riflebury helped me here, andElspeth was well satisfied with my performance. I felt very shy andawkward the first time that I made my morning curtsy, my knees shakingunder me, and Elspeth watching from the passage; but mygreat-grandfather and mother seemed to take it as a matter of course,and I soon became quite used to it. If Mr. Vandaleur happened to bestanding in the room, he always returned my curtsy by a low bow.

  I became very fond of my great-grandfather. He was a tall, handsome oldman, with high shoulders, slightly bent by age and also by habit. Hewore a blue coat with brass buttons, that had been very well made a verylong time ago; white trousers, a light waistcoat, a frilled shirt, and avery stiff cravat. On the wall of the drawing-room there hung awater-colour portrait of a very young and very handsome man, withlongish wavy hair, features refined to weakness, dreamy, languid eyes,and a coat the very image of my great-grandfather's. The picture hungnear the door; and as Mr. Bertrand Vandaleur passed in or out, I wellremember that he almost always glanced at the sketch, as people glanceat themselves in passing a mirror.

  I was too young then to notice this as being a proof that the drawingwas a portrait of himself; but I remember being much struck by thelikeness between the coat in the picture and that my great-grandfatherwore, and also by the way that the hair was thrown back from the high,narrow forehead, just as my great-grandfather's grey hairs were combedaway from his brow. Children are great admirers of beauty too,especially, I think, of an effeminate style of good looks, and are verysusceptible to the power of expression in faces. I had a romanticadmiration for "the handsome man by the door," and his eyes haunted meabout the room.

  I was kneeling on a chair and examining the sketch one morning, when mygreat-grandfather came up to me, "Who is it, little one?" said he.

  I looked at the picture. I looked at my great-grandfather's coat. As hiseyes gazed steadily into mine, there was a likeness there also; but itwas the coat that decided me. I said, "It is you, grandpapa."

  I think this little incident just sealed our friendship. I alwaysremained in high favour with my great-grandfather.

  He spent a great deal of his time in painting. He never had, I believe,had any profession. The very small income on which he and his wife hadlived was their own private fortune. I often think it must have been agreat trial to a woman of my great-grandmother's energy, that herhusband should have made no effort to add to their resources by work ofsome kind. But then I cannot think of any profession that would havesuited him. He was sadly wanting in general capacity, thoughaccomplished much above the average, and with a fine knack in thebudding of roses.

  I thought him the grandest gentleman that ever lived, and thepleasantest of companions. His weak but lovable nature had strongsympathy with children, I think. I ought to say, with a child; for hewould share the fancies and humours of one child companion for hours,but was quite incapable of managing a larger number--as, indeed, he wasof any kind of domestic administration or control. Mrs. Vandaleur wasemphatically Elspeth's mistress, if she was also her friend; but in theabsence of "the mistress" Elspeth ruled "the master" with a rod of iron.

  I quickly gained a degree of power over him myself. I discovered that ifI maintained certain outward forms of respect and courtesy, so as not toshock my grandpapa's standard of good manners, I might make almost anydemands on his patience and good-nature. Children and pet animals makesuch discoveries very quickly, and are apt to use their power somewhattyrannically. I fear I was no exception to the rule.