to Paris. Yes, itwould be very nice to be able to do things like that. But, on the otherhand--" She stopped, and seemed to be thinking.
"What were you going to say?" asked Stasy.
"I was only thinking," Blanche replied, "how little we can realise whatit must be to be poor. To feel that one's actual daily bread--food andclothes and common necessaries--depend on one's work. I suppose,however, it does not seem hard or depressing to those who have alwaysbeen accustomed to it."
"I have thought of it sometimes," said Stasy. "I'm not sure that therewouldn't be a sort of pleasure about it. It would be very interestingand exciting. What _I_ dislike most is the being nobody in particular,neither one thing nor the other, as we have rather felt ourselves here!Nothing specially to do, and no feeling that it would matter if youdidn't do it. That is so dull."
"I suppose," said Blanche thoughtfully again, "that things to do, thingsthat you feel you could do better than any one else could do them,always do turn up sooner or later if one really wants to use one's lifewell."
"Oh," said Stasy, with a touch of impatience. "I don't look at thingsin such a grand way as you do, Blanchie. I want to get some fun out oflife, and, after all, I'm not difficult to please. My spirits have goneup ever so high, just with the idea of learning millinery and teachingthe girls, and perhaps helping good little Miss Halliday. Blanchie,don't you think we might plan some kind of hats that the guild girlswould look very nice in--something that Lady Hebe would be sure tonotice when she comes back. Perhaps if we ordered a lot of themuntrimmed, you know, and got ribbon and things, we could let the girlshave them more cheaply than they could buy them. There'd be no harm inthat, would there? Of course, I know the guild isn't supposed to be atall a charity--"
"We may be able to do something of the kind," said Blanche. "But itwouldn't do to have them all the same, or even very like each other.The girls wouldn't care for it, and it would make a sort of show-off ofthe guild. We must think about it; and I want them to learn to trimtheir mothers' bonnets and caps and their younger sisters' things, aswell as their own."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
MONSIEUR BERGERET'S LETTER.
The millinery lessons were begun and steadily carried on without theinterest of either of the sisters flagging. For, in spite of Stasy'scapriciousness, there was a good of real material in her: she would havedespised herself for not carrying out any plan she had formed. And shewas not disappointed in her expectation of getting some "fun" out ofthis new pursuit. It was a pleasure to her to find how deft andneat-handed a little practice made her. Taste in harmonising andblending colours, and a quick eye for graceful form, she had by nature.
Miss Halliday was full of admiration.
"There's nothing more _I_ can teach you, young ladies," she said, at theend of a fortnight, during which time they had had about half-a-dozenlessons. "Miss Stasy--if it wasn't impertinent to say so--I would callyou a born milliner. Now, I never would have thought of putting violetswith that brown velvet, _never_! And yet there's no denying they gomost beautifully, and you do make the ribbons and trimmings go so far,too. I've always been told it was the best of French work that it's solight--never overloaded.--And Miss Derwent, you are so neat; indeed, ifI might say so, almost too particular."
Blanche smiled.
"I haven't got such fairy fingers as Stasy, I know," she saidadmiringly, "though perhaps I could beat her at plain-sewing. Yes, Ihave run on that lace too heavily, I see. Well, and so you think we'reready now to teach our girls, Miss Halliday, do you?"
"Indeed, yes, Miss; and I shall be so pleased to order the hats you wantfor you at any time, charging you, of course, just what I pay for themmyself."
"No indeed," said Blanche; "that wouldn't be fair; you must charge alittle commission. I've made out a short list of the things we want tobegin with. We're thinking of having our first millinery class nextWednesday evening. We can't have more than one a week, for Miss Wandleand Miss Bracy have two other evening classes, and we don't want themothers to think the girls are too much away from home."
"I'm sure it's better for them than idling about the lanes," said MissHalliday, "and that's what they mostly spend their evenings in at thistime of year."
"Have you got anything settled about your own plans, Miss Halliday?"asked Stasy.
The milliner shook her head, and gave a little sigh.
"Not yet, Miss Stasy," she replied; "and unless I can find a partner whocould put a little money into the concern, I'm afraid I must make shiftto go on alone for some time to come. I've got so behind with what Iowe, for the first time in my life, all through that disappointmentabout Miss Green."
"I really think she should have paid you _something_," said Stasy. "I'mafraid you're too good-natured, Miss Halliday. And now you're going tobe good-natured to us, and let us come in two or three times a week tohelp you a little."
"You're really too kind, Miss Stasy," said Miss Halliday. "I don't feelas if I could let you do such a thing. And what would your dear mammathink of it?"
"She's quite pleased," said Blanche; "she's always glad for us to be ofany use we can."
"And really I have nothing to do now," said Stasy. "The dancing classand the gymnastics are given up for the summer, and my lessons don'ttake up long at all. I've got in the way of coming to Blissmore everyday with Herty; it would be dreadfully dull to stay always atPinnerton."
So it was settled that the sisters should come two or three mornings aweek to help poor Miss Halliday as much as possible, though, of course,the arrangement was to be kept perfectly private.
It certainly did Stasy a great deal of good to have more to do and somefeeling of responsibility. She became more cheerful and more equable intemper than she had yet been in their new home. She was even amiableenough to offer no objection to Blanche's consent to Florry Wandle'seager, though modest, request that she and her cousin might be allowedto join the millinery class.
"I scarcely see that we have any right to refuse them," Miss Derwent hadsaid, "seeing that they actually belong to the guild. Anyway, it wouldbe most ill-natured to do so, as they are good, nice girls."
"I don't mind," said Stasy, "if you and mamma think it right. So longas we are not obliged to go to their houses in return, that's to say."
But what Stasy really enjoyed was the amateur apprenticeship to MissHalliday. It gave her the profoundest pleasure to stroll down the HighStreet and glance in at the milliner's window, where hats and bonnets ofher own creation were displayed to the admiring gaze of the passers-by.And never had Miss Halliday's stock-in-trade changed hands so quickly.Orders multiplied with such rapidity that the milliner was scarcely ableto execute them, and many were the compliments she received on theimproved taste and excellent finish of her handiwork.
"You've surely got a very good assistant now," said Mrs Burgess one day."I don't think I've seen any prettier bonnets even in Paris than someof those you've had this year."
For Mrs Burgess had now returned from her visit to the Continent, andwas very full of allusions to her travels.
Miss Halliday smiled as she replied: "Yes, she thought she had been veryfortunate."
But she kept her secret well, and so did her little servant. And no onenoticed the frequency of the Misses Derwent's visits, as they came inand out by the long garden at the back of Miss Halliday's house, whencea door opening into the lane cut off the necessity of their passingthrough the entrance to the town, and somewhat shortened their walk.
Summer was advancing by this time with rapid strides. The spring hadbeen a late one, but when the fine sunny weather did come, the delay wasamply compensated for. Sunshine, blossoms, and flowers came with aburst. One could almost _see_ everything growing. Mrs Derwent, who waskeenly sensitive to such things, enjoyed this first spring in England,after her many years' absence, intensely, though quietly, all the moreso that Stasy, her chief source of anxiety, was now so much morecheerful.
"Things _must_ come right for them both," thought the m
other to herself."They are really so good! Very few girls would make themselves happyin so monotonous and isolated a life."
For even Mrs Harrowby had gone to stay with her own relations in Londonfor a time; and Rosy Milward, who had come over to Pinnerton now andthen on guild business, had taken flight, like the rest of the world.
The charms of outside nature, the peace and quiet happiness of their ownhome, and a fair amount of interesting occupation, made the next fewweeks