Blanche: A Story for Girls

once agreed to. He was full of admiration of thehouse, more than once exclaiming that, as far as his brother wasconcerned, it was a wonderfully good chance.

  "And I hope," said Mrs Derwent, "indeed, I feel almost sure that I shallhave cause to congratulate myself on meeting so readily with such anunexceptionable tenant."

  She spoke in the gracious and graceful way habitual to her, and theretired tradesman left her with feelings of warm sympathy and respect.Mrs Derwent had gained a friend.

  Blanche and Stasy had not fallen asleep the night before without havingfully discussed the younger girl's idea.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

  STASY'S INSPIRATION.

  Blanche did not speak for a minute or two. Then she looked up with arather peculiar expression.

  "Well, Stasy?" she said, as if expecting her sister to continuespeaking.

  But Stasy hesitated.

  "What has all this to do with your inspiration?" said Blanche.

  "I'm half afraid of telling you," said Stasy. "You're rather snubbytoo, to-night, Blanche, in your manner, somehow."

  "I don't mean to be," said Blanche gently. "Do tell me all about it."

  "Well, you see," began Stasy, "it just came into my head with a flash.Supposing _we_ were to join Miss Halliday, and be milliners in realearnest. Of course it would be more you than I. I should still have togo on doing some lessons. But I could help a good deal, and we couldhave the same rooms in her house that we had before. We were verycomfortable there. It would be better than going away to some horrid,strange place, into stuffy lodgings, where mamma would be miserable."

  "You didn't say anything of this to Miss Halliday, did you?" inquiredBlanche.

  "Oh no," said Stasy; "of course not. But do tell me what you think ofit, Blanche."

  Blanche sighed.

  "It is almost impossible to say all at once," she answered. "It israther difficult to take it in--the idea of our really having to workfor our daily bread, to be actually shopkeepers."

  "I don't feel it that way," said Stasy eagerly.

  "You are hardly old enough to realise it," said her sister.

  "Yes, I think I do," said Stasy; "but it seems to me that anything wouldbe better than being separated--being governesses or companions, oranything like that. What would mamma do without us?"

  "Mr Mapleson proposed our beginning a small school," said Blanche.

  Stasy made a face.

  "Oh, that would be quite horrid, I think. We should be far moreindependent if we were milliners. And do you know, Blanchie," she wenton, her eyes sparkling, "it's quite different nowadays in England. MissMilward has a cousin who's a milliner in London, and people don't lookdown upon her for it in the very least. Not even regular--worldly sortof people, you know."

  "I've heard of that," Blanche replied; "but in London it's different.Miss Milwards cousin probably has her own friends and relations who knowher and back her up. It wouldn't be the same thing at all in a littlecountry town, and in a neighbourhood where people have not been too kindto us as it is. And living `on the premises,' as people say--oh no, itwould be quite different."

  Stasy's face fell.

  "I was afraid," she said, rather dejectedly, "that you wouldn't like theidea of it at all. But, oh Blanchie, a school would be detestable! Weshould never feel free, morning, noon, or night; and just fancy mammahaving to hear all sorts of horrid fault-findings from vulgar parents."

  "They needn't be vulgar," remarked Blanche; "at least not all of them."

  "They would be at Blissmore," said Stasy.

  "I should never dream of beginning a school at Blissmore," said Blanchequickly. "The high school would spoil all chance of success."

  "Where would we go, then?" said Stasy. "We are such strangers inEngland; and, of course, it would be madness to think of returning toFrance. No, Blanchie, I won't give up my idea yet, till you havesomething better to propose."

  "I don't mean to snub you about it," said Blanche. "Possibly it was aninspiration. I will speak about it to mamma to-morrow, and see how itstrikes her. Of course there would be a great deal to talk about toMiss Halliday. She may require more money than we should be able togive."

  "I don't think so," said Stasy, "but she would tell you. Good-nightthen, dear. I can see you're very tired; but I'm so glad you haven'tsquashed the idea altogether. I think it would be capital fun! Justfancy all the people coming in and ordering their bonnets and hats. Iused to long to go into the shop to take orders, when we were helpingMiss Halliday."

  She kissed her sister lovingly and ran off, with the light-heartednessof her age, to dream of fabricating a marvellous cap for Mrs Burgess, orsome bewitching hats for Lady Hebe's trousseau.

  Blanche said nothing of Stasy's scheme to her mother till after MrBracy's visit the next morning. But when she found that thenegotiations for letting their house at once seemed so likely to gothrough, she thought it well to tell her mother of this new idea.

  At first, there is no denying, it was very startling to Mrs Derwent.She was almost astonished at Blanche's entertaining it for a moment.But a few days passed, and gradually, as often happens in such cases,she grew to some extent familiarised with the possibility. There cametwo letters from Mr Mapleson, the effect of which was indirectlyfavourable to the realisation of Stasy's scheme.

  "I have consulted my good wife," wrote the old lawyer, "as I said Iwould. I am sorry to say she rather shakes her head over the idea of aschool. There is so much less opening for private establishments of thekind nowadays, and this applies, I fear, to some extent to governessestoo, unless they have been trained in the orthodox modern way. Itwould, no doubt, add greatly to your troubles to be separated from yourcharming daughters. If you will pardon the suggestion, and not considerit impertinent, what would you say to beginning some sort of dressmakingor millinery business in which you could all keep together? This kindof thing has become rather a fashion of late years, even for women offirst-rate position."

  This letter arrived at breakfast-time one morning. Mrs Derwent read itand handed it to Blanche, remarking as she did so: "It is rather curiousthat the same idea should have struck him, isn't it?"

  Stasy looked up eagerly.

  "What is it? Oh, do tell me! Do read it quickly, Blanchie." And whenshe had got the letter in her own hands, and mastered its contents, sheturned round triumphantly. "There now," she said, "I hope you'll allowin the future that I'm not a silly child. When a wise old lawyer ofnearly a hundred proposes the very same thing, I should say it's worthlistening to."

  "I never thought it was not worth listening to, practically speaking,"said Mrs Derwent. "My hesitation was simply that I didn't like theidea, and one of my reasons for disliking it is, that it would be soentirely you two, my darlings, working for me, for I am not at allclever at millinery."

  "And I am not a genius at it, mamma," said Blanche. "Nothing likeStasy. It is she who has the ideas."

  "But I am not nearly so neat as you, Blanche," said Stasy. "I wouldnever have done so well without you to fasten off my threads, and thatsort of thing."

  Blanche smiled.

  "What I was going to say, mamma," said Blanche, "is that there would bea great deal to do besides the actual millinery. All the business partof it--ordering things and keeping accounts, the sort of thing you're soclever at. You know grandpapa used always to say that you were as goodas a head-clerk or private secretary any day. And if the business wereextended, as Miss Halliday hopes, there would be a great deal more ofthat side of it."

  "Yes," said Stasy. "She told me the last time I saw her that that isone of her difficulties. She's not very well educated, you know, poorlittle woman, and her accounts, such as they are, are rather a troubleto her. Indeed," she went on, looking preternaturally wise, "I've agreat idea that she is cheated sometimes."

  "I can quite believe that she cheats herself," said Mrs Derwent. "I wasalways finding out things she had forgotten to put down in our weeklyaccount. That reminds me, Bla
nche, of some things that came into mymind in the night--I didn't sleep very well--about the arrangements weshould have to make with Miss Halliday, if--if," with a littlehesitation--"this idea really goes farther. We should have to guaranteeMiss Halliday against any risk to a certain extent; for, you see, shewould have to give up ever having any lodgers if we went to live there."

  "Yes," said Blanche thoughtfully; "and yet we could not now afford topay as much as when we _were_ her