Blanche: A Story for Girls

greatfavourite of hers.

  "I will answer her note quite civilly," said Blanche, "and just say wedo not intend to go out at all. To begin with, mamma would certainlynot let me go alone."

  "And they'd scarcely venture to ask _her_," said Miss Halliday withsatisfaction. "But I wish you wouldn't say you don't mean ever to goanywhere, for when the county ladies are home again, there's no sayingbut that you may have invitations of quite a different kind."

  Blanche smiled.

  "The county ladies didn't trouble themselves about us much before," shesaid. "I can scarcely think it likely they will now, though I certainlyhope they will come to us for their bonnets."

  "I've not much fear but what they'll do that," said Miss Halliday, whoseimpressionable nature now saw everything on its bright side. "And evenmore than that, my dear Miss Blanchie, people are `funny'--you can'tcount upon them. Anything that makes a sensation is the thingnowadays;" for the milliner was, in her way, a shrewd observer of humannature. "And there's many nice ladies among them too--real ladies--who'd feel with you more truly than such as Mrs Burgess. There's thatsweet Lady Hebe, now!"

  A deep sigh from the farther corner of the shop seemed to come inappropriate response to her last words.

  "Stasy!" exclaimed Blanche. "What are you sighing so about? I thoughtyou were working up-stairs beside mamma. What is the matter?"

  "Oh, a lot of things," replied Stasy dolefully. "I'm so hot, and Ican't get these _beastly_ flowers to go the way I want them. My fingersseem all thumbs this afternoon."

  "_Stasy_!" said Blanche again, this time in a tone of reproof. "Is thatthe way Blissmore young women talk?"

  "I'm a Blissmore young woman myself, now," said Stasy. "So what can youexpect?"

  "You're overworking yourself," said Blanche. "Instead of doing less,now that your classes are over for the holidays, you're fagging yourselfout; and it is really not necessary just now. We got on very well whenyou only helped us part of the day, didn't we, Miss Halliday?"

  "Of course we did," said Miss Halliday, "though we couldn't do withoutMiss Stasy's taste in anything. But do go out into the garden for alittle, my dear; you'll only make your head ache, and not be pleasedwith what you do in the end, when you're feeling so."

  Stasy looked regretfully at the hat on her knee.

  "I meant to make it so pretty," she said. "And so you will, if you putit away in the meantime. There's no hurry for it--there isn't, really.Miss Bracy's not leaving home till the end of the week," said MissHalliday.

  Blanche had crossed the room to her sister, and took up the hat to lookat it.

  "It is pretty already," she said, "and it is going to be quite charming,I can see. So uncommon!"

  Stasy looked up with tired eyes.

  "Do you really think so?" she said more cheerfully. "I am so glad, forI do want to make it very nice."

  It was an uncommon hat, even in these modern days of eccentricitywithout end--uncommon, but still more, perfect in taste--and inimagination Blanche already saw Adela's piquant face and beautiful darkeyes looking their best under its shade.

  "I want the roses to droop over a little on to her hair, do you see?"said Stasy. "And they will look rather sprawly."

  "They will come all right in the end, I am quite sure," said Blancheencouragingly, as Stasy rose half reluctantly from her place.

  "I just wish you'd go out with her too, Miss Blanchie," said themilliner. "It is hot in here, and you're looking pale yourself. I cancall you in a moment when you're wanted. I'll tell you what," she wenton, with a sudden inspiration, "shall I tell Aline to take your tea outinto the garden? Your dear mamma might like it, for she's been writingall the afternoon, and Master Herty will help Aline to lay it."

  Aline was the only servant who had been added to the High Streetestablishment, and with her happy French faculty of adapting herself tovarying circumstances, she had proved so far a real boon to the littlefamily.

  So Miss Halliday opened the door leading to the kitchen and gave herdirections, while Blanche and Stasy made their way out to the long,pleasant strip of walled-in garden at the back of the old-fashionedhouse.

  "Blanche," said Stasy, as they slowly walked up and down the gravelpath, "it wasn't only about the hat I gave that sigh. I do feel so hurtat Lady Hebe, and I do so wish Miss Halliday hadn't put her into my headagain."

  "She doesn't know anything about Hebe a not answering my letter," saidBlanche. "There was no use speaking of it."

  "No, of course not," Stasy agreed.

  "And I feel certain there must be some reason for it," Blanche resumed."She is the very last girl in the world to change to us because of allthis. Besides, I think it was quite as difficult for her before to benice to us, as it would be now."

  "Perhaps so," said Stasy, rather absently. "Blanche, I do feel so dulland cross now, somehow. It isn't, after all, as much fun as I expected.I do so dislike some of the people that come with their orders."

  "Yet, I think, on the whole, they have been wonderfully kind," saidBlanche. "Kind, and even delicate."

  "Oh, I daresay they have," said Stasy. "But they have such ridiculousideas! That woman yesterday, who wanted a bonnet that would `go' witheverything. And yet it wasn't to be black or any neutral colour."

  "Yes, but Stasy," said Blanche, "I was trembling for fear she shouldfind out that you were making fun of her, when you proposed a--What isit, Aline?" she said, as the maid came out with the tea-tray, which shehastily deposited on a garden seat.

  "Some one is at the front door," replied Aline. "The bell rang as Ileft the kitchen. Will mademoiselle excuse my leaving the tray there?I must answer the door, for that stupid little girl has not yet dressedherself," and she hastened off.

  Just at that moment Herty put his face out at the glass door, which wasslightly ajar.

  "Where is Aline?" he said. "She promised I was to help her to carry outthe tea things."

  "She has gone to open the door," said Blanche. "She will be back in amoment. Come out here and help us to lay the table.--We may as well,Stasy," she said to her sister; "the tray is not very secure on thatchair."

  She began unfolding the little table-cloth which Aline had brought out.

  "Herty must have run to the door," said Stasy with some annoyance. "Iam afraid he is getting rather common in his ways, Blanche, now that welive so plainly. I think we must be more particular with him. It doesseem so vulgar for a child to be peeping out to see who is at the door."

  "I doubt if Herty will content himself with peeping," said Blanche. "Iwonder if all little boys are as inquisitive as he is."

  At that moment Herty's shrill voice was heard in eager excitement.

  "Blanchie, Blanchie," he cried; "Stasy--somebody's come to see you.--Come along, do," he added to some one, as yet invisible in thedrawing-room. "We're going to have tea in the garden; won't it bejolly? You're just in time."

  Some inaudible words of remonstrance must have been addressed to him bythe unfortunate individual he had under his convoy. But Herty was notto be so easily balked of his prey.

  "You _must_ come out," they heard him say. "They'll be as pleased asanything to see you."

  And apparently the invisible new-comer judged it wiser to resist nomore, though it was with somewhat heightened colour, and less appearanceof being equal to the occasion than was usual to him, that Mr ArchibaldDunstan followed, or, more correctly speaking, allowed himself to bedragged out into the garden by the irrepressible Herty.

  "I do beg your pardon, Miss Derwent," he said as he shook hands, "but Icouldn't help myself, Herty is such a determined young person."

  Blanche looked up at him, serenely enough to all appearance, though inher heart she was not sure how this unexpected visit should be regarded.

  "I had no idea you were in the country," she said.--"Herty, go and tellmamma that Mr Dunstan is here. We are just going to have tea, as yousee; we hoped it would be a little cooler in the garden than in thehouse."

  "It h
as been very hot lately," Archie replied, slightly disconcerted, hescarcely knew why, and disgusted with himself for finding nothing moreoriginal to say; though Blanche was to the full as self-possessed as ifshe were receiving him in the pretty little home in which she had lastseen him, as if no crash had completely broken the tenor of their life.

  Archie almost