CHAPTER X.
BLEAK HOUSE HOSTEL.
'What are we going to do with those two girls to-day, Amy?' demanded Evaat breakfast, which, being Sunday, they were having late.
'Entertain them,' responded Amy.
'Don't be tiresome; you know quite well what I mean. What are we to doto entertain them? They will get here at half-past twelve, after theyhave been to church. We can't go to church in the afternoon; besides, wedon't know what kind of church they go to, and dinner can't last longerthan a quarter to two, because the servants like to have the tables allcleared by two o'clock, and I suppose they won't go away till after teaat four o'clock,' argued Eva.
'I hope they won't go away until after supper. I want them to have anice day; they are very lonely, Eva. You know what we felt like when wefirst came to town, and how we determined we would always be friendly toother lonely girls from the country, and I thought you liked the MissesWharton so much that you wanted to live with them!' cried Amy Overall insurprise at this change of front.
'That's just it, I do want to live with them; at least I want to have ahouse to myself again.'
'A house to yourself! Is that your latest? That is more ridiculous thanyour last idea, and still less likely to come about,' said Amy.
'It is the same idea. I call it "to myself," with only three others init, especially when I am part-owner; and the reason I don't want theWhartons to stay too long to-day is for fear that they should be bored,and find that we are not their sort, and not want to take a house withus after all,' explained Eva.
'Well, really, Eva, your way of looking at things does surprise mesometimes; and I hope you won't be angry, but it does not always seem tome to be quite straight.'
'What isn't quite straight?' demanded Eva, flushing up.
Amy was a little slow in expressing herself; but she said hesitatingly,'I mean that it would be honest, in my opinion, to face facts, and if wewere likely to bore each other to find it out before we entered upon aplan which would throw us together for a great many Sundays as well asother days.'
'That is quite a different thing. We shall not have to entertain eachother for a whole day; we shall go our own ways, and read books, orwrite letters; but we can't ask the Misses Wharton to read books to-day,and one can't talk for hours together--at least I can't; perhaps youcan, as you are so very righteous,' retorted Eva, who was annoyed.
'I thought we might go to a picture-gallery after dinner, and then comeback for tea and a talk, and there is always some nice music here in theevening,' suggested Amy, taking no notice of Eva's last remark.
Eva recovered her temper as quickly as she lost it. 'That will be a goodplan; but--they are Scotch, and I don't believe they allow music onSundays,' she suddenly bethought herself.
'You are thinking of that story we read the other day. Those were strictpeople; I don't believe the Whartons are like that.' But she lookedrather doubtful.
Eva smiled wickedly. 'So perhaps, after all, we shall have to talk allthe time.'
'I don't think Miss Wharton and I will get tired of each other, even ifsuch a dreadful thing happened as our being obliged to entertain eachother for a few hours,' said Amy calmly.
But when the Whartons came it turned out that they had no objection tomusic nor to a picture-gallery, provided they had been to church first.
Vava and Eva paired off, and the latter began at once, 'Tell me, are youas sick of lodgings as ever?'
'Yes, of course; I should never like them. But why do you ask?' demandedVava, who looked so pretty in her prettily made Sunday-frock that Evawas more than ever attracted to her.
'Because Amy and I have decided that we are quite ready if you two are,'said Eva.
Vava flushed with pleasure. 'Really? Then Miss Overall doesn't think ita mad idea? Stella did not believe you were serious, or that MissOverall would like it; but if she does I shouldn't wonder if Stellawould agree to doing it. She said it might be possible some day; but notyet, of course.'
'Some day may mean years hence, when we are all dead, or too old toenjoy a garden of our own. Just fancy sowing flower-seeds and watchingthem growing every day, and having our own vegetables! We could havesalad every evening in the summer, and lettuces freshly picked from adear little bed!' urged Eva.
Vava listened with growing enthusiasm. 'It would be almost like homeagain. I have grown radishes in my little garden, because nursie likedthem for tea. If only nursie were with us I should be quite happy, Ithink!' she exclaimed.
The two younger girls were in Eva's little bedroom, taking off Vava'soutdoor things, a process which they had prolonged so as to talkconfidentially together. Stella Wharton and Amy Overall, on thecontrary, had long since gone down to the big drawing-room, where aboutthirty girls of various ages were sitting about, reading or talking.
It seemed to Stella, who was not used to crowds, that the babel wasterrific, and Amy, seeing this, rose, saying, 'If you don't mind stayinghere alone for a few minutes I will ask the housekeeper to let us have aprivate sitting-room for an hour or so? We can talk better there.'
Amy had arranged for the private sitting-room, and was just going totell Vava and Eva that there was no need for them to sit in a coldbedroom, when Eva appeared in the passage.
'I was just coming to you, Amy. I want to speak to you alone for amoment,' said Eva hurriedly, taking her friend's arm; and, turning backwith her to the latter's room, she added, 'What do you think, Amy, theWhartons are quite ready to start housekeeping if only you will, and asthey are cautious Scotch people it's sure to be all right!'
'Who told you that, Eva? You mean that Vava is quite ready, don't you? Ican scarcely believe that Miss Wharton, who really seems a verythoughtful, serious person, has said she is ready to start a house withstrangers. It seems incredible!' objected Amy, and she looked rathercuriously at Eva.
'There's nothing so incredible in wanting to live in a house instead ofhorrid lodgings. They are miserable where they are, and jump at thethought of making other arrangements, which they can only do if you chumwith them. And, after all, what's all the fuss and caution about? Whatis there so very serious in taking a little house for a year? Of coursewe may get tired of it and each other, though I don't think that likely;but twelve months is not so long to put up with what we don't like, and,anyway, it will be great fun at first. What is your objection now?'demanded Eva, who poured out all this eloquence so rapidly andenergetically as to overwhelm the slow-thinking Amy.
'It's--it's not such a light or easy matter, Eva. There are the weeklybills to be thought of, and the furnishing, and the rent, and a servant,and--oh! a hundred things,' wound up the elder girl, with knitted brows.
'The weekly bills won't come to more than we can pay weekly, and as fora servant--what do we want with one? We will each do our own room beforewe start, and we are out all day, and only sleep there, except onSaturday and Sunday; and then, among the four of us, surely we canmanage a little house. We will lead the simple life; every one istalking about the simple life, and how one goes in for too many luxuriesand is over-civilised, and we will just go back to primitive ways. Now,Amy, be a Christian and say "Yes." You are always telling me that onemust be self-sacrificing in this world; sacrifice yourself, and makethose two lonely girls happy, to say nothing of me, who am stifled inthis crowded barracks of a place,' declared Eva.
Eva did not look very stifled, and in justice to the ladies' hostel itshould be stated that it was not in the least crowded or stifling; thiswas a mere figure of speech on Eva's part, who, as will have been seen,was apt to turn things round to suit herself. She was only sixteen; veryyoung to be thrown upon the world and her own resources. With theexception of Amy, she was unfortunately not under very good influences,and when she wanted to believe a thing was true she generally managed todo so, and though she would have scorned to tell a lie she made thingsappear to be what she wished them to be. At any rate, she managed todeceive both Vava and Amy, and make each of them believe that consenthad been given on both sides; and, a
s unfortunately often happened, shesucceeded in getting her own way.
However, for the moment there was no talk about future plans; it wouldnot have been possible in the public dining-room, and almost immediatelyafter early dinner the four went off to the Tate Gallery, and the talkturned upon pictures, and Eva noticed with satisfaction that the elderswere getting on famously.
'Do you know what I have been thinking?' inquired Eva of Vava.
They were standing before a picture by Burne-Jones as she said this.Vava replied promptly, 'I don't know, unless it is that the ladies inthis picture have all got the same mouths.'
'Oh the picture! I wasn't thinking about it at all; I don't care verymuch for art. Amy does, and she is always dragging me here with her, sothat I know them all by heart, and am quite sick of them. No, what I wasthinking was that those two are getting on A1, and that it's allprovidential!' announced Eva.
Vava looked puzzled for a minute, and then laughed as she said, 'Youmean that it is providential that they like one another? Then, Isuppose, it's providential that we get on together, or that any one everlikes any one else?'
'I mean that, as we want to live together, it's a good thing we suiteach other,' replied Eva.
'Oh but that may not be for a long time; still, we can be friends, can'twe?' asked Vava.
'Yes, but why need it be a long time? Your sister is quite ready; so isAmy'----she began.
But Vava interrupted her in surprise. 'Stella quite ready! To take ahouse with you, do you mean? Oh is she really?'
'Why, of course she is! Didn't you tell me so?' cried Eva.
'I?' replied Vava, in such tones of astonishment that Eva coloured up.
'You certainly said that if Amy would agree your sister would, and thatshe thought it a good idea. And as Amy does agree--why, your sister willtoo,' she affirmed.
Eva had quite persuaded herself that the two elder girls were ready, andthat it only needed some keeping up to the mark on her part to bring thenew plan about.
Vava was quite silent for a time; she was very impulsive and outspoken,but she was also very straightforward, and somehow it struck her thatEva's speech was not so. In spite of her impulsiveness, she could onoccasion hold her peace, and she did so now.
'Of course, if you've changed your mind, and don't care so much for me,now that you know me better, that ends the matter; we must go on livingin our barracks, and you in your dirty lodgings!' Eva cried, vexed atVava's silence.
Vava was half-inclined to be angry at Eva's plain speaking; but, afterall, the lodgings were dirty, and it was she herself who had told Evaso, and, besides, it was rather flattering to be wanted as a house-mate.So she forgot her suspicion as to Eva's truthfulness, and answeredheartily enough, 'I do want to live with you, and I am just as tired ofour dirty lodgings as you can be of your hostel, which is ever so muchnicer than where we live, if only there wasn't such a noise all the timewith people talking all at the one time. And as for Stella, I'm sorry ifI gave you the wrong idea. She is not one to make up her mind in ahurry--we Scotch never are, I think; but I will try and persuade her.'
Eva said no more; privately she thought her own persuasion would be morepowerful. They were now called by the other two to come with them, asthe gallery was just closing.
'And I haven't seen half the pictures!' exclaimed Vava.
'Never mind; I will bring you again another day,' said Stella, smiling;and Vava thought she had not seen her look so bright and happy sincethey had left Lomore.
'We might make it our next Saturday treat,' agreed Vava.
'We had another plan for Saturday,' replied Stella, smiling again in ahalf-ashamed manner.
'Another treat? Are we going anywhere all together?' Vava inquired,looking from Stella to Amy.
'We are going house-hunting,' announced Amy, who looked pleased at thedemonstration of delight the announcement called forth.
'House-hunting?' echoed Vava, while Eva gave a little cry of delight;then, having got over their surprise, the two younger girls began askingeager questions.
'We have not made our calculations yet; but we are going to have acouncil of war, or rather of peace, at the Enterprise Club next week totalk things over. At any rate, we can just go and look at some littlehouses in a suburb which Miss Overall thinks possible,' Stella observed.
There was little else talked of till they parted; and Amy said afterthey were gone, 'I hope I have done right. Miss Wharton did not seemquite so ready when I spoke to her. I suppose upon reflection her Scotchcaution came to the fore, and indeed I am half-frightened myself; buttheir gratitude at our being so friendly was reward enough for running alittle risk, and we are not pledged to anything even now,' she wound up.
'Oh but you mustn't draw back; you are really doing a kind deed, and itwill turn out splendidly, you will see!' cried Eva quickly.
Vava meanwhile walked home with her sister in the gayest of spirits, andyet a doubt would keep coming into her mind. Hadn't Eva rather managedthem all, and hadn't she rather twisted what she (Vava) had said? Thenthe remembrance of Eva's affectionate parting made her ashamed of herdoubts, and she banished them from her mind.
'Anyway, we sha'n't get tired of them, for we have spent a whole daydoing nothing but talk to each other, and if you can do that you canspend your whole life with any one nearly; at any rate, you can live inthe same house, especially when you are all out in separate parts allthe day,' opined Vava.
'We can but try; and, at any rate, it is not settled, and I shall donothing without consulting Mr. Stacey,' declared Stella as they saidgood-night to each other.