CHAPTER XI.
'THE RANK IS BUT THE GUINEA'S STAMP.'
'Hallo, Vava!' said a voice behind her, as Vava Wharton was on her wayto school a few days after the Sunday she and her sister had spent atthe ladies' hostel.
There was no doubt as to the speaker, for this was Doreen Hackney'sinvariable greeting, and, as usual, Vava turned and said pleasantly,'Good-morning, Doreen.'
'What's the row--matter, I mean? You look down in the dumps. I say, areyou moping for the country? You don't seem to be half the girl you werewhen you first came; you don't make any jokes, and when I meet you inthe morning you have a face as long as a fiddle,' remarked Doreen in herloud, cheerful tones.
'I was only thinking. I didn't know my face was long. We are thinking ofmoving--into a house, my sister and I--and I was thinking about that,and I suppose it made me look grave,' explained Vava.
'What on earth is there to be grave about in that? You haven't gotanything to do with the moving, have you? We moved last year, and itdidn't make me grave till mother said I'd got to burn some of what shecalled my "rubbish." I think it's rather fun moving; you have all newwall-papers and a new garden, and it makes a change. Where are you goingto move to?' inquired Doreen.
'Oh I don't know; we haven't got a house yet. I believe we are going tolook at one in Blackstead,' said Vava.
'Blackstead! That's where we live. There are some nice houses there;cheap too, because it is not a fashionable suburb. I hope you will comethere, because then you and I can come to school together--that is, ifyour sister would not mind. Mother says I am not to push myself intoyour society, because you are a lady; and I'm very rough, I know.Mother's always telling me about my manners; she says I talk so loud andlaugh so loud. I wish you would tell me about it when I do; you talk sosoft and ladylike,' observed Doreen.
Vava laughed. 'I! Why, the girls couldn't understand me when I firstcame,' she protested.
'Oh well, there were some words you used that we'd never heard before,but I like it now. I say, if you do move our way I wish you'd let mehelp,' Doreen said very earnestly, for she concluded that it was themoving which was causing Vava to look so worried.
'Thank you,' said Vava, and laughed.
'It won't be so bad, you know; the men move so cleverly now, mothersays; you start in the morning, and in the evening you are all torights. I dare say when you get back from school you'll find it quiteshipshape, and even if you're not you can sleep the night at our place;so don't you worry about that,' said Doreen.
'It's not that at all; I don't care if we are not shipshape for a week;it's the girls we are going to take a house with that are worryingme--if I am worrying, as you say,' replied Vava.
Then Vava told her the story of their plan, and finished up by saying,'I don't quite like Eva--at least I can't help liking her, because sheis so lively and such fun to talk to, and she has been awfully nice tous; but I feel as if I can't quite believe in her somehow. And if we aregoing to live together we shall have to be friends.'
Doreen whistled, and then seeing that Vava looked a little put out ather schoolfellow's manners, and the attention they attracted in thestreet, she apologised, saying in a lower tone, 'Beg your pardon, butI'm sorry for what you tell me, because there's nothing so horrid as tohave to do with any one that is not quite straight. Why don't youbelieve in her? Doesn't she tell the truth?'
'I--I don't know; I don't like to say anything against her, because sheis very nice to me, and seems to like me, and she has never told me areal story. But it's the things she says, they make me feeluncomfortable. And yet I do so want to live in a house again, and we canonly do it if we chum with them!'
'Well, you needn't see much of her even if you live in the same house;you'll be out all day, and so will she, and you will have your lessonsand practising in the evenings. After all, they're only new friends;they can't expect you to live as if you were one family, and--and youknow I'm straight--if you do come to Blackstead we might do our lessonstogether?' suggested Doreen, by way of comforting Vava.
But, as it happened, it had not quite the desired effect; for, muchthough Vava liked Doreen, she remembered her sister's resolution that ifthey could not have friends of their own class they would have none; andas she declined to know the Montague Joneses she would certainly nothave anything to do with the Hackneys. However, that was not a thing shecould say to Doreen; and, as she did not want to throw cold water on herkindness, she said, 'Thank you, you are kind, and of course you arestraight, and I am very glad you are my chum, especially in school; outof school Stella is my chum.'
'Yes, of course, and a jolly good one too,' said Doreen heartily; and ifshe guessed that Vava meant that they would _not_ see much of each otherout of school, she did not show it, but observed, 'And you know, even ifthat Eva is not always quite square in her way of looking at things, youcan do her good.'
'Miss Briggs said the other day that "evil communications corrupt goodmanners," and that if a girl's conversation made us feel uncomfortable,or feel that we should not like our parents to hear it, we were to shunher as we should the plague,' observed Vava.
'I know she did, but I don't agree with her,' remarked Doreen calmly.
Vava looked at Doreen in astonishment. She often questioned her sister'sauthority, but not Miss Briggs's, who was a very clever young mistress.'Do you mean that if a girl isn't nice you don't care?' she asked.
'No, I mean that you ought to make her shut up. Sometimes a girl talksrot because she is silly; but you can soon stop her, and if one were toavoid every one who did or said anything wrong, why one might as welllive in a desert island. Look at Belle Reed! You couldn't believe a wordthat girl said when she first came to our school; but she soon droppedit when she found we couldn't stand liars.'
Doreen had got interested in what she was saying, and unconsciouslyraised her voice, and one of the mistresses who happened to pass at themoment turned and looked with disapproval at her. She then glanced ather companion, and looked still more displeased.
'That is not very nice language for the street, Doreen,' she saidseverely.
'Bother! That was Miss Briggs! Why need she have passed at thatparticular minute?' observed the girl.
'Why need you talk so loudly?' remarked Vava. Then they both passed intoschool, and thought no more about it.
But next morning at breakfast Stella received a letter which seemed toannoy her a good deal, and she said to Vava, 'I hear you have madefriends with an undesirable girl at school.'
'I suppose you mean Doreen; but why should you say you "hear" it?There's no need for you to go to other people to hear what I do, or whatfriends I have; I always tell you what happens at school, and I thoughtyou liked Doreen Hackney. Of course I know she is not very ladylikeoutwardly, but she is agreeable,' said Vava, championing her friendrather hotly.
'Doreen Hackney? Is that the girl I spoke to the other day?' askedStella, referring to the letter and looking puzzled.
'Yes, that is her name. Who has been writing against her to you? Whycan't people mind their own business?' cried Vava.
'Vava, do not speak so rudely, or I shall think what I am told is true.It is Miss Briggs, who says she is not an improving companion for you,and that her language is very vulgar. But I can't believe you couldlearn harm from that girl; she has such a nice, open face,' said Stella.
'So she has. All she said was that she couldn't stand liars, and Isuppose that shocked Miss Briggs; but I believe in calling a spade aspade,' announced Vava.
'You are not to call people liars, and you had better tell Doreen that Iobject to such strong language; there is no need for it. It is quiteenough to say "an untruth." I hope Doreen was not calling any onenames?' inquired Stella.
'No, only people in general,' said Vava.
Stella laughed. 'Well, tell her not to do so in future.' But she did notsay anything about her being an undesirable friend for Vava, to thelatter's relief. Stella opened her next letter, which happened to befrom the house-agent at Blackstead, and
this interested her so much thatshe forgot about Doreen and her strong language.
'There is a house at Blackstead which sounds ideal, Vava. Listen: "Fourbedrooms, three reception-rooms, kitchen, bath (h. and c.), and gardenwith fruit-trees--forty pounds, but perhaps less to a good tenant, asthe landlord lives next door and is very particular about hisneighbours, and has refused good 'lets' already,"' Stella read out.
She was the least busy of the four, and the only one with capital, so ithad been decided that she should do the correspondence, and by Mr.Stacey's advice she was to take the house in her own name, as 'you canthen get rid of your new acquaintances if you wish, and you will beresponsible for the rent, or rather I will, which your landlord willprefer, as I hold your securities.'
'Do you know, Stella, I have come to the conclusion that people never dowhat you expect them to do; anyway, you and Mr. Stacey don't,' announcedVava when she heard Mr. Stacey's advice.
'I don't? What have I done or not done that you expected?' said Stella,amused at Vava's moralising, though she understood and agreed with hersurprise at Mr. Stacey's ready approval of their taking a small house,instead of remaining in lodgings; it did not seem like his usual cautionnor the advice he gave them before they left Lomore.
'You don't disapprove of Doreen, though she is not a lady and a littlerough sometimes and loud in her way of speaking in the street, so that Ifeel ashamed at the attention she attracts, though I like her mostawfully; and yet you don't like the Montague Joneses, who behave quitelike a lady and gentleman; and now Mr. Stacey, who was so horrid,telling us we must go into poky lodgings and be saving, quite approvesof our taking a house with some people we don't know very well! It'srather funny of him, but I believe I know the reason,' announced Vava,nodding her head.
Stella thought she knew too, but her guess was a different one toVava's. She imagined that her remarks about her younger sister'sflagging health and spirits influenced the old lawyer, as well as thefact at which he hinted that their income would be a little larger thanhe anticipated, thanks to the sum paid for the hire of their furnitureand a rise in some shares. Whereas Vava had an idea that the MontagueJoneses were somehow at the bottom of his change of front; but neitherimparted her opinion to the other, and Stella did not ask Vava for hers,because she was occupied with thoughts of the new scheme.
The Montague Joneses had called on a wet Saturday afternoon, havingchosen that time as very likely to find them at home; but the MissesWharton were at the Enterprise Club, and came home to find theirvisitors' cards.
'Such a nice lady and gentleman and such a splendid car; they are grandfriends for you to have,' the landlady said.
Stella made no reply, but passed on to her own little sitting-room.
Vava looked wistfully at Stella, but the latter did not catch the look,or she might have spoken otherwise. 'We must leave cards in return; butI shall not go on their "At Home" day,' she said.
Vava did not argue. She had known they were going to call; but if Stellahad made up her mind it was no use arguing, and the thought of the idealhouse, with a garden and fruit-trees, was consoling her for many things.Besides, old Mr. Montague Jones had told her on one of their expeditionswhile coming south that he meant to be their friend by hook or by crook,sooner or later. 'And what Monty Jones means comes to pass, as mostpeople have found, and as you will find,' he had said as he pattedVava's arm kindly; and Vava had faith in the old man's word.
However, there was no chance of their being friends at present, as shesaw, for she and Stella duly called on the wrong day, and Mrs. Joneswas, according to the gorgeous footman who opened the door, 'not athome,' at which news Stella smiled in a satisfied way, and remarked, 'Wehave done our duty, and that ends the matter!'
It did not end the matter, as will be seen; but it was some time, andafter other events had taken place, before the Whartons met their kindfriends again.