A City Schoolgirl and Her Friends

  CHAPTER II.

  THE NEW LAIRD OF LOMORE.

  The three occupants of the housekeeper's room took the unexpectedvisitors in very different and characteristic ways. The housekeeperbecame what Vava called more 'feverish' than ever; Stella stared ingrave surprise at this liberty on the part of the butler; while Vavagrew red with anger, and, guessing at once what it meant, criedindignantly, 'How dare they come walking over our house before we areout of it? Stella, why don't you go and tell David he ought to beashamed of himself letting them in? What is he thinking of to take sucha liberty?'

  Stella turned her eyes, which justified her name, and looked at herexcited younger sister. She had not understood the meaning of theintrusion until her quicker-witted sister told her, and she was not toopleased herself at old David's behaviour, which even she, quiet andattached to the old servant as she was, felt was taking too much uponhimself.

  But, before she could speak, the old housekeeper broke in, rathernervously, 'Miss Stella, dearie, you must not be angry with David; it'smy fault as well as his; we only wanted to save you both worry andannoyance; and so it would, for you would never have known aught aboutit but for David bringing them in here. He must be daft, after mytelling him he was to be sure and keep them out of your sight.'

  'But I don't understand. I suppose these are the people who want to takethe house, and, if so, of course they wish to see it? Still, I thinkthey should have written just to ask my leave; and, at any rate, Davidshould have done so before he showed them over our house,' Stellaanswered with dignity.

  'That's just it; you don't understand, my bairn; and I don't rightlyunderstand it myself. It's their house--something about a mortgage--nowthe poor Laird's gone, and they only waited until he was under theground to come tearing up from London in their motor to look at theirproperty, and it was more than David could do to put them off, and so,sooner than have you troubled by their impudence'----said thehousekeeper.

  'It is not very considerate, perhaps, but they have a right to ask tosee their own house without being called impudent; and though you meanit kindly, nursie, you and David, I think I should know what is going onin this house,' interrupted Stella.

  'We'd just better get out of it as soon as we can. Mrs. Stacey came toask us to go and stay with them; she told me to give you the invitation.But I'd rather go to the manse; Mrs. Monro would be sure to take us!'cried Vava.

  However, before Vava had uttered the last word, another knock came atthe door, and in answer to Stella's 'Come in!' David M'Taggart entered,looking rather shamefaced. In broad Scotch, which it will perhaps bebest to spare English readers, he said, 'I'm sorry to trouble you, MissStella, but the leddy will not take no for an answer; she wants to seeyou.'

  Stella unconsciously put on her most dignified air, and said, 'I do notunderstand why she should wish to see me. It is the house they havebought, not us; and if she wishes to know when it will be at herdisposal, you may tell her we will be out of it'--she hesitated amoment, and her voice trembled as she added, 'as soon as we can move thefurniture; in a week, if possible.'

  Still David lingered. 'It's just that--the furniture, I mean--thatshe'll be after, I'm thinking. I know it's hard on you, missie. But youmust just be brave and the Laird's daughter; and, if you could make upyour mind to it, just see the leddy and her husband; they're no' bad,though they're no' the quality.'

  David M'Taggart had nursed Stella in his arms as a baby, and had beenthe old Laird's right hand. In fact, when Mr. Wharton was deep in hisliterary labours, David had kept things about the place straighter thanthey would otherwise have been; and if his education had been better,and he had been allowed, he would probably have managed the moneymatters of his late master, and prevented the Laird allowing them to getinto the disastrous state they were found to be in after his death, ofwhich state the late Laird was, happily for him, though unfortunatelyfor his daughters, quite ignorant.

  Stella listened to David's advice, and replied, 'Very well, David, Iwill see this lady. What is her name?'

  'It's a fine name--Mrs. Montague Jones she calls herself; but it's withhim I'd do business, if I may be so bold as to say so, for he's a fairman, and not so keen on a bargain as she.'

  To this piece of advice the girl made no reply, but followed the oldbutler out of the room and down the wide staircase to the drawing-room.At the door she paused involuntarily, as David threw it open for her andannounced, 'This is Miss Wharton, mem.'

  The short, thick-set business man, who was standing looking out of oneof the windows, turned sharply round at the words; and, as he told hiswife afterwards, was 'fairly taken aback to see that beautiful younglady standing there like a princess in the doorway and looking down uponus.'

  And his wife--a handsome woman herself, who was sitting at a tableexamining some old silver, of which the Laird had a finecollection--though she answered him rather sharply to the effect thatthe 'looking down' ought to be on their side rather than the Whartons',was conscious somehow of a feeling of inferiority. However, she rose,and, coming forward, said civilly and kindly enough, 'I must apologise,Miss Wharton, for this intrusion, and it's only because I think we maybe able to be of use to you'----Here Mrs. Montague Jones stoppedabruptly, for Stella's pride had risen, and she stiffened visibly.

  'My wife doesn't mean that, Miss Wharton. What we wished to ask was afavour to us, for which we would willingly make a return. I'm a businessman, and you are a young lady who knows nothing about business,' Mr.Montague Jones now put in.

  But Stella did not look any better pleased as she answered civilly butdistantly, 'In that case would it not be better to address yourself toour lawyer, who is a man of business?' Stella had been her father'ssecretary for so long that she spoke in a slightly stilted English witha Scotch accent.

  'Quite right, and so we did, but he told us he could do nothing withoutyou'--Mr. Stacey had said that he could do nothing _with_ her on thisparticular matter--'and we have taken the liberty of coming straight tothe fountain-head, so to speak. It's about this furniture now.'

  But Stella interrupted hastily, 'I am afraid you have given yourselfunnecessary trouble'--and her looks said 'and me too'--'for I have nointention of parting with it.'

  A gleam came into the man's eye, whether of anger at her haughtiness oradmiration at the spirit which could refuse a possibly advantageousbusiness offer was not clear, with poverty staring her in the face; buthe laid a hand on his wife's arm to prevent her speaking, and continuedquietly, and in a kind and friendly tone, 'No one has asked you to dothat, Miss Wharton. I feel with you that however valuable furniture orsilver or that kind of thing may be, it is doubly valuable to the owner,especially when, as in your case, it has been in the family for a longtime, and I should be the last to counsel you to part with it.'

  Miss Wharton looked surprised, and so did Mrs. Jones, who stared at herhusband in amazement.

  'In that case, I fail to see'----began the girl, and then hesitated.

  'You fail to see what proposal I have to make about the furniture? Ifyou'll have a little patience I'll tell you. I've just seen your lawyer,and a very nice man he is, and has your interests at heart, for whichyou may be thankful, as they are not all so. I hear you are thinking ofgoing to London. Now, you can't take all this fine furniture with you;it would get knocked to pieces on the way there, besides costing no endof money, and you'd want a mansion to put it in when you got there,which you won't have just yet, though you will have again one day, Ihope. Now what, may I ask, do you mean to do with it?'

  'I don't know. I shall warehouse it here, I suppose,' said Stella, whohad no clear ideas on the subject.

  'That's just what I was going to suggest. Why not leave it all here,with the exception of any little things or specially valuable belongingsthat you 'd like to put away, and let us pay a fair sum for the use ofthem. They'll not spoil, for they are old and well-made, and there'llonly be the wife and me and Jamie, that's our son and heir--ahem! aquiet, well-behaved young fellow--and none of us will knock it abo
ut;besides, your man M'Taggart has agreed--condescended I might say--tostay on with us for the present, and he'll be free to write and tell youif it's being badly used; and we'll put a clause in the agreement thatif M'Taggart thinks it is in bad hands you have the right to order itsremoval in twenty-four hours,' announced Mr. Jones.

  'Really, Monty'----cried his wife; but her husband pressed her arm, andpatiently waited for Stella's reply.

  The girl puckered her brows; it would be a way out of the difficulty.But she did not feel equal to settling the matter herself, and answereddoubtfully, 'If Mr. Stacey approves, I should have no objection--that isto say, I would agree; but I should like some of my mother's things putaway.'

  'Oh of course, we quite understand that, Miss Wharton, and we will haveeverything put down in black and white by your lawyer,' said Mr.Montague Jones.

  Stella, who had taken the seat offered her by her undesired visitor, nowrose to put an end to the interview; and then a sudden thought struckher. These people had motored from the south, and perhaps had come farthat day--at any rate from the nearest town, a good many miles off--andshe had not even offered them a cup of tea, and her Scotch hospitalityforbade her to let them depart without doing so much. She accordinglyoffered it, and Mrs. Jones accepted the offer so gladly that her younghostess felt ashamed of herself; and, ringing the bell, she ordered intea.

  The interval of waiting might have been rather awkward; but not longafter David had answered the summons the door opened, and in walkedVava.

  Mr. and Mrs. Jones had an idea that Scotch girls in general were plainand hard-featured, hence their surprise at Stella's appearance; andVava, though she was at an awkward age, and had not Stella's beauty, wasa bright, fresh-looking girl, with merry, laughing eyes which no troublecould dim for long, and she too fitted in with her surroundings.

  'How do you do? David will bring the tea in a minute, and there arestill some scones left,' she announced, without waiting to beintroduced.

  Mr. Jones shook her hand heartily. 'That's good hearing; we lunchedearly, and I've been with lawyers ever since, and worried with business,about which you luckily know nothing; and scones--which we poor ignorantLondoners call "scoones"--sounds very inviting.'

  'So they are, deliciously inviting; but as for your business, I just doknow something about it,' Vava observed.

  'Vava!' cried Stella horrified.

  Mr. Jones laughed, not in the least embarrassed, though he had not meantto be taken up so. 'Ah well, business is business and pleasure ispleasure, and I don't believe in mixing them, though some people do.Business is over for this afternoon, and now I am having the pleasure ofmaking your acquaintance.'

  'Do you go to school, Miss Wharton?' inquired his wife, putting thefirst question ladies seem invariably to put to girls in their teens.

  'No, but I am going to a day-school when we get to London. Do you knowany nice ones there, not too dear?' inquired Vava.

  Stella coloured hotly, and looked despairingly at Vava, who wasevidently in a mood to say dreadful things, as Stella considered them.

  But Mr. Jones stepped into the breach. 'If you take my advice you'll goto my school; it's one of the best in London.'

  'Do you keep a school? I didn't know rich people did that,' said Vava.

  'I don't keep it exactly, but I am chairman of the governors, and onspeech-days I go there, dressed in my chain and brass breastplate andthings, and listen to how all the girls have been getting on, and Ifrown at the idle ones, and praise the good ones, and if you were tocome there I should praise and clap you. It's a first-class schoolthough the fees are very low,' he wound up, as if this were an importantdetail.

  'Nothing is decided yet,' said Stella, rather shortly, and frowning atthe too candid Vava.

  'No, and of course there is no hurry; and, if you will excuse my talkingof business, I should like just to say that if you wished to stay here amonth or more we should be delighted. As for that school, it is a famousCity foundation, and I will send you the prospectus when I return home,if you will allow me,' said Mrs. Jones, whom tea and scones had madequite friendly.

  'A City school!' said Vava. 'Is that a charity school?'

  'Oh dear no!' cried Mrs. Jones hastily. 'My niece used to go there.'

  Stella gave a ghost of a smile, but said nothing; and soon her visitorsleft, with profuse thanks and promises to see the lawyer and let himarrange matters.

  It was consequently with lightened hearts that the two orphans stoodlooking after their visitors in the darkening day.