A City Schoolgirl and Her Friends

  CHAPTER XXI.

  EVA'S CONDUCT AND ITS SAD EFFECTS.

  But when Vava told the old housekeeper of Eva's unorthodox views andsayings she did not seem at all shocked, or even impressed, by theinformation.

  'Says we are put into this world to enjoy ourselves, does she? Well, sowe are, and so we shall if we do what is right,' she observedcheerfully.

  'But, nursie, you don't think Eva is doing what is right, do you?'inquired Vava, who was quite put out at this way of taking what the girlhad been half-afraid to tell her, for fear the old woman should refuseto have anything more to do with Eva.

  She was to be yet further surprised, for the housekeeper turned on herseverely. 'And who am I, to say whether the poor young lady is doingright or wrong? As for what she says about religion, we know she ismistaken; but all you have to do is to refuse to talk about it. I neverknew any good come of arguing on such matters, especially amongst youngpeople. You can say a prayer for Miss Eva, and that's all you have tosay,' she said, and turned to poke the fire.

  Vava was silenced for the moment, and then her irrepressible spirits,which had returned at sight of her old nurse and the new home, burstforth, 'What will you do in summer, nursie? You'll have no fire to pokethen, and you won't be able to change the conversation when you want!'

  Nurse gave a smile of grim amusement (she rarely laughed) at Vava'sshrewdness. 'I think I'll manage it without the poker, Miss Vava,' shedeclared.

  At any rate, though she had not been very sympathetic, and did not seemto think it mattered, or that Eva was worse than any one else (or soVava imagined), she had set the girl's mind at rest; and as neithernursie nor Stella seemed to think her an undesirable companion, she andDoreen must just invite her to go with them on their expeditions, when,if she chose, Eva could be very amusing, only that lately she had notchosen, or else had been too unhappy; for, in spite of all her talkabout enjoying life, she did not look happy.

  'All right,' said Doreen, with a shrug of her shoulders when Vava toldher. 'I'm sure I don't want to be a Pharisee, and if we've got no pokerto turn the conversation, as Mrs. Morrison has, we can use our tongues,and perhaps she's right, and that it would be no good even for her totalk to Eva; she's frightfully obstinate.'

  The two Wharton sisters, it will be remembered, shared a large bedroom,which was in the front of the house, and the other two girls had smallerbedrooms at the back; while Mrs. Morrison's was half-way up the stairs,and here Vava always went to say good-night and get her 'evening text'from her old nurse, with whom it had been a practice ever since she hadbeen a little girl to say a text to her, generally one which she hadread that evening, to take to bed with her, as the old woman put it.

  She had said good-night to the housekeeper, and was going to her ownroom, when she heard what sounded like a moan from Eva's room as shepassed the door. 'Eva!' she cried, 'are you ill?'

  There was no answer; but, as it seemed to the listener, a scuffle and akind of gasp. Vava had a vivid imagination, and her mind jumped to theconclusion that this meant a burglar with whom Eva was struggling. Vavawas no coward, and she was a strong athletic girl as well, so she didnot hesitate a moment, but opened the door and burst into Eva's room.She stopped in amazement, for there was no burglar; but Eva, her faceswollen with crying, was apparently making a survey of all her wardrobeand other possessions, for the bed, chairs, and floor were strewn withclothes, books, and all sorts of things.

  'What do you want? Why didn't you knock at the door?' she inquired,looking annoyed and trying to dry her eyes.

  'I am very sorry; I thought you were ill, or that there was somethingthe matter,' stammered Vava, who wanted badly to comfort Eva, but didnot know how to set about it.

  'There's nothing the matter; I'm simply tidying up, and had a fit of theblues. Go to bed and don't say anything about it, there's a good girl,'replied Eva.

  'Good-night, Eva. I 'm sorry you've got the blues. Are you sure there isnothing I can do for you?' asked Vava.

  'No, nothing. Good-night,' said Eva, shutting and locking the door afterher visitor.

  Vava went slowly upstairs. The voice in which Eva had said 'nothing'made her feel miserable; but she did not see what she could do, and,even if the latter had not asked her not to say anything about it, shehad not met with so much encouragement the last time she had talkedabout Eva and her concerns as to make her do so again.

  After she was gone, Eva threw herself upon the bed, regardless of thepiles of clothing already covering it, and gave way to a fit of weepingwhich seemed to do her good, for she sat up, and with a long sigh beganto tidy up, which she had told Vava she was doing, though it certainlyhad not looked like it. And having put nearly everything away in thewardrobe or chest of drawers, she made up two parcels--one quite small,containing a gold bracelet and watch; and the other a large one, inwhich she put a very pretty silk frock. Then, with another huge sigh,she went to bed.

  The next morning at breakfast Eva's place was vacant.

  'Where is Eva? Is she not down?' asked Amy, who was generally the last,and now sat down to take a hurried breakfast.

  'No, she has not appeared yet.--You might run and see if she hasoverslept herself, Vava,' suggested Stella.

  'I wish you'd go, Stella,' replied Vava.

  Stella did not look at all pleased at Vava's disobligingness; but shewas too dignified to argue, and getting up she went herself to Eva'sroom.

  Amy looked with disapproval at Vava, who said, 'Eva did not like it whenI went to her room last night.'

  'I think she had a headache; she said so when I knocked at her door,'observed Amy.

  'She is not in her room!' exclaimed Stella on her return.

  Amy got up, looking disturbed. 'I wonder if Mrs. Morrison has seen her?'she remarked, and went to inquire.

  'Yes, she's had her breakfast and has gone off to town,' said the oldlady.

  'Gone to town? It's only a quarter-past eight! Why has she gone soearly?' she inquired.

  'That I can't tell you,' said Mrs. Morrison.

  'I shall come up with you; I do dislike travelling by myself in thesemorning trains. I can't understand Eva,' Amy said with a sigh.

  It did not occur to Amy to ask the housekeeper if Eva had left anymessage or explanation for her, and so she got none. As a matter offact, Eva had said as she went out, 'If they ask where I've gone justsay I have business in town.'

  Mrs. Morrison made no reply, nor did she appear to see the two parcelswhich Eva tried to hide as she left the house; but when the gate shutbehind her Mrs. Morrison looked after her with kindly pity. 'Poor bairn,she'll learn by this bitter lesson,' she said to herself; and yet Evahad made no confidences to her, nor had Mrs. Morrison said anything tothe girl about her private affairs. In fact, Vava was inclined to thinkthat the old woman was blind to Eva's faults, for she seemed to pet hereven more than the rest.

  She would have been confirmed in this opinion if she had been downearlier; for when Eva came into the kitchen and asked in a hurried wayif she could have a cup of tea, as she wanted to go earlier to town,instead of saying she ought to have told her the evening before, Mrs.Morrison said pleasantly, 'You can have your breakfast as soon as youlike. What train must you catch?'

  'The 8.5,' replied Eva.

  'Then you have twenty-five minutes to eat a good breakfast, and if youwill be so good as to sit by the fire and toast this bread I will haveit ready for you in five minutes,' declared the housekeeper.

  It was a cold March morning, and Eva looked very chilly, and perhaps itwas that which made the kindly Scotchwoman suggest the toast and draw upa chair for her before the bright kitchen fire, for as a matter of factshe generally made it on the toaster.

  Eva was only too glad to sit close to the fire and watch the good womanmoving so quietly about and yet getting everything so quickly. 'Let mehave it here, may I?' she cried impulsively, for the old woman'spresence and her motherly attentions soothed the girl.

  'If you wish. I doubt if the sitting-room is very warm yet, so I'll
putyour tray on this table near the fire, and you'll get well-warmed beforeyou go out, and that's the secret of not taking chills,' remarked theold woman as she put a plate of crisp bacon on the tray and a hot rollbeside it.

  'You are a lovely cook, Mrs. Morrison,' said Eva. 'When I'm rich I'dlike you to live with me.'

  'If you want to be rich when you are old you must save when you areyoung. I'm thinking of buying you all money-boxes and putting into themall the money I save for you every week,' she observed, for she wasgiven the housekeeping money every week, on Saturday, and after puttingaside for the rent, the rest was left with her to do as she thoughtbest; and on the next Saturday she accounted for it to Stella and Amy,who, she insisted, must go into the accounts and see how it all went,and to their astonishment and delight there was always a small balance,which they left with the housekeeper for emergencies.

  'I don't know how you manage to save anything. I couldn't. In fact, Ican't live on what I earn. If I don't get a rise I don't know what I amto do,' said Eva.

  'But you have more than my young lady, so you told me; if she can liveon it, why can't you?' objected the housekeeper.

  'Because I am extravagant, I suppose; but I can't, and there's the endof it,' said Eva.

  'Nay, my bairn, that's not the end of it; the end of it is a very badone--debt and dishonesty, for they are the same thing to me--if one doesnot try to put a better end to it; and, I'm sure, you would not keep indebt, would you? But there, it's no time for such conversation at thishour, when you ought to be eating a good breakfast before going out toearn an honest livelihood. Have a piece more bacon, Miss Eva; it's hotand will keep you going till dinner-time--you've a long morning beforeyou, remember,' urged the housekeeper.

  Then she made up a little parcel with Eva's lunch, for she declared itwas extravagant to pay sixpence a day for dinner when she could alwaysgive them pies or sandwiches to eat at midday, and cook them a nice hotdinner in the evening.

  Eva did not say anything, but though she was quiet she looked lessmiserable than she had done when she came down. That day she did not goto the Enterprise Club, where they ate their cold lunch or had the piesheated if they liked; and when Amy rang her up on the telephone she saidshe was lunching with a friend. Nor did she come home by the same trainas Amy, who even waited for the next, and then gave her up in despair.

  'What happened to you, Eva?' asked Stella. Neither Amy nor Vava cared ordared to question her when she did come in, looking very tired and withdark rims round her eyes.

  'I missed my train,' she replied, throwing herself into a chair in anattitude of utter exhaustion.

  'You must have missed two trains,' said Amy.

  'Yes, I did; I saw the second one go out of the station as I came in;the office clock must have been slow,' observed Eva.

  'I should not trust to the office clock,' said Stella.

  'I thought you said your watch had never lost a minute since you had hadit,' remarked Vava.

  It seemed an innocent enough remark; but Eva flushed crimson, and said,'I wish you would not worry me like this. I suppose I can miss my trainwithout all this fuss?' Then she got up and left the room, and theynoticed that she had not her wrist-watch on.

  No one made any remark upon her conduct, and at dinner they tried tocheer her up by being very cheerful themselves; but the effort proved avain one. After a rather depressing meal, Eva got up and went to bed, asshe said; at all events, she retired to her room. Vava went off to doher lessons with Doreen, and Amy and Stella were left together.

  'Stella, what are we to do? We can't let her go on like this!' criedAmy.

  'I don't see what we are to do. Of course it is easy to see thatsomething is upsetting her, and I suppose it is the payment for thatfurniture; but I do not think she is in the mood to be spoken to aboutit. We must just wait until she says something herself, and be as niceto her as we can meanwhile,' was Stella's advice.

  'I am so afraid she will get into more and more trouble; this friend,whoever she is, with whom she lunched to-day has not a good influenceupon her. I always notice that she propounds some of her reckless ideasafter she has been with her, and I have no doubt it was she whopersuaded her to buy that wretched furniture, which is far too large forher room,' said Amy.

  'She must buy her own experience, as nursie says; and, by the way, shetold me the other day not to worry about Eva, as she would come allright, for her heart was in the right place,' said Stella.

  'One consolation is that she is going to her old home for Easter, and Iam hoping that seeing her old friends will bring her back to what shewas when she came up to town. I am going there too. I know most of herfriends, and I am sure they will do her good,' said Amy.

  The object of all this solicitude had gone to bed, and was lying therereading a book she did not wish them to see downstairs, which engrossedher so much that she fell asleep over it and left her gas burning allnight!