CHAPTER XXIV.
BADLY BEGUN AND MADLY ENDED.
Looking back on that examination week, Vava declared afterwards that itwas the longest week and the most eventful of her whole life--it 'beganbadly and ended madly,' was how she put it, talking about it to nursie,her confidante and comforter during this trying time.
She went home, feeling rather depressed, with an inward conviction thather sister's leaving Messrs Baines, Jones & Co. was her fault in thefirst instance, and she made a mental resolution to be more careful inthe future what she said. However, Stella met her with no reproachfullooks, but was calmly darning a tablecloth as if she had not just thrownup thirty-five shillings, or rather two pounds, a week, which meant agood deal to them at the present moment.
'You never told me you were not going to town at all,' was Vava'sgreeting.
'It is none of your business,' said Stella, who, though she imagined shehad told Vava, did not wish to be questioned on the subject.
'All the same, you might have told me, for I went to your little room asusual to fetch you, and there was Mr. Jones typing his own letters,'retorted Vava with an injured air.
As it happened, she was getting the best of it, for Stella, who was notat all pleased at this news, could not scold her for going there;besides, it made the elder sister rather uncomfortable to know how hersudden departure had inconvenienced her late employer. But not yet wouldshe own herself to be in the wrong. 'I hope you did not stop and talk,'she remarked.
'I asked where you were, and Mr. Jones told me you had left; but hewould not keep me, he said, as he knew you disliked him'----repliedVava.
'Vava, what do you mean?' interrupted her sister.
'If you had let me finish I was going to say, "being friends with me,"'said Vava.
'Then you should talk grammatically; it is not "him being friends" but"his being friends."'
'Well, he isn't either, so it does not matter,' replied Vava testily,for she was very sorry about it all, and this made her cross.
The next morning's post brought Stella three letters. One was from thejunior partner, which she opened first, though why it should haveinterested her does not seem clear, as she had finished with him andwould not return to him on any account; perhaps she wished to be askedat least.
If so, she was disappointed. Mr. Jones's note was short and formal.Stella had begun her letter of resignation 'Dear Sir;' but Mr. Jonesreplied:
'DEAR MISS WHARTON,--I beg to acknowledge your letter tendering your resignation as secretary, which I accept in the name of the firm; also the five shillings, which you return under some misapprehension. I regret your departure, and shall find it difficult to supply the place you have so admirably filled. I also regret that you should hold the opinion of me that you do, and trust you will some day modify your views. I shall be glad to answer any one you refer to me.--Yours faithfully,
'JAMES JONES.'
Stella felt a distinct sensation of disappointment as she laid thisletter down. The next pleased her no better. 'What have my movements inthe City got to do with them?' she exclaimed involuntarily.
'With whom?' asked Vava.
'The Montague Joneses,' replied Stella, handing over to her sister thenote, in which Mrs. Jones hoped that her change of employment would notinterfere with her promise to dine with them next Friday, as it made nodifference to them. 'Of course it does not,' was Stella's comment.
The third letter was a still greater surprise, and she gave anexclamation of pleasure as she said, 'I will come up with you thismorning, Vava. I have been offered an appointment in the City not farfrom--my late office.'
'How quick! How did they know you wanted one, or your address? I supposethat is Mr. Jones, and I call it rather decent of him,' observed Vava,in a significant tone.
'As it happens, it was not Mr. Jones; it was that good Mrs. Ryan,' saidStella with satisfaction.
'How on earth did she manage it?' inquired Vava, who thought privatelythat if the housekeeper had got Stella this post she had done so by Mr.Jones's orders, and as it happens (to quote Stella) Vava was quiteright; but fortunately Stella did not suspect this, or, as Vava wellknew, she was capable of throwing it over, and the younger sister wiselykept her thoughts to herself.
The two sisters accordingly went up to the City together as usual, andit was only when they were nearing their destination that Stella beganto look a little nervous at the thought of again facing strangers, andto think with regret of the comfortable little room she had had all toherself. For one short moment she had half a mind to return to MessrsBaines, Jones & Co., the junior partner of which firm she knew wouldwelcome her back; but pride forbade such a step.
Vava, who knew her sister's face well, guessed at her nervousness, andsaid in a pleading voice, 'Stella, please let me come with you; I shallfeel much happier, and as if you had forgiven me for causing all thisbother.'
Partly to please Vava, and partly because she dreaded facing a room fullof young men who stared at her in too open admiration, she acceptedVava's offer, and went up the steps of Murchison Limited protected byher sister.
Mr. Murchison had not arrived, and Stella was requested to take a seaton a bench in the passage by a young clerk to whom she told herbusiness. Up and down the passage passed a countless number of men, asit seemed to the two girls.
'Vava, you must go; you will be late for school,' said Stella, as theminutes passed and no Mr. Murchison arrived.
'I simply couldn't go away and leave you alone in this horrid place!'cried Vava.
Stella smiled at her younger sister's protective tone, as she said, 'Butyour examinations?'
'I don't care if I miss fifty exams; you are more important than theyare!' exclaimed Vava.
An elderly gentleman coming in at the moment noticed the two girls inmourning, the elder smiling as the younger looked eagerly up into herface, and thought he had never seen a prettier picture. He came hastilyforward, and holding out his hand said, 'Miss Wharton, I am sure, andthis is the City schoolgirl? I am so sorry to have been late, but my carbroke down, as usual with these machines when one has an appointment;but you should not have waited here. Come into my office.' He had such akind, fatherly way, and spoke in such refined accents, that Stella wasreassured; and the boy who had asked her to go outside wished he hadbeen more polite when he saw the courtesy his master was showing to thetwo young clerks, as he had imagined them to be.
'You had better go now, Vava,' said Stella, as they entered Mr.Murchison's private office.
'Are you sure you are all right?--You will see that she is comfortable,won't you?' said Vava, turning to the old man.
A twinkle came into his eye, but he answered gravely and courteously,'You may safely leave your sister with us; we will see that she is quitecomfortable and happy.'
'Thank you,' said Vava, and ran off happy too.
A short interview sufficed to tell Stella what was required of her, andthen she was shown into a small room by Mr. Murchison himself, who saidapologetically, 'I am afraid it is rather dark and dingy, but we havenot required it hitherto, and I am sure you will prefer this to being ina room with the other clerks?'
'Oh yes, and it will do very nicely, thank you,' said Stella withrelief. Little did she or Vava dream that there was anything surprisingin her falling into a second berth so easily, or in the treatment andconsideration she received. Not that she would not have been kindly andcivilly treated; but, as a rule, Mr. Murchison did not interview hisclerks himself, nor did he hurry to the City to keep appointments withthem.
If Stella had been in the chief's office later on she would have beenenlightened about many things. As it was, she only wondered that she wasneeded at all; it seemed to her that the small amount of work she didmight very easily have been distributed among the young men-clerks.
Mr. Murchison had just sent her in some papers to typewrite, and wasleaning back in his chair deep in thought when Lord Rothery wasannounced.
'I hope I am not int
ruding, Mr. Murchison?' he began.
But the City magnate greeted him with a laugh. 'I believe you always saythat on entering a City office,' he answered.
'Well, I feel I'm the idle butterfly among the bees, don't you know; butI was sent here this morning,' explained the young man.
'Not for a clerk's place, I sincerely hope, for I really can't find workfor another superfluous person!' protested Mr. Murchison with a look ofamusement.
'No, no; it's the last one I've come about,' observed his visitor.
'What! are you an admirer too? This promises to become complicated, notto say a nuisance,' said the old man; but he still looked amused, for hewas a very kindly man, and Stella's quiet, ladylike manners, as well asher beauty, had won him.
'I admire her all right--I don't see how one could help it. But it's nogo; she didn't admire me, and it seems Jones has no better luck. Buthe's a dogged beggar, and won't give up hope, and he has sent me to seethat she is comfortable and all that,' he said.
'Oh yes, she's comfortable--at least, as comfortable as I could make herat a day's notice. And if you are going back to that happy young man youmay tell him that it is more than I am, for I can't find anything forher to do, and I think he'd better send her work along too to keep heroccupied,' replied Mr. Murchison.
'Oh that would never do; she'd spot something, and he says she must onno account guess that he has got her this place,' said Lord Rotheryhastily.
Mr. Murchison put back his head and laughed. 'A City conspiracy to savethe pride of a most wrong-headed young woman, who, as a matter of fact,does not deserve such consideration, after treating Jones so badly,leaving him at a moment's notice. It's really great nonsense, if youcome to think of it. He wants her services, and I do not; but becauseshe gets into a rage about nothing he must find her a comfortablesinecure. What am I to do with a lady-clerk? I don't want one at all,'he wound up.
'Jamie knows that, and told me to tell you he's sure it won't be forlong. He's awfully sorry to ask such a favour, but it's a matter of lifeand death to him.'
'Life and death fiddlesticks!' ejaculated Mr. Murchison.
'I'm only quoting his words. He really looks very bad this morning; Ifeel quite sorry for him, and I'm awfully sorry for her too. PoorStella! it's an awful come down for her,' said his lordship.
'I don't think it is any hardship to earn your own living, thoughperhaps she is too pretty; anyway, it's being made easier for her thanfor many a girl who is just as good,' objected Mr. Murchison.
'It's worse for her, because she's so beastly proud--always was as achild; but she's a good sort, and I only hope Jones will get his way,though I "ha'e ma douts," as we say up north. He daren't come and seeyou, he says,' said Lord Rothery.
But Stella knew nothing of all this, and only found the day drag, as shehad so little to do.
Vava too found the day long. She was half-an-hour late for school, andas she brought no written excuse, and her own was not consideredsatisfactory, she was not allowed to go in to the examination at all;and although she had said Stella was more important than fiftyexaminations, she was very disappointed to miss this one, which washistory, in which she hoped to do well, as it was her strong point.However, she said nothing about this to Stella, who seemed depressed, onthe way home. Although they had only been in the new house a month,things did not seem to be going very smoothly. Eva was like athundercloud all dinner-time, and snapped at any one who spoke to her,until in desperation they left her severely alone.
'Everything's downright horrid, nursie,' said Vava, going into thekitchen after dinner to pour out her woes into the housekeeper'ssympathetic ear.
'When night's blackest, dawn's nearest--not that I think it's a veryblack night; we must all pay for our experience, and you are paying atthis minute,' replied the old woman.
'But I don't see why I should pay to-day! I had not done anything wrong.I couldn't have left Stella sitting on that horrid bench all alone,could I?' protested Vava.
'You are too fond of that word "horrid." I don't expect there wasanything the matter with the bench; it's no good being too high andmighty in this world, and there's no disgrace or degradation in honestlabour,' said the old housekeeper; for however much she might regret thenecessity of her 'young leddies' earning their living, she was not goingto tell them so, or put foolish notions into their heads; moreover, shethought they both needed a lesson in humility.
'It was not a pleasant place for a girl to sit alone, anyway, and youwould have said the same yourself, and it was horrid, for sitting theremade me miss my best exam, which was a horrid bore--well, a shame,' saidVava.
'It was no shame if it was the rules of the school, and it was thattongue of yours that took you both there to the new office, in the firstplace; but I hope it will be a lesson to you. And now, my bairn, justtry on these stockings; they will be cooler for spring, and I don't knowif they are long enough or not,' she wound up.
Vava tried on the stockings, which she declared fitted, as nursie'sknitted stockings always did. But next another unpleasant event tookplace, making this week the 'baddest and maddest' Vava had ever known;and to understand it the events of the day before at the City schoolmust be related.