CHAPTER XXIX.
THINGS STRAIGHTEN OUT.
It is three months later, a lovely evening in June, and the back gardenof No. 2 Heather Road was a blaze of fine flowers, and under theapple-tree in the centre of the lawn sat four girls in dresses whichlooked a little too elaborate and costly for a quiet tea in a littlesuburban villa.
So apparently thought the thrifty old housekeeper, who came out in aplain alpaca gown, and said, 'Ah, my bairns, but you'll soil yourbeautiful frocks sitting on those garden-seats!'
'We can't possibly wear our ordinary frocks to-day, nursie; it would bea dreadful come down. Why! you have taken off your "silken gown," andit's Stella's wedding-day!' cried Vava merrily.
Evidently she had forgiven her sister the surprise she had given her onthat eventful breaking-up day, for she looked the picture of happiness.
'And do you think I'm going to cook in a silk gown, whatever the day?No, indeed! it's safely packed away, as yours ought to be, youngleddies!'
'We are going back to the workaday world to-morrow, nursie; let us stopin fairyland for to-day,' said Eva.
Mrs. Morrison smiled at her; they all called her nursie now, even Doreenhad been allowed this privilege, and that was not the only privilege shehad been allowed, for, to her amazement, she had been invited to be abridesmaid to her goddess of beauty at the quiet wedding at a West-Endchurch. Perhaps Vava was as surprised as Doreen; Amy and Eva sheunderstood, but Doreen she had not expected to be asked, although theStella of the last three months had been a Stella she had not knownbefore.
Stella had explained it very simply. 'I should like to have those whohave been good to me in my days of adversity,' she said, 'and amongthese were the Hackneys.'
And the four fashionably dressed girls were Stella's four bridesmaids,for Mr. James had begged for an early wedding; and when Stella demurredbecause of the new responsibilities she had taken upon her with the newhouse, Mrs. Morrison had come to the rescue, and offered to keep housefor Amy and Eva.
'But, nursie,' Stella had said, 'we want you at Lomore; your rooms arethere waiting for you, and why should you stay down here away from yourhome when there is no need?'
'There is need, Miss Stella; they need me, and I could not leave themjust now. Your first duty is to your husband; mine is dead, and I am ofuse here; but I'll come up home for a holiday in the summer when myyoung leddies take theirs.'
Then Vava stoutly announced that if nursie stayed at No. 2 Heather Roadso should she; and if she had not quite meant it, for Lomore was home toher too, the gleam of joy in Mrs. Morrison's eye at the suggestiondecided her.
At this Stella protested still more strongly; but it was really a wayout of a difficulty, for Vava was very happy at school and with Mrs.Morrison, and she would spend the long summer holidays at Lomore, and inthe autumn Stella would be at her town house, and Vava could beconstantly with her.
And so the tangled skein straightened itself out, and the littlehousehold at No. 2 Heather Road went on very happily.
Eva was acting up to her suggested motto of 'Save' to such good purposethat, thanks to overtime and rigid self-denial, encouraged by Mrs.Morrison, she had paid off half her debt.
'Fancy, fifteen pounds in three months! At that rate I shall soon beable to look the whole world in the face!' she cried as she handed thelast instalment of the fifteen pounds to the kindly creditor.
Mrs. Morrison was as pleased as the girl; not that she was anxious tohave the money back, but that she wanted Eva to be out of debt.
Stella, whom her short spell of poverty had made thoughtful on suchmatters, gave the bridesmaids their dresses, which meant bestsummer-frocks and hats for them all, and saved Eva that expense; and ofpleasures they had no lack, for Mr. Montague Jones's car was alwaysrunning down to Blackstead.
Mrs. Montague Jones could not adopt Vava, but she insisted onconsidering her a relation, and Vava never felt lonely, even whileStella was away on her honeymoon. And when she returned, on her way upnorth, she fetched Vava and Mrs. Morrison, and took them to Lomore withher that they might be with her when she went to the home of herfathers, and see the welcome she received.
And it was a warm welcome, a welcome to the late Laird's daughter and tothe new young Laird, who had won for himself golden opinions during theshort time he had reigned there, for his father had made over theproperty to his son when, unknown to Stella, and before he had beenengaged to her, he had sought out her special protegees and assured themof his friendship.
'All that time ago!' commented Vava; but she thought it best to refrainfrom alluding to the time when Stella behaved so badly to her presenthusband that she (Vava) had pitied him. 'Grown-up people are odd. Iprefer schoolgirls myself; you can understand them,' she said withemphasis.
THE END.
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