CHAPTER VIII.
GOOD MANNERS.
'Do you think you can walk to school by yourself this morning, Vava?'inquired Stella a little doubtfully as they stood at the parting oftheir ways one week-day morning in the City. Stella had always walked tothe school-gates with her younger sister; but to-day she had workwaiting her at the office, and she was anxious to get there early.
'Of course I can; I'm the only girl in the whole school who is taken toschool like a kindergarten child, and some of them even come quite alonewithout their nurses or any grown-up person!' cried Vava, airing whatwas rather a grievance with her.
Stella put on her most dignified air. 'Very possibly; but I do not wishto be taught manners by your schoolfellows or their parents. That classof person does not go in for chaperons,' she said in her clear voice.
'Oh Stella!' cried Vava, flushing crimson and looking very vexed.
'What is the matter, Vava?' exclaimed Stella in astonishment.
'That was one of the girls in my form, and she heard you!' protestedVava.
Stella looked as vexed as Vava; she would not for worlds hurt any one'sfeelings willingly, and she knew too that she ought not to have saidwhat she did; but pride was Stella's besetting sin, and she hated havingto mix with people whom she considered her inferiors, and her presentlife and surroundings only made her prouder.
'I am sorry; I forgot we were so near the school. Perhaps she did notunderstand me. You say the girls find your Scotch accent difficult tofollow?' suggested the girl.
'Well, good-bye,' said Vava; and went off one way, while Stella turneddown the street leading to her office without further comment.
When she had left her sister, Stella thought no more of her unfortunatespeech. It had been unwise; but, after all, it was quite true. And ifthe girl had overheard it all, the worst she could think was that Vava'ssister was proud, and that she thought herself superior to the pupils ofthe City School for Girls, which last, Stella privately thought, theycould see for themselves.
But Vava did not forget it, and looked very gloomy as she walked along,her eyes looking straight in front of her, not seeing any one.
'Hallo, Vava Wharton! Where are you--in the moon, wool-gathering?'inquired a hearty voice beside her, and a rather stout, common-lookinggirl, who, however, was nicely dressed and had a pleasant face, pattedher on the back.
'Oh Doreen! you startled me. I was thinking!' ejaculated Vava.
'Not very pleasant thoughts, by the look of you,' said Doreen, with asharp look at Vava's grave face.
'No, they were not,' admitted Vava.
'What's the row? Not any trouble at home, I hope?' asked the girlkindly, and her rough, boisterous voice grew quite gentle.
'I have no home,' said Vava.
'I'm sorry; but you have a sister, and, I say, isn't she a beauty?You're lucky to have her; I have no sister. If it's anything I can helpabout you may as well tell me; come, out with it. You'll be in the dumpsall day if you've got it on your mind. Is it the lessons?'
'No, it's nothing to do with school; at least--well, it's something mysister said about school just now that is bothering me.'
'Doesn't she think you are getting on well, or working hard enough?Because, if that is all, you just introduce me to her to-morrow morning,and let me talk to her, and I'll soon teach her different,' said thegirl cheerfully.
Vava thought to herself that Doreen would not have made this suggestionif she had overheard Stella's opinion of her schoolfellows, and she feltthat, kind though she was, Doreen was the last girl she would like tointroduce to her sister. 'It was just a stupid remark my sister madeabout the manners at school,' explained Vava.
'The manners at school? Why, we're supposed to have very good manners!I'm sure we're always being drilled in good manners by Miss Upjohn, andthe inspectors and visitors always say there's such a good tone amongthe girls!' exclaimed Doreen, and she looked at Vava as if she suspectedher of having taken some tales to her sister, or made some complaintabout them. Then as Vava did not answer, for she could not very wellexplain the true facts of the case, Doreen went on, 'I suppose you thinkwe are not too civil to you about your Scotch accent; but, if welaughed, we didn't mean it unkindly. It's no use being too thin-skinnedin this world. I should think your sister was rather too delicate forroughing it in London; she looks as if she ought to be a duchess, not aCity clerk.'
'That's just it!' burst forth Vava impulsively.
'Is that what's bothering you? Well, I shouldn't worry about that. Somerich man will come along and marry her before long, you'll see; she'sfar too pretty to remain single. But,' she added, as a thought struckher, 'why did you first say it was our bad manners that upset you, andthen that it was your sister being a clerk?'
Then Vava told the whole story, adding, 'I hope you are not offended?Stella only meant'----
'She only meant that you are a cut above the rest of us, and it's quitetrue, and of course we know that. Why, the first day you came in withher we thought it was some grand visitor coming. I'm sorry Rosie Brownoverheard it; she can be nasty when she likes, and she considers herselfsome one too, for her father is an alderman. Anyway, I'm glad you'vetold me, and I'll tackle her if she says anything,' declared Doreen, notletting Vava finish her apology.
'Oh I hope she won't; the girls will be so annoyed!' cried Vava in afright.
'It's not your fault; they won't blame you; I'm sure you're pleasant andfriendly enough with them all. Anyhow, as I said before, I'll give thema piece of my mind if they say anything, and I'll be your friend ifyou'll let me. Of course, I know you are a lady and I'm not, and I don'ttalk good grammar and you do, though you roll your "r's" and say"w_h_at" in a funny way; but I'd like to talk better if you'll learn me.You see, I am to be a teacher one day, and it'll stand in my way, andfather says a good education is a fortune,' answered Doreen.
'I'll teach you, not "learn" you, if I can; for our governess did teachus grammar, and our father was very particular how we spoke, so Isuppose we do speak better than a great many girls,' said Vava, laughingand looking quite bright again.
'And we'll be chums?' demanded the girl.
'Yes, if you like,' agreed Vava, not seeing very well how she was to getout of it, but wondering what Stella would say to her choice of afriend. As they entered the playground she saw Rosie Brown the centre ofa little group of girls, who looked up as she came in, and then lookedaway again, without nodding good-morning as usual.
Vava's heart sank; but Doreen said in her loud cheery voice, 'Hallo, youthere! What are you all confabbing about so mysteriously? Nice mannersthat!' she wound up purposely.
'Oh we can't all have the manners of your friend Lady Clara Vere deVere! I wonder she condescends to talk to you or come to our school atall with the people of our class,' said one of the girls.
Vava's colour rose, but she walked on without taking the least notice ofwhat was said.
Not so, Doreen. She stopped in front of them, and demanded loudly, 'Whatdo you mean by that? I have no titled friend, because I'm only atradesman's daughter, and very proud of the fact, for he earned everypenny he's got honestly, which is more than you can say of some grandpeople.'
'We don't mean anything to do with you, Doreen; you don't give yourselfairs or despise us; but if you knew what Vava Wharton thinks of you, youwouldn't walk with her!' said Rosie Brown.
'Wouldn't I? Well, I just should, then, for she's my chum, and any onewho speaks against her speaks against me. And, pray, how do you knowwhat she thinks of me? Has she been telling you?' inquired Doreen,standing square and uncompromising before the angry group.
'She thinks you're no class, as she does the rest of us,' said RosieBrown.
Doreen turned on her. 'Does she? She's never shown any signs of it. Noone could be nicer and more friendly than Vava Wharton has been eversince she has been here, and I shouldn't have thought she was one to gobehind my back and say I was no class, especially to you, Rosie. Anyway,I've a right to know what she said about me,' demanded Dor
een, who knewvery well what Rosie meant, and that she was putting her in an awkwardposition.
'If she didn't, that stuck-up sister of hers did,' said Rosie sulkily.
'Well, I shouldn't call her stuck-up after she has been talking to you,'observed Doreen sarcastically.
'_She_ talk to me! She wouldn't demean herself by addressing a word toany one under a duke. I happened to overhear a remark she made,' saidRosie, falling into the trap.
'And you repeated a private remark that you listened to? That's nice andhonourable, anyway. I wonder what Miss Upjohn would say if she heard ofit? But you mind one thing, all of you--if you choose to take any noticeof anything heard by eavesdropping, you can. I call it playing it lowdown; but you're not going to annoy Vava Wharton, who is not to blameone bit, and if you do I'll just go straight to the head-mistress andtell her, and we'll see what she says about honour,' announced Doreen.Having said so, she turned on her heel and followed Vava into thecloak-room, leaving the little group of girls--to whom she had given 'apiece of her mind,' as she called it--looking rather crestfallen.
'All the same, she does consider herself better than us, or why does shesay good-bye so quickly if she sees her sister, and sit next a mistressat lunch?' inquired Rosie.
'It's a free country, I suppose she can do as she likes. I believe shetold me she had come from a lonely part of Scotland, and wasn't used toliving in a great city, and that crowds rather frightened her,' observeda girl who looked rather ashamed of having listened to thistittle-tattle.
'It's all right. I've shut her up, mean eavesdropper, and made them allfeel ashamed of themselves; so don't you worry about it any more,'Doreen whispered to Vava, as she took off her boots and put onschool-shoes.
'Oh thank you,' was all Vava said, and she felt very grateful andfriendly toward Doreen; but during the day she found herself wonderingwhat Stella would say to this new friend, for she was sure Doreen wouldexpect to be introduced to Stella if they met on the way to school,which they were pretty sure to do. And, grateful as she was to Doreenfor her championship, she found herself wishing that the girl was alittle more refined. However, Vava was no snob, and she determined toface facts and tell Stella she must be friends with Doreen, and so shedid.
Stella heard her without making any remark, until Vava said, 'And, ofcourse, you need not speak to her if she comes up to us in the street;she's sure to do that, because she has not very good manners.'
'She has very good principles and a good heart, which are moreimportant, and I shall certainly stop and thank her for being so kind toyou this morning,' remarked Stella.
Vava was so surprised that she stared at Stella. 'But--but she's not alady, Stella, and she talks dreadful grammar sometimes; but she asked meto correct her, so she is trying to improve,' Vava observed.
'I don't suppose you will learn bad grammar from her, and as you onlysee her in school you will not be too much in her company.'
All the same, Vava was glad the next morning that they did not meetDoreen, and sorry the morning after when they did. To her surprise,Doreen only nodded when she caught sight of them, and walked on theother side of the street.
'Who is that, Vava?' inquired Stella, seeing her nod to some one.
'That is Doreen,' replied Vava.
'Tell her to come and speak to me; I should like to know her,' announcedStella.
Vava ran across to Doreen, and gave Stella's message.
'Does she really? May I really?' stammered Doreen, quite flustered.
'Yes, of course; she's not a bit stiff when you know her,' Vava assuredher, for she guessed that Doreen was a little afraid of the stately ladyin black.
But Stella gave her lovely smile, and Doreen forgot her fears as shegazed in frank admiration at Miss Wharton, who said, 'Thank you forbeing so nice to Vava yesterday. I ought not to have said what I did,for, after all, you showed better manners than I.'
'Oh but I didn't. I'd love to have manners like you; and father said,when I told him last night, that it was only a natural remark, and thatpeople would always be divided into classes as long as the world lasted,and that it was very hard on you having to come down from your class andmix with us; but that you'd find we'd a lot of good in us, though we hadno manners,' cried Doreen eagerly.
'I am sure of it,' said Stella, who did not seem to mind the girl'splain speaking.
Doreen looked at Stella suddenly, and gave a great sigh. She was quiteat ease with her, Vava noticed with surprise, and with still greatersurprise that Stella seemed to like her and not to notice her roughspeech. 'Well, what was that sigh for?' Stella asked, smiling.
'You are so beautiful,' said Doreen bluntly.
Stella coloured a little, and laughed as she said, 'I am glad you thinkso; I don't think I am very different from other girls.' And then theysaid good-bye to each other.
'She is as different as chalk from cheese!' cried Doreenenthusiastically to Vava.
'I don't think she's proud of being pretty; she never seems to noticethat,' said Vava; and she went into school much happier than she hadfelt the day before, and relieved to think that she might make friendswith Doreen, whose fine character made her rather popular at school.