with sad pathos.
"Why speak of that?" she said. "Is it to be expected that I shouldalways do what we call right?"
"Not always; but it is expected of _every_ one to be straight andupright and above anything mean. A girl of honour always expects to bethat."
"Would you mind very much if you were to repeat once more your sodifficult remark?"
I did repeat it.
"But straight," said Riki--"straight? That means a line. I make itdifficult in my drawing. My line is always what you call wobbly."
I could not help laughing.
"There, now, you are much more of the agreeable. What would you say tome?"
I felt that I must indeed speak very plainly to this girl.
"Listen," I said. "You know the rules with regard to letter-writing."
She understood me well enough now. The colour left her cheeks andfluttered back again like a waving flag; her lips were slightly parted;she looked at me with wide-open eyes.
"You know the rules," I said. "No girl--no German girl, or Italiangirl, or French girl, or Dutch girl, or any girl in the school--withoutthe consent of her parents, or the special leave of the Baroness, isallowed to post letters except through the post-box in the hall."
"Oh, that is very nice," she said--"very nice."
She waited expectantly.
"You know what I mean."
"But I don't post letters except in the way that is what is calledlegitimate."
"Riki, where is the good of prevaricating?"
"I know not what you call pre-vare-cating. I never heard the word."
"Listen to me," I said. "You had no right to ask me to post the lettersfor you."
"What would poor, poor Heinrich do if you had not?" she said. "What dowe not owe you, you kind English girl, with the so kind, good face? Youhave our great gratitude."
"I don't want your gratitude," I said. "You did wrong to ask me. Iwould not do wrong for all the world--I mean wrong like this--quitewrong; and it was wrong of you to tempt me. I did not know; I wasunaware of the rule; but even so, I was silly, and you will quiteunderstand that I will not do it any more."
She took my hand and stroked it very gently. After a silence of two orthree minutes, during which I hoped to get a full explanation from her,she raised her eyes and said very gently:
"What about the great prizes on the great day of the break-up, and thebeautiful Easter lilies that we are each presented with before theEaster services? Think you not that will be a very beautiful occasionfor us all?"
"I don't know," I answered. "I may not be here for Easter."
She looked at me with a startled expression. After a minute's pause shebegan again in a very inconsequent way to rattle off some news withregard to the school. It was not until her visit was very nearly overthat she said:
"Once is good, twice is better, but the third is best. If your friend,the kind and gracious Hermione, goes out, will she not drop this letterinto the post-box?"
"She will not," I replied.
"And why? It is only to poor Heinrich. May he not receive this letter,this note of so true feeling from one he regards? May it not be putinto the box?"
"There is no reason why Heinrich, whoever he is, should not hear fromyou twice every day as far as I am concerned," I said; "but I will notpost it, nor will Hermione."
"I know; but you cannot tell the mind of your friend."
"I know she will not do it, Riki."
Riki considered for a minute; then she put the note again into herpocket.
"Very well," she said. "I little guessed that you would have a heart sohard, instead of soft and overflowing with the love for the GermanFatherland."
PART TWO, CHAPTER ELEVEN.
CONSEQUENCES.
The next day I did not see Comtesse Riki at all. My cold was ratherworse; but the day after I was able to sit up in my room, and she cameto me with two or three other girls in the evening. She was shy,however, and had none of her old warm manner. Baroness Elfreda madeherself more agreeable on that occasion, and a plump little German girlof the name of Fraulein Schott took my fancy by her blunt,good-humoured, pleasant manner. There were also some Dutch girls and aFrench girl, who all crowded into our sitting-room to congratulate me,to chatter to one another, to flock to the window and gaze longingly atthe balcony.
"You are what is called of the lucky," said Elfreda presently.
"But why?" I asked. "I don't think I am specially lucky; I have beentwo whole days in my room with this horrid cold."
"I make no thought for the cold," said Elfreda. "I do consider that youare of the lucky type because your room looks upon this so gay street."
On further questioning, I found that both she and the Comtesse had roomsat the back of the house. After a time Hermione came in and chased myvisitors away. When they were gone she sat down near me. She lookedvery grave.
"Did you," she said, "notice anything special about Riki?"
"No," I answered; "except, perhaps, that she was more silent thanusual."
"I do not like what is going on," said Hermione after a pause. "I didnot want to worry you when you were ill, but Riki came to me on thatevening and asked me if I was going out; and then she begged me to posta letter for her."
"Oh yes," I said. I trembled slightly. "And you--what did you do?"
"Do?" said Hermione--"do? I asked her to read the rules in herbedroom."
"The rules in her bedroom?" I said.
"My dear Dumps, wherever are your eyes? There are rules written in fourlanguages in every bedroom in the house. Have you never read those inyour room?"
"I have glanced at them."
"Well, in the German and French and Italian sections the very strictestrule of all is that no letters of any sort whatsoever are to be postedby girls of those nationalities except in the post-box in the hall, andany girl helping another to get letters in any other fashion into thepost will be most severely punished."
"I did not notice it."
"Well, notice it the next time you go into your bedroom. But don't lookso white; it doesn't matter to us, surely!"
"Of course not," I said in a faint voice. After a pause I said, "Butwhy are you anxious about her now?"
"She is underhand; she is not quite open. Now, Elfreda is a dull girl;I never could get anything amusing out of her; but she is quitedifferent from Riki. Riki is supposed to be pretty, and will probablybe much admired when she leaves school; but it is her want of opennessthat I cannot stand."
"The whole system is wrong," I said with some vigour. "I cannot imaginehow any German girl grows up really nice."
"But heaps of them do, and you won't be long at the school before youfind that there are as nice German girls as English. You must not takeRiki von Kronenfel as a specimen."
I said nothing more, and after a time Hermione continued, "Now let usturn to something else. I had a letter from my father to-day; I am notto go home for Easter."
"Oh dear! Easter will be here in a fortnight now," I said. "I do notsuppose for a single moment that I shall have a chance of getting back."
"But have you heard definitely?"
"No."
At this moment there was a tap at our door, and Justine entered withsome letters. Of course, we both fell upon them as girls will all overthe world, and the next minute we were eagerly sorting our differentletters from a pile which Justine, with her most gracious French manner,had laid on the table--two for Hermione, one for me, and one forAugusta.
"From my step-mother," I said, and I sank into a chair and opened it.
Far away from home Mrs Grant seemed like a very beneficent and kindpresence; her letters were charming, as they told me every single thingI wanted to know; nothing was forgotten, nothing left out. I opened theletter now. To my surprise, I saw that it was quite short.
"My dear Dumps,--I cannot write as much as I would to-day, for I am sorry to say your father is not quite himself."
I started. There seemed
to come a little prick at my heart--not a verybig prick, just a momentary sense of uneasiness.
"He has a severe chill--not an ordinary cold--and he is in bed."
The Professor in bed! I laid down my letter and looked up at Hermionewith startled eyes.
"What is it?" she said.
"Father is in bed," I replied.
"Good gracious, how you made me jump! And why shouldn't he be in bed?"
"You don't understand. Why, I never remember his staying in bed. He isnever ill, except with those fearful headaches."
"He hadn't a good, careful woman like Grace Donnithorne to look afterhim in the past," replied Hermione in an indifferent tone. "Forgoodness' sake don't be anxious!"
Just at this moment the door opened and Augusta entered.
"A letter for you," said Hermione.
She glanced at me as she spoke, and her eyes evidently implored me tokeep my news to myself. But Augusta had seen my face.
"Is anything wrong?"
"Nothing--nothing," said Hermione, with impatience. "For goodness' sakedon't worry her, Augusta; she has not quite got over her cold. Fancyany girl being nervous because her father is in bed for a day or two!"
"The Professor ill?" said Augusta.
"Oh no," I answered.
Her tone was like a tonic to me. If she was anxious, surely I needn'tbe.
"That is," I continued, glancing down at my step-mother's letter, "he isnot very well, that's all."
"I knew he was too good," said Augusta.
She took up her letter and walked out of the room, slamming the doorafter her.
"It really is provoking," I said, "when your friend feels more aboutyour father than you do yourself."
I went on reading my step-mother's letter. She said that if all wentwell she would like me to return home for one week at Easter.
"By that time we can move your father down to Hedgerow House," she said."The fresh country air will do him good. He has been working for yearsfar beyond his strength, and this is the result. I should like to haveyou with the boys and myself to spend our first Easter together, dear;so, although few of your companions will be leaving Bella Vista at thatseason, I hope to have you. I will write about it later on, and giveyou particulars with regard to your journey."
I do not exactly know why this letter made me feel depressed. To havemy father a little ill was not the sort of thing that would put anordinary girl into a state of keen anxiety; but anxious I was, anddepressed. Perhaps this was caused by my own state of weakness, for mycold had left me far less strong than I had been.
The next day, however, something occurred which put all thoughts of homeand home life out of my head. Soon after breakfast Mademoiselle Wrexcame upstairs and asked me to follow her to the Baroness's privatesitting-room.
"But why am I to go there?" I said.
Mademoiselle Wrex looked at me kindly. She came up to me and took myhand.
"I trust," she said after a pause, "that when questioned you will tellthe simple truth. A very painful thing has occurred. Fortunately theBaroness is able to nip it in the bud. It seems that you aresuspected."
I guessed what was coming, and I felt a cold chill at my heart. Howsilly I had been! How worse than silly--how wrong!
"I will follow you in a minute, mademoiselle," I said.
"Put a warm shawl round you, dear, though the house is not cold; forsince so many girls have been suffering from this sort of slight form ofinfluenza, all the passages have been heated much more than they were."
Mademoiselle left the room. I flew immediately to the table of ruleswhich was pinned against my wall. There was no doubt whatever that therule in question was there. I had broken it; there was no excuse forme. I wrapped a white shawl round my shoulders and ran downstairs. AsI passed through the wide hall I peeped into the schoolroom, whichopened directly into it. I saw Baroness Elfreda glancing out at me withan intense and frightened expression on her face. Immediately severalother girls looked out also, and then a whisper ran round the room. Ifelt it more than heard it, and my misery and distress grew worse. Ihad never before been mixed up with a dreadful thing of this sort. ButMademoiselle Wrex was standing by the Baroness's sitting-room door. Shesaid, "Vite! vite, mon enfant!" and we found ourselves the next minuteat the other side of a thick pair of velvet curtains.
The Baroness was standing by a bright fire made of logs of wood. Thiswas the only room in the house which had the privilege of a fire. Thefire gave it all of a sudden a sort of English look. A smarting paincame at the back of my eyes.
"I trust you are better, my child," said the Baroness.
She came up to me quite kindly, took my hand, and led me to a seat whichexactly faced the very bright light which came through two tall windows.She then rang the bell.
"Request Comtesse Riki von Kronenfel to attend here immediately," washer remark to the servant.
The servant withdrew; there was a dead pause in the room. The Baronesswas turning over some papers, and did not take the slightest notice ofme.
As soon as Riki entered she glanced nervously round her. When she sawme she turned first red, then very white; then, being evidently quitesatisfied that I had betrayed her, she went to the extreme end of theroom and sat there with her hands folded.
"You sent for me, my Baroness?" she said in the prettiest toneimaginable, and looking up with pleading blue eyes at the face of hermistress.
The Baroness returned her glance with one full, dark, swift, andindignant.
"Riki," she said, "I have had the good fortune to intercept a letteraddressed to you."
"But how? I understand not," said the girl.
"It was addressed to you, and got, doubtless by mistake, into thepost-box this morning."
As the Baroness spoke she laid the letter on the table. Riki cameforward as though to pounce on it. "Permit me," said the Baroness. Shetook it up and held it firmly in her own hand.
"But it is open," said Riki.
"I opened it," said the Baroness.
Riki then stood very still; it seemed to me I could almost hear herheart beat.
"I have read the letter," said the Baroness; "and now I will read italoud. I will read it in English, so that both you and this young girl,Rachel Grant, may hear." The Baroness then began:
"My own One, Angel of Love and Light,--I have received your two most precious letters quite safely. I pine to get still more news from you. I don't think it possible that I can exist until the summer without seeing you, and I propose, during the Easter recess, to get my father to allow me to visit Paris. There, I make no doubt, we can arrange a meeting, if the some kind English girl,"--("Horrors!" I said to myself)--"will again help us by putting your communications to me into the post-box _outside_ the house where that dragon of propriety, the Baroness von Gablestein, resides.--Your most faithful and devoted lover,--
"Heinrich."
This letter, read aloud in the smooth tones of the Baroness, without ascrap of emotion, just as though she were repeating one of her pupils'daily lessons, fell truly like a bomb-shell into the little room.
"I must have other witnesses to this transaction," she said.
Again she rang the bell. Riki darted blue fire of indignation towardsme. I did not speak; I believe I looked a greater culprit than she didat this moment.
"Request Mademoiselle Wrex and Fraulein Schumacher to come hereimmediately," said the Baroness, her tone now one of greatimperiousness. The servant withdrew, and the French and Germangovernesses made their appearance. The Baroness handed the letter inquestion to each in turn.
"Do not speak," she said; "I only want you to witness exactly what willimmediately take place.--Comtesse, will you have the goodness to tell methe name of the individual who calls himself Heinrich?"
Silence on the part of the Comtesse.
"If there is such reluctance to your making a full confession of yourdisgraceful conduct, I shall be forced to send a telegram to your
father, the Count Kronenfel, and request him to attend here in orderthat he may take his daughter away in disgrace from my establishment."
This threat had a due effect on Riki, and she now, in a very nervousvoice, confessed that the name of the youth who called himself Heinrichwas Holgarten. Further investigation proved that Holgarten was a boy ata large school near Riki's native place, that he and she had met two orthree times, and that the idea of a correspondence had started betweenthem. She did not wish, she said, to enter into a forced marriage.Here she burst into tears.
"It is not the English way," she said.
"And pray, Comtesse, what have you to do with the English way? You area German girl."
"I--I love Heinrich," she said.
She threw herself down on the sofa, regardless of proprieties, and burstinto sobs.
"You will have the goodness in a minute or two to leave the room. Yourpunishment, which will be a severe one, will be meted out to you when Ihave considered all the circumstances. I now wish to ask you the nameof the English girl who posted your letters."
There was no answer from Riki; again she glanced at me. Again shelowered her eyes and twisted her hands in distress.
"A full confession, Comtesse; in no other way will you escape the justanger of