amsorry about that little Waldron boy; I cannot forget his poor littlewhite face."
"I hope he will get stronger soon," said Claudia.
Lady Mildred said no more, and her niece saw little of her for the restof that day, for there was another long interview with Mr Miller, andClaudia was sent out sight-seeing under the convoy of Lady Mildred'smaid.
It was some days later, Christmas Eve in fact, when the old lady saidsuddenly to her young companion:
"I see no help for it, Claudia; I must go to Cannes. It is absolutelynecessary for me to see General Osbert without delay, and I cannotexpect him to come here considering that his only remaining son isdying."
"His only other son," Claudia repeated. "Oh, Aunt Mildred, how verysad!"
"Yes; but this they have anticipated for some time. It was JohnOsbert's death that was the great blow; and very probably the shock ofit has made Frank worse. But it is very hard upon me too, thoughperhaps it seems selfish to say so; for I am too old to like startingoff to the ends of the earth in this sudden fashion. For you I shalltake care that it is no disadvantage. Once out of England I may not bein such a hurry to return. And you can have excellent lessons."
"Oh, aunt, I do hope my being with you will not make it all moretroublesome," said Claudia. "Of course I shall like going better thananything. It is what mamma wished for me more than she could say. But,you know, if it would be easier for you it might be arranged for me togo to school, as mamma once thought of?"
"No," said Lady Mildred decidedly; "I shall like having you with me. Itwill be an interest to me, and without it I should feel very lonely Ishall not see much of the Osberts, poor people. It is really necessitythat takes me there. I have never known much of them. I should likeyou to write home and tell them of our plans. I shall add a word or twoto the letter."
"And, Aunt Mildred," said Claudia half-timidly, "may I answer Gervais'sletter? I should like to know if he is better: there is no fear of itsleading to any intimacy that you might not like, as I may not be atSilverthorns again for a long time."
"You can write if you like," said Lady Mildred rather shortly. "I havenothing against the Waldrons. I dare say they are very well-brought-upyoung people. I only wish they did not live at that odious, gossipingWortherham."
Claudia looked up in surprise. She had hitherto been under theimpression that of all the families in Wortherham, the Waldrons were heraunt's chief aversion!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
LIKE A FAIRY TALE.
"No," said the doctor; "he's not gaining ground as he should. Stillthere's nothing really wrong. But I hardly know what to advise. Whathe really should have, as I've told you before, is a complete change.Can you not manage it? Not even to Devonshire or the Isle of Wight?"
Mrs Waldron shook her head sadly.
"I think even one of those would be about as impossible for us as theSouth of France or Italy," she said. "But I will tell my husband whatyou say. Of course, in a case of life or death--"
"But it is not so bad as that; I have never said it was," interruptedthe doctor. "Don't exaggerate it, my dear lady. If you _can't_ do as Isay, you can't, and we must do what we can, and hope the best. He willoutgrow his present weakness I have no doubt. But he has come throughso much that I was beginning to be rather proud of him, and thisunfortunate back-cast is rather disappointing. I had set my heart onhis growing up really strong and hearty, and I quite believe he might ifhe could get a thorough good start. That is the real state of thecase."
"Thank you! Yes, I think I quite understand," replied Mrs Waldron.But she sighed as she spoke; and the doctor felt sorry for her, but hehad to hurry away; and after all he came across people in worse plightthan the Waldrons every day of the week, and he could not afford tospend much time or thought in sympathy.
The plight was bad enough, nevertheless, it seemed to Mrs Waldron, asshe went back to the drawing-room where Jerry was lying covered withshawls and sheltered as well as could be from the draughts and insidiouschills that it is so difficult entirely to defy in a small house, whereone seems always running against a door or a window. The boy, to hereyes sharpened by anxiety, was doing worse than not gaining ground. Hewas, she began to believe, losing it. And some bitter enough tears roseto her eyes as she sat down to go on with the work at which Dr Lewis'svisit had interrupted her.
"Mamma," said Jerry's thin weak voice, "don't you think Charlotte isreally _very_ pleased to have got the German prize?"
"Yes, my boy; I think she is. And she deserves to be so--she workedvery hard indeed for it."
"She would have been dreadfully disappointed not to get it," said heagain. "Though all the same," he went on thinking to himself, "it is alittle provoking to think that she would have got it any way, and that Iwent and caught this horrible cold for nothing. Only I would never haveknown how good Claudia was but for all that, and _perhaps_ she wouldstill have tried for the prize. I wish she would write to me again!I'm sure she would if she knew how tired I am of being ill, and ofeverything."--"Mamma," he went on again aloud, "doesn't this winter seemdreadfully long, and it's only a fortnight and four days past Christmas?Charlotte and the boys only began lessons again three days ago. I wishI could go back to school too, mamma. Oh, I do wish the summer wouldcome. I think I shouldn't care to live if it was to be always winter."
His words startled his mother. She got up and came over to him.
"What makes you so gloomy, my old Jerry?" she said; "it isn't like you."
"I don't mean to be naughty and impatient, mamma," he said; "it's justthat I'm so tired--so tired of the cold, and the darkness, and thegrimness," and his eyes turned with almost a shudder from the windowtowards which they had glanced instinctively. He knew so well what theprospect outside must be; for it was raining heavily, one ofWortherham's very ugliest days. "Oh, how I should like just to see andfeel the sun, and the blue sky above! I feel as if I could drink thesunshine, mamma; I am so thirsty for it."
Mrs Waldron sighed a little.
"It is as if he felt the want of it by instinct," she said to herself."There are places in the world where there is sunshine even at thisseason, my Jerry," she said aloud. "I wish I could send you to one ofthem."
Jerry's eyes sparkled.
"Yes, wouldn't it be lovely?" he exclaimed. "I wonder if it is to oneof those places that they are going;" he added.
"Who?" asked his mother.
"The girl at Silverthorns--Miss Meredon, and old Lady Mildred. She saidin her last letter, you know, mamma, that perhaps they were going toFrance. How nice it would be if we could all go! Sometimes one can'thelp wishing to be rich, mamma."
"Or at least not so poor," his mother agreed with a rather wintry smile."I can't help wishing it when it is anything any of my darlings seem towant that I can't give them, especially my poor old Jerry, who has hadsuffering enough in his life."
"Mamma, dear, sweet mamma, don't speak like that," said Jerry, softlystroking her cheek with his little thin hand. "I mustn't grumble, Ihaven't anything to grumble about, when I have you and Charlotte andpapa and them all. And it isn't grumbling to wish for the spring, isit? It is so nice even to think of the woods out at Gretham, with theprimroses and violets all coming out. Oh, I do hope I shall be quitewell by then, so that I can often walk out there on half-holidays!"
Mrs Waldron tried to answer cheerfully, but it was not easy. There wasa cold misgiving at her heart, which she dared not, would not give wordsto. What would the sunshine or the spring-time, or primroses orviolets, or anything sweet and lovely be to her, be to them all, withouttheir quiet, patient little lame boy? How poorly do those understand amother's love who speak of one of several children as less precious thanan only child! In a sense the intertwining bonds seem indeed but tomake the whole affections stronger where a large circle is included bythem.
Jerry seemed to have some notion of the thoughts in his mother's mind.
"You are sure it would make me quite well to go to one of those warmpl
aces?" he said again, after a little pause.
"Dr Lewis thinks so," said Mrs Waldron.
She had not meant to tell him so much, but she was feeling in a way,reckless.
"He _must_ go abroad," she said to herself. "He must and he shall. Iwill tell Edward so this evening, and at whatever cost and sacrifice itshall be done."
And though the resolve seemed a wild one, though she had no faintestidea how it was to be carried out, her heart felt curiously lighter whenshe had made it.
Charlotte looked