instant-minute."
"No," said Harriet firmly. "I could not possibly take you to-day. ButI will manage it if you choose me for your school-mother. Of course,you won't choose me. I know who you'll choose."
"Who?" asked Ralph.
"That Robina girl."
"Who?" asked Ralph.
"Oh, that creature who came for you and Curly Pate when you were sentfor, to say good-bye to your father."
"Is _she_ Robina?" asked Ralph. "Oh, I like her so much!"
"That is because you don't know her. Shall I tell you some things abouther?"
"Would it be right?" asked Ralph.
"You needn't listen if you don't like," replied Harriet. "You can go tothe other side of the paddock. I am going to say them aloud, whetheryou listen or not."
Harriet instantly crossed her hands on her lap, and began saying in achanting tone:--
"Robina was so naughty at home, and made such a dreadful noise in theroom with her poor sick mother that she had to be sent away. She wassent here to this school, and since she came all the rest of us aredreadfully unhappy, for, although she looks kind, she is not a bit kind;she is the sort of girl who doesn't obey. She was sent away from homebecause she was so disobedient--"
"Oh, don't!" said Ralph suddenly.
"Why--what is the matter?" said Harriet. "Were you listening?"
"I couldn't help myself; you spoke so loud. I didn't want to, but youdid speak very loud. Why do you say those horrid things about her?"
"They are true," said Harriet. "I don't mean to be unkind to her. Iwouldn't be unkind to anybody, but, at the same time, I want to warn youin case you are taken in by her ways and choose her as yourschool-mother."
Ralph was quite silent. After a minute he said in an altered voice:
"Let's do something now--what shall we?"
Harriet suggested that they should visit the farmyard at the back of thehouse and coax Jim, the groom, to let them ride on some of the horses.This, of course, was most fascinating, and no sooner had it been thoughtof than it was done. The ride was followed by something still moreexciting. Jim was going to drive to the nearest town with the springcart, and he offered to take the two children with him.
Harriet no sooner heard this proposal than she accepted it, and she andRalph had a glorious drive to town. There she spent sixpence--all themoney she possessed--on different sweetmeats.
"I wish I had some more," she said. "I'd give you all my money--Iwould, indeed!"
"There are quite enough sweeties there," said Ralph; "but if you reallywant to buy other things, Harriet, I have got money."
"Have you? Let's see what you've got," said Harriet.
Ralph put his hand into his breeches pocket, and took out a handful ofcoppers, a shilling, and two sixpences.
"Here's lots," he said. "Isn't it lots, Harriet?"
"Yes," said Harriet, looking at it greedily. "We might buy a picnic teafor ourselves out of that."
"Oh! might we?" said Ralph. "How per-fect-ly bee-tttiful!"
The picnic tea was purchased; it was not wholesome. The children wentback. Ralph and Harriet had their dinner all alone, for during thetrial day the arrangement was that the rest of the school children werenot to interfere. Afterwards, they had their picnic tea out of doors,and after that was over, Harriet again spoke of the gipsies, and thedelight of knowing them, and the certain fact that they would give themtea, or, perhaps, dinner, in the wonderful house on wheels, and thestill more certain fact that Ralph would not be a true boy until he hadvisited the gipsies with Harriet.
On the whole, Harriet considered that her trial day was a success. Itwas an untidy, flushed, and not a healthy little boy who crept ratherlate into bed that night, and whom Harriet undressed without troublingherself whether he was washed too carefully or his hair brushed or not.Even to his cry that he had just a _weeny, teeny_ pain, and that he didnot feel _quite_ quite well, she made no response. But when she wasbidding him good-night, she said:--
"Remember the gipsies, and I am the sort of girl who always keeps herword."
"Good-night, dear, dear Harriet!" said the little fellow. "I have hadquite a lovely day!"
After Harriet went away, it was some time before Ralph fell asleep. Ofcourse, he was a manly boy, and he did not mind a bit being alone, andit was nice, very nice, to have a little room all to himself. But,notwithstanding his bravery, and his fixed determination not to belonely without Father, and never to cry even the smallest tear, therewas an ache in his heart. He kept on thinking so much of hisschool-mother that he could not sleep. The girls in the school werevery nice. Rose had been sweet to him, so had Frederica, so hadPatience, and his school-mother of the past day--oh, she had been themost exciting of all. She was not a bit a pretty girl--in his heart ofhearts he thought her rather ugly; but she had done things none of theothers had done. She had given him adventures--that breakfast out ofdoors, a box of matches to keep in his own pocket; that ride onFirefly's back--Firefly was a very spirited pony--and the girl hadlooked on admiringly while Ralph kept his seat; and then the drive totown, and the spending of all Harriet's money on sweetmeats and of allRalph's money on a picnic tea. Oh, yes; he had had a good day, verygood, and there had been no lessons.
Ralph could not honestly say that he loved lessons. He used to pretendhe did, for he hated to grumble about things, and manly boys learnedthings--at least, so his father used to say. Manly boys always knew howto read, and they spelt words properly, and they wrote neat, good hands,and they learned, too, how to add up long, terrible rows of figures.All these things were necessary if a boy was to be manly and wise.Ralph knew perfectly well that he must go through with these unpleasantthings. Nevertheless, he had to own that he did not like them. Thisschool-mother, if he were to select her, would not be very particularabout his reading aloud, and spelling properly, and working at his sums.Oh, no, he would have a good time with her; matches in his pocket,knives to play with--although his father did not like him to haveknives--and, above all things, such a wonderful, glorious hope was heldout to him! They would go away together, he and his school-mother, tosee the gipsies. They would climb up the steps into that house onwheels; and, perhaps--perhaps--it would move, and they would feel itmoving, and the brown babies would roll about on the grass at his feet,and the brown men and women would talk to him.
Harriet had spoken much to him about the delights of gipsy life. Ralphfelt that he would give a great deal to taste it for himself. He tossedfrom side to side of his little bed, and presently he sat up, his cheeksflushed, his hair tumbled. "What would Father say to all this? Fatherliked boys to do lessons, and to lead orderly lives, and--"
"Oh, Father!" sobbed the child. He could not help crying just a littlebit. He wanted his father more than anything in all the world justthen; yes, although his heart was full of Harriet and her proposal tovisit the gipsies.
Book 1--CHAPTER SEVEN.
THE CHOICE.
The three remaining days of trial of the school-mothers went quickly by.There was suppressed excitement all over the third form. Harriet alonewould not be induced to talk on the subject. She put on quite a goodlittle air.
"No," she said, "don't let's worry over the thing. Ralph will make hisown choice. He is quite a nice little boy. He has a great deal of goin him, but he will make his own choice, whatever we say."
Then Harriet would bend over her book, and pretend to be veryindustrious; while all the time she was watching Robina.
Robina had the wonderful faculty of jumping at conclusions. She caughtat the sense of a thing in a flash. She had also an amazing memory. Itwas not the least trouble to Robina to learn a long poem by heart. Shealso remembered every single word told her by her teachers. She hadnever before been taught in the manner she was taught at school; butalready she was amassing knowledge in a marvellous way. Notwithstandingall Harriet's efforts, Robina, without the slightest trouble, kept atthe head of the class. Every day Harriet tried to supplant her, or,r
ather, to get back her old position, but every single day she tried invain. Robina kept her place in class, and the other girls now openlysaid to Harriet that she had not a chance.
"You have met your master," they said, "and you may as well accept theposition at once."
It was by no means in Harriet's nature to accept any such position, andher lanky little figure and pale face seemed to bristle all over withsuppressed passion when she was addressed in this way.
On the night before Ralph was to make his decision with regard to theschool-mothers, Harriet said a word to Jane.
"By this time to-morrow," said Harriet, "we shall know