The Little School-Mothers

put her arms round her neck. "Come along here,Janie," she said. "You are a weak sort, but when all is said and done,you are not half bad. You have had the misfortune since you came toschool to choose a friend who worked on your worst not your bestfeelings. Now, suppose Vivian and Rose and Cecil and Frederica and Itake the place of Harriet Lane in your friendship; don't you think youwill do fifty times better?"

  "Oh, but you can't be my friends," said Jane, wonderfully comforted inspite of herself. "You can't, for you don't know me. You don't knowhalf nor quarter how bad I am, nor,--nor--what I have done nor how--howI was tempted, nor--nor--the half nor the _quarter_ of what hashappened."

  "Look here," said Patience. "I tell you what I personally know. I knowthis; that on the day when we all landed at Totland Bay, you were seenby me talking very earnestly with Harriet. I also saw you run away fromthe rest of the party and meet Mr Durrant, who was coming to join us inthe little bay where we were all to bathe. I could not hear what yousaid to him; but you said something, and he went back to the yachtinstead of joining us. You also went back yourself: you did not appearagain that day, and when we saw you afterwards you seemed to us to be amost miserable little girl. Now, what occurred between you and MrDurrant will have to be explained to-morrow morning when the greatdecision is come to; for we girls don't mean Robina to have no inningsin this matter. You need not tell us anything about it now, all we wantyou to do is to proclaim the simple truth to-morrow morning. Of coursethere are other things, for doubtless you know the whole matter frombeginning to end; but if you tell what really occurred between you andMr Durrant that will probably save the situation and secure the post ofRalph's school-mother for Robina."

  "But--Harriet--what will she think of me?" said Jane.

  "What we five think of you seems more to the point," said Patience."Now look here, Janie; you are not going to lose your pluck. You thinkit very dreadful to betray Harriet, but let me tell you that it is fiftythousand times more dreadful to allow a wicked girl like Harriet to havethe control and the guidance of a sweet, dear little boy like Ralph. Weask you for Ralph's sake, therefore, to be brave in this matter, toconfess your own sin, and to throw yourself--first on the mercy of God,who is always willing to forgive us when we repent, and next on themercy of Mr Durrant and your school-fellows. You have done terriblywrong, of course we know that, but you are not the worst culprit.Harriet won't confess; we have tried her and she is obdurate; you havetherefore got to save the situation. And now, please, you will come andsleep in my room to-night, for I don't want you to see Harriet againbetween now and eleven o'clock to-morrow morning."

  "Oh dear! oh dear!" said Jane. "Oh, I am too miserable and toofrightened!"

  "I have one last thing to say," said Patience. "Would you like your ownBobbie to be under the care of Harriet Lane with no chance of gettingaway from her?"

  "No, no! a thousand times no!" cried Jane, her face turning white, andher words trembling on her lips, so great was her anxiety.

  "Well, then; if that is the case, you could not be so mean as to subjectRalph to her influence. But come along to bed; you are tired, you poorlittle thing." Patience hardly glanced at the other school-mothers but,taking Jane's hand, went upstairs with her, and popped her into her ownbed at once and presently lay down by her side, wondering what themorrow would bring forth, but feeling on the whole that the odds weremarvellously once again in favour of Robina.

  Now Robina herself little guessed what her school-fellows were doing,for she slept the sleep of one who is tired out and who owns herselfdefeated. She slept heavily for several hours and when she awoke thesun was shining into the room. She sprang up in bed, and looked at herlittle watch, which proclaimed the hour of six. So the night had goneby, and the morning had come. Robina pressed her hand to her forehead.Her own future was quite clear to her; but she was not exactly sorry forherself just then; she was thinking all the time of Ralph. Within herheart there had awakened a love, so passionate, so deep, so true, forthat little brown-eyed, brown haired boy that her agony at leaving himwas the one and sole thought within her. She had no time just then tospare for thoughts of personal loss: she was only thinking of Ralph.She could not betray Harriet: _noblesse oblige_ forbade. She must go,and Ralph must suffer. But she felt that she could not endure to bepresent when Mr Durrant made his decision. She would tell him inadvance that she withdrew from the conflict. He would be home earlythat morning.

  Robina sprang out of bed and dressed. She ran downstairs. There was aservant up who told her that a carriage had been sent to meet MrDurrant at the railway station, and that he would, in all probability,be back at Sunshine Lodge a little before eight o'clock.

  "Then I will go to meet him," thought Robina. "He must see me alone,for he must make arrangements to send me home to-day. I will just seehim and tell him, and then there will be an end, as far as I amconcerned. I will ask him to let me go by the very first train, so thatI need not say good-bye to the other girls; only I should like just tosee Ralph once again."

  Robina thought for a time. It was only a little after seven: she wouldhave time: she ran softly upstairs and swiftly down one of the longcorridors until she reached Ralph's room. Very, very softly sheunfastened the door, and very gently did she steal in. Without making ascrap of noise, she knelt down by the little white bed and looked withall her heart in her eyes at the boy as he lay asleep. She gazed onthis beautiful little face as though she would impress it on her memoryfor evermore. Then, bending forward, she pressed a kiss, light as air,on the sleeper's forehead, whispered "Good-bye, Ralph; God bless youalways," and then she stole away. She had made her entrance into theroom and her exit from it without in the least disturbing the little ladwho was so happily enjoying himself in Slumberland. But the minute shehad left, he began to dream of Robina, and when he awoke some littletime afterwards, it was with her name on his lips.

  He rubbed his brown eyes and looked around him in a puzzled way and saidaloud:

  "I thought darling Robina had been turned into an angel and that she hadcome to kiss me, and help me to become an angel too."

  As he uttered the words, there was Harriet in the room; she had come todress him; although this was an office she need not have taken uponherself; but it was her object to be exceedingly petting to Ralph onthis all-important occasion.

  "What are you muttering to yourself?" she said.

  "I thought darling Robina was in the room, and that she was turned intoan angel," said Ralph. He looked in a puzzled way at Harriet. "Willyou ever be turned into an angel, Harriet?" he asked.

  "I don't know," said Harriet. She spoke crossly. "I have enough to doto keep myself a good girl down in this world, without worrying myselfabout angels," she continued.

  "Oh, yes!" said Ralph, in a sad little whisper. "Darling Robina."

  "Why do you talk of her like that?" said Harriet, rather frightened athis tone. "It is me you love best, isn't it?"

  "'Course," said Ralph, a little wearily; "only," he added, "I don't seewhy I am to be saying it every minute. I love Robina too,--_awful_much!"

  After this speech, which was uttered with such heart fervour thatHarriet must have been a great fool if she did not guess the real stateof Ralph's heart, the process of dressing became--to say the least ofit--contrary.

  In the meantime, Robina herself had gone up the avenue to meet MrDurrant.

  He was just about to drive down to Sunshine Lodge when he met a palegirl with those remarkably steadfast and beautiful eyes which had alwaysattracted him and which had always won his heart. She was waiting forhim at the gates.

  "Why, Robina!" he said.

  "I want to speak to you, Mr Durrant, please," said Robina.

  Mr Durrant immediately motioned to the coachman to stop and sprang outof the carriage.

  "What is it, dear?" he said. "Is anything wrong? Will you get in anddrive down to the house or--what shall we do?"

  "I would rather talk to you before we get to the house. I want to
seeyou alone," said Robina.

  "Very well," said Mr Durrant. He gave his servant directions, and thecarriage disappeared towards the stables.

  Mr Durrant then took Robina's hand.

  "Now what is it, my dear child?" he said. "You don't look well, dear.Robina, what is wrong with you?"

  "You know what is going to happen to-day, don't you?" said Robina.

  "Yes," said Mr Durrant. "I have got to choose between you and Harriet.The decision will be forced to rest a good deal with Ralph, but--"

  "Listen," said Robina. "Please don't say any more. I am