charming?" whispered Maggie. "Did I not tell you you wouldfall in love with Dorothea?"
"But I have not," said Priscilla, colouring. "And I don't know whethershe is charming or not."
Maggie checked a petulant exclamation, which was rising to her lips.She was conscious of a curious desire to win her queer young companion'sgoodwill and sympathy.
"Never mind," she said, "the moment of victory is only delayed. Youwill tell a very different story after you have had tea with Dorotheathis evening. Now, let us come and look at the notice-boards, and seewhat the day's programme is. By the way, are you going to attend anylectures this morning?"
"Yes, two," said Prissie--"one on Middle History, from eleven to twelve,and I have a French lecture afterwards."
"Well, I am not doing anything this morning. I wish you were not. Wemight have taken a long walk together. Don't you love long walks?"
"Oh, yes; but there is no time for anything of that sort here--nor--"Priscilla hesitated. "I don't think there's space for a very long walkhere," she added. The colour rushed into her cheeks as she spoke, andher eyes looked wistful.
Maggie laughed.
"What _are_ your ideas with regard to space, Miss Peel? The whole ofKingsdene-shire lies before us. We are untrammelled, and can go wherewe please. Is not that a sufficiently broad area for our roamings?"
"But there is no sea," said Priscilla. "We should never have time towalk from here to the sea, and nothing--nothing else seems worth while."
"Oh, you have lived by the sea?"
"Yes, all my life. When I was a little girl, my home was near Whitby,in Yorkshire, and lately I have lived close to Lyme--two extreme pointsof England, you will say; but no matter, the sea is the same. To walkfor miles on the top of the cliffs, that means exercise."
"Ah," said Maggie, with a sigh, "I understand you--I know what youmean."
She spoke quickly, as she always did under the least touch ofexcitement. "Such a walk means, more than exercise; it means thought,aspiration. Your brain seems to expand then, and ideas come. Of courseyou don't care for poor flat Kingsdene-shire."
Priscilla turned and stared at Miss Oliphant. Maggie laughed; sheraised her hand to her forehead.
"I must not talk any more," she said, turning pale, and shrinking intoherself. "Forgive my rhapsodies. You'll understand what they are worthwhen you know me better. Oh, by the way, will you come with me toKingsdene on Sunday? We can go to the three o'clock service at thechapel, and afterwards have tea with some friends of mine--theMarshalls--they'd be delighted to see you."
"What chapel is the service at?" inquired Priscilla.
"What chapel? Is there a second? Come with me, and you will never askthat question again. Get under the shade of St Hilda's--see once thosefretted roofs, and those painted windows. Listen but once to that angelchoir, and then dare to ask me what chapel I mean, when I invite you tocome and taste of heaven beforehand."
"Thank you," said Priscilla, "I'll come. I cannot be expected to knowabout things before I have heard of them, can I? But I am very muchobliged to you, and I shall be delighted to come."
CHAPTER NINE.
A NEW LIKE.
The Vice-Principal's room at Heath Hall was double the size of thoseoccupied by the students. Miss Heath had, of course, a separatesleeping apartment. Her delightful sitting-room, therefore, had not thecurtained-off effect which took slightly from the charm of the students'rooms. In summer Miss Heath's room was beautiful, for the two deepbay-windows--one facing west, the other south--looked out upon smoothlykept lawns and flower-beds, upon tall elm trees, and also upon a distantpeep of the river, for which Kingsdene was famous, and some of thespires and towers of the old churches. In winter, too, however--andwinter had almost come now--the Vice-Principal's room had a uniqueeffect, and Priscilla never forgot the first time she saw it. The younggirl stepped across the threshold of a new life on this first evening.She would always remember it.
It was getting dark, and curtains were drawn round the cosy bays, andthe firelight blazed cheerfully.
Prissie was a little before rather than behind her time, and there wasno one in the room to greet her when she entered. She felt soovermastered by shyness, however, that this was almost a relief, and shesank down into one of the many comfortable chairs with a feeling ofthankfulness, and looked around her.
The next moment a servant entered with a lamp, covered with a gold silkshade. She placed it on a table near the fire, and lit a few candles,which stood on carved brackets round the walls. Then Prissie saw whatmade her forget Miss Heath, and her shyness, and all else--a great bankof flowers, which stretched across one complete angle of the room.There were some roses, some chrysanthemums, some geraniums. They werecunningly arranged in pots, but had the effect at a little distance of agay, tropical garden. Prissie rushed to them, knelt down by a tall,white, Japanese chrysanthemum, and buried her face in its long, wavypetals.
Prissie had never seen such flowers, and she loved all flowers. Herheart swelled with a kind of wonder; and when, the next moment, she felta light and very soft kiss on her forehead she was scarcely surprised.
"My dear child," said Miss Heath, "I am so sorry I was not in the roomwhen you came in; but, never mind, my flowers gave you welcome."
"Yes," said Prissie, standing up pale, and with a luminous light in hereyes.
"You love flowers?" said Miss Heath, giving her a keen glance.
"Oh, yes; but I did not know--I could not guess--that any flower couldbe as beautiful as this," and she touched the great white chrysanthemumwith her finger.
"Yes, and there are some flowers even more wonderful. Have you everseen orchids?"
"No."
"Then you have something to live for. Orchids are ordinary flowersspiritualised. They have a glamour over them. We have good orchidshows sometimes at Kingsdene. I will take you to the next."
The servant brought in tea, and Miss Heath placed Prissie in acomfortable chair, where she was neither oppressed by lamplight norfirelight.
"A shy little soul like this will love the shade," she said to herself."For all her plainness this is no ordinary girl, and I mean to draw herout presently. What a brow she has, and what a light came into her eyeswhen she looked at my white chrysanthemum."
There came a tap at the door, and Maggie Oliphant entered, looking freshand bright. She gave Prissie an affectionate glance and nod, and thenbegan to busy herself, helping Miss Heath with the tea. During the meala little pleasant murmur of conversation was kept up. Miss Heath andMaggie exchanged ideas. They even entered upon one or two delicatelittle skirmishes, each cleverly arguing a slight point on which theyappeared to differ. Maggie could make smart repartees, and Miss Heathcould parry her graceful young adversary's home-thrusts with excellenteffect.
They talked of one or two books which were then under discussion; theysaid a little about music, and a word or two with regard to the pictureswhich were just then causing talk among the art critics in London. Itwas all new to Prissie, this "light, airy, nothing" kind of talk. Itwas not study; could it be classed under the head of recreation?
Prissie was accustomed to classify everything, but she did not knowunder what head to put this pleasant conversation. She was bewildered,puzzled. She listened without losing a word. She forgot herselfabsolutely.
Miss Heath, however, who knew Maggie Oliphant, but did not know Prissie,was observant of the silent young stranger through all the delights ofher pleasant talk. Almost imperceptibly she got Prissie to say a wordor two. She paused when she saw a question in Prissie's eyes, and hertimid and gentle words were listened to with deference. By slow degreesMaggie was the silent one, and Priscilla and Miss Heath held the fieldbetween them.
"No, I have never been properly educated," Prissie was saying. "I havenever gone to a high school. I don't do things in the regular fashion.I was so afraid I should not be able to pass the entrance examinationfor St Benet's. I was delighted when I found that I had do
ne so."
"You passed the examination creditably," said Miss Heath. "I havelooked through your papers. Your answers were not stereotyped. Theywere much better; they were thoughtful. Whoever has educated you, youhave been well taught. You can think."
"Oh, yes, my dear friend, Mr Hayes, always said that was the firstthing."
"Ah, that accounts for it," replied Miss Heath. "You have had theadvantage of listening to a cultivated man's conversation. You ought todo very well here. What do you mean to take up?"
"Oh, everything. I can't know too much."
Miss Heath laughed, and looked at Maggie. Maggie was lying back in