CHAPTER VI
The Sweetness of Sweet Sixteen
"She is not yet so old But she may learn: happier than this, She is not bred so dull but she can learn."
Meg's hair had always been pretty, but during the last two monthsshe had cut herself a fringe, and begun to torture it up in curlpapers every night. And in her private drawer she kept a jam tinfilled with oatmeal, that she used in the water every time shewashed, having read it was a great complexion beautifier. Andnightly she rubbed vaseline on her hands and slept in old kidgloves. And her spare money went in the purchase of "FreckleLotion," to remove that slight powdering of warm brown sun-kissesthat somehow lent a certain character to her face.
All these things were the outcome of being sixteen, and havingfound a friend of seventeen.
Aldith MacCarthy learnt French from the same teacher that Megwas going to twice a week, and after an exchange of chocolates,hair-ribbons, and family confidences a friendship sprang up.
Aldith had three grown-up sisters, whom she aped in everything,and was considerably wiser in the world than simple-minded,romantic Meg.
She lent Meg novels, "Family Herald Supplements", "Young Ladies'Journals", and such publications, and the young girl took to themwith avidity, surprised at the new world into which they took her;for Charlotte Yonge and Louisa Alcott and Miss Wetherall had hithertoformed her simple and wholesome fare.
Meg began to dream rose-coloured dreams of the time when her fair,shining hair should be gathered up into "a simple knot at the backof her head" or "brushed into a regal coronet," these being thestyles in which the heroines in the novels invariably dressedtheir hair. A pigtail done in three was very unromantic. Thatwas why, as a sort of compromise, she cut herself a fringe andbegan to frizz out the end of her plait. Her father stared at her,and said she looked like a shop-girl, when first he noticed it,and Esther told her she was a stupid child; but the looking-glassand Aldith reassured her.
The next thing was surreptitiously to lengthen her dresses, whichwere at the short-long stage. In the privacy of her own bedroomshe took the skirts of two or three of her frocks off the band,inserted a piece of lining for lengthening purposes, and thenadded a frill to the waists of her bodices to hide the join. Thisdropped the skirts a good two inches, and made her look quite atall, slim figure, as she was well aware.
And none of these things were very harmful.
But Aldith gradually grew dissatisfied with her waist.
"You're at least twenty-three, Marguerite," she said once, quite ina horrified way. She never called her friend Meg, pronouncing thatname to be "too domestic and altogether unlovely."
Meg glanced from her own waist to her friend's slender, beautifulone, and sighed profoundly. "What ought I to be?" she said in alow tone; and Aldith had answered, "Eighteen--or nineteen,Marguerite, at the most; true symmetrical grace can never beobtained with a waist twenty-three inches round."
Aldith had not only made statements and comparisons, she had givenher friend practical advice, and shown her how the thing was to bedone. And every night and morning Meg pulled away ruthlesslyat her corset laces, and crushed her beautiful little body intonarrower space. She had already brought it within a girdle oftwenty-one inches, which was a clear saving of two, and she hadtaken in all her dresses at the seams.
But she gave up the evening game of cricket, and she never made oneat rounders now, much to the others' disgust. No one, to look atthe sweet blossom-like face, and soft, calm eyes, could haveguessed what torture was being felt beneath the now pretty,welt-fitting dress body. To walk quickly was positive pain; tostoop, almost agony; but she endured it all with a heroismworthy of a truly noble cause.
"How long shall I have to go on like this, Aldith?" she askedonce faintly, after a French lesson that she had scarcely beenable to sit through.
And the older girl answered carelessly, "Oh, you mustn't leaveit off, of course, but you don't feel it at all after a bit."
With which assurance Meg pursued her painful course.
Esther, the only person in a position to exercise any authorityin the matter, had not noticed at all, and, indeed, had she done,so would not have thought very gravely of it, for it was onlyfour years since she, too, had been sixteen, and a "waist" hadbeen the most desirable thing on earth.
Once she had said unwittingly,
"What a nice little figure you are getting, Meg; this newdressmaker certainly fits better than Miss Quinn"; and foolishMeg, with a throb of delight, had redoubled her efforts.
Lynx-eyed Judy would have found her out long ago, and laughed herto utter shame, but unfortunately for Meg's constitution shewas still at school, it being now the third month of herabsence.
Aldith only lived about twenty minutes' walk from Misrule, sothe two girls were always together. Twice a week they went downto town in the river-boat to learn how to inquire, in politeFrench, "Has the baker's young daughter the yellow hat, browngloves, and umbrella of the undertaker's niece?" And twice aweek, after they had answered irrelevantly, "No, but the surgeonhad some beer, some mustard, and the dinner-gong," Aldith conductedher friend slowly up and down that happy hunting-ground ofSydney youth and fashion--the Block. "Just see how many hatsI'll get taken off," Miss Aldith would say as they started; andby the end of the time Meg would say longingly, "How lovely it mustbe to know crowds of gentlemen like you do."
Sometimes one or two of them would stop and exchange a word or two,and then Aldith would formally introduce Meg; often, however, thelatter, who was sharp enough for all her foolishness, would fancyshe detected a patronizing, amused air in these gentlemen'smanners. As, indeed, there often was; they were chiefly menwhom Aldith had met at dances and tennis in her own home; andwho thought that young lady a precocious child who wanted keepingin the schoolroom a few more years.
One day Aldith came to Misrule brimming over with mysteriousimportance. "Come down the garden, Marguerite," she said,taking no notice whatever of Baby, who had, with much difficulty,beguiled her eldest sister into telling her the ever delightfullegend of the three little pigs.
"Oh, no, by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin, then I'll huff andI'll puff and I'll blow your house in," had only been said twice,and the exciting part was still to come.
Baby looked up with stormy eyes.
"Go away, Aldiff," she said.
"Miss MacCarthy,--Baby, dear," Meg suggested, gently, catching Aldith'shalf-scornful smile.
"ALDIFF," repeated Baby obstinately. Then she relented, and putone caressing little arm round her sister's neck.
"I will say Miff MacCarfy iss you will say ze uzzer little pig,too."
"Oh, send her away, Marguerite, do," Aldith said impatiently,"I have an enthralling secret to tell you, and I'll have to go soon."
Meg looked interested immediately.
"Run away, Baby, dear," she said, kissing the disappointed littleface; "go and play Noah's Ark with Bunty, and I'll finish thepiggies to-night or to-morrow."
"But I want them NOW," Baby said insistently.
Meg pushed her gently aside. "No, run away, pet--run away at oncelike a good girl, and I'll tell you Red Riding Hood, too, to-morrow."
Baby looked up at her sister's guest.
"You are a horrid old pig, Aldiff MacCatfy," she said, with slowemphasis, "an' I hates you hard, an' we all hates you here, 'ceps Meg;and Pip says you're ze jammiest girl out, an' I wis' a drate big ziantwould come and huff and puff and blow you into ze middlest part ofze sea."
Aldith laughed, a little aggravating grown-up laugh, that put thefinishing touch to Baby's anger. She put out her little hand andgave the guest's arm in its muslin sleeve a sharp, scientific pinchthat Pip had taught her. Then she fled madly away down the longpaddocks, to the bit of bush beyond.
"Insufferable," Aldith muttered angrily, and it needed all Meg'sapologies and coaxings to get her into an amiable frame of mindagain, and to induce her to communicate the enthralling secret.
At last, however, it was imparted, wi
th great impressiveness.Aldith's eldest sister was engaged, engaged to be married! Oh!wasn't it heavenly? Wasn't it romantic?--and to the gentleman withthe long fair moustache who had been so much at their house lately.
"I knew it would come--I have seen it coming for a long time.Oh! I'm not easily blinded;" Aldith said. "I know true love whenI see it. Though certainly for myself I should prefer a darkmoustache, should not you, Marguerite?"
"Ye--es," said Meg. Her views were hardly formed yet on thesubject.
"Jet black, with waxed ends, very stiff," Aldith continuedthoughtfully, "and a soldierly carriage, and very long blacklashes."
"So should I," Meg said, fired in a moment. "Like Guy Delorainein 'Angelina's Ambition'." Aldith put her arm more tightly roundher friend.
"Wouldn't it be HEAVENLY, Marguerite, to be engaged--you and I?"she said, in a tone of dreamy rapture. "To have a dark,handsome man with proud black eyes just dying with love for you,going down on his knees, and giving you presents, and taking youout and all--oh, Marguerite, just think of it!"
Melt's eyes looked wistful. "We're not old enough, though, yet,"she said with a sigh.
Aldith tossed her head. "That's nonsense; why, Clara Allison isonly seventeen, and look at your own stepmother. Plenty of girlsare actually married at sixteen, Marguerite, and a man proposedmy sister Beatrice when she was only fifteen." Meg lookedimpressed and thoughtful.
Then Aldith rose to go. "Mind you're in time for the boatto-morrow," she said, as they reached the gate; "and, Marguerite,be sure you make yourself look very nice--wear your cornflowerdress, and see if Mrs. Woolcot will lend you a pair of her gloves,your grey ones are just a little shabby, aren't they, dear?"
"H'm," said Meg, colouring.
"And Mr. James Graham always comes back on that boat, and the twoCourtney boys--Andrew Courtney told Beatrice he thought you seemeda nice little thing; he often notices you, he says, because youblush so."
"I can't help it," Meg said, unhappily. "Aldith, how ought theribbon to go on my hat? I'm going to retrim it again."
"Oh, square bows, somewhat stiff, and well at the side," the oracle,said. "I'm glad you're going to, dear, it looked just a wee bitdowdy, didn't it?" Meg coloured again.
"Have you done your French?" she said, as she pulled open thegate.
"In a way," Aldith said carelessly. Then she put up her chin,"Those frowzy-looking Smiths always make a point of having nomistakes; and, Janet Green, whose hats are always four seasonsbehind the fashions; I prefer to have a few errors, just to showI haven't to work hard and be a teacher after I--"
But just here she stumbled and fell down her full length in a mostundignified manner, right across the muddy sidewalk.
It was a piece of string and Baby's vengeance.