Bountiful Lady

  XI

  MARY SEES MRS. COPPERT AND MRS. COPPERT SEES MARY

  During the next few days Mary saw nothing of Evangeline, though shewould have liked very much to hear another story. Sister Agatha oftentook her on to the beach, and Mary found that, although it is possibleto make a great many things out of mud, you can make more and much nicerthings out of sand.

  Sometimes she thought she should like to have other children to playwith, but not the same little boys and girls with whom she used to playin William Street, because she wished never to have anything to do withWilliam Street or Mrs. Coppert again.

  One day Mary was sitting with Sister Agatha as usual, when Evangelineentered the room, but she seemed too busy to take much notice ofanything except the new dress which she had come to show Sister Agatha.The dress was all white and shiny, with small flowers about it, whiteflowers, too, and Mary admired it so much as Evangeline held it acrossher arms that she touched it with her finger-tips.

  'Don't you think Mary might go out into the garden?' said Evangeline.

  'I ought to fetch her hat then,' said Sister Agatha.

  'It is beautifully warm,' answered Evangeline; 'I don't think it canhurt her to go as she is.'

  So Sister Agatha told Mary she might go, and she stepped out through theopen window just as she was--pinafore and all. For a few minutes shewalked about the grass watching a gardener who was mowing it. She lookedon whilst he swept the grass he had cut into a basket and emptied thebasket into a wheel-barrow. Then he wheeled the barrow to an iron gate,and having passed through the gate, he disappeared round the corner.

  Now, Mary thought it would be rather nice to go through that gate andround the corner too, and a minute later she found herself in the sameroad, with trees on each side of it, along which Evangeline had driventhe cream-coloured ponies on the day of her arrival. Mary walked on andon, until presently she reached the cottage where she had seen the oldwoman in the red cloak. But no one was to be seen at present, and ongoing close to the gate, Mary found there was a smaller one by its side,and as this happened to be open, she passed through it into the publicroad.

  She felt so glad to be in the road that she began to jump about and toclap her little hands. And yet she did not know why she should be glad,for the park was a far nicer place after all. Still she did feelpleased, and without thinking where she was going, or whether SisterAgatha would like her to go or not, Mary began to scamper away from thehouse.

  The sun felt very hot, and Mary soon became breathless, so she stoppedjust where the road bent round towards the railway station and sat downby a high, green, flowery bank.

  It really seemed very nice sitting there in the brilliant sunshine, andshe leaned back until her head touched the green bank. Presently Maryclosed her eyes, and though she opened them once or twice it was notlong before she fell fast asleep. She did not know how much later it waswhen she awoke in a great fright, for she dreamed she heard Mrs.Coppert's voice, heard it quite distinctly, as if it were only a fewyards from her ears. Of course it was a dream! Mary told herself thatbefore she had time to open her eyes; but when she did open them shelooked up and saw Mrs. Coppert in the road, staring down at her.

  Nobody was in sight--nobody but Mrs. Coppert! Mrs. Coppert was a fatwoman and tall; she had a large, shiny, red face, and great arms andhands under her cloak, and a bright blue feather in her bonnet. She wasnot a nice-looking person at all, and she spoke as if she were going tocry. But Mary had never seen her cry, though she had seen her makechildren cry very often.

  'Dear me!' exclaimed Mrs. Coppert, 'if it isn't little Mary Brown! Sosmart, too,' she said, leaning forward and taking Mary's skirt betweenher fingers. 'And to think of those other poor children at home. Theydon't wear such fine dresses, and you haven't even asked how they are!'

  'How are they?' whispered Mary, feeling very frightened.

  'Haven't they got names of their own?' asked Mrs. Coppert.

  'How are Sally and 'Liza and Tubby?' said Mary, knowing it was alwaysthe best to obey Mrs. Coppert.

  'So happy, you'd never believe it,' was the answer. 'Troublesome, I mustsay; but that's overfeeding. I always did overfeed my children. Andthey're quite longing to see Mary Brown again, and so they shall, bless'em!'

  Mary still sat on the grass with her right hand in her pocket. Tightlybetween her finger and thumb she held her purse which contained theMagic Counter. Perhaps you wonder why she did not give it to Mrs.Coppert and tell her to go away at once. It is quite true that Marybelieved that if she gave it to anybody, it would make her do whatevershe wished, and she certainly wished Mrs. Coppert to go away. But at thesame time Mary felt sure that Mrs. Coppert would keep whatever was givento her, and put it in her large pocket; while she was a woman who neverdid what she was asked to do. What Mary hoped was that some one elsemight come along the road, and then she would take out the Magic Counterat once and ask that Mrs. Coppert should be sent away.

  'I'm not going to see them,' said Mary with tears in her eyes; 'I don'twant to see them.'

  'There now!' cried Mrs. Coppert, 'there's ingratitude! And them likebrothers and sisters almost. You just get up off that grass and comealong of me.'

  'I want to go home,' answered Mary. 'I must go home, I must,' she said,and now she was crying as if her heart would break.

  'Of course you must!' exclaimed Mrs. Coppert. 'Ain't I going to take youhome? Isn't William Street your home? Haven't you lived there all yourlife? Haven't I been a mother to you?'

  'But I--I can't go without saying good-bye to Sister Agatha andEvangeline!' cried Mary, as she stood upright. 'I must say good-bye,'she sobbed; 'they won't know where I am.'

  'Oh yes they will,' was the answer. 'I'll see to that,' said Mrs.Coppert, taking one of Mary's arms; 'never you fear. Wait till we getback to William Street and I'll write a nice letter. So just you comealong and no nonsense!'

  Mrs. Coppert held Mary's arm so tightly that it quite hurt, butfortunately it was the left arm which she held, so that Mary could stillkeep her right hand in her pocket. And she managed to put one of herfingers inside the purse and to take out the Magic Counter.

  She held it all ready to give to the first person she saw come along theroad, and although she felt more frightened than she had ever feltbefore, Mary still hoped that something might happen to prevent her frombeing taken back to William Street. But at present Mary saw nobody fromone end of the road to the other, nobody but Mrs. Coppert, whom she didnot want to see. She was dragged along the sunny road almost blind withtears, but as they drew nearer the railway station Mrs. Coppert held herless tightly.

  Mary wondered whether it was the same road that Evangeline had broughther along the day she arrived, but she did not think it could be thesame, for, to-day, she had not passed the shops and small houses. At allevents, whether it was the same road or not she thought she could seethe small railway station only a little way off, and now Mary grew moreafraid than ever, for if she was once inside the station she might beput into a train and taken back to London after all! She was justwondering whether it would not be possible to give the Magic Counter tothe man who drove the train and tell him to take her back to SisterAgatha, when she uttered a cry of surprise, for she saw a tall young mancoming towards them and she recognised him at once.

  'It's the prince!' she exclaimed, 'it's the prince!'

  Now Mary had never felt very, very fond of the prince, because he wasgoing to take Evangeline away from her. Of course she admired him, forhe was a very handsome prince, but Mary had never spoken to him althoughshe had often seen him in the garden. She felt greatly delighted to seehim now, however, and she held her Magic Counter so that she could takeit out of her pocket directly he came near. Still it is not very nice tohave to speak to a person you have never spoken to before, and Mary felta little shy about it.

  'It's the prince, is it?' said Mrs. Coppert laughing; 'as if princeswent walking about in that way.'

  'I know he is a prince,' answered Mary, 'because Sister Agatha says s
o.'

  'Oh, so he's a friend of hers, is he?' asked Mrs. Coppert; and Marythought she looked rather anxious. 'I suppose now he doesn't happen toknow you?'

  'No,' answered Mary; 'but that doesn't matter,' she added.

  'Well,' said Mrs. Coppert, 'just you listen to me. What you've got to dois to walk nicely by my side as if you were coming willingly--none ofyour crying or hanging back, or it'll be the worse for you.'

  She released Mary's arm now, and for a few yards the child walkedquietly by her side, but as soon as the prince drew nearer, Mary ranaway from Mrs. Coppert and stopped right in front of him, looking upanxiously into his face and holding the Magic Counter out for him totake.

  'Hullo!' he cried, looking a little amused, 'what's that for?'

  'Take it, please,' said Mary, pressing it against his hand. 'Please takeit,' she said. 'I do want you to take it quickly,' and she glanced overher shoulder at Mrs. Coppert, who had stopped in the middle of the road.

  'Are you Mary Brown?' asked the prince, taking the Magic Counter in hishand. For although he had never spoken to her, it is very likely he hadheard her story from Evangeline.

  'Yes,' answered Mary, 'I'm Mary Brown, and this is Mrs. Coppert. Shewants to take me back to William Street and I don't want to go. And Ishan't have to go now, because you must send Mrs. Coppert away and takeme back to Sister Agatha.'

  Then the prince looked at Mrs. Coppert and she made a curtsey. 'Iunderstood,' said the prince, 'that Miss Royal had arranged everythingsatisfactorily with you.'

  'It ain't very satisfactory to part with one you've been more than amother to,' answered Mrs. Coppert, and Mary thought her voice sounded asif she were going to cry. 'You come along of me,' she added, seizingMary's arm again. But the prince would not allow this, and in fact Marydid not feel in the least frightened now, because she had given him theMagic Counter, you see! He lifted Mary Brown in his arms and carried hertowards the house, and as she looked back over his shoulder, she sawMrs. Coppert following some distance off. When the prince carried Maryinto the park Mrs. Coppert began to run, and her large face lookedredder and more shiny than ever. The prince carried Mary in at the frontdoor, and a lot of people who were pushing balls about on the greentable with long sticks left off to laugh at him.

  But suddenly Evangeline appeared amongst them; Mary did not know whereshe came from, but of course Evangeline could appear when and where shepleased; and instead of laughing when she saw the prince with Mary inhis arms, she ran towards him looking very glad and whispering somethingthat Mary could not hear. Then Evangeline took her upstairs to thebedroom, where she found Sister Agatha. Sister Agatha took Mary on herknees and said she had done wrong to leave the garden, but she kissedher instead of scolding her any more, and Mary liked it much better.

  'Only you must never go away like that again,' she said. 'Because we didnot know what had happened to you, and you frightened us very much. Butstill,' Sister Agatha added, 'even if Mrs. Coppert had taken you toLondon, we should have come to fetch you away again.'

  XII

  EVANGELINE SAYS GOOD-BYE TO MARY BROWN

  Mary felt greatly relieved to hear that Sister Agatha would have fetchedher away again if Mrs. Coppert had taken her to William Street, butstill she seemed tired after her adventure, and as soon as she finishedtea she was put to bed. She did not have very agreeable dreams thatnight, and even the next morning she could think of nothing but Mrs.Coppert.

  When Evangeline came to see her during the afternoon, Mary looked upwonderingly into her face and said--

  'What I can't make out is how Mrs. Coppert knew where I was! How did sheknow I was here?'

  'If you sit down,' answered Evangeline, 'I will tell you a story.'

  'Bring your stool close to me,' said Sister Agatha. And without losing amoment, Mary carried her stool to Sister Agatha's side and sat down.Then Evangeline began the story.

  'Once upon a time there lived in London a young woman whom we willcall--what shall we call her? Suppose we say her name was Gertrude! Shelived in a large house and she had a lot of money, and she was very fondof driving nice horses. One afternoon, being a little late, she drovethrough the streets more quickly than she ought to have done. It wasgrowing dark, and as she drove along a narrow street she ran over a poorlittle girl who was making mud-pies in the gutter, and knocked her downand hurt her very much.

  'At first Gertrude feared she was dead, for her face was quite white,and her eyes were closed, and she neither spoke nor moved. But presentlyshe moved a little, although she did not open her eyes.

  'Now Gertrude felt very sorry, especially because she knew she had beento blame in driving too fast through the street, and she felt anxious todo whatever she could to make Lucy--we will call the little girlLucy--quite well again. Of course a crowd soon collected to see what wasthe matter, and some one in the crowd told Gertrude where Lucy lived.But Gertrude thought the child would be more likely to get well if shetook her to her own house, so she sent one of her servants to Lucy'sfriends to explain what had happened, but Lucy, herself, was put intothe carriage and driven away with Gertrude.

  'When they reached the house Lucy was carried upstairs to a spare roomand put to bed, then a doctor was sent for, and when the doctor had goneGertrude wrote to the best woman she knew. This person used to be agreat friend of Gertrude's until she made up her mind to have nothingmore to do with such idle, good-for-nothing people. So she went awayfrom her friends and spent her life nursing poor folk who were sick.Well, this person, whose name ought to have been Sister Benevolence,agreed to take care of Lucy until the child grew strong again.

  'But Gertrude feared she would never be quite so strong as she used tobe, and she felt very, very sorry about it. But, you see, she couldn'tundo what was done; she could only make up her mind to be much morecareful in the future. She saw Lucy's friends, who were not very nicepersons, and they said that Lucy had neither a father nor a mother, noranybody who really belonged to her, so--so Gertrude gave her friendsmoney, and they said she might keep Lucy at her house for ever.

  'You must understand that Gertrude made up her mind that Lucy should notgo back to the place she had come from, but that as soon as she grewbetter, she should be sent to school. But now I am going to tell youboth a little secret about Gertrude. She often said she would do things,and yet when the time came she found she could not possibly do them. Sheintended to be very good, and when she saw people unhappy she alwayswanted to make them happy. Only she thought a great deal about her ownhappiness too, and in thinking of herself she forgot the others, andwhen she remembered them again, sometimes it was too late.

  'So when Lucy grew stronger, and the doctor said she would soon be ableto walk quite nicely again, perhaps Gertrude did not think about her somuch as she had done at first. She was going to be married, you see, andto live in a foreign country, and even if she sent Lucy to boardingschool, she did not know who was to look after her during the holidays.But to tell you the truth, Gertrude had so many other things to think ofthat she forgot all about Lucy's future, and although she would be goingaway very soon now, nothing had been done to provide for the child.

  'Then something happened to remind Gertrude how necessary it was thatLucy should be taken care of after she went away, only she had so littletime left that she did not know in the least what to do.

  'One day Lucy wandered out of the garden and into the road, where thewoman with whom she used to live saw her and wanted to take her backagain. Not that the woman was fond of Lucy; she only wanted to take heraway so that Gertrude should pay more money to get her back again.'

  At this part of the story the door opened and a servant entered to saythat Evangeline was particularly wanted somewhere else, and rising fromher chair, Evangeline walked to the door.

  'Please finish the story!' exclaimed Mary, running after her. 'I do wantto know how it ends and what became of Lucy!'

  'My dear little girl,' answered Evangeline, 'it is a very difficultstory to finish. At all events, I cannot stay to fi
nish it to-day,' andshe left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Mary felt very deeply interested in the story, because she thought thatLucy seemed rather like herself, and that Gertrude was like Evangeline.Certainly Sister Benevolence was very much like Sister Agatha! StillMary did not feel very clear about it, because she had no recollectionof being knocked down and run over. If anything of that kind hadhappened to her, surely she would have known all about it! At any rateshe felt the strongest interest in Lucy and she wanted to know whatbecame of her, and especially she would have liked to hear that she didnot go back to the place she had come from, which might be as bad asWilliam Street.

  She did not see Evangeline any more that day, but the next afternoon shecame to the room to speak to Sister Agatha.

  'Tell me the rest of the story now!' exclaimed Mary, taking hold of herdress; 'I do want so much to hear how it ends.'

  'What story is that?' asked Evangeline, and she seemed to have forgottenall about it.

  'Why, the story about Lucy and Gertrude and Sister Benevolence,' saidMary, but Evangeline looked at her without answering for a few moments,then she said--

  'You must ask Sister Agatha. She can finish it better than I can.'

  'Will you, Sister Agatha?' asked Mary, as Evangeline left the room.

  'You know,' she answered, 'I never could tell tales out of my head. Ican't tell you to-day. You see how busy I am!'

  'When will you tell me then?' cried Mary with a disappointed expression.

  'After Evangeline has gone away,' said Sister Agatha.

  'But when is she going?' asked Mary.

  'Why, didn't you know she is to be married the day after to-morrow?'said Sister Agatha.

  Mary did not know it was to be quite so soon as that, and it made herrather miserable to think that Evangeline would be going away almostdirectly. But when Sister Agatha promised to take her to see the weddingshe looked more cheerful, for she liked to be taken to see things.

  The day after to-morrow soon came, and long before the usual time forbreakfast, Sister Agatha drew up the blind to look at the weather. Sheseemed very pleased to see how fine and sunny the morning was and sheput on Mary's lightest dress--the pale-blue one.

  'Won't she come to see us before she starts?' asked Mary, when SisterAgatha was ready.

  'The idea of such a thing!' was the answer; 'you must wait until shegoes to the church.'

  It seemed to Mary that she had to wait a long time, but when once shehad taken her seat in a pew, there was plenty to look at. The princestood at one end of the church, and Mary noticed how often he looked athis watch. At the other end by the door were six little girls dressedall alike in primrose colour, and Mary could not help wishing she wasone of them! The church became full, and everybody seemed to be verysmartly dressed, and nearly all the ladies carried large bunches offlowers.

  Presently the organ began to play, and then Evangeline walked along themiddle of the church holding an old gentleman's arm. She did not seeMary or anybody else because she kept her eyes on the ground; but shelooked beautiful in her white dress, and she also carried a bunch offlowers--the largest bunch Mary had ever seen. Mary would have clappedher hands if Sister Agatha had not prevented her, but Sister Agathacould not prevent her from asking--

  'What are you crying for?'

  'S--s--sh,' said Sister Agatha.

  'Don't you want her to be married?' whispered Mary.

  'Yes, of course I do,' was the answer.

  'Then why are you crying?' asked Mary.

  By this time Evangeline was standing at the prince's side, and aclergyman was speaking, though Mary could not hear what he said. After along time the organ began to play again very loudly, and suddenly Marynoticed that Evangeline had disappeared.

  'Where has she gone to?' she asked.

  'She will be back again directly,' answered Sister Agatha, and soonafterwards Mary saw the prince, with Evangeline holding his arm, goingtowards the door again, while some tiny children threw flowers on thefloor for them to walk upon.

  Sister Agatha was almost the last to leave the church, and when Maryreached the house again she saw a great many carriages before it. Butshe was taken upstairs as usual, and after dining alone with SisterAgatha she wanted to know what would happen next.

  'We are going to see them start,' was the answer, and they went out ofdoors a few minutes later. All the carriages had moved away into thepark, and only the small brown one with the four cream-coloured poniesstood before the door. But a great crowd of people was there, and theprince and Evangeline, who had changed her white dress for a dark one,came out, and everyone seemed to want to kiss her. Some laughed and somecried, and Mary felt inclined to do both at once.

  'Isn't she going to say good-bye to us?' cried Mary, as Evangelinestepped into the carriage and sat down. But Sister Agatha did not seemto hear her. The prince also got into the carriage and took the reins,then the ponies started and everybody began to cry, 'Hip, hip, hurrah!'Mary saw Sister Agatha take something white from under her cloak andthrow it after the carriage. It looked like a slipper, only she couldnot imagine why Sister Agatha should throw a slipper at Evangeline; ithit her too!

  'Why did you do that?' asked Mary.

  'That,' said Sister Agatha in a curious voice. 'Oh! that is for luck:God bless her.'

  When the slipper fell into the carriage striking Evangeline's knees, shelooked round to see where it came from, and noticing Sister Agatha shespoke to the prince, who laughed and stopped the ponies. Then SisterAgatha took Mary's hand and ran to the carriage. Evangeline leanedforward to kiss her and then she stooped to kiss Mary as well.

  'I'm glad she said good-bye,' whispered Mary as the four cream-colouredponies started again, but Sister Agatha did not speak until after theywere indoors. 'Shan't I ever see her again?' asked Mary, as they enteredtheir own room.

  'Never is a long day, you know, Sister Agatha answered; 'but certainlyneither of us will see her for many, many years.'

  When Mary had taken off her hat she went downstairs to tea, and duringthe meal she could talk about nothing but Evangeline and the wedding.But when she had finished and the tea-things had been removed, shebrought her stool to Sister Agatha's side and looked up a littlewistfully into her face; she felt she had nobody but Sister Agatha now.

  'Please tell me the end of the story about Lucy,' she said.

  'To begin with,' answered Sister Agatha, 'I think Evangeline made alittle mistake. I don't fancy the little girl's name was Lucy after all.I think it must have been Mary.'

  'Was it Mary Brown?' asked Mary, with her eyes very widely open.

  'Yes,' said Sister Agatha.

  'I--I wondered whether it was,' said Mary solemnly.

  'And,' Sister Agatha continued, 'I rather think that Sister Benevolenceshould have been called Sister Agatha, although it isn't nearly such anice name.'

  'I thought it was you,' answered Mary.

  'Well,' said Sister Agatha, 'Mary was a dear little girl and SisterAgatha grew very fond of her. And when Evangeline was very busy anddidn't know quite what to do with her--why Sister Agatha thought it wastime to put her thinking-cap on.'

  'Is it like the cap you've got on now?' asked Mary, staring up at SisterAgatha's white cap.

  'When I think I generally take that off,' said Sister Agatha, 'and afterto-morrow I don't think I shall wear it again. Well, I put my thinkingcap on, and I began to wonder whether I could manage to keep you with mealways.'

  'Oh!' exclaimed Mary, and she seemed to be hugging herself as if shefelt very pleasant indeed.

  'And,' Sister Agatha said, 'after thinking about it a long time, Ifancied that perhaps I _could_ keep you with me always.'

  'Here!' cried Mary. 'Should we live here?'

  'No, we are going away from here to-morrow,' was the answer.

  'Where to?' asked Mary.

  'Suppose, now, we take a nice little house somewhere near the sea,' saidSister Agatha.

  'I should like that!' cried Mary.

&nb
sp; 'I think I should like it too,' answered Sister Agatha. 'Because I shallalways have some one to look after, and I like looking after people. Andwe shall grow very fond of each other, sometimes we shall play on thesands, or row on the sea, and then I shall teach you to read and write,and when you can read you will begin to see what a wonderful world youlive in--and you will find that life is far more wonderful than anyfairy-tale.'

  'Shall I?' asked Mary, and rising from her stool, she stood leaningagainst Sister Agatha's knees. 'But, still,' she said presently, 'you'llbe there, won't you?'

  'Why, of course I shall be there,' said Sister Agatha.

  'And you won't go away the same as Evangeline!'

  'No,' said Sister Agatha with a smile; 'that is not at all likely.'

  'And,' said Mary looking up anxiously into her face, 'you'll never sendme away either?'

  'No, I shall never send you away either,' answered Sister Agatha, andshe placed her arms round Mary Brown and drew the child's head on to hershoulder. It rested there a long time, and Mary felt quite contented andnot at all anxious any more.

  The next day they were driven to the station with their luggage, andthey travelled to a small town by the seaside. At first they lived inlodgings, but presently Sister Agatha took a pretty house of her own; ithad a nice garden where Mary likes to sit reading on summer afternoons.She can read easily now, if Sister Agatha tells her the meanings of thelong words, and she has grown so tall that Mrs. Coppert would hardlyrecognise her if she saw her. But I don't think Mrs. Coppert will eversee Mary again.

  THE END

  The Dumpy Books for Children

  Selected by E. V. LUCAS. Each with End-papers specially designed by Mrs.FARMILOE

  I. THE FLAMP, THE AMELIORATOR, and THE SCHOOLBOY'S APPRENTICE. _Writtenby E. V. LUCAS_

  II. MRS. TURNER'S CAUTIONARY STORIES

  III. THE BAD FAMILY, _by Mrs. Fenwick_

  IV. LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, _by Helen Bannerman_. With Pictures in coloursby the Author.

  V. THE BOUNTIFUL LADY, _by Thomas Cobb_

  VI. THE CAT BOOK, _by Rickman Mark_. With Thirty Pictures _by H. OfficerSmith_

  CHILDREN'S BOOKS

  A BOOK OF V