CHAPTER XIX
Winter Sports
After a strenuous term, everybody welcomed the leisure of the holidays.It was a relief not to have to think even of art exhibitions anddramatic performances. For a whole month the monitresses would not needto pounce on Third Form sinners, or write black entries of the misdeedsof certain rebels in IVB. Essay writing gave place to the addressing ofChristmas cards, mathematics retired in favour of shopping, andtext-books were set aside to make way for magazines. Mildred luxuriatedin a thoroughly well-earned rest. Beyond a short daily practice on herviolin, nothing was required from her, and she congratulated herselfthat she was so much more fortunate than Laura Kirby and some othergirls who were destined for the matriculation, and who were havingspecial vacation coaching. Mildred, never very robust, felt a reactionfollow the strain of so many weeks' hard work, and it was chiefly onaccount of her white cheeks that her aunt allowed her to accept aninvitation which arrived on Christmas morning.
This was from Rhoda Somerville, asking her to spend a week at theVicarage, and promising the very utmost in the way of outdoor exerciseduring the visit. To see Castleford again, and especially in itsJanuary dress, was an attraction. Though Mildred had not wished to makeher home at The Towers, she held the warmest recollections of her staythere, and looked forward to meeting Sir Darcy and Lady Lorraine andViolet equally with the Vicarage family. Rhoda had also invited KittyFletcher, with whom she had struck up a strong friendship, and Kitty'sbrother Neville, who, as it chanced, was a schoolfellow of Diccon's; soit was arranged that the three young people should travel together fromKirkton into Westmorland.
The weather was cold, and the prospect that the frost might continuebrought quite an anticipatory glow to Mildred's pale face. She wasequipped with a new pair of skates, and had made such provision in theway of strong boots, sports coat, Alpine cap, and warm gloves as to beready for any variety in the way of exercise. Kitty, equally-wellprepared, was expecting ample scope for her energies, and hoping to findadventures that would put even hockey in the shade.
"If we could Be snowed up in a cutting, now, and have to dig our way outand tramp to the nearest cottage, it would be fun!" she proclaimed,viewing the landscape from the carriage window as the train spednorthwards. "That always used to be the fate, or rather good fortune, ofpeople in the old coaching days. They invariably spent a night at a'Holly Tree Inn', and either saw a ghost, or found a long-lost will, orrestored a runaway heiress to her guardians!"
"There's no romance nowadays," remarked Neville. "If you're looking outfor any sensational happenings, you'll be disappointed, Miss Kit. Richuncles don't meet their disinherited nephews at obscure country inns andmelt into bank-notes and blessings; and as for the ghosts, modernhygiene has swept them clean away. I don't suppose you'd find so much asa solitary cavalier with his head under his arm, or a white ladywringing her hands. No, I prophesy that the train will get to Whiteriggstation exactly to railway time; and as for being snowed up, there isn'ta single flake coming down, and the sky is obstinately blue. Sorry tocheck your romantic aspirations, Madam, but mine are the words of sobercommon sense."
"Yes, you always love to tie a string to my imagination and jerk meback. Never mind, if we've no sensation on the journey, perhaps we'llfind one at Castleford. A whole week gives one a chance, anyhow!"
If Mother Nature had not been accommodating enough to provide snow forKitty's delectation, she had done her best in the way of hoar-frost, andthe woods were gleaming with sparkling crystals till they resembled thejewelled forests of Grimm's fairy tale. The landscape gained ever ingrandeur as the train rushed north, and Mildred, who had seen it insummer, was inclined to accord it the palm of beauty in its winteraspect.
"There's romance enough for you, Kit-cat!" she exclaimed, pointing to agorge where a swollen rivulet was dashing over a rocky bed. "You oughtto find Undines and water-nixies if you watch for them, not to speak ofthe chance of slipping in, and being rescued from imminent peril ofyour life. If you're thirsting for dangerous adventures we'd better givethe Somervilles warning, and they can go out prepared with a drag, and astretcher, and an ambulance outfit."
"Oh! but don't you know I'm going to do the miraculous escape?" laughedKitty.
A very warm welcome awaited the travellers at the Vicarage, where thethree boys, as well as Rhoda, were back for the holidays. TheSomervilles had the happy knack of making their guests feel at home, andwere well able to provide both indoor and outdoor amusements. For thefirst few days the weather, though fairly keen, did not admit of trueAlpine sports. The young people, however, found plenty of enjoyment inlong walks over the moors and scrambles up the hills. They would takelunch with them, and pass the whole day in the open air, returning fortea at four o'clock with ravenous appetites for muffins and Yule cakes.Music and games were the order of the evening. Mildred had brought herviolin, and was able to convince her friends of her improvement; theVicar produced his violoncello, Rhoda sang her latest songs, and therest of the party were always ready with a chorus to the seafaring andhunting ditties which Eric was fond of trolling forth. Diccon wasendeavouring to learn the banjo, and though his performances on thatinstrument still left much to be desired, and were an offence to earseducated to more classical strains, they at any rate provided muchmerriment. Neville had, as he expressed it, "no parlour tricks", butKitty was clever at recitation, and declaimed many humorous pieces forthe edification of her audience, who waxed enthusiastic over certainAmerican comic gems which were the stars of her repertoire.
But all the time the young folks, while enjoying themselves hugely, wereyearning with an almost unreasonable insistence for snow. The Britishclimate, more lavish with rain as a rule, had given a spell ofaggravatingly clear skies, but at length, as if relapsing into its usualhabit, drew storm clouds across the blue.
"Thermometer below freezing-point, mountains smothered in mist, wind inthe south-west!" chuckled Diccon. "If we don't have a good fall of snowbefore to-morrow morning, you may take me out and roll me down the hillin a sack! I'm not a weather prophet without observation."
Even before bedtime Diccon's hopes were fulfilled. The air was a maze ofsoft floating flakes, and already the path to the churchyard wascovered. He retired in high glee, rubbing his hands in anticipation ofthe pleasures of the morrow. Next morning everybody awoke to a whiteworld. While her children slept, Nature had slowly and silentlyaccomplished her work; all night there had been a steady fall, and now afoot of snow lay over the landscape. It was for this that the boys hadbeen waiting. Their bobsleighs, if not quite up to the level of thoseprovided at Alpine winter resorts in Switzerland, were at any rateserviceable, and they knew of a good place for a toboggan track.Immediately after breakfast they went off to prepare the slide, choosinga splendid hill slope with a field at the bottom. They hurried back tofetch the girls.
"It's prime, and you'd best come along at once and make the most ofit," affirmed Rodney. "One never knows how long this sort of thing isgoing to last. It might be a melting slough of despond by to-morrow."
"Don't break your precious necks!" said Mrs. Somerville.
"There's no danger at all," laughed Diccon.
Rhoda had enjoyed the pleasures of tobogganing before, but to Mildredand Kitty it was a new and delightful experience. The rapid motionthrough the frosty air was an intense exhilaration, and therough-and-tumble part of the performance only made them laugh. Withcheeks crimson from excitement, they were ready for any number ofrepetitions of the experiment.
"Come along with me, Mildred, and I'll take you down like a sheet ofgreased lightning!" said Rodney. "No, don't go with 'sweet Richard'!He'll spill you overboard, and break your nose, if not your neck!"
"A libel! I'm as steady as a railway truck running through a goodsyard!" protested Diccon. "Never mind! I'll take Kitty, and we'll seewho's greased lightning!"
"Right you are! We'll have our go first, then you can follow. Eric andNeville can act as judges."
"Suppose they disagree?" laughed Mildred
.
"Then Rhoda is final umpire."
"It's the most blissful sport in creation!" declared Mildred, as shetucked herself on to Rodney's sleigh. "It beats swimming and dancing androwing and hockey, and everything I know except flying, which I've nevertried."
"You're going to try it now," said Rodney. "Here goes! Right away!"
Off they went at a most terrific pace. The slide was in good form bynow, and Rodney had got into practice.
"How many miles an hour?" gasped Mildred as they glided on.
"Wish I'd a speedometer! About a hundred, I should think. She's goingA1. Oh, I say! Look out for yourself! Jemima! That was a narrow shave!"
As he spoke, Rodney had ground his heel heavily into the snow, and thesled slued sharply to the right. They were almost at the bottom of therun, and in another instant were able to stop. Rodney sprang up, andrushing back to the lump of snow which they had just avoided, hastilyuncovered a jagged piece of rock.
"Hi! Danger!" he yelled to Diccon, who was about to start down thetrack. "Look out here for all you're worth!"
"What's the matter?" cried Mildred, who had joined him.
"Matter? Don't you see this boulder? It was completely hidden by thesnow. If we'd hit it, I'd have broken your nose for you in good earnest,or something worse. Keep wide, Diccon! It's as nasty a trap as one couldfind anywhere--it's so innocently covered. There they go, like anexpress! They'd have smashed straight into it if I hadn't warned them."
"Who's won?" asked Mildred.
"A draw!" shouted Rhoda.
"Then come on, Mildred, and we'll try again. We know our danger spotnow, and I promise I won't run you at it. Are you game for another go?"
"As many as you like!" declared Mildred with sparkling eyes.
That evening the weather behaved with extraordinary caprice. A shortthaw, melting the surface of the snow, was succeeded by the sharpestfrost of the winter, and for twenty-four hours the thermometer surprisedeven those case-hardened meteorologists, the oldest inhabitants. Theresult made all lovers of winter sports chuckle with satisfaction. Everypond and flooded meadow had a surface like glass, and skating, whichbefore had been an illusion, was now a possibility.
"We'll go down to Wilkins's pond," declared Rodney, "it's not bad for abeginning. But to-morrow'll be the day of days! I've just seen SirDarcy. He says another twelve hours of this frost and the lake willbear. He won't let anybody on to-day, but by to-morrow morning it oughtto be in absolutely ripping condition. Then we'll show you whatWestmorland skating is like!"
"It's our last day!" sighed Mildred. "I'm glad the grand treat has beensaved up for the end."
The Somervilles could all skate well, for Castleford was a cold place inwinter, and often registered frost when more southern counties had openweather. Some meadows near the Vicarage were generally flooded inDecember and January by the overflow of a brook, and the four inches ofwater that covered them froze rapidly, affording an opportunity for icelovers of which they generally availed themselves immediately. Mildredand the two Fletchers had also learned to skate. Kirkton possessed therare advantage of a real ice rink, and they had sometimes spent Saturdayafternoons there, so though they could not rival the Somervilles, theywere not absolute novices, and could look after themselves. The wholeparty passed the day on a neighbouring pond, and by dusk both Mildredand Kitty had improved so immensely with the practice that theyconsidered themselves thoroughly qualified to appreciate the joys thatwere promised them on the morrow.
By ten o'clock next morning a very jovial company met at the lake. SirDarcy had invited a number of other families from the neighbourhood, andyoung and old were all anxious to try their prowess. The ice had beenduly tested with the orthodox gimlet, and passed as absolutely safe; itwas in splendid condition, and the smooth expanse presented a mostattractive appearance.
"Who need go to Switzerland when they've got this at their very doors?"exulted Rodney. "I don't believe St. Moritz could go one better, andwe're not crowded up with a lot of foreigners either. Old England forme!"
"Yes, if she behaves herself in the matter of frost!" laughed Mildred."The worst of it is that she keeps up her reputation for a day or two,then gets tired of it, and sends a thaw. By next week this will probablybe all water again."
"Prophesy smooth things unto me!" protested Rodney, with mock tragedy."The fact that you've gone home will be bad enough. Won't you leave theice to console me?"
"That's out of my dispensation. You must write to the weather office."
"I'm going to try fancy figures!" declared Rhoda. "If you don't see mecut an eight before the day's over, I'll--well--bite an inch off myskates!"
"A discreet promise, Madam Rhoda," said Rodney. "You're generally veryingenious at wriggling out of your bargains."
"Take that back, or I'll put an obstacle in your way when you're cuttingyour best flourish!" laughed Rhoda.
All the visitors had come determined to enjoy themselves. Sir Darcy andseveral of his friends had commenced curling, urged on by the enthusiasmof two Scottish gentlemen who were staying with the Tracy family. TheVicar joined them, and soon the elder members of the company wereengaged in the sport, as interested and excited as any juveniles. Theyoung people were busy at first helping some of the guests who were notvery steady on their skates; but when these had gained sufficientconfidence to support one another, their teachers were free to cutfigures, get up a hockey match, or practise any other diversion theypleased. Several sledges had been brought to the lake, and children wereplaced on them and taken for rides, races being organized between therival sleighs, to the huge delight of their small occupants, who wouldnever have tired of the pastime if their long-suffering entertainers hadnot at last struck work and left them to amuse themselves.
"'HI! DANGER!' HE YELLED TO DICCON, WHO WAS ABOUT TOSTART DOWN THE TRACK"]
It was a very gay and pretty scene--the merry groups of skaters, thebright cold January sunshine gleaming on the crystals that decked theboughs of the trees surrounding the lake, The Towers looking like aChristmas card with its ivy-clad turrets, and in the distance thesnow-covered hills rising with an Alpine whiteness above the dark patchof the pine woods. On the supposition that frosty air gives keenappetites, Lady Lorraine had made generous provision for her guests. Ateleven o'clock hot beef-tea and toast were brought out, and at half-pastone everybody went to the house for lunch, while chocolates and toffeewere dealt out liberally during the morning. Among all the young peoplewho were assembled together none made a more charming figure thanViolet. In a blue-velvet costume, with grey squirrel furs, her eyesshining like stars and her cheeks as pink as carnations, she was theacknowledged belle of the occasion, and "The Lady of the Lake", "TheSnow Queen", "The Frost Fairy", and "Venus of the Ice" were but a few ofthe epithets bestowed upon her. She had no lack of partners to skatewith, and was kept so busy among all her many friends that it was notuntil late afternoon that she was able to get a word with Mildred alone.The cousins had not yet seen much of each other, for during the earlierpart of the visit Violet had been away staying with the Tracys, and hadjust returned home when the frost grew keen. Sir Darcy considered hertoo precious a treasure to risk her life at bobsleighing, so she had notbeen allowed to join the Somervilles' tobogganing expeditions; andthough all the party at the Vicarage had had tea on Sunday at TheTowers, Violet had been too much in request helping her mother to acthostess to allow time for any private talk with Mildred.
"Come along now!" she said brightly, "I've set all those boys to sweepfor the curling, so we shall have a few minutes' peace. Let's take aturn together round the lake. I've heaps and heaps of things I want totell you. I tried to scoot away with you on Sunday, but I never got anopportunity."
Hand in hand the two girls started, and were soon deep in a mostinteresting conversation. Violet had really grown rather fond of Mildredwhile the latter was staying at The Towers, and had missed her since shewent away. She had made a confidante of her cousin during the summer,and she was now anxious to pour into
her sympathetic ears theaccumulated news of many months. Anxious that their _tete-a-tete_ shouldnot be disturbed, they skated as far away from their friends aspossible, going towards the lower part of the lake, a portion which hadbeen so far avoided, owing to the roughness of the ice. If it was anunpleasant surface, at least they had it to themselves, so they went onand on, not looking particularly in what direction they were going,Violet talking hard and Mildred listening and putting in comments.
"So you see how it is, and I shouldn't be surprised if Miss Ward doesn'tcome back at all after the holidays, or at least leaves at Easter,"Violet was saying, when Mildred suddenly gave a sharp exclamation and,loosing her hand, cried to her to stop.
It was indeed high time. So engrossed had the girls been in theirconversation that they had not noticed they were approaching theoverflow of the lake. The rough ice had grown thinner, and ahead ofthem, where the brook took its source, it was barely half an inch inthickness, and stretched a smoother but most treacherous surface,narrowing to the half-frozen outlet.
The shock of loosing hands threw Mildred on her back, but Violet, unableto stop herself, skimmed rapidly forward on to the cat-ice. There was acracking, rending sound, the ice split in all directions like a flawedmirror, and with one piercing terrified shriek Violet disappeared into apool of water. Mildred was on her feet again in a moment, and graspedthe situation in a flash. Crawling on her knees to the edge of the ice,she was able to seize Violet by the hand just as her cousin rose to thesurface. But the weight of the two girls was too great for the thinplate of ice; again it cracked, and together they were plunged into thelake. Most mercifully Mildred did not lose her presence of mind. Shecould swim, and, supporting Violet, she was able to reach a ratherthicker portion of the ice. This was not sufficiently firm to allow thegirls to scramble upon its surface, but it afforded just enough hold fortheir fingers to enable them to keep their heads above water. By thistime their screams had brought everybody hastening to the spot, andgreat was the alarm of the skaters at the sight of their peril. Mr.Douglas, a Scottish friend, who arrived first on the scene, at once tookcommand.
"Keep back! Keep back!" he shouted to the distracted oncomers. "You'llonly crack the ice and increase their danger. Fetch the ladder and therope. Hold on, girls, for your lives! We'll have you out in a minute!"
Before his guests arrived that morning Sir Darcy had taken theprecaution of causing a ladder and a long coil of rope to be laid on thebank in case of accident, and the wisdom of his proceeding was welljustified. In less time than it takes to tell it, a dozen eager handshad seized the ladder, and, skating back with it at lightning speed,pushed it gently across the broken portion of the ice, so that at leastits nearer end rested on a secure foundation. By its aid the girlsmanaged to scramble from the water, and were drawn along over the moresolid ice till eager hands could snatch them.
Dripping from their freezing plunge, and shivering with cold and fright,they were taken at once to The Towers, and put to bed with warmedblankets and hot-water bags. The party, in much consternation at theaccident, broke up immediately, the various guests returning home. SirDarcy and Lady Lorraine were greatly upset, and Mr. and Mrs. Somervillehardly less so. The doctor, who had been summoned at once by telephone,gave a good report of the invalids, however, and assured their anxiousfriends that they seemed likely to do well and take no harm from theirwetting, quiet rest and warmth being all they required.
Mildred did not return home with the Fletchers, as had been arranged.Lady Lorraine would not permit her to leave The Towers until the doctorhad seen her again and pronounced her fit to travel. Fortunately, owingto the remedies applied so speedily after their ducking, neither of thegirls had caught cold or suffered any other ill effects.
"You might have told me you were going to make holes in the ice, andgiven me a chance to be there to rescue you!" said Rodney reproachfullyto Mildred before she left. "That Scotch fellow stole a march on me!"
"I'll give you fair warning next time--if I'm ever so foolish again!"she laughed in reply. "I don't see how I'm to do it on the rink atKirkton!"
"I'll go and look after you, just as a safeguard, if you'll tell me whenyou intend skating there. I'm due back at my diggings in a week. Ialways get Saturday afternoons free, you know."
Mildred left Castleford with regret, even though she was returning toher own dear Meredith Terrace.
"It's not that I don't love home best, Tantie," she was careful toassure Mrs. Graham. "But I've got fond of Westmorland too. There's onething that's a supreme satisfaction to me--they say I saved Violet'slife; and if I really did, it's surely some little return to Uncle Darcyand Aunt Geraldine for their kindness last summer. I always felt theywere hurt at my leaving them, and I wanted to do something to make up.I'm so glad I got the opportunity--it mightn't come again in fiftyyears!"