AS we drove along, my spirits
revived again, and I turned,
with pleasure, to the contemplation
of the new life upon which I
was entering. But though it was
not far past the middle of September,
the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly
wind combined to render the day
extremely cold and dreary; and
the journey seemed a very long
one, for, as Smith observed,
the roads were 'very heavy';
and certainly, his horse was
very heavy too: it crawled up
the hills, and crept down them,
and only condescended to shake
its sides in a trot where the
road was at a dead level or a
very gentle slope, which was
rarely the case in those rugged
regions; so that it was nearly
one o'clock before we reached
the place of our destination.
Yet, after all, when we entered
the lofty iron gateway, when
we drove softly up the smooth,
well-rolled carriage-road, with
the green lawn on each side,
studded with young trees, and
approached the new but stately
mansion of Wellwood, rising above
its mushroom poplar-groves, my
heart failed me, and I wished
it were a mile or two farther
off. For the first time in my
life I must stand alone: there
was no retreating now. I must
enter that house, and introduce
myself among its strange inhabitants.
But how was it to be done? True,
I was near nineteen; but, thanks
to my retired life and the protecting
care of my mother and sister,
I well knew that many a girl
of fifteen, or under, was gifted
with a more womanly address,
and greater ease and self-possession,
than I was. Yet, if Mrs. Bloomfield
were a kind, motherly woman,
I might do very well, after all;
and the children, of course,
I should soon be at ease with
them - and Mr. Bloomfield, I
hoped, I should have but little
to do with.
'Be calm, be calm, whatever
happens,' I said within myself;
and truly I kept this resolution
so well, and was so fully occupied
in steadying my nerves and stifling
the rebellious flutter of my
heart, that when I was admitted
into the hall and ushered into
the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield,
I almost forgot to answer her
polite salutation; and it afterwards
struck me, that the little I
did say was spoken in the tone
of one half-dead or half-asleep.
The lady, too, was somewhat chilly
in her manner, as I discovered
when I had time to reflect. She
was a tall, spare, stately woman,
with thick black hair, cold grey
eyes, and extremely sallow complexion.
With due politeness, however,
she showed me my bedroom, and
left me there to take a little
refreshment. I was somewhat dismayed
at my appearance on looking in
the glass: the cold wind had
swelled and reddened my hands,
uncurled and entangled my hair,
and dyed my face of a pale purple;
add to this my collar was horridly
crumpled, my frock splashed with
mud, my feet clad in stout new
boots, and as the trunks were
not brought up, there was no
remedy; so having smoothed my
hair as well as I could, and
repeatedly twitched my obdurate
collar, I proceeded to clomp
down the two flights of stairs,
philosophizing as I went; and
with some difficulty found my
way into the room where Mrs.
Bloomfield awaited me.
She led me into the dining-room,
where the family luncheon had
been laid out. Some beefsteaks
and half-cold potatoes were set
before me; and while I dined
upon these, she sat opposite,
watching me (as I thought) and
endeavouring to sustain something
like a conversation - consisting
chiefly of a succession of commonplace
remarks, expressed with frigid
formality: but this might be
more my fault than hers, for
I really could NOT converse.
In fact, my attention was almost
wholly absorbed in my dinner:
not from ravenous appetite, but
from distress at the toughness
of the beefsteaks, and the numbness
of my hands, almost palsied by
their five-hours' exposure to
the bitter wind. I would gladly
have eaten the potatoes and let
the meat alone, but having got
a large piece of the latter on
to my plate, I could not be so
impolite as to leave it; so,
after many awkward and unsuccessful
attempts to cut it with the knife,
or tear it with the fork, or
pull it asunder between them,
sensible that the awful lady
was a spectator to the whole
transaction, I at last desperately
grasped the knife and fork in
my fists, like a child of two
years old, and fell to work with
all the little strength I possessed.
But this needed some apology
- with a feeble attempt at a
laugh, I said, 'My hands are
so benumbed with the cold that
I can scarcely handle my knife
and fork.'
'I daresay you would find it
cold,' replied she with a cool,
immutable gravity that did not
serve to re-assure me.
When the ceremony was concluded,
she led me into the sitting-room
again, where she rang and sent
for the children.
'You will find them not very
far advanced in their attainments,'
said she, 'for I have had so
little time to attend to their
education myself, and we have
thought them too young for a
governess till now; but I think
they are clever children, and
very apt to learn, especially
the little boy; he is, I think,
the flower of the flock - a generous,
noble-spirited boy, one to be
led, but not driven, and remarkable
for always speaking the truth.
He seems to scorn deception'
(this was good news). 'His sister
Mary Ann will require watching,'
continued she, 'but she is a
very good girl upon the whole;
though I wish her to be kept
out of the nursery as much as
possible, as she is now almost
six years old, and might acquire
bad habits from the nurses. I
have ordered her crib to be placed
in your room, and if you will
be so kind as to overlook her
washing and dressing, and take
charge of her clothes, she need
have nothing further to do with
the nursery maid.'
I replied I was quite willing
to do so; and at that moment
my young pupils entered the apartment,
with their two younger sisters.
Master Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown
boy of seven, with a somewhat
wiry frame, flaxen hair, blue
eyes, small turned-up nose, and
fair complexion. Mary Ann was
a tall girl too, somewhat dark
like her mother, but with a round
full face and a high colour in
her cheeks. The second sister
was Fanny, a very pretty little
girl; Mrs. Bloomfield assured
me she was a remarkably gentle
child, and required encouragement:
she had not learned anything
yet; but in a few days, she would
be four years old, and then she
might take her first lesson in
the alphabet, and be promoted
to the schoolroom. The remaining
one was Harriet, a little broad,
fat, merry, playful thing of
scarcely two, that I coveted
more than all the rest - but
with her I had nothing to do.
I talked to my little pupils
as well as I could, and tried
to render myself agreeable; but
with little success I fear, for
their mother's presence kept
me under an unpleasant restraint.
They, however, were remarkably
free from shyness. They seemed
bold, lively children, and I
hoped I should soon be on friendly
terms with them - the little
boy especially, of whom I had
heard such a favourable character
from his mamma. In Mary Ann there
was a certain affected simper,
and a craving for notice, that
I was sorry to observe. But her
brother claimed all my attention
to himself; he stood bolt upright
between me and the fire, with
his hands behind his back, talking
away like an orator, occasionally
interrupting his discourse with
a sharp reproof to his sisters
when they made too much noise.
'Oh, Tom, what a darling you
are!' exclaimed his mother. 'Come
and kiss dear mamma; and then
won't you show Miss Grey your
schoolroom, and your nice new
books?'
'I won't kiss YOU, mamma; but
I WILL show Miss Grey my schoolroom,
and my new books.'
'And MY schoolroom, and MY
new books, Tom,' said Mary Ann.
'They're mine too.'
'They're MINE,' replied he
decisively. 'Come along, Miss
Grey - I'll escort you.'
When the room and books had
been shown, with some bickerings
between the brother and sister
that I did my utmost to appease
or mitigate, Mary Ann brought
me her doll, and began to be
very loquacious on the subject
of its fine clothes, its bed,
its chest of drawers, and other
appurtenances; but Tom told her
to hold her clamour, that Miss
Grey might see his rocking-horse,
which, with a most important
bustle, he dragged forth from
its corner into the middle of
the room, loudly calling on me
to attend to it. Then, ordering
his sister to hold the reins,
he mounted, and made me stand
for ten minutes, watching how
manfully he used his whip and
spurs. Meantime, however, I admired
Mary Ann's pretty doll, and all
its possessions; and then told
Master Tom he was a capital rider,
but I hoped he would not use
his whip and spurs so much when
he rode a real pony.
'Oh, yes, I will!' said he,
laying on with redoubled ardour.
'I'll cut into him like smoke!
Eeh! my word! but he shall sweat
for it.'
This was very shocking; but
I hoped in time to be able to
work a reformation.
'Now you must put on your bonnet
and shawl,' said the little hero,
'and I'll show you my garden.'
'And MINE,' said Mary Ann.
Tom lifted his fist with a
menacing gesture; she uttered
a loud, shrill scream, ran to
the other side of me, and made
a face at him.
'Surely, Tom, you would not
strike your sister! I hope I
shall NEVER see you do that.'
'You will sometimes: I'm obliged
to do it now and then to keep
her in order.'
'But it is not your business
to keep her in order, you know
- that is for - '
'Well, now go and put on your
bonnet.'
'I don't know - it is so very
cloudy and cold, it seems likely
to rain; - and you know I have
had a long drive.'
'No matter - you MUST come;
I shall allow of no excuses,'
replied the consequential little
gentleman. And, as it was the
first day of our acquaintance,
I thought I might as well indulge
him. It was too cold for Mary
Ann to venture, so she stayed
with her mamma, to the great
relief of her brother, who liked
to have me all to himself.
The garden was a large one,
and tastefully laid out; besides
several splendid dahlias, there
were some other fine flowers
still in bloom: but my companion
would not give me time to examine
them: I must go with him, across
the wet grass, to a remote sequestered
corner, the most important place
in the grounds, because it contained
HIS garden. There were two round
beds, stocked with a variety
of plants. In one there was a
pretty little rose-tree. I paused
to admire its lovely blossoms.
'Oh, never mind that!' said
he, contemptuously. 'That's only
MARY ANN'S garden; look, THIS
is mine.'
After I had observed every
flower, and listened to a disquisition
on every plant, I was permitted
to depart; but first, with great
pomp, he plucked a polyanthus
and presented it to me, as one
conferring a prodigious favour.
I observed, on the grass about
his garden, certain apparatus
of sticks and corn, and asked
what they were.
'Traps for birds.'
'Why do you catch them?'
'Papa says they do harm.'
'And what do you do with them
when you catch them?'
'Different things. Sometimes
I give them to the cat; sometimes
I cut them in pieces with my
penknife; but the next, I mean
to roast alive.'
'And why do you mean to do
such a horrible thing?'
'For two reasons: first, to
see how long it will live - and
then, to see what it will taste
like.'
'But don't you know it is extremely
wicked to do such things? Remember,
the birds can feel as well as
you; and think, how would you
like it yourself?'
'Oh, that's nothing! I'm not
a bird, and I can't feel what
I do to them.'
'But you will have to feel
it some time, Tom: you have heard
where wicked people go to when
they die; and if you don't leave
off torturing innocent birds,
remember, you will have to go
there, and suffer just what you
have made them suffer.'
'Oh, pooh! I shan't. Papa knows
how I treat them, and he never
blames me for it: he says it
is just what HE used to do when
HE was a boy. Last summer, he
gave me a nest full of young
sparrows, and he saw me pulling
off their legs and wings, and
heads, and never said anything;
except that they were nasty things,
and I must not let them soil
my trousers: end Uncle Robson
was there too, and he laughed,
and said I was a fine boy.'
'But what would your mamma
say?'
'Oh, she doesn't care! she
says it's a pity to kill the
pretty singing birds, but the
naughty sparrows, and mice, and
rats, I may do what I like with.
So now, Miss Grey, you see it
is NOT wicked.'
'I still think it is, Tom;
and perhaps your papa and mamma
would think so too, if they thought
much about it. However,' I internally
added, 'they may say what they
please, but I am determined you
shall do nothing of the kind,
as long as I have power to prevent
it.'
He next took me across the
lawn to see his mole-traps, and
then into the stack-yard to see
his weasel-traps: one of which,
to his great joy, contained a
dead weasel; and then into the
stable to see, not the fine carriage-horses,
but a little rough colt, which
he informed me had been bred
on purpose for him, and he was
to ride it as soon as it was
properly trained. I tried to
amuse the little fellow, and
listened to all his chatter as
complacently as I could; for
I thought if he had any affections
at all, I would endeavour to
win them; and then, in time,
I might be able to show him the
error of his ways: but I looked
in vain for that generous, noble
spirit his mother talked of;
though I could see he was not
without a certain degree of quickness
and penetration, when he chose
to exert it.
When we re-entered the house
it was nearly tea-time. Master
Tom told me that, as papa was
from home, he and I and Mary
Ann were to have tea with mamma,
for a treat; for, on such occasions,
she always dined at luncheon-time
with them, instead of at six
o'clock. Soon after tea, Mary
Ann went to bed, but Tom favoured
us with his company and conversation
till eight. After he was gone,
Mrs. Bloomfield further enlightened
me on the subject of her children's
dispositions and acquirements,
and on what they were to learn,
and how they were to be managed,
and cautioned me to mention their
defects to no one but herself.
My mother had warned me before
to mention them as little as
possible to HER, for people did
not like to be told of their
children's faults, and so I concluded
I was to keep silence on them
altogether. About half-past nine,
Mrs. Bloomfield invited me to
partake of a frugal supper of
cold meat and bread. I was glad
when that was over, and she took
her bedroom candlestick and retired
to rest; for though I wished
to be pleased with her, her company
was extremely irksome to me;
and I could not help feeling
that she was cold, grave, and
forbidding - the very opposite
of the kind, warm-hearted matron
my hopes had depicted her to
be.
|