CHAPTER XXI.
A REAL ROUSING FRIGHT.
Wonderful to relate, the holidays passed smoothly enough. Hughie was thesort of boy to be touched by Rosamund's words. No one had beforeappealed to him just in Rosamund's way. He found, too, considerablepleasure and interest on his own account at The Follies, for Lady Janewas singularly kind to him, and gave him a pony to ride, and he waspermitted the rare indulgence of going with the gamekeeper into thewoods to take his first lesson in partridge-shooting; but this camelater on.
Meanwhile Miss Frost made a great effort to recover her self-control;but such an agony of jealousy had taken possession of the poor lady thatshe could scarcely bear to be in the society either of her pupil or herlittle sister. Irene exercised more and more influence over Agnes, andfor a long time that influence was altogether for good. When the childasked simple questions Irene replied simply. She felt ashamed of her ownwant of knowledge on many particulars. She went regularly to churchtwice every Sunday because little Agnes thought that no living personcould do otherwise. She did not at all want to go, and she trembled asmuch as ever when the choir sang, and when the place became hushed andpeople called themselves "miserable sinners," and looked so unconcernedand so well-dressed. But for the sake of Agnes she restrained herself,for Agnes' little, pale, calm face appeared not to think at all aboutthe matter.
Nevertheless, it was scarcely possible that such a cloudless state ofthings could continue. As to Hughie, he and Irene were more or lessneutral, neither speaking much to the other. They were both absolutelydifferent, but both were absolutely without fear.
There came a day, however, when Irene took it into her wild little headthat Hughie needed a lesson to be taught him.
"I know by his looks," she thought, "that he hates my loving Agnes somuch."
Accordingly, she made up her mind to administer a lesson, and to make itas stiff a piece of terrorism as she could devise.
"He thinks he knows a great deal; but I'll teach him!" thought the girl.
Some of her old wicked spirit had come back to her. She had no longerany lessons to employ her time; she had no longer Rosamund's wholesomeinfluence--Rosamund who was in Switzerland, and whose letters,delightful as they were, could not take the place of her constantpresence.
The day was a sultry one toward the end of August. Miss Frost, pale anddejected, was seated in one of the arbors. She was doing someneedlework, and little Agnes was sitting on a low stool at her sister'sfeet. Miss Frost looked up when Irene suddenly entered.
"I wonder," she said, "if you and Agnes would go to town for me afterlunch? Mother says you may have the pony-trap and drive in. I want youto get"----
She produced a list of all sorts of materials, including a new doll forAgnes.
"I want Agnes to have a doll, and a cradle to put it in at night, andshe shall make the clothes for it. Between you and me, we can show herhow. Would you like it, Agnes darling?"
"Oh, shouldn't I just love it!" said little Agnes. "Fancy my being yourbaby, and then having a baby of my own! Oh, it seems altogether toobeautiful! Isn't she sweet, Emily?"
Miss Frost looked with her nervous eyes at her pupil. Irene's own brighteyes looked back in reply. They were full of dancing mischief.
"Mothery will give you some money to buy the necessary things," shesaid. "I have spoken to her about it; indeed, she is going with you, andlunch is to be a quarter of an hour earlier."
"But would you--would you," said Miss Frost, who was trembling all overwith delight at the thought of having her beloved little sister all toherself for a whole afternoon--"wouldn't you like to keep Agnes? I wouldbuy the things for her."
She felt herself very noble as she made this remark.
"No," said Irene, shaking her head. "No; I want Agnes to choose her owndoll. You can have a boy-dolly or a girl-dolly," she said, "just as youplease. There is a beautiful shop at Dartford, in the High Street, whereyou can buy everything you want. It is called Millar's. You know allabout it, don't you, Frosty? Now, there is the luncheon-bell."
The luncheon-bell sounded. Miss Frost, little Agnes, Irene, and the restof the party all assembled in the cool dining-room.
Soon after lunch, Lady Jane, Agnes, and Miss Frost started for Dartford,and Irene turned and faced Hughie.
"Hughie," she said, "would you like to come for a row on the lake withme?"
"If you wish," he replied.
He had kept his promise to Rosamund so far. He had made no furtherinquiries with regard to Irene. He had tried, as he expressed it, towash his hands of her. He did not like her. He felt that he never couldlike her. There was something to him repugnant about her. He had a kindof uncanny feeling that she was a sort of changeling; that she could doextraordinary, defiant, and marvelous things. Now, as she looked full upat him, trying to steady her face, and trying to look as like anordinary girl as possible, he endeavored to conceal a queer sort of fearwhich stole suddenly over his heart. He remembered the old stories; theservants who shrank from her, the wild creatures that seemed to be herconstant companions, and the tricks she was capable of playing on anyone.
"I will go with you, of course," he said. "Do you want me to row?"
"No; I want you to sit in the stern and steer. Will you come? Just waita minute. I'll be ready in no time."
She flew upstairs, and came down in the obnoxious red dress, which shehad not worn for such a long time. It made a queer change in her, givingher a more elf-like appearance than usual.
"Why do you wear that? It isn't pretty," said Hughie.
"Never you mind whether it is pretty or not," retorted Irene.
"Well, I'll try not; but a fellow must make remarks. You know, you lookripping in your white dresses, and that silk thing you wear in theevening; but I don't like that."
"Don't you? Well, I do. Anyhow, I'm going to wear it to-day while we arehaving our fun on the lake. It's just a perfect day for the lake. Do youknow, there's a storm coming on."
As Irene spoke she fixed her bright eyes on the sky. It was blue overthe house; but in the distance, coming rapidly nearer and nearer, was aterrible black cloud--a cloud almost as black as ink--and already therewere murmurs in the trees and cawings among the birds, the breezegrowing stronger and stronger--the prelude to a great agitation ofnature.
"I suppose we won't go on the lake to get drowned," said Hughie. "Thatis a thunder-cloud."
"Never mind; it will be all the greater fun. I am in my red dress, andyou can put on any shabby clothes you happen to have. If you are goingto be a counter-jumper you must have got some very shabby things."
"Why do you speak to me in that tone?" said Hughie.
"Oh, I don't know. I didn't mean anything. You can put on anything youlike, and you needn't come if you don't want to; but I thought you werea plucky sort of chap."
"You may be quite sure I am. Of course I will come with you. Let us rundown to the boat-house. Perhaps," continued Hughie, struggling with thepromise he had made to Rosamund, "the storm may go off in anotherdirection, and we sha'n't have it."
"I see you are awfully afraid of it, and it mayn't come here at all,"said Irene, who knew perfectly well that it would, for the cloud wascoming more and more in the direction of the house each moment.
In a very short time the two children were in the boat, Irene takingboth the oars, and giving Hughie simple directions to steer straight forthe stream in the middle of the lake.
"Now I will give him a real rousing fright," she said to herself. "Afterthat perhaps he will be my slave, the same as Carter was. Anyhow, I havea crow to pluck with him; and the storm, and my knowledge of the water,and his absolute ignorance will enable me to win the day."
Aloud, she said in a gentle voice, "Perhaps you'd like to take theoars?"
"I will if you like," said Hughie; "but the fact is, I'm not very goodat rowing. I have never been much in a boat."
"Ah! I thought as much. But I can teach you. Come and sit here."
They had just entered the stream, which ma
de the lake dangerous even ona calm day. Hughie stumbled to his feet; Irene sat in the stern, tookthe ropes, and skillfully guided the boat into the centre of the stream.It began to rock tremendously.
"Now pull! Pull hard!" she said to the boy.
Just then a blinding flash of lightning came across their faces.
"Oh!" said Hughie, "the storm is on us. It will rain in a few minutes.Hadn't we better get back?"
"What a coward you are!" said Irene. "It is the most awful fun to be outon the lake in a storm like this. Ah! do you hear that growl?"
"But I can't manage the boat a bit."
"I thought all boys could manage boats. You don't expect a girl to doit--a girl out in the midst of a storm of this sort? Besides, I must putup my umbrella or I shall be soaked."
"But I told you it would rain. You shouldn't have come out," saidHughie, who felt more annoyed, distressed, and angry than he had everfelt in his life before. He felt that suddenly the boat was quiteunmanageable, that it was rocking and racing and taking them he did notknow where.
All of a sudden Irene sprang to her feet.
"Get back into the stern," she said. "Sit quite still, and let me takethe oars. I wanted to see if you could row. I see you can't. There isanother flash of lightning. Don't be frightened. I know you are; but tryto keep it under. I have something to say to you."
She seated herself, and the two children faced each other. The flash oflightning was followed by a crashing peal of thunder. The trees bowedlow to meet the gale; the frightened birds, the swans and others, tookshelter where they could best find it; but as yet there was not a dropof rain.
"How hot it is!" said Irene. "Let us fly down the stream."
"What do you mean by that?" said Hughie, whose freckled face was deadlywhite.
"I will tell you if you like; but don't speak."
He looked at her with fascinated eyes. In her red dress, with herwitch-like face and glancing, dancing, naughty eyes, she became to himfor the moment an object of absolute terror. Was this the gentle andexceedingly pretty girl whom little Agnes so adored? He was alone withher, and they were, so to speak, flying through the water, although shescarcely touched the oars, allowing them to lie almost idle by her side.
Suddenly she shipped them and bent toward him.
"We needn't row any more," she said. "We are in the current. The currentwill take us. Hughie, can you swim?"
"I don't know anything about swimming," he said.
"Well, that is rather bad for you; for in about five minutes of thissort of thing we go right down the cascade at the end of the lake andamong the breakers. The boat will be upset, and you will have to fightfor your life, unless I choose to save you. I could save you, for I haveperfect control of myself in the water."
"But you don't mean to say you are going to do anything of that sort!Can't we get into the calmer part of the lake? I don't understand you,"said Hughie.
"But I understand you. You don't like me, and I don't like you. From thevery first you have been disagreeable. I like your little sister, butyou don't want me to like her."
"Well, I think you are a bit rough on old Em," was Hughie's remark.
"What a flash that was!" said Irene; and her eyes danced with cruelpleasure. "Ah! here comes the rain."
A terrific hail-shower drenched the two children as they sat within therocking boat. For the first time in her life Irene was really slightlyfrightened. Had she dared too much? Even she might not be able to getthe boat out of the current just at present; and if she did not, andthey really got among the breakers and over the cascade in the presentstorm, it might be beyond her power to save Hughie. As to herself, shewas not at all afraid. She felt she could swim through anything and overanything; but she was not certain that she could swim and support a boyso big and strong as Hughie.
Then there rose before her vision the face of Rosamund--Rosamund's facewith its noble expression, its clear, steadfast, dark eyes--Rosamundwith her ringing voice. Oh, what influence for good she had exercisedover Irene's wild, worthless, almost terrible life, and yet she wasdisobeying all her precepts now, and frightening poor Hughie almost todeath!
"I tell you what it is," she said in a husky voice; "we will both try toget out of this current if you will make me a promise."
"It seems to me that I am spending my whole life in making promises,"said Hughie. "But I will make any promise if that will help you now. Oh,what a flash that was! I expect we shall both be struck by thelightning."
"I suppose that doesn't matter. I suppose you are not afraid to die, areyou?"
"I haven't thought of it," said the boy. "People of fourteen don't thinkmuch about dying, do they? But I don't think I'd be specially afraid. Itmight be a sort of relief to poor old Em to have only one of us tokeep. But for you there is your mother and little Agnes."
"Yes; I wouldn't like to die on account of little Agnes," replied Irenevery gravely. "I love her just as though she were my own little child."
"Well, I am her brother. I suppose you ought to be pleasant to mebecause I happen to be her brother, and Emily happens to be her sister,"retorted the lad.
"That is true enough. I will tell you why I did this. I brought you outinto the current to test your courage. If I do nothing, if we both sitstill as we are now, in all probability you will be drowned; but if youwill exert yourself and help me with all your might and main, then Iwill respect you as a truly courageous person, and perhaps we'll bebetter friends than we have hitherto been."
"What do you want me to do? I will do anything," said the boy.
"Well, look here. I will take one oar and you take the other, and wemust get out of this current whatever happens. As soon as we are out ofit we are safe. Oh, never mind the lightning, and don't listen to thethunder."
"It almost blinds me," said Hughie, passing his hand across his eyes ashe spoke, dazzled by the vividness of the ever-increasing storm. Irenegave him strict directions.
"You are strong," she said. "When you see me pull, you must pull, too,and you must be very quick, for the nearer we get to the cascade theswifter runs the current. On a calm day I could save you, there wouldn'tbe a bit of fear; but on a rough day, in a storm like this, I mightn'tbe able to manage it. Now then, a strong pull, and a pull all together!"
The boy obeyed her directions. Whatever she might have thought of him aminute ago, he was indeed no coward. He pulled with all his might andmain. Irene did likewise, and in a few minutes' time they were out ofthe dangerous current, in smooth water. But it was a close shave, andthe girl's hands trembled and for a minute she dropped her oar.
"Never mind," she said to Hughie.
"But you look as white as death, just as though you would faint. Didthat last flash touch your hair? It seemed to me that it was almost hoton my cheeks."
"No, it wasn't that; and the storm is going off," said Irene. "Somehow Iam ashamed of myself. I oughtn't to have been so mean."
"Please tell me."
"I have tested you, and you are brave. You are not a coward like poorCarter."
"Who is Carter?"
"A governess I once had. I took her on to the lake, and into the centralcurrent, and she was in such terror! I wanted her to go away, and Iwouldn't get out of the current, however hard she implored. But Ipromised to save her when we got among the breakers if only she would goafterward. She promised, and I did save her, and she is all right now;and Frosty--your dear Emily, I mean--and she are the best of friends.And I am friendly with her, too. I have been much better lately--muchbetter since dear Rosamund came--only somehow I felt that you defied me,and I wanted to test you. I have tested you, and I respect you, for youweren't really frightened that time, and you did row all right. What astrong arm you have! I wish I had an arm like that."
Hughie colored with absolute pleasure.
"You are a plucky un," he said; "but I didn't know that you reallywanted to drown me."
"Of course I didn't want to drown you. I knew a storm was coming on,and that it would be very rou
gh in the current to-day, and I wanted totest you; and you have proved worthy of the test, and we are in safewater now. The storm is dying away, too; and shall it be _pax_? Shall webe friends for the remainder of your stay at The Follies?"
"I think you are a splendid girl, although you are quite the queerest Iever came across," said the boy.
"And you are awfully plucky. Now, I tell you what it is. Mothery and Iwill do our best to make you a gentleman by and by. You won't be tooproud if mother and I help Frosty--your Emily, as you call her--to makeyou into something better than a counter-jumper?"
"Would you indeed?" he asked, his eyes glowing, and the color cominginto his cheeks. "You know, I always hated the thought of it, for mypeople were gentry. My mother was such a refined woman, something likesweet little Agnes, and it always cut me to the very heart to think thatI was going down in the social scale."
"You sha'n't," said Irene. And now the pair, dripping wet, landed at thelittle landing-stage.
Hughie helped Irene to put the boat into the boat-house, and then theystood there together until the storm died away, and the rain had ceased,and the birds were singing once more. Then they silently shook handseach with the other, without uttering a word.