CHAPTER XXII.--"STICK TO YOUR COLORS, EVELYN."
Evelyn met Jasper, as arranged, on Tuesday evening. She found it quiteeasy to slip away unnoticed, for in truth Lady Frances was too unhappyto watch her movements particularly. The girls had been dining alone.Audrey had a headache, and had gone to bed early. Evelyn rushed up toher room, put on a dark shawl, which completely covered her fair hairand white-robed little figure, and rushed out by a side entrance. Shewore thin shoes, however, being utterly reckless with regard to herhealth. Jasper was waiting for her. It took but an instant for Jasper toclasp her in her arms, lifting her off the ground as she did so.
"Oh, my little darling," cried the affectionate woman--"my sweet littlewhite Eve! Oh, let me hug you; let me kiss you! Oh, my pet! it is likecold water to a thirsty person to clasp you in my arms again."
"Do not squeeze me quite so tight, Jasper," said Evelyn. "Yes, ofcourse, I am glad to see you--very glad."
"But let me feel your feet, pet. Oh, to think of your running out likethis in your house-shoes! You will catch your death! Here, I will sitdown on this step and keep you in my arms. Now, is not that cozy, my furcloak wrapped round you, feet and all? Is not that nice, little Eve?"
"Yes, very nice," said Evelyn. "It is almost as good as if I were backagain on the ranch with mothery and you."
"Ah, the happy old days!" sighed Jasper.
"Yes, they were very happy, Jasper. I almost wish I was back again. I amworried a good bit; things are not what I thought they would be inEngland. There is no fuss made about me, and at school they treat me sohorribly."
"You bide your time, my love; you bide your time."
"I don't like school, Jas."
"And why not, my beauty? You know you must be taught, my dear MissEvelyn; an ignorant young lady has no chance at all in these enlighteneddays."
"Oh! please, Jas, do not talk so much like a horrid book; be your trueold self. What does learning matter?"
"Everything, love; I assure you it does."
"Well, I shall never be learned; it is too much trouble."
"But why don't you like school, pet?"
"I will tell you. I have got into a scrape; I did not mean to, but Ihave."
"Oh, you mean about that book. Sylvia told me. Why did you tell Sylvia,Evelyn?"
"I had to tell some one, and she is not a schoolgirl."
"She is not your sort, Evelyn."
"Is she not? I like her very much."
"But she is not your sort; for instance, she could not do a thing ofthat kind."
"Oh, I do not suppose many people would have spirit enough," said Evelynin the voice of one who had done a very fine act.
"She could not do it," repeated Jasper; "and I expect she is in theright, and that you, my little love, are in the wrong. You weredifferently trained. Well, my dear Eve, the long and short of it is thatI admire what you did, only somehow Sylvia does not, and you will haveto be very careful or she may----"
"What--what, Jasper?"
"She may not regard it as a secret that she will always keep."
"Is she that sort? Oh, the horrid, horrid thing!" said Evelyn. "Oh, tothink that I should have told her! But you cannot mean it; it isimpossible that you can mean it, Jasper!"
"Don't you fret, love, for I will not let her. If she dares to tell onyou, why, I will leave her, and then it is pretty near starvation forthe poor little miss."
"You are sure you will not let her tell? I really am in rather a nastyscrape. They are making such a horrid fuss at school. This evening wasthe limit given for the guilty person--I should not say the guiltyperson, but the spirited person--to tell, and the spirited person has nottold; and to-morrow morning goodness knows what will happen. MissHenderson has a rod in pickle for us all, I expect. I declare it isquite exciting. None of the girls suspect me, and I talk so openly, andsometimes they laugh, too. I suppose we shall all be punished. I do notreally know what is going to be done."
"You hold your tongue and let the whole matter slide. That is myadvice," said Jasper. "I would either do that or I would out with itboldly--one or the other. Say you did it, and that you are not ashamed tohave done it."
"I could not--I could not," said Evelyn. "I may be brave after a fashion,but I am not brave enough for that. Besides, you know, Jasper, I did sayalready that I had not done it."
"Oh, to be sure," answered Jasper. "I forgot that. Well, you must stickto your colors now, Eve; and at the worst, my darling, you have but tocome to me and I will shield you."
"At the worst--yes, at the worst," said Evelyn. "I will remember that.But if I want to come to you very badly how can I?"
"I will come every night to this stile at nine o'clock, and if you wantme you will find me. I will stay here for exactly five minutes, and anymessage you may like to give you can put under this stone. Now, is notthat a 'cute thought of your dear old Jasper's?"
"It is--it is," said the little girl. "Perhaps, Jasper, I had better begoing back now."
"In a minute, darling--in a minute."
"And how are you getting on with Sylvia, Jasper?"
"Oh, such fun, dear! I am having quite an exciting time--hidden from theold gentleman, and acting the gipsy, and pretending I am feeding himwith old fowls when I am giving him the tenderest chicken. You have not,darling, a little scrap of money to spare that you can help old Jasperwith?"
"Oh! you are so greedy, Jasper; you are always asking for things. UncleEdward makes me an allowance, but not much; no one would suppose I wasthe heiress of everything."
"Well dear, the money don't matter. I will come here again to-morrownight. Now, keep up your pecker, little Eve, and all will be well."
Evelyn kissed Jasper, and was about to run back to the house when thegood woman remembered the light shoes in which she had come out.
"I'll carry you back," she said. "Those precious little feet shall nottouch the frosty ground."
Jasper was very strong, and Evelyn was all too willing. She was carriedto within fifty yards of the side entrance in Jasper's strong arms; thenshe dashed back to the house, kissed her hand to the dark shadow under atree, and returned to her own room. Read had seen her, but Evelyn knewnothing of that. Read had had her suspicions before now, and determined,as she said, to keep a sharp lookout on young miss in future.