III.
_AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE._
The "public rejoicing" had not nearly come to an end, when, at a muchearlier hour than she was accustomed to go home, Belle saw Daphneentering the play-room. Daphne's turbaned head was thrown back, and herlips pursed up in a manner which showed Belle that she was not pleasedwith something or some one. But whatever might be the cause of the oldnurse's displeasure, Belle knew well enough that it would never bevisited on her; and Daphne's appearance just at the moment when she wasso delightfully engaged did not suit her at all.
"You haven't come to take me home a'ready?" she said.
"But I has, honey: more's de shame," said Daphne, with a look ofmingled pity and affection at her little mistress, while a chorus ofexclamations arose from all the children.
"I shan't go, now! It's too early," said Belle. "Why, it isn't neardark, Daphne. Did papa send you?"
"S'pose he tinks he did," replied Daphne; "but I specs dere's a newmissis come to han', what tinks she's goin' to turn de worl' upsidedown. 'Pears like it."
"What?" said Belle, not understanding such mysterious hints, yet seeingsomething was wrong; and Mrs. Bradford asked, "What are you talkingabout, Daphne?"
"I'se been bidden to hol' my tongue, and I neber talks if I ain't gotleave," answered Daphne, with another toss of her turban and severaldispleased sniffs.
"But you're talking now, only we don't know what it's about," saidBessie.
To this Daphne made no answer, except by closing her eyes in a resignedmanner, and giving a sigh which seemed to come from her very shoes.
"I shan't go home, anyhow," said Belle: "the party isn't near out."
"Not when papa wants you, dear?" said Mrs. Bradford, gently.
Belle gave a sigh which sounded like the echo of Daphne's; but shemade no farther objection when her nurse brought her hat and preparedto put it on. Daphne clapped on the hat, giving a snap to the elasticwhich fastened it that really hurt the child, though she was far fromintending to do so. Then she seized her in both arms and gave her aloud, sounding kiss.
"You just 'member you allus got yer ole mammy, whatever else you loses,my honey," she said. By this time not only little Belle and the otherchildren, but Mrs. Bradford also, thought something dreadful must havehappened; although the latter did know that Daphne was sometimesfoolish, and very apt to make a mountain out of a molehill.
"What's the matter? Where's my papa?" said Belle, in a frightened tone."Is he lost?"
"He's safe to de hotel, dear," said Daphne. She never condescended tosay home: "home" was far away, down on the dear old Georgia plantation."He's safe to de hotel; that is, if somebody ain't worrit de eyes outhis head or de head off his shoulders. You come along, Miss Belle,'fore all yer tings is gone to rack an' ruin."
"What is the matter, Daphne?" said Mrs. Bradford.
"I telled yer, missis, I ain't got leave for talk; an' I neber breaksorders, no way. But I'se been forgetten: dere's a letter what MassaPowers send you;" and diving into the depths of her enormous pocket,Daphne produced a note which she handed to Mrs. Bradford. The ladyopened and read it; while Belle watched her, fearing some evil. ButMrs. Bradford smiled and looked rather pleased, and said to Belle,--
"It is all right, darling: run home now; papa has a great pleasure foryou."
It would be impossible to express the length and depth of the sniffwith which Daphne heard this; but Belle did not notice it, and was nowrather in haste to say good-by and to go to her papa.
"I wouldn't say any thing more if I were you, Daphne," said Mrs.Bradford, following them out to the head of the stairs.
"Dear! I ain't said nothin', Missis," said Daphne: "didn't her paforbid it? on'y some folks is so blin'."
"Who's blind? Not papa?" said Belle.
"It am a kin' of sperit blin'ness I'se speakin' ob, honey," saidDaphne. "Talk ob spilin' chillen, indeed! Dere's some what's so bad bynatur', you couldn't make 'em no wuss if you tried all de days ob yerlife."
With which she disappeared, banging the front door after Belle andherself with a force which told that she was anxious for some objecton which she might safely vent her displeasure.
Belle talked and questioned all the way home, but received for answeronly the same mysterious and alarming hints; till the child hardly knewwhether to believe that something dreadful had taken place, or that shewas going home to the promised pleasure.
"Now, Miss Belle," said the foolish old woman, as they crossed the hallon which Mr. Powers' rooms opened, "you min' I ain't goin' for let yoube snubbed and kep' under. You come and tell yer ole mammy ebery ting;an' I'll fight yer battles, if de French nusses is got sich fly-a-waycaps on der heads."
So she opened the door of their own parlor; and Belle, feeling a littleworried and a little cross at the interruption to her afternoon'spleasure, passed in.
What did she see?
Upon the sofa, beside her papa, sat a lady dressed in deep mourning;and upon his knee--was it possible?--yes, upon papa's knee, in herown proper place, was a little girl, quite at her ease, and sitting asif she had a right and belonged there. And--could it be?--Belle tooka second look--it really _was_ the child who had been so naughty andshown herself so spoiled. She stood for a moment near the door, utterlyamazed, and speechless with displeasure.
Now Belle was what is called a generous child; that is, she wouldreadily give away or share what she had with others; but she wasjealous of the affection of those she loved, especially of her papa's.He was her own, her very own: all his tenderness and petting mustbe for her. She could hardly bear that he should caress even herbeloved Maggie and Bessie; and if it chanced that he did so, shewould immediately claim a double portion for herself. She was quickand bright too; and now she saw in a moment the cause of all Daphne'smysterious hints and melancholy; and they helped to increase the angry,jealous feeling in her own heart. Daphne had feared that this naughty,contrary child was coming to interfere with her; and Belle feared itnow herself. Indeed, was it not plain enough already? There she wason papa's knee, the seat to which no one but herself had a right; andpapa's arm was about her.
"Come here, my darling: come and speak to your aunt and little cousin,"said Mr. Powers.
And now Belle spoke, indeed, but without moving one step forward, andwith a very different tone and manner from those which her fatherexpected.
"Come off of there!" she said, in a low, deep tone of intense passion."Come off of there! That's my place, he's my papa; you shan't have him,and I shan't have you. You're not my cousin; I won't have you, bad, badgirl!"
She said this with her face perfectly white with rage, her eyesflashing; and she stood bolt upright, her two little hands clenchedand stretched downwards on either side. Then the color came fast anddeep, rising to the very roots of her hair; her lips were drawn, andher little bosom heaved.
Mr. Powers knew what this meant. Putting Mabel hastily from his knee,he rose and walked over to Belle. When Belle was a baby, and littlemore than a baby, she had the naughty habit, when any thing displeasedher, of holding her breath until she was almost choked and purple inthe face. Other children have this ugly way, which is not only naughty,but dangerous. But Belle's mamma had broken her of this when she wasvery young; and it was a long, long time since her father had seen herdo it.
But it was coming now, and must be stopped at once.
"Belle!" he said sharply, and almost sternly, laying his hand on hershoulder,--"Belle!"
It did seem hard, but it was necessary, and was, Mr. Powers knew, theonly way to bring his angry little child to her senses. It was enough.She caught her breath hard, then gave one or two deep sobs, and burstinto a passion of tears, at the same time turning and trying to runaway.
Poor child! It seemed to her that this was proof of her jealous fears.Papa had never spoken so to her before, and it was all because of thatstrange child who was coming in her place. So she thought, and onlywanted to run away out of sight and hearing.
But her father caught her, took her up
in his arms, and now spoke toher in the tenderest tones, covering her wet face with kisses andtrying to soothe her.
Belle knew that she had been naughty, oh! very naughty; but she stillfelt very much injured; and, although after a time her sobs became lessviolent, she clung tightly to her papa, and kept her face hidden onhis bosom; shedding there the tears which brought no healing with thembecause they came from anger and jealousy, and obstinately refusing tolook up or speak to her aunt and cousin.
And yet if Belle had been told but yesterday that she was soon to seethis little cousin, she would have been delighted. They had never metbefore, for Mrs. Walton, Mabel's mother, had been living abroad formany years: the little Mabel had been born there, and there severalbrothers and sisters had died. Perhaps this last was one reason, thoughit was certainly no good excuse, that Mabel had been so much indulged.
For some months there had been talk of their coming home, but theirappearance just at this time was quite unexpected. Young readers willnot be interested in knowing what brought them: it is enough to saythat here they were, the steamer having brought them to Boston, whenceMr. Walton had sent on his wife and child, he staying behind to attendto some business.
Mrs. Walton had thought to give her brother an agreeable surprise; andso she had, for he had been longing to see her, and to have her helpin the training of his motherless little Belle; but Mrs. Walton andMabel had not been with him half an hour before he began to think thatBelle would do quite as well without the training which Mabel received.
The child had been clamorous to see her young cousin from the firstmoment of her arrival; but Daphne, unwilling to call her darling fromher afternoon's pleasure, had invented one excuse after another, tillMr. Powers had insisted that she should bring Belle.
The jealousy of the old colored nurse, who was already put out atMabel's wilful, pettish behavior, and the way in which she wasallowed to handle and pull about all Belle's toys and treasures, wasimmediately aroused at the idea that her nursling should be made toyield to the new-comer; and she had shown this in the manner which hadawakened a like feeling in Belle the moment the child discovered thecause.
Mrs. Walton was vexed, as indeed she might well be, at the receptionwhich Belle had given to herself and Mabel; but the weak and foolishmother readily excused or overlooked in her own child those very faultswhich she saw so plainly in her little niece.
At first Mabel had been too much astonished at Belle's outbreak todo more than stand and look at her; but when her cousin's cries werequieted, and she lay still with her face hidden on her father'sshoulder, giving long, heaving sobs, she began to whine and fret, andto insist that Belle should be made to come and play with her, and showher a set of carved animals, one of Belle's choicest treasures whichMr. Powers had rescued from her destructive little fingers.
"My dear brother," said Mrs. Walton, "it is indeed time that your childwas put under other female management than that of servants. She isquite spoiled, I see."
Here a prolonged sniff, ending in something very like a groan, camefrom near the door where Daphne still stood: while Belle, feelingthat both she and her devoted nurse had been insulted, kicked outindignantly with her little feet.
But her father's hand was on the nestling head; and he said veryquietly, pouring oil on the wounded spirits,--
"My Belle and her Daphne could not well do without one another; andBelle is much less spoiled than she used to be. She is a pretty goodgirl now, thanks to the kind teachings she has had, and her own wish toprofit by them. Mrs. Bradford, the mother of her little friends Maggieand Bessie, has been very good to her; so has her teacher, Miss Ashton,and several other lady friends: so that she has not been left latelywithout proper training, even if her papa and old nurse do indulge andpet her perhaps a little too much. Belle and I are all in all to oneanother now, and she knows I want her to be a good girl. It is a long,long time since she has had such a naughty turn as this, and I know sheis sorry and ashamed."
Ashamed Belle certainly was; but I am afraid she was not sorry, atleast not truly sorry, for she was quite determined not to look up orspeak to her aunt and cousin; and she nursed the angry feelings in herlittle heart, and made up her mind that they were both quite unbearable.
She was the more sure of this when they all went together into thedining-room. Belle was accustomed to go there with her father, and toeat her simple supper while he dined; and indulged though she was, shenever thought of fretting or asking for that which he said was notproper for her; but Mabel called for every thing that she fancied, andwas allowed to have all manner of rich dainties, her mother answeringwhen Mr. Powers interfered,--
"It don't do to refuse her any thing. She is so nervous and excitable.I have to manage her the best way I can."
Probably Mr. Powers thought the management which fell to the share ofhis motherless little Belle was better and more profitable than thatbestowed upon Mabel, whose mother was always with her.
It was the same thing when they went upstairs again. Mabel wanted tostand in the gallery above, and look down into the great hall below,where were lights, and numbers of people coming and going; and all thepleadings and promises of her tired mother could not persuade her to goon to their room, where the nurse was engaged unpacking.
But her uncle, who was tired of all this wilfulness, soon put a stopto it, by unclasping the little hands which held so obstinately to thebanisters, lifting and carrying her to her mamma's room, where he sether down without a word.
Mabel was so unused to such firm interference with her wishes, and wasso astonished at it, that she quite forgot to scream or struggle tillhe had gone away and the door was shut upon her. Then she made up forlost time; but we will leave her and go with Belle.
Her father saw that she was in no mood for advice or reproof; just noweither would only add to her sudden and violent jealousy of her cousin:so he determined to pass over her naughtiness for to-night, and hopedthat she would be more reasonable in the morning. She herself said nota single word about what had passed, or about her aunt and cousin,--atleast not to her papa; but when Daphne was putting her to bed, both thelittle one and the old woman found enough to say to one another; Belletelling her nurse how she had met Mabel that day and how the latter hadbehaved; while Daphne encouraged her to say as many unkind things asshe would, and made the most of all Mabel's spoiled, troublesome ways.
Poor little Belle! She could hardly say her prayers that night, andwent to bed feeling more unhappy than she had done for many a long day.