IX.
_BELLE'S MISFORTUNE._
Mr. Walton was sadly mistaken when he thought that his little girlwould have forgotten her ill-temper and be ready to be pleasant andgood-humored in the morning. Mabel awoke sulky and pouting, quitedetermined to believe that Belle had grievously injured her, andobstinately refusing to be reconciled unless she would consent to giveup the locket.
Had Belle been willing to do this, her papa and uncle would not havepermitted it; but, though Mabel was in a state of displeasure with theworld in general that morning, she chose to consider Belle as chiefoffender, and treated her accordingly.
"But it's Sunday," said Belle, when she refused to kiss her forgood-morning.
"Don't I know that?" snapped Mabel.
"But I don't like to be cross with any one on Sunday," pleaded Belle.
"You're cross to me, and so I'll be cross with you,--Sunday and Mondayand every day," said the disagreeable child. "Now leave me be."
And Belle, seeing that Mabel was not to be persuaded into a bettertemper, was forced to do as she said, and let her alone.
And all day, Sunday though it was, Mabel was even more peevish,exacting, and troublesome than usual, till she was a burden and tormentto herself and every one about her.
When Monday morning came she was rather more reasonable, but stillpersisted in being "offended" with Belle, and even refused to walk onthe same side of the street with her when they were going to school.
"Will you wear your new locket, Miss Belle?" asked Daphne when she wasmaking her little mistress ready for school.
"No, I guess not," said Belle: "something might happen to it, and maybeit's too nice."
"I reckon it's not too fancy," said Daphne, holding up the locket andlooking at it admiringly: "you may wear it if you like, and mebbe MissAshton would like to see it."
Now the locket was perhaps not quite a proper thing for Belle to wearto school, and had her father been there he might have advised her tokeep to her first decision; but Daphne always liked to deck out herlittle lady in all the finery she could lay her hands on, and, hadshe not been held in check by wiser heads, would often have sent herforth to school in very improper guise. And as Mabel was always verymuch dressed, it chafed Daphne sorely to contrast the simple but moresuitable garments of her little Miss Belle with the showy ones worn byher cousin.
So now she persuaded Belle to wear the locket, saying, not to thechild, but to herself, that it "was time folks foun' out her folks waswort somethin', an' had plenty of pretty things if they on'y chose toshow 'em;" and, rather against the child's own better judgment, shesuffered the nurse to put the locket about her neck.
It was well for Belle, and for those who had the guiding of her, thatshe was such a docile little girl, generally willing and anxious todo that which she believed to be right, or she might have been sadlyinjured by the spoiling of her devoted but foolish old nurse. As itwas, it did not do her much harm; and Daphne often felt herself put toshame by the little one's uprightness and good sense.
However, on this morning Daphne had her way; and, as I have said, thelocket was put on.
As might have been supposed, the new ornament immediately attracted theattention of all Belle's class-mates; and they crowded about her beforeschool opened, to examine and admire, with many an "oh!" and "ah!""how lovely!" and "how sweet!"
"Mabel, have you one too?" asked Dora Johnson; for the children hadfound out by this time that if Belle had a pretty thing, Mabel was sureto have one also.
"I'm going to," said Mabel, "one just like it: you see if I don't; evenif that cross-patch won't let the man have it to pattern off of. Shethinks herself so great nobody can have a locket like hers."
"Belle's not a cross-patch," said Lily Norris; "and, Mabel, if you talkthat way about her, we won't be friends with you, not any of the class.Belle's old in the class, and you're new; and we don't think so verymuch of you. So you'd better look out."
Mabel and Lily were always at swords' points; for Lily was saucy andoutspoken, very fond of Belle, and always upholding her rights, or whatshe considered such.
"Belle's real selfish," muttered Mabel; "and you shan't talk to me thatway, Lily."
"God gave me my tongue for my own, and I keep it for just what wordsI choose to say," said Lily, losing both temper and grammar in herindignation; "and Belle's not selfish, but you; and most always whenpeoples is selfish themselves, they think other ones are that ain't.That's the kind that you're of, Mabel."
"Now don't let's quarrel," said Nellie Ransom, the prudent; "else MissAshton will come, and send us to our seats."
"But, Belle, dear," said Dora, "what's the reason you don't want Mabelto have a locket like yours?"
Belle told her story; and very naturally the sympathies of all herclass-mates went with her, and Mabel was speedily made to see thatshe was thought to be altogether in the wrong, which did not tend torestore her to good humor.
"I _shall_ take it to the locket-man for a pattern," she said angrily:"you see if I don't. I'll get it, ah-ha."
"No, you won't," said Lily. "Belle knows you. She'll take good enoughcare of it; and just you _try_ to snatch it now."
What would follow if she did, Lily plainly expressed in the threateningshake of the head with which she accompanied her words.
Farther quarrelling or unkind threats were prevented by the entranceof Miss Ashton, who called her little class to order, and school wasopened.
Miss Ashton had more trouble with Mabel that morning than she had hadany day since she first came to school. She was pettish and fretfulbeyond all reason; elbowed and crowded the other children, pouted overher lessons, and was disrespectful to her teacher, and once broke intosuch a roar that Mrs. Ashton hastily opened the doors between the tworooms and inquired into the cause of the trouble. This soon hushedMabel's screams; for the elder lady's looks were rather stern andsevere, and she at least was one person of whom the wilful child stoodin wholesome dread.
But though quiet was restored for a time, it was not to last long;and this seemed destined to be a day of trouble, all through Mabel'snaughtiness. Miss Ashton called up the arithmetic class; and as theystood about her desk, she saw Mabel and Lily elbowing one another withall their might,--the former cross and scowling, the latter lookingdefiant and provoking, and still half good-humored too.
"Children! Lily and Mabel! What are you doing?" she asked.
"Can't Mabel keep her elbow out of my part of the air, Miss Ashton?"said Lily.
"For shame!" said the lady: "two little girls quarrelling about such atrifle as that."
"But, Miss Ashton," pleaded Lily, "she sticks me so! She oughtn't totake up any more room than that;" and she measured with her hand theportion of empty space which according to her ideas rightfully belongedto Mabel; while the latter, conscious that she had been wilfullytrespassing, had nothing to say.
"I am sorry that my little scholars cannot agree," said Miss Ashton."Mabel, stand back a little, and keep your elbows down, my dear. If youcannot behave better, I shall be forced to send you into the other roomto my mother; and all the young ladies there will know you have beennaughty."
To be sent into Mrs. Ashton in disgrace was thought a terriblepunishment; and Miss Ashton had never yet had to put it in practice:the mere mention of it was generally enough to bring the naughtiestchild to good behavior, and it was a threat she seldom used. But sheknew that the solitude of the cloak-room had quite lost its effect onMabel, and felt that some stronger measures must be taken if there wasto be any peace that day.
Mabel obeyed; but in spite of the threatened punishment, her temperso far got the better of her that she could not resist giving Lilya parting thrust with her elbow,--a thrust so hard that Lily's slatewas knocked from her hand and fell upon the floor, where it broke intothree or four pieces.
Now, indeed, Mabel was frightened; and the other children stood almostbreathless, waiting for what Miss Ashton would say and do.
She said nothing; what she did was to rise
quickly, take Mabel by thehand and turn to lead her to the other room.
Dreading she hardly knew what, Mabel was still too thoroughly terrifiedat the prospect before her to rebel any farther, or to do more thangasp out,--
"Oh! Miss Ashton! I won't do so any more! I didn't mean to! I will begood!"
Miss Ashton did not answer, but drew her on; when Belle, droppingher own slate beside Lily's, sprang forward and laid her hand on herteacher, looking up with eyes as appealing as Mabel's.
"Please excuse her this time, Miss Ashton," she exclaimed. "I don'tthink she did mean to break Lily's slate. She only meant to joggle her,and the slate fell out of her hand; but I don't believe she meant to doit. Try her just this once, dear Miss Ashton: maybe she will be good."
Miss Ashton looked down at the little pleader and hesitated. Truthto tell, she had not known how terrible a bugbear her mother was toher young flock: she was sorry now that she saw they had such a dreadof her, and perhaps was ready to seize upon an excuse to relent andwithdraw her threat.
"Oh! I will, I will be good! I'll never do so any more!" sobbed Mabel.
Miss Ashton turned about, and taking her seat placed Mabel in front ofher.
"Very well," she said. "I will excuse you this once; not because youdo not deserve punishment, Mabel, but because Belle begs for you. Butremember it is for this one time. If you behave again as you have donethis morning, I shall certainly punish you. And you must stand therenow and say your lesson apart from the other children."
Relieved from the dread of going to Mrs. Ashton, Mabel did not sovery much mind that, or the cold, displeased glances of the rest ofthe class; but as she took her place, she cast a grateful look overat Belle, to whom she truly felt she owed her escape; and Belle feltquite repaid for the "love-charity" which had helped her to forget andforgive Mabel's unkind behavior to herself, and to plead for her.
But the troubles which arose from Mabel's misconduct had by no meanscome to an end. Belle's place in the class was just at Miss Ashton'sleft hand, and when she dropped her slate it fell at the foot of thelady's chair. It had escaped the fate of Lily's, not being even crackedby the fall; but as poor little Belle stooped to pick it up, a farworse misfortune than the loss of her slate befell her. As she raisedher head, the slight chain about her neck caught on the arm of thechair, and the strain snapped it in two.
The sudden check and drag hurt Belle and left an angry red mark abouther neck, but she did not heed the sting as she saw chain and locketfall at her feet.
She did not say a word, only snatched it up with a quick, long-drawnbreath, and stood for a moment looking at it with the utmost dismay andgrief in her countenance; while a chorus of sympathizing exclamationsarose from the other children. The mischief done was not so very great,and could easily be repaired; but in Belle's eyes it seemed verydreadful, and as though her treasure was very nearly, if not quite,destroyed. Great tears rose to her eyes and rolled slowly down hercheeks; and she turned to Miss Ashton, piteously holding out the locketin her hand.
Miss Ashton hastened to bring comfort.
"Never mind, dear," she said cheerfully: "it can easily be mended. Tellpapa it was an accident, and he will have it done for you, I am sure."
"But now the jeweller man will _have_ to take it," said Lily,indignantly; "and Belle didn't want to have it go 'way from her, andit's all just for the way Mabel behaved. I should think a broken locketand a broken slate were just about too much consequences of any one'snaughtiness and hatefulness for one day."
"Be quiet, Lily," said Miss Ashton.
"But it's true, Miss Ashton: it all came of that old Mabel's badness,"persisted Lily.
"Lily, will you be quiet?" repeated her teacher.
Lily dared say no more; but borrowing a slate for the purpose from thechild who stood next her, she held it closely before her face, andfrom behind that shelter made two or three grimaces at Mabel, which,whatever relief they might afford her own feelings, did neither harmnor good to any one else, as they were not seen.
Still Lily's words were felt by Belle and all the rest of the classto be true. Belle's misfortune was certainly the result of Mabel'sill-behavior; and it was very hard for the poor little girl to keepdown the angry feelings which seemed as if they would rise up to accuseher cousin.
And Lily's speech or speeches, and the knowledge that she was blamedby all her class-mates, vexed Mabel again, and crushed down thebetter feelings which had arisen towards Belle, so that she put onan appearance of complete indifference to her distress; and mutteredsulkily,--
"I don't care."
"Put the locket carefully away in your desk, dear," said Miss Ashton toBelle, "and do not fret about it. Your papa will have it fixed for you,and it will be as good as ever."
Belle obeyed, putting the locket carefully in one corner of her desk,with a rampart of books raised about it; and then returned to herplace, still rather disconsolate, and feeling that she was fullyentitled to all the pitying and sympathizing looks bestowed upon her.
After this the business of the class went on without fartherinterruption, and the arithmetic lesson came to an end.