XVII.
GOING AWAY.
MISS LEICESTER and her nephew, Betty's father, were sitting together inthe library. Betty had gone to bed. It was her last night in Tideshead,and the summer which had been so long to look forward to was spent andgone. She had felt very sorry before she went to sleep, and thought ofmany things which might have been better, but after all one could nothelp being very rich and happy with so many pleasures to remember. Whenshe thought how many new friends she had made, and how dear all the oldones had been, and that she had become very friendly even with Mrs.Beck, it was a great satisfaction. And now in less than a fortnight shewas to be with Ada and Bessie Duncan and their delightful mother inLondon again. She certainly had a great deal to look forward to; stillthere was a wistful feeling in her heart at leaving Tideshead.
There had been a fire in the library fireplace, for the evening wascool, and papa and Aunt Barbara sat opposite each other. Papa wassmoking, as he always did before he went to bed; and happily MissLeicester liked the odor of tobacco, so that they were comfortabletogether. They were talking most affectionately about Betty.
"I think you have done wonderfully with her, Tom," said the aunt."Nobody knows how anxious your Aunt Mary and I have felt at the thoughtof your carrying her hither and yon, and spoiling her because shecouldn't settle down to regular habits of life."
"The only way is not to let one's habits become irregular," answeredBetty's papa. "I found out long ago that I could have my hours for workand for exercise, and could go on with my reading as well in one placeas in another. I have tried not to let Betty see too many people in townlife, yet pretty soon she will be sixteen. She has always seemed to lookat life from a child's point of view until last spring. I don't meanthat she doesn't still have many days when she only considers theworld's relation to herself; but on the whole she begins to be veryserious about her own relation to the world, and is constantly made tothink more of what she can give than of what she can get. This is a verytrying season in many ways, the first really hard time that comes into aboy's or a girl's life."
"Yes, and one is constantly learning those lessons in one way andanother during all the rest of one's life," sighed Aunt Barbara. Thenher face lighted up, and she added, "Just in proportion as she thinksthat she does things for other people she is making steps upward forherself."
"I always think that Betty looks like Bewick's picture of the robinredbreast; you remember it? There is an expression to its little beakwhich always reminds me of my girl."
Aunt Barbara was much amused, but confessed that she remembered it, andthat Betty and the bird really resembled each other. "I think there is avery good print of it in the large White's 'Selborne' which you sentme," she said, going to one of the bookshelves and taking it down. "Yes,they are certainly like one another," she repeated. "You see that thiscopy has been used? I lent it for a long time to my young neighbor,Henry Foster."
"I am very much interested in that lad!" exclaimed Mr. Leicester. "Idon't know that among all the students I can remember I have seen onewho strikes me as being so intent and so really promising. Betty haswritten about him, but I imagined that he interested her because he hada boat and could take her out on the river. I supposed that he was oneof the idle fellows who evade their honest work, and, with a smatteringof pretty tastes which give them plenty of conceit, come to no sort ofuse in the end. Betty knows enough of my hobbies to talk about his fisha little, and I thought it was all girlish nonsense; the truth is thatshe has shown real discernment of character,--young Foster is a finefellow."
"Can you do anything for him?" asked Miss Leicester. "I pity his poormother with all my heart. She is very ambitious for her son. I wish thathe could earn enough for their needs, and still be able to go on withsome serious study. Mrs. Foster and the daughter would make anysacrifice, but they must have something to eat and to wear. I cannot seehow they can absolutely do without him even if his own expenses arepaid. They will not accept charity."
"I could learn by talking with him this evening that he is able alreadyto take some minor post in a museum. He would very soon make up what helacks in fitness, if we could put him where he could get hold of theproper books. He must be put under the right influences, for though heseems to have energy, many a boy with an unusual gift gets stranded in asmall town like this, and becomes less useful in the end than if he werelike everybody else."
"I think it has been a great thing for him to be developed on theevery-day side, and to have care and even trouble," said Miss Leicester."Now I wish to see the exceptional side of him have a chance. I standready to help at any point, you must remember."
"I can give him some work at once, with the understanding that he is tostudy at Cambridge this winter. I have plans for next summer in which hecould be of great service. We will not say too much, but keep our owncounsel until we watch him a little longer."
Aunt Barbara nodded emphatically, but for her part she felt no doubt ofHarry Foster's power of keeping at his work; then she proposed anothersubject of personal concern, and they talked a long time in the pleasantold library, among the familiar books and pictures, until the fire hadgiven its last flicker and settled quietly down into a few red coalsamong the gray ashes.
* * * * *
Every one was glad to know that Harry's collection of fishes and insectsand his scientific tastes had won great approval from a man of Mr.Leicester's fame, and that the boy was to be forwarded in his studies asfast as possible.
Who shall tell the wonder of the town over a phonograph which Mr.Leicester brought with him? In fact, the last of the summer seemedaltogether the pleasantest, and papa and Betty had a rare holidaytogether. Aunt Mary and Aunt Barbara, Serena and Letty, and Seth andJonathan were all in a whirl from morning until night. Serena thoughtthat the phonograph was an invention of the devil, and after hearing theuncanny little machine repeat that very uncomplimentary remark whichshe had just made about it, she was surer than before. Serena did notrelish being called an invention of the evil one, herself, but it doesnot do to call names at a phonograph.
* * * * *
"It was lonely when I first came," said Betty, the evening before shewas to go away, as she walked to and fro between the box-borders withher father, "but I like everybody better and better,--even poor AuntMary," she added in a whisper. "It is lovely to live in Tideshead.Sometimes one gets cross, though, and it is so provoking about theleft-out ones, and the won't-play ones, and the ones that wanteverything done some other way, and then let you do it after all. But Ithought at first it was going to be so stupid, and that nobody wouldlike any of the things I did; and here is Mary Picknell, who can paintbeautifully, and Harry Foster knows so many of the things you do, andGeorge Max is going to be a sea-captain, and so is Jim Beck, and poordear Becky can sing like a bird when she feels good-natured. Why, papa,dear, I do believe that there is one person in Tideshead of every kindin the world. And Aunt Barbara is a duchess!"
"I never saw so grand a duchess as your Aunt Barbara in her very bestgown," said Betty's papa, "but I haven't seen all the duchesses thereare in existence."
"Oh, papa, do let us come and live here together," pleaded the girl,with shining eyes. "Must you go back to England for very long? After Isee Mrs. Duncan and the rest of the people in London, I am so afraid Ishall be homesick. You can keep on having the cubby-house for a veryprivate study, and I know you could write beautifully on the rainy days,when the elm branches make such a nice noise on the roof. Oh, papa, dolet us come some time!"
"Some time," repeated Mr. Leicester, with great assurance. "How wouldnext summer do, for instance? I have been talking with Aunt Barbaraabout it, and we have a grand plan for the writing of a new book, andhaving some friends of mine come here too, and for the doing of greatworks. I shall need a stenographer, and we are"--
"Those other people could live at the Fosters' and Becks'," Bettyinterrupted, delightedly entering into the plans. She was used to thebusy
little colonies of students who gathered round her father. "Herecomes Mr. Marsh, the teacher of the academy, to see you," and she dancedaway on the tips of her toes.
"Serena and Letty! I am coming back to stay all next summer, and papatoo," she said, when she reached the middle of the kitchen.
"Thank the goodness!" said Serena. "Only don't let your pa bring histalking-machine to save up everybody's foolish speeches. Your aunt saidthis morning that what I ought to ha' said into it was, 'Miss Leicester,we're all out o' sugar.' But the sugar's goin' to last longer whenyou're gone. I expect we shall miss you," said the good woman, withgreat feeling.
Now, everything was to be done next summer: all the things that Bettyhad forgotten and all that she had planned and could not carry out. Itwas very sad to go away, when the time came. Poor Aunt Mary fairlycried, and said that she was going to try hard to be better in health,so that she could do more for Betty when she came next year, and sheshould miss their reading together, sadly; and Aunt Barbara held Bettyvery close for a minute, and said, "God bless you, my darling," thoughshe had never called her "my darling" before.
And Captain Beck came over to say good-by, and wished that they couldhave gone down by the packet boat, as Betty came, and gave our friend alittle brass pocket-compass, which he had carried to sea many years. Theminister came to call in the evening, with his girls; and the dear olddoctor came in next morning, though he was always in a hurry, and kissedBetty most kindly, and held her hand in both his, while he said that hehad lost a good deal of practice, lately, because she kept the youngfolks stirring, and he did not know about letting her come back anothersummer.
But when poor Mrs. Foster came, with Nelly, and thanked Betty forbringing a ray of sunshine into her sad home, it was almost too much tobear; and good-by must be said to Becky, and that was harder thananything, until they tried to talk about what they would do nextsummer, and how often they must write to each other in the winter monthsbetween.
"Why, sometimes I have been afraid that you didn't like me," said Betty,as her friend's tears again began to fall.
"It was only because I didn't like myself," said dear Becky forlornly.It was a most sad and affectionate leave-taking, but there were manythings that Becky would like to think over when her new old friend hadfairly gone.
"I never felt as if I really belonged to any place, until now. You mustalways say that I am Betty Leicester of Tideshead," said Betty to herfather, after she had looked back in silence from the car window for along time. Aunt Barbara had come to the station with them, and wastaking the long drive home alone, with only Jonathan and the slowhorses. Betty's thoughts followed her all along the familiar road. Lastnight she had put the little red silk shawl back into her trunk with asorry sigh. Everybody had been so good to her, while she had done solittle for any one!
But Aunt Barbara was really dreading to go back to the old house, sheknew that she should miss Betty so much.
Papa was reading already; he always read in the cars himself, but henever liked to have Betty do so. He looked up now, and something in hisdaughter's face made him put down his book. She was no longer only aplaymate; her face was very grave and sweet. "I must try not to scurryabout the world as I have done," he thought, as he glanced at Bettyagain and again. "We ought to have a home, both of us; her mother wouldhave known. A girl should grow up in a home, and get a girl's best lifeout of the cares and pleasures of it."
"I am afraid you won't wish to come down to the hospitalities oflodgings this winter," said Mr. Leicester. "Perhaps we had better lookfor a comfortable house of our own near the Duncans."
"Oh, we're sure to have the best of good times!" said Betty cheerfully,as if there were danger of his being low-spirited. "We must wait aboutall that, papa, dear, until we are in London."
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Page 10, "fee" changed to "feel" (You don't feel)
Page 10, "grand-aunts" changed to "grandaunts" to match rest of usage(my grandaunts this summer)
Page 36, "upstairs" changed to "up-stairs" to match rest of usage (Nowrun up-stairs)
Page 124, "something'" changed to "somethin'" (somethin' else that)
Page 124, single quotation mark changed to double (from our house,")
Page 128, period added (Betty herself would.)
Page 134, opening quotation mark added ("But your Aunt Mary)
Page 154, period changed to a comma (a darlin' gal,")
Page 159, "grand-niece" changed to "grandniece" to match rest of usage(my grandniece, sometimes)
Page 163, period added (answered Betty humbly.)
Page 287, single quotation mark changed to double (lodgings thiswinter,")
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