CHAPTER XVIII
NOT ACCEPTABLE
It was Thursday evening, and Fanny Crawford did not altogether like theprospect which lay before her. Ever since Sibyl had put the littlesealed packet into her hands, that packet had lain on Fanny's heart withthe weight of lead. Now that she had obtained the packet she did notwant it; she did not dare to let any one guess how it had come into herhands. Fanny the proud, the looked-up-to, the respected, the girl whoseconduct had hitherto been so immaculate, had stooped to employ anothergirl to act as a spy. Fanny was absolutely in the power of that veryinsignificant person, Sibyl Ray. Sibyl demanded her reward. Fanny mustdo her utmost to get Sibyl admitted to the club.
On that very evening, as Fanny was going towards the Bertrams' room,where the meeting was to be held, she was waylaid by Sibyl.
"You won't forget?--you have promised."
"Of course I won't forget, Sibyl. What a tease you are!"
"Can you possibly give me a hint afterwards? You might come to my roomjust for an instant, or you might push a little note under the door. Iam so panting to know. I do so dreadfully want to belong to the club. Ihave been counting up all the privileges. I shall go mad with joy if Iam admitted."
"I will do my best for you; but whether I can tell you anything or notto-night is more than I can possibly say," replied Fanny. "Now, do goaway, Sibyl; go away, and be quick about it!"
"All right," said Sibyl. "Of course you know, or perhaps you don't know,that Betty isn't well? The doctor came an hour ago, and he says she isto be kept very quiet. I am ever so sorry for her, she is so--so----Ohdear, I am almost sorry now that I took that little packet from underthe root of the Scotch heather!"
"Go, Sibyl. If we are seen together it will be much more difficult forme to get you elected," was Fanny's response; and at last, to Fanny'sinfinite relief, Sibyl took her departure.
All the other members of the club were present when Fanny made herappearance. They were talking in low tones, and as Fanny entered sheheard Betty's name being passed from lip to lip.
"She does look bad, poor thing!" said Olive.
"Did you know," exclaimed Susie Rushworth, "that after doing thatsplendid piece of recitation in the class to-day she fainted right off?Miss Symes was quite terrified about her."
"They say the doctor has been sent for," said Martha. "Oh dear," sheadded, "I never felt so unhappy about a girl before in my life!"
Fanny was not too gratified to hear these remarks. She perceived all tooquickly that, notwithstanding the fact that Betty was no longer a memberof the club, she still reigned in the hearts of the girls.
"Well, Fan, here you are!" exclaimed Margaret. "Is there anything veryspecial for us to do to-night? I have no inclination to do anything. Weare all so dreadfully anxious about Betty and those darling littletwins. Do you know, the doctor has ordered them not to sleep in Betty'sroom to-night; so Miss Symes is going to look after them. They are suchsweet pets! The doctor isn't very happy about Betty. Sometimes I thinkwe made a mistake--that we were cruel to Betty to turn her out of theclub."
Fanny felt that if she did not quickly assert herself all would be lost.She therefore said quietly, "I don't pretend to share your raptures withregard to Betty Vivian, and I certainly think that if rules are worthanything they ought not to be broken."
"I suppose you are right," remarked Olive; "only, Betty seemed to makean exception to every rule."
"Well," said Fanny, "if we want a new member----"
"Another Speciality?" said Margaret.
"I was thinking," continued Fanny, her pretty pink cheeks glowingbrightly and her eyes shining, "that we might be doing a kindness to avery worthy little girl who will most certainly not break any of therules."
"Whom in the world do you mean?" asked Susie.
"I suppose you will be surprised at my choice; but although seven is theperfect number, there is no rule whatever against our having eight,nine, ten, or even more members of the club."
"There is no rule against our having twenty members, if those membersare worthy," said Margaret Grant. "But whom have you in the back of yourhead, Fanny? You look so mysterious."
"I cannot think of any one myself," said Martha West.
When Martha said this Fanny made a little gesture of despair. "Well,"she said, "I have taken a fancy to her. I think she is very nice; and Iknow she is poor, and I know she wants help, and I know that Mrs. Haddotakes a great interest in her. I allude to that dear little thing, SibylRay. You, Martha, surely will support me?"
"Sibyl Ray!" The girls looked at each other in unbounded astonishment.Martha was quite silent, and her cheeks turned pale.
After a long pause Margaret spoke, "May I ask, Fanny, what one singlequalification Sibyl Ray has for election to membership in the SpecialityClub?"
"But what possible reason is there against her being a member?" retortedFanny.
"A great many, I should say," was Margaret's answer. "In the firstplace, she is too young; in the second place, she has only just beenadmitted to the upper school."
"You can't keep her out on that account," objected Fanny, "for she hasbeen longer in the upper school than Betty Vivian."
"Oh, please don't mention Betty and Sibyl in the same breath!" wasMargaret's answer.
"I do not," said Fanny, who was fast losing her temper. "Sibyl is agood, straightforward, honorable girl. Betty is the reverse."
"Oh Fanny," exclaimed Martha, "I wouldn't abuse my own cousin if I wereyou!"
"Nonsense!" said Fanny. "Whether she is a cousin, or even a sister, Icannot be blind to her most flagrant faults."
"Of course you have a right to propose Sibyl Ray as a possible member ofthis club," said Margaret, "for it is one of our by-laws that any membercan propose the election of another. But I don't really think you willcarry the thing through. In the first place, what do you know aboutSibyl? I have observed you talking to her once or twice lately; butuntil the last week or so, I think, you hardly knew of her existence."
"That is quite true," said Fanny boldly; "but during the last few days Ihave discovered that Sibyl is a sweet girl--most charming, mostunselfish, most obliging. She is very timid, however, and lacksself-confidence; and I have observed that she is constantly snubbed bygirls who are not fit to hold a candle to her and yet look down uponher, just because she is poor. Now, if she were made a member of theclub all that would be put a stop to, and she would have a great chanceof doing her utmost in the school. We should be holding out a helpinghand to a girl who certainly is neither beautiful nor clever, but whocan be made a fine character. Martha, you at least will stand up forSibyl? You have always been her close friend."
"And I am fond of her still," said Martha; "but I don't look upon her atall in the light in which you do, Fanny. Sibyl, at present, would beinjured, not improved, by her sudden elevation to the rank of aSpeciality. The only thing I would suggest is that you propose her againin a year's time; and if during the course of that year she has provedin any sense of the word what you say, I for one will give her mycordial support. At present I cannot honestly feel justified in votingfor her, and I will not."
"Well spoken, Martha!" said Margaret. "Fanny, your suggestion is reallyill-timed. We are all unhappy about Betty just now; and to see poorlittle Sibyl--of course, no one wants to say a word against her--inBetty's shoes would make our loss seem more irreparable than ever."
Fanny saw that her cause was lost. She had the grace not to say anythingmore, but sat back in her chair with her eyes fixed on Margaret's face.Fanny began to perceive for the first time that some of the girls inthis club had immensely strong characters. Margaret Grant and MarthaWest had, for instance, characters so strong that Fanny discoveredherself to be a very unimportant little shadow beside them. The Bertramswere the sort of girls to take sides at once and firmly with what wasgood and noble, Susie Rushworth was devoted to Margaret, and Olive hadbeen the prime favorite in the club until Betty's advent. Now it seemedto Fanny that each one of the Specialities was opposed to he
r, that shestood alone. She did not like the situation. She was so exceedinglyanxious; for, strong in the belief that she herself was a person ofgreat importance, and in the further belief that Martha would supporther, she had been practically sure of getting Sibyl admitted to theclub. Now Sibyl had no chance whatever, and Sibyl knew things whichmight make Fanny's position in the school the reverse of comfortable.
Fanny Crawford on this occasion sat lost in thought, by no meansinclined to add her quota to the entertainment of the others, andlooking eagerly for the first moment when she might escape from themeeting. Games were proposed; but games went languidly, and once againBetty and Betty's illness became the subject of conversation.
When this took place Fanny rose impatiently. "There are no furtherquestions to be discussed to-night?" she asked, turning to Margaret.
"None that I know of."
"Then, if you will excuse me, girls, I will go. I must tell poor littleSibyl----"
"You don't mean to say you spoke to Sibyl about it?" interrupted Martha.
"Well, yes, I did." Fanny could almost have bitten out her tongue forhaving made this unwary admission. "She was so keen, poor little thing,that I told her I would do my best for her. I must say, once and forall, that I have never seen my sister members so hard and cold andindifferent to the interests of a very deserving little girl before. Iam, of course, sorry I spoke to her on the matter."
"You really did very wrong, Fan," said Margaret in an annoyed voice."You know perfectly well that we never allude to the possibility of agirl being proposed for membership to that girl herself until we havefirst made up our minds whether she is worthy or not. Now, you haveplaced us at a great disadvantage; but, of course, you forgot yourself,Fan. You must tell Sibyl that the thing is not to be thought of. You canput it down to her age or any other cause you like."
"Of course I must speak the truth," said Fanny, raising her voice to asomewhat insolent tone. "The club does not permit the slightest vestigeof prevarication. Is that not so?"
"Yes, it is certainly so."
The next minute Fanny had left the room. It was one of the rules of theclub that gossip, in the ordinary sense of the world, with regard to anymember was strictly forbidden; so no one made any comment when Fanny hadtaken her departure. There was a sense of relief, however, felt by thegirls who remained behind. The meeting was a sorrowful one, and broke uprather earlier than usual.
At prayers that night in the chapel Margaret Grant and the other girlsof the Specialities were startled when Mr. Fairfax made special mentionof Betty Vivian, praying God to comfort her in sore distress and to healher sickness. The prayer was extempore, and roused the girls to amazedattention.
Fanny was not present that night at chapel. She was so angry that shefelt she must give vent to her feelings to some one; therefore, why notspeak to Sibyl at once?
Sibyl was not considered very strong, and though she did belong to theupper school, usually went to bed before prayers. She was in her smallroom to-night. It was a pretty, neatly furnished room in the westwing--one of those usually given to a lower-school girl on firstentering the upper school. Sibyl had no intention, however, of going tobed. She sat by her fire, her heart beating high, her thoughts full ofthe privileges which would so soon be hers. She was composing, in herown mind, a wonderful letter to send to her people at home; she picturedto herself their looks of delight when they heard that this great honorhad been bestowed upon her. For, of course, Sibyl, as a member of thelower school at Haddo Court, had heard much of the Specialities, andwhat she had heard she had repeated; so that when she wanted to amuseher select friends in her father's parish, she frequently gave themsome information on this most interesting subject. Now she was on thepoint of being a member herself! How she would enjoy her Christmasholidays! How she would be feted and fussed over and petted! Howcarefully she would guard the secrets of the club, and how very high shewould hold her own small head! She a member of the great Haddo CourtSchool, and also a Speciality!
While Sibyl was thus engaged, seeing pictures in the fire and smilingquietly to herself, she suddenly heard a light tap at her room door. Shestarted to her feet, and the next minute she had flown across the roomand opened the door. Fanny stood without.
"Oh, you dear, darling Fan!" exclaimed Sibyl. "You are good! Come in--docome in! Is the meeting over? And--and--oh, Fanny! what have they said?Has my name been put to the vote? Of course you and Martha would be onmy side, and you and Martha are so strong that you would carry the restof the members with you. Fan, am I to have a copy of the rules?And--and--oh, Fan! is it settled? Do--do tell me!"
"I wish you weren't quite so excited, Sibyl! Let me sit down; I have abad headache."
Fanny sank languidly into the chair which Sibyl herself had beenoccupying. There was only one easy-chair in this tiny room. Sibyl had,therefore, to draw forward a hard and high one for herself. But she wasfar too excited to mind this at the present moment.
"And what a fearful blaze of light you have!" continued Fanny, lookinground fretfully. "Don't you know, Sibyl, that, unless we are occupiedover our studies, we are not allowed to turn on such a lot of light?Here, let me put the room in shadow."
"Let's have firelight only," laughed Sibyl, who was not quick atguessing things, and felt absolute confidence in Fanny's powers. Thenext instant she had switched off the light and was kneeling by Fanny'sside. "Now, Fanny--now, do put me out of suspense!"
"I will," said Fanny. "I have come here for the purpose. I did what Icould for you, Sib. You must bear your disappointment as best you can. Iam truly sorry for you, but things can't be helped."
"You are truly sorry for me--and--and--things can't be helped!"exclaimed Sibyl, amazement in her voice. "What do you mean?"
"Well, they won't have you at any price as a member of the Specialities;and the person who spoke most strongly against you was your dear andspecial friend, Martha West. I am not at liberty to quote a single wordof what she did say; but you are not to be a Speciality--at least, notfor a year. If at the end of a year you have done somethingwonderful--the sort of thing which you, poor Sibyl, could never possiblydo--the matter may be brought up again for reconsideration. As thingsstand, you are not to be elected; so the sooner you put the matter outof your head the better."
Sibyl turned very white. Then her face became suffused with smallpatches of vivid color.
Fanny was not looking at her; had she looked she might have perceivedthat Sibyl's expression was anything but amiable at that moment. Thegirl's extraordinary silence, however--the absence of all remark--theabsence, even, of any expression of sorrow--presently caused Fanny toglance round at her. "Well," she said, "I thought I'd tell you at once.You must put it out of your head. I think I will go to bed now.Good-night, Sibyl. Sorry I couldn't do more for you."
"Don't go!" said Sibyl. "What do you mean?"
There was a quality in Sibyl's voice which made Fanny feeluncomfortable.
"I am much too tired," Fanny said, "to stay up any longer chatting withan insignificant little girl like you. I could not even stay to theconclusion of our meeting, and I certainly don't want to be seen in yourroom. I did my best for you. I have failed. I am sorry, and there's anend of it."
"Oh no, there isn't an end of it!" said Sibyl.
"What do you mean, Sibyl?"
"I mean," said Sibyl, "that you have got to reward me for doing yourhorrid--_horrid_, dirty work!"
"You odious little creature! what do you mean? My dirty work! Sibyl, Iperceive that I was mistaken in you. I also perceive that Martha Westand the others were right. You are indeed unworthy to be a Speciality."
"If all were known," said Sibyl, "I don't think I am half as unworthy asyou are, Fanny Crawford. Anyhow, if I am not to be made a Speciality,and if every one is going to despise me and look down on me, why, I havenothing to lose, and I may as well make an example of you."
"You odious child! what _do_ you mean?"
"Why, I can tell Mrs. Haddo as well as anybody else. Every one in theschoo
l knows that Betty is ill to-night. Something seems to have gonewrong with her head, and she is crying out about a packet--a lostpacket. Now, _you_ know how the packet was lost. You and I both know howit was found--and lost again. You have it, Fanny. You are the one whocan cure Betty Vivian--Betty, who never was unkind to any one; Betty,who did not mean me to be a figure of fun, as you suggested, on thenight of the entertainment; Betty, who has been kind to me, as she hasbeen kind to every one else since she came to the school. _You_ havedone nothing for me, Fanny; so I--I can take care of myself in future,and perhaps Betty too."
To say that Fanny was utterly amazed and horrified at Sibyl's speech--tosay that Fanny was thunderstruck when she perceived that this poorlittle worm, as she considered Sibyl Ray, had turned at last--would bebut very inadequately to describe the situation. Fanny lost her headacheon the spot. Here was danger, grave and imminent; here was thepossibility of her immaculate character being dragged through the mud;here was the terrible possibility of Fanny Crawford being seen in hertrue colors. She had now to collect her scattered senses--in short, topull herself together.
"Oh Sibyl," she said after a pause, "you frightened me for a minute--youreally did! Who would suppose that you were such a spirited girl?"
"I am not spirited, Fanny; but I love Betty, notwithstanding all youhave tried to do to put me against her. And if I am not to be aSpeciality I would ever so much rather be Betty's friend than yours.There! Now I have spoken. Perhaps you would like to go now, Fan, as yourhead is aching so badly?"
"It doesn't ache now," said Fanny; "your conduct has frightened all theaches away. Sibyl, you really are the very queerest girl! I came hereto-night full of the kindest feelings towards you. You can ask MarthaWest how I spoke of you at the club."
"But she won't tell me. Anything that you say in the club isn't allowedto be breathed outside it."
"I know that. Anyhow, I have been doing my utmost to get the school tosee you in your true light. I have taken great notice of you, and youhave been proud to receive my notice. It is certainly true that I havefailed to get you what I hoped I could manage; but there are otherthings----"
"Other things!" said Sibyl. She stood in a defiant attitude quiteforeign to her usual manner.
"Oh yes, my dear child, lots and lots of other things! For instance, inthe Christmas holidays I can have you to stay with me at Brighton. Whatdo you say to that? Don't you think that would be a feather in your cap?I have an aunt who lives there, Aunt Amelia Crawford; and she generallyallows me--that is, when father cannot have me--to bring one of myschool-friends with me to stay in her lovely house. I had a letter fromher only yesterday, asking me which girl I would like to bring with methis year. I thought of Olive--Olive is such fun; but I'd just as soonhave you--that is, if you would like to come."
Alas for poor Sibyl! She was not proof against such a tempting bait.
"As far as you are concerned," continued Fanny, who saw that she wasmaking way with Sibyl, and breaking down, as she expressed it, her sillylittle defences, "you would gain far more prestige in being AuntAmelia's guest than if you belonged to twenty Speciality Clubs. AuntAmelia is good to the girls who come to stay with her as my friends. AndI'd help you, Sib; I'd make the best of your dresses. We'd go to thetheatre, and the pantomime, and all kinds of jolly things. We'd have arattling fine time."
"Do you really mean it?" said Sibyl.
"Yes--that is, if you will give me your solemn word that you will referno more to that silly matter about Betty Vivian. Betty Vivian had noright to that packet. It belonged to my father, and I have got it backfor him. Don't think of it any more, Sibyl, and you shall be my guestthis Christmas. But if you prefer to make a fuss, and drag me into anunpleasant position, and get yourself, in all probability, expelled fromthe school, then you must do as you please."
"But if I were expelled, you'd be expelled too," said Sibyl.
Fanny laughed. "I think not," she said. "I think, without any unduepride, that my position in the school is sufficiently strong to preventsuch a catastrophe. No; you would be cutting off your nose to spite yourface--that is all you would be doing with this nice little scheme ofyours. Give it up, Sibyl, and you shall come to Brighton."
"It is dull at home at Christmas," said Sibyl. "We are so dreadfullypoor, and father has such a lot to do; and there are always thosehalf-starved, smelly sort of people coming to the house--the sort thatwant coal-tickets, you know, and grocery-tickets; and--and--we have tohelp to give great big Christmas dinners. We are all day long getting upentertainments for those dull sort of people. I often think they are nota bit grateful, and after being at a school like this I really feelquite squeamish about them."
Fanny laughed. She saw, or believed she saw, that her cause was won."You'll have nothing to make you squeamish at Aunt Amelia's," she said."And now I must say good-night. Sorry about the Specialities; but, afterthe little exhibition you have just made of yourself, I agree with theother girls that you are not fit to be a member. Now, ta-ta for thepresent."