CHAPTER XXII
FARMER MILES TO THE RESCUE
Sylvia and Hetty had awakened when the farmer brought Sibyl Ray into thepleasant farmhouse kitchen. The twin-boys were absent at school, andonly the little twins came down to dinner. The beef, potatoes,dumplings, apple-tart and cream were all A1, and Sibyl was just as gladof the meal as were the two Vivian girls.
The Vivians did not know Sibyl very well, and had not the least ideathat she guessed their secret. She rather avoided glancing at them, andwas very shy and retiring, and stole up close to the farmer when thedogs were admitted. But Dan and Beersheba knew what was expected ofthem. Any one in the Stoke Farm kitchen had a right to be there; andwere they going to waste their precious time and affection on the sortof girl they would love to bite, when Sylvia and Hetty were present? Sothey fawned on the twin-girls, taking up a good deal of their attention;and by and by the dinner came to an end.
When it was quite over the farmer got up, wiped his mouth with a big,red-silk handkerchief, and, going up to the Vivian twins, said quietly,"You can go home, whenever you like; and I think the job you have putupon me will be managed. Meanwhile, me and this young party will makeoff to Haddo Court as fast as we can."
As this "young party" happened to be Sibyl Ray, the girls looked up inastonishment; but the farmer gave no information of any kind, not evenbestowing a wink on his wife, who told the little twins when he had leftthe kitchen accompanied by Sibyl that she would be ready to walk backwith them to the school in about half an hour.
"You need have no frets now, my loves," she said. "The farmer wouldnever have said words like he've spoken to you if he hadn't got hisknife right down deep into the kernel. He's fond o' using thatexpression, dears, when he's nailed a poacher, and he wouldn't say noless nor no more for a job like you've set him to."
During their walk the farmer and Sibyl hardly exchanged a word. As theywent up the avenue they saw that the place was nearly empty. The day wasa fine one; but the girls of the lower school had one specialplayground some distance away, and the girls of the upper school weresupposed to be in London. Certainly no one expected Sibyl Ray to put inan appearance here at this hour.
As they approached quite close to the mansion, Sibyl turned her verypale face and stole her small hand into that of the farmer. "I am sofrightened!" she said; "and I know quite well this is going to ruin me,and I shall have to go back home to be a burden to father, who is verypoor, and who thinks so much of my being educated here. But I--I will doit all the same."
"Of course you will, missie; and poverty don't matter a mite."
"Perhaps it doesn't," said Sibyl.
"Compared to a light heart, it don't matter a gossoon, as they say inIreland," remarked the farmer.
Sibyl felt suddenly uplifted.
"I'll see you through, missie," he added as they came up to the widefront entrance.
A doctor's carriage was standing there, and it was quite evident thatone or two doctors were in the house.
"Oh," said Sibyl with a gasp, "suppose we are betrayed!"
"No, we won't be that," said the farmer.
Sibyl pushed open the door, and then, standing in the hall, she rang abell. A servant presently appeared.
Before Sibyl could find her voice Farmer Miles said, "Will you have thegoodness to find Mrs. Haddo and tell her that I, Farmer Miles of theStoke Farm, have come here accompanied by one o' her young ladies, whohas something o' great importance to tell her at once?"
"Perhaps you will both come into Mrs. Haddo's private sitting-room?"said the girl.
The farmer nodded assent, and he and Sibyl entered. When they wereinside the room Sibyl uttered a faint sigh. The farmer took out hishandkerchief and wiped his forehead.
"What a lot o' fal-lals, to be sure!" he said, looking round in a by nomeans appreciative manner.
Sibyl and the farmer had to wait for some little time before Mrs. Haddomade her appearance. When she did so a great change was noticeable inher face; it was exceedingly pale. Her lips had lost their firm, theireven noble, expression of self-restraint; they were tremulous, as thoughshe had been suffering terribly. Her eyes were slightly red, as thoughsome of those rare tears which she so seldom shed had visited them. Shelooked first at Farmer Miles and then in great amazement at Sibyl.
"Why are you here, Sibyl Ray?" she said. "I sent you to London with theother girls of the upper school this morning. What are you doing here?"
"Perhaps I can tell you best, ma'am, if you will permit me to speak,"said the farmer.
"I hope you will be very brief, Farmer Miles. I could not refuse yourrequest, but we are all in great trouble to-day at the school. One ofour young ladies--one greatly beloved by us all--is exceedingly, indeedI must add most dangerously, ill."
"It's about her we've come," said the farmer.
Here Mrs. Haddo sank into a seat. "Why, what do you know about MissBetty Vivian?"
"Ah, I met her myself, not once, but twice," said Miles; "and I loveher, too, just as the wife loves her, and the big twins, and the littletwins, and the dogs--bless 'em! We all love Miss Betty Vivian. And now,ma'am, I must tell you that Miss Betty's little sisters came to see thegood wife this morning."
Mrs. Haddo was silent.
"They told their whole story to the good wife. A packet has been lost,and Miss Betty lies at death's door because o' the grief o' that loss.The little uns--bless 'em!--thought that the wife could find the packet.That ain't in her line; it's mothering and coddling and loving as is inher line. So she put the job on me; and, to be plain, ma'am, I neverwere more flabbergasted in the whole o' my life. For to catch a poacheris one thing, and to catch a lost packet--nobody knowing where it be norhow it were lost--is another."
"Well, why have you come to me?" said Mrs. Haddo.
"Because, ma'am, I've got a clue, and a big one; and this young lady'sthe clue."
"You, Sibyl Ray--you?"
"Yes," said Sibyl.
"Speak out now, missie; don't be frightened. There are miles worsethings than poverty; there's disgrace and heart-burnings. Speak you outbold, missie, and don't lose your courage."
"I was miserable," said Sibyl. "I didn't want to go to town, and when Igot to the station I slipped away; and I got into the lane outside StokeFarm and a dog came out and frightened me, and--and--then this mancame--this kind man----"
"Well, go on, Sibyl," said Mrs. Haddo; "moments are precious just now."
"I--took the packet," said Sibyl.
"_You_--took--the packet?"
"Yes. I don't want to speak against another. It was my fault--or mostlymy fault. I did love Betty, and it didn't matter at all to me that shewas expelled from the Specialities; I should love her just as much ifshe were expelled from fifty Specialities. But Fanny--she--she--put meagainst her."
"Fanny! What Fanny do you mean?"
"Fanny Crawford."
Mrs. Haddo rose at once and rang her bell. When the servant appeared shesaid, "Send Miss Crawford here immediately, and don't mention that anyone is in my study. Now, Sibyl, keep the rest of your story until FannyCrawford is present."
In about five minutes' time Fanny appeared. She was very white, andlooked rather worn and miserable. "Oh, dear!" she said as she entered,"I am so glad you have sent for me, Mrs. Haddo; and I do trust I shallhave a room to myself to-night, for I didn't sleep at all last night,and----Why, whatever is the matter? Sibyl, what are you doing here? Andwho--who is that man?"
"Sit down, Fanny--or stand, just as you please," said Mrs. Haddo; "onlyhave the goodness not to speak until Sibyl has finished her story. Now,Sibyl, go on. You had come to that part where you explained that Fannyput you against Betty Vivian. No, Fanny, you do not go towards the door.Stay quietly where you are."
Fanny, seeing that all chance of exit was cut off, stood perfectlystill, her eyes fixed on the ground.
"Now, Sibyl, go on."
"Fanny was very anxious about the packet, and she wanted me to watch,"continued Sibyl, "so that I might discover where B
etty had hidden it. Idid watch, and I found that Betty had put it under one of the plants ofwild-heather in the 'forest primeval.' I saw her take it out and look atit and put it back again, and when she was gone I went to the place andtook the packet out myself and brought it to Fanny. I don't know wherethe packet is now."
"Fanny, where is the packet?" said Mrs. Haddo.
"Sibyl is talking the wildest nonsense," said Fanny. "How can youpossibly believe her? I know nothing about Betty Vivian or herconcerns."
"Perhaps, miss," said the farmer, coming forward at that moment, "thatpointed thing sticking out o' your pocket might have something to dowith it. You will permit me, miss, seeing that the young lady's life istrembling in the balance."
Before either Mrs. Haddo or Fanny could utter a word Farmer Miles hadstrode across the room, thrust his big, rough hand into Fanny's neatlittle pocket, and taken out the brown paper-packet.
"There, now," he said, "that's the kernel of the nut. I thought I'd doit somehow. Thank you kindly, ma'am, for listening to me. Miss SibylRay, you may be poor in the future, but at least you'll have a lightheart; and as to the dirty trick you did, I guess you won't do a second,for you have learned your lesson. I'll be wishing you good-morning now,ma'am," he added, turning to Mrs. Haddo, "for I must get back to mywork. It's twelve pounds o' butter the cook wants sent up without failto-night, ma'am; and I'm much obliged for the order."
The farmer left the room. Fanny had flung herself on a chair and coveredher face with her hands. Sibyl stood motionless, awaiting Mrs. Haddo'sverdict.
Once again Mrs. Haddo rang the bell. "Send Miss Symes to me," she said.
Miss Symes appeared.
"The doctor's last opinion, please, Miss Symes?"
"Dr. Ashley says that Betty is much the same. The question now is how tokeep up her strength. He thinks it better to have two specialists fromLondon, as, if she continues in such intense excitement, furthercomplications may arise."
"Do you know where Betty's sisters are?" was Mrs. Haddo's next inquiry.
"I haven't seen them for some time, but I will find out where they are."
"As soon as ever you find them, send them straight to me. I shall behere for the present."
Miss Symes glanced in some wonder from Sibyl to Fanny; then she went outof the room without further comment.
When she was quite alone with the girls Mrs. Haddo said, "Fanny, a freshbedroom has been prepared for you, and I shall be glad if you will goand spend the rest of this day there. I do not feel capable of speakingto you at present. As to you, Sibyl, your conduct has been bad enough;but at the eleventh hour--and, we may hope, in time--you have maderestitution. You may, therefore, rejoin the girls of the lower school."
"Of the lower school?" said Sibyl.
"Yes. Your punishment is that you return to the lower school for atleast a year, until you are more capable of guiding your own conduct,and less likely to be influenced by the wicked passions of girls whohave had more experience than yourself. You can go to your room also forthe present, and to-morrow morning you will resume your duties in thelower school."
Fanny and Sibyl both turned away, neither of them saying a word to theother. They had scarcely done so before Miss Symes came in, her faceflushed with excitement, and accompanied by the twins.
"My dear girls, where have you been?" said Mrs. Haddo.
"With Mrs. Miles," said Sylvia.
"I cannot blame you, under the circumstances, although you have broken arule. My dears, thank God for His mercies. Here is the lost packet."
Sylvia grasped it.
Hester rushed towards Sylvia and laid her hand over her sister's. "Oh!oh!" she said.
"Now, girls, can I trust you? I was told what took place thismorning--how you went to Betty without leave, and promised to returnwith the packet. Is Betty awake at present, Miss Symes?"
"Yes," said Miss Symes, "she has been awake for a long time."
"Will you take the girls up to Betty's room? Do not go in yourself. Now,girls, I trust to your wisdom, and to your love of Betty, to do thisthing very quietly."
"You may trust us," said Hetty.
They left the room. They followed Miss Symes upstairs. They entered thebeautiful room where Betty was lying, her eyes shining brightly, feverhigh on her cheeks.
It was Hetty who put the packet into her hand. "Here it is, Bettydarling. We said we'd find it for you."
Then a wonderful thing happened; for Betty looked at the packet, thenshe smiled, then she raised it to her lips and kissed it, then she putit under her pillow. Finally she said, "Oh, I am sleepy! Oh, I amtired!"