CHAPTER VII.
THE FALL.
Nan had gone about for the remainder of the day with a lump in herthroat. It was not the least like the heavy weight of sorrow whichpressed on her yesterday--but nevertheless it was a curious andstrange sensation. To all intents and purposes Sophia Maria no longerexisted; that battered and torn and disreputable doll in the cupboardcould not be the darling whom she had pressed to her heart and lovedand worshipped during all the sorrowful days when her mother lay deadin the lodging-house in Bloomsbury.
But although the lump was there, and the sorrow and the dismay therealso, Nan's day was one rush, one continued succession, of excitement;there was literally no time in Mrs. Richmond's happy house for broodingor grieving.
"I must try and forget Sophia Maria for the present," thought thechild; "there is such a lot to be done! But when I get into bedto-night, oh! won't I have a good cry?"
She made up her mind also not to tell either Nora or Kitty what hadhappened to her dear baby.
"As for Jack," she said to herself, "I shall hate him all the rest ofmy days."
But when he came up to her, and sprang with great appreciation intoher lap and cuddled down there, and licked her hand with his littlered tongue, she found that, far from hating him, she was loving himbetter and better each moment. At last bedtime came, and Nan as shelaid her head on her pillow and said "Good-night" to nurse, who hadcome in to put out her candle, whispered to herself:
"Now I _must_ have a tremendous cry for my darling Sophia Maria."
But, behold! the very next instant she was sound asleep. So Maria layneglected in the cupboard. Some day, of course, Nan would dress her,and make her a pet and an idol once more, but meantime she was toobusy.
As the days flew on she grew busier and busier, for on the followingMonday she went to school with Nora and Kitty. It was discovered atschool that she was a very clever and well-informed little girl forher age, and she was put into quite a high-up class for a girl ofeleven, and had many lessons to learn, and much to attend to. And asNan had not only school-hours to live through, but private lessons inmusic to work for at home, and walks to take, and romps to enjoy, andthe animals one and all to idolise, she had not been a month in Mrs.Richmond's house before she became a very merry and a very happylittle girl. Not that for a single moment she forgot her mother; butshe was wise enough and sensible enough to know that if she wouldreally please that mother she would do it best by being happy andcontented. Once she saw Mr. Pryor; and when Mr. Pryor said to her, "Areyou trying to be the best girl?" Nan coloured, and squeezed his hand,and said:
"Oh! but I have got such a darling little puppy--all my very, veryown--and his name is Jack. And I do love Kitty and Nora! And Mrs.Richmond is very kind."
Then Mr. Pryor looked straight into the dancing, dark eyes of Nan, andhe laid his hand for a moment on her head and said:
"I think you are going to be the best girl."
"I wonder what he really means," thought Nan. "It is nice to be happy;even in mother's time I was never as happy as I am now. In mother'stime there was always the pain--her pain--to remember, and the emptypurse, and Mrs. Vincent, who was so cross, and---- Oh! lots and lots ofsuch things. But now nothing seems sad, and no one seems sorry; andthe animals alone would make any girl happy."
But as it is not appointed in this life for any one to pass from thecradle to the grave without anxiety and troubles and temptations andfears, so was Nan Esterleigh no exception to the general rule.
She had been two months at Mrs. Richmond's, and in that time had grownstrong and healthy, and a pretty rose colour had beautified her darklittle face, and her eyes were very bright, and her whole appearancethat of an intelligent and happy child. During those two months thespring had advanced so far that it was now the daffodil and primrosetime, and the children had arranged to go to the nearest woods togather baskets of primroses on a certain Saturday, which was of coursea whole holiday. Saturday was the most delightful day of the seven inNan's opinion, for there was no school and there were no classes ofany sort. It was the animals' special day, when extra cleanings had tobe given and extra groomings gone through; when the cages and basketshad to get fresh flannels and fresh gravel; when the mice and the ratshad in especial to be looked after. Nan always enjoyed Saturday bestof all, and this special Saturday was to be indeed a red-letter day,for Miss Roy had decided to take the children to the country by atrain which left Victoria at one o'clock. They would get to ShirleyWoods in half-an-hour; there they could pick primroses to theirhearts' content, and bring them back in basketfuls. Nan was very muchexcited. She had never been to Shirley Woods, and the thought of somehours in the country filled her with the wildest glee.
"Why, you dance about and make more fuss even than we do," said Nora,looking at her as she skipped up and down the room.
"Yes; I am in very high spirits," said Nan, "and I am ever so happy."
"I wonder how you will enjoy it when our cousin Augusta comes."
"Who is your cousin Augusta? I have never heard of her."
"I dare say not; but she is coming for a couple of months, eitherto-night or to-morrow morning--to-night, probably. Mother had a letterfrom our aunt, and she wants mother to take care of Augusta until shecomes back from the Riviera. Her name is Augusta Duncan. She is a veryhandsome girl, and has a lot of spirit. She is the fashionable sort,and thinks a lot of her dress and her appearance. What fun we shallall have together!"
"But is she coming to school with us? How will she spend her day?"asked Nan.
"No, she is not going to school, for she has not been quite strong,and is to have a complete holiday. I expect she will stay here a goodbit and amuse herself."
"How old is she?" said Nan again.
"She is a year and a half older than me," replied Nora, "so she isgoing on for fourteen. She is a very big girl for her age. I am quitecurious to see her."
"Well, don't let us bother about her now," said Nan. "Let us get readyto go off for our happy day in the country."
Kitty looked at the clock.
"I had not the least idea it was so late," she said. "What is to bedone? Mother wants us to get some flowers for the drawing-room beforewe start. Cannot you go, Nan? Just run and ask Susan the housemaid togo with you. You have very nice taste, and can choose just the flowersmother would like. Get them at Johnson's at the corner. I know motherwants heaps of violets, and as many yellow flowers as you can puttogether. You had better select about five shillings' worth, for somepeople are coming to tea with mother this afternoon."
"Very well," said Nan, in high good-humour. "I'll be off at once."
She put on her hat and jacket and ran downstairs, calling to Susan toaccompany her. Susan, however, was very busy, and grumbled when thelittle girl made her request.
"Dear me, Miss Nan!" she said; "nurse has given me a lot to do, and Iam very late as it is. Cannot the flowers wait?"
"Oh! it does not matter," answered Nan.
A daring idea rushed through her mind. Why should she have Susan, tokeep her company? It was only a step from the Richmonds' house toJohnson's shop; she could easily go there alone. The fact that she wasforbidden ever to go out by herself was completely forgotten. In hermother's time she had constantly been sent on messages, and surely shewas just as sensible a little girl now. So, calling Jack the puppy toaccompany her, she started on her mission. She arrived at the shop ingood time, and there she saw two girls standing by the counter. Theywere ordering flowers too, and talking to each other in a somewhatexcited manner. Their accents were not the accents of London girls;they had a high-pitched note in them, which Nan at first thought verydisagreeable, and then considered fascinating. The girls werebeautifully and extravagantly dressed. They were taller and older thanNan. They wore velvet frocks of a rich blue, and fawn-colouredjackets, and they had blue velvet hats which drooped over their faces.The hats were trimmed with enormous ostrich-feathers, also a deeproyal-blue. The girls had quantities of very thick and very brightgolden hair, w
hich hung in curly masses down their backs and overtheir shoulders. They had each of them deep-blue eyes--very deep andvery dark--and long, curly black lashes. Nan considered them quite themost lovely human beings she had ever looked at. They would not havetaken the least notice of the quiet, grave-looking little girl who hadcome into the shop but for the fact that Jack suddenly made a dive atone of their dresses, and catching it in his teeth, pulled at it, asmuch as to say, "Now for a game of play!"
The girl whose dress was attacked immediately tried to shake thebull-terrier off; but the bull-terrier would not let go. It was themission of all bull-pups never to let go, and here was hisopportunity. He hung on as if for grim death, and the girl's face gotred and her eyes flashed with temper. She turned to Nan and said in animperious voice:
"Do take your dog off, please. What a horrid little beast he is!"
"He is not horrid at all," said Nan, very cross at anythingdisparaging being said of Jack; but she caught the pup in her arms,and stood red and panting, waiting for the girls to leave the shop.
The elder girl, whose dress had been the subject of Jack's attack,found that it was slightly torn, and she turned to her sister andsaid:
"What an insufferable little dog, and what a still more insufferablegirl!"
"Oh, hush, Flora!" said the girl so addressed.
"Where shall I send the flowers to, miss?" asked the man who wasserving the girls, bending over the counter as he did so.
"Send them to Mrs. Aspray, Court Mansions," was the elder girl's reply."Be quick, please," she added; "you had better send a man round withall those flowers in pots. We are expecting company this afternoon,and mother says the flowers must arrive before two o'clock."
The man promised; and the girls, the elder one still very cross andangry, left the shop.
Just as she was doing so she flashed her handsome blue eyes in Nan'sdirection, and Nan gave her back quite as indignant a glance.
"Well, miss, and what can I do for you?" said the shopman, now turningto Nan.
Nan gave her order; the man promised to attend to it immediately, andthe little girl returned home.
Now, how it happened she never knew, but going back, she trod suddenlyon a piece of orange-peel. The next moment she was lying on her face,white and sick and dizzy with pain. She had sprained her ankle. For amoment or two she lay still. Then a man rushed up and raised her toher feet. She made a frantic effort, and leaning on his arm, got asfar back as Mrs. Richmond's house. When the door was opened for her,great was the astonishment of Caroline the parlour-maid.
"Why, Miss Nan," she cried, "how white you are! What has happened?"
"I have sprained my foot. I fell when I was out; I trod on a piece oforange-peel."
"And you were out, miss, all alone?"
"Yes, yes; Susan was not able to come."
"My mistress will be angry, miss."
"I am ever so sorry; but please don't tell her--please don't,Caroline."
"She will find out when she discovers that you have sprained yourfoot."
"Please don't tell her; I will manage somehow," said the child; andshe limped upstairs.
In consequence of her escapade, however, she could not possibly go tothe country that day. Kitty and Nora decided that they would not tellabout her naughtiness in going out alone. They were really fond ofNan. They said that she was very silly to have disobeyed their mother,and very wrong, but they would make some excuse about her not goinginto the country; and as Mrs. Richmond was extremely busy, what withAugusta's expected arrival and her visitors of that afternoon, it wasunlikely that she would miss Nan or say anything about her.Accordingly, at half-past twelve Miss Roy and the two little Richmondsstarted alone for their country expedition, and Nan was left in theschoolroom.