CHAPTER XVIII.
_NEW YEAR'S EVE._
"I call it extremely selfish of you and John to have had this secret allthis time, and never to have told us," said Hugh, on the morning beforeNew Year's Day, as they all sat at breakfast.
Agnes looked up over the "cosy," a surprised hurt look overshadowing thebrightness of her face.
"You do not _really_ think it unkind, Hugh?" she asked; "you are onlytrying to tease me."
"I'm not joking at all," answered Hugh, dropping his eyes so as not tomeet her beseeching ones. "For you and John to have kept this toyourself all this time is exceedingly selfish."
"Why, _I_ didn't know," said Minnie.
"Nor I," said Alice.
"That's different!" exclaimed Hugh hastily; "you're _girls_; but I'monly two years younger than John, and I don't see any reason why youshould not have told me."
"There was no reason," said Agnes gently, "except just this: Motherthought that it would be a little pleasure for New Year's Eve, and asecret that is told to everyone is no secret."
"But I might have been told; I should not have let it out like a girl."
"I dare say," said Alice, her eyes sparkling with displeasure; "and sobecause we are girls we are not to be trusted with anything, whilebecause you are boys--for no other reason--you----"
She paused, Agnes's face stopped her, and then her eyes turned toJohn's, and she noticed that his were fixed earnestly on the text, whichwas just touched by the morning sunshine, as it crept silently along thewall--
"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"
"Oh, John," she said softly; "I quite forgot."
And then they all noticed that John had not forgotten.
At Hugh's first angry word, just as he was turning to answer, the lighton the text caught his attention, and his promise to Agnes flashedacross him; his promise that while their parents were away he would trywith might and main to refrain from quarrelling with his brother.
There was a few moments' silence, while each of the five assembled therehad time to remember their resolves, and to ask for strength to keepthem.
At last Alice spoke. "Do you mind telling us. Agnes, what you are goingto do then?"
"Well, you know my morning Sunday-school class that I have given up toanother teacher while mother is away?"
Alice nodded.
"Mother thought it would be nice if we asked them to tea to-day, andhoped it would keep them together better; and then John and I have beendevising how we could please them."
"Did you think of a Christmas-tree?" asked Hugh eagerly.
Agnes shook her head. "It was of no use thinking of it; we hadn't moneyenough. No, we thought of games; only the boys are apt to get rough, andwithout mother and father it seemed a great undertaking."
"So it is," said Alice; "for don't you remember what a dreadful noisethey made one year when we had them?"
"Yes," answered John; "so, as I was passing along the Strand the dayafter father went to America, I noticed 'magic-lanterns for schooltreats,' posted up very large in a window, and it gave me the idea ofusing mine for our little treat, and hiring a few more slides to make itlast longer."
"Yes, we haven't so very many slides," said Minnie, considering.
"Pretty well," answered John; "but at anyrate two dozen more will be anadvantage."
"And after the magic-lantern is over?" asked Alice.
"Agnes is going to talk to them, or tell them a story, and after thatthey'll have an orange."
"Oh!" said Minnie, "I shall like that."
"Which," asked Hugh, "the 'talk,' or the 'story,' or the 'orange'?"
Minnie blushed, but after the late little breeze determined not to bevexed, and answered, "You know perfectly well what I meant, Hugh; soit's no good trying to make out anything else."
"Do you want me to do anything to-day. Agnes?" asked Alice.
"Of course I do," exclaimed Agnes; "I have a perfect list of things tobe done. Cakes to be made by Alice; room to be got ready by Hugh; chairsbrought from everywhere, seats devised, flowers arranged--there, I can'ttell you all till we are in it."
"And is there anything for me to do?" asked Minnie, getting up andcoming round to lean against her sister's shoulder.
"Yes, I want you to be willing to run messages all day long, and neverto mind how often Alice sends you upstairs, or Hugh sends youdownstairs, but to have feet of love for to-day."
"All right," said Minnie.
"And then for pleasant things, between whiles, you shall go to buy theoranges, and some buns, and some gingerbread nuts, and so on, and we'llhave I hope as happy a day as any since they went away."
As Agnes turned at the door to give a parting direction, Hugh put hisarm round her and said humbly:
"I'm awfully sorry I was so stupid, Agnes--so wrong--but I'm for everforgetting."
And Agnes said, "I'm sorry too, Hugh, that we made a secret of it, for Isee now it would have been nicer for you to have known; but I didn'tmean to be unkind."
After that they worked on happily together all the morning, though Hughfelt a twinge whenever any one remarked, as Minnie and Alice were apt todo all day, "How funny it seems not to have known."
"It's the last secret I'll have, John, that I can help," said Agnes tohim when they were left alone for a few minutes, and were busy pinningup the sheet.
"Yes," answered John, reaching down from the top of the steps, where hewas astride, and taking the corner from her outstretched arm, "Yes,Agnes. I don't believe in secrets."
"Nor I," answered Agnes, "I have seen it before, and it will this timebe a lesson to me."
"But we didn't quarrel over it, exactly."
"Oh, no; but we might have if you had not remembered in time. I do notmean that I defend Hugh for being so cross over it, but I see once morethat nobody likes to have things kept and then given all of a heap."
"You are very lucid."
"Well," she answered, laughing and blushing. "I remember on myseventeenth birthday you all thought it would be nice to give me mypresents at tea, and so they were kept all day, and it was a wretchedbirthday."
John was descending the ladder. "I never knew that," he said.
"Oh, it is not worth remembering," said Agnes; "I only thought of it asan illustration. It was not that I cared so much about the presents, youknow, John, it was because everything seemed incomplete. After all I hada much better present than I ever dreamed of, for father gave me my dearlittle watch."
"I see what you mean," said John. "Now, Agnes, for the other end; thathangs very straight, doesn't it?"
"Nicely. This long curtain-pole is a fine idea for magic-lanternexhibitions."
"Yes, I am glad you thought of it. Agnes, how do you like being left toourselves?"
"Not at all," answered Agnes decidedly.
"Are we better or worse than you expected?"
"I am worse--you are better," she answered, laughing a little; but itwas as near a sob as a laugh.
"How?" asked John earnestly.
"Well, I mean that in one way, and not in another. I think I expected weshould all be more perfect than we are."
"You did not expect me to break my promise, for instance?" asked Johngravely.
"I hardly think you did. Oh no, John, you have been better in every waythan I could have hoped, and _I_ have been worse!"
"I don't see it," he answered fondly.
"But I do; I trusted in myself too much."
"We all do. Agnes, I'm inclined to think this being left to ourselveswill turn out for our good."
"I am sure I hope so."
"Don't be desponding. Look at Hugh! Who ever heard him acknowledgehimself in the wrong before? and yet just now, you know what he said toyou? He would not have done that a month ago."
Agnes looked up. "Do you think so?" she said. "Oh, John, what acomforter you are."
"Then cheer up. Are you not doing what He would have you to do?"
"I try to."
"Then thank Him," said her b
rother cheerfully, "and take courage."
All was in readiness by the hour fixed for the arrival of their littleguests, and very punctually to it, in fact a quarter of an hour beforefive o'clock. Minnie, who was always the one to watch at the window,announced that two of them were loitering about outside.
"How cold they'll be," she said pitifully.
"Not they," said Hugh.
"I should be," answered Minnie.
"Oh, _you_! but these poor little mites are used to be in the streetsall day."
"So they are. But I wonder if Agnes will let me bring them in?"
"Not yet," answered John, who came in at that moment, "wait till itstrikes five; as Hugh says, they are used to it."
Before the hand was on the hour, twelve or fourteen children crowded upthe steps, and one of them, the boldest of the party, ventured to give asingle 'dab' at the door, which brought Hugh to open it; and then beganthe disrobing, which orderly John had promised to superintend.
They were ushered into the dining-room, where tea was laid all ready,and it did not take them long to sit down and begin.
After all were satisfied, the table was pushed back into a corner, andin a few moments John and Hugh packed the children round the room sothat all could see well, Minnie squeezing herself into a little cornerby the sheet, where she would not have at all a good view, remarking,"Of course it does not matter a bit about _me_."
John smiled, but did not see where he could put her better, and, afterall, was it not her little offering of love to her Master?
When it was all over, and the views had been seen, and the story told,and the oranges eaten, and the happy children gone, Hugh said:
"I _have_ enjoyed it."
"So did everyone, I think," remarked Alice.
"In spite of its having been a secret," he went on, smiling; "butanother time (though I oughtn't to have been cross over it), if you wantto give a fellow pleasure, don't surprise him."
"We will not," said Agnes, glad to see the twinkle in Hugh's eye.
And then tired-out they hastily ate some supper and hurried off to bed,too fatigued to fulfil their intention of sitting up to see the yearout.
"I'll set the alarum and wake you all," said John.
So the alarum was set, and they went to bed in peaceful anticipations ofwaking just in time.
By-and-by it went off with a peal which always startled him in spite ofhis determination, and out John sprang and struck a match.
"Hugh, get up," he called, "it is ten minutes to--why it is ten minutes_past_ twelve, and no good at all!"