CHAPTER V.
THE APOLOGY.
"Well, Flo, I've hit it!" exclaimed Marion to Florence, as they weresitting together in their room Thursday afternoon.
"What do you mean?--hit what?"
"Why, I mean I've hit upon a plan; no, not exactly a plan;--I havedecided what my apology shall be."
"Oh!" said Florence, "do you know just what you are going to say?"
"No, not precisely; that is, I have not yet settled upon any exact formof words, but I have got my ideas together, and I really think it willbe something quite out of the common line."
Florence looked up inquisitively, for Marion's face or voice by no meansexpressed the repugnance which she had heretofore shown whenever she hadspoken of the coming apology. In fact she looked rather triumphant, anda little, amused smile played about the corners of her mouth, as shebent over her work.
"Now, Mab," exclaimed Florence, "I know you are up to something! Do tellme what it is that evidently amuses you so much?"
"Oh, nothing particular," replied Marion; but in a tone which saidplainly enough that there was something very particular indeed.
"Now, Mab, you needn't tell me!"
"That is exactly what I don't mean to do," provokingly replied Marion.
"Oh, don't be disagreeable! You know I am positively dying withcuriosity; so out with it!" and Florence tossed her own work on to thebed, and, catching hold of Marion's canvas, threw it behind her, as sheestablished herself on her friend's lap.
"Well, I'm sorry, my dear; but if your life depends on my telling youanything particular to-day, I am afraid you will come to an earlygrave."
Florence laid her hands on Marion's shoulders, and looked steadily intoher eyes. Marion met the look with a confident, amused smile, andexclaimed, "Well, Flo, you look as sober as a judge. I really believeyou think I meditate murder; but I assure you Miss Stiefbach's life isin no danger from my hands."
"I'll tell you just what I do think, Marion. I believe you are going torefuse to apologize, and if you do, you will be worse off than you'vebeen yet;" and Florence really looked as serious as if she were trying acase in court.
"No, Flo, you needn't trouble yourself on that score. I mean toapologize before the whole school, and M. Beranger to boot,--just as oldStiffy ordered."
"Well, I am glad of it! Not glad that it _must_ be done, you know; but Iwas afraid you would try to get rid of it in some way; and I know thatwould make matters worse."
"No, I don't mean to get rid of it; I shall do it in the most approvedstyle. Come, get up, miss; you're awfully heavy!"
Florence jumped up, considerably relieved, but still a little suspiciousof her friend's intentions. At that moment Julia Thayer came into theroom.
"O girls! you here?" she exclaimed. "I've been hunting for youeverywhere."
"Well, I don't think you hunted much; we've been here ever since lessonswere done," replied Marion.
"Take a seat, Miss Thayer, and make yourself at home," said Florence.
"Thank you, I was only waiting to be asked. Now, Marion, do tell me;have you decided what you are going to say to-morrow?"
"It is no use asking her; you can't get anything out of her. I've justtried my best."
"What! don't you mean to tell us, beforehand?"
"No."
"Not a word? not a syllable? Well, I do declare! I tell you what it is,Flo, she means to astonish us all by some wonderful production."
"I suppose most of the girls _will_ be astonished, for I don't believethey know there is to be any apology at all."
"No, I don't think they suspect it," said Julia. "So much for knowinghow to hold one's tongue."
"Well, Julia, I guess this is the first time you could be accused ofthat," laughingly replied Flo.
"That is a libel! Who held their tongue about Aunt Bettie's doughnuts, Ishould like to know?"
"Another rare instance," mischievously put in Marion; "put it down,Julia, you'll never have another chance."
"But, girls, what do you mean?" cried Julia, in a deprecating tone. "Doyou think I run and tell everything I know?"
"No, dear, not a bit of it," replied Flo; "you are not quite so reservedas Marion, but I never heard any one accuse you of telling what youought to keep to yourself, or, as the boys say, of 'peaching.'"
"There, Julia, don't look so forlorn, for mercy's sake!" exclaimedMarion. "You are so delightfully easy to tease; but I confess it was avery poor reward for your silence of the past two days, which (sheadded with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes) I know must have almostkilled you."
Julia and Florence both laughed outright at this rather equivocalconsolation, and at that moment the supper-bell rang.
Friday morning every girl was in her seat precisely as the clock strucknine; for it was French day, and consequently only the second appearanceof M. Beranger, and the novelty of having him there at all had by nomeans worn off.
He entered the room, shortly after, and, having politely wished MissStiefbach and her sister good-morning, was about to pass into theanteroom, when Miss Stiefbach detained him.
"Excuse me, M. Beranger, but I must trouble you to remain here a fewmoments."
M. Beranger bowed with his usual grace, and Miss Stiefbach continued:--
"I regret to say (she did not look as if she regretted it at all) that acircumstance of a most painful nature has lately taken place in thisschool. One of my young ladies has done that which makes me deem itnecessary to exact a public apology from her. As you were indirectlyconcerned in the matter, I think it proper that the apology should bemade before you. Miss--"
"But, madame," hastily interrupted the astonished Frenchman, "I cannotimagine; there must be a meestake--I am a perfect stranger; if you willhave the goodness to excuse me, I shall be one tousand times obliged;"and the poor man looked as if he himself was the culprit.
"It is impossible, monsieur," decidedly replied Miss Stiefbach; "oneparticular clause of her punishment was, that it should be made in yourpresence. Miss Berkley, you will please come forward."
During the above conversation a most profound silence had reignedthroughout the room; the girls, with the exception of the initiatedthree, had looked from one to another, and then at the group on theplatform, with faces expressive of the most intense astonishment,proving how wholly unsuspicious they had been; but as Marion's name waspronounced a light broke in upon every one, and all eyes were turnedupon her as she left her seat.
Miss Stiefbach stood with her hands folded over each other in her usualstately attitude. M. Beranger looked infinitely annoyed and distressed,and twirled his watch-chain in a very nervous manner. Miss Christine hadretired to the extreme end of the platform, and was trying to appearinterested in a book; but her face had a sad, pained look, which showedhow fully her sympathies were with her pupil.
Florence Stevenson buried her face in her hands; she could not bear towitness her friend's disgrace. Marion advanced quietly up between therows of desks, and as she stepped upon the platform turned so as to facethe school.
She never looked lovelier in her life; a bright color burned in hercheeks, and her eyes, always wonderfully beautiful, glowed with astrange light; but the expression of her face would have baffled themost scrutinizing observer. Calm, quiet, perfectly self-possessed, butwithout a particle of self-assurance, she stood, the centre of generalobservation.
Presently she spoke in a full, clear voice: "Miss Stiefbach, as M.Beranger evidently does not know how he is concerned in this matter,perhaps I had better explain the circumstances to him."
Miss Stiefbach bowed her consent, and Marion, turning towards thebewildered Frenchman, thus addressed him:--
"M. Beranger, last Wednesday morning, as I, with two of my companions,was in my room, which is in the front of the house, my attention wasattracted towards a gentleman who was coming down the street, and Iimmediately called my two friends to the window that they might get agood view of him. Our interest was of course doubly increased when wesaw the gentleman ente
r this garden. His whole appearance was sodecidedly elegant (here M. Beranger, who began to see that he was thesubject of her remarks, colored up to the roots of his hair) that wecould not help giving our opinions of him, and _I_ applied to him theword 'swell,' which in itself I acknowledge to be very inelegant; but myonly excuse for using it is, that in this case it was so veryexpressive."
M. Beranger, despite his embarassment, could hardly conceal a smile,while a suppressed murmur of amusement ran round the room. MissStiefbach looked hard at Marion, but her face was composed, and hermanner quietly polite; she was apparently perfectly unconscious ofhaving said anything to cause this diversion.
"While we were talking of him, Miss Stiefbach entered the room, and musthave, unintentionally of course, overheard our comments, for the firstintimation we had of her presence was this remark, which she madestanding directly behind us: 'Young ladies, allow me to see; perhaps Ican inform you.' And now occurred the remark which it was so exceedinglyimproper in me to make, and which justly gave so much offence to MissStiefbach." (Here Marion turned towards her teacher, who, as if toencourage her to proceed, bowed quite graciously.) "I was standing onthe seat in the window, and consequently had the best view of thegentleman. In the excitement of the moment, regardless of the differencein our ages, and only remembering that we were impelled by one commonobject, I asked her to _jump_ on to the seat beside me. Miss Stiefbach,for that rudeness I most sincerely ask your pardon. It was wrong, verywrong of me; I should have stepped aside, thus giving you an excellentopportunity of gratifying your desire to look at what is rarely seenhere,--a handsome man."
The perfect absurdity of Miss Stiefbach's jumping up in a window with aparty of wild school-girls, for the sake of looking at a handsome man,or indeed for her to look at a man at any time with any degree ofinterest, could only be appreciated by those who were daily witnesses ofher prim, stately ways. It certainly was too much for the gravity of theinhabitants of that school-room.
MARION APOLOGIZES.]
M. Beranger bit his lip fiercely under his mustache; Miss Christinebecame suddenly very much interested in something out in the back yard;and the school-girls were obliged to resort to open books anddesk-covers to conceal their amusement.
Marion alone remained cool and collected, looking at Miss Stiefbach asif to ask if she had said enough.
Miss Stiefbach's face was scarlet, and she shut her teeth tightlytogether, striving for her usual composure. The sudden turn of Marion'sapology, which placed her in such a ridiculous light, had completelydisconcerted her, and she knew not what to do or say.
If Marion's eyes had twinkled with mischief; if there had been theslightest tinge of sarcasm in her tone, or of triumph in her manner,Miss Stiefbach would have thought she intended a fresh insult; butthroughout the whole her bearing had been unusually quiet, ladylike, andpolite. There was no tangible point for her teacher to fasten on, and,commanding herself sufficiently to speak, Miss Stiefbach merely said,"It is enough; you may go to your seat."
Even then, if Marion's self-possession had given way, she would havebeen called back and severely reprimanded. But it did not; she passedall her school-mates, whose faces were turned towards her brimming withlaughter and a keen appreciation of the affair, with a sort ofpreoccupied air, and, taking her books from her desk, followed M.Beranger into the anteroom.
At recess the girls with one impulse flocked round her, exclaiming, "Oh!it was too good; just the richest scene I ever saw."
"What do you mean?" coolly replied Marion.
"Why!" exclaimed Sarah Brown, an unencouraged admirer of Marion's, "theway you turned the tables on Miss Stiefbach."
"Indeed, Sarah, you are very much mistaken; I simply apologized to herfor a great piece of rudeness."
And Marion turned away and ran upstairs to her own room, where Florenceand Julia were already giving vent to their long pent-up feelings inonly half-suppressed bursts of laughter.
As Marion made her appearance it was the signal for another shout; butshe only replied by a quiet smile, which caused Julia to ejaculate inher most earnest manner, "I declare, Marion, you don't look a bitelated! If I had done such a bright thing as you have, I should bebeaming with satisfaction."
"Well, Julia, I don't think I _have_ done anything so very smart. To besure I have had my revenge, and the only satisfaction I've got out of itis to feel thoroughly and heartily ashamed of myself."
"Marion Berkley, you certainly _are_ the queerest girl I ever did see,"exclaimed Julia.
But Florence, who knew her friend best, said nothing, for sheunderstood her feelings, and admired her the more for them.
Marion had been determined to make her apology such as would reflectmore absurdity on her teacher than on herself, and in that way to haveher revenge for what she rightly considered her very unjust punishment.She had succeeded; but now that her momentary triumph was over, shesincerely wished that it had never occurred.
The next day she went to Miss Christine, and told her just how she feltabout it, and that, if she advised her to do so, she would go to MissStiefbach and ask her forgiveness. But Miss Christine told her, that,although she heartily disapproved of her conduct, she thought nothingmore had better be said about it, for Miss Stiefbach had only been halfinclined to believe that Marion could _intend_ a fresh impertinence.
And so there the matter ended; but Marion could never fully satisfy herown conscience on the subject.
She wrote a long letter to her mother, telling her the whole thing frombeginning to end; and received one in reply, gently, but firmly,rebuking her for her conduct.
But the next day came four pages from her father, full of his amusementand enjoyment of the whole matter, and highly complimenting her on whathe called "her brilliant coup d'etat."
No wonder Marion's better nature was sometimes crushed, when the inwardfires which she longed to extinguish were kindled by a father's hand.