Chapter XI.
BOBBY'S VISITOR.
Mr. Allonby had been considerably startled by many things that thechildren had said and done, but he was never more so than when theyappeared before him in the sitting-room with a strange young lady. Hehad not been in long, and thought they were with Margot. Miss Robsartbegan to feel a little uncomfortable when she realised her position.
'It's a guv'ness,' Bobby said eagerly; 'me and True went out and findedher ourselves, and she'll come to teach us all the morning.'
'We do so hope you'll like her, dad, because we do. We thought we'dget her as a surprise for you.'
'I really----' began Mr. Allonby, then his eyes met Miss Robsart's andthey both laughed aloud.
'I must explain myself,' she said, checking her laugh and speakinghastily and nervously 'I met your little boy and girl in a 'bus andheard them say they had come out to look for a governess. Of coursethey had not the smallest idea how to set about it, so I took them to avery good registry. I fancied you must have been wanting to have onefrom what they said, and then, as we were all talking about it, Iwondered if I could undertake the situation myself. I am very anxiousto earn something, as I have an invalid sister at home, and we are verybadly off. I can give you good references. My father was a clergyman.I have been educated in the Kensington High School.
She stopped. Mr. Allonby drew a chair forward for her, then turned tothe children.
'I don't know what you two scamps have been doing,' he said; 'somethingof which I had no conception, I know; but I should like to have a talkwith this lady, and you can both go off to Margot, who must bewondering where you are.'
True and Bobby obeyed instantly. They were extremely pleased withthemselves, and burst in upon Margot, who was in the bedroom tidyingherself to bring in dinner.
'We've got ourselves a governess, Margot.'
'We finded her in a 'bus.'
'She has a smiling face and doesn't wear spectacles or grey hair.'
'She'll teach us to dance round the room.'
'She's talking to dad now; and I believe she will be cheap, because wetold her she must be.'
'And me and Nobbles loves her already.'
Margot put her hands up to her ears.
'I think you're quite demented!' she said. 'You've never been out inthe streets alone?'
'We went in a 'bus.'
They told their tale. Margot was horrified at their daring.
'You've picked up a strange young woman in the streets and brought herhere? She'll maybe belong to a band of burglars! Your poor father istoo easy-going. To think of his talking to her at all! Let me see theyoung hussy, and I'll send her packing! To trade on your innocence insuch a fashion!'
Margot grew quite vehement.
True tried to soothe her.
'You don't understand. You haven't seen her. Oh, come downstairs andjust look at her.'
'I'm going this very minute. I have to lay the cloth for dinner. 'Tistime she was off; and it's well you've got one person who's wide awaketo look after you all in this wicked London!'
Margot stumped down the stairs, her cap quivering with excitement. Thechildren hung over the banisters watching her. They saw thesitting-room door open, and Miss Robsart came out.
'Then I will send you my references tomorrow morning. I shall preferto do so. Good morning.'
'Margot, show this lady out.'
It was their father who spoke, and Margot moved down the passageslowly. She opened the hall door and eyed Miss Robsart up and downwith grim eyes and lips, then she suddenly followed her out on thedoor-step and half closed the door behind her.
'She's scolding her,' said True.
They waited anxiously. Presently Margot came in and shut the door.She shook her head doubtfully, then went into the sitting-room, and thechildren heard a long conversation going on between her and theirfather. When they came to the dinner-table with him, True asked him,'Did Margot say nasty things about our governess?'
'Our governess, indeed!'
Mr. Allonby leant back in his chair and gave one of his hearty laughs.
'Margot told her she was a wolf in sheep's clothing, I believe. Idon't know what she'll say when she knows. I have practically engagedher on the strength of her frank honest face and gentle voice. Fortunefavoured you, young pickles, for you tumbled against the right sort.She may not be very learned or experienced, but she knows enough toteach you, and I am glad to have the thing settled.'
The children clapped their hands.
'She's coming, and we won't have to go to school.'
'I'll keep you with me this winter, but I shall really have to take anextra room for my writing; this one sitting-room will never hold usall.'
A few letters with references passed between Miss Robsart and Mr.Allonby, and then, in spite of Margot's prejudice, she came everymorning and gave the children their lessons.
The novelty kept them good. Miss Robsart was young and bright, and hada real love for children, and a gift for imparting knowledge, so thingswent smoothly. Mr. Allonby took himself and his writing into a smallback room, which was the delight of True's heart. She dusted it, andtidied it, and cleaned everything she could lay her hands upon. Bobbywas jealous of the time she spent in there.
'I ought to be there more than you,' he argued; 'it's a man's room.'
'Mother told me I was to keep dad's rooms tidy, and I will, and dadlikes me to do it.'
'I could clean his brass fender, I'm sure.'
'No you couldn't; only girls can clean; boys can't, never!'
'Boys clean shop windows and sweep floors, I've seen them.'
'Well, anyhow you can't, you don't know how, and mother said I was to.'
This unanswerable argument always crushed Bobby.
Saturday afternoons were a great delight to the children, for Mr.Allonby always gave himself up to them then, and took them out with himsight-seeing. They visited the Zoo in this way, the Tower, MadameTussaud's, the British Museum, St. Paul's, and Westminster Abbey, andmany other places of interest and amusement.
On Sunday morning their father always took them to church. In theafternoon he would smoke in his little study; and they were allowed tobe with him, and have their tea there as a treat. Occasionally Mr.Allonby would try to give them a Bible lesson; very often they wouldtell him a Bible story.
'I want to bring you up as your mother would have done,' he said toTrue one day.
'We'll bring ourselves along, dad,' she responded cheerfully; 'we'retrying hard to be good, and we pray to God to manage us when we can'tremember in time.'
'Father,' said Bobby one Sunday afternoon, 'do you fink I could eversave your life?'
'I don't know, I'm sure, sonny. What makes you ask?'
'In my reading lesson yesterday--it was about the mouse who saved alion--it was very difficult to think how he could; but he reely did it,didn't he?'
'Yes, and I suppose you think it applies to you. Well, now, let usthink. I must be put in prison somewhere, and you must come and let meout.'
'But you'd have to be wicked to be put in prison,' objected True. 'Youcouldn't be wicked, dad.'
'I hope I couldn't, but I don't know. I think I would rather not getinto such a scrape, Bobby.'
'I should like to do somefing for you,' said Bobby with wistful eyes.
'Why?' asked his father.
Bobby coloured up. If he had followed his natural instinct he wouldhave flung himself into his father's arms and exclaimed, 'Because Ilove you so.'
But Mr. Allonby was not a demonstrative father, and Bobby was learningto control and hide his feelings.
'Well, I promise you, sonny, to call upon you when I do get intotrouble,' said Mr. Allonby, with a twinkle in his eye.
And Bobby hugged this promise to his heart and waited in content.
One afternoon True and he were looking out of the sitting-room windowvery disconsolately. It was raining fast, and Mr. Allonby had that daygone away to see a friend
in the country. He was not coming back fortwo or three days. Margot was in one of her cross moods. She hadtaken the opportunity to have a thorough clean and turn out of the twobedrooms, and had forbidden the children to leave the sitting-room forthe whole afternoon.
'It's like a prison,' said True rebelliously. 'I hate being shut up inone room. Mother never did. I could run in and out all day long. Ihate this old London. I should like to be in the country. I'll runaway one day if Margot keeps shutting me up.'
'Where will you go?' asked Bobby, with interest.
'I'll go to the railway station and get into a railway train and stayin it till it gets quite to the end of the journey, and then I'd getout.'
'And where would that be?'
True considered.
'The very end of England, I s'pose--near the sea.'
'I've never seen the sea,' said Bobby.
'Fancy! Why we came right through it all the way from 'Merica. I'llask dad to take us to the seashore one day. He loves a day out, and sodo I. I wish he had his motor.'
'Yes,' sighed Bobby, 'we never does nothing nice now, and if it hadn'tbeen for this horrid old rain we'd have gone to tea with Miss Robsart.'
'Well, p'raps she'll ask us to-morrow. Look at that funny old woman,Bobby, she's trying to hold up her umbrella and drag her dog with astring and hold up her dress with the same hand. There! Now look, thedog has got between her legs! Oh, there she goes! Oh, look! she'stumbled right over, and there's a gentleman picking her up!'
Bobby pressed his face against the glass to see the catastrophe. Thenhe started.
'It--it strikes me that's Master Mortimer.'
'Oh, where? Isn't he your uncle?'
'Yes, it's him! It's him! Oh, True, let's run out and bring him in!'
'Is it the gentleman who picked the old lady up? He's looking acrossat this house now. He's coming, Bobby, he's coming to see us!'
Bobby rushed to the hall door. He was so excited that he hardly knewif he was on his head or heels, and he literally tumbled down off thedoorsteps into his uncle's arms.
'Well, well! This is a welcome! Hold on little man, you'll have meover if you don't take care. Let's come inside and do theaffectionate, or we shall be collecting a crowd. Why, who is this?'
'She's True, she's a kind of sister,' explained Bobby, pulling hisuncle breathlessly into the sitting-room and shutting the door. 'Oh,we do want you to sit down and talk to us; me and Nobbles is 'normouslyglad to see you!'
'Ah! where is that young gentleman? I see he looks gayer than ever.Now give an account of yourself and this wonderful father of yours.'
Mr. Mortimer Egerton was taking off his great-coat as he spoke. Hestepped out into the narrow hall and hung it up deliberately on thehall pegs there; then he returned to the sitting-room and sat down inthe one easy-chair that it possessed, and pulled Bobby in between hisknees.
'Let us see what freedom and fatherly care has done for you,' he said.'Now, then, tell your story. Did your father come to you in the goodold style? Is he here now?'
Bobby began to tell his tale very rapidly and eagerly, with shiningeyes and burning cheeks. Occasionally True corrected or added to hisstatements.
Mr. Egerton listened with laughter in his eyes; gravity settled therewhen he heard of Mrs. Allonby's death; but when he heard of the find ofthe governess he was enchanted.
'And now,' he said, 'would you like to hear my news? Do you rememberLady Isobel, Bobby?'
'Of course I do. She sended me a beautiful picsher of the gates.She's coming home from India very soon.'
'Very soon, indeed! She arrived yesterday.'
'Oh, Master Mortimer!'
Bobby's rapt tone made his uncle laugh.
'Why does Bobby always call you Master Mortimer? Aren't you hisuncle?' enquired True.
'It's a way he has. We understand each other. Well, I'll go on withmy news. Lady Isobel thinks it would be very nice to live in the oldhouse, Bobby, where we saw each other first, so we've arranged to livethere together.'
'In grandmother's house?' questioned Bobby, with perplexed eyes. 'Idon't fink it's a nice house enough for Lady Is'bel.'
'Oh, we'll make it nice; we'll have boys and girls to stay with us toplay hide-and-seek with. We'll chase each other round every room.'
'And knock over the big chairs,' cried Bobby, 'and slide the banisters,and make as much noise as ever they likes? Oh, Master Mortimer, willyou ask me to spend a day?'
'A good many days after we're settled in.'
'And when will that be?'
'Well, you see, we shall have to get married first, and that takestime. I think you'll have to come to the wedding.'
Bobby's face was a picture of shining joy.
'I finks your news is lovely. Me and Nobbles have never been to awedding.'
'Will you ask me, too?' asked True.
'Yes, I will. I want to have it very soon, and here in London; butLady Isobel wants to wait a little. If you persuade her to let me havemy way, Bobby, I'll give you seven slices of our wedding cake--one tobe taken every day for a week!'
'When shall I see her?'
'I'll bring her to see you to-morrow.'
'How did you find us out?'
'I got your address from your aunt. Any more questions?'
'Do you know Margot?'
'I have not that pleasure.'
Bobby looked at True apprehensively, and True said hastily:
'He's afraid Margot will come in and find you here. She'll be comingin with our tea soon, and she said Miss Robsart was a burglar. Margotthinks everybody is a burglar in London!'
Mr. Egerton got up from his chair, and pretended to be seized with afit of trembling.
'Can you hide me anywhere? I'm so frightened of her. Tell me if youhear her coming.'
'Oh, let's hide him, True! It will be such fun. I hear her thumpingdownstairs. Oh, where shall we put him?'
True looked wildly round the room.
'There are no big cupboards. Under the table, quick! Quick, or she'llsee you!'
'I'm afraid I couldn't crumple up small enough,' said Mr. Egerton,looking at his long legs and the small round table in front of him.
'Behind the door!' cried Bobby. 'Oh, make haste; she's coming!'
When Margot came into the room three minutes later she said:
'What a noise you children have been making. I thought you must havesomeone with you; it sounded like a man's voice.'
Bobby's cheeks were scarlet. True began to laugh nervously.
'Give us something very nice for tea, Margot, in case a visitor comesto see us,' she said.
'Why, who would come, you silly children, a wet day like this?'
Margot was producing a white cloth from the chiffonier drawer, andtaking out cups and saucers from the cupboard below it.
'And you'll have no visitors whilst your father is away, you may bepretty sure,' Margot continued. 'Give me London for loneliness, I say.'
She went out of the room and down to the kitchen. Bobby and True burstinto peals of happy childish laughter.
'You are a good hider; she never saw you.'
'No,' said Mr. Egerton, coming out from behind the door and sittingdown in the easy-chair; 'I know how to keep quiet when I'm hiding, butI can't keep it up for long. She'll get you some cake for tea if shesees me, so I won't hide any more.'
Margot's face was a picture when she returned.
'I haven't the pleasure of knowing you, sir!' she said sternly, after asevere scrutiny.
The children kept a breathless silence. They felt that 'MasterMortimer' would be quite equal to Margot. His very coolness inspiredthem with confidence.
'I'm not a burglar,' he said smiling; 'I'm a genuine relation. Bobbyand I are old friends. I'm his mother's brother.'
Margot dropped an old-fashioned curtsy, but she looked rather puzzled;and then Bobby took courage and explained.
'He's my uncle Mortimer, Margot; and he's comed to see m
e, and we sawedhim out of the window and opened the door to him, and then we wasafraid you wouldn't like him, so we put him to hide behind the door.And he's come from India, and we're asked to the wedding, and LadyIs'bel will be here to see us tomorrow. Isn't it all pufficklysplendid!'
'And we thought you might give us cake for tea, please,' said Mr.Egerton, with twinkling eyes.
'Oh,' whispered True to Bobby, 'he's the most 'licious man I've everseen!'
And Bobby nodded emphatically to such a statement.
Margot lost her suspicious look when Mr. Egerton turned to her andtalked to her. She knew a gentleman when she saw him, and she producedcakes and hot-buttered toast, and smiled as she waited upon the merrylittle party.
Bobby was in the seventh heaven of delight, and when he went to bed heconfided to Nobbles, 'I even feel, Nobbles dear, that I wouldn't mindif me and you wented back to the House, for with Master Mortimer andLady Is'bel there, we shouldn't have to step on tiptoes any more.'