CHAPTER V
Lilac Grange
So far Gwethyn's impression of Aireyholme had been largely tinged by theprevailing presence of Laura Browne. Laura took her up the very eveningshe arrived, and had since gushed over her without intermission,monopolizing her almost entirely. It was Laura who explained the schoolrules, and offered advice on the subject of preparation or practising;Laura who walked with her round the garden, introduced her to thelibrary, and showed her the Senior museum. The temperature of thefriendship might be described--on Laura's side at any rate--aswhite-hot. She took complete possession of Gwethyn, driving off theother girls gently but firmly.
"I'll tell her all about the lessons!" she would declare, waving Rose orSusie away. "Come with me, dearest! Of course I know our work's nothingto you, after your other school, but any help that I can give you,you're more than welcome to. It's so refreshing to have a girl like youhere, after these others. Oh, anyone could see the difference! I fell inlove with you at first sight. Look at Rose Randall, now; it would beimpossible to be friends with her. I couldn't do it. And Beatrix andMarian are unspeakable. No, darling, until you came, I hadn't a chum inthe whole school."
As the rest of the form held slightly aloof, Gwethyn found herself flunginto the arms of Laura Browne. She had not Katrine's reserve, and wouldrather be friends with anybody than nobody. She did not altogether carefor Laura's fawning manners, but as the intimacy was forced upon her,she accepted it. For ten days they had been dubbed "the lovers", andwere constantly in each other's company.
"I hear you've brought your violin, sweetest," said Laura at recreationone morning, as the pair stood watching a set of tennis. "How is it youdidn't tell me? I'm dying to hear you play it."
"Oh, I'm only a beginner! I brought it just in case I found time topractise a little. I'm not taking lessons on it here."
"But you will play for me?"
"If you like; but it won't be a treat. I break about a dozen stringsevery time I tune it."
"A violin has four strings, so you must snip them with a pair ofscissors, I should think, if you break twelve each time you tune up,"remarked a sarcastic voice from behind.
Gwethyn turned round, and met the scornful eyes of Githa Hamilton.
"That horrid child! Why can't she let me alone?" she whispered to Laura."She's the image of a toadstool, with her khaki complexion and lankhair."
But Githa's sharp ears overheard.
"Thanks for the compliment! Khaki's a nice patriotic colour. I like myhair straight--I haven't the least desire to friz it out or curl it. Ifyou're going to break a dozen strings tuning your fiddle to-day, perhapsyou'll save me the pieces; they make splendid lashes for whips."
"To drive geese with?" retorted Gwethyn.
"Exactly. How clever of you to guess! There are a great many geese inthis neighbourhood. I come in contact with them every day."
"Don't mind the snarly little thing!" said Laura, walking Gwethyn away."Now tell me when I'm to hear your violin. Shall we say a quarter-pasttwo this afternoon in the practising-room? I'll play your pianoaccompaniment."
"And I'll be there for the surplus strings!" piped Githa, followingbehind.
"Githa Hamilton, take yourself off!" commanded Laura, routing the enemyat last.
Gwethyn had not opened her violin-case since coming to Aireyholme. Shehad taken lessons for about a year, and her mother had urged her to tryand find time to practise, so that she should not forget all she hadlearned; but so far there had been so many other things to occupy her,that the violin had been entirely thrust on one side. True to herpromise to Laura, she brought it out of its retirement this afternoon,and going to the music-room began to tune it by the piano. Not a stringsnapped in the process, and the instrument was soon in order. Gwethynlaid it down on the table, and waited. Surely Laura could not be long.She had made the appointment for 2.15, and had expressed herself atdinner as impatient for the time to arrive. The minutes rolled by,however, and no Laura appeared. Presently a smooth dark head peepedround the door.
"Any strings on hand?" inquired Githa, with an elfish grin. "I've comefor that odd dozen you've got to spare!"
"I didn't break any," returned Gwethyn shortly.
"Bad news for me! Well, now, I suppose you're at the trysting-place,waiting for the beloved?"
"Laura'll be turning up soon," grunted Gwethyn.
"Sorry to break your heart instead of your strings! I'm afraid she won'tturn up. It's a case of 'he cometh not, she said'. The fair one is falseand fickle, and loves another! If you're going to have hysterics, orfaint, please give me warning. Poor lone heart!"
"What nonsense you're talking! What do you mean?" asked Gwethyn,laughing in spite of herself.
"It's the sad and solemn truth. Laura Browne, regardless of herappointment with you, is now walking round the kitchen-garden arm-in-armwith another love, and gazing admiringly into her eyes. Your image iswiped from her memory; you are a broken idol, a faded flower, a pastepisode, a thing of yesterday!"
"For goodness' sake, stop ragging!"
"Well, if you prefer it in plain prose, you're superseded by PhyllisLowman. She's Mrs. Franklin's niece, and comes occasionally to spend afew days here. She arrived just after dinner. We're not keen on her inthe school, but Laura truckles to her to curry favour with MotherFranklin. During her visit the pair will be inseparable, and your poorplaintive nose will be absolutely out of joint."
"I don't believe you!" flared Gwethyn.
"Oh, all right! Go and see for yourself! It isn't I who exaggerate!" andwith a malicious little laugh the Toadstool beat a retreat.
There were a few minutes left before afternoon school, so Gwethyn, tiredof waiting, took a run round the garden. Alas! Githa had spoken thetruth. Wandering amongst the gooseberry bushes she met her missingfriend, in company with a stranger. They were linked arm-in-arm, andtheir heads were pressed closely together. As they passed Gwethyn,Laura's eyes showed not a trace even of recognition, much less apologyor regret.
"I've been simply vegetating till you came here again, Phyllis darling!I'm living to-day! You sweetest!"
The words, in Laura's most honied tones, were wafted back as the pairwalked towards the house. Gwethyn looked after them and stamped.
"So that's Laura Browne and her fine friendship! Well, I've done withher from to-day. She won't catch me having anything more to say to her.I really think this is the limit! I couldn't have believed it of her ifI hadn't seen it. The utter sneak!"
Phyllis Lowman spent three days at Aireyholme, during which period Laurawas her slave and bond-servant. When she returned home, the latterturned her attention again to her first love. But Gwethyn would havenone of her, and received her advances in so cavalier a fashion that shegave up the futile attempt at reconciliation. The other members of theFifth enjoyed the little comedy. It was what they had expected.
"Gwethyn was bound to be 'Laura-ridden' at first," laughed Susie Parker."It's the inevitable. Laura's new friendships have to run their courselike measles. This has only been a short business, and now we mayconsider Gwethyn disinfected!"
No longer monopolized by Laura, Gwethyn began to make friends with othergirls, and was soon a favourite in the Fifth. Her love of fun, andreadiness to give and take, commended her to the form, and on her sideshe much preferred to be ordinary chums with her comrades, than to beoffered a slavish and rather ridiculous worship, such as Laura hadtendered.
* * * * *
Since their very trying experiences in the High Street, the Marsdens hadbegged Miss Aubrey to allow them to abandon that particular subject, andbegin another sketch in some more retired place, where spectators wouldnot come to look over their shoulders. Miss Aubrey herself dislikedworking in the midst of a crowd, so she readily agreed, and at theirnext painting lesson announced that she had found the very spot to suitthem. Nan Bethell, Gladwin Riley, and Coralie Nelson were to join theclass that afternoon. Viola, Dorrie, and Diana were also extremelyanxious to go, but Mrs. Frank
lin would not spare her best matriculationstudents, and sternly set them to work at mathematics instead, much totheir disgust. Tita Gray, Hilda Smart, and Ellaline Dickens, theremaining members of the Sixth, were detained by music lessons with amaster who came over weekly from Carford. Only five fortunate onessallied forth, therefore, with Miss Aubrey. The subject which theirteacher had chosen was not far off, though rather out of the way.Standing back from the village, at the end of a long lane, was arambling old house known as "The Grange". It lay low, in a somewhat dampspot close to the river, faced north, and had no particular view. Owing,no doubt, to these drawbacks, and to its inconvenient situation, it hadbeen unlet for several years, and as the owner did not seem inclined tospend money on repairs, its dilapidated condition held out littlepromise of a new tenant. To anyone anxious for seclusion no moresuitable retreat could be found: the long leafy lane which led to itsrusty iron gate, the thickness of its surrounding plantation, the tallshrubs in the garden, which almost touched the windows, all seemed somany barriers to discourage the public, and to keep the lonely dwellingapart from the outside world. To the girls it looked mysterious, and itwas with almost a creepy feeling that they opened the creaking gate, andmade their way through the tangled garden. Everything seemed asovergrown and as quiet as in the palace of the Sleeping Beauty; not aface to be seen at the windows, nor a footstep to be heard in thegrounds; the flower-beds were a mass of rank weeds, the paths werecovered with grass, and the lawn was a hayfield. In the prime of theirbeauty, however, were the lilac bushes; they had thriven with neglect,and were covered with masses of exquisite blossom, scenting the wholeair, and making the garden a purple Paradise.
"The place ought to be called 'Lilac Grange'!" said Katrine admiringly."It's a perfect show at present. Are we to paint them?"
"I'm afraid they would prove rather difficult. I have an easier subjectfor you round at the back," said Miss Aubrey, leading the way to therear of the house, where a timbered dovecote stood in the old pavedcourtyard. With its black beams and carved doorway, it seemed of muchgreater antiquity than the Grange itself, which had probably beenrebuilt on the site of an older structure. Miss Aubrey found afavourable view where the afternoon sunshine cast warm shadows upon thelichen-stained plaster, and she at once set her pupils to work, to catchthe effect before the light changed.
"What a harbour of refuge this is!" declared Gwethyn, haunted bymemories of the High Street. "There isn't a single child to come anddisturb us. I call this absolute bliss."
"And a ripping subject!" agreed Katrine.
For a long time the girls worked away quietly, passing an occasionalremark, but too busy to talk. At last the Marsdens, who drew morequickly than their comrades, had reached a stage at which it wasimpossible to continue without advice. Miss Aubrey was sketching thelilac round the corner, so leaving their easels they went in search ofher. Not sorry to stretch their limbs for a few minutes, they decidedfirst to take a run round the garden. It would be fun to explore, andKatrine would get rid of the pins and needles in her foot. Under thelanky laurel bushes and overgrown rose arches, along a swampy littlepath by the river, through a broken green-house, and back across anettle-covered terrace. Not a soul to be seen about the whole place. Itwas peaceful as a palace of dreams.
Stop! What was that rustling among the leaves? There was a movementunder the lilac bushes, and a slight figure stepped out into thesunshine.
"Githa Hamilton! Whatever are you doing here?" exclaimed the girls.
The pale little Toadstool looked more surprised than pleased at themeeting.
"I may return the compliment, and ask what you are doing here?" sheparried.
"We're sketching with Miss Aubrey."
"And I'm--amusing myself! My time's my own after school is over."
She spoke aggressively, almost belligerently. To judge from herappearance, no one would have imagined that she had been amusingherself. The redness of her eyes suggested crying.
"I'm going home now for tea," she snapped. "I left my bicycle by thegate."
When Katrine's and Gwethyn's drawings had been duly corrected by theirteacher, and they had settled down again for the final half-hour's work,they mentioned this meeting with Githa to Coralie, who was sitting closeby.
"What was the queer child doing?" asked Katrine. "I thought she seemedrather caught. She glared at us as if she wished us at Timbuctoo."
"Oh! was Githa here? Well, you see, it used to be her old home. Hergrandfather owned the Grange. She and her brother were orphans, andlived with him; then, when he died, they had to go to an uncle, and thehouse was to let. Everybody thinks they were treated very hardly. OldMr. Ledbury had promised to provide for them (they were his daughter'schildren), but when the will was read there was no mention of them. Noone could understand how it was that he had left them without a penny.He had always seemed so fond of them. Their uncle, Mr. Wilfred Ledbury,who inherited everything, took them to live with him, rather onsufferance. The boy is at a boarding-school, but I don't think Githa hasa particularly nice time at The Gables."
"What an atrocious shame!" exploded Gwethyn.
"Oh! don't misunderstand me. They're not exactly unkind to her. She'ssent to school at Aireyholme, and she's always quite nicely dressed; shehas her bicycle, and she may keep her pets in the stable. Only her unclejust ignores her, and her aunt isn't sympathetic, or interested in her.With being a day-girl she's out of all the fun we boarders get. I fancyshe's most fearfully lonely."
"Oh! the poor little Toadstool! If I'd only known that, I wouldn't havebeen so rude to her. I was a brute!" (Gwethyn's self-reproach was reallygenuine.) "I'll be nice to her now. I will indeed!"
"Don't start pitying her, for goodness' sake! It's the one thing Githacan't stand. She's as proud as Lucifer, and if she suspects you're theleast atom sorry for her, it makes her as hard as nails. She never letsus know she's not happy; she always makes out she's better off than weare, going home every day. But I'm sure she's miserable."
"Yes, you can see that in her face," agreed Katrine.
Impulsive Gwethyn, having learnt Githa's story, was anxious to atone forseveral lively passages of arms, and to make friends. But the conquestof the Toadstool was harder than she expected. Githa's proud littleheart resented anything savouring of patronage, and she repelled alladvances. No hedgehog could have been more prickly. She refused to playtennis, declined the loan of books, and even said "No, thank you," toproffered chocolates. Instead of appearing grateful for the notice of agirl in a higher form, she seemed to stiffen herself into an attitude ofhaughty reserve. Finding all attempts at kindness useless, Gwethynsimply let her alone, taking no notice whatever of her, and justignoring pointed remarks and sarcasms, instead of returning them withcompound interest as formerly. Baffled by this new attitude, theToadstool, after trying her most aggravating sallies, and failing todraw any sparks, relapsed into neutrality. Her dark eyes often followedGwethyn with an inscrutable gaze, but she steadfastly avoided speakingto her.
Gwethyn did not greatly concern herself, for she had found three mostcongenial chums. Rose Randall, Beatrix Bates, and Dona Matthews werekindred spirits where fun was concerned, and in their society she spentall her spare time. As for Katrine, she was not likely to trouble abouta Fourth Form girl. She just realized Githa as a plain and veryobjectionable junior, but never gave a thought to her or her affairs. Atpresent Katrine's mind was devoted to art, and had no corner to sparefor minor interests. Under Miss Aubrey's tuition she was making strides,and was beginning to put on her colours in a far more professionalmanner. She really had a decided talent for painting, as well as a lovefor it, and she had come prepared to work. Her teacher, glad to findsuch enthusiasm, gave her every encouragement. She took her outsketching daily, allowed her to watch while she herself painted, andtook infinite trouble to set her in the way of real art progress.Katrine's easel had never before had so much exercise. She planted it ina variety of situations, at the instance of Miss Aubrey, whose trainedeye could at once pick out suitable sub
jects for the brush. Heathwellwas a very Paradise for artists, with its deep lanes, its hedges atangle of honeysuckle, wild rose, and white briony, its quiet timberedfarmsteads set in the midst of lush meadows, its flowery gardens, andits slow-flowing river with reedy, willowy banks. Those were halcyondays to Katrine, whether she sat in the sunshine among the pinks andpansies of a cottage garden, sketching the subtle varied stones of aweather-worn gable against the rich brown of a thatched roof, the beeshumming in and out of the flowers, and the pigeons cooing gently in thedovecote close by; or whether Miss Aubrey took her to the shelter ofthick woods, where the warm light, shimmering through the leaves, castflickering shadows on the soft grass below. There were glorious morningswhen Nature seemed to have washed her children's faces, and turned theworld out in clean clothes; golden noons when all was a-quiver in a hazeof heat, and the sky a blue dome from horizon to zenith; and still,quiet evenings, when the elms were a blot of purple-grey against a paleyellow afterglow, and the uncut hayfield such a soft, delicate, blurredmass of indefinite colour that she gave up the vain effort to depict it,and simply sat to gaze and wonder and enjoy. Down by the river the calmpools would catch the carmine of the sky, till one could fancy that oneof the ten plagues had returned to earth, and that the waters wereturned into blood. Each leaf of the willows seemed to reflect a shade ofwarmer hue, till all was bathed in a glow of ruddy light, and lookingover the gently quivering reed tops to the splendour across the horizon,one could almost see angels between the cloud bars.
Miss Aubrey, who had lived many years at Heathwell, had a score ofrustic acquaintances. The cottage folk often sat to her as models. Theirquaint ways and ingenuous remarks opened out a new phase of the world toKatrine. She became immensely interested in the villagers, from AbelBarnes, who still urged the claims of his bow-windowed red-brick villaas a subject for her brush, to bonny little Hugh Gartley, whose cherubicbeauty she vainly tried to transfer to canvas.
She found the Gartleys a fascinating family. There were so many of them,and they were all so fair and flaxen-haired, with such ready smiles andwinning manners. How they contrived to fit into their very small cottageKatrine could never imagine. She had spoken once or twice to the mother,a good-natured, untidy, slatternly young woman, whose income neverseemed to run to soap; but she avoided the father, an idle ne'er-do-weelwith a reputation for poaching.
"It is very difficult to help the Gartleys," said Miss Aubrey. "Thechildren are most attractive, but it is simply encouraging pauperism togive to them while Bob Gartley stays at home drinking and refusing towork. I hope you haven't given them any money?"
"Only a few pennies to Hugh and Mary--they looked so pretty," admittedKatrine guiltily.