CHAPTER V
INCORRIGIBLE KITTY
Mr. Harley's library was a beautiful room. It was lined with books fromfloor to ceiling, and these books had been selected with the greatestcare. Standard works of all sorts and in three languages were to befound on certain bookshelves, also modern works, both poetry and prose,with some of the best novels of the day.
Bessie Challoner never envied rich people. She cared nothing whateverfor fine dresses, nor for carriages and horses, nor for the luxuriouslife of the wealthy, but she did envy Gwin Harley the use of herfather's library; and when she entered the room now, with that deliciousfaint smell of leather which all libraries possess, she sniffed firstwith ecstasy, and then climbing on the ladder secured the volume of the"Encyclopaedia" which she required, and seating herself at one of thecenter tables, was soon lost in the fascinations of her subject. After atime a little cough, very gentle, however, caused her to raise her head,and there standing before her was Kitty Malone.
Kitty's long arms had dropped to her sides, and she had pushed back hermasses of dark hair. There was a pathetic expression about her rosylips, and tears trembled on her long eyelashes.
"Why, what is it, Kitty; what do you want?" asked Bessie.
"Ah, then it's good to hear you say that word, aroon," said Kitty. "Iwant to sit near you. I won't speak, no, not a syllable. Hush will bethe only word with me, hush! hush! hush! You can go on with your belovedreading and I'll stay near you; that's all I require. Why, then, it'sjust a shelter I need, and nothing more. Read away, Bessie, my honey,and I'll do nothing to interrupt you."
"But why have you left the others?" asked Bessie.
"Never mind, dear, now. I'll just sit quietly here, and contemplate youwhile you are studying."
Bessie sighed impatiently. She then bent again over her book, and beganto devour the pages. Kitty watched her with marked interest.
"I wonder if it will be my fate to have to take up with literature insober earnest," she said to herself, "I, who can never abide a book. Oh,to be back again in the dear old place! I should not be a bit surprisedif Laurie is out fishing now, and Pat with him. And oh, suppose they arebringing in the trout, and the creatures are leaping and struggling asthey come to shore, and father is going round to feed the dogs--why, thethought is enough to madden me. Oh, then, why did I ever leave home? Idon't care _that_ for books, nor for being clever nor for--How she worksto be sure! How earnest she looks. She has got a very fine forehead,although it is miles too high. She ought to wear a fringe; it wouldimprove her wonderfully. I will cut her hair some day if she will letme. I will cut it and curl it. I have got the dearest little jewel of apair of curling tongs that ever was seen! Aunt Honora sent it to me in abox with a spirit lamp all complete when I got the rest of my things.I'll just exercise those little tongs on dear, nice Bessie. I do wishshe would not be so devoted to that book, she might talk. Oh, I amlonely. I think I'll fidget a bit."
Kitty moved her chair, creaking it ominously; but Bessie had got to amost thrilling part of her subject, and Kitty might have creaked thelibrary down before she would have roused her companion's attention.
"Now, if I sigh, perhaps that will do it," thought Kitty. She opened hermouth and let some profound sighs come up from the depths of her heart;but they only depressed her still more, and had no effect whatever onBessie.
"I think I hate intellectual people," muttered the Irish girl. Shejumped to her feet.
"I must do something to rouse her or I shall go mad. She is the nicestof them all, much. I wish she would speak to me. Why should I break myheart, and why should she simply go on devouring that stupid book? Here,I know what I'll do. I'll just toss down one of the big volumes; it willmake a clatter and she will have to look up. Perhaps I'll let it dropjust the tiniest bit in the world on the corner of her toe; that willfinish her." Here Kitty laughed excitedly, pushed out her arm andknocked over a huge volume which certainly fell a good deal more than atiny bit on poor Bessie's foot.
"Oh, Kitty, what have you done?" cried Bessie. "You have quite hurt me.I wish you would not drop the books about."
"There, darling, I had to do it. Pray forgive me," said Kitty.
"You had to do it!" answered Bessie. "Do you mean that you did it onpurpose?"
"Why, then, yes, love--that's what I do mean exactly. I did it becauseI wanted you to talk to me, and you _would_ think of nothing but thatbook."
"It is such a chance," answered Bessie, "and I wanted to find out formyself all about that wonderful magnetic iron ore. You know it neverloses its power, it is potent for hundreds and hundreds of years, and--"
"Oh, don't tell me any more, or I'll lose my senses. Dear Bessie, whatdoes magnetic iron ore matter. Bessie, I'm awfully unhappy. Every one isso unkind to me. Promise you'll be my friend, won't you?"
Bessie looked up, and then she saw something so touching in Kitty's facethat she closed her book with a reluctant sigh, to devote herself thenext moment with all the sympathy she possessed to her companion.
"I am sure you are suffering, Kitty, and I am sorry for you," she said."I'll fetch my hat and we'll go out for a little."
"Oh, what a darling you are!" answered Kitty.
A moment or two later the girls were walking across the beautifully-keptgarden; they soon reached a shady path at the further end.
"And now, Kitty," said Bessie, "I mean to lecture you a little."
"Anything in the world you like, darling. I'm quite agreeable. AuntHonora and Aunt Bridget lecture me, and so does the dear old dadsometimes; but I always say when they have finished that it is likewater on a duck's back--it rolls off without making the least bit ofimpression, and then they laugh and say that I am the queerest mixturethey ever came across, and that they had best leave me to nature. Butperhaps I'll listen to you, Bessie."
"I wish you would," said Bessie. "I am sure," she added, speaking withgreat earnestness, "that you are a very nice girl, Kitty; but at thesame time you are wild."
"Oh, I pride myself on that," said Kitty in her frankest of voices.
"But I wish you would not, Kitty, for it really isn't nice."
"Not nice! Now what may you be meaning by that, aroon?"
"Well, there is a sort of dignity which I think a really well brought-upgirl ought to possess."
"Oh, my! dignity is it?" said Kitty. She stepped away from hercompanion, drew down her face to a ridiculous length, nearly closed hereyes, and folded her hands demurely across her breast.
"Is that pleasing you, mavourneen?" she said. "Is it dignified and soberenough poor Kitty Malone looks now?"
"Oh, Kitty, you will joke about everything."
Kitty immediately changed her mood.
"No, I won't," she said. "I am really awfully obliged to you. You don'tknow what all this has been to me. Father said I was growing toowild--yes, the darling dad did; he agrees with you down to the core ofhis heart, and he said I must go to England and be taught manners. But,bless you, they'll have a job. I told him so when I was going. I said,'Dad, it's the hearts of the teachers I'll be breaking;' and dad said,'Oh, no, you won't, Kitty, aroon. You'll be a good girl, and you'll tryto please your old dad and you'll come back a beautiful, perfect lady!'He said it with tears in his eyes, he did, the darling; and I promised,and down on my knees I went and asked God to help me. But, dear, it'slike the froth of the sea-foam inside me, the fun and the mischief andthe nonsense and the ways that you think queer; but, all the same, thoseways delight the good folk at home. Must I really give them up,Bessie--must I?"
"To a certain extent," said Bessie, "or you will have a lot of enemieshere, Kitty, and you won't be at all happy."
"How I wish I lived with you, Bessie Challoner. You're a broth of agirl, that you are. You have not taken a dislike to me just because ofthe fun bubbling up in my heart?"
"No, dear; on the contrary, I like you extremely."
"Ah, you precious duck of a darling! It is a good squeeze you wouldlike, if I gave it to you?"
"Well, I am n
ot very fond of being kissed; but if you must, Kitty."
"I must, dear, I must, for the heart in me is full to the brim. Nowthen, stand still, and I'll catch you up close to my heart. There! isn'tthat better?"
Poor Bessie gave some long-drawn breaths, for the firmness, in fact theferocity, of Kitty's embrace quite hurt her for a moment.
"There," said Kitty, "that's the way we hug in Old Ireland. Now I'm asight better, and I'll let go. So you do like me, Bessie?"
"Yes, very much indeed, Kitty, only--please don't do it again."
"I won't to-night, I won't really, but it's wonderful that you don'tlike it. I wish you could see Aunt Honora and Aunt Bridget hug oneanother. Why, it's the noise they make when they get together, and theway they kiss! Oh, dear, I hope some day you'll come to Ireland."
"You don't tempt me by these descriptions," replied Bessie. "But now,Kitty, will you promise just to be a little quieter, to keep in allthose irrepressible and--really I must say it, dear, at the risk ofhurting you--those silly words."
"But then I'm silly myself," said Kitty. "Can you expect wisdom out ofnonsense? I am pure and simple nonsense from first to last."
"But you do want to be something better? You do want to lead a goodlife?"
"A good life! I never thought there was anything bad in me."
"You want to learn for instance?"
"No; that I don't, darling."
"You don't want to learn, Kitty? Then what is the good of coming toMiddleton School?"
"Listen," said Kitty. "I'll do anything for father. Father said I was tolearn, and that I was to get manners. Now I think your manners areperfect. I'll model myself on you, dear; that I will. Will you teach meyour manners, Bessie Challoner?"
"I'll do all I can to help you, Kitty."
"And you'll be my real faithful friend?"
"Yes, only please not--"
"I won't, dear, I won't to-night; but when I meet you to-morrow you'llallow me just once?"
"Well, if it will break you in."
"It will, it will. It will enable me to bear Alice. I am not the sort tohate people; but I'll soon get to hate her. It's an awful afflictionthat I have got to live with the Denvers; not that Mrs. Denvers is bad,nor Mr. Denvers, poor dear, nor Fred, but Alice! I'd like to get Aliceover to Ireland, to Castle Malone. I could punish her a bit if I put herinto Laurie's hands. But there!"
"Well, Kitty, time is going," said Bessie. "It is a bargain that I helpyou to learn some of our English ways, and that you, in order to pay me,try to be gentle yourself, and to restrain some of your wild words."
"I'll try. I'll do my very, very best. You'll see when I get toMiddleton School what a proper, respectable sort of girl I'll become."
"And you'll work hard too, won't you, Kitty? For I know it will do you agreat deal of good, and I am sure you are very intelligent."
"Well, I can take in most things; only it's no end of a bother."
"I am certain you will succeed if you try," said Bessie. "Then it's abargain, isn't it? You'll try to learn a great deal, and you will doyour best to get better mannered?"
"Why, of course I will. I hate learning, and I don't want to be botheredwith lessons: but there's nothing under the sun I wouldn't do for thoseI love; and I love father and I love you too, Bessie Challoner."
"They are calling us. We must go into the house," said Bessie.
"Do yield to me on one point," cried Kitty.
"What is that?"
"Let us go back to the house with our arms round each other's waists. Itwill show Alice that we have come to an understanding. I don't caretwopence about Miss Harley nor about that other girl--I don't rememberher name; but I want Alice to see us. Why, it's mad with jealousy she'llbe. Come along, aroon. Here's my arm firm round your waist; now let usdance up to the house."
"Oh Kitty, Kitty, you are incorrigible!" cried poor Bessie, and afeeling of despair certainly visited her at that moment.