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A Girl in Ten Thousand, a fiction by L. T. Meade |
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Chapter 12 |
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_ CHAPTER XII When Effie had finished the many small duties which fell to her share in the household economy, she went up to her bedroom and hastily changed her everyday dress for her best one. She did not take long about this task. Her small face looked very pale and thin under the heavy crepe on her hat. Taking up her gloves she ran down to the parlor where her mother was sitting. Mrs. Staunton was busily mending some stockings for George. A pile of his clothes lay on the table by her side. "I thought we might send these to London next week," she said, looking up as her daughter entered the room. "George will want a really warm greatcoat for the winter, and this one of your father's--why, Effie, my dear----" She stopped abruptly, and gazed up at Effie's best hat. "Where are you going, my love?" she said. "I thought you could help me this morning." "I am going out, mother, for a little." "But where to? Why have you your best things on?" "I am going to the Harveys'." "To the Harveys'--to The Grange?" Mrs. Staunton shuddered slightly; she turned her head aside. "Why are you going there?" she asked, after a pause. "I want to see them--I won't be long away. Please, mother, don't tire yourself over all that mending now." "It interests me, my dear; I find it impossible to sit with my hands before me. I am stronger than I used to be. I have got to live for George; and George is young, he is entering life, he must not be saddled with an old, ailing mother. I must get strong, I must get back my youth for his sake. Don't be long away, Effie, dear. I wonder you like to go to the Harveys' under the circumstances, but you know best. Children are very independent nowadays," concluded Mrs. Staunton, with a sigh. Effie went up to her mother and kissed her, then she softly left the room. The day was a particularly fine one, the sun shone brightly upon the little High Street. Effie walked quickly; she soon turned into a shady lane, the lane led her into the highroad. By and by she stopped at the gates of The Grange. The woman of the lodge came out when she saw her. This woman had been fond of Dr. Staunton, and she recognized Effie. Effie's little figure, her heavy black dress, her crepe hat, her white cheeks and dark eyes, all appealed with great pathos to the woman. She ran towards her with outstretched hands. "Miss Effie, my dear, you're welcome," she said. She caught Effie's little white hands in her hard, toil-worn ones. "You are welcome, Miss Effie," she repeated; "it is good of you to come. Eh, dear, but it goes to the heart to see you in that deep black! Come in and rest, my dear young lady--come in and rest." "I cannot just now, Mrs. Jones," replied Effie. "I am in a hurry--I want to go up to see the Squire on business." "And how is your mother, poor lady--how is she bearing up, my dear?" "Wonderfully," said Effie. "I'll come and see you another day, Mrs. Jones." "Eh, do! you'll be more than welcome. I long to hear all about the doctor, poor man, and how he went off at the end. The last words of the pious are always worth listening to. I'll be glad to hear particulars, if you can give me half an hour some time, Miss Effie." "Some time," said Effie. She walked on, trembling a little. The woman's words and her eager look of curiosity were dreadful to her; nevertheless, she knew that her father, under similar circumstances, would have been very patient with this woman. By and by she arrived at the heavy front door of the old Grange. She walked up the steps and rang the bell. The door was opened almost immediately by a servant in livery. He knew Effie, and asked her in. "Is the Squire at home?" she asked. "I am not sure, miss, but I'll inquire. Will you step in here while I go to ask?" The man opened the door of a little sitting room. Effie went in, and he closed it softly behind him. After what seemed a very short time, she heard eager steps coming along the hall--the room door was flung open, and Squire Harvey, accompanied by his wife, came in. Mrs. Harvey looked like a shadow--but her sweet face had a tender blush-rose color about it, her eyes had the intensely clear look which long illness gives; she was better, but she looked so frail and delicate that Effie's heart went out to her. "My dear child," said Mrs. Harvey, "how good, how very good of you to come! I am only just downstairs. Dr. Edwards only allowed me down yesterday, but I could not resist coming to welcome you myself. Won't you come into my sitting room? It is just at the opposite side of the hall. I'll send Rhoda upstairs to fetch little Freda. She will be so enraptured at seeing you. Come, my dear. Now that we have got you, we won't let you go in a hurry. I think it so sweet of you to come to see us, and under the circumstances. Don't you think it is sweet of her, Walter, dear?" Squire Harvey had more perception of character than his wife. He noticed how white Effie's face grew; he noticed the pathetic trembling of her hands. "My dear," he said, "perhaps Miss Staunton wishes to see me by herself. I understood from the servant that she had asked for me." "Yes, I did want to see you very much," said Effie. "Of course, dear little thing," interrupted Mrs. Harvey; "but I'll stay while you talk to her. I am immensely interested in you. Miss Staunton. I can never forget, as long as I live, what you and yours have done for us." "Please don't talk of it now," said Effie. "I mean--I know how kindly you feel, and indeed I am not ungrateful, but I cannot bear to talk it over, and I want very badly, please, to say something to the Squire." "Come with me to my study, Miss Staunton," said the Squire. He opened the door, and Effie followed him. "Be sure you make her stay, Walter, when your business is over," called Mrs. Harvey after him. "I'll send for Freda to my boudoir. Miss Staunton must stay to lunch. It is delightful to see her again, and it is so sweet of her to come to see us." The thin, high voice kept calling these words out a little louder and a little louder as Effie followed the Squire down one long corridor after another, until at last they entered his special study. He shut the door at once, and offered her a chair. "If I can do anything for you, you have but to command me," he said. "I see you are in great trouble," he continued. "Pray take your own time. I have nothing whatever to do--I can listen to you as long as ever you like." Poor Effie found great difficulty in using her voice. For one dreadful moment words seemed to fail her altogether. Then she gave a swift thought to her mother, to George, and her resolve was taken. "I want to make a very queer request of you, Mr. Harvey," she said. "It may not be possible for you to grant it. For my father's sake, will you promise that you will never tell anyone what I am now asking you, if you don't find it convenient to grant it to me?" "I'll keep your secret, of course," said the Squire. "But permit me to say one thing before you begin to tell it to me: there's not the slightest fear of my not granting it. There is nothing that you can possibly ask of me, that, under the circumstances, I should think it right to refuse. Now, pray proceed." "I want you," said Effie--she gulped down a great lump in her throat, and proceeded in a sort of desperation--"I want you to lend me 250 pounds. I'll pay you interest--I think five per cent. is fair interest--I'll pay you interest on the money, and return it to you by installments." There was not the least doubt that Effie's request startled the Squire. The amount of the money required was nothing to him, for he was a very rich man; but the girl's manner, her evident distress, the look of shame and misery on her face, surprised him. He guessed that she was borrowing the money for another, but for whom? "I can see you are in trouble," he said in his kindest tone. "Why don't you confide in me? As to the money, make your mind easy, you shall have it; but girls like you don't as a rule borrow a large sum of money of this kind. Do you want it for yourself?" "No." "You won't tell me who it is for?" "I cannot, Mr. Harvey. Please don't ask me." "I won't ask you anything that distresses you. As you are talking of money, you will forgive me for saying that I am told that your mother is left badly off." "No; that's a mistake," said Effie. "She has money. My father left her very well off for a man in his position. He insured his life for a thousand pounds, and my mother had a little fortune of her own, which brings in about sixty pounds a year." "And you think your mother well off with that?" said the Squire in a tone of almost amused pity. "Yes, for a woman in her position," said Effie in almost a proud tone. "Forgive me," she said; "I know that, after the request I have just made, you would be justified in asking me any questions, but I would rather not say any more about my mother. If you'll lend me the money--if indeed you will be so good, so noble--when can I have it?" "When do you want it?" "I must have it before six weeks are up, but the sooner the better." "You shall have it in a week. Come here this day week and I'll give you a check for the amount."' "A check!" said Effie; "but I would have to pass that through mother's bank--and--and she might know." "Are you really asking for this money without your mother's knowledge, Miss Staunton?" "Yes; my mother is not to know. Mr. Harvey, the object of our lives is to keep all anxiety from our mother--she must never know." "Forgive me," said the Squire, after a pause. "I know a great deal about business, and you very little. Would it not be best to open an account in your own name? I am told that you propose soon to go to London. I would introduce you to my bankers there, who would be very glad to open an account with you; and if at any time you should have need of assistance, Miss Staunton, you would give me the privilege of helping you. Remember, but for me and mine you would not now be fatherless. You must see that you have a claim on me. Allow me to fulfill that claim in the only possible way in my power." "You are good, you are more than good," said Effie, rising. "But this is all I really need. I'll pay you the interest on the money every half year." "Oh, that doesn't matter. I earnestly wish you would take it as a gift." "Thank you, but that is impossible." Effie stood up; she had nothing further to say. "May I take you to my wife's room now?" said, the Squire. "I know she is waiting to see you, she is longing to be friends with you. Her recovery has been wonderful; and as to little Freda, she is almost herself again. You would like to see Freda, would you not?" "Yes," said Effie, "but not to-day--I must hurry back to my mother. I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Harvey. Will you please tell your--your wife that I cannot stay to-day?--my mother wants me. Thank you--thank you." The Squire himself showed Effie out. He stood for a moment by his open hall door, watched her as she walked slowly down the avenue. "That is a plucky little thing," he said to himself. "Now, what in the world does she want that money for? Not for herself, I'll be bound. I do hope she has got no disreputable relations hanging onto her. Well, at least it is my bounden duty to help her, but I wish she would confide in me. She is a pretty girl, too, and has a look of the doctor about her eyes." "Where is Miss Staunton?" asked Mrs. Harvey, coming forward. "Vanishing round that corner, my love," returned the Squire. "The fact is, the poor little thing is completely upset, and cannot face anyone." "But her business, Walter--what did she want?" "Ah, that's the secret--she made me swear not to tell anyone. It is my opinion, Elfreda, that the child has got into trouble. We must do what we can for her." "I wish she would come here and be Freda's governess," said Mrs. Harvey. The Squire looked at his wife. "That's a good thought," he remarked; "and we might give her a big salary--she is so innocent, she would not really know anything about it. We might give her two hundred a year, and then she could help her mother; but I doubt whether she would leave her mother--she seems simply bound up in her." "It is our duty to help her," said Mrs. Harvey, "whatever happens. If she won't come to us, we must think of some other way." "Yes we must," said the Squire. _ |
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