The Sunday after the funeral, the young ladies appeared at church, with very serious and sorrowful countenances; and afterwards, with Miss Arden and Miss Damer, Jane was often a subject of conversation: they loved to recall her to remembrance; and the proofs she had left of her regard were particularly prized by them. But serious impressions seldom remain long upon the minds of very young people. Miss Bruce was almost the One evening, unknown to the teacher, she had strolled to the front garden gate, apparently on the watch for mischief. Isabella, who was intent upon learning her lessons for the following day, had likewise passed the boundary of the play-ground, and had sauntered the same way. Miss Bruce in a moment caught her hand, opened the gate, and ran with her into the lane. “Where are you taking me to?” exclaimed Isabella; “you have frightened me so!” “Nonsense! I only want you to go with me to the cake shop: we shan’t be five minutes away.” “What a dunce!” cried Miss Bruce; “only at forty-five! I will teach you ten times further; and to add, and to subtract, if you will come with me. I do believe Miss Wilkins is there! Come along, or we shall be finely punished!” Saying this, Miss Bruce dragged Isabella down the lane, whilst she struggled to make her escape. “I will not go, Miss Bruce! you have no right to take me! I declare you have made me drop my questions!” “I dare not go: I know Mrs. Adair will be so angry!” “I am determined you shall come! you are the most stupid little thing in England!” As Miss Bruce said this, she took firm hold of her companion’s frock and arm, and drew her towards the water. Isabella in vain tried to escape. By this time, they had almost reach the pool; a boy, who had been amusing two children, making circles “Do you think, Sir, I shall answer a rude, vulgar boy like you?” The boy looked at her with contempt, and stooping to Isabella, said, “Do, little lady, tell me what this great girl is holding your frock for?” “She wants me to go with her for cakes, and I want to learn my lessons.” “O, you are the ladies, then, from the great school! I thought I had seen you before. I see how it is; this great girl is like Jack Ranger; she wants to get you into a scrape, that you may be “You shall not go with her, against your mind, were she as big as Hercules! We are English, and are not to be conquered.” Miss Bruce suddenly let go her companion’s frock, and gave the boy a violent slap upon the face. “Go home, you little ragged creature, mend your coat, and do not talk to ladies.” The boy instantly recovered himself from the blow; and looking at Miss Bruce with scorn, exclaimed, “I am not a mender of old clothes, Miss! The blow he returned made blood to gush violently from Miss Bruce’s nose. Isabella screamed; the children cried out, “very well, Tom! I would not be you for something.” A pretty woman, but with a stern countenance, now came forth from the cottage, and asked what the rout was about. “Only our Tom and the lady boxing,” cried the children. “For shame of yourself, Sir! How dare you behave so to your betters?” “I would have struck her,” said the boy, sullenly, “had she been as tall as the steeple, and as great as King George He now ran off with Isabella. “Very well, Sir! but I shall tell your father of this, or my name’s not Grace Johnson! But come into the cottage, Miss; and let us see what we can do with your frock, for it is in a sad state.” Miss Bruce followed the cottager, a little ashamed of her appearance; but more afraid of consequences. She was, however, one of those self-willed young ladies, who think upon a thing one moment, and act upon it the next. When Isabella and her champion arrived at the garden-gate, behold it was locked! What was to be done was now the consideration. “We’ll tell the truth at once,” said the boy: “it may be blamed, but, as the copy says, it never can be shamed. But don’t look so down, Miss: never mind a bit of a thrashing! Father gives me many a one; but I never flinch!” “If I am not afraid of that, I am afraid of Mrs. Adair looking serious; and not wishing me good-night. But do look and see if you can see monitrix.” “Monitrix! what, in the name of goodness, is that? Have you a great dog at school?” “O dear, no; I mean the lady who hears my lessons before I say them to Miss Adair.” “Is that all!” The boy stepped on one side, and looked up at the house. The boy hastily ran to the front door, and rang the bell. In the mean time Isabella crept under the court railing to conceal herself. When the servant opened the door, he asked if the lady was in. “Do you mean my mistress?” “To be sure I do; the mistress of the school; and must see her in a moment.” Mrs. Adair was passing through the hall; and made her appearance, with a countenance not a little forbidding. “What do you want with me?” she asked. “Only, madam,” and here the boy hesitated; “I beg your pardon, madam; somehow, I have a little lady here: and I don’t know what to do with her.” “You mean something respecting one of my scholars; what is it? for I am at a loss to understand you.” “Bless me! surely she’s not run away!” The boy sprang to the gate, and quickly returned. “She is quite snug; I thought she had given me the slip. A great girl, ma’am, ran away with her. She did not come down to the pond of her own free good will. This is as true as truth is. This was all a puzzle to Mrs. Adair; but she stepped into the lane with the boy, and there she saw Isabella, seated, in great trouble, upon a stone. The affair was now explained. Isabella was taken to Elizabeth, with the assurance Mrs. Adair now proposed going with the boy to his father’s. There was an expression of honest warmth in his countenance, which, in a moment, changed her own manner; and, as they were going down the lane, she asked how far they were from his father’s house. “‘Tis but a cottage, madam. Grandmother says we were once well off in the world; but things will go wrong some how or another: but I’ll make good what I wrote to-day.” “And what was it, my good boy?” “Only to work while I am able, As they drew nearer the cottage, they saw the man and his son step over the stile into the field, followed by a female. “Well, I declare,” said the boy, “there is mother with her bonnet! I wonder what they are all after! And there’s grandmother come to the door!” He now called out: “Grandmother! here is the lady from the great school, coming to look for Miss.” “Ah, grandmother, that’s nothing new! If my own mother was living, it would not be so.” “With your permission,” said Mrs. Adair, as she entered the cottage, “I will take a seat till your daughter returns.” “Certainly, madam; here is a comfortable seat. But we are not the neatest people in the world,” said the old The boy looked at her, and seemed to read her countenance. “It was not always so, madam: I remember we were once happy folks; but it was a sad day for Dick and I, when father’s wife took place of father’s love.” “Thou shouldst think well of thy father’s wife, and honour his choice. Stepmothers, child, have a hard task: they cannot please, do what they will.” “Grandmother,” said the boy, “kindness makes kindness, all the world over. “Go to the children, and take care of them,” said the old woman. “And come to my house at four o’clock on Saturday afternoon, and ask for Mrs. Adair.” The boy made a bow in a blunt manner; but, as he waved his hand in passing her, she thought there was an appearance of good breeding, that would not have disgraced a boy in a much higher sphere. |