CHAPTER III. AT HELMSLEY COURT.

"Lady Caroline has brought you back, then?" said Sir Philip, after his first pause of

astonishment.

"Yes," said Margaret, serenely. "I have been expelled."

"Expelled! You?"

"Yes, indeed, I have," said the girl, with a faintly amused little smile. "And so has my

great friend, Janetta Colwyn. Here she is: Janetta, I am telling Sir Philip Ashley that we

have been expelled, and he will not believe me."

Sir Philip turned in some curiosity to see the girl of whom he had heard for the first

time that morning. He had not noticed before that she was present. He saw a brown little

creature, with eyes that had been swollen with crying until they were well-nigh

invisible, small, unremarkable features, and a mouth that was inclined to quiver.

Margaret might afford to be serene, but to this girl expulsion from school had evidently

been a sad trouble. He threw all the more kindness and gentleness into his voice and

look as he spoke to her.

Janetta might have felt a little awkward if she had not been so entirely absorbed by her

own woes. She had never set foot before in half so grand a house as this of Helmsley

Court, nor had she ever dined late or spoken to a gentleman in an evening coat in all her

previous life. The size and the magnificence of the room would perhaps have oppressed

her if she had been fully aware of them. But she was for the moment very much wrapped

up in her own affairs, and scarcely stopped to think of the novel situation in which she

found herself. The only thing that had startled her was the attention paid to her dress by

Margaret and Margaret's maid. Janetta would have put on her afternoon black cashmere

and little silver brooch, and would have felt herself perfectly well dressed; but Margaret,

after a little consultation with the very grand young person who condescended to brush

Miss Colwyn's hair, had herself brought to Janetta's room a dress of black lace over

cherry-colored silk, and had begged her to put it on.

"You will feel so hot downstairs if you don't put on something cool," Margaret had said.

"There is a fire in the drawing-room: papa likes the rooms warm. My dresses would not

have fitted you, I am so much taller than you; but mamma is just your height, and

although you are thinner perhaps——But I don't know: the dress fits you perfectly.

Look in the glass, Janet; you are quite splendid."

Janetta looked and blushed a little—not because she thought herself at all splendid, but

because the dress showed her neck and arms in a way no dress had ever done before.

"Ought it to be—open—like this?" she said, vaguely. "Do you wear your dresses like

this when you are at home?"

"Mine are high," said Margaret. "I am not 'out,' you know. But you are older than I, and

you used to teach——I think we may consider that you are 'out,'" she added, with a

little laugh. "You look very nice, Janetta: you have such pretty arms! Now I must go

and dress, and I will call for you when I am ready to go down."

Janetta felt decidedly doubtful as to whether she were not a great deal too grand for the

occasion; but she altered her mind when she saw Margaret's dainty silk and lace, and

Lady Caroline's exquisite brocade; and she felt herself quite unworthy to take Mr. Adair's offered arm when dinner was announced and her host politely convoyed her to

the dining-room. She wondered whether he knew that she was only a little governesspupil, and whether he was not angry with her for being the cause of his daughter's abrupt

departure from school. As a matter of fact, Mr. Adair knew her position exactly, and

was very much amused by the whole affair; also, as it had procured him the pleasure of

his daughter's return home, he had an illogical inclination to be pleased also with

Janetta. "As Margaret is so fond of her, there must be something in her," he said to

himself, with a critical glance at the girl's delicate features and big dark eyes. "I'll draw

her out at dinner."

He tried his best, and made himself so agreeable and amusing that Janetta lost a good

deal of her shyness, and forgot her troubles. She had a quick tongue of her own, as

everybody at Miss Polehampton's was aware; and she soon found that she had not lost

it. She was a good deal surprised to find that not a word was said at the dinner table

about the cause of Margaret's return: in her own home it would have been the subject

of the evening; it would have been discussed from every point of view, and she would

probably have been reduced to tears before the first hour was over. But here it was

evident that the matter was not considered of great importance. Margaret looked serene

as ever, and joined quietly in talk which was alarmingly unlike Miss Polehampton's

improving conversation: talk about county gaieties and county magnates: gossip about

neighbors—gossip of a harmless although frivolous type, for Lady Caroline never

allowed any talk at her table that was anything but harmless, about fashions, about old

china, about music and art. Mr. Adair was passionately fond of music, and when he

found that Miss Colwyn really knew something of it he was in his element. They

discoursed of fugues, sonatas, concertos, quartettes, and trios, until even Lady Caroline

raised her eyebrows a little at the very technical nature of the conversation; and Sir

Philip exchanged a congratulatory smile with Margaret over her friend's success. For

the delight of finding a congenial spirit had brought the crimson into Janetta's olive

cheeks and the brilliance to her dark eyes: she had looked insignificant when she went

in to dinner; she was splendidly handsome at dessert. Mr. Adair noticed her flashing,

transitory beauty, and said to himself that Margaret's taste was unimpeachable; it was

just like his own; he had complete confidence in Margaret.

When the ladies went back to the drawing-room, Sir Philip turned with a look of only

half-disguised curiosity to his host. "Lady Caroline brought her back then?" he said,

longing to ask questions, yet hardly knowing how to frame them aright.

Mr. Adair gave a great laugh. "It's been the oddest thing I ever heard of," he said, in a

tone of enjoyment. "Margaret takes a fancy to that little black-eyed girl—a nice little

thing, too, don't you think?—and nothing must serve but that her favorite must walk

with her, sit by her, and so on—you know the romantic way girls have? The

schoolmistress interfered, said it was not proper, and so on; forbade it. Miss Colwyn

would have obeyed, it seems, but Margaret took the bit in a quiet way between her teeth.

Miss Colwyn was ordered to take her meals at a side table: Margaret insisted on taking

her meals there too. The school was thrown into confusion. At last Miss Polehampton

decided that the best way out of the difficulty was first to complain to us, and then to

send Miss Colwyn home, straight away. She would not send Margaret home, you

know!"

"That was very hard on Miss Colwyn," said Sir Philip, gravely.

"Yes, horribly hard. So Margaret, as you heard, appealed to her mother, and when Lady

Caroline arrived, she found that not only were Miss Colwyn's boxes packed, but

Margaret's as well; and that Margaret had declared that if her friend was sent away for

what was after all her fault, she would not stay an hour in the house. Miss Polehampton

was weeping: the girls were in revolt, the teachers in despair, so my wife thought the

best way out of the difficulty was to bring both girls away at once, and settle it with

Miss Colwyn's relations afterwards. The joke is that Margaret insists on it that she has

been 'expelled.'"

"So she told me."

"The schoolmistress said something of that kind, you know. Caroline says the woman

entirely lost her temper and made an exhibition of herself. Caroline was glad to get our

girl away. But, of course, it's all nonsense about being 'expelled' as a punishment; she

was leaving of her own accord."

"One could hardly imagine punishment in connection with her," said Sir Philip, warmly.

"No, she's a nice-looking girl, isn't she? and her little friend is a good foil, poor little

thing."

"This affair may prove of some serious inconvenience to Miss Colwyn, I suppose?"

"Oh, you may depend upon it, she won't be the loser," said Mr. Adair, hastily. "We'll

see about that. Of course she will not suffer any injury through my daughter's friendship

for her."

Sir Philip was not so sure about it. In spite of his intense admiration for Margaret's

beauty, it occurred to him that the romantic partisanship of the girl with beauty, position,

and wealth for her less fortunate sister had not been attended with very brilliant results.

No doubt Miss Adair, reared in luxury and indulgence, did not in the least realize the

harm done to the poor governess-pupil's future by her summary dismissal from Miss

Polehampton's boarding-school. To Margaret, anything that the schoolmistress chose to

say or do mattered little; to Janetta Colwyn, it might some day mean prosperity or

adversity of a very serious kind. Sir Philip did not quite believe in the compensation so

easily promised by Mr. Adair. He made a mental note of Miss Colwyn's condition and prospects, and said to himself that he would not forget her. And this meant a good deal

from a busy man like Sir Philip Ashley.

Meanwhile there had been another conversation going on in the drawing-room between

the three ladies. Margaret put her arm affectionately round Janetta's waist as they stood

by the hearthrug, and looked at her mother with a smile. Lady Caroline sank into an

easy-chair on the other side of the fireplace, and contemplated the two girls.

"This is better than Claremont House, is it not, Janet?" said Margaret.

"Indeed it is," Janetta answered, gratefully.

"You found the way to papa's heart by your talk about music—did she not, mamma?

And does not this dress suit her beautifully?"

"It wants a little alteration in the sleeve," said Lady Caroline, with the placidity which

Janetta had always attributed to Margaret as a special virtue, but which she now found

was merely characteristic of the house and family in general, "but Markham can do that

to-morrow. There are some people coming in the evening, and the sleeve will look

better shortened."

The remark sounded a little inconsequent in Janetta's ear, but Margaret understood and

assented. It meant that Lady Caroline was on the whole pleased with Janetta, and did

not object to introducing her to her friends. Margaret gave her mother a little smile over

Janetta's head, while that young person was gathering up her courage in two hands, so

to speak, before addressing Lady Caroline.

"I am very much obliged to you," she said at last, with a thrill of gratitude in her sweet

voice which was very pleasant to the ear. "But—I was thinking—what time would be

the most convenient for me to go home to-morrow?"

"Home? To Beaminster?" said Margaret. "But you need not go, dear; you can write a

note and tell them that you are staying here."

"Yes, my dear; I am sure Margaret cannot part with you yet," said Lady Caroline,

amiably.

"Thank you; it is most kind of you," Janetta answered, her voice shaking. "But I must

ask my father whether I can stay—and hear what he says; Miss Polehampton will have

written to him, and——"

"And he will be very glad that we have rescued you from her clutches," said Margaret,

with a soft triumphant little laugh. "My poor Janetta! What we suffered at her hands!"

Lady Caroline lying back in her easy chair, with the candle light gleaming upon her

silvery grey and white brocade with its touches of soft pink, and the diamonds flashing on her white hands, so calmly crossed upon the handle of her ivory fan, did not feel

quite so tranquil as she looked. It crossed her mind that Margaret was acting

inconsiderately. This little Miss Colwyn had her living to earn; it would be no kindness

to unfit her for her profession. So, when she spoke it was with a shade more decision

than usual in her tones.

"We will drive you over to Beaminster to-morrow, my dear Miss Colwyn, and you can

then see your family, and ask your father if you may spend a few days with Margaret. I

do not think that Mr. Colwyn will refuse us," she said, graciously. "I wonder when those

men are coming, Margaret. Suppose you open the piano and let us have a little music.

You sing, do you not?"

"Yes, a little," said Janetta.

"A little!" exclaimed Margaret, with contempt. "She has a delightful voice, mamma.

Come and sing at once, Janetta, darling, and astonish mamma."

Lady Caroline smiled. She had heard a great many singers in her day, and did not expect

to be astonished. A little governess-pupil, an under-teacher in a boarding-school! Dear

Margaret's enthusiasm certainly carried her away.

But when Janetta sang, Lady Caroline was, after all, rather surprised. The girl had a

remarkably sweet and rich contralto voice, and it had been well trained; and, moreover,

she sang with feeling and passion which were somewhat unusual in one so young. It

seemed as if some hidden power, some latent characteristic came out in her singing

because it found no other way of expressing itself. Neither Lady Caroline nor Margaret

understood why Janetta's voice moved them so much; Sir Philip, who came in with his

host while the music was going on, heard and was charmed also without quite knowing

why; it was Mr. Adair alone whose musical knowledge and experience of the world

enabled him, feather-headed as in some respects he was, to lay his finger directly on the

salient features of Janetta's singing.

"It's not her voice altogether, you know," he said afterwards to Philip Ashley, in a

moment of confidence; "it's soul. She's got more of that commodity than is good for a

woman. It makes her singing lovely, you know—brings tears into one's eyes, and all

that sort of thing—but upon my honor I'm thankful that Margaret hasn't got a voice like

that! It's women of that kind that are either heroines of virtue—or go to the devil. They

are always in extremes."

"Then we may promise ourselves some excitement in watching Miss Colwyn's career,"

said Sir Philip, dryly.

After Janetta, Margaret sang; she had a sweet mezzo-soprano voice, of no great strength

or compass, but perfectly trained and very pleasing to the ear. The sort of voice, Sir

Philip thought, that would be soothing to the nerves of a tired man in his own house.

Whereas, Janetta's singing had something impassioned in it which disturbed and excited

instead of soothing. But he was quite ready to admire when Margaret called on him for

admiration. They were sitting together on a sofa, and Janetta, who had just finished one

of her songs, was talking to, or being talked to, by Mr. Adair. Lady Caroline had taken

up a review.

"Is not Miss Colwyn's voice perfectly lovely?" Margaret asked, with shining eyes.

"It is very sweet."

"Don't you think she looks very nice?"—Margaret was hungering for admiration of her

friend.

"She is a very pretty girl. You are very fond of each other?"

"Oh, yes, devoted. I am so glad I succeeded!" said the girl, with a great sigh.

"In getting her away from the school?"

"Yes."

"You think it was for her good?"

Margaret opened her lovely eyes.

"For her good?—to come here instead of staying in that close uncomfortable house to

give music lessons, and bear Miss Polehampton's snubs?——" It had evidently never

occurred to her that the change could be anything but beneficial to Janetta.

"It is very pleasant for her, no doubt," said Sir Philip, smiling in spite of his disapproval.

"I only wondered whether it was a good preparation for the life of hard work which

probably lies before her."

He saw that Margaret colored, and wondered whether she would be offended by his

suggestion. After a moment's pause, she answered, gravely, but quite gently—

"I never thought of it in that way before, exactly. I want to keep her here, so that she

should never have to work hard at all."

"Would she consent to that?"

"Why not?" said Margaret.

Sir Philip smiled and said no more. It was curious, he said to himself, to see how little

conception Margaret had of lives unlike and outside her own. And Janetta's brave but

sensitive little face, with its resolute brows and lips and brilliant eyes, gave promise of

a determination and an originality which, he felt convinced, would never allow her to

become a mere plaything or appendage of a wealthy household, as Margaret Adair seemed to expect. But his words had made an impression. At night, when Lady Caroline

and her daughter were standing in the charming little room which had always been

appropriated to Margaret's use, she spoke, with the unconscious habit of saying frankly

anything that had occurred to her, of Sir Philip's remarks.

"It was so odd," she said; "Sir Philip seemed to think that it would be bad for Janetta to

stay here, mamma. Why should it be bad for her, mamma, dear?"

"I don't think it will be at all bad for her to spend a day or two with us, darling," said

Lady Caroline, keeping somewhat careful watch on Margaret's face as she spoke. "But

perhaps it had better be by-and-bye. You know she wants to go home to-morrow, and

we must not keep her away from her duties or her own sphere of life."

"No," Margaret answered, "but her duties will not always keep her at home, you know,

mamma, dear."

"I suppose not, my dearest," said Lady Caroline, vaguely, but in the caressing tone to

which Margaret was accustomed. "Go to bed, my sweetest one, and we will talk of all

these things to-morrow."

Meanwhile Janetta was wondering at the luxury of the room which had been allotted to

her, and thinking over the events of the past day. When a tap at the door announced

Margaret's appearance to say good-night, Janetta was standing before the long lookingglass, apparently inspecting herself by the light of the rose-tinted wax candles in silver

sconces which were fixed on either side of the mirror. She was in her dressing-gown,

and her long and abundant hair fell over her shoulder in a great curly mass.

"Oh, Miss Vanity!" cried Margaret, with more gaiety of tone than was usual with her,

"are you admiring your pretty hair?"

"I was thinking," said Janetta, with the intensity which often characterized her speech,

"that now I understood you—now I know why you were so different from other girls,

so sweet, so calm and beautiful! You have lived in this lovely place all your life! It is

like a fairy palace—a dream-house—to me; and you are the queen of it, Margaret—a

princess of dreams!"

"I hope I shall have something more than dreams to reign over some day," said

Margaret, putting her arms round her friend's neck. "And whatever I am queen over,

you must share my queendom, Janet. You know how fond I am of you—how I want

you to stay with me always and be my friend."

"I shall always be your friend—always, to the last day of my life!" said Janetta, with

fervor. The two made a pretty picture, reflected in the long mirror; the tall, fair

Margaret, still in her soft white silk frock, with her arm round the smaller figure of the dark girl whose curly masses of hair half covered her pink cotton dressing-gown, and

whose brown face was upturned so lovingly to her friend's.

"And I am sure it will be good for you to stay with me," said Margaret, answering an

unspoken objection in her mind.

"Good for me? It is delicious—it is lovely!" cried Janetta, rapturously. "I have never

had anything so nice in my whole life. Dear Margaret, you are so good and so kind—if

there were only anything that I could do for you in return! Perhaps some day I shall

have the chance, and if ever I have—then you shall see whether I am true to my friend

or not!"

Margaret kissed her, with a little smile at Janetta's enthusiasm, which was so far

different from the modes of expression customary at Helmsley Court, as to be almost

amusing.