CHAPTER I.

The Young Stepmother.

"THIS is most vexatious, most perplexing; I am sure that I scarcely know which way to turn," exclaimed Mrs. Fairley, as she entered the room in which her firstborn babe lay asleep in his cradle, trimmed with muslin, blue ribbon, and lace.

The lady was very young, and looked even younger than she was. She had but lately left the school-room when she had married Mr. Fairley, a widower, and so had become stepmother to his two children, who were six and seven years of age. Little suited was a lively girl, who had never so much as paid a bill for herself, to undertake at once the care of a house and family.

"Then I suppose that Dr. Blane thinks, ma'am, that Master Tom's rash is something infectious; I felt sure that it was," said the nurse.

"He says that it is scarlatina in a very mild form, and that Jessy's sore throat has been the same, though we never guessed what was the matter with her," replied Mrs. Fairley. "My terror now is for the babe—my little, fragile darling!" continued the young mother, gazing with anxious love on the sleeping infant. "His brother and sister have the malady slightly, but for a babe not five weeks old to take such a complaint might be—I dare not think what it might be." And the eyes of the lady filled with tears, for her baby was the very delight of her heart.

"I suppose, ma'am, that you'll join master in London at once," suggested the nurse; "it would be a sad risk for baby to remain in this house while the scarlet fever is in it."

"I feel as if we must go—and yet," said the poor young mistress, pressing her brow with her hand, "I cannot bear to leave the other dear children—above all, when they are not in health."

"Oh, ma'am, Miss Jessy is all right again; and as for Master Tom, he will need nothing but a little care," observed Leah, the nurse.

"If I were but sure that he would have it, I should leave with an easier mind," said the lady; "but I must take you to look after baby, and I leave the two children with a girl whom I never saw till a few days ago—a girl who has never been in service before. It seems so strange—so unkind."

"Susan looks as steady a girl as ever I saw in my life, ma'am; she comes out of a good nest too; her mother was highly respected, and kept a school. Depend upon it, Susan will take good care of Master Tom and his sister," observed Leah.

"I wish that I knew what to do," said the young mother, with an anxious sigh, as she seated herself by the cradle. Before her marriage, Lucy had never had to decide on any matter more important than the colour of a dress, or the choice of an amusement. Now she found herself in a position of serious responsibility as mistress and mother, with no experience, no strength of will, no knowledge of character, to help her. Mrs. Fairley wished to do her duty towards her husband's children; kind and gentle she always had been to them both, but she dreaded scarlet fever much for herself, and a great deal more for her baby, and dared not remain at the risk of catching the disease from Jessy or her brother.

"If I might be bold to speak, ma'am," said the nurse, "I'd say we'd better be off by the afternoon's train, and none of us go nigh the children. It's lucky they are on the upper floor, and that they have not been with baby since Miss Jessy complained of her throat. But scarlet fever is the most catching thing in the world, ma'am, 'specially after the rash has come out. Susan will look after the others, but we must think of the baby. He's sickly, he is, poor darling; a very little illness would make him go off like the snuff of a candle."

Mrs. Fairley shuddered at the thought of danger to her child. She hastily rose from her seat.

"You are right, quite right, nurse," she said; "we must leave this house at once; you had better see to the packing directly. I will speak to Susan myself, and give her the strictest orders, and tell her—And, oh! I must write at once to put off the children's party that we were to have had on Friday to keep Tommy's birthday. I must send notes to the Hardys, the Lauries, the Wares. It will be a sad disappointment to poor Tommy and Jessy not to have their young friends, but I'll give them each a new five-shilling piece to make up for their disappointment."

And so the young stepmother hurried away to write her notes, give her orders, arrange what dresses she should take to London, send for a conveyance, do the twenty little things which were needful to be done before suddenly quitting her country home, things which might each be trifles in themselves, but which required thought, and care, and time, so became serious matters to Mr. Fairley's young wife.

"I am so vexed to leave Tommy and Jessy under the care of a new nursery-maid, a mere girl!" repeated Mrs. Fairley, as she locked her desk, after hurriedly writing off her notes. "What will the world say? What will my husband say? It seems like deserting the children. But neither of them can be called really ill, and they will have every comfort which they can require; Dr. Blane is skilful and kind, and certainly. If one can judge by face and manner, Susan is to be trusted, yes, I hope, I think that she is to be trusted!"

And repeating this again and again to herself, to quiet her own anxiety, young Mrs. Fairley went on with her preparations for her sudden journey to London.