CHAPTER XIV

THE GOVERNESS

THE hour of the governess's arrival came all too soon for Coral and Beryl. The children wore very grave faces, as, fresh from the hands of Lucy, with clean white frocks and smoothly brushed hair, they went down to the drawing-room to await the coming of the stranger, whom they were inclined to regard as their natural enemy.

Tea-things stood ready on the drawing-room table, and Miss Hollys, very handsomely dressed, sat on a low chair languidly working at some embroidery. In her way, she was as anxious as the children with respect to the newcomer. The arrangement was one she had long desired, and from which she hoped to reap advantage. If Miss Burton proved an agreeable companion, it would be very pleasant to have some one besides the children to speak to; some one, too, who would be better able to appreciate her pretty dresses and the costly ornaments on which she prided herself.

Moreover, the presence of the governess in the house would set Miss Hollys free to leave home as frequently as she wished, and she had already planned a visit she would make as soon as she had seen Miss Burton comfortably settled with the children. Pleasant and self-congratulatory as Miss Hollys' reflections were, she was not so absorbed in them as to be unconscious of the severe shock to her nervous system, conveyed by Beryl's violently banging the door behind her as she entered the room.

"Oh, Beryl," exclaimed her aunt crossly; "when will you learn to close a door quietly? Thank goodness, there is a governess coming to teach you manners! If ever a girl needed to be well taken in hand, you do. I hope Miss Burton is a thorough disciplinarian, and will keep you in strict order."

Beryl could only guess at the meaning of the word disciplinarian; but she gave it credit for the most unpleasant significance. She pouted and scowled as she crossed the room to the side window, which commanded a view of the entrance-gate.

"I have no doubt she will be everything that is horrid," she muttered to herself.

"I hope she will teach you to be better-tempered, and to speak politely to your aunt," said Miss Hollys, unable to hear her niece's words, but guessing from Beryl's angry face that they were not of a correct nature.

The speech which trembled on Beryl's lips then was anything but a polite one, and would certainly have demonstrated her need of instruction in courtesy; but happily, she remembered how often she had had to repent of her hasty utterances, and checked this retort in time. As Beryl was quiet, and provoked no further reproof, Miss Hollys turned her attention to Coral.

"Leave that dog alone, Coral!" she exclaimed, speaking in the severe tone in which she generally addressed the child whom she regarded as an unwelcome addition to the household. "I hope Miss Burton will teach you how wicked it is to be cruel to poor dumb animals. How would you like anybody to treat you in that way?"

Coral thus detected in stealthily pulling the poodle's tail, with a view to rousing him from his lethargic state, coloured deeply; and finding herself quite unable to imagine what her feelings would be if she were in the dog's place, tried to escape from the uncomfortable speculation by running to join Beryl at the window.

But Beryl came to her defence. She could not resist this opportunity of giving her aunt an indirect hit in exchange for her annoying rebukes.

"It does not hurt that creature to have his tail pulled," she declared, eyeing the poodle contemptuously. "He is too fat to have any feeling. All he can do is to eat and sleep. I would not have such a stupid dog for the world."

"That is because you are a very silly girl," said Miss Hollys, colouring with anger at hearing her pet thus disparaged. "I am sure Coral did hurt him, poor fellow. Hear how he is moaning."

Beryl laughed, and gave Coral a glance, which plainly spoke her amusement at the idea of the poodle's sleepy grunts being interpreted as expressions of pain.

But Coral missed the glance, for she was looking intently for the phaeton, and at that moment she exclaimed hurriedly, "Oh, Beryl, here comes the carriage! I can see Andrew's head above the wall; but I can't see the governess. Do you think she has really come?"

"Yes, I can see somebody else," said Beryl, as the horse stood still at the entrance, and Andrew alighted to open the gate. "Let us go to the front door. Come along."

The children darted out of the room with such speed as awakened fresh reprimands from Miss Hollys. Standing at the open door, they directed curious glances at the phaeton as it rolled lightly along the gravelled path.

The little form seated beside Andrew did not at all resemble their preconceived notions of the governess's appearance. This was no grim, gaunt, sour-looking individual. The spectacles which Beryl had deemed indispensable to the work of an instructress were wanting, and the bright brown eyes, which looked down on the children as the carriage drove up, seemed to know no need of them.

"Can she be the governess, do you think?" whispered Coral, looking wonderingly at the bright face smiling on her from beneath the little round hat which suited it so admirably.

As soon as the phaeton drew up, the young lady sprang down from her seat as lightly as a child, without waiting for Andrew to help her. She looked scarcely more than a child, indeed, as she stood beside her new pupils, for she was only a few inches taller than Beryl, and her trim little figure and round rosy face had the most simple, girlish look.

"How do you do, young people?" she said, in a clear ringing voice, as she kissed first Beryl, and then Coral. "What are your names, if you please?"

"I am Beryl, and that is Coral. But are you really the governess who is going to teach us?"

"Yes, indeed; who else should I be? Did you not expect to see me?"

"Oh yes; only I did not think you would be so young," said Beryl frankly.

Miss Burton laughed merrily. "What! You do not think I look old enough to teach you," she said; "but I am older perhaps than you think, and you will soon find out how cross and strict I can be when I begin to give you lessons."

Beryl did not look dismayed as she echoed Miss Burton's laugh. She began to think that her conclusions respecting governesses were not well-founded. Miss Burton was certainly by no means disagreeable-looking, nor did she in the least resemble Aunt Cecilia. Both the children were delighted to find the governess so utterly different from what they had expected.

Miss Hollys now came forward to receive the stranger. She was as surprised as Beryl at the pretty, girlish appearance of the governess. She had some misgivings as she looked at Miss Burton.

"I fear you are rather young for the work before you," she said to her, as she took the young lady upstairs, having ordered the children to stay below; "for you will not find your pupils easy to manage. Beryl is dreadfully ignorant, and a most unruly, self-willed girl. And I am afraid Coral is little better. You will have to be very firm with them, and punish them as often as they require it."

"I am nearly twenty-five; that is not so very young," said Miss Burton, with a smile. "I think I shall be able to get on with the children. I have managed worse girls than they are, if one may judge by their looks."

"Well, you have your work before you," returned Miss Hollys, with an ominous nod.

"How lovely it is here!" said Miss Burton, half an hour later, as she stood at the drawing-room window, and looked on the broad stretch of beach and the blue, heaving waves. "It is a delightful change from London."

"You will find it very dull when you have been here a little time," said Miss Hollys; "you will long to get back to town."

"I think not, for I am fond of a country life," said Miss Burton. "I was brought up in the country. It is only for the last few years that we have lived in London. Oh, how beautiful the sea looks! It makes me long to swim in it."

"Can you swim?" asked Beryl, in a tone of supreme astonishment.

"Yes, of course, why should I not? I am rather proud of my swimming," said Miss Burton.

"I did not think governesses ever did such things as that," said Beryl wonderingly.

The tone in which Beryl said this struck Miss Burton as so droll that she burst into a merry laugh, which lasted some seconds.

"Why, what a funny notion you have of governesses," she said, as soon as she could speak. "Who has been talking to you about them?"

"No one," replied Beryl, as she turned away with hot cheeks, her pride uneasy under the fear that she had made herself ridiculous.

But she soon forgot her annoyance, and returned to Miss Burton's side to listen with intense enjoyment to her cheery talk. Beryl was getting quite fascinated with her pretty young governess.

"Do you know my papa?" she asked presently. "That is his portrait, taken many years ago, before I was born," and she pointed to a head in oils which hung against the wall.

"No, I have not seen your papa," said Miss Burton, rising to look at the portrait. "Mrs. Everard made every arrangement for my coming here, and I had no interview with Mr. Hollys. I can see that you are like your father, Beryl."

"Have you a father, Miss Burton?" asked little Coral, looking earnestly at the young lady.

"No, dear, not on earth," replied Miss Burton, dropping her voice, whilst a momentary shadow passed over her face; "my father died five years ago."

"My father is dead too," said little Coral, making the statement in the simple, matter-of-fact tone of childhood, "and mamma as well."

"Are they, dear?" said Miss Burton, instinctively drawing the child closer to her. "You must tell me about them some day."

But Coral felt no need of further knowledge of her new friend before giving her entire confidence, nor did Beryl. With eager utterance they began to tell Miss Burton the history of the shipwreck and all that dated from it. What one did not think of the other supplied, and their tongues went so fast that Miss Hollys had several times to reprove them for making too much noise. But Miss Burton listened with interest, and felt almost as sorry as the children when Miss Hollys decided that it was time for them to go upstairs.

"How nice she is!" said Beryl to Coral, as they went away. "I had no idea a governess could be so pleasant."

"No, she really does not look at all cross, does she?" said Coral.

"No, indeed," said Beryl heartily.

"I think it will be quite nice to do lessons with her. I shan't mind it a bit."

"What do you think of Miss Burton, Lucy?" said Beryl later on, when the nurse had for some time been listening with quiet amusement to the children's comments on their governess, and contrasting them with the remarks she haft heard earlier in the day.

"Oh, I think she is as nice-looking a young lady as ever I saw, and very pleasant-spoken too," said Lucy.

"Oh, I like her so much," said Beryl again; "I am quite glad that papa thought of getting me a governess. I like Miss Burton a great deal better than Aunt Cecilia; don't you, Coral? I am sure it will be delightful to learn of her."

"Well, Miss Beryl, I only hope you will always be so fond of your governess," remarked Lucy.

"What do you mean?" asked Beryl quickly, for her nurse's words seemed to be charged with special significance. "Do you think I shall change?"

"People often do change, especially when they are so hot at first," said Lucy.

"But I shall not change," returned Beryl indignantly; "and you need not speak as if you thought I should, Lucy."