CHAPTER XXIII

IN LONDON

CHRISTMAS, with all its joys, its gifts from Santa Claus, its festivities and charities, had come and gone, and spring no longer seemed a distant prospect, when to Beryl's delight, there arrived the invitation from Mrs. Everard for which she had been longing ever since Percy spoke of it.

That lady wrote to beg Mr. Hollys to bring the two children with him when he came to town, and leave them in her charge for at least a month. She promised to take the greatest care of them, and to give them all kinds of novel pleasures, which, as country children, they would be sure to enjoy. She added that Mr. Hollys need have no fear that their presence in her home would cause any trouble, since her eldest daughter, the widow of an Indian officer, had lately returned to live with her, and she doated on children, and, having none of her own, would find the greatest pleasure in caring for the two little girls as long as they were her mother's guests.

Mr. Hollys hesitated about accepting this invitation for the children; but Beryl, hearing of it, gave him no rest till he promised that they should go to London. His consent once gained, Coral and Beryl thought and spoke of scarcely anything except their visit to town. Miss Burton had very inattentive pupils during the next few weeks. Beryl could not give her mind to her lessons; but she took the liveliest interest in the various preparations which were being made for their leaving home. Lucy's needle was now never idle, so much making and mending had she to do for her two young ladies.

And one bright morning, the children were excused all lessons, that Mr. Hollys might drive them and their governess to Langport, the nearest town of any size to Egloshayle, where, for more than two hours, they were going with Miss Burton from shop to shop, as she purchased dresses, boots, gloves, and the various articles they needed to equip them for their London visit, while Mr. Hollys attended to business of his own in the town.

When, at last, the eagerly expected day arrived, it was a large and merry party which started from Egloshayle House en route for London. Hettie Burton was one of the travellers, for her home was at Hampstead, and she was going to spend there the weeks during which her pupils were at Mrs. Everard's. Lucy, too, was in attendance, for Mr. Hollys wished to spare Mrs. Everard and her daughter any unnecessary trouble in the management of the children.

Coral and Beryl were in the gayest spirits, as they set forth to make acquaintance with the great world lying beyond their quiet Cornish home. The journey was an event in Beryl's life, for she had never been many miles from peaceful Egloshayle. What a long, long journey it was! The children were both too weary to receive any clear impression of their new surroundings, when they were lifted out of the carriage at the door of Mrs. Everard's house in Hyde Park Gardens. Having given them into his friend's care, Mr. Hollys drove off to his own rooms in Russell Square, promising to look in early on the following day to see how the children were getting on.

The little girls woke bright and well the next morning, though at a rather later hour than usual. They came downstairs, however, in time to see Percy ere he started for his tutor's, and joyfully renewed their acquaintance with him.

Beryl was delighted with all she saw in Mrs. Everard's home. Especially did she admire the handsome King Charles spaniel, which sat on a chair by Mrs. Everard's side as she took her breakfast, and was treated to dainty morsels from her plate. Beryl wanted to make friends with him; but, to her surprise, he would not respond graciously to her overtures. Prince was an aristocrat, keenly alive to his own dignity. By a low growl, and a sudden display of his delicate white teeth, he expressed his resentment of the familiarity of Beryl's touch, and when Mrs. Everard lifted little Coral on to her lap, his jealousy broke forth in a storm of indignant barks. It was evident that he viewed the children with disgust as unwelcome intruders.

After breakfast, the children went up to the large room at the top of the house which had once been Percy's nursery, and was now given to them as a playroom. The windows commanded one of the entrances to the Park, and as it was a bright, sunshiny morning, the children found great entertainment in watching the many carriages and still more numerous riders that passed in and out of the wide gates. It was a wonderful scene to them, so different from the quiet beach at Egloshayle, and Lucy enjoyed it no less than her young charges. Whilst they were thus engaged, a lady came into the room and greeted them brightly and fondly.

This was Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Everard's widowed daughter. She seemed inclined to pet and indulge the children. She said she would take them out in the afternoon, and asked them which they would like best—to go to the Zoological Gardens or to Madame Tussaud's. As they knew nothing of the attractions of either place, it was rather difficult to decide. Whilst they were discussing the important question, a servant brought the news that Mr. Hollys was below.

"How good of your papa to come so soon!" said Mrs. Campbell. "But I hope he will not want to take you away from me."

Accustomed as she was to be petted and indulged, Beryl was charmed beyond measure by Mrs. Campbell's sweet, caressing manner and winning words. As she went downstairs, holding that lady's hand, she thought that she had never known any one so kind and pleasant. Coral, who walked behind, and had been less noticed, was not so favourably impressed with their new acquaintance.

Mr. Hollys had come with the intention of taking the children into the Park, to amuse them with a sight of the beautiful horses, and fair and stately riders, to be seen at this hour in Rotten Row. But Mrs. Campbell had so much to say to him that it was some time ere he could get away, and Beryl's patience was sorely tried.

"Well, Beryl, how do you like your present quarters?" asked Mr. Hollys, as with the two children, he left the house, having promised to return there for luncheon, and afterwards join in the excursion to the Zoological Gardens, which Mrs. Campbell had planned for the children's pleasure.

"Oh, papa, I think everything is delightful," exclaimed Beryl rapturously, "and Mrs. Everard is so kind, and Percy, and Mrs. Campbell."

"Then you like Mrs. Campbell?" observed her father.

"Why, yes, of course I do," exclaimed Beryl; "I think Mrs. Campbell is the nicest woman I have ever known; don't you, Coral?"

"Not nicer than Miss Burton," said Coral.

"Well, no; she is not nicer than Miss Burton; no one could be; but Mrs. Campbell is very kind and very pretty; don't you think so, papa?"

"Oh, of course," said Mr. Hollys with a laugh, which puzzled Beryl.

"She is not so pretty as Miss Burton," remarked Coral; who, for some reason or other, was not enchanted with the fair widow, as Beryl was.

"I don't know," returned Beryl; "Miss Burton has not such golden hair. Which do you think the prettiest, papa: Miss Burton or Mrs. Campbell?"

"Oh, Miss Burton, by a long way," he answered, without a moment's hesitation.

The children thoroughly enjoyed walking through the Park, and gazed with charmed eyes on the novel sights they saw there. True, the wind was in the east, but what do children reck of east winds, if only the sun be bright!

The weather continuing fine, they had plenty of sight-seeing in the days that followed. Mrs. Campbell was indefatigable in her efforts to amuse them. She took them to all the sights and shows that children love, marched them through the bazaars, and purchased for them many of the pretty and curious toys which decked the stalls. It was evident that Beryl held the first place in the lady's regard. The presents given to her were generally more handsome and costly than those bestowed on Coral. Beryl was not so well aware of this as Coral was. If she noticed it, she did not think it strange that she should have better things than her little sister. She was accustomed to have the first consideration.

Though he liked little Coral, and was kind to her, Mr. Hollys could not treat her quite as he treated his own child.

The weeks of the children's stay in London passed rapidly away. Mr. Hollys did not have a great deal of Beryl's company, although he was a frequent visitor at the house in Hyde Park Gardens, but he heard much of his child's sayings and doings from the lips of Mrs. Campbell. Beryl was vexed that her father had so little leisure to bestow on her. He would readily promise to take her anywhere she wished to go; but the time for doing so was seldom found. Perhaps Beryl would not have minded this, could she have seen more of Percy. But Percy at home was a different person from Percy at Egloshayle. He was working hard for an examination, and could spare scarcely any time for trifling with the children.

Mr. Hollys had promised Beryl before they left home that he would take her to see her friend David Gilbank during her visit to London; but week after week went by, and the promise was not redeemed, although Beryl did not fail to remind him of it.

One day in the first week in May, when Mr. Hollys was lunching at Mrs. Everard's, some one mentioned the Royal Academy Exhibition, just opened, and Mrs. Everard invited Mr. Hollys to drive there, with herself and her daughter, that afternoon.

"I shall be very happy," said Mr. Hollys, with careless politeness; "the pictures are said to be well worth seeing this year."

"Oh, papa," cried Beryl eagerly, "do you think that any of Mr. Gilbank's pictures will be there?"

"I dare say," he replied; "I believe his pictures have been exhibited there."

"Do take me with you," exclaimed Beryl impetuously; "I should so like to see Mr. Gilbank's pictures."

"I don't know about that, Beryl," replied her father; "you must ask Mrs. Everard's permission. It may not be agreeable to her to have the company of such an importunate young person as you are."

He glanced at Mrs. Everard as he spoke, and she was about to reply that she would be very pleased to take Beryl, when her daughter's soft, sweet voice interposed.

"We should be delighted to take dear Beryl with, us, should we not, mamma?" said Mrs. Campbell; "but I think we must consider what is good for her. The galleries of the Academy are so hot and crowded of an afternoon that it is scarcely the place to which to take a child. She could not see the pictures for the people who would be around her, and I fear the poor darling would grow very weary, especially as she has been in the Park all the morning."

"Ah, to be sure, you are right; it would not be a good place for her," said Mr. Hollys.

"I am not a bit tired, papa," protested Beryl, her cheek flushing with anger at what she considered Mrs. Campbell's interference; "it would not hurt me, I am sure."

"My darling, you are hardly old enough to know what will harm you and what will not," said Mrs. Campbell in her gentlest tones. "We older people must judge for you. I tell you what I will do, Beryl; I will take you myself some morning early to the Academy, and we will have a good look at Mr. Gilbank's pictures before the crowd begins to gather. I will look for them to-day, that I may know where to take you."

"Thank you; but I would much rather go this afternoon," said Beryl ungraciously.

"It is better you should not go. Say no more about it, Beryl," said Mr. Hollys, in his most decided manner.

"Poor darling, I wish we could let you have your wish," said Mrs. Campbell fondly, as she placed on Beryl's plate some crystallised apricots, a dainty of which the child was fond.

But Beryl was not in a mood to be solaced by sweetmeats. Her cheek crimsoned, and she bit her lips to keep from crying; but the tears which had sprung to her eyes were called thither by anger rather than by sorrow.

"I should have gone if it had not been for Mrs. Campbell," she complained afterwards to Coral; "Mrs. Everard was willing to take me, and papa would never have thought about its being hot and crowded. But Mrs. Campbell did not want to have me with her; I could see that plainly enough, although she pretended to be sorry for me. I don't like her as I did; she is not nearly so nice as Miss Burton."

And Coral agreed with this opinion.