CHAPTER XXX

A GRAND SURPRISE FOR BERYL

SIX weeks of the New Year had come and gone, and already there were tokens of the coming of spring. Sickness and sadness no longer reigned at Egloshayle House. Beryl's fine constitution had asserted itself and shaken off all ill effects of the fever which had brought her so low. She had added some inches to her height during the weeks that she lay in bed, and now looked inelegantly gaunt and thin, but declared herself quite well, except when Miss Burton talked of returning to London, at which suggestion Beryl would change her tone, and say that she really was not strong enough yet to do without Miss Burton's care.

So Hettie Burton stayed on from week to week at Egloshayle, and found it impossible to fix a day for her departure in opposition to the warm entreaties which the mere mention of her going evoked. Mr. Hollys was as urgent for her remaining longer as his daughter, and Miss Hollys, whose nerves had been terribly shaken by recent events, put in a piteous appeal to the same effect.

One bright afternoon, when the air was so mild and the sun so warm that it seemed as if winter had already yielded the sceptre to smiling spring, Beryl, having just returned from a walk, was resting, with her long limbs comfortably curled up, on the sofa in the drawing-room. She was often glad to rest thus, for, not having yet regained full strength, she soon grew weary—a trying experience to her, who in former days had scarcely known what fatigue meant.

Beryl had found a letter awaiting her from Coral, which she was now eagerly reading. Coral wrote in good spirits. Her uncle had taken a beautiful house a few miles out of Melbourne. There was a large garden with lovely flowers and delicious fruit, very different from anything to be seen at Egloshayle. Her uncle had given her a pretty bay pony, and she often rode for many hours. He had also given her a fine dog, a monkey, one of the cleverest of his tribe, and a green parrot, which she had already taught to call her "Coral," and was now trying to persuade to say "Beryl." Her uncle had engaged a governess for her, who was very kind, but, of course, not so nice as Miss Burton.

It was clear that Coral was well pleased with her new life, and she declared that she should be perfectly happy, if only she had Beryl with her.

Beryl laid down the letter at last with a sigh. "Coral is quite gone from me," was her thought. "I shall never see her again. Well, she is happy enough without me. She does not really want me now she has that pony, and dog, and monkey, and parrot."

And, for a few moments, Beryl actually felt injured because Coral appeared to be enjoying her new life so much. But she soon was ashamed of the feeling.

"What a horrid, mean thing I am!" she said to herself. "To think that I should be cross because Coral is happy. As if her being unhappy could make my life any happier! I ought to be glad, and I am glad."

But the dreary feeling which had crept over Beryl could not at once be shaken off. The remarkable mildness of the day was making her feel very languid, and with languor came sadness.

"What shall I do when Miss Burton goes away?" she began to think. "I shall be miserable by myself. I suppose papa will send me to school when I am strong enough, and that will be horrid, I know. Oh dear! Oh dear!"

At this moment, a tap at the window attracted her attention. She started up, and saw her father and Miss Burton standing outside. Miss Burton had been gathering some snowdrops and violets, and held them up smilingly to Beryl's view. Then she and Mr. Hollys turned towards the hall door, and in a few moments appeared in the drawing-room.

They came forward with smiling, radiant faces to the sofa on which Beryl was resting. But if there was any special significance in their looks, Beryl was not in a mood to observe it. She sighed heavily as Miss Burton came to her side.

"I have brought some flowers to cheer you," said Miss Burton brightly. "You looked very disconsolate when I peered at you through the window. Is anything the matter?"

"Oh no," said Beryl, "only I'm tired and in the dumps. How lovely these snowdrops are! And oh, there are some violets too! Where did you find them?"

"At the bottom of the garden; I smelt them before I could see them," said Miss Burton. "So you have had a letter from Coral; how is she?"

"Oh, very well, and having such nice times," said Beryl. "Her uncle has given her a pony, a dog, a monkey, and a parrot. It's good to be Coral now."

"What a menagerie!" said Mr. Hollys, sitting down at the end of the sofa. "I hope you won't want me to get you a monkey or a parrot, for I dislike both of the creatures, and would rather not introduce them into the house."

"What would be the good of my having them? I could not take them to school with me, I suppose?" said Beryl drearily. "Oh dear, I wish Miss Burton would stay with me and teach me again."

"Whether she will take the trouble to teach you or not I cannot say," remarked Mr. Hollys, with peculiar meaning in his tones; "but, Beryl, I have good news for you. Miss Burton has promised to stay with us."

"Has she? Oh, I am glad! How good of you!" cried Beryl joyously, as she turned to look at her governess.

Hettie bent over the sofa, put her arms round Beryl and kissed her more than once. Perhaps she was glad thus to hide the blushes that had risen in her cheeks.

"How long will you stay?" said Beryl. "Till Easter."

"Longer than that," returned her father with a smile; "she is going away for a little while, and then she is coming to stay with us always."

"Always!" repeated Beryl, in a tone of wonder. "Do you really mean always? How will your mother like that, Miss Burton?"

Covered with confusion, Hettie looked appealingly at Mr. Hollys. "You must tell her all; she will not be so pleased then, I fear," she said.

Beryl looked from one to the other in utter bewilderment.

"Beryl," said her father, "you told me once that you could never be happy with a stepmother; but now, dear, you will have to make the experiment. I am going to marry again."

"Papa!" exclaimed Beryl, looking half frightened, "what do you mean?"

"Just this, darling—that Hettie Burton has made me very happy by promising to become my wife, so you see she will live with us always, and be a mother to you. You will be glad of that, will you not, Beryl?"

"Papa, is that it?" cried Beryl in excited tones. "Are you going to marry Miss Burton? I am surprised; I never dreamed of such a thing. Why, that is quite different. If I had thought Miss Burton would be my stepmother, I should not have said that I could not be happy with one. Oh, I am so glad, so very glad!"

And she threw her arms round Hettie Burton's neck, and kissed her again and again in an ecstasy of delight.

Surely no stepmother ever had a warmer welcome or a better prospect of happiness!

THE END

Printed by MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, Edinburgh