CHAPTER V.

AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.

AS soon as Hetty had somewhat recovered from the fright and consternation into which her mother's sudden illness had plunged her, she went to the Newton's to tell them what had occurred, and ask her advice and help in this unforeseen difficulty. But she heard to her dismay that the family had left for London, although it was comparatively early in the day. The nurse who had been with Mrs. Newton during the latter part of her illness knew Hetty, and came and spoke to her.

Hetty easily persuaded her to come and take care of her mother, but there was pressing need for money now to meet the current expenses. She had searched her mother's desk and could find nothing beyond the few shillings she had in her purse. Sore as her dilemma was, she was ashamed to apply to her uncle, for she felt sure Lettice had told him about her miserable garden-party, and how she had wasted her money in an effort to make a foolish display.

Meanwhile, poor Hetty was driven to her wits' end to know what to do to supply their daily needs, but at last she decided to write. He was their only relative, the only friend she had to rely upon, or she would certainly have chosen to go to some one else, for her cousins had taken no good account of her to their father, she felt sure. But just as she sat down to write, the postman knocked at the door, and the next minute Hannah brought in a letter directed to her mother. Hetty took it up to her own room to read quietly.

It was from Lettice, explaining that her father was not well, and that they were leaving home to spend the autumn and winter in Italy. They would have commenced their journey by the time her letter reached them, she said, but she would write again when they got to Paris, and tell her where a letter would find them.

Hetty dropped the letter as she read this, and looked at it in blank terror and amazement. She had changed her last shilling, her mother was very ill and still quite unconscious, and the tradespeople had refused to give them any further credit.

[Illustration: TOO TROUBLED EVEN FOR TEARS.]

What would happen next? Utterly wretched and bewildered, she flung herself on her bed, too troubled even to seek relief in tears.

How long she sat staring at her cousin's open letter she did not know, but she was interrupted by Hannah announcing Mrs. Mavor.

Hetty rose and went down to receive her visitor, but without speaking, for it suddenly rushed upon her mind that she had brought fresh trouble with her through the hateful garden-party.

Mrs. Mavor was very stiff and formal in her manner, but she asked kindly after Mrs. Golding, and this brought the tears to Hetty's eyes, which somewhat softened her visitor's manner, though it seemed hard enough to Hetty, as she said—

"Miss Golding, I have come to ask an explanation of your unwarrantable conduct in taking a troop of people into my garden, and, moreover, setting about the story that you had retained the right to do this. A few friends walking there would have done no injury, and your mother was perfectly welcome to take them, but to invite half the parish and tell them it was your garden is an injury I cannot look over."

"I am very, very sorry, Mrs. Mavor," said Hetty, in a tremulous voice. "My mother is not in the least to blame; she did not know how many I had invited, and I trust you will look over—"

"No, Miss Golding, I cannot look over it. The damage must be paid for, of course, but that is not all—it is my word against yours. And I have heard since I have been home that it is not my garden, but Mrs. Golding's, and I cannot let that pass." Mrs. Mavor spoke quickly and angrily, but Hetty saw that she had made up her mind upon this point, and the idea of prosecution for trespass, perhaps imprisonment, at once presented itself to her and increased her distress.

"I know it was very wrong to say what I did," she sobbed, "but indeed, indeed I am very sorry, Mrs. Mavor."

"Being very sorry is not enough. You will soon forget that, and have another garden-party when I go away from home," said Mrs. Mavor, angrily.

"Oh, no, indeed, I shall never want another. I shall never forget the misery this has cost me, for everybody seems so hard and unkind towards us because of this garden-party," said Hetty.

"People always are angry when they have to pay for other people's extravagance. I hear the bills for your grand party are not paid yet."

Hetty coloured crimson. How people must be talking about them for Mrs. Mavor to have heard this already.

"I don't know how your mother could think of such a thing as giving a garden-party at a time like this," went on Mrs. Mavor, after a pause. "I was very much surprised when I heard it, and so are many other people."

"My mother had very little to do with it. I am the only one to blame, I can assure you," said Hetty. And then, hard as it was, she was forced into a confession of all she had done in the affair, and how little her mother knew of who was invited until she came into the garden and saw them.

Mrs. Mavor was certainly touched by this confession. Hetty had never been a favourite of hers, for she thought her vain and pretentious, and constantly aiming at display. But the frankness with which she confessed her faults to clear her mother from blame, made her hope that this bitter experience might be beneficial to her character hereafter.

"Well, Miss Golding, if your mother is not to blame for the invasion of my garden, what reparation can you give me?"

"I will do anything to save my mother further trouble," said Hetty. "Oh! Mrs. Mavor, tell me what I can do, and believe me I will make any sacrifice to atone for what I did that day."

"Well, to begin with, you must write me a letter of apology for trespassing on my grounds, frankly stating that you had no right there and will not again offend in the like manner. I must have this to show anyone who may question my right to the garden," concluded Mrs. Mavor, sitting bolt upright and looking very hard at Hetty.

The young lady hung her head. It was a bitter pill she had to swallow, for she did not doubt but Mrs. Mavor would make ample use of this letter among the gossips of the village to complete her humiliation: a thought in which she wronged Mrs. Mavor, for that lady had no intention of showing it to anyone, but proposed this as a test of her sincerity.

She saw that a conflict was going on in Hetty's mind, for she did not answer for a minute or two, but at last she said, "I will write the apology you require, Mrs. Mavor, and send it to you this evening."

"Very well. I will send in the bill for the damage done to the fruit and vegetables in a few days, and then we may consider the matter settled, Miss Golding." And Mrs. Mavor took her departure, a little less stiffly than her greeting had been.

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