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Page 29
When Tabitha came into the room to tell me about it, with that bright,
affectionate smile she has, and her dear, plain, pale face--only that
nobody would think her plain who knew her, for everybody loves her--she
saw quickly enough that I did not like it: and then she was so sweet,
looking so disappointed, and yet ready to give up the horrid thing if I
wished, that I hardly knew what to do. Tabitha works on one in a way
that I believe nobody else can. She has such a generous, warm heart, and
is so responsive, and so quick to understand, and then she is so easily
pleased, and so free from self-consciousness, you seem to know her all
at once, and you feel as if it would be wicked to hurt her. So I don't
know how it was exactly, but I began to give in about the bicycle;
though I could not help mentioning that it was rather unnecessary for
Aunt Rennie to have taken the trouble: for Tabitha might have told me if
she wanted a bicycle so much. And Tabitha said that Aunt Rennie thought
bicycling was good for her, and, when she lived with her, a year ago,
her Aunt used to take her on her tours round the villages, distributing,
what she called "political literature." This did make me shudder, I
confess. Fancy Tabitha turning into one of those canvassing women, with
their uncivilised energy, their irritating superiority, and their entire
want of decent respect for you and your own opinions! I knew that Aunt
Rennie belonged to a Woman Suffrage Committee, but I did think she had
left the child uncontaminated. It made me more thankful than ever that I
had rescued her from the hands of such a person. However, as you see, I
could not refuse to let Tabitha ride that bicycle; but I always knew
that harm would come of it.
And it came just in the way of which my inner consciousness had warned
me. Now, of course, I never really expected to have Tabitha with me all
her life: but I did want just for a little while to make-believe, as it
were, that I had a daughter, and to feel as if she were happy and
content with me. So it was rather hard that such a thing should happen,
only the second time that she went out on that hideous machine. I can
see her telling me about it now, kneeling down in her affectionate way
by my sofa, all flushed and dishevelled after her ride, and with quite a
new expression on her face. It seemed that she had punctured her
bicycle (whatever that means) and could not get on: and then an "awfully
nice man" (she will use the modern slang; in my days we should merely
have said "a gentleman") came up with his tools and things, and put it
right for her: and ended by claiming acquaintance and proposing to call,
"Because, Mammy dear," said Tabitha, "isn't it funny, but he knows Aunt
Rennie!"
Now, kind reader, I must confess that this was a little too much for me.
To have Aunt Rennie (in spirit) perpetually between me and Tabitha was
bad enough: to have her demoralising Tabitha by sending her bicycles was
still worse: but to have her introducing, (I had nearly said intruding)
young men into the privacy of my home, and into dangerous proximity with
Tabitha was, for a moment, more than I could stand.
"Well, my child," said I, "No doubt Miss Rensworth and her friends were
more amusing than your poor sick Mammy. I suppose it was selfish of me
to want to have you all to myself. If you would like to go back to your
Aunt Rennie again, dear child." I added, "you have only to say so."
What Tabitha said in reply I shall never forget; but neither, friendly
reader, shall I tell it to you. So you must be content with knowing that
we were friends again; and that the end of it was that I gave in about
John Chambers--as his name turned out to be--just as I had given in
about the bicycle.
He came in just as we were having tea the next day, and the worst of it
was, I had to admit at once that he _was_ nice. Of course this proved
nothing in regard to Aunt Rennie and her friends: and it was just as
unreasonable that I should be expected to receive whoever happened to
know her, as if he had turned out to be vulgar or odious. But, as it
was, he introduced himself in a sensible, straightforward way, looked
one straight in the face when he spoke, had a deep, hearty laugh that
sounded manly and true, and evidently entertained the friendliest
sentiments for Tabitha.
Well, as you will imagine, kind reader, that tea was not the last he had
with us. He fell into our ways with delightful readiness; indeed, he was
rather "old-fashioned," as I call it. He would pour out my second cup of
tea, if Tabitha happened to be out of the room, as nicely as she herself
could have done, carefully washing the tea-leaves out of the cup first;
and he would tell Tabitha if a piece of braid were hanging down from her
skirt, when they were going bicycling together. We got quite used to
being kept in order by him in all kinds of little ways, and he grew to
be so associated with the idea of Tabitha in my mind, that my affection
for her became in a sort of way an affection for them both. The only
thing was that, as the months went on, I began to wonder why more did
not come of it. Sometimes I fancied I noted a reflection of my own
perplexed doubts crossing Tabitha's sweet, expressive face, and I
questioned within myself whether I ought (like the fathers in books) to
ask the young man about his "intentions," and imply that he could not
expect an unlimited supply of my cups of tea, unless they were made
clear: but I think that my own delicacy as well as common sense
prevented my taking such a course, and things were still _in statu quo_,
when one morning, as I was peacefully mending Tabitha's gloves (she
_will_ go out with holes in them) a ring at the front door bell was
followed by the advance of someone in rustling silk garments up the
stairs: the drawing-room door was opened, and there appeared a
young-looking, fair lady, who advanced brightly to greet me, with a
finished society manner, and an expression in her kind, blue eyes of
unmixed pleasure at the meeting. The name murmured at the door had not
reached my ears, and I was still wondering which of my child-friends had
developed into this charming and fashionable young lady, when Tabitha
burst into the room, flung her arms round the new-comer's neck, and
exclaimed, "You darling, who would have expected you to turn up so
charmingly, just when we didn't expect you!"
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