"There ought to be another degree of comparison," said Paula,- "Botheratissima!"
"For, only think!" said Vera. "She won't let us have new hats, but only did up the old ones, and not with feathers, though there is such a love at Tebbitts's at Rockstone."
"She says it is cruel," said Paula.
"Cruel to me, I am sure; and what difference does it make when the birds are once killed?"
"Well, she did give us those lovely wreaths of lilies," said Paula.
"Of course, but nothing to make them stylish! What's the good of being out if one is to have nothing chic? And she won't let me have a hockey outfit. She says she must see more of it to be able to judge whether to let us play!"
"That just means seeing whether her dear Merrifields do," said Paula.
"Gillian did at St. Catherine's. But you will know soon. Did I not hear something about a garden party?"
"Oh, yes; she is talking of one, but it will be all swells and croquet, and deadly dull."
"I thought you seemed to be getting on well with the swells, if you mean the Merrifields, especially Wilfred, if that is his name."
"Bil-Bil! Oh, he is all very well," said Vera, "if he would not be always so silly and come after me! As if I cared!"
"And only think," said Paula, "that she was going to have it on the very day that St. Milburga's Guild has their festival! Just as if it was on purpose!"
"Did you ask her to keep clear of your engagements?"
"I told her, but I don't think she listened." And as another grievance suggested itself to Vera, she declared, "And she won't let us join the Girls' Magazine Club, because she saw one she didn't like on somebody's table. As if we were little babies!"
"She won't let us order books at the library, but gets such awfully slow ones," chimed in Paula, "or only baby stories fit for Thekla. She made me return that book dear Sister Mena lent me, because she said it was Roman Catholic."
"And hasn't she got Thomas à Kempis on her table? and I'm sure he was Roman Catholic. There's consistency!"
"You don't understand," began Agatha. "He was a great Saint before the Catholics became so Roman."
"Oh, never mind! It is anything to thwart us," cried Vera. "It is ever so much worse than school."
"But," began Agatha, and the tone of consideration to that one conjunction caused an outburst. "Oh, Nag, Nag, if you are gone over to the enemy, what will life be worth?"
As that terrible question was propounded, in burst Thekla with, "Oh, Nag, Nag, they are cutting the hay in the high torr field, and sister says we may go and see them before I read my French."
"Oh!" cried Vera, with a prolongation into a groan, "is she going to be tiresome?"
"She has come to be quite a don," said Paula; "but never mind, we will soon make her all right again."
The two sisters had to go to their different classes in the afternoon, and wanted Agatha to go with them; but it was a very warm day, and she preferred resting in the garden, and, to Magdalen's surprise and pleasure, conversation with her. At first it was about Oxford matters, very interesting, but public and external to the home, and it did not draw the cords materially closer; but when Thekla had privately decided that even hanging upon the newly recovered Nag was not worth the endurance of anything so tedious, and had gone off to assist her beloved old gardener in gathering green gooseberries, Magdalen observed that she was a very pleasant little pupil, and was getting on very well, especially with arithmetic.
"That was the strong point in the junior classes," said Agatha; "better taught than it was in my time."
"I wish she could have more playfellows," said Magdalen. "She would like to go to the High School at Rockquay, but there are foundations I should wish to lay before having her out of my own hands."
"I should think you were her best playfellow. She seems very fond of you, and very happy."
"Yes," said Magdalen, rather wistfully. "I think she generally is so."
"Maidie! may I call you by the old home name?" And as Magdalen answered with a kiss and tearful smile, "Do tell me, please, if Polly and Flapsy are nice to you?"
Magdalen was taken by surprise at the pressure of the hand and the eyes that gazed into her face full of expression.
She could not keep the drops from rushing to her own eyes, though she smiled through them and said, "As nice as they know how."
"I am afraid I know what that means," said Agatha.
"If I only knew how to prevent their looking on me as their governess," continued Magdalen; "but I must have got into the groove, and I suppose I do not always remember how much must be tolerated if love has to be won; and Paula is a thoroughly good girl."
"Yes, I am sure she wishes to be," said Agatha. "Are those Sisters nice that she talks of so eagerly?"
"They are very excellent women, but somehow I should have had more confidence in them if they were not unattached, or belonged to some regular Sisterhood. I wish she had taken instead to Mysie Merrifield, who is more of my sort; but no one can control those likings."
"I don't think Gillian very attractive; she is so wrapped up in her work," confessed Agatha.
"You will see them all, I hope, for I am giving a garden party next week, perhaps. Have not they told you?"
"Oh, yes; but Polly seemed bent on its not clashing with some festival at St. Kenelm's."
"Therefore I had not fixed the day till I had heard what is settled. I have invited people for Thursday, which will hardly interfere."
"Did you know that the young man who is painting the ceiling at St. Kenelm's Church is old Mr. Delrio's son Hubert?"
"Indeed! Is he staying here? We must ask him to come up to luncheon or to tea. I am glad he is doing so well. I heard Eccles and Beamster were to do the decorations; I suppose they employ him. I should think it was a very good line to get into."
This was on a Friday; and the next day Magdalen proposed driving down in the cool of the evening to see the decorations at St. Kenelm's and their artist; but it turned out that he was gone to spend Sunday at the Cathedral city, and all that could be done was to admire the designs, and listen to Paula's enthusiastic explanation.
Magdalen consulted Agatha whether to send young Delrio a card for the garden party; but they decided that it was too late for an invitation to be sent, though a spoken one might have been possible. Besides, it was not likely to be pleasant to a stranger who knew no one but the Flights and Hendersons, and those professionally. Agatha told her sisters, and with one voice they declared that they would not see him patronised; while Agatha's acute senses doubted whether Vera's objection was not secretly based on the embarrassment of a double flirtation with him and with Wilfred Merrifield.
Indeed, Vera told her gaily: "Only think, Nag, I did have a jolly ride on the M.A.'s bike after all."
"Indeed! Then she lent it to you."
"Not she! But she and the little kid were safe gone to Avoncester, and Paula was with her dear Sisters, so Will and I took a jolly spin along the cliff road; and it was such screaming fun. Only once we thought we saw old Sir Jasper coming, and we got behind a barn, but it turned out to be only a tripper, and we had such a laugh."
"Paula does not know?"
"What would be the good of telling her, with her little nun's schoolgirl mind? She would only make no end of a fuss about a mere bit of fun and nonsense."
"I think if Wilfred Merrifield was afraid to meet his father, it showed a sense of wrong."
"Sir Jasper is a horrid old martineau, who never gives them any peace at home, but is always after them."
"A martinet, I suppose you mean. I don't think that makes it any better. I should not be happy till Magdalen knew."
"Why, no harm was done! There's her precious machine all safe! It was just for the fun of the thing, and to try how it goes. One can't be kept in like a blessed baby! She never has guessed it. That's the fun of it."
"I would not return her kindness in such an unladylike way when she is trusting you, Vera."