Princess Sarah and Other Stories Read online

  CHAPTER VII

  COUSINLY AMENITIES

  The following morning Mrs. Stubbs began preparing vigorously for themove to Brighton, which the family invariably made at this time of theyear. Usually, indeed, they went a week or so earlier, but Mrs. Stubbsbeing at Bridgehampton, Miss Clark had done no more towards going thanto see that the children's summer and seaside frocks and other clotheswere all ready.

  "I think May and Flossie must 'ave new white best frocks," Mrs. Stubbsremarked; "and Sarah's things must be attended to. I knew it was no usegetting the child anything but a black frock in that old-fashionedBridge'ampton. I'd better go and see about them this morning; and ifthey're not done by Thursday they can come after us."

  So Sarah was dressed, and with May went out in the neat "broom" withMrs. Stubbs; and when she had arranged about the white frocks for herown children, Mrs. Stubbs began to lay in a stock of clothes for Sarah.Poor Sarah was bewildered, and felt more ready to cry than anythingelse.

  "Am I to wear _all_ these?" she asked, with what was almost horror, asshe surveyed the pile of stockings, petticoats, gloves, sash-ribbons,pocket-handkerchiefs, and such things, which quickly accumulated uponthe counter.

  Mrs. Stubbs laughed good-naturedly. "You won't say 'all' when you'vebeen a month at Brighton grubbing about on the shingle and goingdonkey-rides, and such like. You must be tidy, you know, Sarah. And Itold you" (in an undertone) "that you would be the same as my own. Inever do things by 'alves; I'm not one of that sort, thank 'eaven."

  So, to Sarah's dismay, she bought lavishly of many things--frocks,boots, smart pinafores, a pretty, light summer jacket, and two hats, onea white sailor hat, the other a black trimmed one for best.

  "Do you take cold easy, Sarah?" Mrs. Stubbs inquired, pausing as theywent out of the showroom before a huge pile of furs.

  "I think I do rather, Auntie; and I had bronchitis last year."

  "That settles it!" her aunt exclaimed. "I don't believe in bronchitisand doctors' bills; waste of money, I call it. You shall 'ave a furcape."

  Now for two years past the dream of Sarah's life had been to possess afur cape--"a beautiful, warm, soft, and lovely fur cape," as sheexpressed it; but until now, poor child, she had never dared to think itmight ever be more than a dream--that it might come to be a possibilityor a reality. The sudden realization was almost too much for her. Shegave a little gasp of delight, and squeezed her aunt's arm _hard_.

  "Oh, Auntie!" she whispered, with a sob of delight, "what shall I everdo for you?"

  "Nay, nay! don't, Sarah!" Mrs. Stubbs expostulated, fearing the childwas going to break down. "Be a good girl and love your aunt, that's all,dear."

  "Oh, Auntie, I do, I do!" Sarah whispered back; "but if only Fatherknew--if only he knew!"

  "Why, maybe he does," said Mrs. Stubbs kindly. "But come, Sarah, mydear, let us try your cape on. We are wasting this gentleman's time."

  The gentleman in question protested that it was of no consequence, andbegged Mrs. Stubbs not to hurry herself. But time was passing, and Mrs.Stubbs wanted to get home again, so she urged Sarah to be quick.

  Ten minutes later Sarah was the proud possessor of a beautiful brown furcape, just a little large for her, "that she might have room to grow,"but so warm and cosy, and so entirely to her liking, that, in spite ofthe sultry day, the child would willingly have kept it on and gone homein it. She did not, however, dare to propose it to her aunt, and if shehad done so Mrs. Stubbs had far too much good sense to have allowed it.

  So they went home gaily enough to lunch, which was the young folk'sdinner, but not without a petition from May that they should stop atsome nice shop and have ices.

  "It will spoil your dinner!" exclaimed Mrs. Stubbs.

  "Oh, no, Mother," said May, who sometimes called her mother so. "AndSarah _ought_ to have an ice the very first time she has ever had adrive with you."

  Thus pressed, Mrs. Stubbs gave in, and stopped the carriage at aconfectioner's in Regent Street.

  "I'll have Vanilla," said May. "Which are you going to have, Sarah?"

  "Whichever you like," said Sarah, who had never tasted an ice in herlife, and was thus gaining another new experience.

  "Try strawberry, then," said May, "and then we can help one another to aspoonful."

  Sarah did try strawberry, and very good she found it. And then, whenthey had each eaten about half of their ices, May proposed that theyshould change about. Sarah did not find the Vanilla ice nearly so muchto her liking as the strawberry one had been; but not liking to say so,as her cousin seemed to appreciate the change, she finished her portion,and said she had enjoyed herself very much.

  "You'll buy us some sweets, Ma?" said May.

  Sarah stared aghast; it seemed to her a terrible extravagance to havehad the ices, particularly after having spent so much money as her auntmust have done for the clothes that morning. And then to ask forsweets! It seemed to her that May had no conscience.

  And perhaps she was not very far wrong. But May, if she had noconscience, had a wonderful knack of smoothing the path of daily lifefor herself. Mrs. Stubbs demurred decidedly to buying sweets; but Maygave a good reason for her demand.

  "Oh, Ma, dear, do! Flossie 'll be as cross as two sticks at Sarah beingout with you instead of her. And she's sure to ask if we had ices, and,you know we can't either of us tell a story about it--at least, I can't,and I don't think Sarah's at all the story-telling sort--are you,Sarah?"

  "Oh no, indeed, Auntie, I'll never tell you a story," Sarah protested.

  "And Flossie will go on anyhow, and taunt her; I know she will. She andTom were at it last night--calling her Princess Sarah--her RoyalHighness Princess Sarah," May went on--"didn't they, Sarah?"

  "Never mind," said Sarah, trying to make light of it.

  "But what did they call her that for?" Mrs. Stubbs asked, listening in away that was rare with her to a bit of tittle-tattle from theschoolroom.

  "Well, Ma, dear, you know what Tom is. He doesn't mean to be rough orrude, but he's just a boy home for the holidays; and after she's had thelittle ones all day, and perhaps not me to talk to at all, Tom does geta bit too much for Miss Clark's nerves. And last night Tom was just abit more boisterous than usual, and poor Miss Clark didn't feel verywell, and it tried her, you know. And Sarah was sitting by me, and veryquiet, and Miss Clark happened to say she behaved like a princess--andso she did. And Tom took it up--Princess Sarah, of Nowhere; her RoyalHighness Princess Sarah, of Nowhere, and such-like. I don't think Tommeant to be unkind, but it wasn't very nice for Sarah, being strange tous all; and then Flossie took it up, and Johnnie, but Miss Clark toldJohnnie he should go to bed if he said it again, so he soon shut up."

  "Well, it's no use taking any notice of it," said Mrs. Stubbs, strokingSarah's hand kindly, "but you'd better put a stop to it whenever youhear 'em at it, May. I only 'ope Tom won't let his pa 'ear him. He'd bevery angry, for Sarah's pore ma, that's dead and gone, was 'is favouritesister, and Pa'd never forgive a slight that was put on her little girl.It isn't," said Mrs. Stubbs, warming to her subject, "any fault ofSarah's that she's left, at nine years old, without a father, or amother, or a 'ome; and it's no credit of any of yours that you've got akind pa and ma, and a lux'r'ous 'ome, and a broom to ride about in. So,Sarah, my dear, don't take no notice if they begin teasing you aboutanything. Remember, your ma was your uncle's favourite sister, and thatyou was as welcome as flowers in May to him when I brought you 'ome."

  Sarah looked up. "I don't mind anything, Auntie, dear," she saidbravely, though her lips were trembling and her eyes were moist. "I'llremember what you told me when we were coming--give and take."

  "That's a brave little woman!" Mrs. Stubbs exclaimed. "Yes, you'dbetter go and choose some sweets, May. Perhaps it was a little 'ard onFlossie she should have to stop at 'ome, but I can't do with more thanthree in the broom--it gets so 'ot and so stuffy. Perhaps, some day,your pa 'll buy us an open carr
iage, and then I don't mind 'ow manythere are."

  May went out into the shop--for they had been sitting alone in an innerroom--to choose the sweets, and Mrs. Stubbs continued her talk to Sarah.

  "I don't 'old with telling, as a rule; I want my children to be betterthan tell-pies," she said; "but I am glad May told me of this. Ifanything goes wrong with you, you tell May about it, Sarah; she's myright 'and; I don't know what I should do without her."