Part 4

"I know Lady Dove is shuddering as to what is to happen to-night. She says, 'you never know with Toney,' and that is a truer word than she often says!"

"I expect all this fuss and this money will turn Antonia Whitburn's head," said Mrs. Hamilton, who was jealous, but too ladylike to show it openly.

"Turn Toney's head, Aunt Delia! You little know her, I really believe she no more thinks of money as bringing her any personal advantage than she would think that--putting a crown on her head would make her a queen."

"You always were good-natured in defending poor Harum Scarum," answered his Aunt Delia; "and I'm sure she needs a few friends to do it. Mrs. Hales told me she saw no change in Toney's character in spite of all the places they sent her to in order to improve her."

Lewis laughed heartily, and then rose to go. "Well, Maud, come along, I'm off. I'll order the dog-cart to bring us back so as to have time to dress. You will all come later."

"Seeing poor people stuff doesn't interest me at all," said Jeanie; but Maud, who now always took her cue from Lewis, exclaimed,

"I should like to go early if the carriage can go, twice. I'll bring my violin and play something for them if Toney likes."

"What a good idea," said Lewis brightly. "The carriage can certainly take us early and go back for the lazy ladies."

"Please don't kill yourself, my dear boy," said Miss Waycott with a smile. She was torn between the pleasure of seeing Lewis happy and interested, and the fear of her sister Delia thinking her very foolish. It is never easy to hunt with the hounds and run with the hare.

As the cousins were crossing the Park (having had special though private permission from Sir Evas to come that way whenever they liked) Lewis was smiling to himself.

"Poor Toney," he said presently, "I believe she will regret even the terrible days of her first arrival at Aldersfield. This beastly money will swallow up all her time, and Sir Evas has dug up an Australian secretary for her. I hope he'll not be too much of a cad."

"It will be like a novel, and he'll fall in love with her and marry her," said Maud. "She would like an Australian, and he would understand her strange ways."

"Perhaps; but I haven't heard that the Australians are less self-seeking than other people. I think Toney is a _rara avis_."

"It does seem a little hard on Lady Dove to have fallen on this rare bird!" said Maud, laughing softly. She was so pretty and womanly that Lewis noticed her with pleasure. He liked Maud much better than Jeanie, who always looked discontented, but the idea of marrying either of them had never entered his head.

"It was awfully nice of you, Maud, to think of playing to Toney's people. I'm sure she will be delighted, but don't waste your pity on Lady Dove!"

"The new companion is a tyrant, I hear; I want to see her. Mother thinks it rather silly of Toney to make such a fuss over Mrs. Faber. It will make her very uppish. That class of people, mother says, never can stand much notice."

Lewis laughed aloud.

"Pray, Maud, form your own opinions and don't quote those of other people. Use your eyes to-day, and see what the Fabers are like. Mrs. Faber has developed so wonderfully you would not know her for the same person, though she is still somewhat afraid of Lady Dove, which is not surprising. That woman is simply odious."

Very soon they reached Aldersfield, and Lewis conducted his cousin to the barn where he had worked so hard. The preparations were drawing to a close, and at that moment Toney herself dashed out with a hammer in her hand.

"Why, Toney, you look like Sisera going to do the deed! Is there anything I can get?"

"Oh, you'll do for audience beautifully, I was just going to fetch Mrs. Horner, but she is dreadfully busy. It's to hear Uncle Dove rehearse his speech. We've put up the platform for him and all, and now he declares he can't make a speech--but he must. Now do, Maud, you'll represent the ladylike portion. Poor uncle is so shy, and only says 'Hum, hum!'"

They entered the barn, where Sir Evas was indeed looking supremely unhappy.

"Oh, Waycott, I'm glad you've come. Toney declares I must make a speech and it's quite beyond me!"

"Oh yes you can, dear, ducky uncle. Just say something that you really mean out of your heart."

"That they won't make themselves ill with over-eating!"

"Oh, that's horrid, you wouldn't say that at your own table--but look, Mr. Waycott, what do you think of the whole?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Maud, "why it's too beautiful for them, and everything silver, and, oh, what lovely silver dishes!"

Lewis gave Maud a little nudge; he knew this speech would be like gunpowder to Toney.

"Too beautiful! Of course not! How can anything be too beautiful? Aren't these flowers exquisite, Mr. Waycott? That was all your doing."

"But it's like a grand dinner party," urged Maud.

"And so it is, a very grand dinner party. Do you see the little roses, and the napkins folded like lilies? The servants have just been awfully nice over it all, and the button-holes are ready for the men and a little posy for the ladies. I'm just a wee bit afraid about the children, but Chum says I'm to trust her."

"May I play something for them on the violin?" asked Maud eagerly.

"Oh, how lovely, yes; but--not one of your long fugues, please. Something they'd all like, just a brisk jig or imitation of bagpipes."

Maud looked upon herself as a good player, but she nobly hid her disgust.

"I see, a good stirring dance."

"Yes, just at first, something that will unloose their tongues, and that they can talk all through it till the dance begins. Now, Uncle Evas, it's your turn. You must practise your speech. Mr. Waycott, just sit there to represent the men, and Maud will do the stuck-ups, and I'll do the women. It must suit us all, uncle. You can just say how awfully glad you are to see them, and that Toney Whitburn is too, and that--no, I'll make my own, you'd go wrong."

Happily for Sir Evas a footman entered at the moment, and announced that Lady Dove said would Sir Evas go at once, and see her on business.

*CHAPTER VII.*

*THE VISITORS ARRIVE.*

"What is the programme?" asked Maud, catching Toney's enthusiasm.

"Uncle Evas, and any of us who like, will sit down to dinner here, then, when they are well started, we shall go to dine in the house, and hurry a little to begin the dancing here. Poor people do like having plenty of time to eat, so I think we can manage it all."

"When is Sir Evas to make his speech?"

"Just between their meat and pudding. It will help them to digest, and they do like to hear speeches, so I'm going to make one, and anybody else who feels moved. Won't you, Mr. Waycott?"

"But they are not my tenants, Toney."

"But they are your neighbours, and we ought to love our neighbour as ourself."

"I expect my people will be very jealous!" answered Lewis laughing.

"Then you can have a party of your own. I'll come and help you in return."

"That's a promise, but I don't know what Aunt Honoria would say!"

"Oh! My visitors are going to---- No, I won't tell you as you might let it out to Aunt Dove. Uncle Evas gave leave, but----"

At this moment Sir Evas walked in, followed by Lady Carew.

"Oh! what a fairy palace!" exclaimed her ladyship. "Where is Miss Whitburn? I've come to beg you to let me see all the fun, but I didn't expect this! My husband is coming later, but I rebelled."

Lady Carew's face was all smiles. She had never forgotten Toney's first tea-party at Aldersfield, besides the story of Toney's fortune and her coming of age was known to everyone for miles round. Toney gave one of her quick searching looks and settled that Lady Carew meant all she said.

"Well, that is nice of you! You haven't come because I've got such a heap of money! Oh dear! Uncle Evas, I do believe I see somebody arriving in the distance."

Sir Evas looked too.

"Good heavens, Toney! it's the _avant garde_. Much too early!"

"But you are glad they should enjoy themselves as long as possible, aren't you, and you said you wanted them to see your house, and you know---- Did you tell Mr. Diggings!"

"Tell him what, Toney?" whispered Lewis, who was prepared for a surprise.

"That the house is open to _everybody_ to-day! Fancy, Lady Carew, ever so many of uncle's tenants have never been in the house at all! So now Uncle Evas has been awfully kind, and said Aldersfield should be thrown open, only----"

Sir Evas had hurried off.

"Only what?" laughed Lewis, who had jumped to conclusions.

"He wouldn't tell Aunt Dove, so I want my friends to act as sentinels at her door! and we must all take parties round. No one is to see this fairy palace till six!"

"Doesn't Lady Dove know?" asked Lady Carew smiling, "pray let me personally conduct as I have never seen all the house either. I know there are fine pictures."

"Well, no, Aunt Dove doesn't know. She would just have squirmed a bit at seeing so many of them all about. I've just run round to open all the doors, but I posted a warning near Aunt Dove's door. Oh, I do hope she is safe for a long time. She said she was going to rest, and Miss Grossman is reading to her."

Maud and Lady Carew could not help laughing.

"Won't they do funny things?" asked Maud "You know, Lewis, your aunts wouldn't let your tenants roam about the house!"

"I'm afraid Toney will insist, but please let it be in the summer-time."

"It would be nicer for them, but I couldn't help my birthday, could I? Just look down the drive, it's getting black with people. I'll run round here first. Mr. Waycott, will you see if the children's room is done, then we must all work and just talk and explain everything, and please, Lady Carew pretend you know them all as there isn't time to introduce."

In another moment there was a scuffle and rush round, which Trick seemed to think, judging by his barking, was done specially to amuse him, and then at the open front door and on the top of the stone steps, Toney, Trick, and their special friends might be seen with very smiling faces, standing to receive the first batch of visitors, though looking down the drive the stream seemed continuous and thick. It must be owned that the guests were very quiet and very shy, and the procession resembled a funeral much more than the beginning of a most novel party. Never had half the visitors come so near the big house, but then never had they been invited. They all clutched their invitation cards as if they were talismen. Toney had stationed the young footman at the bottom of the stairs to receive the cards, but there the first hitch occurred.

A very sheepish labourer in his very best clothes shook his head as the footman held out his hand to receive the card.

"'Tis only to show you, young man," he said in a loud whisper.

"Will you kindly give it to me," was the answer. "I have to collect them."

"No, that you b'aint, I'm a-going to keep it; I've promised my lad I'll frame it for 'im."

The second guest seeing the difficulty refused even to show his card.

"We be a-going to frame it too. If you can't a-read it just to get the name in your head, I can't help you no further."

"Miss Whitburn said they were to be collected."

These two rebels had stopped the stream, and Lewis, seeing something was happening, dashed down to the rescue.

"Afternoon, sir; the young man wants my card of invitation from Miss Toney herself. I'd rather not come than give it to 'im."

Lewis was convulsed but soon set matters right.

"Pray keep them, but just show them as you come up. Miss Whitburn is waiting up there for you."

"'T'aint likely we'd give it up to _he_," said yet another visitor, casting looks of contempt on the footman who had tried to steal their precious cards.

The children, open-mouthed, clung to their parents, but the Thomas girls had been put first as they knew Miss Toney so well.

Up they came, men, women, and children, all sizes, dressed in varied costumes, and all staring hard at Toney, who, in her simple morning dress, was beaming with pleasure, and her eyes seemed to dance with glee.

"How do you do? How do you? Oh, Mr. Grant, it is good of you to come with your lame foot. Mrs. Chapman, the children are to go to their big room straight, lots of amusements for them, and they'll be well taken care of. Lady Carew and Miss Maud Hamilton have come to entertain you. Oh please, Mrs. Curtis, do shake hands (Mrs. Curtis was curtseying). What a lovely nosegay! How kind of you. Now, Miss Hamilton, will you take the first party round the house. There are about thirty here," and Maud went off.

"How do you do? This is nice of you to come. You're to go round the house anywhere except in Lady Dove's room, she's got a headache or something."

"Shan't we hurt the carpets, miss, with our boots?" said a patient looking woman, "and here's some of our last roses, miss, for your birthday. I'm sure we all wish you a very, very long life."

"Thank you ever so much," and Toney was already holding an arm-full of very tight posies. "Now, Mr. Waycott, will you take the second party. Show them my little room at the top of the house for they can see the tops of their cottages and chimneys from there. Sir Evas is coming soon. He had to see a bit to everything. Dinner's very punctual at six, so please don't stop too long."

Lewis Waycott obeyed. He had come there to obey to-day, and it was no good to think of shyness with Toney there. She was really happy with these people, and could not have been condescending to them had she tried. These poor cottagers, whose dull lives were seldom varied, were to have a real good day, and enjoy themselves, that was the idea that filled Toney's mind. Her one anxiety was the fear that Lady Dove would wake and come forth. At last the stream left off and only a few stragglers appeared. Toney was keeping the last batch for herself, and the children were now safely housed in the barn house, listening spell-bound to a ventriloquist with Mrs. Faber in charge. She was indeed happy, there was a great affinity between herself and children. The tea-tables were spread, and the enjoyment of the little ones was doubled by secret glances at the good things which would soon find their way down their throats.

"Hulloa!" called out the ventriloquist, putting his head up a chimney, "are you there, Bill, why don't you come down? I say, what's to day?" "A coming of old age." "You silly, not old age, a coming of age." "Whose coming?" "Well, it ain't my coming, for I ain't a-coming for anyone"--and so on till the children clapped and shouted, for suddenly Miss Toney herself appeared like a sudden burst of sunshine, and stayed ten minutes making fun.

"Oh, Chum, aren't they happy?"

"I should think they were," echoed Mrs. Faber.

Yes, the children were happy and tea followed very soon, and after tea a conjurer, and then the children were all fetched home by the neighbours from the other half of the village or by elder girls. After this Mrs. Faber slipped away to get ready for the dinner and the dance.

In the meanwhile the multitude of fathers and mothers were tramping round the great house with wide open eyes and cautious feet. To walk on Turkey carpets and look at the beautiful pictures and china the gentry looked at every day, was a new experience. It must be said that Toney's party had a real treat, because she did showman in a very amusing style.

"It must be nice, miss, to live in such a wonderful house," said a poor woman whose home was not a thing of joy.

"It's a job to keep it clean though," said Toney, "for my part I'd rather have a wee cottage if I had the work to do. I used to keep our cottage nice, and I would rather be you for that, but I guess if we can't keep a cottage nice we should make a poor hand at keeping a big place like this spick and span."

"Don't seem worth while, miss, to spend time on our poor places."

"Oh, but it is. Pups used to say that a cottage was the most healthy place in the world if the doors and windows were always open to let in God's sunshine, and if God's sunshine found no dust when it did get in there. I'll tell you what, Mrs. Smith, we'll start a society for the brightest cottage in uncle's part of the village. I'll give a beautiful prize for the best kept and you must win it."

"Oh, miss!" exclaimed Mrs. Smith of the sorrowful countenance, "the children do dirty things so."

"But they'll want you to win the prize. We'll have a model village, never fear. I'm first-rate at cleaning kettles and can teach you." Mrs. Smith began mentally scrubbing at once. Toney had another question to answer.

"If you please, miss," said a labourer, nodding towards a picture representing nymphs dancing, very scantily clothed, "it must be a warm country where ladies have so little clothing on for dancing. I suppose 'tis the fashion there." Toney laughed.

"Oh, they are not real people, the artist just wanted to think of the spirit of the wood. He means to represent all the happy thoughts one has in a lovely lonely wood."

The man shook his head slowly. He found it difficult to grasp the new idea of making your happy thoughts dance in light clothing.

"They be wonderfully tricky, the painters, miss. There was a gentleman who come to paint in the village last summer, and who took our Ann's picture without shoes nor stockings. I begged him not to show it to the neighbours as our Ann never do go bare-foot."

"But it's very healthy, Mr. Carter. I used to run about without shoes and stockings when I was young. I wish I could now, but you see----"

At this moment there was a cry heard from the end of the passage, where Toney and her party and Mr. Waycott and his party were just converging.

"Antonia! Antonia!"

Toney was in front of a paper on which was written, "Please walk on tip-toe down this passage." Now the tip-toes of many persons are not noiseless and in the gathering twilight it had not been observed.

"Gracious stars!" exclaimed Tony darting down the passage, "it's Aunt Dove who has done her rest!"

It was indeed Lady Dove and Miss Grossman who were standing in the doorway, looking at the retreating figures with faces full of displeasure.

"Antonia, who are these people?"

"Please, Aunt Dove, don't be frightened. They are not robbers, it's your own tenants you know, just taking a peep round. But they are going down now, and it's just dinner-time. Won't you come and see the entry?"

"Certainly not. I am quite upset enough. Our dinner is at half-past seven, and I hope you will be ready. As to all those common people tramping on my carpets----"

"Please don't let them hear you, Aunt Dove," pleaded Toney, "they would be so distressed, for, honour bright! they've behaved better than princes and princesses."

"I do not think your education or your bringing up ever brought you in contact with princes, Antonia--Miss Grossman, pray read on again, the maids are all taken from me and I shall not be able to dress till just before dinner."

Miss Grossman looked most unwilling to accede to the request.

"I do not object for once to reading for twenty minutes longer, Lady Dove, after that I must have my free time."

Toney did not wait to hear the stormy discussion that followed.

"It is lucky Aunt Dove won't appear," thought Toney. "Oh, Mr. Waycott, follow me on tip-toe, please, or a bomb will explode, but they have enjoyed themselves."

Lewis literally obeyed, and Toney, smothering her laughter, hurried downstairs with him.

*CHAPTER VIII.*

*A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW.*

Toney made a dash to her bedroom where Rose was waiting to help her into her white dress. It was very pretty and very simple, with soft lace round the base of the neck showing off the pose of the head and Toney's lovely hair.

"Miss Toney, you do look nice," exclaimed Rose, "what will you wear round your neck?"

"My birthday present of course--Pup's picture. You can't think how I value it."

"Won't you wear this coral bracelet for luck, Miss Toney?"

"Yes, it is Mrs. Faber's present, it belonged to her great aunt, whose dress I once wore when I first came," and Toney laughed at the recollection. "Now, I have not one minute more as uncle is going to walk me in. The people will like it so. They love a show-off. Run, Rose, and get ready for waiting on them. I wish I might do some of the waiting, but uncle wouldn't hear of it, and also it would look too much like a school feast. Oh, give me some of those flowers the dear people brought to-day. Wasn't it sweet of them, because they know I love flowers better than anything."

Toney and Rose each flew down different ways. For one instant Toney was even tempted to slide down the balusters as in old days, but remembered her frock in time.

"I wish I could feel old--I suppose I shall when I'm seventy. Oh dear, where is Uncle Evas, I expect----"

She knocked softly at his dressing-room door and stooping down spoke through the keyhole. "Uncle Evas! Hullo, are you there?"

She heard him cross the room on tip-toe, then he very softly opened the door.

"Yes, Toney, I'm ready. Don't disturb your aunt, she is dressing. I don't think she will be ready for your first dinner."

"But you are, come along, and I say, uncle, you'll really eat, won't you, because they will think you're too proud if you don't."

"I've never dined at six o'clock before, Toney. It's a great trial to one's digestion, but I'll try. Now, tell me the programme."

"I've got them all in the hall and in the passages waiting to go to the barn. Come on, uncle! You mustn't keep your guests waiting."

Sir Evas wished himself anywhere but among so many guests. He knew that his wife might appear in no enviable mood; but Toney had him well in hand. Escape was impossible. Putting on as good expression of welcome as he could, he followed her obediently. Their appearance at the top of the staircase had a magical effect. All heads were turned towards the vision of their Miss Toney in an evening dress, its very simplicity making the angel idea more perfect to them, for the greater part had never seen a young lady in an evening dress except in illustrated magazines. But this vision was by no means like a novelette heroine, calm, beautiful, and stately, whilst Toney never guessed she was worthy of admiration, her one thought being that it was just six o'clock.

"Here we are! Sir Evas is so glad to welcome you all, and he's so glad you've seen all his house. If you don't mind we'll lead the way to dinner. People generally go two and two, but please don't bother about that, it always seems to me like the animals in the ark." And Toney's merry laugh made everybody feel at home as, taking her uncle's arm she crossed the hall.

At this moment, Lewis, Lady Carew, Maud and the Fabers, and the Hales came out of the small drawing-room. They were not going to miss this part of the entertainment, having nobly done their duty as showmen.

"Oh, how nice--Mr. Hales, you know everybody, will you just go about the middle and Mr. Waycott bring up the rear, and Mr. Tarrant, will you give your arm to Lady Carew and set a good example."