the stokesley secret-第15部分

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ps；〃　Henry's　sixpence　had　melted　down　to　a　halfpenny；　which　〃was　not　worth　while。〃

On　this　day　arrived　a　servant　from　the　Park；　bringing　a　delicate　little　lilac　envelope；　stamped　with　a　tiny　rose；　and　directed　to　Miss　Merrifield。　　There　was　another　rose　on　the　top　of　the　lilac　paper；　and　the　writing　was　in　a　very　neat　hand。


My　dear　Susan；

Mamma　desires　me　to　say　that　she　hopes　you　and　Bessie　and　Annie　will　come　to　dine　early　to…morrow；　and　play　with　me；　and　that　Miss　Fosbury　will　come　with　you。　　She　hopes　your　Mamma　is　better；　and　would　be　glad　to　have　her　address　in　London。

I　am　your　affectionate　IDA　ARABELLA　GREVILLE。


〃Oh！　　Miss　Fosbrook；　may　we　go？〃　cried　the　girls　with　sparkling　eyes。

Mrs。　Merrifield　had　written　that　one　or　two　such　invitations　might　be　accepted；　but　she　had　rather　it　did　not　happen　too　often；　as　visits　at　the　Park　were　unsettling　to　some　of　the　children。　　So　as　this　was　the　first；　Christabel　gladly　consented；　rather　curious　and　rather　shy　on　her　own　account。

Elizabeth　begged　for　the　rose；　to　copy　it；　and　as　there　were　no　little　ones　present　to　seize　it；　she　was　allowed　to　have　it；　while　Susan　groaned　and　sighed　over　the　misfortune　of　having　to　write　a　〃horrible　note〃　just　at　play…time；　and　the　boys　treated　it　as　a　sort　of　insult　to　the　whole　family　that　Ida　should　have　mistaken　their　governess's　name。

〃Tell　her　you　won't　go　till　she　has　it　right；〃　said　Sam；　at　which　Annie　made　a　vehement　outcry　of　〃No；　no！〃　such　as　made　them　all　laugh　at　her　thinking　him　in　earnest。

Susan's　note　began　…


My　dear　Ida；

We　shuold　…


But　then　perceiving　that　something　was　the　matter　with　her　word；　Susan　sat　and　looked　at　it；　till　at　last；　perceiving　that　her　u　and　o　had　changed　places；　she　tried　putting　a　top　to　the　u；　and　made　it　like　an　a；　while　the　filling　up　the　o　made　it　become　a　blot；　such　as　caught　Bessie's　eye。

〃O　Susie；　you　won't　send　such　a　thing　as　that　up　to　Ida？〃

〃Nothat　WOULD　be　a　'horrible　note；'〃　said　her　governess；　and　she　ruled　the　lines　again。

〃Dear　me；〃　said　Susan　impatiently；　〃can't　one　send　a　message　up　by　the　man　that　we'll　all　come；　without　this　fuss？〃

But　Miss　Fosbrook　said　that　would　be　very　uncivil；　and　Susan；　groaning；　stretched　every　finger　till　the　lines　were　finished；　and　began　again；　in　her　scraggy　round…handgetting　safely　through　the　〃should；〃　and　also　through　〃like　to　come　very　much；〃　but　when　Miss　Fosbrook　looked　up　next；　she　saw　that　the　rest　of　the　note　consisted　of　…


Mamma　is　at　Grandmamma's；　No。　12；　St。；　Grovensor　Place。

I　am　your　affectionate　SUSANNA　MERRIFIELD。


〃My　dear；　I　am　very　sorry。〃

〃What！　won't　that　do？〃　sighed　Susan；　beginning　to　get　into　despair。

Miss　Fosbrook　pointed　to　the　word　〃Grovensor。〃

〃Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　　I　thought　I　had　got　that　tiresome　word　this　time。　Why　can't　it　put　its　ss　and　ns　into　their　proper　sensible　places？〃　cried　poor　Susan；　to　whom　it　was　a　terrible　enemy。　　She　used　to　try　them　in　different　places　all　the　way　round；　in　hopes　that　one　might　at　last　be　right。

〃Can't　you　remember　what　I　told　you；　that　the　first　Grosvenor　was　the　grand　huntsman？　　Grosveneur　in　French；　that　would　show　you　where　to　put　the　sgros；　great。〃

But　Susan　never　wished　to　remember　anything　French；　and　Sam　observed　that　〃the　man　deserved　to　be　spelt　wrong　if　he　called　himself　by　a　French　name。　　Why　couldn't　he　be　content　to　be　Mr。　Grandhunter？〃

〃But　as　he　is　not；　we　must　spell　his　name　right；　or　Mrs。　Greville　will　be　shocked；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook。

〃Please　can't　you　scratch　it　out？〃　said　the　disconsolate　Susan。

〃_I_　should　not　like　to　send　a　note　with　a　scratch　in　it。　　Besides；　yours　is　hardly　civil。〃

〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Elizabeth；　〃don't　you　know　how　people　answer　invitations；　Susie？　　I'll　tell　you。　　'Miss　Susanna；　and　Miss　Elizabeth；　and　Miss　Annie　Merrifield　will　be　very　happy　to　do　the　honour　of　dining　with'　Sam；　why　do　you　laugh　at　me　always？〃

〃Why；　you　are　telling　Ida　you　will　do　her　honour　by　dining　with　her。〃

〃People　always　do　honour　when　they　dine；〃　said　Elizabeth。　　〃I　know　they　do。〃

〃They　profess　to　receive　the　honour；　not　confer　it；　Bessie；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　laughing；　〃but　I　don't　think　that　is　the　model　for　Susie's　note。　　It　would　be　as　much　too　formal　as　hers　was　too　blunt。〃

〃Must　I　do　it　again？〃　said　Susan。　　〃I　had　rather　not　go；　if　it　is　to　be　such　a　plague。〃

〃Indeed；　I　fear　you　must；　Susie。　　It　is　quite　needful　to　learn　how　to　write　a　respectable　note；　really　a　more　difficult　thing　than　writing　a　long　letter。　　I　am　sorry　for　you；　but　if　you　were　not　so　careless　in　your　letters　to　Mamma　this　would　come　more　easily　to　you。〃

But　this　time　Miss　Fosbrook　not　only　ruled　another　sheet；　but　wrote；　in　fair　large…hand　on　a　slate；　the　words；　that　Susan　might　copy　them　without　fresh　troubles：


We　are　much　obliged　to　your　Mamma　for　her　kind　invitation；　and　shall　have　much　pleasure　in　coming　with　Miss　Fosbrook　to　dine　with　you　and　spend　the　day。　　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　Mamma　was　not　quite　so　well　when　last　we　heard。　　Her　address　isNo。　12；St。；　Grosvenor…place。


Susan　thought　that　here　were　a　very　serious　number　of　words；　and　begged　hard　for　leave　to　leave　out　her　sorrow。　　Of　course　she　was　sorry；　but　what　was　the　use　of　telling　Ida　so？

Miss　Fosbrook　thought　it　looked　better；　but　Susan　might　do　as　she　pleased。

〃I　wouldn't　say　it；　then；〃　said　Sam。　　〃I　wouldn't　say　it　only　to　look　better　to　Ida。〃　　With　which　words　he　and　Hal　walked　off　to　the　garden。

Would　it　be　believed？　　Susan；　in　her　delight　at　being　near　the　end；　forgot　the　grand　huntsman；　and　made　the　unlucky　Place　〃Grovesnor；〃　and　then；　in　her　haste　to　mend　it；　put　her　finger　into　the　wet　ink；　and　smeared　not　only　that　word；　but　all　the　line　above！

It　was　a　shame　and　a　wonder　that　a　girl　of　her　age　should　be　so　incapable　of　producing　a　creditable　note；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　was　very　near　scolding　her　but　she　had　pity　on　the　tearful　eyes　and　weary　fingers；　and　spoke　cheerfully：　　〃There；　that　was　almost　the　thing。　One　more　trial；　Susan；　and　you　need　never　be　afraid　of　Ida's　notes　again。〃

If　Susan　could　not　write　notes；　at　least　she　was　not　cross；　and　it　would　be　well　if　many　who　could　send　off　a　much　better　performance　with　far　less　difficulty　could　go　to　work　as　patiently　as　she　did；　without　one　pettish　word　to　Miss　Fosbrook；　though　that　lady　seemed　to　poor　Susie　as　hard　a　task　mistress　as　if　she　could　have　helped　it。　This　time　Miss　Fosbrook　authorized　the　leaving　out　of　the　spending　the　day；　and　suggested　that　S。　would　be　enough　without　the　whole　Susanna；　and　she　mercifully　directed　the　cover　to　Miss　Greville。

〃There；　my　dear；　you　have　worked　hard　for　your　pleasure；〃　she　said；　as　Susan　extended　each　hand　to　its　broadest　stretch　to　uncramp　them；　and　stretched　herself　backwards　as　if　she　wanted　to　double　her　head　down　to　her　heels。　　〃I　shall　give　you　a　good　mark；　Susie；　as　if　it　had　been　a　lesson。〃

Susan　deserved　it；　for　her　patient　perseverance　had　been　all　out　of　obedience；　not　in　the　mere　desire　of　having　her　note　admired。　Indeed；　good　child；　at　the　best　it　was　a　very　poor　affair　for　a　girl　of　twelve；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　was　ashamed　of　it　when　she　looked　at　Ida's　lady…like　little　billet。

〃But　I　wonder；〃　said　she　to　herself；　〃whether　I　shall　feel　as　if　I　would　change　my　dear　stupid　Susan　for　Miss　Ida？〃

Meanwhile　Susan　flew　screaming　and　leaping　out　into　the　garden　in　a　mad　tom…boy　fashion；　but　that　could　well　be　pardoned；　as　there　were　only　her　sisters　to　see　her；　and　the　pleasure　of　having　persevered　and　done　her　best　was　enough　to　make　her　heart　and　her　limbs　dance　for　merriment。

Depend　upon　it；　however　wretched　and　miserable　hard　application　to　what　we　do　not　like　may　seem　at　the　moment；　it　is　the　only　way　to　make　play…times　really　delicious。



CHAPTER　IX。



Miss　Fosbrook　soon　knew　what　Mrs。　Merrifield　meant　by　saying　that　visits　at　the　Park　unsettled　the　children。　　Susan　indeed；　though　liking　anything　that　shortened　lessons　by　an　hour；　and　made　a　change；　was　not　so　fond　of　being　on　her　good　behaviour　at　the　Park　as　to　be　greatly　exalted　at　the　prospect；　but　Elizabeth　and　Annie　were　changed　beings。　　They　were　constantly　breaking　out　with　some　new　variety　of　wonder。　　They　wondered　whether　they　should　dine　in　the　school…room；　or　at　Mrs。　Greville's　luncheon；　they　wondered　if　Mr。　Greville　would　speak　to　them；　they　wondered　whether　Fraulein　Munsterthal　would　be　cross；　they　wondered　if　Ida　still　played　with　dolls；　and　they　looked　as　if　they　thought　themselves　wonderful；　too；　for　going　out　for　a　day！

Nay；　the　wonders　were　at　their　tongues'　end　even　when　lessons　began；　and　put　their　farthings　in　great　peril；　and　when　they　had　nothing　else　to　wonder　at；　they　wondered　when　it　would　be　twelve　o'clock；　and　took　no　pains　to　swallow　enormous　yawns。　　Once；　over　her　copy；　Elizabeth　exclaimed；　〃Now！　yes；　this　is　necessary；　Miss　Fosbrook！　May　not　we　wear　our　white　frocks？〃

〃They　are　not　ironed；〃　answered　Susan。

〃Oh；　do　let　me　go　and　tell　Mary！　　There's　lots　of　time；〃　said　Bessie；　who　had　lately　thought　it　cruel　of　the　clock　to　point　only　to　half…　past　ten；　and　never　bethought　herself　how　Mary　would　like　to　be　called　off　from　her　scrubbing　to　iron　three　white　frocks。

〃Would　your　Mamma　wish　it？〃　asked　Christabel。

〃Oh　dear　no；〃　was　Susan's　answer；　〃we　always　wear　clean　ones　of　our　every…day　frocks。　　Our　white　ones　are　only　for　dinner…parties　and　Christmas…trees。〃

Bessie　grumbled。　　〃How　cross！　　I　hate　those　nasty　old　spotty　cottons；〃　and　Johnnie　returned　to　the　old　story〃Little　vain　pussy…　cat。〃

Up　went　Miss　Fosbrook's　warning　pencil；　she　shook　her　head；　and　held　out　her　hand　for　two　fines。　　Elizabeth　began　to　gulp　and　sob。

〃Oh；　don't；　Betty！〃　cried　Susan。　　〃Stop　while　you　can。　　You　won't　like　going　up　with　red　eyes。　　There；　I'll　pay　your　fine；　and　there's　another　for　my　speaking。〃

〃No；　Susie；　that　was　not　foolish　speaking；　but　kind　words；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　〃but　no　more　now；　go　on；　Annie。〃

But　Annie；　who　was　reading　a　little　history　of　St。　Paul；　would　call　Cilicia；　Cicilia；　and　when　told　to　spell　it　she　began　to　cry　too　decidedly　for　Susan's　good…nature　to　check　her　tears。　　And　not　only　did　Elizabeth's　copy　look　as　if　she　had　written　it　with　claws　instead　of　fingers；　but　she　was　grievi