Barbara in Brittany | Page 4

a manner that inferred she expected her
advice to be taken, "the girl is much too young to have finished her
education--boys or no boys--and I am thinking of sending her to France
for a time, to learn more of the language and see something of the
world. It is not good for a girl of her age to have so much
responsibility."
Now, it had been Barbara's dream to go abroad, but after the first gasp
of delight and astonishment she grew grave, and said she was afraid she
could not leave her mother and the children.
"Fiddlesticks!" Aunt Anne replied, without allowing Mrs. Britton time
to speak. "You are far too young, my dear, to imagine yourself of such
importance in the world. I will send a good old-fashioned nurse that I
know of to take your place, and it will be good for the children to have
a stricter regime than yours has been for a while."
Even if Aunt Anne had been accustomed to have her words
disregarded--which she was not--Mrs. Britton would not have needed
much persuasion to make her fall in with the proposal, for she had often
grieved in private over the fact that, since her husband's death,

Barbara's education had had to suffer that Donald's might advance. And
now, though she wondered how she would get on without her eldest
daughter, she was only too thankful to have such an opportunity thrown
in her way.
"I cannot think why I never interfered before," Miss Britton said, "but it
is better late than never, and we will have as little delay now as
possible."
In a few days the children were all as busy as bees helping to get
Barbara ready. They assisted in choosing her new frocks and hats, and
the style of making; and poor Miss Smith, who came to sew for her,
was nearly distracted by their popping in every now and then to see
how she was getting on. Even Donald, who hated talking about "girls'
fashions," bought a paper, because he saw it had a pattern of a blouse
advertised, and he thought it might be useful.
The family were very curious to hear with whom she was going to
France and where she was going to be, for Aunt Anne had undertaken
to make all the arrangements, and it certainly was a slight shock to the
children when she wrote to say she had made up her mind to go herself
for a fortnight to Paris before sending Barbara off to Brittany, where
she had found a "most suitable place" for her in the house of two
maiden ladies who took in people wanting to learn French.
Donald whistled when Mrs. Britton read that out.
"Fancy a fortnight with Aunt Anne, and then the two maiden ladies.
Jiggers!" (that was a favourite expression of his)--"you'll be worried out
of your life, Barbe."
The worst of it was, that Aunt Anne, who had not been abroad for
many years, said she was going to let Barbara manage the journey and
the sight-seeing in Paris, and sent her a guide-book to read up
everything of interest. She said she was doing this to give her niece
experience and prepare her for being by herself later on; but Donald
declared she wanted to see "what kind of stuff" she was made of, and
that if Barbara did not do things well, she would scoff at her greatly for

thinking she could manage a house and children while she could not
succeed in finding her way about France.
"But I know the old lady, and we'll just show her you're our sister, and
before we've done you'll know that guide-book from cover to cover,"
he assured her.
They had only a week left, for Aunt Anne was very rapid in her
decisions and plans; but they studied the guide-book morning, noon,
and night. It was most instructive holiday work, Donald said, and when
Barbara had not time to read it, Frances and he read for her and poured
their knowledge into her ears at meal-times.
They learned what coloured omnibus went to the different parts of Paris,
and on what days different buildings were open, and by the end of the
week they all felt they could "personally conduct" tours all over Paris.
It was rather hard when the last day came, because they knew that the
house would seem horribly empty without Barbara. The two little ones
were on the verge of crying all the afternoon, and Frances had to be
very stern, while Donald rose to flights of wit hitherto undreamed of, to
keep up every one's spirits.
Of course the two elder ones knew it would be hardest on them after
Barbara left, because some of her responsibility would fall