Etheldreda the Ready | Page 7

as yet entered her
heart. Grown-ups made such a fuss about trifles. Probably it was
something quite silly and unimportant after all.
Mrs Saxon did not answer. She looked down at her hands and twisted
the rings on her fingers, the while her husband took upon himself the
burden of explanation.
"Yes, Dreda, we wish to speak out plainly. As far as possible we have
always taken our children into our confidence, and now we must all try
to strengthen each other, for a great change is before us. It must affect
us all... I have lost money--a great deal of money. I am no longer a rich
man. Your mother and I came down here to face the situation quietly,
and to think out our plans. We wished to be by ourselves for a few days
before saying anything to you."
"Oh-h. Is that it? Poor father! What a shame!"
"What a beastly fag! How did it happen, Pater?"
"Poor old father! Yes! I quite understand."
They spoke together with impetuous warmth, Gurth, Hereward, and

Etheldreda, but, in spite of their words, none of them understood in the
least. Maud and Harold stared open-mouthed. Only Rowena turned
white, and pressed her lips nervously together.
"Thank you, dears. I knew you would sympathise, but our grief is on
your account more than on our own. If you can bear the change bravely,
our worst fears will be allayed. It will be a big change. To begin with, I
have let the town house. An offer came to take it furnished on a lease,
and I dared not refuse. The Meads will now be our settled home."
Silence... One definite statement has more effect than a dozen vague
forebodings, and the young people sat stunned with dismay, while the
thoughts of each wandered away on a voyage of personal reflections.
"No town house! No season! Shut up here all the year round, just as I
was coming out, and expecting to have such a lovely time."
"Let the house! Whew! Things must be precious bad ... Suppose, after
all, the Governor can't afford to send me to the army!"
"Here's a pretty go! The house doesn't matter. The country knocks town
into fits any day, but it will be a beastly fag if we have to cut things
down fine. What about the horses?"
"Poor father. Oh, dear, how awful mother looks! Rowena is a brute to
look so cross. P'raps the Spider will have to go, and I shall be finished,
and done with lessons. Topping!"
"Bateson's father lost his money and he went to sea. I wonder if they'd
let me!"
"I've got five pounds six in the bank. I'll draw it out, and give it to them
to help. That would last for mumfs and mumfs."
Mrs Saxon lifted her sad eyes and glanced wistfully round the table.
When she herself had first heard the news she had been stunned into
silence; she hardly expected words, but her mother's heart yearned for a
glance of sympathy and love. The boys, as is the habit of boys, were

rendered awkward and uncomfortable by the atmosphere of emotion,
and stared stolidly at their plates. Rowena sat like a frozen statue of
misery, Maud gaped blankly from one face to another; only Dreda was
ready and waiting with her sunny smile and her easy flow of sympathy.
"Darling! Of course we'll be brave! Don't worry about us. Everyone
says money doesn't matter a bit. You can be perfectly happy without it...
Perfectly sickening for you and father, down here by yourselves with
all that worry. You must have been bored!"
Bored! The utter inadequacy of the word brought a smile to the parents'
eyes, but the kindly warmth of voice and manner was as balm to their
sore hearts. What though Dreda's conduct belied her words time and
again, her impetuous kindliness of heart was for the moment infinitely
soothing, and a blessed contrast to Rowena's gloom. Both parents
smiled lovingly upon her, and Dreda glowed with satisfaction. Really,
being ruined was quite exciting and dramatic!
"Thank you, Dreda," said her father, gratefully. "These have been very
sad days for us, as you say, and even yet we are feeling rather stunned
by the suddenness of this trouble, and have not been able to think out
definite plans for your future. It was necessary to tell you the bare fact,
but you must be patient and forbear from questioning for a few days.
We shall not keep you in suspense longer than is necessary."
Suspense! Six pairs of ears pricked uneasily at the sound of that word;
six hearers seemed to hear in it the knell of a cherished hope. Even
Dreda was awed into silence. The "horrid things" were evidently not
yet