Modern Broods | Page 4

you might be enabled to do the
duty that was laid on you, my dear."
And with the exchange of a kiss, the two good women set themselves
to practical pounds, shillings, and pence, which was just concluded
when the patter of feet up the stone steps and voices in the hall
announced the return of Mrs. Best's boarders.
Just as Magdalen was opening the door, there darted up, with the air of
a privileged favourite, a little person of ten years old, with flying brown
hair and round rosy cheeks, exclaiming breathlessly, "Is she come?"
The answer was to take her up with a motherly hug, and "My dear little
Thekla!" There was not time for more than a hurried glance and

embrace of the three on the steps of the stair, in their sailor hats and
blue serge; but when in ten minutes more, the whole party, twenty in
number, were seated round the dining table, observation was possible.
Agatha, as senior scholar, sat at the foot of the table, fully occupied in
dispensing Irish stew. She had a sensible face, to which projecting teeth
gave a character, and a brow that would have shown itself finer but for
the overhanging mass of hair. Vera and Paulina were so much alike and
so nearly of the same age that they were often taken for twins, but on
closer inspection Vera proved to be the prettiest, with a more delicately
cut nose, clearer complexion, and bluer eyes; but Paulina, with paler
cheeks, had softer eyes, and more pencilled brows, as well as a prettier
lip and chin, though she would not strike the eye so much as her sister.
Little Thekla was a round-faced, rosy little thing, childish for her nearly
eleven years, smiling broadly and displaying enough white teeth to
make Magdalen forebode that they would need much attention if they
were not to be a desight like Agatha's.
She sat between Mrs. Best and Magdalen; and in the first pause, when
the first course had just been distributed, she looked up with a great
pair of grey eyes, and asked, in a shrill, clear little voice, "Sister, may I
have a bicycle?"
"We will see about it, my dear," returned Magdalen, unwilling to
pledge herself.
"But haven't you got a fortune?" undauntedly demanded Thekla.
"Something like it, Thekla. You shall hear about it after dinner." And
Magdalen felt her colour flushing up under all those young eyes.
"Kitty Best said--"
But here Mrs. Best interposed. "We don't talk over such things at table,
Thekla. Take care with the gravy. Did Mr. Jones give a lesson, this
morning?"
"Yes, a very long one," said Vera.
"It was about the exact force of the words in the Revised Version,"
added Agatha, "compared with the Greek."
"That must have been very interesting!" said Magdalen.
Vera and her neighbour looked at one another and shrugged their
shoulders; while some one else broke in with the news that another girl
had not come back because she was down with influenza; and
Magdalen, suspecting that "shop" was not talked at table, and also that

the Scripture passage could not well be discussed there, saw that it was
wise to let the conversation drift off, by Mrs. Best's leading, into
anecdotes of the influenza.
All were glad when grace was chanted, and the five sisters could retreat
into the drawing-room, which Mrs. Best let them have to themselves
for the half hour before Magdalen's train, and the young ones' return to
the High School. She was at once established with Thekla on her lap,
and the others perched round on chairs and footstools. Of course the
first question was, "And is it really true?"
"It is true, my dears, that my old great aunt has left me a house and
some money; but you must not flatter yourselves that it is a great
estate."
"Only mayn't I have a bicycle?" began Thekla again.
"Child, I believe you have bicycles on the brain," said Agatha. "But,
sister, you do mean that we shall be better off, and I shall be able to go
on with my education?"
"Yes, my dear, I think I can promise you so much," said Magdalen,
caressing the serge shoulder.
"O thanks! Girton?" cried Agatha.
"There is much that I must inquire about before I decide--"
Again came, "Elsie Warner has a bicycle, and she is no older than me!
Please, sister!"
"Hush now, my little Thekla," said the sister kindly; "I will talk to Mrs.
Best, and see whether she thinks it will be good for you."
Thekla subsided with a pout, and Magdalen was able to explain her
circumstances and plans a little more in detail; seeing however that the
girls had no idea of the value of money, Paulina asked