Six to Sixteen | Page 9

best frocks,

and told me exactly all that had been ordered in the parcel that was
coming out from England.
"Don't you have your hair put in papers?" said Matilda, whose own
curls sat stiffly round her head as regularly as the rolls of a lawyer's wig.
"Are your socks like lace? Doesn't your Ayah dress you every
afternoon?"
Matilda "took me up." She was four years older than I was, which
entitled her to blend patronage with her affection for me. In the evening
of the day on which I went to the Bullers, she took me by the hand, and
tossing her curls said, "I have taken you up, Margery Vandaleur. Mrs.
Minchin told Mamma that she has taken the bride up. I heard her say
that the bride was a sweet little puss, only so childish. That's just what
Mrs. Minchin said. I heard her. And I shall say so of you, too, as I've
taken you up. You're a sweet little puss. And of course you're childish,
because you're a child," adds Miss Matilda, with an air. For had not she
begun to write her own age with two figures?
Had I known then as much as I learned afterwards of what it meant to
be "taken up" by Mrs. Minchin, I might not have thought the
comparison a good omen for my friendship with Matilda. To be hotly
taken up by Mrs. Minchin meant an equally hot quarrel at no very
distant date. The squabble with the bride was not slow to come, but
Matilda and I fell out first. I think she was tyrannical, and I know I was
peevish. My Ayah spoilt me; I spoke very broken English, and by no
means understood all that the Bullers said to me; besides which, I was
feverishly unhappy at intervals about my father.
It was two months before Mrs. Minchin found out that her sweet little
puss was a deceitful little cat; but at the end of two days I had offended
Matilda, and we plunged into a war of words such as children wage
when they squabble.
"I won't show you any more of my dresses," said Matilda.
"I've seen them all," I boldly asserted; and the stroke told.

"You don't know that," said Matilda.
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Well, show me the others then."
"No, that I won't."
"I don't care."
"I've got a blue silk coming out from England," Matilda continued, "but
you haven't."
"I've got a pink silk here," said I, "and pink shoes."
"Ah, but you can't wear them now your papa's dead," said Matilda;
"Mamma says you will have to wear black for twelve months."
I am sure Matilda did not mean to be cruel, but this blow cut me deeply.
I remember the tide of misery that seemed to flood over my mind, to
this day. I was miserable because my father was dead, and I could not
go to him for comfort. I was miserable because I was out of temper,
and Matilda had had the best of the quarrel. I was miserable--poor little
wretch!--because I could not wear my pink silk, now my father was
dead. I put my hands to my eyes, and screaming, "Papa! Papa!" I
rushed out into the verandah.
As I ran out, some one ran in; we struck against each other, and Bustle
and I rolled over on to the floor. In a moment more I was in Mr.
Abercrombie's arms, and sobbing out my woes to him.
I am sorry to say that he swore rather loudly when he heard what
Matilda had said, and I fancy that he lectured her when I had gone to
Ayah, for she came to me presently and begged my pardon. Of course
we were at once as friendly as before. Many another breach was there
between us after that, hastily made and quickly healed. But the bride
and Mrs. Minchin never came to terms.

"Mr. George" remained my devoted friend. I looked for him as I used
to look for my father. The first time I saw him after I came to the
Bullers was on the day of my father's funeral. He was there, and came
back with Major Buller. I was on Mr. George's knee in a moment, with
my hand through the crape upon his sleeve. The Major slowly
unfastened his sword-belt, and laid it down with a sigh, saying, "We've
lost a good man, Abercrombie, and a true friend."
"You don't know what a friend to me," said Mr. George impetuously.
"Why, look here, sir. A month or two ago I'd outrun the constable--I
always am getting into a mess of some sort--and Vandaleur found it out
and lent me the money."
"You're not the first youngster he has helped