The Rebellion of Margaret | Page 9

hours daily and spend the rest of the time in your lovely garden.
If she goes out for walks, which seems to me unnecessary, for she can
surely take all the exercise needful to her health in your garden, pray
see that she is attended by a maid whom you can trust. I also
particularly wish her to take up the study of a new language. It will
give her something definite to work at, and will drive from her thoughts
sundry silly fancies and whims to which of late she has given way. She
already talks French and German very well indeed, thanks to a most
painstaking governess who has helped me to bring her up, and now she
might with advantage take up Italian. You are so close to Seabourne,
which place is, I know, a great educational centre, that you will have no
difficulty in getting teachers. Pray spare no expense and get the very
best. Perhaps you might also arrange for a competent singing mistress
to come out to Windy Gap two or three times during the week, for
Margaret has a nice little voice--not strong, but sweet and true--and
singing, when not displayed in public, is a becoming accomplishment
for a woman to have."
Could Mr. Anstruther have heard the running fire of exclamations
expressive of amazement, amusement, and pity with which Mrs.
Murray punctuated the reading of this letter, Margaret would never
have been permitted to go to Windy Gap.
But Mrs. Murray's reply gave no hint of the feelings with which she
had read his long letter of instructions; she merely promised to take
every care of his granddaughter and to keep her well occupied.
"I am delighted to hear," she wrote, "that you particularly wish her to
take Italian and singing lessons, for as it happens she will enjoy an
unique opportunity of studying both those things. For living in this
village is an Italian lady, a certain Madame Margherita Martelli, who
was once a famous operatic singer, but who lost her voice after a very
short career. She lives here so as to be near her only daughter, who
married a clergyman in Chailfield. She is by no means well off, and
will be very glad to make a little money by teaching Margaret singing

and Italian. I have heard she is a splendid teacher. As for Margaret
forming any intimate friendships while with me, you can set your mind
at rest on that point, for my deafness has increased so much since I last
saw you that I do no visiting in the ordinary sense of the word, but am
quite happy with my books and my garden. Then, too, I have a large
acquaintance with my poorer neighbours in the surrounding villages,
and though my lameness prevents me from walking to see them, I have
a sturdy little pair of ponies who take me everywhere, and I am looking
forward to having Margaret as a companion on my daily drives."
When Margaret heard, as she did four or five days after the doctor's
visit, that she was to go away from Greystones for a prolonged period,
her amazement was only equalled by her delight. She had known that
some change was impending for her, for the day after his visit she had
been ordered to spend all her time out of doors, and, as long, of course,
as she did not go out of the wood, to do exactly as she pleased. So she
had taken out the lightest books the schoolroom shelves contained and
had spent the long, hot days lying under the shade of the trees. The
state of suspense in which she had lived during those days gave ample
support to the doctor's verdict that a change of some sort had become
necessary to her. She grew even paler than was her wont, and a
succession of two or three wakeful nights brought dark circles under
her eyes, making them look almost unnaturally large and bright.
"So," said her grandfather, who had called her into his study to acquaint
her with the plans he had made for her, and who had had no difficulty
in reading on her tell-tale face the delight the news had given her, "you
are pleased to be going away even before I have informed you what
your destination is?"
"Yes, grandfather."
"And you feel no regret in leaving Greystones?"
"No, grandfather."
Mr. Anstruther suppressed with some difficulty the strong feeling of
irritation that seized him at these monosyllabic answers. He knew that

it would have been highly unreasonable on his part to have displayed
annoyance, for had he not himself taught her to give a simple "Yes"
and "No" when possible to his questions?
"Or in leaving me?"
For a brief instant Margaret