AUNT SELINA AT HOME
Miss Morton had been to lunch with a friend, and she naturally expected to find her house exactly the same as she had left it. She was a lady who always liked to find things exactly the same as she left them; she did not care for fresh faces or fresh places, and she certainly did not care to see two boxes in her hall.
Miss Morton was a little short-sighted, but the moment that she entered the house she noticed something unusual. So she stopped just within the door before the butler could shut it and put on her double eye-glasses, and then she stared in astonishment at Jimmy's boxes.
'What are those?' she asked.
'Boxes, miss,' was the answer.
'Please don't be stupid,' said Miss Morton.
'I beg pardon,' replied the butler.
'I see quite distinctly that they are boxes,' she said. 'What I wish to know is, whom the boxes belong to.'
'To Master Wilmot,' said the butler.
Miss Morton gave such a violent start that her eye-glasses fell from her nose.
'Master Wilmot!' she exclaimed.
'Yes, miss.'
'You do not mean to tell me that the boy is here!'
'He's been here since about two o'clock,' said the butler.
'Surely he did not come alone?' cried Miss Morton.
'No, miss.'
'Who brought him?'
'A young lady who seemed to be his governess,' the butler explained. 'She said that Miss Lawson was ill, and that she'd sent all the young gentlemen home.'
'This is certainly not his home,' said Miss Morton.
'No, miss,' answered Jones. 'I told the young lady you wouldn't be best pleased, but she insisted on leaving him.'
'Where is Master Wilmot?' asked Miss Morton.
'In the dining-room,' was the answer, and the butler opened the door.
Miss Morton had spoken rather loudly, quite loudly enough for Jimmy to overhear every word she had said. It made him feel uncomfortable, and as the door opened he stood with his back to the window, with his hands in his jacket pockets, waiting until his Aunt Selina entered the room, and the butler shut the door after her.
She put on her eye-glasses again, and it seemed a long time before either she or Jimmy spoke. She moved her head as if she were looking at him all over from top to toes. Jimmy began to feel more uncomfortable than ever, and at last he thought he really must say something.
'Good-morning,' he cried.
'Why did the people send you here?' asked Aunt Selina.
'You see,' said Jimmy, 'Aunt Mary and Uncle Henry were out and the house was shut up.'
'I always said it was foolish to travel at this time of year,' was the answer.
'So Miss Roberts brought me here,' said Jimmy.
'Well,' exclaimed Aunt Selina, 'I am sure I don't know what is to be done with you.'
'I didn't want to come,' answered Jimmy.
'Don't be rude,' said his aunt. 'Now you are here, I suppose I must keep you for to-night. But there is no accommodation here for boys.'
'I had a very nice dinner, though,' said Jimmy.
'Have you washed your face?' she asked suddenly.
'No,' he answered, for washing his face was a thing he never felt anxious about.
Miss Morton walked to the bell and rang it. A few moments later the butler re-entered the room, standing with one hand on the door.
'Jones,' she said, 'take Master Wilmot to the spare bedroom to wash his face; and give him a comb and brush to do his hair.'
Jones took Jimmy upstairs to a large bedroom, and poured some water into a basin. Then he brought a clean towel, and showed Jimmy where to find the soap and the comb and brush. The butler then left him alone, and the boy took off his jacket and dipped his hands in the water. When he thought his hands were clean enough, he washed a round place on his face, and having wiped this nearly dry, he went to the looking-glass and brushed the front of his hair where he had made it wet. When he had put his coat on again he wondered whether he ought to wait for the butler or to go downstairs alone; but as Jones did not come back, Jimmy opened the door and went down.
He saw Miss Morton sitting in an arm-chair, and now that she had taken off her bonnet and veil he thought she looked more severe than ever.
'Come here, James,' she said, as he stood near the door. No one else had ever called him James. 'When did you hear from your mother?' she asked.
'I didn't have a letter last month,' he answered.
'I asked when you did have a letter,' said Aunt Selina,—'not when you didn't have one.'
'I think it was about two months ago,' said Jimmy.
'Did she say anything about coming home?' asked Aunt Selina.
'She said I might see her soon,' cried Jimmy. 'I do hope I shall.'
'Very likely you will,' said his aunt, 'although your mother has not written to me for six months.'
'Then how do you know?' asked Jimmy.
'Because she wrote to your Aunt Ellen at Chesterham, and your Aunt Ellen wrote to me. I should not be surprised if your father and mother were on their way home now. They may arrive in England quite soon.'
'It would be nice,' said Jimmy, and he began to laugh. 'Will they come here?' he asked.
'Certainly not,' was the answer. 'I have no accommodation for visitors.'
'There's the spare bedroom,' cried Jimmy.
'I have no doubt,' said Aunt Selina, 'that they will go to Aunt Ellen's at Chesterham——'
'Couldn't I go to Aunt Ellen's?' asked Jimmy eagerly.
'And pray who is to take you?' demanded Miss Morton.
'Why, couldn't I go alone?' said Jimmy.
Miss Morton did not answer, but she put on her eye-glasses again, and looked Jimmy up and down from head to foot.
'Ring the bell,' she said, and when he had rung the bell and the butler had come, Aunt Selina told him to send Hannah. Jimmy stood on the hearth-rug—whilst the black cat rubbed its back against his leg—wondering who Hannah might be. When she came, he saw that she was one of the servants, with a red, kind-looking face; and Aunt Selina told her to take him away and to give him some tea. When they were outside the door Hannah took his hand, and he felt that he liked having his hand taken, and she led him downstairs to a small room near the kitchen where she gave him such a tea as he had never had before. There were cake and jam, and hot scones, and buttered toast, and although it was not very long since dinner, Jimmy ate a good meal.
He told Hannah all about his father and mother and Winnie, and how that Miss Morton had said perhaps they were on their way home; and he told her he hoped that his aunt would send him to Chesterham.
'Because,' he said, 'I know I could go all right alone.'
Hannah put an arm round him and kissed him, but Jimmy did not much like being kissed; still he felt lonely this afternoon, and he did not mind it so much as he would have done sometimes, especially if any of his schoolfellows had been there.
'Now,' said Hannah presently, 'I think you had better go back to Miss Morton.'
'Must I?' asked Jimmy. 'Because I like being here best.'
But she led him back to the dining-room, and as soon as he entered the door Aunt Selina asked what time he went to bed.
'Eight o'clock at school,' he answered, 'but when I am at Aunt Mary's she always lets me stay till half-past.'
'Aunt Mary always spoils you,' said Miss Morton. 'Sit down,' she added, and Jimmy took a chair on the opposite side of the fire-place.
'I suppose you don't remember your mother,' she said.
'No,' answered Jimmy.
'Shall you be glad to see her?' asked Aunt Selina.
'Yes, very glad,' said Jimmy. 'Shan't you?' he asked, looking into his aunt's face.
'Of course I shall be pleased to see my sister,' was the answer.
'And I shall be glad to see Winnie, too,' said Jimmy. But Aunt Selina's words had put a fresh idea into his mind. He seemed never to have realised until now that the mother whom he had never seen, although he had thought about her so much, was his Aunt Selina's sister. He thought that sisters must surely be very much alike; but if his mother was like her sister, why, Jimmy did not feel certain it would be nice to have her home again after all. He forgot that he was staring at his aunt until she asked him what he was looking at.
'Is my mother as old as you?' he asked.
'I cannot say they teach politeness at Miss Lawson's,' Aunt Selina answered.
'But is she?' asked Jimmy, for it seemed very important that he should know at once.
'Your mother is a few years younger than I am,' said his aunt, 'but she would be very angry with you for asking such a question.'
'Can she be angry?' asked Jimmy.
'She will be very angry indeed when you are naughty,' said Miss Morton. For a few minutes Jimmy sat staring into the fire.
'Is—is she like you?' he asked.
'She is not quite so tall.'
'But is she like you?' asked Jimmy.
'We used to be considered very much alike,' was the answer, and Jimmy felt inclined to cry. Then Aunt Selina said it was his bed-time, and he came close to her and kissed her cheek.
'Am I to go to Aunt Ellen's?' he asked.
'I shall not tell you until to-morrow morning,' said Aunt Selina; and Jimmy fell asleep in the large spare room wondering whether he should go to-morrow to Chesterham or not.