“No, not the same thing; for you had more money which you had saved, so you could spare it;—but I must say one thing, Cousin Leila, I do wonder how you can put this basket on the table before your very eyes; I can’t bear even to look at this box, I am so sorry; and you said we had both done wrong, and should both repent. I don’t think this looks very like repenting.”
Leila coloured, and the tears came into her eyes as she said in a very low voice, “I did it to make me repent.”
“To make you repent, I don’t understand what you mean; you liked the basket, I suppose?”
“No, I did not; I could not bear it; I felt just the same as you did; and at first I hid it in the corner behind that high chair; but then I thought it would be my punishment if I saw it always before me, and that it would keep me in mind not to buy useless things again.”
“And I have been thinking you wrong,” Matilda exclaimed, “when all the time you were most excellent; oh, Leila, I never can be like you—no, not a hope of it; I do believe I am turning out quite worthless;—first, I would spend all my money for my own pleasure; then I would open the parcel, and let it fall; and after all this, I tried to think you as bad as I am; but I know what you are thinking now, and I can at least do that—you are thinking that I should take home this work-box, and put it on a table before my eyes; and I will do it.” She tore the paper from the work-box as she spoke, and looked at it steadily. “O yes, abominable box,” she said, “I just hate you!—but no, it is not the work-box that is wrong,”—and she shook her head;—“but we won’t talk any more about it now; let us go into the conservatory, and see the dear little birds, they are singing so cheerily, and they don’t know any thing about repentance, or what I have been doing.”
CHAPTER XVI.
MANY weeks now passed on tranquilly and without any marked event. The poor widow Barlow and her family had been frequently visited. Mr. Howard had been liberal in rendering her assistance, and Leila and her cousins had employed many of their leisure hours in working for the children, who were now comfortably clothed, and the elder ones put to school. Matilda had most cheerfully contributed her share, both in money and in work, and Mrs. Roberts gave a favourable report of her general improvement; her constant association with Selina and Leila was certainly producing a favourable effect on her character, but she was still easily misled by bad example, and often unprepared to meet the hour of trial; present gratification was generally yielded to, and though in most cases deep repentance followed, her feelings were as yet stronger than her principles, and the many good resolutions made in the hour of sorrow too often gave way before fresh temptation.
It was now nearly Midsummer; the precious seeds had not only sprung up into three healthy plants, but each plant presented flower-buds of promising appearance. The old gardener, however, would not hear of their being transplanted into separate pots till the autumn, assuring Leila that were he to do so sooner it would prevent the flower-buds from opening, and in every way retard the growth of the plant. This was a disappointment; but she consoled herself by having the flower-pot removed into her own room and placed on a flower-stand before the window, that she might watch the opening of the blossoms, having resolved to gather the first-blown flower for Mrs. Herbert.
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, with Selina and Matilda, were now passing a few days at Woodlands, and Leila had obtained permission from her papa to invite Lydia Mildmay to spend the following day with them, as it was Matilda’s birthday, and she knew it would give her pleasure.
A brilliant sun awoke the sisters at an early hour, yet they found that Leila must have already visited them, for their pretty white bed was strewed with fresh flowers. The dew of the morning was still upon them, and Matilda thought no flowers before had ever smelt so sweet; she sprang up to rush into Leila’s room to thank her, when her steps were arrested by seeing a little table placed by her bed-side, over which a covering of embroidered muslin was thrown.