CHRISTMAS, with all its joys, its gifts from Santa Claus, its festivities and charities, had come and gone, and spring no longer seemed a distant prospect, when to Beryl's delight, there arrived the invitation from Mrs. Everard for which she had been longing ever since Percy spoke of it.
That lady wrote to beg Mr. Hollys to bring the two children with him when he came to town, and leave them in her charge for at least a month. She promised to take the greatest care of them, and to give them all kinds of novel pleasures, which, as country children, they would be sure to enjoy. She added that Mr. Hollys need have no fear that their presence in her home would cause any trouble, since her eldest daughter, the widow of an Indian officer, had lately returned to live with her, and she doated on children, and, having none of her own, would find the greatest pleasure in caring for the two little girls as long as they were her mother's guests.
Mr. Hollys hesitated about accepting this invitation for the children; but Beryl, hearing of it, gave him no rest till he promised that they should go to London. His consent once gained, Coral and Beryl thought and spoke of scarcely anything except their visit to town. Miss Burton had very inattentive pupils during the next few weeks. Beryl could not give her mind to her lessons; but she took the liveliest interest in the various preparations which were being made for their leaving home. Lucy's needle was now never idle, so much making and mending had she to do for her two young ladies.
And one bright morning, the children were excused all lessons, that Mr. Hollys might drive them and their governess to Langport, the nearest town of any size to Egloshayle, where, for more than two hours, they were going with Miss Burton from shop to shop, as she purchased dresses, boots, gloves, and the various articles they needed to equip them for their London visit, while Mr. Hollys attended to business of his own in the town.
When, at last, the eagerly expected day arrived, it was a large and merry party which started from Egloshayle House en route for London. Hettie Burton was one of the travellers, for her home was at Hampstead, and she was going to spend there the weeks during which her pupils were at Mrs. Everard's. Lucy, too, was in attendance, for Mr. Hollys wished to spare Mrs. Everard and her daughter any unnecessary trouble in the management of the children.
Coral and Beryl were in the gayest spirits, as they set forth to make acquaintance with the great world lying beyond their quiet Cornish home. The journey was an event in Beryl's life, for she had never been many miles from peaceful Egloshayle. What a long, long journey it was! The children were both too weary to receive any clear impression of their new surroundings, when they were lifted out of the carriage at the door of Mrs. Everard's house in Hyde Park Gardens. Having given them into his friend's care, Mr. Hollys drove off to his own rooms in Russell Square, promising to look in early on the following day to see how the children were getting on.
The little girls woke bright and well the next morning, though at a rather later hour than usual. They came downstairs, however, in time to see Percy ere he started for his tutor's, and joyfully renewed their acquaintance with him.
Beryl was delighted with all she saw in Mrs. Everard's home. Especially did she admire the handsome King Charles spaniel, which sat on a chair by Mrs. Everard's side as she took her breakfast, and was treated to dainty morsels from her plate. Beryl wanted to make friends with him; but, to her surprise, he would not respond graciously to her overtures. Prince was an aristocrat, keenly alive to his own dignity. By a low growl, and a sudden display of his delicate white teeth, he expressed his resentment of the familiarity of Beryl's touch, and when Mrs. Everard lifted little Coral on to her lap, his jealousy broke forth in a storm of indignant barks. It was evident that he viewed the children with disgust as unwelcome intruders.
After breakfast, the children went up to the large room at the top of the house which had once been Percy's nursery, and was now given to them as a playroom. The windows commanded one of the entrances to the Park, and as it was a bright, sunshiny morning, the children found great entertainment in watching the many carriages and still more numerous riders that passed in and out of the wide gates. It was a wonderful scene to them, so different from the quiet beach at Egloshayle, and Lucy enjoyed it no less than her young charges. Whilst they were thus engaged, a lady came into the room and greeted them brightly and fondly.
This was Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Everard's widowed daughter. She seemed inclined to pet and indulge the children. She said she would take them out in the afternoon, and asked them which they would like best—to go to the Zoological Gardens or to Madame Tussaud's. As they knew nothing of the attractions of either place, it was rather difficult to decide. Whilst they were discussing the important question, a servant brought the news that Mr. Hollys was below.