‘To be sure I did,’ answered the old lady, recovering herself with an effort, ‘and I am delighted to hear some of the things I am expected to do. But you must allow that even a fairy godmother has a hard time of it occasionally, and it is a little difficult to provide for all her godchildren at once, you know. However, you shall hear what is going to happen in a week’s time, on the very day that this naughty father of yours takes himself off to America; and if you approve of it, we can see about the other things later on. Is that a bargain, eh?’
‘Oh! What else is going to happen in a week’s time?’ asked Barbara, eagerly. By this time she was prepared for any dream to come true. Her faith in the old lady who was playing at fairy stories was complete.
Mr. Berkeley answered her. ‘Auntie Anna is going to carry you all off to Crofts for the whole six months that I am away,’ he told her; ‘and you are going to Jill’s school at Wootton Beeches, which is only ten miles off. So Kit and Robin will be able to come over and see you sometimes, when the others have gone away, for they are going to have a tutor and stay at Crofts with Auntie Anna and Jill. Isn’t that a fine idea?’
Barbara was speechless with rapture. The expression on her face made them laugh once more. Then she gave a kind of war-whoop that might have been heard in the schoolroom, and bounded again towards the door. ‘I simply can’t bear it another minute,’ she gasped. ‘I must go and tell the boys.’
‘Bear it just one more minute, and hear what else I have to say,’ begged Auntie Anna, raising herself with the help of her stick, and walking slowly after her excited little niece. ‘Can you ride bicycles, all of you?’
The child shook her head. ‘Only Egbert,’ she said; ‘and that is because he stayed with a chap, last holidays, who lent him one. Bicycles are too jolly expensive for this family, you know,’ she added quaintly.
Auntie Anna stood still and pointed the blue-knobbed cane impressively at the child, who stood waiting. ‘What do you say to a bicycle apiece all round,’ she began, ‘and––’
But Barbara did not wait to say anything. Back along the hall she scampered with all her might, and flung herself panting into the schoolroom. She burst out at once with a rapturous medley of news.
‘Boys, boys!’ she shouted at the top of her voice; ‘the dragon isn’t a dragon, she’s like a fairy godmother out of a story-book! And she’s going to send me to the adopted kid’s school, and everybody is going to live at Crofts till father comes back, and there’s going to be bicycles all round–no waiting ’cause you’re the youngest, Bobbin!–and––’
Suddenly she paused and stammered, and paused again. Finally, she stood silent and uncomfortable, with the excitement and the thrill all gone out of her. She had quite forgotten Jill; and Jill, enthroned in the one arm-chair, with the one cushion at her back and the one footstool at her feet, was looking as though she was not there to be forgotten.