CHAPTER IX.
JUST SAVED.
One morning, when Lucy was seated at her desk, in Mary Jay’s room, the little girl that opened the door for her, the first day of her coming to school, came in and told Mary Jay that there was a young gentleman at the door who wanted to see Lucy.
“A young gentleman!” said Lucy, astonished. She couldn’t imagine how any young gentleman could have called to see her. She looked up to Mary Jay, without saying a word.
“Well, Lucy,” said Mary Jay, “you had better go and see who it is.”
So Lucy rose; but she was somewhat afraid to go. However, she followed the little girl out; and then, passing through the intervening room, she went to the front door; and there Lucy found that the young gentleman was nobody but Royal. Lucy laughed aloud.
“What are you laughing at?” said Royal.
“Why, the girl said that there was a young gentleman at the door, who wanted to see me.”
“Well, I am a young gentleman,” said Royal, “I’d have you to know. But come, I am going to ride away in a chaise, and my father said that I might call and get you to go too, if Mary Jay was willing.”
So Lucy went in to ask Mary Jay. She readily gave her consent, only she told Lucy that she had better take Royal about the garden and yards a little, and let him see what there was to be seen.
Lucy was much pleased to adopt this plan. She first took Royal to the water post, as she called it, to let him see the water spout out, and she told him that the pipes, which conveyed the water to it, were wooden pipes, not leaden ones. Then she conducted him into the garden, and pointed out the hive of bees to him, standing at a safe distance. Then they both clambered over the stile, and went down to the brook, where Lucy was going to show him Mary Jay’s seat; but her attention was arrested at the sight of a duck and six small ducklings, sailing about upon the pond. Both Royal and Lucy were greatly delighted at this sight. The little ducklings would swim about, and dabble with their bills in the sand, and in the grass upon the bank, as skilfully as if they had been practising half a dozen years.