“It’s Jessie who’s done it,” continued Peggy. “Of course, The Imp wants to go somewhere, and so she came round Jessie, and she’s coming along with us to-morrow. Oh thin, wurra!—I beg your pardon, ma’am—oh, thin, ye know how she hates me?”
“She won’t show her hatred, I trust, Peggy dear, and you must just keep out of her way.”
“I’ll try to do that same, dear madam.”
But Mrs. Fleming felt very uncomfortable, and fervently wished that she had been told sooner of Kitty’s visit to Preston Manor; it was now too late to interfere.
Kitty was in the highest possible spirits; she had won her way so far, although the invitation which she expected from Hillside was not, so far, forthcoming. “It will come, though,” said Kitty, as she was packing her things on the evening of the day before the school was to break up; “you leave it to me, and you see if it doesn’t come.”
The Dodds, however, were by no means so confident.
The next day there was a general breaking-up, saying good-bye to one another, and gay cries of “Merry Christmas” on all hands; and the school omnibuses drove away to the nearest railway station, from whence the young people were to be conveyed to their respective homes.
Kitty’s aunt, Miss Merrydew, was a woman who lived in a boarding-house at Folkestone. She had lived there for years, and was one of the greatest gossips that any of these houses of entertainment contained. Being such an old inhabitant, she was treated with a certain amount of respect, which was a good deal, however, mixed with fear, for it was not at all good for the ladies of the boarding-house if they fell out with Miss Gloriana Merrydew. Miss Gloriana was very fond of talking about her niece; she was proud of showing the photographs of pretty Kitty; she was fond of expatiating on the marvellous school where the child was educated; she was fond of relating all her small witticisms, and, as far as possible, making her out to be a great heiress. The other boarders listened, some with belief, some with a considerable amount of derision, a few with scepticism; but all liked to listen and all wondered how Miss Gloriana could have afforded to place Kitty at such an expensive school.
“It is two hundred per annum, I assure you,” said Miss Gloriana; “but her father, poor dear man, when he was dying, left special money for Kitty’s education, and I wouldn’t deprive the precious lamb of so much as a penny. She’s so beautiful that she’s likely to marry young, and I expect she’ll make a very good match. She’s the idol of the school, I can assure you.”
“And are we likely to see this charming young lady during the Christmas holidays?” asked one of the boarders, a certain Miss Glynn.