Peggy from Kerry

by L. T. Meade

Julia Archdale felt her heart beating fast; she hated to worry her beloved friend at this moment. Mrs. Fleming had a sort of dual personality; she was one person in the library and another in this lovely and gracious sitting-room, which was replete with every modern comfort, the electric lights rendered soft by rose-coloured shades. Mrs. Fleming drew a chair near the fire, which was by no means unwelcome, and motioned to Miss Archdale to be seated.

“Now, Julia,” she said, “whatever your business may be, I have something both pleasant and exciting to relate to you. I have already told Henrietta Greene, and of course will mention the matter to Mary Smith and to Mademoiselle and Fräulein. I will own, my dear, that the thing has taken me rather all of a heap, and I sincerely trust that it will do good, not harm. You know, Julia, that I have always hitherto rather set my face against prizes, wishing to avoid in the school the spirit of emulation which seems to me in a small place of this sort to be unworthy and beneath the dignity of The Red Gables School. Nevertheless, the thing is thrust upon me, and I could not neglect it without doing dishonour to the dead, and”—here her voice trembled—“the dead whom I loved—whom I love. You have heard me speak, dear, of my very old friend Mrs. Howard. Her children and grandchildren were educated at The Red Gables, and if there were any great-grandchildren they would certainly be here to-day; but, alas! dear Mrs. Howard, in her ninetieth year, has passed away, the last of her race, every child and grandchild having gone before her into the world of spirits. She always took a deep interest in the school, and there was never a summer holiday that I did not find time to spend at least a day and night with her, talking over old times and unforgotten memories. Well, my dear, she is dead, and amongst the letters which awaited me here to-day was one from her lawyers, in which they inform me that the school has been endowed by Mrs. Howard with the munificent sum of twenty thousand pounds. This money is to be spent in the education of five young girls who are otherwise too poor to receive a first-class education. Mrs. Howard begs that only the income of the money shall be used on the education of the girls, so that it may go on into futurity and add to the honour of the school. Each Howard scholar on her departure from the school is to be presented with one hundred pounds to help to start her in life, and for this purpose an additional sum of money is provided. The whole thing is to be called the Howard Bequest, and the Howard scholars are only to be admitted to the school after passing a strict examination in morals, in knowledge of English literature, and the usual curriculum that a young girl of fourteen ought to attain to. The Howard Bequest girls are to remain at the school from the age of fourteen to eighteen, a special new wing is to be built for their convenience, and they are to be treated, not as paupers, receiving their education for nothing, but as scholars of high distinction on whom many special honours are to be conferred. I have, therefore, Julia, to break that rule which I kept so firmly to, and which my ancestors kept so firmly to before me, of admitting only twenty girls to the school. In future—that is, as soon as the wing is built—there will be twenty-five girls in The Red Gables; these girls will be admitted, after strict examination by a governing body of myself, you, Julia Archdale, Henrietta Greene, and my dear and special friend Mr. Wyndham, of Preston Manor. I expect him to call in two or three days to talk this matter over with me, for it involves much. With regard to the prize, however, that is an immediate thing, and must be dealt with without delay. Mrs. Howard, dear soul, said to me that she had a strong desire to be remembered in the future by the children whom she loved. In consequence, once every year, a prize will be competed for in the school, which is to be called the Howard Prize. It is to consist of an exquisite little miniature of the old lady herself when she was young and beautiful. The original picture (one of Conway’s) is to be copied on ivory by a well-known miniature painter; it is to be set in a diamond frame, with a golden back, and is to have a narrow gold chain attached, so that the young possessor can wear it round her neck. In addition to the miniature, the prize-winner will obtain a beautifully illuminated scroll, which sets forth in old-fashioned language the reason why she obtains the prize. The reason is threefold—for morals, for intellect, and for beauty of person. This last clause may amaze you, my dear friend, but Mrs. Howard had peculiar ideas on that score, and said that a really lovely character invariably produced a lovely expression of face. She particularly makes a clause in her will relating to this prize, that she does not desire mere beauty of feature, it is beauty of expression which she demands. So valuable does she consider these miniatures of herself thus won, that wherever the girl who obtains the said miniature should happen to be in the future, she has, in case of need, simply to put an advertisement in an English paper, and, as a recipient of the Howard miniature, she will be entitled, not only to pecuniary relief, in case such is needed, but also to unlooked-for friendship because she is the possessor of the miniature. Thus it will be a very valuable asset in the life of any girl who honourably wins it, and none other can, for the rules are most severe. Now, my dear, I shall announce this amazing prize to the entire school in a few days, and after consulting Mr. Wyndham shall probably give the first of the Howard prizes at the end of the spring term, so that the girls will have this term and the next to work for it. It is rather surprising, is it not, Julia?”

“It is. I am altogether amazed. I can hardly take it in,” said Miss Archdale.

“You, my dear, and Henrietta, are the only people at present in the school who know about it,” said Mrs. Fleming. “Yes, it means a great deal of extra work on all our parts, but I believe it may do good.”

“It must do good,” said Julia with fervour. “It is a noble thought. That dear old lady has left her money worthily.”

“She has indeed. I cannot tell you where the bulk of it has gone, but I am given to understand that a considerable amount will be put out to interest, in order to create a fund for the hundred pounds which each Howard scholar receives on leaving the school; but also a fund is to be collected to expend if necessary on those girls who receive the Howard portrait, in case of need at any future time of their lives. This part of the strange legacy is most carefully guarded in order to prevent fraud occurring, or the portraits being sold or stolen. Only the original proprietor of the portrait can receive any benefit from its possession. And now, my dear, it is getting late; what is your trouble, Julia?”

“How could you guess that it was a trouble, dear Mrs. Fleming?”

“My good Julia, I happen to have a strong pair of eyes, and can tell at a glance when anything upsets the equilibrium of my dear teachers. Now, what is wrong?”

“I hope nothing, but I am a little anxious.”

“Ah! well, tell me, my dear—tell me.”