“We’ll not let you do that. We’ll do our share,” said Mrs. Augusta. “I should never have been in favor of sending them to the Cootes if I had dreamed they could be guilty of treating the poor little creatures with such barbarous cruelty.”
“No, nor would any of us,” said Arabella. “Has papa gone for them, Uncle George?”
“Yes, and will probably have them here in a few hours. I did not want you or my wife taken by surprise, Augusta, so came up to forewarn you of their expected arrival. And now I must hurry back to my business; so good-morning to you all,” and with the last word he bowed himself out of the room.
“Dear me, what a shame it is!” exclaimed Dorothy. “I’d just enjoy having that cruel wretch of a Coote thrashed within an inch of his life.”
“I, too,” said Olive. “How I wish papa and Uncle George had found him out long ago; still more that they had never given him a chance to abuse those poor children.”
“I’m afraid we were none of us quite so kind to them as we might have been,” said Arabella, “but now we are going to have a chance to make it up to them.”
“Yes, remember that, all of you,” said their mother. “Minnie, go and tell Miss Norris I wish to see her at once if she is at leisure.” Minnie hastened to do the errand, the housekeeper came, listened with evident interest to the story of the little orphan nephew and nieces expected to arrive that afternoon, received Mrs. Eldon’s directions in regard to the necessary preparations, and at once set to work to carry them out.
So the little party, arriving in due time, received a hearty welcome in both families and were made very comfortable, very happy; for though domiciled in the two houses, they were together a great deal through the day. Also they enjoyed their studies under the tuition of the kindest and most patient of governesses.
Mrs. Wood too was very kind to Blanche and Harry; so were their uncles, Cousins George and William, and Dorothy Dean. They seldom saw their Aunt Sarah, but when they did, found her far kinder than she had been when they were with her before. So were the relatives in the other house also, and to the four young orphans life was far more enjoyable than it had been since the death of their parents.
Yet there were days when things went wrong with them and they longed for a home of their own where they could all be together. Ethel in especial looked forward to such a time, and tried to learn all she could that would enable her to earn money to make a home and support herself and the others; and when any one of them was in trouble, she tried to cheer and comfort that one with the hope that some day the bright dream would become a reality.