Louis' School Days Part 21

When all were seated, the girls at the upper, and the boys at the lower end, Mr. Mortimer came forward and said grace for them, and then the viands disappeared with great rapidity. Some of the castle children, headed by Louis, asked to be allowed to wait on them, and, the permission being given, they made themselves very busy, though it must be confessed that they were sometimes sadly in the servants'

way. Sir George Vernon went round the table very majestically, and now and then spoke a word or two to one of the children--words which were treasured up in their memories for many a long day, though they meant little or nothing; but it is so easy to create a pleasant and grateful feeling.

Many of the spectators, including nearly all the gentlemen, had left the hall very soon after the commencement of the feast, and now a summons was given to the little ones of the castle to their own dinner. Louis, not being included in the little ones, went with the school-children into a large empty room, and with the help of his father and one or two others, exerted himself successfully for their entertainment, until his friends joined them, and, the room being darkened, the magic lantern was displayed. The humble little guests then, being supplied each with a cake and some fruit, returned to their homes, quite delighted with the pleasures of the day. Frank and the three young ladies enjoyed an hour's amus.e.m.e.nt during the late dinner; for the good-natured youth had yielded to the pressing invitation of the merry little party, and dined with them at two, to their great satisfaction, notwithstanding the declaration of some, that he was "a great tease."

The great dinner was much earlier than usual, to allow of the ball, which began at seven o'clock for the convenience of the younger ones, and was continued until eleven, at which time, though he had been very happy, Louis was very tired, and could not help thinking, that, after all, a whole day of pleasure-seeking in this manner, was very fatiguing and unsatisfying. He could hardly keep his eyes open, when Mrs. Paget seized him, and after a few compliments on his dancing, insisted upon hearing him sing "_Where the bee sucks_."

Louis complied as well as he was able, and though his sleepiness robbed his song of some power, its sweetness not only satisfied the flattering lady, but a more unscrupulous auditor who stood behind him in the person of his grandfather.

"Your mother taught you to sing, Louis?" said he.

"Miss Spencer taught me," replied Louis.

"The mechanism, perhaps, but it's your mother's teaching.

The taste, madam," said Sir George, turning to Mrs. Paget.

"Both Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer are first-rate amateurs," said Mrs. Paget.

"Mrs. Mortimer has great talent," replied Sir George; "and she has done something with this boy. I suppose you are very fond of music, Louis?"

Louis answered in the affirmative, and Sir George added--

"I shall give you a treat. You shall go on Sunday to A----, and hear the singing at the church there. The little boys sing very sweetly.

Have you heard them ma'am?"

"No, I never have."

"Then I think it would be a wise step to pay a visit there during divine service next Sunday. The church is worth looking at,--a good specimen of the early English style of architecture. We can make up a little party to go, if you would like it."

Mrs. Paget expressed her entire approbation of the scheme, and Louis, too sleepy to think much of it, wished her and Sir George good night, and went to bed.

The next day, the rain continuing, in the morning Louis enjoyed _The Lady of the Manor_ in his own room. He was still much excited by the yesterday's pleasure, and felt unsettled, and disinclined to employ himself steadily with any thing. In the afternoon, as the weather was fine, his mother insisted on his taking a walk, and Reginald and Vernon Digby accompanied him. They had a great scramble through the hilly district that surrounded Heronhurst, and merrily the talk (we will not dignify it by the name of conversation) continued.

As they re-entered the grounds it fell upon the scheme of visiting the church, and during the light and common-place discussion that ensued, it struck Louis that there might be something wrong in the plan. He became very silent, and when he reached his room, quietly thought over the matter, and came to the conclusion that, though they intended going to church, yet the motives that induced their doing so were not to the glory of G.o.d, and that to employ servants for such an end, on G.o.d's holy day, was certainly wrong. This was his first impression; and when he next saw Reginald, he told him what he had been thinking of.

"Well, but Louis, you know it won't make any difference whether we go or not, and so _we_ shan't engage the servants. I don't see why, because you like nice singing, you should go to the chapel where they screech so abominably."

Louis was silent, for he hardly liked to oppose his reasons to Reginald's blunt speech, and Reginald, dismissing the subject from his mind, began to talk of something else. He ran on very volubly for a little while, without receiving any interruption from his brother, and, looking at him, he saw very plainly that Louis was not paying the slightest attention to him.

"What is the matter, Louis? How dull you are!"

"Nothing," replied Louis.

"Nothing?" repeated Reginald; "_Something_, you ought to say. I know you are making yourself miserable about this church-going, and what need is there? We are going to church, and we can't prevent the carriage going.

If it were on purpose for us it would be different."

"But there will be a great deal of nonsense, I know," said Louis, uneasily. "It seems very much like going to a show place. I hope I shall be able to ask mamma about it."

"As to nonsense," replied Reginald, "when do we have any thing else here?--you can't make Dashwood of Heronhurst, and I think if you go to hear such beautiful singing, it is more likely to put good thoughts into your head than those lovely singers here; and then, Mr. Perrott is quite a famous man; everybody likes him better than Mr. Burton--you are too scrupulous, Louis. I think, sometimes, you are guilty of over-conscientiousness."

Before Louis could reply, some of their young friends entered the room, and one thing followed another so quickly that Louis had no time to think clearly on the subject till he went to bed; but when all was silent and nothing interfered with his thoughts, his anxious mind ran over all that had pa.s.sed, and turn it which way he would, it still seemed wrong. What with this feeling, and the fear of making his grandfather angry, Louis felt very uncomfortable; and then came Reginald's sophistry, and Louis almost argued himself into the belief that his brother was right and he too scrupulous: and when he tried to pray for direction he did not feel sincere, for he was conscious of a wish to go to the church, and a great dread of offending his grandfather.

After some hours' restless consideration, he dropped asleep, having made up his mind to consult his father and mother, and to abide by their counsel. The next day, however, he had no opportunity of speaking to them alone, and Sat.u.r.day night found him as miserably undecided as before. "Oh dear, if there were any one I could ask!" There was One, and though aid was feebly asked, it was granted; and with much fear and anxiety, Louis declined accompanying the party to A---- church the next morning.

Vernon stared, and Reginald tried in vain to persuade him to alter his mind,--but he stood firm, and turning away from them, afraid to trust himself, stayed up stairs till the castle chapel bells began to ring, and then hastened down with a happy, free, and light heart, to join his mother.

"Hey-day, Louis!" exclaimed his grandfather; "I thought you were off long ago. You're too late: the carriage has been gone this hour. What's the meaning of these late hours, sir?"

"I was up quite early, grandfather," said Louis.

"Then how was it you let them go without you?"

"Because I had rather not go, sir," said Louis, with a heightened color.

"And pray why could you not say so sooner?--you are the most uncertain fellow;--not the smallest dependence ever to be placed upon you. Do you know your own mind, Mr. Louis?"

"Not always at first," replied Louis, in a low tone.

"Hold up your head and speak out. And pray why has your weather-c.o.c.k mind changed? What new wind has blown you round now, eh?"

"It's Sunday, grandpapa," said Louis, looking up at his mother with a distressed face.

"Well! Is the boy moon-struck? '_It's Sunday, grandpapa._' Don't you suppose I know that?"

"I didn't think it was quite right, sir, to go to A---- church when we had one so near us."

"Just as you please," said Sir George, contemptuously--"just as you please, Master Louis; only do not expect me to plan any thing for your pleasure again."

"I am very much obliged, grandpapa--you don't understand me."

"Oh, we understand each other very well, sir," said his grandfather, turning off very haughtily.

As he pa.s.sed Mr. Mortimer he said,

"This comes of _molly-coddling_ that boy at home; you'll make a Methodist of him."

What answer Mr. Mortimer made, Louis could not hear, and the next moment they all went into the chapel.

Many contemptuous smiles were exchanged among those of the visitors who heard the colloquy, but Louis was comforted by an approving smile from his parents, and from the sweet consciousness of having done what was right. The service was very sweet to him, and the lightness of his heart made even the inferior singing very pleasant, and he gained something from "tedious Mr. Burton's" sermon; so much depends on the frame of mind. Our Saviour has enjoined us to take heed _how_ we hear.

Louis had a very pleasant stroll in the park with his father after service, and when he entered the house with a happy quiet mind, he contrasted his feelings with those he should have had, had he been one of the giddy party at that time returning from A----, and joyfully thanked his heavenly Father for keeping him from dishonoring His holy day in "seeking his own pleasure" on it.

The following Thursday evening Mr. Mortimer's carriage was seen coming along the road leading to Dashwood, and at each window was a very joyful face noting all the familiar objects around; and as the horses dashed round a corner under a short grove of limes, the tongues belonging to the two began to move with astonishing rapidity.

"Here's Dashwood!" cried one.

"There's the river," exclaimed the other.

"The Priory chimneys," shouted the first.