The Boarding School Part 3

CHAPTER VI.

A carriage and four, as it is styled, stopping suddenly at the gate, caused a little bustle. Amongst Mrs. Adair's pupils, some were ready to look, and others to exclaim, "who can they be?" "what a beautiful girl!"

and "what a nice little boy! but I fear he is lame!" "Oh, look! do look at that queer old lady following them out of the carriage! How oddly her nose is turned! and what a droll bonnet!" "I wonder whether they will dine with us!" "I should like to know who they are."

While these exclamations were uttered, Miss Vincent pursued other means of gaining intelligence of the new comers. She stole softly into the hall, and screened herself from observation, in a narrow pa.s.sage leading to the store-room. The next moment she beheld a tall girl, an elderly lady, and a little boy ushered into the parlour. She listened to hear their names announced, but in vain. As she was returning to the school-room, the hall door was opened by Elizabeth. She hastily retreated into the pa.s.sage: but betrayed herself by stumbling over a stand of plants, that had been placed there, till they could be conveniently removed.

Elizabeth, hearing the noise, quickly stepped towards the pa.s.sage, and perceiving her pupil, said very coolly:

"Botanizing, my dear! I fear you require light upon the subject; if there is any rare, very curious plant, give it the name of 'Caroline Vincent,' unless you prefer 'the Spy detected.'"

Mortified at the discovery, Miss Vincent hastened to the school-room, her face flushed with vexation; and as she rushed past Miss Damer, who was standing near the door, exclaimed, "go out of my way, can't you?"

"Certainly! But what has alarmed you so?"

Jane now entered the room; and Miss Russel, who had been leaning through the window, hastily turned to Miss Vincent, and exclaimed, "I do believe, Caroline, there is a coronet upon the carriage! but I cannot make out either the strawberry leaves or the b.a.l.l.s." Jane mildly reproved her for leaning through the window, contrary to the rules of the school.

The moment she had quitted the room Miss Russel exclaimed, "These teachers give themselves strange airs!"

"You should speak with more respect of Mrs. Adair's daughter, I think,"

said Miss Damer; "excepting in fortune, Miss Jane Adair is superior to any person here."

"But you will allow that she is a teacher, I hope."

"And does it lessen her merit? If any particular cla.s.s of females are worthy of respect, surely ladies who instruct young people are ent.i.tled to it; they are the guardians of morals and of manners. But in every school there are one or two ungrateful ones."

"Hear the oracle!" cried Miss Vincent. "Another Daniel come to judgment!"

"Rude manners and loud words do not intimidate me," said Miss Damer, with modest firmness. "I again repeat, that a person who can instruct us in any one branch of education is ent.i.tled to--"

"What?" asked Miss Vincent imperiously.

"Deference. More I cannot urge, to a young lady who has been at Madame La Blond's. But I must not say more: for I should not deserve this,"

extending her medal towards Miss Vincent, "were I to be the promoter of quarrels."

Miss Vincent hastily caught the medal, broke the ribbon, and threw them across the room, exclaiming, "it is these baubles that make you so insolent!"

The young ladies with one accord flew to the medal. Miss Arden however, was the fortunate person. On securing it, and returning it to her companion, she said, "accept this symbol of peace from my hand, my dear friend. As for Miss Vincent, I just view her as the pa.s.sengers in the mail coach viewed the fly, for she makes herself equally ridiculous."

"It is a pity that Miss Vincent is the daughter of so brave a man!"

cried Miss Cotton. "Who would suppose that one of our greatest heroes was her father!"

"Father! how vulgar!" returned Miss Russel. "Pray who is your papa, Miss Cotton, that you presume to give yourself these airs, and speak in this manner?"

"My papa, Miss Russel, is a plain country gentleman, and I may say with truth that he reigns in the hearts of his children, and has taught them to 'honour and obey their father and their mother, that their days may be long in the land.' But you fashionable young ladies, 'who press to bear such haughty sway,' are exempt from this code, for there is no express command to honour _pas_ and _mas_."

"I hope Mrs. Adair will never give another medal," said Miss Damer.

"You deserved it," cried Miss Cotton with warmth, "and I hope you will always be rewarded for excelling, in every thing you attempt."

"A person must be envious indeed," said Miss Arden, "who can for a moment feel hurt at another being rewarded!"

"Had they your temper," cried Miss Cotton, "envy would indeed be unknown; but medals of merit, as they are styled, certainly create strife."

"But heroes, poets, and artists are distinguished by many proofs of regard," observed Miss Arden; "why should we be against a reward to merit here?"

"You do not consider," said Miss Cotton, "great men, have great minds; but we have very little ones."

"I can only say, I pity any one with a malicious temper: and a person must have one, indeed, who can envy Miss Damer; for she never provokes to anger, or gives offence."

"And pray how are you to answer for Miss Damer?" asked Miss Vincent.

"I wonder you ask this question," returned Miss Arden. "From the first day I came into this house I had reason to dread you; and love, and esteem, Miss Damer. Though I was a stranger to every one, you made me a subject of ridicule;--but I will not tell you of all your unkindness."

"Pray how long have you been, in studying this set speech?"

"Only whilst you were setting your face to look contemptuously."

"Wonderful! I could not have supposed that a creole had wit! But I forget, you are the heiress of a rich nabob! Pray to what black knight, or n.o.ble emperor, are you allied?"

"Oh, fie! fie! how can you be so insolent!" cried Miss Damer.

"Miss Vincent's words do not trouble me: they have lost their power; let her be as severe as she pleases. If she could not display her talent in satire, we should say she was the simple one of Mrs. Adair's school: there are drones and dunces every where."

"My dear Miss Arden, let us cease all disputes," said Miss Cotton; "Miss Vincent and her friend are the most suitable persons to be together, when they are in a quarrelsome mood: let us forbear speaking to them."

"Cotton would make an admirable methodist parson," cried Miss Vincent.

"I wish I could return the compliment; for a good method leads to proper conduct."

CHAPTER VII.

The young ladies had always to write an extract from one of the sermons they had heard at church on the sabbath day. In this exercise of memory Miss Damer particularly excelled; the most difficult sermon she could transcribe almost word for word. This had excited the spirit of envy in Miss Vincent. The week after the dispute upon the medal, when Miss Damer opened her book, wherein she had written a sermon with extreme neatness, she found every line so scrawled, that one word could not be distinguished from another.

Surprised at this proof of secret malice, she involuntarily gave the book to Miss Cotton, who was seated by her. Mrs. Adair, however, desired to look at it. After examining every page, she said, and at the same time fixed her eyes upon Miss Vincent, "I pity the young lady who has done this; she has betrayed one of the meanest pa.s.sions of the human mind." She now looked anxiously round the room; "I see few countenances," she added, "where envy reigns.

"Miss Vincent, had you ever this book in your hand? speak in a moment--yes, or no: I want no other word!"

"No, ma'am; I never had the book in my hand, I can declare with truth."

"Miss Bruce, is this your work? for I know you are a little busy-body."

"O no, ma'am! I would not blot any lady's book for the world."