'She was here just now,' said Meta, looking round. 'What a genius she is, Ethel! She worked wonders all yesterday, and let the Miss Hoxtons think it was all their own doing, and she was out before six this morning, putting finishing touches.'
'Is this your stall?' said Ethel.
'Yes, but it will not bear a comparison with hers. It has a lady's- maid look by the side of hers. In fact, Bellairs and my aunt's maid did it chiefly, for papa was rather ailing yesterday, and I could not be out much.'
'How is he now?'
'Better; he will walk round by-and-by. I hope it will not be too much for him.'
'Oh, what beautiful things!' cried Mary, in ecstasy, at what she was forced to express by the vague substantive, for her imagination had never stretched to the marvels she beheld.
'Ay, we have been lazy, you see, and so Aunt Leonora brought down all these smart concerns. It is rather like Howell and James's, isn't it?'
In fact, Lady Leonora's marquee was filled with costly knick-knacks, which, as Meta justly said, had not half the grace and appropriate air that reigned where Flora had arranged, and where Margaret had worked, with the peculiar freshness and finish that distinguished everything to which she set her hand.
Miss Cleveland's counter was not ill set-out, but it wanted the air of ease and simplicity, which was even more noticeable than the perfect taste of Flora's wares. If there had been nothing facetious, the effect would have been better, but there was nothing to regret, and the whole was very bright and gay.
Blanche could hardly look; so anxious was she for Flora to tell her the locality of her treasure.
'There she is,' said Meta at last. 'George is fixing that branch of evergreen for her.'
'Flora! I did not know her,' cried each sister amazed; while Mary added, 'Oh, how nice she looks!'
It was the first time of seeing her in the white muslin, and broad chip hat--which all the younger saleswomen of the bazaar had agreed to wear. It was a most becoming dress, and she did, indeed, look strikingly elegant and well dressed. It occurred to Ethel, for the first time, that Flora was decidedly the reigning beauty of the bazaar--no one but Meta Rivers could be compared to her, and that little lady was on so small a scale of perfect finish, that she seemed fit to act the fairy, where Flora was the enchanted princess.
Flora greeted her sisters eagerly, while Meta introduced her brother- -a great contrast to herself, though not without a certain comeliness, tall and large, with ruddy complexion, deep lustreless black eyes, and a heavy straight bush of black moustache, veiling rather thick lips. Blanche reiterated inquiries for her watch-guard.
'I don't know,'--said Flora. 'Somewhere among the rest.'
Blanche was in despair.
'You may look for it,' said Flora, who, however hurried, never failed in kindness, 'if you will touch nothing.'
So Blanche ran from place to place in restless dismay, that caused Mr. George Rivers to ask what was the matter.
'The guards! the guards!' cried Blanche; whereupon he fell into a fit of laughter, which disconcerted her, because she could not understand him, and made Ethel take an aversion to him on the spot.
However, he was very good-natured; he took Blanche's reluctant hand, and conducted her all along the stall, even proceeding to lift her up where she could not command a view of the whole, thus exciting her extreme indignation. She shook herself out when he set her down, surveyed her crumpled muslin, and believed he took her for a little girl! She ought to have been flattered when the quest was successful, and he insisted on knowing which was the guard, and declared that he should buy it. She begged him to do no such thing, and he desired to know why--insisting that he would give five shillings--fifteen--twenty-five for that one! till she did not know whether he was in earnest, and she doing an injury to the bazaar.
Meantime, the hour had struck, and Flora had placed Mrs. Hoxton in a sheltered spot, where she could take as much or as little trouble as she pleased. Lady Leonora and Miss Langdale came from the house, and, with the two ladies'-maids in the background, took up their station with Miss Rivers. Miss Cleveland called her party to order, and sounds of carriages were heard approaching.
Mary and Blanche disbursed the first money spent in the 'fancy fair;' Mary, on a blotting-book for Harry, to be placed among the presents, to which she added on every birthday, while Blanche bought a sixpenny gift for every one, with more attention to the quantity than the quality. Then came a revival of her anxieties for the guards, and while Mary was simply desirous of the fun of being a shopwoman, and was made happy by Meta Rivers asking her help, Blanche was in despair, till she had sidled up to their neighbourhood, and her piteous looks had caused good- natured Mrs. Hoxton to invite her to assist, when she placed herself close to the precious object.
A great fluttering of heart went to that manoeuvre, but still felicity could not be complete. That great troublesome Mr. George Rivers had actually threatened to buy nothing but that one watch- chain, and Blanche's eye followed him everywhere with fear, lest he should come that way. And there were many other gentlemen--what could they want but watch-guards, and of them--what--save this paragon?
Poor Blanche; what did she not undergo whenever any one cast his eye over her range of goods? and this was not seldom, for there was an attraction in the pretty little eager girl, glowing and smiling. One old gentleman actually stopped, handled the guards themselves, and asked their price.
'Eighteen-pence,' said Blanche, colouring and faltering, as she held up one in preference.
'Eh! is not this the best?' said he, to the lady on his arm.
'Oh! please, take that instead?' exclaimed Blanche, in extremity.
'And why?' asked the gentleman, amused.
'I made this,' she answered.
'Is that the reason I must not have it?'
'No, don't tease her,' the lady said kindly; and the other was taken.
'I wonder for what it is reserved!' the lady could not help saying, as she walked away.
'Let us watch her for a minute or two. What an embellishment children are! Ha! don't you see--the little maid is fluttering and reddening--now! How pretty she looks! Ah! I see! here's the favoured! Don't you see that fine bronzed lad--Eton--one can see at a glance! It is a little drama. They are pretending to be strangers. He is turning over the goods with an air, she trying to look equally careless, but what a pretty carnation it is! Ha! ha! he has come to it--he has it! Now the acting is over, and they are having their laugh out! How joyously! What next! Oh! she begs off from keeping shop--she darts out to him, goes off in his hand--I declare that is the prettiest sight in the whole fair! I wonder who the little demoiselle can be?'
The great event of the day was over now with Blanche, and she greatly enjoyed wandering about with Hector and Tom. There was a post-office at Miss Cleveland's stall, where, on paying sixpence, a letter could be obtained to the address of the inquirer. Blanche had been very anxious to try, but Flora had pronounced it nonsense; however, Hector declared that Flora was not his master, tapped at the sliding panel, and charmed Blanche by what she thought a most witty parody of his name as Achilles Lionsrock, Esquire. When the answer came from within, 'Ship letter, sir, double postage,' they thought it almost uncanny; and Hector's shilling was requited by something so like a real ship letter, that they had some idea that the real post had somehow transported itself thither. The interior was decidedly oracular, consisting of this one line, 'I counsel you to persevere in your laudable undertaking.'
Hector said he wished he had any laudable undertaking, and Blanche tried to persuade Tom to try his fortune, but he pronounced that he did not care to hear Harvey Anderson's trash--he knew his writing, though disguised, and had detected his shining boots below the counter. There Mr. George Rivers came up, and began to tease Blanche about the guards, asking her to take his fifteen shillings--or five- and-twenty, and who had got that one, which alone he wanted; till the poor child, after standing perplexed for some moments, looked up with spirit, and said, 'You have no business to ask,' and, running away, took refuge in the back of Mrs. Hoxton's marquee, where she found Ethel packing up for Miss Hoxton's purchasers, and confiding to her that Mr. George Rivers was a horrid man, she ventured no more from her protection. She did, indeed, emerge, when told that papa was coming with Aubrey and Daisy and Miss Bracy, and she had the pleasure of selling to them some of her wares. Dr. May bargaining with her to her infinite satisfaction; and little Gertrude's blue eyes opened to their full width, not understanding what could have befallen her sisters.
'And what is Ethel doing?' asked the doctor.
'Packing up parcels, papa,' and Ethel's face was raised, looking very merry.
'Packing parcels! How long will they last tied up?' said Dr. May, laughing.
'Lasting is the concern of nothing in the fair, papa,' answered she, in the same tone.
