Читать книгу Joan and Peter - The Story of an Education - H.G. Wells - Страница 37

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Before a fortnight was out Lady Charlotte had made two more visits to The Ingle-Nook, she had had an acrimonious dispute" upon religious questions with Phoebe, and she was well on her way to the terrible realization that these two apparently imbecile ladies in the shapeless "arty" dresses were really socialists and secularists—of course, like all other socialists and secularists, "of the worst type." It was impossible that those two unfortunate children should be left in their aunts' "clutches," and she prepared herself with a steadily increasing determination and grandeur to seize upon and take over and rescue these two innocent souls from the moral and spiritual destruction that threatened them. Once in her hands, Lady Charlotte was convinced it would not be too late to teach the little fellow a proper respect for those in authority over him and to bring home to the girl an adequate sense of that taint upon her life of which she was still so shockingly unaware. The boy must be taught not to call attention to people's physical peculiarities, and to answer properly when spoken to; a certain sharpness would not be lost upon him; and it was but false kindness to the girl to let her grow up in ignorance of her disadvantage. Sooner or later it would have to be brought home to her, and the later it was the more difficult would it be for her to accept her proper position with a becoming humility. And a thing of immediate urgency was, of course, the baptism of both these little lost souls.

In pursuit of these entirely praiseworthy aims Lady Charlotte was subjected to a series of very irritating rebuffs that did but rouse her to a greater firmness. On her fourth visit she was not even allowed to see the children; the specious excuse was made that they were "out for a walk," and when she passed that over forgivingly and said: "It does not matter very much. What I want to arrange today is the business of the Christening," both aunts began to answer at once and in almost identical words. Phoebe gave way to her sister. "If their parents had wanted them Christened," said Aunt Phyllis, "there was ample time for them to have had it done."

"We are the parents now," said Lady Charlotte.

"And two of us are quite of the parents' mind."

"You forget that I also speak for my nephew Oswald," said Lady Charlotte.

"But do you?" said Aunt Phyllis, with almost obtruded incredulity.

"Certainly," said Lady Charlotte, with a sweeping, triumphant gesture, a conclusive waving of the head.

"You know he is on his way back from Uganda?" Aunt Phyllis remarked with an unreal innocence.

Lady Charlotte had not known. But she stood up gallantly to the blow. "I know he will support me by insisting upon the proper treatment of these poor children."

"What can a man know about the little souls of children?" cried Phoebe.

But Aunt Phyllis restrained her. "I have no doubt Mr. Sydenham will have his own views in the matter," said Phyllis.

"I have no doubt he will," said Lady Charlotte imposingly....

Even Mary showed the same disposition to insolence. As Lady Charlotte was returning along the little path through the bushes that ran up to the high road where her carriage with the white horse waited, she saw Mary and the children approaching. Peter saw Lady Charlotte first and flew back. "Lady wiv de Whisker!" he said earnestly and breathlessly, and dodged off into the bushes. Joan hesitated, and fled after him. By a detour the fluttering little figures outflanked the great lady and escaped homeward.

"Come here, children!" she cried. "I want you."

Spurt on the part of the children.

"They are really most distressingly Rude," she said to Mary. "It's inexcusable. Tell them to come back. I have something to say to them."

"They won't, Mum," said Mary—though surely aware of the title.

"But I tell you to."

"It's no good, Mum. It's shyness. If they won't come, they won't."

"But, my good woman, have you no control?"

"They always race 'ome like that," said Mary.

"Then you aren't fit to control them. As one of the children's guardians, I But we shall see."

She went her way, a stately figure of passion.

"Orty old Ag," said Mary, and dismissed the encounter from her mind.