Girls of the Forest Part 51

"Nor have you anything to complain of with regard to Paulie's conduct,"

said Verena. "It isn't that."

"Then what is it, my dear?"

"It is that they are not natural. There is something on their minds. I am certain of it."

"Verena," said her aunt gently, "I wonder if I might confide in you."

Verena started back; a distressed look came over her face.

"If it happens to be anything against Paulie, perhaps I had better not hear," she said.

"I do not know if it is for her or against her. I am as much in the dark as you. I have not spoken of it yet to any one else, but I should like to mention it to you. It seems to me that light ought to be thrown on some rather peculiar circ.u.mstances or your sister will never get back her old brightness and gaiety of heart."

"Then if you think so, please tell me, Aunt Sophy," said Verena.

She got up as she spoke and shut the door. She was a very bright and pretty-looking girl, but her face sometimes wore too old a look for her age. Her aunt looked at her now with a mingling of affection and compa.s.sion.

"Come," she said, "sit on this sofa, darling. We can understand each other better when we are close together. You know how much I love you, Renny."

"There never, never was a better aunt," said the girl.

"I am not that. But I do love you. Now, dear, I will tell you. You remember when first I came?"

"Oh, don't I? And how angry we were!"

"Poor children! I don't wonder. But don't you think, Verena, I was a very brave woman to put myself into such a hornet's nest?"

"Indeed you were wonderful. It was your bravery that first attracted me.

Then I saw how good you were, and how kindly you meant, and everything else became easy."

"But was it equally easy for Pauline?"

"I--I don't know. I am sure I do know, however, that now she loves you very much."

"Ah! now," said Miss Tredgold. "But what about the early time?"

"I don't quite know."

"Verena, if I am to be frank with you, you must be frank with me."

"I think perhaps she was not won round to you quite as easily as I was."

"You are right, my dear. It was harder to win her; but she is worth winning. I shall not rest until I bring her round altogether to my side.

Now, little girl, listen. You know what a very odd child we are all forced to consider your sister Pen?"

"I should think so, indeed." Verena laughed.

"Well, your sister found out one day, not very long after I came, that I had lost a thimble."

"Your beautiful gold thimble? Of course we all knew about that," said Verena. "We were all interested, and we all tried to find it."

"I thought so. I knew that Pen in particular searched for it with considerable pains, and I offered her a small prize if she found it."

Verena laughed.

"Poor Pen!" she said. "She nearly broke her back one day searching for it. Oh, Aunt Sophy! I hope you will learn to do without it, for I am greatly afraid that it will not be found now."

"And yet, Verena," said Miss Tredgold--and she laid her hand, which slightly shook, on the girl's arm--"I could tell you of a certain person in this house to whom a certain dress belongs, and unless I am much mistaken, in the pocket of that dress reposes the thimble with its sapphire base, its golden body, and its rim of pale-blue turquoise."

"Aunt Sophy! What do you mean?"

Verena's eyes were wide open, and a sort of terror filled them.

"Don't start, dear. That person is your sister Pauline."

"Oh! Pauline! Impossible! Impossible!" cried Verena.

"It is true, nevertheless. Do you remember that day when she was nearly drowned?"

"Can I forget it?"

"The next morning I was in her room, and the servant brought in the dark-blue serge dress she wore, which had been submerged so long in the salt water. It had been dried, and she was bringing it back. The girl held in her hand the thimble--the thimble of gold and sapphire and turquoise. She held the thimble in the palm of her hand, and said, 'I found it in the pocket of the young lady's dress. It is injured, but the jeweller can put it right again.' You can imagine my feelings. For a time I was motionless, holding the thimble in my hand. Then I resolved to put it back where it had been found. I have heard nothing of it since from any one. I don't suppose Pauline has worn that skirt again; the thimble is doubtless there."

"Oh, may I run and look? May I?"

"No, no; leave it in its hiding-place. Do you think the thimble matters to me? What does matter is this--that Pauline should come and tell me, simply and quietly, the truth."

"She will. She must. I feel as if I were in a dream. I can scarcely believe this can be true."

"Alas! my dear, it is. And there is another thing. I know what little trinkets you each possess, for you showed them to me when first I came.

Have you any reason to believe, Verena, that Pauline kept one trinket back from my knowledge?"

"Oh, no, Aunt Sophy; of course she did not. Pauline has fewer trinkets than any of us, and she is fond of them. She is not particularly fond of gay clothes, but she always did like s.h.i.+ny, ornamenty things."

"When she was ill I saw round her neck a narrow gold chain, to which a little heart-shaped locket was attached. Do you know of such a locket, of such a chain?"

"No."

Miss Tredgold rose to her feet.

"Verena," she said, "things must come to a climax. Pauline must be forced to tell. For her own sake, and for the sake of others, we must find out what is at the back of things. Until we do the air will not be cleared. I had an idea of taking you to London for this winter, but I shall not do so this side of Christmas at any rate. I want us all to have a good time, a bright time, a happy time. We cannot until this mystery is explained. I am certain, too, that Pen knows more than she will say. She always was a curious, inquisitive child. Now, until the time of the accident Pen was always pursuing me and giving me hints that she had something to confide.

I could not, of course, allow the little girl to tell tales, and I always shut her up. But from the time of the accident she has altered. She is now a child on the defensive. She watches Pauline as if she were guarding her against something. I am not un.o.bservant, and I cannot help seeing.

From what you tell me, your sisters Briar and Patty are also implicated.

My dear Verena, we must take steps."

"Yes," said Verena. "But what steps?"

"Let me think. It has relieved my mind to tell you even this much. You will keep your own counsel. I will talk to you again to-morrow morning."