Kate's Ordeal, Emma Leslie [best historical fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

Katie dear, you must ask that God will take care of you every moment, and pray as you never did before, 'lead me not into temptation.'"

"Yes, mother," murmured Kate hanging down her head, and almost wishing now that she had delivered her teacher's message; for how could she ask God to keep her out of temptation, when she was taking the matter into her own hands determined to have her own way at all costs?

CHAPTER II. DID SHE FORGET?

atie Haydon is going to London, ma'am. Did she tell you on Sunday?" The speaker was Esther Odell, who could think of nothing else but her schoolfellow's good fortune, and, meeting her teacher later in the week, hastened to impart the important news to her.

Miss Eldon looked surprised and a little disappointed, for she had heard of an excellent opening for Kate, in the nursery of a lady not far off, who needed a bright, clever girl, able to assist the nurse sometimes with the one child, and also learn to wait upon the young ladies who were growing up. Such a nice place as this was not often to be met with, and Miss Eldon had waited at home all day on Monday, expecting Mrs. Haydon to call about it. She was on her way there now, thinking she must be ill, or something had happened; she could hardly think Kate had forgotten her message, for she was so anxious to obtain a situation only a short time before.

But Esther Odell's news made her think it was very possible Kate had forgotten all about it. "Did Kate tell you about this on Sunday," she said.

"Yes, ma'am; she ran to catch us before we got into school, on purpose to tell us. She is going to her cousin, to serve in a shop. I wish I had her chance!" added Esther, with a sigh.

"And you think it is all settled, Esther?" said the lady.

"Oh yes, ma'am, I know it is. I met Kate yesterday, and she had been to post the letters to her cousin and uncle, telling them she would go."

The lady stood for a moment in silence, debating whether she should go on and see Kate, and ascertain whether the matter was finally settled, or call upon Mary Green, and send her to see the lady about this situation. Looking at her watch, the time decided her, for it was a long walk to Mrs. Haydon's, and she would not have time to call upon Mary if she went there.

"Thank you, Esther, for telling me this. Did you say you wanted a situation?"

"Yes, ma'am, if I could hear of one like Katie's to serve in a shop and be a young lady. I couldn't be a common servant," she added, quickly.

"A 'common servant,' Esther, what do you mean?" said Miss Eldon, rather severely. "Do you know that to be a household servant you must have a character that will bear the strictest inquiry, and therefore those who are servants are known at once as respectable, honourable people, and those who employ them know their value, and esteem them accordingly? Have you so soon forgotten what I told you on Sunday?"

Esther hung her head, feeling very much ashamed for a minute or two, but at last she managed to say, "I thought servants were always looked down upon, ma'am."

"No one, whose respect was worth having, would look down upon a servant because she was a servant. We always looked up to our dear old nurse, Margaret, and loved her almost as a mother," said Miss Eldon. "Now, Esther, think over what I have said, and put these foolish notions away. I know your mother wishes you to go to service. Come and tell me next Sunday, that I may look out for a situation for you. I must go and see Mary Green now," and the lady bade her scholar good-bye, and walked on.

Esther stood a minute looking after her. "I wish I was a lady, and could have a fine silk dress like hers," she said, half aloud. "I knew she wanted some of us to take a place, and if it wasn't for that proud Kate Haydon, I think I would try it, but I couldn't bear to think of her serving in a grand shop in London, while I was mewed up in a nursery or kitchen here. Mother must grumble a little longer; I daresay I shall hear of a place in a shop before long, and who knows but I may go to London, too;" and Esther went on her way, her mind full of the unknown glories of London, and vain wishes to be in Kate's place.

Mary Green ran in to see Kate a day or two afterwards, and tell her the news that she had got a situation at Lady Hazeldean's, as under-nurse and to wait on the young ladies.

"My dear, I am very glad to hear it," said Mrs. Haydon. "I only wish it had been offered to Kate, instead of her going to London."

"But—but I thought—" began Mary.

"Mary, do come now, before it gets dark; I want to show you my new dress," interrupted Kate, hastily jumping up from her seat, and running out of the room.

Mary followed, but more slowly, wondering not a little at what she had heard, for she thought Kate had refused this place.

"Don't say any more about this situation at Lady Hazeldean's," whispered Kate, when they were safely shut in the bedroom.

"But what can it matter? You do not want it, Kate. Miss Eldon told my mother she had spoken to you about it on Sunday, but your mother did not think it worth while calling to see her about it."

"How could she, when we had to write those letters to London directly? There, Mary, isn't that a pretty print? I am to wear print dresses and holland aprons in the morning, but Marion says we may wear what we like in the afternoon, and so I am going to have a new dress for best, and what I have been wearing on Sunday I shall wear every day there."

"Yes," answered Mary, but it was in rather an absent-minded manner, for she felt puzzled about Kate, and her strange anxiety lest she should talk about this situation she had obtained.

On Sunday, when the girls met as usual on their way to school, the prospects of their two companions were again discussed, and although a few, like Esther, wished they could go to London as Kate was going, it was agreed that Mary was very fortunate in getting such a good situation, although, as it was remarked, Miss Eldon always did get her girls excellent places.

Kate felt rather vexed at having to hear all the excellencies of this despised situation enumerated, and was not sorry to reach school, but her teacher's first words vexed her still more, and put her into a fright too.

"I was coming to see your mother last Tuesday, Kate; I hope she has not been ill."

"Oh, no, ma'am; she's quite well, thank you," answered Kate.

"Then it was not illness prevented her from coming to see me on Monday?"

Kate coloured and hung her head, as she answered, "No, ma'am."

"Did you forget to deliver my message? I think I told you I wanted to see her about a situation for you."

"You said you wanted to see her, ma'am, but—but I forgot it," said Kate, under her breath.

"Well, never mind, it does not matter much, Kate, for I hear you have a situation in London now," said Miss Eldon, thinking Kate was vexed and angry with herself for having forgotten her message. But the fact was, Kate, who was neither an untruthful nor deceitful girl, shrank from telling a direct lie. She had yielded to the temptation last Sunday because, as she had persuaded herself then, she was not required to tell an untruth, but merely to hold her tongue about the message; but now she found that to hide that wrong-doing a direct lie must be told, and, although it made her uncomfortable and unhappy, it was done. But she protested again and again to her own conscience that she would never do it again. Before she left school, however, she had another fright.

"When do you go to London, Kate?" asked her teacher, as the girls were leaving.

"To-morrow week, ma'am," said Kate.

"Well, I will try and see you one day in the week, for I want to hear all about your new situation and what your mother thinks of it," said Miss Eldon, quite unconscious of the panic her words had put Kate into.

It made her last days at home the most miserable she had ever spent, for Miss Eldon did not come until Saturday afternoon, but Kate had been in suspense every hour during the whole week, and yet the foolish girl could not summon up the courage necessary to tell her mother the truth about the matter.

The dreadful moment arrived at last, when there came a knock at the door, and Miss Eldon entering, was soon seated in their little back room, and Kate's mother with her.

"I was so much surprised to hear that Kate was going to London," began the lady, removing her gloves for an easy chat.

"Yes, ma'am, it was a surprise to me, and something of a shock too, I may say, for I had rather she had got a nice comfortable place nearer home."

"Yes, it is a pity I did not hear of this vacancy at Lady Hazeldean's a day or two sooner, for I can quite understand how anxious you must feel at a young girl like Kate leaving home."

"Yes, ma'am, and if it had been anybody but my own brother that offered it, she should not have gone, but he has been a good friend to me, and I cannot afford to offend him. If I could only have written and told him I had a place in view for her, it would have been different. I suppose, ma'am, if you had heard of this nursery-maid's place a week earlier, you would have recommended Kate for it, as she spoke to you, I think, before Mary Green."

"Yes, she did, and I recommended her to Lady Hazeldean, when I called there and heard of it, for I thought it would be just the place for Kate; and I must say I felt a little vexed as well as disappointed that you did not come to see me last Monday week about it."

The widow stared at her visitor. "I never knew that I was expected," she said.

"Has not Kate told you since, that she forgot to deliver my message when she came home on Sunday? I told her to ask you to call and see me on Monday morning, for I could not conveniently leave home on that day, and I had promised Lady Hazeldean she should see you and Kate as soon as possible."

"And Kate knew that and never told me!" gasped the widow.

"No, no, perhaps if I had explained it all to her she would not have forgotten it, but I could not do that in school, and so I merely told her I wished to see you on Monday morning," said Miss Eldon, quickly.

"Kate, how could you have forgotten such a message?" said her mother, sharply.

But Kate stood with downcast face, and said not a word.

"You must not be angry, Mrs. Haydon; it was excusable, I am sure, if you had just received these London letters," said the lady, gently.

"I don't see how she could have forgotten such a message," said the widow, in the same vexed tone. "Did you know what I was wanted for, Kate?" she demanded, turning once more to her daughter.

But Miss Eldon answered for her: "Oh, no; she could not have known it, and so I am the only one to blame in this business," she said.

Kate felt very grateful to her teacher for thus helping her out of the difficulty, and vowed in her own mind that she would never act so deceitfully again. No, never again would she follow such a crooked path, and deceive her mother, for it was deceit; now she saw it quite plainly. But still she was afraid to confess the whole truth about the matter.

After Miss Eldon had gone, she had an opportunity of doing this, for her mother said: "Now, Kate, tell me the whole truth about this affair."

"The truth, mother?" repeated Kate. "Teacher told you the whole