john darbie and his one-horse van journeyed from milbrook to seacombe every tuesday and friday, passing mrs. barnes' cottage on their way; and on wednesdays and saturdays he journeyed home again. the two places were only ten miles apart, but, as john's horse 'lion' never travelled faster than three miles an hour, and frequent stops had to be made to pick up passengers and luggage, and put down other passengers and other luggage, the journey was seldom accomplished in less than six hours.
the day that mona travelled to seacombe the journey took longer than usual, for they had to stop at barnes gate—an old turnpike—to pick up a couple of young pigs, which were to be brought by a farm boy to meet them there; and as the pigs refused to be picked up, and were determined to race back to their home, it took john and the farmer's boy, and some of the passengers, quite a long time to persuade them that their fate lay in another direction.
mona, homesick and depressed, was quite glad of the distraction, though she felt sorry for the poor pigs. at that moment she felt sorry for anyone or anything which had to leave its old home for a new one.
only a few days had elapsed since that evening when her father's letter had come, and her grandmother had fallen over the faggots, but such long, unhappy days they had been. her grandmother had been silent and depressed, and she herself had been very unhappy, and everything had seemed wrong. sometimes she had longed to be gone, and the parting over. yet, when at last the day came, and she had to say good-bye to granny, and her own little bedroom, and the cottage, and to leave without saying good-bye to mrs. lane, it seemed almost more than she could bear. she looked out at the cottage and at granny, standing waving her handkerchief, but she could scarcely see either because of the mist in her eyes, and, when at last the van turned a corner which cut them off entirely from view, the mist in her eyes changed to rain.
if it had not been for the other people in the van, mona would have jumped out and run back again, and have confessed all to granny, and have been happy once more. she knew that if she asked granny to forgive her, she would do so before long, even if she was vexed with her at first.
but mona's courage failed her. the people in the van would try to stop her, and very likely would succeed, and there would be such a chattering and fuss. her spirit sank at the thought of it, and so she hesitated and wavered until it was too late.
it was not to be wondered at that she welcomed the little scene with the pigs at the four cross-roads, and felt quite glad when mr. darbie asked her to get out and stand at the end of one of the roads to keep the poor little things from running down it.
"we shan't get to seacombe till nightfall," grumbled the old man when at last he had got the pair into two sacks, and had fastened them up securely on the tail-board of the van.
"and i've got to catch the five o'clock train from there," said one of the passengers sourly. "if ever you want to be a little bit earlier than usual, you're bound to be later. it's always the way."
old john darbie always recovered his temper when other people had lost theirs. he realised how foolish they looked and sounded. "aw, don't you worry, missus," he said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "she'll wait for me. they wouldn't let no train start 'fore me and my passengers was in!"
all the rest of the passengers laughed, mona too, at which the sour-faced woman glared at them angrily. then they jogged on again, and by that time mona had recovered sufficiently to be able to take more interest in her surroundings.
she noticed that the woman beside her, and the woman opposite her, were looking her up and down, and she felt very glad that she had on her best hat and dress. she did wish, though, that she had mended the hole in her gloves, for one of the women seemed more attracted by them than by anything else, and it was really rather embarrassing. she longed to put her hands behind her back to hide them, but that would have looked too pointed; so, instead, she turned round and looked out of the window, pretending to be lost to everything but the view.
it was a very pretty road that they were travelling, but very hilly, and lion's pace grew, if possible, even slower. one or two of the passengers complained loudly, but mona was enjoying herself thoroughly now. to her everything was of interest, from the hedges and the ploughed fields, just showing a tinge of green, to the cottages and farms they passed here and there. to many people each mile would have seemed just like the last, but to mona each had a charm of its own. she knew all the houses by sight, and knew the people who dwelt in some of them, and when by and by the van drew near to seacombe, and at last, between a dip in the land, she caught her first glimpse of the sea, her heart gave a great leap, and a something caught in her throat. this was home, this was her real home. mona knew it now, if she had never realised it before.
at hillside something had always been lacking—she could hardly have told what, but somehow, she had never loved the place itself. it had never been quite 'home' to her, and never could be.
"i expect you're tired, dear, ain't you?" the woman beside her asked in a kindly voice. the face mona turned to her was pale, but it was with feeling, not tiredness.
"oh, no," she cried, hardly knowing what she felt, or how to put it into words. "i was a little while ago—but i ain't now. i—i don't think i could ever feel tired while i could see that!" she pointed towards the stretch of blue water, with the setting sun making a road of gold right across it and into the heaven that joined it.
the woman smiled sadly. "are you so fond of it as all that! i wish i was. i can't abide it—it frightens me. i never look at it if i can help it. it makes me feel bad."
"and it makes me feel good," thought mona, but she was shy of saying so. "i think i should be ashamed to do anything mean when i was in sight of the sea," she added to herself. and then the old horse drew up suddenly, and she saw that they had actually reached their journey's end.
as she stepped down from the van and stood alone in the inn yard, where john darbie always unloaded, and put up his horse and van, mona for the first time felt shy and nervous. she and her new mother were really strangers to each other. they had met but once, and that for only a little while.
"and p'raps we shan't get on a bit," thought mona. "p'raps she's very particular, and will be always scolding!" and she felt very miserable. and then, as she looked about her, and found that no one, as far as she could tell, had come to meet her, she began to feel very forlorn, and ill-used too. all the sharp little unkind remarks about lucy carne, which had fallen from granny barnes' lips, came back to her mind.
"i do think somebody might have come to meet me!" she said to herself, and being tired, and nervous, and a little bit homesick for granny, the tears rushed to her eyes. hastily diving in her pocket for her handkerchief, her fingers touched her purse, and she suddenly realised that she had not paid john darbie his fare! with a thrill and a blush at her own forgetfulness, she hurried back to where he was busy unloading his van. he had already taken down the pigs and some bundles of peasticks, and a chair which wanted a new cane seat, and was about to mount to the top to drag down the luggage which was up there, when he saw mona waiting for him.
"please, here's my fare. i'm sorry i forgot it, and how am i to get my box up to my house?"
"get your box up? why the same way as you'll get yourself up. hop inside again, and i'll drive 'ee both up in a minute. i promised your mother i would. you hold on to your money now, it'll be time enough to settle up when i've done my job," and the old man chuckled amiably at his little joke.
but mona did not want to get back into the close, stuffy van again, and sit there in solitary state, with everyone who passed by staring at her. so, as soon as john darbie was safely on the top and busy amongst the boxes there, she walked quietly out of the yard and into the street.
how familiar it all was, and how unchanged! after milbrook—the little ugly new town, scarcely worthy the name of town—and the hamlet where her granny lived, the street and houses looked small and old-fashioned, but they looked homelike and strong. the milbrook houses, with their walls half a brick thick, and their fronts all bow-windows, would not have lasted any time in little stormy, wind-swept seacombe. experience had taught seacombe folk that their walls must be nearly as solid as the cliffs on which many of them were built, and the windows must be small and set deep in the walls; otherwise they were as likely as not to be blown in altogether when the winter storms raged; that roofs must come well down to meet the little windows, like heavy brows protecting the eyes beneath, which under their shelter, could gaze out defiantly at sea and storm.
to mona, seeing them again after many months' absence, the houses looked rough and poor, and plain; yet she loved them, and, as she walked up the steep, narrow street, she glanced about her with eager, glowing eyes. for the time her loneliness and nervousness were forgotten. here and there someone recognised her, but at that hour there were never many people about.
"why, mona carne! is it really you! well, your mother and father'll be glad to have you home again." mona beamed gratefully on the speaker.
"is it really mona," cried another. "why, now, you've grown! i didn't know you till mrs. row said your name!"
mona began to feel less forlorn and ill-used, and she was more glad than ever that she had on her best clothes, and had put her hair up in squibs the night before.
outside one of the few shops seacombe possessed, she drew up and looked in at the windows with interest. they had improved a little. the draper's was particularly gay with new spring things, and to mona who had not seen a shop lately, unless she walked the three miles to milbrook, the sight was fascinating. one window was full of ties, gloves, and ribbons; the other was as gay as a garden with flowers of every kind and colour, all blooming at once. many of them were crude and common, but to mona's eyes they were beautiful. there were wreaths of wall-flowers, of roses, and of lilacs, but the prettiest of all to mona was one of roses and forget-me-nots woven in together.
"oh," she gasped, "how i'd love to have that one! oh, i'd love it!" there were hats in the window, too. pretty, light, wide-brimmed hats. mona's eyes travelled backwards and forwards over them till she saw one of the palest green straw, the colour of a duck's egg.
"oh, wouldn't the roses and forget-me-nots look lovely on that, with just a bow of white ribbon at the back. oh, i wish——"
"why, it's mona carne!" cried a voice behind her, and mona, wheeling swiftly round, found millie higgins at her elbow.
"why, who ever would have thought of meeting you strolling up the street just as though you had never been away!" cried millie. "but you've grown, mona. you are ever so much taller than when you went away, and your hair's longer too. do you think i am changed?"
mona was delighted. she wanted to be tall, and she wanted to have nice long hair. she had never cared for millie higgins before, but at that moment she felt that she liked her very much indeed, and they chattered eagerly to each other, lost to everything but the news they had to pour into each other's ears.
after a little while, though, millie tired of talking. she wanted to get on, and what millie wanted to do she generally did. "i must fly—and there's your poor mother home worrying herself all this time to a fiddle-string, wondering what has become of you. she expected the van an hour ago, and had got your tea all ready and waiting for you."
mona started guiltily, and then began to excuse herself. "well, we were late in coming, we were so long on the road. mr. darbie said he'd drive me up, but i liked walking best. if i had gone up by the van i shouldn't have been there yet, so it's all the same."
"the van! why, it's gone by. only a minute ago, though. if you run you'll be there almost as soon as he will."
without staying to say good-bye, mona ran, but either millie's minute had been a very long one, or 'lion' had stepped out more briskly at the end of the day than at the beginning, for when mona got to the house john darbie was just coming away. "thank'ee, ma'am," he was saying, and mona saw him putting some coins in his pocket.
"i've got the——" she began to call out to him, but stopped, for her new mother came out to the gate, and looked anxiously down the hill. she was looking for herself, mona knew, and a fit of shyness came over her which drove every other thought from her mind.
but almost as quickly as the shyness came it disappeared again, for lucy's eyes fell on her, and, her face alight with pleasure, lucy came forward with arms outstretched in welcome. "why, you poor little tired thing, you," she cried, kissing her warmly, "you must be famished! come in, do. i was quite frightened about you, for i've been expecting you this hour and more, and then when mr. darbie came, and brought only your box, it seemed as if i wasn't ever going to see you. come in, dear," drawing mona's arm through her own, and leading her into the house. "sit down and rest a bit before you go up to see your room."
exhausted with excitement, and talking, and the extra exertion, lucy herself had to sit down for a few minutes to get her breath. mona, more tired than she realised until she came to sit down, lay back in her father's big chair and looked about her with shy interest. how familiar it all seemed, yet how changed. instead of the old torn, soiled drab paper, the walls were covered with a pretty blue one, against which the dresser and table and the old familiar china showed up spotless and dainty; the steel on the stove might have been silver, the floor was as clean and snowy as the table.
mona's memory of it all was very different. in those days there had been muddle, dust, grease everywhere, the grate was always greasy and choked with ashes, the table sloppy and greasy, the floor unwashed, even unswept, the dressers with more dust than anything else on them. mona could scarcely believe that the same place and things could look so different.
"oh, how nice it all is," she said in a voice full of admiration, and lucy smiled with pleasure. she knew that many girls would not have admitted any improvement even if they had seen it.
"shall we go upstairs now?" she said. "i've got my breath again," and she led the way up the steep little staircase, which mona remembered so well.
"you know the way to your old room, don't you?"
mona walked ahead to it, but at the door she drew up with a cry of delight. "oh, mother!" she turned to say with a beaming face, and without noticing that she had called her by the name about which she and granny had debated so long.
lucy noticed it though, and coloured with pleasure. she had felt more shy than had mona, about suggesting what her stepchild should call her. "thank you, dear, for calling me that," she said, putting her arm about her and kissing her. "i didn't know, i wondered how you would feel about it."
but mona was too delighted with everything she saw to feel anything but pleasure and gratitude then. the walls had been papered with a pretty rose-covered paper, the shabby little bed had been painted white. pretty pink curtains hung at the window, and beside the bed stood a small bookcase with all mona's own books in it. books that she had left lying about torn and shabby, and had thought would have been thrown away, or burnt, long ago. lucy had collected them, and mended and cleaned them. and lucy, who had brought to her new house many of the ideas she had gathered while in service at the squire's, had painted the furniture white too, to match the bed.
mona had never in her life before seen anything so pretty and dainty. "isn't it lovely!" she cried, sitting down plump on the clean white quilt, and crushing it. "i can't believe it's for me." she looked about her with admiring eyes as she dragged off her hat and tossed it from her, accidentally knocking over the candlestick as she did so.
lucy stooped and picked up both. the candlestick was chipped, the hat was certainly not improved.
"the chipped place will not show much," said lucy in her gentle, tired voice, "but you've crushed the flowers in your hat."
mona looked at the hat with indifferent eyes. "have i? oh, well, it's my last year's one. i shall want a new one for the summer."
"shall you, dear?"
mona did not notice the little anxious pucker of her mother's forehead. carried away by all that had been done for her already, she had the feeling that money must be plentiful at cliff cottage. her father's boat had done well, she supposed.
but before any more was said, a sound of footsteps reached them from below, and a loud voice, gruff but kindly, shouted through the little place "lucy, where are you, my girl? has the little maid come?" and the next moment mona was darting down the stairs and, taking the last in one flying leap, as in the old days, sprang into her father's arms.
"my word! what a big maid you are grown!" he cried, holding her a little way from him, and eyeing her proudly. "granny barnes must have taken good care of you! and now you've come to take care of lucy and me. eh! isn't that it?"
"yes, dad, that's it," cried mona, excitedly, and sat back with all her weight on the pretty flowers and the fresh eggs that her grandmother had sent to lucy by her.
her father looked vexed. he knew how much his ailing wife enjoyed fresh eggs, and how seldom she allowed herself one, but he could not very well express his feelings just when mona had come back to her home after her long absence, so he only laughed a little ruefully, and said, "same as ever, mona! same as ever!"
but, to his surprise, tears welled up into mona's eyes. "i—i didn't mean to be," she said tremulously. "i meant to try to be careful—but i—i've done nothing but break things ever since i came. you—you'll be wishing you had never had me home."
"we shan't do that, i know," said lucy kindly. "there's some days when one seems to break everything one touches—but they don't happen often. now i'll make the tea. i'm sure we all want some. come, peter, and take your own chair. there's no moving around the kitchen till we've put you in your corner. mona, will you sit in the window?"
"i think i ought to stand," said mona tragically. "i've sat down once too often already."
at which they all burst out laughing, and drew round the table in the happiest of spirits.
