The Collected Novels. Anna Buchan
'hearty' manner, I smile and smile, and I have that craving for knowledge of the welfare of absent members of families that is so distinguishing a feature of the female clergy. And I don't in the least want to be a typical 'minister's daughter.'"
"I think," said Mr. Seton dryly, "you might be many a worse thing." He rose as he spoke and brought a Bible from the table in the corner. "Ring the bell, will you? The child will be late if he doesn't come now."
Even as he spoke the door was opened violently, and Buff came stumbling in, with a small frightened kitten in his arms.
"Father, look!" he cried breathlessly, casting himself and his burden on his father's waistcoat. "It's a lost kitten, quite lost and very little—see the size of its tail. It's got no home, but Marget says it's got fleas and she won't let it live in her kitchen; but you'll let it stay in your study, won't you, Father? It'll sit beside you when you're writing your sermons, and then when I'm doing my lessons it'll cheer me up."
Mr. Seton gently stroked the little shivering ball of fur. "Not so tight, Buff. The poor beastie can scarcely breathe. Put it on the rug now, my son. Here are the servants for prayers." But the little lost kitten clung with sharp frightened claws to Mr. Seton's trousers, and Buff, liking the situation, made no serious effort to dislodge it.
The servants, Marget and Ellen, took their seats and instantly Marget's wrath was aroused and her manners forgotten.
"Tak' that cat aff yer faither's breeks, David," she said severely.
"Shan't," said Buff, glowering at her over his shoulder.
"Don't be rude, my boy," said Mr. Seton.
"She was rude to the little cat, Father; she said it had fleas."
"Well, well," said his father peaceably; "be quiet now while I read."
Elizabeth rose and detached the kitten, taking it and Buff on her knee, while her father opened the Bible and read some verses from Jeremiah—words that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah. Elizabeth stroked Buff's mouse-coloured hair and thought how remote it all sounded. This day would be full of the usual little busynesses—getting Buff away to school, ordering the dinner, shopping, writing letters, seeing people—what had all that to do with Baruch, the son of Neriah, who lived in the fourth year of Jehoiakim?
The moment prayers were over Buff leapt to his feet, seized the kitten, and dashed out of the room.
"He's an ill laddie that," Marget observed, "but there's wan thing aboot him, he's no' ill-kinded to beasts."
"Marget," said Elizabeth, "you know quite well that in your heart you think him perfection."
"No' me," said Marget; "I think no man perfection. Are ye comin' to see aboot the denner the noo, or wull I begin to ma front-door?"
"Give me three minutes, Marget, to see the boys off."
Two small boys with school-bags on their backs came up the gravelled path. "Here comes Thomas—and Billy following after. Buff! Buff!—where is the boy?"
"Here," said Buff, emerging suddenly from his father's study. "Where's my bag?"
He paid no attention to his small companion and Thomas and Billy made no sign of recognition to him.
"Are you boys not going to say good morning?" asked Elizabeth, as she put on Buff's school-bag. "Don't you know that when gentlefolk meet courtesies are exchanged?"
The three boys looked at each other and murmured a greeting in a shame-faced way.
"Can you say your lessons to-day, Thomas?" Elizabeth asked, buttoning the while Buff's overcoat.
"No," said Thomas, "but Billy can say his."
"This is singing-day," said Billy brightly.
Billy was round and fat and beaming. Thomas was fat too, but inclined to be pensive. Buff was thin and seemed all one colour—eyes, hair, and complexion. Thomas and Billy were pretty children: Buff was plain.
"Uch!" said Thomas.
"I thought you liked singing-day," said Elizabeth.
"We did," said Buff, "but last day they asked me and Thomas to stop singing cos we were putting the others off the tune."
"Oh!" said Elizabeth, trying not to smile. "Well, it's time you were off. Here's your Edinburgh rock." She gave each of them half a stick of rock, which they stuck in their mouths cigar-wise.
"Be sure and come straight home," said Elizabeth to Buff.
"You'd better not come to tea with us to-day, Buff," said Thomas. "Mamma said yesterday it was about time we had a rest."
"I wasn't coming," said the outraged Buff.
Elizabeth put an arm round him as she spoke to Thomas.
"Mamma has quite enough with her own, Thomas. I expect when Buff joins you you worry her dreadfully. I think you and Billy had better come to tea here to-day, and after you have finished your lessons we'll play at 'Yellow Dog Dingo.'"
"Hurray!" said Billy.
"And when we've finished 'Yellow Dog Dingo,'" said Buff, "will you play at 'Giantess'?"
"Well—for half an hour, perhaps," said Elizabeth. "Now run off, or I'll be Giantess this minute and eat you all up."
They moved towards the door; then Thomas stopped and observed dreamily:
"I dreamt last night that Satan and his wife and baby were chasing me."
"Oh, Thomas!" said Elizabeth. She watched the three little figures in their bunchy little overcoats, with their arms round each other's necks, stumble out of the gate, then she shut the front-door and went into her father's study.
Mr. Seton was standing in what, to him, was a very characteristic attitude. One foot was on a chair, his left hand was in his pocket, while in his right he held a smallish green volume. A delighted smile was on his face as Elizabeth entered.
"Aha, Father! Caught you that time."
Mr. Seton put the book back on the shelf.
"My dear girl, I was only glancing at something that——"
"Only a refreshing glance at Scott before you begin your sermon, Father dear, and 'what for no'? Oh! while I remember—the Sabbath-school social comes off on the ninth: you are to take the chair, and I'm to sing. I shall print it in big letters on this card and stick it on the mantelpiece, then we're bound to remember it."
Mr. Seton was already at his writing-table.
"Yes, yes," he said in an absent-minded way. "Run away now, like a good girl. I'm busy."
"Yes, I'm going. Just look at the snug way Buff has arranged the kitten. Father, Thomas has been having nightmares about Satan in his domestic relations. Did you know Satan had a wife and baby——?"
"Elizabeth!"
"I didn't say it; it was Thomas. That boy has an original mind."
"Well, well, girl; but you are keeping me back."
"Yes, I'm going. There's just one thing—about the chapter at prayers. I was wondering—only wondering, you know—if Baruch the son of Neriah had any real bearing on our everyday life?"
Mr. Seton looked at his daughter, then remarked as he turned back to his work: "I sometimes think you are a very ignorant creature, Elizabeth."
But Elizabeth only laughed as she shut the door and made her way kitchenwards.
On the kitchen stairs she met Ellen the housemaid, who stopped her with a "Please, Miss Elizabeth," while she fumbled in the pocket of her print and produced a post card with a photograph on it.
"It's ma brither," she explained. "I got it this mornin'."
Elizabeth carried the card to the window at the top of the staircase and studied it carefully.