Bountiful Lady Read online

  VIII

  MARY SEES SOMETHING WHICH SHE HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE

  Evangeline finished her story just as the train stopped at a smallcountry station, where a porter opened the door and they all got out.The station looked like a summer-house, and when Mary went outside intothe road, she clapped her hands with delight.

  There was quite a small crowd of people waiting there, but what pleasedMary the most was a little brown carriage with four cream-colouredponies. Beside the ponies stood two boys with bright buttons on theircoats, whilst three rough, brown dogs jumped up at Evangeline as if theywanted to lick her face. Evangeline drove the ponies, and Mary satwedged in between her and Sister Agatha. The two boys with brightbuttons on their coats climbed into a seat behind; Evangeline flourishedthe whip, the sun shone, and the dogs ran barking beside the carriage.

  'Where are the streets?' asked Mary a few minutes later. 'Oh!' sheexclaimed, 'look at the stars on the ground!'

  'Stars!' said Sister Agatha.

  'Aren't they stars?' asked Mary.

  'Why, of course not----'

  'Then I know what they are,' said Mary; 'they're the magic counters yougive to people when you want them to do things.'

  'I'm afraid those don't grow by the roadside,' answered Evangeline;'these are primroses, Mary.'

  'What are primroses?' asked Mary with wondering eyes.

  'You see,' said Evangeline, 'every winter the earth grows hard and cold;but when it feels the sun shine on it again it smiles, and to show youhow glad it is, it puts forth all these bright little flowers.'

  'I see,' answered Mary, still looking as if she did not understand atall.

  'Perhaps you would like to pick some,' said Evangeline. She stopped theponies, and at the same moment the two boys sprang to the ground andstood very stiffly at their heads. Sister Agatha and Mary got out of thecarriage and, stooping by the roadside, plucked primrose after primrose,whilst the three dogs sniffed about as if they wanted to make a meal offthe sweet, yellow flowers.

  Then they got into the carriage again, and Evangeline flourished herwhip. The boys climbed up into the back seat, and Mary felt she shouldnot mind being driven along that sunny road for ever, or at least untiltea-time. She had never smelled the air so sweet nor seen the sky soblue.

  Presently they reached some shops and small houses, and the people cameout to stand at the doors and bow to Evangeline as she passed.

  'Why do they do that?' asked Mary.

  'If you saw a fairy-queen driving four cream-coloured ponies past yourhouse, don't you think you would bow to show how pleased you felt?' saidSister Agatha.

  'I suppose I should,' answered Mary, as they came to a gate with acottage beside it. Out from the cottage a funny little old woman camewith a face the colour of a russet apple; she curtseyed so low that herchin seemed almost to touch the ground, and she wore a red cloak. In onehand she carried a stick, and Mary wondered whether she was a witch. Sheopened the gate, and stood bowing as Evangeline drove through it, andwhen Mary looked back at her afterwards the little old woman was bowingstill.

  Now, the road ran through a large park, and in the distance Mary saw agreat white house, a part of which shone very brightly in the sunshine.

  'Is that the palace?' asked the child.

  'Yes,' answered Sister Agatha, 'that is your fairy's palace.'

  'Why does it shine so much?' asked Mary.

  'Oh, that's to welcome the queen, you know!'

  'What are those things?' exclaimed Mary the next minute; 'those funnythings with trees on their heads?'

  'Those are deer,' said Evangeline.

  'But that's what you call me!' cried Mary, with her eyes very widelyopen.

  'Well,' said Sister Agatha, 'you're a dear too, only a different kind ofdear.'

  'I can't run so fast,' answered Mary. For as she spoke the deer began totrot away, then they stopped again, and one that was bigger than therest stood in front whilst they all watched the carriage.

  Several people stood at the door of the house, which seemed to be partlybuilt of glass. All the people were young like Evangeline, and they allappeared pleased to see her. But Mary felt a little disappointed thatnone of them took any notice of her, and very few spoke to SisterAgatha, who took Mary's hand, and led her into the house. They passedthrough a wide hall with animals' heads hanging on the walls, and therewas a large table with a green top and red and white balls on it.

  'Where are their bodies?' asked Mary, as she walked upstairs with SisterAgatha.

  'Whose bodies?'

  'Belonging to the great heads downstairs?' said Mary.

  'Oh!' answered Sister Agatha, 'I daresay their bodies have been turnedinto men.'

  'I never heard of animals' bodies being turned into men before,' saidMary. 'Did Evangeline do that?' she asked; but before Sister Agathaanswered she led Mary into a pretty room with two beds in it. And Marybecame so deeply interested in the room that she forgot all about theanimals' heads. She looked into each corner; she wanted to know whichbed she was to sleep in, and then she went to one of the three windows.

  'Sister Agatha!' she exclaimed the next moment, 'Sister Agatha!'

  'What is the matter now?' asked Sister Agatha, with a smile.

  'Do come here!' cried Mary excitedly; 'do come here! Look!' she said,pointing out at the window; 'there are two skies. This is a wonderfulplace!'

  'I only see one,' answered Sister Agatha, coming to her side.

  'But look! there are two. There's one up above and another down there.'

  'That is the sea,' said Sister Agatha. 'Haven't you seen the sea before?But, of course, you have not. Yes,' said Sister Agatha quietly, as sheplaced a hand on Mary's shoulder, 'the sea is very wonderful!'

  'What is the sea?' asked Mary.

  'A great, great piece of water----'

  'The same as we drink?' asked Mary.

  'It would not be at all nice to drink,' was the answer. 'It would tastesalt, you know.'

  'Then what's the use of it if you can't drink it?' said Mary. Then shesuddenly began to jump about more excitedly than ever. 'Look! look!' shecried. 'Look at that funny thing with smoke coming out of it! How fastit goes! What is that?'

  'That is a ship,' Sister Agatha explained. 'It takes people on longjourneys.'

  'Where does it take them?' asked Mary.

  'To countries a long way off.'

  'Farther than we've come to-day?' cried Mary.

  'Yes,' said Sister Agatha, 'a great deal farther--to countries wherethere are all kinds of wonderful things to be seen.'

  'Not more wonderful than there are here,' said Mary.

  'No,' answered Sister Agatha; 'they only seem more wonderful because weare not used to them. Everything is wonderful, you know; only we becomeso accustomed to things we see every day that they don't seem wonderfulany longer. Now there's nothing more wonderful than a little girl,unless it is a big girl.'

  'Oh, I think there is!' said Mary. 'I think ships are much morewonderful, and the sea, and the ponies, and primroses, and Evangeline,and----'

  'And tea!' exclaimed Sister Agatha. 'I am going to ring for it, andthen, when you have had tea, it will be time to go to bed. Now,' sheadded, 'we will pull down the blind.'