you been up to today, Miss Parker?” he asked when she went into the room.
“We have had forty-two visitors to the wood, my Lord,” she informed him, “and twenty friends to tea with the children by the lake.”
The old man chuckled.
“Things have certainly changed since you arrived.”
“I am afraid that, although we have collected over sixty-five pounds for the Vicar’s fund, my Lord, we have another large bill here for the fairies and the decorations we have used in the wood.”
She held it out to him, but his hand did not move.
“Give it to my secretary,” he said. “He pays the bills and does not worry me with them.”
“You mean that you are not interested in what we spend, my Lord?” Arliva asked incredulously.
“Not really,” he replied. “What you have done has made my grandchildren very happy and believe it or not I myself have had two or three visitors every day. They left their children with you and then popped in to see me. And very pleased I was to see them.”
He paused for a moment before he went on,
“I have been wondering how you have such clever and imaginative ideas. It must be in your blood.”
Arliva wanted to say that it was because she was her father’s daughter.
As he had spoken so well of her father, she was sure that he would be able to recognise the connection.
Then she knew that if she told him who she was, it would undoubtedly be talked about in the neighbourhood.
There was sure to be a servant who had relations in London who had heard about the rich Miss Ashdown and he or she might then convey to her aunt the fact that she was living in the country and making everything different from what it had been before.
She therefore smiled at the old man’s compliments, thanked him again and picked up the bill that she had made Johnnie read and add up to make certain that it was correct.
She thought now that while he had done arithmetic there were many other things she ought to be teaching him as well as making him happy by giving him companions and a chance of competing with them.
‘I suppose really,’ Arliva thought, ‘we should have a cricket match. That is what Johnnie will play at school.’
He was not likely to go for some years, yet at the same time there was nothing that men admired or enjoyed more than a cricket match.
‘I must think about it,’ she told herself. ‘But for the moment everything is going so well that I don’t want to interrupt anything.’
The next day, however, she thought it only right that she should give the children at least one serious lesson, which she had not attempted to do since she arrived.
During the night she had found herself composing a poem about what was happening outside.
When the children had finished breakfast, she said,
“Before we go out on our usual ride, I want you to do a little serious school work we have not done before.”
She saw their faces drop.
“If I don’t teach you some of the subjects I ought to teach you,” she continued, “your grandfather might send me away. That is why I want you to show that you are learning new ideas and new subjects as well as enjoying yourself.”
Rather reluctantly they went up to the schoolroom.
“Now pick up your pencils and paper,” she said, “as I want you to write a poem about what we are doing. I have written one myself to show you what I feel about the fairies.”
“A poem!” Johnnie exclaimed. “That’s something new.”
“We are trying out new ideas every day,” Arliva replied. “And this is my poem.”
“ There are fairies in the woods and in the flowers ,
And I could watch them flying round and round for hours .
I see them in the rustle of the trees .
I see them riding on the bumble bees .
They will float on petals drifting on the stream .
They enter all my thoughts like a dream .
They sit amongst the clouds up in the sky .
They hover near me when in bed I lie .
Fairies bring happiness and love ,
A blessing from the angels
“We have had forty-two visitors to the wood, my Lord,” she informed him, “and twenty friends to tea with the children by the lake.”
The old man chuckled.
“Things have certainly changed since you arrived.”
“I am afraid that, although we have collected over sixty-five pounds for the Vicar’s fund, my Lord, we have another large bill here for the fairies and the decorations we have used in the wood.”
She held it out to him, but his hand did not move.
“Give it to my secretary,” he said. “He pays the bills and does not worry me with them.”
“You mean that you are not interested in what we spend, my Lord?” Arliva asked incredulously.
“Not really,” he replied. “What you have done has made my grandchildren very happy and believe it or not I myself have had two or three visitors every day. They left their children with you and then popped in to see me. And very pleased I was to see them.”
He paused for a moment before he went on,
“I have been wondering how you have such clever and imaginative ideas. It must be in your blood.”
Arliva wanted to say that it was because she was her father’s daughter.
As he had spoken so well of her father, she was sure that he would be able to recognise the connection.
Then she knew that if she told him who she was, it would undoubtedly be talked about in the neighbourhood.
There was sure to be a servant who had relations in London who had heard about the rich Miss Ashdown and he or she might then convey to her aunt the fact that she was living in the country and making everything different from what it had been before.
She therefore smiled at the old man’s compliments, thanked him again and picked up the bill that she had made Johnnie read and add up to make certain that it was correct.
She thought now that while he had done arithmetic there were many other things she ought to be teaching him as well as making him happy by giving him companions and a chance of competing with them.
‘I suppose really,’ Arliva thought, ‘we should have a cricket match. That is what Johnnie will play at school.’
He was not likely to go for some years, yet at the same time there was nothing that men admired or enjoyed more than a cricket match.
‘I must think about it,’ she told herself. ‘But for the moment everything is going so well that I don’t want to interrupt anything.’
The next day, however, she thought it only right that she should give the children at least one serious lesson, which she had not attempted to do since she arrived.
During the night she had found herself composing a poem about what was happening outside.
When the children had finished breakfast, she said,
“Before we go out on our usual ride, I want you to do a little serious school work we have not done before.”
She saw their faces drop.
“If I don’t teach you some of the subjects I ought to teach you,” she continued, “your grandfather might send me away. That is why I want you to show that you are learning new ideas and new subjects as well as enjoying yourself.”
Rather reluctantly they went up to the schoolroom.
“Now pick up your pencils and paper,” she said, “as I want you to write a poem about what we are doing. I have written one myself to show you what I feel about the fairies.”
“A poem!” Johnnie exclaimed. “That’s something new.”
“We are trying out new ideas every day,” Arliva replied. “And this is my poem.”
“ There are fairies in the woods and in the flowers ,
And I could watch them flying round and round for hours .
I see them in the rustle of the trees .
I see them riding on the bumble bees .
They will float on petals drifting on the stream .
They enter all my thoughts like a dream .
They sit amongst the clouds up in the sky .
They hover near me when in bed I lie .
Fairies bring happiness and love ,
A blessing from the angels
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