Chapter VII: Inez at Home

On Monday afternoon Inez appeared just before three o'clock. Miss Morgan was just taking Diana and Noel out for their daily walk, but Mrs. Inglefield said that as Inez had come so early, they could all play in the garden together, instead of walking out, so Miss Morgan went home and the children were left to themselves.

Of course the garden was shown to Inez: she was tremendously interested in it all.

"It's so lovely to be able to grow just what you like," she said; "I think I shall get our gardener to give me a bit of ground, but not for flowers. I shall grow pumpkins and pomegranates."

"Oh!" said Diana, awed by this magnificent idea, "Will you be able to do it?"

Inez nodded; then she pointed to Noel's ground.

"I like the idea of growing your own Christmas tree," she said. "I think you were a clever boy to think of it."

Noel was very pleased.

"He's my little friend," he said; "I talk to him a lot. It's very dull for him now, but he knows his grand time is coming. And he's growing like anyfing. Look at his dear little green tips."

When they had seen all over the garden, they climbed Up into the medlar tree, and Diana began telling one of her wonderful stories. She found Inez a better listener than Noel. He presently left them, but the story continued, and was left to be continued.

"I can't make up any more now," said Diana; "I'll tell you the rest when we see each other next!"

Then they got down from the tree and played hide-and seek, and after a time Diana was called indoors by Nurse. Some new shoes had arrived which had to be tried on. Noel and Inez stayed in the garden.

"Would you like to see some flowers I planted for God?" Noel asked, wishing to do his part in entertaining the guest.

Inez looked at him and laughed, then followed him into the churchyard, where he showed her with pride some sweet-peas and blue cornflowers coming up by the church porch. Then he showed her some forget-me-nots growing on a small grave, and on another, some little pink asters.

"I did those," he said with pride, "but Mr. Wargrave stopped me. I do fink God might have a better garden, don't you? Mr. Wargrave says people are God's flowers. They're all sleeping underground now, but they'll come up the most lovely people by and by. At least, I s'pose it's their bodies that will. They get out of them when they die, and go away to God."

"You are a funny boy!" said Inez, staring at him. "Nobody in our house talks about God. Go on, say some more."

"Well, you know," said Noel eagerly, "I'm a Chris'mas child, specially born on the same day as Jesus Christ. Chris and Diana don't understand, so God loves me and I love Him, and I want Him to have lovely flowers in His garden, because He likes them. He made them, you know, so of course He does."

"I s'pose," said Inez, "He made me, but God doesn't like me. I'm too wicked."

"Are you?" said Noel, looking at her curiously. "What kind of wickedness do you do?"

"Well, yesterday I got the garden hose and I turned it on into Julia's bedroom window. It's rather low down, and she was doing her hair and trying on ear-rings, waiting for the gardener to come along and talk to her. She was in such a rage; her face was streaming with water, and then I had to hide from her till she forgot it a bit, and I hid in the best spare-room bed, and then they made a fuss about that."

"I think that's rather fun," said Noel, his eyes sparkling. "I wonder if we have got a hose. It squirts water, doesn't it? We used to have one in India. I should like to squirt my Chris'mas tree. He'd like it, I'm sure."

"I like to squirt people who don't like it," said Inez; "that's wicked, they say. But I don't think I care about God. I hate saying my prayers. I never know what it means, and it's so dull. And church is awfully dull."

"Oh!" gasped Noel; "I think it's beautiful! It belongs to God. He comes there, you know, every Sunday, and in the week besides. I almost fink I see Him sometimes. Mums says that God likes everybody, and calls them to get near Him. He doesn't like them far away."

"But God lives millions and billions of miles away up at the back of the stars," said Inez in a thoughtful tone.

"Oh, but He doesn't stay there," said Noel, shaking his head gravely. "Oh dear, no! He's always close to us. Why, I really do believe He's listening to us now."

There was such an emphatic conviction in Noel's tone that Inez looked quickly round; then she laughed uneasily.

"I hope He didn't hear me say I didn't like church," she said, "and I didn't like Him. But that's how I'm wicked, they all say so. I care for nobody and nobody cares for me. And now let's jump over those flower-beds: we've been grave enough."

They were back in the garden by this time, and of course in jumping the flower-beds Inez missed the distance and landed herself in the middle of one, breaking a young azalea to pieces and making havoc of some small seedlings planted.

"There now, that's a wickedness!" said Inez ruefully, as she surveyed the disaster. "Now, what will your mother say to me? Shall I tell her that a wild dog came in from the road and did it, or some pigs? Do you keep pigs?"

"We've got to tell her truefully if we do fings," said Noel.

Then Diana appeared, saying that tea was ready. She was consulted about the damaged flower-bed.

"Here is Mums coming out," she said. "She won't be angry."

And Mrs. Inglefield was not. She smiled at Inez, called her a little tomboy, and asked her not to do it again. Then they went upstairs to the nursery to tea.

There were hot buttered scones, plum cake, honey, and some fancy biscuits. Inez enjoyed her tea thoroughly.

"I hope you'll come to tea with me very soon," she said; "but I'm afraid they won't give us so good a tea as this. I should like you to come the end of this week: will you? We've a lovely big house to play hide-and-seek in!"

"May Chris come, too?" asked Diana. "He'll be home on Saturday from school. If you asked us then, he'd be able to come. Will Julia like us coming?"

"I shan't tell her till the day arrives," said Inez, "and then there'll be no time for her to do anything. She didn't mind my coming here to-day. She's glad to get rid of me."

"And I'll have time before Saturday to make up a lot more about 'Ada and Gertie,'" said Diana.

"Ada and Gertie" were the two motherless heroines in Diana's story.

They chattered away all tea-time, and afterwards went down to the drawing-room and had games with Mrs. Inglefield.

Inez was very loath to go home. To her surprise, at seven o'clock Julia appeared. She was a very smart young woman with a sharp voice, but she was quite respectful to Mrs. Inglefield.

"I've come to fetch Miss Inez," she announced, and then, whilst Inez was putting on her outdoor shoes, she went into the nursery and had a chat with Nurse.

Nurse spoke to Mrs. Inglefield afterwards.

"I hope the little girl won't be making our children naughty, ma'am. That young woman says she is terribly wild, and she can do nothing with her. She ran out of the house in her nightdress one night, and she has fits of passion in which she threatens to kill anyone who comes near her, and herself in the bargain. 'Tis a pity she has no governess, or isn't sent to school. She's supposed to do lessons with that young person, but she seems to have no influence over her, and the child will learn nothing."

"I think there are faults on both sides," said Mrs. Inglefield. "Mr. Wargrave has been telling me about the child. Her parents don't care for her. They wanted a boy because of the property; and it goes to a distant cousin, for a girl can't inherit. Poor little Inez has never had any love in her life. I feel a great pity for her, and I think we must try and help her."

It had been arranged before Inez left that the children should come over to spend the following Saturday afternoon with her. Mrs. Inglefield had asked Julia if it would be convenient to her, and she had made no objection.

When Chris heard about it, he looked doubtful.

"I don't know that I care about going to tea with a girl," he said.

His mother smiled.

"It won't hurt you, my boy. Inez has a most beautiful home, and you will enjoy seeing it. I used to go to the Park, as it is called, when I was a little girl, and I loved it. I am afraid there are no deer now in the Park, as there used to be, but the gardens are delightful, and perhaps she will take you up to what we used to call the battlements. It is a walk round the roof with a wall outside and places where the cannons used to be fired. It is like an old castle."

This sounded interesting, and when Saturday came, Chris accompanied Diana and Noel without a murmur.

They had to walk a good mile before they came to it.

Chris felt he was in charge of the party, and squared his shoulders as he marched along the road.

"Don't you think Inez is a pretty name?" Diana asked him. "Mother says she is Spanish—at least, her mother is. I can't think why she isn't happy living in a big beautiful house; but she told me that all the rooms were shut up, and that she has only one small room to live in. And she has all her meals alone. Julia likes to have hers with the other servants. It must be very dull for her."

"I wish she had a brother," said Chris; "I wonder if she could play cricket? We might try a game."

Talking together the mile soon came to an end. They turned in at some big iron gates, and up a drive bordered by chestnut trees, which were in full blossom.

Diana insisted upon stopping to gaze up at them. She always had a keen eye for beauty.

"They're wonderful," she said. "It's like going up an avenue to an enchanted castle. Let's pretend Inez is a princess kept in close custody."

"Oh, but how wet and sticky!" said Noel. "I shouldn't like to be kept in custard!"

Diana and Chris shouted with laughter. Noel did not like to be laughed at, and he turned a little sulky; but when they came up to the house he was himself again.

It was an old grey stone, turreted building. Two gardeners were mowing a very big lawn in front of it, and there were beds of spring flowers in front of the big square stone porch. They had to go up a flight of steps to the door, but before they had got to the top Inez had appeared.

"I saw you from the window," she said, a little breathlessly, "and I slid down the banisters the whole way."

Then she looked at Chris.

"Are you older or younger than Diana?" she asked.

"I'm the eldest of the family," Chris replied, drawing up his head proudly.

"So am I," said Inez, dancing lightly up and down on the tips of her toes. "I'm the eldest, and I'm the youngest, too, for there's nobody older or younger than me. I'm the only one."

Chris looked at her with some interest.

"Come along upstairs, and I'll show you where I live, and then we'll have a jolly racket all over the house and garden!"

She pulled hold of Diana's hand; the children followed her through a very large and lofty hall, up a broad staircase, and then along some stone passages through low doorways, until she pushed open the door of a room.

It was not a very cheerful-looking room. There were two windows, but they were small, set in thick grey stone. The carpet was a dingy brown. There was a round table with a red cloth, a horsehair sofa, a glass bookcase with a cupboard underneath it, a few very gloomy-looking pictures. Four chairs stood against the wall.

"You're very tidy," Diana observed as she looked round. "Where do you keep your playthings? You should see our nursery! It's littered all over the floor."

"I haven't got any playthings," said Inez; "I don't care for that sort of thing, and Julia keeps this room tidy. I'm never in it, and if she locks me in I just climb out of the window and walk along the gutter till I get to the battlements. I like playing in the stables and lofts. I have some rabbits I'll show you. I only come up here for meals."

"There's not much to do here," said Diana.

"No, and tea will come very soon. Take off your gloves and things, and come on down to the garden."

This they did, and all agreed that the gardens and shrubberies and stables were the best places to be in.

They had not seen half of them before a tea bell rang, and they had to return to the house. Julia had provided quite a nice tea: bread-and-butter, scones with jam, currant buns, and a big seed cake. She poured out tea for them, and then left them. Inez, with some importance, took her place, and poured out more cups of tea when wanted. Her tongue was very busy, and her little guests listened to her accounts of herself with surprise and awe. There seemed nothing that she could not and would not do.

She rode the cows as well as the horses bare-back, she drove the carts backwards and forwards to the Farm, she had a rope ladder which she fixed to all kinds of dangerous places, and she could climb up and down it like a monkey. Chris's eyes sparkled as he listened: this girl was more like a boy than anything else, he thought, and he began to long to join her in some of her mischievous pranks. When tea was over she suggested they should go to the battlements, and she took them through a narrow door, up a winding stone staircase, till they came out above the house. Here they had the greatest fun, running round the turreted towers and looking through the peepholes down to the country stretching out below them.

"You—you know what I'm going to do when I grow up?" Inez said. "I shall have a flying machine of my own, and fly all over the world."

"You couldn't do it," said Chris. "You'd come a cropper. It wants a proper airman to-fly."

"I'd be a proper airwoman," said Inez obstinately. "Now we'll come down and have some shooting. I have some bows and arrows. I've just one friend, Dick Yorke: he's the boy at the west lodge, and he makes stunning bows and arrows. He and I have shooting matches."

She led them on to the old lawn, left them there whilst she raced off to a shed, and came back in a few minutes with half a dozen bows in one hand and a bundle of arrows in the other.

This sport proved very exciting. Chris enjoyed it as much as anyone. They aimed at big paper targets fixed on some tree-trunks at the bottom of the lawn, and Chris and Inez both reached the bull's-eye.

There was no lack of occupation that evening. They went all over the stables, saw the two white terriers, the rabbits, chickens and turkeys, pigs and goats. They visited the barns, and enjoyed the swing that Inez had got one of the men to put up for her, and then, to their dismay, the big clock in the stable-yard struck seven.

Mrs. Inglefield had told them that they must leave Inez at seven o'clock.

When Chris said they must go, Inez declared that they should not.

"Why, I don't go to bed till eight, and very often I run out and hide somewhere away from Julia, and don't come in till nearly nine. I haven't shown you half yet. I want to take you down to the pond where the fish are."

"We must go now," Chris said firmly. "I promised Mother we should be punctual."

"I don't think you're to be pitied at all, with all this," said Diana, waving her hands about. "I think you live in a lovely house, Inez; I should never, never be dull, and I should write stories about people being shut up in your castle, and soldiers outside trying to catch them."

"It's so dull being alone," said Inez with a pout. "I have nobody with me."

"You have two peoples always," said Noel, staring at her with big eyes.

"I've nobody I like."

"Don't you like God?"

"Oh, shut up, Noel!" said Chris. "And come on. We must not be late."

"Oh, what a good boy am I!" said Inez mockingly. "But I shan't let you go, so don't you think it. You can easily say you didn't know the time."

"But we do know the time, and we don't tell lies."

"I do whenever I want to. What does it matter?"

They were walking towards the house as they spoke, and Diana ran upstairs to get their gloves and scarves that they had taken off before tea.

When she had got them and was coming downstairs again, she heard a great noise in the hall.

It was Inez struggling and fighting with Julia.

She had inveigled Chris and Noel into the big library, and then had run out and turned the key of the door.

"Now I've got you!" she cried, dancing up and down. "And you'll have to be late going home, for I shan't let you go."

Chris and Noel battered at the door, and Julia appeared. Then ensued a struggle for the key. Inez fought and screamed and kicked, and even tried to bite, when Julia wrenched the key out of her grasp and unlocked the door. Diana looked on in horror. Inez seemed to have turned into a little tiger.

"Come on," she said to the boys, "let us get out of this." And then they hastily went out of the hall door.

Inez left Julia and darted after them.

"You are all milksops, and I don't care for one of you! You might have backed me up against that beast of a Julia!"

"I wouldn't fight women," said Chris scornfully.

"And now I suppose you'll go home and tell your mother how wicked I am, and she'll never let me come near you again!"

The children were silent for a moment, then Diana said steadily:

"We tell Mother everything, but she won't be angry, only sorry."

"And now I know who does always live in your house," said Noel in his eager, breathless way: "it's the Devil!"

This statement reduced Inez to silence.

Chris hurried his sister and brother down the drive, and Inez stopped still and gazed after them with tears in her eyes.

"Good-bye," Chris said, looking back and waving his cap, "and thank you for a very nice time."

Inez made no answer: she turned and walked back slowly to the house. Noel's strange words rang in her ears: "Julia says I'm a young devil," she said to herself slowly. "I wonder if it is the Devil that makes me get into such tempers. I don't like to think he lives in the house with me."

Meanwhile Chris was saying to Noel:

"I do wish you wouldn't talk so much about God and the Devil. People don't do it. It makes us quite ashamed of you."

"I don't care," said Noel, setting his lips in an obstinate line. "It was Satan that made her fight like that. I'll ask Mother if it wasn't!"

"She's awfully naughty," said Diana, "but I do like her. She thinks we're prigs, but we couldn't be expected to all begin to fight and kick and scream at poor Julia. I don't wonder she gets cross with Inez!"

"She ought to go to school," said Chris in his superior tone. "She'd soon get licked into shape."

"She told me when her father and mother come home they are going to send her to school, and she says she will like it."

"Oh, will she!" said Chris with a short laugh. "A boy came the other day to our school: his mother and nurse have spoilt him, and he began carrying on high jinks with some fellows. You should have seen how they dropped on him! I felt quite sorry for the kid!"

"What did they do to him?" asked Noel with interest.

"You'll see when you come there. You aren't much better than Inez sometimes, when you can't get your way, so don't preach so much."

"I don't preach. But I shall when I grow up. It's very good to preach."

Chris refused to argue the matter out.

When they reached home they found their mother waiting for them. She was soon taken into their confidence, but as Diana said, she did not feel angry with Inez, only very, very sorry for her.

"I'm not afraid of her doing you harm, for I hope you will do her good."

"But we don't like being prigs," said Chris.

"No. You need not be. Be your own happy bright little selves, and show her that you are happier doing right than when you are doing wrong. That is all."

The children said no more. Diana had been rather afraid that their acquaintance with Inez might be stopped, and she was looking forward to pouring out some of the imaginations in her brain to her. Now she felt quite happy.

"Mother always understands," she said to herself as she laid her head down on her pillow that night, "and if Inez had a mother like ours, I expect she'd be as good as gold!"