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"Your loving and excited daughter, KITTY."
CHAPTER V. FLORENCE
There was really no reason for this rumor to get afloat, but beyond doubt the rumor was afloat, was in the air, and was talked of by the girls at first, as I have said, scarcely at all, but by and by more and more plainly as the hours flew on towards the Cherry Feast.
Kitty herself knew nothing of these whispers. She was very busy planning
and reconstructing all her previous ideas with regard to education. Her first object was to come out one of the happy three who were to compete for the Scholarship in the coming October. If she succeeded in this she felt sure that all would be well. She began now eagerly to examine her companion's faces. Sometimes they turned away from her bright, almost too bright, eyes, but then again they would look at her with a certain compassion.
It would be very nice, they all thought, to win the Scholarship there was no girl at Cherry Court School who would not feel proud to get so great a prize but they also knew that what would be merely nice for them was life or death for poor Kitty Sharston, and yet nothing had been told them; they only surmised that there was a wish in Mrs. Clavering's breast that Kitty should be the lucky girl.
On a certain afternoon about a week before the Cherry Feast, Mabel and Alice Cunningham, with Florence Aylmer and Edith King, were once more assembled under one of the cherry trees in the cherry orchard.
"I am sure of it," said Alice. "Of course, it is nothing that I have heard, but it is a sort of look in Mrs. Clavering's face, and she is so eager to give Kitty all sorts of help. She has her by herself now every evening to coach her for an hour."
"Well, for my part, I don't call it a bit fair," said Florence Aylmer.
"Florry! Oh, surely you are not jealous, and of poor little Kitty?"
"I am not exactly jealous oh, no, I am not jealous," said Florence, "but it rather takes the heart out of one. If after all one's trouble and toil and exertion one gets the thing and then Mrs. Clavering is discontented and Kitty Sharston's heart is broken, I don't see the use of having a big fight do you, Mabel? do you, Edith?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Edith; "I only feel puzzled; perhaps it is a mere suspicion and there is no truth in it."
"I cannot imagine, if it is really Sir John's wish that Kitty should be the successful competitor, why he does not give her the money straight away and end the thing," said Florence again.
"But, you see, he could not do that," said Mabel, "for Kitty is very proud and "
"Well, I don't like it," said Florence, "and I tell you what it is now that the whisper has got into the air, I mean to know. I shall go straight to Mrs. Clavering and ask her. If it is true I for one will not enter the lists at all."
"But would you dare to ask her?" exclaimed Mabel, in a voice almost of awe. "You know, Mrs. Clavering, although she is the kindest woman in the world, never allows any liberties to be taken with her. I don't think you can dare to ask her, Florry I really don't."
"Oh, I shall, all the same," replied Florence. "If this thing is fair and above board, and equal chances are given to us all, why, I shall go in for it and be delighted to have a chance, but if it is not, Kitty shall have it without much exertion, as far as I am concerned."
She got up restlessly as she spoke, and moved towards the house.
The day was a very hot one, and all the doors and windows stood wide open. Sir John Wallis was standing inside the porch talking to Mrs. Clavering.
Florence came slowly forward. Sir John held out his hand to her.
"Well, Miss Aylmer," he said, in his pleasant voice, "and how do the studies get on, and are you all agog to be one of the lucky three?"
"I am not at all sure about that," said Florence; "I was coming to you, Mrs. Clavering, to speak about it."
"Why, what can be wrong?" said the baronet; "I thought that you were one of the most promising pupils and had a very good chance."
"But what," said Florence, her face suddenly blazing into color, and her eyes fixing themselves first on Sir John's face and then on that of Mrs. Clavering, "what if you don't want me to win the prize!"
"Don't want you what nonsense!" said Mrs. Clavering, but she colored faintly as she spoke.
Sir John gave Florence a very keen glance.
"I may as well speak out now that I am about it," continued the girl. "There is a rumor in the school I cannot tell you who started it, but there is a rumor that you, Sir John, want Kitty to get the prize."
"It is perfectly true that I should like her to get it," said Sir John, instantly, "but the prize shall be bestowed upon the girl who comes out best in deportment, best in conduct, and best in learning, whether she is Kitty Sharston or another. Now, that is all, Florence Aylmer. I have spoken. Don't, I beg of you, say a word of what you have just said to me to Kitty herself. You have all equal chances. If Kitty fails she fails. I shall be disappointed, but I shall honor the girl who wins the great prize all the same."