"I only hope the child's not going to be ill," she said to herself. But
she proved a skilful ambassadress, notwithstanding her misgivings; and
Griselda's imprisonment confined her only to the bounds of the house and
terrace walk, instead of within the four walls of her own little room,
as she had feared.
Lessons _were_ very well done that day, and Mr. Kneebreeches' report was
all that could be wished.
"I am particularly gratified," he remarked to Miss Grizzel, "by the
intelligence and interest Miss Griselda displays with regard to the
study of astronomy, which I have recently begun to give her some
elementary instruction in. And, indeed, I have no fault to find with the
way in which any of the young lady's tasks are performed."
"I am extremely glad to hear it," replied Miss Grizzel graciously, and
the kiss with which she answered Griselda's request for forgiveness was
a very hearty one.
And it was "all right" about Phil.
Lady Lavander knew all about him; his father and mother were friends of
hers, for whom she had a great regard, and for some time she had been
intending to ask the little boy to spend the day at Merrybrow Hall, to
be introduced to her god-daughter Griselda. So, _of course_, as Lady
Lavander knew all about him, there could be no objection to his playing
in Miss Grizzel's garden!
And "to-morrow" turned out a fine day. So altogether you can imagine
that Griselda felt very happy and light-hearted as she ran down the
wood-path to meet her little friend, whose rosy face soon appeared among
the bushes.
"What did you do yesterday, Phil?" asked Griselda. "Were you sorry not
to come to play with me?"
"No," said Phil mysteriously, "I didn't mind. I was looking for the way
to fairyland to show you, and I do believe I've found it. Oh, it _is_
such a pretty way."
Griselda smiled.
"I'm afraid the way to fairyland isn't so easily found," she said. "But
I'd like to hear about where you went. Was it far?"
"A good way," said Phil. "Won't you come with me? It's in the wood. I
can show you quite well, and we can be back by tea-time."
"Very well," said Griselda; and off they set.
Whether it was the way to fairyland or not, it was not to be wondered at
that little Phil thought so. He led Griselda right across the wood to a
part where she had never been before. It was pretty rough work part of
the way. The children had to fight with brambles and bushes, and here
and there to creep through on hands and knees, and Griselda had to
remind Phil several times of her promise to his nurse that his clothes
should not be the worse for his playing with her, to prevent his
scrambling through "anyhow" and leaving bits of his knickerbockers
behind him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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