Project Gutenberg's Etheldreda the Ready, by Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey

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Title: Etheldreda the Ready
A School Story

Author: Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey

Illustrator: Charles Horrell

Release Date: April 17, 2007 [EBook #21118]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Etheldreda the Ready
A School Story

By Mrs George de Horne Vaizey

ETHELDREDA THE READY
A SCHOOL STORY

BY MRS GEORGE DE HORNE VAIZEY

CHAPTER ONE.

The first part of the Christmas holidays had gone with a roar. The
Saxon family in conclave agreed that never before had they had so good a
time. Invitations poured in; amusement after amusement filled up
afternoon and evening; parents and friends alike seemed imbued with a
wholly admirable desire to make the season one gay whirl of enjoyment,
and then, suddenly, just after the beginning of the New Year, the
atmosphere became mysteriously clouded.

What was the matter? Nobody knew. One day the sky was blue and
serene--the next, the shadow was in possession. Mr Saxon looked
suddenly old and bleached, and hid himself persistently in his study;
Mrs Saxon sat at the head of the table with the air of one braced to
perform a difficult task, listened vacantly to her children's prattle,
and smiled a twisted smile in response to their merry outbursts of
laughter. Two days later Miss Bruce, the governess, was summoned
hastily to return from her holiday-making and take charge of the
household, while Mr and Mrs Saxon set forth to pay a mysterious visit
to their country house, which as a rule was left severely to the
caretaker's mercies until spring was well advanced.

What in the world could have induced two people who were obviously
worried and depressed to leave town and go down to that dull, deserted
house in the depth of the winter? The Saxons discussed the subject with
their wonted vivacity, and from the many divergent points of view with
which they were accustomed to regard the world in general.

They were six in all, and as true Saxons in appearance as they were in
name, being large, fair,