The changeling

“What are you going to do? Tell him ... tell my father?” I shook my head. “No. You must see your stepmother and tell her how sorry you are and you will never do anything like that again. Don’t you see how wrong it is to hurt people?”

“I was only being a ghost.”

“I told you before ...”

I saw the tip of her tongue protruding.

“Belinda, listen to me. You want people to like and admire you, don’t you?”

“Leah does.”

“Leah has been your nurse since you were a baby. She loves you and Lucie as though you were her own.”

“She loves me best.”

“She loves you both. If you are kind to people they will love you in return. Believe me, you will be happier if you are good and do not play unkind tricks on people ... especially those who have done you no harm.”

On impulse I put my arms round her and to my amazement and joy she suddenly clung to me. I held her to me for a few minutes. Then I looked into her face. Her tears were genuine.

“Always remember, Belinda,” I said, “that we are sisters ... you and I. We lost our mother. I knew her and loved her dearly. She was everything to me. We have to remember that he loved her dearly, too. When she died he was deeply and bitterly hurt. He cannot forget her. We each have to help him, Belinda, and in helping him we shall help ourselves. Promise me you will talk to me more. If anything happens, come to me, tell me about it. Will you?”

She looked at me steadily and nodded.

Then she threw her arms about my neck and I felt happier than I had for a long time. I was breaking through. I was beginning to make headway with this strange child who was my sister.

I said: “Now we understand each other. We are friends, eh, Belinda?”

She nodded again.

“There is one other thing,” I went on. “We have to go to your stepmother.”

She shrank back.

“It is necessary,” I went on. “She has had a bad fright. She thinks she saw a ghost.”

The old Belinda was back and I saw a look of triumph cross her face.

“She will be looking for that ghost everywhere she goes. It will haunt her.” Belinda nodded, her eyes sparkling at the prospect of future hauntings and I realized I had been premature in my belief that I had aroused something good in her nature. “We have to put her mind at rest,” I said firmly. “We have to tell her the truth.

So we are going to her now. We are going to tell her exactly what happened and ask her forgiveness. It was a silly childish prank but you are sorry you did it. You just did not think what harm you were doing.”

“I don’t want to.”

“We often have to do things we don’t want to in life. I shall give these clothes to Mrs. Emery and she can put them back where they were. She will be glad to hear that there was no ghost-only a little girl playing tricks.”

She looked stubborn.

“Come along,” I said. “Let’s get it over.”

I put the coat and hat back in the trunk to be dealt with later and took Belinda down to Celeste’s room.

Celeste was sitting by the window in her dressing gown.

I said: “Belinda wants to tell you something.”

She looked surprised and I led Belinda over to her.

Belinda said in a sing-song voice as though she were repeating a lesson: “I took the clothes out of the wardrobe in the locked room. I took them to the garden and when I heard you coming I put them on. It was only a game and I’m sorry I frightened you.”

I could see the relief in Celeste’s face.

I said: “Belinda is really sorry. You must forgive her. She thought she was playing a game. You know how she likes dressing up and acting ... ever since the tableaux vivants.”

“Oh ...” said Celeste, faintly. “I ... I see.”

“Belinda is very, very sorry for what happened.”

Celeste smiled at her. “I see it,” she said. “It is just a little joke, eh? It was silly of me.”

Belinda nodded. I put my arm round her and she was not exactly responsive but she did not reject me.

“Are you riding this afternoon?” I asked her.

“Yes.”

“You and Lucie? I’ll come with you. You can go now.”

She was clearly glad to escape.

I said: “She really is contrite.”

“She hates me ... I think.”

“No. She is bewildered ... lost. I wish her father would give her a little attention.

That is what she needs. I think she admired him ...” I paused. “But you see ...”

“Yes, I see,” said Celeste.

Their problems were similar.

I could not help feeling a certain pleasure because, due to this episode, Belinda and I had come a little closer. I must keep it that way. The child-and she was only a child although we forgot it at times-wanted affection. It was the reason why she was always showing off, as it were, seeking admiration. If only Benedict would cast aside his bitter grief. If only he would give a little thought to the living. It all came back to him.

The Treasure Hunt