Dolly Reforming Herself Part 6

_Dolly._ No, dear. Who is it? Do I know him?

_Renie._ Your cousin Lucas has a deep and sincere admiration for me.

_Dolly._ Lu!? Lu!? Of course! I might have known he'd never ride a dozen miles in the snow for a sermon! It's disgraceful of him!

_Renie._ No, dear, he's not to blame. We are neither of us to blame.

_Dolly._ [_Contemptuously._] Oh! Why you haven't known him a month, have you?

_Renie._ I met him for the first time in this room three weeks ago last Thursday afternoon.

_Dolly._ It's a great pity the Professor didn't come down with you.

_Renie._ That would have made no difference. It had to be!

_Dolly._ What had to be? Renie, how far has this gone? You've been meeting him alone----

_Renie._ Once or twice.

_Dolly._ You've slipped away every afternoon this week.

_Renie._ However often I may have met him, he has offered me nothing but the most chivalrous attention. He has always respected me----

_Dolly._ Well then, he mustn't respect you any more. It must be stopped.

_Renie._ Dolly, I didn't expect you to take up this att.i.tude.

_Dolly._ You don't suppose I'm going to have this sort of thing in my own house, do you?

_Renie._ What sort of thing?

_Dolly._ Do you remember the awful row I got into at school when your boy's love letter was discovered in the Banbury cakes you'd persuaded me to take in for you?

_Renie._ But you received Banbury cakes of your own!

_Dolly._ Not since I've been married. Of course before your marriage your outrageous flirting didn't much matter----

_Renie._ Outrageous flirting?--If I seemed to flirt----

_Dolly._ Seemed?!

_Renie._ It was only in the vain hope of meeting with one who could offer me the perfect homage that I have always felt would one day be mine.

_Dolly._ Well, he mustn't offer it here! I shall tell him so very plainly. He'd better not stay to dinner.

_Renie._ There is no reason Captain Wentworth should not stay to dinner.

He has given me the one absolutely blameless unselfish devotion of his life. I've accepted it on that distinct understanding. I've trusted you with my secret, a secret honourable alike to Captain Wentworth and myself. You've promised not to breathe a word to any living soul. You surely don't mean to break your word?

_Dolly._ I don't mean to stand the racket of your Banbury cakes.

_Renie._ I didn't expect you to be so unsympathetic. You promised to help me!

_Dolly._ Help you! How did you expect me to help you?

_Renie._ My husband has to go to Edinburgh next week to give a course of lectures there.

_Dolly._ Well?

_Renie._ He wants me to go with him. Dearest, it would be perfectly sweet of you to ask me to stay on another fortnight here.

_Dolly._ [_Makes a little movement of indignant surprise._] I see!

_Renie._ There could be no possible harm in it now that you know our attachment is quite innocent and that you can look after me every moment. Dearest, you might oblige me in a tiny little matter like this.

_Dolly._ [_After a pause._] I'll think it over----

_Renie._ Thank you so much.

_Dolly._ Renie, you said Mr. Pilcher's sermon came just in the nick of time----

_Renie._ So it did.

_Dolly._ You don't call this the "nick of time"?!

_Renie._ Yes, indeed. I went to church in a perfect fever. I didn't know what to do. Well, as I listened to Mr. Pilcher everything became quite clear to me. I resolved I would accept Captain Wentworth's pure unselfish devotion and make it a lever to raise all my ideals and aspirations!

_Dolly._ But there wasn't anything in Mr. Pilcher's sermon about----

_Renie._ Oh yes, there was a lot about ideals and aspirations.

_Dolly._ Yes, but not the sort of aspirations you have for Lucas. I suppose you know he makes love to every woman he comes across?

_Renie._ He told me he had been led into one or two unworthy attachments.

_Dolly._ Yes! That's quite right. So he has! One or two!

_Renie._ That was before he met me.

_Dolly._ Yes, and this will be before he meets the next lady.

_Renie._ [_Looks at_ DOLLY _severely._] My dear Dolly, with your light frivolous nature it is impossible for you to understand a pure and exalted attachment like ours. Listen! [_Taking out a letter._] This will show you his fine nature, his fine feelings--"From the first moment I saw you----"

MATT _enters._

_Renie._ [_Putting letter in pocket._] Well, have you had a pleasant walk?

_Matt._ Very pleasant--and instructive. The Professor asked me to remind you that he's waiting for you at the fish-pond.