Heartsease; Or, The Brother's Wife Part 42

'Have you seen Violet?'

'Yes, I have.'

'And the little boy?'

'Yes.'

'I can't say he is a beauty, but you who are such a baby fancier will find him a very animated, intelligent child. I hope all fear is over about him now; he has thriven wonderfully of late.'

Perverseness prompted Theodora to say, 'The baby at the lodge is twice the size.'

John saw there was no use in talking, and shut himself into his room.

The next instant Sarah appeared, with the baby on one arm, and a pile of clothes on the other.

No one was in sight, so Theodora could gratify her pa.s.sionate yearnings for her brother's babe; justifying herself to her own pride, by considering it charity to an overloaded servant.

'Let me have him. Let me carry him up.'

'Thank you, ma'am, I'll not fash you,' said Sarah, stiffly.

'Let me! Oh! let me. I have often held a baby. Come to me, my precious.

Don't you know your aunt, your papa's own sister? There, he smiled at me! He will come! You know me, you pretty one?'

She held him near the window, and gazed with almost devouring eyes.

'He will be handsome--he will be beautiful!' she said. 'Oh! it is a shame to say you are not! You are like your papa--you are a thorough Martindale! That is your papa's bright eye, and the real Martindale brow, you sweet, little, fair, feeble, helpless thing! Oh, nurse, I can't spare him yet, and you have to unpack. Let me hold him. I know he likes me. Don't you love Aunt Theodora, babe?'

Sarah let her keep him, mollified by her devotion to him, and relieved at having him off her hands in taking possession of the great, bare, scantily-furnished nursery. Theodora lamented over his delicate looks, and was told he would not be here now but for his mamma, and the Isle of Wight doctor, who had done him a power of good. She begged to hear of all his wants; rang the bell, and walked up and down the room, caressing him, until he grew fretful, and no one answering the bell she rang again in displeasure, Sarah thanking her, and saying she wished to have him ready for bed before his mamma came up.

After her public reception, Theodora would not be caught nursing him in secret, so hastily saying she would send some one, she kissed the little blue-veined forehead, and rushing at full speed down the back stairs, she flew into the housekeeper's room; 'Jenkins, there's no one attending to the nursery bell. I wish you would see to it. Send up some one with some hot water to Master Martindale directly.'

As fast she ran back to her own room, ordered off Pauline to help Master Martindale's nurse, and flung herself into her chair, in a wild fit of pa.s.sion.

'Improvisatrice! Prince's parties! this is what it is to be great, rich, horrid people, and live a heartless, artificial life! Even this silly, affected girl has the natural instincts of a mother, she nurses her sick child, it lies on her bosom, she guards it jealously! And we! we might as well have been hatched in an Egyptian oven! No wonder we are hard, isolated, like civil strangers. I have a heart! Yes, I have, but it is there by mistake, while no one cares for it--all throw it from them. Oh!

if I was but a village child, a weeding woman, that very baby, so that I might only have the affection that comes like the air to the weakest, the meanest. That precious baby! he smiled at me; he looked as if he would know me. Oh! he is far more lovable, with those sweet, little, delicate features, and large considering eyes, than if he was a great, plump, common-looking child. Dearest little Johnnie! And my own brother was like him--my brother, whom my aunt as good as killed! If he had lived, perhaps I might still have a brother to myself. He would be twenty-eight. But I mind nothing now that dear child is here! Why, Pauline, I sent you to Master Martindale.'

'Yes, ma'am; but Mrs. Martindale is there, and they are much obliged to you, but want nothing more.'

Indeed Violet, who had been positively alarmed and depressed at first, at the waste and desolate aspect of the nursery, which seemed so far away and neglected, as almost, she thought, to account for the death of the two little sisters, had now found Sarah beset on all sides by offers of service from maids constantly knocking at the door, and Theodora's own Pauline, saying she was sent by Miss Martindale.

Violet could hardly believe her ears.

'Yes,' said Sarah, 'Miss Martindale has been here herself ever so long.

A fine, well-grown la.s.sie she is, and very like the Captain.'

'Has she been here?' said Violet. 'It is very kind of her. Did she look at the baby?'

'She made more work with him than you do yourself. Nothing was not good enough for him. Why, she called him the most beautifullest baby she ever seen!'

'And that we never told you, my Johnnie,' said Violet, smiling. 'Are you sure she was not laughing at you, baby?'

'No, no, ma'am,' said Sarah, affronted; 'it was earnest enough. She was nigh ready to eat him up, and talked to him, and he look up quite 'cute, as if he knew what it all meant, and was quite good with her. She was ready to turn the house upside down when they did not answer the bell.

And how she did kiss him, to be sure! I'd half a mind to tell her of old nurse telling you it warn't good for the child to be always kissing of him.'

'No, no, she won't hurt him,' said Violet, in a half mournful voice.

'Let her do as she likes with him, Sarah.'

Violet could recover from the depression of that cold reception now that she found Johnnie did not share in the dislike. 'She loves Arthur's child,' thought she, 'though she cannot like me. I am glad Johnnie has been in his aunt's arms!'

Violet, as she sat at the dinner-table, understood Lord Martindale's satisfaction in hearing John talking with animation; but she wondered at the chill of manner between her husband and his sister, and began to perceive that it was not, as she had supposed, merely in an occasional impatient word, that Arthur resented Theodora's neglect of her.

'How unhappy it must make her! how much it must add to her dislike!

they must be brought together again!' were gentle Violet's thoughts.

And knowing her ground better, she could venture many more steps towards conciliation than last year: but Theodora disappeared after dinner, and Violet brought down some plants from the Isle of Wight which John had p.r.o.nounced to be valuable, to his mother; but Mrs. Nesbit, at the first glance, called them common flowers, and shoved them away contemptuously, while Lady Martindale tried to repair the discourtesy by condescending thanks and admiration of the neat drying of the specimens; but her stateliness caused Violet to feel herself sinking into the hesitating tremulous girl she used to be, and she betook herself to her work, hoping to be left to silence; but she was molested by a very sharp, unpleasant examination from Mrs. Nesbit on the style of John's housekeeping at Ventnor, and the society they had met there. It was plain she thought he had put himself to a foolish expense, and something was said of 'absurd' when cross-examination had elicited the fact of the pony-carriage. Then came a set of questions about Mr. Fotheringham's return, and strong condemnation of him for coming home to idle in England.

It was a great relief when John came in, and instantly took up the defence of the ophrys, making out its species so indisputably, that Mrs.

Nesbit had no refuge but in saying, specimens were worthless that had not been gathered by the collector, and Lady Martindale made all becoming acknowledgments. No wonder Mrs. Nesbit was mortified; she was an excellent botanist, and only failing eyesight could have made even prejudice betray her into such a mistake. Violet understood the compa.s.sion that caused John to sit down by her and diligently strive to interest her in conversation.

Theodora had returned as tea was brought in, and Violet felt as if she must make some demonstration out of grat.i.tude for the fondness for her child; but she did not venture on that subject, and moving to her side, asked, with somewhat timid accents, after Charlie Layton, the dumb boy.

'He is very well, thank you. I hope to get him into an asylum next year,' said Theodora, but half-pleased.

'I looked for him at the gate, and fancied it was him I saw with a broad black ribbon on his hat. Is he in mourning?'

'Did you not hear of his mother's death?'

'No, poor little fellow.'

Therewith Theodora had the whole history to tell, and thawed as she spoke; while Violet's deepening colour, and eyes ready to overflow, proved the interest she took; and she had just begged to go to-morrow to see the little orphan, when Arthur laid his hand on her shoulder, and told her he had just come from the stables, where her horse was in readiness for her, and would she like to ride to-morrow?

'What will suit you for us to do?' said Violet, turning to Theodora.

'Oh, it makes no difference to me.'

'Tuesday. It is not one of your schooldays, is it?' said Violet, appearing unconscious of the chill of the answer; then, looking up to Arthur, 'I am going, at any rate, to walk to the lodge with Theodora to see the poor baby there. It is just the age of Johnnie.'

'You aren't going after poor children all day long,' said Arthur: and somehow Violet made a s.p.a.ce between them on the ottoman, and pulled him down into it; and whereas he saw his wife and sister apparently sharing the same pursuits, and on friendly terms, he resumed his usual tone with Theodora, and began coaxing her to ride with them, and inquiring after home interests, till she lighted up and answered in her natural manner.

Then Violet ventured to ask if she was to thank her for the delicious geranium and heliotrope she had found in her room.

'Oh no! that is an attention of Harrison or Miss Piper, I suppose.'

'Or? probably and?' suggested Arthur. 'How does that go on?'

'Take care,' said Theodora, peeping out beyond the shadow of his broad shoulder. 'Tis under the strictest seal of confidence; she asked my advice as soon as she had done it.'

'What! has she accepted him!' said Violet. 'Has it come to that?'

'Ay; and now she wants to know whether people will think it odd and improper. Let them think, I say.'