Heartsease; Or, The Brother's Wife Part 78

'I shall leave you to settle it between you,' said Jane, with apparent carelessness. 'I shall go home to appease for a little while the unfortunate dressmaker, whom we are keeping so long waiting. Make the most of Theodora, while you can have her.'

She would not have gone, had she not believed her work done.

'I have made up my mind,' said Theodora, as the door closed.

'Theodora! I do beg you will not,' cried Georgina, in an agitated voice, fully meaning all she said. 'You will vex and displease them all. I know you will, and I could not bear that! Your happiness is not wasted yet!

Go, and be happy with your Percy!'

'I have told Percy of my intentions. Do you think I would alter them for this notion of Jane's?'

'That is my own dear Theodora! But it is not only that. They are such good people--so kind! You must not risk their good opinion, for they would be so fond of you!'

'If their good opinion depends on narrow-minded prejudice, I do not wish for it.'

'If she would but come a day later,' said Georgina; 'for I do want you to be with me very much, Theodora! I know I shall meet with nothing but mortification, if you are not. People will only make that little starched bow! And Mr. Finch has noticed your not being so much with me.

But no, no, you shall not come. You shall stay and see dear, good old Lady Fotheringham! Oh! how I wish I could!' and her breast heaved with a suppressed sob.

'Why do you not, then, dear Georgina? Let me tell her your feeling, and--'

'No, no, no, no! I can never see her again! Don't talk to me about her!

She belongs to another state of existence.'

'This will not do, Georgina. It is vain to turn aside now from what will and must come on you some day.'

'Don't! don't, Theodora!' said she, petulantly. 'Everything goes against me! There's Jane taken to lecturing, and even Mr. Finch is growing crabbed, and declares he shall take me to vegetate in this horrid place he has bought in the country.'

'Oh, I am so glad!' exclaimed Theodora. 'Now then, there is a chance for you. If you will throw yourself into the duties and pursuits--'

'What! be squiress and Lady Bountiful; doctor old women, and lecture school-children? No, no, that may do for you, but I am at least no hypocrite!'

'I should be a great hypocrite, if I did not believe the old women and the children far better than myself,' said Theodora, gravely. 'But, indeed, trying to make them comfortable would occupy your mind, and interest you till--oh! if it would but help you on the only way to happiness--'

'Don't talk of that word any more with me.'

'If not happiness, it would be peace.'

'Peace! I don't know what you mean.'

'If you watched my sister, you would.'

'She is happy!' said Mrs. Finch, in a tone of keen regret, laying her hand on a toy of Johnnie's; but instantly changing her note, 'A cold, inanimate piece of wax! That is what you call peace! I would not have it.'

'You don't understand her--'

'I know one thing!' cried the fitful lady, vehemently; 'that it is she who governs you all, and wants to divide you from me. 'Tis she and your Percy who have robbed me of you, with their ill-natured stories.'

'There is no ill-nature in them, and no one governs me,' said Theodora.

'Then you hold fast by me, and come with me?'

'I do.'

'My thorough-going old Theodora! I knew they could not spoil you, say what they would!' for she was by no means insensible of the triumph.

'But, Georgina,' continued her friend, earnestly, 'you must be prudent.

Let me speak to you for once.'

'Only don't talk of prudence. I am sick of that from Jane.'

'Yes! it is speaking on this world's grounds; I will speak of higher motives. Think what is to come by and by: there are things that cannot be kept off by being forgotten. You are weary and dissatisfied as it is; try whether boldly facing the thoughts you dread might not lead to better things. There will be pain at first; but content will come, and--'

'If you will come and stay with me in the country, you shall teach me all your ways. But no; it would put all the Fotheringhams in commotion!

If I had a happy home I might be good. You must not quite forsake me, Theodora. But here's Mrs. Martindale!'

Violet entering, Mrs. Finch greeted her in a subdued manner, and, indeed, looked so dejected that when she was gone, Violet asked if she was well.

'Yes, poor thing, it is only the taste of the ashes she eats instead of bread. But I have had her alone, and have got her to hear some grave talk!'

'Oh, how glad I am.'

'But I cannot give up meeting her at Epsom. She would feel it a desertion, and my influence is the best hope for her. Besides, I will not sacrifice her to curry favour with the Worthbourne people.'

'Surely it would not be doing so.'

'I have made up my mind.'

Her better and worse feelings were alike enlisted in behalf of the expedition. Sincerity, constancy, and generosity were all drawn in to espouse the cause of pride and self-will; and she never once recollected that the way to rescue her friend from the vortex of dissipation was not to follow her into it.

Little was needed to rouse in Arthur the dormant taste so long the prevalent one. So eager was he when once stirred up, that his sister almost doubted whether she might not be leading him into temptation, as she remembered the warning against Mr. Gardner; but she repelled the notion of his being now liable to be led away, and satisfied herself by recollecting that whenever he had met his former school-fellow, he had shown no disposition to renew the acquaintance.

All the notice of Percy that she chose to take, was, that on the Tuesday evening, she said, as she wished Violet good night, 'If Percy should call with his aunt to-morrow, which I don't expect, you will explain, and say I hope to call early next day.'

'Well! I hope you will get into no sc.r.a.pe,' said Arthur; 'but mind, whatever comes of it, 'tis your doing, not mine.'

Words which she answered with a haughty smile, but which she was never to forget.

Violet saw the brother and sister depart, and could only hope that nothing might be heard of the Fotheringham party; but before half the morning had pa.s.sed, the knock, for the first time unwelcome, sounded at the door, and there entered not only Percy, but an elderly lady who might have been supposed the grandmother, rather than the mother, of the tall comely youth who bashfully followed her.

Violet strove, by the warmth of her reception, to make up for what was wanting; but her sentences were broken and confused; she was glad and she was sorry, and they would be very sorry, and something about not expecting and calling early, was all mixed together, while she watched with deprecating looks the effect upon Percy.

'Is she gone?' he asked, in a low stern voice.

'Yes; but she told me to say, in case--we hardly thought it likely--but in case Lady Fotheringham should be kind enough to call, she told me to say she will certainly call early to-morrow.'

Violet knew she had made a most tangled speech, and that there was great danger that her trembling sorrowful voice should convey to Lady Fotheringham an impression that there was something amiss; but she could only try to make the intelligence as little mortifying as possible.

The fact was enough. Percy stood in the window in silence, while his aunt, on learning where Miss Martindale was, good-naturedly supposed it had long been settled, and said it must be such a pleasure to the brother and sister to go together, that she should have been grieved if it had been prevented.

Violet spoke of the call to be made to-morrow; but Lady Fotheringham seemed to have so little time free that it was not probable she would be at home. Uneasy at Percy's silence, Violet did not prosper in her attempts at keeping up the conversation, until Percy, suddenly coming forward, begged that 'the boy' might be sent for; his aunt must see John's G.o.dson. It was chiefly for his own solace, for he carried the little fellow back to his window, and played with him there till luncheon-time, while the ladies talked of Mr. Martindale.