Janet's Love and Service Part 63

"Oh! of course, we are speaking of comparative seclusion," said Mrs Grove. "Still, as ladies are supposed to have a fancy for going to extremes, Miss Elliott's taste for quietness is the most desirable extreme of the two."

The remark was addressed to Mr Green, who was an interested listener, but Mr Proudfute answered it.

"I am by no means sure of that, my dear madam. I can understand how those who have an opportunity of daily or frequent intercourse with Miss Elliott should be content to think so; but that she should withdraw herself altogether from society, should not be permitted. What charming parties, I remember, we used to enjoy."

"Mr Proudfute," said Graeme, gravely, "look at Mrs Snow's face. You are conveying to her the idea that, at one time, I was quite given up to the pursuit of pleasure, and she is shocked, and no wonder. Now, my own impression is, that I was never very fond of going into society, as you call it. I certainly never met you more than two or three times--at large parties, I mean."

Mr Proudfute bowed low.

"Well, that shows how profound was the impression which your society made on me, for on looking back I uniformly a.s.sociate you with all the pleasant a.s.semblies of the season. You went with us to Beloeil, did you not?"

Graeme shook her head.

"Well, no wonder I forget, it is so long ago, now. You were at Mrs Roxbury's great affair, were you not? It happened not long before Mr Elphinstone's death. Yes, I remember you were there."

"Yes, I remember you were kind enough to point out to me the beauties of that wonderful picture, in the little room up-stairs," said Graeme, smiling.

"Yes, you were ill, or slightly unwell, I should say, for you recovered immediately. You were there, Mr Green, I remember. It was a great affair, given in honour of Miss Elphinstone and your friend Ruthven.

By-the-by, Miss Elliott, they lay themselves open to censure, as well as you. They rarely go out now, I hear."

"I am to be censured in good company, it seems," said Graeme, laughing.

"I suppose you see them often," continued he. "You used to be quite intimate with my pretty cousin--I call her cousin, though we are only distantly connected. She is a very nice little woman."

"Yes. I believe you used to be very intimate with them both," said Mrs Grove, "and there has hardly been any intercourse since f.a.n.n.y's marriage. I have often wondered at and regretted it."

"Have you?" said Graeme, coldly. "We have had little intercourse with many old friends since then."

"Oh! yes, I daresay, but the Ruthvens are very different from most of your old friends, and worth the keeping. I must speak to f.a.n.n.y about it."

"We saw Miss Elphinstone often during the first winter after her return.

That was the winter that Mr Proudfute remembers as so gay," said Graeme. "Did I ever tell you about the beginning of Rosie's acquaintance with her, long before that, when she wandered into the garden and saw the gowans?"

"Yes, dear, you told me about it in a letter," said Mrs Snow.

"I never shall forget the first glimpse I got of that bunch of flowers,"

said Graeme, rather hurriedly. "Rose has it yet among her treasures.

She must show it you."

But Mrs Grove did not care to hear about Rosie's flowers just then, and rather perversely, as Graeme thought, reverted to the falling away of their old intimacy with the Ruthvens, and to wonder at its cause; and there was something in her tone that made Mrs Snow turn grave, astonished eyes upon her, and helped Graeme to answer very quietly and coldly to her remark:

"I can easily see how marriage would do something towards estranging such warm friends, when only one of the parties are interested; but you were very intimate with Mr Ruthven, as well, were you not?"

"Oh! yes; more so than with Miss Elphinstone. Mr Ruthven is a very old friend of ours. We came over in the same ship together."

"I mind him well," interposed Mrs Snow; "a kindly, well-intentioned lad he seemed to be. Miss Rose, my dear, I doubt you shouldna be sitting there, on the gra.s.s, with the dew falling, nor Mrs Arthur, either."

A movement was made to return to the house.

"Oh! Janet," whispered Graeme, "I am afraid you are tired, mind as well as body, after all this foolish talk."

"By no means, my dear. It wouldna be very edifying for a continuance, but once in a way it is enjoyable enough. He seems a decent, harmless body, that Mr Proudfute. I wonder if he is any friend of Dr Proudfute, of Knockie?"

"I don't know, indeed," said Graeme, laughing; "but if he is a great man, or connected with great folk, I will ask him. It will be an easy way of giving him pleasure."

They did not make a long evening of it. Mr Green was presented by Mrs Grove with a book of plates, and Graeme was beguiled to a side-table to admire them with him. Mr Proudfute divided his attention between them and the piano, to which Rose and f.a.n.n.y had betaken themselves, till at the suggestion of Mrs Grove, Arthur challenged him to a game of chess, which lasted all the evening. Mrs Grove devoted herself to Mrs Snow, and surprised her by the significant glances she sent now and then in the direction of Graeme and Mr Green; while Mr Grove got Mr Snow into a corner, and enjoyed the satisfaction of pouring out his heart on the harbour question to a new and interested auditor.

"Rose," said f.a.n.n.y, as they sat together the next day after dinner, "what do you think mamma said to me this morning? Shall I tell you?"

"If it is anything particularly interesting you may," said Rose, in a tone that implied a doubt.

"It was about you," said f.a.n.n.y, nodding significantly.

"Well, the subject is interesting," said Rose, "whatever the remark might be."

"What is it, f.a.n.n.y?" said Arthur. "Rose is really very anxious to know, though she pretends to be so indifferent. I daresay it was some appropriate remark's on her flirtation with the gallant captain, last night."

"Mamma didn't mention Captain Starr, but she said she had never noticed before that Rose was so fond of admiration, and a little inclined to flirt."

Rose reddened and bit her lips.

"I am much obliged to Mrs Grove, for her good opinion. Were there any other appropriate remarks?"

"Oh! yes; plenty more," said f.a.n.n.y, laughing. "I told mamma it was all nonsense. She used to say the same of me, and I reminded her of it. I told her we all looked upon Rose as a child, and that she had no idea of flirting--and such things."

"I hope you did not do violence to your conscience when you said it,"

said Arthur, gravely.

"Of course not. But still when I began to think about it, I could not be quite sure."

"Set a thief to catch a thief," said her husband.

f.a.n.n.y shook her finger at him.

"But it wasn't Captain Starr nor Charlie Millar mamma meant. It was Mr Green."

The cloud vanished from Rosie's face. She laughed and clapped her hands. Her brothers laughed, too.

"Well done, Rosie," said Arthur. "But from some manoeuvring I observed last night, I was led to believe that Mrs Grove had other views for the gentleman."

"So she had," said f.a.n.n.y, eagerly. "And she says Rose may spoil all if she divides his attention. It is just what a man of his years is likely to do, mamma says, to fall in love with a young girl like Rosie, and Graeme is so much more suitable. But I told mamma Graeme would never have him."

"Allow me to say, f.a.n.n.y, that I think you might find some more suitable subject for discussion with Mrs Grove," said Rose, indignantly. Arthur laughed.

"You ought to be very thankful for the kind interest taken in your welfare, and for Graeme's, too. I am sure Mr Green would be highly flattered if he could be aware of the sensation he is creating among us."

"Mr Green admires Graeme very much, he told mamma; and mamma says he would have proposed to her, when he was here before, if it had not been for Mr Ruthven. You know he was very intimate here then, and everybody said he and Graeme were engaged. Mamma says it was a great pity he did not. It would have prevented the remarks of ill-natured people when Mr Ruthven was married--about Graeme, I mean."

"It is be hoped no one will be ill-natured enough to repeat anything of that sort in Graeme's hearing," said Arthur, very much annoyed.