The Twa Miss Dawsons Part 37

Though they were away for a long time, they found Mr Petrie sitting with Miss Jean when they returned.

"Come awa'," said Miss Jean. "Where have ye been? and what can have keepit ye sae lang? Mr James and I have been wearyin' for our tea."

"Oh! well, ye'll enjoy it all the mair for that, and so will we," said Mr Dawson.

Marion went away to arrange her hair which the wind had blown about, and when she returned Mr Dawson was asking Mr James what news the afternoon's post had brought. But Mr James had left before the post came in.

"Then you must have been here a good while. It is a pity that ye hadna been in time to go with us. We went over to the brae to see the new plough that the farmer has gotten. Miss Marion explained the philosophy of the thing to us."

"Miss Marion is in some danger of becoming a learned woman, I hear,"

said Mr James, with an uncomfortable smile on his lips.

"In danger? Oh! weel, I dare say ye're right. I'm no' sure but there is danger in it. I canna say that I think very learned women are best fitted for the kind o' work that most commonly falls to a woman's hand."

"But for the work of a schoolmistress," said Marion eagerly. "I am going to be a schoolmistress,--not a governess, not a teacher in a school merely, but the mistress of a school."

"You mean if you cannot do better," said Mr Petrie. "Better? But that is what I have been thinking about all my life. My plans are all laid-- only--"

"But then you could just let them all drop, if any thing _better_ should present itself, as James says. But what are your plans? if it be fair to ask," said Mr Dawson. Marion did not laugh, but answered gravely, "First I must make 'a learned woman' of myself, and that will take a good while. I used to think I would have a young ladies' school, but I have changed my mind. Young ladies are troublesome, and I think I would prefer to teach boys."

Mr James whistled. Mr Dawson said, "Well, and what would you teach them?"

"Whatever they needed to learn. I can hardly tell yet about it. But Mrs Manners has promised me her boys."

"She is to lose no time it seems," said Miss Jean smiling.

"Oh! but you forget, I have to educate myself first. I am afraid I should have to be a great deal older before people would trust their boys to me. But that is what I mean to do." Marion spoke gravely.

"And ye'll do it too, if you set yourself to do it," said Mr Dawson.

"And she could hardly set herself to a better work," said Miss Jean.

But Mr Petrie by no means agreed with them, and expressed himself to that effect with sufficient decision. He ridiculed the idea, and being very much in earnest, he was not so guarded as he might have been, and allowed a tone of contempt to mingle with the banter which he meant to be playful, and at the same time severe. Marion answered lightly enough, and was in no danger of being angry as Miss Jean feared, and as, after a time, Mr James hoped she might be. The necessity of making his peace with her would have pleased the young man better, than her laughing indifference to his opinions, or to his manner of expressing them. But she was so friendly in her manner, and so willing to oblige him by singing his favourite songs when Miss Jean sent her to the piano, that he had no excuse for returning to the subject again.

His errand, he told them when he rose to go, was to ask Miss Marion to join his sisters and some of their friends in walking to the Castle the next day, and after an inquiring glance at Miss Jean the invitation was accepted with sufficient readiness.

"And if the day should not be fine, it is understood that you will spend it with my sisters, and the Castle can wait till fair weather."

To this also Marion a.s.sented with a good grace, and the young man went away a.s.suring himself that he ought to be content. He might have been less so, had he seen the shrug of her pretty shoulders, and heard her voice as she said to Miss Jean,--

"What should the like of James Petrie ken?"

When she was gone for the night, Mr Dawson, laughing, told Miss Jean of the manner of their departure for the brae that afternoon. Miss Jean looked grave.

"Ye dinna mean to say that ye think the la.s.sie did any thing out of the way?" said Mr Dawson. "She said she doubted she would need to tell you, though I'm sure I canna see why."

"I wasna thinking about that I was wondering whether after all, I had done a wise thing in bringing her down here."

"I have wondered at that myself, whiles, though I acknowledge I had a part in bringing her. But it depends on what ye brought her for."

Miss Jean said nothing.

"If it were to do young Petrie a pleasure, I think ye ha'e nothing to regret."

But Miss Jean shook her head.

"I'm no' so sure o' that," said she.

"As to how his father may be pleased, that is another matter."

To this Miss Jean made no answer.

"And if I mind right, ye once thought Jamie Petrie would ha'e little temptation to look that way, and little chance of success if he did."

"That is just what I thought, but I was wrong it seems as to the temptation. As to the success--I canna say, but--"

"But why should you be downcast about it?"

"It is for the lad I am sorry, because I doubt he has disappointment before him. He should have been content to bide awhile. She is but a la.s.sie, with no such thoughts in her mind."

"She looks like a woman."

"Ay, she does that. But she is but a bairn in some things. She is no'

thinkin' o' him. She doesna even amuse herself with him. He is just Jamie Petrie to her, and that is all. I'm wae for the lad."

"His father and mother will be all the better pleased."

"That may be, but I dinna think it."

Then Miss Jean told in few words a story to which Mr Dawson listened with varying feelings,--the story of James Petrie's love and what was like to come of it.

He had seen her in London about six months since, Miss Jean said, and had made his admiration very evident to the mother whose surprise was great; for like the rest of the world she had given him credit for a degree of worldly wisdom greater than a serious attachment to a penniless girl would seem to imply. He made no formal declaration of his suit, to which indeed Mrs Calderwood would not have listened, as Marion was in her eyes little more than a child. In her heart she believed and hoped that his fancy would pa.s.s away, or be put by prudent thoughts out of his head, without a word spoken.

For she did not want him for her daughter. He was a rich man's son, and would be a rich man himself one day. By years of steady attention to business, and by exemplary conduct generally, he had proved himself worthy of a certain confidence and respect. But whatever other people might think of him, he was not in the opinion of Mrs Calderwood worthy to have as his wife her beautiful and intelligent Marion, and she determined that he should not speak if she could prevent him.

Marion was pleased when he came, and liked him as she liked all the rest of the folk of Portie, who had been kind to her all her life, liking them all the more that she had left them, and saw little of them. Her mother feared that, flattered by his admiration, she might fancy it was more than liking that she felt for him, and that should he ask her to become his wife, she might accept him, and repent it all her life as many another woman has done. She must hear nothing of this till she was old enough to know her own mind about it, and wise enough to make no such terrible mistake.

But by and by, when there came friendly advances from the father and mother, showing that they were aware of their son's feelings and intentions, and at least did not disapprove of them, Mrs Calderwood was much moved. Marion might at feast hope for a kindly welcome among the Petries. She was not sure that she was right in wishing that nothing might come of it.

There was another view to be taken of the matter. Her own health was by no means firm, and she had no expectation of living many years. Her son in his profession could hardly hope to give a home to his sister for years to come, nor could he give her personal care and guardianship should she be left alone. It was well enough for Marion to talk about making herself independent by keeping a school. Her mother had given her every chance to prepare herself for it, if such was to be the work of her life. But the girl was too young and too pretty to be fit for any such position for years to come, and the mother's heart shrank from the thought of the struggle and the weariness that even in the most favourable circ.u.mstances such a life must bring to her child.

Was it right for her to hesitate when a home among her own people was opened to her? Might she not live a quiet and happy life, beloved and safe from the manifold difficulties and dangers that beset even the most successful women, making their own way in the world? A word of encouragement from her would make the young man speak, but whether to give it or withhold it she could not decide.

In the discomfort of her indecision she sought counsel of Miss Jean.

But what could Miss Jean say but just what she had said to herself, that it must depend on Marion's own feeling whether such a word should be spoken.

Out of this had come Miss Jean's desire to bring Marion to Portie for a little while. The girl would learn to know the young man with so many pleasant chances of intercourse, as she never could do in his brief and infrequent visits to London, and she would also come to a better understanding of her own feelings with regard to him. It is likely that Mrs Calderwood understood her motive and intention, though no word pa.s.sed between them with regard to it. All this Miss Jean told in as few words as might be to her brother. "I doubt it hasna answered,"

added she. "Such plans seldom answer. But why should you take it to heart. They maun please themselves," said Mr Dawson impatiently. "I acknowledge I am surprised that old Petrie should pitch on a penniless la.s.s for his son. It is nae what I should ha'e expected of him, and I ken him weel."