CHAPTER XIV.
MRS. LEAKE OF RISSBURY.
Adela Gauntlet reached Littlebath without any adventures, and at thestation she met Miss Baker ready to take her and her boxes in charge.She soon learned what was to be her fate for that autumn. It wasimperatively necessary that Miss Baker should go up to town in a weekor two. "There are such hundreds of things to be done about furnitureand all that, you know," said Miss Baker, looking rather grand as shespoke of her niece's great match; and yet doing so with the leastpossible amount of intentional pride or vanity. Adela, of course,acknowledged that there must be hundreds of things, and expressed herdeepest regret that she should be so much in the way. Perhaps shealmost wished that she had remained at Hurst Staple.
"Not at all in the way, my dear," said Miss Baker; "I shall be backagain in a week at the furthest, and Miss Todd will be delighted tohave you for that time. Indeed, she would be very much disappointednow, and offended too if you did not go. But all the same, I wouldnot leave you, only that Sir Henry insists that Caroline shouldchoose all the things herself; and of course he has not time to gowith her--and then the responsibility is so great. Why, I suppose shewill have to lay out about two thousand pounds!"
"But what sort of a person is Miss Todd?" asked Adela.
"Oh, an extremely nice person; you'll like her amazingly--so lively,so good-natured, so generous; and very clever too. Perhaps, for herage, she's a little too fond--"
"Too fond of what? You were going to say dress, I suppose."
"No, indeed. I can't say that there's anything to blame her for inthat. She dresses very handsomely, but always plain. No; what I wasgoing to say is, that perhaps for a woman of her age--she is a littletoo fond of gentlemen's attention."
"Caroline told me that she was the most confirmed old maid sheknew--an old maid who gloried in being an old maid."
"I don't know about that, my dear; but if a certain gentleman wereto ask her, I don't think she'd glory in it much longer. But she's avery nice person, and you'll like her very much."
Miss Baker did go up to town, leaving Adela to Miss Todd'shospitality. She did go up, but in doing so resolved to return assoon as possible. Sir Lionel was now in the Paragon nearly everyother day. To be sure, he did generally call in Montpellier Terraceon the alternate days. But then there was a reason for that. They hadto talk about George and Caroline. What possible reason could therebe for his going to the Paragon?
Adela was rather frightened when she found herself left at MissTodd's lodgings; though that lady's manner to her was not such asneed have inspired much awe.
"Now, my dear," she said, "don't mind me in the least. Do justwhatever you like. If I only knew what you did like, you should haveit if I could get it. What are you fond of now? Shall I ask someyoung people here to-night?"
"Oh, no, Miss Todd; not for me. I have never been much in society,and certainly do not wish for it at present."
"Well, society is not a bad thing. You don't play cards, I suppose?"
"I don't know one card from another."
"You'd just suit Mr. O'Callaghan then. Are you fond of youngclergymen? There's one here might just suit you. All the young ladiesare dying for him."
"Then pray don't let me interfere with them, Miss Todd."
"Perhaps you like officers better. There are heaps of them here. Idon't know where they come from, and they never seem to have anythingto do. The young ladies, however--those who don't run after Mr.O'Callaghan--seem to think them very nice."
"Oh, Miss Todd, I don't want clergymen or officers."
"Don't you? Well then, we'll get some novels from the circulatinglibrary. At three o'clock I always drive out, and we'll go to thepastrycook's. Oh, I declare, here's Sir Lionel Bertram, as usual. Youknow Sir Lionel, don't you?"
Adela said that she had met Sir Lionel at Miss Baker's.
"What a pity that match should have gone off, isn't it? I mean dearMiss Waddington. But though that match is off, another may come on.I for one should be very happy. You don't know anything about it,I see. I'll tell you some of these days. How do, Sir Lionel? Youmustn't stay long, because Miss Gauntlet and I am going out. Or I'lltell you what. You shall take care of us. It's a beautiful day; andif Miss Gauntlet likes, we'll walk instead of having the fly." MissTodd never aped grandeur, and always called her private carriage afly, because it had only one horse.
Sir Lionel, having made his salutations to Miss Gauntlet, declaredthat he should be most happy to be trusted with their custody throughthe streets of Littlebath.
"But we can't walk either, Miss Gauntlet, to-day, because I must callon old Mrs. Leake, at Rissbury. I quite forgot Mrs. Leake. So yousee, Sir Lionel, we shan't want you after all."
Sir Lionel declared that this last decision made him quite miserable.
"You'll be recovered by dinner-time, I don't doubt," said Miss Todd."And now I'll go upstairs and put my bonnet on. As Miss Gauntlet hasgot hers, you can stay and talk to her."
"Charming creature, Miss Todd; isn't she?" said Sir Lionel, beforethe door was well closed. "Such freshness of character, so muchbonhommie--a little odd sometimes." These last words were not addedtill Miss Todd's footsteps, heavier than Camilla's, were heard wellup the stairs.
"She seems to be a very good-natured person. I never saw her beforeto-day."
"Did you not? We knew her very intimately in the Holy Land"--as ifany land ever was or could be holy to Sir Lionel and such as he."That is, George and I, and Caroline. Of course, you know all aboutthat Miss Waddington."
Adela signified to him that she did know the circumstances to whichhe alluded.
"It is very sad, is it not? and then the connection between thembeing so near; and their being the joint-heirs to such an enormousproperty! I know the people here take Caroline's part, and say thatshe has been hardly used. But I cannot say that I blame George; Icannot, indeed."
"It is one of those cases in which no one should be blamed."
"Exactly--that is just what I say. My advice to George was this.Don't let money influence your conduct in any way. Thank God, there'senough of that for all of us! What you have to think of, is herhappiness and your own. That's what I said; and I do believe he tookmy advice. I don't think he had any sordid views with reference toCaroline's fortune."
"I am sure he had not."
"Oh, no, never. What Sir Henry's views may be, I don't pretend toknow. People here do say that he has been ingratiating himself withmy brother for some time past. He has my leave, Miss Gauntlet. I aman old man, old enough to be your father"--the well-preserved oldbeau might have said grandfather--"and my experience of life is this,that money is never worth the trouble that men take to get it. Theysay my brother is fond of it; if so, I think he has made a mistake inlife--a great mistake."
All this sounded very nice, but even to Adela's inexperienced earsit was not like the ring of genuine silver. After all, mock virtueimposes on but few people. The man of the world is personally knownfor such; as also are known the cruel, the griping, the avaricious,the unjust. That which enables the avaricious and the unjust to passscatheless through the world is not the ignorance of the world as totheir sins, but the indifference of the world whether they be sinfulor no.
"And now, Sir Lionel, you may just put us into the fly, and then wewon't keep you any longer," said Miss Todd, as she re-entered theroom with her bonnet and shawl.
Mrs. Leake, who lived at Rissbury, was a deaf old lady, not verypopular among other old ladies at Littlebath. All the world, ofcourse, knows that the village of Rissbury is hardly more than asuburb of Littlebath, being distant from the High Street not above amile and a half. It will be remembered that the second milestone onHinchcombe Road is altogether beyond the village, just as you beginto ascend the hill near the turnpike.
Mrs. Leake was not very popular, seeing that though her ear wasexcessively dull, her tongue was peculiarly acute. She had the reputeof saying the most biting things of any lady in Littlebath--and manyof the ladies of Littlebath were apt to say bi
ting things. Then Mrs.Leake did not play cards, nor did she give suppers, nor add much inany way to the happiness of the other ladies, her compatriots. Butshe lived in rather a grand house of her own, whereas others lived inlodgings; she kept a carriage with a pair of horses, whereas otherskept flies; and she had some mysterious acquaintance with thecountyocracy which went a long way with the ladies of Littlebath;though what good it even did to Mrs. Leake herself was never veryapparent.
It is a terrible bore to have to talk to people who usespeaking-trumpets, and who are so fidgety themselves that they won'tuse their speaking-trumpets properly. Miss Todd greatly dreaded thespeaking-trumpet; she did not usually care one straw for Mrs. Leake'stongue, nor much for her carriage and horses, or county standing; butthe Littlebath world called on Mrs. Leake; and Miss Todd being atRome did as Romans do.
"I'll take her for five minutes," said Miss Todd, as, driving throughthe village of Rissbury, she finished her description of the lady;"and then do you take her up for five more; and then I'll go onagain; and then we'll go away." Adela agreed, though with a heavyheart; for what subject of conversation could she find on which todilate to Mrs. Leake through a speaking-trumpet for five minutes?
"Miss who?" said Mrs. Leake, putting her trumpet down from her earthat she might stare the better at Adela. "Oh, Miss Gaunt--verywell--I hope you'll like Littlebath, Miss Gaunt."
"Miss Gaunt-let!" shouted Miss Todd, with a voice that would havebroken the trumpet into shivers had it not been made of the very bestmetal.
"Never hollo, my dear. When you do that I can't hear at all. Itonly makes a noise like a dog barking. You'll find the young menabout Littlebath very good-natured, Miss Gaunt. They are ratherempty-headed--but I think young ladies generally like them all thebetter for that."
Adela felt herself called on to make no answer to this, as it was nother turn at the trumpet.
"What news have you heard lately, Mrs. Leake?" asked Miss Todd. Thegreat thing was to make Mrs. Leake talk instead of having to talk toher.
"Amuse! No, I don't think they do amuse any one very much. But thenthat's not their line. I suppose they can dance, most of them; andthose who've got any money may do for husbands--as the world goes. Wemusn't be too particular; must we, Miss Gaunt?"
"Miss Gaunt--let," whispered Miss Todd into the trumpet, separatingthe sounds well, so that they should not clash on the unsusceptibletympanum of her friend's ear.
"Let, let, let! I think I can hear anybody almost better than I canyou, Miss Todd. I don't know how it is, but I never can hear thepeople out of the town as well as I can my own set. It's habit I takeit."
"They're used to deaf people in the country, I suppose," said MissTodd, who, with all her good nature, didn't choose to be over muchput upon.
"Ah, I can't hear you," said Mrs. Leake. She had, however, heardthis. "But I want you to tell me something about this CarolineWaddington. Isn't it true she's got another lover already?"
"Oh, quite true; she's going to be married."
"Wants to be married. Yes, I don't doubt she wants to be married.That's what they all want, only some are not able to manage it. Ha!ha! ha! I beg your pardon, Miss Gaunt; but we old women must have ourjoke about the young ones; mustn't we, Miss Todd?" Mrs. Leake, be itnoticed, was past seventy, whereas, our dear Miss Todd, was only justforty-four.
"Miss Gauntlet can tell you all about Miss Waddington," said MissTodd, in her very plainest voice. "They are very great friends, andcorrespond with each other." So Miss Todd handed over the spout ofthe trumpet.
"She was corresponding with another! I dare say she was; with half adozen at once. Do you know anything about it, Miss Gaunt?"
Poor Adela! what was she to say or do. Her hand absolutely trembledas she put it lightly to the instrument. Thrice she bent her headdown before she was able to say anything, and thrice she lifted it upin despair.
"Is it the lady or the gentleman that is a friend of yours, my dear?or which of the gentlemen? I hope she has not robbed you of a beau."
"Miss Waddington is a very dear friend of mine, ma'am."
"Oh; she is, is she?"
"And I know Mr. Bertram also."
"Is he a dear friend too? Well, I suppose he's disengaged now. Butthey tell me he's got nothing, eh?"
"I really don't know."
"It's very hard to know; very. I don't much admire such jilts myself,but--"
"Miss Waddington did not jilt him, madam."
"Then he jilted her. That's just what I want to come at. I'm verymuch obliged to you, my dear. I see you can tell me all about it. Itwas about money, wasn't it?"
"No," shouted Adela, with an energy that quite surprised herself."Money had nothing to do with it."
"I did not say you had anything to do with it. But don't take up thathabit of holloing from Miss Todd. I suppose the truth was that hefound out what he wasn't meant to find out. Men shouldn't be tooinquisitive; should they, Miss Todd? You are quite right, Miss Gaunt,don't have anything to do with it; it's a bad affair."
"I think you are very much mistaken, madam," said Adela, againshouting. But it was all thrown away. "I can't hear a word, when youhollo in that way, not a word," said Mrs. Leake. And then Adela, withan imploring look at Miss Todd, relinquished her seat.
Miss Todd rose with the usual little speech about leave-taking. Shehad, as we have seen, intended to have gone in for a second inningsherself, but all hope of winning the game against Mrs. Leake wasover; even her courage was nearly upset; so making a little whisperto Adela, she held out her hand to the old lady, and prepared todepart.
"Dear me, you are in a great hurry to go," said Mrs. Leake.
"Yes; we are rather in a hurry this morning," said Miss Todd,neglectful of the trumpet, "we have so many people to see."
"Well, good-bye; I'm very much obliged to you for coming, and MissTodd"--and here Mrs. Leake affected to whisper; but her whisper wouldhave been audible to a dozen, had a dozen been there--"I mustn'tforget to wish you joy about Sir Lionel. Good morning to you, MissGaunt," and then Mrs. Leake dropt an old-fashioned gracious curtsy.
To say that Miss Todd blushed would be to belie the general rosinessof that lady's complexion. She was all blush always. Over her facecolour of the highest was always flying. It was not only that hercheeks carried a settled brilliant tint, but at every smile--andMiss Todd was ever smiling--this tint would suffuse her forehead andher neck; at every peal of laughter--and her peals of laughter wereinnumerable--it would become brighter and brighter, coming and going,or rather ever coming fresh and never going, till the reflectionfrom her countenance would illumine the whole room, and light up thefaces of all around her. But now she almost blushed black. She haddelighted hitherto in all the little bits of libellous tittle tattleto which her position as a young old maid had given rise, and hadaffected always to assist their propagation; but there was a poisonabout this old female snake, a sting in the tongue of this old adderwhich reached even her.
"The old fool!" said Miss Todd, by no means _sotto voce_.
Mrs. Leake heard her though the speaking trumpet was not in action."No, no, no," she said, in her most good-natured voice, "I don'tthink he's such a fool at all. Of course he is old, and in want ofan income, no doubt. But then he's a knight you know, my dear, and acolonel;" and then the two ladies, waiting for no further courtesies,went back to their fly.
Miss Todd had quite regained her good-humour by the time she wasseated. "Well," said she, "what do you think of my friend, Mrs.Leake?"
"What makes her so very spiteful?" asked Adela.
"Why, you see, my dear, she'd be nothing if she wasn't spiteful. It'sher fate. She's very old, and she lives there by herself, and shedoesn't go out much, and she has nothing to amuse her. If she didn'tdo that, she couldn't do anything. I rather like it myself."
"Well, I can't say I like it," said Adela; and then they sat silentfor a time, Miss Todd the while reflecting whether she would, in anyway, defend herself from that imputation about Sir Lionel.
"But
you see what sort of a woman she is, Miss Gauntlet; and, ofcourse, you must not believe a word that she says."
"How very dreadful!"
"Oh; it does not mean anything. I call all those white lies. Nobodynotices them. But what she said about Sir Lionel, you know--"
"I really shall not think of anything she said."
"But I must explain to you," said Miss Todd, in whose mind, in spiteof her blushing, a certain amount of pleasure was mixed with thedispleasure which Mrs. Leake's scandal had caused her. For at thismoment Sir Lionel was not a little thought of at Littlebath, andamong the Lucretias there assembled, there was many a one who wouldhave felt but small regret in abandoning her maiden meditations atthe instance of Sir Lionel Bertram.
"But I must explain to you. Sir Lionel does come to see me veryoften; and I should think there was something in it--or, rather, Ishouldn't be surprised at others thinking so--only that I am quitesure that he's thinking of somebody else."
"Is he?" asked Adela, perhaps not with a great deal of animation.
"Yes; and I'll tell you who that somebody else is. Mind, I shouldn'tsay anything about it if I wasn't sure; that is almost sure; for onenever can be quite sure about anything."
"Then I don't think one ought to talk about people."
"Oh, that's all very well. But then, at such a place as Littlebath,one would have to hold one's tongue altogether. I let people talk ofme, and so I talk about them. One can't live without it, my dear. ButI don't say things like Mrs. Leake."
"I'm sure you don't."
"But now about Sir Lionel; can't you guess who it is?"
"How should I, Miss Todd? I don't know a person in Littlebath exceptyou and Miss Baker."
"There; now you have guessed it; I knew you would. Don't say I toldyou."
"Miss Baker marry Sir Lionel!"
"Yes, Miss Baker marry Sir Lionel! and why not? Why shouldn't she?and why shouldn't he? I think it would be very wise. I think thosesort of marriages often make people very happy."
"Do you think he loves her?" said Adela, whose ideas of marriage wereof very primitive description.
"Well, I don't see why he shouldn't; that is in a sort of a way. Hewon't write poetry about her eyebrows, if you mean that. But I thinkhe'd like her to keep his house for him; and now that Caroline isgoing away, I think she'd like to have some one to live with. She'snot born to be a solitary wild beast as I am."
Adela was surprised, but she had nothing to say. She was aware ofno reason which it suited her to allege why Miss Baker should notmarry Sir Lionel Bertram. Had she been asked before, she would havesaid that Miss Baker seemed settled in her maiden life; and thatshe was but little likely to be moved by the civil speeches of anold military beau. But silence was perhaps the more prudent, and,therefore, she said nothing.
Her fortnight with Miss Todd passed without much inconvenience toher. She had to sit out one or two card-parties; and to resist,at last with peremptory decision, her host's attempts to take herelsewhere. But Miss Todd was so truly kind, so generous, so fond ofmaking others happy, that she won upon Adela at last, and they partedexcellent friends.
"I am so fond of Miss Baker," Miss Todd said, on the last morning;"and I do so truly hope she'll be happy; but don't you say a wordabout what I was saying. Only you watch if it isn't true. You'll seequite as much of Sir Lionel there as you have here:" and so theyparted, and Adela was transferred over to Montpellier Terrace.
There had been some probability that Caroline would return toLittlebath with her aunt; but such was not the case. The autumn wasadvancing to its close. It was now November, and hardly a monthremained before that--may we say happy day?--on which Miss Waddingtonwas to become Lady Harcourt. There was, as Miss Baker said, so muchto do, and so little time to do it! It had therefore been decidedthat Caroline should not return to Littlebath.
"And you have come back only on my account?" said Adela.
"Not at all; I should have come back any way, for many reasons. Ilike to see Mr. Bertram from time to time, especially now that hehas acknowledged Caroline; but it would kill me to stay long at thathouse. Did you see much of Sir Lionel while you were at Miss Todd's?"
"Yes, a good deal," said Adela, who could hardly keep from smiling asshe answered the question.
"He is always there, I believe. My idea is, that they mean to make amatch of it. It is, indeed."
"Oh, no; I don't think that."
"Don't you now? Well, you have been in the house, and must have seena great deal. But what else can bring him there so much?"
"Miss Todd says he's always talking about you."
"About me; what nonsense!" And Miss Baker went up to her room ratherbetter pleased than she had been.
Caroline, as will be remembered, had written to Adela with thetidings of her new engagement. Adela had answered that letteraffectionately, but shortly; wishing her friend every happiness,and saying what little in the cheerful vein she could allow herselfto say on such an occasion. The very shortness of her letter hadconveyed condemnation, but that Adela could not help.
Caroline had expected condemnation. She knew that she would becondemned, either by words or by the lack of them; it was nearlyequal to her by which. Her mind was in that state, that having halfcondemned herself, she would have given anything for a cordialacquittal from one she loved and valued. But she did not expect itfrom Adela, and she did not receive it.
She carried herself with a brave face, however. To her grandfather,to Miss Baker, and to her betrothed, she showed no sign of sorrow, nosign of repentance; but though there was, perhaps, no repentance inher heart, there was much sorrow and much remorse, and she could notkeep herself wholly silent.
She wrote again to Adela, almost imploring her for pity. We need notgive the whole letter, but a portion of it will show how the poorgirl's mind was at work. "I know you have judged me, and found meguilty," she said. "I can tell that from the tone of your letter,though you were generous enough to endeavour to deceive me. But youhave condemned me because you do not know me. I feel sure that whatI am doing, is prudent, and, I think I may say, right. Had I refusedSir Henry's offer, or some other such offer--and any offer to mewould have been, and must have been open to the same objections--whatshould I have done? what would have been my career? I am not nowspeaking of happiness. But of what use could I have been to any one?
"You will say that I do not love Sir Henry. I have told him that inthe usual acceptation of the word, I do not love him. But I esteemhis high qualities; and I shall marry him with the full intention ofdoing my duty, of sacrificing myself to him if needs be, of beinguseful in the position in which he will place me. What better can Ido than this? You can do better, Adela. I know you will do better. Tohave loved, and married for love the poorest gentleman on God's earthwould be to have done better. But I cannot do that now. The power ofdoing that has been taken from me. The question with me was, whetherI should be useful as a wife, or useless as an unmarried woman? Foruseless I should have been, and petulant, and wretched. Employment,work, duty, will now save me from that. Dear Adela, try to look atit in this way if it be possible. Do not throw me over without anattempt. Do not be unmerciful. * * * At any rate," she ended herletter by saying--"At any rate you will come to me in London in theearly, early spring. Say that you will do so, or I shall think thatyou mean to abandon me altogether!"
Adela answered this as sweetly and as delicately as she could.Natures, she said, were different, and it would be presumptuous inher to set herself up as judge on her friend's conduct. She wouldabstain from doing so, and would pray to God that Caroline and SirHenry might be happy together. And as to going to London in thespring, she would do so if her aunt Penelope's plans would allow ofit. She must of course be governed by her aunt Penelope, who was nowhurrying home from Italy on purpose to give her a home.
Nothing further occurred this year at Littlebath sufficientlymemorable to need relation, unless it be necessary further to relateMiss Baker's nervous apprehensions respecting Sir Lionel. She w
as,in truth, so innocent that she would have revealed every day to heryoung friend the inmost secrets of her heart if she had had secrets.But, in truth, she had none. She was desperately jealous of MissTodd, but she herself knew not why. She asked all manner of questionsas to his going and coming, but she never asked herself why shewas so anxious about it. She was in a twitter of sentimentalrestlessness, but she did not understand the cause of her ownuneasiness. On the days that Sir Lionel came to her, she was happy,and in good spirits; when, however, he went to Miss Todd, she wasfretful. Sometimes she would rally him on his admiration for herrival, but she did it with a bad grace. Wit, repartee, and sarcasmwere by no means her forte. She could not have stood up for fiveminutes against deaf old Mrs. Leake; and when she tried her handon Sir Lionel, her failure was piteous. It merely amounted to agentle rebuke to him for going to the Paragon instead of coming toMontpellier Terrace. Adela saw it all, and saw also that Sir Lionelwas in no way sincere. But what could she do, or what could she say?
"I hope Miss Todd was quite well yesterday, Sir Lionel?" Miss Bakerwould say.
"I don't think there was much the matter with her," Sir Lionel wouldanswer. "She was talking a great deal about you while I was withher."
"About me; he! he! he! I'm sure you had something better than me totalk of."
"There could be nothing better," the gallant colonel would say.
"Oh, couldn't there? and when is it to be? Adela here is most anxiousto know."
"How can you say so, Miss Baker? You know I am not anxious at all."
"Well, if you're not, I am. I hope we shall be asked--ha! ha! ha!"
And why did not Sir Lionel make up his mind and put an end, in oneway or the other, to the torment of this poor lady? Many reasonsguided him in his high policy. In the first place, he could not makehimself certain whether Miss Todd would accept him or refuse him.Her money was by far the safer; her fortune was assured; what shepossessed, Sir Lionel already knew to a fraction.
But Miss Baker, he was sure, would accept him; and having acceptedhim, would be amenable to all his little reasons in life, obedient,conformable, and, in money matters, manageable. Miss Todd, on theother hand, might, nay, certainly would have a will of her own. Hewould sooner have taken Miss Baker with half the money.
But then would Miss Baker have half the money? If that stupid oldman at Hadley would only go, and tell the only tale with which itwas now possible that he should interest the world, then Sir Lionelwould know how to act. At any rate, he would wait till after thesolicitor-general's marriage. It might appear on that occasionwhether or no Sir Henry was to be regarded as the old man's heirin all things. If so, Sir Lionel would be prepared to run allmatrimonial risks, and present Miss Todd to the world as LadyBertram.
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