CHAPTER XXI.
LORD LANSDOWNE.
One morning in the following week Mrs. Burnham attired herself in hersecond-best black silk, and, leaving the Misses Burnham practisingdiligently, turned her steps toward Oldclough Hall. Arriving there, shewas ushered into the blue drawing-room by Dobson, in his character offootman; and in a few minutes Lucia appeared.
When Mrs. Burnham saw her, she assumed a slight air of surprise.
"Why, my dear," she said, as she shook hands, "I should scarcely haveknown you."
And, though this was something of an exaggeration, there was some excusefor the exclamation. Lucia was looking very charming, and several changesmight be noted in her attire and appearance. The ugly twist haddisappeared from her delicate head; and in its place were soft, loosewaves and light puffs; she had even ventured on allowing a few ringedlocks to stray on to her forehead; her white morning-dress no longer worethe trade-mark of Miss Chickie, but had been remodelled by some one ofmore taste.
"What a pretty gown, my dear!" said Mrs. Burnham, glancing at itcuriously. "A Watteau plait down the back--isn't it a Watteau plait?--andlittle ruffles down the front, and pale pink bows. It is quite like someof Miss Octavia Bassett's dresses, only not so over-trimmed."
"I do not think Octavia's dresses would seem over-trimmed if she worethem in London or Paris," said Lucia bravely. "It is only because we areso very quiet, and dress so little in Slowbridge, that they seem so."
"And your hair!" remarked Mrs. Burnham. "You drew your idea of that fromsome style of hers, I suppose. Very becoming, indeed. Well, well! And howdoes Lady Theobald like all this, my dear?"
"I am not sure that"--Lucia was beginning, when her ladyship interruptedher by entering.
"My dear Lady Theobald," cried her visitor, rising, "I hope you are well.I have just been complimenting Lucia upon her pretty dress, and her newstyle of dressing her hair. Miss Octavia Bassett has been giving her thebenefit of her experience, it appears. We have not been doing herjustice. Who would have believed that she had come from Nevada to improveus?"
"Miss Octavia Bassett," said my lady sonorously, "has come from Nevada toteach our young people a great many things,--new fashions in duty, anddemeanor, and respect for their elders. Let us hope they will bebenefited."
"If you will excuse me, grandmamma," said Lucia, speaking in a soft,steady voice, "I will go and write the letters you wished written."
"Go," said my lady with majesty; and, having bidden Mrs. Burnhamgood-morning, Lucia went.
If Mrs. Burnham had expected any explanation of her ladyship's evidentdispleasure, she was doomed to disappointment. That excellent andrigorous gentlewoman had a stern sense of dignity, which forbade hercondescending to the confidential weakness of mere ordinary mortals.Instead of referring to Lucia, she broached a more commonplace topic.
"I hope your rheumatism does not threaten you again, Mrs. Burnham,"she remarked.
"I am very well, thank you, my dear," said Mrs. Burnham; "so well, that Iam thinking quite seriously of taking the dear girls to the garden-party,when it comes off."
"To the garden-party!" repeated her ladyship. "May I ask who thinks ofgiving a garden-party in Slowbridge?"
"It is no one in Slowbridge," replied this lady cheerfully. "Some one wholives a little out of Slowbridge,--Mr. Burmistone, my dear Lady Theobald,at his new place."
"Mr. Burmistone!"
"Yes, my dear; and a most charming affair it is to be, if we are tobelieve all we hear. Surely you have heard something of it from Mr.Barold."
"Mr. Barold has not been to Oldclough for several days."
"Then, he will tell you when he comes; for I suppose he has as much to dowith it as Mr. Burmistone."
"I have heard before," announced my lady, "of men of Mr. Burmistone'sclass securing the services of persons of established position in societywhen they wished to spend their money upon entertainments; but I shouldscarcely have imagined that Francis Barold would have allowed himself tobe made a party to such a transaction."
"But," put in Mrs. Burnham rather eagerly, "it appears that Mr.Burmistone is not such an obscure person, after all. He is an Oxford man,and came off with honors: he is quite a well-born man, and gives thisentertainment in honor of his friend and relation, Lord Lansdowne."
"Lord Lansdowne!" echoed her ladyship, sternly.
"Son of the Marquis of Lauderdale, whose wife was Lady Honora Erroll."
"Did Mr. Burmistone give you this information?" asked Lady Theobald withironic calmness.
Mrs. Burnham colored never so faintly.
"I--that is to say--there is a sort of acquaintance between one of mymaids and the butler at the Burmistone place; and, when the girl wasdoing Lydia's hair, she told her the story. Lord Lansdowne and his fatherare quite fond of Mr. Burmistone, it is said."
"It seems rather singular to my mind that we should not have known ofthis before."
"But how should we learn? We none of us know Lord Lansdowne, or even themarquis. I think he is only a second or third cousin. We are alittle--just a little _set_ in Slowbridge, you know, my dear: at least, Ihave thought so sometimes lately."
"I must confess," remarked my lady, "that _I_ have not regarded thematter in that light."
"That is because you have a better right to--to be a little set than therest of us," was the amiable response.
Lady Theobald did not disclaim the privilege. She felt the sentiment anextremely correct one. But she was not very warm in her manner during theremainder of the call; and, incongruous as such a statement may appear,it must be confessed that she felt that Miss Octavia Bassett must havesomething to do with, these defections on all sides, and thatgarden-parties, and all such swervings from established Slowbridgecustom, were the natural result of Nevada frivolity and freedom ofmanners. It may be that she felt remotely that even Lord Lansdowne andthe Marquis of Lauderdale were to be referred to the same reprehensiblecause, and that, but for Octavia Bassett, Mr. Burmistone would not havebeen educated at Oxford and have come off with honors, and have turnedout to be related to respectable people, but would have remained inappropriate obscurity.
"I suppose," she said afterward to Lucia, "that your friend Miss OctaviaBassett is in Mr. Burmistone's confidence, if no one else has beenpermitted to have that honor. I have no doubt _she_ has known of thisapproaching entertainment for some weeks."
"I do not know, grandmamma," replied Lucia, putting her letters together,and gaining color as she bent over them. She was wondering, with inwardtrepidation, what her ladyship would say if she knew the whole truth,--ifshe knew that it was her granddaughter, and not Octavia Bassett, whoenjoyed Mr. Burmistone's confidence.
"Ah!" she thought, "how could I ever dare to tell her?"
The same day Francis Barold sauntered up to pay them a visit; and then,as Mrs. Burnham had prophesied, Lady Theobald heard all she wished tohear, and, indeed, a great deal more.
"What is this I am told of Mr. Burmistone, Francis?" she inquired."That he intends to give a garden-party, and that Lord Lansdowne is tobe one of the guests, and that he has caused it to be circulated thatthey are cousins."
"That Lansdowne has caused it to be circulated--or Burmistone?"
"It is scarcely likely that Lord Lansdowne"--
"Beg pardon," he interrupted, fixing his single glass dexterously in hisright eye, and gazing at her ladyship through it. "Can't see whyLansdowne should object. Fact is, he is a great deal fonder of Burmistonethan relations usually are of each other. Now, I often find that kind ofthing a bore; but Lansdowne doesn't seem to. They were at schooltogether, it seems, and at Oxford too; and Burmistone is supposed to havebehaved pretty well towards Lansdowne at one time, when he was rather awild fellow--so the father and mother say. As to Burmistone 'causing itto be circulated,' that sort of thing is rather absurd. The man isn't acad, you know."
"Pray don't say 'you know,' Francis," said her ladyship. "I know verylittle but what I have chanced to see, and I must confess I have notbeen prepossessed in
Mr. Burmistone's favor. Why did he not choose toinform us"--
"That he was Lord Lansdowne's second cousin, and knew the Marquis ofLauderdale, grandmamma?" broke in Lucia, with very pretty spirit. "Wouldthat have prepossessed you in his favor? Would you have forgiven him forbuilding the mills, on Lord Lansdowne's account? I--I wish I was relatedto a marquis," which was very bold indeed.
"May I ask," said her ladyship, in her most monumental manner, "when_you_ became Mr. Burmistone's champion?"
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