The big square letters on Bath post paper, directed in Algernon's clear, graceful8 handwriting, and bearing my Lord Seely's frank, in the form of a blotchy9 sprawling10 autograph in one corner, were, however, palpable facts; and Mrs. Errington made the most of them. It was seldom that she had not one of them in her pocket. She would pull them out, sometimes as though in mere11 absence of mind, sometimes avowedly12 of set purpose, but in either case she failed not to make them the occasion for an almost endless variety of prospective13 and retrospective boasting.
It must be owned that Algernon's letters were delightful14. They were written with such a freshness of observation, such a sense of enjoyment15, such a keen appreciation16 of fun—tempered always by a wonderful knack17 of keeping his own figure in a favourable18 light—that passages from them were read aloud, and quoted at Whitford tea-parties with a most enlivening effect.
"Those letters are written pro2 bono publico," Minnie Bodkin observed confidentially19 to her mother. "No human being would address such communications to Mrs. Errington for her sole perusal20."
"Well, I don't know, Minnie! Surely it is natural enough that he should write long letters to his mother, even without expecting her to read them aloud to people."
"Very natural; but not just such letters as he does write, I think."
Minnie suppressed any further expression of her own shrewdness. Her confidence in herself had been rudely shaken; and she made keen, motive-probing speeches much seldomer than formerly21. And she could not but agree in the general verdict, that Algernon's letters were very amusing. Miss Chubb was delighted with them; although they were the occasion of one or two tough struggles for supremacy22 in the knowledge of fashionable life between herself and Mrs. Errington. But Miss Chubb was really good-natured, and Mrs. Errington was unshakeably self-satisfied; so that no serious breach23 resulted from these combats.
"Dormer—Lady Harriet Dormer!" Miss Chubb would say, musingly24. "I think I must have met her when I was staying with Mrs. Figgins and the Bishop25 of Plumbunn. And the Dormers' place is not so very far from Whitford, you know. I believe I have heard papa speak of his acquaintance with some of the family."
"Oh no," Mrs. Errington would reply; "not likely you should have ever met Lady Harriet at Mrs. Figgins's. She is the Earl of Grandcourt's daughter; and Lord Grandcourt had the reputation of being the proudest nobleman in England."
"Well, my dear Mrs. Errington," the spinster would retort, bridling26 and tossing her head sideways, "that could be no reason why his daughter should not have visited the bishop! A dignitary of the Church, you know! And as to family—I can assure you the Figginses were most aristocratically connected."
"Besides, Miss Chubb, Lady Harriet must have been in the nursery in those days. She's only six-and-thirty. You can see her age in the 'Peerage.'"
This was a kind of blow that usually silenced poor Miss Chubb, who was sensitive on the score of her age. But, on the whole, she was not displeased27 at the opportunity of airing her reminiscences of London; and she did not always get the worst of it in her encounters with Mrs. Errington.
Mrs. Errington had one listener who, at all events, was never tired of hearing Algy's letters read and re-read, and whose interest in all they contained was vivid and inexhaustible. Rhoda bestowed28 an amount of eager attention on the brilliant epistles bearing Lord Seely's frank, which even Mrs. Errington considered adequate to their merits.
Often—not quite always—there would be a little message. "How are all the good Maxfields? Say I asked." Or sometimes, "Give my love to Rhoda." Mrs. Errington took Algernon's sending his love to Rhoda much as she would have taken his bidding her stroke the kitten for him. She did not guess how it set the poor girl's heart beating. It was only natural that Rhoda's face should flush with pleasure at being so kindly29 and condescendingly remembered. Still less could the worthy30 lady understand the effect of her careless words on Mr. Maxfield. Once she said in his presence, "Have you any message for Mr. Algernon, Rhoda?" (She had recently taken to speaking of her son as "Mr." Algernon; a circumstance which had not escaped Rhoda's sensitive observation.) "You know he always sends you his love."
"Oh, my young gentleman has not forgotten Rhoda, then?" said old Maxfield, without raising his eyes from the ledger31 he was examining.
"Algernon never forgets. Indeed, none of the Ancrams ever forget. An almost royal memory has always been a characteristic of our race." With which magnificent speech Mrs. Errington made an impressive exit from the back shop.
Old Max knew enough to be aware that the tenacity32 even of a royal memory had not always been found equal to retaining such trifles as a debt of twenty pounds. But so long as Algy remembered his Rhoda, he was welcome to let the money slip. Indeed, if Algy behaved properly to Rhoda, there should be no question of repayment33. Twenty pounds, or two hundred, would be well bestowed in securing Rhoda's happiness, and making a lady of her. Nevertheless, old Max kept the acknowledgment of the debt safely locked up, and looked at it now and then, with some inward satisfaction. Algernon was coming back to revisit Whitford in the summer, and then something definite should be settled.
Meanwhile, Maxfield took some pains to have Rhoda treated with more consideration than had hitherto been bestowed on her. He astonished Betty Grimshaw by sharply reproving her for sending Rhoda into the shop on some errand. "Rice!" he exclaimed testily34, in answer to his sister-in-law's explanation. "If you want rice, you must fetch it for yourself. The shop is no place for Rhoda, and I will not have her come there." Then he began to display a quite unprecedented35 liberality in providing Rhoda's clothes. The girl, whose ideas about her own dress were of the humblest, and who had thought a dove-coloured merino gown as good a garment as she was ever likely to possess, was told to buy herself a silk gown. "A good 'un. Nothing flimsy and poor," said old Max. "A good, solid silk gown, that will wear and last. And—you had better ask Mrs. Errington to go with you to buy it. She will understand what is fitting better than your aunt Betty. I wish you to have proper and becoming raiment, Rhoda. You are not a child now. And you go amongst gentlefolks at Dr. Bodkin's house. And I would not have you seem out of place there, by reason of unsuitable attire36."
Rhoda was delighted to be allowed to gratify her natural taste for colour and adornment37; and she shortly afterwards appeared in so elegant a dress, that Betty Grimshaw was moved to say to her brother-in-law, "Why, Jonathan, I'll declare if our Rhoda don't look as genteel as 'ere a one o' the young ladies I see! Why you're making quite a lady of her, Jonathan!"
"Me make a lady of her?" growled38 old Max. "It isn't me, nor you, nor yet a smart gown, as can do that. But the Lord has done it. The Lord has given Rhoda the natur' of a lady, if ever I see a lady in my life; and I mean her to be treated like one. Rhoda's none o' your sort of clay, Betty Grimshaw. She's fine porcelain39, is Rhoda. I suppose you've nothing to say against the child's silk gown?"
"Nay40, not I, Jonathan! She's welcome to wear silk or satin either, if you like to pay for it. And, indeed, I'm uncommon41 pleased to see a bit of bright colour, and be let to put a flower in my bonnet42. I'm sure we've had enough of them Methodist ways. Dismal43 and dull enough they were, Jonathan. But you can't say as I ever grumbled44, or went agin' you. Anything for peace and quietness' sake is my way. But I do like church best, having been bred to it. And I always did, in my heart, even when you and David Powell would be preaching up the Wesleyans. I never said anything, as you know, Jonathan. But I kept my own way of thinking all the same. And I'm only glad you've come round to it yourself, at last."
This was bitter to Jonathan Maxfield. But he had had once or twice to endure similar speeches from his sister-in-law, since his defection from Methodism. His autocratic power in his own family was wielded45 as strictly46 as ever, but his assumption of infallibility had been fatally damaged. To get his own way was still within his power, but it would be vain henceforward to expect those around him to acknowledge—even with their lips—that his way must of necessity be the best way.
At the beginning of April there came to Whitford the announcement that Algernon had received and accepted an invitation to accompany the Seelys abroad in the late summer; and that, therefore, his visit to "dear old Whitford" was indefinitely postponed47. This announcement would have angered and disquieted48 old Max beyond measure, had it not been that Algernon took the precaution to write him a letter, which arrived in Whitford by the same post as that which brought to Mrs. Errington the news of his projected journey to the Continent. It was a very neat letter. Some persons might have called it a cunning letter. At any rate, it soothed49 old Max's anxious suspicions, if it did not absolutely destroy them. "I believe, my good friend," wrote Algernon, "that you will quite approve the step I am taking, in accompanying Lord and Lady Seely to Switzerland. They have no son, and I think I may say that they have come to look upon me almost as a child of the house. I remember all the good advice you gave me before I left Whitford. And when I was hesitating about accepting my lord's invitation, I thought of what you would have said, and made up my mind to resist the strong temptation of coming back to dear old Whitford this summer." Then in a postscript50 he added: "As to that little private transaction between us, I must ask you kindly to have patience with me yet awhile. I try to be careful, but living here is expensive, and I am put to it to pay my way. You will not mention the matter to my mother, I know. And, perhaps, it would be well to say nothing to her about this letter. May I send my love to Rhoda?"
In justification51 of this last sentence, it must be said that Algernon was quite innocent of Lady Seely's project regarding himself and Castalia; and that there were times when he thought with some warmth of feeling of the summer days in Llanryddan, and told himself that there was not one of the girls whom he met in society who surpassed Rhoda Maxfield in the delicate freshness of her beauty, or equalled her in natural grace and sweetness.
Algernon had really excellent taste.
END OF VOL. I.
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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blotchy
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| adj.有斑点的，有污渍的；斑污 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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avowedly
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| adv.公然地 | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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bridling
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的现在分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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repayment
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| n.偿还，偿还款；报酬 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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disquieted
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| v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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postscript
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| n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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