Part 54 (1/2)
”It seems to me a very laudable and useful object, I am sure,” said Mrs. Gibson, safely.
”I daresay it is, taking it from the public-good view. But it's rather tiresome to us privately, for it keeps Hollingford in town--or between it and Cambridge--and each place as dull and empty as can be, just when we want him down at the Towers. The thing ought to have been decided long ago, and there's some danger of the legacy lapsing.
The two other trustees have run away to the Continent, feeling, as they say, the utmost confidence in him, but in reality s.h.i.+rking their responsibilities. However, I believe he likes it, so I ought not to grumble. He thinks he is going to be very successful in the choice of his man--and he belongs to this county, too,--young Hamley of Hamley, if he can only get his college to let him go, for he is a Fellow of Trinity, senior wrangler or something; and they're not so foolish as to send their crack man to be eaten up by lions and tigers!”
”It must be Roger Hamley!” exclaimed Cynthia, her eyes brightening, and her cheeks flus.h.i.+ng.
”He's not the eldest son; he can scarcely be called Hamley of Hamley!” said Mrs. Gibson.
”Hollingford's man is a Fellow of Trinity, as I said before.”
”Then it is Mr. Roger Hamley,” said Cynthia; ”and he's up in London about some business! What news for Molly when she comes home!”
”Why, what has Molly to do with it?” asked Lady Harriet. ”Is--?” and she looked into Mrs. Gibson's face for an answer. Mrs. Gibson in reply gave an intelligent and very expressive glance at Cynthia, who however did not perceive it.
”Oh, no! not at all,”--and Mrs. Gibson nodded a little at her daughter, as much as to say, ”If any one, that.”
Lady Harriet began to look at the pretty Miss Kirkpatrick with fresh interest; her brother had spoken in such a manner of this young Mr. Hamley that every one connected with the phoenix was worthy of observation. Then, as if the mention of Molly's name had brought her afresh into her mind, Lady Harriet said,--”And where is Molly all this time? I should like to see my little mentor. I hear she is very much grown since those days.”
”Oh! when she once gets gossiping with the Miss Brownings, she never knows when to come home,” said Mrs. Gibson.
”The Miss Brownings? Oh! I'm so glad you named them! I'm very fond of them. Pecksy and Flapsy; I may call them so in Molly's absence. I'll go and see them before I go home, and then perhaps I shall see my dear little Molly too. Do you know, Clare, I've quite taken a fancy to that girl!”
So Mrs. Gibson, after all her precautions, had to submit to Lady Harriet's leaving her half-an-hour earlier than she otherwise would have done in order to ”make herself common” (as Mrs. Gibson expressed it) by calling on the Miss Brownings.
But Molly had left before Lady Harriet arrived.
Molly went the long walk to the Holly Farm, to order the damsons, out of a kind of penitence. She had felt conscious of anger at being sent out of the house by such a palpable manoeuvre as that which her stepmother had employed. Of course she did not meet Cynthia, so she went alone along the pretty lanes, with gra.s.sy sides and high hedge-banks not at all in the style of modern agriculture. At first she made herself uncomfortable with questioning herself as to how far it was right to leave unnoticed the small domestic failings--the webs, the distortions of truth which had prevailed in their household ever since her father's second marriage. She knew that very often she longed to protest, but did not do it, from the desire of sparing her father any discord; and she saw by his face that he, too, was occasionally aware of certain things that gave him pain, as showing that his wife's standard of conduct was not as high as he would have liked. It was a wonder to Molly whether this silence was right or wrong. With a girl's want of toleration, and want of experience to teach her the force of circ.u.mstances, and of temptation, she had often been on the point of telling her stepmother some forcible home truths. But, possibly, her father's example of silence, and often some piece of kindness on Mrs. Gibson's part (for after her way, and when in a good temper, she was very kind to Molly), made her hold her tongue.
That night at dinner, Mrs. Gibson recounted the conversation between herself and Lady Harriet, giving it a very strong individual colouring, as was her wont, and telling nearly the whole of what had pa.s.sed, although implying that there was a great deal said which was so purely confidential, that she was bound in honour not to repeat it. Her three auditors listened to her without interrupting her much--indeed, without bestowing extreme attention on what she was saying, until she came to the fact of Lord Hollingford's absence in London, and the reason for it.
”Roger Hamley going off on a scientific expedition!” exclaimed Mr.
Gibson, suddenly awakened into vivacity.
”Yes. At least it is not settled finally; but as Lord Hollingford is the only trustee who takes any interest--and being Lord c.u.mnor's son--it is next to certain.”
”I think I must have a voice in the matter,” said Mr. Gibson; and he relapsed into silence, keeping his ears open, however, henceforward.
”How long will he be away?” asked Cynthia. ”We shall miss him sadly.”
Molly's lips formed an acquiescing ”yes” to this remark, but no sound was heard. There was a buzzing in her ears as if the others were going on with the conversation, but the words they uttered seemed indistinct and blurred; they were merely conjectures, and did not interfere with the one great piece of news. To the rest of the party she appeared to be eating her dinner as usual, and, if she were silent, there was one listener the more to Mrs. Gibson's stream of prattle, and Mr. Gibson's and Cynthia's remarks.
CHAPTER x.x.xIII.
BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.
[Ill.u.s.tration (unt.i.tled)]
It was a day or two afterwards, that Mr. Gibson made time to ride round by Hamley, desirous to learn more exact particulars of this scheme for Roger than he could obtain from any extraneous source, and rather puzzled to know whether he should interfere in the project or not. The state of the case was this:--Osborne's symptoms were, in Mr.
Gibson's opinion, signs of his having a fatal disease. Dr. Nicholls had differed from him on this head, and Mr. Gibson knew that the old physician had had long experience, and was considered very skilful in the profession. Still he believed that he himself was right, and, if so, the complaint was one which might continue for years in the same state as at present, or might end the young man's life in an hour--a minute. Supposing that Mr. Gibson was right, would it be well for Roger to be away where no sudden calls for his presence could reach him--away for two years? Yet if the affair was concluded, the interference of a medical man might accelerate the very evil to be feared; and after all, Dr. Nicholls might be right, and the symptoms might proceed from some other cause. Might? Yes. Probably did? No.