Part 13 (2/2)
”Why did you come to it?”
”I thought it might be a pleasant change. Ashlydyat grows gloomy sometimes. How was I to know my lady led so quiet a life here? She was always talking of 'Broomhead,' 'Broomhead!' I could not possibly suppose it to be so dull a place as this!”
”It is not dull in itself. The house and grounds are charming.”
”Oh dear!” uttered Charlotte. ”I wonder what fogs were sent for?”
”So do I,” laughed Maria. ”I should have finished that sketch, but for this mist.”
”No saddle-horses!” went on Charlotte. ”I shall forget how to ride. I never heard of such a thing as a country-house without saddle-horses.
Where was the use of bringing my new cap and habit? Only to have them crushed!”
Maria seemed to have relapsed into thought. She made no reply. Presently Charlotte began again.
”I wish I had my dogs here! Lady G.o.dolphin would not extend the invitation even to King Charlie. She said she did not like dogs. What a heathen she must be! If I could only see my darling pet, King Charlie!
Kate never mentioned him once in her letter this morning!”
The words aroused Maria to animation. ”Did you receive a letter this morning from Prior's Ash? You did not tell me.”
”Margery brought it to my bedroom. It came last night, I fancy, and lay in the letter-box. I do not think Sir George ought to keep that letter-box entirely under his own control,” continued Charlotte. ”He grows forgetful. Some evenings I know it is never looked at.”
”I have not observed that Sir George is forgetful,” dissented Maria.
”You observe nothing. I say that Sir George declines daily: both bodily and mentally. I see a great difference in him, even in the short time that we have been here. He is not the man he was.”
”He has his business letters regularly; and answers them.”
”Quite a farce to send them,” mocked handsome Charlotte. ”Thomas G.o.dolphin is ultra-filial.”
”What news does Mrs. Verrall give you?” inquired Maria.
”Not much. Sarah Anne Grame is out of immediate danger, and the fever has attacked two or three others.”
”In Lady Sarah's house?”
”Nonsense! No. That sickly girl, Sarah Anne, took it because I suppose she could not help it: but there's not much fear of its spreading to the rest of the house. If they had been going to have it, it would have shown itself ere this. It has crept on to those pests of cottages by the Pollards. The Bonds are down with it.”
”The worst spot it could have got to!” exclaimed Maria. ”Those cottages are unhealthy at the best of times.”
”They had a dinner-party on Sat.u.r.day,” continued Charlotte.
”At the cottages!”
Charlotte laughed. ”At Ashlydyat. The G.o.dolphins were there. At least, she mentioned Bessy, and your chosen cavalier, Mr. George.”
Maria's cheek flushed crimson. Charlotte Pain was rather fond of this kind of satire. Had she believed there was anything serious between George G.o.dolphin and Maria, she would have bitten her tongue out rather than allude to it. It was not Charlotte's intention to spare him to Maria Hastings.
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