Part 100 (1/2)
”You are very kind,” answered Maria, with a shrinking spirit and a voice that faltered. Two points in Mrs. Pain's words had struck upon her ominously. The mention of the letters, and the hint conveyed in the expression, things turning out ”badly” for George. ”Have you heard from him?” she continued.
”Heard from him!--how could I?” returned Charlotte. ”London letters don't come in this morning. What should he have to write to me about, either? I have heard from another quarter, and I have heard the rumours in Prior's Ash.”
”Will you tell me what you have heard?” rejoined Maria.
”Well,” said Charlotte in a friendly tone, as she leaned towards her, ”I suppose the docket will be struck to-day--if it is not struck already.
The Philistines are down on the house, and mean to declare it bankrupt.”
Maria sat in blank dismay. She understood very little of the details of these business matters. Charlotte was quite at home in such things.
”What will be the proceedings?” Maria asked, after a pause. ”What do they do?”
”Oh, there's a world of bother,” returned Charlotte. ”It will drive quiet Thomas G.o.dolphin crazy. The books have all to be gone through, and accounts of moneys rendered. The worst is, they'll come here and note down every individual thing in the house, and then put a man in to see that nothing's moved. That agreeable item in the business I dare say you may expect this morning.”
Let us give Charlotte her due. She had really come in a sympathizing, friendly spirit to Maria G.o.dolphin, and in no other. It may be, that Charlotte rather despised her for being so simple and childish in the ways of the world, but that was only the more reason why she should help her if she could. Every word of information that Mrs. Pain was giving was as a dagger thrust in Maria's heart. Charlotte had no suspicion of this. Had a similar calamity happened to herself, she would have discussed it freely with all the world: possessing no extreme sensibility of feeling, she did not understand it in another. For Maria to talk of the misfortune, let its aspect be ever so bad, seemed to Charlotte perfectly natural.
Charlotte leaned closer to Maria, and spoke in a whisper. ”Is there anything you'd like to put away?”
”To put away?” repeated Maria, not awake to the drift of the argument.
”Because you had better give it to me at once. Spoons, or plate of any sort, or your own jewellery; any little things that you may want to save. I'll carry them away under my shawl. Don't you understand me?” she added, seeing the blank perplexity on Maria's face. ”If once those harpies of men come in, you can't move or hide a single article, but you might put the whole house away now, if you could get it out.”
”But suppose it were known?” asked Maria.
”Then there'd be a row,” was Charlotte's candid answer. ”Who's to know it? Look at that greedy little monkey?”
Meaning Miss Meta, who was filling her mouth quickly with the pieces of ham and the b.u.t.tered roll, seemingly with great relish.
”Is it good, child?” said Charlotte.
For answer, Meta nodded her head, too busy to speak. Maria, as in civility bound, invited her visitor to take some breakfast.
”I don't care if I do,” said Charlotte. ”I was just going to breakfast when I came off to you. Look here, Mrs. George G.o.dolphin, I'll help myself; you go meanwhile and make up a few parcels for me. Just what you set most value by, you know.”
”I should be afraid,” answered Maria.
”What is there to be afraid of?” asked Charlotte, opening her eyes.
”They'll be safe enough at the Folly. That is Lady G.o.dolphin's: her private property. The bankruptcy can't touch that; as it will this place and Ashlydyat. For the matter of that, I'd swear they were mine with all the pleasure in life, if they did get seen.”
”Ashlydyat!” broke from Maria's lips.
”Ashlydyat will have to go of course, and everything in it. At the same time that those harpies walk in here, another set will walk into Ashlydyat. I should like to see Janet's face when they arrive! You make haste, and put up all you can. There may be no time to lose.”
”I do not think it would be right,” debated Maria.
”Stuff and nonsense about 'right!' such things are done every day. I dare say you have many little valuables that you had rather keep than lose.”
”I have many that it would be a great grief to me to lose.”
”Well, go and put them together. I will take every care of them, and return them to you when the affair has blown over.”
Maria hesitated. To her honourable mind, there appeared to be something like fraud in attempting such a thing. ”Will you allow me just to ask Thomas G.o.dolphin if I may do it?” she said.