Part 112 (1/2)
”He will be so thankful to hear this! It will be as a renewed lease of life to him. They have been fearful at Ashlydyat.”
An exceedingly vexed expression crossed Lord Averil's lips. ”I thought they had known me better at Ashlydyat,” he said. ”Thomas, at any rate.
Feared _me_!”
At length Maria would not allow him to go farther, and Lord Averil clasped her hand in both his. ”Promise me to try and keep up your spirits,” he said. ”You should do so for your husband's sake.”
”Yes; as well as I can,” she replied in a broken tone. ”Thank you! thank you ever, Lord Averil!”
She called in at the Rectory as she pa.s.sed, and sat for a while with her father and mother; but it was pain to her to do so. The bitter wrong inflicted on them by her husband was making itself heard in her heart in loud reproaches. The bitter wrong of another kind dealt out to herself by him, was all too present then. They knew how she had idolized him; they must have known how blindly misplaced that idolatry was; and the red flush mounted to Maria's brow at the thought.
Oh, if she could only redeem the past, so far as they were concerned! It seemed that that would be enough. If she could only restore peace and comfort to their home, refund to her father what he had lost, how thankful she should be! She would move heaven and earth if that might accomplish it,--she would spend her own days in the workhouse,--pa.s.s them by a roadside hedge, and think nothing of it--if by those means she could remove the wrong done. She lifted her eyes to the blue sky, almost asking that a miracle might be wrought, to repair the injury which had been dealt out to her father. Ah me! if Heaven repaired all the injuries inflicted by man upon man, it would surely have no time for other works of mercy!
CHAPTER XXV.
IN THE STREETS OF PRIOR'S ASH.
Barely had Maria departed and closed the Rectory gate behind her, when she encountered a stylish vehicle das.h.i.+ng along at an alarming pace, with a couple of frantic dogs behind it. It was that ”turn-out” you have heard of, belonging to Mrs. Charlotte Pain. Mrs. Charlotte Pain was in it, resplendent as the sun, dazzling the admiring eyes of Prior's Ash in a gown of pink moire antique, and a head-gear which appeared to be composed of pink and white feathers and a glittering silver aigrette, its form altogether not unlike a French gendarme's hat, if you have the pleasure of being familiar with that awe-imparting article. At the sight of Maria she pulled the horses up with a jerk: on which ensued some skirmis.h.i.+ng and scattering abroad of dust, the animals, both horses and dogs, not approving of so summary a check; but Charlotte was resolute, and her whip effective. She then flung the reins to the groom who sat beside her, jumped down, and held out her hand to Maria.
Maria accepted it. The revelation gratuitously bestowed on her by Margery was beating its words upon her memory; and her brow, face and neck had flushed to a glowing crimson. Some might have flung the offered hand aside, and picked up their skirts with a jerk, and sailed away with an air; but Maria was a gentlewoman.
”How well you look!” exclaimed Charlotte, regarding her in some surprise. ”Perhaps you are warm? I say, Mrs. George”--dropping her voice to a whisper--”whither do you think I am bound?”
”I cannot tell.”
”To see Lord Averil. He is back again, and stopping at old Max's. I am going to badger him out of a promise not to hurt George G.o.dolphin--about those rubbis.h.i.+ng bonds, you know. I won't leave him until I get it.”
”Yes,” said Maria.
”I will have it. Or--war to the knife, my lord! I should like to see him, or anybody else, attempt to refuse _me_ anything I stood out for,”
she added, with a triumphant glance, meant for the absent viscount.
”Poor George has n.o.body here to fight his battles for him, and he can't return to enter on them in person; so it's well that some friend should do it. They are saying in the town this morning, that Averil has returned for the purpose of prosecuting: I mean to cut his prosecuting claws off.”
”It is a mistake,” said Maria. ”Lord Averil has no intention of prosecuting.”
”How do you know?” bluntly asked Charlotte.
”I have just seen him.”
”You don't mean to say you have been over to old Max's?” exclaimed Charlotte, opening her brilliant black eyes very widely.
”Yes, I have.”
”You quiet slyboots! You have never walked there and back?”
”I don't feel very tired. I have been resting with mamma for half an hour.”
”And he's safe--Averil?” eagerly continued Charlotte.
”Quite safe. Remember his long friends.h.i.+p with Thomas G.o.dolphin.”