Part 23 (2/2)
”And leave her boy at school? A very good thing for him.”
”No, she means to take him also, and not come back till Joseph is at the other end of the world.”
”Two months will see him there.”
”Well, John, now you have stated the case, it does seem a strange fancy of mine to wish to interfere, and if to interfere could possibly be to our advantage----”
”You would not have thought of it! No, I am sure of that. Now my advice is, that we let them alone all round. I don't believe, in the first place, that Joe Swan, now he has change, freedom, and a rise in life before him, would willingly marry Laura if he might. I am not at all sure that, if it came to the point, she would willingly marry him at such short notice, and leave every friend she has in the world. I think she would shrink back, for she can know nothing worth mentioning of him.
As to the boy, how do you know that a tour may not be a very fine thing for him? It must be better than moping at Melcombe under petticoat government; and even if Joe married Laura to-morrow, we could not prevent Mrs. Melcombe from taking him on the Continent whenever she chose.”
Emily was silent.
”And what made you talk of a runaway match?” continued John.
”Because she told Giles that the last time she saw Joseph he proposed to her to sneak away, get married before a magistrate, and go off without saying a word to anybody.”
”Fools,” exclaimed John, ”both of them! No, we cannot afford to have any runaway matches--and of such a sort too! I should certainly interfere if I thought there was any danger of that.”
”I hope you would. He wanted her to propose some scheme. I think scorn of all scheming. If she had really meant to marry him, his part should have been to see that she did it in a way that would not make it worse for her afterwards. He should have told Mrs. Melcombe fairly that she could not prevent it, and he should have taken her to church and married her like a man before plenty of witnesses in the place where she is known. If he had not shown such a craven spirit, I almost think I would have taken his part. Now, John, I know what you think; but I should have felt just the same if Valentine had not made himself ridiculous, and if I was quite sure that this would not end in a runaway match after all, and the _True Blue_ be full of it.”
”I believe you,” said John; ”and I always had a great respect for you, 'Mrs. Nemily.'”
”What are you laughing at, then?”
”Perhaps at the matronly dignity with which you have been laying down the law.”
”Is that all? Oh, I always do that now I am married, John.”
”You don't say so! Well, Joe Swan has worked hard at improving himself; but though good has come out of it in the end for him, it is certainly a very queer affair. Why, in the name of common sense, couldn't Laura be contented with somebody in her own sphere?”
”I should like to know why Laura was so anxious the matter should be concealed from you,” said Emily.
”Most likely she remembers that Swan is in my employment, or she may also be 'troubled with intuitions,' and know by intuition what I think of her.”
”And how is Aunt Christie?” asked Emily, after little more talk concerning Joseph's affairs.
”Well and happy; I do not believe it falls to the lot of any old woman to be happier in this _oblate spheroid_. The manner in which she acts dragon over Miss C. is a joy to me, the only observer. She always manages that we shall never meet excepting in her presence; when I go into the schoolroom to read prayers, I invariably find her there before me. She insists, also, on presiding at all the schoolroom meals. How she found out the state of things here I cannot tell, but I thankfully let her alone. I never go out to smoke a cigar in the evening, and notice a stately female form stepping forth also, but Aunt Christie is sure to come briskly stumping in her wake, ready to join either her or me.”
”You don't mean to imply anything?”
”Of course not! but you yourself, before you married, were often known to take my arm at flower-shows, &c., in order to escape from certain poor fellows who sighed in vain.”
”Yes, you were good about that; and you remind me of it, no doubt, in order to claim the like friendliness from me now the tables are turned.
John, the next time I take your arm in public it will be to extend my matronly countenance to those modest efforts of yours at escaping attention, for you know yourself to be quite unworthy of notice!”
”Just so; you express my precise feeling.”
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