Wives and Daughters | Page 4

do wish to go--but I don't care about it.'
'That's rather a puzzling speech. But I suppose you mean you don't care
to go, if it will be any trouble to get you there. I can easily manage it,

however, so you may consider it settled. You'll want a white frock,
remember; you'd better tell Betty you're going, and she'll see after
making you tidy.'
Now, there were two or three things to be done by Mr. Gibson, before
he could feel quite comfortable about Molly's going to the festival at
the Towers, and each of them involved a little trouble on his part. But
he was very willing to gratify his little girl; so the next day he rode over
to the Towers, ostensibly to visit some sick housemaid, but, in reality,
to throw himself in my lady's way, and get her to ratify Lord Cumnor's
invitation to Molly. He chose his time, with a little natural diplomacy;
which, indeed, he had often to exercise in his intercourse with the great
family. He rode into the stable-yard about twelve o'clock, a little before
luncheon-time, and yet after the worry of opening the post-bag and
discussing its contents was over. After he had put up his horse, he went
in by the back-way to the house; the 'House' on this side, the 'Towers' at
the front. He saw his patient, gave his directions to the housekeeper,
and then went out, with a rare wild- flower in his hand, to find one of
the ladies Tranmere in the garden, where, according to his hope and
calculation, he came upon Lady Cumnor too--now talking to her
daughter about the contents of an open letter which she held in her hand,
now directing a gardener about certain bedding-out plants.
'I was calling to see Nanny, and I took the opportunity of bringing Lady
Agnes the plant I was telling her about as growing on Cumnor Moss.'
'Thank you so much, Mr. Gibson. Mamma, look! this is the Drosera
rotundifolia I have been wanting so long.'
'Ah! yes; very pretty I daresay, only I am no botanist. Nanny is better, I
hope? We can't have any one laid up next week, for the house will be
quite full of people--and here are the Danbys waiting to offer
themselves as well. One comes down for a fortnight of quiet, at
Whitsuntide, and leaves half one's establishment in town, and as soon
as people know of our being here, we get letters without end, longing
for a breath of country air, or saying how lovely the Towers must look
in spring; and I must own, Lord Cumnor is a great deal to blame for it
all, for as soon as ever we are down here, he rides about to all the

neighbours, and invites them to come over and spend a few days.'
'We shall go back to town on Friday the 18th,' said Lady Agnes, in a
consolatory tone.
'Ah, yes! as soon as we have got over the school visitors' affair. But it is
a week to that happy day.'
'By the way!' said Mr. Gibson, availing himself of the good opening
thus presented, 'I met my lord at the Cross-trees Farm yesterday, and he
was kind enough to ask my little daughter, who was with me, to be one
of the party here on Thursday; it would give the lassie great pleasure, I
believe.' He paused for Lady Cumnor to speak.
'Oh, well! if my lord asked her, I suppose she must come, but I wish he
was not so amazingly hospitable! Not but what the little girl will be
quite welcome; only, you see, he met a younger Miss Browning the
other day, of whose existence I had never heard.'
'She visits at the school, mamma,' said Lady Agnes.
'Well, perhaps she does; I never said she did not. I knew there was one
visitor of the name of Browning; I never knew there were two, but, of
course, as soon as Lord Cumnor heard there was another, he must
needs ask her; so the carriage will have to go backwards and forwards
four times now to fetch them all. So your daughter can come quite
easily, Mr. Gibson, and I shall be very glad to see her for your sake.
She can sit bodkin with the Brownings, I suppose? You'll arrange it all
with them; and mind you get Nanny well up to her work next week.'
Just as Mr. Gibson was going away, Lady Cumnor called after him, 'Oh!
by-the-bye, Clare is here; you remember Clare, don't you? She was a
patient of yours, long ago.'
'Clare!' he repeated, in a bewildered tone.
'Don't you recollect her? Miss Clare, our old governess,' said Lady
Agnes. 'About twelve or fourteen years ago, before