Wives and Daughters | Page 5

Lady Cuxhaven

was married.'
'Oh, yes!' said he. 'Miss Clare, who had the scarlet fever here; a very
pretty delicate girl. But I thought she was married!'
'Yes!' said Lady Cumnor. 'She was a silly little thing, and did not know
when she was well off; we were all very fond of her, I'm sure. She went
and married a poor curate, and became a stupid Mrs. Kirkpatrick; but
we always kept on calling her 'Clare.' And now he's dead, and left her a
widow, and she is staying here; and we are racking our brains to find
out some way of helping her to a livelihood without parting her from
her child. She's somewhere about the grounds, if you like to renew your
acquaintance with her.'
'Thank you, my lady. I'm afraid I cannot stop to-day. I have a long
round to go; I've stayed here too long as it is, I'm afraid.'
Long as his ride had been that day, he called on the Miss Brownings in
the evening, to arrange about Molly's accompanying them to the
Towers. They were tall handsome women, past their first youth, and
inclined to be extremely complaisant to the widowed doctor.
'Eh dear! Mr. Gibson, but we shall he delighted to have her with us.
You should never have thought of asking us such a thing,' said Miss
Browning the elder.
'I'm sure I'm hardly sleeping at nights for thinking of it,' said Miss
Phoebe. 'You know I've never been there before. Sister has many a time;
but somehow, though my name has been down on the visitors' list these
three years, the countess has never named me in her note; and you
know I could not push myself into notice, and go to such a grand place
without being asked; how could I?'
'I told Phoebe last year,' said her sister, 'that I was sure it was only
inadvertence, as one may call it, on the part of the countess, and that
her ladyship would be as hurt as any one when she didn't see Phoebe
among the school visitors; but Phoebe has got a delicate mind, you see
Mr. Gibson, and for all I could say she wouldn't go, but stopped here at

home; and it spoilt all my pleasure all that day, I do assure you, to think
of Phoebe's face, as I saw it over the window- blinds, as I rode away;
her eyes were full of tears, if you'll believe me.'
'I had a good cry alter you was gone, Sally,' said Miss Phoebe; 'but for
all that, I think I was right in stopping away from where I was not
asked. Don't you, Mr. Gibson?'
'Certainly,' said he. 'And you see you are going this year; and last year
it rained.'
'Yes! I remember! I set myself to tidy my drawers, to string myself up,
as it were; and I was so taken up with what I was about that I was quite
startled when I heard the rain beating against the window-panes.
'Goodness me!' said I to myself, 'whatever will become of sister's white
satin shoes, if she has to walk about on soppy grass after such rain as
this?' for, you see, I thought a deal about her having a pair of smart
shoes; and this year she has gone and got me a white satin pair just as
smart as hers, for a surprise.'
'Molly will know she's to put on her best clothes,' said Miss Browning.
'We could perhaps lend her a few beads, or artificials, if she wants
them.'
'Molly must go in a clean white frock,' said Mr. Gibson, rather hastily;
for he did not admire the Miss Brownings' taste in dress, and was
unwilling to have his child decked up according to their fancy; he
esteemed his old servant Betty's as the more correct, because the more
simple. Miss Browning had just a shade of annoyance in her tone as she
drew herself up, and said, 'Oh! very well. It's quite right, I'm sure.' But
Miss Phoebe said, 'Molly will look very nice in whatever she puts on,
that's certain.'

CHAPTER II
A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK

At ten o'clock on the eventful Thursday the Towers' carriage began its
work. Molly was ready long before it made its first appearance,
although it had been settled that she and the Miss Brownings were not
to go until the last, or fourth, time of its coming. Her face had been
soaped, scrubbed, and shone brilliantly clean; her frills, her frock, her
ribbons were all snow-white. She had on a black mode cloak that had
been her mother's; it was trimmed round with rich lace, and looked
quaint and old-fashioned on the child. For the first time in her life she
wore kid