The Shadow of Ashlydyat Part 112

"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."

"Oh, my dear, men forget friends.h.i.+p when their pockets are in question,"

was the light remark of Charlotte. "You are _sure_, though, Averil's not deceiving you? I don't much think he is one to do a dirty trick of that sort, but I have lived long enough to learn that you must prove a man before you trust him."

"Lord Averil is not deceiving me," quietly answered Maria. "He has given me a message for my husband."

"Then there's no necessity for my going to him," said Charlotte. "Let me drive you home, Mrs. George G.o.dolphin. I am sure you are fatigued. I never saw any one change countenance as you do. A few minutes ago you looked vulgarly hot, and now you are pale enough for the grave. Step in.

James, you must change to the back seat."

Step into that formidably high thing, and sit by Mrs. Charlotte Pain's side, and dash through Prior's As.h.!.+ Maria wondered whether the gossips of Prior's Ash--who, as it seemed, had made so free with gay George's name--or Margery, would stare the most. She declined the invitation.

"You are afraid," cried Charlotte. "Well, it's a great misfortune, these timid temperaments: but I suppose they can't be cured. Kate Verrall's another coward: but she's not as bad as you. Toss me my parasol, James."

James handed his mistress a charming toy of pink moire antique silk and point lace, mounted on a handle of carved ivory. Charlotte put it up before her face, and turned to accompany Maria.

Maria put her parasol up before _her_ face, thankful that it might serve to s.h.i.+eld it, if only partially, from the curious eyes of Prior's Ash.

Remembering the compliments that Prior's Ash had been kind enough to pa.s.s on her "blind simplicity," she would not exactly have chosen her present companion to walk through the streets with. Dame Bond, with her unsteady steps and her snuffy black gown, would have been preferable of the two.

"But," thought Maria in her generosity, striving to thrust that other unpleasant feeling down deep into her heart, and to lose sight of it, "it is really kind of Mrs. Pain to be seen thus publicly with me. Other ladies would be ashamed of me now, I suppose."

They stepped on. Maria with her parasol so close to her face that there was danger of her running against people; Charlotte turning herself from side to side, flirting the costly little pink toy as one flirts a fan, bowing and sc.r.a.ping to all she met. The dogs snarled and barked behind her; the carriage pranced and curvetted by their side; the unhappy James, his hands full with the horses, which refused to recognize any masters.h.i.+p except that of Mrs. Charlotte Pain. Altogether, it was a more conspicuous progress than Maria would have chosen. Thus they arrived at the Bank, and Maria held out her hand to Charlotte. She _could_ not be otherwise than courteous, no matter to whom.

"I am coming in," said Charlotte bluntly. "Take care what you are about with the horses, James."

Maria led the way to the dining-room. All was as it used to be in that charming room; furniture, pictures, elegant trifles for show or for use; all was the same: except--that those things belonged now not to Maria and her husband, but were noted down as the property of others. Soon, soon to be put up for sale! Charlotte's rich moire antique came to an anchor on a sofa, and she untied the string of the gendarme hat, and pushed it back on her head.

"I am going to leave Prior's Ash."

"To leave Prior's As.h.!.+" repeated Maria. "When?"

"Within a week of this. Lady G.o.dolphin's coming back to the Folly."

"But--Lady G.o.dolphin cannot come back to it without giving you due notice to quit?" debated Maria.

"It's all arranged," said Charlotte, opening her mouth with a loud yawn.

"Lady G.o.dolphin wrote to Verrall, and the arrangements have been agreed upon amicably. Lady G.o.dolphin foregoes a certain portion of rent, and we go out immediately. I am very glad, do you know. I had made my mind up not to stay. As to the Verralls, it may be said that they virtually took leave of the Folly long ago. Uncommonly glad I shall be to leave it,"

repeated Charlotte with emphasis.

"Why?"

"Who'd care to stay at Prior's Ash, after all this bother? You and George will be leaving it for London, you know--and I hope it won't be long first. You must make me useful up there, Mrs. George. I'll----"

"Who told you we were going to leave for London?" interrupted Maria in astonishment.

"n.o.body told me. But of course you will. Do you suppose George G.o.dolphin will care to stop amongst this set? Not he. He'd see Prior's Ash go promenading first. What tie has he here, now Ashlydyat's gone? Verrall talks of buying a hunting-box in Leicesters.h.i.+re."