V
Next day, after luncheon, Miss Ley retired to the drawing-room and unpacked the books which had just arrived from Mudie. She looked through them, and read a page here and there to see what they were like, thinking meanwhile of the meal they had just finished. Edward Craddock had been somewhat nervous, sitting uncomfortably on his chair, too officious, perhaps, in handing things to Miss Ley, salt and pepper and the like, as he saw she wanted them. He evidently wished to make himself amiable. At the same time he was subdued, and not gaily enthusiastic as might be expected from a happy lover. Miss Ley could not help asking herself if he really loved her niece. Bertha was obviously without a doubt on the subject. She had been radiant, keeping her eyes all the while fixed upon the young man as if he were the most delightful and wonderful object she had ever seen. Miss Ley was surprised at the girl's expansiveness, contrasting with her old reserve. She seemed now not to care a straw if all the world saw her emotions. She was not only happy to be in love, she was proud also. Miss Ley laughed aloud at the doctor's idea that he could disturb the course of such passion. . . . But if Miss Ley, well aware that the watering-pots of reason could not put out those raging fires, had no intention of hindering the match, neither had she a desire to witness the preliminaries thereof; and after luncheon, remarking that she felt tired and meant to lie down, went into the drawing-room alone. It pleased her to think she could at the same time suit the lovers' pleasure and her own convenience.
She chose that book from the bundle which seemed most promising, and began to read. Presently the door was opened by a servant, and Miss Glover was announced. An expression of annoyance passed over Miss Ley's face, but was immediately succeeded by one of mellifluous amiability.
"Oh, don't get up, dear Miss Ley," said the visitor, as her hostess slowly rose from the sofa.
Miss Ley shook hands and began to talk. She said she was delighted to see Miss Glover, thinking meanwhile that this estimable person's sense of etiquette was very tedious. The Glovers had dined at Court Leys during the previous week, and punctually seven days afterwards Miss Glover was paying a ceremonious call.
Miss Glover was a worthy person, but dull; and that Miss Ley could not forgive. Better ten thousand times, in her opinion, was it to be Becky Sharp and a monster of wickedness than Amelia and a monster of stupidity.
"Pardon me, Madam, it is well known that Thackeray, in Amelia, gave us a type of the pure-hearted, sweet-minded English maiden, whose qualities are the foundation of the greatness of Great Britain, and the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race."
"I have no doubt that such was his intention. But why do you think novelists, when they draw the average English girl, should invariably produce an utter fool?"
"Madam, Madam, this is heresy."
"No, sir, it is merely a question—prompted by a desire for information."
"It must be their want of skill."
"I hope so."
Miss Glover was one of the best natured and most charitable creatures upon the face of the earth, a miracle of abnegation and unselfishness; but a person to be amused by her could have been only an absolute lunatic.
"She's really a dear kind thing," said Miss Ley of her, "and she does endless good in the parish—but she's really too dull: she's only fit for heaven!"
And the image passed through Miss Ley's mind, unsobered by advancing years, of Miss Glover, with her colourless hair hanging down her back, wings, and a golden harp, singing hymns in a squeaky voice, morning, noon, and night. Indeed, the general conception of paradisiacal costume suited Miss Glover very ill. She was a woman of about eight and twenty, but might have been any age between one score and two; you felt that she had always been the same and that years would have no power over her strength of mind. She had no figure, and her clothes were so stiff and unyielding as to give an impression of armour. She was nearly always dressed in a tight black jacket of ribbed cloth that was evidently most durable, the plainest of skirts, and strong, really strong boots! Her hat was suited for all weathers and she had made it herself! She never wore a veil, and her skin was dry and hard, drawn so tightly over the bones as to give her face extraordinary angularity; over her prominent cheek-bones was a red flush, the colour of which was not uniformly suffused, but with the capillaries standing out distinctly, forming a network. Her nose and mouth were what is politely termed of a determined character, her pale blue eyes slightly protruded. Ten years of East Anglian winds had blown all the softness from her face, and their bitter fury seemed to have bleached even her hair. One could not tell if this was brown and had lost its richness, or gold from which the shimmer had vanished; and the roots sprang from the cranium with a curious apartness, so that Miss Ley always thought how easy in her case it would be for the Recording Angel to number the hairs. But notwithstanding the hard, uncompromising exterior which suggested extreme determination, Miss Glover was so bashful, so absurdly self-conscious, as to blush at every opportunity; and in the presence of a stranger to go through utter misery from inability to think of a single word to say. At the same time she had the tenderest of hearts, sympathetic, compassionate; she overflowed with love and pity for her fellow-creatures. She was also excessively sentimental!
"And how is your brother?" asked Miss Ley.
Mr. Glover was the Vicar of Leanham, which was about a mile from Court Leys on the Tercanbury Road, and for him Miss Glover had kept house since his appointment to the living.
"Oh, he's very well. Of course he's rather worried about the dissenters. You know they're putting up a new chapel in Leanham; it's perfectly dreadful."
"Mr. Craddock mentioned the fact at luncheon."
"Oh, was he lunching with you? I didn't know you knew him well enough for that."
"I suppose he's here now," said Miss Ley; "he's not been in to say good-bye."
Miss Glover looked at her with some want of intelligence. But it was not to be expected that Miss Ley could explain before making the affair a good deal more complicated.
"And how is Bertha?" asked Miss Glover, whose conversation was chiefly concerned with inquiries about mutual acquaintance.
"Oh, of course, she's in the seventh heaven of delight."
"Oh!" said Miss Glover, not understanding at all what Miss Ley meant.
She was somewhat afraid of the elder lady. Even though her brother Charles said he feared she was worldly, Miss Glover could not fail to respect a woman who had lived in London and on the continent, who had met Dean Farrar and seen Miss Marie Corelli.
"Of course," she said, "Bertha is young, and naturally high spirited."
"Well, I'm sure, I hope she'll be happy."
"You must be very anxious about her future, Miss Ley." Miss Glover found her hostess's observations simply cryptic, and, feeling foolish, blushed a fiery red.
"Not at all; she's her own mistress, and as able-bodied and as reasonably-minded as most young women. But, of course, it's a great risk."
"I'm very sorry, Miss Ley," said the vicar's sister, in such distress as to give her friend certain qualms of conscience, "but I really don't understand. What is a great risk?"
"Matrimony, my dear."
"Is Bertha going to be married? Oh, dear Miss Ley, let me congratulate you. How happy and proud you must be!"
"My dear Miss Glover, please keep calm.
