He drew himself up. He did not think there was any point of resemblance at all between Miss Belinda and himself.
She went on, without observing his movement.
"You think every thing means something, or is of some importance. You said that just as aunt Belinda says, "What will they think?" It never occurs to me that they"ll think at all. Gracious! Why should they?"
"You will find they do," he said.
"Well," she said, glancing at the group gathered under the laburnum-tree, "just now aunt Belinda thinks we had better go over to her; so, suppose we do it? At any rate, I found out that I was too complaisant to Mr.
Poppleton."
When the party separated for the afternoon, Barold took Lucia home, and Mr. Burmistone and the curate walked down the street together.
Mr. Poppleton was indeed most agreeably exhilarated. His expressive little countenance beamed with delight.
"What a very charming person Miss Ba.s.sett is!" he exclaimed, after they had left the gate. "What a very charming person indeed!"
"Very charming," said Mr. Burmistone with much seriousness. "A prettier young person I certainly have never seen; and those wonderful gowns of hers"--
"Oh!" interrupted Mr. Poppleton, with natural confusion, "I--referred to Miss Belinda Ba.s.sett; though, really, what you say is very true. Miss Octavia Ba.s.sett--indeed--I think--in fact, Miss Octavia Ba.s.sett is _quite_, one might almost say even _more_, charming than her aunt."
"Yes," admitted Mr. Burmistone; "perhaps one might. She is less ripe, it is true; but that is an objection time will remove."
"There is such a delightful gayety in her manner!" said Mr. Poppleton; "such an ingenuous frankness! such a--a--such spirit! It quite carries me away with it,--quite."
He walked a few steps, thinking over this delightful gayety and ingenuous frankness; and then burst out afresh,--
"And what a remarkable life she has had too! She actually told me, that, once in her childhood, she lived for months in a gold-diggers" camp,--the only woman there. She says the men were kind to her, and made a pet of her. She has known the most extraordinary people."
In the mean time Francis Barold returned Lucia to Lady Theobald"s safe keeping. Having done so, he made his adieus, and left the two to themselves. Her ladyship was, it must be confessed, a little at a loss to explain to herself what she saw, or fancied she saw, in the manner and appearance of her young relative. She was persuaded that she had never seen Lucia look as she looked this afternoon. She had a brighter color in her cheeks than usual, her pretty figure seemed more erect, her eyes had a spirit in them which was quite new. She had chatted and laughed gayly with Francis Barold, as she approached the house; and after his departure she moved to and fro with a freedom not habitual to her.
"He has been making himself agreeable to her," said my lady, with grim pleasure. "He can do it if he chooses; and he is just the man to please a girl,--good-looking, and with a fine, domineering air."
"How did you enjoy yourself?" she asked.
"Very much," said Lucia; "never more, thank you."
"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed my lady. "And which of her smart New York gowns did Miss Octavia Ba.s.sett wear?"
They were at the dinner-table; and, instead of looking down at her soup, Lucia looked quietly and steadily across the table at her grandmother.
"She wore a very pretty one," she said: "it was pale fawn-color, and fitted her like a glove. She made me feel very old-fashioned and badly dressed."
Lady Theobald laid down her spoon.
"She made you feel old-fashioned and badly dressed,--you!"
"Yes," responded Lucia: "she always does. I wonder what she thinks of the things we wear in s...o...b..idge." And she even went to the length of smiling a little.
"What _she_ thinks of what is worn in s...o...b..idge!" Lady Theobald e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "She! may I ask what weight the opinion of a young woman from America--from Nevada--is supposed to have in s...o...b..idge?"
Lucia took a spoonful of soup in a leisurely manner.
"I don"t think it is supposed to have any; but--but I don"t think she minds that. I feel as if I shouldn"t if I were in her place. I have always thought her very lucky."
"You have thought her lucky!" cried my lady. "You have envied a Nevada young woman, who dresses like an actress, and loads herself with jewels like a barbarian? A girl whose conduct toward men is of a character to--to chill one"s blood!"
"They admire her," said Lucia simply, "more than they admire Lydia Egerton, and more than they admire me."
"Do _you_ admire her?" demanded my lady.
"Yes, grandmamma," replied Lucia courageously. "I think I do."
Never had my lady been so astounded in her life. For a moment she could scarcely speak. When she recovered herself she pointed to the door.
"Go to your room," she commanded. "This is American freedom of speech, I suppose. Go to your room."
Lucia rose obediently. She could not help wondering what her ladyship"s course would be if she had the hardihood to disregard her order. She really looked quite capable of carrying it out forcibly herself. When the girl stood at her bedroom window, a few minutes later, her cheeks were burning and her hands trembling.
"I am afraid it was very badly done," she said to herself. "I am sure it was; but--but it will be a kind of practice. I was in such a hurry to try if I were equal to it, that I didn"t seem to balance things quite rightly. I ought to have waited until I had more reason to speak out.
Perhaps there wasn"t enough reason then, and I was more aggressive than I ought to have been. Octavia is never aggressive. I wonder if I was at all pert. I don"t think Octavia ever means to be pert. I felt a little as if I meant to be pert. I must learn to balance myself, and only be cool and frank."
Then she looked out of the window, and reflected a little.
"I was not so very brave, after all," she said, rather reluctantly. "I didn"t tell her Mr. Burmistone was there. I daren"t have done that. I am afraid I _am_ sly--that sounds sly, I am sure."
CHAPTER XVIII.
CONTRAST.
"Lady Theobald will put a stop to it," was the general remark. "It will certainly not occur again."
This was said upon the evening of the first gathering upon Miss Belinda"s gra.s.s-plat, and at the same time it was prophesied that Mr. Francis Barold would soon go away.
But neither of the prophecies proved true. Mr. Francis Barold did _not_ return to London; and, strange to say, Lucia was seen again and again playing croquet with Octavia Ba.s.sett, and was even known to spend evenings with her.
Perhaps it might be that an appeal made by Miss Belinda to her ladyship had caused her to allow of these things. Miss Belinda had, in fact, made a private call upon my lady, to lay her case before her.
"I feel so very timid about every thing," she said, almost with tears, "and so fearful of trusting myself, that I really find it quite a trial.
The dear child has such a kind heart--I a.s.sure you she has a kind heart, dear Lady Theobald,--and is so innocent of any intention to do wrong--I am sure she is innocent,--that it seems cruel to judge her severely. If she had had the benefit of such training as dear Lucia"s. I am convinced that her conduct would have been most exemplary. She sees herself that she has faults: I am sure she does. She said to me only last night, in that odd way of hers,--she had been sitting, evidently thinking deeply, for some minutes,--and she said, "I wonder if I shouldn"t be nicer if I were more like Lucia Gaston." You see what turn her mind must have taken.
She admires Lucia so much."
"Yesterday evening at dinner," said Lady Theobald severely, "Lucia informed me that _she_ admired your niece. The feeling seems to be mutual."
Miss Belinda colored, and brightened visibly.