"I"ll bring her to you in my room if you like it."
"No; that would be too solemn," said Alice. "That would make her understand that I thought a great deal about her."
"Then we"ll let things take their chance, and you shall come across her just as you would any other stranger." It was settled at last that this would be the better course, but that Lady Midlothian was to be informed of Alice"s presence at the Priory as soon as she should arrive.
Alice was in her own room when the carriage in which sat the unwelcome old lady was driven up to the hall-door. She heard the wheels plainly, and knew well that her enemy was within the house.
She had striven hard all the morning to make herself feel indifferent to this arrival, but had not succeeded; and was angry with herself at finding that she sat up-stairs with an anxious heart, because she knew that her cousin was in the room down-stairs. What was Lady Midlothian to her that she should be afraid of her? And yet she was very much afraid of Lady Midlothian. She questioned herself on the subject over and over again, and found herself bound to admit that such was the fact. At last, about five o"clock, having reasoned much with herself, and rebuked herself for her own timidity, she descended into the drawing-room,--Lady Glencora having promised that she would at that hour be there,--and on opening the door became immediately conscious that she was in the presence of her august relative. There sat Lady Midlothian in a great chair opposite the fire, and Lady Glencora sat near to her on a stool. One of the Miss Pallisers was reading in a further part of the room, and there was no one else present in the chamber.
The Countess of Midlothian was a very little woman, between sixty and seventy years of age, who must have been very pretty in her youth.
At present she made no pretension either to youth or beauty,--as some ladies above sixty will still do,--but sat confessedly an old woman in all her external relations. She wore a round bonnet which came much over her face,--being accustomed to continue the use of her bonnet till dinner time when once she had been forced by circ.u.mstances to put it on. She wore a short cloak which fitted close to her person, and, though she occupied a great arm-chair, sat perfectly upright, looking at the fire. Very small she was, but she carried in her grey eyes and sharp-cut features a certain look of importance which saved her from being considered as small in importance. Alice, as soon as she saw her, knew that she was a lady over whom no easy victory could be obtained.
"Here is Alice," said Lady Glencora, rising as her cousin entered the room. "Alice, let me introduce you to Lady Midlothian."
Alice, as she came forward, was able to a.s.sume an easy demeanour, even though her heart within was failing her. She put out her hand, leaving it to the elder lady to speak the first words of greeting.
"I am glad at last to be able to make your acquaintance, my dear,"
said Lady Midlothian; "very glad." But still Alice did not speak.
"Your aunt, Lady Macleod, is one of my oldest friends, and I have heard her speak of you very often."
"And Lady Macleod has often spoken to me of your ladyship," said Alice.
"Then we know each other"s names," said the Countess; "and it will be well that we should be acquainted with each other"s persons. I am becoming an old woman, and if I did not learn to know you now, or very shortly, I might never do so."
Alice could not help thinking that even under those circ.u.mstances neither might have had, so far as that was concerned, much cause of sorrow, but she did not say so. She was thinking altogether of Lady Midlothian"s letter to her, and trying to calculate whether or no it would be well for her to rush away at once to the subject. That Lady Midlothian would mention the letter, Alice felt well a.s.sured; and when could it be better mentioned than now, in Glencora"s presence,--when no other person was near them to listen to her? "You are very kind," said Alice.
"I would wish to be so," said Lady Midlothian. "Blood is thicker than water, my dear; and I know no earthly ties that can bind people together if those of family connection will not do so. Your mother, when she and I were young, was my dearest friend."
"I never knew my mother," said Alice,--feeling, however, as she spoke, that the strength of her resistance to the old woman was beginning to give way.
"No, my dear, you never did; and that is to my thinking another reason why they who loved her should love you. But Lady Macleod is your nearest relative,--on your mother"s side, I mean,--and she has done her duty by you well."
"Indeed she has, Lady Midlothian."
"She has, and others, therefore, have been the less called upon to interfere. I only say this, my dear, in my own vindication,--feeling, perhaps, that my conduct needs some excuse."
"I"m sure Alice does not think that," said Lady Glencora.
"It is what I think rather than what Alice thinks that concerns my own shortcomings," said Lady Midlothian, with a smile which was intended to be pleasant. "But I have wished to make up for former lost opportunities." Alice knew that she was about to refer to her letter, and trembled. "I am very anxious now to be reckoned one of Alice Vavasor"s friends, if she will allow me to become so."
"I can only be too proud,--if--"
"If what, my dear?" said the old lady. I believe that she meant to be gracious, but there was something in her manner, or, perhaps, rather in her voice, so repellant, that Alice felt that they could hardly become true friends. "If what, my dear?"
"Alice means--" began Lady Glencora.
"Let Alice say what she means herself," said Lady Midlothian.
"I hardly know how to say what I do mean," said Alice, whose spirit within her was rising higher as the occasion for using it came upon her. "I am a.s.sured that you and I, Lady Midlothian, differ very much as to a certain matter; and as it is one in which I must be guided by my own opinion, and not that of any other person, perhaps--"
"You mean about Mr. Grey?"
"Yes," said Alice; "I mean about Mr. Grey."
"I think so much about that matter, and your happiness as therein concerned, that when I heard that you were here I was determined to take Matching in my way to London, so that I might have an opportunity of speaking to you."
"Then you knew that Alice was here," said Lady Glencora.
"Of course I did. I suppose you have heard all the history, Glencora?"
Lady Glencora was forced to acknowledge that she had heard the history,--"the history" being poor Alice"s treatment of Mr. Grey.
"And what do you think of it?" Both Alice and her hostess looked round to the further end of the room in which Miss Palliser was reading, intending thus to indicate that the lady knew as yet none of the circ.u.mstances, and that there could be no good reason why she should be instructed in them at this moment. "Perhaps another time and another place may be better," said Lady Midlothian; "but I must go the day after to-morrow,--indeed, I thought of going to-morrow."
"Oh, Lady Midlothian!" exclaimed Lady Glencora.
"You must regard this as merely a pa.s.sing visit, made upon business.
But, as I was saying, when shall I get an opportunity of speaking to Alice where we need not be interrupted?"
Lady Glencora suggested her room up-stairs, and offered the use of it then, or on that night when the world should be about to go to bed.
But the idea of this premeditated lecture was terrible to Alice, and she determined that she would not endure it.
"Lady Midlothian, it would really be of no use."
"Of no use, my dear!"
"No, indeed. I did get your letter, you know."
"And as you have not answered it, I have come all this way to see you."
"I shall be so sorry if I give offence, but it is a subject which I cannot bring myself to discuss"--she was going to say with a stranger, but she was able to check herself before the offensive word was uttered,--"which I cannot bring myself to discuss with any one."
"But you don"t mean to say that you won"t see me?"
"I will not talk upon that matter," said Alice. "I will not do it even with Lady Macleod."
"No," said Lady Midlothian, and her sharp grey eyes now began to kindle with anger; "and therefore it is so very necessary that other friends should interfere."
"But I will endure no interference," said Alice, "either from persons who are friends or who are not friends." And as she spoke she rose from her chair. "You must forgive me, Lady Midlothian, if I say that I can have no conversation with you on this matter." Then she walked out of the room, leaving the Countess and Lady Glencora together. As she went Miss Palliser lifted her eyes from her book, and knew that there had been a quarrel, but I doubt if she had heard any of the words which had been spoken.
"The most self-willed young woman I ever met in my life," said Lady Midlothian, as soon as Alice was gone.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "The most self-willed young woman I ever met in my life."]
"I knew very well how it would be," said Lady Glencora.
"But it is quite frightful, my dear. She has been engaged, with the consent of all her friends, to this young man."