Poor Lady Lufton, when she was left to herself, felt that her head was going round and round. Was this to be the end of all her ambition,--of all her love for her son? and was this to be the result of all her kindness to the Robartses? She almost hated Mark Robarts as she reflected that she had been the means of bringing him and his sister to Framley. She thought over all his sins, his absences from the parish, his visit to Gatherum Castle, his dealings with reference to that farm which was to have been sold, his hunting, and then his acceptance of that stall, given, as she had been told, through the Omnium interest. How could she love him at such a moment as this?
And then she thought of his wife. Could it be possible that f.a.n.n.y Robarts, her own friend f.a.n.n.y, would be so untrue to her as to lend any a.s.sistance to such a marriage as this; as not to use all her power in preventing it? She had spoken to f.a.n.n.y on this very subject,--not fearing for her son, but with a general idea of the impropriety of intimacies between such girls as Lucy and such men as Lord Lufton, and then f.a.n.n.y had agreed with her. Could it be possible that even she must be regarded as an enemy?
And then by degrees Lady Lufton began to reflect what steps she had better take. In the first place, should she give in at once, and consent to the marriage? The only thing quite certain to her was this, that life would be not worth having if she were forced into a permanent quarrel with her son. Such an event would probably kill her. When she read of quarrels in other n.o.ble families--and the accounts of such quarrels will sometimes, unfortunately, force themselves upon the attention of unwilling readers--she would hug herself, with a spirit that was almost pharisaical, reflecting that her destiny was not like that of others. Such quarrels and hatreds between fathers and daughters, and mothers and sons, were in her eyes disreputable to all the persons concerned. She had lived happily with her husband, comfortably with her neighbours, respectably with the world, and, above all things, affectionately with her children.
She spoke everywhere of Lord Lufton as though he were nearly perfect,--and in so speaking, she had not belied her convictions.
Under these circ.u.mstances, would not any marriage be better than a quarrel?
But then, again, how much of the pride of her daily life would be destroyed by such a match as that! And might it not be within her power to prevent it without any quarrel? That her son would be sick of such a chit as Lucy before he had been married to her six months--of that Lady Lufton entertained no doubt, and therefore her conscience would not be disquieted in disturbing the consummation of an arrangement so pernicious. It was evident that the matter was not considered as settled even by her son; and also evident that he regarded the matter as being in some way dependent on his mother"s consent. On the whole, might it not be better for her--better for them all--that she should think wholly of her duty, and not of the disagreeable results to which that duty might possibly lead? It could not be her duty to accede to such an alliance; and therefore she would do her best to prevent it. Such, at least, should be her attempt in the first instance.
Having so decided, she next resolved on her course of action.
Immediately on her arrival at Framley, she would send for Lucy Robarts, and use all her eloquence--and perhaps also a little of that stern dignity for which she was so remarkable--in explaining to that young lady how very wicked it was on her part to think of forcing herself into such a family as that of the Luftons. She would explain to Lucy that no happiness could come of it, that people placed by misfortune above their sphere are always miserable; and, in short, make use of all those excellent moral lessons which are so customary on such occasions. The morality might, perhaps, be thrown away; but Lady Lufton depended much on her dignified sternness. And then, having so resolved, she prepared for her journey home.
Very little had been said at Framley Parsonage about Lord Lufton"s offer after the departure of that gentleman; very little, at least, in Lucy"s presence. That the parson and his wife should talk about it between themselves was a matter of course; but very few words were spoken on the matter either by or to Lucy. She was left to her own thoughts, and possibly to her own hopes.
And then other matters came up at Framley which turned the current of interest into other tracks. In the first place there was the visit made by Mr. Sowerby to the Dragon of Wantly, and the consequent revelation made by Mark Robarts to his wife. And while that latter subject was yet new, before f.a.n.n.y and Lucy had as yet made up their minds as to all the little economies which might be practised in the household without serious detriment to the master"s comfort, news reached them that Mrs. Crawley of Hogglestock had been stricken with fever. Nothing of the kind could well be more dreadful than this.
To those who knew the family it seemed impossible that their most ordinary wants could be supplied if that courageous head were even for a day laid low; and then the poverty of poor Mr. Crawley was such that the sad necessities of a sick bed could hardly be supplied without a.s.sistance.
"I will go over at once," said f.a.n.n.y.
"My dear!" said her husband, "it is typhus, and you must first think of the children. I will go."
"What on earth could you do, Mark?" said his wife. "Men on such occasions are almost worse than useless; and then they are so much more liable to infection."
"I have no children, nor am I a man," said Lucy, smiling; "for both of which exemptions I am thankful. I will go, and when I come back I will keep clear of the bairns."
So it was settled, and Lucy started in the pony-carriage, carrying with her such things from the parsonage storehouse as were thought to be suitable to the wants of the sick lady at Hogglestock. When she arrived there, she made her way into the house, finding the door open, and not being able to obtain the a.s.sistance of the servant girl in ushering her in. In the parlour she found Grace Crawley, the eldest child, sitting demurely in her mother"s chair nursing an infant. She, Grace herself, was still a young child, but not the less, on this occasion of well-understood sorrow, did she go through her task not only with zeal but almost with solemnity. Her brother, a boy of six years old, was with her, and he had the care of another baby. There they sat in a cl.u.s.ter, quiet, grave, and silent, attending on themselves, because it had been willed by fate that no one else should attend on them.
"How is your mamma, dear Grace?" said Lucy, walking up to her, and holding out her hand.
"Poor mamma is very ill, indeed," said Grace.
"And papa is very unhappy," said Bobby, the boy.
"I can"t get up because of baby," said Grace; "but Bobby can go and call papa out."
"I will knock at the door," said Lucy, and so saying she walked up to the bedroom door, and tapped against it lightly. She repeated this for the third time before she was summoned in by a low hoa.r.s.e voice, and then on entering she saw Mr. Crawley standing by the bedside with a book in his hand. He looked at her uncomfortably, in a manner which seemed to show that he was annoyed by this intrusion, and Lucy was aware that she had disturbed him while at prayers by the bedside of his wife. He came across the room, however, and shook hands with her, and answered her inquiries in his ordinary grave and solemn voice.
"Mrs. Crawley is very ill," he said, "very ill. G.o.d has stricken us heavily, but His will be done. But you had better not go to her, Miss Robarts. It is typhus."
The caution, however, was too late; for Lucy was already by the bedside, and had taken the hand of the sick woman, which had been extended on the coverlid to greet her. "Dear Miss Robarts," said a weak voice; "this is very good of you; but it makes me unhappy to see you here."
Lucy lost no time in taking sundry matters into her own hands, and ascertaining what was most wanted in that wretched household. For it was wretched enough. Their only servant, a girl of sixteen, had been taken away by her mother as soon as it became known that Mrs.
Crawley was ill with fever. The poor mother, to give her her due, had promised to come down morning and evening herself, to do such work as might be done in an hour or so; but she could not, she said, leave her child to catch the fever. And now, at the period of Lucy"s visit, no step had been taken to procure a nurse, Mr. Crawley having resolved to take upon himself the duties of that position. In his absolute ignorance of all sanatory measures, he had thrown himself on his knees to pray; and if prayers--true prayers--might succour his poor wife, of such succour she might be confident. Lucy, however, thought that other aid also was wanting to her.
"If you can do anything for us," said Mrs. Crawley, "let it be for the poor children."
"I will have them all moved from this till you are better," said Lucy, boldly.
"Moved!" said Mr. Crawley, who even now--even in his present strait--felt a repugnance to the idea that any one should relieve him of any portion of his burden.
"Yes," said Lucy; "I am sure it will be better that you should lose them for a week or two, till Mrs. Crawley may be able to leave her room."
"But where are they to go?" said he, very gloomily.
As to this Lucy was not as yet able to say anything. Indeed when she left Framley Parsonage there had been no time for discussion. She would go back and talk it all over with f.a.n.n.y, and find out in what way the children might be best put out of danger. Why should they not all be harboured at the parsonage, as soon as a.s.surance could be felt that they were not tainted with the poison of the fever? An English lady of the right sort will do all things but one for a sick neighbour; but for no neighbour will she wittingly admit contagious sickness within the precincts of her own nursery.
Lucy unloaded her jellies and her febrifuges, Mr. Crawley frowning at her bitterly the while. It had come to this with him, that food had been brought into his house, as an act of charity, in his very presence, and in his heart of hearts he disliked Lucy Robarts in that she had brought it. He could not cause the jars and the pots to be replaced in the pony-carriage, as he would have done had the position of his wife been different. In her state it would have been barbarous to refuse them, and barbarous also to have created the _fracas_ of a refusal; but each parcel that was introduced was an additional weight laid on the sore withers of his pride, till the total burden became almost intolerable. All this his wife saw and recognized even in her illness, and did make some slight ineffectual efforts to give him ease; but Lucy in her new power was ruthless, and the chicken to make the chicken-broth was taken out of the basket under his very nose.
But Lucy did not remain long. She had made up her mind what it behoved her to do herself, and she was soon ready to return to Framley. "I shall be back again, Mr. Crawley," she said, "probably this evening, and I shall stay with her till she is better." "Nurses don"t want rooms," she went on to say, when Mr. Crawley muttered something as to there being no bed-chamber. "I shall make up some sort of a litter near her; you"ll see that I shall be very snug." And then she got into the pony-chaise, and drove herself home.
CHAPTER x.x.xV.
THE STORY OF KING COPHETUA.
Lucy as she drove herself home had much as to which it was necessary that she should arouse her thoughts. That she would go back and nurse Mrs. Crawley through her fever she was resolved. She was free agent enough to take so much on herself, and to feel sure that she could carry it through. But how was she to redeem her promise about the children? Twenty plans ran through her mind, as to farm-houses in which they might be placed, or cottages which might be hired for them; but all these entailed the want of money; and at the present moment, were not all the inhabitants of the parsonage pledged to a dire economy? This use of the pony-carriage would have been illicit under any circ.u.mstances less pressing than the present, for it had been decided that the carriage, and even poor Puck himself, should be sold. She had, however, given her promise about the children, and though her own stock of money was very low, that promise should be redeemed.
When she reached the parsonage she was of course full of her schemes, but she found that another subject of interest had come up in her absence, which prevented her from obtaining the undivided attention of her sister-in-law to her present plans. Lady Lufton had returned that day, and immediately on her return had sent up a note addressed to Miss Lucy Robarts, which note was in f.a.n.n.y"s hands when Lucy stepped out of the pony-carriage. The servant who brought it had asked for an answer, and a verbal answer had been sent, saying that Miss Robarts was away from home, and would herself send a reply when she returned. It cannot be denied that the colour came to Lucy"s face, and that her hand trembled when she took the note from f.a.n.n.y in the drawing-room. Everything in the world to her might depend on what that note contained; and yet she did not open it at once, but stood with it in her hand, and when f.a.n.n.y pressed her on the subject, still endeavoured to bring back the conversation to the subject of Mrs.
Crawley.
But yet her mind was intent on the letter, and she had already augured ill from the handwriting and even from the words of the address. Had Lady Lufton intended to be propitious, she would have directed her letter to Miss Robarts, without the Christian name; so at least argued Lucy,--quite unconsciously, as one does argue in such matters. One forms half the conclusions of one"s life without any distinct knowledge that the premises have even pa.s.sed through one"s mind.
They were now alone together, as Mark was out.
"Won"t you open her letter?" said Mrs. Robarts.
"Yes, immediately; but, f.a.n.n.y, I must speak to you about Mrs. Crawley first. I must go back there this evening, and stay there; I have promised to do so, and shall certainly keep my promise. I have promised also that the children shall be taken away, and we must arrange about that. It is dreadful, the state she is in. There is no one to see to her but Mr. Crawley, and the children are altogether left to themselves."
"Do you mean that you are going back to stay?"
"Yes, certainly; I have made a distinct promise that I would do so. And about the children; could not you manage for the children, f.a.n.n.y,--not perhaps in the house; at least not at first perhaps?"
And yet during all the time that she was thus speaking and pleading for the Crawleys, she was endeavouring to imagine what might be the contents of that letter which she held between her fingers.
"And is she so very ill?" asked Mrs. Robarts.
"I cannot say how ill she may be, except this, that she certainly has typhus fever. They have had some doctor or doctor"s a.s.sistant from Silverbridge; but it seems to me that they are greatly in want of better advice."
"But, Lucy, will you not read your letter? It is astonishing to me that you should be so indifferent about it."
Lucy was anything but indifferent, and now did proceed to tear the envelope. The note was very short, and ran in these words,--
MY DEAR MISS ROBARTS,--I am particularly anxious to see you, and shall feel much obliged to you if you can step over to me here, at Framley Court. I must apologize for taking this liberty with you, but you will probably feel that an interview here would suit us both better than one at the parsonage. Truly yours,
M. LUFTON.