"I have said nothing about that."
"But you look as if you had believed it."
"Do I? Let us see what sort of a look it is, this look of faith."
And Miss Dunstable got up and went to the gla.s.s over the fire-place.
"But, Mary, my dear, ain"t you old enough to know that you should not credit people"s looks? You should believe nothing now-a-days; and I did not believe the story about poor Lady Scatcherd. I know the doctor well enough to be sure that he is not a marrying man."
"What a nasty, hackneyed, false phrase that is--that of a marrying man! It sounds as though some men were in the habit of getting married three or four times a month."
"It means a great deal all the same. One can tell very soon whether a man is likely to marry or no."
"And can one tell the same of a woman?"
"The thing is so different. All unmarried women are necessarily in the market; but if they behave themselves properly they make no signs. Now there was Griselda Grantly; of course she intended to get herself a husband, and a very grand one she has got; but she always looked as though b.u.t.ter would not melt in her mouth. It would have been very wrong to call her a marrying girl."
"Oh, of course she was," says Mrs. Gresham, with that sort of acrimony which one pretty young woman so frequently expresses with reference to another. "But if one could always tell of a woman, as you say you can of a man, I should be able to tell of you. Now, I wonder whether you are a marrying woman? I have never been able to make up my mind yet."
Miss Dunstable remained silent for a few moments, as though she were at first minded to take the question as being, in some sort, one made in earnest; but then she attempted to laugh it off. "Well, I wonder at that," said she, "as it was only the other day I told you how many offers I had refused."
"Yes; but you did not tell me whether any had been made that you meant to accept."
"None such was ever made to me. Talking of that, I shall never forget your cousin, the Honourable George."
"He is not my cousin."
"Well, your husband"s. It would not be fair to show a man"s letters; but I should like to show you his."
"You are determined, then, to remain single?"
"I didn"t say that. But why do you cross-question me so?"
"Because I think so much about you. I am afraid that you will become so afraid of men"s motives as to doubt that any one can be honest.
And yet sometimes I think you would be a happier woman and a better woman, if you were married."
"To such an one as the Honourable George, for instance?"
"No, not to such an one as him; you have probably picked out the worst."
"Or to Mr. Sowerby?"
"Well, no; not to Mr. Sowerby, either. I would not have you marry any man that looked to you for your money princ.i.p.ally."
"And how is it possible that I should expect any one to look to me princ.i.p.ally for anything else? You don"t see my difficulty, my dear?
If I had only five hundred a year, I might come across some decent middle-aged personage, like myself, who would like me, myself, pretty well, and would like my little income--pretty well also. He would not tell me any violent lie, and perhaps no lie at all. I should take to him in the same sort of way, and we might do very well. But, as it is, how is it possible that any disinterested person should learn to like me? How could such a man set about it? If a sheep have two heads, is not the fact of the two heads the first and, indeed, only thing which the world regards in that sheep? Must it not be so as a matter of course? I am a sheep with two heads. All this money which my father put together, and which has been growing since like gra.s.s under May showers, has turned me into an abortion. I am not the giantess eight feet high, or the dwarf that stands in the man"s hand,--"
"Or the two-headed sheep--"
"But I am the unmarried woman with--half a dozen millions of money--as I believe some people think. Under such circ.u.mstances have I a fair chance of getting my own sweet bit of gra.s.s to nibble, like any ordinary animal with one head? I never was very beautiful, and I am not more so now than I was fifteen years ago."
"I am quite sure it is not that which hinders it. You would not call yourself plain; and even plain women are married every day, and are loved, too, as well as pretty women."
"Are they? Well, we won"t say more about that; but I don"t expect a great many lovers on account of my beauty. If ever you hear of such an one, mind you tell me."
It was almost on Mrs. Gresham"s tongue to say that she did know of one such--meaning her uncle. But in truth, she did not know any such thing; nor could she boast to herself that she had good grounds for feeling that it was so--certainly none sufficient to justify her in speaking of it. Her uncle had said no word to her on the matter, and had been confused and embarra.s.sed when the idea of such a marriage was hinted to him. But, nevertheless, Mrs. Gresham did think that each of these two was well inclined to love the other, and that they would be happier together than they would be single. The difficulty, however, was very great, for the doctor would be terribly afraid of being thought covetous in regard to Miss Dunstable"s money; and it would hardly be expected that she should be induced to make the first overture to the doctor.
"My uncle would be the only man that I can think of that would be at all fit for you," said Mrs. Gresham, boldly.
"What, and rob poor Lady Scatcherd!" said Miss Dunstable.
"Oh, very well. If you choose to make a joke of his name in that way, I have done."
"Why, G.o.d bless the girl! what does she want me to say? And as for joking, surely that is innocent enough. You"re as tender about the doctor as though he were a girl of seventeen."
"It"s not about him; but it"s such a shame to laugh at poor dear Lady Scatcherd. If she were to hear it she"d lose all comfort in having my uncle near her."
"And I"m to marry him, so that she may be safe with her friend!"
"Very well; I have done." And Mrs. Gresham, who had already got up from her seat, employed herself very sedulously in arranging flowers which had been brought in for the drawing-room tables. Thus they remained silent for a minute or two, during which she began to reflect that, after all, it might probably be thought that she also was endeavouring to catch the great heiress for her uncle.
"And now you are angry with me," said Miss Dunstable.
"No, I am not."
"Oh, but you are. Do you think I"m such a fool as not to see when a person"s vexed? You wouldn"t have twitched that geranium"s head off if you"d been in a proper frame of mind."
"I don"t like that joke about Lady Scatcherd."
"And is that all, Mary? Now do try and be true, if you can. You remember the bishop? _Magna est veritas._"
"The fact is you"ve got into such a way of being sharp, and saying sharp things among your friends up in London, that you can hardly answer a person without it."
"Can"t I? Dear, dear, what a Mentor you are, Mary! No poor lad that ever ran up from Oxford for a spree in town got so lectured for his dissipation and iniquities as I do. Well, I beg Dr. Thorne"s pardon, and Lady Scatcherd"s, and I won"t be sharp any more; and I will--let me see, what was it I was to do? Marry him myself, I believe; was not that it?"
"No; you"re not half good enough for him."
"I know that. I"m quite sure of that. Though I am so sharp, I"m very humble. You can"t accuse me of putting any very great value on myself."
"Perhaps not as much as you ought to do--on yourself."
"Now, what do you mean, Mary? I won"t be bullied and teased, and have innuendos thrown out at me, because you"ve got something on your mind, and don"t quite dare to speak it out. If you have got anything to say, say it."
But Mrs. Gresham did not choose to say it at that moment. She held her peace, and went on arranging her flowers--now with a more satisfied air, and without destruction to the geraniums. And when she had grouped her bunches properly she carried the jar from one part of the room to another, backwards and forwards, trying the effect of the colours, as though her mind was quite intent upon her flowers, and was for the moment wholly unoccupied with any other subject.
But Miss Dunstable was not the woman to put up with this. She sat silent in her place, while her friend made one or two turns about the room; and then she got up from her seat also. "Mary," she said, "give over about those wretched bits of green branches and leave the jars where they are. You"re trying to fidget me into a pa.s.sion."
"Am I?" said Mrs. Gresham, standing opposite to a big bowl, and putting her head a little on one side, as though she could better look at her handiwork in that position.
"You know you are; and it"s all because you lack courage to speak out. You didn"t begin at me in this way for nothing."