"How do you do, Mr. Sowerby?" said Miss Dunstable, walking almost into the doorway to welcome him. "Better late than never."
"I have only just got away from the House," said he, as he gave her his hand.
"Oh, I know well that you are _sans reproche_ among senators;--as Mr.
Harold Smith is _sans peur_;--eh, my dear?"
"I must confess that you have contrived to be uncommonly severe upon them both," said Mrs. Harold, laughing; "and as regards poor Harold, most undeservedly so: Nathaniel is here, and may defend himself."
"And no one is better able to do so on all occasions. But, my dear Mr. Sowerby, I am dying of despair. Do you think he"ll come?"
"He? who?"
"You stupid man--as if there were more than one he! There were two, but the other has been."
"Upon my word, I don"t understand," said Mr. Sowerby, now again at his ease. "But can I do anything? shall I go and fetch any one? Oh, Tom Towers! I fear I can"t help you. But here he is at the foot of the stairs!" And then Mr. Sowerby stood back with his sister to make way for the great representative man of the age.
"Angels and ministers of grace, a.s.sist me!" said Miss Dunstable. "How on earth am I to behave myself? Mr. Sowerby, do you think that I ought to kneel down? My dear, will he have a reporter at his back in the royal livery?" And then Miss Dunstable advanced two or three steps--not into the doorway, as she had done for Mr. Sowerby--put out her hand, and smiled her sweetest on Mr. Towers, of the _Jupiter_.
"Mr. Towers," she said, "I am delighted to have this opportunity of seeing you in my own house."
"Miss Dunstable, I am immensely honoured by the privilege of being here," said he.
"The honour done is all conferred on me," and she bowed and curtseyed with very stately grace. Each thoroughly understood the badinage of the other; and then, in a few moments, they were engaged in very easy conversation.
"By-the-by, Sowerby, what do you think of this threatened dissolution?" said Tom Towers.
"We are all in the hands of Providence," said Mr. Sowerby, striving to take the matter without any outward show of emotion. But the question was one of terrible import to him, and up to this time he had heard of no such threat. Nor had Mrs. Harold Smith, nor Miss Dunstable, nor had a hundred others who now either listened to the vaticinations of Mr. Towers, or to the immediate report made of them. But it is given to some men to originate such tidings, and the performance of the prophecy is often brought about by the authority of the prophet. On the following morning the rumour that there would be a dissolution was current in all high circles. "They have no conscience in such matters; no conscience whatever," said a small G.o.d, speaking of the giants,--a small G.o.d, whose const.i.tuency was expensive.
Mr. Towers stood there chatting for about twenty minutes, and then took his departure without making his way into the room. He had answered the purpose for which he had been invited, and left Miss Dunstable in a happy frame of mind.
"I am very glad that he came," said Mrs. Harold Smith, with an air of triumph.
"Yes, I am glad," said Miss Dunstable, "though I am thoroughly ashamed that I should be so. After all, what good has he done to me or to any one?" And having uttered this moral reflection, she made her way into the rooms, and soon discovered Dr. Thorne standing by himself against the wall.
"Well, doctor," she said, "where are Mary and Frank? You do not look at all comfortable, standing here by yourself."
"I am quite as comfortable as I expected, thank you," said he. "They are in the room somewhere, and, as I believe, equally happy."
"That"s spiteful in you, doctor, to speak in that way. What would you say if you were called on to endure all that I have gone through this evening?"
"There is no accounting for tastes, but I presume you like it."
"I am not so sure of that. Give me your arm, and let me get some supper. One always likes the idea of having done hard work, and one always likes to have been successful."
"We all know that virtue is its own reward," said the doctor.
"Well, that is something hard upon me," said Miss Dunstable, as she sat down to table. "And you really think that no good of any sort can come from my giving such a party as this?"
"Oh, yes; some people, no doubt, have been amused."
"It is all vanity in your estimation," said Miss Dunstable; "vanity and vexation of spirit. Well; there is a good deal of the latter, certainly. Sherry, if you please. I would give anything for a gla.s.s of beer, but that is out of the question. Vanity and vexation of spirit! And yet I meant to do good."
"Pray, do not suppose that I am condemning you, Miss Dunstable."
"Ah, but I do suppose it. Not only you, but another also, whose judgment I care for perhaps more than yours; and that, let me tell you, is saying a great deal. You do condemn me, Dr. Thorne, and I also condemn myself. It is not that I have done wrong, but the game is not worth the candle."
"Ah; that"s the question."
"The game is not worth the candle. And yet it was a triumph to have both the duke and Tom Towers. You must confess that I have not.
managed badly."
Soon after that the Greshams went away, and in an hour"s time or so, Miss Dunstable was allowed to drag herself to her own bed.
That is the great question to be asked on all such occasions, "Is the game worth the candle?"
CHAPTER x.x.x.
THE GRANTLY TRIUMPH.
It has been mentioned cursorily--the reader, no doubt, will have forgotten it--that Mrs. Grantly was not specially invited by her husband to go up to town with a view of being present at Miss Dunstable"s party. Mrs. Grantly said nothing on the subject, but she was somewhat chagrined; not on account of the loss she sustained with reference to that celebrated a.s.sembly, but because she felt that her daughter"s affairs required the supervision of a mother"s eye. She also doubted the final ratification of that Lufton-Grantly treaty, and, doubting it, she did not feel quite satisfied that her daughter should be left in Lady Lufton"s hands. She had said a word or two to the archdeacon before he went up, but only a word or two, for she hesitated to trust him in so delicate a matter. She was, therefore, not a little surprised at receiving, on the second morning after her husband"s departure, a letter from him desiring her immediate presence in London. She was surprised; but her heart was filled rather with hope than dismay, for she had full confidence in her daughter"s discretion.
On the morning after the party, Lady Lufton and Griselda had breakfasted together as usual, but each felt that the manner of the other was altered. Lady Lufton thought that her young friend was somewhat less attentive, and perhaps less meek in her demeanour, than usual; and Griselda felt that Lady Lufton was less affectionate. Very little, however, was said between them, and Lady Lufton expressed no surprise when Griselda begged to be left alone at home, instead of accompanying her ladyship when the carriage came to the door.
n.o.body called in Bruton Street that afternoon--no one, at least, was let in--except the archdeacon. He came there late in the day, and remained with his daughter till Lady Lufton returned. Then he took his leave, with more abruptness than was usual with him, and without saying anything special to account for the duration of his visit.
Neither did Griselda say anything special; and so the evening wore away, each feeling in some unconscious manner that she was on less intimate terms with the other than had previously been the case.
On the next day also Griselda would not go out, but at four o"clock a servant brought a letter to her from Mount Street. Her mother had arrived in London and wished to see her at once. Mrs. Grantly sent her love to Lady Lufton, and would call at half-past five, or at any later hour at which it might be convenient for Lady Lufton to see her. Griselda was to stay and dine in Mount Street; so said the letter. Lady Lufton declared that she would be very happy to see Mrs. Grantly at the hour named; and then, armed with this message, Griselda started for her mother"s lodgings.
"I"ll send the carriage for you," said Lady Lufton. "I suppose about ten will do."
"Thank you," said Griselda, "that will do very nicely;" and then she went.
Exactly at half-past five Mrs. Grantly was shown into Lady Lufton"s drawing-room. Her daughter did not come with her, and Lady Lufton could see by the expression of her friend"s face that business was to be discussed. Indeed, it was necessary that she herself should discuss business, for Mrs. Grantly must now be told that the family treaty could not be ratified. The gentleman declined the alliance, and poor Lady Lufton was uneasy in her mind at the nature of the task before her.
"Your coming up has been rather unexpected," said Lady Lufton, as soon as her friend was seated on the sofa.
"Yes, indeed; I got a letter from the archdeacon only this morning, which made it absolutely necessary that I should come."
"No bad news, I hope?" said Lady Lufton.
"No; I can"t call it bad news. But, dear Lady Lufton, things won"t always turn out exactly as one would have them."
"No, indeed," said her ladyship, remembering that it was inc.u.mbent on her to explain to Mrs. Grantly now at this present interview the tidings with which her mind was fraught. She would, however, let Mrs.
Grantly first tell her own story, feeling, perhaps, that the one might possibly bear upon the other.