"Where is the use of being proud? She"s a very fine figure of a woman still. She wears wonderfully, and she has a most charming secretary: a sort of companion, a delightful girl. She and I walked down together almost to this door. She is in your shoes, my poor Florence; but she is really a _very_ nice girl."
"I have seen her to-day, mother; I know who she is," said Florence gravely; "her name is Bertha Keys."
"Bertha Keys," replied Mrs. Aylmer; "Bertha Keys?"
"You know who Bertha Keys is, mother. She is the girl, the pupil teacher, who behaved so badly at Cherry Court School six years ago."
"Oh, we won"t mention that affair; it is dead and buried; we are not going to dig it out of its grave," replied Mrs. Aylmer.
Florence did not reply. She looked full at her mother.
"Bertha has been saying something to her," she thought; "she has been trying to influence her. Those were almost Bertha"s own words." She got up hastily.
"The fact is, mother, I do not care to talk of it," she said; "the whole thing has upset me very much."
"Well, darling, I cannot think that it is your affair. It is bitterly disappointing that you should have lost your Aunt Susan"s patronage. How proud I should be of you now if you were really her adopted daughter."
"Why, no, mother, you would not see me; you forget that part."
"To be sure, how stupid I am!" said Mrs. Aylmer. "Well, your aunt was most agreeable to-day: not so stingy either. We had quite a nice little tea; and that young man I told you of, Mr. Trevor, he came in. He is a charming person, my dear; quite fascinating. I was much taken with him.
I longed to ask him to call, but I saw that Susan would allow no liberties. He chatted to me all the time, and was so agreeable. I am quite delighted with him."
"We are going for a walk now, mother," said Florence.
"Well, dear, do; you both look pale. I want you to get nice and sunburnt, and to have a right good time. Yes, I am quite pleased with my visit. There is no use in quarrelling with your relations, and Susan, the moment she looked at my poor turned skirt--it is shiny, is it not, Miss Sharston?--she spoke about that trunk of clothes which is to arrive next week. She turned to the charming Miss Keys, and asked her to collect them."
"And you stood it, mother; you really stood it," said Florence, the colour coming and going on her face.
"My dear, good girl, beggars cannot be choosers. I have been absolutely at my wits" ends for clothes since Susan has been so thoughtless. I not only stood it, but on the way home I gave Miss Keys a hint as to the sort of things I wanted. I told her to try and smuggle into the trunk one of your aunt"s rich black silks. She said she thought she could manage it, as she has at least four or five at the present moment, and never can tell herself how many she has. I told Miss Keys to let it be four in the future, and send the fifth on to me, and she laughed. She is a very clever, agreeable girl, and said she thought it could be done. I am made. I"ll astonish the neighbours this winter."
"Come out, Kitty," said poor Florence, turning to her companion. She felt that, fond as she was of the little Mummy, she could not endure any more of her society for the present.
The moment the girls had departed, Mrs. Aylmer, who was standing on tiptoe near the window to watch them as they went slowly away in the direction of the beach, turned abruptly, went to the door of the little sitting-room, and locked it. She then put her hand into her pocket.
"Is it true? Have I the evidence of my own senses?" she thought. "I never met a nicer girl than Miss Keys. Of course, she did wrong years ago: but so, for that matter, did my own poor Florence. She really can be made of great use. That black silk will be invaluable, and...." Here the widow, from the depths of her pocket, brought out four sovereigns.
"She says she can give me more by-and-by, and I am to influence Florence. Of course I will. Do I envy the poor child her post? By no means. As Florence cannot occupy it, as well she as another. That she is setting her cap at that handsome Mr. Trevor there is no doubt; but perhaps Florence can win him over her head. We will see about that.
Anyhow, I am not going to injure the poor, dear girl, and I shall tell Florence so."
Mrs. Aylmer felt far too excited to sit down. From the depths of poverty she suddenly felt herself raised almost to a pinnacle of wealth, as she estimated it.
Four golden sovereigns and the faithful promise of one of Susan"s best silk dresses. "There will be lots of odds and ends besides," thought the little widow. "I am made! I am made! Now, if I only could! if I only could!"
As she considered the possibility of a very definite line of action, she still continued to stand by the tiny window of the sitting room, and from this vantage-point she saw a young man in a grey tweed suit strolling slowly in the direction of the sea-beach.
"Mr. Trevor!" she said to herself; "Mr. Maurice Trevor, as gentlemanly-looking a young fellow as I have seen for many a day. He reminds me of poor dear Florence"s father. He had just that downright sort of air, and he was fond of sticking his hands into his pockets too--yes, and he used to whistle, as I see that young fellow is whistling. I am always told that whistling is a good sign: it shows a generous disposition. If I am not greatly mistaken, that young man Maurice Trevor is generous and open-handed; he"ll suit me. Now, if I could only introduce them! Florence and Kitty Sharston are on the beach--Mr. Trevor is going down to the beach. I"ll go and take a walk.
It is a fine evening, and it will do me good."
No sooner had this thought come to Mrs. Aylmer than she bustled into the kitchen.
"Well, ma"am," said Sukey, in a cross voice, "have you washed up the tea-things yet? We"re in a rare mull this afternoon with those two young ladies in the house, and I can"t do more than I said I would do. You promised that the tea-things should be your care, ma"am; and are they washed up? That"s what I want to know."
"Oh, my dear good Sukey, don"t worry about the tea-things now," said Mrs. Aylmer. "I am in no end of a flurry. A beautiful new black silk dress is promised to me, Sukey, and I am made in other ways too. You wash them up, and I"ll give you threepence; I will--I promise you."
"You can"t afford it, ma"am. What"s the good of promising what you haven"t got?" said the obdurate Sukey.
"I will; I declare I will, and I"ll bring in something nice and tasty for supper. You wash the tea-things, there"s a good soul!"
Mrs. Aylmer scarcely waited for Sukey"s very indignant reply. The next moment she was out of the house.
She could walk quickly enough when she chose, and she knew every yard of the ground. Soon she was on the beach. Mr. Trevor was walking slowly in front of her. He was smoking a cigarette, his straw hat was pushed slightly forward over his blue eyes, his hands were still in his pockets, he was looking straight ahead of him, and as he slowly sauntered forward he was thinking. His thoughts were evidently not quite to his taste, for he frowned now and then, and looked over the wide expanse of sands, and occasionally he stood quite still. Thus Mrs.
Aylmer found it easy to catch him up. She did so with a little pattering run which was one of her characteristics.
"Good evening, Mr. Trevor," she said, in her cheerful tone.
He started when she spoke to him, turned to look at her, and then took off his hat.
"Good evening," he said; "I did not recognise you at first."
"No wonder, as you only saw me for the first time to-day. I am taking a stroll; it is very pleasant here in the evenings, is it not?"
"Very pleasant! It is a charming place," said Trevor.
Mrs. Aylmer considered for a moment whether she should proceed on her walk alone, or whether she should try to induce the young man to accompany her.
"I am looking for my girls," she said; "they went down on the beach half an hour ago. Did you happen to see them, Mr. Trevor, as you were walking?"
"I have only just come out. I have not seen anyone," was his answer.
"Are you quite sure? I _know_ they were going on the sands, my two girls, my daughter and her friend. I should like to introduce you to my daughter, Mr. Trevor."
"I should be pleased to know her," he answered, still speaking in that vague sort of way which showed that he was thinking of something else.
Mrs. Aylmer held both her hands before her eyes. Thus shaded from the evening sun, she was able to look long and steadily across the beach.
"I do declare I believe those two are the very girls we are looking for," she cried; "if you will come with me now (and I don"t suppose you have anything special to do) I"ll introduce you."
Trevor had, of course, no excuse to make. He was not interested in Mrs.
Aylmer"s daughter, nor in Mrs. Aylmer herself, but as well walk with her as alone. So the two stepped briskly across the sands.
"It was the greatest possible pleasure to me to meet you to-day,"
continued the little widow; "I am so glad that my poor sister-in-law has a bright young fellow like you to look thoroughly after her affairs."
"But I don"t look after them," he said; "Mrs. Aylmer has been extremely good to me, but the person who manages her business affairs is that very clever young lady, Miss Keys."
"Oh, what a genius she is!" said Mrs. Aylmer; "a wonderful girl, quite charming."
"Do you think so?" answered Trevor. He looked at the little widow, and the faintest dawn of an amused smile stole into his eyes.