Heartsease or Brother's Wife

by Шарлотта Мэри Йондж

  'Never mind mine. Stupid things that came as heir-looms, and have no pleasure belonging to them. The only thing I do care for is this'--and she drew out a locket from within her dress. 'There, that is my father's hair, and that is my little brother's. They both died before I can remember; and there is dear mamma's nice pepper-and-salt lock round them.'

  Theodora swept by in black lace, her coronal of hair wreathed with large pearls, and her lofty air like the Tragic Muse.

  'Comparing ornaments! Worthy of such a friendship,' thought she, as she held back, and made them go down before her, Emma glad to hold by Violet's arm for protection.

  Mrs. Nesbit was in the drawing-room talking to Lady Elizabeth, and with her keen piercing eyes watching John, who was reading the newspaper by the table. She was pleased to see him lay it aside, look up, and smile, as the two friends entered, but she could have beaten them both, the one for her insignificance, and the other for her radiant loveliness; and she was still further provoked to see Miss Brandon sit down as near her mother as possible, while Violet went up to him to show him her bracelet. She stood by him for some little time, while he was examining and praising it, and congratulating her on the choice bouquet that Harrison had bestowed on her, but surprised to see her eyes cast pensively down, and a grave look on that fair young face. He little suspected that she was saddened by the contrast between her joys and his sorrow and ill health, and thought it unkind to speak of her delight to one so far removed from it.

  Theodora began to indulge in a hearty grumbling.

  'Well, my dear,' said Mrs. Nesbit, 'you will only show yourselves there, and go home. Miss Brandon is not more inclined to Whitford balls than you are.'

  'No, I am rather surprised at having dragged Emma so far,' said Lady Elizabeth. 'I hope they will both find it turn out better than they expect. You must teach them,' and she looked smilingly at Violet.

  Mrs. Nesbit was extremely annoyed at the quantity of notice Violet had lately received, and was the more resolved to put her down. 'No one can expect them to like country balls,' she said. 'One attends them as a duty, for the sake of the neighbourhood; but as to pleasure in them, that is only for the young ladies of the place on the look-out for the military.'

  She had fulfilled her purpose of making every one uncomfortable, except one--namely, Violet. John looked at her, and perceived she was too innocent and clear in conscience to understand or appropriate the taunt, so he thought it better to leave the field open to Lady Elizabeth's calm reply, 'Well, I used to enjoy country balls very much in my time.'

  Arthur evaporated his indignation by shaking his foot, and murmuring, not so low but that his sister heard it, 'Old hag!'

  Lord and Lady Martindale came in together, and Violet's blushing gratitude was so pretty and bright that it made Lord Martindale smile, and silence it by a kiss, which perhaps surprised and gratified her more than the bracelet did.

  Lady Elizabeth begged to have her in her carriage; and growing intimate in the sociable darkness, she found out that the mother was as loveable as the daughter, and was as much at home with them as if she had known them for years.

  The evening exceeded even Violet's anticipations, though her one former ball had been such as could never be equalled. Lord Martindale wished every one to know how entirely he accepted his new daughter, so he gave his arm to her, and presented her to the principal ladies, while she felt herself followed by her husband's encouraging and exulting eye. It certainly was a very different thing to go into society as Miss Violet Moss or as Mrs. Arthur Martindale, and there was a start of fear as the thought crossed her--was her pleasure pride and vanity?

  She was chiefly sorry that she could not see Miss Brandon enjoy herself: all that could be extracted from her by the most animated appeal was a resigned smile, and a little quizzing of some of the sillier young ladies. She professed, however, that she had never disliked any ball so little, since she had the pleasure of watching Mrs. Martindale, hearing how universally she was acknowledged to be the prettiest person present, and telling Arthur all that was said of her.

  Miss Brandon and Arthur had for some years past kept at a respectful distance, each in dread of designs of the other; but now they were fast resuming the childish familiarity of tone of the ancient times, when the rough but good-natured, gentlemanlike boy had been a companion much preferred to the determined, domineering girl. They danced a quadrille, and talked a great deal of Violet. Emma began to think much better of his capacity.

  As to Theodora, she was talking, laughing, dancing, and appearing so full of spirits, that Violet could not help venturing a remark, that she surely liked it better than she expected.

  'Not at all,' was the answer; 'but if one is to make oneself absurd, it is as well not to do so by halves.'

  So far was she from doing so by halves, that when her mother was ready to go home, she was engaged so many deep, that it was settled she should be left with Arthur and Violet. She danced indefatigably till morning shone into the room, and was handed into the carriage by a gentleman who, it was the private opinion of her young chaperone, had, like Arthur, fallen in love at first sight. Poor man! it was a pity he could not know about Mr. Wingfield; or she could almost suppose that Theodora did not care so much for Mr. Wingfield, after all.

  The drive home was very amusing. Violet was so tired that it was a trouble to speak; but she liked to hear the brother and sister discuss the ball, and laugh over the people; and leant back in her corner so comfortably, that she only dreaded the moment of rousing herself to walk up-stairs.

  Theodora never stopped talking all the way, sprung nimbly out of the carriage, ran up the steps, and admired the morning sky; and Violet believed she did not go to bed at all, for it seemed a very short time before the distant notes of the singing class were heard; yet she looked as fresh and blooming as ever when they met at breakfast, and did not flag in any of her usual employments.

  The other ladies were capable of nothing but loitering; and it was a day for making great advances in intimacy. Most delightful was that first friendship, as they wandered arm-in-arm, talked gravely or gaily, and entered more and more into each other's minds. Theodora held aloof, despising their girlish caressing ways, and regarding the intimacy with the less toleration because it was likely to serve as a pretext to Mrs. Nesbit for promoting her views for John; and though the fewest words possible had passed between him and Miss Brandon, she found that Mrs. Nesbit was building hopes on the satisfaction he showed in conversing with Lady Elizabeth. The visit ended with a warm invitation to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Martindale to come and stay at Rickworth before they left the country.

  CHAPTER 6

  Is it that they have a fear Of the dreary season near, Or that other pleasures be Sweeter even than gaiety?--WORDSWORTH

  Were they to leave the country? This was still under consideration. The next fortnight made some difference in Theodora's wishes respecting Brogden Cottage. Violet becoming less timid, ventured to show that she took interest in poor people; and Theodora was pleased by finding her able to teach at school, and to remember the names of the children. Especially her sweet looks and signs gained the heart of little Charley Layton, the dumb boy at the lodge--the creature on whom Theodora bestowed the most time and thought. And on her begging to be shown the dumb alphabet, as the two sisters crossed fingers, they became, for one evening, almost intimate.

  Theodora began to think of her as not only harmless, but likely to be useful in the parish; and could afford to let Arthur have her for a plaything, since he made herself his confidante. She withdrew her opposition; but it was too late. Arthur had declared that he could not live there without L2500 a year, and this his father neither could nor would give him. The expense of building the house, and the keeping up of such a garden and establishment, did not leave too much available of the wealth Lady Martindale had brought, nor was the West Indian property in a prosperous state; the demand was preposterous; and Theodora found herself obliged to defend poor Violet, who, her aun
t declared, must have instigated it in consequence of the notice lavished upon her; while, as Theodora averred with far more truth, 'it was as much as the poor thing did to know the difference between a ten-pound note and a five.' Twelve hundred pounds a year, and the rent of a house in London, was what his elder brother would have married upon; and this, chiefly by John's influence, was fixed as the allowance, in addition to his pay; and as his promotion was now purchased for him, he had far more than he had any right to expect, though he did not seem to think so, and grumbled to Theodora about the expense of the garden, as if it was consuming his patrimony.

  How the income would hold out, between his carelessness and her inexperience, was a question over which his father sighed, and gave good advice, which Arthur heard with the same sleepy, civil air of attention, as had served him under the infliction many times before.

  John gave only one piece of advice, namely, that he should consign a fixed sum for household expenses into his wife's hands; so that he might not be subject to continued applications.

  On this he acted; and subtracting to himself, wine, men, and horses, the full amount of his bachelor income, he, for the first time, communicated to Violet the result of the various consultations.

  'So the upshot of it all is, that we are to have a house somewhere in Belgravia,' he began.

  'That is near Lord Martindale's London house, is it not?'

  'Yes; you will be in the way of all that is going on.'

  'Do we go there next month?'

  'I suppose so.'

  'Oh! I am glad.'

  'Are you? I thought you liked being here.'

  'Yes, yes, of course, that I do; but it will be so pleasant to be at home, and to have you all to myself.'

  She repented the next moment, as if it had been a complaint; but he was gratified, and called her a little monopolist.

  'Oh, I don't mean to be troublesome to you,' said she, earnestly; 'I shall have so much more to do in our own house, that I shall not miss you so much when you are out; besides, we can have Annette to stay with us.'

  'We'll see about that. But look here,' laying a paper with some figures before her; 'that's all my father leaves me for you to keep house with. I put it into your hands, and you must do the best you can with it.'

  'You don t mean to put all that into my hands!' exclaimed Violet in alarm. 'What a sum!'

  'You won't think so by the end of the year; but mind, this must do; it will be of no use to come to me for more.'

  'Then is it little?' asked Violet.

  'See what you think of it by and by; you won't find it such an easy thing to make both ends meet.'

  'I will write and ask mamma to tell me how to manage.'

  'Indeed,' said Arthur, with sharpness such as she had never seen in him before, 'I beg you will not. I won't have my affairs the town talk of Wrangerton.' But seeing her look frightened, and ready to cry, he softened instantly, and said, affectionately, 'No, no, Violet, we must keep our concerns to ourselves. I don't want to serve for the entertainment of Matilda's particular friends.'

  'Mamma wouldn't tell--'

  'I'll trust no house of seven women.'

  'But how am I to know how to manage?'

  'Never mind; you'll get on. It comes as naturally to women as if it was shooting or fishing.'

  'I wonder how I shall begin! I don't know anything.'

  'Buy a cookery book.'

  'Aunt Moss gave me one; I didn't mean that. But, oh, dear, there's the hiring of servants, and buying things!'

  'Don't ask me: it is woman's work, and always to be done behind the scenes. If there's a thing I mortally hate, it is those housekeeper bodies who go about talking of their good cooks.'

  Violet was silenced, but after much meditation she humbly begged for answers to one or two questions. 'Was she to pay the servants' wages out of this?'

  'Your maids--of course.'

  'And how many are we to have?'

  'As many as will do the work.'

  'A cook and housemaid--I wonder if that would be enough?'

  'Don't ask me, that's all'

  'I know you don't like to be teased,' she said, submissively; 'but one or two things I do want to know. Is James to be in the house?'

  'Why, yes; he is a handy fellow. We will have him down for Simmonds to give him some training.'

  'Then ought we to have two maids or three?'

  He held up his hands, and escaped.

  That morning John, happening to come into the drawing-room, found Violet disconsolately covering a sheet of paper with figures.

  'Abstruse calculations?' said he.

  'Yes, very,' said she, sighing, with the mystified face of a child losing its way in a long sum.

  He did not like to leave her in such evident difficulties, and said, with a smile, 'Your budget? Are you good at arithmetic?'

  'I can do the sums, if that was all, but I don't know what to set out from, or anything about it. Mamma said she could not think how I should keep house.'

  'She would be the best person to give you counsel, I should think.'

  'Yes, but--' and she looked down, struggling with tears, 'I must not write to ask her.'

  'How so!'

  'Arthur says the Wrangerton people would gossip, and I should not like that,' said she; 'only it is very hard to make out for myself, and those things tease Arthur.'

  'They are not much in his line,' said John; 'I don't know,' he added, hesitating, 'whether it would be of any use to you to talk it over with me. There was a time when I considered the management of such an income; and though it never came to practice, mine may be better than no notions at all.'

  'Oh, thank you!' said Violet, eagerly; then, pausing, she said, with a sweet embarrassment, 'only--you can't like it.'

  'Thank you,' replied he, with kind earnestness; 'I should like to be of use to you.'

  'It is just what I want. I am sure Arthur would like me to do it. You see this is what he gives me, and I am to buy everything out of it.'

  'The best plan,' said John; 'it never answers to be always applying for money.'

  'No,' said Violet, thoughtfully, as she recollected certain home scenes, and then was angry with herself for fancying Arthur could wear such looks as those which all the house dreaded.

  Meanwhile John had perceived how differently Arthur had apportioned the income from what his own intentions had been. He had great doubts of the possibility of her well-doing, but he kept them to himself. He advised her to consider her items, and soon saw she was more bewildered than helpless. He knew no more than Arthur on the knotty point of the number of maids, but he was able to pronounce her plan sensible, and her eyes brightened, as she spoke of a housemaid of mamma's who wanted to better herself, and get out of the way of the little ones, 'who were always racketing.'

  'And now,' said John, 'we passed over one important question--or is that settled otherwise?--your own pocket-money!'

  'Oh! I have plenty. Arthur gave me fifty pounds when we went through London, and I have twelve left.'

  'But for the future! Is it included here?'

  'I should think so. Oh!' shocked at the sum he set down, 'a quarter of that would be enough for my dress.'

  'I don't think Miss Standaloft would say so,' said John, smiling.

  'But Arthur said we must economize, and I promised to be as little expense as possible. Please let me write down half that.'

  'No, no,' said John, retaining the pencil, 'not with my consent. Leave yourself the power of giving. Besides, this is to cover all the sundries you cannot charge as household expenses. Now let me mark off another hundred for casualties, and here is what you will have for the year. Now divide.'

  'Surely, two people and three servants can't eat all that in one week.'

  'Fires, candles,' said John, amused, but poor Violet was quite overpowered.

  'Oh, dear! how many things I never thought of! Mamma said I was too young! These coals. Can you tell me anything about them?'

  'I am afraid not
. You are getting beyond me. If you wanted to know the cost of lodgings in Italy or the south of France, I could help you; but, after all, experience is better bought than borrowed.'

  'But what shall I do? Suppose I make Arthur uncomfortable, or spend his money as I ought not when he trusts me?'

  'Suppose you don't,' said John. 'Why should you not become an excellent housewife? Indeed, I think you will' he proceeded, as she fixed her eyes on him. 'You see the principle in its right light. This very anxiety is the best pledge. If your head was only full of the pleasure of being mistress of a house, that would make me uneasy about you and Arthur.'

  'Oh! that would be too bad! Mamma has talked to me so much. She said I must make it a rule never to have debts. She showed me how she pays her bills every week, and gave me a great book like hers. I began at Winchester.'

  'Why, Violet, instead of knowing nothing, I think you know a great deal!'

  She smiled, and said something about mamma. 'I don't say you will not make mistakes,' he continued, 'but they will be steps to learn by. Your allowance is not large. It seems only fair to tell you that it may not be sufficient. So, if you find the expenses exceed the week's portion, don't try to scramble on; it will only be discomfort at the time, and will lead to worse. Go boldly to Arthur, and make him attend; it is the only way to peace and security.'

  'I see,' said Violet, thoughtfully. 'Oh, I hope I shall do right. One thing I should like. I mean, I thought one ought to set apart something for giving away.'

  'That is one use in reserving something for yourself,' said John, in his kindest manner. 'Of the rest, you are only Arthur's steward.'

  'Yes, I hope I shall manage well.'

  'You will if you keep your present frame of mind.'

  'But I am so young and ignorant. I did not think enough about it when I was married,' said Violet, sorrowfully, 'and how it seems all to come on me. To have all his comfort and the well-being of a whole house depending on such as I am.'

  'I can only say one thing in answer, Violet, what I know was the best comfort to one who, without it, would have sunk under the weight of responsibility.' His whole countenance altered, his voice gave way, a distressing fit of coughing came on, the colour flushed into his face, and he pressed his hand on his chest. Violet was frightened, but it presently ceased, and after sitting for a few moments, exhausted, with his head resting on his hand, he took up the pencil, and wrote down-- 'As thy day, so shall thy strength be'--pushed it towards her, and slowly left the room.