The Palliser Novels (62 page)

“I thought I might find you at home,” said Mrs Marsham, “as I know you are lazy about going out in the cold, — unless it be for a foolish midnight ramble,” and Mrs Marsham shook her head. She was a little woman, with sharp small eyes, with a permanent colour in her face, and two short, crisp, grey curls at each side of her face; always well dressed, always in good health, and, as Lady Glencora believed, altogether incapable of fatigue.

“The ramble you speak of was very wise, I think,” said Lady Glencora; “but I never could see the use of driving about in London in the middle of winter.”

“One ought to go out of the house every day,” said Mrs Marsham.

“I hate all those rules. Don’t you, Alice?” Alice did not hate them, therefore she said nothing.

“My dear Glencora, one must live by rules in this life. You might as well say that you hated sitting down to dinner.”

“So I do, very often; almost always when there’s company.”

“You’ll get over that feeling after another season in town,” said Mrs Marsham, pretending to suppose that Lady Glencora alluded to some remaining timidity in receiving her own guests.

“Upon my word I don’t think I shall. It’s a thing that seems always to be getting more grievous, instead of less so. Mr Bott is coming to dine here to-night.”

There was no mistaking the meaning of this. There was no pretending even to mistake it. Now, Mrs Marsham had accepted the right hand of fellowship from Mr Bott, — not because she especially liked him, but in compliance with the apparent necessities of Mr Palliser’s position. Mr Bott had made good his ground about Mr Palliser; and Mrs Marsham, as she was not strong enough to turn him off from it, had given him the right hand of fellowship.

“Mr Bott is a Member of Parliament, and a very serviceable friend of Mr Palliser’s,” said Mrs Marsham.

“All the same; we do not like Mr Bott — do we, Alice? He is Doctor Fell to us; only I think we could tell why.”

“I certainly do not like him,” said Alice.

“It can be but of small matter to you, Miss Vavasor,” said Mrs Marsham, “as you will not probably have to see much of him.”

“Of the very smallest moment,” said Alice. “He did annoy me once, but will never, I dare say, have an opportunity of doing so again.”

“I don’t know what the annoyance may have been.”

“Of course you don’t, Mrs Marsham.”

“But I shouldn’t have thought it likely that a person so fully employed as Mr Bott, and employed, too, on matters of such vast importance, would have gone out of his way to annoy a young lady whom he chanced to meet for a day or two in a country-house.”

“I don’t think that Alice means that he attempted to flirt with her,” said Lady Glencora, laughing. “Fancy Mr Bott’s flirtation!”

“Perhaps he did not attempt,” said Mrs Marsham; and the words, the tone, and the innuendo together were more than Alice was able to bear with equanimity.

“Glencora,” said she, rising from her chair, “I think I’ll leave you alone with Mrs Marsham. I’m not disposed to discuss Mr Bott’s character, and certainly not to hear his name mentioned in disagreeable connection with my own.”

But Lady Glencora would not let her go. “Nonsense, Alice,” she said. “If you and I can’t fight our little battles against Mr Bott and Mrs Marsham without running away, it is odd. There is a warfare in which they who run away never live to fight another day.”

“I hope, Glencora, you do not count me as your enemy?” said Mrs Marsham, drawing herself up.

“But I shall, — certainly, if you attack Alice. Love me, love my dog. I beg your pardon, Alice; but what I meant was this, Mrs Marsham; Love me, love the best friend I have in the world.”

“I did not mean to offend Miss Vavasor,” said Mrs Marsham, looking at her very grimly. Alice merely bowed her head. She had been offended, and she would not deny it. After that, Mrs Marsham took herself off, saying that she would be back to dinner. She was angry, but not unhappy. She thought that she could put down Miss Vavasor, and she was prepared to bear a good deal from Lady Glencora — for Mr Palliser’s sake, as she said to herself, with some attempt at a sentimental remembrance of her old friend.

“She’s a nasty old cat,” said Lady Glencora, as soon as the door was closed; and she said these words with so droll a voice, with such a childlike shaking of her head, with so much comedy in her grimace, that Alice could not but laugh. “She is,” said Lady Glencora. “I know her, and you’ll have to know her, too, before you’ve done with her. It won’t at all do for you to run away when she spits at you. You must hold your ground, and show your claws, — and make her know that if she spits, you can scratch.”

“But I don’t want to be a cat myself.”

“She’ll find I’m of the genus, but of the tiger kind, if she persecutes me. Alice, there’s one thing I have made up my mind about. I will not be persecuted. If my husband tells me to do anything, as long as he is my husband I’ll do it; but I won’t be persecuted.”

“You should remember that she was a very old friend of Mr Palliser’s mother.”

“I do remember; and that may be a very good reason why she should come here occasionally, or go to Matching, or to any place in which we may be living. It’s a bore, of course; but it’s a natural bore, and one that ought to be borne.”

“And that will be the beginning and the end of it.”

“I’m afraid not, my dear. It may perhaps be the end of it, but I fear it won’t be the beginning. I won’t be persecuted. If she gives me advice, I shall tell her to her face that it’s not wanted; and if she insults any friend of mine, as she did you, I shall tell her that she had better stay away. She’ll go and tell him, of course; but I can’t help that. I’ve made up my mind that I won’t be persecuted.”

After that, Lady Glencora felt no further inclination to show Burgo’s letter to Alice on that occasion. They sat over the drawing-room fire, talking chiefly of Alice’s affairs, till it was time for them to dress. But Alice, though she spoke much of Mr Grey, said no word as to her engagement with George Vavasor. How could she speak of it, inasmuch as she had already resolved, — already almost resolved, — that that engagement also should be broken?

Alice, when she came down to the drawing-room, before dinner, found Mr Bott there alone. She had dressed more quickly than her friend, and Mr Palliser had not yet made his appearance.

“I did not expect the pleasure of meeting Miss Vavasor to-day,” he said, as he came up, offering his hand. She gave him her hand, and then sat down, merely muttering some word of reply.

“We spent a very pleasant month down at Matching together; — didn’t you think so?”

“I spent a pleasant month there certainly.”

“You left, if I remember, the morning after that late walk out among the ruins? That was unfortunate, was it not? Poor Lady Glencora! it made her very ill; so much so, that she could not go to Monkshade, as she particularly wished. It was very sad. Lady Glencora is very delicate, — very delicate, indeed. We, who have the privilege of being near her, ought always to remember that.”

“I don’t think she is at all delicate.”

“Oh! don’t you? I’m afraid that’s your mistake, Miss Vavasor.”

“I believe she has very good health, which is the greatest blessing in the world. By delicate I suppose you mean weak and infirm.”

“Oh, dear, no, — not in the least, — not infirm certainly! I should be very sorry to be supposed to have said that Lady Glencora is infirm. What I mean is, not robust, Miss Vavasor. Her general organization, if you understand me, is exquisitely delicate. One can see that, I think, in every glance of her eye.”

Alice was going to protest that she had never seen it at all, when Mr Palliser entered the room along with Mrs Marsham.

The two gentlemen shook hands, and then Mr Palliser turned to Alice. She perceived at once by his face that she was unwelcome, and wished herself away from his house. It might be all very well for Lady Glencora to fight with Mrs Marsham, — and with her husband, too, in regard to the Marsham persecution, — but there could be no reason why she should do so. He just touched her hand, barely closing his thumb upon her fingers, and asked her how she was. Then he turned away from her side of the fire, and began talking to Mrs Marsham on the other. There was that in his face and in his manner which was positively offensive to her. He made no allusion to his former acquaintance with her, — spoke no word about Matching, no word about his wife, as he would naturally have done to his wife’s friend. Alice felt the blood mount into her face, and regretted greatly that she had ever come among these people. Had she not long since made up her mind that she would avoid her great relations, and did not all this prove that it would have been well for her to have clung to that resolution? What was Lady Glencora to her that she should submit herself to be treated as though she were a poor companion, — a dependent, who received a salary for her attendance, — an indigent cousin, hanging on to the bounty of her rich connection? Alice was proud to a fault. She had nursed her pride till it was very faulty. All her troubles and sorrows in life had come from an overfed craving for independence. Why, then, should she submit to be treated with open want of courtesy by any man; but, of all men, why should she submit to it from such a one as Mr Palliser, — the heir of a ducal house, rolling in wealth, and magnificent with all the magnificence of British pomp and pride? No; she would make Lady Glencora understand that the close intimacies of daily life were not possible to them!

“I declare I’m very much ashamed,” said Lady Glencora, as she entered the room. “I shan’t apologize to you, Alice, for it was you who kept me talking; but I do beg Mrs Marsham’s pardon.”

Mrs Marsham was all smiles and forgiveness, and hoped that Lady Glencora would not make a stranger of her. Then dinner was announced, and Alice had to walk down stairs by herself. She did not care a doit for that, but there had been a disagreeable little contest when the moment came. Lady Glencora had wished to give up Mr Bott to her cousin, but Mr Bott had stuck manfully to Lady Glencora’s side. He hoped to take Lady Glencora down to dinner very often, and was not at all disposed to abate his privilege.

During dinner-time Alice said very little, nor was there given to her opportunity of saying much. She could not but think of the day of her first arrival at Matching Priory, when she had sat between the Duke of St Bungay and Jeffrey Palliser, and when everybody had been so civil to her! She now occupied one side of the table by herself, away from the fire, where she felt cold and desolate in the gloom of the large half-lighted room. Mr Palliser occupied himself with Mrs Marsham, who talked politics to him; and Mr Bott never lost a moment in his endeavours to say some civil word to Lady Glencora. Lady Glencora gave him no encouragement; but she hardly dared to snub him openly in her husband’s immediate presence. Twenty times during dinner she said some little word to Alice, attempting at first to make the time pleasant, and then, when the matter was too far gone for that, attempting to give some relief. But it was of no avail. There are moments in which conversation seems to be impossible, — in which the very gods interfere to put a seal upon the lips of the unfortunate one. It was such a moment now with Alice. She had never as yet been used to snubbing. Whatever position she had hitherto held, in that she had always stood foremost, — much more so than had been good for her. When she had gone to Matching, she had trembled for her position; but there all had gone well with her; there Lady Glencora’s kindness had at first been able to secure for her a reception that had been flattering, and almost better than flattering. Jeffrey Palliser had been her friend, and would, had she so willed it, have been more than her friend. But now she felt that the halls of the Pallisers were too cold for her, and that the sooner she escaped from their gloom and hard discourtesy the better for her.

Mrs Marsham, when the three ladies had returned to the drawing-room together, was a little triumphant. She felt that she had put Alice down; and with the energetic prudence of a good general who knows that he should follow up a victory, let the cost of doing so be what it may, she determined to keep her down. Alice had resolved that she would come as seldom as might be to Mr Palliser’s house in Park Lane. That resolution on her part was in close accordance with Mrs Marsham’s own views.

“Is Miss Vavasor going to walk home?” she asked.

“Walk home; — all along Oxford Street! Good gracious! no. Why should she walk? The carriage will take her.”

“Or a cab,” said Alice. “I am quite used to go about London in a cab by myself.”

“I don’t think they are nice for young ladies after dark,” said Mrs Marsham. “I was going to offer my servant to walk with her. She is an elderly woman, and would not mind it.”

“I’m sure Alice is very much obliged,” said Lady. Glencora; “but she will have the carriage.”

“You are very good-natured,” said Mrs Marsham; “but gentlemen do so dislike having their horses out at night.”

“No gentleman’s horses will be out,” said Lady Glencora, savagely; “and as for mine, it’s what they are there for.” It was not often that Lady Glencora made any allusion to her own property, or allowed any one near her to suppose that she remembered the fact that her husband’s great wealth was, in truth, her wealth. As to many matters her mind was wrong. In some things her taste was not delicate as should be that of a woman. But, as regarded her money, no woman could have behaved with greater reticence, or a purer delicacy. But now, when she was twitted by her husband’s special friend with ill-usage to her husband’s horses, because she chose to send her own friend home in her own carriage, she did find it hard to bear.

“I dare say it’s all right,” said Mrs Marsham.

“It is all right,” said Lady Glencora. “Mr Palliser has given me my horses for my own use, to do as I like with them; and if he thinks I take them out when they ought to be left at home, he can tell me so. Nobody else has a right to do it.” Lady Glencora, by this time, was almost in a passion, and showed that she was so.

“My dear Lady Glencora, you have mistaken me,” said Mrs Marsham; “I did not mean anything of that kind.”