Can You Forgive Her?

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  Lady Midlothian.

  A week or ten days after this, Alice, when she came down to thebreakfast-parlour one morning, found herself alone with Mr. Bott. Itwas the fashion at Matching Priory for people to assemble rather latein the day. The nominal hour for breakfast was ten, and none of theladies of the party were ever seen before that. Some of the gentlemenwould breakfast earlier, especially on hunting mornings; and on someoccasions the ladies, when they came together, would find themselvesaltogether deserted by their husbands and brothers. On this day itwas fated that Mr. Bott alone should represent the sterner sex, andwhen Alice entered the room he was standing on the rug with hisback to the fire, waiting till the appearance of some other guestshould give him the sanction necessary for the commencement of hismorning meal. Alice, when she saw him, would have retreated had itbeen possible, for she had learned to dislike him greatly, and was,indeed, almost afraid of him; but she could not do so without makingher flight too conspicuous.

  "Do you intend to prolong your stay here, Miss Vavasor?" said Mr.Bott, taking advantage of the first moment at which she looked upfrom a letter which she was reading.

  "For a few more days, I think," said Alice.

  "Ah--I'm glad of that. Mr. Palliser has pressed me so much to remaintill he goes to the Duke's, that I cannot get away sooner. As I am anunmarried man myself, I can employ my time as well in one place as inanother;--at this time of the year at least."

  "You must find that very convenient," said Alice.

  "Yes, it is convenient. You see in my position,--Parliamentaryposition, I mean,--I am obliged, as a public man, to act in concertwith others. A public man can be of no service unless he is preparedto do that. We must give and take, you know, Miss Vavasor."

  As Miss Vavasor made no remark in answer to this, Mr. Bottcontinued--"I always say to the men of my party,--of course I regardmyself as belonging to the extreme Radicals."

  "Oh, indeed!" said Alice.

  "Yes. I came into Parliament on that understanding; and I have neverseen any occasion as yet to change any political opinion that I haveexpressed. But I always say to the gentlemen with whom I act, thatnothing can be done if we don't give and take. I don't mind saying toyou, Miss Vavasor, that I look upon our friend, Mr. Palliser, as themost rising public man in the country. I do, indeed."

  "I am happy to hear you say so," said his victim, who found herselfdriven to make some remark.

  "And I, as an extreme Radical, do not think I can serve my partybetter than by keeping in the same boat with him, as long as it willhold the two. 'He'll make a Government hack of you,' a friend of minesaid to me the other day. 'And I'll make a Manchester school PrimeMinister of him,' I replied. I rather think I know what I'm about,Miss Vavasor."

  "No doubt," said Alice.

  "And so does he;--and so does he. Mr. Palliser is not the man to beled by the nose by any one. But it's a fair system of give and take.You can't get on in politics without it. What a charming woman isyour relative, Lady Glencowrer! I remember well what you said to methe other evening."

  "Do you?" said Alice.

  "And I quite agree with you that confidential intercourse regardingdear friends should not be lightly made."

  "Certainly not," said Alice.

  "But there are occasions, Miss Vavasor; there are occasions when theordinary laws by which we govern our social conduct must be madesomewhat elastic."

  "I don't think this one of them, Mr. Bott."

  "Is it not? Just listen to me for one moment, Miss Vavasor. Ourfriend, Mr. Palliser, I am proud to say, relies much upon my humblefriendship. Our first connection has, of course, been political; butit has extended beyond that, and has become pleasantly social;--I maysay, very pleasantly social."

  "What a taste Mr. Palliser must have!" Alice thought to herself.

  "But I need not tell you that Lady Glencowrer is--very young; we maysay, very young indeed."

  "Mr. Bott, I will not talk to you about Lady Glencora Palliser."

  This Alice said in a determined voice, and with all the power ofresistance at her command. She frowned too, and looked savagely at Mr.Bott. But he was a man of considerable courage, and knew how to bearsuch opposition without flinching.

  "When I tell you, Miss Vavasor, that I speak solely with a view toher domestic happiness!"

  "I don't think that she wishes to have any such guardian of herhappiness."

  "But if he wishes it, Miss Vavasor! Now I have the means of knowingthat he has the greatest reliance on your judgement."

  Hereupon Alice got up with the intention of leaving the room, but shewas met at the door by Mrs. Conway Sparkes.

  "Are you running from your breakfast, Miss Vavasor?" said she.

  "No, Mrs. Sparkes; I am running from Mr. Bott," said Alice, who wasalmost beside herself with anger.

  "Mr. Bott, what is this?" said Mrs. Sparkes. "Ha, ha, ha," laughed Mr.Bott.

  Alice returned to the room, and Mrs. Sparkes immediately saw thatshe had in truth been running from Mr. Bott. "I hope I shall be ableto keep the peace," said she. "I trust his offence was not one thatrequires special punishment."

  "Ha, ha, ha," again laughed Mr. Bott, who rather liked his position.

  Alice was very angry with herself, feeling that she had told more ofthe truth to Mrs. Sparkes than she should have done, unless she wasprepared to tell the whole. As it was, she wanted to say something,and did not know what to say; but her confusion was at once stoppedby the entrance of Lady Glencora.

  "Mrs. Sparkes, good morning," said Lady Glencora. "I hope nobody haswaited breakfast. Good morning, Mr. Bott. Oh, Alice!"

  "What is the matter?" said Alice, going up to her.

  "Oh, Alice, such a blow!" But Alice could see that her cousin wasnot quite in earnest;--that the new trouble, though it might bevexatious, was no great calamity. "Come here," said Lady Glencora;and they both went into an embrasure of the window. "Now I shall haveto put your confidence in me to the test. This letter is from,--whomdo you think?"

  "How can I guess?"

  "From Lady Midlothian! and she's coming here on Monday, on her roadto London. Unless you tell me that you are quite sure this is asunexpected by me as by you, I will never speak to you again."

  "I am quite sure of that."

  "Ah! then we can consult. But first we'll go and have somebreakfast." Then more ladies swarmed into the room,--the Duchess andher daughter, and the two Miss Pallisers, and others; and Mr. Botthad his hands full in attending,--or rather in offering to attend, totheir little wants.

  The morning was nearly gone before Alice and her cousin had anyfurther opportunity of discussing in private the approach of LadyMidlothian; but Mr. Palliser had come in among them, and had been toldof the good thing which was in store for him. "We shall be delightedto see Lady Midlothian," said Mr. Palliser.

  "But there is somebody here who will not be at all delighted to seeher," said Lady Glencora to her husband.

  "Is there, indeed?" said he. "Who is that?"

  "Her most undutiful cousin, Alice Vavasor. But, Alice, Mr. Palliserknows nothing about it, and it is too long to explain."

  "I am extremely sorry--" began Mr. Palliser.

  "I can assure you it does not signify in the least," said Alice. "Itwill only be taking me away three days earlier."

  Upon hearing this Mr. Palliser looked very serious. What quarrel couldMiss Vavasor have had with Lady Midlothian which should make itimpossible for them to be visitors at the same house?

  "It will do no such thing," said Lady Glencora. "Do you mean to saythat you are coward enough to run away from her?"

  "I'm afraid, Miss Vavasor, that we can hardly bid her not come," saidMr. Palliser. In answer to this, Alice protested that she would notfor worlds have been the means of keeping Lady Midlothian away fromMatching. "I should tell you, Mr. Palliser, that I have never seenLady Midlothian, though she is my far-away cousin. Nor have I everquarrelled with her. But she has given me advice by letter, and I didnot answ
er her because I thought she had no business to interfere.I shall go away, not because I am afraid of her, but because, afterwhat has passed, our meeting would be unpleasant to her."

  "You could tell her that Miss Vavasor is here," said Mr. Palliser."And then she need not come unless she pleased."

  The matter was so managed at last that Alice found herself unableto leave Matching without making more of Lady Midlothian's comingthan it was worth. It would undoubtedly be very disagreeable,--thisunexpected meeting with her relative; but, as Lady Glencora said,Lady Midlothian would not eat her. In truth, she felt ashamed ofherself in that she was afraid of her relative. No doubt she wasafraid of her. So much she was forced to admit to herself. But sheresolved at last that she would not let her drive her out of thehouse.

  "Is Mr. Bott an admirer of your cousin?" Mrs. Sparkes said that eveningto Lady Glencora.

  "A very distant one I should think," said Lady Glencora.

  "Goodness gracious!" exclaimed an old lady who had been rather awedby Alice's intimacy and cousinship with Lady Glencora; "it's the verylast thing I should have dreamt of."

  "But I didn't dream it, first or last," said Mrs. Sparkes.

  "Why do you ask?" said Lady Glencora.

  "Don't suppose that I am asking whether Miss Vavasor is an admirerof his," said Mrs. Sparkes. "I have no suspicion of that nature. Irather think that when he plays Bacchus she plays Ariadne, with fullintention of flying from him in earnest."

  "Is Mr. Bott inclined to play Bacchus?" asked Lady Glencora.

  "I rather thought he was this morning. If you observe, he hassomething of a godlike and triumphant air about him."

  "I don't think his godship will triumph there," said Lady Glencora.

  "I really think she would be throwing herself very much away," saidthe old lady.

  "Miss Vavasor is not at all disposed to do that," said Mrs. Sparkes.Then that conversation was allowed to drop.

  On the following Monday, Lady Midlothian arrived. The carriage wassent to meet her at the station about three o'clock in the afternoon,and Alice had to choose whether she would undergo her firstintroduction immediately on her relative's arrival, or whether shewould keep herself out of the way till she should meet her in thedrawing-room before dinner.

  "I shall receive her when she comes," said Lady Glencora, "and ofcourse will tell her that you are here."

  "Yes, that will be best; and--; dear me, I declare I don't know howto manage it."

  "I'll bring her to you in my room if you like it."

  "No; that would be too solemn," said Alice. "That would make herunderstand that I thought a great deal about her."

  "Then we'll let things take their chance, and you shall come acrossher just as you would any other stranger." It was settled at lastthat this would be the better course, but that Lady Midlothian was tobe informed of Alice's presence at the Priory as soon as she shouldarrive.

  Alice was in her own room when the carriage in which sat theunwelcome old lady was driven up to the hall-door. She heard thewheels plainly, and knew well that her enemy was within the house.She had striven hard all the morning to make herself feel indifferentto this arrival, but had not succeeded; and was angry with herselfat finding that she sat up-stairs with an anxious heart, becauseshe knew that her cousin was in the room down-stairs. What was LadyMidlothian to her that she should be afraid of her? And yet she wasvery much afraid of Lady Midlothian. She questioned herself on thesubject over and over again, and found herself bound to admit thatsuch was the fact. At last, about five o'clock, having reasoned muchwith herself, and rebuked herself for her own timidity, she descendedinto the drawing-room,--Lady Glencora having promised that she wouldat that hour be there,--and on opening the door became immediatelyconscious that she was in the presence of her august relative. Theresat Lady Midlothian in a great chair opposite the fire, and LadyGlencora sat near to her on a stool. One of the Miss Pallisers wasreading in a further part of the room, and there was no one elsepresent in the chamber.

  The Countess of Midlothian was a very little woman, between sixty andseventy years of age, who must have been very pretty in her youth.At present she made no pretension either to youth or beauty,--assome ladies above sixty will still do,--but sat confessedly an oldwoman in all her external relations. She wore a round bonnet whichcame much over her face,--being accustomed to continue the useof her bonnet till dinner time when once she had been forced bycircumstances to put it on. She wore a short cloak which fittedclose to her person, and, though she occupied a great arm-chair,sat perfectly upright, looking at the fire. Very small she was, butshe carried in her grey eyes and sharp-cut features a certain lookof importance which saved her from being considered as small inimportance. Alice, as soon as she saw her, knew that she was a ladyover whom no easy victory could be obtained.

  "Here is Alice," said Lady Glencora, rising as her cousin entered theroom. "Alice, let me introduce you to Lady Midlothian."

  Alice, as she came forward, was able to assume an easy demeanour,even though her heart within was failing her. She put out her hand,leaving it to the elder lady to speak the first words of greeting.

  "I am glad at last to be able to make your acquaintance, my dear,"said Lady Midlothian; "very glad." But still Alice did not speak."Your aunt, Lady Macleod, is one of my oldest friends, and I haveheard her speak of you very often."

  "And Lady Macleod has often spoken to me of your ladyship," saidAlice.

  "Then we know each other's names," said the Countess; "and it willbe well that we should be acquainted with each other's persons. I ambecoming an old woman, and if I did not learn to know you now, orvery shortly, I might never do so."

  Alice could not help thinking that even under those circumstancesneither might have had, so far as that was concerned, much cause ofsorrow, but she did not say so. She was thinking altogether of LadyMidlothian's letter to her, and trying to calculate whether or noit would be well for her to rush away at once to the subject. ThatLady Midlothian would mention the letter, Alice felt well assured;and when could it be better mentioned than now, in Glencora'spresence,--when no other person was near them to listen to her? "Youare very kind," said Alice.

  "I would wish to be so," said Lady Midlothian. "Blood is thickerthan water, my dear; and I know no earthly ties that can bind peopletogether if those of family connection will not do so. Your mother,when she and I were young, was my dearest friend."

  "I never knew my mother," said Alice,--feeling, however, as shespoke, that the strength of her resistance to the old woman wasbeginning to give way.

  "No, my dear, you never did; and that is to my thinking anotherreason why they who loved her should love you. But Lady Macleod isyour nearest relative,--on your mother's side, I mean,--and she hasdone her duty by you well."

  "Indeed she has, Lady Midlothian."

  "She has, and others, therefore, have been the less called upon tointerfere. I only say this, my dear, in my own vindication,--feeling,perhaps, that my conduct needs some excuse."

  "I'm sure Alice does not think that," said Lady Glencora.

  "It is what I think rather than what Alice thinks that concerns myown shortcomings," said Lady Midlothian, with a smile which wasintended to be pleasant. "But I have wished to make up for formerlost opportunities." Alice knew that she was about to refer to herletter, and trembled. "I am very anxious now to be reckoned one ofAlice Vavasor's friends, if she will allow me to become so."

  "I can only be too proud,--if--"

  "If what, my dear?" said the old lady. I believe that she meant to begracious, but there was something in her manner, or, perhaps, ratherin her voice, so repellant, that Alice felt that they could hardlybecome true friends. "If what, my dear?"

  "Alice means--" began Lady Glencora.

  "Let Alice say what she means herself," said Lady Midlothian.

  "I hardly know how to say what I do mean," said Alice, whose spiritwithin her was rising higher as the occasion for using it came uponher. "I am assured that you and I, Lady Midlo
thian, differ very muchas to a certain matter; and as it is one in which I must be guided bymy own opinion, and not that of any other person, perhaps--"

  "You mean about Mr. Grey?"

  "Yes," said Alice; "I mean about Mr. Grey."

  "I think so much about that matter, and your happiness as thereinconcerned, that when I heard that you were here I was determinedto take Matching in my way to London, so that I might have anopportunity of speaking to you."

  "Then you knew that Alice was here," said Lady Glencora.

  "Of course I did. I suppose you have heard all the history,Glencora?"

  Lady Glencora was forced to acknowledge that she had heard thehistory,--"the history" being poor Alice's treatment of Mr. Grey.

  "And what do you think of it?" Both Alice and her hostess lookedround to the further end of the room in which Miss Palliser wasreading, intending thus to indicate that the lady knew as yet noneof the circumstances, and that there could be no good reason why sheshould be instructed in them at this moment. "Perhaps another timeand another place may be better," said Lady Midlothian; "but I mustgo the day after to-morrow,--indeed, I thought of going to-morrow."

  "Oh, Lady Midlothian!" exclaimed Lady Glencora.

  "You must regard this as merely a passing visit, made upon business.But, as I was saying, when shall I get an opportunity of speaking toAlice where we need not be interrupted?"

  Lady Glencora suggested her room up-stairs, and offered the use of itthen, or on that night when the world should be about to go to bed.But the idea of this premeditated lecture was terrible to Alice, andshe determined that she would not endure it.

  "Lady Midlothian, it would really be of no use."

  "Of no use, my dear!"

  "No, indeed. I did get your letter, you know."

  "And as you have not answered it, I have come all this way to seeyou."

  "I shall be so sorry if I give offence, but it is a subject whichI cannot bring myself to discuss"--she was going to say with astranger, but she was able to check herself before the offensive wordwas uttered,--"which I cannot bring myself to discuss with any one."

  "But you don't mean to say that you won't see me?"

  "I will not talk upon that matter," said Alice. "I will not do iteven with Lady Macleod."

  "No," said Lady Midlothian, and her sharp grey eyes now began tokindle with anger; "and therefore it is so very necessary that otherfriends should interfere."

  "But I will endure no interference," said Alice, "either from personswho are friends or who are not friends." And as she spoke she rosefrom her chair. "You must forgive me, Lady Midlothian, if I say thatI can have no conversation with you on this matter." Then she walkedout of the room, leaving the Countess and Lady Glencora together. Asshe went Miss Palliser lifted her eyes from her book, and knew thatthere had been a quarrel, but I doubt if she had heard any of thewords which had been spoken.

  "The most self-willed young woman I ever met in my life," said LadyMidlothian, as soon as Alice was gone.

  "The most self-willed young woman I ever met inmy life."]

  "I knew very well how it would be," said Lady Glencora.

  "But it is quite frightful, my dear. She has been engaged, with theconsent of all her friends, to this young man."

  "I know all about it."

  "But you must think she is very wrong."

  "I don't quite understand her, but I suppose she fears they would notbe happy together."

  "Understand her! I should think not; nobody can understand her. Ayoung woman to become engaged to a gentleman in that way,--before allthe world, as one may say;--to go to his house, as I am told, andtalk to the servants, and give orders about the furniture and thenturn round and simply say that she has changed her mind! She hasn'tgiven the slightest reason to my knowledge." And Lady Midlothian, asshe insisted on the absolute iniquity of Alice's proceedings, almoststartled Lady Glencora by the eagerness of her countenance. LadyMidlothian had been one of those who, even now not quite two yearsago, had assisted in obtaining the submission of Lady Glencoraherself. Lady Midlothian seemed on the present occasion to remembernothing of this, but Lady Glencora remembered it very exactly."I shall not give it up," continued Lady Midlothian. "I have thegreatest possible objection to her father, who contrived to connecthimself with our family in a most shameful manner, without theslightest encouragement. I don't think I have spoken to him since,but I shall see him now and tell him my opinion."

  Alice held her ground, and avoided all further conversation with LadyMidlothian. A message came to her through Lady Glencora imploring herto give way, but she was quite firm.

  "Good-bye to you," Lady Midlothian said to her as she went. "Even yetI hope that things may go right, and if so you will find that I canforget and forgive."

  "If perseverance merits success," said Lady Glencora to Alice, "sheought to succeed." "But she won't succeed," said Alice.