CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF A WIFE.
When Sir Hugh came up to town there did not remain to him quite aweek before the day on which he was to leave the coast of Essex inJack Stuart's yacht for Norway, and he had a good deal to do in themeantime in the way of provisioning the boat. Fortnum and Mason, nodoubt, would have done it all for him without any trouble on hispart, but he was not a man to trust any Fortnum or any Mason as tothe excellence of the article to be supplied, or as to the price. Hedesired to have good wine,--very good wine; but he did not desire topay a very high price. No one knew better than Sir Hugh that goodwine cannot be bought cheap,--but things may be costly and yet notdear; or they may be both. To such matters Sir Hugh was wont to payvery close attention himself. He had done something in that linebefore he left London, and immediately on his return he went to thework again, summoning Archie to his assistance, but never askingArchie's opinion,--as though Archie had been his head-butler.
Immediately on his arrival in London he cross-questioned his brotheras to his marriage prospects. "I suppose you are going with us?" Hughsaid to Archie, as he caught him in the hall of the house in BerkeleySquare on the morning after his arrival.
"O dear, yes," said Archie. "I thought that was quite understood.I have been getting my traps together." The getting of his trapstogether had consisted in the ordering of a sailor's jacket withbrass buttons, and three pair of white duck trousers.
"All right," said Sir Hugh. "You had better come with me into theCity this morning. I am going to Boxall's in Great Thames Street."
"Are you going to breakfast here?" asked Archie.
"No; you can come to me at the Union in about an hour. I suppose youhave never plucked up courage to ask Julia to marry you?"
"Yes, I did," said Archie.
"And what answer did you get?" Archie had found himself obliged torepudiate with alacrity the attack upon his courage which his brotherhad so plainly made; but, beyond that, the subject was one whichwas not pleasing to him. "Well, what did she say to you?" asked hisbrother, who had no idea of sparing Archie's feelings in such amatter.
"She said;--indeed I don't remember exactly what it was that she didsay."
"But she refused you?"
"Yes;--she refused me. I think she wanted me to understand that I hadcome to her too soon after Ongar's death."
"Then she must be an infernal hypocrite;--that's all." But of anyhypocrisy in this matter the reader will acquit Lady Ongar, and willunderstand that Archie had merely lessened the severity of his ownfall by a clever excuse. After that the two brothers went to Boxall'sin the City, and Archie, having been kept fagging all day, was sentin the evening to dine by himself at his own club.
Sir Hugh also was desirous of seeing Lady Ongar, and had caused hiswife to say as much in that letter which she wrote to her sister. Inthis way an appointment had been made without any direct intercoursebetween Sir Hugh and his sister-in-law. They two had never met sincethe day on which Sir Hugh had given her away in Clavering Church.To Hugh Clavering, who was by no means a man of sentiment, thissignified little or nothing. When Lady Ongar had returned a widow,and when evil stories against her had been rife, he had thought itexpedient to have nothing to do with her. He did not himself caremuch about his sister-in-law's morals; but should his wife becomemuch complicated with a sister damaged in character there might comeof it trouble and annoyance. Therefore, he had resolved that LadyOngar should be dropped. But during the last few months things hadin some respects changed. The Courton people,--that is to say, LordOngar's family,--had given Hugh Clavering to understand that, havingmade inquiry, they were disposed to acquit Lady Ongar, and to declaretheir belief that she was subject to no censure. They did not wishthemselves to know her, as no intimacy between them could now bepleasant; but they had felt it to be incumbent on them to say as muchas that to Sir Hugh. Sir Hugh had not even told his wife, but he hadtwice suggested that Lady Ongar should be asked to Clavering Park. Inanswer to both these invitations, Lady Ongar had declined to go toClavering Park.
And now Sir Hugh had a commission on his hands from the same Courtonpeople, which made it necessary that he should see his sister-in-law,and Julia had agreed to receive him. To him, who was very hard insuch matters, the idea of his visit was not made disagreeable by anyremembrance of his own harshness to the woman whom he was going tosee. He cared nothing about that, and it had not occurred to him thatshe would care much. But, in truth, she did care very much, and whenthe hour was coming on which Sir Hugh was to appear, she thoughtmuch of the manner in which it would become her to receive him.He had condemned her in that matter as to which any condemnationis an insult to a woman; and he had so condemned her, being herbrother-in-law and her only natural male friend. In her sorrow sheshould have been able to lean upon him; but from the first, withoutany inquiry, he had believed the worst of her, and had withdrawn fromher altogether his support, when the slightest support from him wouldhave been invaluable to her. Could she forgive this? Never; never!She was not a woman to wish to forgive such an offence. It was anoffence which it would be despicable in her to forgive. Many hadoffended her, some had injured her, one or two had insulted her; butto her thinking, no one had so offended her, had so injured her, hadso grossly insulted her, as he had done. In what way then would itbecome her to receive him? Before his arrival she had made up hermind on this subject, and had resolved that she would, at least, sayno word of her own wrongs.
"How do you do, Julia?" said Sir Hugh, walking into the room with astep which was perhaps unnaturally quick, and with his hand extended.Lady Ongar had thought of that too. She would give much to escapethe touch of his hand, if it were possible; but she had told herselfthat she would best consult her own dignity by declaring no actualquarrel. So she put out her fingers and just touched his palm.
"I hope Hermy is well?" she said.
"Pretty well, thank you. She is rather lonely since she lost her poorlittle boy, and would be very glad if you would go to her."
"I cannot do that; but if she would come to me I should bedelighted."
"You see it would not suit her to be in London so soon after Hughy'sdeath."
"I am not bound to London. I would go anywhere else,--except toClavering."
"You never go to Ongar Park, I am told."
"I have been there."
"But they say you do not intend to go again."
"Not at present, certainly. Indeed, I do not suppose I shall ever gothere. I do not like the place."
"That's just what they have told me. It is about that--partly--that Iwant to speak to you. If you don't like the place, why shouldn't yousell your interest in it back to the family? They'd give you morethan the value for it."
"I do not know that I should care to sell it."
"Why not, if you don't mean to use the house? I might as wellexplain at once what it is that has been said to me. John Courton,you know, is acting as guardian for the young earl, and they don'twant to keep up so large a place as the Castle. Ongar Park would justsuit Mrs. Courton,"--Mrs. Courton was the widowed mother of the youngearl,--"and they would be very happy to buy your interest."
"Would not such a proposition come best through a lawyer?" said LadyOngar.
"The fact is this,--they think they have been a little hard on you."
"I have never accused them."
"But they feel it themselves, and they think that you might take itperhaps amiss if they were to send you a simple message through anattorney. Courton told me that he would not have allowed any suchproposition to be made, if you had seemed disposed to use the place.They wish to be civil, and all that kind of thing."
"Their civility or incivility is indifferent to me," said Julia.
"But why shouldn't you take the money?"
"The money is equally indifferent to me."
"You mean then to say that you won't listen to it? Of course theycan't make you part with the place if you wish to keep it."
"Not more than they can make you
sell Clavering Park. I do not,however, wish to be uncivil, and I will let you know through mylawyer what I think about it. All such matters are best managed bylawyers."
After that Sir Hugh said nothing further about Ongar Park. He waswell aware, from the tone in which Lady Ongar answered him, that shewas averse to talk to him on that subject; but he was not consciousthat his presence was otherwise disagreeable to her, or that shewould resent any interference from him on any subject because hehad been cruel to her. So after a little while he began again aboutHermione. As the world had determined upon acquitting Lady Ongar,it would be convenient to him that the two sisters should be againintimate, especially as Julia was a rich woman. His wife did not likeClavering Park, and he certainly did not like Clavering Park himself.If he could once get the house shut up, he might manage to keep itshut for some years to come. His wife was now no more than a burdento him, and it would suit him well to put off the burden on to hissister-in-law's shoulders. It was not that he intended to have hiswife altogether dependent on another person, but he thought that ifthey two were established together, in the first instance merely asa summer arrangement, such establishment might be made to assumesome permanence. This would be very pleasant to him. Of course hewould pay a portion of the expense,--as small a portion as might bepossible,--but such a portion as might enable him to live with creditbefore the world.
"I wish I could think that you and Hermy might be together while I amabsent," he said.
"I shall be very happy to have her if she will come to me," Juliareplied.
"What,--here, in London? I am not quite sure that she wishes to comeup to London at present."
"I have never understood that she had any objection to being intown," said Lady Ongar.
"Not formerly, certainly; but now, since her boy's death--"
"Why should his death make more difference to her than to you?"To this question Sir Hugh made no reply. "If you are thinking ofsociety, she could be nowhere safer from any such necessity than withme. I never go out anywhere. I have never dined out, or even spent anevening in company since Lord Ongar's death. And no one would comehere to disturb her."
"I didn't mean that."
"I don't quite know what you did mean. From different causes she andI are left pretty nearly equally without friends."
"Hermione is not left without friends," said Sir Hugh with a tone ofoffence.
"Were she not, she would not want to come to me. Your society isin London, to which she does not come, or in other country-housesthan your own, to which she is not taken. She lives altogether atClavering, and there is no one there, except your uncle."
"Whatever neighbourhood there is she has,--just like other women."
"Just like some other women, no doubt. I shall remain in town foranother month, and after that I shall go somewhere; I don't much carewhere. If Hermy will come to me as my guest I shall be most happyto have her. And the longer she will stay with me the better. Yourcoming home need make no difference, I suppose."
There was a keenness of reproach in her tone as she spoke, which evenhe could not but feel and acknowledge. He was very thick-skinnedto such reproaches, and would have left this unnoticed had it beenpossible. Had she continued speaking he would have done so. But sheremained silent, and sat looking at him, saying with her eyes thesame thing that she had already spoken with her words. Thus he wasdriven to speak. "I don't know," said he, "whether you intend thatfor a sneer."
She was perfectly indifferent whether or no she offended him. Onlythat she had believed that the maintenance of her own dignity forbadeit, she would have openly rebuked him, and told him that he was notwelcome in her house. No treatment from her could, as she thought,be worse than he had deserved from her. His first enmity had injuredher, but she could afford to laugh at his present anger. "It is hardto talk to you about Hermy without what you are pleased to call asneer. You simply wish to rid yourself of her."
"I wish no such thing, and you have no right to say so."
"At any rate you are ridding yourself of her society; and if underthose circumstances she likes to come to me I shall be glad toreceive her. Our life together will not be very cheerful, but neithershe nor I ought to expect a cheerful life."
He rose from his chair now with a cloud of anger upon his brow. "Ican see how it is," said he; "because everything has not gone smoothwith yourself you choose to resent it upon me. I might have expectedthat you would not have forgotten in whose house you met Lord Ongar."
"No, Hugh; I forget nothing; neither when I met him, nor how Imarried him, nor any of the events that have happened since. Mymemory, unfortunately, is very good."
"I did all I could for you, and should have been safe from yourinsolence."
"You should have continued to stay away from me, and you would havebeen quite safe. But our quarrelling in this way is foolish. We cannever be friends,--you and I; but we need not be open enemies. Yourwife is my sister, and I say again that if she likes to come to me,I shall be delighted to have her."
"My wife," said he, "will go to the house of no person who isinsolent to me." Then he took his hat, and left the room withoutfurther word or sign of greeting. In spite of his calculations andcaution as to money,--in spite of his well-considered arrangementsand the comfortable provision for his future ease which he hadproposed to himself, he was a man who had not his temper so muchunder control as to enable him to postpone his anger to his prudence.That little scheme for getting rid of his wife was now at an end. Hewould never permit her to go to her sister's house after the mannerin which Julia had just treated him!
When he was gone Lady Ongar walked about her own room smiling, andat first was well pleased with herself. She had received Archie'soverture with decision, but at the same time with courtesy, forArchie was weak, and poor, and powerless. But she had treated SirHugh with scorn, and had been enabled to do so without the utteranceof any actual reproach as to the wrongs which she herself had enduredfrom him. He had put himself in her power, and she had not thrownaway the opportunity. She had told him that she did not want hisfriendship, and would not be his friend; but she had done thiswithout any loud abuse unbecoming to her either as a countess, awidow, or a lady. For Hermione she was sorry. Hermione now couldhardly come to her. But even as to that she did not despair. Asthings were going on, it would become almost necessary that hersister and Sir Hugh should be parted. Both must wish it; and if thiswere arranged, then Hermione should come to her.
But from this she soon came to think again about Harry Clavering. Howwas that matter to be decided, and what steps would it become her totake as to its decision? Sir Hugh had proposed to her that she shouldsell her interest in Ongar Park, and she had promised that she wouldmake known her decision on that matter through her lawyer. As she hadbeen saying this she was well aware that she would never sell theproperty;--but she had already resolved that she would at once giveit back, without purchase-money, to the Ongar family, were it notkept that she might hand it over to Harry Clavering as a fittingresidence for his lordship. If he might be there, looking afterhis cattle, going about with the steward subservient at his heels,ministering justice to the Enoch Gubbys and others, she would carenothing for the wants of any of the Courton people. But if such werenot to be the destiny of Ongar Park,--if there were to be no suchAdam in that Eden,--then the mother of the little lord might takeherself thither, and revel among the rich blessings of the placewithout delay, and with no difficulty as to price. As to price,;--hadshe not already found the money-bag that had come to her to be tooheavy for her hands?
But she could do nothing till that question was settled; and how wasshe to settle it? Every word that had passed between her and CeciliaBurton had been turned over and over in her mind, and she could onlydeclare to herself as she had then declared to her visitor, that itmust be as Harry should please. She would submit, if he required hersubmission; but she could not bring herself to take steps to secureher own misery.