mathematics even, did notunduly harden or stiffen a woman, he would not exactly object to them,though any approach to obtrusive learning he strongly deprecated. ButPhilippa was too unaffected, too self-forgetful, to jar him by any suchputting forward of her acquirements--acquirements which, in contrastwith the real learning of her father and brother, seemed to her, asindeed they were, but the merest sips of the "spring." And above all,he was so sure of her perfect propriety--there was no slightest taint of"fastness" or "loudness," or any such horror, in this irreproachablegirl, no love of eccentricity or Bohemianism, no possibility of madescapades turning up in which she had taken a part!
"No," thought the master of Merle, "there could be no risk--no riskwhatever in it. Of course, people would be surprised at the marriage,but what do I care for that! Everybody knows," and he smiled halfcynically; "everybody knows that my possibilities of choice have notbeen restricted."
And this was certainly true.
Nor would it be fair to accuse the young man of fatuity, inasmuch as hewas little troubled by any misgiving as to his personal acceptability toMiss Raynsworth, should he decide to go through with his suit. He hadevery possible grounds for believing in it; he knew himself to beattractive and good-looking far beyond the average; he believed himselfalso to be affectionate and endowed with all the qualifications formaking a good husband (though he did not add, "to a wife who would seeeverything through his eyes and have no will but his"); and so far--forthis _resume_ of Mr Gresham's views of the whole situation is somewhatante-dated--that is to say, as the day drew near for Philippa and herfather to leave Cannes, he had no reason to doubt that the young girlliked his society, and was in a fair way to feeling still more attractedby him.
This fortnight in the beautiful south was propitious in the extreme topleasant projects. The weather was faultless, and not as hot as issometimes the case, even early in the spring. The circle of residentsand visitors, to whom the Lermonts had come temporarily to belong,seemed specially anxious to make the last weeks of their southernsojourn agreeable. Scarcely a day passed without some plan being set onfoot for diversion or amusement in which even Maida could take part, andfew, if any, guessed how many of these were really skilfully initiatedby Mr Gresham, who was well aware that it would have been of little useto try to decoy Philippa away from her cousin.
So there was no question of balls or large evening parties for the girl.Such would have been quite out of her father's line; nor could she haveexpected Mrs Lermont, quietly congratulating herself that suchexertions for herself were over, to have begun again the arduous dutiesof chaperon. One exception only in this direction was made, and thatwas in the case of a large private dance on the very eve of theRaynsworths' departure, at which kind Lady Mary Bertram set her heart onPhilippa's appearing. But before this there had been gaieties, or whatseemed such to the young girl, in constant succession, and such as shehad little dreamt of taking part in when she left home.
Her letters to Evelyn described fully all that was going on, andEvelyn's spirits rose high.
"Nothing could be better," she said to her mother, just as she herselfwas starting with her husband for Wyverston. "Now, mamma, was I _not_sensible when I made you get and send her those two new dresses, as soonas we heard of the Cannes visit?"
And Mrs Raynsworth could not but agree with her. "I don't suppose itcould ever have occurred to Mrs Lermont to give her the pretty blueevening-dress Phil is so pleased with, _unless_ she had arrived with oneor two decent things. It would have been just like her and papa to saythey had nothing but travelling clothes with them, and could go nowhereand see nobody. I cannot tell you how delighted I am for the poor dearto have some fun at last. And," she added to herself, "to see somethingof Bernard Gresham," though she dared not say this, in so many words, toher mother!
Picnics were among the favourite amusements of the moment at Cannes, andpicnics on the luxurious scale that these were carried out were new toPhilippa, whose only experience of out-of-doors entertainments was aholiday tea-drinking in the Marlby woods, when one old donkey carried onhis back the whole material part of the repast. After two or three ofthese expeditions she found, it is true, that they began to pall alittle. Still, it was always a pleasure to be with Maida, especially inthe charming surroundings of lovely scenery and weather; and, more,probably, than she would have allowed herself to own, never did MrGresham show to greater advantage than on these occasions. His tact waswonderful; without making her or himself in the least conspicuous he yetsucceeded in giving her the feeling that she was never forgotten, thather amusement and enjoyment were his first consideration, and that oncesatisfied that these were insured, his own pleasure was complete. _No_girl, certainly no girl of Philippa's sensitive and responsive nature,could have been unconscious of this subtle and delicate consideration;to her, singularly free from vanity in any form, unspoilt and unselfish,there was something almost intoxicating in this refinement of homage.
Spots of interest, either by reason of their own beauty, or sometimesfrom historic association, now and then indeed combining both, wereusually chosen for the scene of the picnics.
One of the last to which the Lermonts and their guests were bidden wasgiven by Mr Gresham himself, and he had bestowed much thought andconsideration upon its locality.
Nor were his labours unrewarded. It proved to be one of the mostsuccessful parties of the season, and but for an incident whichmomentarily affected Philippa unpleasantly by recalling events which thelast fortnight, with its sunshine and distractions, had almost ended bybanishing from her memory altogether, the day would have been one ofunalloyed enjoyment.
The picnic was to be at an old chateau a few miles off. An old"manor-house," with remains of the domestic fortification necessary inthose turbulent medieval times, would perhaps better describe it. Forit had never been large, and now one part of it had fallen intopicturesque ruin, while the remainder had been not unskilfully restored,more strictly speaking, perhaps, kept in repair, without any jarringmodern innovations such as the French _positif_ way of looking at suchthings often introduces.
The chateau had not descended to the rank only of a farm-house, for itsowners, the bearers of a name which would at once serve to identify theoriginal home of the family, still visited it from time to time. Andduring most of the year, with good-nature, not unmingled very probablywith legitimate pride in the old, old home, they allowed any who caredto do so, to visit it, and wander all over the demesne and the chateauitself with perfect freedom.
It lay, however, somewhat off the usual routes of pleasure-seekers, andwas less known than it deserved to be. Maida Lermont had never seen it,and though her eyes lighted up with pleasure at the idea of a visit,some doubts were expressed by her mother as to whether the distance andthe reported roughness of the roads would not make it too fatiguing forher.
"Oh, mamma," she exclaimed, speaking for once with almost thedisappointment of a child in her voice, "_please_ don't say so. TheChateau de C---is one of the places I have longed to see ever since wecame."
Philippa glanced at her affectionately. Maida's "humanness" was one ofthe characteristics that attracted her young relation to her so much.She never, notwithstanding the long discipline of her life, affected tobe above or apart from the natural tastes and interests of those abouther.
"_I_ won't go, if you don't," whispered Miss Raynsworth, stooping overMaida.
But Bernard Gresham caught the words; a slight frown, showed itself onhis face. He was pleased--more than pleased indeed--to gratify MissLermont, whom he cordially liked and admired, but for Philippa tosuggest giving up the expedition for Maida's sake, when she must in herheart have known that he had planned it all for _her_, was mostannoying. And for the first time he mentally accused Miss Raynsworth ofaffectation.
"She shall see her mistake," he said to himself, "if she takes that linewith me. I shall throw up the whole affair if there is any risk of hernot coming, I should have the Worthings thinking, or the motherpretending to think
, I had got it up for them--how I do detest thatwoman! `So kind of you to look us up at once; you know we were onlyhere _en passant_,' when I didn't know they were here at all, and caredless." But a moment after, the sound of Philippa's sweet voice speakingin half-appealing, half-coaxing tones to her hostess, made him glanceround from the window whither he had turned to hide his annoyance; andMrs Worthing and her iniquities faded from his mind as if they hadnever existed.
"I really think, Mrs Lermont," he said, "that the risk of over-fatiguefor your daughter can be guarded against I shall look out for aspecially easy carriage, and we can take our time about it and driveslowly if Miss Lermont prefers. We shall not be at all a large party,and nearly all, people who know each other well--the Denvers and Maxtonsand one or two