HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE.
All Hollingford as if there was a great to be done Easter this year. There was Easter proper, which always new of some kind, for of from little birds, who were to the of those that did not wear some new article of dress on Easter-day. And most ladies it that the little should see the new article for themselves, and not have to take it upon trust, as they would have to do if it were a pocket-handkerchief, or a petticoat, or any article of under-clothing. So a new bonnet, or a new gown; and was satisfied with an Easter pair of gloves. Miss Rose was very just Easter in Hollingford. Then this year there was the ball. Ashcombe, Hollingford, and Coreham were three towns, of about the same number of population, at the three of a triangle. In of with their festivals, these three had to have an for the of the hospital to be in turn at each place; and Hollingford was to be the place this year.
It was a time for hospitality, and every house of any was as full as it hold, and were long months before.
If Mrs. Gibson have asked Osborne, or in default, Roger Hamley to go to the with them and to sleep at their house,—or if, indeed, she have up any of a "county family" to such an offer would have been a convenience, she would have her own dressing-room to its use as the spare-room, with pleasure. But she did not think it was her while to put herself out for any of the and ill-dressed who had been her at Ashcombe. For Mr. Preston it might have been while to give up her room, him in the light of a and man, and a good dancer besides. But there were more lights in which he was to be viewed. Mr. Gibson, who wanted to return the to him by Mr. Preston at the time of his marriage, had yet an to the man, which no wish of himself from obligation, the more of hospitality, overcome. Mrs. Gibson had some old of her own against him, but she was not one to angry feelings, or be very active in her retaliation; she was of Mr. Preston, and him at the same time. It was too—so she said—to go into a ball-room without any at all, and Mr. Gibson was so uncertain! On the whole—partly for this last-given reason, and was the best policy, Mrs. Gibson was in of Mr. Preston to be their guest. But as soon as Cynthia the question discussed—or rather, as soon as she it in Mr. Gibson's absence, she said that if Mr. Preston came to be their visitor on the occasion, she for one would not go to the at all. She did not speak with or in anger; but with such that Molly looked up in surprise. She saw that Cynthia was her on her work, and that she had no of meeting any one's gaze, or any explanation. Mrs. Gibson, too, looked perplexed, and once or twice on the point of some question; but she was not angry as Molly had expected. She Cynthia and in for a minute or two, and then said that, after all, she not give up her dressing-room; and, altogether, they had say no more about it. So no was to at Mr. Gibson's at the time of the ball; but Mrs. Gibson openly spoke of her at the inhospitality, and that they might be able to an to their house the next Hollingford ball.
Another of at Hollingford this Easter was the return of the family to the Towers, after their long absence. Mr. Sheepshanks might be up and on his old cob, speaking to masons, plasterers, and about everything—on the at least—about the to "my lord," in perfect repair. Lord Cumnor owned the part of the town; and those who under other landlords, or in houses of their own, were up by the of to do up their dwellings. So the of and were sadly in the way of the ladies along to make their purchases, and their up in a behind, after a fashion gone out in these days. The and from the Towers might also be in to give orders at the shops; and stopping here and there at those by favourites, to themselves of the eagerly-tendered refreshments.
Lady Harriet came to call on her old the day after the of the family at the Towers. Molly and Cynthia were out walking when she came—doing some for Mrs. Gibson, who had a idea that Lady Harriet would call at the particular time she did, and had a not wish to talk to her without the presence of any of her own family.
Mrs. Gibson did not give Molly the message of that Lady Harriet had left for her; but she pieces of news to the Towers with great and interest. The Duchess of Menteith and her daughter, Lady Alice, were to the Towers; would be there the day of the ball; would come to the ball; and the Menteith diamonds were famous. That was piece of news the first. The second was that so many were to the Towers—some English, some French. This piece of news would have come in order of had there been much of their being dancing men, and, as such, possible partners at the ball. But Lady Harriet had spoken of them as Lord Hollingford's friends, scientific men in all probability. Then, finally, Mrs. Gibson was to go to the Towers next day to lunch; Lady Cumnor had a little note by Lady Harriet to her to come; if Mrs. Gibson manage to her way to the Towers, one of the in use should her to her own home in the of the afternoon.
"The dear countess!" said Mrs. Gibson, with soft affection. It was a soliloquy, after a minute's pause, at the end of all this information.
And all the of that day her had an perfume about it. One of the books she had with her into Mr. Gibson's house was in pink, and in it she "Menteith, Duke of, Adolphus George," &c., &c., till she was up in all the duchess's connections, and interests. Mr. Gibson his mouth up into a when he came home at night, and himself in a Towers' atmosphere. Molly saw the of through the drollery; she was to see it than she liked, not that she upon it, or that she the to its source; but she not help in herself when she her father was in the least put out.
Of a was ordered for Mrs. Gibson. In the early she came home. If she had been in her with the she told her woe, the that when she at the Towers she had to wait for an hour in Lady Cumnor's morning-room, by any save that of her old friend, Mrs. Bradley, till suddenly, Lady Harriet in, she exclaimed, "Why, Clare! you dear woman! are you here all alone? Does know?" And, after a little more conversation, she to her ladyship, who was perfectly aware of the fact, but too in the the of her and in to be at all aware of the length of time Mrs. Gibson had been in patient solitude. At Mrs. Gibson was by my lord's it to be her dinner, and calling out his urgent from the very of the table, as a for it, that she must it was her dinner. In she out in her soft, high voice, "Oh, my lord! I eat meat in the middle of the day; I can eat anything at lunch." Her voice was lost, and the might go away with the idea that the Hollingford doctor's wife early; that is to say, if her to have any idea on the at all; which that she was of the of there being a doctor at Hollingford, and that he had a wife, and that his wife was the pretty, faded, elegant-looking woman sending away her plate of food—food which she to eat, for she was after her drive and her solitude.
And then after there did come a tête-à-tête with Lady Cumnor, which was after this wise:—
"Well, Clare! I am to see you. I once I should to the Towers, but here I am! There was such a man at Bath—a Doctor Snape—he me at last—quite set me up. I think if I am again I shall send for him: it is such a thing to a medical man. Oh, by the way, I always you've married Mr. Gibson—of he is very clever, and all that. (The to the door in ten minutes, Brown, and Bradley to my down.) What was I you? Oh! how do you on with the stepdaughter? She to me to be a lady with a will of her own. I put a for the post somewhere, and I cannot think where; do help me look for it, there's a good woman. Just to my room, and see if Brown can it, for it is of great consequence."
Off Mrs. Gibson, unwillingly; for there were she wanted to speak about, and she had not of what she had to learn of the family gossip. But all was gone; for when she came from her errand, Lady Cumnor and the were in full talk, Lady Cumnor with the missing in her hand, which she was using something like a to her words.
"Every from Paris! Every i-o-ta!"
Lady Cumnor was too much of a lady not to for trouble, but they were nearly the last she spoke to Mrs. Gibson, for she had to go out and drive with the duchess; and the to take "Clare" (as she in calling Mrs. Gibson) to Hollingford the to the door. Lady Harriet came away from her of men and ladies, all prepared for some walking expedition, to wish Mrs. Gibson good-by.
"We shall see you at the ball," she said. "You'll be there with your two girls, of course, and I must have a little talk with you there; with all these visitors in the house, it has been to see anything of you to-day, you know."
Such were the facts, but rose-colour was the medium through which they were by Mrs. Gibson's on her return.
"There are many visitors at the Towers—oh, yes! a great many: the and Lady Alice, and Mr. and Mrs. Grey, and Lord Albert Monson and his sister, and my old friend Captain James of the Blues—many more, in fact. But, of course, I going to Lady Cumnor's own room, where I see her and Lady Harriet quietly, and where we were not by the downstairs. Of we were to go to lunch, and then I saw my old friends, and acquaintances. But I any with any one. Lord Cumnor so to see me there again: though there were six or seven us, he was always with some or speech to me. And after Lady Cumnor asked me all of questions about my new life with as much as if I had been her daughter. To be sure, when the came in we had to off, and talk about the she is preparing for Lady Alice. Lady Harriet such a point of our meeting at the ball; she is such a good, creature, is Lady Harriet!"
This last was said in a of appreciation.
The of the day on which the was to take place, a over from Hamley with two nosegays, "with the Mr. Hamleys' to Miss Gibson and Miss Kirkpatrick." Cynthia was the to them. She came dancing into the drawing-room, the flowers about in either hand, and up to Molly, who was trying to settle to her reading, by way of the time away till the came.
"Look, Molly, look! Here are for us! Long life to the givers!"
"Who are they from?" asked Molly, taking of one, and it with at its beauty.
"Who from? Why, the two of Hamleys, to be sure. Is it not a attention?"
"How of them!" said Molly.
"I'm sure it is Osborne who of it. He has been so much abroad, where it is such a common to send to ladies."
"I don't see why you should think it is Osborne's thought!" said Molly, a little. "Mr. Roger Hamley used to for his mother, and sometimes for me."
"Well, mind it was, or who them; we've got the flowers, and that's enough. Molly, I'm sure these red flowers will just match your necklace and bracelets," said Cynthia, out some camellias, then a of flower.
"Oh, please, don't!" Molly. "Don't you see how the are arranged—they have taken such pains; please, don't."
"Nonsense!" said Cynthia, to them out; "see, here are enough. I'll make you a little of them—sewn on black velvet, which will be seen—just as they do in France!"
"Oh, I am so sorry! It is spoilt," said Molly.
"Never mind! I'll take this bouquet; I can make it up again just as as ever; and you shall have this, which has been touched." Cynthia on the and flowers to her taste. Molly said nothing, but Cynthia's up the wreath.
"There!" said Cynthia, at last, "when that is on black velvet, to keep the flowers from dying, you'll see how it will look. And there are red flowers in this to out the idea!"
"Thank you" (very slowly). "But sha'n't you mind having only the of the other?"
"Not I; red flowers would not go with my pink dress."
"But—I they each so carefully!"
"Perhaps they did. But I would allow to with my choice of colours; and pink tie one down. Now you, in white muslin, just with crimson, like a daisy, may wear anything."
Cynthia took the pains in Molly, the to her mother's service. Mrs. Gibson was more about her than was either of the girls; it had her occasion for and not a sighs. Her had ended in her her pearl-grey wedding-gown, with a of lace, and white and lilacs. Cynthia was the one who took the most lightly. Molly looked upon the of for a as a ceremony; as an proceeding. Cynthia was almost as as herself; only Molly wanted her to be and unnoticed; and Cynthia was of setting off Molly's charms—her cream-coloured skin, her of black hair, her long-shaped eyes, with their shy, expression. Cynthia took up so much time in Molly to her mind, that she herself had to perform her in a hurry. Molly, dressed, on a low chair in Cynthia's room, the creature's movements, as she in her the glass, doing up her hair, with quick of effect. At length, Molly a long sigh, and said,—
"I should like to be pretty!"
"Why, Molly," said Cynthia, with an on the of her tongue; but when she the innocent, look on Molly's face, she what she was going to say, and, half-smiling to her own in the glass, she said,—"The French girls would tell you, to that you were would make you so."
Molly paused replying,—
"I they would that if you you were pretty, you would think about your looks; you would be so of being liked, and that it is caring—"
"Listen! that's eight o'clock striking. Don't trouble with trying to a French girl's meaning, but help me on with my frock, there's a dear one."
The two girls were dressed, and were over the fire waiting for the in Cynthia's room, when Maria (Betty's successor) came into the room. Maria had been as to Mrs. Gibson, but she had had of leisure, in which she had upstairs, and, under the of her services, had the ladies' dresses, and the of so many had sent her into a of which her think nothing of for the time, with a still more than the two previous ones.
"Here, Miss Kirkpatrick! No, it's not for you, miss!" as Molly, being nearer to the door, offered to take it and pass it to Cynthia. "It's for Miss Kirkpatrick; and there's a note for her besides!"
Cynthia said nothing, but took the note and the flowers. She the note so that Molly read it at the same time she did.
I send you some flowers; and you must allow me to the after nine o'clock, which time I I cannot arrive.—R. P.
"Who is it?" asked Molly.
Cynthia looked irritated, indignant, perplexed—what was it her so pale, and her so full of fire?
"It is Mr. Preston," said she, in answer to Molly. "I shall not with him; and here go his flowers—"
Into the very middle of the embers, which she upon the as if she to them as soon as possible. Her voice had been raised; it was as sweet as usual; nor, though her movements were enough, were they or violent.
"Oh!" said Molly, "those flowers! We might have put them in water."
"No," said Cynthia; "it's best to them. We don't want them; and I can't to be of that man."
"It was an familiar note," said Molly. "What right had he to himself in that way—no beginning, no end, and only initials! Did you know him well when you were at Ashcombe, Cynthia?"
"Oh, don't let us think any more about him," Cynthia. "It is to any at the to think that he will be there. But I I shall he comes, so that I can't with him—and don't you, either!"
"There! they are calling for us," Molly, and with quick step, yet of their draperies, they their way to the place where Mr. and Mrs. Gibson them. Yes; Mr. Gibson was going,—even if he had to them to to any professional call. And Molly to her father as a man, when she saw him now, in full attire. Mrs. Gibson, too—how she was! In short, it was true that no better-looking a party than these four people entered the Hollingford ball-room that evening.
