CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
The glance of shamed apprehension which Esther cast at Peggy as sheappeared upon the threshold afforded immense delight to those whowatched the meeting between the two girls. The old danger signals wereall to the fore, as Peggy walked across the room--the peaked brows,pursed-up lips, and air of gracious patronage; but the dignity of lateryears seemed but to have added fresh weapons to her armament. A pigtailcould never by any chance have been so imposing as the glossy coilswhich were now wound round the little head. The rustle of silken skirtsheralded her approach in a manner infinitely more stately than thescamper of thin brown legs, and the wave of the little hand wasemphasised by the twinkle of diamonds.
Esther grasped the back of her chair and gulped miserably. If only,only Edward had not been present, she could have faced the worst; butbeing still bashful and embarrassed in his presence, she trembled at thethought of what was to come, and supplicated dumbly with her eyes.
"My dear Esther, a thousand felicitations! I do indeed rejoice in yourhappiness," murmured Peggy sweetly, and pecked her cheek with acondescending kiss. Esther's face disappeared for a moment, and cameinto view again with a fine access of colour and such an expression ofanguish as seemed incomprehensible to those who did not know with whatforce Peggy's foot had been pressed on a pet corn, or had not heard thethreatening whisper, "You _would_, would you? Wait till I get youalone!" which had belied the honeyed words. The two girls stoodtogether in silence a moment longer, while the other occupants of theroom gazed upon them with curious eyes; then Peggy held out her hand tothe professor in her most fascinating manner. "We should not need anintroduction, Professor Reid, since we are already united by a mutuallove and admiration. I congratulate you truly. To be approved byEsther has ever been the ambition of her friends. To be chosen aboveall others is indeed an honour."
"I feel it so! I feel it so!" agreed the professor eagerly. He wascharmed to discover so understanding an appreciation of his _fiancee_,and rose to the bait with innocent alacrity. "I feel very deeply theresponsibility attached to such a trust and my own unworthiness topossess it, but I know that Esther will be patient with me and help meto overcome my failings. She is so wise, so gentle--"
"So sensible--"
"So sensible, as you observe; so kind, so patient--"
"So faithful to her resolutions, so strong, so _consistent_ in heractions!"
"Consistent, indeed!" echoed the professor, and rubbed his hands withsatisfaction. He saw only a remarkably affable, agreeable little lady,who expressed herself with great propriety, and could not understand whyat this last word there was a general "family coach" movement in theroom, every one rushing hurriedly to take up a new position, or whyEsther herself should hang her head with an expression of guiltyembarrassment. How was he to know how often in that self-same companyhis Esther had sung the praises of a single life, and vowed that no mereman should be allowed to stand between herself and her life's work.
Mrs Asplin took refuge at the tea-table, and rattled the cups with atrembling hand. The vicar tip-toed gently up and down in his carpetslippers, and, in his efforts to look solemn, dropped his chin until hisface looked about half a yard long. Mellicent spluttered contentedly ina corner, and Rob rubbed his hands and whispered, "Go it, Peg!" at everyfresh opportunity.
The conversation during tea-time was conducted mainly between theprofessor and Miss Saville, and that young woman's friends listened withamazed admiration to the high-flown eloquence of her remarks. Who wouldhave believed that Peggy was so well read, or able to conduct so learneda conversation? Even her old instructor was surprised at her knowledge,forgetting for the moment that education is by no means finished when agirl leaves the schoolroom. Miss Peggy had associated with many clevermen during her four years' sojourn in India, had rubbed her sharp littlewits against theirs, and not only heard but remembered what they had hadto tell. She had likewise had abundant opportunity of cultivating hernatural gift for conversation, and the little minx was by no means sorryto have an opportunity of quoting _a propos_ remarks in assent to theprofessor's axioms, and thus impressing old and new friends at the sametime.
Rob scowled in the background and scraped his feet on the carpet, a signof disapproval peculiarly trying to the nerves of his hostess; but then,as Mellicent sagely observed, Rob always _was_ furious if Peggy talkedto any one but himself; so that it was no use taking any notice of_him_, and so soon as tea was over, Mrs Asplin ordered him away withthe two older men, feeling sure that the girls were longing for a chatby themselves. The two stooping figures went down the garden-path, withRob's stalwart form towering behind, and the three women who loved themwatched from the window, and murmured benedictions in their hearts.
"Austin looks as young as the professor himself, not one bit more bowed.He is so happy, bless him, to have gained another son."
"Edward will have a talk with father, and father will find out what heis like. How intellectual he looks! He has the true scholarly air,such a contrast to big, lumbering Rob."
"Two dear good pigmies, but the giant for me! What a comfort to seebrain and muscle together! As a rule one seems to entirely absorb theother," sighed Miss Peggy happily, then turned to accost Esther withuplifted finger. "Esther, oh, Esther, who would have thought it?"
"It was very mean of you, Peggy, to make fun of me like that. I wasmost uncomfortable. If Edward had guessed you were making fun--"
"But he did not, you see, so no harm is done, and you could not expectto escape scot free. _You_ to get engaged, after all your vows andprotestations! You to fall in love like an ordinary, ignorant girl!You to condescend to marriage, when you might have spent your lifeteaching in a high school! Oh, Esther, Esther, well might I call youconsistent! After this I shall have no more faith in strong-mindedwomen."
"Don't call her strong-minded! I won't have it; it sounds too unlovablefor my dear, good girl!" cried Esther's mother fondly, and thenimmediately contradicting herself; "And indeed she would need to bestrong-minded," she declared, "to venture to many a literary man.Tiresome creatures! that they are, always living in the clouds andcoming in late for meals. An aunt of my own married an author, whoruined his health poring over his desk from morning to night, and half-way through the night into the bargain. Her great object in life was totempt him out of doors, and at first she could never do it; but she wasa woman of resource, and got the better of him in the end. She said shehad nothing to do but to ring the dinner-bell, and out he would fly andscour the country-side for hours on end! So, indeed, she rang itregularly half-way through the afternoon, and the poor soul was too lostin dreams to discover the deception. He just thought he had been outfor ten minutes' constitutional, and that the meal had been kept hotuntil his return. I've known several literary couples in my time, butthey were the only really happy pair, for not one woman in fifty has thewit to manage a man without letting him suspect it. Remember, Esther,when the professor is aggravating--"
"He never will be! Mother, how _can_ you?" protested the _fiancee_indignantly, at which Mrs Asplin beamed with delight, Mellicentchuckled, and Peggy groaned in sepulchral fashion.
"Just wait and see. He'll wear you to a skeleton, my dear, and younever had too much flesh to boast of. I've heard tales about literarymen which would make your flesh creep. Being late for meals isnothing--literally nothing! I'm told they never speak for months at atime when they are in the throes of composition, and habitually sit upat night writing until they fall asleep, knock over the lamp, and setthe house on fire. You had better keep fire-escapes on every landing,for you are bound to need them."
It was of no use. Esther refused to be alarmed or even depressed. Shesat smiling and complacent, her hands folded on her knee, her usuallyserious face softened into a radiance of contented happiness. Her stateof illusion was such that, if any one had dared to hint that theprofessor might possibly mingle some trifling failing with his manyvirtues, she would have laughed the idea to scorn, and her co
mpanionsrealised as much, and made no further efforts to convince her.
"It's no use talking!" Mellicent cried in scorn. "She thinks he isperfect, and that we are all too stupid and ignorant to appreciate him.It's the way all girls go on when they get engaged, and the only thingto do is to keep quiet, and let them find out their mistake. They aremad, poor dears, and don't know what they are doing. Let us talk aboutthe wedding; that will be more interesting. I have simply ached to havea wedding in the family, and felt quite low because I thought mine wouldbe the first, and I should be cheated out of the fun of being abridesmaid and having all the fuss and excitement."
"I am afraid you will have very little of that, Mill, as it is, for itwill be very, very quiet. I should hate a fashionable wedding, and feelthat it took away half the solemnity of the service to have one'sthoughts taken up with dress and furbelows. Edward wants to be marriedvery soon, in two months, if possible, for he says he has waited longenough for a home, and there is no reason for delay. We are quite sureof our own minds, and there will be no difficulty in finding anothergoverness for the little boys; so, mother dear, we must try to be readyfor a very quiet wedding by that time. I shall not need an elaboratetrousseau, you know; just a few plain, useful dresses."
Mellicent groaned, and threw up her hands in despair.
"Oh dear, what a thing it is to be sensible! Just listen to her, Peggy,with her `few useful dresses.' I must say it's very hard on me, to havea sister who never takes my feelings into account. What is the good ofhaving a wedding at all, if it isn't properly done with a choral serviceand bridesmaids and pretty frocks? I don't think you _could_ be soselfish, Esther, as to say I shall not be bridesmaid. I'd break myheart if you did. Just Peggy and me, and one or two of his relatives,and Rosalind Darcy, and the little boys as pages to hold up your train.They would look sweet as pages, and every one has them now.--It's quitethe proper thing."
But Esther laughed derisively at the very idea.
"Pages indeed! Trains indeed! I sha'n't have any train to carry. Myown idea is to be married in my travelling-dress at eight o'clock in themorning, and drive straight to the station; but we must talk it overwith Edward and see what he says. You can call yourself a bridesmaid,Mill, if you like to stand beside me, and Peggy will be there, ofcourse, but she will understand that it is no lack of love which makesme ask her as a guest only. If there were going to be bridesmaidsoutside the family, she would be the first to be asked."
Peggy made a bow of gracious acknowledgment.
"And I am not so sure that there won't be even yet. Men, I haveobserved, are extremely prosaic about other people's weddings andsentimental about their own. The professor may object to thetravelling-dress, and want to see you in the orthodox white, in whichcase Mellicent will have her desire, for, of course, you will give in tohim in that, as in every other instance. I hope he does, for I mustconfess I like to see a bride in white."
"And so do I," agreed the bride's mother. "I think it's a sin for agirl to be married in anything else when she is young, and the dress hasto be bought in any case for wearing afterwards. You know, Esther dear,you will be asked out a great deal in Oxford, and you must have a goodtrousseau. No one can call me extravagant, but I am determined not tolet you leave home without seeing that you are well supplied, and haveeverything that you need."
Mellicent's eyes brightened with expectation.
"That's right, mother, that's right! That's the way to talk to her. Ifit's too painful to her feelings to buy nice things, you and I will goup to town and get them for her. Just wait until it comes to _my_ turn,and won't I enjoy myself just! Oh, dear me, how miserable I've beenmany and many a time reading those wonderful accounts of trousseaux inthe newspapers, and thinking that I should never, never have the thingsfor my own! Dozens of hats, dozens of jackets, parasols to match everydress, and as for blouses, hundreds, my dears, literally hundreds, ofevery sort and description!"
"Wicked waste and extravagance," Esther said severely. "I have oftenwondered how brides in high position can show such a want of taste andnice feeling in first wasting so much money, and then making a publicshow of what is a purely personal matter. It's beautiful and poetic toprepare new garments for the new home, but it's vulgar and prosaic tomake a show of them to satisfy public curiosity. If I could afford it ahundred times over, I would not condescend to such folly. Would you,Peggy? Whom do you agree with now, Mellicent or me?"
"Both," said Peggy calmly. "I would have no exhibition of my fineries,but I'd love to have them all the same, and would thoroughly enjoy theselection. What is more. I believe you will yourself, for, having onceforgotten yourself so far as to get engaged, there is no saying whatfolly you may descend to; but whatever you do, dear, I'll help you, andcome over on the eventful morn, to see that your wreath is not put on_too_ tidily, and to give a few artistic touches to your painfully neatattire. You will let me be with you on your wedding morning, won'tyou?"
"Indeed I will! I shall want every one I love around me to share in myhappiness; and you, dear Peg, are associated with some of the brightestrecollections of my childhood."
"Oh, good gracious, now they are getting sentimental! I am going outinto the garden to eat gooseberries!" cried Mellicent, jumping up fromher seat and rushing out of the room. Mrs Asplin hesitated for amoment, and then followed suit, and the two girls who were left behindlooked at one another with shy, embarrassed glances. For the first timesince the announcement of the great news they were alone together, andeach waited bashfully for the other to speak. Naturally, however, itwas Peggy who first broke the silence.
"Then you thought it well over, Esther," she said slowly, "and decidedthat you would rather marry the professor than go on with your work?You were so full of ambition for the future and so interested in yourplans that it must have been difficult to give them up and resignyourself to a quiet domestic life. But I suppose you are quite sure."
Esther smiled with that ineffable superiority of experience whichdivides the engaged girl from her old associates.
"I never thought it over. I never `decided' or `resigned myself' oranything of the kind. Edward wanted me, and that was enough. There wasnot room in my mind to think of anything but him. To be with him andhelp him is all I care for now."
"And it was no effort, none at all, to give up what you had worked forall your life? When he asked you to marry him, and you thought of yourwork, had you no hesitation, no qualm?"
"I--I never thought of it! I forgot all about it!" said Esther,blushing; and Peggy bent forward to kiss her with a smile on her lipsand a tear in her eye.
"You dear thing! I am so glad! I am so glad! It is all just as itshould be, and I can see you are going to be an ideal Darby and Joan.You will forgive me, won't you, for saying that his collar was dusty,for how was I ever to guess that he was going to belong to you? I muchadmire the classical outline of his features, and I'll make a point ofstudying it exclusively in the future, and never allow my eyes to wanderto his garments. After all, what is dust, that it should be allowed toaffect our estimate of a fellow-creature? He may be as dusty as helikes, Esther, my dear, and I shall never breathe a word of reproach toyou on the subject."
"Much obliged, but your generosity is unnecessary. You will never see_my_ husband dusty, if I know it!" cried Esther in disdain, and blushedso prettily at the sound of that magic word that Peggy capered round theroom in delight, humming an air the while which was intended to be theWedding March, but which was, alas! so lamentably out of tune thatEsther congratulated herself that, even if overheard, it would never berecognised by the beloved listener in the garden.