CHAPTER V.
MR. COMFORT GIVES HIS ADVICE.
Mrs. Tappitt was very full of her party. It had grown in her mindas those things do grow, till it had come to assume almost thedimensions of a ball. When Mrs. Tappitt first consulted her husbandand obtained his permission for the gathering, it was simply intendedthat a few of her daughters' friends should be brought together tomake the visit cheerful for Miss Rowan; but the mistress of the househad become ambitious; two fiddles, with a German horn, were to beintroduced because the piano would be troublesome; the drawing-roomcarpet was to be taken up, and there was to be a supper in thedining-room. The thing in its altered shape loomed large by degreesupon Mr. Tappitt, and he found himself unable to stop its growth.The word ball would have been fatal; but Mrs. Tappitt was too good ageneral, and the girls were too judicious as lieutenants, to committhemselves by the presumption of any such term. It was still Mrs.Tappitt's evening tea-party, but it was understood in Baslehurst thatMrs. Tappitt's evening tea-party was to be something considerable.
A great success had attended this lady at the onset of her scheme.Mrs. Butler Cornbury had called at the brewery, and had promised thatshe would come, and that she would bring some of the Cornbury family.Now Mr. Butler Cornbury was the eldest son of the most puissantsquire within five miles of Baslehurst, and was indeed almost asgood as Squire himself, his father being a very old man. Mrs. ButlerCornbury had, it is true, not been esteemed as holding any very highrank while shining as a beauty under the name of Patty Comfort;but she had taken kindly to her new honours, and was now reckonedas a considerable magnate in that part of the county. She did notcustomarily join in the festivities of the town, and held herselfaloof from people even of higher standing than the Tappitts. Butshe was an ambitious woman, and had inspired her lord with thedesire of representing Baslehurst in Parliament. There would be anelection at Baslehurst in the coming autumn, and Mrs. Cornbury wasalready preparing for the fight. Hence had arisen her visit at thebrewery, and hence also her ready acquiescence in Mrs. Tappitt'shalf-pronounced request.
The party was to be celebrated on a Tuesday,--Tuesday week afterthat Sunday which was passed so uncomfortably at Bragg's End; and onthe Monday Mrs. Tappitt and her daughters sat conning over the listof their expected guests, and preparing their invitations. It mustbe understood that the Rowan family had somewhat grown upon themin estimation since Luke had been living with them. They had notknown much of him till he came among them, and had been prepared topatronise him; but they found him a young man not to be patronised byany means, and imperceptibly they learned to feel that his mother andsister would have to be esteemed by them rather as great ladies. Lukewas in nowise given to boasting, and had no intention of magnifyinghis mother and sister; but things had been said which made theTappitts feel that Mrs. Rowan must have the best bedroom, and thatMary Rowan must be provided with the best partners.
"And what shall we do about Rachel Ray?" said Martha, who was sittingwith the list before her. Augusta, who was leaning over her sister,puckered up her mouth and said nothing. She had watched from thehouse door on that Saturday evening, and had been perfectly awarethat Luke Rowan had taken Rachel off towards the stile under thetrees. She could not bring herself to say anything against Rachel,but she certainly wished that she might be excluded.
"Of course she must be asked," said Cherry. Cherry was sittingopposite to the other girls writing on a lot of envelopes theaddresses of the notes which were afterwards to be prepared. "We toldher we should ask her." And as she spoke she addressed a cover to"Miss Ray, Bragg's End Cottage, Cawston."
"Stop a moment, my dear," said Mrs. Tappitt from the corner of thesofa on which she was sitting. "Put that aside, Cherry. Rachel Ray isall very well, but considering all things I am not sure that she willquite do for Tuesday night. It's not quite in her line, I think."
"But we have mentioned it to her already, mamma," said Martha.
"Of course we did," said Cherry. "It would be the meanest thing inthe world not to ask her now!"
"I am not at all sure that Mrs. Rowan would like it," said Mrs.Tappitt.
"And I don't think that Rachel is quite up to what Mary has been usedto," said Augusta.
"If she has half a mind to flirt with Luke already," said Mrs.Tappitt, "I ought not to encourage it."
"That is such nonsense, mamma," said Cherry. "If he likes her he'llfind her somewhere if he doesn't find her here."
"My dear, you shouldn't say that what I say is nonsense," said Mrs.Tappitt.
"But, mamma, when we have already asked her!--Besides, she is alady," said Cherry.
"I can't say that I think Mrs. Butler Cornbury would wish to meether," said Mrs. Tappitt.
"Mrs. Butler Cornbury's father is their particular friend," saidMartha. "Mrs. Ray always goes to Mr. Comfort's parties."
In this way the matter was discussed, and at last Cherry's eagernessand Martha's sense of justice carried the day. The envelope whichCherry had addressed was brought into use, and the note to Rachel wasdeposited in the post with all those other notes, the destinationof which was too far to be reached by the brewery boy withoutdetrimental interference with the brewery work. We will continueour story by following the note which was delivered by the Cawstonpostman at Bragg's End about seven o'clock on the Tuesday morning. Itwas delivered into Rachel's own hand, and read by her as she stood bythe kitchen dresser before either her mother or Mrs. Prime had comedown from their rooms. There still was sadness and gloom at Bragg'sEnd. During all the Monday there had been no comfort in the house,and Rachel had continued to share her mother's bedroom. At intervals,when Rachel had been away, much had been said between Mrs. Ray andMrs. Prime; but no conclusion had been reached; no line of conducthad received their joint adhesion; and the threat remained that Mrs.Prime would leave the cottage. Mrs. Ray, while listening to her elderdaughter's words, still continued to fear that evil spirits werehovering around them; but yet she would not consent to order Rachelto become a devout attendant at the Dorcas meetings. Monday had notbeen a Dorcas day, and therefore it had been very dull and verytedious.
Rachel stood a while with the note in her hand, fearing that thecontest must be brought on again and fought out to an end before shecould send her answer to it. She had told her mother that she was tobe invited, and Mrs. Ray had lacked the courage at the moment whichwould have been necessary for an absolute and immediate rejection ofthe proposition. If Mrs. Prime had not been with them in the house,Rachel little doubted but that she might have gone to the party.If Mrs. Prime had not been there, Rachel, as she was now graduallybecoming aware, might have had her own way almost in everything.Without the support which Mrs. Prime gave her, Mrs. Ray would havegradually slid down from that stern code of morals which she had beeninduced to adopt by the teaching of those around her, and would haveentered upon a new school of teaching under Rachel's tutelage. ButMrs. Prime was still there, and Rachel herself was not inclined tofight, if fighting could be avoided. So she put the note into herpocket, and neither answered it or spoke of it till Mrs. Prime hadstarted on her after-dinner walk into Baslehurst. Then she brought itforth and read it to her mother. "I suppose I ought to answer it bythe post this evening, mamma?"
"Oh, dear, this evening! that's very short."
"It can be put off till to-morrow if there's any good in putting itoff," said Rachel. Mrs. Ray seemed to think that there might be goodin putting it off, or rather that there would be harm in doing it atonce.
"Do you particularly want to go, my dear?" Mrs. Ray said, after apause.
"Yes, mamma; I should like to go." Then Mrs. Ray uttered a littlesound which betokened uneasiness, and was again silent for a while.
"I can't understand why you want to go to this place,--soparticularly. You never used to care about such things. You know yoursister won't like it, and I'm not at all sure that you ought to go."
"I'll tell you why I wish it particularly, only--"
"Well, my dear."
"I don't know whether I can make y
ou understand just what I mean."
"If you tell me, I shall understand, I suppose."
Rachel considered her words for a moment or two before she spoke, andthen she endeavoured to explain herself. "It isn't that I care forthis party especially, mamma, though I own that, after what the girlshave said, I should like to be there; but I feel--"
"You feel what, my dear?"
"It is this, mamma. Dolly and I do not agree about these things, andI don't intend to let her manage me just in the way she thinksright."
"Oh, Rachel!"
"Well, mamma, would you wish it? If you could tell me that you reallythink it wrong to go to parties, I would give them up. Indeed itwouldn't be very much to give up, for I don't often get the chance.But you don't say so. You only say that I had better not go, becauseDolly doesn't like it. Now, I won't be ruled by her. Don't look at mein that way, mamma. Is it right that I should be?"
"You have heard what she says about going away."
"I shall be very sorry if she goes, and I hope she won't; but Ican't think that her threatening you in that way ought to make anydifference. And--I'll tell you more; I do particularly wish to go toMrs. Tappitt's, because of all that Dolly has said about,--about Mr.Rowan. I wish to show her and you that I am not afraid to meet him.Why should I be afraid of any one?"
"You should be afraid of doing wrong."
"Yes; and if it were wrong to meet any other young man I ought not togo; but there is nothing specially wrong in my meeting him. She hassaid very unkind things about it, and I intend that she shall knowthat I will not notice them." As Rachel spoke Mrs. Ray looked up ather, and was surprised by the expression of unrelenting purpose whichshe saw there. There had come over her face that motion in her eyesand that arching of her brows which Mrs. Ray had seen before, butwhich hitherto she had hardly construed into their true meaning. Nowshe was beginning to construe these signs aright, and to understandthat there would be difficulty in managing her little family.
The conversation ended in an undertaking on Rachel's part that shewould not answer the note till the following day. "Of course thatmeans," said Rachel, "that I am to answer it just as Dolly thinksfit." But she repented of these words as soon as they were spoken,and repented of them almost in ashes when her mother declared, withtears in her eyes, that it was not her intention to be guided byDorothea in this matter. "You ought not to say such things as that,Rachel," she said. "No, mamma, I ought not; for there is no one sogood as you are; and if you'll say that you think I ought not to go,I'll write to Cherry, and explain it to her at once. I don't care abit about the party,--as far as the party is concerned." But Mrs. Raywould not now pronounce any injunction on the matter. She had madeup her mind as to what she would do. She would call upon Mr. Comfortat the parsonage, explain the whole thing to him, and be guidedaltogether by his counsel.
Not a word was said in the cottage about the invitation when Mrs.Prime came back in the evening, nor was a word said on the followingmorning. Mrs. Ray had declared her intention of going up to theparsonage, and neither of her daughters had asked her why she wasgoing. Rachel had no need to ask, for she well understood hermother's purpose. As to Mrs. Prime, she was in these days black andfull of gloom, asking but few questions, watching the progress ofevents with the eyes of an evil-singing prophetess, but keeping backher words till the moment should come in which she would be driven byher inner impulses to speak them forth with terrible strength. Whenthe breakfast was over, Mrs. Ray took her bonnet and started forth tothe parsonage.
I do not know that a widow, circumstanced as was Mrs. Ray, could dobetter than go to her clergyman for advice, but nevertheless, whenshe got to Mr. Comfort's gate she felt that the task of explainingher purpose would not be without difficulty. It would be necessary totell everything; how Rachel had become suddenly an object of interestto Mr. Luke Rowan, how Dorothea suspected terrible things, and howRachel was anxious for the world's vanities. The more she thoughtover it, the more sure she felt that Mr. Comfort would put an embargoupon the party. It seemed but yesterday that he had been tellingher, with all his pulpit unction, that the pleasures of this worldshould never be allowed to creep near the heart. With doubting feetand doubting heart she walked up to the parsonage door, and almostimmediately found herself in the presence of her husband's oldfriend.
Whatever faults there might be in Mr. Comfort's character, he was atany rate good-natured and patient. That he was sincere, too, no onewho knew him well had ever doubted,--sincere, that is, as far as hisintentions went. When he endeavoured to teach his flock that theyshould despise money, he thought that he despised it himself. Whenhe told the little children that this world should be as nothing tothem, he did not remember that he himself enjoyed keenly the goodthings of this world. If he had a fault it was perhaps this,--that hewas a hard man at a bargain. He liked to have all his temporalities,and make them go as far as they could be stretched. There was theless excuse for this, seeing that his children were well, and evenrichly, settled in life, and that his wife, should she ever be left awidow, would have ample provision for her few remaining years. He hadgiven his daughter a considerable fortune, without which perhaps theCornbury Grange people would not have welcomed her so kindly as theyhad done, and now, as he was still growing rich, it was supposed thathe would leave her more.
He listened to Mrs. Ray with the greatest attention, having firstbegged her to recruit her strength with a glass of wine. As shecontinued to tell her story he interrupted her from time to time withgood-natured little words, and then, when she had done, he askedafter Luke Rowan's worldly means. "The young man has got something,I suppose," said he.
"Got something!" repeated Mrs. Ray, not exactly catching his meaning.
"He has some share in the brewery, hasn't he?"
"I believe he has, or is to have. So Rachel told me."
"Yes,--yes; I've heard of him before. If Tappitt doesn't take himinto the concern he'll have to give him a very serious bit of money.There's no doubt about the young man having means. Well, Mrs. Ray, Idon't suppose Rachel could do better than take him."
"Take him!"
"Yes,--why not? Between you and me, Rachel is growing into a veryhandsome girl,--a very handsome girl indeed. I'd no idea she'd be sotall, and carry herself so well."
"Oh, Mr. Comfort, good looks are very dangerous for a young woman."
"Well, yes; indeed they are. But still, you know, handsome girls veryoften do very well; and if this young man fancies Miss Rachel--"
"But, Mr. Comfort, there hasn't been anything of that. I don'tsuppose he has ever thought of it, and I'm sure she hasn't."
"But young people get to think of it. I shouldn't be disposed toprevent their coming together in a proper sort of way. I don't likenight walkings in churchyards, certainly, but I really think that wasonly an accident."
"I'm sure Rachel didn't mean it."
"I'm quite sure she didn't mean anything improper. And as for him, ifhe admires her, it was natural enough that he should go after her. Ifyou ask my advice, Mrs. Ray, I should just tell her to be cautious,but I shouldn't be especially careful to separate them. Marriage isthe happiest condition for a young woman, and for a young man, too.And how are young people to get married if they are not allowed tosee each other?"
"And about the party, Mr. Comfort?"
"Oh, let her go; there'll be no harm. And I'll tell you what, Mrs.Ray; my daughter, Mrs. Cornbury, is going from here, and she shallpick her up and bring her home. It's always well for a young girl togo with a married woman." Then Mrs. Ray did take her glass of sherry,and walked back to Bragg's End, wondering a good deal, and notaltogether at ease in her mind as to that great question,--what lineof moral conduct might best befit a devout Christian.
Something also had been said at the interview about Mrs. Prime. Mrs.Ray had intimated that Mrs. Prime would separate herself from hermother and her sister unless her views were allowed to prevail inthis question regarding the young man from the brewery. But Mr.Comfort, in what few words he ha
d said on this part of the subject,had shown no consideration whatever for Mrs. Prime. "Then she'llbehave very wickedly," he had said. "But I'm afraid Mrs. Prime haslearned to think too much of her own opinion lately. If that's whatshe has got by going to Mr. Prong she had better have remained in herown parish." After that, nothing more was said about Mrs. Prime.
"Oh, let her go; there'll be no harm." That had been Mr. Comfort'sdictum about the evening party. Such as it was, Mrs. Ray felt herselfbound to be guided by it. She had told Rachel that she would ask theclergyman's advice, and take it, whatever it might be. Neverthelessshe did not find herself to be easy as she walked home. Mr. Comfort'slatter teachings tended to upset all the convictions of her life.According to his teaching, as uttered in the sanctum of his ownstudy, young men were not to be regarded as ravening wolves. And thatmeeting in the churchyard, which had utterly overwhelmed Dorotheaby the weight of its iniquity, and which even to her had beenvery terrible, was a mere nothing;--a venial accident on Rachel'spart, and the most natural proceeding in the world on the part ofLuke Rowan! That it was natural enough for a wolf Mrs. Ray couldunderstand; but she was now told that the lamb might go out and meetthe wolf without any danger! And then those questions about Rowan'sshare in the brewery, and Mr. Comfort's ready assertion that theyoung wolf,--man or wolf, as the case might be,--was well to do inthe world! In fact Mrs. Ray's interview with her clergyman had notgone exactly as she had expected, and she was bewildered; and thepath into evil,--if it was a path into evil,--was made so easy andpleasant! Mrs. Ray had already considered the difficult question ofRachel's journey to the party, and journey home again; but provisionwas now made for all that in a way that was indeed very comfortable,but which might make Rachel very vain. She was to be ushered intoMrs. Tappitt's drawing-room under the wing of the most august ladyof the neighbourhood. After that, for the remaining half-hour of herwalk home, Mrs. Ray gave her mind up to the consideration of whatdress Rachel should wear.
When Mrs. Ray reached her own gate, Rachel was in the garden waitingfor her. "Well, mamma?" she said. "Is Dorothea at home?" Mrs. Rayasked; and on being informed that Dorothea was at work within, shedesired Rachel to follow her up to her bedroom. When there she toldher budget of news,--not stinting her child of the gratificationwhich it was sure to give. She said nothing about Luke Rowan andhis means, keeping that portion of Mr. Comfort's recommendationto herself; but she declared it out as a fact, that Rachel was toaccept the invitation, and to be carried to the party by Mrs. ButlerCornbury. "Oh, mamma! Dear mamma!" said Rachel, who was leaningagainst the side of the bed. Then she gave a long sigh, and a brightcolour came over her face,--almost as though she were blushing. Butshe said no more at the moment, but allowed her mind to run off andrevel in its own thoughts. She had indeed longed to go to this party,though she had taught herself to believe that she could bear beingtold that she was not to go without disappointment. "And now we mustlet Dorothea know," said Mrs. Ray. "Yes,--we must let her know," saidRachel; but her mind was away, straying, I fear, under the churchyardelms with Luke Rowan, and looking at the arm amidst the clouds. Hehad said that it was stretched out as though to take her; and she hadnever shaken off from her imagination the idea that it was his arm onwhich she had been bidden to look,--the arm which had afterwards heldher when she strove to go.
It was tea-time before courage was mustered for telling the facts toMrs. Prime. Mrs. Prime, after dinner, had gone into Baslehurst; butthe meeting at Miss Pucker's had not been a regular full gathering,and Mrs. Prime had come back to tea. There was no hot toast, and noclotted cream. It may appear selfish on the part of Mrs. Ray andRachel that they should have kept such good things for their onlylittle private banquets, but, in truth, such delicacies did not suitMrs. Prime. Nice things aggravated her spirits and made her fretful.She liked the tea to be stringy and bitter, and she liked the breadto be stale;--as she preferred also that her weeds should be batteredand old. She was approaching that stage of discipline at which ashesbecome pleasant eating, and sackcloth is grateful to the skin. Theself-indulgences of the saints in this respect often exceed anythingthat is done by the sinners.
"Dorothea," said Mrs. Ray, and she looked down upon the dark dingyfluid in her cup as she spoke, "I have been up to Mr. Comfort'sto-day."
"Yes; I heard you say you were going there."
"I went to ask him for advice."
"Oh."
"As I was in much doubt, I thought it right to go to the clergyman ofmy parish."
"I don't think much about parishes myself. Mr. Comfort is an oldman now, and I fear he does not give himself up to the Gospel as heused to do. If people were called upon to bind themselves down toparishes, what would those poor creatures do who have over them sucha pastor as Dr. Harford?"
"Dr. Harford is a very good man, I believe," said Rachel, "and hekeeps two curates."
"I'm afraid, Rachel, you know but little about it. He does keep twocurates,--but what are they? They go to cricket-matches, and amongyoung women with bows and arrows! If you had really wanted advice,mamma, I would sooner have heard that you had gone to Mr. Prong."
"But I didn't go to Mr. Prong, my dear;--and I don't mean. Mr. Prongis all very well, I dare say, but I've known Mr. Comfort for nearlythirty years, and I don't like sudden changes." Then Mrs. Ray stirredher tea with rather a quick motion of her hand. Rachel said not aword, but her mother's sharp speech and spirited manner was verypleasant to her. She was quite contented now that Mr. Comfort shouldbe regarded as the family counsellor. She remembered how well she hadloved Mr. Comfort always, and thought of days when Patty Comfort hadbeen very good-natured to her as a child.
"Oh, very well," said Mrs. Prime. "Of course, mamma, you must judgefor yourself."
"Yes, my dear, I must; or rather, as I didn't wish to trust my ownjudgment, I went to Mr. Comfort for advice. He says that he sees noharm in Rachel going to this party."
"Party! what party?" almost screamed Mrs. Prime. Mrs. Ray hadforgotten that nothing had as yet been said to Dorothea about theinvitation.
"Mrs. Tappitt is going to give a party at the brewery," said Rachel,in her very softest voice, "and she has asked me."
"And you are going? You mean to let her go?" Mrs. Prime had askedtwo questions, and she received two answers. "Yes," said Rachel; "Isuppose I shall go, as mamma says so." "Mr. Comfort says there is noharm in it," said Mrs. Ray; "and Mrs. Butler Cornbury is to come fromthe parsonage to take her up." All question as to Dorcas disciplineto be inflicted daily upon Rachel on account of that sin of whichshe had been guilty in standing under the elms with a young man wasutterly lost in this terrible proposition! Instead of being sent toMiss Pucker in her oldest merino dress, Rachel was to be decked inmuslin and finery, and sent out to a dancing party at which thisyoung man was to be the hero! It was altogether too much for DorotheaPrime. She slowly wiped the crumbs from off her dingy crape, and withcreaking noise pushed back her chair. "Mother," she said, "I couldn'thave believed it! I could not have believed it!" Then she withdrew toher own chamber.
Mrs. Ray was much afflicted; but not the less did Rachel look out forthe returning postman, on his road into Baslehurst, that she mightsend her little note to Mrs. Tappitt, signifying her acceptance ofthat lady's kind invitation.