Chapter VII. Enter the Aunts and Uncles

TheDodsonswerecertainlyahandsomefamily,andMrsGleggwasnottheleasthandsomeofthesisters.AsshesatinMrsTulliver’sarm-chair,noimpartialobservercouldhavedeniedthatforawomanoffiftyshehadaverycomelyfaceandfigure,thoughTomandMaggieconsideredtheirauntGleggasthetypeofugliness.Itistrueshedespisedtheadvantagesofcostume,forthough,assheoftenobserved,nowomanhadbetterclothes,itwasnotherwaytowearhernewthingsoutbeforeheroldones.Otherwomen,iftheyliked,mighthavetheirbestthread-laceineverywashbutwhenMrsGleggdied,itwouldbefoundthatshehadbetterlacelaidbyintheright-handdrawerofherwardrobeintheSpottedChamberthaneverMrsWoollofStOgg’shadboughtinherlife,althoughMrsWoollworeherlacebeforeitwaspaidfor.Soofhercurledfronts:MrsGlegghaddoubtlesstheglossiestandcrispestbrowncurlsinherdrawers,aswellascurlsinvariousdegreesoffuzzylaxnessbuttolookoutontheweek-dayworldfromunderacrispandglossyfrontwouldbetointroduceamostdreamlikeandunpleasantconfusionbetweenthesacredandthesecular.Occasionally,indeed,MrsGleggworeoneofherthird-bestfrontsonaweek-dayvisit,butnotatasister’shouseespeciallynotatMrsTulliver’s,who,sincehermarriage,hadhurthersister’sfeelingsgreatlybywearingherownhair,though,asMrsGleggobservedtoMrsDeane,amotherofafamily,likeBessy,withahusbandalwaysgoingtolaw,mighthavebeenexpectedtoknowbetter.ButBessywasalwaysweak! SoifMrsGlegg’sfrontto-daywasmorefuzzyandlaxthanusual,shehadadesignunderit:sheintendedthemostpointedandcuttingallusiontoMrsTulliver’sbunchesofblondcurls,separatedfromeachotherbyaduewaveofsmoothnessoneachsideoftheparting.MrsTulliverhadshedtearsseveraltimesatsisterGlegg’sunkindnessonthesubjectoftheseunmatronlycurls,buttheconsciousnessoflookingthehandsomerforthemnaturallyadministeredsupport.MrsGleggchosetowearherbonnetinthehouseto-day,—untiedandtiltedslightly,ofcourse—afrequentpracticeofherswhenshewasonavisit,andhappenedtobeinaseverehumour:shedidn’tknowwhatdraughtstheremightbeinstrangehouses.Forthesamereasonsheworeasmallsabletippet,whichreachedjusttohershoulders,andwasveryfarfrommeetingacrossherwell-formedchest,whileherlongneckwasprotectedbyachevaux-de-friseofmiscellaneousfrilling.OnewouldneedtobelearnedinthefashionsofthosetimestoknowhowfarintherearofthemMrsGlegg’sslate-colouredsilkgownmusthavebeenbutfromcertainconstellationsofsmallyellowspotsuponit,andamouldyodoraboutitsuggestiveofadampclothes-chest,itwasprobablethatitbelongedtoastratumofgarmentsjustoldenoughtohavecomerecentlyintowear. MrsGleggheldherlargegoldwatchinherhandwiththemany-doubledchainroundherfingers,andobservedtoMrsTulliver,whohadjustreturnedfromavisittothekitchen,thatwhateveritmightbebyotherpeople’sclocksandwatches,itwasgonehalf-pasttwelvebyhers. “Idon’tknowwhatailssisterPullet,”shecontinued.“Itusedtobethewayinourfamilyforonetobeasearlyasanother,—I’msureitwassoinmypoorfather’stime,—andnotforonesistertosithalfanhourbeforetheotherscame.Butifthewayso’thefamilyarealtered,itsha’n’tbemyfaultI’llneverbetheonetocomeintoahousewhenalltherestaregoingaway.IwonderatsisterDeane,—sheusedtobemorelikeme.Butifyou’lltakemyadvice,Bessy,you’llputthedinnerforrardabit,soonerthanputitback,becausefolksarelateasoughttoha’knownbetter.” “Ohdear,there’snofearbutwhatthey’llbeallhereintime,sister,”saidMrsTulliver,inhermild-peevishtone.“Thedinnerwon’tbereadytillhalf-pastone.Butifit’slongforyoutowait,letmefetchyouacheesecakeandaglasso’wine.” “Well,Bessy!”saidMrsGlegg,withabittersmileandascarcelyperceptibletossofherhead,“Ishouldha’thoughtyou’dknownyourownsisterbetter.Ineverdideatbetweenmeals,andI’mnotgoingtobegin.NotbutwhatIhatethatnonsenseofhavingyourdinnerathalf-pastone,whenyoumighthaveitatone.Youwasneverbroughtupinthatway,Bessy.” “Why,Jane,whatcanIdo?MrTulliverdoesn’tlikehisdinnerbeforetwoo’clock,butIputithalfanhourearlierbecauseo’you.” “Yes,yes,Iknowhowitiswithhusbands,—they’reforputtingeverythingoffthey’llputthedinnerofftillaftertea,ifthey’vegotwivesasareweakenoughtogiveintosuchworkbutit’sapityforyou,Bessy,asyouhaven’tgotmorestrengtho’mind.It’llbewellifyourchildrendon’tsufferforit.AndIhopeyou’venotgoneandgotagreatdinnerforus,—goingtoexpenseforyoursisters,as’udsoonereatacrusto’drybreadnorhelptoruinyouwithextravagance.Iwonderyoudon’ttakepatternbyyoursisterDeaneshe’sfarmoresensible.Andhereyou’vegottwochildrentoprovidefor,andyourhusband’sspentyourfortini’goingtolaw,and’slikelytospendhisowntoo.Aboiledjoint,asyoucouldmakebrothofforthekitchen,”MrsGleggadded,inatoneofemphaticprotest,“andaplainpudding,withaspoonfulo’sugar,andnospice,’udbefarmorebecoming.” WithsisterGlegginthishumour,therewasacheerfulprospectfortheday.MrsTulliverneverwentthelengthofquarrellingwithher,anymorethanawater-fowlthatputsoutitsleginadeprecatingmannercanbesaidtoquarrelwithaboywhothrowsstones.Butthispointofthedinnerwasatenderone,andnotatallnew,sothatMrsTullivercouldmakethesameanswershehadoftenmadebefore. “MrTulliversayshealwayswillhaveagooddinnerforhisfriendswhilehecanpayforit,”shesaid“andhe’sarighttodoashelikesinhisownhouse,sister.” “Well,Bessy,Ican’tleaveyourchildrenenoughouto’mysavingstokeep’emfromruin.Andyoumustn’tlooktohavinganyo’MrGlegg’smoney,forit’swellifIdon’tgofirst,—hecomesofalong-livedfamilyandifhewastodieandleavemewellformylife,he’dtieallthemoneyuptogobacktohisownkin.” ThesoundofwheelswhileMrsGleggwasspeakingwasaninterruptionhighlywelcometoMrsTulliver,whohastenedouttoreceivesisterPulletitmustbesisterPullet,becausethesoundwasthatofafour-wheel. MrsGleggtossedherheadandlookedrathersouraboutthemouthatthethoughtofthe“four-wheel.”Shehadastrongopiniononthatsubject. SisterPulletwasintearswhentheone-horsechaisestoppedbeforeMrsTulliver’sdoor,anditwasapparentlyrequisitethatsheshouldshedafewmorebeforegettingoutforthoughherhusbandandMrsTulliverstoodreadytosupporther,shesatstillandshookherheadsadly,asshelookedthroughhertearsatthevaguedistance. “Why,whativeristhematter,sister?”saidMrsTulliver.Shewasnotanimaginativewoman,butitoccurredtoherthatthelargetoilet-glassinsisterPullet’sbestbedroomwaspossiblybrokenforthesecondtime. Therewasnoreplybutafurthershakeofthehead,asMrsPulletslowlyroseandgotdownfromthechaise,notwithoutcastingaglanceatMrPullettoseethathewasguardingherhandsomesilkdressfrominjury.MrPulletwasasmallman,withahighnose,smalltwinklingeyes,andthinlips,inafresh-lookingsuitofblackandawhitecravat,thatseemedtohavebeentiedverytightonsomehigherprinciplethanthatofmerepersonalease.Heboreaboutthesamerelationtohistall,good-lookingwife,withherballoonsleeves,abundantmantle,andalargebefeatheredandberibbonedbonnet,asasmallfishing-smackbearstoabrigwithallitssailsspread. Itisapatheticsightandastrikingexampleofthecomplexityintroducedintotheemotionsbyahighstateofcivilisation,thesightofafashionablydressedfemaleingrief.FromthesorrowofaHottentottothatofawomaninlargebuckramsleeves,withseveralbraceletsoneacharm,anarchitecturalbonnet,anddelicateribbonstrings,whatalongseriesofgradations!Intheenlightenedchildofcivilisationtheabandonmentcharacteristicofgriefischeckedandvariedinthesubtlestmanner,soastopresentaninterestingproblemtotheanalyticmind.If,withacrushedheartandeyeshalfblindedbythemistoftears,sheweretowalkwithatoodeviousstepthroughadoor-place,shemightcrushherbuckramsleevestoo,andthedeepconsciousnessofthispossibilityproducesacompositionofforcesbywhichshetakesalinethatjustclearsthedoor-post.Perceivingthatthetearsarehurryingfast,sheunpinsherstringsandthrowsthemlanguidlybackward,atouchinggesture,indicative,eveninthedeepestgloom,ofthehopeinfuturedrymomentswhencap-stringswilloncemorehaveacharm.Asthetearssubsidealittle,andwithherheadleaningbackwardattheanglethatwillnotinjureherbonnet,sheenduresthatterriblemomentwhengrief,whichhasmadeallthingselseaweariness,hasitselfbecomewearyshelooksdownpensivelyatherbracelets,andadjuststheirclaspswiththatprettystudiedfortuitywhichwouldbegratifyingtohermindifitwereoncemoreinacalmandhealthystate. MrsPulletbrushedeachdoor-postwithgreatnicety,aboutthelatitudeofhershoulders(atthatperiodawomanwastrulyridiculoustoaninstructedeyeifshedidnotmeasureayardandahalfacrosstheshoulders),andhavingdonethatsentthemusclesofherfaceinquestoffreshtearsassheadvancedintotheparlourwhereMrsGleggwasseated. “Well,sister,you’relatewhat’sthematter?”saidMrsGlegg,rathersharply,astheyshookhands. MrsPulletsatdown,liftinguphermantlecarefullybehind,beforesheanswered,— “She’sgone,”unconsciouslyusinganimpressivefigureofrhetoric. “Itisn’ttheglassthistime,then,”thoughtMrsTulliver. “Diedthedaybeforeyesterday,”continuedMrsPullet“an’herlegswasa