CHAPTER III.

toodobliquelywithherthree-quarterfaceturnedtowardthemirror,andherlefthandbrushingbackthestreamofhair. “IshouldmakeatolerableSt.Ceciliawithsomewhiterosesonmyhead,”saidGwendolen,—“onlyhowaboutmynose,mamma?Ithinksaint’snosesneverintheleastturnup.Iwishyouhadgivenmeyourperfectlystraightnoseitwouldhavedoneforanysortofcharacter—anoseofallwork.Mineisonlyahappynoseitwouldnotdosowellfortragedy.” “Oh,mydear,anynosewilldotobemiserablewithinthisworld,”saidMrs.Davilow,withadeep,wearysigh,throwingherblackbonnetonthetable,andrestingherelbownearit. “Now,mamma,”saidGwendolen,inastronglyremonstranttone,turningawayfromtheglasswithanairofvexation,“don’tbegintobedullhere.Itspoilsallmypleasure,andeverythingmaybesohappynow.Whathaveyoutobegloomyaboutnow?” “Nothing,dear,”saidMrs.Davilow,seemingtorouseherself,andbeginningtotakeoffherdress.“Itisalwaysenoughformetoseeyouhappy.” “Butyoushouldbehappyyourself,”saidGwendolen,stilldiscontentedly,thoughgoingtohelphermammawithcaressingtouches.“Cannobodybehappyaftertheyarequiteyoung?Youhavemademefeelsometimesasifnothingwereofanyuse.Withthegirlssotroublesome,andJocosasodreadfullywoodenandugly,andeverythingmake-shiftaboutus,andyoulookingsodull—whatwastheuseofmybeinganything?Butnowyoumightbehappy.” “SoIshall,dear,”saidMrs.Davilow,pattingthecheekthatwasbendingnearher. “Yes,butreally.Notwithasortofmake-believe,”saidGwendolen,withresoluteperseverance.“Seewhatahandandarm!—muchmorebeautifulthanmine.Anyonecanseeyouwerealtogethermorebeautiful.” “No,no,dearIwasalwaysheavier.Neverhalfsocharmingasyouare.” “Well,butwhatistheuseofmybeingcharming,ifitistoendinmybeingdullandnotmindinganything?Isthatwhatmarriagealwayscomesto?” “No,child,certainlynot.Marriageistheonlyhappystateforawoman,asItrustyouwillprove.” “Iwillnotputupwithitifitisnotahappystate.Iamdeterminedtobehappy—atleastnottogoonmuddlingawaymylifeasotherpeopledo,beinganddoingnothingremarkable.Ihavemadeupmymindnottoletotherpeopleinterferewithmeastheyhavedone.Hereissomewarmwaterreadyforyou,mamma,”Gwendolenended,proceedingtotakeoffherowndressandthenwaitingtohaveherhairwoundupbyhermamma. Therewassilenceforaminuteortwo,tillMrs.Davilowsaid,whilecoilingthedaughter’shair,“IamsureIhavenevercrossedyou,Gwendolen.” “YouoftenwantmetodowhatIdon’tlike.” “Youmean,togiveAlicelessons?” “Yes.AndIhavedoneitbecauseyouaskedme.ButIdon’tseewhyIshould,else.Itboresmetodeath,sheissoslow.Shehasnoearformusic,orlanguage,oranythingelse.Itwouldbemuchbetterforhertobeignorant,mamma:itisherr?le,shewoulddoitwell.” “Thatisahardthingtosayofyourpoorsister,Gwendolen,whoissogoodtoyou,andwaitsonyouhandandfoot.” “Idon’tseewhyitishardtocallthingsbytheirrightnames,andputthemintheirproperplaces.Thehardshipisformetohavetowastemytimeonher.Nowletmefastenupyourhair,mamma.” “Wemustmakehasteyouruncleandauntwillbeheresoon.Forheaven’ssake,don’tbescornfultothem,mydearchild!ortoyourcousinAnna,whomyouwillalwaysbegoingoutwith.Dopromiseme,Gwendolen.Youknow,youcan’texpectAnnatobeequaltoyou.” “Idon’twanthertobeequal,”saidGwendolen,withatossofherheadandasmile,andthediscussionendedthere. WhenMr.andMrs.Gascoigneandtheirdaughtercame,Gwendolen,farfrombeingscornful,behavedasprettilyaspossibletothem.Shewasintroducingherselfanewtorelativeswhohadnotseenhersincethecomparativelyunfinishedageofsixteen,andshewasanxious—no,notanxious,butresolvedthattheyshouldadmireher. Mrs.Gascoigneboreafamilylikenesstohersister.Butshewasdarkerandslighter,herfacewasunwornbygrief,hermovementswerelesslanguid,herexpressionmorealertandcriticalasthatofarector’swifeboundtoexertabeneficentauthority.Theirclosestresemblancelayinanon-resistantdisposition,inclinedtoimitationandobediencebutthis,owingtothedifferenceintheircircumstances,hadledthemtoverydifferentissues.Theyoungersisterhadbeenindiscreet,oratleastunfortunateinhermarriagestheelderbelievedherselfthemostenviableofwives,andherpliancyhadendedinhersometimestakingshapesofsurprisingdefiniteness.Manyofheropinions,suchasthoseonchurchgovernmentandthecharacterofArchbishopLaud,seemedtoodecidedundereveryalterationtohavebeenarrivedatotherwisethanbyawifelyreceptiveness.Andtherewasmuchtoencouragetrustinherhusband’sauthority.Hehadsomeagreeablevirtues,somestrikingadvantages,andthefailingsthatwereimputedtohimallleanedtowardthesideofsuccess. Oneofhisadvantageswasafineperson,whichperhapswasevenmoreimpressiveatfifty-seventhanithadbeenearlierinlife.Therewerenodistinctivelyclericallinesintheface,notricksofstarchinessorofaffectedease:inhisInvernesscapehecouldnothavebeenidentifiedexceptasagentlemanwithhandsomedarkfeatures,anosewhichbeganwithanintentiontobeaquilinebutsuddenlybecamestraight,andiron-grayhair.Perhapsheowedthisfreedomfromthesortofprofessionalmake-upwhichpenetratesskin,tonesandgesturesanddefiesalldrapery,tothefactthathehadoncebeenCaptainGaskin,havingtakenordersandadiphthongbutshortlybeforehisengagementtoMissArmyn.Ifanyonehadobjectedthathispreparationfortheclericalfunctionwasinadequate,hisfriendsmighthaveaskedwhomadeabetterfigureinit,whopreachedbetterorhadmoreauthorityinhisparish?Hehadanativegiftforadministration,beingtolerantbothofopinionsandconduct,becausehefelthimselfabletooverrulethem,andwasfreefromtheirritationsofconsciousfeebleness.Hesmiledpleasantlyatthefoibleofatastewhichhedidnotshare—atfloricultureorantiquarianismforexample,whichweremuchinvogueamonghisfellow-clergymaninthediocese:forhimself,hepreferredfollowingthehistoryofacampaign,ordiviningfromhisknowledgeofNesselrode’smotiveswhatwouldhavebeenhisconductifourcabinethadtakenadifferentcourse.Mr.Gascoigne’stoneofthinkingaftersomelong-quietedfluctuationshadbecomeecclesiasticalratherthantheologicalnotthemodernAnglican,butwhathewouldhavecalledsoundEnglish,freefromnonsensesuchasbecameamanwholookedatanationalreligionbydaylight,andsawitinitsrelationtootherthings.Noclericalmagistratehadgreaterweightatsessions,orlessofmischievousimpracticablenessinrelationtoworldlyaffairs.Indeed,theworstimputationthrownoutagainsthimwasworldliness:itcouldnotbeprovedthatheforsookthelessfortunate,butitwasnottobedeniedthatthefriendshipshecultivat