CHAPTER IX

line’saffairasAuntCelia’s.CousinCarolinewasaladyofveryimposingheightandcircumference,butinspiteofhersizeandherhandsometrappings,therewassomethingexposedandunshelteredinherexpression,asifformanysummersherthinredskinandhookednoseandreduplicationofchins,somuchresemblingtheprofileofacockatoo,hadbeenbaredtotheweathershewas,indeed,asingleladybutshehad,itwasthehabittosay,“madealifeforherself,”andwasthusentitledtobeheardwithrespect. “Thisunhappybusiness,”shebegan,outofbreathasshewas.“IfthetrainhadnotgoneoutofthestationjustasIarrived,Ishouldhavebeenwithyoubefore.Celiahasdoubtlesstoldyou.Youwillagreewithme,Maggie.Hemustbemadetomarryheratonceforthesakeofthechildren—” “Butdoesherefusetomarryher?”Mrs.Hilberyinquired,withareturnofherbewilderment. “Hehaswrittenanabsurdpervertedletter,allquotations,”CousinCarolinepuffed.“Hethinkshe’sdoingaveryfinething,whereweonlyseethefollyofit....Thegirl’severybitasinfatuatedasheis—forwhichIblamehim.” “Sheentangledhim,”AuntCeliaintervened,withaverycurioussmoothnessofintonation,whichseemedtoconveyavisionofthreadsweavingandinterweavingaclose,whitemeshroundtheirvictim. “It’snousegoingintotherightsandwrongsoftheaffairnow,Celia,”saidCousinCarolinewithsomeacerbity,forshebelievedherselftheonlypracticaloneofthefamily,andregrettedthat,owingtotheslownessofthekitchenclock,Mrs.MilvainhadalreadyconfusedpoordearMaggiewithherownincompleteversionofthefacts.“Themischief’sdone,andveryuglymischieftoo.Arewetoallowthethirdchildtobebornoutofwedlock?(Iamsorrytohavetosaythesethingsbeforeyou,Katharine.)Hewillbearyourname,Maggie—yourfather’sname,remember.” “Butletushopeitwillbeagirl,”saidMrs.Hilbery. Katharine,whohadbeenlookingathermotherconstantly,whilethechatteroftonguesheldsway,perceivedthatthelookofstraightforwardindignationhadalreadyvanishedhermotherwasevidentlycastingaboutinhermindforsomemethodofescape,orbrightspot,orsuddenilluminationwhichshouldshowtothesatisfactionofeverybodythatallhadhappened,miraculouslybutincontestably,forthebest. “It’sdetestable—quitedetestable!”sherepeated,butintonesofnogreatassuranceandthenherfacelitupwithasmilewhich,tentativeatfirst,soonbecamealmostassured.“Nowadays,peopledon’tthinksobadlyofthesethingsastheyusedtodo,”shebegan.“Itwillbehorriblyuncomfortableforthemsometimes,butiftheyarebrave,cleverchildren,astheywillbe,Idaresayit’llmakeremarkablepeopleofthemintheend.RobertBrowningusedtosaythateverygreatmanhasJewishbloodinhim,andwemusttrytolookatitinthatlight.And,afterall,Cyrilhasactedonprinciple.Onemaydisagreewithhisprinciple,but,atleast,onecanrespectit—liketheFrenchRevolution,orCromwellcuttingtheKing’sheadoff.Someofthemostterriblethingsinhistoryhavebeendoneonprinciple,”sheconcluded. “I’mafraidItakeaverydifferentviewofprinciple,”CousinCarolineremarkedtartly. “Principle!”AuntCeliarepeated,withanairofdeprecatingsuchawordinsuchaconnection.“Iwillgoto-morrowandseehim,”sheadded. “Butwhyshouldyoutakethesedisagreeablethingsuponyourself,Celia?”Mrs.Hilberyinterposed,andCousinCarolinethereuponprotestedwithsomefurtherplaninvolvingsacrificeofherself. Growingwearyofitall,Katharineturnedtothewindow,andstoodamongthefoldsofthecurtain,pressingclosetothewindow-pane,andgazingdisconsolatelyattherivermuchintheattitudeofachilddepressedbythemeaninglesstalkofitselders.Shewasmuchdisappointedinhermother—andinherselftoo.Thelittletugwhichshegavetotheblind,lettingitflyuptothetopwithasnap,signifiedherannoyance.Shewasveryangry,andyetimpotenttogiveexpressiontoheranger,orknowwithwhomshewasangry.Howtheytalkedandmoralizedandmadeupstoriestosuittheirownversionofthebecoming,andsecretlypraisedtheirowndevotionandtact!Notheyhadtheirdwellinginamist,shedecidedhundredsofmilesaway—awayfromwhat?“PerhapsitwouldbebetterifImarriedWilliam,”shethoughtsuddenly,andthethoughtappearedtoloomthroughthemistlikesolidground.Shestoodthere,thinkingofherowndestiny,andtheelderladiestalkedon,untiltheyhadtalkedthemselvesintoadecisiontoasktheyoungwomantoluncheon,andtellher,veryfriendlily,howsuchbehaviorappearedtowomenlikethemselves,whoknewtheworld.AndthenMrs.Hilberywasstruckbyabetteridea.