CHAPTER XVII

ou,Maggie?” “Marriage,”saidMrs.Hilbery,comingintotheroom,andnoddingherheadonceortwice,“Ialwayssaymarriageisaschool.Andyoudon’tgettheprizesunlessyougotoschool.Charlottehaswonalltheprizes,”sheadded,givinghersister-in-lawalittlepat,whichmadeLadyOtwaymoreuncomfortablestill.Shehalflaughed,mutteredsomething,andendedonasigh. “AuntCharlottewassayingthatit’snogoodbeingmarriedunlessyousubmittoyourhusband,”saidKatharine,framingheraunt’swordsintoafarmoredefiniteshapethantheyhadreallywornandwhenshespokethusshedidnotappearatallold-fashioned.LadyOtwaylookedatherandpausedforamoment. “Well,Ireallydon’tadviseawomanwhowantstohavethingsherownwaytogetmarried,”shesaid,beginningafreshrowratherelaborately. Mrs.Hilberyknewsomethingofthecircumstanceswhich,asshethought,hadinspiredthisremark.Inamomentherfacewascloudedwithsympathywhichshedidnotquiteknowhowtoexpress. “Whatashameitwas!”sheexclaimed,forgettingthathertrainofthoughtmightnotbeobvioustoherlisteners.“But,Charlotte,itwouldhavebeenmuchworseifFrankhaddisgracedhimselfinanyway.Anditisn’twhatourhusbandsGET,butwhattheyare.Iusedtodreamofwhitehorsesandpalanquins,toobutstill,Iliketheink-potsbest.Andwhoknows?”sheconcluded,lookingatKatharine,“yourfathermaybemadeabaronetto-morrow.” LadyOtway,whowasMr.Hilbery’ssister,knewquitewellthat,inprivate,theHilberyscalledSirFrancis“thatoldTurk,”andthoughshedidnotfollowthedriftofMrs.Hilbery’sremarks,sheknewwhatpromptedthem. “Butifyoucangivewaytoyourhusband,”shesaid,speakingtoKatharine,asiftherewereaseparateunderstandingbetweenthem,“ahappymarriageisthehappiestthingintheworld.” “Yes,”saidKatharine,“but—”Shedidnotmeantofinishhersentence,shemerelywishedtoinducehermotherandheraunttogoontalkingaboutmarriage,forshewasinthemoodtofeelthatotherpeoplecouldhelpheriftheywould.Shewentonknitting,butherfingersworkedwithadecisionthatwasoddlyunlikethesmoothandcontemplativesweepofLadyOtway’splumphand.Nowandthenshelookedswiftlyathermother,thenatheraunt.Mrs.Hilberyheldabookinherhand,andwasonherway,asKatharineguessed,tothelibrary,whereanotherparagraphwastobeaddedtothatvariedassortmentofparagraphs,theLifeofRichardAlardyce.Normally,Katharinewouldhavehurriedhermotherdownstairs,andseenthatnoexcusefordistractioncameherway.Herattitudetowardsthepoet’slife,however,hadchangedwithotherchangesandshewascontenttoforgetallaboutherschemeofhours.Mrs.Hilberywassecretlydelighted.Herreliefatfindingherselfexcusedmanifesteditselfinaseriesofsidelongglancesofslyhumorinherdaughter’sdirection,andtheindulgenceputherinthebestofspirits.Wasshetobeallowedmerelytositandtalk?Itwassomuchpleasantertositinaniceroomfilledwithallsortsofinterestingoddsandendswhichshehadn’tlookedatforayear,atleast,thantoseekoutonedatewhichcontradictedanotherinadictionary. “We’veallhadperfecthusbands,”sheconcluded,generouslyforgivingSirFrancisallhisfaultsinalump.“NotthatIthinkabadtemperisreallyafaultinaman.Idon’tmeanabadtemper,”shecorrectedherself,withaglanceobviouslyinthedirectionofSirFrancis.“Ishouldsayaquick,impatienttemper.Most,infactallgreatmenhavehadbadtempers—exceptyourgrandfather,Katharine,”andhereshesighed,andsuggestedthat,perhaps,sheoughttogodowntothelibrary. “Butintheordinarymarriage,isitnecessarytogivewaytoone’shusband?”saidKatharine,takingnonoticeofhermother’ssuggestion,blindeventothedepressionwhichhadnowtakenpossessionofheratthethoughtofherowninevitabledeath. “Ishouldsayyes,certainly,”saidLadyOtway,withadecisionmostunusualforher. “Thenoneoughttomakeupone’smindtothatbeforeoneismarried,”Katharinemused,seemingtoaddressherself. Mrs.Hilberywasnotmuchinterestedintheseremarks,whichseemedtohaveamelancholytendency,andtoreviveherspiritsshehadrecoursetoaninfallibleremedy—shelookedoutofthewindow. “Dolookatthatlovelylittlebluebird!”sheexclaimed,andhereyelookedwithextremepleasureatthesoftsky.atthetrees,atthegreenf