CHAPTER XXIII. AN EVENING OUT.

OnefinesummerdaythatCarolinehadspententirelyalone(herunclebeingatWhinbury),andwhoselong,bright,noiseless,breezeless,cloudlesshours(howmanytheyseemedsincesunrise!)hadbeentoherasdesolateasiftheyhadgoneoverherheadintheshadowlessandtracklesswastesofSahara,insteadofinthebloominggardenofanEnglishhome,shewassittinginthealcove—hertaskofworkonherknee,herfingersassiduouslyplyingtheneedle,hereyesfollowingandregulatingtheirmovements,herbrainworkingrestlessly—whenFannycametothedoor,lookedroundoverthelawnandborders,andnotseeingherwhomshesought,calledout,"MissCaroline!" Alowvoiceanswered"Fanny!"Itissuedfromthealcove,andthitherFannyhastened,anoteinherhand,whichshedeliveredtofingersthathardlyseemedtohavenervetoholdit.MissHelstonedidnotaskwhenceitcame,andshedidnotlookatitsheletitdropamongstthefoldsofherwork. "JoeScott'sson,Harry,broughtit,"saidFanny. Thegirlwasnoenchantress,andknewnomagicspellyetwhatshesaidtookalmostmagicaleffectonheryoungmistress.Sheliftedherheadwiththequickmotionofrevivedsensationsheshot,notalanguid,butalifelike,questioningglanceatFanny. "HarryScott!whosenthim?" "HecamefromtheHollow." Thedroppednotewassnatchedupeagerly,thesealwasbroken—itwasreadintwoseconds.AnaffectionatebilletfromHortense,informingheryoungcousinthatshewasreturnedfromWormwoodWellsthatshewasaloneto-day,asRobertwasgonetoWhinburymarketthatnothingwouldgivehergreaterpleasurethantohaveCaroline'scompanytotea,andthegoodladyadded,shewasquitesuresuchachangewouldbemostacceptableandbeneficialtoCaroline,whomustbesadlyatalossbothforsafeguidanceandimprovingsocietysincethemisunderstandingbetweenRobertandMr.Helstonehadoccasionedaseparationfromher"meilleureamie,HortenseGérardMoore."Inapostscriptshewasurgedtoputonherbonnetandrundowndirectly. Carolinedidnotneedtheinjunction.Gladwasshetolaybythebrownhollandchild'sslipshewastrimmingwithbraidfortheJew'sbasket,tohastenupstairs,coverhercurlswithherstrawbonnet,andthrowroundhershoulderstheblacksilkscarf,whosesimpledraperysuitedaswellhershapeasitsdarkhuesetoffthepurityofherdressandthefairnessofherfacegladwasshetoescapeforafewhoursthesolitude,thesadness,thenightmareofherlifegladtorundownthegreenlaneslopingtotheHollow,toscentthefragranceofhedgeflowerssweeterthantheperfumeofmoss-roseorlily.True,sheknewRobertwasnotatthecottagebutitwasdelighttogowherehehadlatelybeen.Solong,sototallyseparatedfromhim,merelytoseehishome,toentertheroomwherehehadthatmorningsat,feltlikeareunion.AssuchitrevivedherandthenIllusionwasagainfollowingherinPerimask.Thesoftagitationofwingscaressedhercheek,andtheair,breathingfromthebluesummersky,boreavoicewhichwhispered,"Robertmaycomehomewhileyouareinhishouse,andthen,atleast,youmaylookinhisface—atleastyoumaygivehimyourhandperhaps,foraminute,youmaysitbesidehim." "Silence!"washeraustereresponsebutshelovedthecomforterandtheconsolation. MissMooreprobablycaughtfromthewindowthegleamandflutterofCaroline'swhiteattirethroughthebranchygardenshrubs,forsheadvancedfromthecottageporchtomeether.Straight,unbending,phlegmaticasusual,shecameon.Nohasteorecstasywaseverpermittedtodisorderthedignityofhermovementsbutshesmiled,wellpleasedtomarkthedelightofherpupil,tofeelherkissandthegentle,genialstrainofherembrace.Sheledhertenderlyin,halfdeceivedandwhollyflattered.Halfdeceived!haditnotbeensoshewouldinallprobabilityhaveputhertothewicket,andshutherout.Hadsheknownclearlytowhoseaccountthechiefshareofthischildlikejoywastobeplaced,Hortensewouldmostlikelyhavefeltbothshockedandincensed.Sistersdonotlikeyoungladiestofallinlovewiththeirbrothers.Itseems,ifnotpresumptuous,silly,weak,adelusion,anabsurdmistake.Theydonotlovethesegentlemen—whateversisterlyaffectiontheymaycherishtowardsthem—andthatothersshould,repelsthemwithasenseofcruderomance.Thefirstmovement,inshort,excitedbysuchdiscovery(aswithmanyparentsonfindingtheirchildrentobeinlove)isoneofmixedimpatienceandcontempt.Reason—iftheyberationalpeople—correctsthefalsefeelingintimebutiftheybeirrational,itisnevercorrected,andthedaughterorsister-in-lawisdislikedtotheend. "Youwouldexpecttofindmealone,fromwhatIsaidinmynote,"observedMissMoore,assheconductedCarolinetowardstheparlour"butitwaswrittenthismorning:sincedinner,companyhascomein." Andopeningthedoorshemadevisibleanamplespreadofcrimsonskirtsoverflowingtheelbow-chairatthefireside,andabovethem,presidingwithdignity,acapmoreawfulthanacrown.Thatcaphadnevercometothecottageunderabonnetno,ithadbeenbroughtinavastbag,orratheramiddle-sizedballoonofblacksilk,heldwidewithwhalebone.Thescreed,orfrillofthecap,stoodaquarterofayardbroadroundthefaceofthewearer.Theribbon,flourishinginpuffsandbowsaboutthehead,wasofthesortcalledlove-ribbon.Therewasagooddealofit,Imaysay,averygreatdeal.Mrs.Yorkeworethecap—itbecamehersheworethegownalso—itsuitedhernoless. ThatgreatladywascomeinafriendlywaytotaketeawithMissMoore.Itwasalmostasgreatandasrareafavourasifthequeenweretogouninvitedtosharepot-luckwithoneofhersubjects.Ahighermarkofdistinctionshecouldnotshow—shewhoingeneralscornedvisitingandtea-drinking,andheldcheapandstigmatizedas"gossips"everymaidandmatronofthevicinage. Therewasnomistake,howeverMissMoorewasafavouritewithher.Shehadevincedthefactmorethanonce—evinceditbystoppingtospeaktoherinthechurchyardonSundaysbyinvitingher,almosthospitably,tocometoBriarmainsevinceditto-daybythegrandcondescensionofapersonalvisit.Herreasonsforthepreference,asassignedbyherself,werethatMissMoorewasawomanofsteadydeportment,withouttheleastlevityofconversationorcarriagealsothat,beingaforeigner,shemustfeelthewantofafriendtocountenanceher.Shemighthaveaddedthatherplainaspect,homely,precisedress,andphlegmatic,unattractivemannerweretohersomanyadditionalrecommendations.Itiscertain,atleast,thatladiesremarkablefortheoppositequalitiesofbeauty,livelybearing,andeleganttasteinattirewerenotoftenfavouredwithherapprobation.Whatevergentlemenareapttoadmireinwomen,Mrs.Yorkecondemnedandwhattheyoverlookordespise,shepatronized. Carolineadvancedtothemightymatronwithsomesenseofdiffidence.SheknewlittleofMrs.Yorke,and,asaparson'sniece,wasdoubtfulwhatsortofareceptionshemightget.Shegotaverycoolone,andwasgladtohideherdiscomfiturebyturningawaytotakeoffherbonnet.Nor,uponsittingdown,wasshedispleasedtobeimmediatelyaccostedbyalittlepersonageinabluefrockandsash,whostarteduplikesomefairyfromthesideofthegreatdame'schair,whereshehadbeensittingonafootstool,screenedfromviewbythefoldsofthewideredgown,andrunningtoMissHelstone,unceremoniouslythrewherarmsroundherneckanddemandedakiss. "Mymotherisnotciviltoyou,"saidthepetitioner,asshereceivedandrepaidasmilingsalute,"andRosetheretakesnonoticeofyouitistheirway.If,insteadofyou,awhiteangel,withacrownofstars,hadcomeintotheroom,motherwouldnodstiffly,andRoseneverliftherheadatallbutIwillbeyourfriend—Ihavealwayslikedyou." "Jessie,curbthattongueofyours,andrepressyourforwardness!"saidMrs.Yorke. "But,mother,youaresofrozen!"expostulatedJessie."MissHelstonehasneverdoneyouanyharmwhycan'tyoubekindtoher?Yousitsostiff,andlooksocold,andspeaksodry—whatfor?That'sjustth