CHAPTER XI.

Somewomen,Igrant,wouldnotappeartoadvantageseatedonapillion,andattiredinadrabjosephandadrabbeaver-bonnet,withacrownresemblingasmallstew-panforagarmentsuggestingacoachman’sgreatcoat,cutoutunderanexiguityofcloththatwouldonlyallowofminiaturecapes,isnotwelladaptedtoconcealdeficienciesofcontour,norisdrabacolourthatwillthrowsallowcheeksintolivelycontrast.ItwasallthegreatertriumphtoMissNancyLammeter’sbeautythatshelookedthoroughlybewitchinginthatcostume,as,seatedonthepillionbehindhertall,erectfather,sheheldonearmroundhim,andlookeddown,withopen-eyedanxiety,atthetreacheroussnow-coveredpoolsandpuddles,whichsentupformidablesplashingsofmudunderthestampofDobbin’sfoot.Apainterwould,perhaps,havepreferredherinthosemomentswhenshewasfreefromself-consciousnessbutcertainlythebloomonhercheekswasatitshighestpointofcontrastwiththesurroundingdrabwhenshearrivedatthedooroftheRedHouse,andsawMr.GodfreyCassreadytoliftherfromthepillion.ShewishedhersisterPriscillahadcomeupatthesametimebehindtheservant,forthenshewouldhavecontrivedthatMr.GodfreyshouldhaveliftedoffPriscillafirst,and,inthemeantime,shewouldhavepersuadedherfathertogoroundtothehorse-blockinsteadofalightingatthedoor-steps.Itwasverypainful,whenyouhadmadeitquitecleartoayoungmanthatyouweredeterminednottomarryhim,howevermuchhemightwishit,thathewouldstillcontinuetopayyoumarkedattentionsbesides,whydidn’thealwaysshowthesameattentions,ifhemeantthemsincerely,insteadofbeingsostrangeasMr.GodfreyCasswas,sometimesbehavingasifhedidn’twanttospeaktoher,andtakingnonoticeofherforweeksandweeks,andthen,allonasudden,almostmakingloveagain?Moreover,itwasquiteplainhehadnorealloveforher,elsehewouldnotletpeoplehavethattosayofhimwhichtheydidsay.DidhesupposethatMissNancyLammeterwastobewonbyanyman,squireornosquire,wholedabadlife?Thatwasnotwhatshehadbeenusedtoseeinherownfather,whowasthesoberestandbestmaninthatcountry-side,onlyalittlehotandhastynowandthen,ifthingswerenotdonetotheminute. AllthesethoughtsrushedthroughMissNancy’smind,intheirhabitualsuccession,inthemomentsbetweenherfirstsightofMr.GodfreyCassstandingatthedoorandherownarrivalthere.Happily,theSquirecameouttooandgavealoudgreetingtoherfather,sothat,somehow,undercoverofthisnoisesheseemedtofindconcealmentforherconfusionandneglectofanysuitablyformalbehaviour,whileshewasbeingliftedfromthepillionbystrongarmswhichseemedtofindherridiculouslysmallandlight.Andtherewasthebestreasonforhasteningintothehouseatonce,sincethesnowwasbeginningtofallagain,threateninganunpleasantjourneyforsuchguestsaswerestillontheroad.Thesewereasmallminorityforalreadytheafternoonwasbeginningtodecline,andtherewouldnotbetoomuchtimefortheladieswhocamefromadistancetoattirethemselvesinreadinessfortheearlyteawhichwastoinspiritthemforthedance. Therewasabuzzofvoicesthroughthehouse,asMissNancyentered,mingledwiththescrapeofafiddlepreludinginthekitchenbuttheLammeterswereguestswhosearrivalhadevidentlybeenthoughtofsomuchthatithadbeenwatchedforfromthewindows,forMrs.Kimble,whodidthehonoursattheRedHouseonthesegreatoccasions,cameforwardtomeetMissNancyinthehall,andconductherup-stairs.Mrs.KimblewastheSquire’ssister,aswellasthedoctor’swife—adoubledignity,withwhichherdiameterwasindirectproportionsothat,ajourneyup-stairsbeingratherfatiguingtoher,shedidnotopposeMissNancy’srequesttobeallowedtofindherwayalonetotheBlueRoom,wheretheMissLammeters’bandboxeshadbeendepositedontheirarrivalinthemorning. Therewashardlyabedroominthehousewherefemininecomplimentswerenotpassingandfemininetoilettesgoingforward,invariousstages,inspacemadescantybyextrabedsspreaduponthefloorandMissNancy,assheenteredtheBlueRoom,hadtomakeherlittleformalcurtsytoagroupofsix.Ontheonehand,therewereladiesnolessimportantthanthetwoMissGunns,thewinemerchant’sdaughtersfromLytherly,dressedintheheightoffashion,withthetightestskirtsandtheshortestwaists,andgazedatbyMissLadbrook(oftheOldPastures)withashynessnotunsustainedbyinwardcriticism.Partly,MissLadbrookfeltthatherownskirtmustberegardedasundulylaxbytheMissGunns,andpartly,thatitwasapitytheMissGunnsdidnotshowthatjudgmentwhichsheherselfwouldshowifshewereintheirplace,bystoppingalittleonthissideofthefashion.Ontheotherhand,Mrs.Ladbrookwasstandinginskull-capandfront,withherturbaninherhand,curtsyingandsmilingblandlyandsaying,“Afteryou,ma’am,”toanotherladyinsimilarcircumstances,whohadpolitelyofferedtheprecedenceatthelooking-glass. ButMissNancyhadnosoonermadehercurtsythananelderlyladycameforward,whosefullwhitemuslinkerchief,andmob-caproundhercurlsofsmoothgreyhair,wereindaringcontrastwiththepuffedyellowsatinsandtop-knottedcapsofherneighbours.SheapproachedMissNancywithmuchprimness,andsaid,withaslow,treblesuavity— “Niece,IhopeIseeyouwellinhealth.”MissNancykissedheraunt’scheekdutifully,andanswered,withthesamesortofamiableprimness,“Quitewell,Ithankyou,auntandIhopeIseeyouthesame.” “Thankyou,nieceIkeepmyhealthforthepresent.Andhowismybrother-in-law?” ThesedutifulquestionsandanswerswerecontinueduntilitwasascertainedindetailthattheLammeterswereallaswellasusual,andtheOsgoodslikewise,alsothatniecePriscillamustcertainlyarriveshortly,andthattravellingonpillionsinsnowyweatherwasunpleasant,thoughajosephwasagreatprotection.ThenNancywasformallyintroducedtoheraunt’svisitors,theMissGunns,asbeingthedaughtersofamotherknowntotheirmother,thoughnowforthefirsttimeinducedtomakeajourneyintothesepartsandtheseladiesweresotakenbysurpriseatfindingsuchalovelyfaceandfigureinanout-of-the-waycountryplace,thattheybegantofeelsomecuriosityaboutthedressshewouldputonwhenshetookoffherjoseph.MissNancy,whosethoughtswerealwaysconductedwiththeproprietyandmoderationconspicuousinhermanners,remarkedtoherselfthattheMissGunnswereratherhard-featuredthanotherwise,andthatsuchverylowdressesastheyworemighthavebeenattributedtovanityiftheirshouldershadbeenpretty,butthat,beingastheywere,itwasnotreasonabletosupposethattheyshowedtheirnecksfromaloveofdisplay,butratherfromsomeobligationnotinconsistentwithsenseandmodesty.Shefeltconvinced,assheopenedherbox,thatthismustbeherauntOsgood’sopinion,forMissNancy’smindresembledheraunt’stoadegreethateverybodysaidwassurprising,consideringthekinshipwasonMr.Osgood’ssideandthoughyoumightnothavesupposeditfromtheformalityoftheirgreeting,therewasadevotedattachmentandmutualadmirationbetweenauntandniece.EvenMissNancy’srefusalofhercousinGilbertOsgood(onthegroundsolelythathewashercousin),thoughithadgrievedherauntgreatly,hadnotintheleastcooledthepreferencewhichhaddeterminedhertoleaveNancyseveralofherhereditaryornaments,letGilbert’sfuturewifebewhomshemight. Threeoftheladiesquicklyretired,buttheMissGunnswerequitecontentthatMrs.Osgood’sinclinationtoremainwithherniecegavethemalsoareasonforstayingtoseetherusticbeauty’stoilette.Anditwasreallyapleasure—fromthefirstopeningofthebandbox,whereeverythingsmeltoflavenderandrose-leaves,totheclaspingofthesmallcoralnecklacethatfittedcloselyroundherlittlewhiteneck.EverythingbelongingtoMissNancywasofdelicatepurityandnattiness:notacreasewaswhereithadnobusinesstobe,notabitofherlinenprofessedwhitenesswithoutfulfillingitsprofessiontheverypinsonherpincushionwerest