Chapter XII

t:MissLeywasawisewoman!Theywalkedafewstepswithoutaword,andthenDr.Ramsaysuddenlyburstout— “Well,MissLey,youwererightafterall.” Shestoppedandlookedatthespeaker—heseemedquiteserious. “Yes,”hesaid,“Idon’tmindacknowledgingit.Iwaswrong.It’sagreattriumphforyou,isn’tit?” Helookedather,andshookwithgood-temperedlaughter. “Ishemakingfunofme?”MissLeyaskedherself,withsomethingnotverydistantlyremovedfromagony.Thiswasthefirstoccasionuponwhichshehadfailedtounderstandnotonlythegooddoctor,buthisinmostthoughtsaswell.“Soyouthinktheestatehasbeenimproved?”shesaidhurriedly. “Ican’tmakeouthowtheman’sdonesomuchinsoshortatime.Why,justlookatit!” MissLeypursedherlips.“EveninitsmostdilapidateddaysCourtLeyslookedgentlemanly:nowallthis,”sheglancedroundwithupturnednose,“mightbethecountrymansionofapork-butcher.” “MydearMissLey,youmustpardonmysayingso,buttheplacewasn’tevenrespectable.” “Butitisnowthatismycomplaint.Mydeardoctor,intheolddays,thepasser-bycouldseethattheownersofCourtLeysweredecentpeoplethattheycouldnotmakebothendsmeetwasadetail—itwaspossiblybecausetheyburntoneendtoorapidly,whichisthesignofaratherdelicatemind.”MissLeywasmixinghermetaphors.“Andthepasser-bymoralisedaccordingly.Foragentlemanthereareonlytwodecorousstates,absolutepovertyoroverpoweringwealththemiddleconditionisvulgar.Nowthepasser-byseesthriftandcarefulmanagement,theendsmeet,buttheydoitaggressively,asifitweresomethingtobeproudabout.Penniesarelookedatbeforetheyarespentand,goodheavens!theLeysservetopointamoralandadornatale.TheLeys,whogambledandsquanderedtheirsubstance,whoboughtdiamondswhentheyhadn’tbread,andpawnedthediamondstogivetheKingagarden-party,nowformtheheadingofacopybookandtheidealofamarket-gardener.” MissLeyhadthecharacteristicsofthetruephrase-maker,forsolongasherperiodwaswellrounded,shedidnotmindhowmuchnonsenseitcontained.Comingtotheendofhertirade,shelookedatthedoctorforthesignsofdisapprovalwhichshethoughtherright,buthemerelylaughed. “Iseeyouwanttorubitin,”hesaid. “Whatonearthdoesthecreaturemean?”MissLeyaskedherself. “IconfessIdidbelievethingswouldturnoutbadly,”thedoctorproceeded.“AndIcouldn’thelpthinkinghe’dbetemptedtoplayducksanddrakeswiththewholeproperty.Well,Idon’tmindfranklyacknowledgingthatBerthacouldn’thavechosenabetterhusbandhe’sathoroughlygoodfellownoonerealisedwhathehadinhim,andthere’snoknowinghowfarhe’llgo.” AmanwouldhaveexpressedMissLey’sfeelingwithalittlewhistle,butthatladymerelyraisedherthineyebrows.ThenDr.RamsaysharedtheopinionofMissGlover? “Andwhatpreciselyistheopinionofthecounty?”sheasked.“OfthatodiousMrs.Branderton,ofMrs.Ryle(shehasnorighttotheMaystonatall),oftheHancocks,andtherest?” “EdwardCraddockhaswongoldenopinionsallround.Everyonelikeshim,andthinkswellofhim.No,Iassureyou,althoughI’mnotsofondasal