THE MARQUIS COMES HOME.
Some little time after the middle of April, when the hunting was all
over, and Mr. Price had sunk down into his summer insignificance, there
came half a dozen telegrams to Manor Cross, from Italy, from Mr. Knox,
and from a certain managing tradesman in London, to say that the
Marquis was coming a fortnight sooner than he had expected. Everything
was at sixes and sevens. Everything was in a ferment. Everybody about
Manor Cross seemed to think that the world was coming to an end. But
none of these telegrams were addressed to any of the Germain family,
and the last people in the county who heard of this homeward rush of
the Marquis were the ladies at Cross Hall, and they heard it from Lord
George, upon whom Mr. Knox called in London; supposing, however, when
he did call that Lord George had already received full information on
the subject. Lord George's letter to Lady Sarah was full of dismay,
full of horror. "As he has not taken the trouble to communicate his
intentions to me, I shall not go down to receive him." "You will know
how to deal with the matter, and will, I am sure, support our mother
in this terrible trial." "I think that the child should, at any rate,
at first be acknowledged by you all as Lord Popenjoy." "We have to
regard, in the first place, the honour of the family. No remissness on
his part should induce us to forget for a moment what is due to the
title, the property, and the name." The letter was very long, and was
full of sententious instructions, such as the above. But the purport of
it was to tell the ladies at Cross Hall that they must go through the
first burden of receiving the Marquis without any assistance from
himself.
The Dean heard of the reported arrival some days before the family did
so. It was rumoured in Brotherton, and the rumour reached the deanery.
But he thought that there was nothing that he could do on the spur of
the moment. He perfectly understood the condition of Lord George's
mind, and perceived that it would not be expedient for him to interfere
quite on the first moment. As soon as the Marquis should have settled
himself in the house, of course he would call; and when the Marquis had
settled himself, and when the world had begun to recognise the fact
that the Marquis, with his Italian Marchioness, and his little Italian,
so-called Popenjoy, were living at Manor Cross, then,--if he saw his
way,--the Dean would bestir himself.
And so the Marquis arrived. He reached the Brotherton station with his
wife, a baby, a lady's maid, a nurse, a valet, a cook, and a courier,
about three o'clock in the afternoon; and the whole crowd of them were
carried off in their carriages to Manor Cross. A great many of the
inhabitants of Brotherton were there to see, for this coming of the
Marquis had been talked of far and wide. He himself took no notice of
the gathering people,--was perhaps unaware that there was any
gathering. He and his wife got into one carriage; the nurse, the lady's
maid, and the baby into a second; the valet and courier, and cook into
a third. The world of Brotherton saw them, and the world of Brotherton
observed that the lady was very old and very ugly. Why on earth could
he have married such a woman as that, and then have brought her home!
That was the exclamation which was made by Brotherton in general.
It was soon ascertained by every one about Manor Cross that the
Marchioness could not speak a word of English, nor could any of the
newly imported servants do so with the exception of the courier, who
was supposed to understand all languages. There was, therefore, an
absolutely divided household. It had been thought better that the old
family housekeeper, Mrs. Toff, should remain in possession. Through a
long life she had been devoted to the old Marchioness and to the ladies
of the family generally; but she would have been useless at their new
home, and there was an idea that Manor Cross could not be maintained
without her. It might also be expedient to have a friend in the enemy's
camp. Other English servants had been provided,--a butler, two
footmen, a coachman, and the necessary housemaids and kitchen maids. It
had been stated that the Marquis would bring his own cook. There were,
therefore, at once two parties, at the head of one of which was Mrs.
Toff, and at the head of the other the courier,--who remained, none of
the English people knew why.
For the first three days the Marchioness showed herself to no one. It
was understood that the fatigues of the journey had oppressed her, and
that she chose to confine herself to two or three rooms upstairs, which
had been prepared for her. Mrs. Toff, strictly obeying orders which had
come from Cross Hall, sent up her duty and begged to know whether she
should wait upon my lady. My lady sent down word that she didn't want
to see Mrs. Toff. These messages had to be filtered through the
courier, who was specially odious to Mrs. Toff. His Lordship was almost
as closely secluded as her Ladyship. He did, indeed, go out to the
stables, wrapped up in furs, and found fault with everything he saw
there. And he had himself driven round the park. But he did not get up
on any of these days till noon, and took all his meals by himself. The
English servants averred that during the whole of this time he never
once saw the Marchioness or the baby; but then the English servants
could not very well have known what he saw or what he did not see.
But this was very certain, that during those three days he did not go
to Cross Hall, or see any one of his own family. Mrs. Toff in the
gloaming of the evening, on the third day, hurried across the park to
see--the young ladies as she still called them. Mrs. Toff thought that
it was all very dreadful. She didn't know what was being done in those
apartments. She had never set her eyes upon the baby. She didn't feel
sure that there was any baby at all, though John,--John was one of the
English servants,--had seen a bundle come into the house. Wouldn't it
be natural and right that any real child should be carried out to take
the air? "And then all manner of messes were," said Mrs. Toff,
"prepared up in the closed room." Mrs. Toff didn't believe in anything,
except that everything was going to perdition. The Marchioness was
intent on asking after the health and appearance of her son, but Mrs.
Toff declared that she hadn't been allowed to catch a sight of "my
lord." Mrs. Toff's account was altogether very lachrymose. She spoke of
the Marquis, of course, with the utmost respect. But she was
sufficiently intimate with the ladies to treat the baby and its mother
with all the scorn of an upturned nose. Nor was the name of Popenjoy
once heard from her lips.
But what were the ladies to do? On the evening of the third day Lady
Sarah wrote to her brother George, begging him to come down to them.
"The matter was so serious, that he was," said Lady Sarah, "bound to
lend the strength of his presence to his mother and sisters." But on
the fourth morning Lady Sarah sent over a note to her brother, the
Marquis.
"DEAR BROTHERTON,--We hope that you and your wife and little boy
have arrived well, and have found things comfortable. Mamma is
most anxious to see you,--as of course we all are. Will you not
come over to us to-day. I dare say my sister-in-law may be too
fatigued to come out as yet. I need not tell you that we are very
anxious to see your little Popenjoy.
"Your affectionate Sister,
"SARAH GERMAIN."
It may be seen from this that the ladies contemplated peace, if peace
were possible. But in truth the nature of the letter, though not the
words, had been dictated by the Marchioness. She was intent upon seeing
her son, and anxious to acknowledge her grandchild. Lady Sarah had felt
her position to be very difficult, but had perceived that no temporary
acceptance by them of the child would at all injure her brother
George's claim, should Lord George set up a claim, and so, in deference
to the old lady, the peaceful letter was sent off, with directions to
the messenger to wait for an answer. The messenger came back with
tidings that his Lordship was in bed. Then there was another
consultation. The Marquis, though in bed, had of course read the
letter. Had he felt at all as a son and a brother ought to feel, he
would have sent some reply to such a message. It must be, they felt,
that he intended to live there and utterly ignore his mother and
sisters. What should they do then? How should they be able to live? The
Marchioness surrendered herself to a paroxysm of weeping, bitterly
blaming those who had not allowed her to go away and hide herself in
some distant obscurity. Her son, her eldest son, had cast her off
because she had disobeyed his orders! "His orders!" said Lady Sarah, in
scorn, almost in wrath against her mother. "What right has he to give
orders either to you or us? He has forgotten himself, and is only
worthy to be forgotten." Just as she spoke the Manor Cross phaeton,
with the Manor Cross ponies, was driven up to the door, and Lady
Amelia, who went to the window, declared that Brotherton himself was in
the carriage. "Oh, my son; my darling son," said the Marchioness,
throwing up her arms.
It really was the Marquis. It seemed to the ladies to be a very long
time indeed before he got into the room, so leisurely was he in
divesting himself of his furs and comforters. During this time the
Marchioness would have rushed into the hall had not Lady Sarah
prevented her. The old lady was quite overcome with emotion, and
prepared to lay at the feet of her eldest son, if he would only extend
to her the slightest sign of affection. "So, here you all are," he said
as he entered the room. "It isn't much of a house for you, but you
would have it so." He was of course forced to kiss his mother, but the
kiss was not very fervent in its nature. To each of his sisters he
merely extended his hand. This Amelia received with empressement; for,
after all, severe though he was, nevertheless he was the head of the
family. Susanna measured the pressure which he gave, and returned back
to him the exact weight. Lady Sarah made a little speech. "We are very
glad to see you; Brotherton. You have been away a long time."
"A deuced long time."
"I hope your wife is well;--and the little boy. When will she wish that
we should go and see her?" The Marchioness during this time had got
possession of his left hand, and from her seat was gazing up into his
face. He was a very handsome man, but pale, worn, thin, and apparently
unhealthy. He was very like Lord George, but smaller in feature, and
wanting full four inches of his brother's height. Lord George's hair
was already becoming grey at the sides. That of the Marquis, who was
ten years older, was perfectly black;--but his Lordship's valet had
probably more to do with that than nature. He wore an exquisite
moustache, but in other respects was close shaven. He was dressed with
great care, and had fur even on the collar of his frock coat, so much
did he fear the inclemency of his native climate.
"She doesn't speak a word of English, you know," he said, answering his
sister's question.
"We might manage to get on in French," said Lady Sarah.
"She doesn't speak a word of French either. She never was out of Italy
till now. You had better not trouble yourselves about her."
This was dreadful to them all. It was monstrous to them that there
should be a Marchioness of Brotherton, a sister-in-law, living close to
them, whom they were to acknowledge to be the reigning Marchioness, and
that they should not be allowed to see her. It was not that they
anticipated pleasure from her acquaintance. It was not that they were
anxious to welcome such a new relation. This marriage, if it were a
marriage, was a terrible blow to them. It would have been infinitely
better for them all that, having such a wife, he should have kept her
in Italy. But, as she was here in England, as she was to be
acknowledged,--as far as they knew at present,--it was a fearful thing
that she should be living close to them and not be seen by them. For
some moments after his last announcement they were stricken dumb. He
was standing with his back to the fire, looking at his boots. The
Marchioness was the first to speak. "We may see Popenjoy!" she
exclaimed through her sobs.
"I suppose he can be brought down,--if you care about it."
"Of course we care about it," said Lady Amelia.
"They tell me he is not strong, and I don't suppose they'll let him
come out such weather as this. You'll have to wait. I don't think any
body ought to stir out in this weather. It doesn't suit me, I know.
Such an abominable place as it is I never saw in my life. There is not
a room in the house that is not enough to make a man blow his brains
out."
Lady Sarah could not stand this, nor did she think it right to put up
with the insolence of his manner generally. "If so," she said, "it is a
pity that you came away from Italy."
He turned sharply round and looked at her for an instant before he
answered. And as he did so she remembered the peculiar tyranny of his
eyes,--the tyranny to which, when a boy, he had ever endeavoured to
make her subject, and all others around him. Others had become subject
because he was the Lord Popenjoy of the day, and would be the future
Marquis; but she, though recognising his right to be first in every
thing, had ever rebelled against his usurpation of unauthorized power.
He, too, remembered all this, and almost snarled at her with his eyes.
"I suppose I might stay if I liked, or come back if I liked, without
asking you," he said.
"Certainly."
"But you are the same as ever you were."
"Oh, Brotherton," said the Marchioness, "do not quarrel with us
directly you have come back."
"You may be quite sure, mother, that I shall not take the trouble to
quarrel with any one. It takes two for that work. If I wanted to
quarrel with her or you, I have cause enough."
"I know of none," said Lady Sarah.
"I explained to you my wishes about this house, and you disregarded
them altogether." The old lady looked up at her eldest daughter as
though to say, "There,--that was your sin." "I knew what was better for
you and better for me. It is impossible that there should be pleasant
intercourse between you and my wife, and I recommended you to go
elsewhere. If you had done so I would have taken care that you were
comfortable." Again the Marchioness looked at Lady Sarah with bitter
reproaches in her eyes.
"What interest in life would we have had in a distant home?" said Lady
Sarah.
"Why not you as well as other people?"
"Because, unlike other people, we have become devoted to one spot. The
property belongs to you."
"I hope so."
"But the obligations of the property have been, at any rate, as near to
us as to you. Society, I suppose, may be found in a new place, but we
do not care much for society."
"Then it would have been so much the easier."
"But it would have been impossible for us to find new duties."
"Nonsense," said the Marquis, "humbug; d----d trash."
"If you cannot speak otherwise than like that before your mother,
Brotherton, I think you had better leave her," said Lady Sarah,
bravely.
"Don't, Sarah,--don't!" said the Marchioness.
"It is trash and nonsense, and humbug. I told you that you were better
away, and you determined to stay. I knew what was best for you, but you
chose to be obstinate. I have not the slightest doubt as to who did
it."
"We were all of the same mind," said Lady Susanna. "Alice said it would
be quite cruel that mamma should be moved." Alice was now the wife of
Canon Holdenough.
"It would have been very bad for us all to go away," said Lady Amelia.
"George was altogether against it," said Lady Susanna.
"And the Dean," said Lady Amelia, indiscreetly.
"The Dean!" exclaimed the Marquis. "Do you mean to say that that stable
boy has been consulted about my affairs? I should have thought that not
one of you would have spoken to George after he had disgraced himself
by such a marriage."
"There was no need to consult any one," said Lady Sarah. "And we do not
think George's marriage at all disgraceful."
"Mary is a very nice young person," said the Marchioness.
"I dare say. Whether she is nice or not is very little to me. She has
got some fortune, and I suppose that was what he wanted. As you are all
of you fixed here now, and seem to have spent a lot of money, I suppose
you will have to remain. You have turned my tenant out----"
"Mr. Price was quite willing to go," said Lady Susanna.
"I dare say. I trust he may be as willing to give up the land when his
lease is out. I have been told that he is a sporting friend of the
Dean's. It seems to me that you have, all of you, got into a nice mess
here by yourselves. All I want you to understand is that I cannot now
trouble myself about you."
"You don't mean to give us up," said the afflicted mother. "You'll come
and see me sometimes, won't you?"
"Certainly not, if I am to be insulted by my sister."
"I have insulted no one," said Lady Sarah, haughtily.
"It was no insult to tell me that I ought to have stayed in Italy, and
not have come to my own house!"
"Sarah, you ought not to have said that," exclaimed the Marchioness.
"He complained that everything here was uncomfortable, and therefore I
said it. He knows that I did not speak of his return in any other
sense. Since he settled himself abroad there has not been a day on
which I have not wished that he would come back to his own house and
his own duties. If he will treat us properly, no one will treat him
with higher consideration than I. But we have our own rights as well as
he, and are as well able to guard them."
"Sarah can preach as well as ever," he said.
"Oh! my children,--oh! my children!" sobbed the old lady.
"I have had about enough of this. I knew what it would be when you
wrote to me to come to you." Then he took up his hat, as though he were
going.
"And am I to see nothing more of you?" asked his mother.
"I will come to you, mother,--once a-week if you wish it. Every Sunday
afternoon will be as good a time as any other. But I will not come
unless I am assured of the absence of Lady Sarah. I will not subject
myself to her insolence, nor put myself in the way of being annoyed by
a ballyragging quarrel."
"I and my sisters are always at Church on Sunday afternoons," said Lady
Sarah.
In this way the matter was arranged, and then the Marquis took himself
off. For some time after he left the room the Marchioness sat in
silence, sobbing now and again, and then burying her face in her
handkerchief. "I wish we had gone away when he told us," she said, at
last.
"No, mamma," said her eldest daughter. "No,--certainly no. Even though
all this is very miserable, it is not so bad as running away in order
that we might be out of his way. No good can ever be got by yielding in
what is wrong to any one. This is your house; and as yours it is ours."
"Oh, yes."
"And here we can do something to justify our lives. We have a work
appointed to us which we are able to perform. What will his wife do for
the people here? Why are we not to say our prayers in the Church which
we all know and love? Why are we to leave Alice--and Mary? Why should
he, because he is the eldest of us,--he, who for so many years has
deserted the place,--why is he to tell us where to live, and where not
to live. He is rich, and we are poor, but we have never been pensioners
on his bounty. The park, I suppose, is now closed to us; but I am
prepared to live here in defiance of him." This she said walking up and
down the room as she spoke, and she said it with so much energy that
she absolutely carried her sisters with her and again partly convinced
her mother.