She examined the stuff, one could see the chair through it, beyond.
“What _would_ Alexander say if I were to wear such a thing!”
This thought seemed almost to suffocate them both, they looked
genuinely pained and shocked.
“Of course it would be too tight for you,” I said, humbly, “but it is
otherwise a very good pattern, and does not tear when one puts up one’s
arms. Mrs. Carruthers made a fuss at Doucet’s because my last set tore
so soon, and they altered these.”
At the mention of my late adopted mother, both of them pulled
themselves up.
“Mrs. Carruthers we know had very odd notions,” Lady Katherine said
stiffly, “but I hope, Evangeline, you have sufficient sense to
understand now for yourself that such a--a--garment is not at all
seemly.”
“Oh! why not, dear Lady Katherine?” I said. “You don’t know how
becoming it is.”
“Becoming!” almost screamed Mary Mackintosh. “But no nice-minded woman
wants things to look becoming in bed!”
The whole matter appeared so painful to them I covered up the offending
‘nighty’ with my dressing-gown, and coughed. It made a break, and they
went away, saying good-night frigidly.
And now I am alone. But I do wonder why it is wrong to look pretty in
bed,--considering nobody sees one, too!
TRYLAND COURT,
_Monday, November 14th_.
I HAVE not felt like writing; these last days have been so
stodgy,--sticky I was going to say! Endless infant talk! The methods of
head nurses, teething, the knavish tricks of nursemaids, patent foods,
bottles, bibs--everything! Enough to put one off for ever from wishing
to get married! And Mary Mackintosh sitting there all out of shape,
expounding theories that can have no results in practice, as there
could not be worse behaved children than hers!
They even try Lady Katherine, I can see, when the two eldest, who come
in while we are at breakfast each day, take the jam spoon, or something
equally horrid, and dab it all over the cloth. Yesterday they put their
hands in the honey dish which Mr. Montgomerie was helping himself to,
and then after smearing him (the “Bur-r-r-s” were awful) they went
round the table to escape being caught, and fingered the back of every
one’s chair, and the door handle, so that one could not touch a thing
without getting sticky.
“Alexander, dearie,” Mary said, “Alec must have his mouth wiped.”
Poor Mr. Mackintosh had to get up and leave his breakfast, catch these
imps, and employ his table-napkin in vain.
“Take ’em upstairs, do, Bur-r-r-r,” roared their fond grandfather.
“Oh, father, the poor darlings are not really naughty!” Mary said,
offended. “I like them to be with us all as much as possible. I thought
they would be such a pleasure to you.”
Upon which, hearing the altercation, both infants set up a yell of
fear and rage, and Alec, the cherub of four and a half, lay on the
floor and kicked and screamed until he was black in the face.
Mr. Mackintosh is too small to manage two, so one of the footmen had to
come and help him to carry them up to their nursery! Oh, I would not be
in his place for the world!
Malcolm is becoming so funny! I suppose he is attracted by me. He makes
kind of love in a priggish way whenever he gets the chance, which is
not often, as Lady Katherine contrives to send one of the girls with
us on all our walks, or if we are in the drawing-room she comes and
sits down beside us herself. I am glad, as it would be a great bore to
listen to a quantity of it.
How silly of her, though! She can’t know as much about men as even I
do--of course it only makes him all the more eager.
It is quite an object lesson for me. I shall be impossibly difficult
myself if I meet Mr. Carruthers again, as he has no mother to play
these tricks for him.
Lord Robert’s answer came on Saturday afternoon. It was all done
through Lady Merrenden.
He will be delighted to come and shoot on Tuesday--to-morrow. Oh! I am
so glad--but I do wonder if I shall be able to make him understand not
to say anything about having been at Branches while I was there. Such a
simple thing, but Lady Katherine is so odd and particular.
The party is to be a large one, nine guns--I hope some will be amusing,
though I rather fear!
_Tuesday night_
IT is quite late, nearly twelve o’clock, but I feel so wide awake I
must write.