THE REASON OF THE VISIT.
On the evening of the next day Mrs. Bertram came home. She looked very
tired and worn, but her manner to her children was less stern, and more
loving than usual. Loftus, in especial, she kissed with rare tenderness;
and even for one brief moment laid her head on her tall son's broad
shoulder, as if she wanted to rest herself there.
On the evening of her mother's return Catherine was particularly bright
and cheerful. As a rule, Catherine's will and her mother's were two
opposing elements. Now they were one. This conjunction of two strong
wills gave an immense sense of rest and harmony to the whole
establishment. No one knew particularly why they felt peaceful and
satisfied, but this was the true cause.
After dinner, Mrs. Bertram saw Catherine by herself. She called her into
the big drawing-room; and while Loftus and Mabel accurately measured out
a new tennis-court, asked her daughter many and various questions.
"She has really gone away, mother," said Catherine in conclusion. "I
went to the lodge early this morning, and Tester told me that she got up
early, and took a bit of bread in her pocket; but she would not even
wait for a cup of tea. Tester said she was out of the house by six
o'clock. She washed herself well first, though, and Mrs. Tester said
that she came out of her bath as fair as a lily, and her hair shining
like red gold. I thought last night, mother," concluded Catherine, "that
Josephine must be a pretty girl. I should like to have seen her this
morning when her hair shone and her face was like a lily."
"You are full of curiosity about this girl, are you not, Catherine?"
asked her mother.
"It is true, mother. I conjecture much about her."
"I can never gratify your curiosity, nor set your conjectures right."
"You know about her then, mother?"
"Yes, I know about her."
"Is Josephine an impostor?"
Mrs. Bertram paused.
"She is an impostor," she said then, in a slow, emphatic voice.
"Mother," said her daughter, suddenly. "You look very ill."
"I have gone through a bad time, Kate. I have been worried. My dear
child, be thankful you are not a middle-aged woman with many cares."
"The thing I should be most thankful for at this moment, mother, would
be to share in all your worries."
"God forbid, child. Heaven forbid that such a lot should be yours. Now,
my dear, we will keep our secret. It is only yours and mine. And--come
here--kiss me--you have acted well, my darling."
The rare caress, the unwonted word of love, went straight to Catherine
Bertram's deep heart. She put her firm young arm round her mother's
neck, and something like a vow and a prayer went up to God from her
fervent soul.
"Come out," said Mrs. Bertram. "The others will wonder what we are
doing. Look as usual, Kitty, and fear nothing. I have been in peril, but
for the present it is over."
When Mrs. Bertram appeared Loftus went up to her at once. She took his
arm, and they paced slowly under the trees. If Mrs. Bertram loved her
daughters, and there is no doubt she had a very real regard for them,
Loftus Bertram was as the apple of her eye. She adored this young man,
she was blind to his faults, and she saw his virtues through magnifying
glasses.
Loftus could always talk his mother into the best of humors. He was not
devoid of tact, and he knew exactly how to manage her, so as to bring
her round to his wishes. Having two ends in view to-night he was more
than usually fascinating. He wanted money to relieve a pressing
embarrassment, and he also wished to cultivate his acquaintance with
Beatrice Meadowsweet. He was not absolutely in love with Beatrice, but
her cool indifference to all his fascinations piqued him. He thought it
would be pleasant to see more of her, delightful to make a conquest of
her. He was not the sort of man to thwart his own inclinations. Beatrice
had contrived to make Northbury interesting to him, and he thought he
could easily manage to get leave to visit it soon again.
That evening, therefore, Mrs. Bertram not only found herself arranging
to put her hand to a bill, payable at the end of six months, for her
son's benefit, but further, quite complacently agreeing to call the very
next day on Mrs. Meadowsweet, the wife of the ex-shopkeeper.
Hence that visit which had aroused the jealous feelings not only of Mrs.
Morris, of Mrs, Butler and Miss Peters, but more or less of the whole
society of Northbury.