MORE MANEUVERS OF MRS. GREY.
She, under fair pretense of saintly ends,
And well-placed words of sweetest courtesy
Baited with reason, not unplausible,
Glides into the easy hearts of men,
And draws them into snares.
--MILTON'S _Comus_.
When Mary Grey reached Richmond she went first to a quiet family hotel,
where she engaged a room for a few days.
Then she took a carriage and drove to the rectory of old St. John's
Church and presented her letter to the rector.
The reverend gentleman received her very kindly and cordially, and
glanced over her letter, saying, as he returned it to her:
"But this was not at all necessary, my dear madam. I remember you
perfectly, as a regular attendant and communicant of this church, while
you were on a visit to the family of the late lamented Governor of this
State."
"Yes, sir; but then I was only a visitor at the church, just as I was a
guest at the Government House. Now I wish to be a member of the church,
as I intend to become a permanent resident of the city," Mary Grey
explained, with her charming smile.
The pastor expressed himself highly gratified, and added:
"Your large circle of friends, that you won during your long visit here
two or three years ago, will be delighted to hear of this."
Mary Grey bowed gracefully and said:
"The pleasure, she believed, would, like the advantage, be mostly on her
own side."
Then she inquired of the rector--with an apology for troubling him with
her own humble affairs--whether he could recommend her to any private
boarding-house among the members of his own church, where the family
were really earnest Christians.
The rector could not think of any suitable place just then, but he
begged to have the pleasure of introducing Mrs. Grey to his wife, who,
he said, would most likely be able to advise her.
And he rang the bell and sent a message to Mrs. ----, who presently
entered the study.
The introduction took place, and the rector's wife received the visitor
as cordially as the rector had.
She knew of no boarding-house of the description required by Mrs. Grey,
but she promised to inquire among her friends and let that lady know the
result.
Soon after this Mrs. Grey took leave.
Many of her former friends were, at this season of the year, out of
town, as she felt sure; but some among them would probably be at home.
So, before she returned to her hotel, she made a round of calls, and
left her cards at about a dozen different houses.
She then went back to her room at the hotel and spent the remainder of
the day in unpacking and reviewing her elegant wardrobe.
There was no sort of necessity for doing this, especially as she
intended to remain but a few days at the house; and the operation would
only give her the trouble of repacking again to move.
But Mary Grey never read or wrote or sewed or embroidered if she could
avoid it, and had nothing on earth else to occupy or amuse her; so her
passion for dress had to be gratified with the sight of jewels, shawls
and mantles, laces, silks and satins, even though she durst not wear
them.
Next day the rector's wife called on her and recommended a very superior
boarding-house to her consideration.
It was a private boarding-house, in a fashionable part of the town, kept
by two maiden ladies of the most aristocratic family connections and of
the highest church principles.
This was exactly the home for Mrs. Grey.
And the rector's wife kindly offered to take her, then and there, in the
rectory carriage, to visit "the Misses Crane," the maiden ladies in
question.
"The Misses Crane," as they were called, dwelt in a
handsomely-furnished, old-fashioned double house, standing in its own
grounds, not very far from the Government House.
The Misses Crane were two very tall, very thin and very fair ladies,
with pale blue eyes and long, yellow, corkscrew curls each side of their
wasted cheeks.
They were dressed very finely in light checked summer silks, and flowing
sleeves and surplice waists, with chemisettes and undersleeves of linen
cambric and thread lace.
They were very poor for ladies of their birth. They had nothing in the
world but their handsome house, furniture and wardrobe.
They depended entirely upon their boarders for their bread; yet their
manners were a mixture of loftiness and condescension that had the
effect of making their guests believe that they--the guests--were highly
honored in being permitted to board at the Misses Cranes'.
But if not highly honored they were certainly much favored, for the
Misses Crane kept neat and even elegant rooms, dainty beds and an
excellent table.
Presented by the rector's lady, Mrs. Grey was received by the Misses
Crane with a lofty politeness which overawed even her false pretensions.
Presently the rector's lady, leaving Mrs. Grey to be entertained by Miss
Romania Crane, took the elder Miss Crane aside and explained to her the
nature of their business call.
"I think she is just the kind of boarder that will suit you, as your
house is just the kind of home needed by her," added the lady.
Miss Crane bowed stiffly and in silence.
"She is, like yourself, of an old aristocratic family, and of very
high-church principles; and she has, besides, an ample income, much of
which she spends for benevolent purposes," continued Mrs. ----.
Miss Crane bowed and smiled a ghastly smile, revealing her full set of
false teeth.
"She is, I should tell you, also entitled to all our sympathy. She has
suffered a great disappointment in her affections. She was engaged to be
married to the late lamented Governor of the State, when, as you know,
he was suddenly struck down with apoplexy, and died a few days before
the day appointed for the wedding."
"Oh, indeed!" breathed Miss Crane, in a low, eager voice, losing all her
stiffness and turning to glance at the interesting widowed bride elect.
"Yes. And you will find her a most interesting young person--devoted to
good works, one of the excellent of the earth. When she was here, two or
three years ago--in the same season that she was engaged to our honored
and lamented Governor--she was quite famous for her charities."
"Oh, indeed!" again aspirated Miss Crane, glancing at Mrs. Grey.
"I am sure that you will be mutually pleased with each other, and, as
she has declared her intention to make Richmond her permanent residence,
I should not wonder if she also should make your pleasant house her
permanent home," added the lady.
"Much honored, I'm sure," said Miss Crane, with a mixture of hauteur and
complacency that was as perplexing as it was amusing.
"And now, if you please, we will rejoin your sister and Mrs. Grey," said
the rector's lady, rising and leading the way to the front windows, near
which the other two ladies were sitting.
The end of all this was that the Misses Crane engaged to take Mrs. Grey
as a permanent boarder, only asking a few days to prepare the first
floor front for her occupation.
No arrangement could have pleased Mary Grey better than this, for she
wished to remain at the hotel a few days longer to receive the calls of
her old friends, who would naturally expect to find her there, as she
had given that address on the cards that she had left for them.
So it was finally arranged that Mrs. Grey should remove from the hotel
to the Misses Cranes' on the Monday of the next week.
Then the two took leave, and the rector's lady drove the widow back to
her hotel and left her there.
The next day Mrs. Grey had the gratification of hearing from the cards
she had left at the different houses of her old acquaintances. Several
ladies called on her and welcomed her to the city with much warmth.
And on the Saturday of that week she had a surprise.
The Rector of St. John's paid her a morning visit, bringing a letter
with the Charlottesville postmark.
"It came this morning, my dear madam. It was inclosed in a letter to me
from Mrs. Wheatfield, the esteemed widow of my late lamented friend,
Bishop Wheatfield," said the rector, as he placed the letter in her
hand.
She thanked the reverend gentleman, and held the letter unopened,
wondering how Mrs. Wheatfield could have found out that she was in
Richmond.
When the rector had taken his leave, she opened her letter and read:
"CHARLOTTESVILLE, July 15, 18--.
"MY DEAREST MARY:--We have not heard a word from you since you
left us.
"All your friends here suffer the deepest anxiety on your
account, fearing that you may be ill among strangers.
"Only on Sunday last, when I happened to speak to our minister,
after the morning service, I got a slight clew to you; for he
told me that you had asked him for a church letter to the Rector
of St. John's Parish in Richmond.
"That information gives me the opportunity of writing to you,
with some prospect of having my letter reach you, for I can
inclose it to the Rector of St. John's, who will probably by this
time know your address.
"And now, having explained how it is that I am enabled to write
to you, I must tell you the news.
"The great nuisance of the Commencement is abated. It is all
over; the students, the visitors and the vagrants have nearly all
gone, and the town is empty and--peaceful.
"One set of visitors I lamented to lose. They went on Saturday.
"I mean, of course, your friends from Blue Cliffs. They were all
charming.
"I was very much interested in Miss Cavendish.
"And now, my dear child, although I am no gossip and no meddler,
as you are well aware, I really must tell you what I would not
tell to any other living being, and which I tell you only because
I know you to be perfectly discreet, and also deeply interested
in the parties of whom I shall take the liberty of writing.
"There are three marriages in prospect, my dear. I see it quite
plainly. Our young people are the frankest and most innocent of
human beings. They have no disguises.
"Who are to be married? you ask me.
"I will tell you who, I _think_, will be married.
"First, Mr. Alden Lytton and Miss Emma Cavendish.
"Not a prudent marriage for her, because she is a minor, with an
immense fortune. And he is a young lawyer, with not a dollar of
his own and his way yet to make in the world.
"But what can we do about it?
"With one guardian in her dotage and the other at the antipodes
Miss Cavendish is practically, if not legally, her own mistress.
"The only comfort is that the young man in question is rich in
_everything else_, if not in money.
"Well, the second prospective marriage pleases me better. The
Rev. Mr. Lyle, a worthy young clergyman, is devoted to Miss Laura
Lytton.
"The third approaching nuptials interest me least of all, in any
manner. A dark, brigandish-looking Californian, of almost
fabulous wealth, who is the friend and guest of Mr. Lyle, has
evidently fallen in love at first sight with pretty little
sparkling Electra Coroni.
"They have all gone down to Wendover together, and the Lyttons
are to make a long visit at Blue Cliffs.
"I must not forget to tell you that worthy young man, Mr. Kyte,
has been here inquiring after you with much anxiety. He went back
to Wendover a day or two before our young people left.
"Now, my dearest Mary, let me hear that you are well, and believe
me ever your devoted friend,
"MARIA WHEATFIELD."