LUKE'S MOTHER.
Mrs. Greville blinked as she opened the drawing-room door and faced the
bright light. Her economical soul saw at a glance that all three lights
were lighted, but she refrained from making a remark.
Loving her son as she did, she had come determined to make friends
with his probably incapable wife, and knew that to remark at the very
beginning on the reckless extravagance displayed, would not help her
resolve. So she merely blinked, and for a moment shaded her eyes with
her hand, saying, "My eyes are not used to such brilliance."
Rachel also had suddenly come to a determination on hearing her
husband's mother's footstep. She recognised the fact that the future
might depend on her present attitude towards Mrs. Greville, and was
resolved for the sake of her love for Luke to make the best of it. She
there-fore met her mother-in-law with a smile and outstretched hand.
She was not quite prepared for the hearty kiss that was given, but
she was pleased, as it seemed to put her in the right position of a
daughter-in-law rather than as her son's unsatisfactory wife.
"How kind of you to come," she said.
"I promised Luke that I would do everything in my power to make his
wife feel at home," answered Mrs. Greville, taking Rachel's hand and
drawing her on to the sofa, "and when I found that he was going out
to-night I was afraid you might be feeling a little forlorn; so I made
up my mind to run round. I think he ought to have arranged better than
to have a meeting the first evening."
The fact that Rachel had been conscious herself of a feeling of
disappointment and of surprise that he should leave her so soon, made
her wince at the words, and colour. Her pride was touched.
"But of course," she said, "he could not shirk his duty. He knew that
I should have objected to him doing so." And as she made this remark,
she imagined that she was saying the truth. So easy is it to deceive
ourselves, particularly when our enemy pride is to the front.
"I'm glad to hear you are so sensible," said Mrs. Greville, "or I am
afraid you would have to suffer continual disappointment. Luke's work
is the first thing with him, and always will be. Neither mother nor
wife will be allowed to come in its way. He is the hardest worker that
I know. But just because of this he has to be looked after well."
"How do you mean?"
"Creature comforts are nothing to him. If he lived by himself I really
don't know when he would think of food. If ever I went away for a week
or two I found him looking shockingly ill on my return and generally
discovered that he had not been punctual at his meals, and would have
been quite happy to have gone without them altogether. You will have to
look after him Rachel. By-the-bye, what did he have for his meal before
going out?"
"You kindly sent round some eggs."
"Ah yes. Of course there was no time to cook anything else. But you
will have to be careful about the eggs. They are 4d each at present.
And," she added warily, "if I were you, my dear, I should not burn
more than one light in this small room. Three are quite unnecessary.
Electric light is extremely expensive unless you are careful. Of course
you know that you ought to put it out every time you leave the room,
even though it may be only for a minute or two."
"No," said Rachel, "I don't know anything about electric light. We used
lamps at home. Is it really necessary to be so careful? I don't want to
be always thinking of money." She gave a little laugh, but happily Mrs.
Greville did not recognise the scorn in the tone of voice or in the
laugh.
"Yes indeed, it is necessary, that is to say if you don't want to pay a
big bill. My son is not a rich man."
To Rachel who had never had to think of these matters, the restrictions
that were being laid down seemed absurd. She scarcely knew whether she
felt more inclined to be angry or to laugh. She turned the conversation
by asking if Polly could cook.
"No," said Mrs. Greville. "You will have to teach her. She is a very
quick little girl and will easily learn."
"I am afraid she will learn nothing from me," said Rachel, "Could we
not have had some older servant under the circumstances? I think I
shall have to go to a registry office to-morrow. Which is the best one?"
"Servants are very difficult to get and I don't suppose that you and
Luke could afford a really good one. No, your wisest plan is to keep on
little Polly, and I will come round and teach you both. I will bring a
cookery book with me and mark the most economical dishes for you."
"Thank you," said Rachel, faintly. The prospect was not exhilarating,
but she knew the proposal was made in kindness, and after all both she
and Luke must have food, specially Luke apparently! Her spirits were
sinking to zero.
"And now I shall leave you," said Mrs. Greville rising. She glanced at
Rachel, and noticed that she was looking tired and not particularly
bright, so she added kindly, "Don't worry. It seems strange at first,
no doubt, but you will soon get into our ways. You look as if you
needed a night's rest after your journey. I hope Luke will not keep you
sitting up for him to a late hour. He forgets everything when he is
interested in his work. I shall have to give him a hint that he must go
slowly for a time, and consider his wife."
Rachel flushed. The idea of his mother telling him of his duty to his
wife was repugnant in the extreme. She could not endure the thought. It
hurt her pride.
"Please do nothing of the sort," she exclaimed. "I don't wish Luke to
come home a minute earlier for my sake. His work must come first."
Mrs. Greville not knowing how her words had stung her daughter-in-law,
and being quite unconscious of the storm that she had raised in her
heart, gave her a warm kiss as she left, saying, "That's right. That
is the way to keep Luke's love. I am glad to hear you give out your
views like that. I was a little afraid you might not see things in that
light, but be somewhat exigent. Goodnight. I know you will do all you
can to help my dear boy in his work. And be sure you feed him well."
Rachel turned away, and put her hands up to her hot face. "I can't, I
can't love her," she murmured. "I never shall. I've never met that type
of person before. Oh! I hope she won't spoil it all!"
Rachel indulged in a few tears, and then set to work to think what she
could give her husband on his return from the meeting. She went to look
in the larder and found a good sized piece of cheese and some macaroni.
Evidently Mrs. Greville had thought of macaroni and cheese for their
supper, but Rachel had no idea how to make it.
"We must have the cheese for supper Polly," she said. "Lay the table in
good time and then if Mr. Greville is late you can go to bed. I'm going
to finish my unpacking."
About half an hour later Polly knocked at her door saying, with a broad
smile, "Mrs. Greville has just been and left two meat pies, Ma'am, and
said I was to be sure to ask you to see that the master eats them both
as he'll be mighty hungry; but I think you ought to have one of 'em."
Rachel laughed—how queer and surprising everything was—particularly
Polly.
Polly went to bed at nine, and Rachel sat down to read and to wait. It
was past ten o'clock before she heard her husband's footstep.
She ran to meet him at the door. He put his arm round her as after
hanging up his hat they made their way into the dining-room.
"How did the meeting go off?" she asked.
"Excellently. And I had congratulations from all sorts of people on my
marriage. They are arranging a large At Home in the Parish Room in your
honour, at which I am told their congratulations are to take a more
tangible form. They are wonderfully hearty people, and I'm impatient
for you to know them."
They sat down to supper and Rachel found that she had no difficulty
in persuading her husband to eat both pies. He was so engrossed with
the account of the meeting that he never noticed what he was eating or
that his wife had to content herself with bread and cheese. Neither
did he question as to where the pies came from. In fact he was hardly
conscious that he was eating pies at all! Rachel felt sure that it
would have made no difference to him if he had had only bread and
cheese like herself to eat. His enthusiasm for his work was as good as
food to him. She loved him for it, but she wondered at the same time
if he had forgotten that this was the first evening they had spent in
their home, and she was conscious of a little pain at her heart to
which she would pay no attention.
But suddenly he looked across at her as if he had just awakened to the
fact of her presence, saying, "What could I want more! God—work—and
you! It is all more wonderful than I even anticipated."
And Rachel registered a vow in her heart; "I will never worry him with
my stupid fears and littlenesses, and I will pray night and morning to
be made more worthy of him;" but her sensitive spirit did not fail to
notice that "you" came last.
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