RACHEL'S GARDEN PARTY.
Rachel noticed a marked difference in her mother-in-law's behaviour
to her after finding her talking with Luke in his study. She was
perplexed as to its cause and it worried her. Moreover, she found that
her efforts to keep her out of the study during Luke's busy time there
were unavailing, and she came to the conclusion that it would hurt her
feelings less if Luke mentioned the subject to her himself. Her pride
would not be wounded. She told Luke so. But, manlike, he felt that to
burn Pussy's paws was by far the better plan. But Rachel, unwilling
to give him a hint as to his mother's strained feelings in respect
to herself, determined to do nothing in the matter unless she found
a particularly favourable moment in which to speak. Having suffered
herself in the past from jealousy she began to suspect that the same
wretched enemy to all happiness was attacking her mother-in-law; and
instead of despising her for giving way, she felt the situation to be
particularly pathetic.
Since the day on which Luke heard of his wife's delicacy, he had been
filled with anxiety about her and was continually thinking of her
comfort and good. In fact, Rachel's health was now his first concern,
and plans which would in any way give her too much to do or think about
were put on one side at once, even though they might be suggested
by his mother. His wife and his book were at present the absorbing
interests in his life and everything else fell into the background.
Rachel had long ago come to the conclusion that Luke found it difficult
to concentrate his mind on many things at the same time. When he was
at Trowsby, his parish and Church took up all his thoughts to the
exclusion of almost everything else. In fact, he suffered from a want
of seeing things in their right proportion. And now that his mind
was full of anxiety for his wife, his mother was somewhat put on one
side. It distressed Rachel, for she knew the signs of the terrible
pain caused by jealousy and felt sure she saw them written on her
mother-in-law's face. They had in fact changed places since leaving
Trowsby. Luke now consulted his wife about matters of interest instead
of his mother; and though Rachel loved that it should be so, she felt
Mrs. Greville's position to be very difficult.
Some women would have been triumphant over the reversed positions but
Rachel was above all such unworthy feelings; she could only see the
pathetic side and it distressed her. Remembering too her own fight with
the sin that brings such misery on those who give way to it, she longed
to give Luke a hint as to how matters stood, and to ask him to be
very careful; but she knew Luke would no more understand his mother's
feelings than he would have understood those of his wife in the old
days; and she felt it would not be fair to his mother to enlighten him.
It would inevitably make her fall in his eyes; and up till now, he
thought her perfection.
So Rachel came to the conclusion that the only course to take was to
behave to Mrs. Greville as if nothing was the matter, and to ignore the
severity of her expression of face and voice when she spoke to her. But
the anxiety and constant effort not to say anything that might offend
or hurt was not good for her and was tiring.
As the time drew near for the parish garden party, Mrs. Greville's
thoughts became engaged with preparations for the event, and at times
she seemed to forget that she was not pleased with her daughter-in-law.
She had taken the whole affair off Rachel's hands and was thoroughly
enjoying the responsibility of it. Luke was thankful that it meant no
effort for his wife.
"If it hadn't been for my mother being here," he said, "we could not
have had it. The doctor said you were to have perfect rest."
But Rachel was disappointed, though at the same time she was thankful
that her mother-in-law had something to interest her and to fill up her
time.
That it was Mrs. Greville's party was quite evident when the day
dawned. Rachel was amused when her mother-in-law told her that she had
better stand at the gate and welcome the people, as she herself would
be engaged seating them at the tables. Rachel had quite intended to be
at the gate.
"But," she said, "I think it would be better not to have tea the moment
they arrive. They might walk about the garden and have games first."
But Mrs. Greville had arranged in her own mind that tea was to be the
first item of the programme and she did not wish it altered.
"It's far better to get the business of tea well over first," she said,
"then we shall be free to think of games," and Rachel gave way. She
felt it was not worth while discussing the matter.
About sixty people with their children arrived and were shown at once
to their seats by Mrs. Greville. Rachel saw them looking at the plates
before them with a smile, and heard them making jokes with one another.
But after Luke had appeared and had said a word of welcome and tea
began in earnest, they were silent. The business of eating did not seem
in their estimation to need the effort of talking. Suddenly Rachel
heard Mrs. Greville say:
"Mind you all make a good tea, and what you don't want you can put in
your pockets and take home with you. I won't look!" There was a laugh
and the sound of it sent the colour into Rachel's face. The talking
too began in real earnest and did not cease till tea was over; but the
words that Rachel occasionally heard convinced her that Mrs. Greville's
tactless remark was not liked by the men; and she noticed that no-one
save the woman with the puny baby took advantage of the invitation to
take the food home.
Rachel did what she could to take away the impression made by her
mother-in-law's mistake, by noticing the many babies that the mothers
had brought with them. And the subject of babies was so absorbing
that when Luke took the men off for a game of bowls, the women were
quite contented to sit and tell Rachel of the various complaints their
children had suffered from.
They were not allowed however to sit still for long. Mrs. Greville
bustled them about from one part of the garden to the other dividing
them into groups and setting them to games. The mother with the puny
baby alone refused to budge. She was too tired, she explained, and
Rachel, looking at her as she talked, came to the conclusion, that
probably the reason why the baby was so thin and weird looking was
because the money went in drink. She tried to gain the mother's
confidence and to help her, but the woman simply sat and cried and
complained of her hard life. One of the women who had been playing
games and was a little jealous at seeing Mrs. Grot having such a long
talk with the Rector's wife, informed her spitefully, that she was a
"bad lot," and left the baby alone in the house while she went to spend
her evenings at the public house. Rachel came to the conclusion that
the village was not such a little heaven below as she had imagined; but
that the great enemy of souls was as busy there as elsewhere.
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