And thus Rachel could afford to speak without severity of the match,
though she abstained from congratulation. She did not see Captain
Keith for the next few days, but at last the two sisters met him at
the Cathedral door as they were getting into the carriage after a
day's shopping at Avoncester; and Grace offered her congratulations, in
accordance with her mother's old fashioned code.
"Thank you," he said; then turning to Rachel, "Did she write to you?"
"No."
"I thought not."
There was something marked in his tone, but his sister's silence was
not of long duration, for a letter arrived containing orders for lace,
entreating that a high pressure might be put on Mrs. Kelland, and
containing beauteous devices for the veil, which was to be completed in
a fearfully short time, since the wedding was to be immediate, in
order that Lord Keith might spend Christmas and the ensuing cold
months abroad. It was to take place at Bath, and was to be as quiet as
possible; "or else," wrote Miss Keith, "I should have been enchanted to
have overcome your reluctance to witness the base surrender of female
rights. I am afraid you are only too glad to be let off, only don't
thank me, but circumstances."
Rachel's principles revolted at the quantity of work demanded of the
victims to lace, and Grace could hardly obtain leave to consult Mrs.
Kelland. But she snapped at the order, for the honour and glory of
the thing, and undertook through the ramifications of her connexion to
obtain the whole bridal array complete. "For such a pleasant-spoken lady
as Miss Keith, she would sit up all night rather than disappoint her."
The most implacable person of all was the old housekeeper, Tibbie.
She had been warmly attached to Lady Keith, and resented her having a
successor, and one younger than her daughters; and above all, ever since
the son and heir had died, she had reckoned on her own Master Colin
coming to the honours of the family, and regarded this new marriage as
a crossing of Providence. She vainly endeavoured to stir up Master Colin
to remonstrate on his brother's "makin' siccan a fule's bargain wi'
yon glaikit lass. My certie, but he'll hae the warst o't, honest man;
rinnin' after her, wi' a' her whigmaleries an' cantrips. He'll rue
the day that e'er he bowed his noble head to the likes o' her, I'm
jalousin."
It was to no purpose to remind her that the bride was a Keith in
blood; her great grandfather a son of the house of Gowanbrae; all the
subsequent descendants brave soldiers.
"A Keith ca' ye her! It's a queer kin' o' Keiths she's comed o', nae
better nor Englishers that haena sae muckle's set fit in our bonny
Scotland; an' sic scriechin', skirlin' tongues as they hae, a body wad
need to be gleg i' the uptak to understan' a word they say. Tak' my word
for't, Maister Colin, it's no a'thegither luve for his lordship's grey
hairs that gars yon gilpy lassock seek to become my Leddy Keith."