The afternoons were spent in Lady Temple's service. Instead of the

orthodox dowager britchska and pair, ruled over by a tyrannical

coachman, he had provided her with a herd of little animals for harness

or saddle, and a young groom, for whom Coombe was answerable. Mrs.

Curtis groaned and feared the establishment would look flighty; but for

the first time Rachel became the colonel's ally. "The worst despotism

practised in England," she said, "is that of coachmen, and it is well

that Fanny should be spared! The coachman who lived here when mamma was

married, answered her request to go a little faster, 'I shall drive my

horses as I plazes,' and I really think the present one is rather worse

in deed, though not in word."

Moreover, Rachel smoothed down a little of Mrs. Curtis's uneasiness at

Fanny's change of costume at the end of her first year of widowhood,

on the ground that Colonel Keith advised her to ride with her sons,

and that this was incompatible with weeds. "And dear Sir Stephen did so

dislike the sight of them," she added, in her simple, innocent way, as

if she were still dressing to please him.

"On the whole, mother," said Rachel, "unless there is more heart-break

than Fanny professes, there's more coquetry in a pretty young thing

wearing a cap that says, 'come pity me,' than in going about like other

people."

"I only wish she could help looking like a girl of seventeen," sighed

Mrs. Curtis. "If that colonel were but married, or the other young man!

I'm sure she will fall into some scrape; she does not know how, out of

sheer innocence."

"Well, mother, you know I always mean to ride with her, and that will be

a protection."

"But, my dear, I am not sure about your riding with these gay officers;

you never used to do such things."

"At my age, mother, and to take care of Fanny."

And Mrs. Curtis, in her uncertainty whether to sanction the proceedings

and qualify them, or to make a protest--dreadful to herself, and more

dreadful to Fanny,--yielded the point when she found herself not backed

up by her energetic daughter, and the cavalcade almost daily set forth

from Myrtlewood, and was watched with eyes of the greatest vexation,

if not by kind Mrs. Curtis, by poor Mr. Touchett, to whom Lady Temple's

change of dress had been a grievous shock. He thought her so lovely, so

interesting, at first; and now, though it was sacrilege to believe it of

so gentle and pensive a face, was not this a return to the world? What

had she to do with these officers? How could her aunt permit it? No

doubt it was all the work of his great foe, Miss Rachel.




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