"Ah, Molly," said she, "it's really wonderful to see what a little
good society will do for a girl. Even a week of association with such
people as one meets with at the Towers is, as somebody said of a
lady of rank whose name I have forgotten, 'a polite education in
itself.' There is something quite different about you--a _je ne
sais quoi_--that would tell me at once that you have been mingling
with the aristocracy. With all her charms, it was what my darling
Cynthia wanted; not that Mr. Henderson thought so, for a more devoted
lover can hardly be conceived. He absolutely bought her a parure of
diamonds. I was obliged to say to him that I had studied to preserve
her simplicity of taste, and that he must not corrupt her with too
much luxury. But I was rather disappointed at their going off without
a maid. It was the one blemish in the arrangements--the spot in the
sun. Dear Cynthia, when I think of her, I do assure you, Molly, I
make it my nightly prayer that I may be able to find you just such
another husband. And all this time you have never told me who you met
at the Towers?"
Molly ran over a list of names. Roger Hamley's came last.
"Upon my word! That young man is pushing his way up!"
"The Hamleys are a far older family than the Cumnors," said Molly,
flushing up.
"Now, Molly, I can't have you democratic. Rank is a great
distinction. It is quite enough to have dear papa with democratic
tendencies. But we won't begin to quarrel. Now that you and I are
left alone, we ought to be bosom friends, and I hope we shall be.
Roger Hamley did not say much about that unfortunate little Osborne
Hamley, I suppose?"
"On the contrary, he says his father dotes on the child; and he
seemed very proud of him, himself."
"I thought the Squire must be getting very much infatuated with
something. I daresay the French mother takes care of that. Why! he
has scarcely taken any notice of you for this month or more, and
before that you were everything."
It was about six weeks since Cynthia's engagement had become publicly
known, and that might have had something to do with the Squire's
desertion, Molly thought. But she said,--
"The Squire has sent me an invitation to go and stay there next week
if you have no objection, mamma. They seem to want a companion for
Mrs. Osborne Hamley, who is not very strong."
"I can hardly tell what to say,--I don't like your having to
associate with a Frenchwoman of doubtful rank; and I can't bear the
thought of losing my child--my only daughter now. I did ask Helen
Kirkpatrick, but she can't come for some time; and the house is going
to be altered. Papa has consented to build me another room at last,
for Cynthia and Mr. Henderson will, of course, come and see us;
we shall have many more visitors, I expect, and your bedroom will
make a capital lumber-room; and Maria wants a week's holiday. I am
always so unwilling to put any obstacles in the way of any one's
pleasure,--weakly unwilling, I believe,--but it certainly would be
very convenient to have you out of the house for a few days; so, for
once, I will waive my own wish for your companionship, and plead your
cause with papa."