It seemed curious enough, after the storms of the night, to meet in smooth tranquillity at breakfast.Cynthia was pale; but she talked as quietly as usual about all manner of indifferent things, while Molly sate silent, watching and wondering, and becoming convinced that Cynthia must have gone through a long experience of concealing her real thoughts and secret troubles before she could have been able to put on such a semblance of composure.
Among the letters that came in that morning was one from the London Kirkpatricks;but not from Helen, Cynthia's own particular correspondent.Her sister wrote to apologize for Helen, who was not well, she said: had had the influenza, which had left her very weak and poorly.
'Let her come down here for change of air,' said Mr Gibson.'The country at this time of the year is better than London, excepting when the place is surrounded by trees.Now our house is well drained, high up, gravel soil, and I'll undertake to doctor her for nothing.'
'It would be charming,' said Mrs Gibson, rapidly revolving in her mind the changes necessary in her household economy before receiving a young lady accustomed to such a household as Mr Kirkpatrick's, and calculating the consequent inconveniences in her own mind, weighing them against the probable advantages even while she spoke.
'Should not you like it, Cynthia? and Molly too.You too, dear, would become acquainted with one of the girls, and I have no doubt you would be asked back again, which would be so very nice!'
'And I should not let her go,' said Mr Gibson, who had acquired an unfortunate facility of reading his wife's thoughts.
'Dear Helen!' went on Mrs Gibson, 'I should so like to nurse her, we would make your consulting-room into her own private sitting-room, my dear.'
- (It is hardly necessary to say that the scales had been weighed down by the inconveniences of having a person behind the scenes for several weeks).'For with an invalid so much depends on tranquillity.In the drawing-room, for instance, she might constantly be disturbed by callers; and the dining-room is so - so what shall I call it? so dinnery, - the smell of meals never seems to leave it; it would have been different if dear papa had allowed me to throw out that window -- '
'Why can't she have the dressing-room for her bed-room, and the little room opening out of the drawing-room for her sitting-room?' asked Mr Gibson.
'The library,' for by this name Mrs Gibson chose to dignify what had formerly been called the book-closet, - 'why, it would hardly hold a sofa, besides the books and the writing-table, and there are draughts everywhere.
No, my dear, we had better not ask her at all, her own home is comfortable at any rate!'
'Well, well!' said Mr Gibson, seeing that he was to be worsted, and not caring enough about the matter to show fight.'Perhaps you are right.
It's a case of luxury versus fresh air.Some people suffer more from the want of one than from want of the other.You know I shall be glad to see her if she likes to come, and take us as we are, but I can't give up the consulting-room.It's a necessity; our daily bread!'
'I'll write and tell them how kind Mr Gibson is,' said his wife in high contentment, as her husband left the room.'They'll be just as much obliged to him as if she had come!'
Whether it was Helen's illness, or from some other cause, after breakfast Cynthia became very flat and absent, and this lasted all day long; Molly understood now why her moods had been so changeable for many months, and was tender and forbearing with her accordingly.Towards evening when the two girls were left alone, Cynthia came and stood over Molly, so that her face could not be seen.
'Molly,' said she, 'will you do it? Will you do what you said last night?
I have been thinking of it all day, and sometimes I believe he would give you back the letters if you asked him; he might fancy - at any rate it's worth trying, if you don't very much dislike it.'
Now it so happened that with every thought she had given to it, Molly disliked the idea of the proposed interview with Mr !Preston more and more;but it was after all her own offer, and she neither could nor would draw back from it; it might do good; she did not see how it could possibly do harm.So she gave her consent, and tried to conceal her distaste, which grew upon her more and more as Cynthia hastily arranged the details.
'You shall meet him in the avenue leading from the park lodge up to the Towers.He can come in one way, from the Towers, where he has often business - he has pass-keys everywhere - you can go in as we have often done by the lodge - you need not go far.'
It did strike Molly that Cynthia must have had some experience in making all these arrangements; and she did venture to ask how he was to be informed of all this? Cynthia only reddened, and replied, 'Oh! never mind! He will only be too glad to come; you heard him say he wished to discuss the affair more; it is the first time the appointment has come from my side.If Ican but once be free - oh, Molly, I will love you, and be grateful to you all my life!'
Molly thought of Roger, and that thought prompted her next speech.
'It must be horrible - I think I'm very brave - but I don't think Icould have - could have accepted even Roger, with a half-cancelled engagement hanging over me.' She blushed as she spoke.