Lucy seemed disposed to make conversation, overwhelming Albinia with
needless repetitions of 'Mamma dear,' and plunging into what Mrs.
Bowles and Miss Goldsmith had said of Mr. Dusautoy, and how he kept
so few servants, and the butcher had no orders last time he called.
Aunt Maria thought he starved and tyrannized over that poor little
sickly Mrs. Dusautoy.
Mr. Kendal said not one word, and seemed not to hear. Albinia felt
as if she had fallen into a whirlpool of gossip; she looked towards
him, and hoped to let the conversation drop, but Sophy answered her
sister, and, at last, when it came to something about what Jane heard
from Mrs. Osborn's Susan, Albinia gently whispered, 'I do not think
this entertains your papa, my dear,' and silence sank upon them all.
Albinia's next venture was to ask about that which had been her
Sunday pleasure from childhood, and she turned to Sophy, and said, 'I
suppose you have not begun to teach at the school yet!'
Sophy's great eyes expanded, and Lucy said, 'Oh dear mamma! nobody
does that but Genevieve Durant and the monitors. Miss Wolte did till
Mr. Dusautoy came, but she does not approve of him.'
'Lucy, you do not know what you are saying,' said Mr. Kendal, and
again there was an annihilating silence, which Albinia did not
attempt to disturb.
At church time, she met the young ladies in the hall, in pink bonnets
and sea-green mantillas over the lilac silks, all evidently put on
for the first time in her honour, an honour of which she felt herself
the less deserving, as, sensible that this was no case for bridal
display, she wore a quiet dark silk, a Cashmere shawl, and plain
straw bonnet, trimmed with white.
Pages:
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29