“My dear Louise, you must be mad.”
“Oh, no, I’m not,” replied Louise.
“Ask my father, ask anyone.
Didn’t you notice how the people stared when she put up her veil?
It’s only because you are so blind to women that you have not noticed it.”
“I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life,” I said.
“Perhaps she has fine eyes, but otherwise she is quite ordinary.
The most ordinary person I have ever met.
Why, I can say what I like to her, I can talk of anything, I don’t have to put on any sort of special manner of behavior in front of her, it is the easiest thing in the whole world merely to sit down in a chair in front of her and light my pipe.”
“I thought you said you had no time to talk to her?”
“Don’t quibble.
Of course we talked at dinner, and out upon the acres.
The point I wish to make is that it required no effort.”
“Evidently.”
“As to being beautiful, I shall have to tell her.
She will laugh at that.
Naturally the people stared at her.
They stared at her because she was Mrs. Ashley.”
“That as well.
But not entirely.
Anyway, whether she be ordinary or not, she seems to have made a great impression on you.
Of course she is middle-aged.
Quite thirty-five I should say, wouldn’t you?
Or do you think her less?”
“I haven’t the remotest idea, not do I care, Louise.
I’m not interested in people’s ages.
She could be ninety-nine for all I know.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.
Women don’t have eyes like that at ninety-nine, nor that complexion.
She dresses well.
That gown was excellently cut, so was the mantle.
Mourning certainly does not appear drab on her.”
“Great heavens, Louise, you might be Mrs. Pascoe.
I’ve never before in my life heard such woman-ish sort of gossip come from you.”
“Nor I such enthusiasm from you, so it’s tit-for-tat.
What a change in forty-eight hours.
Well, one person will be relieved and that’s my father.
He feared bloodshed, after you saw him last, and who shall blame him?”
I was thankful the long hill had come, so that I could get out of the carriage and walk up it, with the groom, to ease the horses as was our custom.
What an extraordinary attitude for Louise to take.
Instead of being relieved that my cousin Rachel’s visit was passing off so well she appeared quite put out, almost angry.
It seemed to me a poor way to show her friendship.
When we came to the top of the hill I climbed in again and sat beside her, and we did not say a word to one another the whole way.
It was quite ridiculous, but if she made no attempt to break the silence I was damned if I would either.
I could not help reflecting how much more pleasant had been the drive going down to church than the return.
I wondered how the other pair had fared in the second carriage.
Pretty well, it seemed.
When we descended from our carriage and Wellington had turned round to make way for them, Louise and I stood by the door and waited for my godfather and my cousin Rachel.
They were chattering like old friends, and my godfather, generally rather blunt and taciturn, was holding forth upon some subject with unusual warmth.
I caught the words “disgraceful” and “the country won’t stand for it.” I knew then that he was launched upon his favorite subject, the Government and the Opposition.