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Indeed, the fact of her governess-ship seemed suddenly to recur to him; he asked her if she meant to set up another school, and being informed that she rather wished private pupils, promised largely that she should have the full benefit of his "patronage" among his friends. Then he departed, leaving a message for Ascott to call next day, as he wished to speak to him.
A blind man could have told by the rustle of her dress that Mrs. Ascott would have a full explanation before she broke bread again at our table. I fancy she was not severe upon the future Lady Damer, when Polly's tale was told. As to my father, he was certainly vexed and put out at first. But day by day my lady-love won more and more of his heart.
It might be that Peter Ascott had a soft place in his heart, or that this time, just before his marriage, was the one crisis which sometimes occurs in a hard man's life, when, if the right touch comes, he becomes malleable ever after; but he looked kindly at the poor girl, and said, in quite a gentle way, "Don't vex yourself, my dear.
The sisters read this letter, passing it round the table, none of them apparently liking to be the first to comment upon it. At length Hilary said: "I think that reference to poor Henry is perfectly brutal." "And yet he was very kind to Henry. And if it had not been for his common sense in sending poor little Ascott and the nurse down to Stowbury the baby might have died.
Peter Ascott showed, in his coarse fashion, much sympathy and consideration for his wife's sisters. He had them staying in the house till a week after the funeral was over, and provided them with the deepest and handsomest mourning. He even, in a formal way took counsel with them as to the carrying out of Mrs.
"Some new valet," Evelyn thought, and she was sorry to drag Mérat away from him, for Mérat's sins were her own no one was answerable for another; there was always that in her mind; and what applied to her did not apply to anybody else. "Dear Lady Ascott, you'll forgive me?" she said during breakfast, "but I have to go to Glasgow this afternoon. I am obliged to leave by an early train."
"Don't be down-hearted, Ascott," she said: "we will manage to get on somehow till you bear of a practice, and then you must work work like a 'brick, as you call it. You will, I know." He answered nothing. "I won't let you give in, my boy," she went on, kindly.
Ascott went out to dinner, and the old housekeeper retired to bed, there were regular symposia held below stairs nice little supper-parties, where all the viands in the pantry and the wines in the cellar were freely used; where every domestic had his or her "young man" or "young woman," and the goings-on, though not actually discreditable, were of the most lively kind.
"So sorry," said Miss Suydam again, "for if you are going to be so much engaged to-day you will no doubt also miss the tea for that pretty Mrs. Ascott." "No," said Shiela, "I wouldn't think of missing that." And carelessly to Hamil: "As you and I have nothing on hand to-day, I'll take you over to meet Mrs. Ascott if you like."
Still, with one faint lingering of hope, Hilary asked if she had quite decided. "Quite. He wrote to me last night, and I gave him his answer this morning." Selina certainly had not troubled any body with her "love affairs." It was entirely a matter of business. The sisters saw at once that she had made up her mind. Henceforward there could be no criticism of Mr. Peter Ascott.