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As they did so they perceived that Lord Brotherton was in the carriage, enveloped in furs, and that a lady, more closely enveloped even than himself, was by his side. It was evident to them that he had recognised them. Indeed he had been in the act of raising his hand to greet his brother when he saw the Dean.
He himself took no notice of the gathering people, was perhaps unaware that there was any gathering. He and his wife got into one carriage; the nurse, the lady's maid, and the baby into a second; the valet and courier, and cook into a third. The world of Brotherton saw them, and the world of Brotherton observed that the lady was very old and very ugly.
"I wish it could have been otherwise," continued Lady Sarah; "but we can hardly suppose that the tastes of a young girl from Brotherton should be the same as ours. I can understand that Mary should find Manor Cross dull." "Dull!" exclaimed Lady Susanna. "Dull!" ejaculated Lady Amelia, constrained on this occasion to differ even from her eldest sister.
"It is because she was cursed and is with child that they cross themselves." Brotherton held her arm closely and laid his hand on hers, but he spoke sternly. "The curse is not likely to do her any harm. You prayed that she should die when happiest, and you have done your best to make her wretched." She did not reply, and they walked slowly onward.
A smile found its way to her cold eyes, and set the blue sparkling for one briefest moment. 'It is very kind of you, Mr Cumbermede, but 'Kind! I exclaimed 'I want your help, Miss Pease. 'I'm afraid 'Lady Brotherton can't want you now. Do oblige me. You will find it fun. She smiled outright evidently at the fancy of any relation between her and fun.
On the next morning Lord George himself came down to Brotherton, and Mary with a carriage full of precautions, was sent into the deanery to meet him. The Marchioness discovered that the journey was to be made, and was full of misgivings and full of enquiries. In her present condition, the mother expectant ought not to be allowed to make any journey at all.
Or was her own eldest son, the very, very Marquis of Brotherton, to be there with his wife, and was she not to go and see them? Through it all her indignation against her son had not been hot as had been theirs against their brother. He was her eldest son, the very Marquis, and ought to be allowed to do almost anything he pleased.
"Does not want your mother to live in her own house! Upon my word the Marquis is considerate to you all! He has said that plainly, has he? If I were Lady Brotherton I would not take the slightest heed of what he says. She is not dependent on him. In order that he may be relieved from the bore of being civil to his own family she is to be sent out about the world to look for a home in her old age!
What husband can do other than repudiate his wife under such circumstances as these! He was moody, gloomy, silent, never speaking of her, never going into Brotherton lest by chance he should see her; but always thinking of her, and always, always longing for her company. She talked of him daily to her father, and was constant in her prayer that they should not be made to quarrel.
She was quite sure that the Canon would not quarrel with the Dean out of deference to his brother-in-law. "The fact is they should all have gone away as I told them, and especially when George had married the girl and got her money. It don't make much difference to me, but it will make a deal to him." "How is Popenjoy, Brotherton?" asked Lady Alice, anxious to change the conversation.
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