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Mamma and Aunt Lavvy stood at the turn; you could see their vexed faces. Aunt Charlotte called to them to let Mary come to her. Mary was told she might go if she were very quiet. Aunt Charlotte was all by herself sitting up in a large white bed. A Bible propped itself open, leaves downwards, against the mound she made.
Aunt Lavvy was getting ready to go away. She held up her night gown to her chin, smoothing and folding back the sleeves. You thought of her going to bed in the ugly, yellow, flannel night gown, not caring, lying in bed and thinking about God. Mary was sorry that Aunt Lavvy was going. As long as she was there you felt that if only she would talk everything would at once become more interesting.
'Lavvy and Ma, said Bella, 'I say of Mr and Mrs Boffin what I always have said; and I always shall say of them what I always have said. But nothing will induce me to quarrel with any one to-night.
Have you thought at all about your mother, my dear? 'Yes, Pa. 'And your sister Lavvy, for instance, my dear? 'Yes, Pa. I think we had better not enter into particulars at home. I think it will be quite enough to say that I had a difference with Mr Boffin, and have left for good.
"You have consulted him, and you have not consulted me?" "You made me promise not to talk about it. I have kept my promise." Mary was sure then that Aunt Lavvy had left the book open on purpose. She had laid a trap for Emilius, and he had fallen into it. "If you will hold infamous opinions you must be made to keep them to yourself." "I have a perfect right to my opinions."
Apparently with no compunction, and assuredly with no ceremony, Bella tossed her bonnet away, and sat down to make the tea. 'Dearest Ma and Lavvy, you both take sugar, I know. John does. I didn't before I was married; but I do now, because John does. John dear, did you kiss Ma and Lavvy? Oh, you did! Quite correct, John dear; but I didn't see you do it, so I asked.
And Mamma had asked them because she didn't care, and wanted them to see that she didn't care, and that Mark didn't care either. If they only knew how Mark detested them with their "Dear Mrs. Olivier"! Something was going on. She heard Uncle Victor saying to Aunt Lavvy, "Mark's party is a bit rough on Dan."
'I can hardly believe, thought Bella, that I ever did endure life in this place! Gloomy majesty on the part of Mrs Wilfer, and native pertness on the part of Lavvy, did not mend the matter. Bella really stood in natural need of a little help, and she got none.
'Audacious one! said Mrs Wilfer. 'Your grandmamma, if so addressed by one of her daughters, at any age, would have insisted on her retiring to a dark apartment. 'My grandmamma, returned Lavvy, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair, 'wouldn't have sat staring people out of countenance, I think. 'She would! said Mrs Wilfer. 'Then it's a pity she didn't know better, said Lavvy.
So that you knew Mamma might believe what Aunt Lavvy told her, that he had only gone to look out of the window and had turned giddy. Aunt Lavvy might believe that he didn't know what he was doing. But you knew. He had been afraid. Afraid. He wouldn't go up to the top-landing after they took Aunt Charlotte away; because he was afraid. Then, at last, after all those years, he had gone up.
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