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In the meantime, Sir Lionel had been calling on Miss Todd had heard a good deal about Miss Todd; and was strong at heart, as a man is strong who has two good strings to his bow. Yes. The great Miss Todd had arrived at Littlebath, and had already been talked about not a little. Being a maiden lady, with no family but her one own maid, she lived in lodgings of course.
"I shall have nothing to do with the card-tables, and I hope not with the false hair nor yet much, I suppose, with the horse-jockeys." "There will still remain the worst of the four curses." "Mr. Bertram, how can you be so evil-minded? I have had many happy days at Littlebath." And then she paused, for she remembered that her happy days there had all been passed with Caroline Waddington.
Adela Gauntlet reached Littlebath without any adventures, and at the station she met Miss Baker ready to take her and her boxes in charge. She soon learned what was to be her fate for that autumn. It was imperatively necessary that Miss Baker should go up to town in a week or two.
Miss Baker, when she returned to Littlebath, could not think that she had been successful in her mission; and Caroline immediately declared that any idea of a marriage for that year, or even for the next, must now be altogether out of the question. She was very much startled at hearing that Mr. Bertram was her mother's father, but did not pretend to any suddenly intense affection for him.
And, alas! he had to tell her, not what he was going to do, but what he had done. "I spoke to you, mother, of going to Littlebath the other day." "Yes, Arthur," said she, taking her spectacles off, and laying them beside her. "I have written to her, instead." "And you have made her an offer of marriage!" "Exactly so. I was sure you must have known how my heart stood towards her.
"I really had rather not have her just at present; that is, unless you have some very particular reason." "Well, mother, I have a particular reason. But if you had rather that she did not come here, I will go to Littlebath instead." There was nothing more said on this occasion; but that was the beginning of the battle. Mrs.
"Has it ever come into your head to think where your mother and sisters are to live when you turn them out?" said she. "Littlebath," suggested Arthur. "Littlebath!" said Mrs. Wilkinson, with all the scorn that she could muster to the service. "Littlebath! I am to put up with the aunt, I suppose, when you take the niece. But I shall not go to Littlebath at your bidding, sir."
There were but few angels at this time in Littlebath, and Miss Baker was not one of them: she had a taint of vanity in her composition; but we doubt if such female vanity could exist in any human breast in a more pardonable form than it did in hers. And then, perhaps, this plan of marrying might have the wished-for effect on Sir Lionel's way of living; and how desirable was this!
It cannot be told that they became suddenly rich. No prime minister, won by her beauty or virtue, placed him upon the bench, or even offered him a deanery. Vicar of Hurst Staple he is still, and he still pays the old allowance out of his well-earned income to his mother, who lives with her daughters at Littlebath.
Adela could only say that were she in her friend's place she would not think so much about income; but her gentle speech, the eloquence of which had an inward, rather than an outward tendency, had no effect on Caroline. If Bertram could not persuade her, it certainly was not probable that Adela Gauntlet should do so. Messrs. Harcourt and Bertram reached Littlebath quite safely.
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