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Arthur offered to do so; but she was going on a journey of decided hostility as regarded him, and under such circumstances she could not bring herself to use his services even over a portion of the road. So the stable-boy was her charioteer. She talked about Lord Stapledean the whole evening before she went.
He began by telling her that he should go to Littlebath on Monday, and be back on Wednesday. "Then I shall go to Bowes on Wednesday," said Mrs. Wilkinson. Now we all know that Bowes is a long way from Staplehurst. The journey has already been made once in these pages. But Mrs. Wilkinson was as good as her word. "To Bowes!" said Arthur. "Yes, to Bowes, sir; to Lord Stapledean.
His father, however, was gone; but the marquis was destined to undergo yet many more days of misery. "I was very sorry to hear of your father's sudden death," said Lord Stapledean, in his cold, thin voice. "It was very sudden, my lord," said Arthur, shuddering. "Ah yes; he was not a prudent man; always too fond of strong wine." "He was always a temperate man," said the son, rather disgusted.
"That's all very well," said Lord Stapledean; "but you must be a very unnatural son if on that account you refuse to be the means of providing for your unfortunate mother and sisters." "I refuse! why, my lord, I regard it as much my duty to keep my mother and sisters from want as my father did. Whether I am to have this living or no, we shall live together; and whatever I have will be theirs."
"And you'll take a bite of something before you start, ma'am," she said, out loud. But, no; it was only now twelve o'clock, and she would be at Bowes Lodge a very little after one. She had still sufficient confidence in Lord Stapledean to feel sure of her lunch. When people reached Hurst Staple Vicarage about that hour, there was always something for them to eat. And so she started.
Wilkinson, laying her hands across each other on the table, and preparing for the onslaught. "It is clearly my duty, as clergyman, to live in this parish, and to live in this house." "And it is my duty also, as was excellently explained by Lord Stapledean after your poor father's death."
Wilkinson not been out of the way. Considering all these comfortable circumstances, poor dear old Mr. Wilkinson was perhaps not regretted quite so much as might otherwise have been the case. Mrs. Wilkinson was in the habit of saying many things from day to day in praise of that good Lord Stapledean, who had so generously thought of her and her widowhood.
Wilkinson at last succeeded in making her way into the hall, and the horses were allowed to go round to the yard. And then at last, after half a dozen more messages to and fro, she was informed that Lord Stapledean would see her. So dreadful had been the contest hitherto, that this amount of success was very grateful.
Wilkinson had written to Lord Stapledean two days before she started, informing his lordship that it had become very necessary that she should wait upon him on business connected with the living, and therefore she was aware that her coming would not be wholly unexpected. In due process of time she arrived at Bowes, very tired and not a little disgusted at the great expense of her journey.
"I think you have misunderstood Lord Stapledean." "I have not misunderstood him at all. I know very well what he meant, and I quite appreciate his motives. I have endeavoured to act up to them, and shall continue to do so. I had thought that I had made the house as comfortable to you as any young man could wish." "And so you have." "And yet you want to turn me out of it out of my own house!"
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