Mercy mercy, noshes not asked. Mrs. Brookenham, on Nandas behalf, fairly radiated obscurity. My children dont go where theyre not asked.
I never said they did, love, the Duchess returned. But what then do you do with her?
If you mean sociallyMrs. Brookenham looked as if there might be in some distant sphere, for which she almost yearned, a maternal opportunity very different from thatif you mean socially, I dont do anything at all. Ive never pretended to do anything. You know as well as I do, dear Jane, that I havent begun yet. Janes hostess now spoke as simply as an earnest anxious child. She gave a vague patient sigh. I suppose I must begin!
The Duchess remained for a little rather grimly silent. How old is shetwenty?
Thirty! said Mrs. Brookenham with distilled sweetness. Then with no transition of tone: She has gone for a few days to Tishy Grendon.
In the country?
She stays with her to-night in Hill Street. They go down together to-morrow. Why hasnt Aggie been? Mrs. Brookenham went on.
The Duchess handsomely stared. Been where?
Why here, to see Nanda.
Here? the Duchess echoed, fairly looking again about the room. When is Nanda ever here?
Ah you know Ive given her a room of her ownthe sweetest little room in the world. Mrs. Brookenham never looked so comparatively hopeful as when obliged to explain. She has everything there a girl can want.
My dear woman, asked the Duchess, has she sometimes her own mother?
The men had now come in to place the tea-table, and it was the movements of the red-haired footman that Mrs. Brookenham followed. You had better ask my child herself.
The Duchess was frank and jovial. I would, I promise you, if I could get at her! But isnt that woman always with her?
Mrs. Brookenham smoothed the little embroidered tea-cloth. Do you call Tishy Grendon a woman?
Again the Duchess had one of her pauses, which were indeed so frequent in her talks with this intimate that an auditor could sometimes wonder what particular form of relief they represented. They might have been a habit proceeding from the fear of undue impatience. If the Duchess had been as impatient with Mrs. Brookenham as she would possibly have seemed without them her frequent visits in the face of irritation would have had to be accounted for. What do YOU call her? she demanded.
Why Nandas best friendif not her only one. Thats the place I SHOULD have liked for Aggie, Mrs. Brookenham ever so graciously smiled.
The Duchess hereupon, going beyond her, gave way to free mirth. My dear thing, youre delightful. Aggie OR Tishy is a sweet thought. Since youre so good as to ask why Aggie has fallen off youll excuse my telling you that youve just named the reason. Youve known ever since we came to England what I feel about the proper personsand the most improperfor her to meet. The Tishy Grendons are not a bit the proper.
Mrs. Brookenham continued to assist a little in the preparations for tea. Why not say at once, Janeand her tone, in its appeal, was almost infantinethat youve come at last to placing even poor Nanda, for Aggies wonderful purpose, in the same impossible class?
The Duchess took her time, but at last she accepted her duty. Well, if you will have it. You know my ideas. If it isnt my notion of the way to bring up a girl to give her up, in extreme youth, to an intimacy with a young married woman whos both unhappy and silly, whose conversation has absolutely no limits, who says everything that comes into her head and talks to the poor child about God only knows whatif I should never dream of such an arrangement for my niece I can almost as little face the prospect of throwing her MUCH, dont you see? with any young person exposed to such an association. It would be in the natural order certainlyin spite of which natural order the Duchess made the point with but moderate emphasisthat, since dear Edward is my cousin, Aggie should see at least as much of Nanda as of any other girl of their age. But what will you have? I must recognise the predicament Im placed in by the more and more extraordinary development of English manners. Many things have altered, goodness knows, since I was Aggies age, but nothings so different as what you all do with your girls. Its all a muddle, a compromise, a monstrosity, like everything else you produce; theres nothing in it that goes on all-fours. I see but one consistent way, which is our fine old foreign way and which makesin the upper classes, mind you, for its with them only Im concerneddes femmes bien gracieuses. I allude to the immemorial custom of my husbands race, which was good enough for his mother and his mothers mother, for Aggies own, for his other sisters, for toutes ces dames. It would have been good enough for my child, as I call hermy dear husband called her HISif, not losing her parents, she had remained in her own country. She would have been brought up there under an anxious eyethats the great point; privately, carefully, tenderly, and with what she was NOT to learntill the proper timelooked after quite as much as the rest. I can only go on with her in that spirit and make of her, under Providence, what I consider any young person of her condition, of her name, of her particular traditions, should be. Voila, ma chere. Should you put it to me whether I think youre surrounding Nanda with any such security as thatwell, I shouldnt be able to help it if I offended you by an honest answer. What it comes to, simply stated, is that really she must choose between Aggie and Tishy. Im afraid I should shock you were I to tell you what I should think of myself for packing MY child, all alone, off for a week with Mrs. Grendon.
Mrs. Brookenham, who had many talents, had none perhaps that she oftener found useful than that of listening with the appearance of being fairly hypnotised. It was the way she listened to her housekeeper at their regular morning conference, and if the rejoinder ensuing upon it frequently appeared to have nothing to do with her manner this was a puzzle for her interlocutor alone. Oh of course I know your theory, dear Jane, and I dare say its very charming and old-fashioned and, if you like, aristocratic, in a frowsy foolish old waythough even upon that, at the same time, there would be something too to be said. But I can only congratulate you on finding it more workable than there can be any question of MY finding it. If youre all armed for the sacrifices you speak of I simply am not. I dont think Im quite a monster, but I dont pretend to be a saint. Im an English wife and an English motherI live in the mixed English world. My daughter, at any rate, is just my daughter, I thank my stars, and one of a good English bunch: shes not the unique niece of my dead Italian husband, nor doubtless either, in spite of her excellent birth, of a lineage, like Aggies, so very tremendous. Ive my life to lead and shes a part of it. Sugar? she wound up on a still softer note as she handed the cup of tea.
Never! Well, with ME said the Duchess with spirit, she would be all.
All is soon said! Life is composed of many things, Mrs. Brookenham gently rang outof such mingled intertwisted strands! Then still with the silver bell, Dont you really think Tishy nice? she asked.
I think little girls should live with little girls and young femmes du monde so immensely initiated shouldwell, said the Duchess with a toss of her head, let them alone. What do they want of them at all at all?
Never! Well, with ME said the Duchess with spirit, she would be all.
All is soon said! Life is composed of many things, Mrs. Brookenham gently rang outof such mingled intertwisted strands! Then still with the silver bell, Dont you really think Tishy nice? she asked.
I think little girls should live with little girls and young femmes du monde so immensely initiated shouldwell, said the Duchess with a toss of her head, let them alone. What do they want of them at all at all?
Well, my dear, if Tishy strikes you as initiated all one can ask is Initiated into what? I should as soon think of applying such a term to a little shivering shorn lamb. Is it your theory, Mrs. Brookenham pursued, that our unfortunate unmarried daughters are to have no intelligent friends?
Unfortunate indeed, cried the Duchess, precisely BECAUSE theyre unmarried, and unmarried, if you dont mind my saying so, a good deal because theyre unmarriageable. Men, after all, the nice onesby which I mean the possible onesare not on the lookout for little brides whose usual associates are so up to snuff. Its not their idea that the girls they marry shall already have been pitchforkedby talk and contacts and visits and newspapers and by the way the poor creatures rush about and all the extraordinary things they doquite into EVERYTHING. A girls most intelligent friend is her motheror the relative acting as such. Perhaps you consider that Tishy takes your place!
Mrs. Brookenham waited so long to say what she considered that before she next spoke the question appeared to have dropped. Then she only replied as if suddenly remembering her manners: Wont you eat something? She indicated a particular plate. One of the nice little round ones? The Duchess appropriated a nice little round one and her hostess presently went on: Theres one thing I mustnt forgetdont let us eat them ALL. I believe theyre what Lord Petherton really comes for.
The Duchess finished her mouthful imperturbably before she took this up. Does he come so often?
Mrs. Brookenham might have been, for judicious candour, the Muse of History. I dont know what he calls it; but he said yesterday that hed come today. Ive had tea earlier for you, she went on with her most melancholy kindnessand hes always late. But we mustnt, between us, lick the platter clean.
The Duchess entered very sufficiently into her companions tone. Oh I dont feel at all obliged to consider him, for he has not of late particularly put himself out for me. He has not been to see me since I dont know when, and the last time he did come he brought Mr. Mitchett.
Here it was the other way round. It was Mr. Mitchett, the other year, who first brought Lord Petherton.
And who, asked the Duchess, had first brought Mr. Mitchett?
Mrs. Brookenham, meeting her friends eyes, looked for an instant as if trying to recall. I give it up. I muddle beginnings.
That doesnt matter if you only MAKE them, the Duchess smiled.
No, does it? To which Mrs. Brookenham added: Did he bring Mr. Mitchett for Aggie?
If he did theyll have been disappointed. Neither of them has seen, in my house, the tip of her nose. The Duchess announced it with a pomp of pride.
Ah but with your ideas that doesnt prevent.
Prevent what?
Why what I suppose you call the pourparlers.
For Aggies hand? My dear, said the Duchess, Im glad you do me the justice of feeling that Im a person to take time by the forelock. It was not, as you seem to remember, with the sight of Mr. Mitchett that the question of Aggies hand began to occupy me. I should be ashamed of myself if it werent constantly before me and if I hadnt my feelers out in more quarters than one. But Ive not so much as thought of Mr. Mitchettwho, rich as he may be, is the son of a shoemaker and superlatively hideousfor a reason I dont at all mind telling you. Dont be outraged if I say that Ive for a long time hoped you yourself would find the right use for him. She pausedat present with a momentary failure of assurance, from which she rallied, however, to proceed with a burst of earnestness that was fairly noble. Forgive me if I just tell you once for all how it strikes me, Im stupefied at your not seeming to recognise either your interest or your duty. Oh I know you want to, but you appear to mein your perfect good faith of courseutterly at sea. Theyre one and the same thing, dont you make out? your interest and your duty. Why isnt it convincingly plain to you that the thing to do with Nanda is just to marry herand to marry her soon? Thats the great thingdo it while you CAN. If you dont want her downstairsat which, let me say, I dont in the least wonderyour remedy is to take the right alternative. Dont send her to Tishy
Send her to Mr. Mitchett? Mrs. Brookenham unresentfully quavered. Her colour, during her visitors address had distinctly risen, but there was no irritation in her voice. How do you know, Jane, that I dont want her downstairs?
The Duchess looked at her with an audacity confirmed by the absence from her face of everything but the plaintive. There you are, with your eternal English false positions! Jaime, moi, les situations nettesje rien comprends pas dautres. It wouldnt be to your honourto that of your delicacythat with your impossible house you SHOULD wish to plant your girl in your drawing-room. But such a way of keeping her out of it as throwing her into a worse!
Well, Jane, you do say things to me! Mrs. Brookenham blandly broke in. She had sunk back into her chair; her hands, in her lap pressed themselves together and her wan smile brought a tear into each of her eyes by the very effort to be brighter. It might have been guessed of her that she hated to seem to care, but that she had other dislikes too. If one were to take up, you know, some of the things you say! And she positively sighed for the wealth of amusement at them of which her tears were the sign. Her friend could quite match her indifference. Well, my child, TAKE them up; if you were to do that with them candidly, one by one, you would do really very much what I should like to bring you to. Do you see? Mrs. Brookenhams failure to repudiate the vision appeared to suffice, and her visitor cheerfully took a further jump. As much of Tishy as she wantsAFTER. But not before.
After what?
Wellsay after Mr. Mitchett. Mr. Mitchett wont take her after Mrs. Grendon.
And what are your grounds for assuming that hell take her at all? Then as the Duchess hung fire a moment: Have you got it by chance from Lord Petherton?
The eyes of the two women met for a little on this, and there might have been a consequence of it in the manner of what came. Ive got it from not being a fool. Men, I repeat, like the girls they marry
Oh I already know your old song! The way they like the girls they DONT marry seems to be, Mrs. Brookenham mused, what more immediately concerns us. You had better wait till you HAVE made Aggies fortune perhapsto be so sure of the working of your system. Pardon me, darling, if I dont take you for an example until youve a little more successfully become one. I know what the sort of men worth speaking of are not looking for. They ARE looking for smart safe sensible English girls.
The Duchess glanced at the clock. Whats Mr. Vanderbank looking for?
Her companion appeared to oblige her by anxiously thinking. Oh, HE, Im afraid, poor dearfor nothing at all!