Mr. Gibson believed that Cynthia Kirkpatrick was to return to England to be present at her mother’s wedding; but Mrs. Kirkpatrick had no such intention. She was not what is commonly called a woman of determination; but somehow what she disliked she avoided, and what she liked she tried to do, or to have. So although in the conversation, which she had already led to, as to the when and the how she was to be married, she had listened quietly to Mr. Gibson’s proposal that Molly and Cynthia should be the two bridesmaids, she had felt how disagreeable it would be to her to have her young daughter flashing out her beauty by the side of the faded bride, her mother; and as the further arrangements for the wedding became more definite, she saw further reasons in her own mind for Cynthia’s remaining quietly at her school at Boulogne.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick had gone to bed that first night of her engagement to Mr. Gibson, fully anticipating a speedy marriage. She looked to it as a release from the thraldom of keeping school — keeping an unprofitable school, with barely enough of pupils to pay for house-rent and taxes, food, washing, and the requisite masters. She saw no reason for ever going back to Ashcombe, except to wind up her affairs, and to pack up her clothes. She hoped that Mr. Gibson’s ardour would be such that he would press on the marriage, and urge her never to resume her school drudgery, but to relinquish it now and for ever. She even made up a very pretty, very passionate speech for him in her own mind; quite sufficiently strong to prevail upon her, and to overthrow the scruples which she felt that she ought to have, at telling the parents of her pupils that she did not intend to resume school, and that they must find another place of education for their daughters, in the last week but one of the midsummer holidays.

It was rather like a douche of cold water on Mrs. Kirkpatrick’s plans, when the next morning at breakfast Lady Cumnor began to decide upon the arrangements and duties of the two middle-aged lovers.

‘Of course you can’t give up your school all at once, Clare. The wedding can’t be before Christmas, but that will do very well. We shall all be down at the Towers; and it will be a nice amusement for the children to go over to Ashcombe, and see you married.’

‘I think — I am afraid — I don’t believe Mr. Gibson will like waiting so long; men are so impatient under these circumstances.’

‘Oh, nonsense! Lord Cumnor has recommended you to his tenants, and I’m sure he wouldn’t like them to be put to any inconvenience. Mr Gibson will see that in a moment. He’s a man of sense, or else he wouldn’t be our family doctor. Now, what are you going to do about your little girl? Have you fixed yet?’

‘No. Yesterday there seemed so little time, and when one is agitated it is so difficult to think of everything. Cynthia is nearly eighteen, old enough to go out as a governess, if he wishes it, but I don’t think he will. He is so generous and kind.’

‘Well! I must give you time to settle some of your affairs today. Don’t waste it in sentiment, you’re too old for that. Come to a clear understanding with each other; it will be for your happiness in the long run.’

So they did come to a clear understanding about one or two things. To Mrs. Kirkpatrick’s dismay, she found that Mr. Gibson had no more idea than Lady Cumnor of her breaking faith with the parents of her pupils. Though he really was at a serious loss as to what was to become of Molly until she could be under the protection of his new wife at her own home, and though his domestic worries teased him more and more every day, he was too honourable to think of persuading Mrs. Kirkpatrick to give up school a week sooner than was right for his sake. He did not even perceive how easy the task of persuasion would be; with all her winning wiles she could scarcely lead him to feel impatience for the wedding to take place at Michaelmas.

‘I can hardly tell you what a comfort and relief it will be to me, Hyacinth, when you are once my wife — the mistress of my home — poor little Molly’s mother and protector; but I wouldn’t interfere with your previous engagements for the world. It wouldn’t be right.’

‘Thank you, my own love. How good you are! So many men would think only of their own wishes and interests! I’m sure the parents of my dear pupils will admire you — will be quite surprised at your consideration for their interests.’

‘Don’t tell them, then. I hate being admired. Why shouldn’t you say it is your wish to keep on your school till they’ve had time to look out for another?’

‘Because it isn’t,’ said she, daring all. ‘I long to be making you happy; I want to make your home a place of rest and comfort to you; and I do so wish to cherish your sweet Molly, as I hope to do, when I come to be her mother. I can’t take virtue to myself which doesn’t belong to me. If I have to speak for myself, I shall say, “Good people, find a school for your daughters by Michaelmas — for after that time I must go and make the happiness of others.” I can’t bear to think of your long rides in November — coming home wet at night with no one to take care of you. Oh! if you leave it to me, I shall advise the parents to take their daughters away from the care of one whose heart will be absent. Though I couldn’t consent to any time before Michaelmas — that wouldn’t be fair or right, and I’m sure you wouldn’t urge me — you are too good.’

‘Well, if you think that they will consider we have acted uprightly by them, let it be Michaelmas with all my heart. What does Lady Cumnor say?’

‘Oh! I told her I was afraid you wouldn’t like waiting, because of your difficulties with your servants, and because of Molly — it would be so desirable to enter on the new relationship with her as soon as possible.’

‘To be sure; so it would. Poor child! I’m afraid the intelligence of my engagement has rather startled her.’

‘Cynthia will feel it deeply, too,’ said Mrs. Kirkpatrick, unwilling to let her daughter be behind Mr. Gibson’s in sensibility and affection.

‘We will have her over to the wedding! She and Molly shall be bridesmaids,’ said Mr. Gibson, in the unguarded warmth of his heart.

This plan did not quite suit Mrs. Kirkpatrick; but she thought it best not to oppose it, until she had a presentable excuse to give, and perhaps also some reason would naturally arise out of future circumstances; so at this time she only smiled, and softly pressed the hand she held in hers.

It is a question whether Mrs. Kirkpatrick or Molly wished the most for the day to be over which they were to spend together at the Towers. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was rather weary of girls as a class. All the trials of her life were connected with girls in some way. She was very young when she first became a governess, and had been worsted in her struggles with her pupils, in the first place she ever went to. Her elegance of appearance and manner, and her accomplishments, more than her character and acquirements, had rendered it more easy for her than for most to obtain good ‘situations;’ and she had been absolutely petted in some; but still she was constantly encountering naughty or stubborn, or over-conscientious, or severe-judging, or curious and observant girls. And again, before Cynthia was born, she had longed for a boy, thinking it possible that if some three or four intervening relations died, he might come to be a baronet; and instead of a son, lo and behold it was a daughter! Nevertheless, with all her dislike to girls in the abstract as ‘the plagues of her life’ (and her aversion was not diminished by the fact of her having kept a school for ‘young ladies’ at Ashcombe), she really meant to be as kind as she could be to her new step-daughter, whom she remembered principally as a black-haired, sleepy child, in whose eyes she had read admiration of herself. Mrs. Kirkpatrick accepted Mr. Gibson principally because she was tired of the struggle of earning her own livelihood; but she liked him personally — nay, she even loved him in her torpid way, and she intended to be good to his daughter, though she felt as if it would have been easier for her to have been good to his son.

Molly was bracing herself up in her way too. ‘I will be like Harriet. I will think of others. I won’t think of myself,’ she kept repeating all the way to the Towers. But there was no selfishness in wishing that the day was come to an end, and that she did very heartily. Mrs. Hamley sent her thither in the carriage, which was to wait and bring her back at night. Mrs. Hamley wanted Molly to make a favourable impression, and she sent for her to come and show herself before she set out.

‘Don’t put on your silk gown — your white muslin will look the nicest, my dear.’

‘Not my silk? it is quite new! I had it to come here.’

‘Still, I think your white muslin suits you the best.’ ‘Anything but that horrid plaid silk’ was the thought in Mrs. Hamley’s mind; and, thanks to her, Molly set off for the Towers, looking a little quaint, it is true, but thoroughly ladylike, if she was old-fashioned. Her father was to meet her there; but he had been detained, and she had to face Mrs. Kirkpatrick by herself, the recollection of her last day of misery at the Towers fresh in her mind as if it had been yesterday. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was as caressing as could be. She held Molly’s hand in hers, as they sate together in the library, after the first salutations were over. She kept stroking it from time to time, and purring out inarticulate sounds of loving satisfaction, as she gazed in the blushing face.

‘What eyes! so like your dear father’s! How we shall love each other — shan’t we, darling? For his sake!’

‘I’ll try,’ said Molly, bravely; and then she could not finish her sentence.

‘And you’ve just got the same beautiful black curling hair!’ said Mrs. Kirkpatrick, softly lifting one of Molly’s curls from off her white temple.

‘Papa’s hair is growing grey,’ said Molly.

‘Is it? I never see it. I never shall see it. He will always be to me the handsomest of men.’

Mr. Gibson was really a very handsome man, and Molly was pleased with the compliment; but she could not help saying —

‘Still he will grow old, and his hair will grow grey. I think he will be just as handsome, but it won’t be as a young man.’

‘Ah! that’s just it, love. He’ll always be handsome; some people always are. And he is so fond of you, dear.’ Molly’s colour flashed into her face. She did not want an assurance of her own father’s love from this strange woman. She could not help being angry; all she could do was to keep silent. ‘You don’t know how he speaks of you; “his little treasure,” as he calls you. I’m almost jealous sometimes.’

Molly took her hand away, and her heart began to harden; these speeches were so discordant to her. But she set her teeth together, and ‘tried to be good.’

‘We must make him so happy. I’m afraid he has had a great deal to annoy him at home; but we will do away with all that now. You must tell me,’ seeing the cloud in Molly’s eyes, ‘what he likes and dislikes, for of course you will know.’

Molly’s face cleared a little; of course she did know. She had not watched and loved him so long without believing that she understood him better than any one else; though how he had come to like Mrs Kirkpatrick enough to wish to marry her, was an unsolved problem that she unconsciously put aside as inexplicable. Mrs. Kirkpatrick went on — ‘All men have their fancies and antipathies, even the wisest. I have known some gentlemen annoyed beyond measure by the merest trifles; leaving a door open, or spilling tea in their saucers, or a shawl crookedly put on. Why,’ continued she, lowering her voice, ‘I know of a house to which Lord Hollingford will never be asked again because he didn’t wipe his shoes on both the mats in the hall! Now you must tell me what your dear father dislikes most in these fanciful ways, and I shall take care to avoid it. You must be my little friend and helper in pleasing him. It will be such a pleasure to me to attend to his slightest fancies. About my dress, too — what colours does he like best? I want to do everything in my power with a view to his approval.’

Molly was gratified by all this, and began to think that really, after all, perhaps her father had done well for himself; and that if she could help towards his new happiness, she ought to do it. So she tried very conscientiously to think over Mr. Gibson’s wishes and ways; to ponder over what annoyed him the most in his household.

‘I think,’ said she, ‘papa isn’t particular about many things; but I think our not having the dinner quite punctual — quite ready for him when he comes in, fidgets him more than anything. You see, he has often had a long ride, and there is another long ride to come, and he has only half-an-hour — sometimes only a quarter — to eat his dinner in.’

‘Thank you, my own love. Punctuality! Yes; it’s a great thing in a household. It’s what I’ve had to enforce with my young ladies at Ashcombe. No wonder poor dear Mr. Gibson has been displeased at his dinner not being ready, and he so hard-worked!’

‘Papa doesn’t care what he has, if it’s only ready. He would take bread-and-cheese, if cook would only send it in instead of dinner.’

‘Bread-and-cheese! Does Mr. Gibson eat cheese?’

‘Yes; he’s very fond of it,’ said Molly, innocently. ‘I’ve known him eat toasted cheese when he has been too tired to fancy anything else.’

‘Oh! but, my dear, we must change all that. I shouldn’t like to think of your father eating cheese; it’s such a strong-smelling, coarse kind of thing. We must get him a cook who can toss him up an omelette, or something elegant. Cheese is only fit for the kitchen.’

‘Papa is very fond of it,’ persevered Molly.

‘Oh! but we will cure him of that. I couldn’t bear the smell of cheese; and I’m sure he would be sorry to annoy me.’

Molly was silent; it did not do, she found, to be too minute in telling about her father’s likes or dislikes. She had better leave them for Mrs. Kirkpatrick to find out for herself. It was an awkward pause; each was trying to find something agreeable to say. Molly spoke at length. ‘Please! I should so like to know something about Cynthia — your daughter.’

‘Yes, call her Cynthia. It’s a pretty name, isn’t it? Cynthia Kirkpatrick. Not so pretty, though, as my old name, Hyacinth Clare. People used to say it suited me so well. I must show you an acrostic a gentleman — he was a lieutenant in the 53rd — made upon it. Oh! we shall have a great deal to say to each other, I foresee!’

‘But about Cynthia?’

‘Oh, yes! about dear Cynthia. What do you want to know, my dear?’

‘Papa said she was to live with us! When will she come?’

‘Oh, was it not sweet of your kind father? I thought of nothing else but Cynthia’s going out as a governess when she had completed her education; she has been brought up for it, and has had great advantages. But good dear Mr. Gibson wouldn’t hear of it. He said yesterday that she must come and live with us when she left school.’

‘When will she leave school?’

‘She went for two years. I don’t think I must let her leave before next summer. She teaches English as well as learning French. Next summer she shall come home, and then shan’t we be a happy little quartette?’

‘I hope so,’ said Molly. ‘But she is to come to the wedding, isn’t she?’ she went on timidly, now knowing how far Mrs. Kirkpatrick would like the allusion to her marriage.

‘Your father has begged for her to come; but we must think about it a little more before quite fixing it. The journey is a great expense!’

‘Is she like you? I do so want to see her.’

‘She is very handsome, people say. In the bright-coloured style — perhaps something like what I was. But I like the dark-haired foreign kind of beauty best — just now,’ touching Molly’s hair, and looking at her with an expression of sentimental remembrance.

‘Does Cynthia — is she very clever and accomplished?’ asked Molly, a little afraid lest the answer should remove Miss Kirkpatrick at too great a distance from her.

‘She ought to be; I’ve paid ever so much money to have her taught by the best masters. But you will see her before long, and I’m afraid we must go now to Lady Cumnor. It has been very charming having you all to myself, but I know Lady Cumnor will be expecting us now, and she was very curious to see you — my future daughter, as she calls you.’

Molly followed Mrs. Kirkpatrick into the morning-room, where Lady Cumnor was sitting — a little annoyed, because, having completed her toilette earlier than usual, Clare had not been aware by instinct of the fact, and so had not brought Molly Gibson for inspection a quarter of an hour before. Every small occurrence is an event in the day of a convalescent invalid, and a little while ago Molly would have met with patronizing appreciation, where now she had to encounter criticism. Of Lady Cumnor’s character as an individual she knew nothing; she only knew she was going to see and be seen by a live countess; nay, more, by ‘the countess’ of Hollingford.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick led her into Lady Cumnor’s presence by the hand, and in presenting her, said — ‘My dear little daughter, Lady Cumnor!’

‘Now, Clare, don’t let me have nonsense. She is not your daughter y............