Her mother tells me it is an old baronetcy.I know nothing of such things.' 'That's something.I do know something of such things, as you are pleased to call them.I like honourable blood.' Mr Gibson could not help saying, 'But I'm afraid that only one-eighth of Cynthia's blood is honourable; I know nothing further of her relations excepting the fact that her father was a curate.' 'Professional, That's a step above trade at any rate.How old is she?' 'Eighteen or nineteen.' 'Pretty?' 'Yes, I think so; most people do; but it is all a matter of taste.Come, squire, judge for yourself.Ride over and take lunch with us any day you like.I may not be in; but her mother will be there, and you can make acquaintance with your son's future wife.' This was going too fast, however; presuming too much on the quietness with which the squire had been questioning him.Mr Hamley drew back within his shell, and spoke in a surly manner as he replied, - 'Roger's "future wife!" - He'll be wiser by the time he comes home.Two years among the black folk will have put more sense in him.' 'Possible, but not probable, I should say,' replied Mr Gibson.'Black folk are not remarkable for their powers of reasoning, I believe, so that they have not much chance of altering his opinion by argument, even if they understood each other's language; and certainly if he shares my taste, their peculiarity of complexion will only make him appreciate white skins the more.' 'But you said it was no engagement,' growled the squire.'If he thinks better of it, you won't keep him to it, will you?' 'If he wishes to break it off, I shall certainly advise Cynthia to be equally willing, that's all I can say.And I see no reason for discussing the affair further at present.I have told you how matters stand because I promised you I would, if I saw anything of this kind going on.But in the present condition of things, we can neither make nor mar; we can only wait.' And he took up his hat to go.But the squire was discontent.'Don't go, Gibson.Don't take offence at what I've said, though I'm sure I don't know why you should.What is the girl like in herself?' 'I don't know what you mean,' said Mr Gibson.But he did; only he was vexed, and did not choose to understand.'Is she - well, is she like your Molly? - sweet-tempered and sensible -with her gloves always mended, and neat about the feet, and ready to do anything one asks her just as if doing it Was the very thing she liked best in the world?' Mr Gibson's face relaxed now, and he could understand all the squire's broken sentences and unexplained meanings.'She is much prettier than Molly to begin with, and has very winning ways.
She is always well-dressed and smart-looking, and I know she has not much to spend on her clothes, and always does what she is asked to do, and is ready enough with her pretty, lively answers.I don't think I ever saw her out of temper; but then I'm not sure if she takes things keenly to heart, and a certain obtuseness of feeling goes a great way towards a character for good temper, I've observed.Altogether I think Cynthia is one in a hundred.' The squire meditated a little.'Your Molly is one in a thousand, to my mind.But then you see she comes of no family at all, - and I don't suppose she'll have a chance of much money.' This he said as if he were thinking aloud, and without reference to Mr Gibson, but it nettled the latter gentleman, and he replied somewhat impatiently, - 'Well, but as there is no question of Molly in this business, I don't see the use of bringing her name in, and considering either her family or her fortune.' 'No, to be sure not,' said the squire, rousing up.'My wits had gone far afield, and I'll own I was only thinking what a pity it was she would not do for Osborne.But of course it's out of the question - out of the question.' 'Yes,' said Mr Gibson, 'and if you will excuse me, squire, I really must go now, and then you'll be at liberty to send your wits afield uninterrupted.'
This time he was at the door before the squire called him back.He stood impatiently hitting his top-boots with his riding-whip, waiting for the interminable last words.'I say, Gibson, we're old friends, and you're a fool if you take anything I say as an offence.Madam your wife and I did not hit it off the only time I ever saw her.I won't say she was silly, but I think one of us was silly, and it was not me.However, we'll pass that over.Suppose you bring her, and this girl Cynthia (which is as outlandish a Christian name as I'd wish to hear), and little Molly out here to lunch some day, - I'm more at my ease in my own house, - and I'm more sure to be civil, too.We need say nothing about Roger, - neither the lass nor me, - and you keep your wife's tongue quiet, if you can.It will only be like a compliment to you on your marriage, you know - and no one must take it for anything more.
Mind, no allusion or mention of Roger, and this piece of folly.I shall see the girl then, and I can judge her for myself; for, as you say, that will be the best plan.Osborne will be here, too; and he's always in his element talking to women.I sometimes think he's half a woman himself, he spends so much money and is so unreasonable.' The squire was pleased with his own speech and his own thought, and smiled a little as he finished speaking.Mr Gibson was both pleased and amused;and he smiled too, anxious as he was to be gone.The next Thursday was soon fixed upon as the day on which Mr Gibson was to bring his womankind out to the Hall.He thought that on the whole the interview had gone off a good deal better than he had expected, and felt rather proud of the invitation of which he was the bearer.Therefore Mrs Gibson's manner of receiving it was an annoyance to him.She meanwhile had been considering herself as an injured woman ever since the evening of the day of Roger's departure.
what business had any one had to speak as if the chances of Osborne's life being prolonged were infinitely small, if in fact the matter was uncertain?
She liked Osborne extremely, much better than Roger; and would gladly have schemed to secure him for Cynthia, if she had not shrunk from the notion of her daughter's becoming a widow.For if Mrs Gibson had ever felt anything acutely it was the death of Mr Kirkpatrick, and, amiably callous as she was in most things, she recoiled from exposing her daughter wilfully to the same kind of suffering which she herself had experienced.But if she had only known Dr Nicholls' opinion she would never have favoured Roger's suit; never.And then Mr Gibson himself; why was he so cold and reserved in his treatment of her since that night of explanation? she had done nothing wrong; yet she was treated as though she were in disgrace.And everything about the house was flat just now.She even missed the little excitement of Roger's visits, and the watching of his attentions to Cynthia.Cynthia too was silent enough; and as for Molly, she was absolutely dull and out of spirits, a state of mind so annoying to Mrs Gibson just now, that she vented some of her discontent upon the poor girl, from whom she feared neither complaint nor repartee.
