Lady Cumnor luckily took Molly's silence for acquiescent humility, and went on speaking after a further little pause of inspection.'Yes, yes, I like her looks, Clare.You may make something of her.It will be a great advantage to you, my dear, to have a lady who has trained up several young people of quality always about you just at the time when you are growing up.I'll tell you what, Clare!' - a sudden thought striking her, - 'you and she must become better acquainted - you know nothing of each other at present; you are not to be married till Christmas, and what could be better than that she should go back with you to Ashcombe! She would be with you constantly, and have the advantage of the companionship of your young people, which would be a good thing for an only child! It's a capital plan; I'm very glad I thought of it!' Now it would be difficult to say which of Lady Cumnor's two hearers was the most dismayed at the idea which had taken possession of her.Mrs Kirkpatrick had no fancy for being encumbered with a step-daughter before her time.
If Molly came to be an inmate of her house, farewell to many little background economies, and a still more serious farewell to many little indulgences, that were innocent enough in themselves, but which Mrs Kirkpatrick's former life had caused her to look upon as sins to be concealed: the dirty dog's-eared delightful novel from the Ashcombe circulating library, the leaves of which she turned over with a pair of scissors.the lounging-chair which she had for use at her own home, straight and upright as she sate now in Lady Cumnor's presence; the dainty morsel, savoury and small, to which she treated herself for her own solitary supper, - all these and many other similarly pleasant things would have to be foregone if Molly came to be her pupil, parlour-boarder, or visitor, as Lady Cumnor was planning.One - two things Clare was instinctively resolved upon: to be married at Michaelmas, and not to have Molly at Ashcombe.
But she smiled as sweetly as if the plan proposed was the most charming project in the world, while all the time her poor brains were beating about in every bush for the reasons or excuses of which she should make use at some future time.Molly, however, saved her all this trouble.It was a question which of the three was the most surprised by the words which burst out of her lips.She did not mean to speak, but her heart was very full, and almost before she was aware of her thought she heard herself saying, - 'I don't think it would be nice at all.I mean, my lady, that I should dislike it very much; it would be taking me away from papa just these very few last months.I will like you,' she went on, her eyes full of tears;and, turning to Mrs Kirkpatrick, she put her hand into her future stepmother's with the prettiest and most trustful action.'I will try hard to love you, and to do all I can to make you happy.but you must not take me away from papa just this very last bit of time that I shall have him.' Mrs Kirkpatrick fondled the hand thus placed in hers, and was grateful to the girl for her outspoken opposition to Lady Cumnor's plan.Clare was, however, exceedingly unwilling to back up Molly by any words of her own until Lady Cumnor had spoken and given the cue.But there was something in Molly's little speech, or in her straightforward manner, that amused instead of irritating Lady Cumnor in her present mood.Perhaps she was tired of the silkiness with which she had been shut up for so many days.She put up her glasses, and looked at them both before speaking.Then she said, - 'Upon my word, young lady! Why, Clare, you've got your work before you! Not but what there is a good deal of truth in what she says.It must be very disagreeable to a girl of her age to have a stepmother coming in between her father and herself, whatever may be the advantages to her in the long run.' Molly almost felt as if she could make a friend of the stiff old countess, for her clearness of sight as to the plan proposed being a trial; but she was afraid, in her new-born desire of thinking for others, of Mrs Kirkpatrick being hurt.She need not have feared as far as outward signs went, for the smile was still on that lady's pretty rosy lips, and the soft fondling of her hand never stopped.Lady Cumnor was more interested in Molly the more she looked at her; and her gaze was pretty steady through her gold-rimmed eye-glasses.She began a sort of catechi**; a string of very straightforward questions, such as any lady under the rank of countess might have scrupled to ask, but which were not unkindly meant.'You are sixteen, are you not?' 'No; I am seventeen.My birthday was three weeks ago.' 'Very much the same thing, I should think.Have you ever been to school?' 'No, never! Miss Eyre has taught me everything I know.' 'Umph! Miss Eyre was your governess, I suppose? I should not have thought your father could have afforded to keep a governess.But of course he must know his own affairs best.' 'Certainly, my lady,' replied Molly, a little touchy as to any reflections on her father's wisdom.'You say "certainly!" as if it was a matter of course that every one should know their own affairs best.You are very young, Miss Gibson - very.You'll know better before you come to my age.And I suppose you've been taught music, and the use of the globes, and French, and all the usual accomplishments, since you have had a governess? I never heard of such nonsense!' she went on, lashing herself up.'An only daughter! If there had been half-a-dozen girls, there might have been some sense in it.' Molly did not speak but it was by a strong effort that she kept silence.
