The Belton Estate

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Before she left the room the following morning, a letter was brought to
her from her cousin, which had been written that morning. She asked the
maid to inquire for him, and sent down word to him that if he were in
the house she specially wished to see him; but the tidings came from
the hall porter that he had gone out very early, and had expressly said
that he should not breakfast at the inn.

The letter was as follows:

'Dear Clara,

I meant to have handed to you the enclosed in person, but I lost my
temper last night like a fool as I am and so I couldn't do it. You need
not have any scruple about the money which I send œ100 in ten ten-pound
notes as it is your own. There is the rent due up to your father's
death, which is more than what I now enclose, and there will be a great
many other items, as to all of which you shall have a proper account.
When you want more, you had better draw on me, till things are settled.
It shall all be done as soon as possible. It would not be comfortable
for you to go away without money of your own, and I suppose you would
not wish that he should pay for your journeys and things before you are
married.

Of course I made a fool of myself yesterday. I believe that I usually
do. It is not any good my begging your pardon, for I don't suppose I
shall ever trouble you any more. Good-bye, and God bless you.

Your affectionate Cousin,

WILLIAM BELTON.

It was a bad day for me when I made up my mind to go to Belton Castle
last summer.'

Clara, when she had read the letter, sat down and cried, holding the
bundle of notes in her hand. What would she do with them? Should she
send them back? Oh no she would do nothing to displease him, or to make
him think that she was angry with him. Besides, she had none of that
dislike to taking his money which she had felt as to receiving money
from Captain Aylmer. He had said that she would be his sister, and she
would take from him any assistance that a sister might properly take
from a brother.

She went down-stairs and met Captain Aylmer in the sitting-room. He
stepped up to her as soon as the door was closed, and she could at once
see that he had determined to forget the unpleasantness of the previous
evening. He stepped up to her, and gracefully taking her by one hand,
and passing the other behind her waist, saluted her in a becoming and
appropriate manner. She did not like it. She especially disliked it,
believing in her heart of hearts that she would never become the wife
of this man whom she had professed to love and whom she really had once
loved. But she could only bear it. And, to say the truth, there was not
much suffering of that kind to be borne.

Their journey down to Yorkshire was very prosperous. He maintained his
good humour throughout the day, and never once said a word about Will
Belton. Nor did he say a word about Mrs Askerton. 'Do your best to
please my mother, Clara,' he said, as they were driving up from the
park lodges to the house. This was fair enough, and she therefore
promised him that she would do her best.

CHAPTER XXV

MISS AMEDROZ HAS SOME HASHED CHICKEN

Clara felt herself to be a coward as the Aylmer Park carriage, which
had been sent to meet her at the station, was drawn up at Sir Anthony
Aylmer's door. She had made up her mind that she would not bow down to
Lady Aylmer, and yet she was afraid of the woman. As she got out of the
carriage, she looked up, expecting to see her in the hall; but Lady
Aylmer was too accurately acquainted with the weights and measures of
society for any such movement as that. Had her son brought Lady Emily
to the house as his future bride, Lady Aylmer would probably have been
in the hall when the arrival took place; and had Clara possessed ten
thousand pounds of her own, she would probably have been met at the
drawing-room door; but as she had neither money nor title as she in
fact brought with her no advantages of any sort Lady Aylmer was found
stitching a bit of worsted, as though she had expected no one to come
to her. And Belinda Aylmer was stitching also by special order from her
mother. The reader will remember that Lady Aylmer was not without
strong hope that the engagement might even yet be broken off. Snubbing,
she thought, might probably be efficacious to this purpose, and so
Clara was to be snubbed.

Clara, who had just promised to do her best to gain Lady Aylmer's
opinion, and who desired to be in some way true to her promise, though
she thoroughly believed that her labour would be in vain, put on her
pleasantest smile as she entered the room. Belinda, under the pressure
of the circumstances, forgetting somewhat of her mother's injunctions,
hurried to the door to welcome the stranger. Lady Aylmer kept her
chair, and even maintained her stitch, till Clara was half across the
room. Then she got up, and with great mastery over her voice, made her
little speech.

'We are delighted to see you, Miss Amedroz,' she said, putting out her
hand of which Clara, however, felt no more than the finger.

'Quite delighted,' said Belinda, yielding a fuller grasp. Then there
were affectionate greetings between Frederic and his mother and
Frederic and his sister, during which Clara stood by, ill at ease.
Captain Aylmer said not a word as to the footing on which his future
wife had come to his father's house. He did not ask his mother to
receive her as another daughter, or his sister to take his Clara to her
heart as a sister. There had been no word spoken of recognized
intimacy. Clara knew that the Aylmers were cold people. She had learned
as much as that from Captain Aylmer's words to herself, and from his
own manner. But she had not expected to be so frozen by them as was the
case with her now. In ten minutes she was sitting down with her bonnet
still on, and Lady Aylmer was again at her stitches.

'Shall I show you your room?' said Belinda.

'Wait a moment, my dear,' said Lady Aylmer. 'Frederic has gone to see
if Sir Anthony is in his study.'

Sir Anthony was found in his study, and now made his appearance.

'So this is Clara Amedroz,' he said. 'My dear, you are welcome to
Aylmer Park.' This was so much better, that the kindness expressed
though there was nothing special in it brought a tear into Clara's eye,
and almost made her love Sir Anthony.

'By the by, Sir Anthony, have you seen Darvel? Darvel was wanting to
see you especially about Nuggins. Nuggins says that he'll take the
bullocks now.' This was said by Lady Aylmer, and was skilfully arranged
by her to put a stop to anything like enthusiasm on the part of Sir
Anthony. Clara Amedroz had been invited to Aylmer Park, and was to be
entertained there, but it would not be expedient that she should be
made to think that anybody was particularly glad to see her, or that
the family was at all proud of the proposed connexion. Within five
minutes after this she was up in her room, and had received from
Belinda tenders of assistance as to her lady's maid. Both the mother
and daughter had been anxious to learn whether Clara would bring her
own maid. Lady Aylmer, thinking that she would do so, had already
blamed her for extravagance. 'Of course Fred will have to pay for the
journey and all the rest of it,' she had said. But as soon as she had
perceived that Clara had come without a servant, she had perceived that
any young woman who travelled in that way must be unfit to be mated
with her son. Clara, whose intelligence in such matters was sharp
enough, assured Belinda that she wanted no assistance. 'I dare say you
think it very odd,' she said, 'but I really can dress myself.' And when
the maid did come to unpack the things, Clara would have sent her away
at once had she been able. But the maid, who was not a young woman, was
obdurate. 'Oh no, miss; my lady wouldn't be pleased. If you please,
miss, I'll do it.' And so the things were unpacked.

Clara was told that they dined at half-past seven, and she remained
alone in her room till dinner- time, although it had not yet struck
five when she had gone upstairs. The maid had brought her up a cup of
tea, and she seated herself at her fire, turning over in her mind the
different members of the household in which she found herself. It would
never do. She told herself over and over again that it would never come
to pass that that woman should be her mother-in-law, or that that other
woman should be her sister. It was manifest to her that she was
distasteful to them; and she had not lost a moment in assuring herself
that they were distasteful to her. What purpose could it answer that
she should strive not to like them, for no such strife was possible but
to appear to like them? The whole place and everything about it was
antipathetic to her. Would it not be simply honest to Captain Aylmer
that she should tell him so at once, and go away? Then she remembered
that Frederic had not spoken to her a single word since she had been
under his father's roof. What sort of welcome would have been accorded
to her had she chosen to go down to Plaistow Hall?

At half-past seven she made her way by herself downstairs. In this
there was some difficulty, as she remembered nothing of the rooms
below, and she could not at first find a servant. But a man at last did
come to her in the hall, and by him she was shown into the
drawing-room. Here she was alone for a few minutes. As she looked about
her, she thought that no room she had ever seen had less of the comfort
of habitation. It was not here that she had met Lady Aylmer before
dinner. There had, at any rate, been in that other room work things,
and the look of life which life gives to a room. But here there was no
life. The furniture was all in its place, and everything was cold and
grand and comfortless. They were making company of her at Aylmer Park!

Clara was intelligent in such matters, and understood it all thoroughly.

Lady Aylmer was the first person to come to her. 'I hope my maid has
been with you,' said she to which Clara muttered something intended for
thanks. 'You'll find Richards a very clever woman, and quite a proper
person.'

'I don't at all doubt that.'

'She has been here a good many years, and has perhaps little ways of
her own but she means to be obliging.'

'I shall give her very little trouble, Lady Aylmer. I am used to dress
myself.' I am afraid this was not exactly true as to Clara's past
habits; but she could dress herself, and intended to do so in future,
and in this way justified the assertion to herself.

'You had better let Richards come to you, my dear, while you are here,'
said Lady Aylmer, with a slight smile on her countenance which outraged
Clara more even than the words. 'We like to see young ladies nicely
dressed here.' To be told that she was to be nicely dressed because she
was at Aylmer Park! Her whole heart was already up in rebellion. Do her
best to please Lady Aylmer! It would be utterly impossible to her to
make any attempt whatever in that direction. There was something in her
ladyship's eye a certain mixture of cunning, and power, and hardness in
the slight smile that would gather round her mouth, by which Clara was
revolted. She already understood much of Lady Aylmer, but in one thing
she was mistaken. She thought that she saw simply the natural woman;
but she did, in truth, see the woman specially armed with an intention
of being disagreeable, made up to give offence, and prepared to create
dislike and enmity. At the present moment nothing further was said, as
Captain Aylmer entered the room, and his mother immediately began to
talk to him in whispers.

The first two days of Clara's sojourn at Aylmer Park passed by without
the occurrence of anything that was remarkable. That which most
surprised and annoyed her, as regarded her own position, was the
coldness of all the people around her, as connected with the actual
fact of her engagement. Sir Anthony was very courteous to her, but had
never as yet once alluded to the fact that she was to become one of his
family as his daughter-in-law. Lady Aylmer called her Miss Amedroz
using the name with a peculiar emphasis, as though determined to show
that Miss Amedroz was to be Miss Amedroz as far as any one at Aylmer
Park was concerned and treated her almost as though her presence in the
house was intrusive. Belinda was as cold as her mother in her mother's
presence; but when alone with Clara would thaw a little. She, in her
difficulty, studiously avoided calling the new-corner by any name at
all. As to Captain Aylmer, it was manifest to Clara that he was
suffering almost more than she suffered herself. His position was so
painful that she absolutely pitied him for the misery to which he was
subjected by his own mother. They still called each other Frederic and
Clara, and that was the only sign of special friendship which
manifested itself between them. And Clara, though she pitied him, could
not but learn to despise him. She had hitherto given him credit at any
rate for a will of his own. She had believed him to be a man able to
act in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience. But now she
perceived him to be so subject to his mother that he did not dare to
call his heart his own. What was to be the end of it all? And if there
could only be one end, would it not be well that that end should be
reached at once, so that she might escape from her purgatory?

But on the afternoon of the third day there seemed to have come a
change over Lady Aylmer. At lunch she was especially civil civil to the
extent of picking out herself for Clara, with her own fork, the breast
of a hashed fowl from a dish that was before her. This she did with
considerable care I may say, with a show of care; and then, though she
did not absolutely call Clara by her Christian name, she did call her
'my dear'. Clara saw it all, and felt that the usual placidity of the
afternoon would be broken by some special event. At three o'clock, when
the carriage as usual came to the door, Belinda was out of the way, and
Clara was made to understand that she and Lady Aylmer were to be driven
out without any other companion. 'Belinda is a little busy, my dear.
So, if you don't mind, we'll go alone.' Clara of course assented, and
got into the carriage with a conviction that now she would hear her
fate. She was rather inclined to think that Lady Aylmer was about to
tell her that she had failed in obtaining the approbation of Aylmer
Park, and that she must be returned as goods of a description inferior
to the order given. If such were the case, the breast of the chicken
had no doubt been administered as consolation. Clara had endeavoured,
since she had been at Aylmer Park, to investigate her own feelings in
reference to Captain Aylmer; but had failed, and knew that she had
failed. She wished to think that she loved him, as she could not endure
the thought of having accepted a man whom she did not love. And she
told herself that he bad done nothing to forfeit her love. A woman who
really loves will hardly allow that her love should be forfeited by any
fault. True love breeds forgiveness for all faults. And, after all, of
what fault had Captain Aylmer been guilty? He had preached to her out
of his mother's mouth. That had been all! She had first accepted him,
and then rejected him, and then accepted him again; and now she would
fain be firm, if firmness were only possible to her. Nevertheless, if
she were told that she was to be returned as inferior, she would hold
up her head under such disgrace as best she might, and would not let
the tidings break her heart.

'My dear,' said Lady Aylmer, as soon as the trotting horses and rolling
wheels made noise enough to prevent her words from reaching the
servants on the box. 'I want to say a few words to you and I think that
this will be a good opportunity.'

'A very good opportunity,' said Clara.

'Of course, my dear, you are aware that I have heard of something going
on between you and my son Frederic.' Now that Lady Aylmer had taught
herself to call Clara 'my dear', it seemed that she could hardly call
her so often enough.

'Of course I know that Captain Aylmer has told you of our engagement.
But for that, I should not be here.'

'I don't know how that might be,' said Lady Aylmer; 'but at any rate,
my dear, he has told me that since the day of my sister's death there
has been in point of fact, a sort of engagement.'

'I don't think Captain Aylmer has spoken of it in that way.'

'In what way? Of course he has not said a word that was not nice and
lover-like, and all that sort of thing. I believe he would have done
anything in the world that his aunt had told him; and as to his'

'Lady Aylmer!' said Clara, feeling that her voice was almost trembling
with anger,' I am sure you cannot intend to be unkind to me?'

'Certainly not.'

'Or to insult me?'

'Insult you, my dear! You should not use such strong words, my dear;
indeed you should not. Nothing of the kind is near my thoughts.'

'If you disapprove of my marrying your son, tell me so at once, and I
shall know what to do.'

'It depends, my dear it depends on circumstances, and that is just why
I want to speak to you.'

'Then tell me the circumstances though indeed I think it would have
been better if they could have been told to me by Captain Aylmer
himself.'

'There, my dear, you must allow me to judge. As a mother, of course I
am anxious for my son. Now Frederic is a poor man. Considering the kind
of society in which he has to live, and the position which he must
maintain as a Member of Parliament, he is a very poor man.'

This was an argument which Clara certainly had not expected that any of
the Aylmer family would condescend to use. She had always regarded
Captain Aylmer as a rich man since he had inherited Mrs Winterfield's
property, knowing that previously to that he had been able to live in
London as rich men usually do live. 'Is he?' said she. 'It may seem odd
to you, Lady Aylmer, but I do not think that a word has ever passed
between me and your son as to the amount of his income.'

'Not odd at all, my dear. Young ladies are always thoughtless about
those things, and when they are looking to be married think that money
will come out of the skies.'

'If you mean that I have been looking to be married'

'Well expecting. I suppose you have been expecting it.' Then she
paused; but as Clara said nothing, she went on. 'Of course, Frederic
has got my sister's moiety of the Perivale property about eight hundred
a year, or something of that sort, when all deductions are made. He
will have the moiety when I die, and if you and he can be satisfied to
wait for that event which may not perhaps be very long '. Then there
was another pause, indicative of the melancholy natural to such a
suggestion, during which Clara looked at Lady Aylmer, and made up her
mind that her ladyship would live for the next twenty-five years at
least. 'If you can wait for that,' she continued, it may be all very
well, and though you will be poor people, in Frederic's rank of life,
you will be able to live.'

'That will be so far fortunate,' said Clara.

'But you'll have to wait,' said Lady Aylmer, turning upon her companion
almost fiercely. 'That is, you certainly will have to do so if you are
to depend upon Frederic's income alone.'

'I have nothing of my own as he knows; absolutely nothing.'

'That does not seem to be quite so clear,' said Lady Aylmer, speaking
now very cautiously or rather with a purpose of great caution; 'I don't
think that that is quite so clear. Frederic has been telling me that
there seems to be some sort of a doubt about the settlement of the
Belton estate.'

'There is no sort of doubt whatsoever no shadow of a doubt. He is quite
mistaken.'

'Don't be in such a hurry, my dear. It is not likely that you yourself
should be a very good lawyer.'

'Lady Aylmer, I must be in a hurry lest there should be any mistake
about this. There is no question here for lawyers. Frederic must have
been misled by a word or two which I said to him with quite another
purpose. Everybody concerned knows that the Belton estate goes to my
cousin Will. My poor father was quite aware of it.'

'That is all very well; and pray remember, my dear, that you need not
attack me in this way. I am endeavouring, if possible, to arrange the
accomplishment of your own wishes. It seems that Mr Belton himself does
not claim the property.'

'There is no question of claiming. Because he is a man more generous
than any other person in the world romantic ally generous he has
offered to give me the property which was my father's for his lifetime;
but I do not suppose that you would wish, or that Captain Aylmer would
wish, that I should accept such an offer as that.' There was a tone in
her voice as she said this, and a glance in her eye as she turned her
face full upon her companion, which almost prevailed against Lady
Aylmer's force of character.

'I really don't know, my dear,' said Lady Aylmer. 'You are so violent.'

'I certainly am eager about this. No consideration on earth would
induce me to take my cousin's property from him.'

'It always seemed to me that that entail was a most unfair proceeding.'

'What would it signify even if it were which it was not? Papa got
certain advantages on those conditions. But what can all that matter?
It belongs to Will Belton.'

Then there was another pause, and Clara thought that that subject was
over between them. But Lady Aylmer had not as yet completed her
purpose. Shall I tell you, my dear, what I think you ought to do?'

'Certainly, Lady Aylmer; if you wish it.'

'I can at any rate tell you what it would become any young lady to do
under such circumstances. I suppose you will give me credit for knowing
as much as that. Any young lady placed as you are would be recommended
by her friends if she had friends able and fit to give her advice to
put the whole matter into the hands of her natural friends and her
lawyer together. Hear me out, my dear, if you please. At least you can
do that for me, as I am taking a great deal of trouble on your behalf.
You should let Frederic see Mr Green. I understand that Mr Green was
your father's lawyer. And then Mr Green can see Mr Belton. And so the
matter can be arranged. It seems to me, from what I hear, that in this
way, and in this way only; something can be done as to the proposed
marriage. In no other way can anything be done.'

Then Lady Aylmer had finished her argument, and throwing herself back
into the carriage, seemed to intimate that she desired no reply. She
had believed and did believe that her guest was so intent upon marrying
her son, that no struggle would be regarded as too great for the
achievement of that object. And such belief was natural on her part.
Mothers always so think of girls engaged to their sons, and so think
especially when the girls are penniless and the sons are well-to-do in
the world. But such belief, though it is natural, is sometimes wrong
and it was altogether wrong in this instance. 'Then,' said Clara,
speaking very plainly,' nothing can be done.'

'Very well, my dear.'

After that there was not a word said between them till the carriage was
once more within the park. Then Lady Aylmer spoke again. 'I presume you
see, my dear, that under these circumstances any thought of marriage
between you and my son must be quite out of the question at any rate
for a great many years.'

'I will speak to Captain Aylmer about it, Lady Aylmer.'

'Very well, my dear. So do. Of course he is his own master. But he is
my son as well, and I cannot see him sacrificed without an effort to
save him.'

When Clara came down to dinner on that day she was again Miss Amedroz,
and she could perceive from Belinda's manner quite as plainly as from
that of her ladyship that she was to have no more tit-bits of hashed
chicken specially picked out for her by Lady Aylmer's own fork., That
evening and the two next days passed, just as had passed the two first
days, and everything was dull, cold, and uncomfortable. Twice she had
walked out with Frederic, and on each occasion had thought that he
would refer to what his mother had said; but he did not venture to
touch upon the subject. Clara more than once thought that she would do
so herself; but when the moment came she found that it was impossible.
She could not bring herself to say anything that should have had the
appearance of a desire on her part to hurry on a marriage. She could
not say to him, 'If you are too poor to be married or even if you mean
to put forward that pretence say so at once.' He still called her
Clara, and still asked her to walk with him, and still talked, when
they were alone together, in a distant cold way, of the events of their
future combined life. Would they live at Perivale? Would it be
necessary to refurnish the house? Should he keep any of the land on his
own hands? These are all interesting subjects of discussion between an
engaged man and the girl to whom he is engaged; but the man, if he wish
to make them thoroughly pleasant to the lady, should throw something of
the urgency of a determined and immediate purpose into the discussion.
Something should be said as to the actual destination of the rooms. A
day should be fixed for choosing the furnishing. Or the gentleman
should declare that he will at once buy the cows for the farm. But with
Frederic Aylmer all discussions seemed to point to some cold, distant
future, to which Clara might look forward as she did to the joys of
heaven. Will Belton would have bought the ring long since, and bespoken
the priest, and arranged every detail of the honeymoon, tour and very
probably would have stood looking into a cradle shop with longing eyes.

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