THE CLEVER WOMAN OF THE FAMILY

C >> Charlotte M. Yonge >> THE CLEVER WOMAN OF THE FAMILY

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More briefly Mr. Mauleverer explained that Mary had fallen while
playing on the stairs; and with this superficial inspection he must
needs content himself, though on making inquiry at the principal
shops, he convinced himself that neither Mr. Mauleverer nor the F. U.
E. E. were as well known at St. Norbert's as at Avonmouth. He told
Rachel of his expedition, and his interest in her work gratified her,
though she would have preferred being his cicerone. She assured him
that he must have been very much pleased, especially with the matron.

"She is a handsome woman, and reminds me strongly of a face I saw in
India."

"There are some classes of beauty and character that have a
remarkable sameness of feature," began Rachel.

"Don't push that theory, for your matron's likeness was a very
handsome Sepoy havildar whom we took at Lucknow, a capital soldier
before the mutiny, and then an ineffable ruffian."

"The mutiny was an infectious frenzy; so that you establish nothing
against that cast of countenance."

Never, indeed, was there more occasion for perseverance in Rachel's
championship. Hitherto Mrs. Kelland had been nailed to her pillow by
the exigencies of Lady Keith's outfit, and she and her minions had
toiled unremittingly, without a thought beyond their bobbins, but as
soon as the postponed orders were in train, and the cash for the
wedding veil and flounces had been transmitted, the good woman
treated herself and her daughters to a holiday at St. Norbert's,
without intimating her intention to her patronesses; and the
consequence was a formal complaint of her ungrateful and violent
language to Mrs. Rawlins on being refused admission to the asylum
without authority from Mr. Mauleverer or Miss Curtis.

Rachel, much displeased, went down charged with reproof and
representation, but failed to produce the desired effect upon the
aunt.

"It was not right," Mrs. Kelland reiterated, "that the poor lone
orphan should not see her that was as good as a mother, when she had
no one else to look to. They that kept her from her didn't do it for
no good end."

"But, Mrs. Kelland, rules are rules."

"Don't tell me of no rules, Miss Rachel, as would cut a poor child
off from her friends as her mother gave her to on her death-bed.
'Sally,' says she, 'I know you will do a mother's part by that poor
little maid;' and so I did till I was over persuaded to let her go to
that there place."

"Indeed you have nothing to regret there, Mrs. Kelland; you know,
that with the kindest intentions, you could not make the child
happy."

"And why was that, ma'am, but because her mother was a poor creature
from town, that had never broke her to her work. I never had the
trouble with a girl of my own I had with her. 'It's all for your
good, Lovedy,' I says to her, and poor child, maybe she wishes
herself back again."

"I assure you, I always find the children well and happy, and it is
very unfair on the matron to be angry with her for being bound by
rules, to which she must submit, or she would transgress the
regulations under which we have laid her! It is not her choice to
exclude you, but her duty."

"Please, ma'am, was it her duty to be coming out of the house in a
'genta coloured silk dress, and a drab bonnet with a pink feather in
it?" said Mrs. Kelland, with a certain, air of simplicity, that
provoked Rachel to answer sharply--

"You don't know what you are talking about, Mrs. Kelland."

"Well, ma'am, it was a very decent woman as told me, an old lady of
the name of Drinkwater, as keeps a baker's shop on the other side of
the way, and she never sees bread enough go in for a cat to make use
of, let alone three poor hungry children. She says all is not right
there, ma'am."

"Oh, that must be mere gossip and spite at not having the custom. It
quite accounts for what she may say, and indeed you brought it all on
yourself by not having asked me for a note. You must restrain
yourself. What you may say to me is of no importance, but you must
not go and attack those who are doing the very best for your niece."

Rachel made a dignified exit, but before she had gone many steps, she
was assailed by tearful Mrs. Morris: "Oh, Miss Rachel, if it would
not be displeasing to you, would you give me an order for my child to
come home. Ours is a poor place, but I would rather make any shift
for us to live than that she should be sent away to some place beyond
sea."

"Some place beyond sea!"

"Yes, ma'am. I beg your pardon, ma'am, but they do say that Mr. Maw-
and-liver is a kidnapper, ma'am, and that he gets them poor children
to send out to Botany Bay to be wives to the convicts as are
transported, Miss Rachel, if you'll excuse it. They say there's a
whole shipload of them at Plymouth, and I'd rather my poor Mary came
to the Union at home than to the like of that, Miss Rachel."

This alarm, being less reasonable, was even more difficult to talk
down than Mrs. Kelland's, and Rachel felt as if there wore a general
conspiracy to drive her distracted, when on going home she found the
drawing-room occupied by a pair of plump, paddy-looking old friends,
who had evidently talked her mother into a state of nervous alarm.
On her entrance, Mrs. Curtis begged the gentleman to tell dear Rachel
what he had been saying, but this he contrived to avoid, and only on
his departure was Rachel made aware that he and his wife had come,
fraught with tidings that she was fostering a Jesuit in disguise,
that Mrs. Rawlins was a lady abbess of a new order, Rachel herself in
danger of being entrapped, and the whole family likely to be
entangled in the mysterious meshes, which, as good Mrs. Curtis more
than once repeated, would be "such a dreadful thing for poor Fanny
and the boys."

Her daughters, by soothing and argument, allayed the alarm, though
the impression was not easily done away with, and they feared that it
might yet cost her a night's rest. These attacks--absurd as they
were--induced Rachel to take measures for their confutation, by
writing to Mr. Mauleverer, that she thought it would be well to allow
the pupils to pay a short visit to their homes, so as to satisfy
their friends.

She did not receive an immediate answer, and was beginning to feel
vexed and anxious, though not doubtful, when Mr. Mauleverer arrived,
bringing two beautiful little woodcuts, as illustrations for the
"Journal of Female Industry." They were entitled "The free maids that
weave their thread with bones," and one called "the Ideal,"
represented a latticed cottage window, with roses, honeysuckles, cat,
beehives, and all conventional rural delights, around a pretty maiden
singing at her lace-pillow; while the other yclept the "Real," showed
a den of thin, wizened, half-starved girls, cramped over their
cushions in a lace-school. The design was Mr. Mauleverer's, the
execution the children's; and neatly mounted on cards, the
performance did them great credit, and there was great justice in Mr.
Manleverer's view that while they were making such progress, it would
be a great pity to interrupt the preparation of the first number by
sending the children home even for a few hours. Rachel consented the
more readily to the postponement of the holiday, as she had now
something to show in evidence of the reality of their doings, and she
laid hands upon the cuts, in spite of Mr. Mauleverer's unwillingness
that such mere essays should be displayed as specimens of the art of
the F. U. E. E. When the twenty pounds which she advanced should
have been laid out in blocks, ink, and paper, there was little doubt
that the illustrations of the journal would be a triumphant instance
of female energy well directed.

Meantime she repaired to Ermine Williams to persuade her to write an
article upon the two pictures, a paper in the lively style in which
Rachel herself could not excel, pointing out the selfishness of
wilfully sentimental illusions. She found Ermine alone, but her
usual fate pursued her in the shape of, first, Lady Temple, then both
Colonel and Captain Keith, and little Rose, who all came in before
she had had time to do more than explain her intentions. Rose had
had another fright, and again the Colonel had been vainly trying to
distinguish the bugbear of her fancy, and she was clinging all the
more closely to him because he was the only person of her aquaintance
who did not treat her alarms as absolutely imaginary.

Rachel held her ground, well pleased to have so many spectators of
this triumphant specimen of the skill of her asylum, and Lady Temple
gave much admiration, declaring that no one ought to wear lace again
without being sure that no one was tortured in making it, and that
when she ordered her new black lace shawl of Mrs. Kelland, it should
be on condition that the poor girls were not kept so very hard at
work.

"You will think me looking for another Sepoy likeness," said the
Colonel, "but I am sure I have met this young lady or her twin sister
somewhere in my travels."

"It is a satire on conventional pictures," said Rachel.

"Now, I remember," he continued. "It was when I was laid up with my
wound at a Dutch boer's till I could get to Cape Town. My sole
reading was one number of the 'Illustrated News,' and I made too good
acquaintance with that lady's head, to forget her easily."

"Of course," said Rachel, "it is a reminiscence of the painting there
represented."

"What was the date?" asked Alick Keith.

The Colonel was able to give it with some precision.

"You are all against me," said Rachel, "I see you are perfectly
determined that there shall be something wrong about every
performance of the F. U. E. E."

"No, don't say so," began Fanny, with gentle argument, but Alick
Keith put in with a smile, "It is a satisfaction to Miss Curtis."

"Athanasius against the world," she answered.

"Athanasius should take care that his own foot is firm, his position
incontrovertible," said Ermine.

"Well!"

"Then," said Ermine, "will you allow these little pictures to be
examined into?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Look here," and the Colonel lifted on the table a scrap-book that
Rose had been quietly opening on his knee, and which contained an
etching of a child playing with a dog, much resembling the style of
the drawing.

"Who did that, my dear?" he asked.

"Mamma had it," was Rose's reply; "it was always in my old nursery
scrap-hook."

"Every one knows," said Rachel, "that a woodcut is often like an
etching, and an etching like a woodcut. I do not know what you are
driving at."

"The little dogs and all," muttered Alick, as Rachel glanced rather
indignantly at Rose and her book so attentively examined by the
Colonel.

"I know," repeated Rachel, "that there is a strong prejudice against
Mr. Mauleverer, and that it is entertained by many whom I should have
hoped to see above such weakness but when I brought these tangible
productions of his system, as evidence of his success, I did not
expect to see them received with a covert distrust, which I own I do
not understand. I perceive now why good works find so much
difficulty in prospering."

"I believe," said Alick Keith, "that I am to have the honour of
dining at the Homestead on Monday?"

"Yes. The Greys spend the day with us, and it is Emily's due to have
a good sight of you."

"Then will you let me in the meantime take my own measures with
regard to these designs. I will not hurt or injure them in any way;
they shall be deposited here in Miss William's hands, and I promise
you that if I have been able to satisfy myself as to the means of
their production, Simon Skinflint shall become a subscriber to the
F. U. E. E. Is it a bargain?"

"I never made such a bargain," said Rachel, puzzled.

"Is that a reason for not doing so?"

"I don't know what you mean to do. Not to molest that poor Mrs.
Rawlins. I will not have that done."

"Certainly not. All I ask of you is that these works of art should
remain here with Miss Williams, as a safe neutral, and that you
should meet me here on Monday, when I will undertake to convince
myself."

"Not me?" cried Rachel.

"Who would make it part of his terms to convince a lady?"

"You mean to say," exclaimed Rachel, considerably nettled, "that as a
woman, I am incapable of being rationally convinced!"

"The proverb does not only apply to women," said Ermine, coming to
her rescue; but Rachel, stung by the arch smile and slight bow of
Captain Keith, continued--"Let the proof be convincing, and I will
meet it as candidly as it is the duty of all reasonable beings to do.
Only let me first know what you mean to prove."

"The terms are these then, are they not, Miss Williams? I am to come
on Monday, February the 5th, prepared to test whether these designs
are what they profess to be, and Miss Curtis undertakes to be
convinced by that proof, provided it be one that should carry
conviction to a clear, unbiassed mind. I undertake, on the other
hand, that if the said proof should be effectual, a mythical
personage called Simon Skinflint shall become a supporter of the
Female Union for Englishwomen's Employment."

Ho spoke with his own peculiar slowness and gravity, and Rachel,
uncertain whether he were making game of her or not, looked
perplexed, half on the defence, half gratified. The others were
greatly amused, and a great deal surprised at Alick's unwonted
willingness to take trouble in the matter. After a few moment's
deliberation, Rachel said, "Well, I consent, provided that my candour
be met by equal candour on the other side, and you will promise that
if this ordeal succeeds, you will lay aside all prejudice against
Mauleverer."

A little demur as to the reasonableness of this stipulation followed,
but the terms finally were established. Mr. and Mrs. Grey, old
family friends, had long been engaged to spend the ensuing Monday at
the Homestead. The elder daughter, an old intimate of Grace's, had
married an Indian civil servant, whom Colonel Keith was invited to
meet at luncheon, and Captain Keith at dinner, and Alick was further
to sleep at Gowanbrae. Lady Temple, who was to have been of the
party, was called away, much to her own regret, by an appointment
with the dentist of St. Norbert's, who was very popular, and
proportionately despotic, being only visible at his own times, after
long appointment. She would therefore be obliged to miss Alick's
ordeal, though as she said, when Rachel--finding it vain to try to
outstay so many--had taken her leave, "I should much like to see how
it will turn out. I do believe that there is some difference in the
colour of the ink in the middle and at the edge, and if those people
are deceiving Rachel, who knows what they may be doing to the poor
children?"

It was exactly what every one was thinking, but it seemed to have
fresh force when it struck the milder and slower imagination, and
Lady Temple, seeing that her observation told upon those around her,
became more impressed with its weight.

"It really is dreadful to have sent those little girls there without
any one knowing what anybody does to them," she repeated.

"It makes even Alick come out in a new character," said the Colonel,
turning round on him.

"Why," returned Alick, "my sister had so much to do with letting the
young lady in for the scrape, that it is just as well to try to get
her out of it. In fact, I think we have all sat with our hands
before us in a shamefully cool manner, till we are all accountable
for the humbuggery."

"When it comes to your reproaching us with coolness, Captain Keith,
the matter becomes serious," returned Colin.

"It does become serious," was the answer; "it is hard that a person
without any natural adviser should have been allowed to run headlong,
by force of her own best qualities, into the hands of a sharper.
I do not see how a man of any proper feeling, can stand by without
doing something to prevent the predicament from becoming any worse."

"If you can," said Colonel Keith.

"I verily believe," said Alick, turning round upon him, "that the
worse it is for her, the more you enjoy it!"

"Quite true," said Ermine in her mischievous way; "it is a true case
of man's detestation of clever women! Look here, Alick, we will not
have him here at the great ordeal of the woodcuts. You and I are
much more candid and unprejudiced people, and shall manage her much
better."

"I have no desire to be present," returned the Colonel; "I have no
satisfaction in seeing my friend Alick baffled. I shall see how they
both appear at luncheon afterwards."

"How will that be?" asked Fanny, anxiously.

"The lady will be sententious and glorious, and will recommend the
F. U. E. E. more than ever, and Alick will cover the downfall of his
crest by double-edged assents to all her propositions."

"You will not have that pleasure," said Alick. "I only go to dinner
there."

"At any rate," said the Colonel, "supposing your test takes effect by
some extraordinary chance, don't take any further steps without
letting me know."

The inference was drawn that he expected great results, but he
continued to laugh at Alick's expectations of producing any effect on
the Clever Woman, and the debate of the woodcuts was adjourned to the
Monday.

In good time, Rachel made her appearance in Miss Williams's little
sitting-room. "I am ready to submit to any test that Captain Keith
may require to confute himself," she said to Ermine; "and I do so the
more readily that with all his mocking language, there is a genuine
candour and honesty beneath that would be quite worth convincing.
I believe that if once persuaded of the injustice of his suspicions
he would in the reaction become a fervent supporter of Mr. Mauleverer
and of the institution; and though I should prefer carrying on our
work entirely through women, yet this interest would be so good a
thing for him, that I should by no means reject his assistance."

Rachel had, however, long to wait. As she said, Captain Keith was
one of those inborn loiterers who, made punctual by military duty,
revenge themselves by double tardiness in the common affairs of life.
Impatience had nearly made her revoke her good opinion of him, and
augur that, knowing himself vanquished, he had left the field to her,
when at last a sound of wheels was heard, a dog-cart stopped at the
door, and Captain Keith entered with an enormous blue and gold volume
under his arm.

"I am sorry to be so late," he said, "but I have only now succeeded
in procuring my ally."

"An ally?"

"Yes, in this book. I had to make interest at the Avoncester
Library, before I could take it away with me." As he spoke he placed
the book desk-fashion on a chair, and turned it so that Ermine might
see it; and she perceived that it was a bound-up volume of the
"Illustrated London News." Two marks were in it, and he silently
parted the leaves at the first.

It revealed the lace-making beauty in all her rural charms.

"I see," said Rachel; "it is the same figure, but not the same shaped
picture."

Without another word, Alick Keith opened the pages at the lace-
school; and here again the figures were identical, though the margin
had been differently finished off.

"I perceive a great resemblance," again said Rachel, "but none that
is not fully explained by Mr. Mauleverer's accurate resemblance and
desire to satirize foolish sentiment."

Alick Keith took up the woodcut. "I should say," he observed, holding
it up to the light, "that it was unusual to mount a proof engraving
so elaborately on a card."

"Oh, I see what your distrust is driving at; you suspect the designs
of being pasted on."

"There is such a test as water," suggested Alick.

"I should be ashamed to return the proof to its master, bearing
traces of unjust suspicion."

"If the suspicion you impute to me be unjust, the water will produce
no effect at all."

"And you engage to retract all your distrust and contempt, if you are
convinced that this engraving is genuine?"

"I do," he answered steadily.

With irritated magnanimity Rachel dipped her finger into the vase of
flowers on the table, and let a heavy drop of water fall upon the
cottage scene. The centre remained unaltered, and she looked round
in exultation, saying, "There, now I suppose I may wipe it off."

Neither spoke, and she applied her pocket handkerchief. What came
peeling away under her pressure? It was the soft paper, and as she
was passing the edge of the figure of the girl, she found a large
smear following her finger. The peculiar brown of Indian ink was
seen upon her handkerchief, and when she took it up a narrow hem
of white had become apparent between the girl's head and its
surroundings. Neither spectator spoke, they scarcely looked at her,
when she took another drop from the vase, and using it more boldly
found the pasted figure curling up and rending under her hand, lines
of newspaper type becoming apparent, and the dark cloud spreading
around.

"What does it mean?" was her first exclamation; then suddenly turning
on Ermine, "Well, do you triumph?"

"I am very, very sorry," said Ermine.

"I do not know that it is come to that yet," said Rachel, trying to
collect herself. "I may have been pressing too hard for results."
Then looking at the mangled picture again as they wisely left her to
herself, "But it is a deception! A deception! Oh! he need not have
done it! Or," with a lightened look and tone of relief, "suppose he
did it to see whether I should find it out?"

"He is hardly on terms with you for that," said Ermine; while Alick
could not refrain from saying, "Then he would be a more insolent
scoundrel than he has shown himself yet."

"I know he is not quite a gentleman," said Rachel, "and nothing else
gives the instinct of the becoming. You have conquered, Captain
Keith, if it be any pleasure to you to have given my trust and hope a
cruel shock."

"With little satisfaction to myself," he began to say; but she
continued, "A shock, a shock I say, no more; I do not know what
conclusion I ought to draw. I do not expect you to believe in this
person till he has cleared up the deceit. If it be only a joke in
bad taste, he deserves the distrust that is the penalty for it. If
you have been opening my eyes to a deception, perhaps I shall thank
you for it some day. I must think it over."

She rose, gathered her papers together, and took her leave gravely,
while Alick, much to Ermine's satisfaction, showed no elation in his
victory. All he said was, "There is a great deal of dignity in the
strict justice of a mind slow to condemn, or to withdraw the trust
once given."

"There is," said Ermine, much pleased with his whole part in the
affair; "there has been full and real candour, not flying into the
other extreme. I am afraid she has a great deal to suffer."

"It was very wrong to have stood so still when the rascal began his
machinations," repeated Alick, "Bessie absolutely helping it on! But
for her, the fellow would have had no chance even of acquaintance
with her."

"Your sister hardly deserves blame for that."

"Not exactly blame; but the responsibility remains," he replied
gravely, and indeed he was altogether much graver than his wont,
entirely free from irony, and evidently too sorry for Rachel, and
feeling himself, through his sister, too guilty of her entanglement,
to have any of that amused satisfaction that even Colin evidently
felt in her discomfiture. In fact Ermine did not fully enter into
Colin's present tactics; she saw that he was more than usually
excited and interested about the F. U. E. E., but he had not
explained his views to her, and she could only attribute his desire,
to defer the investigation, to a wish that Mr. Mitchell should have
time to return from London, whither he had gone to conclude his
arrangements with Mr. Touchett, leaving the duty in commission
between three delicate winter visitors.

Rachel walked home in a kind of dreamy bewilderment. The first stone
in her castle had been loosened, and her heart was beginning to fail
her, though the tenacity of her will produced a certain incapacity of
believing that she had been absolutely deceived. Her whole fabric
was so compact, and had been so much solidified by her own intensity
of purpose, that any hollowness of foundation was utterly beyond
present credence. She was ready to be affronted with Mauleverer for
perilling all for a bad joke, but wildly impossible as this
explanation would have seemed to others, she preferred taking refuge
in it to accepting the full brunt of the blow upon her cherished
hopes.

She had just re-entered the house on her return, when Grace met her,
saying, "Oh, Rachel dear, Mrs. Rossitur is here."

"I think old servants have a peculiar propensity for turning up when
the house is in a state of turmoil," returned Rachel.

"I have been walking round the garden with her, and doing my best to
suffice for her entertainment," said Grace, good-naturedly, "but she
really wants to see you on business. She has a bill for the F. U. E.
E. which she wants you to pay."

"A bill for the F. U. E. E.?"

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