Framley Parsonage, Anthony Trollope [popular e readers txt] 📗

to place herself by the sick woman’s bedside, and to send the four children away;⁠—with their father’s consent if it might be; but certainly without it if that consent were withheld. So she got down from the carriage, and taking certain packages in her hand made her way direct into the house.

“There’s a big bundle under the seat, Mark,” she said; “I’ll come and fetch it directly, if you’ll drag it out.”

For some five minutes the two dignitaries of the Church remained at the door, one on his cob and the other in his low carriage, saying a few words to each other and waiting till someone should again appear from the house. “It is all arranged, indeed it is,” were the first words which reached their ears, and these came from Lucy. “There will be no trouble at all, and no expense, and they shall all come back as soon as Mrs. Crawley is able to get out of bed.”

“But, Miss Robarts, I can assure⁠—” That was Mr. Crawley’s voice, heard from him as he followed Miss Robarts to the door; but one of the elder children had then called him into the sick room, and Lucy was left to do her worst.

“Are you going to take the children back with you?” said the dean.

“Yes; Mrs. Robarts has prepared for them.”

“You can take greater liberties with my friend here than I can.”

“It is all my sister’s doing,” said Robarts. “Women are always bolder in such matters than men.” And then Lucy reappeared, bringing Bobby with her, and one of the younger children.

“Do not mind what he says,” said she, “but drive away when you have got them all. Tell Fanny I have put into the basket what things I could find, but they are very few. She must borrow things for Grace from Mrs. Granger’s little girl”⁠—(Mrs. Granger was the wife of a Framley farmer);⁠—“and, Mark, turn Puck’s head round, so that you may be off in a moment. I’ll have Grace and the other one here directly.” And then, leaving her brother to pack Bobby and his little sister on the back part of the vehicle, she returned to her business in the house. She had just looked in at Mrs. Crawley’s bed, and finding her awake, had smiled on her, and deposited her bundle in token of her intended stay, and then, without speaking a word, had gone on her errand about the children. She had called to Grace to show her where she might find such things as were to be taken to Framley, and having explained to the bairns, as well as she might, the destiny which immediately awaited them, prepared them for their departure without saying a word to Mr. Crawley on the subject. Bobby and the elder of the two infants were stowed away safely in the back part of the carriage, where they allowed themselves to be placed without saying a word. They opened their eyes and stared at the dean, who sat by on his horse, and assented to such orders as Mr. Robarts gave them⁠—no doubt with much surprise, but nevertheless in absolute silence.

“Now, Grace, be quick, there’s a dear,” said Lucy, returning with the infant in her arms. “And, Grace, mind you are very careful about baby; and bring the basket; I’ll give it you when you are in.” Grace and the other child were then packed on to the other seat, and a basket with children’s clothes put in on the top of them. “That’ll do, Mark; goodbye; tell Fanny to be sure and send the day after tomorrow, and not to forget⁠—” and then she whispered into her brother’s ear an injunction about certain dairy comforts which might not be spoken of in the hearing of Mr. Crawley. “Goodbye, dears; mind you are good children; you shall hear about mamma the day after tomorrow,” said Lucy; and Puck, admonished by a sound from his master’s voice, began to move just as Mr. Crawley reappeared at the house door.

“Oh, oh, stop!” he said. “Miss Robarts, you really had better not⁠—”

“Go on, Mark,” said Lucy, in a whisper, which, whether audible or not by Mr. Crawley, was heard very plainly by the dean. And Mark, who had slightly arrested Puck by the reins on the appearance of Mr. Crawley, now touched the impatient little beast with his whip; and the vehicle with its freight darted off rapidly, Puck shaking his head and going away with a tremendously quick short trot which soon separated Mr. Crawley from his family.

“Miss Robarts,” he began, “this step has been taken altogether without⁠—”

“Yes,” said she, interrupting him. “My brother was obliged to return at once. The children, you know, will remain all together at the parsonage; and that, I think, is what Mrs. Crawley will best like. In a day or two they will be under Mrs. Robarts’s own charge.”

“But, my dear Miss Robarts, I had no intention whatever of putting the burden of my family on the shoulders of another person. They must return to their own home immediately⁠—that is, as soon as they can be brought back.”

“I really think Miss Robarts has managed very well,” said the dean. “Mrs. Crawley must be so much more comfortable to think that they are out of danger.”

“And they will be quite comfortable at the parsonage,” said Lucy.

“I do not at all doubt that,” said Mr. Crawley; “but too much of such comforts will unfit them for their home; and⁠—and I could have wished that I had been consulted more at leisure before the proceeding had been taken.”

“It was arranged, Mr. Crawley, when I was here before, that the children had better go away,” pleaded Lucy.

“I do not remember agreeing to such a measure, Miss Robarts; however⁠—I suppose they cannot be had back tonight?”

“No, not tonight,” said Lucy. “And now I will go in to your wife.” And then she returned to the house, leaving the two gentlemen at the door. At this moment a labourer’s boy came sauntering by, and the dean, obtaining possession of his services for the custody of his horse,