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

has been imprudence. You may call it mine, if you will⁠—though I really hardly see how I am to take the blame. I could not do other than ask Miss Robarts to my house, and I could not very well turn my son out of it. In point of fact, it has been the old story.”

“Exactly; the story that is as old as the world, and which will continue as long as people are born into it. It is a story of God’s own telling!”

“But, my dear child, you do not mean that every young gentleman and every young lady should fall in love with each other directly they meet! Such a doctrine would be very inconvenient.”

“No, I do not mean that. Lord Lufton and Miss Grantly did not fall in love with each other, though you meant them to do so. But was it not quite as natural that Lord Lufton and Lucy should do so instead?”

“It is generally thought, Fanny, that young ladies should not give loose to their affections until they have been certified of their friends’ approval.”

“And that young gentlemen of fortune may amuse themselves as they please! I know that is what the world teaches, but I cannot agree to the justice of it. The terrible suffering which Lucy has to endure makes me cry out against it. She did not seek your son. The moment she began to suspect that there might be danger she avoided him scrupulously. She would not go down to Framley Court, though her not doing so was remarked by yourself. She would hardly go out about the place lest she should meet him. She was contented to put herself altogether in the background till he should have pleased to leave the place. But he⁠—he came to her here, and insisted on seeing her. He found her when I was out, and declared himself determined to speak to her. What was she to do? She did try to escape, but he stopped her at the door. Was it her fault that he made her an offer?”

“My dear, no one has said so.”

“Yes, but you do say so when you tell me that young ladies should not give play to their affections without permission. He persisted in saying to her, here, all that it pleased him, though she implored him to be silent. I cannot tell the words she used, but she did implore him.”

“I do not doubt that she behaved well.”

“But he⁠—he persisted, and begged her to accept his hand. She refused him then, Lady Lufton⁠—not as some girls do, with a mock reserve, not intending to be taken at their words⁠—but steadily, and, God forgive her, untruly. Knowing what your feelings would be, and knowing what the world would say, she declared to him that he was indifferent to her. What more could she do in your behalf?” And then Mrs. Robarts paused.

“I shall wait till you have done, Fanny.”

“You spoke of girls giving loose to their affections. She did not do so. She went about her work exactly as she had done before. She did not even speak to me of what had passed⁠—not then, at least. She determined that it should all be as though it had never been. She had learned to love your son; but that was her misfortune and she would get over it as she might. Tidings came to us here that he was engaged, or about to engage himself, to Miss Grantly.”

“Those tidings were untrue.”

“Yes, we know that now; but she did not know it then. Of course she could not but suffer; but she suffered within herself.” Mrs. Robarts, as she said this, remembered the pony-carriage and how Puck had been beaten. “She made no complaint that he had ill-treated her⁠—not even to herself. She had thought it right to reject his offer; and there, as far as he was concerned, was to be an end of it.”

“That would be a matter of course, I should suppose.”

“But it was not a matter of course, Lady Lufton. He returned from London to Framley on purpose to repeat his offer. He sent for her brother⁠—You talk of a young lady waiting for her friends’ approval. In this matter who would be Lucy’s friends?”

“You and Mr. Robarts, of course.”

“Exactly; her only friends. Well, Lord Lufton sent for Mark and repeated his offer to him. Mind you, Mark had never heard a word of this before, and you may guess whether or no he was surprised. Lord Lufton repeated his offer in the most formal manner and claimed permission to see Lucy. She refused to see him. She has never seen him since that day when, in opposition to all her efforts, he made his way into this room. Mark⁠—as I think very properly⁠—would have allowed Lord Lufton to come up here. Looking at both their ages and position he could have had no right to forbid it. But Lucy positively refused to see your son, and sent him a message instead, of the purport of which you are now aware⁠—that she would never accept him unless she did so at your request.”

“It was a very proper message.”

“I say nothing about that. Had she accepted him I would not have blamed her:⁠—and so I told her, Lady Lufton.”

“I cannot understand your saying that, Fanny.”

“Well; I did say so. I don’t want to argue now about myself⁠—whether I was right or wrong, but I did say so. Whatever sanction I could give she would have had. But she again chose to sacrifice herself, although I believe she regards him with as true a love as ever a girl felt for a man. Upon my word I don’t know that she is right. Those considerations for the world may perhaps be carried too far.”

“I think that she was perfectly right.”

“Very well, Lady Lufton; I can understand that. But after such sacrifice on her part⁠—a sacrifice made entirely to you⁠—how can you talk of ‘not blaming her’? Is that the language