The Small House at Allington, Anthony Trollope [best ebook reader for chromebook .txt] 📗

that the Lupexes must go on Tuesday⁠—I’ll tell you what, Sally; I’ll pay for the cab myself, and I’ll start off to Dulwich by the omnibus tomorrow, and settle it all out of my own pocket. I will indeed. Come; there’s the cab. Let me go down, and send him away.”

“I’ll do that,” said Eames. “It’s only sixpence, off the stand,” Mrs. Roper called to him as he left the room. But the cabman got a shilling, and John, as he returned, found Jemima in the act of carrying Miss Spruce’s boxes back to her room. “So much the better for poor Caudle,” said he to himself. “As he has gone into the trade it’s well that he should have somebody that will pay him.”

Mrs. Roper followed Miss Spruce up the stairs and Johnny was left with Amelia. “He’s written to you, I know,” said she, with her face turned a little away from him. She was certainly very handsome, but there was a hard, cross, almost sullen look about her, which robbed her countenance of all its pleasantness. And yet she had no intention of being sullen with him.

“Yes,” said John. “He has told me how it’s all going to be.”

“Well?” she said.

“Well?” said he.

“Is that all you’ve got to say?”

“I’ll congratulate you, if you’ll let me.”

“Psha;⁠—congratulations! I hate such humbug. If you’ve no feelings about it, I’m sure that I’ve none. Indeed I don’t know what’s the good of feelings. They never did me any good. Are you engaged to marry L. D.?”

“No, I am not.”

“And you’ve nothing else to say to me?”

“Nothing⁠—except my hopes for your happiness. What else can I say? You are engaged to marry my friend Cradell, and I think it will be a happy match.”

She turned away her face further from him, and the look of it became even more sullen. Could it be possible that at such a moment she still had a hope that he might come back to her?

“Goodbye, Amelia,” he said, putting out his hand to her.

“And this is to be the last of you in this house!”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I’ll come and call upon you, if you’ll let me, when you’re married.”

“Yes,” she said, “that there may be rows in the house, and noise, and jealousy⁠—as there have been with that wicked woman upstairs. Not if I know it, you won’t! John Eames, I wish I’d never seen you. I wish we might have both fallen dead when we first met. I didn’t think ever to have cared for a man as I have cared for you. It’s all trash and nonsense and foolery; I know that. It’s all very well for young ladies as can sit in drawing-rooms all their lives, but when a woman has her way to make in the world it’s all foolery. And such a hard way too to make as mine is!”

“But it won’t be hard now.”

“Won’t it? But I think it will. I wish you would try it. Not that I’m going to complain. I never minded work, and as for company, I can put up with anybody. The world’s not to be all dancing and fiddling for the likes of me. I know that well enough. But⁠—” and then she paused.

“What’s the ‘but’ about, Amelia?”

“It’s like you to ask me; isn’t it?” To tell the truth he should not have asked her. “Never mind. I’m not going to have any words with you. If you’ve been a knave I’ve been a fool, and that’s worse.”

“But I don’t think I have been a knave.”

“I’ve been both,” said the girl; “and both for nothing. After that you may go. I’ve told you what I am, and I’ll leave you to name yourself. I didn’t think it was in me to have been such a fool. It’s that that frets me. Never mind, sir; it’s all over now, and I wish you goodbye.”

I do not think that there was the slightest reason why John should have again kissed her at parting, but he did so. She bore it, not struggling with him; but she took his caress with sullen endurance. “It’ll be the last,” she said. “Goodbye, John Eames.”

“Goodbye, Amelia. Try to make him a good wife and then you’ll be happy.” She turned up her nose at this, assuming a look of unutterable scorn. But she said nothing further, and then he left the room. At the parlour door he met Mrs. Roper, and had his parting words with her.

“I am so glad you came,” said she. “It was just that word you said that made Miss Spruce stay. Her money is so ready, you know! And so you’ve had it all out with her about Cradell. She’ll make him a good wife, she will indeed;⁠—much better than you’ve been giving her credit for.”

“I don’t doubt she’ll be a very good wife.”

“You see, Mr. Eames, it’s all over now, and we understand each other; don’t we? It made me very unhappy when she was setting her cap at you; it did indeed. She is my own daughter, and I couldn’t go against her;⁠—could I? But I knew it wasn’t in any way suiting. Laws, I know the difference. She’s good enough for him any day of the week, Mr. Eames.”

“That she is⁠—Saturdays or Sundays,” said Johnny, not knowing exactly what he ought to say.

“So she is; and if he does his duty by her she won’t go astray in hers by him. And as for you, Mr. Eames, I am sure I’ve always felt it an honour and a pleasure to have you in the house; and if ever you could use a good word in sending to me any of your young men, I’d do by them as a mother should; I would indeed. I know I’ve been to blame about those Lupexes, but haven’t I suffered for it, Mr. Eames? And it was difficult to know at first; wasn’t it? And as to you and Amelia, if you would send any of your