第83章

The intimacy between Frank and Miss Dunstable grew and prospered. That is to say, it prospered as an intimacy, though perhaps hardly as a love affair. There was a continued succession of jokes between them, which no one else in the castle understood; but the very fact of there being such a good understanding between them rather stood in the way of, than assisted, that consummation which the countess desired. People, when they are in love with each other, or even when they pretend to be, do not generally show it by loud laughter. Nor is it frequently the case that a wife with two hundred thousand pounds can be won without some little preliminary despair.

Lady de Courcy, who thoroughly understood that portion of the world in which she herself lived, saw that things were not going quite as they should do, and gave much and repeated advice to Frank on the subject.

She was the more eager in doing this, because she imagined Frank had done what he could to obey her first precepts. He had not turned up his nose at Miss Dunstable's curls, nor found fault with her loud voice: he had not objected to her as ugly, nor even shown any dislike to her age. A young man who had been so amenable to reason was worthy of further assistance; and so Lady de Courcy did what she could to assist him.

'Frank, my dear boy,' she would say, 'you are a little too noisy, I think. I don't mean for myself, you know; I don't mind it. But Miss Dunstable would like it better if you were a little more quiet with her.'

'Would she, aunt?' said Frank, looking demurely up into the countess's face. 'I rather think she likes fun and noise, and that sort of thing. You know she's not very quiet herself.'

'Ah!--but, Frank, there are times, you know, when that sort of thing should be laid aside. Fun, as you call it, is all very well in its place. Indeed, no one likes it better than I do. But that's not the way to show admiration. Young ladies like to be admired; and if you'll be a little more soft-mannered with Miss Dunstable, I'm sure you'll find it will answer better.'

And so the old bird taught the young bird how to fly--very needlessly--for in this matter of flying, Nature gives her own lessons thoroughly; and the ducklings will take the water, even though the maternal hen warn them against the perfidious element never so loudly.

Soon after this, Lady de Courcy began to be not very well pleased in the matter. She took it into her head that Miss Dunstable was sometimes almost inclined to laugh at her; and on one or two occasions it almost seemed as though Frank was joining Miss Dunstable in doing so. The fact indeed was, that Miss Dunstable was fond of fun; and, endowed as she was with all the privileges which two hundred thousand pounds may be supposed to give to a young lady, did not very much care at whom she laughed. She was able to make a tolerably correct guess at Lady De Courcy's plan towards herself; but she did not for a moment think that Frank had any intention of furthering his aunt's views. She was, therefore, not at all ill-inclined to have her revenge on the countess.

'How very fond your aunt is of you!' she said to him one wet morning, as he was sauntering through the house; now laughing, and almost romping with her--then teasing his sister about Mr Moffat--and then bothering his lady-cousins out of all their propriety.

'Oh, very!' said Frank: 'she is a dear, good woman, is my Aunt De Courcy.'

'I declare she takes more notice of you and your doings than of any of your cousins. I wonder they aren't jealous.'

'Oh! they're such good people. Bless me, they'd never be jealous.'

'You are so much younger than they are, that I suppose she thinks you want more of her care.'

'Yes; that's it. You see she is fond of having a baby to nurse.'

'Tell me, Mr Gresham, what was it she was saying to you last night? I know we have been misbehaving ourselves dreadfully. It was all your fault; you would make me laugh so.'

'That's just what I said to her.'

'She was talking about it, then?'

'How on earth should she talk of any one else as long as you are here?

Don't you know that all the world is talking about you?'

'Is it?--dear me, how kind! But I don't care a straw about any world at present but Lady de Courcy's world. What did she say?'

'She said you were very beautiful--'

'Did she?--how good of her!'

'No; I forgot. It--it was I that said that; and she said--what was it she said? She said, that after all, beauty was but skin deep--and that she valued you for your virtues and prudence rather than your good looks.'

'Virtues and prudence! She said I was prudent and virtuous?'

'Yes.'

'And you talked of my beauty? That was so kind of you. You didn't either of you say anything about other matters?'

'What other matters?'

'Oh! I don't know. Only some people are sometimes valued rather for what they've got than for any good qualities belonging to themselves intrinsically.'

'That can never be the case with Miss Dunstable; especially not at Courcy Castle,' said Frank, bowing easily from the corner of the sofa over which he was leaning.

'Of course not,' said Miss Dunstable; and Frank at once perceived that she spoke in a tone of voice differing much from that half-bantering, half-good-humoured manner that was customary with her. 'Of course not: any such idea would be quite out of the question with Lady de Courcy.'

She paused for a moment, and then added in a tone different again, and unlike any that he had yet heard from her:--'It is, at any rate, out of the question with Mr Frank Gresham--of that I am quite sure.'

Frank ought to have understood her, and have appreciated the good opinion which she intended to convey; but he did not entirely do so. He was hardly honest himself towards her; and he could not at first perceive that she intended to say that she thought him so. He knew very well that she was alluding to her own huge fortune, and was alluding also to the fact that people of fashion sought her because of it; but he did not know that she intended to express a true acquittal as regarded him of any such baseness.