The Custom of the Country
Lily passed the chief of the night in her sister’s room, and in the morning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Black by a housemaid, and some time afterwards from the two elegant ladies who waited on his sisters. In spite of this amendment, however, she requested to have a note sent to Sylvanbourn, desiring her mother to visit Daisy, and form her own judgement of her situation. The note was immediately dispatched, and its contents as quickly complied with. Mrs. Evans, accompanied by her two youngest girls, reached Netherthorn soon after the family breakfast.
Had she found Daisy in any apparent danger, Mrs. Evans would have been very miserable; but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness was not alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherthorn. She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter’s proposal of being carried home; neither did the Healer, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable. After sitting a little while with Daisy, on Miss Black’s appearance and invitation, the mother and three daughters all attended her into the breakfast parlour. Black met them with hopes that Mrs. Evans had not found Miss Evans worse than she expected.
‘Indeed I have, sir,’ was her answer. ‘She is a great deal too ill to be moved. Mr. Pomfrey says we must not think of moving her. We must trespass a little longer on your kindness.’
‘Removed!’ cried Black. ‘It must not be thought of. My sister, I am sure, will not hear of her removal.’
‘You may depend upon it, Madam,’ said Miss Black, with cold civility, ‘that Miss Evans will receive every possible attention while she remains with us.’
Mrs. Evans was profuse in her acknowledgments.
‘I am sure,’ she added, ‘if it was not for such good friends I do not know what would become of her, for she is very ill indeed, and suffers a vast deal, though with the greatest patience in the world, which is always the way with her, for she has, without exception, the sweetest temper I have ever met with. I often tell my other girls they are nothing to her. You have a sweet room here, Mr. Black, and a charming prospect over the gravel walk. I do not know a place in the country that is equal to Netherthorn. You will not think of quitting it in a hurry, I hope, though you have but a short lease.’
‘Whatever I do is done in a hurry,’ replied he; ‘and therefore if I should resolve to quit Netherthorn, I should probably be off in five minutes. At present, however, I consider myself as quite fixed here.’
‘That is exactly what I should have supposed of you,’ said Lily.
‘You begin to comprehend me, do you?’ cried he, turning towards her.
‘Oh! yes–I understand you perfectly.’
‘I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily seen through I am afraid is pitiful.’
‘That is as it happens. It does not follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours.’
‘Lily,’ cried her mother, ‘remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home.’
‘I did not know before,’ continued Black immediately, ‘that your were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.’
‘Yes, but intricate characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage.’
‘The country,’ said Potter, ‘can in general supply but a few subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society.’
‘But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ cried Mrs. Evans, offended by his manner of mentioning a country neighbourhood. ‘I assure you there is quite as much of that going on in the country as in town.’
Everybody was surprised, and Potter, after looking at her for a moment, turned silently away. Mrs. Evans, who fancied she had gained a complete victory over him, continued her triumph.
‘I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is it not, Mr. Black?’
‘When I am in the country,’ he replied, ‘I never wish to leave it; and when I am in town it is pretty much the same. They have each their advantages, and I can be equally happy in either.’
‘Aye–that is because you have the right disposition. But that gentleman,’ looking at Potter, ‘seemed to think the country was nothing at all.’
‘Indeed, Mamma, you are mistaken,’ said Lily, blushing for her mother. ‘You quite mistook Mr. Potter. He only meant that there was not such a variety of people to be met with in the country as in the town, which you must acknowledge to be true.’
‘Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four-and-twenty families.’
Nothing but concern for Lily could enable Black to keep his countenance. His sister was less delicate, and directed her eyes towards Mr. Potter with a very expressive smile. Lily, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother’s thoughts, now asked her if Marlene McKinnon had been at Sylvanbourn since her coming away.
‘Yes, she called yesterday with her father. What an agreeable wizard Sir William is, Mr. Black, is not he? So much the man of fashion! So genteel and easy! He had always something to say to everybody. That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter.’
‘Did Marlene dine with you?’
‘No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince-pies. For my part, Mr. Black, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up very differently. But everybody is to judge for themselves, and the McKinnones are a very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Marlene so very plain–but then she is our particular friend.’
‘She seems a very pleasant young woman.’
‘Oh! dear, yes; but you must own she is very plain. Lady McKinnon herself has often said so, and envied me Daisy’s beauty. I do not like to boast of my own child, but to be sure, Daisy–one does not often see anybody better looking. It is what everybody says. I do not trust my own partiality. When she was only fifteen, there was a man at my brother Galdwyn’s in town so much in love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her an offer before we came away. But, however, he did not. Perhaps he thought her too young. However, he wrote some verses on her, and very pretty they were.’
‘And so ended his affection,’ said Lily impatiently. ‘There has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!’
‘I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love,’ said Potter.
‘Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away.’
Potter only smiled; and the general pause which ensued made Lily tremble lest her mother should be exposing herself again. She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say; and after a short silence Mrs. Evans began repeating her thanks to Mr. Black for his kindness to Daisy, with an apology for troubling him also with Lily. Mr. Black was unaffectedly civil in his answer, and forced his younger sister to be civil also, and say what the occasion required. She performed her part indeed without much graciousness, but Mrs. Evans was satisfied, and soon afterwards ordered her carriage. Upon this signal, the youngest of her daughters put herself forward. The two girls had been whispering to each other during the whole visit, and the result of it was, that the youngest should tax Mr. Black with having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherthorn.
Heather was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age, although after the great profusions of trying to educate her eldest daughters to the magical world, Mrs. Evans had rather lacked that first élan after Petunia, thus forcing her two youngest to grow up rather uneducated.
Heather had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attention of the officers, to whom her uncle’s good dinners, and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. She was very equal, therefore, to address Mr. Black on the subject of the ball, and abruptly reminded him of his promise; adding, that it would be the most shameful thing in the world if he did not keep it. His answer to this sudden attack was delightful to their mother’s ear:
‘I am perfectly ready, I assure you, to keep my engagement; and when your sister is recovered, you shall, if you please, name the very day of the ball. But you would not wish to be dancing when she is ill.’
Heather declared herself satisfied. ‘Oh! yes–it would be much better to wait till Daisy was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carter would be at Myrthvale again. And when you have given your ball,’ she added, ‘I shall insist on their giving one also. I shall tell Colonel Longbottom it will be quite a shame if he does not.’
Mrs. Evans and her daughters then departed, and Lily returned instantly to Daisy, leaving her own and her relations’ behaviour to the remarks of the two ladies and Mr. Potter; the latter of whom, however, could not be prevailed on to join in their censure of her, in spite of all Miss Black’s witticisms on fine eyes.