第188章

But I cannot stay. Your poor cousin Tom is in such a condition that I cannot leave him longer than I can help.""But you have not got my letter?"

"I have had no letter from you, Ayala."

"I have sent you such news -- oh, such news, Aunt Emmeline!""What news, my dear?" Lady Tringle as she asked the question seemed to become more solemn than ever.

"Oh, Aunt Emmeline -- I am -- "

"You are what, Ayala?"

"I am engaged to be married to Colonel Jonathan Stubbs.""Engaged!"

"Yes, Aunt Emmeline -- engaged. I wrote to you on Tuesday to tell you all about it. I hope you and Uncle Tom will approve.

There cannot possibly be any reason against it -- except only that I have nothing to give him in return; that is in the way of money. Colonel Stubbs, Aunt Emmeline, is not what Uncle Tom will call a rich man, but everybody here says that he has got quite enough to be comfortable. If he had nothing in the world it could not make any difference to me. I don't understand how anybody is to love anyone or not to love him just because he is rich or poor.""But you are absolutely engaged!" exclaimed Lady Tringle.

"Oh dear yes. Perhaps you would like to ask Lady Albury about it. He did want it before, you know.

"But now you are engaged to him?" In answer to this Ayala thought it sufficient simply to nod her head. "It is all over then?""All over!" exclaimed Ayala. "It is just going to begin.""All over for poor Tom," said Lady Tringle.

"Oh yes. It was always over for him, Aunt Emmeline. I told him ever so many times that it never could be so. Don't you know, Aunt Emmeline, that I did?""But you said that to this man just the same.""Aunt Emmeline," said Ayala, putting on all the serious dignity which she knew how to assume, "I am engaged to Colonel Stubbs, and nothing on earth that anybody can say can change it. If you want to hear all about it, Lady Albury will tell you. She knows that you are my aunt, and therefore she will be quite willing to talk to you. Only nothing that anybody can say can change it.""Poor Tom!" ejaculated the rejected lover's mother.

"I am very sorry if my cousin is displeased.""He is ill -- terribly ill. He will have to go away and travel all about the world, and I don't know that ever he will come back again. I am sure this Stubbs will never love you as he has done.""Oh, aunt, what is the use of that?"

"And then Tom will have twice as much. But, however -- " Ayala stood silent, not seeing that any good could be done by addition to her former assurances. "I will go and tell him, my dear, that's all. Will you not send him some message, Ayala?""Oh, yes; any message that I can that shall go along with my sincere attachment to Colonel Stubbs. You must tell him that I am engaged to Colonel Stubbs. You will tell him, Aunt Emmeline?""Oh, yes; if it must be so."

"It must," said Ayala. "Then you may give him my love, and tell him that I am very unhappy that I should have been a trouble to him, and that I hope he will soon be well, and come back from his travels." By this time Aunt Emmeline was dissolved in tears.

"I could not help it, Aunt Emmeline, could I?" Her aunt had once terribly outraged her feelings by telling her that she had encouraged Tom. Ayala remembered at this moment the cruel words and the wound which they had inflicted on her; but, nevertheless, she behaved tenderly, and endeavoured to be respectful and submissive.

"I could not help it -- could I, Aunt Emmeline?""I suppose not, my dear."

After that Lady Tringle declared that she would return to London at once. No -- she would rather not go in to lunch. She would rather go back at once to the station if they would take her.

She had been weeping, and did not wish to show her tears. Therefore, at Ayala's request, the carriage came round again -- to the great disgust, no doubt, of the coachman -- and Lady Tringle was taken back to the station without having seen any of the Albury family.