‘But it is not only for Arthur that I am troubled. What can be worse than economizing in London, in their position? What is to become of Violet, without carriage, without—’
Percy laughed. ‘Without court-dresses and powdered footmen? No, no, John. Depend upon it, as long as Violet has her husband safe at home, she wants much fewer necessaries of life than you do.’
‘Well, I will try to believe it right. I see it cannot be otherwise.’
Arthur was not of this mind. He was grateful for his father’s forgiveness and assistance, and doubly so for the provision for his wife, hailing it as an unexpected and undeserved kindness. Lord Martindale was more pleased by his manner in their interview than ever he had been before. Still there were many difficulties: money was to be raised; and the choice between selling, mortgaging, or cutting down timber, seemed to go to Lord Martindale’s heart. He had taken such pride in the well-doing of his estate! He wished to make further retrenchments in the stable and garden arrangements; but, as he told John, he knew not how to reduce the enormous expense of the latter without giving more pain to Lady Martindale than he could bear to inflict.
John offered to sound her, and discover whether the notion of dismissing Armstrong and his crew would be really so dreadful. He found that she winced at the mention of her orchids and ferns, they recalled the thought of her aunt’s love for them, and she had not been in the conservatories for months. John said a word or two on the cost of keeping them up, and the need of prudence, with a view to providing for Arthur’s children. It was the right chord. She looked up, puzzled: her mathematical knowledge had never descended to £.s.d.
‘Is there a difficulty? I thought my dear aunt had settled all her property on dear little Johnnie.’
‘Yes, but only when he comes to the title; and for the others there is absolutely nothing but Arthur’s five thousand pounds to be divided among them all.’
‘You don’t say so, John? Poor little dears! there is scarcely more than a thousand a-piece. Surely, there is my own property—’
‘I am sorry to say it was settled so as to go with the title. The only chance for them is what can be saved—’
‘Save everything, then,’ exclaimed Lady Martindale. ‘I am sure I would give up anything, if I did but know what. We have not had leaders for a long time past, and Theodora’s dumb boy does as well as the second footman; Standaloft left me because she could not bear to live in a cottage; Grimes suits me very well; and I do not think I could do quite without a maid.’