‘I have told all my friends that I was going to introduce my sister, and what expectations you have,’ she said. ‘See, here are two cards for to-morrow night, Lady Jane Hewett and Mrs. Gosling, the young widow that I want Mervyn to meet, you
know. Clear £5000 a year, and such a charming house. Real first-rate suppers; not like Lady Jane’s bread-and-butter and cat-lap, as Sir Nicholas says, just handed round. We would never go near the place, but as I said to Sir Nicholas, any sacrifice for my sister; and she has a son, you know, a fine young man; and if we manage well, we shall be in time for Carrie Gosling’s supper. So mind that, Phœbe, and don’t get engaged to too many dances.’
‘Is there to be dancing?’
‘Most likely. I hope you have something to wear.’
‘I provided myself at Paris, thank you.’
‘Not mourning, I trust! That will never do! Nobody thinks of mourning for a sister more than six months, and it makes me so low to think of poor Juliana, and this horrid complaint being in the family. It is quite a duty to keep one’s spirits up. But there’s Robert always so lugubrious; and poor Sir Bevil looks as deplorable, and comes up to town with that poor little girl all in crape, and won’t eat any luncheon! I declare it gave me such a turn that I was obliged to have my little cordial before I could swallow a mouthful! And now you come in black! It is quite provoking! You must and shall get some colours to-morrow.’
‘Thank you, what I have is white and lilac.’
On which neutral ground Phœbe took her stand, and the French style and fashion so impressed Augusta’s maid, that she forced her ladyship to accept even simplicity as ‘the thing,’ and to sink back rebuked for the barbarism of hinting at the enlivenment of pink ribbons or scarlet flowers.
Though thus fortified against shopping on her own account, liberty even to go to see her sisters was denied her, in Augusta’s infinite disgust at the locality, and consideration for the horses. She was forced to be contented with the report of Mervyn, who came to dinner and to go to the evening parties, and who spoke of the girls as well and happy; Maria ‘in her native element’ at the infant school, and both in a perfect rapture at receiving Miss Fennimore, whom their hostess had asked to spend the evening in Woolstone-lane.
Mervyn professed that he came entirely to see Phœbe’s debut in her Parisian costume, and amused himself maliciously with endeavouring to delay the start from Lady Jane’s till too late for Mrs. Gosling’s supper; but Phœbe, who did not wish to enhance the sacrifice, would not abet him, and positively, as he declared, aided Augusta in her wild goose chase.