“I think your mama will not like it if you do not bestir yourself, Lady Harriet,” replied the governess calmly.
Harriet said, in a helpless way: “No,” and submitted to having her hair combed and tidied. She then rose, and with trembling knees followed her preceptress downstairs to Lady Ampleforth’s dressing-room.
Her ladyship cast one comprehensive glance over her daughter, and exclaimed in exasperated accents: “Exactly so! Your old plain muslin, and I daresay everything packed up already! Well, it will not do! Miss Abinger, oblige me by seeing to it that Lady Harriet changes her dress immediately! The cambric muslin with the double scallop work at the bottom is what she should be wearing, or if that is not readily procurable, the new sprig gown, with the sleeves drawn at the top with coloured ribbons! My Jove, Sale is below, with your papa. You will allow mama to be the first to felicitate you upon the very flattering offer that has been made you!”
“Gilly!” Harriet uttered, in a voice so suspended by surprise as to be barely audible. “Oh, no! surely you must be mistaken, ma’am!”
A look of annoyance seemed to sharpen Lady Ampleforth’s features. “There is no occasion that I know of for these die-away airs, Harriet!” she said. “You are very well aware of your papa’s and my intentions for you!”
“Oh, yes! But I had not supposed—he has never been particular in his attentions—Mama, I did not think Gilly loved me!”
“I can only conclude, Harriet,” said Lady Ampleforth, with a condemnatory glance at Miss Abinger, “that you have been taking novels out of some circulating-library, which is a thing I have never permitted.”
“Oh, no, Mama!” Harriet faltered.
“Then I am at a loss to understand where you can have learnt such trumpery notions, and, I beg you will not make a figure of yourself by mentioning them again! Sale has expressed himself very properly to your papa, and if he and I are satisfied you have surely nothing to cavil at! He is waiting to address you himself. I trust you know your duty well enough to make it unnecessary for me to tell you in what terms you must answer him.”
“Oh, Mama, pray—!”