“You always were sensible, Matilda; and no doubt Susy is wise enough to see the matter in the same light.”
“There you mistake, mamma; Susy is such a weak fool! The silly thing is over head and ears in love with
him. She idolizes him! It is positively awful—wicked!”
“Oh! that’s it, is it? And without asking my opinion? Deliberate disobedience! Let me see her this moment. I must talk to her!”
Forthwith the mother and elder daughter sought out the unfortunate Susy, and joined in giving her one of those ‘talkings to,’ as they termed them, which only ladies can inflict on one another. Susy let fall a tear or two, made very short replies, for she could scarcely squeeze a word in, and bore her rebukes with exemplary patience, contenting herself with asserting that she would comply with the request of the letter and lay it before her father.
“Let me catch you showing the letter to your father this day!” exclaimed Mrs. Foxville indignantly.
“To-morrow will do,” replied Susy. “Papa must see it.”
It was then agreed that Susy should reserve the letter for her father’s perusal next day, on Mrs. Foxville consenting to take the blame for delay on her own shoulders; and it was finally stipulated that both the elder Foxville and Augustus should be kept in the dark for the next twenty-four hours.
Mrs. Foxville did not, however, consider herself bound by this contract, though not the least important of the high contracting parties. In fact, she intended to turn the interval to what she deemed the best account. Accordingly, she seized the opportunity which Mrs. Caudle, as depicted by Douglas Jerrold, devoted to curtain lectures, and plainly gave Mr. Foxville to understand that “she wouldn’t have it,” meaning the match in question, for she stated she knew that Wodehouse was as poor as a church mouse. “He was all outside show,”
she said—“all flimsy, with no backbone.” She added that “that wouldn’t do for her girls,” and, having warned her husband at great length and with great force, she concluded her lecture by observing, “And now you know your duty to my child, and I shall expect you to perform it.”