UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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W. 2.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
A N 0 W E L,
BY
MRS. TROLLOPE,
AUTHOR OF “THE LOTTERY OF MARRIAGE,” “FATHER EUSTAGE,” ETC.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
WOL. II.
L O N DO N :
H E N R. Y Co LBURN, PU B L IS HER,
GREAT MARLBoRough STREET.
1850.
2 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Miss Barbara Jenkyns as I left her at the con-
clusion of the last chapter, in conjunction with
another innate consciousness, which is, that I
shall find it impossible to describe her con-
dition without laughing at her.
Yet why, poor soul! should she be laughed
at 3 g
Her misery was as real upon finding all her
bright new-born hopes blighted by Miss Ju-
dith’s intention of speedily setting off for
Rome, as those of the prettiest girl of eigh-
teen would be upon learning that her union
with the object of her heart's fond love was
impeded, delayed, and perhaps frustrated for
-êWér.
Nay, if the case be quite fairly stated, the con-
dition of Miss Barbara would be found much the
more pitiable of the two; for the younger lady,
however little disposed she might feel to sus-
pend her laments while she confessed the fact,
would be conscious, in spite of herself, and of
all her deep sincerity of woe, that she was
both young and pretty.—And there is miti-
'gation of suffering in such consciousnes. Yet,
nevertheless, the unkind would go on cruelly
PETTICOA:T GOVERNMENT. 3
laughing at a lady in the condition of Miss
Barbara Jenkyns, while they heave tender
sighs, and assume looks benignly pitiful, at
hearing that some fair young creature in the
hopeful morning of life, has lost one of the
host of adorers, who are destined to feel the
sweet influence of her attractions ! r
But the race is not always to the strong, nor
pity to the most pitiable.
How Miss Barbara contrived so far to re-
cover herself as to indicate to the rebellious
Judith that the proper thing to be done at
that moment was to go into the dining-room,
and sit down to dinner, I know not. But
somehow or other it was done. Moreover,
Judith wiped away her tears, and ate her
dinner, may, even Miss Barbara ate her dinner
too; so true is it, that the ordinary business
of life will go on, however slight the impulse
may seem by which it is propelled, and though
movements of almost convulsive violence shall
be going on at the same time around us.--
Much as a watch performs its daily task, even
while tempest-tossed in the Bay of Biscay!
* # 3& 3% * . . .
B 2
4 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
The carriage of Mrs. Chilbert was punctual,
and Judith was punctually ready to step into
it. She had held but little communion with
her aunt Barbara in the interval. Both the
ladies had declared themselves very sleepy
after the late hours kept at the Deanery, and
retired early to bed, and Judith had passed
the whole of the following morning in writing
to her friend at Madras, skimming through the
permitted pages of the “Spectator,” (which
did not appear to her ignorance to be as per-
fectly delicate as she expected), and making a
sketch of her friend Susan, while in the act of
examining and arranging the contents of her
trunks. p - -
but she found time, nevertheless, to think a
good deal of the Dean's lady, and, though
scarcely daring to hope that she should be
asked to go there often enough to make it
much signify, she could not help recalling the
manner in which she played, and the manner
in which she talked, with a degree of gusto
that made her engagement for the evening a
matter of great and pleasurable importance.
foor dear Miss Barbara meanwhile dared
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 5
scarcely confess to herself the gentle hope
which nestled at the very bottom of her heart,
that as she had heard of no whist party for
that evening there probably was none, and
that, if so, it was not quite impossible but that
Dr. Wroughtley might pay her a little friendly
visit—and she was quite as well pleased as
Judith herself when the punctual carriage was
heard to stop at her door; for not for much
would she have sent off the silly child to the
Deanery, with the news that she had been left
téte-à-téte with the senior Prebend
Judith reached the Deanery, as Mrs. Chil-
bert intended she should, about half an hour
before Mr. Saunders and Miss Sophia; for the
Dean's dinner hour was a late one, and the
coffee-cup was still in his lady's hand, when
Judith entered the drawing-room.
This half hour was not an idle one, for
before it was over the quick intelligence of
Mrs. Chilbert had enabled her to ascertain one
or two facts, concerning which she felt con-
siderable interest. First she discovered that
the mind of Judith was exceedingly like a
sheet of blank paper, as far as human learning
6. PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
is concerned; but that the quality and texture
was of the finest. And then the presump-
tuous lady gave a scrutinizing glance at what
she would have denominated the heart, but she
might have said the soul more correctly, for
not feelings and affections only, but tastes,
propensities, faculties, were all dived for, with
no common degree of skill; and the result was
that the enthusiastic Mrs. Dean determined, to
the very utmost extent of her power, to take
upon herself the task of atoning to the young
orphan for the horrible misfortune of being
consigned to the charge and the tutorage of
such an aunt as Miss Barbara Jenkyns.
Poor Judith meanwhile was utterly uncon-
scious of the process to which she was being
subjected; but she went through all her paces,
poor little thing, as docilely as a well-tem-
& - pered filly, who trots round and round in a
large circle or a small one, according to the
will or whim of the groom that holds the
rein; and all this might have lasted much
longer, without her having the remotest idea of
what was going on, for it was very skilfully
done, but that Mr. and Miss Saunders were
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT: 7
ushered into the drawing-room, and put a stop
to it.
This did not happen, however, till Judith's
heart was in a glow of gratitude for all the
kind interest that dear charming Mrs. Chilbert
seemed to take about her. Nor was she in the
least mistaken in thinking so. Mrs. Chilbert
did indeed feel a deep and a very kind in-
terest in her, and had the zeal with which she
wished to serve her been tempered with a little
more common sense and worldly discretion,
she would have been an invaluable friend.
Upon first turning her eyes towards the
slouching ill-dressed figure of Mr. Saunders,
Judith very nearly uttered the words “Oh
dear!” loud enough to be heard; indeed they
were heard by Mrs. Chilbert, but fortunately
by no one else. And then Judith looked at
his daughter, and felt, if possible, still less
pleased with her appearance than with that of
her father. Yet Sophia Saunders was young,
and decidedly not ugly, and upon this occasion
she really had bestowed some little pains in
trying to make her abounding auburn hair look
smooth; but the attempt had failed, or else
8 PETTICOAT goverNMENT.
the bonnet had undone all that the comb had
done, for a more untidy looking mass of bright
young locks could not easily be seen.
Her dress was of rumpled, and by no means
very clean, blue muslin; and this drapery was
confined round Miss Sophia's rather stout waist
by a broad belt of crimson cotton velvet; and
on her rather fair, and rather fat hands, were
a pair of white silk gloves, in all respects con-
siderably the worse for the wearing.
It is rarely at Judith's age that any very
decided taste for a particular style of dress has
developed itself; but it was not so with her,
for she had a sort of instinctive dislike for
show and finery in apparel, which had evinced
itself while she was still almost a child; and
so far had this been permitted to influence the
style of her garments, that Susan, after un-
packing dress after dress of delicate white
muslin, as well as several more recently made
of black materials, concluded her examination
and arrangement of them all, by saying,
“All very nice, Miss, very fine beautiful muslim
and silk indeed. But I don’t see one single
best frock amongst 'em all.”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. ‘9
It was probably in consequence of this pe-
culiarity in the young lady's taste, that the
appearance of Miss Sophia Saunders was so
decidedly unpleasing to her; but unconscious
of this herself, she fancied that there must be
something very singular in the appearance of
the figure which struck her as being so pre-
posterous, and she looked into the face of her
new friend, as if to ask her what she thought
of it.
“Never mind, Judith !” said the sympa-
thizing spirit in reply; but the words were so
little germane to the matter of shaking hands
with both father and daughter, in which Mrs.
Dean was at that moment engaged, that they
neither did or could suppose it was concern-
ing them that they were uttered. So it
was all very well, and the young stranger
was introduced to the Smiling minor canon
and his daughter, and the business of the
evening immediately began by Mrs. Chilbert's
saying,
“This is a young lady, Mr. Saunders, of
whose musical powers I know nothing what-
ever, except that she can play a Polka in a
IO PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
style that ought to make the chairs and tables
dance.” -
“Dear me, how nice l’ exclaimed Miss
Sophy. “How I should like to dance to it!”
“I dare say you would, my dear; and who
knows but you may ?” replied Mrs. Chilbert.
“But if she is ever to help our dancing, we
must try, you know, to help her in some other
way; and I want you, Mr. Saunders, to assist
me in making some experiments with her
voice. I suspect that she has, or will have a
fine contralto—for when I asked her about it,
she told me that her voice was horribly like a
man's, and that she had often been half fright-
ened at the sound of it herself, when amusing
herself by singing in the open air.”
“At any rate I don’t think she will frighten
us,” replied Mr. Saunders, looking at her
lovely blushing face with a good-humoured
Smile.
“Let us hear it !—Have you been used to
sing second, young lady ?” *.
“I have never been used to sing at all,”
replied Judith, laughing.
“Why, you are not very old as yet, that is
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, II.
Quite certain,” replied Mr. Saunders; “but if
Mrs. Dean has taken it into her head that you
can sing, I would make a considerable bet that
she is right, for she must have some reason for
it.”
“But I do assure you she has no reason for
it,” replied Judith, again laughing, “for she
never heard me even attempt to sing a single
note.”
Mr. Saunders looked puzzled. He had never
paid the least attention to the modern system
of looking for the power of singing in the eye-
brows, and he therefore turned from the one
lady to the other, with a very innocent look of
mystification.
But nothing could be further from Mrs. Chil-
bert's wish or intention than to pronounce a
lecture on phrenology for the benefit of Mr.
Saunders and his daughter Sophia, and she,
therefore, only answered his appeal by shaking
her head and saying-‘‘Let us begin at once,
Mr. Saunders | Let us try something, and
then we shall find out what we can do.”
The result of the experiment proved most
satisfactorily that the statements of both the
I2 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
ladies, contradictory as they appeared to be,
were essentially correct. The very first into-
nation of Judith’s voice made the musical
minor canon start, and before she had reached
the conclusion of the little passage which Mrs.
Chilbert had pointed to, as an experiment, it
became as evident to her hearers as it deci-
dedly was to herself, that, as an art, she knew
no more about singing than a woodlark; nay,
the quality of her voice, which was a deep-
toned contralto, required time to bring it to
its full perfection. -
Nevertheless, the experiment had produced
the very reverse of disappointment. Mrs.
Chilbert, indeed, was loudly triumphant; and
Mr. Saunders exclaimed, with a very extra-
ordinary degree of energy for him, “Faith,
madam, that's very remarkable.”
Mrs. Chilbert, as she sat at the instrument,
drew down the head of Judith, who was stand-
ing beside her, to a level with her own, and
very fervently kissed her cheek; but she ad-
dressed no word of compliment to her.
Had she indeed uttered anything at that
moment, it would probably have been a lamen-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 13
tation upon her having herself been permitted
to exist so long in unconscious possession of a
treasure, which in her estimation was precious
beyond all price; and deep was the little vow
she vowed, while bestowing this silent caress,
that by some means or other she would con–
trive to obtain a master for her. She did not
indeed, as Miss Barbara certainly would have
done under similar circumstances, resolve to
apply to the Lord Chancellor on the subject;
but some of her thoughts were very nearly as
magnanimous, for there was scarcely a musical
professor in Europe sufficiently illustrious to
escape the danger at that moment of being
considered a fitting instructor for Judith.
Nothing could be farther from her intention,
however, than to waste the present precious
opportunity of experimenting upon the fine
new instrument which she had so fortunately
found, and with a sort of intuitive adroitness
that was very clever, she contrived to turn it
to account by suggesting when, and how, a
few notes from it might be thrown in with
advantage.
The brilliant rapidity, the inborn taste, the
14 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
faultless ear, displayed by Judith during this
series of experiments, delighted the Dean's
lady to a degree that proved her, perhaps, to
be as eccentric as she was sensitive; nay,
even Mr. Saunders ceased to look as if he
were singing in his sleep, and there were even
moments during which the plump unmeaning
features of the lazy Sophia seemed to express
something a little approaching to surprise, and
not altogether devoid of pleasure.
As to Judith herself, her sensations were
certainly a little analagous to those which we
may imagine Pygmalion's young lady to have
experienced, when first made conscious of her
newly awakened powers. More than once she
started at the sounds herself had made, and
whether from gratified vanity, gratified taste,
or simply from the pleasant feeling of being
amused, she returned to her dismal little bed-
room at midnight quite ready to acknowledge
that she had never, in the whole course of her
life, spent so happy an evening ! -
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. I5
CHAPTER II.
“ALAs, poor Barbara ! How fared she the
while 2"
It would be too piteous a task to describe
the weary hours of that dismal evening.
People may talk of the blessings of hope,
but assuredly the disappointment, which is
often its offspring, does more harm than ever
its parent did good.
Certainly Miss Barbara had felt very happy,
poor thing, as she stood before her toilet-glass,
after the departure of her young niece, and
cunningly arranged her chestnut “front,” So
as to look perfectly natural as well as per-
fectly becoming; and, certainly, there was
16 PETTICOAT govKRNMENT.
pleasure in tying under her chin the prettiest
cap that her own clever fingers had ever
fabricated. A cap, of which Dr. Wroughtley
had himself said, the first time he beheld it,
“What a pretty cap you have got on, Miss
Barbara !” Certainly there was pleasure in
this, and in the consciousness that there was
very great probability, for her heart told her
that there was very great probability, that HE
would come before many hours, nay, perhaps,
before many minutes had worn themselves
away, and be once again seated beside her.
But afterwards, as minute after minute, and
hour after hour, melted away, and no Doctor
came, was not her condition worse than if she
had never felt any hope at all ?
But we must not follow her and her poor
heart through all the black and white vicissi-
tudes that were before her ; the most favour-
able feature in her fate at this time, was the
necessity of being very busy.
The invitations were sent out, and the ball
was to be given, and, as no event of this kind
had occurred to her, or her house, for the last
twenty years, (that is to say, not since the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 17
marriage of Mrs. Maitland, for neither of the
Jenkyns' ladies left at home after that event
were addicted to dancing) it may easily be
supposed that the fortnight which intervened
between her sending out her invitations, and the
acceptance of them by all the beau monde of
Westhampton and its neighbourhood, could
be devoted neither to love nor laziness.
Well, indeed, did the worthy senior Pre-
bend redeem his promise of being useful to
her; and that not only in the article of
dancing gentlemen, but in every other shape
and way, wherein it seemed, to his bachelor
notions, that he could be serviceable.
And sweet and soothing, though very
perilous, was the necessity for constant inter-
course which this brought with it ! Not a
day passed without a visit from Dr. Wrought-
ley, to inquire what had been done in this
way or in that way, for the advancement of
the great business they had in hand.
Upon one occasion it happened that he
asked for the young Judith, saying, “Where
is your niece, Miss Barbara 2 We must ask
her opinion upon the important question of
vol. II. c
18 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
festoons, or no festoons, to be hung over the
doors. If the festoons are voted, it is she
that will have the making of them, for that is
always the business of the young ladies. Do
send for her, will you ?” -
This request was so very natural, that poor
Miss Barbara's wits were neither bright enough,
nor quick enough, to suggest any reason for
not complying with it; and, though great was
her surprise, her pleasure was decidedly greater
still, when William returned from the embassy
which was to summon Judith, with the in-
formation that the young lady was not at
home. -
The surprise occasioned by this announce-
ment had such an effect on Miss Barbara,
that, almost unconsciously, and quite involun-
tarily, of course, she threw herself on the
shoulder of Dr. Wroughtley, exclaiming, “Oh,
goodness, my dearest friend l is it possible
she can have eloped ?” ... •
“Fiddle-de-dee!” replied the Doctor, merrily,
giving his agitated friend a playful shaking, as
with both his hands he placed her trembling
form in an arm-chair. And then, standing
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 19
before her with a roguish twinkle in his eye,
he added, “Do you remember what I said to
you about her, after I had talked with her
and looked at her for about twenty minutes ?
Do you remember 2°
Now the truth is, that poor dear Miss Bar-
bara's faculties were so much more occupied
in dwelling upon the possible words that he
had not said, than on the actual words he
had, that (strange to say !) precious as was
every sound he uttered to her heart, she
had not the very remotest idea of what he
meant.
To tell him this, she felt to be impossible.
It would be doing herself and her devoted
feelings such cruel injustice She therefore
replied, with a look that would have spoken
volumes to any one who would have given
themselves the trouble to read it, “Remem-
ber 3 Do you think it possible I could
forget 2" -
“Why no, my dear lady, I don’t think it
at all likely that you should ; for by this time
I think you must begin to suspect what I have
got in my head, and to be aware that what I
- C 2
20 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
say is worth listening to, and means some-
thing,” he replied.
“Means ? Oh! tell me what it means,”
she cried, in a burst of uncontroulable emotion.
“Say! speak!”
The unsuspicious Prebend began very se-
riously to suspect that the agreeable and very
profitable charge which had been entrusted to
his old friend had produced too severe an
infraction of the tranquil course of her ordi-
nary existence for her to bear it with any
tolerable degree of fortitude and composure,
and instead of replying to her passionate-
sounding appeal for information as to what
his former instructions had meant, he stood
looking very kindly in her up-turned face for
a minute or two, and balancing very con-
scientiously the pros and cons as to her keeping
the naughty runaway with her, or sending her
off to her stronger-minded sister in London.
And in the manner in which he now looked
at it, the question was really not without
difficulty.
On the one hand was a limited and rather
straitened income rendered affluent and easy,
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 21
with no worse penalty enacted in return than
the giving a home to a beautiful young girl,
as nearly related to her as it was possible she
could be without being her own child, and
with no fault or defect of any kind (that he
could hear of or discover) save the bright,
intelligent, and perhaps too independent spirit
which sparkled in her beautiful eyes.
But on the other hand, here was his worthy
old friend, Miss Barbara, looking as if she
were already half distracted, and in great
danger of altogether losing her wits from her
nervous terrors, lest the proper management of
the young lady might prove a task too difficult
for her to perform To a good-hearted man
like Dr. Wroughtley, this was really painful.
He plainly perceived that she was in no
condition to be reasoned with at that moment,
for her hands were clasped, as if convulsively,
and her eyes, which were riveted upon his
face, had an expression that struck him as
being exceedingly wild and alarming.
“This will never do,” thought he. “We
shall have her in a madhouse before we know
where we are She had better give it up at
22 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
once; and yet I hardly know how to tell her
so, either, for it will be a monstrous pity for
her to lose it.” -
All this was breathed in mental soliloquy,
and while it was passing through his brain he
too, poor man, kept his innocent eyes, rather
more widely opened than ordinary, fixed upon -
her in return. - .
Could he have guessed, however, the effect
he was producing, it is highly probable, stout-
hearted man though he was, that the senior
Prebend would have taken to his heels, and
ran out of the room at once. a * * *
Yet no owl that ever sat winking from the
top of an ivy-clad tower at the moon, was less
conscious of emitting fire and flame than was
Dr. Wroughtley at that moment l But it
mattered not what he thought or what he felt,
poor gentleman The result was that Miss
Barbara Jenkyns rose from her chair, and
once more deposited her head upon his
Shoulder | * * * -
In most of the occurrences of human life, it
must be advantageous that the persons con-
cerned in them should know a little of the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 23
real nature of what is going on ; but it was
far otherwise in the present instance. Had
Dr. Wroughtley been at all aware of what
was going on in the heart and soul of Miss
Barbara Jenkyns when she thus laid her head
upon his shoulder, it would have been nearly,
if not altogether, impossible for him to have
conducted himself in a manner so every was
safe and desirable as he now did.
“Now do sit down, there's a dear soul, and
make yourself happy and comfortable !” said
he, very kindly, but at the same time very
resolutely replacing her in the arm-chair.
“We shall never get on, you know, never
really settle anything, if you let every little
trifle overpower you in this way. At our age,
Miss Barbara, we ought to know better, we
ought indeed. You may be very sure that
everything will come right at last ; trust me
for that. I won't lead you wrong in any
way, you may depend upon it !”
“Lead me wrong!” cried Miss Barbara,
almost with a shriek. “Lead me wrong? Oh,
Dr. Wroughtley Do you, can you suppose
that for a single instant I suspected it ! Oh!
24 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
Dr. Wroughtley ! you little know with what
perfect, with what entire confidence I trust
you!” -
“Very well, then That's all quite right,
my dear soul! Don't worry yourself any
more about anything !”
And having said this, he turned towards
the fire, and according to custom took up
the poker and began arranging it to his mind,
deciding as he did so that the best plan would
be to let things go on as they were a little
longer, at any rate till the ball was over; and
then, if his poor old friend still continued to
bother herself so terribly, it would be time
enough to look about, and perhaps find the
best and quietest way of making the young
heiress change her quarters.
Having come to this determination, and set
the poker in its proper place, he suddenly
turned round and said, “Now, then, I shall
wish you good morning. We must settle
about the festoons another time. Don't
agitate yourself about anything. I will take
care of you.” = ,
. Either the suddenness of his movement or
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 25
the unexpected tenour of his words caused
Miss Barbara to start, or more properly
speaking to jump up vehemently,–so much
so, indeed, that she did not recover her seat
without running some risk of missing it. She
stretched out her hand. It was for the
purpose of impeding his departure, but he
thought it was to preserve her equilibrium, and
he kindly stretched out his own to meet it.
This action was sadly misunderstood. -
“Oh, do not do not ſ” she murmured, in a
voice of intense agitation.
“Oh! but I must,” said he “Upon my
word it is time, and more than time, Miss
Barbara. We waste too much time, I am
afraid, upon our little frivolities. And that's
not the way to do business. I have a thou-
sand things to do ſ”
“I will waste no more,” she said. “Oh
Dr. Wroughtley ! tell me at once. Only tell
me how. Only tell me all you were thinking
off" -
“Now you are going to ask me something
about the supper,” said he ; “I know you
are l And that's not fair; it is not using me
26 PETITICO AT GOVERNMENT.
well just at this moment; for I have told you
already that I am angry because you will not
make up your own mind. I have hinted that
to you again and again, Miss Barbara. You
know I have.”
“But I HAVE made up my mind, Dr.
Wroughtley,” she passionately exclaimed.
It was, however, too late.
Dr. Wroughtley, notwithstanding his weigh-
ing rather more than thirteen stone, could
still move very actively when he wished
to do so; and it was very evident that he
wished to do so now, for the study-door
was closed behind him before her beating
heart had realized the melancholy fact that
he was gone.
Is it not cruel, then, to refuse pity to such
a situation as hers ? She had believed herself
for one ecstatic moment to be in the very act
of listening to an offer of marriage from the
senior Prebend of Westhampton. “But, oh!,
the heavy change now he is gone !” Is it
not cruelty to refuse pity to such a situation
as hers? Yet no one who reads this narrative
will pity her. Had she been eighteen, when
PETTIGOAT' &OVERNMENT. . 27
the disappointment would not have signified a
farthing, everybody might have pitied her.
This is very unfair, very unjust, very un-
feeling ! But I know no cure for it.
28 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER III.
JUDITH, meanwhile, had taken the liberty
of going to the Deanery with no leave asked
from any one. She was, in fact, beginning
to give very decided proofs that Dr. Wrought-
ley was right in the quick estimate he had
formed of her, and that she was very likely
in doubtful matters, notwithstanding her loving
temper, to “follow her own vagaries.”
Till now she had always deemed it neces-
sary to preface her daily visit there, by asking
Miss Barbara “if she would please to let
William take her to Mrs. Chilbert.” And
this daily permission was daily granted, very
willingly, because the Dean's lady had assured
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 29
- *
Judith’s anxious aunt that it was for the
purpose of teaching her to sing that these
daily visits were required; and as male
masters of all kinds were the bêtes noires of
Miss Barbara's imagination, it may easily be
imagined that the having a Dean's lady to
perform the perilous function, instead of a
singing master, was a prodigious relief to her
mind. -
As to Mrs. Chilbert's manner of teaching,
it is probable that professors in general might
not have altogether approved of it ; but yet,
it somehow or other appeared to be wonder-
fully successful, and so satisfactory was the
result, both in her own judgment and in that
of the musical minor canon, that the necessity
of calling in “the first singing master in
Europe” was altogether lost sight of and
forgotten.
The education of Judith was, indeed, during
this time, going on very rapidly in many ways.
That which she had received from the gover-
ness who had been engaged for her at Madras
was good, or at any rate respectable, from
the correctness with which the rudiments of
30 'PETITICO AT GOVERNMENT.
all the ordinary branches of female education
had been taught her. But it went no farther
than this.
The ground had been prepared, and there
were very few weeds in it, but the seed was
yet to be sown for everything approaching the
higher class of intellectual developement.
The capacity of Judith was decidedly of a
very superior order, and it was the perceiving
this, and perceiving, also, how very little had
yet been done to assist it, which made her
an object of such deep interest to Mrs. Chil-
bert.
Nor would it have been easy to find any
one better calculated to be to Judith exactly
all she wanted, than was this eccentric, but
highly accomplished woman. Never, no, never
could Mrs. Chilbert have supplied any defi-
ciencies in the rudiments of ordinary instruc-
tion. It might be doubted if her own children,
fondly as she loved them, would ever have
learned to read, had the teaching them been
left to her; but for the cultivation of taste, for
the excitement of every intellectual faculty,
and for teaching the charm that is to be found
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 31
in the exercise of all and every of them, she
was admirable.
Nothing could be much more delightful than
the long mornings they thus passed together,
and nothing could be more evident than that
no hour so passed was without as much im-
provement as pleasure. No little rose-bud
suddenly exposed to the gentle warmth of the
morning sun in the sweet month of June ever
opened its sensitive leaves more brightly, more
rapidly to the pleasant influence, than did the
heart of Judith Maitland now open to the
sunny warmth of Mrs. Chilbert's affectionate
teaching. -
She had believed herself to be still a child,
she now felt that she was already a woman.
She had been conscious of ignorance, and on
some points almost doubted her own ability to
acquire as much information as she believed to
be the usual average of well-educated people;
but Mrs. Chilbert seemed, as she said, to open
a royal road for her in all directions, and in
all directions did she seem as able as she was
willing to follow it.
During this time the only drawback to
32 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
Judith's happiness was the almost intolerable
weight of dulness which fell upon her spirits
upon returning to her home. And, in truth,
there was no need of the violent contrast which
the conversation of Mrs. Chilbert offered, in
order to make her feel this, for Miss Barbara,
who was, and had ever been at every period
of her life, dull enough to have wearied most
people, was in her present frame of mind not
only dull, but moody.
Those most unfortunate words, “by this
time you must suspect what I have got in
my head,” by which the worthy Senior
Prebend meant to recall to her his own
clever observation respecting her valuable
young ward's propensity to wilfulness of
temper, had by her been interpreted to mean
a solemn, but at the same time a very deli-
cate allusion to his intended proposal of his
hand in marriage; and never for five minutes
together were these remarkable words out of
her head. - -
She fully believed that the postponement of
his plain and complete proposal had been oc-
casioned by the vehemence of agitation which
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 33
she had betrayed; and the irritation produced
both by the delay of her hopes, and the per-
suasion that she had herself to blame for it,
acted upon her temper in the most painful
manner imaginable. ..
If poor Judith asked her a question,
or made an observation in order to avoid
the awkwardness of continued silence, the
only reply she received was a sort of
grunt ; and when to avoid this, the un-
lucky girl at length determined not to speak
at all, Miss Barbara spitefully asked her if
she were as silent at the Deanery as she was
at home? -
Never, in short, did the tender passion
display itself in so grim a form; and had
it not been for her mornings with Mrs.
Chilbert, Judith would certainly have availed
herself immediately of the privilege which
had been granted her, of removing from
the house of one guardian aunt to that of the
other. But to leave Mrs. Chilbert, to give
up her delicious music lessons, her new-
born love of Milton —She could not bear
to think of it; and yet it often happened
WOL. II. D
34 JPETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
that when she retired to her comfortless little
room at night, she passed the last hour of
the day in tears, because her home was so
very miserable.
It was after an evening spent in this de-
plorable manner, that Mrs. Chilbert on the
arrival of Judith on the following morning
perceived that she looked pale, and out of
spirits; and a few questions produced an
avowal that she did not at all like living
with her aunt Barbara, and that nothing
but the delight she felt in the dear mornings
passed at the Deanery prevented her imme-
diately leaving her.
This led to a more full explanation of Ju-
dith’s little history than Mrs. Chilbert had, as
yet, received from any one. And very deeply
interested was she in every word of it. To be
young, lovely, and intelligent does not in ge-
neral move the heart to pity; and when the
pleasant accident of wealth is added to these
good gifts, the fair owner is usually considered
to be an object of envy. Nevertheless, Mrs.
Chilbert felt that she pitied Judith heartily,–
yea, heartily. -
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT: 35
In both her likings and dislikings, Mrs. Chil-
bert was apt to be rather vehement, and Ju-
dith had seized upon her affections with more
than an ordinary power 'of attraction. Her
beauty, her unsunned simplicity, her youthful
freshness of feeling, and beyond all else the
remarkable degree of talent, which she had not
only had the pleasure of discovering, but of
developing, all contributed to render her one
of the most interesting beings she had ever
met, and the attachment between them might
very truly be said to have been equal on both
sides. *
But Mrs. Chilbert's dislike to Judith's aunt
Barbara, was very nearly equal in vehemence
to her liking for Judith's self; and great was
her indignation when, by degrees, all the dis-
comforts of the poor girl's home were made
known to her. -
She remembered that Miss Elfreda, though
not without some few absurdities, was con-
siderably less repulsive than her elder sister,
and after a long discussion, in which the pain
of losing each other was cordially, and most
sincerely expressed on both sides, Mrs. Chil-
D 2
36 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
bert advised her young friend to do nothing
hastily, but, at the same time, to console her-
self by remembering that change was in her
power, if at length she were driven to think it
best to have recourse to it; and at the same
time, she took care to make her understand
that she never suffered a year to pass without
paying a visit to the Marshdales, who resided in
London. “And delightful as our mornings have
been here, my dearest Judith,” said Mrs. Chil-
bert, “we might look forward with delight to
some evenings passed in town,-at the Opera,
for instance, which if we can contrive to enjoy
together, may atone to us for the loss of a few
mornings here.”
Judith seized upon this suggestion with all
the sanguine eagerness of her age.
“An opera with you!” she exclaimed;
“an Italian opera, and you by my side to
- help me enjoy it ! I shall endure sour looks,
grunting replies, and short allowance of toilet
water, all the better for this idea. And then,
you know, there is a vast deal of courage to
be found in the mere fact that things need not
last for ever.”
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 37
“Yes, Judith, there is true philosophy in
converting that thought into a pillow. But
tell me, dearest, in what part of London does
your aunt Elfreda live? Mercy on us! what
a name it is isn't it ! But what is there in
a name 2 Nothing ! So we will not mind
that. But whereabouts does she live,
Judith ?”
“Green Street, Grosvenor Square,” was the
reply.
“Very well ! Things might be worse than
that. Has she a house of her own, or is she
in lodgings 3" said Mrs. Dean.
“In lodgings 4” returned Judith.
“Well! never mind, dear. In fact, it does
not really signify a farthing. If she has a
drawing-room apartment, and a tolerably,
decent man-servant to open the door, it really
is of no consequence. Remember, I am only
thinking of the Marshdales. As far as I am
concerned, you will readily believe it would
make no difference.”
Judith took the hand that was stretched
out to her, and kissed it.
38 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“Besides, my aunt visits Mrs. Marshdale,”
said she. *
“Bravo! Then I may drive to your door
three times a-day, if I like,” returned Mrs.
Chilbert.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 39
CHAPTER IV.
NOTHING, perhaps, could more clearly show
the ill-at-ease condition of Judith at this time,
than the indifference she felt about her aunt
Barbara's ball. This féte, which was avowedly
given on her account, and which occupied,
more or less, the whole town, while every
head, every heart, and every hand in the man-
sion, which was now her only home, was as
completely occupied upon it as if their very
existence hung on its success. This ball was
to her, poor child, a matter of complete
indifference. “How could she care for it !”
she asked her friend,-‘‘How could she care
for anything at aunt Barbara's #"
40 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Every morning, between ten and eleven
o'clock, Judith might be seen walking forth
alone, in very triumphant independence, to-
wards the Deanery. It was by no means
Miss Barbara's fault, however, that she was
thus unattended, for the man William had
been offered, and the maid Susan had been
offered, notwithstanding the enormous press of
business which bore heavily upon every depart-
ment of the household; but it was the young
lady's will and pleasure to go alone, and as
Dr. Wroughtley had at least succeeded in
making Miss Barbara understand that her
niece ought, on all possible occasions, to be
indulged in following her own innocent little
whims, she went alone.
Luckily for the motherless girl, the space
between this home of hers and the Deanery
might be very safely traversed at any heur of
the day or night; but if the pavemant had
been full of pit-falls, and every lamp-post a
Lovelace, the heiress would still have been
permitted, under such authority, to have her
own way.
From a little before eleven, therefore, till a
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 41
few minutes before Miss Barbara's dinner-hour,
Mrs. Chilbert and Judith remained together,
sometimes performing duets, sometimes reading
and commenting, sometimes talking eagerly,
and amusingly enough, of all things in heaven
and earth; and then it was the delight of
Mrs. Dean, to elicit all Judith’s crude young
opinions, which, to do her justice, always dis-
played as much purity of heart and natural
refinement of feeling, as ignorance of all the
higher objects of human ambition, as well as
of the noblest labours of human intelligence.
And greatly and most advantageously was her
own intellect developed by these delightful
gossipings; and it may not have unfrequently
happened, perhaps, that a whole year of very
studious education may have failed to produce
so much decided effect upon character and
pursuits as were produced by these hours on
Judith. . -
Altogether, therefore, it can scarcely be con-
sidered very extraordinary that Judith did not
take any very active interest in the prepara-
tions for Miss Barbara's ball; but she was
very fond of dancing, and when the hour and
42 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
the fiddler came, she felt almost as well dis-
posed to enjoy herself as Miss Sophia Saunders
herself.
The preparations for the ball, however, went
merrily on without any help from Judith, and
a very good ball it was when it came ; for, in
truth, Dr. Wroughtley was a very observing
old bachelor, and knew perfectly well what
constituted a-good ball, and what constituted
a bad one. To anything like a deficiency in
the article of light he had a most especial
objection, and therefore had borrowed sconces,
and lamps, and candlesticks in all directions,
and, moreover, his own man had assisted
William in trimming, and hanging, and nailing
them in every available position; the conse-
quence of which was, that the rooms were
exceedingly well lighted.
Miss Barbara herself had some very pretty
notions about supper, and every talent of the
kind had been cherished and warmed into
activity by the judicious little hints and well-
timed compliments of the senior Prebend,
who, having once made up his mind to
fake an active part in the business, was
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 43
determined it should not fail from any re-
missness of his. •
Little did he guess, poor gentleman, that
while thus actively engaged in promoting, as
he thought, the amusement, and, as he con-
ceived it, the rational and reasonable enjoy-
ment of the society of Westhampton—little
did he guess, I say, that upon one of its mem-
bers he was bringing so heavy a load of dis-
appointment as must have turned her sable
locks to grey, had not that process been long
ago performed by what is called the ruthless
hand of Time. But, alas ! the touch of Time
is very gentle, when compared to that of
Lovel
And yet there would be great injustice,
were I to throw any blame on Dr. Wrought-
ley in the business, for never was mischief
done more innocently. Little did he guess,
good mºn, that when he winked and nodded
as he recommended a rather generous
supply of wine, he should be suspected of
alluding to the contents of his own noto-
riously well-stocked cellar, as much as to
say, It won't signify, you know, if you
44 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
do exhaust your stock a little upon this
occasion.
As little could he imagine that, when in a
hurried moment he seized her arm, and
grasped it firmly, because he thought that she
was running off with a blundering order to
her cook upon some point that he had not
fully explained, little could he imagine that
she mistook this rather impatient movement
for a paroxysm of tender passion
Yet so it was ; and very truly sorry would
he have been, worthy gentleman, could he
have had any notion of the mischief he was
doing. As it was, however, he persevered in
the task he had so good-humouredly set him-
self with unabating ardour to the very end,
and if instead of being an old bachelor he
had been a young belle, he could scarcely
have bestowed more thought upon it. The
only point of importance that he did not him-
self inquire into, and personally superintend,
was the arrangements for the music, for Miss
Barbara, having had the good sense to consult
the Dean's lady on that subject, had been put
in the way of obtaining the very best that
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 45
Westhampton afforded; so that, on the whole,
the ball was universally pronounced to be a
very good ball indeed. But whether Miss
Barbara would have had courage, and energy,
and liberality to have gone through the whole
thing in the style she did, merely in the hope
of pleasing Miss Judith, who was evidently a
vast deal too much occupied to care very
much about it, may be greatly doubted.
It is true that, during the whole of that
long fortnight's preparations, Dr. Wroughtley
had never found what appeared to him a
fitting occasion to make the proposal, which
she still felt so well assured was hovering on
his lips; but night after night, as she laid her
very much tired body upon the bed, she
soothed herself into the sweetest of all pos-
sible sleeps, by remembering all he had done
to assist her during the day.
Could he, could any man, have done all
this, or exhibited the interest which he had
done throughout the whole affair, if he had
not been inspired by feelings in the most per-
fect sympathy with her own No. It was
therefore as clear as the Sun at noonday
46 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
that—that—that he intended, as soon as the
ball was over, and tranquillify restored, to—
to—— - -
And then the labours of the day over-
powered her, and she sunk to sleep in the
very happiest state of mind imaginable.
And really on the night of the ball, Dr.
Wroughtley did and said a great many things
which might very easily have been interpreted
into feeling a more than common interest in
all that was going on. And he certainly did
feel more than a common interest. He felt,
good man, that in reality the ball was as
much his ball as Miss Barbara's, for that,
most assuredly, without him it never would
have taken place at all.
And even if it had, what on earth would
she have done without him, in the one article
of dancing gentlemen, for instance 2 There
was not a dancing young lady in the town
who knew better than the senior Prebend,
that without dancing gentlemen, and enough
of them, a ball-room is ten thousand times
more dismal than a desert. g
And how many dancing gentlemen did Miss
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 47
Barbara know? Know, that is to say, well
enough to write and invite them, perhaps,
from a considerable distance : Three ? Not
more than three, certainly, and scarcely so
many, strictly speaking, and propriety being
strictly attended to. What then would have
become of her ball, if Dr. Wroughtley had not
exerted himself ; But he did exert himself,
and with the most brilliant success, as the
following statement will show.
It happened (for pheasant shooting was
then at its zenith,) that several of the neigh-
bouring mansions had staying guests precisely
of the species of which Dr. Wroughtley was
in search ; and so ably did he manage, that
there was not one of them worth having
whom he did not contrive to secure.
By far the most distinguished individual of
the set, however, was a certain Frederic
Dorking, the only son of a gentleman of large
landed property in a neighbouring county,
and himself already the possessor of an income
of some thousands a-year, as the heir of a
maternal uncle.
Mr. Frederic Dorking, was, moreover, ex-
48 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
tremely handsome, and reckoned by competent
judges to be decidedly the best native waltzer
in the three kingdoms. In short, Mr. Fre-
deric Dorking might, and must have been
considered as a personage of importance in
ball-rooms of vastly superior pretensions to
that of Miss Barbara Jenkyns, and yet, thanks
to Dr. Wroughtley, there he was.
That he was handsome, and danced well,
was speedily evident to all who had eyes;
that he was wealthy, well-born, and as yet un-
appropriated, were facts which became equally
well known before he had been a quarter of
an hour in the room.
Mrs. Chilbert's glass had scanned him from
head to foot in a few seconds, and it imme-
diately became evident to her that he was the
only man fit to dance with Judith in the
I'OOIOl.
She had already heard, too, of his good
blood, and his good income ; but had he been
a very poor gentleman, instead of a very rich
one, the Dean's lady would have come to the
same decision, for she was one of the last
women in the world to convert a ball-room
PETTIC0AT GOVERNMENT. 49
into a market, and in looking about for part-
ners for her pet, had no more thought of .
finding a husband for her, than a father con-
fessor.
But not the less for that had she decided
that Mr. Frederic Dorking should dance the
next waltz with Miss Maitland.
She was well acquainted with the family
with whom the young man was staying, and
dispatched an embassy to its chef to request
he would come to her. The summons was
readily obeyed, when the following conversa-
tion ensued.
“How d'ye do, Mr. Clayton I have not
seen any of you for an age. Why did you
not come to me last Wednesday? Mrs. Clay-
ton sent me a killing no, but without a word
of reason for it.”
“I will tell you the reason now,” re-
plied the gentleman. “We had three or
four people staying with us, and we know
the Deanery hospitality too well to mention
such a fact, as we were certain by old expe-
rience, that the doing so would be followed
by an invitation to the whole party, which
WOL. II. E.
50 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
we should neither have liked to refuse nor
accept.” -
“And why not accept?” said Mrs. Chilbert.
“We were too many,” replied Mr. Clayton.
“Was that prewa chevalier yonder, who
came with you this evening, one of your
guests º' said she.
“Yes, he was with us then,” he replied.
“Then you stand convicted of an act of
very direful cruelty,” said she. “I put
* dancing’ on the card on purpose to make
Mrs. Clayton comprehend that all waltzers
would be welcome, and yet you had the heart
to keep such a man as that away from me!”
“I will keep him away from you no longer.”
returned Mr. Clayton, laughingly. “But he
has forestalled you, for he has just asked me
who you were, and said he should like to
Rnow you.” -
“Which proves him to be as discerning as
he is handsome,” said she. “Lose no more
time, I beseech you. But, Mr. Clayton P’ she
added, rising, and following him for a step or
two, “remember that he ought to be presented
to Miss Maitland also. She was not near her
*4.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 51
aunt when you came in, and he therefore lost
his chance of being introduced then. That is
Miss Maitland whom you saw sitting next to
me.” -
“It shall be atoned for now,” he replied;
adding, with a smile, “it is only so, I think,
that any one can be introduced to her, for she
seems to make a part of yourself.”
, “I wish she did tº replied the enthusiastic
Mrs. Chilbert, warmly. “I should like myself
in that case a vast deal better than I ever did
before.” * * .
Mr. Clayton looked as if he were about to
say something civil, but he probably thought
he had better not, and walked off.
No time was lost, however, before he re-
turned again, bringing with him the Mr.
Frederic Dorking, upon whom a vast majority
of the female eyes in Miss Barbara's drawing-
room were at that moment turned. .
His introduction to Mrs. Chilbert and her
fair friend immediately followed, and the
young man then gave very satisfactory proof
that he knew how to “behave himself,” by
almost instantly withdrawing his eyes, though
E 2
52 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
not without some little reluctance, from the
blooming face of Judith, and saying as he
fixed them on that of her elegant companion,
“Do you dance, Mrs. Chilbert 4" X-
“Never,” was her reply, uttered with an
air that, though perfectly conclusive, was by
no means uncivil.
“And you, Miss Maitland 4 May I hope
for the honour of a waltz with you ?” *
“I shall be very happy,” replied Judith,
with as much condescension as could reason-
ably be expected. -
The waltz soon followed, and then the pro-
menade up and down the room, and then a
little ball-room talk by the side of Mrs. Chil-
bert, in which that lady joined with great
animation, and which, therefore, became con-
siderably less fade and less flat than ball-room
conversations usually are.
Mr. Frederic Dorking was decidedly a very
handsome and a very gentlemanlike young
man. He had passed with credit through
Eton and Christchurch, had twice quitted his
native country for a year each time, the first
having been devoted to the south, the last to
PETTICOAT, GOVERNMENT. 53.
the north of Europe, Paris and its unrivalled
attractions having been permitted to occupy
three months out of the twelve on both
occasions. - - •
It would be almost impossible for any man
not absolutely a booby to have done all this
before he had completed his twenty-seventh
year, and done it well too, with all the ad-
vantages of excellent introductions and a very
liberal allowance, without profiting greatly,
not only in personal demeanour, but in the
developement of general intelligence ; and as
Frederic Dorking was far from being a booby,
he had profited greatly, and was in conse-
quence not only handsome and gentlemanlike,
but very agreeable. . -
He was familiarly acquainted with all the
themes which furnish the staple of conversa-
tion among well educated ladies and gentle-
men, and he was as little likely as any man
living to blunder as to names, or to make any
of those desperately confused statements into
which chatty, communicative travellers are apt
to plunge, when they have seen a great deal
in a short time. -
54 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
No. The handsome, elegant Frederic Dork-
ing was neither a booby nor a blunderer. He
had been reared and educated as an English
gentleman of large fortune ought to be reared
and educated, and the result was, as might
reasonably be expected, that he could enter
into the very highest society in every part of
Europe with the certainty of being welcomed
as properly belonging to it. When in addi-
tion to this it is remembered that he was pre-
eminently handsome, and moreover that he was
as free from vice as it was well possible for
any man to be to whom all severity of control
was perfectly unknown, it may easily be be-
lieved that his presence was everywhere hailed
in a manner to make the act of presenting
him a pleasure to his friends.
Frederic Dorking was by no means parti-
cularly disposed to give himself airs; it is not
among people so happily distinguished as he
was in all ways that we are most likely to
find this very paltry propensity; but, never-
theless, I cannot deny that, as he looked round
upon the party which filled Miss Barbara
Jenkyns' drawing-room, he missed the air of
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 55
metropolitan finish, without which those who
are greatly accustomed to it are apt to fancy
that all the prettiness that is before them is
less pretty than it really is. -
It was during the survey which led to this
conclusion that his eye had rested upon Mrs.
Chilbert, and that he had asked Mr. Clayton
who she was. - .
It was her air of very quiet, but very de-
cided bon ton which had drawn his attention,
and not the beauty of her young companion;
for of this he was really not aware till he ap-
proached her, for a fan was in her hand by
which her face was almost entirely concealed,
and she was talking to Mrs. Chilbert behind it.
Neither was her costume such as was likely
to attract his attention, for she remained faith-
ful to her black crape frock, in spite of all
that her aunt Barbara and Susan could say to
the contrary. It was in vain that Miss Bar-
bara told her that it would be a great deal
better if she would try to look a little more
like other people. The looking like other
people was by no means, at that time, the
40bject of Miss Judith's ambition. Moreover,
56 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
she had consulted Mrs. Chilbert, who certainly
might have persuaded her to dress herself in
an Indian blanket, if she had wished it ; and
Mrs. Chilbert, remembering the effect pro-
duced upon herself by the sable robe and the
cream-coloured complexion, instantly settled
the business by saying, “Dress yourself,
dearest, precisely as you did the first evening
I saw you. It may not matter much, for I
doubt if there will be any eyes worthy of see-
ing you as I saw you then. Wear the crape
frock, nevertheless, sweet love, pour l'amour
de moi.” *
But the crape frock, though it certainly
formed rather a picturesque drapery, had
nothing in it calculated to produce a great
effect when seen across the room, especially
when the fair wearer of it was so nearly invi-
sible; but there was too much in common, as
to matters of taste, between Mrs. Chilbert and
Mr. Dorking, to render it at all probable that
she should be disappointed in the effect that
Judith and her dress together would produce
on the aristocratic-looking young man as soon
as he got within sight of them.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 57
From that moment the interest of the ball
to Mrs. Chilbert became so great, that she
utterly forgot she was in the house of the
person whom she had ever considered as the
most stupid old lady in the world, and that
the company in general could not fairly be
described by any epithet more flattering than
hum-drum. -
No sooner had Mr. Dorking led his partner
off, with that air of assiduous attention which
so explicitly avows admiration, than Mrs.
Chilbert, making Mr. Clayton a friendly sign
to sit down by her, very skilfully extracted
from him all the particulars respecting Mr.
Dorking's highly favoured station in society,
which have been given above. And having
listened to, and carefully noted, all these, she
gave him for his pains as full and particular
an account of Judith ; slightly, but distinctly,
stating the fact, that she was a ward of
Chancery, with a large fortune, alluding, if
possible more slightly still, to her own belief
that her gallant father, Colonel Maitland, was
one of the fine old shire Maitland race ;
and then indulging herself by sketching the
58 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT:
most enchanting union of heart and head,
body and soul—faculties and qualities—that
ever met together in a human being ; and
concluding with assuring him that all she
could say must be in vain, as it was beyond
the power of any human eloquence to find
words that could do justice to Judith
Maitland.
“She is certainly very lovely,” replied Mr.
Clayton. -
“Lovely? You call her lovely now? Oh!
Mr. Clayton, if you could but see her as I have
seen her! I will not talk of the expression of
her angelic countenance as she sings; it is
better described by calling it inspiration. She
is a Muse, a Grace. No, no, no! she is rather
the essence, the essential essence, of all the
Muses and all the Graces in her own sweet
self. Never did I behold such a creature
before. You must forgive my enthusiasm;
but the having met her is an epoch in my
existence, and, at present, I can neither speak
nor think of anything else.”
“Nay, my dear Mrs. Chilbert, do not
apologize for your enthusiasm. It is delight-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 59
ful to listen to you,” said Mr. Clayton. “But
you positively alarm me for the fate of poor
Frederic Dorking. I know not what will
become of him if he loves, and loves in vain.
He is exactly the sort of man to appreciate all
the graces and talents you have been describ-
ing to me; but is, at the same time, so terribly
fastidious, that he has never yet been able to
fancy any woman good enough for him.”
“Then I think the chances are greatly in
favour of his now being punished as he de-
serves; for, entre nous, I would by no means
advise him to fall in love with Judith Mait-
land. Let him be as fastidious as he will, I
strongly suspect that my lovely little heiress
will prove more so still. So you had better
give him a friendly hint, I think, to enjoy his
waltz to-night, but to see as little of his
partner afterwards as may be. He is really a
very fine-looking young man, and it would be
a pity to see him wear the willow.”
“Do you mean that the young lady is
already engaged?” said Mr. Clayton, laughing.
“Oh dear, no! She is very young,” replied
Mrs. Chilbert. “But I am quite in earnest
60 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
when I say that I don’t think it would be
possible for any man to see her often without
being captivated.” º
“Very likely,” returned Mr. Clayton, whose
eyes were at that moment fixed upon Judith,
as she passed close before them with very
Camilla-fike lightness of movement, displayed
to the greatest possible advantage by the
assistance of her accomplished partner. “Wery
likely,” he repeated, with his eyes still fixed
upon her. “But for all that, I º I'ê8,SOI).
why my friend Frederic Dorking should
despair. It is quite new to me to hear him
spoken of as being in danger of rejection.
The gossip respecting him has, I assure you,
gone quite the other way.” . . . . .
“And now I will repeat your “very likely,”
said Mrs. Chilbert. “I really do think it
very likely that young ladies' hearts may have
fallen round him as fast as leaves in October;
but the heart of my pretty Judith will not
increase the number.” • ?
And then, having said to Mr. Clayton pretty
well all that she wanted to say to him, she got
up, took a deliberate survey of the whole room,
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 61
and everybody in it, through her glass, and
then said, “If you will kindly give me your
arm, Mr. Clayton, I will venture to make my
way across the room to that vacant place by
Mrs. Southerland. She said something to me
as I came in which I could not answer, because
Miss Maitland was speaking to me at the same
moment.”
62 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER. W.
I HAVE not done Mrs. Chilbert justice if I
have so related facts as to convey the impres-
sion that she was a match-making lady, who
took pleasure, even in the present early period
of her existence, in exercising her skill in that
line, as if to improve herself by a little prac-
tical experience before her own daughters
required her assistance.
Mrs. Chilbert was no match-maker; she
had never in her life felt the slightest pro-
pensity towards such an avocation, and though
her conduct on the present occasion might
fairly enough be considered as evincing an in-
clination to make an experiment of the kind,
PETTICOAT govKRNMENT. 63
the feelings and motives which actuated her
were special, and had nothing to do with her
general character and conduct. -
Every iota of the extravagant admiration
expressed by Mrs. Chilbert for Judith was
genuine. Whether addressed to the young
girl herself or to any other person, it'mattered
not ; she uttered no word that her heart or
her fancy did not fully confirm, and she only
felt herself at a loss to find words sufficiently
strong to express her feelings concerning her.
Though Mrs. Chilbert had married a gentle-
man who was very soon afterwards made a
Dean, she had married very young, and though
highly educated and highly intellectual too,
she knew neither more nor less of human
nature than any other young lady of eighteen.
Moreover, she had the great disadvantage of
feeling conscious that she was herself a vast
deal more clever, more instructed, more intel-
lectual than any other young lady that she
knew. s
Had she remained a year or two longer un-
married, she would have had a fair chance of
knowing better, for her own connexions were
64 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
people who lived a good deal in the world;
but the society of Westhampton, though in
point of well-ordered sobriety of demeanour
perfectly deserving of all the fine things Miss
Barbara Jenkyns said of it, was exactly of the
quality and character most calculated to con-
firm the Dean's lady in all her notions con-
cerning the low average of human capacity.
She really loved her husband, however, and
he really deserved to be loved; but he too,
like the great majority of his reverend brethren,
was too well “content to live in decencies for
ever,” to be of any use in correcting her
estimate. :
Not once, therefore, had it ever happened
to her in the whole course of her life to meet
with anything bright, enthusiastic, and imagi-
native enough to satisfy her longing for what
she sincerely believed to be the highest order
of intellect. But in Judith Maitland she had
found it all; and so much that was attractive
and endearing besides in her loving temper,
her graceful prettiness, her splendid voice, (not
to mention her brilliant finger on the piano-
forte,) that her affection, and admiration im-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 65
mediately exceeded all reasonable bounds, and
she felt as if the first duty of her life at the
present moment was to cherish her, watch
over her, and promote her happiness in every
possible way.
It pained her maternal heart to think that
so sweet a creature should be motherless; and
the idea that this sensitive young creature
should be so utterly alone, as she certainly
was in the new world to which she had been
sent, was positively dreadful to her.
This pitying feeling was doubtless rendered
doubly acute by one peculiar weakness in
Mrs. Chilbert's character. The horror of being
bored (I know no other word to express this
too common social annoyance) overstepped all
reasonable bounds. -
Doubtless it is lawful and perfectly natural
that everybody should dislike the feeling of
being bored, but in Mrs. Chilbert this feeling
amounted to very positive agony; she would
escape from it, and then weep from remem-
bering what she had endured. -
This was great folly, great weakness, and it
would be difficult to find any reasonable
WOL. II. F
66 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
excuse for it ; but so it was, and as it hap-
pened, the consequences of this folly and
weakness became very advantageous to Judith
Maitland. -
Unfortunately for the Dean's lady there
were a good many others among the indivi-
duals who formed the society of Westhampton
who might also justly be classed under the
generic appellation of bores, some dwelling in
the Close and some out of it ; but among
them all there was not one who irritated her
sensitive nerves so painfully as Miss Barbara
Jenkyns. -
One reason for this was that Miss Barbara
unquestionably enjoyed a sufficient degree of
popularity to bring her into all, or very nearly
all, the evening parties given in the town, and
the annoyance was, therefore, so often re-
peated as to become a very serious nuisance.
Moreover, Miss Barbara's principles led her,
good lady, to take every possible opportunity
of proving her devotion to Mrs. Dean, and
this, of course, was done by never missing an
opportunity of addressing and making long
and very complimentary speeches to her, all
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 67
compounded of reverence for herself and the
church.
Had Miss Barbara herself presented her
niece to Mrs. Chilbert, it is likely enough that
she would have fixed her uncivil eyes here,
there, and everywhere, rather than have looked
at her. But Dr. Wroughtley was in some
degree a favourite, and to please him, she not
only looked at the young stranger but spoke
kindly to her. This was quite enough for
both parties, and all that followed was inevi-
table. -
But amidst the variety of feelings inspired
by Judith, that of tender pity for being an
inmate of Miss Barbara Jenkyns' was perhaps
the deepest.
The idea haunted her ; and though she had
too much good taste and right feeling to talk
to Judith of the personal detestability of her
aunt, she did not scruple to dilate upon the
inevitable dulness of being domesticated where
she could find no companionship.
Judith, too, was far from wishing to indulge
in any disrespectful commentaries on the de-
fects and deficiencies of her mother's sister;
F 2
68 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
but as to denying the dulness of her present
abode she did not attempt it, and if she had,
she would not have succeeded for a moment;
for Judith's breast was a very transparent one,
and though she could not be said to wear her
hearts upon her sleeve for daws to peck at, in-
asmuch as daws were not the species of bird
with which she sought association, yet certain
it is that from those whom she made her
companions by choice, she had little will and,
perhaps, less power to disguise her feelings; so
that, in fact, despite the reserve and propriety
on both sides, Mrs. Chilbert had a tolerably
correct idea of the degree of sympathy which
existed between herself and her young friend
on the subject of Miss Barbara, as well as
concerning Shakspeare and Walter Scott.
“What on earth can I do for her ?”
thought the kind and pitying Mrs. Chilbert,
as she sat idly with her book upon her knee,
after Judith had left her to go home to, an
early dinner, on the very day of Miss Bar-
bara's ball. - - .
“It is too dreadful to think of, but I can
positively do nothing ! If I were a country
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 69
clergyman's wife, and living in some pleasant
village a dozen miles off, I might have her
to stay with me, dear creature, for months
together, till we had both of us almost
learned to forget that there was any such
thing as Miss Barbara existing. But this
dignified Deanery is a perfect state prison
to me, and I am afraid I shall begin to
hate it.”
And the next train of thought was in this
wise.
“Early marriages, such very early marriages,
are dangerous, especially to such a sensitive
creature as this ; yet it is the only hope for
her, and even that is a most forlorn one.
Who is she likely to see here, that I could
endure to see her married to ? One of the
Watleys 4 Graceless scamps, with nothing but
their good blood and handsome faces to re-
commend them! Or Sir James Green's cub-
bish heir Forbid it, Heaven Alas! alas !
my poor dear Judith it seems as if you had
made your way to my heart wholely and
solely to make it ache.”
Is it extraordinary that to a lady in such a
70 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
frame of mind, the appearance upon the scene
of such an individual as Mr. Frederic Dor-
king must have appeared like a god-send ?
Or can it be wondered at if she did permit
herself to do and to say a few rather strange
things, in order to profit by it !
However, I believe I have already recorded
all that was most atrocious in her sayings and
doings, for the purpose of bringing Mr. Fre-
deric Dorking to the feet of Judith. Before
she left the house of Miss Barbara that night,
she had seen enough to convince her that, let
her think Judith as beautiful, as bewitching,
as fascinating as she might, Mr. Frederic
Dorking would be perfectly ready to agree
with her.
And then she endeavoured to remember
what she had said, and to begin to wish that
she had not said so much. Mr. Clayton,
perhaps, might think she had some motive for
it. Besides, it was now so very evident, that
it was all unnecessary. How could she have
been such a fool! &c., &c., &c. However, it
was all too late now, and she endeavoured
to console herself by reflecting, that at any
PETTIC0AT GovKRNMENT. 71.
rate she had not gone the length of asking
Mr. Clayton to bring him to the Deanery.
“She should never have forgiven herself if
she had l’ - *
She had no cause, however, to repent any
thing that she had said.
It had indeed all produced effect, but that
effect was just what she wished it to be; and
this was achieved without her having excited
any suspicion of her object. For Judith really
was very lovely; and Mrs. Clayton declared,
as they went home, that she perfectly well
remembered hearing Mr. Carey say that she
was a ward in Chancery, and very rich : and
as to all the rest, about the difficulty there
would be in winning the pretty treasure, Mr.
Clayton only repeated it as a joke, and as a
proof that women, even such clever women as
Mrs. Dean, knew nothing about their own sex,
but he had no suspicion whatever that his
fair clerical friend had any object in view,
save that of amusing him.
The young man, however, heard it all, and
one part of it, at least, was not without its
effect. As to all that was repeated to him
72 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
about her beauty and grace, he heeded it very
little, for he felt himself so perfectly competent
to form his own opinion thereupon, that he
could not consider the opinion of Mr. Clayton,
or of any one else, as a matter of much con-
sequence.
But there was one sentence repeated that
had been pronounced by Mr. Clayton, which
did produce its intended effect. The heart of
the lovely young stranger was supposed to be
impregnable, and it was Mrs. Chilbert who
had said so. Had any other in the room,
either male or female, made the same assertion,
it would have met no more attention from
Mr. Dorking than if they had said that she
was a very pretty young lady. But from the
lips of Mrs. Chilbert, it had more meaning,
and more mischief. * *
Frederic Dorking had not been five minutes
in Miss Barbara's ball-room, before his prac-
tised eye had selected the Dean's lady as the
only woman there who “ looked like somebody,”
and on hearing that she had been so obliging
as to utter a note of warning lest he should be
added to the unsuccessful list of Miss Mait-
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 73
land's adorers, a smile curled his handsome
lip, and the thought passed across his mind
that it was just possible she might be mis-
taken.
74 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER WI.
THE last words spoken by Mrs. Chilbert to
Judith as she left the ball-room were, “Come
to me as early as possible to-morrow.” And
this command was pretty literally obeyed; for
Judith slept as sound as a top till past nine
in the morning, and then she had not only to
perform her ablutions by the aid of her com-
plicated and hard-to-manage bathing appara-
tus, and to make her toilet, but she had
soberly and deliberately to eat her breakfast,
face to face with Miss Barbara, afterwards; for
although Dean Chilbert was one of the most
good-humoured, amiable, and gentleman-like
men in the world, Judith had no fancy for
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 75
assisting at his breakfast-table, and discussing
in his presence all the important events of the
preceding evening. However, she did set off
as soon as she thought it discreet to do so, as
her aunt was fortunately too intent upon in-
vestigating the condition of her property after
the hurricane to which it had been exposed,
than even to listen to Judith's assurances that
she thought the ball a very charming ball
indeed.
Mrs. Chilbert's first look into the face of
Judith had a great deal of meaning in it,
though the little novice did not suspect it.
She thought that her friend looked at her
eyes so earnestly, to see how she bore dancing
till three o'clock in the morning; and she
answered the supposed inquiry by a laughing
assurance that she was not the least fatigued
in the world. -
“That's well, dearest! And it shows that
your dear mother's scheme of keeping her
nursery in the mountains answered; for were
you as poor a thing, in point of health, as most
Indian ladies, you could scarcely have looked
as well as you do this morning. But tell me,
76 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
love—let us come to our own sofa, tell me,
were you amused? Did you enjoy it?” .
“Yes I did, indeed,”. replied Judith, while a
bright colour mounted to her cheeks. “I
never enjoyed dancing so much before.”
“So much depends upon one's partner,” said
Mrs. Chilbert. “I have seldom seen any one
dance so well as that Mr. Dorking.”
And then Judith found that there was
something in the lacing of her boot that was
not commodious, for she stooped down to
alter it.
“You danced with him a good deal, dear;
three or four times, did you not ?”
“Yes, six times,” was the reply; but the
boot-lace was not right yet.
“Was he conversable, Judith ? Do tell me
something about him. In a country neigh-
bourhood like this, I do assure you that it
is by no means an everyday occurrence to
meet such a personage as this Mr. Frederic
Dorking—Judith! if you keep on fiddling
with that tiresome boot, I will ring for
Walters to take it off, and bring you a pair
of mine. You know we agreed the other
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 77
day that if we were twins, our feet could not
be more alike.”
Judith knew perfectly well that her cheeks
were still dreadfully red. But people's cheeks
always are red after stooping so long. Besides
she began to think that it was no use, for that
if Mrs. Chilbert would go on talking about
Frederic Dorking, she must try to get used to
it; so she looked up, and said, “No, don't
take off my boots. It is all right now.”
“Well then, my dear, perhaps you will tell
me at last how you liked this six-times-over
partner. Did you find him agreeable?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“You think so! What a very strange
answer. Don't you know, my dear child,
whether you think people agreeable or not?”
“Oh yes,” replied Judith, laughing. “There
are many people that I think very dis-
agreeable.”
“And you are not quite sure that you class
Mr. Frederic Dorking among them ż’” said
Mrs. Chilbert.
“Yes, I am quite sure, that is, I am quite
sure that I do not,” replied Judith, stoutly.
78 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“I am glad to hear that,” replied the
Dean's lady, “because the Claytons are very
old friends of ours; and as this young man is
staying there for the shooting season, it is very
probable that we shall see more of him. But
I do assure you I should discourage his coming,
darling Judith, if I thought the meeting him
would be a bore to you. You have so much
to bore you, my poor child, elsewhere, that it
would be absolute cruelty, when you run away
in the hope of getting a little comfort from
me and my piano, if I were to beguile you into
making acquaintance with more bores.”
“Oh dear, no! I don’t mind at all !” re-
plied Judith, looking considerably more like a
fool than she ever did in her whole life
before. -
It was not without some difficulty that Mrs.
Chilbert concealed her inclination to laugh.
She felt it was time, however, to change the
subject, and she did so by saying, “I want
you to finish what you were saying to me a
day or two ago, my dear Judith, about some
uncle or aunt that you could not find. The
Dean came in just as you were going to
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 79
explain to me some difficulty that seemed to
trouble you. What was it, dear?”
This question produced a very singular
metamorphosis, not only in the countenance
of Judith, but in her whole person, attitude,
and bearing. Notwithstanding her pretty
troubled look of confusion and embarrassment,
there had been youthful joyousness in every
lineament ; her eye was sparkling with even
more than its usual brightness, and it seemed
as if her lips were only restrained from happy
laughter by an effort ; but no sooner had Mrs.
Chilbert said these words than the bright eyes
were filled with tears, and the lips trembling
with emotion of a far different nature.
“Oh, Mrs. Chilbert l” she exclaimed, “what
a wretch I am! What a heartless, unnatural
wretch I must be to have suffered the idea of
this ball, and all the folly connected with it,
to drive from my heart and my thoughts
the only subject which ought really to
occupy me!”
“My dear Judith, do not, I beseech you,
blame yourself so very severely, merely be-
cause you have been kind enough to take
'80 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
some degree of interest in the pretty fête
which has so pleasantly occupied us all. Come,
come, dearest; there has not been much time
lost; and if you will tell me now what my
good Dean prevented your telling me the
other day, I will promise to give you my very
best attention, and assistance too, sweet love,
should assistance be wanted.” --
“Thank you! thank you! my dear kind
friend,—a thousand times thank you!” cried
Judith. “I do, indeed, want assistance ; and
you, who seem to know everything, will know
how to give it to me. But can you, and will
you, listen with patience to a long and dismal
story?”
“I can, and I will, if it relates in any way
to you, my Judith,” replied Mrs. Chilbert, in a
voice as cordially kind as were the words
themselves.
“Oh! yes, it does indeed relate to me, and
all that is dearest to me,” returned Judith.
And then she related the whole story of her
aunt Penelope's marriage, from the falling in
love with the amiable and accomplished young
drawing-master, to the desolate condition in
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 81
which his widow and son were left at his
death.
“Unfortunately,” continued Judith, “my
aunt's marriage was achieved by means of an
elopement, and therefore, of course, her for-
tune was not settled upon her; and I believe,
though I do not know any of the particulars,
that my uncle Worthington, clever as he was,
never got much money by his profession, and,
therefore, that when he died, most of poor
aunt Penelope's money was gone. But this
at least I know perfectly well, for I have
heard mamma say it a hundred times over,
that he was always kindness itself to his wife,
and that his death was the first tidings that
ever reached her from aunt Penelope that ever
seemed otherwise than happy and contented.
And I know, too, my dearest Mrs. Chilbert,
that though mamma always spoke kindly of
all her sisters, aunt Penelope was the only one
she ever really loved; and they did love each
other most affectionately, that is quite certain.”
“Then why, my dearest child,” said Mrs.
Chilbert, suddenly interrupting her, “why did
your mother confide you to the personal care
WOL. II. - G
82 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
of such a-forgive me, dearest Judith—how
came it that you were not left in the care of
her best-beloved sister?”
“Because, by a most unlucky chance,” re-
plied Judith, “my poor mother knew not
where my aunt Penelope was to be found.
A week or two after my father died, a letter
came from aunt Worthington, who was then
still at Rome, where she had been living nearly
ever since her marriage, saying that it was
the last that she should write from thence, for
that her son Charles (her only child) was
anxious to try his fortune as an artist, either
in France or England. His father, it seems,
had never, with all his talent, made much
profit by it at Rome; and my poor aunt con-
fessed that she was glad of any excuse for
leaving a place where she had been too happy
in days past to hope that she could ever feel
happy there in future. The letter concluded
by saying that as soon as they had made their
decision between Paris and London, she would
write again. But, alas! my own dear mother
had ceased to exist before that promised letter
came, and, therefore, it was impossible for her
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 83
to consign me to a relation of whose residence
she was completely ignorant. But though she
could not send me to her, the very latest
moments of her life were spent in making me
understand how dearly she loved her, and in
charging me to do all that I had the power of
doing—now and always—to assist both her
and my cousin Charles; for she greatly seemed
to fear that they might want it. Moreover,
and this at the present moment is the most
important of all, she placed in my hands a
casket of diamonds, which I believe are worth
a great deal of money, with directions to give
it to her with my own hands as soon as
possible.
“Of course I thought,” continued poor
Judith, with a face glowing with indignation,
“of course I thought that my two English
aunts would be able at once to tell me where
I might direct a letter to aunt Penelope.
But no!—they knew nothing at all about her!
It was years, they said, since they had heard
anything of her, and she and her son might
both be gone to the moon for anything they
knew or cared.” - - -
G 2
84 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
This recurrence to her first great European
disappointment, and to the source of the (it
must be confessed) rather vehement dislike
which she had conceived against her aunt
Barbara, at once drove everything else from
her mind. Mr. Frederic Dorking, his undis-
guised, though most respectful admiration, the
pleasure of sincerely believing herself one of
the most highly-gifted and captivating young
ladies in existence, nay, even the delightful
persuasion that the fascinating and accom-
plished lady of the Dean of Westhampton
had never till now met with any of her
own sex worthy of her affection, all was
forgotten, and Judith burst into a passion of
tears, as youthful and as genuine as ever were
shed. -
“Horrid, unnatural, old wretch l’exclaimed
Mrs. Chilbert, unconsciously, perhaps availing
herself of Judith's strong emotion to indulge in
the avowal of a dislike which, on all ordinary
occasions, she considered it decorous to con-
ceal. º
“But do not let her barbarity break your
heart, my sweet Judith. Her paltry plotting
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 85
shall be of no avail; we will find this dear
aunt Penelope, in spite of her.”
At that moment, our poor half-spoiled
Judith was all herself again ; and when,
springing up and throwing her arms round
her friend, she kissed her again and again, it
was with a feeling as unmixed with any of the
pernicious little vanities which had half smo-
thered by their overgrown gratitude the affec-
tion she had hitherto felt for her, as if it had
been her own longed-for aunt Penelope that
she embraced.
“But why, my dear, when this—but we
won't call names, Judith—why, when Miss
Barbara Jenkyns gave you this unfeeling an-
swer, why did you not write to the other—to
the Miss Elfreda, who lives in London 2 She
is rather a quizzical sort of a personage, too, I
believe, being tremendously blue in the sci-
entific line, but that is no reason, you know,
why she should be as unnatural as the old
maid here. “Why do you not write to her "
“I have done so,” replied Judith; “I did it
as soon as I was sufficiently recovered from
the half-distracted feeling which aunt Bar-
86 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
bara's way of mentioning my uncle Worthing-
ton threw me into. But, excepting that her
letter contained no base insinuations against
him, whom I believe to have been one of the
most amiable men that ever existed—except-
ing for this, her answer was as dreadful as that
of my aunt Barbara. She knew nothing about
her sister Worthington, excepting that she was
a widow, with one child, who must, by this
time, of course, be a grown-up man, as it was
more than three-and-twenty years since her
terrible elopement, and they had heard of the
birth of her child a year afterwards.”
“And this was all 4’’ said Mrs. Chilbert ;
“nothing whatever as to Mrs. Worthington's
having left Rome 2"
“Not a word,” returned Judith, with a
fresh burst of tears; “and thus I am left, not
only without the power of gratifying my na-
tural wish of seeing the only relative whom I
was really prepared to love, but with the
burden on my heart and conscience of not
fulfilling my dying mother's last command.
Do you not hate me, Mrs. Chilbert, for being
able to forget all this, even for an hour?”
PETTICOAT Government. 87
“On the contrary, my dear; I should love
you much less if it were otherwise,” replied
her friend; “for, in the first place, such a
useless devotion of your thoughts to any sub-
ject would be very silly, and, what I should
feel as worse still, it would be very unnatural.
No, dearest Judith, there can be no possible
benefit derived in any way from your thinking
all day or dreaming all night of your aunt
Barbara's detestabilities, one of the worst of
which, I am quite willing to allow, is the
throwing off such a sister as your poor mother
described Mrs. Worthington to be, for no other
reason than that she had not taken such good
care of her shillings and sixpences as her tire-
some self. It is an abominable trait in both
these virgin Jenkynses. There is no denying
it, Judith. But I will not have you look so
dreadfully miserable, my child. Mercy on
me! what would the graceful Frederic think,
if he happened to come to Westhampton this
morning, in the hope of seeing the beaua,
$/eua, he so prodigiously admired last night !
He would find them drowned, my naughty
Judith; absolutely put out and extin-
88 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
guished. You would not quite wish that,
would you ?”
But this appeal did not produce the effect
that was kindly intended. Judith was pain-
fully conscious that for some time past she had
thought less of her aunt Worthington and
more of Mrs. Chilbert, and of her own little
self, perhaps, into the bargain, than she would
have believed possible a week or two ago, and
this mention of her last night's elegant partner,
who, except while she slept, had never been
quite out of her head for a single moment
since he had passed from her sight through
the door of Miss Barbara's drawing-room—
this sudden mention of him, just when she had
sufficiently recovered from the impression he
had made, to permit her to think of something
else, was positively painful to her. -
“Don’t don't dearest Mrs. Chilbert; oh!
pray don’t try to make me think of anything,
or of any body, till I have done all that I
ought to do about aunt Penelope,” she ex-
claimed, with great and genuine earnestness.
“You cannot guess, perhaps, how truly I
despise myself for having been able so nearly
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 89
to forget all about her and my cousin Charles,
as I have lately done. Have I not shown
rather a strong family resemblance to my two
maiden aunts {" '
There was a bitterness of self-reproach in
her tone as she said this, that fully proved its
sincerity; and Mrs. Chilbert certainly loved
her the better for it, though it vexed her.
“No, no, no l’ she replied; “ten thousand
times no l and I will prove it to you, Judith.
You are angry with yourself because you have
loved me, and as that is what they never did,
you cannot be very much like them. But do
not let us talk any more nonsense about it. I
pity your vexation heartily, for I can perfectly
well understand what you must feel from
being thus robbed of the first duty and the
first pleasure you had promised yourself, as
the best consolation for being sent into a
world of strangers. It is cruelly hard upon
you, and upon poor Mrs. Worthington also,
for you might be a comfort to her in many
ways. But I can see nothing but folly in your
blaming yourself for it. And now, dear, let
us see whether I may not have the power of
90 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
helping you. Have you taken any steps your-
self, Judith ?” -
“I have written to Madras, to the friend
who has transacted all mamma's business for
her since the death of my father, and have
begged him to take every possible means of
learning the address to which my mother
directed her letters at Rome. For myself, I
cannot recollect having ever seen one of these
letters when the address was written upon
them, though I have very often seen her
occupied in writing to my aunt Penelope;
and, most unfortunately, she made a general
burning of all old letters one of her prepara-
tions for leaving India. But even if I had
got my aunt's address at Rome, it is still very
likely that I might be unable to find her, for
we know that it is her address no longer.
And you, my dear, kind friend, how is it
possible that you can help me !” said poor
Judith, mournfully. .
“I certainly think it is possible, though
perhaps not very likely, Judith,” replied Mrs.
Chilbert. “One of my sisters is just gone to
Rome with the intention of passing the whole
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 91
winter there. She will be sure to know every-
body, and if you will write for me not only
the name but every particular you can think
of respecting your aunt and cousin, I will lay
my commands on her, and she will be sure to
obey them, not to omit any possible means of
discovering where they are gone.”
“There is indeed hope in that, my most
kind friendſ" cried Judith, fervently. “Oh!
how can I ever thank you enough !”
“You shall not thank me at all, darling.
But if you really mean to give me a reward,”
said Mrs. Chilbert, “you shall promise never
to let me see you again looking so deplorably
wretched as you have done this morning, ever
since the name of aunt Worthington was
mentioned.” -
“I will try in everything to do exactly as
you would have me,” replied Judith, joyfully,
“and the first thing shall be to write what
you have asked for.” -
“What now, dearest ? Shall we not have
a little bit of gossip about the ball first 7”
Judith had seized upon a pen, but she laid
it down again. “Just as you please, dearest
92 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Mrs. Chilbert,” said she, evidently making an
effort to look cheerful and amused.
“No, Judith ! no ; that will not do. I
have sometimes thought that you would make
a charming actress, but you must take a few
lessons first ; and above all things, I think it
will be necessary not to talk about our aunt
Penelope when we are going to set about it.
Here, my dear; and take care to be as clear
and precise as possible;” and Mrs. Chilbert
replaced the pen in Judith’s hand as she
spoke.
Judith seized the kind hand and kissed it;
and then opening the blotting-book and Se-
lecting a moderately sized bit of paper, she
meditated for one moment, and then wrote as
follows:
“Mrs. Worthington, widow of Mr. Charles
Worthington, an English artist, who had lived
in Rome for many years before his death,
which happened about two years ago. Mrs.
Worthington has one son, of one or two and
twenty years of age, who has been brought up
to the same profession as his father.”
Having written this, she put it into the
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 93
hand of her friend, saying, “Do not think me
encroaching. Do not fancy that I want you
to write this very minute, whether it be con-
venient or not. But, dearest Mrs. Chilbert |
let me leave you now, for I have cried till I
have made my head ache, and I am fit for
nothing but to go home and lay down upon
the bed.”
Mrs. Chilbert looked at her very affection-
ately, and then said, after giving her a loving
kiss, “Go, my dear child ! You are quite right,
Judith. I dare say I shall have morning
visitors, and I must confess that you are not
fit to be seen. You are a good little girl not .
to insist upon my writing letters, after being
up nearly all night watching your waltzes and
polkas; and I will take no unfair advantage
of your indulgence. Good bye l’
94 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER WII.
As soon as Judith had left the room, Mrs.
Chilbert took up the paper she had written
and read it, half aloud. “Widow of Mr.
Charles Worthington, English artist, and the
son brought up in the same profession,” she
repeated. “Darling little angel!” I will keep
my promise to her, and find out the aunt
Worthington and the artist son if I can. But
Heaven grant that I may find them snugly
settled, and painting pictures to their hearts'
content, somewhere quite beyond the search of
my sweet Judith ! The diamonds shall be
safely forwarded, if these artistic folks are
within reach of a royal messenger; but Judith
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 95
must not be forwarded after them. She is
a jewel richer than all the rest, and it shall
not be my fault if a fitting setting be not
found for her. Mercy on us! The widow
and the son of a painter that no mortal ear
has ever heard of ! If odious Miss Barbara's
motive were as good as mine, she might almost
be forgiven for burying one sister in oblivion
for the sake of the precious treasure consigned
to her care by another.”
And then the Dean's lady mused and
mused, and meditated long and deeply on all
the different tricks she had read of, heard of,
and seen too, when she had turned an idle
eye that way, by which a young gentleman
and a young lady, who thought each other
“very nice persons indeed,” might be made to
believe that it was impossible they could live
without each other. - -
Practically she knew very little about it;
for though she was a charming young woman,
and her husband a reverend Dean, no trickery
of any kind had been used to bring them
together. But her mother-wit, unaided as it
was by experience, taught her to believe that
96 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
in a case where mutual liking was already so
very evident, the simple process of bringing
them as often as possible into the same society
was very likely to answer, and might save
the necessity of any more complicated man-
Oeuvring. g
Mrs. Chilbert knew that Judith Maitland
was very young, but gave her credit for being
at least a year older than she was ; for Judith
being a good deal ashamed of her juvenility,
always carefully avoided the subject, and
although her sixteenth birthday had occurred
within the last few months, nobody had heard
anything about it, for Miss Barbara was quite
ignorant of the fact, having always rather
disliked discussing any of the details apper-
taining to the arrival of her nepotine con-
nexions in this Vale of tears, and Judith
herself thinking it very childish and silly to
talk about birthdays.
And thus the Dean's lady was a little less
blameable than she would have been had she
known that the gay little creature whom she
was so eager to convert into a matron, was
younger than many English young ladies
PETTICOAT government. 97
who are still under the dominion of a
governess.
Having said thus much in her defence, the
veracity of an historian obliges me to confess
that within ten minutes after Judith left her,
Mrs. Chilbert was on her way towards the
Dean's library, where she was tolerably certain
of finding him reading the newspaper.
Is there any sin in a woman's obtaining
great influence over her husband, and using it?
God forbid! For if there be, the great ma-
jority of the most amiable portion of the most
amiable sex are unquestionably sinners. '
Certain is it, however, that Mrs. Chilbert
would rather have thrust her pretty little hand
into the fire, than have used this influence in
any way that could leave regret, or any cause
for it, on the mind of her husband. -
But her life (as that of all other happy
wives) would have been far less agreeable than
it was, had she not felt the soft, soothing,
gentle, loving consciousness, that her lord and
her master would be as sure to let her lead
him in the way she wished him to go, as she
was that she would never lead him in any
WOL. II. H
98 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
direction wherein he might repent having fol-
lowed her. - -
It was, therefore, with a light, confident sort
of step that Mrs. Dean now approached her
very reverend spouse and imparted to him her
wish, though not its motive, that they should
have a dinner party the beginning of the fol-
lowing week, and that the Claytons and Mr.
Dorking should be invited.”
“Very well, Annie, I have no sort of ob-
jection.” replied the Dean. “I presume, my
dear, that you have fallen in love with their
handsome young guest?” -
“Exactly so,” she replied, “and therefore
you must not have a very large stiff party,
please, Mr. Dean, not more than eight, or at
the most ten, at table, and enough for your
rubber in the evening—Should you have any
objection to my asking the Saunders’ for the
evening.” -
“The Saunders', Annie?” said the Dean,
staring at her with extreme astonishment.
“Why, my dear child, the Claytons never
approach the Close without being sure of
meeting whatever is considered as the most
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 99
dignified amongst us. I will venture to say,
that they never met either Saunders or any of
his race in their lives. What will they think
of Seeing such a group in your drawing-room,
Mrs. Dean º’’
“Are you a man to stand in awe of any
Mrs. Grundy in the world?” replied his wife,
shaking an admonitory finger at him. “No,
my ‘digne Dean!’—not if Clayton Hall were
Windsor Castle. Besides, I don't mean to
have a group; you can't have a group, you
know, with less than three, and I only ask the
entrée for two—Only Miss Sophy and her
papa.”
“Then your new love is a nightingale,
Annie, is he?” * x
“Very likely, I think,” she replied. “He
looks as if he had all the accomplishments that
ever endowed mortal man; but concerning his
musical powers, I have not made any en-
quiries as yet.—You give me carte blanche,
then?”
“Yes, Annie,” was the amiable reply. “Only
contrive to get Saunders scoured if you can.”
Mrs. Chilbert, in short, found no difficulties
H 2
100 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
in the way of her schemes in the library, nei-
ther did she anticipate any; but nevertheless,
after the Dean's carte blanche was given, she
was a little puzzled how to get on.
Of course Judith Maitland must meet the
Clayton Hall party at dinner; but what was
to be done with the aunt Barbara? Was she
to make one of the chosen ten? The mere
thought, though accompanied rather than fol-
lowed by the vehemently uttered word “im-
possible !” brought a rush of blood to her
delicate face, and made her actually feel very
poorly. The adamantine decision that Miss
Barbara was to be left at home, coute qui
coute, sustained her courage, however, and gave
strength to meditate Sagely and soberly upon
the best way of performing a difficult task,
no less difficult than doing a very rude thing
civilly.
She meditated for several minutes, how-
ever, without getting on an inch; and then
a ray of light shot through her puzzled
brain, which caused her rather to dance than
to walk towards the bell, which she rang
vigorously. -
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 10}
“Go to Dr. Wroughtley's, James " said the
lady to the servant who answered the sum-
mons; “ask to see him, and tell him, with my
compliments, that I shall be much obliged to
him if he will call upon me this morning, as
early as he can.” -
The Doctor's house was very near the
Deanery, the message was promptly delivered,
and promptly attended to, and Mrs. Chilbert
and Dr. Wroughtley were téte-à-tête.
“This is very kind of you, dear Dr. Wrought-
ley, she began; “but I am afraid that you will
feel disposed to lament your good-nature to
me when I tell you, that I have sent for you
in order that you might assist me in doing an
exceedingly rude thing.”
“The occupation will at least have novelty
to recommend it,” replied the Doctor.
“Why, yes, as far as consulting you about
it,” replied Mrs. Chilbert, laughing, “for I
don't remember ever feeling in want of assist-
ance upon such an occasion before—but this
time, the thing I want to do is perfectly atro-
cious, it is, upon my honour, and —” -
“And for that reason you have selected
102 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
me to help you,” returned Dr. Wroughtley,
laughing. r
“Exactly sol” returned Mrs. Chilbert. And
then she went on, and confessed to him that
at the very small dinner party they were going
to give the Claytons, they were about equally
anxious to have that pretty and quite new
little creature Judith Maitland, and NOT to
have her aunt Barbara.”
A person of less tact than Mrs. Chilbert
would have feared that offence might be given
to Dr. Wroughtley by talking to him of a dinner
party, to which he was not invited. But she
knew better. She thought that he would be
more flattered by being summoned in con-
Sultation, than affronted at not being invited
to meet the party from Clayton Hall; and so
he was.
“Have you already said anything about
this dinner party to the little Judith ?” said
he. w
“Not a word,” she replied.
“Very well; then I can manage the matter
for you perfectly well, Sit down, my dear
Mrs. Dean, if you please, and pen an invi-
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 103
*.
tation to Miss Barbara and her niece Judith
for dinner on the day in question.”
“What can you mean, Dr. Wroughtley?”
Said the lady, looking greatly astonished, and
not at all amused. - -
“May I trust you?" was his reply. If I
put you in the way of doing exactly every-
thing you wish to do, will you promise never
to tell that it was I who told you how it might
be done?”
“Yes; I do promise it,” said Mrs. Chil-
bert.
“Well, then, Mrs. Dean, if you will write
an invitation to Miss Barbara Jenkyns, I will
write one too; that is to say, I will invite
myself to eat some game that I will send to
her, and I will bet my shovel hat to your worst
bonnet that she refuses your invitation.”
“And accepts yours,” returned Mrs. Chil-
bert, laughing. s
“Yes, provided you allow time for my not
to reach her before yours does,” said Dr.
Wroughtley.
“But will there be no danger, think you,
that she may throw herself upon your generous
104 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
friendship, and ask you to release her for my
dinner, fixing the day after for yours ?”
“No, I do not,” replied Dr. Wroughtley.
“But how will that bring me Judith ? I
really must have Judith, Dr. Wroughtley.”
“I think that may be managed too,” said
the Senior Prebend, demurely.
“Well, my dear Doctor, you seem to be so
confident of success, that you make me confi-
dent too,” said Mrs. Chilbert. “But do not
you think,” she added, “that it would facilitate
matters if we were to arrange that you should
have your rubber here?” :
“I think it might, Mrs. Dean ; and that
may be very easily negotiated by means of my
calling upon you, and conveying to Miss
Barbara a message to that effect,” replied the
Doctor. -
“Now then, go home and dispatch your
note, and in two hours from this time,” said
the lady, pointing to the time-piece on the
chimney, “I will dispatch mine.” -
The plot was carried out with great exact-
itude, and with perfect success; but Dr
Wroughtley would scarcely have been so
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 105
active and willing an agent in it, could he
have guessed at the emotions to which the
arrangement gave birth. :
It may be easily believed that Miss Barbara
was thrown into a very delightful flutter of
spirits by the arrival of the friendly little
epistle by which “her friend” invited himself
to dine with her; the only drawback to the
happiness it produced arising from the embar-
rassing doubts and fears which suggested
themselves concerning what she should be able
to do about getting Judith out of the room for
a short–oh! a very short time would be
enough ; and that before the people whom
she must of course invite for his rubber should
arrive.
This tremendous difficulty was still tor-
menting her when the invitation from the
Deanery arrived. The time had been when a
dinner invitation from the Deanery would have
been welcomed with great delight—and it was
welcomed with delight now — the exceeding
delight of feeling that a happiness so great
awaited her for that day, that the thing which
would have been prized, and dearly prized,
106 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
before, was now as worthless as an autumn
leaf falling at her feet.
Her answer to the note of Dr. Wroughtley
had been long ago dispatched; and now, with
pleasant pride at thinking how much she had to
do in the article of note-writing, she began her
epistle to Mrs. Chilbert ; but just as she was
in the very act of writing “Miss Jenkyns
regrets extremely—” the house bell rang,
and in the next moment Dr. Wroughtley was
ushered into her study.
It was with rather a tender smile that she
ceased writing, and put Mrs. Chilbert's invita-
tion into his hand. -
“Oh dear, how unlucky 1’ exclaimed the
Doctor. “It is the very day that I was to
have dined with you!” -
“Was to have dined with me, Dr. Wrought-
ley ! What difference do you suppose this
will make º Do you really believe that I
would give up that engagement for any other?”
said she, reproachfully.
“My dear Miss Barbara, you are very kind,
very kind indeed! Always kind, and always
friendly! But think what a disappointment it
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 107
will be to your niece. Oh, no ! I really
cannot think of it. You must accept this
invitation, Miss Barbara—you must indeed!”
“Indeed, then, Dr. Wroughtley, I will not,”
said she ; “so do not say any more about it,
or I shall consider it extremely unkind.”
“Don’t say that, Miss Barbara; I would
not be thought unkind by you for the world !
Neither would I be unkind to your pretty
young lady,” said the Doctor, musingly. “Let
us see,_let us consider a little. If we could
manage, now, for her to dine at the Deanery,
while you indulge your old friend with one of
your Snug little dinners at home, it would
be all right, and nothing wrong—would it
not ?”
“It would be perfect " exclaimed Miss Bar-
bara, endeavouring to restrain her emotions
within the bounds of discretion ; “it really
would be quite perfect, Dr. Wroughtley; for,
wishing as earnestly as we do, you know,”—
Miss Barbara felt herself fully justified in fol-
lowing the example of her friend in thus
adopting the plural pronoun—“that this dear
child should be happy, and enjoy herself, it
I08 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
really would be a pity to prevent her dining
at the Deanery; but how can we manage it?”
The Senior Prebend, double-sided conspi-
rator as he was, appeared for a moment to be
plunged in deep reflection, and then, Suddenly
rising from his chair, he said, “Trust the
matter to me, Miss Barbara, and if I do not
manage it to your liking, never give me a com-
mission again. I will be back again in ten
minutes.” And so saying, he seized upon his
shovel hat, and disappeared. -
It is needless to attempt describing the
emotions of Miss Barbara Jenkyns after Dr.
Wroughtley left her. Let it only be remem-
bered that he was gone for the express pur-
pose of arranging matters So as to enjoy a long
tête-à-tête with herself, and the very dullest
imagination may paint the rest.
Neither is it necessary to repeat what
passed between the nuncio doctor and the
dean's lady, for enough has been said already
to make what followed sufficiently clear, and
sufficiently sure.
In a word, then, Dr. Wroughtley returned
to his beaming, blooming, and thrice-happy
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 109
friend, with a separate invitation to dinner for
Judith, and an earnest request that Miss Bar-
bara would bring the friendly messenger to
play a rubber at the Deanery in the evening.
“Bring him 1" was repeated, almost audibly,
in the ecstacy of that delicious moment; but
the good doctor did not hear it, and most
assuredly he did not guess it ; for it is but
justice to that worthy gentleman to declare,
that he was as free from all suspicion of the
wild work that was going on in the bosom of
Miss Barbara, as the parrot who was mutter-
ing “darling” on his perch.
110 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER VIII.
MRs. CHILBERT was not without hope, that
before her invitation could reach Clayton
Hall, she should hear or see something of
her new acquaintance Mr. Frederic Dorking.
Nor was she disappointed; for scarcely had
her second confidential interview with Dr.
Wroughtley ended, when that very graceful
personage was announced. -
After a few minutes of such talk as was
likely to take place under the circumstances,
rendered, perhaps, a little more animated by
the very decided wish to become better ac-
quainted which existed on both sides, Mrs.
Chilbert said, “We have just dispatched a
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 111
note to the Hall, Mr. Dorking, to ask Mr. and
Mrs. Clayton to dine with us on Tuesday, and
to express our hope that if you have not left
the country, you will do the Dean and myself
the honour of coming with them.” -
“You are very kind, Mrs. Chilbert, I shall
have great pleasure in waiting on you. As to
leaving the country, I assure you I have no
thoughts of it. The Claytons are very dear
friends of mine. I saw a great deal of them
abroad, and when we parted at Rome last
year, Clayton made me promise to kill no
birds but on his manor this. So I have in-
stalled myself for an age.”
And then they talked a little about the ball,
and a little more about the fine old cathedral,
and more still about the neighbourhood; and
then the bell was rung, and an intimation was
dispatched to the Dean, that Mr. Dorking was
in the drawing-room. r
But neither the lady nor the gentleman said
a word about Judith, though it is likely
enough that she was in the thoughts of both
the whole time.
When Mr. Dean made his appearance, how-
1 12 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
ever, the conversation again reverted for a few
minutes to the ball; and the very reverend
gentleman, knowing no reason to the contrary,
immediately began talking of her as la belle
par excellence, adding moreover, but perfectly
guiltless the while of any motive whatever,
save that of finding something to talk about,
that she was very lovely. -
Mrs. Chilbert had been rather pleased than
the contrary, by the cautious manner in which
the young man had avoided all allusion to
Judith. It looked very like being afraid to
mention her ; but far more decided was her
satisfaction on perceiving the colour in her
handsome visitor's cheek to be augmented by
hearing her named. And then her dear Dean,
exactly as if her secret wishes had actually
inspired him, added, in a sort of friendly,
gossiping tone, “The young lady is likely to
be a person of consequence among us, I sus-
pect, for she is just arrived from India with a
large fortune.”
“Indeed,” replied Mr. Frederic Dorking,
in an accent of the most accomplished dandy
indifference.
PETITICOAT GOVERNMENT, II.3.
But the Dean's lady was in no degree dis-
couraged thereby, for she was not insensible
to the fact that he availed himself of the
assistance of a “Book of Beauty,” which lay
upon the table, even as he made this laconic
3DSWer. .
“The shaft has hit,” murmured the obser-
vant lady, as her husband accompanied their
elegant new acquaintance down the stairs;
and the observant lady was right. -
Nothing could be more successful in every
way, than this dinner party at the Deanery;
Mr. Dorking took Miss Maitland down to din-
ner, and assuredly did not permit this excel-
lent opportunity of improving his acquaintance
with her to be lost., Perhaps the process that
had been going on for the last few weeks in
Judith’s mind, under the influence of Mrs.
Chilbert's affectionate flattery, was on this
occasion rather advantageous to the young
lady than the contrary, for it went far towards
Saving her from that painfully embarrassing
feeling of shyness, which often makes a young
girl, notwithstanding all the charm of that
beauté de diable which is generally found so
WOL. II. I
11:4 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
enchanting, but a wearisome sort of neigh-
bour at the dinner, table. But it was not
SO. In OW. : -
Frederic Dorking had been very decidedly
“smitten,” both by the beauty and elegance
of Judith's appearance at her aunt's ball : he
thought her then by far the loveliest girl he
had ever seen, and before this dinner was
over, he was fully prepared to assert that she
was as much superior to all others in intelli-
gence as she was in beauty.
It often happens, however, that admiration
as sincere as that felt by Mr. Dorking for
Judith Maitland is doomed to pass away, and,
if not absolutely forgotten, to produce no re-
sult more important than the recollection of
the fair creature's name, or, perhaps, a notion
that some face in a book of beauty, or a pic-
ture gallery, was very like one he remembered,
&c., &c, &c. But Mr. Frederic Dorking was
in a position not quite so common among
admiring young gentlemen, as pretty young
ladies may wish it was. Not only was he rich
enough to marry, whenever the wish to do so
came upon him, but he was so completely his
PETTICOAT, govKRNMENT. 115
own master as to be conscious that he had no
one's wishes, or will, to consult in this matter,
but his own. -
Moreover, Frederic Dorking considered it
to be quite as necessary that a man should
have a wife, as that he should have a carriage,
or a stud, or a conservatory, or any other of
the luxuries and comforts which men of for-
tune usually enjoy.
So far, indeed, was he from feeling any lin-
gering partiality for the gay freedom of his
bachelor condition, that he had for the last
year or two felt inclined to lament his own
fastidiousness, and almost regretted that he
had amused himself so idly in rambling
through all the capitals of Europe, dancing
and flirting with successive charmers without
ever permitting himself to think seriously of
any. •
The strongest proof that such days were
gone and over for him, might have been found
in the thought which passed his mind, as he
resumed his seat after the ladies had left the
dinner-table, and which may be thus rendered
into words. “Thank Heaven that I never
I 2
116 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
so mistook myself as to fancy that I loved
before 1* * . - . . . . .
Mrs. Chilbert, while chatting charmingly,
and with even more than her usual grace and
animation, with Mr. Clayton on one side and
Dr. Stephenson, the last new Prebend, on the
other, was very far from being insensible to
what was going on a little lower down the
table. She saw the delicate cheek of Judith
become deeper and deeper in its lovely bloom;
she saw Dorking wave away dish after dish as
they were offered to him, while, on the slightest
attempt to draw off his attention for a single
moment from the companion on his right hand,
an involuntary sort of frown seemed to con-
tract his eyebrows, which only relaxed when
he found himself at liberty to turn towards
her again. º
An ordinary looker-on, however, would have
been very far from comprehending, as Mrs.
Chilbert comprehended, what was going on.
She was, indeed, beginning to know Judith
very well, and her rising colour, and an occa-
sional flash which she caught from her eye, as
from time to time she looked up into the face
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 117
of Mr. Dorking, convinced her that her very
heart and soul was interested in the discussion
that was going on; and, from words caught in
the deep clear voice of the young man, it soon
became evident that he was replying to her
questions respecting the great chef-d'oeuvres
of art which he had seen at Rome. It was a
theme upon which Mrs. Chilbert knew that
Judith felt great interest, and was very likely
to express herself with an energy and enthu-
siasm which could scarcely fail to be interest-
ing. And that Frederic Dorking found it
so, was very sufficiently clear also. -
And then the Dean's lady looked the other
way, perfectly well satisfied with what was
going on at present, but fully determined,
nevertheless, that the heart of the doomed
young man should be attached more power-
fully still, as soon as the Saunders pair arrived
and the piano-forte was opened.
Meanwhile, however, she was very indul-
gent, and sat very much longer at the dinner
table than was her usual custom; nor was it
till she had three times caught the eye of Mrs.
Clayton very speakingly fixed upon her, and
118 PETTICOAT GoverNMENT.
seeming to say, as loudly as a look could
speak, “Do you ever mean to go?” that she
at length got up, and led the ladies to the
drawing-room. ---
She found that Mr. Saunders and his
daughter were already arrived, and had her
melodious minor canon been a little less queer,
and more gentleman-like in his appearance,
she would have desired him to join the gentle-
men, in order to indulge him with a glass of
claret; but at that moment it was not merely
the first, but literally the only object of Mrs.
Chilbert's existence to do nothing that might
jar in any way against the delicate feelings of
her elegant new acquaintance. -
Sending dirty Mr. Saunders to sit near him,
or in sight of him, particularly at a moment
when the cruel removal of Judith from his side
must have sorely tried his temper, might, she
thought, at once awaken him to a very dan-
gerous consciousness that a rather obscure
country town, even though there was a
cathedral in it, was not the scene where a man
of fashion ought to look for a wife.
But the success of Mrs. Chilbert's first
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 119
match-making attempt was already vastly
greater than she had herself any idea of She
might safely have presented all the singing
men belonging to the church in succession to
Mr. Dorking, without his wishes, his hopes, or
his intentions being in the very least degree
affected thereby.
Had she been aware of this, sweet lady, she
would have been spared a vast deal of very
needless trouble that evening; for being quite
aware that it was no easy thing to make a
stout, blousy-looking young maiden, in a sky-
blue muslin dress with a red sash, look like a
gentlewoman, or her very rusty-coated elderly
papa, with his side pockets hanging hopelessly
open, and his dappled hair as rough as the
mane of a Scotch pony, look like a gentleman,
her anxiety as to the result of the bold
measure she had taken in admitting them.
was very great. ... * - --
Yet, even while she looked at them and
then at Judith, and remembered the effect, the
deliciously entrancing effect, of her touching
voice in the trio that she meant should be
performed that evening, as a sort of finishing
120 FETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
coup de grace that was to put an end to any
lingering doubts in the mind of Mr. Dorking
as to the impossibility of living without the
angelic creature she intended thus to exhibit
to him—even as she looked, and saw all the
alarming abominations of this minor canonical
exhibition, she could not repent what she had
done. .
In the young Judith herself, moreover, she
had the supreme satisfaction of perceiving
precisely every symptom that she wished to
see. The animated flush had faded from her
cheek, her eyes seemed to be made of lead,
and to possess no power of raising themselves
from the carpet. Her memory was evidently
impaired, for when Miss Sophia Saunders,
with the familiarity naturally consequent upon
their frequent recent meetings, made some
jocose allusion to something that had been
said or done between them, she started as if
the being spoken to was the most alarming
thing in the world; and then, instead of
answering rationally, stared in the puzzled
Miss Sophia's face as if she had névér beheld
her before.
fºLITICO AT GOVERNMENT. 121
Had the hopeful but anxious Mrs. Chilbert
felt any doubts as to the cause of all these
strange phenomena, they would all have been
removed when the drawing-room door opened,
and Mr. Frederic Dorking entered.
It was not the habit of the Dean to sit long
after dinner; but this, like everything else at
the Deanery, was regulated with the very
strictest good taste and propriety, and it was
certainly not his habit to repair to the
drawing-room with such promptitude as his
new acquaintance exhibited upon this occasion.
There was, indeed, so very short an interval
between the departure of the ladies and his
following them, that his friend Mr. Clayton
thought it necessary to utter something by
way of apology, which he did by observing
that Dorking had been living so much abroad
as to have acquired the continental habit of
leaving the dining-room with the ladies; “but
we must try to break him of it, Mr. Dean,”
said he, “for I am not sure that English ladies
will like it.”
122 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT."
CHAPTER IX.
MRs. CHILBERT contrived on that evening,
as indeed, she generally did, to arrange the
affairs of her drawing-room exactly as she
intended they should be arranged.
She had two card-tables, with precisely the
party she had decided upon at each; and this
being all “done, settled” with a fixedness not
likely to be easily interrupted, Mrs. Chilbert
passed her arm under that of Judith, gave an
intelligent look and nod to Mr. Saunders, and
saying in a tone that was friendly and flatter-
ing, “Now we will give you a song, Mr. Dork-
ing,” led the way through the folding-doors to
the piano-forte, leaving it, as she always did, to
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 123
the choice of the prebendal ladies whose hus-
bands were engaged at whist to watch their
fate with conjugal anxiety, or to follow her to
the piano-forte.
It is not very easy for the person who pre-
sides at the piano during a performance that
demands a careful accompaniment, to watch
very accurately the effect of that performance
on any particular auditor. But Mrs. Chilbert
was very clever, and she did contrive to watch
Mr. Frederic Dorking, and that, too, without
injuring the beautiful accuracy of her own
share of the business.
The position of her piano-forte favoured this;
and if any eye could have read all the ardour
of admiration which filled that young gentle-
man's soul, hers would have done it. -
And, in truth, she did read quite enough to
satisfy her that his condition as a fancy free-
man was hopeless.
His eyes, which were by no means wanting
in tender expression, were fixed upon the face
of Judith as if his life hung upon his power of
looking at her. It certainly did not require
the acumen of a Mrs. Chilbert to discover that
124 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
the gentleman was a lover, and a very impas-
sioned lover; but not even her skill in the
study of the “human face divine” enabled her
to satisfy herself upon one point: was it the
thrilling quality of Judith's voice, the deep
fervour of her manner, the perfection of truth
in every note, that caused him thus to gaze as
if his very being was merged in hers, or was it
only that he was enamoured of her beauty?
She could not tell; and she was vexed with
herself as she felt conscious that her usually
unfailing tact in such researches had failed her
now. -
Before a second song was ended, however,
she came to the conclusion that it did not sig-
nify a farthing. It was folly to suppose that
any man, especially one who could scarcely
fail to have had a taste for the fine arts deve-
loped and cultivated by such opportunities of
education and travel as Mr. Dorking had
enjoyed, could be insensible to the exquisite
and very peculiar charm of Judith's perform-
ance. At any rate, that he was profoundly
touched, nay, already passionately in love,
could no longer be doubted, and it mattered
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 125
little why or how it had happened that he was
so, provided only that the fact was satisfac-
torily established. -
On this point, Mrs. Chilbert had little doubt
when her party on that day broke up, and she
saw the look with which the young man stood
contemplating the lovely girl while waiting to
hand her to the carriage; she felt, too, the
trembling emotion of Judith, when she em-
braced and bade her farewell.
“Sweet creature l’ murmured this affec-
tionate friend, as, really exhausted by the
agitating interest of the day, she sought her
own room the very moment that the last of
her guests had departed. . .
“Sweet creature | Heaven grant that she
may ever remember this decisive day with
pleasure | He really does seem everything
one could desire for her; and, at any rate,
such a marriage as this must be preferable to
wearing away her youth in the Society of such
a thing as Miss Barbara. Mercy on us! how
grim the tiresome creature looked to-night.”
And certainly Miss Barbara did look rather
grim; and we all know that she would not
126 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
have looked grim at all, had the puzzling Pre-
bend put to profit the precious téte-à-téte
which he had so cleverly arranged.
But he had only eaten a very good dinner,
looked very well pleased and contented, praised
her ball in a very flattering style, and finally
concluded the evening by winning five shil-
lings from her at whist.
All this was very vexatious, very extra-
ordinary, very unnatural,—yes, unnatural was
the word, upon which Miss Barbara went to
sleep; but when she awoke the next morning,
her heart was greatly softened, and when she
thought it all over again, she felt inclined to
allow that perhaps it was only prudent, and
that he was waiting till everything was settled
with the Lord Chancellor about Judith's allow-
ance, before he ventured to take so very deci-
sive a step as to propose marriage.
“And very right — very right!” thought
Miss Barbara, though with rather a tender
sort of sigh. “Such a man as Dr. Wroughtley
would never forgive himself, if he suffered his
feelings to betray him into any thing like im-
prudence.” *
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 127
The post of that very day, however, brought
the intelligence she had been so anxiously
looking for; the allowance made for the main-
tenance of Miss Maitland was six hundred a
year, and the idea of such a sum being added to
her own income—for she thought that Judith’s
private expenses would be almost too trifling
to mention—raised her spirits to such a tri-
umphant pitch, that before she had finished
her third perusal of the document she actually
tossed up her head with an air of defiance, and
thought to herself that people who did not
know on which side their bread was buttered
were much to be pitied ; and then she mut-
tered, in a tone that made her parrot utter a
sort of grunt by way of imitation, “If he does
not like it, he may leave it.” ^
Any body who really loved and valued
Miss Barbara must have rejoiced at the
frame of mind produced by such medita-
tions as these. For the time, at least, she
felt herself capable of discarding all the weak-
messes of love, and of viewing her own position
with a degree of satisfaction that might be
truly said to put her peace of mind beyond
128 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
the reach of all the Prebends of the world to
disturb it. | -
This state of mind, while it lasted, might
be very justly termed enviable. But few
amongst us, I am afraid, are doomed to enjoy
any great degree of happiness so perfectly
independent of all sentimental sillyness long.
At any rate, it was not so with Barbara
Jenkyns; for while her delight at this news,
from a source that she delighted to denomi-
nate “the Lord High Chancellor of England,”
was still almost in its newest gloss, a very
startling attack was made upon all her present
joys and all her future hopes.
A letter was delivered to her one morning
about a fortnight after her ball, while she was
in the act of answering a note of invitation to
herself and her niece for an evening party,
which was doubtless to be another ball, at the
house of one of the Prebends.
The poor lady, even as she wrote, was in
the very act of making up her mind to commit
what under other circumstances she would
have considered as a great extravagance in the
way of a new head-dress for this occasion, but
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. I 29
which her judgment and her conscience united
now told her was no more than a liberal
feeling of lady-like propriety required.
The letter which broke in upon this double
occupation of thinking of her cap and waiting
to accept an opportunity for wearing it, con-
tained an inclosure addressed to Judith.
“Another invitation,” thought Miss Bar-
bara, with a lively smile.
Yes, it was an invitation. It was an invi-
tation from Mr. Frederic Dorking to Miss
Judith Maitland, very respectfully, but very
earnestly, requesting her to become his wife.
The envelope conveyed the polite expression
of his hopes that Miss Jenkyns herself, as well
as all other members of the family, would upon
inquiry find that his character and position in
life, as well as the terms of the settlements.
which he should offer for their approval, were
such as to justify his addressing her charming
niece. -
Miss Barbara did not scream, but she was
very near it, and was probably only prevented
from yielding to the impulse by remembering
that Mr. Dorking's servant was in the hall;
WOL. II. * K
130 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
for William had told her that the man was
waiting to know if there was any answer.
So she did not scream, but she clasped her
hands together for a moment with very painful
vehemence. !
But in the following moment her spirits
recovered again. •
“Nonsense !” she murmured, half aloud, and
with an accent that expressed scarcely as much
terror as contempt. “The young man must be
an idiot! absolutely an idiot!—or else he is
something worse still. He may have heard of
the dear little thing's fortune, and determined
not to lose his chance by not being first in the
field. It is absolutely horrible !—and, mercy
on me ! so perfectly disgusting!”
Having thus relieved a little her first over-
powering emotions, she rang the bell.
“Tell the person who brought this note,
William, that an answer shall be sent.”
“The man says, ma'am, that he was ordered
to call again for the answer before he left the
town,” returned William.
“Tell him that the answer shall be SENT,”
said Miss Barbara, with very haughty em-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 131
phasis on the last word. “And when you
have got rid of him, William, come back to
me,” she added, in a lower key. -
William retreated to do her bidding, while
Miss Barbara seized the first scrap of paper
that came to hand, and having written upon
it the words,-
“For pity's sake come to me instantly,
“BARBARA JENKYNs,”
inclosed it in an envelope, and had sealed it
with as firm a barricade of wax as might have
sufficed for a packet from a Secretary of State,
when he re-entered the room. -
“Take this, without a moment's delay, to
Dr. Wroughtley,” she said, writing the ho-
noured name upon the billet as she spoke; and
the moment after she was again alone.
“I am a fool to frighten myself thus !”
thought she with an aspect, comparatively
speaking, of composure, “What would it sig-
nify if a dozen impertinent boys came to ask
me, one after another, for her and her fortune?
—Such a baby as she is Poor little soul!
not fifteen, not quite fifteen yet, I am certain,
K 2
E32 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
for I remember now that her poor mother
wrote to us about her christening, and joking
about her father's choosing to give her the
same old-fashioned name as herself, and I am
positive that can't be above twelve, or perhaps
thirteen years ago: I am sure it seems like
yesterday! Poor little thing! Married, in-
deed!—It is something quite shocking! The
man must be a perfect monster!”
And in this way, her agitated spirits
worked and worried her into alternate pa-
roxysms of hope and despair, till by the time
Dr. Wroughtley arrived she really was in a
very disturbed condition.
“Why, what's the matter, Miss Barbaraº”
he exclaimed, before she could find breath to
explain herself. “Upon my word, you look as
if our friend Poll Parrot had been pulling
caps with you.”
“Oh! Dr. Wroughtley,” she exclaimed, in-
stinctively applying both her hands to her
‘front, and skilfully restoring it to its proper
place. “You won't make me laugh to-day,
say what you will,—for I have had a very
great shock!”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 133
* Good gracious ! How? Has the chimney
been on fire?” he replied.
“The chimney on fire!—I do believe some-
times, Dr. Wroughtley, you think that I am a
fool, you say such very odd things to me !—
But Heaven knows that all the chimneys in
the town might have been on fire, except your
own perhaps, without my feeling any thing
like what I have felt to-day!” was her touching
reply. -
“Don’t say that I think you a fool, Miss
Barbara! Upon my honour and word I do
not, and it is for that reason that I must beg
you to tell me without further delay what it
is which has caused you to send for me in
such a hurry.” And having said this rather
gravely, Dr. Wroughtley seated himself in his
accustomed chair, but he did not, as usual, stir
the fire.
“Read that, Doctorſ” said she, putting
Mr. Dorking's note into his hands, and look-
ing at him reproachfully; for she saw that
though he had lost no time in obeying her
imperative summons, he did not appear to be
particularly gratified by it.
134 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
The perusal of Mr. Frederic Dorking's la-
conic epistle, however, appeared to restore the
reverend gentleman to his accustomed good
humour in a moment, for he laughed merrily
as he read it, and said, as he gave it back,
“Only fancy the little rogue's having made a
conquest already.”
Miss Barbara looked at him with blended
astonishment and indignation.
“Do you think it a laughing matter, Dr.
Wroughtley?” said she.
“Why, no, my good lady, I don't believe I
do—that is, if you mean your question to
apply to matrimony—for I have always con-
sidered matrimony as a very serious affair;
but I certainly think there is something rather
amusing in the very quiet way in which your
little lady has been carrying on her flirtation.
I am sure I had not the least idea of it. Had
you?”
“I ?” exclaimed Miss Barbara, with a look
of horror; “do you ask me, Dr. Wroughtley, if
I had any idea that a child who ought to be
at school, or else playing with her doll in the
nursery, do you ask me, if I had any idea
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 135
that she was being made love to ? Fie,
Dr. Wroughtley ! Fie! You ought not to ask
me such a question—you ought to know me
better ſ” e -
And here Miss Barbara drew forth her
pocket handkerchief, and wiped her eyes.
“Come, come, Miss Barbara,” said the good-
natured Prebend, very kindly, “don’t take the
matter so very seriously. Miss Judith is deci-
dedly too young to be married, there is no
doubt of that, though I cannot help suspecting
that she is rather older than you fancy; but,
however, she is very young, too young, cer-
tainly. Nevertheless, I don't think such an
offer as this ought to break your heart, either.
Are you aware that the young man is already
in possession of seven thousand a-year, and
that at the death of his father he will have at
least as much more ? And are you aware,
too, that it is very confidently said by those
who know a good deal about the family, (our -
friends the Claytons, for instance,) that it is
pretty certain a dormant title, to which Dork-
ing the father would have been heir if his
grandmother had been his grandfather, will be
I 36 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
given to the said Dorking, father, imme- .
diately 4” -
Miss Barbara coloured, knit her brows, and
looked uncomfortable.
Fourteen thousand a-year and a coronet !
The ideas suggested by this statement were
almost too mighty for her comprehension,
and besides, she was not at all certain that
Dr. Wroughtley was not joking: whereas her
own little affair of Judith's six hundred a-year,
was a plain matter of fact thing ; intelligible
to the meanest capacity. -
“You appear to me to be talking very
wildly, Dr. Wroughtley,” she said ; “and, in-
deed, it seems quite impossible that any one
could talk seriously of marrying a girl of four-
teen, or thereabouts. So I do suppose you
are only laughing at me altogether.”
“Indeed I am not laughing at you, Miss
Barbara,” he replied; “on the contrary, I really
wish you joy, very sincerely. It will be a
prodigiously fine match for the young lady,
and though I really think her pretty and
clever enough to deserve any thing, yet still
we ought not to forget that such an offer as
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 137
this is not likely to happen every day. I do
indeed wish you joy, heartily.”
“And do you really mean to tell me,” said
Miss Barbara, looking at him by no means so
kindly as usual, “do you really and seriously
mean to tell me that I ought to permit a child
of that age to be married?” -
“There is no absolute necessity for her being
married immediately,” said her very reasonable
adviser. “I think you would be perfectly
justified in telling Mr. Frederic Dorking that
you cannot give your consent to her being
married before she is sixteen. This, according
to your present statement, will be waiting
two years, and this I think ought to satisfy
you.”
“Sixteen —To be married at sixteen —
It is perfectly shocking, Dr. Wroughtley !” ex-
claimed Miss Barbara, looking very angry.
“Well, then, say seventeen,” replied the
Doctor. “If he loves her as he ought to do,
he will consent to wait three years, rather than
give her up altogether. Shall you approve
the match if he will consent to this, Miss Bar-
bara 7”
138 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
“What I shall propose,” replied the lady,
“would be that we should express ourselves
highly gratified, of course, and all that sort of
thing, with his flattering proposal; but add, as
civilly as possible, that her friends cannot listen
to any thing of the kind at present, as the
young lady is not as yet of an age to think
about marriage. That is what ought to be
said, Dr. Wroughtley.”
Dr. Wroughtley however did not seem quite
to approve it. -
“Are you quite sure, Miss Barbara,” said he,
“that you are correct about the age of your
niece? Both in appearance and manner she
strikes me as being very womanly for fourteen.”
“I don’t think I said fourteen, Dr. Wrought-
ley. She may be rather more than fourteen.
But a month or two makes no difference ; and
the real fact is, that she is a great deal too
young to be married.” .
“It would be a great pity, my good friend,
to refuse such a match as this for her. And
to tell you the truth, I have more reasons than
one for thinking so. My opinion is that the
young lady likes him. I strongly suspect,
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 139
Miss Barbara, that, young as she is, the love
is mutual.”
This insinuation seemed to wound Miss Bar-
bara Jenkyns deeply. She became very red,
and looked very angry. -
“Love?” she exclaimed, indignantly. “It
is a dreadful suspicion to throw upon a poor
innocent child like that, Dr. Wroughtley, and
if I had not heard you say the words with my
own ears, I would not have believed that you
could have spoken so. Love, indeed! It is
perfectly shocking !”
“Upon my word, Miss Barbara, I don’t
think so,” replied the doctor, looking very
much inclined to laugh, though he knit his
brows and rubbed his chin as gravely as he
could. “But at any rate, you know, as the
gentleman has written to Miss Judith herself,
Miss Judith herself must answer him ; and if
my notions respecting the state of her little
heart be correct, and that her answer does not
quite condemn the youth to despair, why then,
you know, as her guardian, you will have a
perfect right to insist upon a little delay.”
“A little delay ?” cried the vexed lady,
140 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
with a deep groan. “I do not know you this
morning, Dr. Wroughtley ! But I suppose it
is because the whole thing is so ridiculous
that you cannot persuade yourself to treat it
seriously. Just fancy, if you please, what any
person of common sense would say, if they
were speaking seriously, of my letting such a
child as that receive a love-letter and answer
it ‘’”
“Why you do not mean to keep the letter
from her, do you, Miss Barbaraº” said the
doctor, looking her full in the face with very
unfeigned astonishment.
“Indeed I do mean it,” she replied, with
mingled indignation and dignity.
Dr. Wroughtley did not
“Wink as a Prebend ought not to wink,”
but he uttered a low, shrill whistle, such as
prebends are not in the habit of producing;
nay, he did more, for seeing that Miss Bar-
bara, upon hearing this very unclerical note of
remonstrance, had clutched with a sudden
movement the letter addressed to her niece,
and at the same moment glanced towards the
PETTICOAT GoverNMENT. 141
fire very much as if she meditated its imme-
diate destruction, he seized the lady's hand
and the note together, saying, in a very
friendly, but very serious tone, “You must not
do that, my dear lady; you must not, I assure
you.”
During the whole course of their long
acquaintance it is probable that Dr. Wrought-
ley had never shown, or indeed had any
opportunity of showing, so truly friendly a
feeling towards Miss Barbara as he exhibited
at that moment ; but, really, the indignation
of the lady could scarcely have been greater
had he manifested his difference of opinion by
boxing her ears. tº-
Her feelings, poor soul, were indeed of a
nature which it was quite impossible for him
to understand, and if the sudden and violent
destruction of all her fondest hopes may be
considered as an excuse for being in a pas-
sion, the unfortunate Miss Barbara might be
excused. e -
Was this the man whose admirable and
estimable prudence in waiting to ascertain the
amount of her improved income had alone
I42 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
checked his declaration of the tenderest
sentiments to herself? Could this audacious
pleader for another's passion, and one that
would for ever deprive her of any allowance
at all, be the same who had so lately dis-
played such flattering, such touching anxiety
to eat a tête-à-tête dinner with her ? The
change seemed too violent to be possible, yet
so it was
It would be scarcely fair, perhaps, to blame
her quite as much as, strictly speaking, she
deserved for the suspicions respecting poor
Dr. Wroughtley's motives which mixed them-
selves with her despair; but certain it is that
the possibility of the friendly prebend's look-
ing forward to future preferment, through the
interest of Mr. Frederic Dorking, did suggest
itself. But nothing could be more perfectly
unjust. Nay, at that very moment, it was
much more for the sake of Miss Barbara her.
self than for that of any other person con-
cerned, that the reverend gentleman was so
anxious to prevent the threatened destruction
of the billet doua.
“Stop, stop, stop! Miss Barbara,” he ex-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 143
claimed, as he still forcibly held her hand.
“If the young man is bent upon telling Miss
Judith that he is in love with her, your burn-
ing a hundred letters will not prevent his
doing it; but if you do such a thing as that,
you know, there is nothing that you can ever
do or say afterwards that can undo it.”
The earnestness of his manner rather
frightened her, and she began to suspect that
the burning letters consigned to her care
might not always be the best way of doing
business; but, nevertheless, she was much too
angry to yield to his remonstrance graciously,
or even to adopt his view of the case, as to
the necessity that the young man's letter
should ever reach its destination at all. g
“Don’t alarm yourself, Dr. Wroughtley,
about anything that I am likely to do,” said
she, with a very contemptuous look. “I
thank my stars I can take care of myself!
And really if I could not, I am not at present
quite certain that I should apply to you for
advice. I used indeed to think you a very
sensible man, Dr. Wroughtley; but I feel a
little doubt about it at present.”
144 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“Wery well, my dear lady,” he replied,
with great good humour, “I must not break
my heart about that, if I can help it; and I
don't much think I shall, because, to tell you
the truth, I expect you will change your mind
again upon that point some day or other.
However, I will not make an unconscionably
long visit, now that I am in disgrace. I will
go directly, if you will promise me, like a
good, honourable lady as you are, that you
will transmit that pretty-looking little letter
there to its proper owner.”
Miss Barbara took a moment for considera-
tion before she replied; but at length she
seemed in some degree to recover herself, for
she said, “Yes, Dr. Wroughtley, I do promise
it;” and she even smiled as she said so.
“That's well, then,” he returned, as he left
the room; adding, with a cheerful nod, “Good
bye, good bye! I am sure you'll forgive me
to-morrow.”
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 145
CHAPTER X.
MISS BARBARA JENKYNs would have deemed
it a very unworthy act to break a promise,
and one of which she felt herself to be quite
incapable; but, at the same time, she felt
herself quite at liberty to decide, according
to her own judgment, as to the manner in
which any and every promise she made should
be kept.
On the present occasion, in particular, she
had her own notions, and very firmly did she
resolve to abide thereby.
Having waited for the space of nearly
sixty seconds after hearing the house door
close, announcing the departure of Dr.
WOL. II. L
146 . PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Wroughtley, she took a neat envelope from
her desk, placed the pretty-looking little letter
within it, sealed it very nicely, and then, in a
clear, business-like hand, wrote the following
address, “To Frederic Dorking, Esq., Clayton
Hall.” Having contemplated her neat hand-
writing with great complacency, while waiting
till the ink should become dry without the
injurious intervention of blotting paper, she
again rang her bell, and it was with a voice of
more than usual dignity that she said to her
man William, as she placed it in his hand,
“Let this be given to the Clayton Hall servant
when he calls.”
“It wasn't one of the Clayton Hall
servants that brought the letter, ma'am,”
said William, as he received the important
document; and as he said it, there was
in his eye a look of half confidential intel-
ligence which his long service prevented
from being impertinent perhaps, but which,
nevertheless, was exceedingly annoying to
Miss Barbara.
She looked at him very sternly, as she
replied, “Give it to the person who brought
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 147
the letter I received this morning. You must
know that was what I meant.”
William was schooled, and instantly as-
sumed a look of very respectful stupidity; but
not the less for that did William feel very
perfectly persuaded that there was something
particular going on, in which the handsome
young gentleman who was staying at Clayton
Hall, and the beautiful young lady who was
come to live with his respected mistress, had a
great deal to do.
It is a very weak miscomprehension of
domestic arrangements to believe that servants
do not know quite as well as their masters
what is going on in the drawing-room, or the
ball-room either.
Judith had already been at several West-
hampton balls, and had never failed to dance
very many times with Mr. Frederic Dorking
at each. " Moreover, the Williams, and the
Johns, and the Thomases of the town had on
very many occasions seen Miss Judith escorted
by the same young gentleman in her morning
walks. It is true, indeed, that, upon these
walking excursions, the Dean's lady was always
L 2
148 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
of the party; , but what difference did that
make? And where was the William, the
John, or the Thomas dull enough to suppose
that it did?
So the letter was not given to Mr. Dor-
king's servant by Miss Barbara's servant
without a little friendly gossip being ex-
changed between them concerning its pro-
bable contents.
The unconscious Judith, meanwhile, took the
accustomed path to the Dean's residence, and
installed herself as usual at Mrs. Chilbert's
piano-forte, her love for music increasing in
proportion to the power which she found it
gave her of delighting her friend, and in pro-
portion, also, to the rapid progress which she
herself soon became conscious she was making
in it. And then, as usual, she passed a very
happy morning, not perhaps without an occa-
sional thought as to the probability that her
musical studies, and her miscellaneous chit-
chat with her charming friend, might be in-
terrupted by one of those not unfrequent calls
from Mr. Frederic Dorking, which both ladies,
to say the truth, were beginning to consider
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 149
as a natural, and not a very disagreeable, part
of the day's history.
But no such interruption came. There
might be, and there probably was, a feeling a
little akin to disappointment in both; but
they were too discreet to say anything to each
other on the subject, and parted at last exactly
in time to prevent the dinner of Miss Barbara
from being spoiled by waiting.
But something or other—it was impossible
for Judith to guess what—had annoyed Miss
Barbara, for she looked angry, red, and very
cross, and had by no means her usual excellent
appetite, a circumstance of very rare occur-
l'éIl Cé.
As the dull evening wore away, poor Judith
began to feel very weary and woe-begone, and
very earnestly did she hope that half-past
seven o'clock might bring Dr. Wroughtley and
the whist-table, which would at least have
saved her from the dismal task of performing
Some very unmeaning stitchery face to face
with aunt Barbara, and the misery of invent-
ing little speeches about once in ten minutes,
to prevent her being addressed herself by the
150 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
detestable question, “What are you thinking
about, my dear !” which would infallibly have
been addressed to her. -
But her wishes were vain, for no Dr.
Wroughtley came, and the only event which
occurred to break the monotony of the dismal
evening was the arrival of a note from Mrs.
Chilbert, which, strange to say, instead of
relieving her ennui, increased it tenfold. The
note only contained these words, which were
certainly anything but agreeable .
“MY DEAREST JUDITH,
“Do not come to me to-morrow morn-
ing; I shall be engaged in a manner that will
render it quite impossible for me to receive
you. But as soon as I am at liberty again, I
will let you know it, and then I hope you will
come to me instantly, to atone to me for the
privation I am compelled thus to inflict upon
myself.
“But believe me ever, whether absent or
present, your devoted friend,
“LAURA CHILBERT.”
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 151
“Is there any answer, Miss?” said William,
re-entering the room, after having left it for
about five minutes.
“No ſ” replied Judith, throwing the un-
welcome note into the fire as she spoke.
“Is not that rather an uncivil message to
send to the Deanery, Judith ?” said Miss Bar-
bara, looking very much as if she longed to
scold her. -
“It was not meant as a message,” replied
Judith. “The note did not require any an-
swer.” .
Miss Barbara thought the whole affair ex-
tremely mysterious, and she watched the
expiring embers of the note which had fallen
from the grate, and was breathing fragrance
as it died away, with a very disagreeable sen-
sation of hopeless curiosity.
That the reader may not share this un-
pleasant feeling, the circumstances of the case
shall be fully explained to him, when he will
perceive that, as usual, Mrs. Dean had done
precisely what was right.
Mr. Frederic Dorking's servant was a well-
trained domestic, and no loiterer; the packet,
152 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
therefore, which had been directed to his mas-
ter by Miss Barbara Jenkyns, and which con-
tained his own unopened letter to Judith,
reached his hands with as little delay as
possible.
Frederic Dorking was very far from being
an ill-tempered man; but on receiving this
offensive inclosure, he became as vehemently
angry as it was well possible for a well-tem-
pered young gentleman to be. And in this
there was little or nothing that could be
justly blamed: for, in the first place, he was
very heartily and sincerely in love; in the
second, he had very sufficient reason for hoping
that his feelings were, to say the least, not
displeasing to the fair object who had inspired
them; and, thirdly, he was quite aware that
the offer which was thus insultingly sent back
to him, was one which some of the fairest and
noblest in the land would have received more
graciously.
He had prudently taken care to be alone
when the answer to his important letter
reached him, although the emotion he had
anticipated was assuredly not precisely of the
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 153
nature which he now felt ; but while he stood
positively trembling from excess both of anger
and disappointment, it suddenly occurred to
him that the lovely Judith herself was evi-
dently no party to either, for his letter to her
was returned unopened.
The relief produced by this was great
indeed ; his hope, his more than hope, his
delightful confidence of success, returned to
him, and with a happy smile at his own folly
and the presumptuous impertinence of the
she-dragon who guarded the treasure he was
more than ever determined to win, he threw
himself upon his sofa to meditate at ease on
the measures which he must now take in order
to defeat the extraordinary machinations of
the old lady.
It almost instantly occurred to him that his
charming friend, Mrs. Chilbert, was the person
to whom he ought to apply to assist him in
his very singular embarrassment. He was
pretty tolerably certain that she was neither
ignorant of his intentions nor hostile to them,
and, moreover, he had seen enough of her to
be sure that whatever advice she might give
154 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
would be dictated equally by kindness and
discretion. Before the Clayton Hall dinner-
bell rang, he had written and dispatched the
following brief epistle —
“MY DEAR MRs. CHILBERT,
“Do not think that I encroach too
presumptuously on your kindness if I ask you
to let me see you for half an hour, alone,
to-morrow morning. I shall be at Westhamp-
ton by mid-day, and if I do not find your
door defended against me, I shall be very
truly grateful.
“Faithfully yours,
“FREDERIC DORKING.”
Mrs. Chilbert did not write any answer to
this note, but told her servant to say “very
well.”
And this was the engagement which the
Dean's lady considered to be of sufficient
importance to prevent its being interrupted
even by her petted friend, Judith Maitland.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 155
CHAPTER XI.
IT was very punctually at mid-day that
Mr. Dorking was ushered into Mrs. Chilbert's
drawing-room. There was nothing in the
least degree approaching embarrassment on
the part of the lady, and very little on that of
the gentleman. Her mother-wit had enabled
her to predict, with a confidence which pretty
nearly amounted to certainty, that Judith was
to be the subject of their tete-à-tête ; and his
estimate of Mrs. Chilbert's sagacity was suffi-
ciently just to make him feel equally sure that
she so interpreted his note.
The friendly smile with which she held out
her hand as he approached her, rendered all
I 56 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
that was to follow perfectly easy on both
sides. :
Her indignation at learning the undue
exercise of authority displayed by her “utter
aversion,” Miss Barbara, was everything he
could wish it to be; while the delicately hinted
encouragement which, under the circumstances
she thought herself justified in giving, was
precisely sufficient to sustain his hope that the
affront he had received had in no way origin-
ated with his lady love, but was entirely and
altogether the result of her detestable maiden
aunt's wish to prevent her marrying. :
“But why should she wish to prevent it *
demanded the young man, his colour modestly
heightened by the consciousness that the pro-
posal he had made was not such a one as
maiden aunts in general would be likely to
disapprove ; and thereupon Mrs. Chilbert, with
her usual tact and delicacy, took occasion to
mention the particulars of Judith's fortune
and position, taking the liberty of hinting that
in her opinion the conduct of Miss Barbara
Jenkyns could only be explained by supposing
that she wished to retain the guardianship of
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 157
a niece, for whose accommodation a very liberal
stipend would doubtless be allowed by the
Court of Chancery.
“Infamous!” exclaimed Mr. Dorking, with
very natural indignation. - -,
“It is indeed infamous,” replied Mrs. Chil-
bert ; “so much so, indeed, that I should
scruple, greatly as I dislike the individual, to
attribute such exceeding vileness to her, had I
not some reason for doing so. But I happen
to know that she has uttered a most pre-
posterous untruth in stating Miss Maitland's
age. She told Dr. Wroughtley that she
was very little more than fourteen, whereas
I happen to know from Judith herself, that
she was sixteen her last birthday. That
she has an interested motive for all this is
certain.” : - ,”
“Infamous !” again exclaimed Mr. Dor-
king.
“I do not wonder at your feeling very in-
dignant at such a statement,” returned Mrs.
Chilbert, smiling, “and the more so, perhaps,
because it is not quite impossible that other
persons, your own family for instance, may
158 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
still think my dear little Judith somewhat too
young to marry, although two years older
than her precious aunt states her to be.”
“I own I thought from her form and
stature that she must at least be seventeen,”
said the young man, anxiously, and looking as
if he hoped that his kind friend had blundered
a little in her statement.
“No!” she replied, shaking her head,
“Judith is little more than sixteen, I assure
you ; and though I see no reason why she
should not be made acquainted with your
flattering attachment, I confess that I think
you must wait a little before you marry. I
think she ought to be in her eighteenth year
first.”
Frederic Dorking breathed a very lover-like
sigh as he listened to these words; neverthe-
less he answered with a degree of candour
which did him honour, that he thought she
was right. \
“As I have your sanction for doing so,” he
continued, “I shall declare my hopes to her
before I leave the neighbourhood; and if I am
favourably listened to, I think I shall have
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 1.59
the courage to leave everything else in your
hands.”
“You do me honour,” replied Mrs. Chil-
bert, smiling, and then added more seriously,
“and I flatter myself that you do me
justice too ; for sure I am that if Judith
Maitland were my own daughter, I could not
feel more anxious than I now do to lead
her aright.”
“I do indeed believe it, my dear Mrs. Chil-
bert,” he replied; “and do me the equal justice
of believing that looking forward, as I dare
Venture to do, to making your lovely friend
my wife, I feel the very deepest gratitude to
fate and fortune for having placed her, at this
important period of her existence, within reach
of your influence. Poor little angel! I know
not what would become of her just now with-
out you! What would be her fate had she
Only her aunt Barbaraº”
“I certainly do flatter myself that I have
been some comfort, ay, and of some use to
her also, since she has come among us. And
if, when your own higher claims are esta-
blished, you will still permit it, I think my
160 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
usefulness may continue for some time longer
yet,” replied Mrs. Chilbert.
Mr. Dorking probably thought that the
future usefulness to which she alluded was to
be displayed in assisting at the selection of
the wedding garments, for his answer was the
happiest of all possible smiles; but this was
not Mrs. Chilbert's meaning. \
“I need not ask you,” she resumed, “what
your opinion is of our sweet Judith's musical
ability, for I have watched you when she has
been singing, and assuredly no fanatico ever
appeared more completely spell-bound by
sweet words. But, as you have assured us
that you practise not the art you seem so well
to love, I think it very likely that you may
already consider Judith's singing as near per-
fection as it is possible for any performance of
a mortal to be.”
“Indeed I do, Mrs. Chilbert I" he very
energetically replied.
“Now, then,” she said, laughing, “now I
shall put your good temper to a most tremen-
dous trial, for truth obliges me to declare that
in this belief you are completely mistaken.”
PETTICoAT GoverNMENT. I 61
The young man coloured, but he smiled too,
and therefore he probably was not very angry;
but he was conscious of being most profoundly
ignorant, and not choosing to confess that it
was not without difficulty he could distinguish
“God save the Queen” from “Ca ira,” he
replied, very adroitly, “That just at present it
would be very difficult for him to persuade
himself that anything done by Judith Maitland
could be otherwise than well done.” -
“Perfectly natural, and therefore perfectly
as it ought to be,” replied Mrs. Chilbert; “and
for that very reason, you know, it becomes my
duty, in my character of Mentor, to take care
that my dear disciple be not left too implicitly
to your guidance. Judith must positively have
a few singing lessons, Mr. Dorking, before she
is promoted to the honours of matrimony.”
“Fear not that I should oppose it, even
were I already happy enough to have all
power over her. But how is this to be
managed ? Or rather, to speak more honestly,
how is her removal from the power of this she-
dragon to be effected How can I expect to
be received by her on such a footing as I dare
voL. II. M
162 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
to hope for, as long as she remains under the
protection of the lady who, without deigning
to reply to my letter to herself, has sent back
that which was enclosed in it for her niece,
unopened?”
“Yes, there are difficulties before us, Mr.
Dorking,” replied the Dean's lady, rather
gravely, “I cannot deny it. However honour-
able, flattering, and advantageous your proposal
may be, it will not do to make the Deanery
the place of rendezvous between a young lady
and a lover, who has been treated by her ap-
pointed guardian, as you have been. You can
easily understand this, I am sure.”
“Too easily, much too easily, dearest Mrs.
Chilbert,” he replied. “And do not for a
moment suppose that I would ever wish it.
It would be equally objectionable for us all.
The only favour which at this moment I will
venture to ask of you,” he continued, after the
interval of a moment given to meditation,
“is, that you would permit me to meet Miss
Maitland here for half-an-hour, in your pre-
sence, before I leave this neighbourhood.”
“And that one favour I readily grant,” re-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 163
plied Mrs. Chilbert; “for I think the granting
it much preferable to the alternative upon
which my refusal would throw you, namely,
that of attempting a clandestine correspon-
dence with my young friend by letter.”
“Assuredly such would be my only alter-
native,” he replied, “and I shall ever feel
grateful to you for saving me from it. In
your presence, then, I will renew the proposal
I have already made ; and my dearest hope
must stand or fall, according to the manner in
which it shall be received. If this tremendous
ordeal be passed favourably, I shall immediately
state to my father and mother what has taken
place, and we must flatter ourselves that by
their intervention, this awful aunt Barbara
may be induced to treat me somewhat more
graciously.”
“I most sincerely hope that we shall so
manage matters, as to find ourselves perfectly
independent of Miss Barbara and her gracious-
ness, which, trust me, would never be of a
quality and flavour that we should any of us
greatly relish,” said Mrs. Chilbert. “Perhaps
you are not yet aware,” she continued, “that
M 2
164 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
my dear Judith has another aunt residing in
London; and though she also is of the old
maid species, and a little quizzical too in her
way, is a very much less disagreeable specimen
than our Miss Barbara. It rests with Judith,
..I believe, to decide with which of her two
aunts she will reside; and after what has hap-
pened here, I should imagine that any aunt in
the world would be deemed preferable to our
Miss Barbara. Heaven only knows what I
shall do without my sweet Judith. But I shall
scarcely be sufficiently selfish to advise her
remaining at Westhampton. It is greatly
more likely that I shall coax my kind hus-
band into passing a spring month or two in
London, and in that case, Mr. Dorking, it is
probable we may meet again. And now, as
I have given you the advantage of all the in-
formation I possess, it only remains for you
to tell me when your attack direct upon my
little Judith is to come off.”
, Even as Mrs. Chilbert uttered these light-
sounding words the colour mounted to her
delicate cheek, and a tear to her eye, and she
added, with a sort of abrupt earnestness that
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. I65
was very unlike her usual manner, “Upon my
word, Mr. Dorking, I shall be one of the most
unhappy women living, if I do not find, upon
longer acquaintance, that you are everything I.
wish you to be I tremble, very literally I
tremble, Mr. Dorking, lest I should be acting
rashly in this matter. She is such a sweet
creature! And at this moment the happiness
of her whole life is at stake. And that I,
knowing you so little as I do, should dare to
take so very decided a part, actually terrifies
me.”
And here the graceful self-possession, the
habitual savoir faire, the intense aversion to
everything like sentimental display, which all,
and each, made so essential a part of Mrs.
Chilbert's character, gave way before natural
feeling, and she wept as heartily as if she had
been a poor curate's wife, who had never
heard of such a thing as bienséance in her
life. •
Mr. Frederic Dorking, too, was one of those
who, like herself, cling very tenaciously to the
conventional graces and proprieties of life, and
who, even while thinking themselves authorized
166 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
by their position to do what they like, on
many occasions, when it would be fitting for
less favoured individuals to be governed by a
different law, rarely lose sight of the code
which regulates all things relating to the
usages of good society; and no one could ever
have accused him of making a display of any
sentiment too profound, either in quality or
Quantity, to justify his expecting sympathy
from those by whom he was usually sur-
rounded. But he, as well as his fair adviser,
was too much in earnest at this moment to
shape his words, or the manner of uttering
them, by any rule save that of genuine feeling;
and so earnest and so solemn was the tone in
which he besought her to believe that he felt
the immense importance of the assistance she
was giving him ; “And not that only,” he
added, “but I feel the immense importance
also of the deed you are doing; and all I can
say, all I can do rather, is, to prove to you,
by my future conduct, that I am not unworthy
the confidence which you have so generously
placed in me.” w
There was so much real feeling in the manner
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 167
with which these words were spoken, that they
could not fail in producing the effect which
the speaker desired. Mrs. Chilbert wiped her
tears away, and the remainder of the interview
was passed in arranging the manner in which
the young Judith should be made acquainted
with the serious nature of the attachment she
had inspired.
Mrs. Chilbert felt that it spoke well for the
delicacy of Judith's lover when he told her
it was his wish that she should acquaint the
orphan girl with his proposal, before he was
admitted to plead his own cause.
“I might judge differently on this point,”
he said, “if her only ostensible protector for
the present were a more efficient one than this
detestable aunt, whose vulgar impertinence has
placed herself absolutely beyond the reach of
any farther civility, or consideration of any
kind. Nay, if the sweet girl herself were a few
years older, I should not shrink, as I now do,
from the idea of startling her by an abrupt
proposal.” - -
“You are right—most right, Mr. Dorking!”
replied Mrs. Chilbert, with such eager cor-
168 pH TT1COAT GOVERNMENT,
diality of approval as settled the point at
once; and he left her with the understand-
ing that Judith should be invited to take a
tête-à-tête drive with her immediately, and
that if he would repeat his visit at the Deanery
on the morrow, it was possible that he might
find her passing a long, quiet day with her
friend.
“God bless you, dearest Mrs. Chilbert!” ex-
claimed the agitated young man, as he pressed
her hand to his lips. “Never, never can I
hope to make you feel all the gratitude you
have inspired " And then returning, after he
had left the room for a moment, he added,
“Do not let me come to-morrow if she receives
what you will say to her to-day unkindly or
coldly. If I hear nothing from you I shall
come. Töut if—if I receive a note from you
either to-night, or to-morrow morning early, I
shall leave the Hall directly, and you shall not
see me again, dearest Mrs. Chilbert, till I have
forgotten every thing connected with West-
hampton, except your kindness.”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 169
CHAPTER XII.
THE Dean's lady allowed herself about ten
minutes to restore her nerves to a proper de-
gree of composure, and then dispatched one of
the little billets which she was in the habit of
sending to Judith, and which brought her, as
she well knew it would do, without a moment
of unnecessary delay, ©
“How very, very kind it is in you to send
for me!” exclaimed Judith. “I am afraid to
tell you how broken-hearted your last night's
note made me; for if I do, you will at once
discover how completely you have spoiled
II].6,
“Did you at all try to guess, Judith, the
170 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
cause of my sending you that note 7" said
Mrs. Chilbert.
“There was no need of guessing, dear lady,”
replied Judith, “for you told me that you had
an engagement. And you have not yet so
completely turned my head, as to make me
doubt the possibility of your having any en-
gagement in which I was not concerned.”
“But you were concerned in this engage-
ment,” returned Mrs. Chilbert, looking at her
rather earnestly. “Will my saying this en-
able you to guess who my visitor might be *
Judith blushed like the red, red rose, but
only shook her head in reply.
“Yes, my dear, you are quite right. You
are quick at guessing, I see. That is very
clever of you, Judith.”
“What can you mean, Mrs. Chilbert l” said
Judith, endeavouring to look as innocent and
unconscious as possible. “I have not guessed
any thing I do assure you.”
“Never mind, Judith ! Matters have gone
a vast deal too far for jesting. And instead
of our thus idly amusing ourselves, it has be-
come my duty to speak, and yours to listen,
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 171
with a degree of earnestness that may be more
solemn than jocose. Frederic Dorking has been
with me this morning, my dear Judith, and
being acute enough to find out that I love
you dearly, has chosen me as a proper nego-
tiator between you. He loves you, my dear
child, he loves you devotedly, as he says, and
as I sincerely believe, and he has commissioned
me to ask if you will be his wife.”
Mrs. Chilbert had indeed banished every
thing like levity from her manner as she said
this, and either her unwonted gravity, or the
solemnity of the words she uttered, at once
banished the roses from the cheeks of Judith,
and left her as pale as a lily.
Mrs. Chilbert took her hand, and looked at
her with a feeling of alarm. “I have been
too sudden : I have startled you, my SWeet
Judith. And yet, dearest, it is I think im-
possible that you can be very greatly sur-
prised at hearing it. You surely knew per-
fectly well that he admired you.”
“But wanting me to marry him " Oh,
Mrs. Chilbert that is quite a different thing.
I am so very young, Mrs. Chilbert —Indeed,
1.72 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
indeed, I do not think he ought to have said
any thing about it yet.”
“Nor would he, Judith, were he not imme-
diately about to leave the neighbourhood,”
returned her friend. - -
“Is he going 7" said Judith, in an accent
which certainly did not manifest any very
great delight at receiving the information.
“Yes, Judith. He is going to the house of
his father, and I think you must therefore for-
give him if he has made his declaration rather
hastily.” l
“Forgive him? I did not mean that I
was angry with him, dear Mrs. Chilbert "
said Judith. “But, indeed, indeed, I am too
young!” -
“Most assuredly you are so, dear love "
replied her friend. “And so I told him,
Judith, and he is ready, though not perhaps
quite willing, to wait till you are older.
Therefore, you are not to answer him as
if he had asked you to marry him imme-
diately, but you are to examine your own
heart, my dear child, and ask yourself whether
you think you like him well enough to pro-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 173
mise that you will marry him when you are
older.”
Judith remained silent for a minute or two,
and then said, “Is not that a very difficult
question to answer ?”
“No, Judith, I should think not,” replied
Mrs. Chilbert. “But if you feel it to be so, it
will be safer perhaps to answer it in the nega-
tive.”
“I am sure I do not know what is best,”
said Judith, musingly.
“Did you ever see any body you liked
better º’’ said Mrs. Chilbert.
“No!—Oh, no!” responded Judith.
“Did you ever see any one you liked so
well?” inquired Mrs. Chilbert.
“No, Mrs. Chilbert, I never did,” returned
Judith, with considerable decision of voice and
Iſlä.EłIłęr.
“Then I should think it was a pity to
reject one who has so much to recommend
him, and who has given so decided a proof of
attachment to you,” said the Dean's lady, very
gravely.
“Reject him, Mrs. Chilbert! No! I would
174 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
not reject him out and out, and really for
ever, for the whole world, for I am sure I shall
never see any body that I shall think equal to
him —But yet it seems almost wrong to pro-
mise so many years beforehand.”
“So many years, Judith ?” repeated Mrs.
Chilbert, laughing. “How old, my dear, do
you think it necessary you should be before
you marry Z’’
“I believe I must be twenty-one before I
shall have a right to marry whom I like,” said
Judith, gravely.
“But what makes you suppose that your
guardians will object to your marrying Mr.
Dorking before you are of age 3 Has any
thing passed upon the subject between you
and Miss Barbara, to give you the idea that
she would object to it !”
“Do you suppose, my dearest Mrs. Chil-
bert, that I should ever dream of mentioning
Mr. Dorking to my aunt Barbara 7” said Ju-
dith, in a voice which seemed to express indig-
nation at the proposal, as well as averseness to
adopting it.
“And why not, dear child Mr. Dorking
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 175
is an eligible of the very first quality,” replied
Mrs. Chilbert, who felt rather curiously anxious
to ascertain what might already have passed
between the aunt and niece concerning him.
“Why should you feel so very decided a re-
pugnance to naming him to your aunt’
“I am sure you will say I am in love with
him if I tell you,” returned Judith, colouring.
“Well? And if I do say so, it could not
wound your feelings now, Judith, could it 4°
said Mrs. Chilbert. -
“Yes, it would, dear Mrs. Chilbert,” she
replied, “because I know very well that I have
not as yet seen enough of him to like him as
much as I believe I do like him; and his telling
you that he liked me, you know, would not be
any excuse for that. However, the real truth
is, that I cannot bear to talk of anybody I like
to my aunt Barbara. I would not mention
your name before her for more than I will say.”
“Why, what would happen if you did,
dearest?” said Mrs. Chilbert, laughing.
“Would she abuse me, Judith ?”
“No, Mrs. Chilbert, I have no right at all
to say that I think she would abuse you; but
I'76 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
I am quite sure that she would say something
cold and hard that I could not bear,” returned
Judith. - -
Mrs. Chilbert thanked her for this little
burst of affection by a kiss, and then said, a
little maliciously, “And you thought she
would say something cold and hard about
Mr. Dorking, Judith ?”
But Judith was now too much in earnest to
be checked by her playful manner, and replied
with characteristic honesty, “Yes.”
“Now then, dearest, I will be as candid
with you as you have been with me, and will
prove to your entire satisfaction that you were
perfectly right in yielding to the sort of
instinct which prevented your talking about
Mr. Dorking to your aunt.”
Mrs. Chilbert then proceeded to state
briefly, but very clearly, the history of the
letter, and its return to the writer with its
unopened inclosure to herself, and it instantly
became evident that not all the pleading in
the world, no not even if the fascinating
Frederic Dorking had been there to urge his
claims in person, could so effectually have
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 177
overpowered every obstacle to his wishes as
this plain statement. The battle had been
fought and won. -
There was, in truth, something in the whole
transaction particularly well calculated to pro-
duce on the mind of Judith exactly the effect
which her lover would have wished it should
do. For, young as she was, Judith was per-
fectly capable of appreciating the frank and
honourable conduct of Mr. Dorking, as well as
the unmerited and most unjustifiable insolence
with which it had been received.
He had been ill-treated—he had been in-
sulted; and this was quite enough to give him
interest in the eyes of Judith, even if the mul-
titude of his “good gifts” had not already
gone far in softening the heart of the young
beauty in his favour.
All that remained of Mrs. Chilbert's task
was performed, as may easily be imagined,
without difficulty. Her young favourite was
only too happy in listening to all her sugges-
tions as to what would be the best mode of
her passing the interval between the present
time and her arriving at the age of eighteen,
WOL. II. N
I78 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
a period at which Mrs. Chilbert thought all
such consent as was required for the marriage
would be very easily obtained for such pro-
posals as Mr. Dorking had the power of
making.
“And the interval, though it may seem
long to us now, Judith, will pass very rapidly
away,” said Mrs. Chilbert. “You told me,
dearest, did you not, that your kind mother's
testamentary letter gave you the power of
choice as to which of your two maiden aunts
you should reside with ?”
“Most fully,” replied Judith, joyously. “I
know the clause by heart, Mrs. Chilbert ; and
yet, though the reading it again and again has
been often a great comfort to me, as it showed
that I had the power to escape when I could
bear Miss Barbara's ways no longer, and yet,”
she repeated, while tears started to her eyes,
“I never ceased to remember, that when I got
rid of her I should lose you. And this has
kept me from ever seriously thinking that I
should take advantage of it before the time
that was fixed at my first arrival for my going
to my aunt Elfreda. But now—”
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 179
“Now, my dear child, the sooner you leave
her the better,” replied Mrs. Chilbert. “Her
conduct has been most unwarrantable in every
way, and I really think that Frederic Dork-
ing, when he is your accepted lover, Judith,
may fgel that the sooner you leave the pro-
tection of a person who has so offensively
treated him the better. My indignation, I
confess, is very greatly increased by the un-
mistakable cupidity of her motives. Had the
Chancellor not made you a very liberal allow-
ance, Judith, Miss Barbara Jenkyns would
not so very strangely have forgotten herself.
With her motives, however, be they what they
may, we have nothing to do. My advice
that you should change her protection for that
of your aunt Elfreda is the result of her
conduct, and not of her motives.”
“But how shall I bear to part from you?”
Said Judith, mournfully.
“I flatter myself that our parting will not
be a very long one, Judith. My dear, kind
husband yearly indulges me with a month or
two in London during the spring. He has a
very dear sister there, and soon we shall have
N 2
180 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
you also; and the Dean is not the man to say
‘No, I won’t, when I state my wishes to
him.”
... This was very delightful news to Judith,
and the brightness of young hope, that now
rapidly began to chase all the doubts, and
fears, and agitations which had assailed her
during the first part of this important conver-
sation, was very like the rising of the sun
upon a dewy and a misty morning, when cloud
after cloud gradually melts away, and nothing
is left but that lovely mixture of sunshine and
shade, without which not even nature herself
could be beautiful. 4.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 181
CHAPTER, XIII.
LOVE scenes are, for the most part, held
sacred, and such shall be the reverential
treatnfent bestowed upon the interview
between Frederic Dorking and Judith Mait-
land, which concluded by their parting
affianced to each other, and each profoundly
convinced that the world could not contain
any other being in the slightest degree capable,
in any way, of being compared to the perfect
being to whom this mutually pledged faith
was plighted. f
But though the mere love passages of this
interview may be omitted, during which,
indeed, even Mrs. Chilbert herself happened
132. PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
to leave the room, there were some matters
discussed which, if kept secret, would render
the progress of my narrative exceedingly
obscure; such, for instance, as were needful
for the arrangement of Judith’s greatly desired
change of residence.
Mr. Dorking was very temperate in his
language, and unimpeachably gentlemanlike
in his manner of discussing the subject; but
nevertheless, it was very clearly evident that
he did not wish his future wife to remain
longer than was absolutely necessary under
the protection of a lady so very decidedly
hostile to him. -
Judith, too, behaved extremely well, and
no longer having the dread of a protracted
residence with Miss Barbara and her parrot
before her eyes, she permitted the native
generosity of her young heart to plead (very
biberally) in mitigation of damages.
“If it be true, dearest Mrs. Chilbert,” said
she, “that the cause of her behaving in the
unwarrantable manner she has done is the
want of money, do contrive for me that, in
some manner or other, she shall be paid for
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 183
her disappointment. How can we manage
it without offending her ?”
“There is not the least danger of offending
her by doing as you wish, my dear,” said
her friend, “let the manner be what it may.
But she really does not deserve any very
delicate degree of consideration.”
“But Judith’s feelings, dearest lady, deserve
all consideration l’ said Mr. Dorking, with
an earnestness of eye and tone which would
have sufficed to convince Judith that he was
the most adorable human being in existence,
had any proof of this been still Wanting.
And then it was settled that Mrs. Chilbert
should manage the whole affair through the
friendly agency of Dr. Wroughtley. -
“He will be an excellent middle-man to
negotiate for us,” said she, “for, strange as
it may seem that Miss Barbara and I should
have any point of sympathy between us, it is,
I believe, nevertheless certain, that we both
of us are excessively fond of Dr. Wroughtley.
I love him for his good heart, and she
loves him for his good whist. So it only
remains for you to tell me, my dear, the
184 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
amount of the gratuity you wish to bestow
upon her.”
“Do not call it a gratuity 1" said Judith,
trying to look angry. “I should wish that
she should receive the same sum when I leave
her, that she would have done had I remained
with her till the 21st April, when, according to
agreement, I was to go to my aunt Flfreda.”
“Your wishes shall be laws,” said Mrs.
Chilbert, solemnly.
“And if I have not money enough, you
will trust me !” said Judith, with the innocent
frankness of a child. -
“Yes, I will, darling,” replied her friend,
looking at her with almost as much loving
admiration as her lover himself.
And then they agreed, in this council of
three, that Judith should immediately write
to her aunt Elfreda, stating to her that, for
some reasons to be explained hereafter, she
wished to leave her aunt Barbara immediately,
and come to her. - -
“I will not cause you to fall into a fit by
telling you that your aunt Elfreda has got
a twin soul to that of your aunt Barbara,
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 185 .
but I will just put you at your ease respecting
any doubts you might entertain respecting
her being ready to receive you. Maiden
aunts of moderate incomes are ever, by an
immutable law of nature, perfectly ready and
willing to receive young nieces under their
protection, if a Lord Chancellor allows them
six hundred a-year for doing so. Do you not
agree with me, Mr. Dorking 2*
“I wish she were not an heiress,” was his
reply. “I should not be the least surprised
if her aunt Barbara thought that her being
so was the cause of my proposing to her.
You must forgive me, sweet Judith, if the
cruel rebuff I received yesterday has left a
feeling not much akin to kindness towards
the old lady.”
“Alas! Mr. Dorking,” replied Judith, “if
the being very heartily angry with aunt
Barbara be a sin, I am a very offending soul
as well as yourself. Nor do I believe that
Mrs. Chilbert has a much clearer conscience
on that point than we have. But do not let
us talk any more about her You two, you
know, may do it so much more innocently
I86 PETTIGOAT GOVERNMENT.
than I can ; for though I find it very difficult
to believe, the truth is, that she is my own
dear mother's sister.” -
“And that shall protect her for ever and
for ever from all severity, even in thought,
from me !” said the young man, with very
graceful eagerness.
The two ladies exchanged a rapid glance,
but each said to the other by the aid of it,
“Is he not the most charming creature in the
world !” Perhaps, on the part of Judith,
the epithet adorable, in the place of charming,
would more justly express her feelings.
The interview, as may easily be supposed,
lingered on till Mrs. Chilbert herself was
obliged to bring it to a conclusion, by saying,
“And now you must positively go, Mr.
Dorking. As to Miss Barbara's dinner hour,
it has long been passed, and what sort of
apology Judith means to make for keeping
her waiting, I am at a loss to guess. I do not
mean even to delay her punishment by asking
her to dine here, because the moment I can
get rid of you both I shall sit down and
write a billet dour to Dr. Wroughtley, request-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. I87
ing him to take his coffee here, instead of at
home, which will give me a quiet opportunity
for explaining to him the commission with
which we mean to honour him; for the Dean
dines out, and our coffee will be taken tête-à-
iéte.” - - -
“I will go this instant,” he replied, “only
tell me, first, when I may be permitted to see
her again l’ -
Mrs. Chilbert laughed, both at the pathos
and the humility of this appeal, and the lovers
looked at her as if they thought her very cruel
and very hard-hearted. But she made her
peace with them by telling Mr. Dorking that
he would do well to delay his departure for a
day or two.
These words had an effect that might be
compared to the letting a very bright beam of
Sunshine suddenly enter a dark room. He
Seized his hat with gay alacrity, and looked
like the very happiest man in the world,
though in the very act of losing sight of all he
wished to look upon. -
“God bless you, for ever, and for ever ! my
dearest Mrs. Chilbert l” he exclaimed. “A day
188 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
or two is exactly all I ask. Before those days
are over, I feel confident that you will have
settled everything for us, exactly in the
best manner possible ; and that when we
part, it will not be without knowing, with
something like certainty, when we are to meet
again.”
One fond and lingering look, one kiss upon
the little hand, and he was gone !
It is not necessary to follow mot-à-mot the
conversation which ensued between the friends
during the little half-hour that followed. It
can surprise no one that Miss Barbara's din-
ner hour was again forgotte, or that even
when it was at length remembered again by
Judith, Mrs. Chilbert did not appear to deem
it a matter of very great importance.
“Yes, I dare say she will be very angry,”
said she. “But angry she will be, and angry
she must be, on weightier matters than that.
I hope you do not not really fear her, my
Sweet Judith ? If you do, confess it honestly,
and I will take you home myself, and breast
the storm that must of necessity arise when
she learns, as she must do at once, remember,
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. I89
that you are about to leave her house imme-
diately.”
“No,” replied Judith, “I do not feel that
I have any of that sort of fear which should
make me shrink from meeting her alone. The
interval which must intervene between, the
explanation on the subject of the returned
letter and my final departure from her house,
will not be very agreeable, certainly, but the
future, thanks to you, dearest, is so bright,
that I do not care much about the present.”
“That is precisely my own view of the case,
my dear Judith, or I should not see you de-
part for the dºn of the dragon with so much
philosophy as I feel about it at present. Of
course you will not yourself undertake the
task of informing her of your engagement to
the gentleman whom she treated so cavalierly,
nor of your intention of exchanging her pro-
tection for that of her sister. There will be
a little rough work in this, and our good friend
Dr. Wroughtley must perform it for us. He
will not do it willingly, perhaps, for he is by
nature a peaceable man; but he will do it well,
and kindly too, if he does it at all. And
I90 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
now run away like a lapwing, dearest and
eat your dinner with what appetite you may.”
Judith waited for no more, but bestowing
an eloquently silent kiss upon her friend,
obeyed her literally, and ran home like a
lapwing.
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 191
CHAPTER XIV.
MISS BARBARA was too fidgety, too ner-
vous, when she met her niece in the dining-
room, to be very angry at her being a little
too late ; on the contrary, indeed, she was
rather particularly civil.
In truth, she was beginning to feel a little
frightened at the energy of her own proceed-
ings, though she had assured herself, at least
a dozen times in the course of the morning, .
that she would do exactly the same thing over
again under the same circumstances ; and
more than as many times did she repeat, in
murmured accents of indignation and horror,
“A child of fourteen It is really too shock-
ing!”
192 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
And it is probable that she might have
succeeded in restoring herself to her wonted
state of self-approving contentment by this
view of the subject, had Dr. Wroughtley been
totally ignorant of the affair. But the most
poignant part of her uneasiness arose from
the fear that he might discover after what
manner she had kept her promise of consign-
ing the letter he had seen to its right owner.
She wished, yet dreaded, to see him, and was
altogether in a much more fluttered state of
spirits than her young companion, notwith-
standing the all-important promise she had
that morning given. But few things are more
true than the common axiom that nothing is
so tormenting as uncertainty; and such being
the fact, the great discomfort of Miss Barbara
is easily accounted for, the state of her mind
being in a most remarkable degree uncertain.
Miss Barbara Jenkyns had lived for many
years in a state of the most friendly and
happy intimacy with Dr. Wroughtley, with-
out having ever suffered herself to be tor-
mented by any uncertainty at all. Every-
body who knew Dr. Wroughtley declared that
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 193
he was a confirmed, though most delightful,
bachelor ; and Miss Barbara believed what
everybody said, and was tormented neither
by hopes nor fears on the subject.
But then came what Miss Barbara con-
sidered as a most complete and entire change
in her own position. And then, alas! followed
quick upon this persuasion the unfortunate
utterance of these ambiguous words, which at
once overthrew all that structure of temperate
feeling and maidenly composure of spirit
which had, for so many years, enabled her to
live unscathed, though continually exposed to
all the dangers of an intimacy with the in-
dividual whom she never scrupled to confess
that she considered as the most fascinating
man in the world.
Yet, in the midst of what must be allowed
to have been a very distracted paroxysm of
tender passion, the superior intellect of Miss
Barbara taught her still to hold fast to some-
thing approaching common sense. Instead of
foolishly flattering herself, as so very many
unfortunate individuals of both sexes do, not.
only that she was sought, but sought for her-
WOI, II. O
194 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
self alone, she immediately concluded that Dr.
Wroughtley was not likely, after living with
her on the terms he had done for so many
years without ever betraying any of the weak-
ness of that terrible passion called love, at
last to break through all bounds, as he had
now done, without having some reason for it.
And this reason she found in the change
which had taken place in her income.
Far from feeling hurt when this idea
occurred to her, she only admired him the
more for it. -
“What a blessing would it be,” thought
she, “if all men were equally reasonable,
equally considerate Our union poor-houses
would be no longer crammed with the
miserable products of imprudent marriages
No : if all men were like Dr. Wroughtley,
this world would be an earthly paradise !”
But although thus deeply philosophical, thus
admirably reasonable in the endurance of wishes
that she felt to be hopeless, it does not follow
that Miss Barbara was to be insensible to the
ecstacy of this unhoped-for Hope, when it
came at last. Miss Barbara might fairly be
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 195
considered as a model for spinster ladies, but,
after all, she was not a spinster angel; and it
certainly had been with a feeling of very
womanly triumph that she welcomed the Doc-
tor's approaches (as she fancied, poor lady ()
to love-making. This is surely quite suffi-
cient to account for her perturbed state of
mind at this eventful period of her existence.
But the dinner passed, and the evening
came; and the tea passed, and the night can-
dles came, but no Dr. Wroughtley appeared.
As to Judith, the evening, silently grim as it
was, wore itself away with vastly less tedium,
as far as her feelings were concerned, than any
tête-à-tête evening she had ever passed with
her aunt Barbara.
Happily for her fingers they had the fabri-
cation of a purse to occupy them; and for her
mind, it had enough in-door work to do, to
prevent any danger of tedium from the absence
of occupation from without.
So when ten o'clock came, she felt little or
none of her usual rapture at hearing the hour
strike, for she could think of Frederic Dor-
king, and London, and Mrs. Chilbert, almost as
O 2
196 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
conveniently while working at Miss Barbara's
twilight table, as when lying awake in bed.
But the morrow was destined to be an event-
ful day. It had been settled between Judith
and Mrs. Chilbert, that Dr. Wroughtley was to
be immediately summoned to the Deanery, in
order to receive the important commission
with which she meant to intrust him. He
came with ready obedience to her message,
and listened to all she had to tell with more
interest than surprise. He really behaved
admirably well throughout ; for though, as the
reader knows already, he disapproved Miss
Barbara's proceedings as much as Mrs. Chil-
bert herself could do, he was perfectly true to
his long-professed friendship for her, and per-
tinaciously persisted in declaring that he had
no doubt in the world that she fancied she
was doing very right.
“Well, well, dear Doctor, do not let us dis-
pute any more about that,” said Mrs. Chilbert,
a little impatiently. “When people do exactly
every thing they ought not to do, I care very
little whether they are more rogues or fools,
-—indeed, I am rather afraid that I like the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 197
rogues best. The question now before us is,
whether you will do us the great kindness of
being the negotiator between Judith Maitland
and her aunt. I know that the task is not a
pleasant one. But the present peace and fu-
ture happiness of this dear girl greatly depends
upon her removing from the protection of one of
her aunts to the other, with as little fuss and
fracas as possible; and no one in the world is
so likely to manage the business peaceably as
yourself.”
“No, dear lady,” replied the Doctor shaking
his head, “the task is not a pleasant one. But I
will not shrink from being useful, if I can be so.
Are you quite sure, however, that the fair Ju-
dith has the legal power of making this ex-
change 3 I thought that Mrs. Maitland had
left a paper containing an expression of her
wishes on the subject, and that Miss Barbara
Jenkyns was to have the charge of her.”
“Mrs. Maitland did leave such a paper, but
it expressly leaves the choice with Judith as
to which of her two maiden aunts she should
reside with.” -
“That simplifies the matter greatly,” replied
198 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
the Doctor; “and I confess that, after what
has passed, I think my good friend Miss Bar-
bara has very little right to expect that she
will be the favoured aunt.—It is a great
match, a very splendid match, that is offered to
our young friend. A pretty certain coronet, I
believe, and not less, certainly, than fourteen
thousand a-year, between his own estates and
those of his father. I cannot, for the life of
me, comprehend what the good lady's motive
could be for refusing it, and with such vehe-
ment symptoms of indignation, too. The
youth of the young lady, which she makes
such a fuss about, by no means explains it,
because it would have been so completely in
her own power to have delayed the marriage.
In short, her whole conduct on this point is to
me a complete mystery.” i
“It is not so to me, Dr. Wroughtley,” said
Mrs. Chilbert gravely. -
“Then unless your discovery be a very pro-
found secret, my dear lady, I do beseech you
to explain it,” he replied.
“Did it never occur to you, Dr. Wroughtley,
that the allowance which Miss Jenkyns re-
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 199
ceives with her niece might be a reason for
her wishing to retain her ?” replied Mrs. Chil-
bert. -
“No, upon my honour!” said he. “It never
entered my head, I do assure you. Never-
theless, I am quite aware that the allowance is
very considerable, and that my friend, Miss
Barbara, is by no means rich enough to make
it unimportant to her. But if the wish to
retain this has really, led her to refuse such
a very desirable settlement for her niece, I
must say that Miss Barbara has behaved ex-
tremely ill.” And the good Doctor looked
really distressed.
“If you can contrive to discover any other
motive for her conduct, my good friend, I pro-
mise to give up my own theory on the sub-
ject,” returned Mrs. Chilbert. “But let us not
waste any more time in discussing her mo-
tives. What her conduct has been we all
know, and it is this, and not her motives for
it, which must regulate our proceedings.”
She then explained to him exactly what the
commission was which they wished him to
undertake.
200 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“In the first place, dear Doctor,” she con-
tinued, enumerating the different parts of his
task upon her fingers; “in the first place you
must give her to understand, that Mr. Dorking
has made us acquainted with the insult he has
received at her hands by the return of his
unopened letter to Miss Maitland. In the
second, you must inform her that the said
Mr. Dorking, finding that his proposals would
not be permitted to reach the young lady in
what he conceived to be the most proper way,
had found himself obliged to have recourse to
a personal interview, which he has obtained
here. -
“Thirdly, we must request you to announce
to her that Miss Maitland has accepted his
proposal, on condition that he shall consent to
wait till she is in her eighteenth year; and
fourthly and lastly, you must be pleased to
make her comprehend that Miss Maitland, not
approving the mode in which she has been
treated, has already written to her aunt
Elfreda, informing her of all that has hap-
pened, and requesting permission to take up
her abode under her protection till the period
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 201
fixed for her marriage shall arrive. And
moreover, my dear Doctor, you may add, if
you like it, that in order to obviate all diffi-
culties as to Judith's journey to town, I have
promised to escort her myself.”
“Do you happen to have a little cherry-
brandy, or any other comfortable cordial, at
hand, Mrs. Dean * said Dr. Wroughtley, very
demurely. “You certainly think highly of
my courage, my good lady, or you would never
send me to carry such a bundle of fire and
faggot as this you have prepared for me.”
“Yes, I do think very highly of your cou-
rage, or rather of the kindness which will
inspire it,” she replied. “Wery seriously,
Dr. Wroughtley, I am quite as much aware
as you can be that the commission I have
given you is neither easy nor pleasant. But
what can we do for this poor dear child ex-
cept what we now propose ? Nevertheless, if
you really wish to escape this disagreeable em-
bassy, I will undertake it myself. But I
think you would do it infinitely better than I
should.”
“I do not know about that, Mrs. Dean,”
202 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
said the Doctor, rising, “but I beg you to be-
lieve that my thinking the commission a dis-
agreeable one, is not exactly the sort of reason
that would lead me to charge you with it. I
will in all my best obey you, madam, and you
shall hear the result as soon as the interview
is over.” -
And so saying he left her without waiting
to receive her thanks, but finding considerable
consolation from the thought, that if he was
in danger of mortally offending one lady, he
had a fair chance of very seriously obliging
tWO,
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 203
CHAPTER XV.
WHEN Doctor Wroughtley said that the
idea of performing the commission entrusted to
him by Mrs. Chilbert frightened him, he was
not jesting. He really did feel afraid of the
vehemence of his old friend's anger, and had
it not been for the little point of vantage
which her having so shabbily faltered about
her promise of “delivering the letter to
its right owner,” he might have felt more
frightened still.
From the Deanery he went at once to the
Jenkyns' mansion, and was at once shown
into the lady's study, where he found her
doing exactly nothing, though her open writing-
204 PETT1C0AT govKRNMENT.
desk was before her, and an open book lay
upon it.
Her colour was considerably augmented by
the entrance of the reverend gentleman, for
though she did not think it very likely that he
could have discovered what she had done with
Mr. Dorking's inclosure, she was quite aware
that if he had, he would reprove her for it.
A second thought, however, brought to her
heart the pleasant conviction that he could not
keep away, and it was therefore with rather a
tender smile that she pointed to his accus-
tomed chair on the hearth-rug.
But Doctor Wroughtley was too much occu-
pied by the grave business he had in hand
to notice either the blush or the smile ; he
obeyed the action of her hand, however, and
placed himself in the arm chair; but, alas!
he did not take up the poker to stir the fire,
which he had so long been used to consider
almost like his own |
Miss Barbara sighed. But neither did he
notice that. He had a walking-stick in his
hand, as usual, but instead of resting it, with his
shovel hat upon the top of it, in the recess of
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 205
the window, as a sort of signal that he was
going to make a good comfortable gossiping
visit, he now kept the said stick in hand, and
placing his hat on the top of it, he crossed his
hands over its crown, as if not only to keep it
in its place, but to show that he was ready to
go away at a moment's warning.
“It is rather a cold morning, isn't it,
Doctor º’’ said Miss Barbara, in the kindest
voice imaginable. -
“I hardly know, Miss Barbara,” he replied,
“for I have not been thinking about the mat-
ter. I have got rather a particular question
to ask you, Miss Jenkyns: I want you to
tell me, if you please, what you did with that
letter which Mr. Frederic Dorking inclosed to
you for Miss Maitland 7" -
The spirit of Miss Barbara Jenkyns was
painfully disturbed by this very particularly
plain question. To have given as plain and
explicit an answer would have been extremely
disagreeable to her, and therefore, notwith-
standing all her softer feelings towards the
questioner, she assumed the look and accent of
indignant displeasure. .
206 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“Upon my word, Dr. Wroughtley, your
manner of speaking to me is very extra-
ordinary. I don’t know any reason, sir, what-
ever, which should induce me to answer a
question so very rudely put.”
“I beg your pardon, my dear lady, ten
thousand times over, if I have said any thing
rude to you. I do assure you I did not mean
it. But you would have real cause to com-
plain of me were I, after so many years of
friendly and intimate acquaintance, to beat
about the bush when I have something really
important to say to you, instead of coming to
the point at once. However, I was wrong,
Miss Barbara, very wrong in putting such a
question to you, because it was no question at
all; for I knew all about it better than you
could tell me, without troubling you with any
questions whatever. You sent that letter back
to Mr. Dorking, Miss Barbara, instead of
giving it, as I told you, to the person for whom
it was intended, and I am sorry to tell you
that you have got yourself into a sad scrape
by it.” -
“I don’t understand you, sir,” returned
PETTICoAT govKRNMENT. 207
Miss Barbara, still endeavouring to look dig-
nified and undismayed. “You seem to forget,
sir, that I am the lawful guardian of the young
child that this impertinent young man chooses
to address in so very improper a manner.”
“No, my dear lady, you are not her guar-
dian. She is not your ward, but the Chan-
cellor's. But you see there has been nothing
but mistakes in this business from beginning
to end,--I mean on your side, my good friend,
for Mr. Frederic Dorking appears to have
made no mistake at all when he stated himself
to have been in love with your niece. Neither
did he make any mistake in thinking that a
coronet, and fourteen thousand a-year, offered
by a young man of good family and most per-
fectly unexceptionable character, deserved to
be received with more civility.”
“No offer of marriage made to a child of
fourteen ought to be received with civility,”
returned Miss Barbara, with a look which was
intended to express a vast deal of conscious
virtue of all kinds.
“There now, Miss Barbara, you come
exactly to another of your mistakes. What
208 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
put it into your head that your niece was
only fourteen 2 I can neither guess nor
understand this, for everybody that looks at
her takes her to be older, instead of younger
than she really is ; but the real truth is that
she is in her seventeenth year, Miss Barbara,
having completed her sixteenth year on the
twenty-second of the month before last.”
Miss Barbara opened her eyes to a most
prodigious size, and looked very much as if
she were going to contradict him ; but the
Doctor gave her no opportunity, for most
heartily anxious to get to the end of his task,
he paused not even to take breath. “I don't
mean to say,” he continued, “that sixteen is
not too early an age ; but youth, my dear
Miss Barbara, is an obstacle that melts away
with great and very certain facility, and can-
not, therefore, be considered as a reasonable
cause for refusing such an offer as that of
Mr. Frederic Dorking. However, be this as
it may, he has now made his proposals to the
young lady herself, and she has accepted them,
on the condition that he shall wait till she
has entered her eighteenth year, when, if the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 209
Chancellor makes no objection, she has pro-
mised to marry him.”
Miss Barbara's dismay at this overthrow of
all her hopes was very great, but her anger
was greater. She felt convinced that there
was a most iniquitous plot arranged for the
purpose of inspiring the quiet little Judith
with a spirit of rebellion to her authority, and
she doubted not, for how could she doubt it !
—that Dr. Wroughtley was one of the con-
spirators | Her anger, her indignation, her
absolute rage at this discovery, knew no
bounds. But the very excess of those terrible
feelings robbed her of all power of expressing
them, and taking advantage of her silence, the
cause of which he completely misinterpreted,
the unconscious Dr. Wroughtley went on.
“You are very injudicious, to say the least
of it, Miss Barbara, in taking so violent and
so uncivil a course, and the consequences, the
immediate consequences I mean, are such as
I fear will be any thing but agreeable to you.
I am just come from the Deanery, and it has
been very reluctantly, my good friend, I do
assure you, that I have complied with Mrs.
WOL. II. P
|
210 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
Chilbert's wish in coming here to acquaint you
with the measures that have been resolved
upon between that lady and your niece.
Miss Jüdith, I am sorry to say, is greatly
wounded by the manner in which you thought
fit to act, respecting the letter addressed to
her, and which was confided to your care; so
much so, indeed, that, as I understand, for I
have not seen the young lady myself, she has
announced her intention of immediately with-
drawing herself from your protection, and
placing herself under that of her aunt.
Elfreda.” e
Miss Barbara, very unadvisedly, clenched
her fist in a manner unmistakably hostile,
as she suddenly extended her arm towards
Dr. Wroughtley, and exclaimed,
“I defy her to do it! She is under my
protection by the order of the Lord Chan-
cellor l’”
Dr. Wroughtley, who felt that he had per-
formed the worst part of the truly disagree-
able task he had undertaken, either from the
lightness of heart produced by this pleasant
idea, or from the natural mirthfulness of his
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 2II
temper, which rendered him particularly prone
to laugh at what was comical, burst into a
very genuine and hearty fit of laughter on
seeing Miss Barbara's fist advance in so war-
like a manner towards him ; and suddenly
rising from his chair, he gaily caught her
hand in his, exclaiming, “You are not going
to box my ears, old friend, are you?”
Cold water thrown upon red-hot iron pro-
duces a grim blackness and a frightful hissing
noise, and the effect of Dr. Wroughtley's plea-
santry upon the wrathful Miss Barbara might
be not unaptly compared to it; only that “the
innocent iron,” notwithstanding its black looks
and its ugly hissing, could not have half the
propensity to do mischief which swelled in
the heart of Miss Barbara at that unfortunate
moment.
A man of a different temperament might,
perhaps, have guessed a little what was going
on within the lady's bosom when he saw her
face became so very red, and the expression of
her grey eyes so very fierce; but Dr. Wrought-
ley had never been in a passion in his life,
not even upon receiving the mandate to quit
* P 2
212 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
his kennel and his curacy, and though he now
looked in the face of his old acquaintance very
steadily, he did it with so little speculation,
that he saw nothing but what was comical in
it.—And again he laughed, at the same time
shaking her hand as vehemently as if it had
been that of some fox-hunting old friend,
whom he had not met for years.
But both the tragedy and the comedy of the
scene were too vehement to last long; Miss
Barbara became quite exhausted in her struggles
to liberate her hand, and burst into tears.
Dr. Wroughtley, too, got tired of holding it,
and having released her, and ceased laughing,
he prepared to depart, saying, with the most
innocent unconsciousness of the violent anger
he had excited, “Good bye, Miss Barbara !
Cheer up your spirits, my good friend!—You
certainly were not acting with your usual good
sense when you sent back the young gentle-
man's letter, but that will all pass by and be
forgotten when your niece has rewarded his
tender passion with her hand, notwithstanding.
But take my advice this time, and don't
attempt to make any foolish opposition to the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 213
young lady's going to London; for she has, by
the will of her late mother, the full power of
choosing which ever maiden aunt she prefers
as her hostess.”
Having said this he hastened out of the
room, not a little delighted that the visit was
over, and well pleased, too, now that it was
past, at remembering that he had been a useful
agent, aider, and abetter in so very agreeable
an affair as the marriage of such a sweet in-
teresting young creature as Judith with a
person so every way deserving her.
This was the state of mind of Dr. Wrought-
ley as he left the presence of Miss Barbara,
and it is very easy both to describe and ima-
gine it. But it is far otherwise respecting the
condition of Miss Barbara. -
We have never seen her hitherto in any
state of mind that may not be considered as
very natural and very common in ladies of
that particular description under similar cir-
cumstances. -
But far different was the case now.
Though she was still a maiden lady, although
she might have preferred being married, and
214 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
though she had found herself obliged to pay a
rent for her house when she would have pre-
ferred living in it rent-free, she had neverthe-
less, on the whole, enjoyed a very tranquil and
prosperous existence. Through the greater
part of this existence (since she arrived at
years of discretion, for Westhampton had not
been possessed of him before,) Dr. Wroughtley
had been a very important, perhaps the most
important, feature.
It has been already stated, and with perfect
veracity, that let the secret feelings of Miss
Barbara Jenkyns for Dr. Wroughtley have
been what they would, she had for many,
many years protected herself by her own good
sense and discreet forbearance from the folly
of falling absolutely in love with him.
But, unhappy lady the fatal moment came
at last, and a few unmeaning words lightly
spoken and, unfortunately, misunderstood,
plunged her at once into the desperate folly
against which she had for so many years
struggled with Such happy success |
The ingenious manner, too, in which she
had contrived to reconcile his present yielding
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 215
to the powerful passion which subdues both
gods and men with his long resistance to it,
confirmed her in her most pernicious blunder,
and led her to believe that instead of there
being any thing improbable in his suddenly
conceived intention of marrying her, it was, on
the contrary, not only the most rational, but
the most natural thing possible. If all this
be freshly kept in remembrance, together with
the alarming fact that the temperament of
Miss Barbara Jenkyns was not of the same
gentle nature as that of the amiable Doctor
of Divinity upon whom she had at length
bestowed her heart, some idea may perhaps be
conceived of the state of mind in which this
unfortunate lady was left at the departure of
Dr. Wroughtley from her study.
216 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE rage of poor Miss Barbara, however,
was of little avail. Dr. Wroughtley had no
idea of its vehemence. Judith guessed at it,
partly by her own sagacity and partly by the
report of Susan ; but, to say truth, she heeded
it not. And as to Mrs. Chilbert, it is to be
feared that she might have been more amused
than pained could she have been made ac-
quainted with the exact condition of her
neighbour's heart and soul. But as it was, she
thought little and cared still less about it.
She had never thought Miss Barbara a fitting
chaperone for her young friend, and her
conduct in regard to Mr. Dorking had fully
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 217
justified her in this opinion ; so that she very
generously rejoiced at her being removed,
although it would rob herself of a pleasure
which she had very keenly enjoyed.
Judith, naturally enough, dreaded her first
interview with Miss Barbara after Dr.
Wroughtley should have made her compre-
hend the present state of affairs; and in order
to be able to meet her with the assurance that
everything was finally settled for her removal,
she employed the time occupied by Dr.
Wroughtley's explanation in writing the fol-
lowing letter to her aunt Elfreda.
“MY DEAR AUNT ELFREDA,
“You may be a good deal surprised,
but I hope you will not be very much dis-
pleased, when I tell you that I wish imme-
diately to avail myself of my dear, kind
mamma's permission to reside either with you
or my aunt Barbara, and to take up my abode
with you. My reasons for this I will explain
when we meet, and I flatter myself that you
will then think that I have not acted im-
properly. I do assure you, my dear aunt,
218 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
that it is my wish to behave properly, and not
to be troublesome to anybody if I can help it.
But very strange things have happened here,
and I might, perhaps, be afraid that they
would be misrepresented to you, had I not the
great good fortune of enjoying the affection
and the advice of Mrs. Chilbert, with whom I
believe you are well acquainted. It is a great
comfort to me that I am able to tell you this,
and to assure you that I have done nothing
without her sanction and advice. She has
most kindly promised to accompany me her-
self to London, and to place me in your
hands, which will, I am sure, be the most
satisfactory proof you could receive of my
having done nothing which should make you
reluctant to receive me.
“Believe me, dear aunt,
“Your dutiful and affectionate niece,
“JUDITH MAITLAND.”
Finding, when she had written this epistle,
that it still wanted more than an hour of her
aunt Barbara's dinner-hour, Judith determined
to submit it to Mrs. Chilbert before she put
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 219
it in the post, both because she rather doubted
her own judgment as to the propriety of
boasting of Mrs. Chilbert's friendship, and also
because she did not like to state that lady's
approval of her conduct without making her
aware that she had done so.
“Ah! my Judith !” exclaimed the Dean's
lady on seeing her young friend enter. “You
are come exactly at the right moment to learn
the result of my letter to Rome !”
“You have received an answer!” cried
Judith, eagerly. “How very, very lucky that
it should have arrived before my departure
And what is the result, dearest Mrs. Chilbert :
Have you any intelligence for me?”
“No, my dear love, I have not,” replied her
friend. “All my correspondent has been able
to learn is, that Mr. Worthington and his
mother have left Rome. But do not look so
sadly vexed and disappointed, my sweet
Judith. Surely this cannot signify so very
much now !”
“Oh! do not say that l” cried Judith, with
her cheeks the colour of the crimson rose, and
her eyes filled with tears. “Oh do not say
220 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
that it is of no consequence now ! I know
that my aunt Barbara will say I have behaved
very ill in many ways, and particularly in all
that has happened about Mr. Dorking. But
the only thing for which my conscience re-
proaches me is what you say does not
signify.”
“Well, dearest, do not cry about it so pite-
ously, and I will promise not to say so again.
All I meant was, Judith, that nothing signified
at this particular moment but the great affair
of getting you well out of this troublesome old
lady's hands, without committing ourselves by
doing any thing that was outrageously con-
trary to etiquette ; because that, my dear
child, would bring us all into disgrace.”
“Forgive me, dearest Mrs. Chilbert P re-
turned Judith. “I am afraid that I must be
a very selfish person, for I positively feel at
this moment as if I did not much care for any
body or any thing but my poor aunt Wor-
thington "
“But how is that being selfish, Judith ?”
said Mrs. Chilbert, laughing, yet looking at
her at the same time with great affection. “I
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 221
don't see how forgetting all your own affairs
at this very important moment, and thinking
of nothing but your aunt Worthington, whom
you never saw in your life, can be called
Selfish.” - -
“Oh, yes! it is selfish,” replied Judith, while
the tears still testified the sincerity of her
emotion, “because, while you and Mr. Dor-
king, and good, kind Dr. Wroughtley, who has
had to bear all aunt Barbara's anger to-day,
while you are all so very, very kindly occupied
about me, I really do feel as if it was a sin for
me to feel happy about any thing while the
last wishes of my poor dear mamma about her
sister Penelope are forgotten And it must
be selfish in me to care so very much about
what nobody can feel but myself, when you
are all taking so much trouble about me.”
“I see no selfishness, dear love, but I do
See a little want of wisdom in your suffering
any thing to divide your attention at this mo-
ment with the important business before us,”
said Mrs. Chilbert. “When you are quietly
settled with your aunt Elfreda in London, I
have no doubt that you will meet with some
222 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
one or other who will be able to assist you in
the search that you are so dutifully anxious to
make. But, upon my word, at this moment I
do not think it wise or useful, in any way, to
talk or think any more about it. Have you
written to your aunt Elfreda, my dear?”
Judith answered in the affirmative, and
presented her letter for inspection, stating her
reasons for wishing that Mrs. Chilbert should
see it before it was consigned to the post.
“What a ‘transparent-hearted” little crea-
ture you are, Judith !” replied her friend, after
glancing her eye over the letter. “I must be
a cross creature for quarrelling with you for
throwing open your heart to me on one thing,
when I love you so much for doing it on
another. Nothing can be better than your
letter; seal it at once, dear, and I will send it
to the post for you.”
This was immediately done, and the few
moments which remained before it was abso-
lutely necessary for the poor girl to return to
the little-ease of her dreaded aunt Barbara's
presence, was judiciously employed by Mrs.
Chilbert in dwelling upon the pleasure she
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 223
should feel at delivering her from the clutches
of her dragon, and conveying her to all the
happy novelties of a first visit to London.
“But what shall I do for a Mrs. Chilbert £"
said Judith, shaking her head.
“I don't wish you to find any more Mrs.
Chilberts, Judith : we are only a variety of
the genus tyrant. But now I have begun
with you, it is quite as well that I should go
on; and in exactly two months from this time,
I have the Dean's word for it that I shall be
in London myself; and then I shall take you
again into my own hands, and renew my
favourite practice of making you do exactly
what I bid you.” -
Judith's joy at this announcement was ex-
pressed as vividly as it was felt.
“And now, then, I think I can face aunt
Barbara without even a shudder,” said .she ;
“I feel as bold as a lion But do not keep
me, or my courage will all evaporate, and I
shall appear before her trembling like a silly
sheep, which is a condition whereunto I do
not intend that she shall see me reduced.”
But with all her boasting, poor little Judith
224 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
did very literally tremble as, after preparing
herself for the dismal dinner table, she crept
down the stairs to take her place at it.
For a moment it was certainly a relief to
her to be told by William, when about to
enter the dining-room door, that she must
please not to mind dining by herself, as his
Missis was poorly like, and did not mean to
come out of her room.
For a moment this announcement unques-
tionably produced a feeling of relief; but in
the next, the poor girl began to feel frightened
at her absence. “What did it mean º' Was
it intended as an expression of unspeakable
anger? And what was likely to happen
next 7”
By degrees, however, Judith, young as she
was, began to arrange her ideas, and to take a
very rational view of her own situation. She
felt that at that particular moment she was
certainly very dismally alone, and tears again
filled her eyes as she thought of father, mother,
brother, and sister, all so lately possessed, and
now for ever lost
But her thoughts did not stop there. The
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 225
great, the wonderfully great good fortune
which had given the friendship of such a
woman as Mrs. Chilbert, and the love of such
a man as Frederic Dorking, to such a young,
half-educated creature as herself, appeared to
her, as it ought to have done, as being a
blessing far greater than she had any right
to hope for, and she blessed Heaven for its
goodness to her. gº.
And then gayer, lighter meditations fol-
lowed, and the thoughts of leaving West-
hampton and her aunt Barbara, made her
heart beat with hope and happiness.
Had she not known that Mrs. Chilbert
was going out to dinner in the Close, it is
probable that she would have run away from
herself in order to chat with her; but it was
better for her as it was, for before the
cathedral clock, by striking ten, gave her
notice that she was to put down her purse
and take up her bed-candle, a long train
of useful, self-improving thoughts had passed
through her young heart and head. She
remembered that where much was given,
much would be required. She made good
WOL. II. Q
226 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
resolutions, and prayed for power to keep
them. And when she laid her head upon
her pillow that night, she felt as if she were
considerably more than a day older than
when she had quitted it in the morning.
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 227
CHAPTER XVII.
To the best of young Judith's judgment,
it appeared to her more proper, after all that
had happened, and was about to happen,
that she should avoid any interview with her
aunt Barbara till that lady herself thought
proper to seek it. But she was very much
pleased to remember, as she thus decided,
that the habit, which had now been long
established, of her going every morning to
the Deanery for musical practice, enabled
her to seek her friend there now, without
putting either Mrs. Chilbert or herself
under the imputation of caballing against
lawful authority.
Q 2
228 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
It is so easy to imagine all that passed
at the Deanery during that and the following
days, that it is quite needless to recapitulate
it all, much in detail.
The answer from Miss Elfreda came exactly
at the hour it was expected, and contained the
kind and affectionate welcome that had been
anticipated.
Mr. Dorking dined at the Deanery on both
the days that intervened before the departure
of Mrs. Chilbert and Judith for London ; but
he was positively forbad to take his place
in the same train, or even on the same day
that the two ladies left Westhampton.
The good Dean approved this, as well as
all their other regulations, and cheered the
heart of the young heiress by telling her that
he knew the impatient temper of his lady
too well to attempt delaying their promised
visit to London for above two months. Dr.
Wroughtley had, as he well deserved, his
share in these pleasant, hope-inspiring fare-
wells; and in answer to Mr. Dorking's assur-
ance that there was no man whom he should
be more happy to receive both in town and
V
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 229
country, as soon as the establishments he was
about to arrange in both should be completed,
declared that he could imagine no possible
invitation that it would give him more
pleasure to accept.
After stating these facts, nothing more re-
mains to be told at present respecting Judith
Maitland's adventures at Westhampton, and I
may therefore announce her safe arrival at her
aunt Elfreda's lodgings in Green Street.
It was not till after considerable meditation
on the subject, that Mrs. Chilbert at length
decided that she would not prolong her cha-
peronship of her young fellow-traveller beyond
the house-door of her aunt Elfreda's lodgings.
There were few things that could have served,
or even pleasured Judith, which her friend
Mrs. Chilbert would have shrunk from per-
forming; but she very decidedly felt that she
had rather not meet the first outbreak of Miss
Elfreda's ardent curiosity respecting all the
wonderful events that had occurred at West-
hampton, and it was therefore at the above-
mentioned house-door that the two friends
parted, but not without a promise from Mrs.
f
&
230 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Chilbert that she would pay her compliments
to Miss Elfreda on the morrow.
All this was settled before the carriage
which brought them from the rail-road station
arrived at Miss Elfreda's door ; and if it had
not, all the precautions of the Dean's lady
would have been in vain, for Miss Elfreda, who
had been living for the last hour at the draw-
ing-room window, no sooner saw the vehicle
stop than she rushed to the stairs, and had
reached the bottom just as Judith and a few
of her packages entered.
But Mrs. Chilbert, having made the intel-
ligent servant who accompanied her compre-
hend that she did not wish to be delayed, made
her retreat in perfect safety while Miss Elfreda
was engaged in embracing her niece.
When she had concluded the first long hug,
and, looking up, perceived that the Dean's
lady was actually gone, and the house door
closed, she uttered an exclamation expressive
of something like despair; however, Judith
succeeded in calming her, by the assurance
that Mrs. Chilbert would call upon her on the
morrow. This, and the recollection of all she
- (h
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 231
had to hear, and all she had to say, restored
her to a tolerable state of composure, and with
one arm employed in carrying a carpet-bag,
and the other thrown round the waist of her
fondly-welcomed niece, she mounted the stairs
again in the very happiest temper and con-
dition of mind imaginable. But much as she
had to hear, and ardently as she longed to
hear it, she could with difficulty restrain her
personal feelings sufficiently to enable her to
listen to it.
Her vehement and not unnatural displeasure
against her sister Barbara, from the trick she
had attempted to play her respecting her share
in the guardianship of Judith, was by no
means subsided; and she felt perhaps a deeper
interest concerning the conduct which had now
driven the young Judith to leave her, and
which she was quite prepared to find “abomin-
able,” than for any other possible part of
Judith's expected narrative.
The intelligence she was so eager to gain
was, therefore, for a considerable time impeded
by the multitude of her own questionings and
exclamations.
§.
232 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
She never had, she said, no, never in her
life, heard of any thing one-half so shameful
as the conduct of her sister Barbara. Every
thing was completely of a piece from begin-
ning to end It was disgracefull Perfectly
disgraceful! She was absolutely ashamed to
listen to it. “But pray, my dear,” she sud-
denly burst forth, “where is your maid 2 and
where is your own footman? Have you not
brought them up to town with you ? Surely
you have not been travelling without your
own people,” she added, with a little affected
astonishment.
“My own maid 3 and my own footman tº
said Judith, laughing. “What made you think
that I had a maid and a footman, aunt º'
“You don't mean to tell me, my dear, that
you have not had your own servants to wait
upon you ?” returned Miss Elfreda, lifting up
her hands and eyes in the most indignant
astonishment.
“No, indeed, aunt,” replied Judith, “I have
had no servants to wait upon me, except those
of aunt Barbara. I never thought of such a
thing myself, and I don't suppose that aunt
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 233
Barbara did, either. She certainly never men-
tioned it to me in any way.”
“Then more shame for her, Judith ! This
is really and truly worse than I could have
believed possible ! No servants 3 and the
Chancellor making an allowance of six hun-
dred a-year ! Oh! Judith, Judith ! This is
very bad indeed. You have been used
shamefully, my poor child,—most shame-
fully! I must hire a maid for you instantly,
positively without an hour's delay. And yet
it is necessary to be so very particular in
London I will get the “Times,” and read
every advertisement before I sleep. And a
footman, too ; I must see about a footman im-
mediately. Not even to bring a maid with
you! It is too bad to talk about. Oh! too
bad a great deal. No wonder that you did
not stay with her The only wonder is that
you staid so long. I understand perfectly well
now, my dear, why you left her.”
Judith coloured a good deal, and felt very
considerably embarrassed as she listened to all
this, conscious that the real cause of her change
of domicile was of so very different, and so
234 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
much more important, a character. It was not
at last without considerable difficulty that Ju-
dith could keep her indignant partisan silent
long enough to make her understand, that she
would not have considered any thing which
merely affected her personal convenience as a
sufficient cause for taking, so decided a step as
leaving her aunt Barbara's house, when she
had covenanted to remain with her two months
longer.
“Then what was the real reason of your
coming away, my darling 7" exclaimed Miss
Elfreda, staring at her with eyes distended to
an unusual size by interest and curiosity. “I
am quite sure,” she added, “that you cannot
possibly have done any thing that you ought
not to have done, because our charming
Mrs. Dean would have cut her white hands off,
rather than have sanctioned your evasion by
coming up with you, if any thing of that sort
had happened. Tell me, then, at once, my
sweet Judith, for you have contrived, positively,
if I may be permitted the use of our dear
Hamlet's words, “to stretch my thoughts beyond
the reaches of my soul!”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 235
Judith smiled at her sublimity of expres-
sion, and immediately roused all the courage
within her to the making a fair statement of
her youthful love, and the obstacles which
Miss Barbara had thrown in the way of it.
She did not think it necessary, indeed, to
state that she thought Mr. Frederic Dorking
the handsomest, the most accomplished, the
most fascinating, and beyond all reach of com-
parison, the most adorable person in the world.
These particular opinions respecting the gen-
tleman she had promised to marry, she deemed
it more discreet to keep to herself; but with
this exception, her communications were toler-
ably confidential.
Miss Elfreda listened with a solemn still-
ness that was the more remarkable, because it
was so far unlike the ordinary tone of her cha-
racter and manner; but, in fact, she really was
a good deal startled at learning that a little
girl, the announcement of whose birth she
seemed to remember so very freshly, was en-
gaged to be married.
And this is an effect which may be often
observed in maiden aunts who are still a little
236 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
on the sunny side of fifty. Nevertheless, her
feelings were far from being of the same indig-
nant nature as those of her elder sister, and,
as she had happily heard the name of Dorking
as among the most brilliant of the untitled
aristocracy, she required but a very few mi-
nutes to bring her from a state of amazement
to one of great and triumphant satisfaction.
“I hope, aunt Elfreda,” said Judith, after
pausing for a minute or two at the conclu-
sion of her narrative, I hope you agree with
Mr. Dorking and Mrs. Chilbert in thinking that,
after such a marked affront as returning a
letter to him unopened, it would have been
improper for him to make any farther attempt
to become acquainted with my aunt Barbara,
and, therefore, that I must either have made
up my mind to reject him at once, or else to
withdraw myself from her protection.”
“Withdraw yourself!” she exclaimed.
“Upon my honour, my dear child, I doubt if
you ought to have remained a single hour in
her house, after you were made acquainted
with the fact.
“And this is her way of proving to you, to
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 237
me, and to the whole world, that because she
is the eldest, she is also the most fitting person
to have the charge of you ! You don’t know
yet, I believe, all the lengths she went to
prevent your ever being able to seek a refuge
with me! You may thank your poor dear
mother for her cautious kindness in making
you copy that letter. She burnt the letter, my
dear, and had there been no copy of it, you
must have probably waited till you were
twenty-one years old, my poor Judith, before
you could have been emancipated from her.
But it's all alike | Perhaps you don't know
that she wanted me to give up my share of the
house for nothing? Miss Barbara thinks her-
self very sharp-witted, and a vast deal cleverer
than any one else in the family, but she lets
the cloven-foot peep out too easily. I dare
say, if we were to listen to her, she would try
to persuade us that her atrocious behaviour
to Mr. Dorking arose solely from her decided
aversion to matrimony in general, and that
she was performing the part of a tender rela-
tive in guarding you from the threatened
danger. But no, Judith. She does not think
238 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
any such thing, and it would be only a con-
temptible affectation on my part if I pre-
tended to be ignorant of her real motives.
There is no use in mincing the matter, dis-
graceful as it is to avow the truth, or rather
disgraceful as it is to have such a truth
to avow ; your aunt Barbara's real motive
throughout the whole of this extraordinary
transaction is, that she may keep you unmar-
ried, Judith Maitland, for the sake of the
allowance you bring with you!”
Poor Judith blushed with a very painful
feeling of shame at hearing this suspicion so
very broadly stated, though certainly it did
not come upon her now for the first time, as it
had been pretty intelligibly alluded to by
Mrs. Chilbert. j
She said not a word in reply ; and this
silence avowed her belief in the truth of the
statement with sufficient clearness to prevent
Miss Elfreda from dwelling any longer on the
theme ; she only nodded her head as she
looked rather steadily in the face of her niece,
and said, “Yes, yes, my dear. Your looks
speak exactly the truth. It is too plain to be
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 239
pleasant ; so we will talk no more about it.
We shall have pleasanter things to think of,
shan’t we ?” -
Judith eagerly expressed her accordance
with this opinion, and then, partly by way of
effectually changing the subject, and partly
from the faint hope of learning what she so
greatly wished to know, she told her aunt
of all the useless efforts she had made to
discover the present residence of her aunt
Worthington, and asked if she could give any
clue by which further inquiries could be made.
Never was there a more sudden and dis-
agreeable change in the expression of a coun-
tenance than that exhibited by Miss Elfreda
Jenkyns on hearing this question It was
like the sudden extinction of gas-lights in a
theatre; but in order fully to comprehend
this, the reader must be told that notwith-
standing all her manifold absurdities in the
way of literary and scientific pretension, Miss
Elfreda Jenkyns had, ever since her arrival in
London, displayed very considerable adroit-
ness in the manner in which she had pushed
herself on, and on, and on, till she really had
240 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
contrived to get into a very good circle of
acquaintance, and one in which the Worthing-
ton connexion might be fatall Nothing, per-
haps, helps this sort of business more than the
adopting some particular line, in which those
who take the lead find it convenient, and
indeed necessary, to obtain a large train of
those whose destiny it is not to lead, but to
follow. Many gentlemen, and more ladies,
who love and patronise art, whether in music,
painting, or sculpture, find it necessary, if
their object be the making themselves influ-
ential patrons and patronesses, to admit a vast
many people to their personal acquaintance,
who would never have enjoyed the honour
were not their bank notes and sovereigns
exceedingly useful, and very easily brought
under command by this means.
Even “science divine” is not exempt from
the human needcessities which render this sort
of patronage of very sadly great utility; and
many a lecturer, who stands up before us with
more than the dignity of an earth-born Privy
Councillor, giving an insight into the hidden
arcana of the universe, would be fain to hide
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 241
his honoured head for want of a hat to put on
it, were there no enlightened and bustling fine.
ladies to sell his tickets for him.
Miss Elfreda Jenkyns found all this out
with wonderful quickness and perspicuity, and
that she had some talent was very decidedly
shown by the steady perseverance with which
she contrived to take tickets, and costly
tickets too, whenever she found that the doing
so would assist her object, even if her break-
fasts and dinners suffered thereby.
The farther she went, and the more she
succeeded in this object, the dearer it became
to her, not only from the positive pleasure it
brought with it, though that was much, but
also from the constant gratification of feeling
that she had done that for herself which so
many people pass their lives in endeavouring
to get others to do for them, and often in vain.
The astonishment and admiration which
this success occasioned to Miss Tollbridge too,
and which was constantly and vehemently
expressed, was another means of keeping up.
Miss Elfreda's intense interest in the business.
She had taken care, from the very first, to
WOL. II. R
242 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
&
make this rather humble friend understand
that she was never to be taken, a law, the
severity of which Miss Elfreda condescended
to soften by occasionally observing that she
really was not herself in a sufficiently high
situation of life to attempt bringing any one
forward in society, that she lamented the
impossibility of doing so, &c., &c., to all which
of course Miss Tollbridge listened with sub-
missive acquiescence, feeling that if she did
not, she might, in the vain pursuit of one
object, endanger the loss of another, and that
other, perhaps, more important still ; for Miss
Elfreda Jenkyns having, by considerable skill,
more perseverance, and not a little good luck,
got herself pretty nearly into the position
which she had rather dreamed of than hoped
for during the meditations which for years had
occupied her spirit at Westhampton, felt her-
self called upon to patronise the friend whose
companionship had formerly been so consola-
tory to her; and this patronage was now
afforded in the shape of very frequent little
accidental dinners, to which, without ceremony,
poor Miss Tollbridge was almost always wel-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 243
come when she happened to come in (which
was rather often) a short half hour, perhaps,
before the well-known time of Miss Elfreda's
principal repast.
Both the ladies being much too philoso-
phical to drink anything but water, for Miss
Elfreda's success had not gone the length of
making her a dinner-guest among her distin-
guished friends,-the cost of such hospitality
was not much, and being greatly less im-
portant to the giver than to the receiver, was
really a source of gratification to both.
Such being the position of Miss Elfreda, it
is easy enough to conceive that the hearing of
such a matrimonial connexion as that now
proposed to her niece, was like Seeing a new
and brilliant career opening before herself, in
which she should have to perform a part of
great importance, and that not by Sufferance
but by right. -
From the moment she became acquainted
with the facts which Judith had, of course,
been really obliged to relate in order to
explain the change of residence, Miss Elfreda's
admiration and love for her knew no bounds.
R 2
244 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
The advantages of the very handsome
allowance she was to receive with her were,
in her estimation, absolutely not worth think-
ing of in comparison to that of being aunt to
a peeress, with a revenue, at the very least,
of fourteen thousand a-year.
She really looked at the unconscious little
girl, as she thought of all this, with feelings
very nearly approaching adoration, and might
in this way have done her still but half-formed
character very great injury, had Judith been
sufficiently at leisure to observe and appre-
ciate the influence she had obtained.
. But fortunately this was not the case, for
she was still so merely a child in many
respects, that not even her tender devotion to
her absent lover could prevent her being too
much excited and amused by the multitude of
new and striking objects by which she was
surrounded to leave her any leisure to specu-
late upon the feelings of her “good-natured
aunt Elfreda.”
The stay of her kind friend Mrs. Chilbert
in London did not, on this occasion, exceed a
few hours, for such had been the condition
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 245
upon which she had obtained the indulgent
Dean's permission to perform the really im-
portant service of becoming travelling chaperon
to her young friend. And when she was
gone, Judith acceded, with a readiness more
accordant with her age, perhaps, than with
the sober dignity of her position as an engaged
woman, to all the sight-seeing projects that
her devoted aunt proposed to her. --
The delight of Miss Elfreda, upon discover-
ing that she had the power of amusing her
precious young niece, notwithstanding the
absence of her lover, was great indeed.
Frederic Dorking had very properly be-
taken himself to the residence of his parents
for the purpose of informing them of the im-
portant step he had taken, and his first letter
to his lovely bride elect conveyed to her the
agreeable intelligence that his parents were
perfectly satisfied with his choice in all that
respected her fortune and position in life; for
the name and reputation of her distinguished
father were well known to them, and his
mother, with her own hand, added a very
amiable postScript, assuring the chosen of her
246 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
dear Frederic's heart that she looked forward
to the making her personal acquaintance as to
one of the happiest moments of her life, for
that she knew the fastidious delicacy and
refinement of his taste too well to feel the
least doubt that the lady he so passionately
wished to make his wife would prove exactly
all she should most wish to welcome as a
daughter.
This charming letter made Judith feel very
happy, even though it conveyed the any thing
but welcome intelligence that her lover would
not be in London for some weeks; the only
condition appended to the consent to his
wishes, which had been so freely accorded,
being, that Frederic should remain with them
till they could all come to town together,
which could not be till the middle of the fol-
lowing month, in consequence of workmen
being in possession of their London mansion
at the present moment.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 247
CHAPTER XVIII.
JUDITH's first feeling at learning that Fre-
deric Dorking would not arrive for several
weeks was very painful, and the more so,
because there was nobody to whom she could
express it. Had Mrs. Chilbert been with her,
the pleasure of talking of him might in some
degree have atoned for the pain of not seeing
him. But talking’ about him to poor dear
aunt Elfreda would have been really too
ridiculous; and so poor little Judith actually
crept up to her own room, and locking herself
in, indulged for a few minutes with weeping
in secret. - y
Nevertheless, it was this poor dear aunt
248 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
Elfreda who hit upon a source of consolation
which, after a little time, proved wonderfully
effectual.
& C You look pale, my sweet love,” said the
affectionate lady, gazing anxiously at her,
when, upon the entrance of a housemaid, she
was driven from the shelter of her bed-room,
and obliged to return to the drawing-room.
“We must take a drive, Judith ! Nothing
will do you so much good. Besides, my dear,
you must positively buy a new bonnet. I
shall take you at once to Lady Longword's
milliner. I don’t often go to her myself,
because I can't afford it ; but you, darling,
can afford any thing, and every thing, and
therefore it is to Madame Gerond's that we
will go.”
“Not to-day, please, dear aunt. I don't
feel as if I cared about bonnets this morning.
Another day I shall like to go very much,
I dare say, but I am sure I shall not find any
thing pretty to-day.”
Miss Elfreda laughed very good-humouredly.
“Well, well you are born to be a pet, and
to have your own way, so our bonnet business
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 249
shall be postponed. But will you let me say
one little word of real business to you, Judith ?
I would not bother you for the world, darling,
if I could help it, and I will say it all, in as
few words as possible.”
“Upon my word, aunt Elfreda, I am afraid
you will spoil me,” replied Judith, leaving her
chair, and seating herself close beside her aunt.
“Say as much business as you like, and you
shall see that I will listen to you as gravely
as if I were a lawyer.” - -
“You don't look at all like a lawyer, my
dear, but you look very like an angel, and I
must give you a kiss,” was the fond reply.
“But what I have to say is real business,
Judith. You cannot understand as yet, but
you will by and by, how perfectly impossible
it is for a young lady like you to live in
London without a carriage. Even if I did
not think it improper, I am sure Mr. Frederic
Dorking would, as well as his father and
mother; so, in short, it cannot be thought of.”
“Well, dear aunt, don’t think of it, then.
Buy me a carriage, if you like it, and we will
drive about in it together,” said Judith, gaily.
250 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
“No, sweetest 1 I must not buy you a car-
riage, and I will tell you the reason why.
You are to be married to Mr. Frederic Dor-
king in one year from the present time, and
then, of course, you will have new carriages,
and all that sort of thing, you know; we all
understand that. And then, my pretty one,
think what a loss it would be to have a car-
riage upon your hands.”
“What are we to do, then 2° returned
Judith, laughing. “I must have a carriage,
and I must not have a carriage. How is it
to be managed 4”
“Why, my dear, you must hire a carriage.
Not a trumpery hiring by the day, or the
month, or any thing of that kind, but for the
season, at the very least for the season. Do
you understand me, dearest ?”
“I understand exactly enough to be very
sure that whatever you do will be right,” re-
plied Judith; “and it will be very kind of you,
if you will manage every thing for me in the
way you think best.”
This explanation was perfectly satisfactory
to both parties, and in justice to Miss Elfreda
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 251.
it is but fair to state, that the only use she
made of this unlimited permission to arrange
every thing her own way, was to put every
thing in her little household upon a perfectly
proper and commodious footing for the accom-
modation of her niece, running into no un-
necessary extravagance, yet surrounding her
with what was suitable to her fortune and
future prospects.
It was not this very proper and necessary
explanation, however, . which furnished the
consolation for Judith's disappointment,
which has been mentioned above ; and the
said explanation, and its good effects, have
been referred to for the purpose of giving
the reader to understand that all such
domestic matters were properly arranged,
and that the style in which the young
heiress made her début, under the protec-
tion of her London aunt, was exactly what
it ought to be. i
The consolation was a matter of less im-
portance, and consisted in a proposal to take
Judith to the National Gallery, in Trafalgar
Square. -
252 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
“It is a picture gallery, is it not ?” said
Judith, eagerly. d
“Yes, love, it is the national picture gal-
lery, and every body goes there, of course,
especially before the exhibition is open.”
And to the National Gallery, they went ;
and the consolation consisted in Judith’s being
speedily so much interested as to make her
forget, very nearly, every thing in the world,
except what was before her eyes. There are
two ways of enjoying pictures. The one is
by indulging a natural passion for imitative
art, which often exists in the absence of every
qualification for judgment save innate feeling.
The other arises from the exercise of a culti-
wated taste, and a competent knowledge of
the principles upon which judgment rests.
Judith, as yet, was wholly and utterly in-
competent to taste this last named species of
gratification ; but, to the first, she was, indeed,
most feelingly alive.
But she would have given much, could she
have been alone ; her aunt's anxiety to make
her see every thing, interfered greatly with her
enjoyment.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 253
When once a picture had got possession of
her, it was like being torn away from a half-
read volume of the deepest interest to make
her move on to another; and when, at last,
she reluctantly consented to leave the rooms,
she felt so completely exhausted as to be
totally incapable of taking part in the gossip-
ing conversation to which the high spirits
enjoyed at that moment by Miss Elfreda,
particularly disposed her.
Yet poor Judith really tried to exert her-
self, and to be agreeable ; but the effort was
a vain one, so much so, indeed, that her aunt
at last stopped short, abruptly, in the midst
of a very lively harangue upon the Superiority
of London to Westhampton as a residence,
exclaiming, “Judith, my darling ! you are
ill l’’
There was so much genuine uneasiness in
the accent with which this was spoken, that
Judith exerted herself very strenuously to
remove the alarm which her silence and lan-
guor had occasioned, and at length succeeded
by saying, “You may always believe me, dear
aunt: I will never tell you any stories about
254 . PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
any thing. And I am sure you are too kind
to be angry if I sometimes appear particularly
stupid, as I believe I do now. But it is only
because I am tired.” -
“Then you did not like the Gallery, my
sweet love l’ cried Miss Elfreda, with the
eagerness of one who had made an important
discovery. “You shall never go to that nasty
tiresome place again, dear angel!”
Judith Smiled, and shook her head.
“Then it was the people, sweet love 3 Ah,
you are spoiled, darling ! Mrs. Chilbert is one
of the most elegant women I know, though
certainly I do now know a great many. And
there is somebody else, who shall be nameless,
that I feel pretty sure is exceedingly elegant
also. So that accounts for it, dear. You
have been bored to death, by finding yourself
in the midst of a parcel of ill-dressed, vulgar
people. But wait a few weeks, dearest: only
be patient till the London season really be-
gins, and you won’t have that to complain of.”
Whatever was the cause of Judith’s tempo-
rary fit of languor, this tirade upon the mau-
vais ton of the company at the National Gal-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 255
lery completely cured it; and though she really
did look pale and tired, she laughed with so
much genuine heartiness, that the anxious
heart of her devoted relative seemed com-
pletely re-assured thereby, while the heart of
Judith herself was re-assured likewise by Miss
Elfreda's saying, “Remember, my treasure,
that you are never, upon any account, to go
any where or do any thing that you do not
like. Will you promise me always to keep
that in your dear little head?”
Dr. Wroughtley had not greatly blundered
in the estimate which he had formed of
Judith’s character at their first interview.
She had a multitude of good qualities, but a
readiness to yield to control (when affection
did not bribe her to it) was not among them.
She nodded her head with a very comic
sincerity of accordance when this arch-imperial
mode of self-government was suggested to her,
and said, “I am afraid, aunt, I shall only find
it too easy to obey you in this. But I will be
as good as I can—that is to say, as little un-
reasonable ; and as I am not very old yet, we
may comfort ourselves with the hope that even
256 PETTICOAT govKRNMENT.
if I am rather unreasonable sometimes, I may
grow wiser by and by.”
“You are a perfect angel in every way,”
was the reply; and if Judith's recovered spirits
did not make her feel more inclined to laugh
again than would have been quite civil at that
moment, Miss Elfreda had no means of finding
it out, for she had turned her saucy face out of
the window.
On the evening of that day Judith was
formally presented to l'amie de la maison,
Miss Tollbridge, or more properly speaking,
Miss Tollbridge was presented to her ; and it
was done, too, in a manner to make a very
strong impression on the self-willed young
heiress, an impression, by the way, very par-
ticularly in contradiction to that which it had
been Miss Elfreda's intention to produce. -
“This is Miss Tollbridge, my sweet Judith,”
said she. “A lady that you will often see
here, for she is good enough to be useful to me
in a hundred ways; but you need not trouble
yourself sweetest, to stand upon any ceremony
with her. Her comings and goings, you know,
must never make any difference. If we are
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 257
going out, we shall go out without minding
her, you know ; or if we have any one par-
ticular here, she will go away without at all
minding it, either. You will remember that,
darling, because it is better that we should all
understand one another. You comprehend
me, dearest ?”
Judith comprehended her perfectly. She
comprehended that Miss Tollbridge was a
person whom her aunt Elfreda gave her leave
to treat with all possible impertinence, setting
her the example herself. -
Whereupon Judith, with her characteristic
wilfulness, and with the help, also, of one or
two other peculiarities equally characteristic,
quietly determined in her very heart of hearts
that she would never, under any circumstances,
omit any possible kindness, respect, or atten-
tion, which it should be in her power to show
her. s -
Her answer, however, indicated nothing of
all this to Miss Elfreda. “Very well, aunt,”
very soberly uttered, being all that she said.
It is just possible that an acute observer
like old Dr. Wroughtley might have found, or
WOL. II. S
258 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
fancied more meaning than Miss Elfreda found
therein ; but even if she had done so herself,
her rejoinder would have consisted then, as it
did now, in an enthusiastic enunciation of some
loving epithet, which, to say truth, our pre-
sumptuous heiress had already become so cer-
tain of hearing, that it did not produce any
very powerful effect upon her feelings.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 259
CHAPTER XIX.
Poor Miss Tollbridge was in truth rather
poorer now than when we parted with her
last ; for her brother was dead, and before he
departed this life he had got himself into so
bad a scrape with an unmerciful landlady that
he must have died in a prison, had not his
unfortunate sister consented to sink for ever
a portion of her miserably small income in
order to extricate him.
She was now, therefore, poor soul, still less
inclined to quarrel with Miss Elfreda's bread
and butter, because it was not always seasoned
with kindness, than even when that compa-
ratively well-endowed and decidedly distin-
S 2
260 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
guished personage first took up her abode in
London.
All visions of being invited to make part of
her establishment had, of course, long ago
melted away; but the ladies were, never-
theless, still useful to each other, and for this
reason their intercourse was still constant and
frequent.
Miss Elfreda, however, was by no means aware
how useful she was to her humble friend when,
for the purpose of putting her in her proper
place, as she would have termed it, she took
the trouble of making Judith fully acquainted
with all the most disagreeable circumstances
of poor Miss Tollbridge's position, principally
for the purpose of putting her upon her guard
against the danger of becoming too familiar
with a person in such a lodging, and with such
a total absence of every thing that was most
essential to the situation of a gentlewoman ;
but also, partly, for the pleasure of pointing
out the enormous distance which her own sta-
tion in society rendered inevitably necessary
between herself and her old acquaintance.
It would have been wiser had she let the
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 261
subject alone ; for though Judith was greatly
comforted by finding that her ardent love for
Mr. Frederic Dorking and her approaching mar-
riage with him were as vehemently approved by
her aunt Elfreda as they had been vehemently
opposed by her aunt Barbara, she was not the
sort of girl to give up her judgment on all
points because she was satisfied on one. Nei-
ther did she find her sympathy at all awakened
by the immense mass of tender epithets with
which her aunt loaded her; and before she
had been eight-and-forty hours in the house
she had left the drawing-room twice, solely
because she was so desperately weary of being
called angel and darling.
After all, this was but a trifle, however ;
and in matters more important every thing
seemed to go on admirably. -
Before Judith had been ten days in London,
she found herself with an extremely intel-
ligent, hair-dressing, mantua-making lady's-
maid, and with a carriage, horses, coachman,
and footman, constantly and entirely at her
command. -
The contrast between this system and that of
262 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
her aunt Barbara was sufficiently striking, and
there could be no great doubt as to which she
was likely to prefer; and yet it is a positive
fact, that if Judith had questioned her own
heart upon the subject, she would have found
it difficult to decide which of her two aunts
was most thoroughly distasteful to her.
Miss Barbara had treated her like a child,
but Miss Elfreda treated her like an idiot.
But the real point upon which she found them
both so utterly “unloveable,” to use the word
which suggested itself to her when meditating
upon the subject, was the interested selfishness
which she found it impossible to be blind to,
in either.
More than once after she had retired to her
own room for the night, dismissed her maid,
and laid her young head upon the pillow, she
did not sleep, but passed the hours, at least a
portion of them, in meditating upon the
character of the mother she had lost. “Was
ever contrast more complete l’ thought Judith.
• Mamma seemed never to think of herself
She was for ever and for ever trying to do
good, or to give pleasure, to some one. Oh!
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 263
why have I lost her, and lost her so very soon 4
Had she lived, I might have grown like her;
and now, who knows what I may be like ’’’
And then her thoughts wandered to her
aunt Penelope, that still unknown sister of her
dear mother. And not only because she was
still unknown did the heart of poor Judith
cling to the idea that in all probability she
was more loveable, but because, as she well
knew, that dear mother had in truth loved her
better.
“Am I then never to find her ?” murmured
Judith ; and again and again she tormented
herself by trying, vainly trying, to hit upon
some scheme for achieving this.
“In London, where there are so many
thousands of people, there surely must be
somebody that could tell me, if I could but be
happy enough to find them,” thought she.
And then she determined to make an ex-
periment on the morrow, as to whether some
of the immense quantity of love professed for
her by her aunt Elfreda might not be made
to exercise itself in endeavouring to find out
what she was so painfully anxious to learn.
264 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
Having come to this sage resolve, she once
more turned upon her pillow, and this time
went to sleep. -
Her first thought on the following morning
was concerning the best way of putting this
resolution in practice. She had not forgotten
the cold discouragement of the answer which
she had received from Miss Elfreda when she
had written to her on the subject, nor the
cold silence which had followed her former
questioning ; nevertheless, she tried to persuade
herself that it was next to impossible to be
called “lovel” and “darling !” one moment,
and to be told the next that an object in
which her wishes and affections were so very
deeply concerned was to be put aside, because
the pursuit of it might be attended with some
uncertainty and some trouble. The reality,
however, was greatly worse than her very worst
fears had predicted.
The conversation began by Miss Elfreda
expressing her hopes that her “darling little
angel” had slept well. “Why, I cannot say
I did sleep very well,” replied Judith; “at
least, I certainly did not sleep very much, for
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 265
I heard the clock strike three before I began
my sleeping business at all.”
“My treasure l’ exclaimed the fond aunt,
in an accent of the most tender alarm.
“What could have occasioned this, my
Judith ? Remember, you must always tell me,
sweet one, if you find any thing in your room,
or most especially in the bed where that dear
little head reposes, which is in any way dis-
agreeable or uncomfortable to you. I would
have every upholsterer in London set at work
upon it, my Judith, rather than not have it
remedied l’ -
“You are too kind, my dear aunt,” replied
Judith, feeling more than half ashamed at
listening to such unbounded effusions of affec-
tion, while conscious that she felt little or no
power to return it. “But the fault was less
in the bed, than in the head that rested on
it. Nevertheless, I think that the kindness
that would do so much to smooth the one,
might help to tranquilize the other.”
“You dear angelic creature How divinely
you express yourself!” cried Miss Elfreda,
rapturously. “Only tell me, love, how this
266 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
tranquillizing may be achieved, and you shall
see that I will speedily set about it. I suspect
already that I guess the nature of it, my
darling. Do not those beautiful eyes, which
could not be closed in sleep till three o'clock
this morning, do they not ache with longing
to behold a certain youth, whose initials
are F. D. 2” -
“No, that is not it,” replied Judith, slightly
colouring, and slightly frowning also. “My
mind is perfectly easy on the subject of F. D.;
and though it is likely enough, perhaps, that
I might dream of him if I slept, it is not
likely that I should lie awake in order to
dream without sleeping. I never lie awake
when I ought to be asleep, unless I am un-
happy about something.”
“But what could make you unhappy last
night, my beloved child?” said Miss Elfreda,
in an accent of touching tenderness. “You
know, at least I am sure you ought to know,
my Judith, that there is no happiness which
the earth could give which I should value so
greatly as the dear power of making you happy
for a single hour !”
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 267
“And it is because you seem to be so very
kind to me, my dear aunt,” returned Judith,
“that I am going to tell you what it is that
makes me now so unhappy, as to prevent my
sleeping even in your pretty comfortable bed ;
for I cannot help thinking that, with your
large acquaintance, you must know somebody
who would be able to help me in finding out
what I am so very anxious to know. The fact
is, that I shall never be happy, aunt Elfreda,
no never, till I have found out where my aunt
Penelope and my cousin Charles are. Do you
not think you could assist me in finding them 4”
Where shall I find a simile that may help
me to describe the effect which these words
produced on the features, expression, voice, and
attitude of Miss Elfreda. ? A sudden thunder
cloud obscuring the brightness of a summer
day will not do at all, because there is often
a great deal that is grand and beautiful in
this sudden change. But not so was it with
that, which now metamorphosed the whole
look and bearing of Miss Elfreda Jenkyns.
Instead of being grand, nothing imaginable
could be more miserably pitiful than the
268 JPETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
mortified expression which her homely features
assumed as Judith pronounced the unfortunate
names, which, as she believed, were more
calculated to injure her in her pride of place
than any others in the wide world. And as
to beautiful! Is there any one who wants to
be told that an elderly lady did not look
beautiful when feeling most horribly disgusted,
and most Savagely cross %
There was a moment of very disagreeable
silence. Judith had already said exactly what
she wanted to say, and therefore said no
more ; and as for Miss Elfreda, she was for a
short period too nearly choked by anger to
say any thing. º
“Is it possible, Judith Maitland 3’ she
articulated at last, “is it possible that my
sister Barbara can have had you with her for
very nearly four months, and neglected, during
the whole of that time, to inform you that the
name you have now pronounced is a disgrace
to the family to which it belongs Has she
so utterly neglected her duty, as not to make
you aware that the only circumstance by
which it has pleased Heaven to atone to us
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 269
for the unmerited obloquy which that name
has brought, has been by placing the unworthy
owner of it in a situation too distant and too
obscure to injure us?”
Judith Maitland possessed some really good
and estimable qualities, but an imperturbable
temper was not among them, and it is highly
probable that at that critical moment la belle
harmonie, which had seemed to exist between
the aunt and the niece, would have been
destroyed for ever by some violent outbreak
of indignation or the part of the latter, had she
not fortunately remembered, and precisely at
the right moment, that it was but a few short
days since she had quarrelled a l'outrance
with another aunt, and that it was possible
neither Mrs. Chilbert nor Mr. Frederic Dorking
might greatly approve her again placing her-
self in a situation which would render it
necessary for her to pack up her wardrobe
and seek another dwelling.
Still the struggle by which this was pre-
vented was, not a slight one, for she became
very pale, which was by no means usual with her.
It was, however, the best thing that could
270 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
have happened, for it frightened Miss Elfreda,
and set everything to rights in her tender
bosom at once. Her reasonings upon the
inexpediency of a quarrel had been as rapid
and as effectual as those of her niece; and
though as firmly resolved as ever to prevent
so splendid a prospect as that which was open-
ing before Judith to be marred or obscured in
any way, by permitting her to come in contact
with connexions so deplorably disgraceful as
the Worthingtons, she wanted but a moment's
reflection to convince her that there were
better ways of preventing it than by quarrel-
ing with the future peeress, or than by making
her turn as white as a sheet by scolding her.
In short, Miss Elfreda felt greatly ashamed
of her own violence, and did all she could
to atone for it by saying, with a charming
smile-
“How silly I am, my sweet girl, to permit
you to see how deeply the ill-conduct of my
sister Penelope wounded me! She was a
very lovely young woman, my dear Judith,
and one whom all her family might have been
proud of, had she not committed an act so
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 271
utterly, so every way disgraceful. Just fancy,
dearest, what it would be if you were to fall
in love with your footman l’
And Miss Elfreda shuddered from head to
foot; and Judith shuddered too, but not
exactly in sympathy. Her thoughts shot off
from Miss Elfreda and her dainty little
drawing-room, to the walls of the National
Gallery, and her heart whispered, “He too
was a painter.”, It was a whisper, because
nobody heard it but herself; but it was deep,
distinct, and marvellously effective in its power
of screwing her courage to pretty high resis-
tance pitch. -
In short, both ladies at the same moment
vowed to themselves a very solemn vow. That
of Miss Elfreda bound her to keep her precious
young charge pure and undefiled from all contact
with so lamentably disgraced a pair as Mrs.
Worthington and her son Charles : while
Judith vowed, with at least equal solemnity,
that she would find them, even if she were
driven to the disagreeable necessity of copying
an advertisement which she had read with
great interest in the “Times,” since her arrival
272 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
in London, for the purpose of announcing to
all whom it might concern, that if Penelope
Worthington, late of Rome, or her son Charles,
would make known their present residence
through the medium of that invaluable mes-
senger 'twixt man and man, they should hear
of something very greatly to their advantage.
Which did not merely mean, as Judith told
herself, that they would obtain thereby a
whole boxful of diamonds, but that they would
find also a niece and a cousin ready to love
them ten thousand times the more, because
nobody else belonging to them seemed inclined
to love them at all. g
Which lady kept her vow best will be seen
in the sequel; but they both derived a very
considerable advantage from the mere mental
act of registering this said solemn promise in
their hearts, for it gave them both leisure to
recover the placidity of their respective tem-
pers, so that by the time breakfast was over,
no looker-on would have been likely to guess
how very near they had been to a serious
quarrel.
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 273
CHAPTER, XX.
THE weeks which immediately followed
wore rapidly away, even though Frederic
Dorking was not yet come to town, (for his
father's house in Berkeley Square was not yet
ready to receive the family,) and even though
the gay part of the London season had not
yet commenced.
For still there was abundance that was new,
and abundance that was amusing to such a
young novice as Judith ; and Miss Elfreda
managed very ably to get her young niece
included in almost every invitation that was
worth having. The difficulty of doing this
was indeed not very great, for youth, beauty,
and wealth, with a faultless toilet, amiable
WOL. II. T
274 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
manners, and a magnificent voice, ever good-
humouredly at the service of those who
wished to hear it, altogether furnished forth
a guest for whom it was not very difficult to
obtain invitations. On the whole, therefore,
Judith was very well contented, for she got
plenty of books to read, plenty of new music
to practise, and an excellent piano-forte for
the purpose.
Yet still she did certainly long rather im-
patiently to see Frederic Dorking and Mrs.
Chilbert again, and did sometimes, perhaps,
feel a less vivid degree of interest and
delight at the lectures and other scientific
meetings to which her aunt Elfreda led her,
than that very superior minded lady would
have wished.
But on the whole they went on exceedingly
well together; Judith herself very consider-
ably increasing the stock of her own particular
enjoyments, by being permitted to command
the carriage for about two hours before it was
wanted for any purpose in which her aunt
took personal interest, in order to visit the
National Gallery, as well as every other col-
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 275
lection of pictures to which either money or
interest could obtain admission. -
Fortunately for the enjoyment of all the
parties concerned, the aunt and niece, after
an explanation of the most obliging civility on
both sides, arrived at the conclusion that on
the subject of picture-seeing their tastes did
not exactly accord. -
“In everything else, dearest,” said Miss
Elfreda, “we really might be twin sisters; but
as to your fancy of going again and again to
the same picture-gallery, it would be absolute
affectation if I pretended to take any pleasure
in it. I must see a picture for the first time
in order really to enjoy it.”
“Then I would not have you go with me
for the world, my dear aunt,” replied Judith ;
“and, fortunately, good Miss Tollbridge is of
my way of thinking and not of yours. She
has promised to be ready to go "with me
whenever I will call for her, and I know you
can have no objection to my going with her,
because you so often let me take my early
walk with her in the park.”
“Most certainly I have no objection,” re-
T 2
276 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
plied the discreet Miss Elfreda. “Miss Toll-
bridge is, in every respect, a most perfectly
proper chaperone whenever you go out early,
my dear child. But though as yet you may
not, perhaps, be aware of the difference, I
doubt if either Mrs. Chilbert or Mr. Frederic
Dorking would say the same after two or
three o'clock. That makes an immense dif-
ference, which you will understand better after
you have lived in town for a few years, my
darling Judith.”
Judith, not being a particularly dull person,
was already very fully capable of compre-
hending her aunt's feelings and motives; but
nothing was to be gained for the humble
friend thus unceremoniously summoned and
dismissed by descanting on the subject, and as
it was clearly evident that Miss Tollbridge
was never so happy as when permitted to be
in attendance on the young friend who was so
constantly and so feelingly kind to her, their
proceedings were carried on in a manner very
decidedly agreeable to them both.
In this manner Judith became more famili-
arly acquainted with the treasures of art to be
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 277
found in London than one in a thousand of
its inhabitants, of any age or sex. Her love
of painting was, in fact, one of those inborn
and predominant tastes which are sometimes
found to develope themselves almost without
cultivation, and with little or no encourage-
ment of any kind, save what so resolute an
individual as Judith may almost always find
in the gradual but constant increase and
strengthening of the faculty itself—an en-
couragement and a reward which, perhaps,
none can fully appreciate except those who
have profited by it themselves.
Be this as it may, the happiness of Judith
during these exciting months of a perfectly
novel state of existence was in a very great
degree owing to it ; and, with as little real
sympathy as could well exist between two
human beings who were both, in the main,
well-intentioned, a degree of friendly intimacy
took root during their daily expeditions be-
tween the old maid and the young one of
which the enlightened and lady-like Miss
Elfreda never dreamed, and of the extent and
sincerity of which it would have been very .
278 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
difficult to convince her by any avowal on
their part, however veraciously exact or cir-
cumstantially confidential.
For what could have appeared more pre-
posterously improbable in her eyes, or indeed
in those of most people, than that a brilliant
young heiress, just stepping forth into the
sunshine of her prosperous existence, conscious
both of beauty and talent, conscious, too, both
that she loved and was beloved by one as
highly and as brightly favoured by nature and
by fortune as herself, should feel her heart
touched, won, and very firmly bound to a
poor, plain, needy, isolated, quizzical, middle-
aged spinster, who possessed neither shining
qualities nor brilliant talents of any kind
Yet such was most decidedly the fact.
“And what was the charm, can you guess,
Which made them so fond of each other º'
Wholly and solely on Judith's side it was
the charm, the sweetly-soothing, heart-warm-
ing charm that for ever accompanies the con-
sciousness of conferring real benefit and inno-
cent enjoyment upon a fellow-creature,
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 279
It was, in fact, precisely the reward which
our Great Master offers when He utters the
simple-sounding command, “Love one another.”
On the side of Miss Tollbridge it was just
as simple, just as natural, and therefore as
exactly what it ought to be. She felt the
sweet young kindness shown her at the very
centre of her heart, and its pulses beat all the
better for it, poor solitary soul | n
Judith Maitland was, in truth, a kind-
hearted little girl, but this would not have
sufficed to have made her arrival in London
so great a blessing as it certainly was to the
desolate spinster, had nothing occurred to
awaken another equally marked propensity of
her nature. Judith had within her a feeling
of hatred to oppression so strong, as to form
very nearly the master feeling of her mind.
There was but one other which could be
said to rival, or even approach it in intensity,
and this was, the devotion of heart and
soul which her nature seemed to offer spon-
taneously when she found, or fancied that
she found, talent and worth combined.
To be enlightened and to be good, she
280 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT,
held to be the nearest approach to perfection
that any mortal could reach ; and her heart
and intellect seemed to hold themselves ready
to bend, bow, and swear allegiance to the
union, wherever she could find it.
She did not fancy that she had found it in
Miss Tollbridge, but she did more than fancy
that her position was not a happy one, that
the means she possessed did not suffice to
provide her with such necessaries and com-
forts as she had been accustomed to enjoy,
and might fairly have hoped for from the
station in which she was born, and, moreover,
that these inabilities and deficiencies in her
means of existence did, (strange to say!)
create both the inclination and the courage
in the mind of Miss Elfreda to treat her with
a freedom that was very closely allied to im-
pertinence. -
All this formed a very sufficient fund of
feeling, from which such a heart as Judith's
would be likely to derive an impulse strong
enough to supply an unceasing flow of kind
offices ; and possessing, as she did, ample
power to render these kind offices essentially
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 281
beneficial to their object, it naturally and
inevitably followed that she received very
great pleasure, as well as very great accom-
modation, from her frequent intercourse with
Miss Tollbridge.
Nobody, with the least genuine knowledge
of the human heart, could have been surprised
at seeing the quiet, but deeply happy look of
Judith while she watched the improving aspect
of Miss Tollbridge's ci-devant bare and cold-
looking second floor, as a nice clean carpet
seemed to spring up beneath her feet, while
the painful old horse-hair sofa gave place to
a thoroughly comfortable couch, and while
chairs, tables, and even the tottering old fen-
der were, in like manner, metamorphosed from
miseries to mercies. «-»
Of poor Miss Tollbridge's share in the satis-
faction thus produced no explanation is neces-
sary, but not only were her spirits cheered,
her heart was touched also, and softened to
the very centre by Judith's kindness; and I
suspect that it may be fairly doubted, whether
the most powerful homily ever composed on
the vileness of man's fallen nature has pro-
282 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
duced as salutary an effect on the moral feel-
ings of any individual that ever existed, as
Judith's joyous outpourings of good-nature
produced on the sadly-soured spirit of poor
Miss Tollbridge.
Meanwhile the tedious weeks of waiting
wore away, and the Dorking family took pos-
session of their highly finished and very ele-
gant mansion in Berkeley Square.
Perhaps Judith was more obliged to her
aunt Elfreda than she would have in her own
heart been pleased to confess, for the perfectly
successful result of her first presentation to
her intended mother-in-law.
That very elegant, and very fashionable
lady was exceedingly devoted to her son, who
was not only her only son, but her only child,
and was, moreover, very handsome, very ele-
gant, very accomplished, very amiable, very
rich, and, to crown all, VERY INDEPENDENT.
It was this last peculiarity, perhaps, which
led a lady, rather lofty in her bearing, haughty
as to her usual manner, and decidedly dis-
posed to think that it was more fitting for
her to exact respect than to pay it, doubtless
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 283
it was this peculiar degree of independence,
both in the temper and the position of her
son, which was the cause of her deciding, after
a good deal of meditation on the subject, that
she would pay the lady he had chosen the
flattering compliment of a call.
Her son was greatly pleased, and expressed
this pleasure warmly; and Mrs. Dorking really
looked pleased too, as she witnessed his satis-
faction. -
But had Miss Elfreda been Miss Barbara,
and the pretty modish-looking lodging in
Green Street, Grosvenor Square, with the tall,
well-dressed footman, been metamorphosed
into the grim-looking mansion at Westhamp-
ton, with old William, in his old livery, to
open its door, it is highly probable that Mrs.
Dorking would never have made that door
a second visit ; nor would she, instead of
setting a multitude of influences at work to
cure her son of a passion which, in that case,
would have been most vehemently distasteful
to her, have declared herself, as she did,
“enchanted, beyond the power of expression,”
with the approaching connexion.
284 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
Nothing, in fact, could have been better
managed than this first important interview
between Mrs. Dorking and the young lady
who was about to be honoured by a union
with her son.
The day fixed for the arrival of the Dorking
family in London had been announced to
Judith in a letter from her lover, and very
considerable was the agitation, both of aunt
and niece, upon receiving the news.
On Judith, this effect was only perceptible
by her being unable to read a page of any
book steadily from the beginning to the end,
with a few other nervous symptoms of the
same kind; but in Miss Elfreda, it produced
a degree of energetic activity which led to the
very happiest results. A set of soft, beau-
tifully embroidered muslin curtains, which,
though purchased immediately after Judith's
arrival, had been hitherto preserved in dust-
less delicacy, were now suspended before the
plate-glass windows; a huge mirror, made
happily attainable by the removal of an
odious tax, was so placed and so curtained
at the bottom of the room, as to delude the
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 285
eye into believing that another pretty drawing-
room lay beyond. And mignionetteish gales
filled the air, and delicate roses bloomed, and
the handsome piano-forte was open, as if to
promise harmony, and Miss Elfreda was habi-
ted in sober satin, precisely as a Miss Elfreda
ought to be habited; and, in short, every
thing was exactly as it should be when Mrs.
Dorking and her son Frederic entered the
TOOIll.
The effect produced on the sensitive nerves
of the elegant Mrs. Dorking, was precisely
every thing that Miss Elfreda wished ; and the
transitory, but effectual circular glance of that
lady, as she entered the apartment, settled
upon the lady-like elderly spinster with great
complacency. ,
But where was Judith ?
Judith Maitland was not a very timid, nor
in any way an awkward girl, but she did
dread this visit from Mrs. Dorking excessively.
Frederic had called in Green Street by ap-
pointment the evening before, and no meeting,
under the circumstances, could have been more
gratifying to all the parties concerned. Fre-
286 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
deric thought Judith was grown ten thousand
times lovelier than ever; and Judith thought
that she had never done the good looks and
elegant manners of Frederic full justice before.
The future nephew was charmed with his
future aunt, and the future aunt was charmed
with her future nephew. Every thing, from
the first moment of his visit to the last, was
delightful, excepting one little word which he
had murmured in the ear of Judith as he took
his leave. - i
“My mother will come to-morrow to call on
you.” - * . -
There was something in the accent with
which this was said, that seemed to intimate
that this call was an honour done her, to which
he wished her to be sensible. And having
said this, he tenderly pressed the hand he felt,
and added, “Oh, my sweet Judith ! I am so
very, very anxious she should like you !”
I know not how it happened, but though
these words were spoken with the utmost ten-
derness, they frightened her.
Had he said, instead, that he hoped Judith
would like his mother, the effect would have
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 287
been very different. Her whole heart would
have flown to her lips, and she would have
answered, “Ah! fear not for that l Be very
sure that I shall like her ſ”
But what could she say now? She knew
not what to say, and therefore she said nothing.
But on him the effect of her silence was so
transitory, as to be really of no consequence
whatever. He would have liked, perhaps, to
hear her reply, “I hope she will!”—or, “I
will do all I can to make her " but her not
saying any thing was absolutely forgotten when
he felt something like a slight pressure from
the little hand that was clasped in his, and
heard, or fancied he heard, something like a
very gentle little sigh.
Had not Miss, Elfreda been present, there
can be no doubt that he would have fallen at
her feet, and in that impassioned attitude have
repeated the vows that bound him to her; but
as it was, he could only whisper the word,
“Angel !” and add, “to-morrow !—we meet
again to-morrow, my Judith !”
And then with a bow, that spoke not only of
grace, but of all kinds of amiabilities besides, he
288 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
took leave of Miss Elfreda in a way that made
her exclaim, the moment he had closed the
door, “Judith ! that is decidedly the hand-
somest and most fascinating man that I ever
saw in my life.”
Judith felt not the least inclination to differ
from her in this opinion, but, nevertheless,
there was something like a feeling of heavi-
ness at the bottom of her heart, as she
thought how she should feel if it should unfor-
tunately happen that Mrs. Dorking did not
like her.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 289
CHAPTER XXI.
BEFORE this dreaded visitant arrived on the
following morning, Judith had, however, con-
trived to school herself into a tolerably tran-
quil state of mind. She told herself that she
loved Frederic Dorking a great deal too well
not to make him a good wife; and that if she
did make him a good wife, and that his mo-
ther saw that they were happy together, there,
could be no great danger of her disliking her.
And under the influence of this reasoning
she became very tolerably calm. She could
not read, indeed,—that she found was quite
beyond her power; but she managed to sit
very respectably still at her work, only she
preferred having the pretty little work-table,
VOL. II. d U
290 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
that was sacred to her use, placed in the oval
recess of the back drawing-room window.
At first, Miss Elfreda objected to this, ex-
claiming, “No 1 sweet darling ; not there !
You will seem to be hiding yourself.” But
upon Judith's persisting, though with no better
argument than, “Never mind, aunt l” the
amiable spinster yielded ; and after she had
done so, felt disposed to think that the young
lady could in no way have placed herself to
greater advantage, for what with flowers, and
curtains, and bergère, and work-table,_all in
the very best style, the little picture was quite
perfect. . -
And thus it was that her intended daughter-
in-law first met the eye of the fastidious Mrs.
Dorking, as she turned round to seek for her,
after giving the scrutinizing glance to Miss
Elfreda and her drawing-room, which has been
already described as having been so highly
satisfactory.
. It really seemed to Mrs. Dorking, as her eyes
first fixed themselves on Judith, that she must
have been disappointed had she found her in
any respect different from what she was.
•
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT, 291.
“I knew that his taste could not blunder,”
would have been her first exclamation, had her
thoughts been spoken ; and “she is positively
perfectſ” would have been the second.
But the graceful Mrs. Dorking knew the
value of “expressive silence” too well to em-
ploy any interpretation of her feelings at that
moment, save a look. To this look followed a
very elegant embrace, and then the whole
scene went on exactly in the best manner
possible.
Frederic Dorking was in a seventh heaven
of happiness. Every thing was so very exactly
what he wished it to be, and the mutual
admiration so very evident .
And thus much being said, it would be
needless to follow all the subsequent details
which it must be so easy for every one to
imagine. _*
London was now beginning to be London
in full bloom, and Mrs. Dorking smiled very
pleasantly on her daughter elect as she
sketched her plan of the brilliant campagne,
upon which, as she kindly said, they must
immediately enter together. -
U 2
292 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
“In many of our goings, and doings, my
dear madam,” she said, turning with the most
graceful courtesy to Miss Elfreda, “it will con-
tribute as much to my pleasure, as I am sure
it will to that of your charming niece, that
you should join us. But I feel convinced that
my judgment does not deceive me when I give
you credit for knowing a great deal too much
of the fashionable world, and of all its laws
and usages, not to be aware that there may be
some occasions when it would be more ad-
vantageous to our sweet Judith, who is now so
equally an object of interest to us both, that I
should run away with her alone, for a few
hours, now and then. Of course you will
choose that she should be presented before her
marriage ; and I think it probable that, as
the most public possible proof of my entire
approbation of my son's choice, you would
prefer that I should have the pleasant task
of presenting her.—Tell me, dear lady, am I
right !”
Miss Elfreda assured her that no arrange-
ment could be more gratifying to her feelings
in every way.
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 293
“I was quite sure of it !” returned Mrs.
Dorking, looking at her benignly.
“It rarely happens to me,” she continued,
“to find myself mistaken in the estimate I at
once form of persons newly presented to me,
particularly in that most essential article,
good-breeding: my judgment there never
deceives me !” -
And as she said this, she gave a little in-
telligent nod and smile to her son, as much
as to say, “You know me, don't you ?”
His bow in reply, though full of acquiescence,
was not so smiling and so gay as her own ;
and his colour was a little heightened as it
occurred to him, that before Miss Elfreda
Jenkyns could become fully aware of his
mother's perfect Savoir faire in all such
matters as those to which she had now so
skilfully alluded, she would probably have to
endure a pretty considerable amount of hints
as to the proper place for unknown old maiden
aunts to content themselves withal.
However, this was no business of his ; and,
moreover, he was quite aware that some little
discipline of the kind would, in all human
$294 PETTICoAT government.
probability, be necessary before any possible
sister of Miss Barbara Jenkyns could be
rendered perfectly innoxious.
So whatever was disagreeable in his predic-
tions on the subject was rapidly forgotten,
and the evident admiration of his mother for
his lovely Judith so completely tinted every
thing couleur de rose in his eyes, that it would
have been morally impossible for him to give
his attention for a single moment to any
object so much in the shade as to escape the
influence of that delicious light.
And Judith felt very happy too ! She was
certainly very much relieved, as well as very
much delighted, at the manner in which she
had been received by Mrs. Dorking; for Mrs.
Chilbert had thought it best to give her a
gentle hint upon the peculiarities attributed
to that stately lady. -
Mrs. Chilbert, indeed, had personally no
acquaintance with her, but as she happened to
know that she possessed the dignified pre-
eminence of being considered as one of the
most haughty women in England, she had
thought it best to put her dear sensitive Judith
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT: 295;
upon her guard against feeling too acutely any
little crumbs of impertinence, the scattering of
which formed, as it was thought by many, one
of the greatest pleasures of Mrs. Dorking's
brilliant existence. - -
The contrast between what she felt might
have been her reception, and what it really
was, rose upon her mind after her visitors
were gone more strongly, if possible, than even
while they were with her ; and her satisfac-
tion, while meditating on all that had passed,
had but one drawback. She did not feel
quite satisfied with Mrs. Dorking's demeanour
towards her aunt. It is true she had made
her a multitude of pretty speeches, and on
some points had been actually almost gross
in her flattery, but yet there was a some-
thing, now and then, which grated against her
feelings. s
But, unfortunately, these feelings were, on
Judith's side, rather those of pride than of
affection. She did not, and she could not,
love her aunt Elfreda very much better than
she loved her aunt Barbara. For though there
were unquestionably many points on which
296 PETTICOAT govKRNMENT.
the notions and the ways of the younger
spinster were more agreeable to Judith than
the notions and the ways of the elder, the
broad foundation of her dislike to both was
the same; namely, their harsh, proud, and un-
natural enmity to a sister, whose character and
conduct were, according to the testimony of
Judith’s mother, not only blameless, but very
amiable.
. Nor was the exaggerated appearance of
fondness bestowed upon herself at all likely to
soften the heart of the straight-forward, clear-
sighted, and thoroughly sincere Judith. In
this respect she, perhaps, liked her aunt
Barbara the best of the two. So that, on the
whole, the displeasure created by the somewhat
doubtful civilities of Mrs. Dorking to this
little-loved relative, did not very much, nor
very long, interfere with the happiness of
finding herself treated like a favourite daughter
by the ever-charming Frederic Dorking's
stately mother.
Nor was it long before the happy Judith
was made, as she said herself, ten thousand
times more happy still, by the arrival of the
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 297
Dean and Mrs. Chilbert at the house of the
Dean's sister, Mrs. Marshdale.
The delight of this re-union with the only
individual with whom she had ever enjoyed
a fearless out-pouring of all her thoughts,
hopes, and wishes, (for not even Frederic
Dorking had been as yet admitted to so per-
fect and unrestrained a confidence,) was a
happiness indeed! And nothing could more
decisively prove that the childish, Indian-bred
girl really had something more than usually
endearing and attractive about her, than the
fact that Mrs. Chilbert was very nearly as much
delighted at this re-union as herself.
It was a very favourable circumstance for
the happiness of Judith during this brilliant
period of her existence, that Mrs. Marshdale
had a very handsome house in Bolton Row,
and, moreover, that she was a lady by no
means unfrequently admitted within very
nearly the inmost circle of fashion. Had it
not been for this, matters could scarcely have
gone on so smoothly as they did ; for Judith
had not only been presented, but had been so
imuch noticed and admired, as to have become
298 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
a person of too much consequence in the eyes
of her mother-in-law elect, for that lady to
have resigned her upon any occasion to the
chaperonship of any individual not perfectly
eligible.
As to the objectionable youth of the beauti-
ful heiress, it proved, by the good management
of Mrs. Dorking, no obstacle at all to her
presentation. Had she been born in England,
indeed, as she justly observed, it might have
produced a difficulty; but, as she cleverly re-
marked, nothing could be more likely than
that the blunder made by the old lady at
Westhampton, as related to her by her son,
might have have been repeated by the old
lady in Green Street, and really, if they were
listened to, a degree of confusion might arise,
which would interfere in the most inconvenient
manner with all her projects respecting the
place that she intended her daughter should
immediately hold in society,+&c., &c., &c.
To all which unanswerable reasoning Judith
herself could say nothing; Miss Elfreda, of
course, would say nothing, and Frederic
agreed with his mother in all her reasonings
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 299.
on the subject. So Judith was presented,
notwithstanding her deficient summers, and
took her place accordingly amongst the
acknowledged beauties of the season.
* For a few weeks, the débutante enjoyed all
this exceedingly; for during those weeks her
beloved Mrs. Chilbert remained in London,
and the friendly intimacy which had been
established between that lady and Frederic
Dorking during the seeming difficulties of his
early love, when, without her aid, he would
have been puzzled how to discover the means
of eluding the vigilance of the blundering
dragon who so strangely kept watch over the
treasure he sought, had not only left a remem-
brance that could never fade, but made her
so naturally a party in all their present plans
and projects, that, as long as she remained in
town, the somewhat too active chaperonship
of Mrs. Dorking was in a great measure sus-
pended,
During this time Judith, of necessity, saw
but little of her new friend, Miss Tollbridge,
for their modes and manner of living were so
utterly incongruous, that any attempt to bring
300 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
them together would have been much more
annoying to both, than demonstrative of affec-
tion to either. But when the leave of absence
which the Dean thought proper to allow him-
self on this occasion was expired, and that
Mrs. Chilbert was no longer within reach of
Judith, she again found time to embellish the
existence of her new acquaintance, and to
procure for herself, also, the renewal of a sus-
pended, but not a forgotten pleasure, by often
passing an hour or two of the early morning
in visiting all the pictures they could get at,
or in taking a tête-à-tête morning walk to-
gether in the parks.
All this might be done, however, and, in
fact, was done, not only without the compa-
nionship of the man who was so soon to
be her husband, but without his ever having
the remotest idea that such were the habits,
such the hours, and such the pleasures of his
Judith.
Mrs. Chilbert, indeed, knew the world well
enough to be aware that, to a woman of
fashion so absolutely a slave to established
routine as Mrs. Dorking, Judith's early rising
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT, 301
and, active exercise, and, infinitely more, her
independent mode of flitting about with such
a person as Miss Tollbridge in order to look
at pictures, would appear much too like a
bold deviation from established propriety to
be tolerated, and of course she took care to
make her young friend fully comprehend this
before she left her. .
This subject, together with various other
themes more or less connected with the im-
portant object of Judith’s retaining the high
place she had so fortunately acquired in the
opinion of Mrs. Dorking, had been repeatedly
discussed between them, and it was not with-
out considerable difficulty that the Dean's lady
had succeeded in schooling Judith into such a
degree of prudent and respectful reserve on
such matters, as might prevent all risk of the
propriety of such manoeuvres being ever made
a subject of discussion between them. For.
Mrs. Chilbert well knew, that if Judith found
herself called upon either to state a fact or
give an opinion, she would either do so truly,
or refuse to do so at all. And it might be
difficult to say which of these two methods
302 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
would be most certain to lead to a disagree-
able result.
All, therefore, that the watchful prudence of
Mrs. Chilbert could hope to effect was, to
persuade Judith that it was a duty she owed
to Frederic Dorking, and a caution which his
devoted affection well merited from her, not
to involve him in the painful task of arbi-
trating in a matter of opinion between his
mother and his future wife.
“He loves you so tenderly, my dearest
Judith,” said her friend, judiciously dwelling
upon the only plea likely to induce her free
spirit to endure the sort of control imposed
upon it, “that to my feelings there would be
something desperately hard-hearted and un-
grateful in forcing such a task upon him.”
“And I would not be ungrateful to him for
the world!” cried Judith, with tearful eyes, and
a voice trembling with the deep sincerity of her
emotion. “But must we always go on so, Mrs.
Chilbert : It won't do, dear friend. Depend
upon it we shall never be happy together, if
we begin by having secrets. Why at this
very moment that you are frightened to death
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 303
at the idea of my telling him that dear, quiet,
innocent Miss Tollbridge and I go very often
to the National Gallery together, with nobody
to take care of us but ourselves, at this very
moment, Mrs. Chilbert, I have got another
secret ten thousand times more important,
and one that I must and will tell him, as soon
as I know a little more about it myself.”
This was said at the very moment that
Mrs. Dorking was coming up the stairs in
Green Street, to inform her “sweet daughter,
Judith,” as she seemed proud of calling her,
that she should call at half-past nine to take
her to the Opera that evening.
Her entrance of necessity brought this dis-
cussion to a conclusion, and Mrs. Chilbert
took her leave, but not before she had asked
and received a promise from Judith to be
with her in Bolton Row at an early hour on
the morrow, that being the last day of her
stay in town.
304 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
CHAPTER XXII.
JUDITH kept her word, and was admitted
to the bed-room of her friend, to which she
had retired immediately after breakfast for
the express purpose of receiving her alone.
“And this is the last day I am to have
you?” exclaimed Judith. “How very, very
sad ſ” * &
“Next year, dearest, you shall come with
the beloved Frederic to the Deanery to visit
me; and then, Judith, we will go back to the
good old times of long gossips and long prac-
tisings. Nay, if you are not by that time
become too fine a lady, we will go back to our
good singing Miss Sophy, and her papa.”
“Do you think I shall ever grow fine !”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 305
said Judith. “Oh I do so hate it !” she
continued, with something very like a groan.
“How Mrs. Dorking can go on as she does, as
if she were for ever walking between high
stone walls, which prevented her swerving a
single inch either to the right hand or to
the left—how she can for ever go on so
and live, is a mystery I shall never be able
to solve *
“You will understand it better, perhaps,
one of these days; not that I think a coronet
will make much difference in you, my Judith.
But tell me, dearest, what is the portentous
Secret that you are bent upon divulging to
your Frederic 4” :
“Neither more nor less than that I have
got an aunt, who ran away with her drawing-
master,” replied Judith. -
Mrs. Chilbert coloured, and looked vexed.
“When you are married, Judith, I shall
think you justified, nay, more than justified,
in doing this,” replied Mrs. Chilbert. “But
if you take it into your head to do it now,
you may occasion much embarrassment to
Frederic Dorking, and much painful emotion
"WOL. II. X.
306 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
to yourself. Think well' of this, my dear
friend.”
“But would you let him marry me under a
delusion ?” said Judith. “Under the terrible
delusion,” she added, with a somewhat bitter
smile, “ of having no worse aunts belonging to
me than Miss Barbara and Miss Elfreda Jen-
kyns ? My very, very dearest friend, no!
I cannot consent to obtain the honour of being
Mrs. Dorking's daughter-in-law by a cheat.”
“You do not state the case fairly, even to
yourself, Judith,” returned her friend. “You
must know, if you will be candid enough to
examine the question in its true light, that
there is no cheating in the case. At this very
moment you do not know whether this unfor-
tunate aunt Penelope be dead or alive; and
such being the case, how can you, by any
sophistry, persuade yourself that it would be
right to disturb the happy serenity of the
admirable young man whom you profess to
love, by suggesting to his proud, unamiable
mother the possibility that some day or other
you may chance to find out another aunt still
less desirable than aunt Barbara herself?”
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 307
“I could not so state the case, if I stated it
truly,” replied Judith, looking rather red, and
very grave, “because I am deeply persuaded
that when I do find this lost aunt, I shall find
her to be exactly all that my dear, dear
mother represented her. And if, being such, I
should find also that Frederic Dorking did not
value her as I should think she ought to be
valued, why then, my own dearest Mrs. Chil-
bert; not even your eloquence could prevent
my repenting that I had become his wife.”
“I shall be quite ready to trust to your
own heart, Judith, about that,” returned Mrs.
Chilbert, smiling; “and we will not waste our
last precious moments in disputing on the
probability or improbability of your getting
tired of Frederic Dorking after you are mar-
ried to him. All I have to say on this sub-
ject may be uttered in very few words. Do
not suffer any visionary notions respecting the
moral beauty of confidential disclosures to
beguile you into hazarding your own happi-
ness, and, what you ought to hold more sacred
still, the happiness of the man whom you have
consented to make your husband, to any false
X 2
308 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.
theories of this kind. You are very young,
Judith, but a few more years will teach you i
that there is nothing either amiable or holy in
disturbing the happiness of a friend by sug-
gesting evils which perhaps may never occur,
and that solely for the boastful pleasure of
telling yourself that you are too noble-minded
to conceal any thing.” e
Judith shook her head very doubtingly as
she listened to this theory, and she looked into
Mrs. Dean's eyes with a glance which made
that lady commence a curious investigation
of something that almost looked like a spot
upon her Quaker-coloured satin. Her young
friend, however, was either too generous or
too wise to push her upon ground that might
perhaps have been made to tremble a little
under her feet, and merely said that the evil
now alluded to was very likely to become
known to Frederic Dorking without her
making any confidential disclosure on the
subject, for she had lately employed a friend
to máke some further inquiries for her in
Rome, and these inquiries would be made by
an artist among artists. “And in this way,
PETTICOAT goverNMENT. 309.
you know,” added Judith, “I shall be much
more likely to hear tidings of my late uncle
Worthington, or, if not of him, of his widow
and son, than I could hope for from the more
aristocratical inquiries that you were so kind
as to institute for me ; and, of course, if I do
hear of them, my dear Mrs. Chilbert, it would
not be right to keep the jewels bequeathed to
them by my mother for the use of Mrs. Fre-
deric Dorking when she goes to court as a
bride. You would not approve my doing that,
dearest, would you?”
“How can you talk so much idle nonsense,
Judith ?” cried Mrs. Chilbert, rather wrath-
fully.
“Upon my word and honour, I did not
mean to talk nonsense,” returned Judith,
gravely. “If I should at length succeed in
discovering where my aunt and cousin are to
be found, will it not be my duty to transmit
to them the property that has been entrusted
to my care for their use 2"
“A very silly question, because you know
the answer before you ask it,” replied Mrs.
Chilbert. - -
310 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
“Of course I, know the answer,” returned
Judith; “and you know, dearest, that it was
the inference which must follow thereupon
that I was driving you to. Would you have
me, the affianced wife of Frederie, -he who is
so candid, so open-hearted, so confiding to me
in all ways; would you have me secretly send
off a packet containing about a thousand
pounds' worth of diamonds without permit-
ting him to help me, or even to know what I
was about !” - -
“No, Judith, I should not like you to do
that,” replied Mrs. Chilbert, with her accus-
tomed frankness. “But if you have not men-
tioned your aunt Worthington to him as yet,
will you promise me not to do it as long as it
remains doubtful whether you can find her or
not ?” -
“Yes, I will agree to promise that,” replied
Judith, “because it accords with my own
opinion, and with all I have done already.
What gossipings we may have together after
we are married, nobody knows ; but I had
already made up my mind, after thinking a
great deal on the subject, that there would be
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 311
more of cruelty than kindness, considering the
sort of mother he has got, in telling him a
long, romantic story about an aunt that had
eloped first, and was lost afterwards. I could
so well fancy Mrs. Dorking's look, if he thought
it his duty to repeat it to her No: I see no
use in this, but a good deal of unnecessary
disagreeableness. And so, my dearest Mrs.
Chilbert, I promise to wait patiently till I have
received news concerning the hunt among the
artists that I have now instituted. I shall
have this answer months before the time fixed
for our marriage, and if it brings me no tidings
of my unfortunate relatives, I shall content my-
self with placing the casket of jewels in the
hands of my husband the very day I am
married to him, together with my mother's
written instructions about them, merely telling
him that I can find no trace either of Mrs.
Worthington or her son, and begging him, for
my sake, to take charge of the deposit, and
keep it safely at his bankers, in the hope at
some future day of discovering the parties to
whom it belongs. This will be a sort of secret
that he will not, I imagine, think it necessary
312 PETTICOAT govKRNMENT.
to communicate to his stately mamma, and he
will, therefore, be spared all her marvels and
miseries on the subject. But should my
present search prove successful, you must for-
give me, my beloved friend, if I refuse to follow
your advice; for in that case, I shall inform
Frederic immediately of exactly all that I
know myself on the subject, let the conse-
quence of doing so be what it may.”
“Very well, Judith; I not only submit, but
I will be generous enough to confess that I
believe you are right,” returned Mrs. Chilbert.
“But I will confess also, that, knowing Mrs.
Dorking as I now know her, I shall be—” and
she stopped. -
“Very sorry to hear that my seekings have
been successful,” said Judith. - *
“Exactly so, dearest. But though we may
think differently, on this point, do not let us
quarrel about it,” returned her friend.
“Quarrel ? Heaven forbid!” cried Judith,
affectionately embracing her. “Do I not
know that every thought you bestow upon me
is a wish, in some shape or other, for my hap-
piness? And shall I not owe all the hap-
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 313
piness of my life to you? Except—and
except—”
“Except what, my own dear Judith?”
asked Mrs. Chilbert, fondly returning her
caress. “Do not let me think that you will
ever owe sorrow to me.”
“Alas! but I shall, though !” cried Judith,
while a hearty flood of tears attested her
sincerity. “I sometimes tremble to think
how much of the enjoyment of the last ten
weeks I have owed to you. Will any thing
seem the same to me when you are gone
Do not think that I have any doubts of my
dearest Frederic. Indeed I have not. I am
more and more convinced, every time I see
him, that he is the best and most amiable
creature in existence. But still, when you
are gone, I feel a sort of presentiment that
every thing will appear to me stale, flat, and
unprofitable.”
“No, my Judith, no! We shall write to
each other, and we shall often, often have the
great and true delight of meeting again. As
to your adorer, I really think he must feel
heartily glad that I am going ; and if he had
314 PETTICOAT govKRNMENT.
not the very sweetest temper in the world,
Judith, I am equally sure that he could not
have been so uniformly kind to me as he has
been ; for I have often been conscious of occu-
pying more of your attention than I Ought to
have done in your present interesting circum-
stances.” *3
“If he had quarrelled with me for loving
you, my dear friend, the quarrel must perforce
have been eternal, for I shall never leave it
off,” said Judith.
And then there were more tears shed on
both sides than could be accounted wise on
either; but, though not much alike, for Judith
was in some respects made of sterner, or at any
rate of firmer, stuff than her friend, they had
much of that real sympathy of taste between
them which renders companionship delightful.
It was the first time of Judith’s young life that
she had ever encountered this, and it had
been to her a source of great and new enjoy-
ment, doubtless felt to be so the more keenly
from the chilling absence of every thing like
it in her cold and dull aunt Barbara.
Not all her brilliant prospects, therefore,
PETTECOAT GOVERNMENT. 315
could prevent this parting from being a very
sad business; and if Miss Elfreda could have
reproved her “darling angel” for any thing, it
would have been for the swollen eyelids which
so seriously impaired her beauty, when Mrs.
Dorking and Frederic called to take her with
them to the Opera on the evening of the day
when it had taken place. But, fortunately,
Frederic understood the cause, and only loved
her the better.
316 PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT,
CHAPTER, XXIII.
BUT, alas! poor Judith ! Or perhaps it
would be more just to say, “poor Frederic
Dorking!” For most certain it is, that not
all his devotion—and he was very particularly
devoted to her that evening—could make her
feel the same degree of enjoyment which she
had experienced in that same box a few
nights before, when Mrs. Chilbert had been of
the party. -
It was unfortunate, too, that the opera
happened to be the same, because it was one
every note of which was almost as well known
to the two friends as if they had written it;
and when Grisi gave a passage, into which she
threw all the impassioned inspiration of her
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 317
. extraordinary genius, or when Persiani gave
the result of one of her sweet studies of a well-
known cadence, the pleasure of both was re-
doubled, as completely as a fair face reflected
in a mirror, and in this species of sympathy
there is a pleasure which none but those who
have felt it can guess.
Judith was not so unjust, not so unreason-
able, as ever to dream that she could love
Frederic Dorking the less, because this was a
pleasure that he could not enjoy. On the con-
trary, indeed, she very often felt disposed to
love him the better for the sweet temper he
displayed in amusing himself with his lorgnette
in looking round the house at the departing
crowd, while they kept him imprisoned till the
last note had died away into silence.
Yet, nevertheless, it cannot be denied that
the swollen eyelids of Judith were in great
danger of being swollen still more, as she felt
the solitude of her own emotions while listen-
ing to the same strains that had called up so
much of answering feeling in the charming
features of Mrs. Chilbert when last she heard
them.
3.18 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
She smiled, however, very kindly when,
after complying with her well-known wish of
not losing the finale, he offered her his arm with
an expressive “Now, then º’ as soon as the
curtain dropped. t
As for Mrs. Dorking, her indulgence of this
whim arose from a different motive. It was her
habit to leave her box either among the very
first, or among the very last in the house ; for
having a defect in her vision, which rendered it
difficult for her to recognise any body in an im-
perfect light, she hated nothing more than being
obliged to pass through the lobbies when they
were crowded, which was converting, she said,
the best part of the entertainment into perfect
torture. For what could be so tormenting as
to receive a flattering “How do * perhaps from
a duchess, and to reply to it by doubtingly
pronouncing the title of a countess :
So on this occasion, as on many former ones,
Judith was indulged with the last expiring
notes of the strains she knew so perfectly and
loved so well, and yet she went away with a
sort of unsatisfied coldness at her heart that
made her conscious of being more than usually
PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT. 3.19
fatigued,—and she was glad to get rid of all
the lights, and of all the eyes.
But, perhaps, the difference made by the
absence of Mrs. Chilbert was still more felt on
the following morning. None of our habits
are more difficult to change than those which
regulate our habit of rising. Most ladies who
play very well are obliged to rise early, for it
is only by doing so that they can find the
hours that are absolutely necessary for their
daily practice, if they aim at anything like real
excellence in their favourite art.
Both Mrs. Chilbert and Judith were in
the habit of submitting themselves to this
necessity, and though the regular practising
of both was in a great measure suspended
during the weeks they were together in Lon-
don, they could neither of them teach them- .
selves to lie in bed so late as not to leave
some superfluous hours before the fine-lady
business of a London morning began.
Upon comparing notes, and finding this to
be equally the case with both, it was speedily
arranged between them, that Judith's carriage
should be always ready to take them from
320 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
their respective breakfast tables as early as
twelve, and not unfrequently as early as
eleven o'clock; Mrs. Dorking's carriage being
always ready, when the proper hour for ap-
pearing arrived, to give a seat in her pecu-
liarly well turned-out equipage to the fair
Judith ; and Mrs. Chilbert's sister being
equally ready at the same rational time to
take her, whenever it was the fashion of the
hour to go.
Under this system, our two friends had
enjoyed many very delightful țăte-à-tête expe-
ditions, in all of which Frederic Dorking would
of course have been invited to join, had not
Mrs. Chilbert discovered, with a certainty that
left no room for doubt, that if he accepted
such invitation, it would have been as a part of
the duty that he owed his lady love, and not
from inclination ; for so inveterately late were
his habits, that he constantly preferred travel-
ling by night, to the intolerable bore of being
ready for an early train in the morning
Nevertheless, when the subject of an early
morning excursion was first discussed between
them, Frederic declared, with all the ardour
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 321
of a devoted lover, that he was in raptures at
the idea of accompanying them ; and Judith
was too new to London, and its strange con-
fusion of times and seasons, to have the very
least doubt about his being in earnest.
But Mrs. Chilbert had her suspicions, which
a little clever cross examination so completely
confirmed, that with the skill of an able tac-
tician she at once decided that the constancy
of her friend's fiancé should not be submitted
to a species of proof more likely a thousand
times to drive him into the fatal infidelity of
yawning, than exposing him to the rival
attractions of a score of young beauties.
So she got out of the scrape very ably,
hinting at the well-known discrepancy be-
tween evening vows and morning vows, and
leaving him convinced that they were not at
all more inclined to drive to Richmond or
Kew before luncheon than he was ; and the
thing ended by Mrs. Chilbert and Judith’s
passing many such very delightful mornings
together, though without talking about it to
any body, that when the first blank day came
which followed her departure, Judith felt that
WOL. II, Y
322 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
her absence would rob her new existence of
at least half its charm.
We read beautiful love-stories, and ballads,
and plays, about poverty-stricken knights and
ladies of high degree, to say nothing of kings
and beggars, in all of which the most perfect
felicity is the result of the most incongruous
unions; and in some cases this may have been
true, and it would be easy enough to imagine
many others where it might be true.
But there is one species of incongruity, or
diversity, or inequality, against which I would
willingly guard the whole world, if I could,
and my own beloved countrymen and country-
women in particular.
. A matrimonial union between two persons,
one of whom has been brought up in the
habits of what is called fashionable life, and
the other with habits that had nothing to do
with fashion at all, is less likely to turn out
well, as to the happiness to be derived from
companionship than many a marriage the
objections to which would thunder more in
the index. - -
. . . I do not mean to assert that this mus
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 323
always be the case, nor may it even threaten
to be so in the case before us; but the pro-
babilities are greatly against the existence of
very perfect harmony.
The feelings that are brought into contact,
and into opposition, by such an union, may
appear at the first glance to be very trifling;
and so does the sting of a gnat. But a wise
man would rather take up his abode in a land
occasionally visited by wolves, than in a lovely
grove infested by mosquiti.
There must be something very, very deplo-
rable in being perpetually exposed,—not to the
anger, not to the reprehension, not to the dis-
like of the being you have selected as your
companion for life, but everlastingly to his or
her contempt
And let any honest reader say whether, in
his inmost heart and soul, he does not believe
that there would be more contempt, (properly
so called,) whether he does not think, and
believe, that there would be more CONTEMPT
generated in the mind of a person of fashion
by the perpetual display of ignorance respect-
ing the forms, ceremonies, modes, and ordi-
Y 2
324 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
nances of fashionable life, than by the per-
petration of a very considerable amount of
positive sin Ż *
If this be the case, such marriages ought to
be very carefully avoided ; which I mean as
a very pithy avis au lecteur.
But this is a mere digression, and has little
or nothing to do with the continuênce of the
attachment between Judith and Mr. Frederic
Dorking. Indeed there was so much of native
elegance as well as beauty in Judith Mait-
land, that even Mrs. Dorking herself might be
excused for not discovering how ignorant she
was of many laws, which made very essential
items in the code by which she was herself
regulated. -
As to the abomination of early rising, and
going about seeing sights before any human
being that one had ever heard of having
opened their eyes, this atrocity was kept most
completely out of sight, which was achieved
by the able generalship of Mrs. Chilbert as
long as she remained in town, and by a feel-
ing of delicacy on the part of Judith after-
wards. Her reason for never alluding to her
PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. 325
early excursions afterwards had nothing to
do with being ashamed of them, but arose
solely from the fear of Frederic's proposing to
join in them when she was once again reduced
to the chaperonship of Miss Tollbridge. This,
she was quite aware would not be comme
il faut, and she therefore very discreetly took
care to avoid it.
But let it not be supposed that, during all
this happy time, Judith had either forgotten
or neglected her friend, chaperone, and pro-
tégée / It would have been forgetting her
own heart to do so. Neither did Miss Toll-
bridge forget how exceedingly inconvenient
it would be to Judith, while so very particu-
larly engaged elsewhere, to fancy for a mo-
ment that she expected the continuance of
their former ways of going on. She was, on
the contrary, herself the first to feel, and to
point out, the impossibility of it.
“Don’t you ever think of me, for any single
minute of any single day,” said she ; “for if
you did, it would give me a great deal more
pain than pleasure. I understand all about
it, my dear; and you won't be paying me any
326 PETTICO AT GOVERNMENT.
compliment if you do any thing that shall
make me doubt that you know this. . You
have made me so very comfortable, by your
generous kindness, in a hundred ways, that I
am no longer the poor misèrable spinster you
found me when you first came to town. That
subscription to Hookhams is itself. quite
enough to make any reasonable woman
happy.” * -
And Judith believed her, and therefore
yielded to the other calls upon her time with-
out reluctance, taking good care, however, not
to omit any of the numerous little thoughtful
benefactions by which she had contrived to
make the poor lady forget that her only bro-
ther, and only protector, had ended his mortal
career by robbing her.
When the time came, therefore, for Judith
again to seek her companionship, she found
that there was no link broken, and that the
interruption had only had the effect of making
the renewal of their intercourse appear more
valuable to both.
END OF WOL. II.
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