Part 14 (1/2)
”Why, how did you know? I believe she did,” said Austin. ”She had driven over from Cleeve.”
”Well, then, I must have seen her,” said Aunt Charlotte. ”A queer-looking old person in a great bonnet. I happened to be walking through the village, and she stopped the fly to ask me the way to the Court, and I remember wondering who she could possibly be. I suppose it was she whom you met there.”
”What, was it _you_ she asked?” exclaimed Austin, opening his eyes.
”She told us the driver didn't know the way, and that she'd enquired--oh dear, oh dear, how funny!”
”What's funny?” demanded Aunt Charlotte, abruptly.
”Oh, never mind, I can't tell you, and it doesn't matter in the least,” said Austin, beginning to giggle. ”Only I shouldn't have known it was you from her description.”
”Why, what did she say?” Aunt Charlotte was getting suspicious.
”My dear auntie, she didn't know who you were, of course,” replied Austin, ”and she bore high testimony to the respectability of your appearance, that's all. Only it's so funny to think it was you. It never occurred to me for a moment.”
”What did she _say_, Austin?” repeated Aunt Charlotte, sternly. ”I insist upon knowing her exact words. Of course it doesn't really matter what a poor old thing like that may have said, but I always like to be precise, and it's just as well to know how one strikes a stranger. It wasn't anything rude, I hope, for I'm sure I answered her quite kindly.”
The servant was out of the room. ”No, auntie, I don't think it was rude, but it was so comic----”
”Do stop giggling, and tell me what it was,” interrupted Aunt Charlotte, impatiently.
”Well, she only said you were a respectable-looking body,” replied Austin, as gravely as he could. ”And so you are, you know, auntie, though, perhaps, if I had to describe you I should put it in rather different words. I'm sure she meant it as a compliment.”
”Upon my word, I feel extremely flattered!” exclaimed Aunt Charlotte, reddening. ”A respectable-looking body, indeed! Well, it's something to know I look respectable. And who was this very patronising old person, pray? Some old nurse or other, I should say, to judge by her appearance.”
”She was the Countess of Merthyr Tydvil, St Aubyn's aunt,” said Austin, enjoying the joke.
”The Countess of Merthyr Tydvil!” echoed Aunt Charlotte, amazed.
”And she's staying with the Duke at Cleeve Castle,” added Austin. ”But that's not the point. Just fancy, auntie, she actually knew my father!
She knew him before he was married, and they were tremendous friends.
It all came out because she said I was so like somebody, and she couldn't think who it could be, and then she asked what my surname was, and so on, till we found out all about it. Wasn't it curious? Did you ever hear of her before?”
”Indeed I never knew of her existence till this moment,” answered Aunt Charlotte, beginning to get interested. ”Your father had any number of friends, and of course we didn't know them all. Well, it is curious, I must say. But she didn't say you were like your father, did she?”
”No--my mother,” replied Austin. ”She didn't know her much, but she remembers her very well. She said she was a very lovely person, too.”
”Your father was good-looking in a way,” said Aunt Charlotte, falling into a reminiscent mood, ”but not in the least like you. He used to go a great deal into society, and no doubt it was there he met this Lady Merthyr Tydvil, and any number of others. Did she tell you anything about him--anything, I mean, that you didn't know before?”
”No, I don't think she did, except that she was very fond of him and would like to have married him herself. But as she was married already, and he was engaged to somebody else, of course it was too late.”
”What! She told you that?” cried Aunt Charlotte, scandalized. ”What a shameless old hussy she must be!”
”Not a bit of it,” retorted Austin. ”She's a sweet old woman, and I love her very much. Besides, she only meant it in fun.”
”Fun, indeed!” sniffed Aunt Charlotte, primly. ”She may call me a respectable-looking body as much as she likes now. It's more than I can say for her.”
”Auntie, you _are_ an old goose!” exclaimed Austin, with a burst of laughter. ”You never could see a joke. She called you a respectable-looking body, and you called her a queer old woman like a nurse. Now you say she's a shameless old hussy, and so, on the whole, I think you've won the match.”
Aunt Charlotte relapsed into silence, and did not speak again until the dessert had been brought in. Austin helped himself to a plateful of black cherries, while his aunt toyed with a peach. At last she said, in rather a hesitating tone: