Volume I Part 10 (1/2)
”The sight of her!...” reiterated the astonished Mrs. Wilmot. ”Why, my dear Miss Compton, she is reckoned by every one that sees her to be one of the loveliest creatures that nature ever formed.... If her timid, artless manners, do not please you, it is unfortunate; but that you should not think her beautiful, is impossible.”
”I beg your pardon, ma'am ... I should not care a straw for the manners of a child, for I know that time and care might change them, ... but it is her person that I can't endure; ... there is no disputing about taste, you know. I should not have thought, indeed, that she was quite the style for you to admire so violently; ... but, of course, that is nothing to me.... I know that the look of her eyes, and the colour of her cheeks, is exactly what I think the most detestable; ... there is no right or wrong in the matter ... it is all fancy, and the sight of her makes me sick.... Pray, ma'am, say no more about her.”
There was but one way in which Mrs. Wilmot could comprehend this extraordinary antipathy to what was so little calculated to inspire it, and this was by supposing that Miss Compton's personal deformity rendered the sight of beauty painful to her; an interpretation, indeed, as far as possible from the truth, for the little spinster was peculiarly sensible to beauty of form and expression wherever she found it; but it was the only explanation that suggested itself; and with mingled feelings of pity and contempt, Mrs. Wilmot replied,--”There may be no right or wrong, Miss Compton, in a judgment pa.s.sed on external appearance only, for it may, as you observe, be purely a matter of taste; but surely it must be otherwise of an aversion conceived against a near relative whose amiable disposition, faultless conduct, and brilliant talents, justly ent.i.tle her to the love, esteem, and admiration of the whole world.... This is not merely a matter of taste, and in this there may be much wrong.”
Miss Compton appeared struck by these words, but after pondering a moment upon them, replied,--”And how can I tell, Mrs. Wilmot, but that your judgment of this child's character and disposition may be as much distorted by unreasonable partiality, as your opinion of her vulgar-looking person?”
A new light here broke in upon the mind of Mrs. Wilmot; she remembered the remarkable plumpness of the little Agnes before she made that sudden start in her growth which, in the course of two important years, had converted a clumsy-looking child into a tall, slight, elegantly made girl; and with greatly increased earnestness of manner she answered,--
”I only ask you to see her once, Miss Compton.... I have no wish whatever that your judgment should be influenced by mine with respect either to the person or the mind of Agnes Willoughby; but I greatly wish that your own opinion of her should be formed upon what she now is, and not upon what she has been. I am sure you must feel that this is reasonable.... Will you then promise me that you will see her?”
”I will,” ... replied Miss Compton. ”The request is reasonable, and I promise to comply with it. Yet it can only be on one condition, Mrs.
Wilmot.”
”And what is that, Miss Compton?”
”That I may see her without her horrid aunt Barnaby.”
Mrs. Wilmot smiled involuntarily, but answered gravely, ”Of course, Miss Compton, that must be as you please.... Rather than you should fail to see my pretty Agnes, I will remain another day from home on purpose to bring her to you myself. Will you receive us if we come over to you at this hour to-morrow morning?”
”I will,” ... again replied the recluse; ”and whatever may be the result of the interview, I shall hold myself indebted to the kind feelings which have led you to insist upon it.”
”Thank you, thank you!” said Mrs. Wilmot, rising to take her leave.
”To-morrow, then, you will see me again, with my young charge.”
CHAPTER XI.
AN IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE, AND AN IMPORTANT INTERVIEW.
On returning to her solitary quarters at the King's Head, Mrs. Wilmot called for pen, ink, and paper, and wrote the following note to her young pupil.
”MY DEAR AGNES,
”I am just returned from a visit to Compton Basett, where I was very kindly received by your aunt. She wishes to see you before you leave the neighbourhood, and I have promised to take you to her to-morrow morning; I will therefore call at eleven o'clock, when I hope I shall find you ready to accompany me. With compliments to Mrs. Barnaby, believe me, dear Agnes,
”Affectionately yours,
”MARY WILMOT.”
To this epistle she speedily received the following answer.
”MRS. BARNABY presents her compliments to Mrs. Wilmot, and begs to know if there is any reason why she should not join the party to Compton Basett to-morrow morning? If not, she requests Mrs. Wilmot's permission to accompany her in the drive, as the doing so will be a considerable convenience; Mrs. Barnaby wis.h.i.+ng to pay her duty to her aunt before she leaves the country.”
To return a negative to this request was disagreeable: being absolutely necessary, however, it was done without delay; but it was with burning cheeks and flas.h.i.+ng eyes that Mrs. Barnaby read the following civil refusal.
”MRS. WILMOT regrets extremely that she is under the necessity of declining the company of Mrs. Barnaby to-morrow morning, but Miss Compton expressly desired that Agnes should be brought to her alone.”
To this Mrs. Barnaby replied,--