Volume I Part 22 (1/2)
”Yes, my dear.... My dress will be black satin, you know.”
”I should think white would look better,” said Elizabeth, recollecting her mother's aversion to fine colours, and recollecting also the recent weeds of her widowed aunt.
”Well, ... perhaps it might. Let me see some white, if you please.”
”Perhaps you would like blonde, ma'am?” said the milliner, opening a box, and displaying some tempting specimens.
”Beautiful indeed!... very!... What is the price of this one?”
”A mere trifle, ma'am.... Give me leave to begin your account with this.”
”Well, I really think I must.... I know they clean as good as new.”
”What is Agnes to wear?” inquired Elizabeth.
”There is one of my troubles, my dear; she will wear nothing but the deepest mourning. Between you and me, Elizabeth, I suspect it is some feeling about her poor mother, or else for her father, who has never been heard of for years, but whom we all suppose to have died abroad,--I suspect it is some feeling of this sort that makes her so very obstinate about it. But she can't bear to have it talked of, so don't say a word to her on the subject, or she will be out of sorts for a week, and will think it very cruel of me to have named it to you. I perfectly dote upon that girl, Elizabeth, ... though, to be sure, I have my trials with her! But we have all our trials, Elizabeth!... and, thank Heaven! I have a happy temper, and bear mine, I believe, as well as most people.
But about that strange whim that Agnes has, of always wearing c.r.a.pe and bombasin, you may as well just mention it to your mamma and sisters, to prevent their taking any notice of it to her; for if they did, you may depend upon it she would not go to the ball at all.... Oh! you have no idea of the obstinacy of that darling girl!... These gloves will do at last, I think.... Your gloves are all so remarkably small, Mrs.
Duval!... And that's all for this morning.”
”Where shall I send them, ma'am, and to what name?”
”To Mrs. Barnaby, No. 1, Sion Row.”
”Thank you, ma'am.... They shall be sent immediately.”
”Now then, Elizabeth, for the library,” said the widow with an expressive flourish of the hand.
And to the library they went, which to Mrs. Barnaby's great satisfaction was full of smart people, and, amongst others, she had to make her way past the moustached Major Allen, in order to reach the table on which the subscription-book was laid.
”I beg your pardon, madam, a thousand times!” said the Major; ”I am afraid I trod on your foot!”
”Don't mention it!... it is of no consequence in the world! The shop is so full, it is almost impossible to avoid it.”
The Major in return for this civil speech again fixed his broad, wide, open eyes upon the widow, and she had again the satisfaction of believing that he thought her particularly handsome.
Miss Peters found many of her acquaintance among the crowd, with whom she conversed, while Mrs. Barnaby seated herself at the table, and turned over page after page of autographs with the air of a person deeply interested by the hope of finding the names of friends and acquaintance among them, whereas it would have been a circ.u.mstance little short of a miracle had she found there that of any individual whom she had ever seen in her life; but she performed her part admirably, smiling from time to time, as if delighted at an unexpected recognition. Meanwhile many an eye, as she well knew, was fixed upon her, for her appearance was in truth sufficiently striking. She was tall, considerably above the average height, and large, though not to corpulency; in short, her figure was what many people, like Mr. Peters, would call that of a fine woman; and many others, like Mrs. Peters, would declare to be large, ungainly, and vulgar. Her features were decidedly handsome, her eyes and teeth fine, and her nose high and well-formed; but all this was exaggerated into great coa.r.s.eness by the quant.i.ty of rouge she wore, and the redundance of harsh-looking, coal-black ringlets which depended heavily down each side of her large face, so as still to give a striking resemblance, as Agnes, it may be remembered, discovered several years before, to the wax heads in a hair-dresser's shop. This sort of face and figure, which were of themselves likely enough to draw attention, were rendered still more conspicuous by her dress, which, though, like herself, really handsome, was rendered unpleasing by its glaring purpose of producing effect. A bonnet of bright lavender satin, extravagantly large, and fearfully thrown back, displayed a vast quant.i.ty of blonde quilling, fully planted with flowers of every hue, while a prodigious plume of drooping feathers tossed themselves to and fro with every motion of her head, and occasionally reposed themselves on her shoulder. Her dress was of black silk, but ingeniously relieved by the introduction of as many settings off, of the same colour with her bonnet, as it was well possible to contrive; so that, although in mourning, her general appearance was exceedingly shewy and gay.
”Who is your friend, Elizabeth?” said a young lady, who seemed to have the privilege of questioning freely.
”It is Mrs. Barnaby,” replied Miss Peters in a whisper.