Miss Brownings came to call and hear the double batch of news. Mrs.
Goodenough had called the very day on which they had returned from
Miss Hornblower's, to tell them the astounding fact of Molly Gibson
having gone on a visit to the Towers; not to come back at night, but
to sleep there, to be there for two or three days, just as if she
was a young lady of quality. So Miss Brownings came to hear all the
details of the wedding from Mrs. Gibson, and the history of Molly's
visit at the Towers as well. But Mrs. Gibson did not like this
divided interest, and some of her old jealousy of Molly's intimacy at
the Towers had returned.
"Now, Molly," said Miss Browning, "let us hear how you behaved among
the great folks. You must not be set up with all their attention;
remember that they pay it to you for your good father's sake."
"Molly is, I think, quite aware," put in Mrs. Gibson, in her most
soft and languid tone, "that she owes her privilege of visiting at
such a house to Lady Cumnor's kind desire to set my mind quite at
liberty at the time of Cynthia's marriage. As soon as ever I had
returned home, Molly came back; indeed, I should not have thought
it right to let her intrude upon their kindness beyond what was
absolutely necessary."
Molly felt extremely uncomfortable at all this, though perfectly
aware of the entire inaccuracy of the statement.
"Well, but, Molly!" said Miss Browning, "never mind whether you went
there on your own merits, or your worthy father's merits, or Mrs.
Gibson's merits; but tell us what you did when you were there."
So Molly began an account of their sayings and doings, which she
could have made far more interesting to Miss Browning and Miss
Phoebe if she had not been conscious of her stepmother's critical
listening. She had to tell it all with a mental squint; the surest
way to spoil a narration. She was also subject to Mrs. Gibson's
perpetual corrections of little statements which she knew to be
facts. But what vexed her most of all was Mrs. Gibson's last speech
before the Miss Brownings left.
"Molly has fallen into rambling ways with this visit of hers, of
which she makes so much, as if nobody had ever been in a great house
but herself. She is going to Hamley Hall next week,--getting quite
dissipated, in fact."
Yet to Mrs. Goodenough, the next caller on the same errand of
congratulation, Mrs. Gibson's tone was quite different. There had
always been a tacit antagonism between the two, and the conversation
now ran as follows:--