"Oh?" he said. "Miss Clack is here as YOUR guest--in MY house?"
It was Rachel's turn to lose her temper at that. Her colour rose, and
her eyes brightened fiercely. She turned to the lawyer, and, pointing to
Mr. Ablewhite, asked haughtily, "What does he mean?"
Mr. Bruff interfered for the third time.
"You appear to forget," he said, addressing Mr. Ablewhite, "that you
took this house as Miss Verinder's guardian, for Miss Verinder's use."
"Not quite so fast," interposed Mr. Ablewhite. "I have a last word to
say, which I should have said some time since, if this----" He looked my
way, pondering what abominable name he should call me--"if this Rampant
Spinster had not interrupted us. I beg to inform you, sir, that, if my
son is not good enough to be Miss Verinder's husband, I cannot presume
to consider his father good enough to be Miss Verinder's guardian.
Understand, if you please, that I refuse to accept the position which is
offered to me by Lady Verinder's will. In your legal phrase, I decline
to act. This house has necessarily been hired in my name. I take the
entire responsibility of it on my shoulders. It is my house. I can keep
it, or let it, just as I please. I have no wish to hurry Miss Verinder.
On the contrary, I beg her to remove her guest and her luggage, at her
own entire convenience." He made a low bow, and walked out of the room.
That was Mr. Ablewhite's revenge on Rachel, for refusing to marry his
son!
The instant the door closed, Aunt Ablewhite exhibited a phenomenon which
silenced us all. She became endowed with energy enough to cross the
room!
"My dear," she said, taking Rachel by the hand, "I should be ashamed of
my husband, if I didn't know that it is his temper which has spoken to
you, and not himself. You," continued Aunt Ablewhite, turning on me
in my corner with another endowment of energy, in her looks this time
instead of her limbs--"you are the mischievous person who irritated him.
I hope I shall never see you or your tracts again." She went back to
Rachel and kissed her. "I beg your pardon, my dear," she said, "in my
husband's name. What can I do for you?"
Consistently perverse in everything--capricious and unreasonable in all
the actions of her life--Rachel melted into tears at those commonplace
words, and returned her aunt's kiss in silence.
"If I may be permitted to answer for Miss Verinder," said Mr. Bruff,
"might I ask you, Mrs. Ablewhite, to send Penelope down with her
mistress's bonnet and shawl. Leave us ten minutes together," he added,
in a lower tone, "and you may rely on my setting matters right, to your
satisfaction as well as to Rachel's."