Ayala's Angel [235]
did not like my being here."
"I suppose Lucy was in a little hurry to have the marriage come off," said Augusta -- who would surely have spared her cousin if at the moment she had remembered the haste which had been displayed by her sister.
"I thought it best," said Lucy.
"I'm sure I don't know how it is to be done," said Aunt Emmeline. "You must tell your uncle yourself. I don't know how you are to be married from here, seeing the trouble we are in."
"We shall be up in London before that" said Gertrude.
"Or from Queen's Gate either," continued Aunt Emmeline.
"I don't suppose that will much signify. I shall just go to the church."
"Like a servant-maid?" asked Gertrude.
"Yes -- like a servant-maid," said Lucy. "That is to say, a servant-maid would, I suppose, simply walk in and be married; and I shall do the same."
"I think you had better tell your uncle," said Aunt Emmeline. "But I am sure I did not mean that you were to go away like this. It will be your own doing, and I cannot help it if you will do it."
Then Lucy did tell her uncle. "And you mean to live upon three hundred a year!" exclaimed Sir Thomas. "You don't know what you are talking about."
"I think Mr Hamel knows."
"He is as ignorant as a babe unborn -- I mean about that kind of thing. I don't doubt he can make things in stone as well as anybody."
"In marble, Uncle Tom."
"Marble is stone, I suppose -- or in iron."
"Bronze, Uncle Tom."
"Very well. There is iron in bronze, I suppose. But he doesn't know what a wife will cost. Has he bought any furniture?"
"He is going to buy it -- just a little -- what will do."
"Why should you want to bring him into this?"
Lucy looked wistfully up into his face. He himself had been personally kind to her, and she found it to be impossible to complain to him of her aunt. "You are not happy here?"
"My aunt and cousins think that I am wrong; but I must be married to him now, Uncle Tom."
"Why did he kick up his heels when I wanted to help him?" Nevertheless, he gave his orders on the subject very much in Lucy's favour. She was to be married from Queen's Gate, and Gertrude must be her bridesmaid. Ayala no doubt would be the other. When his wife expostulated, he consented that the marriage should be very quiet, but still he would have it as he had said. Then he bestowed a cheque upon Lucy -- larger in amount than Stubbs's loan -- saying that after what had passed in Lombard Street he would not venture to send money to so independent a person as Mr Isadore Hamel; but adding that Lucy, perhaps, would condescend to accept it. There was a smile in his eye as he said the otherwise ill-natured word, so that Lucy, without any wound to her feelings, could kiss him and accept his bounty.
"I suppose I am to have nothing to do in settling the day," said Aunt Emmeline. It was, however, settled between them that the marriage should take place on a certain day in May. Upon this Lucy was of course overjoyed, and wrote to her lover in a full flow of spirits. And she sent him the cheque, having written her name with great pride on the back of it. There was a little trouble about this as a part of it had to come back as her trousseau, but still the arrangement was pleasantly made. Then Sir Thomas again became more kind to her, in his rough manner -- even when his troubles were at the worst after the return of Gertrude. "If it will not be altogether oppressive to his pride you may tell him that I shall make you an allowance of a hundred a year as my niece -- just for your personal expenses."
"I don't know that he is so proud, Uncle Tom."
"He seemed so to me. But if you say nothing to him about it, and just buy a few gowns now and again, he will perhaps be so wrapt up in the higher affairs of his art as not to take any notice."
"I am sure he will notice what I wear," said Lucy. However she communicated her uncle's intentions to her lover, and he sent back his grateful thanks to Sir Thomas. As one effect of all this the Colonel's money was sent back to him,
"I suppose Lucy was in a little hurry to have the marriage come off," said Augusta -- who would surely have spared her cousin if at the moment she had remembered the haste which had been displayed by her sister.
"I thought it best," said Lucy.
"I'm sure I don't know how it is to be done," said Aunt Emmeline. "You must tell your uncle yourself. I don't know how you are to be married from here, seeing the trouble we are in."
"We shall be up in London before that" said Gertrude.
"Or from Queen's Gate either," continued Aunt Emmeline.
"I don't suppose that will much signify. I shall just go to the church."
"Like a servant-maid?" asked Gertrude.
"Yes -- like a servant-maid," said Lucy. "That is to say, a servant-maid would, I suppose, simply walk in and be married; and I shall do the same."
"I think you had better tell your uncle," said Aunt Emmeline. "But I am sure I did not mean that you were to go away like this. It will be your own doing, and I cannot help it if you will do it."
Then Lucy did tell her uncle. "And you mean to live upon three hundred a year!" exclaimed Sir Thomas. "You don't know what you are talking about."
"I think Mr Hamel knows."
"He is as ignorant as a babe unborn -- I mean about that kind of thing. I don't doubt he can make things in stone as well as anybody."
"In marble, Uncle Tom."
"Marble is stone, I suppose -- or in iron."
"Bronze, Uncle Tom."
"Very well. There is iron in bronze, I suppose. But he doesn't know what a wife will cost. Has he bought any furniture?"
"He is going to buy it -- just a little -- what will do."
"Why should you want to bring him into this?"
Lucy looked wistfully up into his face. He himself had been personally kind to her, and she found it to be impossible to complain to him of her aunt. "You are not happy here?"
"My aunt and cousins think that I am wrong; but I must be married to him now, Uncle Tom."
"Why did he kick up his heels when I wanted to help him?" Nevertheless, he gave his orders on the subject very much in Lucy's favour. She was to be married from Queen's Gate, and Gertrude must be her bridesmaid. Ayala no doubt would be the other. When his wife expostulated, he consented that the marriage should be very quiet, but still he would have it as he had said. Then he bestowed a cheque upon Lucy -- larger in amount than Stubbs's loan -- saying that after what had passed in Lombard Street he would not venture to send money to so independent a person as Mr Isadore Hamel; but adding that Lucy, perhaps, would condescend to accept it. There was a smile in his eye as he said the otherwise ill-natured word, so that Lucy, without any wound to her feelings, could kiss him and accept his bounty.
"I suppose I am to have nothing to do in settling the day," said Aunt Emmeline. It was, however, settled between them that the marriage should take place on a certain day in May. Upon this Lucy was of course overjoyed, and wrote to her lover in a full flow of spirits. And she sent him the cheque, having written her name with great pride on the back of it. There was a little trouble about this as a part of it had to come back as her trousseau, but still the arrangement was pleasantly made. Then Sir Thomas again became more kind to her, in his rough manner -- even when his troubles were at the worst after the return of Gertrude. "If it will not be altogether oppressive to his pride you may tell him that I shall make you an allowance of a hundred a year as my niece -- just for your personal expenses."
"I don't know that he is so proud, Uncle Tom."
"He seemed so to me. But if you say nothing to him about it, and just buy a few gowns now and again, he will perhaps be so wrapt up in the higher affairs of his art as not to take any notice."
"I am sure he will notice what I wear," said Lucy. However she communicated her uncle's intentions to her lover, and he sent back his grateful thanks to Sir Thomas. As one effect of all this the Colonel's money was sent back to him,