The Last Chronicle of Barset [229]
will he, mamma? You have got a letter, uncle. Is it for us to see?'
'Well--yes; I've brought it down to show you. Mary, what do you think is going to happen?'
A terrible idea occurred to Mrs Dale at that moment, but she was much to wise to give it expression. Could it be possible that the squire was going to make a fool of himself and get married? 'I am very bad at guessing,' said Mrs Dale. 'You had better tell us.'
'Bernard is going to be married,' said Lily.
'How did you know?' said the squire.
'I didn't know. I only guessed.'
'Then you've guessed right,' said the squire, a little annoyed at having his news thus taken out of his mouth.
'I am so glad,' said Mrs Dale; 'and I know from your manner that you like the match.'
'Well--yes. I don't know the young lady, but I think that upon the whole I do like it. It's quite time, you know, that he got married.'
'He's not thirty yet,' said Mrs Dale.
'He will be in a month or two.'
'And who is it, uncle?'
'Well;--as you're so good at guessing, I suppose you can guess that?'
'It's not that Miss Partridge he used to talk about?'
'No; it's not Miss Partridge--I'm glad to say. I don't believe that the Partridges have a shilling among them.'
'Then I suppose it's an heiress,' said Mrs Dale.
'No; not an heiress; but she will have some money of her own. And she had connexions in Barsetshire, which makes it pleasant.'
'Connexions in Barsetshire! Who can it be?' said Lily.
'Her name is Emily Dunstable,' said the squire, 'and she is the niece of Miss Dunstable who married Dr Thorne and who lives at Chaldicotes.'
'She was the woman who had millions upon millions,' said Lily, 'and all got by selling ointment.'
'New mind how it was got,' said the squire angrily. 'Miss Dunstable married most respectably, and has always made a most excellent use of her money.'
'And will Bernard's wife have all her fortune?' asked Lily.
'She will have twenty thousand pounds the day she marries, and I suppose that will be all.'
'And quite enough, too,' said Mrs Dale.
'It seems that old Mr Dunstable, as he was called, who, as Lily says, sold the ointment, quarrelled with his son or with his son's widow, and left nothing either to her or to her child. The mother is dead, and the aunt, Dr Thorne's wife, has always provided for the child. That's how it is, and Bernard is going to marry her. They are to be married at Chaldicotes in May.'
'I am delighted to hear it,' said Mrs Dale.
'I've known Dr Thorne for the last forty years;' and the squire now spoke in a low melancholy tone. 'I've written to him to say that the young people shall have the old place up there to themselves if they like it.'
'What! And turn you out?' said Mrs Dale.
'That would not matter,' said the squire.
'You'd have to come and live with us,' said Lily, taking him by the hand.
'It doesn't matter much now where I live,' said the squire.
'Bernard would never consent to that,' said Mrs Dale.
'I wonder whether she will ask me to be a bridesmaid?' said Lily. 'They'd sat that Chaldicotes is such a pretty place, and I should see all the Barsetshire people that I've been hearing about from Grace. Poor Grace! I know that the Grantlys and the Thornes are very intimate. Fancy Bernard having twenty thousand pounds from the making of ointment!'
'What does it matter where it comes from?' said the squire, half in anger.
'Not in the least; only it sounds so odd. I do hope she's a nice girl.'
Then the squire produced a photograph of Emily Dunstable which his nephew had sent to him, and they all pronounced her to be very pretty, very much like a lady, and to be very good-humoured. The squire was evidently pleased with the match, and therefore the ladies were pleased also. Bernard Dale was the heir to the estate, and his marriage was of course a matter of moment; and as on such properties as that of Allington money is always wanted, the squire may be forgiven for the great importance which he attached to the young lady's fortune. 'Bernard could hardly have
'Well--yes; I've brought it down to show you. Mary, what do you think is going to happen?'
A terrible idea occurred to Mrs Dale at that moment, but she was much to wise to give it expression. Could it be possible that the squire was going to make a fool of himself and get married? 'I am very bad at guessing,' said Mrs Dale. 'You had better tell us.'
'Bernard is going to be married,' said Lily.
'How did you know?' said the squire.
'I didn't know. I only guessed.'
'Then you've guessed right,' said the squire, a little annoyed at having his news thus taken out of his mouth.
'I am so glad,' said Mrs Dale; 'and I know from your manner that you like the match.'
'Well--yes. I don't know the young lady, but I think that upon the whole I do like it. It's quite time, you know, that he got married.'
'He's not thirty yet,' said Mrs Dale.
'He will be in a month or two.'
'And who is it, uncle?'
'Well;--as you're so good at guessing, I suppose you can guess that?'
'It's not that Miss Partridge he used to talk about?'
'No; it's not Miss Partridge--I'm glad to say. I don't believe that the Partridges have a shilling among them.'
'Then I suppose it's an heiress,' said Mrs Dale.
'No; not an heiress; but she will have some money of her own. And she had connexions in Barsetshire, which makes it pleasant.'
'Connexions in Barsetshire! Who can it be?' said Lily.
'Her name is Emily Dunstable,' said the squire, 'and she is the niece of Miss Dunstable who married Dr Thorne and who lives at Chaldicotes.'
'She was the woman who had millions upon millions,' said Lily, 'and all got by selling ointment.'
'New mind how it was got,' said the squire angrily. 'Miss Dunstable married most respectably, and has always made a most excellent use of her money.'
'And will Bernard's wife have all her fortune?' asked Lily.
'She will have twenty thousand pounds the day she marries, and I suppose that will be all.'
'And quite enough, too,' said Mrs Dale.
'It seems that old Mr Dunstable, as he was called, who, as Lily says, sold the ointment, quarrelled with his son or with his son's widow, and left nothing either to her or to her child. The mother is dead, and the aunt, Dr Thorne's wife, has always provided for the child. That's how it is, and Bernard is going to marry her. They are to be married at Chaldicotes in May.'
'I am delighted to hear it,' said Mrs Dale.
'I've known Dr Thorne for the last forty years;' and the squire now spoke in a low melancholy tone. 'I've written to him to say that the young people shall have the old place up there to themselves if they like it.'
'What! And turn you out?' said Mrs Dale.
'That would not matter,' said the squire.
'You'd have to come and live with us,' said Lily, taking him by the hand.
'It doesn't matter much now where I live,' said the squire.
'Bernard would never consent to that,' said Mrs Dale.
'I wonder whether she will ask me to be a bridesmaid?' said Lily. 'They'd sat that Chaldicotes is such a pretty place, and I should see all the Barsetshire people that I've been hearing about from Grace. Poor Grace! I know that the Grantlys and the Thornes are very intimate. Fancy Bernard having twenty thousand pounds from the making of ointment!'
'What does it matter where it comes from?' said the squire, half in anger.
'Not in the least; only it sounds so odd. I do hope she's a nice girl.'
Then the squire produced a photograph of Emily Dunstable which his nephew had sent to him, and they all pronounced her to be very pretty, very much like a lady, and to be very good-humoured. The squire was evidently pleased with the match, and therefore the ladies were pleased also. Bernard Dale was the heir to the estate, and his marriage was of course a matter of moment; and as on such properties as that of Allington money is always wanted, the squire may be forgiven for the great importance which he attached to the young lady's fortune. 'Bernard could hardly have