The Last Chronicle of Barset [388]
took occasion to slip out of the back-door, and poor Jane, who had really been the owner of the news, was left to answer the bell.
Miss Walker found the two Miss Prettymans sitting together over their accounts in the elder Miss Prettyman's private room. And she could see at once by signs which were not unfamiliar to her that Miss Anne Prettyman was being scolded. It often happened that Miss Anne Prettyman was scolded, especially when the accounts were brought out upon the table. 'Sister, they are illegible,' Mary Walker heard, as the servant opened the door for her.
'I don't think it's quite so bad as that,' said Miss Anne, unable to restrain her defence. Then, as Mary entered the room, Miss Prettyman the elder laid her hands down on certain books and papers as though to hide them from profane eyes.
'I am glad to see you, Mary,' said Miss Prettyman gravely.
'I've brought such a piece of news,' said Mary. 'I knew you'd be glad to hear it, so I ventured to disturb you.'
'Is it good news?' said Anne Prettyman.
'Very good news. Mr Crawley is innocent.'
Both the ladies sprang on to their legs. Even Miss Prettyman herself jumped up on to her legs. 'No!' said Anne. 'Your father has discovered it?' said Miss Prettyman.
'Not exactly that. Mr Toogood has come down from London to tell him. Mr Toogood, you know, is Mr Crawley's cousin; and he is a lawyer, like papa.' It may be observed that ladies belonging to the families of solicitors always talk about lawyers, and never about attorneys or barristers.
'And does Mr Toogood say that Mr Crawley is innocent?' asked Miss Prettyman.
'He has heard it by a message from Mrs Arabin. But you mustn't mention this. You won't, please, because papa asked me not. I told him that I should tell you.' Then, for the first time, the frown passed away entirely from Miss Prettyman's face, and the papers and account books were pushed aside, as being of no moment. Mary continued her story almost in a whisper. 'It was Mrs Arabin who sent the cheque to Mr Crawley. She says so herself. So that makes Mr Crawley quite innocent. I am so glad.'
'But isn't it odd he didn't say so?' said Miss Prettyman.
'Nevertheless, it's true.' said Mary.
'Perhaps he forgot,' said Anne Prettyman.
'Men don't forget such things as that,' said the elder sister.
'I really do think that Mr Crawley could forget anything,' said the younger sister.
'You may be sure it's true,' said Mary Walker, 'because papa said so.'
'If he said so, it must be true,' said Miss Prettyman; 'and I am rejoiced. I really am rejoiced. Poor man! Poor ill-used man! And nobody has ever believed that he has really been guilty, even though they may have thought that he spent the money without any proper right to it. And now he will get off. But, dear me, Mary, Mr Smithe told me yesterday that he had already given up his living, and that Mr Spooner, the minor canon, was trying to get it from the dean. But that was because Mr Spooner and Mrs Proudie had quarrelled; and as Mrs Proudie is gone, Mr Spooner very likely won't want to move now.'
'They'll never go and put anybody in Hogglestock, Annabella, over Mr Crawley's head,' said Anne.
'I didn't say that they would. Surely I may be allowed to repeat what I hear, like another person, without being snapped up.'
'I didn't mean to snap you up, Annabella.'
'You're always snapping me up. But if this is true, I cannot say how glad I am. My poor Grace! Now, I suppose, there will be no difficulty, and Grace will become a great lady.' Then they discussed very minutely the chances of Grace Crawley's promotion.
John Walker, Mr Winthrop, and several others of the chosen spirits of Silverbridge, were playing whist at a provincial club, which had established itself in the town, when the news was brought to them. Though Mr Winthrop was the partner of the great Walker, and though John Walker was the great man's son, I fear that the news reached their ears in but an underhand sort of way. As for the great man himself, he never went near the club, preferring his
Miss Walker found the two Miss Prettymans sitting together over their accounts in the elder Miss Prettyman's private room. And she could see at once by signs which were not unfamiliar to her that Miss Anne Prettyman was being scolded. It often happened that Miss Anne Prettyman was scolded, especially when the accounts were brought out upon the table. 'Sister, they are illegible,' Mary Walker heard, as the servant opened the door for her.
'I don't think it's quite so bad as that,' said Miss Anne, unable to restrain her defence. Then, as Mary entered the room, Miss Prettyman the elder laid her hands down on certain books and papers as though to hide them from profane eyes.
'I am glad to see you, Mary,' said Miss Prettyman gravely.
'I've brought such a piece of news,' said Mary. 'I knew you'd be glad to hear it, so I ventured to disturb you.'
'Is it good news?' said Anne Prettyman.
'Very good news. Mr Crawley is innocent.'
Both the ladies sprang on to their legs. Even Miss Prettyman herself jumped up on to her legs. 'No!' said Anne. 'Your father has discovered it?' said Miss Prettyman.
'Not exactly that. Mr Toogood has come down from London to tell him. Mr Toogood, you know, is Mr Crawley's cousin; and he is a lawyer, like papa.' It may be observed that ladies belonging to the families of solicitors always talk about lawyers, and never about attorneys or barristers.
'And does Mr Toogood say that Mr Crawley is innocent?' asked Miss Prettyman.
'He has heard it by a message from Mrs Arabin. But you mustn't mention this. You won't, please, because papa asked me not. I told him that I should tell you.' Then, for the first time, the frown passed away entirely from Miss Prettyman's face, and the papers and account books were pushed aside, as being of no moment. Mary continued her story almost in a whisper. 'It was Mrs Arabin who sent the cheque to Mr Crawley. She says so herself. So that makes Mr Crawley quite innocent. I am so glad.'
'But isn't it odd he didn't say so?' said Miss Prettyman.
'Nevertheless, it's true.' said Mary.
'Perhaps he forgot,' said Anne Prettyman.
'Men don't forget such things as that,' said the elder sister.
'I really do think that Mr Crawley could forget anything,' said the younger sister.
'You may be sure it's true,' said Mary Walker, 'because papa said so.'
'If he said so, it must be true,' said Miss Prettyman; 'and I am rejoiced. I really am rejoiced. Poor man! Poor ill-used man! And nobody has ever believed that he has really been guilty, even though they may have thought that he spent the money without any proper right to it. And now he will get off. But, dear me, Mary, Mr Smithe told me yesterday that he had already given up his living, and that Mr Spooner, the minor canon, was trying to get it from the dean. But that was because Mr Spooner and Mrs Proudie had quarrelled; and as Mrs Proudie is gone, Mr Spooner very likely won't want to move now.'
'They'll never go and put anybody in Hogglestock, Annabella, over Mr Crawley's head,' said Anne.
'I didn't say that they would. Surely I may be allowed to repeat what I hear, like another person, without being snapped up.'
'I didn't mean to snap you up, Annabella.'
'You're always snapping me up. But if this is true, I cannot say how glad I am. My poor Grace! Now, I suppose, there will be no difficulty, and Grace will become a great lady.' Then they discussed very minutely the chances of Grace Crawley's promotion.
John Walker, Mr Winthrop, and several others of the chosen spirits of Silverbridge, were playing whist at a provincial club, which had established itself in the town, when the news was brought to them. Though Mr Winthrop was the partner of the great Walker, and though John Walker was the great man's son, I fear that the news reached their ears in but an underhand sort of way. As for the great man himself, he never went near the club, preferring his