That was piece of news the first.The second was that ever so many gentlemen were coming to the Towers - some English, some French.This piece of news would have come first in order of importance had there been much probability of their being dancing men, and, as such, possible partners at the coming ball.But Lady Harriet had spoken of them as Lord Hollingford's friends, useless scientific men in all probability.Then, finally, Mrs Gibson was to go to the Towers next day to lunch; Lady Cumnor had written a little note by Lady Harriet to beg her to come; if Mrs Gibson could manage to find her way to the Towers, one of the carriages in use should bring her back to her own home in the course of the afternoon.'The dear countess!' said Mrs Gibson, with soft affection.It was a soliloquy, uttered after a minute's pause, at the end of all this information.And all the rest of that day her conversation had an aristocratic perfume hanging about it.One of the few books she had brought with her into Mr Gibson's house was bound in pink, and in it she studied 'Menteith, Duke of, Adolphus George,' &c.&c., till she was fully up in all the duchess's connections, and probable interests.Mr Gibson made his mouth up into a droll whistle when he came home at night, and found himself in a Towers' atmosphere.Molly saw the shade of annoyance through the drollery;she was beginning to see it oftener than she liked, not that she reasoned upon it, or that she consciously traced the annoyance to its source; but she could not help feeling uneasy in herself when she knew her father was in the least put out.Of course a fly was ordered for Mrs Gibson.In the early afternoon she came home.If she had been disappointed in her interview with the countess she never told her woe, nor revealed the fact that when she first arrived at the Towers she had to wait for an hour in Lady Cumnor's morning-room, uncheered by any companionship save that of her old friend Mrs Bradley, till suddenly, Lady Harriet coming in, she exclaimed, 'Why, Clare! you dear woman! are you here all alone? Does mamma know?' And, after a little more affectionate conversation, she rushed to find her ladyship, perfectly aware of the fact, but too deep in giving the duchess the benefit of her wisdom and experience in trousseaux to be at all aware of the length of time Mrs Gibson had been passing in patient solitude.At lunch Mrs Gibson was secretly hurt by my lord's supposing it to be her dinner, and calling out his urgent hospitality from the very bottom of the table, giving as a reason for it, that she must remember it was her dinner.In vain she piped out in her soft, high voice, 'Oh, my lord! I never cat meat in the middle of the day; I can hardly eat anything at lunch.' Her voice was lost, and the duchess might go away with the idea that the Hollingford doctor's wife dined early; that is to say, if her grace ever condescended to have any idea on the subject at all; which presupposes that she was cognizant of the facts of there being a doctor at Hollingford, and that he had a wife, and that his wife was the pretty, faded, elegant-looking woman sending away her plate of untasted food - food that she longed to eat, for she was really desperately hungry after her drive and her solitude.And then, after lunch, there did come a tête-à-tête with Lady Cumnor, which was conducted after this wise: - 'Well, Clare! I am really glad to see you.I once thought I should never get back to the Towers, but here I am! There was such a clever man at Bath - a Doctor Snape - he cured me at last - quite set me up.I really think if ever I am ill again I shall send for him: it is such a thing to find a really clever medical man.Oh, by the way, I always forget you've married Mr Gibson - of course he is very clever, and all that.(The carriage to the door in ten minutes, Brown, and desire Bradley to bring my things down.)What was I asking you? Oh! how do you get on with the step-daughter.She seemed to me to be a young lady with a pretty stubborn will of her own.
I put a letter for the post down somewhere, and I cannot think where; do help me to look for it, there's a good woman.Just run to my room, and see if Brown can find it, for it is of great consequence.' Off went Mrs Gibson rather unwillingly; for there were several things she had wanted to speak about, and she had not heard half of what she had expected to learn of the family gossip.But all chance was gone; for when she came back from her fruitless errand, Lady Cumnor and the duchess were in full talk, Lady Cumnor with the missing letter in her hand, which she was using something like a baton to enforce her words.'Every iota from Paris! Every i-o-ta!' Lady Cumnor was too much of a lady not to apologize for useless trouble, but they were nearly the last words she spoke to Mrs Gibson, for she had to go out and drive with the duchess; and the brougham to take 'Clare'
(as she persisted in calling Mrs Gibson) back to Hollingford, followed the carriage to the door.Lady Harriet came away from her entourage of young men and young ladies, all prepared for some walking expedition, to wish Mrs Gibson good-by.'We shall see you at the ball,' she said.'You'll be there with your two girls, of course, and I must have a little talk with you there; with all these visitors in the house, it has been impossible to see anything of you to-day, you know.' Such were the facts, but rose-colour was the medium through which they were seen by Mrs Gibson's household listeners on her return.'There are many visitors staying at the Towers - oh, yes! a great many: