that he is going to be married to me!' and Phoebe laughed outright. 'If Juliana has heard it, I don't wonder that she is shocked, because you know Miss Charlecote said it would never do for me to associate with those gentlemen, and besides, Lucy says that he is a very bad man. I shall write to Juliana, and say that I have never had anything to do with him, and he is going away to-morrow, and Mervyn must be told not to have him back again. That will set it all straight at Acton Manor.'
Phoebe was quite herself again. She was too well accustomed to gratuitous unkindness and reproaches from Juliana to be much hurt by them, and perceiving, as she thought, where the misconception lay, had no fears that it would not be cleared up. So when she had carefully written her letter to her sister, she dismissed the subject until she should be able to lay it before Miss Charlecote, dwelling more on Honor's pleasure on hearing of Lucy than on the more personal matter.
Miss Fennimore, looking over the letter, had deeper misgivings. It seemed to her rather to be a rebuke for the whole habit of life than a warning against an individual, and she began to doubt whether even the seclusion of the west wing had been a sufficient protection in the eyes of the family from the contamination of such society as Mervyn received. Or was it a plot of Lady Acton's malevolence for hunting Phoebe away from her home? Miss Fennimore fell asleep, uneasy and perplexed, and in her dreams beheld Phoebe as the Lady in Comus, fixed in her chair and resolute against a cup effervescing with carbonic acid gas, proffered by Jack Hastings, who thereupon gave it to Bertha, as she lay back in the dentist's chair, and both becoming transformed into pterodactyles, flew away while Miss Fennimore was vainly trying to summon the brothers by electric telegraph.
There was a whole bevy of letters for Phoebe the following morning, and first a kind sensible one from her guardian, much regretting to learn that Mr. Fulmort's guests were undesirable inmates for a house where young ladies resided, so that, though he had full confidence in Miss Fulmort's discretion, and understood that she had never associated with the persons in question, he thought her residence at home ought to be reconsidered, and should be happy to discuss the point on coming to Beauchamp, so soon as he should have recovered from an unfortunate fit of the gout, which at present detained him in town. Miss Fulmort might, however, be assured that her wishes should be his chief consideration, and that he would take care not to separate her from Miss Maria.
That promise, and the absence of all mention of Lucilla's object of dread, gave Phoebe courage to open the missive from her eldest sister.
'MY DEAR PHOEBE,
'I always told you it would never answer, and you see I was right.
If Mervyn will invite that horrid man, whatever you may do, no one
will believe that you do not associate with him, and you may never
get over it. I am telling everybody what children you are, quite in
the schoolroom, but nothing will be of any use but your coming away
at once, and appearing in society with me, so you had better send the
children to Acton Manor, and come to me next week. If there are any
teal in the decoy bring some, and ask Mervyn where he got that
Barton's dry champagne.
'Your affectionate sister,
'AUGUSTA BANNERMAN.'
She had kept Robert's letter to the last, as refreshment after the rest.
'St. Matthew's, Dec. 18th.
'DEAR PHOEBE,
'I am afraid this may not be your first intimation of what may vex
and grieve you greatly, and what calls for much cool and anxious
judgment. In you we have implicit confidence, and your adherence to
Miss Charlecote's kind advice has spared you all imputation, though
not, I fear, all pain. You may, perhaps, not know how disgraceful
are the characters of some of the persons whom Mervyn has collected
about him. I do him the justice to believe that he would shelter you
from all intercourse with them as carefully as I should; but I cannot
forgive his having brought them beneath the same roof with you. I
fear the fact has done harm in our own neighbourhood. People imagine
you to be associating with Mervyn's crew, and a monstrous report is
abroad which has caused Bevil Acton to write to me and to Crabbe. We
all agree that this is a betrayal of the confidence that you
expressed in Mervyn, and that while he chooses to make his house a
scene of dissipation, no seclusion can render it a fit residence for
women or girls. I fear you will suffer much in learning this
decision, for Mervyn's sake as well as your own. Poor fellow! if he
will bring evil spirits about him, good angels must depart. I would
come myself, but that my presence would embitter Mervyn, and I could
not meet him properly. I am writing to Miss Charlecote. If she
should propose to receive you all at the Holt immediately, until
Crabbe's most inopportune gout is over, you had better go thither at
once. It would be the most complete vindication of your conduct that
could be offered to the county, and would give time for considering
of establishing you elsewhere, and still under Miss Fennimore's care.
For Bertha's sake as well as your own, you must be prepared to leave
home and resign yourself to be passive in the decision of those bound
to think for you, by which means you may avoid being included in
Mervyn's anger. Do not distress yourself by the fear that any blame
can attach to you or to Miss Fennimore; I copy Bevil's
expressions-'Assure Phoebe that though her generous confidence may
have caused her difficulties, no one can entertain a doubt of her
guileless intention and maidenly discretion. If it would not make
further mischief, I would hasten to fetch her, but if she will do me
the honour to accept her sister's invitation, I hope to do all in my
power to make her happy and mark my esteem for her.' These are his
words; but I suppose you will hardly prefer Acton Manor, though,
should the Holt fail us, you might send the other two to the Manor,
and come to Albury-street as Augusta wishes, when we could consult
together on some means of keeping you united, and retaining Miss
Fennimore, who must not be thrown over, as it would be an injury to
her prospects. Tell her from me that I look to her for getting you
through this unpleasant business.
'Your ever affectionate
'R. M. FULMORT.'
Phoebe never spoke, but handed each sheet as she finished it to her governess.
'Promise me, Phoebe,' said Miss Fennimore, as she came to Robert's last sentence, 'that none of these considerations shall bias you. Make no struggle for me, but use me as I may be most serviceable to you.'
Phoebe, instead of answering, kissed and clung to her.
'What do you think of doing?' asked the governess.
'Nothing,' said Phoebe.
'You looked as if a thought had occurred to you.'
'I only recollected the words, 'your strength is to sit still,' said Phoebe, 'and thought how well they agreed with Robert's advice to be passive. Mr. Crabbe has promised not to separate us, and I will trust to that. Mervyn was very kind in letting us stay here, but he does not want us, and will not miss us,'-and with those words, quiet as they were, came a gush of irrepressible tears, just as a step resounded outside, the door was burst open, and Mervyn hurried in, purple with passion, and holding a bundle of letters crushed together in his hand.
