luncheon, and Captain Keith at dinner, and Alick was further to sleep at Gowanbrae. Lady Temple, who was to have been of the party, was called away, much to her own regret, by an appointment with the dentist of St. Norbert's, who was very popular, and proportionately despotic, being only visible at his own times, after long appointment. She would therefore be obliged to miss Alick's ordeal, though as she said, when Rachel--finding it vain to try to outstay so many--had taken her leave, 'I should much like to see how it will turn out. I do believe that there is some difference in the colour of the ink in the middle and at the edge, and if those people are deceiving Rachel, who knows what they may be doing to the poor children?'
It was exactly what every one was thinking, but it seemed to have fresh force when it struck the milder and slower imagination, and Lady Temple, seeing that her observation told upon those around her, became more impressed with its weight.
'It really is dreadful to have sent those little girls there without any one knowing what anybody does to them,' she repeated.
'It makes even Alick come out in a new character,' said the Colonel, turning round on him.
'Why,' returned Alick, 'my sister had so much to do with letting the young lady in for the scrape, that it is just as well to try to get her out of it. In fact, I think we have all sat with our hands before us in a shamefully cool manner, till we are all accountable for the humbuggery.'
'When it comes to your reproaching us with coolness, Captain Keith, the matter becomes serious,' returned Colin.
'It does become serious,' was the answer; 'it is hard that a person without any natural adviser should have been allowed to run headlong, by force of her own best qualities, into the hands of a sharper. I do not see how a man of any proper feeling, can stand by without doing something to prevent the predicament from becoming any worse.'
'If you can,' said Colonel Keith.
'I verily believe,' said Alick, turning round upon him, 'that the worse it is for her, the more you enjoy it!'
'Quite true,' said Ermine in her mischievous way; 'it is a true case of man's detestation of clever women! Look here, Alick, we will not have him here at the great ordeal of the woodcuts. You and I are much more candid and unprejudiced people, and shall manage her much better.'
'I have no desire to be present,' returned the Colonel; 'I have no satisfaction in seeing my friend Alick baffled. I shall see how they both appear at luncheon afterwards.'
'How will that be?' asked Fanny, anxiously.
'The lady will be sententious and glorious, and will recommend the F. U. E. E. more than ever, and Alick will cover the downfall of his crest by double-edged assents to all her propositions.'
'You will not have that pleasure,' said Alick. 'I only go to dinner there.'
'At any rate,' said the Colonel, 'supposing your test takes effect by some extraordinary chance, don't take any further steps without letting me know.'
The inference was drawn that he expected great results, but he continued to laugh at Alick's expectations of producing any effect on the Clever Woman, and the debate of the woodcuts was adjourned to the Monday.
In good time, Rachel made her appearance in Miss Williams's little sitting-room. 'I am ready to submit to any test that Captain Keith may require to confute himself,' she said to Ermine; 'and I do so the more readily that with all his mocking language, there is a genuine candour and honesty beneath that would he quite worth convincing. I believe that if once persuaded of the injustice of his suspicions he would in the reaction become a fervent supporter of Mr. Mauleverer and of the institution; and though I should prefer carrying on our work entirely through women, yet this interest would be so good a thing for him, that I should by no means reject his assistance.'
Rachel had, however, long to wait. As she said, Captain Keith was one of those inborn loiterers who, made punctual by military duty, revenge themselves by double tardiness in the common affairs of life. Impatience had nearly made her revoke her good opinion of him, and augur that, knowing himself vanquished, he had left the field to her, when at last a sound of wheels was heard, a dog-cart stopped at the door, and Captain Keith entered with an enormous blue and gold volume under his arm.
'I am sorry to be so late,' he said, 'but I have only now succeeded in procuring my ally.'
'An ally?'
'Yes, in this book. I had to make interest at the Avoncester Library, before I could take it away with me.' As he spoke he placed the book desk-fashion on a chair, and turned it so that Ermine might see it; and she perceived that it was a bound-up volume of the 'Illustrated London News.' Two marks were in it, and he silently parted the leaves at the first.
It revealed the lace-making beauty in all her rural charms.
'I see,' said Rachel; 'it is the same figure, but not the same shaped picture.'
Without another word, Alick Keith opened the pages at the lace- school; and here again the figures were identical, though the margin had been differently finished off.
'I perceive a great resemblance,' again said Rachel, 'but none that is not fully explained by Mr. Mauleverer's accurate resemblance and desire to satirize foolish sentiment.'
Alick Keith took up the woodcut. 'I should say,' he observed, holding it up to the light, 'that it was unusual to mount a proof engraving so elaborately on a card.'
'Oh, I see what your distrust is driving at; you suspect the designs of being pasted on.'
'There is such a test as water,' suggested Alick.
'I should be ashamed to return the proof to its master, bearing traces of unjust suspicion.'
'If the suspicion you impute to me be unjust, the water will produce no effect at all.'
'And you engage to retract all your distrust and contempt, if you are convinced that this engraving is genuine?'
'I do,' he answered steadily.
With irritated magnanimity Rachel dipped her finger into the vase of flowers on the table, and let a heavy drop of water fall upon the cottage scene. The centre remained unaltered, and she looked round in exultation, saying, 'There, now I suppose I may wipe it off.'
Neither spoke, and she applied her pocket handkerchief. What came peeling away under her pressure? It was the soft paper, and as she was passing the edge of the figure of the girl, she found a large smear following her finger. The peculiar brown of Indian ink was seen upon her handkerchief, and when she took it up a narrow hem of white had become apparent between the girl's head and its surroundings. Neither spectator spoke, they scarcely looked at her, when she took another drop from the vase, and using it more boldly found the pasted figure curling up and rending under her hand, lines of newspaper type becoming apparent, and the dark cloud spreading around.
'What does it mean?' was her first exclamation; then suddenly turning on Ermine, 'Well, do you triumph?'
'I am very, very sorry,' said Ermine.
'I do not know that it is come to that yet,' said Rachel, trying to collect herself. 'I may have been pressing too hard for results.' Then looking at the mangled picture again as they wisely left her to herself, 'But it is a deception! A deception! Oh! he need not have done it! Or,' with a lightened look and tone of relief, 'suppose he did it to see whether I should find it out?'
'He is hardly on terms with you for that,' said Ermine; while Alick could not refrain from saying, 'Then he would be a more insolent scoundrel than he has shown himself yet.'
'I know he is not quite a gentleman,' said Rachel, 'and nothing else gives the instinct of the becoming. You have conquered, Captain Keith, if it be any pleasure to you to have given my trust and hope a cruel shock.'
'With little satisfaction to myself,' he began to say; but she continued, 'A shock, a shock I say, no more; I do not know what conclusion I ought to draw. I do not expect you to believe in this person till he has cleared up the deceit. If it be only a joke in bad taste, he deserves the distrust that is the penalty for it. If you have been opening my eyes to a deception, perhaps I shall thank you for it some day. I must think it over.'
She rose, gathered her papers together, and took her leave gravely, while Alick, much to Ermine's satisfaction, showed no elation in his victory. All he said was, 'There is a great deal of dignity in the strict justice of a mind slow to condemn, or to withdraw the trust once given.'
'There is,' said Ermine, much pleased with his whole part in the affair; 'there has been full and real candour, not flying into the other extreme. I am afraid she has a great deal to suffer.'
