The fall came, and Mabel wrote detailed descriptions of the
beautiful home Herbert had prepared for her; wrote, moreover, with
more feeling and animation, of the new and precious hopes of
happiness held out to her loving heart in the prospect of what the
spring would give into her arms, but said nothing of her aunt's
coming to her for the winter, or for an indefinite period, the
bounds of which were to be set only by her beloved relative's
wishes. The omission was trying enough to the foster-mother's heart
and patience, even while she believed the knowledge of it to be
confined to herself. She could still hold up her head bravely among
her kindred and acquaintances, and talk of the "dear child's" good
fortune and contentment with it; how popular and beloved she was
among them, and what an elegant house her generous husband had
bestowed upon her; could still hint at the instability of her own
plans, and the possibility that she might, at any day or hour,
determine to leave her native State and follow her "daughter" into
what the latter represented was not an unpleasant exile.
An end was put to this innocent deception--for, if any deception can
be termed innocent, it is surely that by which he who practises it
is himself beguiled--the blameless guile was then arrested by a
story repeated to her by her indignant hosts, as having emanated
directly from Mrs. Aylett. She had given expression, publicly, at a
large dinner-party, to her amazement and pity at the self-delusion
under which "poor, dear Mrs. Sutton" labored, in expecting to take
up her residence with Mr. and Mrs. Dorrance.
"My brother laments her hallucination as much, if not more than his
wife does," she said, in her best modulations of creamy compassion.
"But, indeed, my dear Mrs. Branch, they are not accountable for it.
Not a syllable has ever escaped either of them which a reasonable
person could construe into a request that she should become an
inmate of their household. So careful have they been to avoid
exciting her expectations in this regard, that they have refrained
from extending to her an invitation for even a month. Those who are
most familiar with the poor lady's peculiarities do not require to
be told how ill-advised would be the arrangement she desires. Mabel
is a thoroughly sensible woman, and too devoted a wife to advocate
anything so injudicious, while her husband is naturally jealous for
her dignity and the inviolability of her authority in her own house.
Mrs. Sutton left Ridgeley in opposition to our earnest entreaties
that she would spend the evening of her days with us. I was assured
then, as I am now, that she would receive the same love and respect
nowhere else. But she could not brook the semblance of interference
with her rule where she had reigned so long and irresponsibly. And
while we may deplore, we can hardly find fault with this weakness.
It must have been a trial--and not an ordinary one--to be obliged,
at her age, to resign the sceptre she had swayed for upward of
fifteen years."