Mr. Mauleverer had brought a large packet of letters with him, in all
manner of hands. There were some testimonials from a German university,
and letters from German professors in a compromise between English and
German hand, looking impossible to read, also the neat writing and thin
wavy water-marked paper of American professors and philanthropists in
high commendation of his ability and his scheme, and a few others that
he said were of too private a nature to do more than show Miss Curtis
in confidence, but on which she recognised some distinguished names of
persons interested in Social Science. She would not wound his feelings
by too close an inquiry, but she felt armed at all points against
cavillers. Really, she began to think, it was a great pity Colonel Keith
should cross her path again, she had so much on her hands that it would
be a public misfortune if any one man's private domestic love should
monopolize her; and yet, such was this foolish world, the Honourable
Mrs. Colin Keith would be a more esteemed lady patroness than Miss
Rachel Curtis, though the Curtises had been lords of the soil for many
generations, and Colonel Keith was a mere soldier of fortune.
One disappointment Rachel had, namely, that Mr. Mauleverer announced
that he was about to return to St. Herbert's, the very large and
fashionable watering-place in the next indentation of the coast. He had
duties there, he said, and he had only come to Avonmouth for a brief
holiday, a holiday that was to result in such happy effects. He lived in
an exceedingly retired way, he said, being desirous of saving his small
private means for his great object, and he gave Rachel his address at
the chief printseller's of the place, where his letters were left
for him, while he made excursions from time to time to study the
picturesque, and to give lectures on behalf of philanthropical subjects.
He offered such a lecture at Avonmouth, but Mr. Touchett would not
lend either school-room, and space was nowhere else available. In
the meantime a prospectus was drawn up, which Rachel undertook to get
printed at Villars's, and to send about to all her friends, since a
subscription in hand was the first desideratum.
Never since she had grown up to be a thinking woman had Rachel been so
happy as with this outlet to her activity and powers of managing, "the
good time coming at last." Eagerly she claimed sympathy, names and
subscriptions. Her own immediate circle was always easily under her
influence, and Lady Temple, and Mrs. Curtis supplied the dignity of lady
patronesses; Bessie Keith was immensely diverted at the development of
"that landscape painter," and took every opportunity of impressing on
Rachel that all was the result of her summons to the rescue. Ermine
wished Rachel had found out who was the bishop's chaplain who rejected
him, but allowed that it would have been an awkward question to ask, and
also she wondered if he were a university man; but Mr. Touchett had been
at a Hall, and never knew anybody, besides being so firmly convinced
that Mr. Mauleverer was a pestiferous heretic, that no one, except Lady
Temple, could have obtained a patient answer from him on that head--and
even with her he went the length of a regret that she had given the
sanction of her name to an undertaking by a person of whose history and
principles nothing satisfactory was known. "Oh!" said Fanny, with her
sweet look of asking pardon, "I am so sorry you think so; Rachel wished
it so much, and it seems such a nice thing for the poor children."