"I should have asked you at first, only Coxe was so rampant with his
love. I didn't know what he might do, or how troublesome he might be
both to Molly and you. But he has cooled down now. Absence has had
a very tranquillizing effect, and I think Molly may be in the same
town with him, without any consequences beyond a few sighs every time
she's brought to his mind by meeting her. And I've got another favour
to ask of you, so you see it would never do for me to argue with you,
Miss Browning, when I ought to be a humble suppliant. Something must
be done to the house to make it all ready for the future Mrs. Gibson.
It wants painting and papering shamefully, and I should think some
new furniture, but I'm sure I don't know what. Would you be so very
kind as to look over the place, and see how far a hundred pounds
will go? The dining-room walls must be painted; we'll keep the
drawing-room paper for her choice, and I've a little spare money for
that room for her to lay out; but all the rest of the house I'll
leave to you, if you'll only be kind enough to help an old friend."
This was a commission which exactly gratified Miss Browning's love
of power. The disposal of money involved patronage of trades people,
such as she had exercised in her father's lifetime, but had had very
little chance of showing since his death. Her usual good-humour was
quite restored by this proof of confidence in her taste and economy,
while Miss Phoebe's imagination dwelt rather on the pleasure of a
visit from Molly.