CHAPTER IV

LESSONS FROM COURCY CASTLE

It was the first of July, young Frank Gresham’s birthday, and the London season was not yet over; nevertheless, Lady de Courcy had managed to get down into the country to grace the coming of age of the heir, bringing with her all the Ladies Amelia, Rosina, Margaretta, and Alexandrina, together with such of the Honourable Johns and Georges as could be collected for the occasion.

The Lady Arabella had contrived this year to spend ten weeks in town, which, by a little stretching, she made to pass for the season; and had managed, moreover, at last to refurnish, not ingloriously, the Portman Square drawing-room.  She had gone up to London under the pretext, imperatively urged, of Augusta’s teeth—­young ladies’ teeth are not infrequently of value in this way;—­and having received authority for a new carpet, which was really much wanted, had made such dexterous use of that sanction as to run up an upholsterer’s bill of six or seven hundred pounds.  She had of course had her carriage and horses; the girls of course had gone out; it had been positively necessary to have a few friends in Portman Square; and, altogether, the ten weeks had not been unpleasant, and not inexpensive.

For a few confidential minutes before dinner, Lady de Courcy and her sister-in-law sat together in the latter’s dressing-room, discussing the unreasonableness of the squire, who had expressed himself with more than ordinary bitterness as to the folly—­he had probably used some stronger word—­of these London proceedings.

‘Heavens!’ said the countess, with much eager animation; ’what can the man expect?  What does he wish you to do?’

’He would like to sell the house in London, and bury us all here for ever.  Mind, I was there only for ten weeks.’

’Barely time for the girls to get their teeth properly looked at!  But Arabella, what does he say?’ Lady de Courcy was very anxious to learn the exact truth of the matter, and ascertain, if she could, whether Mr Gresham was really as poor as he pretended to be.

’Why, he said yesterday that he would have no more going to town at all; that he was barely able to pay the claims made on him, and keep up the house here, and that he would not—­’

‘Would not what?’ asked the countess.

‘Why, he said that he would not utterly ruin poor Frank.’

‘Ruin Frank!’

‘That’s what he said.’

’But, surely, Arabella, it is not so bad as that?  What possible reason can there be for him to be in debt?’

‘He is always talking of those elections.’

’But, my dear, Boxall Hill paid all that off.  Of course Frank will not have such an income as there was when you married into the family; we all know that.  And whom will he have to thank but his father?  But Boxall Hill paid all those debts, and why should there be any difficulty now?’