CHAPTER XLIV

Valentine’s Day at Allington

Lily had exacted a promise from her mother before her illness, and during the period of her convalescence often referred to it, reminding her mother that that promise had been made, and must be kept.  Lily was to be told the day on which Crosbie was to be married.  It had come to the knowledge of them all that the marriage was to take place in February.  But this was not sufficient for Lily.  She must know the day.

And as the time drew nearer,—­Lily becoming stronger the while, and less subject to medical authority,—­the marriage of Crosbie and Alexandrina was spoken of much more frequently at the Small House.  It was not a subject which Mrs Dale or Bell would have chosen for conversation; but Lily would refer to it.  She would begin by doing so almost in a drolling strain, alluding to herself as a forlorn damsel in a play-book; and then she would go on to speak of his interests as a matter which was still of great moment to her.  But in the course of such talking she would too often break down, showing by some sad word or melancholy tone how great was the burden on her heart.  Mrs Dale and Bell would willingly have avoided the subject, but Lily would not have it avoided.  For them it was a very difficult matter on which to speak in her hearing.  It was not permitted to them to say a word of abuse against Crosbie, as to whom they thought that no word of condemnation could be sufficiently severe; and they were forced to listen to such excuses for his conduct as Lily chose to manufacture, never daring to point out how vain those excuses were.

Indeed, in those days Lily reigned as a queen at the Small House.  Ill-usage and illness together falling into her hands had given her such power, that none of the other women were able to withstand it.  Nothing was said about it; but it was understood by them all, Jane and the cook included, that Lily was for the time paramount.  She was a dear, gracious, loving, brave queen, and no one was anxious to rebel;—­only that those praises of Crosbie were so very bitter in the ears of her subjects.  The day was named soon enough, and the tidings came down to Allington.  On the fourteenth of February, Crosbie was to be made a happy man.  This was not known to the Dales till the twelfth, and they would willingly have spared the knowledge then, had it been possible to spare it.  But it was not so, and on that evening Lily was told.

During these days, Bell used to see her uncle daily.  Her visits were made with the pretence of taking to him information as to Lily’s health; but there was perhaps at the bottom of them a feeling that, as the family intended to leave the Small House at the end of March, it would be well to let the squire know that there was no enmity in their hearts against him.  Nothing more had been said about their moving,—­nothing, that is, from them to him.  But the matter was