Keeping up Appearances CHAPTER 7.
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Although different in disposition, and holding, on many subjects, views by no means accordant, Annetta Laurie and Lucy Hartman were on terms of intimacy, as might be inferred from the fact that Lucy had mentioned to her the offer made for her hand by Mr. Burnside. Annetta was not a very discreet girl, and did not reflect that the communication made to her was one that should be considered strictly confidential. On her way home, she mentioned what she had heard to one or two gossiping acquaintances. As soon as she saw her mother, she said,
"Would you believe it, mom! Mr. Burnside has offered himself to Lucy Deer!"
"Oh no! I presume not," replied Mrs. Laurie.
"Oh, yes, indeed he has!" returned Annetta, with animation. "I have just seen Lucy, and she is in sad perplexity about it."
"Why so?"
"She says he is too old for her."
"Too old!"
"Yes, indeed. She says he is a great deal too old, and that she cannot love him."
"He's not so very old, I am sure."
"'Over forty; and she's not twenty yet."
"But he's as rich as a Jew. The girl is foolish. What does her uncle say?"
"He's in favor of it."
"Of course; and will make her have him."
"I rather think he will find that hard to do. Lucy has a pretty strong will of her own.
"So had her mother before her, and so has her uncle. If she should refuse to marry Mr. Burnside, there will be a rupture between them, take my word for it."
"I hope not, for I like Lucy very much. She has no relative but her uncle and aunt, and is dependent upon them for everything."
"So much the more reason, then, why she should accept an offer like this. But it's just the way with silly young girls. They never know what is good for them."
Annetta did not fully approve of what her mother said, and yet it had its influence, like previous remarks of a similar tendency, in lowering in her mind, the standard of marriage; and in making her look to external considerations as of more importance than the moral and intellectual affinities of which Lucy had spoken, in their late interview. The remarks of her father, when he was informed of what had taken place, did not tend in any way to give Annetta higher views of marriage.
"She'll never have another such an offer, if she were to live a hundred years," was his brief reply to the communication.
On the next day, Mr. Laurie spoke of what he had heard from his daughter — to two or three, and each of them to as many more. In the course of a few days, it was prettygenerally known that Mr. Burnside had offered himself in marriage to Lucy Hartman, and that she had declined the offer. This reaching Mr. Burnside's ears caused him to feel indignant, and to seek by revenge, to throw suspicion upon the credit of Mr. Hartman, which he did so adroitly as not to show himself in any way, yet so effectually as to cause his failure in a week.
"I wonder what my young lady, Miss Particular, will say now?" was the remark preliminary, with which Mr. Laurie announced to his family the disaster that had attended Mr. Hartman's business.
"Miss who?" asked Annetta.
"Why, Miss Lucy Hartman! Her uncle went all to pieces today; and will be broken up, it is said, root and branch. Maybe she would jump at Mr. Burnside now!"
"I am very sorry to hear you say so," remarked Mrs. Laurie, with concern. "Will Mr. Hartman have nothing left?"
"Not if he acts honestly with his creditors."
"Poor Mrs. Hartman! How I pity her. She is a woman liked by everyone. What a shame it was for her ungrateful niece to refuse the advantageous offer of Mr. Burnside."
"But do you think he would have married her after her uncle's failure?" asked Annetta.
"It is very generally believed," said Mr. Laurie to this, "that the failure would never have taken place, if Lucy had accepted the proposal. Mr. Burnside was offended, and withdrew a heavy loan, I am told; and induced others who had often accommodated Mr. Hartman, to decline doing so any further, under the idea that he was not in a safe condition. Such a course, pursued towards almost any man in business, must inevitably destroy him, as it has destroyed poor Hartman. I could not stand such an attack upon my credit, and I know but few men who could."
"It is thus, then," Mrs. Laurie remarked, "that this girl has repaid her uncle and aunt for all they have done for her. I don't know how she can sleep on her pillow. I don't know how she can remain under their roof!"
"I believe she is no longer with them," Annetta said. "I called to see her twice this week — but each time the servant said she was not in. And yesterday I heard it suggested by Miss Martine, who has also called several times, without seeing her, that she had been turned off by her uncle and aunt, and was now teaching French and Spanish in Mr. Bolmero's school."
"What ground had she for such an idea?" asked Mrs. Laurie.
"Her little sister Emma goes there; and Emma says they have got a new French and Spanish teacher, and that her name is Miss Hartman."
"This may all be so, and yet the person not be Lucy Hartman. I do not believe a word of it. Mr. and Mrs. Hartman would not turn Lucy out of doors, if it were only for appearance' sake."
"Most certainly not," said Mr. Laurie. "Although she has richly deserved it. It is not at all improbable, now, however, that she may have to teach French, or do something else for a living; the silly girl. If she alone were to suffer, it would make no difference; but to involve her uncle and aunt, to whom she is under so many obligations, in the consequences of her folly, is another matter. How can they ever forgive her! I am sure I could not."
On the evening of the day following that on which this conversation took place, Mr. Arthur Lewis, the young man of whom Miss Laurie had spoken to Lucy, called in and spent a couple of hours with Annetta. It was the first time he had visited her. She sang and played for him, and did her best to make the evening pass agreeably, as well as to produce afavorable impression upon his mind. This last she succeeded in doing. Mr. Lewis thought her a pleasant girl, and went away very much inclined to follow up the acquaintance.
Once or twice a week, for the next two or three weeks, Mr. Lewis dropped in at Mr. Laurie's to pass an hour with Annetta. He met her, also, at parties twice during that time, and, on these occasions, was particular in his attentions. These attentions were quite agreeable to Annetta, and especially so to her mother, as Mr. Lewis was the son and partner of a wealthy and distinguished merchant.
Thus stood matters, when an event occurred that threw the family into the deepest affliction. Mr. Laurie complained one day, after dinner, of not feeling well, and said that he would go into his chamber and lie down for an hour. Two hours passed, and Mrs. Laurie went upstairs for the purpose of awaking him. She found him insensible. In great alarm the family physician was sent for. But he arrived too late. The vital spark was nearly extinct when he came; and he died in half an hour afterwards. The cause of his death was apoplexy.
Before the widow had time to recover from the effects of this severe affliction, she received the alarming intelligence that her husband's estate was insolvent. This almost crushed her to the earth. The executors and representatives of the creditors brought affairs to as speedy a termination as possible, so far as the widow was concerned. Although the whole estate would barely net fourteen shillings in the pound, it was agreed that the widow should be allowed to retain all the household furniture of her husband, and also be paid one hundred pounds in cash.
At the time of Mr. Laurie's death, he was living in a handsome house, for which he paid the annual rent of two hundred and forty pounds. He had three children; two younger than Annetta. The whole expense at which he was living was very nearly eight hundred pounds a year. Mrs. Laurie was an extravagant woman. The two younger girls were sent to the most extravagant schools; and the most fashionable and highest priced music teachers in the town employed to give them lessons on the piano and guitar.
With but one hundred pounds, and all income cut off, it was clear that this style of living could not be supported; and yet, week after week and month after month to all external appearances, with few exceptions, everything remained as it was before. The elegant residence was retained, and the usual style of livery, as far as could be seen, kept up.
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