第66章

VULGARITY.

The Duke and Duchess with their children and personal servants reached Gatherum Castle the day before the first crowd of visitors was expected.It was on a lovely autumn afternoon, and the Duke, who had endeavoured to make himself pleasant during the journey, had suggested that as soon as the heat would allow them they would saunter around the grounds and see what was being done.They could dine late, at half-past eight or nine, so that they might be walking from seven to eight.But the Duchess when she reached the Castle declined to fall in with this arrangement.

The journey had been hot and dusty, and she was a little cross.

They reached the place about five, and then she declared that she would have a cup of tea and lie down; she was too tired to walk;and the sun, she said, was still scorchingly hot.He then asked that the children might go with him, but the two little girls were very weary and travel-worn, and the two boys, the elder of whom was home from Eton and the younger from some minor Eton, were already about the place after their own pleasures.So the Duke started for his walk alone.

The Duchess certainly did not wish to have to inspect the works in conjunction with her husband.She knew how much there was that she ought still to do herself, how many things that she herself ought to see.But she could neither do anything nor see anything to any purpose under his wing.As to lying down, that she knew to be quite out of the question.She had already found out that the life which she had adopted was one of incessant work.But she was neither weak nor idle.She was quite prepared to work,--if only she might work after her own fashion and with companions chosen by herself.Had not her husband been so perverse, she would have travelled down with Mrs Finn, whose coming was now postponed for two days, and Locock would have been with her.The Duke had given directions, which made it necessary that Locock's coming should be postponed for a day, and this was another grievance.She was put out a good deal, and began to speculate whether her husband was doing this on purpose to torment her.Nevertheless, as soon as she knew that he was out of the way, she went to her work.She could not go out among the tents and lawns and conservatories, as she would probably meet him.But she gave orders as to bedchambers, saw to the adornments of the reception-rooms, had an eye to the banners and martial trophies suspended in the vast hall, and the busts and statues which adorned the corners, looked in on the plate which was being prepared for the great dining-room, and superintended the moving about of chairs, sofas, and tables generally.'You may take it as certain, Mrs Pritchard,' she said to the housekeeper, 'that their will never be less than forty for the next two months.'

'Forty to sleep, my lady?' To Pritchard the Duchess had for many years been Lady Glencora, and she perhaps understood that her mistress liked the old appellation.

'Yes, forty to sleep, and forty to eat, and forty to drink.But that's nothing.Forty to push through twenty-four hours every day! Do you think you've got everything you want?'

'It depends, my lady, how long each of 'em stays.'

'One night! No--say two nights on an average.'

'That makes shifting the beds very often; doesn't it, my lady?'

'Send up Puddick's for sheets tomorrow.Why wasn't that thought of before?'

'It was, my lady,--and I think we shall do.We've got the steam-washery put up.'

'Towels!' suggested the Duchess.

'Oh, yes, my lady.Puddick's did send a great many things;--a whole waggon load there was come from the station.But the tablecloths ain't none of 'em long enough for the big table.'

The Duchess's face fell.'Of course there must be two.On them very long tables, my lady, there always is two.'

'Why didn't you tell me, so that I could have had them made?

It's impossible,--impossible that one brain should think of it all.Are you sure you've enough hands in the kitchen?'

'Well, my lady;--we couldn't do with more; and they ain't an atom of use,--only just in the way,--if you don't know something about 'em.I suppose Mr Millepois will be down soon.'

This name, which Mrs Pritchard called Milleypoise, indicated a French cook who was at yet unknown at the Castle.

'He'll be here tonight.'

'I wish he could have been here a day or two sooner, my lady, so as just to see about him.'

'And how should we have got our dinner in town? He won't make any difficulties.The confectioner did come?'

'Yes, my lady; and to tell the truth out at once, he was that drunk last night that--; oh, dear, we didn't know what to do with him.'

'I don't mind that before the affair begins.I don't suppose he'll get tipsy while he has to work for all these people.

You've plenty of eggs?'