What is it? Patty cried sharply from the head of the table.
Meg knows Meg and me knows, cried Gervase from the other end.
I must request, said Patty, Margaret Osborne, that you will not make my husband forget, with your jokes, what day it is. You maynt think it, perhaps, for my poor dear mother-in-law was not very kind to me but I feel it to be a very solemn day. And you may be very witty and very clever, though you dont show it to me but I wont have laughing and nonsense at my table on poor dear Lady Pierceys funeral day.
What was Margaret to do? She could not defend herself from so grotesque an accusation. She looked up with some quick words on her lips, but did not say them. It was intolerable, but it was at the same time ludicrous; a ridiculous jest, and yet the most horribly, absurdly serious catastrophe in the world.
The laughing seems all on your husbands side, said Colonel Piercey, unable to refrain.
Oh! said Patty, fixing upon him a broad stare: and then she, too, permitted herself a little laugh. Its the strangest thing, she said, and I cant help seeing its ridiculous though laughing is not in my mind, however it may be in other peoples, on such a day heres a gentleman sitting at my table, and everybody knows him but me.
I dont know him, cried Gervase, not from Adam; unless its Gerald Piercey, the soldier fellow that mother was so full of before I went off to get married: though nobody knew I was going to get married, he said, with a chuckle, except little Osy, that gave me I say, wheres little Osy, Meg?
I hope, said Patty severely, that children are not in the habit of being brought down here after dinner as they are in some places. Its such bad style, and, Im thankful to say, its going out of fashion. Its a thing as I could not put up with here.
Send some one upstairs,
said Margaret, in a low voice to the footman who was standing by her, to say that Master Osy is not to come down.
What are you saying to the servant? I dont want to be disagreeable, said Patty, but I object to a servant being sent away from his business. Oh, if the child comes usually, let him come, but it must be for the last time.
If I may go myself, said Margaret, half rising, that will be the most expeditious way.
Not before you have finished your dinner, cried Patty; oh, dont, pray. I should be quite distressed if you didnt have your dinner. And you had no tea. I know some ladies have trays sent upstairs. But I cant tolerate such a habit as having trays upstairs: so for goodness sake, Margaret Osborne, sit still and finish your dinner here.
Colonel Piercey moved his chair a little; he managed to look beyond the bouquet at Margaret, sitting flushed and indignant, yet incapable of completing the absurdity of the situation by a scene at table before the servants. Colonel Piercey had run through all the gamut of astonishment, anger, and confusion; he had arrived at pure amusement now. The momentary interchange of glances made the situation possible, and it was immediately and unexpectedly ameliorated by the melodramatic appearance of Dunning behind in the half-darkness at the door.
Mr. Gervase, if you please, Sir Giles is calling for you, the man said.
Patty sprang up from her seat. Sir Giles? the dear old gentleman! Oh, I foresaw this! He is ill, he is ill! Come, Gervase! she cried.
Not a bit, said Gervase; its only Dunnings way. He likes to stop you in the middle of your dinner. Theres nothing the matter with the governor, Dunning, eh?
Theres just this, that hes a-calling for Mr. Gervase, and not no other person, Dunning said, with slow precision.
Well, Im Mrs. Gervase; Im the same as Mr. Gervase. Come, come, dont lets lose a moment! Moments are precious! cried Patty, rushing to her husband and snatching him out of his chair, in his state of health and at his age.
Margaret and the Colonel were left alone, but the fear of the servants was upon them. They did not venture to say anything to each other. They were helped solemnly to the dish which had begun to go round, and for a moment sat in silence like two mutes, with the inexorable bouquet between them. Then Colonel Piercey said, in very bad French, This is worse than I feared. What are we to do?
I shall go to my room to Osy before she comes back.
I have no Osy to go to, he said with a short laugh. What a strange scene! stranger than any in a book. I am glad to have seen it once in a way.
Not glad, I hope, said Margaret. Sorry for Uncle Giles and all the rest. But she is not so bad as that. No, no, she is not. You dont see she wants to assert all her rights, to show you and me how strong she is, and how she scorns us. On ordinary occasions she is not like this.
You are either absurdly charitable in your thoughts, or else you want to throw dust in my eyes, Cousin Meg.
Nothing of the kind; I do neither. It is quite true. She is not bad in character at all. She will be kind to Uncle Giles, and probably improve his condition. We have all had a blind confidence in Dunning, and perhaps he doesnt deserve it. She wants to get Uncle Giles into her own hands, and she will do so. But he will not suffer; I am sure of it.