He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope (books you need to read .txt) 📕

THE ROWLEYS GO OVER THE ALPS

By the thirteenth of May the Rowley family had established itself in

Florence, purposing to remain either there or at the baths of Lucca

till the end of June, at which time it was thought that Sir Marmaduke

should begin to make preparations for his journey back to the Islands.

Their future prospects were not altogether settled. It was not decided

whether Lady Rowley should at once return with him, whether Mrs

Trevelyan should return with him, nor was it settled among them what

should be the fate of Nora Rowley. Nora Rowley was quite resolved

herself that she would not go back to the Islands, and had said as much

to her mother. Lady Rowley had not repeated this to Sir Marmaduke, and

was herself in doubt as to what might best be done. Girls are

understood by their mothers better than they are by their fathers. Lady

Rowley was beginning to be aware that Nora’s obstinacy was too strong

to be overcome by mere words, and that other steps must be taken if she

were to be weaned from her pernicious passion for Hugh Stanbury. Mr

Glascock was still in Florence. Might she not be cured by further

overtures from Mr Glascock? The chance of securing such a son-in-law

was so important, so valuable, that no trouble was too great to be

incurred, even though the probability of success might not be great.

It must not, however, be supposed that Lady Rowley carried off all the

family to Italy, including Sir Marmaduke, simply in chase of Mr

Glascock. Anxious as she was on the subject, she was too proud, and

also too well-conditioned, to have suggested to herself such a journey

with such an object. Trevelyan had escaped from Willesden with the

child, and they had heard again through Stanbury that he had returned

to Italy. They had all agreed that it would be well that they should

leave London for awhile, and see something of the continent; and when

it was told to them that little Louis was probably in Florence, that

alone was reason enough for them to go thither. They would go to the

city till the heat was too great and the mosquitoes too powerful, and

then they would visit the baths of Lucca for a month. This was their

plan of action, and the cause for their plan; but Lady Rowley found

herself able to weave into it another little plan of her own, of which

she said nothing to anybody. She was not running after Mr Glascock; but

if Mr Glascock should choose to run after them or her, who could say

that any harm had been done?

Nora had answered that proposition of her lover’s to walk out of the

house in Manchester Street, and get married at the next church, in a

most discreet manner. She had declared that she would be true and firm,

but that she did not wish to draw upon herself the displeasure of her

father and mother. She did not, she said, look upon a clandestine

marriage as a happy resource. But this she added at the end of a long

and very sensible letter: she intended to abide by her engagement, and

she did not intend to go back to the Mandarins. She did not say what

alternative she would choose in the event of her being unable to obtain

her father’s consent before his return. She did not suggest what was to

become of her when Sir Marmaduke’s leave of absence should be expired.

But her statement that she would not go back to the islands was

certainly made with more substantial vigour, though, perhaps, with less

of reasoning, than any other of the propositions made in her letter.

Then, in her postscript, she told him that they were all going to

Italy. ‘Papa and mamma think that we ought to follow poor Mr Trevelyan.

The lawyer says that nothing can be done while he is away with the boy.

We are therefore all going to start to Florence. The journey is

delightful. I will not say whose presence will be wanting to make it

perfect.’

Before they started there came a letter to Nora from Dorothy, which

shall be given entire, because it will tell the reader more of

Dorothy’s happiness than would be learned from any other mode of

narrative.

‘The Close, Thursday.

Dearest Nora,

I have just had a letter from Hugh, and that makes me feel that I

should like to write to you. Dear Hugh has told me all about it, and I

do so hope that things may come right and that we may be sisters. He is

so good that I do not wonder that you should love him. He has been the

best son and the best brother in the world, and everybody speaks well

of him except my dear aunt, who is prejudiced because she does not like

newspapers. I need not praise him to you, for I dare say you think

quite as well of him as I do. I cannot tell you all the beautiful

things he says about you, but I dare say he has told them to you

himself.

I seem to know you so well because Priscilla has talked about you so

often. She says that she knew that you and my brother were fond of each

other because you growled at each other when you were together at the

Clock House, and never had any civil words to say before people. I

don’t know whether growling is a sign of love, but Hugh does growl

sometimes when he is most affectionate. He growls at me, and I

understand him, and I like to be growled at. I wonder whether you like

him to growl at you.

And now I must tell you something about myself because if you are to be

my sister you ought to know it all. I also am going to be married to a

man whom I love oh, so dearly! His name is Mr Brooke Burgess, and he is

a great friend of my aunt’s. At first she did not like our being

engaged, because of some family reason—but she has got over that,