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
