The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-12
CHAPTER VI
TIE REcroR's FALL


mencement of his speech, 50 the Terturbed
clergyman broke into Mrs. Barbara Temples
drawing room He saw what might have
calrned his mind The three girls were stand
iug in group admiriug 4 drawing which
Slhyl has just been buying, and their mother
was deep in novel The girls looked up.
and as the merry rector was a favorite in the
house each fair face turned 10 smiles at sight
of him. Such rays ought TO have melted the
angry man into kindness; but no influence.
kind or stern, could have quieted him Just
then
Young ladies, he said. abruptly, address
ing the graceful three. my business Is with
your mother alone.
This odd intimation, considering the ex-
cited manner in which he made 1t, meant
they thought, one thing only. Lightly they
vanished from the room. but even 10 going
they glanced significantly at each other; for
the subject was SO interesting that they could
not delay an exchange Of ideas even TIL they
got outside the door. The rector was going
to propose TO mamma,
Mamma thought So too. She was not often
deceived, either by her eyes or her ears, but
for once she fancied that the tremor in the
rector's voice, his flushed cheek, his alcoholic
manner. were signs OF a lovers uneasiness
Indeed. as to the manner, she without anN
hesitation explained II as arising from wine.
1t was still early in the afternoon. but Mrs
Barbara Temple was not angry TeetotalisIn
was not Vet fashionable and the little woman
remarked to herself: They very often give
themselves flip IN that way before coming
10 the point Pity when they overao it-and
vet ! don't know
The rector might Dc fustered, but MrS
Barbara Temple was calm and pleasant
She motioned him to a seat-not upon her
Ats4Y II, and hon lo,-S
down her novel, she turned upon him with
her most gracious air.
Automatically $50 we say In this scicntihc
age be sat down, and, still to continue the
scientific style, by the actions of the law Of
gravitation his hat gloves and cane, which
he let 60 went their different ways 10 the
floor He did not notice the fall, and Mrs
Temple began inly TO compute how many
glasses he must have taken.
Il hope he has not gone too far" the pru
dent woman said TO herself: and her hope
grew less and less as the rector regarded her
with his red, confused visage, saying nothing
for quite a minute. Then he spoke:
Mrs, Temple he said, Il this morning re
eeived tremendous lesson in the hollowness
of the world!"
Mrs. Barbara Temple not greatly
skilled in metaphorical language, especially
the pulpit sort; but as she knew that her Wis
itor was not the sort Of person to make re
searches into the interior of the physical
globe, she had no great difficulty in under
standing that he spoke of the human kind
under this universal symbol.
"Weu, we'll" she said, shaking her head
that very often happens The best thing is
to be prepared for it. Don't expect too much
of men and women, and you VIII learn to be
good-humored over their selfislness and
hypocrisy. After all, are we much better
ourselves At any rate, let keep our
temper"
She strobed her dress at these words, brush
ing off some imaginary dust and, looking VI
at the clergyman, she smiled
That, the clergyman said, solefnnly, is
terribly frivolous view to take Of SO serious a
subject Then, seeing the woman Of the
world elevate her eyebrows and smile more
contemptuously than before, he added:
Especially when the fault is our own
He looked at her so directly, and with such
anger, that she was quite puzzled This
could not be the opening passage IF an offer
of marriage; and what could it be' Mrs
Temple, however, had faces and manners for
all complications
"Mr. Brent she said, with Just the faint,
est sign of distance about her, such as could
either be effaced or deepened according a
the occasion required, ~ am afraid you are
talking of something which I don't under
stand
Mrs Temple" cried the over-excited little
nan, lashel up 10y his feelings SO that hefan
led himself a judge, and invested with
judges rights, how old are you"
For once in her cool self-possessed life Mrs
Temple was really dumfounded. She looked
at her visitor, but found no word TO utter
and be, with an air of the most preposterous
Indignation and triumph, faced her, shaking
his head, pursing his lips, and pulling at her
in the most extraordinary style. At last she
recovered herself. She was sorry to think
it but the rector must be under the influence
of wine
mfr Brent she said, "I think we had bet
ter take n walk in the garden" She hoped
in this quiet way TO lead him to his carriage
"No!" cried the hot little fellow. @we shall
not take a walk in the garden" He sneered
horribly as be repeated her words. You
have deceived me, Mrs Temple, shocking
lym
Deceived your she cried, now with decid-
ed sternness in her voice Il quite be-
wilderedw
aIs-it-not-true. continued Mr. Brent,
beating time TO each word, if he were
| counting in a music Lesson, "that-you JILL
-tle-man -a-bOut- -the-time
of - the - French-revolution, The as
founding form Of this question, and possibly
some fact in her actual life which il brought
to sharp memory, caused Mr. Temple to
change color. But she was really too amazed
to omake any answer. Mr.. Bsent was now Il
kind Of drawing room red Indian, and in the
exact frame Of mind in which these children
of nature begin TO feel for their toInahawk-
d-did-you- not-lead- me -- TO u be
lieve 49, that YOU -for-ty-fve-and-
no-more.7 he demanded, still hitting his open
palm as he emitted each mOnosyllable-
Amidst all ner amazement Mrs. Temple
could now see In what style she ought 20 treat
the man. and so, rising with admirable com
posure she made as if she would at the next
word ring the bell.
Mr.. Brent she said severely. and she
said no more. She looked striking; her
diminutive veI- knit figure opposite his, which
was in a funny posture sugge stive enough OF
tipsy rhetoric, and her stern still face looking
/ into his flushed and puffy visage.
you cannot deny it, he went on, a true
/ illustration Of the old saying, that whom the
1 gods wish to destroy they first make mad
| He might even vet have saved himself II b.
would have fairly noted her aspect; but still
/ he believed she trefnbled before him! Under
/ that false impression | was actually going Ia
have married you in fact, might have mar
/ ried YOU and not found OUT the truth til all
/ was over
! Mrs Temple had by this time begun % get
! an .nkling of the whole truth, and now, like the
4 general she was. she prepared to crush the
! enemy First she stretched out her hand
/ inperiously, and signing to a small arm-
chair
@sit down there she said
Amazed in his turn. but quailing already,
Mr. Brent obeyed How he got safely seated
Is a mystery, for be never booked at the chair
nor lifted his eyes from her.
when YOU first came into this room, shs
said, in more imperious tones than before, q
! thought you were drunk The next minute
| thought you were mad 1t took little
/ longer to show me that you are neither, but
only impertinent'
The little man gazed up at her open-mouthezi,
like q dying fish. All the strength Of bis fur
was gone
-How dare you ask me my ageF she now
demanded, driving the question into him Ike
q dagger. He, realizing for the first time his
own absurdity, made no answer.
when did tell you was forty -fiveg7 she
asked, changing to a cold, sarcastic tone.
Tell me-
awen.7- be stammered; Il don't exactly
know; but everybody said that was your age.
and-and The scratched his head with a
pitiable air--l supposed you must have told
them
aOh. then < seems. it was not I that
said soF
SOh, no: it zas rot you
He made this admission eagerly. TO show
/ that he was ready TO be civil She went o.
growing colder as be grew more confused:
@You spoke of marrying me; had you ever
asked me-
-No; had not he replie,i, with dismal
expression of CONSERVATION But Ill
| fancied-
sYou fancied that you are so engaging tnaf
the only question is whether you ask or not
| Ia like the Yllf.a OF