She was quite aware that something very much out of the ordinary way was to be asked of her. In her ordinary way Lady Tringle never did smile when she came to Kingsbury Crescent. She would be profuse in finery, and would seem to throw off sparks of wealth at every word she spoke. Now even her dress had been toned down to her humbler manner, and there was no touch of her husband's purse in her gait. "Margaret," she said, "I have a proposition of great importance to make to you." Mrs Dosett opened her eyes wider and sat still mute. "That poor girl is not -- is not --is not doing perhaps the very best for herself here at Kingsbury Crescent.""Why is she not doing the best for herself?" asked Mrs Dosett, angrily.
"Do not for a moment suppose that I am finding fault either with you or my brother.""You'd be very wrong if you did."
"No doubt -- but I am not finding fault. I know how very generous you have both been. Of course Sir Thomas is a rich man, and what he gives to one of the girls comes to nothing. Of course it is different with you. It is hard upon my brother to have any such burden put upon him; and it is very good both in him and you to bear it.""What is it you want us to do now, Emmeline?""Well -- I was going to explain. I do think it a great pity that Tom and Ayala should not become man and wife. If ever any young man ever did love a girl I believe that he loves her.""I think he does."
"It is dreadful. I never saw anything like it. He is just for all the world like those young men we read of who do all manner of horrible things for love -- smothering themselves and their young women with charcoal, or throwing them into the Regent's Canal. I am constantly afraid of something happening. It was all because of Ayala that he got into that terrible row at the police court -- and then we were afraid he was going to take to drink. He has given all that up now.""I am very glad he has given drink up. That wouldn't do him any good.""He is quite different now. The poor fellow hardly takes anything.
He will sit all the afternoon smoking cigarettes and sipping tea. It is quite sad to see him. Then he comes and talks to me, and is always asking me to make Ayala have him.""I don't think that anybody can ever make Ayala do anything.""Not quite by talking to her. I dare say not. I did not mean to say a word to her about it just now.""We can do nothing, I fear," said Mrs Dosett.
"I was going to suggest something. But I wanted first to say a word or two about poor Lucy." They were just at present all "poor" to Lady Tringle -- Ayala, Lucy, Tom, and Gertrude. Even Augusta was poor because she was to be turned out of her bedroom.
"Is she in trouble?"
"Oh, dear, yes. But," she added, thinking well to correct herself, so that Mrs Dosett might not imagine that she would have to look forward to troubles with Lucy, "she could arrange her affairs, no doubt, if she were not with us. She is engaged to that Mr Isadore Hamel, the sculptor.""So I have heard."
"He does not earn very much just at present, I fear. Sir Thomas did offer to help him, but he was perhaps a little hoity-toity, giving himself airs. That, however, did not come off, and there they are, waiting. I don't mean to say a word against poor Lucy.
I think it a pity, you know; but perhaps it was natural enough.
He isn't what I should have liked for a niece who was living with me just as though she was my daughter; but I couldn't help that.""But what are we to do, Emmeline?"
"Let them just change places again."
"Change again! Ayala go to you and Lucy come back here!""Just that. If Ayala were with us she would be sure to get used to Tom at last. And then Lucy could manage her affairs with Mr Hamel so much better if she were with you.""Why should she manage her affairs better if she were with us?"Lady Tringle was aware that this was the weak part of her case.
On the poor Ayala and poor Tom side of the question there was a good deal which might be said. Then, though she might not convince, she might be eloquent. But, touching Lucy, she could say nothing which did not simply signify that she wanted to get rid of the girl. Now, Mrs Dosett had also wanted to get rid of Lucy when the former exchange had been made. "What I mean is, that, if she were away, Sir Thomas would be more likely to do something for her." This was an invention at the spur of the moment.
"Do you not feel that the girls should not be chucked about like balls from a battledore?" asked Mrs Dosett.
"For their own good, Margaret. I only propose it for their own good. You can't but think it would be a good thing for Ayala to be married to our Tom.""If she liked him."
"Why shouldn't she like him? You know what that means. Poor Ayala is young, and a little romantic. She would be a great deal happier if all that could be knocked out of her. She has to marry somebody, and the sooner she settles down the better. Sir Thomas will do anything for them -- a horse and carriage, and anything she could set her heart upon! There is nothing Sir Thomas would not do for Tom so as to get him put upon his legs again.""I don't think Ayala would go."
"She must, you know," whispered Lady Tringle, "if we both tell her.""And Lucy?"