Читать книгу Mary Wakefield - Mazo de la Roche - Страница 11

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He stirred his tea with gravity and even melancholy.

It was one thing for him to express such a sentiment. Quite another for his friends to agree. All hastened to disagree.

“Well,” said Philip, “I’ve spent a good part of my life in feeling or trying to feel ashamed of myself. With stern parents and two older brothers and a sister I’ve always been hearing someone say, ‘Philip, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.’”

“Your father doted on you,” said Mrs. Lacey.

“And so does your mother,” added the Admiral.

“I’m not so sure about that,” he answered. “I’m often a disappointment to her. I look so much like the governor, yet I can’t hold a candle to him.”

“Ah, well,” sighed the doctor, “there is no doubt that man reached his highest point of excellence in morals, manners and intellect during the last two or three generations. From now on, there will be deterioration. If any of you are living fifty years from now you are likely to see a miserable world.”

The two young women giggled.

Dr. Ramsey turned abruptly to Philip. “I’ve been to your house,” he said, “to have a look at the governess but she was off somewhere. I hope she’s not one of the sort that is always gadding.”

“It’s hard to say,” said Philip. “She’s only been with us three days.”

“Is it possible,” exclaimed Mrs. Lacey, “that you, the children’s grandfather, haven’t seen her yet?”

“I have not yet been invited.”

“Come back with me,” said Philip, “and I’ll put her through her paces.”

“Philip, you are disgraceful,” declared Mrs. Lacey. “But you must be prepared for one thing, Doctor Ramsey, and that is to see her in the gayest clothes, though her father has been dead only a few months.”

Philip pushed out his lips. “All her clothes aren’t gay,” he said. “She was dressed very simply this morning.”

“I should hope she would be.” Mrs. Lacey spoke with a little asperity. “Teaching two children their multiplication table is scarcely a time for fancy dress.”

“Come now, Mrs. Lacey, don’t be hard on the girl. That’s not like you.”

Philip patted her knee and she took his hand with a coy look and held it a moment. She was more flirtatious than either of her daughters.

“What like is she?” asked the doctor.

“Tell him what you called her when you first came, Philip,” cried Ethel. “I dare you to.”

“What was that?” asked Dr. Ramsey, sharply.

“Come and see for yourself, sir.”

“Why have an English governess?” asked Ethel.

“Much better have a good Scotswoman,” said the doctor. “That is what I have always advocated.”

“Why not a Canadian?” asked Ethel.

“They don’t seem to go in for governessing,” answered Philip. “But I do think it would be a good idea. I think we have clung too much to Old Country ways in our neighbourhood.”

Now the Admiral spoke. “The Whiteoaks, the Vaughans, the Laceys and the others who first settled here, promised each other to preserve their British principles, culture and——”

“Prejudices,” put in Philip.

“Very well. Prejudices. Prejudice against making a fetish of material progress—against all the hurry-scurry after money that goes on in the big American cities. They wanted to lead contented peaceful lives and teach their children to fear God, honour the Queen, fight for her if necessary. In short, behave like gentlemen.”

“I’m not setting myself up to criticize you, sir. I only mean that this country is growing and it’s bound to grow in a new way. Why, we’ve got a population of about five millions. We can’t go on modelling ourselves on the Old Land. Now you went into the Royal Navy as a youth——”

“There was no Canadian Navy and the sea was in my blood.”

“I know. But the consequence is that you’re just as English as your father was. You married an Englishwoman.”

“Oh, Philip, do you hold that against me?” Mrs. Lacey gave him a charming smile.

“Never.” He smiled back. “But this is an English household, with two English daughters.”

“We were born here,” said Ethel.

“I love Canada,” said Violet.

Philip ignored them. “Now there’s my mother. She’s just as Irish as ever she was. God knows she can’t help it! And my sister and two brothers live in England. When they come to Jalna they expect to see my children brought up exactly like children in England. It can’t be done. I think that, as time goes on, the people of this country will probably be a good deal Americanized.”

“Heaven forbid!” said Admiral Lacey.

Mrs. Lacey turned to the doctor who sat gazing at the ceiling with his arms folded.

“What are your feelings about all this, Dr. Ramsey?” she asked.

Without taking his eyes from the ceiling he declaimed, in sonorous tones: