Alice, or the Mysteries — Complete

								

Mrs. Merton spoke to this high-fated heiress, at Evelyn's travelling so
far without her own maid, at her very primitive wardrobe--poor, ill-used
child! Mr. Merton was a connoisseur in ladies' dress. It was quite
painful to see that the unfortunate girl had been so neglected. Lady
Vargrave must be a very strange person. He inquired compassionately
whether she was allowed any pocket money; and finding, to his relief,
that in that respect Miss Cameron was munificently supplied, he
suggested that a proper abigail should be immediately engaged; that
proper orders to Madame Devy should be immediately transmitted to
London, with one of Evelyn's dresses, as a pattern for nothing but
length and breadth. He almost stamped with vexation when he heard
that Evelyn had been placed in one of the neat little rooms generally
appropriated to young lady visitors.
"She is quite contented, my dear Mr. Merton; she is so simple; she has
not been brought up in the style you think for."
"Mrs. Merton," said the rector, with great solemnity, "Miss Cameron may
know no better now; but what will she think of us hereafter? It is my
maxim to recollect what people will be, and show them that respect which
may leave pleasing impressions when they have it in their power to show
us civility in return."
With many apologies, which quite overwhelmed poor Evelyn, she
was transferred from the little chamber, with its French bed and
bamboo-coloured washhand-stand, to an apartment with a buhl wardrobe and
a four-post bed with green silk curtains, usually appropriated to the
regular Christmas visitant, the Dowager Countess of Chipperton. A pretty
morning room communicated with the sleeping apartment, and thence a
private staircase conducted into the gardens. The whole family were duly
impressed and re-impressed with her importance. No queen could be made
more of. Evelyn mistook it all for pure kindness, and returned the
hospitality with an affection that extended to the whole family, but
particularly to the two little girls, and a beautiful black spaniel. Her
dresses came down from London; her abigail arrived; the buhl wardrobe
was duly filled,--and Evelyn at last learned that it is a fine thing
to be rich. An account of all these proceedings was forwarded to Lady
Vargrave, in a long and most complacent letter, by the rector himself.
The answer was short, but it contented the excellent clergyman; for it
approved of all he had done, and begged that Miss Cameron might have
everything that seemed proper to her station.
By the same post came two letters to Evelyn herself,--one from Lady
Vargrave, one from the curate. They transported her from the fine room
and the buhl wardrobe to the cottage and the lawn; and the fine abigail,
when she came to dress her young lady's hair, found her weeping.
It was a matter of great regret to the rector that it was that time of
year when--precisely because the country is most beautiful--every one