Chapter X: The Training Begins

Rachel was not very sorry to remember that Gwen would be leaving in a few days. She might do a great deal of mischief if she stayed longer with them. Anyhow she would probably make Luke unhappy if she talked to him in the same way as she had spoken to her.

But there was only one part of Gwen's conversation that had effect on Luke, and that was the fear of Rachel's health suffering from the change from the country to the overpopulated town.

When he had left Gwen at the door of her lodging, he hurried home, and after hanging up his hat in the hall, made his way to the drawing-room where he knew he would find Rachel. She was working, but on his entrance looked up, and their eyes meeting, both knew that Gwen was the subject of their thoughts. Rachel was the first to speak.

"I don't know exactly what that silly child has been saying to you," she said, "but I'm afraid she has been very impertinent."

"Well I can't deny that she has said some outrageous things," he said laughing, "but after all she is only a child."

"And you must forgive her," said Rachel. "We never take any notice of what Gwen says. She gets the most ridiculous notions into her head. I hope you are not letting the thought of her worry you."

"A great deal of what she said was sheer nonsense," he answered, "but I own what she hinted about your health distresses me. I only hope it is not true."

"My health? But what did she say? I am perfectly well."

"She has made me so anxious that I want you to go home with her for a few weeks."

"Go home! And leave you behind! No thank you. It would do me no good at all. Besides, I am perfectly well and don't need a change. What a stupid little thing she is; but do look over her folly and try and like her," said Rachel. "She has such good points. For instance, she is perfectly true."

"Possibly," said Luke, smiling; then he added, "I can't say I am exactly enamoured of her."

"No, but when you know her better you will see her virtues. I am afraid she has been really impertinent to you."

Luke did not answer. He leaned forward and looked at Rachel anxiously.

"Are you sure that you are feeling well? Gwen seems to think that you are tired out. Is that the fact?"

"Tired out? What with? I have only this tiny house to see after; in fact I don't think I have enough to do."

Luke sighed a sigh of relief.

"Then I needn't worry?"

"Certainly not. Put it right from your mind. It is only a child's nonsense."

And Luke did as he was asked and worried no more about her.

He left her to write some letters before going to bed, and Rachel sat working; but her thoughts were busy.

Although Gwen had talked a great deal of nonsense was there not a grain of truth in some of her words? "A woman can make a man what she wants him to be," she had said: she had evidently read this in a book, it had not come out of her own little head. Rachel supposed there was some truth in the words; and possibly she had been unwise herself in not insisting more that the attentions that had been shown her during her courtship should not be dropped now that they were man and wife. She was afraid that she had unwisely done things herself instead of asking Luke to do them, and then was surprised that he had lost the habit of waiting upon her. She had got in the way of waiting on him and of saving him all extra effort when he came in from his work in the parish.

She knew that in Luke's case it was often simply absentmindedness that prevented him seeing of what she was in need at the moment. Once buried in a book nothing would arouse him save her voice; or if he was in the midst of an argument with a fellow clergyman, he would quite unconsciously allow Rachel to help them both to tea though it meant rising from her seat. At times she had felt a little indignant at the two men sitting while she served them; but on the other hand if at her request he handed round the hot tea cake, he would stand with the plate in his hand talking, while the contents got cold, or would absently hold the kettle while Rachel watched in anxiety lest the water should pour out on to the carpet, or on to his foot. It was easier to do these things herself. She had not known that anyone notice these little omissions on Luke's part; but evidently Gwen had taken count of them at once.

"A woman can make a man what she wants him to be." Yes, but save in these few insignificant matters Luke was exactly what she wanted him to be, and in these small matters perhaps she had been at fault, not him. Gwen had opened her eyes; though she would not tell her so. Rachel felt that she had made it easy for him to neglect little home courtesies. When the child had gone she would behave somewhat differently.

Gwen came to breakfast next morning just as if nothing had occurred between her and her brother-in-law: and Luke, who had put away the thought of Rachel's health being affected by living in Trowsby, was too large-minded to bear any grudge to the girl for the audacious things she had said to him. He banished them from his mind, recognising the fact that Gwen was after all only a child, and would learn better by-and-bye.

Rachel, however, found her a little trying, as Gwen after breakfast, took her to task about more than one matter.

"You should be the President of a Mutual Improvement Society, Gwen," she said laughing. "You have got terribly into the habit of setting people to rights, or rather trying to do so. You want to go through a course of snubbing, my child. Have you apologised to Luke yet?"

"Certainly not. And you know Rachel I can't help thinking that my lecture has done him good. When I came in I saw him actually pouring the water into the tea pot for you."

Rachel laughed, but she did not inform Gwen that she had begun the training of her husband that morning. And that Luke had risen to it as if it were a matter of course. He was, in fact, perfectly unconscious that he had not always poured the water from the kettle into the teapot for his wife.

"You see I was right after all," continued Gwen. "Men only want to be taught what to do."

"You were a very impertinent little girl," said Rachel. "And Luke felt you to be so, only he is too kind and noble to remind you of it this morning."

"Well I shall remind him of it later on," said Gwen calmly, "as I have a few more home truths to tell him."

"I forbid you to do anything of the sort," said Rachel, really angry now. "You have no idea how ashamed I am of you, nor how much harm you might have done if Luke was not as good and kind as he is."

Gwen, who was helping to clear away the breakfast things, stood still with the plates she was carrying and looked at Rachel.

That the sister to whom she was so devoted could possibly speak to her in such a severe tone of voice when she had been doing all she could, as far as she knew, to help her, went to her heart. She stood still and looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"Are you really ashamed of me?" she asked with a catch in her voice.

"Yes I am. I can't think how you could possibly have spoken impertinently to Luke."

Gwen gave a little sob.

"I didn't mean to be impertinent," she said, "It was only because I love you so much and couldn't bear to find you in this horrid pokey little house and looking ill and tired. I don't see why you should feel ashamed of me when it was all my love that did it," and Gwen laid down the plates to find her handkerchief.

Rachel's tender heart relented.

"Don't cry Gwen dear," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to do any harm; and as a matter of fact I am sure no harm has been done; but you must remember it does not do to talk over a wife with a husband. It is not wise."

Gwen threw her arms round Rachel promising to ask Luke's pardon for speaking as she did. She assured Rachel she would do anything in the world for her. And she kept her promise. No sooner did she hear Luke open the front door and go up to his study just before dinner, than she ran after him. She was no coward.

"I expect I was impertinent to you yesterday," she said, looking at him straight in the face, "at least Rachel tells me I was. I didn't mean to be; only I meant to tell you the truth and you know husbands do sometimes need the truth to be told them."

Luke laughed heartily.

"Happily," he said, "it was not the truth so it does not signify in the least. I shan't think of it again."

"Oh but it was the truth," said Gwen flushing, "but I don't mean to say anything more about it. I might perhaps have said it more gently and in a more polite manner; and I'm awfully sorry that Rachel is ashamed of me."

Luke fancied he heard a little catch in her voice and looked at her kindly. He could hardly refrain from laughing out loud at her.

"Well you can put it out of your head and not think of it any more. I quite appreciate the fact that it was out of your love and anxiety for Rachel that you spoke as you did, and so we will be good friends again."

Gwen looked down and her lips trembled. "Thank you," she said. "And you will take care of her, won't you."

He patted her on the shoulder and told her to run away as he was busy. And Gwen, having no more to say, obeyed; but she felt rather small.

She resented the pat on her shoulder just as if she were a child. She was not sure that she liked Luke at all.

"I can't think," said Gwen after dinner, as she and her sister were sitting working in the drawing-room, "how it is that you don't show in the least that you do any house work. You look as dainty and as pretty as ever."

Rachel laughed.

"When I began to realise that a great part of my day would be taken up with dusting," she answered, "I bought the prettiest overall I could find."

"You look as if you had just come straight out of the garden and ought to have your hands full of roses." Gwen looked with adoring eyes at her sister, adding:

"But there is a new expression on your face somehow. I think you are really prettier than ever."

"If so it is love that has made me so," said Rachel.

Gwen laughed. "I don't quite believe that," she said.

Rachel smiled to herself, as she thought of the day on which she had bought the overall, and had shown it to her mother-in-law with pride.

Mrs. Greville had looked at it critically, remarking:

"But you need not have gone to the expense of getting such a fanciful thing. You could have got a yard or two of some good strong material and made it up yourself. It would have served your purpose quite as well."

"I don't think so," Rachel answered laughing, "you see I like to be ornamental as well as useful."

"You need not worry about making yourself ornamental," said Mrs. Greville. "What you really want to do is to strive to be useful."

"Oh mayn't I be both? I do believe in beauty. I think our houses and everything we possess should be made as beautiful as possible. It makes life easier and happier." Unconsciously she looked round at the drab walls and ugly furniture.

Rachel would not on any account have complained of either to her mother-in-law; and her glance round had not been meant to imply anything of the sort to her. It had been done before she realised what she was doing or how her look might be interpreted. But by the sudden change in Mrs. Greville's expression of face she recognised what a mistake she had made.

Mrs. Greville had put a great restraint on herself ever since Rachel's arrival, and had been most careful not to show her disappointment in Luke's choice of a wife, to her daughter-in-law.

But Rachel's unappreciative glance round at the walls and furniture hurt her inexpressibly, as she had lain awake many nights planning how she could make the little house as homelike and attractive as possible. She quite thought she had succeeded. Having lived all her life with early Victorian furniture she saw nothing ugly in it; and indeed it struck her as both homelike and comfortable. She had, moreover, spared several pieces of furniture which she had decidedly missed when she had had to turn out into a barely furnished room for the sake of her son's wife. But evidently nothing that she had done for Rachel's comfort was appreciated. The disappointment was so great that she turned a little pale.

"I am sorry Rachel," she said, in a strained tone of voice, "that we were not able to supply you with Sheraton furniture. You see you have changed a luxurious home for a poor one and must bear the consequences. We have to cut our coat according to our cloth. I am sorry that our efforts are so painful to you."

Rachel had flushed crimson.

She was tongue-tied for the moment. She could not tell a lie and say that the furniture, which she had labelled in her mind as hideous, was to her taste. She looked beseechingly at Mrs. Greville.

"I am sorry, my dear, if I have distressed you by my remark," said Mrs. Greville, "but don't try to explain the look you gave at the furniture, I could not possibly mistake its meaning."

Then while Rachel in her confusion and distress murmured her regret, Mrs. Greville looked round the dining-room.

"I think perhaps I ought to have had the walls papered afresh and a lighter colour," she had said. "I daresay it looks a little dull to a young creature like you, and," she added, remorse getting the better of her, "I ought to be grateful to you, for though you don't like my papers you love my son," and Mrs. Greville ended by bestowing a hearty kiss on her son's wife before hurrying away.

Rachel was left standing in the middle of the room with her eyes full of tears. Something about her mother-in-law had touched her for the first time; and she began to wonder if she might not possibly in the future learn to love her. She wondered too how she could ever look her in the face again. She must have seemed so terribly ungrateful and ungracious, not to say ill mannered. But her glance round the room at the walls and its furniture had been quite involuntary, and she had had no intention whatever of letting Mrs. Greville know how she disliked them.

She smiled now as she remembered her mother-in-law's criticism on her pretty overall, but the smile faded as she realised that though she had taken the Bishop's advice and was trying hard not to allow her thoughts to rest on the trials that she had had to meet in her new home, she had not by any means yet succeeded in learning to love her mother-in-law.