THE LADIES VANE, SPINSTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2765, 9 February 1877, Page 3

THE LADIES VANE, SPINSTERS.

-♦ (From Bclgravia Annual.) I heard aomebody, the other day, trying to devise a memoria technica by which to remember the Ohriatian names of a bevy of maiden sisters. The initials would not be coaxed into any pronounceablo word, and I thought how much wiser the father and mother of theße young ladies had been than the late Earl and Countess of Vaneborough. For the Ladies Vane had been, as it were, branded from their oradles — or rather, from the font. No Booner had the ninth, the Lady Sara, been christened, than they bogan to be haunted by the fatal word (too tempting aid to memory) — Spinsters. Lady Vaneborough was of a romantic turn. She bad consented that hor eldoat daughter should be called after herself, Sophia, but later she entirely rejected family names, and child after ohild was named from a favourite hToine, Paulina, Isidora, Nina, Selma, Teresa. Whon an eighth girl appeared, the father and mother began to despair of a boy, so the baby was permitted to be called Roberta after the earl, and the earl's mother was allowed to give her name of Sara to the ninth. By this time Lady Vaneborough'a spirit wae beginning to fall under the load of many daughters, and it is said that from tbe time when, by some unlucky accident, she saw ber children's initials ranged in order, ehe was a changed woman. The earl laughed at her dismay, as he did at most things, and troubled himself very little aboufc the omen, or about the more serious fact that, his estates being entailed, the Ladies Vane, if they should be spinsters, were likely to be but ill provided for. Meantime ,the sisters grew up, and made their appearance in publio. An odious old baoholor uncle aaid that the countess was like and unlike a popular novelist — she produced a new work every year, but none of them ended in marriage. And indeed, when Lady Vaneborough died, there were Beven of her daughters " out" and no prospect of any one of them deaerting the family mansion. Cf oourse there was a long period of mourning and aeolusion after the countess's death, and just as this was coming to an end the earl died ; and so the former state of things passed away. Everybody then said, " Whafc a good thing Lady Sophia is nofc married ! Suoh an exoellent manager ! Quite a mother to the rest !" and Lady Sophia agreed with everybody, and Bet.heraelf to her dutieß with good will. Perhapa to be a mater familias even in this vicariom manner was really a happiness to her. She was a vigorous, managing woman of 33 or so, and seemed to have been designed by nature to be tbe mother of a dozen unruly boya and girls. Having somehow misßed that vooation, ehe contented herself with taking fche whole trouble and responsibility of the joint household, and administering the small fortunes of the sisterhood in a most admirable and masterly manner. She brought her flock | to the neighbourhood of Saintabury, beoause

fche bishop of thafc diocese had married their aunt. Lady Mary Morton had been offended that oufc of nine nieces not one had been named after her, but she had forgiven tbe alighfc, and highly approved of thia choice of a reaidence. " We muat get some of them married," she aaid to her husband. " I think, my dear, you had better leave Bophia to look after that," replied the bishop — and he proved to be right. Lady Sophia wanted no help ; neither that of her aunt, who was of an imperial presence and imperious will, nor of the bishop, who waa email and thin, and painfully shortsighted. She looked down upon them both, bufc civilly ; holding her own way, and keeping her eight Bisters well in hand. They were very soon an eatabliahed and important part of society in the neighbourhood of Saintßbury. When a matron began to make her list of guestß for a garden party, Bhe would say, " The Ladies Vane, of course !" And after a ball, a stay-at-home mother or sister would inquire of son or brother, " How many of the Ladies Vane did you dance wifch?" For they went everywhere (chaperoned by Lady Sophia) and were very affable to their untitled neighbours. A year after the coming of the nine to The Acacias, Lady Mary began to grow impatient. She came to dinner one day without the bishop, and after dinner opened her mind to her eldest niece. " Some of you ought to be married," she aaid; "if we wore French women, it would be my duty to find suitable matches — but in England one does not know what to do. Are you thinking properly about the matter, Sophia, since you are head of the house ?" Lady Sophia scorned to give a direct answer. " I hope Borne of us will marry," she said coolly ; ." of course I never shall, nor Paulina — a woman over thirty looks ridiculous bb a bride — and I fear Isidora is still thinking of poor Lord St Ronans — bub any of the others " Lady Mary shook her head impatiently. " Lord Sfc Ronans !" she aaid ; "do you think my mother would ever have. let him marry a girl with five thoußand pounds ? bhe took care to say everywhere tbat she would not let him go for lobb than fifty." No more was said between the two eldera that night, but before ehe went away Lady Mary asked two of her niecea to spend the following week at the palace afc Saintsburyj and she chose the fourth and fifth, with a distinct idea that fchey had the right to be first thought of in a matrimonial light. Among the Ladies Vane, it must be owned that only two were decidedly good looking. Lady Isidora had been very pretty during her first season, in the days when Lord St Ronans had bo nearly proposed ; but it was mere beaute dv didble, and had faded. Lady Nina and Lady Bara were the two who were really worth looking at, and Lady Nina wbb the one who, in her aunt's opinion, ought to break tbe spell of spinsterhood. She was a soft, graoeful young woman with sleek, abundant coils of brown hair, limpid brown eyeß, and a little mouth whioh looked as if no possiblo array of circumstances could ever force it to say "no." Lady Sara — who, being but twenty-two, was treated as a child by the eldera — waa exceedingly handsome. The artists who came to the neighbourhood in summer raved about her forehead, and her chin, and the way her hair grew. Unluokily she was rather stupid and very obstinate, but her sisters were the only people who knew that, so it did not muoh matter. When tho Ladies Nina and Belma arrived at tho palace, they found it full of guests. There was the Bishop of St Jude's, who waß a widower and a man of family ; there wbb Lord Gretton, who was Btill single because ifc was said his ugliness frightened women more than his coronet attraotod them ; and there was Sir Roland Wyer, who was ready to prove to everybody that his family sprang from the same root as that of the De Veres, Earls of Oxford. There were ladies also, and one or two other gentlemen, but it was among these three that Lady Mary expected her nieces to find victims. But days passed on, the week drew to an end, the strangers departed, and departed free as tbey came. No sign, ever so slight, of any love affair, ever so incipient, had rewarded fche plotter ; and Lady Selma, not vory unwilling nor very much regretted, returned to The Acaciaß. Her sister stayed ; the bishop would not part with hor, and there was still something for her to do at the palaoe. For one other guest remained, Dr Wrightson, an elderly professor, not innocent of Bnuff, who waa auppoaed to know more about Greek, and lese about women, than any other man living. Houra of delight did the bishop and the profeasor spend in the disoussion of words and their meauines ; and tho reason why Lady Nina was bpgged to lengthen her visit was, that her uncle liked to have her during these arguments quietly occupied in embroidering, and giving him a little admiring smile whenever he thought he had got tho better of hia old friend. She did this with a patience and apparent enjoyment of which he had never found hia wife capable ; and he 'vaa grateful, and praiaed her to the profet r when she chanced to be absent. Bhe went •• ome to The Aoacias afc laßt, arriving late in the afternoon of a cold autumn day, and at dinner everybody notioed bow ber drive through the wind had flushed her oheeka and brightened her eyea. She waa muoh prettier than uaual, Lady Sophia thought with motherly pride, quite a girl who might make a greafc match yet. The Ladies Vane were in the habit of going to bed early. The candles were lighted atten o'clook ; Lady Sophia marohed up stairs, and the rest followed her ; only very extraordinary occasions justified any talk after this hour. So that when a knock was heard at Lady Sophia's door at about a quarter past ten on the night of Lady Nina's return home, the good elder aister knew something important must have happened, and was quite prepared for a rather tremulous " May I come in ? I want to tell you something." It ia quite certain, too, that she never asked " What is it ?" after the door was cloßed upon heraelf and Nina, but only " Who is it ?" feeling fchafc a name would give her the key to the confession and perhaps spare some blushes. And she wondered that the name did not come readily, wondered still more, with uplifted hands of horror, when ifc did come — " Dr Wrightson." It waa a few nr'nutes before anything bnt that geature of dismay answered poor Lady Nina's avowal ; Lady Sophia owned afterwards that she had been utterly afc a loss whafc fco say or do. "Do you mean tbat man who quotes Greek?" she asked at last in a tremulous tone. " Yea," said Lady Nina with her eyes on the carpet, "he does quote Greek ; he says he will teach me, if I like." "Oh, and you want to leans, that is it?

there is no harm in fchafc, I should think j my dear Nina, I beg your pardon for my stupid mistake." " What a relief!" thought the good lady. Bufc Lady Nina still studied the carpet. " I don't know," she said Blowly ; " but perhaps if I do marry him — " She stopped abruptly at a sound which broke from Lady Sophia as if she had only just checked a soream. " Marry him !" cried the elder, in a tone of anguish ; " O Nina, could you have such an idea in your mind for a moment P" " Why not, Sophia ? He ia a good man, and very very learned, and the greateat friend of our uncle, and he likes me." It waa wistfully aaid, but the rejoinder was ready and aharp : — ,: And fche son of a blaokamifch ! Arms, I suppose, horseshoes and hammerß (they would look well quartered with thoße of the Vanes), with anvils for supporters. Go to bed, Nina, and ace what you will think of thia folly in tho morning." So the two Bisters parted. Lady Nina went to bed and oried all Dight, and oame down next day with all fche pretty colour faded out of her cheeks, and the light out of her eyes, and when Lady Sophia called her to a aeoond private interview she went wifch a slow and rather sullen step. Poor soul, Bhe had no obstinacy ; and perhaps her middle-aged professor had not been able to inspire her with a very paesionate desire for matrimony. At any rate, when Lady Sophia released her after an hour of talk, ane had completely given way. She did not come down to luncheon, and late in the afternoon she aealed up a letter with a deep sigh and a half audible " Yet I think I should bave liked it ;" and ao there was an end of Dr Wrightson, and the nine Bistera continued to be the Ladiea Vane, spinsters. It was not until some months after thia — in the following Lent, in faot — that Lady Sophia had any reaaon to think that tne maiden meditations of any of the sisterhood were likely to be disturbed. And again it waa a perfeotly ineligible mortal who ventured to lift his eyes to one of her flook. Before she was quite out of her teens Lady Teresa had been struck with the idea of imitating her sainted namesake. In her first fervour she had desired to become a Sister of Mercy ; to this, however, her father and mother had bo strongly objeoled that she gave way, and, thinking she ought to turn the oiroumstance to account in the way of self-denial, had made a solemn vow that she would never shut herself oufc from a world which she regarded as a plaoe of severe trial. After ehe waa eettled at The Acacias she took vehemently to parish work, taught, visited, trained the ohoir, attended every service, early or late, wet or dry. The vioar was an invalid ; the ourate, Mr Cope, waa High Churoh and indefatigable ; he and Lady Teresa got through an enormoua quantity of work ; they found ifc neceasary to consult eaoh other daily ; when Lent began, Mr Oope enoouraged Lady Tereaa in hor desire to fast until it aeemed a real miracle that she could go on walking as she did to churoh, eohool, or mothers' meeting. It waa then that Lady Sophia grew uneasy. Ifc seemed to her that it would have been better if Mr Cope had benn an older man, or a priest of the Roman Catholio instead of the English Church ; people would be aura fco begin to talk if this intimaoy went on. But before Easter it was impossible to oheok it, and at Easter things oame fco a orisia. On Easter Monday (vulgar epooh) ! Mr Oope had the audacity fco propose to Lady Tereaa Vane, and she did not refuse him. Lady Nina's professor had been dispatched in disoreet silenoe — but Mr Oope brought his doom upon himself before fch<» eyes of the world. " It is insufferable," said Lady Sophia. " He ia a olergyman, and a gentleman," aaid Lady Teresa. " A gentleman 1" rejoined Lady Sophia wifch scorn ; ' Qui sait ? One meets in society now, artiste, poets, and even people who write novels, who probably never had a grandfather. The vicars of Vanebro' used to conaider themaelvea well matched with our grandmother and great-grandmother'e waiting maids. What would our ancestreaßes have said to have seen one of us in such a position ?" Lady Teresa folded her handa meekly. " I do not know," she said ; " bufc ifc would be honour enough for me if I might be a handmaid of the ohuroh and of her minister." " Tereßa," replied Lady Sophia, " you surprise and shook me. If, indeed, you are determined to marry Mr Cope, you muat do it. I bave no authority fco forbid you. Bufc I musfc add fchafc I will give no countenance to such a mesalliance; neither I nor anyone whom I oan influence. Ohoose between him and ua." Poor Lady Teresa wept aa her Bister had done. Bufc she yielded ; for she had made self-denial ber deity, and she knew fchafc to desert Mr Oope would be to deny herself. Therefore, and for no other reaaon, it mnst be right. *• I resign my will, then," she sighed ; "yet I think I could have been of some little uae." Mr Oope left the parish, and again a calm fell upon fche Acaoias. The same year Lady Sarah went up fco London, and made a aenaa* tion. Lady Mary Morton had oharge of her, and wrote to The Aoacias glowing acoounts of her aucceaa. Afc laat, just before fche end of the aeason, she wroto the great newa that Lady Sara waa engaged to the Marquis of Trefoil, and might therefore be fairly conaidered as the futuro Duchess of Hautbois. " Now," said Lady Sophia ; " afc laat all my cares are rewarded. The dear ohild will marry in her own rank, and we ahall have reason to' be quite satisfied with onr new oonneotionß." AU was rejoioing. Lady Sara waa received afc home aa a victor, Preparations were immediately begun for the wedding, whioh was to take plaoe at Christmas ; and, a few weeks later, tbe bride elect started off with Lady Roberta to pay a visit to her future mother-in-law afc fche duke's place in Bootland. Unforfcunately all the Hautbois family resembled Lady Sara in one respect — they had tempers. Whether the duoheaa'a temper waa too muoh for Lady Sara, or Lady Sara's too much for the duohesß, was never very clearly made out. At any rate, tbey quarrelled. Tne duchess told her son that he had better marry a milkmaid than a fury, and Lady Sara told her betrothed tbat he might ohoose between hie mother and her. The poor young man, who was very mnoh in love, was nearly distracted ; but he could nofc many without the oonsent of bis mother, who ruled hia father ; and the matter ended in Lady Sara returning home without (hat splendid engagement-ring whioh had given so muoh delight to everybody. Sad indeed were the following weeks to the household at The Acacias. Lady Sara's mar* riage had boen the talk of tbe whole neighbourhood, and one oooupation of the sisters. Mr Pringle, the solioitor, who advised in all their money affairs, had been repeatedly at the house • the settlements had been in hand, | and Lady Sophia had required perpetual ooa-

saltations with him. Now all was over; the deposed heroine sulked, Bnd her aißtera sorrowed. Lady Sophia felt that a doom was on them ; they were to be Bpinst»rs to the end of the chapter. Strangely enough, the one who Seemed most impatient unHer the prevailing depression of Bpirita waß Lady Paulina. In this Bister, nearest to beraelf in years and prudence, Lady Bophia had alwayß found a sympathetic and steady aupporter; now Lady Paulina waß distraite, fidgety, and sometimes cross. Worst of all, abe argned. Lady Sophia could not bear people who argued ; she thought it unlike a gentlewoman. She alwaya spoke ex cathedra, and expected silence or aßeent from her hearers. What could Paulina mean by setting up an opinion of her own ? and such an opinion ! that if a woman had a thorough esteem and regard for her husband, and a perfect knowledge of hia circumstances, she might be both happy and respectable as his wife, even though she descended from her own rank in marrying • him! Lady Paulina wbb going away on a viait, and, tor the firat time in her life, her elder sister waß glad to part with her. Only the night before she started she warmly maintained her new viewa, and the bedroom candles were rung- for five minuteß earlier tban usual in consequence, for it really Eeemed as if Bhe were trying to corrupt the younger ones, and Mr Cope and Dr Wrightson were both Btill unmarried. Early in the morning she went away with many affectionate good-byes. Everyone missed her, for Bhe waß a great favourite and very seldom away from home, and Lady Sophia began to thiok that she herself had been unreasonable to be so much vexed the night before. The second day brought a letter from the absent one. The post came in at breakfaßt time, and there were not many seorets among the sisters as to •letters. Accordingly Lady Sophia opened this one, and begßn to read it aloud : — "My dear Sophia, — I feel that I have been a sad coward, and I can only hope and beg that you will forgive mo for not having had courage to tell you, before leaving home, that I intend to marry — " Ah !" cried Lady Sophia, and sank back in her chair. " Marry !" repeated the seven sisters. "Let us know the worßt," gasped Lady Sophia, Bitting up again : — that I intend to marry Mr Pringle — " Oh, no !" — ohorus of incredulity : — "Heis an exoellent man, and I ahall try to make him a good wife. At my age, it would have been abßurd to have white satin and orange blossoms, bo we agreed to bave a very quiet wedding. It took place yesterday at St. Paul's, street ; and now hoping that you are all ready to be friends with me and my husband, I remain my dear sister, your affectionate Paulina Pbihgle." ' As Lady Sophia breathed the last syllables, her strength gave way, and ahe very nearly fainted. To describe the consternation of the whole party would be impossible — but what oould they do ? Lady Paulina was perfectly froe to marry whom ehe pleased, though they might, indeed, if they wero unanimous, make her feel that she was no longer one of them ; but they were not unanimous. Lady Sophia, glancing round, saw that there were at least two of her sisters who could not be counted upon for anything in the way of retribution, and her heart was very heavy. She went away to her own room, and loft the others to discuss, wonder, sympathise perhaps, bb they pleased. And bo, at laat, the spell waa broken, and tho Ladiea Vane, epinaters, lost a letter from their epithet. It would be too long to tell how other breaobes were made. Mr Cope camo back and carried off Lady Tereaa; the bishop who had almost lost bis old friend the profesoor, coaxed him back, and pronounced a moßt hearty blessing on him and Lady Nina. Lady Bara satisfied everybody by securing an artistic viscount ; but Lady Evelina, to the astonishment of all her relations, made the great matoh of tho family, and finally, by a succession of curious aocidents, became Duchess of Hautbois. After all, four wero old maids ; but so completely had the sisterhood been broken up, and so few wore the nameß now left to remember, that, although still the Ladies Vane, they ceased to be known to all the country round as " The Ladies Vane, Spinsters."