CHAPTER XV
PHEMY CRAIG
Things went on in the same way for four years more, the only visible
change being that Kirsty seldomer went about bare-footed. She was now
between two and three and twenty. Her face, whose ordinary expression
had always been of quiet, was now in general quieter still; but when
heart or soul was moved, it would flash and glow as only such a face
could. Live revelation of deeps rarely rippled save by the breath of
God, how could it but grow more beautiful! Cloud or shadow of cloud was
hardly ever to be seen upon it. Her mother, much younger than her
father, was still well and strong, and Kirsty, still not much wanted at
home, continued to spend the greater part of her time with her brother
and her books. As to her person, she was now in the first flower of
harmonious womanly strength. Nature had indeed done what she could to
make her a lady, but Nature was not her mother, and Kirsty's essential
ladyhood came from higher-up, namely, from the Source itself of Nature.
Simple truth was its crown, and grace was the garment of it. To see her
walk or run was to look on the divine idea of Motion.
As for Steenie, he looked the same loose lank lad as before, with a
smile almost too sad to be a smile, and a laugh in which there was
little hilarity. His pleasures were no doubt deep and high, but seldom,
even to Kirsty, manifested themselves except in the afterglow.
Phemy was now almost a woman. She was rather little, but had a nice
figure, which she knew instinctively how to show to advantage. Her main
charm lay in her sweet complexion--strong in its contrast of colours,
but wonderfully perfect in the blending of them: the gradations in the
live picture were exquisite. She was gentle of temper, with a shallow,
birdlike friendliness, an accentuated confidence that everyone meant
her well, which was very taking. But she was far too much pleased with
herself to be a necessity to anyone else. Her father grew more and more
proud of her, but remained entirely independent of her; and Kirsty
could not help wondering at times how he would feel were he given one
peep into the chaotic mind which he fancied so lovely a cosmos. A good
fairy godmother would for her discipline, Kirsty imagined, turn her
into the prettiest wax doll, but with real eyes, and put her in a glass
case for the admiration of all, until she sickened of her very
consciousness. But Kirsty loved the pretty doll, and cherished any
influence she had with her against a possible time when it might be
sorely needed. She still encouraged her, therefore, to come to
Corbyknowe as often as she felt inclined. Her father never interfered
with any of her goings and comings. At the present point of my
narrative, however, Kirsty began to notice that Phemy did not care so
much for being with her as hitherto.
She had been, of course, for some time the cynosure of many
neighbouring eyes, but had taken only the more pleasure in the
cynosure, none in the persons with the eyes, all of whom she regarded
as much below her. To herself she was the only young lady in Tiltowie,
an assurance strengthened by the fact that no young man had yet
ventured to make love to her, which she took as a general admission of
their social inferiority, behaving to all the young men the more
sweetly in consequence.
The tendency of a weakly artistic nature to occupy itself much with its
own dress was largely developed in her. It was wonderful, considering
the smallness of her father's income, how well she arrayed herself. She
could make a poor and scanty material go a great way in setting off her
attractions. The judicial element of the neighbourhood, not content
with complaining that she spent so much of her time in making her
dresses, accused her of spending much money upon them, whereas she
spent less than most of the girls of the neighbourhood, who cared only
for a good stuff, a fast colour, and the fashion: fit to figure and
fitness to complexion they did not trouble themselves about. The
possession of a fine gown was the important thing. As to how it made
them look, they had not imagination enough to consider that.
She possessed, however, another faculty on which she prided herself far
more, her ignorance and vanity causing her to mistake it for a grand
accomplishment--the faculty of verse-making. She inherited a certain
modicum of her father's rhythmic and riming gift; she could string
words almost as well as she could string beads, and many thought her
clever because she could do what they could not. Her aunt judged her
verses marvellous, and her father considered them full of promise. The
minister, on the other hand, held them unmistakably silly--as her
father would had they not been hers and she his. Only the poorest part
of his poetic equipment had propagated in her, and had he taught her
anything, she would not have overvalued it so much. Herself full of
mawkish sentimentality, her verses could not fail to be foolish, their
whole impulse being the ambition that springs from self-admiration. She
had begun to look down on Kirsty, who would so gladly have been a
mother to the motherless creature; she was not a lady! Neither in
speech, manners, nor dress, was she or her mother genteel! Their free,
hearty, simple bearing, in which was neither smallest roughness nor
least suggestion of affected refinement, was not to Phemy's taste, and
she began to assume condescending ways.
It was of course a humiliation to Phemy to have an aunt in Mrs.
Bremner's humble position, but she loved her after her own feeble
fashion, and, although she would willingly have avoided her upon
occasion, went not unfrequently to the castle to see her; for the
kindhearted woman spoiled her. Not only did she admire her beauty, and
stand amazed at her wonderful cleverness, but she drew from her little
store a good part of the money that went to adorn the pretty butterfly.
She gave her at the same time the best of advice, and imagined she
listened to it; but the young who take advice are almost beyond the
need of it. Fools must experience a thing themselves before they will
believe it; and then, remaining fools, they wonder that their children
will not heed their testimony. Faith is the only charm by which the
experience of one becomes a vantage-ground for the start of another.
