At first sight of this phenomenon (for Dolly was by no meansaccustomed to displays of this sort, rather learning from hermother"s example to avoid them as much as possible) Mrs Vardenexpressed her belief that never was any woman so beset as she; thather life was a continued scene of trial; that whenever she wasdisposed to be well and cheerful, so sure were the people aroundher to throw, by some means or other, a damp upon her spirits; and that, as she had enjoyed herself that day, and Heaven knew it wasvery seldom she did enjoy herself so she was now to pay thepenalty. To all such propositions Miggs assented freely. PoorDolly, however, grew none the better for these restoratives, butrather worse, indeed; and seeing that she was really ill, both MrsVarden and Miggs were moved to compassion, and tended her inearnest.
But even then, their very kindness shaped itself into their usualcourse of policy, and though Dolly was in a swoon, it was renderedclear to the meanest capacity, that Mrs Varden was the sufferer.
Thus when Dolly began to get a little better, and passed into thatstage in which matrons hold that remonstrance and argument may besuccessfully applied, her mother represented to her, with tears inher eyes, that if she had been flurried and worried that day, shemust remember it was the common lot of humanity, and in especial ofwomankind, who through the whole of their existence must expect noless, and were bound to make up their minds to meek endurance andpatient resignation. Mrs Varden entreated her to remember that oneof these days she would, in all probability, have to do violence toher feelings so far as to be married; and that marriage, as shemight see every day of her life (and truly she did) was a staterequiring great fortitude and forbearance. She represented to her in lively colours, that if she (Mrs V.) had not, in steering hercourse through this vale of tears, been supported by a strongprinciple of duty which alone upheld and prevented her fromdrooping, she must have been in her grave many years ago; in whichcase she desired to know what would have become of that errantspirit (meaning the locksmith), of whose eye she was the veryapple, and in whose path she was, as it were, a shining light andguiding star?
