7。AQUARTER-PASTEIGHTO\'CLOCKP。M。
Thereisanattitude——approximativelycalledpensive——inwhichthesoulofahumanbeing,andespeciallyofawoman,dominatesoutwardlyandexpressesitspresencesostrongly,thattheintangibleessenceseemsmoreapparentthanthebodyitself。ThiswasCytherea\'sexpressionnow。WhatolddaysandsunnyevesatBudmouthBaywasshepicturing?Herreveriehadcausedhernottonoticehisknock。
\'Cytherea!\'hesaidsoftly。
Sheletdropherhand,andturnedherhead,evidentlythinkingthathervisitorcouldbenootherthanManston,yetpuzzledatthevoice。
TherewasnoprefaceonSpringrove\'stongue;heforgothisposition——
hers——thathehadcometoaskquietlyifManstonhadotherproofsofbeingawidower——everything——andjumpedtoaconclusion。
\'Youarenothiswife,Cytherea——comeaway,hehasawifeliving!\'
hecriedinanagitatedwhisper。\'Owenwillbeheredirectly。\'
Shestartedup,recognizedthetidingsfirst,thebearerofthemafterwards。\'Nothiswife?O,whatisit——what——whoisliving?\'
Sheawokebydegrees。\'WhatmustIdo?Edward,itisyou!Whydidyoucome?WhereisOwen?\'
\'WhathasManstonshownyouinproofofthedeathofhisotherwife?
Tellmequick。\'
\'Nothing——wehaveneverspokenofthesubject。WhereismybrotherOwen?Iwanthim,Iwanthim!\'
\'Heiscomingby-and-by。Cometothestationtomeethim——do,\'
imploredSpringrove。\'IfMr。Manstoncomes,hewillkeepyoufromme:Iamnobody,\'headdedbitterly,feelingthereproachherwordshadfaintlyshadowedforth。
\'Mr。Manstonisonlygoneouttopostaletterhehasjustwritten,\'
shesaid,andwithoutbeingdistinctlycognizantoftheaction,shewildlylookedforherbonnetandcloak,andbeganputtingthemon,butintheactoffasteningthemutteredaspasmodiccry。
\'No,I\'llnotgooutwithyou,\'shesaid,flingingthearticlesdownagain。Runningtothedoorsheflittedalongthepassage,anddownstairs。
\'Givemeaprivateroom——quiteprivate,\'shesaidbreathlesslytosomeonebelow。
\'Numbertwelveisasingleroom,madam,andunoccupied,\'saidsometongueinastonishment。
Withoutwaitingforanypersontoshowherintoit,Cythereahurriedupstairsagain,brushedthroughthecorridor,enteredtheroomspecified,andclosedthedoor。Edwardheardhersobout——
\'NobodybutOwenshallspeaktome——nobody!\'
\'Hewillbeheredirectly,\'saidSpringrove,closeagainstthepanel,andthenwenttowardsthestairs。Hehadseenher;itwasenough。
Hedescended,steppedintothestreet,andhastenedtomeetOwenattherailway-station。
Asforthepoormaidenwhohadreceivedthenews,sheknewnotwhattothink。ShelistenedtilltheechoofEdward\'sfootstepshaddiedaway,thenbowedherfaceuponthebed。Hersuddenimpulsehadbeentoescapefromsight。Herwearinessaftertheunwontedstrain,mentalandbodily,whichhadbeenputuponherbythescenesshehadpassedthroughduringthelongday,renderedhermuchmoretimidandshakenbyherpositionthanshewouldnaturallyhavebeen。Shethoughtandthoughtofthatsinglefactwhichhadbeentoldher——
thatthefirstMrs。Manstonwasstillliving——tillherbrainseemedreadytoburstitsconfinementwithexcessofthrobbing。Itwasonlynaturalthatsheshould,bydegrees,beunabletoseparatethediscovery,whichwasmatteroffact,fromthesuspicionoftreacheryonherhusband\'spart,whichwasonlymatterofinference。Andthustherearoseinherapersonalfearofhim。
\'Supposeheshouldcomeinnowandseizeme!\'Thisatfirstmerefrenziedsuppositiongrewbydegreestoadefinitehorrorofhispresence,andespeciallyofhisintensegaze。Thussheraisedherselftoaheatofexcitement,whichwasnonethelessrealforbeingventedinnocryofanykind。No;shecouldnotmeetManston\'seyealone,shewouldonlyseehiminherbrother\'scompany。
Almostdeliriouswiththisidea,sheranandlockedthedoortopreventallpossibilityofherintentionsbeingnullified,oralookorwordbeingflungatherbyanybodywhilstsheknewnotwhatshewas。
8。HALF-PASTEIGHTO\'CLOCKP。M。
ThenCythereafeltherwayamidthedarknessoftheroomtillshecametotheheadofthebed,whereshesearchedforthebell-ropeandgaveitapull。Hersummonswasspeedilyansweredbythelandladyherself,whosecuriositytoknowthemeaningofthesestrangeproceedingsknewnobounds。Thelandladyattemptedtoturnthehandleofthedoor。Cythereakeptthedoorlocked。\'PleasetellMr。ManstonwhenhecomesthatIamill,\'shesaidfromtheinside,\'andthatIcannotseehim。\'
\'CertainlyIwill,madam,\'saidthelandlady。\'Won\'tyouhaveafire?\'
\'No,thankyou。\'
\'Noralight?\'
\'Idon\'twantone,thankyou。\'
\'Noranything?\'
\'Nothing。\'
Thelandladywithdrew,thinkinghervisitorhalfinsane。
Manstoncameinaboutfiveminuteslater,andwentatonceuptothesitting-room,fullyexpectingtofindhiswifethere。Helookedround,rang,andwastoldthewordsCythereahadsaid,thatshewastooilltobeseen。
\'Sheisinnumbertwelveroom,\'addedthemaid。
Manstonwasalarmed,andknockedatthedoor。\'Cytherea!\'
\'Iamunwell,Icannotseeyou,\'shesaid。
\'Areyouseriouslyill,dearest?Surelynot。\'
\'No,notseriously。\'
\'Letmecomein;Iwillgetadoctor。\'
\'No,hecan\'tseemeeither。\'
\'Shewon\'topenthedoor,sir,nottonobodyatall!\'saidthechambermaid,withwonder-waitingeyes。
\'Holdyourtongue,andbeoff!\'saidManstonwithasnap。
Themaidvanished。
\'Come,Cytherea,thisisfoolish——indeeditis——notopeningthedoor……Icannotcomprehendwhatcanbethematterwithyou。
Norcanadoctoreither,unlessheseesyou。\'
Hervoicehadtrembledmoreandmoreateachanswershegave,butnothingcouldinducehertocomeoutandconfronthim。Hatingscenes,Manstonwentbacktothesitting-room,greatlyirritatedandperplexed。
AndthereCythereafromtheadjoiningroomcouldhearhimpacingupanddown。Shethought,\'Supposeheinsistsuponseeingme——heprobablymay——andwillburstopenthedoor!\'Thisnotionincreased,andshesankintoacornerinahalf-somnolentstate,butwithearsalivetotheslightestsound。ReasoncouldnotoverthrowthedeliriousfancythatoutsideherdoorstoodManstonandallthepeopleinthehotel,waitingtolaughhertoscorn。
9。HALF-PASTEIGHTTOELEVENP。M。
Inthemeantime,Springrovewaspacingupanddownthearrivalplatformoftherailway-station。Half-pasteighto\'clock——thetimeatwhichOwen\'strainwasdue——hadcome,andpassed,butnotrainappeared。
\'Whenwilltheeight-thirtytrainbein?\'heaskedofamanwhowassweepingthemudfromthesteps。
\'Sheisnotexpectedyetthishour。\'
\'Howisthat?\'
\'Christmas-time,yousee,\'tisalwaysso。Peoplearerunningabouttoseetheirfriends。ThetrainshavebeenlikeiteversinceChristmasEve,andwillbeforanotherweekyet。\'
Edwardagainwentonwalkingandwaitingunderthedraughtyroof。
Hefounditutterlyimpossibletoleavethespot。HismindwassointentupontheimportanceofmeetingwithOwen,andinforminghimofCytherea\'swhereabouts,thathecouldnotbutfancyOwenmightleavethestationunobservedifheturnedhisback,andbecomelosttohiminthestreetsofthetown。
Thehourexpired。Teno\'clockstruck。\'Whenwillthetrainbein?\'
saidEdwardtothetelegraphclerk。
\'Infive-and-thirtyminutes。She\'snowatL。Theyhaveextrapassengers,andtherailsarebadto-day。\'
Atlast,ataquartertoeleven,thetraincamein。
ThefirsttoalightfromitwasOwen,lookingpaleandcold。Hecasuallyglancedrounduponthenearlydesertedplatform,andwashurryingtotheoutlet,whenhiseyesfelluponEdward。Atsightofhisfriendhewasquitebewildered,andcouldnotspeak。
\'HereIam,Mr。Graye,\'saidEdwardcheerfully。\'IhaveseenCytherea,andshehasbeenwaitingforyouthesetwoorthreehours。\'
OwentookEdward\'shand,pressedit,andlookedathiminsilence。
Suchwastheconcentrationofhismind,thatnottillmanyminutesafterdidhethinkofinquiringhowSpringrovehadcontrivedtobetherebeforehim。
10。ELEVENO\'CLOCKP。M。
Ontheirarrivalatthedoorofthehotel,itwasarrangedbetweenSpringroveandGrayethatthelatteronlyshouldenter,Edwardwaitingoutside。Owenhadrememberedcontinuallywhathisfriendhadfrequentlyoverlooked,thattherewasyetapossibilityofhissisterbeingManston\'swife,andtherecollectiontaughthimtoavoidanyrashnessinhisproceedingswhichmightleadtobitternesshereafter。
Enteringtheroom,hefoundManstonsittinginthechairwhichhadbeenoccupiedbyCythereaonEdward\'svisit,threehoursearlier。
BeforeOwenhadspoken,Manstonarose,andsteppingpasthimclosedthedoor。Hisfaceappearedharassed——muchmoretroubledthantheslightcircumstancewhichhadasyetcometohisknowledgeseemedtoaccountfor。
ManstoncouldformnoreasonforOwen\'spresence,butintuitivelylinkeditwithCytherea\'sseclusion。\'Altogetherthisismostunseemly,\'hesaid,\'whateveritmaymean。\'
\'Don\'tthinkthereismeantanythingunfriendlybymycominghere,\'
saidOwenearnestly;\'butlistentothis,andthinkifIcoulddootherwisethancome。\'
HetookfromhispockettheconfessionofChinneytheporter,ashastilywrittenoutbythevicar,andreaditaloud。TheaspectsofManston\'sfacewhilsthelistenedtotheopeningwordswerestrange,dark,andmysteriousenoughtohavejustifiedsuspicionsthatnodeceitcouldbetoocomplicatedforthepossessorofsuchimpulses,hadtherenotoverriddenthemall,asthereadingwenton,anewandirrepressibleexpression——oneunmistakablyhonest。Itwasthatofunqualifiedamazementinthesteward\'smindatthenewsheheard。
Owenlookedupandsawit。Thesightonlyconfirmedhiminthebeliefhehadheldthroughout,inantagonismtoEdward\'ssuspicions。
TherecouldnolongerbeashadowofdoubtthatifthefirstMrs。
Manstonlived,herhusbandwasignorantofthefact。Whathecouldhavefearedbyhisghastlylookatfirst,andnowhaveceasedtofear,itwasquitefutiletoconjecture。
\'NowIdonotforamomentdoubtyourcompleteignoranceofthewholematter;youcannotsupposeforaninstantthatIdo,\'saidOwenwhenhehadfinishedreading。\'ButisitnotbestforboththatCythereashouldcomebackwithmetillthematterisclearedup?Infact,underthecircumstances,noothercourseisleftopentomethantorequestit。\'
WhateverManston\'soriginalfeelingshadbeen,allinhimnowgavewaytoirritation,andirritationtorage。Hepacedupanddowntheroomtillhehadmasteredit;thensaidinordinarytones——
\'Certainly,Iknownomorethanyouandothersknow——itwasagratuitousunpleasantnessinyoutosayyoudidnotdoubtme。Whyshouldyou,oranybody,havedoubtedme?\'
\'Well,whereismysister?\'saidOwen。
\'Lockedinthenextroom。\'
HisownanswerremindedManstonthatCythereamust,bysomeinscrutablemeans,havehadaninklingoftheevent。
OwenhadgonetothedoorofCytherea\'sroom。
\'Cytherea,darling——\'tisOwen,\'hesaid,outsidethedoor。A
rustlingofclothes,softfootsteps,andavoicesayingfromtheinside,\'Isitreallyyou,Owen,——isitreally?\'
\'Itis。\'
\'O,willyoutakecareofme?\'
\'Always。\'
Sheunlockedthedoor,andretreatedagain。Manstoncameforwardfromtheotherroomwithacandleinhishand,asOwenpushedopenthedoor。
Herfrightenedeyeswereunnaturallylarge,andshonelikestarsinthedarknessofthebackground,asthelightfelluponthem。SheleaptuptoOweninonebound,hersmalltaperfingersextendedliketheleavesofalupine。Thensheclaspedhercoldandtremblinghandsroundhisneckandshivered。
ThesightofheragainkindledallManston\'spassionsintoactivity。
\'Sheshallnotgowithyou,\'hesaidfirmly,andsteppingapaceortwocloser,\'unlessyouprovethatsheisnotmywife;andyoucan\'tdoit!\'
\'Thisisproof,\'saidOwen,holdingupthepaper。
\'Noproofatall,\'saidManstonhotly。\'\'Tisnotadeath-bedconfession,andthosearetheonlythingsofthekindheldasgoodevidence。\'
\'Sendforalawyer,\'Owenreturned,\'andlethimtellusthepropercoursetoadopt。\'
\'Nevermindthelaw——letmegowithOwen!\'criedCytherea,stillholdingontohim。\'Youwillletmegowithhim,won\'tyou,sir?\'
shesaid,turningappealinglytoManston。
\'We\'llhaveitallrightandsquare,\'saidManston,withmorequietness。\'Ihavenoobjectiontoyourbrothersendingforalawyer,ifhewantsto。\'
Itwasgettingonfortwelveo\'clock,buttheproprietorofthehotelhadnotyetgonetobedonaccountofthemysteryonthefirstfloor,whichwasanoccurrenceunusualinthequietfamilylodging。
Owenlookedoverthebanisters,andsawhimstandinginthehall。
ItstruckGrayethatthewisestcoursewouldbetotakethelandlordtoacertainextentintotheirconfidence,appealtohishonourasagentleman,andsoon,inordertoacquiretheinformationhewanted,andalsotopreventtheepisodeoftheeveningfrombecomingapublicpieceofnews。Hecalledthelandlorduptowheretheystood,andtoldhimthemainfactsofthestory。
Thelandlordwasfortunatelyaquiet,prejudicedman,andameditativesmoker。
\'Iknowtheverymanyouwanttosee——theveryman,\'hesaid,lookingatthegeneralfeaturesofthecandle-flame。\'Sharpasaneedle,andnotover-rich。Timmswillputyouallstraightinnotime——trustTimmsforthat。\'
\'He\'sinbedbythistimeforcertain,\'saidOwen。
\'Nevermindthat——Timmsknowsme,Iknowhim。He\'llobligemeasapersonalfavour。Waithereabit。Perhaps,too,he\'supatsomepartyoranother——he\'sanice,jovialfellow,sharpasaneedle,too;mindyou,sharpasaneedle,too。\'
Hewentdownstairs,putonhisovercoat,andleftthehouse,thethreepersonsmostconcernedenteringtheroom,andstandingmotionless,awkward,andsilentinthemidstofit。Cythereapicturedtoherselfthelongwearyminutesshewouldhavetostandthere,whilstasleepymancouldbepreparedforconsultation,tilltheconstraintbetweenthemseemedunendurabletoher——shecouldneverlastoutthetime。OwenwasannoyedthatManstonhadnotquietlyarrangedwithhimatonce;ManstonatOwen\'shomelinessofideainproposingtosendforanattorney,asifhewouldbeatouchstoneofinfallibleproof。
Reflectionwascutshortbytheapproachoffootsteps,andinafewmomentstheproprietorofthehotelentered,introducinghisfriend。
\'Mr。Timmshasnotbeeninbed,\'hesaid;\'hehadjustreturnedfromdiningwithafewfriends,sothere\'snotroublegiven。TosavetimeIexplainedthematteraswecamealong。\'
ItoccurredtoOwenandManstonboththattheymightgetamistyexpositionofthelawfromMr。Timmsatthatmomentofconcludingdinnerwithafewfriends。
\'AsfarasIcansee,\'saidthelawyer,yawning,andturninghisvisioninwardbymainforce,\'itisquiteamatterforprivatearrangementbetweentheparties,whoeverthepartiesare——atleastatpresent。Ispeakmoreasafatherthanasalawyer,itistrue,but,lettheyoungladystaywithherfather,orguardian,safeoutofshame\'sway,untilthemysteryissifted,whateverthemysteryis。Shouldtheevidenceprovetobefalse,ortrumpedupbyanybodytogetherawayfromyou,herhusband,youmaysuethemforthedamagesaccruingfromthedelay。\'
\'Yes,yes,\'saidManston,whohadcompletelyrecoveredhisself-
possessionandcommon-sense;\'letitallbesettledbyherself。\'
TurningtoCythereahewhisperedsosoftlythatOwendidnothearthewords——
\'Doyouwishtogobackwithyourbrother,dearest,andleavemeheremiserable,andlonely,orwillyoustaywithme,yourownhusband。\'
\'I\'llgobackwithOwen。\'
\'Verywell。\'Herelinquishedhiscoaxingtone,andwentonsternly:
\'Andrememberthis,Cytherea,Iamasinnocentofdeceptioninthisthingasyouareyourself。Doyoubelieveme?\'
\'Ido,\'shesaid。
\'Ihadnoshadowofsuspicionthatmyfirstwifelived。Idon\'tthinkshedoesevennow。Doyoubelieveme?\'
\'Ibelieveyou,\'shesaid。
\'Andnow,good-evening,\'hecontinued,openingthedoorandpolitelyintimatingtothethreemenstandingbythattherewasnofurthernecessityfortheirremaininginhisroom。\'InthreedaysIshallclaimher。\'
Thelawyerandthehotel-keeperretiredfirst。Owen,gatheringupasmuchofhissister\'sclothingaslayabouttheroom,tookheruponhisarm,andfollowedthem。Edward,towhomsheowedeverything,whohadbeenleftstandinginthestreetlikeadogwithoutahome,wasutterlyforgotten。Owenpaidthelandlordandthelawyerforthetroublehehadoccasionedthem,lookedtothepacking,andwenttothedoor。
Afly,whichsomewhatunaccountablywasseenlingeringinfrontofthehouse,wascalledup,andCytherea\'sluggageputuponit。
\'Doyouknowofanyhotelnearthestationthatisopenfornightarrivals?\'Oweninquiredofthedriver。
\'Aplacehasbeenbespokeforyou,sir,attheWhiteUnicorn——andthegentlemanwishedmetogiveyouthis。\'
\'BespokenbySpringrove,whoorderedthefly,ofcourse,\'saidOwentohimself。Bythelightofthestreet-lamphereadtheselines,hurriedlytracedinpencil:——
\'Ihavegonehomebythemail-train。ItisbetterforallpartiesthatIshouldbeoutoftheway。TellCythereathatIapologizeforhavingcausedhersuchunnecessarypain,asitseemsIdid——butitcannotbehelpednow。E。S。\'
Owenhandedhissisterintothevehicle,andtoldtheflymantodriveon。
\'PoorSpringrove——Ithinkwehaveservedhimratherbadly,\'hesaidtoCytherea,repeatingthewordsofthenotetoher。
Athrillofpleasurepassedthroughherbosomasshelistenedtothem。Theywerethegenuinereproachofalovertohismistress;
thetriflingcoldnessofheranswertohimwouldhavebeennoticedbynomanwhowasonlyafriend。But,inentertainingthatsweetthought,shehadforgottenherself,andherpositionfortheinstant。
WasshestillManston\'swife——thatwastheterriblesupposition,andherfutureseemedstillapossiblemiserytoher。For,onaccountofthelatejarringaccident,alifewithManstonwhichwouldotherwisehavebeenonlyasadness,mustbecomeaburdenofunutterablesorrow。
Thenshethoughtofthemisrepresentationandscandalthatwouldensueifshewerenowife。Onecauseforthankfulnessaccompaniedthereflection;Edwardknewthetruth。
Theysoonreachedthequietoldinn,whichhadbeenselectedforthembytheforethoughtofthemanwholovedherwell。Heretheyinstalledthemselvesforthenight,arrangingtogotoBudmouthbythefirsttrainthenextday。
AtthishourEdwardSpringrovewasfastapproachinghisnativecountyonthewheelsofthenight-mail。
XIV。THEEVENTSOFFIVEWEEKS
1。FROMTHESIXTHTOTHETHIRTEENTHOFJANUARY
Manstonhadevidentlyresolvedtodonothinginahurry。
Thismuchwasplain,thathisearnestdesireandintentionwastoraiseinCytherea\'sbosomnofeelingsofpermanentaversiontohim。
TheinstantafterthefirstburstofdisappointmenthadescapedhiminthehotelatSouthampton,hehadseenhowfarbetteritwouldbetoloseherpresenceforaweekthanherrespectforever。
\'Sheshallbemine;Iwillclaimtheyoungthingyet,\'heinsisted。
Andthenheseemedtoreasonovermethodsforcompassingthatobject,which,toallthosewhowereinanydegreeacquaintedwiththerecentevent,appearedtheleastlikelyofpossiblecontingencies。
HereturnedtoKnapwaterlatethenextday,andwaspreparingtocallonMissAldclyffe,whentheconclusionforceditselfuponhimthatnothingwouldbegainedbysuchastep。No;everyactionofhisshouldbedoneopenly——evenreligiously。Atleast,hecalledontherector,andstatedthistobehisresolve。
\'Certainly,\'saidMr。Raunham,\'itisbesttoproceedcandidlyandfairly,orunduesuspicionmayfallonyou。Youshould,inmyopinion,takeactivestepsatonce。\'
\'Iwilldotheutmostthatliesinmypowertoclearupthemystery,andsilencethehubbubofgossipthathasbeensetgoingaboutme。
ButwhatcanIdo?Theysaythatthemanwhocomesfirstinthechainofinquiryisnottobefound——Imeantheporter。\'
\'Iamsorrytosaythatheisnot。WhenIreturnedfromthestationlastnight,afterseeingOwenGrayeoff,Iwentagaintothecottagewherehehasbeenlodging,togetmoreintelligence,asIthought。
Hewasnotthere。Hehadgoneoutatdusk,sayinghewouldbebacksoon。Buthehasnotcomebackyet。\'
\'Iratherdoubtifweshallseehimagain。\'
\'HadIknownofthis,IwouldhavedonewhatinmyflurryIdidnotthinkofdoing——setawatchuponhim。Butwhynotadvertiseforyourmissingwifeasapreliminary,consultingyoursolicitorinthemeantime?\'
\'Advertise。I\'llthinkaboutit,\'saidManston,lingeringonthewordashepronouncedit。\'Yes,thatseemsarightthing——quitearightthing。\'
Hewenthomeandremainedmoodilyindoorsallthenextdayandthenext——fornearlyaweek,inshort。Then,oneeveningatdusk,hewentoutwithanuncertainairastothedirectionofhiswalk,whichresulted,however,inleadinghimagaintotherectory。
HesawMr。Raunham。\'Haveyoudoneanythingyet?\'therectorinquired。
\'No——Ihavenot,\'saidManstonabsently。\'ButIamgoingtosetaboutit。\'Hehesitated,asifashamedofsomeweaknesshewasabouttobetray。\'MyobjectincallingwastoaskifyouhadheardanytidingsfromBudmouthofmy——Cytherea。Youusedtospeakofherasoneyouwereinterestedin。\'
Therewas,atanyrate,realsadnessinManston\'stonenow,andtherectorpausedtoweighhiswordserehereplied。
\'Ihavenothearddirectlyfromher,\'hesaidgently。\'Butherbrotherhascommunicatedwithsomepeopleintheparish——\'
\'TheSpringroves,Isuppose,\'saidManstongloomily。
\'Yes;andtheytellmethatsheisveryill,andIamsorrytosay,likelytobeforsomedays。\'
\'Surely,surely,Imustgoandseeher!\'Manstoncried。
\'Iwouldadviseyounottogo,\'saidRaunham。\'Butdothisinstead——
beasquickasyoucaninmakingamovementtowardsascertainingthetruthasregardstheexistenceofyourwife。Yousee,Mr。
Manston,anout-stepplacelikethisisnotlikeacity,andthereisnobodytobusyhimselfforthegoodofthecommunity;whilstpoorCythereaandherbrotheraresociallytoodependenttobeabletomakemuchstirinthematter,whichisagreaterreasonstillwhyyoushouldbedisinterestedlyprompt。\'
Thestewardmurmuredanassent。Stilltherewasthesameindecision!——nottheindecisionofweakness——theindecisionofconsciousperplexity。
OnManston\'sreturnfromthisinterviewattherectory,hepassedthedooroftheRisingSunInn。Findinghehadnolightforhiscigar,anditbeingthree-quartersofamiletohisresidenceinthepark,heenteredthetaverntogetone。NobodywasintheouterportionofthefrontroomwhereManstonstood,butaspaceroundthefirewasscreenedofffromtheremainder,andinsidethehighoaksettle,formingapartofthescreen,heheardvoicesconversing。
Thespeakershadnotnoticedhisfootsteps,andcontinuedtheirdiscourse。
Oneofthetwoherecognizedasawell-knownnight-poacher,themanwhohadmethimwithtidingsofhiswife\'sdeathontheeveningoftheconflagration。Theotherseemedtobeastrangerfollowingthesamemodeoflife。Theconversationwascarriedonintheemphaticandconfidentialtoneofmenwhoareslightlyintoxicated,itssubjectbeinganunaccountableexperiencethatoneofthemhadhadonthenightofthefire。
Whatthestewardheardwasenough,andmorethanenough,toleadhimtoforgetortorenouncehismotiveinentering。Theeffectuponhimwasstrangeandstrong。Hisfirstobjectseemedtobetoescapefromthehouseagainwithoutbeingseenorheard。
Havingaccomplishedthis,hewentinattheparkgate,andstrodeoffunderthetreestotheOldHouse。Theresittingdownbythefire,andburyinghimselfinreflection,heallowedtheminutestopassbyunheeded。Firstthecandleburntdowninitssocketandstunk:hedidnotnoticeit。Thenthefirewentout:hedidnotseeit。Hisfeetgrewcold;stillhethoughton。
Itmayberemarkedthatalady,ayearandaquarterbeforethistime,had,underthesameconditions——anunrestrictedmentalabsorption——shownnearlythesamepeculiaritiesasthismanevincednow。TheladywasMissAldclyffe。
Itwashalf-pasttwelvewhenManstonmoved,asifhehadcometoadetermination。
ThefirstthinghedidthenextmorningwastocallatKnapwaterHouse;wherehefoundthatMissAldclyffewasnotwellenoughtoseehim。ShehadbeenailingfromslightinternalhaemorrhageeversincetheconfessionoftheporterChinney。Apparentlynotmuchaggrievedatthedenial,heshortlyafterwardswenttotherailway-
stationandtookhisdepartureforLondon,leavingaletterforMissAldclyffe,statingthereasonofhisjourneythither——torecovertracesofhismissingwife。
Duringtheremainderoftheweekparagraphsappearedinthelocalandothernewspapers,drawingattentiontothefactsofthissingularcase。Thewriters,withscarcelyanexception,dweltforciblyuponafeaturewhichhadatfirstescapedtheobservationofthevillagers,includingMr。Raunham——thatiftheannouncementofthemanChinneyweretrue,itseemedextremelyprobablethatMrs。
Manstonleftherwatchandkeysbehindonpurposetoblindpeopleastoherescape;andthatthereforeshewouldnotnowletherselfbediscovered,unlessastrongpressurewereputuponher。Thewritersaddedthatthepolicewereonthetrackoftheporter,whoverypossiblyhadabscondedinthefearthathisreticencewascriminal,andthatMr。Manston,thehusband,was,withpraiseworthyenergy,makingeveryefforttoclearthewholematterup。
2。FROMTHEEIGHTEENTHTOTHEENDOFJANUARY
Fivedaysfromthetimeofhisdeparture,ManstonreturnedfromLondonandLiverpool,lookingveryfatiguedandthoughtful。Heexplainedtotherectorandotherofhisacquaintancethatalltheinquirieshehadmadeathiswife\'soldlodgingsandhisownhadbeentotallybarrenofresults。
Butheseemedinclinedtopushtheaffairtoaclearconclusionnowthathehadcommenced。Afterthelapseofanotherdayortwoheproceededtofulfilhispromisetotherector,andadvertisedforthemissingwomaninthreeoftheLondonpapers。Theadvertisementwasacarefullyconsideredandevenattractiveeffusion,calculatedtowintheheart,oratleasttheunderstanding,ofanywomanwhohadasparkofherownnatureleftinher。
Therewasnoanswer。
Threedayslaterherepeatedtheexperiment;withthesameresultasbefore。
\'Icannottryanyfurther,\'saidManstonspeciouslytotherector,hissoleauditorthroughouttheproceedings。\'Mr。Raunham,I\'lltellyouthetruthplainly:Idon\'tloveher;IdoloveCytherea,andthewholeofthisbusinessofsearchingfortheotherwomangoesaltogetheragainstme。IhopetoGodIshallneverseeheragain。\'
\'Butyouwilldoyourdutyatleast?\'saidMr。Raunham。
\'Ihavedoneit,\'saidManston。\'Ifeveramanonthefaceofthisearthhasdonehisdutytowardsanabsentwife,Ihavetowardsher——
livingordead——atleast,\'headded,correctinghimself,\'sinceI
havelivedatKnapwater。Ineglectedherbeforethattime——Iownthat,asIhaveowneditbefore。\'
\'Ishould,ifIwereyou,adoptothermeanstogettidingsofherifadvertisingfails,inspiteofmyfeelings,\'saidtherectoremphatically。\'Butatanyrate,tryadvertisingoncemore。There\'sasatisfactioninhavingmadeanyattemptthreeseveraltimes。\'
WhenManstonhadleftthestudy,therectorstoodlookingatthefireforaconsiderablelengthoftime,lostinprofoundreflection。
Hewenttohisprivatediary,andaftermanypauses,whichhevariedonlybydippinghispen,lettingitdry,wipingitonhissleeve,andthendippingitagain,hetookthefollowingnoteofevents:——
\'January25——Mr。Manstonhasjustseenmeforthethirdtimeonthesubjectofhislostwife。Therehavebeenthesepeculiaritiesattendingthethreeinterviews:——
\'Thefirst。Myvisitor,whilstexpressingbywordshisgreatanxietytodoeverythingforherrecovery,showedplainlybyhisbearingthathewasconvincedheshouldneverseeheragain。
\'Thesecond。Hehadleftofffeigninganxietytodorightlybyhisfirstwife,andhonestlyaskedafterCytherea\'swelfare。
\'Thethirdandmostremarkable。Heseemedtohavelostallconsistency。WhilstexpressinghisloveforCythereawhichcertainlyisstrongandevincingtheusualindifferencetothefirstMrs。Manston\'sfate,hewasunabletoconcealtheintensityofhiseagernessformetoadvisehimtoADVERTISEAGAINforher。\'
Aweekafterthesecond,thethirdadvertisementwasinserted。A
paragraphwasattached,whichstatedthatthiswouldbethelasttimetheannouncementwouldappear。
3。THEFIRSTOFFEBRUARY
Atthis,theeleventhhour,thepostmanbroughtaletterforManston,directedinawoman\'shand。
Abachelorfriendofthesteward\'s,Mr。Dicksonbyname,whowassomewhatofachatterer——plenusrimarum——andwhoboastedofanendlessstringofacquaintances,hadcomeoverfromCasterbridgetheprecedingdaybyinvitation——aninvitationwhichhadbeenapleasantsurprisetoDicksonhimself,insomuchthatManston,asarule,votedhimaborealmosttohisface。Hehadstayedoverthenight,andwassittingatbreakfastwithhishostwhentheimportantmissivearrived。
Manstondidnotattempttoconcealthesubjectoftheletter,orthenameofthewriter。Firstglancingthepagesthrough,hereadaloudasfollows:——
\'“MYHUSBAND,——Iimploreyourforgiveness。
\'“DuringthelastthirteenmonthsIhaverepeatedtomyselfahundredtimesthatyoushouldneverdiscoverwhatIvoluntarilytellyounow,namely,thatIamaliveandinperfecthealth。
\'“Ihaveseenallyouradvertisements。Nothingbutyourpersistencehaswonmeround。Surely,Ithought,heMUSTlovemestill。Whyelseshouldhetrytowinbackawomanwho,faithfuluntodeathasshewillbe,can,inasocialsense,aidhimtowardsacquiringnothing?——ratherthereverse,indeed。
\'“Youyourselfstatemyownmind——thattheonlygroundsuponwhichwecanmeetandlivetogether,withareasonablehopeofhappiness,mustbeamutualconsenttoburyinoblivionallpastdifferences。
Iheartilyandwillinglyforgeteverything——andforgiveeverything。
Youwilldothesame,asyouractionsshow。
\'“Therewillbeplentyofopportunityformetoexplainthefewfactsrelatingtomyescapeonthenightofthefire。Iwillonlygivetheheadsinthishurriednote。Iwasgrievedatyournotcomingtofetchme,moregrievedatyourabsencefromthestation,mostofallbyyourabsencefromhome。OnmyjourneytotheinnI
writhedunderapassionatesenseofwrongdoneme。WhenIhadbeenshowntomyroomIwaitedandhopedforyoutillthelandlordhadgoneupstairstobed。Istillfoundthatyoudidnotcome,andthenIfinallymadeupmymindtoleave。Ihadhalfundressed,butIputonmythingsagain,forgettingmywatchandIsupposedroppingmykeys,thoughIamnotsurewhereinmyhurry,andslippedoutofthehouse。The——“\'
\'Well,that\'sarumstory,\'saidMr。Dickson,interrupting。
\'What\'sarumstory?\'saidManstonhastily,andflushingintheface。
\'Forgettingherwatchanddroppingherkeysinherhurry。\'
\'Idon\'tseeanythingparticularlywonderfulinit。Anywomanmightdosuchathing。\'
\'Anywomanmightifescapingfromfireorshipwreck,oranysuchimmediatedanger。Butitseemsincomprehensibletomethatanywomaninhersenses,whoquietlydecidestoleaveahouse,shouldbesoforgetful。\'
\'Allthatisrequiredtoreconcileyourseemingwithherfactsistoassumethatshewasnotinhersenses,forthat\'swhatshedidplainly,orhowcouldthethingshavebeenfoundthere?Besides,she\'struthfulenough。\'Hespokeeagerlyandperemptorily。
\'Yes,yes,Iknowthat。Imerelymeantthatitseemedratherodd。\'
\'Oyes。\'Manstonreadon:——
\'“——andslippedoutofthehouse。Therubbish-heapwasburningupbrightly,butthethoughtthatthehousewasindangerdidnotstrikeme;Ididnotconsiderthatitmightbethatched。
\'“Iidledinthelanebehindthewoodtillthelastdown-trainhadcomein,notbeinginamoodtofacestrangers。WhilstIwastherethefirebrokeout,andthisperplexedmestillmore。However,I
wasstilldeterminednottostayintheplace。Iwenttotherailway-station,whichwasnowquiet,andinquiredofthesolitarymanondutythereconcerningthetrains。ItwasnottillIhadleftthemanthatIsawtheeffectthefiremighthaveonmyhistory。I
consideredalso,thoughnotinanydetailedmanner,thattheevent,byattractingtheattentionofthevillagetomyformerabode,mightsetpeopleonmytrackshouldtheydoubtmydeath,andasuddendreadofhavingtogobackagaintoKnapwater——aplacewhichhadseemedinimicaltomefromfirsttolast——promptedmetorunbackandbribetheportertosecrecy。IthenwalkedontoAnglebury,lingeringabouttheoutskirtsofthetowntillthemorningtraincamein,whenIproceededbyittoLondon,andthentooktheselodgings,whereIhavebeensupportingmyselfeversincebyneedlework,endeavouringtosaveenoughmoneytopaymypassagehometoAmerica,butmakingmelancholyprogressinmyattempt。However,allthatischanged——canIbeotherwisethanhappyatit?Ofcoursenot。Iamhappy。TellmewhatIamtodo,andbelievemestilltobeyourfaithfulwife,EUNICE。
\'“Mynamehereisasbefore
\'“MRS。RONDLEY,andmyaddress,79ADDINGTONSTREET,LAMBETH。\'“
Thenameandaddresswerewrittenonaseparateslipofpaper。
\'Soit\'stobeallrightatlastthen,\'saidManston\'sfriend。\'Butafterallthere\'sanotherwomaninthecase。Youdon\'tseemverysorryforthelittlethingwhoisputtosuchdistressbythisturnofaffairs?Iwonderyoucanlethergosocoolly。\'Thespeakerwaslookingoutbetweenthemullionsofthewindow——noticingthatsomeofthelightswereglazedinlozenges,someinsquares——ashesaidthewords,otherwisehewouldhaveseenthepassionateexpressionofagonizedhopelessnessthatflittedacrossthesteward\'scountenancewhentheremarkwasmade。Hedidnotseeit,andManstonansweredafterashortinterval。Thewayinwhichhespokeoftheyounggirlwhohadbelievedherselfhiswife,whom,afewshortdaysago,hehadopenlyidolized,andwhom,inhissecretheart,heidolizedstill,asfarassuchaformoflovewascompatiblewithhisnature,showedthatfrompolicyorotherwise,hemeanttoactuptotherequirementsofthepositionintowhichfateappeareddeterminedtodrivehim。
\'That\'sneitherherenorthere,\'hesaid;\'itisapointofhonourtodoasIamdoing,andthere\'sanendofit。\'
\'Yes。OnlyIthoughtyouusednottocareovermuchaboutyourfirstbargain。\'
\'Icertainlydidnotatonetime。Oneisapttofeelratherwearyofwiveswhentheyaresodevilishcivilunderallaspects,assheusedtobe。Butanythingforachange——Abigailislost,butMichalisrecovered。Youwouldhardlybelieveit,butsheseemsinfancytobequiteanotherbride——infact,almostasifshehadreallyrisenfromthedead,insteadofhavingonlydonesovirtually。\'
\'Youlettheyoungpinkoneknowthattheotherhascomeoriscoming?\'
\'Cuibono?\'Thestewardmeditatedcritically,showingaportionofhisintenselywideandregularteethwithintherubylips。
\'Icannotsayanythingtoherthatwilldoanygood,\'heresumed。
\'Itwouldbeawkward——eitherseeingorcommunicatingwithheragain。
Thebestplantoadoptwillbetoletmatterstaketheircourse——
she\'llfinditalloutsoonenough。\'
Manstonfoundhimselfaloneafewminuteslater。Heburiedhisfaceinhishands,andmurmured,\'Omylostone!OmyCytherea!Thatitshouldcometothisishardforme!\'Tisnowalldarkness——“alandofdarknessasdarknessitself;andoftheshadowofdeathwithoutanyorder,andwherethelightisasdarkness。“\'
Yes,theartificialbearingwhichthisextraordinarymanhadadoptedbeforestrangerseversincehehadoverheardtheconversationattheinn,lefthimnow,andhemournedforCythereaaloud。
4。THETWELFTHOFFEBRUARY
KnapwaterParkisthepicture——ateleveno\'clockonamuddy,quiet,hazy,butbrightmorning——amorningwithoutanybluesky,andwithoutanyshadows,theearthbeingenlivenedandlitupratherbythespiritofaninvisiblesunthanbyitsbodilypresence。
ThelocalHunthadmetfortheday\'ssportontheopenspaceofgroundimmediatelyinfrontofthesteward\'sresidence——calledinthelistofappointments,\'OldHouse,Knapwater\'——themeetbeinghereonceeveryseason,forthepleasureofMissAldclyffeandherfriends。
Leaningoutfromoneofthefirst-floorwindows,andsurveyingwiththekeenestinterestthelivelypictureofpinkandblackcoats,rich-colouredhorses,andsparklingbitsandspurs,wasthereturnedandlong-lostwoman,Mrs。Manston。
Theeyesofthoseformingthebrilliantgroupwereoccasionallyturnedtowardsher,showingplainlythatheradventureswerethesubjectofconversationequallywithormorethanthechancesofthecomingday。Shedidnotflushbeneaththeirscrutiny;onthecontrary,sheseemedrathertoenjoyit,hereyesbeingkindledwithalightofcontentedexultation,subduedtosquarewiththecircumstancesofhermatronlyposition。
Shewas,atthedistancefromwhichtheysurveyedher,anattractivewoman——comelyasthetentsofKedar。ButtoacloseobserveritwaspalpableenoughthatGoddidnotdoallthepicture。AppearingatleastsevenyearsolderthanCytherea,shewasprobablyherseniorbydoublethenumber,theartificialmeansemployedtoheightenthenaturalgoodappearanceofherfacebeingverycleverlyapplied。
Herformwasfullandround,itsvoluptuousmaturitystandingoutinstrongcontrasttothememoryofCytherea\'slissomgirlishness。
Itseemstobeanalmostuniversalrulethatawomanwhooncehascourted,orwhoeventuallywillcourt,thesocietyofmenontermsdangeroustoherhonourcannotrefrainfromflingingthemeaningglancewheneverthemomentarrivesinwhichtheglanceisstronglyaskedfor,evenifherlifeandwholefuturedependeduponthatmoment\'sabstinence。
Hadacautious,uxorioushusbandseeninhiswife\'scountenancewhatmightnowhavebeenseeninthisdark-eyedwoman\'sasshecaughtastrayglanceofflirtationfromoneorotherofthered-coatedgallantsoutside,hewouldhavepassedmanydaysinanagonyofrestlessjealousyanddoubt。ButManstonwasnotsuchahusband,andhewas,moreover,calmlyattendingtohisbusinessattheotherendofthemanor。
Thestewardhadfetchedhomehiswifeinthemostmatter-of-factwayafewdaysearlier,walkingroundthevillagewithhertheverynextmorning——atonceputtinganend,bythissimplesolution,toalltheriddlinginquiriesandsurmisesthatwererankinthevillageanditsneighbourhood。SomemensaidthatthiswomanwasasfarinferiortoCythereaasearthtoheaven;others,olderandsager,thoughtManstonbetteroffwithsuchawifethanhewouldhavebeenwithoneofCytherea\'syouthfulimpulses,andinexperienceinhouseholdmanagement。Allfelttheircuriositydyingoutofthem。
ItwasthesameinCarrifordasinotherpartsoftheworld——
immediatelycircumstantialevidencebecameexchangedfordirect,theloungersincourtyawned,gaveafinalsurvey,andturnedawaytoasubjectwhichwouldaffordmorescopeforspeculation。
XV。THEEVENTSOFTHREEWEEKS
1。FROMTHETWELFTHOFFEBRUARYTOTHESECONDOFMARCH
OwenGraye\'srecoveryfromtheillnessthathadincapacitatedhimforsolongatimewas,professionally,thedawnofabrighterprospectforhimineverydirection,thoughthechangewasatfirstverygradual,andhismovementsandeffortswerelittlemorethanmechanical。Withthelengtheningofthedays,andtherevivalofbuildingoperationsfortheforthcomingseason,hesawhimself,forthefirsttime,onaroadwhich,pursuedwithcare,wouldprobablyleadtoacomfortableincomeatsomefutureday。Buthewasstillverylowdownthehillasyet。
ThefirstundertakingentrustedtohiminthenewyearbeganaboutamonthafterhisreturnfromSouthampton。Mr。Gradfieldhadcomebacktohiminthewakeofhisrestoredhealth,andofferedhimthesuperintendence,asclerkofworks,ofachurchwhichwastobenearlyrebuiltatthevillageofTolchurch,fifteenorsixteenmilesfromBudmouth,andabouthalfthatdistancefromCarriford。
\'Iamnowbeingpaidattherateofahundredandfiftypoundsayear,\'hesaidtohissisterinaburstofthankfulness,\'andyoushallnever,Cytherea,beatanytyrannouslady\'sbeckandcallagainaslongasIlive。Neverpineorthinkaboutwhathashappened,dear;it\'snodisgracetoyou。Cheerup;you\'llbesomebody\'shappywifeyet。\'
HedidnotsayEdwardSpringrove\'s,for,greatlytohisdisappointment,areporthadreachedhisearsthatthefriendtowhomCythereaowedsomuchhadbeenabouttopackuphisthingsandsailforAustralia。However,thiswasbeforetheuncertaintyconcerningMrs。Manston\'sexistencehadbeendispersedbyherreturn,aphenomenonthatalteredthecloudyrelationshipinwhichCythereahadlatelybeenstandingtowardsheroldlover,tooneofdistinctness;whichresultwouldhavebeendelightfulbutforcircumstancesabouttobementioned。
Cythereawasstillpalefromherrecentillness,andstillgreatlydejected。UntilthenewsofMrs。Manston\'sreturnhadreachedthem,shehadkeptherselfcloselyshutupduringtheday-time,neverventuringforthexceptatnight。Sleepingandwakingshehadbeeninperpetualdreadlestsheshouldstillbeclaimedbyamanwhom,onlyafewweeksearlier,shehadregardedinthelightofafuturehusbandwithquietassent,notunmixedwithcheerfulness。
Buttheremovaloftheuneasinessinthisdirection——byMrs。
Manston\'sarrival,andherownconsequentfreedom——hadbeentheimpositionofpaininanother。UtterlyfictitiousdetailsofthefindingofCythereaandManstonhadbeeninventedandcirculated,unavoidablyreachingherearsinthecourseoftime。Thusthefreedombroughtnohappiness,anditseemedwell-nighimpossiblethatshecouldeveragainshowherselfthesparklingcreaturesheoncehadbeen——
\'Apttoenticeadeity。\'
Onthisaccount,andforthefirsttimeinhislife,Owenmadeapointofconcealingfromhertherealstateofhisfeelingswithregardtotheunhappytransaction。Hewrithedinsecretunderthehumiliationtowhichtheyhadbeensubjected,tilltheresentmentitgaveriseto,andforwhichtherewasnovent,wassometimesbeyondendurance;itinducedamoodthatdidseriousdamagetothematerialandploddingperseverancenecessaryifhewouldsecurepermanentlythecomfortsofahomeforthem。
TheygaveuptheirlodgingsatBudmouth,andwenttoTolchurchassoonastheworkcommenced。
Heretheyweredomiciledinonehalfofanoldfarmhouse,standingnotfarfromtheivy-coveredchurchtowerwhichwasallthatwastoremainoftheoriginalstructure。Thelongsteeproofofthispicturesquedwellingslopednearlydowntotheground,theoldtilesthatcovereditbeingovergrownwithricholive-huedmoss。Newredtilesintwosandthreeshadbeenusedforpatchingtheholeswroughtbydecay,lightingupthewholeharmonioussurfacewithdotsofbrilliantscarlet。
Thechiefinternalfeaturesofthissnugabodewereawidefireplace,enormouscupboards,abrownsettle,andseveralsketchesonthewoodmantel,doneinoutlinewiththepointofahotpoker——
thesubjectsmainlyconsistingofoldmenwalkingpainfullyerect,withacurly-taileddogbehind。
AfteraweekortwoofresidenceinTolchurch,andramblesamidthequaintscenerycircumscribingit,atranquillitybegantospreaditselfthroughthemindofthemaiden,whichGrayehopedwouldbeaprefacetohercompleterestoration。Shefeltreadyandwillingtolivethewholeremainderofherdaysintheretirementoftheirpresentquarters:shebegantosingaboutthehouseinlowtremuloussnatches——
\'“——Isaid,ifthere\'speacetobefoundintheworld,Aheartthatishumblemayhopeforithere。“\'
2。THETHIRDOFMARCH
Herconvalescencehadarrivedatthispointonacertaineveningtowardstheendofthewinter,whenOwenhadcomeinfromthebuildinghardby,andwaschanginghismuddybootsforslippers,previouslytosittingdowntotoastandtea。
Aprolongedthoughquietknockingcametothedoor。
Theonlypersonwhoeverknockedattheirdoorinthatwaywasthenewvicar,theprimemoverinthechurch-building。ButhewasthateveningdiningwiththeSquire。
Cythereawasuneasyatthesound——shedidnotknowwhy,unlessitwasbecausehernerveswereweakenedbythesicknessshehadundergone。Insteadofopeningthedoorsheranoutoftheroom,andupstairs。
\'Whatnonsense,Cytherea!\'saidherbrother,goingtothedoor。
EdwardSpringrovestoodinthegreylightoutside。
\'Capital——notgonetoAustralia,andnotgoing,ofcourse!\'criedOwen。\'What\'stheuseofgoingtosuchaplaceasthat?——Ineverbelievedthatyouwould。\'
\'IamgoingbacktoLondonagainto-morrow,\'saidSpringrove,\'andI
calledtosayawordbeforegoing。Whereis……?\'
\'Shehasjustrunupstairs。Comein——nevermindscrapingyourshoes——weareregularcottagersnow;stonefloor,yawningchimney-
corner,andall,yousee。\'
\'Mrs。Manstoncame,\'saidEdwardawkwardly,whenhehadsatdowninthechimney-cornerbypreference。
\'Yes。\'AtmentionofoneofhisskeletonsOwenlosthisblithenessatonce,andfellintoareverie。
\'Thehistoryofherescapeisverysimple。\'
\'Very。\'
\'YouknowIalwayshadwondered,whenmyfatherwastellinganyofthecircumstancesofthefiretome,howitcouldbethatawomancouldsleepsosoundlyastobeunawareofherhorridpositiontillitwastoolateeventogiveshoutorsoundofanykind。\'
\'Well,Ithinkthatwouldhavebeenpossible,consideringherlongwearisomejourney。Peoplehaveoftenbeensuffocatedintheirbedsbeforetheyawoke。Butitwashardlylikelyabodywouldbecompletelyburnttoashesasthiswasassumedtobe,thoughnobodyseemedtoseeitatthetime。Andhowpositivethesurgeonwastoo,aboutthosebitsofbone!Whyheshouldhavebeenso,nobodycantell。Icannothelpsayingthatifithaseverbeenpossibletofindpurestupidityincarnate,itwasinthatjuryofCarriford。
Thereexistedinthemassthestupidityoftwelveandnotthepenetrationofone。\'
\'Isshequitewell?\'saidSpringrove。
\'Who?——O,mysister,Cytherea。Thankyou,nearlywell,now。I\'llcallher。\'
\'Waitoneminute。Ihaveawordtosaytoyou。\'
Owensatdownagain。
\'Youknow,withoutmysayingit,thatIloveCythereaasdearlyasever……Ithinkshelovesmetoo,——doesshereally?\'
TherewasinOwenenoughofthatworldlypolicyonthesubjectofmatchmakingwhichnaturallyresidesinthebreastsofparentsandguardians,togivehimacertaincautioninreplying,and,youngerashewasbyfiveyearsthanEdward,ithadanoddeffect。
\'Well,shemaypossiblyloveyoustill,\'hesaid,asifratherindoubtastothetruthofhiswords。
Springrove\'scountenanceinstantlysaddened;hehadexpectedasimple\'Yes,\'attheveryleast。Hecontinuedinatoneofgreaterdepression——
\'Supposingshedoesloveme,woulditbefairtoyouandtoherifI
madeheranofferofmarriage,withthesedrearyconditionsattached——thatwelivedforafewyearsonthenarrowestsystem,tillagreatdebt,whichallhonouranddutyrequiremetopayoff,shallbepaid?Myfather,byreasonofthemisfortunethatbefellhim,isunderagreatobligationtoMissAldclyffe。Heisgettingold,andlosinghisenergies。Iamattemptingtoworkfreeoftheburden。Thismakesmyprospectsgloomyenoughatpresent。
\'Butconsideragain,\'hewenton。\'Cythereahasbeenleftinanamelessandunsatisfactory,thoughinnocentstate,bythisunfortunate,andnowvoid,marriagewithManston。Amarriagewithme,thoughunderthe——materially——untowardconditionsIhavementioned,wouldmakeushappy;itwouldgiveheralocusstandi。
IfshewishedtobeoutofthesoundofhermisfortuneswewouldgotoanotherpartofEngland——emigrate——doanything。\'
\'I\'llcallCytherea,\'saidOwen。\'Itisamatterwhichshealonecansettle。\'Hedidnotspeakwarmly。HispridecouldnotendurethepitywhichEdward\'svisitanderrandtacitlyimplied。Yet,intheotheraffair,hisheartwentwithEdward;hewasonthesamebeatforpayingoffolddebtshimself。
\'Cythie,Mr。Springroveishere,\'hesaid,atthefootofthestaircase。
Hissisterdescendedthecreakingoldstepswithafalteringtread,andstoodinthefirelightfromthehearth。SheextendedherhandtoSpringrove,welcominghimbyameremotionofthelip,hereyesaverted——ahabitwhichhadengendereditselfinhersincethebeginningofherillnessanddefamation。Owenopenedthedoorandwentout——leavingtheloversalone。ItwasthefirsttimetheyhadmetsincethememorablenightatSouthampton。
\'Iwillgetalight,\'shesaid,withalittleembarrassment。
\'No——don\'t,please,Cytherea,\'saidEdwardsoftly,\'Comeandsitdownwithme。\'
\'Oyes。IoughttohaveaskedYOUto,\'shereturnedtimidly。
\'Everybodysitsinthechimney-cornerinthisparish。Yousitonthatside。I\'llsithere。\'
Tworecesses——oneontheright,oneonthelefthand——werecutintheinsideofthefireplace,andheretheysatdownfacingeachother,onbenchesfittedtotherecesses,thefireglowingonthehearthbetweentheirfeet。Itsruddylightshoneontheunderslopesoftheirfaces,andspreadoutovertheflooroftheroomwiththelowhorizontalityofthesettingsun,givingtoeverygrainofsandandtumourinthepavingalongshadowtowardsthedoor。
Edwardlookedathispalelovethroughthethinazuretwinesofsmokethatwentuplikeringletsbetweenthem,andinvestedher,asseenthroughitsmedium,withtheshadowyappearanceofaphantom。
Nothingissopotentforcoaxingbackthelosteyesofawomanasadiscreetsilenceinthemanwhohassolostthem——andthusthepatientEdwardcoaxedhers。Afterlingeringonthehearthforhalfaminute,waitinginvainforanotherwordfromhim,theywereliftedintohisface。
Hewasreadyprimedtoreceivethem。\'Cytherea,willyoumarryme?\'
hesaid。
Hecouldnotwaitinhisoriginalpositiontilltheanswercame。
Steppingacrossthefrontofthefiretoherownsideofthechimneycorner,hereclinedatherfeet,andsearchedforherhand。Shecontinuedinsilenceawhile。
\'Edward,Icanneverbeanybody\'swife,\'shethensaidsadly,andwithfirmness。
\'Thinkofitineverylight,\'hepleaded;\'thelightoflove,first。
Then,whenyouhavedonethat,seehowwiseastepitwouldbe。I
canonlyofferyoupovertyasyet,butIwant——Idosolongtosecureyoufromtheintrusionofthatunpleasantpast,whichwilloftenandalwaysbethrustbeforeyouaslongasyoulivetheshrinkingsolitarylifeyoudonow——alifewhichpuritychooses,itmaybe;buttotheoutsideworlditappearsliketheenforcedlonelinessofneglectandscorn——andtonguesarebusyinventingareasonforitwhichdoesnotexist。\'
\'Iknowallaboutit,\'shesaidhastily;\'andthosearethegroundsofmyrefusal。YouandOwenknowthewholetruth——thetwoIlovebestonearth——andIamcontent。Butthescandalwillbecontinuallyrepeated,andIcannevergiveanyonetheopportunityofsayingtoyou——that——yourwife……\'Sheutterlybrokedownandwept。
\'Don\'t,myowndarling!\'heentreated。\'Don\'t,Cytherea!\'
\'Pleasetoleaveme——wewillbefriends,Edward——butdon\'tpressme——
mymindismadeup——Icannot——Iwillnotmarryyouoranymanunderthepresentambiguouscircumstances——neverwillI——Ihavesaidit:
never!\'
Theywerebothsilent。Helistlesslyregardedtheilluminatedblacknessoverhead,wherelongflakesofsootfloatedfromthesidesandbarsofthechimney-throatliketatteredbannersinancientaisles;whilstthroughthesquareopeninginthemidstoneortwobrightstarslookeddownuponthemfromthegreyMarchsky。Thesightseemedtocheerhim。
\'Atanyrateyouwillloveme?\'hemurmuredtoher。
\'Yes——always——foreverandforever!\'