TheSon’sVetoForConscience’SakeATragedyofTwoAmbitionsOntheWesternCircuitToPleasehisWifeTheMelancholyHussaroftheGermanLegionATraditionofEighteenHundredandFourAFewCrustedCharactersTHESON’SVETO
Totheeyesofamanviewingitfrombehind，thenut-brownhairwasawonderandamystery。Undertheblackbeaverhat，surmountedbyitstuftofblackfeathers，thelonglocks，braidedandtwistedandcoiledliketherushesofabasket，composedarare，ifsomewhatbarbaric，exampleofingeniousart。Onecouldunderstandsuchweavingsandcoilingsbeingwroughttolastintactforayear，orevenacalendarmonth；butthattheyshouldbealldemolishedregularlyatbedtime，afterasingledayofpermanence，seemedarecklesswasteofsuccessfulfabrication。
Andshehaddoneitallherself，poorthing。Shehadnomaid，anditwasalmosttheonlyaccomplishmentshecouldboastof。Hencetheunstintedpains。
Shewasayounginvalidlady——notsoverymuchofaninvalid——sittinginawheeledchair，whichhadbeenpulledupinthefrontpartofagreenenclosure，closetoabandstand，whereaconcertwasgoingon，duringawarmJuneafternoon。IthadplaceinoneoftheminorparksorprivategardensthataretobefoundinthesuburbsofLondon，andwastheeffortofalocalassociationtoraisemoneyforsomecharity。Thereareworldswithinworldsinthegreatcity，andthoughnobodyoutsidetheimmediatedistricthadeverheardofthecharity，ortheband，orthegarden，theenclosurewasfilledwithaninterestedaudiencesufficientlyinformedonallthese。
Asthestrainsproceededmanyofthelistenersobservedthechairedlady，whosebackhair，byreasonofherprominentposition，sochallengedinspection。Herfacewasnoteasilydiscernible，buttheaforesaidcunningtress-weavings，thewhiteearandpoll，andthecurveofacheekwhichwasneitherflaccidnorsallow，weresignalsthatledtotheexpectationofgoodbeautyinfront。Suchexpectationsarenotinfrequentlydisappointedassoonasthedisclosurecomes；andinthepresentcase，whenthelady，byaturnofthehead，atlengthrevealedherself，shewasnotsohandsomeasthepeoplebehindherhadsupposed，andevenhoped——theydidnotknowwhy。
Foronethingalas!thecommonnessofthiscomplaint，shewaslessyoungthantheyhadfanciedhertobe。Yetattractiveherfaceunquestionablywas，andnotatallsickly。Therevelationofitsdetailscameeachtimesheturnedtotalktoaboyoftwelveorthirteenwhostoodbesideher，andtheshapeofwhosehatandjacketimpliedthathebelongedtoawell-knownpublicschool。Theimmediatebystanderscouldhearthathecalledher’Mother。’
Whentheendoftherecitalwasreached，andtheaudiencewithdrew，manychosetofindtheirwayoutbypassingatherelbow。Almostallturnedtheirheadstotakeafullandnearlookattheinterestingwoman，whoremainedstationaryinthechairtillthewayshouldbeclearenoughforhertobewheeledoutwithoutobstruction。Asifsheexpectedtheirglances，anddidnotmindgratifyingtheircuriosity，shemettheeyesofseveralofherobserversbyliftingherown，showingthesetobesoft，brown，andaffectionateorbs，alittleplaintiveintheirregard。
Shewasconductedoutofthegardens，andpassedalongthepavementtillshedisappearedfromview，theschoolboywalkingbesideher。Toinquiriesmadebysomepersonswhowatchedheraway，theanswercamethatshewasthesecondwifeoftheincumbentofaneighbouringparish，andthatshewaslame。Shewasgenerallybelievedtobeawomanwithastory——aninnocentone，butastoryofsomesortorother。
Inconversingwithherontheirwayhometheboywhowalkedatherelbowsaidthathehopedhisfatherhadnotmissedthem。
’HehavebeensocomfortabletheselastfewhoursthatIamsurehecannothavemissedus，’shereplied。
’HAS，dearmother——notHAVE!’exclaimedthepublic-schoolboy，withanimpatientfastidiousnessthatwasalmostharsh。’Surelyyouknowthatbythistime!’
Hismotherhastilyadoptedthecorrection，anddidnotresenthismakingit，orretaliate，asshemightwellhavedone，bybiddinghimtowipethatcrumbymouthofhis，whoseconditionhadbeencausedbysurreptitiousattemptstoeatapieceofcakewithouttakingitoutofthepocketwhereinitlayconcealed。Afterthistheprettywomanandtheboywentonwardinsilence。
Thatquestionofgrammarboreuponherhistory，andshefellintoreverie，ofasomewhatsadkindtoallappearance。Itmighthavebeenassumedthatshewaswonderingifshehaddonewiselyinshapingherlifeasshehadshapedit，tobringoutsucharesultasthis。
InaremotenookinNorthWessex，fortymilesfromLondon，nearthethrivingcounty-townofAldbrickham，therestoodaprettyvillagewithitschurchandparsonage，whichsheknewwellenough，buthersonhadneverseen。Itwashernativevillage，Gaymead，andthefirsteventbearinguponherpresentsituationhadoccurredatthatplacewhenshewasonlyagirlofnineteen。
Howwellsherememberedit，thatfirstactinherlittletragi-
comedy，thedeathofherreverendhusband’sfirstwife。Ithappenedonaspringevening，andshewhonowandformanyyearshadfilledthatfirstwife’splacewasthenparlour-maidintheparson’shouse。
Wheneverythinghadbeendonethatcouldbedone，andthedeathwasannounced，shehadgoneoutinthedusktovisitherparents，whowerelivinginthesamevillage，totellthemthesadnews。Assheopenedthewhiteswing-gateandlookedtowardsthetreeswhichrosewestward，shuttingoutthepalelightoftheeveningsky，shediscerned，withoutmuchsurprise，thefigureofamanstandinginthehedge，thoughsheroguishlyexclaimedasamatterofform，’Oh，Sam，howyoufrightenedme!’
Hewasayounggardenerofheracquaintance。Shetoldhimtheparticularsofthelateevent，andtheystoodsilent，thesetwoyoungpeople，inthatelevated，calmlyphilosophicmindwhichisengenderedwhenatragedyhashappenedcloseathand，andhasnothappenedtothephilosophersthemselves。Butithaditsbearingupontheirrelations。
’AndwillyoustayonnowattheVicarage，justthesame？’askedhe。
Shehadhardlythoughtofthat。’Oh，yes——Isuppose!’shesaid。
’Everythingwillbejustasusual，Iimagine？’
Hewalkedbesidehertowardshermother’s。Presentlyhisarmstoleroundherwaist。Shegentlyremovedit；butheplaceditthereagain，andsheyieldedthepoint。’Yousee，dearSophy，youdon’tknowthatyou’llstayon；youmaywantahome；andIshallbereadytoofferonesomeday，thoughImaynotbereadyjustyet。
’Why，Sam，howcanyoubesofast!I’veneverevensaidIliked’ee；
anditisallyourowndoing，comingafterme!’
’Still，itisnonsensetosayIamnottohaveatryatyouliketherest。’Hestoopedtokissherafarewell，fortheyhadreachedhermother’sdoor。
’No，Sam；yousha’n’t!’shecried，puttingherhandoverhismouth。
’Yououghttobemoreseriousonsuchanightasthis。’Andshebadehimadieuwithoutallowinghimtokissherortocomeindoors。
Thevicarjustleftawidowerwasatthistimeamanaboutfortyyearsofage，ofgoodfamily，andchildless。Hehadledasecludedexistenceinthiscollegeliving，partlybecausetherewerenoresidentlandowners；andhislossnowintensifiedhishabitofwithdrawalfromoutwardobservation。Hewasstilllessseenthanheretofore，kepthimselfstilllessintimewiththerhythmandracketofthemovementscalledprogressintheworldwithout。Formanymonthsafterhiswife’sdeceasetheeconomyofhishouseholdremainedasbefore；thecook，thehousemaid，theparlour-maid，andthemanout-of-doorsperformedtheirdutiesorleftthemundone，justasNaturepromptedthem——thevicarknewnotwhich。Itwasthenrepresentedtohimthathisservantsseemedtohavenothingtodoinhissmallfamilyofone。Hewasstruckwiththetruthofthisrepresentation，anddecidedtocutdownhisestablishment。ButhewasforestalledbySophy，theparlour-maid，whosaidoneeveningthatshewishedtoleavehim。
’Andwhy？’saidtheparson。
’SamHobsonhasaskedmetomarryhim，sir。’
’Well——doyouwanttomarry？’
’Notmuch。Butitwouldbeahomeforme。Andwehaveheardthatoneofuswillhavetoleave。’
Adayortwoaftershesaid：’Idon’twanttoleavejustyet，sir，ifyoudon’twishit。SamandIhavequarrelled。’
Helookedupather。Hehadhardlyeverobservedherbefore，thoughhehadbeenfrequentlyconsciousofhersoftpresenceintheroom。
Whatakitten-like，flexuous，tendercreatureshewas!Shewastheonlyoneoftheservantswithwhomhecameintoimmediateandcontinuousrelation。WhatshouldhedoifSophyweregone？
Sophydidnotgo，butoneoftheothersdid，andthingswentonquietlyagain。
WhenMr。Twycott，thevicar，wasill，Sophybroughtuphismealstohim，andshehadnosoonerlefttheroomonedaythanheheardanoiseonthestairs。Shehadslippeddownwiththetray，andsotwistedherfootthatshecouldnotstand。Thevillagesurgeonwascalledin；thevicargotbetter，butSophywasincapacitatedforalongtime；andshewasinformedthatshemustneveragainwalkmuchorengageinanyoccupationwhichrequiredhertostandlongonherfeet。Assoonasshewascomparativelywellshespoketohimalone。
Sinceshewasforbiddentowalkandbustleabout，and，indeed，couldnotdoso，itbecameherdutytoleave。Shecouldverywellworkatsomethingsittingdown，andshehadanauntaseamstress。
Theparsonhadbeenverygreatlymovedbywhatshehadsufferedonhisaccount，andheexclaimed，’No，Sophy；lameornotlame，Icannotletyougo。Youmustneverleavemeagain!’
Hecameclosetoher，and，thoughshecouldneverexactlytellhowithappened，shebecameconsciousofhislipsuponhercheek。Hethenaskedhertomarryhim。Sophydidnotexactlylovehim，butshehadarespectforhimwhichalmostamountedtoveneration。Evenifshehadwishedtogetawayfromhimshehardlydaredrefuseapersonagesoreverendandaugustinhereyes，andsheassentedforthwithtobehiswife。
Thusithappenedthatonefinemorning，whenthedoorsofthechurchwerenaturallyopenforventilation，andthesingingbirdsflutteredinandalightedonthetie-beamsoftheroof，therewasamarriage-
serviceatthecommunion-rails，whichhardlyasoulknewof。Theparsonandaneighbouringcuratehadenteredatonedoor，andSophyatanother，followedbytwonecessarypersons，whereuponinashorttimethereemergedanewly-madehusbandandwife。