第2章
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  Mrs。Roylake——inanexquisitemorningdress;withhersmileinperfectorder——informedmethatshewasdyingwithcuriosity。Shehadheard,fromtheservants,thatIhadnotreturnedtothehouseuntilpastteno’clockonthepreviousnight;andshewasabsolutelybewilderedbythediscovery。WhatcouldherdearGerardhavebeendoing,outinthedarkbyhimself,forallthattime?

  \"Forsomepartofthetime,\"Ianswered,\"IwascatchingmothsinFordwitchWood。\"

  \"Whatanextraordinaryoccupationforayoungman!Well?Andwhatdidyoudoafterthat?\"

  \"Iwalkedonthroughthewood,andrenewedmyoldassociationswiththeriverandthemill。\"

  Mrs。Roylake’sfascinatingsmiledisappearedwhenImentionedthemill。

  Shesuddenlybecameacoldlady——Imightevensayastifflady。

  \"Ican’tcongratulateyouonthefirstvisityouhavepaidinourneighborhood,\"shesaid。\"Ofcoursethatboldgirlcontrivedtoattractyournotice?\"

  IrepliedthatIhadmetwiththe\"boldgirl\"purelybyaccident,onhersideaswellasonmine;andthenIstartedanewtopic。\"Wasitapleasantdinner-partylastnight?\"Iasked——asifthesubjectreallyinterestedme。IhadnotbeenquitefourandtwentyhoursinEnglandyet,andIwasbecomingahumbugalready。

  Mystepmotherwashercharmingselfagainthemomentmyquestionhadpassedmylips。Society——provideditwasnotsocietyatthemill——wasalwaysattractiveasatopicofconversation。\"Yourabsencewastheonlydrawback,\"sheanswered。\"Ihaveaskedthetwoladies(mylordhasanengagement)todinehereto-day,withoutceremony。Theyaremostanxioustomeetyou。MydearGerard!youlooksurprised。Surelyyouknowwhotheladiesare?\"

  Iwasobligedtoacknowledgemyignorance。

  Mrs。Roylakewasshocked。\"Atanyrate,\"sheresumed,\"youhaveheardoftheirfather,LordUppercliff?\"

  Imadeanothershamefulconfession。EitherIhadforgottenLordUppercliff,duringmylongabsenceabroad,orIhadneverheardofhim。

  Mrs。Roylakewasdisgusted。\"Andthisisaforeigneducation!\"sheexclaimed。\"ThankHeaven,youhavereturnedtoyourowncountry!Wewilldriveoutafterluncheon,andpayaroundofvisits。\"Whenthisprospectwasplacedbeforeme,Irememberedhavingreadinbooksofsensitivepersonsreceivingimpressionswhichmadetheirbloodruncold;Inowfoundmyselfoneofthosepersons,forthefirsttimeinmylife。\"Inthemeanwhile,\"Mrs。Roylakecontinued,\"Imusttellyou——excusemeforlaughing;itseemssoveryabsurdthatyoushouldnotknowwhoLordUppercliff’sdaughtersare——ImusttellyouthatLadyRachelistheeldest。SheismarriedtotheHonorableCaptainMillbay,oftheNavy,nowawayinhisship。Apersonofextraordinarystrengthofmind(Idon’tmeantheCaptain;ImeanLadyRachel);Iadmireherintellect,butherpoliticalandsocialopinionsImustalwaysviewwithregret。Heryoungersister,LadyLena——notmarried,Gerard;rememberthat!——issimplythemostcharminggirlinEngland。Ifyoudon’tfallinlovewithher,youwillbetheonlyyoungmaninthecountywhohasresistedLadyLena。PoorSirGeorge——sherefusedhimlastweek;youreally_must_haveheardofSirGeorge;ourmemberofparliament;conservativeofcourse;quitebroken-heartedaboutLadyLena;goneawaytoAmericatoshootbears。Youseemtoberestless。Whatareyoufidgetingabout?Ah,Iknow!Youwanttosmokeafterbreakfast。Well,Iwon’tbeinyourway。Gooutontheterrace;yourpoorfatheralwaystookhiscigarontheterrace。Theysaysmokingleadstomeditation;IleaveyoutomeditateonLadyLena。Don’tforget——luncheonatoneo’clock,andthecarriageattwo。\"

  Shesmiled,andkissedherhand,andflutteredoutoftheroom。Charming;

  perfectlycharming。AndyetIwasungratefulenoughtowishmyselfbackinGermanyagain。

  Ilitmycigar,butnotontheterrace。Leavingthehouse,ItookthewayoncemorethatledtoFordwitchWood。WhatwouldMrs。Roylakehavesaid,ifshehaddiscoveredthatIwasgoingbacktothemill?Therewasnootheralternative。Theportfoliowasatrustconfidedtome;thesoonerI

  returnedittothewriteroftheconfession——thesoonerItoldhimplainlytheconclusionatwhichIhadarrived——themoreateasemymindwouldbe。

  Thesluggishriverlookedmuddierthanever,thenewcottagelookeduglierthanever,exposedtothesearchingordealofsunlight。Iknockedatthedoorontheancientsideofthebuilding。

  Cristel’sfather——shallIconfessIhadhopedthatitmightbeCristelherself?——letmein。Inby-gonedays,Idimlyrememberedhimasoldandsmallandwithered。Advancingyearshadwastedhimaway,intheinterval,untilhiswhitemiller’sclotheshungabouthiminemptyfolds。Hisfleshlessfacewouldhavelookedlikethefaceofamummy,butfortherestlessbrightnessofhislittlewatchfulblackeyes。Hestaredatmeinmomentaryperplexity,and,suddenlyrecoveringhimself,askedmetowalkin。

  \"Areyoutheyoungmaster,sir?Ah,yes,yes;Ithoughtso。MygirlCristysaidshesawtheyoungmasterlastnight。Thankyoukindly,sir;

  I’mprettywell,consideringhowI’vefallenawayinmyflesh。Ihavegotafineappetite,butsomehoworother,mymealsdon’tshowonme。Youwillexcusemyreceivingyouinthekitchen,sir;it’sthebestroomwehave。DidCristytellyouhowbadlyweareoffhereforrepairs?Youbeingourlandlord,welooktoyoutohelpus。Wearefallingtopieces,asitwere,onthisoldsideofthehouse。There’sfirstdrains————\"

  Heproceededtoreckonuptherepairs,countingwithhisfleshlessthumbonhisskinnyfingers,whenhewasinterruptedbyacurioussuccessionofsoundswhichbeganwithwhining,andendedwithscratchingatthecottagedoor。

  Inaminuteafter,thedoorwasopenedfromwithout。Abrowndog,ofthecompanionableretrieverbreed,raninandfawneduponoldToller。Cristelfollowed(fromthekitchengarden),withabasketofvegetablesonherarm。Unliketheriverandthecottage,shegainedbybeingrevealedinthebrilliantsunlight。Inowsaw,intheirfullbeauty,thelusterofherbrowneyes,thewarmrosinessofherdarkcomplexion,thedelightfulvivacityofexpressionwhichwasthecrowningcharmofherface。Shepausedconfusedlyinthedoorway,andtriedtoresistmewhenIinsistedonrelievingherofthebasket。

  \"Mr。Gerard,\"sheprotested,\"youaretreatingmeasifIwasayounglady。Whatwouldtheysayatthegreathouse,iftheyknewyouhaddonethat?\"

  Myanswerwouldnodoubthaveassumedtheformofafoolishcompliment,ifherfatherhadnotsparedherthatinfliction。Hereturnedtotheall-importantquestion,thequestionofrepairs。

  \"Yousee,sir,it’snousespeakingtothebailiff。Savingyourpresence,he’samiserwithhismaster’smoney。Hesays,’Allright,’andhedoesnothing。There’sfirst,asItoldyoujustnow,thetrulydreadfulstateofthedrains————\"

  Itriedtostophimbypromisingtospeaktothebailiffmyself。Onhearingthisgoodnews,Mr。Toller’sgratitudebecameungovernable:hewasmoreeagerthanever,andmoreeloquentthanever,inreturningtotherepairs。

  \"Andthen,sir,there’stheoven。Theydocallbreadthestaffoflife。

  It’saburntstaffatonetime,andaclammystaffatanother,inourdomesticexperience。Satisfyyourself,sir;dopleasecrossthekitchenandlookwithyourowneyesatthestate,thescandalousstate,oftheoven。\"

  Hisdaughterinterfered,andstoppedhimatthecriticalmomentwhenhewasactuallyofferinghisarmtoconductmeinstateacrossthekitchen。

  Cristelhadjustputherprettybrownhandoverhismouth,andsaid,\"Oh,father,dopraybequiet!\"whenwewereallthreedisturbedbyanotherinterruption。

  Aseconddoorcommunicating,asIconcludedfromitsposition,withthenewcottage,wassuddenlyopened。Intheinstantbeforethepersonbehinditappeared,thedoglookedthatway——startedup。frightened——andtookrefugeunderthetable。Atthenextmoment,thedeafLodgerwalkedintotheroom。Itwashebeyondalldoubtwhohadfrightenedthedog,forewarnedbyinstinctofhisappearance。

  WhatIhadreadofhiswritingdisposedme,nowthatIsawthemanbydaylight,tofindsomethingdevilishintheexpressionofhisface。No!

  strongasitwas,myprejudicefailedtomakeanydiscoveriesthatpresentedhimatadisadvantage。Hispersonalattractionstriumphedintheclearsearchinglight。Inowperceivedthathiseyeswereofthatdeeplydarkblue,whichiscommonlyandfalselydescribedasresemblingthecoloroftheviolet。Tomythinking,theyweresoentirelybeautifulthattheyhadnorighttobeinaman’sface。Imighthavefeltthesameobjectiontothepaledelicacyofhiscomplexion,tothesoftprofusionofhisreddish-brownhair,tohisfinelyshapedsensitivelips,butfortwomarkedpeculiaritiesinhimwhichwouldhaveshownmetobewrong——thatistosay:theexpressionofpowerabouthishead,andthesignsofmasculineresolutionpresentedbyhismouthandchin。

  Onenteringtheroom,thefirstperson,andtheonlyperson,whoattractedhisattentionwasCristel。

  Hebowed,smiled,possessedhimselfabruptlyofherhand,andkissedit。

  Shetriedtowithdrawitfromhisgrasp,andmetwithanobstinateresistance。Hisgallantryaddressedherinsweetwords;andhisvoicedestroyedtheircharmbythedrearymonotonyofthetoneinwhichhespoke。\"Onthislovelyday,Cristel,Naturepleadsforme。Yourheartfeelsthesunshineandsoftenstowardsthepoordeafmanwhoworshipsyou。Ah,mydear,it’suselesstosayNo。Myafflictionismyhappiness,whenyousaycruelthingstome。Iliveinmyfool’sparadise;Idon’thearyou。\"Hetriedtodrawhernearertohim。\"Come,myangel;letmekissyou。\"

  Shemadeasecondattempttoreleaseherself;andthistime,shewrenchedherhandoutofhisgraspwithastrengthforwhichhewasnotprepared。

  Thatfiercestangerwhichturnsthefacepale,wastheangerthathadpossessionofCristelasshetookrefugewithherfather。\"Youaskedmetobearwiththatman,\"shesaid,\"becausehepaidyouagoodrent。I

  tellyouthis,father;mypatienceiscomingtoanend。Eitherhemustgo,orImustgo。Makeupyourmindtochoosebetweenyourmoneyandme。\"

  OldTollerastonishedme。Heseemedtohavecaughttheinfectionofhisdaughter’sanger。PlacedbetweenCristelandhismoney,hereallyactedasifhepreferredCristel。Hehobbleduptohislodger,andshookhisinfirmfists,andscreamedatthehighestpitchofhisoldcrackedvoice:

  \"Letherbe,orIwon’thaveyouherenolonger!Youdeafadder,letherbe!\"

  Thesensitivenervesofthedeafmanshrankasthoseshrilltonespiercedthem。\"Ifyouwanttospeaktome,writeit!\"hesaid,withrageandsufferingineverylineofhisface。Hetorefromhispockethislittlebook,filledwithblankleaves,andthrewitatToller’shead。\"Write,\"

  herepeated。\"Ifyoumurdermewithyourscreechingagain,lookoutforyourskinnythroat——I’llthrottleyou。\"

  Cristelpickedupthebook。Shewasgratefullysensibleofherfather’sinterference。\"Heshallknowwhatyousaidtohim,\"shepromisedtheoldman。\"I’llwriteitmyself。\"

  Shetookthepencilfromitssheathintheleatherbindingofthebook。

  Controllinghimself,theloverwhomshehatedadvancedtowardsherwithapersuasivesmile。

  \"Haveyouforgivenme?\"heasked。\"Haveyoubeenspeakingkindlyofme?I

  thinkIseeitinyourface。Therearesomedeafpeoplewhocantellwhatissaidbylookingatthespeaker’slips。Iamtoostupid,ortooimpatient,ortoowickedtobeabletodothat。Writeitforme,dear,andmakemehappyfortheday。\"

  Cristelwasnotattendingtohim,shewasspeakingtome。\"Ihope,sir,youdon’tthinkthatfatherandIaretoblameforwhathashappenedthismorning,\"shesaid。Helookedwhereshewaslooking——anddiscovered,forthefirsttime,thatIwasintheroom。

  Hehadalludedtohiswickednessamomentsince。Whenhisfaceturnedmyway,Ithoughtitborewitnesstohisknowledgeofhisowncharacter。

  \"Whydidn’tyoucometomysideofthehouse?\"hesaidtome。\"WhatamI

  tounderstand,sir,byseeingyouhere?\"

  Cristeldroppedhisbookonthetable,andhurriedtomeinbreathlesssurprise。\"Hespeaksasifheknewyou!\"shecried。\"Whatdoesitmean?\"

  \"OnlythatImethimlastnight,\"Iexplained,\"afterleavingyou。\"

  \"Didyouknowhimbeforethat?\"

  \"No。Hewasaperfectstrangertome。\"

  Hepickeduphisbookfromthetable,andtookhispenciloutofCristel’shand,whilewewerespeaking。\"Iwantmyanswer,\"hesaid,handingmethebookandthepencil。Igavehimhisanswer。

  \"Youfindmehere,becauseIdon’twishtoreturntoyoursideofthehouse。\"

  \"Isthattheimpression,\"heasked,\"producedbywhatIallowedyoutoread?\"

  Irepliedbyasignintheaffirmative。HeinquirednextifIhadbroughthisportfoliowithme。Iputitatonceintohishand。

  Insomewayunknowntome,Ihadapparentlyrousedhissuspicions。Heopenedtheportfolio,andcountedthelooseleavesofwritinginitcarefully。Whilehewasabsorbedinthisoccupation,oldToller’seccentricityassumedanewform。Hislittlerestlessblackeyesfollowedthemovementsofhislodger’sfingers,astheyturnedoverleafafterleafofthemanuscript,withsucheagercuriosityandinterestthatI

  lookedathiminsurprise。Findingthathehadattractedmynotice,heshowednosignsofembarrassment——heseizedtheopportunityofaskingforinformation。

  \"Didmygentlemantrustyou,sir,withallthatwriting?\"hebegan。

  \"Yes。\"

  \"Didhewantyoutoreadit?\"

  \"Hedid。\"

  \"What’sitallabout,sir?\"

  Confrontedbythiscoolinquiry,IinformedMr。Tollerthatthedemandsofcuriosityhadtheirlimits,andthathehadreachedthem。Onthisground,Ideclinedtoansweranymorequestions。Mr。Tollerwentonwithhisquestionsimmediately。

  \"Doyounotice,sir,thatheseemstosetadealofstorebyhiswritings?Perhapsyoucansaywhatthevalueofthemmaybe?\"

  Ishookmyhead。\"Itwon’tdo,Mr。Toller!\"

  Hetriedagain——Ideclareitpositively,hetriedagain。\"You’llexcuseme,sir?I’veneverseenhisportfoliobefore。AmIrightifIthinkyouknowwherehekeepsit?\"

  \"Spareyourbreath,Mr。Toller。Oncemore,itwon’tdo!\"

  Cristeljoinedus,amazedathispertinacity。\"Whyareyousoanxious,father,toknowaboutthatportfolio?\"sheasked。

  Herfatherseemedtohavereasonsofhisownforfollowingmyexampleanddecliningtoanswerquestions。Morepolite,however,thanIhadbeen,helefthisresolutiontobeinferred。Hisdaughterwasansweredbyafewgeneralremarks,settingforththeadvantagetothelandlordofhavingalodgerwhohadlostoneofsenses。

  \"Youseethere’ssomethingconvenient,mydear,inthecircumstanceofthatnice-lookinggentlemanovertherebeingdeaf。Wecantalkabouthimbeforehisface,justascomfortablyasifitwasbehindhisback。Isn’tthatso,Mr。Gerard?Don’tyouseeityourself,Cristy?Forinstance,I

  sayitwithoutfearinhispresence:’tistheactofafooltobefumblingoverwritings,whenthere’snothinginthemthat’snotwellknowntohimselfalready——unlessindeedtheyareworthmoney,whichI

  don’tdoubtisnosecretto_you,_Mr。Gerard?Eh?Ibegyourpardon,sir,didyouspeak?No?Ibegyourpardonagain。Yes,yes,Cristy,I’mnoticinghim;he’sdonewithhiswritings。SupposeIoffertoputthemawayforhim?Youcanseeinhisfacehefindsthetaleofthemcorrect。

  He’scomingthisway。What’shegoingtodonext?\"

  Hewasgoingtoestablishaclaimonmygratitude,byrelievingmeofGilesToller。

  \"IhavesomethingtosaytoMr。Roylake,\"heannounced,withahaughtylookathislandlord。\"Mind!Idon’tforgetyourscreamingatmejustnow,andIintendtoknowwhatyoumeantbyit。Thatwilldo。Getoutoftheway。\"

  Theoldfellowreceivedhisdismissalwithalowbow,andleftthekitchenwithalookattheLodgerwhichrevealed(unlessIwasentirelymistaken)aslysenseoftriumph。Whatdiditmean?

  Thedeafmanaddressedmewithacoldanddistantmanner。\"Wemustunderstandeachother,\"hesaid。\"Willyoufollowmetomysideofthecottage?\"Ishookmyhead。\"Verywell,\"heresumed;\"wewillhaveitout,here。WhenItrustedyouwithmyconfessionlastnight,Ileftyoutodecide(afterreadingit)whetheryouwouldmakeanenemyofmeornot。

  Yourememberthat?\"Inoddedmyhead。\"ThenInowaskyou,Mr。Roylake:

  Whicharewe——enemiesorfriends?\"

  Itookthepencil,andwrotemyreply:

  \"Neitherenemiesnorfriends。Wearestrangersfromthistimeforth。\"

  Someinternalstruggleproducedachangeinhisface——visibleforonemoment,hiddenfrommeinamomentmore。\"Ithinkyouwillregretthedecisionatwhichyouhavearrived。\"Hesaidthat,andsalutedmewithhisgrandlygraciousbow。Asheturnedaway,heperceivedCristelattheotherendoftheroom,andeagerlyjoinedher。

  \"TheonlyhappymomentsIhavearemymomentspassedinyourpresence,\"

  hesaid。\"Ishalltroubleyounomoreforto-day。Givemealittlecomforttotakebackwithmetomysolitude。Ididn’tnoticethattherewereotherpersonspresentwhenIaskedleavetokissyou。MayIhopethatyouforgiveme?\"

  Heheldouthishand;itwasnottaken。Hewaitedalittle,inthevainhopethatshewouldrelent:sheturnedawayfromhim。

  Aspasmofpaindistortedhishandsomeface。Heopenedthedoorthatledtohissideofthecottage——paused——andlookedbackatCristel。Shetooknonoticeofhim。Ashemovedagaintothedoorandleftus,thehystericalpassioninhimforceditswayoutward——heburstintotears。

  Thedogsprangupfromhisrefugeunderthetable,andshookhimselfjoyfully。Cristelbreathedagainfreely,andjoinedmeatmyendoftheroom。ShallImakeanotheracknowledgmentofweakness?Ibegantofearthatwemightallofus(evenincludingthedog!)havebeenalittlehardonthepoordeafwretchwhohadgoneawayinsuchbitterdistress。I

  communicatedthisviewofthemattertoCristel。ShefailedtoseeitasIdid。

  Thedoglaidhisheadonherlap,askingtobecaressed。Shepattedhimwhilesheansweredme。

  \"Iagreewiththisoldfriend,Mr。Gerard。Wewerebothofusfrightened,ontheveryfirstday,whenthepersonyouarepityingcametolodgewithus。Ihavegottohatehim,sincethattime——perhapstodespisehim。Butthedoghasneverchanged;hefeelsandknowsthereissomethingdreadfulinthatman。Oneofthesedays,poorPontomayturnouttoberight。——MayIaskyousomething,sir?\"

  \"Ofcourse!\"

  \"Youwon’tthinkIampresumingonyourkindness?\"

  \"Yououghttoknowmebetterthanthat,Cristel!\"

  \"Thetruthis,sir,IhavebeenalittlestartledbywhatIsawinourlodger’sface,whenheaskedifyouwerehisenemyorhisfriend。Iknowheisthoughttobehandsome——but,Mr。Gerard,thosebeautifuleyesofhissometimestelltales;andIhaveseenhisprettycomplexionchangetoacolorthatturnedhimintoanuglyman。Willyoutellmewhatyouwrotewhenyouansweredhim?\"

  IrepeatedwhatIhadwritten,wordforword。Itfailedtosatisfyher。

  \"Heisveryvain,\"shesaid,\"andyoumayhavewoundedhisvanitybytreatinghimlikeastranger,afterhehadgivenyouhiswritingstoread,andinvitedyoutohisroom。ButIthoughtIsawsomethingmuchworsethanmortificationinhisface。ShallIbetakingaliberty,ifI

  askhowitwasyougotacquaintedwithhimlastnight?\"

  Shewasevidentlyinearnest。IsawthatImustanswerherwithoutreserve;andIwasalittleafraidofbeingmyselfopentoasuspicionofvanity,ifImentionedthedistrustwhichIhadinnocentlyexcitedinthemindofmynewacquaintance。InthisstateofembarrassmentItookayoungman’swayoutofthedifficulty,andspokelightlyofaseriousthing。

  \"IbecameacquaintedwithyourdeafLodger,Cristel,underridiculouscircumstances。Hesawustalkinglastnight,anddidmethehonortobejealousofme。\"

  Ihadexpectedtoseeherblush。Tomysurprisesheturnedpale,andvehementlyremonstrated。

  \"Don’tlaugh,sir!There’snothingtobeamusedatinwhatyouhavejusttoldme。Youdidn’tgointohisroomlastnight?Oh,whatmadeyoudothat!\"

  Idescribedhissuccessfulappealtomycompassion——notverywillingly,foritmademelook(asIthought)likeaweakperson。Littlebylittle,sheextractedfrommetherest:howheobjectedtofindayoungman,especiallyinmysocialposition,talkingtoCristel;howheinsistedonmyrespectinghisclaims,andengagingnottoseeheragain;how,whenI

  refusedtodothis,hegavemehisconfessiontoread,sothatImightfindoutwhataformidablemanIwassettingatdefiance;howIhadnotbeenintheleastalarmed,andhadtreatedhim(asCristelhadjustheard)onthefootingofaperfectstranger。

  \"There’sthewholestory,\"Iconcluded。\"Likeasceneinaplay,isn’tit?\"

  SheprotestedoncemoreagainstthelighttonethatIpersistedinassuming。

  \"Itellyouagain,sir,thisisnolaughingmatter。Youhaverousedhisjealousy。Youhadbetterhaverousedthefuryofawildbeast。Knowingwhatyouknowofhim,whydidyoustayhere,whenhecamein?And,oh,whydidIhumiliatehiminyourpresence?Leaveus,Mr。Gerard——pray,prayleaveus,anddon’tcomenearthisplaceagaintillfatherhasgotridofhim。\"

  DidshethinkIwastobesoeasilyfrightenedasthat?Mysenseofmyownimportancewasupinarmsatthebaresuspicionofit!

  \"Mydearchild,\"Isaidgrandly,\"doyoureallysupposeIamafraidofthatpoorwretch?AmItogiveupthepleasureofseeingyou,becauseamadfellowissimpleenoughtothinkyouwillmarryhim?Absurd,Cristel——absurd!\"

  Thepoorgirlwrungherhandsindespair。

  \"Oh,sir,don’tdistressmebytalkinginthatway!Dopleaserememberwhoyouare,andwhoIam。IfIwasthemiserablemeansofyourcomingtoanyharm——Ican’tbeareventospeakofit!Praydon’tthinkmebold;I

  don’tknowhowtoexpressmyself。Yououghtnevertohavecomehere;yououghttogo;you_must_go!\"

  Drivenbystrongimpulse,sherantotheplaceinwhichIhadleftmyhat,andbroughtittome,andopenedthedoorwithalookofentreatywhichitwasimpossibletoresist。Itwouldhavebeenanactofdownrightcrueltytopersistinopposingher。\"Iwouldn’tdistressyou,Cristel,forthewholeworld,\"Isaid——andlefthertoconcludethatIhadfelttheinfluenceofherentreatiesintherightway。Shetriedtothankme;

  thetearsroseinhereyes——shesignedtometoleaveher,poorsoul,asifshefeltashamedofherself。Iwasshocked;Iwasgrieved;Iwasmorethaneversecretlyresolvedtogobacktoher。Whenwesaidgood-bye——I

  havebeentoldthatIdidwrong;Imeantnoharm——Ikissedher。

  Havingtraversedtheshortdistancebetweenthecottageandthewood,I

  rememberedthatIhadleftmywalking-stickbehindme,andreturnedtogetit。

  Cristelwasleavingthekitchen;IsawheratthedoorwhichcommunicatedwiththeLodger’ssideofthecottage。Herbackwasturnedtowardsme;

  astonishmentheldmesilent。Sheopenedthedoor,passedthroughit,andcloseditbehindher。

  Goingtothatman,aftershehadrepelledhisadvances,inmypresence!

  Goingtotheenemyagainstwhomshehadwarnedme,afterIhadfirstbeenpersuadedtoleaveher!Angrythoughtsthese——andsurelythoughtsunworthyofme?IfithadbeenthecaseofanothermanIshouldhavesaidhewasjealous。Jealousofthemiller’sdaughter——inmyposition?Absurd!

  contemptible!ButIwasstillinsuchaviletemperthatIdeterminedtoletCristelknowshehadbeendiscovered。Takingoneofmyvisitingcards,Iwroteonit:\"Icamebackformystick,andsawyougotohim。\"

  AfterIhadpinnedthisspitefullittlemessagetothedoor,sothatshemightseeitwhenshereturned,Isufferedadisappointment。IwasnothalfsowellsatisfiedwithmyselfasIhadanticipated。

  CHAPTERVII

  THEBESTSOCIETY

  Leavingthecottageforthesecondtime,Iwasmetatthedoorbyafatmanofsolemnappearancedressedinblack,whorespectfullytouchedhishat。Myangryhumoracknowledgedtheharmlessstranger’ssalutebyarudeinquiry:\"Whatthedevildoyouwant?\"Insteadofresentingthisuncivillanguage,heindirectlyreprovedmebybecomingmorerespectfulthanever。

  \"Mymistressdesiresmetotellyou,sir,thatluncheoniswaiting。\"I

  wasinthepresenceofathoroughbredEnglishservant——andIhadfailedtodiscoverituntilhespokeofhismistress!Ihadalso,bykeepingluncheonwaiting,treatedanEnglishinstitutionwithcontempt。And,worseeventhanthis,asamisfortunewhichpersonallyaffectedme,mystepmotherevidentlyknewthatIhadpaidanothervisittothemill。

  Ihurriedalongthewoodlandpath,followedbythefatdomesticinblack。

  Notusedapparentlytoforcehislegsintorapidmotion,hearticulatedwiththegreatestdifficultyinansweringmynextquestion:\"Howdidyouknowwheretofindme?\"

  \"Mrs。Roylakeorderedinquiriestobemade,sir。Theheadgardener——\"

  Therehissmallreservesofbreathfailedhim。

  \"Theheadgardenersawme?\"

  \"Yes,sir。\"

  \"When?\"

  \"Hoursago,sir——whenyouwentintoToller’scottage。\"

  Itroubledmyfatfriendwithnomorequestions。

  Returningtothehouse,andmakingpoliteapologies,IdiscoveredonemoreamongMrs。Roylake’smanyaccomplishments。Shepossessedtwosmiles——asugarysmile(withwhichIwasalreadyacquainted),andanacidsmilewhichsheapparentlyreservedforspecialoccasions。ItmadeitsappearancewhenIledhertotheluncheontable。

  \"Don’tletmedetainyou,\"mystepmotherbegan。

  \"Won’tyougivemesomeluncheon?\"Iinquired。

  \"Dearme!hav’n’tyoulunchedalready?\"

  \"WhereshouldIlunch,mydearlady?\"Ithoughtthiswouldinducethesugarysmiletoshowitself。Iwaswrong。

  \"Where?\"Mrs。Roylakerepeated。\"Withyourfriendsatthemillofcourse。

  Veryinhospitablenottoofferyoulunch。Whenarewetohaveflourcheaper?\"

  Ibegantogetsulky。AllIsaidwas:\"Idon’tknow。\"

  \"Curious!\"Mrs。Roylakeobserved。\"Younotonlydon’tgetluncheonamongyourfriends:youdon’tevengetinformation。Toknowamiller,andnottoknowthepriceofflour,isignorancepresentedinoneofitsmostpitiableaspects。AndhowisMissTollerlooking?Perfectlycharming?\"

  Iwasangrybythistime。\"Youhaveexactlydescribedher,\"Isaid。Mrs。

  Roylakebegantogetangry,onherside。

  \"Surelyalittlecoarseandvulgar?\"shesuggested,revertingtopoorCristel。

  \"Wouldyouliketojudgeforyourself?\"Iasked。\"Ishallbehappy,Mrs。

  Roylake,totakeyoutothemill。\"

  Mystepmother’sknowledgeoftheworldimpliedconsiderableacquaintance——howobtainedIdonotpretendtoknow——withthecharactersofmen。Discoveringthatshewasindangerofoversteppingthelimitsofmypatience,shedrewbackwithaskillwhichperformedtheretrogrademovementwithoutpermittingittobetrayitself。

  \"Wehavecarriedourlittlejoke,mydearGerard,farenough,\"shesaid。

  \"IfancyyourresidenceinGermanyhasratherbluntedyournativeEnglishsenseofhumor。Youdon’tsuppose,Ihopeandtrust,thatIamsoinsensibletoourrelativepositionsastothinkofinterferinginyourchoiceoffriendsorassociates。Ifyouarenotawareofitalready,letmeremindyouthatthishouseisnowyours;notmine。Ilivehere——gladlylivehere,mydearboy——byyourindulgence;fortified(Iamsure)byyourregardforyourexcellentfather’swishesasexpressedinhiswill——\"

  Istoppedherthere。ShehadgotthebetterofmewithadexteritywhichIseenow,butwhichIwasnotcleverenoughtoappreciateattime。Inaburstofgenerosity,IentreatedhertoconsiderTrimleyDeenasherhouse,andnevertomentionsuchashockingsubjectasmyauthorityagain。

  Afterthis,needIsaythatthemostamiableofwomentookmeoutinhercarriage,andintroducedmetosomeofthebestsocietyinEngland?

  IfIcouldonlyrememberallthenewfriendstowhomImademybow,aswellastheconversationinwhichweindulged,Imightwriteafewpageshere,interestinginahighdegreetopersonswithwell-balancedminds。

  Unhappily,sofarasmyownimpressionswereconcerned,thebestsocietyprovedtobealwaysthesamesociety。Everyhousethatweenteredwasinthesamebeautifulorder;everymistressofthehousewasdressedinthebesttaste;everymasterofthehousehadthesamesensibleremarkstomakeonconservativeprospectsatthecomingelection;everyyounggentlemanwantedtoknowhowmygamepreserveshadbeenlookedafterinmyabsence;everyyoungladysaid:\"Howniceitmusthavebeen,Mr。

  Roylake,tofindyourselfagainatTrimleyDeen。\"HasanybodyeversufferedasIsuffered,duringthatroundofvisits,underthedesiretoyawnandtheefforttosuppressit?Isthereanysympatheticsoulwhocanunderstandme,whenIsaythatIwouldhavegivenahundredpoundsforagag,andfortheprivilegeofusingittostopmystepmother’spleasantchatinthecarriage,followingonourfriends’pleasantchatinthedrawing-room?Finally,whenwegothome,andwhenMrs。Roylakekindlypromisedmeanotherroundofvisits,andmorecharmingpeopleintheneighborhoodtosee,willanygoodChristianforgiveme,ifIownthatI

  tookadvantageofbeingalonetodamntheneighborhood,andtofeelrelievedbyit?

  NowthatIwasnolongerobligedtolistentopolitestrangers,mythoughtsrevertedtoCristel,andtothesuspicionsthatshehadrousedinme。

  Recoveringitsinfluence,intheintervalthathadpassed,mybetternaturesharplyreproachedme。IhadpresumedtoblameCristel,withnothingtojustifymebutmyownpervertedviewofhermotives。HowdidI

  knowthatshehadnotopenedthatdoor,andgonetothatsideofthecottage,withaperfectlyharmlessobjectinview?Iwasreallyanxious,ifIcouldfindtherightwaytodoit,tomakeamendsforanactofinjusticeofwhichIfeltashamed。IfIamaskedwhyIwasaseagertosetmyselfrightwithamiller’sdaughter,asifshehadbeenayoungladyinthehigherranksoflife,Icanonlyreplythatnosuchviewofourrelativepositionsasthiseveroccurredtome。Astrangestateofmind,nodoubt。Whatwastherightexplanationofit?

  Therightexplanationpresenteditselfatalatertime,whentroubleshadquickenedmyintellect,andwhenIcouldestimatethepowerfulinfluenceofcircumstancesatitstruevalue。

  IhadreturnedtoEngland,tofillaprominentplaceinmyownlittleworld,withoutrelationswhomIloved,withoutfriendswhosesocietyI

  couldenjoy。Hopeful,ardent,eagerfortheenjoymentoflife,IhadbroughtwithmetomyowncountrythesocialhabitsandthefreerangeofthoughtofaforeignUniversity;and,asamatterofcourse,Ifailedtofeelanysympathywiththesociety——newtome——inwhichmylothadbeencast。Besetbythesedisadvantages,Ihadmetwithagirl,possessedofremarkablepersonalattractions,andassociatedwithmyearliestremembrancesofmyownhappylifeandofmymother’skindness——agirl,atoncesimpleandspirited;unspoiltbytheworldandtheworld’sways,andplacedinapositionofperilduetothepowerofherownbeauty,whichaddedtotheinterestthatshenaturallyinspired。Estimatingthesecircumstancesattheirtruevalue,didastateofmindwhichrenderedmeinsensibletothedistinctionsthatseparatetheclassesinEngland,standinanyneedofexplanation?AsIthought——andthinkstill——itexplaineditself。

  MystepmotherandIpartedonthegardenterrace,whichranalongthepleasantsouthernsideofthehouse。

  ThehabitsthatIhadcontracted,amongmystudentfriendsinGermany,madetobaccoandbeernecessaryaccompanimentstotheprocessofthinking。Ihadnearlyexhaustedmycigar,myjug,andmythoughts,whenIsawtwomenapproachingmefromtheendoftheterrace。

  Astheycamenearer,Irecognizedinoneofthemenmyfatdomesticinblack。Hestoppedthepersonwhowasaccompanyinghimandcameontomebyhimself。

  \"Willyouseethatman,sir,waitingbehindme?\"

  \"Whoishe?\"

  \"Idon’tknow,sir。Hesayshehasgotalettertogiveyou,andhemustputitinyourownhands。Ithinkmyselfhe’sabeggar。He’sexcessivelyinsolent——heinsistsonseeingyou。ShallItellhimtogo?\"

  TheservantevidentlyexpectedmetosayYes。Hewasdisappointed;mycuriositywasroused;IsaidIwouldseetheinsolentstranger。

  Asheapproachedme,themancertainlydidnotlooklikeabeggar。Poorhemightbe,judgingbyhisdress。Theupperpartofhimwasclothedinanoldshootingjacketofvelveteen;hislegspresentedapairoftrousers,onceblack,nowturningbrownwithage。Bothgarmentsweretoolongforhim,andbothwerekeptscrupulouslyclean。Hewasashortman,thicklyandstronglymade。Impenetrablecomposureappearedonhisuglyface。Hiseyesweresunkdeepinhishead;hisnosehadevidentlybeenbrokenandnotsuccessfullymended;hisgreyhair,whenhetookoffhishatonaddressingme,wascutshort,andshowedhislowforeheadandhisbullneck。AnEnglishmanofthelastgenerationwould,asIhavesincebeeninformed,havesethimdownasaretiredprize-fighter。Thankstomyignoranceofthepugilisticgloriesofmynativecountry,Iwastotallyatalosswhattomakeofhim。

  \"HaveIthehonorofspeakingtoMr。Roylake?\"heasked。Hisquietsteadymannerprepossessedmeinhisfavour;itshowednoservilereverencefortheaccidentofbirth,ontheonehand,andnoinsolentassertionofindependence,ontheother。WhenIhadtoldhimthatmynamewasRoylake,hesearchedoneofthelargepocketsofhisshootingjacket,producedaletter,andsilentlyofferedittome。

  BeforeItooktheletter——seeingthathewasastranger,andthathementionednonameknowntome——Ithoughtitdesirabletomakesomeinquiry。

  \"Isitaletterofyourownwriting?\"Iasked。

  \"No,sir。\"

  \"Whosendsyouwithit?\"

  Hewasapparentlyamanoffewwords。\"Mymaster,\"wastheguardedanswerthatthisoddservantreturned。

  IbecameasinquisitiveasoldTollerhimself。

  \"Whoisyourmaster?\"Iwenton。

  Thereplystaggeredme。Speakingasquietlyandrespectfullyasever,hesaid:\"Ican’ttellyou,sir。\"

  \"Doyoumeanthatyouareforbiddentotellme?\"

  \"No,sir。\"

  \"Thenwhatdoyoumean?\"

  \"ImeanthatIdon’tknowmymaster’sname。\"

  Iinstantlytooktheletterfromhim,andlookedattheaddress。Foronceinaway,IhadjumpedataconclusionandIhadprovedtoberight。Thehandwritingontheletter,andthehandwritingoftheconfessionwhichI

  hadreadovernight,wereoneandthesame。

  \"Areyoutowaitforananswer?\"Iasked,asIopenedtheenvelope。

  \"Iamtowait,sir,ifyoutellmetodoso。\"

  Theletterwasalongone。Afterrunningmyeyeoverthefirstsentences,Isurprisedmyselfbyactingdiscreetly。\"Youneedn’twait,\"Isaid;\"I

  willsendareply。\"Themanoffewwordsraisedhisshabbyhat,turnedaboutinsilence,andleftme。

  CHAPTERVIII

  THEDEAFLODGER

  Theletterwassuperscribed:\"PrivateandConfidential。\"Itwaswritteninthesewords:

  \"Sir,——YouwilldomegrievouswrongifyousupposethatIamtryingtoforcemyselfonyouracquaintance。Myobjectinwritingistopreventyou(ifIcan)frommisinterpretingmylanguageandmyconduct,ontheonlytwooccasionswhenwehappentohavemet。

  \"Iamconsciousthatyoumusthavethoughtmerudeandungrateful——perhapsevenalittlemad——whenIreturnedyourkindnesslastnight,inhonoringmewithavisit,byusinglanguagewhichhasjustifiedyouintreatingmeasastranger。

  \"Fortunatelyformyself,Igaveyoumyautobiographytoread。Afterwhatyounowknowofme,Imayhopethatyoursenseofjusticewillmakesomeallowanceforaman,tried(Ihadalmostwritten,cursed)bysuchsufferingasmine。

  \"Thereareotherdeafpersons,asIhaveheard,whosetmeagoodexample。

  \"Theyfeeltheconsolationsofreligion。Theirsweettempersfindreliefevenunderthelossofthemostpreciousofallthesenses。Theymixwithsociety;submittingtotheirdreadfulisolation,andpreservingunimpairedsympathywiththeirhappierfellow-creatureswhocanhear。I

  amnotoneofthosepersons。WithsorrowIsayit——Ineverhavesubmitted,Inevercansubmit,tomyhardfate。

  \"Letmenotomittoaskyourindulgenceformybehavior,whenwemetatthecottagethismorning。

  \"WhatunfavorableimpressionImayhaveproducedonyou,Idarenotinquire。SolittlecapableamIofconcealingthevilefeelingswhichsometimesgetthebetterofme,thatMissCristel(observethatImentionherwithrespect)appearstohavefeltpositivealarm,onyouraccount,whenshelookedatme。

  \"Imaytellyou,inconfidence,thatthischarmingpersoncametomysideofthecottage,assoonasyouhadtakenyourdeparture,tointercedewithmeinyourfavour。’IfyourwickedmindisplanningtodoeviltoMr。Roylake,’shewroteinmybook,’eitheryouwillpromisemetogiveitup,orIwillneverallowyoutoseemeagain;Iwillevenleavehomesecretly,tobeoutofyourway。’Inthatstronglanguagesheexpressed——howshallIrefertoit?——shallIsaythesisterlyinterestthatshefeltinyourwelfare?\"

  Ilaiddowntheletterforamoment。IfIhadnotalreadyreproachedmyselfforhavingmisjudgedCristel——andifIhadnot,inthatway,donehersomelittlejusticeinmyownbetterthoughts——Ishouldneverhaverecoveredmyself-respectafterreadingthedeafman’sletter。Thegoodgirl!Thedeargoodgirl!Yes:thatwashowIthoughtofher,underthewindowsofmystepmother’sboudoir——whileMrs。Roylake,forallIknewtothecontrary,mightbelookingdownatme,andwhenLadyLena,thenobleandbeautiful,wascomingtodinner!

  Theletterconcludedasfollows:

  \"Toreturntomyself。IgaveMissCristelthepromiseonwhichshehadinsisted;andthen,naturallyenough,Iinquiredintohermotiveforinterferinginyourfavour。

  \"Shefranklyadmittedthatshewasinterestedinyou。First:ingratefulremembranceofoldtimes,whenyouandyourmotherhadbeenalwaysgoodtoher。Secondly:becauseshehadfoundyouaskindandasfriendlyasever,nowthatyouwereamanandhadbecomethegreatestlandownerinthecounty。TherewastheexplanationIhadaskedfor,atmyservice。

  And,onthat,sheleftme。

  \"DidIbelieveherwhenIwasmeditatingonourinterview,aloneinmyroom?OrdidIsuspectyouofhavingrobbedmeoftheonlyconsolationthatmakesmylifeendurable?

  \"Nosuchunworthysuspicionasthiswasadmittedtomymind。Withallmyheart,Ibelieveher。Andwithperfectsincerity,ItrustYou。

  \"Ifyourknowledgeofmehasfailedtoconvinceyouthatthereisanysuchthingasabettersidetomynature,youwillnodoubtconcludethatthisletterisatrickofminetothrowyouoffyourguard;andyouwillcontinuetodistrustmeasobstinatelyasever。Inthatcase,Iwillmerelyremindyouthatmyletterisprivateandconfidential,andIwillnotaskyoutosendmeareply。

  \"Iremain,Sir,yoursasyoumayreceiveme,\"THEDEAFLODGER

  Iwonderwhatanotherman,inmyposition,wouldhavedonewhenhehadreadthisletter?Wouldhehaveseeninitnothingtojustifysomerespectandsomekindlyfeelingtowardsthewriter?Couldhehavereconciledittohisconsciencetoleavetheafflictedmanwhohadtrustedhimwithoutawordofreply?

  Formypart(donotforgetwhatayoungmanIwasinthosedays),Imadeupmymindtoreplyinthefriendliestmanner——thatistosay,inperson。

  Afterconsultingmywatch,IsatisfiedmyselfthatIcouldgotothemill,andgetbackagain,beforethehourfixedforourlatedinner——supperweshouldhavecalleditinGermany。Forthesecondtimethatday,andwithoutanyhesitation,ItooktheroadthatledtoFordwitchWood。

  Crossingtheglade,Iencounteredastoutyoungwoman,fillingacanwithwaterfromthespring。Shecurtseyedonseeingme。Iaskedifshebelongedtothevillage。

  ThereplyinformedmethatIhadtakenanotherofmyservantsforastranger。Thestoutnymphofthespringwasmykitchen-maid;andshewasfetchingthewaterwhichwedrankatthehouse;\"andthere’snowater,sir,like_yours_forallthecountryround。\"Furnishedwiththesestoresofinformation,Iwentmyway,andthekitchen-maidwenthers。Shespoke,ofcourse,ofhavingseenhernewmaster,onreturningtotheservants’

  hall。Inthismanner,asIafterwardsheard,thediscoveryofmeatthespring,andmydeparturebythepaththatledtothemill,reachedMrs。

  Roylake’sears——themediumofinformationbeingthelady’sownmaid。Sofar,FordwitchWoodseemedtobeaplacetoavoid,intheinterestsofmydomestictranquillity。

  Arrivingatthecottage,IfoundtheLodgerstandingbytheopenwindowatwhichIhadfirstseenhim。

  Butonthisoccasion,hispersonalappearancehadundergoneasingularprocessoftransformation。Thelowerpartofhisface,fromhisnostrilstohischin,washiddenbyawhitehandkerchieftiedroundit。Hehadremovedthestopperfromastrangelyshapedbottle,andwasabsorbedinwatchingsomeinterestingconditioninaduskyliquidthatitcontained。

  Toattracthisattentionbyspeakingwasofcourseoutofthequestion;I

  couldonlywaituntilhehappenedtolookmyway。

  Mypatiencewasnotseverelytried:hesoonreplacedthestopperinthebottle,and,lookingupfromit,sawme。Withhisfreehand,hequicklyremovedthehandkerchief,andspoke。

  \"Letmeaskyoutowaitintheboat-house,\"hesaid;\"Iwillcometoyoudirectly。\"Hepointedroundthecornerofthenewcottage;indicatingofcoursethesideofitthatwasfarthestfromtheoldbuilding。

  Followinghisdirections,Ifirstpassedthedoorthatheusedinleavingorreturningtohisroom,andthengainedthebankoftheriver。Onmyrighthandrosethemillbuilding,withitsbigwaterwheel——and,aboveit,alittlehigherupthestream,Irecognizedtheboat-house;builtoutinthewateronpiles,andapproachedbyawoodenpier。

  Nostructureofthiselaborateandexpensivesortwouldhavebeensetupbymyfather,forthemiller’sconvenience。Theboat-househadbeenbuilt,manyyearssince,byarichretiredtradesmanwithamaniaforaquaticpursuits。Ouruglyriverhadnotansweredhisexpectations,andourneighborhoodhadabstainedfromreturninghisvisits。Whenheleftus,withhiswherriesandcanoesandoutriggers,themillertookpossessionoftheabandonedboat-house。\"It’sthesortoffixturethatdon’tpaynohow,\"oldTollerremarked。\"Supposeyouremoveit——there’sawasteofmoney。Supposeyouknockittopieces——isitwortharichgentleman’swhiletosellacartloadoffirewood?\"Neitherofthesealternativeshavingbeenadopted,andnobodywantinganemptyboat-house,theclumsymillboat,hithertotiedtoastake,andexposedtotheworstthattheweathercoulddotoinjureit,wasnowsnuglyshelteredunderaroof,withemptylockers(onceoccupiedbyaquaticluxuries)gapingoneithersideofit。

  Iwaslookingoutontheriver,andthinkingofallthathadhappenedsincemyfirstmeetingwithCristelbymoonlight,whenthevoiceofthedeafmanmadeitselfdiscordantlyheard,behindme。

  \"Letmeapologizeforreceivingyouhere,\"hesaid;\"andletmetroubleyouwithonemoreofmyconfessions。Likeotherunfortunatedeafpeople,Isufferfromnervousirritability。Sometimes,werestlesslychangeourplacesofabode。Andsometimes,asinmycase,wetakerefugeinvarietyofoccupation。YouremembertheidealnarrativesofcrimewhichIwassofondofwritingatonetime?\"

  Igavetheaffirmativeanswer,intheusualway。

  \"Well,\"hewenton,\"myliteraryinventionshaveceasedtointerestme。I

  havelatterlyresumedthechemicalstudies,associatedwiththathappytimeinmylifewhenIwasenteringonthemedicalprofession。Unluckilyforyou,Ihavebeentryinganexperimentto-day,whichmakessuchanabominablesmellinmyroomthatIdarenotaskyoutoenterit。Thefumesarenotonlydisagreeable,butinsomedegreedangerous。Yousawmeatthewindow,perhaps,withmynoseandmouthprotectedbeforeIopenedthebottle?\"

  Irepeatedtheaffirmativesign。Heproducedhislittlebookofblankleaves,andopeneditreadyforuse。

  \"MayIhope,\"hesaid,\"thatyourvisitisintendedasafavorablereplytomyletter?\"

  Itookthepencil,andansweredhimintheseterms:

  \"YourletterhassatisfiedmethatIwasmistakenintreatingyoulikeastranger。Ihavecomeheretoexpressmyregretathavingfailedtodoyoujustice。PraybeassuredthatIbelieveinyourbetternature,andthatIacceptyourletterinthespiritinwhichyouhavewrittenit。\"

  Hereadmyreply,andsuddenlylookedatme。

  NeverhadIseenhisbeautifuleyessobrightlysoft,soirresistiblytender,astheyappearednow。Heheldouthishandtome。Itisoneofmysmallmeritstobe(inthepopularphrase)asgoodasmyword。Itookhishand;wellknowingthattheactioncommittedmetoacceptinghisfriendship。

  Inrelatingtheeventswhichformthisnarrative,Ilookbackatthechain,asIaddtoitlinkbylink——sometimeswithsurprise,sometimeswithinterest,andsometimeswiththediscoverythatIhaveomittedacircumstancewhichitisnecessarytoreplace。ButIsearchmymemoryinvain,whileIdwellonthelinesthatIhavejustwritten,forarecollectionofsomeattendanteventwhichmighthavewarnedmeoftheperiltowardswhichIwasadvancingblindfold。Myremembrancepresentsusasstandingtogetherwithclaspedhands;butnothingintheslightestdegreeominousisassociatedwiththepicture。Therewasnosinisterchillcommunicatedfromhishandtomine;noshockingaccidenthappenedclosebyusintheriver;notevenapassingcloudobscuredthesunlight,shininginitsgayestgloryoverourheads。

  Afterhavingshakenhands,neitherhenorIhadapparentlyanythingmoretosay。Alittleembarrassed,Iturnedtotheboat-housewindow,andlookedout。Triflingastheactionwas,mycompanionnoticedit。

  \"Doyoulikethatmuddyriver?\"heasked。

  Itookthepencilagain:\"OldassociationsmakeeventheuglyLokeinterestingtome。\"

  Hesighedashereadthosewords。\"Iwish,Mr。Roylake,Icouldsaythesame。Yourinterestingriverfrightensme。\"

  Itwasneedlesstoaskforthepencilagain。Mypuzzledfacebeggedforanexplanation。

  \"Whenyouwereinmyroom,\"hesaid,\"youmayhavenoticedasecondwindowwhichlooksoutonTheLoke。Ihavegotintoabadhabitofsittingbythatwindowonmoonlightnights。Iwatchtheflowofthestream,anditseemstoassociateitselfwiththeflowofmythoughts。

  Nothingremarkable,sofar——whileIamawake。But,later,whenIgettosleep,dreamscometome。Allofthem,sir,withoutexceptionconnectCristelwiththeriver。Lookatthestealthycurrentthatmakesnosound。

  Inmylastnight’ssleep,itmadeitselfheard;itwasflowinginmyearswithawater-musicofitsown。Nolongermydeafears;Iheard,inmydream,aswellasyoucanhear。Yes;thesamewater-music,singingoverandoveragainthesamehorridsong:\"Fool,fool,noCristelforyou;bidhergood-bye,bidhergood-bye。\"Isawherfloatingawayfrommeonthosehideouswaters。ThecruelcurrentheldmebackwhenItriedtofollowher。Istruggledandscreamedandshiveredandcried。Iwokeupwithastartthatshookmetopieces,andcursedyourinterestingriver。Don’twritetomeaboutitagain。Don’tlookatitagain。Whydidyoubringupthesubject?Ibegyourpardon;Ihadnorighttosaythat。Letmebepolite;letmebehospitable。Ibegtoinviteyoutocomeandseeme,whenmyroomispurifiedfromitspestilentsmell。Icanonlyofferyouacupoftea。Oh,thatriver,thatriver,whatdevilsetmetalkingaboutit?I’mnotmad,Mr。Roylake;onlywretched。WhenmayIexpectyou?

  Chooseyourowneveningnextweek。\"

  Whocouldhelppityinghim?Comparedwithmysoundsweetdreamlesssleep,whatdreadfulnightswerehis!

  Iacceptedhisinvitationasamatterofcourse。Whenwehadcompletedourarrangements,itwastimeformetothinkofreturningtoTrimleyDeen。Movingtowardsthedoor,Iaccidentallydirectedhisattentiontothepierbywhichtheboat-housewasapproached。

  HisfaceinstantlyremindedmeofCristel’sdescriptionofhim,whenhewasstronglyandevillymoved。Itoosaw\"hisbeautifulevestelltales,andhisprettycomplexionchangetoacolorwhichturnedhimintoanuglyman。\"Heseizedmyarm,andpointedtothepier,attheendofitwhichjoinedtheriver-bank。\"Prayacceptmyexcuses;Ican’tanswerformytemperifthatwretchcomesnearme。\"Withthisapologyhehurriedaway;

  andslyGilesToller,havingpatientlywaiteduntilthecoastwasclear,accostedmewithhisbestbow,andsaid:\"Beautifulweather,isn’tit,sir?\"

  Ihadnoremarkstomakeontheweather;butIwasinterestedindiscoveringwhathadhappenedatthecottage。

  \"Youhavemortallyoffendedthegentlemanwhohasjustleftme,\"Isaid。

  \"Whathaveyoudone?\"

  Mr。Tollerhadpurposesofhisowntoserve,andkeptthosepurposes(asusual)exclusivelyinview:_he_presenteddeafearstomenow!

  \"Idon’tthinkIeverremembersuchwonderfulweather,sir,inmytime;

  andI’manoldfellow,asIneedn’ttellyou。Beingatthemilljustnow,Isawyouintheboat-house,andcametopaymyrespects。Wouldyoubesogoodastolookatthisslipofpaper,Mr。Gerard?Ifyouwillkindlyaskwhatitis,youwillinamannerhelpme。\"

  Iknewbuttoowellwhatitwas。\"Therepairsagain!\"Isaidresignedly。

  \"Handitover,youobstinateoldman。\"

  Mr。Tollerwassotickledbymydiscovery,andbythecheeringprospectconsequentonseeinghislistofrepairssafeinmypocket,thathelaugheduntilIreallythoughthewouldshakehisleanlittlebodytopieces。Bywayofbringinghismerrimenttoanend,Iassumedalookofseverity,andinsistedonknowinghowhehadoffendedtheLodger。Myvenerabletenant,tremblingforhisrepairs,driftedintoaquestionofpersonalexperience,andseemedtoanticipatethatitmightimprovemytemper。

  \"Whenyouhaveawomanaboutthehouse,Mr。Gerard,youmayhavenoticedthatshe’saneverlastingexpensetoyou——especiallywhenshe’sayoungone。Isn’tthatso?\"

  Iinquiredifheappliedthisremarktohisdaughter。

  \"That’sit,sir;I’mtalkingofCristy。Whenherback’sup,thereisn’therequalinEnglandforstronglanguage。Mygentlemanhasmisbehavedhimselfinsomeway(sinceyouwerewithusthismorning,sir);how,I

  don’tquiteunderstand。AllIcantellyouis,I’vegivenhimnoticetoquit。Aclearlossofmoneytomeeveryweek,andCristy’sresponsibleforit。Yes,sir!I’vebeenworkeduptoitbymygirl。IfCristy’smotherhadaskedmetogetridofapayinglodger,Ishouldhavetoldhertogoto————wewon’tsaywhere,sir;you’llknowwherewhenyou’remarriedyourself。TheupshotofitisthatIhaveoffendedmygentleman,forthesakeofmygirl:whichlastisaluxuryIcan’tafford,unlessI

  lettheroomsagain。Ifyouhearofatenant,saywhatagoodlandlordI

  am,andwhatsweetprettyroomsI’vegottolet。\"

  Iledthewaytothebankoftheriver,beforeMr。Tollercouldmakeanymorerequests。

  Wepassedthesideoftheoldcottage。Thedoorwasopen;andIsawCristelemployedinthekitchen。

  MywatchtoldmethatIhadstilltwoorthreeminutestospare;andmyguiltyremembranceofthemessagethatIhadpinnedtothedoorsuggestedanimmediateexpressionofregret。IapproachedCristelwithapetitionforpardononmylips。Shelookeddistrustfullyatthedoorofcommunicationwiththenewcottage,asifsheexpectedtoseeitopenedfromtheotherside。

  \"Notnow!\"shesaid——andwentonsadlywithherhouseholdwork。

  \"MayIseeyouto-morrow?\"Iasked。

  \"Ithadbetternotbehere,sir,\"wastheonlyreplyshemade。

  Iofferedtomeetheratanyotherplacewhichshemightappoint。Cristelpersistedinleavingittome;shespokeabsently,asifshewasthinkingallthetimeofsomethingelse。Icouldproposenobetterplace,atthemoment,thanthespringinFordwitchWood。Sheconsentedtomeetmethere,onthenextday,ifseveno’clockinthemorningwouldnotbetooearlyforme。MyGermanhabitshadaccustomedmetoearlyrising。Sheheardmetellherthis——andlookedagainattheLodger’sdoor——andabruptlywishedmegoodevening。

  Herpolitefatherwasshockedatthisunceremoniousmethodofdismissingthegreatman,whohadonlytosaythewordandstoptherepairs。\"Whereareyourmanners,Cristy?\"heaskedindignantly。Beforehecouldsayanotherword,Iwasoutofthecottage。

  AsIpassedthespringonmywayhome,Ithoughtofmytwoappointments。

  Onthatevening,mymeetingwiththedaughterofthelord。Onthenextmorning,mymeetingwiththedaughterofthemiller。LadyLenaatdinner;

  Cristelbeforebreakfast。IfMrs。Roylakefoundout_that_socialcontrast,whatwouldshesay?Iwasamerryyoungfool;Iburstoutlaughing。

  CHAPTERIX

  MRSROYLAKE’SGAME:FIRSTMOVE

  ThedinneratTrimleyDeenhasleftinmymemorylittlethatIcandistinctlyrecall。Onlyafaintly-markedvisionofLadyLenarewardsmefordoingmybesttorememberher。Atallslimgracefulperson,dressedinwhitewithasimplicitywhichistheperfectionofart,presentstomyadmirationgentleblueeyes,apalecomplexiondelicatelytouchedwithcolor,awell-carriedheadcrownedbylovelylightbrownhair。Sofar,timehelpstherevivingpasttocometolifeagain——andpermitsnothingmore。IcannotsaythatInowrememberthevoiceoncesomusicalinmyears,orthatIamabletorepeattheeasyunaffectedtalkwhichonceinterestedme,orthatIseeagain(inmythoughts)theperfectcharmofmannerwhichdelightedeverybody,notforgettingmyself。Myunworthyself,Imightsay;forIwastheonlyyoungman,honoredbyanintroductiontoLadyLena,whostoppedatadmiration,andnevermadeuseofopportunitytoapproachlove。

  Ontheotherhand,IdistinctlyrecollectwhatmystepmotherandIsaidtoeachotherwhenourguestshadwishedusgood-night。

  IfIamaskedtoaccountforthis,IcanonlyreplythattheconspiracytoleadmeintoproposingmarriagetoLadyLenafirstshoweditselfontheoccasiontowhichIhavereferred。Inhereagernesstoreachherends,Mrs。Roylakefailedtohandlethefineweaponsofdeceptionascleverlyasusual。EvenI,withmysmallexperienceofworldlywomen,discoveredtheobjectthatshehadinview。

  Ihadretiredtotheseclusionofthesmoking-room,andwasalreadyencircledbythecloudswhichfloatontheheavenoftobacco,whenI

  heardarustlingofsilkoutside,andsawthesmileofMrs。Roylakebeginningtocaptivatemethroughtheopendoor。

  \"Ifyouthrowawayyourcigar,\"criedthisamiableperson,\"youwilldrivemeoutoftheroom。DearGerard,Ilikeyoursmoke。\"

  Myfatmaninblack,cominginatthemomenttobringmesomesodawater,lookedathismistresswithanexpressionofamazementandhorror,whichtoldmethathenowsawMrs。Roylakeinthesmoking-roomforthefirsttime。Iinvolvedmyselfinnewclouds。IfIsuffocatedmystepmother,herownpoliteequivocationwouldjustifytheact。Shesettledherselfoppositetomeinanarmchair。Theagoniesthatshemusthavesuffered,inpreventingherfacefromexpressingemotionsofdisgust,Idarenotattempttoimagine,evenatthisdistanceoftime。

  \"Now,Gerard,letustalkaboutthetwoladies。Whatdoyouthinkofmyfriend,LadyRachel?\"

  \"Idon’tlikeyourfriend,LadyRachel。\"

  \"Youastonishme。Why?\"

  \"Ithinkshe’safalsewoman。\"

  \"Heavens,whatathingtosayofalady——andthatladymyfriend!Herpoliticsmayveryreasonablyhavesurprisedyou。Butsurelyhervigorousintellectoughttohavechallengedyouradmiration;youcan’tdenythat?\"

  Iwasnotcleverenoughtobeabletodenyit。ButIwasboldenoughtosaythatLadyRachelseemedtometobeawomanwhotalkedforthesakeofproducingeffect。Sheexpressedopinions,asIventuredtodeclare,which(inherposition)Ididnotbelieveshecouldhonestlyentertain。

  Mrs。Roylakeenteredavigorousprotest。SheassuredmethatIwascompletelymistaken。\"LadyRachel,\"shesaid,\"isthemostperfectlycandidpersoninthewholecircleofmyacquaintance。\"

  Withthebestintentionsonmypart,thiswasmorethanIcouldpatientlyendure。

  \"Isn’tshethedaughterofanobleman?\"Iasked。\"Doesn’tsheoweherrankandhersplendor,andtherespectthatpeopleshowtoher,tothefortunatecircumstanceofherbirth?Andyetshetalksasifshewasaredrepublican。YouyourselfheardhersaythatshewasathoroughRadical,andhopedshemightlivetoseetheHouseofLordsabolished。

  Oh,Iheardher!Andwhatismore,Ilistenedsoattentivelytosuchsentimentsasthese,fromaladywithatitle,thatIcanrepeat,wordforword,whatshesaidnext。\"Wehav’n’tdeservedourowntitles;wehav’n’tearnedourownincomes;andwelegislateforthecountry,withouthavingbeentrustedbythecountry。Inshort,weareasetofimpostors,andthetimeiscomingwhenweshallbefoundout。\"Doyoubelieveshereallymeantthat?Allasfalseasfalsecanbe——that’swhatIsayofit。\"

  ThereIstopped,privatelyadmiringmyowneloquence。

  Quiteamistakeonmypart;myeloquencehaddonejustwhatMrs。Roylakewishedmetodo。ShewantedanopportunityofdroppingLadyRachel,andtakingupLadyLena,withaproduciblereasonwhichforbadetheimputationofapersonalmotiveonherpart。Ihadfurnishedherwiththereason。Thusfar,Icannotdenyit,mystepmotherwasequaltoherself。

  \"Really,Gerard,youaresoviolentinyouropinionsthatIamsorryI

  spokeofLadyRachel。ShallIfindyouequallyprejudiced,andequallysevere,ifIchangethesubjecttodearLadyLena?Oh,don’tsayyouthinkSheisfalse,too!\"

  HereMrs。Roylakemadeherfirstmistake。Sheover-actedherpart;and,whenitwastoolate,shearrived,Isuspect,atthatconclusionherself。

  \"Ifyouhav’n’tseenthatIsincerelyadmireLadyLena,\"Isaid,assmartlyasIcould,\"thesooneryoudisfigureyourselfwithapairofspectacles,mydearlady,thebetter。Sheisverypretty,perfectlyunaffected,and,ifImaypresumetojudge,delightfullywell-bredandwell-dressed。\"

  Mystepmother’sfaceactuallybrightenedwithpleasure。Reflectingonitnow,Iamstronglydisposedtothinkthatshehadnotallowedherfeelingstoexpressthemselvessounreservedly,sincethetimewhenshewasagirl。Afterall,Mrs。Roylakewaspayingherstep-sonacomplimentintryingtoentraphimintoasplendidmarriage。Itwasmydutytothinkkindlyofmyambitiousrelative。Ididmyduty。

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