第21章

exclaimedtheniecewithsuppressedexcitement。\'Hewouldscarcelysayanythingbutyesandno，andgavemenochanceatallofintroducingthesubject。Iwantedtoexplain——Icameallthewayonpurpose——IwouldhavebeggedGeorge\'spardononmytwokneesiftherehadbeenanywayofbeginning；buttherewasnot，andIcouldnotdoit!\'

Thoughshesleptbadlythatnight，Paulapromptlyappearedinthepublicroomtobreakfast，andthatnotfrommotivesofvanity；for，whilenotunconsciousofheraccessiontotheunstablethroneofqueen-beautyintheestablishment，sheseemedtoopreoccupiedtocareforthehonourjustthen，andwouldreadilyhavechangedplaceswithherunhappypredecessor，wholingeredoninthebackgroundlikeacandleaftersunrise。

Mrs。GoodmanwasdeterminedtotrustnolongertoPaulaforputtinganendtowhatmadehersorestlessandself-

reproachful。SeeingoldMr。Somersetentertoalittleside-

tablebehindforlackofroomatthecrowdedcentretables，againwithouthisson，sheturnedherheadandaskedpoint-

blankwheretheyoungmanwas。

Mr。Somerset\'sfacebecameashadegraverthanbefore。\'Mysonisunwell，\'hereplied；\'sounwellthathehasbeenadvisedtostayindoorsandtakeperfectrest。\'

\'Idohopeitisnothingserious。\'

\'Ihopesotoo。Thefactis，hehasoverdonehimselfalittle。Hewasnotwellwhenhecamehere；andtomakehimselfworsehemustneedsgodancingattheCasinowiththisladyandthat——amongotherswithayoungAmericanladywhoisherewithherfamily，andwhomhemetinLondonlastyear。I

advisedhimagainstit，butheseemeddesperatelydeterminedtoshakeofflethargybyanyrashmeans，andwouldn\'tlistentome。Luckilyheisnotinthehotel，butinaquietcottageahundredyardsupthehill。\'

Paula，whohadheardall，didnotshoworsaywhatshefeltatthenews:butafterbreakfast，onmeetingthelandladyinapassagealone，sheaskedwithsomeanxietyiftherewereareallyskilfulmedicalmaninEtretat；andonbeingtoldthattherewas，andhisname，shewentbacktolookforMr。

Somerset；buthehadgone。

TheyheardnothingmoreofyoungSomersetallthatmorning，buttowardsevening，whilePaulasatatherwindow，lookingovertheheadsoffuchsiasuponthepromenadebeyond，shesawthepainterwalkby。SheimmediatelywenttoherauntandbeggedhertogooutandaskMr。Somersetifhissonhadimproved。

\'IwillsendMillyorClementine，\'saidMrs。Goodman。

\'Iwishyouwouldseehimyourself。\'

\'Hehasgoneon。Ishallneverfindhim。\'

\'Hehasonlygoneroundtothefront，\'persistedPaula。\'Dowalkthatway，auntie，andaskhim。\'

Thuspressed，Mrs。Goodmanacquiesced，andbroughtbackintelligencetoMissPower，whohadwatchedthemthroughthewindow，thathissondidnotpositivelyimprove，butthathisAmericanfriendswereverykindtohim。

Havingmadeuseofheraunt，Paulaseemedparticularlyanxioustogetridofheragain，andwhenthatladysatdowntowriteletters，Paulawenttoherownroom，hastilydressedherselfwithoutassistance，askedprivatelythewaytothecottage，andwentoffthitherwardunobserved。

Attheupperendofthelaneshesawalittlehouseansweringtothedescription，whosefrontgarden，window-sills，palings，anddoorstepwereliterallyablazewithnasturtiumsinbloom。

Sheenteredthisinhabitednosegay，quietlyaskedfortheinvalid，andifhewerewellenoughtoseeMissPower。Thewomanofthehousesoonreturned，andshewasconductedupacrookedstaircasetoSomerset\'smodestapartments。Itappearedthatsomeroomsinthisdwellinghadbeenfurnishedbythelandladyoftheinn，whohiredthemofthetenantduringthesummerseasontouseasanannexetothehotel。

Admittedtotheouterroomshebeheldherarchitectlookingasunarchitecturalaspossible；lyingonasmallcouchwhichwasdrawnuptotheopencasement，whencehehadabackviewofthewindowflowers，andenjoyedagreentransparencythroughtheundersidesofthesamenasturtiumleavesthatpresentedtheirfacestothepasserswithout。

WhenthelatchhadagainclickedintothecatchofthecloseddoorPaulawentuptotheinvalid，uponwhosepaleandinterestingfaceaflushhadarisensimultaneouslywiththeannouncementofhername。Hewouldhavesprunguptoreceiveher，butshepressedhimdown，andthrowingallreserveononesideforthefirsttimeintheirintercourse，shecrouchedbesidethesofa，whisperingwithroguishsolicitude，herfacenottoofarfromhisown:\'Howfoolishyouare，George，togetilljustnowwhenIhavebeenwantingsomuchtoseeyouagain!——Iamsosorrytoseeyoulikethis——whatIsaidtoyouwhenwemetontheshorewasnotwhatIhadcometosay!\'

Somersettookherbythehand。\'Thenwhatdidyoucometosay，Paula?\'heasked。

\'Iwantedtotellyouthatthemerewantonwanderingofacapriciousmindwasnotthecauseofmyestrangementfromyou。

Therehasbeenagreatdeceptionpractised——theexactnatureofitIcannottellyouplainlyjustatpresent；itistoopainful——butitisallover，andIcanassureyouofmysorrowathavingbehavedasIdid，andofmysincerefriendshipnowasever。\'

\'ThereisnothingIshallvaluesomuchasthat。ItwillmakemyworkatthecastleverypleasanttofeelthatIcanconsultyouaboutitwithoutfearofintrudingonyouagainstyourwishes。\'

\'Yes，perhapsitwill。But——youdonotcomprehendme。\'

\'Youhavebeenanenigmaalways。\'

\'Andyouhavebeenprovoking；butneversoprovokingasnow。

Iwouldn\'tfortheworldtellyouthewholeofmyfanciesasI

camehitherthisevening:butIshouldthinkyournaturalintuitionwouldsuggestwhattheywere。\'

\'Itdoes，Paula。Buttherearemotivesofdelicacywhichpreventmyactingonwhatissuggestedtome。\'

\'Delicacyisagift，andyoushouldthankGodforit；butinsomecasesitisnotsopreciousaswewouldpersuadeourselves。\'

\'Notwhenthewomanisrich，andthemanispoor?\'

\'O，GeorgeSomerset——becold，orangry，oranything，butdon\'tbelikethis!Itisneverworthawoman\'swhiletoshowregretforherinjustice；forallshegetsbyitisanaccusationofwantofdelicacy。\'

\'IndeedIdon\'taccuseyouofthat——Iwarmly，tenderlythankyouforyourkindnessincomingheretoseeme。\'

\'Well，perhapsyoudo。ButIamnowinIcannottellwhatmood——Iwillnottellwhatmood，foritwouldbeconfessingmorethanIought。ThisfindingyououtisapieceofweaknessthatIshallnotrepeat；andIhaveonlyonethingmoretosay。Ihaveservedyoubadly，George，Iknowthat；

butitisnevertoolatetomend；andIhavecomebacktoyou。

However，Ishallneverrunafteryouagain，trustmeforthat，foritisnotthewoman\'spart。Still，beforeIgo，thattheremaybenomistakeastomymeaning，andmiseryentailedonusforwantofaword，I\'lladdthis:thatifyouwanttomarryme，asyouoncedid，youmustsayso；forIamheretobeasked。\'

ItwouldbesuperfluoustotranscribeSomerset\'sreply，andtheremainderofthescenebetweenthepair。Letitsufficethathalf-an-hourafterwards，whenthesunhadalmostgonedown，Paulawalkedbrisklyintothehotel，troubledherselfnothingaboutdinner，butwentupstairstotheirsitting-room，whereherauntpresentlyfoundheruponthecouchlookingupattheceilingthroughherfingers。Theytalkedondifferentsubjectsforsometimetilltheoldladysaid\'Mr。Somerset\'scottageistheonecoveredwithflowersupthelane，Ihear。\'

\'Yes，\'saidPaula。

\'Howdoyouknow?\'

\'I\'vebeenthere……Wearegoingtobemarried，aunt。\'

\'Indeed!\'repliedMrs。Goodman。\'Well，Ithoughtthismightbetheendofit:youweredeterminedonthepoint；andIamnotmuchsurprisedatyournews。Yourfatherwasverywiseafterallinentailingeverythingsostrictlyuponyouroffspring；forifhehadnotIshouldhavebeendrivenwildwiththeresponsibility!\'

\'Andnowthatthemurderisout，\'continuedPaula，passingoverthatviewofthecase，\'Idon\'tmindtellingyouthatsomehoworotherIhavegottolikeGeorgeSomersetasdesperatelyasawomancancareforanyman。IthoughtI

shouldhavediedwhenIsawhimdancing，andfearedIhadlosthim!Heseemedtentimesnicerthaneverthen!Sosillywewomenare，thatIwouldn\'tmarryadukeinpreferencetohim。

There，that\'smyhonestfeeling，andyoumustmakewhatyoucanofit；myconscienceisclear，thankHeaven!\'

\'Haveyoufixedtheday?\'

\'No，\'continuedtheyounglady，stillwatchingthesleepingfliesontheceiling。\'Itisleftunsettledbetweenus，whileIcomeandaskyouiftherewouldbeanyharm——ifitcouldconvenientlybebeforewereturntoEngland?\'

\'Paula，thisistooprecipitate!\'

\'Onthecontrary，aunt。Inmatrimony，asinsomeotherthings，youshouldbeslowtodecide，butquicktoexecute。

Nothingonearthwouldmakememarryanotherman；Iknoweveryfibreofhischaracter；andheknowsagoodmanyfibresofmine；soasthereisnothingmoretobelearnt，whyshouldn\'twemarryatonce?OnonepointIamfirm:IwillneverreturntothatcastleasMissPower。AnamelessdreadcomesovermewhenIthinkofit——afearthatsomeuncannyinfluenceofthedeadDeStancyswoulddrivemeagainfromhim。O，ifitweretodothat，\'shemurmured，buryingherfaceinherhands，\'IreallythinkitwouldbemorethanIcouldbear!\'

\'Verywell，\'saidMrs。Goodman；\'wewillseewhatcanbedone。

IwillwritetoMr。Wardlaw。\'

IV。

OnawindyafternooninNovember，whenmorethantwomonthshadclosedovertheincidentspreviouslyrecorded，anumberoffarmersweresittinginaroomoftheLord-Quantock-ArmsInn，Markton，thatwasusedfortheweeklyordinary。Itwasalong，lowapartment，formedbytheunionoftwoorthreesmallerrooms，withabow-windowlookinguponthestreet，andatthepresentmomentwaspervadedbyabluefogfromtobacco-

pipes，andatemperaturelikethatofakiln。Thebodyoffarmerswhostillsatontherewasgreaterthanusual，owingtothecoldairwithout，thetableshavingbeenclearedofdinnerforsometimeandtheirsurfacestampedwithliquidcirclesbythefeetofthenumerousglasses。

Besidesthefarmerstherewerepresentseveralprofessionalmenofthetown，whofounditdesirabletodinehereonmarket-daysfortheopportunityitaffordedthemofincreasingtheirpracticeamongtheagriculturists，manyofwhomweremenoflargebalances，evenluxuriouslivers，whodrovetomarketinelegantphaetonsdrawnbyhorsesofsupremeblood，bone，andaction，inastyleneveranticipatedbytheirfatherswhenjoggingthitherinlightcarts，orafootwithabutterbasketoneacharm。

Thebuzzofgroggyconversationwassuddenlyimpingedonbythenotesofapealofbellsfromthetowerhardby。Almostatthesameinstantthedooroftheroomopened，andthereenteredthelandlordofthelittleinnatSleeping-Green。

Drawinghissupplyofcordialsfromthissuperiorhouse，towhichhewassubject，hecamehereatstatedtimeslikeaprebendarytothecathedralofhisdiocesan，afterwardsretailingtohisownhumbleraudiencethesentimentswhichhehadlearntofthis。Butcuriositybeingawakenedbythechurchbellstheusualpositionwasforthemomentreversed，andoneofthefarmers，salutinghimbyname，askedhimthereasonoftheirstrikingupatthattimeofday。

\'Mymis\'essoutyonder，\'repliedtherurallandlord，noddingsideways，\'iscominghomewithherfancy-man。Theyhavebeena-gayingtogetherthisturkofawhileinforeignparts——Here，maid!——whatwiththewind，andstandingabout，myblood\'saslowaswater——bringusathimblefulofthatthatisn\'tginandnotfarfromit。\'

\'Itistrue，then，thatshe\'sbecomeMrs。Somerset?\'

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