第2章

Herheadwasthrownbackandthebeautifulbrownhair，whichwasnowalmostdryagain，streamedinmassestotheground，whileonherfacewasstampedtheterrifyingsealofDeath。

LadyHonoriashuddered。Shecouldnotbearsuchsights。“Willitbenecessaryformetocomebackto-night？”shesaid。

“Idonotthinkso。”heanswered，“unlessyoucaretohearwhetherMissGrangerrecovers？”

“Ishallhearthatinthemorning。”shesaid。“Poorthing，Icannothelpher。”

“No，LadyHonoria，youcannothelpher。Shesavedyourhusband’slife，theysay。”

“Shemustbeabravegirl。Willsherecover？”

Theassistantshookhishead。“Shemay，possibly。Itisnotlikelynow。”

“Poorthing，andsoyoungandbeautiful！Whatalovelyface，andwhatanarm！Itisveryawfulforher。”andLadyHonoriashudderedagainandwent。

Outsidethedoorasmallknotofsympathiserswasstillgathered，notwithstandingthelatehourandthebadnessoftheweather。

“That’shiswife。”saidone，andtheyopenedtoletherpass。

“Thenwhydon’tshestopwithhim？”askedawomanaudibly。“IfithadbeenmyhusbandI’dhavesatandhuggedhimforanhour。”

“Ay，you’dhavekilledhimwithyourhugging，youwould。”somebodyanswered。

LadyHonoriapassedon。Suddenlyathick-setmanemergedfromtheshadowofthepines。Shecouldnotseehisface，buthewaswrappedinalargecloak。

“Forgiveme。”hesaidinthehoarsevoiceofonestrugglingwithemotionswhichhewasunabletoconceal，“butyoucantellme。Doesshestilllive？”

“DoyoumeanMissGranger？”sheasked。

“Yes，ofcourse。Beatrice——MissGranger？”

“Theydonotknow，buttheythink——“

“Yes，yes——theythink——“

“Thatsheisdead。”

Themansaidneveraword。Hedroppedhisheaduponhisbreastand，turning，vanishedagainintotheshadowofthepines。

“Howveryodd。”thoughtLadyHonoriaasshewalkedrapidlyalongtheclifftowardsherlodging。“Isupposethatmanmustbeinlovewithher。Well，Idonotwonderatit。Ineversawsuchafaceandarm。

Whatapicturethatsceneintheroomwouldmake！ShesavedGeoffreyandnowshe’sdead。IfhehadsavedherIshouldnothavewondered。Itislikeasceneinanovel。”

FromallofwhichitwillbeseenthatLadyHonoriawasnotwantingincertainromanticandartisticalperceptions。

CHAPTERV

ELIZABETHISTHANKFUL

Geoffrey，lyingbeforethefire，newlyhatchedfromdeath，hadcaughtsomeoftheconversationbetweenhiswifeandtheassistantwhohadrecoveredhimtolife。Soshewasgone，thatbrave，beautifulatheistgirl——gonetotestthetruth。Andshehadsavedhislife！

Forsomeminutestheassistantdidnotenter。Hewashelpinginanotherroom。Atlasthecame。

“WhatdidyousaytoLadyHonoria？”Geoffreyaskedfeebly。“DidyousaythatMissGrangerhadsavedme？”

“Yes，Mr。Bingham;atleasttheytellmeso。Atanyrate，whentheypulledheroutofthewatertheypulledyouafterher。Shehadholdofyourhair。”

“Greatheavens！“hegroaned，“andmyweightmusthavedraggedherdown。Isshedead，then？”

“Wecannotquitesayyet，notforcertain。Wethinkthatsheis。”

“PrayGodsheisnotdead。”hesaidmoretohimselfthantotheother。

Thenaloud——“Leaveme;Iamallright。Goandhelpwithher。Butstop，comeandtellmesometimeshowitgoeswithher。”

“Verywell。Iwillsendawomantowatchyou。”andhewent。

Meanwhileintheotherroomthetreatmentofthedrownedwentslowlyon。Twohourshadpassed，andasyetBeatriceshowednosignsofrecovery。Theheartdidnotbeat，nopulsestirred;but，asthedoctorknew，lifemightstilllingerinthetissues。Slowly，veryslowly，thebodywasturnedtoandfro，theheadswaying，andthelonghairfallingnowthiswayandnowthat，butstillnosign。Everyresourceknowntomedicalskill，suchashotair，rubbing，artificialrespiration，electricity，wasappliedandappliedinvain，butstillnosign！

Elizabeth，paleandpinched，stoodbyhandingwhatmightberequired。

Shedidnotgreatlylovehersister，theywereantagonisticandtheirinterestsclashed，orshethoughttheydid，butthissuddendeathwasawful。Inacorner，pitifultosee，offeringgroansandejaculatedprayerstoheaven，sattheoldclergymen，theirfather，hiswhitehairabouthiseyes。Hewasaweak，coarse-grainedman，butinhisownwayhiscleverandbeautifulgirlwasdeartohim，andthissightwrunghissoulasithadnotbeenwrungforyears。

“She’sgone。”hesaidcontinually，“she’sgone;theLord’swillbedone。Theremustbeanothermistressattheschoolnow。Seventypoundsayearshewillcost——seventypoundsayear！“

“Dobequiet，father。”saidElizabethsharply。

“Ay，ay，itisverywellforyoutotellmetobequiet。Youarequietbecauseyoudon’tcare。Youneverlovedyoursister。ButIhavelovedhersinceshewasalittlefair-hairedchild，andsodidyourpoormother。’Beatrice’wasthelastwordshespoke。”

“Bequiet，father！“saidElizabeth，stillmoresharply。Theoldman，makingnoreply，sankbackintoasemi-torpor，rockinghimselftoandfrouponhischair。

Meanwhilewithoutintermissiontheworkwenton。

“Itisnouse。”saidtheassistantatlast，ashestraightenedhiswearyframeandwipedtheperspirationfromhisbrow。“Shemustbedead;wehavebeenatitnearlythreehoursnow。”

“Patience。”saidthedoctor。“IfnecessaryIshallgoonforfour——ortillIdrop。”headded。

Tenminutesmorepassed。Everybodyknewthatthetaskwashopeless，butstilltheyhoped。

“GreatHeavens！“saidtheassistantpresently，startingbackfromthebodyandpointingatitsface。“Didyouseethat？”

ElizabethandMr。Grangersprangtotheirfeet，crying，“What，what？”

“Sitstill，sir。”saidthedoctor，wavingthemback。Thenaddressinghishelper，andspeakinginaconstrainedvoice:“IthoughtIsawtherighteyelidquiver，Williams。Passthebattery。”

“SodidI。”answeredWilliamsasheobeyed。

“Fullpower。”saidthedoctoragain。“Itiskillorcurenow。”

Theshockwasappliedforsomesecondswithoutresult。Thensuddenlyalongshudderranupthelimbs，andahandstirred。Nextmomenttheeyeswereopened，andwithpainandagonyBeatricedrewafirstbreathofreturninglife。TenminutesmoreandshehadpassedthroughthegatesofDeathbacktothiswarmandlivingworld。

“Letmedie。”shegaspedfaintly。“Icannotbearit。Oh，letmedie！“

“Hush。”saidthedoctor;“youwillbebetterpresently。”

Tenminutesmorepassed，whenthedoctorsawbyhereyesthatBeatricewishedtosaysomething。Hebenthisheadtillitnearlytouchedherlips。

“Dr。Chambers。”shewhispered，“washedrowned？”

“No，heissafe;hehasbeenbroughtround。”

Shesighed——along-drawnsigh，halfofpain，halfofrelief。Thenshespokeagain。

“Washewashedashore？”

“No，no。Yousavedhislife。Youhadholdofhimwhentheypulledyouout。Nowdrinkthisandgotosleep。”

Beatricesmiledsweetly，butsaidnothing。Thenshedrankasmuchofthedraughtasshecould，andshortlyafterwardsobeyedthelastinjunctionalso，andwenttosleep。

Meanwhilearumourofthiswonderfulrecoveryhadescapedtowithoutthehouse——passingfromonewatchertotheothertillatlengthitreachedtheearsofthesolitarymancrouchedintheshadowofthepines。Heheard，andstartingasthoughhehadbeenshot，strodetothedooroftheVicarage。Herehiscourageseemedtodeserthim，forhehesitated。

“Knock，squire，knock，andaskifitistrue。”saidawoman，thesamewhohaddeclaredthatshewouldhavehuggedherhusbandbacktolife。

Thisremarkseemedtoencouragetheman，atanyratehedidknock。

PresentlythedoorwasopenedbyElizabeth。

“Goaway。”shesaidinhersharpvoice;“thehousemustbekeptquiet。”

“Ibegyourpardon，MissGranger。”saidthevisitor，inatoneofdeephumiliation。“IonlywantedtoknowifitwastruethatMissBeatricelives。”

“Why。”saidElizabethwithastart，“isityou，Mr。Davies？IamsureIhadnoidea。StepintothepassageandIwillshutthedoor。There！

Howlonghaveyoubeenoutside？”

“Oh，sincetheybroughtthemup。Butisittrue？”

“Yes，yes，itistrue。Shewillrecovernow。Andyouhavestoodallthistimeinthewetnight。IamsurethatBeatriceoughttobeflattered。”

“Notatall。Itseemedsoawful，and——I——Itakesuchaninterest——“

andhebrokeoff。

“SuchaninterestinBeatrice。”saidElizabethdrily，supplyingthehiatus。“Yes，soitseems。”andsuddenly，asthoughbychance，shemovedthecandlewhichsheheld，insuchfashionthatthelightfellfulluponOwenDavies’face。Itwasaslowheavycountenance，butnotwithoutcomeliness。Theskinwasfreshasachild’s，theeyeswerelarge，blue，andmild，andthebrownhairgrewinwavesthatmanyawomanmighthaveenvied。Indeedhaditnotbeenforashortbutstronglygrowingbeard，itwouldhavebeeneasytobelievethatthecountenancewasthatofaboyofnineteenratherthanofamanoverthirty。Neithertimenorcarehaddrawnasinglelineuponit;ittoldofperfectandrobusthealthandyetborethebloomofchildhood。Itwasthefaceofamanwhomightlivetoahundredandstilllookyoung，nordidtheformbelieit。

Mr。Daviesblusheduptohiseyes，blushedlikeagirlbeneathElizabeth’sscrutiny。“NaturallyItakeaninterestinaneighbour’sfate。”hesaid，inhisslowdeliberateway。“Sheisquitesafe，then？”

“Ibelieveso。”answeredElizabeth。

“ThankGod！“hesaid，orratheritseemedtobreakfromhiminasighofrelief。“Howdidthegentleman，Mr。Bingham，cometobefoundwithher？”

“HowshouldIknow？”sheansweredwithashrug。“Beatricesavedhislifesomehow，clungfasttohimevenaftershewasinsensible。”

“Itisverywonderful。Ineverheardofsuchathing。Whatishelike？”

“Heisoneofthefinest-lookingmenIeversaw。”answeredElizabeth，alwayswatchinghim。

“Ah。Butheismarried，Ithink，MissGranger？”

“Oh，yes，heismarriedtothedaughterofapeer，verymuchmarried——

andverylittle，Ishouldsay。”

“Idonotquiteunderstand，MissGranger。”

“Don’tyou，Mr。Davies？thenuseyoureyeswhenyouseethemtogether。”

“Ishouldnotseeanything。Iamnotquicklikeyou。”headded。

“HowdoyoumeantogetbacktotheCastleto-night，Mr。Davies？Youcannotrowbackinthiswind，andtheseaswillbebreakingoverthecauseway。”

“Oh，Ishallmanage。Iamwetalready。Anextraduckingwon’thurtme，andIhavehadachainputuptopreventanybodyfrombeingwashedaway。AndnowImustbegoing。Good-night。”

“Good-night，Mr。Davies。”

Hehesitatedamomentandthenadded:“Wouldyou——wouldyoumindtellingyoursister——ofcourseImeanwhensheisstronger——thatI

cametoinquireafterher？”

“Ithinkthatyoucandothatforyourself，Mr。Davies。”Elizabethsaidalmostroughly。“Imeanitwillbemoreappreciated。”andsheturneduponherheel。

OwenDaviesventurednofurtherremarks。HefeltthatElizabeth’smannerwasalittlecrushing，andhewasafraidofheraswell。“I

supposethatshedoesnotthinkIamgoodenoughtopayattentiontohersister。”hethoughttohimselfasheplungedintothenightandrain。“Well，sheisquiteright——Iamnotfittoblackherboots。Oh，God，IthankTheethatThouhastsavedherlife。IthankThee——IthankThee！“hewenton，speakingaloudtothewildwindsashemadehiswayalongthecliff。“Ifshehadbeendead，IthinkthatImusthavediedtoo。Oh，God，IthankThee——IthankThee！“

TheideathatOwenDavies，Esq。，J。P。，D。L。，ofBryngellyCastle，absoluteownerofthatrisinglittlewatering-place，andofoneofthelargestandmostprosperousslatequarriesinWales，worthinallsomewherebetweensevenandtenthousandayear，wasunfittoblackherbeautifulsister’sboots，wasnotanideathathadstruckElizabethGranger。Haditstruckher，indeed，itwouldhavemovedhertolaughter，forElizabethhadapracticalmind。

Whatdidstrikeher，assheturnedandwatchedtherichsquire’ssturdyformvanishthroughthedoorwayintothedarkbeyond，wasacertainsenseofwonder。Supposingshehadneverseenthatshiverofreturningliferunupthosewhitelimbs，supposingthattheyhadgrowncolderandcolder，tillatlengthitwasevidentthatdeathwassofirmlycitadelledwithinthesilentheart，thatnohumanskillcouldbeathisempireback？Whatthen？OwenDavieslovedhersister;thissheknewandhadknownforyears。Butwouldhenothavegotoveritintime？Wouldhenotintimehavebeenoverpoweredbythesenseofhisownutterlonelinessandgivenhishand，ifnothisheart，tosomeotherwoman？Andcouldnotshewhoheldhishandlearntoreachhisheart？Andtowhomwouldthathandhavebeengiven，thehandandallthatwentwithit？WhatwomanwouldthisshyWelshhermit，withoutfriendsorrelations，haveeverbeenthrowninwithexceptherself——

Elizabeth——wholovedhimasmuchasshecouldloveanybody，which，perhaps，wasnotverymuch;who，atanyrate，desiredsorelytobehiswife。Wouldnotallthishavecomeaboutifshehadneverseenthateyelidtremble，andthatslightquiverrunuphersister’slimbs？Itwould——sheknewitwould。

Elizabeththoughtofitasforamomentshestoodinthepassage，andacoldhungrylightcameintoherneutraltintedeyesandshoneuponherpaleface。Butshechokedbackthethought;shewasscarcelywickedenoughtowishthathersisterhadnotbeenbroughtbacktolife。Sheonlyspeculatedonwhatmighthavehappenedifthishadcomeabout，justasoneworksoutagameofchessfromagivenhypotheticalsituationofthepieces。

Perhaps，too，thesameendmightbegainedinsomeotherway。PerhapsMr。Daviesmightstillbeweanedfromhisinfatuation。Thewallwasdifficult，butitwouldhavetobeverydifficultifshecouldnotfindawaytoclimbit。ItneveroccurredtoElizabeththattheremightbeanopengate。ShecouldnotconceiveitpossiblethatawomanmightpositivelyrejectOwenDaviesandhissevenortenthousandayear，andthatwomanapersoninanunsatisfactoryanduncongenial，almostinamenialposition。RejectBryngellyCastlewithallitsluxuryandopportunitiesofwealthandleisure？No，thesunwouldsetintheeastbeforesuchathinghappened。Theplanwastopreventtheoccasionfromarising。ThehungrylightdiedonElizabeth’sface，andsheturnedtoenterthesickroomwhensuddenlyshemetherfathercomingout。

“Whowasthatatthefront？”heasked，carefullyclosingthedoor。

“Mr。DaviesofBryngellyCastle，father。”

“AndwhatdidMr。Davieswantatthistimeofnight？ToknowaboutBeatrice？”

“Yes。”sheansweredslowly，“hecametoaskafterBeatrice，ortobemorecorrecthehasbeenwaitingoutsideforthreehoursintheraintolearnifsherecovered。”

“Waitingoutsideforthreehoursintherain。”saidtheclergymanastonished——“SquireDaviesstandingoutsidethehouse！Whatfor？”

“BecausehewassoanxiousaboutBeatriceanddidnotliketocomein，Isuppose。”

“SoanxiousaboutBeatrice——ah，soanxiousaboutBeatrice！Doyouthink，Elizabeth——um——youknowthereisnodoubtBeatriceisverywellfavoured——veryhandsometheysay——“

“Idonotthinkanythingaboutit，father。”sheanswered，“andasforBeatrice’slookstheyareamatterofopinion。Ihavemine。Andnowdon’tyouthinkwehadbettergotobed？ThedoctorsandBettyaregoingtostopupallnightwithMr。BinghamandBeatrice。”

“Yes，Elizabeth，Isupposethatwehadbettergo。Iamsurewehavemuchtobethankfulforto-night。Whatamercifuldeliverance！AndifpoorBeatricehadgonetheparishmusthavefoundanotherschoolmistress，anditwouldhavemeantthatwelostthesalary。Wehaveagreatdealtobethankfulfor，Elizabeth。”

“Yes。”saidElizabeth，verydeliberately，“wehave。”

CHAPTERVI

OWENDAVIESATHOME

OwenDaviestrampedalongthecliffwithalightheart。Thewildlashingoftherainandtheroaringofthewinddidnotdisturbhimintheleast。Theyweredisagreeable，butheacceptedthemasheacceptedexistenceandallitsvanities，withoutremarkormentalcomment。

Thereisaclassofmindofwhichthisistheprevailingattitude。

Veryearlyintheirspanoflife，thoseendowedwithsuchamindcometotheconclusionthattheworldistoomuchforthem。Theycannotunderstandit，sotheyabandontheattempt，and，asaconsequence，intheirowntorpidwaytheyareamongthehappiestandmostcontentedofmen。Problems，onwhichpersonsofkeenerintelligenceandmoreaspiringsoulfretandfoamtheirlivesawayasrushingwaterroundarock，donotevenbreaktheplacidsurfaceoftheirdays。Suchmenslippastthem。Theylookoutuponthestarsandreadofthemysteryoftheuniversespeedingonforeverthroughthelimitlesswastesofspace，andarenotastonished。IntheirchildhoodtheyweretaughtthatGodmadethesunandthestarstogivelightontheearth;thatisenoughforthem。Andsoitiswitheverything。Povertyandsuffering;war，pestilence，andtheinequalitiesoffate;madness，lifeanddeath，andthespiritualwondersthathedgeinourbeing，arethingsnottobeinquiredintobutaccepted。Sotheyacceptthemastheydotheirdinneroratradesman’scircular。

Insomecasesthismentalstatehasitsrootindeepandsimplereligiousconvictions，andinsomeitspringsfromapreponderanceofhealthfulanimalinstinctsoverthehigherbutmoretroublesomespiritualparts。Theoxchewingthecudinthefreshmeadowdoesnotmuseuponthepastandfuture，andthegullblownlikeafoam-flakeoutagainstthesunset，doesnotknowthesplendouroftheskyandsea。Eventhesavageisnotmuchtroubledabouttheschemeofthings。

Inthebeginninghewas“tornoutofthereeds。”andintheendhemeltsintotheUnknown，andfortherest，therearebeefandwives，andfoestoconquer。Butthenoxenandgullsarenot，sofarasweknow，troubledwithanyspiritualpartsatall，andinthenoblesavagesuchthingsarenotcultivated。Theycomewithcivilization。

Butperhapsinthemajoritythiscondition，sonecessarytothemoreplacidformsofhappiness，isbornofaconjunctionofphysicalandreligiousdevelopments。Soitwas，atleast，withtherichandfortunatemanwhomwehaveseentrudgingalongthewind-sweptcliff。

Bynatureandeducationhewasofastronglyandsimplyreligiousmind，ashewasinbodypowerful，placid，andhealthytoanexasperatingdegree。Itmaybesaidthatitiseasytobereligiousandplacidontenthousandayear，butOwenDavieshadnotalwaysenjoyedtenthousandayearandoneofthemostromanticandbeautifulseatsinWales。Fromthetimehewasseventeen，whenhismother’sdeathlefthimanorphan，tillhereachedtheageofthirty，somesixyearsfromthedateoftheopeningofthishistory，heledaboutashardalifeasfatecouldfindforanyman。Somepeoplemayhaveheardofsugardrogers，orsailingbrigs，whichtradebetweenthiscountryandtheWestIndies，carryingcoaloutwardsandsugarhome。

Onboardoneofthese，OwenDaviesworkedinvariouscapacitiesforthirteenlongyears。Hedidhisdrudgerywell;buthemadenofriends，andalwaysremainedthesameshy，silent，andpiousman。Thensuddenlyarelationdiedwithoutawill，andhefoundhimselfheir-in-lawtoBryngellyCastleandallitsrevenues。Owenexpressednosurprise，andtoallappearancefeltnone。Hehadneverseenhisrelation，andneverdreamedofthisromanticdevolutionofgreatestatesuponhimself。Butheacceptedthegoodfortuneashehadacceptedtheill，andsaidnothing。Theonlypeoplewhoknewhimwerehisshipmates，andtheycouldscarcelybeheldtoknowhim。Theywereacquaintedwithhisappearanceandthesoundofhisvoice，andhismethodofdoinghisduty。Also，theywereaware，althoughheneverspokeofreligion，thathereadachapteroftheBibleeveryevening，andwenttochurchwhenevertheytouchedataport。Butofhisinternalselftheywereintotalignorance。Thisdidnot，however，preventthemfromprophesyingthatDavieswasa“deepone。”who，nowthathehadgotthecash，would“blueit“inawaywhichwouldastonishthem。

ButDaviesdidnot“excelinazurefeats。”Thenewsofhisgoodfortunereachedhimjustasthebrig，onwhichhewasgoingtosailasfirst-mate，wastakinginhercargofortheWestIndies。Hehadsignedhiscontractforthevoyage，and，totheutterastonishmentofthelawyerwhomanagedtheestates，heannouncedthatheshouldcarryitout。Invaindidthemanofaffairspointouttohisclientthatwiththehelpofachequeof￡100hecouldarrangethematterforhimintenminutes。Mr。Daviesmerelyrepliedthatthepropertycouldwait，heshouldgothevoyageandretireafterwards。Thelawyerhelduphishands，andthensuddenlyrememberedthattherearewomenintheWestIndiesasinotherpartsoftheworld。Doubtlesshisqueerclienthadanobjectinthisvoyage。Asamatteroffact，hewastotallywrong。

OwenDavieshadneverinterchangedatenderwordwithawomaninhislife;hewasacreatureofroutine，anditwaspartofhisroutinetocarryouthisagreementstotheletter。Thatwasall。

Asalastresource，thelawyersuggestedthatMr。Daviesshouldmakeawill。

“Idonotthinkitnecessary。”wastheslowandmeasuredanswer。“Thepropertyhascometomebychance。IfIdie，itmayaswellgotosomebodyelseinthesameway。”

Thelawyerstared。“Verywell。”hesaid;“itisagainstmyadvice，butyoumustpleaseyourself。Doyouwantanymoney？”

Owenthoughtforamoment。“Yes。”hesaid，“IthinkIshouldliketohavetenpounds。Theyarebuildingatheatrethere，andIwanttosubscribetoit。”

Thelawyergavehimthetenpoundswithoutaword;hewasstruckspeechless，andinthisconditionheremainedforsomeminutesafterthedoorhadclosedbehindhisclient。Thenhesprungupwithasingleejaculation，“Mad，mad！likehisgreatuncle！“

ButOwenDavieswasnotintheleastmad，atanyratenotthen;hewasonlyacreatureofhabit。Induecourse，hisagreementfulfilled，hesailedhisbrighomefromtheWestIndies(forthecaptainwasdrownedinagale)。Thenhetookasecond-classtickettoBryngelly，wherehehadneverbeeninhislifebefore，andaskedhiswaytotheCastle。Hewastoldtogotothebeach，andhewouldseeit。Hedidso，leavinghissea-chestbehindhim，andthere，abouttwohundredpacesfromtheland，andbuiltuponasolitarymountainofrock，measuringhalfamileorsoroundthebase，heperceivedavastmedi？valpileoffortifiedbuildings，withturretstoweringthreehundredfeetintotheair，andedgedwithfirebythesettingsun。Hegazedonitwithperplexity。Coulditbethatthisenormousislandfortressbelongedtohim，and，ifso，howonearthdidonegettoit？Forsomelittletimehewalkedupanddown，wondering，tooshytogotothevillageforinformation。Meanwhile，thoughhedidnotnoticeher，awell-growngirlofaboutfifteen，remarkableforhergreatgreyeyesandthepromiseofherbeauty，waswatchinghisevidentperplexityfromaseatbeneatharock，notwithoutamusement。Atlastsherose，and，withtheconfidenceofboldfifteen，walkedstraightuptohim。

“DoyouwanttogettheCastle，sir？”sheaskedinalowsweetvoice，theechoesofwhichOwenDaviesneverforgot。

“Yes——oh，Ibegyourpardon。”fornowforthefirsttimehesawthathewastalkingtoayounglady。

“ThenIamafraidthatyouaretoolate——Mrs。Thomaswillnotshowpeopleoverafterfouro’clock。Sheisthehousekeeper，youknow。”

“Ah，well，thefactisIdidnotcometoseeovertheplace。Icametolivethere。IamOwenDavies，andtheplacewaslefttome。”

Beatrice，forofcourseitwasshe，staredathiminamazement。SothiswasthemysterioussailoraboutwhomtherehadbeensomuchtalkinBryngelly。

“Oh！“shesaid，withembarrassingfrankness。“Whatanoddwaytocomehome。Well，itishightide，andyouwillhavetotakeaboat。Iwillshowyouwhereyoucangetone。OldEdwardwillrowyouacrossforsixpence。”andsheledthewayroundacornerofthebeachtowhereoldEdwardsat，fromearlymorntodewyeve，uponthethwartsofhisbiggestboat，seekingthosewhomhemightrow。

“Edward。”saidtheyounglady，“hereisthenewsquire，Mr。OwenDavies，whowantstoberowedacrosstotheCastle。”Edward，agnarledandtwistedspecimenofthesailortribe，withsmalleyesandafacethatremindedtheobserverofoneofthosequaintcountenancesonthehandleofawalkingstick，staredatherinastonishment，andthencastalookofsuspiciononthevisitor。

“Havehegotpapersofidentificationabouthim，miss？”heaskedinastagewhisper。

“Idon’tknow。”sheansweredlaughing。“HesaysthatheisMr。OwenDavies。”

“Well，prapsheisandprapsheain’t;anyway，itisn’tmyaffair，andsixpenceissixpence。”

AllofthistheunfortunateMr。Daviesoverheard，anditdidnotaddtohisequanimity。

“Now，sir，ifyouplease。”saidEdwardsternly，ashepulledthelittleboatuptotheedgeofthebreakwater。AvisionofMrs。ThomasshotintoOwen’smind。Iftheboatmandidnotbelieveinhim，whatchancehadhewiththehousekeeper？Hewishedhehadbroughtthelawyerdownwithhim，andthenhewishedthathewasbackinthesugarbrig。

“Now，sir。”saidEdwardstillmoresternly，puttingdownhishesitationtoanimpostor’sconsciousnessofguilt。

“Um！“saidOwentotheyounglady，“Ibegyourpardon。Idon’tevenknowyourname，andIamsureIhavenorighttoaskit，butwouldyoumindrowingacrosswithme？Itwouldbesokindofyou;youmightintroducemetothehousekeeper。”

AgainBeatricelaughedthemerrylaughofgirlhood;shewastooyoungtobeconsciousofanyimproprietyinthesituation，andindeedtherewasnone。Buthersenseofhumourtoldherthatitwasfunny，andshebecamepossessedwithanotunnaturalcuriositytoseethethingout。

“Oh，verywell。”shesaid，“Iwillcome。”

TheboatwaspushedoffandverysoontheyreachedthestonequaythatborderedtheharbouroftheCastle，aboutwhichalittlevillageofretainershadgrownup。Seeingtheboatarrive，someofthesepeoplesaunteredoutofthecottages，andthen，thinkingthatavisitorhadcome，undertheguidanceofMissBeatrice，tolookattheantiquitiesoftheCastle，whichwastheshowplaceoftheneighbourhood，saunteredbackagain。Thenthepairbeganthezigzagascentoftherockmountain，tillatlasttheystoodbeneaththemightymassofbuilding，which，althoughitwashoarywithantiquity，wasbynomeanslackinginthecomfortsofmoderncivilization，thewater，forinstance，beingbroughtinpipeslaidbeneaththeseafromamountaintoptwomilesawayonthemainland。

“Isn’tthereaviewhere？”saidBeatrice，pointingtothevaststretchoflandandsea。“Ithink，Mr。Davies，thatyouhavethemostbeautifulhouseinthewholeworld。Yourgreat-uncle，whodiedayearago，spentmorethanfiftythousandpoundsonrepairingandrefurbishingit，theysay。Hebuiltthebigdrawing-roomthere，wherethestoneisalittlelighter;itisfifty-fivefeetlong。Justthink，fiftythousandpounds！“

“Itisalargesum。”saidOwen，inanunimaginativesortofway，whileinhishearthewonderedwhatonearthheshoulddowiththiswhiteelephantofamedi？valcastle，anditsdrawingroomfifty-fivefeetlong。

“Hedoesnotseemmuchimpressed。”thoughtBeatricetoherself，asshetuggedawayattheposternbell;“Ithinkhemustbestupid。Helooksstupid。”

Presentlythedoorwasopenedbyanactive-lookinglittleoldwomanwithahighvoice。

“Mrs。Thomas。”thoughtOwentohimself;“sheisevenworsethanI

expected。”

“Nowyoumustpleasetogoaway。”begantheformidablehousekeeperinhershrillestkey;“itistoolatetoshowvisitorsover。Why，blessus，it’syou，MissBeatrice，withastrangeman！Whatdoyouwant？”

Beatricelookedathercompanionasahintthatheshouldexplainhimself，buthesaidnothing。

“Thisisyournewsquire。”shesaid，notwithoutacertainpride。“I

foundhimwanderingaboutthebeach。Hedidnotknowhowtogethere，soIbroughthimover。”

“Lord，MissBeatrice，andhowdoyouknowit’shim？”saidMrs。Thomas。

“Howdoyouknowitain’tahousebreaker？”

“Oh，I’msurehecannotbe。”answeredBeatriceaside，“becauseheisn’tcleverenough。”

Thenfollowedalongdiscussion。Mrs。Thomasstoutlyrefusedtoadmitthestrangerwithoutevidenceofidentity，andBeatrice，embracinghiscause，asstoutlypressedhisclaims。Asforthelawfulowner，hemadeoccasionalfeebleattemptstoprovethathewashimself，butMrs。

Thomaswasnottobeimposeduponinthisway。Atlasttheycametoadeadlock。

“Y’dbettergobacktotheinn，sir。”saidMrs。Thomaswithscathingsarcasm，“andcomeupto-morrowwithproofsandyourluggage。”

“Haven’tyougotanyletterswithyou？”suggestedBeatriceasalastresource。

AsithappenedOwenhadaletter，onefromthelawyertohimselfabouttheproperty，andmentioningMrs。Thomas’snameasbeinginchargeoftheCastle。Hehadforgottenallaboutit，butatthisinterestingjunctureitwasproducedandreadaloudbyBeatrice。Mrs。Thomastookit，andhavingexamineditcarefullythroughherhorn-rimmedspectacles，wasconstrainedtoadmititsauthenticity。

“I’msureIapologise，sir。”shesaidwithahalf-doubtfulcourtesyandmuchtact，“butonecan’tbetoocarefulwithallthesetrampsesesabout;Inevershouldhavethoughtfromthelookofyou，sir，howasyouwasthenewsquire。”

Thismightbecandid，butitwasnotflattering，anditcausedBeatricetosniggerbehindherhandkerchiefintrueschool-girlfashion。However，theyentered，andwereledbyMrs。Thomaswithsolemnpompthroughthegreatandlittlehalls，thestoneparlourandtheoakparlour，thelibraryandthehugedrawing-room，inwhichthewhiteheadsofmarblestatuesprotrudedfromthebagsofbrownhollandwherewiththeywerewrappedaboutinamannerghastlytobehold。Atlengththeyreachedasmalloctagon-shapedroomthat，facingsouth，commandedamostgloriousviewofseaandland。ItwascalledtheLady’sBoudoir，andjoinedanotherofaboutthesamesize，whichinitsformerowner’stimehadbeenusedasasmoking-room。

“Ifyoudon’tmind，madam。”saidthelordofallthismagnificence，“I

shouldliketostophere，Iamgettingtiredofwalking。”Andtherehestoppedformanyyears。TherestoftheCastlewasshutup;hescarcelyevervisiteditexceptoccasionallytoseethattheroomswereproperlyaired，forhewasamethodicalman。

AsforBeatrice，shewenthome，stillchuckling，toreceiveaseverereprooffromElizabethforher“forwardness。”ButOwenDaviesneverforgotthedebtofgratitudeheowedher。Inhishearthefeltconvincedthathaditnotbeenforher，hewouldhavefledbeforeMrs。

Thomasandherhorn-rimmedeyeglasses，toreturnnomore。Thetruthofthematterwas，however，thatyoungaswasBeatrice，hefellinlovewithherthenandthere，onlytofalldeeperanddeeperintothatdrearabyssasyearswenton。Heneversaidanythingaboutit，hescarcelyevengaveahintofhishopelesscondition，thoughofcourseBeatricedivinedsomethingofitassoonasshecametoyearsofdiscretion。ButtheregrewupinOwen’ssilent，lonelybreastagreatandovermasteringdesiretomakethisgrey-eyedgirlhiswife。Hemeasuredtimebytheintervalsthatelapsedbetweenhisvisionsofher。NoperiodinhislifewassowretchedandutterlypurposelessasthosetwoyearswhichpassedwhileshewasatherTrainingCollege。Hewasaverypassivelover，asyethisgatheringpassiondidnoturgehimtoextremes，andhecouldnevermakeuphismindtodeclareit。

Theboxwasinhishand，buthefearedtothrowthedice。

Buthedrewasneartoherashedared。OncehegaveBeatriceaflower，itwaswhenshewasseventeen，andawkwardlyexpressedahopethatshewouldwearitforhissake。Thewordswerenotmuchandtheflowerwasnotmuch，buttherewasalookabouttheman’seyes，andasuppressedpassionandenergyinhisvoice，whichtoldtheirtaletothekeen-wittedgirl。Afterthishefoundthatsheavoidedhim，andbitterlyregrettedhisboldness。ForBeatricedidnotlikehiminthatway。Toagirlofhercuriousstamphiswealthwasnothing。Shedidnotcovetwealth，shecovetedindependence，andhadthesensetoknowthatmarriagewithsuchamanwouldnotbringit。Acageisacage，whetherthebarsareofironorgold。Heboredher，shedespisedhimforhiswantofintelligenceandenterprise。Thatamanwithallthiswealthandendlessopportunityshouldwastehislifeinsuchfashionwastoherathingintolerable。Sheknewifshehadhalfhischance，thatshewouldmakehernameringfromoneendofEuropetotheother。

Inshort，BeatriceheldOwenasdeeplyincontemptashersisterElizabeth，studyinghimfromanotherpointofview，heldhiminreverence。Andputtingasideanyhumanpredilections，Beatricewouldneverhavemarriedamanwhomshedespised。Sherespectedherselftoomuch。

OwenDaviessawallthisasthroughaglassdarkly，andinhisownslowwaycastaboutforameansofdrawingnear。HediscoveredthatBeatricewaspassionatelyfondoflearning，andalsothatshehadnomeanstoobtainthenecessarybooks。Sohethrewopenhislibrarytoher;itwasoneofthebestinWales。Hedidmore;hegaveorderstoaLondonbooksellertoforwardhimeverynewbookofimportancethatappearedincertainclassesofliterature，andalloftheseheplacedatherdisposal，havingfirstcarefullycuttheleaveswithhisownhand。ThiswasabaitBeatricecouldnotresist。ShemightdreadorevendetestMr。Davies，butshelovedhisbooks，andifshequarrelledwithhimherwellofknowledgewouldsimplyrundry，fortherewerenocirculatinglibrariesatBryngelly，andiftherehadbeenshecouldnothaveaffordedtosubscribetothem。Sosheremainedongoodtermswithhim，andevensmiledathisfutileattemptstokeeppacewithherstudies。Poorman，readingdidnotcomenaturallytohim;hewasmuchbetteratcuttingleaves。Hestudiedthe/Times/andcertainreligiousworks，thatwasall。Buthewrestledmanfullywithmanyadetestedtome，inordertobeabletosaysomethingtoBeatriceaboutit，andtheworstofitwasthatBeatricealwayssawthroughit，andshowedhimthatshedid。Itwasnotkind，perhaps，butyouthiscruel。

Andsotheyearsworeon，tillatlengthBeatriceknewthatacrisiswasathand。Eventhetardiestandmostretiringlovermustcometothepointatlast，ifheisinearnest，andOwenDavieswasverymuchinearnest。Oflate，toherdismay，hehadsofarcomeoutofhisshellastoallowhimselftobenominatedamemberoftheschoolcouncil。Ofcoursesheknewthatthiswasonlytogivehimmoreopportunitiesofseeingher。Asamemberofthecouncil，hecouldvisittheschoolofwhichshewasmistressasoftenashechose，andindeedhesoonlearnedtotakealivelyinterestinvillageeducation。

Abouttwiceaweekhewouldcomeinjustastheschoolwasbreakingupandoffertowalkhomewithher，seekingforafavourableopportunitytopropose。Hithertoshehadalwayswardedoffthislastevent，butsheknewthatitmusthappen。Notthatshewasactuallyafraidofthemanhimself;hewastoomuchafraidofherforthat。WhatshedidfearwastheoutburstofwrathfromherfatherandsisterwhentheylearnedthatshehadrefusedOwenDavies。ItneveroccurredtoherthatElizabethmightbeplayingahandofherowninthematter。

Fromallofwhichitwillbeclear，ifindeedithasnotbecomesoalready，thatBeatriceGrangerwasasomewhatill-regulatedyoungwoman，borntobringtroubleonherselfandallconnectedwithher。

Hadshebeenotherwise，shewouldhavetakenhergoodfortuneandmarriedOwenDavies，inwhichcaseherhistoryneedneverhavebeenwritten。

CHAPTERVII

AMATRIMONIALTALE

BeforeGeoffreyBinghamdroppedoffintoatroubledsleeponthateventfulnightofstorm，helearnedthatthegirlwhohadsavedhislifeattheriskandalmostatthecostofherownwasoutofdanger，andinhisownandmorereticentwayhethankedProvidenceasheartilyasdidOwenDavies。Thenhewenttosleep。

Whenhewoke，feelingverysickandsostiffandsorethathecouldscarcelymove，thebroaddaylightwasstreamingthroughtheblinds。

Theplacewasperfectlyquiet，forthedoctor’sassistantwhohadbroughthimbacktolife，andwholayuponacouchatthefurtherendoftheroom，sleptthesleepofyouthandcompleteexhaustion。Onlyaneight-dayclockonthemantelpiecetickedinthatsolemnandaggressivewaywhichclocksaffectinthestillness。Geoffreystrainedhiseyestomakeoutthetime，andfinallydiscoveredthatitwantedafewminutestosixo’clock。ThenhefelltowonderinghowMissGrangerwas，andtorepeatinginhisownmindeverysceneoftheiradventure，tillthelast，whentheywerewhirledoutofthecanoeintheembraceofthatwhite-crestedbillow。

Herememberednothingafterthat，nothingbutarushingsoundandavisionoffoam。Heshudderedalittleashethoughtofit，forhisnerveswereshaken;itisnotpleasanttohavebeensoveryneartheEndandtheBeginning;andthenhisheartwentoutwithrenewedgratitudetowardsthegirlwhohadrestoredhimtolifeandlightandhope。Justatthismomenthethoughtthatheheardasoundofsobbingoutsidethewindow。Helistened;thesoundwenton。Hetriedtorise，onlytofindthathewastoostifftomanageit。So，asalastresource，hecalledthedoctor。

“Whatisthematter？”answeredthatyounggentleman，jumpingupwiththealacrityofoneaccustomedtobesuddenlyawakened。“Doyoufeelqueer？”

“Yes，Idorather。”answeredGeoffrey，“butitisn’tthat。Thereissomebodycryingoutsidehere。”

Thedoctorputonhiscoat，and，goingtothewindow，drewtheblind。

“Why，sothereis。”hesaid。“It’salittlegirlwithyellowhairandwithoutahat。”

“Alittlegirl。”answeredGeoffrey。“Why，itmustbeEffie，mydaughter。Pleaseletherin。”

“Allright。Coveryourselfup，andIcandothatthroughthewindow;

itisn’tfivefeetfromtheground。”Accordinglyheopenedthewindow，andaddressingthelittlegirl，askedherwhathernamewas。

“Effie。”shesobbedinanswer，“EffieBingham。I’vecometolookfordaddie。”

“Allright，mydear，don’tcryso;yourdaddieishere。Comeandletmeliftyouin。”

Anothermomentandthereappearedthroughtheopenwindowtheverysweetestlittlefaceandformthateveragirlofsixwasblessedwith。Forthefacewaspinkandwhite，andinitweresettwobeautifuldarkeyes，which，contrastingwiththegoldenhair，madethechildasighttosee。Butalas！justnowthecheekswerestainedwithtears，androundthelargedarkeyeswereringsalmostasdark。Norwasthisall。Thelittledresswashookedawry，ononetinyfootalldrenchedwithdewtherewasnoboot，andontheyellowcurlsnohat。

“Oh！daddie，daddie。”criedthechild，catchingsightofhimandstrugglingtoreachherfather’sarms，“youisn’tdead，isyou，daddie？”

“No，mylove，no。”answeredherfather，kissingher。“WhyshouldyouthinkthatIwasdead？Didn’tyourmothertellyouthatIwassafe？”

“Oh！daddie。”sheanswered，“theycameandsaidthatyouwasdrownded，andIcriedandwishedthatIwasdrowndedtoo。Thenmothercamehomeatlastandsaidthatyouwerebetter，andwascrosswithmebecauseI

wentoncryingandwantedtocometoyou。ButIdidgooncrying。I

criednearlyallnight，andwhenitgotlightIdiddressmyself，allbutoneshoeandmyhat，whichIcouldnotfind，andIgotoutofthehousetolookforyou。”

“Andhowdidyoufindme，mypoorlittledear？”

“Oh，IheardmothersayyouwasattheVicarage，soIwaitedtillI

sawaman，andaskedhimwhichwaytogo，andhedidtellmetowalkalongtheclifftillIsawalongwhitehouse，andthenwhenhesawthatIhadnoshoehewantedtotakemehome，butIranawaytillI

gothere。Buttheblindsweredown，soIdidthinkthatyouweredead，daddiedear，andIcriedtillthatgentlemanopenedthewindow。”

AfterthatGeoffreybegantoscoldherforrunningaway，butshedidnotseemtominditmuch，forshesatupontheedgeofthecouch，herlittlefacerestingagainsthisown，averyprettysighttosee。

“YoumustgobacktoMrs。Jones，Effie，andtellyourmotherwhereyouhavebeen。”

“Ican’t，daddie，I’veonlygotoneshoe。”sheanswered，pouting。

“Butyoucamewithonlyoneshoe。”

“Yes，daddie，butIwantedtocomeandIdon’twanttogoback。Tellmehowyouwasdrownded。”

Helaughedatherlogicandgavewaytoher，forthislittledaughterwasveryneartohisheart，nearerthananythingelseintheworld。Sohetoldherhowhewas“drownded“andhowaladyhadsavedhislife。

Effielistenedwithwideseteyes，andthensaidthatshewantedtoseethelady，whichshepresentlydid。Atthatmomenttherecameaknockatthedoor，andMr。Grangerentered，accompaniedbyDr。

Chambers。

“Howdoyoudo，sir？”saidtheformer。“Imustintroducemyself，seeingthatyouarenotlikelytorememberme。WhenlastIsawyou，youlookedasdeadasabeacheddog-fish。Myname’sGranger，theReverendJ。Granger，VicarofBryngelly，oneoftheveryworstlivingsonthiscoast，andthat’ssayingagreatdeal。”

“Iamsure，Mr。Granger，I’munderadeepdebtofgratitudetoyouforyourhospitality，andunderastilldeeperonetoyourdaughter，butI

hopetothankherpersonallyforthat。”

“Neverspeakofit。”saidtheclergyman。“Hotwaterandblanketsdon’tcostmuch，andyouwillhavetopayforthebrandyandthedoctor。Howishe，doctor？”

“Heisgettingonverywellindeed，Mr。Granger。ButIdaresayyoufindyourselfratherstiff，Mr。Bingham。Iseeyourheadisprettybadlybruised。”

“Yes。”heanswered，laughing，“andsoismybody。ShallIbeabletogohometo-day？”

“Ithinkso。”saidthedoctor，“butnotbeforethisevening。Youhadbetterkeepquiettillthen。YouwillbegladtohearthatMissBeatriceisgettingonverywell。Herswasawonderfulrecovery，themostwonderfulIeversaw。Ihadquitegivenherup，thoughIshouldhavekeptonthetreatmentforanotherhour。YououghttobegratefultoMissBeatrice，Mr。Bingham。Butforheryouwouldnothavebeenhere。”

“Iammostgrateful。”heansweredearnestly。“ShallIbeabletoseeherto-day？”

“Yes，Ithinkso，sometimethisafternoon，sayatthreeo’clock。Isthatyourlittledaughter？Whatalovelychildsheis。Well，Iwilllookinagainabouttwelve。Allthatyourequiretodonowistokeepquietandrubinsomearnica。”

AboutanhourafterwardstheservantgirlbroughtGeoffreysomebreakfastofteaandtoast。Hefeltquitehungry，butwhenitcametothepinchhecouldnoteatmuch。Effie，whowasstarving，madeupforthisdeficiency，however;sheateallthetoastandacoupleofslicesofbreadandbutterafterit。Scarcelyhadtheyfinished，whenherfatherobservedashadeofanxietycomeuponhislittledaughter’sface。

“Whatisit，Effie？”heasked。

“Ithink。”repliedEffieinevidenttrepidation，“IthinkthatIhearmotheroutsideandAnnetoo。”

“Well，dear，theyhavecometoseeme。”

“Yes，andtoscoldmebecauseIranaway。”andthechilddrewnearertoherfatherinafashionwhichwouldhavemadeitcleartoanyobserverthattherelationsbetweenherandhermotherweresomewhatstrained。

Effiewasright。PresentlytherewasaknockatthedoorandLadyHonoriaentered，calmandpaleandelegantasever。Shewasfollowedbyadark-eyedsomewhatimpertinent-lookingFrench/bonne/，whoheldupherhandsandejaculated，“MonDieu！“assheappeared。

“Ithoughtso。”saidLadyHonoria，speakinginFrenchtothe/bonne/。

“Theresheis。”andshepointedattherunawayEffiewithherparasol。

“MonDieu！“saidthewomanagain。“Vousvoilàenfin，etmoi，quisuisaccabléedepeur，etvotrechèremèreaussi;oh，maisquec’estméchant;etregardezdonc，avecunsoulierseulement。Maisc’estaffreux！“

“Holdyourtongue。”saidGeoffreysharply，“andleaveMissEffiealone。Shecametoseeme。”

Anneejaculated，“MonDieu！“oncemoreandcollapsed。

“Really，Geoffrey。”saidhiswife，“thewayyouspoilthatchildissomethingshocking。Sheiswilfulascanbe，andyoumakeherworse。

Itisverynaughtyofhertorunawaylikethatandgiveussuchahunt。Howarewetogetherhome，Iwonder，withonlyoneshoe。”

Herhusbandbithislip，andhisforeheadcontracteditselfabovethedarkeyes。ItwasnotthefirsttimethatheandLadyHonoriahadcometowordsaboutthechild，withwhomhiswifewasnotinsympathy。

IndeedshehadneverforgivenEffieforappearinginthisworldatall。LadyHonoriadidnotbelongtothatclassofwomenwhothinkmaternityisajoy。

“Anne。”hesaid，“takeMissEffieandcarryhertillyoucanfindadonkey。Shecanridebacktothelodgings。”ThenursemurmuredsomethinginFrenchaboutthechildbeingasheavyaslead。

“DoasIbidyou。”hesaidsharply，inthesamelanguage。“Effie，mylove，givemeakissandgohome。Thankyouforcomingtoseeme。”

Thechildobeyedandwent。LadyHonoriastoodandwatchedhergo，tappingherlittlefootuponthefloor，andwithalookuponhercold，handsomefacethatwasnotaltogetheragreeabletosee。

Ithadsometimeshappenedthat，inthecourseofhismarriedlife，Geoffreyreturnedhomewithalittleofthataddedfondnesswhichabsenceisfabledtobeget。OntheseoccasionshewascommonlysounfortunateastofindthatLadyHonoriabeliedthesaying，thatshegreetedhimwitharrearsofgrievancesandwas，ifpossible，morefrigidthanever。

Wasthistoberepeatednowthathehadcomebackfromwhatwassoneartobeingthelongestabsenceofall？Itlookedlikeit。Henotedsymptomsoftherisingstorm，symptomswithwhichhewasbuttoowellacquainted，andbothforhisownsakeandforhers——foraboveallthingsGeoffreydreadedthesebittermatrimonialbickerings——triedtothinkofsomethingkindtosay。Itmustbeownedthathedidnotshowmuchtactinthesubjectheselected，thoughitwasonewhichmighthavestirredthesympathiesofsomewomen。ItissodifficulttorememberthatoneisdealingwithaLadyHonoria。

“Ifeverwehaveanotherchild——“hebegangently。

“Excusemeinterruptingyou。”saidthelady，withasuavitywhichdidnothoweverconveyanyideaofthespeaker’sinwardpeace，“butitisakindnesstopreventyoufromgoingoninthatline。/One/darlingisampleforme。”

“Well。”saidthemiserableGeoffrey，withaneffort，“evenifyoudon’tcaremuchaboutthechildyourself，itisalittleunreasonabletoobjectbecauseshecaresformeandwassorrywhenshethoughtthatIwasdead。Really，Honoria，sometimesIwonderifyouhaveanyheartatall。WhyshouldyoubeputoutbecauseEffiegotupearlytocomeandseeme？——anexamplewhichImustadmityoudidnotsether。Andastohershoe——“headdedsmiling。

“Youmaylaughabouthershoe，Geoffrey。”sheinterrupted，“butyouforgetthatevenlittlethingslikethatarenolaughingmatternowtous。Thechild’sshoeskeepmeawakeatnightsometimes。DefoyhasnotbeenpaidforIdon’tknowhowlong。Ihaveamindtogether/sabots/——

andastoheart——“

“Well。”brokeinGeoffrey，reflectingthatbadaswastheemotionalsideofthequestion，itwasbetterthanthecommercial——“asto’heart？’“

“Youarescarcelythepersontotalkofit，thatisall。Iwonderhowmuchofyoursyougave/me/？”

“Really，Honoria。”heanswered，notwithouteagerness，andhismindfilledwithwonder。Wasitpossiblethathiswifehadexperiencedsomekindof“call。”andwasabouttoconcernherselfwithhisheartonewayortheother？Ifsoitwasstrange，forshehadnevershowntheslightestinterestinitbefore。

“Yes。”shewentonrapidlyandwithgatheringvehemence，“youspeakaboutyourheart“——whichhehadnotdone——“andyetyouknowaswellasIdothatifIhadbeenagirlofnopositionyouwouldneverhaveofferedmetheorganonwhichyoupretendtosetsohighavalue。Ordidyourheartrunwildlyawaywithyou，anddragusintoloveandacottage——aflat，Imean？Ifso，/I/shouldpreferalittlelessheartandalittlemorecommonsense。”

Geoffreywinced，twiceindeed，feelingthatherladyshiphadhithimasitwerewithbothbarrels。For，asamatteroffact，hehadnotbegunwithanypassionatedevotion，andagainLadyHonoriaandhewerenowjustaspoorasthoughtheyhadreallymarriedforlove。

“Itishardlyfairtogobackonbygonesandtalklikethis。”hesaid，“evenifyourpositionhadsomethingtodowithit;onlyatfirstofcourse，youmustrememberthatwhenwemarriedminewasnotwithoutattractions。Twothousandayeartostartonandabaronetcyandeightthousandayearinthenearfuturewerenot——butIhatetalkingaboutthatkindofthing。Whydoyouforcemetoit？Nobodycouldknowthatmyuncle，whowassoanxiousthatIshouldmarryyou，wouldmarryhimselfathisage，andhaveasonandheir。Itwasnotmyfault，Honoria。Perhapsyouwouldnothavemarriedmeifyoucouldhaveforeseenit。”

“Veryprobablynot。”sheansweredcalmly，“anditisnot/my/faultthatIhavenotyetlearnedtolivewithpeaceofmindandcomfortonsevenhundredayear。Itwashardenoughtoexistontwothousandtillyouruncledied，andnow——“

“Well，andnow，Honoria，ifyouwillonlyhavepatienceandputupwiththingsforawhile，youshallberichenough;Iwillmakemoneyforyou，asmuchmoneyasyouwant。Ihavemanyfriends。IhavenotdonesobadlyattheBarthisyear。”

“Twohundredpounds，nineteenshillingsandsevenpence，minusninety-

sevenpoundsrentofchambersandclerk。”saidLadyHonoria，withadisparagingaccentonthesevenpence。

“Ishalldoubleitnextyear，anddoublethatagainthenext，andsoon。Iworkfrommorningtillnighttogeton，thatyoumayhave——whatyoulivefor。”hesaidbitterly。

“Ah，Ishallbesixtybeforethathappydaycomes，andwantnothingbutscandalandabathchair。IknowtheBaranditsmoaning。”sheadded，withacidwit。“Youdream，youimaginewhatyouwouldliketocometrue，butyouaredeceivingmeandyourself。ItwillbelikethestoryofSirRobertBingham’spropertyonceagain。Weshallbebeggarsallourdays。Itellyou，Geoffrey，thatyouhadnorighttomarryme。”

Thenatlengthhelosthistemper。Thiswasnotthefirstofthesescenes——theyhadgrownfrequentoflate，andthisbitterwaterwasconstantlydropping。

“Right？”hesaid，“andmayIaskwhatrightyouhadtomarrymewhenyoudon’tevenpretendyouevercaredonestrawforme，butjustacceptedmeasyouwouldhaveacceptedanyothermanwhowasatolerablygoodmatch？IgrantthatIfirstthoughtofproposingtoyoubecausemyunclewishedit，butifIdidnotloveyouImeanttobeagoodhusbandtoyou，andIshouldhavelovedyouifyouwouldletme。

Butyouarecoldandselfish;youlookeduponahusbandmerelyasastepping-stonetoluxury;youhaveneverlovedanybodyexceptyourself。IfIhaddiedlastnightIbelievethatyouwouldhavecaredmoreabouthavingtogointomourningthanforthefactofmydisappearancefromyourlife。YoushowednomorefeelingformewhenyoucameinthanyouwouldhaveifIhadbeenastranger——notsomuchassomewomenmighthaveforastranger。Iwondersometimesifyouhaveanyfeelingleftinyouatall。IshouldthinkthatyoutreatmeasyoudobecauseyoudonotcareformeanddocareforsomeotherpersondidInotknowyoutobeutterlyincapableofcaringforanybody。Doyouwanttomakemehateyou，Honoria？”

Geoffrey’slowconcentratedvoiceandearnestmannertoldhiswife，whowaswatchinghimwithsomethinglikeasmileuponherclear-cutlips，howdeeplyhewasmoved。Hehadlosthisself-control，andexposedhishearttoher——athingherarelydid，andthatinitselfwasatriumphwhichshedidnotwishtopursueatthemoment。Geoffreywasnotamantopushtoofar。

“Ifyouhavequitefinished，Geoffrey，thereissomethingIshouldliketosay——“

“Oh，curseitall！“hebrokein。

“Yes？”shesaidcalmlyandinterrogatively，andmadeapause，butashedidnotspeciallyapplyhisremarktoanybodyoranything，shecontinued:“Iftheseflowersofrhetoricareover，whatIhavetosayisthis:Idonotintendtostayinthishorridplaceanylonger。Iamgoingto-morrowtomybrotherGarsington。Theyaskedusboth，youmayremember，butforreasonsbestknowntoyourself，youwouldnotgo。”

“Youknowmyreasonsverywell，Honoria。”

“Ibegyourpardon。Ihavenottheslightestideawhattheywere。”

saidLadyHonoriawithconviction。“MayIhearthem？”

“Well，ifyouwishtoknow，Iwillnotgotothehouseofamanwhohas——well，leftmyclubasGarsingtonleftit，andwho，haditnotbeenformyefforts，wouldhaveleftitinanevenmoreunpleasantandconspicuousfashion。Andhiswifeisworsethanheis——“

“Ithinkyouaremistaken。”LadyHonoriasaidcoldly，andwiththeairofapersonwhoshutsthedoorofaroomintowhichshedoesnotwishtolook。“And，anyway，itallhappenedyearsagoandhasblownover。

ButIdonotseethenecessityofdiscussingthesubjectfurther。I

supposethatweshallmeetatdinnerto-night。Ishalltaketheearlytrainto-morrow。”

“Dowhatsuitsyou，Honoria。Perhapsyouwouldprefernotreturningatall。”

“Thankyou，no。Iwillnotlaymyselfopentoimputations。IshalljoinyouinLondon，andwillmakethebestofabadbusiness。ThankHeaven，Ihavelearnedhowtobearmymisfortunes。”andwiththisParthianshotshelefttheroom。

Foraminuteortwoherhusbandfeltasthoughhealmosthatedher。

Thenhethrusthisfaceintothepillowandgroaned。

“Sheisright。”hesaidtohimself;“wemustmakethebestofabadbusiness。But，somehow，Iseemtohavemadeamessofmylife。AndyetIlovedheronce——foramonthortwo。”

Thiswasnotanagreeablescene，anditmaybesaidthatLadyHonoriawasavulgarperson。Butnoteventheadvantageofhavingbeenbroughtup“onthekneesofmarchionesses“isaspecificagainstvulgarity，ifaladyhappens，unfortunately，tosetherheart，whatthereisofit，meanlyonmeanthings。

CHAPTERVIII

EXPLANATORY

Abouttwoo’clockGeoffreyrose，andwithsomeslightassistancefromhisreverendhost，struggledintohisclothes。Thenhelunched，andwhilehedidsoMr。Grangerpouredhistroublesintohissympatheticear。

“MyfatherwasaHerefordshirefarmer，Mr。Bingham。”hesaid，“andI

wasbreduptothatlineoflifemyself。Hedidwell，myfatherdid，asinthosedaysacarefulmanmight。Whatismore，hemadesomemoneybycattle-dealing，andIthinkthatturnedhisheadalittle;anyway，hewasmindedtomake’agentlemanofme，’ashecalledit。SowhenI

waseighteenIwaspackedofftobemadeaparsonof，whetherIlikeditorno。Well，Ibecameaparson，andforfouryearsIhadacuracyatatowncalledKingston，inHerefordshire，notabadsortoflittletown——perhapsyouhappentoknowit。WhileIwasthere，myfather，whowasgettingbeyondhimself，tooktospeculating。HebuiltarowofvillasatLeominster，oratleasthelentalawyerthemoneytobuildthem，andwhentheywerebuiltnobodywouldhirethem。Itbrokemyfather;hewasruinedoverthosevillas。Ihavealwayshatedthesightofavillaeversince，Mr。Bingham。Andshortlyafterwardshedied，asnearbankruptcyasaman’snoseistohismouth。

“AfterthatIwasofferedthisliving，￡150ayearitwasatthebest，andlikeafoolItookit。Theoldparsonwhowasherebeforemeleftanonlydaughterbehindhim。Thelivinghadruinedhim，asitruinsme，and，asIsay，helefthisdaughter，mywifethatwas，behindhim，andaprettygoodbillfordilapidationsIhadagainsttheestate。Buttherewasn’tanyestate，soImadethebestofabadbusinessandmarriedthedaughter，andasweetprettywomanshewas，poordear，verylikemyBeatrice，onlywithoutthebrains。Ican’tmakeoutwhereBeatrice’sbrainscomefromindeed，forIamsureIdon’tsetupforhavingany。Shewaswellborn，too，mywifewas，ofanoldCornishfamily，butshehadnowheretogoto，andIthinkshemarriedmebecauseshedidn’tknowwhatelsetodo，andwasfondoftheoldplace。Shetookmeonwithit，asitwere。Well，itturnedoutprettywell，tillsomeelevenyearsago，whenourboywasborn，thoughI

don’tthinkweeverquiteunderstoodeachother。Shenevergotherhealthbackafterthat，andsevenyearsagoshedied。Irememberitwasonanightwonderfullylikelastnight——mistfirst，thenstorm。

Theboydiedafewyearsafterwards。IthoughtitwouldhavebrokenBeatrice’sheart;shehasneverbeenthesamegirlsince，butalwaysfullofqueerideasIdon’tpretendtofollow。

“AndasforthelifeI’vehadofithere，Mr。Bingham，youwouldn’tbelieveitifIwastotellyou。Thelivingissmallenough，buttheplaceisasfullofdissentasamackerel-boatoffish，andasforgettingthetithes——well，Icannot，that’sall。Ifitwasn’tforabitoffarmingthatIdo，notbutwhatthepricesaredowntonothing，andforwhatthevisitorsgiveintheseason，andforthehelpofBeatrice’ssalaryascertificatedmistress，Ishouldhavebeeninthepoor-houselongago，andshallbeyet，Ioftenthink。Ihavehadtotakeinaborderbeforenowtomakebothendsmeet，andshallagain，I

expect。