第70章

“ForthefirstdayortwoIthoughtsheneverwouldgetoverit；shesaiditwasajudgementuponher，andwentonaboutthingsasshehadsaidanddonemanyyearsago，beforeyourpaknewher，andI

don’tknowwhatshedidn’tsayorwouldn’thavesaidonlyIstoppedher；sheseemedoutofhermindlike，andsaidthatnoneoftheneighbourswouldeverspeaktoheragain，butthenextdayMrsBushby(herthatwasMissCowey，youknow)called，andyourmaalwayswassofondofher，anditseemedtodoherapowero’good，forthenextdayshewentthroughallherdresses，andwesettledhowsheshouldhavethemaltered；andthenalltheneighbourscalledformilesandmilesround，andyourmacameinhere，andsaidshehadbeengoingthroughthewatersofmisery，andtheLordhadturnedthemtoawell。

“’Ohyes，Susan，’saidshe，’besureitisso。WhomtheLordlovethhechasteneth，Susan，’andhereshebegantocryagain。’Asforhim，’shewenton，’hehasmadehisbed，andhemustlieonit；whenhecomesoutofprisonhispawillknowwhatisbesttobedone，andMasterErnestmaybethankfulthathehasapasogoodandsolong-

suffering。’

“Thenwhenyouwouldnotseethem，thatwasacruelblowtoyourma。

Yourpadidnotsayanything；youknowyourpaneverdoessayverymuchunlesshe’sdownrightwaxyforthetime；butyourmatookondreadfulforafewdays，andIneversawthemasterlooksoblack；

but，blessyou，itallwentoffinafewdays，andIdon’tknowthatthere’sbeenmuchdifferenceineitherofthemsincethen，nottillyourmawastookill。”

Onthenightofhisarrivalhehadbehavedwellatfamilyprayers，asalsoonthefollowingmorning；hisfatherreadaboutDavid’sdyinginjunctionstoSolomoninthematterofShimei，buthedidnotmindit。Inthecourseoftheday，however，hiscornshadbeentroddenonsomanytimesthathewasinamisbehavinghumour，onthisthesecondnightafterhisarrival。HekneltnextCharlotteandsaidtheresponsesperfunctorily，notsoperfunctorilythatsheshouldknowforcertainthathewasdoingitmaliciously，butsoperfunctorilyastomakeheruncertainwhetherhemightbemaliciousornot，andwhenhehadtopraytobemadetrulyhonestandconscientiousheemphasisedthe“truly。”IdonotknowwhetherCharlottenoticedanything，butshekneltatsomedistancefromhimduringtherestofhisstay。HeassuresmethatthiswastheonlyspitefulthinghedidduringthewholetimehewasatBattersby。

Whenhewentuptohisbedroom，inwhich，todothemjustice，theyhadgivenhimafire，henoticedwhatindeedhehadnoticedassoonashewasshownintoitonhisarrival，thattherewasanilluminatedcardframedandglazedoverhisbedwiththewords，“Bethedaywearyorbethedaylong，atlastitringethtoevensong。”

Hewonderedtohimselfhowsuchpeoplecouldleavesuchacardinaroominwhichtheirvisitorswouldhavetospendthelasthoursoftheirevening，butheletitalone。“There’snotenoughdifferencebetween’weary’and’long’towarrantan’or，’“hesaid，“butI

supposeitisallright。”IbelieveChristinahadboughtthecardatabazaarinaidoftherestorationofaneighbouringchurch，andhavingbeenboughtithadgottobeused——besides，thesentimentwassotouchingandtheilluminationwasreallylovely。Anyhow，noironycouldbemorecompletethanleavingitinmyhero’sbedroom，thoughassuredlynoironyhadbeenintended。

OnthethirddayafterErnest’sarrivalChristinarelapsedagain。

Forthelasttwodaysshehadbeeninnopainandhadsleptagooddeal；herson’spresencestillseemedtocheerher，andsheoftensaidhowthankfulshewastobesurroundedonherdeath-bedbyafamilysohappy，soGod-fearing，sounited，butnowshebegantowander，and，beingmoresensibleoftheapproachofdeath，seemedalsomorealarmedatthethoughtsoftheDayofJudgment。

Sheventuredmorethanonceortwicetoreturntothesubjectofhersins，andimploredTheobald