第45章

Foritisnotasifyouwouldlosebysodoing；yourcourseisfarhigherthanthecoursesofasimpleprofessionalman，andthegratitudeyouwouldwinfrommeandminebyyourkindnessismorethanIcansay。”

Mrs。CharmondhadfirstrushedintoamoodofindignationoncomprehendingMelbury’sstory；hotandcoldbyturns，shehadmurmured，“Leaveme，leaveme！”Butasheseemedtotakenonoticeofthis，hiswordsbegantoinfluenceher，andwhenheceasedspeakingshesaid，withhurried，hotbreath，“Whathasledyoutothinkthisofme？WhosaysIhavewonyourdaughter’shusbandawayfromher？Somemonstrouscalumniesareafloat——ofwhichI

haveknownnothinguntilnow！”

Melburystarted，andlookedathersimply。“Butsurely，ma’am，youknowthetruthbetterthanI？”

Herfeaturesbecamealittlepinched，andthetouchesofpowderonherhandsomefaceforthefirsttimeshowedthemselvesasanextrinsicfilm。“Willyouleavemetomyself？”shesaid，withafaintnesswhichsuggestedaguiltyconscience。“Thisissoutterlyunexpected——youobtainadmissiontomypresencebymisrepresentation——“

“AsGod’sinheaven，ma’am，that’snottrue。Imadenopretence；

andIthoughtinreasonyouwouldknowwhyIhadcome。Thisgossip——“

“Ihaveheardnothingofit。Tellmeofit，Isay。”

“Tellyou，ma’am——notI。Whatthegossipis，nomatter。Whatreallyis，youknow。Setfactsright，andthescandalwillrightofitself。Butpardonme——Ispeakroughly；andIcametospeakgently，tocoaxyou，begyoutobemydaughter’sfriend。Shelovedyouonce，ma’am；youbeganbylikingher。Thenyoudroppedherwithoutareason，andithurtherwarmheartmorethanIcantellye。Butyouwerewithinyourrightasthesuperior，nodoubt。Butifyouwouldconsiderherpositionnow——surely，surely，youwoulddohernoharm！”

“CertainlyIwoulddohernoharm——I——“Melbury’seyemethers。

Itwascurious，buttheallusiontoGrace’sformerloveforherseemedtotouchhermorethanallMelbury’sotherarguments。“Oh，Melbury。”sheburstout，“youhavemademesounhappy！Howcouldyoucometomelikethis！Itistoodreadful！Nowgoaway——go，go！”

“Iwill。”hesaid，inahuskytone。

Assoonashewasoutoftheroomshewenttoacornerandtheresatandwrithedunderanemotioninwhichhurtprideandvexationmingledwithbettersentiments。

Mrs。Charmond’smobilespiritwassubjecttothesefierceperiodsofstressandstorm。Shehadneversoclearlyperceivedtillnowthathersoulwasbeingslowlyinvadedbyadeliriumwhichhadbroughtaboutallthis；thatshewaslosingjudgmentanddignityunderit，becomingananimatedimpulseonly，apassionincarnate。

Afascinationhadledheron；itwasasifshehadbeenseizedbyahandofvelvet；andthiswaswhereshefoundherself——

overshadowedwithsuddennight，asifatornadohadpassedby。

Whileshesat，orrathercrouched，unhingedbytheinterview，lunch-timecame，andthentheearlyafternoon，almostwithoutherconsciousness。Then“astrangegentlemanwhosaysitisnotnecessarytogivehisname。”wassuddenlyannounced。

“Icannotseehim，whoeverhemaybe。Iamnotathometoanybody。”

Sheheardnomoreofhervisitor；andshortlyafter，inanattempttorecoversomementalserenitybyviolentphysicalexercise，sheputonherhatandcloakandwentout-of-doors，takingapathwhichledheruptheslopestothenearestspurofthewood。Shedislikedthewoods，buttheyhadtheadvantageofbeingaplaceinwhichshecouldwalkcomparativelyunobserved。

Therewasagitationto-dayinthelivesofallwhomthesemattersconcerned。ItwasnottilltheHintockdinner-time——oneo’clock——

thatGracediscoveredherfather’sabsencefromthehouseafteradepartureinthemorningundersomewhatunusualconditions。Byalittlereasoningandinquiryshewasabletocometoaconclusiononhisdestination，andtodivinehiserrand。

Herhusbandwasabsent，andherfatherdidnotreturn。Heh