第24章

Sinceyoutoldmethat，Ihavenotlookedforheratall。’

’Iwaswrong，father，’Bobrepliedgravely，throwingdownhisbundleandstick。’Matilda，Ifind，hasnotgoneawayinscornofus；shehasgoneawayforotherreasons。Ifollowedhersomeway；butI

havecomebackagain。Shemaygo。’

’Whyisshegone？’saidtheastonishedmiller。

Bobhadintended，forMatilda’ssake，togivenoreasontoalivingsoulforherdeparture。Buthecouldnottreathisfatherthusreservedly；andhetold。

’Shehasmadegreatfoolsofus，’saidthemillerdeliberately；’andshemighthavemadeusgreaterones。Bob，Ithoughtth’hadstmoresense。’

’Well，don’tsayanythingagainsther，father，’imploredBob。

’’Twasasorryhaul，andthere’sanendon’t。Letherdownquietly，andkeepthesecret。Youpromisethat？’

’Ido。’Lovedaytheelderremainedthinkingawhile，andthenwenton——’Well，whatIwasgoingtosayisthis:I’vehituponaplantogetoutoftheawkwardcornershehasputusin。Whatyou’llthinkofitIcan’tsay。’

’Davidhasjustgivenmetheheads。’

’Anddoithurtyourfeelings，myson，atsuchatime？’

’No——I’llbringmyselftobearit，anyhow！WhyshouldIobjecttootherpeople’shappinessbecauseIhavelostmyown？’saidBob，withsaintlyself-sacrificeinhisair。

’Wellsaid！’answeredthemillerheartily。’Butyoumaybesurethattherewillbenounseemlyrejoicing，todisturbyeinyourpresentframeofmind。AllthemorningIfeltmoreashamedthanI

caredtoownatthethoughtofhowtheneighbours，greatandsmall，wouldlaughatwhattheywouldcallyourfolly，whentheyknewwhathadhappened；soIresolvedtotakethissteptostaveitoff，ifsobe’twaspossible。AndwhenIsawMrs。GarlandIknewIhaddoneright。Shepitiedmesomuchforhavinghadthehousecleanedinvain，andlaidinprovisionstowaste，thatitputherintothehumourtoagree。Wemeantodoitrightoffatonce，aforethepiesandcakesgetmouldyandtheblackpotstale。’Twasagoodthoughtofmineandhers，andIamglad’tissettled，’heconcludedcheerfully。

’PoorMatilda！’murmuredBob。

’There——Iwasafraid’twouldhurtthyfeelings，’saidthemiller，withself-reproach:’makingpreparationsforthywedding，andusingthemformyown！’

’No，’saidBobheroically；’itshallnot。Itwillbeagreatcomfortinmysorrowtofeelthatthesplendidgrub，andtheale，andyourstunningnewsuitofclothes，andthegreattable-clothsyou’vebought，willbejustasusefulnowasifIhadmarriedmyself。PoorMatilda！Butyouwon’texpectmetojoinin——youhardlycan。Icansheeroffthatdayveryeasily，youknow。’

’Nonsense，Bob！’saidthemillerreproachfully。

’Icouldn’tstandit——Ishouldbreakdown。’

’DeucetakemeifIwouldhaveaskedher，then，ifIhadknown’twasgoingtodrivetheeoutofthehouse！Now，come，Bob，I’llfindawayofarrangingitandsoberingitdown，sothatitshallbeasmelancholyasyoucanrequire——inshort，justlikeafuneral，ifthou’ltpromisetostay？’

’Verywell，’saidtheafflictedone。’OnthatconditionI’llstay。’

Havingenteredintothissolemncompactwithhisson，theelderLoveday’snextactionwastogotoMrs。Garland，andaskherhowthetoningdownoftheweddinghadbestbedone。’ItisplainenoughthattomakemerryjustnowwouldbeslightingBob’sfeelings，asifwedidn’tcarewhowasnotmarried，solongaswewere，’hesaid。

’Butthen，what’stobedoneaboutthevictuals？’

’Giveadinnertothepoorfolk，’shesuggested。’Wecangeteverythingusedupthatway。’

’That’strue’saidthemiller。’There’senoughof’eminthesetimestocarryoffanyextraswhatsoever。’

’AnditwillsaveBob’sfeelingswonderfully。Andtheywon’tknowthatthedinnerwasgotforanothersortofweddingandanothersortofguests；soyou’llhavetheirgood-willfornothing。’

Themillersmiledatthesubtletyoftheview。’Thatcanhardlybecalledfair，’hesaid。’Still，Ididmeansomeofitforthem，forthefriendswemeanttoaskwouldnothaveclearedall。’

Uponthewholetheideapleasedhimwell，particularlywhenhenoticedtheforlornlookofhissailorsonashewalkedabouttheplace，andpicturedtheinevitablyjarringeffectoffiddlesandtambourinesuponBob’sshatterednervesatsuchacrisis，evenifthenotesoftheformerweredulledbytheapplicationofamute，andBobshutupinadista