第30章

’Inthestable。IdidnotliketobringthemindoorstillIhadseenyou，mother，andbrokenthebadnewsabittoyou。Theywereverytired，andarerestingoutthereonsomestraw。’

Mrs。Hall’sfortitudevisiblybrokedown。Shehadbeenbroughtupnotwithoutrefinement，andwasevenmoremovedbysuchacollapseofgenteelaimsasthisthanasubstantialdairyman’swidowwouldinordinaryhavebeenmoved。’Well，itmustbeborne，’shesaid，inalowvoice，withherhandstightlyjoined。’Astarvingson，astarvingwife，starvingchildren！Letitbe。Butwhyisthiscometousnow，to-day，to-night？Couldnoothermisfortunehappentohelplesswomenthanthis，whichwillquiteupsetmypoorgirl’schanceofahappylife？Whyhaveyoudoneusthiswrong，Philip？

Whatrespectablemanwillcomehere，andmarryopen-eyedintoafamilyofvagabonds？’

’Nonsense，mother！’saidSallyvehemently，whileherfaceflushed。

’Charleyisn’tthemantodesertme。Butifheshouldbe，andwon’tmarrymebecausePhil’scome，lethimgoandmarryelsewhere。I

won’tbeashamedofmyownfleshandbloodforanymaninEngland——

notI！’AndthenSallyturnedawayandburstintotears。

’Waittillyouaretwentyyearsolderandyouwilltelladifferenttale，’repliedhermother。

Thesonstoodup。’Mother，’hesaidbitterly，’asIhavecome，soI

willgo。AllIaskofyouisthatyouwillallowmeandminetolieinyourstableto-night。Igiveyoumywordthatwe’llbegonebybreakofday，andtroubleyounofurther！’

Mrs。Hall，themother，changedatthat。’Ono，’sheansweredhastily；’nevershallitbesaidthatIsentanyofmyownfamilyfrommydoor。Bring’emin，Philip，ortakemeouttothem。’

’Wewillput’emallintothelargebedroom，’saidSally，brightening，’andmakeupalargefire。Let’sgoandhelpthemin，andcallRebekah。’(Rebekahwasthewomanwhoassistedatthedairyandhousework；shelivedinacottagehardbywithherhusband，whoattendedtothecows。)

Sallywenttofetchalanternfromtheback-kitchen，butherbrothersaid，’Youwon’twantalight。Ilitthelanternthatwashangingthere。’

’Whatmustwecallyourwife？’askedMrs。Hall。

’Helena，’saidPhilip。

Withshawlsovertheirheadstheyproceededtowardsthebackdoor。

’Oneminutebeforeyougo，’interruptedPhilip。’I——Ihaven’tconfessedall。’

’ThenHeavenhelpus！’saidMrs。Hall，pushingtothedoorandclaspingherhandsincalmdespair。

’WepassedthroughEversheadaswecame，’hecontinued，’andIjustlookedinatthe“Sow-and-Acorn“toseeifoldMikestillkeptonthereasusual。ThecarrierhadcomeinfromShertonAbbasatthatmoment，andguessingthatIwasboundforthisplace——forIthinkheknewme——heaskedmetobringonadressmaker’sparcelforSallythatwasmarked“immediate。“Mywifehadwalkedonwiththechildren。’Twasaflimsyparcel，andthepaperwastorn，andI

foundonlookingatitthatitwasathickwarmgown。Ididn’twishyoutoseepoorHelenainashabbystate。Iwasashamedthatyoushould——’twasnotwhatshewasb