第19章

Atanyrate，Isobel，whothought，likemostotheryoungpeople，thatwhentheyoncehavewrittensomething，itisconveyedbyamagicalagencytotheaddressee，evenifleftbetweentheleavesofablotter，acceptedtheassuranceasconclusive。Withoutdoubttheletterhadgoneanddulyarrived，onlyGodfreydidnotchoosetoanswerit，thatwasall。Perhapsthismightbebecausehewasstillangryonaccountoftheknightinarmour——oh!howshehopedthatthiswasthereason，but，ashercold，commonsense，ofwhichshehadanunusualshare，convincedher，muchmoreprobablytheexplanationwasthathewasengagedotherwise，anddidnotthinkitworthwhiletotakethetroubletowrite。

Lateron，itistrue，shedidmeantoaskMrs。Parsonswhethershehadforwardedtheletter。Butasitchanced，beforeshedidso，thatgoodwomanburstintoafloodofconversationaboutGodfrey，sayinghowhappyheseemedtobeinhisnewhomewithsuchniceladiesaround，whoitwasplain，thoughtsomuchofhim，andsoforth。ThisgarrulityIsobeltookasanintendedhintandceasedfromhercontemplatedqueries。WhensomemonthslaterMr。KnightbroughtherGodfrey’sepistlewhichannouncedhisinheritance，needlesstosay，everythingbecameplainasapikestafftoherexperiencedintelligence。

Soitcameaboutthattwoyoungpeople，whoadoredeachother，wereestrangedforaconsiderablelengthoftime。ForIsobelwrotenomoreletters，andtheproudandoutragedGodfreywouldratherhavediedthanattempttoopenacorrespondence——afterwhathehadseeninthatLondonsquare。Itistruethatinhisbriefepistleshome，whichwerealladdressedtohisfather，sinceMrs。Parsonswaswhatiscalled“apoorscholar，“hedidtryinaroundaboutwaytolearnsomethingaboutIsobel，buttheseinquiries，forreasonsofhisown，hisparentcompletelyignored。Inshort，shemighthavebeendeadforallthatGodfreyheardofher，ashebelievedthatshewasdead——tohim。

Meanwhile，Isobelhadotherthingstooccupyher。Hermother，asshehadsaidintheletterwhichMr。Knight’ssenseofdutycompelledhimtosteal，becameveryillwithlungtrouble。ThedoctorsannouncedthatsheoughttobetakentoEgyptorsomeotherwarmclimate，suchasAlgeria，forthewintermonths。SirJohnwouldhearnothingofthesort。Foryearspasthehadchosentoconsiderthathiswifewashypochondriacal，andallthemedicalopinionsinLondonwouldnothaveinducedhimtochangethatview。Thefactwas，asmaybeguessed，thatitdidnotsuithimtoleaveEngland，andthatforsundryreasonswhichneednotbedetailed，hedidnotwishthatIsobelshouldaccompanyhermothertowhathecalled“foreignparts。“InhissecrethearthereflectedthatifLadyJanedied，well，shedied，andwhileheavengainedasaint，earth，oratanyrate，SirJohnBlake，wouldbenoloser。Shehadplayedherpartinhislife，therewasnothingmoretobemadeofhereitherasawomanasasocialasset。Whatwoulditmatterifonemorepale，uninterestingladyoftitlejoinedthemajority？

IsobelhadoneofherstormyinterviewswithSirJohnuponthismatterofhermother’shealth。

“Sheoughttogoabroad，“shesaid。

“Whotoldyouthat？“askedherfather。

“Thedoctors。Iwaitedforthemandaskedthem。“

“Thenyouhadnobusinesstodoso。Youareanimpertinentandinterferingchit。“

“Isitimpertinentandinterferingtobeanxiousaboutone’smother’shealth，evenifoneisachit？“inquiredIsobel，lookinghimstraightintheeyes。

Thenhebrokeoutinhiscoarseway，sayingthingstohisdaughterofwhichheshouldhavebeenashamed。

Shewaiteduntilheceased，red-faced，andgasping，andreplied：

“Wereitnotformymother，whomyouabuse，althoughsheissuchanangelandhasalwaysbeensokindtoyou，Iwouldleaveyou，Father，andearnmyownliving，orgowithmyuncleEdgartoMexico，whereheistobeappointedMinister，asheandAuntMargaretaskedmeto。AsitisIshallstophere，thoughifanythinghappenstoMother，becauseyouwillnotsendherabroad，IshallgoifIhavetorunaway。Whywon’tyoulethergo？“sheaddedwithachangeofvoice。“Youneednotcome；Icouldlookafterher。IfyouthinkthatEgyptortheotherplaceistoofar，youknowthedoctorssaythatperhapsSwitzerlandwoulddohergood，andthatisquitenear。“

Hecaughtholdofthissuggestion，andexclaimed，withasneer：

“IknowwhyyouwanttogotoSwitzerland，Miss。Torunafterthatwhipper-snapperofaparson’sson，eh？Well，youshan’t。AndasforwhyIwon’tlethergo，it’sbecauseIdon’tbelievethosedoctors，whosayoneminutethatsheshouldgotoEgypt，whichishot，andthenexttoSwitzerland，whichiscold。Moreover，ImeanyoutostopinEngland，andnotgofoolingaboutwithalotofstrangemenintheseforeignplaces。Youaregrownupnowandout，andIhavemyownplansforyourfuture，whichcan’tcomeoffifyouareaway。WestopheretillChristmas，andthengotoLondon。There，that’sall，sohavedone。“

Attheseinsults，especiallythatwhichhadtodowithGodfrey，Isobelturnedperfectlyscarletandbitherliptillthebloodran。Thenwithoutanotherwordshewentaway，leavinghim，ifthetruthwereknown，alittlefrightened。Still，hewouldnotalterhisdecision，partlybecausetodosomustinterferewithhisplans，andhewasaveryobstinateman，andpartlybecauseherefusedtobebeatenbyIsobel。Thiswas，hefelt，atrialofstrengthbetweenthem，andifhegavewaynow，shewouldbemaster。Hiswife’swelfaredidnotenterintohiscalculations。

SotheystoppedinEssex，wherematterswentasthedoctorshadforetold，onlymorequicklythantheyexpected。LadyJane’scomplaintgrewrapidlyworse，sorapidlythatsoontherewasnoquestionofhergoingabroad。AtthelastmomentSirJohngrewfrightened，asbulliesareapttodo，andonreceiptofanindignantletterfromLordLynfield，nowanoldman，whohadbeeninformedofthefactsbyhisgrand-daughter，offeredtosendhiswifetoEgypt，oranywhereelse。

Againthedoctorswerecalledintoreport，andtoldhimwithbrutalfranknessthatiftheiradvicehadbeentakenwhenitwasfirstgiven，probablyshewouldhavelivedforsomeyears。Asitwas，itwasimpossibleforhertotravel，sincetheexertionmightcauseherdeathuponthejourney，especiallyifshebecameseasick。

ThisverdictcametoIsobel’sknowledgeasthefirsthaddone。Indeed，inhisconfusion，emphasizedbyseveralglassesofport，herfatherblurteditouthimself。

“Iwonderwhetheryouwilleverbesorry，“washersolecomment。

Thenshesatdowntowatchhermotherdie，andtothink。CouldtherebeanygoodGod，shewondered，ifHeallowedsuchthingstohappen。

Poorgirl!itwasherfirstexperienceofthesort，andasyetshedidnotknowwhatthingsareallowedtohappeninthisworldinobediencetotheworkingsofunalterablelawsbywhoeverandforwhateverpurposethesemaybedecreed。

Beingignorant，however，andstillveryyounganduntaughtoflife，shecouldnotbeexpectedtotaketheselargeviews，ortoguessattheHandofMercywhichholdsthecupofhumanwoes。Shesawhermotherfadingawaybecauseofherfather’sobstinacyandself-seeking，anditwasinconceivabletoherthatsuchanunnecessarythingcouldbeallowedbyagentleandlovingProvidence。Therefore，sheturnedherbackonProvidence，asmanyastrongsoulhasdonebeforeher，rejectingitforthereasonthatshecouldnotunderstand。

Hadshebutguessed，thisattitudeofhers，whichcouldnotbeconcealedentirelyinthecaseofanaturesofrank，wasthebitterestdropinhermother’sdraughtofdeath。She，poorgentlecreature，madenocomplaints，butonlyexcusesforherhusband’sconduct。Nor，saveforIsobel’ssakedidshedesiretolive。Hersimplefaithupboreherthroughthefearsofdeparture，andassuredherofforgivenessforallerrors，andofhappinessbeyondinalandwheretherewasoneatleastwhomshewishedtomeet。

“Iwon’ttrytoarguewithyou，becauseIamnotwiseenoughtounderstandsuchthings，“shesaidtoIsobel，“butIwish，dearest，thatyouwouldnotbesocertainastomatterswhicharetoohighforus。“

“Ican’thelpit，Mother，“sheanswered。

LadyJanelookedatherandsmiled，andthensaid：

“No，darling，youcan’thelpitnow，butIamsurethatatimemustcomewhenyouwillthinkdifferently。Isaythisbecausesomethingtellsmethatitisso，andtheknowledgemakesmeveryhappy。Youseewemustallofusgothroughdarknessandstormsinlife；thatisifweareworthanything，for，ofcourse，therearepeoplewhodonotfeel。Yetattheendthereislight，andlove，andpeace，foryouaswellasforme，Isobel；yes，andforallofuswhohavetriedtotrustandtorepentofwhatwehavedonewrong。“

“AsyoubelieveitIhopethatitistrue；indeed，Ithinkthatitmustbetrue，Motherdear，“saidIsobelwithalittlesob。

Thesubjectwasneverdiscussedbetweenthemagain，butalthoughIsobelshowednooutwardchangeofattitude，fromthattimeforwardtilltheend，hermotherseemedmucheasierinhermindaboutherandherviews。

“Itwillallcomeright。Weshallmeetagain。Iknowit。Iknowit，“

wereherlastwords。

Shediedquitesuddenlyonthe27thofDecember，thedayuponwhichSirJohnhadannouncedthattheyweretomovetoLondon。

Asamatteroffact，oneofthesurvivorsofthistriowastomovemuchfurtherthantoLondon，namely，Isobelherself。Ithappenedthus。

Thefuneralwasover；therelativesandthefewfriendswhoattendedithaddepartedtotheirroomsiftheywerestoppinginthehouse，orelsewhere；Isobelandherfatherwereleftalone。Sheconfrontedhim，atall，slimfigure，whosethickblondehairandpalefacecontrastedstrikinglywithherblackdress。Enormousinshape，forsoSirJohnhadgrown，carmine-colouredshadingtopurleabouttheshavedchinandlips(whichwerealsoofratheracurioushue)，bald-headed，boldyetshifty-eyed，alsocladinblack，withabandofcrapeliketothatofaVictorianmute，abouthisshiningtallhat，heleanedagainsttheflorid，marblemantelpiece，ahugeobeseblotuponitswhiteness。Theywereaqueercontrast，asdissimilarperhapsastwohumanbeingswellcouldbe。

Forawhiletherewassilencebetweenthem，whichhe，whosenerveswerenotsoyoungorstrongashisdaughter’s，wasthefirsttobreak。

“Well，she’sdead，poordear，“hesaid。

“Yes，“answeredIsobel，herpent-upindignationburstingforth，“andyoukilledher。“