第26章

"Now，Mr。Philip，"Isaid，"Ihavebeenwaiting，atMissJillgall’ssuggestion，togetmyinformationfromyou。ThereissomethingwrongbetweenEuniceandyourself。Whatisit？Andwhoistoblame？"

"Hervilesisteristoblame，"heanswered。"Thatreptilewasdeterminedtostingus。Andshehasdoneit！"hecried，startingtohisfeet，andwalkingupanddowntheroom，urgedintoactionbyhisownunendurablesenseofwrong。"Isay，shehasdoneit，afterEunicehassavedme——doneit，whenEunicewasreadytobemywife。"

"Howhasshedoneit？"

Betweengriefandindignationhisreplywasinvolvedinaconfusionofvehemently—spokenwords，whichIshallnotattempttoreproduce。Eunicehadremindedhimthathersisterhadbeenpubliclyconvictedofaninfamouscrime，andpubliclypunishedforitbyimprisonment。"IfIconsenttomarryyou，"shesaid，"I

stainyouwithmydisgrace；thatshallneverbe。"Withthisresolution，shehadlefthim。"Ihavetriedtoconvinceher，"

Philipsaid，"thatshewillnotbeassociatedwithhersister’sdisgracewhenshebearsmyname；IhavepromisedtotakeherfarawayfromEngland，amongpeoplewhohaveneverevenheardofhersister。MissJillgallhasusedherinfluencetohelpme。Allinvain！Thereisnohopeforusbutinyou。Iamnotthinkingselfishlyonlyofmyself。Shetriestoconcealit——but，oh，sheisbroken—hearted！Askthefarmer’swife，ifyoudon’tbelieveme。Judgeforyourself，sir。Go——forGod’ssake，gotothefarm。"

Imadehimsitdownandcomposehimself。

"Youmaydependonmygoingtothefarm，"Ianswered。"IshallwritetoEuniceto—day，andfollowmyletterto—morrow。"Hetriedtothankme；butIwouldnotallowit。"BeforeIconsenttoaccepttheexpressionofyourgratitude，"Isaid，"ImustknowalittlemoreofyouthanIknownow。Thisisonlythesecondoccasiononwhichwehavemet。Letuslookbackalittle，Mr。

PhilipDunboyne。YouwereEunice’saffiancedhusband；andyoubrokefaithwithher。Thatwasarascallyaction。Howdoyoudefendit？"

Hisheadsank。"Iamashamedtodefendit，"heanswered。

Ipressedhimwithoutmercy。"Youownyourself，"Isaid，"thatitwasarascallyaction？"

"Usestrongerlanguageagainstme，eventhanthat，sir——Ideserveit。"

"Inplainwords，"Iwenton，"youcanfindnoexcuseforyourconduct？"

"Inthepasttime，"hesaid，"Imighthavefoundexcuses。"

"Butyoucan’tfindthemnow？"

"Imustnotevenlookforthemnow。"

"Whynot？"

"IoweittoEunicetoleavemyconductatitsworst；withnothingsaid——byme——todefendit。"

"WhathasEunicedonetohavesuchaclaimonyouasthat？"

"Eunicehasforgivenme。"

Itwasgratefullyanddelicatelysaid。OughtItohaveallowedthiscircumstancetoweighwithme？Iask，inreturn，had_I_

nevercommittedanyfaults？Asafellow—mortalandfellow—sinner，hadIanyrighttohardenmyheartagainstanexpressionofpenitencewhichIfelttobesincereinitsmotive？

ButIwasboundtothinkofEunice。Ididthinkofher，beforeI

venturedtoaccepttheposition——thecriticalposition，asI

shallpresentlyshow——ofPhilip’sfriend。

Aftermorethananhourofquestionsputwithoutreserve，andofanswersgivenwithoutprevarication，Ihadtraveledoverthewholegroundlaidoutbythenarrativeswhichappearinthesepages，andhadarrivedatmyconclusion——sofarasPhilipDunboynewasconcerned。

Ifoundhimtobeamanwithnothingabsolutelywickedinhim——butwithanaturesoperilouslyweak，inmanyrespects，thatitmightdriftintowickednessunlessastrongernaturewasathandtobolditback。Marriedtoawifewithoutforceofcharacter，theprobabilitieswouldpointtohimaslikelytoyieldtoexampleswhichmightmakehimabadhusband。Marriedtoawifewithawillofherown，andwithtruelovetosustainher——awifewhowouldknowwhentotakethecommandandhowtotakethecommand——awifewho，findinghimtemptedtocommitactionsunworthyofhisbetterself，wouldbefar—sightedenoughtoperceivethatherhusband’ssenseofhonormightsometimesloseitsbalance，withoutbeingonthataccounthopelesslydepraved——then，and，inthesecasesonly，theprobabilitieswouldpointtoPhilipasamanlikelytobethebetterandthehappierforhissituation，whenthebondsofwedlockhadgothim。

Buttheseriousquestionwasnotansweredyet。

CouldIfeeljustifiedinplacingEuniceinthepositiontowardPhilipwhichIhavejustendeavoredtodescribe？Idarednotallowmymindtodwellonthegenerositywhichhadsonoblypardonedhim，orontheforceofcharacterwhichhadbravelyenduredthebitterestdisappointment，thecruelesthumiliation。

TheoneconsiderationwhichIwasboundtoface，wasthesacredconsiderationofherhappinessinherlifetocome。

LeavingPhilip，withafewwordsofsympathywhichmighthelphimtobearhissuspense，Iwenttomyroomtothink。

Thetimepassed——andIcouldarriveatnopositiveconclusion。

Eitherway——withorwithoutPhilip——thecontemplationofEunice’sfutureharassedmewithdoubt。EvenifIhadconqueredmyownindecision，andhadmadeupmymindtosanctiontheunionofthetwoyoungpeople，thedifficultiesthatnowbesetmewouldnothavebeendispersed。KnowingwhatIaloneknew，IcouldcertainlyremoveEunice’soneobjectiontothemarriage。Inotherwords，I

hadonlytorelatewhathadhappenedonthedaywhentheChaplainbroughttheMinistertotheprison，andtheobstacleoftheirunionwouldberemoved。But，withoutconsideringPhilip，itwassimplyoutofthequestiontodothis，inmercytoEuniceherself。WhatwasHelena’sdisgrace，comparedwiththeinfamywhichstainedthenameofthepoorgirl’smother！Theotheralternativeoftellingherpartofthetruthonlywasbeforeme，ifIcouldpersuademyselftoadoptit。Ifailedtopersuademyself；mymorbidanxietyforherwelfaremademehesitateagain。

Humanpatiencecouldendurenomore。Rashnessprevailedandprudenceyielded——IleftmydecisiontobeinfluencedbythecominginterviewwithEunice。

ThenextdayIdrovetothefarm。Philip’sentreatiespersuadedmetolethimbemycompanion，ononecondition——thathewaitedinthecarriagewhileIwentintothehouse。

Ihadcarefullyarrangedmyideas，andhaddecidedonproceedingwiththegreatestcaution，beforeIventuredonsayingtheall—importantwordswhich，oncespoken，werenottoberecalled。

Theworstofthoseanxieties，underwhichthedelicatehealthofMr。Gracedieuhadbrokendown，wasmyanxietynow。CouldI

reconcileittomyconsciencetopermitaman，innocentofallknowledgeofthetruth，tomarrythedaughterofacondemnedmurderess，withouthonestlytellinghimwhathewasabouttodo？

DidIdeservetobepitied？didIdeservetobeblamed？——mymindwasstillundecidedwhenIenteredthehouse。

Sherantomeetmeasifshehadbeenmydaughter；shekissedmeasifshehadbeenmydaughter；shefondlylookedupatmeasifshehadbeenmydaughter。Atthesightofthatsweetyoungface，sosorrowful，andsopatientlyenduringsorrow，allmydoubtsandhesitations，everythingartificialaboutmewithwhichIhadenteredtheroom，vanishedinaninstant。

Aftershehadthankedmeforcomingtoseeher，Isawhertremblealittle。Theuppermostinterestinherheartwasforcingitswayoutwardtoexpression，tryasshemighttokeepitback。"HaveyouseenPhilip？"sheasked。Thetoneinwhichsheputthatquestiondecidedme——Iwasresolvedtolethermarryhim。

Impulse！Yes，impulse，assertingitselfinexcusablyinamanattheendofhislife。Iought