第6章

`Well，mother，dobequiet！——Ihatetobelectured！——I’mnotgoingtomarryyet，Itellyou；but——dearme！mayn’tIenjoymyselfatall？’

`Yes，mydearboy，butnotinthatway。Indeedyoushouldn’tdosuchthings。Youwouldbewrongingthegirl，ifshewerewhatsheoughttobe；butIassureyousheisasartfulalittlehussyasanybodyneedwishtosee；andyou’llgetentangledinhersnaresbeforeyouknowwhereyouare。AndifyoudomarryherGilbert，you’llbreakmyheart——sothere’sanendofit。’

`Well，don’tcryaboutit，mother，’saidI，forthetearsweregushingfromhereyes；`there，letthatkisseffacetheoneIgaveEliza；

don’tabuseheranymore，andsetyourmindatrest；forI’llpromiseneverto——thatis，I’llpromiseto——tothinktwicebeforeItakeanyimportantstepyouseriouslydisapproveof。’

Sosaying，Ilightedmycandle，andwenttobed，considerablyquenchedinspirit。

TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter5CHAPTER5TheStudioITwasaboutthecloseofthemonth，that，yieldingatlengthtotheurgentimportunitiesofRose，IaccompaniedherinavisittoWildfellHall。Tooursurprise，wewereusheredintoaroomwherethefirstobjectthatmettheeyewasapainter’seasel，withatablebesideitcoveredwithrollsofcanvas，bottlesofoilandvarnish，palette，brushes，paints，etc。Leaningagainstthewallwereseveralsketchesinvariousstagesofprogression，andafewfinishedpaintingsmostlyoflandscapesandfigures。

`Imustmakeyouwelcometomystudio，’saidMrsGraham；`thereisnofireinthesitting-roomto-day，anditisrathertoocoldtoshowyouintoaplacewithanemptygrate。’

Anddisengagingacoupleofchairsfromtheartisticallumberthatusurpedthem，shebidusbeseated，andresumedherplacebesidetheeasel——notfacingitexactly，butnowandthenglancingatthepictureuponitwhilesheconversed，andgivingitanoccasionaltouchwithherbrush，asifshefounditimpossibletoweanherattentionentirelyfromheroccupationtofixituponherguests。ItwasaviewofWildfellHall，asseenatearlymorningfromthefieldbelow，risingindarkreliefagainstaskyofclearsilveryblue，withafewredstreaksonthehorizon，faithfullydrawnandcoloured，andveryelegantlyandartisticallyhandled。

`Iseeyourheartisinyourwork，MrsGraham，’observedI：`I

mustbegyoutogoonwithit；forifyousufferourpresencetointerruptyou，weshallbeconstrainedtoregardourselvesasunwelcomeintruders。’

`Oh，no！’。repliedshe，throwingherbrushontothetable，asifstartledintopoliteness。`Iamnotsobesetwithvisitors，butthatIcanreadilyspareafewminutestothefewthatdofavourmewiththeircompany。

`Youhavealmostcompletedyourpainting，’saidI，approachingtoobserveitmoreclosely，andsurveyingitwithagreaterdegreeofadmirationanddelightthanIcaredtoexpress。`AfewmoretouchesintheforegroundwillfinishitIshouldthink——ButwhyhaveyoucalleditFernleyManor，Cumberland，insteadofWildfellHall，——shire？’Iasked，alludingtothenameshehadtracedinsmallcharactersatthebottomofthecanvas。

ButimmediatelyIwassensibleofhavingcommittedanactofimpertinenceinsodoing；forshecolouredandhesitated；butafteramoment’spause，withakindofdesperatefrankness，shereplied，——

`BecauseIhavefriends——acquaintancesatleast——intheworld，fromwhomIdesiremypresentabodetobeconcealed；andastheymightseethepicture，andmightpossiblyrecognizethestyleinspiteofthefalseinitialsIhaveputinthecorner，Itaketheprecautiontogiveafalsenametotheplacealso，inordertoputthemonawrongscent，iftheyshouldattempttotracemeoutbyit。’

`Thenyoudon’tintendtokeepthepicture？’saidI，anxioustosayanythingtochangethesubject。

`No；Icannotaffordtopaintformyownamusement。’

`MammasendsallherpicturestoLondon，’saidArthur；`andsomebodysellsthemforherthere，andsendsusthemoney。’

Inlookingroundupontheotherpieces，IremarkedaprettysketchofLindenhopefromthetopofthehill；anotherviewoftheoldhall，baskinginthesunnyhazeofaquietsummerafternoon；andasimplebutstrikinglittlepictureofachildbroodingwithlooksofsilent，butdeepandsorrowoverhandfulo~witheredBowers，withglimpsesofdarklowhillsandautumnalfieldsbehindit，andadullbecloudedskyabove。

`Youseethereisasaddearthofsubjects，’observedthefairartist。`Itooktheoldhallonceonamoonlightnight，andIsupposeI

musttakeitagainonasnowywinter’sday，andthenagainonadarkcloudyevening；forIreallyhavenothingelsetopaint。Ihavebeentoldthatyouhaveafineviewoftheseasomewhereintheneighbourhood——Isittrue？——andisitwithinwalkingdistance？’

`Yes，ifyoudon’tobjecttowalkingfourmiles，——ornearlyso——littleshortofeightmilesthereandback——andoverasomewhatrough，fatiguingroad。’

`Inwhatdirectiondoesitlie？’

IdescribedthesituationaswellasIcould，andwasenteringuponanexplanationofthevariousroads，lanes，andfieldstobetraversedinordertoreachit，thegoingsstraighton，andturningstotheright，andtheleft，whenshecheckedmewith，——

`Oh，stop！——don’ttellmenow：IshallforgeteverywordofyourdirectionsbeforeIrequirethem。Ishallnotthinkaboutgoingtillnextspring；andthen，perhaps，Imaytroubleyou。Atpresentwehavethewinterbeforeus，and——’

Shesuddenlypaused，withasuppressedexclamation，startedupfromherseat，andsaying，`Excusemeonemoment，’hurriedfromtheroom，andshutthedoorbehindher。

Curioustoseewhathadstartledherso，Ilookedtowardsthewindow，——forhereyeshadbeencarelesslyfixeduponitthemomentbefore——andjustbeheldtheskirtsofaman’scoatvanishingbehindalargehollybushthatstoodbetweenthewindowandtheporch。

`It’smamma’sfriend，’saidArthur。

RoseandIlookedateachother。

`Idon’tknowwhattomakeofher，atall，’whisperedRose。

Thechildlookedatheringravesurprise。Shestraightwaybegantotalktohimonindifferentmatters，whileIamusedmyselfwithlookingatthepictures。TherewasoneinanobscurecomerthatIhadnotbeforeobserved。Itwasalittlechild，seatedonthegrasswithitslapfullofflowers。Thetinyfeaturesandlarge，blueeyes，smilingthroughashockoflightbrowncurls，shakenovertheforeheadasitbentaboveitstreasure，boresufficientresemblancetothoseoftheyounggentlemanbeforeme，toproclaimitaportraitofArthurGrahaminhisearlyinfancy。

Intakingthisuptobringittothelight，Idiscoveredanotherbehindit，withitsfacetothewall。Iventuredtotakethatuptoo。Itwastheportraitofagentlemaninthefullprimeofyouthfulmanhood——handsomeenough，andnotbadlyexecuted；but，ifdonebythesamehandastheothers，itwasevidentlysomeyearsbefore；fortherewasfarmorecarefulminutenessofdetail，andlessofthatfreshnessofcolouringandfreedomofhandling，thatdelightedandsurprisedmeinthem。Nevertheless，Isurveyeditwithconsiderableinterest。Therewasacertainindividualityinthefeaturesandexpressionthatstampedit，atonce，asuccessfullikeness。Thebright，blueeyesregardedthespectatorwithakindoflurkingdrollery——youalmostexpectedtoseethemwink；thelips——alittletoovoluptuouslyfull——seemedreadytobreakintoasmile；thewarmlytintedcheekswereembellishedwithaluxuriantgrowthofreddishwhiskers；whilethebrightchestnuthair，clusteringinabundant，wavycurls，trespassedtoomuchupontheforehead，andseemedtointimatethattheownerthereofwasprouderofhisbeautythanhisintellect——asperhaps，hehadreasontobe；——andyethelookednofool。

Ihadnothadtheportraitinmyhandstwominutesbeforethefairartistreturned。

`Onlysomeonecomeaboutthepictures，’saidshe，inapologyforherabruptdeparture：`Itoldhimtowait。’

`Ifearitwillbeconsideredanactofimpertinence，’saidI，`topresumetolookatapicturethattheartisthasturnedtothewall；

butmayIask’——

`Itisanactofverygreatimpertinence，sir；andtherefore，Ibegyouwillasknothingaboutit，foryourcuriositywillnotbegratified，’

repliedshe，attemptingtocoverthetartnessofherrebukewithasmile；——butIcouldsee，byherflushedcheekandkindlingeye，thatshewasseriouslyannoyed。

`Iwasonlygoingtoaskifyouhadpaintedityourself，’saidI，~yresigningthepictureintoherhands；forwithoutagrainofceremony，shetookitfromme；andquicklyrestoringittothedarkcorner，withitsfacetothewall，placedtheotheragainstitasbefore，andthenturnedtomeandlaughed。

ButIwasinnohumourforjesting。Icarelesslyturnedtothewindow，andstoodlookingoutuponthedesolategarden，leavinghertotalktoRoseforaminuteortwo；andthen，tellingmysisteritwastimetogo，shookhandswiththelittlegentleman，coollybowedtothelady，andmovedtowardsthedoor。But，havingbidadieutoRose，MrsGrahampresentedherhandtome，saying，withasoftvoice，andbynomeansadisagreeablesmile，——

`Letnotthesungodownuponyourwrath，MrMarkham。I’msorryIoffendedyoubymyabruptness。’

Whenaladycondescendstoapologize，thereisnokeepingone’sangerofcourse；sowepartedgoodfriendsforonce；andthistime，Isqueezedherhandwithacordial，notaspitefulpressure。

TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter6CHAPTER6ProgressionDuringthenextfourmonths，IdidnotenterMrsGraham’shouse，norshemine；butstilltheladiescontinuedtotalkabouther，andstillouracquaintancecontinued，thoughslowly，toadvance。Asfortheirtalk，Ipaidbutlittleattentiontothat(whenitrelatedtothefairhermit，Imean)，andtheonlyinformationIderivedfromitwasthat，onefine，frostyday，shehadventuredtotakeherlittleboyasfarasthevicarage，andthat，unfortunately，nobodywasathomebutMissMillward；Inevertheless，shehadsatalongtime，and，byallaccounts，theyhadfoundagooddealtosaytoeachother，andpartedwithamutualdesiretomeetagain——ButMarylikedchildren，andfondmammaslikethosewhocandulyappreciatetheirtreasures。

ButsometimesIsawhermyself，——notonlywhenshecametochurch，butwhenshewasoutonthehillswithherson，whethertakingalong，purpose-likewalk，or——onspecialfinedays——leisurelyramblingoverthemoororthebleakpasture-landssurroundingtheoldhall，herselfwithabookinherhand，hersongambollingabouther；and，onanyoftheseoccasions，whenIcaughtsightofherinmysolitarywalksorrides，orwhilefollowingmyagriculturalpursuits，Igenerallycontrivedtomeetorovertakeher；forIratherlikedtoseeMrsGraham，andtotalktoher，andIdecidedlylikedtotalktoherlittlecompanion，whom，whenoncetheiceofhisshynesswasfairlybroken，Ifoundtobeaveryamiable，intelligent，andentertaininglittlefellow；andwesoonbecameexcellentfriends——howmuchtothegratificationofhismamma，Icannotundertaketosay。Isuspectedatfirst，thatshewasdesirousofthrowingcoldwateronthisgrowingintimacy——toquench，asitwere，thekindlingflameofourfriendship——butdiscovering，atlength，inspiteofherprejudiceagainstme，thatIwasperfectlyharmless，andevenwell-intentioned，andthat，betweenmyselfandmydog，hersonderivedagreatdealofpleasurefromtheacquaintance，thathewouldnototherwisehaveknown，sheceasedtoobject，andevenwelcomedmycomingwithasmile。

AsforArthur，hewouldshouthiswelcomefromafar，andruntomeetmefiftyyardsfromhismother’sside。IfIhappenedtobeonhorseback，hewassuretogetacanteroragallop；or，iftherewasoneofthedraughthorseswithinanavailabledistance，hewastreatedtoasteadyrideuponthat，whichservedhisturnalmostaswell；buthismotherwouldalwaysfollowandtrudgebesidehim——notsomuch，Ibelieve，toensurehissafeconduct，astoseethatIinstillednoobjectionablenotionsintohisinfantmind；forshewaseveronthewatch，andneverwouldallowhimtobetakenoutofhersight。Whatpleasedherbestofall，wastoseehimrompingandracingwithSancho，whileIwalkedbyherside——not，Ifear，forloveofmycompany(thoughIsometimesdeludedmyselfwiththatidea)，somuchasforthedelightshetookinseeinghersonthushappilyengagedintheenjoymentofthoseactivesports，soinvigoratingtohistenderframe，yetsoseldomexercisedforwantofplaymatessuitedtohisyears；and，perhaps，herpleasurewassweetened，notalittle，bythefactofmybeingwithherinsteadofwithhim；andthereforeincapableofdoinghimanyinjury，directlyorindirectly，designedlyorotherwise——smallthankstoherforthatsame。