第13章

Shesmiled，andoncemorebidmego，——and，atlength，Ijudgeditprudenttoobey；andshere-enteredthehouse，andIwentdownthehill。

ButasIwent，thetrampofhorses’hoofsfellonmyear，andbrokethestillnessofthedewyevening；and，lookingtowardsthelane，Isawasolitaryequestriancomingup。Incliningtoduskasitwas，Iknewhimataglance：

itwasMrLawrenceonhisgreypony。Iflewacrossthefield——leapedthestonefence——andthenwalkeddownthelanetomeethim。Onseeingme，hesuddenlydrewinhislittlesteed，andseemedinclinedtoturnback，butonsecondthought，apparentlyjudgeditbettertocontinuehiscourseasbefore。Heaccostedmewithaslightbow，and，edgingclosetothewall，endeavouredtopasson——butIwasnotsominded：seizinghishorsebythebridle，Iexclaimed：——

`Now，Lawrence，Iwillhavethismysteryexplained！Tellmewhereyouaregoing，andwhatyoumeantodo——atonce，anddistinctly！’

`Willyoutakeyourhandoffthebridle？’saidhe，quietly——`you’rehurtingmypony’smouth。’

`Youandyourponybe——’

`Whatmakesyousocoarseandbrutal，Markham？I’mquiteashamedofyou。’

`Youanswermyquestions——beforeyouleavethisspot！Iwillknowwhatyoumeanbythisperfidiousduplicity？’

`Ishallanswernoquestionstillyouletgothebridle，——ifyoustandtillmorning。’

`Nowthen，’saidI，unclosingmyhand，butstillstandingbeforehim。

`Askmesomeothertime，whenyoucanspeaklikeagentleman，’

returnedhe，andhemadeanefforttopassmeagain；butIquicklyrecapturedthepony，scarcelessastonishedthanitsmasteratsuchuncivilusage。

`Really，MrMarkham，thisistoomuch！’saidthelatter。`CanInotgotoseemytenantonmattersofbusiness，withoutbeingassaultedinthismannerby——’

`Thisisnotimeforbusiness，sir！——I’lltellyou，now，whatIthinkofyourConduct。’

`You’dbetterdeferyouropiniontoamoreconvenientseason，’

interruptedhe，inalowtone——`here’sthevicar。’

Andintruth，thevicarwasjustbehindme，ploddinghomewardfromsomeremotecornerofhisparish。Iimmediatelyreleasedthesquire；

andhewentonhisway，salutingMrMillwardashepassed。

`What，quarrelling，Markham？’criedthelatter，addressinghimselftome，——`andaboutthatyoungwidowIdoubt，’headded，reproachfullyshakinghishead。`Butletmetellyou，youngman(hereheputhisfaceintominewithanimportant，confidentialair)，`the’snotworthit！’andheconfirmedtheassertionbyasolemnnod。

`MrMILLWARD！’Iexclaimed，inatoneofwrathfulmenacethatmadethereverendgentlemanlookround——aghast——astoundedatsuchunwontedinsolence，andstaremeintheface，withalookthatplainlysaid：`What，thistome！’ButIwastooindignanttoapologize，ortospeakanotherwordtohim：Iturnedaway，andhastenedhomewards，descendingwithrapidstridesthesteep，roughlane，andleavinghimtofollowashepleased。

TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter11CHAPTER11TheVicarAgainYoumustsupposeaboutthreeweekspassedover。MrsGrahamandIwerenowestablishedfriends——orbrotherandsister，asweratherchosetoconsiderourselves。ShecalledmeGilbert，bymyexpressdesire，andIcalledherHelen，forIhadseenthatnamewritteninherbooks。Iseldomattemptedtoseeherabovetwiceaweek；andstillImadeourmeetingsappeartheresultofaccidentasoftenasIcould——forIfounditnecessarytobeextremelycareful——and，altogether，Ibehavedwithsuchexceedingproprietythatsheneverhadoccasiontoreprovemeonce。YetIcouldnotbutperceivethatshewasattimesunhappyanddissatisfiedwithherself——orherposition，andtrulyImyselfwasnotquitecontentedwiththelatter：thisassumptionofbrotherlynonchalancewasveryhardtosustain，andIoftenfeltmyselfamostconfoundedhypocritewithitall；Isawtoo，orratherIfelt，that，inspiteofherself，`Iwasnotindifferenttoher。”asthenovelheroesmodestlyexpressit，andwhileIthankfullyenjoyedmypresentgoodfortune，Icouldnotfailtowishandhopeforsomethingbetterinfuture；butofcourse，Ikeptsuchdreamsentirelytomyself。

`Whereareyougoing，Gilbert？’saidRose，oneevening，shortlyaftertea，whenIhadbeenbusywiththefarmallday，`Totakeawalk，’wasthereply。

`Doyoualwaysbrushyourhatsocarefully，anddoyourhairsonicely，andputonsuchsmartnewgloveswhenyoutakeawalk？’

`Notalways。’

`You’regoingtoWildfellHall，aren’tyou？’

`Whatmakesyouthinkso？’

`Becauseyoulookasifyouwere——butIwishyouwouldn’tgosooften。’

`Nonsense，child！Idon’tgoonceinsixweeks——whatdoyoumean？’

`Well，butifIwereyou，Iwouldn’thavesomuchtodowithMrsGraham。’

`WhyRose，areyou，too，givingintotheprevailingopinion？’

`No，’returnedshe，hesitatingly——`butI’veheardsomuchaboutherlately，bothattheWilsons’andthevicarage；——andbesides，mammasays，ifshewereaproperperson，shewouldnotbelivingtherebyherself——anddon’tyourememberlastwinter，Gilbert，allthataboutthefalsenametothepicture；andhowsheexplainedit——sayingshehadfriendsoracquaintancesfromwhomshewishedherpresentresidencetobeconcealed，andthatshewasafraidoftheirtracingherout；——andthen，howsuddenlyshestartedupandlefttheroomwhenthatpersoncame——whomshetookgoodcarenottoletuscatchaglimpseof，andwhoArthur，withsuchanairofmystery，tolduswashismamma’sfriend？’

`Yes，Rose，Irememberitall；andIcanforgiveyouruncharitableconclusions；forperhaps，ifIdidnotknowhermyself，Ishouldputallthesethingstogether，andbelievethesameasyoudo；butthankGod，I

doknowher；andIshouldbeunworthythenameofaman，ifIcouldbelieveanythingthatwassaidagainsther，unlessIhearditfromherownlips——I

shouldassoonbelievesuchthingsofyou，Rose。’

`Oh，Gilbert！’

`Well，doyouthinkIcouldbelieveanythingofthekind，——whatevertheWilsonsandMillwardsdaredtowhisper？’

`Ishouldhopenotindeed！’

`Andwhynot？——BecauseIknowyou——well，andIknowherjustaswell。’

`Oh，no！youknownothingofherformerlife；andlastyearatthistime，youdidnotknowthatsuchapersonexisted。’

`Nomatter。Thereis’suchathingaslookingthroughaperson’seyesintotheheart，andlearningmoreoftheheight，andbreadth，anddepthofanother’ssoulinonehour，thanitmighttakeyoualifetimetodiscover，ifheorshewerenotdisposedtorevealit，——orifyouhadnotthesensetounderstandit。’

`Thenyouaregoingtoseeherthisevening？’

TobesureIam！’

`Butwhatwouldmammasay，Gilbert？’

`Mammaneedn’tknow。’

`Butshemustknowsometime，ifyougoon’

`Goon！——there’snogoingoninthematter——MrsGrahamandIaretwofriends——andwillbe；andnomanbreathingshallhinderit，——orhasarighttointerferebetweenus。’

`Butifyouknewhowtheytalk，youwouldbemorecareful——forhersakeaswellasforyourown。JaneWilsonthinksyourvisitstotheoldhallbutanotherproofofherdepravity——’

`ConfoundJaneWilson！’

`AndElizaMillwardisquitegrievedaboutyou。’

`Ihopesheis。’

`ButIwouldn’tifIwereyou。’

`Wouldn’twhat？——HowdotheyknowthatIgothere？’

`There’snothinghidfromthem：theyspyouteverything。’

`Oh，Ineverthoughtofthis！——Andsotheydaretoturnmyfriendshipintofoodforfurtherscandalagainsther！——Thatprovesthefalsehoodoftheirotherlies，atallevents，ifanyproofwerewanting——Mindyoucontradictthem，Rose，wheneveryoucan。’

`Buttheydon’tspeakopenlytomeaboutsuchthings：itisonlybyhintsandinnuendoes，andbywhatIhearotherssay，thatIknowwhattheythink。’

`Wellthen，Iwon’tgotoday，asit’sgettinglatish。Butoh，deucetaketheircursedenvenomedtongues！’Imuttered，inthebitternessofmysoul。

Andjustatthatmoment，thevicarenteredtheroom：wehadbeentoomuchabsorbedinourconversationtoobservehisknock。AlterhiscustomarycheerfulandfatherlygreetingofRose，whowasratherafavouritewiththeoldgentleman，heturnedsomewhatsternlytome：——

`Well，sir！’saidhe，`you’requiteastranger。Itis-let-me-see，’

hecontinued，slowly，ashedepositedhisponderousbulkinthearmchairthatRoseofficiouslybroughttowardshim，`itisjustsix——weeks——bymyreckoning，sinceyoudarkened——my——door！’Hespokeitwithemphasis，andstruckhisstickonthefloor。

`Isit，sir？’saidI。

`Ay！Itisso！’Headdedanaffiramatorynod，andcontinuedtogazeuponmewithakindofiratesolemnity，holdinghissubstantialstickbetweenhisknees，withhishandsclaspeduponitshead。

`Ihavebeenbusy，’Isaid，foranapologywasevidentlydemanded。

`Busy！’repeatedhe，derisively。

`Yes；youknowI’vebeengettinginmyhay：andnowtheharvestisbeginning。’

`Humph！’

Justthenmymothercamein，andcreatedadiversioninmyfavourbyherloquaciousandanimatedwelcomeofthereverendguest。Sheregretteddeeplythathehadnotcomealittleearlier，intimefortea，butofferedtohavesomeimmediatelyprepared，ifhewoulddoherthefavourtopartakeofit。

`Notanyforme，Ithankyou，’repliedhe；`Ishallbeathomeinafewminutes。’

`Oh，butdostayandtakealittle！itwillbereadyinfiveminutes。’

Butherejectedtheofferwithamajesticwaveofthehand。

`I’lltellyouwhatI’lltake，MrsMarkham，’saidhe：`I’lltakeaglassofyourexcellentale。’

`Withpleasure！’criedmymother，proceedingwithalacritytopull。thebellandorderthefavouredbeverage。

`Ithought，’continuedhe，`I’djustlookinuponyouasIpassed，andtasteyourhome-brewedale。I’vebeentocallonMrsGraham。’

`Haveyouindeed？’

Henoddedgravely，andaddedwithawfulemphasis——

Ithoughtitincumbentuponmetodoso。’

`Really！’ejaculatedmymother。

`Whyso，MrMillward？’askedI。Helookedatmewithsomeseverity，andturningagaintomymother，repeated——

`Ithoughtitincumbentuponme！’andstruckhisstickontheflooragain。Mymothersatopposite，anawe-struckbutadmiringauditor。

`“MrsGraham。”saidI，’hecontinued，shakinghisheadashespoke，`“theseareterriblereports！”“Whatsir？”saysshe，affectingtobeignorantofmymeaning。“Itismy——duty——as——yourpastor。”saidI，“totellyoubotheverythingthatImyselfseereprehensibleinyourconduct，andallIhavereasontosuspect，andwhatotherstellmeconcerningyou“——SoI

toldher！’

`Youdidsir？’criedI，startingfrommyseat，andstrikingmyfistonthetable。Hemerelyglancedtowardsme，andcontinued——addressinghishostess：

`Itwasapainfulduty，MrsMarkham——butItoldher！’

`Andhowdidshetakeit？’askedmymother。

`Hardened，Ifear——hardened！’hereplied，withadespondentshakeofthehead；`andatthesametime，therewasastrongdisplayofunchastened，misdirectedpassions。Sheturnedwhiteintheface，anddrewherbreaththroughherteethinasavagesortofway；——butsheofferednoextenuationordefence；andwithakindofshamelesscalmness——shockingindeedtowitness，inonesoyoung——asgoodastoldmethatmyremonstrancewasunavailing，andmypastoraladvicequitethrownawayuponher——nay，thatmyverypresencewasdispleasingwhileIspokesuchthings。AndIwithdrewatlength，tooplainlyseeingthatnothingcouldbedone——andsadlygrievedtofindhercasesohopeless。ButIamfullydetermined，MrsMarkham，thatmydaughters——shall——not——consortwithher。Doyouadoptthesameresolutionwithregardtoyours！——Asforyoursons——asforyou，youngman，’hecontinued，sternlyturningtome。

`AsforME，sir，——’Ibegan，butcheckedbysomeimpedimentinmyutterance，andfindingthatmywholeframetrembledwithfury，Isaidnomore——buttookthewiserpartofsnatchingupmyhatandboltingfromtheroom，slammingthedoorbehindmewithabangthatshookthehousetoitsfoundationsandmademymotherscream——andgaveamomentaryrelieftomyexcitedfeelings。

ThenextminutesawmehurryingwithrapidstridesinthedirectionofWildfellHall——towhatintentorpurposeIcouldscarcelytel！，butImustbemovingsomewhere，andnoothergoalwoulddo——Imustseeher，too，andspeaktoher——thatwascertain，butwhattosayorhowtoact，Ihadnodefiniteidea。Suchstormythoughts——somanydifferentresolutions——crowdedinuponme，hatmymindwaslittlebetterthanachaosofconflictingpassions。

TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter12