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050 - Molly Gibson Finds a Champion · Wives and Daughters

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Speaker 1: Chapter forty nine of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter forty nine,
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Speaker 1: Molly Gibson finds a champion Lady Cumnor, had so far
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Speaker 1: recovered from the violence of her attack and from the
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Speaker 1: consequent operation as to be able to be removed to
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Speaker 1: the Towers for a change of air. And accordingly she
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Speaker 1: was brought thither by her whole family, with all the
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Speaker 1: pomp and state, becoming an invalid peerist. There was every
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Speaker 1: probability that the family would make a longer residence at
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Speaker 1: the Towers than they had done for several years, during
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Speaker 1: which time they had been wanderers hither and thither in
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Speaker 1: search of health. Somehow, after all, it was very pleasant
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Speaker 1: and RESTful to come to the old ancestral home, and
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Speaker 1: every member of the family enjoyed it in his or
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Speaker 1: her own way. Lord Cumnor, most especially, his talent forgot
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Speaker 1: and his love of small details, had scarcely fair play
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Speaker 1: in the hurry of a London life, and were much
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Speaker 1: nipped in the bud during his continental sojournings, as he
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Speaker 1: neither spoke French fluently nor understood it easily when spoken Besides,
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Speaker 1: he was a great proprietor and liked to know how
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Speaker 1: his land was going on, how his tenants were faring
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Speaker 1: in the world. He liked to hear of their births,
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Speaker 1: marriages and deaths, and had something of a royal memory
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Speaker 1: for faces. In short, if ever a peer was an
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Speaker 1: old woman, Lord Cumnor was that peer. But he was
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Speaker 1: a very good natured old woman, and wrote about on
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Speaker 1: his stout old cob, with his pockets full of halfpence
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Speaker 1: for the children and little packets of snuff for the
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Speaker 1: old people. Like an old woman too, he enjoyed an
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Speaker 1: afternoon cup of tea in his wife's sitting room, and
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Speaker 1: over his gossip's beverage he would repeat all that he
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Speaker 1: had learnt in the day. Lady Cumnor was exactly in
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Speaker 1: that state of conval lessons when such talk as her
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Speaker 1: lord's was extremely agreeable to her. But she had contemned
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Speaker 1: the habit of listening to gossip so severely all her
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Speaker 1: life that she thought it due to consistency to listen
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Speaker 1: first and to enter a supercilious protest afterwards. It had, however,
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Speaker 1: come to be a family habit for all of them
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Speaker 1: to gather together in Lady Cumnor's room on their return
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Speaker 1: from their daily walks or drives or rides, and over
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Speaker 1: the fire sipping their tea at her early meal, to
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Speaker 1: recount the morsels of local intelligence they had heard during
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Speaker 1: the morning, when they had said all that they had
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Speaker 1: to say, and not before they had always to listen
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Speaker 1: to a short homily from her Ladyship on the well
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Speaker 1: worn texts, the poorness of conversation about persons, the probable
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Speaker 1: falsehood of all they had heard, and the degradation of
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Speaker 1: character implied by its repetition. On one of these November evenings,
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Speaker 1: they were all assembled in Lady Cumnor's room. She was
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Speaker 1: lying all draped in white and covered up with an
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Speaker 1: Indian shawl on a sofa near the fire. Lady Harriet
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Speaker 1: sat on the rug close before the wood fire, picking
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Speaker 1: up fallen embers with a pair of dwarf tongs and
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Speaker 1: piling them on the red and odorous heap in the
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Speaker 1: center of the hearth. Lady Cuxhaven, notable from girlhood, was
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Speaker 1: using the blind Man's holiday to net fruit nets for
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Speaker 1: the walls at Cuxhaven Park. Lady Cumnor's woman was trying
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Speaker 1: to see to pour out tea by the light of
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Speaker 1: one small wax candle in the background, for Lady Cumnor
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Speaker 1: could not bear much light to her weakened eyes, and
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Speaker 1: the great leafless branches of the trees outside the house
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Speaker 1: kept sweeping against the windows, moved by the wind that
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Speaker 1: was gathering. It was always Lady Cumnor's habit to snub
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Speaker 1: those she loved best. Her husband was perpetually snubbed by her,
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Speaker 1: Yet she missed him now that he was later than
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Speaker 1: usual and professed not to want her tea, But they
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Speaker 1: all knew that it was only because he was not
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Speaker 1: there to hand it to her and be found fault
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Speaker 1: with for his invariable stupidity in forgetting that she liked
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Speaker 1: to put sugar in before she took any cream. At length,
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Speaker 1: he burst in.
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Speaker 2: I beg your pardon, my lady. I'm later than I
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Speaker 2: should have been. I know, why haven't you had your.
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Speaker 1: Tea yet, he exclaimed, bustling about to get the cup
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Speaker 1: for his wife.
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Speaker 3: You know I never take cream before I've sweetened it.
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Speaker 1: Said she, with even more emphasis on the never than usual.
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Speaker 2: Oh dear, what a simple than I am. I think
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Speaker 2: I might have remembered it by this time. You see,
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Speaker 2: I met old Sheepshanks, and that's the reason of it, of.
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Speaker 3: Your handing me the cream before the sugar.
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Speaker 1: Asked his wife. It was one of her grim jokes.
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Speaker 2: Oh no, no, a ha, you're better at this evening,
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Speaker 2: I think, my dear. But as I was saying, Shapshanks
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Speaker 2: is such an eternal there's no getting away from him,
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Speaker 2: and I had no idea. It was so late.
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Speaker 3: Well, I think the least you can do is to
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Speaker 3: tell us something of mister Sheepshanks conversation. Now you have
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Speaker 3: torn yourself away from him.
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Speaker 2: Conversation. Did I call it conversation? I don't think I
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Speaker 2: said much. I listened. He really has always a great
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Speaker 2: deal to say, more than Preston, for instance. And by
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Speaker 2: the way, he was telling me something about Preston, Old
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Speaker 2: Shipshanks thinks he'll be married before long. He says. There
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Speaker 2: is a great deal of gossip going on about him
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Speaker 2: and Gibson's daughter. They've been caught meeting in the park
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Speaker 2: and corresponding and all that kind of thing that is
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Speaker 2: likely to end in a marriage.
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Speaker 1: I shall be very sorry, said lady Harriet.
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Speaker 4: I always liked that girl, and I can't bear Papa's
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Speaker 4: model land agent.
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Speaker 1: I daresay it's not true, said Lady Cumnor in a
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Speaker 1: very audible aside to Lady Harriet.
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Speaker 3: Papa picks up stories one day to contradict them the next.
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Speaker 2: Ah, but this did sound like truth, Sheepshanks said. All
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Speaker 2: the old ladies in the town had got hold of
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Speaker 2: it and were making a great scandal out of it.
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Speaker 3: I don't think it does sound quite a nice story.
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Speaker 1: I wonder what Claire could be doing to allow such
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Speaker 1: goings on, said Lady Cuxhaven.
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Speaker 4: I think it is much more likely that Claire's own daughter,
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Speaker 4: that pretty parky miss Kirkpatrick, is the real heroine of this.
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Speaker 1: Story, said Lady Harriet.
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Speaker 4: She always looks like the heroine of a genteel comedy.
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Speaker 4: And those young ladies were capable of a good deal
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Speaker 4: of innocent intriguing, if I remember rightly now, Little Molly
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Speaker 4: Gibson has a certain gachery about her which would disqualify
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Speaker 4: her at once from any clandestine proceed Besides clandestine, why
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Speaker 4: the child is truth itself? Papa, are you sure, mister
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Speaker 4: Sheepshanks said it was miss Gibson that was exciting. Hollingford's scandal,
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Speaker 4: wasn't it, Miss Kirkpatrick. The notion of her and mister
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Speaker 4: Preston making a match of it doesn't sound so incongruous.
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Speaker 4: But if it's my little friend Molly, I'll go to
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Speaker 4: church and forbid the bands.
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Speaker 3: Really, Harriet, I can't think what always makes you take
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Speaker 3: such an interest in all these petty Hollingford affairs, Mamma.
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Speaker 4: It's only tit for tat. They take the most lively
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Speaker 4: interest in all our sayings and doings. If I were
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Speaker 4: going to be married, they would want to know every
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Speaker 4: possible particular when we first met, what we first said
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Speaker 4: to each other, what I wore, and whether he offered
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Speaker 4: by letter or in person. I'm sure those good miss
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Speaker 4: Brownings were wonderfully well informed as to Mary's methods of
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Speaker 4: managing her nursery and educating her girls. So it's only
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Speaker 4: a proper return of the compliment to want to know
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Speaker 4: on our side how they are going on. I'm quite
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Speaker 4: of Papa's faction. I like to hear all the local.
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Speaker 3: Gossip, especially when it is flavored with a spice of
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Speaker 3: scandal and impropriety, as in this case.
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Speaker 1: Said Lady Cumnor. With the momentary bitterness of a convalescent invalid.
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Speaker 1: Lady Harriet colored with annoyance, but then she rallied her
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Speaker 1: courage and said, with more gravity than before.
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Speaker 4: I really am interested in this story about Molly Gibson.
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Speaker 4: I own I both like and respect her, and I
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Speaker 4: do not like to hear her name coupled with that
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Speaker 4: of mister Preston. I can't help fancying Papa has made
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Speaker 4: some mistake.
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Speaker 2: No, my dear, I'm sure I'm repeating what I heard.
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Speaker 2: I'm sorry I said anything about it if it annoys
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Speaker 2: you or my lady there Sheepshanks did say miss Gibson, though,
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Speaker 2: and he went on to say it was a pity
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Speaker 2: the girl had got herself so talked about, for it
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Speaker 2: was the way they had carried on that gave rise
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Speaker 2: to all the chatter. Preston himself was a very fair
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Speaker 2: match for her, and nobody could have objected to it.
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Speaker 2: But I'll try and find a more agreeable piece of news.
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Speaker 2: Old Margery at the Lodge is dead, and they don't
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Speaker 2: know where to find some one to teach clear starching
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Speaker 2: at your school. And Robert Hall made forty pounds last
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Speaker 2: year by his apples.
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Speaker 1: So they drifted away from Molly and her affairs. Only
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Speaker 1: Lady Harriet kept turning what she had heard over in
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Speaker 1: her mind with interest and wonder.
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Speaker 4: I warned her against him from the day of her
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Speaker 4: father's wedding, and what a straightforward, outspoken topic it was. Then,
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Speaker 4: I don't believe it. It's only one of old Sheepshanks stories,
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Speaker 4: half invention and half deafness.
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Speaker 1: The next day Lady Harriet rode over to Hollingford, and
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Speaker 1: for the subtle of her curiosity, she called on Miss
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Speaker 1: Brownings and introduced the subject. She would not have spoken
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Speaker 1: about the rumor she had heard to any who were
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Speaker 1: not warm friends of Molly's. If mister Sheepshanks had chosen
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Speaker 1: to allude to it when she had been riding with
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Speaker 1: her father, she would very soon have silenced him by
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Speaker 1: one of the haughty looks. She knew full well how
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Speaker 1: to assume, but she felt as if she must know
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Speaker 1: the truth, and accordingly she began thus abruptly to Miss Browning,
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Speaker 1: what is all.
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Speaker 4: This I hear about my little friend Molly Gibson and
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Speaker 4: mister Preston.
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Speaker 5: Oh Lady Harriet, have you heard of it? You're so sorry,
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Speaker 5: sorry for what I think begging your ladyship's pardon. We'd
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Speaker 5: better not say any more till we know how much you.
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Speaker 1: Know, said Miss Browning. Nay, replied Lady Harriet, laughing a little.
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Speaker 4: I shan't tell what I know till I'm sure you
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Speaker 4: know more. Then we'll make an exchange if you like.
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Speaker 5: I'm afraid it's no laughing matter for poor Molly.
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Speaker 1: Said Miss Browning, shaking her head.
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Speaker 5: People do say such things, but.
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Speaker 6: I don't believe them. Indeed, I don't.
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Speaker 1: Burst in Miss Phoebe half crying no more, will I, then,
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Speaker 1: said Lady Harriet, taking the good Lady's hand.
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Speaker 5: It's all very fine, Phoebe, saying you don't believe them,
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Speaker 5: as I should like to know who it was that
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Speaker 5: convinced me sadly against my will.
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Speaker 6: I am sure I only told you the facts as
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Speaker 6: missus goodenough told them to me, sister, But I'm sure
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Speaker 6: if you had seen poor patient Molly as I have done,
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Speaker 6: sitting up in a corner of a room, looking at
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Speaker 6: the beauties of England and Wales till she must have
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Speaker 6: been sick of them, and no one speaking to her,
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Speaker 6: and she as gentle and sweet as ever at the
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Speaker 6: end of the evening, though maybe a bit pale facts
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Speaker 6: or no facts, I won't believe anything against her.
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Speaker 1: So there sat Miss Phoebe in tearful defiance of facts.
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Speaker 4: And as I said before, I'm quite of your opinion,
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Speaker 4: said Lady Harriet.
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Speaker 5: How does your ladyship explain away her meetings with mister
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Speaker 5: Preston in all sorts of unlikely and open air places, asked.
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning, who to do her justice? Would have been
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Speaker 1: only too glad to join Molly's partisans if she could
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Speaker 1: have preserved her character for logical deduction. At the same time,
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Speaker 1: I went.
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Speaker 5: So far as to send for her father and tell
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Speaker 5: him about it. I thought at least he would have
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Speaker 5: horsewhipped mister Preston, but he seems to have taken no
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Speaker 5: notice of it.
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Speaker 4: Then we may be quite sure he knows some way
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Speaker 4: of explaining matters that we don't.
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Speaker 1: Said Lady Harriet decisively.
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Speaker 4: After all, there may be one hundred and fifty perfectly
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Speaker 4: natural and justifiable explanations.
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Speaker 5: Mister Gibson knew of none when I thought it my
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Speaker 5: duty to speak to him.
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Speaker 1: Said Miss Browning.
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Speaker 4: Why I suppose that mister Preston is engaged to Miss
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Speaker 4: Kirkpatrick and Molly is confidante and messenger.
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Speaker 5: I don't see that your Ladyship's supposition much alters the blame.
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Speaker 5: Why if he is honorable engaged to Cynthia Kirkpatrick, does
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Speaker 5: he not visit her openly at her home in mister
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Speaker 5: Gibson's house, Why does Molly lend herself to clandestine proceedings?
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Speaker 4: One can't account for everything, said Lady Harriet, a little impatiently.
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Speaker 1: For a reason was going hard against her.
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Speaker 4: But I choose to have faith in Molly Gibson. I'm
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Speaker 4: sure she's not done anything very wrong. I've a great
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Speaker 4: mind to go and call on her Missus Gibson is
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Speaker 4: confined to her room with his horrid influenza, and take
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Speaker 4: her with me on a round of calls through this
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Speaker 4: little gossiping town on missus goodenough or bad enough, who
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Speaker 4: seems to have propagated all these stories. But I've no
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Speaker 4: time to day. I've to meet Papa at three, and
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Speaker 4: it's three now. Only remember, miss Phoebe, it's you and
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Speaker 4: I against the world in defense of a distressed damsel,
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Speaker 4: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
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Speaker 1: Said she to herself as she ran lightly down Miss
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Speaker 1: Browning's old fashioned staircase.
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Speaker 5: Now, I don't think that's pretty of you, Phoebe.
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Speaker 1: Said Miss Browning in some displeasure, as soon as she
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Speaker 1: was alone with her sister.
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Speaker 5: First, you convince me against my will and make me
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Speaker 5: very unhappy, and I have to do unpleasant things. Or
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Speaker 5: because you've made me believe that certain statements are true,
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Speaker 5: then you turn round and cry, and so you don't
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Speaker 5: believe a word of it at all, making me out
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Speaker 5: a regular ogre and backbiter. No, it's of no use.
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Speaker 5: I shan't listen to you.
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Speaker 1: So she left Miss Phoebe in tears and locked herself
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Speaker 1: up in her own room. Lady Harriet, meanwhile, was writing
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Speaker 1: homeward by her father's side, apparently listening to all he
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Speaker 1: chose to say, but in reality turning over the probabilities
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Speaker 1: and possibilities that might account for these strange interviews between
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Speaker 1: Molly and mister Preston. It was a case of parley Laine,
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Speaker 1: Elonne and Boile Oriels. At a turn in the road,
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Speaker 1: they saw mister Preston a little way before them, coming
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Speaker 1: towards them on his good horse point device in his
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Speaker 1: riding attire, the the earl in his threadbare coat and
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Speaker 1: on his old brown cob called out cheerfully.
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Speaker 2: Aha, here's Preston, good day to you. I was just
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Speaker 2: wanting to ask about that slip of past to land
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Speaker 2: on the home farm. John Breckhall wants to plow it
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Speaker 2: up and crop it. It's not to acres at the best.
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Speaker 1: While they were talking over this bit of land, Lady
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Speaker 1: Harriet came to her resolution. As soon as her father
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Speaker 1: had finished.
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Speaker 4: She said, mister Preston, perhaps you will allow me to
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Speaker 4: ask one or two questions to relieve my mind, for
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Speaker 4: I am in some little perplexity at present.
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Speaker 7: Certainly I shall only be too happy to give you
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Speaker 7: any information in my power.
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Speaker 1: But the moment after he had made this polite speech,
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Speaker 1: he recollected Molly's speech that she would refer her case
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Speaker 1: to Lady Harriet. But the letters had been returned and
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Speaker 1: the affair was now wound up. She had come off conqueror,
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Speaker 1: he vanquished. Surely she would never have been so ungenerous
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Speaker 1: as to appeal after that.
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Speaker 4: There are reports about miss Gibson and you current among
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Speaker 4: the gossips of Hollingford. Are we to congratulate you on
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Speaker 4: your engagement to that lady ah By.
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Speaker 2: The way, Preston, we ought to have done it.
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Speaker 1: Before, interrupted Lord Cumnor, in hasty good will. But his
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Speaker 1: daughter said quietly.
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Speaker 4: Mister Preston has not yet told us if the reports
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Speaker 4: are well founded, Papa.
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Speaker 1: She looked at him with the air of a person
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Speaker 1: expecting an answer and expecting a truthful answer. I am
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Speaker 1: not so fortunate, replied he, trying to make his horse
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Speaker 1: appear fidgety without incurring observation.
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Speaker 4: Then I may contradict that report.
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Speaker 1: Asked Lady Harriet quickly, or.
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Speaker 4: Is there any reason for believing that in time it
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Speaker 4: may come true? I ask, because such reports, if unfounded,
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Speaker 4: do harm to young ladies.
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Speaker 2: Keep other sweethearts off.
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Speaker 1: Put in Lord Cumnor, looking a good deal pleased at
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Speaker 1: his own discernment, Lady Harriet went.
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Speaker 4: On, and I take a great interest in miss Gibson.
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Speaker 1: Mister Preston saw from her manner that he was in
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Speaker 1: for it, as he expressed it to himself. The question
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Speaker 1: was how much or how little did she know?
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Speaker 7: I have no expectation or hope of ever having a
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Speaker 7: nearer interest in Miss Gibson than I have at present.
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Speaker 7: I shall be glad if this straightforward answer relieves your
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Speaker 7: ladyship from your perplexity.
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Speaker 1: He could not help the touch of insolence that accompanied
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Speaker 1: these last words. It was not in the words themselves,
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Speaker 1: nor in the tone in which they were spoken, nor
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Speaker 1: in the look which accompanied them. It was in all
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Speaker 1: it implied a doubt of Lady Harriet's right to question
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Speaker 1: him as she did, and there was something of defiance
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Speaker 1: in it as well. But this touch of insolence put
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Speaker 1: Lady Harriet's mettle up, and she was not one to
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Speaker 1: check herself in any course for the opinion of an inferior.
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Speaker 4: Then, sir, are you aware of the injury you may
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Speaker 4: do to a young lady's reputation if you meet her
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Speaker 4: and detain her in long conversations when she is walking
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Speaker 4: by herself, unaccompanied by any one. You give rise You
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Speaker 4: have given rise to reports, My dear Harriet.
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Speaker 2: Are not you going too far? You don't know. Mister
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Speaker 2: Preston may have intentions, unacknowledged intentions.
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Speaker 7: No, my Lord, I have no intentions with regard to
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Speaker 7: Miss Gibson. She may be a very worthy young lady.
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Speaker 7: I have no doubt she is. Lady Harriet seems determined
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Speaker 7: to push me into such a position that I cannot
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Speaker 7: but acknowledge myself to be. It is not enviable, not
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Speaker 7: pleasant to own, but I am, in fact a jilted man,
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Speaker 7: jilted by Miss Kirkpatrick after a tolerably long engagement. My
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Speaker 7: interviews with Miss Gibson were not of the most agreeable kind,
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Speaker 7: as you may conclude when I tell you she was
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Speaker 7: I believe the instigator. Certainly she was the agent in
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Speaker 7: this last step of Miss Kirkpatrick's is your Ladyship's curiosity.
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Speaker 1: With an emphasis on this last word.
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Speaker 7: Satisfied with this rather mortifying confession of mine.
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Speaker 2: Harriet, my dear, you've gone too far. We had no
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Speaker 2: right to pry into mister Preston's private affairs.
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Speaker 1: No more right, had said Lady Harriet, with a smile
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Speaker 1: of winning frankness, the first smile she had afforded to
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Speaker 1: mister Preston for many a long day, ever since the
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Speaker 1: time years ago, when presuming on his handsomeness, he had
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Speaker 1: assumed a tone of gallant familiarity with Lady Harriet and
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Speaker 1: paid her personal compliments as he would have done to
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Speaker 1: an equal.
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Speaker 4: But he will excuse me, I hope.
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Speaker 1: Continued she still in that gracious manner which made him
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Speaker 1: feel that he now held a much higher place in
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Speaker 1: her esteem than he had at the beginning of their interview.
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Speaker 4: When he learns that the busy tongues of the Hollingford
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Speaker 4: ladies have been speaking of my friend Miss Gibson in
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Speaker 4: the most unwarrantable manner, drawing unjustifiable inferences from the facts
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Speaker 4: of that intercourse with mister Preston, the nature of which
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Speaker 4: he has just conferred such a real obligation on me
20:16
Speaker 4: by explaining.
20:17
Speaker 7: I think I need hardly request Lady Harriet to consider
20:20
Speaker 7: this explanation of mine as confidential.
20:23
Speaker 1: Said mister Preston. Of course, of course, said the Earl.
20:27
Speaker 2: Everyone will understand that.
20:30
Speaker 1: And he rode home and told his wife and Lady
20:33
Speaker 1: Cuxhaven the whole conversation between Lady Harriet and mister Preston
20:37
Speaker 1: in the strictest confidence. Of course, Lady Harriet had to
20:41
Speaker 1: stand a good many strictures on manners and proper dignity
20:45
Speaker 1: for a few days. After this, however, she consoled herself
20:49
Speaker 1: by calling on the Gibsons and finding that Missus Gibson,
20:52
Speaker 1: who was still an invalid, was asleep. At the time.
20:55
Speaker 1: She experienced no difficulty in carrying off the unconscious Molly
20:59
Speaker 1: for a walk, which Lady Harriet so contrived that they
21:03
Speaker 1: twice passed through all the length of the principal street
21:06
Speaker 1: of the town, loitered at Grinstead's for half an hour,
21:09
Speaker 1: and wound up by Lady Harriet's calling on the Miss Brownings, who,
21:13
Speaker 1: to her regret, were not at home.
21:16
Speaker 4: Perhaps it's as well, said she.
21:18
Speaker 1: After a minute's consideration.
21:20
Speaker 4: I'll leave my card and put your name down underneath it. Molly.
21:24
Speaker 1: Molly was a little puzzled by the manner in which
21:27
Speaker 1: she had been taken possession of, like an inanimate chattel
21:30
Speaker 1: for all the afternoon, and exclaimed.
21:33
Speaker 5: Please, Lady Harriet, I never leave cards.
21:36
Speaker 1: I have not got any. And on the Miss Brownings.
21:39
Speaker 5: Of all people, why I am in and out whenever
21:42
Speaker 5: I like?
21:43
Speaker 4: Never mind, little one. To day you shall do everything
21:46
Speaker 4: properly and according to full etiquette. And now tell missus
21:50
Speaker 4: Gibson to come out to the towers for a long day.
21:53
Speaker 4: We will send the carriage for her whenever she will
21:55
Speaker 4: let us know she is strong enough to come. Indeed,
21:58
Speaker 4: she had better come for a few days. At this
22:01
Speaker 4: time of year. It doesn't do for an invalid to
22:03
Speaker 4: be out in the evenings, even in a carriage.
22:06
Speaker 1: So spoke Lady Harriet, standing on the white doorsteps at
22:10
Speaker 1: Miss Brownings and holding Molly's hand while she wished her
22:13
Speaker 1: good bye.
22:14
Speaker 4: You tell her, dear, that I came partly to see her,
22:17
Speaker 4: but finding her asleep, I ran off with you. And
22:20
Speaker 4: don't forget about her coming to stay with us for
22:22
Speaker 4: a change of air. Mamma will like it, I'm sure.
22:26
Speaker 4: And a carriage and all that, and now goodbye. We've
22:29
Speaker 4: done a good day's work, and better than you're aware.
22:33
Speaker 1: Of, continued she, still addressing Molly, though the latter was
22:37
Speaker 1: quite out of hearing.
22:39
Speaker 4: Hollingford is not the place I take it to be,
22:41
Speaker 4: if it doesn't veer round in Miss Gibson's favor after
22:44
Speaker 4: my to day's trotting of that child.
22:46
Speaker 1: About end of chapter forty nine,