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056 - An Absent Lover Returns · Wives and Daughters

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Speaker 1: Chapter fifty five of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter fifty five.
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Speaker 1: An absent lover returns. And now it was late June,
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Speaker 1: and to Molly's and her father's extreme urgency and pushing,
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Speaker 1: and mister and Missus Kirkpatrick's affectionate persistency in pulling, Cynthia
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Speaker 1: had yielded and had gone back to finish her interrupted
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Speaker 1: visit in London, but not before the brute of her
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Speaker 1: previous sudden return to Nurse Mollie had told strongly in
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Speaker 1: her favor. In the fluctuating opinion of the little town,
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Speaker 1: her affair with mister Preston was thrust into the shade,
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Speaker 1: while every one was speaking of her warm heart. Under
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Speaker 1: the gleam of Molly's recovery, everything assumed a rosy hue,
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Speaker 1: as indeed became the time when actual roses were fully
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Speaker 1: in bloom. One morning, Missus Gibson brought Molly a great
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Speaker 1: basket of flowers that had been sent from the hall.
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Speaker 1: Molly still breakfasted in bed, but she had just come
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Speaker 1: down and was now well enough to arrange the flowers
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Speaker 1: for the drawing room. And as she did so with
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Speaker 1: these blossoms. She made some comments on each.
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Speaker 2: Ah, these white pinks. They were Missus Hamley's favorite flower,
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Speaker 2: and so like her. This little bit of sweet briar.
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Speaker 2: It quite scents the room. It has pricked my fingers.
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Speaker 2: But never mind, Oh, mamma, look at this rose. I
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Speaker 2: forget its name, but it is very rare and grows
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Speaker 2: up in the sheltered corner of the wall near the
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Speaker 2: mulberry tree. Roger bought the tree for his mother with
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Speaker 2: his own money when he was quite a boy. He
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Speaker 2: showed it to me and made me notice it.
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Speaker 3: I daresay it was Roger who got it. Now, you
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Speaker 3: heard Papa say he had seen him yesterday.
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Speaker 2: No, Roger, Roger.
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Speaker 1: Come home, said Molly, turning first red then very white.
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Speaker 3: Yes, oh, I remember you had gone to bed before
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Speaker 3: Papa came in, and he was called off early to
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Speaker 3: tiresome Missus Beale. Yes, Roger turned up at the hall
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Speaker 3: the day before yesterday.
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Speaker 1: But Molly leaned back against her chair, too faint to
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Speaker 1: do more at the flowers. For some time she had
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Speaker 1: been startled by the suddenness of.
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Speaker 2: The news, Roger come home.
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Speaker 1: It happened that mister Gibson was unusually busy on this
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Speaker 1: particular day, and he did not come home till late
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Speaker 1: in the afternoon. But Molly kept her place in the
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Speaker 1: drawing room all the time, not even going to take
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Speaker 1: her customary siesta. So anxious was she to hear everything
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Speaker 1: about Roger's return, which as yet appeared to her almost incredible,
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Speaker 1: but it was quite natural. In reality, the long monotony
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Speaker 1: of her illness had made her lose all count of time.
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Speaker 1: When Roger left England, his idea was to coast round
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Speaker 1: Africa on the eastern side until he reached the Cape,
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Speaker 1: and then to make what further journey or voyage might
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Speaker 1: seem to him best in pursuit of his scientific objects
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Speaker 1: to Cape Town. All his letters had been addressed of late,
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Speaker 1: and there two months before he had received the intelligence
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Speaker 1: of Osborne's death, as well as Cynthia's hasty letter of relinquishment.
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Speaker 1: He did not consider that he was doing wrong in
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Speaker 1: returning to England immediately and reporting himself to the gentleman
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Speaker 1: who had sent him out. With a full explanation of
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Speaker 1: the circumstances relating to Osborne's private marriage and sudden death.
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Speaker 1: He offered and they accepted his offer to go out
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Speaker 1: again for any time that they might think equivalent to
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Speaker 1: the five months he was yet engaged to them, For
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Speaker 1: they were, most of them gentlemen of property, and saw
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Speaker 1: the full importance of proving the marriage of an eldest
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Speaker 1: son and installing his child as the natural heir to
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Speaker 1: a long descended estate. This much information, but in a
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Speaker 1: more condensed form, mister Gibson gave to Mollie in a
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Speaker 1: very few minutes. She sat up on her sofa, looking
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Speaker 1: very pretty, with the flush on her cheeks and the
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Speaker 1: brightness in her eyes. Well, said she when her father
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Speaker 1: stopped speaking. Well, what, asked he playfully?
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Speaker 2: Oh, why such a number of things. I've been waiting
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Speaker 2: all day to ask you all about everything. How is
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Speaker 2: he looking?
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Speaker 4: If a young man of twenty four, ever, does take
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Speaker 4: to growing taller, I should say that he was taller
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Speaker 4: as it is. I suppose it's only that he looks broader, stronger,
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Speaker 4: more muscular.
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Speaker 1: Oh is he changed, asked Mollie, a little disturbed by
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Speaker 1: this account.
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Speaker 4: No, not changed, and yet not the same. He's as
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Speaker 4: brown as a berry. For one thing, caught a little
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Speaker 4: of the negro tinge and a beard a fine and
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Speaker 4: sweeping as my bay Mayer's tail a bid.
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Speaker 2: But go on, Papa, does he talk as he used
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Speaker 2: to do? I should know his voice amongst ten thousand.
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Speaker 4: I didn't catch any hot and hot twang, if that's
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Speaker 4: what you mean. Nor did he say CESI and Pompey
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Speaker 4: very much alike, especially Pompey, which is the only specimen
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Speaker 4: of Negro language I can remember.
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Speaker 3: Just at this moment, and which I never could see
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Speaker 3: the witch of.
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Speaker 1: Said Missus Gibson, who had come into the room after
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Speaker 1: the conversation had begun, and did not understand what it
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Speaker 1: was aiming at. Molly fidgeted. She wanted to go on
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Speaker 1: with her questions and keep her father to definite and
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Speaker 1: matter of fact answers. And she knew that when his
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Speaker 1: wife chimed into a conversation, mister Gibson was very apt
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Speaker 1: to find out that he must go about some necessary
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Speaker 1: piece of business.
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Speaker 2: Tell me, how are they all getting on together?
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Speaker 1: It was an inquiry which she did not in general
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Speaker 1: before Missus Gibson, for Molly and her father had tacitly
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Speaker 1: agreed to keep silence on what they knew or had observed,
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Speaker 1: respecting the three who formed the present family at the hall, Oh,
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Speaker 1: said mister Gibson.
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Speaker 4: Roger is evidently putting everything to rights, in his firm,
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Speaker 4: quiet way.
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Speaker 1: Things to rights. Why what's wrong, asked Missus Gibson quickly.
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Speaker 3: The Squire and the French daughter in law don't get
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Speaker 3: on well together. I suppose I am always so glad
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Speaker 3: Cynthia acted with the promptitude she did. It would have
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Speaker 3: been very awkward for her to have been mixed up
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Speaker 3: with all these complications. Poor Roger to find himself supplanted
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Speaker 3: by a child when he comes home.
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Speaker 4: You were not in the room, my dear, when I
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Speaker 4: was telling Molly of the reasons for Roger's return. It
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Speaker 4: was to put his brother's child at once into his
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Speaker 4: rightful and legal place. So now when he finds the
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Speaker 4: work partly done to his hands, he is happy and
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Speaker 4: gratified in proportion.
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Speaker 3: Then he is not much affected by Cynthia's breaking off
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Speaker 3: her engagement.
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Speaker 1: Missus Gibson could afford to call it an engagement. Now.
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Speaker 3: I never did give him credit for very deep feelings.
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Speaker 4: On the contrary, he feels it very acutely. He and
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Speaker 4: I had a long talk about it yesterday.
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Speaker 1: Both Molly and Missus Gibson would have liked to have
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Speaker 1: heard something more about this conversation, but mister Gibson did
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Speaker 1: not choose to go on with the subject. The only
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Speaker 1: point which he disclosed was that Roger had insisted on
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Speaker 1: his right to have a personal interview with Cynthia, and
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Speaker 1: on hearing that she was in London at present, had
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Speaker 1: deferred any further explanation or expostulation by letter, preferring to
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Speaker 1: await her return. Molly went on with her questions on
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Speaker 1: other subjects, and missus Osborn Hamley, how is.
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Speaker 4: She wonderfully brightened up by Roger's presence. I don't think
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Speaker 4: I've ever seen her smile before. She gives him the
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Speaker 4: sweetest smiles from time to time. They are evidently good friends,
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Speaker 4: and she loses her strange startled look when she speaks
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Speaker 4: to him. I suspect she has been quite aware of
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Speaker 4: the Squire's wish that she should return to France, and
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Speaker 4: has been hard put to decide whether to leave her
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Speaker 4: child or not. The idea that she would have to
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Speaker 4: make some such decision came upon her when she was
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Speaker 4: completely shattered by grief and illness, and she hasn't had
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Speaker 4: anyone to consult as to her duty until Roger came
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Speaker 4: upon whom she has evidently firm reliance. He told me
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Speaker 4: something of this himself.
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Speaker 2: You seem to have had quite a long conversation with him, Papa.
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Speaker 4: Yes, I was going to see old Abraham when the
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Speaker 4: squire called to me over the hedge as I was
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Speaker 4: jogging along. He told me the news, and there was
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Speaker 4: no resisting his invitation to come back and lunch with them. Besides,
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Speaker 4: one gets a great deal of meaning out of Roger's words.
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Speaker 4: It didn't take so very long a time to hear
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Speaker 4: this much.
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Speaker 3: I should think he would come and call upon us soon.
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Speaker 1: Said missus Gibson to Molly.
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Speaker 3: And then we shall see how much we can manage
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Speaker 3: to hear.
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Speaker 2: Don't you think you will?
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Speaker 1: Papa, said Molly more doubtfully. She remembered the last time
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Speaker 1: he was in that very room, and the hopes with
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Speaker 1: which he had left it, and she fancied that she
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Speaker 1: could see traces of this thought in her father's countenance
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Speaker 1: at his wife's speech.
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Speaker 4: I can't tell, my dear until he's quite convinced of
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Speaker 4: Cynthia's intentions. It can't be very pleasant for him to
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Speaker 4: come on mere visits of ceremony to the house in
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Speaker 4: which she has known her. But he's one who will
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Speaker 4: always do what he thinks right, whether pleasant or not.
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Speaker 1: Missus Gibson could hardly wait till her husband had finished
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Speaker 1: his sentence before she testified against a part of it.
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Speaker 3: Convinced of Cynthia's intentions, I should think she had made
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Speaker 3: them pretty clear. What's more, does the man want?
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Speaker 4: He's not yet convinced that the letter wasn't written in
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Speaker 4: a fit of temporary feeling. I've told him that this
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Speaker 4: was true, although I didn't feel at my place to
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Speaker 4: explain to him the causes of that feeling. He believes
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Speaker 4: that he can induce her to resume the former footing.
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Speaker 4: I don't. I've told him so, But of course he
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Speaker 4: needs the full conviction that she alone can give him.
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Speaker 3: Poor Cynthia, my poor child.
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Speaker 1: Said missus Gibson, plaintively.
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Speaker 3: What is she exposed herself to by letting herself be
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Speaker 3: over persuaded by that man?
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Speaker 1: Mister Gibson's eyes flashed fire, but he kept his lips
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Speaker 1: tight closed and only said that man indeed quite below
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Speaker 1: his breath. Molly too had been damped by an expression
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Speaker 1: or two in her father's speech.
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Speaker 2: Mere visits of sirmony? Was it so indeed a mere
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Speaker 2: visit of sirmony?
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Speaker 1: Whatever it was, the call was paid before many days
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Speaker 1: were over. That he felt all the awkwardness of his
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Speaker 1: position toward Missus Gibson, that he was in reality suffering
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Speaker 1: pain all the time, was but too evident to Molly.
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Speaker 1: But of course Missus Gibson saw nothing of this in
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Speaker 1: her gratification at the proper respect paid to her by
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Speaker 1: one whose name was in the newspapers that chronicled his return,
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Speaker 1: and about whom already Lord Cumnor and the Towers family
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Speaker 1: had been making inquiry. Mollie was sitting in her pretty
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Speaker 1: white invalid's dress, half reading, half dreaming. For the June
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Speaker 1: air was so clear and ambient, the garden so full
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Speaker 1: of bloom, the trees so full of leaf, that reading
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Speaker 1: by the open window was only a pretense at such
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Speaker 1: a time, besides which Missus Gibson continually interrupted her with
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Speaker 1: remarks about the pattern of her worsted work. It was
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Speaker 1: after lunch orthodox calling time when Maria ushered in mister
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Speaker 1: Roger Hamad. Molly started up and then stood shyly and
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Speaker 1: quietly in her place, while a bronzed, bearded grave man
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Speaker 1: came into the room in whom she at first had
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Speaker 1: to seek for the merry, boyish face she knew by
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Speaker 1: heart only two years ago, but months in the climates
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Speaker 1: in which Roger had been traveling aged as much as years.
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Speaker 1: In more temperate regions, and constant thought and anxiety while
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Speaker 1: in daily peril of life, deepened the lines of character
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Speaker 1: upon the face. Moreover, the circumstances that had of late
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Speaker 1: affected him personally were not of a nature to make
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Speaker 1: him either buoyant or cheerful. But his voice was the same.
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Speaker 1: That was the first point of the old friend. Molly
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Speaker 1: caught when he had dressed her in a tone far
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Speaker 1: softer than he used in speaking conventional politenesses to her
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Speaker 1: step mother, I was.
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Speaker 5: So sorry to hear how ill you had been. You
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Speaker 5: are looking but delicate.
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Speaker 1: Letting his eyes eyes rest upon her face with affectionate examination,
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Speaker 1: Molly felt her self color all over with the consciousness
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Speaker 1: of his regard to do something to put an end
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Speaker 1: to it. She looked up and showed him her beautiful,
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Speaker 1: soft gray eyes, which she never remembered to have noticed before.
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Speaker 1: She smiled at him as she blushed still deeper and said.
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Speaker 2: Oh, I am quite strong now to what I was.
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Speaker 2: It would be a shame to be ill when everything
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Speaker 2: is in its full summer beauty.
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Speaker 5: I have heard how deeply we I am indebted to you.
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Speaker 5: My father can hardly praise you.
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Speaker 1: Please don't, said Molly, the tears coming into her eyes.
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Speaker 1: In spite of herself. He seemed to understand her at once.
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Speaker 1: He went on as if speaking to Missus Gibson.
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Speaker 5: Indeed, if my little sister in law is never worry
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Speaker 5: of talking about Monsieur le docteur, as she calls her husband.
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Speaker 3: I have not had the pleasure of making Missus Osborne
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Speaker 3: Hamley's acquaintance, yet.
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Speaker 1: Said Missus Gibson, suddenly aware of the duty which might
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Speaker 1: have been expected from her.
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Speaker 3: And I must beg you to apologize to have of
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Speaker 3: my remissness. But Molly has been such a care and
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Speaker 3: anxiety to me, for you know, I look upon her
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Speaker 3: as quite my own child. That I really have not
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Speaker 3: gone anywhere excepting to the towers, perhaps I should say,
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Speaker 3: which is just like another home to me. And then
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Speaker 3: I understood that Missus Osborne Hamley was thinking of returning
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Speaker 3: to France before long. Still, it was very remiss.
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Speaker 1: The little trap thus set for news of what might
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Speaker 1: be going on in the Hamley family was quite successful.
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Speaker 1: Roger answered her, thus.
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Speaker 5: I am sure, missus Osborne Hamley will be very glad
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Speaker 5: to seem any friends of the family as soon as
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Speaker 5: she is a little stronger. I hope she will not
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Speaker 5: go back to France at all. She is an orphan,
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Speaker 5: and I trust we shall induce her to remain with
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Speaker 5: my father. But at present nothing is arranged.
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Speaker 1: Then, as if glad to have got over his visit
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Speaker 1: of ceremony, he got up and took leave. When he
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Speaker 1: was at the door, he looked back, having, as he thought,
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Speaker 1: a word more to say, but he quite forgot what
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Speaker 1: it was for he surprised Molly's intent, gaze and sudden
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Speaker 1: confusion at discovery, and went away as soon as he could.
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Speaker 5: Poor Osborne was right, said he. She has gone into delicate,
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Speaker 5: fragrant beauty, just as he said she would. Or is
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Speaker 5: it the character which has formed her face? Now? The
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Speaker 5: next time I enter these doors it will be to
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Speaker 5: learn my fate.
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Speaker 1: Mister Gibson had told his wife of Roger's desire to
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Speaker 1: have a personal interview with Cynthia, rather with a view
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Speaker 1: to her, repeating what he said to her daughter. He
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Speaker 1: did not see any exact necessity for this, it is true,
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Speaker 1: but he thought it might be advisable that she should
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Speaker 1: know all the truth in which she was concerned, and
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Speaker 1: he told his wife this. But she took the affair
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Speaker 1: into her own management. And although she who apparently agreed
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Speaker 1: with mister Gibson, she never named the affair to Cynthia,
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Speaker 1: all that she said to her.
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Speaker 3: Was your old admirer. Roger Hamley has come home in
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Speaker 3: a great hurry in consequence of poor dear Osborne's unexpected decease.
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Speaker 3: He must have been rather surprised to find the widow
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Speaker 3: and her little boy established at the hall. He came
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Speaker 3: to call here the other day and made himself really
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Speaker 3: rather agreeable. Although his manners are not improved by the
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Speaker 3: society he has kept on his travels, still, I prophesy
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Speaker 3: he will be considered as a fashionable lion, and perhaps
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Speaker 3: the very uncouthness which jars against my sense of refinement,
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Speaker 3: may even become admired in a scientific traveler who has
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Speaker 3: been into more desert places and eaten more extraordinary food
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Speaker 3: than any other englishman of the day. I suppose he's
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Speaker 3: given up all chance of inheriting the estate. For I
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Speaker 3: hear he talks of returning to Africa and becoming a
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Speaker 3: regular wanderer. Your name was not mentioned, but I believe
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Speaker 3: he required about you for mister Gibson there.
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Speaker 1: Said she to herself, as she folded up and directed
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Speaker 1: her letter.
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Speaker 3: That can't disturb her or make her uncomfortable, and it's
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Speaker 3: all the truth too, or very near it. Of course,
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Speaker 3: he'll want to see her when she comes back. But
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Speaker 3: by that time I do hope mister Henderson will have
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Speaker 3: proposed again, and that that affair will be all settled.
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Speaker 1: But Cynthia returned to Hollingford one Tuesday morning, and, in
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Speaker 1: answer to her mother's anxious inquiries on the subject, would
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Speaker 1: only say that mister Henderson had not offered again.
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Speaker 6: Why should he. She had refused him once, and he
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Speaker 6: did not know the reason of her refusal, at least
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Speaker 6: one of the reasons. She did not know if she
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Speaker 6: should have taken him if there had been no such
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Speaker 6: person as Roger Hamley in the world. No uncle and
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Speaker 6: aunt Kirkpatrick had never heard anything about Roger's offer, nor
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Speaker 6: had her cousins. She had always declared her wish to
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Speaker 6: keep it a secret, and she had not mentioned it
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Speaker 6: to anyone, whatever other people might have done.
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Speaker 1: Underneath this light and careless vein, there were other feelings,
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Speaker 1: but Missus Gibson was not one to probe beneath the surface.
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Speaker 1: She had set her heart on mister Henderson's marrying Cynthia
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Speaker 1: very early in their acquaintance, and to know firstly that
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Speaker 1: the same wish had entered into his head, and that
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Speaker 1: Roger's attachment to Cynthia, with its consequences, had been the obstacle.
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Speaker 1: And secondly that Cynthia herself, with all the opportunities of
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Speaker 1: propinquity which she had lately had, had failed to provoke
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Speaker 1: a repetition of the offer, was, as Missus Gibson.
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Speaker 3: Said, enough to provoke a saint.
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Speaker 1: All the rest of the day she alluded to Cynthia
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Speaker 1: as a disappointing and ungrateful daughter. Molly could not make
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Speaker 1: out why, and resented it for Cynthia until the latter
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Speaker 1: said bitterly.
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Speaker 6: Never mind, Molly. Mamma's only vexed because, mister, because I
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Speaker 6: have not come back an engaged young lady.
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Speaker 3: Yes, and I am sure you might have done. There's
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Speaker 3: the ingratitude. I am not so unjust as to want
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Speaker 3: you to do what you can't.
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Speaker 1: Do, said missus Gibson querulously.
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Speaker 6: But where's the ingratitude, Mamma. I'm very much tired, and
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Speaker 6: perhaps that makes me stupid, but I cannot see the ingratitude.
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Speaker 1: Cynthia spoke very wearily, leaning her head back on the
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Speaker 1: sofa cushions, as if she did not care to have
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Speaker 1: an answer.
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Speaker 3: Why don't you see we are all doing what we
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Speaker 3: can for you, dressing you well and sending you to London,
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Speaker 3: and when you might relieve us of the expense of
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Speaker 3: all this, you don't.
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Speaker 1: No, Cynthia, I will speak, said Molly all Crimson with
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Speaker 1: indignation and pushing away Cynthia's restraining hand.
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Speaker 2: I am sure Papa does not feel and does not
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Speaker 2: mind any expense he incurs about his daughters, and I
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Speaker 2: know quite well that he does not wish us to
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Speaker 2: marry unless.
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Speaker 1: She faltered and stopped, unless what said missus Gibson half mocking.
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Speaker 2: Unless we love some one very daily.
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Speaker 1: Indeed, said Molly in a low firm.
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Speaker 3: Tone, Well after this tirade really rather indelicate, I must
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Speaker 3: say I have done. I will neither help nor hinder
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Speaker 3: any love affairs of you two young ladies. In my
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Speaker 3: days we were glad of the advice of our elders.
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Speaker 1: And she loved the room to put into fulfillment an
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Speaker 1: idea which had just struck her, to write a confidential
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Speaker 1: letter to Missus Kirkpatrick, giving her her version of.
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Speaker 3: Cynthia's unfortunate entanglement and delicate sense of honor, and hints
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Speaker 3: of her entire indifference to all the masculine portion of
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Speaker 3: the world, mister Henderson being dexterously excluded from the category.
20:46
Speaker 1: Oh dear, said Molly, throwing herself back in a chair
20:50
Speaker 1: with a sigh of relief, as Missus Gibson left the room.
20:56
Speaker 2: How cross I do get since I've been ill, But
20:58
Speaker 2: I couldn't bear her to speak as if if Papa
21:00
Speaker 2: grudged you anything.
21:02
Speaker 6: I'm sure he doesn't, Molly, you need not offend him
21:04
Speaker 6: on my account, But I am sorry. Mamma still looks
21:07
Speaker 6: upon me as an encumbrance, as the advertisements in the
21:10
Speaker 6: Times always call us unfortunate children. But I've been an
21:13
Speaker 6: encumbrance to her all my life, getting very much into
21:16
Speaker 6: despair about everything, Molly, I shall try my luck in Russia.
21:19
Speaker 6: I've heard of a situation as English governess at Moscow
21:22
Speaker 6: in a family owning whole provinces of land and serfs
21:25
Speaker 6: by the hundred. I put off writing my letter till
21:28
Speaker 6: I came home. I shall be as much out of
21:30
Speaker 6: the way there as if I was married. Oh, dear,
21:32
Speaker 6: traveling all night isn't good for the spirits. How is
21:35
Speaker 6: mister Preston.
21:37
Speaker 2: Oh he has taken Cumnor Grange three miles away, and
21:40
Speaker 2: he never comes into Hollingford tea parties. Now, I saw
21:44
Speaker 2: him once in the street, but it's a question which
21:46
Speaker 2: of us try the hardest to get out of the
21:48
Speaker 2: other's way.
21:49
Speaker 6: You've not said anything about Roger yet.
21:52
Speaker 2: No, I didn't know if you would care to hear.
21:55
Speaker 2: He is very much older, looking, quite a strong, grown
21:57
Speaker 2: up man, and Papa says he is my graver. Ask
22:01
Speaker 2: me any questions if you want to know. But I
22:03
Speaker 2: have only seen him once.
22:05
Speaker 6: I was in hopes he would have left the neighborhood
22:07
Speaker 6: by this time. Mamma said he was going to travel again.
22:11
Speaker 1: I can't tell, said Molly. I suppose you know, she continued,
22:18
Speaker 1: but hesitating a little before she spoke.
22:22
Speaker 2: But he wishes to see you.
22:24
Speaker 6: No, I never heard. I wish he would have been
22:26
Speaker 6: satisfied with my letter. It was as decided as I
22:29
Speaker 6: could make it. If I say I won't see him,
22:31
Speaker 6: I wonder if his will or mine will be the strongest.
22:35
Speaker 1: His, said Molly.
22:38
Speaker 2: But you must see him. You owe it to him.
22:41
Speaker 2: You will never be satisfied without it.
22:43
Speaker 6: Suppose he talks me round and to resuming the engagement,
22:46
Speaker 6: I shall only break it off again.
22:48
Speaker 2: Surely you can't be talked around if your mind is
22:50
Speaker 2: made up. But perhaps it is not really, Cynthia.
22:54
Speaker 1: Asked she with a little wistful anxiety betraying itself in
22:59
Speaker 1: her face.
23:00
Speaker 6: It is quite made up. I am going to teach
23:03
Speaker 6: little Russian girls and am never going to marry nobody.
23:06
Speaker 2: You are not serious, Cynthia, And yet it is a
23:08
Speaker 2: very serious thing.
23:10
Speaker 1: But Cynthia went off into one of her wild moods,
23:13
Speaker 1: and no more reason or sensible meaning was to be
23:17
Speaker 1: got out of her at the time end of chapter
23:21
Speaker 1: fifty five,