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021 - The Dark Night · North and South

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty one of Northern South. This is a LibriVox accordon.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox accordance are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Chemablope North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, chapter
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  Speaker 1: twenty one. The dark night on Earth is known to none.
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  Speaker 1: The smile that has no sister to a deer eliot.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret and her father walked home. The night was fine,
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  Speaker 1: the streets clean, and with her pretty white silk like
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  Speaker 1: Lizzie Lindsey's gown of green satin in the ballad, gilted
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  Speaker 1: up to her knee. She was off with her father,
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  Speaker 1: ready to dance along with the excitement of the cool,
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  Speaker 1: fresh night air. I rather think Thornton is not quite
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  Speaker 1: easy in his mind about this strike. He seemed very
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  Speaker 1: anxious to night. I should wonder if he were not.
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  Speaker 1: But he spoke with his usual coolness to the others
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  Speaker 1: when they suggested differ and things just before we came away.
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  Speaker 1: So he did after dinner as well. It would take
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  Speaker 1: a good deal to steer him from his school manner speaking.
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  Speaker 1: But his face strikes me as anxious. I should see
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  Speaker 1: if I were he, he must know the growing anger
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  Speaker 1: and hardly smothered hatred of his workpeople who I'll look
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  Speaker 1: upon him as what the Bible calls a hard man,
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  Speaker 1: not so much unjust as unfeeling clear in judgment, standing
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  Speaker 1: upon his rights, as no human being ought to stand,
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  Speaker 1: considering what we and all our petty rights are in
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  Speaker 1: the sight of the almighty. I am glad you think
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  Speaker 1: he looks anxious. When I remember Boucher's half mad words
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  Speaker 1: and ways, I cannot bear to think how coolly mister
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  Speaker 1: Thornton spoke in the first place. I'm not so convinced
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  Speaker 1: as you are about that man Boucher's utter distress. For
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  Speaker 1: the moment he was badly off, I don't doubt. But
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  Speaker 1: there is always a mysterious supply of money from these unions,
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  Speaker 1: and from what you said, it was ever, But the
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  Speaker 1: man was of a passionate, demonstrative nature and gave strong
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  Speaker 1: expression to all he felt. Oh Baba, well, I only
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  Speaker 1: wanted to justice to mister Thornton, who is I suspect
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  Speaker 1: of an exactly opposite nature, a man who is far
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  Speaker 1: too proud to show his feelings, just the character I
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  Speaker 1: should have thought before, And you would have admired Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: so I do so I should, but I don't feel
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  Speaker 1: quite so sure as you do of the existence of
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  Speaker 1: those feelings. He is a man of great strength of character,
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  Speaker 1: of unusual intellect. Considering the few advantages he has had,
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  Speaker 1: not so few. He has led a practical life from
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  Speaker 1: a very early age, has been called upon to exercise
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  Speaker 1: judgment and self control. All that develops one part of
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  Speaker 1: the intellect. To be sure, he needs some of the
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  Speaker 1: knowledge of the past, which gives the truest basis for
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  Speaker 1: conjecture as to the future. But he knows this need,
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  Speaker 1: he perceives it, and that is something you are quite
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  Speaker 1: prejudiced against. Mister Thornton, Margaret. He is the first best man,
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  Speaker 1: of a manufacturer, of a person engaged in trade, that
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  Speaker 1: I had ever the opportunity of studying Papa. He is
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  Speaker 1: my first olive. Let me make a face while I
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  Speaker 1: swallow it. I know he is good of his kind,
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  Speaker 1: and by and by I shall like the kind I
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  Speaker 1: rather think I am already beginning to do so. I
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  Speaker 1: was very interested by what the gentlemen were talking about,
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  Speaker 1: although I did not understand half of it. I was
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  Speaker 1: quite sorry when Miss Thornton came to take me to
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  Speaker 1: the other end of the room, saying she was sure
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  Speaker 1: I should be uncomfortable to being the only lady among
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  Speaker 1: so many gentlemen. I had never thought about it. I
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  Speaker 1: was so busy listening, and the ladies were so dull, Papa,
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  Speaker 1: oh so dull. Yet I think it was clever too.
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  Speaker 1: It reminded me of her old game of having eat
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  Speaker 1: so many nouns to introduce into a sentence. What do
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  Speaker 1: you mean, child, asked why. They took nouns that were
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  Speaker 1: signs of things which gave evidence of wealth, housekeepers, under gardeners,
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  Speaker 1: extent of class, valuable lace, diamonds, and all such things.
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  Speaker 1: And each one formed her speech so as to bring
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  Speaker 1: them all in in the prettiest accidental manner possible. You
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  Speaker 1: will be as proud of your one servant when you
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  Speaker 1: get her, if all is true about her, that missus
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  Speaker 1: Thornton says, to be sure, I shall. I felt like
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  Speaker 1: a great hypocrite to night, sitting there in my white
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  Speaker 1: silk gown with my idle hands before me, When I
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  Speaker 1: remember all the good, thorough housework they had done to day.
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  Speaker 1: They took me for a fine lady. I'm sure even
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  Speaker 1: I was mistaken enough to think you look like a lady,
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  Speaker 1: my dear, said mister Hale, quietly, smiling, But smiles were
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  Speaker 1: changed to wide and trembling looks when this saw Dixon's
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  Speaker 1: face as she opened the door. Oh master, oh miss Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: Thank god you'll come. Doctor. The Donison is here. The
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  Speaker 1: servant next door wa in for him for the jarwoman
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  Speaker 1: has gone home. She's better now, But oh, sir, I
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  Speaker 1: thought you'd have died an hour ago. Mister Hale called
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  Speaker 1: Margaret's arm to steady himself from falling. He looked at
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  Speaker 1: her face and saw an expression upon it of surprise
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  Speaker 1: and extremest sorrow, but not the agony of terror that
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  Speaker 1: contracted his own unprepared heart. She knew more than he did,
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  Speaker 1: and yet she listened with that hopeless expression of awed apprehension.
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  Speaker 1: Oh I should not have left her wicked daughter, that
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  Speaker 1: I am mourned forth Margaret, as she supported her trembling
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  Speaker 1: father's hasty steps upstairs. Doctor Donaldson met them on the landing.
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  Speaker 1: She is better now, he whispered, The opiate has taken effect.
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  Speaker 1: The spasms were very bad. No wonder they've frightened her maid.
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  Speaker 1: But she'll rally this time, this time, let me go
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  Speaker 1: to her. Half an hour ago, mister Hale was a
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  Speaker 1: middle aged man. Now, his sight was dim, his senses wavering,
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  Speaker 1: his walk doddering as if he were seventy years of age.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Donaldson took his arm and led him into the bedroom.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret followed close. There lay her mother, with an unmistakable
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  Speaker 1: look on her face. She might be better now she
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  Speaker 1: was sleeping, but death had signed her for his own,
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  Speaker 1: and it was clear that ere long he would return
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  Speaker 1: to take possession. Mister Hale looked at her for some
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  Speaker 1: time without a word. Then he began to shake all over, and,
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  Speaker 1: turning away from doctor Donaldson's anxious care, he groped to
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  Speaker 1: find the door. He could not see it, although several
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  Speaker 1: candles brought in the sudden affright, were burning and flaring. There.
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  Speaker 1: He staggered into the drawing room and felt about for
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  Speaker 1: a chair. Doctor Donaldson wheeled one to him and placed
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  Speaker 1: him in it. He felt his pulse speak to him,
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  Speaker 1: Miss Hale, We must rouse him, Papa, said Margaret, with
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  Speaker 1: a growing voice that was wild with pain. Papa, speak
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  Speaker 1: to me. The speculation came again into his eyes, and
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  Speaker 1: he made a great effort Margaret, did you know of this? Oh,
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  Speaker 1: it was cruel of you. No, sir, it was not cruel,
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  Speaker 1: replied Doctor Donaldson, with quick decision. Miss Hale acted under
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  Speaker 1: my directions. There may have been a mistake, but it
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  Speaker 1: was not cruel. Your wife will be a different creature
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  Speaker 1: to morrow. I trust she has had spasms as I anticipated,
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  Speaker 1: though I did not tell Miss Hale of my apprehensions.
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  Speaker 1: She has taken the opiate I brought with me. She
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  Speaker 1: will have a good long sleep, and to morrow that
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  Speaker 1: look which has alarmed you so much will have passed away.
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  Speaker 1: But not the disease. Doctor Donaldson glanced at Margaret, a
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  Speaker 1: bent head, her face raised, with no appeal for a
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  Speaker 1: temporary reprieve, showed that quick observer of human nature that
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  Speaker 1: she thought it better that the whole truth should be told,
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  Speaker 1: not the disease. We can not touch the disease with
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  Speaker 1: all our poor vaunted skill. We can only delay its
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  Speaker 1: progress alleviate the pain it causes. Be a man, sir,
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  Speaker 1: a Christian, have faith in the immortality of the soul,
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  Speaker 1: which no pain nor mortal disease can a sail or touch.
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  Speaker 1: But all the reply got was in the choked words
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  Speaker 1: you have never been married, doctor Donaldson, you do not
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  Speaker 1: know what it is. And in the deep manly sobs
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  Speaker 1: which went through the stillness of the night like heavy
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  Speaker 1: pulses of agony, Margaret knelt by him, caressing him with
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  Speaker 1: tearful caresses. No one, not even doctor Donaldson, knew how
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  Speaker 1: the toms went by. Mister Hale was the first to
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  Speaker 1: dare to speak of the necessities of the present moment.
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  Speaker 1: What must we do? Asked? He tell us both. Margaret
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  Speaker 1: is my staff, my right hand. Doctor Donaldson gave his clear,
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  Speaker 1: sensible directions. No fear for to night, nay even peace
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  Speaker 1: for to morrow, and for many days yet, but no
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  Speaker 1: enduring hope of recovery. He advised mister Hale to go
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  Speaker 1: to bed and leave only one to watch the slumber,
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  Speaker 1: which he hoped would be undisturbed. He promised to come
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  Speaker 1: again early in the morning, and with a warm and
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  Speaker 1: kindly shake of the hand he left them. They spoke
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  Speaker 1: but few words. They were too much exhausted by their
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  Speaker 1: terror to do more than to side upon the immediate
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  Speaker 1: course of action. Mister Hale was resolved to sit up
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  Speaker 1: through the night, and all that Margaret could do was
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  Speaker 1: to prevail upon him to rest on the drawing rooms.
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  Speaker 1: Sover Dixon stoutly and bluntly refused to go to bed.
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  Speaker 1: And as for Margaret, it was simply impossible that she
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  Speaker 1: should leave her mother, let all the doctors in the
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  Speaker 1: world speak of husbanding resources, and one watcher only being required.
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  Speaker 1: So Dixon sat and stared, and winked and drooped, and
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  Speaker 1: picked himself up again with a jerk, and finally gave
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  Speaker 1: up the bed and fairly snored. Margaret had taken off
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  Speaker 1: her gown and tossed it aside with a sort of
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  Speaker 1: impatient disgust, and put on her dressing gown. She felt
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  Speaker 1: as if she never could sleep again, as if her
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  Speaker 1: whole senses were acutely vital and all endued with double
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  Speaker 1: keenness for the purposes of watching every sight and sound, nay,
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  Speaker 1: even every thought touched some nerve to the very quick.
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  Speaker 1: For more than two hours she heard her father's restless
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  Speaker 1: movements in the next room. He came perpetually to the
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  Speaker 1: door for mother's chamber, pausing there to listen till she,
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  Speaker 1: not hearing his close unseen presents, went and opened it
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  Speaker 1: to tell him how all went on. In reply to
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  Speaker 1: the questions his big lips could hardly form. At last,
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  Speaker 1: he too fell asleep, and all the house was still.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret sat behind the curtain, thinking, far away in time,
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  Speaker 1: far away in space, seemed all the interests of past days,
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  Speaker 1: not more than thirty secon hours ago. She cared for
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  Speaker 1: Bessie Higgins and her father, and her heart was wrung
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  Speaker 1: for Boucher. Now that was all like a dream and
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  Speaker 1: memory of some former life. Everything that had passed out
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  Speaker 1: of doors seemed to sever it from her mother, and
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  Speaker 1: therefore unreal. Even Harley Street appeared more distinct. There she remembered,
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  Speaker 1: as if it were yesterday, how she had pleased herself
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  Speaker 1: with tracing out her mother's features in her aunt Shaw's face,
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  Speaker 1: and how letters had come, making her dwell on the
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  Speaker 1: thoughts of home with all the longing of love. Helstone
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  Speaker 1: itself was in the dim past. The dull, gray days
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  Speaker 1: of the preceding winter and spring, so uneventless and monotonous,
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  Speaker 1: seemed more associated with what she cared for. Now above
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  Speaker 1: all prass she would fain have caught at the skirts
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  Speaker 1: of that depart in time, and prayed it to return
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  Speaker 1: and give her back what she had too little valued,
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  Speaker 1: while it was yet no possession. What a vain show
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  Speaker 1: life seemed, how unsubstantial and flickering and flitting. It was
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  Speaker 1: as if from some aerial belfrey, high up above the
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  Speaker 1: stern jar of the earth, there was a bell continually
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  Speaker 1: tolen all our shadows, all are passing, all is past.
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  Speaker 1: And when the morning dawn, cool and gray, like many
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  Speaker 1: a happier morning before, when Margaret looked one by one
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  Speaker 1: of the sleepers, it seemed as if the terrible night
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  Speaker 1: was unreal as a dream. It too was a shadow,
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  Speaker 1: It too was past. Missus Hale herself was not aware
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  Speaker 1: when she awoke how ill she had been the night before.
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  Speaker 1: She was rather surprised at doctor Donaldson's early visit, and
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  Speaker 1: perplexed by the anxious faces of husband and child. She
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  Speaker 1: consented to remain in bed that day, saying she certainly
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  Speaker 1: was tied. But the next she insisted on getting up,
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  Speaker 1: and doctor Donaldson gave his consent to returning into the
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  Speaker 1: drawing room. She was restless and uncomfortable in every position,
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  Speaker 1: and before night she became very feverish. Mister Hale was
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  Speaker 1: utterly listless and incapable of deciding on anything. What can
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  Speaker 1: we do to spare mamma such another night, asked Margaret
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  Speaker 1: on the third day. It is to a certain degree
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  Speaker 1: the reaction after the powerful opiates I have been obliged
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  Speaker 1: to use. It is more painful for you to see
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  Speaker 1: that than for her to bear, I believe. But I
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  Speaker 1: think if we could get a water bed it might
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  Speaker 1: be a good thing. Not but what. She will be
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  Speaker 1: better tomorrow, pretty much like herself as she was before
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  Speaker 1: this attack. Still, I should like her to have a
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  Speaker 1: water bed. Missus Thornton as one I know. I'll try
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  Speaker 1: and call ther this afternoon, stay, said he, his eye
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  Speaker 1: catching on Margaret's face, blind with watching in his sick room.
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  Speaker 1: I'm not sure whether I can go. I've a long
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  Speaker 1: round dake it would do you know, to have a
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  Speaker 1: brisk walk to Marlborough Street and ask missus Thornton if
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  Speaker 1: she can spare it. Certainly, said Margaret, I could go
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  Speaker 1: while mamma's to sleep this afternoon. I am sure Missus
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  Speaker 1: Thornton would lend it to us. Doctor Donaldson's experience told
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  Speaker 1: them rightly. Missus Hale seemed to shake off the consequences
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  Speaker 1: of her attack and looked brighter and better this afternoon
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  Speaker 1: than Margaret had ever hoped to see her again. Her
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  Speaker 1: daughter left her after dinner, sitting in her easy chair,
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  Speaker 1: with her hand lying in her husband's, who looked more
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  Speaker 1: worn and suffering than she by far. Still he could
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  Speaker 1: smile now, rather slowly, rather faintly, it is true, But
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  Speaker 1: a day or two before Margaret never thought to see
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  Speaker 1: him smile again. It was about two miles from their
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  Speaker 1: house in Crampton Crescent to Marlborough Street. It was too
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  Speaker 1: hot to walk very quickly, and August sun beat straight
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  Speaker 1: down into the street at three o'clock in the afternoon.
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  Speaker 1: Marga went along without noticing anything very different from usual.
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  Speaker 1: In the first mile and a half of her journey,
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  Speaker 1: she was absorbed in her own thoughts and had learnt
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  Speaker 1: by this time to thread her way through the irregular
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  Speaker 1: stream of human beings that flowed through Milton Streets. But
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  Speaker 1: by and by she was struck with the unusual heaving
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  Speaker 1: among the massive people in the crowded road on which
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  Speaker 1: she was entering. They did not appear to be moving
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  Speaker 1: on so much as talking and listening and buzzing with excitement,
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  Speaker 1: without one stirring from the spot where they might happen
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  Speaker 1: to be still. As they made way for her, and
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  Speaker 1: wrapped up in the purpose of her errand and the
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  Speaker 1: necessities that suggested it, she was less quick of observation
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  Speaker 1: than she might have been if her mind had been
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  Speaker 1: at ease. She had got into Marlborough Street before the
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  Speaker 1: full conviction forced itself upon her. That there was a restless,
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  Speaker 1: oppressive sense of irritation abroad among the people, a thunderous
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  Speaker 1: atmosphere morally as well as physical around her. From every
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  Speaker 1: narrow lane open now on Marlborough Street came up a low,
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  Speaker 1: distant roar, as if myriads of fierce, indignant forces. The
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  Speaker 1: inhabitants of each poor squalid dwelling were gathered round the
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  Speaker 1: doors and windows, if indeed they were not actually standing
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  Speaker 1: in the middle of the narrow ways, all with looks
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  Speaker 1: intent towards one point. Marlborough Street itself was the focus
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  Speaker 1: of all those human eyes that betrayed intensest interest of
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  Speaker 1: various kinds, some fierce with anger, some lowering with relentless threats,
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  Speaker 1: some dilated with fear or imploring entreaty. And as Margaret
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  Speaker 1: reached the small side entrance by the folding doors in
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  Speaker 1: the great dead wall of Marlborough mill Yard and waited
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  Speaker 1: the border's answer to the bell. She looked round on
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  Speaker 1: her the first long, far off roll of the tempest,
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  Speaker 1: saw the first low surgeon wave of the dark crowd
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  Speaker 1: come with its threatening crest, tumble over and retreat at
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  Speaker 1: the far end of the street, which a moment ago
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  Speaker 1: seemed so full of repressed noise, but which now was
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  Speaker 1: ominously still. All these circumstances forced themselves on Margaret's notice,
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  Speaker 1: but did not sink down into her preoccupied heart. She
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  Speaker 1: did not know what they meant, what was their deep significance.
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  Speaker 1: While she did know did feel the keen sharp pressure
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  Speaker 1: of the knife that was soon to stab her through
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  Speaker 1: and through by leaving her motherless. She was trying to
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  Speaker 1: realize that in order that when it came, she might
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  Speaker 1: be ready to comfort her father. The porter opened the
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  Speaker 1: door cautiously, not nearly wide enough to admit her. It's you,
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  Speaker 1: is it, ma'am, said he, drawing a long breath and
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  Speaker 1: widening the entrance, but still not opening it fully. Margaret
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  Speaker 1: went in. He hastily bolted it behind her. The folk
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  Speaker 1: girl comin up here, I reckon asked he. I don't know, oh,
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  Speaker 1: something unusual seemed going on, but this street is quite empty.
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  Speaker 1: I think she went across the yard and up the
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  Speaker 1: steps to the house door. There was no near sound,
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  Speaker 1: no steam engine at work with beaten pant, no click
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  Speaker 1: of machinery or mingling clashing of many sharp voices. But
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  Speaker 1: far away the ominous gathering roar, deep glamoring endo. Chapter
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  Speaker 1: twenty one, recorded by Jimm Oblothe