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048 - Scandal and Its Victims · Wives and Daughters

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Speaker 1: Chapter forty seven of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Chapter forty
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Speaker 1: seven Scandal and its Victims. When mister Gibson returned to Hollingford,
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Speaker 1: he found an accumulation of business waiting for him, and
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Speaker 1: he was much inclined to complain of the consequences of
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Speaker 1: the two days comparative holiday, which had resulted in overwork
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Speaker 1: for the week to come. He had hardly time to
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Speaker 1: speak to his family. He had so immediately to rush
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Speaker 1: off to pressing cases of illness. But Molly managed to
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Speaker 1: arrest him in the hall, standing there with his greatcoat
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Speaker 1: held out ready for him to put on, but whispering
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Speaker 1: as she did.
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Speaker 2: So, Papa, mister Osborne Hamley was ot to see you yesterday.
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Speaker 2: He looks very ill, and he is evidently frightened about himself.
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Speaker 1: Mister Gibson faced about and looked at her for a moment,
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Speaker 1: but all he said was I'll go.
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Speaker 3: And see him. Don't tell your mother where I'm gone.
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Speaker 3: You've not mentioned this to her.
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Speaker 1: I hope no, said Mollie, for she had only told
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Speaker 1: missus Gibson of Osborne's call, not of the occasion for it.
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Speaker 3: Don't say anything about it. There's no need, now that
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Speaker 3: I think of it. I can't possibly go to day,
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Speaker 3: but I will go.
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Speaker 1: Something in her father's manner disheartened Mollie, who had persuaded
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Speaker 1: herself that Osborne's evident illness was partly nevis by which
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Speaker 1: she meant imaginary. She had dwelt upon his looks of
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Speaker 1: enjoyment at Miss Phoebe's perplexity, and thought that no one
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Speaker 1: really believing himself to be in danger could have given
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Speaker 1: the merry glances which he had done. But after seeing
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Speaker 1: the seriousness of her father's face, she recurred to the
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Speaker 1: shock she had experienced on first seeing Osborne's changed appearance.
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Speaker 1: All this time, missus Gibson was busy reading a letter
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Speaker 1: from Cynthia, which mister Gibson had brought from London, for
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Speaker 1: every opportunity of private conveyance was seized upon when postage
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Speaker 1: was so hot, and Cynthia had forgotten so many things
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Speaker 1: in her hurried packing that she now sent a list
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Speaker 1: of the clothes which she required. Molly almost wondered that
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Speaker 1: it had not come to her, but she did not
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Speaker 1: understand the sort of reserve that was springing up in
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Speaker 1: Cynthia's mind toward her. Cynthia herself struggled with the feeling
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Speaker 1: and tried to fight against it by calling herself ungrateful.
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Speaker 1: But the truth was she believed that she no longer
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Speaker 1: held her former high place in Molly's estimation, and she
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Speaker 1: could not help turning away from one who knew things
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Speaker 1: to her discredit. She was fully aware of Molly's prompt
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Speaker 1: decision and willing action where action was especially disagreeable on
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Speaker 1: her behalf. She knew that Molly would never bring up
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Speaker 1: the past errors and difficulties. But still, the consciousness that
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Speaker 1: the good, straightforward girl had learnt that Cynthia had been
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Speaker 1: guilty of so much underhand work cooled her regard and
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Speaker 1: restrained her willingness of intercourse. Reproached herself with ingratitude as
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Speaker 1: she would, she could not help feeling glad to be
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Speaker 1: away from Molly. It was awkward to speak to her
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Speaker 1: as if nothing had happened. It was awkward to write
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Speaker 1: to her about forgotten ribbons and laces, when their last
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Speaker 1: conversation had been on such different subjects and had called
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Speaker 1: out such vehement expressions of feeling. So Missus Gibson held
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Speaker 1: the list in her hand and read out the small
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Speaker 1: fragments of news that were intermixed with notices of Cynthia's requirements.
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Speaker 2: Helen cannot be so very ill.
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Speaker 1: Said Molly at length.
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Speaker 2: Oh, Cynthia would not want her pink muslin and daisy wreath.
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Speaker 4: I don't see that that follows, I'm sure.
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Speaker 1: Replied missus Gibson rather sharply.
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Speaker 4: Helen would never be so selfish as to tie Cynthia
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Speaker 4: to her side, however ill she was. Indeed, I should
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Speaker 4: not have felt that it was my duty to let
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Speaker 4: Cynthia go to London at all if I had thought
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Speaker 4: she was to be perpetually exposed to the depressing atmosphere
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Speaker 4: of a sick room. Besides, it must be so good
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Speaker 4: for Helen to have Cynthia coming in with bright, pleasant
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Speaker 4: accounts of the parties she has been to. Even if
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Speaker 4: Cynthia disliked Gayety, I should desire her to sacrifice herself
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Speaker 4: and go out as much as she could for Helen's sake.
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Speaker 4: My idea of nursing is that one should not always
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Speaker 4: be thinking of one's own feelings and wishes, but doing
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Speaker 4: those things which will most serve to beguile the weary
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Speaker 4: hours of an invalid. But then so few people have
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Speaker 4: had to consider the subject so deeply as I have done.
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Speaker 1: Missus Gibson here thought fit to sigh before going on
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Speaker 1: with Cynthia's letter, as far as Molly could make any
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Speaker 1: sense out of this rather incoherent epistle, very incoherently read
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Speaker 1: aloud to her, Cynthia was really pleased and glad to
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Speaker 1: be of use and comfort to Helen, but at the
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Speaker 1: same time very ready to be easily persuaded into the
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Speaker 1: perpetual small gaieties which abounded in her uncle's house in London,
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Speaker 1: even at this dead season of the year. Missus Gibson
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Speaker 1: came upon mister Henderson name once and then went on
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Speaker 1: with a running un un um to herself, which sounded
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Speaker 1: very mysterious, but which might as well have been omitted,
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Speaker 1: as all that Cynthia really said about him was.
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Speaker 5: Mister Henderson's mother has advised my aunt to consult a
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Speaker 5: certain doctor Donaldson, who was said to be very clever
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Speaker 5: in such cases as Helen's. But my uncle is not
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Speaker 5: sufficiently sure of the professional etiquette, et cetera.
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Speaker 1: Then there came a very affectionate, carefully worded message to Molly,
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Speaker 1: implying a good deal more than was said of loving
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Speaker 1: gratitude for the trouble she had taken on Cynthia's behalf.
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Speaker 1: And that was all, and Molly went away a little depressed.
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Speaker 1: She knew not why the operation on Lady Cumnor had
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Speaker 1: been successfully performed, and in a few days they hoped
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Speaker 1: to bring her down to the towers to recruit her
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Speaker 1: strength in the fresh country air. The case was one
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Speaker 1: which interested mister Gibson extremely and in which his opinion
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Speaker 1: had proved to be right, in opposition to that of
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Speaker 1: one or two great names in London. The consequence was
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Speaker 1: that he was frequently consulted and referred to during the
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Speaker 1: progress of her recovery, and as he had much to
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Speaker 1: do in the immediate circle of his Hollingford practice, as
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Speaker 1: well as to write thoughtful letters to his medical brethren
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Speaker 1: in London, he found it difficult to spare the three
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Speaker 1: or four hours necessary to go over to Hamley to
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Speaker 1: see Osborne. He wrote to him, however, begging him to
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Speaker 1: reply immediately and detail his symptoms, and from the answer
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Speaker 1: he received he did not imagine that the case was
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Speaker 1: immediately pressing. Osborne, too, deprecated his coming over to Hamley
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Speaker 1: for the express purpose of seeing him, so the visit
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Speaker 1: was deferred to that more convenient season, which is so
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Speaker 1: often too late. All these days, the buzzing gossip about
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Speaker 1: Molly's meetings with mister Preston, her clandestine correspondence, the secret
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Speaker 1: interviews in lonely places, had been gathering strength and assuming
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Speaker 1: the positive form of scandal. The simple innocent girl who
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Speaker 1: walked through the quiet streets without a thought of being
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Speaker 1: the object of mysterious implications became for a time the
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Speaker 1: unconscious black sheep of the town servants heard part of
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Speaker 1: what was said in their mistress's drawing rooms, and exaggerated
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Speaker 1: the sayings among themselves with the coarse strengthening of expression
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Speaker 1: common with uneducated people. Mister Preston himself became aware that
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Speaker 1: her name was being coupled with his, though hardly to
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Speaker 1: the extent to which the love of excitement and gossip
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Speaker 1: had carried people's speeches. He chuckled over the mistake, but
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Speaker 1: took no pains to correct it. It serves her right,
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Speaker 1: said he to himself.
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Speaker 5: For meddling with other folk's business.
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Speaker 1: And he felt himself avenged for the discomfiture which her
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Speaker 1: menace of appealing to Lady Harriet had caused him, and
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Speaker 1: the mortification he had experienced in learning from her plain
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Speaker 1: speaking lips, how he had been talked over by Cynthia
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Speaker 1: and herself with personal dislike on the one side and
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Speaker 1: evident contempt on the other. Besides, if any denial of
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Speaker 1: mister Preston's stirred up an examination as to the real truth,
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Speaker 1: Moore might come out of his baffled endeavors to compel
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Speaker 1: Cynthia to keep to her engagement to him, than he
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Speaker 1: cared to have known. He was angry with himself for
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Speaker 1: still loving Cynthia, loving her in his own fashion. Be
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Speaker 1: it understood, he told himself that many a woman of
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Speaker 1: more position and wealth would be glad enough to have him,
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Speaker 1: some of them pretty women too. And he asked himself
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Speaker 1: why he was such a confounded fool as to go
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Speaker 1: on hankering after a penniless girl who was as fickle
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Speaker 1: as the wind. The answer was silly enough logically, but forcible.
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Speaker 1: In fact. Cynthia was Cynthia, and not Venus herself could
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Speaker 1: have been her substitute. In this one thing, mister Preston
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Speaker 1: was more really true than many worthy men who seeking
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Speaker 1: to be married, turn with careless facility from the unattainable
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Speaker 1: to the attainable, and keep their feelings and fancy tolerably
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Speaker 1: loose till they find a woman who consents to be
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Speaker 1: their wife. But no one would ever be to mister
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Speaker 1: Preston what Cynthia had been and was. And yet he
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Speaker 1: could have stabbed her in certain of his moods. So Mollie,
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Speaker 1: who had come between him and the object of his desire,
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Speaker 1: was not likely to find favor in his sight or
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Speaker 1: to obtain friendly actions from him. There came a time
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Speaker 1: not very distant from the evening at Missus Dawes, when
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Speaker 1: Molly felt that people looked askance at her. Missus Goodenough
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Speaker 1: openly pulled her granddaughter away when the young girl stopped
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Speaker 1: to speak to Molly in the street, and an engagement
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Speaker 1: which the two had made for a long walk together
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Speaker 1: was cut very short by a very trumpery excuse. Missus
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Speaker 1: Goodenough explained her conduct in the following manner to some
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Speaker 1: of her friends.
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Speaker 6: You see, I don't think the worse of a girl
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Speaker 6: for meeting her sweetheart here and there and everywhere till
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Speaker 6: she gets talked about. But then when she does, and
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Speaker 6: Molly Gibson's name is in everybody's mouth. I think it's
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Speaker 6: only fair to Bessie, who has trusted me with Annabella,
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Speaker 6: not to let her daughter be seen with a lass
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Speaker 6: who has managed her matters so badly as to set
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Speaker 6: folk talking about her. My maxim is this, and it's
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Speaker 6: a very good working one you may depend on. Women
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Speaker 6: should mind what they're about and never be talked of.
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Speaker 6: And if a woman's talked of, the less her friends
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Speaker 6: have to do with her till the talker's dad away,
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Speaker 6: the better. So Annabella is not to have anything to
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Speaker 6: do with Molly Gibson this visit at any rate.
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Speaker 1: For a good while, the Miss Brownings were kept in
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Speaker 1: ignorance of the evil tongues that whispered hard words about Molly.
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning was known to have a temper, and by instinct,
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Speaker 1: everyone who came in contact with her shrank from irritating
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Speaker 1: that temper by uttering the slightest syllable against the smallest
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Speaker 1: of those creatures over whom she spread the aeges of
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Speaker 1: her love. She would and did reproach them herself. She
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Speaker 1: used to boast that she never spared them, but no
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Speaker 1: one else might touch them with the slightest slur of
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Speaker 1: a passing word. But Miss Phoebe inspired no such terror.
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Speaker 1: The great reason why she did not hear of the
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Speaker 1: gossip against Molly as early as anyone was that, although
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Speaker 1: she was not the Rose, she lived near the Rose. Besides,
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Speaker 1: she was of so tender a nature that even thick
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Speaker 1: skinned Missus Goodenough was unwilling to say what would give
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Speaker 1: Miss Phoebe pain. And it was the newcomer, Missus Dawes, who,
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Speaker 1: in all ignorance, alluded to the town's talk as to
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Speaker 1: something of which Miss Phoebe must be aware. Then Miss
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Speaker 1: Phoebe poured down her questions, although she protested, even with tears,
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Speaker 1: her total disbelief in all the answers she received. It
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Speaker 1: was a small act of heroism on her part to
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Speaker 1: keep all that. She then learned a secret from her
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Speaker 1: sister Dorothy, as she did for four or five days
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Speaker 1: till Miss Browning attacked her one evening with the following speech.
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Speaker 7: Phoebe, either you've some reason for puffing yourself out with sighs,
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Speaker 7: or you've not. If you have a reason, it's your
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Speaker 7: duty to tell me directly. And if you haven't a reason,
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Speaker 7: you must break yourself of a bad habit that is
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Speaker 7: growing upon you.
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Speaker 8: Oh, sister, do you think it is really my duty
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Speaker 8: to tell you? It would be such a comfort, But
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Speaker 8: then I thought I ought not, It will distress you
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Speaker 8: so nonsense.
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Speaker 7: I am so well prepared for misfortune by the frequent
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Speaker 7: contemplation of its possibility, that I believe I can receive
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Speaker 7: any ill news with apparent equanimity and real resignation. Besides,
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Speaker 7: when you said yes to day at breakfast time, that
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Speaker 7: you meant to give up the day to making your
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Speaker 7: drawers tidy, I was aware that some misfortune was impending,
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Speaker 7: though of course I could not judge of its magnitude.
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Speaker 7: Is the high Chester Bank broken?
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Speaker 8: Oh?
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Speaker 1: No, sister, said Miss Phoebe, moving to a seat close
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Speaker 1: to her sisters on the sofa.
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Speaker 8: Have you really been thinking that? I wish I had
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Speaker 8: told you what I heard at the very first. If
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Speaker 8: you've been fancying that.
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Speaker 7: Take warning, Phoebe, and learn to have no concealments from me.
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Speaker 7: I did think we must be ruined from your ways
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Speaker 7: of going on eating no meat at dinner and sighing continually.
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Speaker 7: And now what is it?
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Speaker 8: I hardly know how to tell you Dorothy, I really don't.
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Speaker 1: Miss Phoebe began to cry. Miss Browning took hold of
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Speaker 1: her arm and gave her a little sharp shake.
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Speaker 7: Cry as much as you like when you've told me,
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Speaker 7: But don't cry now, child, when you're keeping me on
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Speaker 7: the tenterhooks.
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Speaker 8: Molly Gibson has lost her character, sister. That's it.
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Speaker 7: Molly Gibson has done no such thing.
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Speaker 1: Said Miss Browning indignantly.
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Speaker 7: How dare you repeat such stories about poor Mary's child?
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Speaker 7: Never let me hear you say such things again.
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Speaker 8: I can't help it. Missus Dawes told me, and she
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Speaker 8: says it's all over the town. I told her. I
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Speaker 8: did not believe a word of it, and I kept
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Speaker 8: it from you. And I think I should have been
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Speaker 8: really ill if I'd kept it to myself any longer. Oh, sister,
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Speaker 8: what are you going to do for?
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning had risen without speaking a word, and was
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Speaker 1: leaving the room in a stately and determined fashion.
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Speaker 7: I'm going to put on my bonnet and things, and
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Speaker 7: then i shall call upon missus Dawes and confront her
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Speaker 7: with her lies.
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Speaker 8: Oh don't call them lies, sister, it's such a strong,
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Speaker 8: ugly word. Please call them tallydiddles, for I don't believe
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Speaker 8: she meant any harm. Besides, besides, if they should turn
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Speaker 8: out to be truth, really, sister, that's the weight on
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Speaker 8: my mind. So many things sounded as if they might
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Speaker 8: be true?
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Speaker 1: What things said? Miss Browning still standing with judicial erectness
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Speaker 1: of position in the middle of the room.
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Speaker 8: Why one story was that Molly had given him a letter?
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Speaker 7: Who's him? How am I to understand a story told
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Speaker 7: in that silly way.
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning sat down on the nearest chair and made
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Speaker 1: up her mind to be patient if she could.
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Speaker 8: Him is mister Preston? And that must be true, because
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Speaker 8: I missed her from my side when I wanted to
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Speaker 8: ask her if she thought blue would look green by candlelight,
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Speaker 8: as the young man said it would, And she had
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Speaker 8: run across the street, and Missus Goodenough was just going
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Speaker 8: into the shop just as she said she was.
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning's distress was overcoming her anger, so she only said.
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Speaker 7: Phoebe, I think you'll drive me mat Do tell me
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Speaker 7: what you've heard from Missus Dawes in a sensible and
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Speaker 7: coherent manner, for once in your life.
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Speaker 8: I'm sure I'm trying with all my might to tell
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Speaker 8: you everything just as it happened.
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Speaker 7: What did you hear from missus Dawes.
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Speaker 8: Why that Molly and mister Preston were keeping company just
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Speaker 8: as if she was a maid servant and he was
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Speaker 8: a gardener, meeting that all sorts of improper times and places,
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Speaker 8: and fainting away in his arms, and out at night
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Speaker 8: together and writing to each other, and slipping their letters
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Speaker 8: into each other's hands. And that was what I was
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Speaker 8: talking about, sister, For I next door to saw that
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Speaker 8: done once. I saw her with my own eyes run
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Speaker 8: across the street to Grinstead's where he was, for we
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Speaker 8: had just left him there with a letter in her
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Speaker 8: hand too, which was not there when she came back,
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Speaker 8: all fluttered and blushing. But I never thought anything of
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Speaker 8: it at the time. But now all the town is
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Speaker 8: talking about it and crying shame, and saying that they
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Speaker 8: ought to be married.
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Speaker 1: Miss Phoebe sank into sobbing again, but was suddenly roused
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Speaker 1: by a good box on her ear. Miss Browning was
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Speaker 1: standing over her, almost trembling with passion.
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Speaker 7: Phoebe, if I ever hear you say such things again,
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Speaker 7: I'll turn you out of the house. That minute.
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Speaker 8: I only said what missus Dawes said, and you asked
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Speaker 8: me what.
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Speaker 1: It was, replied Miss Phoebe, humbly and.
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Speaker 8: Meekly, Dorothy, you should not have done that.
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Speaker 7: Never mind whether I should or I shouldn't, that's not
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Speaker 7: the matter in hand. What I've got to decide is
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Speaker 7: how to put a stop to all these lies.
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Speaker 8: But Dorothy, they are not all lies, if you will
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Speaker 8: call them so. I'm afraid some things are true, though
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Speaker 8: I stuck to their being false when Missus Dawes told
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Speaker 8: me of them.
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Speaker 7: If I go to missus Dawes and she repeats them
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Speaker 7: to me, I shall slap her face or box erears.
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Speaker 7: I'm afraid, for I couldn't stand tales being told of
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Speaker 7: poor Mary's daughter, as if they were just a stirring
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Speaker 7: piece of news, like James Horrock's pig with two heads.
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Speaker 1: Said Miss Browning, meditating aloud.
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Speaker 7: That would do harm instead of good. Phoebe, I'm really
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Speaker 7: sorry I boxed your ears, only I should do it
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Speaker 7: again if you said the same things.
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Speaker 1: Phoebe sat down by her sister and took hold of
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Speaker 1: one of her withered hands and began caressing it, which
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Speaker 1: was her way of accepting her sister's expression of regret.
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Speaker 7: If I speak to Molly, the child will deny it
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Speaker 7: if she's half as good for nothing as they say,
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Speaker 7: And if she's not, she'll only worry herself to death. No,
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Speaker 7: that won't do. Miss is good enough, but she's a donkey,
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Speaker 7: and if I convinced her, she could never convince anyone else. No,
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Speaker 7: Missus Dawes, who told you, shall tell me, and I'll
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Speaker 7: tie my hands together inside my muff and bind myself
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Speaker 7: over to keep the peace. And when I've heard what
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Speaker 7: is to be heard, I'll put the matter into mister
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Speaker 7: Gibson's hands. That's what I'll do. So it's no use
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Speaker 7: you'll saying anything against it, Phoebe, for I shan't attend
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Speaker 7: to you.
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning went to Missus Dawes and began civilly enough
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Speaker 1: to make inquiries concerning the reports current in Hollingford about
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Speaker 1: Molly and mister Preston. And Missus Dawes fell into the
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Speaker 1: snare and told all the real and fictitious circumstances of
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Speaker 1: the story in circulation, quite a of the storm that
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Speaker 1: was gathering and ready to fall upon her as soon
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Speaker 1: as she stopped speaking. But she had not the long
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Speaker 1: habit of reverence for Miss Browning, which would have kept
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Speaker 1: so many Hollingford ladies from justifying herself if she found fault.
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Speaker 1: Missus Dawes stood up for herself and her own veracity,
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Speaker 1: bringing out fresh scandal, which she said.
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Speaker 5: She did not believe, but that many did.
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Speaker 1: And adducing so much evidence as to the truth of
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Speaker 1: what she had said and did believe that Miss Browning
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Speaker 1: was almost quelled and sat silent and miserable. At the
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Speaker 1: end of missus Dawes's justification of herself well, she said
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Speaker 1: at length, rising up from her chair as she spoke.
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Speaker 7: I'm very sorry I've lived till this day. It's a
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Speaker 7: blow to me, just as if I'd heard of such
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Speaker 7: goings on in my own flesh and blood. I suppose
20:53
Speaker 7: I ought to apologize to you, missus Dawes, for what
20:55
Speaker 7: I said, so I've no heart to do it to day.
20:58
Speaker 7: I ought not to have spoken. I did, but that's
21:01
Speaker 7: nothing to this affair, you see.
21:03
Speaker 5: I hope you do me the justice to perceive that
21:05
Speaker 5: I only repeat what I have heard on good authority,
21:08
Speaker 5: Miss Browning.
21:09
Speaker 1: Said missus Dawes in reply, My dear, don't repeat evil
21:14
Speaker 1: on any authority unless you can do some good by
21:17
Speaker 1: speaking about it, said Miss Browning, laying her hand on
21:21
Speaker 1: missus Dawes's shoulder.
21:23
Speaker 7: I'm not a good woman, but I know what is good,
21:26
Speaker 7: and that advice is. And now I think I can
21:29
Speaker 7: tell you that I beg your pardon for flying out
21:32
Speaker 7: upon you so but God knows what pain you are
21:35
Speaker 7: putting me to. You'll forgive me, won't you.
21:38
Speaker 1: My dear missus Dawes felt the hand trembling on her
21:41
Speaker 1: shoulder and saw the real distress of Miss Browning's mind,
21:46
Speaker 1: so it was not difficult for her to grant the
21:48
Speaker 1: requested forgiveness. Then Miss Browning went home and said but
21:53
Speaker 1: a few words to Phoebe, who indeed saw well enough
21:57
Speaker 1: that her sister had heard the reports confirmed and needed
22:00
Speaker 1: no further explanation of the cause of scarcely tasted dinner
22:04
Speaker 1: and short replies and saddened looks. Presently, Miss Browning sat
22:10
Speaker 1: down and wrote a short note. Then she rang the
22:14
Speaker 1: bell and told the little maiden who answered it to
22:16
Speaker 1: take it to mister Gibson, and if he was out,
22:19
Speaker 1: to see that it was given to him as soon
22:21
Speaker 1: as ever he came home. And then she went and
22:25
Speaker 1: put on her Sunday cap and Miss Phoebe knew that
22:28
Speaker 1: her sister had written to ask mister Gibson to come
22:30
Speaker 1: and be told of the rumors affecting his daughter. Miss
22:34
Speaker 1: Browning was sadly disturbed at the information she had received
22:38
Speaker 1: and the task that lay before her. She was miserably
22:42
Speaker 1: uncomfortable to herself and irritable to Miss Phoebe, and the
22:46
Speaker 1: netting cotton she was using kept continually snapping and breaking
22:50
Speaker 1: from the jerks of her nervous hands. When the knock
22:53
Speaker 1: at the door was heard, the well known doctor's knock,
22:57
Speaker 1: Miss Browning took off her spectacles and dropped them on
23:00
Speaker 1: the carpet, breaking them as she did so, And then
23:03
Speaker 1: she bade Miss Phoebe leave the room, as if her
23:06
Speaker 1: presence had cast the evil eye and caused the misfortune.
23:10
Speaker 1: She wanted to look natural and was distressed at forgetting
23:13
Speaker 1: whether she usually received him sitting or standing. Well, said,
23:18
Speaker 1: he coming in cheerfully and rubbing his cold hands as
23:21
Speaker 1: he went straight to the fire.
23:24
Speaker 3: And what is the matter with us? It's Phoebe, I suppose,
23:27
Speaker 3: I hope none of those old spasms. But after all,
23:30
Speaker 3: a dulser tool set that to rights.
23:33
Speaker 7: Oh, mister Gibson, I wish it was Phoebe or me either.
23:37
Speaker 1: Said miss Browning, trembling more and more. He sat down
23:41
Speaker 1: by her patiently when he saw her agitation, and took
23:44
Speaker 1: her hand in a kind friendly manner.
23:47
Speaker 3: Don't hurry yourself, take your time. I dare say, it's
23:51
Speaker 3: not so bad as you fancy, but we'll see about it.
23:55
Speaker 3: There's a great deal of help in the world, much
23:56
Speaker 3: as we abuse it.
23:58
Speaker 7: Mister Gibson said, she it's your Molly. I'm so grieved
24:03
Speaker 7: about what's out now, and God help us both, and
24:06
Speaker 7: the poor child too, for I'm sure she's been led
24:09
Speaker 7: astrayan not gone wrong by her own free will, Molly.
24:13
Speaker 1: Said, he fighting against her words.
24:16
Speaker 3: What's why little Molly been doing or saying?
24:19
Speaker 7: Oh, mister Gibson, I don't know how to tell you.
24:22
Speaker 7: I never would have named it if I had not
24:23
Speaker 7: been convinced sorely, sorely against my will.
24:27
Speaker 3: At any rate, you can let me hear what you've.
24:29
Speaker 1: Heard, said he, putting his elbow on the table and
24:32
Speaker 1: screening his eyes with his hand.
24:34
Speaker 3: Not that I'm a bit afraid of anything you can
24:36
Speaker 3: hear about my girl, continued He only in this little
24:40
Speaker 3: nest of gossip. It's as well to know what people
24:42
Speaker 3: are talking about.
24:44
Speaker 7: They say, Oh, how shall I tell you? Go on?
24:47
Speaker 1: Can't you, said he removing his hand from his blazing eyes.
24:52
Speaker 3: I'm not going to believe it, so don't be afraid.
24:55
Speaker 7: But I fear you must believe it. I would not
24:57
Speaker 7: if I could help it. She's been carrying on a
25:00
Speaker 7: clandestine correspondence with mister Preston. Mister Preston exclaimed, he and
25:07
Speaker 7: mating him at all sorts of unseemly places, and hours
25:09
Speaker 7: out of doors in the dark, fainting away in his
25:13
Speaker 7: his arms. If I must speak out, all the town
25:17
Speaker 7: is talking of it.
25:19
Speaker 1: Mister Gibson's hand was over his eyes again, and he
25:22
Speaker 1: made no sign, so Miss Browning went on, adding touch
25:26
Speaker 1: to touch.
25:28
Speaker 7: Mister Sheepshanks saw them together. They've exchanged notes in ger
25:31
Speaker 7: instead shop. She ran after him.
25:34
Speaker 1: There be quiet, can't you, said mister Gibson, taking his
25:37
Speaker 1: hand away and showing his grim set face.
25:41
Speaker 3: I've heard enough. Don't go on, I said. I shouldn't
25:43
Speaker 3: believe it, and I don't. I suppose I must thank
25:46
Speaker 3: you for telling me, but I can't yet.
25:48
Speaker 1: I don't want your thanks, said Miss Browning, almost crying.
25:53
Speaker 7: I thought you ought to know. For though you're married again,
25:56
Speaker 7: I can't forget you were dear Mary's husband once upon
25:58
Speaker 7: a time, and Molly her child.
26:01
Speaker 3: I'd rather not speak any more about it just at present.
26:04
Speaker 1: Said he, not at all, replying to Miss Browning's last speech.
26:08
Speaker 3: I may not control myself as I ought. I only
26:12
Speaker 3: wish I could meet Preston and horsewhip him within an
26:14
Speaker 3: inch of his life. I wish I had the doctoring
26:17
Speaker 3: of these slanderous gossips. I'd make their tongues lie still
26:21
Speaker 3: for a while, my little girl. What harm has she
26:24
Speaker 3: done them all? That they should go and foul her
26:26
Speaker 3: fair name?
26:28
Speaker 7: Indeed, mister Gibson, I'm afraid it's all true. I would
26:31
Speaker 7: not have sent for you if I hadn't examined into it.
26:34
Speaker 7: Do ascertain the truth before you do anything violent, such
26:37
Speaker 7: as horsewhipping or poisoning.
26:40
Speaker 1: With all the inconsequence of a man in a passion.
26:44
Speaker 1: Mister Gibson laughed out, What.
26:46
Speaker 3: Have I said about horsewhipping or poisoning? Do you think
26:49
Speaker 3: I'd have Molly's name dragged about the streets in connection
26:52
Speaker 3: with any act of violence on my part. Let the
26:55
Speaker 3: report die away as it arose. Time will prove its falsehood.
27:00
Speaker 7: So I don't think it will. And that's the pity
27:02
Speaker 7: of it, said Miss Browning. You must do something, but
27:06
Speaker 7: I don't know what.
27:07
Speaker 3: I shall go home and ask Molly herself what's the
27:10
Speaker 3: meaning of it all? That's all I shall do. It's
27:13
Speaker 3: too ridiculous, knowing Molly as I do, It's perfectly ridiculous.
27:17
Speaker 1: He got up and walked about the room with hasty steps,
27:21
Speaker 1: laughing short, unnatural laughs from time to time.
27:25
Speaker 3: Really, what will they say next? Satan finds some mischief
27:29
Speaker 3: still for idle tongues to do.
27:31
Speaker 7: Don't talk of Satan please in this house. No one
27:34
Speaker 7: knows what may happen if he's lightly spoken about.
27:37
Speaker 1: Pleaded Miss Browning. He went on without noticing her, talking
27:41
Speaker 1: to himself, I've a.
27:43
Speaker 3: Great mind to leave the place, and what food for
27:45
Speaker 3: scandal that piece of folly would give rise to.
27:48
Speaker 1: Then he was silent for a time, his hands in
27:51
Speaker 1: his pockets, his eyes on the ground as he continued
27:54
Speaker 1: his quarter deck march. Suddenly he stopped close to Miss
27:59
Speaker 1: Browning's chair.
28:00
Speaker 3: I'm thoroughly ungrateful to you for as true a mark
28:04
Speaker 3: of friendship as you've ever shown to me, true or false.
28:07
Speaker 3: It was right I should know the wretched scandal that
28:09
Speaker 3: was being circulated, and it couldn't have been pleasant for
28:12
Speaker 3: you to tell it me. Thank you from the bottom
28:15
Speaker 3: of my heart.
28:16
Speaker 7: Indeed, mister Gibson, if it was false, I would never
28:20
Speaker 7: have named it. But let it die away.
28:22
Speaker 3: It's not true, though.
28:24
Speaker 1: Said he doggedly, letting drop the hand he had taken
28:27
Speaker 1: in his effusion of gratitude. She shook her head.
28:31
Speaker 7: I shall always love Molly for her mother's sake.
28:34
Speaker 1: She said, And it was a great concession from the
28:37
Speaker 1: correct Miss Browning. But her father did not understand it
28:40
Speaker 1: as such.
28:42
Speaker 3: You ought to love her for her own. She has
28:44
Speaker 3: done nothing to disgrace herself. I shall go straight home
28:47
Speaker 3: and probe inm to the truth, as if.
28:50
Speaker 7: The poor girl who had been led away into deceit
28:52
Speaker 7: already what scruple much at going on in falsehood?
28:56
Speaker 1: Was Miss Browning's remark on this last speech of mister Gibbson.
29:00
Speaker 1: But she had discretion enough not to make it until
29:04
Speaker 1: he was well out of hearing. End of Chapter forty seven.