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057 - Off with the Old Love and On with the New · Wives and Daughters

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fifty six of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, Chapter fifty six.
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  Speaker 1: Off with the Old Love and on with the New.
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  Speaker 1: The next morning saw Missus Gibson in a much more
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  Speaker 1: contented frame of mind. She had written and posted her letter,
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  Speaker 1: and the next thing was to keep Cynthia in what
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  Speaker 1: she called a reasonable state, or in other words, to
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  Speaker 1: try and cajole her into docility. But it was so
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  Speaker 1: much labor lost. Cynthia had already received a letter from
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  Speaker 1: mister Henderson before she came down to breakfast, a declaration
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  Speaker 1: of love, a proposal of marriage as clear as words
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  Speaker 1: could make it, together with an intimation that, unable to
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  Speaker 1: wait for the slow delays of the post, he was
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  Speaker 1: going to follow her down to Hollingford and would arrive
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  Speaker 1: at the same time that she had done herself on
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  Speaker 1: the previous day. Cynthia said nothing about this letter to
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  Speaker 1: any one. She came late into the breakfast room after
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  Speaker 1: mister and Missus Gibson had finished the actual business of
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  Speaker 1: the meal, but her unpunctuality was quite accounted for by
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  Speaker 1: the fact that she had been traveling all the night before.
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  Speaker 1: Molly was not as yet strong enough to get up
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  Speaker 1: so early. Cynthia hardly spoke and did not touch her food.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Gibson went about his daily business, and Cynthia and
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  Speaker 1: her mother were left alone. My dear, said missus Gibson.
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  Speaker 2: You are not eating your breakfast as you should do.
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  Speaker 2: I am afraid our meals seem very plain and homely
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  Speaker 2: to you after those in Hyde Park Street.
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  Speaker 1: No, said Cynthia.
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  Speaker 3: I'm not hungry, that's all.
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  Speaker 2: If we were as rich as your uncle, I should
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  Speaker 2: feel it to be both a duty and a pleasure
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  Speaker 2: to keep an elegant table. But limited means are so
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  Speaker 2: clogged to one's wishes. I don't suppose that work as
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  Speaker 2: he will. Mister Gibson can earn more than he does
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  Speaker 2: at present, while the capabilities of the law are boundless.
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  Speaker 2: Lord Chancellor titles as well as fortune.
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia was almost too much absorbed in her own reflections
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  Speaker 1: to reply, but she did.
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  Speaker 3: Say, hundreds of briefless barristers take the other side, Mamma.
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  Speaker 2: Well, but I have noticed that many of these have
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  Speaker 2: private fortunes.
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  Speaker 3: Perhaps, Mamma, I expect mister Henderson will come and call
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  Speaker 3: this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Oh my precious child. But how do you know, my darling, Cynthia?
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  Speaker 2: Am I to congratulate you?
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  Speaker 4: Now?
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  Speaker 3: I suppose I must tell you I've had a letter
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  Speaker 3: this morning from him, and it is coming down by
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  Speaker 3: the umpire to day.
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  Speaker 2: But has he offered? He surely must mean to offer
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  Speaker 2: at any rate.
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia played with her teaspoon before she replied. Then she
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  Speaker 1: looked up like one startled from a dream, and caught
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  Speaker 1: the echo of her mother's question.
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  Speaker 3: Offered, yes, I suppose he has, and you accept him.
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  Speaker 2: Say yes, Cynthia, and make me happy.
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  Speaker 3: I shan't say yes to make anyone happy except myself,
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  Speaker 3: and the Russian scheme has great charms for me.
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  Speaker 1: She said this to plague her mother and lessen Missus
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  Speaker 1: Gibson's exuberance of joy. It must be confessed, for her
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  Speaker 1: mind was pretty well made up, but it did not
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  Speaker 1: affect Missus Gibson, who have fixed even less truth to
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  Speaker 1: it than there really was. The idea of a residence
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  Speaker 1: in a new strange country among new strange people was
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  Speaker 1: not without allurement.
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  Speaker 2: To Cynthia, you always look nice, dear, but don't you
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  Speaker 2: think you had better put on that pretty lilac silk?
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  Speaker 3: I shall not marry a thread or a shred from
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  Speaker 3: what I have got on now.
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  Speaker 2: You, dear wilful creature, You know you always looked lovely
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  Speaker 2: in whatever you put on.
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  Speaker 1: So kissing her daughter, missus Gibson left the room, intent
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  Speaker 1: on the lunch which should impress mister Henderson at once
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  Speaker 1: with an idea of family refinement, Cynthia went upstairs to Mollie.
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  Speaker 1: She was inclined to tell her about mister Henderson, but
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  Speaker 1: she found it impossible to introduce this subject naturally, so
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  Speaker 1: she left it to time to reveal the future as
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  Speaker 1: gradually as it might. Mollie was tired with a bad night,
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  Speaker 1: and her father, in his flying visit to his darling
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  Speaker 1: before going out, had advised her to stay upstairs for
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  Speaker 1: the greater part of the morning and to keep quiet
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  Speaker 1: in her own room till after her early dinner. So
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  Speaker 1: time had not a fair chance of telling her what
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  Speaker 1: he had in store in his budget. Missus Gibson sent
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  Speaker 1: an apology to Molly for not paying her her usual
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  Speaker 1: morning visit, and told Cynthia to give mister Henderson's probable
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  Speaker 1: coming as a reason for her occupation down soa. But
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia did no such thing. She kissed Molly and sat
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  Speaker 1: silently by her, holding her hand, till at length she
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  Speaker 1: jumped up and said.
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  Speaker 3: You shall be left alone now, little one. I want
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  Speaker 3: you to be very well and very bright this afternoon,
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  Speaker 3: So rest now.
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  Speaker 1: And Cynthia left her and went to her own room,
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  Speaker 1: locked the door, and began to think someone was thinking
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  Speaker 1: about her at the same time, and it was not
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  Speaker 1: mister Henderson. Roger had learned from mister Gibson that Cynthia
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  Speaker 1: had come home, and he was resolving to go to
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  Speaker 1: her at once and have one strong manly attempt to
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  Speaker 1: overcome the obstacles, whatever they might be, and of their nature.
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  Speaker 1: He was not fully aware that she had conjured up
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  Speaker 1: against the continuance of their relation to each other. He
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  Speaker 1: left his father, He left them all and went off
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  Speaker 1: into the woods to be alone until the time came
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  Speaker 1: when he might mount his horse and ride over to
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  Speaker 1: put his fate to the touch. He was as careful
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  Speaker 1: as ever not to interfere with the morning hours that
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  Speaker 1: were tabooed to him of old. But waiting was very
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  Speaker 1: hard work when he knew that she was so near,
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  Speaker 1: and the time so near at hand. Yet he rode
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  Speaker 1: slowly compelling himself to quietness and patience. When he was
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  Speaker 1: once really on the way to her.
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  Speaker 5: Missus Gibson at home, Miss Kirkpatrick.
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  Speaker 1: He asked of the servant Maria, who opened the door.
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  Speaker 1: She was confused, but he did not notice it.
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  Speaker 4: I think, sir, I'm not sure. You walk up the
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  Speaker 4: drawing room, sir. Miss Gibson is in there, I know.
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  Speaker 1: So he went upstairs, all his nerves on the strain
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  Speaker 1: for the coming interview with Cynthia. It was either a
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  Speaker 1: relief or a disappointment. He was not sure which. To
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  Speaker 1: find only Molly in the room, Mollie half lying on
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  Speaker 1: the couch in the bow window which commanded the garden,
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  Speaker 1: draped in soft white drapery, very well herself, and a
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  Speaker 1: laced half handkerchief tied over her head to save her
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  Speaker 1: from any ill effects of the air that blew in
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  Speaker 1: through the open window. He was so ready to speak
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  Speaker 1: to Cynthia that he hardly knew what to say to
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  Speaker 1: any one else.
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  Speaker 5: I am afraid you are not so well.
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  Speaker 1: He said to Molly, who sat up to receive him,
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  Speaker 1: and who suddenly began to tremble with emotion.
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  Speaker 6: I'm a little tired, that's all.
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  Speaker 1: Said she, and then she was quite silent, hoping that
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  Speaker 1: he might go, and yet somehow wishing him to stay.
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  Speaker 1: But he took a chair and placed it near her,
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  Speaker 1: opposite to the window. He thought that surely Maria would
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  Speaker 1: tell miss Kirkpatrick that she was wanted, and that at
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  Speaker 1: any moment he might hear her light quick footstep on
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  Speaker 1: the stairs. He felt he ought to talk, but he
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  Speaker 1: could not think of anything to say. The pink flush
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  Speaker 1: came out on Molly's cheeks once or twice. She was
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  Speaker 1: on the point of speaking, but again she thought better
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  Speaker 1: of it, and the pauses between their faint, disjointed remarks
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  Speaker 1: became longer and longer. Suddenly, in one of these pauses,
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  Speaker 1: the merry murmur of distant, happy voices in the garden
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  Speaker 1: came nearer and nearer. Mollie looked more and more uneasy
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  Speaker 1: and flushed, and in spite of herself, kept watching Roger's face.
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  Speaker 1: He could see over her into the garden. A sudden
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  Speaker 1: deep color overspread him, as if his heart had sent
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  Speaker 1: its blood out, coursing at full gallop. Cynthia and mister
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  Speaker 1: Henderson had come in sight, he eagerly talking to her
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  Speaker 1: as he bent forward to look into her face. She
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  Speaker 1: her looks half averted in pretty shyness, was evidently coquetting
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  Speaker 1: about some flowers which she either would not give or
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  Speaker 1: would not take. Just then, for the lovers had emerged
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  Speaker 1: from the shrubbery into comparatively public life, Maria was seen approaching.
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  Speaker 1: Apparently she had feminine tact in enough to induce Cynthia
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  Speaker 1: to leave her present admirer and to go a few
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  Speaker 1: steps to meet her to receive the whispered message.
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  Speaker 4: Mister Roger Hanley was there and wished to speak to her.
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  Speaker 1: Roger could see her startled gesture. She turned back to
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  Speaker 1: say something to mister Henderson before coming towards the house.
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  Speaker 1: Now Roger spoke to Mollie. Spoke hurriedly, spoke hoarsely.
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  Speaker 5: Mollie, tell me, is it too late for me to
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  Speaker 5: speak to Cynthia. I came on purpose.
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  Speaker 6: Who is that man, mister Henderson? He only came today,
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  Speaker 6: but now he is an accepted lover. Oh, Roger, forgive
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  Speaker 6: me the pain.
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  Speaker 5: Tell her I have been and am gone. Send out
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  Speaker 5: word to her. Don't let her be interrupted.
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  Speaker 1: And Roger ran downstairs at full speed, and Molly heard
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  Speaker 1: the passionate clang of the outer door. He had hardly
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  Speaker 1: left the house before Cynthia entered the room, Pale and resolute,
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  Speaker 1: Where is he? She said, looking around as if he
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  Speaker 1: might yet be hidden? Gone, said Molly, very faint gone.
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  Speaker 3: Oh what a relief. It seems to be my fate,
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  Speaker 3: never to be off with the old lover. Before I
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  Speaker 3: am on with a new Nita did write, as decidedly
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  Speaker 3: as I could, Why Molly, what's the matter?
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  Speaker 1: For now Molly had fainted away utterly, Cynthia flew to
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  Speaker 1: the bell, summoned Maria, water, salts, wine, anything, and as
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  Speaker 1: soon as Molly, gasping and miserable, became conscious again, she
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  Speaker 1: wrote a little pencil note to mister Henderson, bidding him
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  Speaker 1: return to the George whence he had come in the morning,
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  Speaker 1: and saying that if he obeyed her at once, he
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  Speaker 1: might be allowed to call again in the evening, otherwise
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  Speaker 1: she would not see him till the next day. This
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  Speaker 1: she sent down by Maria, and the unlucky man never
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  Speaker 1: believed but that it was miss Gibson's sudden indisposition in
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  Speaker 1: the first instance that had deprived him of his charmer's company.
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  Speaker 1: He comforted himself for the long solitary afternoon by writing
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  Speaker 1: to tell all his friends of his happiness, and amongst
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  Speaker 1: them uncle and Aunt Kirkpatrick, who received his letter by
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  Speaker 1: the same posts as that discreet epistle of Missus Gibson's,
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  Speaker 1: which she had carefully arranged to reveal as much as
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  Speaker 1: she wished and no more. Was he very terrible, asked
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia as she sat with Molly in the stillness of
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  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson's dressing room.
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  Speaker 6: Oh, Cynthia, it was such a pain to see him.
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  Speaker 6: He suffered.
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  Speaker 3: So I don't like people of deep feelings.
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  Speaker 1: Said Cynthia, pouting.
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  Speaker 3: They don't suit me. Why couldn't he let me go
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  Speaker 3: without this fuss? I'm not worth his caring, for.
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  Speaker 6: You have the happy gift of making people love you.
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  Speaker 6: Remember mister Preston, he too wouldn't give hope.
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  Speaker 3: Now I won't have you classing Roger Hamley and mister
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  Speaker 3: Preston together in the same sentence. One was as much
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  Speaker 3: too bad for me as the other is too good.
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  Speaker 3: Now I hope that man in the garden is the
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  Speaker 3: just milieu. I'm that myself, for I don't think I ambitious,
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  Speaker 3: and I know I'm not virtuous.
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  Speaker 6: You really like him enough to marry him, asked Molly earnestly.
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  Speaker 6: I do think, Cynthia, it wouldn't you to go on
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  Speaker 6: throwing your lovers off. You give pain that I'm sure
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  Speaker 6: you do not mean to do that. You cannot understand,
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  Speaker 6: perhaps I can't. I'm not offended. I never set up
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  Speaker 6: for what I am not, and I know I'm not constant.
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  Speaker 6: I've told mister Henderson.
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  Speaker 1: So she stopped blushing and smiling at the recollection you have?
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  Speaker 6: And what did he say?
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  Speaker 7: Then?
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  Speaker 3: He liked me just as I was. So you see
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  Speaker 3: he's fairly warned. Only he's a little afraid, I suppose,
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  Speaker 3: for he wants me to be married very soon, almost
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  Speaker 3: directly in fact. But I don't know if I shall
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  Speaker 3: give way. You hardly saw him, Molly, but he's coming
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  Speaker 3: again to night. In mind. I'll never forgive you if
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  Speaker 3: you don't think him very charming. I believe I cared
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  Speaker 3: for him when he offered all those months ago, but
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  Speaker 3: I tried to think I didn't. Only sometimes I really
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  Speaker 3: was so unhappy I thought I must put an iron
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  Speaker 3: band round my heart to keep it from breaking, like
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  Speaker 3: the faithful John of the German story. Do you remember, Molly,
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  Speaker 3: how when his master came to his crown and his
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  Speaker 3: fortune and his lady love after innumerable trials and disgraces,
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  Speaker 3: and was driving away from the church where he'd been
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  Speaker 3: married in a coach and six with faithful John behind,
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  Speaker 3: the happy couple heard three great cracks in succession, and uninquiring,
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  Speaker 3: they were the iron bands round his heart that faithful
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  Speaker 3: John had worn all during the time of his master's
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  Speaker 3: tribulation to keep it from breaking.
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  Speaker 1: In the evening, mister Henderson came. Molly had been very
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  Speaker 1: curious to see him, and when she saw him she
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  Speaker 1: was not sure whether she liked him or not. He
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  Speaker 1: was handsome without being conceited, gentlemanly without being foolishly fine.
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  Speaker 1: He talked easily and never said a silly thing. He
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  Speaker 1: was perfectly well appointed, yet never seemed to have given
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  Speaker 1: a thought to his dress. He was good tempered and kind,
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  Speaker 1: not without some of the cheerful flippancy of repartee, which
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  Speaker 1: belonged to his age and profession, and which his age
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: and profession are apt to take for wit. But he
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: wanted something in Molly's eyes at any rate in this
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: first interview, and in her heart of hearts, she thought
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: him rather commonplace. But of course she said nothing of
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  Speaker 1: this to Cynthia, who was evidently as happy as she
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  Speaker 1: could be. Missus Gibson, too was in the Seventh Heaven
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  Speaker 1: of Ecstasy and spoke but little, but what she did
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  Speaker 1: say expressed the highest sentiments in the finest language. Mister
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  Speaker 1: Gibson was not with them for long, but while he
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  Speaker 1: was there he was evidently studying the unconscious mister Henderson
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: with his dark penetrating eyes. Mister Henderson behaved ex exactly
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  Speaker 1: as he ought to have done to everybody, respectful to
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  Speaker 1: mister Gibson, deferential to Missus Gibson, friendly to Molly, devoted
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  Speaker 1: to Cynthia. The next time mister Gibson found Molly alone,
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  Speaker 1: he began, well, and how.
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  Speaker 8: Do you like the new relation that is to be?
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  Speaker 6: It's difficult to say. I think he's very nice in
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  Speaker 6: all his bits, but rather dull on the whole.
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  Speaker 1: I think him perfection, said mister Gibson, to Molly's surprise.
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  Speaker 1: But in an instant afterwards she saw that he had
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: been speaking ironically.
• 15:37
  Speaker 8: He went on, I don't wonder she preferred him to
• 15:41
  Speaker 8: Roger Hamley, such sense, such gloves, and then his hair
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  Speaker 8: and his cravat.
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  Speaker 6: Now, Papa, you're not fair. He's a greating. More than that,
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  Speaker 6: one could see that he had very good feeling, and
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  Speaker 6: he's very handsome and very much attached to her.
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  Speaker 8: So was Roger. However, I must to confess I shall
• 16:01
  Speaker 8: be only too glad to have her married. She's a
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  Speaker 8: girl who will always have some love affair on hand,
• 16:07
  Speaker 8: and will always be apt to slip through a man's
• 16:09
  Speaker 8: fingers if he doesn't look sharp. As I was saying
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  Speaker 8: to Roger.
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  Speaker 6: You have seen him then, since he was hair.
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  Speaker 8: Met him in the street.
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  Speaker 6: How was he?
• 16:21
  Speaker 8: I don't suppose he's been going through the pleasantest thing
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  Speaker 8: in the world, but he'll get over it before long.
• 16:27
  Speaker 8: He spoke with sense and resignation, and didn't say much
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  Speaker 8: about it, but one could see that he was feeling
• 16:33
  Speaker 8: it pretty sharply. He's had three months to think it over. Remember,
• 16:37
  Speaker 8: the Squire, I should guess, is showing more indignation. He
• 16:41
  Speaker 8: is boiling over that anyone should reject his son. The
• 16:45
  Speaker 8: enormity of the sin never seems to have been apparent
• 16:48
  Speaker 8: to him till now, when he sees how Roger is
• 16:51
  Speaker 8: affected by it. Indeed, with the exception of myself. I
• 16:55
  Speaker 8: don't know one reasonable father, eh Molly.
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: Whatever else mister Henner might be, he was an impatient lover.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: He wanted to marry Cynthia directly next week, the week after,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: at any rate, before the long vacation, so that they
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: could go abroad at once Trusseau and preliminary ceremonies he
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: gave to the winds. Mister Gibson generous as usual, called
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: Cynthia aside in morning or two after her engagement, and
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: put a hundred pound note into her hands.
• 17:27
  Speaker 8: There that's to pay your expenses to Russia and back.
• 17:31
  Speaker 8: I hope you'll find your pupils obedient.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: To his surprise, and rather to his discomfiture, Cynthia threw
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: her arms round his neck and kissed him.
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: You are the kindest person I know, said she, And
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: I don't know how to thank you in words.
• 17:48
  Speaker 8: If you tumble my shirt collars again in that way,
• 17:50
  Speaker 8: I'll charge you for the washing. Just now too, when
• 17:54
  Speaker 8: I'm trying so hard to be trim and elegant like
• 17:56
  Speaker 8: your mister Henderson.
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  Speaker 1: But you do like him, don't you, said Cynthia pleadingly.
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  Speaker 3: He does sound like you.
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  Speaker 8: Of course, we're all angels now, and you're an arch angel,
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  Speaker 8: and I hope he'll wear as well as Roger.
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia looked grave.
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: That was a very silly affair, she said, we were
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: too as unsuitable people.
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  Speaker 8: It has ended, and that's enough. Besides, I'm no more
• 18:23
  Speaker 8: time to waste, and there's your smart young man coming
• 18:25
  Speaker 8: here in all haste.
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: Mister and Missus Kirkpatrick sent all manner of congratulations, and
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson, in a private letter, assured Missus Kirkpatrick that
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: her ill timed confidence about Roger should be considered as
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: quite private. For as soon as mister Henderson had made
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: his appearance in Hollingford, she had written a second letter.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: Entreating them not to allude to anything she might have
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: said in her first, which she said was written in
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: such excitement on discovering the real state of her daughter's affections,
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: that she had hardly known what she had said, and
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: exaggerated some things and misunderstood others. All that she did
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: know now was that mister Henderson had just proposed to
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: Cynthia and was accepted, and that they were as happy
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: as the day was long. And excuse the vanity of
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: a mother made a most lovely couple.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: So mister and Missus Kirkpatrick wrote back an equally agreeable letter.
• 19:21
  Speaker 9: Praising mister Henderson, admiring Cynthia, and generally congratulatory, insisting into
• 19:29
  Speaker 9: the bargain that the marriage should take place from their
• 19:32
  Speaker 9: house in Hyde Park Street, and that mister and Missus
• 19:35
  Speaker 9: Gibson and Molly should all come up and pay them
• 19:38
  Speaker 9: a visit.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: There was a little PostScript at the end.
• 19:43
  Speaker 7: Surely you do not mean the famous traveler Hemley, about
• 19:46
  Speaker 7: whose discoveries all our scientific men are so much excited.
• 19:50
  Speaker 7: You speak of him as young Hamley, who went to Africa.
• 19:53
  Speaker 7: Answer this question. Pray for Helen is most anxious to.
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: Know this p s being in Helen's handwriting, in her
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: exultation at the general success of everything and desire for sympathy.
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson read parts of this letter to Mollie the
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: PostScript among the rest it made a deeper impression on
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: Molly than even the proposed kindness of the visit to London.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: There were some family consultations, but the end of them
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: all was that the Kirkpatrick invitation was accepted. There were
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: many small reasons for this, which were openly acknowledged, But
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: there was one general and unspoken wish to have the
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: ceremony performed out of the immediate neighborhood of the two
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: men whom Cynthia had previously rejected. That was the word
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: now to be applied to her treatment of them. So
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: Molly was ordered, and enjoined, and entreated to become strong
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: as soon as possible, in order that her health might
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: not prevent her attending the marriage. Mister Gibson himself, though
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: he thought it his duty to damp the exultant anticipations
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: of his wife and her daughter, being not at all
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: averse to the prospect of going to London and seeing
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: half a dozen old friends and many scientific exhibitions, independently
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: of the very fair amount of liking which he had
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: for his host. Mister Kirkpatrick himself end of Chapter fifty
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: six