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043 - Ch 43 - Margaret's Flittin' · North and South (version 2)

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Speaker 1: Chapter forty three of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Marianne,
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Speaker 1: chapter forty three, Margaret's flitten, the meanest thing to which
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Speaker 1: we bid at you loses its meanness. In the parting hour,
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Speaker 1: Elliot missus Shaw took as vehement a dislike as it
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Speaker 1: was possible for one of her gentle nature to do
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Speaker 1: against Milton. It was noisy and smoky, and the poor
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Speaker 1: people whom she saw in the streets were dirty, and
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Speaker 1: the rich ladies over dressed, and not a man that
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Speaker 1: she saw, high or low, had his clothes made to
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Speaker 1: fit him. She was sure Margaret would never regain her
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Speaker 1: lost strength while she stayed in Milton, and she herself
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Speaker 1: was afraid of one of her old attacks of the nerves.
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Speaker 1: Margaret must return with her, and that quickly. This, if
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Speaker 1: not the exact force of her words, was at any
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Speaker 1: rate the spirit of what she urged upon Margaret, until
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Speaker 1: the latter, weak, weary and broken spirited, yielded a reluctant
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Speaker 1: promise that as soon as Wednesday was over, she would
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Speaker 1: prepare to accompany her aunt back to town, leaving Dixon
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Speaker 1: in charge of all the arrangements for paying bills, disposing
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Speaker 1: of furniture, and shutting up the house before that Wednesday,
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Speaker 1: that mournful Wednesday, when mister Hale was to be interred,
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Speaker 1: far away from either of the homes he had known
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Speaker 1: in life, and far away from the wife who lay
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Speaker 1: lonely among strangers. And this last was Margaret's great trouble,
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Speaker 1: for she thought that if she had not given way
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Speaker 1: to that overwhelming stupor during the first sad days, she
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Speaker 1: could have arranged things otherwise. Before that Wednesday, Margaret received
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Speaker 1: a letter from mister Bell. My dear Margaret, I did
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Speaker 1: mean to have returned to Milton on Thursday, but unluckily
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Speaker 1: it turns out to be one of the rare occasions
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Speaker 1: when we Plymouth fellows are called upon to perform any
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Speaker 1: kind of duty. And I must not be absent from
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Speaker 1: my host. Captain Lennox and mister Thornton are here. The
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Speaker 1: former seems a smart, well meaning man, and has proposed
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Speaker 1: to go over to Milton and assist you in any
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Speaker 1: search for the will. Of course, there is none, or
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Speaker 1: you would have found it by this time if you
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Speaker 1: followed my directions. Then the Captain declares that he must
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Speaker 1: take you and his mother in law home, and in
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Speaker 1: his wife's present state, I don't see how you can
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Speaker 1: expect him to remain any longer than Friday. However, that
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Speaker 1: Dixon of yours is trusty and can hold her. If
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Speaker 1: not your own till I come, I will put matters
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Speaker 1: into the hands of my Milton attorney. If there is
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Speaker 1: no will, for I doubt this smart captain is no
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Speaker 1: great man of business. Nevertheless, his mustachios are splendid. There
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Speaker 1: will have to be a sale. So select what things
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Speaker 1: you wish reserved, or you can send a list afterwards.
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Speaker 1: Now two things more, and I have done. You know,
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Speaker 1: or if you don't, your poor father did that. You
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Speaker 1: are to have my money and goods when I die.
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Speaker 1: Not that I mean to die yet, But I name
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Speaker 1: this just to explain what is coming. These Lennoxes seem
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Speaker 1: very fond of you now, and perhaps may continue to
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Speaker 1: be perhaps not. So tis best to start with a
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Speaker 1: formal agreement, namely that you will pay them two hundred
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Speaker 1: and fifty pounds a year as long as you and
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Speaker 1: they find it pleasant to live together. This of course
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Speaker 1: includes Dixon. Mind you don't be cajoled into paying any more.
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Speaker 1: For her. Then you won't be thrown adrift if some
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Speaker 1: day the captain wishes to have his house to himself,
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Speaker 1: but you can carry yourself and your two hundred and
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Speaker 1: fifty pounds off somewhere else. If indeed I have not
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Speaker 1: claimed you to come and keep house for me. First,
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Speaker 1: then as to dress and dixon, and personal expenses and confectionery,
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Speaker 1: all young ladies eat confectionery till wisdom comes by age,
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Speaker 1: I shall consult some lady of my acquaintance, and see
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Speaker 1: how much you will have from your father. Before fixing
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Speaker 1: this now, margaret, have you flown out before you have
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Speaker 1: read this far and wondered what right the old man
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Speaker 1: has to settle your affairs for you so cavalierly, I
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Speaker 1: make no doubt you have. Yet the old man has
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Speaker 1: a right. He has loved your father for five and
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Speaker 1: thirty years. He stood beside him on his wedding day,
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Speaker 1: he closed his eyes in death. Moreover, he is your godfather.
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Speaker 1: And as he cannot do you much good spiritually, having
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Speaker 1: a hidden consciousness of your superiority in such things, he
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Speaker 1: would fain to do you the poor good of endowing
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Speaker 1: you materially. And the old man has not a known
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Speaker 1: relation on earth? Who is there to mourn for? Adam
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Speaker 1: Bell and his whole heart is set and bent upon
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Speaker 1: this one thing. And Margaret Hale is not the girl
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Speaker 1: to say him nay. Write by return, if only two
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Speaker 1: lines to tell me your answer, But no thanks, Margaret
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Speaker 1: took up a pen and scrawled with trembling hand. Margaret
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Speaker 1: Hale is not the girl to say him nay. In
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Speaker 1: her weak state, she could not think of any other words,
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Speaker 1: and yet she was vexed to use these. But she
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Speaker 1: was so much fatigued even by this slight exertion, that
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Speaker 1: if she could have thought of another form of acceptance,
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Speaker 1: she could not have set up to write a syllable
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Speaker 1: of it. She was obliged to lie down again and
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Speaker 1: try not to think. My dearest child, has that letter
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Speaker 1: vexed or troubled you? No, said Margaret feebly. I shall
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Speaker 1: be better when tomorrow is over. I feel sure, darling.
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Speaker 1: You won't be better till I get you out of
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Speaker 1: this horrid air. How you can have borne it this
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Speaker 1: two years? I can't imagine where could I go? I
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Speaker 1: could not leave Papa and Mamma. Well, don't distress yourself,
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Speaker 1: my dear, I dare say it was all for the best.
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Speaker 1: Only I had no conception of how you were living,
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Speaker 1: how a butler's wife lives in a better house than this.
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Speaker 1: It is some time, very pretty in summer. You can't
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Speaker 1: judge by what it is now. I have been very
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Speaker 1: happy here, and Margaret closed her eyes by way of
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Speaker 1: stopping the conversation. The house teemed with comfort now compared
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Speaker 1: to what it had done. The evenings were chilly, and
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Speaker 1: by missus Shaw's directions, fires were lighted in every bedroom.
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Speaker 1: She petted Margaret in every possible way, and bought every
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Speaker 1: delicacy or self luxury in which she herself would have
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Speaker 1: burrowed and sought comfort. But Margaret was indifferent to all
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Speaker 1: these things, or if they forced themselves upon her attention,
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Speaker 1: it was simply as causes for gratitude to her aunt,
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Speaker 1: who was putting herself so much out of her way
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Speaker 1: to think of her. She was restless, though so weak.
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Speaker 1: All day long, she kept herself from thinking of the
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Speaker 1: ceremony which was going on at Oxford by wandering from
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Speaker 1: room to room and languidly setting aside such articles as
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Speaker 1: she wished to retain. And Dixon followed her by missus
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Speaker 1: Shaw's desire ostensible to receive instructions, but with a private
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Speaker 1: injunction to soothe her into repose as soon as might
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Speaker 1: be these books, Dixon, I will keep all the rest,
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Speaker 1: will you send to mister Bell. They are of a
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Speaker 1: kind that he will value for themselves as well as
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Speaker 1: for Papa's sake. This I should like you to take
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Speaker 1: this to mister Thornton after I am gone, stay I
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Speaker 1: will write a note with it. And she sat down hastily,
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Speaker 1: as if afraid of thinking, and wrote, Dear Sir, the
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Speaker 1: accompanying book I am sure will be valued by you
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Speaker 1: for the sake of my father, to whom it belonged, Yours, sincerely,
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Speaker 1: Margaret Hale. She set out again upon her travels through
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Speaker 1: the house, turning over articles known to her from childhood,
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Speaker 1: with a sort of caressing reluctance to leave them old fashioned,
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Speaker 1: worn and shabby as they might be. But she hardly
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Speaker 1: spoke again, and Dixon's report to missus shawis was that
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Speaker 1: she doubted whether Miss Hale heard a word of what
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Speaker 1: she said, though she talked the whole time in order
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Speaker 1: to divert her attention. The consequence of being on her
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Speaker 1: feet all day was excessive bodily weariness in the evening,
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Speaker 1: and a better night's rest than she had had since
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Speaker 1: she had heard of mister Hale's death. At breakfast time
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Speaker 1: the next day, she expressed her wish to go and
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Speaker 1: bid one or two friends good bye. Missus Shaw objected,
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Speaker 1: I am sure, my dear, you can have no friends
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Speaker 1: here with whom you are sufficiently intimate to justify you
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Speaker 1: in calling upon them so soon before you have been
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Speaker 1: at church. But to day is my only day. If
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Speaker 1: Captain Lennox comes this afternoon, and if we must, if
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Speaker 1: I must really go to morrow, oh yes, we shall
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Speaker 1: go to morrow. I am more and more convinced that
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Speaker 1: this air is bad for you, and it makes you
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Speaker 1: look so pale and ill. Besides, Edith expects us, and
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Speaker 1: she may be waiting me, And you cannot be left alone,
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Speaker 1: my dear, at your age. No, if you must pay
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Speaker 1: these calls, I will go with you, and Dixon can
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Speaker 1: get us a coach. I suppose. So Missus Shaw went
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Speaker 1: to take care of Margaret and took her maid with
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Speaker 1: her to take care of the shawls and air cushions.
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Speaker 1: Margaret's face was too sad to lighten up into a
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Speaker 1: smile at all this preparation for paying two visits that
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Speaker 1: she had often made by herself at all hours of
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Speaker 1: the day. She was half afraid of owning that one
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Speaker 1: place to which she was going was Nicholas Higgins. All
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Speaker 1: she could do was to hope her aunt would be
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Speaker 1: indisposed to get out of the coach and walk up
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Speaker 1: the court, and at every breath of wind have her
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Speaker 1: face slapt by wet clothes hanging out on dry ropes
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Speaker 1: stretched from house to house. There was a little battle
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Speaker 1: in missus Shaw's mind between ease and a sense of
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Speaker 1: matronly propriety, but the former gained the day, and, with
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Speaker 1: many an injunction to Margaret to be careful of herself
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Speaker 1: and not to catch any fever such as was always
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Speaker 1: lurking in such places, her aunt permitted her to go
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Speaker 1: where she had often been before, without taking any precaution
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Speaker 1: or requiring any permission. Nicholas was out only Mary and
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Speaker 1: one or two of the Boucher children at home. Margaret
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Speaker 1: was vexed with herself for not having timed her visit better.
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Speaker 1: Mary had a very blunt intellect, although her feelings were
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Speaker 1: warm and kind, and the instant she understood what Margaret's
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Speaker 1: purpose was in coming to see them, she began to
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Speaker 1: cry and sob with so little restraint that Margaret found
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Speaker 1: it useless to say any of the thousand little things
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Speaker 1: which had suggested themselves to her. As she was coming
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Speaker 1: along in the coach. She could only try to comfort
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Speaker 1: her a little by suggesting the vague chance of their
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Speaker 1: meeting again at some possible time, in some possible place,
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Speaker 1: and bid her tell her father how much she wished,
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Speaker 1: if he could manage it, that he should come to
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Speaker 1: see her when he had done his work in the evening.
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Speaker 1: As she was leaving the place, she stopped and looked round,
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Speaker 1: then hesitated a little before she said, I should like
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Speaker 1: to have some little thing to remind me Bessy. Instantly,
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Speaker 1: Mary's generosity was keenly alive. What could they give, And
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Speaker 1: on Margaret's singling out a little common drinking cup, which
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Speaker 1: she remembered as the one always standing by Bessy's side
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Speaker 1: with drink for her feverish lips, Mary said, Oh, take
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Speaker 1: sum much better. That only cost fourpence. That will do,
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Speaker 1: Thank you, said Margaret, and she went quickly away while
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Speaker 1: the light caused by the pleasure of having something to
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Speaker 1: give yet lingered on Mary's face. Now to Missus Thornton's,
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Speaker 1: she thought to herself it must be done, but she
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Speaker 1: looked rather rigid and pale at the thought of it,
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Speaker 1: and had hard work to find the exact words in
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Speaker 1: which to explain to her aunt who Missus Thornton was
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Speaker 1: and why she should go to bid her farewell. They
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Speaker 1: for Missus Shaw alighted here were shown into the drawing room,
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Speaker 1: in which a fire had only just been kindled. Missus
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Speaker 1: Shaw huddled herself up in her shawl and shivered. What
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Speaker 1: an icy room, she said. They had to wait for
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Speaker 1: some time before Missus Thornton entered. There was some softening
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Speaker 1: in her heart towards Margaret, now that she was going
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Speaker 1: away out of her sight. She remembered her spirit, as
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Speaker 1: shown at various times and places, even more than the
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Speaker 1: patience with which she had endured long and wearying cares.
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Speaker 1: Her countenance was blander than usual as she greeted her.
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Speaker 1: There was even a shade of tenderness in her manner
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Speaker 1: as she noticed the white, tear swollen face and the
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Speaker 1: quiver in the voice which Margaret tried to make so steady.
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Speaker 1: Allow me to introduce my aunt, Missus Shaw. I am
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Speaker 1: going away from Milton to morrow. I do not know
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Speaker 1: if you are aware of it, but I wanted to
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Speaker 1: see you once again, Missus Thornton, to to apologize for
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Speaker 1: my manner the last time I saw you, and to
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Speaker 1: say that I am sure you meant kindly, however much
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Speaker 1: we may have misunderstood each other. Missus Shaw looked extremely
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Speaker 1: perplexed by what Margaret had said. Thanks for kindness and
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Speaker 1: apologies for failure in good manners, but Missus Thornton replied,
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Speaker 1: miss Hale, I am glad you do me justice. I
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Speaker 1: did no more than I believed to be my duty
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Speaker 1: in remonstrating with you as I did. I've always desired
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Speaker 1: to act the part of a friend to you. I
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Speaker 1: am glad you do me justice, and said Margaret, blushing
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Speaker 1: excessively as she spoke. Will you do me justice and
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Speaker 1: believe that though I cannot, I do not choose to
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Speaker 1: give explanations of my conduct. I have not acted in
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Speaker 1: the unbecoming way you apprehended. Margaret's voice was so soft
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Speaker 1: and her eyes so pleading that Missus Thornton was for
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Speaker 1: once affected by the charm of manner to which she
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Speaker 1: had hitherto proved herself invulnerable. Yes, I do believe you.
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Speaker 1: Let us say no more about it. Where are you
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Speaker 1: going to reside? Miss Hale? I understood from mister Bell
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Speaker 1: that you were going to leave Milton. You never liked Milton,
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Speaker 1: you know, said Missus Thornton, with a sort of grim smile.
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Speaker 1: But for all that, you must not expect me to
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Speaker 1: congratulate you on quitting it. Where shall you live with
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Speaker 1: my aunt? Replied Margaret, turning towards Missus Shaw. My niece
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Speaker 1: will reside with me in Harley Street. She is almost
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Speaker 1: like a daughter to me, said Missus Shaw, looking fondly
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Speaker 1: at Margaret. And I am glad to acknowledge my own
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Speaker 1: obligation for any kindness that has been shown to her.
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Speaker 1: If you and your husband ever come to town, my
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Speaker 1: son and daughter, Captain and Missus Lennox, will I am
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Speaker 1: sure join with me in wishing to do anything in
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Speaker 1: our power to show you attention. Missus Thornton thought in
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Speaker 1: her own mind that Margaret had not taken much care
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Speaker 1: to enlighten her aunt as to the relationship between the
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Speaker 1: mister and Missus Thornton, towards whom the fine lady was
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Speaker 1: extending her soft patronage, so she answered shortly, my husband
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Speaker 1: is dead. Mister Thornton is my son. I never go
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Speaker 1: to London, so I am not likely to be able
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Speaker 1: to avail myself of your polite offers. At this instant,
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Speaker 1: mister Thornton entered the room. He had only just returned
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Speaker 1: from Oxford. His morning suit. Spoke of the reason that
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Speaker 1: had called him there. John said his mother. This lady
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Speaker 1: is Missus Shaw, miss Hale's aunt. I am sorry to
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Speaker 1: say that Miss Hale's call is to wish us good bye.
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Speaker 1: You are going, then, said he, in a low voice. Yes,
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Speaker 1: said Margaret. We leave tomorrow. My son in law comes
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Speaker 1: this evening to escort us, said Missus Shaw. Mister Thornton
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Speaker 1: turned away. He had not sat down, and now he
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Speaker 1: seemed to be examining something on the table, almost as
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Speaker 1: if he had discovered an unopened letter which had made
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Speaker 1: him forget the present company. He did not even seem
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Speaker 1: to be aware when they got up to take leave.
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Speaker 1: He started forwards, however, to hand missus Shaw down to
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Speaker 1: the carriage. As it drove up. He and Margaret stood
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Speaker 1: close together on the doorstep, and it was impossible but
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Speaker 1: that the recollection of the day of the riot should
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Speaker 1: force itself into both their minds. Into his, it came
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Speaker 1: associated with the speeches of the following day, her passionate
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Speaker 1: declaration that there was not a man in all that
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Speaker 1: violent and desperate crowd for whom she did not care
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Speaker 1: as much as for him. And at the remembrance of
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Speaker 1: her taunting words, his brow grew stern, though his heart
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Speaker 1: beat thick with longing love. No said he, I put
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Speaker 1: it to the touch once and I lost it all.
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Speaker 1: Let her go, with her stony heart and her beauty,
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Speaker 1: How set and terrible her look is now, for all
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Speaker 1: her loveliness of feature, she is afraid I shall speak
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Speaker 1: what will require some stern repression. Let her go, Beauty
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Speaker 1: and heiress as she may be, she will find it
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Speaker 1: hard to meet with a truer heart than mine. Let
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Speaker 1: her go. And there was no tone of regret or
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Speaker 1: emotion of any kind in the voice with which he
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Speaker 1: said good bye. And the offered hand was taken with
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Speaker 1: a resolute calmness, and dropped as carelessly as if it
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Speaker 1: had been a dead and withered flower. But none in
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Speaker 1: his household saw mister Thornton again that day. He was
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Speaker 1: busily engaged, or so he said. Margaret's strength was so
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Speaker 1: utterly exhausted by these visits that she had to submit
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Speaker 1: to much watching and petting and sighing. I told you
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Speaker 1: sos from her aunt. Dixon said. She was quite as
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Speaker 1: bad as she had been on the first day she
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Speaker 1: heard of her father's death, and she and missus Shaw
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Speaker 1: consulted as to the desirableness of delaying the morrow's journey.
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Speaker 1: But when her aunt reluctantly proposed a few days delay
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Speaker 1: to Margaret, the latter writhed her body as if in
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Speaker 1: acute suffering, and said, oh, let us go. I cannot
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Speaker 1: be patient here. I shall not get well here. I
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Speaker 1: want to forget. So the arrangements went on, and Captain
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Speaker 1: Lennox came and with him news of Edith and the
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Speaker 1: little boy. And Margaret found that the indifferent, careless conversation
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Speaker 1: of one who, however kind, was not too warm and
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Speaker 1: anxious a sympathizer did her good. She roused up, and
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Speaker 1: by the time that she knew she might expect Higgins,
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Speaker 1: she was able to leave the room quietly and await
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Speaker 1: in her own chamber the expected summons. Eh said he
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Speaker 1: as she came in to think of the old gentleman
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Speaker 1: droppin off as he did. Ye might have knocked me
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Speaker 1: down with a straw when they tailed me, Mister Hale said,
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Speaker 1: I him as was the parson, Aye said. They then said,
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Speaker 1: I there's as good a man gone as ever lived
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Speaker 1: on this earth. Let who will be t'other? And I
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Speaker 1: came to see ye and tell ye how grieved I were,
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Speaker 1: But them women in the kitchen wouldn't tell ye I
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Speaker 1: were there. Er. They said, yo were ill, an butter me,
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Speaker 1: But yo dunnot look like the same wench an. You're
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Speaker 1: goin to be a grand lady. I've been lunnin, Aren't
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Speaker 1: ye not a grand lady? Said Margaret, half smiling. Well
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Speaker 1: Thornton said, says he a day or two ago, Higgins,
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Speaker 1: Have yo seen miss Hale? No, says I. There's a
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Speaker 1: peck o woman who won't let me at her, But
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Speaker 1: I can bide my time if she's ill. She and
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Speaker 1: I knows each other pretty well, and Wo'll not go
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Speaker 1: doubtin that I'm main sorry for the old gentleman's death
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Speaker 1: just because I can't get at her and tell her so,
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Speaker 1: And says he, ye'll not have much time for to
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Speaker 1: try and see her, my fine chap. She's not for
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Speaker 1: saying with us a day longer, nor she can help.
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Speaker 1: She's got grand relations an they're carrying her off, and
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Speaker 1: we sha'n't see her no more. Measter said I. If
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Speaker 1: I dunnot see her afore who goes? I'll strive to
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Speaker 1: get up to lunnin next Whitsun's tide that I ill.
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Speaker 1: I'll not be balked of saying her goodbye by any
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Speaker 1: relations what's endeavor? But bless Yo, I knowed you'd come.
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Speaker 1: It were only for to humor the Measter. I let
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Speaker 1: on as if I thought, YO mappen leave Milton without
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Speaker 1: seeing me. You're quite right, said Margaret. You only do
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Speaker 1: me justice, and Yo'll not forget me. I'm sure if
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Speaker 1: no one else in Milton remembers me, I'm certain you will.
20:27
Speaker 1: And Papa too. You know how good and tender he was. Look, Higgins,
20:33
Speaker 1: here is his bible. I have kept it for you.
20:37
Speaker 1: I can ill spare it, but I know he would
20:39
Speaker 1: have liked you to have it. I'm sure you'll care
20:42
Speaker 1: for it and study what's in it for his sake.
20:47
Speaker 1: YO may say that if it were the deuce's own
20:50
Speaker 1: scribble an ye axed me to read in it for
20:52
Speaker 1: yer sake, and the old gentleman's I'd do it. What's this, wench,
20:58
Speaker 1: I'm not goin for to take yer brass, so dunnot
21:01
Speaker 1: think it. We've been great friends about the sound O
21:04
Speaker 1: money passin between us for the children, for Boucher's children,
21:10
Speaker 1: said Margaret hurriedly. They may need it, you've no right
21:15
Speaker 1: to refuse it for them. I would not give you
21:18
Speaker 1: a penny, she said, smiling. Don't think there's any of
21:21
Speaker 1: it for you? Well, Wench, I ken Nobbot say bless
21:28
Speaker 1: yo and bless yo and amen. End of Chapter forty three.