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025 - Frederick · North and South

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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. North and South by Elizabeth Claycorn Gaskell,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty five. Frederick Revenge may have her own roused
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  Speaker 1: discipline aloud proclaims their cause, and injured navies urge their
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  Speaker 1: broken laws Byron. Margaret began to wonder whether all offers
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  Speaker 1: were as unexpected beforehand as distressing at the time of
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  Speaker 1: their occurrence as the two she had had. An involuntary
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  Speaker 1: comparison between mister Lennox and mister Thornton arose in her mind.
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  Speaker 1: She had been sorry that an expression of any other
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  Speaker 1: feeling than friendship had been lured out by circumstances from
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  Speaker 1: Henry Lennox. That regret was the predominant feeling. On the
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  Speaker 1: first occasion of her receiving a proposal, she had not
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  Speaker 1: felt so stunned, so impressed as she did now when
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  Speaker 1: echoes of mister Thornton's voice yet lingered about the room.
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  Speaker 1: In mister Lennox's case, he seemed for a moment to
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  Speaker 1: have slid over the boundary between friendship and love, and
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  Speaker 1: the instant afterwards to regret it nearly as much as
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  Speaker 1: she did, although for different reasons in mister Thornton's case.
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  Speaker 1: As far as Margaret knew, there was no intervening stage
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  Speaker 1: of friendship. Their intercourse had been one continued series of opposition.
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  Speaker 1: Their opinions clashed, and indeed she had never perceived that
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  Speaker 1: he had cared for her opinions as belonging to her
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  Speaker 1: the individual. As far as they defied his rock like
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  Speaker 1: power of character, his passion strength, he seemed to throw
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  Speaker 1: them off from him with contempt, until she felt the
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  Speaker 1: weariness of the exertion of making useless protests. And now
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  Speaker 1: he had come, in the strange, wild passionate way to
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  Speaker 1: make known his love for Although at first it had
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  Speaker 1: struck her that his offer was forced and goaded out
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  Speaker 1: of him by sharp compassion for the exposure she had
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  Speaker 1: made of herself, which he, like others, might misunderstand. Yet
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  Speaker 1: even before he left the room, and certainly not five
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  Speaker 1: minutes after, the clear conviction dawned upon her, shined bright
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  Speaker 1: upon her that he did love her, that he had
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  Speaker 1: loved her, that he would love her, And she shrank
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  Speaker 1: and shuddered as under the fascination of some great power
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  Speaker 1: repugnant to her whole previous life. She crept away and
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  Speaker 1: hid from his idea, But it was of no use
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  Speaker 1: to parody a line out of Fairfax's Tosso his strong
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  Speaker 1: idea wandered through her thought. She disliked him the more
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  Speaker 1: for having mastered her inner will. How dared he say
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  Speaker 1: that he would love her still? Even though she shook
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  Speaker 1: him off with contempt, She wished she had spoken more stronger. Sharp,
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  Speaker 1: decisive speeches came thronging into her mind now that it
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  Speaker 1: was too late to utter them. The deep impression made
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  Speaker 1: by the interview was like that of a horror in
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  Speaker 1: a dream that will not leave the room, although we
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  Speaker 1: waken up and rub our eyes and force a stiff,
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  Speaker 1: rigid smile upon our lips. It is there there, cowering
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  Speaker 1: and gibbering with fixed, ghastly eyes, in some corner of
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  Speaker 1: the chamber, listening to hear whether we dare to breathe
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  Speaker 1: of its presence to any one? And we dare not,
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  Speaker 1: poor cowards that we are. And so she shuddered away
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  Speaker 1: from the threat of his enduring love. What did he mean?
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  Speaker 1: Had she not the power to daunt him, she would
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  Speaker 1: see it was more daring than became a man to
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  Speaker 1: threaten her, so did he ground it upon the miserable yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: If need were, she would do the same to morrow
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  Speaker 1: by a crippled beggar, unwillingly and gladly. But by him
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  Speaker 1: she would do it just as bravely. In spite of
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  Speaker 1: his deductions and the cold slime of women's impertinence. She
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  Speaker 1: did it because it was right and simple and true
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  Speaker 1: to save where she could save, even to try to
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  Speaker 1: save fasee Keirtora at viennequiparas hitherto she had not stirred
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  Speaker 1: from where he left her. No outward circumstances had roused
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  Speaker 1: her out of the trance of thought in which she
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  Speaker 1: had been plunged by his last words and by the
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  Speaker 1: look of his deep intent passionate eyes, as their flames
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  Speaker 1: had made her own fall before them. She went to
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  Speaker 1: the window and threw it open to dispel the oppression
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  Speaker 1: which hung around her. Then she went and opened the
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  Speaker 1: door with a sort of impetuous wish to shake off
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  Speaker 1: the recollection of the past hour in the company of
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  Speaker 1: others or in active exertion. But all was profoundly ushed
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  Speaker 1: in the noonday stillness of a house where an invalid
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  Speaker 1: catches the unrefreshing sleep that is denied to the night hours.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret would not be alone. What should she do? Go
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  Speaker 1: and see Bessy Higgins, of course, thought she, as the
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  Speaker 1: recollection of the message sent the night before flashed into
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  Speaker 1: her mind, and away she went. When she got there,
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  Speaker 1: she found Bessy lying on the settle, moved close to
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  Speaker 1: the fire. Though the day was sultry and oppressive, she
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  Speaker 1: was laid down quite flat, as if resting languidly after
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  Speaker 1: some paroxysm of pain. Margaret felt sure she ought to
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  Speaker 1: have the greater freedom of breathing which a more sitting
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  Speaker 1: posture would procure, and without a word, she raised her
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  Speaker 1: up and so arranged the pillows that Bessy was more
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  Speaker 1: at ease, though very languid. I thought I shouldn'a has
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  Speaker 1: seen ya again, said she at last, looking wistfully in
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  Speaker 1: Margaret's face. I'm afraid you're much worse. But I could
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  Speaker 1: not have come yesterday. My mother was so ill for
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  Speaker 1: many reasons, said Margaret, coloring it may happen. Think I
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  Speaker 1: went beyond my place and sending Mary for you. But
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  Speaker 1: the wrangling and the loud voices had just torn me
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  Speaker 1: to pieces. And I thought, when father left, Oh, if
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  Speaker 1: I could just hear her voice reading me some words
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  Speaker 1: of peace and promise, I could die away into the
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  Speaker 1: silence and rest to God, just as a babby is
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  Speaker 1: hushed up to sleep by its mother's lullaby. Shall I
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  Speaker 1: read you a chapter? Now? I do, mayhap, And I
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  Speaker 1: sha'n't listen to the sense At first it will seem
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  Speaker 1: far away, But when you come to the words I like,
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  Speaker 1: to the comforting texts, it'll seem close in my ear
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  Speaker 1: and going through me as it were. Margaret began bessy,
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  Speaker 1: tossed to and fro if by an effort she attended.
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  Speaker 1: For one moment it seemed as though she were convulsed
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  Speaker 1: into double restlessness the next. At last she burst out, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: don't go on reading. It's no use. I'm blaspheming all
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  Speaker 1: the time in my mind, with thinking angrily on what
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  Speaker 1: cannot be helped. Your dare of the riot may happen
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  Speaker 1: yesterday at Marlborough Mills Thornton's factory. You know your father
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  Speaker 1: was not there, was he asked Margaret, coloring deep. Not
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  Speaker 1: he he'd given his right hand if it had never
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  Speaker 1: come to pass. It's that that's fretting me. He's fairly
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  Speaker 1: knocked down in his mind by it. It's no use
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  Speaker 1: telling him. Fools will always break out of bounds. You
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  Speaker 1: never saw a man so downarted as he is. But why,
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  Speaker 1: asked Margaret. I don't understand why. You see, he's a
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  Speaker 1: committee man on this special strike. The union appointed him
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  Speaker 1: because though I say it as shouldn't say it, he's reckoned,
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  Speaker 1: a deep chap and true to the backborne. And he
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  Speaker 1: until the committee men laid their plans, they would to
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  Speaker 1: hold together through thick and thin. What the major part thought,
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  Speaker 1: ch others were to think whether they would or no.
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  Speaker 1: And above all there was to be no going again.
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  Speaker 1: The law of the land. Folk would go with them
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  Speaker 1: if they saw them striving and starving with dumb patience.
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  Speaker 1: But if there was once any noise of fighting and struggling,
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  Speaker 1: even with knobsticks, all was up. As they knew by
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  Speaker 1: the experience of many and many a time before, they
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  Speaker 1: would try and get speech of the knobsticks and cork
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  Speaker 1: them and reason with them, and may happen warn them off.
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  Speaker 1: But whatever came, the committee charged all members of the
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  Speaker 1: union to lie down and die if need were, without
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  Speaker 1: striking a blow, and then they reckoned. They were sure
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  Speaker 1: a carry in the public with them. And besides all
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  Speaker 1: that committee knew they were the right in their demand,
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  Speaker 1: and they didn't to have right or mixed up with
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  Speaker 1: wrong till foot can't separate it no more can I
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  Speaker 1: the physic power from the jelly you gave me to
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  Speaker 1: mix it in. Jelly is much the biggest, but powder
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  Speaker 1: tastes it all through. Well, I've told you at length
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  Speaker 1: about listen, but I'm tired out. You just think for
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  Speaker 1: yourself what it must be for Father to have his
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  Speaker 1: work undone, and by such a fool as Boucher, who
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  Speaker 1: must needs go right again the orders of the committee
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  Speaker 1: and ruin the strike just as bad as if he
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  Speaker 1: meant to be a judas. Eh. But Father'd given him
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  Speaker 1: last night. He went so far as to say he'd
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  Speaker 1: go and tell the police where they might find the
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  Speaker 1: ring leader or the riot. He'd give him up to
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  Speaker 1: the mill owners to do what they would with him.
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  Speaker 1: You'd sure the world that the real leaders of the
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  Speaker 1: strike were not such as Boucher, but steady, thoughtful men,
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  Speaker 1: good hands, and good citizens who were friendly to law.
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  Speaker 1: And judge mint and would uphold order who only wanted
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  Speaker 1: their right wage and wouldn't work even though they starved
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  Speaker 1: till they got them. But who would ne'er enter property
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  Speaker 1: your life for dropping her voice? They do say that
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  Speaker 1: Boucher threw a stone at Thoughton's sister, that welly killed her.
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  Speaker 1: That's not true, said Margaret. It was not Boucher that
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  Speaker 1: threw the stone. She went first red, then white. You'd
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  Speaker 1: be there then, were yer, asked Bessie languidly. For indeed
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  Speaker 1: she had spoken with many pauses, as if speech were
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  Speaker 1: unusually difficult to her. Yes, never mind, go on, only
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  Speaker 1: it was not Boucher that threw the stone. But what
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  Speaker 1: did he answer to your father? He did not speak words.
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  Speaker 1: He were all in such a tremble with spent passion,
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  Speaker 1: and could not bear to look at him. I heard
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  Speaker 1: his breath coming quick, and one time I thought he
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  Speaker 1: were sopping. But when Father said he'd give him up
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  Speaker 1: to the police, he gave a great cry and struck
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  Speaker 1: Father on the face with his closed fist, and be
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  Speaker 1: off like lightning. Father was stunned with the blow at first.
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  Speaker 1: For all Boucher were weak with passion and with clemming.
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  Speaker 1: It sat down a bit and put his hands afore
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  Speaker 1: his eyes, and then made for the door. I don't
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  Speaker 1: know where I'd got the strength, but I threw myself
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  Speaker 1: off the settle and clung to him. Father. Father said,
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  Speaker 1: I Thou'll never go pitch on that poor clemmed man.
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  Speaker 1: I'll never leave go on thee till thou sayest thou
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  Speaker 1: walt nott. Donnot be a fool, says he. Words come
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  Speaker 1: readier than deeds to most men. I never thought to
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  Speaker 1: telling the police on him, though by God he deserves it,
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  Speaker 1: and I shouldn't have minded if someone else had done
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  Speaker 1: the dirty work and got him clapped up. But now
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  Speaker 1: he's strucken me. I could do it less, nor for
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  Speaker 1: it would be getting other men to take up my quarrel.
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  Speaker 1: But if ever he gets well all this clemming and
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  Speaker 1: is in good condition, he and I'll have an up
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  Speaker 1: and down fight purring an hour, and I'll see what
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  Speaker 1: I can do for him. And so Father shook me off,
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  Speaker 1: for indeed I was low and faint enough, and his
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  Speaker 1: face was all clay white where it warn't bloody, and
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  Speaker 1: turned me sick to look at. And I know not
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  Speaker 1: if I slept or waked, or were in a dead
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  Speaker 1: swoon till Mary come in and I tell her to
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  Speaker 1: fetch your to me, And how dunnot talk to me?
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  Speaker 1: Just read out the chapter. I'm easier in my mind
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  Speaker 1: for having spit it out, but I want some thoughts
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  Speaker 1: of the world that's far away, to take the weary
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  Speaker 1: taste of it out of my mouth. Read me not
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  Speaker 1: a sermon chapter, but a story chapter. They've pictures in
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  Speaker 1: them which I see when my eyes are shut. Read
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  Speaker 1: about the new heavens and the new Earth, and may
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  Speaker 1: upanel forget this, Margaret read in her soft, low voice.
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  Speaker 1: Though Bessy's eyes were shut, she was listening for some time,
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  Speaker 1: for the moisture of tears gathered heavy on her eyelashes.
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  Speaker 1: At last she slept, with many starts and muttered pleadings.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret covered her up and left her, for she had
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  Speaker 1: an uneasy consciousness that she might be wanted at home,
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  Speaker 1: and yet until now it seemed cruel to leave the
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  Speaker 1: dying girl. Missus Hale was in the drawing room on
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  Speaker 1: her daughter's return. It was one of her better days,
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  Speaker 1: and she was full of praises of the water bed.
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  Speaker 1: It had been more like the beds at Sir John
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  Speaker 1: Beresford's than anything she had slept on, since she did
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  Speaker 1: not know how it was, but people seemed to have
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  Speaker 1: lost the art of making the same kind of beds
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  Speaker 1: as they used to do in her youth. One would
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  Speaker 1: think it was easy enough. There was the same kind
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  Speaker 1: of feathers to be had, and yet somehow, till this
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  Speaker 1: last night she did not know when she had had
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  Speaker 1: a good, sound, resting sleep. Mister Hale suggested that something
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  Speaker 1: of the merits of the feather beds of former days
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  Speaker 1: might be attributed to the activity of youth, which gave
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  Speaker 1: a relish to rest, but this idea was not kindly
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  Speaker 1: received by his wife. Oh, indeed, mister Hale, it was
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  Speaker 1: those beds at Sir John's. Now, Margaret, you're young enough
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  Speaker 1: and go about in the day other beds comfortable, I
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  Speaker 1: appeal to you. Do they give you a feeling of
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  Speaker 1: perfect repose when you lie down upon them? Or rather,
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  Speaker 1: don't you toss about and try in vain to find
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  Speaker 1: an easy position and waken in the morning as tired
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  Speaker 1: as when you went to bed. Margaret laughed, to tell
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  Speaker 1: the truth, Mamma, I have never thought of about my
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  Speaker 1: bed at all? What kind it is? I'm so sleepy
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  Speaker 1: at night that if I only lie down anywhere, I
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  Speaker 1: nap off to so I don't think I am a
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  Speaker 1: competent witness. But then you know I never had the
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  Speaker 1: opportunity of trying Sir John Beresford's beds. I never was
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  Speaker 1: at Oxenham, were not you? Oh? No, to be sure.
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  Speaker 1: It was poor darling Fred I took with me. I
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  Speaker 1: remember I only went to Oxenham once after I was
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  Speaker 1: married to your aunt Shaw's wedding, and poor little Fred
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  Speaker 1: was the baby then, And I know Dixon did not
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  Speaker 1: like changing from lady's maid to nurse, and I was
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  Speaker 1: afraid that ever I took her near her old home
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  Speaker 1: and amongst her own people, she might want to leave me.
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  Speaker 1: Poor baby was taken ill at Oxenham, with his teething,
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  Speaker 1: and what with my being a great deal with Anna
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  Speaker 1: just before her marriage, and not being very strong myself,
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  Speaker 1: Dixon had more of the charge of him than she
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  Speaker 1: ever had before, and it made her so fond of him,
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  Speaker 1: and she was so proud when he would turn away
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  Speaker 1: from every one and cling to her that I don't
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  Speaker 1: believe she ever thought of leaving me again. Though it
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  Speaker 1: was very different from what she had been accustomed to.
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  Speaker 1: Poor Fred, every pretty loved him. He was born with
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  Speaker 1: a gift of winning hearts. Makes me think very badly
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  Speaker 1: of Captain Reid. When I know he disliked my own,
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  Speaker 1: dear boy, I think it a certain proof he had
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  Speaker 1: a bad heart. Ah, your poor father, Margaret, he has
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  Speaker 1: left the room. He can't bear to hear Fred spoken of.
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  Speaker 1: I love to hear of him. Mamma, tell me all
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  Speaker 1: you like. You never can tell me too much. Tell
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  Speaker 1: me what he was like as a baby. Why, Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: he must not be hurt. But he was much prettier
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  Speaker 1: than you were. I remember when I first saw you
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  Speaker 1: in Dixon's arms. I said, Dear, what an ugly little thing,
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  Speaker 1: And she said, it's not every child that's like Master Fred.
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  Speaker 1: Bless him, dear, how well I remember it. Then I
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  Speaker 1: could have had Fred in my arms every minute of
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  Speaker 1: the day, and his cot was close by my bed.
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  Speaker 1: And now now, Margaret, I don't know where my boy is,
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  Speaker 1: and sometimes I think I shall never see him again.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret sat down by her mother's sofa on a little
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  Speaker 1: stool and softly took hold of her hand, caressing it
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  Speaker 1: and kissing it as if to comfort missus. Hale cried
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  Speaker 1: without restraint. At last, she sat straight, stiff up on
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  Speaker 1: the sofa, and turning round to her daughter, she said,
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  Speaker 1: with tearful, almost solemn earnestness, Margaret, if I can get better,
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  Speaker 1: if God gives me a chance of recovery, it must
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  Speaker 1: be through seeing my son Frederick once more. It will
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  Speaker 1: waken up all the poor springs of health left in me.
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: She paused and seemed to try and gather strength for
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  Speaker 1: something more yet to be said. Her voice was choked
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  Speaker 1: as she went on, was quavering, as with the contemplation
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  Speaker 1: of some strange yet closely present idea. And Margaret, if
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  Speaker 1: I am to die, if I am one of those
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  Speaker 1: appointed to die before many weeks are over, I must
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  Speaker 1: see my child first. I cannot think how it must
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  Speaker 1: be managed. But I charge you, Margaret, as you yourself
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  Speaker 1: hope for comfort in your last illness, bring him to me,
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  Speaker 1: that I may bless him only for five minutes. Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: there could be no danger in five minutes, Oh Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: let me see him before I die. Margaret did not
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  Speaker 1: think of anything that might be utterly unreasonable in this speech.
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  Speaker 1: We do not look for reason or logic in the
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  Speaker 1: passionate entreaties of those who are sick unto death. We
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  Speaker 1: are stung with the recollection of a thousand slighted opportunities
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  Speaker 1: of fulfilling the wishes of those who will soon pass
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  Speaker 1: away from among us. And do they ask us for
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  Speaker 1: the future happiness of our lives. We lay it at
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  Speaker 1: their feet and will it away from us. But this
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  Speaker 1: wish of missus Hale's was so natural, so just so
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  Speaker 1: right to both parties, that Margaret felt as if on
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  Speaker 1: Frederick's account as well as on her mother's, she ought
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  Speaker 1: to overlook all intermediate chances of danger and pledge herself
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  Speaker 1: to do everything in her power for its realization. The large, pleading,
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  Speaker 1: dilated eyes were fixed upon her, wistfully steady in their gaze,
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  Speaker 1: though the poor white lips quivered like those of a child.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret gently rose up and stood opposite to her frail mother,
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  Speaker 1: so that she might gather the secure fulfillment of her
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  Speaker 1: wish from the calm steadiness of her daughter's face. Mamma,
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  Speaker 1: I will write to night and tell Frederick what you say.
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  Speaker 1: I am as sure that he will come directly to us,
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  Speaker 1: as I am sure of my life be easy, mamma.
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  Speaker 1: You shall see him as far as anything earthly can
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  Speaker 1: be promised. You will write to night, Oh Margaret. The
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  Speaker 1: post goes out at five, you will write by it,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: won't you. I have so few hours left. I feel dear,
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: as if I should not recover. Though sometimes your father
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: over persuades me into hoping. You will write directly. Won't
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: you don't lose a single post, for just by that
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: very post I may miss him. But Mamma, Papa is out.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: Papa is out. And what then, do you mean that
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: he would deny me this last wish? Margaret? Why I
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: should not be ill, be dying if if he had
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: not taken me away from Helstone to this unhealthy, smoky,
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: suddenless place. Oh Mamma, said Margaret. Yes, it is so.
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: Indeed he knows it himself. He has said so many
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: a time he would do anything for me. You don't
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: mean he will refuse me this last wish? Prayer? If
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: you will? And indeed, Margaret, the longing to see Frederick
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: stands between me and God. I cannot pray till I
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: have this one thing. Indeed, I cannot don't lose time.
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: Dear Margaret, write by this very next post. Then he
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: may be here here in twenty two days. For he
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: is sure to come. No cords or chains can keep him.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: In twenty two days, I shall see my boy. She
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: fell back, and for a short time she took no
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: notice of the fact that Margaret sat motionless, her hand
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: shading her eyes. You are not writing, said her mother.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: At last, bring me some pens and paper. I will
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: try and write myself. She sat up, trembling all over
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: with feverish eagerness. Margaret took her hand down and looked
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: at her mother sadly. Only wait till Papa comes in.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: Let us ask him how best to do it? You promised, Margaret,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: not a quarter of an hour ago you said he
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: should come, and so he shall. Mamma, don't cry my
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: own dear mother. I'll write here now you shall see
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: me write, and it shall go by this very post.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: And if Papa thinks fit, he can write again when
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: he comes in. Tis only a day's delay. Oh, mamma,
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: don't cry so pitifully cuts me to the heart. Missus
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: Hale could not stop her tears. They came hysterically, and
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: in truth she made no effort to control them, but
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: rather called up all the pictures of the happy past
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: and the probable future, painting the scene when she should
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: lie a corpse, with the son she had longed to
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: see in life weeping over her, and she unconscious of
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: his presence, till she was melted by self pity into
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: a state of sobbing and exhaustion that mad and Margaret's
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: heart ache. But at last she was calm and greedily
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: watched her daughter as she began her letter, wrote it
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: with swift, urgent entreaty, sealed it up hurriedly for fear
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: her mother should ask to see it, and then, to
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: make security most sure, and missus Hale's own bidding, took
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: it herself to the post office. She was coming home
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: when her father overtook her. And where have you been,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: my pretty maid? Asked he to the post office with
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: a letter, A letter to Frederick. Oh, Papa, Perhaps I
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: have done wrong, But Mamma was seized with such a
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: passionate yearning to see him. She said it would make
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: her well again, and then she said that she must
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: see him before she died. I cannot tell you how
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: urgent she was. Did I do wrong? Mister Hale did
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: not reply at first, then he said, you should have
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: waited till I came in. Margaret. I tried to persuade her,
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: and then she was silent. I don't know, said mister Hale,
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: after a pause. She ought to see him if she
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: wishes it so much, for I believe it would do
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: her much more good than all the doctor's medicine, and
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: perhaps set her up altogether. But the danger to him,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: I'm afraid, is very great all these years since the mutiny. Papa. Yes,
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: it is necessary, of course for government to take very
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: stringent measures for the repression of offenses against authority, more
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: particularly in the navy, where a commanding officer needs to
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: be surrounded in his men's eyes with a vivid consciousness
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: of all the power there is at home to back
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: him and take up his cause and avenge any injuries
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: offered to him if need be. Ah, it's no matter
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: to them how far their authorities have tyrannized god hasty
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: tempers to madness, or if that can be any excuse afterwards,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: tis never allowed, For in the first instance, they spare
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: no expense, They send out ships, they scour the seas
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: to lay hold of the offenders. The lapse of years
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: does not wash out the memory of the offense. It
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: is a fresh and vivid crime on the Admiralty books,
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: till it is blotted out by blood. Oh, Papa, what
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: have I done? And yet it seems so right at
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: the time. I'm sure Frederick himself would run the risk,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: so he would, so he should. Nay, Margaret, I'm glad
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: it is done, though I durst not have done it myself.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: I am thankful it is as it is. I should
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: have hesitated till perhaps it might have been too late
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: to do any good. Dear Margaret, you have done what
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: is right about it, and the end is beyond our control.
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: It was all very well, but her father's account of
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: the relentless manner in which mutinies were punished made Margaret
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: shiver and creep. If she had decoyed her brother home
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: to blot out the memory of his error by his blood,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: she saw her father's anxiety lay deeper than the source
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: of his latter cheering words. She took his arm and
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: walked home, pensively and wearily by his side. End of
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty five