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021 - Mrs Gibson's Visitors · Wives and Daughters

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Speaker 1: Chapter twenty of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter twenty Missus
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Speaker 1: Gibson's Visitors. One day, to Molly's infinite surprise, mister Preston
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Speaker 1: was announced as a caller. Missus Gibson and she were
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Speaker 1: sitting together in the drawing room. Cynthia was out gone
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Speaker 1: into the town of shopping when the door was opened,
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Speaker 1: the name given, and in walked the young man. His
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Speaker 1: entrance seemed to cause more confusion than Molly could well
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Speaker 1: account for. He came in with the same air of
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Speaker 1: easy assurance with which he had received her and her
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Speaker 1: father at Ashcombe Manor House. He looked remarkably handsome in
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Speaker 1: his riding dress and with the open air exercise he
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Speaker 1: had just had. But Missus Gibson's smooth brows contracted a
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Speaker 1: little at the sight of him, and her reception of
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Speaker 1: him was much cooler than that which she usually gave
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Speaker 1: to visitors. Yet there was a degree of agitation in
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Speaker 1: it which surprised Molly a little. Missus Gibson was at
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Speaker 1: her everlasting worsted work frame when mister Preston entered the room,
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Speaker 1: but somehow in rising to receive him. She threw down
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Speaker 1: her basket of cruels, and declining Molly's offer to help her,
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Speaker 1: she would pick up all the reels herself. Before she
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Speaker 1: asked her visitor to sit down. He stood there hat
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Speaker 1: in hand, affecting an interest in the recovery of the worsted,
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Speaker 1: which Molly was sure he did not feel. For all
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Speaker 1: the time his eyes were glancing around the room and
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Speaker 1: taking note of the details in the arrangement. At length,
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Speaker 1: they were seated and conversation began.
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Speaker 2: It is the first time I have been in Hollingford
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Speaker 2: since your marriage, Missus Gibson or I should certainly have
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Speaker 2: called to pay my respect sooner.
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Speaker 3: I know you are very busy at Ashcombe. I did
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Speaker 3: not expect you to call is Lord Cumnor at the Towers.
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Speaker 3: I had not heard from her Ladyship for more than
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Speaker 3: a week.
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Speaker 2: No, he seemed still detained at Bath. But I had
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Speaker 2: a letter from him giving me certain messages for mister Sheepshanks.
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Speaker 2: Mister Gibson is not at her, I'm afraid.
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Speaker 3: No, he is a great deal out almost constantly. I
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Speaker 3: may say, I had no idea that I should see
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Speaker 3: so little of him. A doctor's wife leads a very
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Speaker 3: solitary life. Mister Preston, you.
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Speaker 2: Can hardly call it solitary, I should think when you
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Speaker 2: have such a companion as miss Gibson always at hand.
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Speaker 1: Said he bowing to Molly.
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Speaker 3: Oh but I call it solitude for a wife when
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Speaker 3: her husband is away. Poor mister Kirkpatrick was never happy
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Speaker 3: unless I always went with him all his walks, all
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Speaker 3: his visits. He liked me to be with him. But
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Speaker 3: somehow mister Gibson feels as if I should be rather
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Speaker 3: in his way.
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Speaker 4: I don't think you could write pillun behind him on
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Speaker 4: black Bess, Mamma, said Molly. And unless you could do that,
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Speaker 4: you could hardly go with him in his rounds, up
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Speaker 4: and down all the rough lanes.
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Speaker 3: Oh but he might keep a broom, I've often said so,
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Speaker 3: and then I could use it for visiting in the evenings.
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Speaker 3: Really it was one reason why I didn't go up
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Speaker 3: to the Hollingford charity ball. I couldn't bring myself to
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Speaker 3: use the dirty fly from the George. We really must
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Speaker 3: stir Papa up against next winter, Molly, it will never
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Speaker 3: do for you.
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Speaker 1: And she pulled herself up suddenly and looked furtively at
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Speaker 1: mister Preston to see if he had taken any notice
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Speaker 1: of her abruptness. Of course he had, but he was
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Speaker 1: not going to show it. He turned to Molly and said.
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Speaker 2: Have you ever been to a public ball yet?
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Speaker 1: Miss Gibson, No, said Molly.
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Speaker 2: It will be a great pleasure to you when the
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Speaker 2: time comes.
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Speaker 4: I'm not sure I shall like it if I have
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Speaker 4: plenty of partners. But I'm afraid I sha'n't know many people.
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Speaker 2: And you suppose that young men haven't their own ways
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Speaker 2: and means of being introduced to pretty girls.
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Speaker 1: It was exactly one of the speech as Molly had
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Speaker 1: disliked him for before, and delivered too in that kind
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Speaker 1: of underbred manner which showed that it was meant to
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Speaker 1: convey a personal compliment. Molly took great credit to herself
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Speaker 1: for the unconcerned manner with which she went on with
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Speaker 1: her tatting, exactly as if she had never heard it.
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Speaker 2: I only hope I may be one of your partners
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Speaker 2: at the first ball you go to Pray remember my
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Speaker 2: early application for that honor. When you are overwhelmed with
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Speaker 2: quest for dances, I don't.
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Speaker 4: Choose to engage myself beforehand, said Molly, perceiving from under
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Speaker 4: her dropped eyelids that he was leaning forward and looking
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Speaker 4: at her as though he was determined to have an answer.
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Speaker 2: Young ladies are always very cautious in fact, however modest
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Speaker 2: they may be in profession.
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Speaker 1: He replied, addressing himself in a nonchalant manner to missus Gibson.
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Speaker 2: In spite of Miss Gibson's apprehension of not having many partners,
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Speaker 2: she declines the certainty of having one. I suppose Miss
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Speaker 2: Kirkpatrick will have returned from France before then.
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Speaker 1: He said these last words exactly in the same tone
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Speaker 1: as he had used before, But Molly's instinct told her
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Speaker 1: that he was making an effort to do so. She
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Speaker 1: looked up. He was playing with his hat, almost as
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Speaker 1: if he did not care to have any answer to
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Speaker 1: his question. Yet he was listening acutely and with a
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Speaker 1: half smile on his face. Missus Gibson reddened a little
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Speaker 1: and hesitated.
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Speaker 3: Yes, certainly, my daughter will be with us next winter.
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Speaker 3: I believe, and I dare say she will go out
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Speaker 3: with us.
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Speaker 1: Why can't you say at once that's Cynthia, I say, now,
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Speaker 1: asked Molly of herself. Yet glad that mister Preston's curiosity
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Speaker 1: was baffled. He still smiled, but this time he looked
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Speaker 1: up at Missus Gibson as he asked.
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Speaker 2: You have good news from her?
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Speaker 3: I hope yes, very By the way, how are our
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Speaker 3: old friends the Robinsons. How often I think of their
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Speaker 3: kindness to meet at Ashcombe, dear good people. I wish
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Speaker 3: I could see them again.
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Speaker 2: I will certainly tell them of your kind inquiries. They're
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Speaker 2: very well, I believe.
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Speaker 1: Just at this moment, Molly heard the familiar sound of
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Speaker 1: the click and opening of the front door. She knew
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Speaker 1: it must be Cynthia, and conscious of some mysterious reason
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Speaker 1: which made Missus Gibson wish to conceal her daughter's whereabouts
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Speaker 1: from mister Preston, and maliciously desirous to baffle him, she
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Speaker 1: rose to leave the room and meet Cynthia on the stairs,
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Speaker 1: But one of the lost crawls of worsted had entangled
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Speaker 1: itself in her gown and feet, and before she had
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Speaker 1: freed herself of the encumbrance, Cynthia had opened the drawer
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Speaker 1: room door and stood in it, looking at her mother,
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Speaker 1: at Molly, at mister Preston, but not advancing one step.
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Speaker 1: Her color which had been brilliant the first moment of
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Speaker 1: her entrance faded away as she gazed, but her eyes,
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Speaker 1: her beautiful eyes, usually so soft and grave, seemed to
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Speaker 1: fill with fire, and her brows to contract. As she
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Speaker 1: took the resolution to come forward and take her place
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Speaker 1: among the three, who were all looking at her with
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Speaker 1: different emotions. She moved calmly and slowly forwards. Mister Preston
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Speaker 1: went a step or two to meet her, his hand
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Speaker 1: held out, and the whole expression of his face that
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Speaker 1: of eager delight. But she took no notice of the
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Speaker 1: outstretched hand, nor of the chair that he offered her.
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Speaker 1: She sat down on a little sofa in one of
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Speaker 1: the windows and called Molly to her.
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Speaker 5: Look at my purchasers, said she. This green ribbon was
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Speaker 5: fourteen pence a yard, the silk three shillings.
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Speaker 1: And so she went on, forcing herself to speak about
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Speaker 1: these trifle as if they were all the world to her,
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Speaker 1: and she had no attention to throw away on her
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Speaker 1: mother and her mother's visitor. Mister Preston took his cue
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Speaker 1: from her. He too, talked of the news of the day,
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Speaker 1: the local gossip. But Molly, who glanced up at him
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Speaker 1: from time to time was almost alarmed by the bad
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Speaker 1: expression of suppressed anger, almost amounting to vindictiveness, which entirely
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Speaker 1: marred his handsome looks. She did not wish to look again,
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Speaker 1: and tried rather to back up Cynthia's efforts at maintaining
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Speaker 1: a separate conversation. Yet she could not help overhearing Missus
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Speaker 1: Gibson's strain. After increased civility, as if to make up
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Speaker 1: for Cynthia's rudeness and if possible, to deprecate his anger,
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Speaker 1: she talked perpetually, as though her object were to detain him,
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Speaker 1: whereas previous to Cynthia's return she had allowed frequent pauses
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Speaker 1: in the conversation, as though to give him the opportunity
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Speaker 1: to take his leave. In the course of the conversation
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Speaker 1: between them, the Hamleys came up. Missus Gibson was never
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Speaker 1: unwilling to dwell upon Molly's intimacy with this county family,
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Speaker 1: and when the latter caught the sound of her own name,
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Speaker 1: her stepmother was saying.
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Speaker 3: Poor Missus Hamley could hardly do without Molly. She quite
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Speaker 3: looked upon her as a daughter, especially towards the last,
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Speaker 3: when I am afraid she had a good deal of anxiety,
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Speaker 3: mister Osborne Hamley, I daresay you have heard he did
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Speaker 3: not do so well at college, and they had expected
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Speaker 3: so much. Parents, will you know? But what did it signify?
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Speaker 3: For he had not to earn his living? I call
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Speaker 3: it a very foolish kind of ambition when a young
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Speaker 3: man has not to go into a profession.
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Speaker 2: Well, at any rate, the squire must be satisfied. Now.
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Speaker 2: I saw this morning's Times with the Cambridge examination lists in.
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Speaker 2: It isn't the second son called after his father Roger.
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Speaker 1: Yes, said Molly, starting up and coming nearer.
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Speaker 2: He's senior wrangler.
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Speaker 1: That's all, said mister Preston, almost as though he were
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Speaker 1: vexed with himself for having anything to say that could
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Speaker 1: give her pleasure. Molly went back to her seat by Cynthia,
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Speaker 1: poor missus Hamley said she very softly, as if to herself.
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Speaker 1: Cynthia took her hand in sympathy with Molly's sad and
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Speaker 1: tender look, rather than because she understood all that was
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Speaker 1: passing in her mind, Nor did she quite understand it herself.
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Speaker 4: A death that had come out of time. I wonder
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Speaker 4: whether the dead knew what passed upon the earth. They
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Speaker 4: had left, the brilliant Osborne's failure, Roger's success, the vanity
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Speaker 4: of human wishes.
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Speaker 1: All these thoughts and what they suggested were inextricably mingled
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Speaker 1: up in her mind. She came to herself. In a
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Speaker 1: few minutes, mister Preston was saying all the unpleasant things
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Speaker 1: he could think of about the Hamleys, in a tone
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Speaker 1: of false sympathy.
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Speaker 2: The poor old squire, not the wisest of men, has
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Speaker 2: woefully mismanaged his estate, and Osborne Hamley is too fine
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Speaker 2: a gentleman to understand the means by which to improve
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Speaker 2: the value of the land, even if he had the capital.
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Speaker 2: A man who had practical knowledge of agriculture and some
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Speaker 2: thousands of ready money might bring the rental up to
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Speaker 2: eight thousand or so. Of course, Osborne will try and
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Speaker 2: marry someone with money. The family is old and well established,
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Speaker 2: and he mustn't object to commercial dissent, though I dare
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Speaker 2: say the squire will for him. But then the young
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Speaker 2: fellow himself is not the man for the work. No,
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Speaker 2: the family's going down fast, and it's a pity when
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Speaker 2: these old Saxon houses vanish off the land. But it
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Speaker 2: is kismet with the Hamleys, even the senior wrangler. If
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Speaker 2: it is that Roger Hamley, he will have spent all
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Speaker 2: his brains in one effort. You never hear of a
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Speaker 2: senior wrangler being worth anything. Afterwards, he'll be a fellow
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Speaker 2: of his college. Of course, that will be a livelihood
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Speaker 2: for him at any rate.
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Speaker 1: I believe in senior wranglers, said Cynthia, her clear high
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Speaker 1: voice ringing through the room.
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Speaker 5: And from all I've heard of mister Roger Hamley, I
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Speaker 5: believe he will keep up the distinction he has earned.
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Speaker 5: And I don't believe that the house of Hamley is
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Speaker 5: so near extinction in wealth and fame and good name.
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Speaker 2: They are fortunate in having Miss Kirkpatrick's good word.
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Speaker 1: Said mister Preston, rising to take his leave. Dear Molly,
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Speaker 1: said Cynthia in a whisper.
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Speaker 5: I know nothing about your friends, the Hamleys, except that
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Speaker 5: they are your friends, and what you have told me
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Speaker 5: about them. But I won't have that man speaking of
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Speaker 5: them so and your eyes filling with tears all the time.
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Speaker 5: I'd sooner swear to their having all the talents and
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Speaker 5: good fortune under the sun.
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Speaker 1: The only person of whom Cynthia appeared to be wholesomely
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Speaker 1: afraid was mister Gibson. When he was present, she was
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Speaker 1: more careful in speaking and showed more deference to her mother.
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Speaker 1: Her evident respect for him and desire to win his
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Speaker 1: good opinion made her curb herself before him, and in
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Speaker 1: this manner she earned his favor as a lively, sensible
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Speaker 1: girl with just so much knowledge of the world as
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Speaker 1: made her a very desirable companion to Molly. Indeed, she
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Speaker 1: made something of the same kind of impression on all men.
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Speaker 1: They were first struck with her personal appearance and then
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Speaker 1: with her pretty deprecating manner, which appealed to them as
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Speaker 1: much as if she had said, you.
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Speaker 5: Are wise and I am foolish, have mercy on my folly.
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Speaker 1: It was a way she had. It meant nothing, really,
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Speaker 1: and she was hardly conscious of it herself, but it
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Speaker 1: was very captivating all the same. Even Old Williams the
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Speaker 1: gardener felt it. He said to his confidante, Molly.
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Speaker 6: Ee, miss, for that be a rare young lady. She
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Speaker 6: do have such pretty coaxing ways. I beat a teacher
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Speaker 6: to bud Roses. Come this season, and I'll warrant you
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Speaker 6: she'll learn sharp enough for all she says she be
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Speaker 6: so stupid.
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Speaker 1: If Molly had not had the sweetest disposition in the world,
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Speaker 1: she might have become jealous of all the allegiance laid
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Speaker 1: at Cynthia's feet. But she never thought of comparing the
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Speaker 1: amount of admiration and love which they each received. Yet
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Speaker 1: once she did feel a little as if Cynthia were
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Speaker 1: poaching on her manner. The invitation to the quiet Dinner
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Speaker 1: had been sent to Osborne Hamley and declined by him,
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Speaker 1: but he thought it right to call soon afterwards. It
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Speaker 1: was the first time Molly had seen any of the
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Speaker 1: family since she left the hall just before Missus Hamley's death,
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Speaker 1: and there was so much that she wanted to ask.
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Speaker 1: She tried to wait patiently till Missus Gibson had exhausted
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Speaker 1: the first gush of her infinite nothings, and then Molly
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Speaker 1: came in with her modest questions.
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Speaker 4: How was the Squire? Has he returned to his old habits?
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Speaker 4: Had his health suffered?
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Speaker 1: Putting each inquiry with as light and delicate a touch
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Speaker 1: as if she had been dressing a wound, she hesitated
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Speaker 1: a little, a very little, before speaking of Roger. For
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Speaker 1: just one moment, the thought flitted across her mind that
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Speaker 1: Osborne might feel the contrast between his own and his
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Speaker 1: brother's college career too painfully to like to have it
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Speaker 1: referred to. But then she remembered the generous brotherly love
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Speaker 1: that had always existed between the two, and had just
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Speaker 1: entered upon the subject. When Cynthia, in obedience to her
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Speaker 1: mother's summons, came into the room and took up her work.
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Speaker 1: No one could have been quieter. She hardly uttered a word,
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Speaker 1: but Osborne seemed to fall under her power at once.
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Speaker 1: He no longer gave his undivided attention to Molly, he
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Speaker 1: cut short his answers to her questions, and by and by,
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Speaker 1: without Morelli's rightly understanding how it was, he had turned
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Speaker 1: towards Cynthia and was addressing himself to her, Molly saw
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Speaker 1: the look of content on Missus Gibson's face. Perhaps it
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Speaker 1: was her own mortification at not having heard all she
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Speaker 1: wished to know about Roger, which gave her a keener
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Speaker 1: insight than usual, But certain it is that all at
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Speaker 1: once she perceived that Missus Gibson would not dislike a
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Speaker 1: marriage between Osborne and Cynthia, and considered the present occasion
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Speaker 1: as an auspicious beginning. Remembering the secret which she had
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Speaker 1: been let into so unwillingly, Molly watched his behavior almost
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Speaker 1: as if she had been retained in the interest of
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Speaker 1: the absent wife, But after all, thinking as much of
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Speaker 1: the possibility of his attracting Cynthia as of the unknown
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Speaker 1: and mysterious Missus Osborne Hamley, his manner was expressive of
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Speaker 1: great interest and of strong prepossession in favor of the
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Speaker 1: beautiful girl to whom he was talking. He was in
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Speaker 1: deep mourning, which showed off his slight figure and delicate,
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Speaker 1: refined face. But there was nothing of flirting, as far
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Speaker 1: as Molly understood the meaning of the word in either
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Speaker 1: looks or words. Cynthia too was extremely quiet. She was
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Speaker 1: always much quieter with men than with women. It was
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Speaker 1: part of the charm of her soft allurement that she
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Speaker 1: was so passive. They were talking of France. Missus Gibson
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Speaker 1: herself had passed two or three years of her girlhood there,
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Speaker 1: and Cynthia's late return from Boulogne made it a very
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Speaker 1: natural subject of conversation. But Molly was thrown out of it,
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Speaker 1: and with her heart still unsatisfied as to the details
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Speaker 1: of Roger's success. She had to stand up at last
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Speaker 1: and receive Osborne's good bye, scarcely longer or more intimate
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Speaker 1: than his farewell to Cynthia. As soon as he was gone,
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Speaker 1: missus Gibson began in his praise.
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Speaker 3: Well, really, I begin to have some faith in long dissent.
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Speaker 3: What a gentleman he is, how agreeable and polite? So
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Speaker 3: different from that forward mister Preston.
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Speaker 1: She continued, looking a little anxiously at Cynthia. Cynthia, quite
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Speaker 1: aware that her reply was being watched for.
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Speaker 5: Said coolly, mister Preston doesn't improve unacquaintance. There was a time, Mamma,
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Speaker 5: when I think both you and I thought him very agreeable.
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Speaker 3: I don't remember. You've a clearer memory than I have,
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Speaker 3: But we were talking of this delightful mister Osborne Hamley.
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Speaker 3: Why Molly, you were always talking of his brother. It
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Speaker 3: was Roger this, and Roger that. I can't think how
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Speaker 3: it was you so seldom mentioned this young man.
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Speaker 4: I didn't know I had mentioned mister Roger Hamley so.
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Speaker 1: Often, said Molly, blushing a little.
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Speaker 4: But I saw much more of him, he was more
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Speaker 4: at home.
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Speaker 3: Well, well, it's all right, my dear I dare say
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Speaker 3: he suits you best. But really, when I saw Osborne
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Speaker 3: Hamley close to my Cynthia, I couldn't help thinking. But
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Speaker 3: perhaps I'd better not tell you what I was thinking of.
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Speaker 3: Only they are each of them so much above the
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Speaker 3: average in appearance, and of course that suggests things.
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Speaker 5: I perfectly understand what you were thinking of, Mamma.
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Speaker 1: Said Cynthia with the greatest composure.
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Speaker 5: And so does Molly. I have no doubt.
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Speaker 3: Well, there's no harm in it, I'm sure. Did you
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Speaker 3: hear him say that, though he did not like to
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Speaker 3: leave his father alone just at present, yet that when
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Speaker 3: his brother Roger came back from Cambridge he should feel
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Speaker 3: more at liberty. It was quite as much as to say,
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Speaker 3: if you will ask me to dinner, then I shall
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Speaker 3: be delighted to come. And chickens will be so much cheaper,
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Speaker 3: and coquet such a nice way of boning them and
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Speaker 3: doing them up with forcemeat. Everything seems to be falling
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Speaker 3: out so fortunately. And Molly, my dear, you know I
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Speaker 3: won't forget you. By and by, when Roger Hamley has
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Speaker 3: taken his turn at stopping at home with his father,
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Speaker 3: we will ask him to one of our little quiet dinners.
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Speaker 1: Molly was very slow at taking this in, but in
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Speaker 1: about a minute the sense of it had reached her brain,
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Speaker 1: and she went all over very red and hot, especially
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Speaker 1: as she saw that Cynthia was watching the light come
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Speaker 1: into her mind with great amusement.
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Speaker 5: I'm afraid Molly isn't properly grateful, Mamma. If I were you,
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Speaker 5: I wouldn't exert myself to give a dinner party on
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Speaker 5: her account. Bestow are your kindness upon me.
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Speaker 1: Molly was often puzzled by Cynthia's speeches to her mother,
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Speaker 1: and this was one of those occasions, but she was
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Speaker 1: more anxious to say something for herself. She was so
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Speaker 1: much annoyed at the implication in Missus Gibson's last words.
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Speaker 4: Mister Roger Hamley has been very good to me. He
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Speaker 4: was a great deal at home when I was there,
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Speaker 4: and mister Osborne Hamley was very little there. That was
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Speaker 4: the reason I spoke so much more of one than
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Speaker 4: the other. If I had if he had.
18:21
Speaker 1: Losing her coherence in the difficulty of finding words.
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Speaker 4: I don't think I should. And Oh, Cynthia, instead of
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Speaker 4: laughing at me, I think you might help me to
18:30
Speaker 4: explain myself.
18:32
Speaker 1: Instead Cynthia gave a diversion to the conversation.
18:35
Speaker 5: Mamma's paragon gives me an idea of weakness. I can't
18:38
Speaker 5: quite make out whether it's in body or mind. Which
18:41
Speaker 5: is it, Molly.
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Speaker 4: He is not strong, I know, but he is very
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Speaker 4: accomplished and clever. Everyone says that even Papa, who doesn't
18:49
Speaker 4: generally praise young men, that may the puzzled the greater
18:53
Speaker 4: when he did so badly at college.
18:55
Speaker 5: Then it's his character that is weak. I'm sure there's
18:57
Speaker 5: weakness somewhere, but he's very agreeable. It must have been
19:00
Speaker 5: very pleasant staying at the hall.
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Speaker 4: Yes, but it's all over now.
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Speaker 1: Oh nonsense, said Missus Gibson, wakening up from counting the
19:08
Speaker 1: stitches in her pattern.
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Speaker 3: We shall have the young men coming to dinner pretty often.
19:12
Speaker 3: You'll see your father likes them, and I shall always
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Speaker 3: make a point of welcoming his friends. They can't go
19:17
Speaker 3: on mourning for a mother forever. I expect we shall
19:20
Speaker 3: see a great deal of them, and that the two
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Speaker 3: families will become very intimate. After all, these good Hollingford
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Speaker 3: people are terribly behindhand, and I should say rather commonplace.
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Speaker 1: End of Chapter twenty