Latest / Wives and Daughters / 049 - An Innocent Culprit

Transcript

049 - An Innocent Culprit · Wives and Daughters

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter forty eight of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter forty eight.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: An innocent culprit with his head bent down as if
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: he were facing some keen blowing wind, and yet there
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: was not a breath of air stirring. Mister Gibson went
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: swiftly to his own home. He rang at the door bell,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: an unusual proceeding on his part. Maria opened the door.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Go and tell miss Molly she's wanted in the dining room.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: Don't say who it is that wants her.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: There was something in mister Gibson's manner that made Maria
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: obey him to the letter. In spite of Molly's surprised question.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: Wants me, who is it? Maria?
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: Mister Gibson went into the dining room and shut the door.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: For an instant's solitude. He went up to the chimney piece,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: took hold of it, and laid his head on his
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: hands and tried to still the beating of his heart.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: The door opened, He knew that Molly stood there before
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: he heard her tone of astonishment. Papa Hush said, He,
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: turning round, sharply.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: Shut the door. Come here, she came to.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Him, wondering what was amiss. Her thoughts went to the
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Hamleys immediately.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: Is it ospoon?
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: She asked, breathless. If mister Gibson had not been too
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: much agitated to judge calmly, he might have deduced comfort
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: from these three words. But instead of allowing himself to
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: seek for comfort from collateral evidence, he said, Molly.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: What is this? I hear that you have been keeping
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: a clandestine intercourse with mister Preston, meeting him in out
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: of the way places, exchanging letters with him in a
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: stealthy way.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Though he had professed to disbelieve all this, and did
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: disbelieve it at the bottom of his soul. His voice
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: was hard and stern, his face was white and grim,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: and his eyes fixed Molly's with the terrible keenness of
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: their research. Molly trembled all over, but she did not
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: attempt to evade his penetration. If she was silent for
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: a moment, it was because she was rapidly reviewing her
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: relation with regard to Cynthia. In the matter, it was
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: but a moment's pause of silence, but it seemed long
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: minutes to one who was craving for a burst of
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: indignant denial. He had taken hold of her two arms
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: just above her wrists, as she had advanced toward him.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: He was unconscious of this action, but as his impatience
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: for her words grew upon him, he grasped her more
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: and more tightly in his vice like hands, till she
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: made a little involuntary sound of pain. And then he
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: let go. And she looked at her soft, bruised flesh,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: with tears gathering fast to her eyes, to think that he,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: her father, should have hurt her so at the instant
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: it appeared to her stranger that he should inflict bodily
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: pain upon his child, than that he should have heard
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: the truth, even in an exaggerated form. With a childish gesture,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: she held out her arm to him. But if she
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: expected pity, she received none. Pooh, said he, as he
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: just glanced at the mark.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: That is nothing, nothing answer my question? Have you have
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: you met that man in private?
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: Yes, Papa, I have. But I don't think it was wrong?
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: He sat down. Now wrong, he echoed bitterly.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Not wrong. Well, I must bear it. Somehow, your mother
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: is dead. That's one comfort. It is true, then, is it?
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Why I didn't believe it not I. I laughed in
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: my sleeve at their credulity, and I was the dupe
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: all the time.
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: Papa, I cannot tell you all. It is not my secret,
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: or you should know it directly. Indeed, you will be
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: sorry some time. I have never deceived you yet, have I.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Trying to take one of his hands, but he kept
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: them tightly in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: pattern of the carpet before him. Papa said, she pleading again, have.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: I ever deceived you?
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: How can I tell? I? Hear of this from the
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: town's talk. I don't know what next may come out the.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Town's talk, said Molly in dismay.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: What business is it of theirs?
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: Every one makes it their business to cast dirt on
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: a girl's name who has disregarded the commonest rules of
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: modesty and propriety.
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: Papa, you are very hard modesty disregarded. I will tell
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: you exactly what I have done. I met mister Preston
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: once that evening when you put me down to walk
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: over Croston Heath, and there was another person with him.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: I met him a second time, and that time by appointment,
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: nobody but our two selves in the Towers Park, that
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: is all, Papa, you must trust me. I cannot explain more.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: You must trust me.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: Indeed, he could not help relenting at her words. There
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: was such truth in the tone in which they were
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: spoken that he neither spoke nor stirred for a minute
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: or two. Then he raised his eyes to hers for
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: the first time since she had acknowledged the external truth
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: of what he had charged her with. Her face was
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: very white, but it bore the impress of the final
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: sincerity of death, when the true expression prevails without the
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: poor disguises of time. The letters, he said, but almost
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: as if he were ashamed to question that countenance any further.
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: I gave him one letter of which I did not
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: write a word, which in fact I believe to have
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: been merely an envelope without any writing whatever inside the
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: Giving that letter the two interviews I have named make
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: all the private intercourse I have had with mister Preston.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: Oh Papa, what have they been saying that has grieved
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: shocked you so much?
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: Never mind as the world goes what you say you
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: have done, Molly is ground enough. You must tell me all.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: I must be able to refute these rumors point by point.
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: How are they to be refuted. When you say that
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: the truth which I have acknowledged is ground enough for
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: what people are saying.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: You say you were not acting for yourself but for another.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: If you tell me who the other was, if you
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: tell me everything out fully, I will do my utmost
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: to screen her. For of course I guess it was Cynthia.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: While I am exonerating you, no, Papa.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: Said Molly. After some little consideration.
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: I have told you all I can tell all that
• 6:24
  Speaker 3: concerns myself, and I have promised not to say one
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: word more.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Then your character will be impugned. It must be unless
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: the fullest explanation of these secret meetings is given. I
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: have a great mind to force the whole truth out
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: of Preston himself.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: Papa, once again, I beg you to trust me. If
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: you ask mister Preston, you will very likely have the
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: whole truth. But that is just what I have been
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: trying so hard to conceal, for it will only make
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: several people very unhappy if it is known and the
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: whole affair is over and done.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: With now not your share in it. Miss Browning sent
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: for me this evening to tell me how people were
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: talking about you, She implied, that it was a complete
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: loss of your good name. You don't know, Molly, how
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: slight a thing made black in a girl's reputation for life.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: I'd hard work to stand all, she said, even though
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: I didn't believe a word of it at the time.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: And now you've told me that much of it is true.
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: But I think you are a brave man, Papa, and
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: you believe me, don't you. We shall outlive those rumors.
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: Never fair, You don't know the power of ill natured tongues,
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: child said.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: He Oh, now you've called me child again. I don't
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: care for anything. Dear dear Papa. I am sure it
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: is best and wisest to take no notice of the speeches.
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: After all, they may not mean them ill naturedly. I
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: am sure Miss Browning would not. By and by they'll
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: quite forget how much they made out of so little.
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: And even if they don't, you would not have me
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: break my solemn word, would you?
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Perhaps not? But I cannot easily forgive the person who,
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: by practice on your generosity, led you into this scrape.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: You are very young and look upon these things as
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: merely temporary evils. I have more experience.
• 8:10
  Speaker 3: Still, I don't see what I can do now, Papa.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Perhaps I've been foolish, but what I did I did
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: of my own self. It was not suggested to me,
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: and I'm sure it was not wrong in morals, whatever
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: it might be in judgment. As I said, it's all
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: over now. What I did ended the affair, I am
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: thankful to say, and it was with that object I
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: did it. If people choose to talk about me, I
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: must submit, and so must you.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: Dear Papa, does your mother? Does missus Gibson know anything
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: about it?
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Asked he, with sudden anxiety.
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: No, not a bit, not a word. Pray, don't name
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: me to her. That might lead to more mischief than
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: anything else. I've really told you everything. I am at
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: liberty to tell.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: It was a great relief to mister Gibson to find
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: that his sudden fear that his wife might have been
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: privy to it all was ill founded. He had been
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: seized by a sudden dread that she, whom he had
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: chosen to marry in order to have a protectress and
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: guide for his daughter, had been cognizant of this ill
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: advised adventure with mister Preston nay more, that she might
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: even have instigated it. To save her own child. For
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: that Cynthia was, somehow or other at the bottom of
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: it all. He had no doubt whatever. But now, at
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: any rate, Missus Gibson had not been playing a treacherous part.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: That was all the comfort he could extract out of
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: Molly's mysterious admission that much mischief might result from Missus
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Gibson's knowing anything about these meetings with mister Preston.
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: Then what is to be done?
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Said he?
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: These reports are abroad? Am I to do nothing to
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: contradict them? Am I to go about smiling and content?
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: With all this talk about you passing from one idle
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: gossip to another?
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: I'm afraid so I'm very sorry for I never meant
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: you to have no anything about it, and I can
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: see now how it must distress you. But surely, when
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: nothing more happens and nothing comes over what has happened,
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: the wonder and the gossip must die away. I know
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: you believe every word I have said, and that you
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: trust me. Papa, Please, for my sake, be patient with
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: all this gossip and cackle.
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: It will try me hard, Molly.
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: Said he for my sake, Papa.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: I don't see what else I can.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: Do, replied he moodily.
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: Unless I get hold of Preston, that would be the
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: worst of all, that would make a talk. And after all,
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: perhaps he was not so very much to blame. Yes
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: he was, but he behaved well to me as far
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: as that goes.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: Said she, suddenly recollecting his speech. When mister Sheepshanks came
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: up in the towers Park.
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: Don't stir.
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: You have done nothing to be ashamed of.
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: That's true. A quarrel between men which drags a woman's
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: name and to notice, is to be avoided at any cost.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: But sooner or later I must have it out with Preston.
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: He shall find it not so pleasant to have placed
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: my daughter in equivocal circumstances.
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: He didn't place me, He didn't know I was coming,
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: didn't expect to meet me either time, and was far
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: rather than not have taken the letter I gave him
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: if he could have helped himself.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: It's all a mystery. I hate to have you mixed
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: up in mysteries.
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: I hate to be mixed up. But what can I do?
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: I know of another mystery, which I'm pledged not to
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: speak about. I cannot help myself.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: Well, all I can say is never be the heroine
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: of a mystery that you can avoid. If you can't
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: help being an accessory. Then I suppose I must yield
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: to your wishes and let this scandal wear itself out
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: without any notice from me.
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: What else can you do under the circumstances?
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Why? What else? Indeed, how shall you bear it?
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: For an instant? The hot, quick tears sprang into her eyes.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: To have everybody all her world thinking evil of her
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: did seem hard to the girl who had never thought
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: or said an un kind thing of them. But she
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: smiled as she made answer.
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: It's like tooth drawing. It will be over some time.
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: It would be much worse if I really had been
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: doing wrong.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Cynthia shall beware, he began, but Molly put her hand
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: before his mouth.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: Papa, Cynthia must not be accused or suspected. You will
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: drive her out of your house if you do. She
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: is so proud and so unprotected except by you and Roger.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: For Roger's sake, you will never do or say anything
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: to send Cynthia away when he has trusted us all
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: to take care of her and love her in his absence. Oh,
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: I think if she were really wicked and I did
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: not love her at all. I should feel bound to
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: what over her. He loves us so daily, and she
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: is really good at heart, and I do love her daily.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: You must not vex he hurt Cynthia, Papa. Remember she
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: is dependent upon you.
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: I think the world would get on tolerably well if
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: there were no women in it. They plagued the life
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: out of one. You've made me forget amongst you, poor
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: old job Houghton, that I ought to have gone to
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: see an hour ago.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: Molly put up her mouth to be kissed.
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: You're not angry with me, now, Papa?
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: Are you get out of my way kissing her?
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: All the same?
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: If I'm not angry with you, I ought to be,
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: for you've caused a great deal of worry, which won't
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: be over yet.
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: Awhile I can tell you for all Molly's bravery at
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: the time of this conversation, it was she that suffered
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: more than her father. He kept out of the way
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: of hearing gossip, but she was perpetually thrown into the
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: small society of the place. Missus Gibson herself had caught cold,
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: and moreover, was not tempted by the quiet, old fashioned
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: visiting which was going on just about this time, provoked
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: by the visit of two of Missus Dawes's pretty unrefined nieces,
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: who laughed and chattered and ate, and would fain have
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: flirted with mister Ashton the vicar could he have been
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: brought by any possibility to understand his share in the business.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Mister Preston did not accept the invitations to Hollingford tea
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: drinkings with the same eager gratitude as he had done
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: a year before, or else the shadow which hung over
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Mollie would have extended to him, her co partner in
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: the clandestine meetings which gave such umbrage to the feminine
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: virtue of the town. Mollie herself was invited because it
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: would not do to pass any apparent slight on either
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: mister or Missus Gibson, but there was a tacit and
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: underhand protest against her being received on the old terms.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: Every one was civil to her, but no one was cordial.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: There was a very perceptible film of difference in their
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: behavior to her from what it was formerly. Nothing that
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: had outlines and could be defined. But Mollie, for all
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: her clear conscience and her brave heart, felt acutely that
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: she was only tolerated, not welcomed. She caught the buzzing
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: whispers of the two miss Oakess, who, when they first
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: met the heroine of the prevailing scandal, looked at her
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: askance and criticized her pretensions to good looks with hardly
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: an attempt at undertones. Mollie tried to be thankful that
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: her father was not in the mood for visiting. She
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: was even glad that her stepmother was too much of
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: an invalid to come out. When she felt thus slighted,
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: and as it were degraded from her place, Miss Browning
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: herself that true old friend spoke to her with chilling
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: dignity and much reserve, for she had never heard a
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: word from mister Gibson since the evening when she had
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: put herself to so much pain to tell him of
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: the disagreeable rumors affecting his daughter. Only Miss Phoebe would
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: seek out Molly with even more than her former tenderness,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: and this tried Molly's calmness more than all the slights
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: put together. The soft hand pressing hers under the table,
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: the continual appeals to her so as to bring her
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: back into the conversation touched Molly almost to shedding tears. Sometimes,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: the poor girl wondered to herself whether this change in
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: the behavior of her acquaintances was not a mere fancy
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: of hers, whether if she had never had that conversation
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: with her father in which she had borne herself so
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: bravely at the time, she should have discovered the difference
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: in their treatment of her. She never told her father
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: how she felt these perpetual small slights. She had chosen
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: to bear the burden of her own free will, nay more,
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: she had insisted on being allowed to do so, and
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: it was not for her to grieve him now by
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: showing that she shrank from the consequences of her own act.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: So she never even made an excuse for not going
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: into the small gaieties or mingling with the society of Hollingford.
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: Only she suddenly let go the stretch of restraint she
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: was living in when one evening her father told her
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: that he was really anxious about Missus Gibson's cough and
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: should like Molly to give up a party at Missus Goodenough's,
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: to which they were all three invited, but to which
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: Molly alone was going. Molly's heart leaped up at the
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: thought of stopping at home, even though the next moment
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: she had to blame herself for rejoicing at a reprieve
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: that was purchased by another's suffering. However, the remedies prescribed
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: by her husband did Missus Gibson good, and she was
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: particularly grateful and caressing to Molly. Really dear, said she,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: stroking Molly's head.
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: I think your hair is getting softer and losing that disagreeable, crisp,
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: curly feeling.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: Then Molly knew that her stepmother was in high good humor.
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: The smoothness or curliness of her hair was a sure
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: test of the favor in which Missus Gibson held her
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: at the moment.
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: I am so sorry to be the cause of detaining
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: you from this little party, But dear Papa is so
• 17:43
  Speaker 4: over anxious about me. I've always been a kind of
• 17:46
  Speaker 4: pet with gentlemen, and poor mister Kirkpatrick never knew how
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: to make enough of me. But I think mister Gibson
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: is even more foolishly fond. His last words were take
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: care of yourself, Hyacinth, and then he came back again
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: to say, if you don't attend to my directions I
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: won't answer for the consequences. I shook my forefinger at
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: him and said, don't be so anxious, you silly man.
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: I hope we have done everything he told us to do,
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: said Molly.
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: Oh, yes, I feel so much better.
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: Do you know?
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: Late as it is, I think you might go to
• 18:20
  Speaker 4: missus Goodenough's yet Maria could take you, and I should
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: like to see you dressed. When one has been wearing dull,
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: warm gowns for a week or two, one gets quite
• 18:29
  Speaker 4: a craving for bright colors and evening dress. So go
• 18:32
  Speaker 4: and get ready, dear, and then perhaps you'll bring me
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: back some news for really shut up. As I have
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: been with only Papa and you for the last fortnight,
• 18:40
  Speaker 4: I've got quite moped and dismal, and I can't bear
• 18:43
  Speaker 4: to keep young people from the gayety suitable to their age.
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: Oh pray, Mamma. I had so much rather not.
• 18:49
  Speaker 4: Go very well, very well? Only I think it is
• 18:54
  Speaker 4: rather selfish of you when you see I am so
• 18:56
  Speaker 4: willing to make the sacrifice for your sake, but you.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Say does a sack to you?
• 19:01
  Speaker 4: And I don't want to go very well? Did I
• 19:04
  Speaker 4: not say you might stop at home? Only pray, don't
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: chop logic. Nothing is so fatiguing to a sick person.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: Then they were silent for some time. Missus Gibson broke
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: the silence by saying, in a languid.
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: Voice, can't you think of anything amusing to say?
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: Molly? Molly pumped up from the depths of her mind
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: a few little trivialities which she had nearly forgotten, but
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: she felt that they were anything but amusing, and so
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson seemed to feel them. For presently she said.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: I wish Cynthia was at home, and.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: Molly felt it as a reproach to her own dullness.
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: Shall I write to her and ask her to come back?
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: Well, I'm not sure. I wish I knew a great
• 19:47
  Speaker 4: many things. You've not had anything of poor dear Osborne
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: Hamley lately?
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: Have you remembering her father's charge not to speak of
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Osborne's health? Molly gave no reply, nor was any need for.
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson went on thinking aloud.
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: You see, if mister Henderson has been as attentive as
• 20:06
  Speaker 4: he was in the spring, and the chances about Roger,
• 20:09
  Speaker 4: I shall be really grieved if anything happens to that
• 20:12
  Speaker 4: young man uncouth as he is, but it must be
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: owned that Africa is not merely an unhealthy It is
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: a savage and even in some parts a cannibal country.
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: I often think of all I've read of it in
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: geography books as I lie awake at night, And if
• 20:27
  Speaker 4: mister Henderson is really becoming attached, the future is hidden
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: from us by infinite wisdom, Molly or else I should
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: like to know it. One would calculate one's behavior at
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: the present time so much better if one only knew
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: what events were to come. But I think on the
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: whole we had better not alarm Cynthia. If he had
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: only known in time, he might have planned for her
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: to have come down with Lord Cumnor and my lady.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: Are they coming? Is Lady Cumnor well enough to travel?
• 20:54
  Speaker 4: Yes, to be sure, or else I should not have
• 20:56
  Speaker 4: considered whether or no Cynthia could have come down with them.
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: It would have founded very well, more than respectable, and
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: would have given her a position among that lawyer set
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: in London.
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: Then, Lady Culnor, is better to be sure.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: I should have thought Papa would have mentioned it to you.
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: But to be sure, he's always so scrupulously careful not
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: to speak about his patients quite right, too, quite right
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: and delicate. Why he hardly ever tells me how they
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: are going on. Yes, the Earl and the Countess and
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: Lady Harriet, and Lord and Lady Cuxhaven and Lady Agnes.
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: And I've ordered a new winter bonnet and a black
• 21:32
  Speaker 4: satin cloak.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: End of chapter forty eight