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047 - Something Wanting · North and South

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  Speaker 1: Chapter forty seven of North and South. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Leanne Howlett. North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell,
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  Speaker 1: chapter forty seven. Something wanting experience like a pale musician
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  Speaker 1: holds a dulcimer of patience in his hand. Whence harmonies,
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  Speaker 1: we cannot understand of God's will in his worlds, the
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  Speaker 1: strain unfolds and sad perplexed miners Missus Browning. About this
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  Speaker 1: time Dixon returned from Milton and assumed her post as
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  Speaker 1: Margaret's maid. She brought endless pieces of Milton gossip, how
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  Speaker 1: Martha had gone to live with Miss Thornton on the
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  Speaker 1: latter's marriage, with an account of the bride'smaids, dresses, and
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  Speaker 1: breakfasts at that interesting ceremony. How people thought that mister
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  Speaker 1: Thornton had made too grand a wedding of it, considering
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  Speaker 1: he had lost a deal by the strike, and it
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  Speaker 1: had to pay so much for the failure of his contracts.
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  Speaker 1: How little money articles of furniture long cherished by Dixon
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  Speaker 1: had fetched at the sale, which was a shame considering
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  Speaker 1: how rich folks were at Milton. How missus Thornton had
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  Speaker 1: come one day and got two or three good bargains,
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  Speaker 1: and mister Thornton had come the next and in his
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  Speaker 1: desire to obtain one or two things, had bid against himself,
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  Speaker 1: much to the enjoyment of the bystanders. So, as Dixon observed,
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  Speaker 1: that made things even if Missus Thornton paid too little,
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  Speaker 1: mister Thornton paid too much. Mister Bell had sent all
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  Speaker 1: sorts of orders about the books. There was no understanding him.
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  Speaker 1: He was so particular. If he had come himself, it
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  Speaker 1: would have been all right. But letters always were, and
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  Speaker 1: always will be, more puzzling than they are worth. Dixon
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  Speaker 1: had not much to tell about the Higginses. Her memory
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  Speaker 1: had an aristocratic bias and was very treacherous whenever she
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  Speaker 1: tried to recall any circumstance connected with those below her
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  Speaker 1: in life. Nicholas was very well, She believed he had
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  Speaker 1: been several times at the house asking for news of
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  Speaker 1: miss Margaret, the only person who ever did ask, except
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  Speaker 1: once mister Thornton and Mary. Oh, of course, she was
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  Speaker 1: very well. A great stout slatternly thing she did hear,
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  Speaker 1: or perhaps it was only a dream of hers, though
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  Speaker 1: it would be strange if she had dreamt of such
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  Speaker 1: people as the Higginses. That Mary had gone to work
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  Speaker 1: at mister Thornton's mill because her father wished her to
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  Speaker 1: know how to cook. But what nonsense that could mean,
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  Speaker 1: she didn't know. Margaret rather agreed with her that the
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  Speaker 1: story was incoherent enough to be like a dream. Still,
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  Speaker 1: it was pleasant to have someone now with whom she
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  Speaker 1: could talk of Milton and Milton people. Dixon was not
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  Speaker 1: over fond of the subject, rather wishing to leave that
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  Speaker 1: part of her life in shadow. She liked much more
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  Speaker 1: to dwell upon speeches of mister Bell's, which had suggested
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  Speaker 1: an idea to her of what was really his intention
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  Speaker 1: making Margaret his heiress. But her young lady gave her
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  Speaker 1: no encouragement nor in any way gratified her insinuating inquiries,
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  Speaker 1: however disguised in the form of suspicions or as assertions. All
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  Speaker 1: this time Margaret had a strange, undefined longing to hear
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  Speaker 1: that mister Bell had gone to pay one of his
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  Speaker 1: business visits to Milton, for it had been well understood
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  Speaker 1: between them at the time of their conversation at Helstone,
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  Speaker 1: that the explanation she had desired should only be given
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  Speaker 1: to mister Thornton by word of mouth, and even in
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  Speaker 1: that manner, should be in no wise forced upon him.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Bell was no great correspondent, but he wrote from
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  Speaker 1: time to time, long or short letters as the humor
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  Speaker 1: took him. And although Margaret was not conscious of any
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  Speaker 1: definite hope on receiving them, yet she always put away
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  Speaker 1: his notes with a little feelium disappointment. He was not
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  Speaker 1: going to Milton, He said nothing about it at any rate. Well,
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  Speaker 1: she must be patient, sooner or later the mists would
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  Speaker 1: be cleared away. Mister Bell's letters were hardly like his
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  Speaker 1: usual self. They were short and complaining, with every now
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  Speaker 1: and then a little touch of bitterness. That was unusual.
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  Speaker 1: He did not look forward to the future. He rather
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  Speaker 1: seemed to regret the past and be weary of the present.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret fancied that he could not be well, but in
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  Speaker 1: answer to some inquiry of hers as to his health,
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  Speaker 1: he sent her a short note saying that there was
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  Speaker 1: an old fashioned complaint called the spleen, that he was
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  Speaker 1: suffering from that, and it was for her to decide
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  Speaker 1: if it was more mental or physical, but that he
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  Speaker 1: should like to indulge himself in grumbling without being obliged
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  Speaker 1: to send a bulletin every time. In consequence of this note,
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  Speaker 1: Margaret made no more inquiries about his help. One day,
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  Speaker 1: Edith let out accidentally a fragment of a conversation which
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  Speaker 1: she had had with mister Bell when he was last
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  Speaker 1: in London, which possessed Margaret with the idea that he
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  Speaker 1: had some notion of taking her to pay a visit
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  Speaker 1: to her brother and new sister in law at Cadiz
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  Speaker 1: in the autumn. She questioned and cross questioned Edith till
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  Speaker 1: the latter was weary and declared that there was nothing
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  Speaker 1: more to remember. All he had said was that he
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  Speaker 1: half thought he should go and hear for himself what
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  Speaker 1: Frederick had to say about the mutiny, and that it
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  Speaker 1: would be a good opportunity for Margaret to become acquainted
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  Speaker 1: with her new sister in law. That he always went
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  Speaker 1: somewhere during the long vacation, and did not see why
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  Speaker 1: he should not go to Spain as well as anywhere else.
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  Speaker 1: That was all Edith hoped. Margaret did not want to
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  Speaker 1: leave them, that she was so anxious about all this,
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  Speaker 1: and then, having nothing else particular to do, she cried
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  Speaker 1: and said that she knew she cared much more for
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  Speaker 1: Margaret than Margaret did for her. Margaret comforted her as
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  Speaker 1: well as she could, but she could hardly explain to
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  Speaker 1: her how this idea of Spain mere Chateau en espagna
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  Speaker 1: as might be charmed and delighted her. Edith was in
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  Speaker 1: the mood to think that any pleasure enjoyed away from
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  Speaker 1: her was a tacit affront, or at best, a proof
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  Speaker 1: of indifference. So Margaret had to keep her pleasure to herself,
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  Speaker 1: and could only let it escape by the safety valve
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  Speaker 1: of asking Dixon when she dressed for dinner if she
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  Speaker 1: would not like to see Master Frederick and his new
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  Speaker 1: wife very much. Indeed, she's a papist, Missed, isn't she?
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  Speaker 1: I believe? Oh? Yes, certainly, said Margaret, a little damped
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  Speaker 1: for an instant at this recollection. And they live in
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  Speaker 1: a popish country. Yes, then I'm afraid I must say
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  Speaker 1: that my soul is dearer to me than even Master
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  Speaker 1: Frederick is his O de self. I should be in
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  Speaker 1: a perpetual terror, miss lest I should be converted, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: said Margaret. I do not know that I am going,
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  Speaker 1: and if I go, I am not such a fine
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  Speaker 1: lady as to be unable to travel without you. No,
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  Speaker 1: dear Old Dixon, you shall have a long holiday if
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  Speaker 1: we go, But I'm afraid it is a long if. Now,
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  Speaker 1: Dixon did not like this speech in the first place.
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  Speaker 1: She did not like Margaret's trick of calling her dear
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  Speaker 1: Old Dixon whenever she was particularly demonstrative. She knew that
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  Speaker 1: Miss Hale was apt to call all people that she
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  Speaker 1: liked old as a sort of term of endearment, But
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  Speaker 1: Dixon always winced away from the application of the word
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  Speaker 1: to herself, who, being not much past fifty, was, she thought,
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  Speaker 1: in the very prime of life. Secondly, she did not
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  Speaker 1: like being so easily taken at her word. She had
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  Speaker 1: with all her terror, a lurking curiosity about Spain, the Inquisition,
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  Speaker 1: and Popish mysteries. So, after clearing her throat, as if
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  Speaker 1: to show her willingness to do away with difficulties, she
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  Speaker 1: asked Miss Hale whether she thought of she took care
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  Speaker 1: never to see a priest or cherr into one to
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  Speaker 1: their churches. There would be so very much danger of
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  Speaker 1: her being converted. Master Frederick, to be sure, had gone
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  Speaker 1: over unaccountable. I fancy it was love that first predisposed
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  Speaker 1: him to conversion, said Margaret, sighing. Indeed, miss said Dixon, well,
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  Speaker 1: I can preserve myself from priests and from churches, but
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  Speaker 1: love steals in unawares. I think it's as well I
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  Speaker 1: should not go. Margaret was afraid of letting her mind
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  Speaker 1: run too much upon this Spanish plan, but it took
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  Speaker 1: off her thoughts from too impatiently dwelling upon her desire
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  Speaker 1: to have all explained to mister Thornton. Mister Bell appeared
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  Speaker 1: for the present to be stationary at Oxford, and to
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  Speaker 1: have no immediate purpose of going to Milton, and some
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  Speaker 1: secret restraint seemed to hang over Margaret and prevent her
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  Speaker 1: from even asking or alluding again to any probability of
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  Speaker 1: such a visit on his part. Nor did she feel
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  Speaker 1: at liberty to name what Edith had told her of
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  Speaker 1: the idea. He had entertained it might be, but for
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  Speaker 1: five minutes of going to Spain, he had never named
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  Speaker 1: it at Helstone, during all that sunny day of leisure,
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  Speaker 1: it was very probably, but the fancy of a moment
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  Speaker 1: but if it were true, what a bright outlet it
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  Speaker 1: would be from the monotony of her present life which
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  Speaker 1: was beginning to fall upon her. One of the great
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  Speaker 1: pleasures of Margaret's life at this time was in Edith's boy.
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  Speaker 1: He was the pride and plaything of both father and
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  Speaker 1: mother as long as he was good, But he had
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  Speaker 1: a strong will of his own, and as soon as
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  Speaker 1: he burst out into one of his stormy passions, Edith
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  Speaker 1: would throw herself back in despair and fatigue, and sigh out,
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  Speaker 1: oh dear, what shall I do with him? Do Margaret
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  Speaker 1: please ring the bell for Hanley. But Margaret almost liked
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  Speaker 1: him better in these manifestations of character than in his good,
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  Speaker 1: blue sashed moods. She would carry him off into a
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  Speaker 1: room where they two alone battled it out, She with
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  Speaker 1: a firm power which subdued him into peace, while every
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  Speaker 1: sudden charm and while she possessed, was exerted on the
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  Speaker 1: side of right, until he would rub his little hot
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  Speaker 1: and tear smeared face all over hers, kissing and caressing
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  Speaker 1: till he often fell asleep in her arms or on
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  Speaker 1: her shoulder. Those were Margaret's sweetest moments. They gave her
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  Speaker 1: a taste of the feeling that she believed would be
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  Speaker 1: denied to her forever. Mister Henry Lennox added a new
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  Speaker 1: and not disagreeable element to the course of the household
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  Speaker 1: life by his frequent presence. Margaret thought him colder, if
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  Speaker 1: more brilliant, than formerly. But there were strong intellectual tastes,
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  Speaker 1: and much and varied knowledge which gave flavor to the
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  Speaker 1: otherwise rather insipid conversation. Margaret saw glimpses in him of
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  Speaker 1: a slight contempt for his brother and sister in law,
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  Speaker 1: and for their mode of life, which he seemed to
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  Speaker 1: consider as frivolous and purposeless. He once or twice spoke
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  Speaker 1: to his brother in Margaret's presence in a pretty sharp
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  Speaker 1: tone of inquiry as to whether he meant entirely to
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  Speaker 1: relinquish his profession, and on Captain Lennox's reply that he
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  Speaker 1: had quite enough to live upon. She had seen mister
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  Speaker 1: Lennox's curl of the lip, as he said, and is
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  Speaker 1: that all you live for? But the brothers were much
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  Speaker 1: attached to each other in the way that any two
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  Speaker 1: persons are when the one is cleverer and always leads
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  Speaker 1: the other. And this last is patiently content to be led.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Lennox was pushing on his profession, cultivating with profound
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  Speaker 1: calculation all those connections that might eventually be of service
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  Speaker 1: to him. Keen sighted, far seeing, intelligent, sarcastic, and proud.
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  Speaker 1: Since the one long conversation relating to Frederick's affairs which
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  Speaker 1: she had with him the first evening in mister Bell's presence,
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  Speaker 1: she had had no great intercourse with him further than
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  Speaker 1: that which arose out of their close relations with the
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  Speaker 1: same household. But this was enough to wear off the
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  Speaker 1: shyness on her side and any symptoms of mortified pride
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  Speaker 1: and vanity on his. They met continually, of course, but
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  Speaker 1: she thought that he rather avoided being alone with her.
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  Speaker 1: She fancied that he, as well as she perceived, that
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  Speaker 1: they had drifted strangely apart from their former anchorage side
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  Speaker 1: by side in many of their opinions and all their tastes.
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  Speaker 1: And yet when he had spoken unusually well or with
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  Speaker 1: remarkable epigrammatic point, she felt that his eye sought the
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  Speaker 1: expression of her countenance, first of all, if but for
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  Speaker 1: an instant, and then in the family intercourse which constantly
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  Speaker 1: threw them together, her opinion was the one to which
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  Speaker 1: he listened with a deafs, the more complete because it
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  Speaker 1: was reluctantly paid and concealed as much as possible. End
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  Speaker 1: of Chapter forty seven, recording by Leanne Howlett