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027 - Ch 27 - Fruit-Piece · North and South (version 2)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Marianne,
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  Speaker 1: chapter twenty seven, fruit Piece, for never anything can be
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  Speaker 1: amiss when simpleness and duty tender it. Midsummer Night's dream,
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  Speaker 1: mister Thornton went straight and clear into all the interests
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  Speaker 1: of the following day. There was a slight demand for
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  Speaker 1: finished goods, and as it affected his branch of the trade,
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  Speaker 1: he took advantage of it and drove hard bargains. He
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  Speaker 1: was sharp to the hour at the meeting of his
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  Speaker 1: brother magistrates, giving them the best assistance of his strong
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  Speaker 1: sense and his power of seeing consequences at a glance,
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  Speaker 1: and so coming to a rapid decision. Older men, men
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  Speaker 1: of long standing in the town, men of far greater wealth,
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  Speaker 1: realized and turned into land, while his was all floating capital,
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  Speaker 1: engaged in his trade, looked to him for prompt, ready wisdom.
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  Speaker 1: He was the one deputed to see and arrange with
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  Speaker 1: the police, to lead in all the requisite steps, and
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  Speaker 1: he cared for their unconscious deference no more than for
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  Speaker 1: the soft west wind that scarcely made the smoke from
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  Speaker 1: the great tall chimneys swerve in its straight upward course.
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  Speaker 1: He was not aware of the silent respect paid to him.
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  Speaker 1: If it had been otherwise, he would have felt it
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  Speaker 1: as an obstacle in his progress to the object he
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  Speaker 1: had in view. As it was, he looked to the
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  Speaker 1: speedy accomplishment of that alone. It was his mother's greedy
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  Speaker 1: ears that sucked in from the woman kind of these
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  Speaker 1: magistrates and wealthy men. How highly mister this or mister
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  Speaker 1: that thought of mister Thornton, that if he had not
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  Speaker 1: been there, things would have gone on very differently, very badly. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: he swept off his business right and left that day.
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  Speaker 1: It seemed as though his deep mortification of yesterday, and
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  Speaker 1: the stunned, purposeless course of the hours afterwards, had cleared
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  Speaker 1: away all the mists from his intellect. He felt his
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  Speaker 1: power and reveled in it. He could almost defy his heart.
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  Speaker 1: If he had known it, he could have sang the
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  Speaker 1: song of the miller who lived by the river, Dee,
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  Speaker 1: I care for nobody, nobody cares for me. The evidence
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  Speaker 1: against Boucher and the other ringleaders of the riot was
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  Speaker 1: taken before him. That against the three others for conspiracy failed,
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  Speaker 1: But he sternly charged the police to be on the
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  Speaker 1: watch for the swift right arm of the law should
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  Speaker 1: be in readiness to strike as soon as they could
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  Speaker 1: prove a fault. And then he left the hot reeking
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  Speaker 1: room in the Borough Court and went out into the
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  Speaker 1: fresher but still sultry street. It seemed as though he
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  Speaker 1: gave way all at once. He was so languid that
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  Speaker 1: he could not control his thoughts. They would wander to her,
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  Speaker 1: They would bring back the scene, not of his repulse
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  Speaker 1: and rejection the day before, but the looks, the actions
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  Speaker 1: of the day before that. He went along the crowded streets, macharely,
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  Speaker 1: winding in and out among the people, but never seeing them,
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  Speaker 1: almost sick with longing for that one half hour, that
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  Speaker 1: one brief space of time when she clung to him,
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  Speaker 1: and her heart beat against his to come once again. Why,
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  Speaker 1: mister Thornton, you're cutting me very coolly, I must say.
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  Speaker 1: And how is missus Thornton brave weather? This? We doctors
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  Speaker 1: don't like it, I can tell you. I beg your pardon,
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Donaldson. I really didn't see you. My mother's quite well,
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  Speaker 1: thank you. It is a fine day and good for
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  Speaker 1: the harvest. I hope if the wheat is well got in,
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  Speaker 1: we shall have a brisk trade next year. Whatever you
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  Speaker 1: doctors have, aye, aye, each man for himself. Your bad
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  Speaker 1: weather and your bad times are my good ones. When
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  Speaker 1: trade is bad, there's more undermining of health and preparation
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  Speaker 1: for death going on among you Milton men than you're
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  Speaker 1: aware of. Not with me, doctor, I'm made of iron.
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  Speaker 1: The news of the worst bad debt I ever had
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  Speaker 1: never made my pulse very This strike, which affects me
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  Speaker 1: more than any one else in Milton, more than hamper,
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  Speaker 1: never comes near my appetite. You must go elsewhere for patient. Doctor.
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  Speaker 1: By the way, you've recommended me a good patient, poor lady,
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  Speaker 1: not to go on talking in this heartless way. I
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  Speaker 1: seriously believe that missus Hale, that lady in Crampton, you know,
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  Speaker 1: hasn't many weeks to live. I never had any hope
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  Speaker 1: of cure, as I think I told you. But I've
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  Speaker 1: been seeing her to day, and I think very badly
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  Speaker 1: of her. Mister Thornton was silent. The vaunted steadiness of
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  Speaker 1: his pulse failed him for an instant. Can I do anything, doctor,
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  Speaker 1: he said, in an altered voice. You know you would
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  Speaker 1: see that money is not very plentiful. Are there any
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  Speaker 1: comforts or dainties she ought to have? No, replied the doctor,
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  Speaker 1: shaking his head. She craves for fruit. She has a
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  Speaker 1: constant fever on her But jargonelle pears will do as
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  Speaker 1: well as anything, and there are quantities of them in
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  Speaker 1: the market. You will tell me if there is anything
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  Speaker 1: I can do, I'm sure, replied mister Thornton. I rely
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  Speaker 1: upon you. Oh, never fear, I shall not spare your purse.
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  Speaker 1: I know it's deep enough. I wish you'd give me
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  Speaker 1: carte blanche for all my patients and all their wants.
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  Speaker 1: But mister Thornton had no general benevolence, no universal philanthropy.
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  Speaker 1: Few even would have given him credit for strong affections.
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  Speaker 1: But he went straight to the first fruit shop in
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  Speaker 1: Milton and chose out the bunch of purple grapes with
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  Speaker 1: the most delicate bloom upon them, the richest colored peaches,
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  Speaker 1: the freshest vine leaves. They were packed into a basket,
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  Speaker 1: and the shopmen awaited the answer to his inquiry, where
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  Speaker 1: shall we send them to? Sir? There was no reply
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  Speaker 1: to Marlborough Mills. I suppose, oh, sir, no mister Thornton said,
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  Speaker 1: give the basket to me, I'll take it. It took
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  Speaker 1: up both his hands to carry it, and he had
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  Speaker 1: to pass through the busiest part of the town for
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  Speaker 1: feminine shopping. Many a young lady of his acquaintance turned
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  Speaker 1: to look after him and thought it strange to see
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  Speaker 1: him occupied, just like a porter or an errand boy.
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  Speaker 1: He was thinking, I will not be daunted from doing
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  Speaker 1: as I choose by the thought of her. I like
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  Speaker 1: to take this fruit to the poor mother, and it
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  Speaker 1: is simply right that I should. She shall never scorn
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  Speaker 1: me out of doing what I please. A pretty joke. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: if for fear of a haughty girl I failed in
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  Speaker 1: doing a kindness to a man I liked, I do
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  Speaker 1: it for mister Hale, I do it in defiance of her.
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  Speaker 1: He went at an unusual pace and was soon at Crampton.
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  Speaker 1: He went upstairs two steps at a time, and entered
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  Speaker 1: the drawing room before Dixon could announce him. His face flushed,
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  Speaker 1: his eyes shining with kindly earnestness. Missus Hale lay on
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  Speaker 1: the sofa, heated with fever. Mister Hale was reading aloud.
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  Speaker 1: Margaret was working on a low stool by her mother's side.
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  Speaker 1: Her heart fluttered if his did not at this interview,
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  Speaker 1: but he took no notice of her, hardly of mister
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  Speaker 1: Hale himself. He went up straight with his basket to
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  Speaker 1: missus Hale and said, in that subdued and gentle tone
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  Speaker 1: which is so touching when used by a robust man
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  Speaker 1: in full health speaking to a feeble invalid. I met
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  Speaker 1: doctor Donaldson, ma'am, and he said fruit would be good
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  Speaker 1: for you. I have taken the liberty, the great liberty,
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  Speaker 1: of bringing you some that seemed to me fine. Missus
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  Speaker 1: Hale was excessively surprised, excessively pleased. Quite in a tremble
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  Speaker 1: of eagerness. Mister Hale, with fewer words, expressed a deeper gratitude.
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  Speaker 1: Fetch a plate, Margaret, a basket anything. Margaret stood up
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  Speaker 1: by the table, half afraid of moving or making any
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  Speaker 1: noise to rouse mister Thornton into a consciousness of her
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  Speaker 1: being in the room. She thought it would be awkward
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  Speaker 1: for both to be brought into conscious collision, and fancied
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  Speaker 1: that from her being on a low seat at first,
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  Speaker 1: and now standing behind her father, he had overlooked her
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  Speaker 1: in his haste as if he did not feel the
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  Speaker 1: consciousness of her presence all over, though his eyes had
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  Speaker 1: never rested on her. I must go, he said, I
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  Speaker 1: cannot stay if you will forgive this liberty. My rough
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  Speaker 1: ways too abrupt, I fear, but I will be more
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  Speaker 1: gentle next time. You will allow me the pleasure of
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  Speaker 1: bringing you some fruit again if I should see any
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  Speaker 1: that is tempting. Good afternoon, mister Hale. Good Bye, ma'am.
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  Speaker 1: He was gone, not one word, not one look to Margaret.
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  Speaker 1: She believed that he had not seen her. She went
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  Speaker 1: for a plate in silence and lifted the fruit out
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  Speaker 1: tenderly with the points of her delicate taper fingers. It
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  Speaker 1: was good of him to bring it, and after yesterday too. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: it is so delicious, said missus Hale in a feeble voice.
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  Speaker 1: How kind of him to think of me, Margaret love
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  Speaker 1: only taste these grapes. Was it not good of him? Yes,
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  Speaker 1: said Margaret quietly. Margaret said missus Hale rather querulously. You
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  Speaker 1: won't like anything, mister Thornton does. I never saw anybody
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  Speaker 1: so prejudiced. Mister Hale had been peeling a peach for
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  Speaker 1: his wife and cutting off a small piece for himself
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  Speaker 1: he said, if I had any prejudices, the gift of
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  Speaker 1: such delicious fruit as this would melt them away. I
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  Speaker 1: have not tasted such fruit, No, not even in Hampshire
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  Speaker 1: since I was a boy, and to boys I fancy
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  Speaker 1: all fruit is good. Remember eating sloes and crabs with
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  Speaker 1: a relish? Do you remember the matted up currant bushes, Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: at the corner of the west wall in the garden
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  Speaker 1: at home? Did she not? Did she not remember every
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  Speaker 1: weather stain on the old stone wall, the gray and
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  Speaker 1: yellow lichens that marked it like a map, the little
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  Speaker 1: crane's bill that grew in the crevices. She had been
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  Speaker 1: shaken by the events of the last two days. Her
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  Speaker 1: whole life just now was a strain upon her fortitude,
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  Speaker 1: and somehow these careless words of her father's, touching on
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  Speaker 1: the remembrance of the sunny times of old, made her
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  Speaker 1: start up, and, dropping her sewing on the ground, she
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  Speaker 1: went hastily out of the room into her own little chamber.
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  Speaker 1: She had hardly given way to the first choking sob
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  Speaker 1: when she became aware of Dixon standing at her drawers
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  Speaker 1: and evidently searching for something. Bless me, miss, how you
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  Speaker 1: startled me missus is not worse, is she is? Anything?
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  Speaker 1: The matter? No? Nothing, only I'm silly Dixon and want
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  Speaker 1: a glass of water? What are you looking for? I
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  Speaker 1: keep my muslins in that drawer. Dixon did not speak,
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  Speaker 1: but went on rummaging. The scent of lavender came out
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  Speaker 1: and perfumed the room. At last, Dixon found what she wanted.
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  Speaker 1: What it was, Margaret could not see. Dixon faced round
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  Speaker 1: and spoke to her. Now, I don't like telling you
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  Speaker 1: what I wanted, because you've fretting enough to go through,
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  Speaker 1: and I know you'll fret about this. I meant to
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  Speaker 1: have kept it from you till night may be, or
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  Speaker 1: such times as that. What is the matter? Pray tell me,
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  Speaker 1: Dixon at once? That young woman you go to see Higgins,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, well, well, she died this morning and her
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  Speaker 1: sister is here come to beg a strange thing. It
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  Speaker 1: seems the woman who died had a fancy for being
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  Speaker 1: buried in something of yours, and so this sister's come
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  Speaker 1: to ask for it. And I was looking for a
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  Speaker 1: night cap that wasn't too good to give away. Oh
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  Speaker 1: let me find one, said Margaret in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: her tears. Poor Bessy. I never thought I should see
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  Speaker 1: her again. Why that's another thing. This girl downstairs wanted
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  Speaker 1: me to ask you if you would like to see her.
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  Speaker 1: But she's dead, said Margaret, turning a little pale. I
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  Speaker 1: never saw a dead person. No, I would rather not.
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  Speaker 1: I should not have asked you if you hadn't come in.
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  Speaker 1: I told her you wouldn't. I will go down and
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  Speaker 1: speak to her, said Margaret, afraid lest Dixon's harshness of
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  Speaker 1: manner might wound the poor girl, so taking the cap
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  Speaker 1: in her hand, she went to the kitchen. Mary's face
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  Speaker 1: was all swollen with crying, and she burst out afresh
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  Speaker 1: when she saw Margaret. Oh mam, oh mam. She loved yo.
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  Speaker 1: She loved yo. She did indeed, and for a long
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  Speaker 1: time Margaret could not get her to say anything more
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  Speaker 1: than this. At last, her sympathy and Dixon's scolding forced
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  Speaker 1: out a few facts. Nicholas Higgins had gone out in
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  Speaker 1: the morning, leaving Bessy as well as on the day before,
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  Speaker 1: but in an hour she was taken worse. Some neighbor
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  Speaker 1: ran to the room where Mary was working. They did
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  Speaker 1: not know where to find her. Father. Mary had only
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  Speaker 1: come in a few minutes before she died. It were
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  Speaker 1: a day or two ago. She axed to be buried
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  Speaker 1: in somewhat o'yarn. She were never tired of talk. No Yo,
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  Speaker 1: she used to say, Yo were the prettiest thing she
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  Speaker 1: ever clapped eyes on. She loved yo dearly. Her last
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  Speaker 1: words were give her my affectionate respects, and keep father
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  Speaker 1: for drink. You'll come and see her, ma'am. She would
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  Speaker 1: have thought it a great compliment, I know. Margaret shrank
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  Speaker 1: a little from answering, yes, perhaps I may, Yes I will.
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  Speaker 1: I'll come before tea. But where's your father? Mary? Mary
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  Speaker 1: shook her head and stood up to be going. Miss Hale,
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  Speaker 1: said Dixon in a low voice. Where's the use o
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  Speaker 1: your goin to see the poor thing? Laid out? I'd
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  Speaker 1: never say a word against it if it could do
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  Speaker 1: the girl any good, and I wouldn't mind a bit
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  Speaker 1: goin myself if that would satisfy her. They've just a notion,
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  Speaker 1: these common folk, of its being a respect to the departed. Here,
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  Speaker 1: she said, turning sharply round. I'll come and see your sister.
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  Speaker 1: Miss Hale is busy and she can't come, or else
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  Speaker 1: she would. The girl looked wistfully at Margaret. Dixon's coming.
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  Speaker 1: Might be a compliment, but it was not the same
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  Speaker 1: thing to the poor sister, who had had her little
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  Speaker 1: pangs of jealousy during Bessy's lifetime. At the intimacy between
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  Speaker 1: her and the young lady. No Dixon said Margaret decision,
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  Speaker 1: I will go Mary. You shall see me this afternoon,
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  Speaker 1: and for fear of her own cowardice, she went away
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  Speaker 1: in order to take from herself any chance of changing
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  Speaker 1: her determination. End of Chapter twenty seven.