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048 - Ch 47 - Something Wanting · North and South (version 2)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter forty 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 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 in sad perplexing 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 bridesmaids, 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 had
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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 bit 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 some one now with whom
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  Speaker 1: she could talk of Milton and Milton people. Dixon was
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  Speaker 1: not over fond of the subject, rather wishing to leave
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  Speaker 1: that part of her life in shadow. She liked much
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  Speaker 1: more to dwell upon speeches of mister Bell's, which had
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  Speaker 1: suggested an idea to her of what was really his
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  Speaker 1: intention making Margaret his heiress. But her young lady gave
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  Speaker 1: no encouragement nor in any way gratified her insinuating inquiries, however,
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  Speaker 1: disguised in the form of suspicions or assertions. All this time,
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  Speaker 1: Margaret had a strange, undefined longing to hear that mister
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  Speaker 1: Bell had gone to pay one of his business visits
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  Speaker 1: to Milton, for it had been well understood between them
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  Speaker 1: at the time of their conversation at Helstone that the
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  Speaker 1: explanation she had desired should only be given to mister
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  Speaker 1: Thornton by word of mouth, and even in that manner,
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  Speaker 1: should be in no wise forced upon him. Mister Bell
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  Speaker 1: was no great correspondent, but he wrote from time to time,
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  Speaker 1: long or short letters as the humor took him. And
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  Speaker 1: although Margaret was not conscious of any definite hope on
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  Speaker 1: receiving them, yet she always put away his notes with
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  Speaker 1: a little feeling of disappointment. He was not going to Milton,
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  Speaker 1: He said nothing about it at any rate. Well, she
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  Speaker 1: must be patient, Sooner or later the mists would be
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  Speaker 1: cleared away. Mister Bell's letters were hardly like his usual self.
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  Speaker 1: They were short and complaining, with every now and then
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  Speaker 1: a little touch of bitterness. That was unusual. He did
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  Speaker 1: not look forward to the future. He rather seemed to
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  Speaker 1: regret the past and be weary of the present. Margaret
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  Speaker 1: fancied that he could not be well, but in answer
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  Speaker 1: to some inquiry of hers as to his health, he
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  Speaker 1: sent her a short note saying there was an old
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  Speaker 1: fashioned complaint called the spleen, that he was suffering from that,
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  Speaker 1: and it was for her to decide if it was
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  Speaker 1: more mental or physical, but that he should like to
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  Speaker 1: indulge himself in grumbling without being obliged to send a
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  Speaker 1: bulletin every time. In consequence of this note, Margaret made
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  Speaker 1: no more inquiries about his health. One day, Edith let
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  Speaker 1: out accidentally a fragment of a conversation which she had
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  Speaker 1: had with mister Bell when he was last in London,
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  Speaker 1: which possessed Margaret with the idea that he had some
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  Speaker 1: notion of taking her to pay a visit to her
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  Speaker 1: brother and new sister in law at Cadiz in the autumn.
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  Speaker 1: She questioned and cross questioned Edith till the latter was
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  Speaker 1: weary and declared that there was nothing more to remember.
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  Speaker 1: All he had said was that he half thought he
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  Speaker 1: should go and here for himself what Frederick had to
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  Speaker 1: say about the mutiny, and that it would be a
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  Speaker 1: good opportunity for Margaret to become acquainted with her new
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  Speaker 1: sister in law. That he always went somewhere during the
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  Speaker 1: long vacation, and did not see why he should not
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  Speaker 1: go to Spain as well as anywhere else. That was
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  Speaker 1: all Edith hoped. Margaret did not want to leave them,
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  Speaker 1: that she was so anxious about all this, and then,
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  Speaker 1: having nothing else particular to do, she cried and said
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  Speaker 1: that she knew she cared more for Margaret than Margaret
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  Speaker 1: did for her. Margaret comforted her as well as she could,
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  Speaker 1: but she could hardly explain to her how this idea
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  Speaker 1: of Spain a mere chateau en espagne, as it might be,
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  Speaker 1: charmed and delighted her. Edith was in the mood to
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  Speaker 1: think that any pleasure enjoyed away from her was a
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  Speaker 1: tacit affront, or at best, a proof of indifference. So
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  Speaker 1: Margaret had to keep her pleasure to herself, and could
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  Speaker 1: only let it escape by the safety valve of asking
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  Speaker 1: Dixon when she dressed for dinner if she would not
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  Speaker 1: like to see Master Frederick and his new wife very much. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: she's a papist, miss, isn't she? I believe? Oh? Yes, certainly,
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  Speaker 1: said Margaret, a little damped for an instant at this recollection.
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  Speaker 1: And they live in a popish country. Yes, then I'm
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  Speaker 1: afraid I must say that my soul is dearer to
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  Speaker 1: me than even Master Frederick his own dear self. I
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  Speaker 1: should be in a perpetual terror, Miss, lest I should
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  Speaker 1: be converted, oh, said Margaret. I do not know that
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  Speaker 1: I am going, and if I go, I am not
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  Speaker 1: such a fine lady as to be unable to travel
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  Speaker 1: without you. No, dear old Dixon, you shall have a
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  Speaker 1: long holiday if we go, But I am afraid it
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  Speaker 1: is long if. Now, Dixon did not like this speech
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  Speaker 1: in the first place. She did not like Margaret's trick
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  Speaker 1: of calling her dear Old Dixon whenever she was particularly demonstrative.
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  Speaker 1: She knew that Miss Hale was apt to call all
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  Speaker 1: people that she liked old as a sort of term
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  Speaker 1: of endearment. But Dixon always winced away from the application
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  Speaker 1: of the word to herself, who, being not much past fifty, was,
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  Speaker 1: she thought, in the very prime of life. Secondly, she
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  Speaker 1: did not like being so easily taken at her word.
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  Speaker 1: She had, with all her terror, a lurking curiosity about Spain,
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  Speaker 1: the Inquisition, and Popish mysteries. So, after clearing her throat
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  Speaker 1: as if to show her willingness to do away with difficulties,
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  Speaker 1: she asked Miss Hale whether she thought if she took
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  Speaker 1: care never to see a priest or enter into one
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  Speaker 1: of their churches, there would be so very much danger
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  Speaker 1: of her being converted. Master Frederick, to be sure, had
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  Speaker 1: gone over unaccountable. I fancy that it was love that
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  Speaker 1: first predisposed him to conversion, said Margaret, sighing, indeed, miss
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  Speaker 1: said Dixon, well, I can preserve myself from priests and
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  Speaker 1: from churches, but love steals in unawares. I think it
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  Speaker 1: as well, I should not go. Margaret was afraid of
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  Speaker 1: letting her mind run too much upon this Spanish plan,
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  Speaker 1: but it took off her thoughts from too impatiently dwelling
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  Speaker 1: upon her desire to have all explained to mister Thornton.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Bell appeared for the present to be stationary at Oxford,
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  Speaker 1: and to have no immediate purpose of going to Milton,
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  Speaker 1: and some secret restraint seemed to hang over Margaret and
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  Speaker 1: prevent her from even asking or alluding again to any
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  Speaker 1: probability of such a visit on his part. Nor did
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  Speaker 1: she feel at liberty to name what Edith had told
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  Speaker 1: her of the idea. He had entertained it might be,
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  Speaker 1: but for five minutes of going to Spain, he had
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  Speaker 1: never named it at Helstone, during all that sunny day
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  Speaker 1: of life. Leure it was very probably but the fancy
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  Speaker 1: of a moment. But if it were true, what a
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  Speaker 1: bright outlet it would be from the monotony of her
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  Speaker 1: present life which was beginning to fall upon her. One
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  Speaker 1: of the great pleasures of Margaret's life at this time
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  Speaker 1: was in Edith's boy. He was the pride and plaything
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  Speaker 1: of both father and mother as long as he was good.
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  Speaker 1: But he had a strong will of his own, and
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  Speaker 1: as soon as he burst out into one of his
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  Speaker 1: stormy passions, Edith would throw herself back in despair and fatigue,
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  Speaker 1: and sigh out, Oh, dear, what shall I do with him?
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  Speaker 1: Do Margaret please ring the bell for Hanley? But Margaret
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  Speaker 1: almost liked him better in these manifestations of character than
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  Speaker 1: in his good, blue sashed moods. She would carry him
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  Speaker 1: off into a room where they two alone battled it out.
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  Speaker 1: She with a firm power which subdued him into peace,
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  Speaker 1: while every sudden charm and while she possessed, was exerted
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  Speaker 1: on the side of right, and till he would rub
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  Speaker 1: his little, hot and tear smeared face all over hers,
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  Speaker 1: kissing and caressing till he often fell asleep in her
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  Speaker 1: arms or on her shoulder. These were Margaret's sweetest moments.
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  Speaker 1: They gave her a taste of the feelings that she
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  Speaker 1: believed would be denied to her forever. Mister Henry Lennox
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  Speaker 1: added a new and not disagreeable element to the course
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  Speaker 1: of the household life. By his frequent presence, Margaret thought
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  Speaker 1: him colder, if more brilliant, than formerly. But there were
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  Speaker 1: strong intellectual tastes, and much and varied knowledge which gave
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  Speaker 1: flavor to the otherwise rather insipid conversation. Margaret saw glimpses
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  Speaker 1: in him of a slight contempt for his brother and
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  Speaker 1: sister in law, and for their mode of life, which
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  Speaker 1: he seemed to consider as frivolous and purposeless. He once
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  Speaker 1: or twice spoke to his brother in Margaret's presence in
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  Speaker 1: a pretty sharp tone of inquiry as to whether he
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  Speaker 1: meant entirely to relinquish his profession, and on Captain Lennox's
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  Speaker 1: reply that he had quite enough to live upon. She
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  Speaker 1: had seen mister Lennox's curl of the lip, as he said,
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  Speaker 1: and that is all you live for. But the brothers
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  Speaker 1: were much attached to each other, in the way that
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  Speaker 1: any two persons are when the one is cleverer and
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  Speaker 1: always leads the other, and this last is patiently content
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  Speaker 1: to be led. Mister Lennox was pushing on in his profession,
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  Speaker 1: cultivating with profound calculation all those connections that might eventually
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  Speaker 1: be of service to him, keen sighted, far seeing, intelligent, sarcastic,
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  Speaker 1: and proud. Since the one long conversation relating to Frederick's
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  Speaker 1: affairs which she had with him the first evening in
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  Speaker 1: mister Bell's presence, she had had no great intercourse with
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  Speaker 1: him further than that which arose out of their close
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  Speaker 1: relations with the same household. But this was enough to
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  Speaker 1: wear off the shyness on her side and any symptoms
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  Speaker 1: of mortified pride and vanity on his. They met continually,
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  Speaker 1: of course, but she thought that he rather avoided being
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  Speaker 1: alone with her. She fancied that he, as well as
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  Speaker 1: she perceived, that they had drifted strangely apart from their
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  Speaker 1: former anchorage side by side in many of their opinions
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  Speaker 1: and all their tastes. And yet when he had spoken
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  Speaker 1: unusually well or with remarkable epigrammatic point, she felt that
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  Speaker 1: his eye sought the expression of her countenance first of all,
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  Speaker 1: if but for an instant, and that in the family
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  Speaker 1: intercourse which constantly threw them together, her opinion was the
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  Speaker 1: one to which he listened with a deference, the more
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  Speaker 1: complete because it was reluctantly paid and concealed as much
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  Speaker 1: as possible. End of Chapter forty seven