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046 - Confidences · Wives and Daughters

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  Speaker 1: Chapter forty five of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Caskell.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, Chapter forty
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  Speaker 1: five Confidences. All the rest of that day, Molly was
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  Speaker 1: depressed and not well, having anything to conceal. Was so unusual,
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  Speaker 1: almost so unprecedented, a circumstance with her, that it preyed
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  Speaker 1: upon her in every way. It was a nightmare that
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  Speaker 1: she could not shake off. She did so wish to
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  Speaker 1: forget it all, and yet every little occurrence seemed to
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  Speaker 1: remind her of it. The next morning's post brought several letters,
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  Speaker 1: one from Roger for Cynthia, and Molly letterless herself, looked
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  Speaker 1: at Cynthia as she read it with wistful sadness. It
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  Speaker 1: appeared to Molly as though Cynthia should have no satisfaction
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  Speaker 1: in these letters until she had told him what was
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  Speaker 1: her exact position with mister Preston. Yet Cynthia was coloring
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  Speaker 1: and dimpling up as she always did at any pretty
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  Speaker 1: words of praise or admiration or love. But Molly's thoughts
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  Speaker 1: and Cynthia's reading were both interrupted by a triumphant little
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  Speaker 1: sound from missus Gibson as she pushed a letter she
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  Speaker 1: had just received to her husband with a.
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  Speaker 2: There, I must say, I expected that.
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  Speaker 1: Then, turning to Cynthia, she explained.
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  Speaker 2: It is a letter from Uncle Kirkpatrick love so kind,
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  Speaker 2: wishing you to go and stay with them and help
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  Speaker 2: them to cheer up Helen. Poor Helen. I am afraid
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  Speaker 2: she is very far from well, but we could not
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  Speaker 2: have had her here without disturbing dear Papa in his
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  Speaker 2: consulting room. And though I could have relinquished my dressing room.
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  Speaker 2: He well, so I said in my letter, how you
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  Speaker 2: were grieved, you above all of us, because you are
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  Speaker 2: such a friend of Helen's, you know, and how you
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  Speaker 2: longed to be of use, as I am sure you do.
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  Speaker 2: And so now they want you to go up directly,
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  Speaker 2: for Helen has quite set her heart upon it.
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  Speaker 1: Cynthia's eyes sparkled.
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  Speaker 3: I shall like going, said she, all but leaving you, Molly, she.
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  Speaker 1: Added, in a lower tone, as if suddenly smitten with
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  Speaker 1: some compunction.
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  Speaker 4: Can you be ready to go by the bang up to.
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  Speaker 1: Night, said mister Gibson.
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  Speaker 4: For curiously enough, after more than twenty years of quiet
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  Speaker 4: practice at Hollingford, I am summoned up today for the
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  Speaker 4: first time to a consultation in London tomorrow. I'm afraid
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  Speaker 4: Lady Cumnor is worse, my dear.
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  Speaker 2: You don't say so, poor dear lady, what a shock
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  Speaker 2: it is to me. I'm so glad I've had some breakfast.
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  Speaker 2: I could not have eaten anything.
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  Speaker 4: Nay, I only say she is worse, with her complaint.
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  Speaker 4: Being worse may be only a preliminary to being better.
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  Speaker 4: Don't take my words for more than their literal meaning.
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  Speaker 2: How kind and reassuring, dear Papa always is about your gown, Cynthia.
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  Speaker 3: Oh, they're all right, Mamma, thank you. I shall be
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  Speaker 3: quite ready by four o'clock. Molly, will you come with
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  Speaker 3: me and help me to pack? I wanted to speak
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  Speaker 3: to you.
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  Speaker 1: Dear, said she, as soon as they had gone upstairs.
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  Speaker 3: It is such a relief to get away from a
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  Speaker 3: place haunted by that man. But I'm afraid you thought
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  Speaker 3: I was glad to leave you, and indeed I'm not.
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  Speaker 1: There was a little flavor of protesting too much about this,
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  Speaker 1: but Molly did not perceive it. She only said, indeed,
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  Speaker 1: I did not. I know from my own feelings how
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  Speaker 1: you must dislike meeting a man in public in a
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  Speaker 1: different manner from what you have done in private. I
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  Speaker 1: shall try not to see mister Preston again for a
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  Speaker 1: long long time, I am sure. But Cynthia, you haven't
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  Speaker 1: told me one word out of Roger's letter?
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  Speaker 5: Please? How is he Has he quite gotten over his
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  Speaker 5: attack of fever?
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  Speaker 3: Yes?
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  Speaker 5: Quite?
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  Speaker 3: He writes in very good spirits, a great deal about
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  Speaker 3: birds and beasts, as usual, habits of natives, and things
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  Speaker 3: of that kind. You may read from.
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  Speaker 1: There, indicating a place in the letter to.
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  Speaker 3: There if you can, And I'll tell you what. I'll
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  Speaker 3: trust you with it, Molly while I pack. And that
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  Speaker 3: shows my sense of your honor. Not but what you
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  Speaker 3: might read it, or only you'd find the love making doll.
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  Speaker 3: But make a little account of where he is and
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  Speaker 3: what he is doing, date and that sort of thing,
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  Speaker 3: and send it to his father.
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  Speaker 1: Molly took the letter down without a word and began
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  Speaker 1: to copy it at the writing table, often reading over
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  Speaker 1: what she was allowed to read, often pausing her cheek
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  Speaker 1: on her hand, her eyes on the letter, and letting
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  Speaker 1: her imagination rove to the writer and all the scenes
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  Speaker 1: in which she had either seen him herself or in
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  Speaker 1: which her fancy had painted him. She was startled from
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  Speaker 1: her meditations by Cynthia's sudden entrance into the drawing room,
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  Speaker 1: looking the picture of glowing delight.
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  Speaker 3: No one hear what a blessing? Ah, miss Molly, you
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  Speaker 3: are more eloquent than you believe yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Look here holding up a large, full envelope and then
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  Speaker 1: quickly replacing it in her pocket, as if she were
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  Speaker 1: afraid of being seen.
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  Speaker 3: What's the matter, sweet one?
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  Speaker 1: Coming up and caressing Molly?
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  Speaker 3: Is it worrying itself over that letter? Why don't you see?
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  Speaker 3: These are my very own horrible letters that I am
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  Speaker 3: going to burn directly, that mister Preston has had the
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  Speaker 3: grace to send me. Thanks to you, little Molly, cuge
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  Speaker 3: la Marcharie paulse of my heart, the letters that had
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  Speaker 3: been hanging over my head like somebody's sword for these
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  Speaker 3: two years.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I am so glad, said Molly, rousing up a little.
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  Speaker 5: I never thought you would have sent them. He is
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  Speaker 5: better than I believe, and now it is all over.
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  Speaker 5: I am so glad. You quite think he means to
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  Speaker 5: give up all claim over you by this, don't you, Cynthia.
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  Speaker 3: He may claim, but I won't be claimed, and he
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  Speaker 3: has no proofs now It is the most charming relief,
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  Speaker 3: and I owe it all to you, you precious little lady.
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  Speaker 3: Now there's only one thing more to be done, and
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  Speaker 3: if you would but do it.
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  Speaker 1: For me coaxing and caressing, well, she asked the question.
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  Speaker 5: Oh, Cynthia, don't ask me. I cannot do any more.
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  Speaker 5: You don't know how sick I go when I think
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  Speaker 5: of yesterday. And mister sheepshanks, look, it is only a.
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  Speaker 3: Very little thing. I won't burden your conscience with telling
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  Speaker 3: you how I got my letters. But it is not
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  Speaker 3: through a person I can trust with money, and I
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  Speaker 3: must force him to take back his twenty three pounds
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  Speaker 3: odd shillings. I have put it together at the rate
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  Speaker 3: of five percent, and it's sealed up. Oh, Molly, I
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  Speaker 3: should go off with such a light heart. If you
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  Speaker 3: would only try to get it safely to him, it's
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  Speaker 3: the last thing. There would be no immediate hurry. You know,
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  Speaker 3: you might meet him by chance and a sharp in
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  Speaker 3: the street, even at a party. If you only had
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  Speaker 3: it with you in your pocket, there would be nothing
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  Speaker 3: so easy.
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  Speaker 1: Molly was silent.
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  Speaker 5: Papa would give it him. There would be no harm
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  Speaker 5: in that. I would tell him he must ask no
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  Speaker 5: questions as to what it was.
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  Speaker 1: Very well, said Cynthia.
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  Speaker 3: Have it your own way. I think my way is
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  Speaker 3: the best for if any of this affair comes out.
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  Speaker 3: But you've done a great deal for me already, and
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  Speaker 3: I won't blame you now for declining to do any more.
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  Speaker 5: I do so dislike having these underhand dealings with him,
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  Speaker 5: pleaded Molly.
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  Speaker 3: Underhand just simply giving him a letter from me. If
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  Speaker 3: I left a note for miss Browning, should you just
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  Speaker 3: like giving it to her?
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  Speaker 5: You know that's very different.
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  Speaker 3: I could do it openly, and yet there might be
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  Speaker 3: writing in that, and there wouldn't be a line with
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  Speaker 3: the money. It would only be the winding up, the honorable,
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  Speaker 3: honest winding up of an affair which has worried me
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  Speaker 3: for years. But do as you like.
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  Speaker 5: Give it me, said Molly. I will try.
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  Speaker 3: There s a darling you can but try. And if
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  Speaker 3: you can't give it to him in private without getting
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  Speaker 3: yourself into a scrape, why keep it till I come
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  Speaker 3: back again. He shall have it then, whether he will
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  Speaker 3: or no.
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  Speaker 1: Molly looked forward to her two days alone with Missus
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  Speaker 1: Gibson with very different anticipations from those with which she
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  Speaker 1: had welcomed the similar intercourse with her father. In the
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  Speaker 1: first place, there was no accompanying the travelers to the
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  Speaker 1: inn from which the coach started leave. Taking in the
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  Speaker 1: market place was quite out of the bounds of Missus
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  Speaker 1: Gibson's sense of propriety. Besides this, it was a gloomy,
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  Speaker 1: rainy evening, and candles had to be brought in at
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  Speaker 1: an unusually early hour. There would be no break for
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  Speaker 1: six hours, no music, no reading, but the two ladies
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  Speaker 1: would sit at their worsted work, pattering away at small talk,
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  Speaker 1: with not even the usual break of dinner, for to
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  Speaker 1: suit the requirements of those who were leaving, they had
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  Speaker 1: already dined early. But missus Gibson really meant to make
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  Speaker 1: Molly happy and tried to be an agreeable companion. Only
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  Speaker 1: Molly was not well and was uneasy about many apprehended
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  Speaker 1: cares and troubles, and at such hours of indisposition as
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  Speaker 1: she was then passing through, apprehensions take the shape of
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  Speaker 1: certainties lying away in our paths. Molly would have given
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  Speaker 1: a good deal to have shaken off all these feelings
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  Speaker 1: unusual enough to her, But the very house and furniture
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  Speaker 1: and rain blurred outer landscape seemed steeped with unpleasant associations,
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  Speaker 1: most of them dating from the last few days.
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  Speaker 2: You and I must go in the next journey, I think,
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  Speaker 2: my dear.
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  Speaker 1: Said Missus Gibson, almost chiming in with Molly's wish that
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  Speaker 1: she could get away from Hollingford into some new air
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  Speaker 1: and life for a week or two.
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  Speaker 2: We have been stay at homes for a long time,
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  Speaker 2: and variety of scene is so desirable for the young.
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  Speaker 2: But I think the travelers will be wishing themselves at
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  Speaker 2: home by this nice, bright fireside. There's no place like home,
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  Speaker 2: as the poet says, mid pleasures and palaces. Although I
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  Speaker 2: may roam it begins, and it's both very pretty and
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  Speaker 2: very true. It's a great blessing to have such a
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  Speaker 2: dear little home as this is, not it, Molly.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, said Molly, rather drearily, having something of the toujour
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  Speaker 1: perdre feeling at the moment. If she could but have
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  Speaker 1: gone away with her father just for two days, how
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  Speaker 1: pleasant it would have been, To.
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  Speaker 2: Be sure, Love, it would be very nice for you
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  Speaker 2: and me to go a little journey all by ourselves,
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  Speaker 2: you and I no one else. If it were not
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  Speaker 2: such a miserable weather, we would have gone off on
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  Speaker 2: a little impromptu tour. I've been longing for something of
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  Speaker 2: the kind for some weeks. But we live such a
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  Speaker 2: restricted kind of life here, I declare, sometimes I get
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  Speaker 2: quite sick of the very sight of the chairs and
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  Speaker 2: tables that I know so well. And one misses the
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  Speaker 2: others too. It seems so flat and deserted without them.
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  Speaker 5: Yes, we are very forlorn to night, but I think
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  Speaker 5: it's partly owing to the weather.
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  Speaker 2: Nonsense, dear, I can't have you giving in to the
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  Speaker 2: silly fancy of being affected by the weather. Poor dear
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  Speaker 2: mister Kirkpatrick used to say, a cheerful heart makes its
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  Speaker 2: own sunshine. He would say it to me in his
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  Speaker 2: pretty way, whenever I was a little low. For I
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  Speaker 2: am a complete barometer. You may really judge of the
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  Speaker 2: state of the weather by my spirits. I have always
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  Speaker 2: been such a sensitive creature. It is well for Cynthia
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  Speaker 2: that she does not inherit it. I don't think her
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  Speaker 2: easily affected any way, do you.
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  Speaker 1: Molly thought for a minute or two and then replied.
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  Speaker 5: No, she certainly is not easily affected, not deeply affected.
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  Speaker 5: Perhaps I should.
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  Speaker 2: Say, many girls for instance, would have been touched by
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  Speaker 2: the admiration she excited, I may say the attentions she received.
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  Speaker 2: She was at her uncle's last.
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  Speaker 5: Summer at mister Kirkpatrick's.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, there was mister Henderson, that young lawyer. That's to say,
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  Speaker 2: he is studying law, but he is a good private
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  Speaker 2: fortune and is likely to have more, so he can
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  Speaker 2: only be what I called playing at law. Mister Henderson
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  Speaker 2: was over head and ears in love with her. It
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  Speaker 2: is not my fancy. Although I grant mothers are partial.
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  Speaker 2: Both mister and Missus Kirkpatrick noticed it, and in one
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  Speaker 2: of Missus Kirkpatrick's letters, she said that poor mister Henderson
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  Speaker 2: was going into Switzerland for the long vacation, doubtless to
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  Speaker 2: try and forget Cynthia, but she really believed he would
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: find it only dragging at each remove a lengthening chain.
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  Speaker 2: I thought, it's such a refined quotation, and altogether worded
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  Speaker 2: so prettily. You must know Aunt Kirkpatrick some day. Molly,
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  Speaker 2: my love, she is what I call a woman of
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  Speaker 2: a truly elegant mind.
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  Speaker 5: I can't help thinking it was pity that Cynthia did
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  Speaker 5: not tell him of her engagement.
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  Speaker 2: It is not an engagement, My dear, How often must
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  Speaker 2: I tell you that?
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  Speaker 5: But what am I to call it?
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  Speaker 2: I don't see why you need to call it anything. Indeed,
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  Speaker 2: I don't understand what you mean by it. You should
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: always try to express yourself intelligibly. It really is one
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  Speaker 2: of the first principles of the English language. In fact,
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: philosophers might ask, what is language given us for at all?
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: If it is not that we may make our meaning understood.
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  Speaker 5: But there is something between Cynthia and Roger. They are
• 11:44
  Speaker 5: more to each other than I am to Osborne. For instance,
• 11:46
  Speaker 5: what am I to call it?
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: You should not couple your name with that of any
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: unmarried young man. It is so difficult to teach you delicacy. Child.
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  Speaker 2: Perhaps one may say there is a peculiar relation between
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: dear Cynthia and Roger, but it is very difficult to
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  Speaker 2: characterize it. I have no doubt that is the reason
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: she shrinks from speaking about it. For between ourselves, Molly,
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: I really sometimes think it will come to nothing. He
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  Speaker 2: is so long away and privately speaking. Cynthia is not
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: very very constant. I once knew her very much taken
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: before that little affair is quite gone by, and she
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  Speaker 2: was very civil to mister Henderson in her way. I
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  Speaker 2: fancy she inherits it, for when I was a girl
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  Speaker 2: I was beset by lovers and could never find in
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: my heart to shake them off. You have not heard,
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: dear Papa say anything of the old Squire or dear Osborne.
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  Speaker 6: Have you?
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: It seems so long since we have heard or seen
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: anything of Osborne. But he must be quite well, I think,
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: or we should have heard of it.
• 12:44
  Speaker 5: I believe he is quite well. Some one said the
• 12:47
  Speaker 5: other day that they had met him riding. It was
• 12:49
  Speaker 5: missus goodenough now I remember, and that he was looking
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: stronger than he had done for years.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Indeed, I am truly glad to hear it. I always
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: was fond of Osborne, and do you know I never
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: really took to Roger. I respected him and all that,
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: of course, but to compare him with mister Henderson, mister
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: Henderson is so handsome and well bred, and gets all
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: his gloves from Oubigonge.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: It was true that they had not seen anything of
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: Osborne Hamley for a long time, but as it often happens,
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: just after they had been speaking about him, he appeared.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: It was on the day following mister Gibson's departure that
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson received one of the notes not so common
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: now as formerly from the family in town, asking her
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: to go over to the towers and find a book
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: or a manuscript or something or other that Lady Cumnor wanted.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: With all an invalid's impatience. It was just the kind
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: of employment she required for an amusement on a gloomy day,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: and it put her into a good humor immediately. There
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: was a certain confidential importance about it, and it was
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: a variety, and it gave her the pleasant drive in
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: the fly up the noble avenue, and the sense of
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: being the temporary mistress of all the grand rooms once
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: so familiar to her. She asked Molly to akccompany her
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: out of an access of kindness, but was not at
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: all sorry when Molly excused herself and preferred stopping at home.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: At eleven o'clock, Missus Gibson was off all in her
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Sunday best to use the servant's expression, which she herself
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: would so have condemned, well dressed in order to impose
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: on the servants at the towers, for there was no
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: one else to see or be seen by I shall.
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: Not be at home until the afternoon, my dear, But
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: I hope you will not find it dull. I don't
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: think you will, for you were something like me. My
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: love never less alone than when alone, as one of
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: the great authors has justly expressed it.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: Molly enjoyed the house to herself fully as much as
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Missus Gibson would enjoy having the towers to herself. She
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: ventured on having her lunch brought upon a tray into
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: the drawing room, so that she might eat her sandwiches
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: while she went on with her book. In the middle,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: mister Osborne Hamley was announced. He came in looking wretchedly ill,
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: in spite of the purblind Missus Goodenough's report of his
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: healthy appearance.
• 14:53
  Speaker 6: This call is not on you, Molly.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: Said he. After the first greetings were over.
• 14:59
  Speaker 6: I was in home. I might have found your father
• 15:01
  Speaker 6: at home. I thought lunch time was the best hour.
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  Speaker 1: He had sat down as if thoroughly glad of the rest,
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: and fallen into a languid, stooping position, as if it
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: had become so natural to him that no sense of
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: what was considered good manners sufficed to restrain him.
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: Now, I hope you didn't want to see him professionally.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: Said Molly, wondering if she was wise and alluding to
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: his health, yet urged to it by her real anxiety.
• 15:25
  Speaker 6: Yes I did. I suppose I may help myself to
• 15:29
  Speaker 6: a biscuit and a glass of wine. No, don't ring
• 15:31
  Speaker 6: for more. I could not eat it if it was here,
• 15:34
  Speaker 6: but I just want a mouthful. This is quite enough,
• 15:37
  Speaker 6: thank you. When will your father be back here?
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: Summoned up to London? Lady Cumnor is worse. I fancy
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: there is some operation going on, but I don't know.
• 15:47
  Speaker 5: He will be back tomorrow night.
• 15:49
  Speaker 6: Very well, then I must wait. Perhaps I shall be
• 15:52
  Speaker 6: better by that time. I think it's our fancy. But
• 15:56
  Speaker 6: I should like your father to tell me so. He
• 15:59
  Speaker 6: will laugh at me, I dare say, But I don't
• 16:01
  Speaker 6: think I shall mind that. He's always severe on fanciful patience,
• 16:05
  Speaker 6: isn't he Molly.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: Molly thought that if he saw Osborne's looks just then,
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: he would hardly think him fanciful or be inclined to
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: be severe, But she only said.
• 16:14
  Speaker 5: Papa enjoys a joke at everything.
• 16:16
  Speaker 6: You know.
• 16:17
  Speaker 5: It is a relief after all the sorrow he sees.
• 16:19
  Speaker 6: Very true. There is a great deal of sorrow in
• 16:22
  Speaker 6: the world. I don't think it's a very happy place
• 16:25
  Speaker 6: after all. So Cynthia has.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Gone to London, he added, after a pause, I think I.
• 16:31
  Speaker 6: Should like to have seen her again. Poor old Roger,
• 16:34
  Speaker 6: he loves her very dearly, Molly.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: He said. Molly hardly knew how to answer him. And
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: all this she was so struck by the change in
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: both voice and manner. Mamma has gone to the towers,
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: she began. At length.
• 16:47
  Speaker 5: Lady Cumnor wanted several things that Mamma only can find.
• 16:50
  Speaker 5: She will be sorry to miss you. We'll be speaking
• 16:53
  Speaker 5: of you only yesterday, and she said, how long it
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: was since we had seen you.
• 16:57
  Speaker 6: I think I have grown careless. I've often felt so
• 17:00
  Speaker 6: weary and ill that it was all I could do
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: to keep up a brave face before my father.
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: Why did you not come and see Papa, said Molly,
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: all write to him.
• 17:10
  Speaker 6: I cannot tell. I'd drifted on, sometimes better and sometimes worse,
• 17:15
  Speaker 6: until to day I must it up pluck and came
• 17:17
  Speaker 6: to hear what your father has got to tell me,
• 17:19
  Speaker 6: and all for no use. It seems.
• 17:22
  Speaker 5: I am very sorry, but it is only for two days.
• 17:25
  Speaker 5: He shall go and see you as soon as ever
• 17:27
  Speaker 5: he returns.
• 17:28
  Speaker 6: You must not alarm my father, remember, Molly.
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: Said Osborne, lifting himself by the arms of his chair
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: into an upright position and speaking eagerly. For the moment,
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: I wish to god Roger was at home, said he,
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: falling back into the old posture. I can't help understanding you,
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: said Molly. You think yourself very ill, but isn't it
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: that you are tired just now? She was not sure
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: if she ought to have understood what was passing in
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: his mind, but as she did, she could not help
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: speaking a true reply.
• 17:57
  Speaker 6: Well, sometimes I do think I'm very ill, and then
• 18:00
  Speaker 6: again I think it's only the moping life sets me
• 18:03
  Speaker 6: fancying and exaggerating.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: He was silent for some time, then, as if he
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: had taken a sudden resolution, he spoke again.
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: You see, there are others depending upon me, upon my health.
• 18:16
  Speaker 6: You haven't forgotten what you heard that day in the
• 18:18
  Speaker 6: library at home. No, I know you haven't. I've seen
• 18:22
  Speaker 6: the thought of it in your eyes often since then.
• 18:24
  Speaker 6: I didn't know you at the time. I think I
• 18:26
  Speaker 6: do now.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: Don't go on talking so fast, said Molly. Rest No
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: one will interrupt us. I will go on with my sewing.
• 18:36
  Speaker 5: When you want to say anything more, I shall be listening, for.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: She was alarmed at the strange pallor that had come
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: over his face.
• 18:42
  Speaker 6: Thank you.
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: After a time, he roused himself and began to speak
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: very quietly, as if on an indifferent matter of fact.
• 18:49
  Speaker 6: The name of my wife is a may Emmee Hamley.
• 18:53
  Speaker 6: Of course she lives at Bishopfield, a village near Winchester.
• 18:57
  Speaker 6: Write it down, but keep it to yourself. A frenchwoman,
• 19:01
  Speaker 6: a Roman Catholic, and was a servant. She is a
• 19:04
  Speaker 6: thoroughly good woman. I must not say how dear she
• 19:07
  Speaker 6: is to me. I dare not. I meant once to
• 19:11
  Speaker 6: have told Cynthia, but she did not seem quite to
• 19:13
  Speaker 6: consider me as a brother. Perhaps she was shy of
• 19:16
  Speaker 6: a new relation. But you will give my love to
• 19:19
  Speaker 6: her all the same. It is a relief to think
• 19:21
  Speaker 6: that some one else has my secret, and you are
• 19:24
  Speaker 6: like one of us, Molly, I can trust you almost
• 19:27
  Speaker 6: as I can trust Roger. I feel better already now
• 19:30
  Speaker 6: I feel that some one else knows the whereabouts of
• 19:32
  Speaker 6: my wife and child.
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: Child, said Molly, surprised, but before he could reply, Maria
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: had announced.
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: Miss Phoebe Browning.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: Fold up that paper, said, he quickly putting something into
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: her hands.
• 19:47
  Speaker 6: It is only for yourself.
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: End of Chapter forty five.