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059 - Reviving Hopes and Brightening Prospects · Wives and Daughters

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Speaker 1: Chapter fifty eight of Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, Chapter fifty
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Speaker 1: eight Reviving Hopes and Brightening Prospects.
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Speaker 2: If you can without fatigue, dear do come down to
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Speaker 2: dinner to day. Then you'll see the people one by
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Speaker 2: one as they appear, instead of having to encounter a
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Speaker 2: crowd of strangers. Hollingford would be here too. I hope
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Speaker 2: you'll find it pleasant.
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Speaker 1: So Mollie made her appearance at dinner that day and
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Speaker 1: got to know by sight at least some of the
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Speaker 1: most distinguished of the visitors at the towers. The next
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Speaker 1: day was Thursday, Cynthia's wedding day, Bright and fine in
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Speaker 1: the country, whatever it might be in London, and there
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Speaker 1: were several letters from the home people awaiting Molly when
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Speaker 1: she came downstairs to the late breakfast. For every day,
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Speaker 1: every hour, she was gaining strength and health, and she
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Speaker 1: was unwilling to continue her her invalid habits any longer
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Speaker 1: than was necessary. She looked so much better that Sir
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Speaker 1: Charles noticed it to Lady Harriet, and several of the
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Speaker 1: visitors spoke of her this morning as a very pretty
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Speaker 1: ladylike and graceful girl. This was Thursday. On Friday, as
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Speaker 1: Lady Harriet had told her, some visitors from the more
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Speaker 1: immediate neighborhood were expected to stay over the Sunday, but
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Speaker 1: she had not mentioned their names, And when Molly went
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Speaker 1: down into the drawing room before dinner, she was almost
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Speaker 1: startled by perceiving Roger Hamley in the center of a
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Speaker 1: group of gentlemen who were all talking together eagerly, and
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Speaker 1: as it seemed to her, making him the object of
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Speaker 1: their attention. He made a hitch in his conversation, lost
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Speaker 1: the precise meaning of a question addressed to him, answered
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Speaker 1: it rather hastily, and made his way to where Molly
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Speaker 1: was sitting a little behind Lady Harriet. He had heard
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Speaker 1: that she was staying at the towers, but he was
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Speaker 1: almost was as much surprised by hers as she was
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Speaker 1: by his unexpected appearance, for he had only seen her
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Speaker 1: once or twice since his return from Africa, and then
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Speaker 1: in the guise of an invalid. Now in her pretty
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Speaker 1: evening dress, with her hair beautifully dressed, her delicate complexion
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Speaker 1: flushed a little with timidity, yet her movements and manners
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Speaker 1: bespeaking quiet ease. Roger hardly recognized her. Although he acknowledged
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Speaker 1: her identity, he began to feel the admiring deference which
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Speaker 1: most young men experience when conversing with a very pretty girl,
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Speaker 1: a sort of desire to obtain her good opinion, in
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Speaker 1: a manner very different to his old familiar friendliness. He
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Speaker 1: was annoyed when Sir Charles, whose especial charge she still was,
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Speaker 1: came up to take her in to dinner. He could
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Speaker 1: not quite understand the smile of mutual intelligence that passed
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Speaker 1: between the two, each being aware of Lady Harriet's plan
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Speaker 1: of sheltering Molly from the necessity of talking and acting
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Speaker 1: in conformity with her wishes as much as with their own.
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Speaker 1: Roger found himself puzzling and watching them from time to
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Speaker 1: time during dinner. Again in the evening, he sought her out,
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Speaker 1: but found her again preoccupied with one of the young
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Speaker 1: men staying in the house, who had had the advantage
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Speaker 1: of two days of mutual interest and acquaintance with daily
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Speaker 1: events and jokes and anxieties of the family circle. Molly
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Speaker 1: could not help wishing to break off all this trivial
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Speaker 1: talk and to make room for Roger. She had so
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Speaker 1: much to ask him about everything at the hall. He was,
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Speaker 1: and had been, such a stranger to them all for
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Speaker 1: these last two months and more. But though each wanted
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Speaker 1: to speak to the other more than to any one
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Speaker 1: else in the room, it so happened that everything seemed
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Speaker 1: to conspire to prevent it. Lord Holingford carried off Roger
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Speaker 1: to the cluster of middle aged men. He was wanted
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Speaker 1: to give his opinion upon some scientific subject. Mister Ernulfus Watson,
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Speaker 1: the young man referred to above, kept his place by
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Speaker 1: Molly as the prettiest girl in the room, and almost
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Speaker 1: dazed her by his never ceasing flow of clever small talk.
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Speaker 1: She looked so tired and pale at last that the
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Speaker 1: ever watchful Lady Harriet sent Sir Charles to the rescue.
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Speaker 1: And after a few words with Lady Harriet, Roger saw
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Speaker 1: Molly quietly leave the room, and a sentence or two
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Speaker 1: which he heard Lady Harriet addressed to her cousin made
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Speaker 1: him know that it was for the night. Those sentences
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Speaker 1: might bear another interpretation than the obvious one.
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Speaker 2: Really, Charles, considering that she is in your charge, I
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Speaker 2: think you might have saved her from the chatter and
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Speaker 2: patter of mister Watson. I can only stand it when
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Speaker 2: I am in the strongest health.
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Speaker 3: Why was Molly in Sir Charles's charge? Why?
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Speaker 1: Then? Roger remembered many little things that might serve to
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Speaker 1: confirm the fancy he had got into his head, And
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Speaker 1: he went to bed puzzled and annoyed. It seemed to
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Speaker 1: him such an incongruous, hastily got up sort of engagement,
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Speaker 1: if engagement it really was. On Saturday, they were more fortunate.
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Speaker 1: They had a long tete, a tete in the most
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Speaker 1: public place in the house, on a sofa in the hall,
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Speaker 1: where Molly was resting at Lady Harriet's command, before going
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Speaker 1: upstairs after a walk. Roger was passing through and saw
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Speaker 1: her and came to her, standing before her and making
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Speaker 1: pretense of playing with the goldfish in a great marble
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Speaker 1: basin close at hand.
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Speaker 3: I was very unlucky, said he. I wanted to get
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Speaker 3: near you last night, but it was quite impossible. You
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Speaker 3: were so busy talking to mister Watson, until Sir Charles
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Speaker 3: Morton came and carried you off with such an air
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Speaker 3: of authority. Have you known him long?
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Speaker 1: Now? This was not at all the manner in which
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Speaker 1: Roger had predetermined that he would speak of Sir Charles
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Speaker 1: to Molly, but the words came out in spite of himself.
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Speaker 4: No, not long. I never saw him before I came
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Speaker 4: here on Tuesday, but Lady Harriet told him to see that.
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Speaker 4: I did not get tire it, for I wanted to
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Speaker 4: come down. But you know I have not been strong.
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Speaker 4: He is a cousin of Lady Harriet's, and that's all
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Speaker 4: she tells him to do.
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Speaker 3: Oh, he is not handsome, but I believe he is
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Speaker 3: a very sensible man.
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Speaker 4: Yes, I should think so. He's so silent, though that
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Speaker 4: I can hardly judge.
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Speaker 3: He bears a very high character in the county.
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Speaker 1: Said Roger, willing now to give him his full due.
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Speaker 1: Molly stood up. I must go upstairs, she said. I
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Speaker 1: only sat down here for a minute or two because
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Speaker 1: Lady Harriet.
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Speaker 3: Bade me stop. A little longer, said he. This is
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Speaker 3: really the pleasantest place. This basin of what a loyce
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Speaker 3: gives one the idea, if not the sensation of coolness. Besides,
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Speaker 3: it seems so long since I saw you, and I
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Speaker 3: have a message from my father to give you. He
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Speaker 3: is very angry with you.
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Speaker 1: Angry with me, said Molly in surprise.
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Speaker 3: Yes, he heard that you had come here for a
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Speaker 3: change of air, and he was offended that you hadn't
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Speaker 3: come to us to the hall. Instead. He said that
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Speaker 3: you should have remembered old friends.
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Speaker 1: Molly took all of this quite gravely and did not
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Speaker 1: at first notice the smile on his face.
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Speaker 4: Oh I'm so sorry, said she, But will you please
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Speaker 4: tell him how it all happened? Lady Harriet called a
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Speaker 4: very day when it was settled that I was not.
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Speaker 1: To go to Cynthia's wedding. She was going to add,
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Speaker 1: but she suddenly stopped short, and blushing deeply changed the expression.
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Speaker 4: Go to London. And she planned it all in a
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Speaker 4: minute and convinced Mamma and Papa and had her own way.
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Speaker 4: There was really no resisting her.
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Speaker 3: I think you will have to tell all this to
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Speaker 3: my father yourself. If you mean to make you a peace,
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Speaker 3: why can you not come on to the hall when
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Speaker 3: you leave the towers to go.
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Speaker 1: In the cool manner suggested from one house to another
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Speaker 1: after the manner of a royal progress was not at
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Speaker 1: all according to Molly's primitive home keeping notions. She made
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Speaker 1: answer again. She felt herself touching on a sore subject
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Speaker 1: and stopped short. Roger became annoyed at her so constantly
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Speaker 1: conjecturing what he must be feeling on the subject of
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Speaker 1: Cynthia's marriage with sympathetic perception. She had discerned that the
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Speaker 1: idea must give him pain, and perhaps she also knew
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Speaker 1: that he would dislike to show the pain. But she
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Speaker 1: had not the presence of mind or ready wit to
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Speaker 1: give a skillful turn to the conversation. All this ann Roger.
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Speaker 1: He could hardly tell why he determined to take the
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Speaker 1: metaphorical bull by the horns. Until that was done, his
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Speaker 1: footing with Mollie would always be insecure, as it always
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Speaker 1: is between two friends who mutually avoid a subject to
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Speaker 1: which their thoughts perpetually recur.
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Speaker 3: Ah, yes, said he, of course, you must be of
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Speaker 3: double importance now miss Kirkfactory has left you. I saw
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Speaker 3: her marriage in the Times yesterday.
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Speaker 1: His tone of voice was changed in speaking of her.
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Speaker 1: But her name had been named between them, and that
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Speaker 1: was the great thing to accomplish.
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Speaker 3: Still, he continued, I think I must urge my father's
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Speaker 3: claim for a short visit, and all the more because
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Speaker 3: I can really see the apparent improvement in your health.
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Speaker 3: Since I came only yesterday. Besides Mollie, it.
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Speaker 1: Was the old, familiar Roger of former days who spoke now.
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Speaker 3: I think you could help us at home. Amy is
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Speaker 3: shy and awkward with my father, and he has never
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Speaker 3: taken quite kindly to her. Yet I know they would
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Speaker 3: like and value each other if someone could but bring
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Speaker 3: them together. And it would be such a comfort to
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Speaker 3: me if this could take place before I have to
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Speaker 3: leave to leave.
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Speaker 4: Are you going away again?
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Speaker 5: Yes?
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Speaker 3: Have you not heard? I didn't complete my engagement. I'm
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Speaker 3: going again in September for six.
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Speaker 4: Months, I remember. But somehow I fancied you seem to
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Speaker 4: have settled down in the old ways at the hall.
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Speaker 3: So my father appears to think. But it is not
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Speaker 3: likely I shall ever make it home again, And that
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Speaker 3: is partly the reason why I want my father to
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Speaker 3: adopt the notion of Amy's living with him. Ah, here
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Speaker 3: are the people coming back from their walk. However, I
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Speaker 3: shall see you again, perhaps this after noon. We may
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Speaker 3: get a little quiet time, for I have a great
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Speaker 3: deal to consult you about.
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Speaker 1: They separated then, and Molly went upstairs, very happy, very
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Speaker 1: full and warm at her heart.
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Speaker 4: It was so pleasant to have Roger talking to have
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Speaker 4: in this way like a friend. She at once thought
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Speaker 4: that she could never look upon the great brown bearded
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Speaker 4: celebrity in the former light of almost brotherly intimacy. But
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Speaker 4: now it was all coming right.
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Speaker 1: There was no opportunity for renewed confidences. That afternoon, Molly
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Speaker 1: went a quiet, decorous drive as fourth with two dowagers
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Speaker 1: and one spinster. But it was very pleasant to think
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Speaker 1: that she should see him again at dinner and again tomorrow.
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Speaker 1: On the Sunday evening, as they were all sitting and
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Speaker 1: loitering on the lawn before dinner, Roger went on with
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Speaker 1: what he had to say about the position of his
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Speaker 1: sister in law in his father's house, the mutual bond
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Speaker 1: between the mother and the grandfather, being the child who
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Speaker 1: was also through jealousy, the bone of contention, and the severance.
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Speaker 1: There were many little details to be given in order
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Speaker 1: to make Molly quite understand the difficulty of the situations
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Speaker 1: on both sides, and the young man and the girl
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Speaker 1: became absorbed in what they were talking about and wandered
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Speaker 1: away into the shade of the long avenue. Lady Harriet
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Speaker 1: separated herself from a group and came up to Lord Hollingford,
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Speaker 1: who was sauntering a little apart and putting her arm
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Speaker 1: within his with the familiarity of a favorite sister, She said.
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Speaker 2: Don't you think that your pattern young man and my
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Speaker 2: favorite young woman are finding out each other's good qualities?
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Speaker 1: He had not been observing as she had been. Who
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Speaker 1: do you mean, said he.
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Speaker 2: Look along the avenue.
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Speaker 5: Who are those, mister Hamley? And is it not miss Gibson.
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Speaker 5: I can't quite make out. And if you're letting your
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Speaker 5: fancy run off in that direction, and I can tell
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Speaker 5: you it's quite waste of time. Roger Hamley is a
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Speaker 5: man who will soon have an European reputation.
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Speaker 2: That's very possible, and yet it doesn't make any difference
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Speaker 2: in my opinion. Molly Gibson is capable of appreciating him.
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Speaker 5: She is a very pretty good little country girl. I
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Speaker 5: don't mean to say anything against her.
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Speaker 2: But remember the charity ball you called her unusually intelligent
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Speaker 2: after you had danced with her there. But after all,
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Speaker 2: we are like the genie and the fairy in the
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Speaker 2: Arabian Nights Entertainment, who each cried up the merits of
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Speaker 2: the Prince Caramalzaman and the Princess.
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Speaker 5: Badoura Hamley is not a marrying man.
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Speaker 2: How do you know.
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Speaker 5: I know that he has very little private fortune, and
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Speaker 5: I know that science is not an ammunulative profession. If
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Speaker 5: profession it can be called.
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Speaker 2: Oh, if that's all, A hundred things may happen so
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Speaker 2: and one may leave him a fortune, or there's tiresome
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Speaker 2: little air that nobody wanted may die.
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Speaker 5: Hush, harriiot. That's the worst of allowing yourself to plan
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Speaker 5: far ahead for the future. You are sure to contemplate
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Speaker 5: the death of someone and to reckon upon the contingency
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Speaker 5: as affecting events, as if lawyers.
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Speaker 2: Were not always doing something of the kind.
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Speaker 5: Leave it to those to whom it is necessary. I
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Speaker 5: dislike planning marriages or looking forward to deaths about equally.
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Speaker 2: You are getting very prosaic and tiresome Hollingford.
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Speaker 5: Only getting said, he smiling. I thought you would always
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Speaker 5: looked upon me as a tiresome matter of fact fellow.
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Speaker 2: Now, if you're going to fish for a compliment, I
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Speaker 2: am gone. Only remember my prophecy when my vision comes
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Speaker 2: to pass, or make a bet, and whoever wins shall
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Speaker 2: spend the money on a present to Prince Caramelzaman or
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Speaker 2: Princess Badoura, as the case may be.
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Speaker 1: Lord Holingford remembered his sister's words as he heard Roger
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Speaker 1: say to Molly as he was leaving the towers on
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Speaker 1: the following.
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Speaker 3: Day, Then I may tell my father that you will
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Speaker 3: come and pay him a visit next week. You don't
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Speaker 3: know what pleasure it will give him.
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Speaker 1: He had been on the point of saying.
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Speaker 3: Will give us, but he had.
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Speaker 1: An instinct which told him it was as well to
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Speaker 1: consider Molly's promised visit as exclusively made to his father.
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Speaker 1: The next day, Mollie went home. She was astonished at
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Speaker 1: herself for being so sorry to leave the towers, and
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Speaker 1: found it difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the long
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Speaker 1: fixed idea of the house as a place wherein to
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Speaker 1: suffer all a child's tortures of dismay and forlornness. With
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Speaker 1: her new and fresh conception, she had gained health, she
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Speaker 1: had had pleasure, the faint fragrance of a new and
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Speaker 1: unacknowledged hope had stolen into her life. No wonder that
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Speaker 1: mister Gibson was struck with the improvement in her looks,
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Speaker 1: and missus Gibson, Impressed with her increased grace.
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Speaker 6: Ah Molly said she it's really wonderful to see what
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Speaker 6: a little good society will do for a girl. Even
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Speaker 6: a week of association with such people as one meets
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Speaker 6: with at the Towers is, as somebody said of a
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Speaker 6: lady of rank whose name I have forgotten, a polite
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Speaker 6: education in itself. There is something quite different about you,
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Speaker 6: a Jenise Croix, that would tell me at once that
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Speaker 6: you had been mingling with the aristocracy. With all her charms.
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Speaker 6: It was what my darling Cynthia wanted, not that mister
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Speaker 6: Henderson thought so. For a more devoted lover can hardly
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Speaker 6: be conceived. He absolutely bought her a parure of diamonds.
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Speaker 6: I was obliged to say to him that I had
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Speaker 6: studied to preserve her simplicity of taste, and that he
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Speaker 6: must not corrupt her with too much luxury. But I
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Speaker 6: was rather disappointed at their going off without a maid.
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Speaker 6: It was the one blemish in the arrangement, the spot
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Speaker 6: and the sun. Dear Cynthia, when I think of her,
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Speaker 6: I do assure you, Molly, I make it my knightly
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Speaker 6: prayer that I may be able to find you just
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Speaker 6: such another husband. And all this time you have never
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Speaker 6: told me who you met at the towers.
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Speaker 1: Molly ran over a list of names. Roger Hamley's came last.
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Speaker 6: Upon my word. That young man is pushing his way up.
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Speaker 4: The Hamleys are a far old the family than the Cumnors.
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Speaker 1: Said Molly, flushing up.
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Speaker 6: Now, Molly, I can't have you. Democratic rank is a
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Speaker 6: great distinction. It is quite enough to have dear Papa
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Speaker 6: with democratic tendencies. But we won't begin to quarrel now
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Speaker 6: that you and I are left alone. We ought to
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Speaker 6: be bosom friends, and I hope we shall be. Roger
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Speaker 6: Hamley did not say much about that unfortunate little Osborne Hamley.
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Speaker 6: I suppose.
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Speaker 4: On the contrary, he says his father doubts on the child,
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Speaker 4: and he seemed very proud of him himself.
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Speaker 6: I thought the Squire must be getting very much infatuated
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Speaker 6: with something. I daresay the French mother takes care of that.
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Speaker 6: Why he has scarcely taken any notice of you for
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Speaker 6: this month or more, and before that you were everything.
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Speaker 1: It was about six weeks since Cynthia's engagement had become
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Speaker 1: publicly known, and that might have had something to do
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Speaker 1: with the squire's desertion, Molly thought, but she said, the.
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Speaker 4: Squire has had me an invitation to go and stay
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Speaker 4: there next week if you have no objection, Mamma. They
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Speaker 4: seem to want a companion from missus Osborn Hamley, who
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Speaker 4: is not very strong.
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Speaker 6: I can hardly tell what to say. I don't like
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Speaker 6: your having to associate with a frenchwoman of doubtful rank,
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Speaker 6: and I can't bear the thought of losing my child,
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Speaker 6: my only daughter. Now. I did ask Helen Kirkpatrick, but
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Speaker 6: she can't come for some time, and the house is
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Speaker 6: going to be altered. Papa has consented to build me
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Speaker 6: another room at last for Cynthia, and mister Henderson will
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Speaker 6: of course come and see us. We shall have many
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Speaker 6: more visitors, I expect, and your bed you will make
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Speaker 6: a capital lumber room, and Mariah once a week's holiday.
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Speaker 6: I'm always so unwilling to put any obstacles in the
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Speaker 6: way of anyone's pleasure. Weakly unwilling, I believe, but it
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Speaker 6: certainly would be very convenient to have you out of
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Speaker 6: the house for a few days. So for once I
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Speaker 6: will waive my own wish for your companionship and plead
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Speaker 6: your cause with Papa.
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Speaker 1: Miss Brownings came to call and hear the double batch
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Speaker 1: of news. Missus Goodenough had called the very day on
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Speaker 1: which they had returned from Miss Hornblowers to tell them
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Speaker 1: the astounding fact.
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Speaker 7: Of Molly Gibson having gone on a visit to the Towers,
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Speaker 7: not to come back at night, but to sleep there,
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Speaker 7: to be there for two or three days, just as
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Speaker 7: if she was a young lady of quality.
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Speaker 1: So Miss Brownings came to hear all the details of
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Speaker 1: the wedding from Missus Gibson, and the history of Molly's
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Speaker 1: visit at the Towers as well. But Missus Gibson did
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Speaker 1: not like this divided interest, and some of her old
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Speaker 1: jealousy of Molly's intimacy at the Towers had returned. Now,
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Speaker 1: Molly said, Miss Browning, let us.
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Speaker 8: Hear how you've behaved among the great folks. You must
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Speaker 8: not be set up with all their attention. Remember that
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Speaker 8: they pay it to you for your good father's sake.
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Speaker 6: Molly is I think quite aware.
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Speaker 1: Put in Missus Gibson, in her most soft and languid tone.
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Speaker 6: That she owes her privilege of visiting at such a
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Speaker 6: house to Lady Cumnor's kind desire to set my mind
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Speaker 6: quite at liberty at the time of Cynthia's marriage. As
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Speaker 6: soon as ever I had returned home, Molly came back. Indeed,
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Speaker 6: I should not have thought it right to let her
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Speaker 6: intrude upon their kindness beyond what was absolutely necessary.
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Speaker 1: Molly felt extremely uncomfortable at all this, though perfectly aware
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Speaker 1: of the entire inaccuracy of the statement. Well, but Molly said,
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Speaker 1: Miss Browning.
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Speaker 8: Never mind if you went there on your own merits,
20:56
Speaker 8: or on your worthy father's merits, or Missus Gibson's, But
21:01
Speaker 8: tell us what you did when you were there.
21:04
Speaker 1: So Mollie began an account of their sayings and doings,
21:07
Speaker 1: which she could have made far more interesting to Miss
21:10
Speaker 1: Browning and Miss Phoebe if she had not been conscious
21:13
Speaker 1: of her stepmother's critical listening. She had to tell it
21:17
Speaker 1: all with the mental squint, the surest way to spoil
21:20
Speaker 1: a narration. She was also subject to Missus Gibson's perpetual
21:25
Speaker 1: corrections of little statements which she knew to be facts.
21:29
Speaker 1: But what vexter most of all was Missus Gibson's last
21:33
Speaker 1: speech before the Miss Brownings left.
21:36
Speaker 6: Molly has fallen into rambling ways with this visit of hers,
21:39
Speaker 6: of which she makes so much as if nobody had
21:41
Speaker 6: ever been in a great house but herself. She's going
21:44
Speaker 6: to Hamley Hall next week, getting quite dissipated, in fact.
21:49
Speaker 1: Yet to Missus Goodenough, the next caller on the same
21:52
Speaker 1: errand of congratulation, Missus Gibson's tone was quite different. There
21:57
Speaker 1: had always been a tacit antagonism bet between the two,
22:01
Speaker 1: and the conversation now ran as follows. Missus Goodenough began.
22:06
Speaker 7: Well, Missus Gibson, I suppose I must wish you joy
22:09
Speaker 7: of Miss Cynthia's marriage. I should condole with some mothers
22:13
Speaker 7: as had lost their daughters, but you're not one of
22:16
Speaker 7: that sort, I reckon.
22:18
Speaker 1: Now, As Missus Gibson was not quite sure to which
22:21
Speaker 1: sort of mothers the greatest credit was to be attached,
22:25
Speaker 1: she found it a little difficult how to frame her reply.
22:29
Speaker 6: Dear Cynthia, she said, one can't but rejoice in her happiness.
22:36
Speaker 1: And yet she ended her sentence by sighing, Ah.
22:41
Speaker 7: She was a young woman, as would always have her
22:43
Speaker 7: followers for, to tell the truth, she was as pretty
22:46
Speaker 7: a creature as I ever saw in my life, And
22:49
Speaker 7: all the more she needed skillful guidance. I'm sure, I
22:53
Speaker 7: for one, I'm as glad as can be. She's done
22:55
Speaker 7: so well by herself. Folks say, mister Henderson has a
22:58
Speaker 7: handsome private for and over and above what he makes
23:01
Speaker 7: by the law.
23:03
Speaker 6: There is no fear but that my Cynthia will have
23:05
Speaker 6: everything this world can give.
23:07
Speaker 1: Said Missus Gibson with dignity.
23:10
Speaker 7: Well, well, she was always a bit of a favorite
23:12
Speaker 7: of mine, And as I was saying to my granddaughter
23:15
Speaker 7: there for.
23:17
Speaker 1: She was accompanied by a young lady who looked keenly
23:20
Speaker 1: to the prospect of some wedding cake.
23:23
Speaker 7: I was never one of those who ran her down
23:26
Speaker 7: and called her a flirt and a jilt. I'm glad
23:28
Speaker 7: to hear that she's like to be so well off.
23:32
Speaker 7: And now I suppose you'll be turning your mind to
23:35
Speaker 7: doing something for miss Molly there.
23:37
Speaker 6: If you mean by that doing anything that can, by
23:40
Speaker 6: hastening her marriage, deprive me of the company of one
23:43
Speaker 6: who is like my own child, you are very much mistaken, missus. Goodenough,
23:47
Speaker 6: and pray remember I am the last person in the
23:49
Speaker 6: world to match make Cynthia made mister Henderson's acquaintance at
23:52
Speaker 6: her uncle's in London.
23:54
Speaker 7: Ay, I thought her cousin was very often ill and
23:57
Speaker 7: needing her nursing, and you were very keen that she
24:00
Speaker 7: should be of use. I'm not saying but what it's
24:02
Speaker 7: rat in a mother. I'm only putting in a word
24:05
Speaker 7: for miss Molly.
24:06
Speaker 4: Thank you, Missus.
24:07
Speaker 1: Goodenough, said Molly, half angry, half laughing.
24:12
Speaker 4: When I want to be married, I'll not trouble Mamma.
24:15
Speaker 4: I look up for myself.
24:17
Speaker 6: Molly is becoming so popular. I hardly know how we
24:19
Speaker 6: shall keep her.
24:20
Speaker 1: At home, said Missus Gibson.
24:22
Speaker 6: I miss her sadly, but as I said to mister Gibson,
24:26
Speaker 6: let young people have change and see a little of
24:29
Speaker 6: the world while they are young. It has been a
24:31
Speaker 6: great advantage to her being at the Towers while so
24:34
Speaker 6: many clever and distinguished people were there. I can already
24:37
Speaker 6: see a difference in her tone of conversation, an elevation,
24:40
Speaker 6: and her choice of subjects. And now she is going
24:43
Speaker 6: to Hamley Hall. I can assure you I feel quite
24:46
Speaker 6: a proud mother when I see how she is sought after,
24:49
Speaker 6: and my other daughter, my Cynthia, writing such letters from Paris.
24:55
Speaker 7: Things is a deal changed since my day's for.
24:57
Speaker 1: Sure, said missus goodenough, So.
25:00
Speaker 7: Perhaps I know judge. When I was married, first him
25:03
Speaker 7: and me went in a post chaise to his father's house,
25:06
Speaker 7: a matter of twenty mile off at the outside, and
25:10
Speaker 7: sat down to as good a supper amongst his friends
25:12
Speaker 7: and relations as you'd wish to see. And that was
25:15
Speaker 7: my first wedding jaunt. My second was when I better
25:19
Speaker 7: knowed my worth as a bride, and thought that now
25:22
Speaker 7: or ever I must see London. But I were reckoned,
25:25
Speaker 7: a very extravagant sort of a body to go so
25:29
Speaker 7: far and spend my money, though Harry had left me
25:32
Speaker 7: uncommon well off. But now young folks go off to
25:36
Speaker 7: Paris and think nothing of the cost. And it's well
25:39
Speaker 7: if wilful waste don't make war for want before they die.
25:43
Speaker 7: But I'm thankful somewhat is being done for miss Molly's chances.
25:47
Speaker 7: As I said afore, it's not quite what I should
25:50
Speaker 7: have liked to have done for my Annabella, though, but
25:53
Speaker 7: times are changed, as I said just now
25:56
Speaker 1: End of chapter fifty eight, s