acquittedhimself
to
every
body
's
satisfaction
.
He
was
manly
,
modest
,
self-possessed
;
did
not
say
much
—
his
usual
talkativeness
being
restrained
by
the
circumstances
of
the
case
,
and
the
great
impression
made
upon
him
by
Miss
Hilary
,
who
,
he
afterward
admitted
to
Elizabeth
,
"
was
a
real
angel
,
and
he
should
write
a
poem
upon
her
.
"
But
the
little
he
did
say
gave
the
ladies
a
very
good
impression
of
the
intelligence
and
even
refinement
of
Elizabeth
's
sweet-heart
.
And
though
they
were
sorry
to
see
him
look
so
delicate
,
still
there
was
a
something
better
than
handsomeness
in
his
handsome
face
,
which
made
them
not
altogether
surprised
at
Elizabeth
's
being
so
fond
of
him
.
As
she
watched
the
young
couple
down
Richmond
Street
,
in
the
soft
summer
twilight
—
Elizabeth
taking
Tom
's
arm
,
and
Tom
drawing
up
his
stooping
figure
to
its
utmost
extent
,
both
a
little
ill-matched
in
height
as
they
were
in
some
other
things
,
but
walking
with
that
air
of
perfect
confidence
and
perfect
contentedness
in
each
other
which
always
betrays
,
to
a
quick
eye
,
those
who
have
agreed
to
walk
through
the
world
together
—
Miss
Hilary
turned
from
the
window
and
sighed
.
CHAPTER
XXIII
.
Following
Miss
Hilary
's
earnest
advice
that
every
thing
should
be
fair
and
open
,
Elizabeth
,
on
the
very
next
day
after
that
happy
Whit-Monday
,
mustered
up
her
courage
,
asked
permission
to
speak
to
her
mistress
,
and
told
her
she
was
going
to
be
married
to
Tom
Cliffe
:
not
immediately
,
but
in
a
year
's
time
or
so
,
if
all
went
well
.
Mrs.
Ascott
replied
sharply
that
it
was
no
affair
of
hers
,
and
she
could
not
be
troubled
about
it
.
For
her
part
she
thought
,
if
servants
knew
their
own
advantages
,
they
would
keep
a
good
place
when
they
had
it
,
and
never
get
married
at
all
.
And
then
,
saying
she
had
heard
a
good
character
of
her
from
the
housekeeper
,
she
offered
Elizabeth
the
place
of
upper
house-maid
,
a
young
girl
,
a
protegee
of
the
housekeeper
's
,
being
substituted
in
hers
.
"
And
when
you
have
sixteen
pounds
a
year
,
and
somebody
to
do
all
your
hard
work
for
you
,
I
dare
say
you
'll
think
better
of
it
,
and
not
be
so
foolish
as
to
go
and
get
married
.
"
But
Elizabeth
had
her
own
private
opinion
on
that
matter
.
She
was
but
a
woman
,
poor
thing
!
and
two
tiny
rooms
of
her
own
,
with
Tom
to
care
for
and
look
after
,
seemed
a
far
happier
home
than
that
great
house
,
where
she
had
not
only
her
own
work
to
do
,
but
the
responsibility
of
teaching
and
taking
charge
of
that
careless
,
stupid
,
pretty
Esther
,
who
had
all
the
forwardness
,
untidiness
,
and
unconscientiousness
of
a
regular
London
maid-servant
,
and
was
a
sore
trial
to
the
staid
,
steady
Elizabeth
.
Tom
consoled
her
,
in
his
careless
but
affectionate
way
;
and
another
silent
consolation
was
the
"
little
bits
of
things
,
"
bought
out
of
her
additional
wages
,
which
she
began
to
put
by
in
her
box
—
sticks
and
straws
for
the
new
sweet
nest
that
was
a-building
:
a
metal
teapot
,
two
neat
glass
salt-cellars
,
and
,
awful
extravagance
!
—
two
real
second-hand
silver
spoons
—
Tom
did
so
like
having
things
nice
about
him
!
These
purchases
,
picked
up
at
stray
times
,
were
solid
,
substantial
and
useful
;
domestic
rather
than
personal
;
and
all
with
a
view
to
Tom
rather
than
herself
.
She
hid
them
with
a
magpie-like
closeness
,
for
Esther
and
she
shared
the
same
room
;
but
sometimes
when
Esther
was
asleep
she
would
peep
at
them
with
an
anxious
,
lingering
tenderness
,
as
if
they
made
more
of
an
assured
reality
what
even
now
seemed
so
very
like
a
dream
.
—
Except
,
indeed
,
on
those
Sunday
nights
when
Tom
and
she
went
to
church
together
and
afterward
took
a
walk
,
but
always
parted
at
the
corner
of
the
square
.
She
never
brought
him
in
to
the
house
,
nor
spoke
of
him
to
her
fellow
servants
.
How
much
they
guessed
of
her
engagement
she
neither
knew
nor
cared
.
Mrs.
Ascott
,
too
,
had
apparently
quite
forgotten
it
.
She
seemed
to
take
as
little
interest
in
her
servants
'
affairs
as
they
in
hers
.
Nevertheless
,
ignorant
as
the
lower
regions
were
in
general
of
what
was
passing
in
the
upper
,
occasionally
rumors
began
to
reach
the
kitchen
that
"
Master
had
been
a-blowing
up
Missis
,
rather
!
"
And
once
,
after
the
solemn
dinner
,
with
three
footmen
to
wait
on
two
people
,
was
over
,
Elizabeth
,
passing
through
the
hall
,
caught
the
said
domestics
laughing
together
,
and
saying
it
was
"
as
good
as
a
play
;
cat
and
dog
was
nothing
to
it
.
"
After
which
"
the
rows
up
stairs
"
became
a
favorite
joke
in
the
servants
'
hall
.
But
still
Mr.
Ascott
went
out
daily
after
breakfast
,
and
came
home
to
dinner
;
and
Mrs.
Ascott
spent
the
morning
in
her
private
sitting
room
,
or
"
boudoir
,
"
as
she
called
it
;
lunched
,
and
drove
out
in
her
handsome
carriage
,
with
her
footman
behind
;
dressed
elegantly
for
dinner
,
and
presided
at
her
own
table
with
an
air
of
magnificent
satisfaction
in
all
things
.
She
had
perfectly
accommodated
herself
to
her
new
position
;
and
if
under
her
satins
and
laces
beat
a
solitary
,
dissatisfied
,
or
aching
heart
,
it
was
nobody
's
business
but
her
own
.
At
least
,
she
kept
up
the
splendid
sham
with
a
most
creditable
persistency
.
But
all
shams
are
dangerous
things
.
Be
the
surface
ever
so
smooth
and
green
,
it
will
crack
sometimes
,
and
a
faint
wreath
of
smoke
betray
the
inward
volcano
.
The
like
had
happened
once
or
twice
,
as
on
the
day
when
the
men-servants
were
so
intensely
amused
.
Also
Elizabeth
,
when
putting
in
order
her
mistress
's
bedroom
,
which
was
about
the
hour
Mr.
Ascott
left
for
the
city
,
had
several
times
seen
Mrs.
Ascott
come
in
there
suddenly
,
white
and
trembling
.
Once
,
so
agitated
was
she
,
that
Elizabeth
had
brought
her
a
glass
of
water
;
and
instead
of
being
angry
or
treating
her
with
the
distant
dignity
which
she
had
always
kept
up
her
mistress
had
said
,
almost
in
the
old
Stowbury
tone
,
"
Thank
you
,
Elizabeth
.
"
However
,
Elizabeth
had
the
wisdom
to
take
no
notice
,
but
to
slip
from
the
room
,
and
keep
her
own
counsel
.
At
last
one
day
the
smouldering
domestic
earthquake
broke
out
.
There
was
"
a
precious
good
row
,
"
the
footman
suspected
,
at
the
breakfast-table
;
and
after
breakfast
,
Master
,
without
waiting
for
the
usual
attendance
of
that
functionary
,
with
his
hat
and
gloves
and
a
Hansom
cab
had
flung
himself
out
at
the
hall
door
,
slamming
it
after
him
with
a
noise
that
startled
the
whole
house
.
Shortly
afterward
"
Missis
's
"
bell
had
rung
violently
,
and
she
had
been
found
lying
on
the
floor
of
her
bedroom
in
a
dead
faint
,
her
maid
,
a
foolish
little
Frenchwoman
,
screaming
over
her
.
The
frightened
servants
gathered
round
in
a
cluster
,
but
nobody
attempted
to
touch
the
poor
lady
,
who
lay
rigid
and
helpless
,
hearing
none
of
the
comments
that
were
freely
made
upon
her
,
or
the
conjectures
as
to
what
Master
had
done
or
said
that
produced
this
state
of
things
.
Mistress
she
was
,
and
these
four
or
five
woman
,
her
servants
,
had
lived
in
her
house
for
months
,
but
nobody
loved
her
;
nobody
knew
any
thing
about
her
;
nobody
thought
of
doing
aught
for
her
,
till
a
kitchen-maid
,
probably
out
of
former
experience
in
some
domestic
emergency
,
suggested
,
"
Fetch
Elizabeth
.
"
The
advice
was
eagerly
caught
at
,
every
body
being
so
thankful
to
have
the
responsibility
shifted
to
some
other
body
's
shoulders
;
so
in
five
minutes
Elizabeth
had
the
room
cleared
,
and
her
mistress
laid
upon
the
bed
,
with
nobody
near
except
herself
and
the
French
maid
.
By-and-by
Mrs.
Ascott
opened
her
eyes
.
"
Who
's
that
?
What
are
you
doing
to
me
?
"
"
Nothing
,
ma'am
.
It
's
only
me
—
Elizabeth
.
"
At
the
familiar
soothing
voice
the
poor
woman
—
a
poor
,
wretched
,
forlorn
woman
she
looked
,
lying
there
,
in
spite
of
all
her
grandeur
—
turned
feebly
round
.
"
Oh
,
Elizabeth
,
I
'm
so
ill
!
take
care
of
me
.
"
And
she
fainted
away
once
more
.
It
was
some
time
before
she
came
quite
to
herself
,
and
then
the
first
thing
she
said
was
to
bid
Elizabeth
bolt
the
door
and
keep
every
body
out
.
"
The
doctor
,
ma'am
if
he
comes
?
"
"
I
'll
not
see
him
.
I
do
n't
want
him
.
I
know
what
it
is
.
I
—
"
She
pulled
Elizabeth
closer
to
her
,
whispered
something
in
her
ear
,
and
then
burst
into
a
violent
fit
of
hysterical
weeping
.
Amazed
,
shocked
,
Elizabeth
at
first
did
not
know
what
to
do
;
then
she
took
her
mistress
's
head
on
her
shoulder
,
and
quieted
her
by
degrees
almost
as
she
would
a
child
.
The
sobbing
ceased
,
and
Mrs.
Ascott
lay
still
a
minute
,
till
suddenly
she
clutched
Elizabeth
's
arm
.
"
Mind
you
do
n't
tell
.
He
does
n't
know
,
and
he
shall
not
;
it
would
please
him
so
.
It
does
not
please
me
.
Sometimes
I
almost
think
I
shall
hate
it
because
it
is
his
child
.
"
She
spoke
with
a
fierceness
that
was
hardly
credible
either
in
the
dignified
Mrs.
Peter
Ascott
or
the
languid
Miss
Selina
.
To
think
of
Miss
Selina
expecting
a
baby
!
The
idea
perfectly
confounded
poor
Elizabeth
.
"
I
do
n't
know
very
much
about
such
matters
,
"
said
she
,
deprecatingly
;
"
but
I
'm
sure
,
ma'am
,
you
ought
to
keep
yourself
quiet
,
and
I
would
n't
hate
the
poor
little
baby
if
I
were
you
.
It
may
be
a
very
nice
little
thing
,
and
turn
out
a
great
comfort
to
you
.
"
Mrs.
Ascott
lifted
her
heavy
eyes
to
the
kindly
,
sympathetic
,
womanly
face
—
thorough
woman
,
for
,
as
Elizabeth
went
on
,
her
heart
warmed
with
the
strong
instinct
which
comes
almost
of
itself
.
"
Think
,
to
have
a
tiny
little
creature
lying
here
beside
you
;
something
your
very
own
,
with
its
pretty
face
looking
so
innocent
and
sweet
at
you
,
and
its
pretty
fingers
touching
you
.
"
Here
Elizabeth
's
voice
quite
faltered
over
the
picture
she
had
drawn
.
"
Oh
,
ma'am
,
I
'm
sure
you
would
be
so
fond
of
it
.
"
Human
nature
is
strong
.
This
cold
,
selfish
woman
,
living
her
forty
years
without
any
strong
emotion
,
marrying
without
love
,
and
reaping
,
not
in
contrition
,
but
angry
bitterness
,
the
certain
punishment
of
such
a
marriage
,
even
this
woman
was
not
proof
against
the
glorious
mystery
of
maternity
,
which
should
make
every
daughter
of
Eve
feel
the
first
sure
hope
of
her
first
born
child
to
be
a
sort
of
Divine
annunciation
.
Mrs.
Ascott
lay
listening
to
Elizabeth
.
Gradually
through
her
shut
eyelids
a
few
quiet
tears
began
to
flow
.
"
Do
you
mind
me
talking
to
you
this
way
,
ma'am
?
"
"
No
,
no
!
Say
what
you
like
.
I
'm
glad
to
have
any
body
to
speak
to
.
Oh
,
I
am
a
very
miserable
woman
!
"
Strange
that
Selina
Ascott
should
come
to
betray
,
and
to
Elizabeth
Hand
,
of
all
people
,
that
she
was
a
"
miserable
woman
.
"
But
circumstances
bring
about
unforeseen
confidences
;
and
the
confidence
once
given
is
not
easily
recalled
.
Apparently
the
lady
did
not
wish
to
recall
it
.
In
the
solitude
of
her
splendid
house
,
in
her
total
want
of
all
female
companionship
—
for
she
refused
to
have
her
sisters
sent
for
—
"
he
would
only
insult
them
,
and
I
'll
not
have
my
family
insulted
"
—
poor
Selina
clung
to
her
old
servant
as
the
only
comfort
she
had
.
During
the
dreary
months
that
followed
,
when
,
during
the
long
,
close
summer
days
,
the
sick
lady
scarcely
stirred
from
her
bedroom
,
and
,
fretful
,
peevish
,
made
the
very
most
of
what
to
women
in
general
are
such
patiently
borne
and
sacred
sufferings
,
Elizabeth
was
her
constant
attendant
.
She
humored
all
her
whims
,
endured
all
her
ill-tempers
,
cheered
her
in
her
low
spirits
,
and
was
,
in
fact
,
her
mistress
's
sole
companion
and
friend
.
This
position
no
one
disputed
with
her
.
It
is
not
every
woman
who
has
,
as
Miss
Leaf
used
to
say
of
Elizabeth
,
"
a
genius
for
nursing
;
"
and
very
few
patients
make
nursing
a
labor
of
love
.
The
whole
household
were
considerably
relieved
by
her
taking
a
responsibility
for
which
she
was
so
well
fitted
and
so
little
envied
.
Even
Mr.
Ascott
,
who
,
when
his
approaching
honors
could
no
longer
be
concealed
from
him
,
became
for
the
nonce
a
most
attentive
husband
,
and
succumbed
dutifully
to
every
fancy
his
wife
entertained
,
openly
expressed
his
satisfaction
in
Elizabeth
,
and
gave
her
one
or
two
bright
golden
guineas
in
earnest
of
his
gratitude
.
How
far
she
herself
appreciated
her
new
and
important
position
;
whether
her
duties
were
done
from
duty
,
or
pity
,
or
that
determined
self-devotedness
which
some
women
are
always
ready
to
carry
out
toward
any
helpless
thing
that
needs
them
,
I
can
not
say
,
for
she
never
told
.
Not
even
to
Miss
Hilary
,
who
at
last
was
permitted
to
come
and
pay
a
formal
visit
;
nor
to
Tom
Cliffe
,
whom
she
now
saw
very
rarely
,
for
her
mistress
,
with
characteristic
selfishness
,
would
hardly
let
her
out
of
her
sight
for
half
an
hour
.
Tom
at
first
was
exceedingly
savage
at
this
:
by
degrees
he
got
more
reconciled
,
and
met
his
sweet-heart
now
and
then
for
a
few
minutes
at
the
area
gate
or
wrote
her
long
poetical
letters
,
which
he
confided
to
some
of
her
fellow-servants
,
who
thereby
got
acquainted
with
their
secret
.
But
it
mattered
little
,
as
Elizabeth
had
faithfully
promised
that
,
when
her
mistress
's
trial
was
over
,
and
every
thing
smooth
and
happy
,
she
would
marry
Tom
at
once
.
So
she
took
the
jokes
below
stairs
with
great
composure
;
feeling
,
indeed
,
too
proud
and
content
to
perplex
herself
much
about
any
thing
.
Nevertheless
,
her
life
was
not
easy
,
for
Mrs.
Ascott
was
very
difficult
to
manage
.
She
resisted
angrily
all
the
personal
sacrifices
entailed
by
impending
motherhood
,
and
its
terrors
and
forebodings
used
to
come
over
her
—
poor
weak
woman
that
she
was
!
—
in
a
way
that
required
all
Elizabeth
's
reasonings
to
counteract
,
and
all
her
self-control
to
hide
the
presentiment
of
evil
,
not
unnatural
under
the
circumstances
.
Yet
sometimes
poor
Mrs.
Ascott
would
take
fits
of
pathetic
happiness
;
when
she
busied
herself
eagerly
over
the
preparations
for
the
new-comer
;
would
make
Elizabeth
take
out
,
over
and
over
again
,
the
little
clothes
,
and
examine
them
with
childish
delight
.
Sometimes
she
would
gossip
for
hours
over
the
blessing
that
was
sent
to
her
so
late
in
life
—
half-regretting
that
it
had
come
so
late
;
that
she
should
be
almost
an
old
woman
before
her
little
son
or
daughter
was
grown
up
.
"
Still
,
I
may
live
to
see
it
,
you
know
:
to
have
a
pretty
girl
to
take
on
my
arm
into
a
ball-room
,
or
a
big
fellow
to
send
to
College
:
the
Leafs
always
went
to
College
in
old
times
.
He
shall
be
Henry
Leaf
Ascott
,
that
I
am
determined
on
;
and
if
it
's
a
girl
,
perhaps
I
may
call
her
Johanna
.
My
sister
would
like
it
;
would
n't
she
?
"
For
more
and
more
,
in
the
strange
softening
of
her
nature
,
did
Selina
go
back
to
the
old
ties
.
"
I
am
not
older
than
my
mother
was
when
Hilary
was
born
.
She
died
,
but
that
was
because
of
trouble
.
Women
do
not
necessarily
die
in
childbirth
even
at
forty
;
and
in
twenty
years
more
I
shall
only
be
sixty
—
not
such
a
very
old
woman
.
Besides
,
mothers
never
are
old
;
at
least
not
to
their
children
.
Do
n't
you
think
so
,
Elizabeth
?
"
And
Elizabeth
answered
as
she
best
could
.
She
too
,
out
of
sympathy
or
instinct
,
was
becoming
wondrous
wise
.
But
I
am
aware
all
this
will
be
thought
very
uninteresting
,
except
by
women
and
mothers
.
Let
me
hasten
on
.
By
degrees
,
as
Mrs.
Ascott
's
hour
approached
,
a
curious
tranquility
and
even
gentleness
came
over
her
.
Her
fretful
dislike
of
seeing
any
face
about
her
but
Elizabeth
's
became
less
.
She
even
endured
her
husband
's
company
for
an
hour
of
an
evening
;
and
at
last
humbled
her
pride
enough
to
beg
him
to
invite
her
sisters
to
Russell
Square
from
Saturday
to
Monday
,
the
only
time
when
Hilary
could
be
spared
.
"
For
we
do
n't
know
what
may
happen
,
"
said
she
to
him
,
rather
seriously
.
And
though
he
answered
,
"
Oh
,
nonsense
!
"
and
desired
her
to
get
such
ridiculous
fancies
out
,
of
her
head
,
still
he
consented
,
and
himself
wrote
to
Miss
Leaf
,
giving
the
formal
invitation
.
The
three
sisters
spent
a
happy
time
together
,
and
Hilary
made
some
highly
appreciated
family
jokes
about
the
handsome
Christmas
box
that
Selina
was
going
to
be
so
kind
as
to
give
them
,
and
the
small
probability
that
she
would
have
much
enjoyment
of
the
Christmas
dinner
to
which
Mr.
Ascott
,
in
the
superabundance
of
his
good
feeling
,
had
invited
his
sisters-in-law
.
The
baby
,
blessed
innocent
!
seemed
to
have
softened
down
all
things
—
as
babies
often
do
.
Altogether
,
it
was
with
great
cheerfulness
,
affectionateness
,
and
hope
that
they
took
leave
of
Selina
:
she
,
with
unwonted
consideration
,
insisting
that
the
carriage
should
convey
them
all
the
way
to
Richmond
.
"
And
,
"
she
said
,
"
perhaps
some
of
these
days
my
son
,
if
he
is
a
son
,
may
have
the
pleasure
of
escorting
his
aunts
home
.
I
shall
certainly
call
him
'
Henry
Leaf
,
'
and
bring
him
up
to
be
in
every
way
a
credit
to
our
family
.
"
When
the
ladies
were
away
,
and
Mrs.
Ascott
had
retired
to
bed
,
it
was
still
only
nine
o'clock
,
and
a
bright
moonlight
night
.
Elizabeth
thought
she
could
steal
down
stairs
and
try
to
get
a
breath
of
fresh
air
round
the
square
.
Her
long
confinement
made
her
almost
sick
sometimes
for
a
sight
of
the
outer
world
,
a
sight
of
—
let
me
tell
the
entire
truth
—
her
own
faithful
Tom
.
She
had
not
seen
him
now
for
fourteen
days
,
and
though
his
letters
were
very
nice
and
exceedingly
clever
,
still
she
craved
for
a
look
at
his
face
,
a
grasp
of
his
hand
,
perhaps
even
a
kiss
,
long
and
close
and
tender
,
such
as
he
would
sometimes
insist
upon
giving
her
,
in
spite
of
all
policemen
.
His
love
for
her
,
demonstrative
as
was
his
nature
,
had
become
to
this
still
,
quiet
girl
inexpressibly
sweet
,
far
sweeter
than
she
knew
.
It
was
a
clear
winter
night
,
and
the
moon
went
climbing
over
the
fleecy
white
clouds
in
a
way
that
made
beauty
even
in
Russell
Square
.
Elizabeth
looked
up
at
the
sky
,
and
thought
how
Tom
would
have
enjoyed
it
,
and
wished
he
were
beside
her
,
and
was
so
glad
to
think
he
would
soon
be
beside
her
always
,
with
all
his
humors
and
weaknesses
,
all
his
little
cross-selfishness
,
and
complainings
;
she
could
put
up
with
all
,
and
be
happy
through
all
,
if
only
she
had
him
with
her
and
loving
her
.
His
love
for
her
,
though
fitful
and
fanciful
,
was
yet
so
warm
and
real
that
it
had
become
a
necessity
of
her
life
.
As
he
always
told
her
—
especially
after
he
had
had
one
of
his
little
quarrels
with
her
—
hers
was
to
him
.
"
Poor
Tom
,
I
wonder
how
he
gets
on
without
me
!
Well
,
it
wo
n't
be
for
long
.
"
And
she
wished
she
could
have
let
him
know
she
was
out
here
,
that
they
might
have
had
a
chat
for
just
ten
minutes
.
Unconsciously
she
walked
toward
their
usual
trysting
place
,
a
large
overhanging
plane-tree
on
the
Keppel
Street
corner
of
the
square
.
Surely
,
surely
,
that
could
not
be
Tom
!
Quite
impossible
,
for
he
was
not
alone
.
Two
people
,
a
young
man
and
a
young
woman
,
stood
at
the
tryst
,
absorbed
in
conversation
:
evidently
sweethearts
,
for
he
had
one
arm
round
her
,
and
he
kissed
her
unresisted
several
times
.
Elizabeth
gazed
,
fascinated
,
almost
doubting
the
evidence
of
her
own
senses
.
For
the
young
men
's
figure
was
so
excessively
like
Tom
's
.
At
length
,
with
the
sort
of
feeling
that
makes
one
go
steadily
up
to
a
shadow
by
the
roadside
,
some
ugly
spectre
that
we
feel
sure
,
if
we
stare
it
out
,
will
prove
to
be
a
mere
imagination
,
she
walked
deliberately
up
to
and
past
these
"
sweethearts
.
"
They
did
not
see
her
;
they
were
far
too
much
occupied
with
one
another
;
but
she
saw
them
,
and
saw
at
once
that
it
was
Tom
,
Tom
's
own
self
,
and
with
him
her
fellow-servant
,
Esther
.
People
may
write
volumes
on
jealousy
,
and
volumes
will
still
remain
to
be
written
.
It
is
next
to
remorse
for
guilt
,
the
sharpest
,
sorest
,
most
maddening
torment
that
human
nature
can
endure
.
We
may
sit
and
gaze
from
the
boxes
at
our
Othellos
and
Biancas
;
we
may
laugh
at
the
silly
heart-burnings
between
Cousin
Kate
and
Cousin
Lucy
in
the
ball-room
,
or
the
squabbles
of
Mary
and
Sally
in
the
kitchen
over
the
gardener
's
lad
;
but
there
the
thing
remains
.
A
man
can
not
make
love
to
two
women
,
a
woman
can
not
coquet
with
two
men
,
without
causing
in
degree
that
horrible
agony
,
cruel
as
death
,
which
is
at
the
root
of
half
the
tragedies
,
and
the
cause
of
half
the
crimes
of
this
world
.
The
complaint
comes
in
different
forms
:
sometimes
it
is
a
case
of
slow
poisoning
or
of
ordeal
by
red-hot
irons
,
which
though
not
fatal
,
undermines
the
whole
character
,
and
burns
ineffaceable
scars
into
the
soul
.
And
people
take
it
in
various
ways
—
some
fiercely
,
stung
by
a
sense
of
wounded
self-love
;
others
haughtily
:
"
Pride
's
a
safe
robe
,
I
'll
wear
it
;
but
no
rags
.
"
Others
,
again
,
humble
,
self-distrustful
natures
,
whose
only
pride
came
through
love
,
have
nothing
left
them
except
rags
.
In
a
moment
all
their
thin
robes
of
happiness
are
torn
off
;
they
stand
shivering
,
naked
and
helpless
before
the
blasts
of
the
bitter
world
.
This
was
Elizabeth
's
case
.
After
the
first
instant
of
stunned
bewilderment
and
despair
she
took
it
all
quite
naturally
,
as
if
it
were
a
thing
which
she
ought
all
along
to
have
known
was
sure
to
happen
,
and
which
was
no
more
than
she
expected
and
deserved
.
She
passed
the
couple
,
still
unobserved
by
them
,
and
then
walked
round
the
other
side
of
the
square
,
deliberately
home
.
I
am
not
going
to
make
a
tragic
heroine
of
this
poor
servant
girl
.
Perhaps
,
people
may
say
,
there
is
nothing
tragic
about
the
incident
.
Merely
a
plain
,
quiet
,
old-fashioned
woman
,
who
is
so
foolish
as
to
like
a
handsome
young
swain
,
and
to
believe
in
him
,
and
to
be
surprised
when
he
deserts
her
for
a
pretty
girl
of
eighteen
.
All
quite
after
the
way
things
go
on
in
the
world
,
especially
in
the
servant-world
;
and
the
best
she
can
do
is
to
get
over
it
,
or
take
another
sweetheart
as
quickly
as
possible
.
A
very
common
story
after
all
,
and
more
of
a
farce
than
a
tragedy
.
But
there
are
some
farces
which
,
if
you
look
underneath
the
surface
,
have
a
good
many
of
the
elements
of
tragedy
.
I
shall
neither
paint
Elizabeth
tearing
her
own
hair
nor
Esther
's
,
nor
going
raging
about
the
square
in
moonlight
in
an
insane
fit
of
jealousy
.
She
was
not
given
to
"
fits
"
under
any
circumstances
,
or
about
any
thing
.
All
she
felt
went
deep
down
into
her
heart
,
rooted
itself
,
and
either
blossomed
or
cankered
there
.
On
this
night
she
,
as
I
said
,
walked
round
the
square
to
her
home
:
then
quietly
went
up
stairs
to
her
garret
,
locked
the
door
,
and
sat
down
upon
her
bed
.
She
might
have
sat
there
for
an
hour
or
more
,
her
bonnet
and
shawl
still
on
,
without
stirring
,
without
crying
,
altogether
cold
and
hard
like
a
stone
,
when
she
fancied
she
heard
her
mistress
's
bell
ring
,
and
mechanically
rose
up
and
went
down
stairs
to
listen
.
Nothing
was
wanted
,
so
she
returned
to
her
garret
and
crept
to
bed
in
the
dark
.
When
soon
afterward
Esther
likewise
came
up
to
bed
,
Elizabeth
pretended
to
be
asleep
.
Only
once
,
taking
a
stealthy
glance
at
the
pretty
girl
who
stood
combing
her
hair
at
the
looking-glass
,
she
was
conscious
of
a
sick
sense
of
repulsion
,
a
pain
like
a
knife
running
thro
'
her
,
at
sight
of
the
red
young
lips
which
Tom
had
just
been
kissing
,
of
the
light
figure
which
he
had
clasped
as
he
used
to
clasp
her
.
But
she
never
spoke
,
not
one
word
.
Half
an
hour
after
she
was
roused
by
the
nurse
coming
to
her
bedside
.
Mrs.
Ascott
was
very
ill
,
and
was
calling
for
Elizabeth
.
Soon
the
whole
establishment
was
in
confusion
,
and
in
the
sharp
struggle
between
birth
and
death
Elizabeth
had
no
time
to
think
of
any
thing
but
her
mistress
.
Contrary
to
every
expectation
,
all
ended
speedily
and
happily
;
and
before
he
went
off
to
the
City
next
day
the
master
of
the
house
,
who
,
in
the
midst
of
his
anxiety
and
felicity
,
had
managed
to
secure
a
good
night
's
sleep
and
a
good
breakfast
,
had
the
pleasure
of
sending
off
a
special
messenger
to
the
Times
office
with
the
notification
,
"
The
Lady
of
Peter
Ascott
,
Esq.
,
of
a
son
and
heir
.
"
CHAPTER
XXIV
.
A
fortnight
's
time
rather
increased
than
diminished
the
excitement
incident
on
the
event
at
Russell
Square
.
Never
was
there
such
a
wonderful
baby
,
and
never
was
there
such
a
fuss
made
over
it
.
Unprejudiced
persons
might
have
called
it
an
ugly
,
weakly
little
thing
;
indeed
,
at
first
there
were
such
apprehensions
of
its
dying
that
it
had
been
baptized
in
a
great
hurry
,
"
Henry
Leaf
Ascott
,
"
according
to
the
mother
's
desire
,
which
in
her
critical
position
nobody
dared
to
thwart
.
Even
at
the
end
of
fourteen
days
the
"
son
and
heir
"
was
still
a
puling
,
sickly
,
yellow-faced
baby
.
But
to
the
mother
it
was
every
thing
.
From
the
moment
she
heard
its
first
cry
Mrs.
Ascott
's
whole
nature
seemed
to
undergo
a
change
.
Her
very
eyes
—
those
cold
blue
eyes
of
Miss
Selina
's
—
took
a
depth
and
tenderness
whenever
she
turned
to
look
at
the
little
bundle
that
lay
beside
her
.
She
never
wearied
of
touching
the
tiny
hands
and
feet
,
and
wondering
at
them
,
and
showing
—
to
every
one
of
the
household
who
was
favored
with
a
sight
of
it
—
"
my
baby
,
"
as
if
it
had
been
a
miracle
of
the
universe
.
She
was
so
unutterably
happy
and
proud
.
Elizabeth
,
too
,
seemed
not
a
little
proud
of
the
baby
.
To
her
arms
it
had
first
been
committed
;
she
had
stood
by
at
its
first
washing
and
dressing
,
and
had
scarcely
left
it
or
her
mistress
since
.
Nurse
,
a
very
grand
personage
,
had
been
a
little
jealous
of
her
at
first
,
but
soon
grew
condescending
,
and
made
great
use
of
her
in
the
sick
room
,
alleging
that
such
an
exceedingly
sensible
young
person
,
so
quiet
and
steady
,
was
almost
as
good
as
a
middle-aged
married
woman
.
Indeed
,
she
once
asked
Elizabeth
if
she
was
a
widow
,
since
she
looked
as
if
she
had
"
seen
trouble
:
"
and
was
very
much
surprised
to
learn
she
was
single
and
only
twenty-three
years
old
.
Nobody
else
took
any
notice
of
her
.
Even
Miss
Hilary
was
so
engrossed
by
her
excitement
and
delight
over
the
baby
that
she
only
observed
,
"
Elizabeth
,
you
look
rather
worn-out
;
this
has
been
a
trying
time
for
you
.
"
And
Elizabeth
had
just
answered
,
"
Yes
"
-no
more
.
During
the
fortnight
she
had
seen
nothing
of
Tom
.
He
had
written
her
a
short
note
or
two
,
and
the
cook
told
her
he
had
been
to
the
kitchen
door
several
times
asking
for
her
,
but
being
answered
that
she
was
with
her
mistress
up
stairs
,
had
gone
away
.
"
In
the
sulks
,
most
like
,
though
he
did
n't
look
it
.
He
's
a
pleasant
spoken
young
man
and
I
'm
sure
I
wish
you
luck
with
him
,
"
said
Cookie
,
who
,
like
all
the
other
servants
,
was
now
exceedingly
civil
to
Elizabeth
.
Her
star
had
risen
;
she
was
considered
in
the
household
a
most
fortunate
woman
.
It
was
shortly
understood
that
nurse
—
majestic
nurse
,
had
spoken
so
highly
of
her
,
that
at
the
month
's
end
the
baby
was
to
be
given
entirely
into
her
charge
,
with
,
of
course
,
an
almost
fabulous
amount
of
wages
.
"
Unless
,
"
said
Mrs.
Ascott
,
when
this
proposition
was
made
,
suddenly
recurring
to
the
fact
which
seemed
hitherto
to
have
quite
slipped
from
her
mind
—
"
unless
you
are
still
willing
to
get
married
,
and
think
you
would
be
happier
married
.
In
that
case
I
wo
n't
hinder
you
.
But
it
would
be
such
a
comfort
to
me
to
keep
you
a
little
longer
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
ma'am
,
"
answered
Elizabeth
,
softly
,
and
busied
herself
with
walking
baby
up
and
down
the
room
,
hushing
it
on
her
shoulder
.
If
in
the
dim
light
tears
fell
on
its
puny
face
,
God
help
her
,
poor
Elizabeth
!
Mrs.
Ascott
made
such
an
excellent
recovery
that
in
three
weeks
'
time
nobody
was
the
least
anxious
about
her
,
and
Mr.
Ascott
arranged
to
start
on
a
business
journey
to
Edinburgh
;
promising
,
however
,
to
be
back
in
three
days
for
the
Christmas
dinner
,
which
was
to
be
a
grand
celebration
.
Miss
Leaf
and
Miss
Hilary
were
to
appear
thereat
in
their
wedding
dresses
;
and
Mrs.
Ascott
herself
took
the
most
vital
interest
in
Johanna
's
having
a
new
cap
for
the
occasion
.
Nay
,
she
insisted
upon
ordering
it
from
her
own
milliner
,
and
having
it
made
of
the
most
beautiful
lace
—
the
"
sweetest
"
old
lady
's
cap
that
could
possibly
be
invented
.
Evidently
this
wonderful
baby
had
opened
all
hearts
,
and
drawn
every
natural
tie
closer
.
Selina
,
lying
on
the
sofa
,
in
her
graceful
white
wrapper
,
and
her
neat
close
cap
,
looked
so
young
,
so
pretty
,
and
,
above
all
,
so
exceedingly
gentle
and
motherly
,
that
her
sisters
'
hearts
were
full
to
overflowing
.
They
acknowledged
that
happiness
,
like
misery
,
was
often
brought
about
in
a
fashion
totally
unforeseen
and
incredible
.
Who
would
have
thought
,
for
instance
,
on
that
wretched
night
when
Mr.
Ascott
came
to
Hilary
at
Kensington
,
or
on
that
dreary
heartless
wedding-day
,
that
they
should
ever
have
been
sitting
in
Selina
's
room
so
merry
and
comfortable
,
admiring
the
baby
,
and
on
the
friendliest
terms
with
baby
's
papa
?
"
Papa
"
is
a
magical
word
,
and
let
married
people
have
fallen
ever
so
wide
asunder
,
the
thought
,
"
my
child
's
mother
,
"
"
my
baby
's
father
,
"
must
in
some
degree
bridge
the
gulf
between
them
.
When
Peter
Ascott
was
seen
stooping
,
awkwardly
enough
,
over
his
son
's
cradle
,
poking
his
dumpy
fingers
into
each
tiny
cheek
in
a
half-alarmed
,
half-investigating
manner
,
as
if
he
wondered
how
it
had
all
come
about
,
but
,
on
the
whole
,
was
rather
pleased
than
otherwise
—
the
good
angel
of
the
household
might
have
stood
by
and
smiled
,
trusting
that
the
ghastly
skeleton
therein
might
in
time
crumble
away
into
harmless
dust
,
under
the
sacred
touch
of
infant
fingers
.
The
husband
and
wife
took
a
kindly
,
even
affectionate
leave
of
one
another
.
Mrs.
Ascott
called
him
"
Peter
,
"
and
begged
him
to
take
care
of
himself
,
and
wrap
up
well
that
cold
night
.
And
when
he
was
gone
,
and
her
sisters
also
,
she
lay
on
her
sofa
with
her
eyes
open
,
thinking
.
What
sort
of
thoughts
they
were
,
whether
repentant
or
hopeful
,
solemn
or
tender
,
whether
they
might
have
passed
away
and
been
forgotten
,
or
how
far
they
might
have
influenced
her
life
to
come
,
none
knew
,
and
none
ever
did
know
.
When
there
came
a
knock
at
the
door
,
and
a
message
for
Elizabeth
,
Mrs.
Ascott
suddenly
overheard
it
and
turned
round
.
"
Who
is
wanting
you
?
Tom
Cliffe
?
Is
n't
that
the
young
man
you
are
to
be
married
to
?
Go
down
to
him
at
once
.
And
stay
,
Elizabeth
,
as
it
's
such
a
bitter
night
,
take
him
for
half
an
hour
into
the
housekeeper
's
room
.
Send
her
up
stairs
,
and
tell
her
I
wished
it
,
though
I
do
n't
allow
'
followers
.
'
"
"
Thank
you
,
ma'am
,
"
said
Elizabeth
once
more
,
and
obeyed
.
She
must
speak
to
Tom
some
time
,
it
might
as
well
be
done
to-night
as
not
.
Without
pausing
to
think
,
she
went
down
with
dull
heavy
steps
to
the
housekeeper
's
room
.
Tom
stood
there
alone
.
He
looked
so
exactly
his
own
old
self
,
he
came
forward
to
meet
her
so
completely
in
his
old
familiar
way
,
that
for
the
instant
she
thought
she
must
be
under
some
dreadful
delusion
;
that
the
moonlight
night
in
the
square
must
have
been
all
a
dream
;
Esther
,
still
the
silly
little
Esther
,
whom
Tom
had
often
heard
of
and
laughed
at
;
and
Tom
,
her
own
Tom
,
who
loved
nobody
but
her
.
"
Elizabeth
,
what
an
age
it
is
since
I
've
had
a
sight
of
you
!
"
But
though
the
manner
was
warm
as
ever
,
"
In
his
tone
A
something
smote
her
,
as
if
Duty
tried
To
mock
the
voice
of
Love
,
how
long
since
flown
,
"
and
quiet
as
she
stood
,
Elizabeth
shivered
in
his
arms
.
"
Why
,
what
's
the
matter
?
Are
n't
you
glad
to
see
me
?
Give
me
another
kiss
,
my
girl
,
do
!
"
He
took
it
;
and
she
crept
away
from
him
and
sat
down
.
"
Tom
,
I
've
got
something
to
say
to
you
,
and
I
'd
better
say
it
at
once
.
"
"
To
be
sure
.
'
Tis
n't
any
bad
news
from
home
,
is
it
?
Or
"
—
looking
uneasily
at
her
—
"
I
have
n't
vexed
you
,
have
I
?
"
"
Vexed
me
,
"
she
repeated
,
thinking
what
a
small
foolish
word
it
was
to
express
what
had
happened
,
and
what
she
had
been
suffering
.
"
No
,
Tom
,
not
vexed
me
exactly
.
But
I
want
to
ask
you
a
question
.
Who
was
it
that
you
stood
talking
with
,
under
our
tree
in
the
square
,
between
nine
and
ten
o'clock
,
this
night
three
weeks
ago
?
"
Though
there
was
no
anger
in
the
voice
it
was
so
serious
and
deliberate
that
it
made
Tom
start
.
"
Three
weeks
ago
;
how
can
I
possibly
tell
?
"
"
Yes
,
you
can
;
for
it
was
a
fine
moonlight
night
,
and
you
stood
there
a
long
time
.
"
"
Under
the
tree
,
talking
to
somebody
?
What
nonsense
!
Perhaps
it
was
n't
me
at
all
.
"
"
It
was
,
for
I
saw
you
.
"
"
The
devil
you
did
!
"
muttered
Tom
.
"
Do
n't
be
angry
,
only
tell
me
the
plain
truth
.
The
young
woman
that
was
with
you
was
our
Esther
here
,
was
n't
she
?
"
For
a
moment
Tom
looked
altogether
confounded
.
Then
he
tried
to
recover
himself
,
and
said
crossly
,
"
Well
,
and
if
it
was
,
where
's
the
harm
?
Ca
n't
a
man
be
civil
to
a
pretty
girl
without
being
called
over
the
coals
in
this
way
?
"
Elizabeth
made
no
answer
,
at
least
not
immediately
.
At
last
she
said
,
in
a
very
gentle
,
subdued
voice
,
"
Tom
,
are
you
fond
of
Esther
?
You
would
not
kiss
her
if
you
were
not
fond
of
her
.
Do
you
like
her
as
—
as
you
used
to
like
me
?
"
And
she
looked
right
up
into
his
eyes
.
Hers
had
no
reproach
in
them
,
only
a
piteous
entreaty
,
the
last
clinging
to
a
hope
which
she
knew
to
be
false
.
"
Like
Esther
?
Of
course
I
do
?
She
's
a
nice
sort
of
girl
,
and
we
're
very
good
friends
.
"
"
Tom
,
a
man
ca
n't
be
'
friends
,
'
in
that
sort
of
way
,
with
a
pretty
girl
of
eighteen
,
when
he
is
going
to
be
married
to
somebody
else
.
At
least
,
in
my
mind
,
he
ought
not
.
"
Tom
laughed
in
a
confused
manner
.
"
I
say
,
you
're
jealous
,
and
you
'd
better
get
over
it
.
"
Was
she
jealous
?
was
it
all
fancy
,
folly
?
Did
Tom
stand
there
,
true
as
steel
,
without
a
feeling
in
his
heart
that
she
did
not
share
,
without
a
hope
in
which
she
was
not
united
,
holding
her
,
and
preferring
her
,
with
that
individuality
and
unity
of
love
which
true
love
ever
gives
and
exacts
,
as
it
has
a
right
to
exact
?
Not
that
poor
Elizabeth
reasoned
in
this
way
,
but
she
felt
the
thing
by
instinct
without
reasoning
.
"
Tom
,
"
she
said
,
"
tell
me
outright
,
just
as
if
I
was
somebody
else
,
and
had
never
belonged
to
you
at
all
,
do
you
love
Esther
Martin
.
"
Truthful
people
enforce
truth
.
Tom
might
be
fickle
,
but
he
was
not
deceitful
;
he
could
not
look
into
Elizabeth
's
eyes
and
tell
her
a
deliberate
lie
;
somehow
he
dared
not
.
"
Well
,
then
—
since
you
will
have
it
out
of
me
—
I
think
I
do
.
"
So
Elizabeth
's
"
ship
went
down
.
"
It
might
have
been
a
very
frail
vessel
,
that
nobody
in
their
right
senses
would
have
trusted
any
treasure
with
,
still
she
did
;
and
it
was
all
she
had
,
and
it
went
down
to
the
bottom
like
a
stone
.
It
is
astonishing
how
soon
the
sea
closes
over
this
sort
of
wreck
;
and
how
quietly
people
take
—
when
they
must
take
,
and
there
is
no
more
disbelieving
it
—
the
truth
which
they
would
have
given
their
lives
to
prove
was
an
impossible
lie
.
For
some
minutes
Tom
stood
facing
the
fire
,
and
Elizabeth
sat
on
her
chair
opposite
without
speaking
.
Then
she
took
off
her
brooch
,
the
only
love-token
he
had
given
her
,
and
put
it
into
his
hand
.
"
What
's
this
for
?
"
asked
he
,
suddenly
.
"
You
know
.
You
'd
better
give
it
to
Esther
.
It
's
Esther
,
not
me
,
you
must
marry
now
.
"
And
the
thought
of
Esther
,
giddy
,
flirting
,
useless
Esther
,
as
Tom
's
wife
,
was
almost
more
than
she
could
bear
.
The
sting
of
it
put
even
into
her
crushed
humility
a
certain
honest
self-assertion
.
"
I
'm
not
going
to
blame
you
,
Tom
;
but
I
think
I
'm
as
good
as
she
.
I
'm
not
pretty
,
I
know
,
nor
lively
,
nor
young
,
at
least
I
'm
old
for
my
age
;
but
I
was
worth
something
.
You
should
not
have
served
me
so
.
"
Tom
said
,
the
usual
excuse
,
that
he
"
could
n't
help
it
.
"
And
suddenly
turning
round
,
he
begged
her
to
forgive
him
,
and
not
forsake
him
.
She
forsake
Tom
!
Elizabeth
almost
smiled
.
"
I
do
forgive
you
:
I
'm
not
a
bit
angry
with
you
.
If
I
ever
was
I
have
got
over
it
.
"
"
That
's
right
.
You
're
a
dear
soul
.
Do
you
think
that
I
do
n't
like
you
,
Elizabeth
?
"
"
Oh
yes
,
"
she
said
,
sadly
,
"
I
dare
say
you
do
,
a
little
,
in
spite
of
Esther
Martin
.
But
that
's
not
my
way
of
liking
,
and
I
could
n't
stand
it
.
"
"
What
could
n't
you
stand
?
"
"
Your
kissing
me
to-day
,
and
another
girl
to-morrow
:
your
telling
me
I
was
every
thing
to
you
one
week
,
and
saying
exactly
the
same
thing
to
another
girl
the
next
.
It
would
be
hard
enough
to
bear
if
we
were
only
friends
,
but
as
sweet-hearts
,
as
husband
and
wife
,
it
would
be
impossible
.
No
Tom
,
I
tell
you
the
truth
,
I
could
not
stand
it
.
"
She
spoke
strongly
,
unhesitatingly
,
and
for
an
instant
there
flowed
out
of
her
soft
eyes
that
wild
fierce
spark
,
latent
even
in
these
quiet
humble
natures
,
which
is
dangerous
to
meddle
with
.
Tom
did
not
attempt
it
.
He
felt
all
was
over
.
Whether
he
had
lost
or
gained
:
whether
he
was
glad
or
sorry
,
he
hardly
knew
.
"
I
'm
not
going
to
take
this
back
,
any
how
,
"
he
said
,
"
fiddling
"
with
the
brooch
;
and
then
going
up
to
her
,
he
attempted
,
with
trembling
hands
,
to
refasten
it
in
her
collar
.
The
familiar
action
,
his
contrite
look
,
were
too
much
.
People
who
have
once
loved
one
another
,
though
the
love
is
dead
(
for
love
can
die
)
,
are
not
able
to
bury
it
all
at
once
,
or
if
they
do
,
its
pale
ghost
will
still
come
knocking
at
the
door
of
their
hearts
,
"
Let
me
in
,
let
me
in
!
"
Elizabeth
ought
,
I
know
,
in
proper
feminine
dignity
,
to
have
bade
Tom
farewell
without
a
glance
or
a
touch
.
But
she
did
not
.
When
he
had
fastened
her
brooch
she
looked
up
in
his
familiar
face
a
sorrowful
,
wistful
,
hungering
look
,
and
then
clung
about
his
neck
:
"
O
Tom
,
Tom
,
I
was
so
fond
of
you
!
"
And
Tom
mingled
his
tears
with
hers
,
and
kissed
her
many
times
,
and
even
felt
his
old
affection
returning
,
making
him
half
oblivious
of
Esther
;
but
mercifully
—
for
love
rebuilt
upon
lost
faith
is
like
a
house
founded
upon
sands
—
the
door
opened
,
and
Esther
herself
came
in
.
Laughing
,
smirking
,
pretty
Esther
,
who
,
thoughtless
as
she
was
,
had
yet
the
sense
to
draw
back
when
she
saw
them
.
"
Come
here
,
Esther
!
"
Elizabeth
called
,
imperatively
;
and
she
came
.
"
Esther
,
I
've
given
up
Tom
;
you
may
take
him
if
he
wants
you
.
Make
him
a
good
wife
,
and
I
'll
forgive
you
.
If
not
—
"
She
could
not
say
another
word
.
She
shut
the
door
upon
them
,
and
crept
up
stairs
,
conscious
only
of
one
thought
—
if
she
only
could
get
away
from
them
,
and
never
see
either
of
their
faces
any
more
!
And
in
this
fate
was
kind
to
her
,
though
in
that
awful
way
in
which
fate
—
say
rather
Providence
—
often
works
;
cutting
,
with
one
sharp
blow
,
some
knot
that
our
poor
,
feeble
,
mortal
fingers
have
been
long
laboring
at
in
vain
,
or
making
that
which
seemed
impossible
to
do
the
most
natural
,
easy
,
and
only
thing
to
be
done
.
How
strangely
often
in
human
life
"
one
woe
doth
tread
upon
the
other
's
heel
!
"
How
continually
,
while
one
of
those
small
private
tragedies
that
I
have
spoken
of
is
being
enacted
within
,
the
actors
are
called
upon
to
meet
some
other
tragedy
from
without
,
so
that
external
energy
counteracts
inward
emotion
,
and
holy
sympathy
with
another
's
sufferings
stifles
all
personal
pain
.
That
truth
about
sorrows
coming
"
in
battalions
"
may
have
a
divine
meaning
in
it
—
may
be
one
of
those
mysterious
laws
which
guide
the
universe
—
laws
that
we
can
only
trace
in
fragments
,
and
guess
at
the
rest
,
believing
,
in
deep
humility
,
that
one
day
we
shall
"
know
even
as
we
are
known
.
"
Therefore
I
ask
no
pity
for
Elizabeth
,
because
ere
she
had
time
to
collect
herself
,
and
realize
in
her
poor
confused
mind
that
she
had
indeed
said
good
by
to
Tom
,
given
him
up
and
parted
from
him
forever
,
she
was
summoned
to
her
mistress
's
room
,
there
to
hold
a
colloquy
outside
the
door
with
the
seriously-perplexed
nurse
.
One
of
those
sudden
changes
had
come
which
sometimes
,
after
all
seems
safe
,
strike
terror
into
a
rejoicing
household
,
and
end
by
carrying
away
,
remorseless
,
the
young
wife
from
her
scarcely
tasted
bliss
,
the
mother
of
many
children
from
her
close
circle
of
happy
duties
and
yearning
loves
.
Mrs.
Ascott
was
ill.
Either
she
had
taken
cold
or
been
too
much
excited
,
or
,
in
the
overconfidence
of
her
recovery
,
some
slight
neglect
had
occurred
—
some
trifle
which
nobody
thinks
of
till
afterward
,
and
which
yet
proves
the
fatal
cause
,
"
the
little
pin
"
that
"
Bores
through
the
castle
wall
"
of
mortal
hope
,
and
King
Death
enters
in
all
his
awful
state
.
Nobody
knew
it
or
dreaded
it
;
for
though
Mrs.
Ascott
was
certainly
ill
,
she
was
not
at
first
very
ill
;
and
there
being
no
telegraphs
in
those
days
no
one
thought
of
sending
for
either
her
husband
or
her
sisters
.
But
that
very
hour
,
when
Elizabeth
went
up
to
her
mistress
,
and
saw
the
flush
on
her
cheek
and
the
rest-less
expression
of
her
eye
,
King
Death
had
secretly
crept
in
at
the
door
of
the
mansion
in
Russell
Square
.
The
patient
was
carefully
removed
back
into
her
bed
.
She
said
little
,
except
once
,
looking
up
uneasily
—
"
I
do
n't
feel
quite
myself
,
Elizabeth
.
"
And
when
her
servant
soothed
her
in
the
long-familiar
way
,
telling
her
she
would
be
better
in
the
morning
,
she
smiled
contentedly
,
and
turned
to
go
to
sleep
.
Nevertheless
,
Elizabeth
did
not
go
to
her
bed
,
but
sat
behind
the
curtain
,
motionless
,
for
an
hour
or
more
.
Toward
the
middle
of
the
night
,
when
her
baby
was
brought
to
her
,
and
the
child
instinctively
refused
its
natural
food
,
and
began
screaming
violently
,
Mrs.
Ascott
's
troubled
look
returned
.
"
What
is
the
matter
?
What
are
you
doing
,
nurse
?
I
wo
n't
be
parted
from
my
baby
—
I
wo
n't
,
I
say
!
"
And
when
,
to
sooth
her
,
the
little
thing
was
again
put
into
her
arms
,
and
again
turned
from
her
,
a
frightened
expression
came
into
the
mother
's
face
.
"
Am
I
going
to
be
ill
?
—
is
baby
—
"
She
stopped
;
and
as
nurse
determinately
carried
it
away
,
she
attempted
no
resistance
,
only
followed
it
across
the
room
with
eager
eyes
.
It
was
the
last
glimmer
of
reason
there
.
From
that
time
her
,
mind
began
to
wander
,
and
before
morning
she
was
slightly
delirious
.
Still
nobody
apprehended
danger
.
Nobody
really
knew
any
thing
about
the
matter
except
nurse
,
and
she
,
with
a
selfish
fear
of
being
blamed
for
carelessness
,
resisted
sending
for
the
doctor
till
his
usual
hour
of
calling
.
In
that
large
house
,
as
in
many
other
large
houses
,
every
body
's
business
was
nobody
's
business
,
and
a
member
of
the
family
,
even
the
mistress
,
might
easily
be
sick
or
dying
in
some
room
therein
,
while
all
things
else
went
on
just
as
usual
,
and
no
one
was
any
the
wiser
.
About
noon
even
Elizabeth
's
ignorance
was
roused
up
to
the
conviction
that
something
was
very
wrong
with
Mrs.
Ascott
,
and
that
nurse
's
skill
could
not
counteract
it
.
On
her
own
responsibility
she
sent
,
or
rather
she
went
to
fetch
the
doctor
.
He
came
;
and
his
fiat
threw
the
whole
household
into
consternation
.
Now
they
knew
that
the
poor
lady
whose
happiness
had
touched
the
very
stoniest
hearts
in
the
establishment
hovered
upon
the
brink
of
the
grave
.
Now
all
the
women-servants
,
down
to
the
little
kitchen-maid
with
her
dirty
apron
at
her
eyes
,
crept
up
stairs
,
one
after
the
other
,
to
the
door
of
what
had
been
such
a
silent
,
mysterious
room
,
and
listened
,
unhindered
,
to
the
ravings
that
issued
thence
.
"
Poor
Missis
,
"
and
the
"
poor
little
baby
,
"
were
spoken
of
softly
at
the
kitchen
dinner
table
,
and
confidentially
sympathized
over
with
inquiring
tradespeople
at
the
area
gate
.
A
sense
of
awe
and
suspense
stole
over
the
whole
house
,
gathering
thicker
hour
by
hour
of
that
dark
December
day
.
When
her
mistress
was
first
pronounced
"
in
danger
,
"
Elizabeth
,
aware
that
there
was
no
one
to
act
but
herself
,
had
taken
a
brief
opportunity
to
slip
from
the
room
and
write
two
letters
,
one
to
her
master
in
Edinburgh
,
and
the
other
to
Miss
Hilary
.
The
first
she
gave
to
the
footman
to
post
;
the
second
she
charged
him
to
send
by
special
messenger
to
Richmond
.
But
he
,
being
lazily
inclined
,
or
else
thinking
that
,
as
the
order
was
only
given
by
Elizabeth
,
it
was
of
comparatively
little
moment
,
posted
them
both
.
So
vainly
did
the
poor
girl
watch
and
wait
;
neither
Miss
Leaf
nor
Miss
Hilary
came
.
By
night
Mrs.
Ascott
's
delirium
began
to
subside
,
but
her
strength
was
ebbing
fast
.
Two
physicians
—
three
—
stood
by
the
unconscious
woman
,
and
pronounced
that
all
hope
was
gone
,
if
,
indeed
,
the
case
had
not
been
hopeless
from
the
beginning
.
"
Where
is
her
husband
?
Has
she
no
relations
—
no
mother
or
sisters
?
"
asked
the
fashionable
physician
,
Sir
—
—
—
—
,
touched
by
the
slight
or
this
poor
lady
dying
alone
,
with
only
a
nurse
and
a
servant
about
her
.
"
If
she
has
,
they
ought
to
be
sent
for
immediately
.
"
Elizabeth
ran
down
stairs
,
and
rousing
the
old
butler
from
his
bed
,
prevailed
on
him
to
start
immediately
in
the
carriage
to
bring
back
Miss
Leaf
and
Miss
Hilary
.
It
would
be
midnight
before
he
reached
Richmond
;
still
it
must
be
done
.
"
I
'll
do
it
,
my
girl
,
"
said
he
,
kindly
;
"
and
I
'll
tell
them
as
gently
as
I
can
.
Never
fear
.
"
When
Elizabeth
returned
to
her
mistress
's
room
the
doctors
were
all
gone
,
and
nurse
,
standing
at
the
foot
of
Mrs.
Ascott
's
bed
,
was
watching
her
with
the
serious
look
which
even
a
hireling
or
a
stranger
wears
in
the
presence
of
that
sight
which
,
however
familiar
,
never
grows
less
awful
—
a
fellow
creature
slowly
passing
from
this
life
into
the
life
unknown
.
Elizabeth
crept
up
to
the
other
side
.
The
change
,
indescribable
yet
unmistakable
,
which
comes
over
a
human
face
when
the
warrant
for
its
dissolution
has
gone
forth
,
struck
her
at
once
.
Never
yet
had
Elizabeth
seen
death
.
Her
father
's
she
did
not
remember
,
and
among
her
few
friends
and
connections
none
other
had
occurred
.
At
twenty-three
years
of
age
she
was
still
ignorant
of
that
solemn
experience
which
every
woman
must
go
through
some
time
,
often
many
times
during
her
life
.
For
it
is
to
women
that
all
look
in
their
extreme
hour
.
Very
few
men
,
even
the
tenderest
hearted
,
are
able
to
watch
by
the
last
struggle
and
close
the
eyes
of
the
dying
.
For
the
moment
,
as
she
glanced
round
the
darkened
room
,
and
then
at
the
still
figure
on
the
bed
,
Elizabeth
's
courage
failed
.
Strong
love
might
have
overcome
this
fear
—
the
natural
recoil
of
youth
and
life
from
coming
into
contact
with
death
and
mortality
;
but
love
was
not
exactly
the
bond
between
her
and
Mrs.
Ascott
.
It
was
rather
duty
,
pity
,
the
tenderness
that
would
have
sprung
up
in
her
heart
toward
any
body
she
had
watched
and
tended
so
long
.
"
If
she
should
die
,
die
in
the
night
,
before
Miss
Hilary
comes
!
"
thought
the
poor
girl
,
and
glanced
once
more
around
the
shadowy
room
,
where
she
was
now
left
quite
alone
.
For
nurse
,
thinking
with
true
worldly
wisdom
of
the
preservation
of
the
"
son
and
heir
,
"
which
was
decidedly
the
most
important
question
now
,
had
stolen
away
,
and
was
busy
in
the
next
room
,
seeing
various
young
women
whom
the
doctors
had
sent
,
one
of
whom
was
to
supply
to
the
infant
the
place
of
the
poor
mother
whom
it
would
never
know
.
There
was
nobody
left
but
herself
to
watch
this
dying
mother
,
so
Elizabeth
took
her
lot
upon
her
,
smothered
down
her
fears
,
and
sat
by
the
bedside
waiting
for
the
least
expression
of
returning
reason
in
the
sunken
face
,
which
was
very
quiet
now
.
Consciousness
did
return
at
last
,
as
the
doctors
had
said
it
would
.
Mrs.
Ascott
opened
her
eyes
;
they
wandered
from
side
to
side
,
and
then
she
said
,
feebly
,
"
Elizabeth
,
where
's
my
baby
?
"
What
Elizabeth
answered
she
never
could
remember
;
perhaps
nothing
,
or
her
agitation
betrayed
her
,
for
Mrs.
Ascott
said
again
,
"
Elizabeth
,
am
I
going
to
—
to
leave
my
baby
?
"
Some
people
might
have
considered
it
best
to
reply
with
a
lie
—
the
frightened
,
cowardly
lie
that
is
so
often
told
at
death-beds
to
the
soul
passing
direct
to
its
God
.
But
this
girl
could
not
and
dared
not
.
Leaning
