I
AgirlcameoutoflawyerRoyall’shouse,attheendoftheonestreetofNorthDormer,andstoodonthedoorstep。
ItwasthebeginningofaJuneafternoon。Thespringliketransparentskyshedarainofsilversunshineontheroofsofthevillage,andonthepasturesandlarchwoodssurroundingit。Alittlewindmovedamongtheroundwhitecloudsontheshouldersofthehills,drivingtheirshadowsacrossthefieldsanddownthegrassyroadthattakesthenameofstreetwhenitpassesthroughNorthDormer。Theplacelieshighandintheopen,andlacksthelavishshadeofthemoreprotectedNewEnglandvillages。Theclumpofweeping—
willowsabouttheduckpond,andtheNorwaysprucesinfrontoftheHatchardgate,castalmosttheonlyroadsideshadowbetweenlawyerRoyall’shouseandthepointwhere,attheotherendofthevillage,theroadrisesabovethechurchandskirtstheblackhemlockwallenclosingthecemetery。
ThelittleJunewind,friskingdownthestreet,shookthedolefulfringesoftheHatchardspruces,caughtthestrawhatofayoungmanjustpassingunderthem,andspunitcleanacrosstheroadintotheduck—pond。
AsherantofishitoutthegirlonlawyerRoyall’sdoorstepnoticedthathewasastranger,thatheworecityclothes,andthathewaslaughingwithallhisteeth,astheyoungandcarelesslaughatsuchmishaps。
Herheartcontractedalittle,andtheshrinkingthatsometimescameoverherwhenshesawpeoplewithholidayfacesmadeherdrawbackintothehouseandpretendtolookforthekeythatsheknewshehadalreadyputintoherpocket。Anarrowgreenishmirrorwithagilteagleoverithungonthepassagewall,andshelookedcriticallyatherreflection,wishedforthethousandthtimethatshehadblueeyeslikeAnnabelBalch,thegirlwhosometimescamefromSpringfieldtospendaweekwitholdMissHatchard,straightenedthesunburnthatoverhersmallswarthyface,andturnedoutagainintothesunshine。
\"HowIhateeverything!\"shemurmured。
TheyoungmanhadpassedthroughtheHatchardgate,andshehadthestreettoherself。NorthDormerisatalltimesanemptyplace,andatthreeo’clockonaJuneafternoonitsfewable—bodiedmenareoffinthefieldsorwoods,andthewomenindoors,engagedinlanguidhouseholddrudgery。
Thegirlwalkedalong,swingingherkeyonafinger,andlookingaboutherwiththeheightenedattentionproducedbythepresenceofastrangerinafamiliarplace。What,shewondered,didNorthDormerlookliketopeoplefromotherpartsoftheworld?Sheherselfhadlivedtheresincetheageoffive,andhadlongsupposedittobeaplaceofsomeimportance。Butaboutayearbefore,Mr。Miles,thenewEpiscopalclergymanatHepburn,whodroveovereveryotherSunday——whentheroadswerenotploughedupbyhauling——
toholdaserviceintheNorthDormerchurch,hadproposed,inafitofmissionaryzeal,totaketheyoungpeopledowntoNettletontohearanillustratedlectureontheHolyLand;andthedozengirlsandboyswhorepresentedthefutureofNorthDormerhadbeenpiledintoafarm—waggon,drivenoverthehillstoHepburn,putintoaway—trainandcarriedtoNettleton。
InthecourseofthatincredibledayCharityRoyallhad,forthefirstandonlytime,experiencedrailway—
travel,lookedintoshopswithplate—glassfronts,tastedcocoanutpie,satinatheatre,andlistenedtoagentlemansayingunintelligiblethingsbeforepicturesthatshewouldhaveenjoyedlookingatifhisexplanationshadnotpreventedherfromunderstandingthem。ThisinitiationhadshownherthatNorthDormerwasasmallplace,anddevelopedinherathirstforinformationthatherpositionascustodianofthevillagelibraryhadpreviouslyfailedtoexcite。ForamonthortwoshedippedfeverishlyanddisconnectedlyintothedustyvolumesoftheHatchardMemorialLibrary;thentheimpressionofNettletonbegantofade,andshefounditeasiertotakeNorthDormerasthenormoftheuniversethantogoonreading。
ThesightofthestrangeroncemorerevivedmemoriesofNettleton,andNorthDormershranktoitsrealsize。Asshelookedupanddownit,fromlawyerRoyall’sfadedredhouseatoneendtothewhitechurchattheother,shepitilesslytookitsmeasure。Thereitlay,aweather—beatensunburntvillageofthehills,abandonedofmen,leftapartbyrailway,trolley,telegraph,andalltheforcesthatlinklifetolifeinmoderncommunities。Ithadnoshops,notheatres,nolectures,no\"businessblock\";onlyachurchthatwasopenedeveryotherSundayifthestateoftheroadspermitted,andalibraryforwhichnonewbookshadbeenboughtfortwentyyears,andwheretheoldonesmoulderedundisturbedonthedampshelves。YetCharityRoyallhadalwaysbeentoldthatsheoughttoconsideritaprivilegethatherlothadbeencastinNorthDormer。Sheknewthat,comparedtotheplaceshehadcomefrom,NorthDormerrepresentedalltheblessingsofthemostrefinedcivilization。Everyoneinthevillagehadtoldhersoeversinceshehadbeenbroughtthereasachild。EvenoldMissHatchardhadsaidtoher,onaterribleoccasioninherlife:\"Mychild,youmustneverceasetorememberthatitwasMr。RoyallwhobroughtyoudownfromtheMountain。\"
Shehadbeen\"broughtdownfromtheMountain\";fromthescarredcliffthatlifteditssullenwallabovethelesserslopesofEagleRange,makingaperpetualbackgroundofgloomtothelonelyvalley。TheMountainwasagoodfifteenmilesaway,butitrosesoabruptlyfromthelowerhillsthatitseemedalmosttocastitsshadowoverNorthDormer。Anditwaslikeagreatmagnetdrawingthecloudsandscatteringtheminstormacrossthevalley。Ifever,inthepurestsummersky,theretrailedathreadofvapouroverNorthDormer,itdriftedtotheMountainasashipdriftstoawhirlpool,andwascaughtamongtherocks,tornupandmultiplied,tosweepbackoverthevillageinrainanddarkness。
CharitywasnotveryclearabouttheMountain;butsheknewitwasabadplace,andashametohavecomefrom,andthat,whateverbefellherinNorthDormer,sheought,asMissHatchardhadonceremindedher,torememberthatshehadbeenbroughtdownfromthere,andholdhertongueandbethankful。ShelookedupattheMountain,thinkingofthesethings,andtriedasusualtobethankful。ButthesightoftheyoungmanturninginatMissHatchard’sgatehadbroughtbackthevisionoftheglitteringstreetsofNettleton,andshefeltashamedofheroldsun—hat,andsickofNorthDormer,andjealouslyawareofAnnabelBalchofSpringfield,openingherblueeyessomewherefaroffongloriesgreaterthanthegloriesofNettleton。
\"HowIhateeverything!\"shesaidagain。
Halfwaydownthestreetshestoppedataweak—hingedgate。Passingthroughit,shewalkeddownabrickpathtoaqueerlittlebricktemplewithwhitewoodencolumnssupportingapedimentonwhichwasinscribedintarnishedgoldletters:\"TheHonoriusHatchardMemorialLibrary,1832。\"
HonoriusHatchardhadbeenoldMissHatchard’sgreat—
uncle;thoughshewouldundoubtedlyhavereversedthephrase,andputforward,asheronlyclaimtodistinction,thefactthatshewashisgreat—niece。
ForHonoriusHatchard,intheearlyyearsofthenineteenthcentury,hadenjoyedamodestcelebrity。Asthemarbletabletintheinteriorofthelibraryinformeditsinfrequentvisitors,hehadpossessedmarkedliterarygifts,writtenaseriesofpaperscalled\"TheRecluseofEagleRange,\"enjoyedtheacquaintanceofWashingtonIrvingandFitz—GreeneHalleck,andbeencutoffinhisflowerbyafevercontractedinItaly。SuchhadbeenthesolelinkbetweenNorthDormerandliterature,alinkpiouslycommemoratedbytheerectionofthemonumentwhereCharityRoyall,everyTuesdayandThursdayafternoon,satatherdeskunderafreckledsteelengravingofthedeceasedauthor,andwonderedifhefeltanydeaderinhisgravethanshedidinhislibrary。
Enteringherprison—housewithalistlessstepshetookoffherhat,hungitonaplasterbustofMinerva,openedtheshutters,leanedouttoseeiftherewereanyeggsintheswallow’snestaboveoneofthewindows,andfinally,seatingherselfbehindthedesk,drewoutarollofcottonlaceandasteelcrochethook。Shewasnotanexpertworkwoman,andithadtakenhermanyweekstomakethehalf—yardofnarrowlacewhichshekeptwoundaboutthebuckrambackofadisintegratedcopyof\"TheLamplighter。\"Buttherewasnootherwayofgettinganylacetotrimhersummerblouse,andsinceAllyHawes,thepoorestgirlinthevillage,hadshownherselfinchurchwithenviabletransparenciesabouttheshoulders,Charity’shookhadtravelledfaster。Sheunrolledthelace,dugthehookintoaloop,andbenttothetaskwithfurrowedbrows。
Suddenlythedooropened,andbeforeshehadraisedhereyessheknewthattheyoungmanshehadseengoinginattheHatchardgatehadenteredthelibrary。
Withouttakinganynoticeofherhebegantomoveslowlyaboutthelongvault—likeroom,hishandsbehindhisback,hisshort—sightedeyespeeringupanddowntherowsofrustybindings。Atlengthhereachedthedeskandstoodbeforeher。
\"Haveyouacard—catalogue?\"heaskedinapleasantabruptvoice;andtheoddnessofthequestioncausedhertodropherwork。
\"AWHAT?\"
\"Why,youknow————\"Hebrokeoff,andshebecameconsciousthathewaslookingatherforthefirsttime,havingapparently,onhisentrance,includedherinhisgeneralshort—sightedsurveyaspartofthefurnitureofthelibrary。
Thefactthat,indiscoveringher,helostthethreadofhisremark,didnotescapeherattention,andshelookeddownandsmiled。Hesmiledalso。
\"No,Idon’tsupposeyoudoknow,\"hecorrectedhimself。\"Infact,itwouldbealmostapity————\"
Shethoughtshedetectedaslightcondescensioninhistone,andaskedsharply:\"Why?\"
\"Becauseit’ssomuchpleasanter,inasmalllibrarylikethis,topokeaboutbyone’sself——withthehelpofthelibrarian。\"
Headdedthelastphrasesorespectfullythatshewasmollified,andrejoinedwithasigh:\"I’mafraidI
can’thelpyoumuch。\"
\"Why?\"hequestionedinhisturn;andsherepliedthatthereweren’tmanybooksanyhow,andthatshe’dhardlyreadanyofthem。\"Thewormsaregettingatthem,\"sheaddedgloomily。
\"Arethey?That’sapity,forIseetherearesomegoodones。\"Heseemedtohavelostinterestintheirconversation,andstrolledawayagain,apparentlyforgettingher。Hisindifferencenettledher,andshepickedupherwork,resolvednottoofferhimtheleastassistance。Apparentlyhedidnotneedit,forhespentalongtimewithhisbacktoher,liftingdown,oneafteranother,thetallcob—webbyvolumesfromadistantshelf。
\"Oh,Isay!\"heexclaimed;andlookingupshesawthathehaddrawnouthishandkerchiefandwascarefullywipingtheedgesofthebookinhishand。Theactionstruckherasanunwarrantedcriticismonhercareofthebooks,andshesaidirritably:\"It’snotmyfaultifthey’redirty。\"
Heturnedaroundandlookedatherwithrevivinginterest。\"Ah——thenyou’renotthelibrarian?\"
\"OfcourseIam;butIcan’tdustallthesebooks。
Besides,nobodyeverlooksatthem,nowMissHatchard’stoolametocomeround。\"
\"No,Isupposenot。\"Helaiddownthebookhehadbeenwiping,andstoodconsideringherinsilence。ShewonderedifMissHatchardhadsenthimroundtopryintothewaythelibrarywaslookedafter,andthesuspicionincreasedherresentment。\"Isawyougoingintoherhousejustnow,didn’tI?\"sheasked,withtheNewEnglandavoidanceofthepropername。Shewasdeterminedtofindoutwhyhewaspokingaboutamongherbooks。
\"MissHatchard’shouse?Yes——she’smycousinandI’mstayingthere,\"theyoungmananswered;adding,asiftodisarmavisibledistrust:\"MynameisHarney——
LuciusHarney。Shemayhavespokenofme。\"
\"No,shehasn’t,\"saidCharity,wishingshecouldhavesaid:\"Yes,shehas。\"
\"Oh,well————\"saidMissHatchard’scousinwithalaugh;andafteranotherpause,duringwhichitoccurredtoCharitythatheranswerhadnotbeenencouraging,heremarked:\"Youdon’tseemstrongonarchitecture。\"
Herbewildermentwascomplete:themoreshewishedtoappeartounderstandhimthemoreunintelligiblehisremarksbecame。Heremindedherofthegentlemanwhohad\"explained\"thepicturesatNettleton,andtheweightofherignorancesettleddownonheragainlikeapall。
\"Imean,Ican’tseethatyouhaveanybooksontheoldhousesabouthere。Isuppose,forthatmatter,thispartofthecountryhasn’tbeenmuchexplored。TheyallgoondoingPlymouthandSalem。Sostupid。Mycousin’shouse,now,isremarkable。Thisplacemusthavehadapast——itmusthavebeenmoreofaplaceonce。\"Hestoppedshort,withtheblushofashymanwhooverhearshimself,andfearshehasbeenvoluble。
\"I’manarchitect,yousee,andI’mhuntingupoldhousesintheseparts。\"
Shestared。\"Oldhouses?Everything’soldinNorthDormer,isn’tit?Thefolksare,anyhow。\"
Helaughed,andwanderedawayagain。
\"Haven’tyouanykindofahistoryoftheplace?
Ithinktherewasonewrittenabout1840:abookorpamphletaboutitsfirstsettlement,\"hepresentlysaidfromthefartherendoftheroom。
Shepressedhercrochethookagainstherlipandpondered。Therewassuchawork,sheknew:\"NorthDormerandtheEarlyTownshipsofEagleCounty。\"Shehadaspecialgrudgeagainstitbecauseitwasalimpweaklybookthatwasalwayseitherfallingofftheshelforslippingbackanddisappearingifonesqueezeditinbetweensustainingvolumes。Sheremembered,thelasttimeshehadpickeditup,wonderinghowanyonecouldhavetakenthetroubletowriteabookaboutNorthDormeranditsneighbours:Dormer,Hamblin,CrestonandCrestonRiver。Sheknewthemall,merelostclustersofhousesinthefoldsofthedesolateridges:
Dormer,whereNorthDormerwentforitsapples;CrestonRiver,wherethereusedtobeapaper—mill,anditsgreywallsstooddecayingbythestream;andHamblin,wherethefirstsnowalwaysfell。Suchweretheirtitlestofame。
Shegotupandbegantomoveaboutvaguelybeforetheshelves。Butshehadnoideawhereshehadlastputthebook,andsomethingtoldherthatitwasgoingtoplayheritsusualtrickandremaininvisible。Itwasnotoneofherluckydays。
\"Iguessit’ssomewhere,\"shesaid,toproveherzeal;
butshespokewithoutconviction,andfeltthatherwordsconveyednone。
\"Oh,well————\"hesaidagain。Sheknewhewasgoing,andwishedmorethanevertofindthebook。
\"Itwillbefornexttime,\"headded;andpickingupthevolumehehadlaidonthedeskhehandedittoher。
\"Bytheway,alittleairandsunwoulddothisgood;
it’srathervaluable。\"
Hegaveheranodandsmile,andpassedout。
II
ThehoursoftheHatchardMemoriallibrarianwerefromthreetofive;andCharityRoyall’ssenseofdutyusuallykeptheratherdeskuntilnearlyhalf—pastfour。
ButshehadneverperceivedthatanypracticaladvantagetherebyaccruedeithertoNorthDormerortoherself;andshehadnoscrupleindecreeing,whenitsuitedher,thatthelibraryshouldcloseanhourearlier。AfewminutesafterMr。Harney’sdeparturesheformedthisdecision,putawayherlace,fastenedtheshutters,andturnedthekeyinthedoorofthetempleofknowledge。
Thestreetuponwhichsheemergedwasstillempty:andafterglancingupanddownitshebegantowalktowardherhouse。Butinsteadofenteringshepassedon,turnedintoafield—pathandmountedtoapastureonthehillside。Sheletdownthebarsofthegate,followedatrailalongthecrumblingwallofthepasture,andwalkedontillshereachedaknollwhereaclumpoflarchesshookouttheirfreshtasselstothewind。Thereshelaydownontheslope,tossedoffherhatandhidherfaceinthegrass。
Shewasblindandinsensibletomanythings,anddimlyknewit;buttoallthatwaslightandair,perfumeandcolour,everydropofbloodinherresponded。Shelovedtheroughnessofthedrymountaingrassunderherpalms,thesmellofthethymeintowhichshecrushedherface,thefingeringofthewindinherhairandthroughhercottonblouse,andthecreakofthelarchesastheyswayedtoit。
Sheoftenclimbedupthehillandlaytherealoneforthemerepleasureoffeelingthewindandofrubbinghercheeksinthegrass。Generallyatsuchtimesshedidnotthinkofanything,butlayimmersedinaninarticulatewell—being。Todaythesenseofwell—beingwasintensifiedbyherjoyatescapingfromthelibrary。Shelikedwellenoughtohaveafrienddropinandtalktoherwhenshewasonduty,butshehatedtobebotheredaboutbooks。Howcouldsherememberwheretheywere,whentheyweresoseldomaskedfor?OrmaFryoccasionallytookoutanovel,andherbrotherBenwasfondofwhathecalled\"jography,\"andofbooksrelatingtotradeandbookkeeping;butnooneelseaskedforanythingexcept,atintervals,\"UncleTom’sCabin,\"or\"OpeningofaChestnutBurr,\"orLongfellow。
Shehadtheseunderherhand,andcouldhavefoundtheminthedark;butunexpecteddemandscamesorarelythattheyexasperatedherlikeaninjustice……
Shehadlikedtheyoungman’slooks,andhisshort—
sightedeyes,andhisoddwayofspeaking,thatwasabruptyetsoft,justashishandsweresun—burntandsinewy,yetwithsmoothnailslikeawoman’s。Hishairwassunburnt—lookingtoo,orratherthecolourofbrackenafterfrost;hiseyesgrey,withtheappealinglookoftheshortsighted,hissmileshyyetconfident,asifheknewlotsofthingsshehadneverdreamedof,andyetwouldn’tfortheworldhavehadherfeelhissuperiority。Butshedidfeelit,andlikedthefeeling;foritwasnewtoher。Poorandignorantasshewas,andknewherselftobe——humblestofthehumbleeveninNorthDormer,wheretocomefromtheMountainwastheworstdisgrace——yetinhernarrowworldshehadalwaysruled。Itwaspartly,ofcourse,owingtothefactthatlawyerRoyallwas\"thebiggestmaninNorthDormer\";somuchtoobigforit,infact,thatoutsiders,whodidn’tknow,alwayswonderedhowitheldhim。Inspiteofeverything——andinspiteevenofMissHatchard——lawyerRoyallruledinNorthDormer;andCharityruledinlawyerRoyall’shouse。Shehadneverputittoherselfinthoseterms;butsheknewherpower,knewwhatitwasmadeof,andhatedit。
Confusedly,theyoungmaninthelibraryhadmadeherfeelforthefirsttimewhatmightbethesweetnessofdependence。
Shesatup,brushedthebitsofgrassfromherhair,andlookeddownonthehousewheresheheldsway。Itstoodjustbelowher,cheerlessanduntended,itsfadedredfrontdividedfromtheroadbya\"yard\"withapathborderedbygooseberrybushes,astonewellovergrownwithtraveller’sjoy,andasicklyCrimsonRamblertiedtoafan—shapedsupport,whichMr。RoyallhadoncebroughtupfromHepburntopleaseher。Behindthehouseabitofunevengroundwithclothes—linesstrungacrossitstretcheduptoadrywall,andbeyondthewallapatchofcornandafewrowsofpotatoesstrayedvaguelyintotheadjoiningwildernessofrockandfern。
Charitycouldnotrecallherfirstsightofthehouse。
ShehadbeentoldthatshewasillofafeverwhenshewasbroughtdownfromtheMountain;andshecouldonlyrememberwakingonedayinacotatthefootofMrs。
Royall’sbed,andopeninghereyesonthecoldneatnessoftheroomthatwasafterwardtobehers。
Mrs。Royalldiedsevenoreightyearslater;andbythattimeCharityhadtakenthemeasureofmostthingsabouther。SheknewthatMrs。Royallwassadandtimidandweak;sheknewthatlawyerRoyallwasharshandviolent,andstillweaker。SheknewthatshehadbeenchristenedCharity(inthewhitechurchattheotherendofthevillage)tocommemorateMr。Royall’sdisinterestednessin\"bringingherdown,\"andtokeepaliveinherabecomingsenseofherdependence;sheknewthatMr。Royallwasherguardian,butthathehadnotlegallyadoptedher,thougheverybodyspokeofherasCharityRoyall;andsheknewwhyhehadcomebacktoliveatNorthDormer,insteadofpractisingatNettleton,wherehehadbegunhislegalcareer。
AfterMrs。Royall’sdeaththerewassometalkofsendinghertoaboarding—school。MissHatchardsuggestedit,andhadalongconferencewithMr。
Royall,who,inpursuanceofherplan,departedonedayforStarkfieldtovisittheinstitutionsherecommended。Hecamebackthenextnightwithablackface;worse,Charityobserved,thanshehadeverseenhim;andbythattimeshehadhadsomeexperience。
Whensheaskedhimhowsoonshewastostartheansweredshortly,\"Youain’tgoing,\"andshuthimselfupintheroomhecalledhisoffice;andthenextdaytheladywhokepttheschoolatStarkfieldwrotethat\"underthecircumstances\"shewasafraidshecouldnotmakeroomjustthenforanotherpupil。
Charitywasdisappointed;butsheunderstood。Itwasn’tthetemptationsofStarkfieldthathadbeenMr。
Royall’sundoing;itwasthethoughtoflosingher。Hewasadreadfully\"lonesome\"man;shehadmadethatoutbecauseshewasso\"lonesome\"herself。Heandshe,facetofaceinthatsadhouse,hadsoundedthedepthsofisolation;andthoughshefeltnoparticularaffectionforhim,andnottheslightestgratitude,shepitiedhimbecauseshewasconsciousthathewassuperiortothepeopleabouthim,andthatshewastheonlybeingbetweenhimandsolitude。Therefore,whenMissHatchardsentforheradayortwolater,totalkofaschoolatNettleton,andtosaythatthistimeafriendofherswould\"makethenecessaryarrangements,\"
CharitycuthershortwiththeannouncementthatshehaddecidednottoleaveNorthDormer。
MissHatchardreasonedwithherkindly,buttonopurpose;shesimplyrepeated:\"IguessMr。Royall’stoolonesome。\"
MissHatchardblinkedperplexedlybehindhereye—
glasses。Herlongfrailfacewasfullofpuzzledwrinkles,andsheleantforward,restingherhandsonthearmsofhermahoganyarmchair,withtheevidentdesiretosaysomethingthatoughttobesaid。
\"Thefeelingdoesyoucredit,mydear。\"
Shelookedaboutthepalewallsofhersitting—room,seekingcounselofancestraldaguerreotypesanddidacticsamplers;buttheyseemedtomakeutterancemoredifficult。
\"Thefactis,it’snotonly——notonlybecauseoftheadvantages。Thereareotherreasons。You’retooyoungtounderstand————\"
\"Oh,no,Iain’t,\"saidCharityharshly;andMissHatchardblushedtotherootsofherblondecap。Butshemusthavefeltavaguereliefathavingherexplanationcutshort,forsheconcluded,againinvokingthedaguerreotypes:\"OfcourseIshallalwaysdowhatIcanforyou;andincase……incase……youknowyoucanalwayscometome……\"
LawyerRoyallwaswaitingforCharityintheporchwhenshereturnedfromthisvisit。Hehadshaved,andbrushedhisblackcoat,andlookedamagnificentmonumentofaman;atsuchmomentsshereallyadmiredhim。
\"Well,\"hesaid,\"isitsettled?\"
\"Yes,it’ssettled。Iain’tgoing。\"
\"NottotheNettletonschool?\"
\"Notanywhere。\"
Heclearedhisthroatandaskedsternly:\"Why?\"
\"I’drathernot,\"shesaid,swingingpasthimonherwaytoherroom。ItwasthefollowingweekthathebroughtheruptheCrimsonRambleranditsfanfromHepburn。Hehadnevergivenheranythingbefore。
Thenextoutstandingincidentofherlifehadhappenedtwoyearslater,whenshewasseventeen。LawyerRoyall,whohatedtogotoNettleton,hadbeencalledthereinconnectionwithacase。Hestillexercisedhisprofession,thoughlitigationlanguishedinNorthDormeranditsoutlyinghamlets;andforoncehehadhadanopportunitythathecouldnotaffordtorefuse。
HespentthreedaysinNettleton,wonhiscase,andcamebackinhighgood—humour。Itwasararemoodwithhim,andmanifesteditselfonthisoccasionbyhistalkingimpressivelyatthesupper—tableofthe\"rousingwelcome\"hisoldfriendshadgivenhim。Hewoundupconfidentially:\"IwasadamnfoolevertoleaveNettleton。ItwasMrs。Royallthatmademedoit。\"
Charityimmediatelyperceivedthatsomethingbitterhadhappenedtohim,andthathewastryingtotalkdowntherecollection。Shewentuptobedearly,leavinghimseatedinmoodythought,hiselbowsproppedonthewornoilclothofthesuppertable。Onthewayupshehadextractedfromhisovercoatpocketthekeyofthecupboardwherethebottleofwhiskeywaskept。
Shewasawakenedbyarattlingatherdoorandjumpedoutofbed。SheheardMr。Royall’svoice,lowandperemptory,andopenedthedoor,fearinganaccident。
Nootherthoughthadoccurredtoher;butwhenshesawhiminthedoorway,arayfromtheautumnmoonfallingonhisdiscomposedface,sheunderstood。
Foramomenttheylookedateachotherinsilence;
then,asheputhisfootacrossthethreshold,shestretchedoutherarmandstoppedhim。
\"Yougorightbackfromhere,\"shesaid,inashrillvoicethatstartledher;\"youain’tgoingtohavethatkeytonight。\"
\"Charity,letmein。Idon’twantthekey。I’malonesomeman,\"hebegan,inthedeepvoicethatsometimesmovedher。
Herheartgaveastartledplunge,butshecontinuedtoholdhimbackcontemptuously。\"Well,Iguessyoumadeamistake,then。Thisain’tyourwife’sroomanylonger。\"
Shewasnotfrightened,shesimplyfeltadeepdisgust;
andperhapshedivineditorreaditinherface,forafterstaringatheramomenthedrewbackandturnedslowlyawayfromthedoor。Withhereartoherkeyholesheheardhimfeelhiswaydownthedarkstairs,andtowardthekitchen;andshelistenedforthecrashofthecupboardpanel,butinsteadsheheardhim,afteraninterval,unlockthedoorofthehouse,andhisheavystepscametoherthroughthesilenceashewalkeddownthepath。Shecrepttothewindowandsawhisbentfigurestridinguptheroadinthemoonlight。Thenabelatedsenseoffearcametoherwiththeconsciousnessofvictory,andsheslippedintobed,coldtothebone。
AdayortwolaterpoorEudoraSkeff,whofortwentyyearshadbeenthecustodianoftheHatchardlibrary,diedsuddenlyofpneumonia;andthedayafterthefuneralCharitywenttoseeMissHatchard,andaskedtobeappointedlibrarian。TherequestseemedtosurpriseMissHatchard:sheevidentlyquestionedthenewcandidate’squalifications。
\"Why,Idon’tknow,mydear。Aren’tyourathertooyoung?\"shehesitated。
\"Iwanttoearnsomemoney,\"Charitymerelyanswered。
\"Doesn’tMr。Royallgiveyouallyourequire?NooneisrichinNorthDormer。\"
\"Iwanttoearnmoneyenoughtogetaway。\"
\"Togetaway?\"MissHatchard’spuzzledwrinklesdeepened,andtherewasadistressfulpause。\"YouwanttoleaveMr。Royall?\"
\"Yes:orIwantanotherwomaninthehousewithme,\"
saidCharityresolutely。
MissHatchardclaspedhernervoushandsaboutthearmsofherchair。Hereyesinvokedthefadedcountenancesonthewall,andafterafaintcoughofindecisionshebroughtout:\"The……thehousework’stoohardforyou,I
suppose?\"
Charity’sheartgrewcold。SheunderstoodthatMissHatchardhadnohelptogiveherandthatshewouldhavetofightherwayoutofherdifficultyalone。A
deepersenseofisolationovercameher;shefeltincalculablyold。\"She’sgottobetalkedtolikeababy,\"shethought,withafeelingofcompassionforMissHatchard’slongimmaturity。\"Yes,that’sit,\"shesaidaloud。\"Thehousework’stoohardforme:I’vebeencoughingagooddealthisfall。\"
Shenotedtheimmediateeffectofthissuggestion。MissHatchardpaledatthememoryofpoorEudora’staking—
off,andpromisedtodowhatshecould。Butofcoursetherewerepeopleshemustconsult:theclergyman,theselectmenofNorthDormer,andadistantHatchardrelativeatSpringfield。\"Ifyou’donlygonetoschool!\"shesighed。ShefollowedCharitytothedoor,andthere,inthesecurityofthethreshold,saidwithaglanceofevasiveappeal:\"IknowMr。Royallis……tryingattimes;buthiswifeborewithhim;andyoumustalwaysremember,Charity,thatitwasMr。
RoyallwhobroughtyoudownfromtheMountain。\"CharitywenthomeandopenedthedoorofMr。Royall’s\"office。\"
HewassittingtherebythestovereadingDanielWebster’sspeeches。Theyhadmetatmealsduringthefivedaysthathadelapsedsincehehadcometoherdoor,andshehadwalkedathissideatEudora’sfuneral;buttheyhadnotspokenawordtoeachother。
Heglancedupinsurpriseassheentered,andshenoticedthathewasunshaved,andthathelookedunusuallyold;butasshehadalwaysthoughtofhimasanoldmanthechangeinhisappearancedidnotmoveher。ShetoldhimshehadbeentoseeMissHatchard,andwithwhatobject。Shesawthathewasastonished;
buthemadenocomment。
\"Itoldherthehouseworkwastoohardforme,andI
wantedtoearnthemoneytopayforahiredgirl。ButIain’tgoingtopayforher:you’vegotto。Iwanttohavesomemoneyofmyown。\"
Mr。Royall’sbushyblackeyebrowsweredrawntogetherinafrown,andhesatdrummingwithink—stainednailsontheedgeofhisdesk。
\"Whatdoyouwanttoearnmoneyfor?\"heasked。
\"So’stogetawaywhenIwantto。\"
\"Whydoyouwanttogetaway?\"
Hercontemptflashedout。\"Doyousupposeanybody’dstayatNorthDormeriftheycouldhelpit?Youwouldn’t,folkssay!\"
Withloweredheadheasked:\"Where’dyougoto?\"
\"AnywherewhereIcanearnmyliving。I’lltryherefirst,andifIcan’tdoithereI’llgosomewhereelse。I’llgouptheMountainifIhaveto。\"Shepausedonthisthreat,andsawthatithadtakeneffect。\"IwantyoushouldgetMissHatchardandtheselectmentotakemeatthelibrary:andIwantawomanhereinthehousewithme,\"sherepeated。
Mr。Royallhadgrownexceedinglypale。Whensheendedhestoodupponderously,leaningagainstthedesk;andforasecondortwotheylookedateachother。
\"Seehere,\"hesaidatlengthasthoughutteranceweredifficult,\"there’ssomethingI’vebeenwantingtosaytoyou;I’doughttohavesaiditbefore。Iwantyoutomarryme。\"
Thegirlstillstaredathimwithoutmoving。\"Iwantyoutomarryme,\"herepeated,clearinghisthroat。
\"Theminister’llbeupherenextSundayandwecanfixitupthen。OrI’lldriveyoudowntoHepburntotheJustice,andgetitdonethere。I’lldowhateveryousay。\"Hiseyesfellunderthemercilessstareshecontinuedtofixonhim,andheshiftedhisweightuneasilyfromonefoottotheother。Ashestoodtherebeforeher,unwieldy,shabby,disordered,thepurpleveinsdistortingthehandshepressedagainstthedesk,andhislongorator’sjawtremblingwiththeeffortofhisavowal,heseemedlikeahideousparodyofthefatherlyoldmanshehadalwaysknown。
\"Marryyou?Me?\"sheburstoutwithascornfullaugh。
\"Wasthatwhatyoucametoaskmetheothernight?
What’scomeoveryou,Iwonder?Howlongisitsinceyou’velookedatyourselfintheglass?\"Shestraightenedherself,insolentlyconsciousofheryouthandstrength。\"Isupposeyouthinkitwouldbecheapertomarrymethantokeepahiredgirl。Everybodyknowsyou’retheclosestmaninEagleCounty;butIguessyou’renotgoingtogetyourmendingdoneforyouthatwaytwice。\"
Mr。Royalldidnotmovewhileshespoke。Hisfacewasash—colouredandhisblackeyebrowsquiveredasthoughtheblazeofherscornhadblindedhim。Whensheceasedhehelduphishand。
\"That’lldo——that’llaboutdo,\"hesaid。Heturnedtothedoorandtookhishatfromthehat—peg。Onthethresholdhepaused。\"Peopleain’tbeenfairtome——
fromthefirsttheyain’tbeenfairtome,\"hesaid。
Thenhewentout。
AfewdayslaterNorthDormerlearnedwithsurprisethatCharityhadbeenappointedlibrarianoftheHatchardMemorialatasalaryofeightdollarsamonth,andthatoldVerenaMarsh,fromtheCrestonAlmshouse,wascomingtoliveatlawyerRoyall’sanddothecooking。
III
ItwasnotintheroomknownattheredhouseasMr。
Royall’s\"office\"thathereceivedhisinfrequentclients。Professionaldignityandmasculineindependencemadeitnecessarythatheshouldhavearealoffice,underadifferentroof;andhisstandingastheonlylawyerofNorthDormerrequiredthattheroofshouldbethesameasthatwhichshelteredtheTownHallandthepost—office。
Itwashishabittowalktothisofficetwiceaday,morningandafternoon。Itwasonthegroundfloorofthebuilding,withaseparateentrance,andaweatheredname—plateonthedoor。Beforegoinginhesteppedintothepost—officeforhismail——usuallyanemptyceremony——saidawordortwotothetown—clerk,whosatacrossthepassageinidlestate,andthenwentovertothestoreontheoppositecorner,whereCarrickFry,thestorekeeper,alwayskeptachairforhim,andwherehewassuretofindoneortwoselectmenleaningonthelongcounter,inanatmosphereofrope,leather,tarandcoffee—beans。Mr。Royall,thoughmonosyllabicathome,wasnotaverse,incertainmoods,toimpartinghisviewstohisfellow—townsmen;perhaps,also,hewasunwillingthathisrareclientsshouldsurprisehimsitting,clerklessandunoccupied,inhisdustyoffice。
Atanyrate,hishourstherewerenotmuchlongerormoreregularthanCharity’satthelibrary;therestofthetimehespenteitheratthestoreorindrivingaboutthecountryonbusinessconnectedwiththeinsurancecompaniesthatherepresented,orinsittingathomereadingBancroft’sHistoryoftheUnitedStatesandthespeechesofDanielWebster。
SincethedaywhenCharityhadtoldhimthatshewishedtosucceedtoEudoraSkeff’sposttheirrelationshadundefinablybutdefinitelychanged。LawyerRoyallhadkepthisword。Hehadobtainedtheplaceforheratthecostofconsiderablemaneuvering,assheguessedfromthenumberofrivalcandidates,andfromtheacerbitywithwhichtwoofthem,OrmaFryandtheeldestTargattgirl,treatedherfornearlyayearafterward。AndhehadengagedVerenaMarshtocomeupfromCrestonanddothecooking。Verenawasapooroldwidow,dodderingandshiftless:Charitysuspectedthatshecameforherkeep。Mr。Royallwastoocloseamantogiveadollaradaytoasmartgirlwhenhecouldgetadeafpauperfornothing。Butatanyrate,Verenawasthere,intheatticjustoverCharity,andthefactthatshewasdeafdidnotgreatlytroubletheyounggirl。
Charityknewthatwhathadhappenedonthathatefulnightwouldnothappenagain。Sheunderstoodthat,profoundlyasshehaddespisedMr。Royalleversince,hedespisedhimselfstillmoreprofoundly。Ifshehadaskedforawomaninthehouseitwasfarlessforherowndefensethanforhishumiliation。Sheneedednoonetodefendher:hishumbledpridewashersurestprotection。Hehadneverspokenawordofexcuseorextenuation;theincidentwasasifithadneverbeen。
Yetitsconsequenceswerelatentineverywordthatheandsheexchanged,ineveryglancetheyinstinctivelyturnedfromeachother。Nothingnowwouldevershakeherruleintheredhouse。
OnthenightofhermeetingwithMissHatchard’scousinCharitylayinbed,herbarearmsclaspedunderherroughhead,andcontinuedtothinkofhim。ShesupposedthathemeanttospendsometimeinNorthDormer。Hehadsaidhewaslookinguptheoldhousesintheneighbourhood;andthoughshewasnotveryclearastohispurpose,orastowhyanyoneshouldlookforoldhouses,whentheylayinwaitforoneoneveryroadside,sheunderstoodthatheneededthehelpofbooks,andresolvedtohuntupthenextdaythevolumeshehadfailedtofind,andanyothersthatseemedrelatedtothesubject。
Neverhadherignoranceoflifeandliteraturesoweighedonherasinrelivingtheshortsceneofherdiscomfiture。\"It’snousetryingtobeanythinginthisplace,\"shemutteredtoherpillow;andsheshrivelledatthevisionofvaguemetropolises,shiningsuper—Nettletons,wheregirlsinbetterclothesthanBelleBalch’stalkedfluentlyofarchitecturetoyoungmenwithhandslikeLuciusHarney’s。Thensherememberedhissuddenpausewhenhehadcomeclosetothedeskandhadhisfirstlookather。Thesighthadmadehimforgetwhathewasgoingtosay;sherecalledthechangeinhisface,andjumpingupsheranoverthebareboardstoherwashstand,foundthematches,litacandle,andliftedittothesquareoflooking—glassonthewhite—washedwall。Hersmallface,usuallysodarklypale,glowedlikearoseinthefaintorboflight,andunderherrumpledhairhereyesseemeddeeperandlargerthanbyday。Perhapsafterallitwasamistaketowishtheywereblue。Aclumsybandandbuttonfastenedherunbleachednight—gownaboutthethroat。Sheundidit,freedherthinshoulders,andsawherselfabrideinlow—neckedsatin,walkingdownanaislewithLuciusHarney。Hewouldkissherastheyleftthechurch……Sheputdownthecandleandcoveredherfacewithherhandsasiftoimprisonthekiss。AtthatmomentsheheardMr。Royall’sstepashecameupthestairstobed,andafiercerevulsionoffeelingsweptoverher。Untilthenshehadmerelydespisedhim;nowdeephatredofhimfilledherheart。Hebecametoherahorribleoldman……
Thenextday,whenMr。Royallcamebacktodinner,theyfacedeachotherinsilenceasusual。Verena’spresenceatthetablewasanexcusefortheirnottalking,thoughherdeafnesswouldhavepermittedthefreestinterchangeofconfidences。Butwhenthemealwasover,andMr。Royallrosefromthetable,helookedbackatCharity,whohadstayedtohelptheoldwomanclearawaythedishes。
\"Iwanttospeaktoyouaminute,\"hesaid;andshefollowedhimacrossthepassage,wondering。
Heseatedhimselfinhisblackhorse—hairarmchair,andsheleanedagainstthewindow,indifferently。Shewasimpatienttobegonetothelibrary,tohuntforthebookonNorthDormer。
\"Seehere,\"hesaid,\"whyain’tyouatthelibrarythedaysyou’resupposedtobethere?\"
Thequestion,breakinginonhermoodofblissfulabstraction,deprivedherofspeech,andshestaredathimforamomentwithoutanswering。