’Tain’toftenIgetabitoffreshair。\"
\"Doingwell?\"
\"Thebusiness,\"repliedHezekiah,\"isgoingupbyleapsandbounds—
—leapsandbounds。But,ofcourse,allthatmeansharderworkforme。It’sfromsixinthemorningtilltwelveo’clockatnight。\"
\"There’snothingIknowof,\"returnedSolomon,whowassomethingofapessimist,\"that’sgivenawayfreegratisfornothingexceptmisfortune。\"
\"Keepingyourselfuptothemarkain’ttooeasy,\"continuedHezekiah;\"andwhenitcomestootherfolks!play’salltheythinkof。Talkreligiontothem——why,theylaughatyou!Whattheworld’scomingto,Idon’tknow。How’stheprintingbusinessdoing?\"
\"Theprintingbusiness,\"respondedtheother,removinghispipeandspeakingsomewhatsadly,\"theprintingbusinesslookslikebeingabigthing。Capital,ofcourse,iswhathampersme——or,rather,thewantofit。ButJanet,she’scareful;shedon’twastemuch,Janetdon’t。\"
\"Now,withAnne,\"repliedHezekiah,\"it’salltheotherway——
pleasure,gaiety,adayatRoshervilleortheCrystalPalace——
anythingtowastemoney。\"
\"Ah!shewasalwaysfondofherbitoffun,\"rememberedSolomon。
\"Fun!\"retortedHezekiah。\"Ilikeabitoffunmyself。Butnotifyou’vegottopayforit。Where’sthefuninthat?\"
\"WhatIaskmyselfsometimes,\"saidSolomon,lookingstraightinfrontofhim,\"iswhatdowedoitfor?\"
\"Whatdowedowhatfor?\"
\"Worklikeblessedslaves,deprivingourselvesofallenjoyments。
What’sthesenseofit?What——\"
AvoicefromtheperambulatorbesidehimbrokethethreadofSolomonAppleyard’sdiscourse。ThesolesurvivingsonofHezekiahGrindley,seekingdistractionandfindingnone,hadcreptbackunperceived。Aperambulator!Athinghisexperiencetoldhimoutofwhichexcitementinsomeformoranothercouldgenerallybeobtained。Youworrieditandtookyourchance。Eitherithowled,inwhichcaseyouhadtorunforyourlife,followed——and,unfortunately,overtakenninetimesoutoften——byawhirlwindofvengeance;oritgurgled:inwhichcasetheheavenssmiledandhalosdescendedonyourhead。Ineithereventyouescapedthedeadlyennuithatistheresultofcontinuousvirtue。MasterGrindley,hisstarhavingpointedouttohimapeacock’sfeatherlyingontheground,had,withoneeyeuponhisunobservantparent,removedthecomplicatedcoveringsshelteringMissHelvetiaAppleyardfromtheworld,andanticipatingbyaquarterofacenturytheprimeenjoymentofBritishyouth,hadsettoworktoticklethatladyonthenose。MissHelvetiaAppleyardawakened,didpreciselywhatthetickledBritishmaidenofto—daymaybereliedupontodoundercorrespondingcircumstances:shefirstofalltookswiftandcomprehensivesurveyofthemalethingbehindthefeather。Hadhebeendispleasinginhereyes,shewould,onemayrelyuponit,haveantecededthebehaviourinsimilarcaseofherdescendantofto—day——thatistosay,haveexpressedresentmentinnouncertainterms。MasterNathanielGrindleyproving,however,tohertaste,thatwhichmighthavebeenconsideredimpertinencebecameacceptedasafitandproperformofintroduction。MissAppleyardsmiledgraciously——nay,further,intimateddesireformore。
\"Thatyouronlyone?\"askedthepaternalGrindley。
\"She’stheonlyone,\"repliedSolomon,speakingintoneslesspessimistic。
MissAppleyardhadwiththehelpofGrindleyjuniorwriggledherselfintoasittingposture。Grindleyjuniorcontinuedhisattentions,theladyindicatingbysignsthevariouspointsatwhichshewasmostsusceptible。
\"Prettypicturetheymaketogether,eh?\"suggestedHezekiahinawhispertohisfriend。
\"Neversawhertaketoanyonelikethatbefore,\"returnedSolomon,likewiseinawhisper。
Aneighbouringchurchclockchimedtwelve。SolomonAppleyard,knockingtheashesfromhispipe,arose。
\"Don’tknowanyreasonmyselfwhyweshouldn’tseealittlemoreofoneanotherthanwedo,\"suggestedGrindleysenior,shakinghands。
\"Giveusalook—uponeSundayafternoon,\"suggestedSolomon。
\"Bringtheyoungsterwithyou。\"
SolomonAppleyardandHezekiahGrindleyhadstartedlifewithinafewmonthsofoneanothersomefive—and—thirtyyearsbefore。
Likewisewithinafewhundredyardsofoneanother,Solomonathisfather’sbooksellingandprintingestablishmentontheeastsideoftheHighStreetofasmallYorkshiretown;Hezekiahathisfather’sgroceryshopuponthewestside,opposite。Bothhadmarriedfarmers’daughters。Solomon’snaturalbenttowardsgaietyFatehadcorrectedbydirectinghisaffectionstoapartnerinstinctwithYorkshireshrewdness;andwithshrewdnessgootherqualitiesthatmakeforsuccessratherthanforhappiness。Hezekiah,hadcircumstancesbeenequal,mighthavebeenhisfriend’srivalforJanet’scapableandsavinghand,hadnotsweet—tempered,laughingAnnieGlossop——directedbyProvidencetohermoralwelfare,onemustpresume——falleninlovewithhim。BetweenJane’svirtuesandAnnie’sthreehundredgoldensovereignsHezekiahhadnothesitatedamoment。Goldensovereignsweresolidfacts;wifelyvirtues,byaserious—mindedandstrong—willedhusband,couldbeinstilled——atallevents,light—heartednesssuppressed。Thetwomen,Hezekiahurgedbyhisownambition,Solomonbyhiswife’s,hadarrivedinLondonwithinayearofoneanother:Hezekiahtoopenagrocer’sshopinKensington,whichthosewhoshouldhaveknownassuredhimwasahopelessneighbourhood。ButHezekiahhadtheinstinctofthemoney—maker。Solomon,afterlookingabouthim,hadfixedupontheroomy,substantialhouseinNevill’sCourtasapromisingfoundationforaprinter’sbusiness。
Thatwastenyearsago。Thetwofriends,scorningdelights,livinglaboriousdays,hadseenbutlittleofoneanother。Light—heartedAnniehadbornetoherdourpartnertwochildrenwhohaddied。
NathanielGeorge,withthelucksupposedtowaitonnumberthree,hadlivedon,and,inheritingfortunatelythetemperamentofhismother,hadbroughtsunshineintothegloomyroomsabovetheshopinHighStreet,Kensington。Mrs。Grindley,grownweakandfretful,hadrestedfromherlabours。
Mrs。Appleyard’sguardianangel,prudentlikehisprotege,hadwaitedtillSolomon’sbusinesswaswellestablishedbeforedespatchingthestorktoNevill’sCourt,withalittlegirl。Laterhadsentaboy,who,notfindingthecloseairofSt。Dunstantohisliking,hadfoundhiswaybackagain;thuspassingoutofthisstoryandallothers。AndthereremainedtocarryonthelegendoftheGrindleysandtheAppleyardsonlyNathanielGeorge,nowagedfive,andJanetHelvetia,quiteabeginner,whotookliftseriously。
Therearenosuchthingsasfacts。Narrow—mindedfolk——surveyors,auctioneers,andsuchlike——wouldhaveinsistedthatthegardenbetweentheoldGeorgianhouseandNevill’sCourtwasastripoflandonehundredandeighteenfeetbyninety—two,containingalaburnumtree,sixlaurelbushes,andadwarfdeodora。ToNathanielGeorgeandJanetHelvetiaitwasthelandofThule,\"thefurthestboundariesofwhichnomanhasreached。\"OnrainySundayafternoonstheyplayedinthegreat,gloomypressroom,wheresilentogres,standingmotionless,stretchedoutironarmstoseizethemastheyran。ThenjustwhenNathanielGeorgewaseight,andJanetHelvetiafourandahalf,Hezekiahlaunchedthecelebrated\"Grindley’sSauce。\"Itaddedarelishtochopsandsteaks,transformedcoldmuttonintoaluxury,andswelledtheheadofHezekiahGrindley——whichwasbigenoughinallconscienceasitwas——andshrivelleduphislittlehardheart。TheGrindleysandtheAppleyardsvisitednomore。Asasensiblefellowoughttohaveseenforhimself,sothoughtHezekiah,theSaucehadalteredallthings。Thepossibilityofamarriagebetweentheirchildren,thingshavingremainedequal,mighthavebeenaprettyfancy;butthesonofthegreatGrindley,whosenameinthree—footlettersfacedtheworldfromeveryhoarding,wouldhavetolookhigherthanaprinter’sdaughter。Solomon,asuddenandvehementconverttotheprinciplesofmediaevalfeudalism,wouldratherseehisonlychild,granddaughteroftheauthorofTheHistoryofKettlewellandotherworks,deadandburiedthanmarriedtoagrocer’sson,eventhoughhemightinheritafortunemadeoutofpoisoningthepublicwithamixtureofmustardandsourbeer。ItwasmanyyearsbeforeNathanielGeorgeandJanetHelvetiametoneanotheragain,andwhentheydidtheyhadforgottenoneanother,HezekiahS。Grindley,ashort,stout,andpompousgentleman,satunderapalminthegorgeouslyfurnisheddrawing—roomofhisbighouseatNottingHill。Mrs。Grindley,athin,fadedwoman,thedespairofherdressmaker,satasneartothefireasitsmassiveandimposingcopperoutworkswouldpermit,andshivered。Grindleyjunior,afair—haired,well—shapedyouth,witheyesthattheothersexfoundattractive,leantwithhishandsinhispocketsagainstascrupulouslyrobedstatueofDiana,andappeareduncomfortable。
\"I’mmakingthemoney——makingithandoverfist。Allyou’llhavetodowillbetospendit,\"Grindleyseniorwasexplainingtohissonandheir。
\"I’lldothatallright,dad。\"
\"I’mnotsosureofit,\"washisfather’sopinion。\"You’vegottoproveyourselfworthytospendit。Don’tyouthinkIshallbecontenttohaveslavedalltheseyearsmerelytoprovideabrainlessyoungidiotwiththemeansofself—indulgence。Ileavemymoneytosomebodyworthyofme。Understand,sir?——somebodyworthyofme。\"
Mrs。Grindleycommencedasentence;Mr。Grindleyturnedhissmalleyesuponher。Thesentenceremainedunfinished。
\"Youwereabouttosaysomething,\"herhusbandremindedher。
Mrs。Grindleysaiditwasnothing。
\"Ifitisanythingworthhearing——ifitisanythingthatwillassistthediscussion,let’shaveit。\"Mr。Grindleywaited。\"Ifnot,ifyouyourselfdonotconsideritworthfinishing,whyhavebegunit?\"
Mr。Grindleyreturnedtohissonandheir。\"Youhaven’tdonetoowellatschool——infact,yourschoolcareerhasdisappointedme。\"
\"IknowI’mnotclever,\"Grindleyjuniorofferedasanexcuse。
\"Whynot?Whyaren’tyouclever?\"
Hissonandheirwasunabletoexplain。
\"Youaremyson——whyaren’tyouclever?It’slaziness,sir;sheerlaziness!\"
\"I’lltryanddobetteratOxford,sir——honourbrightIwill!\"
\"Youhadbetter,\"advisedhimhisfather;\"becauseIwarnyou,yourwholefuturedependsuponit。Youknowme。You’vegottobeacredittome,tobeworthyofthenameofGrindley——orthename,myboy,isallyou’llhave。\"
OldGrindleymeantit,andhissonknewthathemeantit。TheoldPuritanprinciplesandinstinctswerestrongintheoldgentleman——
formed,perhaps,thebetterpartofhim。Idlenesswasanabominationtohim;devotiontopleasure,otherthanthepleasureofmoney—making,agrievoussininhiseyes。GrindleyjuniorfullyintendedtodowellatOxford,andmighthavesucceeded。Inaccusinghimselfoflackofcleverness,hedidhimselfaninjustice。Hehadbrains,hehadenergy,hehadcharacter。Ourvirtuescanbeourstumbling—blocksaswellasourvices。YoungGrindleyhadoneadmirablevirtuethatneeds,aboveallothers,carefulcontrolling:hewasamiabilityitself。Beforethecharmandsweetnessofit,Oxfordsnobbishnesswentdown。TheSauce,againsttheearnestcounselofitsownadvertisement,wasforgotten;thepicklespassedby。ToescapethenaturalresultofhispopularitywouldhaveneededastrongerwillthanyoungGrindleypossessed。ForatimethetruestateofaffairswashiddenfromtheeyeofGrindleysenior。To\"slack\"itthisterm,withthefulldeterminationof\"swotting\"itthenext,isalwayseasy;thedifficultybeginningonlywiththenewterm。PossiblywithluckyoungGrindleymighthaveretrievedhispositionandcoveredupthetracesofhisfolly,butforanunfortunateaccident。Returningtocollegewithsomeotherchoicespiritsattwoo’clockinthemorning,itoccurredtoyoungGrindleythattroublemightbesavedallroundbycuttingoutapaneofglasswithadiamondringandenteringhisrooms,whichwereontheground—floor,bythewindow。That,inmistakeforhisown,heshouldhaveselectedthebedroomoftheCollegeRectorwasamisfortunethatmighthaveoccurredtoanyonewhohadcommencedtheeveningonchampagneandfinisheditonwhisky。YoungGrindley,havingbeenwarnedalreadytwicebefore,was\"sentdown。\"Andthen,ofcourse,thewholehistoryofthethreewastedyearscameout。OldGrindleyinhisstudychairhavingtalkedforhalfanhouratthetopofhisvoice,chose,partlybyreasonofphysicalnecessity,partlybyreasonofdormantdramaticinstinct,tospeakquietlyandslowly。
\"I’llgiveyouonechancemore,myboy,andoneonly。I’vetriedyouasagentleman——perhapsthatwasmymistake。NowI’lltryyouasagrocer。\"
\"Asawhat?\"
\"Asagrocer,sir——g—r—o—c—e—r——grocer,amanwhostandsbehindacounterinawhiteapronandhisshirt—sleeves;whosellsteaandsugarandcandiedpeelandsuch—likethingstocustomers——oldladies,littlegirls;whorisesatsixinthemorning,takesdowntheshutters,sweepsouttheshop,cleansthewindows;whohashalfanhourforhisdinnerofcornedbeefandbread;whoputsuptheshuttersatteno’clockatnight,tidiesuptheshop,hashissupper,andgoestobed,feelinghisdayhasnotbeenwasted。I
meanttospareyou。Iwaswrong。YoushallgothroughthemillasIwentthroughit。Ifattheendoftwoyearsyou’vedonewellwithyourtime,learnedsomething——learnedtobeaman,atallevents——youcancometomeandthankme。\"
\"I’mafraid,sir,\"suggestedGrindleyjunior,whosehandsomefaceduringthelastfewminuteshadgrownverywhite,\"Imightnotmakeaverysatisfactorygrocer。Yousee,sir,I’vehadnoexperience。\"
\"Iamgladyouhavesomesense,\"returnedhisfatherdrily。\"Youarequiteright。Evenagrocer’sbusinessrequireslearning。Itwillcostmealittlemoney;butitwillbethelastIshalleverspenduponyou。Forthefirstyearyouwillhavetobeapprenticed,andIshallallowyousomethingtoliveon。ItshallbemorethanIhadatyourage——we’llsayapoundaweek。AfterthatIshallexpectyoutokeepyourself。\"
Grindleyseniorrose。\"Youneednotgivemeyouranswertilltheevening。Youareofage。Ihavenocontroloveryouunlessyouarewillingtoagree。Youcangomyway,oryoucangoyourown。\"
YoungGrindley,whohadinheritedagooddealofhisfather’sgrit,feltverymuchinclinedtogohisown;but,hamperedontheotherhandbythesweetnessofdispositionhehadinheritedfromhismother,wasunabletowithstandtheargumentofthatlady’stears,sothateveningacceptedoldGrindley’sterms,askingonlyasafavourthatthesceneofhisprobationmightbeinsomeout—of—the—
wayneighbourhoodwheretherewouldbelittlechanceofhisbeingmetbyoldfriends。
\"Ihavethoughtofallthat,\"answeredhisfather。\"Myobjectisn’ttohumiliateyoumorethanisnecessaryforyourgood。TheshopIhavealreadyselected,ontheassumptionthatyouwouldsubmit,isasquietandout—of—the—wayasyoucouldwish。ItisinaturningoffFetterLane,whereyou’llseefewotherpeoplethanprintersandcaretakers。You’lllodgewithawoman,aMrs。
Postwhistle,whoseemsaverysensibleperson。She’llboardyouandlodgeyou,andeverySaturdayyou’llreceiveapost—officeorderforsixshillings,outofwhichyou’llfindyourselfinclothes。Youcantakewithyousufficienttolastyouforthefirstsixmonths,butnomore。Attheendoftheyearyoucanchangeifyoulikeandgotoanothershop,ormakeyourownarrangementswithMrs。Postwhistle。Ifallissettled,yougothereto—morrow。Yougooutofthishouseto—morrowinanyevent。\"
Mrs。Postwhistlewasalarge,placidladyofphilosophictemperament。Hithertothelittlegrocer’sshopinRollsCourt,FetterLane,hadbeeneasyofmanagementbyherownunaidedefforts;buttheneighbourhoodwasrapidlychanging。Othergrocers’shopsweredisappearingonebyone,makingwayforhugeblocksofbuildings,wherehundredsofironpresses,singingdayandnight,spreadtotheearththesongoftheMightyPen。Therewerehourswhenthelittleshopcouldhardlyaccommodateitscrowdofcustomers。Mrs。Postwhistle,ofabulknottobemovedquickly,had,aftermatureconsideration,conqueringanaturaldisinclinationtochange,decidedtoseekassistance。
YoungGrindley,alightingfromafour—wheeledcabinFetterLane,marchedupthecourt,followedbyaweak—kneedwastrelstaggeringundertheweightofasmallbox。Inthedoorwayofthelittleshop,youngGrindleypausedandraisedhishat。
\"Mrs。Postwhistle?\"
Thelady,fromherchairbehindthecounter,roseslowly。
\"IamMr。NathanielGrindley,thenewassistant。\"
Theweak—kneedwastrelletfalltheboxwithathuduponthefloor。
Mrs。Postwhistlelookedhernewassistantupanddown。
\"Oh!\"saidMrs。Postwhistle。\"Well,Ishouldn’t’avefeltinstinctivelyitmustbeyou,notifI’d’adtopickyououtofacrowd。Butifyoutellmeso,why,Isupposeyouare。Comein。\"
Theweak—kneedwastrel,receivingtohisastonishmentashilling,departed。
Grindleyseniorhadselectedwisely。Mrs。Postwhistle’stheorywasthatalthoughveryfewpeopleinthisworldunderstoodtheirownbusiness,theyunderstooditbetterthananyoneelsecouldunderstanditforthem。Ifhandsome,well—educatedyounggentlemen,whogaveshillingstowastrels,felttheywantedtobecomesmartandcapablegrocers’assistants,thatwastheiraffair。Herbusinesswastoteachthemtheirwork,and,forherownsake,toseethattheydidit。Amonthwentby。Mrs。
Postwhistlefoundhernewassistanthard—working,willing,somewhatclumsy,butwithasmileandalaughthattransformedmistakes,forwhichanotherwouldhavebeensoundlyrated,intowelcomevariationsoftheday’smonotony。
\"Ifyouwerethesortofwomanthatcaredtomakeyourfortune,\"
saidoneWilliamClodd,anoldfriendofMrs。Postwhistle’s,youngGrindleyhavingdescendedintothecellartogrindcoffee,\"I’dtellyouwhattodo。Takeabun—shopsomewhereintheneighbourhoodofagirls’school,andputthatassistantofyoursinthewindow。You’ddoaroaringbusiness。\"
\"There’samysteryabout’im,\"saidMrs。Postwhistle。
\"Knowwhatitis?\"
\"IfIknewwhatitwas,Ishouldn’tbecallingitamystery,\"
repliedMrs。Postwhistle,whowasastylistinherway。
\"Howdidyougethim?Winhiminaraffle?\"
\"Jones,theagent,sent’imtomeallina’urry。AnassistantiswhatIreallywanted,notanapprentice;butthepremiumwasgood,andthereferenceseverythingonecoulddesire。\"
\"Grindley,Grindley,\"murmuredClodd。\"AnyrelationtotheSauce,Iwonder?\"
\"Abitmorewholesome,Ishouldsay,fromthelookofhim,\"thoughtMrs。Postwhistle。
Thequestionofapostofficetomeetitsgrowingneedhadlongbeenunderdiscussionbytheneighbourhood。Mrs。Postwhistlewasapproacheduponthesubject。Grindleyjunior,eagerforanythingthatmightbringvarietyintohisnew,crampedexistence,undertooktoqualifyhimself。
Withintwomonthsthearrangementswerecomplete。Grindleyjuniordividedhistimebetweendispensinggroceriesanddespatchingtelegramsandletters,andwasgratefulforthechange。
Grindleyjunior’smindwasfixeduponthefashioningofacornucopiatoreceiveaquarterofapoundofmoist。Thecustomer,anextremelyyounglady,wasseekingtohastenhisoperationsbytappingincessantlywithapennyonthecounter。Itdidnothurryhim;itonlyworriedhim。Grindleyjuniorhadnotacquiredfacilityinthefashioningofcornucopias——thevertexwouldinvariablybecomeunrolledatthelastmoment,allowingthecontentstodribbleoutontothefloororcounter。Grindleyjuniorwassweet—temperedasarule,butwhenengageduponthefashioningofacornucopia,wasirritable。
\"Hurryup,oldman!\"urgedtheextremelyyounglady。\"I’vegotanotherappointmentinlessthanhalfanhour。\"
\"Oh,damnthething!\"saidGrindleyjunior,asthepaperforthefourthtimerevertedtoitsoriginalshape。
Anolderlady,standingbehindtheextremelyyoungladyandholdingatelegram—forminherhand,lookedindignant。
\"Temper,temper,\"remarkedtheextremelyyoungladyinreprovingtone。
Thefifthtimewasmoresuccessful。Theextremelyyoungladywentout,commentinguponthewasteoftimealwaysresultingwhenboyswereemployedtodotheworkofmen。Theolderlady,ahaughtyperson,handedacrosshertelegramwiththerequestthatitshouldbesentoffatonce。
Grindleyjuniortookhispencilfromhispocketandcommencedtocount。
\"Digniori,notdigniorus,\"commentedGrindleyjunior,correctingtheword,\"daturdigniori,dativesingular。\"Grindleyjunior,stillirritablefromthestrugglewiththecornucopia,spokesharply。
Thehaughtyladywithdrewhereyesfromaspotsometenmilesbeyondthebackoftheshop,wherehithertotheyhadbeenresting,andfixedthemforthefirsttimeuponGrindleyjunior。
\"Thankyou,\"saidthehaughtylady。
Grindleyjuniorlookedupandimmediately,tohisannoyance,feltthathewasblushing。Grindleyjuniorblushedeasily——itannoyedhimverymuch。
Thehaughtyyoungladyalsoblushed。Shedidnotoftenblush;whenshedid,shefeltangrywithherself。
\"Ashillingandapenny,\"demandedGrindleyjunior。
Thehaughtyyoungladycountedoutthemoneyanddeparted。
Grindleyjunior,peepingfrombehindatinofAbernethybiscuits,noticedthatasshepassedthewindowsheturnedandlookedback。
Shewasaverypretty,haughtylady。Grindleyjuniorratheradmireddark,levelbrowsandfinelycut,tremulouslips,especiallywhencombinedwithamassofsoft,brownhair,andaricholivecomplexionthatflushedandpaledasonelookedatit。
\"Mightsendthattelegramoffifyou’venothingelsetodo,andthere’snoparticularreasonforkeepingitback,\"suggestedMrs。
Postwhistle。
\"It’sonlyjustbeenhandedin,\"explainedGrindleyjunior,somewhathurt。
\"You’vebeenlookingatitforthelastfiveminutesbytheclock,\"
saidMrs。Postwhistle。
Grindleyjuniorsatdowntothemachine。ThenameandaddressofthesenderwasHelvetiaAppleyard,Nevill’sCourt。
Threedayspassed——singularlyemptydaystheyappearedtoGrindleyjunior。Onthefourth,HelvetiaAppleyardhadoccasiontodespatchanothertelegram——thistimeentirelyinEnglish。
\"One—and—fourpence,\"sighedGrindleyjunior。
MissAppleyarddrewforthherpurse。Theshopwasempty。
\"HowdidyoucometoknowLatin?\"inquiredMissAppleyardinquiteacasualtone。
\"Ipickedupalittleatschool。ItwasaphraseIhappenedtoremember,\"confessedGrindleyjunior,wonderingwhyheshouldbefeelingashamedofhimself。
\"Iamalwayssorry,\"saidMissAppleyard,\"whenIseeanyonecontentwiththelowerlifewhosetalentsmight,perhaps,fithimforthehigher。\"SomethingaboutthetoneandmannerofMissAppleyardremindedGrindleyjuniorofhisformerRector。Eachseemedtohavearrivedbydifferentroadsatthesamephilosophicalaloofnessfromtheworld,temperedbychastenedinterestinhumanphenomena。\"Wouldyouliketotrytoraiseyourself——toimproveyourself——toeducateyourself?\"
Anunseenlittlerogue,whowasenjoyinghimselfimmensely,whisperedtoGrindleyjuniortosaynothingbut\"Yes,\"heshould。
\"Willyouletmehelpyou?\"askedMissAppleyard。AndthesimpleandheartfeltgratitudewithwhichGrindleyjuniorclosedupontheofferprovedtoMissAppleyardhowtrueitisthattodogoodtoothersisthehighestjoy。
MissAppleyardhadcomepreparedforpossibleacceptance。\"Youhadbetterbeginwiththis,\"thoughtMissAppleyard。\"Ihavemarkedthepassagesthatyoushouldlearnbyheart。Makeanoteofanythingyoudonotunderstand,andIwillexplainittoyouwhen——
whennextIhappentobepassing。\"
Grindleyjuniortookthebook——Bell’sIntroductiontotheStudyoftheClassics,forUseofBeginners——andhelditbetweenbothhands。
Itspricewasninepence,butGrindleyjuniorappearedtoregarditasavolumeofgreatvalue。
\"Itwillbehardworkatfirst,\"MissAppleyardwarnedhim;\"butyoumustpersevere。Ihavetakenaninterestinyou;youmusttrynottodisappointme。\"
AndMissAppleyard,feelingallthesensationsofaHypatia,departed,takinglightwithherandforgettingtopayforthetelegram。MissAppleyardbelongedtotheclassthatyoungladieswhopridethemselvesonbeingtiresomelyignorantandfoolishsneeratas\"blue—stockings\";thatistosay,possessingbrains,shehadfeltthenecessityofusingthem。SolomonAppleyard,widower,asensibleoldgentleman,prosperingintheprintingbusiness,andseeingnonecessityforawomanregardingherselfasnothingbutadoll,asomewhatuninterestingplaythingthenewnessoncewornoff,thankfullyencouragedher。MissAppleyardhadreturnedfromGirtonwiseinmanythings,butnotinknowledgeoftheworld,whichknowledge,tooearlyacquired,doesnotalwaysmakeforgoodinyoungmanorwoman。Aseriouslittlevirgin,MissAppleyard’sambitionwastohelpthehumanrace。Whatmoreusefulworkcouldhavecometoherhandthantheraisingofthispoorbutintelligentyounggrocer’sassistantuntotheknowledgeandtheloveofhigherthings。ThatGrindleyjuniorhappenedtobeanexceedinglygood—
lookingandcharmingyounggrocer’sassistanthadnothingtodowiththematter,soMissAppleyardwouldhaveinformedyou。Inherownreasoningshewasconvincedthatherinterestinhimwouldhavebeenthesamehadhebeentheleastattractiveofhissex。Thattherecouldbedangerinsuchrelationshipneveroccurredtoher。
MissAppleyard,aconvincedRadical,couldnotconceivethepossibilityofagrocer’sassistantregardingthedaughterofawell—to—doprinterinanyotherlightthanthatofagraciouslycondescendingpatron。Thattherecouldbedangertoherself!youwouldhavebeensorryyouhadsuggestedtheidea。Theexpressionofloftyscornwouldhavemadeyoufeelyourselfcontemptible。
MissAppleyard’sjudgmentofmankindwasjustified;nomorepromisingpupilcouldhavebeenselected。ItwasreallymarvelloustheprogressmadebyGrindleyjunior,underthetutelageofHelvetiaAppleyard。Hisearnestness,hisenthusiasm,itquitetouchedtheheartofHelvetiaAppleyard。Thereweremanypoints,itistrue,thatpuzzledGrindleyjunior。Eachtimethelistofthemgrewlonger。ButwhenHelvetiaAppleyardexplainedthem,allbecameclear。Shemarvelledherselfatherownwisdom,thatinamomentmadedarknessluminoustothisyoungman;hisraptattentionwhileshetalked,itwasmostencouraging。Theboymustsurelybeagenius。Tothinkthatbutforherintuitionhemighthaveremainedwastedinagrocer’sshop!Torescuesuchagemfromoblivion,topolishit,wassurelythedutyofaconscientiousHypatia。Twovisits——threevisitsaweektothelittleshopinRollsCourtwerequiteinadequate,somanypassagestherewererequiringelucidation。Londoninearlymorningbecametheirclassroom:thegreat,wide,empty,silentstreets;themist—
curtainedparks,thesilencebrokenonlybytheblackbirds’amorouswhistle,thethrushes’invitationtodelight;theoldgardens,hiddenbehindnarrowways。NathanielGeorgeandJanetHelvetiawouldrestuponaseat,nolivingcreaturewithinsight,saveperhapsapassingpolicemanorsomedissipatedcat。JanetHelvetiawouldexpound。NathanielGeorge,hisfineeyesfixedonhers,seemednevertotireofdrinkinginherwisdom。
ThereweretimeswhenJanetHelvetia,toreassureherselfastothemaidenlycorrectnessofherbehaviour,hadtorecallquiteforciblythefactthatshewasthedaughterofSolomonAppleyard,ownerofthebigprintingestablishment;andheasimplegrocer。Oneday,raisedalittleinthesocialscale,thankstoher,NathanielGeorgewouldmarrysomeoneinhisownrankoflife。ReflectinguponthefutureofNathanielGeorge,JanetHelvetiacouldnotescapeashadeofsadness。ItwasdifficulttoimaginepreciselythewifeshewouldhavechosenforNathanielGeorge。Shehopedhewoulddonothingfoolish。Risingyoungmensooftenmarrywivesthathamperratherthanhelpthem。
OneSundaymorninginlateautumn,theywalkedandtalkedintheshadygardenofLincoln’sInn。Greektheythoughtitwastheyhadbeentalking;asamatteroffact,amucholderlanguage。Ayounggardenerwaswateringflowers,andastheypassedhimhegrinned。
Itwasnotanoffensivegrin,ratherasympatheticgrin;butMissAppleyarddidn’tlikebeinggrinnedat。Whatwastheretogrinat?
Herpersonalappearance?somegaucherieinherdress?Impossible。
NoladyinallSt。Dunstanwasevermoreprecise。Sheglancedathercompanion:aclean—looking,well—groomed,well—dressedyouth。
SuddenlyitoccurredtoMissAppleyardthatsheandGrindleyjuniorwereholdingeachother’shand。MissAppleyardwasjustlyindignant。
\"Howdareyou!\"saidMissAppleyard。\"Iamexceedinglyangrywithyou。Howdareyou!\"
Theoliveskinwasscarlet。Thereweretearsinthehazeleyes。
\"Leavemethisminute!\"commandedMissAppleyard。
Insteadofwhich,Grindleyjuniorseizedbothherhands。
\"Iloveyou!Iadoreyou!Iworshipyou!\"pouredforthyoungGrindley,forgetfulofallMissAppleyardhadevertoldhimconcerningthefollyoftautology。
\"Youhadnoright,\"saidMissAppleyard。
\"Icouldn’thelpit,\"pleadedyoungGrindley。\"Andthatisn’ttheworst。\"
MissAppleyardpaledvisibly。Foragrocer’sassistanttodaretofallinlovewithher,especiallyafterallthetroubleshehadtakenwithhim!Whatcouldbeworse?
\"I’mnotagrocer,\"continuedyoungGrindley,deeplyconsciousofcrime。\"Imean,notarealgrocer。\"
AndGrindleyjuniorthenandtheremadeacleanbreastofthewholesad,terribletaleofshamelessdeceit,practisedbythegreatestvillaintheworldhadeverproduced,uponthenoblestandmostbeautifulmaidenthateverturnedgrimLondontownintoafairycityofenchantedways。
NotatfirstcouldMissAppleyardentirelygraspit;nottillhourslater,whenshesataloneinherownroom,where,fortunatelyforhimself,Grindleyjuniorwasnot,didthewholeforceandmeaningofthethingcomehometoher。Itwasalargeroom,takinguphalfofthetopstoryofthebigGeorgianhouseinNevill’sCourt;butevenasitwas,MissAppleyardfeltcramped。
\"Forayear——fornearlyawholeyear,\"saidMissAppleyard,addressingthebustofWilliamShakespeare,\"haveIbeenslavingmylifeout,teachinghimelementaryLatinandthefirstfivebooksofEuclid!\"
Asithasbeenremarked,itwasfortunateforGrindleyjuniorhewasoutofreach。ThebustofWilliamShakespearemaintaineditsirritatingaspectofbenignphilosophy。
\"IsupposeIshould,\"musedMissAppleyard,\"ifhehadtoldmeatfirst——asheoughttohavetoldme——ofcourseIshouldnaturallyhavehadnothingmoretodowithhim。Isuppose,\"musedMissAppleyard,\"amaninlove,ifheisreallyinlove,doesn’tquiteknowwhathe’sdoing。Isupposeoneoughttomakeallowances。
But,oh!whenIthinkofit——\"
AndthenGrindleyjunior’sguardianangelmustsurelyhaveslippedintotheroom,forMissAppleyard,irritatedbeyondenduranceatthephilosophicalindifferenceofthebustofWilliamShakespeare,turnedawayfromit,andasshedidso,caughtsightofherselfinthelooking—glass。MissAppleyardapproachedtheglassalittlenearer。Awoman’shairisneverquiteasitshouldbe。MissAppleyard,standingbeforetheglass,began,sheknewnotwhy,tofindreasonsexcusingGrindleyjunior。Afterall,wasnotforgivenessanexcellentthinginwoman?Noneofusarequiteperfect。TheguardianangelofGrindleyjuniorseizedtheopportunity。
ThateveningSolomonAppleyardsatuprightinhischair,feelingconfused。Sofarashecouldunderstandit,acertainyoungman,agrocer’sassistant,butnotagrocer’sassistant——butthat,ofcourse,wasnothisfault,hisfatherbeinganoldbrute——hadbehavedmostabominably;butnot,onreflection,asbadlyashemighthavedone,andhadactedonthewholeveryhonourably,takingintoconsiderationthefactthatonesupposedhecouldhardlyhelpit。Helvetiawas,ofcourse,veryindignantwithhim,butontheotherhand,didnotquiteseewhatelseshecouldhavedone,shebeingnotatallsurewhethershereallycaredforhimorwhethershedidn’t;thateverythinghadbeenquiteproperandwouldnothavehappenedifshehadknownit;thateverythingwasherfault,exceptmostthings,whichweren’t;butthatofthetwosheblamedherselfentirely,seeingthatshecouldnothaveguessedanythingofthekind。Anddidhe,SolomonAppleyard,thinkthatsheoughttobeveryangryandnevermarryanybodyelse,orwasshejustifiedinoverlookingitandengagingherselftotheonlymanshefeltshecouldeverlove?
\"Youmustn’tthink,Dad,thatImeanttodeceiveyou。Ishouldhavetoldyouatthebeginning——youknowIwould——ifithadn’tallhappenedsosuddenly。\"
\"Letmesee,\"saidSolomonAppleyard,\"didyoutellmehisname,ordidn’tyou?\"
\"Nathaniel,\"saidMissAppleyard。\"Didn’tImentionit?\"
\"Don’thappentoknowhissurname,doyou,\"inquiredherfather。
\"Grindley,\"explainedMissAppleyard——\"thesonofGrindley,theSauceman。\"
MissAppleyardexperiencedoneofthesurprisesofherlife。Neverbeforetoherrecollectionhadherfatherthwartedasinglewishofherlife。Awidowerforthelasttwelveyears,hischiefdelighthadbeentohumourher。Hisvoice,ashepassionatelysworethatneverwithhisconsentshouldhisdaughtermarrythesonofHezekiahGrindley,soundedstrangetoher。Pleadings,eventears,forthefirsttimeinherlifeprovedfruitless。
Herewasaprettykettleoffish!ThatGrindleyjuniorshoulddefyhisownparent,riskpossiblythelossofhisinheritance,hadseemedtobothanotimproperproceeding。WhenNathanielGeorgehadsaidwithfineenthusiasm:\"Lethimkeephismoneyifhewill;
I’llmakemyownway;thereisn’tenoughmoneyintheworldtopayforlosingyou!\"JanetHelvetia,thoughshehadexpresseddisapprovalofsuchunfilialattitude,hadinsecretsympathised。
Butforhertodisregardthewishesofherowndotingfatherwasnottobethoughtof。Whatwastobedone?
PerhapsonePeterHope,residinginGoughSquarehardby,mighthelpyoungfolksinsoredilemmawithwisecounsel。PeterHope,editorandpartproprietorofGoodHumour,onepennyweekly,wasmuchesteemedbySolomonAppleyard,printerandpublisherofaforesaidpaper。
\"Agoodfellow,oldHope,\"Solomonwouldoftenimpressuponhismanagingclerk。\"Don’tworryhimmorethanyoucanhelp;thingswillimprove。Wecantrusthim。\"
PeterHopesatathisdesk,facingMissAppleyard。Grindleyjuniorsatonthecushionedseatbeneaththemiddlewindow。GoodHumour’ssub—editorstoodbeforethefire,herhandsbehindherback。
ThecaseappearedtoPeterHopetobeoneofexceedingdifficulty。
\"Ofcourse,\"explainedMissAppleyard,\"Ishallnevermarrywithoutmyfather’sconsent。\"
PeterHopethoughttheresolutionmostproper。
\"Ontheotherhand,\"continuedMissAppleyard,\"nothingshallinducemetomarryamanIdonotlove。\"MissAppleyardthoughttheprobabilitieswerethatshewouldendbybecomingafemalemissionary。
PeterHope’sexperiencehadledhimtotheconclusionthatyoungpeoplesometimeschangedtheirmind。
TheopinionoftheHouse,clearlythoughsilentlyexpressed,wasthatPeterHope’sexperience,asregardedthisparticularcase,countedfornothing。
\"IshallgostraighttotheGovernor,\"explainedGrindleyjunior,\"andtellhimthatIconsidermyselfengagedforlifetoMissAppleyard。Iknowwhatwillhappen——Iknowthesortofideahehasgotintohishead。Hewilldisownme,andIshallgoofftoAfrica。\"
PeterHopewasunabletoseehowGrindleyjunior’sdisappearanceintothewildsofAfricawasgoingtoassistthematterunderdiscussion。
Grindleyjunior’sviewwasthatthewildsofAfricawouldaffordafittingbackgroundtothepassingawayofablightedexistence。
PeterHopehadasuspicionthatGrindleyjuniorhadforthemomentpartedcompanywiththatsweetreasonablenessthatotherwise,soPeterHopefeltsure,wasGrindleyjunior’sguidingstar。
\"Imeanit,sir,\"reassertedGrindleyjunior。\"Iam——\"Grindleyjuniorwasabouttoadd\"welleducated\";butdiviningthateducationwasatopicnotpleasingatthemomenttotheearsofHelvetiaAppleyard,hadtactenoughtosubstitute\"notafool。I
canearnmyownliving;andIshouldliketogetaway。\"
\"Itseemstome——\"saidthesub—editor。
\"Now,Tommy——ImeanJane,\"warnedherPeterHope。HealwayscalledherJaneincompany,unlesshewasexcited。\"Iknowwhatyouaregoingtosay。Iwon’thaveit。\"
\"Iwasonlygoingtosay——\"urgedthesub—editorintoneofonesufferinginjustice。
\"Iquiteknowwhatyouweregoingtosay,\"retortedPeterhotly。
\"Icanseeitbyyourchin。Youaregoingtotaketheirpart——andsuggesttheiractingundutifullytowardstheirparents。\"
\"Iwasn’t,\"returnedthesub—editor。\"Iwasonly——\"
\"Youwere,\"persistedPeter。\"Ioughtnottohaveallowedyoutobepresent。Imighthaveknownyouwouldinterfere。\"
\"——goingtosayweareinwantofsomehelpintheoffice。Youknowweare。AndthatifMr。Grindleywouldbecontentwithasmallsalary——\"
\"Smallsalarybehanged!\"snarledPeter。
\"——therewouldbenoneedforhisgoingtoAfrica。\"
\"Andhowwouldthathelpus?\"demandedPeter。\"Eveniftheboywereso——soheadstrong,sounfilialastodefyhisfather,whohasworkedforhimalltheseyears,howwouldthatremovetheobstacleofMr。Appleyard’srefusal?\"
\"Why,don’tyousee——\"explainedthesub—editor。
\"No,Idon’t,\"snappedPeter。
\"If,onhisdeclaringtohisfatherthatnothingwilleverinducehimtomarryanyotherwomanbutMissAppleyard,hisfatherdisownshim,ashethinksitlikely——\"
\"Adeadcert!\"wasGrindleyjunior’sconviction。
\"Verywell;heisnolongeroldGrindley’sson,andwhatpossibleobjectioncanMr。Appleyardhavetohimthen?\"
PeterHopearoseandexpoundedatlengthandinsuitablelanguagethefollyanduselessnessofthescheme。
ButwhatchancehadeverthewisdomofAgeagainsttheenthusiasmofYouth,reachingforitsobject。PoorPeter,expostulating,wassweptintotheconspiracy。GrindleyjuniorthenextmorningstoodbeforehisfatherintheprivateofficeinHighHolborn。
\"Iamsorry,sir,\"saidGrindleyjunior,\"ifIhaveprovedadisappointmenttoyou。\"
\"Damnyoursympathy!\"saidGrindleysenior。\"Keepittillyouareaskedforit。\"
\"Ihopewepartfriends,sir,\"saidGrindleyjunior,holdingouthishand。
\"Whydoyouirateme?\"askedGrindleysenior。\"Ihavethoughtofnothingbutyouthesefive—and—twentyyears。\"
\"Idon’t,sir,\"answeredGrindleyjunior。\"Ican’tsayIloveyou。
Itdidnotseemtomeyou——youwantedit。ButIlikeyou,sir,andIrespectyou。And——andI’msorrytohavetohurtyou,sir。\"
\"Andyouaredeterminedtogiveupallyourprospects,allthemoney,forthesakeofthis——thisgirl?\"
\"Itdoesn’tseemlikegivingupanything,sir,\"repliedGrindleyjunior,simply。
\"Itisn’tsomuchasIthoughtitwasgoingtobe,\"saidtheoldman,afterapause。\"Perhapsitisforthebest。Imighthavebeenmoreobstinateifthingshadbeengoingallright。TheLordhaschastenedme。\"
\"Isn’tthebusinessdoingwell,Dad?\"askedtheyoungman,withsorrowinhisvoice。
\"What’sitgottodowithyou?\"snappedhisfather。\"You’vecutyourselfadriftfromit。YouleavemenowIamgoingdown。\"
Grindleyjunior,notknowingwhattosay,puthisarmsroundthelittleoldman。
AndinthiswayTommy’sbrilliantschemefellthroughandcametonaught。Instead,oldGrindleyvisitedonceagainthebighouseinNevill’sCourt,andremainedlongclosetedwitholdSolomonintheofficeonthesecondfloor。ItwaslateintheeveningwhenSolomonopenedthedoorandcalledupstairstoJanetHelvetiatocomedown。
\"Iusedtoknowyoulongago,\"saidHezekiahGrindley,rising。
\"Youwerequitealittlegirlthen。\"
Later,thetroublesomeSaucedisappearedentirely,cutoutbynewerflavours。Grindleyjuniorstudiedtheprintingbusiness。ItalmostseemedasifoldAppleyardhadbeenwaitingbutforthis。
Somesixmonthslatertheyfoundhimdeadinhiscounting—house。
GrindleyjuniorbecametheprinterandpublisherofGoodHumour。
STORYTHEFOURTH:MissRamsbothamgivesherServicesToregardMissRamsbothamasamarriageablequantitywouldhaveoccurredtofewmen。EndowedbyNaturewitheveryfemininequalitycalculatedtoinspireliking,shehad,ontheotherhand,beendisinheritedofeveryattributecalculatedtoexcitepassion。Anuglywomanhasforsomemenanattraction;theproofiseverpresenttooureyes。MissRamsbothamwasplainbutpleasantlooking。Large,healthyinmindandbody,capable,self—reliant,andcheerful,blessedwithahappydispositiontogetherwithakeensenseofhumour,therewasaboutherabsolutelynothingfortendernesstolayholdof。Anidealwife,shewasanimpossiblesweetheart。Everymanwasherfriend。Thesuggestionthatanymancouldbeherloversheherselfwouldhavegreetedwithaclear,ringinglaugh。
Notthatsheheldloveindespite;forsuchfollyshewaspossessedoffartoomuchsoundsense。\"Tohavesomebodyinlovewithyou——
somebodystrongandgood,\"soshewouldconfesstoherfewcloseintimates,adreamyexpressioncloudingforaninstantherbroad,sunnyface,\"why,itmustbejustlovely!\"ForMissRamsbothamwaspronetoAmericanphraseology,andhadevenbeenatsomepains,duringasixmonths’journeythroughtheStates(whithershehadbeencommissionedbyaconscientioustradejournalseekingreliableinformationconcerningtheconditionoffemaletextileworkers)toacquireaslightbutdecidedAmericanaccent。Itwasheroneaffectation,butassumed,asonemightfeelcertain,forapracticalandlegitimateobject。
\"Youcanhavenoconception,\"shewouldexplain,laughing,\"whatahelpIfindit。’I’m’Muriken’isthe’CivisRomanussum’ofthemodernwoman’sworld。Itopenseverydoortous。IfIringthebellandsay,’Oh,ifyouplease,IhavecometointerviewMr。So—
and—Soforsuch—and—suchapaper,’thefootmanlooksthroughmeattheoppositesideofthestreet,andtellsmetowaitinthehallwhileheinquiresifMr。So—and—Sowillseemeornot。ButifI
say,’That’smykeerd,youngman。YoutellyourmasterMissRamsbothamiswaitingforhimintheshowroom,andwilltakeitrealkindifhe’lljustbustlehimself,’thepoorfellowwalksbackwardstillhestumblesagainstthebottomstair,andmygentlemancomesdownwithprofuseapologiesforhavingkeptmewaitingthreeminutesandahalf。
\"’Andtobeinlovewithsomeone,\"shewouldcontinue,\"someonegreatthatonecouldlookuptoandhonourandworship——someonethatwouldfillone’swholelife,makeitbeautiful,makeeverydayworthliving,Ithinkthatwouldbebetterstill。Toworkmerelyforone’sself,tothinkmerelyforone’sself,itissomuchlessinteresting。\"
Then,atsomesuchpointoftheargument,MissRamsbothamwouldjumpupfromherchairandshakeherselfindignantly。
\"Why,whatnonsenseI’mtalking,\"shewouldtellherself,andherlisteners。\"Imakeaveryfairincome,haveahostoffriends,andenjoyeveryhourofmylife。Ishouldliketohavebeenprettyorhandsome,ofcourse;butnoonecanhaveallthegoodthingsofthisworld,andIhavemybrains。Atonetime,perhaps,yes;butnow——no,honestlyIwouldnotchangemyself。\"
MissRamsbothamwassorrythatnomanhadeverfalleninlovewithher,butthatshecouldunderstand。
\"Itisquitecleartome。\"Soshehadonceunburdenedherselftoherbosomfriend。\"Manforthepurposesoftheracehasbeengiventwokindsoflove,betweenwhich,accordingtohisopportunitiesandtemperament,heisfreetochoose:hecanfalldownuponhiskneesandadorephysicalbeauty(forNatureignoresentirelyourmentalside),orhecantakedelightincirclingwithhisprotectingarmtheweakandhelpless。Now,Imakenoappealtoeitherinstinct。Ipossessneitherthecharmnorbeautytoattract——\"
\"Beauty,\"remindedherthebosomfriend,consolingly,\"dwellsinthebeholder’seye。\"
\"Mydear,\"cheerfullyrepliedMissRamsbotham,\"itwouldhavetobeaneyeoftherangeandcapacitySamWellerfranklyowneduptonotpossessing——apatentdouble—millionmagnifying,capableofseeingthroughadealboardandroundthecornersortofeye——todetectanybeautyinme。AndIammuchtoobigandsensibleforanymannotafoolevertothinkofwantingtotakecareofme。
\"Ibelieve,\"rememberedMissRamsbotham,\"ifitdoesnotsoundlikeidleboasting,Imighthavehadahusband,ofakind,ifFatehadnotcompelledmetosavehislife。ImethimoneyearatHuyst,asmall,quietwatering—placeontheDutchcoast。Hewouldwalkalwayshalfastepbehindme,regardingmeoutofthecornerofhiseyequiteapprovinglyattimes。Hewasawidower——agoodlittleman,devotedtohisthreecharmingchildren。Theytookanimmensefancytome,andIreallythinkIcouldhavegotonwithhim。Iamveryadaptable,asyouknow。Butitwasnottobe。Hegotoutofhisdepthonemorning,andunfortunatelytherewasnoonewithindistancebutmyselfwhocouldswim。Iknewwhattheresultwouldbe。YourememberLabiche’scomedy,LesVoyagedeMonsieurPerrichon?Ofcourse,everymanhateshavinghadhislifesaved,afteritisover;andyoucanimaginehowhemusthatehavingitsavedbyawoman。ButwhatwasItodo?Ineithercasehewouldbelosttome,whetherIlethimdrownorwhetherIrescuedhim。
So,asitreallymadenodifference,Irescuedhim。Hewasverygrateful,andleftthenextmorning。
\"Itismydestiny。Nomanhaseverfalleninlovewithme,andnomaneverwill。IusedtoworrymyselfaboutitwhenIwasyounger。
AsachildIhuggedtomybosomforyearsanobservationIhadoverheardanauntofminewhispertomymotheroneafternoonastheysatknittingandtalking,notthinkingIwaslistening。’Younevercantell,’murmuredmyaunt,keepinghereyescarefullyfixeduponherneedles;’childrenchangeso。Ihaveknowntheplainestgirlsgrowupintoquitebeautifulwomen。IshouldnotworryaboutitifIwereyou——notyetawhile。’Mymotherwasnotatallabad—
lookingwoman,andmyfatherwasdecidedlyhandsome;sothereseemednoreasonwhyIshouldnothope。IpicturedmyselftheuglyducklingofAndersen’sfairy—tale,andeverymorningonwakingI
wouldrunstraighttomyglassandtrytopersuademyselfthatthefeathersoftheswanwerebeginningatlasttoshowthemselves。\"
MissRamsbothamlaughed,agenuinelaughofamusement,forofself—
pitynotatracewasnowremainingtoher。
\"LaterIpluckedhopeagain,\"continuedMissRamsbothamherconfession,\"fromthereadingofacertainschooloffictionmorepopulartwentyyearsagothannow。Intheseromancestheheroinewasneverwhatyouwouldcallbeautiful,unlessincommonwiththeheroyouhappenedtopossessexceptionalpowersofobservation。
Butshewasbetterthanthat,shewasgood。IdonotregardastimewastedthehoursIspentstudyingthisquaintliterature。Ithelpedme,Iamsure,toformhabitsthathavesincebeenofservicetome。Imadeapoint,whenanyyoungmanvisitorhappenedtobestayingwithus,ofrisingexceptionallyearlyinthemorning,sothatIalwaysappearedatthebreakfast—tablefresh,cheerful,andcarefullydressed,with,whenpossible,adew—
besprinkledflowerinmyhairtoprovethatIhadalreadybeenoutinthegarden。Theeffort,asfarastheyoungmanvisitorwasconcerned,wasalwaysthrownaway;asageneralrule,hecamedownlatehimself,andgenerallytoodrowsytonoticeanythingmuch。
Butitwasexcellentpracticeforme。Iwakenowatseveno’clockasamatterofcourse,whatevertimeIgotobed。Imademyowndressesandmostofourcakes,andtookcaretoleteverybodyknowit。ThoughIsayitwhoshouldnot,Iplayandsingratherwell。
Icertainlywasneverafool。Ihadnolittlebrothersandsisterstowhomtobeexceptionallydevoted,butIhadmycousinsaboutthehouseasmuchaspossible,anddamagedtheircharacters,ifanything,byover—indulgence。Mydear,itnevercaughtevenacurate!Iamnotoneofthosewomentorundownmen;Ithinkthemdelightfulcreatures,andinageneralwayIfindthemveryintelligent。Butwheretheirheartsareconcerneditisthegirlwiththefrizzyhair,whowantstwopeopletohelpheroverthestile,thatistheirideaofanangel。Nomancouldfallinlovewithme;hecouldn’tifhetried。ThatIcanunderstand;but\"——
MissRamsbothamsunkhervoicetoamoreconfidentialtone——\"whatI
cannotunderstandisthatIhaveneverfalleninlovewithanyman,becauseIlikethemall。\"
\"Youhavegiventheexplanationyourself,\"suggestedthebosomfriend——oneSusanFossett,the\"AuntEmma\"ofTheLadies’Journal,anicewoman,buttalkative。\"Youaretoosensible。\"
MissRamsbothamshookherhead,\"Ishouldjustlovetofallinlove。WhenIthinkaboutit,Ifeelquiteashamedofmyselffornothavingdoneso。\"
Whetheritwasthisidea,namely,thatitwasherduty,orwhetheritwasthatpassioncametoher,unsought,somewhatlateinlife,andthereforeallthestronger,sheherselfwouldperhapshavebeenunabletodeclare。Certainonlyitisthatatoverthirtyyearsofagethisclever,sensible,clear—seeingwomanfelltosighingandblushing,startingandstammeringatthesoundingofaname,asthoughforalltheworldshehadbeenalove—sickgirlinherteens。
SusanFossett,herbosomfriend,broughtthestrangetidingstoBohemiaonefoggyNovemberafternoon,heropportunitybeingatea—
partygivenbyPeterHopetocommemoratethebirthdayofhisadopteddaughterandsub—editor,JaneHelen,commonlycalledTommy。
TheactualdateofTommy’sbirthdaywasknownonlytothegods;butoutoftheLondonmisttowifeless,childlessPetershehadcometheeveningofacertainNovembertheeighteenth,andthereforebyPeterandhisfriendsNovembertheeighteenthhadbeenmarkeduponthecalendarasadayonwhichtheyshouldrejoicetogether。
\"Itisboundtoleakoutsoonerorlater,\"SusanFossettwasconvinced,\"soImayaswelltellyou:thatgabyMaryRamsbothamhasgotherselfengaged。\"
\"Nonsense!\"wasPeterHope’sinvoluntaryejaculation。
\"PreciselywhatImeantotellhertheverynexttimeIseeher,\"
addedSusan。
\"Whoto?\"demandedTommy。
\"Youmean’towhom。’Thepreepositiongovernstheobjectivecase,\"
correctedherJamesDouglasMcTear,commonlycalled\"TheWeeLaddie,\"whohimselfwroteEnglishbetterthanhespokeit。
\"Imeant’towhom,’\"explainedTommy。
\"Yedidnasayit,\"persistedtheWeeLaddie。
\"Idon’tknowtowhom,\"repliedMissRamsbotham’sbosomfriend,sippingteaandbreathingindignation。\"Tosomethingidioticandincongruousthatwillmakeherlifeamiserytoher。\"
Somerville,thebriefless,heldthatintheabsenceofalldatasuchconclusionwasunjustifiable。
\"Ifithadbeentoanythingsensible,\"wasMissFossett’sopinion,\"shewouldnothavekeptmeinthedarkaboutit,tospringituponmelikeabombshell。I’veneverhadsomuchasahintfromheruntilIreceivedthisabsurdscrawlanhourago。\"
MissFossettproducedfromherbagaletterwritteninpencil。
\"Therecanbenoharminyourhearingit,\"wasMissFossett’sexcuse;\"itwillgiveyouanideaofthestateofthepoorthing’smind。\"
Thetea—drinkerslefttheircupsandgatheredroundher。\"DearSusan,\"readMissFossett,\"Ishallnotbeabletobewithyouto—
morrow。Pleasegetmeoutofitnicely。Ican’trememberatthemomentwhatitis。You’llbesurprisedtohearthatI’mENGAGED——
tobemarried,Imean,IcanhardlyREALISEit。IhardlyseemtoknowwhereIam。HavejustmadeupmymindtorundowntoYorkshireandseegrandmamma。ImustdoSOMETHING。ImustTALKtoSOMEBODYand——forgiveme,dear——butyouAREsosensible,andjustnow——wellIdon’tFEELsensible。WilltellyouallaboutitwhenI
seeyou——nextweek,perhaps。YoumustTRYtolikehim。HeisSO
handsomeandREALLYclever——inhisownway。Don’tscoldme。I
neverthoughtitpossiblethatANYONEcouldbesohappy。It’squiteadifferentsortofhappinesstoANYothersortofhappiness。