Wives and Daughters ELIZABETH GASKELL CHAPTER 52-p1 doc

I'm sure I don't know - but one doesn't like to refuse at such a time.' 'I wish to stay,' said Molly.. I know a great secret of Osborne's, which I promised solemnly not to tell; but the

Wives and Daughters

ELIZABETH GASKELL

CHAPTER 52-p1

Squire Hamley's Sorrow

It seemed very long before Mr Gibson came down He went and stood with his back to the empty fireplace, and did not speak for a minute or two

'He's gone to bed,' said he at length 'Robinson and I have got him there But just

as I was leaving him he called me back, and asked me to let you stop I'm sure I don't know - but one doesn't like to refuse at such a time.'

'I wish to stay,' said Molly

'Do you? There's a good girl But how will you manage?'

'Oh, never mind that I can manage Papa,' - she paused - what did Osborne die of?' She asked the question in a low, awe-stricken voice

'Something wrong about the heart You wouldn't understand if I told you I apprehended it for some time; but it is, better not to talk of such things at home When I saw him on Thursday week, he seemed better than I have seen him for a long time I told Dr Nicholls so But one never can calculate in these

complaints.'

'You saw him on Thursday week? Why, you never mentioned it!' said Molly

'No I don't talk of my patients at home, Besides, I didn't want him to consider

me as his doctor, but as a friend Any alarm about his own health would only have hastened the catastrophe.'

'Then didn't he know that he was ill - ill of a dangerous complaint, I mean: one that might end as it has done?'

'No; certainly not He would only have been watching his symptoms -

accelerating matters, in fact.'

'Oh, papa!' said Molly, shocked

'I've no time to go into the question,' Mr Gibson continued 'And until you know what has to be said on both sides, and in every instance, you are not qualified to

judge We must keep our attention on the duties in hand now You sleep here for the remainder of the night, which is more than half-gone already?'

'Yes.'

'Promise me to go to bed just as usual You may not think it, but most likely you'll go to sleep at once People do at your age.'

'Papa, I think I ought to tell you something I know a great secret of Osborne's, which I promised solemnly not to tell; but the last time I saw him I think he must have been afraid of something like this.' A fit of sobbing came upon her, which her father was afraid would end in hysterics But suddenly she mastered herself, and looked up into his anxious face, and smiled to reassure him

'I could not help it, papa!'

'No I know Go on with what you were saying You ought to be in bed; but if you have a secret on your mind you won't sleep.'

'Osborne was married,' said she, fixing her eyes on her father 'That is the

secret.'

'Married! Nonsense What makes you think so?'

'He told me That's to say, I was in the library - was reading there, some time ago; and Roger came and spoke to Osborne about his wife Roger did not see

me, but Osborne did They made me promise secrecy I don't think I did wrong.'

'Don't worry yourself about right or wrong just now; tell me more about it, at once.'

'I knew no more till six months ago - last November, when you went up to Lady Cumnor Then he called, and gave me his wife's address, but still under promise

of secrecy; and, excepting those two times, I have never heard any one mention the subject I think he would have told me more that last time, only Miss Phoebe came in.'

'Where is this wife of his?'

'Down in the south; near Winchester, I think He said she was a Frenchwoman and a Roman Catholic; and I think he said she was a servant,' added Molly

'Phew!' Her father made a long whistle of dismay

'And,' continued Molly, 'he spoke of a child Now you know as much as I do, papa, except the address I have it written down safe at home.'

Forgetting, apparently, what time of night it was, Mr Gibson sate down,

stretched out his legs before him, put his hands in his pockets, and began to think Molly sate still without speaking, too tired to do more than wait

'Well!' said he at last, jumping up, 'nothing can be done to-night; by to-morrow morning, perhaps, I may find out Poor little pale face!' - taking it between both his hands and kissing it; 'poor, sweet, little pale face!' Then he rang the bell, and told Robinson to send some maid-servant to take Miss Gibson to her room

'He won't be up early,' said he, in parting 'The shock has lowered him too much

to be energetic Send breakfast up to him in his own room I'll be here again before ten.'

Late as it was before he left, he kept his word

'Now, Molly,' he said, 'you and I must tell him the truth between us I don't know how he will take it; it may comfort him, but I have very little hope: either way, he ought to know it at once.'

'Robinson says he has gone into the room again, and he is afraid he has locked the door on the inside.'

'Never mind I shall ring the bell, and send up Robinson to say that I am here, and wish to speak to him.'

The message returned was, 'The squire's kind love, and could not see Mr Gibson just then.' Robinson added, 'It was a long time before he'd answer at all, sir.'

'Go up again, and tell him I can wait his convenience Now that's a lie,' Mr Gibson said, turning round to Molly as soon as Robinson had left the room 'I ought to be far enough away at twelve; but, if I'm not much mistaken, the innate habits of a gentleman will make him uneasy at the idea of keeping me waiting his pleasure, and will do more to bring him out of that room into this than any entreaties or reasoning.' Mr Gibson was growing impatient though, before they heard the squire's footstep on the stairs; he was evidently coming slowly and unwillingly He came in almost like one blind, groping along, and taking hold of chair or table for support or guidance till he reached Mr Gibson He did not speak when he held the doctor by the hand; he only hung down his head, and kept on a feeble shaking of welcome

'I'm brought very low, sir I suppose it's God's doing; but it comes hard upon

me He was my firstborn child.' He said this almost as if speaking to a stranger, and informing him of facts of which he was ignorant

'Here's Molly,' said Mr Gibson, choking a little himself, and pushing her

forwards

'I beg your pardon; I did not see you at first My mind is a good deal occupied just now.' He sate heavily down, and then seemed almost to forget they were there Molly wondered what was to come next Suddenly her father spoke, -

'Where's Roger?' said he 'Is he not likely to be soon at the Cape?' He got up and looked at the directions of one or two unopened letters brought by that

morning's post; among them was one in Cynthia's handwriting Both Molly and

he saw it at the same time How long it was since yesterday! But the squire took

no notice of their proceedings or their looks

'You will be glad to have Roger at home as soon as may be, I think, sir Some months must elapse first; but I'm sure he will return as speedily as possible.'

The squire said something in a very low voice Both father and daughter

strained their ears to hear what it was They both believed it to be, 'Roger is not Osborne!' And Mr Gibson spoke on that belief He spoke more quietly than

Molly had ever heard him do before

'No! we know that I wish that anything that Roger could do, or that I could do,

or that any one could do, would comfort you; but it is past human comfort.'

'I do try to say, God's will be done, sir,' said the squire, looking up at Mr Gibson for the first time, and speaking with more life in his voice; 'but it is harder to be resigned than happy people think.' They were all silent for a while The squire himself was the first to speak again, - 'He was my first child, sir; my eldest son And of late years we weren't' - his voice broke down, but he controlled himself - 'we weren't quite as good friends as could be wished; and I'm not sure - not sure that he knew how I loved him.' And now he cried aloud with an exceeding bitter cry

'Better so!' whispered Mr Gibson to Molly 'When he is a little calmer, don't be afraid; tell him all you know, exactly as it happened.'

Molly began Her voice sounded high and unnatural to herself, as if some one else was speaking, but she made her words clear The squire did not attempt to listen, at first, at any rate

'One day when I was here, at the time of Mrs Hamley's last illness' (the squire

here checked his convulsive breathing), 'I was in the library, and Osborne came

in He said he had only come in for a book, and that I was not to mind him, so I went on reading Presently, Roger came along the flagged garden-path just outside the window (which was open) He did not see me in the corner where I was sitting, and said to Osborne, "Here's a letter from your wife!"'

Now the squire was all attention; for the first time his tear-swollen eyes met the eyes of another, and he looked at Molly with searching anxiety, as he repeated, 'His wife! Osborne married!' Molly went on, -

'Osborne was angry with Roger for speaking out before me, and they made me promise never to mention it to any one; or to allude to it to either of them again

I never named it to papa till last night.'

'Go on,' said Mr Gibson 'Tell the squire about Osborne's call, - what you told me!' Still the squire hung on her lips, listening with open mouth and eyes

'Some months ago Osborne called He was not well, and wanted to see papa Papa was away, and I was alone I don't exactly remember how it came about, but he spoke to me of his wife for the first and only time since the affair in the library.' She looked at her father, as if questioning him as to the desirableness of telling the few further particulars that she knew The squire's mouth was dry and

stiff, but he tried to say, 'Tell me all, - everything.' And Molly understood the half-formed words

'He said his wife was a good woman, and that he loved her dearly; but she was a French Roman Catholic, and a' - another glance at her father - 'she had been a servant once That was all; except that I have her address at home He wrote it down and gave it me.'

'Well, well!' moaned the squire 'It's all over now All over All past and gone We'll not blame him, - no; but I wish he'd a told me; he and I to live together with such a secret in one of us It's no wonder to me now - nothing can be a wonder again, for one never can tell what's in a man's heart Married so long! and we sitting together at meals - and living together Why, I told him

everything! Too much, may be, for I showed him all my passions and

ill-tempers! Married so long! Oh, Osborne, Osborne, you should have told me!'

'Yes, he should!' said Mr Gibson 'But I daresay he knew how much you would dislike such a choice as he had made But he should have told you!'

'You know nothing about it, sir,' said the squire sharply 'You don't know the terms we were on Not hearty or confidential I was cross to him many a time angry with him for being dull, poor lad - and he with all this weight on his mind

I won't have people interfering and judging between me and my sons And Roger too! He could know it all, and keep it from me!'