登陆注册
5291400000041

第41章 CHAPTER XV.(1)

When Melbury heard what had happened he seemed much moved, and walked thoughtfully about the premises. On South's own account he was genuinely sorry; and on Winterborne's he was the more grieved in that this catastrophe had so closely followed the somewhat harsh dismissal of Giles as the betrothed of his daughter.

He was quite angry with circumstances for so heedlessly inflicting on Giles a second trouble when the needful one inflicted by himself was all that the proper order of events demanded. "I told Giles's father when he came into those houses not to spend too much money on lifehold property held neither for his own life nor his son's," he exclaimed. "But he wouldn't listen to me. And now Giles has to suffer for it."

"Poor Giles!" murmured Grace.

"Now, Grace, between us two, it is very, very remarkable. It is almost as if I had foreseen this; and I am thankful for your escape, though I am sincerely sorry for Giles. Had we not dismissed him already, we could hardly have found it in our hearts to dismiss him now. So I say, be thankful. I'll do all I can for him as a friend; but as a pretender to the position of my son-in law, that can never be thought of more."

And yet at that very moment the impracticability to which poor Winterborne's suit had been reduced was touching Grace's heart to a warmer sentiment on his behalf than she had felt for years concerning him.

He, meanwhile, was sitting down alone in the old familiar house which had ceased to be his, taking a calm if somewhat dismal survey of affairs. The pendulum of the clock bumped every now and then against one side of the case in which it swung, as the muffled drum to his worldly march. Looking out of the window he could perceive that a paralysis had come over Creedle's occupation of manuring the garden, owing, obviously, to a conviction that they might not be living there long enough to profit by next season's crop.

He looked at the leases again and the letter attached. There was no doubt that he had lost his houses by an accident which might easily have been circumvented if he had known the true conditions of his holding. The time for performance had now lapsed in strict law; but might not the intention be considered by the landholder when she became aware of the circumstances, and his moral right to retain the holdings for the term of his life be conceded?

His heart sank within him when he perceived that despite all the legal reciprocities and safeguards prepared and written, the upshot of the matter amounted to this, that it depended upon the mere caprice--good or ill--of the woman he had met the day before in such an unfortunate way, whether he was to possess his houses for life or no.

While he was sitting and thinking a step came to the door, and Melbury appeared, looking very sorry for his position.

Winterborne welcomed him by a word and a look, and went on with his examination of the parchments. His visitor sat down.

"Giles," he said, "this is very awkward, and I am sorry for it.

What are you going to do?"

Giles informed him of the real state of affairs, and how barely he had missed availing himself of his chance of renewal.

"What a misfortune! Why was this neglected? Well, the best thing you can do is to write and tell her all about it, and throw yourself upon her generosity."

"I would rather not," murmured Giles.

"But you must," said Melbury.

In short, he argued so cogently that Giles allowed himself to be persuaded, and the letter to Mrs. Charmond was written and sent to Hintock House, whence, as he knew, it would at once be forwarded to her.

Melbury feeling that he had done so good an action in coming as almost to extenuate his previous arbitrary conduct to nothing, went home; and Giles was left alone to the suspense of waiting for a reply from the divinity who shaped the ends of the Hintock population. By this time all the villagers knew of the circumstances, and being wellnigh like one family, a keen interest was the result all round.

Everybody thought of Giles; nobody thought of Marty. Had any of them looked in upon her during those moonlight nights which preceded the burial of her father, they would have seen the girl absolutely alone in the house with the dead man. Her own chamber being nearest the stairs, the coffin had been placed there for convenience; and at a certain hour of the night, when the moon arrived opposite the window, its beams streamed across the still profile of South, sublimed by the august presence of death, and onward a few feet farther upon the face of his daughter, lying in her little bed in the stillness of a repose almost as dignified as that of her companion--the repose of a guileless soul that had nothing more left on earth to lose, except a life which she did not overvalue.

South was buried, and a week passed, and Winterborne watched for a reply from Mrs. Charmond. Melbury was very sanguine as to its tenor; but Winterborne had not told him of the encounter with her carriage, when, if ever he had heard an affronted tone on a woman's lips, he had heard it on hers.

The postman's time for passing was just after Melbury's men had assembled in the spar-house; and Winterborne, who when not busy on his own account would lend assistance there, used to go out into the lane every morning and meet the post-man at the end of one of the green rides through the hazel copse, in the straight stretch of which his laden figure could be seen a long way off. Grace also was very anxious; more anxious than her father; more, perhaps, than Winterborne himself. This anxiety led her into the spar-house on some pretext or other almost every morning while they were awaiting the reply.

Fitzpiers too, though he did not personally appear, was much interested, and not altogether easy in his mind; for he had been informed by an authority of what he had himself conjectured, that if the tree had been allowed to stand, the old man would have gone on complaining, but might have lived for twenty years.

同类推荐
  • 人间训

    人间训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三弥底部

    三弥底部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东林始末

    东林始末

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 渊骞

    渊骞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 和严揆省中宿斋遇令

    和严揆省中宿斋遇令

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 让学生团结友爱的故事

    让学生团结友爱的故事

    科学高度发展的今天,个人的能力获得了极大的提高,但生产的社会性和科学研究的社会性也随之加强,任何活动,都不是单个人的力量所能胜任的。因此人与人之间要团结友爱、共存共荣,才能达到共赢的局面,整个社会才能和谐发展。
  • 慕以温然

    慕以温然

    新文《总裁有点甜:老婆,收了我》已发布~~ “停,你够了!”她忍无可忍的发出控诉,“你不是不行吗?”夏温然一直以为,他是美人在怀也坐怀不乱的正人君子,结果她大错特错……惨痛的领悟让她不得不阻止,“那只不过是一次意外,你能不能放过我!”他笑的优雅且霸道,“意外这种事,怎么可能会发生在我的身上?”她愣了,“什么意思?那一次不是意外?”他眸光深刻,“当然不是,那是你欠我的!”---为了讨回你欠下的债,我蓄谋已久。(宠文)
  • 我的极品美女老板娘

    我的极品美女老板娘

    这是一个超级兵王的故事!这是一个超级兵王的故事!
  • 片片秋叶情

    片片秋叶情

    本是含着金汤勺出生的豪门千金,却在百日宴时因配戴的珠宝过于昂贵,被无知的坏人算计,将刚满百日的豪门千金和佩戴的珠宝一起劫走。最后被坏人丢在路边,被一对心地善良的夫妇收养。因为是在路边的一堆落叶中发现的,这对夫妇又姓秋,所以取名秋叶子!养父母对她视如己出,悉心教导,养父还教了叶子一身祖传的拳脚功夫。从小到大,多年练习,叶子也是练得如火纯清,一招一式打得虎虎生威。正因为秋叶子身手了得,又有良好的家教。注定要与她携手一生的男人慕容文韬,从与她相遇第一次就印象深刻,到最后恋恋不忘,再相思成魔!然而好事多磨,叶子和霸道总裁的爱情故事慢慢展开......
  • 指控没有终结

    指控没有终结

    透过那片壁垒森严、电网密布的铁丝网,能够依稀看见华丽伪装下的焚尸炉和草地上堆积的累累白骨,每当夜来临的时候,地狱般的尖叫声穿透着每个惊恐的灵魂。然而,“红色”的意志在这群年轻的姑娘身上从没有消失过,在与魔鬼战斗的短暂而又漫长的岁月里,她们用钢铁精神告诉这个世界——“我没有沉默,我还活着,并战斗着!”
  • 王妃倾城

    王妃倾城

    上官燕儿一身才华,如今却落得家破人亡的。父亲母亲只因为皇帝的一句话,全家竟被以莫须有的罪名满门抄斩,为了报仇她委身成为皇帝的妃子,一步一步策划复仇计划······
  • 巴菲特金牌投资

    巴菲特金牌投资

    本书的写作目的就在于通过对于巴菲特的投资理念、投资方法、投资原则、投资技巧的全面剖析来为读者揭开心中的迷雾,进而为读者展现一个真实而全面的巴菲特。使读者能够在书中去体味巴菲特的投资真谛,去领略巴菲特作为一代“股神”的无穷魅力。
  • 原来你一直都在

    原来你一直都在

    在爱情面前,总是有那么一些人为了那一丝得之不易的温暖奋不顾身,为了那一句简单的承诺固执的等待着,宁晓梦一直等待着,在回忆里面想念着那个为她付出一切的人,带着心里面的那一份固执独自远行......
  • 柳永之死

    柳永之死

    欣乐楼的灯不再红,酒不再绿,一片缟素,门外也缀满白花。往日歌舞升平之地成了我的灵堂,那闲置二十来年的灵牌竟然派上真用场,我的名字被恢复为柳七。其他青楼妓馆的女子闻讯,也纷纷前来吊唁。她们哭诉:千百年来,上青楼妓馆的男人无数,可真正爱我们的能有几个?一座又一座青楼妓馆歇业为我设灵堂,昔日莺歌燕舞之地变成一片鬼哭神泣,昏天暗地。
  • 佛说佛顶尊胜陀罗尼经

    佛说佛顶尊胜陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。