The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne BrontĂ« (librera reader .txt) đ
- Author: Anne Brontë
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âWhy, mother, you said you didnât believe these tales,â said Fergus.
âNo more I do, my dear; but then, you know, there must be some foundation.â
âThe foundation is in the wickedness and falsehood of the world,â said I, âand in the fact that Mr. Lawrence has been seen to go that way once or twice of an eveningâ âand the village gossips say he goes to pay his addresses to the strange lady, and the scandalmongers have greedily seized the rumour, to make it the basis of their own infernal structure.â
âWell, but, Gilbert, there must be something in her manner to countenance such reports.â
âDid you see anything in her manner?â
âNo, certainly; but then, you know, I always said there was something strange about her.â
I believe it was on that very evening that I ventured on another invasion of Wildfell Hall. From the time of our party, which was upwards of a week ago, I had been making daily efforts to meet its mistress in her walks; and always disappointed (she must have managed it so on purpose), had nightly kept revolving in my mind some pretext for another call. At length I concluded that the separation could be endured no longer (by this time, you will see, I was pretty far gone); and, taking from the bookcase an old volume that I thought she might be interested in, though, from its unsightly and somewhat dilapidated condition, I had not yet ventured to offer it for perusal, I hastened awayâ âbut not without sundry misgivings as to how she would receive me, or how I could summon courage to present myself with so slight an excuse. But, perhaps, I might see her in the field or the garden, and then there would be no great difficulty: it was the formal knocking at the door, with the prospect of being gravely ushered in by Rachel, to the presence of a surprised, uncordial mistress, that so greatly disturbed me.
My wish, however, was not gratified. Mrs. Graham herself was not to be seen; but there was Arthur playing with his frolicsome little dog in the garden. I looked over the gate and called him to me. He wanted me to come in; but I told him I could not without his motherâs leave.
âIâll go and ask her,â said the child.
âNo, no, Arthur, you mustnât do that; but if sheâs not engaged, just ask her to come here a minute. Tell her I want to speak to her.â
He ran to perform my bidding, and quickly returned with his mother. How lovely she looked with her dark ringlets streaming in the light summer breeze, her fair cheek slightly flushed, and her countenance radiant with smiles. Dear Arthur! what did I not owe to you for this and every other happy meeting? Through him I was at once delivered from all formality, and terror, and constraint. In love affairs, there is no mediator like a merry, simple-hearted childâ âever ready to cement divided hearts, to span the unfriendly gulf of custom, to melt the ice of cold reserve, and overthrow the separating walls of dread formality and pride.
âWell, Mr. Markham, what is it?â said the young mother, accosting me with a pleasant smile.
âI want you to look at this book, and, if you please, to take it, and peruse it at your leisure. I make no apology for calling you out on such a lovely evening, though it be for a matter of no greater importance.â
âTell him to come in, mamma,â said Arthur.
âWould you like to come in?â asked the lady.
âYes; I should like to see your improvements in the garden.â
âAnd how your sisterâs roots have prospered in my charge,â added she, as she opened the gate.
And we sauntered through the garden, and talked of the flowers, the trees, and the book, and then of other things. The evening was kind and genial, and so was my companion. By degrees I waxed more warm and tender than, perhaps, I had ever been before; but still I said nothing tangible, and she attempted no repulse, until, in passing a moss rose-tree that I had brought her some weeks since, in my sisterâs name, she plucked a beautiful half-open bud and bade me give it to Rose.
âMay I not keep it myself?â I asked.
âNo; but here is another for you.â
Instead of taking it quietly, I likewise took the hand that offered it, and looked into her face. She let me hold it for a moment, and I saw a flash of ecstatic brilliance in her eye, a glow of glad excitement on her faceâ âI thought my hour of victory was comeâ âbut instantly a painful recollection seemed to flash upon her; a cloud of anguish darkened her brow, a marble paleness blanched her cheek and lip; there seemed a moment of inward conflict, and, with a sudden effort, she withdrew her hand, and retreated a step or two back.
âNow, Mr. Markham,â said she, with a kind of desperate calmness, âI must tell you plainly that I cannot do with this. I like your company, because I am alone here, and your conversation pleases me more than that of any other person; but if you cannot be content to regard me as a friendâ âa plain, cold, motherly, or sisterly friendâ âI must beg you to leave me now, and let me alone hereafter: in fact, we must be strangers for the future.â
âI will, thenâ âbe your friend, or brother, or anything you wish, if you will only let me continue
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