The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Anne BrontĂ« (librera reader .txt) đ
- Author: Anne Brontë
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âHelen!â cried he, the moment I had left the room. I turned back, and stood awaiting his commands.
âWhat do you want, Arthur?â I said at length.
âNothing,â replied he. âGo!â
I went, but hearing him mutter something as I was closing the door, I turned again. It sounded very like âconfounded slut,â but I was quite willing it should be something else.
âWere you speaking, Arthur?â I asked.
âNo,â was the answer, and I shut the door and departed. I saw nothing more of him till the following morning at breakfast, when he came down a full hour after the usual time.
âYouâre very late,â was my morningâs salutation.
âYou neednât have waited for me,â was his; and he walked up to the window again. It was just such weather as yesterday.
âOh, this confounded rain!â he muttered. But, after studiously regarding it for a minute or two, a bright idea, seemed to strike him, for he suddenly exclaimed, âBut I know what Iâll do!â and then returned and took his seat at the table. The letter-bag was already there, waiting to be opened. He unlocked it and examined the contents, but said nothing about them.
âIs there anything for me?â I asked.
âNo.â
He opened the newspaper and began to read.
âYouâd better take your coffee,â suggested I; âit will be cold again.â
âYou may go,â said he, âif youâve done; I donât want you.â
I rose and withdrew to the next room, wondering if we were to have another such miserable day as yesterday, and wishing intensely for an end of these mutually inflicted torments. Shortly after I heard him ring the bell and give some orders about his wardrobe that sounded as if he meditated a long journey. He then sent for the coachman, and I heard something about the carriage and the horses, and London, and seven oâclock tomorrow morning, that startled and disturbed me not a little.
âI must not let him go to London, whatever comes of it,â said I to myself; âhe will run into all kinds of mischief, and I shall be the cause of it. But the question is, How am I to alter his purpose? Well, I will wait awhile, and see if he mentions it.â
I waited most anxiously, from hour to hour; but not a word was spoken, on that or any other subject, to me. He whistled and talked to his dogs, and wandered from room to room, much the same as on the previous day. At last I began to think I must introduce the subject myself, and was pondering how to bring it about, when John unwittingly came to my relief with the following message from the coachman:
âPlease, sir, Richard says one of the horses has got a very bad cold, and he thinks, sir, if you could make it convenient to go the day after tomorrow, instead of tomorrow, he could physic it today, so asâ ââ
âConfound his impudence!â interjected the master.
âPlease, sir, he says it would be a deal better if you could,â persisted John, âfor he hopes thereâll be a change in the weather shortly, and he says itâs not likely, when a horse is so bad with a cold, and physicked and allâ ââ
âDevil take the horse!â cried the gentleman. âWell, tell him Iâll think about it,â he added, after a momentâs reflection. He cast a searching glance at me, as the servant withdrew, expecting to see some token of deep astonishment and alarm; but, being previously prepared, I preserved an aspect of stoical indifference. His countenance fell as he met my steady gaze, and he turned away in very obvious disappointment, and walked up to the fireplace, where he stood in an attitude of undisguised dejection, leaning against the chimneypiece with his forehead sunk upon his arm.
âWhere do you want to go, Arthur?â said I.
âTo London,â replied he, gravely.
âWhat for?â I asked.
âBecause I cannot be happy here.â
âWhy not?â
âBecause my wife doesnât love me.â
âShe would love you with all her heart, if you deserved it.â
âWhat must I do to deserve it?â
This seemed humble and earnest enough; and I was so much affected, between sorrow and joy, that I was obliged to pause a few seconds before I could steady my voice to reply.
âIf she gives you her heart,â said I, âyou must take it, thankfully, and use it well, and not pull it in pieces, and laugh in her face, because she cannot snatch it away.â
He now turned round, and stood facing me, with his back to the fire. âCome, then, Helen, are you going to be a good girl?â said he.
This sounded rather too arrogant, and the smile that accompanied it did not please me. I therefore hesitated to reply. Perhaps my former answer had implied too much: he had heard my voice falter, and might have seen me brush away a tear.
âAre you going to forgive me, Helen?â he resumed, more humbly.
âAre you penitent?â I replied, stepping up to him and smiling in his face.
âHeartbroken!â he answered, with a rueful countenance, yet with a merry smile just lurking within his eyes and about the corners of his mouth; but this could not repulse me, and I flew into his arms. He fervently embraced me, and though I shed a torrent of tears, I think I never was happier in my life than at that moment.
âThen you wonât go to London, Arthur?â I said, when the first transport of tears and kisses had subsided.
âNo, loveâ âunless you will go with me.â
âI will, gladly,â I answered, âif you think the change will amuse you, and if you will put off the journey till next week.â
He readily consented, but said there was no need of much preparation, as he should not be for
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