An Alternate Perspective

by Wynne Mabry

  Miss Bingley, who did like dancing and was looking forward to showing off her superior style, said nothing more, and the rest of the visit passed smoothly.

  After the departure of their visitors, Mrs. Hurst went with Elizabeth to see Jane, whom they told about the planned entertainment. The invalid said that she was certain they would not have to wait long on her before deciding on a date since she was already feeling very much better.

  “I expect Kitty and Lydia will enjoy a ball very much,” she added, with excellent understanding of her sisters, as well as more generosity of thought for them than they had managed to conjure up for her.

  “I hope Caroline will also find it a pleasurable occasion,” Mrs. Hurst said. “She was disappointed that we were out of London for much of the last season. I know she is anxious to get back there soon for this winter’s parties. Mr. Hurst and I have been enjoying our stay in the country, and we are not in any hurry to leave, but I do feel it important to try to accommodate Caroline’s wishes as well. I do not want to deprive her of pleasure, and she has been very discontent of late.” She sighed. “Indeed, you have seen that in her rudeness toward both of you. I am very sorry that you have had to endure that.”

  “Do not concern yourself with it,” Elizabeth said. “I understand that she has been upset and do not mind making allowances for her distress.”

  The distress, as she well knew, had largely been caused by her own engagement. After learning about it, Miss Bingley had said some angry things, which showed what her own hopes had been. Elizabeth had deplored her ill manners, but she had felt some compassion for Miss Bingley’s disappointment.

  “That is good of you, but I intend to be more severe upon her if she does not get her temper under control soon.”

  They began talking of pleasanter things and enjoyed an agreeable conversation until Mrs. Hurst left to take care of some of some household matters. Elizabeth then decreed that Jane should be quiet for a while, since her throat was still sore, and her voice should not be taxed. She obediently settled back for a rest, and Elizabeth carried on reading the book which she had chosen the night before.

  In about the middle of the afternoon, the quietness of the room was interrupted by a loud, crashing noise, which startled both of them.

  “I hope that is not Mr. Hurst blowing something up,” Elizabeth said with a laugh. “He did promise Mrs. Hurst that he would not.”

  She put down her book and went to see what had happened.

  “Never fear,” she said to Jane on her return. “It was Mr. Hurst, but he only walked backward into a table full of bits and pieces which he did not use in making his machine. Mrs. Hurst was both relieved and amused. Mr. Bingley laughed as well, but he has instructed the servants to take away the debris to prevent any further accident.”

  She down with her book again and finished it shortly before dinner. On her way to join the others, she stopped at the library to put it back.

  Mr. Hurst was still there, doing something to the sizable machine which stood in the middle of the room.

  “Is it finished yet?” she asked, while putting the book on a shelf. “I cannot wait to discover what you have invented.”

  “It should be finished very soon. I have just been making some adjustments, and I think I am getting very close. Perhaps I might even be able to reveal it after dinner. Well, it will not exactly be a revealing, since you have all seen it already, but I shall display the function of my machine at last.”

  “How very exciting,” Elizabeth said. “Speaking of dinner, I believe it will be announced soon.”

  “And I have not yet changed,” Mr. Hurst said. “I shall run upstairs in just a moment, but first I must finish conducting this test. I have already started the fire for it.”

  “Fire?” Elizabeth looked over at the large one which was burning in the grate.

  “In the firebox.” He pointed toward a brass box which sat under a large container at one end of the machine. “It contains a coal fire, which heats the water in this urn. It is the resulting steam which powers my machine. It travels through this pipe here, and the pressure sets everything into motion.”

  “I have heard a little about steam power,” Elizabeth said. “I understand that the potential is incredible.”

  “Oh, yes indeed. The steam engine is going to change our world in many ways. Things are already well in progress, but there will come a day when all work is done by machines. There will even be vehicles that can move under their own power instead of being drawn by horses. Imagine that, my dear. You may very well travel in such a vehicle in another twenty years or so. Instead of stopping to changes horses, you will only have to stop to fuel the fire and refill the water boiler.”

  She smiled at his enthusiasm for the subject. “It is an incredible idea, but standing here, I can almost imagine it,” she said.

  “Well, that sort of purpose will take some very large engines, but I have done some interesting work with smaller ones. There is a great deal of potential in that area as well. One day we may have all sorts of gadgets powered by steam. I have created a few myself. Mrs. Hurst was especially amused by one which makes coffee. She enjoys demonstrating it to visitors.”

  “That does sound very interesting.”

  “You must come and see it for yourself some time when we are all in London. Mrs. Hurst will be pleased to entertain you with our little device.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  A puff of steam caught Elizabeth’s eye at that moment. It was escaping from a pipe which came out of the top of the urn.

  “It is ready,” Mr. Hurst said, putting on a pair of gloves. “The metal gets hot,” he explained to her.

  He pulled down the lever at the base of that pipe and then raised another one on the pipe which was connected to the machine. In a moment, the cogs began to turn, making a clackety sound.

  Since she had never seen anything of the sort, Elizabeth watched this with great interest. In another minute, a glow of light appeared in the glass cylinder.

  “I have read of this,” she cried to Mr. Hurst. “You have created some sort of device for producing light. This truly is fascinating.”

  Mr. Hurst shook his head and smiled. “This is something a great deal more fascinating,” he said, while turning some of the knobs.

  The light began to spiral around the sides of the cylinder. As she watched, the motion grew faster until the coils of light were almost a blur. This alone was astonishing, but then suddenly the spiralling light burst right out of the cylinder.

  Elizabeth jumped back.

  Mr. Hurst clapped his hands ecstatically. “It is working perfectly,” he cried. “That last adjustment was exactly what was needed.”

  The circle of whirling light was growing much larger and continuing to extend itself further from the cylinder. Mr. Hurst moved to stand in front of it. In great curiosity, Elizabeth followed him. They watched as it grew to the size of small window, rather like a porthole.

  Indeed, it seemed as though it actually was a window. “I can see exactly what I expected to see,” he cried in an excited voice.

  “And what is that?” Elizabeth asked, hoping that he would not expect her to wait until after dinner to learn what he had invented. Her curiosity was too much piqued. She wanted to know at once what this was and how the light could be so powerful.

  “Why, the library at Netherfield,” was his rather disappointing answer. They could already see the library at Netherfield all around them.

  “Not this library though,” he said enigmatically. “Or this Netherfield.”

  Pondering his strange response, Elizabeth stepped closer to see for herself. It was indeed the library. She saw the shelves, although they were much smaller and rather more distant than they should be. Why Mr. Hurst would want to achieve such an inadequate view of immediate objects was certainly a mystery.

  The vortex of light had still been growing while they were looking into it, and now she felt something like the pressure of a stron
g wind current. Caution reasserted itself, and she took a few steps back, noting that it was now a much larger window.

  “This is even bigger than I expected,” Mr. Hurst cried. “But it is quite fascinating. We shall get a much larger view than I had envisioned.”

  As he spoke, Elizabeth saw a lady appear.

  “Somebody is there!” Mr. Hurst cried with excitement. “Perhaps we shall be able to communicate. That would be astounding.”

  It would, Elizabeth thought. But communicate with whom? And why did they need the portal to talk to somebody standing in front of the shelves? She stepped to one side to see who else was in the room, but nobody was there.

  She stepped back, looked into the spinning circle, and saw the lady moving toward them. She appeared to be inside this vortex of light, but how could that be possible?

  Elizabeth could see a face clearly now. There was a brief moment of recognition and enough time for a confused thought about reflections. Then the pressure asserted itself with greater strength. She tried to take a step backward, but it was not possible. Some force was pulling her forward. Suddenly she was swept off her feet and sucked into goodness knows what.

  A Bizarre Experience

  The other Elizabeth also spent the night watching over her sister, and she had the satisfaction of seeing some improvement. When Mr. Bingley sent a housemaid to enquire about Jane’s health very early in the morning, she was happy to give him a better report. She was also pleased to note this evidence of his affection for her sister.

  Nobody else sent any enquiries for the moment. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were much tardier in making their show of interest, and the pleasure which they expressed in response to this news lacked any real feeling.

  Mr. Darcy declared his satisfaction at breakfast. While Elizabeth found his manner very impersonal, she did have an idea that there was some real sympathy behind his words. He seemed to understand the worry which she had been feeling and which the two ladies had clearly discounted. For that, she could credit him with some human feeling.

  It was not to be supposed that Mr. Hurst would give the matter any thought. He was an exceptionally late riser, besides being completely unconcerned with anything which did not affect him. And what affected him was the provision of food, drink, and entertainment.

  Desiring to know her mother’s opinion on the matter of Jane’s health, Elizabeth asked for a message to be sent to Longbourn. She just hoped that her mother would not be too intrusive. Unfortunately for her peace of mind, Mrs. Bennet brought along Kitty and Lydia, and the three of them managed to make their visit was about as mortifying as could be.

  Elizabeth was certain that Mr. Darcy, Miss Bingley, and Mrs. Hurst all enjoyed another opportunity to look down upon her family. Mr. Bingley was far too nice to do any such thing, but it was impossible for him not to notice this evidence of the disparity between his situation and Jane’s. Elizabeth sighed inwardly. If only her mother and sisters would not make it so obvious.

  After her family had disgraced themselves in their usual fashion and thoroughly embarrassed her, she returned upstairs, hoping to pass the rest of the day without incident.

  There was a small one, but fortunately it was nothing of any significance to her. It was only Mr. Hurst managing to knock over some brass objects in the hall, which made a dreadful racket. Mr. Bingley was quite forgiving, but Mrs. Hurst snapped at her husband for being clumsy. Elizabeth wondered how much wine he had already consumed.

  Miss Bingley took the opportunity to declare that brass was not to her taste, and she ordered the servants to take the lot of it away. Elizabeth left her talking of Chinese vases, which did not seem like the best idea considering the incident which had just taken place.

  That was no concern of hers though, and she returned to her seat beside Jane’s bed. Over the next few hours, she finished her book, which she took with her when it was time to go down for dinner.

  The library was as dim as yesterday. Elizabeth again took a candle, and she set it on a nearby table in order to replace her book on the shelf. She was about to pick it up when a glow caught her eye. The light of a candle was her first impression, but there were no other candles burning. Besides, this light was in the centre of the room, where there were no tables or candles.

  It appeared to be suspended in the air. Curious to understand its source, she moved closer. There was definitely a light, but no reason for it to be there. She waved her hand underneath, and then slowly circled it all around. There was nothing to explain how the light could be there. As far as she could tell, it really was suspended.

  It was no longer just a stationary glow either. The light was now spinning. She watched with fascination as it whirled faster, but as it grew larger, she cautiously stepped back and to the side. Still, she could not tear her eyes away from this astonishing vortex of light. From where could it be coming? Could there be any danger in it?

  It seemed right that Mr. Bingley should be made aware of this strange occurrence, but it would not be possible to speak with him alone, and she did not wish to tell everybody. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst would probably delight in mocking her if she announced that there was a vortex of light in the library. Mr. Hurst would look at her scornfully, and Mr. Darcy would probably expound at length upon his opinion that such a thing was impossible.

  Perhaps she could leave the library and hope that this thing, whatever it was, would just go away. But that was irresponsible. One could not ignore a potential danger. Still keeping her distance, she moved over and looked into the vortex again, searching for anything which might tell her what it was.

  Seeing what appeared to be two faces at a distance, she walked a little closer for a better view. It did appear as though there really were two people at the other end of the vortex. They were also looking into it, apparently with the same curiosity that she was feeling. One face disappeared for a moment, but then it returned, now a little more distinct than before.

  Elizabeth was surprised to discern a resemblance to herself. The light seemed to be reflective. But what about the second person? Turning her gaze upon him, she saw the features of Mr. Hurst.

  She quickly looked to her side, expecting to see that he had come into the room, but there was nobody there. She looked back into the vortex in puzzlement. Then she felt the inward pull and saw the spiral grow larger. Her frantic effort to escape some inexplicable force met with failure. Instead, she was sucked into that rapidly whirling light with a whoosh, just as she was regretting the curiosity which had placed her in this predicament.

  In an instant, she was thrown out again, and she tumbled to the floor. After a moment of dizziness, she sat up, relieved to see that she did not appear to be injured.

  But what on earth had just happened? How could there have been a whirling mass of light in the middle of the library? And how could it have acted so violently upon her?

  It was gone now. She looked about and could not see even a remnant of the spiralling light. She did see something else quite astounding though. There was the strangest contraption in the middle of the room. A large device with a great many cogs. There a panel covered with knobs as well. She wondered if it might be a machine for creating light. She had read something of the new gas lights which had been used to illuminate manufactories. They had lately been tested as lighting for London streets as well.

  But what could such a machine be doing at Netherfield? Was Mr. Bingley planning to use this new gas lighting in the house? That would cause a great stir in the neighbourhood.

  And how had she not noticed it on first entering the room? It was impossible that she could have missed seeing such a large object, even in the dimness of the room.

  And that was another strange thing. The room was now very well lit. There were several candles burning in various places, and an excellent fire where there had only been a small one when she came in. How could any of this be possible?

  There was only one explanation which presented itself to her. She must be hallucina
ting. Perhaps she had hit her head upon the floor. She felt about her scalp for a bump, but there was nothing to suggest an injury. But had she really felt her head, or had that been part of the hallucination?

  She felt the absurdity of these thoughts in the next moment. Surely people who were having hallucinations did not think about it. Besides, she felt quite normal, aside from being bemused, and her sight was perfectly clear.

  She stood up, walked over to a table, and cupped her hand around a candle flame, feeling the warmth and watching the glow on her palm. She ran her fingers along the smooth wax and over ridges which had been formed by melted droplets. It was certainly real.

  Then she slowly approached the contraption. Her outstretched fingers met with solid metal. This thing was no hallucination. It must have been brought into the library at some time during the day, and she really had failed to see it. After all, it could not have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

  Yet that was what the candles seemed to have done. There was no logical explanation for their sudden appearance, nor for any of what had happened to her in the last few minutes. It was quite disturbing.

  A Very Great Disruption

  Having some experience of receiving untoward treatment from his own devices, Mr. Hurst was the first to rise. He held out a hand to help Elizabeth up.

  “I am sorry about that,” he said. “I had not expected to create such a large window. Nor did I have any idea that it would act so violently upon us. Perhaps I had better postpone my demonstration until I have done a few more tests. It was all very fascinating though.”

  He was facing the shelves while speaking to her, but her view was of the space where the machine had been sitting only a moment ago. It was now notably empty. She leaned to one side to confirm this, even though such a large object as his invention could not have been obscured by one person standing in front of her. It was definitely not there.

  “Mr. Hurst,” she said, “your machine appears to have vanished.”