Delphi Complete Works of Elizabeth Gaskell

by Elizabeth Gaskell

  ‘But has he no friends who can explain his proceedings, and account for the missing money, in some way?’ asked Mr Corbet.

  ‘No, none. Mr Wilkins has written everywhere, right and left, I believe. I know he had a letter from Mr Dunster’s nearest relation - a tradesman in the City - a cousin, I think, and he could give no information in any way. He knew that about ten years ago Mr Dunster had had a great fancy for going to America, and had read a great many travels - all just what a man would do before going off to a country.’

  ‘Ten years is a long time beforehand,’ said Mr Corbet, half smiling; ‘shows malice prepense with a vengeance.’ But then, turning grave, he said: ‘Did he leave Hamley in debt?’

  ‘No; I never heard of that,’ said Miss Monro, rather unwillingly, for she considered it as a piece of loyalty to the Wilkinses, whom Mr Dunster had injured (as she thought), to blacken his character as much as was consistent with any degree of truth.

  ‘It is a strange story,’ said Mr Corbet, musing.

  ‘Not at all,’ she replied, quickly; ‘I am sure, if you had seen the man, with one or two side-locks of hair combed over his baldness, as if he were ashamed of it, and his eyes that never looked at you, and his way of eating with his knife when he thought he was not observed - oh, and numbers of things! - you would not think it strange.’

  Mr Corbet smiled.

  ‘I only meant that he seems to have had no extravagant or vicious habits which would account for his embezzlement of the money that is missing - but, to be sure, money in itself is a temptation - only he, being a partner, was in a fair way of making it without risk to himself. Has Mr Wilkins taken any steps to have him arrested in America? He might easily do that.’

  ‘Oh, my dear Mr Ralph, you don’t know our good Mr Wilkins! He would rather bear the loss, I am sure, and all this trouble and care which it has brought upon him, than be revenged upon Mr Dunster.’

  ‘Revenged! What nonsense! It is simple justice - justice to himself and to others - to see that villainy is so sufficiently punished as to deter others from entering upon such courses. But I have little doubt Mr Wilkins has taken the right steps: he is not the man to sit down quietly under such a loss.’

  ‘No, indeed! He had him advertised in The Times and in the county papers, and offered a reward of twenty pounds for information concerning him.’

  ‘Twenty pounds was too little.’

  ‘So I said. I told Ellinor that I would give twenty pounds myself to have him apprehended, and she, poor darling! fell a-trembling, and said, “I would give all I have - I would give my life.” And then she was in such distress, and sobbed so, I promised her I would never name it to her again.’

  ‘Poor child - poor child! she wants change of scene. Her nerves have been sadly shaken by her illness.’

  The next day was Sunday; Ellinor was to go to church for the first time since her illness. Her father had decided it for her, or else she would fain have stayed away - she would hardly acknowledge why, even to herself, but it seemed to her as if the very words and presence of God must there search her and find her out.

  She went early, leaning on the arm of her lover, and trying to forget the past in the present. They walked slowly along between the rows of waving golden corn ripe for the harvest. Mr Corbet gathered blue and scarlet flowers, and made up a little rustic nosegay for her. She took and stuck it in her girdle, smiling faintly as she did so.

  Hamley Church had, in former days, been collegiate, and was, in consequence, much larger and grander than the majority of country-town churches. The Ford Bank pew was a square one, downstairs; the Ford Bank servants sat in a front pew in the gallery, right before their master. Ellinor was ‘hardening her heart’ not to listen, not to hearken to what might disturb the wound which was just being skinned over, when she caught Dixon’s face up above. He looked worn, sad, soured, and anxious to a miserable degree; but he was straining eyes and cars, heart and soul, to hear the solemn words read from the pulpit, as if in them alone he could find help in his strait. Ellinor felt rebuked and humbled.

  She was in a tumultuous state of mind when they left church; she wished to do her duty, yet could not ascertain what it was. Who was to help her with wisdom and advice? Assuredly he to whom her future life was to be trusted. But the case must be stated in an impersonal form. No one, not even her husband, must ever know anything against her father from her. Ellinor was so artless herself, that she had little idea how quickly and easily some people can penetrate motives, and combine disjointed sentences. She began to speak to Ralph on their slow sauntering walk homewards through the quiet meadows:

  ‘Suppose, Ralph, that a girl was engaged to be married --’

  ‘I can very easily suppose that, with you by me,’ said he, filling up her pause.

  ‘Oh! but I don’t mean myself at all,’ replied she, reddening. ‘I am only thinking of what might happen; and suppose that this girl knew of someone belonging to her - we will call it a brother - who had done something wrong, that would bring disgrace upon the whole family if it was known - though, indeed, it might not have been so very wrong as it seemed, and as it would look to the world - ought she to break off her engagement for fear of involving her lover in the disgrace?’

  ‘Certainly not, without telling him her reason for doing so.’

  ‘Ah! but suppose she could not. She might not be at liberty to do so.’

  ‘I can’t answer supposititious cases. I must have the facts - if facts there are - more plainly before me before I can give an opinion. Who are you thinking of, Ellinor?’ asked he, rather abruptly.

  ‘Oh, of no one,’ she answered, in affright. ‘Why should I be thinking of anyone? I often try to plan out what I should do, or what I ought to do, if such and such a thing happened, just as you recollect I used to wonder if I should have presence of mind in case of fire.’

  ‘Then, after all, you yourself are the girl who is engaged, and who has the imaginary brother who gets into disgrace?’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ said she, a little annoyed at having betrayed any personal interest in the affair.

  He was silent, meditating.

  ‘There is nothing wrong in it,’ said she, timidly, ‘is there?’

  ‘I think you had better tell me fully out what is in your mind,’ he replied, kindly. ‘Something has happened which has suggested these questions. Are you putting yourself in the place of anyone about whom you have been hearing lately? I know you used to do so formerly, when you were a little girl.’

  ‘No; it was a very foolish question of mine, and I ought not to have said anything about it. See! here is Mr Ness overtaking US.

  The clergyman joined them on the broad walk that ran by the riverside, and the talk became general. It was a relief to Ellinor, who had not attained her end, but who had gone far towards betraying something of her own individual interest in the question she had asked. Ralph had been more struck even by her manner than her words. He was sure that something lurked behind, and had an idea of his own that it was connected with Dunster’s disappearance. But he was glad that Mr Ness’s joining them gave him leisure to consider a little. The end of his reflections was, that the next day, Monday, he went into the town, and artfully learnt all he could hear about Mr Dunster’s character and mode of going on; and with still more skill he extracted the popular opinion as to the embarrassed nature of Mr Wilkins’s affairs - embarrassment which was generally attributed to Dunster’s disappearance with a good large sum belonging to the firm in his possession. But Mr Corbet thought otherwise; he had accustomed himself to seek out the baser motives for men’s conduct, and to call the result of these researches wisdom. He imagined that Dunster had been well paid by Mr Wilkins for his disappearance, which was an easy way of accounting for the derangement of accounts and loss of money that arose, in fact, from Mr Wilkins’s extravagance of habits and growing intemperance.

  On the Monday afternoon he said to Ellinor, ‘Mr Ness interrupted us yesterday in a very interesting convers
ation. Do you remember, love?’

  Ellinor reddened, and kept her head still more intently bent over a sketch she was making.

  ‘Yes; I recollect.’

  ‘I have been thinking about it. I still think she ought to tell her lover that such disgrace hung over him - I mean, over the family with whom he was going to connect himself, Of course, the only effect would be to make him stand by her still more for her frankness.’

  ‘Oh! but, Ralph, it might perhaps be something she ought not to tell, whatever came of her silence.’

  ‘Of course there might be all sorts of cases. Unless I knew more I could not pretend to judge.’

  This was said rather more coolly. It had the desired effect. Ellinor laid down her brush, and covered her face with her hand. After a pause, she turned towards him and said:

  ‘I will tell you this; and more you must not ask of me. I know you are as safe, as can be. I am the girl, you are the lover, and possible shame hangs over my father, if something - oh, so dreadful’ (here she blanched), ‘but not so very much his fault, is ever found out.’

  Though this was nothing more than he expected; though Ralph thought that he was aware what the dreadful something might be, yet, when it was acknowledged in words, his heart contracted, and for a moment he forgot the intent, wistful, beautiful face creeping close to his to read his expression aright. But after that his presence of mind came in aid. He took her in his arms and kissed her; murmuring fond words of sympathy, and promises of faith, nay, even of greater love than before, since greater need she might have of that love. But somehow he was glad when the dressing-bell rang, and in the solitude of his own room he could reflect on what he had heard; for the intelligence had been a great shock to him, although he had fancied that his morning’s inquiries had prepared him for it.

  CHAPTER IX

  Ralph Corbet found it a very difficult thing to keep down his curiosity during the next few days. It was a miserable thing to have Ellinor’s unspoken secret severing them like a phantom. But he had given her his word that he would make no further inquiries from her. Indeed, he thought he could well enough make out the outline of past events; still, there was too much left to conjecture for his mind not to be always busy on the subject. He felt inclined to probe Mr Wilkins, in their after-dinner conversation, in which his host was frank and lax enough on many subjects. But once touch on the name of Dunster and Mr Wilkins sank into a kind of suspicious depression of spirits; talking little, and with evident caution; and from time to time shooting furtive glances at his interlocutor’s face. Ellinor was resolutely impervious to any attempts of his to bring his conversation with her back to the subject which more and more engrossed Ralph Corbet’s mind. She had done her duty, as she understood it; and had received assurances which she was only too glad to believe fondly with all the tender faith of her heart. Whatever came to pass, Ralph’s love would still be hers; nor was he unwarned of what might come to pass in some dread future day. So she shut her eyes to what might be in store for her (and, after all, the chances were immeasurably in her favour); and she bent herself with her whole strength into enjoying the present. Day by day, Mr Corbet’s spirits flagged. He was, however, so generally uniform in the tenor of his talk - never very merry, and always avoiding any subject that might call out deep feeling either on his own or anyone else’s part, that few people were aware of his changes of mood. Ellinor felt them, though she would not acknowledge them: it was bringing her too much face to face with the great terror of her life.

  One morning he announced the fact of his brother’s approaching marriage; the wedding was hastened on account of some impending event in the duke’s family; and the home letter he had received that day was to bid his presence at Stokely Castle, and also to desire him to be at home by a certain time, not very distant, in order to look over the requisite legal papers, and to give his assent to some of them. He gave many reasons why this unlooked-for departure of his was absolutely necessary; but no one doubted it. He need not have alleged such reiterated excuses. The truth was, he was, restrained and uncomfortable at Ford Bank ever since Ellinor’s confidence. He could not rightly calculate on the most desirable course for his own interests, while his love for her was constantly being renewed by her sweet presence. Away from her, he could judge more wisely. Nor did he allege any false reasons for his departure; but the sense of relief to himself was so great at his recall home, that he was afraid of having it perceived by others; and so took the very way which, if others had been as penetrating as himself, would have betrayed him.

  Mr Wilkins, too, had begun to feel the restraint of Ralph’s grave watchful presence. Ellinor was not strong enough to be married; nor was the promised money forthcoming if she had been. And to have a fellow dawdling about the house all day, sauntering into the flower-garden, peering about everywhere, and having a kind of right to put all manner of unexpected questions, was anything but agreeable. It was only Ellinor that. clung to his presence - clung as though some shadow of what might happen before they met again had fallen on her spirit. As soon as he had left the house she flew up to a spare bedroom window, to watch for the last glimpse of the fly which was taking him into the town. And then she kissed the part of the pane on which his figure, waving an arm out of the carriage window, had last appeared; and went down slowly to gather together all the things he had last touched - the pen he had mended, the flower he had played with, and to lock them up in the little quaint cabinet that had held her treasures since she was a tiny child.

  Miss Monro was, perhaps, very wise in proposing the translation of a difficult part of Dante for a distraction to Ellinor. The girl went meekly, if reluctantly, to the task set her by her good governess, and by-and-by her mind became braced by the exertion.

  Ralph’s people were not very slow in discovering that something had not gone on quite smoothly with him at Ford Bank. They knew his ways and looks with family intuition, and could easily be certain thus far. But not even his mother’s skilfulest wiles, nor his favourite sister’s coaxing, could obtain a word or a hint; and when his father, the squire, who had heard the opinions of the female part of the family on this head, began, in his honest blustering way, in their tête-à-têtes after dinner, to hope that Ralph was thinking better than to run his head into that confounded Hamley attorney’s noose, Ralph gravely required Mr Corbet to explain his meaning, which he professed not to understand so worded. And when the squire had, with much perplexity, put it into the plain terms of hoping that his son was thinking of breaking off his engagement to Miss Wilkins, Ralph coolly asked him if he was aware that, in that case, he should lose all title to being a man of honour, and might have an action brought against him for breach of promise?

  Yet not the less for all this was the idea in his mind as a future possibility.

  Before very long the Corbet family moved en masse to Stokely Castle for the wedding. Of course, Ralph associated on equal terms with the magnates of the county, who were the employers of Ellinor’s father, and spoke of him always as ‘Wilkins,’ just as they spoke of the butler as ‘Simmons.’ Here, too, among a class of men high above local gossip, and thus unaware of his engagement, he learnt the popular opinion respecting his future father-in-law; an opinion not entirely respectful, though intermingled with a good deal of personal liking. ‘Poor Wilkins,’ as they called him, ‘was sadly extravagant for a man in his position; had no right to spend money, and act as if he were a man of independent fortune.’ His habits of life were criticized; and pity, not free from blame, was bestowed upon him for the losses he had sustained from his late clerk’s disappearance and defalcation. But what could be expected, if a man did not choose to attend to his own business?

  The wedding went by, as grand weddings do, without let or hindrance, according to the approved pattern. A cabinet minister honoured it with his presence, and, being a distant relation of the Brabants, remained for a few days after the grand occasion. During this time he became rather intimate with Ralph Corbet; many of their taste
s were in common. Ralph took a great interest in the manner of working out political questions; in the balance and state of parties; and had the right appreciation of the exact qualities on which the minister piqued himself. In return, the latter was always on the look-out for promising young men, who, either by their capability of speech-making, or article-writing, might advance the views of his party. Recognizing the powers he most valued in Ralph, he spared no pains to attach him to his own political set. When they separated, it was with the full understanding that they were to see a good deal of each other in London.

  The holiday Ralph allowed himself was passing rapidly away; but, before he returned to his chambers and his hard work, he had promised to spend a few more days with Ellinor; and it suited him to go straight from the duke’s to Ford Bank. He left the castle soon after breakfast - the luxurious, elegant breakfast, served by domestics who performed their work with the accuracy and perfection of machines. He arrived at Ford Bank before the man-servant had quite finished the dirtier part of his morning’s work, and he came to the glass-door in his striped cotton jacket, a little soiled, and rolling up his working apron. Ellinor was not yet strong enough to get up and go out and gather flowers for the rooms, so those left from yesterday were rather faded; in short, the contrast from entire completeness and exquisite freshness of arrangement struck forcibly upon Ralph’s perceptions, which were critical rather than appreciative; and, as his affections were always subdued to his intellect, Ellinor’s lovely face and graceful figure flying to meet him did not gain his full approval, because her hair was dressed in an old-fashioned way, her waist was either too long or too short, her sleeves too full or too tight for the standard of fashion to which his eye had been accustomed while scanning the bridesmaids and various high-born ladies at Stokely Castle.

  But, as he had always piqued himself upon being able to put on one side all superficial worldliness in his chase after power, it did not do for him to shrink from seeing and facing the incompleteness of moderate means. Only marriage upon moderate means was gradually becoming more distasteful to him.