The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Penguin Classics) (43 page)

‘If you are a tyrant by nature, the temptation is strong, I allow; but no generous mind delights to oppress the weak, but rather to cherish and protect.’

‘I
don’t
oppress her, but it’s so confounded flat to be always cherishing and protecting; – and then how can I tell that I
am
oppressing her when she “melts away and makes no sign?”
⁷
I sometimes think she has no feeling at all; and then I go on till she cries – and that satisfies me.’

‘Then you
do
delight to oppress her.’

‘I don’t, I tell you! – only when I’m in a bad humour – or a particularly good one, and want to afflict for the pleasure of comforting; or when she looks flat and wants shaking up a bit. And sometimes, she provokes me by crying for nothing, and won’t tell me what it’s for; and then, I allow, it enrages me past bearing – especially, when I’m not my own man.’

‘As is no doubt generally the case on such occasions,’ said I. ‘But in future, Mr Hattersley, when you see her looking flat or crying for “nothing” (as you call it), ascribe it all to yourself: be assured it is
something you have done amiss, or your general misconduct that distresses her.’

‘I don’t believe it. If it were, she should tell me so: I don’t like that way of moping and fretting in silence, and saying nothing – it’s not honest How can she expect me to mend my ways at that rate?’

‘Perhaps she gives you credit for having more sense than you possess, and deludes herself with the hope that you will one day see your own errors and repair them, if left to your own reflection.’

‘None of your sneers, Mrs Huntingdon! I
have
the sense to see that I’m not always quite correct – but sometimes I think that’s no great matter, as long as I injure nobody but myself–’

‘It
is
a great matter,’ interrupted I, ‘both to yourself (as you will hereafter find to your cost) and to all connected with you – most especially your wife – but indeed, it is nonsense to talk about injuring no one but yourself, it is impossible to injure yourself – especially by such acts as we allude to – without injuring hundreds, if not thousands, besides, in a greater or less degree, either by the evil you do or the good you leave undone.’

‘And as I was saying,’ continued he – ‘or would have said if you hadn’t taken me up so short – I sometimes think I should do better if I were joined to one that would always remind me when I was wrong, and give me a motive for doing good and eschewing evil by decidedly showing her approval of the one, and disapproval of the other.’

‘If you had no higher motive than the approval of your fellow mortal, it would do you little good.’

‘Well, but if I had a mate that would not always be yielding, and always equally kind, but that would have the spirit to stand at bay now and then, and honestly tell me her mind at all times – such a one as yourself for instance – Now if I went on with you as I do with her when I’m in London, you’d make the house too hot to hold me at times, I’ll be sworn.’

‘You mistake me: I’m no termagant’.

‘Well, all the better for that, for I can’t stand contradiction – in a general way – and I’m as fond of my own will as another: only I think too much of it doesn’t answer for any man.’

‘Well, I would never contradict you without a cause, but certainly I would always let you know what I thought of your conduct; and if you oppressed me, in body, mind, or estate, you should at least have no reason to suppose “I didn’t mind it.” ’

‘I know that my lady; and I think if my little wife were to follow the same plan it would be better for us both.’

‘I’ll tell her.’

‘No, no, let her be; there’s much to be said on both sides – and, now I think upon it, Huntingdon often regrets that you are not more like her – scoundrelly dog that he is – and you see, after all, you can’t reform
him
. he’s
ten
times worse than I – He’s afraid of you, to be sure – that is, he’s always on his best behaviour in your presence – but –’

‘I wonder what his worst behaviour is like, then?’ I could not forbear observing.

‘Why, to tell you the truth, it’s very bad indeed – isn’t it, Hargrave?’ said he, addressing that gentleman, who had entered the room unperceived by me, for I was now standing near the fire with my back to the door. ‘Isn’t Huntingdon,’ he continued, ‘as great a reprobate as ever was d—d?’

‘His lady will not hear him censured with impunity,’ replied Mr Hargrave, coming forward, ‘but I must say, I thank God I am not such another.’

‘Perhaps it would become you better,’ said I, ‘to look at what you are, and say, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” ’
⁸

‘You are severe,’ returned he, bowing slightly and drawing himself up with a proud yet injured air. Hattersley laughed, and clapped him on the shoulder. Moving from under his hand with a gesture of insulted dignity, Mr Hargrave took himself away to the other end of the rug.

‘Isn’t it a shame, Mrs Huntingdon?’ cried his brother-in-law – ‘I struck Walter Hargrave when I was drunk, the second night after we came, and he’s turned a cold shoulder on me ever since; though I asked his pardon the very morning after it was done!’

‘Your manner of asking it,’ returned the other, ‘and the clearness with which you remembered the whole transaction, showed you
were not too drunk to be fully conscious of what you were about, and quite responsible for the deed.’

‘You wanted to interfere between me and my wife,’ grumbled Hattersley, ‘and that is enough to provoke any man.’

‘You justify it then?’ said his opponent, darting upon him a most vindictive glance.

‘No, I tell you I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been under excitement; and if you choose to bear malice for it, after all the handsome things I’ve said – do so and be damned!’

‘I
would
refrain from such language in a
lady’s
presence, at least,’ said Mr Hargrave, hiding his anger under a mask of disgust.

‘What have I said?’ returned Hattersley. ‘Nothing but Heaven’s truth – he will be damned, won’t he, Mrs Huntingdon, if he doesn’t forgive his brother’s trespasses?’

‘You ought to forgive him, Mr Hargrave, since he asks you,’ said I.

‘Do you say so? Then I will!’ And, smiling almost frankly, he stepped forward and offered his hand. It was immediately clasped in that of his relative, and the reconciliation was apparently cordial on both sides.

‘The affront,’ continued Hargrave, turning to me, ‘owed half its bitterness to the fact of its being offered in your presence; and since you bid me forgive it, I will – and forget it too.’

‘I guess the best return I can make, will be to take myself off,’ muttered Hattersley, with a broad grin. His companion smiled; and he left the room. This put me on my guard. Mr Hargrave turned seriously to me, and earnestly began –

‘Dear Mrs Huntingdon, how I have longed for, yet dreaded this hour! Do not be alarmed,’ he added, for my face was crimson with anger; ‘I am not about to offend you with any useless entreaties or complaints. I am not going to presume to trouble you with the mention of my own feelings or your perfections, but I have something to reveal to you which you ought to know, and which, yet, it pains me inexpressibly –’

‘Then don’t trouble yourself to reveal it!’

‘But it is of importance –’

‘If so, I shall hear it soon enough – especially if it is bad news, as
you seem to consider it. At present, I am going to take the children to the nursery.’

‘But can’t you ring, and send them?’

‘No; I want the exercise of a run to the top of the house – Come Arthur.’

‘But you will return?’

‘Not yet; don’t wait.’

‘Then, when may I see you again?’

‘At lunch,’ said I, departing with little Helen in one arm, and leading Arthur by the hand.

He turned away, muttering some sentence of impatient censure or complaint, in which ‘heartless’ was the only distinguishable word.

‘What nonsense is this Mr Hargrave?’ said I, pausing in the doorway. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Oh, nothing – I did not intend you should hear my soliloquy. But the fact is, Mrs Huntingdon, I have a disclosure to make – painful for me to offer as for you to hear – and I want you to give me a few minutes of your attention in private, at any time and place you like to appoint. It is from no selfish motive that I ask it, and not for any cause that could alarm your superhuman purity; therefore, you need not kill me with that look of cold and pitiless disdain. I know too well the feelings with which the bearers of bad tidings are commonly regarded, not to –’

‘What
is
this wonderful piece of intelligence?’ said I, impatiently interrupting him. ‘If it is anything of real importance, speak it in three words before I go.’

‘In three words I cannot. Send those children away, and stay with me.’

‘No; keep your bad tidings to yourself. I know it is something I don’t want to hear, and something you would displease me by telling.’

‘You have divined too truly, I fear; but still since I know it, I feel it my duty to disclose it to you.’

‘Oh, spare us both the infliction – and I will exonerate you from the duty. You have offered to tell; I have refused to hear: my ignorance will not be charged on you.’

‘Be it so – you shall not hear it from me. But if the blow fall too suddenly upon you when it comes, remember – I wished to soften it!’

I left him. I was determined his words should not alarm me. What could
he
of all men, have to reveal that was of importance for
me
to hear? It was, no doubt some exaggerated tale about my unfortunate husband, that he wished to make the most of to serve his own bad purposes.

6th
. He has not alluded to this momentous mystery since; and I have seen no reason to repent of my unwillingness to hear it. The threatened blow has not been struck yet; and I do not greatly fear it. At present I am pleased with Arthur he has not positively disgraced himself for upwards of a fortnight, and all this last week, has been so very moderate in his indulgence at table, that I can perceive a marked difference in his general temper and appearance. Dare I hope this will continue?

Seventh
. Yes, I
will
hope! Tonight, I heard Grimsby and Hattersley grumbling together, about the inhospitality of their host. They did not know I was near, for I happened to be standing behind the curtain, in the bow of the window, watching the moon rising over the clump of tall, dark elm-trees below the lawn and wondering why Arthur was so sentimental as to stand without, leaning against the outer pillar of the portico, apparently watching it too.

‘So, I suppose we’ve seen the last of our merry carousals in this house,’ said Mr Hattersley, ‘I
thought
his good-fellowship wouldn’t last long. – But,’ added he, laughing, ‘I didn’t expect it would meet its end this way. I rather thought our pretty hostess would be setting up her porcupine quills, and threatening to turn us out of the house, if we didn’t mind
¹
our manners.’

‘You didn’t foresee
this
, then?’ answered Grimsby with a guttural chuckle. ‘But he’ll change again when he’s sick of her. If we come here a year or two hence, we shall have all our own way, you’ll see.’

‘I don’t know,’ replied the other: ‘she’s not the style of woman you soon tire of – but be that as it may, it’s devilish provoking now, that we can’t be jolly, because he chooses to be on his good behaviour.’

‘It’s all these cursed women!’ muttered Grimsby. ‘They’re the very bane of the world! They bring trouble and discomfort wherever they come, with their false, fair faces and their d—d deceitful tongues.’

At this juncture, I issued from my retreat, and smiling on Mr Grimsby as I passed, left the room and went out in search of Arthur. Having seen him bend his course towards the shrubbery, I followed him thither, and found him just entering the shadowy walk. I was so
light of heart, so overflowing with affection, that I sprang upon him and clasped him in my arms. This startling conduct had a singular effect upon him: first, he murmured, ‘Bless you darling!’ and returned my close embrace with a fervour like old times, and
then
he started, and in a tone of absolute terror, exclaimed –

‘Helen! – What the devil is this!’ and I saw, by the faint light gleaming through the overshadowing tree, that he was positively pale with the shock.

How strange that the instinctive impulse of affection should come first, and then the shock of the surprise! It shows, at least, that the affection is genuine: he is not sick of me yet.

‘I startled you, Arthur,’ said I, laughing in my glee. ‘How nervous you are!’

‘What the deuce did you do it for?’ cried he, quite testily, extricating himself from my arms, and wiping his forehead with his handkerchief. ‘Go back, Helen – go back directly! You’ll get your death of cold!’

‘I won’t – till I’ve told you what I came for. They are blaming you, Arthur, for your temperance and sobriety, and I’m come to thank you for it. They say it is all “these cursed women,” and that we are the bane of the world; but don’t let them laugh, or grumble you out of your good resolutions, or your affection for me.’

He laughed. I squeezed him in my arms again, and cried in tearful earnest –

‘Do – do persevere! – and I’ll love you better than ever I did before!’

‘Well, well, I will!’ said he, hastily kissing me. ‘There now, go. – You mad creature, how
could
you come out in your light evening dress, this chill autumn night?’

‘It is a glorious night,’ said I.

‘It is a night that will give you your death, in another minute. Run away, do!’

‘Do you see my death among those trees, Arthur?’ said I, for he was gazing intently at the shrubs, as if he saw it coming, and I was reluctant to leave him, in my new-found happiness and revival of
hope and love. But he grew angry at my delay, so I kissed him and ran back to the house.

I was in such a good humour that night: Milicent told me I was the life of the party, and whispered she had never seen me so brilliant. Certainly, I talked enough for twenty, and smiled upon them all. Grimsby, Hattersley, Hargrave, Lady Lowborough – all shared my sisterly kindness. Grimsby stared and wondered; Hattersley laughed and jested (in spite of the little wine he had been suffered to imbibe), but still, behaved as well as he knew how; Hargrave and Annabella, from different motives and in different ways, emulated me, and doubtless both surpassed me, the former in his discursive versatility and eloquence, the latter in boldness and animation at least. Milicent, delighted to see her husband, her brother and her over-estimated friend acquitting themselves so well, was lively and gay too, in her quiet way. Even Lord Lowborough caught the general contagion: his dark, greenish eyes were lighted up beneath their moody brows; his sombre countenance was beautified by smiles; all traces of gloom, and proud or cold reserve, had vanished for the time; and he astonished us all, not only by his general cheerfulness and animation, but by the positive flashes of true force and brilliance he emitted from time to time. Arthur did not talk much, but he laughed, and listened to the rest, and was in perfect good-humour, though not excited by wine. So that, altogether, we made a very merry, innocent and entertaining party.