第97章

第97章twoyoungladiesappearedbeforeme;oneverytall,almostastallasmissingram—verythintoo,withasallowfaceandseveremien.therewassomethingasceticinherlook,whichwasaugmentedbytheextremeplainnessofastraight-skirted,black,stuffdress,astarchedlinencollar,haircombedawayfromthetemples,andthenun-likeornamentofastringofebonybeadsandacrucifix.thisifeltsurewaseliza,thoughicouldtracelittleresemblancetoherformerselfinthatelongatedandcolourlessvisage.

theotherwasascertainlygeorgiana:butnotthegeorgianairemembered—theslimandfairy-likegirlofeleven.thiswasafull-blown,veryplumpdamsel,fairaswaxwork,withhandsomeandregularfeatures,languishingblueeyes,andringletedyellowhair.thehueofherdresswasblacktoo;butitsfashionwassodifferentfromhersister’s—somuchmoreflowingandbecoming—itlookedasstylishastheother’slookedpuritanical.

ineachofthesisterstherewasonetraitofthemother—andonlyone;thethinandpallidelderdaughterhadherparent’scairngormeye:thebloomingandluxuriantyoungergirlhadhercontourofjawandchin—perhapsalittlesoftened,butstillimpartinganindescribablehardnesstothecountenanceotherwisesovoluptuousandbuxom.

bothladies,asiadvanced,rosetowelcomeme,andbothaddressedmebythenameof“misseyre.”eliza’sgreetingwasdeliveredinashort,abruptvoice,withoutasmile;andthenshesatdownagain,fixedhereyesonthefire,andseemedtoforgetme.georgianaaddedtoher“howd’yedo?”severalcommonplacesaboutmyjourney,theweather,andsoon,utteredinratheradrawlingtone:andaccompaniedbysundryside-glancesthatmeasuredmefromheadtofoot—nowtraversingthefoldsofmydrabmerinopelisse,andnowlingeringontheplaintrimmingofmycottagebonnet.youngladieshavearemarkablewayoflettingyouknowthattheythinkyoua“quiz”withoutactuallysayingthewords.acertainsuperciliousnessoflook,coolnessofmanner,nonchalanceoftone,expressfullytheirsentimentsonthepoint,withoutcommittingthembyanypositiverudenessinwordordeed.

asneer,however,whethercovertoropen,hadnownolongerthatpowerovermeitoncepossessed:asisatbetweenmycousins,iwassurprisedtofindhoweasyifeltunderthetotalneglectoftheoneandthesemi-sarcasticattentionsoftheother—elizadidnotmortify,norgeorgianaruffleme.thefactwas,ihadotherthingstothinkabout;withinthelastfewmonthsfeelingshadbeenstirredinmesomuchmorepotentthananytheycouldraise—painsandpleasuressomuchmoreacuteandexquisitehadbeenexcitedthananyitwasintheirpowertoinflictorbestow—thattheirairsgavemenoconcerneitherforgoodorbad.

“howismrs.reed?”iaskedsoon,lookingcalmlyatgeorgiana,whothoughtfittobridleatthedirectaddress,asifitwereanunexpectedliberty.

“mrs.reed?ah!mama,youmean;sheisextremelypoorly:idoubtifyoucanseeherto-night.”

“if,”saidi,“youwouldjuststepupstairsandtellheriamcome,ishouldbemuchobligedtoyou.”

georgianaalmoststarted,andsheopenedherblueeyeswildandwide.“iknowshehadaparticularwishtoseeme,”iadded,“andiwouldnotdeferattendingtoherdesirelongerthanisabsolutelynecessary.”

“mamadislikesbeingdisturbedinanevening,”remarkedeliza.isoonrose,quietlytookoffmybonnetandgloves,uninvited,andsaidiwouldjuststepouttobessie—whowas,idaredsay,inthekitchen—andaskhertoascertainwhethermrs.reedwasdisposedtoreceivemeornotto-night.iwent,andhavingfoundbessieanddespatchedheronmyerrand,iproceededtotakefurthermeasures.ithadheretoforebeenmyhabitalwaystoshrinkfromarrogance:receivedasihadbeento-day,ishould,ayearago,haveresolvedtoquitgatesheadtheverynextmorning;now,itwasdisclosedtomeallatoncethatthatwouldbeafoolishplan.ihadtakenajourneyofahundredmilestoseemyaunt,andimuststaywithhertillshewasbetter—ordead:astoherdaughters’prideorfolly,imustputitononeside,makemyselfindependentofit.soiaddressedthehousekeeper;askedhertoshowmearoom,toldherishouldprobablybeavisitorhereforaweekortwo,hadmytrunkconveyedtomychamber,andfolloweditthithermyself:imetbessieonthelanding.

“missisisawake,”saidshe;“ihavetoldheryouarehere:comeandletusseeifshewillknowyou.”

ididnotneedtobeguidedtothewell-knownroom,towhichihadsooftenbeensummonedforchastisementorreprimandinformerdays.ihastenedbeforebessie;isoftlyopenedthedoor:ashadedlightstoodonthetable,foritwasnowgettingdark.therewasthegreatfour-postbedwithamberhangingsasofold;therethetoilet-table,thearmchair,andthefootstool,atwhichihadahundredtimesbeensentencedtokneel,toaskpardonforoffencesbymeuncommitted.ilookedintoacertaincornernear,half-expectingtoseetheslimoutlineofaoncedreadedswitchwhichusedtolurkthere,waitingtoleapoutimp-likeandlacemyquiveringpalmorshrinkingneck.iapproachedthebed;iopenedthecurtainsandleantoverthehigh-piledpillows.

welldidiremembermrs.reed’sface,andieagerlysoughtthefamiliarimage.itisahappythingthattimequellsthelongingsofvengeanceandhushesthepromptingsofrageandaversion.ihadleftthiswomaninbitternessandhate,andicamebacktohernowwithnootheremotionthanasortofruthforhergreatsufferings,andastrongyearningtoforgetandforgiveallinjuries—tobereconciledandclasphandsinamity.