English
Leavingbyanearlytrain,IgottoLimmeridgeintimefordinner.
Thehousewasoppressivelyemptyanddull.
IhadexpectedthatgoodMrs.Veseywouldhavebeencompanyformeintheabsenceoftheyoungladies,butshewasconfinedtoherroombyacold.
Theservantsweresosurprisedatseeingmethattheyhurriedandbustledabsurdly,andmadeallsortsofannoyingmistakes.
Eventhebutler,whowasoldenoughtohaveknownbetter,broughtmeabottleofportthatwaschilled.
ThereportsofMr.Fairlie’shealthwerejustasusual,andwhenIsentupamessagetoannouncemyarrival,Iwastoldthathewouldbedelightedtoseemethenextmorningbutthatthesuddennewsofmyappearancehadprostratedhimwithpalpitationsfortherestoftheevening.
Thewindhowleddismallyallnight,andstrangecrackingandgroaningnoisessoundedhere,there,andeverywhereintheemptyhouse.
Isleptaswretchedlyaspossible,andgotupinamightybadhumourtobreakfastbymyselfthenextmorning.
Atteno’clockIwasconductedtoMr.Fairlie’sapartments.
Hewasinhisusualroom,hisusualchair,andhisusualaggravatingstateofmindandbody.
WhenIwentin,hisvaletwasstandingbeforehim,holdingupforinspectionaheavyvolumeofetchings,aslongandasbroadasmyofficewriting-desk.
Themiserableforeignergrinnedinthemostabjectmanner,andlookedreadytodropwithfatigue,whilehismastercomposedlyturnedovertheetchings,andbroughttheirhiddenbeautiestolightwiththehelpofamagnifyingglass.
“Youverybestofgoodoldfriends,”saidMr.Fairlie,leaninghacklazilybeforehecouldlookatme,“areyouQUITEwell?Howniceofyoutocomehereandseemeinmysolitude.DearGilmore!”
IhadexpectedthatthevaletwouldbedismissedwhenIappeared,butnothingofthesorthappened.
Therehestood,infrontofhismaster’schair,tremblingundertheweightoftheetchings,andthereMr.Fairliesat,serenelytwirlingthemagnifyingglassbetweenhiswhitefingersandthumbs.
“Ihavecometospeaktoyouonaveryimportantmatter,”Isaid,“andyouwillthereforeexcuseme,ifIsuggestthatwehadbetterbealone.”
Theunfortunatevaletlookedatmegratefully.Mr.Fairliefaintlyrepeatedmylastthreewords,“betterbealone,”witheveryappearanceoftheutmostpossibleastonishment.
Iwasinnohumourfortrifling,andIresolvedtomakehimunderstandwhatImeant.
“Obligemebygivingthatmanpermissiontowithdraw,”Isaid,pointingtothevalet.
Mr.Fairliearchedhiseyebrowsandpurseduphislipsinsarcasticsurprise.
“Man?”herepeated.
“YouprovokingoldGilmore,whatcanyoupossiblymeanbycallinghimaman?He’snothingofthesort.
Hemighthavebeenamanhalfanhourago,beforeIwantedmyetchings,andhemaybeamanhalfanhourhence,whenIdon’twantthemanylonger.
Atpresentheissimplyaportfoliostand.
Whyobject,Gilmore,toaportfoliostand?”
“IDOobject.Forthethirdtime,Mr.Fairlie,Ibegthatwemaybealone.”
Mytoneandmannerlefthimnoalternativebuttocomplywithmyrequest.Helookedattheservant,andpointedpeevishlytoachairathisside.
“Putdowntheetchingsandgoaway,”hesaid.“Don’tupsetmebylosingmyplace.
Haveyou,orhaveyounot,lostmyplace?Areyousureyouhavenot?
Andhaveyouputmyhand-bellquitewithinmyreach?Yes?Thenwhythedevildon’tyougo?”
Thevaletwentout.Mr.Fairlietwistedhimselfroundinhischair,polishedthemagnifyingglasswithhisdelicatecambrichandkerchief,andindulgedhimselfwithasidelonginspectionoftheopenvolumeofetchings.
Itwasnoteasytokeepmytemperunderthesecircumstances,butIdidkeepit.
“Ihavecomehereatgreatpersonalinconvenience,”Isaid,“toservetheinterestsofyournieceandyourfamily,andIthinkIhaveestablishedsomeslightclaimtobefavouredwithyourattentioninreturn.”
“Don’tbullyme!”exclaimedMr.Fairlie,fallingbackhelplesslyinthechair,andclosinghiseyes.“Pleasedon’tbullyme.I’mnotstrongenough.”
Iwasdeterminednottolethimprovokeme,forLauraFairlie’ssake.
“Myobject,”Iwenton,“istoentreatyoutoreconsideryourletter,andnottoforcemetoabandonthejustrightsofyourniece,andofallwhobelongtoher.
Letmestatethecasetoyouoncemore,andforthelasttime.”
Mr.Fairlieshookhisheadandsighedpiteously.
“Thisisheartlessofyou,Gilmore—veryheartless,”hesaid.“Nevermind,goon.”
Iputallthepointstohimcarefully—Isetthematterbeforehimineveryconceivablelight.
HelaybackinthechairthewholetimeIwasspeakingwithhiseyesclosed.
WhenIhaddoneheopenedthemindolently,tookhissilversmelling-bottlefromthetable,andsniffedatitwithanairofgentlerelish.
“GoodGilmore!”hesaidbetweenthesniffs,“howverynicethisisofyou!Howyoureconcileonetohumannature!”
“Givemeaplainanswertoaplainquestion,Mr.Fairlie.
Itellyouagain,SirPercivalGlydehasnoshadowofaclaimtoexpectmorethantheincomeofthemoney.
Themoneyitselfifyourniecehasnochildren,oughttobeunderhercontrol,andtoreturntoherfamily.
Ifyoustandfirm,SirPercivalmustgiveway—hemustgiveway,Itellyou,orheexposeshimselftothebaseimputationofmarryingMissFairlieentirelyfrommercenarymotives.”
Mr.Fairlieshookthesilversmelling-bottleatmeplayfully.
“YoudearoldGilmore,howyoudohaterankandfamily,don’tyou?HowyoudetestGlydebecausehehappenstobeabaronet.WhataRadicalyouare—oh,dearme,whataRadicalyouare!”
ARadical!!!Icouldputupwithagooddealofprovocation,but,afterholdingthesoundestConservativeprinciplesallmylife,IcouldNOTputupwithbeingcalledaRadical.
Mybloodboiledatit—Istartedoutofmychair—IwasspeechlesswithIndignation.
“Don’tshaketheroom!”criedMr.Fairlie—“forHeaven’ssakedon’tshaketheroom!
WorthiestofallpossibleGilmores,Imeantnooffence.
MyownviewsaresoextremelyliberalthatIthinkIamaRadicalmyself.Yes.WeareapairofRadicals.Pleasedon’tbeangry.
Ican’tquarrel—Ihaven’tstaminaenough.Shallwedropthesubject?Yes.Comeandlookatthesesweetetchings.
Doletmeteachyoutounderstandtheheavenlypearlinessoftheselines.Donow,there’sagoodGilmore!”
WhilehewasmaunderingoninthiswayIwas,fortunatelyformyownself-respect,returningtomysenses.
WhenIspokeagainIwascomposedenoughtotreathisimpertinencewiththesilentcontemptthatitdeserved.
“Youareentirelywrong,sir,”Isaid,“insupposingthatIspeakfromanyprejudiceagainstSirPercivalGlyde.
Imayregretthathehassounreservedlyresignedhimselfinthismattertohislawyer’sdirectionastomakeanyappealtohimselfimpossible,butIamnotprejudicedagainsthim.
WhatIhavesaidwouldequallyapplytoanyothermaninhissituation,highorlow.
TheprincipleImaintainisarecognisedprinciple.
Ifyouweretoapplyatthenearesttownhere,tothefirstrespectablesolicitoryoucouldfind,hewouldtellyouasastrangerwhatItellyouasafriend.
Hewouldinformyouthatitisagainstallruletoabandonthelady’smoneyentirelytothemanshemarries.
Hewoulddecline,ongroundsofcommonlegalcaution,togivethehusband,underanycircumstanceswhatever,aninterestoftwentythousandpoundsinhiswife’sdeath.”
“Wouldhereally,Gilmore?”saidMr.Fairlie.“Ifhesaidanythinghalfsohorrid,IdoassureyouIshouldtinklemybellforLouis,andhavehimsentoutofthehouseimmediately.”
“Youshallnotirritateme,Mr.Fairlie—foryourniece’ssakeandforherfather’ssake,youshallnotirritateme.
YoushalltakethewholeresponsibilityofthisdiscreditablesettlementonyourownshouldersbeforeIleavetheroom.”
“Don’t!—nowpleasedon’t!”saidMr.Fairlie.
“Thinkhowpreciousyourtimeis,Gilmore,anddon’tthrowitaway.
IwoulddisputewithyouifIcould,butIcan’t—Ihaven’tstaminaenough.
Youwanttoupsetme,toupsetyourself,toupsetGlyde,andtoupsetLaura;and—oh,dearme!
—allforthesakeoftheverylastthingintheworldthatislikelytohappen.
No,dearfriend,intheinterestsofpeaceandquietness,positivelyNo!”
“Iamtounderstand,then,thatyouholdbythedeterminationexpressedinyourletter?”
“Yes,please.Sogladweunderstandeachotheratlast.Sitdownagain—do!”
Iwalkedatoncetothedoor,andMr.Fairlieresignedly“tinkled”hishand-bell.BeforeIlefttheroomIturnedroundandaddressedhimforthelasttime.
“Whateverhappensinthefuture,sir,”Isaid,“rememberthatmyplaindutyofwarningyouhasbeenperformed.
Asthefaithfulfriendandservantofyourfamily,Itellyou,atparting,thatnodaughterofmineshouldbemarriedtoanymanaliveundersuchasettlementasyouareforcingmetomakeforMissFairlie.”
Thedooropenedbehindme,andthevaletstoodwaitingonthethreshold.
“Louis,”saidMr.Fairlie,“showMr.Gilmoreout,andthencomebackandholdupmyetchingsformeagain.
Makethemgiveyouagoodlunchdownstairs.
Do,Gilmore,makemyidlebeastsofservantsgiveyouagoodlunch!”
Iwastoomuchdisgustedtoreply—Iturnedonmyheel,andlefthiminsilence.Therewasanuptrainattwoo’clockintheafternoon,andbythattrainIreturnedtoLondon.
OntheTuesdayIsentinthealteredsettlement,whichpracticallydisinheritedtheverypersonswhomMissFairlie’sownlipshadinformedmeshewasmostanxioustobenefit.Ihadnochoice.
AnotherlawyerwouldhavedrawnupthedeedifIhadrefusedtoundertakeit.
Mytaskisdone.MypersonalshareintheeventsofthefamilystoryextendsnofartherthanthepointwhichIhavejustreached.
Otherpensthanminewilldescribethestrangecircumstanceswhicharenowshortlytofollow.
SeriouslyandsorrowfullyIclosethisbriefrecord.
SeriouslyandsorrowfullyIrepeatherethepartingwordsthatIspokeatLimmeridgeHouse:—NodaughterofmineshouldhavebeenmarriedtoanymanaliveundersuchasettlementasIwascompelledtomakeforLauraFairlie.
TheEndofMr.Gilmore’sNarrative.
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