Ɖ nxt mornñ wz fer, n Caʈrin olmst xpctd anɖr atac fṛm ɖ asmbld parti. Wɖ Mr Aḷn t s’port hr, ś flt no dred v ɖ ivnt: bt ś wd gladli b sperd a contest, ẃr vicṭri itslf wz penfl, n wz harṭli rjôst ɖrfr at nɖr siyñ nr hírñ enʈñ v ɖm. Ɖ Tilniz cōld fr hr at ɖ apôntd tîm; n no ny dificlti arîzñ, no sudn rec̣lex́n, no unixpctd sumnz, no imprtinnt intruźn t discnsrt ɖer meźrz, mî herǒin wz most uņaćṛli ebl t flfil hr ingejmnt, ɖo it wz md wɖ ɖ hiro himslf. Ɖe dtrmind on wōcñ rnd Bīćn Clif, ɖt nobl hil huz bytifl vrdyr n haññ copis rendr it so strîcñ an objict fṛm olmst evri oṗnñ in Baʈ.
“I nvr lc at it,” sd Caʈrin, az ɖe wōct alñ ɖ sîd v ɖ rivr, “wɖǎt ʈncñ v ɖ sǎʈ v Frans.”
“Y hv bn abrōd ɖen?” sd Henri, a litl s’prîzd.
“Ǒ! No, I onli mīn ẃt I hv réd abt. It olwz pts m in mînd v ɖ cuntri ɖt Eṃli n hr faɖr travld ʈru, in Ɖ Misṭriz v Ūdolfo. Bt y nvr rīd novlz, I der se?”
“Ẃ nt?”
“Bcz ɖe r nt clevr inuf fr y—jntlṃn rīd betr bcs.”
“Ɖ prsn, b it jntlmn or ledi, hu hz nt pleźr in a gd novl, mst b intolṛbli stypid. I hv réd ol Msz Radclif’s wrcs, n most v ɖm wɖ gret pleźr. Ɖ Misṭriz v Ūdolfo, ẃn I hd wns bgun it, I cd nt le dǎn agn; I rmembr finiśñ it in tū dez—mî her standñ on end ɖ hol tîm.”
“Yes,” add Mis Tilni, “n I rmembr ɖt y unḍtc t rīd it alǎd t m, n ɖt ẃn I wz cōld awe fr onli fîv minits t ansr a not, instd v wêtñ fr m, y tc ɖ volym intu ɖ Hrṃtij Wōc, n I wz oblîjd t ste tl y hd finiśt it.”
“Ʈanc y, Eḷnr—a most onṛbl tstiṃni. Y si, Mis Morḷnd, ɖ injustis v yr sspiśnz. Hir wz I, in mî īgrnis t gt on, rfyzñ t wêt onli fîv minits fr mî sistr, brecñ ɖ promis I hd md v rīdñ it alǎd, n cīpñ hr in sspns at a most inṭrestñ part, bî runñ awe wɖ ɖ volym, ẃć, y r t obzrv, wz hr ǒn, ptiklrli hr ǒn. I am prǎd ẃn I rflect on it, n I ʈnc it mst istabliś m in yr gd opińn.”
“I am vri glad t hír it indd, n nǎ I śl nvr b aśemd v lîcñ Ūdolfo mslf. Bt I riyli ʈt bfr, yuñ men dspîzd novlz amezñli.”
“It z amezñli; it me wel sjst amezmnt f ɖe d—fr ɖe rīd nirli az mni az wimin. I mslf hv réd hundṛdz n hundṛdz. D nt imajn ɖt y cn cǒp wɖ m in a nolij v Jūlịz n Luīẓz. F w pṛsid t ptiklrz, n ingej in ɖ nvr-sīsñ inqîri v ‘Hv y réd ɖs?’ n ‘Hv y réd ɖt?’ I śl sn līv y az far bhnd m az—ẃt śl I se?—I wont an aproprịt siṃli—az far az yr frend Eṃli hrslf left pur Vaḷncur ẃn ś wnt wɖ hr ānt intu Iṭli. Cnsidr hǎ mni yirz I hv hd ɖ start v y. I hd entrd on mî studiz at Oxfd, ẃl y wr a gd litl grl wrcñ yr samplr at hom!”
“Nt vri gd, I am afreid. Bt nǎ riyli, d nt y ʈnc Ūdolfo ɖ nîsist bc in ɖ wrld?”
“Ɖ nîsist—bî ẃć I s’poz y mīn ɖ nītist. Ɖt mst dpnd upn ɖ bîndñ.”
“Henri,” sd Mis Tilni, “y r vri imprtinnt. Mis Morḷnd, h z trītñ y xacli az h dz hiz sistr. H z fr evr fîndñ fōlt wɖ m, fr sm inc̣rectnis v lanḡj, n nǎ h z tecñ ɖ sem liḅti wɖ y. Ɖ wrd ‘nîsist,’ az y yzd it, dd nt sūt him; n y hd betr ćenj it az sn az y cn, or w śl b oṿpǎrd wɖ Jonsn n Blér ol ɖ rest v ɖ we.”
“I am śr,” craid Caʈrin, “I dd nt mīn t se enʈñ roñ; bt it z a nîs bc, n ẃ śd nt I cōl it so?”
“Vri tru,” sd Henri, “n ɖs z a vri nîs de, n w r tecñ a vri nîs wōc, n y r tū vri nîs yuñ lediz. Ǒ! It z a vri nîs wrd indd! It dz fr evrʈñ. Orijiṇli phps it wz aplaid onli t xpres nītnis, pṛprayti, delic̣si, or rfînmnt—ppl wr nîs in ɖer dres, in ɖer sntimnts, or ɖer ćôs. Bt nǎ evri comndeśn on evri subjict z cmprîzd in ɖt wn wrd.”
“Ẃl, in fact,” craid hiz sistr, “it òt onli t b aplaid t y, wɖǎt eni comndeśn at ol. Y r mor nîs ɖn wîz. Cm, Mis Morḷnd, let s līv him t meḍtet ovr ǎr fōlts in ɖ utmost pṛprayti v dix́n, ẃl w prêz Ūdolfo in ẃtvr trmz w lîc bst. It z a most inṭrestñ wrc. Y r fond v ɖt cnd v rīdñ?”
“T se ɖ truʈ, I d nt mć lîc eni uɖr.”
“Indd!”
“Ɖt z, I cn rīd powtri n plez, n ʈñz v ɖt sort, n d nt dslîc travlz. Bt hisṭri, riyl soḷm hisṭri, I canot b inṭrestd in. Cn y?”
“Yes, I am fond v hisṭri.”
“I wś I wr tù. I rīd it a litl az a dyti, bt it tlz m nʈñ ɖt dz nt îɖr vx or wiri m. Ɖ qoṛlz v pǒps n cñz, wɖ worz or pestilnsz, in evri pej; ɖ men ol so gd fr nʈñ, n hardli eni wimin at ol—it z vri tîrsm: n yt I ofn ʈnc it od ɖt it śd b so dul, fr a gret dīl v it mst b invnśn. Ɖ spīćz ɖt r pt intu ɖ hiroz’ mǎɖz, ɖer ʈts n dzînz—ɖ ćīf v ol ɖs mst b invnśn, n invnśn z ẃt dlîts m in uɖr bcs.”
“Historịnz, y ʈnc,” sd Mis Tilni, “r nt hapi in ɖer flîts v fansi. Ɖe dsple imaɉneśn wɖǎt rezñ inṭrest. I am fond v hisṭri—n am vri wel cntntd t tec ɖ fōls wɖ ɖ tru. In ɖ prinsipl facts ɖe hv sorsz v intelijns in formr hisṭriz n recordz, ẃć me b az mć dpndd on, I cnclud, az enʈñ ɖt dz nt acćli pas undr wn’z ǒn obzveśn; n az fr ɖ litl imbeliśmnts y spīc v, ɖe r imbeliśmnts, n I lîc ɖm az sć. F a spīć b wel drwn p, I rīd it wɖ pleźr, bî hūmsoevr it me b md—n probbli wɖ mć gretr, f ɖ pṛdux́n v Mr Hym or Mr Roḅtsn, ɖn f ɖ jenyin wrdz v C’racṭc̣s, Agric̣la, or Alfrid ɖ Gret.”
“Y r fond v hisṭri! N so r Mr Aḷn n mî faɖr; n I hv tū bruɖrz hu d nt dslîc it. So mni instnsz wɖn mî smōl srcl v frendz z rmarcbl! At ɖs ret, I śl nt piti ɖ raitrz v hisṭri eni longr. F ppl lîc t rīd ɖer bcs, it z ol vri wel, bt t b at so mć trubl in filñ gret volymz, ẃć, az I yst t ʈnc, nbdi wd wilñli evr lc intu, t b leḅrñ onli fr ɖ torment v litl bôz n grlz, olwz struc m az a hard fet; n ɖo I nǒ it z ol vri rît n nesṣri, I hv ofn wundrd at ɖ prsn’z curij ɖt cd sit dǎn on prṗs t d it.”
“Ɖt litl bôz n grlz śd b tormntd,” sd Henri, “z ẃt nwn at ol aqentd wɖ hymn nećr in a siṿlîzd stet cn dnî; bt in bhaf v ǎr most dstnḡśt historịnz, I mst obzrv ɖt ɖe mt wel b ofndd at biyñ s’pozd t hv no hayr em, n ɖt bî ɖer meʈd n stîl, ɖe r prf̣cli wel qoḷfaid t torment rīdrz v ɖ most advanst rīzn n mtyr tîm v lîf. I yz ɖ vrb ‘t torment,’ az I obzrvd t b yr ǒn meʈd, instd v ‘t instruct,’ s’pozñ ɖm t b nǎ admitd az sinonṃs.”
“Y ʈnc m fūliś t cōl instrux́n a torment, bt f y hd bn az mć yst az mslf t hír pur litl ćildṛn frst lrnñ ɖer letrz n ɖen lrnñ t spel, f y hd evr sìn hǎ stypid ɖe cn b fr a hol mornñ tgɖr, n hǎ tîrd mî pur muɖr z at ɖ end v it, az I am in ɖ habit v siyñ olmst evri de v mî lîf at hom, y wd alǎ ɖt ‘t torment’ n ‘t instruct’ mt smtmz b yzd az sinoniṃs wrdz.”
“Vri probbli. Bt historịnz r nt acǎntbl fr ɖ dificlti v lrnñ t rīd; n īvn y yrslf, hu d nt oltgɖr sīm ptiklrli frendli t vri svir, vri intns apḷceśn, me phps b bròt t acnolij ɖt it z vri wel wrʈẃl t b tormntd fr tū or ʈri yirz v wn’z lîf, fr ɖ sec v biyñ ebl t rīd ol ɖ rest v it. Cnsidr—f rīdñ hd nt bn tòt, Msz Radclif wd hv ritn in ven—or phps mt nt hv ritn at ol.”
Caʈrin asntd—n a vri worm paṇjiric fṛm hr on ɖt ledi’z merits clozd ɖ subjict. Ɖ Tilniz wr sn ingejd in anɖr on ẃć ś hd nʈñ t se. Ɖe wr vywñ ɖ cuntri wɖ ɖ îz v prsnz acustmd t drw̃, n dsîdd on its cepbiḷti v biyñ formd intu picćrz, wɖ ol ɖ īgrnis v riyl test. Hir Caʈrin wz qt lost. Ś ń nʈñ v drw̃—nʈñ v test: n ś lisnd t ɖm wɖ an atnśn ẃć bròt hr litl profit, fr ɖe tōct in frezz ẃć cnveid scersli eni îdīa t hr. Ɖ litl ẃć ś cd unḍstand, hvr, apird t contṛdict ɖ vri fy nośnz ś hd enttend on ɖ matr bfr. It sīmd az f a gd vy wr no longr t b tecn fṛm ɖ top v an hî hil, n ɖt a clir blu scî wz no longr a prūf v a fîn de. Ś wz harṭli aśemd v hr ignṛns. A msplest śem. Ẃr ppl wś t atać, ɖe śd olwz b ignṛnt. T cm wɖ a wel-informd mînd z t cm wɖ an in’biḷti v administrñ t ɖ vaṇti v uɖrz, ẃć a snsibl prsn wd olwz wś t avôd. A wmn ispeśli, f ś hv ɖ msfortyn v nwñ enʈñ, śd cnsil it az wel az ś cn.
Ɖ advantjz v naćṛl foli in a bytifl grl hv bn olrdi set fʈ bî ɖ capitl pén v a sistr oʈr; n t hr trītmnt v ɖ subjict I wl onli ad, in justis t men, ɖt ɖo t ɖ larjr n mor trîf̣lñ part v ɖ sx, imḅsiḷti in fīmelz z a gret inhansmnt v ɖer prsnl ćarmz, ɖr z a porśn v ɖm tù rīzṇbl n tù wel informd ɖmslvz t dzîr enʈñ mor in wmn ɖn ignṛns. Bt Caʈrin dd nt nǒ hr ǒn advantjz—dd nt nǒ ɖt a gd-lcñ grl, wɖ an afx́ṇt hart n a vri ignṛnt mînd, canot fel v atractñ a clevr yuñ man, unls srcmstansz r ptiklrli unṭword. In ɖ preznt instns, ś cnfest n l’mntd hr wont v nolij, dclerd ɖt ś wd gv enʈñ in ɖ wrld t b ebl t drw; n a lecćr on ɖ picćresc imījtli foloud, in ẃć hiz instrux́nz wr so clir ɖt ś sn bgan t si byti in evrʈñ admîrd bî him, n hr atnśn wz so ŕnist ɖt h bcem prf̣cli saṭsfaid v hr hvñ a gret dīl v naćṛl test. H tōct v fōrgrǎndz, distnsz, n secnd distnsz—sîd-scrīnz n pspctvz—lîts n śêdz; n Caʈrin wz so hopfl a scolr ɖt ẃn ɖe gend ɖ top v Bīćn Clif, ś voḷntṛli rjctd ɖ hol siti v Baʈ az unwrɖi t mc part v a lanscep. Dlîtd wɖ hr progres, n firfl v wiriyñ hr wɖ tù mć wizdm at wns, Henri sufrd ɖ subjict t dclîn, n bî an īzi trnziśn fṛm a pìs v roci fragmnt n ɖ wiɖrd oc ẃć h hd plest nir its sumit, t ocs in jenṛl, t forists, ɖ incloźr v ɖm, west landz, crǎn landz n guvnmnt, h śortli faund himslf arîvd at poḷtcs; n fṛm poḷtcs, it wz an īzi step t sîḷns. Ɖ jenṛl pōz ẃć s’xidd hiz śort disqziśn on ɖ stet v ɖ neśn wz pt an end t bî Caʈrin, hu, in rɖr a soḷm ton v vôs, utrd ɖz wrdz, “I hv hŕd ɖt smʈñ vri śocñ indd wl sn cm ǎt in Lundn.”
Mis Tilni, t hūm ɖs wz ćīfli adrest, wz startld, n hesṭli rplaid, “Indd! N v ẃt nećr?”
“Ɖt I d nt nǒ, nr hu z ɖ oʈr. I hv onli hŕd ɖt it z t b mor horibl ɖn enʈñ w hv met wɖ yt.”
“Gd hevn! Ẃr cd y hír v sć a ʈñ?”
“A ptiklr frend v mîn hd an acǎnt v it in a letr fṛm Lundn yesṭde. It z t b uncomnli dredfl. I śl xpct mrdr n evrʈñ v ɖ cnd.”
“Y spīc wɖ astoṇśñ cmpoźr! Bt I hop yr frend’z acǎnts hv bn xaɉretd; n f sć a dzîn z noun bfhnd, propr meźrz wl undǎtidli b tecn bî guvnmnt t privnt its cmñ t ifct.”
“Guvnmnt,” sd Henri, indevrñ nt t smîl, “nɖr dzîrz nr derz t inṭfir in sć matrz. Ɖr mst b mrdr; n guvnmnt cerz nt hǎ mć.”
Ɖ lediz stérd. H laft, n add, “Cm, śl I mc y unḍstand ć uɖr, or līv y t puzl ǎt an xpḷneśn az y cn? No—I wl b nobl. I wl pruv mslf a man, no les bî ɖ jeṇroṣti v mî soul ɖn ɖ clirnis v mî hed. I hv no peśns wɖ sć v mî sx az dsden t let ɖmslvz smtmz dǎn t ɖ comprihnśn v yrz. Phps ɖ abiḷtiz v wimin r nɖr sǎnd nr akt—nɖr vigṛs nr cīn. Phps ɖe me wont obzveśn, dsrnmnt, jujmnt, fîr, jīńs, n wit.”
“Mis Morḷnd, d nt mînd ẃt h sz; bt hv ɖ gdnis t saṭsfî m az t ɖs dredfl rayt.”
“Rayt! Ẃt rayt?”
“Mî dir Eḷnr, ɖ rayt z onli in yr ǒn bren. Ɖ cnfyźn ɖr z scandḷs. Mis Morḷnd hz bn tōcñ v nʈñ mor dredfl ɖn a ny pubḷceśn ẃć z śortli t cm ǎt, in ʈri dyodesimo volymz, tū hundṛd n sevnti-six pejz in ć, wɖ a frunṭspìs t ɖ frst, v tū tūmstonz n a lantn—d y unḍstand? N y, Mis Morḷnd—mî stypid sistr hz mstecn ol yr clirist xpreśnz. Y tōct v xpctd horrz in Lundn—n instd v instntli cnsivñ, az eni raṣ́nl crīćr wd hv dn, ɖt sć wrdz cd rlet onli t a srkletñ lîbrri, ś imījtli picćrd t hrslf a mob v ʈri ʈǎznd men asmblñ in St. Jorj’z Fīldz, ɖ Banc atact, ɖ Tǎr ʈretnd, ɖ strīts v Lundn flowñ wɖ blud, a dtaćmnt v ɖ Twelfʈ Lît Dṛgūnz (ɖ hops v ɖ neśn) cōld p fṛm Norʈamtn t qel ɖ insrjnts, n ɖ gaḷnt Captin Fredric Tilni, in ɖ momnt v ćarjñ at ɖ hed v hiz trūp, noct v hiz hors bî a bricbat fṛm an upr windo. Fgiv hr stypidti. Ɖ firz v ɖ sistr hv add t ɖ wìcnis v ɖ wmn; bt ś z bî no mīnz a simpltn in jenṛl.”
Caʈrin lct grev. “N nǎ, Henri,” sd Mis Tilni, “ɖt y hv md s unḍstand ć uɖr, y me az wel mc Mis Morḷnd unḍstand yrslf—unls y mīn t hv hr ʈnc y intolṛbli rūd t yr sistr, n a gret brūt in yr opińn v wimin in jenṛl. Mis Morḷnd z nt yst t yr od wez.”
“I śl b most hapi t mc hr betr aqentd wɖ ɖm.”
“No dǎt; bt ɖt z no xpḷneśn v ɖ preznt.”
“Ẃt am I t d?”
“Y nǒ ẃt y òt t d. Clir yr caṛctr hansmli bfr hr. Tel hr ɖt y ʈnc vri hîli v ɖ unḍstandñ v wimin.”
“Mis Morḷnd, I ʈnc vri hîli v ɖ unḍstandñ v ol ɖ wimin in ɖ wrld—ispeśli v ɖoz—huevr ɖe me b—wɖ hūm I hapn t b in cumṗni.”
“Ɖt z nt inuf. B mor sirịs.”
“Mis Morḷnd, nwn cn ʈnc mor hîli v ɖ unḍstandñ v wimin ɖn I d. In mî opińn, nećr hz gvn ɖm so mć ɖt ɖe nvr fînd it nesṣri t yz mor ɖn haf.”
“W śl gt nʈñ mor sirịs fṛm him nǎ, Mis Morḷnd. H z nt in a sobr mūd. Bt I d aśur y ɖt h mst b intîrli misunḍstd, f h cn evr apir t se an unjust ʈñ v eni wmn at ol, or an uncînd wn v m.”
It wz no ef̣t t Caʈrin t b’liv ɖt Henri Tilni cd nvr b roñ. Hiz manr mt smtmz s’prîz, bt hiz mīnñ mst olwz b just: n ẃt ś dd nt unḍstand, ś wz olmst az redi t admîr, az ẃt ś dd. Ɖ hol wōc wz dlîtfl, n ɖo it endd tù sn, its cncluźn wz dlîtfl tù; hr frendz atndd hr intu ɖ hǎs, n Mis Tilni, bfr ɖe partd, adresñ hrslf wɖ rspctfl form, az mć t Msz Aḷn az t Caʈrin, ptiśnd fr ɖ pleźr v hr cumṗni t dinr on ɖ de aftr ɖ nxt. No dificlti wz md on Msz Aḷn’z sîd, n ɖ onli dificlti on Caʈrin’z wz in cnsilñ ɖ xes v hr pleźr.
Ɖ mornñ hd pást awe so ćarmñli az t baniś ol hr frendśp n naćṛl afx́n, fr no ʈt v Iẓbela or Jemz hd crost hr jrñ ɖer wōc. Ẃn ɖ Tilniz wr gn, ś bcem emịbl agn, bt ś wz emịbl fr sm tîm t litl ifct; Msz Aḷn hd no intelijns t gv ɖt cd rliv hr añzayti; ś hd hŕd nʈñ v eni v ɖm. Twdz ɖ end v ɖ mornñ, hvr, Caʈrin, hvñ oceźn fr sm indispnsbl yard v ribn ẃć mst b bòt wɖǎt a momnt’s dle, wōct ǎt intu ɖ tǎn, n in Bond Strīt oṿtc ɖ secnd Mis Ʈorp az ś wz lôṭrñ twdz Edgr’z Bildñz btwn tū v ɖ swītist grlz in ɖ wrld, hu hd bn hr dir frendz ol ɖ mornñ. Fṛm hr, ś sn lrnt ɖt ɖ parti t Cliftn hd tecn ples. “Ɖe set of at et ɖs mornñ,” sd Mis Án, “n I am śr I d nt envi ɖm ɖer drîv. I ʈnc y n I r vri wel v t b ǎt v ɖ screp. It mst b ɖ dulist ʈñ in ɖ wrld, fr ɖr z nt a soul at Cliftn at ɖs tîm v yir. Bél wnt wɖ yr bruɖr, n Jon drouv Mrīa.”
Caʈrin spouc ɖ pleźr ś riyli flt on hírñ ɖs part v ɖ arenjmnt.
“Ǒ! yes,” rjônd ɖ uɖr, “Mrīa z gn. Ś wz qt wîld t g. Ś ʈt it wd b smʈñ vri fîn. I canot se I admîr hr test; n fr mî part, I wz dtrmind fṛm ɖ frst nt t g, f ɖe prest m evr so mć.”
Caʈrin, a litl dǎtfl v ɖs, cd nt hlp anṣrñ, “I wś y cd hv gn tù. It z a piti y cd nt ol g.”
“Ʈanc y; bt it z qt a matr v indifṛns t m. Indd, I wd nt hv gn on eni acǎnt. I wz seyñ so t Eṃli n Sfīa ẃn y oṿtc s.”
Caʈrin wz stl uncnvinst; bt glad ɖt Án śd hv ɖ frendśp v an Eṃli n a Sfīa t consol hr, ś bad hr ady wɖǎt mć unīzinis, n rtrnd hom, plizd ɖt ɖ parti hd nt bn privntd bî hr rfyzñ t jôn it, n vri harṭli wśñ ɖt it mt b tù pleznt t alǎ îɖr Jemz or Iẓbela t rznt hr rzistns eni longr.
