Sn aftr ɖs, ɖ jenṛl faund himslf oblîjd t g t Lundn fr a wīc; n h left Norʈangr ŕṇstli rgretñ ɖt eni nseṣti śd rob him īvn fr an aur v Mis Morḷnd’z cumṗni, n añśsli rec̣mndñ ɖ studi v hr cumf̣t n aḿzmnt t hiz ćildṛn az ɖer ćīf objict in hiz absns. Hiz dparćr gev Caʈrin ɖ frst xpeṛmntl cnvix́n ɖt a los me b smtmz a gen. Ɖ hapinis wɖ ẃć ɖer tîm nǎ pást, evri implômnt voḷntri, evri laf induljd, evri mīl a sīn v īz n gd hymr, wōcñ ẃr ɖe lîct n ẃn ɖe lîct, ɖer aurz, pleźrz, n ftīgz at ɖer ǒn cmand, md hr ʈuṛli snṣbl v ɖ rstrent ẃć ɖ jenṛl’z prezns hd impozd, n most ʈancf̣li fīl ɖer preznt rlis fṛm it. Sć īz n sć dlîts md hr luv ɖ ples n ɖ ppl mor n mor evri de; n hd it nt bn fr a dred v its sn bcmñ xpīdịnt t līv ɖ wn, n an aprihnśn v nt biyñ īqli b’luvid bî ɖ uɖr, ś wd at ć momnt v ć de hv bn prf̣cli hapi; bt ś wz nǎ in ɖ forʈ wīc v hr vizit; bfr ɖ jenṛl cem hom, ɖ forʈ wīc wd b trnd, n phps it mt sīm an intruźn f ś steid mć longr. Ɖs wz a penfl cnsiḍreśn ẃnvr it ocŕd; n īgr t gt rid v sć a weit on hr mînd, ś vri sn rzolvd t spīc t Eḷnr abt it at wns, pṛpoz gwñ awe, n b gîdd in hr conduct bî ɖ manr in ẃć hr pṛpozl mt b tecn.Awer ɖt f ś gev hrslf mć tîm, ś mt fīl it dificlt t brñ fwd so unpleznt a subjict, ś tc ɖ frst oṗtyṇti v biyñ sudnli alon wɖ Eḷnr, n v Eḷnr’z biyñ in ɖ midl v a spīć abt smʈñ vri difṛnt, t start fʈ hr obḷgeśn v gwñ awe vri sn. Eḷnr lct n dclerd hrslf mć cnsrnd. Ś hd “hopt fr ɖ pleźr v hr cumṗni fr a mć longr tîm—hd bn msléd (phps bî hr wśz) t s’poz ɖt a mć longr vizit hd bn promist—n cd nt bt ʈnc ɖt f Mr n Msz Morḷnd wr awer v ɖ pleźr it wz t hr t hv hr ɖr, ɖe wd b tù jenṛs t hesn hr rtrn.” Caʈrin xplend: “Ǒ! Az t ɖt, Ppā n Mmā wr in no huri at ol. Az loñ az ś wz hapi, ɖe wd olwz b saṭsfaid.”
“Ɖen ẃ, mt ś asc, in sć a huri hrslf t līv ɖm?”
“Ǒ! Bcz ś hd bn ɖr so loñ.”
“Nê, f y cn yz sć a wrd, I cn rj y no farɖr. F y ʈnc it loñ—”
“Ǒ! No, I d nt indd. Fr mî ǒn pleźr, I cd ste wɖ y az loñ agn.” N it wz d’recli setld ɖt, tl ś hd, hr līvñ ɖm wz nt īvn t b ʈt v. In hvñ ɖs cōz v unīzinis so plezntli rmuvd, ɖ fors v ɖ uɖr wz lîcwz wìcnd. Ɖ cîndnis, ɖ ŕṇstnis v Eḷnr’z manr in presñ hr t ste, n Henri’z graṭfaid lc on biyñ tld ɖt hr ste wz dtrmind, wr sć swīt prūfs v hr importns wɖ ɖm, az left hr onli jst so mć s’liṣtyd az ɖ hymn mînd cn nvr d cumftbli wɖǎt. Ś dd—olmst olwz—b’liv ɖt Henri luvd hr, n qt olwz ɖt hiz faɖr n sistr luvd n īvn wśt hr t b’loñ t ɖm; n b’livñ so far, hr dǎts n añzaytiz wr mirli sportiv iriteśnz.
Henri wz nt ebl t obe hiz faɖr’z injuñśn v rmenñ hoļi at Norʈangr in atndns on ɖ lediz, jrñ hiz absns in Lundn, ɖ ingejmnts v hiz kṛt at Wŭdstn oblîjñ him t līv ɖm on Saṭde fr a cupl v nîts. Hiz los wz nt nǎ ẃt it hd bn ẃl ɖ jenṛl wz at hom; it lesnd ɖer geyti, bt dd nt ruin ɖer cumf̣t; n ɖ tū grlz agriyñ in okpeśn, n impruvñ in intiṃsi, faund ɖmslvz so wel sfiśnt fr ɖ tîm t ɖmslvz, ɖt it wz ilevn o’cloc, rɖr a lêt aur at ɖ abi, bfr ɖe qitd ɖ supŗūm on ɖ de v Henri’z dparćr. Ɖe hd jst rīćt ɖ hed v ɖ sterz ẃn it sīmd, az far az ɖ ʈicnis v ɖ wōlz wd alǎ ɖm t juj, ɖt a carij wz drîvñ p t ɖ dor, n ɖ nxt momnt cnfrmd ɖ îdīa bî ɖ lǎd nôz v ɖ hǎsbel. Aftr ɖ frst prtbeśn v s’prîz hd pást awe, in a “Gd hevn! Ẃt cn b ɖ matr?” it wz qcli dsîdd bî Eḷnr t b hr eldist bruɖr, huz arîvl wz ofn az sudn, f nt qt so unsīzṇbl, n acordñli ś hurid dǎn t welcm him.
Caʈrin wōct on t hr ćembr, mcñ p hr mînd az wel az ś cd, t a frɖr aqentns wɖ Captin Tilni, n cumf̣tñ hrslf undr ɖ unpleznt impreśn hiz cnduct hd gvn hr, n ɖ psweźn v hiz biyñ bî far tù fîn a jntlmn t apruv v hr, ɖt at līst ɖe śd nt mīt undr sć srcmstansz az wd mc ɖer mītñ mtirịli penfl. Ś trustd h wd nvr spīc v Mis Ʈorp; n indd, az h mst bî ɖs tîm b aśemd v ɖ part h hd actd, ɖr cd b no denjr v it; n az loñ az ol mnśn v Baʈ sīnz wr avôdd, ś ʈt ś cd bhev t him vri siṿli. In sć cnsiḍreśnz tîm pást awe, n it wz srtnli in hiz fevr ɖt Eḷnr śd b so glad t si him, n hv so mć t se, fr haf an aur wz olmst gn sins hiz arîvl, n Eḷnr dd nt cm p.
At ɖt momnt Caʈrin ʈt ś hŕd hr step in ɖ gaḷri, n lisnd fr its cntinẏns; bt ol wz sîḷnt. Scersli, hvr, hd ś cnvictd hr fansi v err, ẃn ɖ nôz v smʈñ muvñ clos t hr dor md hr start; it sīmd az f smwn wz tućñ ɖ vri dorwê—n in anɖr momnt a slît mośn v ɖ loc pruvd ɖt sm hand mst b on it. Ś trembld a litl at ɖ îdīa v enwn’z aproćñ so cōśsli; bt rzolvñ nt t b agn oṿcm bî trivịl apiṛnsz v alarm, or msléd bî a rezd imaɉneśn, ś stept qaytli fwd, n opnd ɖ dor. Eḷnr, n onli Eḷnr, std ɖr. Caʈrin’z spirits, hvr, wr tranqlîzd bt fr an instnt, fr Eḷnr’z ćīcs wr pel, n hr manr gretli ajtetd. Ɖo evidntli intndñ t cm in, it sīmd an ef̣t t entr ɖ rūm, n a stl gretr t spīc ẃn ɖr. Caʈrin, s’pozñ sm unīzinis on Captin Tilni’z acǎnt, cd onli xpres hr cnsrn bî sîḷnt atnśn, oblîjd hr t b sītd, rubd hr templz wɖ lavndrwōtr, n huñ ovr hr wɖ afx́ṇt s’liṣtyd. “Mî dir Caʈrin, y mst nt—y mst nt indd—” wr Eḷnr’z frst cnctd wrdz. “I am qt wel. Ɖs cîndnis dstracts m—I canot ber it—I cm t y on sć an eṛnd!”
“Eṛnd! T m!”
“Hǎ śl I tel y! Ǒ! Hǎ śl I tel y!”
A ny îdīa nǎ dartd intu Caʈrin’z mînd, n trnñ az pel az hr frend, ś xclemd, “’tiz a mesnjr fṛm Wŭdstn!”
“Y r mstecn, indd,” rtrnd Eḷnr, lcñ at hr most cmpaśṇtli; “it z nwn fṛm Wŭdstn. It z mî faɖr himslf.” Hr vôs fōltrd, n hr îz wr trnd t ɖ grǎnd az ś mnśnd hiz nem. Hiz unlŭct-fr rtrn wz inuf in itslf t mc Caʈrin’z hart snc, n fr a fy momnts ś hardli s’pozd ɖr wr enʈñ wrs t b tld. Ś sd nʈñ; n Eḷnr, indevrñ t c’lect hrslf n spīc wɖ frmnis, bt wɖ îz stl cast dǎn, sn wnt on. “Y r tù gd, I am śr, t ʈnc ɖ wrs v m fr ɖ part I am oblîjd t pform. I am indd a most unwilñ mesnjr. Aftr ẃt hz so letli pást, so letli bn setld btwn s—hǎ jôf̣li, hǎ ʈancf̣li on mî sîd!—az t yr cntinywñ hir az I hopt fr mni, mni wīcs longr, hǎ cn I tel y ɖt yr cîndnis z nt t b axptd—n ɖt ɖ hapinis yr cumṗni hz hiɖrtu gvn s z t b rpeid bî—Bt I mst nt trust mslf wɖ wrdz. Mî dir Caʈrin, w r t part. Mî faɖr hz rec̣lectd an ingejmnt ɖt tecs ǎr hol faṃli awe on Munde. W r gwñ t Lord Loñtǎn’z, nir Herifd, fr a fortnît. Xpḷneśn n apoḷji r īqli imposbl. I canot atmt îɖr.”
“Mî dir Eḷnr,” craid Caʈrin, s’presñ hr fīlñz az wel az ś cd, “d nt b so dstrest. A secnd ingejmnt mst gv we t a frst. I am vri, vri sori w r t part—so sn, n so sudnli tù; bt I am nt ofndd, indd I am nt. I cn finiś mî vizit hir, y nǒ, at eni tîm; or I hop y wl cm t m. Cn y, ẃn y rtrn fṛm ɖs lord’z, cm t Fŭḷtn?”
“It wl nt b in mî pǎr, Caʈrin.”
“Cm ẃn y cn, ɖen.”
Eḷnr md no ansr; n Caʈrin’z ʈts rcŕñ t smʈñ mor d’recli inṭrestñ, ś add, ʈncñ alǎd, “Munde—so sn az Munde; n y ol g. Wel, I am srtn v—I śl b ebl t tec līv, hvr. I nīd nt g tl jst bfr y d, y nǒ. D nt b dstrest, Eḷnr, I cn g on Munde vri wel. Mî faɖr n muɖr’z hvñ no notis v it z v vri litl consiqns. Ɖ jenṛl wl snd a srvnt wɖ m, I der se, haf ɖ we—n ɖen I śl sn b at Sōlzḅri, n ɖen I am onli nîn mîlz fṛm hom.”
“Ā, Caʈrin! Wr it setld so, it wd b smẃt les intolṛbl, ɖo in sć comn atnśnz y wd hv rsivd bt haf ẃt y òt. Bt—hǎ cn I tel y?—tmro mornñ z fixt fr yr līvñ s, n nt īvn ɖ aur z left t yr ćôs; ɖ vri carij z ordrd, n wl b hir at sevn o’cloc, n no srvnt wl b ofrd y.”
Caʈrin sat dǎn, breʈlis n spīćlis. “I cd hardli b’liv mî snsz, ẃn I hŕd it; n no dspleźr, no rzntmnt ɖt y cn fīl at ɖs momnt, hvr justli gret, cn b mor ɖn I mslf—bt I mst nt tōc v ẃt I flt. Ǒ! Ɖt I cd sjst enʈñ in xteńueśn! Gd God! Ẃt wl yr faɖr n muɖr se! Aftr cortñ y fṛm ɖ pṛtx́n v riyl frendz t ɖs—olmst dubl distns fṛm yr hom, t hv y drivn ǎt v ɖ hǎs, wɖǎt ɖ cnsiḍreśnz īvn v dīsnt sviḷti! Dir, dir Caʈrin, in biyñ ɖ berr v sć a mesij, I sīm gilti mslf v ol its insult; yt, I trust y wl aqit m, fr y mst hv bn loñ inuf in ɖs hǎs t si ɖt I am bt a nominl mistris v it, ɖt mî riyl pǎr z nʈñ.”
“Hv I ofndd ɖ jenṛl?” sd Caʈrin in a fōlṭrñ vôs.
“Alas! Fr mî fīlñz az a dōtr, ol ɖt I nǒ, ol ɖt I ansr fr, z ɖt y cn hv gvn him no jst cōz v ofns. H srtnli z gretli, vri gretli discmpozd; I hv sldm sìn him mor so. Hiz tmpr z nt hapi, n smʈñ hz nǎ ocŕd t rufl it in an uncomn dgri; sm dis’pôntmnt, sm vxeśn, ẃć jst at ɖs momnt sīmz importnt, bt ẃć I cn hardli s’poz y t hv eni cnsrn in, fr hǎ z it poṣbl?”
It wz wɖ pen ɖt Caʈrin cd spīc at ol; n it wz onli fr Eḷnr’z sec ɖt ś atmtd it. “I am śr,” sd ś, “I am vri sori f I hv ofndd him. It wz ɖ last ʈñ I wd wilñli hv dn. Bt d nt b unhapi, Eḷnr. An ingejmnt, y nǒ, mst b cept. I am onli sori it wz nt rec̣lectd snr, ɖt I mt hv ritn hom. Bt it z v vri litl consiqns.”
“I hop, I ŕṇstli hop, ɖt t yr riyl sefti it wl b v nn; bt t evrʈñ els it z v ɖ gretist consiqns: t cumf̣t, apiṛns, pṛprayti, t yr faṃli, t ɖ wrld. Wr yr frendz, ɖ Aḷnz, stl in Baʈ, y mt g t ɖm wɖ cmpaṛtiv īz; a fy aurz wd tec y ɖr; bt a jrni v sevnti mîlz, t b tecn post bî y, at yr ej, alon, un’tndd!”
“Ǒ, ɖ jrni z nʈñ. D nt ʈnc abt ɖt. N f w r t part, a fy aurz snr or lêtr, y nǒ, mcs no difṛns. I cn b redi bî sevn. Let m b cōld in tîm.” Eḷnr sw ɖt ś wśt t b alon; n b’livñ it betr fr ć ɖt ɖe śd avôd eni frɖr convseśn, nǎ left hr wɖ, “I śl si y in ɖ mornñ.”
Caʈrin’z swelñ hart nīdd rlif. In Eḷnr’z prezns frendśp n prîd hd īqli rstrend hr tirz, bt no snr wz ś gn ɖn ɖe brst fʈ in toṛnts. Trnd fṛm ɖ hǎs, n in sć a we! Wɖǎt eni rīzn ɖt cd jusṭfî, eni apoḷji ɖt cd aton fr ɖ abruptnis, ɖ rūdnis, nê, ɖ insḷns v it. Henri at a distns—nt ebl īvn t bid him férwel. Evri hop, evri xpcteśn fṛm him sspndd, at līst, n hu cd se hǎ loñ? Hu cd se ẃn ɖe mt mīt agn? N ol ɖs bî sć a man az Jenṛl Tilni, so p’lît, so wel-bréd, n hirtufōr so ptiklrli fond v hr! It wz az incomprihnsbl az it wz morṭfayñ n grīvs. Fṛm ẃt it cd arîz, n ẃr it wd end, wr cnsiḍreśnz v īql pplex̣ti n alarm. Ɖ manr in ẃć it wz dn so grǒsli unsivl, huriyñ hr awe wɖǎt eni refṛns t hr ǒn cnvīńns, or alawñ hr īvn ɖ apiṛns v ćôs az t ɖ tîm or mod v hr traṿlñ; v tū dez, ɖ rliist fixt on, n v ɖt olmst ɖ rliist aur, az f rzolvd t hv hr gn bfr h wz stŕñ in ɖ mornñ, ɖt h mt nt b oblîjd īvn t si hr. Ẃt cd ol ɖs mīn bt an intnśnl afrunt? Bî sm mīnz or uɖr ś mst hv hd ɖ msfortyn t ofnd him. Eḷnr hd wśt t sper hr fṛm so penfl a nośn, bt Caʈrin cd nt b’liv it poṣbl ɖt eni injri or eni msfortyn cd pṛvoc sć il wil agnst a prsn nt cnctd, or, at līst, nt s’pozd t b cnctd wɖ it.
Heṿli pást ɖ nît. Slīp, or rpoz ɖt dzrvd ɖ nem v slīp, wz ǎt v ɖ qsćn. Ɖt rūm, in ẃć hr dstrbd imaɉneśn hd tormntd hr on hr frst arîvl, wz agn ɖ sīn v ajtetd spirits n unqayt slumbrz. Yt hǎ difṛnt nǎ ɖ sors v hr inqaytyd fṛm ẃt it hd bn ɖen—hǎ mōrnf̣li s’pirịr in riaḷti n substns! Hr añzayti hd fǎndeśn in fact, hr firz in probbiḷti; n wɖ a mînd so okpaid in ɖ contmpleśn v acćl n naćṛl īvl, ɖ soḷtyd v hr sićueśn, ɖ darcnis v hr ćembr, ɖ antiqti v ɖ bildñ, wr flt n cnsidrd wɖǎt ɖ smōlist imośn; n ɖo ɖ wind wz hî, n ofn pṛdyst strenj n sudn nôzz ʈrt ɖ hǎs, ś hŕd it ol az ś le awec, aur aftr aur, wɖǎt krioṣti or terr.
Sn aftr six Eḷnr entrd hr rūm, īgr t śo atnśn or gv asistns ẃr it wz poṣbl; bt vri litl rmend t b dn. Caʈrin hd nt lôtrd; ś wz olmst drest, n hr pacñ olmst finiśt. Ɖ posbiḷti v sm cnsiłtri mesij fṛm ɖ jenṛl ocŕd t hr az hiz dōtr apird. Ẃt so naćṛl, az ɖt angr śd pas awe n rpntns s’xid it? N ś onli wontd t nǒ hǎ far, aftr ẃt hd pást, an apoḷji mt proprli b rsivd bî hr. Bt ɖ nolij wd hv bn yslis hir; it wz nt cōld fr; nɖr clemnsi nr digṇti wz pt t ɖ trîl—Eḷnr bròt no mesij. Vri litl pást btwn ɖm on mītñ; ć faund hr gretist sefti in sîḷns, n fy n trivịl wr ɖ sntnsz xćenjd ẃl ɖe rmend upsterz, Caʈrin in bizi ajteśn cmplitñ hr dres, n Eḷnr wɖ mor gdwil ɖn xpirịns intnt upn filñ ɖ trunc. Ẃn evrʈñ wz dn ɖe left ɖ rūm, Caʈrin linġrñ onli haf a minit bhnd hr frend t ʈro a partñ glans on evri wel-noun, ćeriśt objict, n wnt dǎn t ɖ brecfstparlr, ẃr brecfst wz priperd. Ś traid t īt, az wel t sev hrslf fṛm ɖ pen v biyñ rjd az t mc hr frend cumftbl; bt ś hd no aṗtît, n cd nt swolo mni mǎʈflz. Ɖ contrast btwn ɖs n hr last brecfst in ɖt rūm gev hr freś miẓri, n streñʈnd hr dstest fr evrʈñ bfr hr. It wz nt for n twenti aurz ago sins ɖe hd met ɖr t ɖ sem rpast, bt in srcmstansz hǎ difṛnt! Wɖ ẃt ćirfl īz, ẃt hapi, ɖo fōls, s’kṛti, hd ś ɖen lct arnd hr, injoyñ evrʈñ preznt, n firñ litl in fyćr, bynd Henri’z gwñ t Wŭdstn fr a de! Hapi, hapi brecfst! Fr Henri hd bn ɖr; Henri hd sat bî hr n hlpt hr. Ɖz rflex́nz wr loñ induljd undistrbd bî eni adres fṛm hr cmpańn, hu sat az dīp in ʈt az hrslf; n ɖ apiṛns v ɖ carij wz ɖ frst ʈñ t startl n rcōl ɖm t ɖ preznt momnt. Caʈrin’z culr rouz at ɖ sît v it; n ɖ indigṇti wɖ ẃć ś wz trītd, strîcñ at ɖt instnt on hr mînd wɖ pkłr fors, md hr fr a śort tîm snṣbl onli v rzntmnt. Eḷnr sīmd nǎ impeld intu reẓluśn n spīć.
“Y mst rait t m, Caʈrin,” ś craid; “y mst let m hír fṛm y az sn az poṣbl. Tl I nǒ y t b sef at hom, I śl nt hv an aur’z cumf̣t. Fr wn letr, at ol riscs, ol hazards, I mst intrit. Let m hv ɖ saṭsfax́n v nwñ ɖt y r sef at Fŭḷtn, n hv faund yr faṃli wel, n ɖen, tl I cn asc fr yr corispondns az I òt t d, I wl nt xpct mor. D’rect t m at Lord Loñtǎn’z, n, I mst asc it, undr cuvr t Alis.”
“No, Eḷnr, f y r nt alaud t rsiv a letr fṛm m, I am śr I hd betr nt rait. Ɖr cn b no dǎt v mî gtñ hom sef.”
Eḷnr onli rplaid, “I canot wundr at yr fīlñz. I wl nt imṗtyn y. I wl trust t yr ǒn cîndnis v hart ẃn I am at a distns fṛm y.” Bt ɖs, wɖ ɖ lc v soro acumṗniyñ it, wz inuf t mlt Caʈrin’z prîd in a momnt, n ś instntli sd, “Ǒ, Eḷnr, I wl rait t y indd.”
Ɖr wz yt anɖr pônt ẃć Mis Tilni wz añśs t setl, ɖo smẃt imbaṛst in spīcñ v. It hd ocŕd t hr ɖt aftr so loñ an absns fṛm hom, Caʈrin mt nt b pṛvîdd wɖ muni inuf fr ɖ xpnsz v hr jrni, n, upn sjstñ it t hr wɖ most afx́ṇt ofrz v acoṃdeśn, it pruvd t b xacli ɖ ces. Caʈrin hd nvr ʈt on ɖ subjict tl ɖt momnt, bt, upn xaṃnñ hr prs, wz cnvinst ɖt bt fr ɖs cîndnis v hr frend, ś mt hv bn trnd fṛm ɖ hǎs wɖǎt īvn ɖ mīnz v gtñ hom; n ɖ dstres in ẃć ś mst hv bn ɖr-bî involvd filñ ɖ mîndz v bʈ, scersli anɖr wrd wz sd bî îɖr jrñ ɖ tîm v ɖer rmenñ tgɖr. Śort, hvr, wz ɖt tîm. Ɖ carij wz sn anǎnst t b redi; n Caʈrin, instntli rîzñ, a loñ n afx́ṇt imbres s’plaid ɖ ples v lanḡj in bidñ ć uɖr ady; n, az ɖe entrd ɖ hōl, unebl t līv ɖ hǎs wɖǎt sm mnśn v wn huz nem hd nt yt bn spocn bî îɖr, ś pōzd a momnt, n wɖ qiṿrñ lips jst md it intelijibl ɖt ś left “hr cînd rmembṛns fr hr absnt frend.” Bt wɖ ɖs aproć t hiz nem endd ol posbiḷti v rstrenñ hr fīlñz; n, hîdñ hr fes az wel az ś cd wɖ hr hanc̣ćif, ś dartd acrs ɖ hōl, jumt intu ɖ śez, n in a momnt wz drivn fṛm ɖ dor.
