Ɖ moro bròt a vri sobr-lcñ mornñ, ɖ sún mcñ onli a fy ef̣ts t apir, n Caʈrin ōgrd fṛm it evrʈñ most fevṛbl t hr wśz. A brît mornñ so rli in ɖ yir, ś alaud, wd jenṛli trn t ren, bt a clǎdi wn fōrtold impruvmnt az ɖ de advanst. Ś aplaid t Mr Aḷn fr conf̣meśn v hr hops, bt Mr Aḷn, nt hvñ hiz ǒn scîz n b’romitr abt him, dclînd gvñ eni abṣlut promis v súnśîn. Ś aplaid t Msz Aḷn, n Msz Aḷn’z opińn wz mor poẓtiv. “Ś hd no dǎt in ɖ wrld v its biyñ a vri fîn de, f ɖ clǎdz wd onli g of, n ɖ sún cīp ǎt.”
At abt ilevn o’cloc, hvr, a fy specs v smōl ren upn ɖ windoz còt Caʈrin’z woćfl î, n “Ǒ! dir, I d b’liv it wl b wet,” brouc fṛm hr in a most dspondñ ton.
“I ʈt hǎ it wd b,” sd Msz Aḷn.
“No wōc fr m tde,” said Caʈrin; “bt phps it me cm t nʈñ, or it me hold p bfr twelv.”
“Phps it me, bt ɖen, mî dir, it wl b so drti.”
“Ǒ! Ɖt wl nt sigṇfî; I nvr mînd drt.”
“No,” rplaid hr frend vri plasidli, “I nǒ y nvr mînd drt.”
Aftr a śort pōz, “It cmz on fastr n fastr!” sd Caʈrin, az ś std woćñ at a windo.
“So it dz indd. F it cīps renñ, ɖ strīts wl b vri wet.”
“Ɖr r for umbrelaz p olrdi. Hǎ I het ɖ sît v an umbrela!”
“Ɖe r dis’griybl ʈñz t cari. I wd mć rɖr tec a ćer at eni tîm.”
“It wz sć a nîs-lcñ mornñ! I flt so cnvinst it wd b drî!”
“Enbdi wd hv ʈt so indd. Ɖr wl b vri fy ppl in ɖ pumprūm, f it renz ol ɖ mornñ. I hop Mr Aḷn wl pt on hiz gretcot ẃn h gz, bt I der se h wl nt, fr h hd rɖr d enʈñ in ɖ wrld ɖn wōc ǎt in a gretcot; I wundr h śd dslîc it, it mst b so cumftbl.”
Ɖ ren cntinyd—fast, ɖo nt hevi. Caʈrin wnt evri fîv minits t ɖ cloc, ʈreṭnñ on ć rtrn ɖt, f it stl cept on renñ anɖr fîv minits, ś wd gv p ɖ matr az hoplis. Ɖ cloc struc twelv, n it stl rênd. “Y wl nt b ebl t g, mî dir.”
“I d nt qt dsper yt. I śl nt gv it p tl a qortr aftr twelv. Ɖs z jst ɖ tîm v de fr it t clir p, n I d ʈnc it lcs a litl lîtr. Ɖr, it z twenti minits aftr twelv, n nǎ I śl gv it p intîrli. Ǒ! Ɖt w hd sć weɖr hir az ɖe hd at Ūdolfo, or at līst in Tusc̣ni n ɖ sǎʈ v Frans!—ɖ nît ɖt pur St. Ōbin daid!—sć bytifl weɖr!”
At haf past twelv, ẃn Caʈrin’z añśs atnśn t ɖ weɖr wz ovr n ś cd no longr clem eni merit fṛm its amndmnt, ɖ scî bgan voḷntṛli t clir. A glīm v súnśîn tc hr qt bî s’prîz; ś lct rnd; ɖ clǎdz wr partñ, n ś instntli rtrnd t ɖ windo t woć ovr n incurij ɖ hapi apiṛns. Ten minits mor md it srtn ɖt a brît afṭnun wd s’xid, n jusṭfaid ɖ opińn v Msz Aḷn, hu hd “olwz ʈt it wd clir p.” Bt ẃɖr Caʈrin mt stl xpct hr frendz, ẃɖr ɖr hd nt bn tù mć ren fr Mis Tilni t vnćr, mst yt b a qsćn.
It wz tù drti fr Msz Aḷn t acumṗni hr huzbnd t ɖ pumprūm; h acordñli set of bî himslf, n Caʈrin hd bérli woćt him dǎn ɖ strīt ẃn hr notis wz clemd bî ɖ aproć v ɖ sem tū opn caṛjz, cntenñ ɖ sem ʈri ppl ɖt hd s’prîzd hr so mć a fy mornñz bac.
“Iẓbela, mî bruɖr, n Mr Ʈorp, I dcler! Ɖe r cmñ fr m phps—bt I śl nt g—I canot g indd, fr y nǒ Mis Tilni me stl cōl.” Msz Aḷn agrìd t it. Jon Ʈorp wz sn wɖ ɖm, n hiz vôs wz wɖ ɖm yt snr, fr on ɖ sterz h wz cōlñ ǎt t Mis Morḷnd t b qc. “Mc hest! Mc hest!” az h ʈrù opn ɖ dor. “Pt on yr hat ɖs momnt—ɖr z no tîm t b lost—w r gwñ t Bristl. Hǎ d’yi d, Msz Aḷn?”
“T Bristl! Z nt ɖt a gret we of? Bt, hvr, I canot g wɖ y tde, bcz I am ingejd; I xpct sm frendz evri momnt.” Ɖs wz v cors viyṃntli tōct dǎn az no rīzn at ol; Msz Aḷn wz cōld on t secnd him, n ɖ tū uɖrz wōct in, t gv ɖer asistns. “Mî swītist Caʈrin, z nt ɖs dlîtfl? W śl hv a most hevnli drîv. Y r t ʈanc yr bruɖr n m fr ɖ scīm; it dartd intu ǎr hedz at brecfsțîm, I veṛli b’liv at ɖ sem instnt; n w śd hv bn of tū aurz ago f it hd nt bn fr ɖs dtstbl ren. Bt it dz nt sigṇfî, ɖ nîts r mūnlît, n w śl d dlîtf̣li. Ǒ! I am in sć xṭsiz at ɖ ʈts v a litl cuntri-er n qayt! So mć betr ɖn gwñ t ɖ Lowr Rūmz. W śl drîv d’recli t Cliftn n dîn ɖr; n, az sn az dinr z ovr, f ɖr z tîm fr it, g on t Cñzwestn.”
“I dǎt ǎr biyñ ebl t d so mć,” sd Morḷnd.
“Y crǒcñ felo!” craid Ʈorp. “W śl b ebl t d ten tîmz mor. Cñzwestn! Ai, n Bleiz Casl tù, n enʈñ els w cn hír v; bt hir z yr sistr sz ś wl nt g.”
“Bleiz Casl!” craid Caʈrin. “Ẃt z ɖt?”
“Ɖ fînist ples in Ñgḷnd—wrʈ gwñ fifti mîlz at eni tîm t si.”
“Ẃt, z it riyli a casl, an old casl?”
“Ɖ oldist in ɖ cñdm.”
“Bt z it lîc ẃt wn rīdz v?”
“Xacli—ɖ vri sem.”
“Bt nǎ riyli—r ɖr tǎrz n loñ gaḷriz?”
“Bî duznz.”
“Ɖen I śd lîc t si it; bt I canot—I canot g.”
“Nt g! Mî b’luvid crīćr, ẃt d y mīn?”
“I canot g, bcz”—lcñ dǎn az ś spouc, firfl v Iẓbela’z smîl—“I xpct Mis Tilni n hr bruɖr t cōl on m t tec a cuntriwōc. Ɖe promist t cm at twelv, onli it rênd; bt nǎ, az it z so fîn, I der se ɖe wl b hir sn.”
“Nt ɖe indd,” craid Ʈorp; “fr, az w trnd intu Brōd Strīt, I sw ɖm—dz h nt drîv a feytn wɖ brît ćsnuts?”
“I d nt nǒ indd.”
“Yes, I nǒ h dz; I sw him. Y r tōcñ v ɖ man y danst wɖ last nît, r nt y?”
“Yes.”
“Wel, I sw him at ɖt momnt trn p ɖ Lanzdǎn Rod, drîvñ a smart-lcñ grl.”
“Dd y indd?”
“Dd upn mî soul; ń him agn d’recli, n h sīmd t hv got sm vri priti catl tù.”
“It z vri od! Bt I s’poz ɖe ʈt it wd b tù drti fr a wōc.”
“N wel ɖe mt, fr I nvr sw so mć drt in mî lîf. Wōc! Y cd no mor wōc ɖn y cd flî! It hz nt bn so drti ɖ hol wintr; it z ancl-dīp evrẃr.”
Iẓbela c’roḅretd it: “Mî dirist Caʈrin, y canot form an îdīa v ɖ drt; cm, y mst g; y canot rfyz gwñ nǎ.”
“I śd lîc t si ɖ casl; bt me w g ol ovr it? Me w g p evri sterces, n intu evri swìt v rūmz?”
“Yes, yes, evri houl n cornr.”
“Bt ɖen, f ɖe śd onli b gn ǎt fr an aur tl it z drayr, n cōl bî n bî?”
“Mc yrslf īzi, ɖr z no denjr v ɖt, fr I hŕd Tilni hluwñ t a man hu wz jst pasñ bî on horsbac, ɖt ɖe wr gwñ az far az Wic Rocs.”
“Ɖen I wl. Śl I g, Msz Aḷn?”
“Jst az y plīz, mî dir.”
“Msz Aḷn, y mst pswed hr t g,” wz ɖ jenṛl crî. Msz Aḷn wz nt in’tntv t it: “Wel, mî dir,” sd ś, “s’poz y g.” N in tū minits ɖe wr of.
Caʈrin’z fīlñz, az ś got intu ɖ carij, wr in a vri unsetld stet; dvîdd btwn rgret fr ɖ los v wn gret pleźr, n ɖ hop v sn injoyñ anɖr, olmst its īql in dgri, hvr unlîc in cnd. Ś cd nt ʈnc ɖ Tilniz hd actd qt wel bî hr, in so reḍli gvñ p ɖer ingejmnt, wɖǎt sndñ hr eni mesij v xks. It wz nǎ bt an aur lêtr ɖn ɖ tîm fixt on fr ɖ bginñ v ɖer wōc; n, in spît v ẃt ś hd hŕd v ɖ pṛdijs akḿleśn v drt in ɖ cors v ɖt aur, ś cd nt fṛm hr ǒn obzveśn hlp ʈncñ ɖt ɖe mt hv gn wɖ vri litl incnvińns. T fīl hrslf slîtd bî ɖm wz vri penfl. On ɖ uɖr hand, ɖ dlît v xplorñ an eḍfis lîc Ūdolfo, az hr fansi reprizntd Bleiz Casl t b, wz sć a cǎnṭpôz v gd az mt cnsol hr fr olmst enʈñ.
Ɖe pást briscli dǎn Pŭltni Strīt, n ʈru Lora Ples, wɖǎt ɖ xćenj v mni wrdz. Ʈorp tōct t hiz hors, n ś medtetd, bî trnz, on brocn proṃsz n brocn arćz, feytónz n fōls haññz, Tilniz n trapdorz. Az ɖe entrd Argîl Bildñz, hvr, ś wz rǎzd bî ɖs adres fṛm hr cmpańn, “Hu z ɖt grl hu lct at y so hard az ś wnt bî?”
“Hu? Ẃr?”
“On ɖ rît-hand pevmnt—ś mst b olmst ǎt v sît nǎ.” Caʈrin lct rnd n sw Mis Tilni līnñ on hr bruɖr’z arm, wōcñ slǒli dǎn ɖ strīt. Ś sw ɖm bʈ lcñ bac at hr. “Stop, stop, Mr Ʈorp,” ś impeśntli craid; “it z Mis Tilni; it z indd. Hǎ cd y tel m ɖe wr gn? Stop, stop, I wl gt ǎt ɖs momnt n g t ɖm.” Bt t ẃt prṗs dd ś spīc? Ʈorp onli laśt hiz hors intu a briscr trot; ɖ Tilniz, hu hd sn sīst t lc aftr hr, wr in a momnt ǎt v sît rnd ɖ cornr v Lora Ples, n in anɖr momnt ś wz hrslf ẃisct intu ɖ marcitples. Stl, hvr, n jrñ ɖ leñʈ v anɖr strīt, ś intritd him t stop. “Pre, pre stop, Mr Ʈorp. I canot g on. I wl nt g on. I mst g bac t Mis Tilni.” Bt Mr Ʈorp onli laft, smact hiz ẃip, incurijd hiz hors, md od nôzz, n drouv on; n Caʈrin, angri n vxt az ś wz, hvñ no pǎr v gtñ awe, wz oblîjd t gv p ɖ pônt n sbmit. Hr rproćz, hvr, wr nt sperd. “Hǎ cd y dsiv m so, Mr Ʈorp? Hǎ cd y se ɖt y sw ɖm drîvñ p ɖ Lanzdǎn Rod? I wd nt hv hd it hapn so fr ɖ wrld. Ɖe mst ʈnc it so strenj, so rūd v m! T g bî ɖm, tù, wɖǎt seyñ a wrd! Y d nt nǒ hǎ vxt I am; I śl hv no pleźr at Cliftn, nr in enʈñ els. I hd rɖr, ten ʈǎznd tîmz rɖr, gt ǎt nǎ, n wōc bac t ɖm. Hǎ cd y se y sw ɖm drîvñ ǎt in a feytn?” Ʈorp dfndd himslf vri stǎtli, dclerd h hd nvr sìn tū men so mć alîc in hiz lîf, n wd hardli gv p ɖ pônt v its hvñ bn Tilni himslf.
Ɖer drîv, īvn ẃn ɖs subjict wz ovr, wz nt lîcli t b vri agriybl. Caʈrin’z cmplesns wz no longr ẃt it hd bn in ɖer formr e’rñ. Ś lisnd rluctntli, n hr rplîz wr śort. Bleiz Casl rmend hr onli cumf̣t; twdz ɖt, ś stl lct at inṭvlz wɖ pleźr; ɖo rɖr ɖn b dis’pôntd v ɖ promist wōc, n ispeśli rɖr ɖn b ʈt il v bî ɖ Tilniz, ś wd wilñli hv gvn p ol ɖ hapinis ẃć its wōlz cd s’plî—ɖ hapinis v a progres ʈru a loñ swìt v lofti rūmz, xibtñ ɖ rmenz v magnifisnt frnićr, ɖo nǎ fr mni yirz dzrtd—ɖ hapinis v biyñ stopt in ɖer we alñ naro, wîndñ vōlts, bî a lo, greitd dor; or īvn v hvñ ɖer lamp, ɖer onli lamp, xtnḡśt bî a sudn gust v wind, n v biyñ left in totl darcnis. In ɖ mnẃl, ɖe pṛsidd on ɖer jrni wɖǎt eni misćans, n wr wɖn vy v ɖ tǎn v Cênśm, ẃn a hlu fṛm Morḷnd, hu wz bhnd ɖm, md hiz frend pl p, t nǒ ẃt wz ɖ matr. Ɖ uɖrz ɖen cem clos inuf fr convseśn, n Morḷnd sd, “W hd betr g bac, Ʈorp; it z tù lêt t g on tde; yr sistr ʈncs so az wel az I. W hv bn xacli an aur cmñ fṛm Pŭltni Strīt, vri litl mor ɖn sevn mîlz; n, I s’poz, w hv at līst et mor t g. It wl nvr d. W set ǎt a gret dīl tù lêt. W hd mć betr pt it of tl anɖr de, n trn rnd.”
“It z ol wn t m,” rplaid Ʈorp rɖr angṛli; n instntli trnñ hiz hors, ɖe wr on ɖer we bac t Baʈ.
“F yr bruɖr hd nt got sć a d— bīst t drîv,” sd h sn aftwdz, “w mt hv dn it vri wel. Mî hors wd hv trotd t Cliftn wɖn ɖ aur, f left t himslf, n I hv olmst brouc mî arm wɖ pŭlñ him in t ɖt crst brocn-windd jed’z pes. Morḷnd z a fūl fr nt cīpñ a hors n gig v hiz ǒn.”
“No, h z nt,” sd Caʈrin wormli, “fr I am śr h cd nt aford it.”
“N ẃ canot h aford it?”
“Bcz h hz nt muni inuf.”
“N huz fōlt z ɖt?”
“Nbdi’z, ɖt I nǒ v.” Ʈorp ɖen sd smʈñ in ɖ lǎd, inc̣hiṛnt we t ẃć h hd ofn rcors, abt its biyñ a d— ʈñ t b mîzrli; n ɖt f ppl hu rold in muni cd nt aford ʈñz, h dd nt nǒ hu cd, ẃć Caʈrin dd nt īvn indevr t unḍstand. Dis’pôntd v ẃt wz t hv bn ɖ conṣleśn fr hr frst dis’pôntmnt, ś wz les n les dspozd îɖr t b agriybl hrslf or t fînd hr cmpańn so; n ɖe rtrnd t Pŭltni Strīt wɖǎt hr spīcñ twenti wrdz.
Az ś entrd ɖ hǎs, ɖ ftmn tld hr ɖt a jntlmn n ledi hd cōld n inqîrd fr hr a fy minits aftr hr setñ of; ɖt, ẃn h tld ɖm ś wz gn ǎt wɖ Mr Ʈorp, ɖ ledi hd asct ẃɖr eni mesij hd bn left fr hr; n on hiz seyñ no, hd flt fr a card, bt sd ś hd nn abt hr, n wnt awe. Ponḍrñ ovr ɖz hārt-rendñ tîdñz, Caʈrin wōct slǒli upsterz. At ɖ hed v ɖm ś wz met bî Mr Aḷn, hu, on hírñ ɖ rīzn v ɖer spīdi rtrn, sd, “I am glad yr bruɖr hd so mć sns; I am glad y r cm bac. It wz a strenj, wîld scīm.”
Ɖe ol spent ɖ īvnñ tgɖr at Ʈorp’s. Caʈrin wz dstrbd n ǎt v spirits; bt Iẓbela sīmd t fînd a pūl v comrs, in ɖ fet v ẃć ś śerd, bî prîvt partnrśp wɖ Morḷnd, a vri gd iqivḷnt fr ɖ qayt n cuntri-er v an ín at Cliftn. Hr saṭsfax́n, tù, in nt biyñ at ɖ Lowr Rūmz wz spocn mor ɖn wns. “Hǎ I piti ɖ pur crīćrz ɖt r gwñ ɖr! Hǎ glad I am ɖt I am nt amñst ɖm! I wundr ẃɖr it wl b a fl bōl or nt! Ɖe hv nt bgun dansñ yt. I wd nt b ɖr fr ol ɖ wrld. It z so dlîtfl t hv an īvnñ nǎ n ɖen t wnslf. I der se it wl nt b a vri gd bōl. I nǒ ɖ Mićlz wl nt b ɖr. I am śr I piti evrbdi ɖt z. Bt I der se, Mr Morḷnd, y loñ t b at it, d nt y? I am śr y d. Wel, pre d nt let enbdi hir b a rstrent on y. I der se w cd d vri wel wɖǎt y; bt y men ʈnc yrslvz v sć consiqns.”
Caʈrin cd olmst hv akzd Iẓbela v biyñ wontñ in tndrnis twdz hrslf n hr soroz, so vri litl dd ɖe apir t dwel on hr mînd, n so vri inadiqt wz ɖ cumf̣t ś ofrd. “D nt b so dul, mî dirist crīćr,” ś ẃisprd. “Y wl qt brec mî hart. It wz amezñli śocñ, t b śr; bt ɖ Tilniz wr intîrli t blem. Ẃ wr nt ɖe mor puñćl? It wz drti, indd, bt ẃt dd ɖt sigṇfî? I am śr Jon n I śd nt hv mîndd it. I nvr mînd gwñ ʈru enʈñ, ẃr a frend z cnsrnd; ɖt z mî disṗziśn, n Jon z jst ɖ sem; h hz amezñ stroñ fīlñz. Gd hevnz! Ẃt a dlîtfl hand y hv got! Cñz, I vǎ! I nvr wz so hapi in mî lîf! I wd fifti tîmz rɖr y śd hv ɖm ɖn mslf.”
N nǎ I me dsmis mî herǒin t ɖ slīplis cǎć, ẃć z ɖ tru herǒin’z porśn; t a pilo strùd wɖ ʈornz n wet wɖ tirz. N luci me ś ʈnc hrslf, f ś gt anɖr gd nît’s rest in ɖ cors v ɖ nxt ʈri munʈs.
