Caʈrin’z xpcteśnz v pleźr fṛm hr vizit in Milsm Strīt wr so vri hî ɖt dis’pôntmnt wz inevitbl; n acordñli, ɖo ś wz most p’lîtli rsivd bî Jenṛl Tilni, n cîndli welcmd bî hiz dōtr, ɖo Henri wz at hom, n nwn els v ɖ parti, ś faund, on hr rtrn, wɖǎt spendñ mni aurz in ɖ xaṃneśn v hr fīlñz, ɖt ś hd gn t hr apôntmnt pripẹrñ fr hapinis ẃć it hd nt afordd. Instd v fîndñ hrslf impruvd in aqentns wɖ Mis Tilni, fṛm ɖ inṭcors v ɖ de, ś sīmd hardli so intiṃt wɖ hr az bfr; instd v siyñ Henri Tilni t gretr advantij ɖn evr, in ɖ īz v a faṃliparti, h hd nvr sd so litl, nr bn so litl agriybl; n, in spît v ɖer faɖr’z gret sviḷtiz t hr—in spît v hiz ʈancs, invteśnz, n complimnts—it hd bn a rlis t gt awe fṛm him. It puzld hr t acǎnt fr ol ɖs. It cd nt b Jenṛl Tilni’z fōlt. Ɖt h wz prf̣cli agriybl n gd-nećrd, n oltgɖr a vri ćarmñ man, dd nt admit v a dǎt, fr h wz tōl n hansm, n Henri’z faɖr. H cd nt b acǎntbl fr hiz ćildṛn’z wont v spirits, or fr hr wont v injômnt in hiz cumṗni. Ɖ formr ś hopt at last mt hv bn axdntl, n ɖ latr ś cd onli atribyt t hr ǒn stypidti. Iẓbela, on hírñ ɖ ptiklrz v ɖ vizit, gev a difṛnt xpḷneśn: “It wz ol prîd, prîd, insufṛbl hōtinis n prîd! Ś hd loñ sspctd ɖ faṃli t b vri hî, n ɖs md it srtn. Sć insḷns v bhevyr az Mis Tilni’z ś hd nvr hŕd v in hr lîf! Nt t d ɖ onrz v hr hǎs wɖ comn gd brīdñ! T bhev t hr gest wɖ sć sūṗsiłsnis! Hardli īvn t spīc t hr!”
“Bt it wz nt so bad az ɖt, Iẓbela; ɖr wz no sūṗsiłsnis; ś wz vri sivl.”
“Ǒ! D’nt dfnd hr! N ɖen ɖ bruɖr, h, hu hd apird so ataćt t y! Gd hevnz! Wel, sm ppl’z fīlñz r incomprihnsbl. N so h hardli lct wns at y ɖ hol de?”
“I d nt se so; bt h dd nt sīm in gd spirits.”
“Hǎ cntmtibl! V ol ʈñz in ɖ wrld inconstnsi z mî avrśn. Let m intrit y nvr t ʈnc v him agn, mî dir Caʈrin; indd h z unwrɖi v y.”
“Unwrɖi! I d nt s’poz h evr ʈncs v m.”
“Ɖt z xacli ẃt I se; h nvr ʈncs v y. Sć ficlnis! Ǒ! Hǎ difṛnt t yr bruɖr n t mîn! I riyli b’liv Jon hz ɖ most constnt hart.”
“Bt az fr Jenṛl Tilni, I aśur y it wd b imposbl fr enbdi t bhev t m wɖ gretr sviḷti n atnśn; it sīmd t b hiz onli cer t entten n mc m hapi.”
“Ǒ! I nǒ no harm v him; I d nt sspct him v prîd. I b’liv h z a vri jntlmnlîc man. Jon ʈncs vri wel v him, n Jon’z jujmnt—”
“Wel, I śl si hǎ ɖe bhev t m ɖs īvnñ; w śl mīt ɖm at ɖ rūmz.”
“N mst I g?”
“D nt y intnd it? I ʈt it wz ol setld.”
“Nê, sins y mc sć a pônt v it, I cn rfyz y nʈñ. Bt d nt insist upn mî biyñ vri agriybl, fr mî hart, y nǒ, wl b sm forti mîlz of. N az fr dansñ, d nt mnśn it, I beg; ɖt z qt ǎt v ɖ qsćn. Ćarlz Hojz wl pleg m t deʈ, I der se; bt I śl cut him vri śort. Ten t wn bt h gesz ɖ rīzn, n ɖt z xacli ẃt I wont t avôd, so I śl insist on hiz cīpñ hiz cnjcćr t himslf.”
Iẓbela’z opińn v ɖ Tilniz dd nt inflụns hr frend; ś wz śr ɖr hd bn no insḷns in ɖ manrz îɖr v bruɖr or sistr; n ś dd nt credit ɖr biyñ eni prîd in ɖer harts. Ɖ īvnñ rwordd hr confidns; ś wz met bî wn wɖ ɖ sem cîndnis, n bî ɖ uɖr wɖ ɖ sem atnśn, az hirtufōr: Mis Tilni tc penz t b nir hr, n Henri asct hr t dans.
Hvñ hŕd ɖ de bfr in Milsm Strīt ɖt ɖer eldr bruɖr, Captin Tilni, wz xpctd olmst evri aur, ś wz at no los fr ɖ nem v a vri faśṇbl-lcñ, hansm yuñ man, hūm ś hd nvr sìn bfr, n hu nǎ evidntli b’loñd t ɖer parti. Ś lct at him wɖ gret adṃreśn, n īvn s’pozd it poṣbl ɖt sm ppl mt ʈnc him hanṣmr ɖn hiz bruɖr, ɖo, in hr îz, hiz er wz mor asymñ, n hiz cǎntinns les prīṗzesñ. Hiz test n manrz wr bynd a dǎt dsîdidli infirịr; fr, wɖn hr hírñ, h nt onli pṛtstd agnst evri ʈt v dansñ himslf, bt īvn laft opnli at Henri fr fîndñ it poṣbl. Fṛm ɖ latr srcmstans it me b prizymd ɖt, ẃtvr mt b ǎr herǒin’z opińn v him, hiz adṃreśn v hr wz nt v a vri denjṛs cnd; nt lîcli t pṛdys aṇmoṣtiz btwn ɖ bruɖrz, nr prṣkśnz t ɖ ledi. H canot b ɖ insṭgetr v ɖ ʈri vilnz in horsṃn’z gretcots, bî hūm ś wl hiraftr b forst intu a traṿlñ śez-n-for, ẃć wl drîv of wɖ incredibl spīd. Caʈrin, mnẃl, undistrbd bî prizntimnts v sć an īvl, or v eni īvl at ol, xpt ɖt v hvñ bt a śort set t dans dǎn, injoid hr yźl hapinis wɖ Henri Tilni, liṣnñ wɖ sparclñ îz t evrʈñ h sd; n, in fîndñ him irizistibl, bcmñ so hrslf.
At ɖ end v ɖ frst dans, Captin Tilni cem twdz ɖm agn, n, mć t Caʈrin’z dșaṭsfax́n, pld hiz bruɖr awe. Ɖe rtîrd ẃisṗrñ tgɖr; n, ɖo hr delic̣t snsbiḷti dd nt tec imījt alarm, n le it dǎn az fact, ɖt Captin Tilni mst hv hŕd sm mlevlnt msrepriznteśn v hr, ẃć h nǎ hesnd t cḿṇcet t hiz bruɖr, in ɖ hop v seṗretñ ɖm fr evr, ś cd nt hv hr partnr cnveid fṛm hr sît wɖǎt vri unīzi snseśnz. Hr sspns wz v fl fîv minits’ jreśn; n ś wz bginñ t ʈnc it a vri loñ qortr v an aur, ẃn ɖe bʈ rtrnd, n an xpḷneśn wz gvn, bî Henri’z rqstñ t nǒ f ś ʈt hr frend, Mis Ʈorp, wd hv eni objx́n t dansñ, az hiz bruɖr wd b most hapi t b intṛdyst t hr. Caʈrin, wɖǎt hezteśn, rplaid ɖt ś wz vri śr Mis Ʈorp dd nt mīn t dans at ol. Ɖ cruwl rplî wz pást on t ɖ uɖr, n h imījtli wōct awe.
“Yr bruɖr wl nt mînd it, I nǒ,” sd ś, “bcz I hŕd him se bfr ɖt h hetd dansñ; bt it wz vri gd-nećrd in him t ʈnc v it. I s’poz h sw Iẓbela sitñ dǎn, n fansid ś mt wś fr a partnr; bt h z qt mstecn, fr ś wd nt dans upn eni acǎnt in ɖ wrld.”
Henri smîld, n sd, “Hǎ vri litl trubl it cn gv y t unḍstand ɖ motiv v uɖr ppl’z ax́nz.”
“Ẃ? Ẃt d y mīn?”
“Wɖ y, it z nt, Hǎ z sć a wn lîcli t b inflụnst, Ẃt z ɖ indysmnt most lîcli t act upn sć a prsn’z fīlñz, ej, sićueśn, n probbl habits v lîf cnsidrd—bt, Hǎ śd I b inflụnst, Ẃt wd b mî indysmnt in actñ so n so?”
“I d nt unḍstand y.”
“Ɖen w r on vri unīql trmz, fr I unḍstand y prf̣cli wel.”
“M? Yes; I canot spīc wel inuf t b unintelijibl.”
“Brāvo! An xḷnt satîr on modn lanḡj.”
“Bt pre tel m ẃt y mīn.”
“Śl I indd? D y riyli dzîr it? Bt y r nt awer v ɖ consiqnsz; it wl involv y in a vri cruwl imbaṛsmnt, n srtnli brñ on a dis’grīmnt btwn s.”
“No, no; it śl nt d îɖr; I am nt afreid.”
“Wel, ɖen, I onli mnt ɖt yr atribytñ mî bruɖr’z wś v dansñ wɖ Mis Ʈorp t gd nećr alon cnvinst m v yr biyñ s’pirịr in gd nećr yrslf t ol ɖ rest v ɖ wrld.”
Caʈrin bluśt n dsclemd, n ɖ jntlmn’z pridix́nz wr veṛfaid. Ɖr wz a smʈñ, hvr, in hiz wrdz ẃć rīpeid hr fr ɖ pen v cnfyźn; n ɖt smʈñ okpaid hr mînd so mć ɖt ś drù bac fr sm tîm, fgetñ t spīc or t lisn, n olmst fgetñ ẃr ś wz; tl, rǎzd bî ɖ vôs v Iẓbela, ś lct p n sw hr wɖ Captin Tilni pripẹrñ t gv ɖm handz acrs.
Iẓbela śrugd hr śoldrz n smîld, ɖ onli xpḷneśn v ɖs xtrordnri ćenj ẃć cd at ɖt tîm b gvn; bt az it wz nt qt inuf fr Caʈrin’z comprihnśn, ś spouc hr astoniśmnt in vri plen trmz t hr partnr.
“I canot ʈnc hǎ it cd hapn! Iẓbela wz so dtrmind nt t dans.”
“N dd Iẓbela nvr ćenj hr mînd bfr?”
“Ǒ! Bt, bcz—N yr bruɖr! Aftr ẃt y tld him fṛm m, hǎ cd h ʈnc v gwñ t asc hr?”
“I canot tec s’prîz t mslf on ɖt hed. Y bid m b s’prîzd on yr frend’z acǎnt, n ɖrfr I am; bt az fr mî bruɖr, hiz cnduct in ɖ biznis, I mst ǒn, hz bn no mor ɖn I b’livd him prf̣cli īql t. Ɖ fernis v yr frend wz an opn atrax́n; hr frmnis, y nǒ, cd onli b unḍstd bî yrslf.”
“Y r lafñ; bt, I aśur y, Iẓbela z vri frm in jenṛl.”
“It z az mć az śd b sd v enwn. T b olwz frm mst b t b ofn obstiṇt. Ẃn proprli t rlax z ɖ trîl v jujmnt; n, wɖǎt refṛns t mî bruɖr, I riyli ʈnc Mis Ʈorp hz bî no mīnz ćozn il in fixñ on ɖ preznt aur.”
Ɖ frendz wr nt ebl t gt tgɖr fr eni conf̣dnśl discors tl ol ɖ dansñ wz ovr; bt ɖen, az ɖe wōct abt ɖ rūm arm in arm, Iẓbela ɖus xplend hrslf: “I d nt wundr at yr s’prîz; n I am riyli ftīgd t deʈ. H z sć a ratl! Aḿzñ inuf, f mî mînd hd bn disingejd; bt I wd hv gvn ɖ wrld t sit stil.”
“Ɖen ẃ dd nt y?”
“Ǒ! Mî dir! It wd hv lct so ptiklr; n y nǒ hǎ I abhor dwñ ɖt. I rfyzd him az loñ az I poṣbli cd, bt h wd tec no dnayl. Y hv no îdīa hǎ h prest m. I begd him t xkz m, n gt sm uɖr partnr—bt no, nt h; aftr aspîrñ t mî hand, ɖr wz nbdi els in ɖ rūm h cd ber t ʈnc v; n it wz nt ɖt h wontd mirli t dans, h wontd t b wɖ m. Ǒ! Sć nonsns! I tld him h hd tecn a vri unlîcli we t privel upn m; fr, v ol ʈñz in ɖ wrld, I hetd fîn spīćz n complimnts; n so—n so ɖen I faund ɖr wd b no pīs f I dd nt stand p. Bsdz, I ʈt Msz Hȳz, hu intṛdyst him, mt tec it il f I dd nt: n yr dir bruɖr, I am śr h wd hv bn mizṛbl f I hd sat dǎn ɖ hol īvnñ. I am so glad it z ovr! Mî spirits r qt jedd wɖ liṣnñ t hiz nonsns: n ɖen, biyñ sć a smart yuñ felo, I sw evri î wz upn s.”
“H z vri hansm indd.”
“Hansm! Yes, I s’poz h me. I der se ppl wd admîr him in jenṛl; bt h z nt at ol in mî stîl v byti. I het a florid cmplex́n n darc îz in a man. Hvr, h z vri wel. Amezñli cnsitd, I am śr. I tc him dǎn sevṛl tîmz, y nǒ, in mî we.”
Ẃn ɖ yuñ lediz nxt met, ɖe hd a far mor inṭrestñ subjict t dscus. Jemz Morḷnd’z secnd letr wz ɖen rsivd, n ɖ cînd intnśnz v hiz faɖr fŭli xplend. A livñ, v ẃć Mr Morḷnd wz himslf petṛn n incumbnt, v abt for hundṛd pǎndz yirli valy, wz t b rzînd t hiz sun az sn az h śd b old inuf t tec it; no trîf̣lñ ddux́n fṛm ɖ faṃli incm, no niġdli asînmnt t wn v ten ćildṛn. An istet v at līst īql valy, morovr, wz aśurd az hiz fyćr inheritns.
Jemz xprest himslf on ɖ oceźn wɖ bcmñ grattyd; n ɖ nseṣti v wêtñ btwn tū n ʈri yirz bfr ɖe cd mari, biyñ, hvr unwelcm, no mor ɖn h hd xpctd, wz bòrn bî him wɖǎt discntnt. Caʈrin, huz xpcteśnz hd bn az unfixt az hr îdiyz v hr faɖr’z incm, n huz jujmnt wz nǎ intîrli léd bî hr bruɖr, flt īqli wel saṭsfaid, n harṭli cngraćletd Iẓbela on hvñ evrʈñ so plezntli setld.
“It z vri ćarmñ indd,” sd Iẓbela, wɖ a grev fes. “Mr Morḷnd hz bhevd vastli hansm indd,” sd ɖ jntl Msz Ʈorp, lcñ añśsli at hr dōtr. “I onli wś I cd d az mć. Wn cd nt xpct mor fṛm him, y nǒ. F h fîndz h cn d mor bî n bî, I der se h wl, fr I am śr h mst b an xḷnt gd-hartd man. For hundṛd z bt a smōl incm t bgin on indd, bt yr wśz, mî dir Iẓbela, r so modṛt, y d nt cnsidr hǎ litl y evr wont, mî dir.”
“It z nt on mî ǒn acǎnt I wś fr mor; bt I canot ber t b ɖ mīnz v inɉrñ mî dir Morḷnd, mcñ him sit dǎn upn an incm hardli inuf t fînd wn in ɖ comn nessriz v lîf. Fr mslf, it z nʈñ; I nvr ʈnc v mslf.”
“I nǒ y nvr d, mî dir; n y wl olwz fînd yr rword in ɖ afx́n it mcs evrbdi fīl fr y. Ɖr nvr wz a yuñ wmn so b’luvid az y r bî evrbdi ɖt nz y; n I der se ẃn Mr Morḷnd siz y, mî dir ćîld—bt d nt let s dstres ǎr dir Caʈrin bî tōcñ v sć ʈñz. Mr Morḷnd hz bhevd so vri hansm, y nǒ. I olwz hŕd h wz a most xḷnt man; n y nǒ, mî dir, w r nt t s’poz bt ẃt, f y hd hd a sūṭbl fortyn, h wd hv cm dǎn wɖ smʈñ mor, fr I am śr h mst b a most libṛl-mîndd man.”
“Nbdi cn ʈnc betr v Mr Morḷnd ɖn I d, I am śr. Bt evrbdi hz ɖer felñ, y nǒ, n evrbdi hz a rît t d ẃt ɖe lîc wɖ ɖer ǒn muni.” Caʈrin wz hrt bî ɖz insińueśnz. “I am vri śr,” sd ś, “ɖt mî faɖr hz promist t d az mć az h cn aford.”
Iẓbela rec̣lectd hrslf. “Az t ɖt, mî swīt Caʈrin, ɖr canot b a dǎt, n y nǒ m wel inuf t b śr ɖt a mć smōlr incm wd saṭsfî m. It z nt ɖ wont v mor muni ɖt mcs m jst at preznt a litl ǎt v spirits; I het muni; n f ǎr yńn cd tec ples nǎ upn onli fifti pǎndz a yir, I śd nt hv a wś unsaṭsfaid. Ā! mî Caʈrin, y hv faund m ǎt. Ɖr’z ɖ stñ. Ɖ loñ, loñ, endlis tū yirz n haf ɖt r t pas bfr yr bruɖr cn hold ɖ livñ.”
“Yes, yes, mî darlñ Iẓbela,” sd Msz Ʈorp, “w prf̣cli si intu yr hart. Y hv no dsgîz. W prf̣cli unḍstand ɖ preznt vxeśn; n evrbdi mst luv y ɖ betr fr sć a nobl onist afx́n.”
Caʈrin’z uncumftbl fīlñz bgan t lesn. Ś indevrd t b’liv ɖt ɖ dle v ɖ marij wz ɖ onli sors v Iẓbela’z rgret; n ẃn ś sw hr at ɖer nxt inṭvy az ćirfl n emịbl az evr, indevrd t fget ɖt ś hd fr a minit ʈt uɖwz. Jemz sn foloud hiz letr, n wz rsivd wɖ ɖ most graṭfayñ cîndnis.
