Haf a minit cnductd ɖm ʈru ɖ pumpyard t ɖ arćwê, oṗzit Yńn Pasij; bt hir ɖe wr stopt. Evrbdi aqentd wɖ Baʈ me rmembr ɖ dificltiz v crosñ Ćīp Strīt at ɖs pônt; it z indd a strīt v so imprtinnt a nećr, so unforćṇtli cnctd wɖ ɖ gret Lundn n Oxfd rodz, n ɖ prinsipl ín v ɖ siti, ɖt a de nvr pasz in ẃć partiz v lediz, hvr importnt ɖer biznis, ẃɖr in qst v pestri, milinri, or īvn (az in ɖ preznt ces) v yuñ men, r nt dtend on wn sîd or uɖr bî caṛjz, horsṃn, or carts. Ɖs īvl hd bn flt n l’mntd, at līst ʈri tîmz a de, bî Iẓbela sins hr rezidns in Baʈ; n ś wz nǎ fetd t fīl n l’ment it wns mor, fr at ɖ vri momnt v cmñ oṗzit t Yńn Pasij, n wɖn vy v ɖ tū jntlṃn hu wr pṛsidñ ʈru ɖ crǎdz, n ʈredñ ɖ gutrz v ɖt inṭrestñ ali, ɖe wr privntd crosñ bî ɖ aproć v a gig, drivn alñ on bad pevmnt bî a most nwñ-lcñ coćmn wɖ ol ɖ viymns ɖt cd most fitli indenjr ɖ livz v himslf, hiz cmpańn, n hiz hors.
“Ǒ, ɖz odịs gigz!” sd Iẓbela, lcñ p. “Hǎ I dtst ɖm.” Bt ɖs dītsteśn, ɖo so just, wz v śort jreśn, fr ś lct agn n xclemd, “Dlîtfl! Mr Morḷnd n mî bruɖr!”
“Gd hevn! ’tiz Jemz!” wz utrd at ɖ sem momnt bî Caʈrin; n, on caćñ ɖ yuñ men’z îz, ɖ hors wz imījtli ćect wɖ a vayḷns ẃć olmst ʈrù him on hiz hōnćz, n ɖ srvnt hvñ nǎ scamprd p, ɖ jntlṃn jumt ǎt, n ɖ eqipij wz dlivrd t hiz cer.
Caʈrin, bî hūm ɖs mītñ wz hoļi unixpctd, rsivd hr bruɖr wɖ ɖ lîvliist pleźr; n h, biyñ v a vri emịbl disṗziśn, n s’nsirli ataćt t hr, gev evri prūf on hiz sîd v īql saṭsfax́n, ẃć h cd hv leźr t d, ẃl ɖ brît îz v Mis Ʈorp wr insesntli ćaḷnjñ hiz notis; n t hr hiz devwarz wr spīḍli peid, wɖ a mixćr v jô n imbaṛsmnt ẃć mt hv informd Caʈrin, hd ś bn mor xprt in ɖ dveḷpmnt v uɖr ppl’z fīlñz, n les simpli ingrost bî hr ǒn, ɖt hr bruɖr ʈt hr frend qt az priti az ś cd d hrslf.
Jon Ʈorp, hu in ɖ mntm hd bn gvñ ordrz abt ɖ horsz, sn jônd ɖm, n fṛm him ś d’recli rsivd ɖ amndz ẃć wr hr dy; fr ẃl h slîtli n cerlisli tućt ɖ hand v Iẓbela, on hr h bstod a hol screp n haf a śort bǎ. H wz a stǎt yuñ man v miḍlñ hît, hu, wɖ a plen fes n ungresfl form, sīmd firfl v biyñ tù hansm unls h wòr ɖ dres v a grūm, n tù mć lîc a jntlmn unls h wr īzi ẃr h òt t b sivl, n impydnt ẃr h mt b alaud t b īzi. H tc ǎt hiz woć: “Hǎ loñ d y ʈnc w hv bn runñ it fṛm Tetḅri, Mis Morḷnd?”
“I d nt nǒ ɖ distns.” Hr bruɖr tld hr ɖt it wz twenti-ʈri mîlz.
“Ʈri n twenti!” craid Ʈorp. “Fîv n twenti f it z an inć.” Morḷnd remnstretd, plīdd ɖ oʈoṛti v rod-bcs, íncīprz, n mîlstonz; bt hiz frend disrigardd ɖm ol; h hd a śrr tst v distns. “I nǒ it mst b fîv n twenti,” sd h, “bî ɖ tîm w hv bn dwñ it. It z nǎ haf aftr wn; w drouv ǎt v ɖ ínyard at Tetḅri az ɖ tǎncloc struc ilevn; n I dfî eni man in Ñgḷnd t mc mî hors g les ɖn ten mîlz an aur in harnis; ɖt mcs it xacli twenti-fîv.”
“Y hv lost an aur,” sd Morḷnd; “it wz onli ten o’cloc ẃn w cem fṛm Tetḅri.”
“Ten o’cloc! It wz ilevn, upn mî soul! I cǎntd evri stroc. Ɖs bruɖr v yrz wd pswed m ǎt v mî snsz, Mis Morḷnd; d bt lc at mî hors; dd y evr si an animl so md fr spīd in yr lîf?” (Ɖ srvnt hd jst mǎntd ɖ carij n wz drîvñ of.) “Sć tru blud! Ʈri aurz n a haf indd cmñ onli ʈri n twenti mîlz! Lc at ɖt crīćr, n s’poz it poṣbl f y cn.”
“H dz lc vri hot, t b śr.”
“Hot! H hd nt trnd a her tl w cem t Wōlcót Ćrć; bt lc at hiz fōrhand; lc at hiz lônz; onli si hǎ h muvz; ɖt hors canot g les ɖn ten mîlz an aur: tî hiz legz n h wl gt on. Ẃt d y ʈnc v mî gig, Mis Morḷnd? A nīt wn, z nt it? Wel huñ; tǎn-bilt; I hv nt hd it a munʈ. It wz bilt fr a Crîstćrć man, a frend v mîn, a vri gd sort v felo; h ran it a fy wīcs, tl, I b’liv, it wz cnvińnt t hv dn wɖ it. I hapnd jst ɖen t b lcñ ǎt fr sm lît ʈñ v ɖ cnd, ɖo I hd priti wel dtrmind on a curicl tù; bt I ćanst t mīt him on Mòdlin Brij, az h wz drîvñ intu Oxfd, last trm: ‘Ā! Ʈorp,’ sd h, ‘d y hapn t wont sć a litl ʈñ az ɖs? It z a capitl wn v ɖ cnd, bt I am crst tîrd v it.’ ‘Ǒ! D—,’ sd I; ‘I am yr man; ẃt d y asc?’ N hǎ mć d y ʈnc h dd, Mis Morḷnd?”
“I am śr I canot ges at ol.”
“Curicl-huñ, y si; sīt, trunc, sordces, splaśñbord, lamps, silvr moldñ, ol y si cmplit; ɖ aynwrc az gd az ny, or betr. H asct fifti giniz; I clozd wɖ him d’recli, ʈrù dǎn ɖ muni, n ɖ carij wz mîn.”
“N I am śr,” sd Caʈrin, “I nǒ so litl v sć ʈñz ɖt I canot juj ẃɖr it wz ćīp or dir.”
“Nɖr wn nr t’uɖr; I mt hv got it fr les, I der se; bt I het haglñ, n pur Frīmn wontd caś.”
“Ɖt wz vri gd-nećrd v y,” sd Caʈrin, qt plizd.
“Ǒ! D—— it, ẃn wn hz ɖ mīnz v dwñ a cînd ʈñ bî a frend, I het t b pitifl.”
An inqîri nǎ tc ples intu ɖ intndd muvmnts v ɖ yuñ lediz; n, on fîndñ ẃiɖr ɖe wr gwñ, it wz dsîdd ɖt ɖ jntlṃn śd acumṗni ɖm t Edgr’z Bildñz, n pe ɖer rspcts t Msz Ʈorp. Jemz n Iẓbela léd ɖ we; n so wel saṭsfaid wz ɖ latr wɖ hr lot, so cntntidli wz ś indevrñ t enśur a pleznt wōc t him hu bròt ɖ dubl rcmndeśn v biyñ hr bruɖr’z frend, n hr frend’z bruɖr, so pyr n unc̣cétiś wr hr fīlñz, ɖt, ɖo ɖe oṿtc n pást ɖ tū ofndñ yuñ men in Milsm Strīt, ś wz so far fṛm sīcñ t atract ɖer notis, ɖt ś lct bac at ɖm onli ʈri tîmz.
Jon Ʈorp cept v cors wɖ Caʈrin, n, aftr a fy minits’ sîḷns, rnyd ɖ convseśn abt hiz gig. “Y wl fînd, hvr, Mis Morḷnd, it wd b recnd a ćīp ʈñ bî sm ppl, fr I mt hv sold it fr ten giniz mor ɖ nxt de; Jacsn, v Orịl, bid m sixti at wns; Morḷnd wz wɖ m at ɖ tîm.”
“Yes,” sd Morḷnd, hu oṿhŕd ɖs; “bt y fget ɖt yr hors wz includd.”
“Mî hors! Ǒ, d—— it! I wd nt sel mî hors fr a hundṛd. R y fond v an opn carij, Mis Morḷnd?”
“Yes, vri; I hv hardli evr an oṗtyṇti v biyñ in wn; bt I am ptiklrli fond v it.”
“I am glad v it; I wl drîv y ǎt in mîn evri de.”
“Ʈanc y,” sd Caʈrin, in sm dstres, fṛm a dǎt v ɖ pṛprayti v axptñ sć an ofr.
“I wl drîv y p Lanzdǎn Hil tmro.”
“Ʈanc y; bt wl nt yr hors wont rest?”
“Rest! H hz onli cm ʈri n twenti mîlz tde; ol nonsns; nʈñ ruinz horsz so mć az rest; nʈñ nocs ɖm p so sn. No, no; I śl x’sîz mîn at ɖ aṿrij v for aurz evri de ẃl I am hir.”
“Śl y indd!” sd Caʈrin vri sirịsli. “Ɖt wl b forti mîlz a de.”
“Forti! Ai, fifti, fr ẃt I cer. Wel, I wl drîv y p Lanzdǎn tmro; mînd, I am ingejd.”
“Hǎ dlîtfl ɖt wl b!” craid Iẓbela, trnñ rnd. “Mî dirist Caʈrin, I qt envi y; bt I am afreid, bruɖr, y wl nt hv rūm fr a ʈrd.”
“A ʈrd indd! No, no; I dd nt cm t Baʈ t drîv mî sistrz abt; ɖt wd b a gd jǒc, feʈ! Morḷnd mst tec cer v y.”
Ɖs bròt on a daylog v sviḷtiz btwn ɖ uɖr tū; bt Caʈrin hŕd nɖr ɖ ptiklrz nr ɖ rzult. Hr cmpańn’z discors nǎ sunc fṛm its hiɖrtu aṇmetd pić t nʈñ mor ɖn a śort dsîsv sntns v prêz or condmneśn on ɖ fes v evri wmn ɖe met; n Caʈrin, aftr liṣnñ n agriyñ az loñ az ś cd, wɖ ol ɖ sviḷti n defṛns v ɖ yʈfl fīmel mînd, firfl v haẓdñ an opińn v its ǒn in opziśn t ɖt v a slf-aśurd man, ispeśli ẃr ɖ byti v hr ǒn sx z cnsrnd, vnćrd at leñʈ t vẹri ɖ subjict bî a qsćn ẃć hd bn loñ uṗmost in hr ʈts; it wz, “Hv y evr réd Ūdolfo, Mr Ʈorp?”
“Ūdolfo! Ǒ, Lord! Nt I; I nvr rīd novlz; I hv smʈñ els t d.”
Caʈrin, humbld n aśemd, wz gwñ t apoḷjîz fr hr qsćn, bt h privntd hr bî seyñ, “Novlz r ol so fl v nonsns n stuf; ɖr hz nt bn a tolṛbli dīsnt wn cm ǎt sins Tom Jǒnz, xpt Ɖ Munc; I réd ɖt t’uɖr de; bt az fr ol ɖ uɖrz, ɖe r ɖ styṗdist ʈñz in crieśn.”
“I ʈnc y mst lîc Ūdolfo, f y wr t rīd it; it z so vri inṭrestñ.”
“Nt I, feʈ! No, f I rīd eni, it śl b Msz Radclif’s; hr novlz r aḿzñ inuf; ɖe r wrʈ rīdñ; sm fun n nećr in ɖm.”
“Ūdolfo wz ritn bî Msz Radclif,” sd Caʈrin, wɖ sm hezteśn, fṛm ɖ fir v morṭfayñ him.
“No śr; wz it? Ai, I rmembr, so it wz; I wz ʈncñ v ɖt uɖr stypid bc, ritn bî ɖt wmn ɖe mc sć a fus abt, ś hu marid ɖ Frenć emigṛnt.”
“I s’poz y mīn Cmila?”
“Yes, ɖt’s ɖ bc; sć uņaćṛl stuf! An old man pleyñ at si-sw, I tc p ɖ frst volym wns n lct it ovr, bt I sn faund it wd nt d; indd I gést ẃt sort v stuf it mst b bfr I sw it: az sn az I hŕd ś hd marid an emigṛnt, I wz śr I śd nvr b ebl t gt ʈru it.”
“I hv nvr réd it.”
“Y hd no los, I aśur y; it z ɖ hoṛdist nonsns y cn imajn; ɖr z nʈñ in ɖ wrld in it bt an old man’z pleyñ at si-sw n lrnñ Latin; upn mî soul ɖr z nt.”
Ɖs cṛtīc, ɖ justnis v ẃć wz unforćṇtli lost on pur Caʈrin, bròt ɖm t ɖ dor v Msz Ʈorp’s lojñz, n ɖ fīlñz v ɖ dsrnñ n unpreɉdist rīdr v Cmila gev we t ɖ fīlñz v ɖ dytifl n afx́ṇt sun, az ɖe met Msz Ʈorp, hu hd dscraid ɖm fṛm abv, in ɖ pasij. “Ā, Muɖr! Hǎ d y d?” sd h, gvñ hr a harti śec v ɖ hand. “Ẃr dd y gt ɖt qiz v a hat? It mcs y lc lîc an old wić. Hir z Morḷnd n I cm t ste a fy dez wɖ y, so y mst lc ǎt fr a cupl v gd bedz smẃr nir.” N ɖs adres sīmd t saṭsfî ol ɖ fondist wśz v ɖ muɖr’z hart, fr ś rsivd him wɖ ɖ most dlîtd n xultñ afx́n. On hiz tū yungr sistrz h ɖen bstod an īql porśn v hiz fṛtrnl tndrnis, fr h asct ć v ɖm hǎ ɖe dd, n obzrvd ɖt ɖe bʈ lct vri ugli.
Ɖz manrz dd nt plīz Caʈrin; bt h wz Jemz’z frend n Iẓbela’z bruɖr; n hr jujmnt wz frɖr bòt of bî Iẓbela’z aśurñ hr, ẃn ɖe wɖdru t si ɖ ny hat, ɖt Jon ʈt hr ɖ most ćarmñ grl in ɖ wrld, n bî Jon’z ingejñ hr bfr ɖe partd t dans wɖ him ɖt īvnñ. Hd ś bn oldr or venr, sć atacs mt hv dn litl; bt, ẃr yʈ n difidns r ynîtd, it rqîrz uncomn stedinis v rīzn t rzist ɖ atrax́n v biyñ cōld ɖ most ćarmñ grl in ɖ wrld, n v biyñ so vri rli ingejd az a partnr; n ɖ consiqns wz ɖt, ẃn ɖ tū Morḷndz, aftr sitñ an aur wɖ ɖ Ʈorps, set of t wōc tgɖr t Mr Aḷn’z, n Jemz, az ɖ dor wz clozd on ɖm, sd, “Wel, Caʈrin, hǎ d y lîc mî frend Ʈorp?” instd v anṣrñ, az ś probbli wd hv dn, hd ɖr bn no frendśp n no flaṭri in ɖ ces, “I d nt lîc him at ol,” ś d’recli rplaid, “I lîc him vri mć; h sīmz vri agriybl.”
“H z az gd-nećrd a felo az evr livd; a litl v a ratl; bt ɖt wl rec̣mnd him t yr sx, I b’liv: n hǎ d y lîc ɖ rest v ɖ faṃli?”
“Vri, vri mć indd: Iẓbela ptiklrli.”
“I am vri glad t hír y se so; ś z jst ɖ cnd v yuñ wmn I cd wś t si y ataćt t; ś hz so mć gd sns, n z so ʈuṛli un’fctd n emịbl; I olwz wontd y t nǒ hr; n ś sīmz vri fond v y. Ś sd ɖ hîist ʈñz in yr prêz ɖt cd poṣbli b; n ɖ prêz v sć a grl az Mis Ʈorp īvn y, Caʈrin,” tecñ hr hand wɖ afx́n, “me b prǎd v.”
“Indd I am,” ś rplaid; “I luv hr xidñli, n am dlîtd t fînd ɖt y lîc hr tù. Y hardli mnśnd enʈñ v hr ẃn y rout t m aftr yr vizit ɖr.”
“Bcz I ʈt I śd sn si y mslf. I hop y wl b a gret dīl tgɖr ẃl y r in Baʈ. Ś z a most emịbl grl; sć a s’pirịr unḍstandñ! Hǎ fond ol ɖ faṃli r v hr; ś z evidntli ɖ jenṛl fevrit; n hǎ mć ś mst b admîrd in sć a ples az ɖs—z nt ś?”
“Yes, vri mć indd, I fansi; Mr Aḷn ʈncs hr ɖ pritiist grl in Baʈ.”
“I der se h dz; n I d nt nǒ eni man hu z a betr juj v byti ɖn Mr Aḷn. I nīd nt asc y ẃɖr y r hapi hir, mî dir Caʈrin; wɖ sć a cmpańn n frend az Iẓbela Ʈorp, it wd b imposbl fr y t b uɖwz; n ɖ Aḷnz, I am śr, r vri cînd t y?”
“Yes, vri cînd; I nvr wz so hapi bfr; n nǎ y r cm it wl b mor dlîtfl ɖn evr; hǎ gd it z v y t cm so far on prṗs t si m.”
Jemz axptd ɖs tribyt v grattyd, n qoḷfaid hiz conśns fr axptñ it tù, bî seyñ wɖ prfict sinseṛti, “Indd, Caʈrin, I luv y dirli.”
Inqîriz n cḿṇceśnz cnsrnñ bruɖrz n sistrz, ɖ sićueśn v sm, ɖ groʈ v ɖ rest, n uɖr faṃli matrz nǎ pást btwn ɖm, n cntinyd, wɖ onli wn smōl dgreśn on Jemz’z part, in prêz v Mis Ʈorp, tl ɖe rīćt Pŭltni Strīt, ẃr h wz welcmd wɖ gret cîndnis bî Mr n Msz Aḷn, invîtd bî ɖ formr t dîn wɖ ɖm, n sumnd bî ɖ latr t ges ɖ prîs n wei ɖ merits v a ny muf n tipit. A priingejmnt in Edgr’z Bildñz privntd hiz axptñ ɖ invteśn v wn frend, n oblîjd him t huri awe az sn az h hd saṭsfaid ɖ dmandz v ɖ uɖr. Ɖ tîm v ɖ tū partiz ynîtñ in ɖ Octgn Rūm biyñ c’recli ajustd, Caʈrin wz ɖen left t ɖ lux̣́ri v a rezd, restlis, n frîtnd imaɉneśn ovr ɖ pejz v Ūdolfo, lost fṛm ol wrldli cnsrnz v dresñ n dinr, inceṗbl v suɖñ Msz Aḷn’z firz on ɖ dle v an xpctd dres-mcr, n hvñ onli wn minit in sixti t bsto īvn on ɖ rflex́n v hr ǒn f’liṣti, in biyñ olrdi ingejd fr ɖ īvnñ.
