Ɖ progres v Caʈrin’z unhapinis fṛm ɖ ivnts v ɖ īvnñ wz az foloz. It apird frst in a jenṛl dșaṭsfax́n wɖ evrbdi abt hr, ẃl ś rmend in ɖ rūmz, ẃć spīḍli bròt on cnsidṛbl wirinis n a vayḷnt dzîr t g hom. Ɖs, on arîvñ in Pŭltni Strīt, tc ɖ d’rex́n v xtrordnri hungr, n ẃn ɖt wz apizd, ćenjd intu an ŕnist loññ t b in bed; sć wz ɖ xtrim pônt v hr dstres; fr ẃn ɖr ś imījtli fél intu a sǎnd slīp ẃć lastd nîn aurz, n fṛm ẃć ś awoc prf̣cli rvîvd, in xḷnt spirits, wɖ freś hops n freś scīmz. Ɖ frst wś v hr hart wz t impruv hr aqentns wɖ Mis Tilni, n olmst hr frst reẓluśn, t sīc hr fr ɖt prṗs, in ɖ pumprūm at nūn. In ɖ pumprūm, wn so nyli arîvd in Baʈ mst b met wɖ, n ɖt bildñ ś hd olrdi faund so fevṛbl fr ɖ dscuṿri v fīmel xḷns, n ɖ cmpliśn v fīmel intiṃsi, so admṛbli adaptd fr sīcrit dscorsz n unliṃtd confidns, ɖt ś wz most rīzṇbli incurijd t xpct anɖr frend fṛm wɖn its wōlz. Hr plan fr ɖ mornñ ɖus setld, ś sat qaytli dǎn t hr bc aftr brecfst, rzolvñ t rmen in ɖ sem ples n ɖ sem implômnt tl ɖ cloc struc wn; n fṛm habityd vri litl inc̣modd bî ɖ rmarcs n ijakleśnz v Msz Aḷn, huz vecnsi v mînd n inc̣paṣti fr ʈncñ wr sć, ɖt az ś nvr tōct a gret dīl, so ś cd nvr b intîrli sîḷnt; n, ɖrfr, ẃl ś sat at hr wrc, f ś lost hr nīdl or brouc hr ʈred, f ś hŕd a carij in ɖ strīt, or sw a spec upn hr gǎn, ś mst obzrv it alǎd, ẃɖr ɖr wr enwn at leźr t ansr hr or nt. At abt haf past twelv, a rmarcbli lǎd rap drù hr in hest t ɖ windo, n scersli hd ś tîm t inform Caʈrin v ɖr biyñ tū opn caṛjz at ɖ dor, in ɖ frst onli a srvnt, hr bruɖr drîvñ Mis Ʈorp in ɖ secnd, bfr Jon Ʈorp cem runñ upsterz, cōlñ ǎt, “Wel, Mis Morḷnd, hir I am. Hv y bn wêtñ loñ? W cd nt cm bfr; ɖ old devl v a coć-mcr wz sć an itrṇti fîndñ ǎt a ʈñ fit t b got intu, n nǎ it z ten ʈǎznd t wn bt ɖe brec dǎn bfr w r ǎt v ɖ strīt. Hǎ d y d, Msz Aḷn? A feṃs bōl last nît, wz nt it? Cm, Mis Morḷnd, b qc, fr ɖ uɖrz r in a cnfǎndd huri t b of. Ɖe wont t gt ɖer tumbl ovr.”
“Ẃt d y mīn?” sd Caʈrin. “Ẃr r y ol gwñ t?”
“Gwñ t? Ẃ, y hv nt fgot ǎr ingejmnt! Dd nt w agri tgɖr t tec a drîv ɖs mornñ? Ẃt a hed y hv! W r gwñ p Claṿtn Dǎn.”
“Smʈñ wz sd abt it, I rmembr,” sd Caʈrin, lcñ at Msz Aḷn fr hr opińn; “bt riyli I dd nt xpct y.”
“Nt xpct m! Ɖt’s a gd wn! N ẃt a dust y wd hv md, f I hd nt cm.”
Caʈrin’z sîḷnt apil t hr frend, mnẃl, wz intîrli ʈroun awe, fr Msz Aḷn, nt biyñ at ol in ɖ habit v cnveyñ eni xpreśn hrslf bî a lc, wz nt awer v its biyñ evr intndd bî enbdi els; n Caʈrin, huz dzîr v siyñ Mis Tilni agn cd at ɖt momnt ber a śort dle in fevr v a drîv, n hu ʈt ɖr cd b no impṛprayti in hr gwñ wɖ Mr Ʈorp, az Iẓbela wz gwñ at ɖ sem tîm wɖ Jemz, wz ɖrfr oblîjd t spīc plenr. “Wel, mām, ẃt d y se t it? Cn y sper m fr an aur or tū? Śl I g?”
“D jst az y plīz, mî dir,” rplaid Msz Aḷn, wɖ ɖ most plasid indifṛns. Caʈrin tc ɖ advîs, n ran of t gt redi. In a vri fy minits ś ri’pird, hvñ scersli alaud ɖ tū uɖrz tîm inuf t gt ʈru a fy śort sntnsz in hr prêz, aftr Ʈorp hd pṛkrd Msz Aḷn’z adṃreśn v hiz gig; n ɖen rsivñ hr frend’z partñ gd wśz, ɖe bʈ hurid dǎnsterz. “Mî dirist crīćr,” craid Iẓbela, t hūm ɖ dyti v frendśp imījtli cōld hr bfr ś cd gt intu ɖ carij, “y hv bn at līst ʈri aurz gtñ redi. I wz afreid y wr il. Ẃt a dlîtfl bōl w hd last nît. I hv a ʈǎznd ʈñz t se t y; bt mc hest n gt in, fr I loñ t b of.”
Caʈrin foloud hr ordrz n trnd awe, bt nt tù sn t hír hr frend xclem alǎd t Jemz, “Ẃt a swīt grl ś z! I qt dǒt on hr.”
“Y wl nt b frîtnd, Mis Morḷnd,” sd Ʈorp, az h handd hr in, “f mî hors śd dans abt a litl at frst setñ of. H wl, most lîcli, gv a plunj or tū, n phps tec ɖ rest fr a minit; bt h wl sn nǒ hiz mastr. H z fl v spirits, plêfl az cn b, bt ɖr z no vîs in him.”
Caʈrin dd nt ʈnc ɖ portrit a vri invîtñ wn, bt it wz tù lêt t rtrit, n ś wz tù yuñ t ǒn hrslf frîtnd; so, rzînñ hrslf t hr fet, n trustñ t ɖ animl’z bostd nolij v its ǒnr, ś sat pīṣbli dǎn, n sw Ʈorp sit dǎn bî hr. Evrʈñ biyñ ɖen arenjd, ɖ srvnt hu std at ɖ hors’z hed wz bid in an importnt vôs “t let him g,” n of ɖe wnt in ɖ qaytist manr imajṇbl, wɖǎt a plunj or a cepr, or enʈñ lîc wn. Caʈrin, dlîtd at so hapi an iscep, spouc hr pleźr alǎd wɖ gretfl s’prîz; n hr cmpańn imījtli md ɖ matr prf̣cli simpl bî aśurñ hr ɖt it wz intîrli owñ t ɖ pkłrli jdiśs manr in ẃć h hd ɖen hld ɖ reinz, n ɖ snğlr dsrnmnt n dxteṛti wɖ ẃć h hd d’rectd hiz ẃip. Caʈrin, ɖo ś cd nt hlp wunḍrñ ɖt wɖ sć prfict cmand v hiz hors, h śd ʈnc it nesṣri t alarm hr wɖ a rleśn v its trics, cngraćletd hrslf s’nsirli on biyñ undr ɖ cer v so xḷnt a coćmn; n psivñ ɖt ɖ animl cntinyd t g on in ɖ sem qayt manr, wɖǎt śowñ ɖ smōlist pṛpnṣti twdz eni unpleznt vivaṣti, n (cnsidrñ its inevitbl pes wz ten mîlz an aur) bî no mīnz alarmñli fast, gev hrslf p t ol ɖ injômnt v er n x’sîz v ɖ most inviġretñ cnd, in a fîn mîld de v Febrri, wɖ ɖ conśsnis v sefti. A sîḷns v sevṛl minits s’xidd ɖer frst śort daylog; it wz brocn bî Ʈorp’s seyñ vri abrupli, “Old Aḷn z az rić az a Ju—z nt h?” Caʈrin dd nt unḍstand him—n h rpitd hiz qsćn, adñ in xpḷneśn, “Old Aḷn, ɖ man y r wɖ.”
“Ǒ! Mr Aḷn, y mīn. Yes, I b’liv, h z vri rić.”
“N no ćildṛn at ol?”
“No—nt eni.”
“A feṃs ʈñ fr hiz nxt érz. H z yr godfaɖr, z nt h?”
“Mî godfaɖr! No.”
“Bt y r olwz vri mć wɖ ɖm.”
“Yes, vri mć.”
“Ai, ɖt z ẃt I mnt. H sīmz a gd cnd v old felo inuf, n hz livd vri wel in hiz tîm, I der se; h z nt gǎti fr nʈñ. Dz h drinc hiz botl a de nǎ?”
“Hiz botl a de! No. Ẃ śd y ʈnc v sć a ʈñ? H z a vri tmpṛt man, n y cd nt fansi him in lícr last nît?”
“Lord hlp y! Y wimin r olwz ʈncñ v men’z biyñ in lícr. Ẃ, y d nt s’poz a man z oṿset bî a botl? I am śr v ɖs—ɖt f evrbdi wz t drinc ɖer botl a de, ɖr wd nt b haf ɖ dsordrz in ɖ wrld ɖr r nǎ. It wd b a feṃs gd ʈñ fr s ol.”
“I canot b’liv it.”
“Ǒ! Lord, it wd b ɖ sevñ v ʈǎzndz. Ɖr z nt ɖ hundṛdʈ part v ɖ wîn cnsymd in ɖs cñdm ɖt ɖr òt t b. Ǎr fogi clîṃt wonts hlp.”
“N yt I hv hŕd ɖt ɖr z a gret dīl v wîn drunc in Oxfd.”
“Oxfd! Ɖr z no drincñ at Oxfd nǎ, I aśur y. Nbdi drincs ɖr. Y wd hardli mīt wɖ a man hu gz bynd hiz for pînts at ɖ utmost. Nǎ, fr instns, it wz recnd a rmarcbl ʈñ, at ɖ last parti in mî rūmz, ɖt upn an aṿrij w clird abt fîv pînts a hed. It wz lct upn az smʈñ ǎt v ɖ comn we. Mîn z feṃs gd stuf, t b śr. Y wd nt ofn mīt wɖ enʈñ lîc it in Oxfd—n ɖt me acǎnt fr it. Bt ɖs wl jst gv y a nośn v ɖ jenṛl ret v drincñ ɖr.”
“Yes, it dz gv a nośn,” sd Caʈrin wormli, “n ɖt z, ɖt y ol drinc a gret dīl mor wîn ɖn I ʈt y dd. Hvr, I am śr Jemz dz nt drinc so mć.”
Ɖs decḷreśn bròt on a lǎd n oṿpǎrñ rplî, v ẃć no part wz vri dstñt, xpt ɖ frīqnt xcḷmeśnz, amǎntñ olmst t oɖz, ẃć adornd it, n Caʈrin wz left, ẃn it endd, wɖ rɖr a streñʈnd b’lif v ɖr biyñ a gret dīl v wîn drunc in Oxfd, n ɖ sem hapi cnvix́n v hr bruɖr’z cmpaṛtiv sbrayti.
Ʈorp’s îdiyz ɖen ol rvrtd t ɖ merits v hiz ǒn eqpij, n ś wz cōld on t admîr ɖ spirit n frīdm wɖ ẃć hiz hors muvd alñ, n ɖ īz ẃć hiz pesz, az wel az ɖ xḷns v ɖ sprñz, gev ɖ mośn v ɖ carij. Ś foloud him in ol hiz adṃreśn az wel az ś cd. T g bfr or bynd him wz imposbl. Hiz nolij n hr ignṛns v ɖ subjict, hiz r’pidti v xpreśn, n hr difidns v hrslf pt ɖt ǎt v hr pǎr; ś cd strîc ǎt nʈñ ny in comndeśn, bt ś reḍli ecoud ẃtvr h ćouz t asrt, n it wz fîṇli setld btwn ɖm wɖǎt eni dificlti ɖt hiz eqpij wz oltgɖr ɖ most cmplit v its cnd in Ñgḷnd, hiz carij ɖ nītist, hiz hors ɖ bst gwr, n himslf ɖ bst coćmn. “Y d nt riyli ʈnc, Mr Ʈorp,” sd Caʈrin, vnćrñ aftr sm tîm t cnsidr ɖ matr az intîrli dsîdd, n t ofr sm litl verieśn on ɖ subjict, “ɖt Jemz’z gig wl brec dǎn?”
“Brec dǎn! Ǒ! Lord! Dd y evr si sć a litl tițupi ʈñ in yr lîf? Ɖr z nt a sǎnd pìs v ayn abt it. Ɖ ẃīlz hv bn ferli wòrn ǎt ɖz ten yirz at līst—n az fr ɖ bodi! Upn mî soul, y mt śec it t pìsz yrslf wɖ a tuć. It z ɖ most deṿliś litl ric̣ti biznis I evr bheld! Ʈanc God! w hv got a betr. I wd nt b baund t g tū mîlz in it fr fifti ʈǎznd pǎndz.”
“Gd hevnz!” craid Caʈrin, qt frîtnd. “Ɖen pre let s trn bac; ɖe wl srtnli mīt wɖ an axidnt f w g on. D let s trn bac, Mr Ʈorp; stop n spīc t mî bruɖr, n tel him hǎ vri unsef it z.”
“Unsef! Ǒ, lord! Ẃt z ɖr in ɖt? Ɖe wl onli gt a rol f it dz brec dǎn; n ɖr z plenti v drt; it wl b xḷnt fōlñ. Ǒ, crs it! Ɖ carij z sef inuf, f a man nz hǎ t drîv it; a ʈñ v ɖt sort in gd handz wl last abv twenti yirz aftr it z ferli wòrn ǎt. Lord bles y! I wd unḍtec fr fîv pǎndz t drîv it t Yorc n bac agn, wɖǎt luzñ a nêl.”
Caʈrin lisnd wɖ astoniśmnt; ś ń nt hǎ t recnsîl tū sć vri difṛnt acǎnts v ɖ sem ʈñ; fr ś hd nt bn bròt p t unḍstand ɖ pṛpnṣtiz v a ratl, nr t nǒ t hǎ mni îdl asrśnz n impydnt fōlshdz ɖ xes v vaṇti wl līd. Hr ǒn faṃli wr plen, matr-v-fact ppl hu sldm emd at wit v eni cnd; hr faɖr, at ɖ utmost, biyñ cntntd wɖ a pun, n hr muɖr wɖ a provrb; ɖe wr nt in ɖ habit ɖrfr v telñ lîz t incris ɖer importns, or v asrtñ at wn momnt ẃt ɖe wd contṛdict ɖ nxt. Ś rflectd on ɖ afer fr sm tîm in mć pplex̣ti, n wz mor ɖn wns on ɖ pônt v rqstñ fṛm Mr Ʈorp a clirr insît intu hiz riyl opińn on ɖ subjict; bt ś ćect hrslf, bcz it apird t hr ɖt h dd nt xel in gvñ ɖoz clirr insîts, in mcñ ɖoz ʈñz plen ẃć h hd bfr md ambigẏs; n, jônñ t ɖs, ɖ cnsiḍreśn ɖt h wd nt riyli sufr hiz sistr n hiz frend t b xpozd t a denjr fṛm ẃć h mt īẓli prizrv ɖm, ś cncludd at last ɖt h mst nǒ ɖ carij t b in fact prf̣cli sef, n ɖrfr wd alarm hrslf no longr. Bî him ɖ hol matr sīmd intîrli fgotn; n ol ɖ rest v hiz convseśn, or rɖr tōc, bgan n endd wɖ himslf n hiz ǒn cnsrnz. H tld hr v horsz ẃć h hd bòt fr a trîfl n sold fr incredibl sumz; v rêsñmaćz, in ẃć hiz jujmnt hd infaḷbli fōrtold ɖ winr; v śūtñpartiz, in ẃć h hd cild mor brdz (ɖo wɖǎt hvñ wn gd śot) ɖn ol hiz cmpańnz tgɖr; n dscrîbd t hr sm feṃs de’z sport, wɖ ɖ foxhǎndz, in ẃć hiz fōrsît n scil in d’rectñ ɖ dogz hd rperd ɖ mstecs v ɖ most xpirịnst huntsmn, n in ẃć ɖ boldnis v hiz rîdñ, ɖo it hd nvr indenjrd hiz ǒn lîf fr a momnt, hd bn constntli līdñ uɖrz intu dificltiz, ẃć h cāmli cncludd hd brocn ɖ necs v mni.
Litl az Caʈrin wz in ɖ habit v jujñ fr hrslf, n unfixt az wr hr jenṛl nośnz v ẃt men òt t b, ś cd nt intîrli rpres a dǎt, ẃl ś bōr wɖ ɖ ifyźnz v hiz endlis cnsit, v hiz biyñ oltgɖr cmplitli agriybl. It wz a bold s’mîz, fr h wz Iẓbela’z bruɖr; n ś hd bn aśurd bî Jemz ɖt hiz manrz wd rec̣mnd him t ol hr sx; bt in spît v ɖs, ɖ xtrim wirinis v hiz cumṗni, ẃć crept ovr hr bfr ɖe hd bn ǎt an aur, n ẃć cntinyd unsīsñli t incris tl ɖe stopt in Pŭltni Strīt agn, indyst hr, in sm smōl dgri, t rzist sć hî oʈoṛti, n t dstrust hiz pǎrz v gvñ yṇvrsl pleźr.
Ẃn ɖe arîvd at Msz Aḷn’z dor, ɖ astoniśmnt v Iẓbela wz hardli t b xprest, on fîndñ ɖt it wz tù lêt in ɖ de fr ɖm t atnd hr frend intu ɖ hǎs: “Past ʈri o’cloc!” It wz incnsivbl, incredibl, imposbl! N ś wd nɖr b’liv hr ǒn woć, nr hr bruɖr’z, nr ɖ srvnt’s; ś wd b’liv no aśuṛns v it fǎndd on rīzn or riaḷti, tl Morḷnd pṛdyst hiz woć, n aṣtend ɖ fact; t hv dǎtd a momnt longr ɖen wd hv bn īqli incnsivbl, incredibl, n imposbl; n ś cd onli protst, ovr n ovr agn, ɖt no tū aurz n a haf hd evr gn of so swiftli bfr, az Caʈrin wz cōld on t cnfrm; Caʈrin cd nt tel a fōlshd īvn t plīz Iẓbela; bt ɖ latr wz sperd ɖ miẓri v hr frend’z dsntñ vôs, bî nt wêtñ fr hr ansr. Hr ǒn fīlñz intîrli ingrost hr; hr rećidnis wz most akt on fîndñ hrslf oblîjd t g d’recli hom. It wz ejz sins ś hd hd a momnt’s convseśn wɖ hr dirist Caʈrin; n, ɖo ś hd sć ʈǎzndz v ʈñz t se t hr, it apird az f ɖe wr nvr t b tgɖr agn; so, wɖ smîlz v most xqizit miẓri, n ɖ lafñ î v utr dspondnsi, ś bad hr frend ady n wnt on.
Caʈrin faund Msz Aḷn jst rtrnd fṛm ol ɖ bizi îdlnis v ɖ mornñ, n wz imījtli grītd wɖ, “Wel, mî dir, hir y r,” a truʈ ẃć ś hd no gretr incḷneśn ɖn pǎr t dspyt; “n I hop y hv hd a pleznt e’rñ?”
“Yes, mām, I ʈanc y; w cd nt hv hd a nîsr de.”
“So Msz Ʈorp sd; ś wz vastli plizd at yr ol gwñ.”
“Y hv sìn Msz Ʈorp, ɖen?”
“Yes, I wnt t ɖ pumprūm az sn az y wr gn, n ɖr I met hr, n w hd a gret dīl v tōc tgɖr. Ś sz ɖr wz hardli eni vīl t b got at marcit ɖs mornñ, it z so uncomnli scers.”
“Dd y si enbdi els v ǎr aqentns?”
“Yes; w agrìd t tec a trn in ɖ Cresnt, n ɖr w met Msz Hȳz, n Mr n Mis Tilni wōcñ wɖ hr.”
“Dd y indd? N dd ɖe spīc t y?”
“Yes, w wōct alñ ɖ Cresnt tgɖr fr haf an aur. Ɖe sīm vri agriybl ppl. Mis Tilni wz in a vri priti spotd muzlin, n I fansi, bî ẃt I cn lrn, ɖt ś olwz dresz vri hansmli. Msz Hȳz tōct t m a gret dīl abt ɖ faṃli.”
“N ẃt dd ś tel y v ɖm?”
“Ǒ! A vast dīl indd; ś hardli tōct v enʈñ els.”
“Dd ś tel y ẃt part v Glostrśr ɖe cm fṛm?”
“Yes, ś dd; bt I canot rec̣lect nǎ. Bt ɖe r vri gd cnd v ppl, n vri rić. Msz Tilni wz a Mis Druṃnd, n ś n Msz Hȳz wr scūlfeloz; n Mis Druṃnd hd a vri larj fortyn; n, ẃn ś marid, hr faɖr gev hr twenti ʈǎznd pǎndz, n fîv hundṛd t bai wedñcloɖz. Msz Hȳz sw ol ɖ cloɖz aftr ɖe cem fṛm ɖ wérhǎs.”
“N r Mr n Msz Tilni in Baʈ?”
“Yes, I fansi ɖe r, bt I am nt qt srtn. Upn rec̣lex́n, hvr, I hv a nośn ɖe r bʈ ded; at līst ɖ muɖr z; yes, I am śr Msz Tilni z ded, bcz Msz Hȳz tld m ɖr wz a vri bytifl set v prlz ɖt Mr Druṃnd gev hiz dōtr on hr wedñdê n ɖt Mis Tilni hz got nǎ, fr ɖe wr pt bî fr hr ẃn hr muɖr daid.”
“N z Mr Tilni, mî partnr, ɖ onli sun?”
“I canot b qt poẓtiv abt ɖt, mî dir; I hv sm îdīa h z; bt, hvr, h z a vri fîn yuñ man, Msz Hȳz sz, n lîcli t d vri wel.”
Caʈrin inqîrd no frɖr; ś hd hŕd inuf t fīl ɖt Msz Aḷn hd no riyl intelijns t gv, n ɖt ś wz most ptiklrli unforćṇt hrslf in hvñ míst sć a mītñ wɖ bʈ bruɖr n sistr. Cd ś hv fsin sć a srcmstans, nʈñ śd hv pswedd hr t g ǎt wɖ ɖ uɖrz; n, az it wz, ś cd onli l’ment hr il luc, n ʈnc ovr ẃt ś hd lost, tl it wz clir t hr ɖt ɖ drîv hd bî no mīnz bn vri pleznt n ɖt Jon Ʈorp himslf wz qt dis’griybl.
ĆAPTRZ: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31