 Chapter 39 of Can You Forgive Her. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Leanne Howlett. Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollop. Chapter 39. Mr. Cheesaker's Hospitality. As the winter wore itself away, Mr. Cheesaker, happy as he was amidst the sports of Norfolk and prosperous as he might be, with the algae and spoils of oily mead, fretted himself with an intense anxiety to bring to a close that affair which he had on his hands with the widow Greenow. There were two special dangers which disturbed him. She would give herself and all her money to that adventurer Bellfield, or else she would spend her own money so fast or hold upon it that the prize would be greatly damaged. If she hasn't been and set up a carriage, he said to himself one day, as standing on the pavement of Tumlin in Norfolk, he saw Mrs. Greenow issue forth from the clothes and a private brome, accompanied by one of the fair-stairs girls. She's been and set up her carriage as sure as my name's Cheesaker. Whatever reason he might have to fear the former danger, we may declare that he had none whatever as to the latter. Mrs. Greenow knew what she was doing with her money as well as any lady in England. The private carriage was only a hired brome, taken by the month, and as to that boy and buttons whom she had lately established, why should she not keep a young servant and call him a page if it gave her any comfort to do so? If Mr. Cheesaker had also known that she had lent the fair-stairs family fifty pounds to help them through with some difficulty which Joe had encountered with the Norfolk tradespeople, he would have been beside himself with dismay. He desired to obtain the prize unmutilated in all its fair proportions. Any such clippings he regarded as robberies against himself. But he feared Belfield more than he feared the brome. That all his fair and lovable war was no doubt at this period kept in Belfield's maxim and we can only trust that he found in it some consolation or ease to his conscience in regard to the monstrous lies which he told his friend. In war no doubt all stratagems are fair. The one general is quite justified in making the other believe that he is far to the right when in truth he is turning his enemies left flank. If successful he will be put upon a pedestal for his clever deceit and crowned with laurels because of his lie. If Belfield could only be successful and achieve for himself the mastery over those forty thousand pounds the world would forgive him in place on his brow also some not uncomfortable crown. In the meantime his stratagems were as deep and his lies as profound as those of any general. It must not be supposed that Cheesaker ever believed him. In the first place he knew that Belfield was not a man to be believed in any way. Had he not been living on lies for the last ten years but then a man may lie in such a way as to deceive though no one believe him. Mr. Cheesaker was kept in an agony of doubt while Captain Belfield occupied his lodgings in Norwick. He feed Jeanette liberally. He even feed Charlie Fairstairs, Miss Fairstairs I mean, with gloves and chickens from oily mead so that he might know whether that kite fluttered about his dove coat and of what nature were the flutterings. He went even further than this and feed the captain himself binding him down not to flutter his value given in return for such fees. He attempted even to feed the widow cautioning her against the fluttering as he tendered to her on his knees a brooch as big as a breastplate. She waved aside the breastplate declaring that the morning ring which contained poor Grinnell's final grey lock of hair was the last article from a jeweler's shop which should ever find a place about her person. At the same time she declared that Captain Belfield was nothing to her. Mr. Cheesaker need have no fears in that quarter. But then she added, neither was he to have any hope. Her affections were all buried under the cold sod. This was harassing. Nevertheless, though no absolute satisfaction was to be attained in the wooing of Mrs. Grinnell, there was a pleasantness in the occupation which ought to have reconciled her suitors to their destiny. With most ladies, when a gentleman has been on his knees before one of them without spoken protestations of love, with clearly defined proffers of marriage, with a minute inventory of the offeror's worldly wealth, down even to the mahogany furniture bed chambers as was the case with Mr. Cheesaker, and when all these overtures have been peremptorily declined, a gentleman in such a case, I say, would generally feel some awkwardness in sitting down to tea with the lady at the close of such a performance. But with Mrs. Grinnell, there was no such awkwardness. After an hour's work of the nature above described, she would play the hostess with a genial hospitality. That eased off all the annoyance of disappointment, and then at the end of the evening she would accept a squeeze of the hand, a good, palpable, long-protracted squeeze with that sort of don't-have-done-now by which Irish young ladies allure their lovers. Mr. Cheesaker, on such occasions, would leave the clothes, swearing that she should be his on the next market day or at any rate on the next Saturday. Then, on the Monday, tidings would reach him that Bellfield had passed all Sunday afternoon with his lady love. Bellfield, to whom he had lent five pounds on purpose that he might be enabled to spend that very Sunday with some officers of the Suffolk volunteers at Ipswich. And hearing this, he would walk out among those rich heaps at the back of his farmyard, uttering deep curses against the falsehood of men and the fickleness of women. Driven to despair, he at last resolved to ask Bellfield to come to Oilymead for a month. That drilling at Norwick, or the part of it which was supposed to be profitable, was wearing itself out. Funds were low with the captain, as he did not scruple to tell his friend Cheesaker, and he accepted the invitation. I'll mount you with the Harriers, old fellow, Cheesaker had said, and give you a little shooting, only I won't have you go out when I'm not with you. Bellfield agreed. Each of them understood the nature of the bargain, though Bellfield, I think, had somewhat the clearer understanding in the matter. He would not be so near the widow as he had been at Norwick, but he would not be less near than his kind host, and his host would no doubt watch him closely, but then he also could watch his host. There was a railway station not two miles from Oilymead, and the journey fence into Norwick was one half of an hour. Mr. Cheesaker would doubtless be very jealous of such journeys, but with all his jealousy, he could not prevent them. And then, in regard to this arrangement, Mr. Cheesaker paid the piper, whereas Captain Bellfield paid nothing. Would it not be sweet to him if he could carry off his friend's prize from under the very eaves of his friend's house? And Mrs. Grinnell also understood the arrangement. Going to Oilymead, are you? She said when Captain Bellfield came to tell her of his departure, Charlie Fairstairs was with her, so that the captain could not utilize the moment in any special way. It was quite delightful, continued the widow, to see how fond you two gentlemen are of each other. I think gentlemen always like to go best to gentlemen's houses where there are no ladies, said Charlie Fairstairs, whose career in life had not as yet been satisfactory to her. As for that, said Bellfield, I wish with all my heart that dear old Cheesy would get a wife. He wants a wife badly, if ever a man did, with all that houseful of blankets and crockery. Why don't you set your cap at him, Miss Fairstairs? What, at a farmer? said Charlie, who was particularly anxious that her dear friend Mrs. Grinnell should not marry Mr. Cheesaker and who weakly thought to belittle him accordingly. Give him my kind love, said Mrs. Grinnell, thereby resenting the impotent interference. And look here, Captain Bellfield, suppose you both dine with me next Saturday. He always comes in on Saturday and you might as well come too. Captain Bellfield declared that he would only be too happy. And Charlie shall come to set her cap at Mr. Cheesaker, said the widow, turning a soft and gracious eye on the Captain. I shall be happy to come, said Charlie, quite delighted, but not with that object. Mr. Cheesaker is very respectable, I'm sure. Charlie's mother had been the daughter of a small squire who had led his land to tenants, and she was therefore justified by circumstances in looking down upon a farmer. The matter was so settled, pending the consent of Mr. Cheesaker. And Bellfield went out to oily mead. He knew the ways of the house and was not surprised to find himself left alone till after dusk. Nor was he much surprised when he learned that he was not put into one of the mahogany furniture chambers but into a back room looking over the farmyard in which there was no fireplace. The Captain had already endured some of the evils of poverty and could have put up with this easily had nothing been said about it. Mr. Cheesaker brought the matter forward and apologized and made the thing difficult. You see, old fellow, he said, there are the rooms and of course they're empty, but it's such a bore hauling out all the things and putting up the curtains. You'll be very snug where you are. I shall do very well, said Bellfield rather sulkily. Of course she'll do very well. It's the warmest room in the house in one way. He did not say in what way. Perhaps the near neighborhood of the stables had a warming effect. Bellfield did not like it, but what is a poor man to do under such circumstances? So he went upstairs and washed his hands before dinner in the room without a fireplace, flattering himself that he would yet be even with his friend Cheesaker. They dined together not in the best humor and after dinner they sat down to enjoy themselves with pipes and brandy and water. Bellfield, having a taste for everything that was expensive, would have preferred cigars, rather than the table. Mr. Cheesaker, though he could spend his money liberally when occasion required such spending, knew well the value of domestic economy. He wasn't going to put himself out, as he called it, for Bellfield. What was good enough for himself was good enough for Bellfield. A beggar, you know, just a regular beggar, as he was betrayed into saying to Mrs. Grinnell on some occasion just at this period. Poor fellow, he only wants money to make him almost perfect, and Mr. Grinnell had answered and Mr. Cheesaker had felt that he had made a mistake. Both the men became talkative, if not good, under the effects of the brandy and water and the captain then communicated Mrs. Grinnell's invitation to Mr. Cheesaker. He had had his doubts as to the propriety of doing so, thinking that perhaps it might be to his advantage to forget the message. But he reflected that he was at any rate a match for Cheesaker when they were present together and finally came to the conclusion that it should be delivered. I had to go and just wish her goodbye, you know, he said apologetically as he finished his little speech. I don't see that at all, said Cheesaker. Why, my dear fellow, how foolishly jealous you are. If I were to be downright uncivil to her as you would have me be, it would only call attention to the thing. I'm not a bit jealous. A man who sense upon his own ground as I do hasn't any occasion to be jealous. I don't know what your own ground has to do with it, but we'll let that pass. I think it has a great deal to do with it. If a man doesn't tend to marry, he ought to have things comfortable about him unless he wants to live on his wife, which I look upon as about the meanest thing a man can do. By George, I'd sooner break stones in that. This was hard for any captain to bear, even for Captain Bellfield, but he did bear it, looking forward to revenge. There is no pleasing you I know, said he, but there is the fact. I went to say goodbye to her with that message. Shall we go or not? She's acre sat for some time silent, blowing out huge clouds of smoke while he meditated a little plan. I'll tell you what it is, Bellfield, he said at last. She's nothing to you, and if you won't mind it, I'll go. Mrs. Jones shall get you anything you like for dinner, and I'll stand you a bottle of the 34 port. But Captain Bellfield was not going to put up with this. She's acre's will. No old fellow, said he, that cock won't fight. She asked me to dine with her on Saturday, and I mean to go. I don't intend that she shall think that I'm afraid of her, or of you either. You don't, don't you? No, I don't, said the captain stoutly. I wish you'd pay me some of the money you owe me, said she's acre. So I will, when I've married the widow. Ha, ha, ha. She's acre long to turn him out of the house. Words to bid him go were, so to say, upon his tongue. But the man would only have taken himself to Norwick and would have gone without any embargo upon his suit. All their treaties would then be at an end. She knows a trick worth two of that, said she's acre at last. I dare say she does, and if so, why shouldn't I go and dine with her next Saturday? I'll tell you why, because you're in my way. The deuce is in it if I haven't made the whole thing clear enough. I've told you all my plans, because I thought you were my friend, and I've paid you well to help me too, and yet it seems to me you'd do anything in your power to throw me over, only you can't. What an ass you are, said the captain after a pause. Just you listen to me. That scraggly young woman Charlie Fairstairs is to be there, of course. How do you know? I tell you that I do know. She was present when the whole thing was arranged, and I never say that she would come, and for the matter of that I heard her declare that she wouldn't set her cap at you, because you're a farmer. Upon my word she's kind. Upon my word she is, said she's acre, getting very angry and very red. Charlie Fairstairs, indeed. I wouldn't pick her out of a gutter with a pair of tongs. She ain't good enough for my bailiff, let alone me. But somebody must take her in hand on Saturday What the deuce does she have that nasty creature there for, said she's acre, who thought it very hard that everything should not be arranged exactly as he would desire. She wants a companion, of course. You can get rid of Charlie, you know, when you make her miss his she's acre. Get rid of her. You don't suppose she'll ever put her foot in this house. Not if I know it. I've detested that one for the last ten years. She's acre could forgive no word of slight respecting his social position, and the idea of Miss Fairstairs having pretended to look down upon him galled him to the quick. You'll have to dine with her at any rate, said Belfield, and I always think that four are better company than three on such occasions. Mr. She's acre grunted an unwilling assent, and after this it was looked upon as an arranged thing that they too should go into Norwick on the Saturday together and that they should both dine with the widow. Indeed, Mrs. Grinnell got two notes, one from each of them accepting the invitation. The acre wrote in the singular number altogether ignoring Captain Belfield as he might have ignored his footmen had he intended to take one. The captain condescended to use the plural pronoun. We should be so happy to come, said he. Dear old Cheesy is out of his little wits with the light he added, and has already begun to polish off the effects of the farm yard. Effects of the farm yard, said Mrs. Grinnell allowed in Jeanette's hearing when she received the note. It would be well for Captain Belfield if he had a few such effects himself. You can give him enough, ma'am, said Jeanette to make him a better man than Mr. Cheesaker any day, and for a gentleman of course I say nothing, but if I was a lady I know which should be the man for me. End of Chapter 39 Recording by Leanne Howlett Chapter 40 of Can You Forgive Her This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sage Turtle Can You Forgive Her by Anthony Trollop, Chapter 40 Mrs. Grinnell's Little Dinner in the Clothes How deep and cunning are the wiles of love. When that Saturday morning arrived, not a word was said by Cheesaker to his rival as to his plans for the day. You'll take the dog cart in Captain Belfield had asked overnight. I don't know what I should do as yet. replied he who was master of the house, of the dog cart and as he fondly thought of the situation. But Belfield knew that Cheesaker must take the dog cart and was contented. His friend would leave him behind if it were possible, but Belfield would take care that it should not be possible. Before breakfast Mr. Cheesaker surreptitiously carried out into the yard a bag containing all his apparatus for dressing. His marrow oil for his hair his shirt with the wondrous worked front upon an under stratum of pink to give it color his shiny boots and all the rest of the paraphernalia. When dining in Norwich on ordinary occasions he simply washed his hands there trusting to the chambermaid at the end to find him a comb. And now he came down with his bag surreptitiously and hid it away in the back of the dog cart with secret but alas not unobserved hands hoping that Belfield would forget his toilet. But when did such a captain ever forget his outward man? Cheesaker as he returned through the kitchen from the yard into the front hall perceived another bag lying near the door apparently filled almost as well as his own. With the deuce you're going to do with all this luggage said he giving the bag a kick put it where I saw you putting yours when I opened my window just now said Belfield. Damn the window! exclaimed Cheesaker and then they sat down to breakfast. How you do hack that ham about? he said. If you ever found hams yourself you'd be more particular in cutting them. This was very bad even Belfield could not bear it with equanimity and feeling unable to eat the ham under such circumstances made his breakfast with a couple of fresh eggs. If you didn't mean to eat the meat cut it. said Cheesaker. Upon my word Cheesaker you're too bad upon my word you are. said Belfield almost sobbing. What's the matter now? said the other. Who wants your ham? You do I suppose or you wouldn't cut it. No I don't or anything else either that you've got it isn't fair to ask a fellow into your house and then say such things to him is that and it isn't what I've been accustomed to either I can tell you that Mr. Cheesaker. Oh bother. It's all very well to say bother but I choose to be treated like a gentleman wherever I go. You and I have known each other a long time and I'd put up with more from you than from anyone else but can you pay me the money that you owe me Belfield? said Cheesaker looking hard at him. No I can't. said Belfield not immediately then eat your breakfast and hold your tongue after that Captain Belfield did eat his breakfast leaving the ham however untouched and did hold his tongue vowing vengeance in his heart but the two men went into Norwich more amicably together than they would have done had there been no words between them Cheesaker felt that he had trespassed a little and therefore offered the captain a cigar as he seated himself in the cart Belfield accepted the offering and smoked the weed of peace No. said Cheesaker as he drove into the swan yard What do you mean to do with yourself all day? I shall go down to the quarters and look the fellows up All right but mind this Belfield it's an understood thing that you're not to be in the clothes before four I won't be in the clothes before four Very well that's understood if you deceive me I'll not drive you back to oily mean tonight In this instance Captain Belfield had no intention to deceive he did not think it probable but he could do himself any good by philandering about the widow early in the day she would be engaged with her dinner and with an early toilet Captain Belfield moreover had learned from experience that the first comer has not always an advantage in ladies society the mind of a woman is greedy after novelty and it is upon the stranger or upon the most strange of her slaves around her that she often smiles the sweetest the cathedral clock therefore had struck four before Captain Belfield rang Mrs. Greenow's bell and then when he was shown into the drawing room he found cheesaker there alone redolent with the marrow oil and beautiful with the pink bosom Haven't you seen her yet? asked the Captain in almost a whisper No said cheesaker sulkily nor yet charlie fair stares I've seen nobody but at this moment he was compelled to swallow his anger as Mrs. Greenow accompanied by her lady guest came into the room whoever would have expected to gentlemen to be so punctual said she especially on market day market day makes no difference when I come to see you said cheesaker putting his best foot forward while Captain Belfield contented himself with saying something civil to charlie he would bide his time and ride a waiting race the widow was almost gorgeous in her weeds I believe that she had not sinned in her dress against any of those cannons which the semi ecclesiastical authorities on widowhood have laid down as to the outward garments fitted for gentlemen's relics the materials were those which are devoted to the deepest conjugal grief as regarded every item of the written law her sati worship was carried out to the letter there was the widows cap generally so hideous so well known to the eyes of all men so odious to womanhood let us hope that such headgear may have some assuaging effect on the departed spirits of husbands there was the dress of deep clinging melancholy crepe of crepe which becomes so brown and so rusty and which makes the six months widow seem so much more afflicted a creature and her husband is just gone and whose crepe is therefore new there were the trailing weepers and the widows kerchief pin close around her neck and somewhat tightly over her bosom but there was that of genius about mrs. greeneau that she had turned every seeming disadvantage to some special prophet and had so dressed herself that though she had obeyed the law to the letter she had thrown the spirit of it to the winds her cap sat jauntily on her head so just so much of her rich brown hairs to give her the appearance of a youth to which she desired she's acre had blamed her in his heart for her private carriage but she spent more money I think on new crepe than she did on her braum it never became brown and rusty with her or formed itself into old lumpy folds or shaped itself around her like a grave cloth the written law had not interdited creneau and she loomed as a large with weeds which with her were not somber as she would do with her silks when the period of her probation should be over her weepers were bright with newness and she would waft them aside from her shoulder with an air which turned them even into auxiliaries her kerchief was fastened close around her neck and close over her bosom but jeannette well knew what she was doing as she fastened it and so did jeannette's mistress mrs. greeneau would still talk much about her husband declaring that her loss was as fresh to her wounded heart as though he on whom all her happiness had rested had left her only yesterday but yet she mistook her days frequently referring to the melancholy circumstances having taken place fifteen months ago in truth however mr. greeneau had been alive within the last nine months as everybody around her knew but if she chose to forget the exact day why should her friends or dependents remind her of it no friend or dependent did remind her of it and charlie farstairs spoke of the fifteen months with bold confidence false tongue little parasite that she was looking well said the widow in answer to some outspoken compliment from mr. cheesaker yes i'm well enough in health and i suppose i ought to be thankful that it is so but if you had buried a wife whom you had loved within the last eighteen months you would have become as indifferent as i am to all that kind of thing i never was married yet said mr. cheesaker and therefore you know nothing about it everything in the world is gay and fresh to you if i were you mr. cheesaker i would not run the risk it is hardly worth a woman's while and i suppose not a man's the sufferings are too great whereupon she pressed her handkerchief to her eyes but i mean to try all the same said cheesaker looking the lover all over as he gazed into the fair ones face i hope that you may be successful mr. cheesaker and that she may not be torn away from you early in life is dinner ready janette that's well mr. cheesaker will give your arm to miss fair stares there was no doubt as to mrs. greenow's correctness as captain belfield held or had held her majesty's commission he was clearly entitled to take the mistress of the festival down to dinner but cheesaker would not look at it in this light he would only remember that he had paid for the captain's food for some time past that the captain had been brought into norwich in his gig that the captain owed him money and ought so to say to be regarded as his property on this occasion i pay my way and that ought to give a man higher station than being a beggarly captain which i don't believe he is if all the truth was known it was thus that he took an occasion to express himself to miss fair stares on that very evening military rank is always recognized miss fair stares had replied taking mr. cheesaker's remarks as a direct slight upon herself he had taken her down to dinner and then come to her complaining that he had been injured in being called upon to do so if you were a magistrate mr. cheesaker you would have rank but i believe you are not charlie fair stares knew well what she was about mr. cheesaker had striven much to get his name put upon the commission of the piece but had failed nasty scraggle cat cheesaker said to himself as he turned away from her but belfield gained little by taking the widow down he and cheesaker replaced at the top and bottom of the table so that they might do the work of carving and the ladies sat at the sides mrs. greenow's hospitality was very good the dinner was exactly what a dinner ought to be for four persons there was soup fish a cutlet a roast a bowl and some game janette waited at table nimbly and the thing could not have been done better mrs. greenow's appetite was not injured by her grief and she so far repressed for the time all remembrance of her sorrow as to enable her to play the kind hostess to perfection under her immediate eye cheesaker was forced into a parent cordiality with his friend belfield and the captain himself took the good things which the gods provided with thankful good humor however was done at the dinner table no work got itself accomplished the widow was so accurately fair in the adjustment of her favors that even janette could not perceive to which of the two she turned with the amplest smile she talked herself and made the others talk till cheesaker became almost comfortable in spite of his jealousy and now she said as she got up to leave the room when she had taken her own glass of wine we will allow these two gentlemen hour, eh, charlie? and then we shall expect them upstairs ten minutes will be enough for us here said cheesaker who was in a hurry to utilize his time half an hour said mrs. greenow not without some little tone of command in her voice ten minutes might be enough for mr. cheesaker but ten minutes was not enough for her belfield had opened the door and it was upon him that the widow's eye glanced as she left the room cheesaker saw it and resolved to hurry I'll tell you what it is belfield he sat as he sat down mootily over the fire I won't have you coming here at all till this matter is settled you know what matter is settled said belfield filling his glass you know what matter I mean you take such a deuce of a time about it no I don't I take as little time as anybody could that other fellow has only been dead about nine months and I've got the thing in excellent what harm do I do you disturb me and you disturb her you do it on purpose you suppose I can't see I'll tell you what now if you'll go clean out of Norwich for a month I'll lend you two hundred pounds on the day she becomes mrs. cheesaker and where am I to go to you may stay at oily meat if you like that is on condition that you do stay there and he told that I hack the ham because it's not my own I'll tell you a piece of my mind cheesaker what do you mean that woman has no more idea of marrying you than she has of marrying the bishop well you feel your glass old fellow I know where the tap is if you want another bottle you may as well give it up and spend no more money on pink fronts and polished boots on her account you're a pudgy man you see and mrs. greeno doesn't like pudgy men cheesaker sat looking at him with his mouth open dumb with surprise and almost paralyzed with impotent anger what had happened during the last few hours to change so entirely the tone of his dependent captain could it be that belfield had been there during the morning and that she had accepted him you are very apology cheesaker belfield continued and then you so often smell of the farm yard of your money and your property you'd have had a better chance if you would openly talk to her of hers as I have done as it is you haven't any chance at all belfield as he spoke thus to the man opposite to him went on drinking his wine comfortably and seemed to be chuckling with glee cheesaker was so astounded so lost in amazement that the creature whom he had fed whom he had bribed with money out of his own pocket should thus turn against him that for a while he could not collect his thoughts or find his voice wherewith to make any answer it occurred to him immediately that belfield was even now at this very time staying at his house that he cheesaker was expected to drive him belfield back to oily mead to his own oily mead on that very evening and as he thought of this he almost fancied that he must be in a dream he shook himself and looked again and there sat belfield eyeing him through the bright color of a glass of port now I've told you a bit of my mind cheesy my boy continued belfield and you'll save yourself a deal of trouble and annoyance if you'll believe what I say she doesn't mean to marry you it's most probable that she'll marry me but at any rate she won't marry you you mean to pay me my money sir? said cheesaker at last finding his readyest means of attack in that quarter yes I do but when? when I've married mrs. greenow and therefore I expect your assistance in that little scheme let us drink her help we shall always be delighted to see what our house cheesy my boy and you shall be allowed to hack the hams just as much as you please you shall be made to pay for this? said cheesaker gasping with anger gasping almost more with dismay than he did with anger alright old fellow I'll pay for it with the widow's money come our half hour is nearly over shall we go upstairs? I'll expose you now don't be ill-natured will you tell me where you mean to sleep tonight captain belfield? if I sleep adoily made it will only be unconditioned that I have one of the mahogany furnitureed bedrooms you'll never put your foot in that house again you're a rascal sir come come cheesy it won't do for us to quarrel in a lady's house it wouldn't be the thing at all you're not drinking your wine you might as well take another glass and then we'll go upstairs you've left your traps adoily made not one of them you shall have till you've paid me every shilling you owe me I don't believe you've assured in the world beyond what you've got there it's lucky I brought one to change wasn't it cheesy I shouldn't have thought of it only for the hint you gave me I might as well ring the bell for Jeanette to put away the wine if you won't take any more then he rang the bell and when Jeanette came he skipped lightly upstairs into the drawing room was he here before today? said cheeseacre nodding his head at the doorway through which belfield had passed hey the captain oh dear no the captain don't come here much now not to say often by no means he's a confounded rascal oh Mr. Cheeseacre said Jeanette he is and I ain't sure that there ain't others nearly as bad as he is if you mean me Mr. Cheeseacre I do declare you're wronging me I do indeed what's the meaning of his going on in this way I don't know nothing of his ways Mr. Cheeseacre but I've been as true to you sir so I have as true as true and Jeanette put her handkerchief up to her eyes he moved to the door and then a thought occurred to him he put his hand in his trousers pocket and turning back toward the girl gave her half a crown she curtsied as she took it and then repeated her last words yes Mr. Cheeseacre as true as true Mr. Cheeseacre said nothing further but followed his enemy up to the drawing room what game is up now I wonder said Jeanette to herself when she was left alone they too will be cutting each other's throats before they've done and then my Mrs. will take the survivor but she made up her mind that Cheeseacre should be the one to have his throat cut fatally and that Bellefield should be the survivor Cheeseacre when he reached the drawing room found Bellefield sitting on the same sofa with Mrs. Greenell looking at a book of photographs which they both of them were handling together the outside rim of her widow's frill on one occasion touched the captain's whisker and as it did so the captain looked up with a gratified expression of triumph if any gentleman has ever seen the same thing under similar circumstances he will understand that Cheeseacre must have been annoyed yes said Mrs. Greenell waving her handkerchief of which little but a two inch deep border seemed to be visible Bellefield knew at once that it was not the same handkerchief which she had waved before they went down to dinner yes there he is it's so like him and then she apostrophized the cart to visit of the departed one dear Greenell dear husband when my spirit is false to thee let thine forget to visit me softly in my dreams thou was unmatched among husbands whose tender kindness was ever equal to thine whose sweet temper was ever so consistent whose menly care so all sufficient whilst the words fell from her lips her little finger was touching Bellefield's little finger as they held the book between them Charlie Fairstairs and Mr. Cheeseacre were watching her narrowly and she knew that they were watching her she was certainly a woman of great genius and of great courage Bellefield moved by the eloquence of her words looked with some interest at the photograph there was represented there before him a small gray looking insignificant old man with pig's eyes and a toothless mouth one who should never have been compelled to submit himself to the cruelty of the son's portraiture another widow even if she had kept in her book the photograph of such a husband would have scrambled it over silently would have been a shame to show it have you seen it Mr. Cheeseacre asked Mrs. Greenell it's so like him I saw it at your myth said Cheeseacre very sulkily that you did not said the lady with some dignity and not a little of rebuke in her tone simply because it was never at your myth a larger one you may have seen which I always keep and always shall keep close to my bedside not if I know it said Captain Bellefield to himself then the widow punished Mr. Cheeseacre for his sullenness by whispering a few words to the captain and Cheeseacre in his wrath turned to Charlie Fairstairs then it was said he spake out his mind about the captain's rank and was snubbed by Charlie as was told a page or two back after that coffee was brought to them and here again Cheeseacre in his ill humor allowed the captain to outmaneuver him it was the captain who put the sugar into the cups and handed them round he even handed a cup to his enemy none for me Captain Bellefield many thanks for your politeness all the same said Mr. Cheeseacre and Mrs. Greenell knew from the tone of the voice that there had been a quarrel Cheeseacre sitting then in his gloom had resolved upon one thing or I may perhaps say upon two things he had resolved that he would not leave the room that evening till Bellefield had left it and that he would get a final answer from the widow if not that night for he thought it very possible that they might both be sent away together then early after breakfast on the following morning for the present he had given up any idea of warning his time to good account he was not perhaps a coward but he had not that special courage which enables a man to fight well under adverse circumstances he had been cowed by the unexpected impertinence of his rival by the insolence of a man to whom he thought that he had obtained the power of being always himself as insolent as he pleased he could not recover his ground quickly or carry himself before his lady's eyes that he was unconscious of the wound he had received so he sat silent while Bellefield was discoursing fluently he sat in silence comforting himself with reflections on his own wealth and on the poverty of the other and promising himself a rich harvest of revenge when the moment should come in which he might tell Mrs. Greenow how absolutely that man was a beggar, a swindler and a rascal and he was astonished when an opportunity for doing so came very quickly when the clock had done striking seven Bellefield rose from his chair to go he first of all spoke a word of farewell to Ms. Fairstairs then he turned to his late host Good night, Cheesaker he said in the easiest tone in the world after that he pressed the widow's hand and whispered his adieu I thought you were saying it oily-meat said Mrs. Greenow I came from there this morning said the captain but he isn't going back there, I can tell you Mr. Cheesaker oh indeed, said Mrs. Greenow I hope there is nothing wrong all is right as a trivet said the captain and then he was off I promised mama that I would be home by seven said Charlie Fairstairs rising from her chair it cannot be supposed that she had any wish to oblige Mr. Cheesaker and therefore this movement on her part must be regarded simply as done in kindness to Mrs. Greenow she might be mistaken in supposing that Mrs. Greenow would desire to be left alone it was clear to her that in this way she could give no offence whereas it was quite possible that she might offend by remaining a little after seven Mr. Cheesaker found himself alone with the lady I'm sorry to find said she gravely that you two have quarreled Mrs. Greenow said he jumping up and becoming on a sudden full of life that man is a downright swindler oh Mr. Cheesaker he is, he'll tell you that he was an increment but I believe he was in prison all the time the captain had been arrested I think twice and thus Mr. Cheesaker justified to himself this assertion I doubt whether he ever saw a shot fired he continued he's none the worse for that but he tells such lies and then he has not a penny in the world how much do you suppose he owes me now however much it is I'm sure you are too much of a gentleman to say well yes I am said he trying to recover himself but when I asked him how he intended to pay me what do you think he said he said he pay me when he got your money my money he couldn't have said that but he did Mrs. Greenow I give you my word and honor I'll pay you when I get the widow's money he said you gentlemen have a nice way of talking about me when I am absent I never said a disrespectful word about you in my life Mrs. Greenow or thought one he does he says horrible things what horrible things Mr. Cheesaker oh I can't tell you but he does what can you expect from a man is that who to my knowledge won't have a change of clothes tomorrow except what he brought in on his back this morning where is he to get a bed tonight I don't know for I doubt whether he's got half a crown in the world poor Bellefield yes he is poor but how gracefully he carries his poverty I should call a very disgraceful Mrs. Greenow to this she made no reply and then he thought that he might begin his work Mrs. Greenow may I say Mr. Cheesaker but may I come Mrs. Greenow you know well enough by this time what it is I mean what's the use of shilly shallying shilly shallying Mr. Cheesaker I never heard such language I bid you good night now and tell you that it is time for you to be home shall you call that shilly shallying he had made a mistake in his word and repented it I beg your pardon Mrs. Greenow I do indeed I didn't mean anything offensive shilly shallying indeed there is very little shall in it I can assure you the poor man was dreadfully crestfallen so much so that the widow's heart relented and she pardoned him it was not in her nature to quarrel with people at any rate and not with her lovers I beg your pardon Mrs. Greenow said the culprit humbly it is granted said the widow but never tell a lady again that she is shilly shallying and look here Mr. Cheesaker if it should ever come to pass that you are making love to a lady in earnest I couldn't be more in earnest said he that you are making love to a lady in earnest talk to her a little more about your passion and a little less about your purse now good night but we are friends oh yes as good friends as ever Cheesaker as he drove himself home in the dark tried to console himself by thinking of the miserable plight in which Belfield would find himself at Norwich with no possessions but what he had brought into the town that day in a small bag but as he turned in at his own gate he met two figures emerging one of them was laden with a Bortmonto and the other with a hat case it's only me cheesy my boy said Belfield I've just come down by the rail to fetch my things and I'm going back to Norwich by the 920 if you've stolen anything of mine I'll have you prosecuted word cheesaker as he drove his gig up to his own door end of chapter 40 recording by sage turtle of quirky nomads dot com chapter 41 of can you forgive her this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Mary roadie can you forgive her by Anthony trollop chapter 41 a noble lord dies George Vavasor remained about four days beneath his grandfather's roof but he was not happy there himself nor did he contribute to the happiness of anyone else he remained there in great discomfort so long being unwilling to leave till an answer had been received to the request made to aunt Grinnell in order that he might insist on Kate's performance of her promise with reference to Alice if that answer should be unfavorable during these five days Kate did all in her power to induce her brother to be at any rate kind in his manner towards her father but it was in vain the squire would not be the first to be gracious and George quite as obstinate as the old man would take no steps in that direction till encouraged to do so by graciousness from the other side poor Kate entreated each of them to begin but her entreaties were of no avail he is an ill mannered cub the old man said and I was a fool to let him into the house don't mention his name to me again George argued the matter more at length Kate spoke to him of his own interest in the matter urging upon him that he might by such conduct drive the squire to exclude him altogether from the property he must do as he likes George said sulkily but for Alice's sake Kate answered the last to expect me to submit to unreasonable ill usage for the sake of money as regards myself I confess that I'm very fond of money and I'm not particularly squeamish I would do anything that a man can do to secure it but this I can't do I never injured him and I never asked him to injure himself I never attempted to borrow money from him I have never cost him a shilling when I was in the wine business he might have enabled me to make a large fortune simply by settling on me then the reversion of property which when he dies ought to be my own he was so perversely ignorant that he would make no inquiry but chose to think that I was ruining myself at the only time of my life when I was really doing well but he had a right to act as he pleased to urge Kate certainly he had but he had no right to resent my asking such a favor at his hands he was an ignorant old fool not to do it but I should never have quarreled with him on that account nature made him a fool and it wasn't his fault but I can't bring myself to kneel in the dirt before him simply because I asked for what was reasonable the two men said very little to each other they were never alone together except during that half hour after dinner in which they were supposed to drink their wine the old squire always took three glasses of port during this period and expected that his grandson would take three with him but George would drink none at all I had given up drinking wine after dinner said he when his grandfather pushed the bottle over to him I suppose you mean that you drink nothing but Claret said the squire in a tone of voice that was certainly not conciliatory I mean simply what I say said George that I have given up drinking wine after dinner the old man could not openly quarrel with his heir on such a point as that even Mr. Vavasor could not tell his grandson that he was going to the dogs because he had become temperate but nevertheless there was a fence in it and when George sat perfectly silent looking at the fire evidently determined to make no attempted conversation the offense grew and became strong what the devil's the use of your sitting there if you neither drink nor talk said the old man no use in the world that I can see said George if however I were to leave you you would abuse me for it I don't care how soon you leave me set the squire from all which it may be seen that George Vavasor's visit to the hall of his ancestors was not satisfactory on the fourth day about noon came Aunt Greenhouse reply dearest Kate she said I am not going to do what you ask me thus rushing instantly into the middle of her subject you see I don't know my nephew and have no reason for being specially anxious that she should be in parliament I don't care two straws about the glory of the Vavasor family if I had never done anything for myself the Vavasor's would have done very little for me I don't care much about what you call blood I like those who like me and whom I know I am very fond of you and because you have been good to me I can give you a thousand pounds if you wanted it for yourself but I don't see why I am to give my money to those I don't know if it is necessary to tell my nephew of this pray tell him that I mean no offence your friend C is still waiting waiting patiently but his patience may be exhausted your affectionate Aunt Arabella Greenhouse of course she won't set George as he threw back the letter to his sister why should she I had hoped she would said Kate why should she what did I ever do for her she is a sensible woman who is your friend C and why is he waiting patiently he is a man who would be glad to marry her for her money if she would take him then what does she mean by his patience being exhausted it is her folly she chooses to pretend to think that the man is a lover of mine has he got any money yes lots of money or money's worth and what is his name his name is Cheesaker but pray don't trouble yourself to talk about him if he wants to marry you and has plenty of money why shouldn't you take him good heavens George in the first place you want to marry me in the next place all his heart is in his farmyard and a very good place to have it said George undoubtedly but really you must not trouble yourself to talk about him only this that I should be very glad to see you well married should you said she thinking of her close attachment to himself and now about the money said George you must write to Alice at once oh George of course you must you have promised indeed it would have been much wiser if you had taken me at my word and done it at once I cannot do it then the scar on his face opened itself and his sister stood before him in fear and trembling do you mean to tell me said he that you will go back and after having kept me here by this promise you will not do what you have said you would do take my money now and pay me out of hers as soon as you are married I will be the first to claim it from her and from you that is nonsense why should it be nonsense surely you need have no scruple with me I should have none with you if I wanted assistance look here Kate you must have it and there is an end of it all that you have in the world would not pull me through this election and therefore such a loan would be worse than useless and am I to ask her for more than 2,000 pounds you want to ask her simply for 1,000 that is what I want and must have at present and she knows that I want it and that she is to supply it only she does not know that you must explain to her I would soon burn my hand George but burning your hand unfortunately won't do any good look here Kate I insist upon you doing this for me if you do not I shall do it of course myself but I shall regard your refusal as an unjustifiable falsehood on your part and shall certainly not see you afterwards I do not wish which you may well understand to write to Alice myself on any subject at present I now claim your promise to do so and if you refuse I shall know very well what to do of course she did not persist in her refusal with a sorrowful heart and with fingers that could hardly form the needful letters she did write a letter to her cousin which explained the fact that Gavisaur immediately wanted a thousand pounds for his electioneering purposes it was a stiff, uncomfortable letter unnatural in its phraseology telling its own tale of grief and shame Alice understood very plainly all the circumstances under which it was written but she sent back word to Kate at once, undertaking that the money should be forthcoming and she wrote again before the end of January saying that the sum named had been paid to George's credit at his own bankers Kate had taken immense pride in the renewal of the match between her brother and her cousin and had rejoiced in it greatly as being her own work but all that pride and joy were now over she could no longer write triumphant notes to Alice speaking always of George as a joint hero foretelling great things of his career in Parliament and saying little soft things of his enduring love it was no longer possible to her now to write of George at all and it was equally impossible to Alice indeed no letters passed between them when that monetary correspondence was over up to the end of the winter Kate remained down in Westmoreland with Richard and ill at ease listening to hard words spoken by her grandfather against her brother and feeling herself unable to take her brother's part as she had been wont to do in other times George returned to town at the end of those four days and found that the thousand pounds was duly placed to his credit before the end of the month it is hardly necessary to tell the reader that this money was from the stores of Mr. Tombi and that Mr. Tombi duly debited Mr. Gray with the amount Alice, in accordance with her promise, had told her father that the money was needed and her father, in accordance with his promise, had procured it without a word of her monstrance surely I must sign some paper, Alice had said but she had been contented when her father told her that the lawyers would manage all that it was nearly the end of February when George Bevasaur made his first payment to Mr. Scrubby on behalf of the coming election and when he called at Mr. Scrubby's office with this object he received some intelligence which surprised him not a little you haven't heard the news said Scrubby what news said George the marquee is as nearly off the hooks as a man can be Mr. Scrubby as he communicated the tidings showed clearly by his face and voice that they were supposed to be of very great importance but Bevasaur did not at first seem to be as much interested in the fate of the marquee as Scrubby had intended I'm very sorry for him said George who is the marquee there will be sure to come another so it don't much signify there will come another and that's just it the marquee of Bunratty and if he drops our young member will go into the upper house what immediately before the end of the session George of course knew well enough that such would be the case but the effect which this event would have upon himself now struck him suddenly to be sure said Scrubby the writ would be out immediately I should be glad enough of it only that I know that Travers people have heard of it before us and that they are ready to be up with their posters directly the breath is out of the marquee's body we must go to work immediately that's all it will only be for part of a session said George just so said Mr. Scrubby and then there will be the cost of another election that's true said Mr. Scrubby but in such cases we do manage to make it come a little cheaper if you lick Travers now it may be that you'll have a walk over for the next have you seen Grimes yes I have the black guard he is going to open his house on Travers's side he came to me as bold as brass and told me so saying that he never liked gentlemen who kept him waiting for his odd money what angers me is that he ever got it we have not managed it very well certainly said Vavasor looking nastily at the attorney we can't help those little accidents Mr. Vavasor there are worse accidents than that turn up almost daily in my business you may think yourself almost lucky that I haven't gone over to Travers myself he is a liberal you know and it hasn't been for want of an offer I can tell you Vavasor was inclined to doubt the extent of his luck in this respect and was almost disposed to repent of his parliamentary ambition he would now be called upon to spend certainly not less than 3,000 pounds of his cousin's money on the chance of being able to sit in Parliament for a few months and then after what a fashion would he be compelled to negotiate that loan he might to be sure allow the remainder of this session to run to stand as he had intended at the general election but he knew that if he now allowed a liberal to win the seat the holder of the seat would be almost short of subsequent success he must be the fight now or give up the fight altogether and he was a man who did not love to abandon any contest in which he had been engaged well squire said scrubby how is it to be Vavasor felt that he detected in the man's voice some diminution of that respect with which he had hitherto been treated as a paying candidate for a metropolitan borough this lord is not dead yet said Vavasor no he's not dead yet that we have heard but it won't do for us to wait we want every minute of time that we can get there isn't any hope for him or drops yet the heart or some of those things that make a fellow safe to go it won't do to wait for the next election if you ask me I should say certainly not indeed I shouldn't wish to have to conduct it under such circumstances I hate a fight when there's no chance of success I grudge spending a man's money in such a case I do indeed Mr. Vavasor I suppose Grimes going over won't make much difference the black guard he'll take 150 votes I suppose perhaps more but that is not much in such a constituency as the Chelsea districts you see Travers played mean at the last election and that will be against him but the conservatives will have a candidate there's no knowing but I don't think they will they'll try one at the general no doubt but if the two sitting members can pull together they won't have much of a chance Vavasor found himself compelled to say that he would stand and scrubby undertook to give the initiatory orders at once not waiting even till the marquee should be dead we should have our houses open as soon as theirs said he there's a deal in that so George Vavasor gave his orders if the worst comes to the worst he said to himself I can always cut my throat as he walked from the attorney's office to his club he besought himself that that might not unprobably be the necessary termination of his career everything was going wrong with him his grandfather who was 80 years of age would not die appeared to have no symptoms of dying whereas this marquee who was not yet much over 50 was rushing headlong out of the world simply because he was the one man whose continued life at the present moment would be serviceable to George Vavasor as he thought of his grandfather he almost broke his umbrella by the vehemence with which he struck it against the pavement what right could an ignorant old fool like that have to live forever keeping the possession of a property which he could not use including those who were to come after him if now at this moment that wretched place down in Westmoreland could become his he might yet ride triumphantly over his difficulties and refrain from sullying his hands with more of his cousin's money till she should become his wife even that thousand pounds had not passed through his hands without giving him much bitter suffering as is always the case in such matters the thing done was worse than the doing of it he had taught himself to look at it lightly whilst it was yet unaccomplished but he could not think of it lightly now Kate had been right it would have been better for him to take her money any money would have been better than that upon which he had laid his sacrilegious hands if he could have cut a purse after the old fashion the stain of the deed would hardly have been so deep in these days for more than a month indeed after his return from Westmoreland he did not go near Queen Anne Street trying to persuade himself that he stayed away because of her coldness to him but in truth he was afraid of seeing her without speaking of her money and afraid to see her if he were to speak of it you have seen the globe someone said to him as he entered the club oh indeed I have seen nothing Van Ratty died in Ireland this morning I suppose you'll be up for the Chelsea Districts End of Chapter 41 recorded by Mary Rodie in Willow, Alaska Chapter 42 of Can You Forgive Her this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information if you would like to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Leanne Howlett Can You Forgive Her by Antony Trollop Chapter 42 Parliament Meets Parliament opened that year on the 12th of February and Mr. Palliser was one of the first members of the lower house to take his seat it had been generally asserted through the country during the last week the existing Chancellor of the Exchequer had, so to say ceased to exist as such that though he still existed to the outer world drawing his salary and doing routine work if a man so big can have any routine work to do he existed no longer in the inner world of the cabinet he had differed men said with his friend in chief, the Prime Minister as to the expediency of repealing what were left of the direct taxes of the country to launch himself into opposition with his small bodyguard of followers with all his energy and with all his venom there is something very pleasant in the close bosom friendship and bitter uncompromising animosity of these human gods of these human beings who would be gods were they not shorn so short of their divinity and that matter of immortality if it were so arranged that the same persons were always friends and the same persons were always enemies to be the case among the dear old heathen gods and goddesses if parliament were an Olympus in which Juno and Venus never kissed the thing would not be nearly so interesting but in this Olympus, partners were changed the divine bosom now rabid with hatred against some opposing deity suddenly becomes replete with love towards its late enemy and exciting changes occur which give to the whole thing all the keen interest of a sensational novel no doubt this is greatly a lesson for those who come too near the scene of action members of parliament and the friends of members of parliament are apt to teach themselves that it means nothing that Lord this does not hate Mr. that or think him a traitor to his country or wish to crucify him and that Sir John of the Treasury is not much in earnest when he speaks of his noble friend at the foreign office as a god to whom no other god was ever comparable in honesty, discretion, patriotism and genius but the outside Britain who takes a delight in politics and this description should include 99 educated Englishmen out of every 100 should not be desirous of peeping behind the scenes no beholder at any theater should do so it is good to believe in these friendships and these anemones and very pleasant to watch their changes it is delightful when Oxford embraces Manchester finding that it cannot live without support in that quarter and very delightful when the uncompromising assailant of all men in power receives legitimate reward of his energy by being taken in among the bosoms of the blessed but although the outer world was so sure that the existing Chancellor of the Exchequer had ceased to exist when the House of Commons met that gentleman took his seat on the Treasury bench Mr. Palliser who had by no means given a general support to the ministry in the last session took his seat on the same side of the house on the throne and near to the cross benches Mr. Bott sat close behind him and men knew that Mr. Bott was the distinguished member of Mr. Palliser's party whatever that party might be Lord Sinkbars moved the address and I must confess that he did it very lamely he was once accused by Mr. Maxwell the brewer of making a great noise in the hunting field the accusation could not be repeated as to his performance on this occasion as no one could hear a word that he said the address was seconded by Mr. Loftus Fitzhaward a nephew of the Duke of St. Bungay who spoke as though he were resolved to trump poor Lord Sinkbars in every sentence which he pronounced as we so often hear the second clergyman from the communion table trumping his weary predecessor who was just finished the litany not in the clearest or most audible voice every word fell from Mr. Fitzhaward with the elaborate accuracy of a separate pistol shot and as he became pleased with himself in his progress and warm with his work he accented his words sharply made rhetorical pauses even moved his hands about in action and quite disgusted his own party who had been very well satisfied with Lord Sinkbars there are many rocks which a young speaker and parliament should avoid but no rock which requires such careful avoiding as the rock of eloquence whatever may be his faults let him at least avoid eloquence he should not be inaccurate which however is not much which is a good deal he should not be ill-tempered which is more but none of these faults are so damnable as eloquence all Mr. Fitzhaward's friends and all his enemies knew that he had had his chance and that he had thrown it away in the Queen's speech there had been some very lukewarm allusion to remission of direct taxation this remission which had already been carried so far should be carried further if such further carrying were found practicable as said the Queen those words it was known could not have been approved of by the energetic and still existing Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject the mover of the address said never a word and the seconder only a word or two what they had said had of course been laid down for them though unfortunately the manner of saying could not be so easily prescribed then there arose a great enemy a man fluent of diction apparently with deep malice at his heart as we used to say at school one of the most good-natured fellows in the world one ambitious of that godship which is seat on the other side of the house bestowed and greedy to grasp at the chances which this disagreement in the council of the gods might give him he was quite content he said devote for the address as he believed would be all the gentlemen on his side of the house no one could suspect them or him of giving a factious opposition to government had they not born and forborn all precedent known in that house then he touched lightly and almost with grace to his opponents on many subjects promising support and barely hinting that they were totally and manifestly wrong in all things but then the tone of his voice changed and the well-known look of fury was assumed upon his countenance then great jove on the other side pulled his hat over his eyes and smiled blandly then members put away the papers they had been reading for a moment and men in the gallery began to listen but the long and the short of it was this that the existing government had come into power on the cry of a reduction of taxation and now they were going to shirk the responsibility of their own measures they were going to shirk the responsibility of their own election cry although it was known that their own chancellor of the exchequer was prepared to carry it out to the full he was willing to carry it out to the full falsehood and treachery of his colleagues of whom of course the most timid the most false and the most treacherous was the great god jove who sat blandly smiling on the other side no one should ever go near the house of commons who wishes to enjoy all this it was so manifestly evident that neither jove nor any of his satellites cared two pints for what the irate gentleman was saying nay it became so evident that in spite of his assumed fury the gentleman was not irate he intended to communicate his look of anger to the newspaper reports of his speech and he knew from experience that he could succeed in that and then walked about the house in the most telling moments enemies shaking hands with enemies in a way that showed an entire absence of all good, honest hatred among them but the gentleman went on and finished his speech demanding it last in direct terms that the treachery jove should state plainly to the house who was to be and who was not to be the bearer of the purse among the gods then treachery jove got up smiling and thanked his enemy for the cordiality of his support he had always, he said done the gentleman's party justice for their clemency and had feared no opposition from them and he was glad to find that he was correct in his anticipations as to the course they would pursue on the present occasion he went on saying a good deal about home matters and foreign matters proving that everything was right just as easily as his enemy had proved that everything was wrong on all these points he was very full and very courteous but when he came to the subject of taxation he simply repeated the passage from the queen's speech expressing a hope that his right honorable friend, the chancellor of the ex-checker would be able to satisfy the judgment of the house and the wishes of the people that specially personal question which had been asked he did not answer at all but the house was still oligog as was the crowded gallery the energetic and still existing chancellor of the ex-checker was then present divided only by one little thin secretary of state from jove himself would he get up and declare his purposes he was a man who almost always did get up when an opportunity offered itself or when it did not some second little gun was fired off from the opposition benches and then there was a pause would the purse bearer of olympus rise upon his wings and speak his mind or would he sit in silence upon his cloud there was a general call for the purse bearer but he floated in silence and was inexplicable the purse bearer was not to be bullied into any sudden reading of the riddle then there came on a general debate about money matters in which the purse bearer did say a few words but he said nothing as to the great question at issue at last up got mr. palacer towards the close of the evening and occupied a full hour and explaining what taxes the government might remit with safety and what they might not mr. bot meanwhile prompting him with figures from behind with an assiduity that was almost too persistent according to mr. palacer the words used in the queen's speech were not at all too cautious the members went out gradually and the house became very thin during this oration but the newspapers declared next morning that his speech had been the speech of the night and that the annuity of mr. palacer pointed him out as the coming man he returned home to his house in park lane quite triumphant after his success and found lady glencora at about twelve o'clock sitting alone she had arrived in town on that day having come up at her own request instead of remaining at matching priory till after Easter as he had proposed he had wished her to stay in order as he had said that there might be a home for his cousins but she had expressed herself unwilling to remain without him, explaining that the cousins might have the home in her absence as well as they could in her presence and he had given way but in truth she had learned to hate her cousin iffy palacer with a hatred that was unreasonable seeing that she did not also hate alice of avasaur who had done as much to merit her hatred as had her cousin lady glencora knew by what means her absence from monk shade had been brought about mr. palacer had told her all that had passed in alice's bedroom on the last night of alice's stay at matching and had by so doing contrived to prevent the visit lady glencora understood well all that alice had said and yet though she hated mr. palacer for what had been done she entertained no anger against alice of course alice would have prevented that visit to monk shade if it were in her power to do so of course she would save her friend it is hardly too much to say that lady glencora looked to alice to save her nevertheless she hated iffy palacer for engaging herself in the same business lady glencora looked to alice to save her and yet it may be doubted whether she did in truth wish to be saved while she wasn't matching and before mr. palacer had returned from monk shade a letter reached her by what means she had never learned a letter has been placed within my writing case she said to her maid quite openly who put it there the maid had declared her ignorance in a manner that had satisfied lady glencora of her truth if such a thing happens again said lady glencora I should be obliged to have the matter investigated I cannot allow that anything should be put into my room surreptitiously there then had been an end of that as regarded any steps taken by lady glencora the letter had been from burgo fits gerald and had contained a direct proposal that she should go off with him I am at matching the letter said at the end but I do not dare to show myself lest I should do you an injury I walked around the house yesterday at night and I know that I saw your room if I am wrong in thinking that you love me I would not for worlds insult you by my presence but if you love me still I ask you to throw aside from you that fictitious marriage and give yourself to the man whom if you love him you should regard as your husband there had been more of it but it had been to the same effect to lady glencora it had seemed to convey an assurance of devoted love of that love which in former days her friends had told her was not within the compass of burgo's nature he had not asked her to meet him then but saying that he would return to matching after parliament was met begged her to let him have some means of knowing whether her heart was true to him she told no one of the letter but she kept it and read it over and over again in the silence and solitude of her room she felt that she was guilty and thus reading it even in keeping it from her husband's knowledge but though conscious of this guilt though resolute almost in its commission still she determined not to remain it matching after her husband's departure not to undergo the danger of remaining there while burgo Fitzgerald should be in the vicinity she could not analyze her own wishes she often told herself as she had told Alice that it would be far better for them all that she should go away than in throwing herself even to the dogs if such must be the result she would do more of good than of harm she declared to herself in the most passionate words she could use that she loved this man with all her heart she protested that the fault would not be hers but theirs who had forced her to marry the man she did not love she assured herself that her husband had no affection for her and that their marriage was in every respect prejudicial to him she recurred over and over again in her thoughts to her own childlessness and to his extreme desire for an heir though I do sacrifice myself she would say I shall do more of good than harm and I cannot be more wretched than I am now but yet she fled to London because she feared to leave herself at matching when burgo Fitzgerald should be there she sent no answer to his letter she made no preparation for going with him she longed to see Alice to whom alone since her marriage had she ever spoken of her love and intended to tell her the whole tale of that letter she was as one who in madness was resolute to throw herself from a precipice but to whom some remnant of sanity remained which forced her to seek those who would save her from herself Mr. Palliser had not seen her since her arrival in London and of course he took her by the hand and kissed her but it was the embrace of a brother lover or a husband Lady Glencora with her full woman's nature understood this thoroughly and appreciated by instinct the true bearing of every touch from his hand I hope you are well she said oh yes quite well and you a little fatigued with your journey I suppose no not much well we have had a debate on the address don't you want to know how it is gone if it has concerned you particularly I do of course concerned me it is concerned me certainly they haven't appointed you yet have they no they don't appoint people during debates in the House of Commons but I fear I shall never make you a politician I'm almost afraid you never will but I'm not the less anxious for your success since you wish it yourself I don't understand why you should work so very hard but as you like it I'm as anxious as anybody can be I am yes I do like it he said a man must like something and I don't know what there is to like better some people can eat and drink all day and some people can care about a horse I can do neither and there were others Lady Glencora thought who could love to lie in the sun and could look up into the eyes of women and seek their happiness there she was sure at any rate that she knew one such but she said nothing of this there was a moment to Lord Brock said Mr. Palliser Lord Brock was the name by which the present Job of the Treasury was known among men and what did Lord Brock say he didn't say much but he was very cordial but I thought Plantagenet that he could appoint you if he pleased doesn't he do it all well in one sense he does but I don't suppose I shall ever make you understand he endeavored however to do so on the present occasion for a somewhat longer lecture on the working of the British Constitution and the manner in which British politics evolved themselves then would have been expected from most young husbands to their young wives under similar circumstances Lady Glencora yawned and strove lustily but ineffectually to hide her yawn and her handkerchief but I see you don't care a bit about it said he peevishly don't be angry Plantagenet indeed I do care about it but I am so ignorant that I can't understand it all at once I am rather tired and I think I'll go to bed now shall you be late no not very that is I shall be rather late I have a lot of letters I want to write tonight as I must be at work all tomorrow by the by Mr. Botte is coming to dine here there will be no one else the next day was a Wednesday and the house would not sit in the evening Mr. Botte said Lady Glencora showing by her voice that she anticipated no pleasure from that gentleman's company yes Mr. Botte have you any objection oh no would you like to dine alone with him why should I dine alone with him why shouldn't you eat your dinner with us I hope you are not going to become fastidious and to turn up your nose at people Mrs. Marsham is in town and I dare say she'll come to you if you ask her but this was too much for Lady Glencora she was disposed to be mild but she could not endure to have her two duenas thus brought upon her together on the first day of her arrival in London and Mrs. Marsham would be worse than Mr. Botte Mr. Botte would be engaged with Mr. Palliser during the greater part of the evening I thought said she of asking my cousin Alice Vavasor to spend the evening with me Miss Vavasor said the husband I must say that I thought Miss Vavasor he was going to make some illusion to that unfortunate hour spent among the ruins but he stopped himself I hope you have nothing to say against my cousin said his wife she is my only near relative that I really care for the only woman I mean no I don't mean to say anything against her she's very well as a young lady I dare say I would sooner that you would ask Mrs. Marsham tomorrow Lady Glencora was standing waiting to go away to her own room but it was absolutely necessary that this matter should be decided before she went she felt that he was hard to her and unreasonable and that he was treating her like a child who should not be allowed her own way in anything she had endeavored to please him and having failed was not now disposed to give way as there will be no other ladies here tomorrow evening plantagenate and as I have not yet seen Alice since I have been in town I wish you would let me have my way in this of course I cannot have very much to say to Mrs. Marsham who is an old woman I especially want Mrs. Marsham to be your friend said he friend chips will not come by ordering plantagenate said she very well said he of course you will do as you please I am sorry that you have refused the first favor I have asked you this year then he left the room and she went away to bed End of Chapter 42 Recording by Leanne Howlett