Chapter VIII. Mr Tulliver Shows His Weaker Side

“SupposesisterGleggshouldcallhermoneyinit’udbeveryawkwardforyoutohavetoraisefivehundredpoundsnow,”saidMrsTullivertoherhusbandthatevening,asshetookaplaintivereviewoftheday. MrsTulliverhadlivedthirteenyearswithherhusband,yetsheretainedinallthefreshnessofherearlymarriedlifeafacilityofsayingthingswhichdrovehimintheoppositedirectiontotheoneshedesired.Somemindsarewonderfulforkeepingtheirbloominthisway,asapatriarchalgoldfishapparentlyretainstothelastitsyouthfulillusionthatitcanswiminastraightlinebeyondtheencirclingglass.MrsTulliverwasanamiablefishofthiskind,andafterrunningherheadagainstthesameresistingmediumforthirteenyearswouldgoatitagainto-daywithundulledalacrity. ThisobservationofherstendeddirectlytoconvinceMrTulliverthatitwouldnotbeatallawkwardforhimtoraisefivehundredpoundsandwhenMrsTulliverbecameratherpressingtoknowhowhewouldraiseitwithoutmortgagingthemillandthehousewhichhehadsaidheneverwouldmortgage,sincenowadayspeoplewerenonesoreadytolendmoneywithoutsecurity,MrTulliver,gettingwarm,declaredthatMrsGleggmightdoasshelikedaboutcallinginhermoney,heshouldpayitinwhetherornot.Hewasnotgoingtobebeholdentohiswife’ssisters.Whenamanhadmarriedintoafamilywheretherewasawholelitterofwomen,hemighthaveplentytoputupwithifhechose.ButMrTulliverdidnotchoose. MrsTullivercriedalittleinatrickling,quietwayassheputonhernightcapbutpresentlysankintoacomfortablesleep,lulledbythethoughtthatshewouldtalkeverythingoverwithhersisterPulletto-morrow,whenshewastotakethechildrentoGarumFirstotea.Notthatshelookedforwardtoanydistinctissuefromthattalkbutitseemedimpossiblethatpasteventsshouldbesoobstinateastoremainunmodifiedwhentheywerecomplainedagainst. Herhusbandlayawakeratherlonger,forhetoowasthinkingofavisithewouldpayonthemorrowandhisideasonthesubjectwerenotofsovagueandsoothingakindasthoseofhisamiablepartner. MrTulliver,whenundertheinfluenceofastrongfeeling,hadapromptitudeinactionthatmayseeminconsistentwiththatpainfulsenseofthecomplicated,puzzlingnatureofhumanaffairsunderwhichhismoredispassionatedeliberationswereconductedbutitisreallynotimprobablethattherewasadirectrelationbetweentheseapparentlycontradictoryphenomena,sinceIhaveobservedthatforgettingastrongimpressionthataskeinistangledthereisnothinglikesnatchinghastilyatasinglethread.ItwasowingtothispromptitudethatMrTulliverwasonhorsebacksoonafterdinnerthenextday(hewasnotdyspeptic)onhiswaytoBassettoseehissisterMossandherhusband.ForhavingmadeuphismindirrevocablythathewouldpayMrsGleggherloanoffivehundredpounds,itnaturallyoccurredtohimthathehadapromissorynoteforthreehundredpoundslenttohisbrother-in-lawMossandifthesaidbrother-in-lawcouldmanagetopayinthemoneywithinagiventime,itwouldgofartolessenthefallaciousairofinconveniencewhichMrTulliver’sspiritedstepmighthavewornintheeyesofweakpeoplewhorequiretoknowpreciselyhowathingistobedonebeforetheyarestronglyconfidentthatitwillbeeasy. ForMrTulliverwasinapositionneithernewnorstriking,but,likeothereverydaythings,suretohaveacumulativeeffectthatwillbefeltinthelongrun:hewasheldtobeamuchmoresubstantialmanthanhereallywas.Andasweareallapttobelievewhattheworldbelievesaboutus,itwashishabittothinkoffailureandruinwiththesamesortofremotepitywithwhichaspare,long-neckedmanhearsthathisplethoricshort-neckedneighbourisstrickenwithapoplexy.Hehadbeenalwaysusedtohearpleasantjokesabouthisadvantagesasamanwhoworkedhisownmill,andownedaprettybitoflandandthesejokesnaturallykeptuphissensethathewasamanofconsiderablesubstance.Theygaveapleasantflavourtohisglassonamarket-day,andifithadnotbeenfortherecurrenceofhalf-yearlypayments,MrTulliverwouldreallyhaveforgottenthattherewasamortgageoftwothousandpoundsonhisverydesir