Chapter XII. Mr and Mrs Glegg at Home

neof’emcansaythecontrary,thoughmyequilstheyaren’t,andnobodyshallmakemesayit.” “You’dbetterleavefindingfaultwi’mykintillyou’veleftoffquarrellingwithyourown,MrsG.,”saidMrGlegg,withangrysarcasm.“I’lltroubleyouforthemilk-jug.” “That’sasfalseawordaseveryouspoke,MrGlegg,”saidthelady,pouringoutthemilkwithunusualprofuseness,asmuchastosay,ifhewantedmilkheshouldhaveitwithavengeance.“Andyouknowit’sfalse.I’mnotthewomantoquarrelwithmyownkinyoumay,forI’veknownyoutodoit.” “Why,whatdidyoucallityesterday,then,leavingyoursister’shouseinatantrum?” “I’dnoquarrelwi’mysister,MrGlegg,andit’sfalsetosayit.MrTulliver’snoneo’myblood,anditwashimquarrelledwithme,anddrovemeouto’thehouse.Butperhapsyou’dhavehadmestayandbesworeat,MrGleggperhapsyouwasvexednottohearmoreabuseandfoullanguagepouredoutupo’yourownwife.But,letmetellyou,it’syourdisgrace.” “Dideveranybodyhearthelikei’thisparish?”saidMrGlegg,gettinghot.“Awoman,witheverythingprovidedforher,andallowedtokeepherownmoneythesameasifitwassettledonher,andwithagignewstuffedandlinedatnoendo’expense,andprovidedforwhenIdiebeyondanythingshecouldexpect—togooni’thisway,bitingandsnappinglikeamaddog!It’sbeyondeverything,asGodA’mightyshouldha’madewomenso.”(Theselastwordswereutteredinatoneofsorrowfulagitation.MrGleggpushedhisteafromhim,andtappedthetablewithbothhishands.) “Well,MrGlegg,ifthoseareyourfeelings,it’sbesttheyshouldbeknown,”saidMrsGlegg,takingoffhernapkin,andfoldingitinanexcitedmanner.“Butifyoutalko’mybeingprovidedforbeyondwhatIcouldexpect,IbegleavetotellyouasI’darighttoexpectamanythingsasIdon’tfind.Andastomybeinglikeamaddog,it’swellifyou’renotcriedshameonbythecountyforyourtreatmentofme,forit’swhatIcan’tbear,andIwon’tbear——” HereMrsGlegg’svoiceintimatedthatshewasgoingtocry,andbreakingofffromspeech,sherangthebellviolently. “Sally,”shesaid,risingfromherchair,andspeakinginratherachokedvoice,“lightafireup-stairs,andputtheblindsdown.MrGlegg,you’llpleasetoorderwhatyou’dlikefordinner.Ishallhavegruel.” MrsGleggwalkedacrosstheroomtothesmallbook-case,andtookdownBaxter’s“Saints’EverlastingRest,”whichshecarriedwithherup-stairs.Itwasthebookshewasaccustomedtolayopenbeforeheronspecialoccasions,—onwetSundaymornings,orwhensheheardofadeathinthefamily,orwhen,asinthiscase,herquarrelwithMrGlegghadbeensetanoctavehigherthanusual. ButMrsGleggcarriedsomethingelseup-stairswithher,which,togetherwiththe“Saints’Rest”andthegruel,mayhavehadsomeinfluenceingraduallycalmingherfeelings,andmakingitpossibleforhertoendureexistenceontheground-floor,shortlybeforetea-time.Thiswas,partly,MrGlegg’ssuggestionthatshewoulddowelltoletherfivehundredliestilluntilagoodinvestmentturnedupand,further,hisparenthetichintathishandsomeprovisionforherincaseofhisdeath.MrGlegg,likeallmenofhisstamp,wasextremelyreticentabouthiswillandMrsGlegg,inhergloomiermoments,hadforebodingsthat,likeotherhusbandsofwhomshehadheard,hemightcherishthemeanprojectofheighteninghergriefathisdeathbyleavingherpoorlyoff,inwhichcaseshewasfirmlyresolvedthatshewouldhavescarcelyanyweeperonherbonnet,andwouldcrynomorethanifhehadbeenasecondhusband.Butifhehadreallyshownheranytestamentarytenderness,itwouldbeaffectingtothinkofhim,poorman,whenhewasgoneandevenhisfoolishfussabouttheflowersandgarden-stuff,andhisinsistenceonthesubjectofsnails,wouldbetouchingwhenitwasoncefairlyatanend.TosurviveMrGlegg,andtalkeulogisticallyofhimasamanwhomighthavehisweaknesses,butwhohaddonetherightthingbyher,not-withstandinghisnumerouspoorrelationstohavesumsofinterestcominginmorefrequently,andsecreteitinvariouscorners,bafflingtothemostingeniousofthieves(for,toMrsGlegg’smind,banksandstrong-boxeswouldhavenullifiedthepleasureofpropertyshemightaswellhavetakenherfoodincapsules)finally,tobelookeduptobyherownfamilyandtheneighbourhood,soasnowomancaneverhopetobewhohasnotthepr?teriteandpresentdignitycomprisedinbeinga“widowwellleft,”—allthismadeaflatteringandconciliatoryviewofthefuture.SothatwhengoodMrGlegg,restoredtogoodhumourbymuchhoeing,andmovedbythesightofhiswife’semptychair,withherknittingrolledupinthecorner,wentup-stairstoher,andobservedthatthebellhadbeentollingforpoorMrMorton,MrsGleggansweredmagnanimously,quiteasifshehadbeenanuninjuredwoman:“Ah!then,there’llbeagoodbusinessforsomebodytotaketo.” Baxterhadbeenopenatleasteighthoursbythistime,foritwasnearlyfiveo’clockandifpeoplearetoquarreloften,itfollowsasacorollarythattheirquarrelscannotbeprotractedbeyondcertainlimits. MrandMrsGleggtalkedquiteamicablyabouttheTulliversthatevening.MrGleggwentthelengthofadmittingthatTulliverwasasadmanforgettingintohotwater,andwaslikeenoughtorunthroughhispropertyandMrsGlegg,meetingthisacknowledgmenthalf-way,declaredthatitwasbeneathhertotakenoticeofsuchaman’sconduct,andthat,forhersister’ssake,shewouldlethimkeepthefivehundredawhilelonger,forwhensheputitoutonamortgagesheshouldonlygetfourpercent.