CHAPTER VII

nthistentativeandrestlessfashion,asthoughbyatouchhereandthereshecouldsetthingsstraightwhichhadbeencrookedthesesixtyyears.Perhaps,indeed,shenolongerknewwhatthetruthwas. “Ifthey’dlivednow,”sheconcluded,“Ifeelitwouldn’thavehappened.Peoplearen’tsosetupontragedyastheywerethen.Ifmyfatherhadbeenabletogoroundtheworld,orifshe’dhadarestcure,everythingwouldhavecomeright.ButwhatcouldIdo?Andthentheyhadbadfriends,bothofthem,whomademischief.Ah,Katharine,whenyoumarry,bequite,quitesurethatyouloveyourhusband!” ThetearsstoodinMrs.Hilbery’seyes. Whilecomfortingher,Katharinethoughttoherself,“NowthisiswhatMaryDatchetandMr.Denhamdon’tunderstand.ThisisthesortofpositionI’malwaysgettinginto.Howsimpleitmustbetoliveastheydo!”foralltheeveningshehadbeencomparingherhomeandherfatherandmotherwiththeSuffrageofficeandthepeoplethere. “But,Katharine,”Mrs.Hilberycontinued,withoneofhersuddenchangesofmood,“though,Heavenknows,Idon’twanttoseeyoumarried,surelyifeveramanlovedawoman,Williamlovesyou.Andit’sanice,rich-soundingnametoo—KatharineRodney,which,unfortunately,doesn’tmeanthathe’sgotanymoney,becausehehasn’t.” ThealterationofhernameannoyedKatharine,andsheobserved,rathersharply,thatshedidn’twanttomarryanyone. “It’sverydullthatyoucanonlymarryonehusband,certainly,”Mrs.Hilberyreflected.“Ialwayswishthatyoucouldmarryeverybodywhowantstomarryyou.Perhapsthey’llcometothatintime,butmeanwhileIconfessthatdearWilliam—”ButhereMr.Hilberycamein,andthemoresolidpartoftheeveningbegan.ThisconsistedinthereadingaloudbyKatharinefromsomeproseworkorother,whilehermotherknittedscarvesintermittentlyonalittlecircularframe,andherfatherreadthenewspaper,notsoattentivelybutthathecouldcommenthumorouslynowandagainuponthefortunesoftheheroandtheheroine.TheHilberyssubscribedtoalibrary,whichdeliveredbooksonTuesdaysandFridays,andKatharinedidherbesttointerestherparentsintheworksoflivingandhighlyrespectableauthorsbutMrs.Hilberywasperturbedbytheverylookofthelight,gold-wreathedvolumes,andwouldmakelittlefacesasifshetastedsomethingbitterasthereadingwentonwhileMr.Hilberywouldtreatthemodernswithacuriouselaboratebantersuchasonemightapplytotheanticsofapromisingchild.Sothisevening,afterfivepagesorsoofoneofthesemasters,Mrs.Hilberyprotestedthatitwasalltoocleverandcheapandnastyforwords. “Please,Katharine,readussomethingreal.” Katharinehadtogotothebookcaseandchooseaportlyvolumeinsleek,yellowcalf,whichhaddirectlyasedativeeffectuponbothherparents.ButthedeliveryoftheeveningpostbrokeinupontheperiodsofHenryFielding,andKatharinefoundthatherlettersneededallherattention.