Chapter 4. THE R. WILFER FAMILY

away.Hesaidthatashehadnoexpectationofeverbeingpaidforit,andashehadanorderforanotherLADIES’SCHOOLdoor-plate,itwasbetter(burnishedup)fortheinterestsofallparties.’ ‘Perhapsitwas,mydearwhatdoyouthink?’ ‘Youaremasterhere,R.W.,’returnedhiswife.‘ItisasyouthinknotasIdo.Perhapsitmighthavebeenbetterifthemanhadtakenthedoortoo?’ ‘Mydear,wecouldn’thavedonewithoutthedoor.’ ‘Couldn’twe?’ ‘Why,mydear!Couldwe?’ ‘Itisasyouthink,R.W.notasIdo.’Withthosesubmissivewords,thedutifulwifeprecededhimdownafewstairstoalittlebasementfrontroom,halfkitchen,halfparlour,whereagirlofaboutnineteen,withanexceedinglyprettyfigureandface,butwithanimpatientandpetulantexpressionbothinherfaceandinhershoulders(whichinhersexandatherageareveryexpressiveofdiscontent),satplayingdraughtswithayoungergirl,whowastheyoungestoftheHouseofWilfer.NottoencumberthispagebytellingofftheWilfersindetailandcastingthemupinthegross,itisenoughforthepresentthattherestwerewhatiscalled‘outintheworld,’invariousways,andthattheywereMany.Somany,thatwhenoneofhisdutifulchildrencalledintoseehim,R.Wilfergenerallyseemedtosaytohimself,afteralittlementalarithmetic,‘Oh!here’sanotherof‘em!’beforeaddingaloud,‘Howdedo,John,’orSusan,asthecasemightbe. ‘WellPiggywiggies,’saidR.W.,‘howdedoto-night?WhatIwasthinkingof,mydear,’toMrsWilferalreadyseatedinacornerwithfoldedgloves,‘was,thataswehaveletourfirstfloorsowell,andaswehavenownoplaceinwhichyoucouldteachpupilsevenifpupils—’ ‘Themilkmansaidheknewoftwoyoungladiesofthehighestrespectabilitywhowereinsearchofasuitableestablishment,andhetookacard,’interposedMrsWilfer,withseveremonotony,asifshewerereadinganActofParliamentaloud.‘TellyourfatherwhetheritwaslastMonday,Bella.’ ‘Butweneverheardanymoreofit,ma,’saidBella,theeldergirl. ‘Inadditiontowhich,mydear,’herhusbandurged,‘ifyouhavenoplacetoputtwoyoungpersonsinto—’ ‘Pardonme,’MrsWilferagaininterposed‘theywerenotyoungpersons.Twoyoungladiesofthehighestrespectability.Tellyourfather,Bella,whetherthemilkmansaidso.’ ‘Mydear,itisthesamething.’ ‘Noitisnot,’saidMrsWilfer,withthesameimpressivemonotony.‘Pardonme!’ ‘Imean,mydear,itisthesamethingastospace.Astospace.Ifyouhavenospaceinwhichtoputtwoyouthfulfellow-creatures,howevereminentlyrespectable,whichIdonotdoubt,wherearethoseyouthfulfellow-creaturestobeaccommodated?Icarryitnofurtherthanthat.Andsolelylookingatit,’saidherhusband,makingthestipulationatonceinaconciliatory,complimentary,andargumentativetone—‘asIamsureyouwillagree,mylove—fromafellow-creaturepointofview,mydear.’ ‘Ihavenothingmoretosay,’returnedMrsWilfer,withameekrenunciatoryactionofhergloves.‘Itisasyouthink,R.W.notasIdo.’ Here,thehuffingofMissBellaandthelossofthreeofhermenataswoop,aggravatedbythecoronationofanopponent,ledtothatyounglady’sjerkingthedraught-boardandpiecesoffthetable:whichhersisterwentdownonherkneestopickup. ‘PoorBella!’saidMrsWilfer. ‘AndpoorLavinia,perhaps,mydear?’suggestedR.W. ‘Pardonme,’saidMrsWilfer,‘no!’ Itwasoneoftheworthywoman’sspecialitiesthatshehadanamazingpowerofgratifyingherspleneticorworldly-mindedhumoursbyextollingherownfamily:whichshethusproceeded,inthepresentcase,todo. ‘No,R.W.LaviniahasnotknownthetrialthatBellahasknown.ThetrialthatyourdaughterBellahasundergone,is,perhaps,withoutaparallel,andhasbeenborne,Iwillsay,Nobly.WhenyouseeyourdaughterBellainherblackdress,whichshealoneofallthefamilywears,andwhenyourememberthecircumstanceswhichhaveledtoherwearingit,andwhenyouknowhowthosecircumstanceshavebeensustained,then,R.W.,layyourheaduponyourpillowandsay,“PoorLavinia!”’ Here,MissLavinia,fromherkneelingsituationunderthetable,putinthatshedidn’twanttobe‘pooredbypa’,oranybodyelse. ‘Iamsureyoudonot,mydear,’returnedhermother,‘foryouhaveafinebravespirit.AndyoursisterCeciliahasafinebravespiritofanotherkind,aspiritofpuredevotion,abeau-ti-fulspirit!Theself-sacrificeofCeciliarevealsapureandwomanlycharacter,veryseldomequalled,neversurpassed.IhavenowinmypocketaletterfromyoursisterCecilia,receivedthismorning—receivedthreemonthsafterhermarriage,poorchild!—inwhichshetellsmethatherhusbandmustunexpectedlyshelterundertheirroofhisreducedaunt.“ButIwillbetruetohim,mamma,”shetouchinglywrites,“Iwillnotleavehim,Imustnotforgetthatheismyhusband.Lethisauntcome!”Ifthisisnotpathetic,ifthisisnotwoman’sdevotion—!’Thegoodladywavedherglovesinasenseoftheimpossibilityofsayingmore,andtiedthepocket-handkerchiefoverherheadinatighterk