Chapter 4. THE R. WILFER FAMILY

notunderherchin. Bella,whowasnowseatedontherugtowarmherself,withherbrowneyesonthefireandahandfulofherbrowncurlsinhermouth,laughedatthis,andthenpoutedandhalfcried. ‘Iamsure,’saidshe,‘thoughyouhavenofeelingforme,pa,Iamoneofthemostunfortunategirlsthateverlived.Youknowhowpoorweare’(itisprobablehedid,havingsomereasontoknowit!),‘andwhataglimpseofwealthIhad,andhowitmeltedaway,andhowIamhereinthisridiculousmourning—whichIhate!—akindofawidowwhoneverwasmarried.Andyetyoudon’tfeelforme.—Yesyoudo,yesyoudo.’ Thisabruptchangewasoccasionedbyherfather’sface.Shestoppedtopullhimdownfromhischairinanattitudehighlyfavourabletostrangulation,andtogivehimakissandapatortwoonthecheek. ‘Butyououghttofeelforme,youknow,pa.’ ‘Mydear,Ido.’ ‘Yes,andIsayyououghtto.Iftheyhadonlyleftmealoneandtoldmenothingaboutit,itwouldhavematteredmuchless.ButthatnastyMrLightwoodfeelsithisduty,ashesays,towriteandtellmewhatisinreserveforme,andthenIamobligedtogetridofGeorgeSampson.’ Here,Lavinia,risingtothesurfacewiththelastdraughtmanrescued,interposed,‘YounevercaredforGeorgeSampson,Bella.’ ‘AnddidIsayIdid,miss?’Then,poutingagain,withthecurlsinhermouth‘GeorgeSampsonwasveryfondofme,andadmiredmeverymuch,andputupwitheverythingIdidtohim.’ ‘Youwererudeenoughtohim,’Laviniaagaininterposed. ‘AnddidIsayIwasn’t,miss?IamnotsettinguptobesentimentalaboutGeorgeSampson.IonlysayGeorgeSampsonwasbetterthannothing.’ ‘Youdidn’tshowhimthatyouthoughteventhat,’Laviniaagaininterposed. ‘Youareachitandalittleidiot,’returnedBella,‘oryouwouldn’tmakesuchadollyspeech.Whatdidyouexpectmetodo?Waittillyouareawoman,anddon’ttalkaboutwhatyoudon’tunderstand.Youonlyshowyourignorance!’Then,whimperingagain,andatintervalsbitingthecurls,andstoppingtolookhowmuchwasbittenoff,‘It’sashame!Thereneverwassuchahardcase!Ishouldn’tcaresomuchifitwasn’tsoridiculous.Itwasridiculousenoughtohaveastrangercomingovertomarryme,whetherhelikeditornot.Itwasridiculousenoughtoknowwhatanembarrassingmeetingitwouldbe,andhowwenevercouldpretendtohaveaninclinationofourown,eitherofus.ItwasridiculousenoughtoknowIshouldn’tlikehim—howcouldIlikehim,lefttohiminawill,likeadozenofspoons,witheverythingcutanddriedbeforehand,likeorangechips.Talkoforangeflowersindeed!Ideclareagainit’sashame!Thoseridiculouspointswouldhavebeensmoothedawaybythemoney,forIlovemoney,andwantmoney—wantitdreadfully.Ihatetobepoor,andwearedegradinglypoor,offensivelypoor,miserablypoor,beastlypoor.ButhereIam,leftwithalltheridiculouspartsofthesituationremaining,and,addedtothemall,thisridiculousdress!Andifthetruthwasknown,whentheHarmonmurderwasalloverthetown,andpeoplewerespeculatingonitsbeingsuicide,Idaresaythoseimpudentwretchesattheclubsandplacesmadejokesaboutthemiserablecreature’shavingpreferredawaterygravetome.It’slikelyenoughtheytooksuchlibertiesIshouldn’twonder!Ideclareit’saveryhardcaseindeed,andIamamostunfortunategirl.Theideaofbeingakindofawidow,andneverhavingbeenmarried!Andtheideaofbeingaspooraseverafterall,andgoingintoblack,besides,foramanIneversaw,andshouldhavehated—asfarashewasconcerned—ifIhadseen!’ Theyounglady’slamentationswerecheckedatthispointbyaknuckle,knockingatthehalf-opendooroftheroom.Theknucklehadknockedtwoorthreetimesalready,buthadnotbeenheard. ‘Whoisit?’saidMrsWilfer,inherAct-of-Parliamentmanner.‘Enter!’ Agentlemancomingin,MissBella,withashortandsharpexclamation,scrambledoffthehearth-rugandmassedthebittencurlstogetherintheirrightplaceonherneck. ‘TheservantgirlhadherkeyinthedoorasIcameup,anddirectedmetothisroom,tellingmeIwasexpected.IamafraidIshouldhaveaskedhertoannounceme.’ ‘Pardonme,’returnedMrsWilfer.‘Notatall.Twoofmydaughters.R.W.,thisisthegentlemanwhohastakenyourfirst-floor.Hewassogoodastomakeanappointmentforto-night,whenyouwouldbeathome.’ Adarkgentleman.Thirtyattheutmost.Anexpressive,onemightsayhandsome,face.Averybadmanner.Inthelastdegreeconstrained,reserved,diffident,troubled.HiseyeswereonMissBellaforaninstant,andthenlookedatthegroundasheaddressedthemasterofthehouse. ‘SeeingthatIamquitesatisfied,MrWilfer,withtherooms,andwiththeirsituation,andwiththeirprice,Isupposeamemorandumbetweenusoftwoorthreelines,andapaymentdown,willbindthebargain?Iwishtosendinfurniturewithoutdelay.’ Twoorthreetimesduringthisshortaddress,thecherubaddressedhadmadechubbymotionstowardsachair.Thegentlemannowtookit,layingahesitatinghandonacornerofthetable,andwithanotherhesitatinghandliftingthec