CHAPTER IV. MISS MARCHMONT.

OnquittingBretton,whichIdidafewweeksafterPaulina’sdeparture—littlethinkingthenIwasneveragaintovisititnevermoretotreaditscalmoldstreets—Ibetookmyselfhome,havingbeenabsentsixmonths.ItwillbeconjecturedthatIwasofcoursegladtoreturntothebosomofmykindred.Well!theamiableconjecturedoesnoharm,andmaythereforebesafelyleftuncontradicted.Farfromsayingnay,indeed,Iwillpermitthereadertopictureme,forthenexteightyears,asabarkslumberingthroughhalcyonweather,inaharbourstillasglass—thesteersmanstretchedonthelittledeck,hisfaceuptoheaven,hiseyesclosed:buried,ifyouwill,inalongprayer.AgreatmanywomenandgirlsaresupposedtopasstheirlivessomethinginthatfashionwhynotIwiththerest? Picturemethenidle,basking,plump,andhappy,stretchedonacushioneddeck,warmedwithconstantsunshine,rockedbybreezesindolentlysoft.However,itcannotbeconcealedthat,inthatcase,Imustsomehowhavefallenoverboard,orthattheremusthavebeenwreckatlast.Itoowellrememberatime—alongtime—ofcold,ofdanger,ofcontention.Tothishour,whenIhavethenightmare,itrepeatstherushandsaltnessofbrinywavesinmythroat,andtheiricypressureonmylungs.Ievenknowtherewasastorm,andthatnotofonehournoroneday.Formanydaysandnightsneithersunnorstarsappearedwecastwithourownhandsthetacklingoutoftheshipaheavytempestlayonusallhopethatweshouldbesavedwastakenaway.Infine,theshipwaslost,thecrewperished. AsfarasIrecollect,Icomplainedtonooneaboutthesetroubles.Indeed,towhomcouldIcomplain?OfMrs.BrettonIhadlonglostsight.Impediments,raisedbyothers,had,yearsago,comeinthewayofourintercourse,andcutitoff.Besides,timehadbroughtchangesforher,too:thehandsomepropertyofwhichshewasleftguardianforherson,andwhichhadbeenchieflyinvestedinsomejoint-stockundertaking,hadmelted,itwassaid,toafractionofitsoriginalamount.Graham,Ilearnedfromincidentalrumours,hadadoptedaprofessionbothheandhismotherweregonefromBretton,andwereunderstoodtobenowinLondon.Thus,thereremainednopossibilityofdependenceonotherstomyselfalonecouldIlook.IknownotthatIwasofaself-reliantoractivenaturebutself-relianceandexertionwereforceduponmebycircumstances,astheyareuponthousandsbesidesandwhenMissMarchmont,amaidenladyofourneighbourhood,sentforme,Iobeyedherbehest,inthehopethatshemightassignmesometaskIcouldundertake. MissMarchmontwasawomanoffortune,andlivedinahandsomeresidencebutshewasarheumaticcripple,impotent,footandhand,andhadbeensofortwentyyears.Shealwayssatupstairs:herdrawing-roomadjoinedherbed-room.IhadoftenheardofMissMarchmont,andofherpeculiarities(shehadthecharacterofbeingveryeccentric),buttillnowhadneverseenher.Ifoundherafurrowed,grey-hairedwoman,gravewithsolitude,sternwithlongaffliction,irritablealso,andperhapsexacting.Itseemedthatamaid,orrathercompanion,whohadwaitedonherforsomeyears,wasabouttobemarriedandshe,hearingofmybereavedlot,hadsentforme,withtheideathatImightsupplythisperson’splace.Shemadetheproposaltomeaftertea,assheandIsatalonebyherfireside. “Itwillnotbeaneasylife”saidshecandidly,“forIrequireagooddealofattention,andyouwillbemuchconfine