Chapter XXIV

BERTHA’Simaginationseldompermittedhertoseethingsinanythingbutafalselightsometimestheywereprankedoutintheglamouroftheideal,whileatotherstheprocesswasquitereversed.ItwasastonishingthatsoshortabreakshouldhavedestroyedthehabitofthreeyearsbutthefactwasplainthatEdwardhadbecomeastranger,sothatshefeltitirksometosharethesameroomwithhim.Shesawhimnowwithjaundicedeyes,andtoldherselfthatatlastshehaddiscoveredhistruecolours.PoorEdwardwaspayingheavilybecausethefurtiveyearshadrobbedhimofhislocksandgivenhiminexchangeasuperabundanceoffatbecauseresponsibility,theeastwind,andgoodliving,hadtakentheedgeoffhisfeaturesandturnedhischeeksplethoric. Bertha’slove,indeed,hadfinallydisappearedassuddenlyasithadarisen,andshebeganseriouslytoloatheherhusband.ShehadacquiredacertainpartofMissLey’sanalyticfaculty,whichnowsheemployedwithdestructiveeffectuponEdward’scharacter.HerabsencehadincreasedthedangertoEdwardinanotherway,fortheairofParishadexhilaratedherandsharpenedherwitssothatheralertnesstofindfaultwasdoubledandherimpatiencewiththecommonplaceandthestupid,extreme.AndBerthasoonfoundthatherhusband’smindwasnotonlycommonplace,butcommon.Hisignorancenolongerseemedtouching,butmerelyshamefulhisprejudicesnolongeramusingbutcontemptible.Shewasindignantathavinghumbledherselfsoabjectlybeforeamanofsuchnarrownessofmind,ofsuchinsignificantcharacter.Shecouldnotconceivehowshehadeverpassionatelylovedhim.Hewasboundinbythestupidestroutine.Itirritatedherbeyondmeasuretoseetheregularitywithwhichhewentthroughthevaryingprocessesofhistoilet.Shewasindignantwithhispresumption,andself-satisfaction,andconsciousrectitude.Edward’stastewascontemptibleinbooks,inpictures,andinmusicandhispretentionstojudgeuponsuchmattersfilledBerthawithscorn.Atfirsthisdeficiencieshadnotaffectedher,andlatersheconsoledherselfwiththeobvioustruismthatamanmaybeignorantofallthearts,andyethaveeveryvirtueunderthesun.Butnowshewaslesscharitable.Berthawonderedthatbecauseherhusbandcouldreadandwriteaswellasmostboard-scholars,heshouldfeelhimselfcompetenttojudgebooks—evenwithoutreadingthem.Ofcourseitwasmostunreasonabletoblamethepoormanforafoiblecommontothevastmajorityofmankind.Everyonewhocanholdapenisconfidentofhisabilitytocriticise,andtocriticisesuperciliously.Itneveroccurstotheaveragecitizenthat,tospeakmodestly,almostasmuchartisneededtowriteabookastoadulterateapoundofteanorthattheauthorhasbusiedhimselfwithstyle