Chapter 1

herewasimmediatelyconfidencebetweenthem. “HerebeginneththeNewLife,”saidPhilip. “Poorchild,howvulgar!”murmuredMrs.Herriton.“It’ssurprisingthatsheisn’tworse.ButshehasgotalookofpoorCharlesabouther.” “And—alas,alas!—alookofoldMrs.Theobald.Whatappallingapparitionwasthat!Ididthinktheladywasbedriddenaswellasimbecile.Whyeverdidshecome?” “Mr.Kingcroftmadeher.Iamcertainofit.HewantedtoseeLiliaagain,andthiswastheonlyway.” “Ihopeheissatisfied.Ididnotthinkmysister-in-lawdistinguishedherselfinherfarewells.” Mrs.Herritonshuddered.“Imindnothing,solongasshehasgone—andgonewithMissAbbott.Itismortifyingtothinkthatawidowofthirty-threerequiresagirltenyearsyoungertolookafterher.” “IpityMissAbbott.FortunatelyoneadmirerischainedtoEngland.Mr.Kingcroftcannotleavethecropsortheclimateorsomething.Idon’tthink,either,heimprovedhischancestoday.He,aswellasLilia,hastheknackofbeingabsurdinpublic.” Mrs.Herritonreplied,“Whenamanisneitherwellbred,norwellconnected,norhandsome,norclever,norrich,evenLiliamaydiscardhimintime.” “No.Ibelieveshewouldtakeanyone.Rightuptothelast,whenherboxeswerepacked,shewas‘playing’thechinlesscurate.Boththecuratesarechinless,buthershadthedampesthands.IcameontheminthePark.TheywerespeakingofthePentateuch.” “Mydearboy!Ifpossible,shehasgotworseandworse.ItwasyourideaofItaliantravelthatsavedus!” Philipbrightenedatthelittlecompliment.“Theoddpartisthatshewasquiteeager—alwaysaskingmeforinformationandofcourseIwasverygladtogiveit.IadmitsheisaPhilistine,appallinglyignorant,andhertasteinartisfalse.Still,tohaveanytasteatallissomething.AndIdobelievethatItalyreallypurifiesandennoblesallwhovisither.Sheistheschoolaswellastheplaygroundoftheworld.ItisreallytoLilia’screditthatshewantstogothere.” “Shewouldgoanywhere,”saidhismother,whohadheardenoughofthepraisesofItaly.“IandCarolineAbbotthadthegreatestdifficultyindissuadingherfromtheRiviera.” “No,Motherno.ShewasreallykeenonItaly.Thistravelisquiteacrisisforher.”Hefoundthesituationfullofwhimsicalromance:therewassomethinghalfattractive,halfrepellentinthethoughtofthisvulgarwomanjourneyingtoplaceshelovedandrevered.Whyshouldshenotbetransfigured?ThesamehadhappenedtotheGoths. Mrs.Herritondidnotbelieveinromancenorintransfiguration,norinparallelsfromhistory,norinanythingelsethatmaydisturbdomesticlife.SheadroitlychangedthesubjectbeforePhilipgotexcited.SoonHarrietreturned,havinggivenherlessoningeography.Irmawenttobedearly,andwastuckedupbyhergrandmother.Thenthetwoladiesworkedandplayedcards.Philipreadabook.Andsotheyallsettleddowntotheirquiet,profitableexistence,andcontinueditwithoutinterruptionthroughthewinter. ItwasnownearlytenyearssinceCharleshadfalleninlovewithLiliaTheobaldbecauseshewaspretty,andduringthattimeMrs.Herritonhadhardlyknownamoment’srest.Forsixmonthssheschemedtopreventthematch,andwhenithadtakenplacesheturnedtoanothertask—thesupervisionofherdaughter-in-law.Liliamustbepushedthroughlifewithoutbringingdiscreditonthefamilyintowhichshehadmarried.ShewasaidedbyCharles,byherdaughterHarriet,and,assoonashewasoldenough,bythecleveroneofthefamily,Philip.ThebirthofIrmamadethingsstillmoredifficult.ButfortunatelyoldMrs.Theobald,whohadattemptedinterference,begantobreakup.ItwasanefforttohertoleaveWhitby,andMrs.Herritondiscouragedtheeffortasfaraspossible.Thatcuriousduelwhichisfoughtovereverybabywasfoughtanddecidedearly.Irmabelongedtoherfather’sfamily,nottohermother’s. Charlesdied,andthestrugglerecommenced.Liliatriedtoassertherself,andsaidthatsheshouldgototakecareofMrs.Theobald.ItrequiredallMrs.Herriton’skindnesstopreventher.AhousewasfinallytakenforheratSawston,andthereforthreeyearsshelivedwithIrma,continuallysubjecttotherefininginfluencesofherlatehusband’sfamily. DuringoneofherrareYorkshirevisitstroublebeganagain.LiliaconfidedtoafriendthatshelikedaMr.Kingcroftextremely,butthatshewasnotexactlyengagedtohim.ThenewscameroundtoMrs.Herriton,whoatoncewrote,beggingforinformation,andpointingoutthatLiliamusteitherbeengagedornot,sincenointermediatestateexisted.Itwasagoodletter,andflurriedLiliaextremely.SheleftMr.Kingcroftwithouteventhepressureofarescue-party.ShecriedagreatdealonherreturntoSawston,andsaidshewasverysorry.Mrs.Herritontooktheopportunityofspeakingmoreseriouslyaboutthedutiesofwidowhoodandmotherhoodthanshehadeverdonebefore.Butsomehowthingsneverwenteasilyafter.LiliawouldnotsettledowninherplaceamongSawstonmatrons.Shewasabadhousekeeper,alwaysinthethroesofsomedomesticcrisis,whichMrs.Herriton,whokeptherservantsforyears,hadtostepacrossandadjust.SheletIrmastopawayfromschoolforinsufficientreasons,andsheallowedhertowearrings.Shelearnttobicycle,forthep