CHAPTER XXI.

besupposedtobepayinghisaddressestoanyone.” “Oh!iftheseareyouronlyobjections,”criedMrsSmith,archly,“MrElliotissafe,andIshallgivemyselfnomoretroubleabouthim.Donotforgetmewhenyouaremarried,that’sall.Lethimknowmetobeafriendofyours,andthenhewillthinklittleofthetroublerequired,whichitisverynaturalforhimnow,withsomanyaffairsandengagementsofhisown,toavoidandgetridofashecanverynatural,perhaps.Ninety-nineoutofahundredwoulddothesame.Ofcourse,hecannotbeawareoftheimportancetome.Well,mydearMissElliot,Ihopeandtrustyouwillbeveryhappy.MrElliothassensetounderstandthevalueofsuchawoman.Yourpeacewillnotbeshipwreckedasminehasbeen.Youaresafeinallworldlymatters,andsafeinhischaracter.Hewillnotbeledastrayhewillnotbemisledbyotherstohisruin.” “No,”saidAnne,“Icanreadilybelieveallthatofmycousin.Heseemstohaveacalmdecidedtemper,notatallopentodangerousimpressions.Iconsiderhimwithgreatrespect.Ihavenoreason,fromanythingthathasfallenwithinmyobservation,todootherwise.ButIhavenotknownhimlongandheisnotaman,Ithink,tobeknownintimatelysoon.Willnotthismannerofspeakingofhim,MrsSmith,convinceyouthatheisnothingtome?Surelythismustbecalmenough.And,uponmyword,heisnothingtome.Shouldheeverproposetome(whichIhaveverylittlereasontoimaginehehasanythoughtofdoing),Ishallnotaccepthim.IassureyouIshallnot.Iassureyou,MrElliothadnotthesharewhichyouhavebeensupposing,inwhateverpleasuretheconcertoflastnightmightafford:notMrElliotitisnotMrElliotthat—” Shestopped,regrettingwithadeepblushthatshehadimpliedsomuchbutlesswouldhardlyhavebeensufficient.MrsSmithwouldhardlyhavebelievedsosooninMrElliot’sfailure,butfromtheperceptionoftherebeingasomebodyelse.Asitwas,sheinstantlysubmitted,andwithallthesemblanceofseeingnothingbeyondandAnne,eagertoescapefarthernotice,wasimpatienttoknowwhyMrsSmithshouldhavefanciedshewastomarryMrElliotwhereshecouldhavereceivedtheidea,orfromwhomshecouldhaveheardit. “Dotellmehowitfirstcameintoyourhead.” “Itfirstcameintomyhead,”repliedMrsSmith,“uponfindinghowmuchyouweretogether,andfeelingittobethemostprobablethingintheworldtobewishedforbyeverybodybelongingtoeitherofyouandyoumaydependuponitthatallyouracquaintancehavedisposedofyouinthesameway.ButIneverhearditspokenoftilltwodaysago.” “Andhasitindeedbeenspokenof?” “Didyouobservethewomanwhoopenedthedoortoyouwhenyoucalledyesterday?” “No.WasnotitMrsSpeed,asusual,orthemaid?Iobservednooneinparticular.” “ItwasmyfriendMrsRookeNurseRookewho,by-the-bye,hadagreatcuriositytoseeyou,andwasdelightedtobeinthewaytoletyouin.ShecameawayfromMarlboroughBuildingsonlyonSundayandsheitwaswhotoldmeyouweretomarryMrElliot.ShehadhaditfromMrsWallisherself,whichdidnotseembadauthority.ShesatanhourwithmeonMondayevening,andgavemethewholehistory.”“Thewholehistory,”repeatedAnne,laughing.“Shecouldnotmakeaverylonghistory,Ithink,ofonesuchlittlearticleofunfoundednews.” MrsSmithsaidnothing. “But,”continuedAnne,presently,“thoughthereisnotruthinmyhavingthisclaimonMrElliot,IshouldbeextremelyhappytobeofusetoyouinanywaythatIcould.ShallImentiontohimyourbeinginBath?ShallItakeanymessage?” “No,Ithankyou:no,certainlynot.Inthewarmthofthemoment,andunderamistakenimpression,Imight,perhaps,haveendeavouredtointerestyouinsomecircumstancesbutnotnow.No,Ithankyou,Ihavenothingtotroubleyouwith.” “IthinkyouspokeofhavingknownMrElliotmanyyears?” “Idid.” “Notbeforehewasmarried,Isuppose?” “YeshewasnotmarriedwhenIknewhimfirst.” “And—wereyoumuchacquainted?” “Intimately.” “Indeed!Thendotellmewhathewasatthattimeoflife.IhaveagreatcuriositytoknowwhatMrElliotwasasaveryyoungman.Washeatallsuchasheappearsnow?” “IhavenotseenMrElliotthesethreeyears,”wasMrsSmith’sanswer,givensogravelythatitwasimpossibletopursuethesubjectfartherandAnnefeltthatshehadgainednothingbutanincreaseofcuriosity.Theywerebothsilent:MrsSmithverythoughtful.Atlast— “Ibegyourpardon,mydearMissElliot,”shecried,inhernaturaltoneofcordiality,“IbegyourpardonfortheshortanswersIhavebeengivingyou,butIhavebeenuncertainwhatIoughttodo.IhavebeendoubtingandconsideringastowhatIoughttotellyou.Thereweremanythingstobetakenintotheaccount.Onehatestobeofficious,tobegivingbadimpressions,makingmischief.Eventhesmoothsurfaceoffamily-unionseemsworthpreserving,thoughtheremaybenothingdurablebeneath.However,IhavedeterminedIthinkIamrightIthinkyououghttobemadeacquaintedwithMrElliot’srealcharacter.ThoughIfullybelievethat,atpresent,youhavenotthesmallestintentionofacceptinghim,thereisnosayingwhatmayhappen.Youmight,sometimeorother,bedifferentlyaffectedtowardshim.Hearthetruth,therefore,now,whileyouareunprejudiced.MrElliotisamanwithoutheartorconscienceadesigning,wary,cold-bloodedbeing,whothinksonlyofhimselfwhomforhisowninterestorease,wouldbeguiltyofanycruelty,oranytreachery,thatcouldbeperpetratedwithoutriskofhisgeneralcharacter.Hehasnofeelingforothers.Thosewhomhehasbeenthechiefcauseofleadingintoruin,hecanneglectanddesertwithoutthesmallestcompunction.Heistotallybeyondthereachofanysentimentofjusticeorcompassion.Oh!heisblackatheart,hollowandblack!” Anne’sastonishedair,andexclamationofwonder,madeherpause,andinacalmermanner,sheadded, “Myexpressionsstartleyou.Youmustallowforaninjured,angrywoman.ButIwilltrytocommandmyself.Iwillnotabusehim.IwillonlytellyouwhatIhavefoundhim.Factsshallspeak.Hewastheintimatefriendofmydearhusband,whotrustedandlovedhim,andthoughthimasgoodashimself.Theintimacyhadbeenformedbeforeourmarriage.IfoundthemmostintimatefriendsandI,too,becameexcessivelypleasedwithMrElliot,andentertainedthehighestopinionofhim.Atnineteen,youknow,onedoesnotthinkveryseriouslybutMrElliotappearedtomequiteasgoodasothers,andmuchmoreagreeablethanmostothers,andwewerealmostalwaystogether.Wewereprincipallyintown,livinginverygoodstyle.HewasthentheinferiorincircumstanceshewasthenthepooronehehadchambersintheTemple,anditwasasmuchashecoulddotosupporttheappearanceofagentleman.Hehadalwaysahomewithuswheneverhechoseithewasalwayswelcomehewaslikeabrother.MypoorCharles,whohadthefinest,mostgenerousspiritintheworld,wouldhavedividedhislastfarthingwithhimandIknowthathispursewasopentohimIknowthatheoftenassistedhim.” “ThismusthavebeenaboutthatveryperiodofMrElliot’slife,”saidAnne,“whichhasalwaysexcitedmyparticularcuriosity.Itmusthavebeenaboutthesametimethathebecameknowntomyfatherandsister.IneverknewhimmyselfIonlyheardofhimbuttherewasasomethinginhisconduct