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otten that one of my autumn holidays, many years since, was spent in Italy. I was in Rome, like Doctor Benjulia, after your brother’s marriage. His wife was, to my certain knowledge, received in society. Her reputation was unblemished; and her husband was devoted to her.」
「In plain English,」 said Mrs. Gallilee, 「my brother was a poor weak creature — and his wife, when you knew her, had not been found out.」
「That is just the difficulty I feel,」 Mr. Mool rejoined. 「How is it that she is only found out now? Years have passed since she died. More years have passed since this attack on her character reached Doctor Benjulia’s knowledge. He is an old friend of yours. Why has he only told you of it to-day? I hope I don’t offend you by asking these questions?」
「Oh, dear, no! your questions are so easily answered. I never encouraged the doctor to speak of my brother and his wife. The subject was too distasteful to me — and I don’t doubt that Doctor Benjulia felt about it as I did.」
「Until to-day,」 the lawyer remarked; 「Doctor Benjulia appears to have been quite ready to mention the subject to-day.」
「Under special circumstances, Mr. Mool. Perhaps, you will not allow that special circumstances make any difference?」
On the contrary, Mr. Mool made every allowance. At the same time, he waited to hear what the circumstances might be.
But Mrs. Galilee had her reasons for keeping silence. It was impossible to mention Benjulia’s reception of her without inflicting a wound on her self-esteem. To begin with, he had kept the door of the room open, and had remained standing. 「Have you got Ovid’s letters? Leave them here; I’m not fit to look at them now.」 Those were his first words. There was nothing in the letters which a friend might not read: she accordingly consented to leave them. The doctor had expressed his sense of obligation by bidding her get into her carriage again, and go. 「I have been put in a passion; I have made a fool of myself; I haven’t a nerve in my body that isn’t quivering with rage. Go! go! go!」 There was his explanation. Impenetrably obstinate, Mrs. Galilee faced him — standing between the doctor and the door — without shrinking. She had not driven all the way to Benjulia’s house to be sent back again without gaining her object: she had her questions to put to him, and she persisted in pressing them as only a woman can. He was left — with the education of a gentleman against him — between the two vulgar alternatives of turning her out by main force, or of yielding, and getting rid of her decently in that way. At any other time, he would have flatly refused to lower himself to the level of a scandal-mongering woman, by entering on the subject. In his present mood, if pacifying Mrs. Galilee, and ridding himself of Mrs. Gallilee, meant one and the same thing, he was ready, recklessly ready, to let her have her own way. She heard the infamous story, which she had repeated to her lawyer; and she had Lemuel Benjulia’s visit, and Mr. Morphew’s contemplated attack on Vivisection, to thank for getting her information.
Mr. Mool waited, and waited in vain. He reminded his client of what she had just said.
「You mentioned certain circumstances. May I know what they are?」 he asked.
Mrs. Gallilee rose, before she replied.
「Your time is valuable, and my time is valuable,」 she said. 「We shall not convince each other by prolonging our conversation. I came here, Mr. Mool, to ask you a question about the law. Permit me to remind you that I have not had my answer yet. My own impression is that the girl now in my house, not being my brother’s child, has no claim on my brother’s property? Tell me in two words, if you please — am I right or wrong?」
「I can do it in one word, Mrs. Gallilee. Wrong.」
「What!」
Mr. Mool entered on the necessary explanation, triumphing in the reply that he had just made. 「It’s the smartest thing,」 he thought, 「I ever said in my life.」
「While husbands and wives live together,」 he continued, 「the Law holds that all children, born in wedlock, are the husband’s children. Even if Miss Carmina’s mother had not been as good and innocent a woman as ever drew the breath of life —」
「That will do, Mr. Mool. You really mean to say that this girl’s interest in my brother’s Will —」
「Remains quite unaffected, ma』am, by all that you have told me.」
「And I am still obliged to keep her under my care?」
「Or,」 Mr. Mool answered, 「to resign the office of guardian, in favour of Lady Northlake — appointed to act, in your place.」
「I won’t trouble you any further, sir. Good-evening!」
She turned to leave the office. Mr. Mool actually tried to stop her.
「One word more, Mrs. Galilee.」
「No; we have said enough already.」
Mr. Mool’s audacity arrived at its climax. He put his hand on the lock of the office door, and held it shut.
「The young lady, Mrs. Gallilee! I am sure you will never breathe a word of this to the pretty gentle, young lady? Even if it was true; and, as God is my witness, I am sure it’s false —」
「Good-evening, Mr. Mool!」
He opened the door, and let her go; her looks and tones told him that remonstrance was worse than useless. From year’s end to year’s end, this modest and amiable man had never been heard to swear. He swore now. 「Damn Doctor Benjulia!」 he burst out, in the solitude of his office. His dinner was waiting for him at home. Instead of putting on his hat, he went back to his writing-table. His thoughts projected themselves into the future — and discovered possibilities from which they recoiled. He took up his pen, and began a letter. 「To John Gallilee, Esquire: Dear Sir,— Circumstances have occurred, which I am not at liberty to mention, but which make it necessary for me, in justice to my own views and feelings, to withdraw from the position of legal adviser to yourself and family.」 He paused and considered with himself. 「No,」 he decided; 「I may be of some use to that poor child, while I am the family lawyer.」 He tore up his unfinished letter.
When Mr. Mool got home that night, it was noticed that he had a poor appetite for his dinner. On the other hand, he drank more wine than usual.
Chapter 34
「I don’t know what is the matter with me. Sometimes I think I am going to be really ill.」
It was the day after Mrs. Gallilee’s interview with her lawyer — and this was Carmina’s answer, when the governess entered her room, after the lessons of the morning, and asked if she felt better.
「Are you still taking medicine?」 Miss Minerva inquired.
「Yes. Mr. Null says it’s a tonic, and it’s sure to do me good. It doesn’t seem to have begun yet. I feel so dreadfully weak, Frances. The least thing makes me cry; and I put off doing what I ought to do, and want to do, without knowing why. You remember what I told you about Teresa? She may be with us in a few days more, for all I know to the contrary. I must find a nice lodging for her, poor dear — and here I am, thinking about it instead of doing it.」
「Let me do it,」 Miss Minerva suggested.
Carmina’s sad face brightened. 「That’s kind indeed!」 she said.
「Nonsense! I shall take the children out, after dinner to-day. Looking over lodgings will be an amusement to me and to them.」
「Where is Zo? Why haven’t you brought her with you?」
「She is having her music lesson — and I must go back to keep her in order. About the lodging? A sitting-room and bedroom will be enough, I suppose? In this neighbourhood, I am afraid the terms will be rather high.」
「Oh, never mind that! Let us have clean airy rooms — and a kind landlady. Teresa mustn’t know it, if the terms are high.」
「Will she allow you to pay her expenses?」
「Ah, you put it delicately! My aunt seemed to doubt if Teresa had any money of her own. I forgot, at the time, that my father had left her a little income. She told me so herself, and wondered, poor dear, how she was to spend it all. She mustn’t be allowed to spend it all. We will tell her that the terms are half what they may really be — and I will pay the other half. Isn’t it cruel of my aunt not to let my old nurse live in the same house with me?」
At that moment, a message arrived from one of the persons of whom she was speaking. Mrs. Gallilee wished to see Miss Carmina immediately.
「My dear,」 said Miss Minerva, when the servant had withdrawn, 「why do you tremble so?」
「There’s something in me, Frances, that shudders at my aunt, ever since —」
She stopped.
Miss Minerva understood that sudden pause — the undesigned allusion to Carmina’s guiltless knowledge of her feeling towards Ovid. By unexpressed consent, on either side, they still preserved their former relations as if Mrs. Gallilee had not spoken. Miss Minerva looked at Carmina sadly and kindly. 「Good-bye for the present!」 she said — and went upstairs again to the schoolroom.
In the hall, Carmina found the servant waiting for her. He opened the library door. The learned lady was at her studies.
「I have been speaking to Mr. Null about you,」 said Mrs. Gallilee.
On the previous evening, Carmina had kept her room. She had breakfasted in bed — and she now saw her aunt for the first time, since Mrs. Gallilee had left the house on her visit to Benjulia. The girl was instantly conscious of a change — to be felt rather than to be realised — a subtle change in her aunt’s way of looking at her and speaking to her. Her heart beat fast. She took the nearest chair in silence.
「The doctor,」 Mrs. Gallilee proceeded, 「thinks it of importance to your health to be as much as possible in the air. He wishes you to drive out every day, while the fine weather lasts. I have ordered the open carriage to be ready, after luncheon. Other engagements will prevent me from accompanying you. You will be under the care of my maid, and you will be out for two hours. Mr. Null hopes you will gain strength. Is there anything you want?」
「Nothing — thank you.」
「Perhaps you wish for a new dress?」
「Oh, no!」
「You have no complaint to make of the servants?」
「The servants are always kind to me.」
「I needn’t detain you any longer — I have a person coming to speak to me.」
Carmina had entered the room in doubt and fear. She left it with strangely-mingled feelings of perplexity and relief. Her sense of a mysterious change in her aunt had strengthened with every word that Mrs. Gallilee had said to her. She had heard of reformatory institutions, and of discreet persons called matrons who managed them. In her imaginary picture of such places, Mrs. Gallilee’s tone and manner realised, in the strangest way, her idea of a matron speaking to a penitent.
As she crossed the hall, her thoughts took a new direction. Some indefinable distrust of the coming time got possession of her. An ugly model of the Colosseum, in cork, stood on the hall table. She looked at it absently. 「I hope Teresa will come soon,」 she thought — and turned away to the stairs.
She ascended slowly; her head drooping, her mind still preoccupied. Arrived at the first landing, a sound of footsteps disturbed her. She looked up — and found herself face to face with Mr. Le Frank, leaving the schoolroom after his music lesson. At that sudden discovery, a cry of alarm escaped her — the common little scream of a startled woman. Mr. Le Frank made an elaborately formal bow: he apologised with sternly stupid emphasis. 「I beg your pardon.」
Moved by a natural impulse, penitently conscious of those few foolish words of hers which he had so unfortunately overheard, the poor girl made an effort to conciliate him. 「I have very few friends, Mr. Le Frank,」 she said timidly. 「May I still consider you as one of them? Will you forgive and forget? Will you shake hands?」
Mr. Le Frank made another magnificent bow. He was proud of his voice. In his most resonant and mellifluous tones, he said, 「You do me honour —」 and took the offered hand, and lifted it grandly, and touched it with his lips.
She held by the baluster with her free hand, and controlled the sickening sensation which that momentary contact with him produced. He might have detected the outward signs of the struggle, but for an interruption which preserved her from discovery. Mrs. Gallilee was standing at the open library door. Mrs. Gallilee said, 「I am waiting for you, Mr. Le Frank.」
Carmina hurried up the stairs, pursued already by a sense of her own imprudence. In her first confusion and d