`Well，mother，dobequiet！——Ihatetobelectured！——I’mnotgoingtomarryyet，Itellyou；but——dearme！mayn’tIenjoymyselfatall？’
`Yes，mydearboy，butnotinthatway。Indeedyoushouldn’tdosuchthings。Youwouldbewrongingthegirl，ifshewerewhatsheoughttobe；butIassureyousheisasartfulalittlehussyasanybodyneedwishtosee；andyou’llgetentangledinhersnaresbeforeyouknowwhereyouare。AndifyoudomarryherGilbert，you’llbreakmyheart——sothere’sanendofit。’
`Well，don’tcryaboutit，mother，’saidI，forthetearsweregushingfromhereyes；`there，letthatkisseffacetheoneIgaveEliza；
don’tabuseheranymore，andsetyourmindatrest；forI’llpromiseneverto——thatis，I’llpromiseto——tothinktwicebeforeItakeanyimportantstepyouseriouslydisapproveof。’
Sosaying，Ilightedmycandle，andwenttobed，considerablyquenchedinspirit。
TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter5CHAPTER5TheStudioITwasaboutthecloseofthemonth，that，yieldingatlengthtotheurgentimportunitiesofRose，IaccompaniedherinavisittoWildfellHall。Tooursurprise，wewereusheredintoaroomwherethefirstobjectthatmettheeyewasapainter’seasel，withatablebesideitcoveredwithrollsofcanvas，bottlesofoilandvarnish，palette，brushes，paints，etc。Leaningagainstthewallwereseveralsketchesinvariousstagesofprogression，andafewfinishedpaintingsmostlyoflandscapesandfigures。
`Imustmakeyouwelcometomystudio，’saidMrsGraham；`thereisnofireinthesitting-roomto-day，anditisrathertoocoldtoshowyouintoaplacewithanemptygrate。’
Anddisengagingacoupleofchairsfromtheartisticallumberthatusurpedthem，shebidusbeseated，andresumedherplacebesidetheeasel——notfacingitexactly，butnowandthenglancingatthepictureuponitwhilesheconversed，andgivingitanoccasionaltouchwithherbrush，asifshefounditimpossibletoweanherattentionentirelyfromheroccupationtofixituponherguests。ItwasaviewofWildfellHall，asseenatearlymorningfromthefieldbelow，risingindarkreliefagainstaskyofclearsilveryblue，withafewredstreaksonthehorizon，faithfullydrawnandcoloured，andveryelegantlyandartisticallyhandled。
`Iseeyourheartisinyourwork，MrsGraham，’observedI：`I
mustbegyoutogoonwithit；forifyousufferourpresencetointerruptyou，weshallbeconstrainedtoregardourselvesasunwelcomeintruders。’
`Oh，no！’。repliedshe，throwingherbrushontothetable，asifstartledintopoliteness。`Iamnotsobesetwithvisitors，butthatIcanreadilyspareafewminutestothefewthatdofavourmewiththeircompany。
`Youhavealmostcompletedyourpainting，’saidI，approachingtoobserveitmoreclosely，andsurveyingitwithagreaterdegreeofadmirationanddelightthanIcaredtoexpress。`AfewmoretouchesintheforegroundwillfinishitIshouldthink——ButwhyhaveyoucalleditFernleyManor，Cumberland，insteadofWildfellHall，——shire？’Iasked，alludingtothenameshehadtracedinsmallcharactersatthebottomofthecanvas。
ButimmediatelyIwassensibleofhavingcommittedanactofimpertinenceinsodoing；forshecolouredandhesitated；butafteramoment’spause，withakindofdesperatefrankness，shereplied，——
`BecauseIhavefriends——acquaintancesatleast——intheworld，fromwhomIdesiremypresentabodetobeconcealed；andastheymightseethepicture，andmightpossiblyrecognizethestyleinspiteofthefalseinitialsIhaveputinthecorner，Itaketheprecautiontogiveafalsenametotheplacealso，inordertoputthemonawrongscent，iftheyshouldattempttotracemeoutbyit。’
`Thenyoudon’tintendtokeepthepicture？’saidI，anxioustosayanythingtochangethesubject。
`No；Icannotaffordtopaintformyownamusement。’
`MammasendsallherpicturestoLondon，’saidArthur；`andsomebodysellsthemforherthere，andsendsusthemoney。’
Inlookingroundupontheotherpieces，IremarkedaprettysketchofLindenhopefromthetopofthehill；anotherviewoftheoldhall，baskinginthesunnyhazeofaquietsummerafternoon；andasimplebutstrikinglittlepictureofachildbroodingwithlooksofsilent，butdeepandsorrowoverhandfulo~witheredBowers，withglimpsesofdarklowhillsandautumnalfieldsbehindit，andadullbecloudedskyabove。
`Youseethereisasaddearthofsubjects，’observedthefairartist。`Itooktheoldhallonceonamoonlightnight，andIsupposeI
musttakeitagainonasnowywinter’sday，andthenagainonadarkcloudyevening；forIreallyhavenothingelsetopaint。Ihavebeentoldthatyouhaveafineviewoftheseasomewhereintheneighbourhood——Isittrue？——andisitwithinwalkingdistance？’
`Yes，ifyoudon’tobjecttowalkingfourmiles，——ornearlyso——littleshortofeightmilesthereandback——andoverasomewhatrough，fatiguingroad。’
`Inwhatdirectiondoesitlie？’
IdescribedthesituationaswellasIcould，andwasenteringuponanexplanationofthevariousroads，lanes，andfieldstobetraversedinordertoreachit，thegoingsstraighton，andturningstotheright，andtheleft，whenshecheckedmewith，——
`Oh，stop！——don’ttellmenow：IshallforgeteverywordofyourdirectionsbeforeIrequirethem。Ishallnotthinkaboutgoingtillnextspring；andthen，perhaps，Imaytroubleyou。Atpresentwehavethewinterbeforeus，and——’
Shesuddenlypaused，withasuppressedexclamation，startedupfromherseat，andsaying，`Excusemeonemoment，’hurriedfromtheroom，andshutthedoorbehindher。
Curioustoseewhathadstartledherso，Ilookedtowardsthewindow，——forhereyeshadbeencarelesslyfixeduponitthemomentbefore——andjustbeheldtheskirtsofaman’scoatvanishingbehindalargehollybushthatstoodbetweenthewindowandtheporch。
`It’smamma’sfriend，’saidArthur。
RoseandIlookedateachother。
`Idon’tknowwhattomakeofher，atall，’whisperedRose。
Thechildlookedatheringravesurprise。Shestraightwaybegantotalktohimonindifferentmatters，whileIamusedmyselfwithlookingatthepictures。TherewasoneinanobscurecomerthatIhadnotbeforeobserved。Itwasalittlechild，seatedonthegrasswithitslapfullofflowers。Thetinyfeaturesandlarge，blueeyes，smilingthroughashockoflightbrowncurls，shakenovertheforeheadasitbentaboveitstreasure，boresufficientresemblancetothoseoftheyounggentlemanbeforeme，toproclaimitaportraitofArthurGrahaminhisearlyinfancy。
Intakingthisuptobringittothelight，Idiscoveredanotherbehindit，withitsfacetothewall。Iventuredtotakethatuptoo。Itwastheportraitofagentlemaninthefullprimeofyouthfulmanhood——handsomeenough，andnotbadlyexecuted；but，ifdonebythesamehandastheothers，itwasevidentlysomeyearsbefore；fortherewasfarmorecarefulminutenessofdetail，andlessofthatfreshnessofcolouringandfreedomofhandling，thatdelightedandsurprisedmeinthem。Nevertheless，Isurveyeditwithconsiderableinterest。Therewasacertainindividualityinthefeaturesandexpressionthatstampedit，atonce，asuccessfullikeness。Thebright，blueeyesregardedthespectatorwithakindoflurkingdrollery——youalmostexpectedtoseethemwink；thelips——alittletoovoluptuouslyfull——seemedreadytobreakintoasmile；thewarmlytintedcheekswereembellishedwithaluxuriantgrowthofreddishwhiskers；whilethebrightchestnuthair，clusteringinabundant，wavycurls，trespassedtoomuchupontheforehead，andseemedtointimatethattheownerthereofwasprouderofhisbeautythanhisintellect——asperhaps，hehadreasontobe；——andyethelookednofool。
Ihadnothadtheportraitinmyhandstwominutesbeforethefairartistreturned。
`Onlysomeonecomeaboutthepictures，’saidshe，inapologyforherabruptdeparture：`Itoldhimtowait。’
`Ifearitwillbeconsideredanactofimpertinence，’saidI，`topresumetolookatapicturethattheartisthasturnedtothewall；
butmayIask’——
`Itisanactofverygreatimpertinence，sir；andtherefore，Ibegyouwillasknothingaboutit，foryourcuriositywillnotbegratified，’
repliedshe，attemptingtocoverthetartnessofherrebukewithasmile；——butIcouldsee，byherflushedcheekandkindlingeye，thatshewasseriouslyannoyed。
`Iwasonlygoingtoaskifyouhadpaintedityourself，’saidI，~yresigningthepictureintoherhands；forwithoutagrainofceremony，shetookitfromme；andquicklyrestoringittothedarkcorner，withitsfacetothewall，placedtheotheragainstitasbefore，andthenturnedtomeandlaughed。
ButIwasinnohumourforjesting。Icarelesslyturnedtothewindow，andstoodlookingoutuponthedesolategarden，leavinghertotalktoRoseforaminuteortwo；andthen，tellingmysisteritwastimetogo，shookhandswiththelittlegentleman，coollybowedtothelady，andmovedtowardsthedoor。But，havingbidadieutoRose，MrsGrahampresentedherhandtome，saying，withasoftvoice，andbynomeansadisagreeablesmile，——
`Letnotthesungodownuponyourwrath，MrMarkham。I’msorryIoffendedyoubymyabruptness。’
Whenaladycondescendstoapologize，thereisnokeepingone’sangerofcourse；sowepartedgoodfriendsforonce；andthistime，Isqueezedherhandwithacordial，notaspitefulpressure。
TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter6CHAPTER6ProgressionDuringthenextfourmonths，IdidnotenterMrsGraham’shouse，norshemine；butstilltheladiescontinuedtotalkabouther，andstillouracquaintancecontinued，thoughslowly，toadvance。Asfortheirtalk，Ipaidbutlittleattentiontothat(whenitrelatedtothefairhermit，Imean)，andtheonlyinformationIderivedfromitwasthat，onefine，frostyday，shehadventuredtotakeherlittleboyasfarasthevicarage，andthat，unfortunately，nobodywasathomebutMissMillward；Inevertheless，shehadsatalongtime，and，byallaccounts，theyhadfoundagooddealtosaytoeachother，andpartedwithamutualdesiretomeetagain——ButMarylikedchildren，andfondmammaslikethosewhocandulyappreciatetheirtreasures。
ButsometimesIsawhermyself，——notonlywhenshecametochurch，butwhenshewasoutonthehillswithherson，whethertakingalong，purpose-likewalk，or——onspecialfinedays——leisurelyramblingoverthemoororthebleakpasture-landssurroundingtheoldhall，herselfwithabookinherhand，hersongambollingabouther；and，onanyoftheseoccasions，whenIcaughtsightofherinmysolitarywalksorrides，orwhilefollowingmyagriculturalpursuits，Igenerallycontrivedtomeetorovertakeher；forIratherlikedtoseeMrsGraham，andtotalktoher，andIdecidedlylikedtotalktoherlittlecompanion，whom，whenoncetheiceofhisshynesswasfairlybroken，Ifoundtobeaveryamiable，intelligent，andentertaininglittlefellow；andwesoonbecameexcellentfriends——howmuchtothegratificationofhismamma，Icannotundertaketosay。Isuspectedatfirst，thatshewasdesirousofthrowingcoldwateronthisgrowingintimacy——toquench，asitwere，thekindlingflameofourfriendship——butdiscovering，atlength，inspiteofherprejudiceagainstme，thatIwasperfectlyharmless，andevenwell-intentioned，andthat，betweenmyselfandmydog，hersonderivedagreatdealofpleasurefromtheacquaintance，thathewouldnototherwisehaveknown，sheceasedtoobject，andevenwelcomedmycomingwithasmile。
AsforArthur，hewouldshouthiswelcomefromafar，andruntomeetmefiftyyardsfromhismother’sside。IfIhappenedtobeonhorseback，hewassuretogetacanteroragallop；or，iftherewasoneofthedraughthorseswithinanavailabledistance，hewastreatedtoasteadyrideuponthat，whichservedhisturnalmostaswell；buthismotherwouldalwaysfollowandtrudgebesidehim——notsomuch，Ibelieve，toensurehissafeconduct，astoseethatIinstillednoobjectionablenotionsintohisinfantmind；forshewaseveronthewatch，andneverwouldallowhimtobetakenoutofhersight。Whatpleasedherbestofall，wastoseehimrompingandracingwithSancho，whileIwalkedbyherside——not，Ifear，forloveofmycompany(thoughIsometimesdeludedmyselfwiththatidea)，somuchasforthedelightshetookinseeinghersonthushappilyengagedintheenjoymentofthoseactivesports，soinvigoratingtohistenderframe，yetsoseldomexercisedforwantofplaymatessuitedtohisyears；and，perhaps，herpleasurewassweetened，notalittle，bythefactofmybeingwithherinsteadofwithhim；andthereforeincapableofdoinghimanyinjury，directlyorindirectly，designedlyorotherwise——smallthankstoherforthatsame。
