`Yououghttoforgivehim，Mr。Hargrave，sinceheasksyou，’saidI。
`Doyousayso？ThenIwill！’And，smilingalmostfrankly，hesteppedforwardandofferedhishand。Itwasimmediatelyclaspedinthatofhisrelative，andthereconciliationwasapparentlycordialonbothsides。
`Theaffront，’continuedHargrave，turningtome，`owedhalfitsbitternesstothefactofitsbeingofferedinyourpresence；andsinceyoubidmeforgiveit，Iwill——andforgetittoo。’
`IguessthebestreturnIcanmake，willbetotakemyselfoff，’
mutteredHattersley，withabroadgrin。Hiscompanionsmiled；andhelefttheroom。Thisputmeonmyguard。Mr。Hargraveturnedseriouslytome，andearnestlybegan——
`DearMrs。Huntingdon，howIhavelongedfor，yetdreadedthishour！Donotbealarmed，’headded，formyfacewascrimsonwithanger；
`Iamnotabouttooffendyouwithanyuselessentreatiesorcomplaints。
Iamnotgoingtopresumetotroubleyouwiththementionofmyownfeelingsoryourperfections，butIhavesomethingtorevealtoyouwhichyououghttoknow，andwhich，yet，itpainsmeinexpressibly——’
`Thendon’ttroubleyourselftorevealit！’
`Butitisofimportance——
`Ifso，Ishallhearitsoonenough——speciallyifitisbadnews，asyouseemtoconsiderit。Atpresent，Iamgoingtotakethechildrentothenursery。
`Butcan’tyouring，andsendthem？’
`No；Iwanttheexerciseofaruntothetopofthehouse——ComeArthur。’
`Butyouwillreturn？’
`Notyet；don’twait。’
`Then，whenmayIseeyouagain？’
`Atlunch，’saidI，departingwithlittleHeleninonearm，andleadingArthurbythehand。
Heturnedaway，mutteringsomesentenceofimpatientcensureorcomplaint，inwhich`heartless’wastheonlydistinguishableword。
`WhatnonsenseisthisMr。Hargrave？’saidI，pausinginthedoorway。
`Whatdoyoumean？’
`Oh，nothing——Ididnotintendyoushouldhearmysoliloquy。Butthefactis，Mrs。Huntingdon，Ihaveadisclosuretomake——painfulformetoofferasforyoutohear——andIwantyoutogivemeafewminutesofyourattentioninprivate，atanytimeandplaceyouliketoappoint。
ItisfromnoselfishmotivethatIaskit，andnotforanycausethatcouldalarmyoursuper-humanpurity；therefore，youneednotkillmewiththatlookofcoldandpitilessdisdain。Iknowtoowellthefeelingswithwhichthebearersofbadtidingsarecommonlyregarded，notto——’
`Whatisthiswonderfulpieceofintelligence？’saidI，impatientlyinterruptinghim。`Ifitisanythingofrealimportance，speakitinthreewordsbeforeIgo。’
`InthreewordsIcannot。Sendthosechildrenaway，andstaywithme。
`No；keepyourbadtidingstoyourself。IknowitissomethingIdon’twanttohear，andsomethingyouwoulddispleasemebytelling。’
`YouhavedivinedtootrulyIfear；butstillsinceIknowit，Ifeelitmydutytodiscloseittoyou。’
`Oh，spareusboththeinfliction——andIwillexonerateyoufromtheduty。Youhaveofferedtotell；Ihaverefusedtohear：myignorancewillnotbechargedonyou。’
`Beitso——youshallnothearitfromme。Butiftheblowfalltoosuddenlyuponyouwhenitcomes，remember——Iwishedtosoftenit！’
Ilefthim。Iwasdeterminedhiswordsshouldnotalarmme。Whatcouldheofallmen，havetorevealthatwasofimportanceformetohear？Itwasnodoubtsomeexaggeratedtaleaboutmyunfortunatehusband，thathewishedtomakethemostoftoservehisownbadpurposes。
6th。Hehasnotalludedtothismomentousmysterysince；andI
haveseennoreasontorepentofmyunwillingnesstohearit。Thethreatenedblowhasnotbeenstruckyet；andIdonotgreatlyfearit。AtpresentIampleasedwithArthur：hehasnotpositivelydisgracedhimselfforupwardsofafortnight，andallthislastweek，hasbeensoverymoderateinhisindulgenceattable，thatIcanperceiveamarkeddifferenceinhisgeneraltemperandappearance。DareIhopethiswillcontinue？
TheTenantofWildfellHall：Chapter33CHAPTERXXXIIITWOEVENINGSSeventh。Yes，Iwillhope！To-night，IheardGrimsbyandHattersleygrumblingtogether，abouttheinhospitalityoftheirhost。TheydidnotknowIwasnear，forIhappenedtobestandingbehindthecurtain，inthebowofthewindow，watchingthemoonrisingovertheclumpoftall，darkelm-treesbelowthelawnandwonderingwhyArthurwassosentimentalastostandwithout，leaningagainsttheouterpillaroftheportico，apparentlywatchingittoo。
`So，Isupposewe’veseenthelastofourmerrycarousalsinthishouse，’saidMr。Hattersley，`Ithoughthisgood-fellowshipwouldn’tlastlong——But，’addedhe，laughing，`Ididn’texpectitwouldmeetitsendthisway。Iratherthoughtourprettyhostesswouldbesettingupherporcupinequills，andthreateningtoturnusoutofthehouse，ifwedidn’tmindourmanners。’
`Youdidn’tforeseethis，then？’answeredGrimsbywithagutturalchuckle。`Buthe’llchangeagainwhenhe’ssickofher。Ifwecomehereayearortwohence，weshallhaveallourownway，you’llsee。’
`Idon’tknow，’repliedtheother：`she’snotthestyleofwomanyousoontireof——butbethatasitmay，it’sdevilishprovokingnow，thatwecan’tbejolly，becausehechoosestobeonhisgoodbehaviour。’
`It’sallthesecursedwomen！’mutteredGrimsby。`They’retheverybaneoftheworld！Theybringtroubleanddiscomfortwherevertheycome，withtheirfalse，fairfacesandtheird——ddeceitfultongues。’
Atthisjuncture，Iissuedfrommyretreat，andsmilingonMr。
GrimsbyasIpassed，lefttheroomandwentoutinsearchofArthur。Havingseenhimbendhiscoursetowardstheshrubbery，Ifollowedhimthither，andfoundhimjustenteringtheshadowywalk。Iwassolightofheart，sooverflowingwithaffection，thatIspranguponhimandclaspedhiminmyarms。Thisstartlingconducthadasingulareffectuponhim：first，hemurmured，`Blessyoudarling！’andreturnedmycloseembracewithafervourlikeoldtimes，andthenhestarted，andinatoneofabsoluteterror，exclaimed`Helen！——Whatthedevilisthis！’andIsaw，bythefaintlightgleamingthroughtheovershadowingtree，thathewaspositivelypalewiththeshock。
Howstrangethattheinstinctiveimpulseofaffectionshouldcomefirst，andthentheshockofthesurprise！Itshowsatleastthattheaffectionisgenuine：heisnotsickofmeyet。
`Istartledyou，Arthur，’saidI，laughinginmyglee。`Hownervousyouare！’
`Whatthedeucedidyoudoitfor？’criedhe，quitetestily，extricatinghimselffrommyarms，andwipinghisforeheadwithhishandkerchief。`Goback，Helen——gobackdirectly！You’llgetyourdeathofcold！’
`Iwon’t——tillI’vetoldyouwhatIcamefor。Theyareblamingyou，Arthur，foryourtemperanceandsobriety，andI’mcometothankyouforit。Theysayitisall“thesecursedwomen。”andthatwearethebaneoftheworld；butdon’tletthemlaugh，orgrumbleyououtofyourgoodresolutions，oryouraffectionforme。’
Helaughed。Isqueezedhiminmyarmsagain，andcriedintearfulearnest——
`Duopersevere！——andI’llloveyoubetterthaneverIdidbefore！’
`Well，well，Iwill！’saidhe，hastilykissingme。`Therenow，go——Youmadcreature，howcouldyoucomeoutinyourlighteveningdress，thischillautumnnight？’
`Itisagloriousnight，’saidI。
`Itisanightthatwillgiveyouyourdeath，inanotherminute。
Runaway，do！’
`Doyouseemydeathamongthosetrees，Arthur？’saidI，forhewasgazingintentlyattheshrubs，asifhesawitcoming，andIwasreluctanttoleavehim，inmynew-foundhappinessandrevivalofhopeandlove。Buthegrewangryatmydelay，soIkissedhimandranbacktothehouse。
Iwasinsuchagoodhumourthatnight：MilicenttoldmeIwasthelifeoftheparty，andwhisperedshehadneverseenmesobrilliant。
Certainly，Italkedenoughfortwenty，andsmileduponthemall。Grimsby，Hattersley，Hargrave，LadyLowborough——allsharedmysisterlykindness。
Grimsbystaredandwondered；Hattersleylaughedandjested(inspiteofthelittlewinehehadbeensufferedtoimbibe)，butstill，behavedaswellasheknewhow；HargraveandAnnabella，fromdifferentmotivesandindifferentwaysemulatedme，anddoubtlessbothsurpassedme，theformerinhisdiscursiveversatilityandeloquence，thelatterinboldnessandanimationatleast。Milicent，delightedtoseeherhusband，herbrotherandherover-estimatedfriendacquittingthemselvessowell，waslivelyandgaytoo，inherquietway。EvenLordLowboroughcaughtthegeneralcontagion：hisdark，greenisheyeswerelightedupbeneaththeirmoodybrows；hissombrecountenancewasbeautifiedbysmiles；alltracesofgloom，andproudorcoldreservehadvanishedforthetime；andheastonishedusall，notonlybyhisgeneralcheerfulnessandanimation，butbythepositiveflashesoftrueforceandbrillianceheemittedfromtimetotime。
Arthurdidnottalkmuch，buthelaughed，andlistenedtotherest，andwasinperfectgood-humour，thoughnotexcitedbywine。Sothat，altogetherwemadeaverymerry，innocentandentertainingparty。
9th。Yesterday，whenRachelcametodressmefordinner，Isawthatshehadbeencrying。Iwantedtoknowthecauseofit，butsheseemedreluctanttotell。Wassheunwell？No。Hadsheheardbadnewsfromherfriends？No。Hadanyoftheservantsvexedher？
`Oh，noMa’am！’sheanswered——’It’snotformyself。’
`Whatthen，Rachel？Haveyoubeenreadingnovels？’
`Blessyou，no！’saidshewithasorrowfulshakeofthehead；
andthenshesighedandcontinued，`Buttotellyouthetruth，Ma’am，I
don’tlikemaster’swaysofgoingon。’
`WhatdoyoumeanRachel？——He’sgoingonveryproperly——atpresent。
`Wellma’am，ifyouthinkso，it’sright。’
Andshewentondressingmyhair，inahurriedway，quiteunlikeherusualcalm，collectedmanner，——murmuring，halftoherself，shewassureitwasbeautifulhair，she`couldliketoseeemmatchit。’Whenitwasdone，shefondlystrokeditandgentlypattedmyhead。
`Isthataffectionateebullitionintendedformyhair，ormyself，nurse？’saidI，laughinglyturningrounduponher；——butatearwasevennowinhereye。
`Whatdoyoumean，Rachel？’Iexclaimed。
`Well，ma’am，Idon’tknow，——butif——’
`Ifwhat？’
`Well，ifIwasyou，Iwouldn’thavethatLadyLowboroughinthehouseanotherminute——notanotherminuteIwouldn’t！’
Iwasthunderstruck；butbeforeIcouldrecoverfromtheshocksufficientlytodemandanexplanation，Milicententeredmyroomsshefrequentlydoes，whensheisdressedbeforeme；andshestayedwithmetillitwastimetogodown。Shemusthavefoundmeaveryunsociablecompanionthistime，forRachel’slastwordsrunginmyears。Butstill，Ihoped——ItrustedtheyhadnofoundationbutinsomeidlerumouroftheservantsfromwhattheyhadseeninLadyLowborough’smannerlastmonth；or，perhaps，fromsomethingthathadpassedbetweentheirmasterandherduringherformervisit。Atdinner，InarrowlyobservedbothherandArthur，andsawnothingextraordinaryintheconductofeither——nothingcalculatedtoexcitesuspicion，exceptindistrustfulminds——whichminewasnot，andthereforeIwouldnotsuspect。
Almostimmediatelyafterdinner，Annabellawentoutwithherhusbandtosharehismoonlightramble，foritwasasplendideveninglikethelast。
Mr。Hargraveenteredthedrawing-roomalittlebeforetheothers，andchallengedmetoagameofchess。Hediditwithoutanyofthatsad，butproudhumilityheusuallyassumesinaddressingme，unlessheisexcitedwithwine。I
lookedathisfacetoseeifthatwasthecasenow。Hiseyemetminekeenly，butsteadily：therewassomethingabouthimIdidnotunderstand，butheseemedsoberenough。Notchoosingtoengagewithhim，IreferredhimtoMilicent。
`Sheplaysbadly，’saidhe：`Iwanttomatchmyskillwithyours。
Comenow！——youcan’tpretendyouarereluctanttolaydownyourwork——I
knowyounevertakeitupexcepttopassanidlehour，whenthereisnothingbetteryoucando。’
`Butchessplayersaresounsociable，’Iobjected；`theyarenocompanyforanybutthemselves。
`Thereisnoonehere——butMilicent，andshe——’
`Oh，Ishallbedelightedtowatchyou！’criedourmutualfriend——
`Twosuchplayers——itwillbequiteatreat！Iwonderwhichwillconquer。’
Iconsented。
