A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) - Charles Reade (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

Part 3 Chapter 12 Pg 105

 

Then He Gave Up All Hope Of Smoothing The Matter. He Coolly Cut Her;

Never Came To The Trysting-Place; Did Not Answer Her Letters; And,

Being A Reckless Egotist,  Married Jane Wright All In A Hurry,  By

Special License.

 

He Sent Forward To The Clerk Of Huntercombe Church,  And Engaged The

Ringers To Ring The Church-Bells From Six O'clock Till Sundown. This

Was For Sir Charles's Ears.

 

It Was A Balmy Evening In May. Lady Bassett Was Commencing Her Toilet

In An Indolent Way,  With Mary Wells In Attendance,  When The

Church-Bells Of Huntercombe Struck Up A Merry Peal.

 

"Ah!" Said Lady Bassett; "What Is That For? Do You Know,  Mary?"

 

"No,  My Lady. Shall I Ask?"

 

"No; I Dare Say It Is A Village Wedding."

 

"No,  My Lady,  There's Nobody Been Married Here This Six Weeks. Our

Kitchen-Maid And The Baker Was The Last,  You Know. I'll Send,  And Know

What It Is For." Mary Went Out And Dispatched The First House-Maid She

Caught For Intelligence. The Girl Ran Into The Stable To Her

Sweetheart,  And He Told Her Directly.

 

Meantime Lady Bassett Moralized Upon Church-Bells.

 

"They Are Always Sad--Saddest When They Seem To Be Merriest. Poor

Things! They Are Trying Hard To Be Merry Now; But They Sound Very Sad

To Me--Sadder Than Usual,  Somehow."

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl Knocked At The Door. Mary Half Opened It,  And The News Shot

In--"'Tis For Squire Bassett; He Is Bringing Of His Bride Home To

Highmore To-Day."

 

"Mr. Bassett--Married--That Is Sudden. Who Could He Find To Marry Him?"

There Was No Reply. The House-Maid Had Flown Off To Circulate The News,

And Mary Wells Was Supporting Herself By Clutching The Door,  Sick With

The Sudden Blow.

 

Close As She Was,  Her Distress Could Not Have Escaped Another Woman's

Eye,  But Lady Bassett Never Looked At Her. After The First Surprise She

Had Gone Into A Reverie,  And Was Conjuring Up The Future To The Sound

Of Those Church-Bells. She Requested Mary To Go And Tell Sir Charles;

But She Did Not Lift Her Head,  Even To Give This Order.

 

Mary Crept Away,  And Knocked At Sir Charles's Dressing-Room.

 

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"Come In," Said Sir Charles,  Thinking,  Of Course,  It Was His Valet.

 

Mary Wells Just Opened The Door And Held It Ajar. "My Lady Bids Me Tell

You,  Sir,  The Bells Are Ringing For Mr. Bassett; He's Married,  And

Brings Her Home Tonight."

 

A Dead Silence Marked The Effect Of This Announcement On Sir Charles.

Mary Wells Waited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"May Heaven's Curse Light On That Marriage,  And No Child Of Theirs Ever

Take My Place In This House!"

 

"A-A-Men!" Said Mary Wells.

 

"Thank You,  Sir!" Said Sir Charles. He Took Her Voice For A Man's,  So

Deep And Guttural Was Her "A--A--Men" With Concentrated Passion.

 

She Closed The Door And Crept Back To Her Mistress.

 

Lady Bassett Was Seated At Her Glass,  With Her Hair Down And Her

Shoulders Bare. Mary Clinched Her Teeth,  And Set About Her Usual Work;

But Very Soon Lady Bassett Gave A Start,  And Stared Into The Glass.

"Mary!" Said She,  "What _Is_ The Matter? You Look Ghastly,  And Your

Hands Are As Cold As Ice. Are You Faint?"

 

"No."

 

"Then You Are Ill; Very Ill."

 

"I Have Taken A Chill," Said Mary,  Doggedly.

 

"Go Instantly To The Still-Room Maid,  And Get A Large Glass Of Spirits

And Hot Water--Quite Hot."

 

Mary,  Who Wanted To Be Out Of The Room,  Fastened Her Mistress's Back

Hair With Dogged Patience,  And Then Moved Toward The Door.

 

"Mary," Said Lady Bassett,  In A Half-Apologetic Tone.

 

"My Lady."

 

"I Should Like To Hear What The Bride Is Like."

 

"I'll Know That To-Night," Said Mary,  Grinding Her Teeth.

 

"I Shall Not Require You Again Till Bedtime."

 

Mary Left The Room,  And Went,  Not To The Still-Room,  But To Her Own

Garret,  And There She Gave Way. She Flung Herself,  With A Wild Cry,

Part 3 Chapter 12 Pg 107

Upon Her Little Bed,  And Clutched Her Own Hair And The Bedclothes,  And

Writhed All About The Bed Like A Wild-Cat Wounded.

 

In This Anguish She Passed An Hour She Never Forgot Nor Forgave. She

Got Up At Last,  And Started At Her Own Image In The Glass. Hair Like A

Savage's,  Cheek Pale,  Eyes Blood-Shot.

 

She Smoothed Her Hair,  Washed Her Face,  And Prepared To Go Downstairs;

But Now She Was Seized With A Faintness,  And Had To Sit Down And Moan.

She Got The Better Of That,  And Went To The Still-Room,  And Got Some

Spirits; But She Drank Them Neat,  Gulped Them Down Like Water. They

Sent The Devil Into Her Black Eye,  But No Color Into Her Pale Cheek.

She Had A Little Scarlet Shawl; She Put It Over Her Head,  And Went Into

The Village. She Found It Astir With Expectation.

 

Mr. Bassett's House Stood Near The Highway,  But The Entrance To The

Premises Was Private,  And Through A Long White Gate.

 

By This Gate Was A Heap Of Stones,  And Mary Wells Got On That Heap And

Waited.

 

When She Had Been There About Half An Hour,  Richard Bassett Drove Up In

A Hired Carriage,  With His Pale Little Wife Beside Him. At His Own Gate

His Eye Encountered Mary Wells,  And He Started. She Stood Above Him,

With Her Arms Folded Grandly; Her Cheek,  So Swarthy And Ruddy,  Was Now

Pale,  And Her Black Eyes Glittered Like Basilisks At Him And His Bride.

The Whole Woman Seemed Lifted Out Of Her Low Condition,  And Dignified

By Wrong.

 

He Had To Sustain Her Look For A Few Seconds,  While The Gate Was Being

Opened,  And It Seemed An Age. He Felt His First Pang Of Remorse When He

Saw That Swarthy,  Ruddy Cheek So Pale. Then Came Admiration Of Her

Beauty,  And Disgust At The Woman For Whom He Had Jilted Her; And That

Gave Way To Fear: The Hater Looked Into Those Glittering Eyes,  And Saw

He Had Roused A Hate As Unrelenting As His Own.

Part 3 Chapter 13 Pg 108

 

For The First Few Days Richard Bassett Expected Some Annoyance From

Mary Wells; But None Came,  And He Began To Flatter Himself She Was Too

Fond Of Him To Give Him Pain.

 

This Impression Was Shaken About Ten Days After The Little Scene I Have

Described. He Received A Short Note From Her,  As Follows:

 

 

Part 3 Chapter 13 Pg 109

 

"Sir--You Must Meet Me To-Night,  At The Same Place,  Eight O'clock. If

You Do Not Come It Will Be The Worse For You.

 

"M. W."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Bassett's Inclination Was To Treat This Summons With Contempt;

But He Thought It Would Be Wiser To Go And See Whether The Girl Had Any

Hostile Intentions. Accordingly He Went To The Tryst. He Waited For

Some Time,  And At Last He Heard A Quick,  Firm Foot,  And Mary Wells

Appeared. She Was Hooded With Her Scarlet Shawl,  That Contrasted

Admirably With Her Coal-Black Hair; And Out Of This Scarlet Frame Her

Dark Eyes Glittered. She Stood Before Him In Silence.

 

He Said Nothing.

 

She Was Silent Too For Some Time. But She Spoke First.

 

"Well,  Sir,  You Promised One,  And You Have Married Another. Now What

Are You Going To Do For Me?"

 

"What _Can_ I Do,  Mary? I'm Not The First That Wanted To Marry For

Love,  But Money Came In His Way And Tempted Him."

 

"No,  You Are Not The First. But That's Neither Here Nor There,  Sir.

That Chalk-Faced Girl Has Bought You Away From Me With Her Money,  And

Now I Mean To Have My Share On't."

 

"Oh,  If That Is All," Said Richard,  "We Can Soon Settle It. I Was

Afraid You Were Going To Talk About A Broken Heart,  And All That Stuff.

You Are A Good,  Sensible Girl; And Too Beautiful To Want A Husband

Long. I'll Give You Fifty Pounds To Forgive Me."

 

"Fifty Pounds!" Said Mary Wells,  Contemptuously. "What! When You

Promised Me I Should Be Your Wife To-Day,  And Lady Of Huntercombe Hall

By-And-By? Fifty Pounds! No; Not Five Fifties."

 

"Well,  I'll Give You Seventy-Five; And If That Won't Do,  You Must Go To

Law,  And See What You Can Get."

 

"What,  Han't You Had Your Bellyful Of Law? Mind,  It Is An Unked Thing

To Forswear Yourself,  And That Is What You Done At The 'Sizes. I Have

Seen What You Did Swear About Your Letter To My Sister; Sir Charles

Have Got It All Wrote Down In His Study: And You Swore A Lie To The

Judge,  As You Swore A Lie To Me Here Under Heaven,  You Villain!" She

Raised Her Voice Very Loud. "Don't You Gainsay Me,  Or I'll Soon Have

Part 3 Chapter 13 Pg 110

You By The Heels In Jail For Your Lies. You'll Do As I Bid You,