Ihavenochance.Byhisdescription,agooddeallikethesecondsizedouble-barrelofmine,whichyoushotwithonedayroundWinthrop.”
Therecouldnotbeanobjection.Therecouldbeonlythemostproperalacrity,amostobligingcomplianceforpublicviewandsmilesreinedinandspiritsdancinginprivaterapture.InhalfaminuteCharleswasatthebottomofUnionStreetagain,andtheothertwoproceedingtogether:andsoonwordsenoughhadpassedbetweenthemtodecidetheirdirectiontowardsthecomparativelyquietandretiredgravelwalk,wherethepowerofconversationwouldmakethepresenthourablessingindeed,andprepareitforalltheimmortalitywhichthehappiestrecollectionsoftheirownfuturelivescouldbestow.Theretheyexchangedagainthosefeelingsandthosepromiseswhichhadoncebeforeseemedtosecureeverything,butwhichhadbeenfollowedbysomany,manyyearsofdivisionandestrangement.Theretheyreturnedagainintothepast,moreexquisitelyhappy,perhaps,intheirre-union,thanwhenithadbeenfirstprojectedmoretender,moretried,morefixedinaknowledgeofeachother’scharacter,truth,andattachmentmoreequaltoact,morejustifiedinacting.Andthere,astheyslowlypacedthegradualascent,heedlessofeverygrouparoundthem,seeingneithersaunteringpoliticians,bustlinghousekeepers,flirtinggirls,nornursery-maidsandchildren,theycouldindulgeinthoseretrospectionsandacknowledgements,andespeciallyinthoseexplanationsofwhathaddirectlyprecededthepresentmoment,whichweresopoignantandsoceaselessininterest.Allthelittlevariationsofthelastweekweregonethroughandofyesterdayandtodaytherecouldscarcelybeanend.
Shehadnotmistakenhim.JealousyofMrElliothadbeentheretardingweight,thedoubt,thetorment.ThathadbeguntooperateintheveryhouroffirstmeetingherinBaththathadreturned,afterashortsuspension,toruintheconcertandthathadinfluencedhimineverythinghehadsaidanddone,oromittedtosayanddo,inthelastfour-and-twentyhours.Ithadbeengraduallyyieldingtothebetterhopeswhichherlooks,orwords,oractionsoccasionallyencouragedithadbeenvanquishedatlastbythosesentimentsandthosetoneswhichhadreachedhimwhileshetalkedwithCaptainHarvilleandundertheirresistiblegovernanceofwhichhehadseizedasheetofpaper,andpouredouthisfeelings.
Ofwhathehadthenwritten,nothingwastoberetractedorqualified.Hepersistedinhavinglovednonebuther.Shehadneverbeensupplanted.Heneverevenbelievedhimselftoseeherequal.Thusmuchindeedhewasobligedtoacknowledge:thathehadbeenconstantunconsciously,nayunintentionallythathehadmeanttoforgether,andbelievedittobedone.Hehadimaginedhimselfindifferent,whenhehadonlybeenangryandhehadbeenunjusttohermerits,becausehehadbeenasuffererfromthem.Hercharacterwasnowfixedonhismindasperfectionitself,maintainingtheloveliestmediumoffortitudeandgentlenessbuthewasobligedtoacknowledgethatonlyatUppercrosshadhelearnttodoherjustice,andonlyatLymehadhebeguntounderstandhimself.AtLyme,hehadreceivedlessonsofmorethanonesort.ThepassingadmirationofMrElliothadatleastrousedhim,andthescenesontheCobbandatCaptainHarville’shadfixedhersuperiority.
InhisprecedingattemptstoattachhimselftoLouisaMusgrove(theattemptsofangrypride),heprotestedthathehadforeverfeltittobeimpossiblethathehadnotca