agoodnight,andwasgoingonwellthenextday.ItmustbeaworkoftimetoascertainthatnoinjuryhadbeendonetothespinebutMrRobinsonfoundnothingtoincreasealarm,andCharlesMusgrovebegan,consequently,tofeelnonecessityforlongerconfinement.Thechildwastobekeptinbedandamusedasquietlyaspossiblebutwhatwasthereforafathertodo?Thiswasquiteafemalecase,anditwouldbehighlyabsurdinhim,whocouldbeofnouseathome,toshuthimselfup.HisfatherverymuchwishedhimtomeetCaptainWentworth,andtherebeingnosufficientreasonagainstit,heoughttogoanditendedinhismakingabold,publicdeclaration,whenhecameinfromshooting,ofhismeaningtodressdirectly,anddineattheotherhouse.
“Nothingcanbegoingonbetterthanthechild,”saidhe“soItoldmyfather,justnow,thatIwouldcome,andhethoughtmequiteright.Yoursisterbeingwithyou,mylove,Ihavenoscrupleatall.Youwouldnotliketoleavehimyourself,butyouseeIcanbeofnouse.Annewillsendformeifanythingisthematter.”
Husbandsandwivesgenerallyunderstandwhenoppositionwillbevain.Maryknew,fromCharles’smannerofspeaking,thathewasquitedeterminedongoing,andthatitwouldbeofnousetoteazehim.Shesaidnothing,therefore,tillhewasoutoftheroom,butassoonastherewasonlyAnnetohear—
“SoyouandIaretobelefttoshiftbyourselves,withthispoorsickchildandnotacreaturecomingnearusalltheevening!Iknewhowitwouldbe.Thisisalwaysmyluck.Ifthereisanythingdisagreeablegoingonmenarealwayssuretogetoutofit,andCharlesisasbadasanyofthem.Veryunfeeling!Imustsayitisveryunfeelingofhimtoberunningawayfromhispoorlittleboy.Talksofhisbeinggoingonsowell!Howdoesheknowthatheisgoingonwell,orthattheremaynotbeasuddenchangehalfanhourhence?IdidnotthinkCharleswouldhavebeensounfeeling.Sohereheistogoawayandenjoyhimself,andbecauseIamthepoormother,Iamnottobeallowedtostirandyet,Iamsure,Iammoreunfitthananybodyelsetobeaboutthechild.Mybeingthemotheristheveryreasonwhymyfeelingsshouldnotbetried.Iamnotatallequaltoit.YousawhowhystericalIwasyesterday.”
“Butthatwasonlytheeffect