n’tbeabadidea,anditwouldhaveagoodeffectonthecounty,ifwetookyournameagain.”
HelookedatBertha,whostaredathimicily,butanswerednothing.
“I’vetalkedtooldBacotaboutitandhethinksitwouldbejustthethingsoIthinkwe’dbetterdoit.”
“Isupposeyou’regoingtoconsultmeonthesubject.”
“That’swhatI’mdoingnow.”
“DoyouthinkofcallingyourselfLey-CraddockorCraddock-Ley,ordroppingtheCraddockaltogether?”
“Well,totellyouthetruth,Ihadn’tgonesofarasthatyet.”
Berthagavealittlescornfullaugh.“Ithinktheideaisperfectlyridiculous.”
“Idon’tseethatIthinkitwouldberatheranimprovement.”
“Really,Edward,ifIwasnotashamedtotakeyourname,Idon’tthinkthatyouneedbeashamedtokeepit.”
“Isay,Ithinkyoumightbereasonable—you’realwaysstandinginmyway.”
“Ihavenowishtodothat.Ifyouthinkmynamewilladdtoyourimportance,useitbyallmeans....YoumaycallyourselfTompkinsforallIcare.”
“Whataboutyou?”
“OhI—IshallcontinuetocallmyselfCraddock.”
“Idothinkit’srough.Youneverdoanythingtohelpme.”
“Iamsorryyou’redissatisfied.Butyouforgetthatyouhaveimpressedoneidealonmeforyears:youhavealwaysgivenmetounderstandthatyourpatternfemaleanimalwasthecommonordomesticcow.”
EdwarddidnotunderstandwhatBerthameant,anditoccurredtohimdimlythatitwasperhapsnotaltogetherproper.
“Youknow,Edward,Ialwaysregretthatyoudidn’tmarryFannyGlover.Youwouldhavesuitedoneanotheradmirably.AndIthinkshewouldhaveworshippedyouasyoudesiretobeworshipped.I’msureshewouldnothaveobjectedtoyourcallingyourselfGlover.”
“Ishouldn’thavewantedtotakehername.That’snobetterthanCraddock.TheonlythinginLeyisthatit’sanoldcountyname,andhasbelongedtoyourpeople.”
“ThatiswhyIdon’tchoosethatyoushoulduseit.”