“Idon’tthinkthat.Andshemusthavesuspectedsomethingbynow.”
“Soonewouldhavesupposed.Butshenevercaredforhermother,andlittlegirlsofninedon’treasonclearly.Shelooksonitasalongvisit.Anditisimportant,mostimportant,thatsheshouldnotreceiveashock.Allachild’slifedependsontheidealithasofitsparents.Destroythatandeverythinggoes—morals,behaviour,everything.Absolutetrustinsomeoneelseistheessenceofeducation.ThatiswhyIhavebeensocarefulabouttalkingofpoorLiliabeforeher.”
“Butyouforgetthiswretchedbaby.WatersandAdamsonwritethatthereisababy.”
“Mrs.Theobaldmustbetold.Butshedoesn’tcount.Sheisbreakingupveryquickly.Shedoesn’tevenseeMr.Kingcroftnow.He,thankgoodness,Ihear,hasatlastconsoledhimselfwithsomeoneelse.”
“Thechildmustknowsometime,”persistedPhilip,whofeltalittledispleased,thoughhecouldnottellwithwhat.
“Thelaterthebetter.Everymomentsheisdeveloping.”
“Imustsayitseemsratherhardluck,doesn’tit?”
“OnIrma?Why?”
“Onus,perhaps.Wehavemoralsandbehaviouralso,andIdon’tthinkthiscontinualsecrecyimprovesthem.”
“There’snoneedtotwistthethingroundtothat,”saidHarriet,ratherdisturbed.
“Ofcoursethereisn’t,”saidhermother.“Let’skeeptothemainissue.Thisbaby’squitebesidethepoint.Mrs.Theobaldwilldonothing,andit’snoconcernofours.”
“Itwillmakeadifferenceinthemoney,surely,”saidhe.
“No,dearverylittle.PoorCharlesprovidedforeverykindofcontingencyinhiswill.ThemoneywillcometoyouandHarriet,asIrma’sguardians.”
“Good.DoestheItaliangetanything?”
“Hewillgetallhers.Butyouknowwhatthatis.”
“Good.Sothoseareourtactics—totellnooneaboutthebaby,notevenMissAbbott.”
“Mostcertainlythisisthepropercourse,”saidMrs.Herriton,preferring“course”to“tactics”forHarriet’ssake.“AndwhyevershouldwetellCaroline?”
“Shewassomixedupintheaffair.”
“Poorsillycreature.Thelessshehearsaboutitthebettershewillbepleased.IhavecometobeverysorryforCaroline.She,ifanyone,hassufferedandbeenpenitent.SheburstintotearswhenItoldheralittle,onlyalittle,ofthatterribleletter.Ineversawsuchgenuineremorse.Wemustforgiveherandforget.Letthedeadburytheirdead.Wewillnottroubleherwiththem.”
Philipsawthathismotherwasscarcelylogical.Buttherewasnoadvantageinsayingso.“HerebeginneththeNewLife,then.Doyouremember,mother,thatwaswhatwesaidwhenwesawLiliaoff?”
“Yes,dearbutnowitisreallyaNewLife,becauseweareallataccord.ThenyouwerestillinfatuatedwithItaly.Itmaybefullofbeautifulpicturesandchurches,butwecannotjudgeacountrybyanythingbutitsmen.”
“Thatisquitetrue,”hesaidsadly.Andasthetacticswerenowsettled,hewentoutandtookanaimlessandsolitarywalk.
Bythetimehecamebacktwoimportantthingshadhappened.Irmahadbeentoldofhermother’sdeath,andMissAbbott,whohadcalledforasubscription,hadbeentoldalso.
Irmahadweptloudly,hadaskedafewsensiblequestionsandagoodmanysillyones,andhadbeencontentwithevasiveanswers.Fortunatelytheschoolprize-givingwasathand,andthat,togetherwiththeprospectofnewblackclothes,keptherfrommeditatingonthefactthatLilia,whohadbeenabsentsolong,wouldnowbeabsentforever.
“AsforCaroline,”saidMrs.Herriton,“Iwasalmostfrightened.Shebrokedownutterly.Shecriedevenwhensheleftthehouse.IcomfortedherasbestIcould,andIkissedher.Itissomethingth