第21章

"Iamonlycold，"shesaid，inahurriedway，withherfaceundertheclothes。

Herangforthemaid，andhadafreshcoveringplacedonthebed。

Observingthatsheseemedunwillingtobedisturbed，hedidnotremovetheclothesfromherfacewhenhewishedhergoodnight，butpressedhislipsonherhead，andpatteditgentlywithhishand。Sheshrankatthetouchasifithurther，lightasitwas，andhewentdownstairs，resolvedtosendforthedoctoragainifshedidnotgettorestonbeingleftquiet。Inlessthanhalfanhourafterwardthemaidcamedownandrelievedhisanxietybyreportingthathermistresswasasleep。

Thenextmorninghefoundherinbetterspirits。Hereyes，shesaid，felttooweaktobearthelight，soshekeptthebedroomdarkened。Butinotherrespectsshehadlittletocomplainof。

Afteransweringherhusband’sfirstinquiries，shequestionedhimabouthisplansfortheday。Hehadletterstowritewhichwouldoccupyhimuntiltwelveo’clock。Attwoo’clockheexpectedthevolumeofthe_Times_toarrive，andheshouldthendevotetherestoftheafternoontohiswork。Afterhearingwhathisplanswere，Mrs。Carlingsuggestedthatheshouldrideoutafterhehaddonehisletters，soastogetsomeexerciseatthefinepartoftheday；andshethenremindedhimthatalongertimethanusualhadelapsedsincehehadbeentoseeacertainoldpensionerofhis，whohadnursedhimasachild，andwhowasnowbedridden，inavillageatsomedistance，calledTringweighton。Althoughtherectorsawnoimmediatenecessityformakingthischaritablevisit，themoreespeciallyastheridetothevillageandback，andtheintermediatetimedevotedtogossip，wouldoccupyatleasttwohoursandahalf，heassentedtohiswife’sproposal，perceivingthatsheurgeditwithunusualearnestness，andbeingunwillingtothwarther，eveninatrifle，atatimewhenshewasill。

Accordingly，hishorsewasatthedoorattwelveprecisely。

Impatienttogetbacktothepreciousvolumeofthe_Times，_herodesomuchfasterthanusual，andsoshortenedhisvisittotheoldwoman，thathewashomeagainbyaquarterpasttwo。

AscertainingfromtheservantwhoopenedthedoorthatthevolumehadbeenleftbyMr。Rambert’smessengerpunctuallyattwo，heranuptohiswife’sroomtotellherabouthisvisitbeforehesecludedhimselffortherestoftheafternoonoverhiswork。Onenteringthebedroomhefounditstilldarkened，andhewasstruckbyasmellofburnedpaperinit。

Hiswife（whowasnowdressedinherwrapperandlyingonthesofa）accountedforthesmellbytellinghimthatshehadfanciedtheroomfeltclose，andthatshehadburnedsomepaper——beingafraidofthecoldairifsheopenedthewindow——tofumigateit。

Hereyeswereevidentlystillweak，forshekeptherhandoverthemwhileshespoke。Afterremainingwithherlongenoughtorelatethefewtrivialeventsofhisride，Mr。Carlingdescendedtohisstudytooccupyhimselfatlastwiththevolumeofthe_Times_。

Itlayonhistableintheshapeofalargeflatbrownpaperpackage。Onproceedingtoundothecovering，heobservedthatithadbeenverycarelesslytiedup。Thestringswerecrookedandlooselyknotted，andthedirectionbearinghisnameandaddress，insteadofbeinginthemiddleofthepaper，wasawkwardlyfoldedoverattheedgeofthevolume。However，hisbusinesswaswiththeinsideoftheparcel；sohetossedawaythecoveringandthestring，andbeganatoncetohuntthroughthevolumefortheparticularnumberofthepaperwhichhewishedfirsttoconsult。

Hesoonfoundit，withthereportofthespeechesdeliveredbythemembersofthedeputation，andtheanswerreturnedbytheminister。Afterreadingthroughthereport，andputtingamarkintheplacewhereitoccurred，heturnedtothenextday’snumberofthepaper，toseewhatfurtherhintsonthesubjectthelettersaddressedtotheeditormighthappentocontain。

Tohisinexpressiblevexationandamazement，hefoundthatonenumberofthepaperwasmissing。

Hebentthetwosidesofthevolumeback，lookedcloselybetweentheleaves，andsawimmediatelythatthemissingnumberhadbeencutout。

Avaguesenseofsomethinglikealarmbegantominglewithhisfirstfeelingofdisappointment。HewroteatoncetoMr。Rambert，mentioningthediscoveryhehadjustmade，andsentthenoteoffbyhisgroom，withorderstothemantowaitforananswer。

Thereplywithwhichtheservantreturnedwasalmostinsolentintheshortnessandcoolnessofitstone。Mr。Ramberthadnobooksinhislibrarywhichwerenotinperfectcondition。Thevolumeofthe_Times_hadlefthishouseperfect，andwhateverblamemightattachtothemutilationofitrestedthereforeonothershouldersthanthoseoftheowner。

Likemanyotherweakmen，Mr。Carlingwassecretlytouchyonthesubjectofhisdignity。Afterreadingthenoteandquestioninghisservants，whowerecertainthatthevolumehadnotbeentouchedtillhehadopenedit，heresolvedthatthemissingnumberofthe_Times_shouldbeprocuredatanyexpenseandinsertedinitsplace；thatthevolumeshouldbesentbackinstantlywithoutawordofcomment；andthatnomorebooksfromMr。Rambert’slibraryshouldenterhishouse。

Hewalkedupanddownthestudyconsideringwhatfirststepheshouldtaketoeffectthepurposeinview。Underthequickeninginfluenceofhisirritation，anideaoccurredtohim，which，ifithadonlyenteredhismindthedaybefore，mightprobablyhaveprovedthemeansofsavinghimfromplacinghimselfunderanobligationtoMr。Rambert。HeresolvedtowriteimmediatelytohisbooksellerandpublisherinLondon（whoknewhimwellasanoldandexcellentcustomer），mentioningthedateofthebacknumberofthe_Times_thatwasrequired，andauthorizingthepublishertoofferanyrewardhejudgednecessarytoanypersonwhomighthavethemeansofprocuringitattheofficeofthepaperorelsewhere。ThisletterhewroteanddispatchedingoodtimefortheLondonpost，andthenwentupstairstoseehiswifeandtotellherwhathadhappened。Herroomwasstilldarkenedandshewasstillonthesofa。Onthesubjectofthemissingnumbershesaidnothing，butofMr。Rambertandhisnoteshespokewiththemostsovereigncontempt。Ofcoursethepompousoldfoolwasmistaken，andtheproperthingtodowastosendbackthevolumeinstantlyandtakenomorenoticeofhim。

"Itshallbesentback，"saidMr。Carling，"butnottillthemissingnumberisreplaced。"Andhethentoldherwhathehaddone。

TheeffectofthatsimplepieceofinformationonMrs。Carlingwassoextraordinaryandsounaccountablethatherhusbandfairlystoodaghast。Forthefirsttimesincetheirmarriagehesawhertempersuddenlyinaflame。Shestartedupfromthesofaandwalkedabouttheroomasifshehadlosthersenses，upbraidinghimformakingtheweakestofconcessionstoMr。Rambert’sinsolentassumptionthattherectorwastoblame。Ifshecouldonlyhavelaidhandsonthatletter，shewouldhaveconsultedherhusband’sdignityandindependencebyputtingitinthefire！Shehopedandprayedthenumberofthepapermightnotbefound！Infact，itwascertainthatthenumber，afteralltheseyears，couldnotpossiblybehuntedup。Theideaofhisacknowledginghimselftobeinthewronginthatway，whenheknewhimselftobeintheright！Itwasalmostridiculous——no，itwas_quite_

ridiculous！Andshethrewherselfbackonthesofa，andsuddenlyburstoutlaughing。

Atthefirstwordofremonstrancewhichfellfromherhusband’slipshermoodchangedagaininaninstant。Shespranguponcemore，kissedhimpassionately，withthetearsstreamingfromhereyes，andimploredhimtoleaveheralonetorecoverherself。Hequittedtheroomsoseriouslyalarmedaboutherthatheresolvedtogotothedoctorprivatelyandquestionhimonthespot。Therewasanunspeakabledreadinhismindthatthenervousattackfromwhichshehadbeenpronouncedtobesufferingmightbeamerephraseintendedtopreparehimforthefuturedisclosureofsomethinginfinitelyandindescribablyworse。

Thedoctor，onhearingMr。Carling’sreport，exhibitednosurpriseandheldtohisopinion。Hernervoussystemwasoutoforder，andherhusbandhadbeenneedlesslyfrightenedbyahystericalparoxysm。Ifshedidnotgetbetterinaweek，changeofscenemightthenbetried。Inthemeantime，therewasnottheleastcauseforalarm。

Onthenextdayshewasquieter，butshehardlyspokeatall。Atnightshesleptwell，andMr。Carling’sfaithinthemedicalmanrevivedagain。

ThemorningafterwasthemorningwhichwouldbringtheanswerfromthepublisherinLondon。Therector’sstudywasonthegroundfloor，andwhenheheardthepostman’sknock，beingespeciallyanxiousthatmorningabouthiscorrespondence

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