第22章

Ilivedwithmynewmasterandmistressthreeyears。Theyhadnochildren。AttheendofthatperiodMr。Norcrossdied。Hewassharpenoughtoforeseethathisyoungwidowwouldmarryagain，andhebequeathedhispropertysothatitallwenttoMrs。

Norcrossfirst，andthentoanychildrenshemighthavebyasecondmarriage，and，failingthat，torelationsandfriendsofhisown。Ididnotsufferbymymaster’sdeath，forhiswidowkeptmeinherservice。IhadattendedonMr。Norcrossallthroughhislastillness，andhadmademyselfusefulenoughtowinmymistress’sfavorandgratitude。Besidesmeshealsoretainedhermaidinherservice——aquadroonwomannamedJosephine，whomshebroughtwithherfromtheWestIndies。EvenatthattimeIdislikedthehalf—breed’swheedlingmanners，andhercruel，tawnyface，andwonderedhowmymistresscouldbesofondofherasshewas。TimeshowedthatIwasrightindistrustingthiswoman。IshallhavemuchmoretosayaboutherwhenIgetfurtheradvancedwithmystory。

MeanwhileIhavenexttorelatethatmymistressbrokeuptherestofherestablishment，and，takingmeandthelady’smaidwithher，wenttotravelontheContinent。

AmongotherwonderfulplaceswevisitedParis，Genoa，Venice，Florence，Rome，andNaples，stayinginsomeofthosecitiesformonthstogether。Thefameofmymistress’srichesfollowedherwherevershewent；andtherewereplentyofgentlemen，foreignersaswellasEnglishmen，whowereanxiousenoughtogetintohergoodgracesandtoprevailonhertomarrythem。Nobodysucceeded，however，inproducinganyverystrongorlastingimpressiononher；andwhenwecamebacktoEngland，aftermorethantwoyearsofabsence，Mrs。Norcrosswasstillawidow，andshowednosignsofwantingtochangehercondition。

WewenttothehouseontheYorkshireestatefirst；butmymistressdidnotfancysomeofthecompanyroundabout，sowemovedagaintoDarrockHall，andmadeexcursionsfromtimetotimeinthelakedistrict，somemilesoff。OnoneofthesetripsMrs。Norcrossmetwithsomeoldfriends，whointroducedhertoagentlemanoftheirpartybearingtheverycommonandveryuninterestingnameofMr。JamesSmith。

Hewasatall，fineyoungmanenough，withblackhair，whichgrewverylong，andthebiggest，bushiestpairofblackwhiskersI

eversaw。Altogetherhehadarakish，unsettledlook，andabounceablewayoftalkingwhichmadehimtheprominentpersonincompany。Hewaspoorenoughhimself，asIheardfromhisservant，butwellconnected——agentlemanbybirthandeducation，thoughhismannersweresofree。WhatmymistresssawtolikeinhimI

don’tknow；butwhensheaskedherfriendstostaywithheratDarrock，sheincludedMr。JamesSmithintheinvitation。Wehadafine，gay，noisytimeofitattheHall，thestrangegentleman，inparticular，makinghimselfasmuchathomeasiftheplacebelongedtohim。IwassurprisedatMrs。Norcrossputtingupwithhimasshedid，butIwasfairlythunderstrucksomemonthsafterwardwhenIheardthatsheandherfree—and—easyvisitorwereactuallygoingtobemarried！Shehadrefusedoffersbydozensabroad，fromhigher，andricher，andbetter—behavedmen。

Itseemednexttoimpossiblethatshecouldseriouslythinkofthrowingherselfawayuponsuchahare—brained，headlong，pennilessyounggentlemanasMr。JamesSmith。

Married，nevertheless，theywere，induecourseoftime；and，afterspendingthehoneymoonabroad，theycamebacktoDarrockHall。

Isoonfoundthatmynewmasterhadaveryvariabletemper。Thereweresomedayswhenhewasaseasy，andfamiliar，andpleasantwithhisservantsasanygentlemanneedbe。Atothertimessomedevilwithinhimseemedtogetpossessionofhiswholenature。Heflewintoviolentpassions，andtookwrongideasintohishead，whichnoreasoningorremonstrancecouldremove。Itratheramazedme，consideringhowgayhewasinhistastes，andhowrestlesshishabitswere，thatheshouldconsenttoliveatsuchaquiet，dullplaceasDarrock。Thereasonforthis，however，sooncameout。Mr。JamesSmithwasnotmuchofasportsman；hecarednothingforindooramusements，suchasreading，music，andsoforth；andhehadnoambitionforrepresentingthecountyinparliament。Theonepursuitthathewasreallyfondofwasyachting。Darrockwaswithinsixteenmilesofasea—porttown，withanexcellentharbor，andtothisaccidentofpositiontheHallwasentirelyindebtedforrecommendingitselfasaplaceofresidencetoMr。JamesSmith。

Hehadsuchanuntiringenjoymentanddelightincruisingaboutatsea，andallhisideasofpleasureseemedtobesocloselyconnectedwithhisremembranceofthesailingtripshehadtakenonboarddifferentyachtsbelongingtohisfriends，thatIverilybelievehischiefobjectinmarryingmymistresswastogetthecommandofmoneyenoughtokeepavesselforhimself。Bethatasitmay，itiscertainthatheprevailedonher，sometimeaftertheirmarriage，tomakehimapresentofafineschooneryacht，whichwasbroughtroundfromCowestoourcoast—town，andkeptalwayswaitingreadyforhimintheharbor。

Hiswiferequiredsomelittlepersuasionbeforeshecouldmakeuphermindtolethimhavethevessel。Shesufferedsomuchfromsea—sicknessthatpleasure—sailingwasoutofthequestionforher；and，beingveryfondofherhusband，shewasnaturallyunwillingthatheshouldengageinanamusementwhichtookhimawayfromher。However，Mr。JamesSmithusedhisinfluenceoverhercleverly，promisingthathewouldnevergoawaywithoutfirstaskingherleave，andengagingthathistermsofabsenceatseashouldneverlastformorethanaweekortendaysatatime。Accordingly，mymistress，whowasthekindestandmostunselfishwomanintheworld，putherownfeelingsaside，andmadeherhusbandhappyinthepossessionofavesselofhisown。

Whilemymasterwasawaycruising，mymistresshadadulltimeofitattheHall。Thefewgentlefolkstherewereinourpartofthecountylivedatadistance，andcouldonlycometoDarrockwhentheywereaskedtostaythereforsomedaystogether。Asforthevillagenearus，therewasbutonepersonlivinginitwhommymistresscouldthinkofaskingtotheHall，andthatpersonwastheclergymanwhodiddutyatthechurch。

Thisgentleman’snamewasMr。Meeke。Hewasasingleman，veryyoung，andverylonelyinhisposition。Hehadamild，melancholy，pasty—lookingface，andwasasshyandsoft—spokenasalittlegirl——altogether，whatonemaycall，withoutbeingunjustorsevere，apoor，weakcreature，and，outofallsight，theveryworstpreacherIeversatunderinmylife。Theonethinghedid，which，asIheard，hecouldreallydowell，wasplayingonthefiddle。Hewasuncommonlyfondofmusic——somuchsothatheoftentookhisinstrumentoutwithhimwhenhewentforawalk。Thistasteofhiswashisgreatrecommendationtomymistress，whowasawonderfullyfineplayeronthepiano，andwhowasdelightedtogetsuchaperformerasMr。Meeketoplayduetswithher。Besideslikinghissocietyforthisreason，shefeltforhiminhislonelyposition；naturallyenough，Ithink，consideringhowoftenshewasleftinsolitudeherself。Mr。

Meeke，onhisside，whenhegotoverhisfirstshyness，wasonlytoogladtoleavehislonesomelittleparsonageforthefinemusic—roomattheHall，andforthecompanyofahandsome，kind—heartedlady，whomademuchofhim，andadmiredhisfiddle—playingwithallherheart。Thusithappenedthat，whenevermymasterwasawayatsea，mymistressandMr。Meekewerealwaystogether，playingduetsasiftheyhadtheirlivingtogetbyit。Amoreharmlessconnectionthantheconnectionbetweenthosetwoneverexistedinthisworld；andyet，innocentasitwas，itturnedouttobethefirstcauseofallthemisfortunesthatafterwardhappened。

Mymaster’streatmentofMr。Meekewas，fromthefirst，theveryoppositeofmymistress’s。Therestless，rackety，bounceableMr。

JamesSmithfeltacontemptfortheweak，womanish，fiddlinglittleparson，and，whatwasmore，didnotcaretoconcealit。

Forthisreason，Mr。Meeke（whowasdreadfullyfrightenedbymymaster’sviolentlanguageandroughways）veryseldomvisitedattheHallexceptwhenmymistresswasalonethere。Meaningnowrong，andthereforestoopingtonoconcealment，sheneverthoughtoftakinganymeasurestokeepMr。Meekeoutofthewaywhenhehappenedtobewithheratthetimeofherhusband’scominghome，whetheritwasonlyfromaridingexcursionintheneighborhoodorfromacruiseintheschooner。Inthiswayitsoturnedoutthatwhenevermymastercamehome，afteralongorshortabsence，inninecasesoutoftenhefoundtheparsonattheHall。

Atfirstheusedtolaughatthiscircumstance，andtoamusehimselfwithsomecoarsejokesattheexpenseofhiswifeandhercompanion。But，afterawhile，hisvariabletemperchanged，asusual。Hegrewsulky，rude，angry，and，atlast，downrightjealousofMr。Meeke。Thoughtooproudtoconfessitin

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