A Mere Accident | Page 7

do you talk in
that way?" "Why do you seek to make yourself ridiculous?" Mrs
Norton would retort.
Smiling just a little sorrowfully, John would withdraw, and on the
following day he would leave for Stanton College. And it was thus that
Mrs Norton's temper scarred with deep wounds a nature so pale and
delicate, so exposed that it seemed as if wanting an outer skin; and as
Thornby Place appeared to him little more than a comprehensive
symbol of what he held mean, even obscene in life, his visits had
grown shorter and fewer, until now his absence extended to the verge
of the second year, and besieged by the belief that he was
contemplating priesthood, Mrs Norton had written to her old friend,
saying that she wanted to speak to him on matters of great importance.
Now maturing her plans for getting her boy back, she stood by the bare
black mantel-piece, her head leaning on her hand. She uttered an
exclamation when Mr Hare entered.
"What," she said, "you haven't changed your things, and I told you you
would find a suit of John's clothes. I must insist--"
"My dear Lizzie, no amount of insistance would get me into a pair of
John's trousers. I am thirteen stone and a half, and he is not much over
ten."
"Ah! I had forgotten, but what are you to do? Something must be done,
you will catch your death of cold if you remain in your wet clothes....
You are wringing wet."
"No, I assure you I am not. My feet were a little wet, but I have
changed my stockings and shoes. And now, tell me, Lizzie, what there
is for lunch," he said, speaking rapidly to silence Mrs Norton, whom he
saw was going to protest again.
"Well, you know it is difficult to get much at this season of the year.
There are some chickens and some curried rabbit, but I am afraid you
will suffer for it if you remain the whole of the afternoon in those wet

clothes; I really cannot, I will not allow it."
"My dear Lizzie, my dear Lizzie," cried the parson, laughing all over
his rosy skinned and sandy whiskered face, "I must beg of you not to
excite yourself. I have no intention of committing any of the
imprudences you anticipate. I will trouble you for a wing of that
chicken. James, I'll take a glass of sherry,... and while I am eating it you
shall explain as succinctly as possible the matter you are minded to
consult me on, and when I have mastered the subject in all its various
details, I will advise you to the best of my power, and having done so I
will start on my walk across the hills."
"What! you mean to say you are going to walk home?... We shall have
another downpour presently."
"Even so. I cannot come to much harm so long as I am walking,
whereas if I drove home in your carriage I might catch a chill.... It is at
least ten miles to Shoreham by the road, while across the hills it is not
more than six."
"Six! it is eight if it is a yard!"
"Well, perhaps it is; but tell me, I am curious to hear what you want to
talk to me about.... Something about John, is it not?"
"Of course it is, what else have I to think about; what else concerns
middle-aged people like you and me but our children? Of course I want
to talk to you about John. Something must be done, things cannot go on
as they are. Why, it is nearly two years since he has been home. Oh,
that boy is breaking my heart, and none suspects it. If you knew how it
annoys me when the Gardiners and the Prestons congratulate me on
having a son so well behaved. They know he looks after his property
sharp enough, no drinking, no bad company, no debts. Ah! they little
know.... I would much sooner he were wild and foolish: young men get
over those kind of faults, but he will never get over his."
Mr Hare felt these views to be of a doubtful orthodoxy, but he did not
press his opinion, and contented himself with murmuring gently that

for the moment he did not see that John's faults were of a particularly
aggravated character.
"You do not see that his faults should cause me any uneasiness!
Perhaps it is very lucky he is not here, or you might encourage him in
them. I suppose you think he is doing quite right in spending his life at
Stanton College, aping a priest and talking about Gothic arches. Is it a
proper thing to transact all his business through