Moth and Rust | Page 4

to me--and then I am
asked to put up with a vulgarian."
Anne went on in a level voice: "Janet is not in the least vulgar, because
she is unpretentious. Middle-class she may be, and is: so was my
grandmother; but vulgar she is not. And she is absolutely devoted to
George. He is in love with her, but she really loves him."
"So she ought. He is making a great sacrifice for her, and, as I
constantly tell him, one he will regret to his dying day."
"On the contrary, he is only sacrificing his own pride and yours
to--himself. He is considering only himself. He is marrying only to
please himself, not--" Anne hesitated--"not to please Janet."
"Now you are talking nonsense."
"Yes, I think I am. It felt like sense, but by the time I had put it into
words, it turned into nonsense. The little things you notice in Janet's
dress and manner can be mitigated, if she is willing to learn."
"She won't be," said Mrs. Trefusis, with decision. "Because she is
stupid. She will be offended directly she is spoken to. All stupid people
are. Now come, Anne! Don't try and make black white. It doesn't help
matters. You must admit the girl is stupid."

Anne's gentle, limpid eyes looked deprecatingly into the elder woman's
hard, miserable ones.
"I am afraid she is," she said at last, and she coloured painfully.
"And obstinate."
"Are not stupid people always obstinate?"
"No," said Mrs. Trefusis. "I am obstinate, but no one could call me
stupid."
"It does not prevent stupid people being always obstinate, because
obstinate people are not always stupid."
"You think me very obstinate, Anne?" There were tears in the stern old
eyes.
"I think, dear, you have got to give way, and as you must, I want you to
do it with a good grace, before you estrange George from you, and
before that un-suspecting girl has found out that you loathe the
marriage."
"If she were not as dense as a rhinoceros she would see that now."
"How fortunate, in that case, that she is dense. It gives you a better
chance with her. Make her like you. You can, you know. She is worth
liking."
"All my life," said Mrs. Trefusis, "be they who they may, I have hated
stupid people."
"Oh! no. That is an hallucination. You don't hate George."
Mrs. Trefusis shot a lightning glance at her companion, and then smiled
grimly. "You are the only person who would dare to say such a thing to
me."
"Besides," continued Anne meditatively, "is it so certain that Janet is

stupid? She appears so because she is unformed, ignorant, and because
she has never reflected, or been thrown with educated people. She has
not come to herself. She will never learn anything by imagination or
perception, for she seems quite devoid of them. But I think she might
learn by trouble or happiness, or both. She can feel. Strong feeling
would be the turning-point with her, if she has sufficient ability to take
advantage of it. Perhaps she has not, and happiness or trouble may
leave her as they found her. But she gives me the impression that she
might alter considerably if she were once thoroughly aroused."
"I can't rouse her. I was not sent into the world to rouse pretty horse
breakers."
If Anne was doubtful as to what Mrs. Trefusis had been sent into this
imperfect world for, she did not show it.
"I don't want you to rouse her. All I want is that you should be kind to
her." Anne took Mrs. Trefusis's ringed, claw-like hand between both
hers. "I do want that very much."
"Well," said Mrs. Trefusis, blinking her eyes, "I won't say I won't try.
You can always get round me, Anne. Oh! my dear, dear child, if it
might only have been you. But of course, just because I had set my
heart upon it, I was not to have it. That has been my life from first to
last. If I might only have had you. You think me a cross, bitter old
woman, and so I am: God knows I have had enough to make me so.
But I should not have been so to you."
"You never are so to me. But you see my affections are--is not that the
correct expression?--engaged."
"But you are not."
"No. I am as free as air. That is where the difficulty comes in."
"Where is the creature now?'
"In Paris. The World chronicles his movements. That is why I take in

the World. If he had been in London this week, I should not--be here at
this moment."
"I suppose he is enormously run after?"
"Oh yes! By others as well as by me; by