The Mystery of Mrs. BlencarrowOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
General
The Mystery of Mrs. Blencarrow
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Women -- Social conditions -- Fiction
‘Kitty,’ said Walter, with hesitation, ‘we have found it out by
accident.’
‘Oh, don’t say _we_! _I’ve_ found it out. It would never have come into
your head to look at the books.’
‘Well, _you_ then. You have found it out by accident, and when we’re
happy ourselves, why should we try to make other people miserable?
Kitty!’ He put his arm round her, and pleaded with his lips close to her
ear.
‘Oh, nonsense!’ she said; ‘all men are taken in like that; but I can’t
let her off; I won’t let her off. Why, it wouldn’t be right!’
‘There are some people who would think what we are doing wasn’t right,’
said Walter.
‘Oh, you coward,’ cried Kitty, ‘to turn round on me when we haven’t
been married an hour! As if it was my doing, when you know that but for
you----’
‘I am not turning round on you. I never said it was your doing. Kitty,
darling, don’t let us quarrel. You know I never meant----’
‘I shall quarrel, if I like,’ cried Kitty, bursting into tears; and they
had it out, as they had already done a hundred times, and would a
hundred more, enjoying it thoroughly. It suddenly occurred to Walter,
however, as the little episode drew near a close, that the ham and eggs
must be ready, and he threw in an intimation to this effect with very
telling results. Kitty jumped up, dried her eyes, straightened her hat,
and declared that she was dying of hunger.
‘But whatever happens, and however serious things may be, you always
will go on,’ she said.
He was magnanimous, being very hungry too, and restrained the retort
that was trembling on his tongue, that it was she who would go on; and
they flew across to the little alehouse, arm in arm, and enjoyed their
ham and eggs even more than they had enjoyed their quarrel.
They found out that the next train ‘up’ was not till eleven o’clock,
which set their minds at rest, for they had meant to go to London before
Kitty’s mind had been all unsettled by that discovery. Walter had begun
to hope she had forgotten all about it, when she suddenly jumped up from
the table--not, however, before she had made a very satisfactory meal.
‘Oh, what a fool I am!’ cried Kitty. ‘I never paid any attention to the
man!’
‘What man?’
‘Why, the man she was married to, you goose! A woman can’t be married
all by herself. It was a long name--Everard something. I didn’t know it,
or I should have paid more attention. Haven’t you finished yet?--for I
must run this instant----’
‘Where, Kitty?’
‘Why, to look up the book again!’ she cried.
‘I wish you’d give this up,’ said Walter. ‘Do, to please me. We’ve got
all we wish ourselves, and why should we worry other people, Kitty?’
‘If you have got all you wish, I have not. I want to please them--to
make them do something for us; and when a thing like this turns up--the
very thing!--why, mamma will hug us both--she will forgive us on the
spot. She’ll be so pleased she’ll do anything for us. I don’t know about
Mrs. Lawrence----’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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