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life by a memory of a few months。 Four years have passed since I
last saw my boy…husband。 We were mere children； see how I have
altered since in mind； substance； and outlineI have even grown
half an inch taller since his death。 Two years will exhaust the
regrets of widows who have long been faithful wives； and ought I not
to show a little new life when my husband died in the honeymoon？'
'No。 Accepting the protection of your husband's mother was； in
effect； an avowal that you rejected the idea of being a widow to
prolong the idea of being a wife； and the sin against your
conventional state thus assumed is almost as bad as would have been
a sin against the married state itself。 If you had gone off when he
died； saying； 〃Thank heaven； I am free！〃 you would； at any rate；
have shown some real honesty。'
'I should have been more virtuous by being more unfeeling。 That
often happens。'
'I have taken to you； and made a great deal of yougiven you the
inestimable advantages of foreign travel and good society to enlarge
your mind。 In short； I have been like a Naomi to you in everything；
and I maintain that writing these poems saps the foundation of it
all。'
'I do own that you have been a very good Naomi to me thus far； but
Ruth was quite a fast widow in comparison with me； and yet Naomi
never blamed her。 You are unfortunate in your illustration。 But it
is dreadfully flippant of me to answer you like this； for you have
been kind。 But why will you provoke me！'
'Yes； you are flippant； Ethelberta。 You are too much given to that
sort of thing。'
'Well； I don't know how the secret of my name has leaked out； and I
am not ribald； or anything you say；' said Ethelberta； with a sigh。
'Then you own you do not feel so ardent as you seem in your book？'
'I do own it。'
'And that you are sorry your name has been published in connection
with it？'
'I am。'
'And you think the verses may tend to misrepresent your character as
a gay and rapturous one； when it is not？'
'I do fear it。'
'Then； of course； you will suppress the poems instantly。 That is
the only way in which you can regain the position you have hitherto
held with me。'
Ethelberta said nothing； and the dull winter atmosphere had far from
light enough in it to show by her face what she might be thinking。
'Well？' said Lady Petherwin。
'I did not expect such a command as that；' said Ethelberta。 'I have
been obedient for four years； and would continue sobut I cannot
suppress the poems。 They are not mine now to suppress。'
'You must get them into your hands。 Money will do it； I suppose？'
'Yes； I suppose it woulda thousand pounds。'
'Very well； the money shall be forthcoming；' said Lady Petherwin；
after a pause。 'You had better sit down and write about it at
once。'
'I cannot do it；' said Ethelberta； 'and I will not。 I don't wish
them to be suppressed。 I am not ashamed of them； there is nothing
to be ashamed of in them； and I shall not take any steps in the
matter。'
'Then you are an ungrateful woman； and wanting in natural affection
for the dead！ Considering your birth'
'That's an intolerable'
Lady Petherwin crashed out of the room in a wind of indignation； and
went upstairs and heard no more。 Adjoining her chamber was a
smaller one called her study； and； on reaching this； she unlocked a
cabinet； took out a small deed…box； removed from it a folded packet；
unfolded it； crumpled it up； and turning round suddenly flung it
into the fire。 Then she stood and beheld it eaten away word after
word by the flames； 'Testament ''all that freehold''heirs and
assigns' appearing occasionally for a moment only to disappear for
ever。 Nearly half the document had turned into a glossy black when
the lady clasped her hands。
'What have I done！' she exclaimed。 Springing to the tongs she
seized with them the portion of the writing yet unconsumed； and
dragged it out of the fire。 Ethelberta appeared at the door。
'Quick； Ethelberta！' said Lady Petherwin。 'Help me to put this
out！' And the two women went trampling wildly upon the document and
smothering it with a corner of the hearth…rug。
'What is it？' said Ethelberta。
'My will！' said Lady Petherwin。 'I have kept it by me lately； for I
have wished to look over it at leisure'
'Good heavens！' said Ethelberta。 'And I was just coming in to tell
you that I would always cling to you； and never desert you； ill…use
me how you might！'
'Such an affectionate remark sounds curious at such a time；' said
Lady Petherwin； sinking down in a chair at the end of the struggle。
'But；' cried Ethelberta； 'you don't suppose'
'Selfishness； my dear； has given me such crooked looks that I can
see it round a corner。'
'If you mean that what is yours to give may not be mine to take； it
would be as well to name it in an impersonal way； if you must name
it at all；〃 said the daughter…in…law； with wet eyelids。 'God knows
I had no selfish thought in saying that。 I came upstairs to ask you
to forgive me； and knew nothing about the will。 But every
explanation distorts it all the more！'
'We two have got all awry； dearit cannot be concealedawryawry。
Ah； who shall set us right again？ However； now I must send for Mr。
Chancerlyno； I am going out on other business； and I will call
upon him。 There； don't spoil your eyes： you may have to sell
them。'
She rang the bell and ordered the carriage； and half…an…hour later
Lady Petherwin's coachman drove his mistress up to the door of her
lawyer's office in Lincoln's Inn Fields。
11。 SANDBOURNE AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD … SOME LONDON STREETS
While this was going on in town； Christopher； at his lodgings in
Sandbourne； had been thrown into rare old visions and dreams by the
appearance of Ethelberta's letter。 Flattered and encouraged to
ambition as well as to love by her inspiriting sermon； he put off
now the last remnant of cynical doubt upon the genuineness of his
old mistress； and once and for all set down as disloyal a belief he
had latterly acquired that 'Come； woo me； woo me； for I am like
enough to consent；' was all a young woman had to tell。
All the reasoning of political and social economists would not have
convinced Christopher that he had a better chance in London than in
Sandbourne of making a decent income by reasonable and likely
labour； but a belief in a far more improbable proposition；
impetuously expressed； warmed him with the idea that he might become
famous there。 The greater is frequently more readily credited than
the less； and an argument which will not convince on a matter of
halfpence appears unanswerable when applied to questions of glory
and honour。
The regulation wet towel and strong coffee of the ambitious and
intellectual student floated before him in visions； but it was with
a sense of relief that he remembered that music； in spite of its
drawbacks as a means of sustenance； was a profession happily
unencumbered with those excruciating preliminaries to greatness。
Christopher talked about the new move to his sister； and he was
vexed that her hopefulness was not roused to quite the pitch of his
own。 As with others of his sort； his too genera