"Perhaps; but I have always been blamed for thinking of prospects, and

not settling to anything. And here is something offered to me. If you

would not like me to accept it, I will give it up. Otherwise I would

rather stay in this part of the country than go away. I belong to

nobody anywhere else."

"I should like you to stay very much," said Dorothea, at once, as

simply and readily as she had spoken at Rome. There was not the shadow

of a reason in her mind at the moment why she should not say so.

"Then I _will_ stay," said Ladislaw, shaking his head backward, rising

and going towards the window, as if to see whether the rain had ceased.

But the next moment, Dorothea, according to a habit which was getting

continually stronger, began to reflect that her husband felt

differently from herself, and she colored deeply under the double

embarrassment of having expressed what might be in opposition to her

husband's feeling, and of having to suggest this opposition to Will.

His face was not turned towards her, and this made it easier to say--

"But my opinion is of little consequence on such a subject. I think

you should be guided by Mr. Casaubon. I spoke without thinking of

anything else than my own feeling, which has nothing to do with the

real question. But it now occurs to me--perhaps Mr. Casaubon might

see that the proposal was not wise. Can you not wait now and mention

it to him?"

"I can't wait to-day," said Will, inwardly seared by the possibility

that Mr. Casaubon would enter. "The rain is quite over now. I told

Mr. Brooke not to call for me: I would rather walk the five miles. I

shall strike across Halsell Common, and see the gleams on the wet

grass. I like that."

He approached her to shake hands quite hurriedly, longing but not

daring to say, "Don't mention the subject to Mr. Casaubon." No, he

dared not, could not say it. To ask her to be less simple and direct

would be like breathing on the crystal that you want to see the light

through. And there was always the other great dread--of himself

becoming dimmed and forever ray-shorn in her eyes.

"I wish you could have stayed," said Dorothea, with a touch of

mournfulness, as she rose and put out her hand. She also had her

thought which she did not like to express:--Will certainly ought to

lose no time in consulting Mr. Casaubon's wishes, but for her to urge

this might seem an undue dictation.

So they only said "Good-by," and Will quitted the house, striking

across the fields so as not to run any risk of encountering Mr.

Casaubon's carriage, which, however, did not appear at the gate until

four o'clock. That was an unpropitious hour for coming home: it was too

early to gain the moral support under ennui of dressing his person for

dinner, and too late to undress his mind of the day's frivolous

ceremony and affairs, so as to be prepared for a good plunge into the

serious business of study. On such occasions he usually threw into an

easy-chair in the library, and allowed Dorothea to read the London

papers to him, closing his eyes the while. To-day, however, he

declined that relief, observing that he had already had too many public

details urged upon him; but he spoke more cheerfully than usual, when

Dorothea asked about his fatigue, and added with that air of formal

effort which never forsook him even when he spoke without his waistcoat

and cravat--




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