'And with a young man?' Still no answer. At last he said: 'I tell you, mother, that there

was no inquest--no inquiry. No judicial inquiry, I mean.' 'Betsy says that Woolmer (some man she knows, who is in a

grocer's shop out at Crampton) can swear that Miss Hale was at

the station at that hour, walking backwards and forwards with a

young man.' 'I don't see what we have to do with that. Miss Hale is at

liberty to please herself.' 'I'm glad to hear you say so,' said Mrs. Thornton, eagerly. 'It

certainly signifies very little to us--not at all to you, after

what has passed! but I--I made a promise to Mrs. Hale, that I

would not allow her daughter to go wrong without advising and

remonstrating with her. I shall certainly let her know my opinion

of such conduct.' 'I do not see any harm in what she did that evening,' said Mr.

Thornton, getting up, and coming near to his mother; he stood by

the chimney-piece with his face turned away from the room.

'You would not have approved of Fanny's being seen out, after

dark, in rather a lonely place, walking about with a young man. I

say nothing of the taste which could choose the time, when her

mother lay unburied, for such a promenade. Should you have liked

your sister to have been noticed by a grocer's assistant for

doing so?' 'In the first place, as it is not many years since I myself was a

draper's assistant, the mere circumstance of a grocer's assistant

noticing any act does not alter the character of the act to me.

And in the next place, I see a great deal of difference between

Miss Hale and Fanny. I can imagine that the one may have weighty

reasons, which may and ought to make her overlook any seeming

Impropriety in her conduct. I never knew Fanny have weighty

reasons for anything. Other people must guard her. I believe Miss

Hale is a guardian to herself.' 'A pretty character of your sister, indeed! Really, John, one

would have thought Miss Hale had done enough to make you

clear-sighted. She drew you on to an offer, by a bold display of

pretended regard for you,--to play you off against this very

young man, I've no doubt. Her whole conduct is clear to me now.

You believe he is her lover, I suppose--you agree to that.' He turned round to his mother; his face was very gray and grim.

'Yes, mother. I do believe he is her lover.' When he had spoken,

he turned round again; he writhed himself about, like one in

bodily pain. He leant his face against his hand. Then before she

could speak, he turned sharp again: 'Mother. He is her lover, whoever he is; but she may need help

and womanly counsel;--there may be difficulties or temptations

which I don't know. I fear there are. I don't want to know what

they are; but as you have ever been a good--ay! and a tender

mother to me, go to her, and gain her confidence, and tell her

what is best to be done. I know that something is wrong; some

dread, must be a terrible torture to her.' 'For God's sake, John!' said his mother, now really shocked,

'what do you mean? What do you mean? What do you know?' He did not reply to her.




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