The Moonstone

She was in the same humour in the evening. I discovered in one of my

friend's precious publications--the Life, Letters, and Labours of Miss

Jane Ann Stamper, forty-fourth edition--passages which bore with

a marvellous appropriateness on Rachel's present position. Upon my

proposing to read them, she went to the piano. Conceive how little she

must have known of serious people, if she supposed that my patience was

to be exhausted in that way! I kept Miss Jane Ann Stamper by me, and

waited for events with the most unfaltering trust in the future.

Old Mr. Ablewhite never made his appearance that night. But I knew the

importance which his worldly greed attached to his son's marriage with

Miss Verinder--and I felt a positive conviction (do what Mr. Godfrey

might to prevent it) that we should see him the next day. With his

interference in the matter, the storm on which I had counted would

certainly come, and the salutary exhaustion of Rachel's resisting powers

would as certainly follow. I am not ignorant that old Mr. Ablewhite has

the reputation generally (especially among his inferiors) of being a

remarkably good-natured man. According to my observation of him, he

deserves his reputation as long as he has his own way, and not a moment

longer.

The next day, exactly as I had foreseen, Aunt Ablewhite was as near to

being astonished as her nature would permit, by the sudden appearance

of her husband. He had barely been a minute in the house, before he was

followed, to MY astonishment this time, by an unexpected complication in

the shape of Mr. Bruff.

I never remember feeling the presence of the lawyer to be more unwelcome

than I felt it at that moment. He looked ready for anything in the way

of an obstructive proceeding--capable even of keeping the peace with

Rachel for one of the combatants!

"This is a pleasant surprise, sir," said Mr. Ablewhite, addressing

himself with his deceptive cordiality to Mr. Bruff. "When I left your

office yesterday, I didn't expect to have the honour of seeing you at

Brighton to-day."

"I turned over our conversation in my mind, after you had gone," replied

Mr. Bruff. "And it occurred to me that I might perhaps be of some use

on this occasion. I was just in time to catch the train, and I had no

opportunity of discovering the carriage in which you were travelling."

Having given that explanation, he seated himself by Rachel. I retired

modestly to a corner--with Miss Jane Ann Stamper on my lap, in case of

emergency. My aunt sat at the window; placidly fanning herself as usual.

Mr. Ablewhite stood up in the middle of the room, with his bald head

much pinker than I had ever seen it yet, and addressed himself in the

most affectionate manner to his niece.