Golden Age and Other Stories Page 10

  shesaid,whenshesatbesidehersisteronceagain,“aswretchedasIfeeltohavesoexposedmyselfto yourfriends,andonyourbehalfforhavingsoawkwardasister,Icannotbutbeprofoundlygratefulforthe goodfortunewhichgavememyescapefromalifeofsuchintercourse.Howcanitbesupported!Such idleness, mingled with such insipidity! I should far rather face a volley of rifle-fire than endure many morenightsoflikecompany.”

  WITH JANE on the mend, Elizabeth had intended to return to the covert at the first hour of the next morning, but this aim was frustrated, when she woke, by a cold rain falling. She did not think the conditionssoverybad;shewouldhavesetforthgladonlyfortheloanofacloak,andspokeofasking,but JaneexpressedsomuchastonishmentattheideaofherwalkingafewmilesinspringrainthatElizabeth wasforcedtorealizeshewouldcutanevenmorepeculiarfigurewithhercompanyifsheweretoinsist uponleavingthehousestraightaway.

  “Imustsendawordtothecovert,then,”shesaid,givingitup,andscribbledafewhastylinestobe readtoWollstonecraft.SheenclosedthelettertoCaptainWinslow,andcarryingitdownstairslookedfor aservanttotakeit—agreatnonsense,shethought,thatanydomesticmightbesenttoMerytonwithanote, andsheforcedtoremainindoors,asthoughshewoulddissolveinamildshowerforhavingbeenborna gentleman’sdaughter.

  She encountered Miss Bingley downstairs and stopped briefly to assure that lady of her sister’s improving health. “We will of course take ourselves out of your way at the first opportunity,” Captain Bennetsaid.“Youmustlongbewishingyourhousetoyourselves,andIamsorrytherainmustkeepus here.”

  Miss Bingley said all that was polite and necessary, with no great enthusiasm, and glancing at the lettersaid,“MayIbeofservice,MissElizabeth?Youarewritingtoyouruncle,Isuppose?”

  “No,myuncleisgonetoLondon,”Elizabethsaid.“ButIshouldbeobligedtoyouifsomeonemight takethislettertoMeryton,forCaptainWinslow.”

  Miss Bingley looked briefly as astonished as if Elizabeth had asked for the moon and then with woodenfaceputoutherhandandsaid,“Ifyouplease.”

  Elizabeth wondered a little, but thinking little of Miss Bingley’s sense, and caring less for her opinions, she did not investigate her reaction; she merely handed over the note, and returned to Jane’s roomtobearhercompanyandchivvyherintoswallowingalittlemorebrothandbread.

  Janewassomuchimprovedthatbythenoonhour,shewasabletoriseanddress.Elizabethsawher escorteddownstairs,andshelteredfromdraughtsinaplacebythefireinthedrawing-room.Therestof the company joined them shortly thereafter, with sidelong glances at Elizabeth which she did not understand. “My dear Miss Bennet,” Miss Bingley said to Jane, “how happy I am to see you so much better.Wemusthaveaprivateword,iftherestofthecompanycanpermitit.”

  Elizabeth could hardly ignore so forceful a hint; she took herself to the other side of the room, relieved to be pursued only by Mr. Bingley, who also bore a curiously anxious look, but spoke to her civilly,untilJaneraisedhervoicefromthefireandsaid,“Lizzy,pray,isthisyourletter?”

  “GoodGod!”Elizabethcried,seeingthenoteinJane’shand,“MissBingley,Idependeduponyouto haveitsent.Theywillhavemissedmeatthecovertthishourandmore.”

  “Ifyoudonotscrupletoacknowledgeit,”MissBingleysaid,risingfromherchairwithcolorinher cheeks,“IshallnottosaythatIwonderatyoureffronteryinattemptingtomakemeyouraccomplice.Asa guestinthishouse,youaskmetosendanillicitletterforyoutoagentlemanunconnectedwithyouinany way—”

  “Impertinentnonsense,”Elizabethsaidsharply,andturningtoMr.Bingley,“Sir,youmustgetyour cattleinthestablesatonce,andtied,ifyoudonotwantthemtospook:therewillbeadragonhereforme atanymoment.”

  “Adragonforyou?”Mr.Bingleysaid,inplaintiveconfusion,butElizabethwasalreadyhurryingfor the door, and stopped only long enough to turn back and kiss Jane’s cheek, and beg her to forgive the abruptdesertion.

  Mr.Darcy,standingbythedoor,followedherintothecorridorwithasharpfrownonhisface.“Miss Bennet!” he said, and when she paid him no attention and continued towards the front of the house, he caught up to her quick strides. “I cannot understand your behavior,” he said, “—it admits of no respectablecharacterization.Attheveryleast,youoweyourhostanexplanation.”

  “WhatIowemyhost,”Elizabethsaid,withoutslackeningherpace,“istokeephishousefrombeing torndownabouthisears—oh,damnandblastitall,theresheis.”

  Theyhadcomeintothegallery,andwiththerainslackeningandthecloudsthinning,Wollstonecraft’s shadowshoweddarkonthegroundsoutside,theenormousoutspreadwingsthrowingarapidlyincreasing blot.Elizabethgaveovertryingtofindherwaytoadoorandinsteaddashedtothenearestlargewindow.

  Climbingawkwardlytothesill,shemanagedtounhookthetwoheavypanesandthrowthemopentothe air,whileMr.Darcystaredupatherwithastonishment.

  “Wollstonecraft!”Elizabethcalled,wavingahandmadlyandwithimpatiencethrustawayDarcy’s arm:hehadclimbedupbesideherandwastryingtorestrainher,andforamomentshethoughtshewould have to knock him down. Wollstonecraft’s answering roar shook all the panes as she descended on the groundsandthrustherheadtowardsthewindow.

  “Elizabeth,Elizabeth,”shesaid,“—youdidnotcome!Youarequitewell?Youarenothurt?”She twistedherheadtopresentoneenormousandcoldlyslittedorangeeyetoDarcy,whotohiscreditdidnot immediatelyfleethescene,butstoodwithhisarmstilloutthrusttoshieldElizabethfromthejawsbefore her,althoughhisfacehadgonepale.“Whoisthatgentleman?Havetheykeptyouhere?”

  “No,no,mydear!”Elizabethsaidhurriedly,“Iwroteyoualetter,onlyitwentastray:praydon’tbe alarmed.Wemustbebacktothecovertatonce,though.Dogivemeyourlegtogetup.”

  Wollstonecraft drew her head away from the window with a low grumble of dissatisfaction. “As longasyouarewithmeagain,andyouarequitewell.”SheputoutherforelegtoletElizabethclimbout ofthewindowandintohergrasp,makingaprotectivecageofhertalons.“IsthatMr.Darcy?”sheadded, suspiciously.

  “Thatisquiteenough:Icannothaveyousnapathim,”Elizabethsaid,withalarm.

  “Iwillnot snap,butbeforeIgoaway,he shallsaythatyouarenotmerelytolerable:andthatheis

  verysorrytohavebeensoungentlemanlyandrude.”

  Sheswungherheavyheadbacktowardstheopenwindow;Mr.Darcy,stillfixeduponthesill,stared upatthecoldlookbentuponhim,atfirstonlybewilderedbysuchareproof,comingfromsuchacorner; thenheunderstoodthewordsandflusheddeeply.Hesaidawkwardly,“Ibegyourpardon,MissBennet

  —”

  “CaptainBennet,”Wollstonecrafthissed,angrily.

  “Praywillyoubesilent,youmiserablecreature,”Elizabethsaiddespairingly.“Youwillhaveusin thesoupdirectly.Mr.Darcy,Ibegyourpardonforherabominablemanners,andhopethatyouwillpayno attention to her; she is in a temper and does not know what she is saying. We must go! Pray make my apologies;good-bye.”

  ShekickedWollstonecraftashardastheslipperswouldallow,andwithafinalgrumblethedragon withdrew from the house and took herself back aloft. “Well,” Elizabeth said aloud to herself in consolation,asthewindtoreatherthinanduselessgown,whichshewassorrytotakeawaywithherin exchangeforapairofgoodbootsandasensibledress,“atleastIwillneverhavetolookhimintheface again.”

  ALTHOUGH
THE name Pemberley had a vaguely familiar ring, Elizabeth was too weary, after the dreadful defeat and the long flight from London, to search her memory; she wanted only to put Wollstonecraftdownsomewhere,andgetherformationsomesortoffoddertoshareoutforthenight.The courierswereflyingbetweentheretreatingformationswithassignments:theywereeachofthemassigned toonelargeestateoranother,andgrantedlibertytohuntdeer.

  Theylandeduponabroadandbeautifulgreensward,inthelasthoursbeforesunset.Vindicatuslaid downthefourcannonhecarriedwithadeepsighofrelief;themiddle-weightsandlight-weightssetdown theirtwooroneapiece,andElizabethslidfromWollstonecraft’sbackwithonlyasilentpattoherneck.

  The crews busied themselves creating some kind of order out of the general confusion, and Elizabeth noddedtoRowling,herground-crewmaster,whotoldoffafewmentothegreathousehighuponthehill, forsupplies.

  “Doyouthinkyoucouldhuntforeveryone,mydearWollstonecraft?”sheasked,low:shehatedto askformore,afterWollstonecrafthadbeenaloftallday,butshealoneofthedragonsintheircompany hadnotbeenburdenedwithcannon,keptfreetomaneuverincasetheFrenchbeastsshouldcatchthem.

  TheyhadbeendetailedoffbyAdmiralRolandtocovertheCorps’retreat.

  “Ofcourse,”Wollstonecraftsaidstoutly,andtookherselfintotheforest;inalittlewhileshecame back with five limp deer, and all the dragons tore into the lean frames without any hesitation. “I have eatenanother,”Wollstonecraftsaid,lickingherchopscleanofblood,“andthereisalakejustoverthehill whenwearethirsty:andoh!Elizabeth!Theloveliesthouseimaginable.”

  “I will go and have a look, Winslow, if you have no objection,” Elizabeth said, wanting badly to washherface,andwhenshehadgoneupandrinsedhermouthandspat,shetookoffherflyinghoodand patted down her blown hair. She looked across the water, tiredly, at the great golden expanse of PemberleyHousestandingthere,aswideacrossasthelakeitself.Itseemedtoheralmostdreamlikeafter the fury and struggle of the day. And as she stood there, the master of the house came out of the wood aroundtheedgeofthelake,walkingswiftlytowardstheencampment,andhaltedwhenhesawher.

  CaptainBennetstaredathimblanklyandsaidwithoutthinking,“Mr.Darcy!”

  “MissBennet,”hesaid,inequallyinstinctiveanswer,thenstaredather.Shewasinflying-gear,of course:trousers,Hessians,herlongleathercoatwiththesplittailsandherswordandmusketsbeltedat herhip.

  “Wereyoucomingtothecamp?”shesaidafteramoment.“Wecanwalkdowntogether.”

  He fell into step with her, silenced momentarily by the very number of questions provoked by her appearance. He had not forgotten Miss Elizabeth Bennet in the intervening three years, and indeed had longwishedtoseeheragain,andtodemandofhersomerational,ifnotrespectable,explanationforthe incidentwhichshehadcausedatNetherfieldHouse.

  HeknewthattheelderMissBennethadconfidedsomeexplanationtoMr.Bingleyinapologyforthe scene which had been visited upon his house, and the confusion of his stables. But Bingley refused to communicate that explanation, having received it in confidence; he could only say he was himself perfectly satisfied, and that Miss Elizabeth Bennet had acted as she ought. Yet his character was sufficiently complaisant and generous to have made Darcy doubt this conclusion exceedingly, and to continuetodesireaconfrontationwiththeguiltyparty.

  He knew he was to blame for having so enthusiastically pursued the society of the Bennets, in seeking that confrontation, that he had neglected to preserve his friend from the danger of that same society.DarcyhadgonetohalfadozenassembliesandhousepartieswhereMissElizabethBennetmight have been expected to appear. Finding her gone on one excuse after another, he had brooded on her absencewithoutattentionfortheprogressionofBingley’scourtship.WhenDarcyhadfinallybeenroused toalarm,Bingley,emboldenedbyMissJaneBennet’sconfidence,hadalreadypersuadedhimselfofhis placeinthatlady’saffections,andherefusedtobemovedtherefrombyalltheentreatieswhichDarcyand hissisterscouldmake.Darcycouldafterwardsonlyconsolehimselfforthisfailurebyconsideringthat theladywasasadmirableineveryotherregardexceptingherconnectionsasshewaslamentableinthose, andthatthematchwasalreadyprovingaremarkablyhappyone.

  ButtheSeventhWinghaddepartedforEdinburghevenbeforethewedding,andinsodoinghadput anendtoallhopeoffurtherintercoursebetweenMr.DarcyandMissElizabethBennet.Not,however,an endtohisthoughtsofher.ThemodeofherdeparturefromNetherfieldHousemighthavebeensufficientto fixherinhismemoryasafigureofscandal,butwithouthiswishingitso,anotherfeelingalsohadsecured herplaceasawomanofwhomhehadnotceasedtothink,andagainstwhomhefoundhimselfcomparing allothersofhisacquaintance.

  From time to time, against his will, he recalled as plainly as though he stood there in the gallery againherslimfigurestandinguponthebroadwindow-sill,heedlessoftherainandwindwhichbillowed thethingownagainstherbodyandtoreherhairloose—recalledherarmoutstretchedtocalmthesavage beastbendingtowardsher,andfeltheroncemoreslipawayfrombeneathhisgraspasshesteppedintoits talons. He had struggled again and again to conquer the unruly sentiment which made so disreputable a sceneneverthelessimpossibletoforget,withoutsuccess.

  Hehadtriedtopersuadehimselfthathewasshocked,morethananyotheremotion;whenthiseffort failed him, he settled it with himself that he only acknowledged her courage, as one might admire a worthyfoe—hehadstruggledhimselfnottobeunmannedinthefaceofthedragon.Buthelookedather againnowinthetwilight,andbeforetheyreachedthecamphehaltedandsaidabruptly,“MissBennet!”

  Shelookedathimwithsomeapprehension.Hesaid,“Forgiveme—Iwouldspeakasthefriendof

  yourbrotherMr.Bingley,asheisnothere;IhopeyouknowthatanyprotectionImayofferyou,onhis behalf,Iwouldbehonoredtodo.Ihopeyouwillcometothehouseandstaywithusaslongasyouwish.

  Mysisterispresentlyathomewithhercompanion,awidowofrespectablecharacter,andIwilltakethe libertytoextendherinvitationwithmyown.”

  Wemaywellbeastonishedatsuchaleapfromcondemnationtowelcome,ifwedisregardthepower of Mrs. Bingley’s assurances, Bingley’s own certainty, and an as-yet unnamed feeling in Mr. Darcy’s breast,whichhadjoinedforcestodefendElizabeth’scharacterinhismind.Heknewenough,morethan he wished, of Mrs. Bennet, and recalling her want of scruple began to wonder if perhaps her vulgar determinationtoseeherdaughterssettledhadsacrificedElizabethtosomeevilposition.Whatthismight rationallybe,hecouldnotconceive,buthissuspicionswereformedbydimlyrememberedfairy-stories ofchildhood,inwhichdragonsfiguredasthedevourersandgaolersofinnocentmaidens.

  Elizabeth was entirely unaware of the direction of his thoughts. Having fled his society in lively dreadoftheconsequencesofhavingbetrayedtherespectabilityofherfamily,shehadneverconsidered that a brief exchange during a rainstorm, with a hissing dragon for accompaniment, might not have conveyedtoMr.DarcyafullandaccurateunderstandingofhercircumstancesandherroleintheCorps.

  Sheansweredhimthereforewithoutanyofthatordinarycautionwhichshemighthaveusedtoconcealher position,fromoneshedidnotthinkawareofit.“Iamverysensibleofthekindnessofyourinvitation,Mr.

  Darcy—IbegyourpardonmostsincerelythatImustrefuse.IcannotleaveWollstonecraftormymenout inthecold.”

  “Yourmen?”Mr.Darcysaid,buttheyhadreachedthecam
p,whereafreshcourierhadlanded,and CaptainWinslowturningaddressedElizabethandsaid,“Dispatches,CaptainBennet,”ashegavethemto her.

  “Thankyou,CaptainWinslow,”shesaid,andbrokethesealtoreadthemquickly.“Gentlemen,the scoutshavesweptthecountrysidebehindus,anditisconfirmedthatMarshalDavouthasfallenoffour tails,”shesaid,tothegeneralnodsandreliefofherformation-captains,whohadgatheredclosearound hertohearthenews.“TheCorpsisfallingbackonKinlochLaggan.Ourordersaretoholdhereforthe momentasarearposition,andsecureourownsupplyasbestwecan.”

  Shegaveafewfurtherorderstothatend,andthenturnedtoMr.Darcy,whosestaressheoncemore misunderstood.“Mr.Darcy,”shesaid,“willyoubesogoodastowalkwithmeamoment,”andtakinghis armguidedhimbackoutofearshot.Heyieldedtothepressureofherhand,madeunresistingbysurprise.

  Shesawthatsurprise,butmisjudgeditssource.“Youmustbewondering,sir,”shesaidsoberly,“andI shallnotattempttoconcealtheevilnews;therecanbenohopeofdoingsoforlong.Theworstyoucan imagineistrue—Doverislost—Londonlost.”

  AlthoughElizabethhadmisunderstoodhislooks,hernewsrepairedhermistake:Mr.Darcywasnot ofacharactertodwelluponhisownconfusion,whenhehadjustreceivedintelligenceofsostaggeringa blowtohisnation;allhisquestionswereforgotatonce,andhecried,“GoodGod!”inrealhorror.

  Elizabethsharedthathorror.ShehadlatelybeenstationedwithWollstonecraftonthenortherncoast, an isolated posting she knew very well she had brought on herself by speaking too frankly to the Admiralty of her sentiments at the recent demotion of Admiral Roland. A frantic courier-message had brought them to the battle of the Channel too late to do more than bear witness to its conclusion: fifty thousandmenalreadylandedwithahundredFrenchdragonscirclingforcoverabovethem;andshewas now fresh from the newest disaster outside London, where Napoleon had nearly snapped his jaws shut abouttheentireBritishArmy.