第72章 Chapter 11 (4)

Sir Percival is to arrive tomorrow. He offered, in case we wished to treat him on terms of rigid etiquette, to write and ask our clergyman to grant him the hospitality of the rectory, during the short period of his sojourn at Limmeridge, before the marriage. Under the circumstances, neither Mr Fairlie nor I thought it at all necessary for us to trouble ourselves about attending to trifling forms and ceremonies. In our wild moorland country, and in this great lonely house, we may well claim to be beyond the reach of the trivial conventionalities which hamper people in other places. I wrote to Sir Percival to thank him for his polite offer, and to beg that he would occupy his old rooms, just as usual, at Limmeridge House.

17th. -- He arrived today, looking, as I thought, a little worn and anxious, but still talking and laughing like a man in the best possible spirits. He brought with him some really beautiful presents in jewellery, which Laura received with her best grace, and, outwardly at least, with perfect self-possession. The only sign I can detect of the struggle it must cost her to preserve appearances at this trying time, expresses itself in a sudden unwillingness, on her part, ever to be left alone. Instead of retreating to her own room, as usual, she seems to dread going there.

When I went upstairs today, after lunch, to put on my bonnet for a walk, she volunteered to join me, and again, before dinner, she threw the door open between our two rooms, so that we might talk to each other while we were dressing. ‘Keep me always doing something,' she said; ‘keep me always in company with somebody. Don't let me think -- that is all I ask now, Marian -- don't let me think.'

This sad change in her only increases her attractions for Sir Percival.

He interprets it, I can see, to his own advantage. There is a feverish flush in her cheeks, a feverish brightness in her eyes, which he welcomes as the return of her beauty and the recovery of her spirits. She talked today at dinner with a gaiety and carelessness so false, so shockingly out of her character, that I secretly longed to silence her and take her away. Sir Percival's delight and surprise appeared to be beyond all expression.

The anxiety which I had noticed on his face when he arrived totally disappeared from it, and he looked, even to my eyes, a good ten years younger than he really is.

There can be no doubt -- though some strange perversity prevents me from seeing it myself -- there can be no doubt that Laura's future husband is a very handsome man. Regular features form a personal advantage to begin with -- and he has them. Bright brown eyes, either in man or woman, are a great attraction -- and he has them. Even baldness, when it is only baldness over the forehead (as in his case), is rather becoming than not in a man, for it heightens the head and adds to the intelligence of the face. Grace and ease of movement, untiring animation of manner, ready, pliant, conversational powers -- all these are unquestionable merits, and all these he certainly possesses. Surely, Mr Gilmore, ignorant as he is of Laura's secret, was not to blame for feeling surprised that she should repent of her marriage engagement? Any one else in his place would have shared our good old friend's opinion. If I were asked, at this moment, to say plainly what defects I have discovered in Sir Percival, I could only point out two. One, his incessant restlessness and excitability -- which may be caused naturally enough, by unusual energy of character. The other, his short, sharp, ill-tempered manner of speaking to the servants -- which may be only a bad habit after all. No, I cannot dispute it, and I will not dispute it -- Sir Percival is a very handsome and a very agreeable man. There! I have written it down at last, and I'm glad it's over.

18th. -- Feeling weary and depressed this morning, I left Laura with Mrs Vesey, and went out alone for one of my brisk midday walks, which I have discontinued too much of late. I took the dry airy road over the moor that leads to Todd's Corner. After having been out half an hour, I was excessively surprised to see Sir Percival approaching me from the direction of the farm. He was walking rapidly, swinging his stick, his head erect as usual, and his shooting jacket flying open in the wind. When we met he did not wait for me to ask any questions -- he told me at once that he had been to the farm to inquire if Mr or Mrs Todd had received any tidings, since his last visit to Limmeridge, of Anne Catherick.

‘You found, of course, that they had heard nothing?' I said.

‘Nothing whatever,' he replied. ‘I begin to be seriously afraid that we have lost her. Do you happen to know,' he continued, looking me in the face very attentively, ‘if the artist -- Mr Hartright -- is in a position to give us any further information?'

‘He has neither heard of her, nor seen her, since he left Cumberland,'

I answered.

‘Very sad,' said Sir Percival, speaking like a man who was disappointed, and vet, oddly enough, looking at the same time like a man who was relieved.

‘It is impossible to say what misfortunes may not have happened to the miserable creature. I am inexpressibly annoyed at the failure of all my efforts to restore her to the care and protection which she so urgently needs.'

This time he really looked annoyed. I said a few sympathising words, and we then talked of other subjects on our way back to the house. Surely my chance meeting with him on the moor has disclosed another favourable trait in his character? Surely it was singularly considerate and unselfish of him to think of Anne Catherick on the eve of his marriage, and to go all the way to Todd's Corner to make inquiries about her, when he might have passed the time so much more agreeably in Laura's society? Considering that he can only have acted from motives of pure charity, his conduct, under the circumstances, shows unusual good feeling and deserves extraordinary praise. Well! I give him extraordinary praise -- and there's an end of it.