put yourself in his place-第88部分

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〃Nono；〃　he　faltered；　〃but　the　sight　of　your　unhappiness　　Let　me　go。　　I　am　a　miserable　man！〃

And　with　this　he　actually　burst　out　crying　and　ran　past　her。

Grace　told　her　father；　and　asked　him　to　find　out　what　was　the　matter　with　Mr。　Coventry。

Mr。　Carden　followed　Coventry　to　the　station；　and　Coventry；　who　had　now　recovered　his　self…possession　and　his　cunning；　told　him　that　for　some　time　Miss　Carden　had　worn　a　cheerful　air；　which　had　given　him　hopes；　but　this　morning；　watching　her　from　a　bower　in　the　garden；　he　had　seen　such　misery　in　her　face　that　it　had　quite　upset　him；　and　he　was　going　away　to　try　and　recover　that　composure；　without　which　he　felt　he　would　be　no　use　to　her　in　any　way。

This　tale　Carden　brought　back　to　his　daughter；　and　she　was　touched　by　it。　　〃Poor　Mr。　Coventry！〃　said　she。　　〃Why　does　he　waste　so　much　love　on　me？〃

Her　father；　finding　her　thus　softened；　pleaded　hard　for　his　friend；　and　reminded　Grace　that　she　had　not　used　him　well。　　She　admitted　that　at　once；　and　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　she　felt　bound　never　to　marry　any　one　but　Mr。　Coventry；　unless　time　should　cure　him；　as　she　hoped　it　would；　of　his　unfortunate　attachment。

From　this　concession　Mr。　Carden　urged　her　daily　to　another；　viz。；　that　Mr。　Coventry　might　be　permitted　to　try　and　win　her　affection。

Her　answer　was；　〃He　had　much　better　content　himself　with　what　I　can　and　do　give　himmy　esteem　and　gratitude　and　sincere　pity。〃

Mr。　Carden；　however；　persisted；　and　the　deep　affection　he　had　shown　his　daughter　gave　him　great　power。　　It　was　two　against　one；　and　the　two　prevailed。

Mr。　Coventry　began　to　spend　his　whole　time　at　Eastbank　Cottage。

He　followed　Grace　about　with　a　devotion　to　which　no　female　heart　could　be　entirely　insensible；　and；　at　last；　she　got　used　to　him；　and　rather　liked　to　have　him　about　her。　　He　broke　her　solitude　as　a　dog　does；　and　he　fetched　and　carried　for　her；　and　talked　when　she　was　inclined　to　listen；　and　was　silent　when　he　saw　his　voice　jarred　upon　her　bereaved　heart。

Without　her　father；　matters　might　have　gone　on　so　for　years；　but　Mr。　Carden　had　now　so　many　motives　for　marrying　his　daughter　to　Coventry；　that　he　used　all　his　judgment　and　all　his　influence。　　He　worked　on　his　daughter's　pride；　her　affection；　her　sense　of　honor；　and　her　sense　of　duty。

She　struggled；　she　sighed；　she　wept；　but；　by　little　and　little；　she　submitted。　　And；　since　three　months　more　passed　with　no　striking　event；　I　will　deviate　from　my　usual　custom　and　speak　a　little　of　what　passed　in　her　mind。

First　of　all；　then；　she　was　so　completely　deceived　by　appearances；　that　she　believed　the　exact　opposite　of　the　truth　in　each　particular。　　To　her　not　only　did　black　seem　white；　but　white　black。　Her　dead　lover　had　given　her　but　half　his　heart。　　Her　living　lover　was　the　soul　of　honor　and　true　devotion。　　It　was　her　duty；　though　not　her　pleasure；　to　try　and　love　him；　to　marry　him　would　be　a　good　and　self…denying　action。

And　what　could　she　lose　by　it？　　Her　own　chance　of　happiness　was　gone。　　All　she　could　hope　for　hereafter　was　the　gentle　satisfaction　that　arises　from　making　others　happy。　　She　had　but　a　choice　of　evils：　never　to　marry　at　all；　or　to　marry　Frederick　Coventry。

Thus　far　she　was　conscious　of　her　own　feelings；　and　could；　perhaps；　have　put　them　into　words；　but　here　she　drifted　out　of　her　depth。

Nature　implants　in　women　a　genuine　love　of　offspring　that　governs　them　unconsciously。　　It　governs　the　unconscious　child；　it　governs　the　half…conscious　mother　who　comes　home　from　the　toyshop　with　a　waxen　child　for　her　girl；　and　a　drum　for　her　boy。

Men　desire　offspring…when　they　desire　it　at　allfrom　vanity　alone。　　Women　desire　it　from　pure　love　of　it。

This　instinct　had　probably　its　share　in　withholding　Grace　from　making　up　her　mind　never　to　marry；　and　so　operated　negatively；　though　not　positively；　in　Coventry's　favor。

And　so；　by　degrees　and　in　course　of　time；　after　saying　〃no〃　a　dozen　times；　she　said　〃yes〃　once　in　a　moment　of　utter　lassitude；　and　afterward　she　cried　and　wished　to　withdraw　her　consent；　but　they　were　two　to　one；　and　had　right　on　their　side；　she　thought。

They　got　her　to　say　she　would　marry　him　some　day　or　other。


Coventry　intercepted　several　letters；　but　he　took　care　not　to　read　them　with　Grace's　sad　face　in　sight。　　He　would　not　give　conscience　such　a　power　to　torment　him。　　The　earlier　letters　gave　him　a　cruel　satisfaction。　　They　were　written　each　from　a　different　city　in　the　United　States；　and　all　tended　to　show　that　the　writer　had　a　year　or　two　to　travel　yet；　before　he　could　hope　to　return　home　in　triumph　and　marry　his　Grace。

In　all　these　letters　she　was　requested　to　send　her　answers　to　New　York　（and；　now　I　think　of　it；　there　was　a　postscript　to　that　effect　in　the　very　letter　I　have　given　in　extenso）。

But　at　last　came　a　letter　that　disturbed　this　delightful　dream。　　It　was　written　from　the　western　extremity　of　the　States；　but　the　writer　was　in　high　spirits；　he　had　sold　his　patents　in　two　great　cities；　and　had　established　them　in　two　more　on　a　royalty；　he　had　also　met　with　an　unexpected　piece　of　good　fortune：　his　railway　clip　had　been　appreciated；　a　man　of　large　capital　and　enterprise　had　taken　it　up　with　spirit；　and　was　about　to　purchase　the　American　and　Canadian　right　for　a　large　sum　down　and　a　percentage。　　As　soon　as　this　contract　should　be　signed　he　should　come　home　and　claim　Mr。　Carden's　promise。　　He　complained　a　little　that　he　got　no　letters；　but　concluded　the　post…office　authorities　were　in　fault；　for　he　had　written　to　New　York　to　have　them　forwarded。　　However；　he　soon　should　be　in　that　city　and　revel　in　them。

This　troubled　Coventry；　and　drove　him　to　extremities。　　He　went　on　his　knees　to　Grace；　and　implored　her　to　name　the　day。

She　drew　back　with　horror　and　repugnance；　said；　with　a　burst　of　tears；　she　was　a　widow；　and　would　not　marry　till　a　decent　time　had　elapsed　since；　then；　with　sudden　doggedness；　〃I　will　never　marry　at　all。〃

And　so　she　left　him　to　repent　his　precipitation。

He　was　at　his　wits'　end；　and　could　do　nothing　but　look　unhappy；　and　temporize；　and　hope　the　wind　might　change。

The　wind　did　not　change；　and　he　passed　a　week　or　two　of　outward　sorrow；　but　inward　rage。

He　fell　ill；　and　Mr。　Carden　pitied　him　openly。

Grace　maintained　a　sullen　silence。

One　day；　as　he　was　in　bed；　an　envelope　was　brought　him；　with　a　large　〃L。〃　　He　opened　it　slowly；　fearing　the　worst。

The　letter　was　full　of　love；　and　joy；　and　triumph　that　made　the　reader's　heart　faint　within　him　till　he　came　to　this　sentence：


〃The　gentleman　who　treats　with　me　for　the　railway　clip　makes　it　an　express　stipulation　that　I　shall　spend　a　month　in　his　works　at　Chicago；　superintending　the　forging　and　perfecting　of　the　clip。　　As　he　intends　to　be　there　himself；　and　to　buy　it　out…and…out　if　it　answers　his　expectations；　I　shall　certainly　go；　and　wear　a　smith's　apron　once　more　for　your　sake。　　He　is　even　half　inclined　to　go　into　another　of　my　projectsthe　forging　of　large　axes　by　machinery。　　It　was　tried　at　Hillsborough　two　years　ago；　but　the　Union　sent　a　bullet　through　the　manufacturer's　hat；　and　he　dropped　it。〃


The　letter　from　which　I　give　this　extract　was　a　reprieve。　　He　had　five　or　six　weeks　before　him　still。

Soon　after　this；　his　faithful　ally；　Mr。　Carden；　worked　on　Grace's　pity；　and　as　Coventry　never　complained；　nor　irritated　her　in　any　way；　she　softened　to　him。　　Then　all　the　battery　of　imploring　looks　was　brought　to　bear　on　her　by　Coventry；　and　of　kind　admonition　and　entreaty　by　her　father；　and　so；　between　them；　they　gently　thrust　her　down　the　slope。

〃Stop　all　their　tongues；〃　said　Mr。　Carden。　　〃Come　back　to　Hillsborough　a　wife。　　I　gave　up　my　choice　to　yours　once。　　Now　give　me　my　way。　　I　am　touched　to　the　heart　by　this　young　man's　devotion：　he　invites　me　to　live　with　him　when　you　are　married。　　What　other　young　fellow　would　show　me　so　much　mercy？〃

〃Does　he？〃　said　Grace。　　〃I　will　try　and　reward　him　for　that；　and　for　speaking　well　of　one　who　could　not　defend　himself。　　But　give　me　a　little　time。〃

Mr。　Carden　conveyed　this　to　Coventry　with　delight；　and　told　him　he　should　only　have　another　month　or　so　to　wait。　　Coventry　received　this　at　first　with　unmixed　exultation；　but　by…and…by　he　began　to　feel　superstitious。　　Matters　were　now　drawing　to　such　a　point　that　Little　might　very　well　arrive　before　the　wedding…day；　and　just　before　it。　　Perhaps　Heaven　had　that　punishment　in　store　for　him；　the　cup　was　to　be　in　his　very　grasp；　and　then　struck　out　of　it。

Only　a　question　of　time！　　But　what　is　every　race？　　The　space　between　winner　and　loser　strikes　the　senses　more　obviously；　but　the　race　is　just　as　much　a　question　of　time　as　of　space。　　Buridan　runs　second　for　the　Derby；　defeated　by　a　length。　　But　give　Buridan　a　start　of　one　second；　and　he　shall　beat　the　winnerby　two　lengths。

Little　now　wrote　from　Chicago　that　every　thing　was　going　on　favorably；　and　he　believed　it　would　end　in　a　sale　of　the　patent　clip　in　the　United　States　and　Canada　for　fifty　thousand　dollars；　but　no　royalty。

This　letter　was　much　shorter　than　any　of　the　others；　and；　from　that　alone；　his　guilty　reader　could　see　that　the　writer　intended　to　follow　it　in　person　almost　immediately。

Coventry　began　almost　to　watch　the　sun　in　his　course。　　When　it　was　morning　he　wished　it　was　evening；　and　when　it　was　evening　he　wished　it　was　morning。

Sometimes　he　half　wondered　to　see　how　calmly　the　sun　rose　and　set；　and　Nature　pursued　her　course；　whilst　he　writhed　in　the　agony　of　suspense；　and　would　gladly　have　given　a　year　out　of　his　life　for　a　day。

At　last；　by　Mr。　Carden's　influence；　the　wedding…day　was　fixed。　　But　soon　after　this　great　triumph　came　another　intercepted　letter。　　He　went　to　his　room　and　his　hands　trembled　violently　as　he　opened　it。

His　eye　soon　fixed　on　this　passage：


〃I　thought　to　be　in　New　York　by　this　time；　and　looking　homeward；　but　I　am　detained　by　another　piece　of　good…fortune；　if　any　thing　can　be　called　good…fortune　that　keeps　me　a　day　from　you。　　Oh；　my　dear　Grace；　I　am　dying　to　see　your　handwriting　at　new　York；　and　then　fly　home　and　see　your　dear　self；　and　never；　never　quit　you　more。　　I　have　been　wonderfully　lucky；　I　have　made　my　fortune；　our　fortune。　　But　it　hardly　pays　me　for　losing　the　sight　of　you　so　many　months。　　But　what　I　was　goin