I CALL IT AWFUL

“Oh indeed!” Those had been the words with which Mr. Furnival had received the announcement made by Sir Peregrine as to his proposed nuptials.  And as he uttered them the lawyer drew himself up stiffly in his chair, looking much more like a lawyer and much less like an old family friend than he had done the moment before.

Whereupon Sir Peregrine drew himself up also.  “Yes,” he said.  “I should be intrusive if I were to trouble you with my motives, and therefore I need only say further as regards the lady, that I trust that my support, standing as I shall do in the position of her husband, will be more serviceable to her than it could otherwise have been in this trial which she will, I presume, be forced to undergo.”

“No doubt; no doubt,” said Mr. Furnival; and then the interview had ended.  The lawyer had been anxious to see his client, and had intended to ask permission to do so; but he had felt on hearing Sir Peregrine’s tidings that it would be useless now to make any attempt to see her alone, and that he could speak to her with no freedom in Sir Peregrine’s presence.  So he left The Cleeve, having merely intimated to the baronet the fact of his having engaged the services of Mr. Chaffanbrass and Mr. Solomon Aram.  “You will not see Lady Mason?” Sir Peregrine had asked.  “Thank you; I do not know that I need trouble her,” Mr. Furnival had answered.  “You of course will explain to her how the case at present stands.  I fear she must reconcile herself to the fact of a trial.  You are aware, Sir Peregrine, that the offence imputed is one for which bail will be taken.  I should propose yourself and her son.  Of course I should be happy to lend my own name, but as I shall be on the trial, perhaps it may be as well that this should be avoided.”

Bail will be taken!  These words were dreadful in the ears of the expectant bridegroom.  Had it come to this; that there was a question whether or no she should be locked up in a prison, like a felon?  But nevertheless his heart did not misgive him.  Seeing how terribly she was injured by others, he felt himself bound by the stronger law to cling to her himself.  Such was the special chivalry of the man.

Mr. Furnival on his return to London thought almost more of Sir Peregrine than he did either of Lady Mason or of himself.  Was it not a pity?  Was it not a thousand pities that that aged noble gentleman should be sacrificed?  He had felt angry with Sir Peregrine when the tidings were first communicated to him; but now, as he journeyed up to London this feeling of anger was transferred to his own client.  This must be her doing, and such doing on her part, while she was in her present circumstances, was very wicked.  And then he remembered her guilt, ­her probable guilt, and his brow became very black.  Her supposed guilt had not been horrible to him while he had regarded it as affecting herself alone, and in point of property affecting Joseph Mason and her son Lucius.  He could look forward, sometimes almost triumphantly, to the idea of washing her ­so far as this world’s washing goes ­from that guilt, and setting her up again clear before the world, even though in doing so he should lend a hand in robbing Joseph Mason of his estate.  But this dragging down of another ­and such another ­head into the vortex of ruin and misery was horrible to him.  He was not straitlaced, or mealy-mouthed, or overburthened with scruples.  In the way of his profession he could do many a thing at which ­I express a single opinion with much anxious deference ­at which an honest man might be scandalized if it came beneath his judgment unprofessionally.  But this he could not stand.  Something must be done in the matter.  The marriage must be stayed till after the trial, ­or else he must himself retire from the defence and explain both to Lady Mason and to Sir Peregrine why he did so.

And then he thought of the woman herself, and his spirit within him became very bitter.  Had any one told him that he was jealous of the preference shown by his client to Sir Peregrine, he would have fumed with anger, and thought that he was fuming justly.  But such was in truth the case.  Though he believed her to have been guilty of this thing, though he believed her to be now guilty of the worse offence of dragging the baronet to his ruin, still he was jealous of her regard.  Had she been content to lean upon him, to trust to him as her great and only necessary friend, he could have forgiven all else, and placed at her service the full force of his professional power, ­even though by doing so he might have lowered himself in men’s minds.  And what reward did he expect?  None.  He had formed no idea that the woman would become his mistress.  All that was as obscure before his mind’s eye, as though she had been nineteen and he five-and-twenty.

He was to dine at home on this day, that being the first occasion of his doing so for ­as Mrs. Furnival declared ­the last six months.  In truth, however, the interval had been long, though not so long as that.  He had a hope that having announced his intention, he might find the coast clear and hear Martha Biggs spoken of as a dear one lately gone.  But when he arrived at home Martha Biggs was still there.  Under circumstances as they now existed Mrs. Furnival had determined to keep Martha Biggs by her, unless any special edict for her banishment should come forth.  Then, in case of such special edict, Martha Biggs should go, and thence should arise the new casus belli.  Mrs. Furnival had made up her mind that war was expedient, ­nay, absolutely necessary.  She had an idea, formed no doubt from the reading of history, that some allies require a smart brush now and again to blow away the clouds of distrust which become engendered by time between them; and that they may become better allies than ever afterwards.  If the appropriate time for such a brush might ever come, it had come now.  All the world, ­so she said to herself, ­was talking of Mr. Furnival and Lady Mason.  All the world knew of her injuries.

Martha Biggs was second cousin to Mr. Crook’s brother’s wife ­I speak of that Mr. Crook who had been professionally known for the last thirty years as the partner of Mr. Round.  It had been whispered in the office in Bedford Row ­such whisper I fear originating with old Round ­that Mr. Furnival admired his fair client.  Hence light had fallen upon the eyes of Martha Biggs, and the secret of her friend was known to her.  Need I trace the course of the tale with closer accuracy?

“Oh, Kitty,” she had said to her friend with tears that evening ­“I cannot bear to keep it to myself any more!  I cannot when I see you suffering so.  It’s awful.”

“Cannot bear to keep what, Martha?”

“Oh, I know.  Indeed all the town knows it now.”

“Knows what?  You know how I hate that kind of thing.  If you have anything to say, speak out.”

This was not kind to such a faithful friend as Martha Biggs; but Martha knew what sacrifices friendship such as hers demanded, and she did not resent it.

“Well then; ­if I am to speak out, it’s ­Lady Mason.  And I do say that it’s shameful, quite shameful; ­and awful; I call it awful.”

Mrs. Furnival had not said much at the time to encourage the fidelity of her friend, but she was thus justified in declaring to herself that her husband’s goings on had become the talk of all the world; ­and his goings on especially in that quarter in which she had long regarded them with so much dismay.  She was not therefore prepared to welcome him on this occasion of his coming home to dinner by such tokens of friendly feeling as the dismissal of her friend to Red Lion Square.  When the moment for absolute war should come Martha Biggs should be made to depart.

Mr. Furnival when he arrived at his own house was in a thoughtful mood, and disposed for quiet and domestic meditation.  Had Miss Biggs not been there he could have found it in his heart to tell everything about Lady Mason to his wife, asking her counsel as to what he should do with reference to that marriage.  Could he have done so, all would have been well; but this was not possible while that red-faced lump of a woman from Red Lion Square sat in his drawing-room, making everything uncomfortable.

The three sat down to dinner together, and very little was said between them.  Mr. Furnival did try to be civil to his wife, but wives sometimes have a mode of declining such civilities without committing themselves to overt acts of war.  To Miss Biggs Mr. Furnival could not bring himself to say anything civil, seeing that he hated her; but such words as he did speak to her she received with grim griffin-like austerity, as though she were ever meditating on the awfulness of his conduct.  And so in truth she was.  Why his conduct was more awful in her estimation since she had heard Lady Mason’s name mentioned, than when her mind had been simply filled with general ideas of vague conjugal infidelity, I cannot say; but such was the case.  “I call it awful,” were the first words she again spoke when she found herself once more alone with Mrs. Furnival in the drawing-room.  And then she sat down over the fire, thinking neither of her novel nor her knitting, with her mind deliciously filled with the anticipation of coming catastrophes.

“If I sit up after half-past ten would you mind going to bed?” said Mrs. Furnival, when they had been in the drawing-room about ten minutes.

“Oh no, not in the least,” said Miss Biggs.  “I’ll be sure to go.”  But she thought it very unkind, and she felt as a child does who is deceived in a matter of being taken to the play.  If no one goes the child can bear it.  But to see others go, and to be left behind, is too much for the feelings of any child, ­or of Martha Biggs.

Mr. Furnival had no inclination for sitting alone over his wine on this occasion.  Had it been possible for him he would have preferred to have gone quickly up stairs, and to have taken his cup of coffee from his wife’s hand with some appreciation of domestic comfort.  But there could be no such comfort to him while Martha Biggs was there, so he sat down stairs, sipping his port according to his custom, and looking into the fire for a solution of his difficulties about Lady Mason.  He began to wish that he had never seen Lady Mason, and to reflect that the intimate friendship of pretty women often brings with it much trouble.  He was resolved on one thing.  He would not go down into court and fight that battle for Lady Orme.  Were he to do so the matter would have taken quite a different phase, ­one that he had not at all anticipated.  In case that his present client should then have become Lady Orme, Mr. Chaffanbrass and Mr. Solomon Aram might carry on the battle between them, with such assistance as they might be able to get from Messrs. Slow and Bideawhile.  He became angry as he drank his port, and in his anger he swore that it should be so.  And then as his anger became hot at the close of his libations, he remembered that Martha Biggs was up stairs, and became more angry still.  And thus when he did go into the drawing-room at some time in the evening not much before ten, he was not in a frame of mind likely to bring about domestic comfort.

He walked across the drawing-room, sat down in an arm-chair by the table, and took up the last number of a review, without speaking to either of them.  Whereupon Mrs. Furnival began to ply her needle which had been lying idly enough upon her work, and Martha Biggs fixed her eyes intently upon her book.  So they sat twenty minutes without a word being spoken, and then Mrs. Furnival inquired of her lord whether he chose to have tea.

“Of course I shall, ­when you have it,” said he.

“Don’t mind us,” said Mrs. Furnival.

“Pray don’t mind me,” said Martha Biggs.  “Don’t let me be in the way.”

“No, I won’t,” said Mr. Furnival.  Whereupon Miss Biggs again jumped up in her chair as though she had been electrified.  It may be remembered that on a former occasion Mr. Furnival had sworn at her ­or at least in her presence.

“You need not be rude to a lady in your own house, because she is my friend,” said Mrs. Furnival.

“Bother,” said Mr. Furnival.  “And now if we are going to have any tea, let us have it.”

“I don’t think I’ll mind about tea to-night, Mrs. Furnival,” said Miss Biggs, having received a notice from her friend’s eye that it might be well for her to depart.  “My head aches dreadful, and I shall be better in bed.  Good-night, Mrs. Furnival.”  And then she took her candle and went away.

For the next five minutes there was not a word said.  No tea had been ordered, although it had been mentioned.  Mrs. Furnival had forgotten it among the hot thoughts that were running through her mind, and Mr. Furnival was indifferent upon the subject.  He knew that something was coming, and he resolved that he would have the upper hand let that something be what it might.  He was being ill used, ­so he said to himself ­and would not put up with it.

At last the battle began.  He was not looking, but he heard her first movement as she prepared herself.  “Tom!” she said, and then the voice of the war goddess was again silent.  He did not choose to answer her at the instant, and then the war goddess rose from her seat and again spoke.  “Tom!” she said, standing over him and looking at him.

“What is it you mean?” said he, allowing his eyes to rise to her face over the top of his book.

“Tom!” she said for the third time.

“I’ll have no nonsense, Kitty,” said he.  “If you have anything to say, say it.”

Even then she had intended to be affectionate, ­had so intended at the first commencement of her address.  She had no wish to be a war goddess.  But he had assisted her attempt at love by no gentle word, by no gentle look, by no gentle motion.  “I have this to say,” she replied; “you are disgracing both yourself and me, and I will not remain in this house to be a witness to it.”

“Then you may go out of the house.”  These words, be it remembered, were uttered not by the man himself, but by the spirit of port wine within the man.

“Tom, do you say that; ­after all?”

“By heavens I do say it!  I’ll not be told in my own drawing-room, even by you, that I am disgracing myself.”

“Then why do you go after that woman down to Hamworth?  All the world is talking of you.  At your age too!  You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

“I can’t stand this,” said he, getting up and throwing the book from him right across the drawing-room floor; “and, by heavens!  I won’t stand it.”

“Then why do you do it, sir?”

“Kitty, I believe the devil must have entered into you to drive you mad.”

“Oh, oh, oh! very well, sir.  The devil in the shape of drink and lust has entered into you.  But you may understand this; I ­will ­not ­consent to live with you while such deeds as these are being done.”  And then without waiting for another word, she stormed out of the room.