'Supposing he had a wife! Ferdinand, perhaps it will be better that you and I should not talk about him.'
'By G-,' said Lopez, 'there shall be no subject on which I will afraid to talk to my own wife.I insist upon your assuring me that you will never speak to him again.'
He had taken her along one of the upper walks because it was desolate, and he could there speak to her, as he thought, without being heard.She had, almost unconsciously, made a faint attempt to lead him down the lawn, no doubt feeling averse to private conversations at the moment; but he had persevered, and had resented the little effort.The idea in his mind that she was unwilling to renounce the man, anxious to escape his order for such renunciation, added fuel to his jealousy.It was not enough for him that she had rejected this man and had accepted him.The man had been her lover, and she should be made to denounce the man.It might be necessary for him to control his feelings before old Wharton;--but he knew enough of his wife to be sure that would not speak evil of him or betray him to her father.Her loyalty to him, which he could understand though not appreciate, enabled him to be a tyrant to her.So now he repeated his order to her, pausing in the path, with a voice unintentionally loud, and frowning down upon her as he spoke.
'You must tell me, Emily, that you will never speak to him again.'
She was silent, looking up into his face, not with tremulous eyes, but with infinite woe written in them, had he been able to read the writing.She knew that he was disgracing himself, and yet he was the man whom she loved! 'If you bid me not to speak to him, I will not,--but he must know the reason why.'
'He shall know nothing from you.You do not mean to say that you would write to him.'
'Papa must tell him.'
'I will not have it so.In this matter, Emily, I will be the master,--as it is fit that I should be.I will not have you talk to your father about Mr Fletcher.'
'Why not, Ferdinand?'
'Because I have so decided.He is an old family friend.I can understand that, and do not therefore wish to interfere between him and your father.But he has taken upon himself to write an insolent letter to you as my wife, and to interfere in my affairs.As to what should be done between you and him, I must be the judge and not your father.'
'And I must not speak to papa about it?'
'No!'
'Ferdinand, you make too little, I think, of the associations and affections of a whole life.'
'I will hear nothing about affection,' he said angrily.
'You cannot mean that,--that--you doubt me?'
'Certainly not.I think too much of myself and too little of him.' It did not occur to him to tell her that he thought too well of her for that.'But the man who has offended me must be held to have offended you also.'
'You might say the same if it were my father.'
He paused at this, but only for a moment.'Certainly I might.
It is not probable, but no doubt I might do so.If your father were to quarrel with me, you would not, I suppose, hesitate between us?'
'Nothing on earth could divide me from you.'
'Nor me from you.In this very matter I am only taking your part, if you did but know it.' They had now passed on, and had met other persons, having made their way through a little shrubbery on to a further lawn; and she had hoped, as they were surrounded by people, that he would allow the matter to drop.
She had been unable as yet to make up her mind as to what she should say if he pressed her hard.But, if it could be passed by,--if nothing more were demanded from her,--she would endeavour to forget it all, saying to herself that it had come from sudden passion.But he was too resolute for such a termination as that, and too keenly alive to the expediency of making her thoroughly subject to him.So he turned her round and took her back through the shrubbery, and in the middle of it stopped her again and renewed his demand.
'Promise me that you will not speak again to Mr Fletcher.'
'Then I must tell papa.'
'No;--you shall tell him nothing.'
'Ferdinand, if you exact a promise from me that I will not speak to Mr Fletcher, or bow to him should circumstances bring us together as they did just now, I must explain to my father why Ihave done so.'
'You will wilfully disobey me?'
'In that I must.' He glared at her, almost as though he were going to strike her, but she bore his look without flinching.'Ihave left all my old friends, Ferdinand, and have given my heart and soul to you.No woman did so with a truer love or more devoted intention of doing her duty to her husband.Your affairs shall be my affairs.'
'Well; yes; rather.'
She was endeavouring to assure him of her truth, but could understand the sneer which was conveyed in his acknowledgment.
'But you cannot, nor can I for your sake, abolish the things which have been.'
'I wish you to abolish nothing that has been.I speak of the future.'
'Between our family and that of Mr Fletcher there has been old friendship which is still very dear to my father,--the memory of which is still very dear to me.At your request I am willing to put all that aside from me.There is no reason why I should ever see any of the Fletchers again.Our lives will be apart.Should we meet our greeting would be very slight.The separation can be effected without words.But if you demand an absolute promise,--I must tell my father.'
'We will go home at once,' he said instantly, and aloud.And home they went, back to London, without exchanging a word on the journey.He was absolutely black with rage, and she was content to remain silent.The promise was not given, nor indeed, was it exacted under the conditions which the wife had imposed upon it.
He was most desirous to make her subject to his will in all things, and quite prepared to exercise tyranny over her to any extent,--so that her father should know nothing of it.He could not afford to quarrel with Mr Wharton.'You had better go to bed,' he said, when he got her back to town;--and she went, if not to bed, at any rate into her own room.
