Then there came a letter, or rather two letters from Mary Wharton;--one to Mr Wharton and the other to Emily.To tell the truth as to these letters, they contained the combined wisdom and tenderness of Wharton Hall and Longbarns.As soon as the fate of Lopez had been ascertained and thoroughly discussed in Hertfordshire, there went forth an edict that Emily had suffered punishment sufficient and was to be forgiven.Old Mrs Fletcher did not come to this at once,--having some deep-seated feeling which she did not dare to express even to her son, though she muttered it to her daughter-in-law, that Arthur would be disgraced for ever if he were to marry the widow of such a man as Ferdinand Lopez.But when this question of receiving Emily back into family favour was mooted in the Longbarns Parliament no one alluded to the possibility of such a marriage.There was the fact that she whom they all had loved had been freed by a great tragedy from the husband whom they all had condemned,--and also the knowledge that the poor victim had suffered greatly during the period of her married life.Mrs Fletcher had frowned, and shaken her head, and made a little speech about the duties of women, and the necessarily fatal consequences when those duties are neglected.There were present there, with the old lady, John Fletcher and his wife, Sir Alured and Lady Wharton, and Mary Wharton.Arthur was not in the county, nor could the discussion have been held in his presence.'I can only say,' said John, getting up and looking away from his mother, 'that she shall always find a home at Longbarns when she chooses to come here, and I hope Sir Alured will say the same as to Wharton Hall.'
After all, John Fletcher was king in these parts, and Mrs Fletcher, with many noddings and some sobbing, had to give way to King John.The end of all this was that Mary Wharton wrote her letters.In that to Mr Wharton she asked whether it would not be better that her cousin should change the scene and come at once into the country.Let her come and stay a month at Wharton, then go onto Longbarns.She might be sure that there would be no company at either house.In June the Fletchers would go to town for a week, and then Emily might return to Wharton Hall.It was a long letter, and Mary gave many reasons why the poor sufferer would be better in the country than in town.The letter to Emily herself was shorter, but full of affection.'Do, do do come.
You know how we all love you.Let it be as it used to be.You always liked the country.I will devote myself to try and comfort you.' But Emily could not as yet submit to receive devotion even from her cousin Mary.Through it all, and under it all,--though she would ever defend her husband because he was dead,--she knew that she had disgraced the Whartons and brought a load of sorrow upon the Fletchers, and she was too proud to be forgiven so quickly.
