CHAPTER71
THELADIESATLONGBARNSDOUBT。
ItcameatlasttobedecidedamongthemthatwhenoldMrWhartonreturnedtotown，——andhehadnowbeenatWhartonlongerthanhehadeverbeenknowntoremaintherebefore，——EmilyshouldstillremaininHertfordshire，andthatatsomeperiodnotthenfixedsheshouldgoforamonthtoLongbarns。Therewerevariousreasonswhichinducedhertoconsenttothischangeofplans。Inthefirstplaceshefoundherselftobeinfinitelymorecomfortableinthecountrythaninthetown。Shecouldgooutandmoveaboutandbestirherself，whereasinManchesterSquareshecouldonlysitathome。Herfatherhadassuredherthathethoughtthatitwouldbebetterthatsheshouldbeawayfromthereminiscencesofthehouseintown。AndthenwhenthefirstweekofFebruarywaspastArthurwouldbeupintown，andshewouldbefarawayfromhimatLongbarns，whereasinLondonshewouldbeclosewithinhisreach。Manylittleschemeswerelaidandstrugglesmadebothbyherselfandtheothersbeforeatlasttheirplansweresettled。MrWhartonwastoreturntoLondoninthemiddleofJanuary。ItwasquiteimpossiblethathecouldremainlongerawayeitherfromStoneBuildingsorfromtheEldon，andthenatthesametime，oradayortwofollowing，MrsFletcherwastogobacktoLongbarns。JohnFletcherandhiswifeandchildrenwerealreadygone——andArthuralsohadbeenatLongbarns。ThetwobrothersandEveretthadbeenbackwardsandforwards。EmilywasanxioustoremainatWhartonatanyratetillParliamentshouldhavemet，sothatshemightnotbeathomewithArthurinhisownhouse。Butmatterswouldnotarrangethemselvesexactlyasshewished。ItwasatlastsettledthatsheshouldgotoLongbarnswithMaryWhartonunderthechargeofJohnFletcherinthefirstweekinFebruary。AsarrangementswerealreadyinprogressforthepurchaseofBarntonSpinnies，SirAluredcouldnotpossiblyleavehisownhouse。NottohavewalkedthroughthewoodonthefirstdayitbecamepartoftheWhartonpropertywouldtohimhavebeentreasontotheestate。
Hisexperienceoughttohavetoldhimthattherewasnochanceofalawyerandacollegedealingtogetherwithsuchrapidity。butinthepresentstateofthingshecouldnotbeartoabsenthimself。Ordershadalreadybeengivenforthecuttingdownofcertaintreeswhichcouldnothavebeentouchedhadthereprobatelived，anditwasindispensablethatifatreefellatWhartonheshouldseethefall。ItthuscametopassthattherewasaweekduringwhichEmilywouldbeforcedtoliveundertheroofoftheFletcherstogetherwithArthurFletcher。
TheweekcameandshewasabsolutelyreceivedbyArthuratthedoorofLongbarns。ShehadnotbeenatthehousesinceithadfirstbeenintimatedtotheFletchersthatshewasdisposedtoreceivewithfavourtheaddressesofFerdinandLopez。Assherememberedthisitseemedtohertobeanageagosincethatmanhadinducedhertobelievethatofallthemenshehadevermethewasthenearesttoahero。Sheneverspokeofhimnow，butofcourseherthoughtsofhimwereneverending，——asalsoofherselfinthatshehadallowedherselftobesodeceived。Shewouldrecalltohermindwithbitterinwardsobbingsallthoselessonsofiniquitywhichhehadstriventoteachher，andwhichhadfirstopenedhereyestohistruecharacter——howsedulouslyhehadendeavouredtopersuadeherthatitwasherdutytorobherfatheronhisbehalf，howcontinuallyhehadendeavouredtomakeherthinkthatappearanceintheworldwaseverything，andthat，beingintruthpooradventurers，itbehovedthemtocheattheworldintothinkingthemrichandrespectable。Everyhintthathadbeensogivenhadbeenawoundtoher，andthosewoundswereallnowremembered。Thoughsincehisdeathshehadneverallowedawordtobespokeninherpresenceagainsthim，shecouldnotbuthatehismemory。Howgloriouswasthatothermaninhereyes，ashestoodthereatthedoorwelcominghertoLongbarns，fair-haired，open-eyed，withbronzedbrowandcheek，andsurlythehonestestfacethatalovingwomaneverlovedtogazeon。Duringthevariouslessonsshehadlearnedinhermarriedlife，shehadbecomegraduallybutsurelyawarethatthefaceofthatothermanhadbeendishonest。Shehadlearnedthefalsemeaningofeveryglanceofhiseyes，thesubtletyofhismouth，thecounterfeitmanoeuvresofhisbody，——thedeceitevenofhisdress。Hehadbeenallaliefromheadtofoot，andhehadthrownherloveasideasuselesswhenshealsowouldnotbealiar。Andherewasthisman，——spotlessinherestimation，compoundedofallgoodqualities，whichshecouldnowseeandtakeattheirpropervalue。Shehatedherselfforthesimplicitywithwhichshehadbeencheatedbysoftwordsandafalsedemeanourintosogreatasacrifice。