Dr. Wortle's School Part 16

The defection of the Momsons wounded the Doctor, no doubt. He was aware that Mrs. Stantiloup had been at b.u.t.tercup, and that the Bishop also had been there--and he could put two and two together; but it hurt him to think that one so "staunch" though so "stupid" as Mrs. Momson, should be turned from her purpose by such a woman as Mrs. Stantiloup. And he got other letters on the subject. Here is one from Lady Anne Clifford.

"DEAR DOCTOR,--You know how safe I think my dear boys are with you, and how much obliged I am both to you and your wife for all your kindness.

But people are saying things to me about one of the masters at your school and his wife. Is there any reason why I should be afraid? You will see how thoroughly I trust you when I ask you the question.--Yours very sincerely,

"ANNE CLIFFORD."

Now Lady Anne Clifford was a sweet, confiding, affectionate, but not very wise woman. In a letter, written not many days before to Mary Wortle, who had on one occasion been staying with her, she said that she was at that time in the same house with the Bishop and Mrs. Rolland. Of course the Doctor knew again how to put two and two together.

Then there came a letter from Mr. Talbot--

"DEAR WORTLE,--So you are boiling for yourself another pot of hot water.

I never saw such a fellow as you are for troubles! Old Mother Shipton has been writing such a letter to our old woman, and explaining that no boy's soul would any longer be worth looking after if he be left in your hands.

Don't you go and get me into a sc.r.a.pe more than you can help; but you may be quite sure of this that if I had as many sons as Priam I should send them all to you;--only I think that the cheques would be very long in coming.--Yours always,

"JOHN TALBOT."

The Doctor answered this at greater length than he had done in writing to Mr. Momson, who was not specially his friend.

"MY DEAR TALBOT,--You may be quite sure that I shall not repeat to any one what you have told me of Mother Shipton. I knew, however, pretty well what she was doing and what I had to expect from her. It is astonishing to me that such a woman should still have the power of persuading any one,--astonishing also that any human being should continue to hate as she hates me. She has often tried to do me an injury, but she has never succeeded yet. At any rate she will not bend me. Though my school should be broken up to-morrow, which I do not think probable, I should still have enough to live upon,--which is more, by all accounts, than her unfortunate husband can say for himself.

"The facts are these. More than twelve months ago I got an a.s.sistant named Peac.o.c.ke, a clergyman, an Oxford man, and formerly a Fellow of Trinity;--a man quite superior to anything I have a right to expect in my school. He had gone as a Cla.s.sical Professor to a college in the United States;--a rash thing to do, no doubt;--and had there married a widow, which was rasher still. The lady came here with him and undertook the charge of the school-house,--with a separate salary; and an admirable person in the place she was. Then it turned out, as no doubt you have heard, that her former husband was alive when they were married. They ought probably to have separated, but they didn't. They came here instead, and here they were followed by the brother of the husband,--who I take it is now dead, though of that we know nothing certain.

"That he should have told me his position is more than any man has a right to expect from another. Fortune had been most unkind to him, and for her sake he was bound to do the best that he could with himself. I cannot bring myself to be angry with him, though I cannot defend him by strict laws of right and wrong. I have advised him to go back to America and find out if the man be in truth dead. If so, let him come back and marry the woman again before all the world. I shall be ready to marry them and to ask him and her to my house afterwards.

"In the mean time what was to become of her? 'Let her go into lodgings,'

said the Bishop. Go to lodgings at Broughton! You know what sort of lodgings she would get there among psalm-singing greengrocers who would tell her of her misfortune every day of her life! I would not subject her to the misery of going and seeking for a home. I told him, when I persuaded him to go, that she should have the rooms they were then occupying while he was away. In settling this, of course I had to make arrangements for doing in our own establishment the work which had lately fallen to her share. I mention this for the sake of explaining that she has got nothing to do with the school. No doubt the boys are under the same roof with her. Will your boy's morals be the worse? It seems that Gustavus Momson's will. You know the father; do you not? I wonder whether anything will ever affect his morals?

"Now, I have told you everything. Not that I have doubted you; but, as you have been told so much, I have thought it well that you should have the whole story from myself. What effect it may have upon the school I do not know. The only boy of whose secession I have yet heard is young Momson. But probably there will be others. Four new boys were to have come, but I have already heard from the father of one that he has changed his mind. I think I can trace an acquaintance between him and Mother Shipton. If the body of the school should leave me I will let you know at once as you might not like to leave your boy under such circ.u.mstances.

"You may be sure of this, that here the lady remains until her husband returns. I am not going to be turned from my purpose at this time of day by anything that Mother Shipton may say or do.--Yours always,

"JEFFREY WORTLE."

END OF VOL. I.

DR. WORTLE'S SCHOOL.

A Novel.

BY

ANTHONY TROLLOPE.

IN TWO VOLUMES.--VOL. II.

London: Chapman and Hall, Limited, 193, Piccadilly.

1881.

London: R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor, Printers, Bread Street Hill.

CONTENTS OF VOL. II.

PART V.

CHAPTER I. MR. PUDDICOMBE'S BOOT

CHAPTER II. 'EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS'

CHAPTER III. "'AMO' IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING"

CHAPTER IV. "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE"

CHAPTER V. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE PALACE

CHAPTER VI. THE JOURNEY

CHAPTER VII. "n.o.bODY HAS CONDEMNED YOU HERE"

CHAPTER VIII. LORD BRACY'S LETTER

CHAPTER IX. AT CHICAGO

CONCLUSION.

CHAPTER X. THE DOCTOR'S ANSWER

CHAPTER XI. MR. PEAc.o.c.kE'S RETURN

CHAPTER XII. MARY'S SUCCESS