"You cannot learn frankness, Rosa," said Mrs. Steerforth quickly--for there was always some effect of sarcasm in what Rosa Dartle said, though it was said, as this was, in the most unconscious manner in the world--"in a better school."
"That I am sure of," she answered, with uncommon fervour. "If I am sure of anything, of course, you know, I am sure of that."
Mrs. Steerforth appeared to me to regret having been a little nettled; for she presently said, in a kind tone:
"Well, my dear Rosa, we have not heard what it is that you want to be satisfied about?"
"That I want to be satisfied about?" she replied, with provoking coldness. "Oh! It was only whether people, who are like each other in their moral const.i.tution--is that the phrase?"
"It"s as good a phrase as another," said Steerforth.
"Thank you:--whether people, who are like each other in their moral const.i.tution, are in greater danger than people not so circ.u.mstanced, supposing any serious cause of variance to arise between them, of being divided angrily and deeply?"
"I should say yes," said Steerforth.
"Should you?" she retorted. "Dear me! Supposing then, for instance--any unlikely thing will do for a supposition--that you and your mother were to have a serious quarrel."
"My dear Rosa," interposed Mrs. Steerforth, laughing good-naturedly, "suggest some other supposition! James and I know our duty to each other better, I pray Heaven!"
"Oh!" said Miss Dartle, nodding her head thoughtfully. "To be sure. That would prevent it? Why, of course it would. Exactly. Now, I am glad I have been so foolish as to put the case, for it is so very good to know that your duty to each other would prevent it! Thank you very much."
One other little circ.u.mstance connected with Miss Dartle I must not omit; for I had reason to remember it thereafter, when all the irremediable past was rendered plain. During the whole of this day, but especially from this period of it, Steerforth exerted himself with his utmost skill, and that was with his utmost ease, to charm this singular creature into a pleasant and pleased companion. That he should succeed, was no matter of surprise to me. That she should struggle against the fascinating influence of his delightful art--delightful nature I thought it then--did not surprise me either; for I knew that she was sometimes jaundiced and perverse. I saw her features and her manner slowly change; I saw her look at him with growing admiration; I saw her try, more and more faintly, but always angrily, as if she condemned a weakness in herself, to resist the captivating power that he possessed; and finally, I saw her sharp glance soften, and her smile become quite gentle, and I ceased to be afraid of her as I had really been all day, and we all sat about the fire, talking and laughing together, with as little reserve as if we had been children.
Whether it was because we had sat there so long, or because Steerforth was resolved not to lose the advantage he had gained, I do not know; but we did not remain in the dining-room more than five minutes after her departure. "She is playing her harp," said Steerforth, softly, at the drawing-room door, "and n.o.body but my mother has heard her do that, I believe, these three years." He said it with a curious smile, which was gone directly; and we went into the room and found her alone.
"Don"t get up," said Steerforth (which she had already done)" my dear Rosa, don"t! Be kind for once, and sing us an Irish song."
"What do you care for an Irish song?" she returned.
"Much!" said Steerforth. "Much more than for any other. Here is Daisy, too, loves music from his soul. Sing us an Irish song, Rosa! and let me sit and listen as I used to do."
He did not touch her, or the chair from which she had risen, but sat himself near the harp. She stood beside it for some little while, in a curious way, going through the motion of playing it with her right hand, but not sounding it. At length she sat down, and drew it to her with one sudden action, and played and sang.
I don"t know what it was, in her touch or voice, that made that song the most unearthly I have ever heard in my life, or can imagine. There was something fearful in the reality of it. It was as if it had never been written, or set to music, but sprung out of pa.s.sion within her; which found imperfect utterance in the low sounds of her voice, and crouched again when all was still. I was dumb when she leaned beside the harp again, playing it, but not sounding it, with her right hand.
A minute more, and this had roused me from my trance:--Steerforth had left his seat, and gone to her, and had put his arm laughingly about her, and had said, "Come, Rosa, for the future we will love each other very much!" And she had struck him, and had thrown him off with the fury of a wild cat, and had burst out of the room.
"What is the matter with Rosa?" said Mrs. Steerforth, coming in.
"She has been an angel, mother," returned Steerforth, "for a little while; and has run into the opposite extreme, since, by way of compensation."
"You should be careful not to irritate her, James. Her temper has been soured, remember, and ought not to be tried."
Rosa did not come back; and no other mention was made of her, until I went with Steerforth into his room to say Good night. Then he laughed about her, and asked me if I had ever seen such a fierce little piece of incomprehensibility.
I expressed as much of my astonishment as was then capable of expression, and asked if he could guess what it was that she had taken so much amiss, so suddenly.
"Oh, Heaven knows," said Steerforth. "Anything you like--or nothing!
I told you she took everything, herself included, to a grindstone, and sharpened it. She is an edge-tool, and requires great care in dealing with. She is always dangerous. Good night!"
"Good night!" said I, "my dear Steerforth! I shall be gone before you wake in the morning. Good night!"
He was unwilling to let me go; and stood, holding me out, with a hand on each of my shoulders, as he had done in my own room.
"Daisy," he said, with a smile--"for though that"s not the name your G.o.dfathers and G.o.dmothers gave you, it"s the name I like best to call you by--and I wish, I wish, I wish, you could give it to me!"
"Why so I can, if I choose," said I.
"Daisy, if anything should ever separate us, you must think of me at my best, old boy. Come! Let us make that bargain. Think of me at my best, if circ.u.mstances should ever part us!"
"You have no best to me, Steerforth," said I, "and no worst. You are always equally loved, and cherished in my heart."
So much compunction for having ever wronged him, even by a shapeless thought, did I feel within me, that the confession of having done so was rising to my lips. But for the reluctance I had to betray the confidence of Agnes, but for my uncertainty how to approach the subject with no risk of doing so, it would have reached them before he said, "G.o.d bless you, Daisy, and good night!" In my doubt, it did NOT reach them; and we shook hands, and we parted.
I was up with the dull dawn, and, having dressed as quietly as I could, looked into his room. He was fast asleep; lying, easily, with his head upon his arm, as I had often seen him lie at school.
The time came in its season, and that was very soon, when I almost wondered that nothing troubled his repose, as I looked at him. But he slept--let me think of him so again--as I had often seen him sleep at school; and thus, in this silent hour, I left him. --Never more, oh G.o.d forgive you, Steerforth! to touch that pa.s.sive hand in love and friendship. Never, never more!
CHAPTER 30. A LOSS
I got down to Yarmouth in the evening, and went to the inn. I knew that Peggotty"s spare room--my room--was likely to have occupation enough in a little while, if that great Visitor, before whose presence all the living must give place, were not already in the house; so I betook myself to the inn, and dined there, and engaged my bed.
It was ten o"clock when I went out. Many of the shops were shut, and the town was dull. When I came to Omer and Joram"s, I found the shutters up, but the shop door standing open. As I could obtain a perspective view of Mr. Omer inside, smoking his pipe by the parlour door, I entered, and asked him how he was.
"Why, bless my life and soul!" said Mr. Omer, "how do you find yourself?
Take a seat.---Smoke not disagreeable, I hope?"
"By no means," said I. "I like it--in somebody else"s pipe."
"What, not in your own, eh?" Mr. Omer returned, laughing. "All the better, sir. Bad habit for a young man. Take a seat. I smoke, myself, for the asthma."
Mr. Omer had made room for me, and placed a chair. He now sat down again very much out of breath, gasping at his pipe as if it contained a supply of that necessary, without which he must perish.
"I am sorry to have heard bad news of Mr. Barkis," said I.
Mr. Omer looked at me, with a steady countenance, and shook his head.
"Do you know how he is tonight?" I asked.
"The very question I should have put to you, sir," returned Mr. Omer, "but on account of delicacy. It"s one of the drawbacks of our line of business. When a party"s ill, we can"t ask how the party is."
The difficulty had not occurred to me; though I had had my apprehensions too, when I went in, of hearing the old tune. On its being mentioned, I recognized it, however, and said as much.
"Yes, yes, you understand," said Mr. Omer, nodding his head. "We dursn"t do it. Bless you, it would be a shock that the generality of parties mightn"t recover, to say "Omer and Joram"s compliments, and how do you find yourself this morning?"--or this afternoon--as it may be."
Mr. Omer and I nodded at each other, and Mr. Omer recruited his wind by the aid of his pipe.