The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (best fiction novels of all time .TXT) 📕

that little episode their intimacy had been very fictitious, as are many intimacies. They had played at being friends, knowing but very little of each other. But now, during the last five or six weeks⁠—since she had refused his offer⁠—they had really learned to know each other. In the exquisite misery of her troubles, she had told him the truth about herself and her son, and he had responded, not by compliments, but by real aid and true counsel. His whole tone was altered to her, as was hers to him. There was no longer any egregious flattery between them⁠—and he, in speaking to her, would be almost rough to her. Once he had told her that she would be a fool if she did not do so-and-so. The consequence was that she almost regretted that she had allowed him to escape. But she certainly made no effort to recover the lost prize, for she told him all her troubles. It was on that afternoon, after her disagreement with her daughter, that Marie Melmotte came to her. And, on that same evening, closeted with Mr. Broune in her back room, she told him of both occurrences. “If the girl has got the money⁠—,” she began, regretting her son’s obstinacy.

“I don’t believe a bit of it,” said Broune. “From all that I can hear, I don’t think that there is any money. And if there is, you may be sure that Melmotte would not let it slip through his fingers in that way. I would not have anything to do with it.”

“You think it is all over with the Melmottes?”

“A rumour reached me just now that he had been already arrested.” It was now between nine and ten in the evening. “But as I came away from my room, I heard that he was down at the House. That he will have to stand a trial for forgery, I think there cannot be a doubt, and I imagine that it will be found that not a shilling will be saved out of the property.”

“What a wonderful career it has been!”

“Yes⁠—the strangest thing that has come up in our days. I am inclined to think that the utter ruin at this moment has been brought about by his reckless personal expenditure.”

“Why did he spend such a lot of money?”

“Because he thought that he could conquer the world by it, and obtain universal credit. He very nearly succeeded too. Only he had forgotten to calculate the force of the envy of his competitors.”

“You think he has committed forgery?”

“Certainly, I think so. Of course we know nothing as yet.”

“Then I suppose it is better that Felix should not have married her.”

“Certainly better. No redemption was to have been had on that side, and I don’t think you should regret the loss of such money as his.” Lady Carbury shook her head, meaning probably to imply that even Melmotte’s money would have had no bad odour to one so dreadfully in want of assistance as her son. “At any rate do not think of it any more.” Then she told him her grief about Hetta. “Ah, there,” said he, “I feel myself less able to express an authoritative opinion.”

“He doesn’t owe a shilling,” said Lady Carbury, “and he is really a fine gentleman.”

“But if she doesn’t like him?”

“Oh, but she does. She thinks him to be the finest person in the world. She would obey him a great deal sooner than she would me. But she has her mind stuffed with nonsense about love.”

“A great many people, Lady Carbury, have their minds stuffed with that nonsense.”

“Yes;⁠—and ruin themselves with it, as she will do. Love is like any other luxury. You have no right to it unless you can afford it. And those who will have it when they can’t afford it, will come to the ground like this Mr. Melmotte. How odd it seems! It isn’t a fortnight since we all thought him the greatest man in London.” Mr. Broune only smiled, not thinking it worth his while to declare that he had never held that opinion about the late idol of Abchurch Lane.

On the following morning, very early, while Melmotte was still lying, as yet undiscovered, on the floor of Mr. Longestaffe’s room, a letter was brought up to Hetta by the maidservant, who told her that Mr. Montague had delivered it with his own hands. She took it greedily, and then repressing herself, put it with an assumed gesture of indifference beneath her pillow. But as soon as the girl had left the room she at once seized her treasure. It never occurred to her as yet to think whether she would or would not receive a letter from her dismissed lover. She had told him that he must go, and go forever, and had taken it for granted that he would do so⁠—probably willingly. No doubt he would be delighted to return to the American woman. But now that she had the letter, she allowed no doubt to come between her and the reading of it. As soon as she was alone she opened it, and she ran through its contents without allowing herself a moment for thinking, as she went on, whether the excuses made by her lover were or were not such as she ought to accept.

Dearest Hetta,

I think you have been most unjust to me, and if you have ever loved me I cannot understand your injustice. I have never deceived you in anything, not by a word, or for a moment. Unless you mean to throw me over because I did once love another woman, I do not know what cause of anger you have. I could not tell you about Mrs. Hurtle till you had accepted me, and, as you yourself must know, I had had no opportunity to tell you anything afterwards till the story had reached your ears. I hardly know what I said the other day, I was so miserable at your accusation. But I suppose I