The Country Gentleman by Hill Fiona

Author:Hill, Fiona [Hill, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626814882
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2014-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

Whether Miss Guilfoyle herself believed the comforting prognostications she made to Maria regarding Mr. Mallinger’s return to spirits was not clear. What became all too clear, as the weeks wore on, was that she had been wrong. Adjured to stay away, the schoolmaster did. But as Mrs. Insel had foreseen, nothing short of complete sequestration—his or hers—could have prevented their running into one another. Not two days after the dreadful evening when Maria had banished him from her sight, Mr. Mallinger was spied by the ladies from their carriage, walking away from Faulding Chase as they drove towards it. Another two days and they saw him in church. Sickened at heart by his wretched look, his extreme pallor and haggardness, Maria resolved after this to keep indoors all week, and immured herself in Linfield. But the following Saturday, unable to bear it any longer, she wrapped herself in a cloak and crept into the park for a walk—and walked directly into Mr. Mallinger. On this occasion, as on the others, they nodded and made a show of civility. Maria could see her admirer did all his possible to conceal his misery—only it went too deep for a bow and a determined display of manners to cover it up. What she could not know was how perfectly her own wan face mirrored the unhappiness in his. But Mr. Mallinger saw it, and was less inclined than ever to forget her.

Meanwhile, Anne continued to counsel her to let time do its work. She herself was busy, for (at Mr. Highet’s suggestion) she had decided to make certain improvements on some of her tenant farms before winter set in; but she saw as well as the schoolmaster how Maria suffered. If it did not pass off within another fortnight she must persuade her to go away…though where precisely to send her was another question, not to mention how Anne could find a suitable companion to keep her household respectable. That Captain Insel! It made Anne simply furious to think of him abusing Maria, then going on his merry, brawling, drinking way after she fled. He had never—well, perhaps one ought merely to be grateful for this, but it was unnatural—he had never made a single attempt to communicate with his wife in England. Anne had once asked Ensley if he couldn’t at least be discharged from the Army for his conduct—he ought to be punished some how. But Ensley said the Army did not interfere in such private matters; and in any case, was it not better for Mrs. Insel that her husband remain in Canada?

She supposed it was; yet the injustice of it rankled her. For Maria, besides having endured the pain and mortification he had dealt her, was prevented by his continued pernicious existence from having a proper life of her own. Anne could not be sure how deep her affection for Mr. Mallinger ran, but surely Maria must long to establish herself properly with some one. At Linfield, no matter what either lady said, she depended for her bread entirely on Anne’s whim, or charity, or liking.

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