’Indeed no. I have never turned against
you. I have thought that you would be better
here than at Folking for the present.’
’That is being against me. A woman should
be with her husband. You told them to do this.
And they have nearly killed me,—me and my
baby.’
In the meantime William Bolton up-stairs was very
decided in his opinion that they must at once allow
Caldigate to take her back to Folking. She had,
as he said, proved herself to be too strong for them.
The experiment had been tried and had failed.
No doubt it would be better,—so he thought,—that
she should remain for the present at the Grange; so
much better that a certain show of force had been justified.
But as things were going, no further force would be
justified. She had proved her power, and must
be allowed to go. Mrs. Bolton, however, would
not even yet acknowledge that she was beaten.
In a few more hours, she thought, Hester would allow
herself to be taken to her bed, and then all might
be well. But she could not stand against the combined
force of her husband and his two sons; and so it was
decided that the front door should be opened for the
prisoner, and that the chains should be removed from
the gate. ‘I should be afraid of the people,’
William Bolton said to his father.
It was not till this decision had been given that
Mrs. Bolton felt that the struggle of the last three
days had been too much for her. Now, at last,
she threw herself upon her bed, weeping bitter tears,
tears of a broken spirit, and there she lay prostrate
with fatigue and misery. Nor would she go down
to say a word of farewell. How could she say adieu
to her daughter, leaving her house in such circumstances
’I will give her your love,’ said William
Bolton.
’Say nothing to her. She does not care
for my love, nor for the love of her Father in heaven.
She cares only for that adulterer.’
The door was opened from within, and the chains were
taken away from the gate. ‘Oh, John,—oh,
my husband,’ she exclaimed, as she leaped down
the steps into his arms, ’never let me go again;
not for a day,—not for an hour!’
Then her boxes were brought down, and the nurse came
with the child, whom the mother at once took and placed
in his father’s arms. And the carriage
was brought in, and the luggage was placed on it, and
the nurse and the baby were seated. ’I
will go up to poor mamma for one moment,’ she
said. She did go to her mother’s room, and
throwing herself upon the wretched woman, wept over
her and kissed her. But the mother, though in
some sort she returned the caress, said not a word
as her daughter left the room. And she went also
to her father and asked his blessing. He muttered
a word or two, blessing her, no doubt, with inarticulate
words. He also had been thoroughly vanquished.
Then she got into the carriage, and was taken back
to Folking lying in John Caldigate’s arms.
