the event of marriage; and it robbed him of many an
otherwise pleasant hour. Along with that came
the widening breach between himself and his mother.
Whenever any little occurrence had brought into more
prominence than usual the disappointment that he was
causing her it had sent him on lone and moody walks;
or he was kept awake a great part of the night by
the turmoil of spirit which such a recognition created.
If Mrs. Yeobright could only have been led to see
what a sound and worthy purpose this purpose of his
was and how little it was being affected by his devotions
to Eustacia, how differently would she regard him!
Thus as his sight grew accustomed to the first blinding
halo kindled about him by love and beauty, Yeobright
began to perceive what a strait he was in. Sometimes
he wished that he had never known Eustacia, immediately
to retract the wish as brutal. Three antagonistic
growths had to be kept alive: his mother’s
trust in him, his plan for becoming a teacher, and
Eustacia’s happiness. His fervid nature
could not afford to relinquish one of these, though
two of the three were as many as he could hope to
preserve. Though his love was as chaste as that
of Petrarch for his Laura, it had made fetters of
what previously was only a difficulty. A position
which was not too simple when he stood wholehearted
had become indescribably complicated by the addition
of Eustacia. Just when his mother was beginning
to tolerate one scheme he had introduced another still
bitterer than the first, and the combination was more
than she could bear.
Sharp Words Are Spoken, and a Crisis Ensues
When Yeobright was not with Eustacia he was sitting
slavishly over his books; when he was not reading
he was meeting her. These meetings were carried
on with the greatest secrecy.
One afternoon his mother came home from a morning
visit to Thomasin. He could see from a disturbance
in the lines of her face that something had happened.
“I have been told an incomprehensible thing,”
she said mournfully. “The captain has let
out at the Woman that you and Eustacia Vye are engaged
to be married.”
“We are,” said Yeobright. “But
it may not be yet for a very long time.”
“I should hardly think it would be yet
for a very long time! You will take her to Paris,
I suppose?” She spoke with weary hopelessness.
“I am not going back to Paris.”
“What will you do with a wife, then?”
“Keep a school in Budmouth, as I have told you.”
“That’s incredible! The place is
overrun with schoolmasters. You have no special
qualifications. What possible chance is there
for such as you?”
“There is no chance of getting rich. But
with my system of education, which is as new as it
is true, I shall do a great deal of good to my fellow-creatures.”
“Dreams, dreams! If there had been any
system left to be invented they would have found it
out at the universities long before this time.”
