The Dishonesty of an Honest Woman
The reddleman had left Eustacia’s presence with
desponding views on Thomasin’s future happiness;
but he was awakened to the fact that one other channel
remained untried by seeing, as he followed the way
to his van, the form of Mrs. Yeobright slowly walking
towards the Quiet Woman. He went across to her;
and could almost perceive in her anxious face that
this journey of hers to Wildeve was undertaken with
the same object as his own to Eustacia.
She did not conceal the fact. “Then,”
said the reddleman, “you may as well leave it
alone, Mrs. Yeobright.”
“I half think so myself,” she said.
“But nothing else remains to be done besides
pressing the question upon him.”
“I should like to say a word first,” said
Venn firmly. “Mr. Wildeve is not the only
man who has asked Thomasin to marry him; and why should
not another have a chance? Mrs. Yeobright, I should
be glad to marry your niece, and would have done it
any time these last two years. There, now it
is out, and I have never told anybody before but herself.”
Mrs. Yeobright was not demonstrative, but her eyes
involuntarily glanced towards his singular though
shapely figure.
“Looks are not everything,” said the reddleman,
noticing the glance. “There’s many
a calling that don’t bring in so much as mine,
if it comes to money; and perhaps I am not so much
worse off than Wildeve. There is nobody so poor
as these professional fellows who have failed; and
if you shouldn’t like my redness—well,
I am not red by birth, you know; I only took to this
business for a freak; and I might turn my hand to
something else in good time.”
“I am much obliged to you for your interest
in my niece; but I fear there would be objections.
More than that, she is devoted to this man.”
“True; or I shouldn’t have done what I
have this morning.”
“Otherwise there would be no pain in the case,
and you would not see me going to his house now.
What was Thomasin’s answer when you told her
of your feelings?”
“She wrote that you would object to me; and
other things.”
“She was in a measure right. You must not
take this unkindly: I merely state it as a truth.
You have been good to her, and we do not forget it.
But as she was unwilling on her own account to be your
wife, that settles the point without my wishes being
concerned.”
“Yes. But there is a difference between
then and now, ma’am. She is distressed
now, and I have thought that if you were to talk to
her about me, and think favourably of me yourself,
there might be a chance of winning her round, and
getting her quite independent of this Wildeve’s
backward and forward play, and his not knowing whether
he’ll have her or no.”
Mrs. Yeobright shook her head. “Thomasin
thinks, and I think with her, that she ought to be
Wildeve’s wife, if she means to appear before
the world without a slur upon her name. If they
marry soon, everybody will believe that an accident
did really prevent the wedding. If not, it may
cast a shade upon her character—at any rate
make her ridiculous. In short, if it is anyhow
possible they must marry now.”
