’Yes; but someone who will always be with you,
to do everything for you; to be your very own.’
‘It is all very well for you,’ said Lily,
’and I think that Bernard is the luckiest fellow
in the world; but it will not do for me. I know
in what college I’ll take my degree, and I wish
they’d let me write the letters after my name
as the men do.’
‘What letters, Lily?’
’O M, for Old Maid. I don’t see
why it shouldn’t be as good as Ba for Bachelor
of Arts. It would mean a great deal more.’
THE SHATTERED TREE
When Mrs Arabin saw Johnny in the middle of the day,
she could hardly give him much encouragement.
And yet she felt by no means sure that he might not
succeed even yet. Lily had been very positive
in her answers, and yet there had been something either
in her words or in the tone of her voice, which had
made Mrs Arabin feel that even Lily was not quite
sure of herself. There was still room for relenting.
Nothing, however, had been said which could justify
her in bidding John Eames simply to ‘go and
win’. ‘I think he is light of heart,’
Lily had said. Those were the words which, of
all that had been spoken, most impressed themselves
on Mrs Arabin’s memory. She would not repeat
them to her friend, but she would graft upon them
such advice as she had to give him.
And this she did, telling him that she thought perhaps
Lily doubted his actual earnestness. ‘I
would marry her this moment,’ said Johnny.
But that was not enough, as Mrs Arabin knew, to prove
his earnestness. Many men, fickle as weathercocks,
are ready to marry at the moment—are ready
to marry at the moment, because they are fickle, and
think so little about it. ‘But she hears,
perhaps, of your liking other people,’ said
Mrs Arabin. ‘I don’t care a straw
for any other person,’ said Johnny. ’I
wonder whether if I was to shut myself up in a cage
for six months, it would do any good?’ ’If
she had the keeping of the cage, perhaps it might,’
said Mrs Arabin. She had nothing more to say on
that subject, but to tell him that Miss Dale would
expect him that afternoon at half-past five.
’I told her that you would come to wish her good-bye,
and she promised to see you.’
’I wish she’d say she wouldn’t see
me. Then there would be some chance.’
Between him and Mrs Arabin, the parting was very affectionate.
She told him how thankful she was for the kindness
in coming to her, and how grateful she would ever
be—and the dean also—for his
attention to her. ’Remember, Mr Eames,
that you will always be most welcome at the Deanery
of Barchester. And I do hope that before long
you may be there with your wife.’ And so
they parted.
