Remedy, Which I Have Learnt From My Mother, And Which Your Father Also
Employed--And That Is, Work. To Keep At It From Morning To Evening; To
Begin The Day With A Large Packet Of Foreign Letters Here On My Desk,
And To Leave Off In The Evening, Tired But Content--Content For That
Day. That Is My Remedy--That Keeps The Life In Me; So Far It Suffices;
Higher I Cannot Attain."
"I Said A Short Time Ago That I Envied You Your Calm And Logical Mind. I
Now Regret The Tone In Which The Words Were Spoken. I Often, Somehow Or
Another, I Don'T Know Why, But I Often Find Myself Speaking To You
Somewhat--" She Faltered, And Her Face Became Suffused With Blushes.
"Somewhat Plainly, You Mean," Said Worse, Smiling.
"May I Hope It Is Because You Think Me Worthy Of Your Confidence?"
She Looked At Him Again, But His Eyes Were Now Fixed On The Map Which
Hung Over Her Head.
"Well," Said Rachel, "Perhaps That Is The Reason; But What I Really Envy
You Is Your Love Of Work, Or, I Should Say, Not So Much The Love Of
Work--For That I Have Myself--But Your Having Discovered An Employment
Which Keeps You Calm. But You Are Able To Work, That'S Where It Is," She
Added, Meditatively.
Chapter 24 Pg 154
"My Opinion About You, Miss Garman, Has Always Been, That The Aimless
Life A Lady In Your Position Is Obliged To Lead Here At Home, Must
Sooner Or Later Become Unbearable To You."
"I Cannot Work," Said She In a Crestfallen Tone.
"Well, But At Least You Can Try."
"How Am I To Begin? You Remember That Time When Father Would Not Receive
My Offer Of Assistance."
"Your Father Did Not Understand You; Nor Will You Find It Easy To
Discover Satisfactory Employment In Your Own Country. But Travel, Look
Around You. You Are Rich And Independent, And There Are Other Lands
Where Work Is To Be Had, And In Them You Ought To Find Suitable
Occupation."
"Do You Really Advise Me To Travel Elsewhere, Mr. Worse?" Said Rachel.
"Yes; That Is To Say--Yes, I Think It Would Be Best For You. Here You
Have Little Opportunity Of Development, And, To Speak Plainly, I Think
You Ought To Travel." As He Said The Last Words He Regained His
Self-Possession, And Could Now Look Her In The Face Calmly, And Without
Flinching.
"But Where Shall I Go--A Lonely Woman Without Friends? I Am Afraid You
Over-Estimate My Powers," Said Rachel, With A Reluctant Air. It Was As
If She Did Not Fancy His Advising Her To Go Away.
"I May As Well Tell You What I Think Now," He Began, Hurriedly. "I Have
Some Acquaintances In Paris. In Fact, An American Firm--Barnett Brothers
They Are Called--Who Have A House In Paris; And Mr. Frederick Barnett Is
A Personal Friend Of Mine."
"You Seem To Have Been Arranging To Get Rid Of Me For Some Time," Said
Rachel; "Why, You Have The Whole Plan Ready Prepared."
He Showed Some Signs Of Confusion, For It Was A Scheme He Had Carefully
Considered, But Which He Had Always Hoped He Would Not Have To Put Into
Execution.
"Yes," Answered He, Endeavouring To Laugh; "As Your Guardian, It Is My
Duty To Assist You, To The Best Of My Ability, To Arrange For Your
Future."
"But Are You Going To Send Me To Paris Alone?"
"No; I Have Been Thinking Of Offering You Svendsen As An Escort. You
Surely Know Old Svendsen, My Bookkeeper? He Has Been Several Times In
Paris, And Is A Most Trustworthy Man. I Am Sure You Will Be Contented
With Mr. Barnett'S House, Which Is More Like An English One. And That, I
Think, Will Suit You Better Than A Purely French Household."
"Does Your Friend Take Boarders?" Asked Rachel, Quickly.
"Not As A Rule, As Far As I Know. You Will Thus Find It More Expensive
Chapter 24 Pg 155
Than At An Ordinary _Pension;_ But I Am Almost Certain That Both Mr. And
Mrs. Barnett, Who Is A French Lady, Are The Sort Of People You Will
Like. And It Is Exactly In The American Society Of Paris That You Will
Have The Best Opportunity Of Finding Employment If You Wish For It. At
Any Rate, You Can Stay Some Time In Mr. Barnett'S House, Until You Find
Something Else You Prefer."
His Tone Was Deliberate And Decided, As If He Already Regarded The
Matter As Finally Settled; And When Rachel Got Up To Take Her Leave She
Found That Her Mind Was Already Made Up, Without Being Conscious Of How
She Had Arrived At Her Conclusion. She Looked Forward To A New And More
Active Life, With Mingled Feelings Of Expectation And Pleasure. But At
The Same Time She Was Somewhat Hurt--No, Not Hurt, But Sad--No, Not
Exactly Sad, Either; But She Could Not Help Thinking It Was
Extraordinary, That He Should Show Himself So Eager To Get Her Away.
Jacob Worse Followed Her To The Door Leading Into The Street, But When
She Had Gone He Did Not Go Back To The Office, But Crossed Over The Yard
To His Mother'S.
A Month Later, Gabriel And Rachel Set Off Under The Escort Of Old
Svendsen; Gabriel To Dresden, And Rachel To Paris. Madeleine Also
Quitted Sandsgaard. Her Intended Had Arranged, With The Assistance Of
The Doctor, That She Should Go To The Baths Of Modum, Where Martens'S
Mother, Who Was The Widow Of A Clergyman From The East Coast, Was To
Take Care Of Her.
Uncle Richard Was Utterly Confounded When He Heard Madeleine Was Going
To Marry A Clergyman, And He Had A Kind Of Dim Feeling That He Would
Have Done Better To Have Kept Her Under The Observation Of The Big
Telescope. But The Old Gentleman, Who Had Never Been Very Strong-Minded,
Had Become Still More Feeble In His Sorrow, And Now That He Could No
Longer Go To Christian Frederick For Advice, He Gave Way In everything.
As For Madeleine Herself, The Exhaustion Which Followed Her Illness Had
Produced A Feeling Of Indifference; And Now That The Important Step Had
Once Been Taken, She Allowed Herself To Be Led Without Offering Any
Opposition, And Did Not Find It Disagreeable, When The Pastor Took Upon
Himself To Think And Act For Her In everything. But When It Came To
Saying Good-Bye To Her Father She Gave Way, And Was Carried Senseless To
The Carriage.
Martens Soon Found That If He
