The Woman in White Page #4

The Woman in White is Wilkie Collins's fifth published novel, written in 1859. It is a mystery novel and falls under the genre of "sensation novels". The story is an early example of detective fiction with protagonist Walter Hartright employing many of the sleuthing techniques of later private detectives

• Mystery

								

right-right-right-all-right!" Here the Professor waved the memorandum
of terms over his head, and ended his long and voluble narrative with
his shrill Italian parody on an English cheer."

My mother rose the moment he had done, with flushed cheeks and
brightened eyes.  She caught the little man warmly by both hands.

"My dear, good Pesca," she said, "I never doubted your true affection
for Walter--but I am more than ever persuaded of it now!"

"I am sure we are very much obliged to Professor Pesca, for Walter's
sake," added Sarah.  She half rose, while she spoke, as if to approach
the arm-chair, in her turn; but, observing that Pesca was rapturously
kissing my mother's hands, looked serious, and resumed her seat.  "If
the familiar little man treats my mother in that way, how will he treat
ME?" Faces sometimes tell truth; and that was unquestionably the
thought in Sarah's mind, as she sat down again.

Although I myself was gratefully sensible of the kindness of Pesca's
motives, my spirits were hardly so much elevated as they ought to have
been by the prospect of future employment now placed before me.  When
the Professor had quite done with my mother's hand, and when I had
warmly thanked him for his interference on my behalf, I asked to be
allowed to look at the note of terms which his respectable patron had
drawn up for my inspection.

Pesca handed me the paper, with a triumphant flourish of the hand.

"Read!" said the little man majestically.  "I promise you my friend,
the writing of the golden Papa speaks with a tongue of trumpets for
itself."

The note of terms was plain, straightforward, and comprehensive, at any
rate.  It informed me,

First, That Frederick Fairlie, Esquire, of Limmeridge House.
Cumberland, wanted to engage the services of a thoroughly competent
drawing-master, for a period of four months certain.

Secondly, That the duties which the master was expected to perform
would be of a twofold kind.  He was to superintend the instruction of
two young ladies in the art of painting in water-colours; and he was to
devote his leisure time, afterwards, to the business of repairing and
mounting a valuable collection of drawings, which had been suffered to
fall into a condition of total neglect.

Thirdly, That the terms offered to the person who should undertake and
properly perform these duties were four guineas a week; that he was to
reside at Limmeridge House; and that he was to be treated there on the
footing of a gentleman.

Fourthly, and lastly, That no person need think of applying for this
situation unless he could furnish the most unexceptionable references
to character and abilities.  The references were to be sent to Mr.
Fairlie's friend in London, who was empowered to conclude all necessary
arrangements.  These instructions were followed by the name and address
of Pesca's employer in Portland Place--and there the note, or
memorandum, ended.

The prospect which this offer of an engagement held out was certainly
an attractive one.  The employment was likely to be both easy and
agreeable; it was proposed to me at the autumn time of the year when I
was least occupied; and the terms, judging by my personal experience in
my profession, were surprisingly liberal. I knew this; I knew that I
ought to consider myself very fortunate if I succeeded in securing the
offered employment--and yet, no sooner had I read the memorandum than I
felt an inexplicable unwillingness within me to stir in the matter.  I
had never in the whole of my previous experience found my duty and my
inclination so painfully and so unaccountably at variance as I found
them now.

"Oh, Walter, your father never had such a chance as this!" said my
mother, when she had read the note of terms and had handed it back to
me.

"Such distinguished people to know," remarked Sarah, straightening
herself in the chair; "and on such gratifying terms of equality too!"

"Yes, yes; the terms, in every sense, are tempting enough," I replied
impatiently.  "But before I send in my testimonials, I should like a
little time to consider----"

"Consider!" exclaimed my mother.  "Why, Walter, what is the matter with
you?"

"Consider!" echoed my sister.  "What a very extraordinary thing to say,
under the circumstances!"

"Consider!" chimed in the Professor.  "What is there to consider about?
Answer me this! Have you not been complaining of your health, and have
you not been longing for what you call a smack of the country breeze?
Well! there in your hand is the paper that offers you perpetual choking
mouthfuls of country breeze for four months' time.  Is it not so? Ha!
Again--you want money.  Well! Is four golden guineas a week nothing?
My-soul-bless-my-soul! only give it to me--and my boots shall creak
like the golden Papa's, with a sense of the overpowering richness of
the man who walks in them! Four guineas a week, and, more than that,
the charming society of two young misses! and, more than that, your
bed, your breakfast, your dinner, your gorging English teas and lunches
and drinks of foaming beer, all for nothing--why, Walter, my dear good
friend--deuce-what-the-deuce!--for the first time in my life I have not
eyes enough in my head to look, and wonder at you!"

Neither my mother's evident astonishment at my behaviour, nor Pesca's
fervid enumeration of the advantages offered to me by the new
employment, had any effect in shaking my unreasonable disinclination to
go to Limmeridge House.  After starting all the petty objections that I
could think of to going to Cumberland, and after hearing them answered,
one after another, to my own complete discomfiture, I tried to set up a
last obstacle by asking what was to become of my pupils in London while
I was teaching Mr. Fairlie's young ladies to sketch from nature.  The
obvious answer to this was, that the greater part of them would be away
on their autumn travels, and that the few who remained at home might be
confided to the care of one of my brother drawing-masters, whose pupils
I had once taken off his hands under similar circumstances. My sister
reminded me that this gentleman had expressly placed his services at my
disposal, during the present season, in case I wished to leave town; my
mother seriously appealed to me not to let an idle caprice stand in the
way of my own interests and my own health; and Pesca piteously
entreated that I would not wound him to the heart by rejecting the
first grateful offer of service that he had been able to make to the
friend who had saved his life.

The evident sincerity and affection which inspired these remonstrances
would have influenced any man with an atom of good feeling in his
composition.  Though I could not conquer my own unaccountable
perversity, I had at least virtue enough to be heartily ashamed of it,
and to end the discussion pleasantly by giving way, and promising to do
all that was wanted of me.

The rest of the evening passed merrily enough in humorous anticipations
of my coming life with the two young ladies in Cumberland.  Pesca,
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