Part 45 (2/2)
”But if you are ill, my dear--”
”I am not ill.”
”But you said you had a headache. You have said so for the last ten days.”
”Having a headache is not being ill. I only wish you would not talk of it, and then perhaps I should get rid of it.”
”I cannot believe that. Headache in nine cases out of ten comes from the stomach.” Though he said this,--saying it because it was the common-place common-sense sort of thing to say, still at the very moment there was the shadow of the truth before his eyes. What if this headache meant simple dislike to him, and to his modes of life?
”It is nothing of that sort,” said Lady Laura, impatient at having her ailment inquired into with so much accuracy.
”Then what is it? You cannot think that I can be happy to hear you complaining of headache every day,--making it an excuse for absolute idleness.”
”What is it that you want me to do?” she said, jumping up from her seat. ”Set me a task, and if I don't go mad over it, I'll get through it. There are the account books. Give them to me. I don't suppose I can see the figures, but I'll try to see them.”
”Laura, this is unkind of you,--and ungrateful.”
”Of course;--it is everything that is bad. What a pity that you did not find it out last year! Oh dear, oh dear! what am I to do?” Then she threw herself down upon the sofa, and put both her hands up to her temples.
”I will send for Dr. Mac.n.u.thrie at once,” said Mr. Kennedy, walking towards the door very slowly, and speaking as slowly as he walked.
”No;--do no such thing,” she said, springing to her feet again and intercepting him before he reached the door. ”If he comes I will not see him. I give you my word that I will not speak to him if he comes.
You do not understand,” she said; ”you do not understand at all.”
”What is it that I ought to understand?” he asked.
”That a woman does not like to be bothered.”
He made no reply at once, but stood there twisting the handle of the door, and collecting his thoughts. ”Yes,” said he at last; ”I am beginning to find that out;--and to find out also what it is that bothers a woman, as you call it. I can see now what it is that makes your head ache. It is not the stomach. You are quite right there. It is the prospect of a quiet decent life, to which would be attached the performance of certain homely duties. Dr. Mac.n.u.thrie is a learned man, but I doubt whether he can do anything for such a malady.”
”You are quite right, Robert; he can do nothing.”
”It is a malady you must cure for yourself, Laura;--and which is to be cured by perseverance. If you can bring yourself to try--”
”But I cannot bring myself to try at all,” she said.
”Do you mean to tell me, Laura, that you will make no effort to do your duty as my wife?”
”I mean to tell you that I will not try to cure a headache by doing sums. That is all that I mean to say at this moment. If you will leave me for awhile, so that I may lie down, perhaps I shall be able to come to dinner.” He still hesitated, standing with the door in his hand. ”But if you go on scolding me,” she continued, ”what I shall do is to go to bed directly you go away.” He hesitated for a moment longer, and then left the room without another word.
CHAPTER x.x.xIII
Mr. Slide's Grievance
Our hero was elected member for Loughton without any trouble to him or, as far as he could see, to any one else. He made one speech from a small raised booth that was called a platform, and that was all that he was called upon to do. Mr. Grating made a speech in proposing him, and Mr. Shortribs another in seconding him; and these were all the speeches that were required. The thing seemed to be so very easy that he was afterwards almost offended when he was told that the bill for so insignificant a piece of work came to 247 13s. 9d. He had seen no occasion for spending even the odd forty-seven pounds. But then he was member for Loughton; and as he pa.s.sed the evening alone at the inn, having dined in company with Messrs. Grating, Shortribs, and sundry other influential electors, he began to reflect that, after all, it was not so very great a thing to be a member of Parliament. It almost seemed that that which had come to him so easily could not be of much value.
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