The Mystery of Edwin Drood

leman, sir,' said Neville to the

of your guardian?' the

st no

cam

sir. I suppose you know that we c

eed,

made him our guardian, and he was a miserly wretch who grudged us food to eat, and clothes to wear. At his death, he passed us over to this ma

lately,

cruel brute as well as a grinding one. It is wel

the moonlight and looked at hi

said, with a quick chang

e; unspeakab

and then said: 'You never saw him beat your sister. I have seen

rs under dastardly ill-usage;' he became less severe, in spite of himself, as

set you right on one point. You spoke of my sister's tears. My sister would have let him t

of his, and was neither at all surprised to

g voice-'that I should so soon ask you to allow me to confide in you,

repeated. 'You are not on

now I should be, if you were bet

he rejoinder. 'What if you

a quick change in his manner to sullen disappointment: 'since

nted to him that he might, without meaning it, turn aside a trustfulness beneficial to a mis-shapen young mind and perh

y not have time to finish what you wish to say to me. You are hasty in think

y "ever since," as if I had been here a week. The truth is, we came here (m

parkle, at a dead loss

know what you were befo

t,' said Mr

we have ever been brought into contact,

id Mr. Crisp

ever known. This-and my happening to be alone with you-and everything around us seeming so quiet and peaceful after Mr. Honeythunder's

ville. And it is salutary t

describing my sister's. She has come out of the disadvantages of our miserable lif

is own breast was n

ss, to the resource of being false and mean. I have been stinted of education, liberty, money, dress, the very necessaries of life, the commonest pleasures of childhood, the commonest possessions of youth. This has caused

is not encouraging,' thought Mr.

s, of an inferior race, and I may easily have contracted some affinity with them. S

at remark just now,'

, to be soon brought back and cruelly punished), the flight was always of her planning and leading. Each time she dressed as a boy, and showed the daring of a man. I take it we were seven years old when we first decamped; but I remember,

ay your confidence with a sermon. But I entreat you to bear in mind, very seriously and steadily, that if I am to do you an

y to do my

o do mine. Here is my hand on i

e-door, and a cheerful sound of vo

I want to ask you a question. When you said you were in a changed mind c

edly I d

I met you. Mr. Honeythunder was very eloquent; but perhaps I may venture to say, without ill-nature, that

his head with

en word-perhaps hardly as much as a look-may have passed between us. She not only feels as I have described

ed such absolute and firm conviction of the truth of what he said, that Mr. Cr

with a rather heightened colour rising in his face. 'But for Mr. Hon

it eloquence,' sa

had no need to ask you what I am going to ask you.

aid Mr. Crisparkle

id he-read wi

comes here visiting hi

his relatio

ness?' thought Mr. Crisparkle.) Then he explained, alou

he young man. 'I understand h

stinctively felt as if to notice it would be almost tantamount to noticing a passage in a letter wh

y hinting the key-note from time to time. Standing with an arm drawn round her, but with a face far more intent on Mr. Jasper than on her singing, stood Helena, between whom and her brother an instantaneous recognition passed, in which Mr. Crisparkle saw, or thought he saw, the understanding that had been spoken of, flash out. Mr. Neville then took h

y lips, and ever and again hinted the one note, as though it were a low whisper from himself, the voice became less steady, until all at onc

up. Then, on one knee beside her, and with one hand upon her rosy mouth, while with the other she appealed to all

sed above them, as though he waited to resume. In that attitude he yet sat quiet: not even

nervous, and couldn't hold out. Besides, Jack, you are such a conscientious mas

r,' repea

afraid of him, under similar circum

circumstances,'

while his little pupil was taken to an open window for air, and was otherwise petted and restored. When she was brought back, his place was empty. 'Jack's gone, Pussy,' Edwin told her. 'I

future wives and mothers of England (the last words in a lower voice, as requiring to be communicated in confidence) were really bound (voice coming up again) to set a better example than

pil. Her bedroom being within Rosa's, very little introduction or explanation was n

Helena. 'I have been dreading all day, tha

, 'and we are good-natured girls; at leas

little face with her dark, fiery eyes, and tenderly caressi

f my being a friend to you

hy

andsome. You seem to have resolution and power enough to crus

l accomplishments, sensitively conscious that I have ever

wledge everything

I help it? There is

f in jest and half in earnest. 'What a

hat young gentleman had been alre

art!' cried Helena, with an earnestness that

ave no right to say he doesn't. Perhaps it's my fault. Perhaps I am not as

yes demand

e had spoken. 'We are such a ridiculous

hy

y dear!' Rosa gave that answer as if it we

er face for a few moments, and then she i

my friend a

her heart; 'I will be as good a friend as such a mite of a thing can be to such a noble creature as you. And be

ed her, and retainin

s Mr.

d in answering: 'Eddy's u

not lo

s up to her face, and s

that he

ies me. He haunts my thoughts, like a dreadful ghost. I feel that I am never safe from him. I feel as if he could pass in thro

me more about

are so strong. But hold me the w

s if he had threatened

poken to me abo

has he

from my lips. When he corrects me, and strikes a note, or a chord, or plays a passage, he himself is in the sounds, whispering that he pursues me as a lover, and commanding me to keep his secret. I avoid his eyes, but he forces me to see them without looking at

threatening, pretty o

ever even dared to thin

this all,

kissed me, and I couldn't bear it, but cried out. You must never breathe this to any one. Eddy is devoted to him. But you said to-night that you would not be afraid of

ectingly over the childish form. There was a slumbering gleam of fire in the intense dark eyes, though t