The Mystery of Edwin Drood

o mother but Miss Twinkleton. Her remembrance of her own mother was of a pretty little creature like herself (not much older than herse

it, as the dead young figure, in its sad, sad beauty lay upon the bed, were fixed indelibly in Rosa's recollection. So were the wild d

companion, Drood: who likewise had been left a widower in his youth. But he, too, went the silent road into which

aress her, had caused her to be treated in the beginning as a child much younger than her years; the same desire had caused her to be still petted when she was a child no longer. Who should be her favourite, who should anticipate this or that small present, or do her this or that small service; who should take her home for the holi

ing it with indifference. Possessing an exhaustless well of affection in her nature, its sparkling waters had freshened and brightened the Nuns' House for years, and yet its d

very air itself, when the casement windows were set open; whether the baker brought it kneaded into the bread, or the milkman delivered it as part of the adulteration of his milk; or the housemaids, beating the dust out of their mats against the gateposts, received it in exchange deposited on the mats by the town atmospher

er had thrown a bottl

her had thrown a kni

k; and Miss Landless's brother had

xistence of the peck of pickled pepper which Peter Piper was alleged to have picked; so, in this case, it was held psychologically important to know why Mis

iness to admire Miss Bud. Miss Landless's brother had then 'up'd' (this was the cook's exact information) with the bottle, knife, fork,

to be told any more; but Miss Landless, begging permission of Miss Twinkleton to go and speak with her brother, and pretty plainly showin

k on the provocation her brother had received, but almost limiting it to that last gross affront as crowning 'some other words between them,' and, out of consideration for her new friend, passing lightly over the fact that the other wor

tudy,' and saying with a forensic air, 'Ladies!' all rose. Mrs. Tisher at the same time grouped herself behind her chief, as representing Queen Elizabeth's first historical female friend at Tilbury fort. Miss Twinkleton then proceeded to remark that Rumour, Ladies, had been represented by the bard of Avon-needless were it to mention the imm

o d

lebrat

irst four fables of our vivacious neighbour, Monsieur La Fontaine) had been very grossly exaggerated by Rumour's voice. In the first alarm and anxiety arising from our sympathy with a sweet young friend, not wholly to be dissociated from one of the gladiators in the bloodless arena in question (the impropriety of Miss Reynolds's appearing to stab herself in the hand with a pin, is far too obvious, and too gl

uble by surreptitiously clapping on a paper moustache at dinner-time, and going through

t. Never free from such uneasiness when she was with her affianced husband, it was not likely that she would be free from it when they were apart. To-day, too, she was cast in upon herself, and deprived of the relief of talking freely with her n

d a scanty flat crop of hair, in colour and consistency like some very mangy yellow fur tippet; it was so unlike hair, that it must have been a wig, but for the stupendous improbability of anybody's voluntarily sporting such a head. The little play of feature that his face presented, was cut deep into it, in a

shambling walk; and with what is called a near sight-which perhaps prevented his observing how much white cotton stocking he displayed to the p

y in Miss Twinkleton's own sacred room. Dim forebodings of being examined in something, and not

you. My dear, how much improved you are.

le, saying, with general sweetness, as to the

n my account. I beg th

he word with a charming grace; 'but I will not withdraw, since you are so

! In t

my dear, you will be under

n: 'My dear, how do you do? I am glad to see you, my dear

are, like those of the angels-not

r,' sai

ely refer to my visits, which are few and far betw

oked round with a

ibility thrilled through his frame of his otherwise seeming to take the awful

ton resumed

ead from back to front as if he had just dived, and were pressing the water out-this smoothing action, however superfluous,

do, for I have no conversational powers whatever-to which I will, with your permission,

d, sir,' an

armest acknowledgments are due, and I am sure are rendered, to the maternal kindness and t

eeling that the courtesies required her to be by this time quite outside the conversation, was biting the end of her pen,

nd then made another reference to his pocket-bo

unds, shillings, and pence. Death is-' A sudden recollection of the death of her two parents seemed to stop him, and he sa

d means of expression that he possessed, he seemed to express kindness. If Nature had but finished him off, kindness might have been recognisable in his

You find your allowance always su

othing, and there

are not

ous stretched his near sight to be sure that this was her view of the case. 'Ah!' he said, as comment, with a furtive glan

, and was blushing and folding a crease in her dress

entially: 'I now touch, my dear, upon the point that is the direct cause of my troubling you with the present visit. Othenwise, being a particularly Angular man, I should not have

gh of the air of his simile to

To return to my memorandum. Mr. Edwin has been to and fro here, as was arranged. You ha

ry much, sir,'

an, for whose ear the timid emphasis was

d Rosa, pouting, as she recall

in the corner window, to whom we are so much indebted, business notice of your departure in the ensuing half-year. Your relations with her are far more than business relations, no doubt; but a residue of business remains in them, and business is business

he ground, that she thought a subs

uld advance and retire in a manner satisfactory to the feelings of the officiating clergyman, and of yourself, and the bridegroom, and all parties co

nd had not got quite so far as the ceremo

et; 'although. I have before possessed you with the contents of your father's will, I think it right at this time to leave a certified copy of it in your

looking up quickly. 'Cannot

cularly wish it; but I spoke of

aid Rosa, hurriedly and earnestly; 'I don't l

hould be all in all. Yes. You observe that I say, I suppose. The fact is,

at him with

ome into existence, buds, I seem to have come into existence a chip. I was a chip-and a very dry one-when I first became aware of myself. Respecting the other certified copy, your wish shall be complied with. Respecting your inheritance, I think you know all. It is an annuity of two hundred and fifty pounds. T

ng to say? I can understand what you tell me, so very much better than what I read in law-writings. My poor papa and Eddy's father made their

st

oth of us, and the lasting

st

other even much more than t

st

and it was not bound upon m

ure to yourself-in the case of your not marrying one another-no, no forfeiture on either side. You wou

d E

rom his father, and into its arrears to his credit

of her attested copy, as she sat with her head on one side, loo

s visit to-day, partly, indeed principally, to discharge myself of the duty of telling you, my dear, that two young people can only be betrothed in marriage (except as a matter of convenience, and therefore mockery and misery) of their own free will, their own attachment, and their own assurance (it may or it may not prove a mistaken one, but we must take our

or, still more, as if he were repeating a lesson. So expressi

yself of what is doubtless a formal duty in this case, but still a duty in such a c

an almost plaintive air of

hat I can take from you wit

Eddy first, if you please,' said Ro

You two should be of one mind in all things

this morning. He will

me; and I will discharge myself (as a mere business acquaintance) of my business responsibilities towards the accomplished lady in the co

n his ungainly way: 'could I ask you, most kindly to come to

nsequently I have no other engagement at Christmas-time than to partake, on the twenty-fifth, of a boiled turkey and celery sauce with a-with a particularly Angular clerk I have the good fortune to possess, whose father, being a Norfolk farmer, send

Rosa put her hands upon his shoulders,

al to the pleasure. Miss Twinkleton, madam, I have had a most satisfactory conversa

a gracious condescension: 'say not incumbrance. No

a school (not that this is one: far from it), he asks for a holiday, or some sort of grace. It being now the afternoon in the-College-of which you are the eminent head,

us poor maligned disciplinarians of our sex, for your sakes! But as Miss Ferdinand is at present weighed down by an incubus'-Miss Twinkleton might have said a pen-and-ink

marvels happening to her respected legs, and which she

closed, and presenting on a slip of paper the word 'Cathedral,' the fact of its being service-time was borne into the mind of Mr. Grewgious. So he descended the stair again, and,

peeping in, 'it's like lookin

one feeble voice, rising and falling in a cracked, monotonous mutter, could at intervals be faintly heard. In the free outer air, the river, the green pastures, and the brown arable lands, the teeming hills and dales, were reddened by the sunset: while the distant little windows in windmills and farm homesteads, shone, patches of bright beaten gold. In the Cathedral, all became gray, murky, and sepul

ked to the chancel-steps, where he

sper accosted him, rather quickl

my own accord. I have been to my pretty

nd her t

rely came to tell her, seriously, wha

t-according to

lips that asked the question, and put it do

inst any such reason for its dissolution as a want of affection, or wan

any especial reason

en he added: 'Come, Mr. Jasper; I know your affection for your nephew, and that you are quick to feel

riendly pressure of his arm, as they walke

his head, and, having smoothed it, nodded

hat he was conscious of it, and bit and moistened them while speaki

llow some margin for little maidenly delicacies in a young motherless creature

be no dou

his remembrance of what she had said of Jasper himself: 'because she seems to have some little delicate instinct that all pre

e breast, and said, somewhat

ve their little discussions and councils together, when Mr. Edwin Drood comes back here a

fortunate, happy, happy fellow than for myself. But it is only right that the young lady should be considered, as you have pointed out, and that I should accept my cue from you. I accept it. I understand that at Christmas they will complete their

ed Mr. Grewgious, as they shook ha

hem both!'

marked the former, looki

eturned the latter. 'I