Read The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles for Free Online

eyes that
were not Tennyson's "homes of silent prayer" at all, and lower cheeks,
almost dewlaps, that pinched the lips together in condign rejection of
all that threatened her two life principles: the one being (I will borrow
Treitschke's sarcastic formulation) that "Civilization is Soap" and the
other, "Respectability is what does not give me offense." She bore some
resemblance to a white Pekinese; to be exact, to a stuffed Pekinese, since
she carried concealed in her bosom a small bag of camphor as a prophylactic
against cholera .. . so that where she was, was always also a delicate
emanation of mothballs.
    " I do not know her."
    The vicar felt snubbed; and
wondered what would have happened had the Good Samaritan come upon Mrs.
Poulteney instead of the poor traveler.
    " I did not suppose you would.
She is a Charmouth girl."
    " A girl?"
    " That is, I am not quite
sure of her age, a woman, a lady of some thirty years of age. Perhaps more.
I would not like to hazard a guess." The vicar was conscious that he was
making a poor start for the absent defendant. "But a most distressing case.
Most deserving of your charity."
    " Has she an education?"
    " Yes indeed. She was trained
to be a governess. She was a governess."
    " And what is she now?"
    " I believe she is without
employment."
    " Why?"
    " That is a long story."
    " I should certainly wish
to hear it before proceeding."
    So the vicar sat down again,
and told her what he knew, or some (for in his brave attempt to save Mrs.
Poulteney's soul, he decided to endanger his own) of what he knew, of Sarah
Woodruff. " The girl's father was a
tenant of Lord Meriton's, near Beaminster. A farmer merely, but a man of
excellent principles and highly respected in that neighborhood. He most
wisely provided the girl with a better education than one would expect."
    " He is deceased?"
    " Some several years ago.
The girl became a governess to Captain John Talbot's family at Charmouth."
    " Will he give a letter of
reference?"
    " My dear Mrs. Poulteney,
we are discussing, if I understood our earlier conversation aright, an
object of charity, not an object of employment." She bobbed, the nearest
acknowledgment to an apology she had ever been known to muster. "No doubt
such a letter can be obtained. She left his home at her own request. What
happened was this. You will recall the French barque--I think she hailed
from Saint Malo--that was driven ashore under Stonebarrow in the dreadful
gale of last December? And you will no doubt recall that three of the crew
were saved and were taken in by the people of Charmouth? Two were simple
sailors. One, I understand, was the lieutenant of the vessel. His leg had
been crushed at the first impact, but he clung to a spar and was washed
ashore. You must surely have read of this."
    " Very probably. I do not
like the French."
    " Captain Talbot, as a naval
officer himself, most kindly charged upon his household the care of the
... foreign officer. He spoke no English. And Miss Woodruff was called
upon to interpret and look after his needs."
    " She speaks French?" Mrs.
Poulteney's alarm at this appalling disclosure was nearly enough to sink
the vicar. But he ended by bowing and smiling urbanely.
    " My dear madam, so do most
governesses. It is not their fault if the world requires such attainments
of them. But to return to the French gentleman. I regret to say that he
did not deserve that appellation."
    " Mr. Forsythe!"
    She drew herself up, but
not too severely, in case she might freeze the poor man into silence.
    " I hasten to add that no
misconduct took place at Captain Talbot's. Or indeed, so far as Miss Woodruff
is concerned, at any subsequent place or time. I have Mr. Fursey-Harris's
word for that. He knows the circumstances far better than I." The person
referred to was the vicar of Charmouth. "But the Frenchman managed to engage
Miss Woodruff's affections. When his leg was mended he took coach to Weymouth,
there, or so it was generally supposed, to find a