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

passage home. Two days
after he had gone Miss Woodruff requested Mrs. Talbot, in the most urgent
terms, to allow her to leave her post. I am told that Mrs. Talbot tried
to extract the woman's reasons. But without success."
    " And she let her leave without
notice?"
    The vicar adroitly seized
his chance. "I agree--it was most foolish. She should have known better.
Had Miss Woodruff been in wiser employ I have no doubt this sad business
would not have taken place." He left a pause for Mrs. Poulteney to grasp
the implied compliment. "I will make my story short. Miss Woodruff joined
the Frenchman in Weymouth. Her conduct is highly to be reprobated, but
I am informed that she lodged with a female cousin."
    " That does not excuse her
in my eyes."
    " Assuredly not. But you must
remember that she is not a lady born. The lower classes are not so scrupulous
about appearances as ourselves. Furthermore I have omitted to tell you
that the Frenchman had plighted his troth. Miss Woodruff went to Weymouth
in the
belief that she was to marry."
    " But was he not a Catholic?"
    Mrs. Poulteney saw herself
as a pure Patmos in a raging ocean of popery.
    " I am afraid his conduct
shows he was without any Christian faith. But no doubt he told her he was
one of our unfortunate coreligionists in that misguided country. After
some days he returned to France, promising Miss Woodruff that as soon as
he had seen his family and provided himself with a new ship--another of
his lies was that he was to be promoted captain on his return--he would
come back here, to Lyme itself, marry her, and take her away with him.
Since then she has waited. It is quite clear that the man was a heartless
deceiver. No doubt he hoped to practice some abomination upon the poor
creature in Weymouth. And when her strong Christian principles showed him
the futility of his purposes, he took ship."
    " And what has happened to
her since? Surely Mrs. Talbot did not take her back?"
    " Madam, Mrs. Talbot is a
somewhat eccentric lady. She offered to do so. But I now come to the sad
consequences of my story. Miss Woodruff is not insane. Far from it. She
is perfectly able to perform any duties that may be given to her. But she
suffers from grave attacks of melancholia. They are doubtless partly attributable
to remorse. But also, I fear, to her fixed delusion that the lieutenant
is an honorable man and will one day return to her. For that reason she
may be frequently seen haunting the sea approaches to our town. Mr. Fursey-Harris
himself has earnestly endeavored to show to the woman the hopelessness,
not to say the impropriety, of her behavior. Not to put too fine a point
upon it, madam, she is slightly crazed."
    There was a silence then.
The vicar resigned himself to a pagan god--that of chance. He sensed that
Mrs. Poulteney was calculating. Her opinion of herself required her to
appear shocked and alarmed at the idea of allowing such a creature into
Marlborough House. But there was God to be accounted to.
    " She has relatives?"
    " I understand not."
    " How has she supported herself
since ...?"
    " Most pitifully. I understand
she has been doing a little needlework. I think Mrs. Tranter has employed
her in such work. But she has been living principally on her savings from
her previous situation."
    " She has saved, then."
    The vicar breathed again.
    " If you take her in, madam,
I think she will be truly saved." He played his trump card. "And perhaps--though
it is not for me to judge your conscience--she may in her turn save."
    Mrs. Poulteney suddenly had
a dazzling and heavenly vision; it was of Lady Cotton, with her saintly
nose
out of joint. She frowned
and stared at her deep-piled carpet.
    " I should like Mr. Fursey-Harris
to call."
    * * *
    And a week later, accompanied
by the vicar of Lyme, he called, sipped madeira, and said--and omitted--as
his ecclesiastical colleague had advised. Mrs. Talbot provided an interminable
letter of reference, which did more harm than good, since it failed