A Pair Of Blue Eyes - Chapter 36

First published in 1873, "A Pair of Blue Eyes" is a tender and atmospheric novel by Thomas Hardy, set amid the wild beauty of the Cornish coast in western England. It tells the story of Elfride Swancourt, a young woman caught between love, social expectations, and the haunting pull of the past.

This early Hardy novel is rich with emotional depth and lyrical landscapes, so settle in and let the gentle rhythms of Victorian prose carry you into a quieter time...!

Transcript

Hello there.

Thank you so much for joining me for this continued reading of A Pair of Blue Eyes,

Thomas Hardy's atmospheric moving tale from 1873 of the twisted love story of a beautiful young woman,

Elfride Swancourt,

In the very far,

Far southwest of England in Cornwall in Victorian times.

Perhaps if you've been following along with the story so far you have some thoughts about where things are maybe going to go.

There are certainly a lot of twists and turns in this tale.

If you haven't yet heard the previous parts of this book and you'd like to,

You can certainly look for the playlist for A Pair of Blue Eyes and you'll find everything there in order.

It's very easy to move from one chapter to the next in that way.

But for now,

Let's just take a moment here to have a nice,

Deep exhale.

Letting go of the day,

Letting go of whichever baggage we might be bringing along with us into this moment.

For right now,

There's nowhere else we have to go,

Nothing else we have to be doing.

So we can just relax,

Get ourselves comfortable and enjoy the ongoing tale of A Pair of Blue Eyes.

Chapter 36.

The pennies,

The jewel that beautifies all.

I can't think what's come to these St Lance's people at all at all.

With their how do you do's do you mean?

Aye,

With their how do you do's and shaking of hands,

Asking me in and tender enquiries for you John.

These words formed part of a conversation between John Smith and his wife on a Saturday evening in the spring which followed Knight's departure from England.

Stephen had long since returned to India and the persevering couple themselves had migrated from Lord Luxellian's Park at Endelstow to a comfortable roadside dwelling about a mile out of St Lance's where John had opened a small stone and slate yard in his own name.

When we came here six months ago,

Continued Mrs Smith,

Though I had paid ready money so many years in the town,

My friskier shopkeepers would only speak over the counter.

Meet them in the street half an hour later and they'd treat me with staring ignorance of my face.

Look through you as through a glass window.

Yes,

The brazen ones would.

The quiet and cool ones would glance over the top of me head,

Pass me side over me shoulder but never meet me eye.

The gentle modest would turn their faces south if I were coming east,

Flip down a passage if I were about to have the pavement with them.

There was the spruce young bookseller would play the same tricks,

The butcher's daughters,

The upholsterer's young men and in glove when doing business out of sight with you but caring nothing for old woman when playing the genteel away from all signs of their trade.

True enough Maria.

Well today it is all different.

I'd no sooner got to market than Mrs Jokes rushed up to me in the eyes of the town and said my dear Mrs Smith now you must be tired with your walk come in and have some lunch.

I insist upon it knowing you so many years as I have.

Don't you remember when we used to go looking for owl's feathers together in the castle ruins?

There's no knowing what you may need so I answered the woman civilly.

I hadn't got to the corner before that thriving young lawyer sweet who's quite the dandy ran after me out of breath.

Mrs Smith he says excuse my rudeness but there's a bramble on the tail of your dress which you've dragged in from the country.

Allow me to pull it off for you.

If you'll believe me this was in the very front of the town hall.

What's the meaning of such sudden love for old woman?

Can't say unless it is repentance.

Repentance?

Was there ever such a fool as you John?

Did anybody ever repent with money in his pocket and 50 years to live?

Now I've been thinking too said John passing over the query as hardly pertinent that I've had more love and kindness from folks today than I ever have before since we moved here.

Why old alderman Tope walked out to the middle of the street where I was to shake hands with me so I did.

Having on my working clothes I thought was odd.

Why and there was young Werrington.

Werrington?

Who's he?

Why the man in ill street who plays and sells flute trumpets and fiddles and grand pianos.

He was talking to Eglerskerry that very small bachelor man with money in the fund.

I was going by I'm sure without thinking or expecting a nod from men of that glib kidney when in me working clothes.

You always will go poking into town in your working clothes.

Beg you to change how I will.

Tis no use.

Well however I was in me working clothes.

Werrington saw me.

Ah Mr Smith a fine morning excellent weather for building says he out as loud and friendly as if I'd met him in some deep hollow where he could get nobody else to speak to at all.

Twas odd for Werrington is one of the very ringleaders of the fast class.

At that moment a tap came to the door.

The door was immediately opened by Mrs Smith in person.

You'll excuse us I'm sure Mrs Smith but this beautiful spring weather was too much for us.

Yes and we could stay in no longer and I took Mrs Truon upon my arm directly we'd had a cup of tea and out we came.

And seeing your beautiful crocuses in such a bloom we've taken the liberty to enter.

We'll step round the garden if you don't mind.

Not at all said Mrs Smith and they walked round the garden.

She lifted her hands in amazement.

Directly their backs were turned.

Goodness send us grace who be they said her husband.

Actually Mr Truon the bank manager and his wife.

John Smith staggered in mind went out of doors and looked over the garden gate to collect his ideas.

He had not been there two minutes when wheels were heard and a carriage and pair rolled along the road.

A distinguished looking lady with the demeanour of a duchess reclined within.

When opposite Smith's gate she turned her head and instantly commanded the coachman to stop.

Ah Mr Smith I am glad to see you looking so well.

I could not help stopping a moment to congratulate you and Mrs Smith upon the happiness you must enjoy.

Joseph you may drive on.

And the carriage rolled away towards St Launce's.

Out rushed Mrs Smith from behind a laurel bush where she had stood pondering.

Just going to touch my hat to her said John.

Just for all the world as I would have to poor Lady Luxellian years ago.

Lord who is she?

The public house woman.

What's her name?

Mrs Mrs at the falcon.

Public house woman.

The clumsiness of the Smith family.

You might say the landlady of the falcon hotel.

Since we are in for politeness.

The people are ridiculous enough but give them their due.

The possibility is that Mrs Smith was getting mollified in spite of herself by these remarkably friendly phenomena among the people of St Launce's.

And in justice to them it was quite desirable that she should do so.

The interest which the unpracticed ones of this town expressed so grotesquely was genuine of its kind and equal in intrinsic worth to the more polished smiles of larger communities.

By this time Mr and Mrs Truon were returning from the garden.

I'll ask them flat whispered John to his wife.

I'll say we be in a fog.

You'll excuse my asking a question Mr and Mrs Truon.

How is it you all be so friendly today?

Eh?

It would sound right and sensible wouldn't it?

Not a word.

Good mercy when will the man have manners?

It must be a proud moment for you I'm sure Mr and Mrs Smith to have a son so celebrated said the bank manager advancing.

Ah to Stephen I knew it said Mrs Smith triumphantly to herself.

We don't know particulars said John.

Not know?

No.

Why?

It is all over town.

Our worthy mayor alluded to it in a speech at the dinner last night of the every man his own maker club.

And what about Stephen?

Urged Mrs Smith.

Why?

Your son has been feted by deputy governors and Parsi princes and nobody knows who in India is glove in hand with nabobs and is to design a large palace and cathedral and hospitals colleges halls and fortifications by the general consent of the ruling powers Christian and pagan alike.

T'was sure to come to the boy said Mr Smith unassumingly.

Tis in yesterday's St Lawrence's Chronicle and our worthy mayor in the chair introduced the subject into his speech last night in a masterly manner.

T'was very good of the worthy mayor in the chair I'm sure said Stephen's mother.

I hope the boy will have the sense to keep what he's got.

But as for men they are a simple sex.

Some woman will look him.

Well Mr and Mrs Smith the evening closes in and we must be going and remember this that every Saturday when you are coming to market you are to make our house as your own.

There will be always a teacup and saucer for you.

As you know there has been for months though you may have forgotten it.

I'm a plain speaking woman and what I say I mean.

When the visitors were gone and the sun had set and the moon's rays were just beginning to assert themselves upon the walls of the dwelling John Smith and his wife sat down to the newspaper they had hastily procured from the town and when the reading was done they considered how best to meet the new social requirements settling upon them which Mrs Smith considered could be done by new furniture and house enlargement alone.

And John mind one thing she said in conclusion.

In writing to Stephen never by any means mention the name of Elfride Swancourt again.

We've left the place and know no more about her except by hearsay.

He seems to be getting free of her and glad am I for it.

It was a cloudy hour for him when he first set eyes upon the girl.

That family's been no good to him first or last so let them keep their blood to themselves if they want to.

He thinks of her I know but not so hopelessly so don't try to know anything about her and we can't answer his questions.

She may die out of his mind then.

That shall be it said John.