10 The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is framed as a series of letters from Gilbert Markham to his friend about the events connected with his meeting a mysterious young widow, calling herself Helen Graham. She arrives at Wildfell Hall, an Elizabethan mansion that has been empty for many years, with her young son and a servant.

Contrary to the early 19th-century norms, she pursues an artist's career and makes an income by selling her pictures. Her strict seclusion soon gives rise to gossip in the neighboring village and she becomes a social outcast. Refusing to believe anything scandalous about her, Gilbert befriends her and discovers her past.

In this episode, Helen makes her position clear to Gilbert.

Transcript

Hello.

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

A romantic bedtime podcast guaranteed to help you drift off into a calm,

Relaxing sleep.

Come with me as we travel back to a time long ago where Helen Huntingdon is sacrificing everything she knows in order to protect her son.

But before we begin let us take a moment to focus on where we are now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose then let it out on a long sigh.

That's it.

It is time to relax and really let go.

Feel your shoulders melt away from your ears as you sink into the support beneath you.

Feel the pressure seep away from your cheeks as your breath drops into a natural rhythm.

There is nothing you need to be doing right now and nowhere you need to go.

We are together and it is time for sleep.

The Tenant of Wildfelm Hall by Anne Bronte Read and abridged by Stephanie Poppins Stephanie Poppins Chapter Nine Continued How beautiful those little clusters of foliage look where the sun comes through behind them,

Said Mrs Markham when sitting in the garden with me.

And they did look beautiful,

Where at intervals the level rays of the sun,

Penetrating the thickness of trees and shrubs on the opposite side of the path,

Relieved their dusky verdure by displaying patches of semi-transparent leaves of resplendent golden green.

I almost wish I were not a painter,

Said she.

Why so?

I pressed.

One would think at such a time you would almost exult in your privilege of being able to imitate the various brilliant and delightful touches of nature.

No,

For instead of delivering up to myself the full enjoyment of them as others do,

I am always troubling my head about how I could produce the same effect upon canvas and as that can never be done it's mere vanity and vexation of spirit.

Perhaps you cannot do it to satisfy yourself,

But you may and do succeed,

Delighting others with the result of your endeavours.

Well,

After all,

I should not complain.

Perhaps few people gain their livelihood with so much pleasure in their toil as I do.

Here is someone coming.

She seemed vexed at the interruption.

It is only Mr.

Lawrence and Miss Wilson,

Said I,

Coming to enjoy a quiet stroll.

They will not disturb us.

I could not quite decipher the expression of her face,

But I was satisfied there was no jealousy therein.

What business had I to look for it?

What sort of person is Miss Wilson?

She asked.

She is elegant and accomplished above the generality of her birth and station,

And some say she is ladylike and agreeable,

Said I.

I thought her somewhat frigid and rather supercilious in her manner today.

Very likely she might be so to you.

She has possibly taken the prejudice against you for I think she regards you in the light of a rival.

Me?

Impossible,

Mr.

Markham,

Said she,

Evidently astonished and annoyed.

Well,

I know nothing about it,

Returned I rather doggedly,

For I thought her annoyance was chiefly against myself.

The pair had now approached within a few paces of us.

Our arbour was set snugly back in a corner,

Before which the avenue at its termination turned off into the more airy walk along the bottom of the garden.

As they approached this,

I saw by the aspect of Jane Wilson she was directing her companion's attention to us,

And as well by her cold,

Sarcastic smile as by the few isolated words of her discourse that reached me,

I knew full well she was impressing him with the idea we were strongly attached to each other.

I noticed that he coloured up to the temples,

Gave us one furtive glance in passing,

And walked on looking grave,

But seemingly offering no reply.

It was true,

Then,

That he had some designs upon Mrs.

Graham,

And were they honourable,

He would not be so anxious to conceal them.

She was blameless,

Of course,

But he was detestable beyond all count.

While these thoughts flashed through my mind,

My companion abruptly rose,

And calling her son said they would now go in quest of the company,

And departed up the avenue.

Doubtless she had heard or guessed something of Miss Wilson's remarks,

And therefore it was natural enough she should choose to continue the tete-a-tete no longer,

Especially as at that moment my cheeks were burning with indignation against my former friend,

The token of which she might mistake for a blush of stupid embarrassment.

For this I owed Miss Wilson yet another grudge,

And still the more I thought upon her conduct,

The more I hated her.

It was late in the evening before I joined the company.

I found Mrs.

Graham already equipped for departure,

And taking leave of the rest who were now returned to the house,

I offered,

Nay begged,

To accompany her home.

Mr.

Lawrence was standing by at that time,

Conversing with someone else.

He did not look at us,

But on hearing my earnest request,

He paused in the middle of a sentence to listen for her reply,

And went on with a look of quiet satisfaction the moment he found it was to be a denial.

A denial it was,

Decided,

Though not unkind.

She could not be persuaded to think there was danger for herself or her child in any way traversing these lonely lanes and fields without attendance.

It was daylight still,

And she should meet no one,

Or if she did,

The people were quiet and calm,

As she was well assured.

In fact,

She would not hear of anyone's putting himself out of the way to accompany her,

Though Fergus vouched safe to offer his services,

In case they should be more acceptable than mine,

And my mother begged she might send one of the farming men to escort her.

When Mrs.

Graham was gone,

The rest was all a blank,

Or worse.

Lawrence attempted to draw me into conversation,

But I snubbed him and went to another part of the room.

Shortly afterwards,

The party broke up,

And he himself took leave.

When he came to me,

I was blind to his extended hand and deaf to his goodnight,

Till he repeated it a second time,

And then to get rid of him,

I muttered an inarticulate reply,

Accompanied by a sulky nod.

"'What's the matter,

Markham?

' whispered he.

I replied by a wrathful and contemptuous stare.

"'Are you angry because Mrs.

Graham would not let you go home with her?

' he asked with a faint smile that nearly exasperated me beyond control.

But swallowing down all fiercer answers,

I merely demanded,

"'What business is it of yours?

' "'Why,

None,

' replied he with provoking quietness,

Only—and here he raised his eyes to my face and spoke with unusual solemnity,

"'Only let me tell you,

Markham,

If you have any designs in that quarter,

They will certainly fail,

And it grieves me to see you cherishing false hopes and wasting your strength in useless efforts.

' "'Hypocrite!

' I exclaimed,

And he held his breath and looked very blank,

Turned white about the gills,

And went away without another word.

I had wounded him to the quick,

And I was glad of it.

" Chapter 10 A Contract and a Quarrel When all were gone,

I learned the vile slander had indeed been circulated throughout the company in the very presence of the victim.

Rose,

However,

Vowed she did not and would not believe it,

And my mother made the same declaration,

Though not,

I fear,

With the same amount of real unwavering incredulity.

It seemed to dwell continually on her mind,

And she kept irritating me from time to time with such expressions as,

"'Dear,

Dear,

Who would have thought it?

' "'Well,

I always thought there was something odd about her.

You see what it is for women to affect to be different to other people.

I misdoubted that appearance of mystery from the very first.

I thought there would be no good come of it,

But this is a sad,

Sad business to be sure.

" "'Why,

Mother,

You said you didn't believe these tales,

' said Fergus.

"'No more I do,

My dear,

But then you know there must be some foundation.

' "'The foundation is in the wickedness and falsehood of the world,

' said I.

"'And in the fact that Mr.

Lawrence has been seen to go that way once or twice of an evening,

And the village gossip says he goes to pay his address to the strange lady,

And the scandal-mongers have greedily seized the rumour to make it the basis of their own infernal structure.

"'Well,

But Gilbert,

There must be something in her manner to countenance such reports.

"'Did you see anything in her manner?

' "'No,

Certainly,

But then you know I always said there was something strange about her.

' "'I believe it was on that very evening I ventured on another invasion of Wildfell Hall.

"'From the time of our party,

Which was upwards of a week ago,

I had been making daily efforts to meet its mistress in her walks,

And,

Always disappointed,

Had nightly kept revolving in my mind some pretext for another call.

"'At length I concluded the separation could be endured no longer,

And taking from the bookcase an old volume I thought she might be interested in,

I had not yet ventured to offer it for her perusal,

But not without sundry misgivings as to how she would receive me,

Or how I could some encourage to present myself with so slight an excuse.

I hastened away.

Perhaps I might see her in the field or in the garden,

And then there would be no great difficulty.

It was the formal knocking at the door,

With a prospect of being gravely ushered in,

To the presence of a surprised,

Uncordial mistress that so greatly disturbed me.

My wish,

However,

Was not gratified.

Mrs.

Graham herself was not to be seen,

But there was Arthur playing with his frolicsome little dog in the garden.

I looked over the gate and called him to me.

He wanted me to come in,

But I told him I could not without his mother's leave.

"'I'll go and ask her,

' said the child.

"'No,

No,

Arthur,

You mustn't do that.

But if she's not engaged,

Just ask her to come here a minute.

Tell her I want to speak to her.

' Arthur ran to perform my bidding and quickly returned with his mother.

How lovely she looked with her dark ringlet streaming in the light summer breeze,

Her fair cheeks slightly flushed,

And her countenance radiant with smiles.

"'Dear Arthur,

What did I not owe to you for this and every other happy meeting?

' "'Through him I was at once delivered from all formality and terror and constraint.

In love affairs there is no mediator like a merry,

Simple-hearted child,

Ever ready to cement divided hearts,

Span the unfriendly gulf of custom,

To melt the ice of cold reserve and overthrow the separating walls of dread formality and pride.

"'Well,

Mr Markham,

What is it?

' said the young mother,

Accosting me with a pleasant smile.

"'I want you to look at this book and,

If you please,

To take it and peruse it at your leisure,

' I said.

"'I make no apology for calling you out on such a lovely evening,

Though it be for a matter of no great importance.

' "'Tell him to come in,

Mama,

' said Arthur.

"'Would you like to come in?

' asked the lady.

"'Yes,

I should like to see your improvements in the garden.

' "'And how your sister's roots have prospered in my charge,

' added she,

As she opened the gate.

We sauntered through the garden and talked of the flowers,

The trees and the book,

And then of other things.

The evening was kind and genial,

And so was my companion.

By degrees I waxed more warm and tender than,

Perhaps,

I had ever been before.

But still I said nothing tangible,

And she attempted no repulse,

Until,

In passing a rose-tree that I had brought her some weeks since,

She plucked a beautiful half-open bud and bade me give it to Rose.

"'May I not keep it myself?

' I asked.

"'No,

But here is another for you.

' Instead of taking it quietly,

I likewise took the hand that offered it,

And looked into her face.

She let me hold it for a moment,

And I saw a flash of ecstatic brilliance in her eye,

A glow of glad excitement on her face.

I thought my hour of victory was come,

But instantly a painful recollection seemed to flash upon her.

A cloud of anguish darkened her brow,

A marble paleness blanched her cheek and lip.

There seemed a moment of inward conflict,

And with a sudden effort she withdrew her hand and retreated a step or two back.

"'Now,

Mr.

Markham,

' said she,

With a kind of desperate calmness,

"'I must tell you plainly that I cannot do this.

I like your company because I am alone here,

And your conversation pleases me more than that of any other person,

But if you cannot be content to regard me as a friend,

A plain,

Cold,

Motherly,

Or sisterly friend,

I must beg you to leave me now,

And to let me alone hereafter.

In fact,

We must be strangers for the future.

I will then be your friend,

Or brother,

Or anything you wish,

If you will only let me continue to see you,

But tell me why I cannot be anything more.

'" There was a perplexed and thoughtful pause.

"'Is it in consequence of some rash vow?

' "'It is something of the kind,

' she answered.

"'Someday I may tell you,

But at present you had better leave me,

And never,

Gilbert,

Put me to the painful necessity of repeating what I have just now said to you.

' Then she gave me her hand in serious kindness.

How sweet,

How musical my own name sounded in her mouth.

"'I will not,

' I replied.

"'But you pardoned this offence?

On condition that you never repeat it.

And may I come to see you now and then?

Perhaps,

Occasionally,

Provided you never abuse the privilege.

I make no empty promises,

But you shall see.

The moment you do,

Our intimacy is at an end,

That's all.

And will you always call me Gilbert?

It sounds more sisterly,

And will serve to remind me of our contract.

' She smiled and once more bid me go,

And at length I judged it prudent to obey,

And she re-entered the house and I went down the hill.

But as I went,

The tramp of horses' hooves fell on my ear and broke the stillness of a dewy evening,

And looking towards the lane,

I saw a solitary equestrian coming up.

Inclining to dusk as it was,

I knew him at a glance.

It was Mr.

Lawrence on his grey pony.

I flew across the field,

Leaped the stone fence and walked down the lane to meet him.

On seeing me,

He suddenly drew in his little steed and seemed inclined to turn back.

But on second thought,

Apparently judged it better to continue his course as before.

He accosted me with a slight bow,

And edging close to the wall endeavoured to pass on,

But I was not so minded.

Seizing his horse by the bridle,

I exclaimed,

Now,

Lawrence,

I will have this mystery explained.

Tell me where you're going and what you mean to do,

At once and distinctly.

Well,

You take your hand off the bridle,

Said he quietly.

You're hurting my pony's mouth.

You and your pony,

B.

What makes you so coarse and brutal,

Markham?

I'm quite ashamed of you.

You answer my questions before you leave this spot.

I will know what you mean by this perfidious duplicity.

I shall answer no questions till you let go of the bridle,

If you stand till morning,

He said.

Now then,

Said I,

Unclosing my hand but still standing before him.

Ask me some other time when you can speak like a gentleman,

Returned he,

And he made an effort to pass me again,

But I quickly recaptured the pony scarce less astonished than its master at such uncivil usage.

Really,

Mr.

Markham,

This is too much,

Said the latter.

Can I not go to see my tenant on matters of business without being assaulted in this manner?

This is no time for business,

Sir.

I'll tell you now what I think of your conduct,

Said I.

You better defer your opinion to a more convenient season,

Interrupted he.

Here's the vicar.

And in truth the vicar was just behind me,

Plodding homeward from some remote corner of his parish.

I immediately released the squire and he went on his way,

Saluting Mr.

Millwood as he passed.

What,

Quarrelling,

Markham?

Cried the latter,

Addressing himself to me,

And about that young widow I doubt.

He shook his head reproachfully.

Let me tell you,

Young man,

He added,

She's not worth it.

He put his face into mine with an important confidential air,

Then he confirmed the assertion by a solemn nod.

Reviews

Mysterious! How will they love affair happen with such a promise extracted? Thank you!❤️🙏🏽