22 Tenant Of Wildfell Hall-Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

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 neighbouring 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 admits to her diary and herself that her joy in being Arthur Huntingdon's fiancé is tempered by the faults of his character that she sees more and more. She had considered thoughtlessness his main character flaw, but now she is worried that his heart is less kind than she thought.

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.

Chapter 22 Treats of Friendship October the 5th My cup of sweets is not unmingled.

It is dashed with a bitterness that I cannot hide from myself,

Disguise it as I will.

I may try to persuade myself the sweetness overpowers it.

I may call it a pleasant aromatic flavour but say what I will it's still there and I cannot but taste it.

I cannot shut my eyes to Arthur's faults and the more I love him the more they trouble me.

His very heart that I trusted so is,

I fear,

Less warm and generous than I thought.

At least he gave me a specimen of his character today that seemed to merit a harder name than thoughtlessness.

He and Lord Loberer were accompanying Annabella and me in a long delightful ride.

He was riding by my side as usual and Annabella and Lord Loberer were a little before us,

The latter bending towards his companion as if in a tender and confidential discourse.

Those two will get the start of us Helen if we don't look sharp,

He observed.

They'll make a match of it as sure as can be.

That Loberer's fairly besotted but he'll find himself in a fix when he's got her,

I doubt.

And she'll find herself in a fix when she's got him,

Said I,

If what I've heard of him is true.

Not a bit of it.

She knows what she's about but he,

Poor fool,

Deludes himself with a notion she'll make him a good wife.

But is he not courting her for her fortune?

No,

Not he.

She's devotedly attached to him that she will not refuse him for his poverty and does not court him for his rank but loves him for his self alone.

The first attraction for him was certainly her fortune but now he's quite lost sight of it.

It never enters his calculations except merely as an essential without which,

For the lady's own sake,

He could not think of marrying her.

No,

He's fairly in love.

He thought he never could be again but he's in for it once more.

He was to have been married before some two or three years ago but he lost his bride by losing his fortune.

He got into a bad way amongst us in London.

He had an unfortunate taste for gambling and surely the fellow was born under an unlucky star for he always lost thrice when he gained once.

That's a mode of self-torment I never was much addicted to.

When I spend my money I like to enjoy the full value of it.

I see no fun in wasting it on thieves and blacklegs.

And as for gaining money,

Hitherto,

I've always had sufficient.

It's time enough to be clutching for more,

I think,

When you begin to see the end of what you have.

But I've sometimes frequented the gaming houses just to watch the ongoings.

A very interesting study,

I assure you,

Helen,

And sometimes very diverting.

Noburo was quite infatuated,

Not willingly but of necessity.

He was always resolving to give it up and always breaking his resolutions.

Just once more,

He'd say,

If he gained a little.

He hoped to gain a little more next time and if he lost it would not do to leave off at that juncture.

At last,

However,

He came to a check.

He made a large stake which he determined should be the last whether he lost or won.

He'd so often determined this before and so often broken his determination and so it was this time.

He lost and while his antagonist smilingly swept away the stakes,

He turned chalky white,

Drew back in silence and wiped his forehead.

I knew well enough what was passing in his mind.

Is it to be the last,

Noburo?

Said I,

Stepping up to him.

The last but one,

He answered with a grim smile.

Then rushing back to the table,

He struck his hand upon it and raising his voice high above all the confusion of jingling coins and muttered oaths and curses,

He swore a deep and solemn oath that come what would,

This trial should be the last.

He then doubled his former stake and challenged anyone present to play against him.

Grimsby instantly presented himself.

Lobra glared fiercely at him.

For Grimsby was almost as celebrated for his luck as he was for his ill fortune.

However,

They fell to work but Grimsby had much skill and little scruple and whether he took advantage of the other's trembling or not,

Lobra lost again and fell dead sick.

I took him home to our club for he was as submissive as a child and plied him with brandy and water till he began to look rather brighter,

More alive at least.

I hate to be in debt,

He shouted and I'm deep in debt and can never get out of it.

But what of that,

Said I,

Many a better man than you has lived and died in debt and they can't put you in prison you know because you're a peer.

But I hate to be in debt,

He shouted again and then I've lost my Caroline,

He said and began to snivel for the brandy had softened his heart.

No matter,

I answered,

There are more Carolines in the world.

There's only one for me,

He replied and if there were 50 more who's to get them then I wonder without money.

Somebody will take you for your title,

I said and then you've your family estate that's entailed you know.

I wish to god I could sell it to pay my debt,

He muttered.

You can try you know,

Said Grimsby who'd just come in.

I would have had more than one chance if I were you,

I'd never stop here but Loper refused.

He kept his oath about gambling although Grimsby did his utmost to tempt him to break it but now he'd got hold of another habit that bothered him nearly as much for he soon discovered the demon of drink was as black as the demon of play.

Especially as his kind friends did all they could to second the promptings of his own insatiable cravings.

Then they were demons themselves,

Cried I,

Unable to contain my indignation and you Mr Huntington it seems were the first to tempt him.

Well what could we do,

Replied he deprecatingly.

We meant it in kindness,

We couldn't bear to see the fellow so miserable.

Besides he was such a dampener upon us sitting there silent and glum.

Then one evening he said gentlemen where is all this to end?

Will you just tell me that now,

Where is it all to end?

It's rank poison,

Said he grasping a bottle by the neck and I forswear it,

I've given up gambling and I'll give up this too.

We expected him back amongst us the next day but to our surprise the place remained vacant.

At last one day when he and I were alone together after pondering a while in one of his gloomy abstracted moods with his arms folded and his head sunk on his breast he suddenly woke up and vehemently grasping my arm said Huntington this won't do,

I'm resolved to have done with it.

What are you going to shoot yourself,

Said I.

No I'm going to reform,

Said he.

You wouldn't let me in,

I was such a fool I couldn't live without you but now I see what it is that keeps me back.

Only I'm afraid there's no chance.

He sighed as if his heart would break.

What is it,

Nobra,

Said I thinking he was fairly cracked at last.

A wife,

He answered,

For I can't live alone because my own mind distracts me and I can't live with you because you take the devil's part against me.

Who I,

I said,

Yes all of you and you more than any of them Huntington but if I could get a wife with fortune enough to pay off my debts and set me straight in the world.

To be sure,

Said I.

I shook hands with him and we parted.

He kept his word and from that time forward he's been a pattern of propriety as far as I can tell.

But till lately I've not had much to do with him.

He occasionally sought my company but has frequently shrunk from it,

Fearing lest I should vile him back to destruction.

And I found him not very entertaining,

Especially as he sometimes attempted to awaken my conscience and draw me from the perdition he considered himself to have escaped.

But when I did happen to meet him I seldom failed to ask after the progress of his matrimonial efforts and researches.

I left him at it when I went to the continent and on my return I found him a disconsolate bachelor.

The young ladies had ceased to be afraid of him and were beginning to think him quite interesting but the mamas were still unrelenting.

It's about this time,

Helen,

My good angel brought me into conjunction with you and then I had eyes and ears for nobody else.

After some time,

Lobra met Miss Wilmot.

The cream of the chest with that though,

He continued laughing,

Is that the artful minx loves nothing about him but his title and pedigree and that delightful old family seat.

How do you know?

Said I.

She told me so herself,

Said Huntington.

Then you ought to tell him so.

What,

And spoil all her plans and prospects,

Poor girl?

No,

That would be a breach of confidence,

Wouldn't it,

Helen?

Besides,

It would break his heart.

Then Huntington laughed again.

Well,

Mr.

Huntington,

Said I,

I don't know what you see so amazingly diverting in the matter,

I see nothing to laugh at.

I'm laughing at you just now,

Love,

Said he,

So leaving him to enjoy his merriment alone,

I touched Ruby with a whip and canted on to rejoin our companions,

For we'd been walking our horses all this time and were consequently a long way behind.

Arthur was soon at my side again,

But not disposed to talk to him,

I broke into a gallop and we did not slacken our pace till we came up with Miss Wilmot,

Lord Lobra,

Within half a mile of the park gates.

I avoided all further conversation with Arthur till we came to the end of our ride.

I meant to jump off my horse and vanish into the house,

But while I was disengaging my habit from the crutch,

He lifted me off and held me with both hands,

Asserting he would not let me go until I'd forgiven him.

I have nothing to forgive,

Said I,

You have not injured me.

No,

Darling,

Said he,

God forbid that I should,

But you are angry because it was to me that Annabella confessed her lack of esteem for her lover.

No,

Arthur,

I said,

It is not that that displeases me,

It's the whole system of conduct towards your friend,

And if you wish me to forget it,

Go now and tell him what sort of a woman it is that he adores so madly,

And on whom he has hung his hopes of future happiness.

Reviews

She’s seeing more clearly now… he’s a cad… ugh! Thank You though for great reading!