The Woman in White: Hartright 1-3

Summary

Storytime for Grownups: "The Woman in White" – Episodes 1-3 Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Storytime for Grownups
• Host/Author: Faith Moore
• Episode: The Woman in White: Hartright 1-3
• Release Date: January 6, 2025

---

Introduction

In this inaugural episode of the new season, Faith Moore delves into Wilkie Collins' classic novel, The Woman in White. The podcast mimics an audiobook experience, providing listeners with both the narrative and insightful annotations to enhance understanding and appreciation of the literature.

---

Early Discussion and Host Insights (00:00 - 18:30)

Before immersing into the chapters, Faith Moore and Professor Pesca engage in a brief dialogue outlining the structure of the podcast and encouraging listener interaction. They highlight the importance of community through the introduction of the "Storytime for Grownups drawing room," an online space for members to discuss the books more deeply. While this segment primarily serves as an introduction to the podcast's features, it sets the stage for an engaging and interactive listening experience.

---

Plot Summary: Chapters 1-3

Chapter 1: The Arrival at Clements Inn

The story begins with Walter Hartright, a 28-year-old drawing teacher at Clements Inn in London. Walter is facing financial difficulties after mismanaging his resources over the past year, leaving him struggling to support his mother and sister, Sarah. On a late July evening, weary from the heat and exhaustion, Walter decides to visit his family in Hampstead. His path home is interrupted by an unexpected and dramatic event.

At approximately [17:04], Professor Pesca narrates Walter's encounter with his Italian friend, Professor Pesca, marking a pivotal moment that intertwines their lives. Pesca, eager and unrestrained, rushes to welcome Walter, showcasing his eccentric yet endearing personality. His fervent expressions of gratitude for Walter saving his life hint at deeper, forthcoming complexities in their relationship.

Chapter 2: The Engagement Offer

Upon reaching his mother's cottage in Hampstead, Walter is greeted warmly by Pesca, much to the delight of his mother but with reservation from his sister, Sarah. Pesca enthusiastically announces a proposal from his wealthy patron, Mr. Frederick Fairley of Limmeridge House, Cumberland. Fairley seeks a competent drawing master to teach his two young daughters and manage their neglected art collection.

The offer is generous: four guineas a week, accommodation at Limmeridge House, and respectful treatment akin to that of a gentleman. Despite the enticing terms, Walter feels an inexplicable reluctance to accept the position. His family's encouragement, especially from his mother and Pesca's heartfelt plea, eventually persuades him to accept the job, albeit reluctantly.

Chapter 3: Departure to Cumberland

As Walter prepares to depart for Cumberland, Pesca's exuberance remains unchecked, further illustrating his commitment to becoming an Englishman—a recurring theme highlighting cultural assimilation. Walter grapples with mixed emotions; the prospect of a new opportunity is overshadowed by persistent unease. His sister, Sarah, expresses concern over Pesca's intense involvement with their family, fearing how he will interact with her.

Walter's departure marks the beginning of significant changes in his life, setting the stage for the ensuing mystery and drama that Collins is renowned for. The initial chapters establish key characters, their relationships, and the underlying tensions that will drive the narrative forward.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [15:00] Professor Pesca: "I just knew it was a Wilkie Collins book. I have read the Moonstone by Collins and loved it, but I have not read the Woman in White. I know it will be superb."

  Insight: Professor Pesca expresses confidence in the upcoming selection, drawing parallels to Collins' other acclaimed work, The Moonstone.

• [36:22] Professor Pesca: "It may be necessary to explain here that Pesca prided himself on being a perfect Englishman in his language as well as in his dress, manners, and amusements."

  Insight: This highlights Pesca's dedication to integrating into English society, a trait that influences his interactions throughout the story.

• [47:02] Professor Pesca: "Read, said the little man majestically. I promise you, my friend, the writing of the golden papa speaks with the tongue of trumpets."

  Insight: Pesca's theatrical mannerisms not only add humor but also underscore his unique personality and cultural quirks.

---

Character Insights

• Walter Hartright: A dedicated drawing teacher grappling with financial strain, Walter is portrayed as responsible and morally upright. His decision to accept the position in Cumberland, despite reservations, sets him on a path rife with unforeseen challenges.

• Professor Pesca: An eccentric Italian immigrant striving to embody English customs, Pesca's flamboyant behavior and unwavering loyalty to Walter introduce complex dynamics. His character serves as both a source of comic relief and as a catalyst for pivotal plot developments.

• Sarah Hartright: Walter's sister, who embodies traditional English propriety, contrasts sharply with Pesca's flamboyance. Her skepticism towards Pesca adds tension within the family, foreshadowing potential conflicts.

---

Discussion and Insights

Through her reading, Faith Moore interjects occasional explanations to aid comprehension, particularly regarding Victorian societal norms and character motivations. For instance, she clarifies cultural references and provides context about character behaviors, enhancing the listener's understanding of the historical and social backdrop of the novel.

The detailed portrayal of Victorian England's social hierarchy and the emphasis on reputation and propriety are evident in the characters' interactions. Walter's internal conflict between accepting a lucrative offer and his inexplicable hesitation hints at deeper psychological and societal pressures prevalent during the era.

---

Conclusion

Episodes 1-3 of The Woman in White introduce listeners to a rich tapestry of characters set against the intricate social fabric of Victorian England. Faith Moore's engaging narration, coupled with insightful annotations, brings Wilkie Collins' masterpiece to life, promising an enthralling journey through mystery, romance, and societal critique. As Walter Hartright embarks on his new position in Cumberland, the seeds of suspense and intrigue are sown, inviting listeners to delve deeper into the unfolding story.

---

Final Thoughts

The Woman in White is renowned for its intricate plot and suspenseful narrative, elements that are adeptly captured in these initial chapters. Faith Moore's ability to intertwine the story with thoughtful commentary ensures that both new readers and seasoned enthusiasts will find value and enjoyment in the podcast. As the series progresses, listeners can anticipate deeper explorations into the characters' psyches and the novel's unfolding mysteries.

---

Feel free to share your thoughts and questions about these chapters on Faith Moore's website under the Contact section. Your feedback enriches the community and enhances the storytelling experience for all listeners.

Transcript

[Faith Moore]

Hello and welcome to Storytime for Grown Ups. I'm Faith Moore and this season we're reading the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Each episode I'll read a few chapters from the book, pausing from time to time to give brief explanations so it's easier to follow along. It's like an audiobook with built in notes. So brew a pot of tea, find a cozy chair and settle in. It's story time. Hello.

[Professor Pesca]

Welcome back.

[Faith Moore]

This is it.

[Professor Pesca]

We are starting the book today. I am so excited. You know, once somebody wrote in and said, you. You say you're so excited so many times. Please stop. And you know what I say to that? I say, bah humbug. Because the moment that I don't feel this excited to start a new book.

[Faith Moore]

With you or even to just read.

[Professor Pesca]

The next chapters or to get your emails, the moment I don't feel this excited is the moment that I should stop doing this podcast.

[Faith Moore]

I love this podcast.

[Professor Pesca]

I'm so happy to be back with you. I'm so happy to be here and I cannot wait to to start the Woman in White today. It is happening. We're doing it.

[Faith Moore]

Welcome. Okay, so for those of you who are new, and I know we've got.

[Professor Pesca]

A lot of new people, a lot of new people joined during a Christmas carol, which is fantastic, and I know some people are just jumping in right now.

[Faith Moore]

So for those of you who are.

[Professor Pesca]

New, an extra special welcome. And basically, I just want to tell you very quickly how this works.

[Faith Moore]

So we spend a few minutes here.

[Professor Pesca]

At the beginning to talking together. Usually what I'm doing here at the beginning is taking one or two questions or comments that come from you that.

[Faith Moore]

Are responding to the chapter or chapters that we've already read.

[Professor Pesca]

And we do a little bit of a deep dive or we talk about something that was maybe confusing and that helps us to kind of deepen our understanding of the book as we go along. So we spend about 15 or 20 minutes here together at the beginning of each episode talking about the book. And then the second part of the show is the book itself with a.

[Faith Moore]

Few notes along the way.

[Professor Pesca]

Now, obviously we haven't read anything yet, so I am not going to be answering a question or responding to a comment, but I do have a few things that I'm going to say here at the beginning, so I hope that you'll bear with me.

[Faith Moore]

The first thing I want to say.

[Professor Pesca]

Is how you get those questions and comments to me because those really are the heart and soul of this show. Without those questions and comments. This is just an audiobook with a.

[Walter Hartright]

Few notes along the way and that's.

[Professor Pesca]

Cool and interesting, I hope, but it's not what this show really is all about. So the way to get in touch with me is to go to my website, which is faithkmoore.com and then there's.

[Faith Moore]

A little tab at the top called Contact. You click on that and there's a form there.

[Professor Pesca]

You fill that out, it goes right to my email.

[Faith Moore]

I do reply to every single person who writes to me. It might take a little while because.

[Professor Pesca]

There are so many of you now, which is amazing.

[Faith Moore]

Never stop.

[Professor Pesca]

Never stop writing to me, please. So. But it takes me about a week usually to get back to you. But I do get back to you even if I don't choose you your question or comment to be on the show. The only time I don't get back to you is if you say something rude or mean, which is rare. But it does happen. And I don't respond because I think that's probably the best policy. Even though I sometimes think of fantastic comebacks. I don't. I just don't respond. So that's how you get in touch. You go to my website, you click.

[Faith Moore]

On Contact and then you send me a question or a comment about the.

[Professor Pesca]

Chapters that we've just read or if.

[Faith Moore]

You'Re not listening in real time, if.

[Professor Pesca]

You'Re hearing this but you know we've gone on and we're far, far into this book or even into the next book, that's okay too. You just comment to me about what you are thinking about as you listen and as we read together.

[Faith Moore]

And then I choose one or two.

[Professor Pesca]

Of those at the start of each episode to use as a kind of jumping off point for a discussion that we have about the book before we.

[Faith Moore]

Get into the chapters.

[Professor Pesca]

So I always say this, but I'm going to say it again.

[Faith Moore]

Please do reach out. I absolutely love to hear from you and you are not bothering me. So faithk moore.com and click on Contact. There's also just a link to that.

[Professor Pesca]

Contact page in the show notes so you can scroll right down. The show notes are the description of the episode. So where it says what this episode is about and all of that. There are a bunch of links there and you should check them all out. But one of them is a link to that contact page. So that's how you get in touch with me.

[Faith Moore]

And speaking of those links, I do.

[Professor Pesca]

Hope that you will check them out.

[Faith Moore]

I'm about to talk about one of them in particular. But generally there are just a bunch.

[Professor Pesca]

Of things that there. You can find a link to our merch store. We have merch. You can get all kinds of things on mugs and T shirts and sweatshirts and things like that. We've got some great designs there. More designs are coming, so I hope you'll check that out if that's of interest to you. You can also find my donation page. It's Buy me a coffee, but actually I always say it's buy me a tea. So you can do that if you're able to support this show financially, that's there. And if you're enjoying the show, these.

[Faith Moore]

Are not links, but please subscribe to.

[Professor Pesca]

The show to make sure you don't miss any episodes.

[Faith Moore]

Tap the five stars that you'll find there in your podcast player.

[Professor Pesca]

That really helps the show to grow. It helps it to appear magically in some way that I don't understand to new people who might enjoy it.

[Faith Moore]

And tell a friend, email or text.

[Professor Pesca]

A link to the show to a friend who you think might like it, because that is another fantastic way for.

[Faith Moore]

This show to grow.

[Professor Pesca]

It is growing. It's amazing. The listenership has just exploded after the Christmas special. I hope you're all still here, or at least that some of you are still here and will continue on with us into January. Thank you to those of you who have been here from the beginning, from Jane Eyre. Thank you to those of you who joined in Pride and Prejudice.

[Faith Moore]

I'm thrilled that you're all here.

[Professor Pesca]

So please do check out those links. And if you are enjoying the show, please consider sharing about it or supporting.

[Faith Moore]

It in whatever way you can or.

[Professor Pesca]

Feels right to you.

[Faith Moore]

I just want to take a very.

[Professor Pesca]

Brief time, like a minute or two to talk about one of those links that you're going to find there, because it's something new.

[Faith Moore]

So if you've been with us for.

[Professor Pesca]

A while, this is something you haven't heard about at all. And if you're just joining us, of course you haven't heard about it at all. So I just want to take a minute to talk about it. You know, we have talked a lot about how this show has come to feel like a kind of book club or a community or something like that. And it's basically my favorite thing about the show. And it's something that I really didn't expect when I started it. I didn't expect that it would feel like this community or this club.

[Faith Moore]

And for a while now, I've been.

[Professor Pesca]

Trying to figure out a way to kind of expand that community feeling because I often feel like I get the most benefit out of it, right? I get to hear from all of you and write back to you and I'm having all these wonderful, enriching conversations with you all.

[Faith Moore]

But then you are only getting to.

[Professor Pesca]

Hear a few of the comments that I receive and you can't really respond easily. And so the conversation is kind of one sided.

[Faith Moore]

So I've been trying to figure out.

[Professor Pesca]

How to kind of get you all together, right? How to form an actual story time for Grown Ups community. And you know, whenever I think about it, I end up kind of wishing that I could like teleport all of us to some kind of old manor house in the English countryside somewhere with like a housekeeper and a butler who would serve us tea in the like lovely cozy drawing room and we would all sit with our tea and our scone in these giant armchairs in front of this roaring fire and we would discuss these books, right? And that just kind of sounds like heaven, but how could I do that? I don't own a teleporter, so I can't do that. But I do feel that I've come up with the next best thing. And this, by the way, is the surprise that I was talking about, if you follow me on X. I was talking about that I was going to reveal a surprise maybe on Monday, maybe on Thursday.

[Walter Hartright]

Well, it is Monday.

[Professor Pesca]

I am revealing it today.

[Faith Moore]

This is the surprise.

[Professor Pesca]

And I also want to say before.

[Faith Moore]

I reveal it, I want to tell.

[Professor Pesca]

You right off the bat that this is something that requires a financial commitment. It's a very small one, but there is one. Because I don't want to get you all excited about something and then tell you there's money involved. That would be mean and kind of dishonest or rude. And I don't want to do that. So what I'm about to tell you is something that you can access basically by becoming a Storytime for Grown Ups member via a monthly membership fee.

[Faith Moore]

There are two levels.

[Professor Pesca]

One is $5 a month and the other is $10 a month. So just understand that right up front, okay? There is a monthly fee associated with this, but what I want to introduce to you is the Storytime for Grown Ups drawing room. So for those of you who are just joining us and aren't necessarily familiar with Victorian or Regency literature, the drawing.

[Faith Moore]

Room is the part of a house.

[Professor Pesca]

That kind of old manor house that I was talking about where people would go to like chat or read or play Cards or play music to hang out, essentially. And when the master of this kind.

[Faith Moore]

Of house, the master and the mistress.

[Professor Pesca]

Maybe when they would throw a house party, meaning that they would invite a.

[Faith Moore]

Bunch of their friends to stay over.

[Professor Pesca]

Sometimes for months at a time, and.

[Faith Moore]

Everyone would eat together and go for.

[Professor Pesca]

Walks and little day trips and hunting excursions and things. When there was a house party like that, everyone would kind of adjourn to the drawing room at the end of the evening. And often conversations about books or music or just life in general, these kinds of conversations would crop up. So I have created an online drawing room for us. In the Storytime for Grown Ups drawing room, it is always tea time and.

[Faith Moore]

You are always welcome.

[Professor Pesca]

Okay, so at the moment there are two kind of tiers that you could join. The first one is called the house guest level. You would be a house guest in the drawing room. It's $5 a month.

[Faith Moore]

It gives you access to the drawing.

[Professor Pesca]

Room, which exists on a website called Discord. If you're not familiar with Discord, that's completely fine. When you sign up for the membership, it will direct you to Discord and to tell you what to do, how to sign up, and it's pretty straightforward. But when you get there, you'll. You will find various kind of channels, text channels that you can type into, associated with the different books that we have read and that we are reading.

[Faith Moore]

You'll find some rules for proper drawing room etiquette.

[Professor Pesca]

And as long as you follow those, you will be able to type messages into this website that other house guests can read. And then you can have discussions with other storytime fans about the books that we're reading and topics that arise from that. And I will pop in from time to time. But basically you are chatting with each other. So then the other membership tier that is currently available is called the Landed Gentry tier. And the landed gentry get also full access to the drawing room, but they.

[Faith Moore]

Also get access to a secret drawing.

[Professor Pesca]

Room channel that only they can see. And it's a voice channel, meaning you can actually speak, speak into it rather than type.

[Faith Moore]

And once a month I am going.

[Professor Pesca]

To be going in there and hosting what I am calling tea time. And that will be a time when I log into the voice channel for about 45 minutes to an hour. And we can all chat together, kind of like a sort of group phone call. And I would announce the day and the time for those live chats on the podcast as well as in the drawing room website page. So the link to sign up for one of those memberships is in the show notes. It's part of the buy me a coffee page, where my donation page is. It's just another way that you can support the show, basically, and the work that I'm doing, which allows me to spend more time focused on this show instead of other things that I do in my work life, which is a very small chunk of my time, as you probably know. And if you don't, it's because I.

[Faith Moore]

Am a stay at home mom and.

[Professor Pesca]

That'S where I spend most of my time. And I love to come here and be with you in the rest of that time. And I can do that if the show is generating revenue. So that's one way that you can help me to do that.

[Faith Moore]

But it's also a way to get.

[Professor Pesca]

To be a part of this wonderful.

[Faith Moore]

Community in a new way.

[Professor Pesca]

So I hope that you'll check that out. I'll talk more about this in future episodes and also feel free to email me with questions if anything is not clear. But I don't want to go on.

[Walter Hartright]

And on about this right now.

[Professor Pesca]

I just wanted to let you know that it's there if it interests you. And if it doesn't, then just really seriously, don't worry about it. Right. The show itself isn't changing.

[Faith Moore]

It's still free.

[Professor Pesca]

You can still contact me via my website with questions and thoughts about the book without being a part of the drawing room community at all.

[Faith Moore]

So nothing is changing about the show itself.

[Professor Pesca]

We're just adding kind of a few more rooms to this house. Right?

[Faith Moore]

The podcast is the main room.

[Professor Pesca]

It'll always be free, it'll stay the same.

[Faith Moore]

But the drawing room is a new.

[Professor Pesca]

Room that you are welcome to explore if you want. Okay, so that's in the show notes, a link to that if you want more information. Okay, so before we get into the chapters, what I would like to do.

[Faith Moore]

Is just share with you a few.

[Professor Pesca]

Of your reactions to learning that we are reading the Woman in White. I said I was going to do this and I usually do it at the start of the next book because it does kind of help us all to kind of come together and get excited before we jump into the book. So I would like to read you a few and I got some great ones. So I'm going to read a few. I don't know how many exactly, but a bunch because this is a new book for a lot of us. You know, the books that we've done so far, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol.

[Faith Moore]

Those are very well known books that many of you had read.

[Professor Pesca]

Not everyone, and I loved it when there were people who had read them. That's my favorite part and that's why I'm really so excited about this one because I think a lot fewer of us have read this book than the others. And so we had some pretty big reactions to learning that we were going to read this book. So I'm going to read a bunch of your reactions now and then I have one last thing to say. Very, very quick thing and then we will get into the chapters. So here are some reactions from you all about learning that we are going to be reading the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

[Faith Moore]

The first one is from Carolyn McNulty.

[Professor Pesca]

Carolyn writes, okay, I'll trust you.

[Faith Moore]

I looked up the book briefly and.

[Professor Pesca]

Think that though I'd never have read.

[Faith Moore]

It on my own, I'll enjoy it when read and discussed by you. I'd already read the first three storytime.

[Professor Pesca]

Selections, so this is a good time to dive into something new. This one is from Jessica Kusi. She writes, I've been so curious to know the next book and am not disappointed at all. I've read the previous three at least.

[Faith Moore]

Twice, but I only just recently bought.

[Professor Pesca]

A copy of the Woman in White. It's been on my short list, which isn't short, for about a year now. Thank you. So excited for January.

[Faith Moore]

Marian writes, the Woman in White.

[Professor Pesca]

A surprising choice, but a good one selfishly.

[Faith Moore]

I'm sorry it's not the Moonstone as.

[Professor Pesca]

I haven't read that one yet, but revisiting the Woman in White will be a pleasure. Laurie Collins writes, Yay.

[Faith Moore]

I'm so glad you're going to read this book. You've mentioned it a few times during readings of the other books and I've.

[Professor Pesca]

Always wanted to read a Wilkie Collins book. I've had the Moonstone on my bucket.

[Faith Moore]

List for a while and I believe.

[Professor Pesca]

It'S similar to this book. Rebecca Holman writes, Ooh, I remember you.

[Faith Moore]

Alluding to this book a few episodes ago. Maybe more than a few, but never.

[Professor Pesca]

Heard of this one before that. So I'm so excited. I love a good mystery.

[Faith Moore]

This one is from Hannah Rawson.

[Professor Pesca]

Hannah writes, Faith in all caps.

[Faith Moore]

I'm so excited for our next novel. I've never read it before and I love mysteries.

[Professor Pesca]

Can't wait. I'm excited about your choice of book.

[Faith Moore]

For our next session. When you were describing the book and mentioned the author's connection with Charles Dickens.

[Professor Pesca]

I just knew it was a Wilkie Collins book. I have read the Moonstone by Collins.

[Faith Moore]

And loved it, but I have not read the Woman in White. I know it will be superb.

[Professor Pesca]

And then this last one I included because I thought if this doesn't make you feel excited about this book, then I don't know what will. It's from Haley Johnson. Haley writes hello, I just wanted to tell you how excited I am about your selection for Season three. I was actually hoping you would choose the Woman in White because I read it for the first time about two years ago and I've been thinking it's about time to read it again.

[Faith Moore]

This is such a stunning and spellbinding novel and I can't wait to experience it in this way and to hear.

[Professor Pesca]

What your other listeners think. If there's any apprehension about a story they are unfamiliar with. I think that will go away very quickly because this novel pulls you in and doesn't let go. I think it's similar to Jane Eyre in that it has a little bit of everything, horror, mystery, romance, beautiful deep characters, etc.

[Faith Moore]

Thank you for choosing this gorgeous novel.

[Professor Pesca]

I can't wait to get started. So we are going to get started and there's just one last thing that I want to say. I wasn't sure if I was going to say this or if I should say it, but whatever, I am going to say it, which is that in this first chunk. So this book is not divided evenly into chapters and you will see why as we get started. So I'm not really going to talk too much about that because it's kind of a spoiler. But in this first chunk of the book that we are going to be reading, there is a character named Pesca. He is a very minor character, which is not a spoiler because they tell you that right there in the book. But Pesca is Italian and Pesca's Italian ness is actually part of the story and part of his character. And because of that I, who, you know, am not an actress at all.

[Faith Moore]

I felt that it was necessary for.

[Professor Pesca]

Me to do an Italian accent when reading Pesca's dialogue. And there is a lot of Pesca's dialogue in this first chunk, but then there is not because he is minor and his point in the story is really just in this first part. So I'm not an actress, I'm not Italian. I did my very best. I apologize to people who really are Italian or who are better actresses than I. I did what I could because I felt that it would be weird to not read it in some facsimile of an Italian accent and you will see why as we go along. If my Italian accent really annoys you, if you feel like I'm not getting.

[Faith Moore]

It right, just know that you don't.

[Professor Pesca]

Have to listen to it anymore. It is not at all a huge part of this book. And I will say with that in mind or just generally, if you are joining and you're trying to figure out do I like this podcast? Do I want to keep listening?

[Faith Moore]

I would say listen to this episode.

[Professor Pesca]

And listen to Thursday's episode. And if you are not hooked by the end of Thursday's episode, then I think you can safely say that this is not the book for you. I really think that by the end of Thursday's episode you will be hooked and write into me. Tell me what your thoughts are after this episode. Tell me what your thoughts are after every episode. I love to hear from you. It's faithkmoore.com and click on Contact.

[Faith Moore]

All right, let's get started with Walter.

[Professor Pesca]

Hartright's chapters one through three of the.

[Faith Moore]

Woman in White by Wilkie Collins it's.

[Professor Pesca]

Story time.

[Faith Moore]

The story begun by Walter Hartright of Clements Inn, teacher of drawing. This is the story of what a woman's patience can endure and what a man's resolution can achieve. If the machinery of the law could be depended on to fathom every case of suspicion and to conduct every process of inquiry with moderate assistance only from the lubricating influences of oil of Gold, the events which fill these pages might have claimed their share of the public attention in a court of justice. So if the law worked the way it was supposed to, then you would have already heard this story because it would have been handled publicly in a court of law. But the law is still, in certain inevitable cases, the pre engaged servant of the long purse, meaning you have to have a lot of money in order to bring a court case, and the story is left to be told for the first time in this place. As the judge might once have heard it, so the reader shall hear it now, meaning it never was a court case. But the narrator is going to lay it out for us now as if it was no circumstance of importance. From the beginning to the end of the disclosure shall be related on hearsay evidence. When the writer of these introductory lines, Walter Hartright by name, happens to be more closely connected than others with the incidents to be recorded, he will describe them in his own person. When his experience fails, he will retire from the position of narrator, and his task will be continued from the point at which he has left it off by other persons who can speak to the circumstances under notice from their own knowledge, just as clearly and positively as he has spoken before them. So Walter Hartright is the current narrator, and he's the one who put all these sources together. But there will be other narrators whose testimony we will hear when Walter feels that it's necessary. Thus the story here presented will be told by more than one pen, as the story of an offence against the laws is told in court by more than one witness with the same object in both cases to present the truth always in its most direct and most intelligible aspect, and to trace the course of one complete series of events by making the persons who have been most closely connected with them at each successive stage relate their own experience word for word. Let Walter Hartright, teacher of drawing, age 28 years, be heard first. 2 It was the last day of July. The long hot summer was drawing to a close, and we, the weary pilgrims of the London pavement, were beginning to think of the cold shadows on the cornfields and the autumn breezes on the seashore. For my own part, the fading summer left me out of health, out of spirits, and, if the truth must be told, out of money as well. During the past year I had not managed my professional resources as carefully as usual, and my extravagance now limited me to the prospect of spending the autumn economically between my mother's cottage at Hampstead and my own chambers in town. The evening I remember was still and cloudy. The London air was at its heaviest, the distant hum of the street traffic was at its faintest, the small pulse of the life within me and the great heart of the city around me seemed to be sinking in unison, languidly and more languidly with the sinking sun. I roused myself from the book which I was dreaming over rather than reading, and left my chambers to meet the cool night air in the suburbs. It was one of the two evenings in every week which I was accustomed to spend with my mother and my sister, so I turned my steps northward in the direction of Hampstead. Events which I have yet to relate make it necessary to mention in this place that my father had been dead some years at the period of which I am now writing, and that my sister Sarah and I were the sole survivors of a family of five children. My father was a drawing master before me, meaning his father was a teacher of drawing, and Walter is as well. His exertions had made him highly successful in his profession, and his affectionate anxiety to provide for the future of those who were dependent on his labors, had impelled him from the time of his marriage to devote to the ensuring of his life a much larger portion of his income than most men consider it necessary to set aside for that purpose. Thanks to his admirable prudence and self denial, my mother and sister were left after his death as independent of the world as they had been during his lifetime. Meaning Walter's father saved a lot of money. So Walter's sister and mother are able to live comfortably off of what he left them. I succeeded to his connection and had every reason to feel grateful for the prospect that awaited me at my starting in life. So Walter took over his father's pupils, and since his father was very successful, Walter's future looks bright. The quiet twilight was still trembling on the topmost ridges of the heath, and the view of London below me had sunk into a black gulf in the shadow of the cloudy night when I stood before the gate of my mother's cottage. So Walter lives in London, but his mother and sister live just outside it in a more rural area called Hampstead. I had hardly rung the bell before the house door was opened violently. My worthy Italian friend, Professor Pesca, appeared in the servant's place. So normally a servant would open the door, but Walter's friend has beaten the servant to it and flung the door open and darted out joyously to receive me with a shrill foreign parody on an English cheer. On his own account, and I must.

[Professor Pesca]

Be allowed to add on mine also.

[Faith Moore]

The professor merits the honor of a formal introduction. Accident has made him the starting point of the strange family story which it is the purpose of these pages to unfold. I had first become acquainted with my Italian friend by meeting him at certain great houses where he taught his own language and I taught drawing. So Walter teaches drawing to wealthy young men and women.

[Professor Pesca]

So he met Pesca in the various.

[Faith Moore]

Fancy houses where he was teaching drawing, and Pesca was there teaching Italian. All I then knew of the history of his life was that he had once held a situation in the University of Padua, that he had left Italy for political reasons, the nature of which he uniformly declined to mention to anyone, and that he had been for many years respectably established in London as a teacher of languages without being actually a dwarf, for he was perfectly well proportioned from head to foot. Pesca was, I think, the smallest human being I ever saw out of a showroom, remarkable anywhere by his personal appearance. He was still further distinguished among the rank and file of mankind by the harmless eccentricity of his character. The ruling Idea of his life appeared to be that he was bound to show his gratitude to the country. Which has afforded him an asylum and a means of subsistence. By doing his utmost to turn himself into an Englishman. Not content with paying the nation in general the compliment of invariably carrying an umbrella. And invariably wearing gaiters and a white hat. Gaiters are a sort of fabric covering.

[Professor Pesca]

That goes over the shoes.

[Faith Moore]

The professor further aspired to become an Englishman. In his habits and amusements. As well as in his personal appearance. Finding us distinguished as a nation by our love of athletic exercises. The little man, in the innocence of his heart. Devoted himself impromptu to all our English sports and pastimes. Whenever he had the opportunity of joining them. Firmly persuaded that he could adopt our national amusements of the field by an effort of will. Precisely as he had adopted our national gaiters and our national white hat. I had seen him risk his limbs blindly at a fox hunt and in a cricket field. And soon afterwards I saw him risk his life just as blindly in the sea at Brighton. We had met there accidentally and were.

[Professor Pesca]

Bathing together, meaning they were going for a swim.

[Faith Moore]

If we had been engaged in any exercise peculiar to my own nation. I should, of course, have looked after Pesca carefully. But as foreigners are generally quite as well able. To take care of themselves in the water as Englishmen. It never occurred to me that the art of swimming. Might merely add one more to the list of manly exercises.

[Professor Pesca]

Exercises which the professor believed that he could learn impromptu.

[Faith Moore]

Meaning Pesca can't swim.

[Professor Pesca]

But he's not going to let that.

[Faith Moore]

Stop him from trying. Soon after we had both struck out from shore. I stopped, finding my friend did not gain on me. And turned round to look for him. To my horror and amazement, I saw nothing between me and the beach. But two little white arms. Which struggled for an instant above the surface of the water. And then disappeared from view. When I dived for him, the poor little man was lying quietly coiled up at the bottom in a hollow of shingle. Looking by many degrees smaller than I had ever seen him look before. During the few minutes that elapsed while I was taking him in, the air revived him. And he ascended the steps of the machine with my assistance. So the machine is a sort of wheeled house that people would have used for modesty to get out of the water.

[Professor Pesca]

So you'd get out inside this little.

[Faith Moore]

House and wheel it up to shore.

[Professor Pesca]

So no one would see in a state of undress.

[Faith Moore]

With the partial recovery of his animation Came the return of his wonderful delusion. On the subject of swimming. As soon as his chattering teeth would let him speak, he smiled vacantly and said he thought it must have been the cramp. When he had thoroughly recovered himself and.

[Professor Pesca]

Had joined me on the beach, his.

[Faith Moore]

Warm southern nature broke through all artificial English restraints. In a moment he overwhelmed me with the wildest expressions of affection, exclaimed passionately in his exaggerated Italian way that he would hold his life henceforth at my disposal, and declared that he should never be happy again until he had found an opportunity of proving his gratitude by rendering me some service which I might remember on my side to the end of my days. So Pesca is so grateful to Walter for saving his life that he's saying.

[Professor Pesca]

He'S now in his debt and will.

[Faith Moore]

Try to find some way to repay him one day. I did my best to stop the torrent of his tears and protestations by persisting in treating the whole adventure as a good subject for a joke, and succeeded at last, as I imagined, in lessening Pesca's overwhelming sense of obligation to me. Little did I think then, little did I think afterwards, when our pleasant holiday had drawn to an end, that the opportunity of serving me, for which my grateful companion so ardently longed, was soon to come, that he was eagerly to seize it on the instant, and that by so doing he was to turn the whole current of my existence into a new channel, and to alter me to myself almost past recognition. Yet so it was. If I had not dived for Professor Pesca when he lay under water on his shingle bed, I should in all human probability never have been connected with the story which these pages will relate. I should never, perhaps have heard even the name of the woman who has lived in all my thoughts, who has possessed herself of all my energies, who has become the one guiding influence that now directs the purpose of my life. 3 Pesca's face and manner on the evening when we confronted each other at my mother's gate were more than sufficient to inform me that something extraordinary had happened. It was quite useless, however, to ask.

[Professor Pesca]

Him for an immediate explanation.

[Faith Moore]

I could only conjecture, while he was dragging me in by both hands, that, knowing my habits, he had come to the cottage to make sure of meeting me that night, and that he had some news to tell of an unusually agreeable kind. We both bounced into the parlor in a highly abrupt and undignified manner. My mother sat by the open window.

[Professor Pesca]

Laughing and fanning herself.

[Faith Moore]

Pesca was one of her especial favorites, and his wildest eccentricities were always pardonable in her eyes. Poor Dear soul. From the first moment when she found out that the little professor was deeply and gratefully attached to her son, she opened her heart to him unreservedly and took all his puzzling foreign peculiarities for granted without so much as attempting to understand any one of them. My sister Sarah, with all the advantages of youth, was, strangely enough, less pliable. She did full justice to Pesca's excellent qualities of heart. But she could not accept him implicitly as my mother accepted him for my sake. Her insular notions of propriety rose in perpetual revolt against Pesca's constitutional contempt for appear appearances. And she was always more or less undisguisedly astonished at her mother's familiarity with the eccentric little foreigner. So Pesca is a truly odd person, and he often goes against the more reserved English etiquette. Walter's mother finds him funny and loves him because he loves Walter. But Walter's sister Sarah disapproves of him. I have observed, not only in my sister's case, but in the instances of others, that we of the young generation are nothing like so hardy and so impulsive as some of our elders. I constantly see old people flushed and excited by the prospect of some anticipated pleasure, which altogether fails to ruffle the tranquillity of their serene grandchildren. Are we, I wonder, quite such genuine boys and girls now as our seniors were in their time? Has the great advance in education taken rather too long a stride? And are we, in these modern days just the least trifle in the world? Too well brought up, so he's saying. He thinks that his generation has gotten a little too stuffy, that his mother's generation is much more willing to throw.

[Professor Pesca]

Etiquette aside, if that's what's warranted.

[Faith Moore]

Without attempting to answer those questions decisively, I may at least record that I never saw my mother and my sister together in Pesca's society without finding my mother much the younger woman of the two. On this occasion, for example, while the old lady was laughing heartily over the boyish manner in which we tumbled into the parlor, Sara was perturbedly picking up the broken pieces of a teacup which the professor had knocked off the table in his precipitate advance to meet me at the door.

[Professor Pesca]

I don't know what would have happened, Walter, said my mother, if you had delayed much longer.

[Faith Moore]

Pesca has been half mad with impatience.

[Professor Pesca]

And I have been half mad with curiosity.

[Faith Moore]

The professor has brought some wonderful news with him in which he says you are concerned, and he has cruelly refused to give us the smallest hint of it, till his friend Walter appeared very provoking. It spoils the set, murmured Sara to.

[Professor Pesca]

Herself, mournfully absorbed over the ruins of the broken cup.

[Faith Moore]

While these words were being spoken, Pesca, happily and fussily unconscious of the irreparable wrong which the crockery had suffered at his hands, was dragging a large armchair to the opposite end of the room, room, so as to command us all three in the character of a public speaker addressing an audience. Having turned the chair with his back towards us, he jumped into it on his knees and excitedly addressed his small congregation of three from an impromptu pulpit.

[Walter Hartright]

Now, my good dears, began Pesca, who.

[Faith Moore]

Always said good dears when he meant worthy friends.

[Walter Hartright]

Listen to me. The time has come. I recite my good news. I speak at last.

[Professor Pesca]

Hear, hear, said my mother, humoring the joke.

[Faith Moore]

The next thing he will break, Mama, whispered Sara, will be the back of the best armchair.

[Walter Hartright]

I go back into my life and I address myself to the noblest of.

[Faith Moore]

Created beings, continued Pesca, vehemently apostrophizing my unworthy self over the top rail of.

[Walter Hartright]

The chair, who found me dead at the bottom of the sea through a cramp, and who pulled me up to the top? And what did I say when I got into my life and my own clothes again?

[Faith Moore]

Much more than was at all necessary.

[Professor Pesca]

I answered as doggedly as possible for.

[Faith Moore]

The least encouragement in connection with this subject, invariably let loose the professor's emotions in a flood of tears.

[Walter Hartright]

I said, persisted Pesca, that my life belonged to my dear friend Walter for the rest of my days. And so it does. I said that I should never be happy again till I found the opportunity of doing a good something for Walter. And I have never been contented with myself till this most blessed day. Now.

[Professor Pesca]

Cried the enthusiastic little man at the.

[Walter Hartright]

Top of his voice. The overflowing happiness burst out of me at every pore of my skin like perspiration. For on my faith and soul and honour, the something is done at last, and the only word to say now is right. All right.

[Professor Pesca]

It may be necessary to explain here.

[Faith Moore]

That Pesca prided himself on being a perfect Englishman in his language as well as in his dress, manners, and amusements. Having picked up a few of our most familiar colloquial expressions, he scattered them about over his conversation whenever they happened to occur to him, turning them in his high relish for their sound and his general ignorance of their sense into compound words and repetitions of his own, and always running them into each other as if they consisted of one Long.

[Walter Hartright]

Syllable among the fine London houses where I teach the language of my native.

[Faith Moore]

Country, said the professor, rushing into his long deferred explanation without another word of preface.

[Walter Hartright]

There is a one mighty fine in the big place called Portland. You all know where that is? Yes, yes, of course, of course. The fine house, my good dears, has got inside it a fine family. A mamma, fair and fat, three young misses, fair and fat, two young misters, fair and fat, and a papa, the fairest and the fattest of all, who is a mighty merchant up to his eyes in gold. A fine man once, but seeing that he has got a naked head and two chins, fine no longer at the present time. Now, mind, I teach the sublime Dante to the young Mrs. And. Ah, my soul, bless my soul, it is not in human language to say how the sublime Dante puzzles the pretty heads of all three. No matter, all in a good time, and the more lessons, the better for me. Now, mind, imagine to yourselves that I am teaching the young missus today. As usual, we are all four of us down together in the hell of a Dante at the seventh circle. But no matter for that, all the circles are alike to the three young misses, fair and fat at the seventh circle. Nevertheless, my pupils are sticking fast, and I to set them going again, recite, explain, and blow myself up red hot with useless enthusiasm when a creak of boots in the passage outside, and in comes the golden papa, the mighty merchant with the naked head and two chins.

[Faith Moore]

Ha.

[Walter Hartright]

My good dears, I am closer than you think for to the business. Now, have you been a patient so far? Or have you said to yourself, doo sauata, dosa pesca is long winded Tonight.

[Faith Moore]

We declared that we were deeply interested. The professor went in his hand, the.

[Walter Hartright]

Golden papa has a letter, and after he has made his excuse for disturbing us in our infernal region with the common mortal business of the house, he addresses himself to the three young misses and begins as you English begin everything in this blessed world that you have to say with the great. Oh, oh, my dearest, says the mighty merchant, I have got here a letter from my friend Mr. The name has slipped out of my mind, but no matter, we shall come back to that. Yes, yes, right, alright. So the papa says, I have got the letter from my friend the Mr. And he wants a recommendation from me of a drawing master to go down to his house in the country. My soul, bless my soul, when I heard the golden papa say those words, if I had been big enough to reach up to him, I should have Put my arms around his neck and pressed him to my bosom in a long and grateful hug. As it was, I only bounced upon my chair, My seat was on thorns and my soul was on fire to speak. But I held my tongue and let papa go on. Perhaps you know, says this good man of money, twiddling his friend's letter this way and that in his golden fingers and thumbs. Perhaps you know, my dears, of a drawing master that I can recommend. The three young misses all look at each other and then say with the indispensable great O to begin. Oh, dear, no, papa, but here is Mr. Pesca. At the mention of myself I can hold no longer. The thought of you, my good dears, mounts like a blood to my head. I start from my seat as if.

[Faith Moore]

A spike had grown up from the.

[Walter Hartright]

Ground through the bottom of my chair. I address myself to the mighty merchant and I say English phrase. Dear sir, I have the man, the first and the foremost drawing master of the world. Recommend him by the post tonight and send him off bag and baggage. English phrase again. Send him off bag and baggage by the train tomorrow. Stop. A stop, says papa. Is he a foreigner or an Englishman? English to the bone of his back, I answer. Respectable, says papa. Sir, I say, for this last question of his outrages me, and I have done, being familiar with him, sir, the immortal fire of genius burns in this Englishman's bosom. And what is more, his father had it before him. Never mind, says the golden barbarian of a papa. Never mind about his genius, Mr. Pesca. We don't want genius in this country unless it is accompanied by respectability. And then we are very glad to have it. Very glad indeed. Can your friend produce a testimonials? Letters that speak to his character? I wave my hand negligently. Letters, I say. Ha, my soul. Bless my soul. I should think so, indeed. Volumes of letters and portfolios of testimonials, if you like. One or two will do, says the man of phlegm and money. Let him ascend them to me with his name and address and. Stop. Stop, Mr. Pesca, before you go to your friend, you had better take a note. A banknote, I say indignantly. No banker note, if you please, till my brave Englishman has earned it. First bank a note, says papa, in a great surprise. Who talked of a banknote? I mean a note of the terms, a memorandum of what he is expected to do. Go on with your lesson, Mr. Pesca, and I will give you the necessary extract from my friend's letter. Down sits the man of merchandise and money to his pen, ink and a paper, and down I go once again into the hell of Dante with my three young misses after me. In 10 minutes time the note is written, and the boots of papa are creaking themselves away in the passage outside. From that moment on, my faith and soul and honour I know nothing more. The glorious thought that I have caught my opportunity at last, and that my grateful service for my dearest friend in the world is as good as done already flies up into my head and makes me drunk. How I pull my young misses and myself out of our infernal region again. How my other business is done afterwards, how my little bit of dinner slides itself down my throat. I know no more than a man in the moon. Enough for me that here I am with the mighty merchant's note in my hand, as large as life, as hot as fire, and as happy as a king.

[Faith Moore]

Ha ha ha.

[Walter Hartright]

Right, right, right. All right.

[Faith Moore]

Here. The professor waved the memorandum of terms over his head and ended his long and voluble narrative with his shrill Italian parody on an English cheer.

[Professor Pesca]

So basically, Pesca has found a job.

[Faith Moore]

For Walter, and he hopes this will.

[Professor Pesca]

Repay his debt for saving Walter's life.

[Faith Moore]

My mother rose the moment he had done. With flushed cheeks and brightened eyes, she caught the little man warmly by both hands. My dear, good Pesca, she said, I never doubted your true affection for Walter, but I am more than ever persuaded of it now. I am sure we are very much obliged to Professor Pesca for Walter's sake, added Sara. She half rose while she spoke, as if to approach the armchair in her turn, but observing that Pesca was rapturously kissing my mother's hands, looked serious, and resumed her seat. If the familiar little man treats my mother in that way, how will he treat me?

[Professor Pesca]

Faces sometimes tell truth, and that was.

[Faith Moore]

Unquestionably the thought in Sarah's mind as.

[Professor Pesca]

She sat down again.

[Faith Moore]

Although I myself was gratefully sensible of the kindness of Pesca's motives, my spirits were hardly so much elevated as they ought to have been by the prospect of future employment now placed before me. When the professor had quite done with my mother's hand, and when I had warmly thanked him for his interference on my behalf, I asked to be allowed to look at the note of terms which his respectable patron had drawn up for my inspection, Pesca handed me the paper with a triumphant flourish of the hand.

[Walter Hartright]

Read, said the little man majestically. I promise you, my friend, the writing of the golden papa speaks with the tongue of trumpets.

[Faith Moore]

For itself the Note of terms was plain, straightforward and comprehensive. At any rate, it informed me, first, that Frederick Fairley, Esq. Of Limmeridge House, Cumberland, wanted to engage the services of a thoroughly competent drawing master for a period of four months.

[Professor Pesca]

Certain.

[Faith Moore]

Secondly, that the duties which the master was expected to perform would be of a twofold kind. He was to superintend the instruction of two young ladies in the art of painting in water colors, and he was to devote his leisure time afterwards to the business of repairing and mounting a valuable collection of drawings which had been suffered to fall into a condition of total neglect. Thirdly, that the terms offered to the person who should undertake and properly perform these duties were four guineas a week. That he was to reside at Limmeridge House, and that he was to be treated there on the footing of a gentleman. So the job is to teach two young ladies drawing and also to mount some paintings that have fallen into disrepair. He would live at the house, and he would be treated essentially as a guest rather than a servant. Fourthly. And lastly, that no person need think of applying for this situation unless he could furnish the most unexceptionable references to character and abilities. The references were to be sent to Mr. Fairlie's friend in London, who was empowered to conclude all necessary arrangements. These instructions were followed by the name and address of Pesca's employer in Portland Place. And there the note or memorandum ended. The prospect which this offer of an engagement held out was certainly an attractive one. The employment was likely to be both easy and agreeable. It was proposed to me at the autumn time of the year when I was least occupied, and the terms, judging by my personal experience in my profession, were surprisingly liberal. I knew this. I knew that I ought to consider.

[Professor Pesca]

Myself very fortunate if I succeeded in.

[Faith Moore]

Securing the offered employment. And yet, no sooner had I read the memorandum than I felt an inexplicable unwillingness within me to stir in the matter. Meaning, this sounds like a good job, but for some reason he doesn't want to do it. I had never in the whole of my previous experience found my duty and my inclination so painfully and so unaccountably at variance as I found them now. Oh, Walter, your father never had such.

[Professor Pesca]

A chance as this, said my mother when she had read the note of.

[Faith Moore]

Terms and had handed it back to me. Such distinguished people to know, remarked Sara, straightening herself in the chair. And on such gratifying terms of equality, too. Yes, yes, the terms in every sense are tempting enough, I replied impatiently. But before I send in my testimonials, I should like a little time to considerconsider.

[Professor Pesca]

Exclaimed my mother.

[Faith Moore]

Why, Walter, what is the matter with you? Consider. Echoed my sister. What a very extraordinary thing to say under the circumstances. Gonna say, Dar, chimed in the professor.

[Walter Hartright]

What is there to consider about? Answer me a have you not been complaining of your health? And have you not been longing for what you call a smack of the country breeze? Well, there in your hand is the paper that offers you perpetual choking mouthfuls of a country breeze for four months time. Is it not so?

[Faith Moore]

Ha.

[Walter Hartright]

Again you want money.

[Professor Pesca]

Well.

[Walter Hartright]

Is four golden guineas a week nothing? My soul. Bless my soul. Only give it to me, and my boots shall creak like the golden papas with a sense of the overpowering richness of the man who walks in them. Four guineas a week, and more than that, the charming society of two young misses and more than that, your bed, your breakfast, your dinner, your gorging English tea, teas and lunches and drinks of foaming a beer. All for nothing. Why, Walter, my dear good friend, do so. What a deuce. For the first time in my life I have not eyes enough in my head to look at you and wonder at you.

[Faith Moore]

Neither my mother's evident astonishment at my behavior nor Pesca's fervent enumerations of the advantages offered to me by the new employment had any effect in shaking my unreasonable disinclination to to go to Limmeridge House. After starting all the petty objections that.

[Professor Pesca]

I could think of to going to.

[Faith Moore]

Cumberland, and after hearing them answered one after another to my own complete discomfiture, I tried to set up a last obstacle by asking what was to become of my pupils in London while I was teaching Mr. Fairlie's young ladies to sketch from nature. The obvious answer to this was that the greater part of them would be away on their autumn travels pupils, and that the few who remained at home might be confided to the care of one of my brother drawing masters, whose pupils I had once taken off his hands under similar circumstances. My sister reminded me that this gentleman had expressly placed his services at my disposal during the present season in case I wished to leave town. My mother seriously appealed to me not to let an idle caprice stand in the way of my own interests and my own health and Pesca piteously entreated that I would not wound him to the heart by rejecting the first grateful offer of service that he had been able to make to the friend who had saved his life. The evident sincerity and affection which inspired these remonstrances would have influenced any man.

[Professor Pesca]

With an atom of good feeling in his composition.

[Faith Moore]

Though I could not conquer my own unaccountable perversity, I had at least virtue enough to be heartily ashamed of it and to end the discussion pleasantly by giving way and promising to do all that was wanted of me. The rest of the evening passed merrily enough in humorous anticipations of my coming life with the two young ladies in Cumberland. Pesca, inspired by our national grog, which appeared to get into his head in the most marvellous manner five minutes after it had gone down his throat, asserted his claims to be considered a complete Englishman by making a series of speeches in rapid succession proposing my mother's health, my sister's health, my health and the healths in mass of Mr. Fairlie and the two young Mrs. Pathetically returning thanks himself immediately afterwards for the whole party.

[Walter Hartright]

A secret, Walter, said my little friend.

[Professor Pesca]

Confidentially as we walked home together, I.

[Walter Hartright]

Am aflushed by the recollection of my own eloquence. My soul bursts itself with ambition. One of these days I go into your noble parliament. It is the dream of my whole life to be honorable Pesca.

[Faith Moore]

M. P. The next morning I sent my testimonials to the professor's employer in Portland Place. Three days passed, and I concluded with secret satisfaction that my papers had not been found sufficiently explicit. On the fourth day, however, an answer came. It announced that Mr. Fairley accepted my services and requested me to start for Cumberland immediately. All the necessary instructions for my journey were carefully and clearly added in a postscript. I made my arrangements unwillingly enough for leaving London early the next day. Towards evening, Pascal looked in on his way to a dinner party to bid me good bye.

[Walter Hartright]

I shall dry my tears in your.

[Faith Moore]

Absence, said the professor gaily, with this.

[Walter Hartright]

Glorious dot IT is my auspicious hand that has given the first push in your fortune in the world. Go, my friend, when your sun shines in Cumberland. English proverb. In the name of heaven, make your hay. Marry one of the two young misses become Hon. Hartright MP and when you are on the top of the ladder, remember that Pesca at the bottom has done it all.

[Faith Moore]

I tried to laugh with my little friend over his parting jest, but my spirits were not to be commanded. Something jarred in me almost painfully while he was speaking his light farewell words. When I was left alone again, nothing remained to be done but to walk to Hampstead Cottage and bid my mother and Sarah goodbye. Thank you so much for listening. I'd love to know what you thought of the chapters Is there anything you'd like me to clarify? Did something particularly interest you? Please go to my website, faithkmoore.com click on contact and send me your questions and thoughts. Or you can click on the link in the Show Notes to contact me. I'll feature one or two of your entries at the start of the next episode. Speaking of links, don't forget to take a look at the other links in the Show Notes. You can learn more about me, check out our merch store, or pick up one of my books. Before I go, I'd like to ask a quick favor. This is an independent podcast. It's produced, recorded and marketed by me. So I need your help. Spread the word about the show by posting about it on social media or texting a link to your friends. Subscribe, tap those five stars and leave a positive review wherever you're listening. If you are able to support the show financially, there's a link in the Show Notes to make a donation. I would really, really appreciate it. Alright everyone, story time is over. To be continued.