Jemima was
for some time in despair of his ever returning to the office, or
resuming his old habits of business. He had evidently threatened
as much to her husband. All that Jemima could do was to turn a
deaf ear to every allusion to this menace, which he threw out
from time to time, evidently with a view to see if it had struck
deep enough into her husband's mind for him to have repeated it
to his wife. If Mr. Farquhar had named it--if it was known only
to two or three to have been, but for one half-hour even, his
resolution--Mr. Bradshaw could have adhered to it, without any
other reason than the maintenance of what he called consistency,
but which was in fact doggedness. Jemima was often thankful that
her mother was absent, and gone to nurse her son. If she had been
at home, she would have entreated and implored her husband to
fall back into his usual habits, and would have shown such a
dread of his being as good as his word, that he would have been
compelled to adhere to it by the very consequence affixed to it.
Mr. Farquhar had hard work, as it was, in passing rapidly enough
between the two places--attending to his business at Eccleston;
and deciding, comforting, and earnestly talking, in Richard's
sick-room. During an absence of his, it was necessary to apply to
one of the partners on some matter of importance; and
accordingly, to Jemima's secret joy, Mr. Watson came up and asked
if her father was well enough to see him on business? Jemima
carried in this inquiry literally; and the hesitating answer
which her father gave was in the affirmative.
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