An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 2019 words)
E came again, without managing the last parting; and again and again,
without finding that Mrs. Penniman had as yet done much to pave the path
of retreat with flowers. It was devilish awkward, as he said, and he
felt a lively animosity for Catherine’s aunt, who, as he had now quite
formed the habit of saying to himself, had dragged him into the mess and
was bound in common charity to get him out of it. Mrs. Penniman, to tell
the truth, had, in the seclusion of her own apartment—and, I may add,
amid the suggestiveness of Catherine’s, which wore in those days the
appearance of that of a young lady laying out her trousseau—Mrs.
Penniman had measured her responsibilities, and taken fright at their
magnitude. The task of preparing Catherine and easing off Morris
presented difficulties which increased in the execution, and even led the
impulsive Lavinia to ask herself whether the modification of the young
man’s original project had been conceived in a happy spirit. A brilliant
future, a wider career, a conscience exempt from the reproach of
interference between a young lady and her natural rights—these excellent
things might be too troublesomely purchased. From Catherine herself Mrs.
Penniman received no assistance whatever; the poor girl was apparently
without suspicion of her danger. She looked at her lover with eyes of
undiminished trust, and though she had less confidence in her aunt than
in a young man with whom she had exchanged so many tender vows, she gave
her no handle for explaining or confessing. Mrs. Penniman, faltering and
wavering, declared Catherine was very stupid, put off the great scene, as
she would have called it, from day to day, and wandered about very
uncomfortably, primed, to repletion, with her apology, but unable to
bring it to the light. Morris’s own scenes were very small ones just
now; but even these were beyond his strength. He made his visits as
brief as possible, and while he sat with his mistress, found terribly
little to talk about. She was waiting for him, in vulgar parlance, to
name the day; and so long as he was unprepared to be explicit on this
point it seemed a mockery to pretend to talk about matters more abstract.
She had no airs and no arts; she never attempted to disguise her
expectancy. She was waiting on his good pleasure, and would wait
modestly and patiently; his hanging back at this supreme time might
appear strange, but of course he must have a good reason for it.
Catherine would have made a wife of the gentle old-fashioned
pattern—regarding reasons as favours and windfalls, but no more expecting
one every day than she would have expected a bouquet of camellias.
During the period of her engagement, however, a young lady even of the
most slender pretensions counts upon more bouquets than at other times;
and there was a want of perfume in the air at this moment which at last
excited the girl’s alarm.
“Are you sick?” she asked of Morris. “You seem so restless, and you look
pale.”
“I am not at all well,” said Morris; and it occurred to him that, if he
could only make her pity him enough, he might get off.
“I am afraid you are overworked; you oughtn’t to work so much.”
“I must do that.” And then he added, with a sort of calculated
brutality, “I don’t want to owe you everything!”
“Ah, how can you say that?”
“I am too proud,” said Morris.
“Yes—you are too proud!”
“Well, you must take me as I am,” he went on, “you can never change me.”
“I don’t want to change you,” she said gently. “I will take you as you
are!” And she stood looking at him.
“You know people talk tremendously about a man’s marrying a rich girl,”
Morris remarked. “It’s excessively disagreeable.”
“But I am not rich?” said Catherine.
“You are rich enough to make me talked about!”
“Of course you are talked about. It’s an honour!”
“It’s an honour I could easily dispense with.”
She was on the point of asking him whether it were not a compensation for
this annoyance that the poor girl who had the misfortune to bring it upon
him, loved him so dearly and believed in him so truly; but she hesitated,
thinking that this would perhaps seem an exacting speech, and while she
hesitated, he suddenly left her.
The next time he came, however, she brought it out, and she told him
again that he was too proud. He repeated that he couldn’t change, and
this time she felt the impulse to say that with a little effort he might
change.
Sometimes he thought that if he could only make a quarrel with her it
might help him; but the question was how to quarrel with a young woman
who had such treasures of concession. “I suppose you think the effort is
all on your side!” he was reduced to exclaiming. “Don’t you believe that
I have my own effort to make?”
“It’s all yours now,” she said. “My effort is finished and done with!”
“Well, mine is not.”
“We must bear things together,” said Catherine. “That’s what we ought to
do.”
Morris attempted a natural smile. “There are some things which we can’t
very well bear together—for instance, separation.”
“Why do you speak of separation?”
“Ah! you don’t like it; I knew you wouldn’t!”
“Where are you going, Morris?” she suddenly asked.
He fixed his eye on her for a moment, and for a part of that moment she
was afraid of it. “Will you promise not to make a scene?”
“A scene!—do I make scenes?”
“All women do!” said Morris, with the tone of large experience.
“I don’t. Where are you going?”
“If I should say I was going away on business, should you think it very
strange?”
She wondered a moment, gazing at him. “Yes—no. Not if you will take me
with you.”
“Take you with me—on business?”
“What is your business? Your business is to be with me.”
“I don’t earn my living with you,” said Morris. “Or rather,” he cried
with a sudden inspiration, “that’s just what I do—or what the world says
I do!”
This ought perhaps to have been a great stroke, but it miscarried.
“Where are you going?” Catherine simply repeated.
“To New Orleans. About buying some cotton.”
“I am perfectly willing to go to New Orleans.” Catherine said.
“Do you suppose I would take you to a nest of yellow fever?” cried
Morris. “Do you suppose I would expose you at such a time as this?”
“If there is yellow fever, why should you go? Morris, you must not go!”
“It is to make six thousand dollars,” said Morris. “Do you grudge me
that satisfaction?”
“We have no need of six thousand dollars. You think too much about
money!”
“You can afford to say that? This is a great chance; we heard of it last
night.” And he explained to her in what the chance consisted; and told
her a long story, going over more than once several of the details, about
the remarkable stroke of business which he and his partner had planned
between them.
But Catherine’s imagination, for reasons best known to herself,
absolutely refused to be fired. “If you can go to New Orleans, I can
go,” she said. “Why shouldn’t you catch yellow fever quite as easily as
I? I am every bit as strong as you, and not in the least afraid of any
fever. When we were in Europe, we were in very unhealthy places; my
father used to make me take some pills. I never caught anything, and I
never was nervous. What will be the use of six thousand dollars if you
die of a fever? When persons are going to be married they oughtn’t to
think so much about business. You shouldn’t think about cotton, you
should think about me. You can go to New Orleans some other time—there
will always be plenty of cotton. It isn’t the moment to choose—we have
waited too long already.” She spoke more forcibly and volubly than he
had ever heard her, and she held his arm in her two hands.
“You said you wouldn’t make a scene!” cried Morris. “I call this a
scene.”
“It’s you that are making it! I have never asked you anything before.
We have waited too long already.” And it was a comfort to her to think
that she had hitherto asked so little; it seemed to make her right to
insist the greater now.
Morris bethought himself a little. “Very well, then; we won’t talk about
it any more. I will transact my business by letter.” And he began to
smooth his hat, as if to take leave.
“You won’t go?” And she stood looking up at him.
He could not give up his idea of provoking a quarrel; it was so much the
simplest way! He bent his eyes on her upturned face, with the darkest
frown he could achieve. “You are not discreet. You mustn’t bully me!”
But, as usual, she conceded everything. “No, I am not discreet; I know I
am too pressing. But isn’t it natural? It is only for a moment.”
“In a moment you may do a great deal of harm. Try and be calmer the next
time I come.”
“When will you come?”
“Do you want to make conditions?” Morris asked. “I will come next
Saturday.”
“Come to-morrow,” Catherine begged; “I want you to come to-morrow. I
will be very quiet,” she added; and her agitation had by this time become
so great that the assurance was not becoming. A sudden fear had come
over her; it was like the solid conjunction of a dozen disembodied
doubts, and her imagination, at a single bound, had traversed an enormous
distance. All her being, for the moment, centred in the wish to keep him
in the room.
Morris bent his head and kissed her forehead. “When you are quiet, you
are perfection,” he said; “but when you are violent, you are not in
character.”
It was Catherine’s wish that there should be no violence about her save
the beating of her heart, which she could not help; and she went on, as
gently as possible, “Will you promise to come to-morrow?”
“I said Saturday!” Morris answered, smiling. He tried a frown at one
moment, a smile at another; he was at his wit’s end.
“Yes, Saturday too,” she answered, trying to smile. “But to-morrow
first.” He was going to the door, and she went with him quickly. She
leaned her shoulder against it; it seemed to her that she would do
anything to keep him.
“If I am prevented from coming to-morrow, you will say I have deceived
you!” he said.
“How can you be prevented? You can come if you will.”
“I am a busy man—I am not a dangler!” cried Morris sternly.
His voice was so hard and unnatural that, with a helpless look at him,
she turned away; and then he quickly laid his hand on the door-knob. He
felt as if he were absolutely running away from her. But in an instant
she was close to him again, and murmuring in a tone none the less
penetrating for being low, “Morris, you are going to leave me.”
“Yes, for a little while.”
“For how long?”
“Till you are reasonable again.”
“I shall never be reasonable in that way!” And she tried to keep him
longer; it was almost a struggle. “Think of what I have done!” she broke
out. “Morris, I have given up everything!”
“You shall have everything back!”
“You wouldn’t say that if you didn’t mean something. What is it?—what
has happened?—what have I done?—what has changed you?”
“I will write to you—that is better,” Morris stammered.
“Ah, you won’t come back!” she cried, bursting into tears.
“Dear Catherine,” he said, “don’t believe that I promise you that you
shall see me again!” And he managed to get away and to close the door
behind him.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Creating elaborate circumstances to avoid directly ending a commitment, hoping the other party will do the breaking up instead.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone is creating problems to avoid taking responsibility for ending a relationship or commitment.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone keeps adding complications to simple situations - they might be hoping you'll give up so they don't have to say no directly.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"She looked at her lover with eyes of undiminished trust"
Context: Describing Catherine's continued faith in Morris despite his obvious attempts to escape
This shows the tragic gap between Catherine's innocent trust and Morris's deception. Her unwavering faith makes his betrayal more cruel and his escape more difficult.
In Today's Words:
She still believed in him completely, even when he was clearly pulling away
"It was devilish awkward, as he said"
Context: Morris's internal frustration about being trapped in the engagement
This reveals Morris's selfishness - he sees the situation only in terms of his own discomfort, not the pain he's causing Catherine. The casual profanity shows his lack of respect for the sacred nature of engagement.
In Today's Words:
This whole thing was really messing with his head
"The poor girl was apparently without suspicion of her danger"
Context: Describing Catherine's unawareness that Morris wants to leave her
The word 'danger' is crucial - it shows that losing Morris would genuinely harm Catherine, while also suggesting her innocence makes her vulnerable to betrayal.
In Today's Words:
She had no idea he was about to break her heart
Thematic Threads
Emotional Cowardice
In This Chapter
Morris creates an elaborate business trip story rather than honestly ending the engagement
Development
His cowardice has escalated from passive avoidance to active deception
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when someone in your life starts creating unnecessary drama instead of having a direct conversation.
Clear-Sighted Love
In This Chapter
Catherine sees through every excuse Morris makes but responds with patience and reason
Development
Her clarity about others has grown while her self-protection instincts remain underdeveloped
In Your Life:
You might find yourself making excuses for someone's bad behavior because you love them and want to believe their explanations.
Trapped by Kindness
In This Chapter
The more reasonable and accommodating Catherine becomes, the more trapped Morris feels
Development
This dynamic has been building as Catherine's goodness makes Morris's selfishness more obvious
In Your Life:
You might have experienced how being understanding and flexible can sometimes make difficult people feel worse, not better.
Guilt and Paralysis
In This Chapter
Mrs. Penniman knows she helped create this mess but is too paralyzed by guilt to help fix it
Development
Her meddling has consequences she didn't anticipate and can't handle
In Your Life:
You might recognize times when your good intentions created problems you felt too ashamed to address directly.
The Weight of Pretense
In This Chapter
Morris's elaborate lies require constant maintenance and make him increasingly desperate
Development
His deceptions have grown more complex as his situation becomes more impossible
In Your Life:
You might have experienced how small lies require bigger lies, creating stress that's often worse than just telling the truth would have been.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What elaborate story does Morris create to avoid breaking up with Catherine directly, and how does she respond to each of his excuses?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Morris choose to create this complicated New Orleans business story instead of simply telling Catherine he wants to end their engagement?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern of creating elaborate excuses instead of having an honest conversation - in workplaces, relationships, or family situations?
application • medium - 4
If you were Catherine's friend, what advice would you give her about how to handle Morris's obvious attempt to make her break up with him?
application • deep - 5
What does Morris's behavior reveal about how people handle situations where they want out of commitments but don't want to be seen as the 'bad guy'?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Decode the Real Message
Think of a recent situation where someone gave you elaborate reasons for why they couldn't do something - cancel plans, avoid a conversation, delay a decision. Write down their stated reasons, then write what you think they were really trying to communicate. Practice translating excuse-language into honest communication.
Consider:
- •Look for patterns where the excuses keep getting more complicated or unreasonable
- •Notice if the person seems to want you to argue with them or get frustrated
- •Consider whether they're hoping you'll make the decision for them so they don't have to
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you created elaborate excuses instead of having an honest conversation. What were you really afraid would happen if you told the truth?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 30: The Mask Falls Away
Catherine's worst fears are about to be confirmed as she faces the devastating aftermath of Morris's visit. Her world is about to change forever, and she'll discover just how much strength she actually possesses.
