Synthesis and Operability Strategies for

Computer-Aided Modular Process

Intensification Efstratios N.
Pistikopoulos
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Synthesis and Operability
Strategies for
Computer-Aided Modular
Process Intensification
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 Synthesis and Operability
Strategies for
Computer-Aided Modular
Process Intensification
Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos
Texas A&M Energy Institute; Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX, United States

Yuhe Tian
Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV, United States
Elsevier
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In the memory of Professors Christodoulos A. Floudas, M. Sam Mannan,
and M. Nazmul Karim
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Contents

Authors’ biographies xiii

Preface xv
Acknowledgments xxi

PART 1. Preliminaries

1. Introduction to modular process intensification 3

1.1. Introduction 3
1.2. Definitions and principles of modular process
intensification 3
1.3. Modular process intensification technology showcases 7
References 16

2. Computer-aided modular process intensification: design,

synthesis, and operability 19
2.1. Conceptual synthesis and design 20
2.2. Operability, safety, and control analysis 29
2.3. Research challenges and key questions 35
References 37

PART 2. Methodologies

3. Phenomena-based synthesis representation for modular

process intensification 45
3.1. A prelude on phenomena-based PI synthesis 45
3.2. Generalized Modular Representation Framework 47
3.3. Driving force constraints 48
3.4. Key features of GMF synthesis 52
vii
viii Contents

3.5. Motivating examples 53

References 57

4. Process synthesis, optimization, and intensification 59

4.1. Problem statement 59
4.2. GMF synthesis model 60
4.3. Pseudo-capital cost estimation 68
4.4. Solution strategy 70
4.5. Motivating example: GMF synthesis representation and
optimization of a binary distillation system 73
Nomenclature 76
References 77

5. Enhanced GMF for process synthesis, intensification, and

heat integration 79
5.1. GMF synthesis model with Orthogonal Collocation 79
5.2. GMF synthesis model with heat integration 82
5.3. Motivating example: GMF synthesis, intensification, and
heat integration of a ternary separation system 86
References 93

6. Steady-state flexibility analysis 95

6.1. Basic concepts 95
6.2. Problem definition 95
6.3. Solution algorithms 98
6.4. Design and synthesis of flexible processes 103
6.5. Tutorial example: flexibility analysis of heat exchanger
network 105
References 110
 Contents ix

7. Inherent safety analysis 111

7.1. Dow Chemical Exposure Index 111
7.2. Dow Fire and Explosion Index 112
7.3. Safety Weighted Hazard Index 115
7.4. Quantitative risk assessment 120
References 122

8. Multi-parametric model predictive control 123

8.1. Process control basics 123
8.2. Explicit model predictive control via multi-parametric
programming 128
8.3. The PAROC framework 135
8.4. Case study: multi-parametric model predictive control of an
extractive distillation column 139
References 145

9. Synthesis of operable process intensification systems 147

9.1. Problem statement 147
9.2. A systematic framework for synthesis of operable process
intensification systems 148
9.3. Steady-state synthesis with flexibility and safety
considerations 150
9.4. Motivating example: heat exchanger network synthesis 157
References 160

PART 3. Case studies

10. Envelope of design solutions for intensified

reaction/separation systems 163
10.1. The Feinberg Decomposition 164
10.2. Case study: olefin metathesis 165
References 172
x Contents

11. Process intensification synthesis of extractive separation

systems with material selection 173
11.1. Problem statement 173
11.2. Case study: ethanol-water separation 174
References 186

12. Process intensification synthesis of dividing wall column

systems 187
12.1. Case study: methyl methacrylate purification 188
12.2. Base case design and simulation analysis 190
12.3. Process intensification synthesis via GMF 193
References 206

13. Operability and control analysis in modular process

intensification systems 207
13.1. Loss of degrees of freedom 207
13.2. Role of process constraints 211
13.3. Numbering up vs. scaling up 216
13.4. Remarks 219
References 221

14. A framework for synthesis of operable and intensified

reactive separation systems 223
14.1. Process description 223
14.2. Synthesis of intensified and operable MTBE production
systems 227
References 246

15. A software prototype for synthesis of operable process

intensification systems 247
15.1. The SYNOPSIS software prototype 247
15.2. Case study: pentene metathesis reaction 249
References 261
 Contents xi

A. Process modeling, synthesis, and control of reactive

distillation systems 263
A.1. Modeling of reactive distillation systems 263
A.2. Short-cut design of reactive distillation 264
A.3. Synthesis design of reactive distillation 265
A.4. Process control of reactive distillation 266
A.5. Software tools for modeling, simulation, and design of
reactive distillation 267
References 268

B. Driving force constraints and physical and/or chemical

equilibrium conditions 271
B.1. Pure separation systems 271
B.2. Reactive separation systems 272
B.3. Pure reaction systems 272

C. Reactive distillation dynamic modeling 275

C.1. Process structure 275
C.2. Tray modeling 276
C.3. Reboiler and condenser modeling 280
C.4. Physical properties 280
C.5. Initial conditions 280
C.6. Equipment cost correlations 280
References 281

D. Nonlinear optimization formulation of the Feinberg

Decomposition approach 283
References 285

E. Degrees of freedom analysis and controller design in

modular process intensification systems 287
E.1. Degrees of freedom analysis 287
E.2. Controller tuning for olefin metathesis case study 291
References 294
xii Contents

F. MTBE reactive distillation model validation and dynamic

analysis 295
F.1. MTBE reactive distillation model validation with commercial
Aspen simulator 295
F.2. Steady-state and dynamic analyses on the selection of
manipulated variable for MTBE reactive distillation 295
References 298

Index 299
Authors’ biographies

Dr. Yuhe Tian is an assistant professor in the Department

of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at West Virginia
University. Prior to joining WVU, she received her PhD de-
gree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University
under the supervision of Professor Efstratios N. Pistikopou-
los (2016–2021). She holds bachelor’s degrees in chemical
engineering and mathematics from Tsinghua University,
China (2012–2016). Her research focuses on the develop-
ment and application of multi-scale systems engineering
tools for modular process intensification, clean energy in-
novation, systems integration, and sustainable supply chain
optimization.

Dr. Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos is the Director of the Texas

A&M Energy Institute and the Dow Chemical Chair Pro-
fessor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical En-
gineering at Texas A&M University. He was a professor
of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, UK
(1991–2015) and the Director of its Centre for Process Sys-
tems Engineering (2002–2009). He holds a PhD degree from
Carnegie Mellon University and worked with Shell Chemi-
cals in Amsterdam before joining Imperial. He has authored
or co-authored over 500 major research publications in the
areas of modeling, control, and optimization of process, en-
ergy, and systems engineering applications, as well as 15
books and three patents. He is a Fellow of IChemE and
AIChE, and the editor-in-chief of Computers & Chemical Engineering. In 2007, Prof. Pis-
tikopoulos was a co-recipient of the prestigious MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy
of Engineering. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Computing in Chemical Engineering
Award of CAST/AIChE, while in 2020 he received the Sargent Medal from the Institution
of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). He is a member of the Academy of Medicine, Engineer-
ing and Science of Texas. In 2021, he received the AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum
Research Award. He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in 2014 from the Univer-
sity Politehnica of Bucharest, and from the University of Pannonia in 2015. In 2013, he was
elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom.

xiii
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Preface
Today’s chemical process industry is faced with pressing challenges to sustain the increas-
ingly competitive global market with rising concerns on energy, water, food, and environ-
ment. Process intensification (PI) offers many promising opportunities to address these
challenges. It aims to realize step changes in process economics, energy efficiency, and
environmental impacts by developing novel process schemes and equipment. The syn-
ergistic nature between modular design and many PI technologies, which function the
most effectively at small scale and feature standardized equipment, adds to the potential of
modular process intensification towards flexible, agile, and efficient production systems.
Modular process intensification has gained significant impetus in the past decades fea-
turing both successful industrial applications and burgeoning scientific research interests.
However, early breakthroughs in this area mostly relied on Edisonian efforts via experi-
mentation while lacking theory and fundamental understanding towards systematic inno-
vation. Meanwhile, these novel technologies bring new design and operational challenges
such as design complexity, safety concerns under extreme operating conditions, operation
under uncertainty, unsteady-state operation, etc. Computational tools are in dire need to
assess and optimize such systems at the early design stage.
In this context, computer-aided modular process intensification has become a rapidly
emerging research theme in recent years. The model-based methods and tools, with ex-
pertise of the Process Systems Engineering (PSE) community, can support quantitative
decision making by providing techno-economic evaluations as well as predictive capa-
bilities on the design and operation of modular and intensified systems. This book aims
to provide a unified methodology framework for the design of operable modular process
intensification systems using advanced process synthesis and operability methods, as de-
picted in Fig. 1. Specifically, this book will cover the following topics:

Topic 1: introduction on computer-aided modular process intensification

PI can be achieved by utilizing the synergy between multi-functional phenomena, inte-
grating multiple process steps into a single equipment, enhancing the mass, heat, and
momentum transfer rate, etc. We will present an overview of the basic concepts and fun-
damental principles of modular process intensification from an evolutionary perspective.
A number of representative intensified technologies will also be introduced, e.g. hybrid re-
action/separation systems, micro-reaction systems, periodic systems. We will then discuss
how computer-aided methods and tools can contribute to systematically generate innova-
tive process design solutions with guaranteed operational performances. To this purpose,
state-of-the-art methodological developments for synthesis, optimization, and control of
intensified systems will be reviewed.
xv
xvi Preface

FIGURE 1 An overview of the synthesis and operability methods and a unified framework introduced in this book.

Topic 2: process intensification synthesis via a phenomena-based

modular representation approach
The Generalized Modular Representation Framework (GMF), as a representative method-
ology for PI synthesis, will be detailed with mathematical formulation and algorithm im-
plementation. A number of engineering application case studies will be presented to show-
case GMF for the design of diverse intensified systems (reactive separation, dividing wall
column, etc.). We will also explore the following research questions towards systematic
process innovation: (i) how to exploit the synergy of multi-functional phenomena (e.g.,
reaction and separation) – without pre-postulation of tasks or equipment? (ii) how to de-
termine the performance limits of intensified designs and benchmark with the ultimate
thermodynamic or kinetics bounds? (iii) how to encapsulate intensified designs and their
conventional counterparts in a unified synthesis representation and to identify when in-
tensified designs will outperform in terms of economics, energy savings, etc.? and (iv) what
is the role of functional materials (e.g., catalysts, solvents)?

Topic 3: model-based flexibility, inherent safety, and control analysis for

modular process intensification systems
Advanced operability analysis, inherent safety analysis, and model-based control strate-
gies developed in the PSE community will be introduced to assess the operational perfor-
mance of chemical process systems. Particularly, we will talk about the seminal flexibility
test/index approach to ensure feasible operation under uncertainty, inherent safety in-
dices and quantitative risk analysis to evaluate process safety at the early design stage,
and explicit/multi-parametric model predictive control following the PAROC (PARametric
 Preface xvii

Optimization and Control) framework to derive optimal dynamic operation strategies.

Tutorial examples will be presented with step-by-step procedures to showcase the appli-
cation of these methods in modular PI systems. To understand the unique operational
challenges and needs resulted by modularization and intensification, we will also analyze
the impact on operability of key factors including: (i) degrees of freedom, (ii) process con-
straints, (iii) numbering up vs. scaling up, etc.

Topic 4: a systematic framework for the synthesis of operable process

intensification systems
To highlight the importance of integrating operability criteria in the design of intensified
systems, we will present an integrated GMF-flexibility-safety synthesis approach which en-
ables the automated generation of safely operable modular PI systems from phenomena
level. A step-wise framework is further developed which synergizes: (i) phenomena-based
process synthesis with GMF to derive novel intensified design configurations, (ii) inte-
grated design with flexibility and inherent safety considerations, and (iii) simultaneous
design and explicit model predictive control optimization to generate verifiable, operable,
and optimal intensified systems. Multiple process design solutions can be delivered from
the framework with the trade-offs between economic and operational performances. An
integrated computer-aided software prototype will also be demonstrated to automate the
distinct synthesis and operability tools as well as to implement the entire framework.

To facilitate the readers to learn and apply the techniques to their research and/or in-
dustrial problems of interest, the book is organized into three parts, respectively as Prelim-
inaries, Methodologies, and Case Studies. In this way, each chapter will focus on a certain
methodology, or application topic, consisting of the corresponding basic principles, model
formulation, solution algorithm, and step-by-step implementation guidance on key pro-
cedures. More specifically:

Part 1: Preliminaries
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the evolution of modular process intensification def-
initions and fundamental principles. An overview will be given on the current status of
academic research and industrial applications regarding specific modular PI technologies,
including but not limited to dividing wall column, membrane-assisted separation, pres-
sure swing adsorption, etc.

Chapter 2 highlights some recent PSE advances for modular process intensification. Pro-
cess synthesis methods, particularly highlighting the use of phenomena-based represen-
tation, can systematically generate novel process solutions. Advanced operability and con-
trol strategies will also be reviewed which aim to ensure feasible process operation under
uncertainty.
xviii Preface

Part 2: Methodologies
Chapter 3 introduces GMF for the representation of chemical process systems using mod-
ular phenomena building blocks, which lays the foundation for this book to drive innova-
tion. We will discuss in detail the mass/heat exchange modular representation concepts,
the key GMF synthesis features, and the driving force constraints based on total Gibbs free
energy change.
Chapter 4 demonstrates GMF for process synthesis, optimization, and intensification. We
will present the GMF superstructure network which can capture both conventional and
novel process configurations, the mathematical model which is formulated as a mixed-
integer nonlinear programming problem, and the tailored solution strategy which can
efficiently screen the combinatorial design space.
Chapter 5 extends GMF as a unified approach for process intensification synthesis, heat
integration, and thermal coupling. We will discuss the heat transfer feasibility constraints
based on temperature gradient, which requires no pre-postulation of stream thermal prop-
erties in the process synthesis formulation. Extensions of GMF with orthogonal collocation
will also be detailed to enhance intra-module representation.
Chapter 6 introduces the flexibility analysis approaches to assess if a design is feasible un-
der expected process uncertainties. The mathematical formulation and solution algorithm
of flexibility test and flexibility index will be highlighted. To synthesize flexible process sys-
tems, a multi-period design approach will be presented.
Chapter 7 discusses inherent safety analysis at the conceptual design stage. Quantitative
risk analysis and inherent safety indices (e.g., Dow Fire & Explosion Index, Dow Chemical
Exposure Index, Safety Weighted Hazard Index) will be introduced and demonstrated.
Chapter 8 talks about advanced model-based control strategies, with particular emphasis
on explicit/multi-parametric control. We will also introduce the PAROC (PARametric Opti-
mization and Control) framework which is an integrated framework and software platform
for the design and control optimization of complex process systems.
Chapter 9 highlights integrated process intensification synthesis with operability, safety,
and control considerations. We will present a holistic SYNOPSIS framework, standing for
SYNthesis of Operable ProcesS Intensification Systems. Leveraging the above introduced
synthesis and operability strategies, the framework can systematically and consistently ad-
dress steady-state and dynamic design and operation in intensified processes.

Part 3: Case studies

Chapter 10 applies GMF with attainable region-based theory to quantitatively identify the
performance limits and to develop an envelope of design solutions for reaction/separation
systems, prior to establishing any specific process designs. The approach will be show-
cased via a case study on olefin metathesis for butene and hexene production.
 Preface xix

Chapter 11 addresses simultaneous solvent selection and process intensification synthe-

sis using GMF. Physical property models are explicitly incorporated in the synthesis model
formulation to assess solvent performance in facilitating separation. A representative
ethanol-water separation case study will be presented, considering the use of an ionic liq-
uid solvent candidate.
Chapter 12 showcases GMF on synthesizing heterogeneous multi-component separation
systems, with particular interest in exploring the use of dividing wall columns. Con-
ventional or novel process structures, such as two-column sequences and dividing wall
columns, can be systematically generated without pre-postulation of equipment design.
Chapter 13 performs rigorous model-based analyses towards a fundamental understand-
ing of operability, safety, and control challenges in process intensification and modular
designs. Comparative examples will be presented to showcase the pros and cons in in-
tensified and modular systems versus their conventional counterparts from operational
aspects.
Chapter 14 demonstrates the integrated SYNOPSIS framework to deliver verifiable, opera-
ble, and intensified systems through a methyl tert-butyl ether production case study. The
approach can systematically integrate design and operability considerations at different
stages (i.e., phenomena-based synthesis, steady-state design, control optimization).
Chapter 15 presents a software prototype based on the SYNOPSIS framework. The proto-
type comprises: (i) Process Intensification Synthesis Suite – to generate promising process
configurations based on GMF, (ii) Operability and Control Suite – to ensure the actual op-
erational performance of the resulting intensified systems, and (iii) Process Intensification
Model library – with specialized steady-state and dynamic PI models.
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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Texas A&M Energy Institute,
Shell, National Science Foundation PAROC Project (Grant No. 1705423), and Department
of Energy RAPID Manufacturing Institute for Process Intensification SYNOPSIS Project
(DE-EE0007888-09-03, Partner Organizations: Texas A&M University, Georgia Institute of
Technology, Auburn University, Shell, The Dow Chemical Company, Siemens Process Sys-
tems Enterprise).

xxi
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 PA RT

1
Preliminaries

1
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 1
Introduction to modular process
intensification

1.1 Introduction
Facing a highly competitive global market with increasing awareness on environmental
and safety issues, chemical production is making its way towards a paradigm shift to more
efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more versatile. Process intensification and
modular design are regarded as promising solutions to pursue this structural transforma-
tion, gaining significant recent impetus in the chemical/energy industry and the chemical
engineering research community.
Process intensification (PI) aims to boost process and energy efficiency, enhance pro-
cess profitability and safety, while reducing waste and emissions by utilizing the synergy
between multi-functional phenomena at different time and spatial scales, as well as by en-
hancing process driving forces such as the mass, heat, and/or, momentum transfer rates,
through the use of novel process schemes and equipment [1]. A wide range of PI technolo-
gies have been developed [2], some of which are already successfully commercialized such
as reverse flow reactor, reactive distillation, and dividing wall column, to name a few.
On the other hand, modular design is a different while often concurrent concept to
process intensification. It aims to dramatically reduce the size of process units to change
from “the economy of scale” to small, distributed, and standardized plants with better
flexibility and faster response to demand changes, especially for utilization of unconven-
tional feedstocks and for specialty chemical production [3]. A key question for modular
design is the gain or loss in cost efficiency vs. design/operation agileness when comparing
“numbering up” against conventional “scaling up”. For many intensified technologies (e.g.,
micro-reactors, membrane reactors, alternative energy sources) which inherently function
the most effectively at smaller scales, the combination of PI technologies with modular de-
sign may provide an encouraging synergistic process solution [4].
In this chapter, we introduce the key concepts of modular PI, state-of-the-art research
and industrial developments, and representative technology showcases.

1.2 Definitions and principles of modular process

intensification
The concept of PI was first introduced into the Chemical Engineering discipline in 1983
marked by the paper of Colin Ramshaw from the ICI New Science Group, who described
their studies on centrifugal fields (so-called “HiGee”) in distillation processes [5]. Since
Synthesis and Operability Strategies for Computer-Aided Modular Process Intensification 3
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4 Synthesis and Operability Strategies for Computer-Aided Modular PI

then, several definitions of PI have been proposed, the differences of which mainly stem
from the targeted scope in PI outcomes and the proposed strategies to achieve these out-
comes. An indicative list of PI definitions is presented in Table 1.1 [11]. Interestingly, this
also shows the evolution of PI principles and targets from: (i) initially emphasizing equip-
ment size reduction and cost savings to recognizing PI with a broader impact towards more
efficient, more sustainable, and safer processes, (ii) initially regarding PI as a standalone
“toolbox” containing particular technology examples towards exploring PI fundamentals
with respect to the role of multi-functional synergy, multi-scale driving forces, etc.

Table 1.1 Evolution of PI definitions and principles – An indicative list. (Reproduced

from Tian et al. [11].)
Reference Definition Year
Ramshaw [5] Devise exceedingly compact plant which reduces both the main plant 1983
item and the installation costs
Stankiewicz & Moulijn [1] Substantially decrease equipment volume, energy consumption, or 2000
waste formation; Lead to cheaper, safer, sustainable technologies
Arizmendi-Sanchez & Sharratt [6] Synergistic integration of process tasks and coupling of phenomena; 2008
Targeted intensification of transport processes
Becht et al. [7] Sustain profitability even in the presence of increasing uncertainties 2009
Van Gerven & Stankiewicz [8] Maximize the effectiveness of intra- and inter-molecular events; 2009
Give each molecule the same processing experience;
Optimize the driving forces at every scale;
Maximize the synergistic effects for multitasking
Lutze et al. [9] Add/Enhance phenomena in a process through the integration of oper- 2010
ations, functions, phenomena;
Or through the targeted enhancement of phenomena
Ponce-Ortega et al. [10] Smaller equipment size; Higher throughput; Higher performance; 2012
Less usage of utility materials and feedstock

To start with, Ramshaw [5] defined PI as the reduction of “both the main plant item and
the installation costs”. A wider definition was later proposed by Stankiewicz and Moulijn
[1] to recognize PI as any practice towards smaller, cheaper, safer, and/or more cost and
energy efficient processes, in addition to only the reduction of unit size or costs. Becht et al.
[7] further enriched the PI definition with “... to sustain profitability even in the presence
of increasing uncertainties”, which observed PI as a more general practice and included
flexibility and robustness as major PI outcomes.
There are also more holistic perspectives to define PI activities. Ponce-Ortega et al. [10],
for instance, defined PI as any activity aiming at the following five outcomes: (i) smaller
equipment size for a given throughput, (ii) higher throughput for a given equipment size
or a given process, (iii) less holdup in equipment or less inventory in process for the same
throughput, (iv) less usage of utility materials and feedstock for a given throughput, and
(v) higher performance for a given unit size. This definition regarded PI as an extension
of process integration activities. Based on this, they summarized the potential benefits of
 Chapter 1 • Introduction to modular process intensification 5

PI activities to be realizing cheaper, safer, more energy efficient, and/or more environ-
mentally friendly processes through innovation, and finally, valuing customers through
just-in-time manufacturing.
Arizmendi-Sánchez and Sharratt [6] highlighted two design principles for PI: (i) syner-
gistic integration of process tasks and coupling of phenomena, and (ii) targeted intensifi-
cation of transport processes. Lutze et al. [9] extended these principles by “adding/enhanc-
ing phenomena in a process through the integration of operations, functions, phenomena
or alternatively through the targeted enhancement of phenomena in an operation” to
stress the importance of phenomena-based thinking in PI. Accordingly, an ongoing at-
tempt in the Process Systems Engineering (PSE) community is to use phenomena-based
synthesis tools as a means for automated generation of intensified options from a lower
aggregation level without pre-postulation of plausible flowsheets, as the conventional unit
operation-based synthesis strategies may hinder the exploration of out-of-the-box design
alternatives due to pre-specified equipment configurations.
Van Gerven and Stankiewicz [8] suggested four principles for PI design:
• Principle 1: Maximize the effectiveness of intra- and inter-molecular events – improving
process kinetics is a major principle for obtaining higher process performance as it is
usually the underlying limiting factor for low conversion and selectivity.
• Principle 2: Give each molecule the same processing experience which results in prod-
ucts with uniform properties – uniform product distributions facilitate waste reduction,
which in turn, reduce the efforts required for product separation.
• Principle 3: Optimize the driving forces at every scale and maximize the specific surface
area to which these forces apply – thus more efficient processes can be obtained utilizing
less enabling materials, which then leads to the reduction in equipment sizes.
• Principle 4: Maximize the synergistic effects from partial processes which enable multi-
tasking – by combining several processing tasks together, higher process efficiencies
can be achieved compared to their standalone counterparts.
As per Van Gerven and Stankiewicz [8], a completely intensified process should suc-
ceed in realizing all the above four principles via the use of one or more PI fundamental
approaches, which were clustered in four domains: structure (spatial), energy (thermody-
namic), functional (synergy), and temporal (time).
Based on these principles, we have summarized at least seven activities that can result
in intensified processes [11]:
1. Combination of multiple process tasks or equipment into a single unit (e.g., reactive
distillation, membrane reactors, sorption-enhanced reaction processes)
2. Tight process integration (i.e., material and/or energy integration)
3. Use of novel (multi)functional materials (e.g., ionic liquids, zeolites)
4. Miniaturization of process equipment (e.g., microreactors)
5. Application of enhanced driving forces (e.g., rotating reactors, ultrasonic mixing)
6. Periodic operation (e.g., pressure swing adsorption, simulated moving bed reactors)
7. Advanced operational strategies (e.g., dynamic modes via model-based control).
6 Synthesis and Operability Strategies for Computer-Aided Modular PI

Over the past two decades, the scientific community has seen a rising research inter-
est in process intensification. An increasing emphasis on the modular characteristics has
also been witnessed in the recent years due to the rapid development of advanced manu-
facturing capabilities. A comprehensive review on the books, perspective/review articles,
and technical developments can be found in Tian et al. [11]. Fig. 1.1 illustrates the growth
profile based on the number of publications on the modeling and simulation of seven
representative modular process intensification technologies, namely membrane reactor,
simulated moving bed, dividing wall column, rotating packed bed, membrane distillation,
microreactor, and reactive distillation. The statistics were collected from a recent search
(updated on April 27th, 2021) of the citation database Web of Science Core Collection.
From Fig. 1.1, it is clear that the number of articles published each year has experienced a
steady increase, with a notable growth particularly during the past four years.

FIGURE 1.1 Statistics of modeling and simulation research articles on representative PI technologies. (Adapted from
Tian et al. [11].)

In the meantime, chemical industry has also shown increasing interest in develop-
ing and deploying modular PI technologies. The 2007 European Road Mapping Analysis
on process intensification [12] provided a list of 72 PI technologies with an evaluation of
their potential benefits and implementation barriers. Some of the most commercialized PI
technologies are: static mixers (>30 commercial models) [13], reactive distillation (>150
installations) [14], dividing wall columns (>125 installations) [15], and reverse flow reac-
tors (>100 installations) [16]. Based on a statistics search using Google Patents (updated
on March 3rd, 2018), an analysis for the number of issued patents on the above-selected
seven PI technologies is shown in Fig. 1.2. The number of patents corresponds to the US,
EP, and WO patents granted each year. According to Fig. 1.2, it is clear that the appeal
on reactive distillation and dividing wall columns still continues and they dominate the
field of PI. However, membrane-based processes and microreactors have also started to
Another random document with
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Carità
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Title: Carità

Author: Mrs. Oliphant

Release date: November 25, 2023 [eBook #72221]

Language: English

Original publication: London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1885

Credits: Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at

http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
available at The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CARITÀ ***

‘But nothing shall stand between us any more.’

CARITÀ
BY MRS. OLIPHANT
AUTHOR OF “WITHIN THE PRECINCTS,” ETC.
CHEAP EDITION

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1885

All Rights Reserved

 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. The Beresfords 1
II. A Fright 10
III. Honeymooning 18
IV. The Three Charities 26
V. Coming Home 35
VI. The Consultation 44
VII. The Catastrophe 53
VIII. Consolation 62
IX. The Hill 71
X. The Square 80
XI. Mrs. Meredith 88
XII. The House next Door 98
XIII. The Young People 107
XIV. The Old People 117
XV. Roger 126
XVI. Sunday Evening 135
XVII. Edward 145
XVIII. Telling Tales 155
XIX. The Holy Inquisition 164
XX. The Perugino 173
XXI. A Confidence 183
XXII. Mystified 193
XXIII. A Remonstrance 202
XXIV. On the Other Side of the Wall 212
XXV. An Idealist 222
XXVI. In the ‘House’ 231
XXVII. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing 241
 XXVIII. The Fireside 251
XXIX. The Old Folk and the Young 261
XXX. A Rebellious Heart 269
XXXI. The House of Mourning 279
XXXII. Taking up Dropt Stitches 288
XXXIII. Little Emmy’s Visitors 297
XXXIV. The Widow 308
XXXV. Roger’s Fate 317
XXXVI. Between the Two 326
XXXVII. The Crisis Approaching 336
XXXVIII. The Supreme Moment 346
XXXIX. The Hand of Fate 355
XL. Two—Parted 364
XLI. Two—To be One? 373
XLII. A Great Revolution 382
XLIII. The Worst Scrape of All 393
XLIV. Clearing Up 402
XLV. Conclusion 412

CARITÀ.
 CHAPTER I.

THE BERESFORDS.

James Beresford and Annie his wife had been married for more than a
dozen years—their only child, indeed, had nearly attained the age of twelve
at the time when this history begins. They had both got footing on that
plateau of middle age which, if it comes to something like level ground at
thirty, need not think of a descending step for twenty years—the time of the
greatest enjoyments and most solid progress of life. He was at one end and
she at the other of the first decade; the one approaching the forties, the other
scarcely well out of the twenties; both ready to laugh at the advance of years,
which was as yet but a joke to them, and neither having thought of bidding
any grave farewell to youth. She was impulsive, enthusiastic and nervous; he
philosophical and speculative, a man ready to discuss any theory in earth or
heaven, and without any prejudices such as might make one subject of
discussion appear less legitimate than another. They were not very rich, but
neither were they poor in any sense of the word. He had been called to the
Bar, but had never gone any further in that career. They had enough between
them to live on without show, but without pinching, as so many people of
quietly social, semi-literary tastes do in London. They knew a number of
people. They saw all the pictures, read all the books, and heard all the music
that was going; not absorbed in any art, but with just enough devotion to all
to make their life full and pleasant. And there could scarcely be a pleasanter
life. The fantasies of youth, but not the sentiment of youth, had ended for
both. Mr. Beresford had some mildly scientific pursuits, was a member of
some learned societies, and of one or two new and advanced clubs where
clever men were supposed to abound. Occasionally in his comfortable
library he wrote an article for a review or magazine, which was very much
talked about by his friends, to the great edification and amusement of people
who live by writing articles and say nothing about them. This gave him an
agreeable sense of duty to add seriousness to his life; and he was never
without occupation—meetings of committees, scraps of semi-public
business, educational and other projects, which, for the moment at least,
seemed full of interest to the world, made him feel himself a not
unimportant, certainly not a useless, man. Mrs. Beresford, on her side, had
the natural occupation of her housekeeping, and her child, whose education
gave her much thought—so much thought that many people with full
nurseries listened with a certain awe to her ideas of all that was necessary for
her little girl, and sighed to think how much less was possible when there
were six or seven little girls to think of.
The child, however, was not so over-educated and over-cared for as might
have been fancied; for the parents were young, as has been said, very fond of
each other, and fond of their own way; which likings did not consist with the
burden of dragging a small child with them wherever they went. The
Beresfords liked to go about ‘honeymooning,’ as their friends called it, and
as they themselves were not displeased to call it, by themselves, over the
world. They would start sometimes quite suddenly, to the Riviera in the
middle of winter, to escape London fogs and wintry chills; to Paris at Easter;
to Scotland in the autumn; even to Norway sometimes, or such difficult
places; and it stood to reason that they could not take the child with them
when they started at a day’s notice on these delightful journeys. For their
journeys were delightful. They were well enough off not to require to count
the cost; they went lightly, with little luggage and no servants, and they went
everywhere together. But it would have been bad for the little girl; therefore
she stayed at home, under the care of the best of nurses, who had been Mrs.
Beresford’s nurse before the child’s; and the father and mother, like two
lovers, roamed lightly about the world. But when they were at home, Mrs.
Beresford talked a great deal about education, and had plans enough to have
educated six princesses, let alone one little girl of undistinguished lineage. It
was a very lucky thing for all parties, their friends said, that they had but this
one child. Had they been hampered by half-a-dozen, what could they have
done? It would have changed their life completely. And one of their many
felicities was, that whereas they were preserved from the old-maidishness of
childless married persons by having a child, their freedom of action was
preserved by the fact that they had but one.
And they were wonderfully free of other relations who might have
hampered them. Mrs. Beresford had been an orphan from her childhood,
brought up by her grandmother, who in the course of nature was dead too;
and Mr. Beresford’s only two relations were a wealthy aunt, Charity
Beresford, who lived in a pretty house in the country, within driving distance
of London, and with whom lived his elder sister, Cherry Beresford, named
after her aunt, and living in considerable subjection to that energetic woman.
Miss Beresford was the richest member of the family, and her nephew had
expectations from her; and Charity was the favourite female name of this
branch of the race. But the idea of calling her child Charity did not at all
smile upon young Mrs. Beresford when her baby was born. She was
beguiled, however, by the unusual look of it, which charmed her, into calling
the little girl by the more melodious name of Carità, contracted prettily into
Cara in the drawing-room, and Carry in the nursery. Aunt Charity growled
when she heard of this, but did not otherwise complain, and gentle Aunt
Cherry declared herself unfeignedly glad that her little niece had thus
escaped the worse consequences of a symbolical name. When the young
couple went away pleasuring, little Cara very often would be sent to
Sunninghill, to pass the quiet days there under the charge of the aunts; and
so all responsibility was removed from the minds of the parents. They had a
letter sent to them every day to assure them of their welfare, however far off
they might go—an extravagance which Aunt Charity condemned loudly, but
which Aunt Cherry was proud of, as showing the devotion of the parents to
little Cara. The child herself was very happy at Sunninghill, and was a much
more prominent person there than at home, where very often she was in the
way, and interrupted conversation. For a father and mother who are very
fond of each other, and have a great deal to talk of, often, it must be allowed,
are hampered by the presence of one curious child, with quick ears and an
inconveniently good memory. In this particular the half-dozen would have
been more easily managed than the one.
Thus the Beresfords led a very pleasant life. They had the prettiest house;
naturally, travelling so much as they did, they had been able to ‘pick up’ a
great many charming things. You could scarcely see their walls for pictures;
some very good, one or two wonderful windfalls, and the rest pretty enough;
nothing strikingly bad, or next to nothing. Where other people had ordinary
china, they had genuine old faïence, and one or two plaques which Raphael
himself might have seen perhaps—Urbino ware, with Messer Giorgio’s
name upon it. Not to speak of the Venice point which Mrs. Beresford wore,
there were brackets in the drawing-room hung with scraps of old point coupé
which many a lady would have been glad to trim her dress with; and, instead
of common portières, they had two pieces of old tapestry from an Italian
convent which devotees went down on their knees before. But I have not
space to tell you how many pretty things they had. It was one of the
pleasures of their life whenever they saw anything that pleased them to bring
it home for the decoration of that pretty drawing-room, or the library, which
Mr. Beresford had filled with old vellum-bound volumes of curious editions,
and pretty books in Russian leather which kept the room always fragrant.
What was wanting to this pleasant, warm, full, delightful living? Nothing but
continuance; and it had not struck either of them that there was any doubt of
this for long, long years at least. What a long way off threescore years and
ten look when you are not yet forty! and death looked further off still.
Neither of them thought of dying. Why should they? For, to be sure, though
we know very well that must happen to us some time, in our hearts we are
incredulous, and do not believe that we ever can die. The Beresfords never
dreamt of anything so frightful. They were well, they were happy, they were
young; and as it had been, so it would be; and a world so bright they felt
must mean to go on for ever.
When Cara was about ten, however, the mother began to feel less well
than usual. There was nothing much the matter with her, it was thought:
want of ‘tone,’—a little irritability of disposition—a nervous temperament.
What she wanted was change of air and scene. And she got that, and got
better, as was thought; but then became ill again. No, not ill—unwell,
indisposed, mal à son aise, nothing more. There was nothing the matter with
her really, the doctors thought. Her lungs and her heart, and all vital organs,
were perfectly sound; but there was a little local irritation which, acting upon
a nervous temperament—— The nervous temperament was perpetually kept
in the front, and all sorts of evils imputed to its agency. At Sunninghill, it
must be confessed, they did not believe in the illness at all.
‘Fudge,’ said Aunt Charity, who had always been strong, and had no faith
in nerves, ‘don’t talk to me of your nervous temperaments. I know what it
means. It means that Annie has fallen sick of always having her own way.
She has everything she can desire, and she is ill of having nothing more to
wish for. A case of Alexander over again in a London drawing-room—that’s
what it is, and nothing else, my word upon it; and I know my niece.’
‘Yes, Mr. Maxwell; perhaps there is some truth in what Aunt Charity
says,’ said Miss Cherry. ‘I think you know I don’t judge harshly——’
‘That means that I judge harshly,’ said Miss Charity, bursting in; ‘thank
you, my dear. Well, you may call me uncharitable if you please; but there’s
where it is; let James lose the half of his fortune, or all his china get broken,
and she’d come round in no time—that’s what ails Annie. But as she belongs
to a very refined society, and has a silly husband, it’s called nerves. Bless
me, Cherry, I hope I knew what nerves were, and all about it, before you
were born.’
‘You could not know Annie before I was born,’ said Miss Cherry, who
was devoid of imagination. ‘I hope you will give her your best attention, Mr.
Maxwell. My brother James is a very fond husband, poor fellow! If anything
happened to Annie, he would never get the better of it. As for marrying
again, or anything of that sort——’
‘Good heavens!’ said the doctor; ‘I hope there is no need to take such an
idea into consideration. We must not go so fast.’
Miss Charity laughed. She was a great deal older than her niece, but
much more sensible. ‘There’s the seventh commandment to be thought of,’
she said; for her remarks were sometimes more free than they ought to be,
and put Miss Cherry to the blush: and this was all the worse because she
immediately walked out into the garden through the open window and left
the younger lady alone with the doctor, who was an old friend of the family,
and contemporary of the second Charity Beresford. Very old friends they
were; even it was supposed that in their youth there had been or might have
been passages of sentiment between these two now sitting so calmly
opposite each other. Mr. Maxwell, however, by this time was a widower, and
not at all sentimental. He laughed, too, as Miss Beresford made her exit by
the window. He was very well used to the family, and all its ways.
‘She wears very well,’ he said, reflectively. ‘I don’t think she has aged to
speak of for these twenty years. When I used to be coming here in my early
days, when I was beginning practice——’
‘The rest of us have changed very much since then.’
‘Yes,’ said Mr. Maxwell, thinking most of himself; ‘but she not at all. I
could think when I look at her that I was still, as I say, a young fellow
beginning practice——’
Miss Cherry sighed—very softly, but still she did sigh: over forty, but still
in the position and with many of the sentiments of a girl. People laugh at the
combination, but it is a touching one on the whole. What ages of lingering
monotonous life had passed over her since her present companion began his
practice, since her Aunt Charity had begun to be an old woman! Dr.
Maxwell had married, had lost his wife, had gone through perhaps sharper
troubles than Miss Cherry had known. He was now middle-aged and stoutish
and weather-beaten—weather-beaten in aspect and in soul—while she was
slim and soft and maidenly still. The sigh was half for those uneventful
years, and half for the undevelopment which she was conscious of—the
unchangedness of herself, underneath the outer guise, which was changed;
but this was not safe ground, nor could it be talked of. So she brushed away
the sigh with a little cough, and added quickly:
‘I know perhaps what nerves are better than my aunt does, and I know
Annie better. Tell me seriously, Mr. Maxwell, now we are alone. You don’t
apprehend anything serious? Should she go on travelling and running about
as they do if there is really anything the matter? No one can be so much
interested as I am. You would be quite frank with me?’
‘It is the best thing for her,’ said the doctor. ‘You now—I should not say
the same for you. You are a tranquil person and patient; but for her, the more
she runs about the better. It distracts her and keeps her from thinking. If she
worries, it’s all over with a woman like that.’
‘She has so little to worry about.’
‘Just so; and the less one has to bear the less one is fit for; that is to say,’
said the doctor, getting up and going to the window, ‘the less some people
are fit for. There’s that old aunt of yours to prove me a fool. She has never
had anything to bear, that I know of; and she is strong enough to bear
anything. Sixty-eight, and just look at her. There’s a physique for you—that
is the kind of woman,’ Mr. Maxwell said, with a little outburst of
professional enthusiasm, ‘that I admire—as straight as a rod still, and every
faculty in good order. That a woman like that should never have married is a
loss to the world.’
Miss Cherry, who had gone to the window too, and stood by his side,
looked out somewhat wistfully at her old aunt. Cherry was not like her, but
took after the other side of the family, her own mother, who had died young,
and had not possessed any physique to speak of. ‘It is very sweet to-day in
the garden,’ she said, inconsequently, and stepped out into the world of
flowers and sunshine. Sunninghill was an ideal house for two ladies, a place
which people who were shut out from such delights considered quite enough
for happiness. Indeed, Miss Cherry Beresford’s friends in general resented
deeply the little plaintive air she sometimes took upon her. ‘What could she
wish for more?’ they said, indignantly; ‘a place that was just too good to be
wasted on two single women. There should be a family in it.’ This was
especially the sentiment of the rector’s wife, who was a friend of Cherry’s,
and who felt it a personal slight to herself, who had a large family and many
cares, when Cherry Beresford, with not a thing in the world to trouble her,
presumed to look as if she was not quite happy. The house stood upon a hill,
fringed round with small but delightful woods. These woods were on a level
with the highest turrets of the great beautiful royal Castle of St. George,
which lay full within sight in the afternoon sunshine. So you may imagine
what a view it was that was visible from the old smooth velvet lawn round
the house, which formed the apex to these woods. The quiet plain all around
lay basking in the light underneath, and the Castle upon its hill dominated,
with a broad and placid grandeur, that majestic sweep of country, with all its
lights and shadows. The royal flag fluttered on the breeze, the great tower
rose grey and solid against the sky. Green branches framed in this picture on
every side; the cuttings in the trees made a picture-gallery indeed of different
views for different hours, according to the lights. ‘What a lovely place it is!’
Mr. Maxwell said, with sudden enthusiasm; ‘I always forget how lovely it is
till I come back.’
‘Yes, it is beautiful,’ said Cherry, who was used to it. ‘If you are going to
send them away, I suppose Cara may come to us for the summer?—that
makes such a difference.’ Cherry was very well used to the different lights.
She acknowledged the beauty of her home, and yet I can fancy
circumstances under which she would have liked a little house in a street
better. Man or woman either cannot live by beauty alone any more than by
bread.
‘Here’s a pretty business,’ said Miss Beresford, briskly; ‘half of my roses,
I believe, spoiled for this year; no second show this time. Jones is the
greatest idiot; he pretends to know everything, and he knows nothing. Your
protégé, Cherry, of course. All the incapables hang on by you.’
‘I can’t see any signs of deficiency,’ said the doctor, looking round.
‘Not at this moment; if there were, he should have his dismissal on the
spot. If those two go off again, as you are always sending them off, tell
James I insist on the child coming here. Ah! that’s what your women of
nervous temperament do—leave their children at home in a poky London
square, while they go wandering over the world. Tell them I wish it,’ said
Miss Beresford, with a laugh; ‘they never go against me.’
‘They know how kind you always are.’
 ‘They know I’m old and will have something to leave behind me, that’s
the plain English of it—as if I was going to accept poor Cherry’s subjection,
poor soul, without rewarding her for it! It is she who will have everything
when I’m gone. I’ve told them that, but still they think there’s a chance that
Cara might cut her old aunt out. I can see through them. I see through most
people,’ she added, with a laugh, looking at him full. How could she know
the thought passing through his mind at the moment, which was the abrupt
reflection, uncalled for perhaps, that for a professional man, who had made
no extraordinary name in his profession, Cherry Beresford, though an old
maiden, would make not such a bad wife? Could the old witch see through
broadcloth, and the comfortable coating of middle-aged flesh and blood,
straight into a man’s heart? He grew red foolishly, as if that were possible,
and stammered a little in his reply:
‘I can believe everything that is clever of you as well as everything that is
kind; though why you ladies should make such a point of having a little chit
like that, who can only disturb your quiet in this paradise of a place——’
‘Oh, how can you say so!’ said Cherry. ‘The child’s voice and the child’s
face make all the difference—they are better than sunshine. They make the
place beautiful. I would give it all, twenty times over, to have the child.’
‘Whom her mother is very glad to leave behind her.’
‘Hold your tongue, Cherry,’ said the elder lady; ‘you mild little old
maids, you are always in a way about children. I never took up that line. A
child in the abstract is a nuisance. Now, a man—there are advantages about a
man. Sometimes he’s a nuisance too, but sometimes he’s a help. Believe
them, and they’ll tell you that marriage was always far from their thoughts,
but that children are their delight. That’s not my way of thinking. But I
happen to like little Cara because she is Cara, not because she is a child. So
she may come and take her chance with the rest.’
Cherry had turned away along the garden path, and was looking through
one of the openings at one of the views. She knew it by heart—exactly how
the light fell, and where were the shadows, and the name of every tower, and
almost the shape of every cloud. Was it wonderful that this was not so
delightful to her as to the strangers who could not see that view every day in
their lives? To some people, indeed, the atmospheric changes, the effects of
wind and colour, the waverings and dispersions of those clouds, would have
made poetry enough to fill up all that was wanting; but poor Miss Cherry
was not poetical in this big way, though she was very fond of pretty verses,
and even wrote some occasionally; but how she longed for the child’s
innocent looks—the child’s ceaseless prattle! Her gentle delicacy was hurt at
that unnecessary gibe about the old-maidishness, and her supposed sham
rejection of the husband who had never come her way. ‘Why should she talk
of men—especially before him? What do I want with men?’ said poor Miss
Cherry to herself; ‘but my own niece—my brother’s child—surely I may
wish for her.’ And surely there could not have been a more innocent wish.
 CHAPTER II.

A FRIGHT.

‘Which you please; you are not gouty or rheumatical, or anything of that
sort,’ said Mr. Maxwell, almost gaily. ‘Homburg, for instance—Homburg
would do—or Baden, if you prefer that. I incline to the one you prefer; and
enjoy yourself as much as you can—that is my prescription. Open air,
novelty, change; and if you find you don’t relish one place, go to another.
The sea, if you take a fancy for the sea; and Sir William is of my opinion
exactly. Choose the place which amuses you most.’
‘It seems to me,’ said Mr. Beresford, ‘that these wise men are laughing at
you, Annie. They know there’s nothing the matter with you. If I were not
much obliged to them for thinking so, I should say you had some reason to
be offended. One knows what you doctors mean when you tell a patient to
do whatever she likes best.’
‘It means one of two things,’ said Mrs. Beresford; ‘either that it is
nothing, or that it is hopeless——’
Her husband burst into a soft laugh. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘it is very evident it
cannot be the last—so it must be as I say. It is injurious to our pride, my
darling; for I allow that it is pleasant to possess either in your own person or
your wife’s a delicate and mysterious malady, of which it can be said that it
baffles the doctors, without very much hurting the patient; but never mind. If
you can bear this disrespectful verdict that you have nothing the matter with
you, I assure you it makes me quite happy.’
Mrs. Beresford looked at the doctor with very keen, eager eyes—eyes
which had grown bigger and keener of late, perhaps from the failing of the
round, smooth outlines of the face. She noticed that, though Maxwell saw
very well that she was looking at him, he did not reply to those looks, but
rather turned to her husband and answered him, as if he had not observed her
at all.
‘I don’t mean to be at all disrespectful,’ he said; ‘there is a little
disturbance of the system, which might turn to something as serious as you
could desire, and take away the comfort of life perhaps more completely
than a regular disease; but I hope that is not likely to happen here.’
‘No; I don’t think it,’ said the easy man. ‘We shall try Baden, which is the
prettiest—unless you prefer some other place; in short, we shall go off
without guide or compass, and do exactly what pleases ourselves. We have
done so, it must be allowed, pretty often before—but to do it with the
sanction of the faculty——’
‘And the child—as usual—will go to Sunninghill?’
‘Why should you say as usual, Mr. Maxwell?’ said Mrs. Beresford, with a
suspicion of offence. ‘Do you think I ought to take her with me? Do you
suppose, perhaps, that I might not come back again—that I might never—
see——’
‘This is so unnecessary,’ said the doctor, remonstrating. ‘What must I
say? I wish I was as certain of a thousand a year. You will come back quite
well, I hope.’
‘When people are very ill don’t you say much the same things to them?
There was poor Susan Maitland, whom you banished to Italy to die. People
talked of her coming back again. Oh, no! I am not thinking of myself, but of
the subject in general. One needed only to look in her face to see that she
would never come back.’
‘People have different ideas of their duty,’ said Maxwell. ‘Some think it
best not to frighten a patient with thoughts of death. I don’t know that one
can lay down any rule; one is guided by circumstances. To some nervous
people it is best not to say anything. Some are more frightened than others—
just as some people are more susceptible to pain than others.’
‘Now I am going to ask you another question,’ said Mrs. Beresford.
‘Suppose you had a patient very ill—I mean hopelessly ill, beyond all cure
—do you think it is right to keep them alive as you do now, struggling to the
last, staving off every new attack that might carry them off in quiet, fighting
on and on to the last moment, and even prolonging that, when it comes so
far, with cordials and stimulants? Keeping their breath in their poor,
suffering bodies till you get to the end of your resources—your dreadful,
cruel resources, that is what I call them. Do you think this is right? I had an
aunt who died dreadfully—of cancer——’
‘Ah! An aunt? You did not tell me this,’ said the doctor, off his guard;
then, recovering himself, with something that looked like alarm, he said,
hurriedly: ‘What would you have us do—kill the poor creatures? neglect
them? refuse what aid, what alleviations we can——’
‘I’ll tell you what I should like you to do if it were me,’ she said, eagerly.
‘When it was all over, when you were sure I could not get better, when there
was nothing more in life but to suffer—suffer: then I should like you to
make a strong, sweet dose for me to put me out of my trouble. I should like
James to give it me. Do you remember what was said that time in India, in
the mutiny? I don’t know if it was true, but people said it. That the husbands
of some of the poor ladies kissed them and shot them, to save them; don’t
you remember? That is what I should like you to do—a sweet, strong dose;
and James would bring it to me and kiss me, and put it to my lips. That
would be true love!’ she said, growing excited, the pale roses in her cheeks
becoming hectic red; ‘that would be true friendship, Mr. Maxwell! Then I
should not feel afraid. I should feel that you two stood between me and
anguish, between me and agony——’
Both the men rose to their feet as if to restrain her vehemence, with one
impulse. ‘My darling, my darling!’ said James Beresford, in dismay, ‘what
are you thinking of?’ As for Mr. Maxwell, he walked to the window and
looked out, his features working painfully. There was a moment in which the
husband and wife clung together, he consoling her with every reassuring
word that he could think of, she clinging to him with long, hysterical sobs.
‘My love, what has put this into your head?’ he said, half sobbing too, yet
pretending to laugh. ‘My Annie, what fancy is this? Have you lost your wits,
my darling? Why, this is all folly; it is a dream; it is a craze you have taken
into your head. Here is Maxwell will tell you——’
But Maxwell made him a sign over his wife’s head so impassioned and
imperative that the man was struck dumb for the moment. He gazed blankly
at the doctor, then stooped down to murmur fond words less distinct and
articulate in her ear. Fortunately, she was too much excited, too much
disturbed, to notice this sudden pause, or that the doctor said nothing in
response to her husband’s appeal. She held fast by his arm and sobbed, but
gradually grew calmer, soothed by his tenderness, and after a while made a
half-smiling, tearful apology for her weakness. It was after dinner on a
lovely summer evening, not more than twilight, though it was late. The two
gentlemen had been lingering over their claret, while she lay on the sofa
waiting for them, for she did not choose to be shut up upstairs all by herself,
she said. After she had recovered they went to the drawing-room, where the