第2章
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  Afterhisintroductioneventsmovedswiftly。FirstHelenandMaryappeared,theirfacesshiningandsolemnandmysterious——Helenself-

  consciousandMarystaringthroughherspectacleslikeaprofoundowl。

  BecauseJeremyhadknownMaryeversincehecouldremember,hewasunawarethattherewasanythingverypeculiarabouther。Butintruthshewasastrangelookingchild。Verythin,shehadalargehead,withbigoutstandingears,spectacles,andyellowhairpulledbackand“stringy。“Herlargehandswerealwaysred,andherforeheadwasfreckled。Shewasasplainachildasyouwereeverlikelytosee,buttherewascharacterinhermouthandeyes,andalthoughshewasonlysevenyearsold,shecouldreadquitedifficultbooksshewasengagedatthisparticulartimeupon“Ivanhoe“,andshewasageniusatsums。

  Thepassionofherlife,asthefamilywereallaware,wasJeremy,butitwasanunfortunateanduncomfortablepassion。Shebotheredandworriedhim,shewasinsanelyjealous;shewouldsulkfordaysdidheeverseemtopreferHelentoherself。Nooneunderstoodher;

  shewasconsidereda“difficultchild,“quiteunlikeanyothermemberofthefamily,exceptpossiblySamuel,Mr。Cole’sbrother-

  in-law,whowasanunsuccessfulpainterandtherefore“odd。“

  AsMarywasatpresentonlysevenyearsofageitwouldbetoomuchtosaythatthefamilywasafraidofher。AuntAmy’sattitudewas:

  “Well,afterall,she’ssuretobecleverwhenshegrowsup,poorchild;“andalthoughtheparishionersofMary’sfatheralwaysalludedtoheras“theludicrousColechild,“theytoldawedlittlestoriesabouttheinfant’smentalcapacities,andconcludedcomfortably,“I’mgladAliceorJaneorMatildaorAnabelisn’tcleverlikethat。Theyoverworkwhentheyareyoung,andthenwhentheygrowup——“

  MeanwhileMaryledherprivatelife。SheattachedherselftonoonebutJeremy;shewasdelicateandsufferedfromperpetualcolds;shethereforespentmuchofhertimeinthenurseryreading,herhugespectaclesclosetothepage,herthinlegslikeblacksticksstuckuponthefenderinfrontofthefireorcurledupunderheronthewindow-seat。

  VerydifferentwasHelen。Helenhadamassofdarkblackhair,bigblackeyeswiththickeye-lashes,athinwhiteneck,littlefeet,andalreadyaneyeto“effects“indress。Shewascharmingtostrangers,tothequeercurateswhohauntedthefamilyhall,topoorpeopleandrichpeople,tooldpeopleandyoungpeople。Shewaswarm-heartedbutnotimpulsive,intelligentbutnotclever,sympatheticbutnotsentimental,impatientbutneveruncontrolled。

  Shelikedalmosteveryoneandalmosteverything,butnooneandnothingmatteredtoherverydeeply;shelikedgoingtochurch,alwayslearntherCollectfirstonSunday,andgavehalfherpocket-

  moneytothemorningcollection。Shewasgenerousbutneverextravagant,enjoyedfoodbutwasnotgreedy。Shewasquiteawarethatshewasprettyandmightonedaybebeautiful,andshewasgladofthat,butshewasneversillyaboutherlooks。

  WhenAuntAmy,whowasalwayssillyabouteverything,saidinherpresencetovisitors,“Isn’tHelentheloveliestthingyoueversaw?“shemanagedbyhershyself-confidencetosuggestthatshewaspretty,thatAuntAmywasafool,andlifewasaltogetherveryagreeable,butthatnoneofthesethingswasofanygreatimportance。ShewasverygoodfriendswithJeremy,butsheplayednopartinhislifeatall。Atthesametimesheoftenfoughtwithhim,simplyfromherrealdeepconsciousnessofhersuperioritytohim。

  Shevaluedherauthorityandasserteditincessantly。Thatauthorityhaduntillastyearbeenunchallenged,butJeremynowwasgrowing。

  Shehad,althoughshedidnotasyetrealiseit,adifficulttimebeforeher。

  HelenandMaryadvancedwiththeirpresents,laidthemonthebreakfast-table,andthenretreatedtowatchtheeffectofitall。

  “ShallInow?“askedJeremy。

  “Yes,now,“saidHelenandMary。

  Therewerethreeparcels,onelargeand“shoppy,“twosmallandboundwithfamilypaper,tiedbyfamilyhandswithfamilystring。Hegraspedimmediatelythesituation。Theshoppyparcelwasboughtwithmother’smoneyandonly“pretended“tobefromhissisters;thetwosmallparcelsweretheveryhandiworkoftheladiesthemselves,thesamehavingbeenseenbyalleyesatworkforthelastsixmonths,sometimes,indeed,underthecloakofattemptedsecrecy,butmoreoften——becausewearinessorill-tempermadethemcareless——inthefulllightofday。

  Hisinterestwascentredalmostentirelyinthe“shoppy“parcel,whichbyitsshapemightbe“soldiers“;butheknewtherulesofthegame,anddisregardingthelarge,ostentatiousbrown-paperedthing,hewentmagnificentlyforthetwosmallincoherentbundles。

  Heopenedthem。Aflatgreentable-centrewitharedpatternofroses,athicktable-napkinringworkedinyellowworsted,thesewererevealed。

  “Oh!“hecried,“justwhatIwanted。“Fatheralwayssaidthatonhisbirthday。

  “Isit?“saidMaryandHelen。

  “Mine’sthering,“saidMary。“It’sdirtyrather,butitwouldhavegotdirty,anyway,afterwards。“ShewatchedanxiouslytoseewhetherhepreferredHelen’s。

  Hewatchedthemnervously,lestheshouldbeexpectedtokissthem。

  Hewipedhismouthwithhishandinstead,andbeganrapidlytotalk:

  “Jampotwillknownowwhichmineis。She’salwaysgivingmethewrongone。I’llhaveitalways,andthegreenthingtoo。“

  “It’sforthemiddleofatable,“Heleninterrupted。

  “Yes,Iknow,“saidJeremyhurriedly。“I’llalwayshaveittoo——likeMary’s——whenI’mgrownupandall……Isay,shallIopentheotheronenow?“

  “Yes,youcan,“saidHelenandMary,ceasingtotakethecentralplaceintheceremony,spectatorsnowandeagerlyexcited。

  ButMaryhadalastword。

  “Youdolikemine,don’tyou?“

  “Ofcourse,likeanything。“

  Shewantedtosay“BetterthanHelen’s?“butrestrainedherself。

  “Iwaseversolongdoingit;IthoughtIwouldn’tfinishitintime。“

  Hesawwithterrorthatshemeditatedadescentuponhim;akisswasintheair。Shemovedforward;then,tohisextremerelief,thedooropenedandtheeldersarrivingsavedhim。

  TherewereFatherandMother,UncleSamuelandAuntAmy,allwithpresents,facesofbirthdaytoleranceand“do-as-you-please-to-day,dear“expressions。

  TheRev。HerbertColewasfortyyearsofage,rectorofSt。James’s,Polchester,duringthelasttenyears,andmarkedoutforgreaterprefermentinthenearfuture。Tobearectoratthirtyisunusual,buthehadgreatreligiousgifts,preachedanadmirable“as-man-to-

  man“sermon,anddidnotbelieveinthinkingaboutmorethanhecouldsee。Hewasanexcellentfatherintheabstractsense,buttheparishabsorbedtoomuchofhistimetoallowofintimacieswithanyone。

  Mrs。ColewasthemostplacidladyinEurope。Shehadacomfortablefigure,butwasnotstout,hereadimpleandthereadimple。Nothingcoulddisturbher。Children,servants,herhusband’ssermons,districtvisiting,herTuesday“athomes,“thebutcher,thedean’swife,thewivesofthecanons,thePolchesterclimate,bills,clothes,otherwomen’sclothes——overalltheserocksofperilintheseaofdailylifeherbarquehappilyfloated。Someill-naturedpeoplethoughtherstupid,butinheryoungerdaysshehadlikedTrollope’snovelsintheCornhill,disapprovedplacidlyof“JaneEyre,“andadmiredTennyson,sothatshecouldnotbeconsideredunliterary。

  Shewaseconomical,warm-hearted,lovedherchildren,talkedonlythegentlestscandal,andwasacompletelyhappywoman——allthisintheplacidestwayintheworld。MissAmyTrefusis,hersister,wasverydifferent,beingthinbothinherfigureandheremotions。Sheskirtedtempestuouslyoverthesurfaceofthings,wasthemostsentimentalofhumanbeings,wasoftenintearsoverreminiscencesofbooksortheweather,wasdeeplyreligiousinasuperficialway,andreally——althoughshewouldhavebeenentirelyastonishedhadyoutoldherso——caredfornooneintheworldbutherself。Shewasdressedalwaysindarkcolours,withthehighshouldersoftheday,elegantbonnetsandlittlechainsthatjingledasshemoved。Inhersoulshefearedanddistrustedchildren,butshedidnotknowthis。

  Shedidknow,however,thatshefearedanddistrustedherbrotherSamuel。

  HerbrotherSamuelwasallthattheTrefusisfamily,asaconservativebodywhobelievedintradition,hadleastreasonforunderstanding。HehadbeenafailurefromthefirstmomentofhisentryintotheGrammarSchoolinPolchesterthirty-fiveyearsbeforethisstory。HehadcontinuedafailureatWinchesterandatChristChurch,Oxford。Hehaddesiredtobeapainter;hehadbrokenfromthefamilyandgonetostudyArtinParis。Hehadstarvedandstarved,wasatdeath’sdoor,wasdraggedhome,andtheresuddenlyhadrelapsedintoPolchester,livedfirstonhisfather,thenonhisbrother-in-law,paintedaboutthetown,painted,madecynicalremarksaboutthePolcastrians,painted,madeblasphemousremarksaboutthebishop,thedeanandallthecanons,painted,andrefusedtoleavehisbrother-in-law’shouse。Hewasascandal,ofcourse;hewasfat,untidy,woreabluetam-o’-shanterwhenhewas“out,“andsometimeswentdownOrangeStreetincarpetslippers。

  Hewasascandal,butwhatareyoutodoifarelativeisobstinateandrefusestogo?Atleastmakehimshave,saythewivesofthecanons。ButnoonehadevermadeSamuelTrefusisdoanythingthathedidnotwanttodo。Hewassometimesnotshavedforthreewholedaysandnights。Atanyrate,thereheis。Itisofnousesayingthathedoesnotexist,asmanyoftheCloseladiestrytodo。Andatleasthedoesnotpaintstrangewomen;heprefersflowersandcowsandthePolchesterwoods,althoughanythinglesslikecows,flowersandwoods,Mrs。Sampson,wifeoftheDean,whooncehadawater-colourintheAcademy,saysshehasneverseen。SamuelTrefusisisafailure,and,whatistrulyawful,hedoesnotmind;nobodybuyshispicturesandhedoesnotcare;and,worsttasteofall,helaughsathisrelations,althoughhelivesonthem。Nothingfurtherneedbesaid。

  ToHelen,MaryandJeremyhehadalwaysbeenafascinatingobject,althoughtheyrealised,withthatsharpworldlywisdomtobefoundinallinfantsoftenderyears,thathewasafailure,adirtyman,anddislikedchildren。Heveryrarelyspoketothem;wasoncequitewildlyenragedwhenMarywasdiscoveredlickinghispaints。Itwasthepaintsheseemedanxiousabout,notintheleastthepoorlittlething’shealth,ashissisterAmysaid,andhadpubliclybeenheardtosaythathisbrother-in-lawhadonlygotthechildrenhedeserved。

  NeverthelessJeremyhadalwaysbeeninterestedinhim。Helikedhisfatroundshape,hisrough,untidygreyhair,hisscarletslippers,hisbluetam-o’-shanter,thesmudgesofpaintsometimestobediscoveredonhischeeks,andthejinglingnoiseshemadeinhispocketwithhismoney。HewascertainlymorefunthanAuntAmy。

  There,then,theyallwerewiththeirpresentsandtheirbirthdayfaces。

  “ShallIundothemforyou,darling?“ofcoursesaidAuntAmy。

  Jeremyshookhisheadhedidnotsaywhathethoughtofherandcontinuedtotugatthestring。Hewasgivenalargepairofscissors。HereceivedfromFatherasilverwatch,fromMotherapaint-box,adarkblueandgoldprayerbookwithathicksquashyleathercoverfromAuntAmy。

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