III。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTDAYS
1。FROMTHETWENTY-SECONDTOTHETWENTY-SEVENTHOFJULY
Butthingsarenotwhattheyseem。AresponsiveloveforEdwardSpringrovehadmadeitsappearanceinCytherea\'sbosomwithallthefascinatingattributesofafirstexperience,notsucceedingtoordisplacingotheremotions,asinolderhearts,buttakingupentirelynewground;aswhengazingjustaftersunsetatthepaleblueskyweseeastarcomeintoexistencewherenothingwasbefore。
Hispartingwords,\'Don\'tforgetme,\'sherepeatedtoherselfahundredtimes,andthoughshethoughttheirimportwasprobablycommonplace,shecouldnothelptoyingwiththem,——lookingatthemfromallpoints,andinvestingthemwithmeaningsofloveandfaithfulness,——ostensiblyentertainingsuchmeaningsonlyasfableswherewithtopassthetime,yetinherheartadmitting,fordetachedinstants,apossibilityoftheirdeepertruth。Andthus,forhoursafterhehadlefther,herreasonflirtedwithherfancyasakittenwillsportwithadove,pleasantlyandsmoothlythrougheasyattitudes,butdisclosingitscruelandunyieldingnatureatcrises。
Toturnnowtothemorematerialmediathroughwhichthisstorymoves,itsohappenedthattheverynextmorningbroughtroundacircumstancewhich,slightinitself,tookuparelevantandimportantpositionbetweenthepastandthefutureofthepersonshereinconcerned。
Atbreakfasttime,justasCythereahadagainseenthepostmanpasswithoutbringingherananswertotheadvertisement,asshehadfullyexpectedhewoulddo,Owenenteredtheroom。
\'Well,\'hesaid,kissingher,\'youhavenotbeenalarmed,ofcourse。
SpringrovetoldyouwhatIhaddone,andyoufoundtherewasnotrain?\'
\'Yes,itwasallclear。Butwhatisthelamenessowingto?\'
\'Idon\'tknow——nothing。Ithasquitegoneoffnow……Cytherea,IhopeyoulikeSpringrove。Springrove\'sanicefellow,youknow。\'
\'Yes。Ithinkheis,exceptthat——\'
\'IthappenedjusttothepurposethatIshouldmeethimthere,didn\'tit?AndwhenIreachedthestationandlearntthatIcouldnotgetonbytrainmyfootseemedbetter。Istartedofftowalkhome,andwentaboutfivemilesalongapathbesidetherailway。ItthenstruckmethatImightnotbefitforanythingtodayifI
walkedandaggravatedthebotheringfoot,soIlookedforaplacetosleepat。Therewasnoavailablevillageorinn,andIeventuallygotthekeeperofagate-house,wherealanecrossedtheline,totakemein。\'
Theyproceededwiththeirbreakfast。Owenyawned。
\'Youdidn\'tgetmuchsleepatthegate-houselastnight,I\'mafraid,Owen,\'saidhissister。
\'Totellthetruth,Ididn\'t。Iwasinsuchverycloseandnarrowquarters。Thosegate-housesaresuchsmallplaces,andthemanhadonlyhisownbedtoofferme。Ah,by-the-bye,Cythie,Ihavesuchanextraordinarythingtotellyouinconnectionwiththisman!——byJove,Ihadnearlyforgottenit!ButI\'llgostraighton。AsIwassaying,hehadonlyhisownbedtoofferme,butIcouldnotaffordtobefastidious,andashehadaheartymanner,thoughaveryqueerone,Iagreedtoacceptit,andhemadearoughpalletforhimselfonthefloorclosebesideme。Well,Icouldnotsleepformylife,andIwishedIhadnotstayedthere,thoughIwassotired。Foronething,thereweretheluggagetrainsrattlingbyatmyelbowtheearlypartofthenight。Butworsethanthis,hetalkedcontinuallyinhissleep,andoccasionallystruckoutwithhislimbsatsomethingoranother,knockingagainstthepostofthebedsteadandmakingittremble。MyconditionwasaltogethersounsatisfactorythatatlastIawokehim,andaskedhimwhathehadbeendreamingaboutfortheprevioushour,forIcouldgetnosleepatall。Hebeggedmypardonfordisturbingme,butanameIhadcasuallyletfallthateveninghadledhimtothinkofanotherstrangerhehadoncehadvisithim,whohadalsoaccidentallymentionedthesamename,andsomeverystrangeincidentsconnectedwiththatmeeting。
Theaffairhadoccurredyearsandyearsago;butwhatIhadsaidhadmadehimthinkanddreamaboutitasifitwerebutyesterday。Whatwastheword?Isaid。“Cytherea,“hesaid。Whatwasthestory?I
askedthen。HethentoldmethatwhenhewasayoungmaninLondonheborrowedafewpoundstoaddtoafewhehadsavedup,andopenedalittleinnatHammersmith。Oneevening,aftertheinnhadbeenopenaboutacoupleofmonths,everyidlerintheneighbourhoodranofftoWestminster。TheHousesofParliamentwereonfire。
\'Notasoulremainedinhisparlourbesideshimself,andhebeganpickingupthepipesandglasseshiscustomershadhastilyrelinquished。Atlengthayoungladyaboutseventeenoreighteencamein。Sheaskedifawomanwastherewaitingforherself——MissJaneTaylor。Hesaidno;askedtheyoungladyifshewouldwait,andshowedherintothesmallinnerroom。Therewasaglass-paneinthepartitiondividingthisroomfromthebartoenablethelandlordtoseeifhisvisitors,whosatthere,wantedanything。Acuriousawkwardnessandmelancholyaboutthebehaviourofthegirlwhocalled,causedmyinformanttolookfrequentlyatherthroughthepartition。Sheseemedwearyofherlife,andsatwithherfaceburiedinherhands,evidentlyquiteoutofherelementinsuchahouse。ThenawomanmucholdercameinandgreetedMissTaylorbyname。Themandistinctlyheardthefollowingwordspassbetweenthem:——
\'“Whyhaveyounotbroughthim?”
\'“Heisill;heisnotlikelytolivethroughthenight。“
\'Atthisannouncementfromtheelderlywoman,theyoungladyfelltothefloorinaswoon,apparentlyovercomebythenews。Thelandlordraninandliftedherup。Well,dowhattheywouldtheycouldnotforalongtimebringherbacktoconsciousness,andbegantobemuchalarmed。“Whoisshe?”theinnkeepersaidtotheotherwoman。
“Iknowher,“theothersaid,withdeepmeaninginhertone。Theelderlyandyoungwomanseemedallied,andyetstrangers。
\'Shenowshowedsignsoflife,anditstruckhimhewasplainlyofaninquisitiveturn,thatinherhalf-bewilderedstatehemightgetsomeinformationfromher。Hestoopedoverher,puthismouthtoherear,andsaidsharply,“What\'syourname?”“Tocatchawomannappingisdifficult,evenwhenshe\'shalfdead;butIdidit,“saysthegatekeeper。Whenheaskedherhername,shesaidimmediately——
\'“Cytherea“——andstoppedsuddenly。\'
\'Myownname!\'saidCytherea。
\'Yes——yourname。Well,thegatemanthoughtatthetimeitmightbeequallywithJaneanameshehadinventedfortheoccasion,thattheymightnottraceher;butIthinkitwastruthunconsciouslyuttered,forsheaddeddirectlyafterwards:“O,whathaveIsaid!”
andwasquiteovercomeagain——thistimewithfright。Hervexationthatthewomannowdoubtedthegenuinenessofherothernamewasverymuchgreaterthanthattheinnkeeperdid,anditisevidentthattoblindthewomanwashermainobject。Healsolearntfromwordstheelderlywomancasuallydropped,thatmeetingsofthesamekindhadbeenheldbefore,andthatthefalsenessofthesoi-disantMissJaneTaylor\'snamehadneverbeensuspectedbythisdependentorconfederatetillthen。
\'Sherecovered,restedthereforanhour,andfirstsendingoffhercompanionperemptorilywhichwasanotheroddthing,sheleftthehouse,offeringthelandlordallthemoneyshehadtosaynothingaboutthecircumstance。Hehasneverseenhersince,accordingtohisownaccount。Isaidtohimagainandagain,“Didyoufindanymoreparticularsafterwards?”“Notasyllable,“hesaid。O,heshouldneverhearanymoreofthat!toomanyyearshadpassedsinceithappened。“Atanyrate,youfoundouthersurname?”Isaid。
“Well,well,that\'smysecret,“hewenton。“PerhapsIshouldneverhavebeeninthispartoftheworldifithadn\'tbeenforthat。I
failedasapublican,youknow。“Iimaginethesituationofgatemanwasgivenhimandhisdebtspaidoffasabribetosilence;butI
can\'tsay。“Ah,yes!”hesaid,withalongbreath。“Ihaveneverheardthatnamementionedsincethattimetillto-night,andthenthereinstantlyrosetomyeyesthevisionofthatyoungladylyinginafaintingfit。“Hethenstoppedtalkingandfellasleep。
TellingthestorymusthaverelievedhimasitdidtheAncientMariner,forhedidnotmoveamuscleormakeanothersoundfortheremainderofthenight。Nowisn\'tthatanoddstory?\'
\'Itisindeed,\'Cythereamurmured。\'Very,verystrange。\'
\'Whyshouldshehavesaidyourmostuncommonname?\'continuedOwen。
\'Themanwasevidentlytruthful,fortherewasnotmotivesufficientforhisinventionofsuchatale,andhecouldnothavedoneiteither。\'
Cytherealookedlongatherbrother。\'Don\'tyourecognizeanythingelseinconnectionwiththestory?\'shesaid。
\'What?\'heasked。
\'Doyourememberwhatpoorpapaonceletdrop——thatCythereawasthenameofhisfirstsweetheartinBloomsbury,whosomysteriouslyrenouncedhim?Asortofintuitiontellsmethatthiswasthesamewoman。\'
\'Ono——notlikely,\'saidherbrothersceptically。
\'Hownotlikely,Owen?There\'snotanotherwomanofthenameinEngland。Inwhatyearusedpapatosaytheeventtookplace?\'
\'Eighteenhundredandthirty-five。\'
\'AndwhenweretheHousesofParliamentburnt?——stop,Icantellyou。\'Shesearchedtheirlittlestockofbooksforalistofdates,andfoundoneinanoldschoolhistory。
\'TheHousesofParliamentwereburntdownintheeveningofthesixteenthofOctober,eighteenhundredandthirty-four。\'
\'Nearlyayearandaquarterbeforeshemetfather,\'remarkedOwen。
Theyweresilent。\'Ifpapahadbeenalive,whatawonderfulabsorbinginterestthisstorywouldhavehadforhim,\'saidCythereaby-and-by。\'Andhowstrangelyknowledgecomestous。Wemighthavesearchedforacluetohersecrethalftheworldover,andneverfoundone。Ifwehadreallyhadanymotivefortryingtodiscovermoreofthesadhistorythanpapatoldus,weshouldhavegonetoBloomsbury;butnotcaringtodoso,wegotwohundredmilesintheoppositedirection,andtherefindinformationwaitingtobetoldus。Whatcouldhavebeenthesecret,Owen?\'
\'Heavenknows。Butourhavingheardalittlemoreofherinthiswayifsheisthesamewomanisamerecoincidenceafterall——afamilystorytotellourfriendsifweeverhaveany。Butweshallneverknowanymoreoftheepisodenow——trustourfatesforthat。\'
Cythereasatsilentlythinking。
\'Therewasnoanswerthismorningtoyouradvertisement,Cytherea?\'
hecontinued。
\'None。\'
\'IcouldseethatbyyourlookswhenIcamein。\'
\'Fancynotgettingasingleone,\'shesaidsadly。\'Surelytheremustbepeoplesomewherewhowantgovernesses?\'
\'Yes;butthosewhowantthem,andcanaffordtohavethem,getthemmostlybyfriends\'recommendations;whilstthosewhowantthem,andcan\'taffordtohavethem,makeuseoftheirpoorrelations。\'
\'WhatshallIdo?\'
\'Nevermindit。Goonlivingwithme。Don\'tletthedifficultytroubleyourmindso;youthinkaboutitallday。Icankeepyou,Cythie,inaplainwayofliving。Twenty-fiveshillingsaweekdonotamounttomuchtruly;butthenmanymechanicshavenomore,andwelivequiteassparinglyasjourneymenmechanics……Itisameagrenarrowlifewearedriftinginto,\'headdedgloomily,\'butitisadegreemoretolerablethantheworryingsensationofalltheworldbeingashamedofyou,whichweexperiencedatHocbridge。\'
\'Icouldn\'tgobackthereagain,\'shesaid。
\'NorI。O,Idon\'tregretourcourseforamoment。Wedidquiterightindroppingoutoftheworld。\'Thesneeringtonesoftheremarkwerealmosttoolabouredtobereal。\'Besides,\'hecontinued,\'somethingbetterformeissuretoturnupsoon。Iwishmyengagementherewasapermanentoneinsteadofforonlytwomonths。Itmay,certainly,beforalongertime,butallisuncertain。\'
\'IwishIcouldgetsomethingtodo;andImusttoo,\'shesaidfirmly。\'Suppose,asisveryprobable,youarenotwantedafterthebeginningofOctober——thetimeMr。Gradfieldmentioned——whatshouldwedoifIweredependentonyouonlythroughoutthewinter?\'
Theyponderedonnumerousschemesbywhichayoungladymightbesupposedtoearnadecentlivelihood——moreorlessconvenientandfeasibleinimagination,butrelinquishedthemalluntiladvertisinghadbeenoncemoretried,thistimetakinglowerground。Cythereawasvexedathertemerityinhavingrepresentedtotheworldthatsoinexperiencedabeingasherselfwasaqualifiedgoverness;andhadafancythatthispresumptionofhersmightbeonereasonwhynoladiesapplied。Thenewandhumblerattemptappearedinthefollowingform:——
\'NURSERYGOVERNESSORUSEFULCOMPANION。Ayoungpersonwishestohearofasituationineitheroftheabovecapacities。Salaryverymoderate。Sheisagoodneedle-woman——AddressG。,3CrossStreet,Budmouth。\'
Intheeveningtheywenttoposttheletter,andthenwalkedupanddowntheParadeforawhile。SoontheymetSpringrove,saidafewwordstohim,andpassedon。Owennoticedthathissister\'sfacehadbecomecrimson。RatheroddlytheymetSpringroveagaininafewminutes。Thistimethethreewalkedalittlewaytogether,EdwardostensiblytalkingtoOwen,thoughwithasinglethoughttothereceptionofhiswordsbythemaidenatthefartherside,uponwhomhisgazewasmostlyresting,andwhowasattentivelylistening——
lookingfixedlyuponthepavementthewhile。Ithasbeensaidthatmenlovewiththeireyes;womenwiththeirears。
AsOwenandhimselfwerelittlemorethanacquaintancesasyet,andasSpringrovewaswantingintheassuranceofmanymenofhisage,itnowbecamenecessarytowishhisfriendsgood-evening,ortofindareasonforcontinuingnearCythereabysayingsomenicenewthing。
Hethoughtofanewthing;heproposedapullacrossthebay。Thiswasassentedto。Theywenttothepier;steppedintooneofthegailypaintedboatsmooredalongsideandsheeredoff。Cythereasatinthesternsteering。
Theyrowedthatevening;thenextcame,andwithitthenecessityofrowingagain。Thenthenext,andthenext,Cythereaalwayssittinginthesternwiththetillerropesinherhand。Thecurvesofherfigureweldedwiththoseofthefragileboatinperfectcontinuation,asshegirlishlyyieldedherselftoitsheavingandsinking,seemingtoformwithitanorganicwhole。
ThenOwenwasinclinedtotesthisskillinpaddlingacanoe。
Edwarddidnotlikecanoes,andtheissuewas,that,havingseenOwenonboard,Springroveproposedtopulloffafterhimwithapairofsculls;butnotconsideringhimselfsufficientlyaccomplishedtodofinishedrowingbeforeaparadefullofpromenaderswhentherewasalittleswellon,andwiththerudderunshippedinaddition,hebeggedthatCythereamightcomewithhimandsteerasbefore。Shesteppedin,andtheyfloatedalonginthewakeofherbrother。Thuspassedthefiftheveningonthewater。
Butthesympatheticpairwerethrownintostillclosercompanionship,andmuchmoreexclusiveconnection。
2。JULYTHETWENTY-NINTH
ItwasasadtimeforCytherea——thelastdayofSpringrove\'smanagementatGradfield\'s,andthelasteveningbeforehisreturnfromBudmouthtohisfather\'shouse,previoustohisdepartureforLondon。
Grayehadbeenrequestedbythearchitecttosurveyaplotoflandnearlytwentymilesoff,which,withthejourneytoandfro,wouldoccupyhimthewholeday,andpreventhisreturningtilllateintheevening。Cythereamadeacompanionofherlandladytotheextentofsharingmealsandsittingwithherduringthemorningofherbrother\'sabsence。Mid-dayfoundherrestlessandmiserableunderthisarrangement。Alltheafternoonshesatalone,lookingoutofthewindowforshescarcelyknewwhom,andhopingshescarcelyknewwhat。Half-pastfiveo\'clockcame——theendofSpringrove\'sofficialday。TwominuteslaterSpringrovewalkedby。
Sheenduredhersolitudeforanotherhalf-hour,andthencouldendurenolonger。Shehadhoped——whileaffectingtofear——thatEdwardwouldhavefoundsomereasonorotherforcalling,butitseemedthathehadnot。Hastilydressingherselfshewentout,whenthefarceofanaccidentalmeetingwasrepeated。Edwardcameuponherinthestreetatthefirstturning,and,liketheGreatDukeFerdinandin\'TheStatueandtheBust\'——
\'Helookedatherasalovercan;
Shelookedathimasonewhoawakes——
Thepastwasasleep,andherlifebegan。\'
\'Shallwehaveaboat?\'hesaidimpulsively。
Howblissfulitallisatfirst。Perhaps,indeed,theonlyblissinthecourseoflovewhichcantrulybecalledEden-likeisthatwhichprevailsimmediatelyafterdoubthasendedandbeforereflectionhassetin——atthedawnoftheemotion,whenitisnotrecognizedbyname,andbeforetheconsiderationofwhatthisloveis,hasgivenbirthtotheconsiderationofwhatdifficultiesittendstocreate;
whenontheman\'spart,themistressappearstothemind\'seyeinpicturesque,hazy,andfreshmorninglights,andsoftmorningshadows;when,asyet,sheisknownonlyasthewearerofonedress,whichsharesherownpersonality;asthestanderinonespecialposition,thegiverofonebrightparticularglance,andthespeakerofonetendersentence;when,onherpart,sheistimidlycarefuloverwhatshesaysanddoes,lestsheshouldbemisconstruedorunder-ratedtothebreadthofashadowofahair。
\'Shallwehaveaboat?\'hesaidagain,moresoftly,seeingthattohisfirstquestionshehadnotanswered,butlookeduncertainlyattheground,thenalmost,butnotquite,inhisface,blushedaseriesofminuteblushes,leftoffinthemidstofthem,andshowedtheusualsignsofperplexityinamatteroftheemotions。
Owenhadalwaysbeenwithherbefore,buttherewasnowaforceofhabitintheproceeding,andwithArcadianinnocencesheassumedthatarowonthewaterwas,underanycircumstances,anaturalthing。Withoutanotherwordbeingspokenoneitherside,theywentdownthesteps。Hecarefullyhandedherin,tookhisseat,slidnoiselesslyoffthesand,andawayfromtheshore。
Theythussatfacingeachotherinthegracefulyellowcockle-shell,andhiseyesfrequentlyfoundaresting-placeinthedepthsofhers。
Theboatwassosmallthatateachreturnofthesculls,whenhishandscameforwardtobeginthepull,theyapproachedsoneartoherthathervividimaginationbegantothrillherwithafancythathewasgoingtoclasphisarmsroundher。Thesensationgrewsostrongthatshecouldnotruntheriskofagainmeetinghiseyesatthosecriticalmoments,andturnedasidetoinspectthedistanthorizon;
thenshegrewwearyoflookingsideways,andwasdriventoreturntohernaturalpositionagain。Atthisinstantheagainleantforwardtobegin,andmetherglancebyanardentfixedgaze。Aninvoluntaryimpulseofgirlishembarrassmentcausedhertogiveavehementpullatthetiller-rope,whichbroughttheboat\'sheadroundtilltheystooddirectlyforshore。
Hiseyes,whichhaddweltuponherformduringthewholetimeofherlookaskance,nowlefther;heperceivedthedirectioninwhichtheyweregoing。
\'Why,youhavecompletelyturnedtheboat,MissGraye?\'hesaid,lookingoverhisshoulder。\'Lookatourtrackonthewater——agreatsemicircle,precededbyaseriesofzigzagsasfaraswecansee。\'
Shelookedattentively。\'Isitmyfaultoryours?\'sheinquired。
\'Mine,Isuppose?\'
\'Ican\'thelpsayingthatitisyours。\'
Shedroppedtheropesdecisively,feelingtheslightesttwingeofvexationattheanswer。
\'Whydoyouletgo?\'
\'Idoitsobadly。\'
\'Ono;youturnedaboutforshoreinamasterlyway。Doyouwishtoreturn?\'
\'Yes,ifyouplease。\'
\'Ofcourse,then,Iwillatonce。\'
\'Ifearwhatthepeoplewillthinkofus——goinginsuchabsurddirections,andallthroughmywretchedsteering。\'
\'Nevermindwhatthepeoplethink。\'Apause。\'Yousurelyarenotsoweakastomindwhatthepeoplethinkonsuchamatterasthat?\'
Thosewordsmightalmostbecalledtoofirmandhardtobegivenbyhimtoher;butnevermind。Foralmostthefirsttimeinherlifeshefeltthecharmingsensation,althoughonsuchaninsignificantsubject,ofbeingcompelledintoanopinionbyamansheloved。
Owen,thoughlessyieldingphysically,andmorepractical,wouldnothavehadtheintellectualindependencetoanswerawomanthus。Sherepliedquietlyandhonestly——ashonestlyaswhenshehadstatedthecontraryfactaminuteearlier——
\'Idon\'tmind。\'
\'I\'llunshipthetillerthatyoumayhavenothingtodogoingbackbuttoholdyourparasol,\'hecontinued,andarosetoperformtheoperation,necessarilyleaningcloselyagainsther,toguardagainsttheriskofcapsizingtheboatashereachedhishandsastern。Hiswarmbreathtouchedandcreptroundherfacelikeacaress;buthewasapparentlyonlyconcernedwithhistask。Shelookedguiltyofsomethingwhenheseatedhimself。Hereadinherfacewhatthatsomethingwas——shehadexperiencedapleasurefromhistouch。Butheflungapracticalglanceoverhisshoulder,seizedtheoars,andtheyspedinastraightlinetowardstheshore。
Cythereasawthathenotedinherfacewhathadpassedinherheart,andthatnotingit,hecontinuedasdecidedasbefore。Shewasinwardlydistressed。Shehadnotmeanthimtotranslateherwordsaboutreturninghomesoliterallyatthefirst;shehadnotintendedhimtolearnhersecret;butmorethanallshewasnotabletoenduretheperceptionofhislearningitandcontinuingunmoved。
Therewasnothingbutmiserytocomenow。Theywouldstepashore;
hewouldsaygood-night,gotoLondonto-morrow,andthemiserableShewouldlosehimforever。Shedidnotquitesupposewhatwasthefact,thataparallelthoughtwassimultaneouslypassingthroughhismind。
Theywerenowwithintenyards,nowwithinfive;hewasonlynowwaitingfora\'smooth\'tobringtheboatin。Sweet,sweetLovemustnotbeslainthus,wasthefairmaid\'sreasoning。Shewasequaltotheoccasion——ladiesare——anddeliveredthegod——
\'Doyouwantverymuchtoland,Mr。Springrove?\'shesaid,lettingheryoungvioleteyespineathimavery,verylittle。
\'I?Notatall,\'saidhe,lookinganastonishmentatherinquirywhichaslighttwinkleofhiseyehalfbelied。\'Butyoudo?\'
\'Ithinkthatnowwehavecomeout,anditissuchapleasantevening,\'shesaidgentlyandsweetly,\'Ishouldlikealittlelongerrowifyoudon\'tmind?I\'lltrytosteerbetterthanbeforeifitmakesiteasierforyou。I\'lltryveryhard。\'
Itwastheturnofhisfacetotellatalenow。Helooked,\'Weunderstandeachother——ah,wedo,darling!\'turnedtheboat,andpulledbackintotheBayoncemore。
\'Nowsteerwhereveryouwill,\'hesaid,inalowvoice。\'Nevermindthedirectnessofthecourse——whereveryouwill。\'
\'ShallitbeCrestonShore?\'shesaid,pointingtoastretchofbeachnorthwardfromBudmouthEsplanade。
\'CrestonShorecertainly,\'heresponded,graspingthesculls。Shetookthestringsdaintily,andtheywoundawaytotheleft。
Foralongtimenothingwasaudibleintheboatbuttheregulardipoftheoars,andtheirmovementintherowlocks。Springroveatlengthspoke。
\'Imustgoawayto-morrow,\'hesaidtentatively。
\'Yes,\'sherepliedfaintly。
\'ToendeavourtoadvancealittleinmyprofessioninLondon。\'
\'Yes,\'shesaidagain,withthesamepreoccupiedsoftness。
\'ButIshan\'tadvance。\'
\'Whynot?Architectureisabewitchingprofession。Theysaythatanarchitect\'sworkisanotherman\'splay。\'
\'Yes。Butworldlyadvantagefromanartdoesn\'tdependuponmasteringit。Iusedtothinkitdid;butitdoesn\'t。Thosewhogetrichneedhavenoskillatallasartists。\'
\'Whatneedtheyhave?\'
\'Acertainkindofenergywhichmenwithanyfondnessforartpossessveryseldomindeed——anearnestnessinmakingacquaintances,andaloveforusingthem。Theygivetheirwholeattentiontotheartofdiningout,aftermasteringafewrudimentaryfactstoserveupinconversation。Nowaftersayingthat,doIseemamanlikelytomakeaname?\'
\'Youseemamanlikelytomakeamistake。\'
\'What\'sthat?\'
\'Togivetoomuchroomtothelatentfeelingwhichisrathercommoninthesedaysamongtheunappreciated,thatbecausesomeremarkablysuccessfulmenarefools,allremarkablyunsuccessfulmenaregeniuses。\'
\'Prettysubtleforayounglady,\'hesaidslowly。\'FromthatremarkIshouldfancyyouhadboughtexperience。\'
Shepassedovertheidea。\'Dotrytosucceed,\'shesaid,withwistfulthoughtfulness,leavinghereyesonhim。
Springroveflushedalittleattheearnestnessofherwords,andmused。\'Then,likeCatotheCensor,IshalldowhatIdespise,tobeinthefashion,\'hesaidatlast……\'Well,whenIfoundallthisoutthatIwasspeakingof,whateverdoyouthinkIdid?Fromhavingalreadylovedversepassionately,Iwentontoreaditcontinually;thenIwentrhymingmyself。Ifanythingonearthruinsamanforusefuloccupation,andforcontentwithreasonablesuccessinaprofessionortrade,itisthehabitofwritingversesonemotionalsubjects,whichhadmuchbetterbelefttodiefromwantofnourishment。\'
\'Doyouwritepoemsnow?\'shesaid。
\'None。Poeticaldaysaregettingpastwithme,accordingtotheusualrule。Writingrhymesisastagepeopleofmysortpassthrough,astheypassthroughthestageofshavingforabeard,orthinkingtheyareill-used,orsayingthere\'snothingintheworldworthlivingfor。\'
\'Thenthedifferencebetweenacommonmanandarecognizedpoetis,thatonehasbeendeluded,andcuredofhisdelusion,andtheothercontinuesdeludedallhisdays。\'
\'Well,there\'sjustenoughtruthinwhatyousay,tomaketheremarkunbearable。However,itdoesn\'tmattertomenowthatI“meditatethethanklessMuse“nolonger,but……\'Hepaused,asifendeavouringtothinkwhatbetterthinghedid。
Cytherea\'smindranontothesucceedinglinesofthepoem,andtheirstartlingharmonywiththepresentsituationsuggestedthefancythathewas\'sporting\'withher,andbroughtanawkwardcontemplativenesstoherface。
Springroveguessedherthoughts,andinanswertothemsimplysaid\'Yes。\'Thentheyweresilentagain。
\'IfIhadknownanAmarylliswascominghere,Ishouldnothavemadearrangementsforleaving,\'heresumed。
Suchlevity,superimposedonthenotionof\'sport\',wasintolerabletoCytherea;forawomanseemsnevertoseeanybuttheserioussideofherattachment,thoughthemostdevotedloverhasallthetimeavagueanddimperceptionthatheislosinghisolddignityandfritteringawayhistime。
\'Butwillyounottryagaintogetoninyourprofession?Tryoncemore;dotryoncemore,\'shemurmured。\'Iamgoingtotryagain。I
haveadvertisedforsomethingtodo。\'
\'OfcourseIwill,\'hesaid,withaneagergestureandsmile。\'ButwemustrememberthatthefameofChristopherWrenhimselfdependedupontheaccidentofafireinPuddingLane。Mysuccessesseemtocomeveryslowly。Ioftenthink,thatbeforeIamreadytolive,itwillbetimeformetodie。However,Iamtrying——notforfamenow,butforaneasylifeofreasonablecomfort。\'
Itisamelancholytruthforthemiddleclasses,thatinproportionastheydevelop,bythestudyofpoetryandart,theircapacityforconjugalloveofthehighestandpurestkind,theylimitthepossibilityoftheirbeingabletoexerciseit——theveryactputtingoutoftheirpowertheattainmentofmeanssufficientformarriage。
Themanwhoworksupagoodincomehashadnotimetolearnlovetoitssolemnextreme;themanwhohaslearntthathashadnotimetogetrich。
\'Andifyoushouldfail——utterlyfailtogetthatreasonablewealth,\'shesaidearnestly,\'don\'tbeperturbed。Thetrulygreatstanduponnomiddleledge;theyareeitherfamousorunknown。\'
\'Unknown,\'hesaid,\'iftheirideashavebeenallowedtoflowwithasympatheticbreadth。Famousonlyiftheyhavebeenconvergentandexclusive。\'
\'Yes;andIamafraidfromthat,thatmyremarkwasbutdiscouragement,wearingthedressofcomfort。PerhapsIwasnotquiterightin——\'
\'Itdependsentirelyuponwhatismeantbybeingtrulygreat。Butthelongandtheshortofthematteris,thatmenmuststicktoathingiftheywanttosucceedinit——notgivingwaytoover-muchadmirationfortheflowerstheyseegrowinginotherpeople\'sborders;whichIamafraidhasbeenmycase。\'Helookedintothefardistanceandpaused。
Adherencetoacoursewithpersistencesufficienttoensuresuccessispossibletowidelyappreciativemindsonlywhenthereisalsofoundinthemapower——commonplaceinitsnature,butrareinsuchcombination——thepowerofassumingtoconvictionthatintheoutlyingpathswhichappearsomuchmorebrilliantthantheirown,therearebitternessesequallygreat——unperceivedsimplyonaccountoftheirremoteness。
TheywereoppositeRingsworthShore。ThecliffsherewereformedofstratacompletelycontrastingwiththoseofthefurthersideoftheBay,whilstinandbeneaththewaterhardbouldershadtakentheplaceofsandandshingle,betweenwhich,however,theseaglidednoiselessly,withoutbreakingthecrestofasinglewave,sostrikinglycalmwastheair。Thebreezehadentirelydiedaway,leavingthewaterofthatrareglassysmoothnesswhichisunmarkedevenbythesmalldimplesoftheleastaerialmovement。Purplesandbluesofdiversshadeswerereflectedfromthismirroraccordinglyaseachundulationslopedeastorwest。Theycouldseetherockybottomsometwentyfeetbeneaththem,luxuriantwithweedsofvariousgrowths,anddottedwithpulpycreaturesreflectingasilveryandspangledradianceupwardstotheireyes。
Atlengthshelookedathimtolearntheeffectofherwordsofencouragement。Hehadlettheoarsdriftalongside,andtheboathadcometoastandstill。Everythingonearthseemedtakingacontemplativerest,asifwaitingtoheartheavowalofsomethingfromhislips。Atthatinstantheappearedtobreakaresolutionhithertozealouslykept。Leavinghisseatamidshipshecameandgentlyedgedhimselfdownbesideheruponthenarrowseatatthestern。
Shebreathedmorequicklyandwarmly:hetookherrighthandinhisownright:itwasnotwithdrawn。Heputhislefthandbehindhernecktillitcamerounduponherleftcheek:itwasnotthrustaway。Lightlypressingher,hebroughtherfaceandmouthtowardshisown;when,atthistheverybrink,someunaccountablethoughtorspellwithinhimsuddenlymadehimhalt——evennow,andasitseemedasmuchtohimselfastoher,hetimidlywhispered\'MayI?\'
HerendeavourwastosayNo,sodenudedofitsfleshandsinewsthatitsnaturewouldhardlyberecognized,orinotherwordsaNofromsoneartheaffirmativefrontierastobeaffectedwiththeYesaccent。ItwasthusawhisperedNo,drawnouttonearlyaquarterofaminute\'slength,theOmakingitselfaudibleasasoundlikethespringcooofapigeononunusuallyfriendlytermswithitsmate。Thoughconsciousofhersuccessinproducingthekindofwordshehadwishedtoproduce,sheatthesametimetrembledinsuspenseastohowitwouldbetaken。Butthetimeavailablefordoubtwassoshortastoadmitofscarcelymorethanhalfapulsation:
pressingcloserhekissedher。Thenhekissedheragainwithalongerkiss。
Itwasthesupremelyhappymomentoftheirexperience。The\'bloom\'
andthe\'purplelight\'werestrongonthelineamentsofboth。Theirheartscouldhardlybelievetheevidenceoftheirlips。
\'Iloveyou,andyouloveme,Cytherea!\'hewhispered。
Shedidnotdenyit;andallseemedwell。Thegentlesoundsaroundthemfromthehills,theplains,thedistanttown,theadjacentshore,thewaterheavingattheirside,thekiss,andthelongkiss,wereall\'manyavoiceofonedelight,\'andinunisonwitheachother。
Buthismindflewbacktothesameunpleasantthoughtwhichhadbeenconnectedwiththeresolutionhehadbrokenaminuteortwoearlier。
\'Icouldbeaslaveatmyprofessiontowinyou,Cytherea;Iwouldworkatthemeanest,honesttradetobenearyou——muchlessclaimyouasmine;Iwould——anything。ButIhavenottoldyouall;itisnotthis;youdon\'tknowwhatthereisyettotell。Couldyouforgiveasyoucanlove?\'Shewasalarmedtoseethathehadbecomepalewiththequestion。
\'No——donotspeak,\'hesaid。\'Ihavekeptsomethingfromyou,whichhasnowbecomethecauseofagreatuneasiness。Ihadnoright——toloveyou;butIdidit。Somethingforbade——\'
\'What?\'sheexclaimed。
\'Somethingforbademe——tillthekiss——yes,tillthekisscame;andnownothingshallforbidit!We\'llhopeinspiteofall……I
must,however,speakofthisloveofourstoyourbrother。Dearest,youhadbettergoindoorswhilstImeethimatthestation,andexplaineverything。\'
Cytherea\'sshort-livedblisswasdeadandgone。O,ifshehadknownofthissequelwouldshehaveallowedhimtobreakdownthebarrierofmereacquaintanceship——never,never!
\'Willyounotexplaintome?\'shefaintlyurged。Doubt——indefinite,carkingdoubthadtakenpossessionofher。
\'Notnow。Youalarmyourselfunnecessarily,\'hesaidtenderly。\'MyonlyreasonforkeepingsilenceisthatwithmypresentknowledgeI
maytellanuntruestory。Itmaybethatthereisnothingtotell。
Iamtoblameforhasteinalludingtoanysuchthing。Forgiveme,sweet——forgiveme。\'Herheartwasreadytoburst,andshecouldnotanswerhim。Hereturnedtohisplaceandtooktotheoars。
TheyagainmadeforthedistantEsplanade,now,withitslineofhouses,lyinglikeadarkgreybandagainstthelightwesternsky。
Thesunhadset,andastarortwobegantopeepout。Theydrewnearertheirdestination,Edwardashepulledtracinglistlesslywithhiseyestheredstripesuponherscarf,whichgrewtoappearasblackonesintheincreasingduskofevening。Shesurveyedthelonglineoflampsonthesea-wallofthetown,nowlookingsmallandyellow,andseemingtosendlongtap-rootsoffirequiveringdowndeepintothesea。By-and-bytheyreachedthelanding-steps。
Hetookherhandasbefore,andfounditascoldasthewateraboutthem。Itwasnotrelinquishedtillhereachedherdoor。Hisassurancehadnotremovedtheconstraintofhermanner:hesawthatsheblamedhimmutelyandwithhereyes,likeacapturedsparrow。
Leftalone,hewentandseatedhimselfinachairontheEsplanade。
Neithercouldshegoindoorstohersolitaryroom,feelingasshedidinsuchastateofdesperateheaviness。WhenSpringrovewasoutofsightsheturnedback,andarrivedatthecornerjustintimetoseehimsitdown。Thensheglidedpensivelyalongthepavementbehindhim,forgettingherselftomarblelikeMelancholyherselfasshemusedinhisneighbourhoodunseen。Sheheard,withoutheeding,thenotesofpianosandsingingvoicesfromthefashionablehousesatherback,fromtheopenwindowsofwhichthelamp-lightstreamedtojointhatoftheorange-huedfullmoon,newlyrisenovertheBayinfront。ThenEdwardbegantopaceupanddown,andCytherea,fearingthathewouldnoticeher,hastenedhomeward,flinginghimalastlookasshepassedoutofsight。Nopromisefromhimtowrite:
norequestthatsheherselfwoulddoso——nothingbutanindefiniteexpressionofhopeinthefaceofsomefearunknowntoher。Alas,alas!
WhenOwenreturnedhefoundshewasnotinthesmallsitting-room,andcreepingupstairsintoherbedroomwithalight,hediscoveredhertherelyingasleepuponthecoverletofthebed,stillwithherhatandjacketon。Shehadflungherselfdownonentering,andsuccumbedtotheunwontedoppressivenessthateverattendsfull-
blownlove。Thewettracesoftearswereyetvisibleuponherlongdroopinglashes。
\'Loveisasowredelight,andsugredgriefe,Alivingdeath,andever-dyinglife。\'
\'Cytherea,\'hewhispered,kissingher。Sheawokewithastart,andventedanexclamationbeforerecoveringherjudgment。\'He\'sgone!\'
shesaid。
\'Hehastoldmeall,\'saidGrayesoothingly。\'Heisgoingoffearlyto-morrowmorning。\'Twasashameofhimtowinyouawayfromme,andcruelofyoutokeepthegrowthofthisattachmentasecret。\'
\'Wecouldn\'thelpit,\'shesaid,andthenjumpingup——\'Owen,hashetoldyouALL?\'
\'Allofyourlovefrombeginningtoend,\'hesaidsimply。
Edwardthenhadnottoldmore——asheoughttohavedone:yetshecouldnotconvicthim。Butshewouldstruggleagainsthisfetters。
Shetingledtotheverysolesofherfeetattheverypossibilitythathemightbedeludingher。
\'Owen,\'shecontinued,withdignity,\'whatishetome?Nothing。I
mustdismisssuchweaknessasthis——believeme,Iwill。Somethingfarmorepressingmustdriveitaway。Ihavebeenlookingmypositionsteadilyintheface,andImustgetalivingsomehow。I
meantoadvertiseoncemore。\'
\'Advertisingisnouse。\'
\'Thisonewillbe。\'Helookedsurprisedatthesanguinetoneofheranswer,tillshetookapieceofpaperfromthetableandshowedithim。\'SeewhatIamgoingtodo,\'shesaidsadly,almostbitterly。
Thiswasherthirdeffort:——
\'LADY\'S-MAID。Inexperienced。Ageeighteen——G。,3CrossStreet,Budmouth。\'
Owen——Owentherespectable——lookedblankastonishment。Herepeatedinanameless,varyingtone,thetwowords——
\'Lady\'s-maid!\'
\'Yes;lady\'s-maid。\'Tisanhonestprofession,\'saidCythereabravely。
\'ButYOU,Cytherea?\'
\'Yes,I——whoamI?\'
\'Youwillneverbealady\'s-maid——never,Iamquitesure。\'
\'Ishalltrytobe,atanyrate。\'
\'Suchadisgrace——\'
\'Nonsense!Imaintainthatitisnodisgrace!\'shesaid,ratherwarmly。\'Youknowverywell——\'
\'Well,sinceyouwill,youmust,\'heinterrupted。\'Whydoyouput“inexperienced?”\'
\'BecauseIam。\'
\'Nevermindthat——scratchout“inexperienced。“Wearepoor,Cytherea,aren\'twe?\'hemurmured,afterasilence,\'anditseemsthatthetwomonthswillclosemyengagementhere。\'
\'Wecanputupwithbeingpoor,\'shesaid,\'iftheyonlygiveusworktodo……Yes,wedesireasablessingwhatwasgivenusasacurse,andeventhatisdenied。However,becheerful,Owen,andnevermind!\'
Injusticetodespondingmen,itisaswelltorememberthatthebrighterenduranceofwomenattheseepochs——invaluable,sweet,angelic,asitis——owesmoreofitsorigintoanarrowervisionthatshutsoutmanyoftheleaden-eyeddespairsinthevan,thantoahopefulnessintenseenoughtoquellthem。
IV。THEEVENTSOFONEDAY
1。AUGUSTTHEFOURTH。TILLFOURO\'CLOCK
TheearlypartofthenextweekbroughtananswertoCytherea\'slastnoteofhopeinthewayofadvertisement——notfromadistanceofhundredsofmiles,London,Scotland,Ireland,theContinent——asCythereaseemedtothinkitmust,tobeinkeepingwiththemeansadoptedforobtainingit,butfromaplaceintheneighbourhoodofthatinwhichshewasliving——acountrymansionnottwentymilesoff。Thereplyranthus:——
KNAPWATERHOUSE,August3,1864。
\'MissAldclyffeisinwantofayoungpersonaslady\'s-maid。Thedutiesoftheplacearelight。MissAldclyffewillbeinBudmouthonThursday,whenshouldG。stillnothaveheardofaplaceshewouldliketoseeherattheBelvedereHotel,Esplanade,atfouro\'clock。Noanswerneedbereturnedtothisnote。\'
Alittleearlierthanthetimenamed,Cytherea,clothedinamodestbonnet,andablacksilkjacket,turneddowntothehotel。
Expectation,thefreshairfromthewater,thebright,far-extendingoutlook,raisedthemostdelicateofpinkcolourstohercheeks,andrestoredtohertreadaportionofthatelasticitywhichherpasttroubles,andthoughtsofEdward,hadwell-nightakenaway。
Sheenteredthevestibule,andwenttothewindowofthebar。
\'IsMissAldclyffehere?\'shesaidtoanicely-dressedbarmaidintheforeground,whowastalkingtoalandladycoveredwithchains,knobs,andclampsofgold,inthebackground。
\'No,sheisn\'t,\'saidthebarmaid,notverycivilly。Cytherealookedashadetooprettyforaplaindresser。
\'MissAldclyffeisexpectedhere,\'thelandladysaidtoathirdperson,outofsight,inthetoneofonewhohadknownforseveraldaysthefactnewlydiscoveredfromCytherea。\'Getreadyherroom——
bequick。\'Fromthealacritywithwhichtheorderwasgivenandtaken,itseemedtoCythereathatMissAldclyffemustbeawomanofconsiderableimportance。
\'YouaretohaveaninterviewwithMissAldclyffehere?\'thelandladyinquired。
\'Yes。\'
\'Theyoungpersonhadbetterwait,\'continuedthelandlady。Withamoney-taker\'sintuitionshehadrightlydivinedthatCythereawouldbringnoprofittothehouse。
Cythereawasshownintoanondescriptchamber,ontheshadysideofthebuilding,whichappearedtobeeitherbedroomordayroom,asoccasionnecessitated,andwasoneofasuiteattheendofthefirst-floorcorridor。Theprevailingcolourofthewalls,curtains,carpet,andcoveringsoffurniture,wasmoreorlessblue,towhichthecoldlightcomingfromthenortheasterlysky,andfallingonawideroofofnewslates——theonlyobjectthesmallwindowcommanded——
impartedamorestrikingpaleness。Butunderneaththedoor,communicatingwiththenextroomofthesuite,gleamedaninfinitesimallysmall,yetverypowerful,fractionofcontrast——averythinlineofruddylight,showingthatthesunbeamedstronglyintothisroomadjoining。Thelineofradiancewastheonlycheeringthingvisibleintheplace。
Peoplegivewaytoveryinfantinethoughtsandactionswhentheywait;thebattle-fieldoflifeistemporarilyfencedoffbyahardandfastline——theinterview。Cythereafixedhereyesidlyuponthestreak,andbeganpicturingawonderfulparadiseontheothersideasthesourceofsuchabeam——remindingherofthewell-knowngooddeedinanaughtyworld。
Whilstshewatchedtheparticlesofdustfloatingbeforethebrilliantchinksheheardacarriageandhorsesstopoppositethefrontofthehouse。Afterwardscametherustleofalady\'sskirtsdownthecorridor,andintotheroomcommunicatingwiththeoneCythereaoccupied。
Thegoldenlinevanishedinpartslikethephosphorescentstreakcausedbythestrikingofamatch;therewasthefallofalightfootsteponthefloorjustbehindit:thenapause。Thenthefoottappedimpatiently,and\'There\'snoonehere!\'wasspokenimperiouslybyalady\'stongue。
\'No,madam;inthenextroom。Iamgoingtofetchher,\'saidtheattendant。
\'Thatwilldo——oryouneedn\'tgoin;Iwillcallher。\'
Cythereahadrisen,andsheadvancedtothemiddledoorwiththechinkunderitastheservantretired。Shehadjustlaidherhandontheknob,whenitslippedroundwithinherfingers,andthedoorwaspulledopenfromtheotherside。
2。FOURO\'CLOCK
Thedirectblazeoftheafternoonsun,partlyrefractedthroughthecrimsoncurtainsofthewindow,andheightenedbyreflectionsfromthecrimson-flockpaperwhichcoveredthewalls,andacarpetonthefloorofthesametint,shonewithaburningglowroundtheformofaladystandingclosetoCytherea\'sfrontwiththedoorinherhand。
Thestrangerappearedtothemaiden\'seyes——freshfromthebluegloom,andassistedbyanimaginationfreshfromnature——likeatallblackfigurestandinginthemidstoffire。Itwasthefigureofafinely-builtwoman,ofsparethoughnotangularproportions。
Cythereainvoluntarilyshadedhereyeswithherhand,retreatedasteportwo,andthenshecouldforthefirsttimeseeMissAldclyffe\'sfaceinadditiontoheroutline,litupbythesecondaryandsofterlightthatwasreflectedfromthevarnishedpanelsofthedoor。Shewasnotaveryyoungwoman,butcouldboastofmuchbeautyofthemajesticautumnalphase。
\'O,\'saidthelady,\'comethisway。\'Cythereafollowedhertotheembrasureofthewindow。
Boththewomenshowedoffthemselvestoadvantageastheywalkedforwardintheorangelight;andeachshowedtooinherfacethatshehadbeenstruckwithhercompanion\'sappearance。ThewarmtintaddedtoCytherea\'sfaceavoluptuousnesswhichyouthandasimplelifehadnotyetallowedtoexpressitselfthereordinarily;whilstintheelderlady\'sfaceitreducedthecustomaryexpression,whichmighthavebeencalledsternness,ifnotharshness,tograndeur,andwarmedherdecayingcomplexionwithmuchoftheyouthfulrichnessitplainlyhadoncepossessed。
Sheappearednownomorethanfive-and-thirty,thoughshemighteasilyhavebeentenoradozenyearsolder。Shehadclearsteadyeyes,aRomannoseinitspurestform,andalsotheroundprominentchinwithwhichtheCaesarsarerepresentedinancientmarbles;amouthexpressingacapabilityforandtendencytostrongemotion,habituallycontrolledbypride。Therewasaseverityabouttheloweroutlinesofthefacewhichgaveamasculinecasttothisportionofhercountenance。Womanlyweaknesswasnowherevisiblesaveinonepart——thecurveofherforeheadandbrows——thereitwasclearandemphatic。Sheworealaceshawloverabrownsilkdress,andanetbonnetsetwithafewbluecornflowers。
\'Youinsertedtheadvertisementforasituationaslady\'s-maidgivingtheaddress,G。,CrossStreet?\'
\'Yes,madam。Graye。\'
\'Yes。Ihaveheardyourname——Mrs。Morris,myhousekeeper,mentionedyou,andpointedoutyouradvertisement。\'
Thiswaspuzzlingintelligence,buttherewasnottimeenoughtoconsiderit。
\'Wheredidyoulivelast?\'continuedMissAldclyffe。
\'Ihaveneverbeenaservantbefore。Ilivedathome。\'
\'Neverbeenout?Ithoughttooatsightofyouthatyouweretoogirlish-lookingtohavedonemuch。Butwhydidyouadvertisewithsuchassurance?Itmisleadspeople。\'
\'Iamverysorry:Iput“inexperienced“atfirst,butmybrothersaiditisabsurdtotrumpetyourownweaknesstotheworld,andwouldnotletitremain。\'
\'Butyourmotherknewwhatwasright,Isuppose?\'
\'Ihavenomother,madam。\'
\'Yourfather,then?\'
\'Ihavenofather。\'
\'Well,\'shesaid,moresoftly,\'yoursisters,aunts,orcousins。\'
\'Theydidn\'tthinkanythingaboutit。\'
\'Youdidn\'taskthem,Isuppose。\'
\'No。\'
\'Youshouldhavedoneso,then。Whydidn\'tyou?\'
\'BecauseIhaven\'tanyofthem,either。\'
MissAldclyffeshowedhersurprise。\'Youdeserveforgivenessthenatanyrate,child,\'shesaid,inasortofdrily-kindtone。
\'However,Iamafraidyoudonotsuitme,asIamlookingforanelderlyperson。Yousee,Iwantanexperiencedmaidwhoknowsalltheusualdutiesoftheoffice。\'Shewasgoingtoadd,\'ThoughI
likeyourappearance,\'butthewordsseemedoffensivetoapplytotheladylikegirlbeforeher,andshemodifiedthemto,\'thoughI
likeyoumuch。\'
\'IamsorryImisledyou,madam,\'saidCytherea。
MissAldclyffestoodinareverie,withoutreplying。
\'Goodafternoon,\'continuedCytherea。
\'Good-bye,MissGraye——Ihopeyouwillsucceed。\'
Cythereaturnedawaytowardsthedoor。Themovementchancedtobeoneofhermasterpieces。Itwasprecise:ithadasmuchbeautyaswascompatiblewithprecision,andaslittlecoquettishnessaswascompatiblewithbeauty。
Andshehadinturninglookedoverhershoulderattheotherladywithafaintaccentofreproachinherface。ThosewhorememberGreuze\'s\'HeadofaGirl,\'haveanideaofCytherea\'slookaskanceattheturning。Itisnotforamantotellfishersofmenhowtosetouttheirfascinationssoastobringaboutthehighestpossibleaverageoftakeswithintheyear:buttheactionthattugsthehardestofallatanemotionalbeholderisthissweetmethodofturningwhichstealsthebosomawayandleavestheeyesbehind。
NowMissAldclyffeherselfwasnotyroatwheeling。WhenCythereahadclosedthedooruponher,sheremainedforsometimeinhermotionlessattitude,listeningtothegraduallydyingsoundofthemaiden\'sretreatingfootsteps。Shemurmuredtoherself,\'Itisalmostworthwhiletobeboredwithinstructingherinordertohaveacreaturewhocouldglideroundmyluxuriousindolentbodyinthatmanner,andlookatmeinthatway——Iwarranthowlightherfingersareuponone\'sheadandneck……Whatasillymodestyoungthingsheis,togoawaysosuddenlyasthat!\'Sherangthebell。
\'Asktheyoungladywhohasjustleftmetostepbackagain,\'shesaidtotheattendant。\'Quick!orshewillbegone。\'
Cythereawasnowinthevestibule,thinkingthatifshehadtoldherhistory,MissAldclyffemightperhapshavetakenherintothehousehold;yetherhistorysheparticularlywishedtoconcealfromastranger。Whenshewasrecalledsheturnedbackwithoutfeelingmuchsurprise。Something,sheknewnotwhat,toldhershehadnotseenthelastofMissAldclyffe。
\'Youhavesomebodytorefermeto,ofcourse,\'theladysaid,whenCythereahadre-enteredtheroom。
\'Yes:Mr。Thorn,asolicitoratAldbrickham。\'
\'Andareyouacleverneedlewoman?\'
\'Iamconsideredtobe。\'
\'ThenIthinkthatatanyrateIwillwritetoMr。Thorn,\'saidMissAldclyffe,withalittlesmile。\'Itistrue,thewholeproceedingisveryirregular;butmypresentmaidleavesnextMonday,andneitherofthefiveIhavealreadyseenseemtodoforme……
Well,IwillwritetoMr。Thorn,andifhisreplyissatisfactory,youshallhearfromme。ItwillbeaswelltosetyourselfinreadinesstocomeonMonday。\'
WhenCythereahadagainbeenwatchedoutoftheroom,MissAldclyffeaskedforwritingmaterials,thatshemightatoncecommunicatewithMr。Thorn。Sheindecisivelyplayedwiththepen。\'SupposeMr。
Thorn\'sreplytobeinanywaydisheartening——andevenifsofromhisownimperfectacquaintancewiththeyoungcreaturemorethanfromcircumstantialknowledge——Ishallfeelobligedtogiveherup。
ThenIshallregretthatIdidnotgiveheronetrialinspiteofotherpeople\'sprejudices。Allheraccountofherselfisreliableenough——yes,Icanseethatbyherface。Ilikethatfaceofhers。\'
MissAldclyffeputdownthepenandleftthehotelwithoutwritingtoMr。Thorn。
V。THEEVENTSOFONEDAY
1。AUGUSTTHEEIGHTH。MORNINGANDAFTERNOON
Atpost-timeonthatfollowingMondaymorning,Cythereawatchedsoanxiouslyforthepostman,thatasthetimewhichmustbringhimnarrowedlessandlesshervividexpectationhadonlyadegreelesstangibilitythanhispresenceitself。Inanothersecondhisformcameintoview。HebroughttwolettersforCytherea。
OnefromMissAldclyffe,simplystatingthatshewishedCythereatocomeontrial:thatshewouldrequirehertobeatKnapwaterHousebyMondayevening。
TheotherwasfromEdwardSpringrove。Hetoldherthatshewasthebrightspotofhislife:thatherexistencewasfardearertohimthanhisown:thathehadneverknownwhatitwastolovetillhehadmether。True,hehadfeltpassingattachmentstootherfacesfromtimetotime;buttheyallhadbeenweakinclinationstowardsthosefacesastheythenappeared。Helovedherpastandfuture,aswellasherpresent。Hepicturedherasachild:helovedher。Hepicturedherofsageyears:helovedher。Hepicturedherintrouble;helovedher。Homelyfriendshipenteredintohisloveforher,withoutwhichalllovewasevanescent。
Hewouldmakeonedepressingstatement。Uncontrollablecircumstancesalonghistory,withwhichitwasimpossibletoacquaintheratpresentoperatedtoacertainextentasadraguponhiswishes。Hehadfeltthismorestronglyatthetimeoftheirpartingthanhedidnow——anditwasthecauseofhisabruptbehaviour,forwhichhebeggedhertoforgivehim。Hesawnowanhonourablewayoffreeinghimself,andtheperceptionhadpromptedhimtowrite。Inthemeantimemightheindulgeinthehopeofpossessingheronsomebrightfutureday,whenbyhardlabourgeneratedfromherownencouragingwords,hehadplacedhimselfinapositionshewouldthinkworthytobesharedwithhim?
Dearlittleletter;shehuddleditup。Somuchmoreimportantalove-letterseemstoagirlthantoaman。Springrovewasunconsciouslycleverinhisletters,andamanwithatalentofthatkindmaywritehimselfuptoaherointhemindofayoungwomanwholoveshimwithoutknowingmuchabouthim。Springrovealreadystoodacubithigherinherimaginationthanhedidinhisshoes。
Duringthedaysheflittedabouttheroominanecstasyofpleasure,packingthethingsandthinkingofananswerwhichshouldbeworthyofthetendertoneofthequestion,herlovebubblingfromherinvoluntarily,likeprophesyingsfromaprophet。
IntheafternoonOwenwentwithhertotherailway-station,andputherinthetrainforCarrifordRoad,thestationnearesttoKnapwaterHouse。
Half-an-hourlatershesteppedoutupontheplatform,andfoundnobodytheretoreceiveher——thoughapony-carriagewaswaitingoutside。Intwominutesshesawamelancholymanincheerfulliveryrunningtowardsherfromapublic-housecloseadjoining,whoprovedtobetheservantsenttofetchher。Therearetwowaysofgettingridofsorrows:onebylivingthemdown,theotherbydrowningthem。Thecoachmandrownedhis。
Heinformedherthatherluggagewouldbefetchedbyaspring-waggoninabouthalf-an-hour;thenhelpedherintothechaiseanddroveoff。
Herlover\'sletter,lyingcloseagainstherneck,fortifiedheragainsttherestlesstimidityshehadpreviouslyfeltconcerningthisnewundertaking,andcompletelyfurnishedherwiththeconfidenteaseofmindwhichisrequiredforthecriticalobservationofsurroundingobjects。Itwasjustthatstageintheslowdeclineofthesummerdays,whenthedeep,dark,andvacuoushot-weathershadowsarebeginningtobereplacedbyblueonesthathaveasurfaceandsubstancetotheeye。Theytrottedalongtheturnpikeroadforadistanceofaboutamile,whichbroughtthemjustoutsidethevillageofCarriford,andthenturnedthroughlargelodge-gates,ontheheavystonepiersofwhichstoodapairofbitternscastinbronze。Theythenenteredtheparkandwoundalongadriveshadedbyoldanddroopinglime-trees,notarrangedintheformofanavenue,butstandingirregularly,sometimesleavingthetrackcompletelyexposedtothesky,atothertimescastingashadeoverit,whichalmostapproachedgloom——theundersurfaceofthelowestboughshangingatauniformlevelofsixfeetabovethegrass——theextremeheighttowhichthenibblingmouthsofthecattlecouldreach。
\'Isthatthehouse?\'saidCythereaexpectantly,catchingsightofagreygablebetweenthetrees,andlosingitagain。
\'No;that\'stheoldmanor-house——orratherallthat\'sleftofit。
TheAldycliffesusedtoletitsometimes,butitwasoftenerempty。
\'Tisnowdividedintothreecottages。Respectablepeopledidn\'tcaretolivethere。\'
\'Whydidn\'tthey?\'
\'Well,\'tissoawkwardandunhandy。Youseesomuchofithasbeenpulleddown,andtheroomsthatareleftwon\'tdoverywellforasmallresidence。\'Tissodismal,too,andlikemostoldhousesstandstoolowdowninthehollowtobehealthy。\'
\'Dotheytellanyhorridstoriesaboutit?\'
\'No,notasingleone。\'
\'Ah,that\'sapity。\'
\'Yes,that\'swhatIsay。\'Tisjestthehouseforaniceghastlyhair-on-endstory,thatwouldmaketheparishreligious。Perhapsitwillhaveonesomedaytomakeitcomplete;butthere\'snotawordofthekindnow。There,Iwouldn\'tlivethereforallthat。Infact,Icouldn\'t。Ono,Icouldn\'t。\'
\'Whycouldn\'tyou?\'
\'Thesounds。\'
\'Whatarethey?\'
\'Oneisthewaterfall,whichstandssoclosebythatyoucanhearthattherewaterfallineveryroomofthehouse,nightorday,illorwell。\'Tisenoughtodriveanybodymad:nowhark。\'
Hestoppedthehorse。Abovetheslightcommonsoundsintheaircametheunvaryingsteadyrushoffallingwaterfromsomespotunseenonaccountofthethickfoliageofthegrove。
\'There\'ssomethingawfulinthetimingo\'thatsound,ain\'tthere,miss?\'
\'Whenyousaythereis,therereallyseemstobe。Yousaidthereweretwo——whatistheotherhorridsound?\'
\'Thepumping-engine。That\'sclosebytheOldHouse,andsendswaterupthehillandallovertheGreatHouse。Weshallhearthatdirectly……There,nowharkagain。\'
Fromthesamedirectiondownthedelltheycouldnowhearthewhistlingcreakofcranks,repeatedatintervalsofhalf-a-minute,withasousingnoisebetweeneach:acreak,asouse,thenanothercreak,andsooncontinually。
\'Nowifanybodycouldmakeshifttolivethroughtheothersounds,thesewouldfinishhimoff,don\'tyouthinkso,miss?Thatmachinegoesonnightandday,summerandwinter,andishardlyevergreasedorvisited。Ah,ittriesthenervesatnight,especiallyifyouarenotverywell;thoughwedon\'toftenhearitattheGreatHouse。\'
\'Thatsoundiscertainlyverydismal。Theymighthavethewheelgreased。DoesMissAldclyffetakeanyinterestinthesethings?\'
\'Well,scarcely;youseeherfatherdoesn\'tattendtothatsortofthingasheusedto。Theenginewasoncequitehishobby。Butnowhe\'sgettenoldandveryseldomgoesthere。\'
\'Howmanyarethereinfamily?\'
\'Onlyherfatherandherself。He\'sa\'oldmanofseventy。\'
\'IhadthoughtthatMissAldclyffewassolemistressoftheproperty,andlivedherealone。\'
\'No,m——\'Thecoachmanwascontinuallycheckinghimselfthus,beingabouttostylehermissinvoluntarily,andthenrecollectingthathewasonlyspeakingtothenewlady\'s-maid。
\'Shewillsoonbemistress,however,Iamafraid,\'hecontinued,asifspeakingbyaspiritofprophecydeniedtoordinaryhumanity。
\'Thepooroldgentlemanhasdecayedveryfastlately。\'Themanthendrewalongbreath。
\'Whydidyoubreathesadlylikethat?\'saidCytherea。
\'Ah!……Whenhe\'sdeadpeacewillbealloverwithusoldservants。Iexpecttoseetheoldhouseturnedinsideout。\'
\'Shewillmarry,doyoumean?\'
\'Marry——notshe!Iwishshewould。No,inhersoulshe\'sassolitaryasRobinsonCrusoe,thoughshehasacquaintancesinplenty,ifnotrelations。There\'stherector,Mr。Raunham——he\'sarelationbymarriage——yetshe\'squitedistanttowardshim。AndpeoplesaythatifshekeepssingletherewillbehardlyalifebetweenMr。
Raunhamandtheheirshipoftheestate。Dangit,shedon\'tcare。