Thesecondwasquitedifferentfromthefirst——akindofintermittentwhistleitseemedprimarily:no,acreak,ametalliccreak,everandanon,likeaplough,orarustywheelbarrow,oratleastawheelofsomekind。Yes,itwas,awheel——thewater-wheelintheshrubberybytheoldmanor-house,whichthecoachmanhadsaidwoulddrivehimmad。
Shedeterminednottothinkanymoreofthesegloomythings;butnowthatshehadoncenoticedthesoundtherewasnosealingherearstoit。Shecouldnothelptimingitscreaks,andputtingonadreadexpectancyjustbeforetheendofeachhalf-minutethatbroughtthem。Toimaginetheinsideoftheengine-house,whencethesenoisesproceeded,wasnowanecessity。Nowindow,butcrevicesinthedoor,throughwhich,probably,themoonbeamsstreamedinthemostattenuatedandskeleton-likerays,strikingsharplyuponportionsofwetrustycranksandchains;aglisteningwheel,turningincessantly,labouringinthedarklikeacaptivestarvinginadungeon;andinsteadofafloorbelow,gurglingwater,whichonaccountofthedarknesscouldonlybeheard;waterwhichlabouredupdarkpipesalmosttowhereshelay。
Sheshivered。Nowshewasdeterminedtogotosleep;therecouldbenothingelselefttobeheardortoimagine——itwashorridthatherimaginationshouldbesorestless。Yetjustforaninstantbeforegoingtosleepshewouldthinkthis——supposeanothersoundSHOULD
come——justsupposeitshould!Beforethethoughthadwellpassedthroughherbrain,athirdsoundcame。
Thethirdwasaverysoftgurgleorrattle——ofastrangeandabnormalkind——yetasoundshehadheardbeforeatsomepastperiodofherlife——when,shecouldnotrecollect。Tomakeitthemoredisturbing,itseemedtobealmostclosetoher——eithercloseoutsidethewindow,closeunderthefloor,orcloseabovetheceiling。Theaccidentalfactofitscomingsoimmediatelyupontheheelsofhersupposition,toldsopowerfullyuponherexcitednervesthatshejumpedupinthebed。Thesameinstant,alittledoginsomeroomnear,havingprobablyheardthesamenoise,setupalowwhine。Thewatch-dogintheyard,hearingthemoanofhisassociate,begantohowlloudlyanddistinctly。Hismelancholynotesweretakenupdirectlyafterwardsbythedogsinthekennelalongwayoff,ineveryvarietyofwail。
Onelogicalthoughtalonewasabletoenterherflurriedbrain。Thelittledogthatbeganthewhiningmusthaveheardtheothertwosoundsevenbetterthanherself。Hehadtakennonoticeofthem,buthehadtakennoticeofthethird。Thethird,then,wasanunusualsound。
Itwasnotlikewater,itwasnotlikewind;itwasnotthenight-
jar,itwasnotaclock,norarat,norapersonsnoring。
Shecreptundertheclothes,andflungherarmstightlyroundMissAldclyffe,asifforprotection。Cythereaperceivedthatthelady\'slatepeacefulwarmthhadgivenplacetoasweat。Atthemaiden\'stouch,MissAldclyffeawokewithalowscream。
Sherememberedherpositioninstantly。\'Osuchaterribledream!\'
shecried,inahurriedwhisper,holdingtoCythereainherturn;
\'andyourtouchwastheendofit。Itwasdreadful。Time,withhiswings,hour-glass,andscythe,comingnearerandnearertome——
grinningandmocking:thenheseizedme,tookapieceofmeonly……ButIcan\'ttellyou。Ican\'tbeartothinkofit。Howthosedogshowl!Peoplesayitmeansdeath。\'
ThereturnofMissAldclyffetoconsciousnesswassufficienttodispelthewildfancieswhichthelonelinessofthenighthadwoveninCytherea\'smind。Shedismissedthethirdnoiseassomethingwhichinalllikelihoodcouldeasilybeexplained,iftroubleweretakentoinquireintoit:largehouseshadallkindsofstrangesoundsfloatingaboutthem。ShewasashamedtotellMissAldclyffeherterrors。
Asilenceoffiveminutes。
\'Areyouasleep?\'saidMissAldclyffe。
\'No,\'saidCytherea,inalong-drawnwhisper。
\'Howthosedogshowl,don\'tthey?\'
\'Yes。Alittledoginthehousebeganit。\'
\'Ah,yes:thatwasTotsy。Hesleepsonthematoutsidemyfather\'sbedroomdoor。Anervouscreature。\'
Therewasasilentintervalofnearlyhalf-an-hour。Aclockonthelandingstruckthree。
\'Areyouasleep,MissAldclyffe?\'whisperedCytherea。
\'No,\'saidMissAldclyffe。\'Howwretcheditisnottobeabletosleep,isn\'tit?\'
\'Yes,\'repliedCytherea,likeadocilechild。
Anotherhourpassed,andtheclockstruckfour。MissAldclyffewasstillawake。
\'Cytherea,\'shesaid,verysoftly。
Cythereamadenoanswer。Shewassleepingsoundly。
Thefirstglimmerofdawnwasnowvisible。MissAldclyffearose,putonherdressing-gown,andwentsoftlydownstairstoherownroom。
\'IhavenottoldherwhoIamafterall,orfoundouttheparticularsofAmbrose\'shistory,\'shemurmured。\'Butherbeinginlovealterseverything。\'
3。HALF-PASTSEVENTOTENO\'CLOCKA。M。
Cythereaawoke,quietinmindandrefreshed。AconclusiontoremainatKnapwaterwasalreadyinpossessionofher。
FindingMissAldclyffegone,shedressedherselfandsatdownatthewindowtowriteananswertoEdward\'sletter,andanaccountofherarrivalatKnapwatertoOwen。Thedismalandheart-breakingpicturesthatMissAldclyffehadplacedbeforehertheprecedingevening,thelaterterrorsofthenight,werenowbutasshadowsofshadows,andshesmiledinderisionatherownexcitability。
ButwritingEdward\'sletterwasthegreatconsoler,theeffectofeachworduponhimbeingenactedinherownfaceasshewroteit。
Shefelthowmuchshewouldliketosharehistrouble——howwellshecouldendurepovertywithhim——andwonderedwhathistroublewas。
Butallwouldbeexplainedatlast,sheknew。
AttheappointedtimeshewenttoMissAldclyffe\'sroom,intending,withthecontradictorinesscommoninpeople,toperformwithpleasure,asaworkofsupererogation,whatasadutywassimplyintolerable。
MissAldclyffewasalreadyoutofbed。Thebrightpenetratinglightofmorningmadeavastdifferenceintheelderlady\'sbehaviourtoherdependent;theday,whichhadrestoredCytherea\'sjudgment,hadeffectedthesameforMissAldclyffe。Thoughpracticalreasonsforbadeherregrettingthatshehadsecuredsuchacompanionablecreaturetoread,talk,orplaytoherwheneverherwhimrequired,shewasinwardlyvexedattheextenttowhichshehadindulgedinthewomanlyluxuryofmakingconfidencesandgivingwaytoemotions。
Fewwouldhavesupposedthatthecalmladysittingaristocraticallyatthetoilettable,seemingscarcelyconsciousofCytherea\'spresenceintheroom,evenwhengreetingher,wasthepassionatecreaturewhohadaskedforkissesafewhoursbefore。
Itisbothpainfulandsatisfactorytothinkhowoftentheseantithesesaretobeobservedintheindividualmostopentoourobservation——ourselves。Wepasstheeveningwithfaceslitupbysomeflaringilluminationorother:wegetupthenextmorning——thefieryjetshaveallgoneout,andnothingconfrontsusbutafewcrinkledpipesandsootywirework,hardlyevenrecallingtheoutlineoftheblazingpicturethatarrestedoureyesbeforebedtime。
Emotionswouldbehalfstarvediftherewerenocandle-light。
Probablynine-tenthsofthegushinglettersofindiscreetconfessionarewrittenafternineorteno\'clockintheevening,andsentoffbeforedayreturnstoleerinvidiouslyuponthem。Fewthatremainopentocatchourglanceasweriseinthemorning,survivethefrigidcriticismofdressing-time。
Thesubjectsuppermostinthemindsofthetwowomenwhohadthuscooledfromtheirfires,werenotthevisionaryonesofthelaterhours,butthehardfactsoftheirearlierconversation。AfteraremarkthatCythereaneednotassistherindressingunlessshewishedto,MissAldclyffesaidabruptly——
\'Icantellthatyoungman\'sname。\'ShelookedkeenlyatCytherea。
\'ItisEdwardSpringrove,mytenant\'sson。\'
Theinundationofcolourupontheyoungerladyathearinganamewhichtoherwasaworld,handledasifitwereonlyanatom,toldMissAldclyffethatshehaddivinedthetruthatlast。
\'Ah——itishe,isit?\'shecontinued。\'Well,Iwantedtoknowforpracticalreasons。HisexampleshowsthatIwasnotsofarwronginmyestimateofmenafterall,thoughIonlygeneralized,andhadnothoughtofhim。\'Thiswasperfectlytrue。
\'Whatdoyoumean?\'saidCytherea,visiblyalarmed。
\'Mean?Whythatalltheworldknowshimtobeengagedtobemarried,andthattheweddingissoontotakeplace。\'Shemadetheremarkbluntlyandsuperciliously,asiftoobtainabsolutionatthehandsofherfamilypridefortheweakconfidencesofthenight。
ButeventhefrigidityofMissAldclyffe\'smorningmoodwasovercomebythelookofsickandblankdespairwhichthecarelesslyutteredwordshadproduceduponCytherea\'sface。Shesankbackintoachair,andburiedherfaceinherhands。
\'Don\'tbesofoolish,\'saidMissAldclyffe。\'Come,makethebestofit。IcannotupsetthefactIhavetoldyouof,unfortunately。ButIbelievethematchcanbebrokenoff。\'
\'Ono,no。\'
\'Nonsense。Ilikedhimmuchasayouth,andIlikehimnow。I\'llhelpyoutocaptivateandchainhimdown。Ihavegotovermyabsurdfeelingoflastnightinnotwantingyouevertogoawayfromme——ofcourse,Icouldnotexpectsuchathingasthat。There,nowIhavesaidI\'llhelpyou,andthat\'senough。He\'stiredofhisfirstchoicenowthathe\'sbeenawayfromhomeforawhile。Thelovethatnoouterattackcanfrightenawayquailsbeforeitsidol\'sownhomelyways;itisalwaysso……Come,finishwhatyouaredoingifyouaregoingto,anddon\'tbealittlegooseaboutsuchatrumperyaffairasthat。\'
\'Who——isheengagedto?\'Cythereainquiredbyamovementofherlipsbutnosoundofhervoice。ButMissAldclyffedidnotanswer。Itmatterednot,Cythereathought。Anotherwoman——thatwasenoughforher:curiositywasstunned。
Sheappliedherselftotheworkofdressing,scarcelyknowinghow。
MissAldclyffewenton:——
\'Youweretooeasilywon。I\'dhavemadehimoranybodyelsespeakoutbeforeheshouldhavekissedmyfaceforhispleasure。Butyouareoneofthoseprecipitantlyfondthingswhoareyearningtothrowawaytheirheartsuponthefirstworthlessfellowwhosaysgood-
morning。Inthefirstplace,youshouldn\'thavelovedhimsoquickly:inthenext,ifyoumusthavelovedhimoff-hand,youshouldhaveconcealedit。Ittickledhisvanity:“ByJove,thatgirl\'sinlovewithmealready!”hethought。\'
Tohastenawayattheendofthetoilet,totellMrs。Morris——whostoodwaitinginalittleroompreparedforher,withteapouredout,bread-and-buttercutintodiaphanousslices,andeggsarranged——
thatshewantednobreakfast:thentoshutherselfaloneinherbedroom,washeronlythought。Shewasfollowedthitherbythewell-intentionedmatronwithacupofteaandonepieceofbread-
and-butteronatray,cheerfullyinsistingthatsheshouldeatit。
Tothosewhogrieve,innocentcheerfulnessseemsheartlesslevity。
\'No,thankyou,Mrs。Morris,\'shesaid,keepingthedoorclosed。
Despitetheincivilityoftheaction,Cythereacouldnotbeartoletapleasantpersonseeherfacethen。
Immediaterevocation——evenifrevocationwouldbemoreeffectivebypostponement——istheimpulseofyoungwoundednatures。Cythereawenttoherblotting-book,tookoutthelonglettersocarefullywritten,sofullofgushingremarksandtenderhints,andsealedupsoneatlywithalittlesealbearing\'GoodFaith\'asitsmotto,torethemissiveintofiftypieces,andthrewthemintothegrate。Itwasthenthebitterestofanguishestolookuponsomeofthewordsshehadsolovinglywritten,andseethemexistingonlyinmutilatedformswithoutmeaning——tofeelthathiseyewouldneverreadthem,nobodyeverknowhowardentlyshehadpennedthem。
Pityforone\'sselfforbeingwastedismostlypresentinthesemoodsofabnegation。
Themeaningofallhisallusions,hisabruptnessintellingherofhislove,hisconstraintatfirst,thenhisdesperatemannerofspeaking,wasclear。Theymusthavebeenthelastflickeringsofaconsciencenotquitedeadtoallsenseofperfidiousnessandfickleness。NowhehadgonetoLondon:shewouldbedismissedfromhismemory,inthesamewayasMissAldclyffehadsaid。AndhereshewasinEdward\'sownparish,remindedcontinuallyofhimbywhatshesawandheard。Thelandscape,yesterdaysomuchandsobrighttoher,wasnowbutasthebanquet-halldeserted——allgonebutherself。
MissAldclyffehadwormedhersecretoutofher,andwouldnowbecontinuallymockingherforhertrustingsimplicityinbelievinghim。Itwasaltogetherunbearable:shewouldnotstaythere。
ShewentdownstairsandfoundMissAldclyffehadgoneintothebreakfast-room,butthatCaptainAldclyffe,whoroselaterwithincreasinginfirmities,hadnotyetmadehisappearance。Cythereaentered。MissAldclyffewaslookingoutofthewindow,watchingatrailofwhitesmokealongthedistantlandscape——signifyingapassingtrain。AtCytherea\'sentrysheturnedandlookedinquiry。
\'Imusttellyounow,\'beganCytherea,inatremulousvoice。
\'Well,what?\'MissAldclyffesaid。
\'Iamnotgoingtostaywithyou。Imustgoaway——averylongway。
Iamverysorry,butindeedIcan\'tremain!\'
\'Pooh——whatshallwehearnext?\'MissAldclyffesurveyedCytherea\'sfacewithleisurelycriticism。\'YouarebreakingyourheartagainaboutthatworthlessyoungSpringrove。Iknewhowitwouldbe。ItisasHallamsaysofJuliet——whatlittlereasonyoumayhavepossessedoriginallyhasallbeenwhirledawaybythislove。I
shan\'ttakethisnotice,mind。\'
\'Doletmego!\'
MissAldclyffetookhernewpet\'shand,andsaidwithseverity,\'Astohinderingyou,ifyouaredeterminedtogo,ofcoursethat\'sabsurd。Butyouarenotnowinastateofmindfitfordecidinguponanysuchproceeding,andIshallnotlistentowhatyouhavetosay。Now,Cythie,comewithme;we\'llletthisvolcanoburstandspenditself,andafterthatwe\'llseewhathadbetterbedone。\'
ShetookCythereaintoherworkroom,openedadrawer,anddrewfortharolloflinen。
\'ThisissomeembroideryIbeganoneday,andnowIshouldlikeitfinished。\'
ShethenprecededthemaidenupstairstoCytherea\'sownroom。
\'There,\'shesaid,\'nowsitdownhere,goonwiththiswork,andrememberonething——thatyouarenottoleavetheroomonanypretextwhateverfortwohoursunlessIsendforyou——Iinsistkindly,dear。Whilstyoustitch——youaretostitch,recollect,andnotgomooningoutofthewindow——thinkoverthewholematter,andgetcooled;don\'tletthefoolishlove-affairpreventyourthinkingasawomanoftheworld。Ifattheendofthattimeyoustillsayyoumustleaveme,youmay。Iwillhavenomoretosayinthematter。Come,sitdown,andpromisetositherethetimeIname。\'
Toheartsinadespairingmood,compulsionseemsarelief;anddocilitywasatalltimesnaturaltoCytherea。Shepromised,andsatdown。MissAldclyffeshutthedooruponherandretreated。
Shesewed,stoppedtothink,shedatearortwo,recollectedthearticlesofthetreaty,andsewedagain;andatlengthfellintoareveriewhichtooknoaccountwhateverofthelapseoftime。
4。TENTOTWELVEO\'CLOCKA。M。
Aquarterofanhourmighthavepassedwhenherthoughtsbecameattractedfromthepasttothepresentbyunwontedmovementsdownstairs。Sheopenedthedoorandlistened。
Therewerehurryingsalongpassages,openingandshuttingofdoors,tramplinginthestable-yard。Shewentacrossintoanotherbedroom,fromwhichaviewofthestable-yardcouldbeobtained,andarrivedtherejustintimetoseethefigureofthemanwhohaddrivenherfromthestationvanishingdownthecoach-roadonablackhorse——
gallopingatthetopoftheanimal\'sspeed。
Anothermanwentoffinthedirectionofthevillage。
Whateverhadoccurred,itdidnotseemtobeherdutytoinquireormeddlewithit,strangeranddependentasshewas,unlessshewererequestedto,especiallyafterMissAldclyffe\'sstrictchargetoher。Shesatdownagain,determinedtoletnoidlecuriosityinfluencehermovements。
Herwindowcommandedthefrontofthehouse;andthenextthingshesawwasaclergymanwalkupandenterthedoor。
Allwassilentagaintill,alongtimeafterthefirstmanhadleft,hereturnedagainonthesamehorse,nowmattedwithsweatandtrottingbehindacarriageinwhichsatanelderlygentlemandrivenbyaladinlivery。Thesecametothehouse,entered,andallwasagainthesameasbefore。
Thewholehousehold——master,mistress,andservants——appearedtohaveforgottentheveryexistenceofsuchabeingasCytherea。Shealmostwishedshehadnotvowedtohavenoidlecuriosity。
Half-an-hourlater,thecarriagedroveoffwiththeelderlygentleman,andtwoorthreemessengersleftthehouse,speedinginvariousdirections。Rusticsinsmock-frocksbegantohangabouttheroadoppositethehouse,orleanagainsttrees,lookingidlyatthewindowsandchimneys。
AtapcametoCytherea\'sdoor。Sheopenedittoayoungmaid-
servant。
\'MissAldclyffewishestoseeyou,ma\'am。\'Cythereahasteneddown。
MissAldclyffewasstandingonthehearthrug,herelbowonthemantel,herhandtohertemples,hereyesontheground;perfectlycalm,butverypale。
\'Cytherea,\'shesaidinawhisper,\'comehere。\'
Cythereawentclose。
\'Somethingveryserioushastakenplace,\'shesaidagain,andthenpaused,withatremulousmovementofhermouth。
\'Yes,\'saidCytherea。
\'Myfather。Hewasfounddeadinhisbedthismorning。\'
\'Dead!\'echoedtheyoungerwoman。Itseemedimpossiblethattheannouncementcouldbetrue;thatknowledgeofsogreatafactcouldbecontainedinastatementsosmall。
\'Yes,dead,\'murmuredMissAldclyffesolemnly。\'Hediedalone,thoughwithinafewfeetofme。Theroomwesleptinisexactlyoverhisown。\'
Cythereasaidhurriedly,\'Dotheyknowatwhathour?\'
\'Thedoctorsaysitmusthavebeenbetweentwoandthreeo\'clockthismorning。\'
\'ThenIheardhim!\'
\'Heardhim?\'
\'Heardhimdie!\'
\'Youheardhimdie?Whatdidyouhear?\'
\'AsoundIheardoncebeforeinmylife——atthedeathbedofmymother。Icouldnotidentifyit——thoughIrecognizedit。Thenthedoghowled:youremarkedit。IdidnotthinkitworthwhiletotellyouwhatIhadheardalittleearlier。\'Shelookedagonized。
\'Itwouldhavebeenuseless,\'saidMissAldclyffe。\'Allwasoverbythattime。\'SheaddressedherselfasmuchasCythereawhenshecontinued,\'IsitaProvidencewhosentyouhereatthisjuncturethatImightnotbeleftentirelyalone?\'
TillthisinstantMissAldclyffehadforgottenthereasonofCytherea\'sseclusioninherownroom。SohadCythereaherself。Thefactnowrecurredtobothinonemoment。
\'Doyoustillwishtogo?\'saidMissAldclyffeanxiously。
\'Idon\'twanttogonow,\'Cythereahadremarkedsimultaneouslywiththeother\'squestion。ShewasponderingonthestrangelikenesswhichMissAldclyffe\'sbereavementboretoherown;ithadtheappearanceofbeingstillanothercalltohernottoforsakethiswomansolinkedtoherlife,forthesakeofanytrivialvexation。
MissAldclyffeheldheralmostasaloverwouldhaveheldher,andsaidmusingly——
\'Wegetmoreandmoreintoonegroove。Inowamleftfatherlessandmotherlessasyouwere。\'Othertieslaybehindinherthoughts,butshedidnotmentionthem。
\'Youlovedyourfather,Cytherea,andweptforhim?\'
\'Yes,Idid。Poorpapa!\'
\'Iwasalwaysatvariancewithmine,andcan\'tweepforhimnow!
Butyoumuststayherealways,andmakeabetterwomanofme。\'
Thecompactwasthussealed,andCytherea,inspiteofthefailureofheradvertisements,wasinstalledasaveritableCompanion。And,oncemoreinthehistoryofhumanendeavour,apositionwhichitwasimpossibletoreachbyanydirectattempt,wascometobytheseeker\'sswervingfromthepath,andregardingtheoriginalobjectasoneofsecondaryimportance。
VII。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTEENDAYS
1。AUGUSTTHESEVENTEENTH
Thetimeofdaywasfouro\'clockintheafternoon。Theplacewasthelady\'sstudyorboudoir,KnapwaterHouse。ThepersonwasMissAldclyffesittingtherealone,clothedindeepmourning。
ThefuneraloftheoldCaptainhadtakenplace,andhiswillhadbeenread。Itwasveryconcise,andhadbeenexecutedaboutfiveyearsprevioustohisdeath。Itwasattestedbyhissolicitors,Messrs。NyttletonandTayling,ofLincoln\'sInnFields。Thewholeofhisestate,realandpersonal,wasbequeathedtohisdaughterCytherea,forhersoleandabsoluteuse,subjectonlytothepaymentofalegacytotherector,theirrelative,andafewsmallamountstotheservants。
MissAldclyffehadnotchosentheeasiestchairofherboudoirtositin,orevenachairofordinarycomfort,butanuncomfortable,high,narrow-backed,oakframedandseatedchair,whichwasallowedtoremainintheroomonlyonthegroundofbeingacompanioninartisticquaintnesstoanoldcofferbesideit,andwasneverusedexcepttostandintoreachforabookfromthehighestrowofshelves。Butshehadsaterectinthischairformorethananhour,forthereasonthatshewasutterlyunconsciousofwhatheractionsandbodilyfeelingswere。Thechairhadstoodnearestherpathonenteringtheroom,andshehadgonetoitinadream。
Shesatintheattitudewhichdenotesunflagging,intense,concentratedthought——asifshewerecastinbronze。Herfeetweretogether,herbodybentalittleforward,andquiteunsupportedbythebackofthechair;herhandsonherknees,hereyesfixedintentlyonthecornerofafootstool。
Atlastshemovedandtappedherfingersuponthetableatherside。
Herpent-upideashadfinallyfoundsomechanneltoadvancein。
Motionsbecamemoreandmorefrequentasshelabouredtocarryfurtherandfurthertheproblemwhichoccupiedherbrain。Shesatbackanddrewalongbreath:shesatsidewaysandleantherforeheaduponherhand。Laterstillshearose,walkedupanddowntheroom——atfirstabstractedly,withherfeaturesasfirmlysetasever;butbydegreesherbrowrelaxed,herfootstepsbecamelighterandmoreleisurely;herheadrodegracefullyandwasnolongerbowed。Sheplumedherselflikeaswanafterexertion。
\'Yes,\'shesaidaloud。\'TogetHIMherewithoutlettinghimknowthatIhaveanyotherobjectthanthatofgettingausefulman——
that\'sthedifficulty——andthatIthinkIcanmaster。\'
Sherangforthenewmaid,aplacidwomanoffortywithafewgreyhairs。
\'AskMissGrayeifshecancometome。\'
Cythereawasnotfaroff,andcamein。
\'Doyouknowanythingaboutarchitectsandsurveyors?\'saidMissAldclyffeabruptly。
\'Knowanything?\'repliedCytherea,poisingherselfonhertoetoconsiderthecompassofthequestion。
\'Yes——knowanything,\'saidMissAldclyffe。
\'Owenisanarchitectandsurveyor\'sdraughtsman,\'themaidensaid,andthoughtofsomebodyelsewhowaslikewise。
\'Yes!that\'swhyIaskedyou。Whatarethedifferentkindsofworkcomprisedinanarchitect\'spractice?Theylayoutestates,andsuperintendthevariousworksdoneuponthem,Ishouldthink,amongotherthings?\'
\'Thoseare,moreproperly,alandorbuildingsteward\'sduties——atleastIhavealwaysimaginedso。Countryarchitectsincludethosethingsintheirpractice;cityarchitectsdon\'t。\'
\'Iknowthat,child。Butasteward\'sisanindefinitefastandlooseprofession,itseemstome。Shouldn\'tyouthinkthatamanwhohadbeenbroughtupasanarchitectwoulddoforasteward?\'
Cythereahaddoubtswhetheranarchitectpurewoulddo。
Thechiefpleasureconnectedwithaskinganopinionliesinnotadoptingit。MissAldclyffereplieddecisively——
\'Nonsense;ofcoursehewould。YourbrotherOwenmakesplansforcountrybuildings——suchascottages,stables,homesteads,andsoon?\'
\'Yes;hedoes。\'
\'Andsuperintendsthebuildingofthem?\'
\'Yes;hewillsoon。\'
\'Andhesurveysland?\'
\'Oyes。\'
\'Andheknowsabouthedgesandditches——howwidetheyoughttobe,boundaries,levelling,plantingtreestokeepawaythewinds,measuringtimber,housesforninety-nineyears,andsuchthings?\'
\'Ihaveneverheardhimsaythat;butIthinkMr。Gradfielddoesthosethings。Owen,Iamafraid,isinexperiencedasyet。\'
\'Yes;yourbrotherisnotoldenoughforsuchapostyet,ofcourse。
Andthentherearerent-days,theauditandwindingupoftradesmen\'saccounts。Iamafraid,Cytherea,youdon\'tknowmuchmoreaboutthematterthanIdomyself……Iamgoingoutjustnow,\'shecontinued。\'Ishallnotwantyoutowalkwithmeto-day。
Runawaytilldinner-time。\'
MissAldclyffewentoutofdoors,anddownthestepstothelawn:
thenturningtotheleft,throughashrubbery,sheopenedawicketandpassedintoaneglectedandleafycarriage-drive,leadingdownthehill。Thisshefollowedtillshereachedthepointofitsgreatestdepression,whichwasalsothelowestgroundinthewholegrove。
Thetreeshereweresointerlaced,andhungtheirbranchessoneartheground,thatawholesummer\'sdaywasscarcelylongenoughtochangetheairpervadingthespotfromitsnormalstateofcoolnesstoevenatemporarywarmth。Theunvaryingfreshnesswashelpedbythenearnessofthegroundtothelevelofthesprings,andbythepresenceofadeep,sluggishstreamcloseby,equallywellshadedbybushesandahighwall。Followingtheroad,whichnowranalongatthemarginofthestream,shecametoanopeninginthewall,ontheothersideofthewater,revealingalargerectangularnookfromwhichthestreamproceeded,coveredwithfroth,andaccompaniedbyadullroar。Twomoresteps,andshewasoppositethenook,infullviewofthecascadeformingitsfurtherboundary。Overthetopcouldbeseenthebrightouterskyintheformofacrescent,causedbythecurveofabridgeacrosstherapids,andthetreesabove。
Beautifulaswasthesceneshedidnotlookinthatdirection。Thesamestanding-groundaffordedanotherprospect,straightinthefront,lesssombrethanthewaterontherightorthetreesallaround。Theavenueandgrovewhichflankeditabruptlyterminatedafewyardsahead,wherethegroundbegantorise,andontheremoteedgeofthegreenswardthuslaidopen,stoodallthatremainedoftheoriginalmanor-house,towhichthedarkmargin-lineofthetreesintheavenueformedanadequateandwell-fittingframe。ItwasthepicturethuspresentedthatwasnowinterestingMissAldclyffe——notartisticallyorhistorically,butpractically——asregardeditsfitnessforadaptationtomodernrequirements。
Infront,detachedfromeverythingelse,rosethemostancientportionofthestructure——anoldarchedgateway,flankedbythebasesoftwosmalltowers,andnearlycoveredwithcreepers,whichhadclamberedovertheeavesofthesinkingroof,andupthegabletothecrestoftheAldclyffefamilyperchedontheapex。Behindthis,atadistanceoftenortwentyyards,cametheonlyportionofthemainbuildingthatstillexisted——anElizabethanfragment,consistingofasmuchascouldbecontainedunderthreegablesandacrossroofbehind。Againstthewallcouldbeseenraggedlinesindicatingtheformofotherdestroyedgableswhichhadoncejoineditthere。Themullionedandtransomedwindows,containingfiveorsixlights,weremostlybrickeduptotheextentoftwoorthree,andtheremainingportionfittedwithcottagewindow-framescarelesslyinserted,tosuitthepurposetowhichtheoldplacewasnowapplied,itbeingpartitionedoutintosmallroomsdownstairstoformcottagesfortwolabourersandtheirfamilies;theupperportionwasarrangedasastorehousefordiverskindsofrootsandfruit。
Theownerofthepicturesquespot,afterhersurveyfromthispoint,wentuptothewallsandwalkedintotheoldcourt,wherethepaving-stoneswerepushedsidewaysandupwardsbythethrustofthegrassesbetweenthem。Twoorthreelittlechildren,withtheirfingersintheirmouths,cameouttolookather,andthenranintotelltheirmothersinloudtonesofsecrecythatMissAldclyffewascoming。MissAldclyffe,however,didnotcomein。Sheconcludedhersurveyoftheexteriorbymakingacompletecircuitofthebuilding;thenturnedintoanookashortdistanceoffwhereroundandsquaretimber,asaw-pit,planks,grindstones,heapsofbuildingstoneandbrick,explainedthatthespotwasthecentreofoperationsforthebuildingworkdoneontheestate。
Shepaused,andlookedaround。Amanwhohadseenherfromthewindowoftheworkshopsbehind,cameoutandrespectfullyliftedhishattoher。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadbeenseenwalkingoutsidethehousesinceherfather\'sdeath。
\'Strooden,couldtheOldHousebemadeadecentresidenceof,withoutmuchtrouble?\'sheinquired。
Themechanicconsidered,andspokeaseachconsiderationcompleteditself。
\'Youdon\'tforget,ma\'am,thattwo-thirdsoftheplaceisalreadypulleddown,orgonetoruin?\'
\'Yes;Iknow。\'
\'Andthatwhat\'sleftmayalmostaswellbe,ma\'am。\'
\'Whymayit?\'
\'\'Twassocutupinsidewhentheymadeitintocottages,thatthewholecarcaseisfullofcracks。\'
\'Stillbypullingdowntheinsertedpartitions,andaddingalittleoutside,itcouldbemadetoanswerthepurposeofanordinarysixoreight-roomedhouse?\'
\'Yes,ma\'am。\'
\'Aboutwhatwoulditcost?\'wasthequestionwhichhadinvariablycomenextineverycommunicationofthiskindtowhichthesuperintendingworkmanhadbeenapartyduringhiswholeexperience。
Tohissurprise,MissAldclyffedidnotputit。Themanthoughtherobjectinalteringanoldhousemusthavebeenanunusuallyabsorbingonenottopromptwhatwassoinstinctiveinownersashardlytorequireanypromptingatall。
\'Thankyou:that\'ssufficient,Strooden,\'shesaid。\'Youwillunderstandthatitisnotunlikelysomealterationmaybemadehereinashorttime,withreferencetothemanagementoftheaffairs。\'
Stroodensaid\'Yes,\'inacomplexvoice,andlookeduneasy。
\'DuringthelifeofCaptainAldclyffe,withyouastheforemanofworks,andhehimselfashisownsteward,everythingworkedwell。
Butnowitmaybenecessarytohaveasteward,whosemanagementwillencroachfurtheruponthingswhichhavehithertobeenleftinyourhandsthandidyourlatemaster\'s。WhatImeanis,thathewilldirectlyandindetailsuperintendall。\'
\'Then——Ishallnotbewanted,ma\'am?\'hefaltered。
\'Oyes;ifyouliketostayonasforemanintheyardandworkshopsonly。Ishouldbesorrytoloseyou。However,youhadbetterconsider。Iwillsendforyouinafewdays。\'
Leavinghimtosuspense,andalltheillsthatcameinitstrain——
distractedapplicationtohisduties,andanundefinednumberofsleeplessnightsanduntasteddinners,MissAldclyffelookedatherwatchandreturnedtotheHouse。Shewasabouttokeepanappointmentwithhersolicitor,Mr。Nyttleton,whohadbeentoBudmouth,andwascomingtoKnapwateronhiswaybacktoLondon。
2。AUGUSTTHETWENTIETH
OntheSaturdaysubsequenttoMr。Nyttleton\'svisittoKnapwaterHouse,thesubjoinedadvertisementappearedintheFieldandtheBuildernewspapers:——
\'LANDSTEWARD。
\'AgentlemanofintegrityandprofessionalskillisrequiredimmediatelyfortheMANAGEMENTofanESTATE,containingabout1000
acres,uponwhichagriculturalimprovementsandtheerectionofbuildingsarecontemplated。Hemustbeamanofsuperioreducation,unmarried,andnotmorethanthirtyyearsofage。Considerablepreferencewillbeshownforonewhopossessesanartisticaswellasapracticalknowledgeofplanningandlayingout。Theremunerationwillconsistofasalaryof22Opounds,withtheoldmanor-houseasaresidence——AddressMessrs。NyttletonandTayling,solicitors,Lincoln\'sInnFields。\'
AcopyofeachpaperwassenttoMissAldclyffeonthedayofpublication。ThesameeveningshetoldCythereathatshewasadvertisingforasteward,whowouldliveattheoldmanor-house,showingherthepaperscontainingtheannouncement。
Whatwasthedriftofthatremark?thoughtthemaiden;orwasitmerelymadetoherinconfidentialintercourse,asotherarrangementsweretoldherdaily。Yetitseemedtohavemoremeaningthancommon。Sherememberedtheconversationaboutarchitectsandsurveyors,andherbrotherOwen。MissAldclyffeknewthathissituationwasprecarious,thathewaswelleducatedandpractical,andwasapplyinghimselfheartandsoultothedetailsoftheprofessionandallconnectedwithit。MissAldclyffemightbereadytotakehimifhecouldcompetesuccessfullywithotherswhowouldreply。Shehazardedaquestion:
\'WoulditbedesirableforOwentoanswerit?\'
\'Notatall,\'saidMissAldclyffeperemptorily。
AflatanswerofthiskindhadceasedtoalarmCytherea。MissAldclyffe\'sbluntmoodwasnotherworst。Cythereathoughtofanotherman,whosename,inspiteofresolves,tears,renunciationsandinjuredpride,lingeredinherearslikeanoldfamiliarstrain。
Thatmanwasqualifiedforastewardshipunderaking。
\'WoulditbeofanyuseifEdwardSpringroveweretoanswerit?\'shesaid,resolutelyenunciatingthename。
\'Nonewhatever,\'repliedMissAldclyffe,againinthesamedecidedtone。
\'Youareveryunkindtospeakinthatway。\'
\'Nowdon\'tpoutlikeagoosie,asyouare。Idon\'twantmenlikeeitherofthem,for,ofcourse,Imustlooktothegoodoftheestateratherthantothatofanyindividual。ThemanIwantmusthavebeenmorespeciallyeducated。IhavetoldyouthatwearegoingtoLondonnextweek;itismostlyonthisaccount。\'
CythereafoundthatshehadmistakenthedriftofMissAldclyffe\'speculiarexplicitnessonthesubjectofadvertising,andwrotetotellherbrotherthatifhesawthenoticeitwouldbeuselesstoreply。
3。AUGUSTTHETWENTY-FIFTH
Fivedaysaftertheabove-mentioneddialoguetookplacetheywenttoLondon,and,withscarcelyaminute\'spause,tothesolicitors\'
officesinLincoln\'sInnFields。
Theyalightedoppositeoneofthecharacteristicentrancesabouttheplace——agatewhichwasnever,andcouldneverbe,closed,flankedbylamp-standardscarryingnolamp。Rustwastheonlyactiveagenttobeseenthereatthistimeofthedayandyear。Thepalingsalongthefrontwererustedawayattheirbasetothethinnessofwires,andthesuccessivecoatsofpaint,withwhichtheywereoverlaidinbygonedays,hadbeencompletelyunderminedbythesameinsidiouscanker,whichliftedoffthepaintinflakes,leavingtherawsurfaceoftheirononpalings,standards,andgatehinges,ofastaringblood-red。
Butonceinsidetherailingsthepicturechanged。Thecourtandofficeswereacompletecontrasttothegrandruinoftheoutworkwhichenclosedthem。Well-paintedrespectabilityextendedover,within,andaroundthedoorstep;andinthecarefullysweptyardnotaparticleofdustwasvisible。
Mr。Nyttleton,whohadjustcomeupfromMargate,wherehewasstayingwithhisfamily,wasstandingatthetopofhisownstaircaseasthepairascended。Hepolitelytooktheminside。
\'Isthereacomfortableroominwhichthisyoungladycansitduringourinterview?\'saidMissAldclyffe。
ItwasratherafavouritehabitofherstomakemuchofCythereawhentheywereout,andsnubherforitafterwardswhentheygothome。
\'Certainly——Mr。Tayling\'s。\'Cythereawasshownintoaninnerroom。
Socialdefinitionsareallmaderelatively:anabsolutedatumisonlyimagined。ThesmallgentryaboutKnapwaterseemedunpractisedtoMissAldclyffe,MissAldclyffeherselfseemedunpractisedtoMr。
Nyttleton\'sexperiencedoldeyes。
\'Nowthen,\'theladysaid,whenshewasalonewiththelawyer;\'whatistheresultofouradvertisement?\'
Itwaslatesummer;theestate-agency,building,engineering,andsurveyingworldsweredull。Therewereforty-fiverepliestotheadvertisement。
Mr。NyttletonspreadthemonebyonebeforeMissAldclyffe。\'Youwillprobablyliketoreadsomeofthemyourself,madam?\'hesaid。
\'Yes,certainly,\'saidshe。
\'Iwillnottroubleyouwiththosewhicharefrompersonsmanifestlyunfitatfirstsight,\'hecontinued;andbeganselectingfromtheheaptwosandthreeswhichhehadmarked,collectingothersintohishand。
\'Themanwewantliesamongthese,ifmyjudgmentdoesn\'tdeceiveme,andfromthemitwouldbeadvisabletoselectacertainnumbertobecommunicatedwith。\'
\'Ishouldliketoseeeveryone——onlyjusttoglancethemover——
exactlyastheycame,\'shesaidsuasively。
Helookedasifhethoughtthisawasteofhistime,butdismissinghissentimentunfoldedeachsinglyandlaiditbeforeher。Ashelaidthemout,itstruckhimthatshestudiedthemquiteasrapidlyashecouldspreadthem。Heslylyglancedupfromtheoutercornerofhiseyetohers,andnoticedthatallshedidwaslookatthenameatthebottomoftheletter,andthenputtheenclosureasidewithoutfurtherceremony。Hethoughtthisanoddwayofinquiringintothemeritsofforty-fivemenwhoatconsiderabletroublegaveindetailreasonswhytheybelievedthemselveswellqualifiedforacertainpost。Shecametothefinalone,andputitdownwiththerest。
Thentheladysaidthatinheropinionitwouldbebesttogetasmanyrepliesastheypossiblycouldbeforeselecting——\'togiveusawiderchoice。Whatdoyouthink,Mr。Nyttleton?\'
Itseemedtohim,hesaid,thatagreaternumberthanthosetheyalreadyhadwouldscarcelybenecessary,andiftheywaitedformore,therewouldbethisdisadvantageattendingit,thatsomeofthosetheynowcouldcommandwouldpossiblynotbeavailable。
\'Nevermind,wewillrunthatrisk,\'saidMissAldclyffe。\'Lettheadvertisementbeinsertedoncemore,andthenwewillcertainlysettlethematter。\'
Mr。Nyttletonbowed,andseemedtothinkMissAldclyffe,forasinglewoman,andonewhotillsoveryrecentlyhadneverconcernedherselfwithbusinessofanykind,averymeddlesomeclient。Butshewasrich,andhandsomestill。\'She\'sanewbroominestate-
managementasyet,\'hethought。\'Shewillsoongettiredofthis,\'
andhepartedfromherwithoutasentimentwhichcouldmarhishabitualblandness。
Thetwoladiesthenproceededwestward。DismissingthecabinWaterlooPlace,theywentalongPallMallonfoot,whereinplaceoftheusualwell-dressedclubbists——rubicundwithalcohol——weretobeseen,inlinenpinafores,flocksofhouse-painterspallidfromwhitelead。WhentheyhadreachedtheGreenPark,Cythereaproposedthattheyshouldsitdownawhileundertheyoungelmsatthebrowofthehill。Thistheydid——thegrowlofPiccadillyontheirlefthand——
themonasticseclusionofthePalaceontheirright:beforethem,theclocktoweroftheHousesofParliament,standingforthwithametalliclustreagainstalividLambethsky。
MissAldclyffestillcarriedinherhandacopyofthenewspaper,andwhileCythereahadbeeninterestingherselfinthepicturearound,glancedagainattheadvertisement。
Sheheavedaslightsigh,andbegantofolditupagain。Intheactionhereyecaughtsightoftwoconsecutiveadvertisementsonthecover,onerelatingtosomelectureonArt,andaddressedtomembersoftheInstituteofArchitects。Theotheremanatedfromthesamesource,butwasaddressedtothepublic,andstatedthattheexhibitionofdrawingsattheInstitute\'sroomswouldcloseattheendofthatweek。
Hereyelightedup。ShesentCythereabacktothehotelinacab,thenturnedroundbyPiccadillyintoBondStreet,andproceededtotheroomsoftheInstitute。Thesecretarywassittinginthelobby。
Aftermakingherpayment,andlookingatafewofthedrawingsonthewalls,inthecompanyofthreegentlemen,theonlyothervisitorstotheexhibition,sheturnedbackandaskedifshemightbeallowedtoseealistofthemembers。Shewasalittleconnectedwiththearchitecturalworld,shesaid,withasmile,andwasinterestedinsomeofthenames。
\'Hereitis,madam,\'hereplied,politelyhandingherapamphletcontainingthenames。
MissAldclyffeturnedtheleavestillshecametotheletterM。Thenameshehopedtofindtherewasthere,withtheaddressappended,aswasthecasewithalltherest。
TheaddresswasatsomechambersinastreetnotfarfromCharingCross。\'Chambers,\'asaresidence,hadalwaysbeenassumedbytheladytoimplytheconditionofabachelor。Shemurmuredtwowords,\'Therestill。\'
Anotherrequesthadyettobemade,butitwasofamorenoticeablekindthanthefirst,andmightcompromisethesecrecywithwhichshewishedtoactthroughoutthisepisode。Herobjectwastogetoneoftheenvelopeslyingonthesecretary\'stable,stampedwiththedieoftheInstitute;andinordertogetitshewasabouttoaskifshemightwriteanote。
Butthesecretary\'sbackchancedtobeturned,andhenowwenttowardsoneofthemenattheotherendoftheroom,whohadcalledhimtoasksomequestionrelatingtoanetchingonthewall。Quickasthought,MissAldclyffestoodbeforethetable,slippedherhandbehindher,tookoneoftheenvelopesandputitinherpocket。
Shesaunteredroundtheroomsfortwoorthreeminuteslonger,thenwithdrewandreturnedtoherhotel。
HereshecuttheKnapwateradvertisementfromthepaper,putitintotheenvelopeshehadstolen,embossedwiththesociety\'sstamp,anddirecteditinaroundclerklyhandtotheaddressshehadseeninthelistofmembers\'namessubmittedtoher:——
AENEASMANSTON,ESQ。,WYKEHAMCHAMBERS,SPRINGGARDENS。
Thisendedherfirstday\'sworkinLondon。
4。FROMAUGUSTTHETWENTY-SIXTHTOSEPTEMBERTHEFIRST
ThetwoCythereascontinuedattheWestminsterHotel,MissAldclyffeinforminghercompanionthatbusinesswoulddetaintheminLondonanotherweek。Thedayspassedasslowlyandquietlyasdayscanpassinacityatthattimeoftheyear,theshutteredwindowsaboutthesquaresandterracesconfrontingtheireyeslikethewhiteandsightlessorbsofblindmen。OnThursdayMr。Nyttletoncalled,bringingthewholenumberofrepliestotheadvertisement。Cythereawaspresentattheinterview,byMissAldclyffe\'srequest——eitherfromwhimordesign。
Tenadditionallettersweretheresultofthesecondweek\'sinsertion,makingfifty-fiveinall。MissAldclyffelookedthemoverasbefore。Onewassigned——
AENEASMANSTON,133,TURNGATESTREET,LIVERPOOL。
\'Now,then,Mr。Nyttleton,willyoumakeaselection,andIwilladdoneortwo,\'MissAldclyffesaid。
Mr。Nyttletonscannedthewholeheapofletters,testimonials,andreferences,sortingthemintotwoheaps。Manston\'smissive,afteramereglance,wasthrownamongstthesummarilyrejectedones。
MissAldclyfferead,orpretendedtoreadafterthelawyer。Whenhehadfinished,fivelayinthegrouphehadselected。\'Wouldyouliketoaddtothenumber?\'hesaid,turningtothelady。
\'No,\'shesaidcarelessly。\'Well,twoorthreeadditionalonesrathertookmyfancy,\'sheadded,searchingforsomeinthelargercollection。
Shedrewoutthree。OnewasManston\'s。
\'Theseeight,then,shallbecommunicatedwith,\'saidthelawyer,takinguptheeightlettersandplacingthembythemselves。
Theystoodup。\'IfImyself,MissAldclyffe,wereonlyconcernedpersonally,\'hesaid,inanoff-handway,andholdingupalettersingly,\'Ishouldchoosethismanunhesitatingly。Hewriteshonestly,isnotafraidtonamewhathedoesnotconsiderhimselfwellacquaintedwith——ararethingtofindinanswerstoadvertisements;heiswellrecommended,andpossessessomequalitiesrarelyfoundincombination。Oddlyenough,heisnotreallyasteward。Hewasbredafarmer,studiedbuildingaffairs,servedonanestateforsometime,thenwentwithanarchitect,andisnowwellqualifiedasarchitect,estateagent,andsurveyor。Thatmanissuretohaveafineheadforamanorlikeyours。\'Hetappedtheletterashespoke。\'Yes,Ishouldchoosehimwithouthesitation——
speakingpersonally。\'
\'AndIthink,\'shesaidartificially,\'Ishouldchoosethisoneasamatterofmerepersonalwhim,which,ofcourse,can\'tbegivenwaytowhenpracticalquestionshavetobeconsidered。\'
Cytherea,afterlookingoutofthewindow,andthenatthenewspapers,hadbecomeinterestedintheproceedingsbetweenthecleverMissAldclyffeandthekeenoldlawyer,whichremindedherofagameatcards。Shelookedinquiringlyatthetwoletters——oneinMissAldclyffe\'shand,theotherinMr。Nyttleton\'s。
\'Whatisthenameofyourman?\'saidMissAldclyffe。
\'Hisname——\'saidthelawyer,lookingdownthepage;\'whatishisname?——itisEdwardSpringrove。\'
MissAldclyffeglancedtowardsCytherea,whowasgettingredandpalebyturns。ShelookedimploringlyatMissAldclyffe。
\'Thenameofmyman,\'saidMissAldclyffe,lookingatherletterinturn;\'is,Ithink——yes——AEneasManston。\'
5。SEPTEMBERTHETHIRD
Thenextmorningbutonewasappointedfortheinterviews,whichweretobeatthelawyer\'soffices。Mr。NyttletonandMr。Taylingwerebothintownfortheday,andthecandidateswereadmittedonebyoneintoaprivateroom。InthewindowrecesswasseatedMissAldclyffe,wearingherveildown。
Thelawyerhad,inhisletterstotheselectednumber,timedeachcandidateatanintervaloftenorfifteenminutesfromthoseprecedingandfollowing。Theywereshowninastheyarrived,andhadshortconversationswithMr。Nyttleton——terse,andtothepoint。
MissAldclyffeneithermovednorspokeduringthisproceeding;itmighthavebeensupposedthatshewasquiteunmindfulofit,haditnotbeenforwhatwasrevealedbyakeenpenetrationoftheveilcoveringhercountenance——theraysfromtwobrightblackeyes,directedtowardsthelawyerandhisinterlocutor。
Springrovecamefifth;Manstonseventh。Whentheexaminationofallwasended,andthelastmanhadretired,Nyttleton,againasattheformertime,blandlyaskedhisclientwhichoftheeightshepersonallypreferred。\'Istillthinkthefifthwespoketo,Springrove,themanwhoseletterIpounceduponatfirst,tobebyfarthebestqualified,inshort,mostsuitablegenerally。\'
\'IamsorrytosaythatIdifferfromyou;Ileantomyfirstnotionstill——thatMr——Mr。Manstonismostdesirableintoneandbearing,andevenspecifically;Ithinkhewouldsuitmebestinthelong-
run。\'
Mr。Nyttletonlookedoutofthewindowatthewhitenedwallofthecourt。
\'Ofcourse,madam,youropinionmaybeperfectlysoundandreliable;
asortofinstinct,Iknow,oftenleadsladiesbyashortcuttoconclusionstruerthanthosecometobymenafterlaboriousround-
aboutcalculations,basedonlongexperience。ImustsayI
shouldn\'trecommendhim。\'
\'Why,pray?\'
\'Well,letuslookfirstathisletterofanswertotheadvertisement。Hedidn\'treplytillthelastinsertion;that\'sonething。Hisletterisboldandfrankintone,soboldandfrankthatthesecondthoughtafterreadingitisthatnothonesty,butunscrupulousnessofconsciencedictatedit。Itiswritteninanindifferentmood,asifhefeltthathewashumbuggingusinhisstatementthathewastherightmanforsuchanoffice,thathetriedhardtogetitonlyasamatterofformwhichrequiredthatheshouldneglectnoopportunitythatcameinhisway。\'
\'Youmayberight,Mr。Nyttleton,butIdon\'tquiteseethegroundsofyourreasoning。\'
\'Hehasbeen,asyouperceive,almostentirelyusedtotheofficedutiesofacityarchitect,theexperiencewedon\'twant。Youwantamanwhoseacquaintancewithrurallandedpropertiesismorepracticalandcloser——somebodywho,ifhehasnotfilledexactlysuchanofficebefore,haslivedacountrylife,knowstheinsandoutsofcountrytenancies,building,farming,andsoon。\'
\'He\'sbyfarthemostintellectuallookingofthemall。\'
\'Yes;hemaybe——youropinion,MissAldclyffe,isworthmorethanmineinthatmatter。Andmorethanyousay,heisamanofparts——
hisbrainpowerwouldsoonenablehimtomasterdetailsandfithimforthepost,Idon\'tmuchdoubtthat。Buttospeakclearly\'herehiswordsstartedoffatajog-trot\'Iwouldn\'truntheriskofplacingthemanagementofanestateofmineinhishandsonanyaccountwhatever。There,that\'sflatandplain,madam。\'
\'But,definitely,\'shesaid,withashowofimpatience,\'whatisyourreason?\'
\'Heisavoluptuarywithactivity;whichisaverybadformofman——
asbadasitisrare。\'
\'Oh。Thankyouforyourexplicitstatement,Mr。Nyttleton,\'saidMissAldclyffe,startingalittleandflushingwithdispleasure。
Mr。Nyttletonnoddedslightly,asasortofneutralmotion,simplysignifyingareceiptoftheinformation,goodorbad。
\'AndIreallythinkitishardlyworthwhiletotroubleyoufurtherinthis,\'continuedthelady。\'He\'squitegoodenoughforalittleinsignificantplacelikemineatKnapwater;andIknowthatIcouldnotgetonwithoneoftheothersforasinglemonth。We\'lltryhim。\'
\'Certainly,MissAldclyffe,\'saidthelawyer。AndMr。Manstonwaswrittento,totheeffectthathewasthesuccessfulcompetitor。
\'Didyouseehowunmistakablyhertemperwasgettingthebetterofher,thatminuteyouwereintheroom?\'saidNyttletontoTayling,whentheirclienthadleftthehouse。Nyttletonwasamanwhosurveyedeverybody\'scharacterinasunlessandshadowlessnorthernlight。Aculpableslyness,whichmarkedhimasaboy,hadbeenmouldedbyTime,theImprover,intohonourablecircumspection。
Wefrequentlyfindthatthequalitywhich,conjoinedwiththesimplicityofthechild,isvice,isvirtuewhenitpervadestheknowledgeoftheman。
\'Shewasasnearasdamn-ittoboilingoverwhenIaddedupherman,\'continuedNyttleton。\'Hishandsomefaceishisqualificationinhereyes。Theyhavemetbefore;Isawthat。\'
\'Hedidn\'tseemconsciousofit,\'saidthejunior。
\'Hedidn\'t。Thatwasratherpuzzlingtome。Butstill,ifeverawoman\'sfacespokeoutplainlythatshewasinlovewithaman,hersdidthatshewaswithhim。Pooroldmaid,she\'salmostoldenoughtobehismother。IfthatManston\'saschemerhe\'llmarryher,assureasIamNyttleton。Let\'shopehe\'shonest,however。\'
\'Idon\'tthinkshe\'sinlovewithhim,\'saidTayling。Hehadseenbutlittleofthepair,andyethecouldnotreconcilewhathehadnoticedinMissAldclyffe\'sbehaviourwiththeideathatitwasthebearingofawomantowardsherlover。
\'Well,yourexperienceofthefieryphenomenonismorerecentthanmine,\'rejoinedNyttletoncarelessly。\'Andyoumayrememberthenatureofitbest。\'
VIII。THEEVENTSOFEIGHTEENDAYS
1。FROMTHETHIRDTOTHENINETEENTHOFSEPTEMBER
MissAldclyffe\'stendernesstowardsCytherea,betweenthehoursofherirascibility,increasedtillitbecamenolessthandotingfondness。LikeNatureinthetropics,withherhurricanesandthesubsequentluxuriantvegetationeffacingtheirravages,MissAldclyffecompensatedforheroutburstsbyexcessofgenerosityafterwards。Sheseemedtobecompletelywonoutofherselfbyclosecontactwithayoungwomanwhosemodestywasabsolutelyunimpaired,andwhoseartlessnesswasasperfectaswascompatiblewiththecomplexitynecessarytoproducetheduecharmofwomanhood。
Cytherea,onherpart,perceivedwithhonestsatisfactionthatherinfluenceforgoodoverMissAldclyffewasconsiderable。Ideasandhabitspeculiartotheyounger,whichtheelderladyhadoriginallyimitatedasamerewhim,shegrewincourseoftimetotakeapositivedelightin。Amongotherswereeveningandmorningprayers,dreamingoverout-doorscenes,learningaversefromsomepoemwhilstdressing。
Yettrytoforcehersympathiesasmuchasshewould,Cythereacouldfeelnomorethanthankfulforthis,evenifshealwaysfeltasmuchasthankful。Themysteriouscloudhangingoverthepastlifeofhercompanion,ofwhichtheuncertainlightalreadythrownuponitonlyseemedtorenderstilldarkertheunpenetratedremainder,nourishedinherafeelingwhichwasscarcelytooslighttobecalleddread。
Shewouldhaveinfinitelypreferredtobetreateddistantly,asthemeredependent,bysuchachangeablenature——likeafountain,alwaysherself,yetalwaysanother。Thatacrimeofanydeepdyehadeverbeenperpetratedorparticipatedinbyhernamesake,shewouldnotbelieve;buttherecklessadventuringofthelady\'syouthseemedconnectedwithdeedsofdarknessratherthanoflight。
SometimesMissAldclyffeappearedtobeonthepointofmakingsomeabsorbingconfidence,butreflectioninvariablyrestrainedher。
Cythereahopedthatsuchaconfidencewouldcomewithtime,andthatshemightthusbeameansofsoothingamindwhichhadobviouslyknownextremesuffering。
ButMissAldclyffe\'sreticenceconcerningherpastwasnotimitatedbyCytherea。Thoughsheneverdisclosedtheonefactofherknowledgethatthelove-suitbetweenMissAldclyffeandherfatherterminatedabnormally,themaiden\'snaturalingenuousnessonsubjectsnotsetdownforspecialguardhadenabledMissAldclyffetowormfromher,fragmentbyfragment,everydetailofherfather\'shistory。CythereasawhowdeeplyMissAldclyffesympathized——anditcompensatedher,tosomeextent,forthehastyresentmentsofothertimes。
Thusuncertainlyshelivedon。ItwasperceivedbytheservantsoftheHousethatsomesecretbondofconnectionexistedbetweenMissAldclyffeandhercompanion。Buttheywerewomanandwoman,notwomanandman,thefactswereetherealandrefined,andsotheycouldnotbeworkedupintoatakingstory。Whether,asoldcriticsdisputed,asupernaturalmachinerybenecessarytoanepicorno,anungodlymachineryisdecidedlynecessarytoascandal。
AnotherletterhadcometoherfromEdward——veryshort,butfullofentreaty,askingwhyshewouldnotwritejustoneline——justonelineofcoldfriendshipatleast?Shethenallowedherselftothink,littlebylittle,whethershehadnotperhapsbeentooharshwithhim;andatlastwonderedifhewerereallymuchtoblameforbeingengagedtoanotherwoman。\'Ah,Brain,thereisoneinmestrongerthanyou!\'shesaid。Theyoungmaidnowcontinuallypulledouthisletter,readitandre-readit,almostcryingwithpitythewhile,tothinkwhatwretchedsuspensehemustbeenduringathersilence,tillherheartchidherforhercruelty。Shefeltthatshemustsendhimaline——onelittleline——justaweelinetokeephimalive,poorthing;sighinglikeDonnaClara——
\'Ah,werehenowbeforeme,Inspiteofinjuredpride,IfearmyeyeswouldpardonBeforemytonguecouldchide。\'
2。SEPTEMBERTHETWENTIETH。THREETOFOURP。M。
ItwasthethirdweekinSeptember,aboutfiveweeksafterCytherea\'sarrival,whenMissAldclyfferequestedheronedaytogothroughthevillageofCarrifordandassistherselfincollectingthesubscriptionsmadebysomeoftheinhabitantsoftheparishtoareligioussocietyshepatronized。MissAldclyffeformedoneofwhatwascalledaLadies\'Association,eachmemberofwhichcollectedtributarystreamsofshillingsfromherinferiors,toaddtoherownpoundattheend。
MissAldclyffetookparticularinterestinCytherea\'sappearancethatafternoon,andtheobjectofherattentionwas,indeed,gratifyingtolookat。Thesightofthelithegirl,setoffbyanairydress,coquettishjacket,flexiblehat,arayofstarlightineacheyeandawarofliliesandrosesineachcheek,wasapalpablepleasuretothemistressofthemansion,yetapleasurewhichappearedtopartakelessofthenatureofaffectionatesatisfactionthanofmentalgratification。
EightnameswereprintedinthereportasbelongingtoMissAldclyffe\'slist,withtheamountofsubscription-moneyattachedtoeach。
\'Iwillcollectthefirstfour,whilstyoudothesamewiththelastfour,\'saidMissAldclyffe。
ThenamesoftwotradespeoplestoodfirstinCytherea\'sshare:thencameaMissHinton:lastofallintheprintedlistwasMr。
Springrovetheelder。Underneathhisnamewaspencilled,inMissAldclyffe\'shandwriting,\'Mr。Manston。\'
Manstonhadarrivedontheestate,inthecapacityofsteward,threeorfourdayspreviously,andoccupiedtheoldmanor-house,whichhadbeenalteredandrepairedforhisreception。
\'CallonMr。Manston,\'saidtheladyimpressively,lookingatthenamewrittenunderCytherea\'sportionofthelist。
\'Buthedoesnotsubscribeyet?\'
\'Iknowit;butcallandleavehimareport。Don\'tforgetit。\'
\'Sayyouwouldbepleasedifhewouldsubscribe?\'
\'Yes——sayIshouldbepleasedifhewould,\'repeatedMissAldclyffe,smiling。\'Good-bye。Don\'thurryinyourwalk。Ifyoucan\'tgeteasilythroughyourtaskto-dayputoffsomeofittillto-morrow。\'
Eachthenstartedonherrounds:Cythereagoinginthefirstplacetotheoldmanor-house。Mr。Manstonwasnotindoors,whichwasarelieftoher。Shecalledthenonthetwogentleman-farmers\'wives,whosoontransactedtheirbusinesswithher,frigidlyindifferenttoherpersonality。Apersonwhosociallyisnothingisthoughtlessofbypeoplewhoarenotmuchthanbythosewhoareagreatdeal。
ShethenturnedtowardsPeakhillCottage,theresidenceofMissHinton,wholivedtherehappilyenough,withanelderlyservantandahouse-dogascompanions。Herfather,andlastremainingparent,hadretiredthitherfouryearsbeforethistime,afterhavingfilledthepostofeditortotheCasterbridgeChronicleforeighteenortwentyyears。Therehediedsoonafter,andthoughcomparativelyapoorman,helefthisdaughtersufficientlywellprovidedforasamodestfundholderandclaimantofsundrysmallsumsindividendstomaintainherselfasmistressatPeakhill。
AtCytherea\'sknockaninnerdoorwasheardtoopenandclose,andfootstepscrossedthepassagehesitatingly。ThenextminuteCythereastoodfacetofacewiththeladyherself。
AdelaideHintonwasaboutnine-and-twentyyearsofage。Herhairwasplentiful,likeCytherea\'sown;herteethequalledCytherea\'sinregularityandwhiteness。Butshewasmuchpaler,andhadfeaturestootransparenttobeinplaceamonghouseholdsurroundings。HermouthexpressedlovelessforciblythanCytherea\'s,and,asanaturalresultofhergreatermaturity,hertreadwaslesselastic,andshewasmoreself-possessed。
Shehadbeenagirlofthatkindwhichmotherspraiseasnotforward,bywayofcontrast,whendisparagingthosewarmeroneswithwhomlovingisanendandnotameans。Menofforty,too,saidofher,\'agoodsensiblewifeforanyman,ifshecarestomarry,\'thecaringtomarrybeingthrowninasthevaguesthypothesis,becauseshewassopractical。Yetitwouldbesingularif,insuchcases,theimportantsubjectofmarriageshouldbeexcludedfrommanipulationbyhandsthatarereadyforpracticalperformanceineverydomesticconcernbesides。