Cythereawasanacquisition,andthegreetingwashearty。
\'Goodafternoon!Oyes——MissGraye,fromMissAldclyffe\'s。Ihaveseenyouatchurch,andIamsogladyouhavecalled!Comein。I
wonderifIhavechangeenoughtopaymysubscription。\'Shespokegirlishly。
Adelaide,wheninthecompanyofayoungerwoman,alwayslevelledherselfdowntothatyoungerwoman\'sagefromasenseofjusticetoherself——asif,thoughnotherownageatcommonlaw,itwasinequity。
\'Itdoesn\'tmatter。I\'llcomeagain。\'
\'Yes,doatanytime;notonlyonthiserrand。Butyoumuststepinforaminute。Do。\'
\'Ihavebeenwantingtocomeforseveralweeks。\'
\'That\'sright。Nowyoumustseemyhouse——lonely,isn\'tit,forasingleperson?Peoplesaiditwasoddforayoungwomanlikemetokeeponahouse;butwhatdidIcare?Ifyouknewthepleasureoflockingupyourowndoor,withthesensationthatyoureignedsupremeinsideit,youwouldsayitwasworththeriskofbeingcalledodd。Mr。Springroveattendstomygardening,thedogattendstorobbers,andwheneverthereisasnakeortoadtokill,Janedoesit。\'
\'Hownice!Itisbetterthanlivinginatown。\'
\'Farbetter。Atownmakesacynicofme。\'
Theremarkrecalled,somewhatstartlingly,toCytherea\'smind,thatEdwardhadusedthoseverywordstoherselfoneeveningatBudmouth。
MissHintonopenedaninteriordoorandledhervisitorintoasmalldrawing-roomcommandingaviewofthecountryformiles。
Themissionarybusinesswassoonsettled;butthechatcontinued。
\'Howlonelyitmustbehereatnight!\'saidCytherea。\'Aren\'tyouafraid?\'
\'AtfirstIwas,slightly。ButIgotusedtothesolitude。Andyouknowasortofcommonsensewillcreepevenintotimidity。Isaytomyselfsometimesatnight,“IfIwereanybodybutaharmlesswoman,notworththetroubleofaworm\'sghosttoappeartome,IshouldthinkthateverysoundIhearwasaspirit。“Butyoumustseeallovermyhouse。\'
Cythereawashighlyinterestedinseeing。
\'IsayyouMUSTdothis,andyouMUSTdothat,asifyouwereachild,\'remarkedAdelaide。\'Aprivilegedfriendofminetellsmethisuseoftheimperativecomesofbeingsoconstantlyinnobody\'ssocietybutmyown。\'
\'Ah,yes。Isupposesheisright。\'
Cythereacalledthefriend\'she\'byaruleofladylikepractice;forawoman\'s\'friend\'isdelicatelyassumedbyanotherfriendtobeoftheirownsexintheabsenceofknowledgetothecontrary;justascatsarecalledshe\'suntiltheyprovethemselveshe\'s。
MissHintonlaughedmysteriously。
\'Igetahumorousreproofforitnowandthen,Iassureyou,\'shecontinued。
\'“Humorousreproof:“that\'snotfromawoman:whocanreprovehumorouslybutaman?\'wasthegrooveofCytherea\'sthoughtattheremark。\'Yourbrotherreprovesyou,Iexpect,\'saidthatinnocentyounglady。
\'No,\'saidMissHinton,withacandidair。\'\'TisonlyaprofessionalmanIamacquaintedwith。\'Shelookedoutofthewindow。
Womenarepersistentlyimitative。NosoonerdidathoughtflashthroughCytherea\'smindthatthemanwasaloverthanshebecameaMissAldclyffeinamildform。
\'Iimaginehe\'salover,\'shesaid。
MissHintonsmiledasmileofexperienceinthatline。
Fewwomen,iftaxedwithhavinganadmirer,aresofreefromvanityastodenytheimpeachment,evenifitisutterlyuntrue。Whenitdoeshappentobetrue,theylookpityinglyawayfromthepersonwhoissobenightedastohavegotnofurtherthansuspectingit。
\'Therenow——MissHinton;youareengagedtobemarried!\'saidCythereaaccusingly。
Adelaidenoddedherheadpractically。\'Well,yes,Iam,\'shesaid。
Theword\'engaged\'hadnosoonerpassedCytherea\'slipsthanthesoundofit——themeresoundofherownlips——carriedhermindtothetimeandcircumstancesunderwhichMissAldclyffehadusedittowardsherself。Asickeningthoughtfollowed——basedbutonameresurmise;yetitspresencetookeveryotherideaawayfromCytherea\'smind。MissHintonhadusedEdward\'swordsabouttowns;shementionedMr。Springroveasattendingtohergarden。ItcouldnotbethatEdwardwastheman!thatMissAldclyffehadplannedtorevealherrivalthus!
\'Areyougoingtobemarriedsoon?\'sheinquired,withasteadinesstheresultofasortoffascination,butapparentlyofindifference。
\'Notverysoon——still,soon。\'
\'Ah-ha!Inlessthanthreemonths?\'saidCytherea。
\'Two。\'
Nowthatthesubjectwaswellinhand,Adelaidewantednomoreprompting。\'Youwon\'ttellanybodyifIshowyousomething?\'shesaid,witheagermystery。
\'Ono,nobody。Butdoesheliveinthisparish?\'
\'No。\'
Nothingprovedyet。
\'What\'shisname?\'saidCythereaflatly。Herbreathandhearthadbeguntheiroldtricks,andcameandwenthotly。MissHintoncouldnotseeherface。
\'Whatdoyouthink?\'saidMissHinton。
\'George?\'saidCytherea,withdeceitfulagony。
\'No,\'saidAdelaide。\'Butnow,youshallseehimfirst;comehere;\'
andsheledthewayupstairsintoherbedroom。There,standingonthedressingtableinalittleframe,wastheunconsciousportraitofEdwardSpringrove。
\'Thereheis,\'MissHintonsaid,andasilenceensued。
\'Areyouveryfondofhim?\'continuedthemiserableCythereaatlength。
\'Yes,ofcourseIam,\'hercompanionreplied,butinthetoneofonewho\'livedinAbraham\'sbosomalltheyear,\'andwasthereforeuntouchedbysolemnthoughtatthefact。\'He\'smycousin——anativeofthisvillage。Wewereengagedbeforemyfather\'sdeathleftmesolonely。Iwasonlytwenty,andamuchgreaterbellethanIamnow。Weknoweachotherthoroughly,asyoumayimagine。Igivehimalittlesermonizingnowandthen。\'
\'Why?\'
\'O,it\'sonlyinfun。He\'sverynaughtysometimes——notreally,youknow——buthewilllookatanyprettyfacewhenheseesit。\'
Storingupthisstatementofhissusceptibilityasanotheritemtobemiserableuponwhenshehadtime,\'Howdoyouknowthat?\'
Cythereaasked,withaswellingheart。
\'Well,youknowhowthingsdocometowomen\'sears。HeusedtoliveatBudmouthasanassistant-architect,andIfoundoutthatayounggiddythingofagirlwholivestheresomewheretookhisfancyforadayortwo。ButIdon\'tfeeljealousatall——ourengagementissomatter-of-factthatneitherofuscanbejealous。Anditwasamereflirtation——shewastoosillyforhim。He\'sfondofrowing,andkindlygaveheranairingforaneveningortwo。I\'llwarranttheytalkedthemostunmitigatedrubbishunderthesun——allshallownessandpastime,justaseverythingisatwateringplaces——neitherofthemcaringabitfortheother——shegigglinglikeagooseallthetime——\'
Concentratedessenceofwomanpervadedtheroomratherthanair。
\'SheDIDN\'T!anditWASN\'Tshallowness!\'Cythereaburstout,withbrimmingeyes。\'\'Twasdeepdeceitononeside,andentireconfidenceontheother——yes,itwas!\'Thepent-upemotionhadswollenandswolleninsidetheyoungthingtillthedamcouldnolongerembayit。Theinstantthewordswereoutshewouldhavegivenworldstohavebeenabletorecallthem。
\'Doyouknowher——orhim?\'saidMissHinton,startingwithsuspicionatthewarmthshown。
Thetworivalshadnowlosttheirpersonalityquite。Therewasthesamekeenbrightnessofeye,thesamemovementofthemouth,thesamemindinboth,astheylookeddoubtinglyandexcitedlyateachother。Asisinvariablythecasewithwomenwhenamantheycareforisthesubjectofanexcitementamongthem,thesituationabstractedthedifferenceswhichdistinguishedthemasindividuals,andleftonlythepropertiescommontothemasatomsofasex。
Cythereacaughtatthechanceaffordedherofnotbetrayingherself。
\'Yes,Iknowher,\'shesaid。
\'Well,\'saidMissHinton,\'Iamreallyvexedifmyspeakingsolightlyofanyfriendofyourshashurtyourfeelings,but——\'
\'O,nevermind,\'Cythereareturned;\'itdoesn\'tmatter,MissHinton。
IthinkImustleaveyounow。Ihavetocallatotherplaces。Yes——
Imustgo。\'
MissHinton,inaperplexedstateofmind,showedhervisitorpolitelydownstairstothedoor。HereCythereabadeherahurriedadieu,andflitteddownthegardenintothelane。
Sheperseveredinherdutieswithawaywardpleasureingivingherselfmisery,aswasherwont。Mr。Springrove\'snamewasnextonthelist,andsheturnedtowardshisdwelling,theThreeTrantersInn。
3。FOURTOFIVEP。M。
ThecottagesalongCarrifordvillagestreetwerenotsoclosebutthatononesideorotheroftheroadwasalwaysahedgeofhawthornorprivet,overorthroughwhichcouldbeseengardensororchardsrichwithproduce。Itwasaboutthemiddleoftheearlyapple-
harvest,andtheladentreeswereshakenatintervalsbythegatherers;thesoftpatteringofthefallingcropuponthegrassygroundbeingdiversifiedbytheloudrattleofvagrantonesuponarail,hencoop,basket,orlean-toroof,orupontheroundedandstoopingbacksofthecollectors——mostlychildren,whowouldhavecriedbitterlyatreceivingsuchasmartblowfromanyotherquarter,butsmilinglyassumedittobebutfuninapples。
TheThreeTrantersInn,amany-gabled,mediaevalbuilding,constructedalmostentirelyoftimber,plaster,andthatch,stoodclosetothelineoftheroadside,almostoppositethechurchyard,andwasconnectedwitharowofcottagesontheleftbythatchedoutbuildings。Itwasanuncommonlycharacteristicandhandsomespecimenofthegenuineroadsideinnofbygonetimes;andstandingononeofthegreathighwaysinthispartofEngland,hadinitstimebeenthesceneofasmuchofwhatisnowlookeduponastheromanticandgenialexperienceofstage-coachtravellingasanyhalting-placeinthecountry。Therailwayhadabsorbedthewholestreamoftrafficwhichformerlyflowedthroughthevillageandalongbytheancientdooroftheinn,reducingtheempty-handedlandlord,whousedonlytofarmafewfieldsatthebackofthehouse,tothenecessityofekingouthisattenuatedincomebyincreasingtheextentofhisagriculturalbusinessifhewouldstillmaintainhissocialstanding。Nexttothegeneralstillnesspervadingthespot,thelonglineofoutbuildingsadjoiningthehousewasthemoststrikingandsaddeningwitnesstothepassed-awayfortunesoftheThreeTrantersInn。Itwasthebulkoftheoriginalstabling,andwhereoncethehoofsoftwo-scorehorseshaddailyrattledoverthestonyyard,toandfromthestallswithin,thickgrassnowgrew,whilstthelineofroofs——oncesostraight——overthedecayedstalls,hadsunkintovasthollowstilltheyseemedlikethecheeksoftoothlessage。
Onagreenplotattheotherendofthebuildinggrewtwoorthreelarge,wide-spreadingelm-trees,fromwhichthesignwassuspended——
representingthethreemencalledtrantersirregularcarriers,standingsidebyside,andexactlyaliketoahair\'s-breadth,thegrainofthewoodandjointsoftheboardsbeingvisiblethroughthethinpaintdepictingtheirforms,whichwerestillfurtherdisfiguredbyredstainsrunningdownwardsfromtherustynailsabove。
Underthetreesnowstoodacider-millandpress,anduponthespotshelteredbytheboughsweregatheredMr。Springrovehimself,hismen,theparishclerk,twoorthreeothermen,grindersandsupernumeraries,awomanwithaninfantinherarms,aflockofpigeons,andsomelittleboyswithstrawsintheirmouths,endeavouring,wheneverthemen\'sbackswereturned,togetasipofthesweetjuiceissuingfromthevat。
EdwardSpringrovetheelder,thelandlord,nowmoreparticularlyafarmer,andfortwomonthsintheyearacider-maker,wasanemployeroflabouroftheoldschool,whoworkedhimselfamonghismen。Hewasnowengagedinpackingthepomaceintohorsehairbagswitharammer,andGadWeedy,hisman,wasoccupiedinshovellingupmorefromatubathisside。Theshovelshonelikesilverfromtheactionofthejuice,andeverandanon,initsmotiontoandfro,caughttheraysofthedecliningsunandreflectedtheminbristlingstarsoflight。
Mr。SpringrovehadbeentooyoungamanwhenthepristinedaysoftheThreeTrantershaddepartedforevertohavemuchofthehostleftinhimnow。Hewasapoetwitharoughskin:onewhosesturdinesswasmoretheresultofexternalcircumstancesthanofintrinsicnature。Tookindlyconstitutedtobeveryprovident,hewasyetnotimprudent。Hehadaquiethumorousnessofdisposition,notoutofkeepingwithafrequentmelancholy,thegeneralexpressionofhiscountenancebeingoneofabstraction。LikeWaltWhitmanhefeltashisyearsincreased——
\'Iforeseetoomuch;itmeansmorethanIthought。\'
Onthepresentoccasionheworegaitersandaleathernapron,andworkedwithhisshirt-sleevesrolledupbeyondhiselbows,disclosingsolidandfleshyratherthanmusculararms。Theywerestainedbythecider,andtwoorthreebrownapple-pipsfromthepomacehewashandlingweretobeseenstickingonthemhereandthere。
TheotherprominentfigurewasthatofRichardCrickett,theparishclerk,akindofBowdlerizedrake,whoateonlyasmuchasawoman,andhadtherheumatisminhislefthand。Theremainderofthegroup,brown-facedpeasants,woresmock-frocksembroideredontheshoulderswithheartsanddiamonds,andweregirtroundtheirmiddlewithastrap,anotherbeingwornroundtherightwrist。
\'Andhaveyouseenthesteward,Mr。Springrove?\'saidtheclerk。
\'Justaglimpseofhim;but\'twasjustenoughtoshowmethathe\'snothereforlong。\'
\'Whymidthatbe?\'
\'He\'llneverstandthevagariesofthefemalefigureholdenthereins——nothe。\'
\'Shed\'payenwell,\'saidagrinder;\'andmoney\'smoney。\'
\'Ah——\'tis:verymuchso,\'theclerkreplied。
\'Yes,yes,naibourCrickett,\'saidSpringrove,\'butshe\'llvleeinapassion——allthefatwillbeinthefire——andthere\'sanendo\'t……Yes,sheisaone,\'continuedthefarmer,resting,raisinghiseyes,andreadingthefeaturesofadistantapple。
\'Sheis,\'saidGad,restingtooitiswonderfulhowpromptajourneymanisinfollowinghismaster\'sinitiativetorestandreflectivelyregardingthegroundinfrontofhim。
\'True:aoneisshe,\'theclerkchimedin,shakinghisheadominously。
\'Shehassuchatemper,\'saidthefarmer,\'andissowilfultoo。
Youmayaswelltrytostopafootpathasstopherwhenshehastakenanythingintoherhead。I\'dassoongrindlittlegreencrabsalldayaslivewi\'her。\'
\'\'Tisatempershehev,\'tis,\'theclerkreplied,\'thoughIbeaservantoftheChurchthatsayit。Butsheisn\'tgoentofleeinapassionthistime。\'
Theaudiencewaitedforthecontinuationofthespeech,asiftheyknewfromexperiencetheexactdistanceoffitlayinthefuture。
Theclerkswallowednothingasifitwereagreatdeal,andthenwenton,\'There\'ssome\'atbetween\'em:markmywords,naibours——
there\'ssome\'atbetween\'em。\'
\'D\'yemeanit?\'
\'Id\'knowit。HecamelastSaturday,didn\'the?\'
\'\'Adid,truly,\'saidGadWeedy,atthesametimetakinganapplefromthehopperofthemill,eatingapiece,andflingingbacktheremaindertobegroundupforcider。
\'Hewenttochurcha-Sunday,\'saidtheclerkagain。
\'\'Adid。\'
\'Andshekepthereyeuponenalltheservice,herfaceflickerenbetweenredandwhite,butneverstoppenateither。\'
Mr。Springrovenodded,andwenttothepress。
\'Well,\'saidtheclerk,\'youdon\'tcallherthekindo\'womantomakemistakesinjusttrottenthroughtheweeklyserviceo\'God?
Why,asaruleshe\'sasrightasIbemyself。\'
Mr。Springrovenoddedagain,andgaveatwisttothescrewofthepress,followedinthemovementbyGadattheotherside;thetwogrindersexpressingbylooksofthegreatestconcernthat,ifMissAldclyffewereasrightatchurchastheclerk,shemustberightindeed。
\'Yes,asrightintheserviceo\'GodasIbemyself,\'repeatedtheclerk。\'ButlastSunday,whenwewereinthetenthcommandment,saysshe,“Inclineourheartstokeepthislaw,“saysshe,when\'twas“Lawsinourhearts,webeseechThee,“allthechurchthrough。
HereyewasuponHIM——shewasquitelost——“Heartstokeepthislaw,“
saysshe;shewasnomorethanamereshadderatthattenthtime——amereshadder。Youmi\'tha\'mouthedacrosstoher“LawsinourheartswebeseechThee,“fiftytimesover——she\'dneverha\'noticedye。She\'sinlovewi\'theman,that\'swhatsheis。\'
\'Thenshe\'sabiggerstunpollthanItookherfor,\'saidMr。
Springrove。\'Why,she\'soldenoughtobehismother。\'
\'Therow\'llbebetweenherandthatyoungCurlywig,you\'llsee。Shewon\'truntheriskofthatprettyfacebe-ennear。\'
\'ClerkCrickett,Id\'fancyyoud\'knoweverythingabouteverybody,\'
saidGad。
\'Wellso\'s,\'saidtheclerkmodestly。\'Idoknowalittle。Itcomestome。\'
\'AndId\'knowwherefrom。\'
\'Ah。\'
\'Thatwifeo\'thine。She\'sanentertainenwoman,nottospeakdisrespectful。\'
\'Sheis:andawinnenone。Lookatthehusbandsshe\'vehad——Godblessher!\'
\'Iwonderyoucouldstandthirdinthatlist,ClerkCrickett,\'saidMr。Springrove。
\'Well,\'thasbeenapowero\'marveltomyselfoftentimes。Yes,matrimonydobeginwi\'“Dearlybeloved,“andendswi\'“Amazement,“
astheprayer-booksays。ButwhatcouldIdo,naibourSpringrove?
\'Twasordainedtobe。WelldoIcalltomindwhatyourpoorladysaidtomewhenIhadjustmarried。“Ah,Mr。Crickett,“saysshe,“yourwifewillsoonsettleyouasshedidherothertwo:here\'saglasso\'rum,forIshan\'tseeyourpoorfacethistimenextyear。“
Iswalleredtherum,calledagainnextyear,andsaid,“Mrs。
Springrove,yougavemeaglasso\'rumlastyearbecauseIwasgoingtodie——hereIbealivestill,yousee。““Wellsaid,clerk!Here\'stwoglassesforyounow,then,“saysshe。“Thankyou,mem,“I
said,andswalleredtherum。Well,dangmyoldsides,nextyearI
thoughtI\'dcallagainandgetthree。AndcallIdid。Butshewouldn\'tgivemeadropo\'thecommonest。“No,clerk,“saysshe,“youbetootoughforawoman\'spity。“……Ah,poorsoul,\'twastrueenough!HerebeI,thatwasexpectedtodie,aliveandhardasanail,yousee,andthere\'sshemouldereninhergrave。\'
\'Iusedtothink\'twasyourwife\'sfatenottohavealivenhusbandwhenIzid\'emdieoffso,\'saidGad。
\'Fate?Blessthysimplicity,so\'twasherfate;butshestruggledtohaveone,andwould,anddid。Fate\'snothenbesideawoman\'sschemen!\'
\'Isuppose,then,thatFateisaHe,likeus,andtheLord,andtheresto\'\'emupabovethere,\'saidGad,liftinghiseyestothesky。
\'Hullo!Here\'stheyoungwomancomenthatwewerea-talkenaboutby-now,\'saidagrinder,suddenlyinterrupting。\'She\'scomenuphere,asIbealive!\'
ThetwogrindersstoodandregardedCythereaasifshehadbeenashiptackingintoaharbour,nearlystoppingthemillintheirnewinterest。
\'Stylishaccoutrementsabouttheheadandshoulders,tomythinken,\'
saidtheclerk。\'Sheenencurls,andplentyo\'em。\'
\'Ifthere\'sonekindofpridemoreexcusablethananotherinayoungwoman,\'tisbeingproudofherhair,\'saidMr。Springrove。
\'Dearman!——thepridethereisonlyasmallpieceo\'thewhole。I
warrantnow,thoughshecanshowsuchafigure,sheha\'n\'tasticko\'furnituretocallherown。\'
\'Come,ClerkCrickett,letthemaidbeamaidwhilesheisamaid,\'
saidFarmerSpringrovechivalrously。
\'O,\'repliedtheservantoftheChurch;\'I\'venothentosayagainstit——Ono:
\'“Thechimney-sweeper\'sdaughterSueAsIhavehearddeclare,O,Althoughshe\'sneithersocknorshoeWillcurlanddeckherhair,O。“\'
Cythereawasratherdisconcertedatfindingthatthegradualcessationofthechoppingofthemillwasonheraccount,andstillmorewhenshesawallthecider-makers\'eyesfixeduponherexceptMr。Springrove\'s,whosenaturaldelicacyrestrainedhim。Shenearedtheplotofgrass,butinsteadofadvancingfurther,hesitatedonitsborder。
Mr。Springroveperceivedherembarrassment,whichwasrelievedwhenshesawhisold-establishedfigurecomingacrosstoher,wipinghishandsinhisapron。
\'Iknowyourerrand,missie,\'hesaid,\'andamgladtoseeyou,andattendtoit。I\'llstepindoors。\'
\'IfyouarebusyIaminnohurryforaminuteortwo,\'saidCytherea。
\'Thenifsobeyoureallywouldn\'tmind,we\'llwringdownthislastfillingtoletitdrainallnight?\'
\'Notatall。Iliketoseeyou。\'
\'Weareonlyjustgrindingdowntheearlypickthongsandgriffins,\'
continuedthefarmer,inahalf-apologetictonefordetainingbyhiscider-makinganywell-dressedwoman。\'Theyrotasblackasachimney-crookifwekeep\'emtilltheregularsturnin。\'Ashespokehewentbacktothepress,Cythereakeepingathiselbow。
\'I\'mlaterthanIshouldhavebeenbyrights,\'hecontinued,takingupaleverforpropellingthescrew,andbeckoningtothementocomeforward。\'Thetruthis,mysonEdwardhadpromisedtocometo-
day,andImadepreparations;butinsteadofhimcomesaletter:
“London,Septembertheeighteenth,DearFather,“sayshe,andwentontotellmehecouldn\'t。Itthrewmeoutabit。\'
\'Ofcourse,\'saidCytherea。
\'He\'sgotaplace\'ab\'lieve?\'saidtheclerk,drawingnear。
\'No,poormortalfellow,no。Hetriedforthisonehere,youknow,butcouldn\'tmanagetogetit。Idon\'tknowtherightso\'thematter,butwilly-nillytheywouldn\'thavehimforsteward。Nowmates,forminline。\'
Springrove,theclerk,thegrinders,andGad,allrangedthemselvesbehindtheleverofthescrew,andwalkedroundlikesoldierswheeling。
\'Themanthattheoldqueanhevgotisamanyoucanhardlygetuponyourtonguetogainsay,bythelooko\'en,\'rejoinedClerkCrickett。
\'Oneo\'thempeoplethatcancontrivetobethoughtnoworseo\'forstealenahorsethananothermanforlookenoverhedgeaten,\'saidagrinder。
\'Well,he\'sallthereassteward,andisquitethegentleman——nodoubtaboutthat。\'
\'SowouldmyTedha\'been,forthemattero\'that,\'thefarmersaid。
\'That\'strue:\'awould,sir。\'
\'Isaid,I\'llgiveTedagoodeducationifitdocostmemyeyes,andIwouldhavedoneit。\'
\'Ay,thatyouwouldso,\'saidthechorusofassistantssolemnly。
\'Buthetooktobooksanddrawingnaturally,andcostverylittle;
andasawind-upthewomenfolkhatchedupamatchbetweenhimandhiscousin。\'
\'When\'stheweddentobe,Mr。Springrove?\'
\'Uncertain——butsoon,Isuppose。Edward,yousee,candoanythingprettynearly,andyetcan\'tgetastraightforwardliving。IwishsometimesIhadkepthimhere,andletprofessionsgo。Buthewassuchaoneforthepencil。\'
Hedroppedtheleverinthehedge,andturnedtohisvisitor。
\'Nowthen,missie,ifyou\'llcomeindoors,please。\'
GadWeedylookedwithaplacidcriticismatCythereaasshewithdrewwiththefarmer。
\'Icouldtellbythetongueo\'herthatshedidn\'ttakeherdegreesinourcounty,\'hesaidinanundertone。
\'Therailwayshaveleftyoulonelyhere,\'sheobserved,whentheywereindoors。
Savethewitheredoldflies,whichwerequitetamefromthesolitude,notabeingwasinthehouse。Nobodyseemedtohaveentereditsincethelastpassengerhadbeencalledouttomountthelaststage-coachthathadrunby。
\'Yes,theInnandIseemalmostapairoffossils,\'thefarmerreplied,lookingattheroomandthenathimself。
\'O,Mr。Springrove,\'saidCytherea,suddenlyrecollectingherself;
\'IammuchobligedtoyouforrecommendingmetoMissAldclyffe。\'
Shebegantowarmtowardstheoldman;therewasinhimagentlenessofdispositionwhichremindedherofherownfather。
\'Recommending?Notatall,miss。Ted——that\'smyson——Tedsaidafellow-draughtsmanofhishadasisterwhowantedtobedoingsomethingintheworld,andImentionedittothehousekeeper,that\'sall。Ay,Imissmysonverymuch。\'
Shekeptherbacktothewindowthathemightnotseeherrisingcolour。
\'Yes,\'hecontinued,\'sometimesIcan\'thelpfeelinguneasyabouthim。Youknow,heseemsnotmadeforatownlifeexactly:hegetsveryqueeroveritsometimes,Ithink。Perhapshe\'llbebetterwhenhe\'smarriedtoAdelaide。\'
Ahalf-impatientfeelingaroseinher,likethatwhichpossessesasickpersonwhenhehearsarecently-struckhourstruckagainbyaslowclock。Shehadlivedfurtheron。
\'Everythingdependsuponwhetherhelovesher,\'shesaidtremulously。
\'Heusedto——hedoesn\'tshowitsomuchnow;butthat\'sbecausehe\'solder。Yousee,itwasseveralyearsagotheyfirstwalkedtogetherasyoungmanandyoungwoman。She\'salteredtoofromwhatshewaswhenhefirstcourtedher。\'
\'How,sir?\'
\'O,she\'smoresensiblebyhalf。Whenheusedtowritetohershe\'dcreepupthelaneandlookbackoverhershoulder,andslideouttheletter,andreadawordandstandinthoughtlookingatthehillsandseeingnone。Thenthecuckoowouldcry——awaytheletterwouldslip,andshe\'dstartwi\'frightatthemerebird,andhavearedskinbeforethequickestmanamongyecouldsay,“Bloodrushup。“\'
Hecameforwardwiththemoneyanddroppeditintoherhand。HisthoughtswerestillwithEdward,andheabsentlytookherlittlefingersinhisashesaid,earnestlyandingenuously——
\'\'TissoseldomIgetagentlewomantospeaktothatIcan\'thelpspeakingtoyou,MissGraye,onmyfearsforEdward;Isometimesamafraidthathe\'llnevergeton——thathe\'lldiepooranddespisedundertheworstmentalconditions,akeensenseofhavingbeenpassedintheracebymenwhosebrainsarenothingtohisown,allthroughhisseeingtoofarintothings——beingdiscontentedwithmake-shifts——thinkingo\'perfectioninthings,andthensickenedthatthere\'snosuchthingasperfection。Ishan\'tbesorrytoseehimmarry,sinceitmaysettlehimdownanddohimgood……Ay,we\'llhopeforthebest。\'
Heletgoherhandandaccompaniedhertothedoorsaying,\'Ifyoushouldcaretowalkthiswayandtalktoanoldmanoncenowandthen,itwillbeagreatdelighttohim,MissGraye。Good-eveningtoye……Ahlook!athunderstormisbrewing——bequickhome。OrshallIstepupwithyou?\'
\'No,thankyou,Mr。Springrove。Goodevening,\'shesaidinalowvoice,andhurriedaway。Onethoughtstillpossessedher;Edwardhadtrifledwithherlove。
4。FIVETOSIXP。M。
Shefollowedtheroadintoaboweroftrees,overhangingitsodenselythatthepassappearedlikearabbit\'sburrow,andpresentlyreachedasideentrancetothepark。Thecloudsrosemorerapidlythanthefarmerhadanticipated:thesheepmovedinatrail,andcomplainedincoherently。Lividgreyshades,likethoseofthemodernFrenchpainters,madeamysteryoftheremoteanddarkpartsofthevista,andseemedtoinsistuponasuspensionofbreath。
Beforeshewashalf-wayacrosstheparkthethunderrumbleddistinctly。
Thedirectioninwhichshehadtogowouldtakeherclosebytheoldmanor-house。Theairwasperfectlystill,andbetweeneachlowrumbleofthethunderbehindshecouldheartheroarofthewaterfallbeforeher,andthecreakoftheengineamongthebusheshardbyit。Hurryingon,withagrowingdreadofthegloomandoftheapproachingstorm,shedrewneartheOldHouse,nowrisingbeforeheragainstthedarkfoliageandskyintonesofstrangewhiteness。
Ontheflightofsteps,whichdescendedfromaterraceinfronttothelevelofthepark,stoodaman。Heappeared,partlyfromthereliefthepositiongavetohisfigure,andpartlyfromfact,tobeoftoweringheight。Hewasdarkinoutline,andwaslookingatthesky,withhishandsbehindhim。
ItwasnecessaryforCythereatopassdirectlyacrossthelineofhisfront。Shefeltsoreluctanttodothis,thatshewasabouttoturnunderthetreesoutofthepathandenteritagainatapointbeyondtheOldHouse;buthehadseenher,andshecameonmechanically,unconsciouslyavertingherfacealittle,anddroppingherglancetotheground。
Hereyesunswervinglylingeredalongthepathuntiltheyfelluponanotherpathbranchinginarightlinefromthepathshewaspursuing。ItcamefromthestepsoftheOldHouse。\'Iamexactlyoppositehimnow,\'shethought,\'andhiseyesaregoingthroughme。\'
Aclearmasculinevoicesaid,atthesameinstant——
\'Areyouafraid?\'
She,interpretinghisquestionbyherfeelingsatthemoment,assumedhimselftobetheobjectoffear,ifany。\'Idon\'tthinkI
am,\'shestammered。
Heseemedtoknowthatshethoughtinthatsense。
\'Ofthethunder,Imean,\'hesaid;\'notofmyself。\'
Shemustturntohimnow。\'Ithinkitisgoingtorain,\'sheremarkedforthesakeofsayingsomething。
Hecouldnotconcealhissurpriseandadmirationofherfaceandbearing。Hesaidcourteously,\'ItmaypossiblynotrainbeforeyoureachtheHouse,ifyouaregoingthere?\'
\'Yes,Iam,\'
\'MayIwalkupwithyou?Itislonelyunderthetrees。\'
\'No。\'Fearinghiscourtesyarosefromabeliefthathewasaddressingawomanofhigherstationthanwashers,sheadded,\'IamMissAldclyffe\'scompanion。Idon\'tmindtheloneliness。\'
\'O,MissAldclyffe\'scompanion。Thenwillyoubekindenoughtotakeasubscriptiontoher?ShesenttomethisafternoontoaskmetobecomeasubscribertoherSociety,andIwasout。OfcourseI\'llsubscribeifshewishesit。ItakeagreatinterestintheSociety。\'
\'MissAldclyffewillbegladtohearthat,Iknow。\'
\'Yes;letmesee——whatSocietydidshesayitwas?IamafraidI
haven\'tenoughmoneyinmypocket,andyetitwouldbeasatisfactiontohertohavepracticalproofofmywillingness。I\'llgetit,andbeoutinoneminute。\'
Heenteredthehouseandwasathersideagainwithinthetimehehadnamed。\'Thisisit,\'hesaidpleasantly。
Sheheldupherhand。Thesofttipsofhisfingersbrushedthepalmofhergloveasheplacedthemoneywithinit。Shewonderedwhyhisfingersshouldhavetouchedher。
\'Ithinkafterall,\'hecontinued,\'thattherainisuponus,andwilldrenchyoubeforeyoureachtheHouse。Yes:seethere。\'
Hepointedtoaroundwetspotaslargeasanasturtiumleaf,whichhadsuddenlyappeareduponthewhitesurfaceofthestep。
\'Youhadbettercomeintotheporch。Itisnotnearlynightyet。
Thecloudsmakeitseemlaterthanitreallyis。\'
Heavydropsofrain,followedimmediatelybyaforkedflashoflightningandsharprattlingthundercompelledher,willinglyorno,toaccepthisinvitation。Sheascendedthesteps,stoodbesidehimjustwithintheporch,andforthefirsttimeobtainedaseriesofshortviewsofhisperson,astheywaitedthereinsilence。
Hewasanextremelyhandsomeman,well-formed,andwell-dressed,ofanagewhichseemedtobetwoorthreeyearslessthanthirty。Themoststrikingpointinhisappearancewasthewonderful,almostpreternatural,clearnessofhiscomplexion。Therewasnotablemishorspeckofanykindtomarthesmoothnessofitssurfaceorthebeautyofitshue。Next,hisforeheadwassquareandbroad,hisbrowsstraightandfirm,hiseyespenetratingandclear。Bycollectingtheroundofexpressionstheygaveforth,apersonwhotheorizedonsuchmatterswouldhaveimbibedthenotionthattheirownerwasofanaturetokickagainstthepricks;thelastmanintheworldtoputupwithapositionbecauseitseemedtobehisdestinytodoso;onewhotookuponhimselftoresistfatewiththevindictivedeterminationofaTheomachist。Eyesandforeheadbothwouldhaveexpressedkeennessofintellecttooseverelytobepleasing,hadtheirforcenotbeencounteractedbythelinesandtoneofthelips。Thesewerefullandluscioustoasurprisingdegree,possessingawoman-likesoftnessofcurve,andarubyrednesssointense,astotestifystronglytomuchsusceptibilityofheartwherefemininebeautywasconcerned——asusceptibilitythatmightrequirealltheballastofbrainwithwhichhehadpreviouslybeencreditedtoconfinewithinreasonablechannels。
Hismannerwasratherelegantthangood:hisspeechwell-finishedandunconstrained。
Thepauseintheirdiscourse,whichhadbeencausedbythepealofthunderwasunbrokenbyeitherforaminuteortwo,duringwhichtheearsofbothseemedtobeabsentlyfollowingthelowroarofthewaterfallasitbecamegraduallyrivalledbytheincreasingrushofrainuponthetreesandherbageofthegrove。Afterhershortlooksathim,Cythereahadturnedherheadtowardstheavenueforawhile,andnow,glancingbackagainforaninstant,shediscoveredthathiseyeswereengagedinasteady,thoughdelicate,regardofherfaceandform。
Atthismoment,byreasonofthenarrownessoftheporch,theirdressestouched,andremainedincontact。
Hisclothesaresomethingexteriortoeveryman;buttoawomanherdressispartofherbody。Itsmotionsareallpresenttoherintelligenceifnottohereyes;nomanknowshowhiscoat-tailsswing。Bytheslightesthyperboleitmaybesaidthatherdresshassensation。CreasebuttheveryUltimaThuleoffringeorflounce,andithurtsherasmuchaspinchingher。Delicateantennae,orfeelers,bristleoneveryoutlyingfrill。Gototheuppermost:sheisthere;treadonthelowest:thefaircreatureistherealmostbeforeyou。
Thusthetouchofclothes,whichwasnothingtoManston,sentathrillthroughCytherea,seeing,moreover,thathewasofthenatureofamysteriousstranger。Shelookedoutagainatthestorm,butstillfelthim。Atlasttoescapethesensationshemovedaway,thoughbysodoingitwasnecessarytoadvancealittleintotherain。
\'Look,therainiscomingintotheporchuponyou,\'hesaid。\'Stepinsidethedoor。\'
Cythereahesitated。
\'Perfectlysafe,Iassureyou,\'headded,laughing,andholdingthedooropen。\'YoushallseewhatastateofdisorganizationIamin——
boxesonboxes,furniture,straw,crockery,ineveryformoftransposition。Anoldwomanisinthebackquarterssomewhere,beginningtoputthingstorights……Youknowtheinsideofthehouse,Idaresay?\'
\'Ihaveneverbeenin。\'
\'Owell,comealong。Here,yousee,theyhavemadeadoorthrough,here,theyhaveputapartitiondividingtheoldhallintotwo,onepartisnowmyparlour;theretheyhaveputaplasterceiling,hidingtheoldchestnut-carvedroofbecauseitwastoohighandwouldhavebeenchillyforme;yousee,beingtheoriginalhall,itwasopenrightuptothetop,andherethelordofthemanorandhisretainersusedtomeetandbemerrybythelightfromthemonstrousfirewhichshoneoutfromthatmonstrousfire-place,nownarrowedtoamerenothingformygrate,thoughyoucanseetheoldoutlinestill。IalmostwishIcouldhavehaditinitsoriginalstate。\'
\'Withmoreromanceandlesscomfort。\'
\'Yes,exactly。Well,perhapsthewishisnotdeep-seated。Youwillseehowthethingsaretumbledinanyhow,packing-casesandall。
Theonlypieceofornamentalfurnitureyetunpackedisthisone。\'
\'Anorgan?\'
\'Yes,anorgan。Imadeitmyself,exceptthepipes。Iopenedthecasethisafternoontocommencesoothingmyselfatonce。Itisnotaverylargeone,butquitebigenoughforaprivatehouse。Youplay,Idaresay?\'
\'Thepiano。Iamnotatallusedtoanorgan。\'
\'Youwouldsoonacquirethetouchforanorgan,thoughitwouldspoilyourtouchforthepiano。Notthatthatmattersagreatdeal。
Apianoisn\'tmuchasaninstrument。\'
\'Itisthefashiontosaysonow。Ithinkitisquitegoodenough。\'
\'Thatisn\'taltogetherarightsentimentaboutthingsbeinggoodenough。\'
\'No——no。WhatImeanis,thatthemenwhodespisepianosdoitasarulefromtheirteeth,merelyforfashion\'ssake,becausecleverermenhavesaiditbeforethem——notfromtheexperienceoftheirears。\'
NowCythereaallatoncebrokeintoablushattheconsciousnessofagreatsnubshehadbeenguiltyofinhereagernesstoexplainherself。Hecharitablyexpressedbyalookthathedidnotintheleastmindherblunder,ifitwereone;andthisattitudeforcedhimintoapositionofmentalsuperioritywhichvexedher。
\'Iplayformyprivateamusementonly,\'hesaid。\'Ihaveneverlearnedscientifically。AllIknowiswhatItaughtmyself。\'
Thethunder,lightning,andrainhadnowincreasedtoaterrificforce。Theclouds,fromwhichdarts,forks,zigzags,andballsoffirecontinuallysprang,didnotappeartobemorethanahundredyardsabovetheirheads,andeverynowandthenaflashandapealmadegapsinthesteward\'sdescriptions。Hewenttowardstheorgan,inthemidstofavolleywhichseemedtoshaketheagedhousefromfoundationstochimney。
\'Youarenotgoingtoplaynow,areyou?\'saidCythereauneasily。
\'Oyes。Whynotnow?\'hesaid。\'Youcan\'tgohome,andthereforewemayaswellbeamused,ifyoudon\'tmindsittingonthisbox。
ThefewchairsIhaveunpackedareintheotherroom。\'
Withoutwaitingtoseewhethershesatdownornot,heturnedtotheorganandbeganextemporizingaharmonywhichmeanderedthrougheveryvarietyofexpressionofwhichtheinstrumentwascapable。
Presentlyheceasedandbegansearchingforsomemusic-book。
\'Whatasplendidflash!\'hesaid,asthelightningagainshoneinthroughthemullionedwindow,which,ofaproportiontosuitthewholeextentoftheoriginalhall,wasmuchtoolargeforthepresentroom。Thethunderpealedagain。Cytherea,inspiteofherself,wasfrightened,notonlyattheweather,butatthegeneralunearthlyweirdnesswhichseemedtosurroundherthere。
\'IwishI——thelightningwasn\'tsobright。Doyouthinkitwilllastlong?\'shesaidtimidly。
\'Itcan\'tlastmuchlonger,\'hemurmured,withoutturning,runninghisfingersagainoverthekeys。\'Butthisisnothing,\'hecontinued,suddenlystoppingandregardingher。\'Itseemsbrighterbecauseofthedeepshadowunderthosetreesyonder。Don\'tmindit;
nowlookatme——lookinmyface——now。\'
Hehadfacedthewindow,lookingfixedlyattheskywithhisdarkstrongeyes。Sheseemedcompelledtodoasshewasbidden,andlookedinthetoo-delicatelybeautifulface。
Theflashcame;buthedidnotturnorblink,keepinghiseyesfixedasfirmlyasbefore。\'There,\'hesaid,turningtoher,\'that\'sthewaytolookatlightning。\'
\'O,itmighthaveblindedyou!\'sheexclaimed。
\'Nonsense——notlightningofthissort——Ishouldn\'thavestaredatitiftherehadbeendanger。Itisonlysheet-lightningnow。Now,willyouhaveanotherpiece?Somethingfromanoratoriothistime?\'
\'No,thankyou——Idon\'twanttohearitwhilstitthundersso。\'Buthehadbegunwithoutheedingheranswer,andshestoodmotionlessagain,marvellingatthewonderfulindifferencetoallexternalcircumstancewhichwasnowevincedbyhiscompleteabsorptioninthemusicbeforehim。
\'Whydoyouplaysuchsaddeningchords?\'shesaid,whenhenextpaused。
\'H\'m——becauseIlikethem,Isuppose,\'saidhelightly。\'Don\'tyoulikesadimpressionssometimes?\'
\'Yes,sometimes,perhaps。\'
\'Whenyouarefulloftrouble。\'
\'Yes。\'
\'Well,whyshouldn\'tIwhenIamfulloftrouble?\'
\'Areyoutroubled?\'
\'Iamtroubled。\'Hesaidthisthoughtfullyandabruptly——soabruptlythatshedidnotpushthedialoguefurther。
Henowplayedmorepowerfully。Cythereahadneverheardmusicinthecompletenessoffullorchestralpower,andthetonesoftheorgan,whichreverberatedwithconsiderableeffectinthecomparativelysmallspaceoftheroom,heightenedbytheelementalstrifeoflightandsoundoutside,movedhertoadegreeoutofproportiontotheactualpowerofthemerenotes,practisedaswasthehandthatproducedthem。Thevaryingstrains——nowloud,nowsoft;simple,complicated,weird,touching,grand,boisterous,subdued;eachphasedistinct,yetmodulatingintothenextwithagracefulandeasyflow——shookandbenthertothemselves,asagushingbrookshakesandbendsashadowcastacrossitssurface。
Thepowerofthemusicdidnotshowitselfsomuchbyattractingherattentiontothesubjectofthepiece,asbytakingupanddevelopingasitslibrettothepoemofherownlifeandsoul,shiftingherdeedsandintentionsfromthehandsofherjudgmentandholdingtheminitsown。
Shewasswayedintoemotionalopinionsconcerningthestrangemanbeforeher;newimpulsesofthoughtcamewithnewharmonies,andenteredintoherwithagnawingthrill。Adreadfulflashoflightningthen,andthethundercloseuponit。Shefoundherselfinvoluntarilyshrinkingupbesidehim,andlookingwithpartedlipsathisface。
Heturnedhiseyesandsawheremotion,whichgreatlyincreasedtheidealelementinherexpressiveface。Shewasinthestateinwhichwoman\'sinstincttoconcealhaslostitspoweroverherimpulsetotell;andhesawit。Bendinghishandsomefaceoverhertillhislipsalmosttouchedherear,hemurmured,withoutbreakingtheharmonies——
\'Doyouverymuchlikethispiece?\'
\'Verymuchindeed,\'shesaid。
\'Icouldseeyouwereaffectedbyit。Iwillcopyitforyou。\'
\'Thankyoumuch。\'
\'IwillbringittotheHousetoyouto-morrow。WhoshallIaskfor?\'
\'O,notforme。Don\'tbringit,\'shesaidhastily。\'Ishouldn\'tlikeyouto。\'
\'Letmesee——to-morroweveningatsevenorafewminutespastI
shallbepassingthewaterfallonmywayhome。Icouldconvenientlygiveityouthere,andIshouldlikeyoutohaveit。\'
HemodulatedintothePastoralSymphony,stilllookinginhereyes。
\'Verywell,\'shesaid,togetridofthelook。
Thestormhadbythistimeconsiderablydecreasedinviolence,andinsevenortenminutestheskypartiallycleared,thecloudsaroundthewesternhorizonbecominglightedupwiththeraysofthesinkingsun。
Cythereadrewalongbreathofrelief,andpreparedtogoaway。Shewasfullofadistressingsensethatherdetentionintheoldmanor-
house,andtheacquaintanceshipithadsetonfoot,wasnotathingshewished。Itwassuchafoolishthingtohavebeenexcitedanddraggedintofranknessbythewilesofastranger。
\'Allowmetocomewithyou,\'hesaid,accompanyinghertothedoor,andagainshowingbyhisbehaviourhowmuchhewasimpressedwithher。Hisinfluenceoverherhadvanishedwiththemusicalchords,andsheturnedherbackuponhim。\'MayIcome?\'herepeated。
\'No,no。Thedistanceisnotaquarterofamile——itisreallynotnecessary,thankyou,\'shesaidquietly。Andwishinghimgood-
evening,withoutmeetinghiseyes,shewentdownthesteps,leavinghimstandingatthedoor。
\'O,howisitthatmanhassofascinatedme?\'wasallshecouldthink。Herownself,asshehadsatspell-boundbeforehim,wasallshecouldsee。Hergaitwasconstrained,fromtheknowledgethathiseyeswereuponheruntilshehadpassedthehollowbythewaterfall,andbyascendingtherisehadbecomehiddenfromhisviewbytheboughsoftheoverhangingtrees。
5。SIXTOSEVENP。M。
Thewetshiningroadthrewthewesternglareintohereyeswithaninvidiouslustrewhichrenderedtherestlessnessofhermoodmorewearying。Herthoughtsflewfromideatoideawithoutaskingfortheslightestlinkofconnectionbetweenoneandanother。OnemomentshewasfullofthewildmusicandstirringscenewithManston——thenext,Edward\'simagerosebeforeherlikeashadowyghost。ThenManston\'sblackeyesseemedpiercingheragain,andtherecklessvoluptuousmouthappearedbendingtothecurvesofhisspecialwords。Whatcouldbethosetroublestowhichhehadalluded?PerhapsMissAldclyffewasatthebottomofthem。Sadatheartshepacedon:herlifewasbewilderingher。
OncomingintoMissAldclyffe\'spresenceCythereatoldheroftheincident,notwithoutafearthatshewouldburstintooneofherungovernablefitsoftemperatlearningCytherea\'sslightdeparturefromtheprogramme。But,strangelytoCytherea,MissAldclyffelookeddelighted。Theusualcross-examinationfollowed。
\'Andsoyouwerewithhimallthattime?\'saidthelady,withassumedseverity。
\'Yes,Iwas。\'
\'IdidnottellyoutocallattheOldHousetwice。\'
\'Ididn\'tcall,asIhavesaid。Hemademecomeintotheporch。\'
\'Whatremarksdidhemake,doyousay?\'
\'ThatthelightningwasnotsobadasIthought。\'
\'Averyimportantremark,that。Didhe——\'sheturnedherglancefulluponthegirl,andeyeinghersearchingly,said——
\'DidhesayanythingaboutME?\'
\'Nothing,\'saidCytherea,returninghergazecalmly,\'exceptthatI
wastogiveyouthesubscription。\'
\'Youarequitesure?\'
\'Quite。\'
\'Ibelieveyou。Didhesayanythingstrikingorstrangeabouthimself?\'
\'Onlyonething——thathewastroubled,\'
\'Troubled!\'
Aftersayingtheword,MissAldclyfferelapsedintosilence。Suchbehaviourasthishadended,onmostpreviousoccasions,byhermakingaconfession,andCythereaexpectedonenow。Butforonceshewasmistaken,nothingmorewassaid。
WhenshehadreturnedtoherroomshesatdownandpennedafarewelllettertoEdwardSpringrove,aslittleableasanyotherexcitableandbrimmingyoungwomanofnineteentofeelthatthewisestandonlydignifiedcourseatthatjuncturewastodonothingatall。
Shetoldhimthat,toherpainfulsurprise,shehadlearntthathisengagementtoanotherwomanwasamatterofnotoriety。Sheinsistedthatallhonourbadehimmarryhisearlylove——awomanfarbetterthanherunworthyself,whoonlydeservedtobeforgotten,andbeggedhimtorememberthathewasnottoseeherfaceagain。SheupbraidedhimforlevityandcrueltyinmeetinghersofrequentlyatBudmouth,andaboveallinstealingthekissfromherlipsonthelasteveningofthewaterexcursions。\'Inever,nevercanforgetit!\'shesaid,andthenfeltasensationofhavingdoneherduty,ostensiblypersuadingherselfthatherreproachesandcommandswereofsuchaforcethatnomantowhomtheywereutteredcouldeverapproachhermore。
Yetitwasallunconsciouslysaidinwordswhichbetrayedalingeringtendernessofloveateveryunguardedturn。LikeBeatriceaccusingDantefromthechariot,tryasshemighttoplaythesuperiorbeingwhocontemnedsuchmereeye-sensuousness,shebetrayedateverypointaprettywoman\'sjealousyofarival,andcovertlygaveheroldloverhintsforexcusinghimselfateachfreshindictment。
Thisdone,Cytherea,stillinapracticalmood,upbraidedherselfwithweaknessinallowingastrangerlikeMr。Manstontoinfluenceherashehaddonethatevening。Whatrightonearthhadhetosuggestsosuddenlythatshemightmeethimatthewaterfalltoreceivehismusic?Shewouldhavegivenmuchtobeabletoannihilatetheascendencyhehadobtainedoverherduringthatextraordinaryintervalofmelodioussound。Notbeingabletoendurethenotionofhislivingaminutelongerinthebeliefhewasthenholding,shetookherpenandwrotetohimalso:——
\'KNAPWATERHOUSE
September20th。
\'IfindIcannotmeetyouatseveno\'clockbythewaterfallasI
promised。TheemotionIfeltmademeforgetfulofrealities。
\'C。GRAYE。\'
Agreatstatesmanthinksseveraltimes,andacts;ayoungladyacts,andthinksseveraltimes。When,afewminuteslater,shesawthepostmancarryoffthebagcontainingoneoftheletters,andamessengerwiththeother,she,forthefirsttime,askedherselfthequestionwhethershehadactedverywiselyinwritingtoeitherofthetwomenwhohadsoinfluencedher。
IX。THEEVENTSOFTENWEEKS
1。FROMSEPTEMBERTHETWENTY-FIRSTTOTHEMIDDLEOFNOVEMBER
TheforemostfigurewithinCytherea\'shorizon,exclusiveoftheinmatesofKnapwaterHouse,wasnowthesteward,Mr。Manston。Itwasimpossiblethattheyshouldlivewithinaquarterofamileofeachother,beengagedinthesameservice,andattendthesamechurch,withoutmeetingatsomespotoranother,twiceorthriceaweek。OnSundays,inherpew,whenbychancesheturnedherhead,Cythereafoundhiseyeswaitingdesirouslyforaglimpseofhers,and,atfirstmorestrangely,theeyesofMissAldclyffefurtivelyrestingonhim。OncomingoutofchurchhefrequentlywalkedbesideCythereatillshereachedthegateatwhichresidentsintheHouseturnedintotheshrubbery。Bydegreesaconjecturegrewtoacertainty。Sheknewthathelovedher。
Butastrangefactwasconnectedwiththedevelopmentofhislove。
Hewaspalpablymakingthestrongesteffortstosubdue,oratleasttohide,theweakness,andasitsometimesseemed,ratherfromhisownconsciencethanfromsurroundingeyes。Henceshefoundthatnotoneofhisencounterswithherwasanythingmorethantheresultofpureaccident。Hemadenoadvanceswhatever:withoutavoidingher,heneversoughther:thewordshehadwhisperedattheirfirstinterviewnowprovedthemselvestobequiteasmuchtheresultofunguardedimpulseaswasheranswer。Somethingheldhimback,boundhisimpulsedown,butshesawthatitwasneitherprideofhisperson,norfearthatshewouldrefusehim——acoursesheunhesitatinglyresolvedtotakeshouldhethinkfittodeclarehimself。Shewasinterestedinhimandhismarvellousbeauty,asshemighthavebeeninsomefascinatingpantherorleopard——forsomeundefinablereasonsheshrankfromhim,evenwhilstsheadmired。
Thekeynoteofhernature,awarm\'precipitanceofsoul,\'asColeridgehappilywritesit,whichManstonhadsodirectlypounceduponattheirveryfirstinterview,gavehernowatremuloussenseofbeinginsomewayinhispower。
Thestateofmindwas,onthewhole,adangerousoneforayoungandinexperiencedwoman;andperhapsthecircumstancewhich,morethananyother,ledhertocherishEdward\'simagenow,wasthathehadtakennonoticeofthereceiptofherletter,statingthatshediscardedhim。Itwasplainthen,shesaid,thathedidnotcaredeeplyforher,andshethereuponcouldnotquiteleaveoffcaringdeeplyforhim:——
\'Ingeniummulierum,Noluntubivelis,ubinoliscupiuntultro。\'
ThemonthofOctoberpassed,andNovemberbeganitscourse。TheinhabitantsofthevillageofCarrifordgrewwearyofsupposingthatMissAldclyffewasgoingtomarryhersteward。NewwhispersaroseandbecameverydistinctthoughtheydidnotreachMissAldclyffe\'searstotheeffectthatthestewardwasdeeplyinlovewithCythereaGraye。Indeed,thefactbecamesoobviousthattherewasnothinglefttosayaboutitexceptthattheirmarriagewouldbeanexcellentoneforboth;——forherinpointofcomfort——andforhiminpointoflove。