the patrician-第36节

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all　London　was　so　utterly　its　obverse；　as　that　of　this　dark；　soft…
haired　woman；　delicate；　passive；　and　tremulous　with　pleasure　at　sight
of　the　only　person　in　the　world　from　whom　she　felt　she　might　learn　of
Miltoun；　without　losing　her　self…respect。

He　woke　at　last；　and　manifesting　no　discomfiture；　said：

〃It　was　like　you　not　to　wake　me。〃

They　sat　for　a　long　while　talking；　the　riverside　traffic　drowsily
accompanying　their　voices；　the　flowers　drowsily　filling　the　room　with
scent；　and　when　Courtier　left；　his　heart　was　sore。　　She　had　not
spoken　of　herself　at　all；　but　had　talked　nearly　all　the　time　of
Barbara；　praising　her　beauty　and　high　spirit；　growing　pale　once　or
twice；　and　evidently　drinking　in　with　secret　avidity　every　allusion
to　Miltoun。　　Clearly；　her　feelings　had　not　changed；　though　she　would
not　show　them！　　Courtier's　pity　for　her　became　well…nigh　violent。

It　was　in　such　a　mood；　mingled　with　very　different　feelings；　that　he
donned　evening　clothes　and　set　out　to　attend　the　last　gathering　of
the　season　at　Valleys　House；　a　function　which；　held　so　late　in　July；
was　perforce　almost　perfectly　political。

Mounting　the　wide　and　shining　staircase；　that　had　so　often　baffled
the　arithmetic　of　little　Ann；　he　was　reminded　of　a　picture　entitled
'The　Steps　to　Heaven'　in　his　nursery　four…and…thirty　years　before。
At　the　top　of　this　staircase；　and　surrounded　by　acquaintances；　he
came　on　Harbinger；　who　nodded　curtly。　　The　young　man's　handsome　face
and　figure　appeared　to　Courtier's　jaundiced　eye　more　obviously
successful　and　complacent　than　ever；　so　that　he　passed　him　by
sardonically；　and　manoeuvred　his　way　towards　Lady　Valleys；　whom　he
could　perceive　stationed；　like　a　general；　in　a　little　cleared　space；
where　to　and　fro　flowed　constant　streams　of　people；　like　the　rays　of
a　star。　　She　was　looking　her　very　best；　going　well　with　great　and
highly…polished　spaces；　and　she　greeted　Courtier　with　a　special
cordiality　of　tone；　which　had　in　it；　besides　kindness　towards　one　who
must　be　feeling　a　strange　bird；　a　certain　diplomatic　quality；
compounded　of　desire；　as　it　were；　to　'warn　him　off；'　and　fear　of
saying　something　that　might　irritate　and　make　him　more　dangerous。
She　had　heard；　she　said；　that　he　was　bound　for　Persia；　she　hoped　he
was　not　going　to　try　and　make　things　more　difficult　there；　then　with
the　words：　〃So　good　of　you　to　have　come！〃　she　became　once　more　the
centre　of　her　battlefield。

Perceiving　that　he　was　finished　with；　Courtier　stood　back　against　a
wall　and　watched。　　Thus　isolated；　he　was　like　a　solitary　cuckoo
contemplating　the　gyrations　of　a　flock　of　rooks。　　Their　motions
seemed　a　little　meaningless　to　one　so　far　removed　from　all　the
fetishes　and　shibboleths　of　Westminster。　　He　heard　them　discussing
Miltoun's　speech；　the　real　significance　of　which　apparently　had　only
just　been　grasped。　　The　words　'doctrinaire；'　'extremist；'　came　to　his
ears；　together　with　the　saying　'a　new　force。'　　People　were　evidently
puzzled；　disturbed；　not　pleasedas　if　some　star　not　hitherto
accounted　for　had　suddenly　appeared　amongst　the　proper
constellations。

Searching　this　crowd　for　Barbara；　Courtier　had　all　the　time　an　uneasy
sense　of　shame。　　What　business　had　he　to　come　amongst　these　people　so
strange　to　him；　just　for　the　sake　of　seeing　her！　　What　business　had
he　to　be　hankering　after　this　girl　at　all；　knowing　in　his　heart　that
he　could　not　stand　the　atmosphere　she　lived　in　for　a　week；　and　that
she　was　utterly　unsuited　for　any　atmosphere　that　he　could　give　her；
to　say　nothing　of　the　unlikelihood　that　he　could　flutter　the　pulses
of　one　half　his　age！

A　voice；　behind　him　said：　〃Mr。　Courtier！〃

He　turned；　and　there　was　Barbara。

〃I　want　to　talk　to　you　about　something　serious：　Will　you　come　into
the　picture　gallery？〃

When　at　last　they　were　close　to　a　family　group　of　Georgian　Caradocs；
and　could　as　it　were　shut　out　the　throng　sufficiently　for　private
speech；　she　began：

〃Miltoun's　so　horribly　unhappy；　I　don't　know　what　to　do　for　him：　He's
making　himself　ill！〃

And　she　suddenly　looked　up；　in　Courtier's　face。　　She　seemed　to　him
very　young；　and　touching；　at　that　moment。　　Her　eyes　had　a　gleam　of
faith　in　them；　like　a　child's　eyes；　as　if　she　relied　on　him　to
straighten　out　this　tangle；　to　tell　her　not　only　about　Miltoun's
trouble；　but　about　all　life；　its　meaning；　and　the　secret　of　its
happiness：　And　he　said　gently：

〃What　can　I　do？　　Mrs。　Noel　is　in　Town。　　But　that's　no　good；　unless〃
Not　knowing　how　to　finish　this　sentence；　he　was　silent。

〃I　wish　I　were　Miltoun；〃　she　muttered。

At　that　quaint　saying；　Courtier　was　hard　put　to　it　not　to　take　hold
of　the　hands　so　close　to　him。　　This　flash　of　rebellion　in　her　had
quickened　all　his　blood。　　But　she　seemed　to　have　seen　what　had　passed
in　him；　for　her　next　speech　was　chilly。

〃It's　no　good；　stupid　of　me　to　be　worrying　you。〃

〃It　is　quite　impossible　for　you　to　worry　me。〃

Her　eyes　lifted　suddenly　from　her　glove；　and　looked　straight　into
his。

〃Are　you　really　going　to　Persia？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃But　I　don't　want　you　to；　not　yet！〃　and　turning　suddenly；　she　left
him。

Strangely　disturbed；　Courtier　remained　motionless；　consulting　the
grave　stare　of　the　group　of　Georgian　Caradocs。

A　voice　said：

〃Good　painting；　isn't　it？〃

Behind　him　was　Lord　Harbinger。　　And　once　more　the　memory　of　Lady
Casterley's　words；　the　memory　of　the　two　figures　with　joined　hands　on
the　balcony　above　the　election　crowd；　all　his　latent　jealousy　of　this
handsome　young　Colossus；　his　animus　against　one　whom　he　could；　as　it
were；　smell　out　to　be　always　fighting　on　the　winning　side；　all　his
consciousness　too　of　what　a　lost　cause　his　own　was；　his　doubt　whether
he　were　honourable　to　look　on　it　as　a　cause　at　all；　flared　up　in
Courtier；　so　that　his　answer　was　a　stare。　　On　Harbinger's　face；　too；
there　had　come　a　look　of　stubborn　violence　slowly　working　up　towards
the　surface。

〃I　said：　'Good；　isn't　it？'　Mr。　Courtier。〃

〃I　heard　you。〃

〃And　you　were　pleased　to　answer？〃

〃Nothing。〃

〃With　the　civility　which　might　be　expected　of　your　habits。〃

Coldly　disdainful；　Courtier　answered：

〃If　you　want　to　say　that　sort　of　thing；　please　choose　a　place　where　I
can　reply　to　you；〃　and　turned　abruptly　on　his　heel。

But　he　ground　his　teeth　as　he　made　his　way　out　into　the　street。

In　Hyde　Park　the　grass　was　parched　and　dewless　under　a　sky　whose
stars　were　veiled　by　the　heat　and　dust　haze。　　Never　had　Courtier　so
bitterly　wanted　the　sky's　consolationthe　blessed　sense　of
insignificance　in　the　face　of　the　night's　dark　beauty；　which；
dwarfing　all　petty　rage　and　hunger；　made　men　part　of　its　majesty；
exalted　them　to　a　sense　of　greatness。




CHAPTER　VII

It　was　past　four　o'clock　the　following　day　when　Barbara　issued　from
Valleys　House　on　foot；　clad　in　a　pale　buff　frock；　chosen　for
quietness；　she　attracted　every　eye。　　Very　soon　entering　a　taxi…cab；
she　drove　to　the　Temple；　stopped　at　the　Strand　entrance；　and　walked
down　the　little　narrow　lane　into　the　heart　of　the　Law。　　Its　votaries
were　hurrying　back　from　the　Courts；　streaming　up　from　their　Chambers
for　tea；　or　escaping　desperately　to　Lord's　or　the　Parkyoung
votaries；　unbound　as　yet　by　the　fascination　of　fame　or　fees。　　And
each；　as　he　passed；　looked　at　Barbara；　with　his　fingers　itching　to
remove　his　hat；　and　a　feeling　that　this　was　She。　　After　a　day　spent
amongst　precedents　and　practice；　after　six　hours　at　least　of　trying
to　discover　what　chance　A　had　of　standing　on　his　rights；　or　B　had　of
preventing　him；　it　was　difficult　to　feel　otherwise　about　that　calm
apparitionlike　a　golden　slim　tree　walking。　　One　of　them；　asked　by
her　the　way　to　Miltoun's　staircase；　preceded　her　with　shy　ceremony；
and　when　she　had　vanished　up　those　dusty　stairs；　lingered　on；　hoping
that　she　might　find　her　visitee　out；　and　be　obliged　to　return　and　ask
him　the　way　back。　　But　she　did　not　come；　and　he　went　sadly　away；
disturbed　to　the　very　bottom　of　all　that　he　owned　in　fee　simple。

In　fact；　no　one　answered　Barbara's　knock；　and　discovering　that　the
door　yielded；　she　walked　through　the　lobby　past　the　clerk's　den；
converted　to　a　kitchen；　into　the　sitting…room。　　It　was　empty。　　She
had　never　been　to　Miltoun's　rooms　before；　and　she　stared　about　her
curiously。　　Since　he　did　not　practise；　much　of　the　proper　gear　was
absent。　　The　room　indeed　had　a　worn　carpet；　a　few　old　chairs；　and　was
lined　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　books。　　But　the　wall　space　between
the　windows　was　occupied　by　an　enormous　map　of　England；　scored　all
over　with　figures　and　crosses；　and　before　this　map　stood　an　immense
desk；　on　which　were　piles　of　double　foolscap　covered　with　Miltoun's
neat　and　rather　pointed　writing。　　Barbara　examined　them；　puckering　up
her　forehead；　she　knew　that　he　was　working　at　a　book　on　the　land
question；　but　she　had　never　realized　that　the　making　of　a　book
requited　so　much　writing。　　Papers；　too；　and　Blue　Books　littered　a
large　bureau　on　which　stood　bronze　busts　of　AEschylus　and　Dante。

〃What　an　uncomfortable　place！〃　she　thought。　　The　room；　indeed；　had　an
atmosphere；　a　spirit；　which　depressed　her　horribly。　　Seeing　a　few
flowers　down　in　the　court　below；　she　had　a　longing　to　get　out　to
them。　　Then　behind　her　she　heard　the