the patrician-第8节

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only　made　a　noise　like　this〃there　was　a　faint　sound　of　small
chumping　teeth：　〃And　he's　the　man　that's　staying　at　the　Inn；　and　the
stairs　were　too　narrow　to　carry　him　up；　William　says；　and　if　his　knee
was　put　out　he　won't　be　able　to　walk　without　a　stick　for　a　long　time。
Can　I　go　to　Father？〃

Agatha；　who　was　having　her　hair　brushed；　thought：

〃I'm　not　sure　whether　belts　so　low　as　that　are　wholesome；〃　murmured：

〃Wait　a　minute！〃

But　little　Ann　was　gone；　and　her　voice　could　be　heard　in　the
dressing…room　climbing　up　towards　Sir　William；　who　from　the　sound　of
his　replies；　was　manifestly　shaving。　　When　Agatha；　who　never　could
resist　a　legitimate　opportunity　of　approaching　her　husband；　looked
in；　he　was　alone；　and　rather　thoughtfula　tall　man　with　a　solid；
steady　face　and　cautious　eyes；　not　in　truth　remarkable　except　to　his
own　wife。

〃That　fellow　Courtier's　caught　by　the　leg；〃　he　said。　　〃Don't　know
what　your　Mother　will　say　to　an　enemy　in　the　camp。〃

〃Isn't　he　a　freethinker；　and　rather〃

Sir　William；　following　his　own　thoughts；　interrupted：

〃Just　as　well；　of　course；　so　far　as　Miltoun's　concerned；　to　have　got
him　here。〃

Agatha　sighed：　〃Well；　I　suppose　we　shall　have　to　be　nice　to　him。
I'll　tell　Mother。〃

Sir　William　smiled。

〃Ann　will　see　to　that；〃　he　said。

Ann　was　seeing　to　that。

Seated　in　the　embrasure　of　the　window　behind　the　looking…glass；　where
Lady　Valleys　was　still　occupied；　she　was　saying：

〃He　fell　out　of　the　window　because　of　the　red　pepper。　　Miss　Wallace
says　he　is　a　hostagewhat　does　hostage　mean；　Granny？〃

When　six　years　ago　that　word　had　first　fallen　on　Lady　Valleys'　ears；
she　had　thought：　〃Oh！　dear！　　Am　I　really　Granny？　　〃It　had　been　a
shock；　had　seemed　the　end　of　so　much；　but　the　matter…of…fact　heroism
of　women；　so　much　quicker　to　accept　the　inevitable　than　men；　had　soon
come　to　her　aid；　and　now；　unlike　her　husband；　she　did　not　care　a　bit。
For　all　that　she　answered　nothing；　partly　because　it　was　not
necessary　to　speak　in　order　to　sustain　a　conversation　with　little
Ann；　and　partly　because　she　was　deep　in　thought。

The　man　was　injured！　　Hospitality；　of　courseespecially　since　their
own　tenants　had　committed　the　outrage！　　Still；　to　welcome　a　man　who
had　gone　out　of　his　way　to　come　down　here　and　stump　the　country
against　her　own　son；　was　rather　a　tall　order。　　It　might　have　been
worse；　no　doubt。　　If；　for　instance；　he　had　been　some　'impossible'
Nonconformist　Radical！　　This　Mr。　Courtier　was　a　free　lancerather　a
well…known　man；　an　interesting　creature。　　She　must　see　that　he　felt
'at　home'　and　comfortable。　　If　he　were　pumped　judiciously；　no　doubt
one　could　find　out　about　this　woman。　　Moreover；　the　acceptance　of
their　'salt'　would　silence　him　politically　if　she　knew　anything　of
that　type　of　man；　who　always　had　something　in　him　of　the　Arab's
creed。　　Her　mind；　that　of　a　capable　administrator；　took　in　all　the
practical　significance　of　this　incident；　which；　although　untoward；
was　not　without　its　comic　side　to　one　disposed　to　find　zest　and
humour　in　everything　that　did　not　absolutely　run　counter　to　her
interests　and　philosophy。

The　voice　of　little　Ann　broke　in　on　her　reflections。

〃I'm　going　to　Auntie　Babs　now。〃

〃Very　well；　give　me　a　kiss　first。〃

Little　Ann　thrust　up　her　face；　so　that　its　sudden　little　nose
penetrated　Lady　Valleys'　soft　curving　lips。。。。

When　early　that　same　afternoon　Courtier；　leaning　on　a　stick；　passed
from　his　room　out　on　to　the　terrace；　he　was　confronted　by　three
sunlit　peacocks　marching　slowly　across　a　lawn　towards　a　statue　of
Diana。　　With　incredible　dignity　those　birds　moved；　as　if　never　in
their　lives　had　they　been　hurried。　　They　seemed　indeed　to　know　that
when　they　got　there；　there　would　be　nothing　for　them　to　do　but　to
come　back　again。　　Beyond　them；　through　the　tall　trees；　over　some
wooded　foot…hills　of　the　moorland　and　a　promised　land　of　pinkish
fields；　pasture；　and　orchards；　the　prospect　stretched　to　the　far　sea。
Heat　clothed　this　view　with　a　kind　of　opalescence；　a　fairy　garment；
transmuting　all　values；　so　that　the　four　square　walls　and　tall
chimneys　of　the　pottery…works　a　few　miles　down　the　valley　seemed　to
Courtier　like　a　vision　of　some　old　fortified　Italian　town。　　His
sensations；　finding　himself　in　this　galley；　were　peculiar。　　For　his
feeling　towards　Miltoun；　whom　he　had　twice　met　at　Mrs。　Noel's；　was；
in　spite　of　disagreements；　by　no　means　unfriendly；　while　his　feeling
towards　Miltoun's　family　was　not　yet　in　existence。　　Having　lived　from
hand　to　mouth；　and　in　many　countries；　since　he　left　Westminster
School；　he　had　now　practically　no　class　feelings。　　An　attitude　of
hostility　to　aristocracy　because　it　was　aristocracy；　was　as
incomprehensible　to　him　as　an　attitude　of　deference。

His　sensations　habitually　shaped　themselves　in　accordance　with　those
two　permanent　requirements　of　his　nature；　liking　for　adventure；　and
hatred　of　tyranny。　　The　labourer　who　beat　his　wife；　the　shopman　who
sweated　his　'hands；'　the　parson　who　consigned　his　parishioners　to
hell；　the　peer　who　rode　roughshodall　were　equally　odious　to　him。
He　thought　of　people　as　individuals；　and　it　was；　as　it　were；　by
accident　that　he　had　conceived　the　class　generalization　which　he　had
fired　back　at　Miltoun　from　Mrs。　Noel's　window。　　Sanguine；　accustomed
to　queer　environments；　and　always　catching　at　the　moment　as　it　flew；
he　had　not　to　fight　with　the　timidities　and　irritations　of　a　nervous
temperament。　　His　cheery　courtesy　was　only　disturbed　when　he　became
conscious　of　some　sentiment　which　appeared　to　him　mean　or　cowardly。
On　such　occasions；　not　perhaps　infrequent；　his　face　looked　as　if　his
heart　were　physically　fuming；　and　since　his　shell　of　stoicism　was
never　quite　melted　by　this　heat；　a　very　peculiar　expression　was　the
result；　a　sort　of　calm；　sardonic；　desperate；　jolly　look。

His　chief　feeling；　then；　at　the　outrage　which　had　laid　him　captive　in
the　enemy's　camp；　was　one　of　vague　amusement；　and　curiosity。　　People
round　about　spoke　fairly　well　of　this　Caradoc　family。　　There　did　not
seem　to　be　any　lack　of　kindly　feeling　between　them　and　their　tenants；
there　was　said　to　be　no　griping　destitution；　nor　any　particular　ill…
housing　on　their　estate。　　And　if　the　inhabitants　were　not　encouraged
to　improve　themselves；　they　were　at　all　events　maintained　at　a
certain　level；　by　steady　and　not　ungenerous　supervision。　　When　a　roof
required　thatching　it　was　thatched；　when　a　man　became　too　old　to
work；　he　was　not　suffered　to　lapse　into　the　Workhouse。　　In　bad　years
for　wool；　or　beasts；　or　crops；　the　farmers　received　a　graduated
remission　of　rent。　　The　pottery…works　were　run　on　a　liberal　if
autocratic　basis。　　It　was　true　that　though　Lord　Valleys　was　said　to
be　a　staunch　supporter　of　a　'back　to　the　land'　policy；　no　disposition
was　shown　to　encourage　people　to　settle　on　these　particular　lands；　no
doubt　from　a　feeling　that　such　settlers　would　not　do　them　so　much
justice　as　their　present　owner。　　Indeed　so　firmly　did　this　conviction
seemingly　obtain；　that　Lord　Valleys'　agent　was　not　unfrequently
observed　to　be　buying　a　little　bit　more。

But；　since　in　this　life　one　notices　only　what　interests　him；　all　this
gossip；　half　complimentary；　half　not；　had　fallen　but　lightly　on　the
ears　of　the　champion　of　Peace　during　his　campaign；　for　he　was；　as
has；　been　said；　but　a　poor　politician；　and　rode　his　own　horse　very
much　his　own　way。

While　he　stood　there　enjoying　the　view；　he　heard　a　small　high　voice；
and　became　conscious　of　a　little　girl　in　a　very　shady　hat　so　far　back
on　her　brown　hair　that　it　did　not　shade　her；　and　of　a　small　hand　put
out　in　front。　　He　took　the　hand；　and　answered：

〃Thank　you；　I　am　welland　you？〃　perceiving　the　while　that　a　pair　of
wide　frank　eyes　were　examining　his　leg。

〃Does　it　hurt？〃

〃Not　to　speak　of。〃

〃My　pony's　leg　was　blistered。　　Granny　is　coming　to　look　at　it。〃

〃I　see。〃

〃I　have　to　go　now。　　I　hope　you'll　soon　be　better。　　Good…bye！〃

Then；　instead　of　the　little　girl；　Courtier　saw　a　tall　and　rather
florid　woman　regarding　him　with　a　sort　of　quizzical　dignity。　　She
wore　a　stiffish　fawn…coloured　dress　that　seemed　to　be　cut　a　little
too　tight　round　her　substantial　hips；　for　it　quite　neglected　to
embrace　her　knees。　　She　had　on　no　hat；　no　gloves；　no　ornaments；
except　the　rings　on　her　fingers；　and　a　little　jewelled　watch　in　a
leather　bracelet　on　her　wrist。　　There　was；　indeed；　about　her　whole
figure　an　air　of　almost　professional　escape　from　finery。

Stretching　out　a　well…shaped　but　not　small　hand；　she　said：


〃I　most　heartily　apologize　to　you；　Mr。　Courtier。〃

〃Not　at　all。〃

〃I　do　hope　you're　comfortable。　　Have　they　given　you　everything　you
want？〃

〃More　than　everything。〃

〃It　really　was　disgraceful！　　However　it's　brought　us　the　pleasure　of
making　your　acquaintance。　　I've　read　your　book；　of　course。〃

To　Courtier　it　seemed　that　on　this　lady's　face　had　come　a　look　which
seemed　to　say：　Yes；　very　clever　and　amusing；　quite　enjoyable！　　But
the　ideas　What？　　You　know　very　well　they　won't　doin　fact　they
mustn't　do！

〃That's　very　nice　of　you。〃

But　into　Lady　Valleys'　answer；　〃I　don't　agree　with　it　a　bit；　you
know！〃　there　had　crept　a　touch　of　asperity；　as　though　she　knew　that
he　had　smiled　inside