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第29节

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sacred distinction between the footmen and himself)。



〃Mrs。 Dennant;〃 replied this personage; raising his round and

hairless face; while on his mouth appeared that apologetic pout which

comes of living with good families〃Mrs。 Dennant has gone into the

village; sir; but Miss Antonia is in the morning…room。〃



Shelton crossed the panelled; low…roofed hall; through whose far side

the lawn was visible; a vision of serenity。  He mounted six wide;

shallow steps; and stopped。  From behind a closed door there came the

sound of scales; and he stood; a prey to his emotions; the notes

mingling in his ears with the beating of his heart。  He softly turned

the handle; a fixed smile on his lips。



Antonia was at the piano; her head was bobbing to the movements of

her fingers; and pressing down the pedals were her slim monotonously

moving feet。  She had been playing tennis; for a racquet and her tam…

o'…shanter were flung down; and she was dressed in a blue skirt and

creamy blouse; fitting collarless about her throat。  Her face was

flushed; and wore a little frown; and as her fingers raced along the

keys; her neck swayed; and the silk clung and shivered on her arms。



Shelton's eyes fastened on the silent; counting lips; on the fair

hair about her forehead; the darker eyebrows slanting down towards

the nose; the undimpled cheeks with the faint finger…marks beneath

the ice…blue eyes; the softly…pouting and undimpled chin; the whole

remote; sweet; suntouched; glacial face。



She turned her head; and; springing up; cried:



〃Dick!  What fun!〃  She gave him both her hands; but her smiling face

said very plainly; 〃Oh; don't let us be sentimental!〃



〃Are n't you glad to see me?〃 muttered Shelton。



〃Glad to see you!  You are funny; Dick!as if you did n't know!

Why; you 've shaved your beard!  Mother and Sybil have gone into the

village to see old Mrs。 Hopkins。  Shall we go out?  Thea and the boys

are playing tennis。  It's so jolly that you 've come!  〃She caught up

the tam…o'…shanter; and pinned it to her hair。  Almost as tall as

Shelton; she looked taller; with arms raised and loose sleeves

quivering like wings to the movements of her fingers。  〃We might have

a game before lunch; you can have my other racquet。〃



〃I've got no things;〃 said Shelton blankly。



Her calm glance ran over him。



〃You can have some of old Bernard's; he's got any amount。  I'll wait

for you。〃  She swung her racquet; looked at Shelton; cried; 〃Be

quick!〃  and vanished。



Shelton ran up…stairs; and dressed in the undecided way of men

assuming other people's clothes。  She was in the hall when he

descended; humming a tune and prodding at her shoe; her smile showed

all her pearly upper teeth。  He caught hold of her sleeve and

whispered:



〃Antonia!〃



The colour rushed into her cheeks; she looked back across her

shoulder。



〃Come along; old Dick!〃  she cried; and; flinging open the glass

door; ran into the garden。



Shelton followed。



The tennis…ground was divided by tall netting from a paddock。  A holm

oak tree shaded one corner; and its thick dark foliage gave an

unexpected depth to the green smoothness of the scene。  As Shelton

and Antonia carne up; Bernard Dennant stopped and cordially grasped

Shelton's hand。  From the far side of the net Thea; in a shortish

skirt; tossed back her straight fair hair; and; warding off the sun;

came strolling up to them。 The umpire; a small boy of twelve; was

lying on his stomach; squealing and tickling a collie。  Shelton bent

and pulled his hair。



〃Hallo; Toddles! you young ruffian!〃



One and all they stood round Shelton; and there was a frank and

pitiless inquiry in their eyes; in the angle of their noses something

chaffing and distrustful; as though about him were some subtle

poignant scent exciting curiosity and disapproval。



When the setts were over; and the girls resting in the double hammock

underneath the holm oak; Shelton went with Bernard to the paddock to

hunt for the lost balls。



〃I say; old chap;〃 said his old school…fellow; smiling dryly; 〃you're

in for a wigging from the Mater。〃



〃A wigging?〃 murmured Shelton。



〃I don't know much about it; but from something she let drop it seems

you've been saying some queer things in your letters to Antonia〃; and

again he looked at Shelton with his dry smile。



〃Queer things?〃 said the latter angrily。 〃 What d' you mean?〃



〃Oh; don't ask me。  The Mater thinks she's in a bad wayunsettled;

or what d' you call at。  You've been telling her that things are not

what they seem。  That's bad; you know〃; and still smiling he shook

his head。



Shelton dropped his eyes。



〃Well; they are n't!〃 he said。



〃Oh; that's all right!  But don't bring your philosophy down here;

old chap。〃



〃Philosophy!〃 said Shelton; puzzled。



〃Leave us a sacred prejudice or two。〃



〃Sacred!  Nothing's sacred; except〃  But Shelton did not finish his

remark。 〃I don't understand;〃 he said。



〃Ideals; that sort of thing!  You've been diving down below the line

of 'practical politics;' that's about the size of it; my boy〃; and;

stooping suddenly; he picked up the last ball。 〃There is the Mater!〃

Shelton saw Mrs。 Dennant coming down the lawn with her second

daughter; Sybil。



By the time they reached the holm oak the three girls had departed

towards the house; walking arm in arm; and Mrs。 Dennant was standing

there alone; in a grey dress; talking to an undergardener。  Her

hands; cased in tan gauntlets; held a basket which warded off the

bearded gardener from the severe but ample lines of her

useful…looking skirt。  The collie; erect upon his haunches; looked at

their two faces; pricking his ears in his endeavour to appreciate how

one of these two bipeds differed from the other。



〃Thank you; that 'll do; Bunyan。  Ah; Dick!  Charmin' to see you

here; at last!〃



In his intercourse with Mrs。 Dennant; Shelton never failed to mark

the typical nature of her personality。  It always seemed to him that

he had met so many other ladies like her。  He felt that her

undoubtable quality had a non…individual flavour; as if standing for

her class。  She thought that standing for herself was not the thing;

yet she was full of character。  Tall; with nose a trifle beaked;

long; sloping chin; and an assured; benevolent mouth; showing;

perhaps; too many teeththough thin; she was not unsubstantial。  Her

accent in speaking showed her heritage; it was a kind of drawl which

disregarded vulgar merits such as tone; leaned on some syllables; and

despised the final 'g'the peculiar accent; in fact; of aristocracy;

adding its deliberate joys to life。



Shelton knew that she had many interests; she was never really idle;

from the time (7 A。M。) when her maid brought her a little china pot

of tea with a single biscuit and her pet dog; Tops; till eleven

o'clock at night; when she lighted a wax candle in a silver

candlestick; and with this in one hand; and in the other a new novel;

or; better still; one of those charming volumes written by great

people about the still greater people they have met; she said good…

night to her children and her guests。  No!  What with photography;

the presidency of a local league; visiting the rich; superintending

all the poor; gardening; reading; keeping all her ideas so tidy that

no foreign notions might stray in; she was never idle。  The

information she collected from these sources was both vast and

varied; but she never let it flavour her opinions; which lacked

sauce; and were drawn from some sort of dish into which; with all her

class; she dipped her fingers。



He liked her。  No one could help liking her。  She was kind; and of

such good quality; with a suggestion about her of thin; excellent;

and useful china; and she was scented; toonot with verbena;

violets; or those essences which women love; but with nothing; as if

she had taken stand against all meretricity。  In her intercourse with

persons not 〃quite the thing〃 (she excepted the vicar from this

category; though his father had dealt in haberdashery); her

refinement; gently; unobtrusively; and with great practical good

sense; seemed continually to murmur; 〃I am; and youwell; are you;

don't you know?〃 But there was no self…consciousness about this

attitude; for she was really not a common woman。  She simply could

not help it; all her people had done this。  Their nurses breathed

above them in their cradles something that; inhaled into their

systems; ever afterwards prevented them from taking good; clear

breaths。  And her manner!  Ah! her mannerit concealed the inner

woman so as to leave doubt of her existence!



Shelton listened to the kindly briskness with which she dwelt upon

the under…gardener。



〃Poor Bunyan! he lost his wife six months ago; and was quite cheerful

just at first; but now he 's really too distressin'。  I 've done all

I can to rouse him; it's so mel

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