desperate remedies-第25节

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mere　glance；　was　thrown　amongst　the　summarily　rejected　ones。

Miss　Aldclyffe　read；　or　pretended　to　read　after　the　lawyer。　　When　he
had　finished；　five　lay　in　the　group　he　had　selected。　　'Would　you
like　to　add　to　the　number？'　he　said；　turning　to　the　lady。

'No；'　she　said　carelessly。　　'Well；　two　or　three　additional　ones
rather　took　my　fancy；'　she　added；　searching　for　some　in　the　larger
collection。

She　drew　out　three。　　One　was　Manston's。

'These　eight；　then；　shall　be　communicated　with；'　said　the　lawyer；
taking　up　the　eight　letters　and　placing　them　by　themselves。

They　stood　up。　　'If　I　myself；　Miss　Aldclyffe；　were　only　concerned
personally；'　he　said；　in　an　off…hand　way；　and　holding　up　a　letter
singly；　'I　should　choose　this　man　unhesitatingly。　　He　writes
honestly；　is　not　afraid　to　name　what　he　does　not　consider　himself
well　acquainted　witha　rare　thing　to　find　in　answers　to
advertisements；　he　is　well　recommended；　and　possesses　some　qualities
rarely　found　in　combination。　　Oddly　enough；　he　is　not　really　a
steward。　　He　was　bred　a　farmer；　studied　building　affairs；　served　on
an　estate　for　some　time；　then　went　with　an　architect；　and　is　now
well　qualified　as　architect；　estate　agent；　and　surveyor。　　That　man
is　sure　to　have　a　fine　head　for　a　manor　like　yours。'　　He　tapped　the
letter　as　he　spoke。　　'Yes；　I　should　choose　him　without　hesitation
speaking　personally。'

'And　I　think；'　she　said　artificially；　'I　should　choose　this　one　as　a
matter　of　mere　personal　whim；　which；　of　course；　can't　be　given　way
to　when　practical　questions　have　to　be　considered。'

Cytherea；　after　looking　out　of　the　window；　and　then　at　the
newspapers；　had　become　interested　in　the　proceedings　between　the
clever　Miss　Aldclyffe　and　the　keen　old　lawyer；　which　reminded　her　of
a　game　at　cards。　　She　looked　inquiringly　at　the　two　lettersone　in
Miss　Aldclyffe's　hand；　the　other　in　Mr。　Nyttleton's。

'What　is　the　name　of　your　man？'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe。

'His　name'　said　the　lawyer；　looking　down　the　page；　'what　is　his
name？it　is　Edward　Springrove。'

Miss　Aldclyffe　glanced　towards　Cytherea；　who　was　getting　red　and
pale　by　turns。　　She　looked　imploringly　at　Miss　Aldclyffe。

'The　name　of　my　man；'　said　Miss　Aldclyffe；　looking　at　her　letter　in
turn；　'is；　I　thinkyesAEneas　Manston。'

5。　　SEPTEMBER　THE　THIRD

The　next　morning　but　one　was　appointed　for　the　interviews；　which
were　to　be　at　the　lawyer's　offices。　　Mr。　Nyttleton　and　Mr。　Tayling
were　both　in　town　for　the　day；　and　the　candidates　were　admitted　one
by　one　into　a　private　room。　　In　the　window　recess　was　seated　Miss
Aldclyffe；　wearing　her　veil　down。

The　lawyer　had；　in　his　letters　to　the　selected　number；　timed　each
candidate　at　an　interval　of　ten　or　fifteen　minutes　from　those
preceding　and　following。　　They　were　shown　in　as　they　arrived；　and
had　short　conversations　with　Mr。　Nyttletonterse；　and　to　the　point。
Miss　Aldclyffe　neither　moved　nor　spoke　during　this　proceeding；　it
might　have　been　supposed　that　she　was　quite　unmindful　of　it；　had　it
not　been　for　what　was　revealed　by　a　keen　penetration　of　the　veil
covering　her　countenancethe　rays　from　two　bright　black　eyes；
directed　towards　the　lawyer　and　his　interlocutor。

Springrove　came　fifth；　Manston　seventh。　　When　the　examination　of　all
was　ended；　and　the　last　man　had　retired；　Nyttleton；　again　as　at　the
former　time；　blandly　asked　his　client　which　of　the　eight　she
personally　preferred。　　'I　still　think　the　fifth　we　spoke　to；
Springrove；　the　man　whose　letter　I　pounced　upon　at　first；　to　be　by
far　the　best　qualified；　in　short；　most　suitable　generally。'

'I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　differ　from　you；　I　lean　to　my　first　notion
stillthat　MrMr。　Manston　is　most　desirable　in　tone　and　bearing；
and　even　specifically；　I　think　he　would　suit　me　best　in　the　long…
run。'

Mr。　Nyttleton　looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　whitened　wall　of　the
court。

'Of　course；　madam；　your　opinion　may　be　perfectly　sound　and　reliable；
a　sort　of　instinct；　I　know；　often　leads　ladies　by　a　short　cut　to
conclusions　truer　than　those　come　to　by　men　after　laborious　round…
about　calculations；　based　on　long　experience。　　I　must　say　I
shouldn't　recommend　him。'

'Why；　pray？'

'Well；　let　us　look　first　at　his　letter　of　answer　to　the
advertisement。　　He　didn't　reply　till　the　last　insertion；　that's　one
thing。　　His　letter　is　bold　and　frank　in　tone；　so　bold　and　frank　that
the　second　thought　after　reading　it　is　that　not　honesty；　but
unscrupulousness　of　conscience　dictated　it。　　It　is　written　in　an
indifferent　mood；　as　if　he　felt　that　he　was　humbugging　us　in　his
statement　that　he　was　the　right　man　for　such　an　office；　that　he
tried　hard　to　get　it　only　as　a　matter　of　form　which　required　that　he
should　neglect　no　opportunity　that　came　in　his　way。'

'You　may　be　right；　Mr。　Nyttleton；　but　I　don't　quite　see　the　grounds
of　your　reasoning。'

'He　has　been；　as　you　perceive；　almost　entirely　used　to　the　office
duties　of　a　city　architect；　the　experience　we　don't　want。　　You　want
a　man　whose　acquaintance　with　rural　landed　properties　is　more
practical　and　closersomebody　who；　if　he　has　not　filled　exactly
such　an　office　before；　has　lived　a　country　life；　knows　the　ins　and
outs　of　country　tenancies；　building；　farming；　and　so　on。'

'He's　by　far　the　most　intellectual　looking　of　them　all。'

'Yes；　he　may　beyour　opinion；　Miss　Aldclyffe；　is　worth　more　than
mine　in　that　matter。　　And　more　than　you　say；　he　is　a　man　of　parts
his　brain　power　would　soon　enable　him　to　master　details　and　fit　him
for　the　post；　I　don't　much　doubt　that。　　But　to　speak　clearly'　（here
his　words　started　off　at　a　jog…trot）　'I　wouldn't　run　the　risk　of
placing　the　management　of　an　estate　of　mine　in　his　hands　on　any
account　whatever。　　There；　that's　flat　and　plain；　madam。'

'But；　definitely；'　she　said；　with　a　show　of　impatience；　'what　is
your　reason？'

'He　is　a　voluptuary　with　activity；　which　is　a　very　bad　form　of　man
as　bad　as　it　is　rare。'

'Oh。　　Thank　you　for　your　explicit　statement；　Mr。　Nyttleton；'　said
Miss　Aldclyffe；　starting　a　little　and　flushing　with　displeasure。

Mr。　Nyttleton　nodded　slightly；　as　a　sort　of　neutral　motion；　simply
signifying　a　receipt　of　the　information；　good　or　bad。

'And　I　really　think　it　is　hardly　worth　while　to　trouble　you　further
in　this；'　continued　the　lady。　　'He's　quite　good　enough　for　a　little
insignificant　place　like　mine　at　Knapwater；　and　I　know　that　I　could
not　get　on　with　one　of　the　others　for　a　single　month。　　We'll　try
him。'

'Certainly；　Miss　Aldclyffe；'　said　the　lawyer。　　And　Mr。　Manston　was
written　to；　to　the　effect　that　he　was　the　successful　competitor。

'Did　you　see　how　unmistakably　her　temper　was　getting　the　better　of
her；　that　minute　you　were　in　the　room？'　said　Nyttleton　to　Tayling；
when　their　client　had　left　the　house。　　Nyttleton　was　a　man　who
surveyed　everybody's　character　in　a　sunless　and　shadowless　northern
light。　　A　culpable　slyness；　which　marked　him　as　a　boy；　had　been
moulded　by　Time；　the　Improver；　into　honourable　circumspection。

We　frequently　find　that　the　quality　which；　conjoined　with　the
simplicity　of　the　child；　is　vice；　is　virtue　when　it　pervades　the
knowledge　of　the　man。

'She　was　as　near　as　damn…it　to　boiling　over　when　I　added　up　her
man；'　continued　Nyttleton。　　'His　handsome　face　is　his　qualification
in　her　eyes。　　They　have　met　before；　I　saw　that。'

'He　didn't　seem　conscious　of　it；'　said　the　junior。

'He　didn't。　　That　was　rather　puzzling　to　me。　　But　still；　if　ever　a
woman's　face　spoke　out　plainly　that　she　was　in　love　with　a　man；　hers
did　that　she　was　with　him。　　Poor　old　maid；　she's　almost　old　enough
to　be　his　mother。　　If　that　Manston's　a　schemer　he'll　marry　her；　as
sure　as　I　am　Nyttleton。　　Let's　hope　he's　honest；　however。'

'I　don't　think　she's　in　love　with　him；'　said　Tayling。　　He　had　seen
but　little　of　the　pair；　and　yet　he　could　not　reconcile　what　he　had
noticed　in　Miss　Aldclyffe's　behaviour　with　the　idea　that　it　was　the
bearing　of　a　woman　towards　her　lover。

'Well；　your　experience　of　the　fiery　phenomenon　is　more　recent　than
mine；'　rejoined　Nyttleton　carelessly。　　'And　you　may　remember　the
nature　of　it　best。'



VIII。　　THE　EVENTS　OF　EIGHTEEN　DAYS

1。　　FROM　THE　THIRD　TO　THE　NINETEENTH　OF　SEPTEMBER

Miss　Aldclyffe's　tenderness　towards　Cytherea；　between　the　hours　of
her　irascibility；　increased　till　it　became　no　less　than　doting
fondness。　　Like　Nature　in　the　tropics；　with　her　hurricanes　and　the
subsequent　luxuriant　vegetation　effacing　their　ravages；　Miss
Aldclyffe　compensated　for　her　outbursts　by　excess　of　generosity
afterwards。　　She　seemed　to　be　completely　won　out　of　herself　by　close
contact　with　a　young　woman　whose　modesty　was　absolutely　unimpaired；
and　whose　artlessness　was　as　perfect　as　was　compatible　with　the
complexity　necessary　to　produce　the　due　charm　of　womanhood。
Cytherea；　on　her　part；　perceived　with　honest　satisfaction　that　her
influence　for　good　over　Miss　Aldclyffe　was　considerable。　　Ideas　and
habits　peculiar　to　the　younger；　which　the　elder　lady　had　originally
imitated　as　a　mere　whim；　she　grew　in　course　of　time　to　take　a
positive　delight　in。　　Among　others　were　evening　and　morning　prayers；
dreaming　over　out…door　scenes；　learning　a　verse　from　some　poem
whilst　dressing。

Yet　try　to　force　her