a laodicean-第5节

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retreating　to　a　convenient　place　he　observed　its　final　course：
from　the　poles　amid　the　trees　it　leaped　across　the　moat；　over
the　girdling　wall；　and　thence　by　a　tremendous　stretch　towards
the　keep　where；　to　judge　by　sound；　it　vanished　through　an
arrow…slit　into　the　interior。　　This　fossil　of　feudalism；　then；
was　the　journey's…end　of　the　wire；　and　not　the　village　of
Sleeping…Green。

There　was　a　certain　unexpectedness　in　the　fact　that　the　hoary
memorial　of　a　stolid　antagonism　to　the　interchange　of　ideas；
the　monument　of　hard　distinctions　in　blood　and　race；　of　deadly
mistrust　of　one's　neighbour　in　spite　of　the　Church's　teaching；
and　of　a　sublime　unconsciousness　of　any　other　force　than　a
brute　one；　should　be　the　goal　of　a　machine　which　beyond
everything　may　be　said　to　symbolize　cosmopolitan　views　and　the
intellectual　and　moral　kinship　of　all　mankind。　　In　that　light
the　little　buzzing　wire　had　a　far　finer　significance　to　the
student　Somerset　than　the　vast　walls　which　neighboured　it。
But　the　modern　fever　and　fret　which　consumes　people　before
they　can　grow　old　was　also　signified　by　the　wire；　and　this
aspect　of　to…day　did　not　contrast　well　with　the　fairer　side　of
feudalismleisure；　light…hearted　generosity；　intense
friendships；　hawks；　hounds；　revels；　healthy　complexions；
freedom　from　care；　and　such　a　living　power　in　architectural
art　as　the　world　may　never　again　see。

Somerset　withdrew　till　neither　the　singing　of　the　wire　nor　the
hisses　of　the　irritable　owls　could　be　heard　any　more。　　A　clock
in　the　castle　struck　ten；　and　he　recognized　the　strokes　as
those　he　had　heard　when　sitting　on　the　stile。　　It　was
indispensable　that　he　should　retrace　his　steps　and　push　on　to
Sleeping…Green　if　he　wished　that　night　to　reach　his　lodgings；
which　had　been　secured　by　letter　at　a　little　inn　in　the
straggling　line　of　roadside　houses　called　by　the　above　name；
where　his　luggage　had　by　this　time　probably　arrived。　　In　a
quarter　of　an　hour　he　was　again　at　the　point　where　the　wire
left　the　road；　and　following　the　highway　over　a　hill　he　saw
the　hamlet　at　his　feet。



III。

By　half…past　ten　the　next　morning　Somerset　was　once　more
approaching　the　precincts　of　the　building　which　had　interested
him　the　night　before。　　Referring　to　his　map　he　had　learnt　that
it　bore　the　name　of　Stancy　Castle　or　Castle　de　Stancy；　and　he
had　been　at　once　struck　with　its　familiarity；　though　he　had
never　understood　its　position　in　the　county；　believing　it
further　to　the　west。　　If　report　spoke　truly　there　was　some
excellent　vaulting　in　the　interior；　and　a　change　of　study　from
ecclesiastical　to　secular　Gothic　was　not　unwelcome　for　a
while。

The　entrance…gate　was　open　now；　and　under　the　archway　the
outer　ward　was　visible；　a　great　part　of　it　being　laid　out　as　a
flower…garden。　　This　was　in　process　of　clearing　from　weeds　and
rubbish　by　a　set　of　gardeners；　and　the　soil　was　so　encumbered
that　in　rooting　out　the　weeds　such　few　hardy　flowers　as　still
remained　in　the　beds　were　mostly　brought　up　with　them。　　The
groove　wherein　the　portcullis　had　run　was　as　fresh　as　if　only
cut　yesterday；　the　very　tooling　of　the　stone　being　visible。
Close　to　this　hung　a　bell…pull　formed　of　a　large　wooden　acorn
attached　to　a　vertical　rod。　　Somerset's　application　brought　a
woman　from　the　porter's　door；　who　informed　him　that　the　day
before　having　been　the　weekly　show…day　for　visitors；　it　was
doubtful　if　he　could　be　admitted　now。

'Who　is　at　home？'　said　Somerset。

'Only　Miss　de　Stancy；'　the　porteress　replied。

His　dread　of　being　considered　an　intruder　was　such　that　he
thought　at　first　there　was　no　help　for　it　but　to　wait　till　the
next　week。　　But　he　had　already　through　his　want　of　effrontery
lost　a　sight　of　many　interiors；　whose　exhibition　would　have
been　rather　a　satisfaction　to　the　inmates　than　a　trouble。　　It
was　inconvenient　to　wait；　he　knew　nobody　in　the　neighbourhood
from　whom　he　could　get　an　introductory　letter：　　he　turned　and
passed　the　woman；　crossed　the　ward　where　the　gardeners　were　at
work；　over　a　second　and　smaller　bridge；　and　up　a　flight　of
stone　stairs；　open　to　the　sky；　along　whose　steps　sunburnt
Tudor　soldiers　and　other　renowned　dead　men　had　doubtless　many
times　walked。　　It　led　to　the　principal　door　on　this　side。
Thence　he　could　observe　the　walls　of　the　lower　court　in
detail；　and　the　old　mosses　with　which　they　were　paddedmosses
that　from　time　immemorial　had　been　burnt　brown　every　summer；
and　every　winter　had　grown　green　again。　　The　arrow…slit　and
the　electric　wire　that　entered　it；　like　a　worm　uneasy　at　being
unearthed；　were　distinctly　visible　now。　　So　also　was　the
clock；　not；　as　he　had　supposed；　a　chronometer　coeval　with　the
fortress　itself；　but　new　and　shining；　and　bearing　the　name　of
a　recent　maker。

The　door　was　opened　by　a　bland；　intensely　shaven　man　out　of
livery；　who　took　Somerset's　name　and　politely　worded　request
to　be　allowed　to　inspect　the　architecture　of　the　more　public
portions　of　the　castle。　　He　pronounced　the　word　'architecture'
in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　knew　and　practised　that　art；　'for；'
he　said　to　himself；　'if　she　thinks　I　am　a　mere　idle　tourist；
it　will　not　be　so　well。'

No　such　uncomfortable　consequences　ensued。　　Miss　De　Stancy　had
great　pleasure　in　giving　Mr。　Somerset　full　permission　to　walk
through　whatever　parts　of　the　building　he　chose。

He　followed　the　butler　into　the　inner　buildings　of　the
fortress；　the　ponderous　thickness　of　whose　walls　made　itself
felt　like　a　physical　pressure。　　An　internal　stone　staircase；
ranged　round　four　sides　of　a　square；　was　next　revealed；
leading　at　the　top　of　one　flight　into　a　spacious　hall；　which
seemed　to　occupy　the　whole　area　of　the　keep。　　From　this
apartment　a　corridor　floored　with　black　oak　led　to　the　more
modern　wing；　where　light　and　air　were　treated　in　a　less
gingerly　fashion。

Here　passages　were　broader　than　in　the　oldest　portion；　and
upholstery　enlisted　in　the　service　of　the　fine　arts　hid　to　a
great　extent　the　coldness　of　the　walls。

Somerset　was　now　left　to　himself；　and　roving　freely　from　room
to　room　he　found　time　to　inspect　the　different　objects　of
interest　that　abounded　there。　　Not　all　the　chambers；　even　of
the　habitable　division；　were　in　use　as　dwelling…rooms；　though
these　were　still　numerous　enough　for　the　wants　of　an　ordinary
country　family。　　In　a　long　gallery　with　a　coved　ceiling　of
arabesques　which　had　once　been　gilded；　hung　a　series　of
paintings　representing　the　past　personages　of　the　De　Stancy
line。　　It　was　a　remarkable　arrayeven　more　so　on　account　of
the　incredibly　neglected　condition　of　the　canvases　than　for
the　artistic　peculiarities　they　exhibited。　　Many　of　the　frames
were　dropping　apart　at　their　angles；　and　some　of　the　canvas
was　so　dingy　that　the　face　of　the　person　depicted　was　only
distinguishable　as　the　moon　through　mist。　　For　the　colour　they
had　now　they　might　have　been　painted　during　an　eclipse；　while；
to　judge　by　the　webs　tying　them　to　the　wall；　the　spiders　that
ran　up　and　down　their　backs　were　such　as　to　make　the　fair
originals　shudder　in　their　graves。

He　wondered　how　many　of　the　lofty　foreheads　and　smiling　lips
of　this　pictorial　pedigree　could　be　credited　as　true
reflections　of　their　prototypes。　　Some　were　wilfully　false；　no
doubt；　many　more　so　by　unavoidable　accident　and　want　of　skill。
Somerset　felt　that　it　required　a　profounder　mind　than　his　to
disinter　from　the　lumber　of　conventionality　the　lineaments
that　really　sat　in　the　painter's　presence；　and　to　discover
their　history　behind　the　curtain　of　mere　tradition。

The　painters　of　this　long　collection　were　those　who　usually
appear　in　such　places；　Holbein；　Jansen；　and　Vandyck；　Sir
Peter；　Sir　Geoffrey；　Sir　Joshua；　and　Sir　Thomas。　　Their
sitters；　too；　had　mostly　been　sirs；　Sir　William；　Sir　John；　or
Sir　George　De　Stancysome　undoubtedly　having　a　nobility
stamped　upon　them　beyond　that　conferred　by　their　robes　and
orders；　and　others　not　so　fortunate。　　Their　respective　ladies
hung　by　their　sidesfeeble　and　watery；　or　fat　and
comfortable；　as　the　case　might　be；　also　their　fathers　and
mothers…in…law；　their　brothers　and　remoter　relatives；　their
contemporary　reigning　princes；　and　their　intimate　friends。　　Of
the　De　Stancys　pure　there　ran　through　the　collection　a　mark　by
which　they　might　surely　have　been　recognized　as　members　of　one
family；　this　feature　being　the　upper　part　of　the　nose。　　Every
one；　even　if　lacking　other　points　in　common；　had　the　special
indent　at　this　point　in　the　facesometimes　moderate　in
degree；　sometimes　excessive。

While　looking　at　the　pictureswhich；　though　not　in　his
regular　line　of　study；　interested　Somerset　more　than　the
architecture；　because　of　their　singular　dilapidation；　it
occurred　to　his　mind　that　he　had　in　his　youth　been
schoolfellow　for　a　very　short　time　with　a　pleasant　boy　bearing
a　surname　attached　to　one　of　the　paintingsthe　name　of
Ravensbury。　　The　boy　had　vanished　he　knew　not　howhe　thought
he　had　been　removed　from　school　suddenly　on　account　of　ill
health。　　But　the　recollection　was　vague；　and　Somerset　moved　on
to　the　rooms　above　and　below。　　In　addition　to　the
architectural　details　of　which　he　had　as　yet　obtained　but
glimpses；　there　was　a　great　collection　of　old　movables　and
other　domestic　art…workal