the daisy chain, or aspirations-第120节

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〃Hush；　Flora！　　We　ought　not　to　talk　in　this　way；　as　if〃

〃As　if　he　had　done　more　than　walk　with；　and　talk　with；　nobody　else！
How　he　did　hate　papa　last　night。　　I　had　a　great　mind　to　call　papa
off；　in　pity　to　him。〃

〃Don't；　Flora。　　If　there　were　anything　in　it；　it　would　not　be　proper
to　think　of　it；　so　I　am　going　home　to　prevent　it。〃　　The　words　were
spoken　with　averted　face　and　heaving　breath。

〃Proper？〃　said　Flora。　〃The　Mays　are　a　good　old　family；　and　our　own
grandmother　was　an　honourable　Ogilvie　herself。　　A　Scottish　baron；
very　poor　too；　has　no　right　to　look　down〃

〃They　shall　not　look　down。　　Flora；　it　is　of　no　use　to　talk。　　I　cannot
be　spared　from　home；　and　I　will　not　put　myself　in　the　way　of　being
tempted　to　forsake　them　all。〃

〃Tempted！〃　said　Flora；　laughing。　　〃Is　it　such　a　wicked　thing？〃

〃Not　in　others；　but　it　would　be　wrong　in　me；　with　such　a　state　of
things　as　there　is　at　home。〃

〃I　do　not　suppose　he　would　want　you　for　some　years　to　come。　　He　is
only　two…and…twenty。　　Mary　will　grow　older。〃

〃Margaret　will　either　be　married；　or　want　constant　care。　　Flora；　I
will　not　let　myself　be　drawn　from　them。〃

〃You　may　think　so　now；　but　it　would　be　for　their　real　good　to　relieve
papa　of　any　of　us。　　If　we　were　all　to　think　as　you　do；　how　should　we
live？　　I　don't　knowfor　papa　told　me　there　will　be　barely　ten
thousand　pounds；　besides　the　houses；　and　what　will　that　be　among　ten？
I　am　not　talking　of　yourself；　but　think　of　the　others！〃

〃I　know　papa　will　not　be　happy　without　me；　and　I　will　not　leave　him；〃
repeated　Ethel；　not　answering　the　argument。

Flora　changed　her　ground；　and　laughed。　　〃We　are　getting　into　the
heroics；〃　she　said；　〃when　it　would　be　very　foolish　to　break　up　our
plans；　only　because　we　have　found　a　pleasant　cousin。　　There　is
nothing　serious　in　it；　I　dare　say。　　How　silly　of　us　to　argue　on　such
an　idea！〃

Meta　came　in　before　Flora　could　say　more；　but　Ethel；　with　burning
cheeks；　repeated；　〃It　will　be　safer！〃

Ethel　had；　meantime；　been　dressed　by　her　sister；　and；　as　Bellairs
came　to　adorn　Meta；　and　she　could　have　no　solitude；　she　went
downstairs；　thinking　she　heard　Norman's　step；　and　hoping　to　judge　of
his　mood。

She　entered　the　room　with　an　exclamation；　〃Oh；　Norman！〃

〃At　your　service！〃　said　the　wrong　Norman；　looking　merrily　up　from
behind　a　newspaper。

〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；　I　thought〃

〃Your　thoughts　were　quite　right；〃　he　said；　smiling。　〃Your　brother
desires　me　to　present　his　respects　to　his　honoured　family；　and　to
inform　them　that　his　stock　of　assurance　is　likely　to　be　diminished　by
the　pleasure　of　their　company　this　morning。〃

〃How　is　he？〃　asked　Ethel　anxiously。

〃Pretty　fair。　　He　has　blue　saucers　round　his　eyes；　as　he　had　before
he　went　up　for　his　little　go。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　them；〃　said　Ethel。

〃Very　odd；〃　continued　her　cousin；　〃when　the　end　always　is；　that　he
says　he　has　the　luck　of　being　set　on　in　the　very　place　he　knows　best。
But　I　think　it　has　expended　itself　in　a　sleepless　night；　and　I　have
no　fears；　when　he　comes　to　the　point。〃

〃What　is　he　doing？〃

〃Writing　to　his　brother　Harry。　　He　said　it　was　the　day　for　the
Pacific　mail；　and　that　Harry's　pleasure　would　be　the　best　of　it。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Ethel；　glancing　towards　the　paper；　〃is　there　any　naval
intelligence？〃

He　looked；　and　while　she　was　thinking　whether　she　ought　not　to
depart；　he　exclaimed；　in　a　tone　that　startled　her；　〃Ha！　　No。　　Is　your
brother's　ship　the　Alcestis？〃

〃Yes！　　Oh；　what？〃

〃Nothing　then；　I　assure　you。　　See；　it　is　merely　thisshe　has　not
come　into　Sydney　so　soon　as　expected；　which　you　knew　before。　　That　is
all。〃

〃Let　me　see；〃　said　the　trembling　Ethel。

It　was　no　more　than　an　echo　of　their　unconfessed　apprehensions；　yet
it　seemed　to　give　them　a　body；　and　Ethel's　thoughts　flew　to　Margaret。
Her　going　home　would　be　absolutely　necessary　now。　　Mr。　Ogilvie　kindly
began　to　talk　away　her　alarm；　saying　that　there　was　still　no　reason
for　dread；　mentioning　the　many　causes　that　might　have　delayed　the
ship；　and　reassuring　her　greatly。

〃But　Norman！〃　she　said。

〃Ah！　true。　　Poor　May！　　He　will　break　down　to　a　certainty　if　he　hears
it。　　I　will　go　at　once；　and　keep　guard　over　him；　lest　he　should　meet
with　this　paper。　　But　pray；　don't　be　alarmed。　　I　assure　you　there　is
no　cause。　　You　will　have　letters　to…morrow。〃

Ethel　would　fain　have　thrown　off　her　finery　and　hurried　home　at　once；
but　no　one　regarded　the　matter　as　she　did。　　Dr。　May　agreed　with　Flora
that　it　was　no　worse　than　before；　and　though　they　now　thought　Ethel's
return　desirable；　on　Margaret's　account；　it　would　be　better　not　to
add　to　the　shock　by　a　sudden　arrival；　especially　as　they　took　in　no
daily　paper　at　home。　　So　the　theatre　was　not　to　be　given　up；　nor　any
of　the　subsequent　plans；　except　so　far　as　regarded　Ethel；　and；　this
agreed；　they　started　for　the　scene　of　action。

They　were　hardly　in　the　street　before　they　met　the　ubiquitous　Mr。
Ogilvie；　saying　that　Cheviot；　Norman's　prompter；　was　aware　of　the
report；　and　was　guarding　him；　while　he　came　to　escort　the　ladies；
through　what　he　expressively　called　〃the　bear　fight。〃　　Ethel
resolutely　adhered　to　her　father；　and　her　cousin　took　care　of　Meta；
who　had　been　clinging　in　a　tiptoe　manner　to　the　point　of　her
brother's　high　elbow；　looking　as　if　the　crowd　might　easily　brush　off
such　a　little　fly；　without　his　missing　her。

Inch　by　inch；　a　step　at　a　time；　the　ladies　were　landed　in　a　crowd　of
their　own　sex；　where　Flora　bravely　pioneered；　they　emerged　on　their
benches；　shook　themselves　out；　and　seated　themselves。　　There　was　the
swarm　of　gay　ladies　around　them；　and　beneath　the　area；　fast　being
paved　with　heads；　black；　brown；　gray；　and　bald；　a　surging　living　sea；
where　Meta　soon　pointed　out　Dr。　May　and　George；　the　mere　sight　of
such　masses　of　people　was　curious　and　interesting；　reminding　Ethel　of
Cherry　Elwood　having　once　shocked　her　by　saying　the　Whit…Monday　club
was　the　most　beautiful　sight　in　the　whole　year。　　And　above！　that
gallery　of　trampling　undergraduates；　and　more　than　trampling！　　Ethel
and　Meta　could；　at　first；　have　found　it　in　their　hearts　to　be
frightened　at　those　thundering　shouts；　but　the　young　ladies　were
usually　of　opinions　so　similar；　that　the　louder　grew　the　cheers；　the
more　they　laughed　and　exulted；　so　carried　along　that　no　cares　could
be　remembered。

Making　a　way　through　the　thronged　area；　behold　the　procession　of
scarlet　doctors；　advancing　through　the　midst；　till　the　red　and　black
vice…chancellor　sat　enthroned　in　the　centre；　and　the　scarlet　line
became　a　semicircle；　dividing　the　flower…garden　of　ladies　from　the
black　mass　below。

Then　came　the　introduction　of　the　honorary　doctors；　one　by　one；　with
the　Latin　speech；　which　Ethel's　companions　unreasonably　required　her
to　translate　to　them；　while　she　was　using　all　her　ears　to　catch　a
word　or　two；　and　her　eyes　to　glimpse　at　the　features　of　men　of　note。

By…and…by　a　youth　made　his　appearance　in　the　rostrum；　and　a　good　deal
of　Latin　ensued；　of　which　Flora　hoped　Ethel　was　less　tired　than　she
was。　　In　time；　however；　Meta　saw　the　spectacles　removed；　and　George
looking　straight　up；　and　she　drew　down　her　veil；　and　took　hold　of
Flora's　hand；　and　Ethel　flushed　like　a　hot　coal。　　Nevertheless；　all
contrived　to　see　a　tall　figure；　with　face　much　flushed；　and　hands
moving　nervously。　　The　world　was　tired；　and　people　were　departing；　so
that　the　first　lines　were　lost；　perhaps　a　satisfaction　to　Norman；　but
his　voice　soon　cleared　and　became　louder；　his　eyes　lighted；　and　Ethel
knew　the　〃funny　state〃　had　come　to　his　reliefpeople's　attention　was
arrestedthere　was　no　more　going　away。

It　was　well　that　Norman　was　ignorant　of　the　fears　for　Harry；　for　four
lines　had　been　added　since　Ethel　had　seen　the　poem；　saying　how　self…
sacrifice　sent　forth　the　sailor…boy　from　home；　to　the　lone　watch；　the
wave　and　storm；　his　spirit　rising　high；　ere　manhood　braced　his　form。

Applause　did　not　come　where　Ethel　had　expected　it；　and；　at　first；
there　was　silence　at　the　close；　but　suddenly　the　acclamations　rose
with　deafening　loudness；　though　hardly　what　greets　some　poems　with
more　to　catch　the　popular　ear。

Ethel's　great　excitement　was　over；　and　presently　she　found　herself
outside　of　the　theatre；　a　shower　falling；　and　an　umbrella　held　over
her　by　Mr。　Ogilvie；　who　was　asking　her　if　it　was　not　admirable；　and
declaring　the　poem　might　rank　with　Heber's　'Palestine'；　or　Milman's
'Apollo'。

They　were　bound　for　a　great　luncheon　at　one　of　the　colleges；　where
Ethel　might　survey　the　Principal　with　whom　Miss　Rich　had
corresponded。　　Mr。　Ogilvie　sat　next　to　her；　told　her　all　the　names；
and　quizzed　the　dignitaries；　but　she　had　a　sense　of　depression；　and
did　not　wish　to　enter　into　the　usual　strain　of　banter。　　He　dropped
his　lively　tone；　and　drew　her　out　about　Harry；　till　she　was　telling
eagerly　of　her　dear　sailor　brother；　and　found　him　so　sympathising　and
considerate；　that　she　did　not　like　him　less；　though　she　felt　her
intercourse　with　him　a　sort　of　intoxication；　that　would　only　make　it
the　worse　for　her　by…and…by。

During　that　whole　luncheon；　and　their　walk　through　the　gardens；　where
there　was　a　beautiful　horticultural　show；　something　was　always
prompting　her　to　say；　while　in　this　quasi…