the daisy chain, or aspirations-第124节

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towards　this　side；　there　was　a　tender　respect　in　Dr。　Spencer's　manner
that　was　most　beautiful；　though　this　evening　such　subjects　were
scrupulously　kept　at　the　utmost　distance；　by　the　constant　interchange
of　new　and　old　jokes　and　stories。

Only　when　bed…time　had　come；　and　Margaret　had　been　carried　offdid　a
silence　fall　on　the　two　friends；　unbroken　till　Dr。　May　rose　and
proposed　going　upstairs。　　When　he　gave　his　hand　to　wish　good…night；
Dr。　Spencer　held　it　this　time　most　carefully；　and　said；　〃Oh；　May！　　I
did　not　expect　this！〃

〃I　should　have　prepared　you；〃　said　his　host；　〃but　I　never　recollected
that　you　knew　nothing〃

〃I　had　dwelt　on　your　happiness！〃

〃There　never　were　two　happier　creatures　for　twenty…two　years；〃　said
Dr。　May；　his　voice　low　with　emotion。　　〃Sorrow　spared　her！　　Yes；　think
of　her　always　in　undimmed　brightnessalways　smiling　as　you　remember
her。　　She　was　happy。　　She　is；〃　he　concluded。　　His　friend　had　turned
aside　and　hidden　his　face　with　his　hands；　then　looked　up　for　a
moment；　〃And　you；　Dick；〃　he　said　briefly。

〃Sorrow　spared　her；〃　was　Dr。　May's　first　answer。　　〃And　hers　are　very
good　children！〃

There　was　a　silence　again；　ending　in　Dr。　May's　saying；　〃What　do　you
think　of　my　poor　girl？〃

They　discussed　the　nature　of　the　injury：　Dr。　Spencer　could　not　feel
otherwise　than　that　it　was　a　very　hopeless　matter。　　Her　father　owned
that　he　had　thought　so　from　the　first；　and　had　wondered　at　Sir
Matthew　Fleet's　opinion。　　His　subdued　tone　of　patience　and
resignation；　struck　his　guest　above　all；　as　changed　from　what　he　had
once　been。

〃You　have　been　sorely　tried；〃　he　said；　when　they　parted　at　his　room
door。

〃I　have　received　much　good！〃　simply　answered　Dr。　May。　　〃Goodnight！　　I
am　glad　to　have　you　hereif　you　can　bear　it。〃

〃Bear　it？　　Dick！　how　like　that　girl　is　to　you！　　She　is　yourself！〃

〃Such　a　self　as　I　never　was！　　Good…night。〃

Ethel　overcame　the　difficulty　of　giving　the　account　of　the　newspaper
alarm　with　tolerable　success；　by　putting　the　story　of　Meta's
conversation　foremost。　　Margaret　did　not　take　it　to　heart　as　much　as
she　had　feared；　nor　did　she　appear　to　dwell　on　it　afterwards。　　The
truth　was　perhaps　that　Dr。　Spencer's　visit　was　to　every　one　more　of
an　excitement　and　amusement　than　it　was　to　Ethel。　　Not　that　she　did
not　like　him　extremely；　but　after　such　a　week　as　she　had　been
spending；　the　home…world　seemed　rather　stale　and　unprofitable。

Miss　Bracy　relapsed　into　a　state　of　〃feelings；〃　imagining　that　Ethel
had　distrusted　her　capabilities；　and　therefore　returned；　or　as　Ethel
herself　sometimes　feared；　there　might　be　irritability　in　her　own
manner　that　gave　cause　of　annoyance。　　The　children　were　inclined　to
be　riotous　with　their　new　friend；　who　made　much　of　them　continually；
and　especially　patronised　Aubrey；　Mary　was　proud　of　showing　how　much
she　had　learned　to　do　for　Margaret　in　her　sister's　absence；　Dr。　May
was　so　much　taken　up　with　his　friend；　that　Ethel　saw　less　of　him　than
usual；　and　she　began　to　believe　that　it　had　been　all　a　mistake　that
every　one　was　so　dependent　on　her；　for；　in　fact；　they　did　much　better
without　her。

Meantime；　she　heard　of　the　gaieties　which　the　others　were　enjoying；
and　she　could　not　feel　heroic　when　they　regretted　her。　　At　the　end　of
a　week；　Meta　Rivers　was　escorted　home　from　Warwick　by　two　servants；
and　came　to　Stoneborough；　giving　a　lively　description　of　all　the
concluding　pleasures；　but　declaring　that　Ethel's　departure　had　taken
away　the　zest　of　the　whole；　and　Mr。　Ogilvie　had　been　very
disconsolate。　　Margaret　had　not　been　prepared　to　hear　that　Mr。
Ogilvie　had　been　so　constant　a　companion；　and　was　struck　by　finding
that　Ethel　had　passed　over　one　who　had　evidently　been　so　great　an
ingredient　in　the　delights　of　the　expedition。　　Meta　had；　however
observed　nothingshe　was　a　great　deal　too　simple　and　too　much
engrossed　for　such　notions　to　have　crossed　her　mind；　but　Margaret
inferred　something；　and　hoped　to　learn　more　when　she　should　see
Flora。　　This　would　not　be　immediately。　　George　and　his　wife　were　gone
to　London；　and　thence　intended　to　pay　a　round　of　visits；　and　Norman
had　accompanied　his　namesake　to　Glenbracken。

Ethel　fought　hard　with　her　own　petulance　and　sense　of　tedium　at　home；
which　was；　as　she　felt；　particularly　uncalled　for　at　present；　when
Dr。　Spencer　was　enlivening　them　so　much。　　He　was　never　in　the　way；　he
was　always　either　busy　in　the　dining…room　in　the　morning　with　books
and　papers；　or　wandering　about　his　old　school…boy　haunts　in　the　town；
or　taking　Adam's　place；　and　driving　out　Dr。　May；　or　sometimes　joining
the　children　in　a　walk；　to　their　supreme　delight。　　His　sketches；　for
he　drew　most　beautifully；　were　an　endless　pleasure　to　Margaret；　with
his　explanations　of　themshe　even　tried　to　sit　up　to　copy　them；　and
he　began　to　teach　Blanche　to　draw。　　The　evenings；　when　there　was
certain　to　be　some　entertaining　talk　going　on　between　the　two
doctors；　were　very　charming；　and　Margaret　seemed　quite　revived　by
seeing　her　father　so　happy　with　his　friend。　　Ethel　knew　she　ought　to
be　happy　also；　and　if　attention　could　make　her　so；　she　had　it；　for
kind　and　courteous　as　Dr。　Spencer　was　to　all；　she　seemed　to　have　a
double　charm　for　him。　　It　was　as　if　he　found　united　in　her　the　quaint
brusquerie；　that　he　had　loved　in　her　father；　with　somewhat　of　her
mother；　for　though　Ethel　had　less　personal　resemblance　to　Mrs。　May
than　any　other　of　the　family；　Dr。　Spencer　transferred　to　her　much　of
the　chivalrous　distant　devotion；　with　which　he　had　regarded　her
mother。　　Ethel　was　very　little　conscious　of　it；　but　he　was　certainly
her　sworn　knight；　and　there　was　an　eagerness　in　his　manner　of
performing　every　little　service　for　her；　a　deference　in　his　way　of
listening　to　her；　over　and　above　his　ordinary　polish　of　manner。

Ethel　lighted　up；　and　enjoyed　herself　when　talking　was　going　onher
periods　of　ennui　were　when　she　had　to　set　about　any　home　employment
when　Aubrey's　lessons　did　not　go　wellwhen　she　wanted　to　speak　to
her　father；　and　could　not　catch　him；　and　even　when　she　had　to　go　to
Cocksmoor。

She　did　not　seem　to　make　any　progress　therethe　room　was　very　full；
and　very　close；　the　children　were　dull；　and　she　began　to　believe　she
was　doing　no　goodit　was　all　a　weariness。　　But　she　was　so　heartily
ashamed　of　her　feelings；　that　she　worked　the　more　vehemently　for
them；　and　the　utmost　show　that　they　outwardly　made　was；　that　Margaret
thought　her　less　vivacious　than　her　wont；　and　she　was　a　little　too
peremptory　at　times　with　Mary　and　Blanche。　　She　had　so　much　disliked
the　display　that　Flora　had　made　about　Cocksmoor；　that　she　had　imposed
total　silence　on　it　upon　her　younger　sisters；　and　Dr。　Spencer　had
spent　a　fortnight　at　Stoneborough　without　being　aware　of　their
occupation；　when　there　occurred　such　an　extremely　sultry　day；　that
Margaret　remonstrated　with　Ethel　on　her　intention　of　broiling　herself
and　Mary　by　walking　to　Cocksmoor；　when　the　quicksilver　stood　at　80？
in　the　shade。

Ethel　was　much　inclined　to　stay　at　home；　but　she　did　not　know　whether
this　was　from　heat　or　from　idleness；　and　her　fretted　spirits　took　the
turn　of　determinationso　she　posted　off　at　a　galloping　pace；　that
her　brothers　called　her　〃Cocksmoor　speed；〃　and　Mary　panted　by　her
side；　humbly　petitioning　for　the　plantation　path；　when　she　answered
〃that　it　was　as　well　to　be　hot　in　the　sun　as　in　the　shade。〃

The　school…room　was　unusually　full；　all　the　haymaking　mothers　made　it
serve　as　an　infant　school；　and　though　as　much　window　was　opened　as
there　could　be；　the　effect　was　not　coolness。　　Nevertheless；　Ethel　sat
down　and　gathered　her　class　round　her；　and　she　had　just　heard　the
chapter　once　read；　when　there　was　a　little　confusion；　a　frightened
cry　of　〃Ethel！〃　and　before　she　could　rise　to　her　feeta　flump　upon
the　floorpoor　Mary　had　absolutely　fainted　dead　away。

Ethel　was　much　terrified；　and　very　angry　with　herself；　Mary　was　no
light　weight；　but　Mrs。　Elwood　coming　at　their　cry；　helped　Ethel　to
drag　her　into　the　outer　room；　where　she　soon　began　to　recover；　and　to
be　excessively　puzzled　as　to　what　had　happened　to　her。　　She　said　the
sea　was　roaring；　and　where　was　Harry？　and　then　she　looked　much
surprised　to　find　herself　lying　on　Mrs。　Elwood's　damp　flagsa
circumstance　extremely　distressing　to　Mrs。　Elwood；　who　wanted　to
carry　her　upstairs　into　Cherry's　room；　very　clean　and　very　white；　but
with　such　a　sun　shining　full　into　it！

Ethel　lavished　all　care；　and　reproached　herself　greatly；　though　to　be
sure　nothing　had　ever　been　supposed　capable　of　hurting　Mary；　and　Mary
herself　protested　that　nothing　at　all　had　ailed　her　till　the
children's　voices　began　to　sound　funny；　and　turned　into　the　waves　of
the　sea；　and　therewith　poor　Mary　burst　into　a　great　flood　of　tears；
and　asked　whether　Harry　would　ever　come　back。　　The　tears　did　her　a
great　deal　of　good；　though　not　so　much　as　the　being　petted　by　Ethel；
and　she　soon　declared　herself　perfectly　well；　but　Ethel　could　not
think　of　letting　her　walk　home；　and　sent　off　a　boywho　she　trusted
would　not　faintwith　a　note　to　Margaret；　desiring　her　to　send　the
gig；　which　fortunately　was　at　home　to…day。

Mary　had　partaken　of　some　of　Mrs。　Elwood's　tea；　which；　though
extremely　bitter；　seemed　a　great