the daisy chain, or aspirations-第21节

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indoors。　　Miss　Winter　was　going　to　stay　with　Margaret；　and　Ethel　and
Flora　coaxed　Norman　to　come　with　them；　〃just　one　mile　on　the　turnpike
road　and　back　again；　he　would　be　much　fresher　for　his　Greek
afterwards。〃

He　came；　but　he　did　not　enliven　his　sisters。　　The　three　plodded　on；
taking　a　diligent　constitutional　walk；　exchanging　very　few　words；　and
those　chiefly　between　the　girls。　　Flora　gathered　some　hoary　clematis；
and　red　berries；　and　sought　in　the　hedge…sides　for　some　crimson
〃fairy　baths〃　to　carry　home；　and；　at　the　sight　of　the　amusement
Margaret　derived　from　the　placing　the　beauteous　little　Pezizas　in　a
saucer　of　damp　green　moss；　so　as　to　hide　the　brown　sticks　on　which
they　grew；　Ethel　took　shame　to　herself　for　want　of　perception　of
little　attentions。　　When　she　told　Norman　so；　he　answered；　〃There's　no
one　who　does　see　what　is　the　right　thing。　　How　horrid　the　room　looks！
Everything　is　nohow！〃　added　he；　looking　round　at　the　ornaments　and
things　on　the　tables；　which　had　lost　their　air　of　comfort　and　good
taste。　　It　was　not　disorder；　and　Ethel　could　not　see　what　he　meant。
〃What's　wrong？〃　said　she。

〃Oh；　never　mindyou　can't　do　it。　　Don't　tryyou'll　only　make　it
worse。　　It　will　never　be　the　same　as　long　as　we　live。〃

〃I　wish　you　would　not　be　so　unhappy！〃　said　Ethel。

〃Never　mind；〃　again　said　Norman；　but　he　put　his　arm　round　her。

〃Have　you　done　your　Euripides？　　Can　I　help　you？　　Will　you　construe　it
with　me；　or　shall　I　look　out　your　words？〃

〃Thank　you；　I　don't　mind　that。　　It　is　the　verses！　　I　want　some
sense！〃　said　Norman；　running　his　fingers　through　his　hair　till　it
stood　on　end。　〃'Tis　such　a　horrid　subject；　Coral　Islands！　　As　if
there　was　anything　to　be　said　about　them。〃

〃Dear　me；　Norman；　I　could　say　ten　thousand　things；　only　I　must　not
tell　you　what　mine　are；　as　yours　are　not　done。〃

〃No；　don't；〃　said　Norman　decidedly。

〃Did　you　read　the　description　of　them　in　the　Quarterly？　　I　am　sure
you　might　get　some　ideas　there。　　Shall　I　find　it　for　you？　　It　is　in
an　old　number。〃

〃Well；　do；　thank　you。〃

He　rested　listlessly　on　the　sofa　while　his　sister　rummaged　in　a
chiffonier。　　At　last　she　found　the　article；　and　eagerly　read　him　the
description　of　the　strange　forms　of　the　coral　animals；　and　the
beauties　of　their　flower…like　feelers　and　branching　fabrics。　　It
would　once　have　delighted　him；　but　his　first　comment　was；　〃Nasty
little　brutes！〃　　However；　the　next　minute　he　thanked　her；　took　the
book；　and　said　he　could　hammer　something　out　of　it；　though　it　was　too
bad　to　give　such　an　unclassical　subject。　　At　dusk　he　left　off；　saying
he　should　get　it　done　at　night；　his　senses　would　come　then；　and　he
should　be　glad　to　sit　up。

〃Only　three　weeks　to　the　holidays；〃　said　Ethel；　trying　to　be
cheerful；　but　his　assent　was　depressing；　and　she　began　to　fear　that
Christmas　would　only　make　them　more　sad。

Mary　did　not　keep　Tom's　secret　so　inviolably；　but　that；　while　they
were　dressing　for　tea；　she　revealed　to　Ethel　where　Harry　was　gone。
He　was　not　yet　returned；　though　his　father　and　Richard　were　come　in；
and　the　sisters　were　at　once　in　some　anxiety　on　his　account；　and
doubt　whether　they　ought　to　let　papa　know　of　his　disobedience。

Flora　and　Ethel；　who　were　the　first　in　the　drawing…room；　had　a
consultation。

〃I　should　have　told　mamma　directly；〃　said　Flora。

〃He　never　did　so；〃　sighed　Ethel；　〃things　never　went　wrong　then。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　they　did；　don't　you　remember　how　naughty　Harry　was　about
climbing　the　wall；　and　making　faces　at　Mrs。　Richardson's　servants？〃

〃And　how　ill　I　behaved　the　first　day　of　last　Christmas　holidays？〃

〃She　knew；　but　I　don't　think　she　told　papa。〃

〃Not　that　we　knew　of；　but　I　believe　she　did　tell　him　everything；　and
I　think；　Flora；　he　ought　to　know　everything；　especially　now。　　I　never
could　bear　the　way　the　Mackenzies　used　to　have　of　thinking　their
parents　must　be　like　enemies；　and　keeping　secrets　from　them。〃

〃They　were　always　threatening　each　other；　'I'll　tell　mamma；'〃　said
Flora；　〃and　calling　us　tell…tales　because　we　told　our　own　dear　mamma
everything。　　But　it　is　not　like　that　nowI　neither　like　to　worry
papa；　nor　to　bring　Harry　into　disgracebesides；　Tom　and　Mary　meant
it　for　a　secret。〃

〃Papa　would　not　be　angry　with　him　if　we　told　him　it　was　a　secret；〃
said　Ethel；　〃I　wish　Harry　would　come　in。　　There's　the　dooroh！　it　is
only　you。〃

〃Whom　did　you　expect？〃　said　Richard；　entering。

The　sisters　looked　at　each　other；　and　Ethel；　after　an　interval；
explained　their　doubts　about　Harry。

〃He　is　come　in；〃　said　Richard；　〃I　saw　him　running　up　to　his　own　room；
very　muddy。〃

〃Oh；　I'm　glad！　　But　do　you　think　papa　ought　to　hear　it？　　I　don't　know
what's　to　be　done。　　'Tis　the　children's　secret；〃　said　Flora。

〃It　will　never　do　to　have　him　going　out　with　those　boys　continually；〃
said　Ethel〃Harvey　Anderson　close　by　all　the　holidays！〃

〃I'll　try　what　I　can　do　with　him；〃　said　Richard。　　〃Papa　had　better
not　hear　it　now；　at　any　rate。　　He　is　very　tired　and　sad　this　evening！
and　his　arm　is　painful　again；　so　we　must　not　worry　him　with　histories
of　naughtiness　among　the　children。〃

〃No；〃　said　Ethel　decidedly；　〃I　am　glad　you　were　there；　Ritchie；　I
never　should　have　thought　of　one　time　being　better　than　another。〃

〃Just　like　Ethel！〃　said　Flora；　smiling。

〃Why　should　not　you　learn？〃　said　Richard　gently。

〃I　can't；〃　said　Ethel；　in　a　desponding　way。

〃Why　not？　　You　are　much　sharper　than　most　people；　and；　if　you　tried；
you　would　know　those　things　much　better　than　I　do；　as　you　know　how　to
learn　history。〃

〃It　is　quite　a　different　sort　of　cleverness；〃　said　Flora。　　〃Recollect
Sir　Isaac　Newton；　or　Archimedes。〃

〃Then　you　must　have　both　sorts；〃　said　Ethel；　〃for　you　can　do　things
nicely；　and　yet　you　learn　very　fast。〃

〃Take　care；　Ethel；　you　are　singeing　your　frock！　　Well；　I　really　don't
think　you　can　help　those　things！〃　said　Flora。　　〃Your　short　sight　is
the　reason　of　it；　and　it　is　of　no　use　to　try　to　mend　it。〃

〃Don't　tell　her　so；〃　said　Richard。　　〃It　can't　be　all　short　sightit
is　the　not　thinking。　　I　do　believe　that　if　Ethel　would　think；　no　one
would　do　things　so　well。　　Don't　you　remember　the　beautiful
perspective　drawing　she　made　of　this　room　for　me　to　take　to　Oxford？
That　was　very　difficult；　and　wanted　a　great　deal　of　neatness　and
accuracy；　so　why　should　she　not　be　neat　and　accurate　in　other　things？
And　I　know　you　can　read　faces；　Ethelwhy　don't　you　look　there　before
you　speak？〃

〃Ah！　before　instead　of　after；　when　I　only　see　I　have　said　something
malapropos；〃　said　Ethel。

〃I　must　go　and　see　about　the　children；〃　said　Flora；　〃if　the　tea　comes
while　I　am　gone；　will　you　make　it；　Ritchie？〃

〃Flora　despairs　of　me；〃　said　Ethel。

〃I　don't；〃　said　Richard。　　〃Have　you　forgotten　how　to　put　in　a　pin
yet？〃

〃No；　I　hope　not。〃

〃Well；　then；　see　if　you　can't　learn　to　make　tea；　and；　by…the…bye；
Ethel；　which　is　the　next　christening　Sunday？〃

〃The　one　after　next；　surely。　　The　first　of　December　is　Mondayyes；
to…morrow　week　is　the　next。〃

〃Then　I　have　thought　of　something；　it　would　cost　eighteenpence　to
hire　Joliffe's　spring…cart；　and　we　might　have　Mrs。　Taylor　and　the
twins　brought　to　church　in　it。　　Should　you　like　to　walk　to　Cocksmoor
and　settle　it？〃

〃Oh　yes；　very　much　indeed。　　What　a　capital　thought。　　Margaret　said
you　would　know　how　to　manage。〃

〃Then　we　will　go　the　first　fine　day　papa　does　not　want　me。〃

〃I　wonder　if　I　could　finish　my　purple　frocks。　　But　here's　the　tea。
Now；　Richard；　don't　tell　me　to　make　it。　　I　should　do　something　wrong；
and　Flora　will　never　forgive　you。〃

Richard　would　not　let　her　off。　　He　stood　over　her；　counted　her
shovelfuls　of　tea；　and　watched　the　water　into　the　teapothe
superintended　her　warming　the　cups；　and　putting　a　drop　into　each
saucer。　　〃Ah！〃　said　Ethel；　with　a　concluding　sigh；　〃it　makes　one
hotter　than　double　equations！〃

It　was　all　right；　as　Flora　allowed　with　a　slightly　superior　smile。
She　thought　Richard　would　never　succeed　in　making　a　notable　or
elegant　woman　of　Ethel；　and　it　was　best　that　the　two　sisters　should
take　different　lines。　　Flora　knew　that；　though　clever　and　with　more
accomplishments；　she　could　not　surpass　Ethel　in　intellectual
attainments；　but　she　was　certainly　far　more　valuable　in　the　house；
and　had　been　proved　to　have　just　the　qualities　in　which　her　sister
was　most　deficient。　　She　did　not　relish　hearing　that　Ethel　wanted
nothing　but　attention　to　be　more　than　her　equal；　and　she　thought
Richard　mistaken。　　Flora's　remembrance　of　their　time　of　distress　was
less　unmixedly　wretched　than　it　was　with　the　others；　for　she　knew　she
had　done　wonders。

The　next　day　Norman　told　Ethel　that　he　had　got　on　very　well　with　the
verses；　and　finished　them　off　late　at　night。　　He　showed　them　to　her
before　taking　them　to　school　on　Monday　morning；　and　Ethel　thought
they　were　the　best　he　had　ever　written。　　There　was　too　much　spirit
and　poetical　beauty　for　a　mere　schoolboy　task；　and　she　begged　for　the
foul　copy　to　show　it　to　her　father。　　〃I　have　not　got　it；〃　said
Norman。　　〃The　foul　copy　was　not　like　these；　but　when　I　was　writing
them　out　quite　late；　it　was　all　I　don't　know　how。　　Flora's　music　was
in　my　ears；　and　the　room　seemed　to　get　larger；　and　like　an　ocean
cave；　and　when　the　c