tales and fantasies-第24节

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'Now；'　she　said　cosily；　'tell　me　all　about　my　father。'



'He'　…　stammered　Dick；　'he　is　a　very　agreeable　companion。'



'I　shall　begin　to　think　it　is　more　than　you　are；　Mr。　Naseby；'

she　said；　with　a　laugh。　　'I　am　his　daughter；　you　forget。

Begin　at　the　beginning；　and　tell　me　all　you　have　seen　of　him；

all　he　said　and　all　you　answered。　　You　must　have　met

somewhere；　begin　with　that。'



So　with　that　he　began：　how　he　had　found　the　Admiral　painting

in　a　cafe；　how　his　art　so　possessed　him　that　he　could　not

wait　till　he　got　home　to　…　well；　to　dash　off　his　idea；　how

（this　in　reply　to　a　question）　his　idea　consisted　of　a　cock

crowing　and　two　hens　eating　corn；　how　he　was　fond　of　cocks

and　hens；　how　this　did　not　lead　him　to　neglect　more　ambitious

forms　of　art；　how　he　had　a　picture　in　his　studio　of　a　Greek

subject　which　was　said　to　be　remarkable　from　several　points

of　view；　how　no　one　had　seen　it　nor　knew　the　precise　site　of

the　studio　in　which　it　was　being　vigorously　though　secretly

confected；　how　（in　answer　to　a　suggestion）　this　shyness　was

common　to　the　Admiral；　Michelangelo；　and　others；　how　they

（Dick　and　Van　Tromp）　had　struck　up　an　acquaintance　at　once；

and　dined　together　that　same　night；　how　he　（the　Admiral）　had

once　given　money　to　a　beggar；　how　he　spoke　with　effusion　of

his　little　daughter；　how　he　had　once　borrowed　money　to　send

her　a　doll　…　a　trait　worthy　of　Newton；　she　being　then　in　her

nineteenth　year　at　least；　how；　if　the　doll　never　arrived

（which　it　appeared　it　never　did）；　the　trait　was　only　more

characteristic　of　the　highest　order　of　creative　intellect；

how　he　was　…　no；　not　beautiful　…　striking；　yes；　Dick　would　go

so　far；　decidedly　striking　in　appearance；　how　his　boots　were

made　to　lace　and　his　coat　was　black；　not　cut…away；　a　frock；

and　so　on；　and　so　on　by　the　yard。　　It　was　astonishing　how　few

lies　were　necessary。　　After　all；　people　exaggerated　the

difficulty　of　life。　　A　little　steering；　just　a　touch　of　the

rudder　now　and　then；　and　with　a　willing　listener　there　is　no

limit　to　the　domain　of　equivocal　speech。　　Sometimes　Miss

M'Glashan　made　a　freezing　sojourn　in　the　parlour；　and　then

the　task　seemed　unaccountably　more　difficult；　but　to　Esther；

who　was　all　eyes　and　ears；　her　face　alight　with　interest；　his

stream　of　language　flowed　without　break　or　stumble；　and　his

mind　was　ever　fertile　in　ingenious　evasions　and　…



What　an　afternoon　it　was　for　Esther！



'Ah！'　she　said　at　last；　'it's　good　to　hear　all　this！　　My

aunt；　you　should　know；　is　narrow　and　too　religious；　she

cannot　understand　an　artist's　life。　　It　does　not　frighten

me；'　she　added　grandly；　'I　am　an　artist's　daughter。'



With　that　speech；　Dick　consoled　himself　for　his　imposture；

she　was　not　deceived　so　grossly　after　all；　and　then　if　a

fraud；　was　not　the　fraud　piety　itself？　…　and　what　could　be

more　obligatory　than　to　keep　alive　in　the　heart　of　a　daughter

that　filial　trust　and　honour　which；　even　although　misplaced；

became　her　like　a　jewel　of　the　mind？　　There　might　be　another

thought；　a　shade　of　cowardice；　a　selfish　desire　to　please；

poor　Dick　was　merely　human；　and　what　would　you　have　had　him

do？







CHAPTER　IV　…　ESTHER　ON　THE　FILIAL　RELATION







A　MONTH　later　Dick　and　Esther　met　at　the　stile　beside　the

cross　roads；　had　there　been　any　one　to　see　them　but　the　birds

and　summer　insects；　it　would　have　been　remarked　that　they　met

after　a　different　fashion　from　the　day　before。　　Dick　took　her

in　his　arms；　and　their　lips　were　set　together　for　a　long

while。　　Then　he　held　her　at　arm's…length；　and　they　looked

straight　into　each　other's　eyes。



'Esther！'　he　said；　you　should　have　heard　his　voice！



'Dick！'　said　she。



'My　darling！'



It　was　some　time　before　they　started　for　their　walk；　he　kept

an　arm　about　her；　and　their　sides　were　close　together　as　they

walked；　the　sun；　the　birds；　the　west　wind　running　among　the

trees；　a　pressure；　a　look；　the　grasp　tightening　round　a

single　finger；　these　things　stood　them　in　lieu　of　thought　and

filled　their　hearts　with　joy。　　The　path　they　were　following

led　them　through　a　wood　of　pine…trees　carpeted　with　heather

and　blue…berry；　and　upon　this　pleasant　carpet；　Dick；　not

without　some　seriousness；　made　her　sit　down。



'Esther！'　he　began；　'there　is　something　you　ought　to　know。

You　know　my　father　is　a　rich　man；　and　you　would　think；　now

that　we　love　each　other；　we　might　marry　when　we　pleased。　　But

I　fear；　darling；　we　may　have　long　to　wait；　and　shall　want　all

our　courage。'



'I　have　courage　for　anything；'　she　said；　'I　have　all　I　want；

with　you　and　my　father；　I　am　so　well　off；　and　waiting　is　made

so　happy；　that　I　could　wait　a　lifetime　and　not　weary。'



He　had　a　sharp　pang　at　the　mention　of　the　Admiral。　　'Hear　me

out；'　he　continued。　　'I　ought　to　have　told　you　this　before；

but　it　is　a　thought　I　shrink　from；　if　it　were　possible；　I

should　not　tell　you　even　now。　　My　poor　father　and　I　are

scarce　on　speaking　terms。'



'Your　father；'　she　repeated；　turning　pale。



'It　must　sound　strange　to　you；　but　yet　I　cannot　think　I　am　to

blame；'　he　said。　　'I　will　tell　you　how　it　happened。'



'Oh　Dick！'　she　said；　when　she　had　heard　him　to　an　end；　'how

brave　you　are；　and　how　proud。　　Yet　I　would　not　be　proud　with

a　father。　　I　would　tell　him　all。'



'What！'　cried　Dick；　'go　in　months　after；　and　brag　that　I　had

meant　to　thrash　the　man；　and　then　didn't。　　And　why？　　Because

my　father　had　made　a　bigger　ass　of　himself　than　I　supposed。

My　dear；　that's　nonsense。'



She　winced　at　his　words　and　drew　away。　　'But　when　that　is　all

he　asks；'　she　pleaded。　　'If　he　only　knew　that　you　had　felt

that　impulse；　it　would　make　him　so　proud　and　happy。　　He　would

see　you　were　his　own　son　after　all；　and　had　the　same　thoughts

and　the　same　chivalry　of　spirit。　　And　then　you　did　yourself

injustice　when　you　spoke　just　now。　　It　was　because　the　editor

was　weak　and　poor　and　excused　himself；　that　you　repented　your

first　determination。　　Had　he　been　a　big　red　man；　with

whiskers；　you　would　have　beaten　him　…　you　know　you　would　…　if

Mr。　Naseby　had　been　ten　times　more　committed。　　Do　you　think；

if　you　can　tell　it　to　me；　and　I　understand　at　once；　that　it

would　be　more　difficult　to　tell　it　to　your　own　father；　or

that　he　would　not　be　more　ready　to　sympathise　with　you　than　I

am？　　And　I　love　you；　Dick；　but　then　he　is　your　father。'



'My　dear；'　said　Dick；　desperately；　'you　do　not　understand；

you　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　be　treated　with　daily　want　of

comprehension　and　daily　small　injustices；　through　childhood

and　boyhood　and　manhood；　until　you　despair　of　a　hearing；

until　the　thing　rides　you　like　a　nightmare；　until　you　almost

hate　the　sight　of　the　man　you　love；　and　who's　your　father

after　all。　　In　short；　Esther；　you　don't　know　what　it　is　to

have　a　father；　and　that's　what　blinds　you。'



'I　see；'　she　said　musingly；　'you　mean　that　I　am　fortunate　in

my　father。　　But　I　am　not　so　fortunate　after　all；　you　forget；

I　do　not　know　him；　it　is　you　who　know　him；　he　is　already　more

your　father　than　mine。'　　And　here　she　took　his　hand。　　Dick's

heart　had　grown　as　cold　as　ice。　　'But　I　am　sorry　for　you；

too；'　she　continued；　'it　must　be　very　sad　and　lonely。'



'You　misunderstand　me；'　said　Dick；　chokingly。　　'My　father　is

the　best　man　I　know　in　all　this　world；　he　is　worth　a　hundred

of　me；　only　he　doesn't　understand　me；　and　he　can't　be　made

to。'



There　was　a　silence　for　a　while。　　'Dick；'　she　began　again；　'I

am　going　to　ask　a　favour；　it's　the　first　since　you　said　you

loved　me。　　May　I　see　your　father　…　see　him　pass；　I　mean；

where　he　will　not　observe　me？'



'Why？'　asked　Dick。



'It　is　a　fancy；　you　forget；　I　am　romantic　about　fathers。'



The　hint　was　enough　for　Dick；　he　consented　with　haste；　and

full　of　hang…dog　penitence　and　disgust；　took　her　down　by　a

backway　and　planted　her　in　the　shrubbery；　whence　she　might

see　the　Squire　ride　by　to　dinner。　　There　they　both　sat

silent；　but　holding　hands；　for　nearly　half　an　hour。　　At　last

the　trotting　of　a　horse　sounded　in　the　distance；　the　park

gates　opened　with　a　clang；　and　then　Mr。　Naseby　appeared；　with

stooping　shoulders　and　a　heavy；　bilious　countenance；

languidly　rising　to　the　trot。　　Esther　recognised　him　at　once；

she　had　often　seen　him　before；　though　with　her　huge

indifference　for　all　that　lay　outside　the　circle　of　her　love；

she　had　never　so　much　as　wondered　who　he　was；　but　now　she

recognised　him；　and　found　him　ten　years　older；　leaden　and

springless；　and　stamped　by　an　abiding　sorrow。



'Oh　Dick；　Dick！'　she　said；　and　the　tears　began　to　shine　upon

her　face　as　she　hid　it　in　his　bosom；　his　own　fell　thickly

too。　　They　had　a　sad　walk　home；　and　that　night；　full　of　love

and　good　counsel；　Dick　exerted　every　art　to　please　his

father；　to　convince　him　of　his　respect　and　affection；　to　heal

up　this　breach　of　kindness；　and　reunite　two　hearts。　　But

alas！　the　Squire　was　sick　and　peevish；　he　had　been　all　day

glooming　over　Dick's　e