the hand of ethelberta-第14节

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opinion；　having　proved　its　value　frequently；　for　it　was　not　that　of
a　woman　merely；　but　impersonally　human。　　Though　she　was　unknown　to
fame；　this　was　a　great　gift　in　Faith；　since　to　have　an　unsexed
judgment　is　as　precious　as　to　be　an　unsexed　being　is　deplorable。

'It　is　very　fair　indeed；'　said　the　sister；　scarcely　moving　her　lips
in　her　great　attention。　　'Now　again；　and　again；　and　again。　　How
could　you　do　it　in　the　time！'

Kit　knew　that　she　admired　his　performance：　　passive　assent　was　her
usual　praise；　and　she　seldom　insisted　vigorously　upon　any　view　of
his　compositions　unless　for　purposes　of　emendation。

'I　was　thinking　that；　as　I　cannot　very　well　write　to　her；　I　may　as
well　send　her　this；'　said　Christopher；　with　lightened　spirits；　voice
to　correspond；　and　eyes　likewise；　'there　can　be　no　objection　to　it；
for　such　things　are　done　continually。　　Consider　while　I　am　gone；
Faith。　　I　shall　be　out　this　evening　for　an　hour　or　two。'

When　Christopher　left　the　house　shortly　after；　instead　of　going　into
the　town　on　some　errand；　as　was　customary　whenever　he　went　from　home
after　dark；　he　ascended　a　back　street；　passed　over　the　hills　behind；
and　walked　at　a　brisk　pace　inland　along　the　road　to　Rookington　Park；
where；　as　he　had　learnt；　Ethelberta　and　Lady　Petherwin　were　staying
for　a　time；　the　day　or　two　which　they　spent　at　Wyndway　having　formed
a　short　break　in　the　middle　of　this　visit。　　The　moon　was　shining　to…
night；　and　Christopher　sped　onwards　over　the　pallid　high…road　as
readily　as　he　could　have　done　at　noonday。　　In　three…quarters　of　an
hour　he　reached　the　park　gates；　and　entering　now　upon　a　tract　which
he　had　never　before　explored；　he　went　along　more　cautiously　and　with
some　uncertainty　as　to　the　precise　direction　that　the　road　would
take。　　A　frosted　expanse　of　even　grass；　on　which　the　shadow　of　his
head　appeared　with　an　opal　halo　round　it；　soon　allowed　the　house　to
be　discovered　beyond；　the　other　portions　of　the　park　abounding　with
timber　older　and　finer　than　that　of　any　other　spot　in　the
neighbourhood。　　Christopher　withdrew　into　the　shade；　and　wheeled
round　to　the　front　of　the　building　that　contained　his　old　love。
Here　he　gazed　and　idled；　as　many　a　man　has　done　before　him
wondering　which　room　the　fair　poetess　occupied；　waiting　till　lights
began　to　appear　in　the　upper　windowswhich　they　did　as　uncertainly
as　glow…worms　blinking　up　at　eventideand　warming　with　currents　of
revived　feeling　in　perhaps　the　sweetest　of　all　conditions。　　New　love
is　brightest；　and　long　love　is　greatest；　but　revived　love　is　the
tenderest　thing　known　upon　earth。

Occupied　thus；　Christopher　was　greatly　surprised　to　see；　on　casually
glancing　to　one　side；　another　man　standing　close　to　the　shadowy
trunk　of　another　tree；　in　a　similar　attitude　to　his　own；　gazing；
with　arms　folded；　as　blankly　at　the　windows　of　the　house　as
Christopher　himself　had　been　gazing。　　Not　willing　to　be　discovered；
Christopher　stuck　closer　to　his　tree。　　While　he　waited　thus；　the
stranger　began　murmuring　words；　in　a　slow　soft　voice。　　Christopher
listened　till　he　heard　the　following：

　　　　　'Pale　was　the　day　and　rayless；　love；
　　　　　　　　　　　That　had　an　eve　so　dim。'

Two　well…known　lines　from　one　of　Ethelberta's　poems。

Jealousy　is　a　familiar　kind　of　heat　which　disfigures；　licks
playfully；　clouds；　blackens；　and　boils　a　man　as　a　fire　does　a　pot；
and　on　recognizing　these　pilferings　from　what　he　had　grown　to　regard
as　his　own　treasury；　Christopher's　fingers　began　to　nestle　with
great　vigour　in　the　palms　of　his　hands。　　Three　or　four　minutes
passed；　when　the　unknown　rival　gave　a　last　glance　at　the　windows；
and　walked　away。　　Christopher　did　not　like　the　look　of　that　walk　at
allthere　was　grace　enough　in　it　to　suggest　that　his　antagonist　had
no　mean　chance　of　finding　favour　in　a　woman's　eyes。　　A　sigh；　too；
seemed　to　proceed　from　the　stranger's　breast；　but　as　their　distance
apart　was　too　great　for　any　such　sound　to　be　heard　by　any
possibility；　Christopher　set　down　that　to　imagination；　or　to　the
brushing　of　the　wind　over　the　trees。

The　lighted　windows　went　out　one　by　one；　and　all　the　house　was　in
darkness。　　Julian　then　walked　off　himself；　with　a　vigour　that　was
spasmodic　only；　and　with　much　less　brightness　of　mind　than　he　had
experienced　on　his　journey　hither。　　The　stranger　had　gone　another
way；　and　Christopher　saw　no　more　of　him。　　When　he　reached
Sandbourne；　Faith　was　still　sitting　up。

'But　I　told　you　I　was　going　to　take　a　long　walk；'　he　said。

'No；　Christopher：　　really　you　did　not。　　How　tired　and　sad　you　do
lookthough　I　always　know　beforehand　when　you　are　in　that　state：
one　of　your　feet　has　a　drag　about　it　as　you　pass　along　the　pavement
outside　the　window。'

'Yes；　I　forgot　that　I　did　not　tell　you。'

He　could　not　begin　to　describe　his　pilgrimage：　　it　was　too　silly　a
thing　even　for　her　to　hear　of。

'It　does　not　matter　at　all　about　my　staying　up；'　said　Faith
assuringly；　'that　is；　if　exercise　benefits　you。　　Walking　up　and　down
the　lane；　I　suppose？'

'No；　not　walking　up　and　down　the　lane。'

'The　turnpike…road　to　Rookington　is　pleasant。'

'Faith；　that　is　really　where　I　have　been。　　How　came　you　to　know？'

'I　only　guessed。　　Verses　and　an　accidental　meeting　produce　a　special
journey。'

'Ethelberta　is　a　fine　woman；　physically　and　mentally；　both。　　I
wonder　people　do　not　talk　about　her　twice　as　much　as　they　do。'

'Then　surely　you　are　getting　attached　to　her　again。　　You　think　you
discover　in　her　more　than　anybody　else　does；　and　love　begins　with　a
sense　of　superior　discernment。'

'No；　no。　　That　is　only　nonsense；'　he　said　hurriedly。　　'However；　love
her　or　love　her　not；　I　can　keep　a　corner　of　my　heart　for　you；　Faith。
There　is　another　brute　after　her　too；　it　seems。'

'Of　course　there　is：　　I　expect　there　are　many。　　Her　position　in
society　is　above　ours；　so　that　it　is　an　unwise　course　to　go
troubling　yourself　more　about　her。'

'No。　　If　a　needy　man　must　be　so　foolish　as　to　fall　in　love；　it　is
best　to　do　so　where　he　cannot　double　his　foolishness　by　marrying　the
woman。'

'I　don't　like　to　hear　you　talk　so　slightingly　of　what　poor　father
did。'

Christopher　fixed　his　attention　on　the　supper。　　That　night；　late　as
it　was；　when　Faith　was　in　bed　and　sleeping；　he　sat　before　a　sheet　of
music…paper；　neatly　copying　his　composition　upon　it。　　The　manuscript
was　intended　as　an　offering　to　Ethelberta　at　the　first　convenient
opportunity。



'Well；　after　all　my　trouble　to　find　out　about　Ethelberta；　here　comes
the　clue　unasked　for；'　said　the　musician　to　his　sister　a　few　days
later。

She　turned　and　saw　that　he　was　reading　the　Wessex　Reflector。

'What　is　it？'　asked　Faith。

'The　secret　of　the　true　authorship　of　the　book　is　out　at　last；　and
it　is　Ethelberta　of　course。　　I　am　so　glad　to　have　it　proved　hers。'

'But　can　we　believe？'

'O　yes。　　Just　hear　what　〃Our　London　Correspondent〃　says。　　It　is　one
of　the　nicest　bits　of　gossip　that　he　has　furnished　us　with　for　a
long　time。'

'Yes：　　now　read　it；　do。'

'〃The　author　of　'Metres　by　E。'〃'　Christopher　began；　'〃a　book　of
which　so　much　has　been　said　and　conjectured；　and　one；　in　fact；　that
has　been　the　chief　talk　for　several　weeks　past　of　the　literary
circles　to　which　I　belong；　is　a　young　lady　who　was　a　widow　before
she　reached　the　age　of　eighteen；　and　is　now　not　far　beyond　her
fourth　lustrum。　　I　was　additionally　informed　by　a　friend　whom　I　met
yesterday　on　his　way　to　the　House　of　Lords；　that　her　name　is　Mrs。
PetherwinChristian　name　Ethelberta；　and　that　she　resides　with　her
mother…in…law　at　their　house　in　Exonbury　Crescent。　　She　is；
moreover；　the　daughter　of　the　late　Bishop　of　Silchester　（if　report
may　be　believed）；　whose　active　benevolence；　as　your　readers　know；
left　his　family　in　comparatively　straitened　circumstances　at　his
death。　　The　marriage　was　a　secret　one；　and　much　against　the　wish　of
her　husband's　friends；　who　are　wealthy　people　on　all　sides。　　The
death　of　the　bridegroom　two　or　three　weeks　after　the　wedding　led　to
a　reconciliation；　and　the　young　poetess　was　taken　to　the　home　which
she　still　occupies；　devoted　to　the　composition　of　such　brilliant
effusions　as　those　the　world　has　lately　been　favoured　with　from　her
pen。〃'

'If　you　want　to　send　her　your　music；　you　can　do　so　now；'　said　Faith。

'I　might　have　sent　it　before；　but　I　wanted　to　deliver　it　personally。
However；　it　is　all　the　same　now；　I　suppose；　whether　I　send　it　or
not。　　I　always　knew　that　our　destinies　would　lie　apart；　though　she
was　once　temporarily　under　a　cloud。　　Her　momentary　inspiration　to
write　that　〃Cancelled　Words〃　was　the　worst　possible　omen　for　me。　　It
showed　that；　thinking　me　no　longer　useful　as　a　practical　chance；　she
would　make　me　ornamental　as　a　poetical　regret。　　But　I'll　send　the
manuscript　of　the　song。'

'In　the　way　of　business；　as　a　composer　only；　and　you　must　say　to
yourself；　〃Ethelberta；　as　thou　art　but　woman；　I　dare；　but　as　widow　I
fear　thee。〃'

Notwithstanding　Christopher's　affected　carelessness；　that　evening
saw　a　great　deal　of　nicety　bestowed　upon　the　operation　of　wrapping
up　and　sending　off　the　song。　　He　dropped　it　into　the　box　and　heard
it　fall；　and　with　the　curious　power　which　he　possessed　of　setting
his　wisdom　to　watch　any　particular　folly　in