the hand of ethelberta-第43节

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to　hear　that　your　star　is　higher　than　mine。'

Before　Neigh　could　make　further　reply　Ladywell　was　attracted　by　the
glow　of　green　sunlight　reflected　through　the　south　door　by　the　grass
of　the　churchyard；　now　in　all　its　spring　freshness　and　luxuriance。
He　bent　his　steps　thither；　followed　anxiously　by　Neigh。

'I　had　no　idea　there　was　such　a　lovely　green　spot　in　the　city；'
Ladywell　continued；　passing　out。　　'Trees　too；　planted　in　the　manner
of　an　orchard。　　What　a　charming　place！'

The　place　was　truly　charming　just　at　that　date。　　The　untainted
leaves　of　the　lime　and　plane　trees　and　the　newly…sprung　grass　had　in
the　sun　a　brilliancy　of　beauty　that　was　brought　into　extraordinary
prominence　by　the　sable　soil　showing　here　and　there；　and　the
charcoaled　stems　and　trunks　out　of　which　the　leaves　budded：　　they
seemed　an　importation；　not　a　produce；　and　their　delicacy　such　as
would　perish　in　a　day。

'What　is　this　round　tower？'　Ladywell　said　again；　walking　towards　the
iron…grey　bastion；　partly　covered　with　ivy　and　Virginia　creeper；
which　stood　obtruding　into　the　enclosure。

'O；　didn't　you　know　that　was　here？　　That's　a　piece　of　the　old　city
wall；'　said　Neigh；　looking　furtively　around　at　the　same　time。
Behind　the　bastion　the　churchyard　ran　into　a　long　narrow　strip；
grassed　like　the　other　part；　but　completely　hidden　from　it　by　the
cylinder　of　ragged　masonry。　　On　rounding　this　projection；　Ladywell
beheld　within　a　few　feet　of　him　a　lady　whom　he　knew　too　well。

'Mrs。　Petherwin　here！'　exclaimed　he；　proving　how　ignorant　he　had
been　of　the　composition　of　the　party　he　was　to　meet；　and　accounting
at　the　same　time　for　his　laxity　in　attending　it。

'I　forgot　to　tell　you；'　said　Neigh　awkwardly；　behind　him；　'that　Mrs。
Petherwin　was　to　come　with　us。'

Ethelberta's　look　was　somewhat　blushful　and　agitated；　as　if　from
some　late　transaction：　　she　appeared　to　have　been　secluding　herself
there　till　she　should　have　recovered　her　equanimity。　　However；　she
came　up　to　him　and　said；　'I　did　not　see　you　before　this　moment：　　we
had　been　thinking　you　would　not　come。'

While　these　words　were　being　prettily　spoken；　Ladywell's　face　became
pale　as　death。　　On　Ethelberta's　bosom　were　the　stem　and　green　calyx
of　a　rose；　almost　all　its　flower　having　disappeared。　　It　had　been　a
Harlequin　rose；　for　two　or　three　of　its　striped　leaves　remained　to
tell　the　tale。

She　could　not　help　noticing　his　fixed　gaze；　and　she　said　quickly；
'Yes；　I　have　lost　my　pretty　rose：　　this　may　as　well　go　now；'　and　she
plucked　the　stem　from　its　fastening　in　her　dress　and　flung　it　away。

Poor　Ladywell　turned　round　to　meet　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Belmaine；　whose
voices　were　beginning　to　be　heard　just　within　the　church　door；
leaving　Neigh　and　Ethelberta　together。　　It　was　a　graceful　act　of
young　Ladywell's　that；　in　the　midst　of　his　own　pain　at　the　strange
tale　the　rose…leaves　suggestedNeigh's　rivalry；　Ethelberta's
mutability；　his　own　defeathe　was　not　regardless　of　the　intense
embarrassment　which　might　have　been　caused　had　he　remained。

The　two　were　silent　at　first；　and　it　was　evident　that　Ethelberta's
mood　was　one　of　anger　at　something　that　had　gone　before。　　She　turned
aside　from　him　to　follow　the　others；　when　Neigh　spoke　in　a　tone
somewhat　bitter　and　somewhat　stern。

'Whatgoing　like　that！　　After　being　compromised　together；　why　don't
you　close　with　me？　　Ladywell　knows　all：　　I　had　already　told　him　that
the　rose…leaves　were　given　me　by　my　intended　wife。　　We　seem　to　him
to　be　practising　deceptions　all　of　a　piece；　and　what　folly　it　is　to
play　off　so！　　As　to　what　I　did；　that　I　ask　your　forgiveness　for。'

Ethelberta　looked　upon　the　ground　and　maintained　a　compressed　lip。
Neigh　resumed：　　'If　I　showed　more　feeling　than　you　care　for；　I
insist　that　it　was　not　more　than　was　natural　under　the
circumstances；　if　not　quite　proper。　　Opinions　may　differ；　but　my
experience　goes　to　prove　that　conventional　squeamishness　at　such
times　as　these　is　more　talked　and　written　about　than　practised。
Plain　behaviour　must　be　expected　when　marriage　is　the　question。
Nevertheless；　I　do　sayand　I　cannot　say　morethat　I　am　sincerely
sorry　to　have　offended　you　by　exceeding　my　privileges。　　I　will　never
do　so　again。'

'Don't　say　privileges。　　You　have　none。'

'I　am　sorry　that　I　thought　otherwise；　and　that　others　will　think　so
too。　　Ladywell　is；　at　any　rate；　bent　on　thinking　so。　。　。　。　　It　might
have　been　made　known　to　him　in　a　gentle　waybut　God　disposes。'

'There　is　nothing　to　make　knownI　don't　understand；'　said
Ethelberta；　going　from　him。

By　this　time　Ladywell　had　walked　round　the　gravel　walks　with　the　two
other　ladies　and　Mr。　Belmaine；　and　they　were　all　turning　to　come
back　again。　　The　young　painter　had　deputed　his　voice　to　reply　to
their　remarks；　but　his　understanding　continued　poring　upon　other
things。　　When　he　came　up　to　Ethelberta；　his　agitation　had　left　him：
she　too　was　free　from　constraint；　while　Neigh　was　some　distance　off；
carefully　examining　nothing　in　particular　in　an　old　fragment　of
wall。

The　little　party　was　now　united　again　as　to　its　persons；　though　in
spirit　far　otherwise。　　They　went　through　the　church　in　general　talk；
Ladywell　sad　but　serene；　and　Ethelberta　keeping　far…removed　both
from　him　and　from　Neigh。　　She　had　at　this　juncture　entered　upon　that
Sphinx…like　stage　of　existence　in　which；　contrary　to　her　earlier
manner；　she　signified　to　no　one　of　her　ways；　plans；　or　sensations；
and　spoke　little　on　any　subject　at　all。　　There　were　occasional
smiles　now　which　came　only　from　the　face；　and　speeches　from　the　lips
merely。

The　journey　home　was　performed　as　they　had　come；　Ladywell　not
accepting　the　seat　in　Neigh's　cab　which　was　phlegmatically　offered
him。　　Mrs。　Doncastle's　acquaintance　with　Ethelberta　had　been　slight
until　this　day；　but　the　afternoon's　proceeding　had　much　impressed
the　matron　with　her　younger　friend。　　Before　they　parted　she　said；
with　the　sort　of　affability　which　is　meant　to　signify　the　beginning
of　permanent　friendship：　　'A　friend　of　my　husband's；　Lord
Mountclere；　has　been　anxious　for　some　time　to　meet　you。　　He　is　a
great　admirer　of　the　poems；　and　more　still　of　the　story…telling
invention；　and　your　power　in　it。　　He　has　been　present　many　times　at
the　Mayfair　Hall　to　hear　you。　　When　will　you　dine　with　us　to　meet
him？　　I　know　you　will　like　him。　　Will　Thursday　be　convenient？'

Ethelberta　stood　for　a　moment　reflecting；　and　reflecting　hoped　that
Mrs。　Doncastle　had　not　noticed　her　momentary　perplexity。　　Crises
were　becoming　as　common　with　her　as　blackberries；　and　she　had
foreseen　this　one　a　long　time。　　It　was　not　that　she　was　to　meet　Lord
Mountclere；　for　he　was　only　a　name　and　a　distant　profile　to　her：　　it
was　that　her　father　would　necessarily　be　present　at　the　meeting；　in
the　most　anomalous　position　that　human　nature　could　endure。

However；　having　often　proved　in　her　disjointed　experience　that　the
shortest　way　out　of　a　difficulty　lies　straight　through　it；
Ethelberta　decided　to　dine　at　the　Doncastles'；　and；　as　she　murmured
that　she　should　have　great　pleasure　in　meeting　any　friend　of　theirs；
set　about　contriving　how　the　encounter　with　her　dearest　relative
might　be　made　safe　and　unsuspected。　　She　bade　them　adieu　blithely；
but　the　thoughts　engendered　by　the　invitation　stood　before　her　as
sorrowful　and　rayless　ghosts　which　could　not　be　laid。　　Often　at　such
conjunctures　as　these；　when　the　futility　of　her　great　undertaking
was　more　than　usually　manifest；　did　Ethelberta　long　like　a　tired
child　for　the　conclusion　of　the　whole　matter；　when　her　work　should
be　over；　and　the　evening　come；　when　she　might　draw　her　boat　upon　the
shore；　and　in　some　thymy　nook　await　eternal　night　with　a　placid
mind。



28。　ETHELBERTA'S　…　MR。　CHICKEREL'S　ROOM

The　question　of　Neigh　or　no　Neigh　had　reached　a　pitch　of　insistence
which　no　longer　permitted　of　dallying；　even　by　a　popular　beauty。
His　character　was　becoming　defined　to　Ethelberta　as　something　very
differently　composed　from　that　of　her　first　imagining。　　She　had　set
him　down　to　be　a　man　whose　external　in　excitability　owed　nothing　to
self…repression；　but　stood　as　the　natural　surface　of　the　mass
within。　　Neigh's　urban　torpor；　she　said；　might　have　been　in　the
first　instance　produced　by　art；　but；　were　it　thus；　it　had　gone　so
far　as　to　permeate　him。　　This　had　been　disproved；　first
surprisingly；　by　his　reported　statement；　wondrously；　in　the　second
place；　by　his　call　upon　her　and　sudden　proposal；　thirdly；　to　a
degree　simply　astounding；　by　what　had　occurred　in　the　city　that　day。
For　Neigh；　before　the　fervour　had　subsided　which　was　produced　in　him
by　her　look　and　general　power　while　reading　'Paradise　Lost；'　found
himself　alone　with　her　in　a　nook　outside　the　church；　and　there　had
almost　demanded　her　promise　to　be　his　wife。　　She　had　replied　by
asking　for　time；　and　idly　offering　him　the　petals　of　her　rose；　that
had　shed　themselves　in　her　hand。　　Neigh；　in　taking　them；　pressed　her
fingers　more　warmly　than　she　thought　she　had　given　him　warrant　for；
which　offended　her。　　It　was　certainly　a　very　momentary　affair；　and
when　it　was　over　seemed　to　surprise　himself　almost　as　much　as　it　had
vexed　her；　but　it　had　reminded　her　of　one　truth　which　she　was　in
danger　of　forgetting。　　The　town　gent