the hand of ethelberta-第51节

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'The　poor　thing　has　strayed　from　its　owner；'　said　one　lady；　as　they
all　stood　eyeing　the　apparition　of　the　ass。

'It　may　belong　to　some　of　the　villagers；'　said　the　President　in　a
historical　voice：　　'and　it　may　be　appropriate　to　mention　that　many
were　kept　here　in　olden　times：　　they　were　largely　used　as　beasts　of
burden　in　victualling　the　castle　previous　to　the　last　siege；　in　the
year　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…five。'

'It　is　very　weary；　and　has　come　a　long　way；　I　think；'　said　a　lady；
adding；　in　an　imaginative　tone；　'the　humble　creature　looks　so　aged
and　is　so　quaintly　saddled　that　we　may　suppose　it　to　be　only　an
animated　relic；　of　the　same　date　as　the　other　remains。'

By　this　time　Lord　Mountclere　had　noticed　Ethelberta's　presence；　and
straightening　himself　to　ten　years　younger；　he　lifted　his　hat　in
answer　to　her　smile；　and　came　up　jauntily。　　It　was　a　good　time　now
to　see　what　the　viscount　was　really　like。　　He　appeared　to　be　about
sixty…five；　and　the　dignified　aspect　which　he　wore　to　a　gazer　at　a
distance　became　depreciated　to　jocund　slyness　upon　nearer　view；　when
the　small　type　could　be　read　between　the　leading　lines。　　Then　it
could　be　seen　that　his　upper　lip　dropped　to　a　point　in　the　middle；
as　if　impressing　silence　upon　his　too　demonstrative　lower　one。　　His
right　and　left　profiles　were　different；　one　corner　of　his　mouth
being　more　compressed　than　the　other；　producing　a　deep　line　thence
downwards　to　the　side　of　his　chin。　　Each　eyebrow　rose　obliquely
outwards　and　upwards；　and　was　thus　far　above　the　little　eye；　shining
with　the　clearness　of　a　pond　that　has　just　been　able　to　weather　the
heats　of　summer。　　Below　this　was　a　preternaturally　fat　jowl；　which；
by　thrusting　against　cheeks　and　chin；　caused　the　arch　old　mouth　to
be　almost　buried　at　the　corners。

A　few　words　of　greeting　passed；　and　Ethelberta　told　him　how　she　was
fearing　to　meet　them　all；　united　and　primed　with　their　morning's
knowledge　as　they　appeared　to　be。

'Well；　we　have　not　done　much　yet；'　said　Lord　Mountclere。　　'As　for
myself；　I　have　given　no　thought　at　all　to　our　day's　work。　　I　had　not
forgotten　your　promise　to　attend；　if　you　could　possibly　drive
across；　andhee…hee…hee！I　have　frequently　looked　towards　the　hill
where　the　road　descends。　。　。　。　　Will　you　now　permit　me　to　introduce
some　of　my　partyas　many　of　them　as　you　care　to　know　by　name？　　I
think　they　would　all　like　to　speak　to　you。'

Ethelberta　then　found　herself　nominally　made　known　to　ten　or　a　dozen
ladies　and　gentlemen　who　had　wished　for　special　acquaintance　with
her。　　She　stood　there；　as　all　women　stand　who　have　made　themselves
remarkable　by　their　originality；　or　devotion　to　any　singular　cause；
as　a　person　freed　of　her　hampering　and　inconvenient　sex；　and；　by
virtue　of　her　popularity；　unfettered　from　the　conventionalities　of
manner　prescribed　by　custom　for　household　womankind。　　The　charter　to
move　abroad　unchaperoned；　which　society　for　good　reasons　grants　only
to　women　of　three　sortsthe　famous；　the　ministering；　and　the
improperEthelberta　was　in　a　fair　way　to　make　splendid　use　of：
instead　of　walking　in　protected　lanes　she　experienced　that　luxury　of
isolation　which　normally　is　enjoyed　by　men　alone；　in　conjunction
with　the　attention　naturally　bestowed　on　a　woman　young　and　fair。
Among　the　presentations　were　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Tynn；　member　and　member's
mainspring　for　North　Wessex；　Sir　Cyril　and　Lady　Blandsbury；　Lady
Jane　Joy；　and　the　Honourable　Edgar　Mountclere；　the　viscount's
brother。　　There　also　hovered　near　her　the　learned　Doctor　Yore；　Mr。
Small；　a　profound　writer；　who　never　printed　his　works；　the　Reverend
Mr。　Brook；　rector；　the　Very　Reverend　Dr。　Taylor；　dean；　and　the
undoubtedly　Reverend　Mr。　Tinkleton；　Nonconformist；　who　had　slipped
into　the　fold　by　chance。

These　and　others　looked　with　interest　at　Ethelberta：　　the　old　county
fathers　hard；　as　at　a　questionable　town　phenomenon；　the　county　sons
tenderly；　as　at　a　pretty　creature；　and　the　county　daughters　with
great　admiration；　as　at　a　lady　reported　by　their　mammas　to　be　no
better　than　she　should　be。　　It　will　be　seen　that　Ethelberta　was　the
sort　of　woman　that　well…rooted　local　people　might　like　to　look　at　on
such　a　free　and　friendly　occasion　as　an　archaeological　meeting；
where；　to　gratify　a　pleasant　whim；　the　picturesque　form　of
acquaintance　is　for　the　nonce　preferred　to　the　useful；　the　spirits
being　so　brisk　as　to　swerve　from　strict　attention　to　the　select　and
sequent　gifts　of　heaven；　blood　and　acres；　to　consider　for　an　idle
moment　the　subversive　Mephistophelian　endowment；　brains。

'Our　progress　in　the　survey　of　the　castle　has　not　been　far　as　yet；'
Lord　Mountclere　resumed；　'indeed；　we　have　only　just　arrived；　the
weather　this　morning　being　so　unsettled。　　When　you　came　up　we　were
engaged　in　a　preliminary　study　of　the　poor　animal　you　see　there：
how　it　could　have　got　up　here　we　cannot　understand。'

He　pointed　as　he　spoke　to　the　donkey　which　had　brought　Ethelberta
thither；　whereupon　she　was　silent；　and　gazed　at　her　untoward　beast
as　if　she　had　never　before　beheld　him。

The　ass　looked　at　Ethelberta　as　though　he　would　say；　'Why　don't　you
own　me；　after　safely　bringing　you　over　those　weary　hills？'　　But　the
pride　and　emulation　which　had　made　her　what　she　was　would　not　permit
her；　as　the　most　lovely　woman　there；　to　take　upon　her　own　shoulders
the　ridicule　that　had　already　been　cast　upon　the　ass。　　Had　he　been
young　and　gaily　caparisoned；　she　might　have　done　it；　but　his　age；
the　clumsy　trappings　of　rustic　make；　and　his　needy　woful　look　of
hard　servitude；　were　too　much　to　endure。

'Many　come　and　picnic　here；'　she　said　serenely；　'and　the　animal　may
have　been　left　till　they　return　from　some　walk。'

'True；'　said　Lord　Mountclere；　without　the　slightest　suspicion　of　the
truth。　　The　humble　ass　hung　his　head　in　his　usual　manner；　and　it
demanded　little　fancy　from　Ethelberta　to　imagine　that　he　despised
her。　　And　then　her　mind　flew　back　to　her　history　and　extraction；　to
her　fatherperhaps　at　that　moment　inventing　a　private　plate…powder
in　an　underground　pantryand　with　a　groan　at　her　inconsistency　in
being　ashamed　of　the　ass；　she　said　in　her　heart；　'My　God；　what　a
thing　am　I！'

They　then　all　moved　on　to　another　part　of　the　castle；　the　viscount
busying　himself　round　and　round　her　person　like　the　head　scraper　at
a　pig…killing；　and　as　they　went　indiscriminately　mingled；　jesting
lightly　or　talking　in　earnest；　she　beheld　ahead　of　her　the　form　of
Neigh　among　the　rest。

Now；　there　could　only　be　one　reason　on　earth　for　Neigh's　presence
her　remark　that　she　might　attendfor　Neigh　took　no　more　interest　in
antiquities　than　in　the　back　of　the　moon。　　Ethelberta　was　a　little
flurried；　perhaps　he　had　come　to　scold　her；　or　to　treat　her　badly　in
that　indefinable　way　of　his　by　which　he　could　make　a　woman　feel　as
nothing　without　any　direct　act　at　all。　　She　was　afraid　of　him；　and；
determining　to　shun　him；　was　thankful　that　Lord　Mountclere　was　near；
to　take　off　the　edge　of　Neigh's　manner　towards　her　if　he　approached。

'Do　you　know　in　what　part　of　the　ruins　the　lecture　is　to　be　given？'
she　said　to　the　viscount。

'Wherever　you　like；'　he　replied　gallantly。　　'Do　you　propose　a　place；
and　I　will　get　Dr。　Yore　to　adopt　it。　　Say；　shall　it　be　here；　or
where　they　are　standing？'

How　could　Ethelberta　refrain　from　exercising　a　little　power　when　it
was　put　into　her　hands　in　this　way？

'Let　it　be　here；'　she　said；　'if　it　makes　no　difference　to　the
meeting。'

'It　shall　be；'　said　Lord　Mountclere。

And　then　the　lively　old　nobleman　skipped　like　a　roe　to　the　President
and　to　Dr。　Yore；　who　was　to　read　the　paper　on　the　castle；　and　they
soon　appeared　coming　back　to　where　the　viscount's　party　and
Ethelberta　were　beginning　to　seat　themselves。　　The　bulk　of　the
company　followed；　and　Dr。　　Yore　began。

He　must　have　had　a　countenance　of　leatheras；　indeed；　from　his
colour　he　appeared　to　haveto　stand　unmoved　in　his　position；　and
read；　and　look　up　to　give　explanations；　without　a　change　of　muscle；
under　the　dozens　of　bright　eyes　that　were　there　converged　upon　him；
like　the　sticks　of　a　fan；　from　the　ladies　who　sat　round　him　in　a
semicircle　upon　the　grass。　　However；　he　went　on　calmly；　and　the
women　sheltered　themselves　from　the　heat　with　their　umbrellas　and
sunshades；　their　ears　lulled　by　the　hum　of　insects；　and　by　the　drone
of　the　doctor's　voice。　　The　reader　buzzed　on　with　the　history　of　the
castle；　tracing　its　development　from　a　mound　with　a　few　earthworks
to　its　condition　in　Norman　times；　he　related　monkish　marvels
connected　with　the　spot；　its　resistance　under　Matilda　to　Stephen；
its　probable　shape　while　a　residence　of　King　John；　and　the　sad　story
of　the　Damsel　of　Brittany；　sister　of　his　victim　Arthur；　who　was
confined　here　in　company　with　the　two　daughters　of　Alexander；　king
of　Scotland。　　He　went　on　to　recount　the　confinement　of　Edward　II。
herein；　previous　to　his　murder　at　Berkeley；　the　gay　doings　in　the
reign　of　Elizabeth；　and　so　downward　through　time　to　the　final
overthrow　of　the　stern　old　pile。　　As　he　proceeded；　the　lecturer
pointed　with　his　finger　at　the　various　features　appertaining　to　the
date　of　his　story；　which　he　told　with　splendid　vigour　when　he　had
warmed　to　his　work；　till　his　narrative；　p