the hand of ethelberta-第54节

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'Let　me　have　it　at　once。　　Always　bring　it　to　me　at　once。　　Are　there
any　handsome　ones　this　time？'

'They　are　much　the　same　class　of　female　as　usual；　I　think；　my　lord；'
said　Tipman；　fetching　the　paper　and　laying　it　before　him。

'Yes；　they　are；'　said　the　viscount；　leaning　back　and　scrutinizing
the　faces　of　the　women　one　by　one；　and　talking　softly　to　himself　in
a　way　that　had　grown　upon　him　as　his　age　increased。　　'Yet　they　are
very　well：　　that　one　with　her　shoulder　turned　is　pure　and　charming
the　brown…haired　one　will　pass。　　All　very　harmless　and　innocent；　but
without　character；　no　soul；　or　inspiration；　or　eloquence　of　eye。
What　an　eye　was　hers！　　There　is　not　a　girl　among　them　so　beautiful。
。　。　。　　Tipman！　　Come　and　take　it　away。　　I　don't　think　I　will
subscribe　to　these　papers　any　longerhow　long　have　I　subscribed？
Never　mindI　take　no　interest　in　these　things；　and　I　suppose　I　must
give　them　up。　　What　white　article　is　that　I　see　on　the　floor
yonder？'

'I　can　see　nothing；　my　lord。'

'Yes；　yes；　you　can。　　At　the　other　end　of　the　room。　　It　is　a　white
handkerchief。　　Bring　it　to　me。'

'I　beg　pardon；　my　lord；　but　I　cannot　see　any　white　handkerchief。
Whereabouts　does　your　lordship　mean？'

'There　in　the　corner。　　If　it　is　not　a　handkerchief；　what　is　it？
Walk　along　till　you　come　to　itthat　is　it；　now　a　little　further
now　your　foot　is　against　it。'

'O　thatit　is　not　anything。　　It　is　the　light　reflected　against　the
skirting；　so　that　it　looks　like　a　white　patch　of　somethingthat　is
all。'

'H'm…hm。　　My　eyeshow　weak　they　are！　　I　am　getting　old；　that's　what
it　is：　　I　am　an　old　man。'

'O　no；　my　lord。'

'Yes；　an　old　man。'

'Well；　we　shall　all　be　old　some　day；　and　so　will　your　lordship；　I
suppose；　but　as　yet'

'I　tell　you　I　am　an　old　man！'

'Yes；　my　lordI　did　not　mean　to　contradict。　　An　old　man　in　one
senseold　in　a　young　man's　sense；　but　not　in　a　house…of…parliament
or　historical　sense。　　A　little　oldishI　meant　that；　my　lord。'

'I　may　be　an　old　man　in　one　sense　or　in　another　sense　in　your　mind；
but　let　me　tell　you　there　are　men　older　than　I'

'Yes；　so　there　are；　my　lord。'

'People　may　call　me　what　they　please；　and　you　may　be　impertinent
enough　to　repeat　to　me　what　they　say；　but　let　me　tell　you　I　am　not　a
very　old　man　after　all。　　I　am　not　an　old　man。'

'Old　in　knowledge　of　the　world　I　meant；　my　lord；　not　in　years。'

'Well；　yes。　　Experience　of　course　I　cannot　be　without。　　And　I　like
what　is　beautiful。　　Tipman；　you　must　go　to　Knollsea；　don't　send；　but
go　yourself；　as　I　wish　nobody　else　to　be　concerned　in　this。　　Go　to
Knollsea；　and　find　out　when　the　steamboat　for　Cherbourg　starts；　and
when　you　have　done　that；　I　shall　want　you　to　send　Taylor　to　me。　　I
wish　Captain　Strong　to　bring　the　Fawn　round　into　Knollsea　Bay。　　Next
week　I　may　want　you　to　go　to　Cherbourg　in　the　yacht　with　meif　the
Channel　is　pretty　calmand　then　perhaps　to　Rouen　and　Paris。　　But　I
will　speak　of　that　to…morrow。'

'Very　good；　my　lord。'

'Meanwhile　I　recommend　that　you　and　Mrs。　Menlove　repeat　nothing　you
may　have　heard　concerning　the　lady　you　just　now　spoke　of。　　Here　is　a
slight　present　for　Mrs。　Menlove；　and　accept　this　for　yourself。'　　He
handed　money。

'Your　lordship　may　be　sure　we　will　not；'　the　valet　replied。



33。　THE　ENGLISH　CHANNEL　…　NORMANDY

On　Monday　morning　the　little　steamer　Speedwell　made　her　appearance
round　the　promontory　by　Knollsea　Bay；　to　take　in　passengers　for　the
transit　to　Cherbourg。　　Breezes　the　freshest　that　could　blow　without
verging　on　keenness　flew　over　the　quivering　deeps　and　shallows；　and
the　sunbeams　pierced　every　detail　of　barrow；　path　and　rabbit…run
upon　the　lofty　convexity　of　down　and　waste　which　shut　in　Knollsea
from　the　world　to　the　west。

They　left　the　pier　at　eight　o'clock；　taking　at　first　a　short
easterly　course　to　avoid　a　sinister　ledge　of　limestones　jutting　from
the　water　like　crocodile's　teeth；　which　first　obtained　notoriety　in
English　history　through　being　the　spot　whereon　a　formidable　Danish
fleet　went　to　pieces　a　thousand　years　ago。　　At　the　moment　that　the
Speedwell　turned　to　enter　upon　the　direct　course；　a　schooner…yacht；
whose　sheets　gleamed　like　bridal　satin；　loosed　from　a　remoter　part
of　the　bay；　continuing　to　bear　off；　she　cut　across　the　steamer's
wake；　and　took　a　course　almost　due　southerly；　which　was　precisely
that　of　the　Speedwell。　　The　wind　was　very　favourable　for　the　yacht；
blowing　a　few　points　from　north　in　a　steady　pressure　on　her　quarter；
and；　having　been　built　with　every　modern　appliance　that　shipwrights
could　offer；　the　schooner　found　no　difficulty　in　getting　abreast；
and　even　ahead；　of　the　steamer；　as　soon　as　she　had　escaped　the
shelter　of　the　hills。

The　more　or　less　parallel　courses　of　the　vessels　continued　for　some
time　without　causing　any　remark　among　the　people　on　board　the
Speedwell。　　At　length　one　noticed　the　fact；　and　another；　and　then　it
became　the　general　topic　of　conversation　in　the　group　upon　the
bridge；　where　Ethelberta；　her　hair　getting　frizzed　and　her　cheeks
carnationed　by　the　wind；　sat　upon　a　camp…stool　looking　towards　the
prow。

'She　is　bound　for　Guernsey；'　said　one。　　'In　half…an…hour　she　will
put　about　for　a　more　westerly　course；　you'll　see。'

'She　is　not　for　Guernsey　or　anywhere　that　way；'　said　an
acquaintance；　looking　through　his　glass。　　'If　she　is　out　for
anything　more　than　a　morning　cruise；　she　is　bound　for　our　port。　　I
should　not　wonder　if　she　is　crossing　to　get　stocked；　as　most　of　them
do；　to　save　the　duty　on　her　wine　and　provisions。'

'Do　you　know　whose　yacht　it　is？'

'I　do　not。'

Ethelberta　looked　at　the　light　leaning　figure　of　the　pretty
schooner；　which　seemed　to　skate　along　upon　her　bilge　and　make　white
shavings　of　all　the　sea　that　touched　her。　　She　at　first　imagined
that　this　might　be　the　yacht　Neigh　had　arrived　in　at　the　end　of　the
previous　week；　for　she　knew　that　he　came　as　one　of　a　yachting　party；
and　she　had　noticed　no　other　boat　of　that　sort　in　the　bay　since　his
arrival。　　But　as　all　his　party　had　gone　ashore　and　not　yet　returned；
she　was　surprised　to　see　the　supposed　vessel　here。　　To　add　to　her
perplexity；　she　could　not　be　positive；　now　that　it　came　to　a　real
nautical　query；　whether　the　craft　of　Neigh's　friends　had　one　mast　or
two；　for　she　had　caught　but　a　fragmentary　view　of　the　topsail　over
the　apple…trees。

'Is　that　the　yacht　which　has　been　lying　at　Knollsea　for　the　last　few
days？'　she　inquired　of　the　master　of　the　Speedwell；　as　soon　as　she
had　an　opportunity。

The　master　warmed　beneath　his　copper…coloured　rind。　　'O　no；　miss；
that　one　you　saw　was　a　cuttera　smaller　boat　altogether；'　he
replied。　　'Built　on　the　sliding…keel　principle；　you　understand；
missand　red　below　her　water…line；　if　you　noticed。　　This　is　Lord
Mountclere's　yachtthe　Fawn。　　You　might　have　seen　her　re'ching　in
round　Old…Harry　Rock　this　morning　afore　we　started。'

'Lord　Mountclere's？'

'Yesa　nobleman　of　this　neighbourhood。　　But　he　don't　do　so　much　at
yachting　as　he　used　to　in　his　younger　days。　　I　believe　he's　aboard
this　morning；　however。'

Ethelberta　now　became　more　absorbed　than　ever　in　their　ocean
comrade；　and　watched　its　motions　continually。　　The　schooner　was
considerably　in　advance　of　them　by　this　time；　and　seemed　to　be
getting　by　degrees　out　of　their　course。　　She　wondered　if　Lord
Mountclere　could　be　really　going　to　Cherbourg：　　if　so；　why　had　he
said　nothing　about　the　trip　to　her　when　she　spoke　of　her　own
approaching　voyage　thither？　　The　yacht　changed　its　character　in　her
eyes；　losing　the　indefinite　interest　of　the　unknown；　it　acquired　the
charm　of　a　riddle　on　motives；　of　which　the　alternatives　were；　had
Lord　Mountclere's　journey　anything　to　do　with　her　own；　or　had　it
not？　　Common　probability　pointed　to　the　latter　supposition；　but　the
time　of　starting；　the　course　of　the　yacht；　and　recollections　of　Lord
Mountclere's　homage；　suggested　the　more　extraordinary　possibility。

She　went　across　to　Cornelia。　　'The　man　who　handed　us　on　board
didn't　I　see　him　speaking　to　you　this　morning？'　she　said。

'O　yes；'　said　Cornelia。　　'He　asked　if　my　mistress　was　the　popular
Mrs。　Petherwin？

'And　you　told　him；　I　suppose？'

'Yes。'

'What　made　you　do　that；　Cornelia？'

'I　thought　I　might：　　I　couldn't　help　it。　　When　I　went　through　the
toll…gate；　such　a　gentlemanly…looking　man　asked　me　if　he　should　help
me　to　carry　the　things　to　the　end　of　the　pier；　and　as　we　went　on
together　he　said　he　supposed　me　to　be　Mrs。　Petherwin's　maid。　　I
said；　〃Yes。〃　　The　two　men　met　afterwards；　so　there　would　ha'　been　no
good　in　my　denying　it　to　one　of　'em。'

'Who　was　this　gentlemanly　person？'

'I　asked　the　other　man　that；　and　he　told　me　one　of　Lord　Mountclere's
upper　servants。　　I　knew　then　there　was　no　harm　in　having　been　civil
to　him。　　He　is　well…mannered；　and　talks　splendid　language。'

'That　yacht　you　see　on　our　right　hand　is　Lord　Mountclere's　property。
If　I　do　not　mistake；　we　shall　have　her　closer　by…and…by；　and　you　may
meet　your　gentlemanly　friend　again。　　Be　careful　how　you　talk　to
him。'

Ethelberta　sat　down；　thought　of　the　meeting　at　Corvsgate　Castle；　of
the　dinner…party　at　Mr。　Doncastle's；　of　the　strange　position　she　had
there　been　in；　and　then　of　her　father。　　She　suddenly　reproached
h