the hand of ethelberta-第64节

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which　the　seeker　for　history　in　stones　will　be　utterly　hoodwinked　in
time　to　come。

To　the　left　of　the　door　and　vestibule　which　Ethelberta　passed
through　rose　the　principal　staircase；　constructed　of　a　freestone　so
milk…white　and　delicately　moulded　as　to　be　easily　conceived　in　the
lamplight　as　of　biscuit…ware。　　Who；　unacquainted　with　the　secrets　of
geometrical　construction；　could　imagine　that；　hanging　so　airily
there；　to　all　appearance　supported　on　nothing；　were　twenty　or　more
tons　dead　weight　of　stone；　that　would　have　made　a　prison　for　an
elephant　if　so　arranged？　　The　art　which　produced　this　illusion　was
questionable；　but　its　success　was　undoubted。　　'How　lovely！'　said
Ethelberta；　as　she　looked　at　the　fairy　ascent。　　'His　staircase　alone
is　worth　my　hand！'

Passing　along　by　the　colonnade；　which　partly　fenced　the　staircase
from　the　visitor；　the　saloon　was　reached；　an　apartment　forming　a
double　cube。　　About　the　left…hand　end　of　this　were　grouped　the
drawing…rooms　and　library；　while　on　the　right　was　the　dining…hall；
with　billiard；　smoking；　and　gun　rooms　in　mysterious　remoteness
beyond。

Without　attempting　to　trace　an　analogy　between　a　man　and　his
mansion；　it　may　be　stated　that　everything　here；　though　so　dignified
and　magnificent；　was　not　conceived　in　quite　the　true　and　eternal
spirit　of　art。　　It　was　a　house　in　which　Pugin　would　have　torn　his
hair。　　Those　massive　blocks　of　red…veined　marble　lining　the　hall
emulating　in　their　surface…glitter　the　Escalier　de　Marbre　at
Versailleswere　cunning　imitations　in　paint　and　plaster　by　workmen
brought　from　afar　for　the　purpose；　at　a　prodigious　expense；　by　the
present　viscount's　father；　and　recently　repaired　and　re…varnished。
The　dark　green　columns　and　pilasters　corresponding　were　brick　at　the
core。　　Nay；　the　external　walls；　apparently　of　massive　and　solid
freestone；　were　only　veneered　with　that　material；　being；　like　the
pillars；　of　brick　within。

To　a　stone　mask　worn　by　a　brick　face　a　story　naturally　appertained
one　which　has　since　done　service　in　other　quarters。　　When　the　vast
addition　had　just　been　completed　King　George　visited　Enckworth。　　Its
owner　pointed　out　the　features　of　its　grand　architectural　attempt；
and　waited　for　commendation。

'Brick；　brick；　brick；'　said　the　king。

The　Georgian　Lord　Mountclere　blushed　faintly；　albeit　to　his　very
poll；　and　said　nothing　more　about　his　house　that　day。　　When　the　king
was　gone　he　sent　frantically　for　the　craftsmen　recently　dismissed；
and　soon　the　green　lawns　became　again　the　colour　of　a　Nine…Elms
cement　wharf。　　Thin　freestone　slabs　were　affixed　to　the　whole　series
of　fronts　by　copper　cramps　and　dowels；　each　one　of　substance
sufficient　to　have　furnished　a　poor　boy's　pocket　with　pennies　for　a
month；　till　not　a　speck　of　the　original　surface　remained；　and　the
edifice　shone　in　all　the　grandeur　of　massive　masonry　that　was　not
massive　at　all。　　But　who　remembered　this　save　the　builder　and　his
crew？　and　as　long　as　nobody　knew　the　truth；　pretence　looked　just　as
well。

What　was　honest　in　Enckworth　Court　was　that　portion　of　the　original
edifice　which　still　remained；　now　degraded　to　subservient　uses。
Where　the　untitled　Mountclere　of　the　White　Rose　faction　had　spread
his　knees　over　the　brands；　when　the　place　was　a　castle　and　not　a
court；　the　still…room　maid　now　simmered　her　preserves；　and　where
Elizabethan　mothers　and　daughters　of　that　sturdy　line　had　tapestried
the　love…scenes　of　Isaac　and　Jacob；　boots　and　shoes　were　now　cleaned
and　coals　stowed　away。

Lord　Mountclere　had　so　far　recovered　from　the　sprain　as　to　be
nominally　quite　well；　under　pressure　of　a　wish　to　receive　guests。
The　sprain　had　in　one　sense　served　him　excellently。　　He　had　now　a
reason；　apart　from　that　of　years；　for　walking　with　his　stick；　and
took　care　to　let　the　reason　be　frequently　known。　　To…day　he
entertained　a　larger　number　of　persons　than　had　been　assembled
within　his　walls　for　a　great　length　of　time。

Until　after　dinner　Ethelberta　felt　as　if　she　were　staying　at　an
hotel。　　Few　of　the　people　whom　she　had　met　at　the　meeting　of　the
Imperial　Association　greeted　her　here。　　The　viscount's　brother　was
not　present；　but　Sir　Cyril　Blandsbury　and　his　wife　were　there；　a
lively　pair　of　persons；　entertaining　as　actors；　and　friendly　as
dogs。　　Beyond　these　all　the　faces　and　figures　were　new　to　her；
though　they　were　handsome　and　dashing　enough　to　satisfy　a　court
chronicler。　　Ethelberta；　in　a　dress　sloped　about　as　high　over　the
shoulder　as　would　have　drawn　approval　from　Reynolds；　and
expostulation　from　Lely；　thawed　and　thawed　each　friend　who　came　near
her；　and　sent　him　or　her　away　smiling；　yet　she　felt　a　little
surprise。　　She　had　seldom　visited　at　a　country…house；　and　knew
little　of　the　ordinary　composition　of　a　group　of　visitors　within　its
walls；　but　the　present　assemblage　seemed　to　want　much　of　that　old…
fashioned　stability　and　quaint　monumental　dignity　she　had　expected
to　find　under　this　historical　roof。　　Nobody　of　her　entertainer's　own
rank　appeared。　　Not　a　single　clergyman　was　there。　　A　tendency　to
talk　Walpolean　scandal　about　foreign　courts　was　particularly
manifest。　　And　although　tropical　travellers；　Indian　officers　and
their　wives；　courteous　exiles；　and　descendants　of　Irish　kings；　were
infinitely　more　pleasant　than　Lord　Mountclere's　landed　neighbours
would　probably　have　been；　to　such　a　cosmopolite　as　Ethelberta　a　calm
Tory　or　old　Whig　company　would　have　given　a　greater　treat。　　They
would　have　struck　as　gratefully　upon　her　senses　as　sylvan　scenery
after　crags　and　cliffs；　or　silence　after　the　roar　of　a　cataract。

It　was　evening；　and　all　these　personages　at　Enckworth　Court　were
merry；　snug；　and　warm　within　its　walls。　　Dinner…time　had　passed；　and
everything　had　gone　on　well；　when　Mrs。　Tara　O'Fanagan；　who　had　a
gold…clamped　tooth；　which　shone　every　now　and　then；　asked　Ethelberta
if　she　would　amuse　them　by　telling　a　story；　since　nobody　present；
except　Lord　Mountclere；　had　ever　heard　one　from　her　lips。

Seeing　that　Ethelberta　had　been　working　at　that　art　as　a　profession；
it　can　hardly　be　said　that　the　question　was　conceived　with　tact；
though　it　was　put　with　grace。　　Lord　Mountclere　evidently　thought　it
objectionable；　for　he　looked　unhappy。　　To　only　one　person　in　the
brilliant　room　did　the　request　appear　as　a　timely　accident；　and　that
was　to　Ethelberta　herself。　　Her　honesty　was　always　making　war　upon
her　manoeuvres；　and　shattering　their　delicate　meshes；　to　her　great
inconvenience　and　delay。　　Thus　there　arose　those　devious　impulses
and　tangential　flights　which　spoil　the　works　of　every　would…be
schemer　who　instead　of　being　wholly　machine　is　half　heart。　　One　of
these　now　was　to　show　herself　as　she　really　was；　not　only　to　Lord
Mountclere；　but　to　his　friends　assembled；　whom；　in　her　ignorance；
she　respected　more　than　they　deserved；　and　so　get　rid　of　that　self…
reproach　which　had　by　this　time　reached　a　morbid　pitch；　through　her
over…sensitiveness　to　a　situation　in　which　a　large　majority　of　women
and　men　would　have　seen　no　falseness。

Full　of　this　curious　intention；　she　quietly　assented　to　the　request；
and　laughingly　bade　them　put　themselves　in　listening　order。

'An　old　story　will　suit　us；'　said　the　lady　who　had　importuned　her。
'We　have　never　heard　one。'

'No；　it　shall　be　quite　new；'　she　replied。　'One　not　yet　made　public；
though　it　soon　will　be。'

The　narrative　began　by　introducing　to　their　notice　a　girl　of　the
poorest　and　meanest　parentage；　the　daughter　of　a　serving…man；　and
the　fifth　of　ten　children。　　She　graphically　recounted；　as　if　they
were　her　own；　the　strange　dreams　and　ambitious　longings　of　this
child　when　young；　her　attempts　to　acquire　education；　partial
failures；　partial　successes；　and　constant　struggles；　instancing　how；
on　one　of　these　occasions；　the　girl　concealed　herself　under　a
bookcase　of　the　library　belonging　to　the　mansion　in　which　her　father
served　as　footman；　and　having　taken　with　her　there；　like　a　young
Fawkes；　matches　and　a　halfpenny　candle；　was　going　to　sit　up　all
night　reading　when　the　family　had　retired；　until　her　father
discovered　and　prevented　her　scheme。　　Then　followed　her　experiences
as　nursery…governess；　her　evening　lessons　under　self…selected
masters；　and　her　ultimate　rise　to　a　higher　grade　among　the　teaching
sisterhood。　　Next　came　another　epoch。　　To　the　mansion　in　which　she
was　engaged　returned　a　truant　son；　between　whom　and　the　heroine　an
attachment　sprang　up。　　The　master　of　the　house　was　an　ambitious
gentleman　just　knighted；　who；　perceiving　the　state　of　their　hearts；
harshly　dismissed　the　homeless　governess；　and　rated　the　son；　the
consequence　being　that　the　youthful　pair　resolved　to　marry　secretly；
and　carried　their　resolution　into　effect。　　The　runaway　journey　came
next；　and　then　a　moving　description　of　the　death　of　the　young
husband；　and　the　terror　of　the　bride。

The　guests　began　to　look　perplexed；　and　one　or　two　exchanged
whispers。　　This　was　not　at　all　the　kind　of　story　that　they　had
expected；　it　was　quite　different　from　her　usual　utterances；　the
nature　of　which　they　knew　by　report。　　Ethelberta　kept　her　eye　upon
Lord　Mountclere。　　Soon；　to　her　amazement；　there　was　that　in　his　face
which　told　her　that　he　knew　the　story　and　its　heroine　quite　w