SuddenlyElfridebecameconsciousofwhatshewasdoing,andwaspainfullyconfused。
\'Whatwereyousointentuponinme?\'heinquired。
\'AsfarasIwasthinkingofyouatall,Iwasthinkinghowcleveryouare,\'shesaid,withawantofpremeditationthatwasstartlinginitshonestyandsimplicity。
Feelingrestlessnowthatshehadsounwittinglyspoken,shearoseandsteppedtothewindow,havingheardthevoicesofherfatherandMrs。Swancourtcomingupbelowtheterrace。\'Heretheyare,\'
shesaid,goingout。Knightwalkedoutuponthelawnbehindher。
Shestoodupontheedgeoftheterrace,closetothestonebalustrade,andlookedtowardsthesun,hangingoveragladejustnowfairasTempe\'svale,upwhichherfatherwaswalking。
Knightcouldnothelplookingather。Thesunwaswithintendegreesofthehorizon,anditswarmlightfloodedherfaceandheightenedthebrightrosecolourofhercheekstoavermilionred,theirmoderatepinkhuebeingonlyseeninitsnaturaltonewherethecheekcurvedroundintoshadow。Theendsofherhanginghairsoftlydraggedthemselvesbackwardsandforwardsuponhershoulderaseachfaintbreezethrustagainstorrelinquishedit。
Fringesandribbonsofherdress,movedbythesamebreeze,lickedliketonguesuponthepartsaroundthem,andflutteringforwardfromshadyfoldscaughtlikewisetheirshareofthelustrousorangeglow。
Mr。SwancourtshoutedoutawelcometoKnightfromadistanceofaboutthirtyyards,andafterafewpreliminarywordsproceededtoaconversationofdeepearnestnessonKnight\'sfineoldfamilyname,andtheoriesastolineageandintermarriageconnectedtherewith。Knight\'sportmanteauhavinginthemeantimearrived,theysoonretiredtopreparefordinner,whichhadbeenpostponedtwohourslaterthantheusualtimeofthatmeal。
AnarrivalwasaneventinthelifeofElfride,nowthattheywereagaininthecountry,andthatofKnightnecessarilyanengrossingone。AndthateveningshewenttobedforthefirsttimewithoutthinkingofStephenatall。
ChapterXVIII
\'Heheardhermusicalpants。\'
TheoldtowerofWestEndelstowChurchhadreachedthelastweeksofitsexistence。ItwastobereplacedbyanewonefromthedesignsofMr。Hewby,thearchitectwhohadsentdownStephen。
Planksandpoleshadarrivedinthechurchyard,ironbarshadbeenthrustintothevenerablecrackextendingdownthebelfrywalltothefoundation,thebellshadbeentakendown,theowlshadforsakenthishomeoftheirforefathers,andsixiconoclastsinwhitefustian,towhomacrackededificewasaspeciesofMumboJumbo,hadtakenlodgingsinthevillageprevioustobeginningtheactualremovalofthestones。
ThiswasthedayafterKnight\'sarrival。Toenjoyforthelasttimetheprospectseawardfromthesummit,thevicar,Mrs。
Swancourt,Knight,andElfride,allascendedthewindingturret——
Mr。Swancourtsteppingforwardwithmanyloudbreaths,hiswifestrugglingalongsilently,butsufferingnonetheless。Theyhadhardlyreachedthetopwhenalargeluridcloud,palpablyareservoirofrain,thunder,andlightning,wasseentobeadvancingoverheadfromthenorth。
Thetwocautiouselderssuggestedanimmediatereturn,andproceededtoputitinpracticeasregardedthemselves。
\'Dearme,IwishIhadnotcomeup,\'exclaimedMrs。Swancourt。
\'Weshallbeslowerthanyoutwoingoingdown,\'thevicarsaidoverhisshoulder,\'andso,don\'tyoustarttillwearenearlyatthebottom,oryouwillrunoverusandbreakourneckssomewhereinthedarknessoftheturret。\'
AccordinglyElfrideandKnightwaitedontheleadstillthestaircaseshouldbeclear。Knightwasnotinatalkativemoodthatmorning。Elfridewasratherwilful,byreasonofhisinattention,whichsheprivatelysetdowntohisthinkinghernotworthtalkingto。WhilstKnightstoodwatchingtheriseofthecloud,shesaunteredtotheothersideofthetower,andthererememberedagiddyfeatshehadperformedtheyearbefore。Itwastowalkroundupontheparapetofthetower——whichwasquitewithoutbattlementorpinnacle,andpresentedasmoothflatsurfaceabouttwofeetwide,formingapathwayonallthefoursides。Withoutreflectingintheleastuponwhatshewasdoingshenowsteppedupontheparapetintheoldway,andbeganwalkingalong。
\'Wearedown,cousinHenry,\'criedMrs。Swancourtuptheturret。
\'Followuswhenyoulike。\'
KnightturnedandsawElfridebeginningherelevatedpromenade。
Hisfaceflushedwithmingledconcernandangeratherrashness。
\'Icertainlygaveyoucreditformorecommonsense,\'hesaid。
Shereddenedalittleandwalkedon。
\'MissSwancourt,Iinsistuponyourcomingdown,\'heexclaimed。
\'Iwillinaminute。Iamsafeenough。Ihavedoneitoften。\'
Atthatmoment,byreasonofaslightperturbationhiswordshadcausedinher,Elfride\'sfootcaughtitselfinalittletuftofgrassgrowinginajointofthestone-work,andshealmostlostherbalance。Knightsprangforwardwithafaceofhorror。BywhatseemedthespecialinterpositionofaconsiderateProvidenceshetotteredtotheinneredgeoftheparapetinsteadoftotheouter,andreeledoverupontheleadrooftwoorthreefeetbelowthewall。
Knightseizedherasinavice,andhesaid,panting,\'ThateverI
shouldhavemetawomanfoolenoughtodoathingofthatkind!
GoodGod,yououghttobeashamedofyourself!\'
ThecloseproximityoftheShadowofDeathhadmadehersickandpaleasacorpsebeforehespoke。Alreadyloweredtothatstate,hiswordscompletelyover-poweredher,andsheswoonedawayasheheldher。
Elfride\'seyeswerenotclosedformorethanfortyseconds。Sheopenedthem,andrememberedthepositioninstantly。Hisfacehadaltereditsexpressionfromsternangertopity。Buthissevereremarkshadratherfrightenedher,andshestruggledtobefree。
\'Ifyoucanstand,ofcourseyoumay,\'hesaid,andloosenedhisarms。\'Ihardlyknowwhethermosttolaughatyourfreakortochideyouforitsfolly。\'
Sheimmediatelysankuponthelead-work。Knightliftedheragain。
\'Areyouhurt?\'hesaid。
Shemurmuredanincoherentexpression,andtriedtosmile;saying,withafitfulaversionofherface,\'Iamonlyfrightened。Putmedown,doputmedown!\'
\'Butyoucan\'twalk,\'saidKnight。
\'Youdon\'tknowthat;howcanyou?Iamonlyfrightened,Itellyou,\'sheansweredpetulantly,andraisedherhandtoherforehead。Knightthensawthatshewasbleedingfromaseverecutinherwrist,apparentlywhereithaddescendeduponasalientcornerofthelead-work。Elfride,too,seemedtoperceiveandfeelthisnowforthefirsttime,andforaminutenearlylostconsciousnessagain。Knightrapidlyboundhishandkerchiefroundtheplace,andtoaddtothecomplication,thethundercloudhehadbeenwatchingbegantoshedsomeheavydropsofrain。Knightlookedupandsawthevicarstridingtowardsthehouse,andMrs。
Swancourtwaddlingbesidehimlikeahard-drivenduck。
\'Asyouaresofaint,itwillbemuchbettertoletmecarryyoudown,\'saidKnight;\'oratanyrateinsideoutoftherain。\'Butherobjectiontobeliftedmadeitimpossibleforhimtosupportherformorethanfivesteps。
\'Thisisfolly,greatfolly,\'heexclaimed,settingherdown。
\'Indeed!\'shemurmured,withtearsinhereyes。\'IsayIwillnotbecarried,andyousaythisisfolly!\'
\'Soitis。\'
\'No,itisn\'t!\'
\'Itisfolly,Ithink。Atanyrate,theoriginofitallis。\'
\'Idon\'tagreetoit。Andyouneedn\'tgetsoangrywithme;Iamnotworthit。\'
\'Indeedyouare。Youareworththeenmityofprinces,aswassaidofsuchanother。Now,then,willyouclaspyourhandsbehindmyneck,thatImaycarryyoudownwithouthurtingyou?\'
\'No,no。\'
\'Youhadbetter,orIshallforeclose。\'
\'What\'sthat!\'
\'Depriveyouofyourchance。\'
Elfridegavealittletoss。
\'Now,don\'twrithesowhenIattempttocarryyou。\'
\'Ican\'thelpit。\'
\'Thensubmitquietly。\'
\'Idon\'tcare。Idon\'tcare,\'shemurmuredinlanguidtonesandwithclosedeyes。
Hetookherintohisarms,enteredtheturret,andwithslowandcautiousstepsdescendedroundandround。Then,withthegentlenessofanursingmother,heattendedtothecutonherarm。
Duringhisprogressthroughtheoperationsofwipingitandbindingitupanew,herfacechangeditsaspectfrompainedindifferencetosomethinglikebashfulinterest,interspersedwithsmalltremorsandshuddersofatriflingkind。
Inthecentreofeachpalecheekasmallredspotthesizeofawaferhadnowmadeitsappearance,andcontinuedtogrowlarger。
Elfridemomentarilyexpectedarecurrencetothelectureonherfoolishness,butKnightsaidnomorethanthis——
\'PromisemeNEVERtowalkonthatparapetagain。\'
\'Itwillbepulleddownsoon:soIdo。\'Inafewminutesshecontinuedinalowertone,andseriously,\'Youarefamiliarofcourse,aseverybodyis,withthosestrangesensationswesometimeshave,thatourlifeforthemomentexistsinduplicate。\'
\'Thatwehavelivedthroughthatmomentbefore?\'
\'Orshallagain。Well,Ifeltonthetowerthatsomethingsimilartothatsceneisagaintobecommontousboth。\'
\'Godforbid!\'saidKnight。\'Promisemethatyouwillneveragainwalkonanysuchplaceonanyconsideration。\'
\'Ido。\'
\'Thatsuchathinghasnotbeenbefore,weknow。Thatitshallnotbeagain,youvow。Thereforethinknomoreofsuchafoolishfancy。\'
Therehadfallenagreatdealofrain,butunaccompaniedbylightning。Afewminuteslonger,andthestormhadceased。
\'Now,takemyarm,please。\'
\'Ohno,itisnotnecessary。\'Thisrelapseintowilfulnesswasbecausehehadagainconnectedtheepithetfoolishwithher。
\'Nonsense:itisquitenecessary;itwillrainagaindirectly,andyouarenothalfrecovered。\'AndwithoutmoreadoKnighttookherhand,drewitunderhisarm,andheldittheresofirmlythatshecouldnothaveremoveditwithoutastruggle。Feelinglikeacoltinahalterforthefirsttime,atthusbeingledalong,yetafraidtobeangry,itwastohergreatreliefthatshesawthecarriagecomingroundthecornertofetchthem。
Herfallupontheroofwasnecessarilyexplainedtosomeextentupontheirenteringthehouse;butbothforboretomentionawordofwhatshehadbeendoingtocausesuchanaccident。DuringtheremainderoftheafternoonElfridewasinvisible;butatdinner-
timesheappearedasbrightasever。
Inthedrawing-room,afterhavingbeenexclusivelyengagedwithMr。andMrs。Swancourtthroughtheinterveninghour,KnightagainfoundhimselfthrownwithElfride。Shehadbeenlookingoverachessprobleminoneoftheillustratedperiodicals。
\'Youlikechess,MissSwancourt?\'
\'Yes。Itismyfavouritescientificgame;indeed,excludeseveryother。Doyouplay?\'
\'Ihaveplayed;thoughnotlately。\'
\'Challengehim,Elfride,\'saidthevicarheartily。\'Sheplaysverywellforalady,Mr。Knight。\'
\'Shallweplay?\'askedElfridetentatively。
\'Oh,certainly。Ishallbedelighted。\'
Thegamebegan。Mr。SwancourthadforgottenasimilarperformancewithStephenSmiththeyearbefore。Elfridehadnot;butshehadbeguntotakeforhermaximtheundoubtedtruththatthenecessityofcontinuingfaithfultoStephen,withoutsuspicion,dictatedaficklebehaviouralmostasimperativelyasficklenessitself;afact,however,whichwouldgiveastartlingadvantagetothelatterqualityshoulditeverappear。
Knight,byoneofthoseinexcusableoversightswhichwillsometimesafflictthebestofplayers,placedhisrookinthearmsofoneofherpawns。Itwasherfirstadvantage。Shelookedtriumphant——evenruthless。
\'ByGeorge!whatwasIthinkingof?\'saidKnightquietly;andthendismissedallconcernathisaccident。
\'Clublawswe\'llhave,won\'twe,Mr。Knight?\'saidElfridesuasively。
\'Ohyes,certainly,\'saidMr。Knight,athought,however,justoccurringtohismind,thathehadtwoorthreetimesallowedhertoreplaceamanonherreligiouslyassuringhimthatsuchamovewasanabsoluteblunder。
Sheimmediatelytookuptheunfortunaterookandthecontestproceeded,Elfridehavingnowratherthebetterofthegame。Thenhewontheexchange,regainedhisposition,andbegantopressherhard。Elfridegrewflurried,andplacedherqueenonhisremainingrook\'sfile。
\'There——howstupid!Uponmyword,Ididnotseeyourrook。Ofcoursenobodybutafoolwouldhaveputaqueenthereknowingly!\'
Shespokeexcitedly,halfexpectingherantagonisttogiveherbackthemove。
\'Nobody,ofcourse,\'saidKnightserenely,andstretchedouthishandtowardshisroyalvictim。
\'Itisnotverypleasanttohaveittakenadvantageof,then,\'shesaidwithsomevexation。
\'Clublaws,Ithinkyousaid?\'returnedKnightblandly,andmercilesslyappropriatingthequeen。
Shewasonthebrinkofpouting,butwasashamedtoshowit;tearsalmoststoodinhereyes。Shehadbeentryingsohard——soveryhard——thinkingandthinkingtillherbrainwasinawhirl;anditseemedsoheartlessofhimtotreatherso,afterall。
\'Ithinkitis——\'shebegan。
\'What?\'——
\'UnkindtotakeadvantageofapuremistakeImakeinthatway。\'
\'Ilostmyrookbyevenapurermistake,\'saidtheenemyinaninexorabletone,withoutliftinghiseyes。
\'Yes,but——\'However,ashislogicwasabsolutelyunanswerable,shemerelyregisteredaprotest。\'Icannotendurethosecold-
bloodedwaysofclubsandprofessionalplayers,likeStauntonandMorphy。Justasifitreallymatteredwhetheryouhaveraisedyourfingersfromamanorno!\'
Knightsmiledaspitilesslyasbefore,andtheywentoninsilence。
\'Checkmate,\'saidKnight。
\'Anothergame,\'saidElfrideperemptorily,andlookingverywarm。
\'Withallmyheart,\'saidKnight。
\'Checkmate,\'saidKnightagainattheendoffortyminutes。
\'Anothergame,\'shereturnedresolutely。
\'I\'llgiveyoutheoddsofabishop,\'Knightsaidtoherkindly。
\'No,thankyou,\'Elfriderepliedinatoneintendedforcourteousindifference;but,asafact,verycavalierindeed。
\'Checkmate,\'saidheropponentwithouttheleastemotion。
Oh,thedifferencebetweenElfride\'sconditionofmindnow,andwhenshepurposelymadeblundersthatStephenSmithmightwin!
Itwasbedtime。Hermindasdistractedasifitwouldthrobitselfoutofherhead,shewentofftoherchamber,fullofmortificationatbeingbeatentimeaftertimewhensheherselfwastheaggressor。Havingfortwoorthreeyearsenjoyedthereputationthroughouttheglobeofherfather\'sbrain——whichalmostconstitutedherentireworld——ofbeinganexcellentplayer,thisfiascowasintolerable;forunfortunatelythepersonmostdoggedinthebeliefinafalsereputationisalwaysthatone,thepossessor,whohasthebestmeansofknowingthatitisnottrue。
Inbednosleepcametosootheher;thatgentlethingbeingtheverymiddle-of-summerfriendinthisrespectofflyingawayatthemeresttroublouscloud。Afterlyingawaketilltwoo\'clockanideaseemedtostrikeher。Shesoftlyarose,gotalight,andfetchedaChessPraxisfromthelibrary。Returningandsittingupinbed,shediligentlystudiedthevolumetilltheclockstruckfive,andhereyelidsfeltthickandheavy。Shethenextinguishedthelightandlaydownagain。
\'Youlookpale,Elfride,\'saidMrs。Swancourtthenextmorningatbreakfast。\'Isn\'tshe,cousinHarry?\'
Ayounggirlwhoisscarcelyillatallcanhardlyhelpbecomingsowhenregardedassuchbyalleyesturninguponheratthetableinobediencetosomeremark。EverybodylookedatElfride。Shecertainlywaspale。
\'AmIpale?\'shesaidwithafaintsmile。\'Ididnotsleepmuch。
Icouldnotgetridofarmiesofbishopsandknights,tryhowI
would。\'
\'Chessisabadthingjustbeforebedtime;especiallyforexcitablepeoplelikeyourself,dear。Don\'teverplaylateagain。\'
\'I\'llplayearlyinstead。CousinKnight,\'shesaidinimitationofMrs。Swancourt,\'willyouobligemeinsomething?\'
\'Eventohalfmykingdom。\'
\'Well,itistoplayonegamemore。\'
\'When?\'
\'Now,instantly;themomentwehavebreakfasted。\'
\'Nonsense,Elfride,\'saidherfather。\'Makingyourselfaslavetothegamelikethat。\'
\'ButIwantto,papa!Honestly,Iamrestlessathavingbeensoignominiouslyovercome。AndMr。Knightdoesn\'tmind。Sowhatharmcantherebe?\'
\'Letusplay,byallmeans,ifyouwishit,\'saidKnight。
So,whenbreakfastwasover,thecombatantswithdrewtothequietofthelibrary,andthedoorwasclosed。Elfrideseemedtohaveanideathatherconductwasratherill-regulatedandstartlinglyfreefromconventionalrestraint。Andworse,shefancieduponKnight\'sfaceaslightlyamusedlookatherproceedings。
\'Youthinkmefoolish,Isuppose,\'shesaidrecklessly;\'butI
wanttodomyverybestjustonce,andseewhetherIcanovercomeyou。\'
\'Certainly:nothingmorenatural。ThoughIamafraiditisnottheplanadoptedbywomenoftheworldafteradefeat。\'
\'Why,pray?\'
\'Becausetheyknowthatasgoodasovercomingisskillineffacingrecollectionofbeingovercome,andturntheirattentiontothatentirely。\'
\'Iamwrongagain,ofcourse。\'
\'Perhapsyourwrongismorepleasingthantheirright。\'
\'Idon\'tquiteknowwhetheryoumeanthat,orwhetheryouarelaughingatme,\'shesaid,lookingdoubtinglyathim,yetincliningtoacceptthemoreflatteringinterpretation。\'IamalmostsureyouthinkitvanityinmetothinkIamamatchforyou。Well,ifyoudo,Isaythatvanityisnocrimeinsuchacase。\'
\'Well,perhapsnot。Thoughitishardlyavirtue。\'
\'Ohyes,inbattle!Nelson\'sbraverylayinhisvanity。\'
\'Indeed!Thensodidhisdeath。\'
Ohno,no!ForitiswritteninthebookoftheprophetShakespeare——
\"Fearandbeslain?noworsecancometofight;
Andfightanddie,isdeathdestroyingdeath!\"
Anddowntheysat,andthecontestbegan,Elfridehavingthefirstmove。Thegameprogressed。Elfride\'sheartbeatsoviolentlythatshecouldnotsitstill。Herdreadwaslestheshouldhearit。Andhediddiscoveritatlast——someflowersuponthetablebeingsetthrobbingbyitspulsations。
\'Ithinkwehadbettergiveover,\'saidKnight,lookingathergently。\'Itistoomuchforyou,Iknow。Letuswritedowntheposition,andfinishanothertime。\'
\'No,pleasenot,\'sheimplored。\'IshouldnotrestifIdidnotknowtheresultatonce。Itisyourmove。\'
Tenminutespassed。
Shestartedupsuddenly。\'Iknowwhatyouaredoing?\'shecried,anangrycolouruponhercheeks,andhereyesindignant。\'Youwerethinkingoflettingmewintopleaseme!\'
\'Idon\'tmindowningthatIwas,\'Knightrespondedphlegmatically,andappearingallthemoresobycontrastwithherownturmoil。
\'Butyoumustnot!Iwon\'thaveit。\'
\'Verywell。\'
\'No,thatwillnotdo;Iinsistthatyoupromisenottodoanysuchabsurdthing。Itisinsultingme!\'
\'Verywell,madam。Iwon\'tdoanysuchabsurdthing。Youshallnotwin。\'
\'Thatistobeproved!\'shereturnedproudly;andtheplaywenton。
Nothingisnowheardbutthetickingofaquaintoldtimepieceonthesummitofabookcase。Tenminutespass;hecapturesherknight;shetakeshisknight,andlooksaveryRhadamanthus。
Moreminutestickaway;shetakeshispawnandhastheadvantage,showinghersenseofitratherprominently。
Fiveminutesmore:hetakesherbishop:shebringsthingsevenbytakinghisknight。
Threeminutes:shelooksbold,andtakeshisqueen:helooksplacid,andtakeshers。
Eightortenminutespass:hetakesapawn;sheuttersalittlepooh!butnottheghostofapawncanshetakeinretaliation。
Tenminutespass:hetakesanotherpawnandsays,\'Check!\'Sheflushes,extricatesherselfbycapturinghisbishop,andlookstriumphant。Heimmediatelytakesherbishop:shelookssurprised。
Fiveminuteslonger:shemakesadashandtakeshisonlyremainingbishop;herepliesbytakingheronlyremainingknight。
Twominutes:hegivescheck;hermindisnowinapainfulstateoftension,andsheshadesherfacewithherhand。
Yetafewminutesmore:hetakesherrookandchecksagain。Sheliterallytremblesnowlestanartfulsurpriseshehasinstoreforhimshallbeanticipatedbytheartfulsurpriseheevidentlyhasinstoreforher。
Fiveminutes:\'Checkmateintwomoves!\'exclaimsElfride。
\'Ifyoucan,\'saysKnight。
\'Oh,Ihavemiscalculated;thatiscruel!\'
\'Checkmate,\'saysKnight;andthevictoryiswon。
Elfridearoseandturnedawaywithoutlettinghimseeherface。
Onceinthehallsheranupstairsandintoherroom,andflungherselfdownuponherbed,weepingbitterly。
\'WhereisElfride?\'saidherfatheratluncheon。
Knightlistenedanxiouslyfortheanswer。Hehadbeenhopingtoseeheragainbeforethistime。
\'Sheisn\'twell,sir,\'wasthereply。
Mrs。Swancourtroseandlefttheroom,goingupstairstoElfride\'sapartment。
AtthedoorwasUnity,whooccupiedinthenewestablishmentapositionbetweenyounglady\'smaidandmiddle-housemaid。
\'Sheissoundasleep,ma\'am,\'Unitywhispered。
Mrs。Swancourtopenedthedoor。Elfridewaslyingfull-dressedonthebed,herfacehotandred,herarmsthrownabroad。Atintervalsofaminuteshetossedrestlesslyfromsidetoside,andindistinctlymoanedwordsusedinthegameofchess。
Mrs。Swancourthadaturnfordoctoring,andfeltherpulse。Itwastwanginglikeaharp-string,attherateofnearlyahundredandfiftyaminute。Softlymovingthesleepinggirltoalittlelesscrampedposition,shewentdownstairsagain。
\'Sheisasleepnow,\'saidMrs。Swancourt。\'Shedoesnotseemverywell。CousinKnight,whatwereyouthinkingof?hertenderbrainwon\'tbearcudgellinglikeyourgreathead。Youshouldhavestrictlyforbiddenhertoplayagain。\'
Intruth,theessayist\'sexperienceofthenatureofyoungwomenwasfarlessextensivethanhisabstractknowledgeofthemledhimselfandotherstobelieve。Hecouldpackthemintosentenceslikeaworkman,butpracticallywasnowhere。
\'Iamindeedsorry,\'saidKnight,feelingevenmorethanheexpressed。\'Butsurely,theyoungladyknowsbestwhatisgoodforher!\'
\'Blessyou,that\'sjustwhatshedoesn\'tknow。Sheneverthinksofsuchthings,doesshe,Christopher?HerfatherandIhavetocommandherandkeepherinorder,asyouwouldachild。ShewillsaythingsworthyofaFrenchepigrammatist,andactlikearobininagreenhouse。ButIthinkwewillsendforDr。Granson——therecanbenoharm。\'
AmanwasstraightwaydespatchedonhorsebacktoCastleBoterel,andthegentlemanknownasDr。Gransoncameinthecourseoftheafternoon。Hepronouncedhernervoussystemtobeinadecidedstateofdisorder;forwardedsomesoothingdraught,andgaveordersthatonnoaccountwhateverwasshetoplaychessagain。
ThenextmorningKnight,muchvexedwithhimself,waitedwithacuriouslycompoundedfeelingforherentrytobreakfast。Thewomenservantscameintoprayersatirregularintervals,andaseachentered,hecouldnot,tosavehislife,avoidturninghisheadwiththehopethatshemightbeElfride。Mr。Swancourtbeganreadingwithoutwaitingforher。Thensomebodyglidedinnoiselessly;Knightsoftlyglancedup:itwasonlythelittlekitchen-maid。Knightthoughtreadingprayersabore。
Hewentoutalone,andforalmostthefirsttimefailedtorecognizethatholdingconversewithNature\'scharmswasnotsolitude。Onnearingthehouseagainheperceivedhisyoungfriendcrossingaslopebyapathwhichranintotheonehewasfollowingintheangleofthefield。Heretheymet。Elfridewasatonceexultantandabashed:comingintohispresencehaduponhertheeffectofenteringacathedral。
Knighthadhisnote-bookinhishand,andhad,infact,beenintheveryactofwritingthereinwhentheycameinviewofeachother。Heleftoffinthemidstofasentence,andproceededtoinquirewarmlyconcerningherstateofhealth。Shesaidshewasperfectlywell,andindeedhadneverlookedbetter。Herhealthwasasinconsequentasheractions。Herlipswerered,WITHOUT
thepolishthatcherrieshave,andtheirrednessmarginedwiththewhiteskininaclearlydefinedline,whichhadnothingofjaggedconfusioninit。Altogethershestoodasthelastpersonintheworldtobeknockedoverbyagameofchess,becausetooephemeral-lookingtoplayone。
\'Areyoutakingnotes?\'sheinquiredwithanalacrityplainlyarisinglessfrominterestinthesubjectthanfromawishtodiverthisthoughtsfromherself。
\'Yes;Iwasmakinganentry。AndwithyourpermissionIwillcompleteit。\'Knightthenstoodstillandwrote。Elfrideremainedbesidehimamoment,andafterwardswalkedon。
\'Ishouldliketoseeallthesecretsthatareinthatbook,\'shegailyflungbacktohimoverhershoulder。
\'Idon\'tthinkyouwouldfindmuchtointerestyou。\'
\'IknowIshould。\'
\'ThenofcourseIhavenomoretosay。\'
\'ButIwouldaskthisquestionfirst。Isitabookofmerefactsconcerningjourneysandexpenditure,andsoon,orabookofthoughts?\'
\'Well,totellthetruth,itisnotexactlyeither。Itconsistsforthemostpartofjottingsforarticlesandessays,disjointedanddisconnected,ofnopossibleinteresttoanybodybutmyself。\'
\'Itcontains,Isuppose,yourdevelopedthoughtsinembryo?\'
\'Yes。\'
\'Iftheyareinterestingwhenenlargedtothesizeofanarticle,whatmusttheybeintheirconcentratedform?Purerectifiedspirit,aboveproof;beforeitisloweredtobefitforhumanconsumption:\"wordsthatburn\"indeed。\'
\'Ratherlikeaballoonbeforeitisinflated:flabby,shapeless,dead。Youcouldhardlyreadthem。\'
\'MayItry?\'shesaidcoaxingly。\'Iwrotemypoorromanceinthatway——Imeaninbits,outofdoors——andIshouldliketoseewhetheryourwayofenteringthingsisthesameasmine。\'
\'Really,that\'sratheranawkwardrequest。IsupposeIcanhardlyrefusenowyouhaveaskedsodirectly;but——\'
\'Youthinkmeill-manneredinasking。Butdoesnotthisjustifyme——yourwritinginmypresence,Mr。Knight?IfIhadlighteduponyourbookbychance,itwouldhavebeendifferent;butyoustandbeforeme,andsay,\"Excuseme,\"withoutcaringwhetherIdoornot,andwriteon,andthentellmetheyarenotprivatefactsbutpublicideas。\'
\'Verywell,MissSwancourt。Ifyoureallymustsee,theconsequencesbeuponyourownhead。Remember,myadvicetoyouistoleavemybookalone。\'
\'ButwiththatcautionIhaveyourpermission?\'
\'Yes。\'
Shehesitatedamoment,lookedathishandcontainingthebook,thenlaughed,andsaying,\'Imustseeit,\'withdrewitfromhisfingers。
Knightrambledontowardsthehouse,leavingherstandinginthepathturningovertheleaves。Bythetimehehadreachedthewicket-gatehesawthatshehadmoved,andwaitedtillshecameup。
Elfridehadclosedthenote-book,andwascarryingitdisdainfullybythecornerbetweenherfingerandthumb;herfaceworeanettledlook。Shesilentlyextendedthevolumetowardshim,raisinghereyesnohigherthanherhandwaslifted。
\'Takeit,\'saidElfridequickly。\'Idon\'twanttoreadit。\'
\'Couldyouunderstandit?\'saidKnight。
\'AsfarasIlooked。ButIdidn\'tcaretoreadmuch。\'
\'Why,MissSwancourt?\'
\'OnlybecauseIdidn\'twishto——that\'sall。\'
\'Iwarnedyouthatyoumightnot。\'
\'Yes,butIneversupposedyouwouldhaveputmethere。\'
\'Yournameisnotmentionedoncewithinthefourcorners。\'
\'Notmyname——Iknowthat。\'
\'Noryourdescription,noranythingbywhichanybodywouldrecognizeyou。\'
\'Exceptmyself。Forwhatisthis?\'sheexclaimed,takingitfromhimandopeningapage。\'August7。That\'sthedaybeforeyesterday。ButIwon\'treadit,\'Elfridesaid,closingthebookagainwithprettyhauteur。\'WhyshouldI?Ihadnobusinesstoasktoseeyourhook,anditservesmeright。\'
Knighthardlyrecollectedwhathehadwritten,andturnedoverthebooktosee。Hecametothis:
\'Aug。7。Girlgetsintoherteens,andherself-consciousnessisborn。Afteracertainintervalpassedininfantinehelplessnessitbeginstoact。Simple,young,andinexperiencedatfirst。
Personsofobservationcantelltoanicetyhowoldthisconsciousnessisbytheskillithasacquiredintheartnecessarytoitssuccess——theartofhidingitself。Generallybeginscareerbyactionswhicharepopularlytermedshowing-off。Methodadopteddependsineachcaseuponthedisposition,rank,residence,oftheyoungladyattemptingit。Town-bredgirlwilluttersomemoralparadoxonfastmen,orlove。Countrymissadoptsthemorematerialmediaoftakingaghastlyfence,whistling,ormakingyourbloodruncoldbyappearingtoriskherneck。(MEM。OnEndelstowTower。)
\'Aninnocentvanityisofcoursetheoriginofthesedisplays。
\"Lookatme,\"saytheseyouthfulbeginnersinwomanlyartifice,withoutreflectingwhetherornotitbetotheiradvantagetoshowsoverymuchofthemselves。(AmplifyandcorrectforpaperonArtlessArts。)\'
\'Yes,Iremembernow,\'saidKnight。\'Thenoteswerecertainlysuggestedbyyourmanoeuvreonthechurchtower。Butyoumustnotthinktoomuchofsuchrandomobservations,\'hecontinuedencouragingly,ashenoticedherinjuredlooks。\'Amerefancypassingthroughmyheadassumesafactitiousimportancetoyou,becauseithasbeenmadepermanentbybeingwrittendown。Allmankindthinkthoughtsasbadasthoseofpeopletheymostloveonearth,butsuchthoughtsnevergettingembodiedonpaper,itbecomesassumedthattheyneverexisted。Idaresaythatyouyourselfhavethoughtsomedisagreeablethingorotherofme,whichwouldseemjustasbadasthisifwritten。Ichallengeyou,now,totellme。\'
\'TheworstthingIhavethoughtofyou?\'
\'Yes。\'
\'Imustnot。\'
\'Ohyes。\'
\'Ithoughtyouwereratherround-shouldered。\'
Knightlookedslightlyredder。
\'Andthattherewasalittlebaldspotonthetopofyourhead。\'
\'Heh-heh!Twoineradicabledefects,\'saidKnight,therebeingafaintghastlinessdiscernibleinhislaugh。\'Theyaremuchworseinalady\'seyethanbeingthoughtself-conscious,Isuppose。\'
\'Ah,that\'sveryfine,\'shesaid,tooinexperiencedtoperceiveherhit,andhencenotquitedisposedtoforgivehisnotes。\'YoualludedtomeinthatentryasifIweresuchachild,too。
Everybodydoesthat。Icannotunderstandit。Iamquiteawoman,youknow。HowolddoyouthinkIam?\'
\'Howold?Why,seventeen,Ishouldsay。Allgirlsareseventeen。\'
\'Youarewrong。Iamnearlynineteen。Whichclassofwomendoyoulikebest,thosewhoseemyounger,orthosewhoseemolderthantheyare?\'
\'Off-handIshouldbeinclinedtosaythosewhoseemolder。\'
SoitwasnotElfride\'sclass。
\'Butitiswellknown,\'shesaideagerly,andtherewassomethingtouchingintheartlessanxietytobethoughtmuchofwhichsherevealedbyherwords,\'thatthesloweranatureistodevelop,thericherthenature。Youthsandgirlswhoaremenandwomenbeforetheycomeofagearenobodiesbythetimethatbackwardpeoplehaveshowntheirfullcompass。\'
\'Yes,\'saidKnightthoughtfully。\'Thereisreallysomethinginthatremark。ButattheriskofoffenceImustremindyouthatyoutheretakeitforgrantedthatthewomanbehindhertimeatagivenagehasnotreachedtheendofhertether。Herbackwardnessmaybenotbecausesheisslowtodevelop,butbecauseshesoonexhaustedhercapacityfordeveloping。\'
Elfridelookeddisappointed。Bythistimetheywereindoors。
Mrs。Swancourt,towhommatch-makingbyanyhonestmeanswasmeatanddrink,hadnowalittleschemeofthatnatureconcerningthispair。Themorning-room,inwhichtheybothexpectedtofindher,wasempty;theoldladyhaving,fortheabovereason,vacateditbytheseconddoorastheyenteredbythefirst。
Knightwenttothechimney-piece,andcarelesslysurveyedtwoportraitsonivory。
\'Thoughthesepinkladieshadveryrudimentaryfeatures,judgingbywhatIseehere,\'heobserved,\'theyhadunquestionablybeautifulheadsofhair。\'
\'Yes;andthatiseverything,\'saidElfride,possiblyconsciousofherown,possiblynot。
\'Noteverything;thoughagreatdeal,certainly。\'
\'Whichcolourdoyoulikebest?\'sheventuredtoask。
\'Moredependsonitsabundancethanonitscolour。\'
\'Abundancesbeingequal,mayIinquireyourfavouritecolour?\'
\'Dark。\'
\'Imeanforwomen,\'shesaid,withtheminutestfallofcountenance,andahopethatshehadbeenmisunderstood。
\'SodoI,\'Knightreplied。
ItwasimpossibleforanymannottoknowthecolourofElfride\'shair。Inwomenwhowearitplainlysuchafeaturemaybeoverlookedbymennotgiventoocularintentness。Butherswasalwaysintheway。Yousawherhairasfarasyoucouldseehersex,andknewthatitwasthepalestbrown。SheknewinstantlythatKnight,beingperfectlyawareofthis,hadanindependentstandardofadmirationinthematter。
Elfridewasthoroughlyvexed。Shecouldnotbutbestruckwiththehonestyofhisopinions,andtheworstofitwas,thatthemoretheywentagainsther,themoresherespectedthem。Andnow,likearecklessgambler,shehazardedherlastandbesttreasure。
Hereyes:theywereherallnow。
\'Whatcolouredeyesdoyoulikebest,Mr。Knight?\'shesaidslowly。
\'Honestly,orasacompliment?\'
\'Ofcoursehonestly;Idon\'twantanybody\'scompliment!\'
AndyetElfrideknewotherwise:thatacomplimentorwordofapprovalfromthatmanthenwouldhavebeenlikeawelltoafamishedArab。
\'Ipreferhazel,\'hesaidserenely。
Shehadplayedandlostagain。
ChapterXIX
\'Lovewasinthenextdegree。\'
Knighthadnoneofthoselightfamiliaritiesofspeechwhich,byjudicioustouchesofepigrammaticflattery,obliterateawoman\'srecollectionofthespeaker\'sabstractopinions。Sonomorewassaidbyeitheronthesubjectofhair,eyes,ordevelopment。
Elfride\'smindhadbeenimpregnatedwithsentimentsofherownsmallnesstoanuncomfortabledegreeofdistinctness,andherdiscomfortwasvisibleinherface。Thewholetendencyoftheconversationlatterlyhadbeentoquietlybutsurelydisparageher;andshewasfaintotakeStephenintofavourinself-defence。
Hewouldnothavebeensounloving,shesaid,astoadmireanidiosyncrasyandfeaturesdifferentfromherown。True,Stephenhaddeclaredhelovedher:Mr。Knighthadneverdoneanythingofthesort。Somehowthisdidnotmendmatters,andthesensationofhersmallnessinKnight\'seyesstillremained。Hadthepositionbeenreversed——hadStephenlovedherinspiteofadifferingtaste,andhadKnightbeenindifferentinspiteofherresemblancetohisideal,itwouldhaveengenderedfarhappierthoughts。Asmattersstood,Stephen\'sadmirationmighthaveitsrootinablindnesstheresultofpassion。Perhapsanykeenman\'sjudgmentwascondemnatoryofher。
DuringtheremainderofSaturdaytheyweremoreorlessthrownwiththeirseniors,andnoconversationarosewhichwasexclusivelytheirown。WhenElfridewasinbedthatnightherthoughtsrecurredtothesamesubject。Atonemomentsheinsistedthatitwasill-naturedofhimtospeaksodecisivelyashehaddone;thenext,thatitwassterlinghonesty。
\'Ah,whatapoornobodyIam!\'shesaid,sighing。\'Peoplelikehim,whogoaboutthegreatworld,don\'tcareintheleastwhatI
amlikeeitherinmoodorfeature。\'
Perhapsamanwhohasgotthoroughlyintoawoman\'smindinthismanner,ishalfwaytoherheart;thedistancebetweenthosetwostationsisproverbiallyshort。
\'Andareyoureallygoingawaythisweek?\'saidMrs。SwancourttoKnightonthefollowingevening,whichwasSunday。
Theywereallleisurelyclimbingthehilltothechurch,wherealastservicewasnowtobeheldattheratherexceptionaltimeofeveninginsteadofintheafternoon,previoustothedemolitionoftheruinousportions。