ThemiddaysunwhichHirsthadforetoldwasbeginningtobeatdownhotly。Thehighertheygotthemoreoftheskyappeared，untilthemountainwasonlyasmalltentofearthagainstanenormousbluebackground。TheEnglishfellsilent；thenativeswhowalkedbesidethedonkeysbrokeintoqueerwaveringsongsandtossedjokesfromonetotheother。Thewaygrewverysteep，andeachriderkepthiseyesfixedonthehobblingcurvedformoftherideranddonkeydirectlyinfrontofhim。Rathermorestrainwasbeingputupontheirbodiesthanisquitelegitimateinapartyofpleasure，andHewetoverheardoneortwoslightlygrumblingremarks。
“Expeditionsinsuchheatareperhapsalittleunwise，“Mrs。ElliotmurmuredtoMissAllan。
ButMissAllanreturned，“Ialwaysliketogettothetop“；
anditwastrue，althoughshewasabigwoman，stiffinthejoints，andunusedtodonkey-riding，butasherholidayswerefewshemadethemostofthem。
Thevivaciouswhitefigurerodewellinfront；shehadsomehowpossessedherselfofaleafybranchandworeitroundherhatlikeagarland。
Theywentonforafewminutesinsilence。
“Theviewwillbewonderful，“Hewetassuredthem，turningroundinhissaddleandsmilingencouragement。Rachelcaughthiseyeandsmiledtoo。Theystruggledonforsometimelonger，nothingbeingheardbuttheclatterofhoovesstrivingontheloosestones。
ThentheysawthatEvelynwasoffherass，andthatMr。PerrottwasstandingintheattitudeofastatesmaninParliamentSquare，stretchinganarmofstonetowardstheview。Alittletotheleftofthemwasalowruinedwall，thestumpofanElizabethanwatch-tower。
“Icouldn’thavestooditmuchlonger，“Mrs。ElliotconfidedtoMrs。Thornbury，buttheexcitementofbeingatthetopinanothermomentandseeingtheviewpreventedanyonefromansweringher。
Oneafteranothertheycameoutontheflatspaceatthetopandstoodovercomewithwonder。Beforethemtheybeheldanimmensespace——
greysandsrunningintoforest，andforestmerginginmountains，andmountainswashedbyair，theinfinitedistancesofSouthAmerica。
Ariverranacrosstheplain，asflatastheland，andappearingquiteasstationary。Theeffectofsomuchspacewasatfirstratherchilling。Theyfeltthemselvesverysmall，andforsometimenoonesaidanything。ThenEvelynexclaimed，“Splendid！“
Shetookholdofthehandthatwasnexther；itchancedtobeMissAllan’shand。
“North——South——East——West，“saidMissAllan，jerkingherheadslightlytowardsthepointsofthecompass。
Hewet，whohadgonealittleinfront，lookedupathisguestsasiftojustifyhimselfforhavingbroughtthem。Heobservedhowstrangelythepeoplestandinginarowwiththeirfiguresbentslightlyforwardandtheirclothesplasteredbythewindtotheshapeoftheirbodiesresemblednakedstatues。Ontheirpedestalofearththeylookedunfamiliarandnoble，butinanothermomenttheyhadbrokentheirrank，andhehadtoseetothelayingoutoffood。
Hirstcametohishelp，andtheyhandedpacketsofchickenandbreadfromonetoanother。
AsSt。JohngaveHelenherpacketshelookedhimfullinthefaceandsaid:
“Doyouremember——twowomen？“
Helookedathersharply。
“Ido，“heanswered。
“Soyou’rethetwowomen！“Hewetexclaimed，lookingfromHelentoRachel。
“Yourlightstemptedus，“saidHelen。“Wewatchedyouplayingcards，butweneverknewthatwewerebeingwatched。“
“Itwaslikeathinginaplay，“Racheladded。
“AndHirstcouldn’tdescribeyou，“saidHewet。
ItwascertainlyoddtohaveseenHelenandtofindnothingtosayabouther。
HughlingElliotputuphiseyeglassandgraspedthesituation。
“Idon’tknowofanythingmoredreadful，“hesaid，pullingatthejointofachicken’sleg，“thanbeingseenwhenoneisn’tconsciousofit。
Onefeelssureonehasbeencaughtdoingsomethingridiculous——
lookingatone’stongueinahansom，forinstance。“
Nowtheothersceasedtolookattheview，anddrawingtogethersatdowninacircleroundthebaskets。
“Andyetthoselittlelooking-glassesinhansomshaveafascinationoftheirown，“saidMrs。Thornbury。“One’sfeatureslooksodifferentwhenonecanonlyseeabitofthem。“
“Therewillsoonbeveryfewhansomcabsleft，“saidMrs。Elliot。
“Andfour-wheeledcabs——IassureyouevenatOxfordit’salmostimpossibletogetafour-wheeledcab。“
“Iwonderwhathappenstothehorses，“saidSusan。
“Vealpie，“saidArthur。
“It’shightimethathorsesshouldbecomeextinctanyhow，“saidHirst。
“They’redistressinglyugly，besidesbeingvicious。“
ButSusan，whohadbeenbroughtuptounderstandthatthehorseisthenoblestofGod’screatures，couldnotagree，andVenningthoughtHirstanunspeakableass，butwastoopolitenottocontinuetheconversation。
“Whentheyseeusfallingoutofaeroplanestheygetsomeoftheirownback，Iexpect，“heremarked。
“Youfly？“saidoldMr。Thornbury，puttingonhisspectaclestolookathim。
“Ihopeto，someday，“saidArthur。
Hereflyingwasdiscussedatlength，andMrs。Thornburydeliveredanopinionwhichwasalmostaspeechtotheeffectthatitwouldbequitenecessaryintimeofwar，andinEnglandwewereterriblybehind-hand。“IfIwereayoungfellow，“sheconcluded，“Ishouldcertainlyqualify。“Itwasoddtolookatthelittleelderlylady，inhergreycoatandskirt，withasandwichinherhand，hereyeslightingupwithzealassheimaginedherselfayoungmaninanaeroplane。
Forsomereason，however，thetalkdidnotruneasilyafterthis，andalltheysaidwasaboutdrinkandsaltandtheview。
SuddenlyMissAllan，whowasseatedwithherbacktotheruinedwall，putdownhersandwich，pickedsomethingoffherneck，andremarked，“I’mcoveredwithlittlecreatures。“Itwastrue，andthediscoverywasverywelcome。Theantswerepouringdownaglacieroflooseearthheapedbetweenthestonesoftheruin——largebrownantswithpolishedbodies。SheheldoutoneonthebackofherhandforHelentolookat。
“Supposetheysting？“saidHelen。
“Theywillnotsting，buttheymayinfestthevictuals，“saidMissAllan，andmeasuresweretakenatoncetodiverttheantsfromtheircourse。
AtHewet’ssuggestionitwasdecidedtoadoptthemethodsofmodernwarfareagainstaninvadingarmy。Thetable-clothrepresentedtheinvadedcountry，androundittheybuiltbarricadesofbaskets，setupthewinebottlesinarampart，madefortificationsofbreadanddugfossesofsalt。Whenanantgotthroughitwasexposedtoafireofbread-crumbs，untilSusanpronouncedthatthatwascruel，andrewardedthosebravespiritswithspoilintheshapeoftongue。
Playingthisgametheylosttheirstiffness，andevenbecameunusuallydaring，forMr。Perrott，whowasveryshy，said，“Permitme，“
andremovedanantfromEvelyn’sneck。
“Itwouldbenolaughingmatterreally，“saidMrs。ElliotconfidentiallytoMrs。Thornbury，“ifanantdidgetbetweenthevestandtheskin。“
Thenoisegrewsuddenlymoreclamorous，foritwasdiscoveredthatalonglineofantshadfoundtheirwayontothetable-clothbyabackentrance，andifsuccesscouldbegaugedbynoise，Hewethadeveryreasontothinkhispartyasuccess。Neverthelesshebecame，fornoreasonatall，profoundlydepressed。
“Theyarenotsatisfactory；theyareignoble，“hethought，surveyinghisguestsfromalittledistance，wherehewasgatheringtogethertheplates。
Heglancedatthemall，stoopingandswayingandgesticulatingroundthetable-cloth。Amiableandmodest，respectableinmanyways，lovableevenintheircontentmentanddesiretobekind，howmediocretheyallwere，andcapableofwhatinsipidcrueltytooneanother！
TherewasMrs。Thornbury，sweetbuttrivialinhermaternalegoism；
Mrs。Elliot，perpetuallycomplainingofherlot；herhusbandamerepeainapod；andSusan——shehadnoself，andcountedneitheronewaynortheother；Venningwasashonestandasbrutalasaschoolboy；
pooroldThornburymerelytrodhisroundlikeahorseinamill；
andthelessoneexaminedintoEvelyn’scharacterthebetter，hesuspected。Yetthesewerethepeoplewithmoney，andtothemratherthantootherswasgiventhemanagementoftheworld。
Putamongthemsomeonemorevital，whocaredforlifeorforbeauty，andwhatanagony，whatawastewouldtheyinflictonhimifhetriedtosharewiththemandnottoscourge！
“There’sHirst，“heconcluded，comingtothefigureofhisfriend；
withhisusuallittlefrownofconcentrationuponhisforeheadhewaspeelingtheskinoffabanana。“Andhe’sasuglyassin。“
FortheuglinessofSt。JohnHirst，andthelimitationsthatwentwithit，hemadetherestinsomewayresponsible。Itwastheirfaultthathehadtolivealone。ThenhecametoHelen，attractedtoherbythesoundofherlaugh。ShewaslaughingatMissAllan。
“Youwearcombinationsinthisheat？“shesaidinavoicewhichwasmeanttobeprivate。Helikedthelookofherimmensely，notsomuchherbeauty，butherlargenessandsimplicity，whichmadeherstandoutfromtherestlikeagreatstonewoman，andhepassedoninagentlermood。HiseyefelluponRachel。
Shewaslyingbackratherbehindtheothersrestingononeelbow；
shemighthavebeenthinkingpreciselythesamethoughtsasHewethimself。
Hereyeswerefixedrathersadlybutnotintentlyupontherowofpeopleoppositeher。Hewetcrawleduptoheronhisknees，withapieceofbreadinhishand。
“Whatareyoulookingat？“heasked。
Shewasalittlestartled，butanswereddirectly，“Humanbeings。“
ChapterXI
Oneafteranothertheyroseandstretchedthemselves，andinafewminutesdividedmoreorlessintotwoseparateparties。OneofthesepartieswasdominatedbyHughlingElliotandMrs。Thornbury，who，havingbothreadthesamebooksandconsideredthesamequestions，werenowanxioustonametheplacesbeneaththemandtohanguponthemstoresofinformationaboutnaviesandarmies，politicalparties，nativesandmineralproducts——allofwhichcombined，theysaid，toprovethatSouthAmericawasthecountryofthefuture。
EvelynM。listenedwithherbrightblueeyesfixedupontheoracles。
“Howitmakesonelongtobeaman！“sheexclaimed。
Mr。Perrottanswered，surveyingtheplain，thatacountrywithafuturewasaveryfinething。
“IfIwereyou，“saidEvelyn，turningtohimanddrawingherglovevehementlythroughherfingers，“I’draiseatroopandconquersomegreatterritoryandmakeitsplendid。You’dwantwomenforthat。
I’dlovetostartlifefromtheverybeginningasitoughttobe——
nothingsqualid——butgreathallsandgardensandsplendidmenandwomen。
Butyou——youonlylikeLawCourts！“
“Andwouldyoureallybecontentwithoutprettyfrocksandsweetsandallthethingsyoungladieslike？“askedMr。Perrott，concealingacertainamountofpainbeneathhisironicalmanner。
“I’mnotayounglady，“Evelynflashed；shebitherunderlip。
“JustbecauseIlikesplendidthingsyoulaughatme。WhyaretherenomenlikeGaribaldinow？“shedemanded。
“Lookhere，“saidMr。Perrott，“youdon’tgivemeachance。
Youthinkweoughttobeginthingsfresh。Good。ButIdon’tseeprecisely——conqueraterritory？They’reallconqueredalready，aren’tthey？“
“It’snotanyterritoryinparticular，“Evelynexplained。
“It’stheidea，don’tyousee？Weleadsuchtamelives。AndI
feelsureyou’vegotsplendidthingsinyou。“
HewetsawthescarsandhollowsinMr。Perrott’ssagaciousfacerelaxpathetically。Hecouldimaginethecalculationswhicheventhenwentonwithinhismind，astowhetherhewouldbejustifiedinaskingawomantomarryhim，consideringthathemadenomorethanfivehundredayearattheBar，ownednoprivatemeans，andhadaninvalidsistertosupport。Mr。Perrottagainknewthathewasnot“quite，“asSusanstatedinherdiary；notquiteagentlemanshemeant，forhewasthesonofagrocerinLeeds，hadstartedlifewithabasketonhisback，andnow，thoughpracticallyindistinguishablefromaborngentleman，showedhisorigintokeeneyesinanimpeccableneatnessofdress，lackoffreedominmanner，extremecleanlinessofperson，andacertainindescribabletimidityandprecisionwithhisknifeandforkwhichmightbetherelicofdayswhenmeatwasrare，andthewayofhandlingitbynomeansgingerly。
