little novels-第41章

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emed　to　be　once　more　favorably　impressed　as　he　read　them。　〃Personal　references　in　each　case　if　required　in　support　of　strong　written　recommendations　from　both　his　employers；〃　he　informed　my　aunt。　〃Copy　the　addresses；　Mina。　Very　satisfactory；　I　must　say。　Don't　you　think　so　yourself？〃　he　resumed；　turning　again　to　my　aunt。

Lady　Claudia　replied　by　a　courteous　bend　of　her　head。　The　General　went　on　with　his　questions。　They　related　to　the　management　of　horses；　and　they　were　answered　to　his　complete　satisfaction。

〃Michael　Bloomfield；　you　know　your　business；〃　he　said；　〃and　you　have　a　good　character。　Leave　your　address。　When　I　have　consulted　your　references；　you　shall　hear　from　me。〃

The　groom　took　out　a　blank　card；　and　wrote　his　name　and　address　on　it。　I　looked　over　my　uncle's　shoulder　when　he　received　the　card。　Another　surprise！　The　handwriting　was　simply　irreproachablethe　lines　running　perfectly　straight；　and　every　letter　completely　formed。　As　this　perplexing　person　made　his　modest　bow；　and　withdrew；　the　General；　struck　by　an　after…thought；　called　him　back　from　the　door。

〃One　thing　more；〃　said　my　uncle。　〃About　friends　and　followers？　I　consider　it　my　duty　to　my　servants　to　allow　them　to　see　their　relations；　but　I　expect　them　to　submit　to　certain　conditions　in　return〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；〃　the　groom　interposed。　〃I　shall　not　give　you　any　trouble　on　that　score。　I　have　no　relations。〃

〃No　brothers　or　sisters？〃　asked　the　General。

〃None；　sir。〃

〃Father　and　mother　both　dead？〃

〃I　don't　know；　sir。〃

〃You　don't　know！　What　does　that　mean？〃

〃I　am　telling　you　the　plain　truth；　sir。　I　never　heard　who　my　father　and　mother　wereand　I　don't　expect　to　hear　now。〃

He　said　those　words　with　a　bitter　composure　which　impressed　me　painfully。　Lady　Claudia　was　far　from　feeling　it　as　I　did。　Her　languid　interest　in　the　engagement　of　the　　groom　seemed　to　be　completely　exhaustedand　that　was　all。　She　rose；　in　her　easy　graceful　way；　and　looked　out　of　the　window　at　the　courtyard　and　fountain；　the　house…dog　in　his　kennel；　and　the　box　of　flowers　in　the　coachman's　window。

In　the　meanwhile；　the　groom　remained　near　the　table；　respectfully　waiting　for　his　dismissal。　The　General　spoke　to　him　sharply；　for　the　first　time。　I　could　see　that　my　good　uncle　had　noticed　the　cruel　tone　of　that　passing　reference　to　the　parents；　and　thought　of　it　as　I　did。

〃One　word　more；　before　you　go；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　don't　find　you　more　mercifully　inclined　toward　my　horses　than　you　seem　to　be　toward　your　father　and　mother；　you　won't　remain　long　in　my　service。　You　might　have　told　me　you　had　never　heard　who　your　parents　were；　without　speaking　as　if　you　didn't　care　to　hear。〃

〃May　I　say　a　bold　word；　sir；　in　my　own　defense？〃

He　put　the　question　very　quietly；　but；　at　the　same　time；　so　firmly　that　he　even　surprised　my　aunt。　She　looked　round　from　the　windowthen　turned　back　again；　and　stretched　out　her　hand　toward　the　curtain；　intending；　as　I　supposed；　to　alter　the　arrangement　of　it。　The　groom　went　on。

〃May　I　ask；　sir；　why　I　should　care　about　a　father　and　mother　who　deserted　me？　Mind　what　you　are　about；　my　lady！〃　he　criedsuddenly　addressing　my　aunt。　〃There's　a　cat　in　the　folds　of　that　curtain；　she　might　frighten　you。〃

He　had　barely　said　the　words　before　the　housekeeper's　large　tabby　cat；　taking　its　noonday　siesta　in　the　looped…up　fold　of　the　curtain；　leaped　out　and　made　for　the　door。

Lady　Claudia　was；　naturally　enough；　a　little　perplexed　by　the　man's　discovery　of　an　animal　completely　hidden　in　the　curtain。　She　appeared　to　think　that　a　person　who　was　only　a　groom　had　taken　a　liberty　in　presuming　to　puzzle　her。　Like　her　husband；　she　spoke　to　Michael　sharply。

〃Did　you　see　the　cat？〃　she　asked。

〃No；　my　lady。〃

〃Then　how　did　you　know　the　creature　was　in　the　curtain？〃

For　the　first　time　since　he　had　entered　the　room　the　groom　looked　a　little　confused。

〃It's　a　sort　of　presumption　for　a　man　in　my　position　to　be　subject　to　a　nervous　infirmity；〃　he　answered。　〃I　am　one　of　those　persons　（the　weakness　is　not　uncommon；　as　your　ladyship　is　aware）　who　know　by　their　own　unpleasant　sensations　when　a　cat　is　in　the　room。　It　goes　a　little　further　than　that　with　me。　The　'antipathy；'　as　the　gentlefolks　call　it；　tells　me　in　what　part　of　the　room　the　cat　is。〃

My　aunt　turned　to　her　husband；　without　attempting　to　conceal　that　she　took　no　sort　of　interest　in　the　groom's　antipathies。

〃Haven't　you　done　with　the　man　yet？〃　she　asked。

The　General　gave　the　groom　his　dismissal。

〃You　shall　hear　from　me　in　three　days'　time。　Good…morning。〃

Michael　Bloomfield　seemed　to　have　noticed　my　aunt's　ungracious　manner。　He　looked　at　her　for　a　moment　with　steady　attention　before　he　left　the　room。

V。

〃You　don't　mean　to　engage　that　man？〃　said　Lady　Claudia　as　the　door　closed。

〃Why　not？〃　asked　my　uncle。

〃I　have　taken　a　dislike　to　him。〃

This　short　answer　was　so　entirely　out　of　the　character　of　my　aunt　that　the　General　took　her　kindly　by　the　hand；　and　said：

〃I　am　afraid　you　are　not　well。〃

She　irritably　withdrew　her　hand。

〃I　don't　feel　well。　It　doesn't　matter。〃

〃It　does　matter；　Claudia。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃

〃Write　to　the　man〃　She　paused　and　smiled　contemptuously。　〃Imagine　a　groom　with　an　antipathy　to　cats！〃　she　said；　turning　to　me。　〃I　don't　know　what　you　think；　Mina。　I　have　a　strong　objection；　myself；　to　servants　who　hold　themselves　above　their　position　in　life。　Write；〃　she　resumed；　addressing　her　husband；　〃and　tell　him　to　look　for　another　place。〃

〃What　objection　can　I　make　to　him？〃　the　General　asked；　helplessly。

〃Good　heavens！　can't　you　make　an　excuse？　Say　he　is　too　young。〃

My　uncle　looked　at　me　in　expressive　silence　walked　slowly　to　the　writing…tableand　glanced　at　his　wife；　in　the　faint　hope　that　she　might　change　her　mind。　Their　eyes　metand　she　seemed　to　recover　the　command　of　her　temper。　She　put　her　hand　caressingly　on　the　General's　shoulder。

〃I　remember　the　time；〃　she　said；　softly；　〃when　any　caprice　of　mine　was　a　command　to　you。　Ah；　I　was　younger　then！〃

The　General's　reception　of　this　little　advance　was　thoroughly　characteristic　of　him。　He　first　kissed　Lady　Claudia's　hand；　and　then　he　wrote　the　letter。　My　aunt　rewarded　him　by　a　look；　and　left　the　library。

〃What　the　deuce　is　the　matter　with　her？〃　my　uncle　said　to　me　when　we　were　alone。　〃Do　you　dislike　the　man；　too？〃

〃Certainly　not。　As　far　as　I　can　judge；　he　appears　to　be　just　the　sort　of　person　we　want。〃

〃And　knows　thoroughly　well　how　to　manage　horses；　my　dear。　What　_can_　be　your　aunt's　objection　to　him？〃

As　the　words　passed　his　lips　Lady　Claudia　opened　the　library　door。

〃I　am　so　ashamed　of　myself；〃　she　said；　sweetly。　〃At　my　age；　I　have　been　behaving　like　a　spoiled　child。　How　good　you　are　to　me；　General！　Let　me　try　to　make　amends　for　my　misconduct。　Will　you　permit　me？〃

She　took　up　the　General's　letter；　without　waiting　for　permission；　tore　it　to　pieces；　smiling　pleasantly　all　the　while；　and　threw　the　fragments　into　the　waste…paper　basket。　〃As　if　you　didn't　know　better　than　I　do！〃　she　said；　kissing　him　on　the　forehead。　〃Engage　the　man　by　all　means。〃

She　left　the　room　for　the　second　time。　For　the　second　time　my　uncle　looked　at　me　in　blank　perplexityand　I　looked　back　at　him　in　the　same　condition　of　mind。　The　sound　of　the　luncheon　bell　was　equally　a　relief　to　both　of　us。　Not　a　word　more　was　spoken　on　the　subject　of　the　new　groom。　His　references　were　verified；　and　he　entered　the　General's　service　in　three　days'　time。

VI。

ALWAYS　careful　in　anything　that　concerned　my　welfare；　no　matter　how　trifling　it　might　be；　my　uncle　did　not　trust　me　alone　with　the　new　groom　when　he　first　entered　our　service。　Two　old　friends　of　the　General　accompanied　me　at　his　special　request；　and　reported　the　man　to　be　perfectly　competent　and　trustworthy。　After　that；　Michael　rode　out　with　me　alone；　my　friends　among　young　ladies　seldom　caring　to　accompany　me；　when　I　abandoned　the　park　for　the　quiet　country　roads　on　the　north　and　west　of　London。　Was　it　wrong　in　me　to　talk　to　him　on　these　expeditions？　It　would　surely　have　been　treating　a　man　like　a　brute　never　to　take　the　smallest　notice　of　himespecially　as　his　conduct　was　uniformly　respectful　toward　me。　Not　once；　by　word　or　look；　did　he　presume　on　the　p