an unsocial socialist-第38章

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education；　and　was　still　doing　so　upon　her　state　and　personal
adornment；　was　complaining　so　unpleasantly　of　her　failure　to　get
taken　off　his　hands；　that　she　could　hardly　bear　to　live　at　home；
and　was　ready　to　marry　any　thoroughbred　gentleman；　however
unsuitable　his　age　or　character；　who　would　relieve　her　from　her
humiliating　dependence。　She　was　prepared　to　sacrifice　her　natural
desire　for　youth；　beauty；　and　virtue　in　a　husband　if　she　could
escape　from　her　parents　on　no　easier　terms；　but　she　was　resolved
to　die　an　old　maid　sooner　than　marry　an　upstart。

The　difficulty　in　her　way　was　pecuniary。　The　admiral　was　poor。　He
had　not　quite　six　thousand　a　year；　and　though　he　practiced　the
utmost　economy　in　order　to　keep　up　the　most　expensive　habits；　he
could　not　afford　to　give　his　daughter　a　dowry。　Now　the　well　born
bachelors　of　her　set；　having　more　blue　bood；　but　much　less
wealth；　than　they　needed；　admired　her；　paid　her　compliments；
danced　with　her；　but　could　not　afford　to　marry　her。　Some　of　them
even　told　her　so；　married　rich　daughters　of　tea　merchants；　iron
founders；　or　successful　stocktrokers；　and　then　tried　to　make
matches　between　her　and　their　lowly　born　brothers…in…law。

So；　when　Gertrude　met　Lady　Brandon；　her　lot　was　secretly
wretched；　and　she　was　glad　to　accept　an　invitation　to　Brandon
Beeches　in　order　to　escape　for　a　while　from　the　admiral's　daily
sarcasms　on　the　marriage　list　in　the　〃Times。〃　The　invitation　was
the　more　acceptable　because　Sir　Charles　was　no　mushroom　noble；
and；　in　the　schooldays　which　Gertrude　now　remembered　as　the
happiest　of　her　life；　she　had　acknowledged　that　Jane's　family　and
connections　were　more　aristocratic　than　those　of　any　other
student　then　at　Alton；　herself　excepted。　To　Agatha；　whose
grandfather　had　amassed　wealth　as　a　proprietor　of　gasworks
（novelties　in　his　time）；　she　had　never　offered　her　intimacy。
Agatha　had　taken　it　by　force；　partly　moral；　partly　physical。　But
the　gasworks　were　never　forgotten；　and　when　Lady　Brandon
mentioned；　as　a　piece　of　delightful　news；　that　she　had　found　out
their　old　school　companion；　and　had　asked　her　to　join　them；
Gertrude　was　not　quite　pleased。　Yet；　when　they　met；　her　eyes　were
the　only　wet　ones　there；　for　she　was　the　least　happy　of　the
three；　and；　though　she　did　not　know　it；　her　spirit　was　somewhat
broken。　Agatha；　she　thought；　had　lost　the　bloom　of　girlhood；　but
was　bolder；　stronger；　and　cleverer　than　before。　Agatha　had；　in
fact；　summoned　all　her　self…possession　to　hide　her　shyness。　She
detected　the　emotion　of　Gertrude；　who　at　the　last　moment　did　not
try　to　conceal　it。　It　would　have　been　poured　out　freely　in　words；
had　Gertrude's　social　training　taught　her　to　express　her　feelings
as　well　as　it　had　accustomed　her　to　dissemble　them。

〃Do　you　remember　Miss　Wilson？〃　said　Jane；　as　the　three　drove　from
the　railway　station　to　Brandon　Beeches。　〃Do　you　remember　Mrs。
Miller　and　her　cat？　Do　you　remember　the　Recording　Angel？　Do　you
remember　how　I　fell　into　the　canal？〃

These　reminiscences　lasted　until　they　reached　the　house　and　went
together　to　Agatha's　room。　Here　Jane；　having　some　orders　to　give
in　the　household；　had　to　leave　themreluctantly；　for　she　was
jealous　lest　Gertrude　should　get　the　start　of　her　in　the　renewal
of　Agatha's　affection。　She　even　tried　to　take　her　rival　away　with
her；　but　in　vain。　Gertrude　would　not　budge。

〃What　a　beautiful　house　and　splendid　place！〃　said　Agatha　when
Jane　was　gone。　〃And　what　a　nice　fellow　Sir　Charles　is！　We　used　to
laugh　at　Jane；　but　she　can　afford　to　laugh　at　the　luckiest　of　us
now。　I　always　said　she　would　blunder　into　the　best　of　everything。
Is　it　true　that　she　married　in　her　first　season？〃

〃Yes。　And　Sir　Charles　is　a　man　of　great　culture。　I　cannot
understand　it。　Her　size　is　really　beyond　everything；　and　her
manners　are　bad。〃

〃Hm！〃　said　Agatha　with　a　wise　air。　〃There　was　always　something
about　Jane　that　attracted　men。　And　she　is　more　knave　than　fool。
But　she　is　certainly　a　great　ass。〃

Gertrude　looked　serious；　to　imply　that　she　had　grown　out　of　the
habit　of　using　or　listening　to　such　language。　Agatha；　stimulated
by　this；　continued：

〃Here　are　you　and　I；　who　consider　ourselves　twice　as　presentable
and　conversable　as　she；　two　old　maids。〃　Gertrude　winced；　and
Agatha　hastened　to　add：　〃Why；　as　for　you；　you　are　perfectly
lovely！　And　she　has　asked　us　down　expressly　to　marry　us。〃

〃She　would　not　presume〃

〃Nonsense；　my　dear　Gertrude。　She　thinks　that　we　are　a　couple　of
fools　who　have　mismanaged　our　own　business；　and　that　she；　having
managed　so　well　for　herself；　can　settle　us　in　a　jiffy。　Come；　did
she　not　say　to　you；　before　I　came；　that　it　was　time　for　me　to　be
getting　married？〃

〃Well；　she　did。　But〃

〃She　said　exactly　the　same　thing　to　me　about　yon　when　she　invited
me。〃

〃I　would　leave　her　house　this　moment；〃　said　Gertrude；　〃if　I
thought　she　dared　meddle　in　my　affairs。　What　is　it　to　her　whether
I　am　married　or　not？〃

〃Where　have　you　been　living　all　these　years；　if　you　do　not　know
that　the　very　first　thing　a　woman　wants　to　do　when　she　has　made　a
good　match　is　to　make　ones　for　all　her　spinster　friends。　Jane
does　not　mean　any　harm。　She　does　it　out　of　pure　benevolence。〃

〃I　do　not　need　Jane's　benevolence。〃

〃Neither　do　I；　but　it　doesn't　do　any　harm；　and　she　is　welcome　to
amuse　herself　by　trotting　out　her　male　acquaintances　for　my
approval。　Hush！　Here　she　comes。〃

Gertrude　subsided。　She　could　not　quarrel　with　Lady　Brandon
without　leaving　the　house；　and　she　could　not　leave　the　house
without　returning　to　her　home。　But　she　privately　resolved　to
discourage　the　attentions　of　Erskine；　suspecting　that　instead　of
being　in　love　with　her　as　he　pretended；　he　had　merely　been
recommended　by　Jane　to　marry　her。

Chichester　Erskine　had　made　sketches　in　Palestine　with　Sir
Charles；　and　had　tramped　with　him　through　many　European　picture
galleries。　He　was　a　young　man　of　gentle　birth；　and　had　inherited
fifteen　hundred　a　year　from　his　mother；　the　bulk　of　the　family
property　being　his　elder　brother's。　Having　no　profession；　and
being　fond　of　books　and　pictures；　he　had　devoted　himself　to　fine
art；　a　pursuit　which　offered　him　on　the　cheapest　terms　a　high
opinion　of　the　beauty　and　capacity　of　his　own　nature。　He　had
published　a　tragedy　entitled；　〃The　Patriot　Martyrs；〃　with　an
etched　frontispiece　by　Sir　Charles；　and　an　edition　of　it　had　been
speedily　disposed　of　in　presentations　to　the　friends　of　the
artist　and　poet；　and　to　the　reviews　and　newspapers。　Sir　Charles
had　asked　an　eminent　tragedian　of　his　acquaintance　to　place　the
work　on　the　stage　and　to　enact　one　of　the　patriot　martyrs。　But
the　tragedian　had　objected　that　the　other　patriot　martyrs　had
parts　of　equal　importance　to　that　proposed　for　him。　Erskine　had
indignantly　refused　to　cut　these　parts　down　or　out；　and　so　the
project　had　fallen　through。

Since　then　Erskine　had　been　bent　on　writing　another　drama；
without　regard　to　the　exigencies　of　the　stage；　but　he　had　not　yet
begun　it；　in　consequence　of　his　inspiration　coming　upon　him　at
inconvenient　hours；　chiefly　late　at　night；　when　he　had　been
drinking；　and　had　leisure　for　sonnets　only。　The　morning　air　and
bicycle　riding　were　fatal　to　the　vein　in　which　poetry　struck　him
as　being　worth　writing。　In　spite　of　the　bicycle；　however；　the
drama；　which　was　to　be　entitled　〃Hypatia；〃　was　now　in　a　fair　way
to　be　written；　for　the　poet　had　met　and　fallen　in　love　with
Gertrude　Lindsay；　whose　almost　Grecian　features；　and　some
knowledge　of　the　different　calculua　which　she　had　acquired　at
Alton；　helped　him　to　believe　that　she　was　a　fit　model　for　his
heroine。

When　the　ladies　came　downstairs　they　found　their　host　and　Erskine
in　the　picture　gallery；　famous　in　the　neighborhood　for　the　sum　it
had　cost　Sir　Charles。　There　was　a　new　etching　to　be　admired；　and
they　were　called　on　to　observe　what　the　baronet　called　its　tones；
and　what　Agatha　would　have　called　its　degrees　of　smudginess。　Sir
Charles's　attention　often　wandered　from　this　work　of　art。　He
looked　at　his　watch　twice；　and　said　to　his　wife：

〃I　have　ordered　them　to　be　punctual　with　the　luncheon。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　it's　all　right；〃　said　Lady　Brandon；　who　had　given
orders　that　luncheon　was　not　to　be　served　u