the hand of ethelberta-第13章

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front；　'that　an　estimate　which　depends　upon　feeling　in　that　way　is
not　to　be　trusted　as　permanent　opinion。'

The　subject　now　flitted　to　the　other　end。

'Somebody　has　it　that　when　the　heart　flies　out　before　the
understanding；　it　saves　the　judgment　a　world　of　pains；'　came　from　a
voice　in　that　quarter。

'I；　for　my　part；　like　something　merry；'　said　an　elderly　woman；　whose
face　was　bisected　by　the　edge　of　a　shadow；　which　toned　her　forehead
and　eyelids　to　a　livid　neutral　tint；　and　left　her　cheeks　and　mouth
like　metal　at　a　white　heat　in　the　uninterrupted　light。　　'I　think　the
liveliness　of　those　ballads　as　great　a　recommendation　as　any。　　After
all；　enough　misery　is　known　to　us　by　our　experiences　and　those　of
our　friends；　and　what　we　see　in　the　newspapers；　for　all　purposes　of
chastening；　without　having　gratuitous　grief　inflicted　upon　us。'

'But　you　would　not　have　wished　that　〃Romeo　and　Juliet〃　should　have
ended　happily；　or　that　Othello　should　have　discovered　the　perfidy　of
his　Ancient　in　time　to　prevent　all　fatal　consequences？'

'I　am　not　afraid　to　go　so　far　as　that；'　said　the　old　lady。
'Shakespeare　is　not　everybody；　and　I　am　sure　that　thousands　of
people　who　have　seen　those　plays　would　have　driven　home　more
cheerfully　afterwards　if　by　some　contrivance　the　characters　could
all　have　been　joined　together　respectively。　　I　uphold　our　anonymous
author　on　the　general　ground　of　her　levity。'

'Well；　it　is　an　old　and　worn　argumentthat　about　the　inexpedience
of　tragedyand　much　may　be　said　on　both　sides。　　It　is　not　to　be
denied　that　the　anonymous　Sappho's　versesfor　it　seems　that　she　is
really　a　womanare　clever。'

'Clever！'　said　Ladywellthe　young　man　who　had　been　one　of　the
shooting…party　at　Sandbourne'they　are　marvellously　brilliant。'

'She　is　rather　warm　in　her　assumed　character。'

'That's　a　sign　of　her　actual　coldness；　she　lets　off　her　feeling　in
theoretic　grooves；　and　there　is　sure　to　be　none　left　for　practical
ones。　　Whatever　seems　to　be　the　most　prominent　vice；　or　the　most
prominent　virtue　in　anybody's　writing　is　the　one　thing　you　are
safest　from　in　personal　dealings　with　the　writer。'

'O；　I　don't　mean　to　call　her　warmth　of　feeling　a　vice　or　virtue
exactly'

'I　agree　with　you；'　said　Neigh　to　the　last　speaker　but　one；　in　tones
as　emphatic　as　they　possibly　could　be　without　losing　their　proper
character　of　indifference　to　the　whole　matter。　　'Warm　sentiment　of
any　sort；　whenever　we　have　it；　disturbs　us　too　much　to　leave　us
repose　enough　for　writing　it　down。'

'I　am　sure；　when　I　was　at　the　ardent　age；'　said　the　mistress　of　the
house；　in　a　tone　of　pleasantly　agreeing　with　every　one；　particularly
those　who　were　diametrically　opposed　to　each　other；　'I　could　no　more
have　printed　such　emotions　and　made　them　public　than　Icould　have
helped　privately　feeling　them。'

'I　wonder　if　she　has　gone　through　half　she　says？　　If　so；　what　an
experience！'

'O　nonot　at　all　likely；'　said　Mr。　Neigh。　　'It　is　as　risky　to
calculate　people's　ways　of　living　from　their　writings　as　their
incomes　from　their　way　of　living。'

'She　is　as　true　to　nature　as　fashion　is　false；'　said　the　painter；　in
his　warmth　becoming　scarcely　complimentary；　as　sometimes　happens
with　young　persons。　　'I　don't　think　that　she　has　written　a　word　more
than　what　every　woman　would　deny　feeling　in　a　society　where　no　woman
says　what　she　means　or　does　what　she　says。　　And　can　any　praise　be
greater　than　that？'

'Ha…ha！　　Capital！'

'All　her　verses　seem　to　me；'　said　a　rather　stupid　person；　'to　be
simply

　　　　　〃Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…la'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…lu'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lal'…la…la…lalla'；
　　　　　　Tral'…la…la…lu'。〃

When　you　take　away　the　music　there　is　nothing　left。　　Yet　she　is
plainly　a　woman　of　great　culture。'

'Have　you　seen　what　the　London　Light　says　about　themone　of　the
finest　things　I　have　ever　read　in　the　way　of　admiration？'　continued
Ladywell；　paying　no　attention　to　the　previous　speaker。　　He　lingered
for　a　reply；　and　then　impulsively　quoted　several　lines　from　the
periodical　he　had　named；　without　aid　or　hesitation。　　'Good；　is　it
not？'　added　Ladywell。

They　assented；　but　in　such　an　unqualified　manner　that　half　as　much
readiness　would　have　meant　more。　　But　Ladywell；　though　not
experienced　enough　to　be　quite　free　from　enthusiasm；　was　too
experienced　to　mind　indifference　for　more　than　a　minute　or　two。
When　the　ladies　had　withdrawn；　the　young　man　went　on

'Colonel　Staff　said　a　funny　thing　to　me　yesterday　about　these　very
poems。　　He　asked　me　if　I　knew　her；　and'

'Her？　　Why；　he　knows　that　it　is　a　lady　all　the　time；　and　we　were
only　just　now　doubting　whether　the　sex　of　the　writer　could　be　really
what　it　seems。　　Shame；　Ladywell！'　said　his　friend　Neigh。

'Ah；　Mr。　Ladywell；'　said　another；　'now　we　have　found　you　out。　　You
know　her！'

'NowI　sayha…ha！'　continued　the　painter；　with　a　face　expressing
that　he　had　not　at　all　tried　to　be　found　out　as　the　man　possessing
incomparably　superior　knowledge　of　the　poetess。　　'I　beg　pardon
really；　but　don't　press　me　on　the　matter。　　Upon　my　word　the　secret
is　not　my　own。　　As　I　was　saying；　the　Colonel　said；　〃Do　you　know
her？〃but　you　don't　care　to　hear？'

'We　shall　be　delighted！'

'So　the　Colonel　said；　〃Do　you　know　her？〃　adding；　in　a　most　comic
way；　〃Between　U。　and　E。；　Ladywell；　I　believe　there　is　a　close
affinity〃meaning　me；　you　know；　by　U。　　Just　like　the　Colonelha…
ha…ha！'

The　older　men　did　not　oblige　Ladywell　a　second　time　with　any　attempt
at　appreciation；　but　a　weird　silence　ensued；　during　which　the　smile
upon　Ladywell's　face　became　frozen　to　painful　permanence。

'Meaning　by　E。；　you　know；　the　〃E〃　of　the　poemsheh…heh！'　he　added。

'It　was　a　very　humorous　incident　certainly；'　said　his　friend　Neigh；
at　which　there　was　a　laughnot　from　anything　connected　with　what　he
said；　but　simply　because　it　was　the　right　thing　to　laugh　when　Neigh
meant　you　to　do　so。

'Now　don't；　Neighyou　are　too　hard　upon　me。　　But；　seriously；　two　or
three　fellows　were　there　when　I　said　it；　and　they　all　began
laughingbut；　then；　the　Colonel　said　it　in　such　a　queer　way；　you
know。　　But　you　were　asking　me　about　her？　　Well；　the　fact　is；　between
ourselves；　I　do　know　that　she　is　a　lady；　and　I　don't　mind　telling　a
word'

'But　we　would　not　for　the　world　be　the　means　of　making　you　betray
her　confidencewould　we；　Jones？'

'No；　indeed；　we　would　not。'

'No；　no；　it　is　not　that　at　allthis　is　really　too　bad！you　must
listen　just　for　a　moment'

'Ladywell；　don't　betray　anybody　on　our　account。'

'Whoever　the　illustrious　young　lady　may　be　she　has　seen　a　great　deal
of　the　world；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle　blandly；　'and　puts　her　experience
of　the　comedy　of　its　emotions；　and　of　its　method　of　showing　them；　in
a　very　vivid　light。'

'I　heard　a　man　say　that　the　novelty　with　which　the　ideas　are
presented　is　more　noticeable　than　the　originality　of　the　ideas
themselves；'　observed　Neigh。　　'The　woman　has　made　a　great　talk　about
herself；　and　I　am　quite　weary　of　people　asking　of　her　condition；
place　of　abode；　has　she　a　father；　has　she　a　mother；　or　dearer　one
yet　than　all　other。'

'I　would　have　burlesque　quotation　put　down　by　Act　of　Parliament；　and
all　who　dabble　in　it　placed　with　him　who　can　cite　Scripture　for　his
purposes；'　said　Ladywell；　in　retaliation。

After　a　pause　Neigh　remarked　half…privately　to　their　host；　who　was
his　uncle：　　'Your　butler　Chickerel　is　a　very　intelligent　man；　as　I
have　heard。'

'Yes；　he　does　very　well；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle。

'But　is　he　not　avery　extraordinary　man？'

'Not　to　my　knowledge；'　said　Doncastle；　looking　up　surprised。　　'Why
do　you　think　that；　Alfred？'

'Well；　perhaps　it　was　not　a　matter　to　mention。　　He　reads　a　great
deal；　I　dare　say？'

'I　don't　think　so。'

'I　noticed　how　wonderfully　his　face　kindled　when　we　began　talking
about　the　poems　during　dinner。　　Perhaps　he　is　a　poet　himself　in
disguise。　　Did　you　observe　it？'

'No。　　To　the　best　of　my　belief　he　is　a　very　trustworthy　and
honourable　man。　　He　has　been　with　uslet　me　see；　how　long？five
months；　I　think；　and　he　was　fifteen　years　in　his　last　place。　　It
certainly　is　a　new　side　to　his　character　if　he　publicly　showed　any
interest　in　the　conversation；　whatever　he　might　have　felt。'

'Since　t