the hand of ethelberta-第14章

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interest　in　the　conversation；　whatever　he　might　have　felt。'

'Since　the　matter　has　been　mentioned；'　said　Mr。　Jones；　'I　may　say
that　I　too　noticed　the　singularity　of　it。'

'If　you　had　not　said　otherwise；'　replied　Doncastle　somewhat　warmly；
'I　should　have　asserted　him　to　be　the　last　man…servant　in　London　to
infringe　such　an　elementary　rule。　　If　he　did　so　this　evening；　it　is
certainly　for　the　first　time；　and　I　sincerely　hope　that　no　annoyance
was　caused'

'O　no；　nonot　at　allit　might　have　been　a　mistake　of　mine；'　said
Jones。　　'I　should　quite　have　forgotten　the　circumstance　if　Mr。
Neigh's　words　had　not　brought　it　to　my　mind。　　It　was　really　nothing
to　notice；　and　I　beg　that　you　will　not　say　a　word　to　him　about　it　on
my　account。'

'He　has　a　taste　that　way；　my　dear　uncle；　nothing　more；　depend　upon
it；'　said　Neigh。　　'If　I　had　such　a　man　belonging　to　me　I　should　only
be　too　proud。　　Certainly　do　not　mention　it。'

'Of　course　Chickerel　is　Chickerel；'　Mr。　Doncastle　rejoined。　　'We　all
know　what　that　means。　　And　really；　on　reflecting；　I　do　remember　that
he　is　of　a　literary　turn　of　mindnot　further　by　an　inch　than　is
commendable；　you　know。　　I　am　quite　aware　as　I　glance　down　the　papers
and　prints　any　morning　that　Chickerel's　eyes　have　been　over　the
ground　before　mine；　and　that　he　generally　forestalls　the　rest　of　us
by　a　chapter　or　so　in　the　last　new　book　sent　home；　but　in　these
vicious　days　that　particular　weakness　is　really　virtue；　just　because
it　is　not　quite　a　vice。'

'Yes；'　said　Mr。　Jones；　the　reflective　man　in　spectacles；　'positive
virtues　are　getting　moved　off　the　stage：　　negative　ones　are　moved　on
to　the　place　of　positives；　we　thank　bare　justice　as　we　used　only　to
thank　generosity；　call　a　man　honest　who　steals　only　by　law；　and
consider　him　a　benefactor　if　he　does　not　steal　at　all。'

'Hear；　hear！'　said　Neigh。　　'We　will　decide　that　Chickerel　is　even　a
better　trained　fellow　than　if　he　had　shown　no　interest　at　all　in　his
face。'

'The　action　being　like　those　trifling　irregularities　in　art　at　its
vigorous　periods；　which　seemed　designed　to　hide　the　unpleasant
monotony　of　absolute　symmetry；'　said　Ladywell。

'On　the　other　hand；　an　affected　want　of　training　of　that　sort　would
be　even　a　better　disguise　for　an　artful　man　than　a　perfectly
impassible　demeanour。　　He　is　two　removes　from　discovery　in　a　hidden
scheme；　whilst　a　neutral　face　is　only　one。'

'You　quite　alarm　me　by　these　subtle　theories；'　said　Mr。　Doncastle；
laughing；　and　the　subject　then　became　compounded　with　other　matters；
till　the　speakers　rose　to　rejoin　the　charming　flock　upstairs。



In　the　basement　story　at　this　hour　Mr。　Chickerel　the　butler；　who　had
formed　the　subject　of　discussion　on　the　floor　above；　was　busily
engaged　in　looking　after　his　two　subordinates　as　they　bustled　about
in　the　operations　of　clearing　away。　　He　was　a　man　of　whom；　if　the
shape　of　certain　bones　and　muscles　of　the　face　is　ever　to　be　taken
as　a　guide　to　the　character；　one　might　safely　have　predicated
conscientiousness　in　the　performance　of　duties；　a　thorough　knowledge
of　all　that　appertained　to　them；　a　general　desire　to　live　on　without
troubling　his　mind　about　anything　which　did　not　concern　him。　　Any
person　interested　in　the　matter　would　have　assumed　without
hesitation　that　the　estimate　his　employer　had　given　of　Chickerel　was
a　true　onemore；　that　not　only　would　the　butler　under　all　ordinary
circumstances　resolutely　prevent　his　face　from　showing　curiosity　in
an　unbecoming　way；　but　that；　with　the　soul　of　a　true　gentleman；　he
would；　if　necessary；　equivocate　as　readily　as　the　noblest　of　his
betters　to　remove　any　stain　upon　his　honour　in　such　trifles。　　Hence
it　is　apparent　that　if　Chickerel's　countenance　really　appeared；　as
Neigh　had　asserted；　full　of　curiosity　with　regard　to　the　gossip　that
was　going　on；　the　feelings　which　led　to　the　exhibition　must　have
been　of　a　very　unusual　and　irrepressible　kind。

His　hair　was　of　that　peculiar　bluish…white　which　is　to　be　observed
when　the　oncoming　years；　instead　of　singling　out　special　locks　of　a
man's　head　for　operating　against；　advance　uniformly　over　the　whole
field；　and　enfeeble　the　colour　at　all　points　before　absolutely
extinguishing　it　anywhere；　his　nose　was　of　the　knotty　shape　in　the
gristle　and　earthward　tendency　in　the　flesh　which　is　commonly　said
to　carry　sound　judgment　above　it；　his　eyes　were　thoughtful；　and　his
face　was　thina　contour　which；　if　it　at　once　abstracted　from　his
features　that　cheerful　assurance　of　single…minded　honesty　which
adorns　the　exteriors　of　so　many　of　his　brethren；　might　have　raised　a
presumption　in　the　minds　of　some　beholders　that　perhaps　in　this　case
the　quality　might　not　be　altogether　wanting　within。

The　coffee　having　been　served　to　the　people　upstairs；　one　of　the
footmen　rushed　into　his　bedroom　on　the　lower　floor；　and　in　a　few
minutes　emerged　again　in　the　dress　of　a　respectable　clerk　who　had
been　born　for　better　things；　with　the　trifling　exceptions　that　he
wore　a　low…crowned　hat；　and　instead　of　knocking　his　heels　on　the
pavement　walked　with　a　gait　as　delicate　as　a　lady's。　　Going　out　of
the　area…door　with　a　cigar　in　his　mouth；　he　mounted　the　steps
hastily　to　keep　an　appointment　round　the　cornerthe　keeping　of
which　as　a　private　gentleman　necessitated　the　change　of　the　greater
part　of　his　clothes　twice　within　a　quarter　of　an　hourthe　limit　of
his　time　of　absence。　　The　other　footman　was　upstairs；　and　the
butler；　finding　that　he　had　a　few　minutes　to　himself；　sat　down　at
the　table　and　wrote：

'MY　DEAR　ETHELBERTA；I　did　not　intend　to　write　to　you　for　some　few
days　to　come；　but　the　way　in　which　you　have　been　talked　about　here
this　evening　makes　me　anxious　to　send　a　line　or　two　at　once；　though
I　have　very　little　time　to　spare；　as　usual。　　We　have　just　had　a
dinner…partyindeed　the　carriages　have　not　yet　been　brought　round
and　the　talk　at　dinner　was　about　your　verses；　of　course。　　The　thing
was　brought　up　by　a　young　fellow　named　Ladywelldo　you　know　him？
He　is　a　painter　by　profession；　but　he　has　a　pretty　good　private
income　beyond　what　he　gets　by　practising　his　line　of　business　among
the　nobility；　and　that　I　expect　is　not　little；　for　he　is　well　known；
and　encouraged　because　he　is　young；　and　good…looking；　and　so　forth。
His　family　own　a　good　bit　of　land　somewhere　out　Aldbrickham　way。
However；　I　am　before　my　story。　　From　what　they　all　said　it　is　pretty
clear　that　you　are　thought　a　great　deal　of　in　fashionable　society　as
a　poetessbut　perhaps　you　know　this　as　well　as　Imoving　in　it　as
you　do　yourself；　my　dear。

'The　ladies　afterwards　got　very　curious　about　your　age；　so　curious；
in　fact；　and　so　full　of　certainty　that　you　were　thirty…five　and　a
blighted　existence；　if　an　hour；　that　I　felt　inclined　to　rap　out
there　and　then；　and　hang　what　came　of　it：　　〃My　daughter；　ladies；　was
to　my　own　and　her　mother's　certain　knowledge　only　twenty…one　last
birthday；　and　has　as　bright　a　heart　as　anybody　in　London。〃　　One　of
them　actually　said　that　you　must　be　fifty　to　have　got　such　an
experience。　　Her　guess　was　a　very　shrewd　one　in　the　bottom　of　it；
however；　for　it　was　grounded　upon　the　way　you　use　those　strange
experiences　of　mine　in　the　society　that　I　tell　you　of；　and　dress
them　up　as　if　they　were　yours；　and；　as　you　see；　she　hit　off　my　own
age　to　a　year。　　I　thought　it　was　very　sharp　of　her　to　be　so　right；
although　so　wrong。

'I　do　not　want　to　influence　your　plans　in　any　way　about　things　which
your　school　learning　fits　you　to　understand　much　better　than　I；　who
never　had　such　opportunities；　but　I　think　that　if　I　were　in　your
place；　Berta；　I　would　not　let　my　name　be　known　just　yet；　for　people
always　want　what's　kept　from　them；　and　don't　value　what's　given。　　I
am　not　sure；　but　I　think　that　after　the　women　had　gone　upstairs　the
others　turned　their　thoughts　upon　you　again；　what　they　said　about
you　I　don't　know；　for　if　there's　one　thing　I　hate　'tis　hanging　about
the　doors　when　the　men　begin　to　get　moved　by　their　wine；　which　they
did　to　a　large　extent　to…night；　and　spoke　very　loud。　　They　always　do
here；　for　old　Don　is　a　hearty　giver　in　his　way。　　However；　as　you　see
these　people　from　their　own　level　now；　it　is　not　much　that　I　can
tell　you　in　seeing　them　only　fr