the hand of ethelberta-第20章

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to　forgive　me；　and　knew　nothing　about　the　will。　　But　every
explanation　distorts　it　all　the　more！'

'We　two　have　got　all　awry；　dearit　cannot　be　concealedawryawry。
Ah；　who　shall　set　us　right　again？　　However；　now　I　must　send　for　Mr。
Chancerlyno；　I　am　going　out　on　other　business；　and　I　will　call
upon　him。　　There；　don't　spoil　your　eyes：　　you　may　have　to　sell
them。'

She　rang　the　bell　and　ordered　the　carriage；　and　half…an…hour　later
Lady　Petherwin's　coachman　drove　his　mistress　up　to　the　door　of　her
lawyer's　office　in　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。



11。　SANDBOURNE　AND　ITS　NEIGHBOURHOOD　…　SOME　LONDON　STREETS

While　this　was　going　on　in　town；　Christopher；　at　his　lodgings　in
Sandbourne；　had　been　thrown　into　rare　old　visions　and　dreams　by　the
appearance　of　Ethelberta's　letter。　　Flattered　and　encouraged　to
ambition　as　well　as　to　love　by　her　inspiriting　sermon；　he　put　off
now　the　last　remnant　of　cynical　doubt　upon　the　genuineness　of　his
old　mistress；　and　once　and　for　all　set　down　as　disloyal　a　belief　he
had　latterly　acquired　that　'Come；　woo　me；　woo　me；　for　I　am　like
enough　to　consent；'　was　all　a　young　woman　had　to　tell。

All　the　reasoning　of　political　and　social　economists　would　not　have
convinced　Christopher　that　he　had　a　better　chance　in　London　than　in
Sandbourne　of　making　a　decent　income　by　reasonable　and　likely
labour；　but　a　belief　in　a　far　more　improbable　proposition；
impetuously　expressed；　warmed　him　with　the　idea　that　he　might　become
famous　there。　　The　greater　is　frequently　more　readily　credited　than
the　less；　and　an　argument　which　will　not　convince　on　a　matter　of
halfpence　appears　unanswerable　when　applied　to　questions　of　glory
and　honour。

The　regulation　wet　towel　and　strong　coffee　of　the　ambitious　and
intellectual　student　floated　before　him　in　visions；　but　it　was　with
a　sense　of　relief　that　he　remembered　that　music；　in　spite　of　its
drawbacks　as　a　means　of　sustenance；　was　a　profession　happily
unencumbered　with　those　excruciating　preliminaries　to　greatness。

Christopher　talked　about　the　new　move　to　his　sister；　and　he　was
vexed　that　her　hopefulness　was　not　roused　to　quite　the　pitch　of　his
own。　　As　with　others　of　his　sort；　his　too　general　habit　of　accepting
the　most　clouded　possibility　that　chances　offered　was　only
transcended　by　his　readiness　to　kindle　with　a　fitful　excitement　now
and　then。　　Faith　was　much　more　equable。　　'If　you　were　not　the　most
melancholy　man　God　ever　created；'　she　said；　kindly　looking　at　his
vague　deep　eyes　and　thin　face；　which　was　but　a　few　degrees　too
refined　and　poetical　to　escape　the　epithet　of　lantern…jawed　from　any
one　who　had　quarrelled　with　him；　'you　would　not　mind　my　coolness
about　this。　　It　is　a　good　thing　of　course　to　go；　I　have　always
fancied　that　we　were　mistaken　in　coming　here。　　Mediocrity　stamped
〃London〃　fetches　more　than　talent　marked　〃provincial。〃　　But　I　cannot
feel　so　enthusiastic。'

'Still；　if　we　are　to　go；　we　may　as　well　go　by　enthusiasm　as　by
calculation；　it　is　a　sensation　pleasanter　to　the　nerves；　and　leads
to　just　as　good　a　result　when　there　is　only　one　result　possible。'

'Very　well；'　said　Faith。　　'I　will　not　depress　you。　　If　I　had　to
describe　you　I　should　say　you　were　a　child　in　your　impulses；　and　an
old　man　in　your　reflections。　　Have　you　considered　when　we　shall
start？'

'Yes。'

'What　have　you　thought？'

'That　we　may　very　well　leave　the　place　in　six　weeks　if　we　wish。'

'We　really　may？'

'Yes。　　And　what　is　more；　we　will。'



Christopher　and　Faith　arrived　in　London　on　an　afternoon　at　the　end
of　winter；　and　beheld　from　one　of　the　river　bridges　snow…white
scrolls　of　steam　from　the　tall　chimneys　of　Lambeth；　rising　against
the　livid　sky　behind；　as　if　drawn　in　chalk　on　toned　cardboard。

The　first　thing　he　did　that　evening；　when　settled　in　their
apartments　near　the　British　Museum；　before　applying　himself　to　the
beginning　of　the　means　by　which　success　in　life　might　be　attained；
was　to　go　out　in　the　direction　of　Ethelberta's　door；　leaving　Faith
unpacking　the　things；　and　sniffing　extraordinary　smoke…smells　which
she　discovered　in　all　nooks　and　crannies　of　the　rooms。　　It　was　some
satisfaction　to　see　Ethelberta's　house；　although　the　single　feature
in　which　it　differed　from　the　other　houses　in　the　Crescent　was　that
no　lamp　shone　from　the　fanlight　over　the　entrancea　speciality
which；　if　he　cared　for　omens；　was　hardly　encouraging。　　Fearing　to
linger　near　lest　he　might　be　detected；　Christopher　stole　a　glimpse
at　the　door　and　at　the　steps；　imagined　what　a　trifle　of　the
depression　worn　in　each　step　her　feet　had　tended　to　produce；　and
strolled　home　again。

Feeling　that　his　reasons　for　calling　just　now　were　scarcely
sufficient；　he　went　next　day　about　the　business　that　had　brought　him
to　town；　which　referred　to　a　situation　as　organist　in　a　large　church
in　the　north…west　district。　　The　post　was　half　ensured　already；　and
he　intended　to　make　of　it　the　nucleus　of　a　professional　occupation
and　income。　　Then　he　sat　down　to　think　of　the　preliminary　steps
towards　publishing　the　song　that　had　so　pleased　her；　and　had　also；
as　far　as　he　could　understand　from　her　letter；　hit　the　popular　taste
very　successfully；　a　fact　which；　however　little　it　may　say　for　the
virtues　of　the　song　as　a　composition；　was　a　great　recommendation　to
it　as　a　property。　　Christopher　was　delighted　to　perceive　that　out　of
this　position　he　could　frame　an　admissible；　if　not　an　unimpeachable；
reason　for　calling　upon　Ethelberta。　　He　determined　to　do　so　at　once；
and　obtain　the　required　permission　by　word　of　mouth。

He　was　greatly　surprised；　when　the　front　of　the　house　appeared　in
view　on　this　spring　afternoon；　to　see　what　a　white　and　sightless
aspect　pervaded　all　the　windows。　　He　came　close：　　the　eyeball
blankness　was　caused　by　all　the　shutters　and　blinds　being　shut　tight
from　top　to　bottom。　　Possibly　this　had　been　the　case　for　some　time
he　could　not　tell。　　In　one　of　the　windows　was　a　card　bearing　the
announcement；　'This　House　to　be　let　Furnished。'　　Here　was　a
merciless　clash　between　fancy　and　fact。　　Regretting　now　his　faint…
heartedness　in　not　letting　her　know　beforehand　by　some　means　that　he
was　about　to　make　a　new　start　in　the　world；　and　coming　to　dwell　near
her；　Christopher　rang　the　bell　to　make　inquiries。　　A　gloomy
caretaker　appeared　after　a　while；　and　the　young　man　asked　whither
the　ladies　had　gone　to　live。　　He　was　beyond　measure　depressed　to
learn　that　they　were　in　the　South　of　FranceArles；　the　man　thought
the　place　was　calledthe　time　of　their　return　to　town　being　very
uncertain；　though　one　thing　was　clear；　they　meant　to　miss　the
forthcoming　London　season　altogether。

As　Christopher's　hope　to　see　her　again　had　brought　a　resolve　to　do
so；　so　now　resolve　led　to　dogged　patience。　　Instead　of　attempting
anything　by　letter；　he　decided　to　wait；　and　he　waited　well；
occupying　himself　in　publishing　a　'March'　and　a　'Morning　and　Evening
Service　in　E　flat。'　　Some　four…part　songs；　too；　engaged　his
attention　when　the　heavier　duties　of　the　day　were　overthese　duties
being　the　giving　of　lessons　in　harmony　and　counterpoint；　in　which　he
was　aided　by　the　introductions　of　a　man　well　known　in　the　musical
world；　who　had　been　acquainted　with　young　Julian　as　a　promising
amateur　long　before　he　adopted　music　as　the　staff　of　his　pilgrimage。

It　was　the　end　of　summer　when　he　again　tried　his　fortune　at　the
house　in　Exonbury　Crescent。　　Scarcely　calculating　upon　finding　her
at　this　stagnant　time　of　the　town　year；　and　only　hoping　for
information；　Julian　was　surprised　and　excited　to　see　the　shutters
open；　and　the　house　wearing　altogether　a　living　look；　its　neighbours
having　decidedly　died　off　meanwhile。

'The　family　here；'　said　a　footman　in　answer　to　his　inquiry；　'are
only　temporary　tenants　of　the　house。　　It　is　not　Lady　Petherwin's
people。'

'Do　you　know　the　Petherwins'　present　address？'

'Underground；　sir；　for　the　old　lady。　　She　died　some　time　ago　in
Switzerland；　and　was　buried　there；　I　believe。'

'And　Mrs。　Petherwinthe　young　lady；'　said　Christopher；　starting。

'We　are　not　acquainted　personally　with　the　family；'　the　man　replied。
'My　master　has　only　taken　the　house　for　a　few　months；　whilst
extensive　alterations　are　being　made　in　his　own　o