the hand of ethelberta-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


turned　to　discover　Picotee。

'Come　here；　Picotee；'　said　Ethelberta。

Picotee　came　with　an　abashed　bearing　to　where　the　other　two　were
standing；　and　looked　down　steadfastly。

'Mr。　Julian　is　going　away；'　she　continued；　with　determined　firmness。
'He　will　not　see　us　again　for　a　long　time。'　　And　Ethelberta　added；
in　a　lower　tone；　though　still　in　the　unflinching　manner　of　one　who
had　set　herself　to　say　a　thing；　and　would　say　it'He　is　not　to　be
definitely　engaged　to　me　any　longer。　　We　are　not　thinking　of
marrying；　you　know；　Picotee。　　It　is　best　that　we　should　not。'

'Perhaps　it　is；'　said　Christopher　hurriedly；　taking　up　his　hat。
'Let　me　now　wish　you　good…bye；　and；　of　course；　you　will　always　know
where　I　am；　and　how　to　find　me。'

It　was　a　tender　time。　　He　inclined　forward　that　Ethelberta　might
give　him　her　hand；　which　she　did；　whereupon　their　eyes　met。
Mastered　by　an　impelling　instinct　she　had　not　reckoned　with；
Ethelberta　presented　her　cheek。　　Christopher　kissed　it　faintly。
Tears　were　in　Ethelberta's　eyes　now；　and　she　was　heartfull　of　many
emotions。　　Placing　her　arm　round　Picotee's　waist；　who　had　never
lifted　her　eyes　from　the　carpet；　she　drew　the　slight　girl　forward；
and　whispered　quickly　to　him'Kiss　her；　too。　　She　is　my　sister；　and
I　am　yours。'

It　seemed　all　right　and　natural　to　their　respective　moods　and　the
tone　of　the　moment　that　free　old　Wessex　manners　should　prevail；　and
Christopher　stooped　and　dropped　upon　Picotee's　cheek　likewise　such　a
farewell　kiss　as　he　had　imprinted　upon　Ethelberta's。

'Care　for　us　both　equally！'　said　Ethelberta。

'I　will；'　said　Christopher；　scarcely　knowing　what　he　said。

When　he　had　reached　the　door　of　the　room；　he　looked　back　and　saw　the
two　sisters　standing　as　he　had　left　them；　and　equally　tearful。
Ethelberta　at　once　said；　in　a　last　futile　struggle　against　letting
him　go　altogether；　and　with　thoughts　of　her　sister's　heart：

'I　think　that　Picotee　might　correspond　with　Faith；　don't　you；　Mr。
Julian？'

'My　sister　would　much　like　to　do　so；'　said　he。

'And　you　would　like　it　too；　would　you　not；　Picotee？'

'O　yes；'　she　replied。　　'And　I　can　tell　them　all　about　you。'

'Then　it　shall　be　so；　if　Miss　Julian　will。'　　She　spoke　in　a　settled
way；　as　if　something　intended　had　been　set　in　train；　and　Christopher
having　promised　for　his　sister；　he　went　out　of　the　house　with　a
parting　smile　of　misgiving。

He　could　scarcely　believe　as　he　walked　along　that　those　late　words；
yet　hanging　in　his　ears；　had　really　been　spoken；　that　still　visible
scene　enacted。　　He　could　not　even　recollect　for　a　minute　or　two　how
the　final　result　had　been　produced。　　Did　he　himself　first　enter　upon
the　long…looming　theme；　or　did　she？　　Christopher　had　been　so
nervously　alive　to　the　urgency　of　setting　before　the　hard…striving
woman　a　clear　outline　of　himself；　his　surroundings　and　his　fears；
that　he　fancied　the　main　impulse　to　this　consummation　had　been　his；
notwithstanding　that　a　faint　initiative　had　come　from　Ethelberta。
All　had　completed　itself　quickly；　unceremoniously；　and　easily。
Ethelberta　had　let　him　go　a　second　time；　yet　on　foregoing　mornings
and　evenings；　when　contemplating　the　necessity　of　some　such
explanation；　it　had　seemed　that　nothing　less　than　Atlantean　force
could　overpower　their　mutual　gravitation　towards　each　other。

On　his　reaching　home　Faith　was　not　in　the　house；　and；　in　the
restless　state　which　demands　something　to　talk　at；　the　musician　went
off　to　find　her；　well　knowing　her　haunt　at　this　time　of　the　day。　　He
entered　the　spiked　and　gilded　gateway　of　the　Museum　hard　by；　turned
to　the　wing　devoted　to　sculptures；　and　descended　to　a　particular
basement　room；　which　was　lined　with　bas…reliefs　from　Nineveh。　　The
place　was　cool；　silent；　and　soothing；　it　was　empty；　save　of　a　little
figure　in　black；　that　was　standing　with　its　face　to　the　wall　in　an
innermost　nook。　　This　spot　was　Faith's　own　temple；　here；　among　these
deserted　antiques；　Faith　was　always　happy。　　Christopher　looked　on　at
her　for　some　time　before　she　noticed　him；　and　dimly　perceived　how
vastly　differed　her　homely　suit　and　unstudied　contourpainfully
unstudied　to　fastidious　eyesfrom　Ethelberta's　well…arranged
draperies；　even　from　Picotee's　clever　bits　of　ribbon；　by　which　she
made　herself　look　pretty　out　of　nothing　at　all。　　Yet　this　negligence
was　his　sister's　essence；　without　it　she　would　have　been　a　spoilt
product。　　She　had　no　outer　world；　and　her　rusty　black　was　as
appropriate　to　Faith's　unseen　courses　as　were　Ethelberta's　correct
lights　and　shades　to　her　more　prominent　career。

'Look；　Kit；'　said　Faith；　as　soon　as　she　knew　who　was　approaching。
'This　is　a　thing　I　never　learnt　before；　this　person　is　really
Sennacherib；　sitting　on　his　throne；　and　these　with　fluted　beards　and
hair　like　plough…furrows；　and　fingers　with　no　bones　in　them；　are　his
warriorsreally　carved　at　the　time；　you　know。　　Only　just　think　that
this　is　not　imagined　of　Assyria；　but　done　in　Assyrian　times　by
Assyrian　hands。　　Don't　you　feel　as　if　you　were　actually　in　Nineveh；
that　as　we　now　walk　between　these　slabs；　so　walked　Ninevites　between
them　once？'

'Yes。　。　。　。　　Faith；　it　is　all　over。　　Ethelberta　and　I　have　parted。'

'Indeed。　　And　so　my　plan　is　to　think　of　verses　in　the　Bible　about
Sennacherib　and　his　doings；　which　resemble　these；　this　verse；　for
instance；　I　remember：　　〃Now　in　the　fourteenth　year　of　King　Hezekiah
did　Sennacherib；　King　of　Assyria；　come　up　against　all　the　fenced
cities　of　Judah　and　took　them。　　And　Hezekiah；　King　of　Judah；　sent　to
the　King　of　Assyria　to　Lachish；〃　and　so　on。　　Well；　there　it　actually
is；　you　see。　　There's　Sennacherib；　and　there's　Lachish。　　Is　it　not
glorious　to　think　that　this　is　a　picture　done　at　the　time　of　those
very　events？'

'Yes。　　We　did　not　quarrel　this　time；　Ethelberta　and　I。　　If　I　may　so
put　it；　it　is　worse　than　quarrelling。　　We　felt　it　was　no　use　going
on　any　longer；　and　soCome；　Faith；　hear　what　I　say；　or　else　tell　me
that　you　won't　hear；　and　that　I　may　as　well　save　my　breath！'

'Yes；　I　will　really　listen；'　she　said；　fluttering　her　eyelids　in　her
concern　at　having　been　so　abstracted；　and　excluding　Sennacherib
there　and　then　from　Christopher's　affairs　by　the　first　settlement　of
her　features　to　a　present…day　aspect；　and　her　eyes　upon　his　face。
'You　said　you　had　seen　Ethelberta。　　Yes；　and　what　did　she　say？'

'Was　there　ever　anybody　so　provoking！　　Why；　I　have　just　told　you！'

'Yes；　yes；　I　remember　now。　　You　have　parted。　　The　subject　is　too
large　for　me　to　know　all　at　once　what　I　think　of　it；　and　you　must
give　me　time；　Kit。　　Speaking　of　Ethelberta　reminds　me　of　what　I　have
done。　　I　just　looked　into　the　Academy　this　morningI　thought　I
would　surprise　you　by　telling　you　about　it。　　And　what　do　you　think　I
saw？　　Ethelbertain　the　picture　painted　by　Mr。　Ladywell。'

'It　is　never　hung？'　said　he；　feeling　that　they　were　at　one　as　to　a
topic　at　last。

'Yes。　　And　the　subject　is　an　Elizabethan　knight　parting　from　a　lady
of　the　same　periodthe　words　explaining　the　picture　being

　　　　　〃Farewell！　thou　art　too　dear　for　my　possessing；
　　　　　　And　like　enough　thou　know'st　thy　estimate。〃

The　lady　is　Ethelberta；　to　the　shade　of　a　hairher　living　face；　and
the　knight　is'

'Not　Ladywell？'

'I　think　so；　I　am　not　sure。'

'No　wonder　I　am　dismissed！　　And　yet　she　hates　him。　　Well；　come
along；　Faith。　　Women　allow　strange　liberties　in　these　days。'



25。　THE　ROYAL　ACADEMY　…　THE　FARNFIELD　ESTATE

Ethelberta　was　a　firm　believer　in　the　kindly　effects　of　artistic
education　upon　the　masses。　　She　held　that　defilement　of　mind　often
arose　from　ignorance　of　eye；　and　her　philanthropy　being；　by　the
simple　force　of　her　situation；　of　that　sort　which　lingers　in　the
neighbourhood　of　home；　she　concentrated　her　efforts　in　this　kind
upon　Sol　and　Dan。　　Accordingly；　the　Academy　exhibition　having　now
just　opened；　she　ordered　the　brothers　to　appear　in　their　best
clothes　at　the　entrance　to　Burlington　House　just　after　noontide　on
the　Saturday　of　the　first　week；　this　being　the　only　day　and　hour　at
which　they　could　attend　without　'losing　a　half'　and　therefore　it　was
necessary　to　put　up　with　the　inconvenience　of　arriving　at　a　crowded
and　enervating　time。

When　Ethelberta　was　set　d