the hand of ethelberta-第44章

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they　began　to　be　flexible；　no　twigs　or　boughs　remaining。　　Each　torso
was　not　unlike　a　huge　hat…stand；　and　suspended　to　the　pegs　and
prongs　were　lumps　of　some　substance　which　at　first　she　did　not
recognize；　they　proved　to　be　a　chronological　sequel　to　the　previous
scene。　　Horses'　skulls；　ribs；　quarters；　legs；　and　other　joints　were
hung　thereon；　the　whole　forming　a　huge　open…air　larder　emitting　not
too　sweet　a　smell。

But　what　Stygian　sound　was　this？　　There　had　arisen　at　the　moment
upon　the　mute　and　sleepy　air　a　varied　howling　from　a　hundred
tongues。　　It　had　burst　from　a　spot　close　at　handa　low　wooden
building　by　a　stream　which　fed　the　lakeand　reverberated　for　miles。
No　further　explanation　was　required。

'We　are　close　to　a　kennel　of　hounds；'　said　Ethelberta；　as　Picotee
held　tightly　to　her　arm。　　'They　cannot　get　out；　so　you　need　not
fear。　　They　have　a　horrid　way　of　suddenly　beginning　thus　at
different　hours　of　the　night；　for　no　apparent　reason：　　though
perhaps　they　hear　us。　　These　poor　horses　are　waiting　to　be　killed
for　their　food。'

The　experience　altogether；　from　its　intense　melancholy；　was　very
depressing；　almost　appalling　to　the　two　lone　young　women；　and　they
quickly　retraced　their　footsteps。　　The　pleasant　lake；　the　purl　of
the　weir；　the　rudimentary　lawns；　shrubberies；　and　avenue；　had
changed　their　character　quite。　　Ethelberta　fancied　at　that　moment
that　she　could　not　have　married　Neigh；　even　had　she　loved　him；　so
horrid　did　his　belongings　appear　to　be。　　But　for　many　other　reasons
she　had　been　gradually　feeling　within　this　hour　that　she　would　not
go　out　of　her　way　at　a　beck　from　a　man　whose　interest　was　so
unimpassioned。

Thinking　no　more　of　him　as　a　possible　husband　she　ceased　to　be
afraid　to　make　inquiries　about　the　peculiarities　of　his　possessions。
In　the　high…road　they　came　on　a　local　man；　resting　from　wheeling　a
wheelbarrow；　and　Ethelberta　asked　him；　with　the　air　of　a
countrywoman；　who　owned　the　estate　across　the　road。

'The　man　owning　that　is　one　of　the　name　of　Neigh；'　said　the　native；
wiping　his　face。　　''Tis　a　family　that　have　made　a　very　large　fortune
by　the　knacker　business　and　tanning；　though　they　be　only　sleeping
partners　in　it　now；　and　live　like　lords。　　Mr。　Neigh　was　going　to
pull　down　the　old　huts　here；　and　improve　the　place　and　build　a
mansionin　short；　he　went　so　far　as　to　have　the　grounds　planted；
and　the　roads　marked　out；　and　the　fish…pond　made；　and　the　place
christened　Farnfield　Park；　but　he　did　no　more。　　〃I　shall　never　have
a　wife；〃　he　said；　〃so　why　should　I　want　a　house　to　put　her　in？〃
He's　a　terrible　hater　of　women；　I　hear；　particularly　the　lower
class。'

'Indeed！'

'Yes；　and　since　then　he　has　let　half　the　land　to　the　Honourable　Mr。
Mountclere；　a　brother　of　Lord　Mountclere's。　　Mr。　Mountclere　wanted
the　spot　for　a　kennel；　and　as　the　land　is　too　poor　and　sandy　for
cropping；　Mr。　Neigh　let　him　have　it。　　'Tis　his　hounds　that　you　hear
howling。'

They　passed　on。　　'Berta；　why　did　we　come　down　here？'　said　Picotee。

'To　see　the　nakedness　of　the　land。　　It　was　a　whim　only；　and　as　it
will　end　in　nothing；　it　is　not　worth　while　for　me　to　make　further
explanation。'

It　was　with　a　curious　sense　of　renunciation　that　Ethelberta　went
homeward。　　Neigh　was　handsome；　grim…natured；　rather　wicked；　and　an
indifferentist；　and　these　attractions　interested　her　as　a　woman。
But　the　news　of　this　evening　suggested　to　Ethelberta　that　herself
and　Neigh　were　too　nearly　cattle　of　one　colour　for　a　confession　on
the　matter　of　lineage　to　be　well　received　by　him；　and　without
confidence　of　every　sort　on　the　nature　of　her　situation；　she　was
determined　to　contract　no　union　at　all。　　The　sympathy　of　unlikeness
might　lead　the　scion　of　some　family；　hollow　and　fungous　with
antiquity；　and　as　yet　unmarked　by　a　mesalliance；　to　be　won　over　by
her　story；　but　the　antipathy　of　resemblance　would　be　ineradicable。



26。　ETHELBERTA'S　DRAWING…ROOM

While　Ethelberta　during　the　next　few　days　was　dismissing　that
evening　journey　from　her　consideration；　as　an　incident　altogether
foreign　to　the　organized　course　of　her　existence；　the　hidden　fruit
thereof　was　rounding　to　maturity　in　a　species　unforeseen。

Inferences　unassailable　as　processes；　are；　nevertheless；　to　be
suspected；　from　the　almost　certain　deficiency　of　particulars　on　some
side　or　other。　　The　truth　in　relation　to　Neigh's　supposed　frigidity
was　brought　before　her　at　the　end　of　the　following　week；　when　Dan
and　Sol　had　taken　Picotee；　Cornelia；　and　the　young　children　to　Kew
for　the　afternoon。

Early　that　morning；　hours　before　it　was　necessary；　there　had　been
such　a　chatter　of　preparation　in　the　house　as　was　seldom　heard
there。　　Sunday　hats　and　bonnets　had　been　retrimmed　with　such　cunning
that　it　would　have　taken　a　milliner's　apprentice　at　least　to
discover　that　any　thread　in　them　was　not　quite　new。　　There　was　an
anxious　peep　through　the　blind　at　the　sky　at　daybreak　by　Georgina
and　Myrtle；　and　the　perplexity　of　these　rural　children　was　great　at
the　weather…signs　of　the　town；　where　atmospheric　effects　had　nothing
to　do　with　clouds；　and　fair　days　and　foul　came　apparently　quite　by
chance。　　Punctually　at　the　hour　appointed　two　friendly　human　shadows
descended　across　the　kitchen　window；　followed　by　Sol　and　Dan；　much
to　the　relief　of　the　children's　apprehensions　that　they　might　forget
the　day。

The　brothers　were　by　this　time　acquiring　something　of　the　airs　and
manners　of　London　workmen；　they　were　less　spontaneous　and　more
comparative；　less　genial；　but　smarter；　in　obedience　to　the　usual　law
by　which　the　emotion　that　takes　the　form　of　humour　in　country
workmen　becomes　transmuted　to　irony　among　the　same　order　in　town。
But　the　fixed　and　dogged　fidelity　to　one　another　under　apparent
coolness；　by　which　this　family　was　distinguished；　remained　unshaken
in　these　members　as　in　all　the　rest；　leading　them　to　select　the
children　as　companions　in　their　holiday　in　preference　to　casual
acquaintance。　　At　last　they　were　ready；　and　departed；　and
Ethelberta；　after　chatting　with　her　mother　awhile；　proceeded　to　her
personal　duties。

The　house　was　very　silent　that　day；　Gwendoline　and　Joey　being　the
only　ones　left　below　stairs。　　Ethelberta　was　wishing　that　she　had
thrown　off　her　state　and　gone　to　Kew　to　have　an　hour　of　childhood
over　again　in　a　romp　with　the　others；　when　she　was　startled　by　the
announcement　of　a　male　visitornone　other　than　Mr。　Neigh。

Ethelberta's　attitude　on　receipt　of　this　information　sufficiently
expressed　a　revived　sense　that　the　incidence　of　Mr。　Neigh　on　her
path　might　have　a　meaning　after　all。　　Neigh　had　certainly　said　he
was　going　to　marry　her；　and　now　here　he　was　come　to　her　housejust
as　if　he　meant　to　do　it　forthwith。　　She　had　mentally　discarded　him；
yet　she　felt　a　shock　which　was　scarcely　painful；　and　a　dread　which
was　almost　exhilarating。　　Her　flying　visit　to　Farnfield　she　thought
little　of　at　this　moment。　　From　the　fact　that　the　mind　prefers
imaginings　to　recapitulation；　conjecture　to　history；　Ethelberta　had
dwelt　more　upon　Neigh's　possible　plans　and　anticipations　than　upon
the　incidents　of　her　evening　journey；　and　the　former　assumed　a　more
distinct　shape　in　her　mind's　eye　than　anything　on　the　visible　side
of　the　curtain。

Neigh　was　perhaps　not　quite　so　placidly　nonchalant　as　in　ordinary；
still；　he　was　by　far　the　most　trying　visitor　that　Ethelberta　had
lately　faced；　and　she　could　not　get　above　the　stagenot　a　very　high
one　for　the　mistress　of　a　houseof　feeling　her　personality　to　be
inconveniently　in　the　way　of　his　eyes。　　He　had　somewhat　the　bearing
of　a　man　who　was　going　to　do　without　any　fuss　what　gushing　people
would　call　a　philanthropic　action。

'I　have　been　intending　to　write　a　line　to　you；'　said　Neigh；　'but　I
felt　that　I　could　not　be　sure　of　writing　my　meaning　in　a　way　which
might　please　you。　　I　am　not　bright　at　a　letternever　was。　　The
question　I　mean　is　one　that　I　hope　you　will　be　disposed　to　answer
favourably；　even　though　I　may　show　the　awkwardness　of　a　fellow…
person　who　has　never　put　such　a　question　before。　　Will　you　give　me　a
word　of　encouragementjust　a　hope　that　I　may　not　be　unacceptable　as
a　husband　to　you？　　Your　talents　are　very　great；　and　of　course　I　know
that