the hand of ethelberta-第55章

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marry　him；'　she　continued；　'and　I　want　to　know　what　you　would　say　to
such　an　arrangement。　　I　don't　mean　to　imply　that　the　event　is
certain　to　take　place；　but；　as　a　mere　supposition；　what　do　you　say
to　it；　Picotee？'　　Ethelberta　was　far　from　putting　this　matter　before
Picotee　for　advice　or　opinion；　but；　like　all　people　who　have　an
innate　dislike　to　hole…and…corner　policy；　she　felt　compelled　to
speak　of　it　to　some　one。

'I　should　not　like　him　for　you　at　all；'　said　Picotee　vehemently。　　'I
would　rather　you　had　Mr。　Ladywell。'

'O；　don't　name　him！'

'I　wouldn't　have　Mr。　Neigh　at　any　price；　nevertheless。　　It　is　about
him　that　I　was　going　to　tell　you。'　　Picotee　proceeded　to　relate
Menlove's　account　of　the　story　of　Ethelberta's　escapade；　which　had
been　dragged　from　Neigh　the　previous　evening　by　the　friend　to　whom
he　had　related　it　before　he　was　so　enamoured　of　Ethelberta　as　to
regard　that　performance　as　a　positive　virtue　in　her。　　'Nobody　was
told；　or　even　suspected；　who　the　lady　of　the　anecdote　was；'　Picotee
concluded；　'but　I　knew　instantly；　of　course；　and　I　think　it　very
unfortunate　that　we　ever　went　to　that　dreadful　ghostly　estate　of
his；　Berta。'

Ethelberta's　face　heated　with　mortification。　　She　had　no　fear　that
Neigh　had　told　names　or　other　particulars　which　might　lead　to　her
identification　by　any　friend　of　his；　and　she　could　make　allowance
for　bursts　of　confidence；　but　there　remained　the　awkward　fact　that
he　himself　knew　her　to　be　the　heroine　of　the　episode。　　What　annoyed
her　most　was　that　Neigh　could　ever　have　looked　upon　her　indiscretion
as　a　humorous　incident；　which　he　certainly　must　have　done　at　some
time　or　other　to　account　for　his　telling　it。　　Had　he　been　angry　with
her；　or　sneered　at　her　for　going；　she　could　have　forgiven　him；　but
to　see　her　manoeuvre　in　the　light　of　a　joke；　to　use　it　as
illustrating　his　grim　theory　of　womankind；　and　neither　to　like　nor
to　dislike　her　the　more　for　it　from　first　to　last；　this　was　to　treat
her　with　a　cynicism　which　was　intolerable。　　That　Neigh's　use　of　the
incident　as　a　stock　anecdote　ceased　long　before　he　had　decided　to
ask　her　to　marry　him　she　had　no　doubt；　but　it　showed　that　his　love
for　her　was　of　that　sort　in　which　passion　makes　war　upon　judgment；
and　prevails　in　spite　of　will。　　Moreover；　he　might　have　been
speaking　ironically　when　he　alluded　to　the　act　as　a　virtue　in　a
woman；　which　seemed　the　more　likely　when　she　remembered　his　cool
bearing　towards　her　in　the　drawing…room。　　Possibly　it　was　an
antipathetic　reaction；　induced　by　the　renewed　recollection　of　her
proceeding。

'I　will　never　marry　Mr。　Neigh！'　she　said；　with　decision。　　'That
shall　settle　it。　　You　need　not　think　over　any　such　contingency；
Picotee。　　He　is　one　of　those　horrid　men　who　love　with　their　eyes；
the　remainder　part　of　him　objecting　all　the　time　to　the　feeling；　and
even　if　his　objections　prove　the　weaker；　and　the　man　marries；　his
general　nature　conquers　again　by　the　time　the　wedding　trip　is　over；
so　that　the　woman　is　miserable　at　last；　and　had　better　not　have　had
him　at　all。'

'That　applies　still　more　to　Lord　Mountclere；　to　my　thinking。　　I
never　saw　anything　like　the　look　of　his　eyes　upon　you。'

'O　no；　noyou　understand　nothing　if　you　say　that。　　But　one　thing　be
sure　of；　there　is　no　marriage　likely　to　take　place　between　myself
and　Mr。　Neigh。　　I　have　longed　for　a　sound　reason　for　disliking　him；
and　now　I　have　got　it。　　Well；　we　will　talk　no　more　of　thislet　us
think　of　the　nice　little　pleasure　we　have　in　storeour　stay　at
Knollsea。　　There　we　will　be　as　free　as　the　wind。　　And　when　we　are
down　there；　I　can　drive　across　to　Corvsgate　Castle　if　I　wish　to
attend　the　Imperial　Association　meeting；　and　nobody　will　know　where
I　came　from。　　Knollsea　is　not　more　than　five　miles　from　the　Castle；
I　think。'

Picotee　was　by　this　time　beginning　to　yawn；　and　Ethelberta　did　not
feel　nearly　so　wakeful　as　she　had　felt　half…an…hour　earlier。　　Tall
and　swarthy　columns　of　smoke　were　now　soaring　up　from　the　kitchen
chimneys　around；　spreading　horizontally　when　at　a　great　height；　and
forming　a　roof　of　haze　which　was　turning　the　sun　to　a　copper　colour；
and　by　degrees　spoiling　the　sweetness　of　the　new　atmosphere　that　had
rolled　in　from　the　country　during　the　night；　giving　it　the　usual
city　smell。　　The　resolve　to　make　this　rising　the　beginning　of　a　long
and　busy　day；　which　should　set　them　beforehand　with　the　rest　of　the
world；　weakened　with　their　growing　weariness；　and　an　impulse　to　lie
down　just　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　before　dressing；　ended　in　a　sound
sleep　that　did　not　relinquish　its　hold　upon　them　till　late　in　the
forenoon。



31。　KNOLLSEA　…　A　LOFTY　DOWN　…　A　RUINED　CASTLE

Knollsea　was　a　seaside　village　lying　snug　within　two　headlands　as
between　a　finger　and　thumb。　　Everybody　in　the　parish　who　was　not　a
boatman　was　a　quarrier；　unless　he　were　the　gentleman　who　owned　half
the　property　and　had　been　a　quarryman；　or　the　other　gentleman　who
owned　the　other　half；　and　had　been　to　sea。

The　knowledge　of　the　inhabitants　was　of　the　same　special　sort　as
their　pursuits。　　The　quarrymen　in　white　fustian　understood　practical
geology；　the　laws　and　accidents　of　dips；　faults；　and　cleavage；　far
better　than　the　ways　of　the　world　and　mammon；　the　seafaring　men　in
Guernsey　frocks　had　a　clearer　notion　of　Alexandria；　Constantinople；
the　Cape；　and　the　Indies　than　of　any　inland　town　in　their　own
country。　　This；　for　them；　consisted　of　a　busy　portion；　the　Channel；
where　they　lived　and　laboured；　and　a　dull　portion；　the　vague
unexplored　miles　of　interior　at　the　back　of　the　ports；　which　they
seldom　thought　of。

Some　wives　of　the　village；　it　is　true；　had　learned　to　let　lodgings；
and　others　to　keep　shops。　　The　doors　of　these　latter　places　were
formed　of　an　upper　hatch；　usually　kept　open；　and　a　lower　hatch；　with
a　bell　attached；　usually　kept　shut。　　Whenever　a　stranger　went　in；　he
would　hear　a　whispering　of　astonishment　from　a　back　room；　after
which　a　woman　came　forward；　looking　suspiciously　at　him　as　an
intruder；　and　advancing　slowly　enough　to　allow　her　mouth　to　get
clear　of　the　meal　she　was　partaking　of。　　Meanwhile　the　people　in　the
back　room　would　stop　their　knives　and　forks　in　absorbed　curiosity　as
to　the　reason　of　the　stranger's　entry；　who　by　this　time　feels
ashamed　of　his　unwarrantable　intrusion　into　this　hermit's　cell；　and
thinks　he　must　take　his　hat　off。　　The　woman　is　quite　alarmed　at
seeing　that　he　is　not　one　of　the　fifteen　native　women　and　children
who　patronize　her；　and　nervously　puts　her　hand　to　the　side　of　her
face；　which　she　carries　slanting。　　The　visitor　finds　himself　saying
what　he　wants　in　an　apologetic　tone；　when　the　woman　tells　him　that
they　did　keep　that　article　once；　but　do　not　now；　that　nobody　does；
and　probably　never　will　again；　and　as　he　turns　away　she　looks
relieved　that　the　dilemma　of　having　to　provide　for　a　stranger　has
passed　off　with　no　worse　mishap　than　disappointing　him。

A　cottage　which　stood　on　a　high　slope　above　this　townlet　and　its　bay
resounded　one　morning　with　the　notes　of　a　merry　company。　　Ethelberta
had　managed　to　find　room　for　herself　and　her　young　relations　in　the
house　of　one　of　the　boatmen；　whose　wife　attended　upon　them　all。
Captain　Flower；　the　husband；　assisted　her　in　the　dinner
preparations；　when　he　slipped　about　the　house　as　lightly　as　a　girl
and　spoke　of　himself　as　cook's　mate。　　The　house　was　so　small　that
the　sailor's　rich　voice；　developed　by　shouting　in　high　winds　during
a　twenty　years'　experience　in　the　coasting　trade；　could　be　heard
coming　from　the　kitchen　between　the　chirpings　of　the　children　in　the
parlour。　　The　furniture　of　this　apartment　consisted　mostly　of　the
painting　of　a　full…rigged　ship；　done　by　a　man　whom　the　captain　had
specially　selected　for　the　purpose　because　he　had　been　seven…and…
twenty　years　at　sea　before　touching　a　brush；　and　thereby　offered　a
sufficient　guarantee　that　he　understood　how　to　paint　a　vessel
properly。

Before　this　picture　sat　Ethelberta　in　a　light　linen　dress；　and　with
tightly…knotted　hairnow　again　Berta　Chickerel　as　of　oldserving
out　breakfast　to　the　rest　of　the　party；　and　sometimes　lifting　her
eyes　to　the　outlook　from　the　window；　which　presented　a　happy
combination　of　gran