the hand of ethelberta-第57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！


she　dismounted；　and　tying　him　to　a　stone　which　projected　like　a　fang
from　a　raw　edge　of　wall；　performed　the　remainder　of　the　ascent　on
foot。　　Once　among　the　towers　above；　she　became　so　interested　in　the
windy　corridors；　mildewed　dungeons；　and　the　tribe　of　daws　peering
invidiously　upon　her　from　overhead；　that　she　forgot　the　flight　of
time。

Nearly　three…quarters　of　an　hour　passed　before　she　came　out　from　the
immense　walls；　and　looked　from　an　opening　to　the　front　over　the　wide
expanse　of　the　outer　ward；　by　which　she　had　ascended。

Ethelberta　was　taken　aback　to　see　there　a　file　of　shining　carriages；
which　had　arrived　during　her　seclusion　in　the　keep。　　From　these
began　to　burst　a　miscellany　of　many…coloured　draperies；　blue；　buff；
pied；　and　black；　they　united　into　one；　and　crept　up　the　incline　like
a　cloud；　which　then　parted　into　fragments；　dived　into　old　doorways；
and　lost　substance　behind　projecting　piles。　　Recognizing　in　this　the
ladies　and　gentlemen　of　the　meeting；　her　first　thought　was　how　to
escape；　for　she　was　suddenly　overcome　with　dread　to　meet　them　all
single…handed　as　she　stood。　　She　drew　back　and　hurried　round　to　the
side；　as　the　laughter　and　voices　of　the　assembly　began　to　be
audible；　and；　more　than　ever　vexed　that　she　could　not　have　fallen　in
with　them　in　some　unobtrusive　way；　Ethelberta　found　that　they　were
immediately　beneath　her。

Venturing　to　peep　forward　again；　what　was　her　mortification　at
finding　them　gathered　in　a　ring；　round　no　object　of　interest
belonging　to　the　ruin；　but　round　her　faithful　beast；　who　had
loosened　himself　in　some　way　from　the　stone；　and　stood　in　the　middle
of　a　plat　of　grass；　placidly　regarding　them。

Being　now　in　the　teeth　of　the　Association；　there　was　nothing　to　do
but　to　go　on；　since；　if　she　did　not；　the　next　few　steps　of　their
advance　would　disclose　her。　　She　made　the　best　of　it；　and　began　to
descend　in　the　broad　view　of　the　assembly；　from　the　midst　of　which
proceeded　a　laugh'Hee…hee…hee！'　　Ethelberta　knew　that　Lord
Mountclere　was　there。

'The　poor　thing　has　strayed　from　its　owner；'　said　one　lady；　as　they
all　stood　eyeing　the　apparition　of　the　ass。

'It　may　belong　to　some　of　the　villagers；'　said　the　President　in　a
historical　voice：　　'and　it　may　be　appropriate　to　mention　that　many
were　kept　here　in　olden　times：　　they　were　largely　used　as　beasts　of
burden　in　victualling　the　castle　previous　to　the　last　siege；　in　the
year　sixteen　hundred　and　forty…five。'

'It　is　very　weary；　and　has　come　a　long　way；　I　think；'　said　a　lady；
adding；　in　an　imaginative　tone；　'the　humble　creature　looks　so　aged
and　is　so　quaintly　saddled　that　we　may　suppose　it　to　be　only　an
animated　relic；　of　the　same　date　as　the　other　remains。'

By　this　time　Lord　Mountclere　had　noticed　Ethelberta's　presence；　and
straightening　himself　to　ten　years　younger；　he　lifted　his　hat　in
answer　to　her　smile；　and　came　up　jauntily。　　It　was　a　good　time　now
to　see　what　the　viscount　was　really　like。　　He　appeared　to　be　about
sixty…five；　and　the　dignified　aspect　which　he　wore　to　a　gazer　at　a
distance　became　depreciated　to　jocund　slyness　upon　nearer　view；　when
the　small　type　could　be　read　between　the　leading　lines。　　Then　it
could　be　seen　that　his　upper　lip　dropped　to　a　point　in　the　middle；
as　if　impressing　silence　upon　his　too　demonstrative　lower　one。　　His
right　and　left　profiles　were　different；　one　corner　of　his　mouth
being　more　compressed　than　the　other；　producing　a　deep　line　thence
downwards　to　the　side　of　his　chin。　　Each　eyebrow　rose　obliquely
outwards　and　upwards；　and　was　thus　far　above　the　little　eye；　shining
with　the　clearness　of　a　pond　that　has　just　been　able　to　weather　the
heats　of　summer。　　Below　this　was　a　preternaturally　fat　jowl；　which；
by　thrusting　against　cheeks　and　chin；　caused　the　arch　old　mouth　to
be　almost　buried　at　the　corners。

A　few　words　of　greeting　passed；　and　Ethelberta　told　him　how　she　was
fearing　to　meet　them　all；　united　and　primed　with　their　morning's
knowledge　as　they　appeared　to　be。

'Well；　we　have　not　done　much　yet；'　said　Lord　Mountclere。　　'As　for
myself；　I　have　given　no　thought　at　all　to　our　day's　work。　　I　had　not
forgotten　your　promise　to　attend；　if　you　could　possibly　drive
across；　andhee…hee…hee！I　have　frequently　looked　towards　the　hill
where　the　road　descends。　。　。　。　　Will　you　now　permit　me　to　introduce
some　of　my　partyas　many　of　them　as　you　care　to　know　by　name？　　I
think　they　would　all　like　to　speak　to　you。'

Ethelberta　then　found　herself　nominally　made　known　to　ten　or　a　dozen
ladies　and　gentlemen　who　had　wished　for　special　acquaintance　with
her。　　She　stood　there；　as　all　women　stand　who　have　made　themselves
remarkable　by　their　originality；　or　devotion　to　any　singular　cause；
as　a　person　freed　of　her　hampering　and　inconvenient　sex；　and；　by
virtue　of　her　popularity；　unfettered　from　the　conventionalities　of
manner　prescribed　by　custom　for　household　womankind。　　The　charter　to
move　abroad　unchaperoned；　which　society　for　good　reasons　grants　only
to　women　of　three　sortsthe　famous；　the　ministering；　and　the
improperEthelberta　was　in　a　fair　way　to　make　splendid　use　of：
instead　of　walking　in　protected　lanes　she　experienced　that　luxury　of
isolation　which　normally　is　enjoyed　by　men　alone；　in　conjunction
with　the　attention　naturally　bestowed　on　a　woman　young　and　fair。
Among　the　presentations　were　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Tynn；　member　and　member's
mainspring　for　North　Wessex；　Sir　Cyril　and　Lady　Blandsbury；　Lady
Jane　Joy；　and　the　Honourable　Edgar　Mountclere；　the　viscount's
brother。　　There　also　hovered　near　her　the　learned　Doctor　Yore；　Mr。
Small；　a　profound　writer；　who　never　printed　his　works；　the　Reverend
Mr。　Brook；　rector；　the　Very　Reverend　Dr。　Taylor；　dean；　and　the
undoubtedly　Reverend　Mr。　Tinkleton；　Nonconformist；　who　had　slipped
into　the　fold　by　chance。

These　and　others　looked　with　interest　at　Ethelberta：　　the　old　county
fathers　hard；　as　at　a　questionable　town　phenomenon；　the　county　sons
tenderly；　as　at　a　pretty　creature；　and　the　county　daughters　with
great　admiration；　as　at　a　lady　reported　by　their　mammas　to　be　no
better　than　she　should　be。　　It　will　be　seen　that　Ethelberta　was　the
sort　of　woman　that　well…rooted　local　people　might　like　to　look　at　on
such　a　free　and　friendly　occasion　as　an　archaeological　meeting；
where；　to　gratify　a　pleasant　whim；　the　picturesque　form　of
acquaintance　is　for　the　nonce　preferred　to　the　useful；　the　spirits
being　so　brisk　as　to　swerve　from　strict　attention　to　the　select　and
sequent　gifts　of　heaven；　blood　and　acres；　to　consider　for　an　idle
moment　the　subversive　Mephistophelian　endowment；　brains。

'Our　progress　in　the　survey　of　the　castle　has　not　been　far　as　yet；'
Lord　Mountclere　resumed；　'indeed；　we　have　only　just　arrived；　the
weather　this　morning　being　so　unsettled。　　When　you　came　up　we　were
engaged　in　a　preliminary　study　of　the　poor　animal　you　see　there：
how　it　could　have　got　up　here　we　cannot　understand。'

He　pointed　as　he　spoke　to　the　donkey　which　had　brought　Ethelberta
thither；　whereupon　she　was　silent；　and　gazed　at　her　untoward　beast
as　if　she　had　never　before　beheld　him。

The　ass　looked　at　Ethelberta　as　though　he　would　say；　'Why　don't　you
own　me；　after　safely　bringing　you　over　those　weary　hills？'　　But　the
pride　and　emulation　which　had　made　her　what　she　was　would　not　permit
her；　as　the　most　lovely　woman　there；　to　take　upon　her　own　shoulders
the　ridicule　that　had　already　been　cast　upon　the　ass。　　Had　he　been
young　and　gaily　caparisoned；　she　might　have　done　it；　but　his　age；
the　clumsy　trappings　of　rustic　make；　and　his　needy　woful　look　of
hard　servitude；　were　too　much　to　endure。

'Many　come　and　picnic　here；'　she　said　serenely；　'and　the　animal　may
have　been　left　till　they　return　from　some　walk。'

'True；'　said　Lord　Mountclere；　without　the　slightest　suspicion　of　the
truth。　　The　humble　ass　hung　his　head　in　his　usual　manner；　and　it
demanded　little　fancy　from　Ethelberta　to　imagine　that　he　despised
her。　　And　then　her　mind　flew　back　to　her　history　and　extraction；　to
her　fatherperhaps　at　that　moment　inventing　a　private　plate…powder
in　an　underground　pantryand　with　a　groan　at　her　inconsistency　in
being　ashamed　of　the　ass；　she　said　in　her　heart；　'My　God；　what　a
thing　am　I！'

They　then