the hand of ethelberta-第85章

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dangerous；　yer　wife　is　out　of　danger；　and　'tis　a　boy…y…y…y！'

Ethelberta　and　Picotee　were　at　this　time　standing　on　the　beach　a
hundred　and　fifty　yards　off。　　Whether　or　not　the　master　of　the
steamer　received　the　information　volunteered　by　Flower；　the　two
girls　saw　the　triangle　of　lamps　get　narrow　at　its　base；　reduce
themselves　to　two　in　a　vertical　line；　then　to　one；　then　to　darkness。
The　Spruce　had　turned　her　head　from　Knollsea。

'They　have　gone　back；　and　I　shall　not　have　my　wedding　things　after
all！'　said　Ethelberta。　　'Well；　I　must　do　without　them。'

'You　see；　'twas　best　to　play　sure；'　said　Flower　to　his　comrades；　in
a　tone　of　complacency。　　'They　might　have　been　able　to　do　it；　but
'twas　risky。　　The　shop…folk　be　out　of　stock；　I　hear；　and　the
visiting　lady　up　the　hill　is　terribly　in　want　of　clothes；　so　'tis
said。　　But　what's　that？　　Ounce　ought　to　have　put　back　afore。'

Then　the　lantern　which　hung　at　the　end　of　the　jetty　was　taken　down；
and　the　darkness　enfolded　all　around　from　view。　　The　bay　became
nothing　but　a　voice；　the　foam　an　occasional　touch　upon　the　face；　the
Spruce　an　imagination；　the　pier　a　memory。　　Everything　lessened　upon
the　senses　but　one；　that　was　the　wind。　　It　mauled　their　persons　like
a　hand；　and　caused　every　scrap　of　their　raiment　to　tug　westward。　　To
stand　with　the　face　to　sea　brought　semi…suffocation；　from　the
intense　pressure　of　air。

The　boatmen　retired　to　their　position　under　the　wall；　to　lounge
again　in　silence。　　Conversation　was　not　considered　necessary：　　their
sense　of　each　other's　presence　formed　a　kind　of　conversation。
Meanwhile　Picotee　and　Ethelberta　went　up　the　hill。

'If　your　wedding　were　going　to　be　a　public　one；　what　a　misfortune
this　delay　of　the　packages　would　be；'　said　Picotee。

'Yes；'　replied　the　elder。

'I　think　the　bracelet　the　prettiest　of　all　the　presents　he　brought
to…daydo　you？'

'It　is　the　most　valuable。'

'Lord　Mountclere　is　very　kind；　is　he　not？　　I　like　him　a　great　deal
better　than　I　diddo　you；　Berta？'

'Yes；　very　much　better；'　said　Ethelberta；　warming　a　little。　　'If　he
were　not　so　suspicious　at　odd　moments　I　should　like　him　exceedingly。
But　I　must　cure　him　of　that　by　a　regular　course　of　treatment；　and
then　he'll　be　very　nice。'

'For　an　old　man。　　He　likes　you　better　than　any　young　man　would　take
the　trouble　to　do。　　I　wish　somebody　else　were　old　too。'

'He　will　be　some　day。'

'Yes；　but'

'Never　mind：　　time　will　straighten　many　crooked　things。'

'Do　you　think　Lord　Mountclere　has　reached　home　by　this　time？'

'I　should　think　so：　　though　I　believe　he　had　to　call　at　the
parsonage　before　leaving　Knollsea。'

'Had　he？　　What　for？'

'Why；　of　course　somebody　must'

'O　yes。　　Do　you　think　anybody　in　Knollsea　knows　it　is　going　to　be
except　us　and　the　parson？'

'I　suppose　the　clerk　knows。'

'I　wonder　if　a　lord　has　ever　been　married　so　privately　before。'

'Frequently：　　when　he　marries　far　beneath　him；　as　in　this　case。　　But
even　if　I　could　have　had　it；　I　should　not　have　liked　a　showy
wedding。　　I　have　had　no　experience　as　a　bride　except　in　the　private
form　of　the　ceremony。'

'Berta；　I　am　sometimes　uneasy　about　you　even　now　and　I　want　to　ask
you　one　thing；　if　I　may。　　Are　you　doing　this　for　my　sake？　　Would　you
have　married　Mr。　Julian　if　it　had　not　been　for　me？'

'It　is　difficult　to　say　exactly。　　It　is　possible　that　if　I　had　had
no　relations　at　all；　I　might　have　married　him。　　And　I　might　not。'

'I　don't　intend　to　marry。'

'In　that　case　you　will　live　with　me　at　Enckworth。　　However；　we　will
leave　such　details　till　the　ground…work　is　confirmed。　　When　we　get
indoors　will　you　see　if　the　boxes　have　been　properly　corded；　and　are
quite　ready　to　be　sent　for？　　Then　come　in　and　sit　by　the　fire；　and
I'll　sing　some　songs　to　you。'

'Sad　ones；　you　mean。'

'No；　they　shall　not　be　sad。'

'Perhaps　they　may　be　the　last　you　will　ever　sing　to　me。'

'They　may　be。　　Such　a　thing　has　occurred。'

'But　we　will　not　think　so。　　We'll　suppose　you　are　to　sing　many　to　me
yet。'

'Yes。　　There's　good　sense　in　that；　Picotee。　　In　a　world　where　the
blind　only　are　cheerful　we　should　all　do　well　to　put　out　our　eyes。
There；　I　did　not　mean　to　get　into　this　state：　　forgive　me；　Picotee。
It　is　because　I　have　had　a　thoughtwhy　I　cannot　tellthat　as　much
as　this　man　brings　to　me　in　rank　and　gifts　he　may　take　out　of　me　in
tears。'

'Berta！'

'But　there's　no　reason　in　itnot　any；　for　not　in　a　single　matter
does　what　has　been　supply　us　with　any　certain　ground　for　knowing
what　will　be　in　the　world。　　I　have　seen　marriages　where　happiness
might　have　been　said　to　be　ensured；　and　they　have　been　all　sadness
afterwards；　and　I　have　seen　those　in　which　the　prospect　was　black　as
night；　and　they　have　led　on　to　a　time　of　sweetness　and　comfort。　　And
I　have　seen　marriages　neither　joyful　nor　sorry；　that　have　become
either　as　accident　forced　them　to　become；　the　persons　having　no
voice　in　it　at　all。　　Well；　then；　why　should　I　be　afraid　to　make　a
plunge　when　chance　is　as　trustworthy　as　calculation？'

'If　you　don't　like　him　well　enough；　don't　have　him；　Berta。　　There's
time　enough　to　put　it　off　even　now。'

'O　no。　　I　would　not　upset　a　well…considered　course　on　the　haste　of
an　impulse。　　Our　will　should　withstand　our　misgivings。　　Now　let　us
see　if　all　has　been　packed；　and　then　we'll　sing。'

That　evening；　while　the　wind　was　wheeling　round　and　round　the
dwelling；　and　the　calm　eye　of　the　lighthouse　afar　was　the　single
speck　perceptible　of　the　outside　world　from　the　door　of　Ethelberta's
temporary　home；　the　music　of　songs　mingled　with　the　stroke　of　the
wind　across　the　iron　railings；　and　was　swept　on　in　the　general　tide
of　the　gale；　and　the　noise　of　the　rolling　sea；　till　not　the　echo　of
a　tone　remained。

An　hour　before　this　singing；　an　old　gentleman　might　have　been　seen
to　alight　from　a　little　one…horse　brougham；　and　enter　the　door　of
Knollsea　parsonage。　　He　was　bent　upon　obtaining　an　entrance　to　the
vicar's　study　without　giving　his　name。

But　it　happened　that　the　vicar's　wife　was　sitting　in　the　front　room；
making　a　pillow…case　for　the　children's　bed　out　of　an　old　surplice
which　had　been　excommunicated　the　previous　Easter；　she　heard　the
newcomer's　voice　through　the　partition；　started；　and　went　quickly　to
her　husband；　who　was　where　he　ought　to　have　been；　in　his　study。　　At
her　entry　he　looked　up　with　an　abstracted　gaze；　having　been　lost　in
meditation　over　a　little　schooner　which　he　was　attempting　to　rig　for
their　youngest　boy。　　At　a　word　from　his　wife　on　the　suspected　name
of　the　visitor；　he　resumed　his　earlier　occupation　of　inserting　a　few
strong　sentences；　full　of　the　observation　of　maturer　life；　between
the　lines　of　a　sermon　written　during　his　first　years　of　ordination；
in　order　to　make　it　available　for　the　coming　Sunday。　　His　wife　then
vanished　with　the　little　ship　in　her　hand；　and　the　visitor　appeared。
A　talk　went　on　in　low　tones。

After　a　ten　minutes'　stay　he　departed　as　secretly　as　he　had　come。
His　errand　was　the　cause　of　much　whispered　discussion　between　the
vicar　and　his　wife　during　the　evening；　but　nothing　was　said
concerning　it　to　the　outside　world。



44。　SANDBOURNE　…　A　LONELY　HEATH　…　THE　'RED　LION'　…　THE　HIGHWAY

It　was　half…past　eleven　before　the　Spruce；　with　Mountclere　and　Sol
Chickerel　on　board；　had　steamed　back　again　to　Sandbourne。　　The
direction　and　increase　of　the　wind　had　made　it　necessary　to　keep　the
vessel　still　further　to　sea　on　their　return　than　in　going；　that　they
might　clear　without　risk　the　windy；　sousing；　thwacking；　basting；
scourging　Jack　Ketch　of　a　corner　called　Old…Harry　Point；　which　lay
about　halfway　along　their　track；　and　stood；　with　its　detached　posts
and　stumps　of　white　rock；　like　a　skeleton's　lower　jaw；　grinning　at
British　navigation。　　Here　strong　currents　and　cross　currents　were
beginning　to　interweave　their　scrolls　and　meshes；　the　water　rising
behind　them　in　tumultuous　heaps；　and　slamming　against　the　fronts　and
angles　of　cliff；　whence　it　flew　into　the　air　like　clouds　of　flour。
Who　could　now　believe　that　this　roaring　abode　of　chaos　smiled　in　the
sun　as　gently　as　an　infant　during　the　summer　days　not　long　gone　by；
every　pinnacle；　crag；　and　cave　returning　a　doubled　image　across　the
gla