the patrician-第13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！



〃There's　that；　certainly；〃　murmured　Lady　Valleys；　〃hope　for　the
best！〃

〃Don't　you　even　know　which　way　it　was？〃　said　Lady　Casterley。

〃Well；　the　vicar　says　she　did　the　divorcing。　　But　he's　very
charitable；　it　may　be　as　Agatha　hopes。〃

〃I　detest　vagueness。　　Why　doesn't　someone　ask　the　woman？〃

〃You　shall　come　with　me；　Granny　dear；　and　ask　her　yourself；　you　will
do　it　so　nicely。〃

Lady　Casterley　looked　up。

〃We　shall　see；〃　she　said。　　Something　struggled　with　the　autocratic
criticism　in　her　eyes。　　No　more　than　the　rest　of　the　world　could　she
help　indulging　Barbara。　　As　one　who　believed　in　the　divinity　of　her
order；　she　liked　this　splendid　child。　　She　even　admiredthough
admiration　was　not　what　she　excelled　inthat　warm　joy　in　life；　as　of
some　great　nymph；　parting　the　waves　with　bare　limbs；　tossing　from　her
the　foam　of　breakers。　　She　felt　that　in　this　granddaughter；　rather
than　in　the　good　Agatha；　the　patrician　spirit　was　housed。　　There　were
points　to　Agatha；　earnestness　and　high　principle；　but　something
morally　narrow　and　over…Anglican　slightly　offended　the　practical；
this…worldly　temper　of　Lady　Casteriey。　　It　was　a　weakness；　and　she
disliked　weakness。　　Barbara　would　never　be　squeamish　over　moral
questions　or　matters　such　as　were　not　really；　essential　to
aristocracy。　　She　might；　indeed；　err　too　much　the　other　way　from
sheer　high　spirits。　　As　the　impudent　child　had　said：　〃If　people　had
no　pasts；　they　would　have　no　futures。〃　　And　Lady　Casterley　could　not
bear　people　without　futures。　　She　was　ambitious；　not　with　the　low
ambition　of　one　who　had　risen　from　nothing；　but　with　the　high　passion
of　one　on　the　top；　who　meant　to　stay　there。

〃And　where　have　you　been　meeting　thiseranonymous　creature？〃　she
asked。

Barbara　came　from　the　hearth；　and　bending　down　beside　Lady
Casterley's　chair；　seemed　to　envelop　her　completely。

〃I'm　all　right；　Granny；　she　couldn't　corrupt　me。〃

Lady　Casterley's　face　peered　out　doubtfully　from　that　warmth；　wearing
a　look　of　disapproving　pleasure。

〃I　know　your　wiles！〃　she　said。　　〃Come；　now！〃

〃I　see　her　about。　　She's　nice　to　look　at。　　We　talk。〃

Again　with　that　hurried　quietness　Agatha　said：

〃My　dear　Babs；　I　do　think　you　ought　to　wait。〃

〃My　dear　Angel；　why？　　What　is　it　to　me　if　she's　had　four　husbands？〃

Agatha　bit　her　lips；　and　Lady　Valleys　murmured　with　a　laugh：

〃You　really　are　a　terror；　Babs。〃

But　the　sound　of　Mrs。　Winlow's　music　had　ceasedthe　men　had　come　in。
And　the　faces　of　the　four　women　hardened；　as　if　they　had　slipped　on
masks；　for　though　this　was　almost　or　quite　a　family　party；　the
Winlows　being　second　cousins；　still　the　subject　was　one　which　each　of
these　four　in　their　very　different　ways　felt　to　be　beyond　general
discussion。　　Talk；　now；　began　glancing　from　the　war　scareWinlow　had
it　very　specially　that　this　would　be　over　in　a　weekto　Brabrook's
speech；　in　progress　at　that　very　moment；　of　which　Harbinger　provided
an　imitation。　　It　sped　to　Winlow's　flightto　Andrew　Grant's　articles
in　the　'Parthenon'to　the　caricature　of　Harbinger　in　the　'Cackler'；
inscribed　'The　New　Tory。　　Lord　H…rb…ng…r　brings　Social　Reform　beneath
the　notice　of　his　friends；'　which　depicted　him　introducing　a　naked
baby　to　a　number　of　coroneted　old　ladies。　　Thence　to　a　dancer。
Thence　to　the　Bill　for　Universal　Assurance。　　Then　back　to　the　war
scare；　to　the　last　book　of　a　great　French　writer；　and　once　more　to
Winlow's　flight。　　It　was　all　straightforward　and　outspoken；　each
seeming　to　say　exactly　what　came　into　the　head。　　For　all　that；　there
was　a　curious　avoidance　of　the　spiritual　significances　of　these
things；　or　was　it　perhaps　that　such　significances　were　not　seen？

Lord　Dennis；　at　the　far　end　of　the　room；　studying　a　portfolio　of
engravings；　felt　a　touch　on　his　cheek；　and　conscious　of　a　certain
fragrance；　said　without　turning　his　head：

〃Nice　things；　these；　Babs！〃

Receiving　no　answer　he　looked　up。

There　indeed　stood　Barbara。

〃I　do　hate　sneering　behind　people's　backs！〃

There　had　always　been　good　comradeship　between　these　two；　since　the
days　when　Barbara；　a　golden…haired　child；　astride　of　a　grey　pony；　had
been　his　morning　companion　in　the　Row　all　through　the　season。　　His
riding　days　were　past；　he　had　now　no　outdoor　pursuit　save　fishing；
which　he　followed　with　the　ironic　persistence　of　a　self…contained；
high…spirited　nature；　which　refuses　to　admit　that　the　mysterious
finger　of　old　age　is　laid　across　it。　　But　though　she　was　no　longer
his　companion；　he　still　had　a　habit　of　expecting　her　confidences；　and
he　looked　after　her；　moving　away　from　him　to　a　window；　with　surprised
concern。

It　was　one　of　those　nights；　dark　yet　gleaming；　when　there　seems　a
flying　malice　in　the　heavens；　when　the　stars；　from　under　and　above
the　black　clouds；　are　like　eyes　frowning　and　flashing　down　at　men
with　purposed　malevolence。　　The　great　sighing　trees　even　had　caught
this　spirit；　save　one；　a　dark；　spire…like　cypress；　planted　three
hundred　and　fifty　years　before；　whose　tall　form　incarnated　the　very
spirit　of　tradition；　and　neither　swayed　nor　soughed　like　the　others。
》From　her；　too　close…fibred；　too　resisting；　to　admit　the　breath　of
Nature；　only　a　dry　rustle　came。　　Still　almost　exotic；　in　spite　of　her
centuries　of　sojourn；　and　now　brought　to　life　by　the　eyes　of　night；
she　seemed　almost　terrifying；　in　her　narrow；　spear…like　austerity；　as
though　something　had　dried　and　died　within　her　soul。　　Barbara　came
back　from　the　window。

〃We　can't　do　anything　in　our　lives；　it　seems　to　me；〃　she　said；　〃but
play　at　taking　risks！〃

Lord　Dennis　replied　dryly：

〃I　don't　think　I　understand；　my　dear。〃

〃Look　at　Mr。　Courtier！〃　muttered　Barbara。　　〃His　life's　so　much　more
risky　altogether　than　any　of　our　men　folk　lead。　　And　yet　they　sneer
at　him。〃

〃Let's　see；　what　has　he　done？〃

〃Oh！　　I　dare　say　not　very　much；　but　it's　all　neck　or　nothing。　　But
what　does　anything　matter　to　Harbinger；　for　instance？　　If　his　Social
Reform　comes　to　nothing；　he'll　still　be　Harbinger；　with　fifty
thousand　a　year。〃

Lord　Dennis　looked　up　a　little　queerly。

〃What！　　Is　it　possible　you　don't　take　the　young　man　seriously；　Babs？〃

Barbara　shrugged；　a　strap　slipped　a　little　off　one　white　shoulder。

〃It's　all　play　really；　and　he　knows　ityou　can　tell　that　from　his
voice。　　He　can't　help　its　not　mattering；　of　course；　and　he　knows　that
too。〃

〃I　have　heard　that　he's　after　you；　Babs；　is　that　true？〃

〃He　hasn't　caught　me　yet。〃

〃Will　he？〃

Barbara's　answer　was　another　shrug；　and；　for　all　their　statuesque
beauty；　the　movement　of　her　shoulders　was　like　the　shrug　of　a　little
girl　in　her　pinafore。

〃And　this　Mr。　Courtier；〃　said　Lord　Dennis　dryly：　〃Are　you　after　him？〃

〃I'm　after　everything；　didn't　you　know　that；　dear？〃

〃In　reason；　my　child。〃

〃In　reason；　of　courselike　poor　Eusty！〃　　She　stopped。　　Harbinger
himself　was　standing　there　close　by；　with　an　air　as　nearly
approaching　reverence　as　was　ever　to　be　seen　on　him。　　In　truth；　the
way　in　which　he　was　looking　at　her　was　almost　timorous。

〃Will　you　sing　that　song　I　like　so　much；　Lady　Babs？〃

They　moved　away　together；　and　Lord　Dennis；　gazing　after　that
magnificent　young　couple；　stroked　his　beard　gravely。




CHAPTER　X

Miltoun's　sudden　journey　to　London　had　been　undertaken　in　pursuance
of　a　resolve　slowly　forming　from　the　moment　he　met　Mrs。　Noel　in　the
stone　flagged　passage　of　Burracombe　Farm。　　If　she　would　have　him　and
since　last　evening　he　believed　she　wouldhe　intended　to　marry　her。

It　has　been　said　that　except　for　one　lapse　his　life　had　been　austere；
but　this　is　not　to　assert　that　he　had　no　capacity　for　passion。　　The
contrary　was　the　case。　　That　flame　which　had　been　so　jealously
guarded　smouldered　deep　within　hima　smothered　fire　with　but　little
air　to　feed　on。　　The　moment　his　spirit　was　touched　by　the　spirit　of
this　woman；　it　had　flared　up。　　She　was　the　incarnation　of　all　that　he
desired。　　Her　hair；　her　eyes；　her　form；　the　tiny　tuck　or　dimple　at
the　corner　of　her　mouth　just　where　a　child　places　its　finger；　her　way
of　moving；　a　sort　of　unconscious　swaying　or　yielding　to　the　air；　the
tone　in　her　voice；　which　seemed　to　come　not　so　much　from　happiness　of
her　own　as　from　an　innate　wish　to　make　others