armadale-第60章

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It　was　past　six　o'clock　when　the　well…known　hearty　voice　was
heard　again　in　the　hall。　Allan　burst　into　the　library；　in　a　state
of　irrepressible　excitement；　and　pushed
　Midwinter　back　unceremoniously　into　the　chair　from　which　he　was
just　rising；　before　he　could　utter　a　word

〃Here's　a　riddle　for　you；　old　boy！〃　cried　Allan。　〃Why　am　I　like
the　resident　manager　of　the　Augean　stable；　before　Hercules　was
called　in　to　sweep　the　litter　out？　Because　I　have　had　my　place　to
keep　up；　and　I've　gone　and　made　an　infernal　mess　of　it！　Why　don't
you　laugh？　By　George；　he　doesn't　see　the　point！　Let's　try　again。
Why　am　I　like　the　resident　manager〃

〃For　God's　sake；　Allan；　be　serious　for　a　moment！〃　interposed
Midwinter。　〃You　don't　know　how　anxious　I　am　to　hear　if　you　have
recovered　the　good　opinion　of　your　neighbors。〃

〃That's　just　what　the　riddle　was　intended　to　tell　you！〃　rejoined
Allan。　〃But　if　you　will　have　it　in　so　many　words；　my　own
impression　is　that　you　would　have　done　better　not　to　disturb　me
under　that　tree　in　the　park。　I've　been　calculating　it　to　a
nicety；　and　I　beg　to　inform　you　that　I　have　sunk　exactly　three
degrees　lower　in　the　estimation　of　the　resident　gentry　since　I
had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　last。〃

〃You　_will_　have　your　joke　out；〃　said　Midwinter；　bitterly。　〃Well；
if　I　can't　laugh；　I　can　wait。〃

〃My　dear　fellow；　I'm　not　joking；　I　really　mean　what　I　say。　You
shall　hear　what　happened；　you　shall　have　a　report　in　full　of　my
first　visit。　It　will　do；　I　can　promise　you；　as　a　sample　for　all
the　rest。　Mind　this；　in　the　first　place；　I've　gone　wrong　with　the
best　possible　intentions。　When　I　started　for　these　visits；　I　own
I　was　angry　with　that　old　brute　of　a　lawyer；　and　I　certainly　had
a　notion　of　carrying　things　with　a　high　hand。　But　it　wore　off
somehow　on　the　road；　and　the　first　family　I　called　on；　I　went　in；
as　I　tell　you；　with　the　best　possible　intentions。　Oh；　dear；　dear！
there　was　the　same　spick…and…span　reception…room　for　me　to　wait
in；　with　the　neat　conservatory　beyond；　which　I　saw　again　and
again　and　again　at　every　other　house　I　went　to　afterward。　There
was　the　same　choice　selection　of　books　for　me　to　look　ata
religious　book；　a　book　about　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　a　book　about
sporting；　and　a　book　about　nothing　in　particular；　beautifully
illustrated　with　pictures。　Down　came　papa　with　his　nice　white
hair；　and　mamma　with　her　nice　lace　cap；　down　came　young　mister
with　the　pink　face　and　straw…colored　whiskers；　and　young　miss
with　the　plump　cheeks　and　the　large　petticoats。　Don't　suppose
there　was　the　least　unfriendliness　on　my　side；　I　always　began
with　them　in　the　same　wayI　insisted　on　shaking　hands　all　round。
That　staggered　them　to　begin　with。　When　I　came　to　the　sore
subject　nextthe　subject　of　the　public　receptionI　give　you　my
word　of　honor　I　took　the　greatest　possible　pains　with　my
apologies。　It　hadn't　the　slightest　effect；　they　let　my　apologies
in　at　one　ear　and　out　at　the　other；　and　then　waited　to　hear　more。
Some　men　would　have　been　disheartened：　I　tried　another　way　with
them；　I　addressed　myself　to　the　master　of　the　house；　and　put　it
pleasantly　next。　'The　fact　is；'　I　said；　'I　wanted　to　escape　the
speechifyingmy　getting　up；　you　know；　and　telling　you　to　your
face　you're　the　best　of　men；　and　I　beg　to　propose　your　health；
and　your　getting　up　and　telling　me　to　my　face　I'm　the　best　of
men；　and　you　beg　to　thank　me；　and　so　on；　man　after　man；　praising
each　other　and　pestering　each　other　all　round　the　table。'　That's
how　I　put　it；　in　an　easy；　light…handed；　convincing　sort　of　way。
Do　you　think　any　of　them　took　it　in　the　same　friendly　spirit？　Not
one！　It's　my　belief　they　had　got　their　speeches　ready　for　the
reception；　with　the　flags　and　the　flowers；　and　that　they're
secretly　angry　with　me　for　stopping　their　open　mouths　just　as
they　were　ready　to　begin。　Anyway；　whenever　we　came　to　the　matter
of　the　speechifying　（whether　they　touched　it　first　or　I）；　down　I
fell　in　their　estimation　the　first　of　those　three　steps　I　told
you　of　just　now。　Don't　suppose　I　made　no　efforts　to　get　up　again！
I　made　desperate　efforts。　I　found　they　were　all　anxious　to　know
what　sort　of　life　I　had　led　before　I　came　in　for　the　Thorpe
Ambrose　property；　and　I　did　my　best　to　satisfy　them。　And　what
came　of　that；　do　you　think？　Hang　me；　if　I　didn't　disappoint　them
for　the　second　time！　When　they　found　out　that　I　had　actually
never　been　to　Eton　or　Harrow；　or　Oxford　or　Cambridge；　they　were
quite　dumb　with　astonishment。　I　fancy　they　thought　me　a　sort　of
outlaw。　At　any　rate；　they　all　froze　up　again；　and　down　I　fell　the
second　step　in　their　estimation。　Never　mind！　I　wasn't　to　be
beaten；　I　had　promised　you　to　do　my　best；　and　I　did　it。　I　tried
cheerful　small…talk　about　the　neighborhood　next。　The　women　said
nothing　in　particular；　the　men；　to　my　unutterable　astonishment；
all　began　to　condole　with　me。　I　shouldn't　be　able　to　find　a　pack
of　hounds；　they　said；　within　twenty　miles　of　my　house；　and　they
thought　it　only　right　to　prepare　me　for　the　disgracefully
careless　manner　in　which　the　Thorpe　Ambrose　covers　had　been
preserved。　I　let　them　go　on　condoling　with　me；　and　then　what　do
you　think　I　did？　I　put　my　foot　in　it　again。　'Oh；　don't　take　that
to　heart！'　I　said；　'I　don't　care　two　straws　about　hunting　or
shooting；　either。　When　I　meet　with　a　bird　in　my　walk；　I　can't　for
the　life　of　me　feel　eager　to　kill　it；　I　rather　like　to　see　the
bird　flying　about　and　enjoying　itself。'　You　should　have　seen
their　faces！　They　had　thought　me　a　sort　of　outlaw　before；　now
they　evidently　thought　me　mad。　Dead　silence　fell　upon　them　all；
and　down　I　tumbled　the　third　step　in　the　general　estimation。　It
was　just　the　same　at　the　next　house；　and　the　next　and　the　next。
The　devil　possessed　us　all；　I　think。　It　_would_　come　out；　now　in
one　way；　and　now　in　another；　that　I　couldn't　make　speechesthat
I　had　been　brought　up　without　a　university　educationand　that　I
could　enjoy　a　ride　on　horseback　without　galloping　after　a
wretched　stinking　fox　or　a　poor　distracted　little　hare。　These
three　unlucky　defects　of　mine　are　not　excused；　it　seems；　in　a
country　gentleman　（especially　when　he　has　dodged　a　public
reception　to　begin　with）。　I　think　I　got　on　best；　upon　the　whole；
with　the　wives　and　daughters。　The　women　and　I　always　fell；　sooner
or　later；　on　the　subject　of　Mrs。　Blanchard　and　her　niece。　We
invariably　agreed　that　they　had　done　wisely　in　going　to　Florence；
and　the　only　reason　we　had　to　give　for　our　opinion　was　that　we
thought　their　minds　would　be　benefited　after　their　sad
bereavement；　by　the　contemplation　of　the　masterpieces　of　Italian
art。　Every　one　of　the　ladiesI　solemnly　declare　itat　every
house　I　went　to；　came　sooner　or　later　to　Mrs。　and　Miss
Blanchard's　bereavement　and　the　masterpieces　of　Italian　art。　What
we　should　have　done　without　that　bright　idea　to　help　us；　I　really
don't　know。　The　one　pleasant　thing　at　any　of　the　visits　was　when
we　all　shook　our　heads　together；　and　declared　that　the
masterpieces　would　console　them。　As　for　the　rest　of　it；　there's
only　one　thing　more　to　be　said。　What　I　might　be　in　other　places　I
don't　know：　I'm　the　wrong　man　in　the　wrong　place　here。　Let　me
muddle　on　for　the　future　in　my　own　way；　with　my　own　few　friends；
and　ask　me　anything　else　in　the　world；　as　long　as　you　don't　ask
me　to　make　any　more　calls　on　my　neighbors。〃

With　that　characteristic　request；　Allan's　report　of　his　exploring
expedition　among　the　resident　gentry　came　to　a　close。　For　a
moment　Midwinter　remained　silent。　He　had　allowed　Allan　to　run　on
from　first　to　last　without　uttering　a　word　on　his　side。　The
disastrous　result　of　the　visitscoming　after　what　had　happened
earlier　in　the　day；　and　threatening　Allan；　as　it　did；　with
exclusion　from　all　local　sympathies　at　the　very　outset　of　his
local　careerhad　broken　down　Midwinter's　power　of　resisting　the
stealthily　depressing　influence　of　his　own　superstition。　It　was
with　an　effort　that　he　now　looked　up　at　Allan；　it　was　with　an
effort　that　he　roused　himself　to　answer。

〃It　shall　be　as　you　wish；〃　he　said；　quietly。　〃I　am　sorry　for　what
has　happened；　but　I　am　not　the　less　obliged　to　you；　Allan；　for
having　done　what　I　asked　you。〃

His　head　sank　on　his　breast；　and　the　fatalist