the daisy chain, or aspirations-第24章

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everything。　　But　it　is　not　like　that　nowI　neither　like　to　worry
papa；　nor　to　bring　Harry　into　disgracebesides；　Tom　and　Mary　meant
it　for　a　secret。〃

〃Papa　would　not　be　angry　with　him　if　we　told　him　it　was　a　secret；〃
said　Ethel；　〃I　wish　Harry　would　come　in。　　There's　the　dooroh！　it　is
only　you。〃

〃Whom　did　you　expect？〃　said　Richard；　entering。

The　sisters　looked　at　each　other；　and　Ethel；　after　an　interval；
explained　their　doubts　about　Harry。

〃He　is　come　in；〃　said　Richard；　〃I　saw　him　running　up　to　his　own　room；
very　muddy。〃

〃Oh；　I'm　glad！　　But　do　you　think　papa　ought　to　hear　it？　　I　don't　know
what's　to　be　done。　　'Tis　the　children's　secret；〃　said　Flora。

〃It　will　never　do　to　have　him　going　out　with　those　boys　continually；〃
said　Ethel〃Harvey　Anderson　close　by　all　the　holidays！〃

〃I'll　try　what　I　can　do　with　him；〃　said　Richard。　　〃Papa　had　better
not　hear　it　now；　at　any　rate。　　He　is　very　tired　and　sad　this　evening！
and　his　arm　is　painful　again；　so　we　must　not　worry　him　with　histories
of　naughtiness　among　the　children。〃

〃No；〃　said　Ethel　decidedly；　〃I　am　glad　you　were　there；　Ritchie；　I
never　should　have　thought　of　one　time　being　better　than　another。〃

〃Just　like　Ethel！〃　said　Flora；　smiling。

〃Why　should　not　you　learn？〃　said　Richard　gently。

〃I　can't；〃　said　Ethel；　in　a　desponding　way。

〃Why　not？　　You　are　much　sharper　than　most　people；　and；　if　you　tried；
you　would　know　those　things　much　better　than　I　do；　as　you　know　how　to
learn　history。〃

〃It　is　quite　a　different　sort　of　cleverness；〃　said　Flora。　　〃Recollect
Sir　Isaac　Newton；　or　Archimedes。〃

〃Then　you　must　have　both　sorts；〃　said　Ethel；　〃for　you　can　do　things
nicely；　and　yet　you　learn　very　fast。〃

〃Take　care；　Ethel；　you　are　singeing　your　frock！　　Well；　I　really　don't
think　you　can　help　those　things！〃　said　Flora。　　〃Your　short　sight　is
the　reason　of　it；　and　it　is　of　no　use　to　try　to　mend　it。〃

〃Don't　tell　her　so；〃　said　Richard。　　〃It　can't　be　all　short　sightit
is　the　not　thinking。　　I　do　believe　that　if　Ethel　would　think；　no　one
would　do　things　so　well。　　Don't　you　remember　the　beautiful
perspective　drawing　she　made　of　this　room　for　me　to　take　to　Oxford？
That　was　very　difficult；　and　wanted　a　great　deal　of　neatness　and
accuracy；　so　why　should　she　not　be　neat　and　accurate　in　other　things？
And　I　know　you　can　read　faces；　Ethelwhy　don't　you　look　there　before
you　speak？〃

〃Ah！　before　instead　of　after；　when　I　only　see　I　have　said　something
malapropos；〃　said　Ethel。

〃I　must　go　and　see　about　the　children；〃　said　Flora；　〃if　the　tea　comes
while　I　am　gone；　will　you　make　it；　Ritchie？〃

〃Flora　despairs　of　me；〃　said　Ethel。

〃I　don't；〃　said　Richard。　　〃Have　you　forgotten　how　to　put　in　a　pin
yet？〃

〃No；　I　hope　not。〃

〃Well；　then；　see　if　you　can't　learn　to　make　tea；　and；　by…the…bye；
Ethel；　which　is　the　next　christening　Sunday？〃

〃The　one　after　next；　surely。　　The　first　of　December　is　Mondayyes；
to…morrow　week　is　the　next。〃

〃Then　I　have　thought　of　something；　it　would　cost　eighteenpence　to
hire　Joliffe's　spring…cart；　and　we　might　have　Mrs。　Taylor　and　the
twins　brought　to　church　in　it。　　Should　you　like　to　walk　to　Cocksmoor
and　settle　it？〃

〃Oh　yes；　very　much　indeed。　　What　a　capital　thought。　　Margaret　said
you　would　know　how　to　manage。〃

〃Then　we　will　go　the　first　fine　day　papa　does　not　want　me。〃

〃I　wonder　if　I　could　finish　my　purple　frocks。　　But　here's　the　tea。
Now；　Richard；　don't　tell　me　to　make　it。　　I　should　do　something　wrong；
and　Flora　will　never　forgive　you。〃

Richard　would　not　let　her　off。　　He　stood　over　her；　counted　her
shovelfuls　of　tea；　and　watched　the　water　into　the　teapothe
superintended　her　warming　the　cups；　and　putting　a　drop　into　each
saucer。　　〃Ah！〃　said　Ethel；　with　a　concluding　sigh；　〃it　makes　one
hotter　than　double　equations！〃

It　was　all　right；　as　Flora　allowed　with　a　slightly　superior　smile。
She　thought　Richard　would　never　succeed　in　making　a　notable　or
elegant　woman　of　Ethel；　and　it　was　best　that　the　two　sisters　should
take　different　lines。　　Flora　knew　that；　though　clever　and　with　more
accomplishments；　she　could　not　surpass　Ethel　in　intellectual
attainments；　but　she　was　certainly　far　more　valuable　in　the　house；
and　had　been　proved　to　have　just　the　qualities　in　which　her　sister
was　most　deficient。　　She　did　not　relish　hearing　that　Ethel　wanted
nothing　but　attention　to　be　more　than　her　equal；　and　she　thought
Richard　mistaken。　　Flora's　remembrance　of　their　time　of　distress　was
less　unmixedly　wretched　than　it　was　with　the　others；　for　she　knew　she
had　done　wonders。

The　next　day　Norman　told　Ethel　that　he　had　got　on　very　well　with　the
verses；　and　finished　them　off　late　at　night。　　He　showed　them　to　her
before　taking　them　to　school　on　Monday　morning；　and　Ethel　thought
they　were　the　best　he　had　ever　written。　　There　was　too　much　spirit
and　poetical　beauty　for　a　mere　schoolboy　task；　and　she　begged　for　the
foul　copy　to　show　it　to　her　father。　　〃I　have　not　got　it；〃　said
Norman。　　〃The　foul　copy　was　not　like　these；　but　when　I　was　writing
them　out　quite　late；　it　was　all　I　don't　know　how。　　Flora's　music　was
in　my　ears；　and　the　room　seemed　to　get　larger；　and　like　an　ocean
cave；　and　when　the　candle　flickered；　'twas　like　the　green　glowing
light　of　the　sun　through　the　waves。〃

〃As　it　says　here；〃　said　Ethel。

〃And　the　words　all　came　to　me　of　themselves　in　beautiful　flowing
Latin；　just　right；　as　if　it　was　anybody　but　myself　doing　it；　and　they
ran　off　my　pen　in　red　and　blue　and　gold；　and　all　sorts　of　colours；
and　fine　branching　zig…zagging　stars；　like　what　the　book　described；
only　stranger；　came　dancing　and　radiating　round　my　pen　and　the
candle。　　I　could　hardly　believe　the　verses　would　scan　by　daylight；
but　I　can't　find　a　mistake。　　Do　you　try　them　again。〃

Ethel　scanned。　〃I　see　nothing　wrong；〃　she　said；　〃but　it　seems　a　shame
to　begin　scanning　Undine's　verses；　they　are　too　pretty。　　I　wish　I
could　copy　them。　　It　must　have　been　half　a　dream。〃

〃I　believe　it　was；　they　don't　seem　like　my　own。〃

〃Did　you　dream　afterwards？〃

He　shivered。　　〃They　had　got　into　my　head　too　much；　my　ears　sang　like
the　roaring　of　the　sea；　and　I　thought　my　feet　were　frozen　on　to　an
iceberg：　then　came　darkness；　and　sea　monsters；　and　drowningit　was
too　horrid！〃　and　his　face　expressed　all；　and　more　than　all；　he　said。
〃But　'tis　a　quarter　to　sevenwe　must　go；〃　said　he；　with　a　long　yawn；
and　rubbing　his　eyes。　　〃You　are　sure　they　are　right；　Ethel？　　Harry；
come　along。〃

Ethel　thought　those　verses　ought　to　make　a　sensation；　but　all　that
came　of　them　was　a　Quam　optime；　and　when　she　asked　Norman　if　no
special　notice　had　been　taken　of　them；　he　said；　in　his　languid　way；
〃No；　only　Dr。　Hoxton　said　they　were　better　than　usual。〃

Ethel　did　not　even　have　the　satisfaction　of　hearing　that　Mr。　Wilmot；
happening　to　meet　Dr。　May；　said　to　him；　〃Your　boy　has　more　of　a　poet
in　him　than　any　that　has　come　in　my　way。　　He　really　sometimes　makes
very　striking　verses。〃

Richard　watched　for　an　opportunity　of　speaking　to　Harry；　which　did
not　at　once　occur；　as　the　boy　spent　very　little　of　his　time　at　home；
and；　as　if　by　tacit　consent；　he　and　Norman　came　in　later　every
evening。　　At　last；　on　Thursday；　in　the　additional　two　hours'　leisure
allowed　to　the　boys；　when　the　studious　prepared　their　tasks；　and　the
idle　had　some　special　diversion；　Richard　encountered　him　running　up
to　his　own　room　to　fetch　a　newly…invented　instrument　for　projecting
stones。

〃I'll　walk　back　to　school　with　you；〃　said　Richard。
〃I　mean　to　run；〃　returned　Harry。

〃Is　there　so　much　hurry？〃　said　Richard。　　〃I　am　sorry　for　it；　for　I
wanted　to　speak　to　you；　Harry；　I　have　something　to　show　you。〃

His　manner　conveyed　that　it　related　to　their　mother；　and　the　sobering
effect　was　instantaneous。　　〃Very　well；〃　said　he；　forgetting　his
haste。　　〃I'll　come　into　your　room。〃

The　awe…struck；　shy；　yet　sorrowful　look　on　his　rosy　face　showed
preparation　enough；　and　Richard's　only　preface　was　to　say；　〃It　is　a
bit　of　a　letter　that　she　was　in　course　of　writing　to　Aunt　Flora；　a
description　of　us　all。　　The　letter　itself　is　gone；　but　here　is　a　copy
of　it。　　I　thought　you　would　like　to　read　what　relates　to　yourself。〃

Richard　laid　before　him　the　sheet　of　notepaper　on　which　t