a laodicean-第13章

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pretension；　soon　crossed　the　bridge　and　stopped：　　there　was　a
ring　at　the　bell；　and　Miss　De　Stancy　reappeared。

'Did　you　see　her　as　she　drove　upis　she　not　interesting？'

'I　could　not　see　her。'

'Ah；　noof　course　you　could　not　from　this　window　because　of
the　trees。　　Mr。　Somerset；　will　you　come　downstairs？　　You　will
have　to　meet　her；　you　know。'

Somerset　felt　an　indescribable　backwardness。　　'I　will　go　on
with　my　sketching；'　he　said。　　'Perhaps　she　will　not　be'

'O；　but　it　would　be　quite　natural；　would　it　not？　　Our　manners
are　easier　here；　you　know；　than　they　are　in　town；　and　Miss
Power　has　adapted　herself　to　them。'

A　compromise　was　effected　by　Somerset　declaring　that　he　would
hold　himself　in　readiness　to　be　discovered　on　the　landing　at
any　convenient　time。

A　servant　entered。　　'Miss　Power？'　said　Miss　De　Stancy；　before
he　could　speak。

The　man　advanced　with　a　card：　　Miss　De　Stancy　took　it　up；　and
read　thereon：　　'Mr。　William　Dare。'

'It　is　not　Miss　Power　who　has　come；　then？'　she　asked；　with　a
disappointed　face。

'No；　ma'am。'

She　looked　again　at　the　card。　　'This　is　some　man　of　business；
I　supposedoes　he　want　to　see　me？'

'Yes；　miss。　　Leastwise；　he　would　be　glad　to　see　you　if　Miss
Power　is　not　at　home。'

Miss　De　Stancy　left　the　room；　and　soon　returned；　saying；　'Mr。
Somerset；　can　you　give　me　your　counsel　in　this　matter？　　This
Mr。　Dare　says　he　is　a　photographic　amateur；　and　it　seems　that
he　wrote　some　time　ago　to　Miss　Power；　who　gave　him　permission
to　take　views　of　the　castle；　and　promised　to　show　him　the　best
points。　　But　I　have　heard　nothing　of　it；　and　scarcely　know
whether　I　ought　to　take　his　word　in　her　absence。　　Mrs。
Goodman；　Miss　Power's　relative；　who　usually　attends　to　these
things；　is　away。'

'I　dare　say　it　is　all　right；'　said　Somerset。

'Would　you　mind　seeing　him？　　If　you　think　it　quite　in　order；
perhaps　you　will　instruct　him　where　the　best　views　are　to　be
obtained？'

Thereupon　Somerset　at　once　went　down　to　Mr。　Dare。　　His　coming
as　a　sort　of　counterfeit　of　Miss　Power　disposed　Somerset　to
judge　him　with　as　much　severity　as　justice　would　allow；　and
his　manner　for　the　moment　was　not　of　a　kind　calculated　to
dissipate　antagonistic　instincts。　　Mr。　Dare　was　standing
before　the　fireplace　with　his　feet　wide　apart；　and　his　hands
in　the　pockets　of　his　coat…tails；　looking　at　a　carving　over
the　mantelpiece。　　He　turned　quickly　at　the　sound　of　Somerset's
footsteps；　and　revealed　himself　as　a　person　quite　out　of　the
common。

His　age　it　was　impossible　to　say。　　There　was　not　a　hair　on　his
face　which　could　serve　to　hang　a　guess　upon。　　In　repose　he
appeared　a　boy；　but　his　actions　were　so　completely　those　of　a
man　that　the　beholder's　first　estimate　of　sixteen　as　his　age
was　hastily　corrected　to　six…and…twenty；　and　afterwards
shifted　hither　and　thither　along　intervening　years　as　the
tenor　of　his　sentences　sent　him　up　or　down。　　He　had　a　broad
forehead；　vertical　as　the　face　of　a　bastion；　and　his　hair；
which　was　parted　in　the　middle；　hung　as　a　fringe　or　valance
above；　in　the　fashion　sometimes　affected　by　the　other　sex。　　He
wore　a　heavy　ring；　of　which　the　gold　seemed　fair；　the　diamond
questionable；　and　the　taste　indifferent。　　There　were　the
remains　of　a　swagger　in　his　body　and　limbs　as　he　came　forward；
regarding　Somerset　with　a　confident　smile；　as　if　the　wonder
were；　not　why　Mr。　Dare　should　be　present；　but　why　Somerset
should　be　present　likewise；　and　the　first　tone　that　came　from
Dare's　lips　wound　up　his　listener's　opinion　that　he　did　not
like　him。

A　latent　power　in　the　man；　or　boy；　was　revealed　by　the
circumstance　that　Somerset　did　not　feel；　as　he　would
ordinarily　have　done；　that　it　was　a　matter　of　profound
indifference　to　him　whether　this　gentleman…photographer　were　a
likeable　person　or　no。

'I　have　called　by　appointment；　or　rather；　I　left　a　card
stating　that　to…day　would　suit　me；　and　no　objection　was　made。'
Somerset　recognized　the　voice；　it　was　that　of　the　invisible
stranger　who　had　talked　with　the　landlord　about　the　De
Stancys。　　Mr。　Dare　then　proceeded　to　explain　his　business。

Somerset　found　from　his　inquiries　that　the　man　had
unquestionably　been　instructed　by　somebody　to　take　the　views
he　spoke　of；　and　concluded　that　Dare's　curiosity　at　the　inn
was；　after　all；　naturally　explained　by　his　errand　to　this
place。　　Blaming　himself　for　a　too　hasty　condemnation　of　the
stranger；　who　though　visually　a　little　too　assured　was　civil
enough　verbally；　Somerset　proceeded　with　the　young
photographer　to　sundry　corners　of　the　outer　ward；　and　thence
across　the　moat　to　the　field；　suggesting　advantageous　points
of　view。　　The　office；　being　a　shadow　of　his　own　pursuits；　was
not　uncongenial　to　Somerset；　and　he　forgot　other　things　in
attending　to　it。

'Now　in　our　country　we　should　stand　further　back　than　this；
and　so　get　a　more　comprehensive　coup　d'oeil；'　said　Dare；　as
Somerset　selected　a　good　situation。

'You　are　not　an　Englishman；　then；'　said　Somerset。

'I　have　lived　mostly　in　India；　Malta；　Gibraltar；　the　Ionian
Islands；　and　Canada。　　I　there　invented　a　new　photographic
process；　which　I　am　bent　upon　making　famous。　　Yet　I　am　but　a
dilettante；　and　do　not　follow　this　art　at　the　base　dictation
of　what　men　call　necessity。'

'O　indeed；'　Somerset　replied。

As　soon　as　this　business　was　disposed　of；　and　Mr。　Dare　had
brought　up　his　van　and　assistant　to　begin　operations；　Somerset
returned　to　the　castle　entrance。　　While　under　the　archway　a
man　with　a　professional　look　drove　up　in　a　dog…cart　and
inquired　if　Miss　Power　were　at　home　to…day。

'She　has　not　yet　returned；　Mr。　Havill；'　was　the　reply。

Somerset；　who　had　hoped　to　hear　an　affirmative　by　this　time；
thought　that　Miss　Power　was　bent　on　disappointing　him　in　the
flesh；　notwithstanding　the　interest　she　expressed　in　him　by
telegraph；　and　as　it　was　now　drawing　towards　the　end　of　the
afternoon；　he　walked　off　in　the　direction　of　his　inn。

There　were　two　or　three　ways　to　that　spot；　but　the　pleasantest
was　by　passing　through　a　rambling　shrubbery；　between　whose
bushes　trickled　a　broad　shallow　brook；　occasionally
intercepted　in　its　course　by　a　transverse　chain　of　old　stones；
evidently　from　the　castle　walls；　which　formed　a　miniature
waterfall。　　The　walk　lay　along　the　river…brink。　　Soon　Somerset
saw　before　him　a　circular　summer…house　formed　of　short　sticks
nailed　to　ornamental　patterns。　　Outside　the　structure；　and
immediately　in　the　path；　stood　a　man　with　a　book　in　his　hand；
and　it　was　presently　apparent　that　this　gentleman　was　holding
a　conversation　with　some　person　inside　the　pavilion；　but　the
back　of　the　building　being　towards　Somerset；　the　second
individual　could　not　be　seen。

The　speaker　at　one　moment　glanced　into　the　interior；　and　at
another　at　the　advancing　form　of　the　architect；　whom；　though
distinctly　enough　beheld；　the　other　scarcely　appeared　to　heed
in　the　absorbing　interest　of　his　own　discourse。　　Somerset
became　aware　that　it　was　the　Baptist　minister；　whose　rhetoric
he　had　heard　in　the　chapel　yonder。

'Now；'　continued　the　Baptist　minister；　'will　you　express　to　me
any　reason　or　objection　whatever　which　induces　you　to　withdraw
from　our　communion？　　It　was　that　of　your　father；　and　of　his
father　before　him。　　Any　difficulty　you　may　have　met　with　I
will　honestly　try　to　remove；　for　I　need　hardly　say　that　in
losing　you　we　lose　one　of　the　most　valued　members　of　the
Baptist　church　in　this　district。　　I　speak　with　all　the　respect
due　to　your　position；　when　I　ask　you　to　realize　how
irreparable　is　the　injury　you　inflict　upon　the　cause　here　by
this　lukewarm　backwardness。'

'I　don't　withdraw；'　said　a　woman's　low　voice　within。

'What　do　you　do？'

'I　decline　to　attend　for　the　present。'

'And　you　can　give　no　reason　for　this？'

There　was　no　reply。

'Or　for　your　refusal　to　proceed　with　the　baptism？'

'I　have　been　christened。'

'My　dear　young　lady；　it　is　well　known　that　your　christening
was　the　work　of　your　aunt；　who　did　it　unknown　to　your　parents
when　she　had　you　in　her　power；　out　of　pure　obstinacy　to　a
church　with　which　she　was　not　in　sympathy；　taking　you
surreptitiously；　and　indefensibly；　to　the　font　of　the
Establishment；　so　that　the　rite　meant　and　could　mean　nothing
at