a laodicean-第42章

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'What？'

'Your　face　is　as　red　as　a　peony。　　Now　I　know　a　secret！'
Charlotte　vainly　endeavoured　to　hide　her　confusion。　　'Very
wellnot　a　word！　　I　won't　say　more；'　continued　De　Stancy
good…humouredly；　'except　that　he　seems　to　be　a　very　nice
fellow。'

De　Stancy　had　turned　the　dialogue　on　to　this　little　well…
preserved　secret　of　his　sister's　with　sufficient　outward
lightness；　but　it　had　been　done　in　instinctive　concealment　of
the　disquieting　start　with　which　he　had　recognized　that
Somerset；　Dare's　enemy；　whom　he　had　intercepted　in　placing
Dare's　portrait　into　the　hands　of　the　chief　constable；　was　a
man　beloved　by　his　sister　Charlotte。　　This　novel　circumstance
might　lead　to　a　curious　complication。　　But　he　was　to　hear
more。

'He　may　be　very　nice；'　replied　Charlotte；　with　an　effort；
after　this　silence。　　'But　he　is　nothing　to　me；　more　than　a
very　good　friend。'

'There's　no　engagement；　or　thought　of　one　between　you？'

'Certainly　there's　not！'　said　Charlotte；　with　brave　emphasis。
'It　is　more　likely　to　be　between　Paula　and　him　than　me　and
him。'

De　Stancy's　bare　military　ears　and　closely　cropped　poll
flushed　hot。　　'Miss　Power　and　him？'

'I　don't　mean　to　say　there　is；　because　Paula　denies　it；　but　I
mean　that　he　loves　Paula。　　That　I　do　know。'

De　Stancy　was　dumb。　　This　item　of　news　which　Dare　had　kept
from　him；　not　knowing　how　far　De　Stancy's　sense　of　honour
might　extend；　was　decidedly　grave。　　Indeed；　he　was　so　greatly
impressed　with　the　fact；　that　he　could　not　help　saying　as　much
aloud：　　'This　is　very　serious！'

'Why！'　she　murmured　tremblingly；　for　the　first　leaking　out　of
her　tender　and　sworn　secret　had　disabled　her　quite。

'Because　I　love　Paula　too。'

'What　do　you　say；　William；　you？a　woman　you　have　never　seen？'

'I　have　seen　herby　accident。　　And　now；　my　dear　little　sis；
you　will　be　my　close　ally；　won't　you？　as　I　will　be　yours；　as
brother　and　sister　should　be。'　　He　placed　his　arm　coaxingly
round　Charlotte's　shoulder。

'O；　William；　how　can　I？'　at　last　she　stammered。

'Why；　how　can't　you；　I　should　say？　　We　are　both　in　the　same
ship。　　I　love　Paula；　you　love　Mr。　Somerset；　it　behoves　both　of
us　to　see　that　this　flirtation　of　theirs　ends　in　nothing。'

'I　don't　like　you　to　put　it　like　thatthat　I　love　himit
frightens　me；'　murmured　the　girl；　visibly　agitated。　　'I　don't
want　to　divide　him　from　Paula；　I　couldn't；　I　wouldn't　do
anything　to　separate　them。　　Believe　me；　Will；　I　could　not！　　I
am　sorry　you　love　there　also；　though　I　should　be　glad　if　it
happened　in　the　natural　order　of　events　that　she　should　come
round　to　you。　　But　I　cannot　do　anything　to　part　them　and　make
Mr。　Somerset　suffer。　　It　would　be　TOO　wrong　and　blamable。'

'Now；　you　silly　Charlotte；　that's　just　how　you　women　fly　off
at　a　tangent。　　I　mean　nothing　dishonourable　in　the　least。
Have　I　ever　prompted　you　to　do　anything　dishonourable？　　Fair
fighting　allies　was　all　I　thought　of。'

Miss　De　Stancy　breathed　more　freely。　　'Yes；　we　will　be　that；
of　course；　we　are　always　that；　William。　　But　I　hope　I　can　be
your　ally；　and　be　quite　neutral；　I　would　so　much　rather。'

'Well；　I　suppose　it　will　not　be　a　breach　of　your　precious
neutrality　if　you　get　me　invited　to　see　the　castle？'

'O　no！'　she　said　brightly；　'I　don't　mind　doing　such　a　thing　as
that。　　Why　not　come　with　me　tomorrow？　　I　will　say　I　am　going
to　bring　you。　　There　will　be　no　trouble　at　all。'

De　Stancy　readily　agreed。　　The　effect　upon　him　of　the
information　now　acquired　was　to　intensify　his　ardour　tenfold；
the　stimulus　being　due　to　a　perception　that　Somerset；　with　a
little　more　knowledge；　would　hold　a　card　which　could　be　played
with　disastrous　effect　against　himselfhis　relationship　to
Dare。　　Its　disclosure　to　a　lady　of　such　Puritan　antecedents　as
Paula's；　would　probably　mean　her　immediate　severance　from
himself　as　an　unclean　thing。

'Is　Miss　Power　a　severe　pietist；　or　precisian；　or　is　she　a
compromising　lady？'　he　asked　abruptly。

'She　is　severe　and　uncompromisingif　you　mean　in　her
judgments　on　morals；'　said　Charlotte；　not　quite　hearing。　　The
remark　was　peculiarly　apposite；　and　De　Stancy　was　silent。

He　spent　some　following　hours　in　a　close　study　of　the　castle
history；　which　till　now　had　unutterably　bored　him。　　More
particularly　did　he　dwell　over　documents　and　notes　which
referred　to　the　pedigree　of　his　own　family。　　He　wrote　out　the
names　of　alland　they　were　manywho　had　been　born　within
those　domineering　walls　since　their　first　erection；　of　those
among　them　who　had　been　brought　thither　by　marriage　with　the
owner；　and　of　stranger　knights　and　gentlemen　who　had　entered
the　castle　by　marriage　with　its　mistress。　　He　refreshed　his
memory　on　the　strange　loves　and　hates　that　had　arisen　in　the
course　of　the　family　history；　on　memorable　attacks；　and　the
dates　of　the　same；　the　most　memorable　among　them　being　the
occasion　on　which　the　party　represented　by　Paula　battered　down
the　castle　walls　that　she　was　now　about　to　mend；　and；　as　he
hoped；　return　in　their　original　intact　shape　to　the　family
dispossessed；　by　marriage　with　himself；　its　living
representative。

In　Sir　William's　villa　were　small　engravings　after　many　of　the
portraits　in　the　castle　galleries；　some　of　them　hanging　in　the
dining…room　in　plain　oak　and　maple　frames；　and　others
preserved　in　portfolios。　　De　Stancy　spent　much　of　his　time
over　these；　and　in　getting　up　the　romances　of　their　originals'
lives　from　memoirs　and　other　records；　all　which　stories　were
as　great　novelties　to　him　as　they　could　possibly　be　to　any
stranger。　　Most　interesting　to　him　was　the　life　of　an　Edward
De　Stancy；　who　had　lived　just　before　the　Civil　Wars；　and　to
whom　Captain　De　Stancy　bore　a　very　traceable　likeness。　　This
ancestor　had　a　mole　on　his　cheek；　black　and　distinct　as　a　fly
in　cream；　and　as　in　the　case　of　the　first　Lord　Amherst's　wart；
and　Bennet　Earl　of　Arlington's　nose…scar；　the　painter　had
faithfully　reproduced　the　defect　on　canvas。　　It　so　happened
that　the　captain　had　a　mole；　though　not　exactly　on　the　same
spot　of　his　face；　and　this　made　the　resemblance　still　greater。

He　took　infinite　trouble　with　his　dress　that　day；　showing　an
amount　of　anxiety　on　the　matter　which　for　him　was　quite
abnormal。　　At　last；　when　fully　equipped；　he　set　out　with　his
sister　to　make　the　call　proposed。　　Charlotte　was　rather
unhappy　at　sight　of　her　brother's　earnest　attempt　to　make　an
impression　on　Paula；　but　she　could　say　nothing　against　it；　and
they　proceeded　on　their　way。

It　was　the　darkest　of　November　weather；　when　the　days　are　so
short　that　morning　seems　to　join　with　evening　without　the
intervention　of　noon。　　The　sky　was　lined　with　low　cloud；
within　whose　dense　substance　tempests　were　slowly　fermenting
for　the　coming　days。　　Even　now　a　windy　turbulence　troubled　the
half…naked　boughs；　and　a　lonely　leaf　would　occasionally　spin
downwards　to　rejoin　on　the　grass　the　scathed　multitude　of　its
comrades　which　had　preceded　it　in　its　fall。　　The　river　by　the
pavilion；　in　the　summer　so　clear　and　purling；　now　slid　onwards
brown　and　thick　and　silent；　and　enlarged　to　double　size。



II。

Meanwhile　Paula　was　alone。　　Of　anyone　else　it　would　have　been
said　that　she　must　be　finding　the　afternoon　rather　dreary　in
the　quaint　halls　not　of　her　forefathers：　　but　of　Miss　Power　it
was　unsafe　to　predicate　so　surely。　　She　walked　from　room　to
room　in　a　black　velvet　dress　which　gave　decision　to　her
outline　without　depriving　it　of　softness。　　She　occasionally
clasped　her　hands　behind　her　head　and　looked　out　of　a　window；
but　she　more　particularly　bent　her　footsteps　up　and　down　the
Long　Gallery；　where　she　had　caused　a　large　fire　of　logs　to　be
kindled；　in　her　endeavour　to　extend　cheerfulness　somewhat
beyond　the　precincts　of　the　sitting…rooms。

The　fire　glanced　up　on　Paula；　and　Paula　glanced　down　at　the
fire；　and　at　the　gnarled　beech　fuel；　and　at　the　wood…lice
which　ran　out　from　beneath　the　bark　to　the　extremity　of　the
logs　as　the　heat　approached　them。　　The　low…down　ruddy　light
spread　over　the　dark　floor　like　the　setting　sun　over　a　moor；
fluttering　on　the　grotesque　countenances　of　the　bright
andirons；　and　touching　all　the　furniture　on　the　underside。

She　now　and　then　crossed　to　one　of　the　deep　embrasures