a laodicean-第58章

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as　he　came　near；　presenting　the　stranger　to　the　astonished
young　man。　　'I　could　not　see　you　before　the　performance；　as　I
should　have　liked　to　do。　　The　return　of　my　uncle　is　so
extraordinary　that　it　ought　to　be　told　in　a　less　hurried　way
than　this。　　He　has　been　supposed　dead　by　all　of　us　for　nearly
ten　yearsever　since　the　time　we　last　heard　from　him。'

'For　which　I　am　to　blame；'　said　Mr。　Power；　nodding　to　Paula's
architect。　　'Yet　not　I；　but　accident　and　a　sluggish
temperament。　　There　are　times；　Mr　Somerset；　when　the　human
creature　feels　no　interest　in　his　kind；　and　assumes　that　his
kind　feels　no　interest　in　him。　　The　feeling　is　not　active
enough　to　make　him　fly　from　their　presence；　but　sufficient　to
keep　him　silent　if　he　happens　to　be　away。　　I　may　not　have
described　it　precisely；　but　this　I　know；　that　after　my　long
illness；　and　the　fancied　neglect　of　my　letters'

'For　which　my　father　was　not　to　blame；　since　he　did　not
receive　them；'　said　Paula。

'For　which　nobody　was　to　blameafter　that；　I　say；　I　wrote　no
more。'

'You　have　much　pleasure　in　returning　at　last；　no　doubt；'　said
Somerset。

'Sir；　as　I　remained　away　without　particular　pain；　so　I　return
without　particular　joy。　　I　speak　the　truth；　and　no
compliments。　　I　may　add　that　there　is　one　exception　to　this
absence　of　feeling　from　my　heart；　namely；　that　I　do　derive
great　satisfaction　from　seeing　how　mightily　this　young　woman
has　grown　and　prevailed。'

This　address；　though　delivered　nominally　to　Somerset；　was
listened　to　by　Paula；　Mrs。　Goodman；　and　De　Stancy　also。　　After
uttering　it；　the　speaker　turned　away；　and　continued　his
previous　conversation　with　Captain　De　Stancy。　　From　this　time
till　the　group　parted　he　never　again　spoke　directly　to
Somerset；　paying　him　barely　so　much　attention　as　he　might　have
expected　as　Paula's　architect；　and　certainly　less　than　he
might　have　supposed　his　due　as　her　accepted　lover。

The　result　of　the　appearance；　as　from　the　tomb；　of　this　wintry
man　was　that　the　evening　ended　in　a　frigid　and　formal　way
which　gave　little　satisfaction　to　the　sensitive　Somerset；　who
was　abstracted　and　constrained　by　reason　of　thoughts　on　how
this　resuscitation　of　the　uncle　would　affect　his　relation　with
Paula。　　It　was　possibly　also　the　thought　of　two　at　least　of
the　others。　　There　had；　in　truth；　scarcely　yet　been　time
enough　to　adumbrate　the　possibilities　opened　up　by　this
gentleman's　return。

The　only　private　word　exchanged　by　Somerset　with　any　one　that
night　was　with　Mrs。　Goodman；　in　whom　he　always　recognized　a
friend　to　his　cause；　though　the　fluidity　of　her　character
rendered　her　but　a　feeble　one　at　the　best　of　times。　　She
informed　him　that　Mr。　Power　had　no　sort　of　legal　control　over
Paula；　or　direction　in　her　estates；　but　Somerset　could　not
doubt　that　a　near　and　only　blood　relation；　even　had　he
possessed　but　half　the　static　force　of　character　that　made
itself　apparent　in　Mr。　Power；　might　exercise　considerable
moral　influence　over　the　girl　if　he　chose。　　And　in　view　of　Mr。
Power's　marked　preference　for　De　Stancy；　Somerset　had　many
misgivings　as　to　its　operating　in　a　direction　favourable　to
himself。



XI。

Somerset　was　deeply　engaged　with　his　draughtsmen　and　builders
during　the　three　following　days；　and　scarcely　entered　the
occupied　wing　of　the　castle。

At　his　suggestion　Paula　had　agreed　to　have　the　works　executed
as　such　operations　were　carried　out　in　old　times；　before　the
advent　of　contractors。　　Each　trade　required　in　the　building
was　to　be　represented　by　a　master…tradesman　of　that
denomination；　who　should　stand　responsible　for　his　own　section
of　labour；　and　for　no　other；　Somerset　himself　as　chief
technicist　working　out　his　designs　on　the　spot。　　By　this　means
the　thoroughness　of　the　workmanship　would　be　greatly　increased
in　comparison　with　the　modern　arrangement；　whereby　a　nominal
builder；　seldom　present；　who　can　certainly　know　no　more　than
one　trade　intimately　and　well；　and　who　often　does　not　know
that；　undertakes　the　whole。

But　notwithstanding　its　manifest　advantages　to　the　proprietor；
the　plan　added　largely　to　the　responsibilities　of　the
architect；　who；　with　his　master…mason；　master…carpenter；
master…plumber；　and　what　not；　had　scarcely　a　moment　to　call
his　own。　　Still；　the　method　being　upon　the　face　of　it　the　true
one；　Somerset　supervised　with　a　will。

But　there　seemed　to　float　across　the　court　to　him　from　the
inhabited　wing　an　intimation　that　things　were　not　as　they　had
been　before；　that　an　influence　adverse　to　himself　was　at　work
behind　the　ashlared　face　of　inner　wall　which　confronted　him。
Perhaps　this　was　because　he　never　saw　Paula　at　the　windows；　or
heard　her　footfall　in　that　half　of　the　building　given　over　to
himself　and　his　myrmidons。　　There　was　really　no　reason　other
than　a　sentimental　one　why　he　should　see　her。　　The　uninhabited
part　of　the　castle　was　almost　an　independent　structure；　and　it
was　quite　natural　to　exist　for　weeks　in　this　wing　without
coming　in　contact　with　residents　in　the　other。

A　more　pronounced　cause　than　vague　surmise　was　destined　to
perturb　him；　and　this　in　an　unexpected　manner。　　It　happened
one　morning　that　he　glanced　through　a　local　paper　while
waiting　at　the　Lord…Quantock…Arms　for　the　pony…carriage　to　be
brought　round　in　which　he　often　drove　to　the　castle。　　The
paper　was　two　days　old；　but　to　his　unutterable　amazement　he
read　therein　a　paragraph　which　ran　as　follows：

'We　are　informed　that　a　marriage　is　likely　to　be　arranged
between　Captain　De　Stancy；　of　the　Royal　Horse　Artillery；　only
surviving　son　of　Sir　William　De　Stancy；　Baronet；　and　Paula；
only　daughter　of　the　late　John　Power；　Esq。；　M。P。；　of　Stancy
Castle。'

Somerset　dropped　the　paper；　and　stared　out　of　the　window。
Fortunately　for　his　emotions；　the　horse　and　carriage　were　at
this　moment　brought　to　the　door；　so　that　nothing　hindered
Somerset　in　driving　off　to　the　spot　at　which　he　would　be
soonest　likely　to　learn　what　truth　or　otherwise　there　was　in
the　newspaper　report。　　From　the　first　he　doubted　it：　　and　yet
how　should　it　have　got　there？　　Such　strange　rumours；　like
paradoxical　maxims；　generally　include　a　portion　of　truth。
Five　days　had　elapsed　since　he　last　spoke　to　Paula。

Reaching　the　castle　he　entered　his　own　quarters　as　usual；　and
after　setting　the　draughtsmen　to　work　walked　up　and　down
pondering　how　he　might　best　see　her　without　making　the
paragraph　the　ground　of　his　request　for　an　interview；　for　if
it　were　a　fabrication；　such　a　reason　would　wound　her　pride　in
her　own　honour　towards　him；　and　if　it　were　partly　true；　he
would　certainly　do　better　in　leaving　her　alone　than　in
reproaching　her。　　It　would　simply　amount　to　a　proof　that　Paula
was　an　arrant　coquette。

In　his　meditation　he　stood　still；　closely　scanning　one　of　the
jamb…stones　of　a　doorless　entrance；　as　if　to　discover　where
the　old　hinge…hook　had　entered　the　stonework。　　He　heard　a
footstep　behind　him；　and　looking　round　saw　Paula　standing　by。
She　held　a　newspaper　in　her　hand。　　The　spot　was　one　quite
hemmed　in　from　observation；　a　fact　of　which　she　seemed　to　be
quite　aware。

'I　have　something　to　tell　you；'　she　said；　'something
important。　　But　you　are　so　occupied　with　that　old　stone　that　I
am　obliged　to　wait。'

'It　is　not　true　surely！'　he　said；　looking　at　the　paper。

'No；　look　here；'　she　said；　holding　up　the　sheet。　　It　was　not
what　he　had　supposed；　but　a　new　onethe　local　rival　to　that
which　had　contained　the　announcement；　and　was　still　damp　from
the　press。　　She　pointed；　and　he　read

'We　are　authorized　to　state　that　there　is　no　foundation
whatever　for　the　assertion　of　our　contemporary　that　a　marriage
is　likely　to　be　arranged　between　Captain　De　Stancy　and　Miss
Power　of　Stancy　Castle。'

Somerset　pressed　her　hand。　　'It　disturbed　me；'　he　said；
'though　I　did　not　believe　it。'

'It　astonished　me；　as　much　as　it　disturbed　you；　and　I　sent
this　contradiction　at　once。'

'How　could　it　have　got　there？'

She　shook　her　head。

'You　have　not　the　least　knowledge？'

'Not　the　least。　　I　wish　I　had。'

'It　was　not　from　any　friends　of　De　Stancy's？　or　himself？'

'It　was　not。　　His　sister　has　ascertained　beyond　doubt　that　he
knew　nothing　of　it。　　Well；　now；　don't　say　any　more　to　me　about