a laodicean-第69章

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Presently　she　found　that　De　Stancy　had　followed。　　He　did　not
come　close　till　she；　seeing　him　stand　silent；　said；　'If　it
were　not　for　this　cathedral；　I　should　not　like　the　city　at
all；　and　I　have　even　seen　cathedrals　I　like　better。　　Luckily
we　are　going　on　to　Baden　to…morrow。'

'Your　uncle　has　just　told　me。　　He　has　asked　me　to　keep　you
company。'

'Are　you　intending　to？'　said　Paula；　probing　the　base…moulding
of　a　pier　with　her　parasol。

'I　have　nothing　better　to　do；　nor　indeed　half　so　good；'　said
De　Stancy。　　'I　am　abroad　for　my　health；　you　know；　and　what's
like　the　Rhine　and　its　neighbourhood　in　early　summer；　before
the　crowd　comes？　　It　is　delightful　to　wander　about　there；　or
anywhere；　like　a　child；　influenced　by　no　fixed　motive　more
than　that　of　keeping　near　some　friend；　or　friends；　including
the　one　we　most　admire　in　the　world。'

'That　sounds　perilously　like　love…making。'

''Tis　love　indeed。'

'Well；　love　is　natural　to　men；　I　suppose；'　rejoined　the　young
lady。　　'But　you　must　love　within　bounds；　or　you　will　be
enervated；　and　cease　to　be　useful　as　a　heavy　arm　of　the
service。'

'My　dear　Miss　Power；　your　didactic　and　respectable　rules　won't
do　for　me。　　If　you　expect　straws　to　stop　currents；　you　are
sadly　mistaken！　　But　nolet　matters　be：　　I　am　a　happy
contented　mortal　at　present；　say　what　you　will。　。　。　。　　You
don't　ask　why？　　Perhaps　you　know。　　It　is　because　all　I　care
for　in　the　world　is　near　me；　and　that　I　shall　never　be　more
than　a　hundred　yards　from　her　as　long　as　the　present
arrangement　continues。'

'We　are　in　a　cathedral；　remember；　Captain　De　Stancy；　and
should　not　keep　up　a　secular　conversation。'

'If　I　had　never　said　worse　in　a　cathedral　than　what　I　have
said　here；　I　should　be　content　to　meet　my　eternal　judge
without　absolution。　　Your　uncle　asked　me　this　morning　how　I
liked　you。'

'Well；　there　was　no　harm　in　that。'

'How　I　like　you！　　Harm；　no；　but　you　should　have　seen　how　silly
I　looked。　　Fancy　the　inadequacy　of　the　expression　when　my
whole　sense　is　absorbed　by　you。'

'Men　allow　themselves　to　be　made　ridiculous　by　their　own
feelings　in　an　inconceivable　way。'

'True；　I　am　a　fool；　but　forgive　me；'　he　rejoined；　observing
her　gaze；　which　wandered　critically　from　roof　to　clerestory；
and　then　to　the　pillars；　without　once　lighting　on　him。　　'Don't
mind　saying　Yes。You　look　at　this　thing　and　that　thing；　but
you　never　look　at　me；　though　I　stand　here　and　see　nothing　but
you。'

'There；　the　clock　is　strikingand　the　cock　crows。　　Please　go
across　to　the　transept　and　tell　them　to　come　out　this　way。'

De　Stancy　went。　　When　he　had　gone　a　few　steps　he　turned　his
head。　　She　had　at　last　ceased　to　study　the　architecture；　and
was　looking　at　him。　　Perhaps　his　words　had　struck　her；　for　it
seemed　at　that　moment　as　if　he　read　in　her　bright　eyes　a
genuine　interest　in　him　and　his　fortunes。



II。

Next　day　they　went　on　to　Baden。　　De　Stancy　was　beginning　to
cultivate　the　passion　of　love　even　more　as　an　escape　from　the
gloomy　relations　of　his　life　than　as　matrimonial　strategy。
Paula's　juxtaposition　had　the　attribute　of　making　him　forget
everything　in　his　own　history。　　She　was　a　magic　alterative；
and　the　most　foolish　boyish　shape　into　which　he　could　throw
his　feelings　for　her　was　in　this　respect　to　be　aimed　at　as　the
act　of　highest　wisdom。

He　supplemented　the　natural　warmth　of　feeling　that　she　had
wrought　in　him　by　every　artificial　means　in　his　power；　to　make
the　distraction　the　more　complete。　　He　had　not　known　anything
like　this　self…obscuration　for　a　dozen　years；　and　when　he
conjectured　that　she　might　really　learn　to　love　him　he　felt
exalted　in　his　own　eyes　and　purified　from　the　dross　of　his
former　life。　　Such　uneasiness　of　conscience　as　arose　when　he
suddenly　remembered　Dare；　and　the　possibility　that　Somerset
was　getting　ousted　unfairly；　had　its　weight　in　depressing　him；
but　he　was　inclined　to　accept　his　fortune　without　much
question。

The　journey　to　Baden；　though　short；　was　not　without　incidents
on　which　he　could　work　out　this　curious　hobby　of　cultivating
to　superlative　power　an　already　positive　passion。　　Handing　her
in　and　out　of　the　carriage；　accidentally　getting　brushed　by
her　clothes；　of　all　such　as　this　he　made　available　fuel。
Paula；　though　she　might　have　guessed　the　general　nature　of
what　was　going　on；　seemed　unconscious　of　the　refinements　he
was　trying　to　throw　into　it；　and　sometimes；　when　in　stepping
into　or　from　a　railway　carriage　she　unavoidably　put　her　hand
upon　his　arm；　the　obvious　insignificance　she　attached　to　the
action　struck　him　with　misgiving。

One　of　the　first　things　they　did　at　Baden　was　to　stroll　into
the　Trink…halle；　where　Paula　sipped　the　water。　　She　was　about
to　put　down　the　glass；　when　De　Stancy　quickly　took　it　from　her
hands　as　though　to　make　use　of　it　himself。

'O；　if　that　is　what　you　mean；'　she　said　mischievously；　'you
should　have　noticed　the　exact　spot。　　It　was　there。'　　She　put
her　finger　on　a　particular　portion　of　its　edge。

'You　ought　not　to　act　like　that；　unless　you　mean　something；
Miss　Power；'　he　replied　gravely。

'Tell　me　more　plainly。'

'I　mean；　you　should　not　do　things　which　excite　in　me　the　hope
that　you　care　something　for　me；　unless　you　really　do。'

'I　put　my　finger　on　the　edge　and　said　it　was　there。'

'Meaning；　〃It　was　there　my　lips　touched；　let　yours　do　the
same。〃'

'The　latter　part　I　wholly　deny；'　she　answered；　with　disregard；
after　which　she　went　away；　and　kept　between　Charlotte　and　her
aunt　for　the　rest　of　the　afternoon。

Since　the　receipt　of　the　telegram　Paula　had　been　frequently
silent；　she　frequently　stayed　in　alone；　and　sometimes　she
became　quite　gloomyan　altogether　unprecedented　phase　for
her。　　This　was　the　case　on　the　morning　after　the　incident　in
the　Trink…halle。　　Not　to　intrude　on　her；　Charlotte　walked
about　the　landings　of　the　sunny　white　hotel　in　which　they　had
taken　up　their　quarters；　went　down　into　the　court；　and　petted
the　tortoises　that　were　creeping　about　there　among　the　flowers
and　plants；　till　at　last；　on　going　to　her　friend；　she　caught
her　reading　some　old　letters　of　Somerset's。

Paula　made　no　secret　of　them；　and　Miss　De　Stancy　could　see
that　more　than　half　were　written　on　blue　paper；　with　diagrams
amid　the　writing：　　they　were；　in　fact；　simply　those　sheets　of
his　letters　which　related　to　the　rebuilding。　　Nevertheless；
Charlotte　fancied　she　had　caught　Paula　in　a　sentimental　mood；
and　doubtless　could　Somerset　have　walked　in　at　this　moment
instead　of　Charlotte　it　might　have　fared　well　with　him；　so
insidiously　do　tender　memories　reassert　themselves　in　the　face
of　outward　mishaps。

They　took　a　drive　down　the　Lichtenthal　road　and　then　into　the
forest；　De　Stancy　and　Abner　Power　riding　on　horseback
alongside。　　The　sun　streamed　yellow　behind　their　backs　as　they
wound　up　the　long　inclines；　lighting　the　red　trunks；　and　even
the　blue…black　foliage　itself。　　The　summer　had　already　made
impression　upon　that　mass　of　uniform　colour　by　tipping　every
twig　with　a　tiny　sprout　of　virescent　yellow；　while　the　minute
sounds　which　issued　from　the　forest　revealed　that　the
apparently　still　place　was　becoming　a　perfect　reservoir　of
insect　life。

Abner　Power　was　quite　sentimental　that　day。　　'In　such　places
as　these；'　he　said；　as　he　rode　alongside　Mrs。　Goodman；
'nature's　powers　in　the　multiplication　of　one　type　strike　me
as　much　as　the　grandeur　of　the　mass。'

Mrs。　Goodman　agreed　with　him；　and　Paula　said；　'The　foliage
forms　the　roof　of　an　interminable　green　crypt；　the　pillars
being　the　trunks；　and　the　vault　the　interlacing　boughs。'

'It　is　a　fine　place　in　a　thunderstorm；'　said　De　Stancy。　　'I　am
not　an　enthusiast；　but　to　see　the　lightning　spring　hither　and
thither；　like　lazy…tongs；　bristling；　and　striking；　and
vanishing；　is　rather　impressive。'

'It　must　be　indeed；'　said　Paula。

'And　in　the　winter　winds　these　pines　sigh　like　ten　thousand
spirits　in　trouble。'

'Indeed　they　must；'　said　Paula。

'At　the　same　time　I　know　a　little　fir…plantation　about　a　mile
square　not　far　from　Markton；'　said　De　Stancy；　'which　is
precisely　like　this　in　miniature；stems；　colours；　slopes；
winds；　and　all。　　If　we　were　to　go　there　any　time　with　a　highly
magnifying　pair　of