Soonafterfiveo’clocktherewasabrilliantcrowdwanderingandrestinginthepleasantspaces;andEthel,wearingadiaphanouslywhiterobeandcarryingarushbasketfullofwhitecarnations,wasmovingamongthemdistributingtheflowers。Shewasthusthecenterofalittlelaughing,banteringgroupwhentheNicholasRawdonpartyarrived。
NicholasremainedwiththeSquire,Mrs。
RawdonandtheyoungmenwenttowardEthel。Mrs。Rawdonmadeaveryhandsomeappearance——\"anaristocraticBritanniainwhitelibertysilkandoldlace,\"whisperedRuth,andEthellookedupquickly,tomeethermerryeyesfullofsomeunexplainedtriumph。Intruth,theproudmotherwasanticipatingagreatpleasure,notonlyinthepresentationofheradoredson,butalsointhecuriosityandastonishmentshefeltsurewouldbeevokedbyhisfriend。So,withtheboldnessofonewhobringshappytidings,shepressedforward。Ethelsawherapproach,andwenttomeether。Suddenlyherstepswerearrested。Anextraordinarythingwasgoingtohappen。TheApolloofherdreams,thesingeroftheHollandHousepavement,wasatMrs。Rawdon’sside,wastalkingtoher,wasevidentlyafamiliarfriend。Shewasgoingtomeethim,tospeaktohimatlast。Shewouldhearhisnameinafewmoments;allthatshehadhopedandbelievedwascomingtrue。Andtheclear,resonantvoiceofLydiaRawdonwaslikemusicinherearsasshesaid,withanairoftriumphshecouldnothide:
\"MissRawdon,Iwantyoutoknowmyson,Mr。JohnThomasRawdon,andalsoJohnThomas’scousin,Mr。TyrrelRawdon,oftheUnitedStates。\"ThenMr。TyrrelRawdonlookedintoEthel’sface,andinthatmarvelousmeetingoftheireyes,swiftasthefiringofagun,theirpupilsdilatedandflashedwithrecognition,andthebloodrushedcrimsonoverbothfaces。Shegavethegentlemenflowers,andlistenedtoMrs。Rawdon’schatter,andsaidinreplysheknewnotwhat。Aswiftandexquisiteexcitementhadfollowedhersurprise。Feelingsshecouldnotvoicewerebeatingatherlips,andyetsheknewthatwithoutherconsciouswillshehadexpressedherastonishmentandpleasure。
Itwas,indeed,doubtfulwhetheranyafterspeechorexplanationwouldasclearlysatisfybothheartsasdidthatmomentaryflashfromsoultosoulofmutualremembranceandinterest。
\"IthoughtI’dgiveyouasurprise,\"saidMrs。Rawdondelightedly。\"Youdidn’tknowtheTyrrel-RawdonshadabranchinAmerica,didyou?Weareabitproudofthem,Icantellyouthat。\"
And,indeed,themotherlyladyhadsomereason。JohnThomaswasahandsomeyouthofsymmetricalboneandfleshandwell-developedmuscle。Hehadclear,steady,humorouseyes;amannerfrankandindependent,nottobeputupon;andyetEtheldivined,thoughshecouldnothavedeclared,the\"want\"inhisappearance——thatall-overishgraceandelasticitywhichcomesonlyfromthedevelopmentofthebrainandnervoussystem。Hisfacewasalsomarredbythesealofcommonnesswhichtradeimpressesonsomanymen,theresultofthesubjectionoftheintellecttothewill,andoftheimpossibilityofgraspingthingsexceptastheyrelatetoself。InthisrespecttheAmericancousinwashisantipodes。Hiswholebodyhadapsychicalexpression——slim,elastic,alert。Overhisbrightgrayeyestheeyelidsdrewthemselveshorizontally,showinghisdexterityandacutenessofmind;indeed,hiswholeexpressionandmien\"Were,asaretheeagle’skeen,Allthemanwasaquiline。\"
ThesepersonalcharacteristicstakingsomeminutestodescribewerealmostaninstantaneousrevelationtoEthel,forwhatthesoulseesitseesinaflashofunderstanding。Butatthattimesheonlyansweredherimpressionswithoutanyinquiryconcerningthem。
Shewasabsorbedbythepersonalpresenceofthemen,andallthatwaslovelyandlovableinhernaturerespondedtotheiradmiration。
Astheystrolledtogetherthroughafloweryalley,shemadethempasstheirhandsthroughthethymeandlavender,andlistentoabirdsingingitsverses,loudandthensoft,inthescentedairabovethem。Theycameoutwherethepurpleplumsandgoldenapricotswerebeginningtobrightenasouthernwall,andthere,moodilywalkingbyhimself,theymetMostynfacetoface。Anangryflashandmovementinterpretedhisannoyance,butheimmediatelyrecoveredhimself,andmetEthelandhislatepoliticalopponentwithpoliteequanimity。Butadecidedconstraintfellonthehappyparty,andEthelwasrelievedtohearthefirsttonesofthegreatbellswingoutfromitsloftytowerthecalltothedining-room。
AsfarasMostynwasconcerned,thisfirstmalaproposmeetingindicatedthewholeevening。Hisheartwasbeatingquicklytosomesenseofdefeatwhichhedidnottakethetroubletoanalyze。HeonlysawthemanwhohadshatteredhispoliticalhopesandwastedhismoneyinpossessionalsoofwhathethoughthemightrightlyconsiderhisplaceatEthel’sside。HehadoncecontemplatedmakingEthelhisbride,andthoughthematrimonialideahadcollapsedascompletelyasthepoliticalone,theenvious,selfishmiseryofthe\"doginthemanger\"waseatingathisheartstrings。HedidnotwantEthel;butoh,howhehatedthethoughtofeitherJohnThomasorthatAmericanRaw-
donwinningher!Hisseatatthedinner-
tablealsoannoyedhim。Itwasfarenoughfromtheobjectsofhisresentmenttopreventhimhearingorinterferingintheirmerryconversation;andhetoldhimselfwithpassionateindignationthatEthelhadneveronceinalltheirintercoursebeensobeautifulandbrightassherevealedherselfthateveningtothosetwoRawdonyouths——oneamereloom-master,theotheranAmericanwhomnooneknewanythingabout。
Thelong,bewitchinghoursofthegloriouseveningaddedfueltotheflameofhisanger。
HecouldonlyprocurefromEthelthepromiseofoneunimportantdanceatthecloseofherprogramme;andtheAmericanhadthreedances,andthemereloom-mantwo。Andthoughheattemptedtorestorehisself-
complacencybydevotinghiswholeattentionstotheonlytitledyoungladiesintheroom,hehadthroughouttheeveningasenseofbeingsnubbed,andofbeingapersonnolongerofmuchimportanceatRawdonCourt。Andthereasoningofwoundedself-loveisasingularprocess。Mostynwasquiteobliviousofanypersonalcauseforthechange;heattributeditentirelytotheSquire’singratitude。
\"IdidtheSquireagoodturnwhenheneededit,andofcoursehehatesmefortheobligation;andasfortheJudgeandhisfinedaughter,theyinterferedwithmybusiness——didmeagreatwrong——andtheyareonlyillustratingtheoldsaying,`SinceIwrongedyouIneverlikedyou。’\"Afterindulgingsuchthoughtsawhile,heresolvedtoescorttheladiesAureliaandIsoldeDanverstoDanversCastle,andleaveMissEtheltofindapartnerforherlastdance,adecisionthatfavoredJohnThomas,greatlyrelievedEthel,andbestoweduponhimselfthatmostirritatingofallpunishments,aself-inflicteddisappointment。
Thiseveningwastheinaugurationofaperiodofundimmeddelight。InittheTyrrel-
RawdonsconcludedafirmandaffectionatealliancewiththeelderbranchattheCourt,andonedayafterahappyfamilydinnerJohnThomasmadethestartlingproposalthat\"theportraitofthedisinherited,disownedTyrrelshouldberestoredtoitsplaceinthefamilygallery。\"Hesaidhehad\"justwalkedthroughit,andnoticedthatthespotwasstillvacant,andIthinksurely,\"
headded,\"theyoungman’sfathermusthavemeanttorecallhimhomesomeday,butperhapsdeathtookhimunawares。\"
\"Diedinthehunting-field,\"murmuredtheSquire。
JohnThomasbowedhisheadtotheremark,andproceeded,\"Soperhaps,Squire,itmaybeinyourhearttoforgivethedead,andbringbackthepoorlad’spicturetoitsplace。
Theywhosinforlovearen’tsobad,sir,astheywhosinformoney。IneverheardworseofTyrrelRawdonthanthathelovedapoorwomaninsteadofarichwoman——andmarriedher。Thosethathavegonebeforeusintothenextlife,Ishouldthinkaregoodfriendstogether;andIwouldn’twonderifwemightevenmakethemhappierthereifweconcludetoforgetalloldwrongsandlivetogetherhere——asRawdonsoughttolive——likeonefamily。\"
\"Iamofyouropinion,JohnThomas,\"
saidtheSquire,rising,andashedidsohelookedattheJudge,whoimmediatelyindorsedtheproposal。Oneaftertheotherrosewithsweetandstrongassent,untiltherewasonlyTyrrelRawdon’svoicelacking。
Butwhenallhadspokenherosealso,andsaid:
\"IamTyrrelRawdon’sdirectdescendant,andIspeakforhimwhenIsayto-day,`Makeroomformeamongmykindred!’Hethatlovesmuchmaybeforgivenmuch。\"
Thenthehousekeeperwascalled,andtheywentslowly,withsoftwords,uptothethirdstoryofthehouse。Andtheroomunusedforacenturywasflungwideopen;theshutterswereunbarred,andthesunshinefloodedit;andthereamidhisfishingtackle,guns,andwhips,andfadedballadsuponthewall,andbooksofwoodloreandbotany,anddresssuitsofvelvetandsatin,andhuntingsuitsofscarlet——allfadedandfallingtopieces——
stoodthepictureofTyrrelRawdon,withitsfaceturnedtothewall。TheSquiremadeamotiontohisdescendant,andtheyoungAmericantenderlyturnedittothelight。
Therewasnodecayonthosepaintedlineaments。
Thealmostboyishface,withitslovingeyesandlaughingmouth,wasstilltwenty-
fouryearsold;andwithalookofprideandaffectiontheSquireliftedthepictureandplaceditinthehandsoftheTyrrelRawdonoftheday。
Thehangingofthepictureinitsoldplacewasasilentandtenderlittleceremony,andafteritthepartyseparated。Mrs。RawdonwentwithRuthtorestalittle。Shesaid\"shehadaheadache,\"andshealsowantedagoodwomanlytalkovertheaffair。TheSquire,JudgeRawdon,Mr。NicholasRawdon,andJohnThomasreturnedtothedining-
roomtodrinkabottleofsuchmildMadeiraascanonlynowbefoundinthecellarsofoldcountymagnates,andEthelandTyrrelRawdonstrolledintothegarden。Therehadnotbeenineithermindanyintentionofleavingtheparty,butastheypassedthroughthehallTyrrelsawEthel’sgardenhatandwhiteparasollyingonatable,and,impelledbysomesuddenandunreasonedinstinct,heofferedthemtoher。Notawordofrequestwasspoken;itwastheeager,passionatecommandofhiseyessheobeyed。Andforafewminutestheywerespeechless,thensointenselyconsciousthatwordsstumbledandwerelame,andtheymanagedonlysyllablesatatime。Buthetookherhand,andtheycamebysunnyalleysofboxwoodtoagreatplanetree,bearingatwondrousheightamightywealthofbranches。Abankofsoft,greenturfencircleditsroots,andtheysatdowninthetremblingshadows。Itwasinthemidstoftheherbgarden;bedsofmintandthyme,rosemaryandmarjoram,basil,lavender,andotherfragrantplantswerearound,andcloseathandalittlecityofstrawskepspeopledbygoldenbrownbees;Fromtheseskepscameadeliciousaromaofricedflowersandvirginwax。ItwasanewGardenofEden,inwhichlifewassweetasperfumeandpureasprayer。Nothingstirredthegreen,sunnyafternoonbutthemurmurofthebees,andthesleepytwitteringofthebirdsintheplanebranches。Aninexpressiblepeacesweptlikethebreathofheaventhroughtheodorousplaces。Theysatdownsighingforveryhappiness。
Thesilencebecametooeloquent。Atlengthitwasalmostunendurable,andEthelsaidsoftly:
\"Howstillitis!\"
Tyrrellookedathersteadilywithbeamingeyes。Thenhetookfromhispocketalittlepurseofwovengoldandopal-tintedbeads,andhelditinhisopenhandforhertosee,watchingthebrightblushthatspreadoverherface,andthefaint,gladsmilethatpartedherlips。
\"Youunderstand?\"
\"Yes。Itismine。\"
\"Itwasyours。Itisnowmine。\"
\"Howdidyougetit?\"
\"Iboughtitfromtheoldmanyougaveitto。\"
\"Oh!Thenyouknowhim?Howisthat?\"
\"Thehotelpeoplesentaporterhomewithhimlestheshouldberobbed。NextdayImadeinquiries,andthisportertoldmewherehelived。Iwentthereandboughtthispursefromhim。Iknewsomedayitwouldbringmetoyou。Ihavecarrieditovermyhearteversince。\"
\"Soyounoticedme?\"
\"IsawyouallthetimeIwassinging。I
haveneverforgottenyousincethathour。\"
\"Whatmadeyousing?\"
\"Compassion,fate,anurgentimpulse;
perhaps,indeed,yourpiteousface——Isawitfirst。\"
\"Really?\"
\"Isawitfirst。IsawitallthetimeIwassinging。Whenyoudroppedthispursemysoulmetyoursinamoment’sgreeting。Itwasapromise。IknewIshouldmeetyouagain。
Ihavelovedyoueversince。Iwantedtotellyousothehourwemet。Ithasbeenhardtokeepmysecretsolong。\"
\"Itwasmysecretalso。\"
\"Iloveyoubeyondallwords。Mylifeisinyourhands。Youcanmakemethegladdestofmortals。Youcansendmeawayforever。\"
\"Oh,no,Icouldnot!Icouldnotdothat!\"Therestescapeswords;butthusitwasthatonthisdayofdaysthesetwocamebyGod’sgracetoeachother。
Forallthingscomebyfatetoflower,Attheirunconquerablehour。
Andtheveryatmosphereofsuchblissisdiffusive;itseemedasifallthelivingcreaturesaroundunderstood。Inthethick,greenbranchesthebirdsbegantotwitterthesecret,andcertainlythewise,wisebeesknewalso,insomeoccultway,oftheloveandjoythathadjustbeenrevealed。Awonderfulhummingandbuzzingfilledthehives,andtheairvibratedwiththemovementofwings。Someinfluencemoreswiftandsecretthanthebirdsoftheaircarriedthematterfurther,foritfinallyreachedRoyal,theSquire’sfavoritecollie,whocamesaunteringdownthealley,pushedhisnosetwiceunderEthel’selbow,andthenwithasignificantlookbackward,advisedtheloverstofollowhimtothehouse。
Whentheyfinallyacceptedhisinvitation,theyfoundMrs。RawdondrinkingacupofteawithRuthinthehall。Etheljoinedthemwithaffectedhighspiritsandrandomexplanationsandexcuses,butbothwomenno-
ticedherradiantfaceandexultingair。
\"Thegardenissuchaheavenlyplace,\"shesaidecstatically,andMrsRawdonremarked,assheroseandputhercuponthetable,\"Girlsneedchaperonsingardensiftheyneedthemanywhere。ImadeNicholasRawdonapromiseinMossgillGardenI’vehadtospendallmylifesincetryingtokeep。\"
\"TyrrelandIhavebeensittingundertheplanetreewatchingthebees。Theyaresuchbusy,sensiblecreatures。\"
\"Theyarethat,\"answeredMrs。Rawdon。
\"Ifyouknewallaboutthemyouwouldwonderabit。Myfatherhadagreatmany;
hestudiedtheirwaysandusedtolaughattheladiesofthehivebeingsoliketheladiesoftheworld。Youseetheyoungladybeesarejustasinexperiencedasaschoolgirl。
Theygetlostintheflowers,andareoftensoovertakenandreckless,thatthenightfindsthemfarfromthehive,heavywithpollenandchilledwithcold。Sometimesfatherwouldliftoneoftheseimprudentyoungthings,carryithome,andtrytogetitadmitted。
Henevercouldmanageit。TheladybeesactedjustaswomenareapttodowhenotherwomenGOwheretheydon’tgo,orDO
astheydon’tdo。\"
\"Butthisisinteresting,\"saidRuth。
\"Pray,howdidtheladiesofthehivebehavetotheculprit?\"
\"Theycameoutandfeltherallover,turnedherroundandround,andthenpushedheroutoftheircommunity。Therewasalwaysadealofbuzzingaboutthepoor,sillything,andIshouldn’twonderiftheirstingswerebusytoo。Beesareill-naturedastheycanbe。Well,well,Idon’tblameanyoneforsittinginthegardensuchadayasthis;only,asIwassaying,gardenshavebeenverydangerousplacesforwomenasfarasIknow。\"
Ruthlaughedsoftly。\"Ishalltakeachaperonwithme,then,whenIgointothegarden。\"
\"Iwould,dearie。There’stheJudge;he’saverysuitable,sedate-lookingonebutyounevercantell。Thefirstwomanfoundinagardenandatreehadplentyofsorrowforherselfandeverywomanthathaslivedafterher。IwishNicholasandJohnThomaswouldcome。I’llwarrantthey’retalkingwhattheycallpolitics。\"
Politicswaspreciselythesubjectwhichhadbeenoccupyingthem,forwhenTyrrelenteredthedining-room,theSquire,JudgeRawdon,andMr。NicholasRawdonwereallstanding,evidentlyjustfinishingaConservativeargumentagainsttheRadicalopinionsofJohnThomas。Theyoungmanwasstillsitting,butherosewithsmilinggood-humorasTyrrelentered。
\"HereisCousinTyrrel,\"hecried;\"hewilltellyouthatyoumaycallagovernmentanythingyoulikeradical,conservative,republican,democratic,socialistic,butifitisn’taCHEAPgovernment,itisn’tagoodgovernment;
andtherewon’tbeacheapgovernmentinEnglandtillpoormenhaveadealtosayaboutmakinglawsandvotingtaxes。\"
\"Isthatthekindofstuffyoutalktoourhands,JohnThomas?Nowondertheyareneithertoholdnortobind。\"
TheywereinthehallasJohnThomasfinishedhispoliticalcreed,andinafewminutestheadieuxweresaid,andthewonderfuldaywasover。Ithadbeenawonderfuldayforall,butperhapsnoonewassorryforapauseinlife——apauseinwhichtheymightrestandtrytorealizewhatithadbroughtandwhatithadtakenaway。TheSquirewentatoncetohisroom,andEthellookedatRuthinquiringly。Sheseemedexhausted,andwasoutofsympathywithallhersurroundings。
\"WhatenormousvitalitytheseYorkshirewomenmusthave!\"shesaidalmostcrossly。
\"Mrs。Rawdonhasbeentalkingincessantlyforsixhours。Shehasfeltallshesaid。Shehasfrequentlyrisenandwalkedabout。Shehasusedallsortsofactionstoemphasizeherwords,andsheisasfreshasifshehadjusttakenhermorningbath。Howdothemenstandthem?\"
\"Becausetheyarejustasvital。JohnThomaswilloverlookandscoldandorderhisthousandhandsallday,talkevenhismotherdownwhileheeatshisdinner,andthenlectureorleadhisMusicalUnion,orconductapoorman’sconcert,orgoto`theWeaver’sUnion,’andwhathecalls`threepthem’fortwoorthreehoursthatlaborisruiningcapital,andkillingthegoosethatlaysgoldeneggsforthem。Oh,theyareawonderfulrace,Ruth!\"
\"Ireallycan’tdiscussthemnow,Ethel。\"
\"Don’tyouwanttoknowwhatTyrrelsaidtomethisafternoon?\"
\"Mydear,Iknow。Lovershavesaidsuchthingsbefore,andloverswillsaythemevermore。
Youshalltellmeinthemorning。I
thoughthelookeddistraitandboredwithourcompany。\"
Indeed,TyrrelwassoremarkablyquietthatJohnThomasalsonoticedhismood,andastheysatsmokinginTyrrel’sroom,heresolvedtofindoutthereason,andwithhisusualdirectnessasked:
\"WhatdoyouthinkofEthelRawdon,Tyrrel,\"
\"IthinksheisthemostbeautifulwomanIeversaw。Shehasalsothemostsincerenature,andherhighspiritissweetlytemperedbyheraffectionateheart。\"
\"Iamgladyouknowsomuchabouther。
Lookhere,CousinTyrrel,Ifanciedto-nightyouwereabitjealousofme。Itiseasytoseeyouareinlove,andI’venodoubtyouwerethinkingofthedayswhenyouwouldbethousandsofmilesaway,andIshouldhavethegroundclearandsoon,eh?\"
\"SupposeIwas,cousin,whatthen?\"
\"Youwouldbeworryingfornothing。I
don’twanttomarryEthelRawdon。IfI
did,youwouldhavetobeonthegroundallthetime,andthenIshouldbestyou;butI
pickedoutmywifetwoyearsago,andifwearebothaliveandwell,wearegoingtobemarriednextChristmas。\"
\"Iamdelighted。I————\"
\"Ithoughtyouwouldbe。\"
\"Whoistheyounglady?\"
\"MissLucyWatson。HerfatheristheIndependentminister。Heisagentleman,thoughhissalaryislessthanwegiveouroverseer。Andheisagreatscholar。SoisLucy。Shefinishedhercourseatcollegethissummer,andwithhighhonors。Blessyou,Tyrrel,sheknowsfarmorethanIdoabouteverythingbutwarpsandloomsandsuchlike。Iadmireacleverwoman,andI’mproudofLucy。\"
\"Whereisshenow?\"
\"Well,shewasabitdoneupwithsomuchstudy,andsoshewenttoScarboroughforafewweeks。Shehasanauntthere。Theseabreezesandsaltwatersoonmadeherfitforanything。Shemaybehomeverysoonnow。
Then,Tyrrel,you’llseeabeauty——facelikearose,hairbrownasanut,eyesthatmakeyourheartgogalloping,themostenticingmouth,theprettiestfigure,andshelovesmewithallherheart。Whenshesays`JohnThomas,dearone,’Itremblewithpleasure,andwhensheletsmekisshersweetmouth,Ireallydon’tknowwhereIam。Whatwouldyousayifagirlwhispered,`Iloveyou,andnobodybutyou,’andgaveyouakissthatwaslike——likewineandroses?Nowwhatwouldyousay?\"
\"IknowaslittleasyoudowhatIwouldsay。It’sasituationtomakeamancoinnewwords。Isupposeyourfamilyarepleased。\"
\"Well,IneverthoughtaboutmyfamilytillIhadLucy’sword。ThenItoldmother。
SheknewLucyallthrough。MotherhasagreatrespectforIndependents,andthoughfathersulkedabitatfirst,motherhaditoutwithhimonenight,andwhenmotherhasfatherquietintheirroomfathercomestoseethingsjustasshewantshim。Isupposethat’sthewaywithwives。Lucywillbejustlikethat。She’sgotasharplittletemper,too。
She’llletmehaveabitofit,nodoubt,nowandthen。\"
\"Willyoulikethat?\"
\"Iwouldn’tcareafarthingforawifewithoutabitoftemper。Therewouldbenofuninlivingwithawomanofthatkind。Myfatherwoulddroopandpineifmotherdidn’tspurhimonnowandthen。Andhelikesit。
Don’tIknow?I’veseenmothersnappyandawkwardwithhimallbreakfasttime,tossingherhead,andrattlingthechina,anddeclaringshewaswornoutwithmenthatletallthegoodbargainspassthem;perhapsmakingfunofusbecausewecouldn’tmanagetogetalongwithoutstrikes。Shehadnostrikeswithherhands,she’dliketoseeherwomenstandupandtalktoheraboutshorterhours,andsoon;
andfatherwouldlookatmesly-like,andaswewalkedtothemilltogetherhe’dlaughcontentedlyandsay,`Yourmotherwasquiterefreshingthismorning,JohnThomas。Shehaskeyedmeuptoarightpitch。WhenJonathanArkroydcomesaboutthatwoolhesoldusI’llbeallreadyforhim。’SoyouseeI’mnotagainstasharptemper。IlikewomenasTennysonsaysEnglishgirlsare,`rosessetroundwithlittlewilfulthorns,’eh?\"
Unusualasthisconversationwas,itsgeneraltonewasassumedbyEthelinherconfidentialtalkwithRuththefollowingday。Ofcourse,RuthwasnotatallsurprisedatthenewsEthelbroughther,forthoughthelovershadbeenindividuallysuretheyhadbetrayedtheirsecrettonoone,ithadreallybeenanopenonetoRuthsincethehouroftheirmeeting。
ShewassincerelyardentinherpraisesofTyrrelRawdon,but——andthereisalwaysabut——shewonderedifEthelhad\"noticedwhataquicktemperhehad。\"
\"Oh,yes,\"answeredEthel,\"Ishouldnotlikehimnottohaveaquicktemper。Iexpectmyhusbandtostandupatamoment’snoticeforeithermineorhisownrightsoropinions。\"
Andintheafternoonwhenallpreliminarieshadbeensettledandapproved,JudgeRawdonexpressedhimselfinthesamemannertoRuth。\"Yes,\"hesaid,inreplytohertimidsuggestionoftemper,\"youcanstrikefireanywherewithhimifyoutryit,buthehasitundercontrol。Besides,Ethelisjustasquicktoflameup。ItwillbeRawdonagainstRawdon,andEthel’sweaponsareoffiner,keenersteelthanTyrrel’s。Ethelwillholdherown。Itisbestso。\"
\"HowdidtheSquirefeelaboutsuchamarriage?\"
\"Hewasquiteovercomewithdelight。
NothingwassaidtoTyrrelaboutEthelhavingboughtthereversionofRawdonManor,forthingshavebeenhardertogetintopropershapethanIthoughttheywouldbe,anditmaybeanothermonthbeforeallisfinallysettled;buttheSquirehasthesecretsatisfaction,andhewasmuchaffectedbythecertaintyofaRawdonatRawdonCourtafterhim。Hedeclinedtothinkofitinanyotherwaybut`providential,’andofcourseIlethimtakeallthesatisfactionhecouldoutoftheidea。EversinceheheardoftheengagementhehasbeenattheorgansingingtheOneHundredandThirdPsalm。\"
\"Heisthedearestandnoblestofmen。
Howsoonshallwegohomenow?\"
\"Inaboutamonth。AreyoutiredofEngland?\"
\"IshallbegladtoseeAmericaagain。
TherewasaletterfromDorathismorning。
Theysailonthetwenty-third。\"
\"DoyouknowanythingofMostyn?\"
\"Sincehewroteusapolitefarewellwehaveheardnothing。\"
\"DoyouthinkhewenttoAmerica?\"
\"Icannottell。Whenhebidusgood-byhemadenostatementastohisdestination;
hemerelysaid`hewasleavingEnglandonbusiness。’\"
\"Well,Ruth,weshallsailassoonasIamsatisfiedallisright。Thereisalittledelayaboutsomeleasesandothermatters。InthemeantimetheloversareinParadisewhereverwelocatethem。\"
AndinParadisetheydweltforanotherfourweeks。Theancientgardenhaddoubtlessmanyadreamoflovetokeep,butnonesweeterortruerthantheidylofTyrrelandEthelRawdon。Theywereneverwearyofrehearsingit;everyincidentofitsgrowthhadbeencharmingandromantic,and,astheybelieved,appointedfromafar。Asthesum-
merwaxedhotterthebeautifulplacetookonanappearanceofroyalcolorandsplendor,andtheairwaslanguidwiththeperfumeoftheclovecarnationsandtallwhiteAugustlilies。Fluteddahlias,scarletpoppies,andalltheflowersthatexhaletheirspiceinthelasthotdaysofAugustburnedincenseforthem。
Theirveryhairwasladenwithodor,theirfingersflower-sweet,theirmindstookonthemanycolorsoftheirexquisitesurroundings。
AnditwaspartofthisdramaofloveandscentandcolorthattheyshouldseeitslowlyassumethemoreethereallovelinessofSeptember,andwatchthesubtleamberraysshinethroughthethinningboughs,andfeelthatallnaturewasbecomingidealized。Thebirdswerethenmostlysilent。Theyhadlefttheirbestnotesonthehawthornsandamongtheroses;butthecricketsmadeacheerfulchirrup,andthegreatbrownbutterfliesdisplayedtheirrichestvelvets,andthegossamer-likeinsectsinthedreamyatmosphereperformeddancesandundulationsfullofgraceandmystery。Andallthesemarvelouschangesimpartedtolovethatsweetsadnesswhichisbeyondallwordspoeticandenchaining。
Yethoweversweetthehours,theypassaway,anditisnotmuchmemorycansavefromthemutable,happydaysoflove。Still,whenthehourofdeparturecametheyhadgarneredenoughtosweetenalltheafter-
straitsandstressoftime。Septemberhadthenperceptiblybeguntoaddtothenightsandshortenthedays,andhertendertouchhadbeenlaidoneverything。WithasmileandasightheRawdonsturnedtheirfacestotheirpleasanthomeintheLandoftheWest。
Itwastobebutashortfarewell。TheyhadpromisedtheSquiretoreturnthefollowingsummer,buthefeltthedesolationofthepartingverykeenly。Withhishatslightlyliftedabovehiswhitehead,hestoodwatchingthemoutofsight。Thenhewenttohisorgan,andverysoongrandwavesofmelodyrolledoutwardandupward,andblendedthemselveswiththeclear,soaringvoiceofJoel,theladwhoblewthebellowsoftheinstrument,andsharedallhismaster’sjoyinit。TheyplayedandsanguntiltheSquireroseweary,butfullofgladness。Thelookofimmortalitywasinhiseyes,itssureandcertainhopeinhisheart。HeletJoelleadhimtohischairbythewindow,andthenhesaidtohimselfwithvisibletriumph:
\"WhatMr。Spenceroranyoneelsewritesabout`theUnknowable’Icarenot。IKNOW
INWHOMIhavebelieved。Joel,singthatlastsequenceagain。StandwhereIcanseethee。\"
Andthelad’sjoyfulvoicerangexultingout:
\"Lord,Thouhastbeenourdwelling-placeinallgenerations。Beforethemountainswerebroughtforth,oreverThouhadstformedtheworld,fromeverlastingtoeverlastingThouartGod!ThouartGod!ThouartGod!\"
\"Thatwilldo,Joel。Gothywaysnow。
Lord,Thouhastbeenourdwelling-placeinallgenerations。`Unknowable,’Thouhastbeenourdwelling-placeinallgenerations。
No,no,no,whatanungratefulsinnerI
wouldbetochangetheLordeverlastingfortheUnknowable。’\"
CHAPTERIX
NEWYORKisatitsverybrightestandbestinOctober。Thismonthoftheyearmaybesafelytrustednottodisappoint。Theskiesareblue,theairbalmy,andthereisgenerallyadelightfulabsenceofwind。ThesummerexilesarehomeagainfromJerseyboardinghouses,andmountaincamps,andseasidehotels,andthankfultothepointofhilaritythatthisepisodeoftheyearisover,thattheycanoncemoredwellundertheirownroofswithoutbreakinganyofthemanifestlawsofthegreatgoddessCustomorFashion。
JudgeRawdon’shousehadanespeciallycharming\"athome\"appearance。Duringtheabsenceofthefamilyithadbeenmadebeautifulinsideandoutside,andthewhitestone,theplateglass,andfallinglaceevidenttothestreet,hadanalmostconsciouslookofluxuriouspropriety。
TheJudgefranklyadmittedhispleasureinhishomesurroundings。Hesaid,astheyatetheirfirstmealinthefamiliarroom,that\"avisittoforeigncountrieswasagrand,patriotictonic。\"Hevowedthatthe\"firstsightoftheStarsandStripesatSandyHookhadgivenhimthefinestemotionhehadeverfeltinhislife,\"andwasaltogetherinhisproudestAmericanmood。Ruthsympathizedwithhim。Ethellistenedsmiling。SheknewwellthattheEnglishstrainhadonlytemporarilyexhausteditself;itwouldhaveitsperiodofrevivalatthepropertime。
\"Iamgoingtoseegrandmother,\"shesaidgayly。\"Ishallstaywithherallday。\"
\"ButIhavealetterfromher,\"interruptedtheJudge,\"andshewillnotreturnhomeuntilnextweek。\"
\"Iamsorry。Iwasanticipatingsoeagerlythejoyofseeingher。Well,asIcannotdoso,IwillgoandcallonDoraStanhope。\"
\"IwouldnotifIwereyou,Ethel,\"saidRuth。\"Lethercomeandcallonyou。\"
\"Ihadalittlenotefromherthismorning,welcomingmehome,andentreatingmetocall。\"
TheJudgeroseasEthelwasspeaking,andnomorewassaidaboutthevisitatthattimebutafewhourslaterEthelcamedownfromherroomreadyforthestreetandfranklytoldRuthshehadmadeuphermindtocallonDora。
\"ThenIwillonlyremindyou,Ethel,thatDoraisnotafortunatewomantoknow。AsfarasIcansee,sheisoneofthosewhosowpainofheartandvexationofspiritabouteveryhousetheyenter,eventheirown。ButI
cannotgatherexperienceforyou,itwillhavetogrowinyourowngarden。\"
\"Allright,dearRuth,andifIdonotlikeitsgrowth,Iwillpullitupbytheroots,I
assureyou。\"
Ruthwentwithhertothedoorandwatchedherwalkleisurelydownthebroadstepstothestreet。Thelightkindledinhereyesandonherfaceasshedidso。Shealreadyfeltthemagnetismofthegreatcity,andwithalaughingfarewellwalkedrapidlytowardDora’shouse。
Hercardbroughtaninstantresponse,andsheheardDora’swelcomebeforethedoorwasopened。Andherfirstgreetingwasanenthusiasticcompliment,\"Howbeautifulyouhavegrown,Ethel!\"shecried。\"Ah,thatistheEuropeanfinish。Youhavegainedit,mydear;youreallyareverymuchimproved。\"
\"Andyoualso,Dora?\"
Thewordswerereallyaquestion,butDoraacceptedthemasanassertion,andwassatisfied。
\"IsupposeIam,\"sheanswered,\"thoughI’msureIcan’ttellhowitshouldbeso,unlessworryofallkindsisgoodforgoodlooks。
I’vehadenoughofthatforalifetime。\"
\"Now,Dora。\"
\"Oh,it’sthesolidtruth——partlyyourfaulttoo。\"
\"Ineverinterfered————\"
\"Ofcourseyoudidn’t,butyououghttohaveinterfered。WhenyoucalledonmeinLondonyoumighthaveseenthatIwasnothappy;andIwantedtocometoRawdonCourt,andyouwouldnotinviteme。Icalledyourbehaviorthen`verymean,’andIhavenotalteredmyopinionofit。\"
\"Thereweregoodreasons,Dora,whyI
couldnotaskyou。\"
\"Goodreasonsareusuallyselfishones,Ethel,andFredMostyntoldmewhattheywere。
\"Helikelytoldyouuntruths,Dora,forheknewnothingaboutmyreasons。Isawverylittleofhim。\"
\"Iknow。Youtreatedhimasbadlyasyoutreatedme,andallforsomewildWestcreature——aregularcowboy,Fredsaid,butthenaRawdon!\"
\"Mr。MostynhasmisrepresentedMr。TyrrelRawdon——thatisallaboutit。Ishallnotexplain`how’or`why。’DidyouenjoyyourselfatStanhopeCastle?\"
\"Enjoymyself!Areyoumakingfunofme?Ethel,dear,itwasthemostawfulexperience。
Younevercanimaginesuchalife,andsuchwomen。Theyweredressedforawalkatsixo’clock;theyhadbreakfastathalf-
pastseven。Theywenttothevillageandinspectedcottages,andgavelessonsinhousekeepingordressmakingorsomeotherdrudgerytillnoon。TheywalkedbacktotheCastleforlunch。Theyattendedtotheirownimprovementfromhalf-pastoneuntilfour,hadlessonsindrawingandchemistry,and,Ibelieve,electricity。Theyhadanotherwalk,andthenindulgedthemselveswithacupoftea。Theydressedandreceivedvisitors,andreadscienceortheologybetweenwhiles。Therewasalwayssomenotedpreacherorscholaratthedinnertable。Theconversationwasaboutacidsandexplosives,ortheplanetsorbishops,orelseonthenever,never-endingsubjectofelevatingtheworkingmanandbuildingschoolsforhischildren。
Basil,ofcourse,enjoyedit。Hethoughthewasgivingmeamagnificentobjectlesson。HewasneverdonepraisingtheladiesMaryElinorandAdelaideStanhope。
I’msureIwishhehadmarriedoneorallofthem——andItoldhimso。\"
\"Youcouldnotbesocruel,Dora。\"
\"Imanageditwiththegreatesteaseimaginable。Hewasalwaystrottingattheirside。Theyspokeofhimas`themostpiousyoungman。’Ihavenodoubttheywereallinlovewithhim。Ihopetheywere。Iusedtopretendtobeverymuchinlovewhentheywerepresent。Idaresayitmadethemwretched。Besides,theyblushedandthoughtmeimproper。Basildidn’tapprove,either,soIhitallround。\"
Sheroseatthismemoryandshookouthersilkskirts,andwalkedupanddowntheroomwithanairthatwasthevisibleexpressionofthemockeryandjealousyinherheart。ThiswasanentirelydifferentDoratothelachrymose,untidywifeattheSavoyHotelinLondon,andEthelhadamomentarypangatthethoughtofthesufferingwhichwasresponsibleforthechange。
\"IfIhadthought,Dora,youweresouncomfortable,IwouldhaveaskedBasilandyoutotheCourt。\"
\"YousawIwasnothappywhenIwasattheSavoy。\"
\"IthoughtyouandBasilhadhadakindoflovers’quarrel,andthatitwouldblowoverinanhourortwo;noonelikestomeddlewithanaffairofthatkind。AreyougoingtoNewport,orisMrs。DenninginNewYork?\"
\"Thatisanothertrouble,Ethel。WhenI
wrotemotherIwantedtocometoher,shesentmewordshewasgoingtoLenoxwithafriend。Then,likeyou,shesaid`shehadnolibertytoinviteme,’andsoon。Ineverknewmotheractinsuchawaybefore。Inearlybrokemyheartaboutitforafewdays,thenImadeupmymindIwouldn’tcare。\"
\"Mrs。Denning,Iamsure,thoughtshedidthewisestandkindestthingpossible。\"
\"Ididn’twantmothertobewise。IwantedhertounderstandthatIwasfairlywornoutwithmypresentlifeandneededachange。
I’msureshedidunderstand。Thenwhywasshesocruel?\"andsheshruggedhershouldersimpatientlyandsatdown。\"I’msotiredoflife,\"shecontinued。\"WhendidyouhearofFredMostyn?\"
\"Iknownothingofhismovements。IsheinAmerica?\"
\"Somewhere。IaskedmotherifhewasinNewport,andsheneveransweredtheques-
tion。IsupposehewillbeinNewYorkforthewinterseason。Ihopeso。\"
Thistopicthreatenedtobemoredangerousthantheother,andEthel,aftermanyandfutileattemptstobringconversationintosafecommonplacechannels,pleadedotherengagementsandwentaway。Shewaspainfullydepressedbytheinterview。Alltheelementsoftragedyweregatheredtogetherundertheroofshehadjustleft,and,asfarasshecouldsee,therewasnodelivererwiseandstrongenoughtopreventacalamity。
ShedidnotrepeattoRuththeconversationwhichhadbeensopainfultoher。ShedescribedDora’sdressandappearance,andcommentedonFredMostyn’sdescriptionofTyrrelRawdon,andonMrs。Denning’srefusalofherdaughter’sproposedvisit。
Ruththoughtthelattercircumstancesignificant。\"IdaresayMostynwasinNewportatthattime,\"sheanswered。\"Mrs。
Denninghassomeveryquickperceptions。\"
AndRuth’sopinionwasprobablycorrect,forduringdinnertheJudgeremarkedinacasualmannerthathehadmetMr。Mostynontheavenueashewascominghome。\"Hewaswell,\"hesaid,\"andmadealltheusualinquiriesastoyourhealth。\"AndbothRuthandEthelunderstoodthathewishedthemtoknowofMostyn’spresenceinthecity,andtobepreparedformeetinghim;butdidnotcaretodiscussthesubjectfurther,atleastatthattime。Theinformationbroughtpreciselythesamethoughtatthesamemomenttobothwomen,andassoonastheywerealonetheyutteredit。
\"SheknewMostynwasinthecity,\"saidEthelinalowvoice。
\"Certainly。\"
\"Shewasexpectinghim。\"
\"Iamsureofit。\"
\"Herelaborateandbeautifuldressingwasforhim。\"
\"PoorBasil!\"
\"Sheaskedmetostayandlunchwithher,butverycoolly,andwhenIrefused,didnotpressthematterassheusedtodo。Yes,shewasexpectinghim。Iunderstandnowhernervousmanner,herrestlessness,herindifferencetomyshortvisit。IwishIcoulddoanything。\"
\"Youcannot,andyoumustnottry。\"
\"Someonemusttry。\"
\"Thereisherhusband。HaveyouheardfromTyrrelyet,\"
\"Ihavehadacoupleoftelegrams。HewillwritefromChicago。\"
\"IshegoingatoncetotheHotSprings?\"
\"Asrapidlyaspossible。ColonelRawdonisnowthere,andveryill。Tyrrelwillputhisfatherfirstofall。Thetroubleattheminecanbeinvestigatedafterwards。\"
\"Youwillmisshimverymuch。Youhavebeensohappytogether。\"
\"OfcourseIshallmisshim。Butitwillbeagoodthingforustobeapartawhile。
Lovemusthavesometimeinwhichtogrow。
Iamalittletiredofbeingveryhappy,andI
thinkTyrrelalsowillfindabsencearelief。
In`LallaRookh’thereisalineaboutlove`fallingasleepinasamenessofsplendor。’
Itmight。Howmelancholyisalongspellofhot,sunshinyweather,andhowgratefullywewelcomethefirstshowerofrain。\"
\"Lovehasmadeyouaphilosopher,Ethel。\"
\"Well,itisratheranadvantagethanotherwise。Iamgoingtotakeawalk,Ruth,intotheveryheartofBroadway。Ihavehadenoughofthepeaceofthecountry。Iwantthecrack,andcrash,andrattle,andgrindofwheels,theconfusedcries,thesnatchesoftalkandlaughter,thetreadofcrowds,thesoundofbells,andclocks,andchimes。I
longforallthechaotic,unintelligiblenoiseofthestreets。Howsuggestiveitis!Yetitneverexplainsitself。Itonlygivesoneafullsenseoflife。Lovemayneedjustthesamestimulus。Iwishgrandmotherwouldcomehome。IshouldnotrequireBroadwayasastimulus。Iamafraidshewillbeveryangrywithme,andtherewillbeabattleroyalinGramercyPark。\"
ItwasnearlyaweekbeforeEthelhadthiscrisistomeet。Shewentdowntoitwitharadiantfaceandcharmingmanner,andherreceptionwasverycordial。Madamwouldnotthrowdownthegloveuntilthepropermoment;besides,thereweremanyveryinterestingsubjectstotalkover,andshewanted\"tofindthingsout\"thatwouldneverbetoldunlesstemperswerepropitious。Addedtothesereasonswasthesolidonethatshereallyadoredhergranddaughter,andwasimmenselycheeredbytheverysightoftherosy,smilingcountenanceliftedtohersitting-roomwindowinpassing。She,indeed,pretendedtobethereinordertogetagoodlightforhernewshellpattern,butshewaswatchingforEthel,andEthelunderstoodtheshell-patternfictionverywell。Shehadheardsomethingsimilaroften。