’Notsowellasyou,Iamconvinced,’saidDick。
’AndsoamI,’returnedVanTrompgaily。’Paris!Myyoungfriend—youwillallowme?—whenyouknowParisasIdo,youwillhaveseenStrangeThings。Isaynomore;allIsayis,StrangeThings。Wearemenoftheworld,youandI,andinParis,intheheartofcivilisedexistence。Thisisanopportunity,Mr。Naseby。Letusdine。Letmeshowyouwheretodine。’
Dickconsented。OnthewaytodinnertheAdmiralshowedhimwheretobuygloves,andmadehimbuythem;wheretobuycigars,andmadehimbuyavaststore,someofwhichheobliginglyaccepted。Attherestaurantheshowedhimwhattoorder,withsurprisingconsequencesinthebill。Whathemadethatnightbyhispercentagesitwouldbehardtoestimate。AndallthewhileDicksmilinglyconsented,understandingwellthathewasbeingdone,buttakinghislossesinthepursuitofcharacterasahuntersacrificeshisdogs。AsfortheStrangeThings,thereaderwillberelievedtohearthattheywerenostrangerthanmighthavebeenexpected,andhemayfindthingsquiteasstrangewithouttheexpenseofaVanTrompforguide。Yethewasaguideofnomeanorder,whomadeupforthepovertyofwhathehadtoshowbyacopious,imaginativecommentary。
’Andsuch,’saidhe,withahiccup,’suchisParis。’
’Pooh!’saidDick,whowastiredoftheperformance。
TheAdmiralhunganear,andlookedupsidelongwithaglimmerofsuspicion。
’Goodnight,’saidDick;’I’mtired。’
’SoEnglish!’criedVanTromp,clutchinghimbythehand。
’SoEnglish!SoBLASE!Suchacharmingcompanion!Letmeseeyouhome。’
’Lookhere,’returnedDick,’Ihavesaidgoodnight,andnowI’mgoing。You’reanamusingoldboy:Ilikeyou,inasense;buthere’sanendofitforto—night。Notanothercigar,notanothergrog,notanotherpercentageoutofme。’
’Ibegyourpardon!’criedtheAdmiralwithdignity。
’Tut,man!’saidDick;’you’renotoffended;you’reamanoftheworld,Ithought。I’vebeenstudyingyou,andit’sover。
HaveInotpaidforthelesson?AUREVOIR。’
VanTromplaughedgaily,shookhandsuptotheelbows,hopedcordiallytheywouldmeetagainandthatoften,butlookedafterDickashedepartedwithatremorofindignation。
Afterthattheytwonotunfrequentlyfellineachother’sway,andDickwouldoftentreattheoldboytobreakfastonamoderatescaleandinarestaurantofhisownselection。
Often,too,hewouldlendVanTrompthematterofapound,inviewofthatgentleman’scontemplateddepartureforAustralia;therewouldbeasceneoffarewellalmosttouchingincharacter,andaweekoramonthlatertheywouldmeetonthesameboulevardwithoutsurpriseorembarrassment。AndinthemeantimeDicklearnedmoreabouthisacquaintanceonallsides:heardofhisyacht,hischaiseandfour,hisbriefseasonofcelebrityamidamoreconfidingpopulation,hisdaughter,ofwhomhelovedtowhimperinhiscups,hissponging,parasitical,namelesswayoflife;andwitheachnewdetailsomethingthatwasnotmerelyinterestnoryetaltogetheraffectiongrewupinhismindtowardsthisdisreputablestepsonofthearts。EreheleftParisVanTrompwasoneofthosewhomheentertainedtoafarewellsupper;andtheoldgentlemanmadethespeechoftheevening,andthenfellbelowthetable,weeping,smiling,paralysed。
CHAPTERII—ALETTERTOTHEPAPERS
OLDMr。Nasebyhadthesturdy,untutorednatureoftheuppermiddleclass。Theuniverseseemedplaintohim。’Thething’sright,’hewouldsay,or’thething’swrong’;andtherewasanendofit。Therewasacontained,propheticenergyinhisutterances,evenontheslightestaffairs;heSAWthedamnedthing;ifyoudidnot,itmustbefromperversityofwill;andthissentthebloodtohishead。
Apartfromthis,whichmadehimanexactingcompanion,hewasoneofthemostupright,hot—tempered,hot—headedoldgentlemeninEngland。Florid,withwhitehair,thefaceofanoldJupiter,andthefigureofanoldfox—hunter,heenlivenedthevaleofThymefromendtoendonhisbig,canteringchestnut。
HehadaheartyrespectforDickasaladofparts。Dickhadarespectforhisfatherasthebestofmen,temperedbythepoliticrevoltofayouthwhohastoseetohisownindependence。Wheneverthepairargued,theycametoanopenrupture;andargumentswerefrequent,fortheywerebothpositive,andbothlovedtheworkoftheintelligence。ItwasatreattohearMr。NasebydefendingtheChurchofEnglandinavolleyofoaths,orsupportingasceticmoralswithanenthusiasmnotentirelyinnocentofportwine。Dickusedtowaxindignant,andnonethelesssobecause,ashisfatherwasaskilfuldisputant,hefoundhimselfnotseldominthewrong。Ontheseoccasions,hewouldredoubleinenergy,anddeclarethatblackwaswhite,andblueyellow,withmuchconvictionandheatofmanner;butinthemorningsuchalicenceofdebateweigheduponhimlikeacrime,andhewouldseekouthisfather,wherehewalkedbeforebreakfastonaterraceoverlookingallthevaleofThyme。
’Ihavetoapologise,sir,forlastnight—’hewouldbegin。
’Ofcourseyouhave,’theoldgentlemanwouldcutincheerfully。’Youspokelikeafool。Saynomoreaboutit。’
’Youdonotunderstandme,sir。Irefertoaparticularpoint。Iconfessthereismuchforceinyourargumentfromthedoctrineofpossibilities。’
’Ofcoursethereis,’returnedhisfather。’Comedownandlookatthestables。Only,’hewouldadd,’bearthisinmind,anddorememberthatamanofmyageandexperienceknowsmoreaboutwhatheissayingthanarawboy。’
Hewoulduttertheword’boy’evenmoreoffensivelythantheaverageoffathers,andthelightwayinwhichheacceptedtheseapologiescutRichardtotheheart。Thelatterdrewslightingcomparisons,andrememberedthathewastheonlyonewhoeverapologised。Thisgavehimahighstationinhisownesteem,andthuscontributedindirectlytohisbetterbehaviour;forhewasscrupulousaswellashigh—spirited,andpridedhimselfonnothingmorethanonajustsubmission。
SothingswentonuntilthefamousoccasionwhenMr。Naseby,becomingengrossedinsecuringtheelectionofasoundpartycandidatetoParliament,wroteaflaminglettertothepapers。Theletterhadabouteverydemeritofpartylettersingeneral;itwasexpressedwiththeenergyofabeliever;
itwaspersonal;itwasalittlemorethanhalfunfair,andaboutaquarteruntrue。Theoldmandidnotmeantosaywhatwasuntrue,youmaybesure;buthehadrashlypickedupgossip,ashisprejudicesuggested,andnowrashlylauncheditonthepublicwiththesanctionofhisname。
’TheLiberalcandidate,’heconcluded,’isthusapublicturncoat。Isthatthesortofmanwewant?Hehasbeengiventhelie,andhasswallowedtheinsult。Isthatthesortofmanwewant?IanswerNo!Withalltheforceofmyconviction,Ianswer,NO!’
Andthenhesignedanddatedtheletterwithanamateur’spride,andlookedtobefamousbythemorrow。
Dick,whohadheardnothingofthematter,wasupfirstonthatinauspiciousday,andtookthejournaltoanarbourinthegarden。Hefoundhisfather’smanifestoinonecolumn;
andinanotheraleadingarticle。’Noonethatweareawareof,’ranthearticle,’hadconsultedMr。Nasebyonthesubject,butifhehadbeenappealedtobythewholebodyofelectors,hisletterwouldbenonethelessungenerousandunjusttoMr。Dalton。WedonotchoosetogivethelietoMr。Naseby,forwearetoowellawareoftheconsequences;
butweshallventureinsteadtoprintthefactsofbothcasesreferredtobythisred—hotpartisaninanotherportionofourissue。Mr。Nasebyisofcoursealargeproprietorinourneighbourhood;butfidelitytofacts,decentfeeling,andEnglishgrammar,areallofthemqualitiesmoreimportantthanthepossessionofland。Mr。—isdoubtlessagreatman;
inhislargegardensandthathalf—mileofgreenhouses,wherehehasprobablyripenedhisintellectandtemper,hemaysaywhathewilltohishiredvassals,but(astheScotchsay)—
hereHemaunathinktodomineer。
’Liberalism,’continuedtheanonymousjournalist,’isoftoofreeandsoundagrowth,’etc。
RichardNasebyreadthewholethingfrombeginningtoend;
andacrushingshamefelluponhisspirit。Hisfatherhadplayedthefool;hehadgoneoutnoisilytowar,andcomebackwithconfusion。Themomentthathistrumpetssounded,hehadbeendisgracefullyunhorsed。Therewasnoquestionastothefacts;theywereoneandallagainsttheSquire。
Richardwouldhavegivenhisearstohavesuppressedtheissue;butasthatcouldnotbedone,hehadhishorsesaddled,andfurnishinghimselfwithaconvenientstaff,rodeoffatoncetoThymebury。
Theeditorwasatbreakfastinalarge,sadapartment。Theabsenceoffurniture,theextrememeannessofthemeal,andthehaggard,bright—eyed,consumptivelookoftheculprit,unmannedourhero;butheclungtohisstick,andwasstoutandwarlike。
’Youwrotethearticleinthismorning’spaper?’hedemanded。
’YouareyoungMr。Naseby?IPUBLISHEDit,’repliedtheeditor,rising。
’Myfatherisanoldman,’saidRichard;andthenwithanoutburst,’AndadamnedsightfinerfellowthaneitheryouorDalton!’Hestoppedandswallowed;hewasdeterminedthatallshouldgowithregularity。’Ihavebutonequestiontoputtoyou,sir,’heresumed。’Grantedthatmyfatherwasmisinformed,woulditnothavebeenmoredecenttowithholdtheletterandcommunicatewithhiminprivate?’
’Believeme,’returnedtheeditor,’thatalternativewasnotopentome。Mr。Nasebytoldmeinanotethathehadsenthislettertothreeotherjournals,andinfactthreatenedmewithwhathecalledexposureifIkeptitbackfrommine。I
amreallyconcernedatwhathashappened;Isympathiseandapproveofyouremotion,younggentleman;buttheattackonMr。Daltonwasgross,verygross,andIhadnochoicebuttoofferhimmycolumnstoreply。Partyhasitsduties,sir,’
addedthescribe,kindling,asonewhoshouldproposeasentiment;’andtheattackwasgross。’
Richardstoodforhalfaminutedigestingtheanswer;andthenthegodoffairplaycameupper—mostinhisheart,andmurmuring’Goodmorning,’hemadehisescapeintothestreet。
Hishorsewasnothurriedonthewayhome,andhewaslateforbreakfast。TheSquirewasstandingwithhisbacktothefireinastateborderingonapoplexy,hisfingersviolentlyknittedunderhiscoattails。AsRichardcamein,heopenedandshuthismouthlikeacod—fish,andhiseyesprotruded。
’Haveyouseenthat,sir?’hecried,noddingtowardsthepaper。
’Yes,sir,’saidRichard。
’Oh,you’vereadit,haveyou?’
’Yes,Ihavereadit,’repliedRichard,lookingathisfoot。
’Well,’demandedtheoldgentleman,’andwhathaveyoutosaytoit,sir?’
’Youseemtohavebeenmisinformed,’saidDick。
’Well?Whatthen?Isyourmindsosterile,sir?Haveyounotawordofcomment?noproposal?’
’Ifear,sir,youmustapologisetoMr。Dalton。Itwouldbemorehandsome,indeeditwouldbeonlyjust,andafreeacknowledgmentwouldgofar—’Richardpaused,nolanguageappearingdelicateenoughtosuitthecase。
’Thatisasuggestionwhichshouldhavecomefromme,sir,’
roaredthefather。’Itisoutofplaceuponyourlips。Itisnotthethoughtofaloyalson。Why,sir,ifmyfatherhadbeenplungedinsuchdeplorablecircumstances,Ishouldhavethrashedtheeditorofthatvilesheetwithinaninchofhislife。Ishouldhavethrashedtheman,sir。Itwouldhavebeentheactionofanass;butitwouldhaveshownthatIhadthebloodandthenaturalaffectionsofaman。Son?
Youarenoson,nosonofmine,sir!’
’Sir!’saidDick。
’I’lltellyouwhatyouare,sir,’pursuedtheSquire。
’You’reaBenthamite。Idisownyou。Yourmotherwouldhavediedforshame;therewasnomoderncantaboutyourmother;
shethought—shesaidtome,sir—I’mgladshe’sinhergrave,DickNaseby。Misinformed!Misinformed,sir?Haveyounoloyalty,nospring,nonaturalaffections?Areyouclockwork,hey?Away!Thisisnoplaceforyou。Away!’
(wavinghishandsintheair)。’Goaway!Leaveme!’
AtthismomentDickbeataretreatinadisarrayofnerves,awhistlingandclamourofhisownarteries,andinshortinsuchafinalbodilydisorderasmadehimalikeincapableofspeechorhearing。Andinthemidstofallthisturmoil,asenseofunpardonableinjusticeremainedgraveninhismemory。
CHAPTERIII—INTHEADMIRAL’SNAME
THEREwasnoreturntothesubject。Dickandhisfatherwerehenceforthontermsofcoldness。Theuprightoldgentlemangrewmoreuprightwhenhemethisson,buckrammedwithimmortalanger;heaskedafterDick’shealth,anddiscussedtheweatherandthecropswithanappallingcourtesy;hispronunciationwasPOINT—DE—VICE,hisvoicewasdistant,distinct,andsometimesalmosttremblingwithsuppressedindignation。
AsforDick,itseemedtohimasifhislifehadcomeabruptlytoanend。Hecameoutofhistheoriesandclevernesses;hisprematureman—of—the—worldness,onwhichhehadpridedhimselfonhistravels,’shranklikeathingashamed’beforethisrealsorrow。Pride,woundedhonour,pityandrespecttussledtogetherdailyinhisheart;andnowhewaswithinanaceofthrowinghimselfuponhisfather’smercy,andnowofslippingforthatnightandcomingbacknomoretoNasebyHouse。Hesufferedfromthesightofhisfather,nay,evenfromtheneighbourhoodofthisfamiliarvalley,whereeverycornerhaditslegend,andhewasbesiegedwithmemoriesofchildhood。Ifhefledintoanewland,andamongnonebutstrangers,hemightescapehisdestiny,whoknew?andbeginagainlight—heartedly。Fromthatchiefpeakofthehills,thatnowandthen,likeanupliftedfinger,shoneinanarrowofsunlightthroughthebrokenclouds,theshepherdinclearweathermightperceivetheshiningofthesea。There,hethought,washope。ButhisheartfailedhimwhenhesawtheSquire;andheremained。
Hisfatewasnotthatofthevoyagerbyseaandland;hewastotravelinthespirit,andbeginhisjourneysoonerthanhesupposed。
Foritchancedonedaythathiswalkledhimintoaportionoftheuplandswhichwasalmostunknowntohim。Scramblingthroughsomeroughwoods,hecameoutuponamoorlandreachingtowardsthehills。AfewloftyScotchfirsgrewhardbyuponaknoll;aclearfountainnearthefootoftheknollsentupaminiaturestreamletwhichmeanderedintheheather。Ashowerhadjustskimmedby,butnowthesunshonebrightly,andtheairsmeltofthepinesandthegrass。Onastoneunderthetreessatayoungladysketching。Wehavelearnedtothinkofwomeninasortofsymbolictransfiguration,basedonclothes;andoneofthereadiestwaysinwhichweconceiveourmistressisasacompositething,principallypetticoats。Buthumanityhastriumphedoverclothes;thelook,thetouchofadresshasbecomealive;andthewomanwhostitchedherselfintothesematerialintegumentshasnowpermeatedrightthroughandgoneouttothetipofherskirt。ItwasonlyablackdressthatcaughtDickNaseby’seye;butittookpossessionofhismind,andallotherthoughtsdeparted。Hedrewnear,andthegirlturnedround。Herfacestartledhim;itwasafacehewanted;andhetookitinatoncelikebreathingair。
’Ibegyourpardon,’hesaid,takingoffhishat,’youaresketching。’
’Oh!’sheexclaimed,’formyownamusement。Idespisethething。’
’Tentoone,youdoyourselfinjustice,’returnedDick。
’Besides,it’safreemasonry。Isketchmyself,andyouknowwhatthatimplies。’
’No。What?’sheasked。
’Twothings,’heanswered。’First,thatIamnoverydifficultcritic;andsecond,thatIhavearighttoseeyourpicture。’
Shecoveredtheblockwithbothherhands。’Ohno,’shesaid;’Iamashamed。’
’Indeed,Imightgiveyouahint,’saidDick。’Althoughnoartistmyself,Ihaveknownmany;inParisIhadmanyforfriends,andusedtoprowlamongstudios。’
’InParis?’shecried,withaleapoflightintohereyes。
’DidyouevermeetMr。VanTromp?’
’I?Yes。Why,you’renottheAdmiral’sdaughter,areyou?’
’TheAdmiral?Dotheycallhimthat?’shecried。’Oh,hownice,howniceofthem!Itistheyoungermenwhocallhimso,isitnot?’
’Yes,’saidDick,somewhatheavily。
’Youcanunderstandnow,’shesaid,withanunspeakableaccentofcontentednoble—mindedpride,’whyitisIdonotchoosetoshowmysketch。VanTromp’sdaughter!TheAdmiral’sdaughter!Idelightinthatname。TheAdmiral!
Andsoyouknowmyfather?’
’Well,’saidDick,’Imethimoften;wewereevenintimate。
Hemayhavementionedmyname—Naseby。’
’Hewritessolittle。Heissobusy,sodevotedtohisart!
Ihavehadahalfwish,’sheaddedlaughing,’thatmyfatherwasaplainerman,whomIcouldhelp—towhomIcouldbeacredit;butonlysometimes,youknow,andwithonlyhalfmyheart。Foragreatpainter!Youhaveseenhisworks?’
’Ihaveseensomeofthem,’returnedDick;’they—theyareverynice。’
Shelaughedaloud。’Nice?’sherepeated。’Iseeyoudon’tcaremuchforart。’
’Notmuch,’headmitted;’butIknowthatmanypeoplearegladtobuyMr。VanTromp’spictures。’
’CallhimtheAdmiral!’shecried。’Itsoundskindlyandfamiliar;andIliketothinkthatheisappreciatedandlookeduptobyyoungpainters。Hehasnotalwaysbeenappreciated;hehadacruellifeformanyyears;andwhenI
think’—thereweretearsinhereyes—’whenIthinkofthat,Ifeelinclinetobeafool,’shebrokeoff。’AndnowIshallgohome。Youhavefilledmefullofhappiness;forthink,Mr。Naseby,IhavenotseenmyfathersinceIwassixyearsold;andyetheisinmythoughtsallday!Youmustcomeandcallonme;myauntwillbedelighted,Iamsure;
andthenyouwilltellmeall—allaboutmyfather,willyounot?’
Dickhelpedhertogethersketchingtrapstogether;andwhenallwasready,shegaveDickherhandandafrankreturnofpressure。
’Youaremyfather’sfriend,’shesaid;’weshallbegreatfriendstoo。Youmustcomeandseemesoon。’
Thenshewasgonedownthehillsideatarun;andDickstoodbyhimselfinastateofsomebewildermentandevendistress。
Therewereelementsoflaughterinthebusiness;buttheblackdress,andthefacethatbelongedtoit,andthehandthathehadheldinhis,inclinedhimtoaseriousview。
Whatwashe,underthecircumstances,calledupontodo?
Perhapstoavoidthegirl?Well,hewouldthinkaboutthat。
Perhapstobreakthetruthtoher?Why,tentoone,suchwasherinfatuation,hewouldfail。Perhapstokeepuptheillusion,tocolourtherawfacts;tohelphertofalseideas,whileyetnotplainlystatingfalsehoods?Well,hewouldseeaboutthat;hewouldalsoseeaboutavoidingthegirl。Hesawaboutthislastsowell,thatthenextafternoonbeheldhimonhiswaytovisither。
Inthemeantimethegirlhadgonestraighthome,lightasabird,tremulouswithjoy,tothelittlecottagewhereshelivedalonewithamaidenaunt;andtothatlady,agrim,sixtyyearsoldScotchwoman,withanoddinghead,communicatednewsofherencounterandinvitation。
’Afriendofhis?’criedtheaunt。’Whatlikeishe?Whatdidyesaywashisname?’
Shewasdeadsilent,andstaredattheoldwomandarkling。
Thenveryslowly,’Isaidhewasmyfather’sfriend;Ihaveinvitedhimtomyhouse,andcomeheshall,’shesaid;andwiththatshewalkedofftoherroom,whereshesatstaringatthewallalltheevening。MissM’Glashan,forthatwastheaunt’sname,readalargebibleinthekitchenwithsomeofthejoysofmartyrdom。
Itwasperhapshalf—pastthreewhenDickpresentedhimself,ratherscrupulouslydressed,beforethecottagedoor;heknocked,andavoicebadehimenter。Thekitchen,whichopeneddirectlyoffthegarden,wassomewhatdarkenedbyfoliage;buthecouldseeherassheapproachedfromthefarendtomeethim。Thissecondsightofhersurprisedhim。
Herstrongblackbrowsspokeoftempereasilyarousedandhardtoquiet;hermouthwassmall,nervousandweak;therewassomethingdangerousandsulkyunderlying,inhernature,muchthatwashonest,compassionate,andevennoble。
’Myfather’sname,’shesaid,’hasmadeyouverywelcome。’
Andshegavehimherhand,withasortofcurtsy。Itwasaprettygreeting,althoughsomewhatmannered;andDickfelthimselfamongthegods。Sheledhimthroughthekitchentoaparlour,andpresentedhimtoMissM’Glashan。
’Esther,’saidtheaunt,’seeandmakeMr。Nasebyhistea。’
Andassoonasthegirlwasgoneuponthishospitableintent,theoldwomancrossedtheroomandcamequiteneartoDickasifinmenace。
’Yeknowthatman?’sheaskedinanimperiouswhisper。
’Mr。VanTromp?’saidDick。’Yes,Iknowhim。’
’Well,andwhatbringsyehere?’shesaid。’Icouldn’tsavethemother—herthat’sdead—butthebairn!’ShehadanoteinhervoicethatfilledpoorDickwithconsternation。
’Man,’shewenton,’whatisitnow?Isitmoney?’
’Mydearlady,’saidDick,’Ithinkyoumisinterpretmyposition。IamyoungMr。NasebyofNasebyHouse。MyacquaintancewithMr。VanTrompisreallyveryslender;IamonlyafraidthatMissVanTromphasexaggeratedourintimacyinherownimagination。Iknowpositivelynothingofhisprivateaffairs,anddonotcaretoknow。ImethimcasuallyinParis—thatisall。’
MissM’Glashandrewalongbreath。’InParis?’shesaid。
’Well,andwhatdoyouthinkofhim?—whatdoyethinkofhim?’sherepeated,withadifferentscansion,asRichard,whohadnotmuchtasteforsuchaquestion,keptherwaitingforananswer。
’Ifoundhimaveryagreeablecompanion,’hesaid。
’Ay,’saidshe,’didye!Andhowdoeshewinhisbread?’
’Ifancy,’hegasped,’thatMr。VanTromphasmanygenerousfriends。’
’I’llwarrant!’shesneered;andbeforeDickcouldfindmoretosay,shewasgonefromtheroom。
Estherreturnedwiththetea—things,andsatdown。
’Now,’shesaidcosily,’tellmeallaboutmyfather。’
’He’—stammeredDick,’heisaveryagreeablecompanion。’
’Ishallbegintothinkitismorethanyouare,Mr。Naseby,’
shesaid,withalaugh。’Iamhisdaughter,youforget。
Beginatthebeginning,andtellmeallyouhaveseenofhim,allhesaidandallyouanswered。Youmusthavemetsomewhere;beginwiththat。’
Sowiththathebegan:howhehadfoundtheAdmiralpaintinginacafe;howhisartsopossessedhimthathecouldnotwaittillhegothometo—well,todashoffhisidea;how(thisinreplytoaquestion)hisideaconsistedofacockcrowingandtwohenseatingcorn;howhewasfondofcocksandhens;howthisdidnotleadhimtoneglectmoreambitiousformsofart;howhehadapictureinhisstudioofaGreeksubjectwhichwassaidtoberemarkablefromseveralpointsofview;hownoonehadseenitnorknewtheprecisesiteofthestudioinwhichitwasbeingvigorouslythoughsecretlyconfected;how(inanswertoasuggestion)thisshynesswascommontotheAdmiral,Michelangelo,andothers;howthey(DickandVanTromp)hadstruckupanacquaintanceatonce,anddinedtogetherthatsamenight;howhe(theAdmiral)hadoncegivenmoneytoabeggar;howhespokewitheffusionofhislittledaughter;howhehadonceborrowedmoneytosendheradoll—atraitworthyofNewton,shebeingtheninhernineteenthyearatleast;how,ifthedollneverarrived(whichitappeareditneverdid),thetraitwasonlymorecharacteristicofthehighestorderofcreativeintellect;
howhewas—no,notbeautiful—striking,yes,Dickwouldgosofar,decidedlystrikinginappearance;howhisbootsweremadetolaceandhiscoatwasblack,notcut—away,afrock;
andsoon,andsoonbytheyard。Itwasastonishinghowfewlieswerenecessary。Afterall,peopleexaggeratedthedifficultyoflife。Alittlesteering,justatouchoftheruddernowandthen,andwithawillinglistenerthereisnolimittothedomainofequivocalspeech。SometimesMissM’Glashanmadeafreezingsojournintheparlour;andthenthetaskseemedunaccountablymoredifficult;buttoEsther,whowasalleyesandears,herfacealightwithinterest,hisstreamoflanguageflowedwithoutbreakorstumble,andhismindwaseverfertileiningeniousevasionsand—
WhatanafternoonitwasforEsther!
’Ah!’shesaidatlast,’it’sgoodtohearallthis!Myaunt,youshouldknow,isnarrowandtooreligious;shecannotunderstandanartist’slife。Itdoesnotfrightenme,’sheaddedgrandly;’Iamanartist’sdaughter。’
Withthatspeech,Dickconsoledhimselfforhisimposture;
shewasnotdeceivedsogrosslyafterall;andthenifafraud,wasnotthefraudpietyitself?—andwhatcouldbemoreobligatorythantokeepaliveintheheartofadaughterthatfilialtrustandhonourwhich,evenalthoughmisplaced,becameherlikeajewelofthemind?Theremightbeanotherthought,ashadeofcowardice,aselfishdesiretoplease;
poorDickwasmerelyhuman;andwhatwouldyouhavehadhimdo?
CHAPTERIV—ESTHERONTHEFILIALRELATION
AMONTHlaterDickandEsthermetatthestilebesidethecrossroads;hadtherebeenanyonetoseethembutthebirdsandsummerinsects,itwouldhavebeenremarkedthattheymetafteradifferentfashionfromthedaybefore。Dicktookherinhisarms,andtheirlipsweresettogetherforalongwhile。Thenheheldheratarm’s—length,andtheylookedstraightintoeachother’seyes。
’Esther!’hesaid;youshouldhaveheardhisvoice!
’Dick!’saidshe。
’Mydarling!’
Itwassometimebeforetheystartedfortheirwalk;hekeptanarmabouther,andtheirsideswereclosetogetherastheywalked;thesun,thebirds,thewestwindrunningamongthetrees,apressure,alook,thegrasptighteningroundasinglefinger,thesethingsstoodtheminlieuofthoughtandfilledtheirheartswithjoy。Thepaththeywerefollowingledthemthroughawoodofpine—treescarpetedwithheatherandblue—berry,anduponthispleasantcarpet,Dick,notwithoutsomeseriousness,madehersitdown。
’Esther!’hebegan,’thereissomethingyououghttoknow。
Youknowmyfatherisarichman,andyouwouldthink,nowthatweloveeachother,wemightmarrywhenwepleased。ButIfear,darling,wemayhavelongtowait,andshallwantallourcourage。’
’Ihavecourageforanything,’shesaid,’IhaveallIwant;
withyouandmyfather,Iamsowelloff,andwaitingismadesohappy,thatIcouldwaitalifetimeandnotweary。’
HehadasharppangatthementionoftheAdmiral。’Hearmeout,’hecontinued。’Ioughttohavetoldyouthisbefore;
butitisathoughtIshrinkfrom;ifitwerepossible,I
shouldnottellyouevennow。MypoorfatherandIarescarceonspeakingterms。’
’Yourfather,’sherepeated,turningpale。
’Itmustsoundstrangetoyou;butyetIcannotthinkIamtoblame,’hesaid。’Iwilltellyouhowithappened。’
’OhDick!’shesaid,whenshehadheardhimtoanend,’howbraveyouare,andhowproud。YetIwouldnotbeproudwithafather。Iwouldtellhimall。’
’What!’criedDick,’goinmonthsafter,andbragthatIhadmeanttothrashtheman,andthendidn’t。Andwhy?BecausemyfatherhadmadeabiggerassofhimselfthanIsupposed。
Mydear,that’snonsense。’
Shewincedathiswordsanddrewaway。’Butwhenthatisallheasks,’shepleaded。’Ifheonlyknewthatyouhadfeltthatimpulse,itwouldmakehimsoproudandhappy。Hewouldseeyouwerehisownsonafterall,andhadthesamethoughtsandthesamechivalryofspirit。Andthenyoudidyourselfinjusticewhenyouspokejustnow。Itwasbecausetheeditorwasweakandpoorandexcusedhimself,thatyourepentedyourfirstdetermination。Hadhebeenabigredman,withwhiskers,youwouldhavebeatenhim—youknowyouwould—ifMr。Nasebyhadbeententimesmorecommitted。Doyouthink,ifyoucantellittome,andIunderstandatonce,thatitwouldbemoredifficulttotellittoyourownfather,orthathewouldnotbemorereadytosympathisewithyouthanI
am?AndIloveyou,Dick;butthenheisyourfather。’
’Mydear,’saidDick,desperately,’youdonotunderstand;
youdonotknowwhatitistobetreatedwithdailywantofcomprehensionanddailysmallinjustices,throughchildhoodandboyhoodandmanhood,untilyoudespairofahearing,untilthethingridesyoulikeanightmare,untilyoualmosthatethesightofthemanyoulove,andwho’syourfatherafterall。Inshort,Esther,youdon’tknowwhatitistohaveafather,andthat’swhatblindsyou。’
’Isee,’shesaidmusingly,’youmeanthatIamfortunateinmyfather。ButIamnotsofortunateafterall;youforget,Idonotknowhim;itisyouwhoknowhim;heisalreadymoreyourfatherthanmine。’Andhereshetookhishand。Dick’shearthadgrownascoldasice。’ButIamsorryforyou,too,’shecontinued,’itmustbeverysadandlonely。’
’Youmisunderstandme,’saidDick,chokingly。’MyfatheristhebestmanIknowinallthisworld;heisworthahundredofme,onlyhedoesn’tunderstandme,andhecan’tbemadeto。’
Therewasasilenceforawhile。’Dick,’shebeganagain,’I
amgoingtoaskafavour,it’sthefirstsinceyousaidyoulovedme。MayIseeyourfather—seehimpass,Imean,wherehewillnotobserveme?’
’Why?’askedDick。
’Itisafancy;youforget,Iamromanticaboutfathers。’
ThehintwasenoughforDick;heconsentedwithhaste,andfullofhang—dogpenitenceanddisgust,tookherdownbyabackwayandplantedherintheshrubbery,whenceshemightseetheSquireridebytodinner。Theretheybothsatsilent,butholdinghands,fornearlyhalfanhour。Atlastthetrottingofahorsesoundedinthedistance,theparkgatesopenedwithaclang,andthenMr。Nasebyappeared,withstoopingshouldersandaheavy,biliouscountenance,languidlyrisingtothetrot。Estherrecognisedhimatonce;
shehadoftenseenhimbefore,thoughwithherhugeindifferenceforallthatlayoutsidethecircleofherlove,shehadneversomuchaswonderedwhohewas;butnowsherecognisedhim,andfoundhimtenyearsolder,leadenandspringless,andstampedbyanabidingsorrow。
’OhDick,Dick!’shesaid,andthetearsbegantoshineuponherfaceasshehiditinhisbosom;hisownfellthicklytoo。Theyhadasadwalkhome,andthatnight,fullofloveandgoodcounsel,Dickexertedeveryarttopleasehisfather,toconvincehimofhisrespectandaffection,tohealupthisbreachofkindness,andreunitetwohearts。Butalas!theSquirewassickandpeevish;hehadbeenalldaygloomingoverDick’sestrangement—forsoheputittohimself,andnowwithgrowls,coldwords,andthecoldshoulder,hebeatoffalladvances,andentrenchedhimselfinajustresentment。
CHAPTERV—THEPRODIGALFATHERMAKESHISDEBUTATHOME
THATtookplaceuponaTuesday。OntheThursdayfollowing,asDickwaswalkingbyappointment,earlierthanusual,inthedirectionofthecottage,hewasappalledtomeetinthelaneaflyfromThymebury,containingthehumanformofMissM’Glashan。Theladydidnotdeigntoremarkhiminherpassage;herfacewassuffusedwithtears,andexpressedmuchconcernforthepackagesbywhichshewassurrounded。Hestoodstill,andaskedhimselfwhatthiscircumstancemightportend。Itwassobeautifuladaythathewaslothtoforecastevil,yetsomethingmustperforcehavehappenedatthecottage,andthatofadecisivenature;forherewasMissM’Glashanonhertravels,withasmallpatrimonyinbrownpaperparcels,andtheoldlady’sbearingimpliedhotbattleandunqualifieddefeat。Wasthehousetobeclosedagainsthim?WasEstherleftalone,orhadsomenewprotectormadehisappearancefromamongthemillionsofEurope?Itisthecharacteroflovetoloathethenearrelativesofthelovedone;chaptersinthehistoryofthehumanracehavejustifiedthisfeeling,andtheconductofuncles,inparticular,hasfrequentlymetwithcensurefromtheindependentnovelist。
MissM’Glashanwasnowseenintherosycoloursofregret;
whoeversucceededher,Dickfeltthechangewouldbefortheworse。Hehurriedforwardinthisspirit;hisanxietygrewuponhimwitheverystep;asheenteredthegardenavoicefelluponhisear,andhewasoncemorearrested,notthistimebydoubt,butbyindubitablecertaintyofill。
Thethunderbolthadfallen;theAdmiralwashere。
Dickwouldhaveretreated,inthepanicterrorofthemoment;
butEstherkeptabrightlook—outwhenherloverwasexpected。Inatwinklingshewasbyhisside,brimfulofnewsandpleasure,toogladtonoticehisembarrassment,andinoneofthosegoldentransportsofexultationwhichtranscendnotonlywordsbutcaresses。Shetookhimbytheendofthefingers(reachingforwardtotakethem,forhergreatpreoccupationwastosavetime),shedrewhimtowardsher,pushedhimpastherinthedoor,andplantedhimfacetofacewithMr。VanTromp,inasuitofFrenchcountryvelveteensandwitharemarkablecarbuncleonhisnose。
Then,asthoughthiswastheendofwhatshecouldendureinthewayofjoy,Estherturnedandranoutoftheroom。
Thetwomenremainedlookingateachotherwithsomeconfusiononbothsides。VanTrompwasnaturallythefirsttorecover;heputouthishandwithafinegesture。
’Andyouknowmylittlelass,myEsther?’hesaid。’Thisispleasant;thisiswhatIhaveconceivedofhome。Astrangewordfortheoldrover;butweallhaveatasteforhomeandthehome—like,disguiseithowwemay。Ithasbroughtmehere,Mr。Naseby,’heconcluded,withanintonationthatwouldhavemadehisfortuneonthestage,sojust,sosad,sodignified,solikeamanoftheworldandaphilosopher,’andyouseeamanwhoiscontent。’
’Isee,’saidDick。
’Sitdown,’continuedtheparasite,settingtheexample。
’Fortunehasgoneagainstme。(Iamjustsirruppingalittlebrandy—aftermyjourney。)Iwasgoingdown,Mr。Naseby;
betweenyouandme,IwasDECAVE;Iborrowedfiftyfrancs,smuggledmyvalisepasttheconcierge—aworkofconsiderabletact—andhereIam!’
’Yes,’saidDick;’andhereyouare。’Hewasquiteidiotic。
Esther,atthismoment,re—enteredtheroom。
’Areyougladtoseehim?’shewhisperedinhisear,thepleasureinhervoicealmostburstingthroughthewhisperintosong。
’Ohyes,’saidDick,’very。’
’Iknewyouwouldbe,’shereplied;’Itoldhimhowyoulovedhim。’
’Helpyourself,’saidtheAdmiral,’helpyourself;andletusdrinktoanewexistence。’
’Toanewexistence,’repeatedDick;andheraisedthetumblertohislips,butsetitdownuntasted。Hehadhadenoughofnoveltiesforoneday。
Estherwassittingonastoolbesideherfather’sfeet,holdingherkneesinherarms,andlookingwithpridefromonetotheotherofhertwovisitors。Hereyesweresobrightthatyouwereneversureifthereweretearsinthemornot;littlevoluptuousshiversranaboutherbody;
sometimesshenestledherchinintoherthroat,sometimesthrewbackherhead,withecstasy;inaword,shewasinthatstatewhenitissaidofpeoplethattheycannotcontainthemselvesforhappiness。ItwouldbehardtoexaggeratetheagonyofRichard。
And,inthemeantime,VanTrompranoninterminably。
’Ineverforgetafriend,’saidhe,’noryetanenemy:ofthelatter,Ineverhadbuttwo—myselfandthepublic;andI
fancyIhavehadmyvengeanceprettyfreelyoutofboth。’Hechuckled。’Butthosedaysaredone。VanTrompisnomore。
Hewasamanwhohadsuccesses;IbelieveyouknewIhadsuccesses—towhichweshallrefernofarther,’pullingdownhisneckclothwithasmile。’Thatmanexistsnomore:byanexerciseofwillIhavedestroyedhim。Thereissomethinglikeitinthepoets。First,abrilliantandconspicuouscareer—theobserved,Imaysay,ofallobservers,includingthebum—bailie:andthen,presto!aquiet,sly,old,rusticBONHOMME,cultivatingroses。InParis,Mr。Naseby—’
’CallhimRichard,father,’saidEsther。
’Richard,ifhewillallowme。Indeed,weareoldfriends,andnownearneighbours;and,APROPOS,howareweoffforneighbours,Richard?Thecottagestands,Ithink,uponyourfather’sland—afamilywhichIrespect—andthewood,I
understand,isLordTrevanion’s。NotthatIcare;IamanoldBohemian。Ihavecutsocietywithacutdirect;IcutitwhenIwasprosperous,andnowIreapmyreward,andcancutitwithdignityinmydeclension。TheseareourlittleAMOURSPROPRES,mydaughter:yourfathermustrespecthimself。Thankyou,yes;justaleetle,leetle,tiny—
thanks,thanks;youspoilme。But,asIwassaying,Richard,orwasabouttosay,mydaughterhasbeenallowedtorust;
herauntwasamereduenna;hence,inparenthesis,Richard,herdistrustofme;mynatureandthatoftheduennaarepolesasunder—poles!But,nowthatIamhere,nowthatI
havegivenupthefight,andlivehenceforthforoneonlyofmyworks—Ihavethemodestytosayitismybest—mydaughter—well,weshallputallthattorights。Theneighbours,Richard?’
DickwasunderstoodtosaythatthereweremanygoodfamiliesintheValeofThyme。
’Youshallintroduceus,’saidtheAdmiral。
Dick’sshirtwaswet;hemadealumberingexcusetogo;whichEstherexplainedtoherselfbyafearofintrusion,andsosetdowntothemeritsideofDick’saccount,whilesheproceededtodetainhim。
’Beforeourwalk?’shecried。’Never!Imusthavemywalk。’
’Letusallgo,’saidtheAdmiral,rising。
’Youdonotknowthatyouarewanted,’shecried,leaningonhisshoulderwithacaress。’Imightwishtospeaktomyoldfriendaboutmynewfather。Butyoushallcometo—day,youshalldoallyouwant;Ihavesetmyheartonspoilingyou。’
’IwilljusttakeONEdropmore,’saidtheAdmiral,stoopingtohelphimselftobrandy。’Itissurprisinghowthisjourneyhasfatiguedme。ButIamgrowingold,Iamgrowingold,Iamgrowingold,and—Iregrettoadd—bald。’
Hecockedawhitewide—awakecoquettishlyuponhishead—thehabitofthelady—killerclungtohim;andEstherhadalreadythrownonherhat,andwasready,whilehewasstillstudyingtheresultinamirror:thecarbunclehadsomewhatpainfullyarrestedhisattention。
’Wearepapanow;wemustberespectable,’hesaidtoDick,inexplanationofhisdandyism:andthenhewenttoabundleandchosehimselfastaff。WhereweretheelegantcanesofhisParisianepoch?Thiswasasupportforage,anddesignedforrusticscenes。Dickbegantoseeandappreciatetheman’senjoymentinanewpart,whenhesawhowcarefullyhehad’madeitup。’Hehadinventedagaitforthisfirstcountrystrollwithhisdaughter,whichwasadmirablyinkey。
Hewalkedwithfatigue,heleaneduponthestaff;helookedroundhimwithasad,smilingsympathyonallthathebeheld;
heevenaskedthenameofaplant,andralliedhimselfgentlyforanoldtownbird,ignorantofnature。’Thiscountrylifewillmakemeyoungagain,’hesighed。Theyreachedthetopofthehilltowardsthefirsthourofevening;thesunwasdescendingheaven,thecolourhadalldrawnintothewest;
thehillsweremodelledintheirleastcontourbythesoft,slantingshine;andthewidemoorlands,veinedwithglensandhazelwoods,ranwestandnorthinahazygloryoflight。
ThenthepainterwakenedinVanTromp。
’Gad,Dick,’hecried,’whatvalue!’
AnodeinfourhundredlineswouldnothaveseemedsotouchingtoEsther;hereyesfilledwithhappytears;yes,herewasthefatherofwhomshehaddreamed,whomDickhaddescribed;simple,enthusiastic,unworldly,kind,apainteratheart,andafinegentlemaninmanner。
AndjustthentheAdmiralperceivedahousebythewayside,andsomethingdependingoverthehousedoorwhichmightbeconstruedasasignbythehopefulandthirsty。
’Isthat,’heasked,pointingwithhisstick,’aninn?’
Therewasamarkedchangeinhisvoice,asthoughheattachedimportancetotheinquiry:Estherlistened,hopingsheshouldhearwitorwisdom。
Dicksaiditwas。
’Youknowit?’inquiredtheAdmiral。
’Ihavepasseditahundredtimes,butthatisall,’repliedDick。
’Ah,’saidVanTromp,withasmile,andshakinghishead;
’youarenotanoldcampaigner;youhavetheworldtolearn。
NowI,yousee,findaninnsoverynearmyownhome,andmyfirstthoughtismyneighbours。Ishallgoforwardandmakemyneighbours’acquaintance;no,youneedn’tcome;Ishallnotbeamoment。’
Andhewalkedoffbrisklytowardstheinn,leavingDickalonewithEstherontheroad。
’Dick,’sheexclaimed,’Iamsogladtogetawordwithyou;
Iamsohappy,Ihavesuchathousandthingstosay;andI
wantyoutodomeafavour。Imagine,hehascomewithoutapaint—box,withoutaneasel;andIwanthimtohaveall。I
wantyoutogetthemformeinThymebury。Yousaw,thismoment,howhisheartturnedtopainting。Theycan’tlivewithoutit,’sheadded;meaningperhapsVanTrompandMichelAngelo。
Uptothatmoment,shehadobservednothingamissinDick’sbehaviour。Shewastoohappytobecurious;andhissilence,inpresenceofthegreatandgoodbeingwhomshecalledherfather,hadseemedbothnaturalandpraiseworthy。Butnowthattheywerealone,shebecameconsciousofabarrierbetweenherloverandherself,andalarmsprangupinherheart。
’Dick,’shecried,’youdon’tloveme。’
’Idothat,’hesaidheartily。
’Butyouareunhappy;youarestrange;you—youarenotgladtoseemyfather,’sheconcluded,withabreakinhervoice。
’Esther,’hesaid,’ItellyouthatIloveyou;ifyouloveme,youknowwhatthatmeans,andthatallIwishistoseeyouhappy。DoyouthinkIcannotenjoyyourpleasures?
Esther,Ido。IfIamuneasy,ifIamalarmed,if—。Oh,believeme,tryandbelieveinme,’hecried,givingupargumentwithperhapsahappyinspiration。
Butthegirl’ssuspicionswerearoused;andthoughshepressedthematternofarther(indeed,herfatherwasalreadyseenreturning),itbynomeansleftherthoughts。Atonemomentshesimplyresentedtheselfishnessofamanwhohadobtrudedhisdarklooksandpassionatelanguageonherjoy;
forthereisnothingthatawomancanlesseasilyforgivethanthelanguageofapassionwhich,evenifonlyforthemoment,shedoesnotshare。Atanother,shesuspectedhimofjealousyagainstherfather;andforthat,althoughshecouldseeexcusesforit,sheyetdespisedhim。Andatleast,inonewayortheother,herewasthedangerousbeginningofaseparationbetweentwohearts。Estherfoundherselfatvariancewithhersweetestfriend;shecouldnolongerlookintohisheartandfinditwrittenwiththesamelanguageasherown;shecouldnolongerthinkofhimasthesunwhichradiatedhappinessuponherlife,forshehadturnedtohimonce,andhehadbreatheduponherblackandchilly,radiatedblacknessandfrost。Toputthewholematterinaword,shewasbeginning,althougheversoslightly,tofalloutoflove。
CHAPTERVI—THEPRODIGALFATHERGOESONFROMSTRENGTHTO
STRENGTH
WEwillnotfollowallthestepsoftheAdmiral’sreturnandinstallation,buthurryforwardtowardsthecatastrophe,merelychroniclingbythewayafewsalientincidents,whereinwemustrelyentirelyupontheevidenceofRichard,forEsthertothisdayhasneveropenedhermouthuponthistryingpassageofherlife,andasfortheAdmiral—well,thatnavalofficer,althoughstillalive,andnowmoresuitablyinstalledinaseaporttownwherehehasatelescopeandaflaginhisfrontgarden,isincapableofthrowingtheslightestgleamoflightupontheaffair。Oftenandoftenhasheremarkedtothepresentwriter:’IfIknowwhatitwasallabout,sir,I’llbe—’inshort,bewhatIhopehewillnot。Andthenhewilllookacrossathisdaughter’sportrait,aphotograph,shakehisheadwithanamusedappearance,andmixhimselfanothergrogbywayofconsolation。OnceIheardhimgofarther,andexpresshisfeelingswithregardtoEstherinasinglebuteloquentword。
’Aminx,sir,’hesaid,notinanger,ratherinamusement:
andhecordiallydrankherhealthuponthebackofit。Hisworstenemymustadmithimtobeamanwithoutmalice;heneverboreagrudgeinhislife,lackingthenecessarytasteandindustryofattention。
Yetitwasduringthisobscureperiodthatthedramawasreallyperformed;anditsscenewasintheheartofEsther,shutawayfromalleyes。Hadthiswarm,upright,sullengirlbeendifferentlyusedbydestiny,hadeventscomeuponhereveninadifferentsuccession,forsomethingsleadeasilytoothers,thewholecourseofthistalewouldhavebeenchanged,andEstherneverwouldhaverunaway。Asitwas,throughaseriesofactsandwordsofwhichweknowbutfew,andaseriesofthoughtswhichanyonemayimagineforhimself,shewasawakenedinfourdaysfromthedreamofalife。
ThefirsttangiblecauseofdisenchantmentwaswhenDickbroughthomeapainter’sarsenalonFridayevening。TheAdmiralwasinthechimney—corner,oncemore’sirrupping’
somebrandyandwater,andEsthersatatthetableatwork。
Theybothcameforwardtogreetthenewarrival;andthegirl,relievinghimofhismonstrousburthen,proceededtodisplayherofferingstoherfather。VanTromp’scountenancefellseveraldegrees;hebecamequitequerulous。
’Godblessme,’hesaid;andthen,’Imustreallyaskyounottointerfere,child,’inatoneofundisguisedhostility。
’Father,’shesaid,’forgiveme;Iknewyouhadgivenupyourart—’
’Ohyes!’criedtheAdmiral;’I’vedonewithittothejudgment—day!’
’Pardonmeagain,’shesaidfirmly,’butIdonot,Icannotthinkthatyouarerightinthis。Supposetheworldisunjust,supposethatnooneunderstandsyou,youhavestilladutytoyourself。And,oh,don’tspoilthepleasureofyourcominghometome;showmethatyoucanbemyfatherandyetnotneglectyourdestiny。Iamnotlikesomedaughters;I
willnotbejealousofyourart,andIwilltrytounderstandit。’
Thesituationwasodiouslyfarcical。Richardgroanedunderit;helongedtoleapforwardanddenouncethehumbug。Andthehumbughimself?Doyoufancyhewaseasierinhismind?
Iamsure,ontheotherhand,thathewasacutelymiserable;
andhebetrayedhissufferingsbyaperfectlysillyandundignifiedaccessoftemper,duringwhichhebrokehispipeinseveralpieces,threwhisbrandyandwaterinthefire,andemployedwordswhichwereveryplainalthoughthedriftofthemwassomewhatvague。Itwasofverybriefduration。
VanTrompwashimselfagain,andinamostdelightfulhumourwithinthreeminutesofthefirstexplosion。
’Iamanoldfool,’hesaidfrankly。’Iwasspoiledwhenachild。Asforyou,Esther,youtakeafteryourmother;youhaveamorbidsenseofduty,particularlyforothers;striveagainstit,mydear—striveagainstit。Andasforthepigments,well,I’llusethem,someofthesedays;andtoshowthatI’minearnest,I’llgetDickheretoprepareacanvas。’
Dickwasputtothismenialtaskforthwith,theAdmiralnotevenwatchinghowhedid,butquiteoccupiedwithanothergrogandapleasantveinoftalk。
AlittleafterEstherarose,andmakingsomepretext,goodorbad,wentofftobed。Dickwaslefthobbledbythecanvas,andwassubjectedtoVanTrompforaboutanhour。
Thenextday,Saturday,itisbelievedthatlittleintercoursetookplacebetweenEstherandherfather;buttowardstheafternoonDickmetthelatterreturningfromthedirectionoftheinn,wherehehadstruckupquiteafriendshipwiththelandlord。Dickwonderedwhopaidfortheseexcursions,andatthethoughtthatthereprobatemustgethispocketmoneywherehegothisboardandlodging,frompoorEsther’sgenerosity,hehaditalmostinhishearttoknocktheoldgentlemandown。He,onhispart,wasfullofairsandgracesandgeniality。
’DearDick,’hesaid,takinghisarm,’thisisneighbourlyofyou;itshowsyourtacttomeetmewhenIhadawishforyou。
Iaminpleasantspirits;anditisthenthatIdesireafriend。’
’Iamgladtohearyouaresohappy,’retortedDickbitterly。
’There’scertainlynotmuchtotroubleYOU。’
’No,’assentedtheAdmiral,’notmuch。Igotoutofitintime;andhere—well,hereeverythingpleasesme。Iamplaininmytastes。’APROPOS,youhaveneveraskedmehowI
likedmydaughter?’
’No,’saidDickroundly;’Icertainlyhavenot。’
’Meaningyouwillnot。Andwhy,Dick?Sheismydaughter,ofcourse;butthenIamamanoftheworldandamanoftaste,andperfectlyqualifiedtogiveanopinionwithimpartiality—yes,Dick,withimpartiality。Frankly,Iamnotdisappointedinher。Shehasgoodlooks;shehasthemfromhermother。SoImaysayICHOSEherlooks。Sheisdevoted,quitedevotedtome—’
’Sheisthebestwomanintheworld!’brokeoutDick。
’Dick,’criedtheAdmiral,stoppingshort;’Ihavebeenexpectingthis。Letus—letusgobacktothe\"TrevanionArms\"andtalkthismatteroutoverabottle。’
’Certainlynot,’wentDick。’Youhavehadfartoomuchalready。’
Theparasitewasonthepointofresentingthis;butalookatDick’sface,andsomerecollectionofthetermsonwhichtheyhadstoodinParis,cametotheaidofhiswisdomandrestrainedhim。
’Asyouplease,’hesaid;’althoughIdon’tknowwhatyoumean—norcare。Butletuswalk,ifyoupreferit。Youarestillayoungman;whenyouaremyage—But,however,tocontinue。Youpleaseme,Dick;youhavepleasedmefromthefirst;andtosaytruth,Estherisatriflefantastic,andwillbebetterwhensheismarried。Shehasmeansofherown,asofcourseyouareaware。Theycome,likethelooks,fromherpoor,dear,goodcreatureofamother。Shewasblessedinhermother。Imeansheshallbeblessedinherhusband,andyouaretheman,Dick,youandnotanother。
ThisverynightIwillsoundheraffections。’
Dickstoodaghast。
’Mr。VanTromp,Iimploreyou,’hesaid;’dowhatyoupleasewithyourself,but,forGod’ssake,letyourdaughteralone。’
’Itismyduty,’repliedtheAdmiral,’andbetweenourselves,yourogue,myinclinationtoo。Iamasmatchmakingasadowager。Itwillbemorediscreetforyoutostayawayto—
night。Farewell。Youleaveyourcaseingoodhands;Ihavethetactoftheselittlemattersbyheart;itisnotmyfirstattempt。’
Allargumentswereinvain;theoldrascalstucktohispoint;nordidRichardconcealfromhimselfhowseriouslythismightinjurehisprospects,andhefoughthard。Oncetherecameaglimmerofhope。TheAdmiralagainproposedanadjournmenttothe’TrevanionArms,’andwhenDickhadoncemorerefused,ithungforamomentinthebalancewhetherornottheoldtoperwouldreturntherebyhimself。Hadhedoneso,ofcourseDickcouldhavetakentohisheels,andwarnedEstherofwhatwascoming,andofhowithadbegun。ButtheAdmiral,afterapause,decidedforthebrandyathome,andmadeoffinthatdirection。
Wehavenodetailsofthesounding。
NextdaytheAdmiralwasobservedintheparishchurch,veryproperlydressed。Hefoundtheplaces,andjoinedinresponseandhymn,astothemannerborn;andhisappearance,asheintendeditshould,attractedsomeattentionamongtheworshippers。OldNaseby,forinstance,hadobservedhim。
’Therewasadrunken—lookingblackguardoppositeusinchurch,’hesaidtohissonastheydrovehome;’doyouknowwhohewas?’
’Somefellow—VanTromp,Ibelieve,’saidDick。