\"Amostcharmingday,sir,\"hesaid,inaringingtenor。
\"Charming,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,overaportionofpie。
\"Youare,Iperceive,cyclingthroughthisdelightfulcountry,\"
saidtheclergyman。
\"Touring,\"explainedMr。Hoopdriver。\"Icanimaginethat,withaproperlyoiledmachine,therecanbenoeasiernorpleasanterwayofseeingthecountry。\"
\"No,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver;\"itisn’thalfabad。wayofgettingabout。\"
\"Forayoungandnewlymarriedcouple,atandembicyclemustbe,Ishouldimagine,adelightfulbond。\"
\"Quiteso,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,reddeningalittle。
\"Doyourideatandem?\"
\"No——we’reseparate,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Themotionthroughtheairisindisputablyofaveryexhilaratingdescription。\"Withthatdecision,theclergymanturnedtogivehisorderstotheattendant,inafirm,authoritativevoice,foracupoftea,twogelatinelozenges,breadandbutter,salad,andpietofollow。\"ThegelatinelozengesImusthave。Irequirethemtoprecipitatethetannininmytea,\"heremarkedtotheroomatlarge,andfoldinghishands,remainedforsometimewithhischinthereon,staringfixedlyatalittlepictureoverMr。Hoopdriver’shead。
\"Imyselfamacyclist,\"saidtheclergyman,descendingsuddenlyuponMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Indeed!\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,attackingthemoustache。\"Whatmachine,mayIask?\"
\"Ihaverecentlybecomepossessedofatricycle。Abicycleis,I
regrettosay,consideredtoo——howshallIputit?——flippantbymyparishioners。SoIhaveatricycle。Ihavejustbeenhaulingithither。\"
\"Hauling!\"saidJessie,surprised。
\"Withashoelace。Andpartlycarryingitonmyback。\"
Thepausewasunexpected。Jessiehadsometroublewithacrumb。
Mr。Hoopdriver’sfacepassedthroughseveralphasesofsurprise。
Thenhesawtheexplanation。\"Hadanaccident?\"
\"Icanhardlycallitanaccident。Thewheelssuddenlyrefusedtogoround。Ifoundmyselfaboutfivemilesfromherewithanabsolutelyimmobilemachine。\"
\"Ow!\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,tryingtoseemintelligent,andJessieglancedatthisinsaneperson。
\"Itappears,\"saidtheclergyman,satisfiedwiththeeffecthehadcreated,\"thatmymancarefullywashedoutthebearingswithparaffin,andletthemachinedrywithoutoilingitagain。Theconsequencewasthattheybecameheatedtoaconsiderabletemperatureandjammed。Evenattheoutsetthemachineranstifflyaswellasnoisily,andI,beinginclinedtoascribethisstiffnesstomyownlassitude,merelyredoubledmyexertions。\"
\"’Otworkallround,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Youcouldscarcelyputitmoreappropriately。ItismyruleoflifetodowhateverIfindtodowithallmymight。Ibelieve,indeed,thatthebearingsbecameredhot。Finallyoneofthewheelsjammedtogether。Asidewheelitwas,sothatitsstoppagenecessitatedaninversionoftheentireapparatus,——aninversioninwhichIparticipated。\"
\"Meaning,thatyouwentover?\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,suddenlymuchamused。
\"Precisely。Andnotbrookingmydefeat,Isufferedrepeatedly。
Youmayunderstand,perhaps,anaturalimpatience。I
expostulated——playfully,ofcourse。Happilytheroadwasnotoverlooked。Finally,theentireapparatusbecamerigid,andI
abandonedtheunequalcontest。Forallpracticalpurposesthetricyclewasnobetterthanaheavychairwithoutcastors。Itwasacaseofhaulingorcarrying。\"
Theclergyman’snutrimentappearedinthedoorway。
\"Fivemiles,\"saidtheclergyman。Hebeganatoncetoeatbreadandbuttervigorously。\"Happily,\"hesaid,\"Iamaneupeptic,energeticsortofpersononprinciple。Iwouldallmenwerelikewise。\"
\"It’sthebestway,\"agreedMr。Hoopdriver,andtheconversationgaveprecedencetobreadandbutter。
\"Gelatine,\"saidtheclergyman,presently,stirringhisteathoughtfully,\"precipitatesthetannininone’steaandrendersiteasyofdigestion。\"
\"That’sausefulsortofthingtoknow,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Youarealtogetherwelcome,\"saidtheclergyman,bitinggenerouslyattwopiecesofbreadandbutterfoldedtogether。
IntheafternoonourtwowanderersrodeonataneasypacetowardsStoneyCross。Conversationlanguished,thetopicofSouthAfricabeinginabeyance。Mr。Hoopdriverwassilencedbydisagreeablethoughts。HehadchangedthelastsovereignatRingwood。Thefacthadcomeuponhimsuddenly。Nowtoolatehewasreflectinguponhisresources。TherewastwentypoundsormoreinthepostofficesavingsbankinPutney,buthisbookwaslockedupinhisboxattheAntrobusestablishment。Elsethisinfatuatedmanwouldcertainlyhavesurreptitiouslywithdrawntheentiresuminordertoprolongthesejourneyingsevenforafewdays。Asitwas,theshadowoftheendfellacrosshishappiness。
Strangelyenough,inspiteofhisanxietyandthemorning’scollapse,hewasstillinacuriousemotionalstatethatwascertainlynotmisery。Hewasforgettinghisimaginingsandposings,forgettinghimselfaltogetherinhisgrowingappreciationofhiscompanion。Themosttangibletroubleinhismindwasthenecessityofbreakingthemattertoher。
AlongstretchuphilltiredthemlongbeforeStoneyCrosswasreached,andtheydismountedandsatundertheshadeofalittleoaktree。Nearthecresttheroadloopedonitself,sothat,lookingback,itslopedbelowthemuptotherightandthencametowardsthem。Aboutthemgrewarichheatherwithstuntedoaksontheedgeofadeepditchalongtheroadside,andthisroadwassandy;belowthesteepnessofthehill,however,itwasgreyandbarredwithshadows,fortherethetreesclusteredthickandtall。Mr。Hoopdriverfumbledclumsilywithhiscigarettes。
\"There’sathingIgottotellyou,\"hesaid,tryingtobeperfectlycalm。
\"Yes?\"shesaid。
\"I’dliketojestdiscussyourplansabit,y’know。\"
\"I’mveryunsettled,\"saidJessie。\"YouarethinkingofwritingBooks?\"
\"Ordoingjournalism,orteaching,orsomethinglikethat。\"
\"Andkeepingyourselfindependentofyourstepmother?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Howlong’dittakenow,togetanythingofthatsorttodo?\"
\"Idon’tknowatall。Ibelievethereareagreatmanywomenjournalistsandsanitaryinspectors,andblack—and—whiteartists。
ButIsupposeittakestime。Women,youknow,editmostpapersnowadays,GeorgeEgertonsays。Iought,Isuppose,tocommunicatewithaliteraryagent。\"
\"Ofcourse,\"saidHoopdriver,\"it’sverysuitablework。Notbeingheavylikethedrapery。\"
\"There’sheavybrainlabour,youmustremember。\"
\"Thatwouldn’thurtYOU,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,turningacompliment。
\"It’slikethis,\"hesaid,endingapause。\"It’sajuicednuisancealludingtothesematters,but——wegotverylittlemoremoney。\"
HeperceivedthatJessiestarted,thoughhedidnotlookather。
\"Iwascounting,ofcourse,onyourfriend’swritingandyourbeingabletotakesomeactionto—day。\"’Takesomeaction’wasaphrasehehadlearntathislast’swop。’
\"Money,\"saidJessie。\"Ididn’tthinkofmoney。\"
\"Hullo!Here’satandembicycle,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,abruptly,andpointingwithhiscigarette。
Shelooked,andsawtwolittlefiguresemergingfromamongthetreesatthefootoftheslope。Theriderswerebowedsternlyovertheirworkandmadeagallantbutunsuccessfulattempttotaketherise。Themachinewasevidentlytoohighlygearedforhillclimbing,andpresentlytherearmostriderroseonhissaddleandhoppedoff,leavinghiscompaniontoanyfatehefoundproper。Theforemostriderwasamanunusedtosuchmachinesandapparentlyundecidedhowtodismount。Hewabbledafewyardsupthehillwithalongtailofmachinewabblingbehindhim。
Finally,hemadeanattempttojumpoffasonedoesoffasinglebicycle,hithisbootagainstthebackbone,andcollapsedheavily,fallingonhisshoulder。
Shestoodup。\"Dearme!\"shesaid。\"Ihopeheisn’thurt。\"
Thesecondriderwenttotheassistanceofthefallenman。
Hoopdriverstoodup,too。Thelank,shakymachinewasliftedupandwheeledoutoftheway,andthenthefallenrider,beingassisted,gotupslowlyandstoodrubbinghisarm。Noseriousinjuryseemedtobedonetotheman,andthecouplepresentlyturnedtheirattentiontothemachinebytheroadside。TheywerenotincyclingclothesHoopdriverobserved。OneworethegrotesqueraimentforwhichtheCockneydiscoveryofthegameofgolfseemsindirectlyblamable。Evenatthisdistancethefloppingflatnessofhiscap,thebrightbrownleatheratthetopofhiscalves,andthechequeringofhisstockingswereperceptible。Theother,therearrider,wasaslenderlittlemaningrey。
\"Amatoors,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
Jessiestoodstaring,andaveilofthoughtdroppedoverhereyes。Shenolongerregardedthetwomenwhowerenowtinkeringatthemachinedownbelowthere。
\"Howmuchhaveyou?\"shesaid。
Hethrusthisrighthandintohispocketandproducedsixcoins,countedthemwithhisleftindexfinger,andheldthemouttoher。\"Thirteenfourhalf,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。\"Everypenny。\"
\"Ihavehalfasovereign,\"shesaid。\"Ourbillwhereverwestop——\"Thehiatuswasmoreeloquentthanmanywords。
\"Ineverthoughtofmoneycomingintostopuslikethis,\"saidJessie。
\"It’sajuicednuisance。\"
\"Money,\"saidJessie。\"Isitpossible——Surely!Conventionality!
Mayonlypeopleofmeans——LivetheirownLives?Ineverthought……\"
Pause。
\"Here’ssomemorecyclistscoming,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
Thetwomenwerebothbusywiththeirbicyclestill,butnowfromamongthetreesemergedthemassivebulkofa’MarlboroughClub’
tandem,riddenbyaslenderwomaningreyandaburlymanin?
Norfolkjacket。Followingcloseuponthiscamelankblackfigureinapiebaldstrawhat,ridingatricycleofantiquatedpatternwithtwolargewheelsinfront。Themaningreyremainedbowedoverthebicycle,withhisstomachrestingonthesaddle,buthiscompanionstoodupandaddressedsomeremarktothetricycleriders。ThenitseemedasifhepointeduphilltowhereMr。
Hoopdriverandhiscompanionstoodsidebyside。Astillodderthingfollowed;theladyingreytookoutherhandkerchief,appearedtowaveitforamoment,andthenatahastymotionfromhercompanionthewhitesignalvanished。
\"Surely,\"saidJessie,peeringunderherhand。\"It’snever——\"
Thetandemtricyclebegantoascendthehill,quarteringelaboratelyfromsidetosidetoeasetheascent。Itwasevident,fromhisheavingshouldersanddepressedhead,thattheburlygentlemanwasexertinghimself。Theclericalpersononthetricycleassumedtheshapeofanoteofinterrogation。Thenontheheelsofthisprocessioncameadogcartdrivenbyamaninabillycockhatandcontainingaladyindarkgreen。
\"Lookslikesomesortofexcursion,\"saidHoopdriver。
Jessiedidnotanswer。Shewasstillpeeringunderherhand。
\"Surely,\"shesaid。
Theclergyman’seffortswerebecomingconvulsive。Withacuriousjerkingmotion,thetricycleherodetwistedrounduponitself,andhepartlydismountedandpartlyfelloff。Heturnedhismachineuphillagainimmediatelyandbegantowheelit。Thentheburlygentlemandismounted,andwithacourtlyattentivenessassistedtheladyingreytoalight。Therewassomelittledifferenceofopinionastoassistance,shesoclearlywishedtohelppush。Finallyshegavein,andtheburlygentlemanbeganimpellingthemachineuphillbyhisownunaidedstrength。Hisfacemadeadotofbrilliantcolouramongthegreysandgreensatthefootofthehill。Thetandembicyclewasnow,itseems,repaired,andthisjoinedthetailoftheprocession,itsriderswalkingbehindthedogcart,fromwhichtheladyingreenandthedriverhadnowdescended。
\"Mr。Hoopdriver,\"saidJessie。\"Thosepeople——I’malmostsure——\"
\"Lord!\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,readingtherestinherface,andheturnedtopickuphismachineatonce。Thenhedroppeditandassistedhertomount。
AtthesightofJessiemountingagainsttheskylinethepeoplecomingupthehillsuddenlybecameexcitedandendedJessie’sdoubtsatonce。Twohandkerchiefswaved,andsomeoneshouted。
Theridersofthetandembicyclebegantorunituphill,pasttheothervehicles。Butouryoungpeopledidnotwaitforfurtherdevelopmentsofthepursuit。Inanothermomenttheywereoutofsight,ridingharddownasteadyinclinetowardsStoneyCross。
Beforetheyhaddroppedamongthetreesoutofsightofthehillbrow,Jessielookedbackandsawthetandemrisingoverthecrest,withitsrearriderjusttumblingintothesaddle。
\"They’recoming,\"shesaid,andbentherheadoverherhandlesintrueprofessionalstyle。
Theywhirleddownintothevalley,overawhitebridge,andsawaheadofthemanumberofshaggylittleponiesfriskingintheroadway。Involuntarilytheyslackened。\"Shoo!\"saidMr。
Hoopdriver,andtheponieskickeduptheirheelsderisively。AtthatMr。Hoopdriverlosthistemperandchargedatthem,narrowlymissedone,andsentthemjumpingtheditchintothebrackenunderthetrees,leavingthewayclearforJessie。
Thentheroadrosequietlybutpersistently;thetreadlesgrewheavy,andMr。Hoopdriver’sbreathsoundedlikeasaw。Thetandemappeared,makingfrightfulexertions,atthefoot,whilethechasewasstillclimbing。Then,thankHeaven!acrestandastretchofupanddownroad,whoseonlydisadvantagewasitspitilessexposuretotheafternoonsun。Thetandemapparentlydismountedatthehill,anddidnotappearagainstthehotblueskyuntiltheywerealreadynearsometreesandagoodmileaway。
\"We’regaining,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,withalittleNiagaraofperspirationdroppingfrombrowtocheek。\"Thathill——\"
Butthatwastheironlygleamofsuccess。Theywerebothnearlyspent。Hoopdriver,indeed,wasquitespent,andonlyafeelingofshameprolongedtheliquidationofhisbankruptphysique。Fromthatpointthetandemgraineduponthemsteadily。AttheRufusStone,itwasscarcelyahundredyardsbehind。Thenonedesperatespurt,andtheyfoundthemselvesuponasteadydownhillstretchamongthickpinewoods。Downhillnothingcanbeatahighlygearedtandembicycle。AutomaticallyMr。Hoopdriverputuphisfeet,andJessieslackenedherpace。Inanothermomenttheyheardtheswishofthefatpneumaticsbehindthem,andthetandempassedHoopdriveranddrewalongsideJessie。Hoopdriverfeltamadimpulsetocollidewiththisabominablemachineasitpassedhim。
Hisonlyconsolationwastonoticethatitsriders,ridingviolently,werequiteasdishevelledashimselfandsmotheredinsandywhitedust。
AbruptlyJessiestoppedanddismounted,andthetandemridersshotpantingpastthemdownhill。\"Brake,\"saidDangle,whowasridingbehind,andstooduponthepedals。Foramomentthevelocityofthethingincreased,andthentheysawthedustflyfromthebrake,asitcamedownonthefronttire。Dangle’srightlegflounderedintheairashecameoffintheroad。Thetandemwobbled。\"Holdit!\"criedPhippsoverhisshoulder,goingondownhill。Ican’tgetoffifyoudon’tholdit。\"Heputonthebrakeuntilthemachinestoppedalmostdead,andthenfeelingunstablebegantopedalagain。Dangleshoutedafterhim。\"Putoutyourfoot,man,\"saidDangle。
Inthiswaythetandemriderswerecarriedagoodhundredyardsormorebeyondtheirquarry。ThenPhippsrealizedhispossibilities,slackedupwiththebrake,andletthethinggooversideways,droppingontohisrightfoot。Withhisleftlegstilloverthesaddle,andstillholdingthehandles,helookedoverhisshoulderandbeganaddressinguncomplimentaryremarkstoDangle。\"Youonlythinkofyourself,\"saidPhipps,withafloridface。
\"Theyhaveforgottenus,\"saidJessie,turninghermachine。
\"Therewasaroadatthetopofthehill——toLyndhurst,\"saidHoopdriver,followingherexample。
\"It’snogood。There’sthemoney。Wemustgiveitup。ButletusgobacktothathotelatRufusStone。Idon’tseewhyweshouldbeledcaptive。\"
Sototheconsternationofthetandemriders,Jessieandhercompanionmountedandrodequietlybackupthehillagain。Astheydismountedatthehotelentrance,thetandemovertookthem,andimmediatelyafterwardsthedogcartcameintoviewinpursuit。
Danglejumpedoff。
\"MissMilton,Ibelieve,\"saidDangle,pantingandraisingadampcapfromhiswetandmattedhair。
\"ISAY,\"saidPhipps,recedinginvoluntarily。\"Don’tgodoingitagain,Dangle。HELPachap。\"
\"Oneminute,\"saidDangle,andranafterhiscolleague。
Jessieleanthermachineagainstthewall,andwentintothehotelentrance。Hoopdriverremainedinthehotelentrance,limpbutdefiant。
ATTHERUFUSSTONE
XXXVIII
HefoldedhisarmsasDangleandPhippsreturnedtowardshim。
Phippswasabashedbyhisinabilitytocopewiththetandem,whichhewasnowwheeling,butDanglewasinclinedtobequarrelsome。\"MissMilton?\"hesaidbriefly。
Mr。Hoopdriverbowedoverhisfoldedarms。
\"MissMiltonwithin?\"saidDangle。
ANDnottobedisturved,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Youareascoundrel,sir,\"saidMr。Dangle。
\"Etyourservice,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。\"Sheawaits’erstepmother,sir。\"
Mr。Danglehesitated。\"Shewillbehereimmediately,\"hesaid。
\"Hereisherfriend,MissMergle。\"
Mr。Hoopdriverunfoldedhisarmsslowly,and,withanairofimmensecalm,thrusthishandsintohisbreechespockets。Thenwithoneofthosefatalhesitationsofhis,itoccurredtohimthatthisattitudewasmerelyvulgarlydefianthewithdrewboth,returnedoneandpulledattheinsufficientmoustachewiththeother。MissMerglecaughthiminconfusion。\"Isthistheman?\"
shesaidtoDangle,andforthwith,\"HowDAREyou,sir?Howdareyoufaceme?Thatpoorgirl!\"
\"Youwillpermitmetoobserve,\"beganMr。Hoopdriver,withasplendiddrawl,seeinghimself,forthefirsttimeinallthisbusiness,asaromanticvillain。
\"Ugh,\"saidMissMergle,unexpectedlystrikinghimaboutthemidriffwithherextendedpalms,andsendinghimstaggeringbackwardintothehallofthehotel。
\"LetmepasssaidMissMergle,intoweringindignation。\"Howdareyouresistmypassage?\"andsosweptbyhimandintothedining—room,whereinJessiehadsoughtrefuge。
AsMr。Hoopdriverstruggledforequilibriumwiththeumbrella—stand,DangleandPhipps,rousedfromtheirinertiabyMissMergle’sactivity,cameinuponherheels,Phippsleading。
\"Howdareyoupreventthatladypassing?\"saidPhipps。
Mr。Hoopdriverlookedobstinate,and,toDangle’ssense,dangerous,buthemadenoanswer。Awaiterinfullbloomappearedattheendofthepassage,guardant。\"Itismenofyourstamp,sir,\"saidPhipps,\"whodiscreditmanhood。\"
Mr。Hoopdriverthrusthishandsintohispockets。\"Whothejuiceareyou?\"shoutedMr。Hoopdriver,fiercely。
\"WhoareYOU,sir?\"retortedPhipps。\"Whoareyou?That’sthequestion。WhatareYOU,andwhatareyoudoing,wanderingatlargewithayoungladyunderage?\"
\"Don’tspeaktohim,\"saidDangle。
\"I’mnota—goingtotellallmysecretstoanyonewhocomesatme,\"saidHoopdriver。\"NotLikely。\"Andaddedfiercely,\"AndthatItellyou,sir。\"
HeandPhippsstood,legsapartandbothlookingexceedinglyfierceatoneanother,andHeavenaloneknowswhatmightnothavehappened,ifthelongclergymanhadnotappearedinthedoorway,heatedbutdeliberate。\"Petticoatedanachronism,\"saidthelongclergymaninthedoorway,apparentlystillsufferingfromtheantiquatedprejudicethatdemandedathirdwheelandablackcoatfromaclericalrider。HelookedatPhippsandHoopdriverforamoment,thenextendinghishandtowardsthelatter,hewaveditupanddownthreetimes,saying,\"Tchak,tchak,tchak,\"verydeliberatelyashedidso。Thenwithaconcluding\"Ugh!\"andagestureofrepugnancehepassedonintothedining—roomfromwhichthevoiceofMissMerglewasdistinctlyaudibleremarkingthattheweatherwasextremelyhotevenforthetimeofyear。
ThisexpressionofextremedisapprobationhadaverydemoralizingeffectuponHoopdriver,ademoralizationthatwasimmediatelycompletedbytheadventofthemassiveWidgery。
\"Isthistheman?\"saidWidgeryverygrimly,andproducingaspecialvoicefortheoccasionfromsomewheredeepinhisneck。
\"Don’thurthim!\"saidMrs。Milton,withclaspedhands。\"Howevermuchwronghehasdoneher——Noviolence!\"
\"’Owmanymoreofyou?\"saidHoopdriver,atbaybeforetheumbrellastand。\"Whereisshe?Whathashedonewithher?\"saidMrs。Milton。
\"I’mnotgoingtostandhereandbeinsultedbyalotofstrangers,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver。\"Soyouneedn’tthinkit。\"
\"Pleasedon’tworry,Mr。Hoopdriver,\"saidJessie,suddenlyappearinginthedoorofthedining—room。\"I’mhere,mother。\"Herfacewaswhite。
Mrs。Miltonsaidsomethingaboutherchild,andmadeanemotionalchargeatJessie。Theembracevanishedintothedining—room。
Widgerymovedasiftofollow,andhesitated。\"You’dbettermakeyourselfscarce,\"hesaidtoMr。Hoopdriver。
\"Ishan’tdoanythingofthekind,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,withacatchingofthebreath。\"I’mheredefendingthatyounglady。\"
\"You’vedoneherenoughmischief,Ishouldthink,\"saidWidgery,suddenlywalkingtowardsthedining—room,andclosingthedoorbehindhim,leavingDangleandPhippswithHoopdriver。
\"Clear!\"saidPhipps,threateningly。
\"Ishallgoandsitoutinthegarden,\"saidMr。Hoopdriver,withdignity。\"ThereIshallremain。\"
\"Don’tmakearowwithhim,\"saidDangle。
AndMr。Hoopdriverretired,unassaulted,inalmostsobbingdignity。
XXXIX
Sohereistheworldwithusagain,andoursentimentalexcursionisover。InthefrontoftheRufusStoneHotelconceivearemarkablecollectionofwheeledinstruments,watchedoverbyDangleandPhippsingraveandstatelyattitudes,andbythedriverofastylishdogcartfromRingwood。Inthegardenbehind,inanattitudeofnervousprostration,Mr。Hoopdriverwasseatedonarusticseat。Throughtheopenwindowofaprivatesitting—roomcameamurmurofvoices,asofmenandwomeninconference。Occasionallysomethingthatmighthavebeenagirlishsob。
\"IfailtoseewhatstatusWidgeryhas,\"saysDangle,\"thrustinghimselfinthere。\"
\"Hetakestoomuchuponhimself,\"saidPhipps。
\"I’vebeennoticinglittlethings,yesterdayandto—day,\"saidDangle,andstopped。
\"Theywenttothecathedraltogetherintheafternoon。\"
\"Financiallyitwouldbeagoodthingforher,ofcourse,\"saidDangle,withagloomymagnanimity。
HefeltdrawntoPhippsnowbythecommontrouble,inspiteoftheman’schequeredlegs。\"Financiallyitwouldn’tbehalfbad。\"
\"He’ssodullandheavy,\"saidPhipps。
Meanwhile,within,theclergymanhad,bypromptitudeanddexterity,takenthechairandwasopeningthecaseagainsttheunfortunateJessie。Iregrettohavetosaythatmyheroinehadbeenappalledbythevisiblearrayofpublicopinionagainstherexcursion,tothepitchoftears。Shewassittingwithflushedcheeksandswimmingeyesattheendofthetableoppositetotheclergyman。Sheheldherhandkerchiefcrumpledupinherextendedhand。Mrs。Miltonsatasneartoheraspossible,andoccasionallymadelittledabswithherhandatJessie’shand,toindicateforgiveness。Theseadvanceswerenotreciprocated,whichtouchedWidgeryverymuch。Theladyingreen,MissMergle(B。
A。),satontheoppositesideneartheclergyman。Shewasthestrong—mindedschoolmistresstowhomJessiehadwritten,andwhohadimmediatelyprecipitatedthepursuituponher。ShehadpickeduptheclergymaninRingwood,andhadtoldhimeverythingforthwith,havingmethimonceataBritishAssociationmeeting。
Hehadimmediatelyconstitutedhimselfadministratoroftheentirebusiness。Widgery,havingbeenfoiledinanattempttoconducttheproceedings,stoodwithhislegswideapartinfrontofthefireplaceornament,andlookedprofoundandsympathetic。
Jessie’saccountofheradventureswasacharyoneandgivenamidstfrequentinterruptions。ShesurprisedherselfbyskilfullyomittinganyallusiontotheBechamelepisode。ShecompletelyexoneratedHoopdriverfromthechargeofbeingmorethananaccessorytoherescapade。ButpublicfeelingwasheavyagainstHoopdriver。Hernarrativewasinaccurateandsketchy,buthappilytheothersweretooanxioustopassopinionstopinherdowntoparticulars。Atlasttheyhadallthefactstheywouldpermit。
\"Mydearyounglady,\"saidtheclergyman,\"Icanonlyascribethisextravagantandregrettableexpeditionofyourstothewildestmisconceptionsofyourplaceintheworldandofyourdutiesandresponsibilities。Evennow,itseemstome,yourpresentemotionisduenotsomuchtoarealandsincerepenitenceforyourdisobedienceandfollyastoapositiveannoyanceatourmostfortunateinterference——\"
\"Notthat,\"saidMrs。Milton,inalowtone。\"Notthat。\"
\"ButWHYdidshegoofflikethis?\"saidWidgery。\"That’swhat_I_wanttoknow。\"
Jessiemadeanattempttospeak,butMrs。Miltonsaid\"Hush!\"andtheringingtenoroftheclergymanrodetriumphantlyoverthemeeting。\"Icannotunderstandthisspiritofunrestthathasseizeduponthemoreintelligentportionofthefemininecommunity。Youhadapleasanthome,amostrefinedandintelligentladyinthepositionofyourmother,tocherishandprotectyou——\"
\"IfIHADamother,\"gulpedJessie,succumbingtotheobvioussnareofself—pity,andsobbing。
\"Tocherish,protect,andadviseyou。Andyoumustneedsgooutofitallaloneintoastrangeworldofunknowndangers—\"
\"Iwantedtolearn,\"saidJessie。
\"Youwantedtolearn。MayyouneverhaveanythingtoUNlearn。\"
\"AH!\"fromMrs。Milton,verysadly。
\"Itisn’tfairforallofyoutoargueatmeatonce,\"submittedJessie,irrelevantly。
\"Aworldfullofunknowndangers,\"resumedtheclergyman。\"Yourproperplacewassurelythenaturalsurroundingsthatarepartofyou。Youhavebeenundulyinfluenced,itisonlytooapparent,byaclassofliteraturewhich,withallduerespecttodistinguishedauthoressthatshallbenameless,ImustcalltheNewWomanLiterature。Inthatdeleteriousingredientofourbookboxes——\"
\"Idon’taltogetheragreewithyouthere,\"saidMissMergle,throwingherheadbackandregardinghimfirmlythroughherspectacles,andMr。Widgerycoughed。
\"WhatHASallthistodowithme?\"askedJessie,availingherselfoftheinterruption。
\"Thepointis,\"saidMrs。Milton,onherdefence,\"thatinmybooks——\"
\"AllIwanttodo,\"saidJessie,\"istogoaboutfreelybymyself。GirlsdosoinAmerica。Whynothere?\"
\"SocialconditionsareentirelydifferentinAmerica,\"saidMissMergle。\"HerewerespectClassDistinctions。\"
\"It’sveryunfortunate。WhatIwanttoknowis,whyIcannotgoawayforaholidayifIwantto。\"
\"Withastrangeyoungman,sociallyyourinferior,\"saidWidgery,andmadeherflushbyhistone。
\"Whynot?\"shesaid。\"Withanybody。\"
\"Theydon’tdothat,eveninAmerica,\"saidMissMergle。
\"Mydearyounglady,\"saidtheclergyman,\"themostelementaryprinciplesofdecorum——Adaywillcomewhenyouwillbetterunderstandhowentirelysubservientyourideasaretotheveryfundamentalsofourpresentcivilisation,whenyouwillbetterunderstandtheharrowinganxietyyouhavegivenMrs。Miltonbythisinexplicableflightofyours。Wecanonlyputthingsdownatpresent,incharity,toyourignorance——\"
\"Youhavetoconsiderthegeneralbodyofopinion,too,\"saidWidgery。
\"Precisely,\"saidMissMergle。\"Thereisnosuchthingasconductintheabsolute。\"\"Ifoncethismostunfortunatebusinessgetsabout,\"saidtheclergyman,\"itwilldoyouinfiniteharm。\"
\"ButI’VEdonenothingwrong。WhyshouldIberesponsibleforotherpeople’s——\"
\"Theworldhasnocharity,\"saidMrs。Milton。
\"Foragirl,\"saidJessie。\"No。\"
\"Nowdoletusstoparguing,mydearyounglady,andletuslistentoreason。Nevermindhoworwhy,thisconductofyourswilldoyouinfiniteharm,ifonceitisgenerallyknown。Andnotonlythat,itwillcauseinfinitepaintothosewhocareforyou。
Butifyouwillreturnatoncetoyourhome,causingittobeunderstoodthatyouhavebeenwithfriendsfortheselastfewdays——\"
\"Telllies,\"saidJessie。\"Certainlynot。Mostcertainlynot。ButIunderstandthatishowyourabsenceisunderstoodatpresent,andthereisnoreason——\"
Jessie’sgriptightenedonherhandkerchief。\"Iwon’tgoback,\"
shesaid,\"tohaveitasIdidbefore。Iwantaroomofmyown,whatbooksIneedtoread,tobefreetogooutbymyselfalone,Teaching——\"
\"Anything,\"saidMrs。Milton,\"anythinginreason。\"
\"Butwillyoukeepyourpromise?\"saidJessie。
\"Surelyyouwon’tdictatetoyourmother!\"saidWidgery。
\"Mystepmother!Idon’twanttodictate。Iwantdefinitepromisesnow。\"
\"Thisismostunreasonable,\"saidtheclergyman。\"Verywell,\"
saidJessie,swallowingasobbutwithunusualresolution。\"ThenIwon’tgoback。Mylifeisbeingfritteredaway——\"
\"LETherhaveherway,\"saidWidgery。
\"Aroomthen。AllyourMen。I’mnottocomedownandtalkawayhalfmydays——\"
\"Mydearchild,ifonlytosaveyou,\"saidMrs。Milton。\"Ifyoudon’tkeepyourpromise——\"
\"ThenItakeitthematterispracticallyconcluded,\"saidtheclergyman。\"Andthatyouveryproperlysubmittoreturntoyourproperhome。Andnow,ifImayofferasuggestion,itisthatwetaketea。Freedofitstannin,nothing,Ithink,ismorerefreshingandstimulating。\"
\"There’satrainfromLyndhurstatthirteenminutestosix,\"saidWidgery,unfoldingatimetable。\"Thatgivesusabouthalfanhourorthree—quartershere——ifaconveyanceisobtainable,thatis。\"
\"Agelatinelozengedroppedintotheteacupprecipitatesthetanninintheformoftannateofgelatine,\"saidtheclergymantoMissMergle,inaconfidentialbray。
Jessiestoodup,andsawthroughthewindowadepressedheadandshouldersoverthetopofthebackofagardenseat。Shemovedtowardsthedoor。\"Whileyouhavetea,mother,\"shesaid,\"ImusttellMr。Hoopdriverofourarrangements。\"
\"Don’tyouthinkI——\"begantheclergyman。
\"No,\"saidJessie,veryrudely;\"Idon’t。\"
\"But,Jessie,haven’tyoualready——\"
\"Youarealreadybreakingthecapitulation,\"saidJessie。
\"Willyouwantthewholehalfhour?\"saidWidgery,atthebell。
\"Everyminute,\"saidJessie,inthedoorway。\"He’sbehavedverynoblytome。\"
\"There’stea,\"saidWidgery。
\"I’vehadtea。\"
\"Hemaynothavebehavedbadly,\"saidtheclergyman。\"Buthe’scertainlyanastonishinglyweakpersontoletawrong—headedyounggirl——\"
Jessieclosedthedoorintothegarden。
MeanwhileMr。Hoopdrivermadeasadfigureinthesunlightoutside。Itwasover,thiswonderfulexcursionofhis,sofarasshewasconcerned,andwiththeswiftblowthatseparatedthem,herealisedallthatthosedayshaddoneforhim。Hetriedtograspthebearingsoftheirposition。Ofcourse,theywouldtakeherawaytothosesocialaltitudesofhers。Shewouldbecomeaninaccessibleyoungladyagain。Wouldtheylethimsaygood—byetoher?
Howextraordinaryithadallbeen!Herecalledthemomentwhenhehadfirstseenherriding,withthesunlightbehindher,alongtheriversideroad;herecalledthatwonderfulnightatBognor,rememberingitasifeverythinghadbeendoneofhisowninitiative。\"Brave,brave!\"shehadcalledhim。Andafterwards,whenshecamedowntohiminthemorning,kindly,quiet。Butoughthetohavepersuadedherthentoreturntoherhome?Herememberedsomeintentionofthesort。Nowthesepeoplesnatchedherawayfromhimasthoughhewasscarcelyfittoliveinthesameworldwithher。Nomorehewas!Hefelthehadpresumeduponherworldlyignoranceintravellingwithherdayafterday。Shewassodainty,sodelightful,soserene。Hebegantorecapitulateherexpressions,thelightofhereyes,theturnofherface……
Hewasn’tgoodenoughtowalkinthesameroadwithher。Nobodywas。Supposetheylethimsaygood—byetoher;whatcouldhesay?
That?Buttheyweresurenottolethertalktohimalone;hermotherwouldbethereas——whatwasit?Chaperone。He’dneveroncehadachanceofsayingwhathefelt;indeed,itwasonlynowhewasbeginningtorealisewhathefelt。LoveIhewouldn’tpresume。Itwasworship。Ifonlyhecouldhaveonemorechance。
Hemusthaveonemorechance,somewhere,somehow。Thenhewouldpourouthissoultohereloquently。Hefelteloquently,andwordswouldcome。Hewasdustunderherfeet……
Hismeditationwasinterruptedbytheclickofadoorhandle,andJessieappearedinthesunlightundertheverandah。\"Comeawayfromhere,\"shesaidtoHoopdriver,asherosetomeether。\"I’mgoinghomewiththem。Wehavetosaygood—bye。\"
Mr。Hoopdriverwinced,openedandshuthismouth,androsewithoutaword。
XL
AtfirstJessieMiltonandMr。Hoopdriverwalkedawayfromthehotelinsilence。Heheardacatchinginherbreathandglancedatherandsawheripspressedtightandatearonhercheek。Herfacewashotandbright。Shewaslookingstraightbeforeher。Hecouldthinkofnothingtosay,andthrusthishandsinhispocketsandlookedawayfromherintentionally。Afterawhileshebegantotalk。Theydealtdisjointedlywithsceneryfirst,andthenwiththemeansofself—education。ShetookhisaddressatAntrobus’sandpromisedtosendhimsomebooks。Butevenwiththatitwasspiritless,achingtalk,Hoopdriverfelt,forthefightingmoodwasover。Sheseemed,tohim,preoccupiedwiththememoriesofherlatebattle,andthatappearancehurthim。
\"It’stheend,\"hewhisperedtohimself。\"It’stheend。\"
Theywentintoahollowandupagentlewoodedslope,andcameatlasttoahighandopenspaceoverlookingawideexpanseofcountry。There,byacommonimpulse,theystopped。Shelookedatherwatch——alittleostentatiously。Theystaredatthebillowsofforestrollingawaybeneaththem,crestbeyondcrest,ofleafytrees,fadingatlastintoblue。
\"Theend\"ranthroughhismind,totheexclusionofallspeakablethoughts。
\"Andso,\"shesaid,presently,breakingthesilence,\"itcomestogood—bye。\"
Forhalfaminutehedidnotanswer。Thenhegatheredhisresolution。\"ThereisonethingIMUSTsay。\"
\"Well?\"shesaid,surprisedandabruptlyforgettingtherecentargument。\"Iasknoreturn。But——\"
Thenhestopped。\"Iwon’tsayit。It’snogood。Itwouldberotfromme——now。Iwasn’tgoingtosayanything。Good—bye。\"
Shelookedathimwithastartledexpressioninhereyes。\"No,\"
shesaid。\"Butdon’tforgetyouaregoingtowork。Remember,brotherChris,youaremyfriend。Youwillwork。Youarenotaverystrongman,youknow,now——youwillforgiveme——nordoyouknowallyoushould。Butwhatwillyoubeinsixyears’time?\"
Hestaredhardinfrontofhimstill,andthelinesabouthisweakmouthseemedtostrengthen。Heknewsheunderstoodwhathecouldnotsay。
\"I’llwork,\"hesaid,concisely。Theystoodsidebysideforamoment。Thenhesaid,withamotionofhishead,\"Iwon’tcomebacktoTHEM。Doyoumind?Goingbackalone?\"
Shetooktensecondstothink。\"No。\"shesaid,andheldoutherhand,bitinghernetherlip。\"GOOD—BYE,\"shewhispered。
Heturned,withawhiteface,lookedintohereyes,tookherhandlimply,andthenwithasuddenimpulse,liftedittohislips。
Shewouldhavesnatcheditaway,buthisgriptightenedtohermovement。Shefeltthetouchofhislips,andthenhehaddroppedherfingersandturnedfromherandwasstridingdowntheslope。
Adozenpacesawayhisfootturnedinthelipofarabbithole,andhestumbledforwardandalmostfell。Herecoveredhisbalanceandwenton,notlookingback。Heneveroncelookedback。Shestaredathisrecedingfigureuntilitwassmallandfarbelowher,andthen,thetearsrunningoverhereyelidsnow,turnedslowly,andwalkedwithherhandsgrippedhardtogetherbehindher,towardsStoneyCrossagain。
\"Ididnotknow,\"shewhisperedtoherself。\"Ididnotunderstand。Evennow——No,Idonotunderstand。\"
THEENVOY
XLI
Sothestoryends,dearReader。Mr。Hoopdriver,sprawlingdownthereamongthebracken,mustsprawlwithoutourprying,Ithink,orlisteningtowhatchancestohisbreathing。Andofwhatcameofitall,ofthesixyearsandafterwards,thisisnoplacetotell。Intruth,thereisnotellingit,fortheyearshavestilltorun。Butifyouseehowamerecounter—jumper,acadoncastors,andafooltoboot,maycometofeelthelittleinsufficienciesoflife,andifhehastoanyextentwonyoursympathies,myendisattained。(Ifitisnotattained,mayHeavenforgiveusboth!)NorwillwefollowthisadventurousyoungladyofoursbacktoherhomeatSurbiton,tohernewstruggleagainstWidgeryandMrs。Miltoncombined。For,asshewillpresentlyhear,thatdevotedmanhasgothisreward。Forher,also,yoursympathiesareinvited。
Therestofthisgreatholiday,too——fivedaysthereareleftofit——isbeyondthelimitsofourdesign。Youseefitfullyaslenderfigureinadustybrownsuitandheathermixturestockings,andbrownshoesnotintendedtobecycledin,flittingLondonwardthroughHampshireandBerkshireandSurrey,goingeconomically——forexcellentreasons。Daybydayhegoeson,ridingfitfullyandforthemostpartthroughbye—roads,butgettingafewmilestothenorth—eastwardeveryday。Heisanarrow—chestedperson,withanosehotandtannedatthebridgewithunwontedexposure,andbrown,red—knuckledfists。Amusingexpressionsitsuponthefaceofthisrider,youobserve。
Sometimeshewhistlesnoiselesslytohimself,sometimeshespeaksaloud,\"ajuicedgoodtry,anyhow!\"youhear;andsometimes,andthattoooftenformyliking,helooksirritableandhopeless。\"I
know,\"hesays,\"Iknow。It’soveranddone。Itisn’tINme。Youain’tmanenough,Hoopdriver。Lookatyersillyhands!……Oh,myGod!\"andagustofpassioncomesuponhimandheridesfuriouslyforaspace。
Sometimesagainhisfacesoftens。\"Anyhow,ifI’mnottoseeher—
—she’sgoingtolendmebooks,\"hethinks,andgetssuchcomfortashecan。Thenagain;\"Books!What’sbooks?\"Onceortwicetriumphantmemoriesoftheearlierincidentsnervehisfaceforawhile。\"Iputtheky—boshonHISlittlegame,\"heremarks。\"IDID
that,\"andonemightevencallhimhappyinthesephases。And,by—the—bye,themachine,younotice,hasbeenenamel—paintedgreyandcarriesasonorousgong。
ThisfigurepassesthroughBasingstokeandBagshot,Staines,Hampton,andRichmond。Atlast,inPutneyHighStreet,glowingwiththewarmthofanAugustsunsetandwithallthe’prenticeboysbusyshuttingupshop,andtheworkgirlsgoinghome,andtheshopfolkspeepingabroad,andthewhite’busesfulloflateclerksandcityfolkrumblinghometotheirdinners,wepartfromhim。Heisback。To—morrow,theearlyrising,thedusting,anddrudgery,beginagain——butwithadifference,withwonderfulmemoriesandstillmorewonderfuldesiresandambitionsreplacingthosediscrepantdreams。
HeturnsoutoftheHighStreetatthecorner,dismountswithasigh,andpusheshismachinethroughthegatesoftheAntrobusstableyard,astheapprenticewiththehighcollarholdsthemopen。Therearewordsofgreeting。\"SouthCoast,\"youhear;and\"splendidweather——splendid。\"Hesighs。\"Yes——swappedhimoffforacoupleofsovs。It’sajuicedgoodmachine。\"
Thegateclosesuponhimwithaslam,andhevanishesfromourken。