malvina of brittany-第10章

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enough　to　summon　Dame　Commonsense　to　one's　aid　when　Malvina　was　not
present。　　Before　those　strange　eyes　the　good　lady　had　a　habit　of
sneaking　away。　　Supposeof　course　the　idea　was　ridiculous；　but
supposesomething　did　happen！　　As　a　psychological　experiment　was
not　one　justified？　　What　was　the　beginning　of　all　science　but
applied　curiosity？　　Malvina　might　be　ableand　willingto　explain
how　it　was　done。　　That　is；　if　anything　did　happen；　which；　of　course；
it　wouldn't；　and　so　much　the　better。　　This　thing　had　got　to　be
ended。

〃It　would　be　using　a　gift　not　for　one's　own　purposes；　but　to　help
others；〃　urged　the　Professor。

〃You　see；〃　urged　Victor；　〃mamma　really　wants　to　be　changed。〃

〃And　papa　wants　it　too；〃　urged　Victoria。

〃It　seems　to　me；　if　I　may　so　express　it；〃　added　the　Professor；　〃that
really　it　would　be　in　the　nature　of　making　amends　forwell；　for…
…for　our　youthful　follies；〃　concluded　the　Professor　a　little
nervously。

Malvina's　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　Professor。　　In　the　dim　light　of　the
low…ceilinged　room；　those　eyes　seemed　all　of　her　that　was　visible。

〃You　wish　it？〃　said　Malvina。

It　was　not　at　all　fair；　as　the　Professor　told　himself　afterwards；
her　laying　the　responsibility　on　him。　　If　she　really　was　the
original　Malvina；　lady…in…waiting　to　Queen　Harbundia；　then　she　was
quite　old　enough　to　have　decided　for　herself。　　From　the　Professor's
calculations　she　must　now　be　about　three　thousand　eight　hundred。
The　Professor　himself　was　not　yet　sixty；　in　comparison　a　mere　babe！
But　Malvina's　eyes　were　compelling。

〃Well；　it　can't　do　any　harm；〃　said　the　Professor。　　And　Malvina　seems
to　have　accepted　that　as　her　authority。

〃Let　her　come　to　the　Cross　Stones　at　sundown；〃　directed　Malvina。


The　Professor　saw　the　twins　to　the　door。　　For　some　reason　the
Professor　could　not　have　explained；　they　all　three　walked　out　on
tiptoe。　　Old　Mr。　Brent；　the　postman；　was　passing；　and　the　twins　ran
after　him　and　each　took　a　hand。　　Malvina　was　still　standing　where
the　Professor　had　left　her。　　It　was　very　absurd；　but　the　Professor
felt　frightened。　　He　went　into　the　kitchen；　where　it　was　light　and
cheerful；　and　started　Mrs。　Muldoon　on　Home　Rule。　　When　he　returned
to　the　parlour　Malvina　was　gone。

The　twins　did　not　talk　that　night；　and　decided　next　morning　not　to
say　a　word；　but　just　to　ask　their　mother　to　come　for　an　evening　walk
with　them。　　The　fear　was　that　she　might　demand　reasons。　　But；　quite
oddly；　she　consented　without　question。　　It　seemed　to　the　twins　that
it　was　Mrs。　Arlington　herself　who　took　the　pathway　leading　past　the
cave；　and　when　they　reached　the　Cross　Stones　she　sat　down　and
apparently　had　forgotten　their　existence。　　They　stole　away　without
her　noticing　them；　but　did　not　quite　know　what　to　do　with
themselves。　　They　ran　for　half　a　mile　till　they　came　to　the　wood；
there　they　remained　awhile；　careful　not　to　venture　within；　and　then
they　crept　back。　　They　found　their　mother　sitting　just　as　they　had
left　her。　　They　thought　she　was　asleep；　but　her　eyes　were　wide　open。
They　were　tremendously　relieved；　though　what　they　had　feared　they
never　knew。　　They　sat　down；　one　on　each　side　of　her；　and　each　took　a
hand；　but　in　spite　of　her　eyes　being　open；　it　was　quite　a　time
before　she　seemed　conscious　of　their　return。　　She　rose　and　slowly
looked　about　her；　and　as　she　did　so　the　church　clock　struck　nine。
She　could　not　at　first　believe　it　was　so　late。　　Convinced　by　looking
at　her　watchthere　was　just　light　enough　for　her　to　see　itshe
became　all　at　once　more　angry　than　the　twins　had　ever　known　her；　and
for　the　first　time　in　their　lives　they　both　experienced　the
sensation　of　having　their　ears　boxed。　　Nine　o'clock　was　the　proper
time　for　supper　and　they　were　half　an　hour　from　home；　and　it　was　all
their　fault。　　It　did　not　take　them　half　an　hour。　　It　took　them
twenty　minutes；　Mrs。　Arlington　striding　ahead　and　the　twins　panting
breathless　behind　her。　　Mr。　Arlington　had　not　yet　returned。　　He　came
in　five　minutes　afterwards；　and　Mrs。　Arlington　told　him　what　she
thought　of　him。　　It　was　the　shortest　supper　within　the　twins'
recollection。　　They　found　themselves　in　bed　ten　minutes　in　advance
of　the　record。　　They　could　hear　their　mother's　voice　from　the
kitchen。　　A　jug　of　milk　had　been　overlooked　and　had　gone　sour。　　She
had　given　Jane　a　week's　notice　before　the　clock　struck　ten。

It　was　from　Mr。　Arlington　that　the　Professor　heard　the　news。　　Mr。
Arlington　could　not　stop　an　instant；　dinner　being　at　twelve　sharp
and　it　wanting　but　ten　minutes　to；　but　seems　to　have　yielded　to
temptation。　　The　breakfast　hour　at　the　Manor　Farm　was　now　six　a。m。；
had　been　so　since　Thursday；　the　whole　family　fully　dressed　and　Mrs。
Arlington　presiding。　　If　the　Professor　did　not　believe　it　he　could
come　round　any　morning　and　see　for　himself。　　The　Professor　appears
to　have　taken　Mr。　Arlington's　word　for　it。　　By　six…thirty　everybody
at　their　job　and　Mrs。　Arlington　at　hers；　consisting　chiefly　of
seeing　to　it　for　the　rest　of　the　day　that　everybody　was。　　Lights　out
at　ten　and　everybody　in　bed；　most　of　them　only　too　glad　to　be　there。
〃Quite　right；　keeps　us　all　up　to　the　mark；〃　was　Mr。　Arlington's
opinion　（this　was　on　Saturday）。　　Just　what　was　wanted。　　Not　perhaps
for　a　permanency；　and；　of　course；　there　were　drawbacks。　　The
strenuous　lifeseeing　to　it　that　everybody　else　leads　the　strenuous
life；　it　does　not　go　with　unmixed　amiability。　　Particularly　in　the
beginning。　　New…born　zeal：　　must　expect　it　to　outrun　discretion。
Does　not　do　to　discourage　it。　　Modifications　to　be　suggested　later。
Taken　all　round；　Mr。　Arlington's　view　was　that　the　thing　must　be
regarded　almost　as　the　answer　to　a　prayer。　　Mr。　Arlington's　eyes　on
their　way　to　higher　levels；　appear　to　have　been　arrested　by　the
church　clock。　　It　decided　Mr。　Arlington　to　resume　his　homeward　way
without　further　loss　of　time。　　At　the　bend　of　the　lane　the
Professor；　looking　back；　observed　that　Mr。　Arlington　had　broken　into
a　trot。


This　seems　to　have　been　the　end　of　the　Professor；　regarded　as　a　sane
and　intelligent　member　of　modern　society。　　He　had　not　been　sure　at
the　time；　but　it　was　now　revealed　to　him　that　when　he　had　urged
Malvina　to　test　her　strength；　so　to　express　it；　on　the　unfortunate
Mrs。　Arlington；　it　was　with　the　conviction　that　the　result　would
restore　him　to　his　mental　equilibrium。　　That　Malvina　with　a　wave　of
her　wandor　whatever　the　hocus…pocus　may　have　beenwould　be　able
to　transform　the　hitherto　incorrigibly　indolent　and　easy…going　Mrs。
Arlington　into　a　sort　of　feminine　Lloyd　George；　had　not　really
entered　into　his　calculations。

Forgetting　his　lunch；　he　must　have　wandered　aimlessly　about；　not
returning　home　until　late　in　the　afternoon。　　During　dinner　he
appears　to　have　been　rather　restless　and　nervous〃jumpy；〃　according
to　the　evidence　of　the　little　serving　maid。　　Once　he　sprang　out　of
his　chair　as　if　shot　when　the　little　serving　maid　accidentally　let
fall　a　table…spoon；　and　twice　he　upset　the　salt。　　It　was　at　mealtime
that；　as　a　rule；　the　Professor　found　his　attitude　towards　Malvina
most　sceptical。　　A　fairy　who　could　put　away　quite　a　respectable　cut
from　the　joint；　followed　by　two　helpings　of　pie；　does　take　a　bit　of
believing　in。　　To…night　the　Professor　found　no　difficulty。　　The
White　Ladies　had　never　been　averse　to　accepting　mortal　hospitality。
There　must　always　have　been　a　certain　adaptability。　　Malvina；　since
that　fateful　night　of　her　banishment；　had；　one　supposes；　passed
through　varied　experiences。　　For　present　purposes　she　had　assumed
the　form　of　a　jeune　fille　of　the　twentieth　century　（anno　Domini）。
An　appreciation　of　Mrs。　Muldoon's　excellent　cooking；　together　with　a
glass　of　light　sound　claret；　would　naturally　go　with　it。

One　takes　it　that　he　could　not　for　a　moment　get　Mrs。　Arlington　out
of　his　mind。　　More　than　once；　stealing　a　covert　glance　across　the
table；　it　seemed　to　him　that　Malvina　was　regarding　him　with　a
mocking　smile。　　Some　impish　spirit　it　must　have　been　that　had
prompted　him。　　For　thousands　of　years　Malvina　had　ledat　all　events
so　far　as　was　knowna　reformed　and　blameless　existence；　had　subdued
and　put　behind　her　that　fatal　passion　of　hers　for　change：　　in　other
people。　　What　madness　to　have　re