the hand of ethelberta-第3章

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waiting　for　the　reappearance　of　its　prey；　upon　which　grim　pastime　it
was　so　intent　that　by　creeping　along　softly　she　was　enabled　to　get
very　near　the　edge　of　the　pool　and　witness　the　conclusion　of　the
episode。　　Whenever　the　duck　was　under　the　necessity　of　showing　its
head　to　breathe；　the　other　bird　would　dart　towards　it；　invariably
too　late；　however；　for　the　diver　was　far　too　experienced　in　the
rough　humour　of　the　buzzard　family　at　this　game　to　come　up　twice
near　the　same　spot；　unaccountably　emerging　from　opposite　sides　of
the　pool　in　succession；　and　bobbing　again　by　the　time　its　adversary
reached　each　place；　so　that　at　length　the　hawk　gave　up　the　contest
and　flew　away；　a　satanic　moodiness　being　almost　perceptible　in　the
motion　of　its　wings。

The　young　lady　now　looked　around　her　for　the　first　time；　and　began
to　perceive　that　she　had　run　a　long　distancevery　much　further　than
she　had　originally　intended　to　come。　　Her　eyes　had　been　so　long
fixed　upon　the　hawk；　as　it　soared　against　the　bright　and　mottled
field　of　sky；　that　on　regarding　the　heather　and　plain　again　it　was
as　if　she　had　returned　to　a　half…forgotten　region　after　an　absence；
and　the　whole　prospect　was　darkened　to　one　uniform　shade　of
approaching　night。　　She　began　at　once　to　retrace　her　steps；　but
having　been　indiscriminately　wheeling　round　the　pond　to　get　a　good
view　of　the　performance；　and　having　followed　no　path　thither；　she
found　the　proper　direction　of　her　journey　to　be　a　matter　of　some
uncertainty。

'Surely；'　she　said　to　herself；　'I　faced　the　north　at　starting：'　and
yet　on　walking　now　with　her　back　where　her　face　had　been　set；　she
did　not　approach　any　marks　on　the　horizon　which　might　seem　to
signify　the　town。　　Thus　dubiously；　but　with　little　real　concern；　she
walked　on　till　the　evening　light　began　to　turn　to　dusk；　and　the
shadows　to　darkness。

Presently　in　front　of　her　Ethelberta　saw　a　white　spot　in　the　shade；
and　it　proved　to　be　in　some　way　attached　to　the　head　of　a　man　who
was　coming　towards　her　out　of　a　slight　depression　in　the　ground。　　It
was　as　yet　too　early　in　the　evening　to　be　afraid；　but　it　was　too
late　to　be　altogether　courageous；　and　with　balanced　sensations
Ethelberta　kept　her　eye　sharply　upon　him　as　he　rose　by　degrees　into
view。　　The　peculiar　arrangement　of　his　hat　and　pugree　soon　struck
her　as　being　that　she　had　casually　noticed　on　a　peg　in　one　of　the
rooms　of　the　'Red　Lion；'　and　when　he　came　close　she　saw　that　his
arms　diminished　to　a　peculiar　smallness　at　their　junction　with　his
shoulders；　like　those　of　a　doll；　which　was　explained　by　their　being
girt　round　at　that　point　with　the　straps　of　a　knapsack　that　he
carried　behind　him。　　Encouraged　by　the　probability　that　he；　like
herself；　was　staying　or　had　been　staying　at　the　'Red　Lion；'　she
said；　'Can　you　tell　me　if　this　is　the　way　back　to　Anglebury？'

'It　is　one　way；　but　the　nearest　is　in　this　direction；'　said　the
touristthe　same　who　had　been　criticized　by　the　two　old　men。

At　hearing　him　speak　all　the　delicate　activities　in　the　young　lady's
person　stood　still：　　she　stopped　like　a　clock。　　When　she　could　again
fence　with　the　perception　which　had　caused　all　this；　she　breathed。

'Mr。　Julian！'　she　exclaimed。　　The　words　were　uttered　in　a　way　which
would　have　told　anybody　in　a　moment　that　here　lay　something
connected　with　the　light　of　other　days。

'Ah；　Mrs。　Petherwin！Yes；　I　am　Mr。　Julianthough　that　can　matter
very　little；　I　should　think；　after　all　these　years；　and　what　has
passed。'

No　remark　was　returned　to　this　rugged　reply；　and　he　continued
unconcernedly；　'Shall　I　put　you　in　the　pathit　is　just　here？'

'If　you　please。'

'Come　with　me；　then。'

She　walked　in　silence　at　his　heels；　not　a　word　passing　between　them
all　the　way：　　the　only　noises　which　came　from　the　two　were　the
brushing　of　her　dress　and　his　gaiters　against　the　heather；　or　the
smart　rap　of　a　stray　flint　against　his　boot。

They　had　now　reached　a　little　knoll；　and　he　turned　abruptly：　　'That
is　Angleburyjust　where　you　see　those　lights。　　The　path　down　there
is　the　one　you　must　follow；　it　leads　round　the　hill　yonder　and
directly　into　the　town。'

'Thank　you；'　she　murmured；　and　found　that　he　had　never　removed　his
eyes　from　her　since　speaking；　keeping　them　fixed　with　mathematical
exactness　upon　one　point　in　her　face。　　She　moved　a　little　to　go　on
her　way；　he　moved　a　little　lessto　go　on　his。

'Good…night；'　said　Mr。　Julian。

The　moment；　upon　the　very　face　of　it；　was　critical；　and　yet　it　was
one　of　those　which　have　to　wait　for　a　future　before　they　acquire　a
definite　character　as　good　or　bad。

Thus　much　would　have　been　obvious　to　any　outsider；　it　may　have　been
doubly　so　to　Ethelberta；　for　she　gave　back　more　than　she　had　got；
replying；　'Good…byeif　you　are　going　to　say　no　more。'

Then　in　struck　Mr。　Julian：　　'What　can　I　say？　　You　are　nothing　to　me。
。　。　。　　I　could　forgive　a　woman　doing　anything　for　spite；　except
marrying　for　spite。'

'The　connection　of　that　with　our　present　meeting　does　not　appear；
unless　it　refers　to　what　you　have　done。　　It　does　not　refer　to　me。'

'I　am　not　married：　　you　are。'

She　did　not　contradict　him；　as　she　might　have　done。　　'Christopher；'
she　said　at　last；　'this　is　how　it　is：　　you　knew　too　much　of　me　to
respect　me；　and　too　little　to　pity　me。　　A　half　knowledge　of
another's　life　mostly　does　injustice　to　the　life　half　known。'

'Then　since　circumstances　forbid　my　knowing　you　more；　I　must　do　my
best　to　know　you　less；　and　elevate　my　opinion　of　your　nature　by
forgetting　what　it　consists　in；'　he　said　in　a　voice　from　which　all
feeling　was　polished　away。

'If　I　did　not　know　that　bitterness　had　more　to　do　with　those　words
than　judgment；　Ishould　bebitter　too！　　You　never　knew　half　about
me；　you　only　knew　me　as　a　governess；　you　little　think　what　my
beginnings　were。'

'I　have　guessed。　　I　have　many　times　told　myself　that　your　early　life
was　superior　to　your　position　when　I　first　met　you。　　I　think　I　may
say　without　presumption　that　I　recognize　a　lady　by　birth　when　I　see
her；　even　under　reverses　of　an　extreme　kind。　　And　certainly　there　is
this　to　be　said；　that　the　fact　of　having　been　bred　in　a　wealthy　home
does　slightly　redeem　an　attempt　to　attain　to　such　a　one　again。'

Ethelberta　smiled　a　smile　of　many　meanings。

'However；　we　are　wasting　words；'　he　resumed　cheerfully。　　'It　is
better　for　us　to　part　as　we　met；　and　continue　to　be　the　strangers
that　we　have　become　to　each　other。　　I　owe　you　an　apology　for　having
been　betrayed　into　more　feeling　than　I　had　a　right　to　show；　and　let
us　part　friends。　　Good　night；　Mrs。　Petherwin；　and　success　to　you。
We　may　meet　again；　some　day；　I　hope。'

'Good　night；'　she　said；　extending　her　hand。　　He　touched　it；　turned
about；　and　in　a　short　time　nothing　remained　of　him　but　quick　regular
brushings　against　the　heather　in　the　deep　broad　shadow　of　the　moor。

Ethelberta　slowly　moved　on　in　the　direction　that　he　had　pointed　out。
This　meeting　had　surprised　her　in　several　ways。　　First；　there　was
the　conjuncture　itself；　but　more　than　that　was　the　fact　that　he　had
not　parted　from　her　with　any　of　the　tragic　resentment　that　she　had
from　time　to　time　imagined　for　that　scene　if　it　ever　occurred。　　Yet
there　was　really　nothing　wonderful　in　this：　　it　is　part　of　the
generous　nature　of　a　bachelor　to　be　not　indisposed　to　forgive　a
portionless　sweetheart　who；　by　marrying　elsewhere；　has　deprived　him
of　the　bliss　of　being　obliged　to　marry　her　himself。　　Ethelberta
would　have　been　disappointed　quite　had　there　not　been　a　comforting
development　of　exasperation　in　the　middle　part　of　his　talk；　but
after　all　it　formed　a　poor　substitute　for　the　loving　hatred　she　had
expected。

When　she　reached　the　hotel　the　lamp　over　the　door　showed　a　face　a
little　flushed；　but　the　agitation　which　at　first　had　possessed　her
was　gone　to　a　mere　nothing。　　In　the　hall　she　met　a　slender　woman
wearing　a　silk　dress　of　that　peculiar　black　which　in　sunlight
proclaims　itself　to　have　once　seen　better　days　as　a　brown；　and　days
even　better　than　those　as　a　lavender；　green；　or　blue。

'Menlove；'　said　the　lady；　'did　you　notice　if　any　gentleman　observed
and　followed　me　when　I　left　the　hotel　to　go　for　a　walk　this
evening？'

The　lady's…maid；　thus　sud