the hand of ethelberta-第77章

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bodies　boiled　up　in　the　whirlwind　created　by　the　velocity；　and　were
sent　flying　right　and　left　of　them　in　myriads；　a　clean…fanned　track
being　left　behind。

Picotee　was　called　from　the　observation　of　these　phenomena　by　a
remark　from　her　sister：　　'Picotee；　the　marriage　is　to　be　very　early
indeed。　　It　is　to　be　the　day　after　to…morrowif　it　can。
Nevertheless　I　don't　believe　in　the　factI　cannot。'

'Did　you　arrange　it　so？　　Nobody　can　make　you　marry　so　soon。'

'I　agreed　to　the　day；'　murmured　Ethelberta　languidly。

'How　can　it　be？　　The　gay　dresses　and　the　preparations　and　the
peoplehow　can　they　be　collected　in　the　time；　Berta？　　And　so　much
more　of　that　will　be　required　for　a　lord　of　the　land　than　for　a
common　man。　　O；　I　can't　think　it　possible　for　a　sister　of　mine　to
marry　a　lord！'

'And　yet　it　has　been　possible　any　time　this　last　month　or　two；
strange　as　it　seems　to　you。　。　。　。　　It　is　to　be　not　only　a　plain　and
simple　wedding；　without　any　lofty　appliances；　but　a　secret　oneas
secret　as　if　I　were　some　under…age　heiress　to　an　Indian　fortune；　and
he　a　young　man　of　nothing　a　year。'

'Has　Lord　Mountclere　said　it　must　be　so　private？　　I　suppose　it　is　on
account　of　his　family。'

'No。　　I　say　so；　and　it　is　on　account　of　my　family。　　Father　might
object　to　the　wedding；　I　imagine；　from　what　he　once　said；　or　he
might　be　much　disturbed　about　it；　so　I　think　it　better　that　he　and
the　rest　should　know　nothing　till　all　is　over。　　You　must　dress　again
as　my　sister　to…morrow；　dear。　　Lord　Mountclere　is　going　to　pay　us　an
early　visit　to　conclude　necessary　arrangements。'

'O；　the　life　as　a　lady　at　Enckworth　Court！　　The　flowers；　the　woods；
the　rooms；　the　pictures；　the　plate；　and　the　jewels！　　Horses　and
carriages　rattling　and　prancing；　seneschals　and　pages；　footmen
hopping　up　and　hopping　down。　　It　will　be　glory　then！'

'We　might　hire　our　father　as　one　of　my　retainers；　to　increase　it；'
said　Ethelberta　drily。

Picotee's　countenance　fell。　　'How　shall　we　manage　all　about　that？
'Tis　terrible；　really！'

'The　marriage　granted；　those　things　will　right　themselves　by　time
and　weight　of　circumstances。　　You　take　a　wrong　view　in　thinking　of
glories　of　that　sort。　　My　only　hope　is　that　my　life　will　be　quite
private　and　simple；　as　will　best　become　my　inferiority　and　Lord
Mountclere's　staidness。　　Such　a　splendid　library　as　there　is　at
Enckworth；　Picoteequartos；　folios；　history；　verse；　Elzevirs；
Caxtonsall　that　has　been　done　in　literature　from　Moses　down　to
Scottwith　such　companions　I　can　do　without　all　other　sorts　of
happiness。'

'And　you　will　not　go　to　town　from　Easter　to　Lammastide；　as　other
noble　ladies　do？'　asked　the　younger　girl；　rather　disappointed　at
this　aspect　of　a　viscountess's　life。

'I　don't　know。'

'But　you　will　give　dinners；　and　travel；　and　go　to　see　his　friends；
and　have　them　to　see　you？'

'I　don't　know。'

'Will　you　not　be；　then；　as　any　other　peeress；　and　shall　not　I　be　as
any　other　peeress's　sister？'

'That；　too；　I　do　not　know。　　All　is　mystery。　　Nor　do　I　even　know　that
the　marriage　will　take　place。　　I　feel　that　it　may　not；　and　perhaps
so　much　the　better；　since　the　man　is　a　stranger　to　me。　　I　know
nothing　whatever　of　his　nature；　and　he　knows　nothing　of　mine。'



40。　MELCHESTER　（continued）

The　commotion　wrought　in　Julian's　mind　by　the　abrupt　incursion　of
Ethelberta　into　his　quiet　sphere　was　thorough　and　protracted。　　The
witchery　of　her　presence　he　had　grown　strong　enough　to　withstand　in
part；　but　her　composed　announcement　that　she　had　intended　to　marry
another；　and；　as　far　as　he　could　understand；　was　intending　it　still；
added　a　new　chill　to　the　old　shade　of　disappointment　which　custom
was　day　by　day　enabling　him　to　endure。　　During　the　whole　interval　in
which　he　had　produced　those　diapason　blasts；　heard　with　such
inharmonious　feelings　by　the　three　auditors　outside　the　screen；　his
thoughts　had　wandered　wider　than　his　notes　in　conjectures　on　the
character　and　position　of　the　gentleman　seen　in　Ethelberta's
company。　　Owing　to　his　assumption　that　Lord　Mountclere　was　but　a
stranger　who　had　accidentally　come　in　at　the　side　door；　Christopher
had　barely　cast　a　glance　upon　him；　and　the　wide　difference　between
the　years　of　the　viscount　and　those　of　his　betrothed　was　not　so
particularly　observed　as　to　raise　that　point　to　an　item　in　his
objections　now。　　Lord　Mountclere　was　dressed　with　all　the　cunning
that　could　be　drawn　from　the　metropolis　by　money　and　reiterated
dissatisfaction；　he　prided　himself　on　his　upright　carriage；　his
stick　was　so　thin　that　the　most　malevolent　could　not　insinuate　that
it　was　of　any　possible　use　in　walking；　his　teeth　had　put　on　all　the
vigour　and　freshness　of　a　second　spring。　　Hence　his　look　was　the
slowest　of　possible　clocks　in　respect　of　his　age；　and　his　manner　was
equally　as　much　in　the　rear　of　his　appearance。

Christopher　was　now　over　five…and…twenty。　　He　was　getting　so　well
accustomed　to　the　spectacle　of　a　world　passing　him　by　and　splashing
him　with　its　wheels　that　he　wondered　why　he　had　ever　minded　it。　　His
habit　of　dreaming　instead　of　doing　had　led　him　up　to　a　curious
discovery。　　It　is　no　new　thing　for　a　man　to　fathom　profundities　by
indulging　humours：　　the　active；　the　rapid；　the　people　of　splendid
momentum；　have　been　surprised　to　behold　what　results　attend　the
lives　of　those　whose　usual　plan　for　discharging　their　active　labours
has　been　to　postpone　them　indefinitely。　　Certainly；　the　immediate
result　in　the　present　case　was；　to　all　but　himself；　small　and
invisible；　but　it　was　of　the　nature　of　highest　things。　　What　he　had
learnt　was　that　a　woman　who　has　once　made　a　permanent　impression
upon　a　man　cannot　altogether　deny　him　her　image　by　denying　him　her
company；　and　that　by　sedulously　cultivating　the　acquaintance　of　this
Creature　of　Contemplation　she　becomes　to　him　almost　a　living　soul。
Hence　a　sublimated　Ethelberta　accompanied　him　everywhereone　who
never　teased　him；　eluded　him；　or　disappointed　him：　　when　he　smiled
she　smiled；　when　he　was　sad　she　sorrowed。　　He　may　be　said　to　have
become　the　literal　duplicate　of　that　whimsical　unknown　rhapsodist
who　wrote　of　his　own　similar　situation

　　　　　'By　absence　this　good　means　I　gain；
　　　　　　　　　　That　I　can　catch　her；
　　　　　　　　　　Where　none　can　watch　her；
　　　　　　In　some　close　corner　of　my　brain：
　　　　　　　　　　There　I　embrace　and　kiss　her；
　　　　　　　　　　And　so　I　both　enjoy　and　miss　her。'

This　frame　of　mind　naturally　induced　an　amazing　abstraction　in　the
organist；　never　very　vigilant　at　the　best　of　times。　　He　would　stand
and　look　fixedly　at　a　frog　in　a　shady　pool；　and　never　once　think　of
batrachians；　or　pause　by　a　green　bank　to　split　some　tall　blade　of
grass　into　filaments　without　removing　it　from　its　stalk；　passing　on
ignorant　that　he　had　made　a　cat…o'…nine…tails　of　a　graceful　slip　of
vegetation。　　He　would　hear　the　cathedral　clock　strike　one；　and　go
the　next　minute　to　see　what　time　it　was。　　'I　never　seed　such　a　man
as　Mr。　Julian　is；'　said　the　head　blower。　　'He'll　meet　me　anywhere
out…of…doors；　and　never　wink　or　nod。　　You'd　hardly　expect　it。　　I
don't　find　fault；　but　you'd　hardly　expect　it；　seeing　how　I　play　the
same　instrument　as　he　do　himself；　and　have　done　it　for　so　many　years
longer　than　he。　　How　I　have　indulged　that　man；　too！　　If　'tis　Pedals
for　two　martel　hours　of　practice　I　never　complain；　and　he　has　plenty
of　vagaries。　　When　'tis　hot　summer　weather　there's　nothing　will　do
for　him　but　Choir；　Great；　and　Swell　altogether；　till　yer　face　is　in
a　vapour；　and　on　a　frosty　winter　night　he'll　keep　me　there　while　he
tweedles　upon　the　Twelfth　and　Sixteenth　till　my　arms　be　scrammed　for
want　of　motion。　　And　never　speak　a　word　out…of…doors。'　　Somebody
suggested　that　perhaps　Christopher　did　not　notice　his　coadjutor's
presence　in　the　street；　and　time　proved　to　the　organ…blower　that　the
remark　was　just。

Whenever　Christopher　caught　himself　at　these　vacuous　tricks　he　would
be　struck　with　admiration　of　Ethelberta's　wisdom；　foresight；　and
self…command　in　refusing　to　wed　such　an　incapable　man：　　he　felt　that
he　ought　to　be　thankful　that　a　bright　memory　of　her　was　not　also
denied　to　him；　and　resolved　to　be　content　with　it　as　a　possession；
since　it　was　as　much　of　her　as　he　could　decently　maint