a laodicean-第22章

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hands　were　close　together　again。　　They　had　been　close　together
half…an…hour　earlier；　and　he　had　sedulously　avoided　touching
hers。　　He　dared　not　let　such　an　accident　happen　now。　　And　yet…
…surely　she　saw　the　situation！　　Was　the　inscrutable
seriousness　with　which　she　applied　herself　to　his　lesson　a
mockery？　　There　was　such　a　bottomless　depth　in　her　eyes　that
it　was　impossible　to　guess　truly。　　Let　it　be　that　destiny
alone　had　ruled　that　their　hands　should　be　together　a　second
time。

All　rumination　was　cut　short　by　an　impulse。　　He　seized　her
forefinger　between　his　own　finger　and　thumb；　and　drew　it　along
the　hollow；　saying；　'That　is　the　curve　I　mean。'

Somerset's　hand　was　hot　and　trembling；　Paula's；　on　the
contrary；　was　cool　and　soft　as　an　infant's。

'Now　the　arch…mould；'　continued　he。　　'Therethe　depth　of　that
cavity　is　tremendous；　and　it　is　not　geometrical；　as　in　later
work。'　　He　drew　her　unresisting　fingers　from　the　capital　to
the　arch；　and　laid　them　in　the　little　trench　as　before。

She　allowed　them　to　rest　quietly　there　till　he　relinquished
them。　　'Thank　you；'　she　then　said；　withdrawing　her　hand；
brushing　the　dust　from　her　finger…tips；　and　putting　on　her
glove。

Her　imperception　of　his　feeling　was　the　very　sublimity　of
maiden　innocence　if　it　were　real；　if　not；　well；　the　coquetry
was　no　great　sin。

'Mr。　Somerset；　will　you　allow　me　to　have　the　Greek　court　I
mentioned？'　she　asked　tentatively；　after　a　long　break　in　their
discourse；　as　she　scanned　the　green　stones　along　the　base　of
the　arcade；　with　a　conjectural　countenance　as　to　his　reply。

'Will　your　own　feeling　for　the　genius　of　the　place　allow　you？'

'I　am　not　a　mediaevalist：　　I　am　an　eclectic。'

'You　don't　dislike　your　own　house　on　that　account。'

'I　did　at　firstI　don't　so　much　now。　。　。　。　　I　should　love　it；
and　adore　every　stone；　and　think　feudalism　the　only　true
romance　of　life；　if'

'What？'

'If　I　were　a　De　Stancy；　and　the　castle　the　long　home　of　my
forefathers。'

Somerset　was　a　little　surprised　at　the　avowal：　　the　minister's
words　on　the　effects　of　her　new　environment　recurred　to　his
mind。　　'Miss　De　Stancy　doesn't　think　so；'　he　said。　　'She　cares
nothing　about　those　things。'

Paula　now　turned　to　him：　　hitherto　her　remarks　had　been
sparingly　spoken；　her　eyes　being　directed　elsewhere：　　'Yes；
that　is　very　strange；　is　it　not？'　she　said。　　'But　it　is　owing
to　the　joyous　freshness　of　her　nature　which　precludes　her　from
dwelling　on　the　pastindeed；　the　past　is　no　more　to　her　than
it　is　to　a　sparrow　or　robin。　　She　is　scarcely　an　instance　of
the　wearing　out　of　old　families；　for　a　younger　mental
constitution　than　hers　I　never　knew。'

'Unless　that　very　simplicity　represents　the　second　childhood
of　her　line；　rather　than　her　own　exclusive　character。'

Paula　shook　her　head。　　'In　spite　of　the　Greek　court；　she　is
more　Greek　than　I。'

'You　represent　science　rather　than　art；　perhaps。'

'How？'　she　asked；　glancing　up　under　her　hat。

'I　mean；'　replied　Somerset；　'that　you　represent　the　march　of
mindthe　steamship；　and　the　railway；　and　the　thoughts　that
shake　mankind。'

She　weighed　his　words；　and　said：　　'Ah；　yes：　　you　allude　to　my
father。　　My　father　was　a　great　man；　but　I　am　more　and　more
forgetting　his　greatness：　　that　kind　of　greatness　is　what　a
woman　can　never　truly　enter　into。　　I　am　less　and　less　his
daughter　every　day　that　goes　by。'

She　walked　away　a　few　steps　to　rejoin　the　excellent　Mrs。
Goodman；　who；　as　Somerset　still　perceived；　was　waiting　for
Paula　at　the　discreetest　of　distances　in　the　shadows　at　the
farther　end　of　the　building。　　Surely　Paula's　voice　had
faltered；　and　she　had　turned　to　hide　a　tear？

She　came　back　again。　　'Did　you　know　that　my　father　made　half
the　railways　in　Europe；　including　that　one　over　there？'　she
said；　waving　her　little　gloved　hand　in　the　direction　whence
low　rumbles　were　occasionally　heard　during　the　day。

'Yes。'

'How　did　you　know？'

'Miss　De　Stancy　told　me　a　little；　and　I　then　found　his　name
and　doings　were　quite　familiar　to　me。'

Curiously　enough；　with　his　words　there　came　through　the　broken
windows　the　murmur　of　a　train　in　the　distance；　sounding
clearer　and　more　clear。　　It　was　nothing　to　listen　to；　yet　they
both　listened；　till　the　increasing　noise　suddenly　broke　off
into　dead　silence。

'It　has　gone　into　the　tunnel；'　said　Paula。　　'Have　you　seen　the
tunnel　my　father　made？　the　curves　are　said　to　be　a　triumph　of
science。　　There　is　nothing　else　like　it　in　this　part　of
England。'

'There　is　not：　　I　have　heard　so。　　But　I　have　not　seen　it。'

'Do　you　think　it　a　thing　more　to　be　proud　of　that　one's　father
should　have　made　a　great　tunnel　and　railway　like　that；　than
that　one's　remote　ancestor　should　have　built　a　great　castle
like　this？'

What　could　Somerset　say？　　It　would　have　required　a　casuist　to
decide　whether　his　answer　should　depend　upon　his　conviction；
or　upon　the　family　ties　of　such　a　questioner。　　'From　a　modern
point　of　view；　railways　are；　no　doubt；　things　more　to　be　proud
of　than　castles；'　he　said；　'though　perhaps　I　myself；　from　mere
association；　should　decide　in　favour　of　the　ancestor　who　built
the　castle。'　　The　serious　anxiety　to　be　truthful　that　Somerset
threw　into　his　observation；　was　more　than　the　circumstance
required。　　'To　design　great　engineering　works；'　he　added
musingly；　and　without　the　least　eye　to　the　disparagement　of
her　parent；　'requires　no　doubt　a　leading　mind。　　But　to　execute
them；　as　he　did；　requires；　of　course；　only　a　following　mind。'

His　reply　had　not　altogether　pleased　her；　and　there　was　a
distinct　reproach　conveyed　by　her　slight　movement　towards　Mrs。
Goodman。　　He　saw　it；　and　was　grieved　that　he　should　have
spoken　so。　　'I　am　going　to　walk　over　and　inspect　that　famous
tunnel　of　your　father's；'　he　added　gently。　　'It　will　be　a
pleasant　study　for　this　afternoon。'

She　went　away。　　'I　am　no　man　of　the　world；'　he　thought。　　'I
ought　to　have　praised　that　father　of　hers　straight　off。　　I
shall　not　win　her　respect；　much　less　her　love！'



XII。

Somerset　did　not　forget　what　he　had　planned；　and　when　lunch
was　over　he　walked　away　through　the　trees。　　The　tunnel　was
more　difficult　of　discovery　than　he　had　anticipated；　and　it
was　only　after　considerable　winding　among　green　lanes；　whose
deep　ruts　were　like　canyons　of　Colorado　in　miniature；　that　he
reached　the　slope　in　the　distant　upland　where　the　tunnel
began。　　A　road　stretched　over　its　crest；　and　thence　along　one
side　of　the　railway…cutting。

He　there　unexpectedly　saw　standing　Miss　Power's　carriage；　and
on　drawing　nearer　he　found　it　to　contain　Paula　herself；　Miss
De　Stancy；　and　Mrs。　Goodman。

'How　singular！'　exclaimed　Miss　De　Stancy　gaily。

'It　is　most　natural；'　said　Paula　instantly。　　'In　the　morning
two　people　discuss　a　feature　in　the　landscape；　and　in　the
afternoon　each　has　a　desire　to　see　it　from　what　the　other　has
said　of　it。　　Therefore　they　accidentally　meet。'

Now　Paula　had　distinctly　heard　Somerset　declare　that　he　was
going　to　walk　there；　how　then　could　she　say　this　so　coolly？
It　was　with　a　pang　at　his　heart　that　he　returned　to　his　old
thought　of　her　being　possibly　a　finished　coquette　and
dissembler。　　Whatever　she　might　be；　she　was　not　a　creature
starched　very　stiffly　by　Puritanism。

Somerset　looked　down　on　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel。　　The　popular
commonplace　that　science；　steam；　and　travel　must　always　be
unromantic　and　hideous；　was　not　proven　at　this　spot。　　On
either　slope　of　the　deep　cutting；　green　with　long　grass；　grew
drooping　young　trees　of　ash；　beech；　and　other　flexible
varieties；　their　foliage　almost　concealing　the　actual　railway
which　ran　along　the　bottom；　its　thin　steel　rails　gleaming　like
silver　threads　in　the　depths。　　The　vertical　front　of　the
tunnel；　faced　with　brick　that　had　once　been　red；　was　now
weather…stained；　lichened；　and　mossed　over　in　harmonious
rusty…browns；　pearly　greys；　and　neutral　greens；　at　the　very
base　appearing　a　little　blue…black　spot　like　a　mouse…holethe
tunnel's　mouth。

The　carriage　was　drawn　up　quite　close　to　the　wood　railing；　and
Paula　was　looking　down　at　the　same　time　with　him；　but　he　made
no　remark　to　her。

Mrs。　Goodman　broke　the　silence　by　saying；　'If　it　were　not　a
railway　we　should　call　it　a