tales and fantasies-第20章

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rudder　now　and　then；　and　with　a　willing　listener　there　is　no

limit　to　the　domain　of　equivocal　speech。　　Sometimes　Miss

M'Glashan　made　a　freezing　sojourn　in　the　parlour；　and　then

the　task　seemed　unaccountably　more　difficult；　but　to　Esther；

who　was　all　eyes　and　ears；　her　face　alight　with　interest；　his

stream　of　language　flowed　without　break　or　stumble；　and　his

mind　was　ever　fertile　in　ingenious　evasions　and　…



What　an　afternoon　it　was　for　Esther！



'Ah！'　she　said　at　last；　'it's　good　to　hear　all　this！　　My

aunt；　you　should　know；　is　narrow　and　too　religious；　she

cannot　understand　an　artist's　life。　　It　does　not　frighten

me；'　she　added　grandly；　'I　am　an　artist's　daughter。'



With　that　speech；　Dick　consoled　himself　for　his　imposture；

she　was　not　deceived　so　grossly　after　all；　and　then　if　a

fraud；　was　not　the　fraud　piety　itself？　…　and　what　could　be

more　obligatory　than　to　keep　alive　in　the　heart　of　a　daughter

that　filial　trust　and　honour　which；　even　although　misplaced；

became　her　like　a　jewel　of　the　mind？　　There　might　be　another

thought；　a　shade　of　cowardice；　a　selfish　desire　to　please；

poor　Dick　was　merely　human；　and　what　would　you　have　had　him

do？







CHAPTER　IV　…　ESTHER　ON　THE　FILIAL　RELATION







A　MONTH　later　Dick　and　Esther　met　at　the　stile　beside　the

cross　roads；　had　there　been　any　one　to　see　them　but　the　birds

and　summer　insects；　it　would　have　been　remarked　that　they　met

after　a　different　fashion　from　the　day　before。　　Dick　took　her

in　his　arms；　and　their　lips　were　set　together　for　a　long

while。　　Then　he　held　her　at　arm's…length；　and　they　looked

straight　into　each　other's　eyes。



'Esther！'　he　said；　you　should　have　heard　his　voice！



'Dick！'　said　she。



'My　darling！'



It　was　some　time　before　they　started　for　their　walk；　he　kept

an　arm　about　her；　and　their　sides　were　close　together　as　they

walked；　the　sun；　the　birds；　the　west　wind　running　among　the

trees；　a　pressure；　a　look；　the　grasp　tightening　round　a

single　finger；　these　things　stood　them　in　lieu　of　thought　and

filled　their　hearts　with　joy。　　The　path　they　were　following

led　them　through　a　wood　of　pine…trees　carpeted　with　heather

and　blue…berry；　and　upon　this　pleasant　carpet；　Dick；　not

without　some　seriousness；　made　her　sit　down。



'Esther！'　he　began；　'there　is　something　you　ought　to　know。

You　know　my　father　is　a　rich　man；　and　you　would　think；　now

that　we　love　each　other；　we　might　marry　when　we　pleased。　　But

I　fear；　darling；　we　may　have　long　to　wait；　and　shall　want　all

our　courage。'



'I　have　courage　for　anything；'　she　said；　'I　have　all　I　want；

with　you　and　my　father；　I　am　so　well　off；　and　waiting　is　made

so　happy；　that　I　could　wait　a　lifetime　and　not　weary。'



He　had　a　sharp　pang　at　the　mention　of　the　Admiral。　　'Hear　me

out；'　he　continued。　　'I　ought　to　have　told　you　this　before；

but　it　is　a　thought　I　shrink　from；　if　it　were　possible；　I

should　not　tell　you　even　now。　　My　poor　father　and　I　are

scarce　on　speaking　terms。'



'Your　father；'　she　repeated；　turning　pale。



'It　must　sound　strange　to　you；　but　yet　I　cannot　think　I　am　to

blame；'　he　said。　　'I　will　tell　you　how　it　happened。'



'Oh　Dick！'　she　said；　when　she　had　heard　him　to　an　end；　'how

brave　you　are；　and　how　proud。　　Yet　I　would　not　be　proud　with

a　father。　　I　would　tell　him　all。'



'What！'　cried　Dick；　'go　in　months　after；　and　brag　that　I　had

meant　to　thrash　the　man；　and　then　didn't。　　And　why？　　Because

my　father　had　made　a　bigger　ass　of　himself　than　I　supposed。

My　dear；　that's　nonsense。'



She　winced　at　his　words　and　drew　away。　　'But　when　that　is　all

he　asks；'　she　pleaded。　　'If　he　only　knew　that　you　had　felt

that　impulse；　it　would　make　him　so　proud　and　happy。　　He　would

see　you　were　his　own　son　after　all；　and　had　the　same　thoughts

and　the　same　chivalry　of　spirit。　　And　then　you　did　yourself

injustice　when　you　spoke　just　now。　　It　was　because　the　editor

was　weak　and　poor　and　excused　himself；　that　you　repented　your

first　determination。　　Had　he　been　a　big　red　man；　with

whiskers；　you　would　have　beaten　him　…　you　know　you　would　…　if

Mr。　Naseby　had　been　ten　times　more　committed。　　Do　you　think；

if　you　can　tell　it　to　me；　and　I　understand　at　once；　that　it

would　be　more　difficult　to　tell　it　to　your　own　father；　or

that　he　would　not　be　more　ready　to　sympathise　with　you　than　I

am？　　And　I　love　you；　Dick；　but　then　he　is　your　father。'



'My　dear；'　said　Dick；　desperately；　'you　do　not　understand；

you　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　be　treated　with　daily　want　of

comprehension　and　daily　small　injustices；　through　childhood

and　boyhood　and　manhood；　until　you　despair　of　a　hearing；

until　the　thing　rides　you　like　a　nightmare；　until　you　almost

hate　the　sight　of　the　man　you　love；　and　who's　your　father

after　all。　　In　short；　Esther；　you　don't　know　what　it　is　to

have　a　father；　and　that's　what　blinds　you。'



'I　see；'　she　said　musingly；　'you　mean　that　I　am　fortunate　in

my　father。　　But　I　am　not　so　fortunate　after　all；　you　forget；

I　do　not　know　him；　it　is　you　who　know　him；　he　is　already　more

your　father　than　mine。'　　And　here　she　took　his　hand。　　Dick's

heart　had　grown　as　cold　as　ice。　　'But　I　am　sorry　for　you；

too；'　she　continued；　'it　must　be　very　sad　and　lonely。'



'You　misunderstand　me；'　said　Dick；　chokingly。　　'My　father　is

the　best　man　I　know　in　all　this　world；　he　is　worth　a　hundred

of　me；　only　he　doesn't　understand　me；　and　he　can't　be　made

to。'



There　was　a　silence　for　a　while。　　'Dick；'　she　began　again；　'I

am　going　to　ask　a　favour；　it's　the　first　since　you　said　you

loved　me。　　May　I　see　your　father　…　see　him　pass；　I　mean；

where　he　will　not　observe　me？'



'Why？'　asked　Dick。



'It　is　a　fancy；　you　forget；　I　am　romantic　about　fathers。'



The　hint　was　enough　for　Dick；　he　consented　with　haste；　and

full　of　hang…dog　penitence　and　disgust；　took　her　down　by　a

backway　and　planted　her　in　the　shrubbery；　whence　she　might

see　the　Squire　ride　by　to　dinner。　　There　they　both　sat

silent；　but　holding　hands；　for　nearly　half　an　hour。　　At　last

the　trotting　of　a　horse　sounded　in　the　distance；　the　park

gates　opened　with　a　clang；　and　then　Mr。　Naseby　appeared；　with

stooping　shoulders　and　a　heavy；　bilious　countenance；

languidly　rising　to　the　trot。　　Esther　recognised　him　at　once；

she　had　often　seen　him　before；　though　with　her　huge

indifference　for　all　that　lay　outside　the　circle　of　her　love；

she　had　never　so　much　as　wondered　who　he　was；　but　now　she

recognised　him；　and　found　him　ten　years　older；　leaden　and

springless；　and　stamped　by　an　abiding　sorrow。



'Oh　Dick；　Dick！'　she　said；　and　the　tears　began　to　shine　upon

her　face　as　she　hid　it　in　his　bosom；　his　own　fell　thickly

too。　　They　had　a　sad　walk　home；　and　that　night；　full　of　love

and　good　counsel；　Dick　exerted　every　art　to　please　his

father；　to　convince　him　of　his　respect　and　affection；　to　heal

up　this　breach　of　kindness；　and　reunite　two　hearts。　　But

alas！　the　Squire　was　sick　and　peevish；　he　had　been　all　day

glooming　over　Dick's　estrangement　…　for　so　he　put　it　to

himself；　and　now　with　growls；　cold　words；　and　the　cold

shoulder；　he　beat　off　all　advances；　and　entrenched　himself　in

a　just　resentment。







CHAPTER　V　…　THE　PRODIGAL　FATHER　MAKES　HIS　DEBUT　AT　HOME







THAT　took　place　upon　a　Tuesday。　　On　the　Thursday　following；

as　Dick　was　walking　by　appointment；　earlier　than　usual；　in

the　direction　of　the　cottage；　he　was　appalled　to　meet　in　the

lane　a　fly　from　Thymebury；　containing　the　human　form　of　Miss

M'Glashan。　　The　lady　did　not　deign　to　remark　him　in　her

passage；　her　face　was　suffused　with　tears；　and　expressed　much

concern　for　the　packages　by　which　she　was　surrounded。　　He

stood　still；　and　asked　himself　what　this　circumstance　might

portend。　　It　was　so　beautiful　a　day　that　he　was　loth　to

forecast　evil；　yet　something　must　perforce　have　happened　at

the　cottage；　and　that　of　a　decisive　nature；　for　here　was　Miss

M'Glashan　on　her　travels；　with　a　small　patrimony　in　brown

paper　parcels；　and　the　old　lady's　bearing　implied　hot　battle

and　unqualified　defeat。　　Was　the　house　to　be　closed　against

him？　　Was　Esther　left　alone；　or　had　some　new　protector　made

his　appearance　from　among　the　millions　of　Europe？　　It　is　the

character　of　love　to　loathe　the　near　relatives　of　the　loved

one；　chapters　in　the　history　of　the　human　race　have　justified

this　feeling；　and　the　conduct　of　uncles；　in　particular；　has

frequently　met　with　censure　from　the　independent　novelist。

Miss　M'Glashan　was　now　seen　in　the　rosy　colours　of　regret；

whoever　succeeded　her；　Dick　felt　the　change　would　be　for　the

worse。　　He　hurried　forward　in　this　spirit；　his　anxiety　grew

upon　him　with　every　step；　as　he　entered　the　garden　a　voice

fell　upon　his　ear；　and　he　was　once　more　arrested；　not　this

time　by　doubt；　but　by　indubitable　certainty　of　ill。



The　thunderbolt　had　fallen；　the　Admiral　was　here。



Dick　would　have　retreated；　in　the　panic　terror　of　the　moment；

but　Esther　kept　a　bright　look…out　when　her　lover　was

expected。　　In　a　twinkling　she　was　by　his　side；　brimful　of

news　and　pleasure；　too　glad　to　notice　his　embarrassment；　and

in　one　of　those　golden　transports　of　exultation　which

transcend　not　only　words　but　caresses。　　She　took　him　by　the

end　of　the　fingers　（reaching　forward　to　take　them；　for　her

great　preoccupation　was　to　save　time）；　she　drew　him　towards

her；　pushed　him　past　her　in　the　door；　and　planted　him　face　to

face　with　Mr。　Van　Tromp；　in　a　suit　of　French　country

velveteens　and　with　a　remarkable　carbuncle　on　his　nose。

Then；　as　though　this　was　the　end　of　what　she　could　endure　in

the　way　of　joy；　Esther　turned　and　ran　out　of　the　room。



The　two　men　remained　looking　at　each　other　with　some

confusion　on　both　sides。　　Van　Tromp　was　naturally　the　first

to　recover；　he　put　out　his　hand　with　a　fine　gesture。



'And　you　know　my　little　lass；　my　Esther？'　he　said。　　'This　is

pleasant；　this　is　what　I　have　conceived　of　home。　　A　strange

word　for　the　old　rover；　but　we　all　have　a　taste　for　home　and

the　home…like；　disguise　it　how　we　may。　　It　has　brought　me

here；　Mr。　Naseby；'　he　concluded；　with　an　intonation　that

would　have　made　his　fortune　on　the　stage；　so　just；　so　sad；　so

dignified；　so　like　a　man　of　the　world　and　a　philosopher；　'and

you　see　a　man　who　is　content。'



'I　see；'　said　Dick。



'Sit　down；'　continued　the　parasite；　setting　the　example。

'Fortune　has　gone　against　me。　　（I　am　just　sirrupping　a　little

brandy　…　after　my　journey。）　　I　was　going　down；　Mr。　Naseby；

between　you　and　me；　I　was　DECAVE；　I　borrowed　fifty　francs；

smuggled　my　valise　past　the　concierge　…　a　work　of

considerable　tact　…　and　here　I　am！'



'Yes；'　said　Dick；　'and　here　you　are。'　　He　was　quite　idiotic。



Esther；　at　this　moment；　re…entered　the　room。



'Are　you　glad　to　see　him？'　she　whispered　in　his　ear；　the

pleasure　in　her　voice　almost　bursting　through　the　whisper

into　song。



'Oh　yes；'　said　Dick；　'very。'



'I　knew　you　would　be；