a laodicean-第31章

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'Why；　how　can't　you；　I　should　say？　　We　are　both　in　the　same
ship。　　I　love　Paula；　you　love　Mr。　Somerset；　it　behoves　both　of
us　to　see　that　this　flirtation　of　theirs　ends　in　nothing。'

'I　don't　like　you　to　put　it　like　thatthat　I　love　himit
frightens　me；'　murmured　the　girl；　visibly　agitated。　　'I　don't
want　to　divide　him　from　Paula；　I　couldn't；　I　wouldn't　do
anything　to　separate　them。　　Believe　me；　Will；　I　could　not！　　I
am　sorry　you　love　there　also；　though　I　should　be　glad　if　it
happened　in　the　natural　order　of　events　that　she　should　come
round　to　you。　　But　I　cannot　do　anything　to　part　them　and　make
Mr。　Somerset　suffer。　　It　would　be　TOO　wrong　and　blamable。'

'Now；　you　silly　Charlotte；　that's　just　how　you　women　fly　off
at　a　tangent。　　I　mean　nothing　dishonourable　in　the　least。
Have　I　ever　prompted　you　to　do　anything　dishonourable？　　Fair
fighting　allies　was　all　I　thought　of。'

Miss　De　Stancy　breathed　more　freely。　　'Yes；　we　will　be　that；
of　course；　we　are　always　that；　William。　　But　I　hope　I　can　be
your　ally；　and　be　quite　neutral；　I　would　so　much　rather。'

'Well；　I　suppose　it　will　not　be　a　breach　of　your　precious
neutrality　if　you　get　me　invited　to　see　the　castle？'

'O　no！'　she　said　brightly；　'I　don't　mind　doing　such　a　thing　as
that。　　Why　not　come　with　me　tomorrow？　　I　will　say　I　am　going
to　bring　you。　　There　will　be　no　trouble　at　all。'

De　Stancy　readily　agreed。　　The　effect　upon　him　of　the
information　now　acquired　was　to　intensify　his　ardour　tenfold；
the　stimulus　being　due　to　a　perception　that　Somerset；　with　a
little　more　knowledge；　would　hold　a　card　which　could　be　played
with　disastrous　effect　against　himselfhis　relationship　to
Dare。　　Its　disclosure　to　a　lady　of　such　Puritan　antecedents　as
Paula's；　would　probably　mean　her　immediate　severance　from
himself　as　an　unclean　thing。

'Is　Miss　Power　a　severe　pietist；　or　precisian；　or　is　she　a
compromising　lady？'　he　asked　abruptly。

'She　is　severe　and　uncompromisingif　you　mean　in　her
judgments　on　morals；'　said　Charlotte；　not　quite　hearing。　　The
remark　was　peculiarly　apposite；　and　De　Stancy　was　silent。

He　spent　some　following　hours　in　a　close　study　of　the　castle
history；　which　till　now　had　unutterably　bored　him。　　More
particularly　did　he　dwell　over　documents　and　notes　which
referred　to　the　pedigree　of　his　own　family。　　He　wrote　out　the
names　of　alland　they　were　manywho　had　been　born　within
those　domineering　walls　since　their　first　erection；　of　those
among　them　who　had　been　brought　thither　by　marriage　with　the
owner；　and　of　stranger　knights　and　gentlemen　who　had　entered
the　castle　by　marriage　with　its　mistress。　　He　refreshed　his
memory　on　the　strange　loves　and　hates　that　had　arisen　in　the
course　of　the　family　history；　on　memorable　attacks；　and　the
dates　of　the　same；　the　most　memorable　among　them　being　the
occasion　on　which　the　party　represented　by　Paula　battered　down
the　castle　walls　that　she　was　now　about　to　mend；　and；　as　he
hoped；　return　in　their　original　intact　shape　to　the　family
dispossessed；　by　marriage　with　himself；　its　living
representative。

In　Sir　William's　villa　were　small　engravings　after　many　of　the
portraits　in　the　castle　galleries；　some　of　them　hanging　in　the
dining…room　in　plain　oak　and　maple　frames；　and　others
preserved　in　portfolios。　　De　Stancy　spent　much　of　his　time
over　these；　and　in　getting　up　the　romances　of　their　originals'
lives　from　memoirs　and　other　records；　all　which　stories　were
as　great　novelties　to　him　as　they　could　possibly　be　to　any
stranger。　　Most　interesting　to　him　was　the　life　of　an　Edward
De　Stancy；　who　had　lived　just　before　the　Civil　Wars；　and　to
whom　Captain　De　Stancy　bore　a　very　traceable　likeness。　　This
ancestor　had　a　mole　on　his　cheek；　black　and　distinct　as　a　fly
in　cream；　and　as　in　the　case　of　the　first　Lord　Amherst's　wart；
and　Bennet　Earl　of　Arlington's　nose…scar；　the　painter　had
faithfully　reproduced　the　defect　on　canvas。　　It　so　happened
that　the　captain　had　a　mole；　though　not　exactly　on　the　same
spot　of　his　face；　and　this　made　the　resemblance　still　greater。

He　took　infinite　trouble　with　his　dress　that　day；　showing　an
amount　of　anxiety　on　the　matter　which　for　him　was　quite
abnormal。　　At　last；　when　fully　equipped；　he　set　out　with　his
sister　to　make　the　call　proposed。　　Charlotte　was　rather
unhappy　at　sight　of　her　brother's　earnest　attempt　to　make　an
impression　on　Paula；　but　she　could　say　nothing　against　it；　and
they　proceeded　on　their　way。

It　was　the　darkest　of　November　weather；　when　the　days　are　so
short　that　morning　seems　to　join　with　evening　without　the
intervention　of　noon。　　The　sky　was　lined　with　low　cloud；
within　whose　dense　substance　tempests　were　slowly　fermenting
for　the　coming　days。　　Even　now　a　windy　turbulence　troubled　the
half…naked　boughs；　and　a　lonely　leaf　would　occasionally　spin
downwards　to　rejoin　on　the　grass　the　scathed　multitude　of　its
comrades　which　had　preceded　it　in　its　fall。　　The　river　by　the
pavilion；　in　the　summer　so　clear　and　purling；　now　slid　onwards
brown　and　thick　and　silent；　and　enlarged　to　double　size。



II。

Meanwhile　Paula　was　alone。　　Of　anyone　else　it　would　have　been
said　that　she　must　be　finding　the　afternoon　rather　dreary　in
the　quaint　halls　not　of　her　forefathers：　　but　of　Miss　Power　it
was　unsafe　to　predicate　so　surely。　　She　walked　from　room　to
room　in　a　black　velvet　dress　which　gave　decision　to　her
outline　without　depriving　it　of　softness。　　She　occasionally
clasped　her　hands　behind　her　head　and　looked　out　of　a　window；
but　she　more　particularly　bent　her　footsteps　up　and　down　the
Long　Gallery；　where　she　had　caused　a　large　fire　of　logs　to　be
kindled；　in　her　endeavour　to　extend　cheerfulness　somewhat
beyond　the　precincts　of　the　sitting…rooms。

The　fire　glanced　up　on　Paula；　and　Paula　glanced　down　at　the
fire；　and　at　the　gnarled　beech　fuel；　and　at　the　wood…lice
which　ran　out　from　beneath　the　bark　to　the　extremity　of　the
logs　as　the　heat　approached　them。　　The　low…down　ruddy　light
spread　over　the　dark　floor　like　the　setting　sun　over　a　moor；
fluttering　on　the　grotesque　countenances　of　the　bright
andirons；　and　touching　all　the　furniture　on　the　underside。

She　now　and　then　crossed　to　one　of　the　deep　embrasures　of　the
windows；　to　decipher　some　sentence　from　a　letter　she　held　in
her　hand。　　The　daylight　would　have　been　more　than　sufficient
for　any　bystander　to　discern　that　the　capitals　in　that　letter
were　of　the　peculiar　semi…gothic　type　affected　at　the　time　by
Somerset　and　other　young　architects　of　his　school　in　their
epistolary　correspondence。　　She　was　very　possibly　thinking　of
him；　even　when　not　reading　his　letter；　for　the　expression　of
softness　with　which　she　perused　the　page　was　more　or　less　with
her　when　she　appeared　to　examine　other　things。

She　walked　about　for　a　little　time　longer；　then　put　away　the
letter；　looked　at　the　clock；　and　thence　returned　to　the
windows；　straining　her　eyes　over　the　landscape　without；　as　she
murmured；　'I　wish　Charlotte　was　not　so　long　coming！'

As　Charlotte　continued　to　keep　away；　Paula　became　less
reasonable　in　her　desires；　and　proceeded　to　wish　that　Somerset
would　arrive；　then　that　anybody　would　come；　then；　walking
towards　the　portraits　on　the　wall；　she　flippantly　asked　one　of
those　cavaliers　to　oblige　her　fancy　for　company　by　stepping
down　from　his　frame。　　The　temerity　of　the　request　led　her　to
prudently　withdraw　it　almost　as　soon　as　conceived：　　old
paintings　had　been　said　to　play　queer　tricks　in　extreme　cases；
and　the　shadows　this　afternoon　were　funereal　enough　for
anything　in　the　shape　of　revenge　on　an　intruder　who　embodied
the　antagonistic　modern　spirit　to　such　an　extent　as　she。
However；　Paula　still　stood　before　the　picture　which　had
attracted　her；　and　this；　by　a　coincidence　common　enough　in
fact；　though　scarcely　credited　in　chronicles；　happened　to　be
that　one　of　the　seventeenth…century　portraits　of　which　De
Stancy　had　studied　the　engraved　copy　at　Myrtle　Villa　the　same
morning。

Whilst　she　remained　before　the　picture；　wondering　her
favourite　wonder；　how　would　she　feel　if　this　and　its
accompanying　canvases　were　pictures　of　her　own　ancestors；　she
was　surprised　by　a　light　footstep　upon　the　carpet　which
covered　part　of　the　room；　and　turning　quickly　she　beheld　the
smiling　little　figure　of　Charlotte　De　Stancy。

'What　has　made　you　so　late？'　said　Paula。　　'You　are　come　to
stay；　of　course？'

Charlotte　said　she　had　come　to　stay。　　'But　I　have　brought
somebody　with　me！'

'Ahwhom？'

'My　brother　happened　to　be　at　home；　and　I　have　brought　him。'

Miss　De　Stancy's　brother　had　been　so　continuously　absent　from
home　in　India；　or　elsewhere；　so　little　spoken　of；　and；　when
spoken　of；　so　truly　though　unconsciously　represented　as　one
whose　interests　lay　wholly　outside　this　antiquated
neighbourhood；　that　to　Paula　he　had　been　a　mere　nebulosity
whom　she　had　never　distinctly　outlined。　　To　have　him　thus
cohere　into　substance　at　a　moment's　notice　lent　him　the
novelty　of　a　new　creation。

'Is　he　in　the　drawing…room？'　said　Paula　in　a　low　voice。

'No；　he　is　here。　　He　would　follow　me。　　I　hope　you　will　forgive
him。'

And　then　Paula　saw　emerge　into　the　red　beams　of　the　dancing
fire；　from　behind　a　half…drawn　hanging　which　screened　the
door；　the　military　gentleman　whose　acquaintance　the　reader　has
already　made。

'You　know　the　house；　doubtless；　Captain　De　Stancy？'　said
Paula；　somewhat　shyly；　when　he　had　been　presented　to　her。

'I　have　never　seen　the　inside　since　I　was　three　weeks　old；'
replied　the　artillery　officer　gracefully；　'and　hence　my
recollections　of　it　are　not　remarkably　distinct。　　A　year　or
two　before　I　was　born　the　entail　was　cut　off　by　my　father　and
grandfather；　so　that　I　saw　the　venerable　place　only　to　lose
it；　at　least；　I　believe　that's　the　truth　of　the　case。　　But　my
knowledge　of　the　transaction　is　not　profound；　and　it　is　a
delicate　point　on　which　to　question　one's　father。'

Paula　assented；　and　looked　at　the　interesting　and　noble　figure
of　the　man　whose　parents　had　seemingly　righted　themselves　at
the　expense　of　wronging　him。

'The　pictures　and　furniture　were　sold　about　the　same　time；　I
think？'　said　Charlotte。

'Yes；'　murmured　De　Stancy。　　'They　went　in　a　mad　bargain　of　my
father　with　his　visitor；　as　they　sat　over　their　wine。　　My
father　sat　down　as　host　on　that　occasion；　and　arose　as　guest。'

He　seemed　to　speak　with　such　a　courteous　absence　of　regret　for
the　alienation；　that　Paula；　who　was　always　fearing　that　the
recollection　would　rise　as　a　painful　shadow　between　herself
and　the　De　Stancys；　felt　reassured　by　his　magnanimity。

De　Stancy　looked　with　interest　round　the　gallery；　seeing　which
Paula　said　she　would　have　lights　brought　in　a　moment。

'No；　please　not；'　said　De　Stancy。　　'The　room　and　ourselves　are
of　so　much　more　interesting　a　colour　by　this　light！'

As　they　moved　hither　and　thither；　the　various　expressions　of
De　Stancy's　face　made　themselves　picturesquely　visible　in　the
unsteady　shine　of　the　blaze。　　In　a　short　time　he　had　drawn
near　to　the　painting　of　the　ancestor　whom　he　so　greatly
resembled。　　When　her　quick　eye　noted　the　speck　on　the　face；
indicative　of　inherited　traits　strongly　pronounced；　a　new　and
romantic　feeling　that　the　De　Stancys　had　stretched　out　a
tentacle　from　their　genealogical　tree　to　sei