第6章

“Willyoucomeoutshootingwithusto-morrow？“saidChristopher，whohad，onthewhole，formedafavorableimpressionofhissister\'sfriend。

“Iwon\'tshoot，butI\'llcomewithyou，“saidRalph。

“Don\'tyoucareaboutshooting？“askedEdward，whosesuspicionswerenotyetlaidtorest。

“I\'venevershotinmylife，“saidRalph，turningandlookinghimintheface，becausehewasnotsurehowthisconfessionwouldbereceived。

“Youwouldn\'thavemuchchanceinLondon，Isuppose，“saidChristopher。“Butwon\'tyoufinditratherdull——justwatchingus？“

“Ishallwatchbirds，“Ralphreplied，withasmile。

“Icanshowyoutheplaceforwatchingbirds，“saidEdward，“ifthat\'swhatyoulikedoing。IknowafellowwhocomesdownfromLondonaboutthistimeeveryyeartowatchthem。It\'sagreatplaceforthewildgeeseandtheducks。I\'veheardthismansaythatit\'soneofthebestplacesforbirdsinthecountry。“

“It\'saboutthebestplaceinEngland，“Ralphreplied。Theywereallgratifiedbythispraiseoftheirnativecounty；andMarynowhadthepleasureofhearingtheseshortquestionsandanswerslosetheirundertoneofsuspiciousinspection，sofarasherbrotherswereconcerned，anddevelopintoagenuineconversationaboutthehabitsofbirdswhichafterwardsturnedtoadiscussionastothehabitsofsolicitors，inwhichitwasscarcelynecessaryforhertotakepart。

ShewaspleasedtoseethatherbrotherslikedRalph，totheextent，thatis，ofwishingtosecurehisgoodopinion。Whetherornothelikedthemitwasimpossibletotellfromhiskindbutexperiencedmanner。Nowandthenshefedthefirewithafreshlog，andastheroomfilledwiththefine，dryheatofburningwood，theyall，withtheexceptionofElizabeth，whowasoutsidetherangeofthefire，feltlessandlessanxiousabouttheeffecttheyweremaking，andmoreandmoreinclinedforsleep。Atthismomentavehementscratchingwasheardonthedoor。

“Piper！——oh，damn！——Ishallhavetogetup，“murmuredChristopher。

“It\'snotPiper，it\'sPitch，“Edwardgrunted。

“Allthesame，Ishallhavetogetup，“Christophergrumbled。Heletinthedog，andstoodforamomentbythedoor，whichopenedintothegarden，torevivehimselfwithadraughtoftheblack，starlitair。

“Docomeinandshutthedoor！“Marycried，halfturninginherchair。

“Weshallhaveafinedayto-morrow，“saidChristopherwithcomplacency，andhesathimselfontheflooratherfeet，andleanthisbackagainstherknees，andstretchedouthislongstockingedlegstothefire——allsignsthathefeltnolongeranyrestraintatthepresenceofthestranger。Hewastheyoungestofthefamily，andMary\'sfavorite，partlybecausehischaracterresembledhers，asEdward\'scharacterresembledElizabeth\'s。Shemadeherkneesacomfortablerestforhishead，andranherfingersthroughhishair。

“IshouldlikeMarytostrokemyheadlikethat，“Ralphthoughttohimselfsuddenly，andhelookedatChristopher，almostaffectionately，forcallingforthhissister\'scaresses。InstantlyhethoughtofKatharine，thethoughtofherbeingsurroundedbythespacesofnightandtheopenair；andMary，watchinghim，sawthelinesuponhisforeheadsuddenlydeepen。Hestretchedoutanarmandplacedaloguponthefire，constraininghimselftofititcarefullyintothefrailredscaffolding，andalsotolimithisthoughtstothisoneroom。

Maryhadceasedtostrokeherbrother\'shead；hemoveditimpatientlybetweenherknees，and，muchasthoughhewereachild，shebeganoncemoretopartthethick，reddish-coloredlocksthiswayandthat。Butafarstrongerpassionhadtakenpossessionofhersoulthananyherbrothercouldinspireinher，and，seeingRalph\'schangeofexpression，herhandalmostautomaticallycontinueditsmovements，whilehermindplungeddesperatelyforsomeholduponslipperybanks。

CHAPTERXVI

Intothatsameblacknight，almost，indeed，intotheverysamelayerofstarlitair，KatharineHilberywasnowgazing，althoughnotwithaviewtotheprospectsofafinedayforduckshootingonthemorrow。

ShewaswalkingupanddownagravelpathinthegardenofStogdonHouse，hersightoftheheavensbeingpartiallyinterceptedbythelightleaflesshoopsofapergola。ThusasprayofclematiswouldcompletelyobscureCassiopeia，orblotoutwithitsblackpatternmyriadsofmilesoftheMilkyWay。Attheendofthepergola，however，therewasastoneseat，fromwhichtheskycouldbeseencompletelysweptclearofanyearthlyinterruption，savetotheright，indeed，wherealineofelm-treeswasbeautifullysprinkledwithstars，andalowstablebuildinghadafulldropofquiveringsilverjustissuingfromthemouthofthechimney。Itwasamoonlessnight，butthelightofthestarswassufficienttoshowtheoutlineoftheyoungwoman\'sform，andtheshapeofherfacegazinggravely，indeedalmoststernly，intothesky。Shehadcomeoutintothewinter\'snight，whichwasmildenough，notsomuchtolookwithscientificeyesuponthestars，astoshakeherselffreefromcertainpurelyterrestrialdiscontents。Muchasaliterarypersoninlikecircumstanceswouldbegin，absent-mindedly，pullingoutvolumeaftervolume，soshesteppedintothegardeninordertohavethestarsathand，eventhoughshedidnotlookatthem。Nottobehappy，whenshewassupposedtobehappierthanshewouldeverbeagain——that，asfarasshecouldsee，wastheoriginofadiscontentwhichhadbegunalmostassoonasshearrived，twodaysbefore，andseemednowsointolerablethatshehadleftthefamilyparty，andcomeoutheretoconsideritbyherself。Itwasnotshewhothoughtherselfunhappy，buthercousins，whothoughtitforher。Thehousewasfullofcousins，muchofherage，orevenyounger，andamongthemtheyhadsometerriblybrighteyes。TheyseemedalwaysonthesearchforsomethingbetweenherandRodney，whichtheyexpectedtofind，andyetdidnotfind；andwhentheysearched，KatharinebecameawareofwantingwhatshehadnotbeenconsciousofwantinginLondon，alonewithWilliamandherparents。Or，ifshedidnotwantit，shemissedit。Andthisstateofminddepressedher，becauseshehadbeenaccustomedalwaystogivecompletesatisfaction，andherself-lovewasnowalittleruffled。Shewouldhavelikedtobreakthroughthereservehabitualtoherinordertojustifyherengagementtosomeonewhoseopinionshevalued。Noonehadspokenawordofcriticism，buttheyleftheralonewithWilliam；notthatthatwouldhavemattered，iftheyhadnotleftheralonesopolitely；and，perhaps，thatwouldnothavematterediftheyhadnotseemedsoqueerlysilent，almostrespectful，inherpresence，whichgavewaytocriticism，shefelt，outofit。

Lookingnowandthenatthesky，shewentthroughthelistofhercousins\'names:Eleanor，Humphrey，Marmaduke，Silvia，Henry，Cassandra，Gilbert，andMostyn——Henry，thecousinwhotaughttheyoungladiesofBungaytoplayupontheviolin，wastheonlyoneinwhomshecouldconfide，andasshewalkedupanddownbeneaththehoopsofthepergola，shedidbeginalittlespeechtohim，whichransomethinglikethis:

“Tobeginwith，I\'mveryfondofWilliam。Youcan\'tdenythat。Iknowhimbetterthananyone，almost。ButwhyI\'mmarryinghimis，partly，Iadmit——I\'mbeingquitehonestwithyou，andyoumustn\'ttellanyone——partlybecauseIwanttogetmarried。Iwanttohaveahouseofmyown。Itisn\'tpossibleathome。It\'sallverywellforyou，Henry；

youcangoyourownway。Ihavetobetherealways。Besides，youknowwhatourhouseis。Youwouldn\'tbehappyeither，ifyoudidn\'tdosomething。Itisn\'tthatIhaven\'tthetimeathome——it\'stheatmosphere。“Here，presumably，sheimaginedthathercousin，whohadlistenedwithhisusualintelligentsympathy，raisedhiseyebrowsalittle，andinterposed:

“Well，butwhatdoyouwanttodo？“

Eveninthispurelyimaginarydialogue，Katharinefounditdifficulttoconfideherambitiontoanimaginarycompanion。

“Ishouldlike，“shebegan，andhesitatedquitealongtimebeforesheforcedherselftoadd，withachangeofvoice，“tostudymathematics——toknowaboutthestars。“

Henrywasclearlyamazed，buttookindtoexpressallhisdoubts；heonlysaidsomethingaboutthedifficultiesofmathematics，andremarkedthatverylittlewasknownaboutthestars。

Katharinethereuponwentonwiththestatementofhercase。

“Idon\'tcaremuchwhetherIevergettoknowanything——butIwanttoworkoutsomethinginfigures——somethingthathasn\'tgottodowithhumanbeings。Idon\'twantpeopleparticularly。Insomeways，Henry，I\'mahumbug——Imean，I\'mnotwhatyoualltakemefor。I\'mnotdomestic，orverypracticalorsensible，really。AndifIcouldcalculatethings，anduseatelescope，andhavetoworkoutfigures，andknowtoafractionwhereIwaswrong，Ishouldbeperfectlyhappy，andIbelieveIshouldgiveWilliamallhewants。“

Havingreachedthispoint，instincttoldherthatshehadpassedbeyondtheregioninwhichHenry\'sadvicecouldbeofanygood；and，havingridhermindofitssuperficialannoyance，shesatherselfuponthestoneseat，raisedhereyesunconsciouslyandthoughtaboutthedeeperquestionswhichshehadtodecide，sheknew，forherself。Wouldshe，indeed，giveWilliamallhewanted？Inordertodecidethequestion，sheranhermindrapidlyoverherlittlecollectionofsignificantsayings，looks，compliments，gestures，whichhadmarkedtheirintercourseduringthelastdayortwo。Hehadbeenannoyedbecauseabox，containingsomeclothesspeciallychosenbyhimforhertowear，hadbeentakentothewrongstation，owingtoherneglectinthematteroflabels。Theboxhadarrivedinthenickoftime，andhehadremarked，asshecamedownstairsonthefirstnight，thathehadneverseenherlookmorebeautiful。Sheoutshoneallhercousins。Hehaddiscoveredthatshenevermadeanuglymovement；healsosaidthattheshapeofherheadmadeitpossibleforher，unlikemostwomen，towearherhairlow。Hehadtwicereprovedherforbeingsilentatdinner；andonceforneverattendingtowhathesaid。HehadbeensurprisedattheexcellenceofherFrenchaccent，buthethoughtitwasselfishofhernottogowithhermothertocallupontheMiddletons，becausetheywereoldfamilyfriendsandverynicepeople。

Onthewhole，thebalancewasnearlyeven；and，writingdownakindofconclusioninhermindwhichfinishedthesumforthepresent，atleast，shechangedthefocusofhereyes，andsawnothingbutthestars。

To-nighttheyseemedfixedwithunusualfirmnessintheblue，andflashedbacksucharippleoflightintohereyesthatshefoundherselfthinkingthatto-nightthestarswerehappy。WithoutknowingorcaringmoreforChurchpracticesthanmostpeopleofherage，KatharinecouldnotlookintotheskyatChristmastimewithoutfeelingthat，atthisoneseason，theHeavensbendovertheearthwithsympathy，andsignalwithimmortalradiancethatthey，too，takepartinherfestival。Somehow，itseemedtoherthattheywereevennowbeholdingtheprocessionofkingsandwisemenuponsomeroadonadistantpartoftheearth。Andyet，aftergazingforanothersecond，thestarsdidtheirusualworkuponthemind，frozetocindersthewholeofourshorthumanhistory，andreducedthehumanbodytoanape-like，furryform，crouchingamidthebrushwoodofabarbarousclodofmud。Thisstagewassoonsucceededbyanother，inwhichtherewasnothingintheuniversesavestarsandthelightofstars；asshelookedupthepupilsofhereyessodilatedwithstarlightthatthewholeofherseemeddissolvedinsilverandspiltovertheledgesofthestarsforeverandeverindefinitelythroughspace。Somehowsimultaneously，thoughincongruously，shewasridingwiththemagnanimousheroupontheshoreorunderforesttrees，andsomighthavecontinuedwereitnotfortherebukeforciblyadministeredbythebody，which，contentwiththenormalconditionsoflife，innowayfurthersanyattemptonthepartofthemindtoalterthem。Shegrewcold，shookherself，rose，andwalkedtowardsthehouse。

Bythelightofthestars，StogdonHouselookedpaleandromantic，andabouttwiceitsnaturalsize。Builtbyaretiredadmiralintheearlyyearsofthenineteenthcentury，thecurvingbowwindowsofthefront，nowfilledwithreddish-yellowlight，suggestedaportlythree-decker，sailingseaswherethosedolphinsandnarwhalswhodisportthemselvesupontheedgesofoldmapswerescatteredwithanimpartialhand。A

semicircularflightofshallowstepsledtoaverylargedoor，whichKatharinehadleftajar。Shehesitated，casthereyesoverthefrontofthehouse，markedthatalightburntinonesmallwindowuponanupperfloor，andpushedthedooropen。Foramomentshestoodinthesquarehall，amongmanyhornedskulls，sallowglobes，crackedoil-paintings，andstuffedowls，hesitating，itseemed，whethersheshouldopenthedooronherright，throughwhichthestiroflifereachedherears。Listeningforamoment，sheheardasoundwhichdecidedher，apparently，nottoenter；heruncle，SirFrancis，wasplayinghisnightlygameofwhist；itappearedprobablethathewaslosing。

Shewentupthecurvingstairway，whichrepresentedtheoneattemptatceremonyintheotherwiseratherdilapidatedmansion，anddownanarrowpassageuntilshecametotheroomwhoselightshehadseenfromthegarden。Knocking，shewastoldtocomein。Ayoungman，HenryOtway，wasreading，withhisfeetonthefender。Hehadafinehead，thebrowarchedintheElizabethanmanner，butthegentle，honesteyeswereratherskepticalthanglowingwiththeElizabethanvigor。Hegavetheimpressionthathehadnotyetfoundthecausewhichsuitedhistemperament。

Heturned，putdownhisbook，andlookedather。Henoticedherratherpale，dew-drenchedlook，asofonewhosemindisnotaltogethersettledinthebody。Hehadoftenlaidhisdifficultiesbeforeher，andguessed，insomewayshoped，thatperhapsshenowhadneedofhim。

Atthesametime，shecarriedonherlifewithsuchindependencethathescarcelyexpectedanyconfidencetobeexpressedinwords。

“Youhavefled，too，then？“hesaid，lookingathercloak。Katharinehadforgottentoremovethistokenofherstar-gazing。

“Fled？“sheasked。“Fromwhomd\'youmean？Oh，thefamilyparty。Yes，itwashotdownthere，soIwentintothegarden。“

“Andaren\'tyouverycold？“Henryinquired，placingcoalonthefire，drawingachairuptothegrate，andlayingasidehercloak。HerindifferencetosuchdetailsoftenforcedHenrytoactthepartgenerallytakenbywomeninsuchdealings。Itwasoneofthetiesbetweenthem。

“Thankyou，Henry，“shesaid。“I\'mnotdisturbingyou？“

“I\'mnothere。I\'matBungay，“hereplied。“I\'mgivingamusiclessontoHaroldandJulia。ThatwaswhyIhadtoleavethetablewiththeladies——I\'mspendingthenightthere，andIshan\'tbebacktilllateonChristmasEve。“

“HowIwish——“Katharinebegan，andstoppedshort。“Ithinkthesepartiesareagreatmistake，“sheaddedbriefly，andsighed。

“Oh，horrible！“heagreed；andtheybothfellsilent。

Hersighmadehimlookather。Shouldheventuretoaskherwhyshesighed？Washerreticenceaboutherownaffairsasinviolableasithadoftenbeenconvenientforratheranegoisticalyoungmantothinkit？ButsinceherengagementtoRodney，Henry\'sfeelingtowardsherhadbecomerathercomplex；equallydividedbetweenanimpulsetohurtherandanimpulsetobetendertoher；andallthetimehesufferedacuriousirritationfromthesensethatshewasdriftingawayfromhimforeveruponunknownseas。Onherside，directlyKatharinegotintohispresence，andthesenseofthestarsdroppedfromher，sheknewthatanyintercoursebetweenpeopleisextremelypartial；fromthewholemassofherfeelings，onlyoneortwocouldbeselectedforHenry\'sinspection，andthereforeshesighed。Thenshelookedathim，andtheireyesmeeting，muchmoreseemedtobeincommonbetweenthemthanhadappearedpossible。Atanyratetheyhadagrandfatherincommon；atanyratetherewasakindofloyaltybetweenthemsometimesfoundbetweenrelationswhohavenoothercausetolikeeachother，asthesetwohad。

“Well，what\'sthedateofthewedding？“saidHenry，themaliciousmoodnowpredominating。

“IthinksometimeinMarch，“shereplied。

“Andafterwards？“heasked。

“Wetakeahouse，Isuppose，somewhereinChelsea。“

“It\'sveryinteresting，“heobserved，stealinganotherlookather。

Shelaybackinherarm-chair，herfeethighuponthesideofthegrate，andinfrontofher，presumablytoscreenhereyes，sheheldanewspaperfromwhichshepickedupasentenceortwonowandagain。

Observingthis，Henryremarked:

“Perhapsmarriagewillmakeyoumorehuman。“

Atthissheloweredthenewspaperaninchortwo，butsaidnothing。

Indeed，shesatquitesilentforoveraminute。

“Whenyouconsiderthingslikethestars，ouraffairsdon\'tseemtomatterverymuch，dothey？“shesaidsuddenly。

“Idon\'tthinkIeverdoconsiderthingslikethestars，“Henryreplied。“I\'mnotsurethatthat\'snottheexplanation，though，“headded，nowobservinghersteadily。

“Idoubtwhetherthereisanexplanation，“sherepliedratherhurriedly，notclearlyunderstandingwhathemeant。

“What？Noexplanationofanything？“heinquired，withasmile。

“Oh，thingshappen。That\'saboutall，“sheletdropinhercasual，decidedway。

“Thatcertainlyseemstoexplainsomeofyouractions，“Henrythoughttohimself。

“Onething\'saboutasgoodasanother，andone\'sgottodosomething，“

hesaidaloud，expressingwhathesupposedtobeherattitude，muchinheraccent。Perhapsshedetectedtheimitation，forlookinggentlyathim，shesaid，withironicalcomposure:

“Well，ifyoubelievethatyourlifemustbesimple，Henry。“

“ButIdon\'tbelieveit，“hesaidshortly。

“NomoredoI，“shereplied。

“Whataboutthestars？“heaskedamomentlater。“Iunderstandthatyouruleyourlifebythestars？“

Sheletthispass，eitherbecauseshedidnotattendtoit，orbecausethetonewasnottoherliking。

Oncemoreshepaused，andthensheinquired:

“Butdoyoualwaysunderstandwhyyoudoeverything？Oughtonetounderstand？Peoplelikemymotherunderstand，“shereflected。“NowI

mustgodowntothem，Isuppose，andseewhat\'shappening。“

“Whatcouldbehappening？“Henryprotested。

“Oh，theymaywanttosettlesomething，“sherepliedvaguely，puttingherfeetontheground，restingherchinonherhands，andlookingoutofherlargedarkeyescontemplativelyatthefire。

“Andthenthere\'sWilliam，“sheadded，asifbyanafterthought。

Henryverynearlylaughed，butrestrainedhimself。

“Dotheyknowwhatcoalsaremadeof，Henry？“sheasked，amomentlater。

“Mares\'tails，Ibelieve，“hehazarded。

“Haveyoueverbeendownacoal-mine？“shewenton。

“Don\'tlet\'stalkaboutcoal-mines，Katharine，“heprotested。“Weshallprobablyneverseeeachotheragain。

Whenyou\'remarried——“

Tremendouslytohissurprise，hesawthetearsstandinhereyes。

“Whydoyouallteaseme？“shesaid。“Itisn\'tkind。“

Henrycouldnotpretendthathewasaltogetherignorantofhermeaning，though，certainly，hehadneverguessedthatshemindedtheteasing。Butbeforeheknewwhattosay，hereyeswereclearagain，andthesuddencrackinthesurfacewasalmostfilledup。

“Thingsaren\'teasy，anyhow，“shestated。

Obeyinganimpulseofgenuineaffection，Henryspoke。

“Promiseme，Katharine，thatifIcaneverhelpyou，youwillletme。“

Sheseemedtoconsider，lookingoncemoreintotheredofthefire，anddecidedtorefrainfromanyexplanation。

“Yes，Ipromisethat，“shesaidatlength，andHenryfelthimselfgratifiedbyhercompletesincerity，andbegantotellhernowaboutthecoal-mine，inobediencetoherloveoffacts。

Theywere，indeed，descendingtheshaftinasmallcage，andcouldhearthepicksoftheminers，somethinglikethegnawingofrats，intheearthbeneaththem，whenthedoorwasburstopen，withoutanyknocking。

“Well，hereyouare！“Rodneyexclaimed。BothKatharineandHenryturnedroundveryquicklyandratherguiltily。Rodneywasineveningdress。Itwasclearthathistemperwasruffled。

“That\'swhereyou\'vebeenallthetime，“herepeated，lookingatKatharine。

“I\'veonlybeenhereabouttenminutes，“shereplied。

“MydearKatharine，youleftthedrawing-roomoveranhourago。“

Shesaidnothing。

“Doesitverymuchmatter？“Henryasked。

Rodneyfoundithardtobeunreasonableinthepresenceofanotherman，anddidnotanswerhim。

“Theydon\'tlikeit，“hesaid。“Itisn\'tkindtooldpeopletoleavethemalone——althoughI\'venodoubtit\'smuchmoreamusingtosituphereandtalktoHenry。“

“Wewerediscussingcoal-mines，“saidHenryurbanely。

“Yes。Butweweretalkingaboutmuchmoreinterestingthingsbeforethat，“saidKatharine。

Fromtheapparentdeterminationtohurthimwithwhichshespoke，HenrythoughtthatsomesortofexplosiononRodney\'spartwasabouttotakeplace。

“Icanquiteunderstandthat，“saidRodney，withhislittlechuckle，leaningoverthebackofhischairandtappingthewoodworklightlywithhisfingers。Theywereallsilent，andthesilencewasacutelyuncomfortabletoHenry，atleast。

“Wasitverydull，William？“Katharinesuddenlyasked，withacompletechangeoftoneandalittlegestureofherhand。

“Ofcourseitwasdull，“Williamsaidsulkily。

“Well，youstayandtalktoHenry，andI\'llgodown，“shereplied。

Sheroseasshespoke，andassheturnedtoleavetheroom，shelaidherhand，withacuriouslycaressinggesture，uponRodney\'sshoulder。

InstantlyRodneyclaspedherhandinhis，withsuchanimpulseofemotionthatHenrywasannoyed，andratherostentatiouslyopenedabook。

“Ishallcomedownwithyou，“saidWilliam，asshedrewbackherhand，andmadeasiftopasshim。

“Ohno，“shesaidhastily。“YoustayhereandtalktoHenry。“

“Yes，do，“saidHenry，shuttinguphisbookagain。Hisinvitationwaspolite，withoutbeingpreciselycordial。Rodneyevidentlyhesitatedastothecourseheshouldpursue，butseeingKatharineatthedoor，heexclaimed:

“No。Iwanttocomewithyou。“

Shelookedback，andsaidinaverycommandingtone，andwithanexpressionofauthorityuponherface:

“It\'suselessforyoutocome。Ishallgotobedintenminutes。Goodnight。“

Shenoddedtothemboth，butHenrycouldnothelpnoticingthatherlastnodwasinhisdirection。Rodneysatdownratherheavily。

HismortificationwassoobviousthatHenryscarcelylikedtoopentheconversationwithsomeremarkofaliterarycharacter。Ontheotherhand，unlesshecheckedhim，Rodneymightbegintotalkabouthisfeelings，andirreticenceisapttobeextremelypainful，atanyrateinprospect。Hethereforeadoptedamiddlecourse；thatistosay，hewroteanoteuponthefly-leafofhisbook，whichran，“Thesituationisbecomingmostuncomfortable。“Thishedecoratedwiththoseflourishesanddecorativeborderswhichgrowofthemselvesupontheseoccasions；andashedidso，hethoughttohimselfthatwhateverKatharine\'sdifficultiesmightbe，theydidnotjustifyherbehavior。

Shehadspokenwithakindofbrutalitywhichsuggestedthat，whetheritisnaturalorassumed，womenhaveapeculiarblindnesstothefeelingsofmen。

ThepencilingofthisnotegaveRodneytimetorecoverhimself。

Perhaps，forhewasaveryvainman，hewasmorehurtthatHenryhadseenhimrebuffedthanbytherebuffitself。HewasinlovewithKatharine，andvanityisnotdecreasedbutincreasedbylove；

especially，onemayhazard，inthepresenceofone\'sownsex。ButRodneyenjoyedthecouragewhichspringsfromthatlaughableandlovabledefect，andwhenhehadmasteredhisfirstimpulse，insomewaytomakeafoolofhimself，hedrewinspirationfromtheperfectfitofhiseveningdress。Hechoseacigarette，tappeditonthebackofhishand，displayedhisexquisitepumpsontheedgeofthefender，andsummonedhisself-respect。

“You\'veseveralbigestatesroundhere，Otway，“hebegan。“Anygoodhunting？Letmesee，whatpackwoulditbe？Who\'syourgreatman？“

“SirWilliamBudge，thesugarking，hasthebiggestestate。HeboughtoutpoorStanham，whowentbankrupt。“

“WhichStanhamwouldthatbe？VerneyorAlfred？“

“Alfred……Idon\'thuntmyself。You\'reagreathuntsman，aren\'tyou？Youhaveagreatreputationasahorseman，anyhow，“headded，desiringtohelpRodneyinhisefforttorecoverhiscomplacency。

“Oh，Iloveriding，“Rodneyreplied。“CouldIgetahorsedownhere？

Stupidofme！Iforgottobringanyclothes。Ican\'timagine，though，whotoldyouIwasanythingofarider？“

Totellthetruth，Henrylaboredunderthesamedifficulty；hedidnotwishtointroduceKatharine\'sname，and，therefore，herepliedvaguelythathehadalwaysheardthatRodneywasagreatrider。Intruth，hehadheardverylittleabouthim，onewayoranother，acceptinghimasafigureoftentobefoundinthebackgroundathisaunt\'shouse，andinevitably，thoughinexplicably，engagedtohiscousin。

“Idon\'tcaremuchforshooting，“Rodneycontinued；“butonehastodoit，unlessonewantstobealtogetheroutofthings。Idaresaythere\'ssomeveryprettycountryroundhere。IstayedonceatBolhamHall。YoungCranthorpewasupwithyou，wasn\'the？HemarriedoldLordBolham\'sdaughter。Verynicepeople——intheirway。“

“Idon\'tmixinthatsociety，“Henryremarked，rathershortly。ButRodney，nowstartedonanagreeablecurrentofreflection，couldnotresistthetemptationofpursuingitalittlefurther。Heappearedtohimselfasamanwhomovedeasilyinverygoodsociety，andknewenoughaboutthetruevaluesoflifetobehimselfaboveit。

“Oh，butyoushould，“hewenton。“It\'swellworthstayingthere，anyhow，onceayear。Theymakeoneverycomfortable，andthewomenareravishing。“

“Thewomen？“Henrythoughttohimself，withdisgust。“Whatcouldanywomanseeinyou？“Histolerancewasrapidlybecomingexhausted，buthecouldnothelplikingRodneynevertheless，andthisappearedtohimstrange，forhewasfastidious，andsuchwordsinanothermouthwouldhavecondemnedthespeakerirreparably。Hebegan，inshort，towonderwhatkindofcreaturethismanwhowastomarryhiscousinmightbe。

Couldanyone，exceptarathersingularcharacter，affordtobesoridiculouslyvain？

“Idon\'tthinkIshouldgetoninthatsociety，“hereplied。“Idon\'tthinkIshouldknowwhattosaytoLadyRoseifImether。“

“Idon\'tfindanydifficulty，“Rodneychuckled。“Youtalktothemabouttheirchildren，iftheyhaveany，ortheiraccomplishments——

painting，gardening，poetry——they\'resodelightfullysympathetic。

Seriously，youknowIthinkawoman\'sopinionofone\'spoetryisalwaysworthhaving。Don\'taskthemfortheirreasons。Justaskthemfortheirfeelings。Katharine，forexample——“

“Katharine，“saidHenry，withanemphasisuponthename，almostasifheresentedRodney\'suseofit，“Katharineisveryunlikemostwomen。“

“Quite，“Rodneyagreed。“Sheis——“Heseemedabouttodescribeher，andhehesitatedforalongtime。“She\'slookingverywell，“hestated，orratheralmostinquired，inadifferenttonefromthatinwhichhehadbeenspeaking。Henrybenthishead。

“But，asafamily，you\'regiventomoods，eh？“

“NotKatharine，“saidHenry，withdecision。

“NotKatharine，“Rodneyrepeated，asifheweighedthemeaningofthewords。“No，perhapsyou\'reright。Butherengagementhaschangedher。

Naturally，“headded，“onewouldexpectthattobeso。“HewaitedforHenrytoconfirmthisstatement，butHenryremainedsilent。

“Katharinehashadadifficultlife，insomeways，“hecontinued。“I

expectthatmarriagewillbegoodforher。Shehasgreatpowers。“

“Great，“saidHenry，withdecision。

“Yes——butnowwhatdirectiond\'youthinktheytake？“

Rodneyhadcompletelydroppedhisposeasamanoftheworld，andseemedtobeaskingHenrytohelphiminadifficulty。

“Idon\'tknow，“Henryhesitatedcautiously。

“D\'youthinkchildren——ahousehold——thatsortofthing——d\'youthinkthat\'llsatisfyher？Mind，I\'moutallday。“

“Shewouldcertainlybeverycompetent，“Henrystated。

“Oh，she\'swonderfullycompetent，“saidRodney。“But——Igetabsorbedinmypoetry。Well，Katharinehasn\'tgotthat。Sheadmiresmypoetry，youknow，butthatwouldn\'tbeenoughforher？“

“No，“saidHenry。Hepaused。“Ithinkyou\'reright，“headded，asifheweresumminguphisthoughts。“Katharinehasn\'tfoundherselfyet。

Lifeisn\'taltogetherrealtoheryet——Isometimesthink——“

“Yes？“Rodneyinquired，asifhewereeagerforHenrytocontinue。

“ThatiswhatI——“hewasgoingon，asHenryremainedsilent，butthesentencewasnotfinished，forthedooropened，andtheywereinterruptedbyHenry\'syoungerbrotherGilbert，muchtoHenry\'srelief，forhehadalreadysaidmorethanheliked。

CHAPTERXVII

Whenthesunshone，asitdidwithunusualbrightnessthatChristmasweek，itrevealedmuchthatwasfadedandnotaltogetherwell-kept-upinStogdonHouseanditsgrounds。Intruth，SirFrancishadretiredfromserviceundertheGovernmentofIndiawithapensionthatwasnotadequate，inhisopinion，tohisservices，asitcertainlywasnotadequatetohisambitions。Hiscareerhadnotcomeuptohisexpectations，andalthoughhewasaveryfine，white-whiskered，mahogany-coloredoldmantolookat，andhadlaiddownaverychoicecellarofgoodreadingandgoodstories，youcouldnotlongremainignorantofthefactthatsomethunder-stormhadsouredthem；hehadagrievance。Thisgrievancedatedbacktothemiddleyearsofthelastcentury，when，owingtosomeofficialintrigue，hismeritshadbeenpassedoverinadisgracefulmannerinfavorofanother，hisjunior。

Therightsandwrongsofthestory，presumingthattheyhadsomeexistenceinfact，werenolongerclearlyknowntohiswifeandchildren；butthisdisappointmenthadplayedaverylargepartintheirlives，andhadpoisonedthelifeofSirFrancismuchasadisappointmentinloveissaidtopoisonthewholelifeofawoman。

Longbroodingonhisfailure，continualarrangementandrearrangementofhisdesertsandrebuffs，hadmadeSirFrancismuchofanegoist，andinhisretirementhistemperbecameincreasinglydifficultandexacting。

Hiswifenowofferedsolittleresistancetohismoodsthatshewaspracticallyuselesstohim。HemadehisdaughterEleanorintohischiefconfidante，andtheprimeofherlifewasbeingrapidlyconsumedbyherfather。Toherhedictatedthememoirswhichweretoavengehismemory，andshehadtoassurehimconstantlythathistreatmenthadbeenadisgrace。Already，attheageofthirty-five，hercheekswerewhiteningashermother\'shadwhitened，butforhertherewouldbenomemoriesofIndiansunsandIndianrivers，andclamorofchildreninanursery；shewouldhaveverylittleofsubstancetothinkaboutwhenshesat，asLadyOtwaynowsat，knittingwhitewool，withhereyesfixedalmostperpetuallyuponthesameembroideredbirduponthesamefire-screen。ButthenLadyOtwaywasoneofthepeopleforwhomthegreatmake-believegameofEnglishsociallifehasbeeninvented；shespentmostofhertimeinpretendingtoherselfandherneighborsthatshewasadignified，important，much-occupiedperson，ofconsiderablesocialstandingandsufficientwealth。Inviewoftheactualstateofthingsthisgameneededagreatdealofskill；and，perhaps，attheageshehadreached——shewasoversixty——sheplayedfarmoretodeceiveherselfthantodeceiveanyoneelse。Moreover，thearmorwaswearingthin；sheforgottokeepupappearancesmoreandmore。

Thewornpatchesinthecarpets，andthepallorofthedrawing-room，wherenochairorcoverhadbeenrenewedforsomeyears，wereduenotonlytothemiserablepension，buttothewearandtearoftwelvechildren，eightofwhomweresons。Asoftenhappensintheselargefamilies，adistinctdividing-linecouldbetraced，abouthalf-wayinthesuccession，wherethemoneyforeducationalpurposeshadrunshort，andthesixyoungerchildrenhadgrownupfarmoreeconomicallythantheelder。Iftheboyswereclever，theywonscholarships，andwenttoschool；iftheywerenotclever，theytookwhatthefamilyconnectionhadtoofferthem。Thegirlsacceptedsituationsoccasionally，buttherewerealwaysoneortwoathome，nursingsickanimals，tendingsilkworms，orplayingthefluteintheirbedrooms。

Thedistinctionbetweentheelderchildrenandtheyoungercorrespondedalmosttothedistinctionbetweenahigherclassandalowerone，forwithonlyahaphazardeducationandinsufficientallowances，theyoungerchildrenhadpickedupaccomplishments，friends，andpointsofviewwhichwerenottobefoundwithinthewallsofapublicschoolorofaGovernmentoffice。Betweenthetwodivisionstherewasconsiderablehostility，theeldertryingtopatronizetheyounger，theyoungerrefusingtorespecttheelder；butonefeelingunitedthemandinstantlyclosedanyriskofabreach——

theircommonbeliefinthesuperiorityoftheirownfamilytoallothers。Henrywastheeldestoftheyoungergroup，andtheirleader；

heboughtstrangebooksandjoinedoddsocieties；hewentwithoutatieforawholeyear，andhadsixshirtsmadeofblackflannel。Hehadlongrefusedtotakeaseateitherinashippingofficeorinatea-merchant\'swarehouse；andpersisted，inspiteofthedisapprovalofunclesandaunts，inpracticingbothviolinandpiano，withtheresultthathecouldnotperformprofessionallyuponeither。Indeed，forthirty-twoyearsoflifehehadnothingmoresubstantialtoshowthanamanuscriptbookcontainingthescoreofhalfanopera。Inthisprotestofhis，Katharinehadalwaysgivenhimhersupport，andasshewasgenerallyheldtobeanextremelysensibleperson，whodressedtoowelltobeeccentric，hehadfoundhersupportofsomeuse。Indeed，whenshecamedownatChristmassheusuallyspentagreatpartofhertimeinprivateconferenceswithHenryandwithCassandra，theyoungestgirl，towhomthesilkwormsbelonged。Withtheyoungersectionshehadagreatreputationforcommonsense，andforsomethingthattheydespisedbutinwardlyrespectedandcalledknowledgeoftheworld——thatistosay，ofthewayinwhichrespectableelderlypeople，goingtotheirclubsanddiningoutwithministers，thinkandbehave。

ShehadmorethanonceplayedthepartofambassadorbetweenLadyOtwayandherchildren。Thatpoorlady，forinstance，consultedherforadvicewhen，oneday，sheopenedCassandra\'sbedroomdooronamissionofdiscovery，andfoundtheceilinghungwithmulberry-leaves，thewindowsblockedwithcages，andthetablesstackedwithhome-mademachinesforthemanufactureofsilkdresses。

“Iwishyoucouldhelphertotakeaninterestinsomethingthatotherpeopleareinterestedin，Katharine，“sheobserved，ratherplaintively，detailinghergrievances。“It\'sallHenry\'sdoing，youknow，givingupherpartiesandtakingtothesenastyinsects。Itdoesn\'tfollowthatifamancandoathingawomanmaytoo。“

ThemorningwassufficientlybrighttomakethechairsandsofasinLadyOtway\'sprivatesitting-roomappearmorethanusuallyshabby，andthegallantgentlemen，herbrothersandcousins，whohaddefendedtheEmpireandlefttheirbonesonmanyfrontiers，lookedattheworldthroughafilmofyellowwhichthemorninglightseemedtohavedrawnacrosstheirphotographs。LadyOtwaysighed，itmaybeatthefadedrelics，andturned，withresignation，toherballsofwool，which，curiouslyandcharacteristically，werenotanivory-white，butratheratarnishedyellow-white。Shehadcalledhernieceinforalittlechat。Shehadalwaystrustedher，andnowmorethanever，sinceherengagementtoRodney，whichseemedtoLadyOtwayextremelysuitable，andjustwhatonewouldwishforone\'sowndaughter。Katharineunwittinglyincreasedherreputationforwisdombyaskingtobegivenknitting-needlestoo。

“It\'ssoverypleasant，“saidLadyOtway，“toknitwhileone\'stalking。Andnow，mydearKatharine，tellmeaboutyourplans。“

Theemotionsofthenightbefore，whichshehadsuppressedinsuchawayastokeepherawaketilldawn，hadleftKatharinealittlejaded，andthusmorematter-of-factthanusual。Shewasquitereadytodiscussherplans——housesandrents，servantsandeconomy——withoutfeelingthattheyconcernedherverymuch。Asshespoke，knittingmethodicallymeanwhile，LadyOtwaynoted，withapproval，theupright，responsiblebearingofherniece，towhomtheprospectofmarriagehadbroughtsomegravitymostbecominginabride，andyet，inthesedays，mostrare。Yes，Katharine\'sengagementhadchangedheralittle。

“Whataperfectdaughter，ordaughter-in-law！“shethoughttoherself，andcouldnothelpcontrastingherwithCassandra，surroundedbyinnumerablesilkwormsinherbedroom。

“Yes，“shecontinued，glancingatKatharine，withtheround，greenisheyeswhichwereasinexpressiveasmoistmarbles，“Katharineislikethegirlsofmyyouth。Wetooktheseriousthingsoflifeseriously。“

Butjustasshewasderivingsatisfactionfromthisthought，andwasproducingsomeofthehoardedwisdomwhichnoneofherowndaughters，alas！seemednowtoneed，thedooropened，andMrs。Hilberycamein，orrather，didnotcomein，butstoodinthedoorwayandsmiled，havingevidentlymistakentheroom。

“IneverSHALLknowmywayaboutthishouse！“sheexclaimed。“I\'monmywaytothelibrary，andIdon\'twanttointerrupt。YouandKatharinewerehavingalittlechat？“

Thepresenceofhersister-in-lawmadeLadyOtwayslightlyuneasy。HowcouldshegoonwithwhatshewassayinginMaggie\'spresence？forshewassayingsomethingthatshehadneversaid，alltheseyears，toMaggieherself。

“IwastellingKatharineafewlittlecommonplacesaboutmarriage，“

shesaid，withalittlelaugh。“Arenoneofmychildrenlookingafteryou，Maggie？“

“Marriage，“saidMrs。Hilbery，comingintotheroom，andnoddingherheadonceortwice，“Ialwayssaymarriageisaschool。Andyoudon\'tgettheprizesunlessyougotoschool。Charlottehaswonalltheprizes，“sheadded，givinghersister-in-lawalittlepat，whichmadeLadyOtwaymoreuncomfortablestill。Shehalflaughed，mutteredsomething，andendedonasigh。

“AuntCharlottewassayingthatit\'snogoodbeingmarriedunlessyousubmittoyourhusband，“saidKatharine，framingheraunt\'swordsintoafarmoredefiniteshapethantheyhadreallyworn；andwhenshespokethusshedidnotappearatallold-fashioned。LadyOtwaylookedatherandpausedforamoment。

“Well，Ireallydon\'tadviseawomanwhowantstohavethingsherownwaytogetmarried，“shesaid，beginningafreshrowratherelaborately。

Mrs。Hilberyknewsomethingofthecircumstanceswhich，asshethought，hadinspiredthisremark。Inamomentherfacewascloudedwithsympathywhichshedidnotquiteknowhowtoexpress。

“Whatashameitwas！“sheexclaimed，forgettingthathertrainofthoughtmightnotbeobvioustoherlisteners。“But，Charlotte，itwouldhavebeenmuchworseifFrankhaddisgracedhimselfinanyway。

Anditisn\'twhatourhusbandsGET，butwhattheyARE。Iusedtodreamofwhitehorsesandpalanquins，too；butstill，Iliketheink-potsbest。Andwhoknows？“sheconcluded，lookingatKatharine，“yourfathermaybemadeabaronetto-morrow。“

LadyOtway，whowasMr。Hilbery\'ssister，knewquitewellthat，inprivate，theHilberyscalledSirFrancis“thatoldTurk，“andthoughshedidnotfollowthedriftofMrs。Hilbery\'sremarks，sheknewwhatpromptedthem。

“Butifyoucangivewaytoyourhusband，“shesaid，speakingtoKatharine，asiftherewereaseparateunderstandingbetweenthem，“ahappymarriageisthehappiestthingintheworld。“

“Yes，“saidKatharine，“but——“Shedidnotmeantofinishhersentence，shemerelywishedtoinducehermotherandheraunttogoontalkingaboutmarriage，forshewasinthemoodtofeelthatotherpeoplecouldhelpheriftheywould。Shewentonknitting，butherfingersworkedwithadecisionthatwasoddlyunlikethesmoothandcontemplativesweepofLadyOtway\'splumphand。Nowandthenshelookedswiftlyathermother，thenatheraunt。Mrs。Hilberyheldabookinherhand，andwasonherway，asKatharineguessed，tothelibrary，whereanotherparagraphwastobeaddedtothatvariedassortmentofparagraphs，theLifeofRichardAlardyce。Normally，Katharinewouldhavehurriedhermotherdownstairs，andseenthatnoexcusefordistractioncameherway。Herattitudetowardsthepoet\'slife，however，hadchangedwithotherchanges；andshewascontenttoforgetallaboutherschemeofhours。Mrs。Hilberywassecretlydelighted。Herreliefatfindingherselfexcusedmanifesteditselfinaseriesofsidelongglancesofslyhumorinherdaughter\'sdirection，andtheindulgenceputherinthebestofspirits。Wasshetobeallowedmerelytositandtalk？Itwassomuchpleasantertositinaniceroomfilledwithallsortsofinterestingoddsandendswhichshehadn\'tlookedatforayear，atleast，thantoseekoutonedatewhichcontradictedanotherinadictionary。

“We\'veallhadperfecthusbands，“sheconcluded，generouslyforgivingSirFrancisallhisfaultsinalump。“NotthatIthinkabadtemperisreallyafaultinaman。Idon\'tmeanabadtemper，“shecorrectedherself，withaglanceobviouslyinthedirectionofSirFrancis。“I

shouldsayaquick，impatienttemper。Most，infactALLgreatmenhavehadbadtempers——exceptyourgrandfather，Katharine，“andhereshesighed，andsuggestedthat，perhaps，sheoughttogodowntothelibrary。

“Butintheordinarymarriage，isitnecessarytogivewaytoone\'shusband？“saidKatharine，takingnonoticeofhermother\'ssuggestion，blindeventothedepressionwhichhadnowtakenpossessionofheratthethoughtofherowninevitabledeath。

“Ishouldsayyes，certainly，“saidLadyOtway，withadecisionmostunusualforher。

“Thenoneoughttomakeupone\'smindtothatbeforeoneismarried，“

Katharinemused，seemingtoaddressherself。

Mrs。Hilberywasnotmuchinterestedintheseremarks，whichseemedtohaveamelancholytendency，andtoreviveherspiritsshehadrecoursetoaninfallibleremedy——shelookedoutofthewindow。

“Dolookatthatlovelylittlebluebird！“sheexclaimed，andhereyelookedwithextremepleasureatthesoftsky。atthetrees，atthegreenfieldsvisiblebehindthosetrees，andattheleaflessbrancheswhichsurroundedthebodyofthesmallbluetit。Hersympathywithnaturewasexquisite。

“Mostwomenknowbyinstinctwhethertheycangiveitornot，“LadyOtwayslippedinquickly，inratheralowvoice，asifshewantedtogetthissaidwhilehersister-in-law\'sattentionwasdiverted。“Andifnot——wellthen，myadvicewouldbe——don\'tmarry。“

“Oh，butmarriageisthehappiestlifeforawoman，“saidMrs。

Hilbery，catchingthewordmarriage，asshebroughthereyesbacktotheroomagain。Thensheturnedhermindtowhatshehadsaid。

“It\'sthemostINTERESTINGlife，“shecorrectedherself。Shelookedatherdaughterwithalookofvaguealarm。Itwasthekindofmaternalscrutinywhichsuggeststhat，inlookingatherdaughteramotherisreallylookingatherself。Shewasnotaltogethersatisfied；butshepurposelymadenoattempttobreakdownthereservewhich，asamatteroffact，wasaqualitysheparticularlyadmiredanddependeduponinherdaughter。Butwhenhermothersaidthatmarriagewasthemostinterestinglife，Katharinefelt，asshewasapttodosuddenly，fornodefinitereason，thattheyunderstoodeachother，inspiteofdifferingineverypossibleway。Yetthewisdomoftheoldseemstoapplymoretofeelingswhichwehaveincommonwiththerestofthehumanracethantoourfeelingsasindividuals，andKatharineknewthatonlysomeoneofherownagecouldfollowhermeaning。Boththeseelderlywomenseemedtohertohavebeencontentwithsolittlehappiness，andatthemomentshehadnotsufficientforcetofeelcertainthattheirversionofmarriagewasthewrongone。InLondon，certainly，thistemperateattitudetowardherownmarriagehadseemedtoherjust。Whyhadshenowchanged？Whydiditnowdepressher？Itneveroccurredtoherthatherownconductcouldbeanythingofapuzzletohermother，orthatelderpeopleareasmuchaffectedbytheyoungastheyoungarebythem。Andyetitwastruethatlove——passion——whateveronechosetocallit，hadplayedfarlesspartinMrs。

Hilbery\'slifethanmighthaveseemedlikely，judgingfromherenthusiasticandimaginativetemperament。Shehadalwaysbeenmoreinterestedbyotherthings。LadyOtway，strangethoughitseemed，guessedmoreaccuratelyatKatharine\'sstateofmindthanhermotherdid。

“Whydon\'tweallliveinthecountry？“exclaimedMrs。Hilbery，oncemorelookingoutofthewindow。“I\'msureonewouldthinksuchbeautifulthingsifonelivedinthecountry。Nohorridslumhousestodepressone，notramsormotor-cars；andthepeoplealllookingsoplumpandcheerful。Isn\'ttheresomelittlecottagenearyou，Charlotte，whichwoulddoforus，withaspareroom，perhaps，incaseweaskedafrienddown？Andweshouldsavesomuchmoneythatweshouldbeabletotravel——“

“Yes。Youwouldfinditveryniceforaweekortwo，nodoubt，“saidLadyOtway。“Butwhathourwouldyoulikethecarriagethismorning？“

shecontinued，touchingthebell。

“Katharineshalldecide，“saidMrs。Hilbery，feelingherselfunabletopreferonehourtoanother。“AndIwasjustgoingtotellyou，Katharine，how，whenIwokethismorning，everythingseemedsoclearinmyheadthatifI\'dhadapencilIbelieveIcouldhavewrittenquitealongchapter。Whenwe\'reoutonourdriveIshallfindusahouse。Afewtreesroundit，andalittlegarden，apondwithaChineseduck，astudyforyourfather，astudyforme，andasittingroomforKatharine，becausethenshe\'llbeamarriedlady。“

AtthisKatharineshiveredalittle，drewuptothefire，andwarmedherhandsbyspreadingthemoverthetopmostpeakofthecoal。Shewishedtobringthetalkbacktomarriageagain，inordertohearAuntCharlotte\'sviews，butshedidnotknowhowtodothis。

“Letmelookatyourengagement-ring，AuntCharlotte，“shesaid，noticingherown。

Shetooktheclusterofgreenstonesandturneditroundandround，butshedidnotknowwhattosaynext。

“ThatpooroldringwasasaddisappointmenttomewhenIfirsthadit，“LadyOtwaymused。“I\'dsetmyheartonadiamondring，butI

neverlikedtotellFrank，naturally。HeboughtitatSimla。“

Katharineturnedtheringroundoncemore，andgaveitbacktoherauntwithoutspeaking。Andwhilesheturneditroundherlipssetthemselvesfirmlytogether，anditseemedtoherthatshecouldsatisfyWilliamasthesewomenhadsatisfiedtheirhusbands；shecouldpretendtolikeemeraldswhenshepreferreddiamonds。Havingreplacedherring，LadyOtwayremarkedthatitwaschilly，thoughnotmoresothanonemustexpectatthistimeofyear。Indeed，oneoughttobethankfultoseethesunatall，andsheadvisedthembothtodresswarmlyfortheirdrive。Heraunt\'sstockofcommonplaces，Katharinesometimessuspected，hadbeenlaidinonpurposetofillsilenceswith，andhadlittletodowithherprivatethoughts。Butatthismomenttheyseemedterriblyinkeepingwithherownconclusions，sothatshetookupherknittingagainandlistened，chieflywithaviewtoconfirmingherselfinthebeliefthattobeengagedtomarrysomeonewithwhomyouarenotinloveisaninevitablestepinaworldwheretheexistenceofpassionisonlyatraveller\'sstorybroughtfromtheheartofdeepforestsandtoldsorarelythatwisepeopledoubtwhetherthestorycanbetrue。ShedidherbesttolistentohermotheraskingfornewsofJohn，andtoherauntreplyingwiththeauthentichistoryofHilda\'sengagementtoanofficerintheIndianArmy，butshecasthermindalternatelytowardsforestpathsandstarryblossoms，andtowardspagesofneatlywrittenmathematicalsigns。Whenhermindtookthisturnhermarriageseemednomorethananarchwaythroughwhichitwasnecessarytopassinordertohaveherdesire。Atsuchtimesthecurrentofhernatureraninitsdeepnarrowchannelwithgreatforceandwithanalarminglackofconsiderationforthefeelingsofothers。Justasthetwoelderladieshadfinishedtheirsurveyofthefamilyprospects，andLadyOtwaywasnervouslyanticipatingsomegeneralstatementastolifeanddeathfromhersister-in-law，Cassandraburstintotheroomwiththenewsthatthecarriagewasatthedoor。

“Whydidn\'tAndrewstellmehimself？“saidLadyOtway，peevishly，blamingherservantsfornotlivinguptoherideals。

WhenMrs。HilberyandKatharinearrivedinthehall，readydressedfortheirdrive，theyfoundthattheusualdiscussionwasgoingforwardastotheplansoftherestofthefamily。Intokenofthis，agreatmanydoorswereopeningandshutting，twoorthreepeoplestoodirresolutelyonthestairs，nowgoingafewstepsup，andnowafewstepsdown，andSirFrancishimselfhadcomeoutfromhisstudy，withthe“Times“underhisarm，andacomplaintaboutnoiseanddraughtsfromtheopendoorwhich，atleast，hadtheeffectofbundlingthepeoplewhodidnotwanttogointothecarriage，andsendingthosewhodidnotwanttostaybacktotheirrooms。ItwasdecidedthatMrs。

Hilbery，Katharine，Rodney，andHenryshoulddrivetoLincoln，andanyoneelsewhowishedtogoshouldfollowonbicyclesorinthepony-

cart。EveryonewhostayedatStogdonHousehadtomakethisexpeditiontoLincolninobediencetoLadyOtway\'sconceptionoftherightwaytoentertainherguests，whichshehadimbibedfromreadinginfashionablepapersofthebehaviorofChristmaspartiesinducalhouses。Thecarriagehorseswerebothfatandaged，stilltheymatched；thecarriagewasshakyanduncomfortable，buttheOtwayarmswerevisibleonthepanels。LadyOtwaystoodonthetopmoststep，wrappedinawhiteshawl，andwavedherhandalmostmechanicallyuntiltheyhadturnedthecornerunderthelaurel-bushes，whensheretiredindoorswithasensethatshehadplayedherpart，andasighatthethoughtthatnoneofherchildrenfeltitnecessarytoplaytheirs。

Thecarriagebowledalongsmoothlyoverthegentlycurvingroad。Mrs。

Hilberydroppedintoapleasant，inattentivestateofmind，inwhichshewasconsciousoftherunninggreenlinesofthehedges，oftheswellingploughland，andofthemildbluesky，whichservedher，afterthefirstfiveminutes，forapastoralbackgroundtothedramaofhumanlife；andthenshethoughtofacottagegarden，withtheflashofyellowdaffodilsagainstbluewater；andwhatwiththearrangementofthesedifferentprospects，andtheshapingoftwoorthreelovelyphrases，shedidnotnoticethattheyoungpeopleinthecarriagewerealmostsilent。Henry，indeed，hadbeenincludedagainsthiswish，andrevengedhimselfbyobservingKatharineandRodneywithdisillusionedeyes；whileKatharinewasinastateofgloomyself-suppressionwhichresultedincompleteapathy。WhenRodneyspoketohersheeithersaid“Hum！“orassentedsolistlesslythatheaddressedhisnextremarktohermother。Hisdeferencewasagreeabletoher，hismannerswereexemplary；andwhenthechurchtowersandfactorychimneysofthetowncameintosight，sherousedherself，andrecalledmemoriesofthefairsummerof1853，whichfittedinharmoniouslywithwhatshewasdreamingofthefuture。

CHAPTERXVIII

ButotherpassengerswereapproachingLincolnmeanwhilebyotherroadsonfoot。Acountytowndrawstheinhabitantsofallvicarages，farms，countryhouses，andwaysidecottages，withinaradiusoftenmilesatleast，onceortwiceaweektoitsstreets；andamongthem，onthisoccasion，wereRalphDenhamandMaryDatchet。Theydespisedtheroads，andtooktheirwayacrossthefields；andyet，fromtheirappearance，itdidnotseemasiftheycaredmuchwheretheywalkedsolongasthewaydidnotactuallytripthemup。WhentheylefttheVicarage，theyhadbegunanargumentwhichswungtheirfeetalongsorhythmicallyintimewithitthattheycoveredthegroundatoverfourmilesanhour，andsawnothingofthehedgerows，theswellingplowland，orthemildbluesky。WhattheysawweretheHousesofParliamentandtheGovernmentOfficesinWhitehall。Theybothbelongedtotheclasswhichisconsciousofhavinglostitsbirthrightinthesegreatstructuresandisseekingtobuildanotherkindoflodgingforitsownnotionoflawandgovernment。Purposely，perhaps，MarydidnotagreewithRalph；

shelovedtofeelhermindinconflictwithhis，andtobecertainthathesparedherfemalejudgmentnoounceofhismalemuscularity。

Heseemedtoargueasfiercelywithherasifshewerehisbrother。

Theywerealike，however，inbelievingthatitbehoovedthemtotakeinhandtherepairandreconstructionofthefabricofEngland。Theyagreedinthinkingthatnaturehasnotbeengenerousintheendowmentofourcouncilors。Theyagreed，unconsciously，inamuteloveforthemuddyfieldthroughwhichtheytramped，witheyesnarrowedclosebytheconcentrationoftheirminds。Atlengththeydrewbreath，lettheargumentflyawayintothelimboofothergoodarguments，and，leaningoveragate，openedtheireyesforthefirsttimeandlookedaboutthem。Theirfeettingledwithwarmbloodandtheirbreathroseinsteamaroundthem。Thebodilyexercisemadethembothfeelmoredirectandlessself-consciousthanusual，andMary，indeed，wasovercomebyasortoflight-headednesswhichmadeitseemtoherthatitmatteredverylittlewhathappenednext。Itmatteredsolittle，indeed，thatshefeltherselfonthepointofsayingtoRalph:

“Iloveyou；Ishallneverloveanybodyelse。Marrymeorleaveme；

thinkwhatyoulikeofme——Idon\'tcareastraw。“Atthemoment，however，speechorsilenceseemedimmaterial，andshemerelyclappedherhandstogether，andlookedatthedistantwoodswiththerust-likebloomontheirbrown，andthegreenandbluelandscapethroughthesteamofherownbreath。Itseemedameretoss-upwhethershesaid，“I

loveyou，“orwhethershesaid，“Ilovethebeech-trees，“oronly“I

love——Ilove。“

“Doyouknow，Mary，“Ralphsuddenlyinterruptedher，“I\'vemadeupmymind。“

Herindifferencemusthavebeensuperficial，foritdisappearedatonce。Indeed，shelostsightofthetrees，andsawherownhanduponthetopmostbarofthegatewithextremedistinctness，whilehewenton:

“I\'vemadeupmymindtochuckmyworkandlivedownhere。Iwantyoutotellmeaboutthatcottageyouspokeof。However，Isupposethere\'llbenodifficultyaboutgettingacottage，willthere？“Hespokewithanassumptionofcarelessnessasifexpectinghertodissuadehim。

Shestillwaited，asifforhimtocontinue；shewasconvincedthatinsomeroundaboutwayheapproachedthesubjectoftheirmarriage。

“Ican\'tstandtheofficeanylonger，“heproceeded。“Idon\'tknowwhatmyfamilywillsay；butI\'msureI\'mright。Don\'tyouthinkso？“

“Livedownherebyyourself？“sheasked。

“Someoldwomanwoulddoforme，Isuppose，“hereplied。“I\'msickofthewholething，“hewenton，andopenedthegatewithajerk。Theybegantocrossthenextfieldwalkingsidebyside。

“Itellyou，Mary，it\'sutterdestruction，workingaway，dayafterday，atstuffthatdoesn\'tmatteradamntoanyone。I\'vestoodeightyearsofit，andI\'mnotgoingtostanditanylonger。Isupposethisallseemstoyoumad，though？“

BythistimeMaryhadrecoveredherself-control。

“No。Ithoughtyouweren\'thappy，“shesaid。

“Whydidyouthinkthat？“heasked，withsomesurprise。

“Don\'tyourememberthatmorninginLincoln\'sInnFields？“sheasked。

“Yes，“saidRalph，slackeninghispaceandrememberingKatharineandherengagement，thepurpleleavesstampedintothepath，thewhitepaperradiantundertheelectriclight，andthehopelessnesswhichseemedtosurroundallthesethings。

“You\'reright，Mary，“hesaid，withsomethingofaneffort，“thoughI

don\'tknowhowyouguessedit。“

Shewassilent，hopingthathemighttellherthereasonofhisunhappiness，forhisexcuseshadnotdeceivedher。

“Iwasunhappy——veryunhappy，“herepeated。SomesixweeksseparatedhimfromthatafternoonwhenhehadsatupontheEmbankmentwatchinghisvisionsdissolveinmistasthewatersswampastandthesenseofhisdesolationstillmadehimshiver。Hehadnotrecoveredintheleastfromthatdepression。Herewasanopportunityformakinghimselffaceit，ashefeltthatheoughtto；for，bythistime，nodoubt，itwasonlyasentimentalghost，betterexorcisedbyruthlessexposuretosuchaneyeasMary\'s，thanallowedtounderlieallhisactionsandthoughtsashadbeenthecaseeversincehefirstsawKatharineHilberypouringouttea。Hemustbegin，however，bymentioninghername，andthishefounditimpossibletodo。Hepersuadedhimselfthathecouldmakeanhoneststatementwithoutspeakinghername；hepersuadedhimselfthathisfeelinghadverylittletodowithher。

“Unhappinessisastateofmind，“hesaid，“bywhichImeanthatitisnotnecessarilytheresultofanyparticularcause。“

Thisratherstiltedbeginningdidnotpleasehim，anditbecamemoreandmoreobvioustohimthat，whateverhemightsay，hisunhappinesshadbeendirectlycausedbyKatharine。

“Ibegantofindmylifeunsatisfactory，“hestartedafresh。“Itseemedtomemeaningless。“Hepausedagain，butfeltthatthis，atanyrate，wastrue，andthatontheselineshecouldgoon。

“Allthismoney-makingandworkingtenhoursadayinanoffice，what\'sitFOR？Whenone\'saboy，yousee，one\'sheadissofullofdreamsthatitdoesn\'tseemtomatterwhatonedoes。Andifyou\'reambitious，you\'reallright；you\'vegotareasonforgoingon。Nowmyreasonsceasedtosatisfyme。PerhapsIneverhadany。That\'sverylikelynowIcometothinkofit。(Whatreasonisthereforanything，though？)Still，it\'simpossible，afteracertainage，totakeoneselfinsatisfactorily。AndIknowwhatcarriedmeon“——foragoodreasonnowoccurredtohim——“Iwantedtobethesaviorofmyfamilyandallthatkindofthing。Iwantedthemtogetonintheworld。Thatwasalie，ofcourse——akindofself-glorification，too。Likemostpeople，I

suppose，I\'velivedalmostentirelyamongdelusions，andnowI\'mattheawkwardstageoffindingitout。Iwantanotherdelusiontogoonwith。That\'swhatmyunhappinessamountsto，Mary。“

ThereweretworeasonsthatkeptMaryverysilentduringthisspeech，anddrewcuriouslystraightlinesuponherface。Inthefirstplace，Ralphmadenomentionofmarriage；inthesecond，hewasnotspeakingthetruth。

“Idon\'tthinkitwillbedifficulttofindacottage，“shesaid，withcheerfulhardness，ignoringthewholeofthisstatement。“You\'vegotalittlemoney，haven\'tyou？Yes，“sheconcluded，“Idon\'tseewhyitshouldn\'tbeaverygoodplan。“

Theycrossedthefieldincompletesilence。Ralphwassurprisedbyherremarkandalittlehurt，andyet，onthewhole，ratherpleased。HehadconvincedhimselfthatitwasimpossibletolayhiscasetruthfullybeforeMary，and，secretly，hewasrelievedtofindthathehadnotpartedwithhisdreamtoher。Shewas，ashehadalwaysfoundher，thesensible，loyalfriend，thewomanhetrusted；whosesympathyhecouldcountupon，providedhekeptwithincertainlimits。Hewasnotdispleasedtofindthatthoselimitswereveryclearlymarked。

Whentheyhadcrossedthenexthedgeshesaidtohim:

“Yes，Ralph，it\'stimeyoumadeabreak。I\'vecometothesameconclusionmyself。Onlyitwon\'tbeacountrycottageinmycase；

it\'llbeAmerica。America！“shecried。“That\'stheplaceforme！

They\'llteachmesomethingaboutorganizingamovementthere，andI\'llcomebackandshowyouhowtodoit。“

Ifshemeantconsciouslyorunconsciouslytobelittletheseclusionandsecurityofacountrycottage，shedidnotsucceed；forRalph\'sdeterminationwasgenuine。Butshemadehimvisualizeherinherowncharacter，sothathelookedquicklyather，asshewalkedalittleinfrontofhimacrosstheplowedfield；forthefirsttimethatmorninghesawherindependentlyofhimorofhispreoccupationwithKatharine。Heseemedtoseehermarchingahead，aratherclumsybutpowerfulandindependentfigure，forwhosecouragehefeltthegreatestrespect。

“Don\'tgoaway，Mary！“heexclaimed，andstopped。

“That\'swhatyousaidbefore，Ralph，“shereturned，withoutlookingathim。“Youwanttogoawayyourselfandyoudon\'twantmetogoaway。

That\'snotverysensible，isit？“

“Mary，“hecried，stungbytheremembranceofhisexactinganddictatorialwayswithher，“whatabruteI\'vebeentoyou！“

Ittookallherstrengthtokeepthetearsfromspringing，andtothrustbackherassurancethatshewouldforgivehimtillDoomsdayifhechose。Shewaspreservedfromdoingsoonlybyastubbornkindofrespectforherselfwhichlayattherootofhernatureandforbadesurrender，eveninmomentsofalmostoverwhelmingpassion。Now，whenallwastempestandhigh-runningwaves，sheknewofalandwherethesunshoneclearuponItaliangrammarsandfilesofdocketedpapers。

Nevertheless，fromtheskeletonpallorofthatlandandtherocksthatbrokeitssurface，sheknewthatherlifetherewouldbeharshandlonelyalmostbeyondendurance。Shewalkedsteadilyalittleinfrontofhimacrosstheplowedfield。Theirwaytookthemroundthevergeofawoodofthintreesstandingattheedgeofasteepfoldintheland。

Lookingbetweenthetree-trunks，Ralphsawlaidoutontheperfectlyflatandrichlygreenmeadowatthebottomofthehillasmallgraymanor-house，withponds，terraces，andclippedhedgesinfrontofit，afarmbuildingorsoattheside，andascreenoffir-treesrisingbehind，allperfectlyshelteredandself-sufficient。Behindthehousethehillroseagain，andthetreesonthefarthersummitstooduprightagainstthesky，whichappearedofamoreintensebluebetweentheirtrunks。HismindatoncewasfilledwithasenseoftheactualpresenceofKatharine；thegrayhouseandtheintenseblueskygavehimthefeelingofherpresencecloseby。Heleantagainstatree，forminghernamebeneathhisbreath:

“Katharine，Katharine，“hesaidaloud，andthen，lookinground，sawMarywalkingslowlyawayfromhim，tearingalongsprayofivyfromthetreesasshepassedthem。Sheseemedsodefinitelyopposedtothevisionheheldinhismindthathereturnedtoitwithagestureofimpatience。

“Katharine，Katharine，“herepeated，andseemedtohimselftobewithher。Helosthissenseofallthatsurroundedhim；allsubstantialthings——thehouroftheday，whatwehavedoneandareabouttodo，thepresenceofotherpeopleandthesupportwederivefromseeingtheirbeliefinacommonreality——allthisslippedfromhim。Sohemighthavefeltiftheearthhaddroppedfromhisfeet，andtheemptybluehadhungallroundhim，andtheairhadbeensteepedinthepresenceofonewoman。Thechirpofarobinontheboughabovehisheadawakenedhim，andhisawakenmentwasaccompaniedbyasigh。Herewastheworldinwhichhehadlived；heretheplowedfield，thehighroadyonder，andMary，strippingivyfromthetrees。Whenhecameupwithherhelinkedhisarmthroughhersandsaid:

“Now，Mary，what\'sallthisaboutAmerica？“

Therewasabrotherlykindnessinhisvoicewhichseemedtohermagnanimous，whenshereflectedthatshehadcutshorthisexplanationsandshownlittleinterestinhischangeofplan。Shegavehimherreasonsforthinkingthatshemightprofitbysuchajourney，omittingtheonereasonwhichhadsetalltherestinmotion。Helistenedattentively，andmadenoattempttodissuadeher。Intruth，hefoundhimselfcuriouslyeagertomakecertainofhergoodsense，andacceptedeachfreshproofofitwithsatisfaction，asthoughithelpedhimtomakeuphismindaboutsomething。Sheforgotthepainhehadcausedher，andinplaceofitshebecameconsciousofasteadytideofwell-beingwhichharmonizedveryaptlywiththetrampoftheirfeetuponthedryroadandthesupportofhisarm。Thecomfortwasthemoreglowinginthatitseemedtobetherewardofherdeterminationtobehavetohimsimplyandwithoutattemptingtobeotherthanshewas。Insteadofmakingoutaninterestinthepoets，sheavoidedtheminstinctively，anddweltratherinsistentlyuponthepracticalnatureofhergifts。

Inapracticalwaysheaskedforparticularsofhiscottage，whichhardlyexistedinhismind，andcorrectedhisvagueness。

“Youmustseethatthere\'swater，“sheinsisted，withanexaggerationofinterest。Sheavoidedaskinghimwhathemeanttodointhiscottage，and，atlast，whenallthepracticaldetailshadbeenthrashedoutasmuchaspossible，herewardedherbyamoreintimatestatement。

“Oneoftherooms，“hesaid，“mustbemystudy，for，yousee，Mary，I\'mgoingtowriteabook。“Herehewithdrewhisarmfromhers，lithispipe，andtheytrampedoninasagaciouskindofcomradeship，themostcompletetheyhadattainedinalltheirfriendship。

“Andwhat\'syourbooktobeabout？“shesaid，asboldlyasifshehadnevercometogriefwithRalphintalkingaboutbooks。HetoldherunhesitatinglythathemeanttowritethehistoryoftheEnglishvillagefromSaxondaystothepresenttime。Somesuchplanhadlainasaseedinhismindformanyyears；andnowthathehaddecided，inaflash，togiveuphisprofession，theseedgrewinthespaceoftwentyminutesbothtallandlusty。Hewassurprisedhimselfatthepositivewayinwhichhespoke。Itwasthesamewiththequestionofhiscottage。Thathadcomeintoexistence，too，inanunromanticshape——asquarewhitehousestandingjustoffthehighroad，nodoubt，withaneighborwhokeptapigandadozensquallingchildren；fortheseplanswereshornofallromanceinhismind，andthepleasurehederivedfromthinkingofthemwascheckeddirectlyitpassedaverysoberlimit。Soasensiblemanwhohaslosthischanceofsomebeautifulinheritancemighttreadoutthenarrowboundsofhisactualdwelling-place，andassurehimselfthatlifeissupportablewithinitsdemesne，onlyonemustgrowturnipsandcabbages，notmelonsandpomegranates。CertainlyRalphtooksomeprideintheresourcesofhismind，andwasinsensiblyhelpedtorighthimselfbyMary\'strustinhim。Shewoundherivysprayroundherash-plant，andforthefirsttimeformanydays，whenalonewithRalph，setnospiesuponhermotives，sayings，andfeelings，butsurrenderedherselftocompletehappiness。

Thustalking，witheasysilencesandsomepausestolookattheviewoverthehedgeandtodecideuponthespeciesofalittlegray-brownbirdslippingamongthetwigs，theywalkedintoLincoln，andafterstrollingupanddownthemainstreet，decideduponaninnwheretheroundedwindowsuggestedsubstantialfare，norweretheymistaken。Foroverahundredandfiftyyearshotjoints，potatoes，greens，andapplepuddingshadbeenservedtogenerationsofcountrygentlemen，andnow，sittingatatableinthehollowofthebowwindow，RalphandMarytooktheirshareofthisperennialfeast。Lookingacrossthejoint，half-waythroughthemeal，MarywonderedwhetherRalphwouldevercometolookquiteliketheotherpeopleintheroom。Wouldhebeabsorbedamongtheroundpinkfaces，prickedwithlittlewhitebristles，thecalvesfittedinshinybrownleather，theblack-and-whitechecksuits，whichweresprinkledaboutinthesameroomwiththem？Shehalfhopedso；shethoughtthatitwasonlyinhismindthathewasdifferent。

Shedidnotwishhimtobetoodifferentfromotherpeople。Thewalkhadgivenhimaruddycolor，too，andhiseyeswerelitupbyasteady，honestlight，whichcouldnotmakethesimplestfarmerfeelillatease，orsuggesttothemostdevoutofclergymenadispositiontosneerathisfaith。Shelovedthesteepcliffofhisforehead，andcomparedittothebrowofayoungGreekhorseman，whoreinshishorsebacksosharplythatithalffallsonitshaunches。Healwaysseemedtoherlikearideronaspiritedhorse。Andtherewasanexaltationtoherinbeingwithhim，becausetherewasariskthathewouldnotbeabletokeeptotherightpaceamongotherpeople。Sittingoppositehimatthelittletableinthewindow，shecamebacktothatstateofcarelessexaltationwhichhadovercomeherwhentheyhaltedbythegate，butnowitwasaccompaniedbyasenseofsanityandsecurity，forshefeltthattheyhadafeelingincommonwhichscarcelyneededembodimentinwords。Howsilenthewas！leaninghisforeheadonhishand，nowandthen，andagainlookingsteadilyandgravelyatthebacksofthetwomenatthenexttable，withsolittleself-

consciousnessthatshecouldalmostwatchhismindplacingonethoughtsolidlyuponthetopofanother；shethoughtthatshecouldfeelhimthinking，throughtheshadeofherfingers，andshecouldanticipatetheexactmomentwhenhewouldputanendtohisthoughtandturnalittleinhischairandsay:

“Well，Mary——？“invitinghertotakeupthethreadofthoughtwherehehaddroppedit。

Andatthatverymomentheturnedjustso，andsaid:

“Well，Mary？“withthecurioustouchofdiffidencewhichshelovedinhim。

Shelaughed，andsheexplainedherlaughonthespurofthemomentbythelookofthepeopleinthestreetbelow。Therewasamotor-carwithanoldladyswathedinblueveils，andalady\'smaidontheseatopposite，holdingaKingCharles\'sspaniel；therewasacountry-womanwheelingaperambulatorfullofsticksdownthemiddleoftheroad；

therewasabailiffingaitersdiscussingthestateofthecattlemarketwithadissentingminister——soshedefinedthem。

Sheranoverthislistwithoutanyfearthathercompanionwouldthinkhertrivial。Indeed，whetheritwasduetothewarmthoftheroomortothegoodroastbeef，orwhetherRalphhadachievedtheprocesswhichiscalledmakingupone\'smind，certainlyhehadgivenuptestingthegoodsense，theindependentcharacter，theintelligenceshowninherremarks。Hehadbeenbuildingoneofthosepilesofthought，asramshackleandfantasticasaChinesepagoda，halffromwordsletfallbygentlemeningaiters，halffromthelitterinhisownmind，aboutduckshootingandlegalhistory，abouttheRomanoccupationofLincolnandtherelationsofcountrygentlemenwiththeirwives，when，fromallthisdisconnectedrambling，theresuddenlyformeditselfinhismindtheideathathewouldaskMarytomarryhim。Theideawassospontaneousthatitseemedtoshapeitselfofitsownaccordbeforehiseyes。Itwasthenthatheturnedroundandmadeuseofhisold，instinctivephrase:

“Well，Mary——？“