第26章

Shelearnedfromhim，astheywalkedtogether，andhealsolearnedfromher，inamannerwhichbuiltforthemastheywentfrompointtopoint，acertaindegreeofdelicateintimacy，gradually，duringtheirramble，tendingtomakediscussionandquestionpossible。Herintelligentandbroadinterestintheworkontheestate，herfrankdesiretoacquiresuchpracticalinformationasshelacked，arousedinhimselfaninteresthehadpreviouslyseennoreasonthatheshouldfeel。Herealisedthathisoutlookupontheunusualsituationwasbeingilluminatedbyanintelligenceatoncebrilliantandfine，whileitwasalsofullofniceshading。Thesituation，ofcourse，WAS

unusual。Abeautifulyoungsister—in—lawappearinguponthedarkhorizonofashamefullyill—usedestate，andrestoring，withtouchesofawandofgold，whatafellowwhowasablackguardshouldhavesetinorderyearsago。ThatLadyAnstruthers’

moneyshouldhaverescuedherboy’sinheritanceinsteadofbeingspentuponlavishviciousnesswentwithoutsaying。WhatMountDunstanwasmoststruckbywastheperfectclearness，anditscombinationwithacertainjudicialgoodbreeding，inMissVanderpoel’sviewofthematter。Shemadenoconfidences，beautifullycandidashermannerwas，buthesawthatsheclearlyunderstoodthethingshewasdoing，andthatifhersisterhadhadnosonshewouldnothavedonethis，butsomethingtotallydifferent。HehadanideathatLadyAnstrutherswouldhavebeenswiftlyandlightlysweptbacktoNewYork，andSirNigellefttohisowndevices，inwhichcaseStornhamCourtanditsvillagewouldgraduallyhavecrumbledtodecay。ItwasforSirUghtredAnstrutherstheplacewasbeingrestored。Shewasquiteclearonthematterofentail。Hewonderedatfirst——notunnaturally——howagirlhadlearnedcertainthingsshehadanobviouslyclearknowledgeof。Astheycontinuedtoconversehelearned。ReubenS。Vanderpoelwaswithoutdoubtamanremarkablenotonlyinthematterofbeingtheownerofvastwealth。Therisingfloodofhismillionshadbornehimuponitsstrangesurfaceathinking，notanunthinkingbeing——infact，astrongandfineintelligence。Histhousandsofmilesofyearlyjourneyinginhissumptuousprivatecarhadbeenthemeansofhisaccumulatingnotmerelyaddedgains，butideas，pointsofview，emotions，ahumanoutlookworthcountingasanasset。Hisdaughter，whenshehadtravelledwithhim，hadseenandtalkedwithhimofallhehimselfhadseen。Whenshehadnotbeenhiscompanionshehadheardfromhimafterwardsallbestworthhearing。Shehadbecome——withoutanyspecialprocess——familiarwiththetechnicalitiesofhugebusinessschemes，withlawandcommerceandpoliticalsituations。Evenherchildishinterestintheworldofenterpriseandlabourhadbeenpassionate。Soshehadacquired——inevitably，whilealmostunconsciously——aremarkableeducation。

"IfhehadnotbeenHIMSELFhemighteasilyhavegrowntiredofalittlegirlconstantlywantingtohearthings——constantlyaskingquestions，"shesaid。"Buthedidnotgettired。Weinventedaspecialknockonthedoorofhisprivateroom。Itsaid，`MayI

comein，father？’Ifhewasbusyheansweredwithoneknockonhisdesk，andIwentaway。Ifhehadtimetotalkhecalledout，`Come，Betty，’andIwenttohim。Iusedtosituponthefloorandleanagainsthisknee。Hehadabeautifulwayofstrokingmyhairormyhandashetalked。Hetrustedme。Hetoldmeofgreatthingsevenbeforehehadtalkedofthemtomen。HeknewI

wouldneverspeakofwhatwassaidbetweenusinhisroom。Thatwaspartofhistrust。Hesaidoncethatitwasapartoftheevolutionofrace，thatmenhadbeguntoexpectofwomenwhatinpastagestheyreallyonlyexpectedofeachother。"

MountDunstanhesitatedbeforespeaking。

"Youmean——absolutefaith——apartfromaffection？"

"Yes。Thepowertobequitesilent，evenwhenoneistemptedtospeak——iftospeakmightbetraywhatitiswisertokeeptoone’sselfbecauseitisanotherman’saffair。Thekindofthingwhichisgoodfaithamongbusinessmen。Itappliestosmallthingsasmuchastolarge，andtootherthingsthanbusiness。"

MountDunstan，recallinghisownchildhoodandhisownfather，feltagainthepressureoftheremotementalsuggestionthatshehadhadtoomuch，achildhoodandgirlhoodlikethis，theaffectionandcompanionshipofamanoflargeandorderedintelligence，ofclearandjudicialoutlookuponanimmenseareaoflifeandexperience。Therewasnocauseforwonderthatheryoungwomanhoodwasallitpresentedtohimself，aswellastoothers。Recognisingtheshadowofresentmentinhisthought，hesweptitaway，aninwardsensemakingitcleartohimthatiftheirpositionshadbeenreversed，shewouldhavebeenmoregenerousthanhimself。

Hepulledhimselftogetherwithanunconsciousmovementofhisshoulders。HerewasthedayofearlyJune，thegoldofthesuninitsmorning，thegreenshadows，theturftheywalkedontogether，theskylarkrisingagainfromthemeadowandshoweringdownitssong。Whythinkofanythingelse。

Whatalinethatwaswhichsweptfromherchindownherlongslimthroattoitshollow！Thecolourbetweenthevelvetofherclose—setlashes——theremembranceofhercurioussplendidblush——madetheman’slostandunlivedyouthcomebacktohim。WhatdiditmatterwhethershewasAmericanorEnglish——whatdiditmatterwhethershewasinsolentlyrichorbeggarlypoor？Hewouldlethimselfgoandforgetallbutthepleasureofthesightandhearingofher。

Soastheywenttheyfoundthemselveslaughingtogetherandtalkingwithoutrestraint。Theywentthroughtheflowerandkitchengardens；theysawtheoncefallenwallrebuiltnowwiththeoldbrick；theyvisitedthegreenhousesandcameuponKedgersentrancedwithbusiness，butenrapturedatbeingcalledupontoshowhistreasures。Hiseyes，turningmagnetiseduponBetty，revealedthestoryofhissoul。MountDunstanremarkedthatwhenhespoketoherofhisflowersitwasasifthereexistedbetweenthemthesympathywhichmightbeengenderedbetweentwowhohadsatuptogethernightafternightwithdelicatechildren。

"He’sstrongerto—day，miss，"hesaid，astheypausedbeforeanewwonderfulbloom。"Whathe’sgettingnowisgoodforhim。Ihadtochangehisfood，miss，butthisseemsallright。Hiscolour’sbetter。"

Bettyherselfbentovertheflowerasshemighthavebentoverachild。Hereyessoftened，shetouchedaleafwithaslimfinger，asdelicatelyasifithadbeenanew—bornbaby’scheek。AsMountDunstanwatchedherhedrewastepnearertoherside。Forthefirsttimeinhislifehefelttheglowofanormalandsimplepleasureuntouchedbyanybitterness。

CHAPTERXXVIII

SETTINGTHEMTHINKING

OldDoby，sittingathisopenwindow，withhispipeandillustratedpapersonthetablebyhisside，begantofindlifeaseriesofthrills。Theadvantageofawindowgivinguponthevillagestreetunspeakablyincreased。Formanyyearshehadpreferredthechimneycornergreatly，andhadrejoicedatthedrawinginofwinterdayswhenafiremustbewellkeptup，andamanmightbendoverit，andrubhishandsslowlygazingintotheredcoalsorlittlepointedflameswhichseemedtheonlythingsaliveandworthythewatching。Theflameswereblueatthebaseandyellowatthetop，andjumpedlookingmerry，andcaughtatbitsofblackcoal，andsetthemcracklingandthrowingoffsplinterstilltheywereablazeandasmuchaliveastherest。Amancouldgetcomfortandentertainmenttherefrom。Therewasnaughtelsesogoodtolivewith。Nothinghappenedinthestreet，andeverydullfacethatpassedwasanoldstory，andtoldanoldtaleofstupefyinghardlabourandharddays。

Butnowthewindowwasabetterplacetositnear。Cartswentbywithmenwhistlingastheywalkedbythehorsesheads。LoadsofthingswantedforworkattheCourt。Newfacespassedfacesofworkmen——sometimesgrinning，"impidentyoungsters，"wholarkedwiththeyoungwomen，andcalledouttothemastheypassedtheircottages，ifagood—

lookingonewasloiteringabouthergardengate。OldDobychuckledattheirlove—makingchaff，rememberingdimlythatseventyyearsagohehadbeenjustasproperayoungchap，andhadmadeloveinthesameway。Lord，Lord，yes！Hehadbeenaboldyoungchapaseverwinkedaneye。Then，too，therewerethevans，heavy—loadedandclosed，andcomingalongslowly。Everyfewdays，atfirst，therehadcomeavanfrom"Lunnon。"GoingtotheCourt，ofcourse。Andtositthere，andhearthewomentalkaboutwhatmightbeinthem，andtotrytoguessone’sself，thatwasararepastime。FinethingsgoingtotheCourtthesedays——furnitureandgrandeurfillinguptheshabbyoremptyoldrooms，andmakingthemlooklikeotherbighouses——

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