malvina of brittany-第6部分
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short。
〃I'll not be asking ye any questions;〃 said Mrs。 Muldoon; 〃so
there'll be no need for ye to imperil your immortal soul。 If ye'll
just give a thought to your own appearance and leave the colleen to
me and Drusilla; we'll make her maybe a bit dacent。
The reference to his own appearance disconcerted the Professor。 He
had not anticipated; when hastening into his dressing gown and
slippers and not bothering about his socks; that he was on his way
to meet the chief lady…in…waiting of Queen Harbundia。 Demanding
that shaving water should be immediately sent up to him; he appears
to have retired into the bathroom。
It was while he was shaving that Mrs。 Muldoon; knocking at the door;
demanded to speak to him。 From her tone the Professor came to the
conclusion that the house was on fire。 He opened the door; and Mrs。
Muldoon; seeing he was respectable; slipped in and closed it behind
her。
〃Where did ye find her? How did she get here?〃 demanded Mrs。
Muldoon。 Never before had the Professor seen Mrs。 Muldoon other
than a placid; good…humoured body。 She was trembling from head to
foot。
〃I told you;〃 explained the Professor。 〃Young Arthur〃
〃I'm not asking ye what ye told me;〃 interrupted Mrs。 Muldoon。 〃I'm
asking ye for the truth; if ye know it。〃
The Professor put a chair for Mrs。 Muldoon; and Mrs。 Muldoon dropped
down upon it。
〃What's the matter?〃 questioned the Professor。 〃What's happened?〃
Mrs。 Muldoon glanced round her; and her voice was an hysterical
whisper。
〃It's no mortal woman ye've brought into the house;〃 said Mrs。
Muldoon。 〃It's a fairy。〃
Whether up to that moment the Professor had really believed
Malvina's story; or whether lurking at the back of his mind there
had all along been an innate conviction that the thing was absurd;
the Professor himself is now unable to say。 To the front of the
Professor lay Oxfordpolitical economy; the higher criticism; the
rise and progress of rationalism。 Behind him; fading away into
the dim horizon of humanity; lay an unmapped land where for forty
years he had loved to wander; a spirit…haunted land of buried
mysteries; lost pathways; leading unto hidden gates of knowledge。
And now upon the trembling balance descended Mrs。 Muldoon plump。
〃How do you know?〃 demanded the Professor。
〃Shure; don't I know the mark?〃 replied Mrs。 Muldoon almost
contemptuously。 〃Wasn't my own sister's child stolen away the very
day of its birth and in its place〃
The little serving maid tapped at the door。
Mademoiselle was 〃finished。〃 What was to be done with her?
〃Don't ask me;〃 protested Mrs。 Muldoon; still in a terrified
whisper。 〃I couldn't do it。 Not if all the saints were to go down
upon their knees and pray to me。〃
Common…sense argument would not have prevailed with Mrs。 Muldoon。
The Professor felt that; added to which he had not any handy。 He
directed; through the door; that 〃Mademoiselle〃 should be shown into
the dining…room; and listened till Drusilla's footsteps had died
away。
〃Have you ever heard of the White Ladies?〃 whispered the Professor
to Mrs。 Muldoon。
There was not much in the fairy line; one takes it; that Mrs。
Muldoon had not heard of and believed。 Was the Professor sure?
The Professor gave Mrs。 Muldoon his word of honour as a gentleman。
The 〃White Ladies;〃 as Mrs。 Muldoon was of course aware; belonged to
the 〃good people。〃 Provided nobody offended her there was nothing
to fear。
〃Shure; it won't be meself that'll cross her;〃 said Mrs。 Muldoon。
〃She won't be staying very long;〃 added the Professor。 〃We will
just be nice to her。〃
〃She's got a kind face;〃 admitted Mrs。 Muldoon; 〃and a pleasant way
with her。〃 The good body's spirits were perceptibly rising。 The
favour of a 〃White Lady〃 might be worth cultivating。
〃We must make a friend of her;〃 urged the Professor; seizing his
opportunity。
〃And mind;〃 whispered the Professor as he opened the door for Mrs。
Muldoon to slip out; 〃not a word。 She doesn't want it known。〃
One is convinced that Mrs。 Muldoon left the bathroom resolved that;
so far as she could help it; no breath of suspicion that Malvina was
other than what in Drusilla's holiday frock she would appear to be
should escape into the village。 It was quite a pleasant little
frock of a summery character; with short sleeves and loose about the
neck; and fitted Malvina; in every sense; much better than the most
elaborate confection would have done。 The boots were not so
successful。 Malvina solved the problem by leaving them behind her;
together with the stockings; whenever she went out。 That she knew
this was wrong is proved by the fact that invariably she tried to
hide them。 They would be found in the most unlikely places; hidden
behind books in the Professor's study; crammed into empty tea
canisters in Mrs。 Muldoon's storeroom。 Mrs。 Muldoon was not to be
persuaded even to abstract them。 The canister with its contents
would be placed in silence upon the Professor's table。 Malvina on
returning would be confronted by a pair of stern; unsympathetic
boots。 The corners of the fairy mouth would droop in lines
suggestive of penitence and contrition。
Had the Professor been firm she would have yielded。 But from the
black accusing boots the Professor could not keep his eyes from
wandering to the guilty white feet; and at once in his heart
becoming 〃counsel for the defence。〃 Must get a pair of sandals next
time he went to Oxford。 Anyhow; something more dainty than those
grim; uncompromising boots。
Besides; it was not often that Malvina ventured beyond the orchard。
At least not during the day timeperhaps one ought to say not
during that part of the day time when the village was astir。 For
Malvina appears to have been an early riser。 Somewhere about the
middle of the night; as any Christian body would have timed it; Mrs。
Muldoonwaking and sleeping during this period in a state of high
nervous tensionwould hear the sound of a softly opened door;
peeping from a raised corner of the blind; would catch a glimpse of
fluttering garments that seemed to melt into the dawn; would hear
coming fainter and fainter from the uplands an unknown song;
mingling with the answering voices of the birds。
It was on the uplands between dawn and sunrise that Malvina made the
acquaintance of the Arlington twins。
They ought; of course; to have been in bedall three of them; for
the matter of that。 The excuse for the twins was their Uncle
George。 He had been telling them all about the Uffington spectre
and Wayland Smith's cave; and had given them 〃Puck〃 as a birthday
present。 They were always given their birthday presents between
them; because otherwise they did not care for them。 They had
retired to their respective bedrooms at ten o'clock and taken it in
turns to lie awake。 At the first streak of dawn Victoria; who had
been watching by her window; woke Victor; as arranged。 Victor was
for giving it up and going to sleep again; but Victoria reminding
him of the 〃oath;〃 they dressed themselves quite simply; and let
themselves down by the ivy。
They came across Malvina close to the tail of the White Horse。 They
knew she was a fairy the moment they saw her。 But they were not
frightenedat least not very much。 It was Victor who spoke first。
Taking off his hat and going down on one knee; he wished Malvina
good morning and hoped she was quite well。 Malvina; who seemed
pleased to see them; made answer; and here it was that Victoria took
charge of the affair。 The Arlington twins until they were nine had
shared a French nurse between them; and then Victor; going to
school; had gradually forgotten; while Victoria; remaining at home;
had continued her conversations with 〃madame。〃
〃Oh!〃 said Victoria。 〃Then you must be a French fairy。〃
Now the Professor had impressed upon Malvina that for reasons
needless to be explainedanyhow; he never had explained themshe
was not to mention that she was a fairy。 But he had not told her to
deny it。 Indeed how could she? The most that could be expected
from her was that she should maintain silence on the point。 So in
answer to Victoria she explained that her name was Malvina; and that
she had flown across from Brittany in company with 〃Sir Arthur;〃
adding that she had often heard of England and had wished to see it。
〃How do you like it?〃 demanded Victoria。
Malvina confessed herself charmed with it。 Nowhere had she ever met
so many birds。 Malvina raised her hand and they all three stood in
silence; listening。 The sky was ablaze and the air seemed filled
with their music。 The twins were sure that there were millions of
them。 They must have come from miles and miles and miles; to sing
to Malvina。
Also the people。 They were so good and kind and round。 Malvina for
the present was staying withaccepting the protection; was how she
put it; of the wise and learned Christopher。 The 〃habitation〃 could
be seen from where they stood; its chimneys peeping from among the
trees。 The twins exchanged a meaning glance。 Had they not all
along suspected the Professor! His black skull cap; and his big
hooked nose; and the yellow…leaved; worm…eaten booksof magic: all
doubts were now removedthat for hours he would sit poring over
through owlish gold…rimmed spectacles!
Victor's French was coming back to him。 He was anxious to know if
Malvina had ever met Sir Launcelot〃to talk to。〃
A little cloud gathered upon Malvina's face。 Yes; she had known
them all: King Uthur and Igraine and Sir Ulfias of the Isles。
Talked with them; walked with them in the fair lands of France。 (It
ought to have been England; but Malvina shook her head。 Maybe they
had travelled。) It was she who had saved Sir Tristram from the
wiles of Morgan le Fay。 〃Though that; of course;〃 explained
Malvina; 〃was never known。〃
The twins were curious why it should have been 〃of course;〃 but did
not like to interrupt again。 There were others before and after。
Most of them the twins had never heard of until they came to
Charlemagne; beyond which Malvina's reminiscences appeared to fade。
They had all of them been very courteous to her; and some of them
indeed quite charming。 But 。 。