father and son-第22部分

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of　life　ran　high。　Miss　Wilkes　had　a　small；　round　face；　with　melting　eyes；　and　when　she　lifted　her　head；　her　ringlets　seemed　to　vibrate　and　shiver　like　the　bells　of　a　pagoda。　She　had　a　charming　way　of　clasping　her　hands；　and　holding　them　against　her　bodice；　while　she　said；　'Oh；　butreally　now？'　in　a　manner　inexpressibly　engaging。　She　was　very　earnest；　and　she　had　a　pleading　way　of　calling　out：　'O；　but　aren't　you　teasing　me？'　which　would　have　brought　a　tiger　fawning　to　her　crinoline。

After　we　had　spent　a　full　year　without　any　social　distractions；　it　seems　that　our　circle　of　acquaintances　had　now　begun　to　extend；　in　spite　of　my　Father's　unwillingness　to　visit　his　neighbours。　He　was　a　fortress　that　required　to　be　stormed；　but　there　was　considerable　local　curiosity　about　him；　so　that　by…and…　by　escalading　parties　were　formed；　some　of　which　were　partly　successful。　In　the　first　place；　Charles　Kingsley　had　never　hesitated　to　come；　from　the　beginning；　ever　since　our　arrival。　He　had　reason　to　visit　our　neighbouring　town　rather　frequently；　and　on　such　occasions　he　always　marched　up　and　attacked　us。　It　was　extraordinary　how　persistent　he　was；　for　my　Father　must　have　been　a　very　trying　friend。　I　vividly　recollect　that　a　sort　of　cross…　examination　of　would…be　communicants　was　going　on　in　our　half…　furnished　drawing…room　one　weekday　morning；　when　Mr。　Kingsley　was　announced；　my　Father；　in　stentorian　tones；　replied：　'Tell　Mr。　Kingsley　that　I　am　engaged　in　examining　Scripture　with　certain　of　the　Lord's　children。'　And　I；　a　little　later；　kneeling　at　the　window；　while　the　candidates　were　being　dismissed　with　prayer；　watched　the　author　of　Hypatia　nervously　careening　about　the　garden；　very　restless　and　impatient；　yet　preferring　this　ignominy　to　the　chance　of　losing　my　Father's　company　altogether。　Kingsley；　a　daring　spirit；　used　sometimes　to　drag　us　out　trawling　with　him　in　Torbay；　and　although　his　hawk's　beak　and　rattling　voice　frightened　me　a　little；　his　was　always　a　jolly　presence　that　brought　some　refreshment　to　our　seriousness。

But　the　other　visitors　who　came　in　Kingsley's　wake　and　without　his　excuse　how　they　disturbed　us！　We　used　to　be　seated；　my　Father　at　his　microscope；　I　with　my　map　or　book；　in　the　down…　stairs　room　we　called　the　study。　There　would　be　a　hush　around　us　in　which　you　could　hear　a　sea…anemone　sigh。　Then；　abruptly；　would　come　a　ring　at　the　front　door；　my　Father　would　bend　at　me　a　corrugated　brow；　and　murmur；　under　his　breath；　'What's　that？　and　then；　at　the　sound　o￡　footsteps；　would　bolt　into　the　verandah；　and　around　the　garden　into　the　potting…shed。　If　it　was　no　visitor　more　serious　than　the　postman　or　the　tax…gatherer；　I　used　to　go　forth　and　coax　the　timid　wanderer　home。　If　it　was　a　caller；　above　all　a　female　caller；　it　was　my　privilege　to　prevaricate；　remarking　innocently　that　'Papa　is　out！'

Into　a　paradise　so　carefully　guarded；　I　know　not　how　that　serpent　Miss　Wilkes　could　penetrate；　but　there　she　was。　She　'broke　bread'　with　the　Brethren　at　the　adjacent　town；　from　which　she　carried　on　strategical　movements；　which　were；　up　to　a　certain　point；　highly　successful。　She　professed　herself　deeply　interested　in　microscopy；　and　desired　that　some　of　her　young　ladies　should　study　it　also。　She　came　attended　by　an　unimportant　man；　and　by　pupils　to　whom　I　had　sometimes；　very　unwillingly；　to　show　our　'natural　objects'。　They　would　invade　us；　and　all　our　quietness　with　chattering　noise；　I　could　bear　none　of　them；　and　I　was　singularly　drawn　to　Miss　Marks　by　finding　that　she　disliked　them　too。

By　whatever　arts　she　worked；　Miss　Wilkes　certainly　achieved　a　certain　ascendancy。　When　the　knocks　came　at　the　front　door；　I　was　now　instructed　to　see　whether　the　visitor　were　not　she；　before　my　Father　bolted　to　the　potting…shed。　She　was　an　untiring　listener；　and　my　Father　had　a　genius　for　instruction。　Miss　Wilkes　was　never　weary　of　expressing　what　a　revelation　of　the　wonderful　works　of　God　in　creation　her　acquaintance　with　us　had　been。　She　would　gaze　through　the　microscope　at　awful　forms；　and　would　persevere　until　the　silver　rim　which　marked　the　confines　of　the　drop　of　water　under　inspection　would　ripple　inwards　with　a　flash　of　light　and　vanish；　because　the　drop　itself　had　evaporated。　'Well；　I　can　only　say；　how　marvellous　are　Thy　doings！'　was　a　frequent　ejaculation　of　Miss　Wilkes；　and　one　that　was　very　well　received。　She　learned　the　Latin　names　of　many　of　the　species；　and　it　seems　quite　pathetic　to　me；　looking　back；　to　realize　how　much　trouble　the　poor　woman　took。　She　'hung'；　as　the　expression　is；　upon　my　Father's　every　word；　and　one　instance　of　this　led　to　a　certain　revelation。

My　Father；　who　had　an　extraordinary　way　of　saying　anything　what　Came　into　his　mind；　stated　one　day；the　fashions；　I　must　suppose；　being　under　discussion；that　he　thought　white　the　only　becoming　colour　for　a　lady's　stockings。　The　stockings　of　Miss　Wilkes　had　up　to　that　hour　been　of　a　deep　violet；　but　she　wore　white　ones　in　future　whenever　she　came　to　our　house。　This　delicacy　would　have　been　beyond　my　unaided　infant　observation；　but　I　heard　Miss　Marks　mention　the　matter；　in　terms　which　they　supposed　to　be　secret；　to　her　confidante；　and　I　verified　it　at　the　ankles　of　the　lady。　Miss　Marks　continued　by　saying；　in　confidence；　and　'quite　as　between　you　and　me；　dear　Mary　Grace'；　that　Miss　Wilkes　was　a　'minx'。　I　had　the　greatest　curiosity　about　words；　and　as　this　was　a　new　one；　I　looked　it　up　in　our　large　English　Dictionary。　But　there　the　definition　of　the　term　was　this：'Minx：　the　female　of　minnock；　a　pert　wanton。'　I　was　as　much　in　the　dark　as　ever。

Whether　she　was　the　female　of　a　minnock　（whatever　that　may　be）　or　whether　she　was　only　a　very　well…meaning　schoolmistress　desirous　of　enlivening　a　monotonous　existence；　Miss　Wilkes　certainly　took　us　out　of　ourselves　a　good　deal。　Did　my　Father　know　what　danger　he　ran？　It　was　the　opinion　of　Miss　Marks　and　of　Mary　Grace　that　he　did　not；　and　in　the　back…kitchen；　a　room　which　served　those　ladies　as　a　private　oratory　in　the　summer…time；　much　prayer　was　offered　up　that　his　eyes　might　be　opened　ere　it　was　too　late。　But　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　they　were　open　all　the　time；　that；　at　all　events；　they　were　what　the　French　call　entr'ouvert；　that　enough　light　for　practical　purposes　came　sifted　in　through　his　eyelashes。　At　a　later　time；　being　reminded　of　Miss　Wilkes；　he　said　with　a　certain　complaisance；　'Ah；　yes！　she　proffered　much　entertainment　during　my　widowed　years！'　He　used　to　go　down　to　her　boarding…school；　the　garden　of　which　had　been　the　scene　of　a　murder；　and　was　romantically　situated　on　the　edge　of　a　quarried　cliff；　he　always　took　me　with　him；　and　kept　me　at　his　side　all　through　these　visits；　notwithstanding　Miss　Wilkes'　solicitude　that　the　fatigue　and　excitement　would　be　too　much　for　the　dear　child's　strength；　unless　I　rested　a　little　on　the　parlour　sofa。

About　this　time；　the　question　of　my　education　came　up　for　discussion　in　the　household；　as　indeed　it　well　might。　Miss　Marks　had　long　proved　practically　inadequate　in　this　respect；　her　slender　acquirements　evaporating；　I　suppose；　like　the　drops　of　water　under　the　microscope；　while　the　field　of　her　general　duties　became　wider。　The　subjects　in　which　I　took　pleasure；　and　upon　which　I　possessed　books；　I　sedulously　taught　myself；　the　other　subjects；　which　formed　the　vast　majority；　I　did　not　learn　at　all。　Like　Aurora　Leigh；

I　brushed　with　extreme　flounce　The　circle　of　the　universe；

especially　zoology；　botany　and　astronomy；　but　with　the　explicit　exception　of　geology；　which　my　Father　regarded　as　tending　directly　to　the　encouragement　of　infidelity。　I　copied　a　great　quantity　of　maps；　and　read　all　the　books　of　travels　that　I　could　find。　But　I　acquired　no　mathematics；　no　languages；　no　history；　so　that　I　was　in　danger　of　gross　illiteracy　in　these　important　departments。

My　Father　grudged　the　time；　but　he　felt　it　a　duty　to　do　something　to　fill　up　these　deficiencies；　and　we　now　started　Latin；　in　a　little　eighteenth…century　reading…book；　out　of　which　my　Grandfather　had　been　taught。　It　consisted　of　strings　of　words；　and　of　grim　arrangements　of　conjunction　and　declension；　presented　in　a　manner　appallingly　unattractive。　I　used　to　be　set　down　in　the　study；　under　my　Father's　eye；　to　learn　a　solid　page　of　this　compilation；　while　he　wrote　or　painted。　The　window　would　be　open　in　summer；　and　my　seat　was　close　to　it。　Outside；　a　bee　was　shaking　the　clematis…blossom；　or　a　red…admiral　butterfly　was　opening　and　shutting　his　wings　on　the　hot　concrete　of　the　verandah；　or　a　blackbird　was　racing　across　the　lawn。　It　was　almost　more　than　human　nature　could　bear　to　have　to　sit　holding　up　to　my　face　the　dreary　little　Latin　book；　with　its　sheepskin　cover　that　smelt　of　mildewed　paste。

But　out　of　this　strength　there　came　an　unexpected　sudden　sweetness。　The　exercise　of　hearing　me　repeat　my　strings　of　nouns　and　verbs　had　revived　in　my　Father　his　memories　of　the　classics。　In　the　old　solitary　years；　a　long　time　ago；　by　the　shores　of　Canadian　rapids；　on　the　edge　of　West　Indian　swamps；　his　Virgil　had　been　an　inestimable　solace　to　him。　To　extremely　devout　persons；　there　is　something　objectionable　in　most　of　the　great　writers　of　antiquity。　Horace；　Lucretius；　Terence；　Catullus；　Juvenal；in　each　there　is　one　quality　or　another　definitely　repulsive　to　a　reader　who　is　determined　to　know　nothing　but　Christ　and　him　crucified。　From　time　immemorial；　however；　it　has　been　recognized　in　the　Christian　church　that　this　objection　does　not　apply　to　Virgil。　He　is　the　most　evangelical　of　the　classics；　he　is　the　one　who　can　be　enjoyed　with　least　to　explain　away　and　least　to　excuse。　One　evening　my　Father　took　down　his　Virgil　from　an　upper　shelf；　and　his　thoughts　wandered　away　from　surrounding　things；　he　travelled　in　the　past　again。　The　book　was　a　Delphin　edition　of　1798；　which　had　followed　him　in　all　his　wanderings；　there　was　a　great　scratch　on　the　sheep…skin　cover　that　a　thorn　had　made　in　a　forest　of　Alabama。　And　then；　in　the　twilight；　as　he　shut　the　volume　at　last；　oblivious　of　my　presence；　he　began　to　murmur　and　to　chant　the　adorable　verses　by　memory。

Tityre；　tu　patulae　recubans　sub　tegmine　fagi；

he　warbled；　and　I　stopped　my　play；　and　listened　as　if　to　a　nightingale；　until　he　reached

　　　　　　　　　　　　　tu；　Tityre；　lentus　in　umbra　Formosam　resonar