the egoist-第18部分

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〃Is　not　the　question　one　of　money？〃　she　said；　shyly；　knowing　Mr。
Whitford　to　be　poor。

〃Old　Vernon　chooses　to　spend　his　money　that　way。〃　replied　Sir
Willoughby。　〃If　it　saves　him　from　breaking　his　shins　and　risking
his　neck　on　his　Alps；　we　may　consider　it　well　employed。〃

〃Yes；〃　Clara's　voice　occupied　a　pause。

She　seized　her　languor　as　it　were　a　curling　snake　and　cast　it　off。
〃But　I　understand　that　Mr。　Whitford　wants　your　assistance。　Is　he
notnot　rich？　When　he　leaves　the　Hall　to　try　his　fortune　in
literature　in　London；　he　may　not　be　so　well　able　to　support
Crossjay　and　obtain　the　instruction　necessary　for　the　boy：　and　it
would　be　generous　to　help　him。〃

〃Leaves　the　Hall！〃　exclaimed　Willoughby。　〃I　have　not　heard　a　word
of　it。　He　made　a　bad　start　at　the　beginning；　and　I　should　have
thought　that　would　have　tamed　him：　had　to　throw　over　his
Fellowship；　ahem。　Then　he　received　a　small　legacy　some　time　back；
and　wanted　to　be　off　to　push　his　luck　in　Literature：　rank
gambling；　as　I　told　him。　Londonizing　can　do　him　no　good。　I　thought
that　nonsense　of　his　was　over　years　ago。　What　is　it　he　has　from
me？about　a　hundred　and　fifty　a　year：　and　it　might　be　doubled
for　the　asking：　and　all　the　books　he　requires：　and　these　writers
and　scholars　no　sooner　think　of　a　book　than　they　must　have　it。　And
do　not　suppose　me　to　complain。　I　am　a　man　who　will　not　have　a
single　shilling　expended　by　those　who　serve　immediately　about　my
person。　I　confess　to　exacting　that　kind　of　dependency。　Feudalism
is　not　an　objectionable　thing　if　you　can　be　sure　of　the　lord。　You
know；　Clara；　and　you　should　know　me　in　my　weakness　too；　I　do　not
claim　servitude；　I　stipulate　for　affection。　I　claim　to　be
surrounded　by　persons　loving　me。　And　with　one？　。。。　dearest！　So
that　we　two　can　shut　out　the　world；　we　live　what　is　the　dream　of
others。　Nothing　imaginable　can　be　sweeter。　It　is　a　veritable
heaven　on　earth。　To　be　the　possessor　of　the　whole　of　you！　Your
thoughts；　hopes；　all。〃

Sir　Willoughby　intensified　his　imagination　to　conceive　more：　he
could　not；　or　could　not　express　it；　and　pursued：　〃But　what　is
this　talk　of　Vernon's　leaving　me？　He　cannot　leave。　He　has　barely　a
hundred　a　year　of　his　own。　You　see；　I　consider　him。　I　do　not　speak
of　the　ingratitude　of　the　wish　to　leave。　You　know；　my　dear；　I　have
a　deadly　abhorrence　of　partings　and　such　like。　As　far　as　I　can；　I
surround　myself　with　healthy　people　specially　to　guard　myself　from
having　my　feelings　wrung；　and　excepting　Miss　Dale；　whom　you　like
my　darling　does　like　her？〃the　answer　satisfied　him；　〃with
that　one　exception；　I　am　not　aware　of　a　case　that　threatens　to
torment　me。　And　here　is　a　man；　under　no　compulsion；　talking　of
leaving　the　Hall！　In　the　name　of　goodness；　why？　But　why？　Am　I　to
imagine　that　the　sight　of　perfect　felicity　distresses　him？　We　are
told　that　the　world　is　'desperately　wicked'。　I　do　not　like　to
think　it　of　my　friends；　yet　otherwise　their　conduct　is　often　hard
to　account　for。〃

〃If　it　were　true；　you　would　not　punish　Crossjay？〃　Clara　feebly
interposed。

〃I　should　certainly　take　Crossjay　and　make　a　man　of　him　after　my
own　model；　my　dear。　But　who　spoke　to　you　of　this？〃

〃Mr。　Whitford　himself。　And　let　me　give　you　my　opinion；　Willoughby；
that　he　will　take　Crossjay　with　him　rather　than　leave　him；　if
there　is　a　fear　of　the　boy's　missing　his　chance　of　the　navy。〃

〃Marines　appear　to　be　in　the　ascendant；〃　said　Sir　Willoughby；　
astonished　at　the　locution　and　pleading　in　the　interests　of　a　son
of　one。　〃Then　Crossjay　he　must　take。　I　cannot　accept　half　the　boy。
I　am；〃　he　laughed；　〃the　legitimate　claimant　in　the　application　for
judgement　before　the　wise　king。　Besides；　the　boy　has　a　dose　of　my
blood　in　him；　he　has　none　of　Vernon's；　not　one　drop。〃

〃Ah！〃

〃You　see；　my　love？〃

〃Oh；　I　do　see；　yes。〃

〃I　put　forth　no　pretensions　to　perfection；〃　Sir　Willoughby
continued。　〃I　can　bear　a　considerable　amount　of　provocation；　still
I　can　be　offended；　and　I　am　unforgiving　when　I　have　been
offended。　Speak　to　Vernon；　if　a　natural　occasion　should　spring
up。　I　shall；　of　course；　have　to　speak　to　him。　You　may；　Clara；　have
observed　a　man　who　passed　me　on　the　road　as　we　were　cantering
home；　without　a　hint　of　a　touch　to　his　hat。　That　man　is　a　tenant　of
mine；　farming　six　hundred　acres；　Hoppner　by　name：　a　man　bound　to
remember　that　I　have；　independently　of　my　position；　obliged　him
frequently。　His　lease　of　my　ground　has　five　years　to　run。　I　must
say　I　detest　the　churlishness　of　our　country　population；　and　where
it　comes　across　me　I　chastise　it。　Vernon　is　a　different　matter：　he
will　only　require　to　be　spoken　to。　One　would　fancy　the　old　fellow
laboured　now　and　then　under　a　magnetic　attraction　to　beggary。　My
love；〃　he　bent　to　her　and　checked　their　pacing　up　and　down；　〃you
are　tired？〃

〃I　am　very　tired　to…day；〃　said　Clara。

His　arm　was　offered。　She　laid　two　fingers　on　it；　and　they　dropped
when　he　attempted　to　press　them　to　his　rib。

He　did　not　insist。　To　walk　beside　her　was　to　share　in　the
stateliness　of　her　walking。

He　placed　himself　at　a　corner　of　the　door…way　for　her　to　pass　him
into　the　house；　and　doated　on　her　cheek；　her　ear；　and　the　softly
dusky　nape　of　her　neck；　where　this　way　and　that　the　little
lighter…coloured　irreclaimable　curls　running　truant　from　the　comb　and
the　knotcurls；　half…curls；　root…curls；　vine…ringlets；　
wedding…rings；　fledgling　feathers；　tufts　of　down；　blown　wispswaved
or　fell；　waved　over　or　up　or　involutedly；　or　strayed；　loose　and
downward；　in　the　form　of　small　silken　paws；　hardly　any　of　them　much
thicker　than　a　crayon　shading；　cunninger　than　long　round　locks　of
gold　to　trick　the　heart。

Laetitia　had　nothing　to　show　resembling　such　beauty。


CHAPTER　X

In　Which　Sir　Willoughby　Chances　to　Supply　the　Title　for　Himself

Now　Vernon　was　useful　to　his　cousin；　he　was　the　accomplished　secretary
of　a　man　who　governed　his　estate　shrewdly　and　diligently；　but　had
been　once　or　twice　unlucky　in　his　judgements　pronounced　from　the
magisterial　bench　as　a　justice　of　the　Peace；　on　which　occasions　a
half　column　of　trenchant　English　supported　by　an　apposite　classical
quotation　impressed　Sir　Willoughby　with　the　value　of　such　a　secretary
in　a　controversy。　He　had　no　fear　of　that　fiery　dragon　of　scorching
breaththe　newspaper　presswhile　Vernon　was　his　right　hand　man；
and　as　he　intended　to　enter　Parliament；　he　foresaw　the　greater　need
of　him。　Furthermore；　he　liked　his　cousin　to　date　his　own
controversial　writings；　on　classical　subjects；　from　Patterne　Hall。　It
caused　his　house　to　shine　in　a　foreign　field；　proved　the　service　of
scholarship　by　giving　it　a　flavour　of　a　bookish　aristocracy　that；
though　not　so　well　worth　having；　and　indeed　in　itself　contemptible；
is　above　the　material　and　titular；　one　cannot　quite　say　how。　There；
however；　is　the　flavour。　Dainty　sauces　are　the　life；　the　nobility；　of
famous　dishes；　taken　alone；　the　former　would　be　nauseating；　the
latter　plebeian。　It　is　thus；　or　somewhat　so；　when　you　have　a　poet；
still　better　a　scholar；　attached　to　your　household。　Sir　Willoughby
deserved　to　have　him；　for　he　was　above　his　county　friends　in　his
apprehension　of　the　flavour　bestowed　by　the　man；　and　having　him；　he
had　made　them　conscious　of　their　deficiency。　His　cook；　M。　Dehors；
pupil　of　the　great　Godefroy；　was　not　the　only　French　cook　in　the
county；　but　his　cousin　and　secretary；　the　rising　scholar；　the
elegant　essayist；　was　an　unparalleled　decoration；　of　his　kind；　of
course。　Personally。　we　laugh　at　him；　you　had　better　not；　unless　you
are　fain　to　show　that　the　higher　world　of　polite　literature　is
unknown　to　you。　Sir　Willoughby　could　create　an　abject　silence　at　a
county　dinner…table　by　an　allusion　to　Vernon　〃at　work　at　home　upon　his
Etruscans　or　his　Dorians〃；　and　he　paused　a　moment　to　let　the　allusion
sink；　laughed　audibly　to　himself　over　his　eccentric　cousin；　and　let
him　rest。

In　addition；　Sir　Willoughby　abhorred　the　loss　of　a　familiar　face
in　his　domestic　circle。　He　thought　ill　of　servants　who　could
accept　their　dismissal　without　petitioning　to　stay　with　him。　A
servant　that　gave　warning　partook　of　a　certain　fiendishness。　
Vernon's　project　of　leaving　the　Hall　offended　and　alarmed　the
sensitive　gentleman。　〃I　shall　have　to　hand　Letty　Dale　to　him　at
last！〃　he　thought；　yielding　in　bitter　generosity　to　the　conditions
imposed　on　him　by　the　ungenerousness　of　another。　For；　since　his
engagement　to　Miss　Middleton；　his　electrically　forethoughtful　mind
had　seen　in　Miss　Dale；　if　she　stayed　in　the　neighbourhood；　and
remained　unmarried；　the　governess　of　his　infant　children；　often
consulting　with　him。　But　here　was　a　prospect　dashed　out。　The　two；
then；　may　marry；　and　live　in　a　cottage　on　the　borders　of　his　park；
and　Vernon　can　retain　his　post；　and　Laetitia　her　devotion。　The
risk　of　her　casting　it　of　had　to　be　faced。　Marriage　has　been　known
to　have　such　an　effect　on　the　most　faithful　of　women　that　a
great　passion　fades　to　naught　in　their　volatile　bosoms　when　they
have　taken　a　husband。　We　see　in　women　especially　the　triumph。of
the　animal　over　the　spiritual。　Nevertheless；　risks　must　be　run
for　a　purpose　in　view。

Having　no　taste　for　a　discussion　with　Vernon；　whom　it　was　his
habit　to　confound　by　breaking　away　from　him　abruptly　when　he　had
delivered　his　opinion；　he　left　it　to　both　the　persons　interesting
themselves　in　young　Crossjay　to　imagine　that　he　was　meditating　on
the　question　of　the　lad；　and　to　imagine　that　it　would　be　wise　to
leave　him　to　meditate；　for　he　could　be　preternaturally　acute　in
reading　any　of　his　fellow…creatures　if　they　crossed　the　current　of
his　feelings。　And；　meanwhile；　he　instructed　the　ladies　Eleanor　and
Isabel　to　bring　Laetitia　Dale　on　a　visit　to　the　Hall；　where
dinner…parties　were　soon　to　be　given　and　a　pleasing　talker　would
be　wanted；　where　also　a　woman　of　intellect；　steeped　in　a　splendid
sentiment；　hitherto　a　miracle　of　female　constancy；　might　stir　a
younger　woman　to　some　emulation。　Definitely　to　resolve　to　bestow
Laetitia　upon　Vernon　was　more　than　he　could　do；　enough　that　he
held　the　card。

Regarding　Clara；　his　genius　for　perusing　the　heart　which　was　not
in　perfect　harmony　with　him　through　the　series　of　responsive
movements　to　his　own；　informed　him　of　a　something　in　her　character