the hand of ethelberta-第34章

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bachelor；　there　were　opaque　depths　in　him　which　her　thoughts　had
never　definitely　plumbed。　　Notwithstanding　her　exaltation　to　the
atmosphere　of　the　Petherwin　family；　Ethelberta　was　very　far　from
having　the　thoroughbred　London　woman's　knowledge　of　sets；　grades；
coteries；　cliques；　forms；　glosses；　and　niceties；　particularly　on　the
masculine　side。　　Setting　the　years　from　her　infancy　to　her　first
look　into　town　against　those　linking　that　epoch　with　the　present；
the　former　period　covered　not　only　the　greater　time；　but　contained
the　mass　of　her　most　vivid　impressions　of　life　and　its　ways。　　But　in
recognizing　her　ignorance　of　the　ratio　between　words　to　women　and
deeds　to　women　in　the　ethical　code　of　the　bachelor　of　the　club；　she
forgot　that　human　nature　in　the　gross　differs　little　with　situation；
and　that　a　gift　which；　if　the　germs　were　lacking；　no　amount　of
training　in　clubs　and　coteries　could　supply；　was　mother…wit　like　her
own。



27。　MRS。　BELMAINE'S　…　CRIPPLEGATE　CHURCH

Neigh's　remark　that　he　believed　he　should　see　Ethelberta　again　the
next　day　referred　to　a　contemplated　pilgrimage　of　an　unusual　sort
which　had　been　arranged　for　that　day　by　Mrs。　Belmaine　upon　the
ground　of　an　incidental　suggestion　of　Ethelberta's。　　One　afternoon
in　the　week　previous　they　had　been　chatting　over　tea　at　the　house　of
the　former　lady；　Neigh　being　present　as　a　casual　caller；　when　the
conversation　was　directed　upon　Milton　by　somebody　opening　a　volume
of　the　poet's　works　that　lay　on　a　table　near。

　　　　　'Milton！　thou　shouldst　be　living　at　this　hour：
　　　　　　England　hath　need　of　thee'

said　Mrs。　Belmaine　with　the　degree　of　flippancy　which　is　considered
correct　for　immortal　verse；　the　Bible；　God；　etc。；　in　these　days。
And　Ethelberta　replied；　lit　up　by　a　quick　remembrance；　'It　is　a　good
time　to　talk　of　Milton；　for　I　have　been　much　impressed　by　reading
the　〃Life；〃　and　I　have　decided　to　go　and　see　his　tomb。　　Could　we　not
all　go？　　We　ought　to　quicken　our　memories　of　the　great；　and　of　where
they　lie；　by　such　a　visit　occasionally。'

'We　ought；'　said　Mrs。　Belmaine。

'And　why　shouldn't　we？'　continued　Ethelberta；　with　interest。

'To　Westminster　Abbey？'　said　Mr。　Belmaine；　a　common　man　of　thirty；
younger　than　his　wife；　who　had　lately　come　into　the　room。

'No；　to　where　he　lies　comparatively　aloneCripplegate　Church。'

'I　always　thought　that　Milton　was　buried　in　Poet's　Corner；'　said　Mr。
Belmaine。

'So　did　I；'　said　Neigh；　'but　I　have　such　an　indifferent　head　for
places　that　my　thinking　goes　for　nothing。'

'Well；　it　would　be　a　pretty　thing　to　do；'　said　Mrs。　Belmaine；　'and
instructive　to　all　of　us。　　If　Mrs。　Petherwin　would　like　to　go；　I
should。　　We　can　take　you　in　the　carriage　and　call　round　for　Mrs。
Doncastle　on　our　way；　and　set　you　both　down　again　coming　back。'

'That　would　be　excellent；'　said　Ethelberta。　　'There　is　nowhere　I
like　going　to　so　much　as　the　depths　of　the　city。　　The　absurd
narrowness　of　world…renowned　streets　is　so　surprisingso　crooked
and　shady　as　they　are　too；　and　full　of　the　quaint　smells　of　old
cupboards　and　cellars。　　Walking　through　one　of　them　reminds　me　of
being　at　the　bottom　of　some　crevasse　or　gorge；　the　proper　surface　of
the　globe　being　the　tops　of　the　houses。'

'You　will　come　to　take　care　of　us；　John？　　And　you；　Mr。　Neigh；　would
like　to　come？　　We　will　tell　Mr。　Ladywell　that　he　may　join　us　if　he
cares　to；'　said　Mrs。　Belmaine。

'O　yes；'　said　her　husband　quietly；　and　Neigh　said　he　should　like
nothing　better；　after　a　faint　aspect　of　apprehension　at　the
remoteness　of　the　idea　from　the　daily　track　of　his　thoughts。　　Mr。
Belmaine　observing　this；　and　mistaking　it　for　an　indication　that
Neigh　had　been　dragged　into　the　party　against　his　will　by　his　over…
hasty　wife；　arranged　that　Neigh　should　go　independently　and　meet
them　there　at　the　hour　named　if　he　chose　to　do　so；　to　give　him　an
opportunity　of　staying　away。　　Ethelberta　also　was　by　this　time
doubting　if　she　had　not　been　too　eager　with　her　proposal。　　To　go　on
such　a　sentimental　errand　might　be　thought　by　her　friends　to　be
simply　troublesome；　their　adherence　having　been　given　only　in　the
regular　course　of　complaisance。　　She　was　still　comparatively　an
outsider　here；　her　life　with　Lady　Petherwin　having　been　passed
chiefly　in　alternations　between　English　watering…places　and
continental　towns。　　However；　it　was　too　late　now　to　muse　on　this；
and　it　may　be　added　that　from　first　to　last　Ethelberta　never
discovered　from　the　Belmaines　whether　her　proposal　had　been　an
infliction　or　a　charm；　so　perfectly　were　they　practised　in
sustaining　that　complete　divorce　between　thinking　and　saying　which
is　the　hall…mark　of　high　civilization。

But；　however　she　might　doubt　the　Belmaines；　she　had　no　doubt　as　to
Neigh's　true　sentiments：　　the　time　had　come　when　he；　notwithstanding
his　air　of　being　oppressed　by　almost　every　lively　invention　of　town
and　country　for　charming　griefs　to　rest；　would　not　be　at　all
oppressed　by　a　quiet　visit　to　the　purlieus　of　St　Giles's；
Cripplegate；　since　she　was　the　originator；　and　was　going　herself。

It　was　a　bright　hope…inspiring　afternoon　in　this　mid…May　time　when
the　carriage　containing　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Belmaine；　Mrs。　Doncastle；　and
Ethelberta；　crept　along　the　encumbered　streets　towards　Barbican；
till　turning　out　of　that　thoroughfare　into　Redcross　Street　they
beheld　the　bold　shape　of　the　old　tower　they　sought；　clothed　in　every
neutral　shade；　standing　clear　against　the　sky；　dusky　and　grim　in　its
upper　stage；　and　hoary　grey　below；　where　every　corner　of　every　stone
was　completely　rounded　off　by　the　waves　of　wind　and　storm。

All　people　were　busy　here：　　our　visitors　seemed　to　be　the　only　idle
persons　the　city　contained；　and　there　was　no　dissonancethere　never
isbetween　antiquity　and　such　beehive　industry；　for　pure　industry；
in　failing　to　observe　its　own　existence　and　aspect；　partakes　of　the
unobtrusive　nature　of　material　things。　　This　intra…mural　stir　was　a
flywheel　transparent　by　excessive　motion；　through　which　Milton　and
his　day　could　be　seen　as　if　nothing　intervened。　　Had　there　been
ostensibly　harmonious　accessories；　a　crowd　of　observing　people　in
search　of　the　poetical；　conscious　of　the　place　and　the　scene；　what　a
discord　would　have　arisen　there！　　But　everybody　passed　by　Milton's
grave　except　Ethelberta　and　her　friends；　and　for　the　moment　the
city's　less　invidious　conduct　appeared　to　her　more　respectful　as　a
practice　than　her　own。

But　she　was　brought　out　of　this　rumination　by　the　halt　at　the　church
door；　and　completely　reminded　of　the　present　by　finding　the　church
open；　and　Neighthe；　till　yesterday；　unimpassioned　Neighwaiting
in　the　vestibule　to　receive　them；　just　as　if　he　lived　there。
Ladywell　had　not　arrived。　　It　was　a　long　time　before　Ethelberta
could　get　back　to　Milton　again；　for　Neigh　was　continuing　to　impend
over　her　future　more　and　more　visibly。　　The　objects　along　the
journey　had　distracted　her　mind　from　him；　but　the　moment　now　was　as
a　direct　renewal　and　prolongation　of　the　declaration…time　yesterday；
and　as　if　in　furtherance　of　the　conclusion　of　the　episode。

They　all　alighted　and　went　in；　the　coachman　being　told　to　take　the
carriage　to　a　quiet　nook　further　on；　and　return　in　half…an…hour。
Mrs。　Belmaine　and　her　carriage　some　years　before　had　accidentally
got　jammed　crosswise　in　Cheapside　through　the　clumsiness　of　the　man
in　turning　up　a　side　street；　blocking　that　great　artery　of　the
civilized　world　for　the　space　of　a　minute　and　a　half；　when　they　were
pounced　upon　by　half…a…dozen　policemen　and　forced　to　back
ignominiously　up　a　little　slit　between　the　houses　where　they　did　not
mean　to　go；　amid　the　shouts　of　the　hindered　drivers；　and　it　was　her
nervous　recollection　of　that　event　which　caused　Mrs。　Belmaine　to　be
so　precise　in　her　directions　now。

By　the　time　that　they　were　grouped　around　the　tomb　the　visit　had
assumed　a　much　more　solemn　complexion　than　any　one　among　them　had
anticipated。　　Ashamed　of　the　influence　that　she　discovered　Neigh　to
be　exercising　over　her；　and　opposing　it　steadily；　Ethelberta　drew
from　her　pocket　a　small　edition　of　Milton；　and　proposed　that　she
should　read　a　few　lines　from　'Paradise　Lost。'　　The　responsibility　of
producing　a　successful　afternoon　was　upon　her　shoulders；　she　was；
moreover；　the　only　one　present　who　could　properly　manage　blank
verse；　and　this　was　sufficient　to　justify　the　proposal。

She　stood　with　her　head　against　the　marble　slab　just　below　the　bust；
and　began　a　selected　piece；　Neigh　standing　a　few　yards　off　on　her
right　looking　into　his　hat　in　order　to　listen　accurately；　Mr。　and
Mrs。　Belmaine　and　Mrs。　Doncastle　seating　themselves　in　a　pew
directly　facing　the　monument。　　The　ripe　warm　colours　of　afternoon
came　in　upon　them　from　the　west；　upon　the　sallow　piers　and　arches；
and　the　infinitely　deep　brown　pews　beneath；　the　aisle　over
Ethelberta's　head　being　in　misty　shade　through　which　glowed　a　lurid
light　from　a　dark…stained　window　behind。　　The　sentences　fell　from
her　lips　in　a　rhythmical　cadence　one　by　one；　and　she　could　be
fancied　a　priestess　of　him　before　whose　image　she　stood；　when　with　a
vivid　suggestiveness　she　delivered　here；　not　many　yards　from　the
central　money…mill　of　the　world；　yet　out　from　the　very　tomb　of　their
author；　the　passage　containing　the　words：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'Mammon　led　them　on；
　　　　　　Mammon；　the　least　erected　spirit　that　fell
　　　　　　From　heaven。'

When　she　finished　reading　Ethelberta　left　the　monument；　and　then
each　one　present　strayed　independently　about　the　building；
Ethelberta　turning　to　the　left　along　the　passage　to　the　south　door。
Neighfrom　whose　usually　apathetic　face　and　eyes　there　had
proceeded　a　secret　smouldering　light　as　he　listened　and　regarded
herfollowed　in　the　same　direction　and　vanished　at　her　heels　into
the　churchyard；　whither　she　had　now　gone。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Belmaine
exchanged　glances；　and　instead　of　following　the　pair　they　went　with
Mrs。　Doncastle　into　the　vestry　to　inquire　of　the　person　in　charge
for　the　register　of　the　marriage　of　Oliver　Cromwell；　which　was
solemnized　here。　　The　church　was　now　quite　empty；　and　its　stillness
was　as　a　vacuum　into　which　an　occasional　noise　from　the　street
overflowed　and　became　rarefied　away　to　nothing。

Something　like　five　minutes　had　passed　when　a　hansom　stopped　outside
the　door；　and　Ladywell　entered　the　porch。　　He　stood　still；　and；
looking　inquiringly　round　for　a　minute　or　two；　sat　down　in　one　of
the　high　pews；　as　if　under　the　impression　that　the　others　had　not
yet　arrived。

While　he　sat　here　Neigh　reappeared　at　the　south　door　opposite；　and
came　slowly　in。　　Ladywell；　in　rising　to　go　to　him；　saw　that　Neigh's
attention　was　engrossed　by　something　he　held　in　his　hand。　　It　was
his　pocket…book；　and　Neigh　was　looking　at　a　few　loose　flower…petals
which　had　been　placed　between　the　pages。　　When　Ladywell　came　forward
Neigh　looked　up；　started；　and　closed　the　book　quickly；　so　that　some
of　the　petals　fluttered　to　the　ground　between　the　two　men。　　They
were　striped；　red　and　white；　and　appeared　to　be　leaves　of　the
Harlequin　rose。

'Ah！　here　you　are；　Ladywell；'　he　said；　recovering　himself。　　'We　had
given　you　up：　　my　aunt　said　that　you　would　not　care　to　come。　　They
are　all　in　the　vestry。'　　How　it　came　to　pass　that　Neigh　designated
those