CHAPTER XXIV

realwaysmakingforsomespotwherethewhitemanmightcarryhisburdenunobserved.Ofcourse,HowardsEndwasimpossible,solongastheyoungercouplewereestablishedinHilton.Hisobjectionstothehousewereplainasdaylightnow. Cranehadhadenoughtea,andwassenttothegarage,wheretheircarhadbeentricklingmuddywateroverCharles’s.ThedownpourhadsurelypenetratedtheSixHillsbynow,bringingnewsofourrestlesscivilisation.“Curiousmounds,”saidHenry,“butinwithyounowanothertime.”HehadtobeupinLondonbyseven—ifpossible,bysix-thirty.Oncemoreshelostthesenseofspaceoncemoretrees,houses,people,animals,hills,mergedandheavedintoonedirtiness,andshewasatWickhamPlace. Hereveningwaspleasant.Thesenseoffluxwhichhadhauntedheralltheyeardisappearedforatime.Sheforgottheluggageandthemotor-cars,andthehurryingmenwhoknowsomuchandconnectsolittle.Sherecapturedthesenseofspace,whichisthebasisofallearthlybeauty,and,startingfromHowardsEnd,sheattemptedtorealiseEngland.Shefailed—visionsdonotcomewhenwetry,thoughtheymaycomethroughtrying.Butanunexpectedloveoftheislandawokeinher,connectingonthissidewiththejoysoftheflesh,onthatwiththeinconceivable.Helenandherfatherhadknownthislove,poorLeonardBastwasgropingafterit,butithadbeenhiddenfromMargarettillthisafternoon.IthadcertainlycomethroughthehouseandoldMissAvery.Throughthem:thenotionof“through”persistedhermindtrembledtowardsaconclusionwhichonlytheunwisehaveputintowords.Then,veeringbackintowarmth,itdweltonruddybrick