CHAPTER XXIV

usesdrainedthinnedoutIdon’tknowhowmanyguelder-rosesandelder-treesandinsidethehouseIturnedtheoldkitchenintoahall,andmadeakitchenbehindwherethedairywas.Garageandsooncamelater.Butonecouldstilltellit’sbeenanoldfarm.Andyetitisn’ttheplacethatwouldfetchoneofyourartisticcrew.”No,itwasn’tandifhedidnotquiteunderstandit,theartisticcrewwouldstilllessitwasEnglish,andthewych-elmthatshesawfromthewindowwasanEnglishtree.Noreporthadpreparedherforitspeculiarglory.Itwasneitherwarrior,norlover,norgodinnoneoftheserolesdotheEnglishexcel.Itwasacomradebendingoverthehouse,strengthandadventureinitsroots,butinitsutmostfingerstenderness,andthegirth,thatadozenmencouldnothavespanned,becameintheendevanescent,tillpalebudclustersseemedtofloatintheair.Itwasacomrade.Houseandtreetranscendedanysimilesofsex.Margaretthoughtofthemnow,andwastothinkofthemthroughmanyawindynightandLondonday,buttocompareeithertoman,towoman,alwaysdwarfedthevision.Yettheykeptwithinlimitsofthehuman.Theirmessagewasnotofeternity,butofhopeonthissideofthegrave.Asshestoodintheone,gazingattheother,truerrelationshiphadgleamed. Anothertouch,andtheaccountofherdayisfinished.Theyenteredthegardenforaminute,andtoMr.Wilcox’ssurpriseshewasright.Teeth,pigs’teeth,couldbeseeninthebarkofthewych-elmtree—justthewhitetipsofthemshowing.“Extraordinary!”hecried.“Whotoldyou?” “IheardofitonewinterinLondon,”washeranswer,forshe,too,avoidedmentioningMrs.Wilcoxbyname.