CHAPTER III.

“Letnoflowerofthespringpassbyusletuscrownourselveswithrosebudsbeforetheybewithered.”—BOOKOFWISDOM. PitythatOffendenewasnotthehomeofMissHarleth’schildhood,orendearedtoherbyfamilymemories!Ahumanlife,Ithink,shouldbewellrootedinsomespotofanativeland,whereitmaygettheloveoftenderkinshipforthefaceofearth,forthelaborsmengoforthto,forthesoundsandaccentsthathauntit,forwhateverwillgivethatearlyhomeafamiliarunmistakabledifferenceamidthefuturewideningofknowledge:aspotwherethedefinitenessofearlymemoriesmaybeinwroughtwithaffection,and—kindlyacquaintancewithallneighbors,eventothedogsanddonkeys,mayspreadnotbysentimentaleffortandreflection,butasasweethabitoftheblood.Atfiveyearsold,mortalsarenotpreparedtobecitizensoftheworld,tobestimulatedbyabstractnouns,tosoarabovepreferenceintoimpartialityandthatprejudiceinfavorofmilkwithwhichweblindlybegin,isatypeofthewaybodyandsoulmustgetnourishedatleastforatime.Thebestintroductiontoastronomyistothinkofthenightlyheavensasalittlelotofstarsbelongingtoone’sownhomestead. ButthisblessedpersistenceinwhichaffectioncantakeroothadbeenwantinginGwendolen’slife.ItwasonlyayearbeforeherrecallfromLeubronnthatOffendenehadbeenchosenashermamma’shome,simplyforitsnearnesstoPennicoteRectory,andthatMrs.Davilow,Gwendolen,andherfourhalf-sisters(thegovernessandthemaidfollowinginanothervehicle)hadbeendrivenalongtheavenueforthefirsttime,onalateOctoberafternoonwhentherookswerecrawingloudlyabovethem,andtheyellowelm-leaveswerewhirling. Theseasonsuitedtheaspectoftheoldoblongred-brickhouse,rathertooanxiouslyornamentedwithstoneateveryline,notexceptingthedoublerowofnarrowwindowsandthelargesquareportico.Thestoneencouragedagreenishlichen,thebrickapowderygray,sothatthoughthebuildingwasrigidlyrectangulartherewasnoharshnessinthephysiognomywhichitturnedtothethreeavenuescuteast,westandsouthinthehundredyards’breadthofoldplantationencirclingtheimmediategrounds.Onewouldhavelikedthehousetohavebeenliftedonaknoll,soastolookbeyonditsownlittledomaintothelongthatchedroofsofthedistantvillages,thechurchtowers,thescatteredhomesteads,thegradualriseofsurgingwoods,andthegreenbreadthsofundulatingparkwhichmadethebeautifulfaceoftheearthinthatpartofWessex.Butthoughstandingthusbehindascreenamidflatpastures,ithadononesideaglimpseofthewiderworldintheloftycurvesofthechalkdowns,grandsteadfastformsplayedoverbythechangingdays. Thehousewasbutjustlargeenoughtobecalledamansion,andwasmoderatelyrented,havingnomanorattachedtoit,andbeingratherdifficulttoletwithitssombrefurnitureandfadedupholstery.Butinsideandoutsideitwaswhatnobeholdercouldsupposetobeinhabitedbyretiredtrades-people:acertaintywhichwasworthmanyconveniencestotenantswhonotonlyhadthetastethatshrinksfromnewfinery,butalsowereinthatborder-territoryofrankwhereannexationisaburningtopic:andtotakeupherabodeinahousewhichhadoncesufficedfordowagercountessesgaveaperceptibletingetoMrs.Davilow’ssatisfactioninhavinganestablishmentofherown.This,rathermysteriouslytoGwendolen,appearedsuddenlypossibleonthedeathofherstep-father,CaptainDavilow,whohadforthelastnineyearsjoinedhisfamilyonlyinabriefandfitfulmanner,enoughtoreconcilethemtohislongabsencesbutshecaredmuchmoreforthefactthanfortheexplanation.Allherprospectshadbecomemoreagreeableinconsequence.Shehaddislikedtheirformerwayoflife,rovingfromoneforeignwatering-placeorParisianapartmenttoanother,alwaysfeelingnewantipathiestonewsuitesofhiredfurniture,andmeetingnewpeopleunderconditionswhichmadeherappearoflittleimportanceandthevariationofhavingpassedtwoyearsatashowyschool,where,onalloccasionsofdisplay,shehadbeenputforemost,hadonlydeepenedhersensethatsoexceptionalapersonasherselfcouldhardlyremaininordinarycircumstancesorinasocialpositionlessthanadvantageous.AnyfearofthislatterevilwasbanishednowthathermammawastohaveanestablishmentforonthepointofbirthGwendolenwasquiteeasy.ShehadnonotionhowhermaternalgrandfathergotthefortuneinheritedbyhistwodaughtersbuthehadbeenaWestIndian—whichseemedtoexcludefurtherquestionandsheknewthatherfather’sfamilywassohighastotakenonoticeofhermamma,whoneverthelesspreservedwithmuchpridetheminiatureofaLadyMollyinthatconnection.Shewouldprobablyhaveknownmuchmoreaboutherfatherbutforalittleincidentwhichhappenedwhenshewastwelveyearsold.Mrs.Davilowhadbroughtout,asshedidonlyatwideintervals,variousmemorialsofherfirsthusband,andwhileshowinghisminiaturetoGwendolenrecalledwithafervorwhichseemedtocountonapeculiarfilialsympathy,thefactthatdearpapahaddiedwhenhislittledaughterwasinlongclothes.Gwendolen,immediatelythinkingoftheunlovablestep-fatherwhomshehadbeenacquaintedwiththegreaterpartofherlifewhileherfrockswereshort,said, “Whydidyoumarryagain,mamma?Itwouldhavebeennicerifyouhadnot.” Mrs.Davilowcoloreddeeply,aslightconvulsivemovementpassedoverherface,andstraightwayshuttingupthememorialsshesaid,withaviolencequiteunusualinher, “Youhavenofeeling,child!” Gwendolen,whowasfondofhermamma,felthurtandashamed,andhadneversincedaredtoaskaquestionaboutherfather. Thiswasnottheonlyinstanceinwhichshehadbroughtonherselfthepainofsomefilialcompunction.Itwasalwaysarranged,whenpossible,thatsheshouldhaveasmallbedinhermamma’sroomforMrs.Davilow’smotherlytendernessclungchieflytohereldestgirl,whohadbeenborninherhappiertime.Onenightunderanattackofpainshefoundthatthespecificregularlyplacedbyherbedsidehadbeenforgotten,andbeggedGwendolentogetoutofbedandreachitforher.Thathealthyyounglady,snugandwarmasarosyinfantinherlittlecouch,objectedtostepoutintothecold,andlyingperfectlystill,grumblingarefusal.Mrs.DavilowwentwithoutthemedicineandneverreproachedherdaughterbutthenextdayGwendolenwaskeenlyconsciousofwhatmustbeinhermamma’smind,andtriedtomakeamendsbycaresseswhichcosthernoeffort.Havingalwaysbeenthepetandprideofthehousehold,waitedonbymother,sisters,governessandmaids,asifshehadbeenaprincessinexile,shenaturallyfounditdifficulttothinkherownpleasurelessimportantthanothersmadeit,andwhenitwaspositivelythwartedfeltanastonishedresentmentapt,inhercruderdays,toventitselfinoneofthosepassionateactswhichlooklikeacontradictionofhabitualtendencies.Thoughneverevenasachildthoughtlesslycruel,naydelightingtorescuedrowningins