CHAPTER VII.

andneverthroughlifehaveswervedfromthatpledge!ForsomeofthegoodnesswhichRexbelievedinwasthere.Goodnessisalarge,oftenaprospectivewordlikeharvest,whichatonestagewhenwetalkofitliesallunderground,withanindeterminatefutureisthegermprosperinginthedarkness?atanother,ithasputforthdelicategreenblades,andby-and-bythetremblingblossomsarereadytobedashedoffbyanhourofroughwindorrain.Eachstagehasitspeculiarblight,andmayhavethehealthylifechokedoutofitbyaparticularactionofthefoullandwhichrearsorneighborsit,orbydamagebroughtfromfoulnessafar. “Annahadgotitintoherheadthatyouwouldwanttorideafterthehoundsthismorning,”saidRex,whosesecretassociationswithAnna’swordsmadethisspeechseemquiteperilouslynearthemostmomentousofsubjects. “Didshe?”saidGwendolen,laughingly.“Whatalittleclairvoyantsheis!” “Shallyou?”saidRex,whohadnotbelievedinherintendingtodoitiftheeldersobjected,butconfidedinherhavinggoodreasons. “Idon’tknow.Ican’ttellwhatIshalldotillIgetthere.Clairvoyantsareoftenwrong:theyforeseewhatislikely.Iamnotfondofwhatislikely:itisalwaysdull.Idowhatisunlikely.” “Ah,thereyoutellmeasecret.WhenonceIknewwhatpeopleingeneralwouldbelikelytodo,Ishouldknowyouwoulddotheopposite.Soyouwouldhavecomeroundtoalikelihoodofyourownsort.Ishallbeabletocalculateonyou.Youcouldn’tsurpriseme.” “Yes,Icould.Ishouldturnroundanddowhatwaslikelyforpeopleingeneral,”saidGwendolen,withamusicallaugh. “Youseeyoucan’tescapesomesortoflikelihood.Andcontradictorinessmakesthestrongestlikelihoodofall.Youmustgiveupaplan.” “No,Ishallnot.Myplanistodowhatpleasesme.”(HereshouldanyyoungladyinclinetoimitateGwendolen,letherconsiderthesetofherheadandneck:iftheangletherehadbeendifferent,thechinprotrusive,andthecervicalvertebraeatriflemorecurvedintheirposition,tentooneGwendolen’swordswouldhavehadajarinthemforthesweet-naturedRex.Buteverythingoddinherspeechwashumorandprettybanter,whichhewasonlyanxioustoturntowardonepoint.) “Canyoumanagetofeelonlywhatpleasesyou?”saidhe. “Ofcoursenotthatcomesfromwhatotherpeopledo.Butiftheworldwerepleasanter,onewouldonlyfeelwhatwaspleasant.Girls’livesaresostupid:theyneverdowhattheylike.” “Ithoughtthatwasmorethecaseofthemen.Theyareforcedtodohardthings,andareoftendreadfullybored,andknockedtopiecestoo.Andthen,ifweloveagirlverydearlywewanttodoasshelikes,soafterallyouhaveyourownway.” “Idon’tbelieveit.Ineversawamarriedwomanwhohadherownway.” “Whatshouldyouliketodo?”saidRex,quiteguilelessly,andinrealanxiety. “Oh,Idon’tknow!—gototheNorthPole,orridesteeple-chases,orgotobeaqueenintheEastlikeLadyHesterStanhope,”saidGwendolen,flightily.Herwordswerebornonherlips,butshewouldhavebeenatalosstogiveananswerofdeeperorigin. “Youdon’tmeanyouwouldneverbemarried?” “NoIdidn’tsaythat.OnlywhenImarried,Ishouldnotdoasotherwomendo.” “Youmightdojustasyoulikedifyoumarriedamanwholovedyoumoredearlythananythingelseintheworld,”saidRex,who,pooryouth,wasmovinginthemesoutsidethecurriculuminwhichhehadpromisedtowindistinction.“Iknowonewhodoes.” “Don’ttalkofMr.Middleton,forheaven’ssake,”saidGwendolen,hastily,aquickblushspreadingoverherfaceandneck“thatisAnna’schant.Ihearthehounds.Letusgoon.” Sheputherchestnuttoacanter,andRexhadnochoicebuttofollowher.Stillhefeltencouraged.Gwendolenwasperfectlyawarethathercousinwasinlovewithherbutshehadnoideathatthematterwasofanyconsequence,havingneverhadtheslightestvisitationofpainfulloveherself.ShewishedthesmallromanceofRex’sdevotiontofillupthetimeofhisstayatPennicote,andtoavoidexplanationswhichwouldbringittoanuntimelyend.Besides,sheobjected,withasortofphysicalrepulsion,tobeingdirectlymadeloveto.Withallherimaginativedelightinbeingadored,therewasacertainfiercenessofmaidenhoodinher. ButallotherthoughtsweresoonlostforherintheexcitementofthesceneattheThreeBarns.Severalgentlemenofthehuntknewher,andsheexchangedpleasantgreetings.Rexcouldnotgetanotherwordwithher.Thecolor,thestirofthefieldhadtakenpossessionofGwendolenwithastrengthwhichwasnotduetohabitualassociations,forshehadneveryetriddenafterthehounds—onlysaidsheshouldliketodoit,andsodrawnforthaprohibitionhermammadreadingthedanger,andheruncledeclaringthatforhispartheheldthatkindofviolentexerciseunseemlyinawoman,andthatwhatevermightbedoneinotherpartsofthecountry,noladyofgoodpositionfollowedtheWessexhunt:noonebutMrs.Gadsby,theyeomanrycaptain’swife,whohadbeenakitchenmaidandstillspokelikeone.ThislastargumenthadsomeeffectonGwendolen,andhadkeptherhaltingbetweenherdesiretoassertherfreedomandherhorrorofbeingclassedwithMrs.Gadsby. Someofthemostunexceptionablewomenintheneighborhoodoccasionallywenttoseethehoundsthrowoffbutithappenedthatnoneofthemwerepresentthismorningtoabstainfromfollowing,whileMrs.Gadsby,withherdoubtfulantecedents,grammaticalandotherwise,wasnotvisibletomakefollowingseemunbecoming.ThusGwendolenfeltnocheckontheanimalstimulusthatcamefromthestirandtongueofthehounds,thepawingofthehorses,thevaryingvoicesofmen,themovementhitherandthitherofvividcoloronthebackgroundofgreenandgraystillness:—thatutmostexcitementofthecomingchasewhichconsistsinfeelingsomethinglikeacombinationofdogandhorse,withthesuperaddedthrillofsocialvanitiesandconsciousnessofcentaur-powerwhichbelongstohumankind. RexwouldhavefeltmoreofthesameenjoymentifhecouldhavekeptnearertoGwendolen,andnotseenherconstantlyoccupiedwithacquaintances,orlookedatbywould-beacquaintances,allonlivelyhorseswhichveeredaboutandsweptthesurroundingspaceaseffectuallyasarevolvinglever. “Gladtoseeyouherethisfinemorning,MissHarleth,”saidLordBrackenshaw,amiddle-agedpeerofaristocraticseedinessinstainedpink,witheasy-goingmannerswhichwouldhavemadethethreateneddelugeseemofnoconsequence.“Weshallhaveafirst-raterun.Apityyoudidn’tgowithus.Haveyouevertriedyourlittlechestnutataditch?youwouldn’tbeafraid,eh?” “Nottheleastintheworld,”saidGwendolen.Andthatwastrue:shewasneverfearfulinactionandcompanionship.“Ihaveoftentakenhimatsomerailsandaditchtoo,near—” “Ah,byJove!”saidhislordship,quietly,innotationthatsomethingwashappeningwhichmustbreakoffthedialogue:andashereinedoffhishorse,RexwasbringinghissoberhackneyuptoGwendolen’ssidewhen—thehoundsgavetongue,andthewholefieldwasinmotionasifthewhirloftheearthwerecarryingitGwendolenalongwitheverythingelsenowordofnoticetoRex,whowithoutasecondthoughtfollowedtoo.CouldheletGwendolengoalone?underothercircumstanceshewouldhaveenjoyedtherun,buthewasjustnowperturbedbythecheckwhichhadbeenputontheimpetustoutterhislove,andgetutteranceinreturn,animpetuswhichcouldnotatonceresolveitselfintoatotallydifferentsortofchase,atleastwiththeconsciousnessofbeingonhisfather’sgraynag,agoodhorseenoughinhisway,butofsoberyearsandecclesiasticalhabits.Gwendolenonherspiritedlittlechestnutwasupwiththebest,andfeltassecureasanimmortalgoddess,having,ifshehadthought