CHAPTER VIII.
關燈
小
中
大
forewewent.Itwouldbenicerthananything—likeplayingatlifeoveragain,asweusedtodowhenwemadeourtentwiththedrugget,andhadourlittleplatesanddishes.”
“Fatherandmotherwouldnotletyougo.”
“Yes,Ithinktheywould,whenIexplainedeverything.Itwouldsavemoneyandpapawouldhavemoretobringuptheboyswith.”
Therewasfurthertalkofthesamepracticalkindatintervals,anditendedinRex’sbeingobligedtoconsentthatAnnashouldgowithhimwhenhespoketohisfatheronthesubject.
Ofcourseitwaswhentherectorwasaloneinhisstudy.Theirmotherwouldbecomereconciledtowhateverhedecidedon,butmentionedtoherfirst,thequestionwouldhavedistressedher.
“Well,mychildren!”saidMr.Gascoigne,cheerfully,astheyentered.ItwasacomforttoseeRexaboutagain.
“Maywesitdownwithyoualittle,papa?”saidAnna.“Rexhassomethingtosay.”
“Withallmyheart.”
Itwasanoticeablegroupthatthesethreecreaturesmade,eachofthemwithafaceofthesamestructuraltype—thestraightbrow,thenosesuddenlystraightenedfromanintentionofbeingaquiline,theshortupperlip,theshortbutstrongandwell-hungchin:therewaseventhesametoneofcomplexionandsetoftheeye.Thegray-hairedfatherwasatoncemassiveandkeen-lookingtherewasaperpendicularlineinhisbrowwhichwhenhespokewithanyforceofinterestdeepenedandthehabitofrulinggavehimanairofreservedauthoritativeness.Rexwouldhaveseemedavisionofhisfather’syouth,ifithadbeenpossibletoimagineMr.Gascoignewithoutdistinctplansandwithoutcommand,smittenwithaheartsorrow,andhavingnomorenotionofconcealmentthanasickanimalandAnnawasatinycopyofRex,withhairdrawnbackandknotted,herfacefollowinghisinitschangesofexpression,asiftheyhadonesoulbetweenthem.
“Youknowallaboutwhathasupsetme,father,”Rexbegan,andMr.Gascoignenodded.
“Iamquitedoneupforlifeinthispartoftheworld.IamsureitwillbenousemygoingbacktoOxford.Icouldn’tdoanyreading.Ishouldfail,andcauseyouexpensefornothing.Iwanttohaveyourconsenttotakeanothercourse,sir.”
Mr.Gascoignenoddedmoreslowly,theperpendicularlineonhisbrowdeepened,andAnna’stremblingincreased.
“Ifyouwouldallowmeasmalloutfit,Ishouldliketogotothecoloniesandworkonthelandthere.”Rexthoughtthevaguenessofthephraseprudential“thecolonies”necessarilyembracingmoreadvantages,andbeinglesscapableofbeingrebuttedonasinglegroundthananypa
