CHAPTER X.

1stGent. Whatwomanshouldbe?Sir,consultthetaste Ofmarriageablemen.Thisplanet’sstore Iniron,cotton,wool,orchemicals— Allmatterrenderedtoourplasticskill, Iswroughtinshapesresponsivetodemand Themarket’spulsemakesindexhighorlow, Byrulesublime.Ourdaughtersmustbewives, Andtothewivesmustbewhatmenwillchoose Men’stasteiswoman’stest.Youmarkthephrase? ’Tisgood,Ithink?—thesensewell-wingedandpoised Witht’sands’s. 2ndGent. Nay,butturnitround Giveusthetestoftaste.Afinemenu— Isitto-daywhatRomanepicures Insistedthatagentlemanmusteat Toearnthedignityofdiningwell? BrackenshawPark,wherethearcherymeetingwasheld,lookedoutfromitsgentleheightsfarovertheneighboringvalleytotheoutlyingeasterndownsandthebroad,slowriseofcultivatedcountry,hanginglikeavastcurtaintowardthewest.Thecastlewhichstoodonthehighestplatformoftheclusteredhills,wasbuiltofrough-hewnlimestone,fulloflightsandshadowsmadebythedarkdustoflichensandthewashingsoftherain.Massesofbeechandfirsheltereditonthenorth,andspreaddownhereandtherealongthegreenslopeslikeflocksseekingthewaterwhichgleamedbelow.Thearchery-groundwasacarefully-keptenclosureonabitoftable-landatthefarthestendofthepark,protectedtowardthesouth-westbytallelmsandathickscreenofhollies,whichkeptthegravelwalkandthebitofnewly-mownturfwherethetargetswereplacedinagreeableafternoonshade.TheArcheryHallwithanarcadeinfrontshowedlikeawhitetempleagainstthegreeneryonthenorthside. Whatcouldmakeabetterbackgroundfortheflower-groupsofladies,movingandbowingandturningtheirnecksasitwouldbecometheleisurelyliliestodoiftheytooktolocomotion.Thesoundstoowereverypleasanttohear,evenwhenthemilitarybandfromWanchesterceasedtoplay:musicallaughsinalltheregistersandaharmonyofhappy,friendlyspeeches,nowrisingtowardmildexcitement,nowsinkingtoanagreeablemurmur. Noopen-airamusementcouldbemuchfreerfromthosenoisy,crowdingconditionswhichspoilmostmodernpleasuresnoArcheryMeetingcouldbemoreselect,thenumberoffriendsaccompanyingthemembersbeingrestrictedbyanawardoftickets,soastokeepthemaximumwithinthelimitsofconvenienceforthedinnerandballtobeheldinthecastle.WithintheenclosurenoplebeianspectatorswereadmittedexceptLordBrackenshaw’stenantsandtheirfamilies,andoftheseitwaschieflythefemininememberswhousedtheprivilege,bringingtheirlittleboysandgirlsoryoungerbrothersandsisters.Themalesamongthemrelievedtheinsipidityoftheentertainmentbyimaginativebetting,inwhichthestakewas“anythingyoulike,”ontheirfavoritearchersbuttheyoungmaidens,havingadifferentprincipleofdiscrimination,wereconsideringwhichofthosesweetly-dressedladiestheywouldchoosetobe,ifthechoicewereallowedthem.Probablytheformtheseruralsoulswouldmosthavestrivenforasatabernacle,wassomeotherthanGwendolen’s—onewithmorepinkinhercheeksandhairofthemostfashionableyellowbutamongthemalejudgesintheranksimmediatelysurroundinghertherewasunusualunanimityinpronouncingherthefinestgirlpresent. NowondersheenjoyedherexistenceonthatJulyday.Pre-eminenceissweettothosewholoveit,evenundermediocrecircumstances.Perhapsitwasnotquitemythicalthataslavehasbeenproudtobeboughtfirstandprobablyabarn-doorfowlonsale,thoughhemaynothaveunderstoodhimselftobecalledthebestofabadlot,mayhaveaself-informedconsciousnessofhisrelativeimportance,andstrutconsoled.Butforcompleteenjoymenttheoutwardandtheinwardmustconcur.AndthatconcurrencewashappeningtoGwendolen. Whocandenythat