CHAPTER X.

!sheisrunningJulietFennhard.Itiswonderfulforoneinherfirstyear.Catherineisnotuptoherusualmark,”continuedhislordship,turningtotheheiress’smotherwhosatnear.“Butshegotthegoldarrowlasttime.Andthere’saluckeveninthesegamesofskill.That’sbetter.Itgivesthehinderonesachance.” “Catherinewillbeverygladforotherstowin,”saidMrs.Arrowpoint,“sheissomagnanimous.ItwasentirelyherconsideratenessthatmadeusbringHerrKlesmerinsteadofCanonStopley,whohadexpressedawishtocome.Forherownpleasure,IamsureshewouldratherhavebroughttheCanonbutsheisalwaysthinkingofothers.Itoldheritwasnotquiteenrègletobringonesofaroutofourownsetbutshesaid,‘Geniusitselfisnotenrègleitcomesintotheworldtomakenewrules.’Andonemustadmitthat.” “Ay,tobesure,”saidLordBrackenshaw,inatoneofcarelessdismissal,addingquickly,“Formypart,IamnotmagnanimousIshouldliketowin.But,confoundit!Ineverhavethechancenow.I’mgettingoldandidle.Theyoungonesbeatme.AsoldNestorsays—thegodsdon’tgiveuseverythingatonetime:Iwasayoungfellowonce,andnowIamgettinganoldandwiseone.Old,atanyratewhichisagiftthatcomestoeverybodyiftheylivelongenough,soitraisesnojealousy.”TheEarlsmiledcomfortablyathiswife. “Oh,mylord,peoplewhohavebeenneighborstwentyyearsmustnottalktoeachotheraboutage,”saidMrs.Arrowpoint.“Years,astheTuscanssay,aremadeforthelettingofhouses.Butwhereisournewneighbor?IthoughtMr.Grandcourtwastobehereto-day.” “Ah,bytheway,sohewas.Thetime’sgettingontoo,”saidhislordship,lookingathiswatch.“ButheonlygottoDiplowtheotherday.HecametousonTuesdayandsaidhehadbeenalittlebothered.Hemayhavebeenpulledinanotherdirection.Why,Gascoigne!”—therectorwasjustthencrossingatalittledistancewithGwendolenonhisarm,andturnedincompliancewiththecall—“thisisalittletoobadyounotonlybeatusyourself,butyoubringupyourniecetobeatallthearcheresses.” “Itisratherscandalousinhertogetthebetterofeldermembers,”saidMr.Gascoigne,withmuchinwardsatisfactioncurlinghisshortupperlip.“Butitisnotmydoing,mylord.Ionlymeanthertomakeatolerablefigure,withoutsurpassinganyone.” “Itisnotmyfault,either,”saidGwendolen,withprettyarchness.“IfIamtoaim,Ican’thelphitting.” “Ay,ay,thatmaybeafatalbusinessforsomepeople,”saidLordBrackenshaw,good-humoredlythentakingouthiswatchandlookingatMrs.Arrowpointagain—“Thetime’sgettingon,asyousay.ButGrandcourtisalwayslate.Inoticeintownhe’salwayslate,andhe’snobowman—understandsnothingaboutit.ButItoldhimhemustcomehewouldseethefloweroftheneighborhoodhere.Heaskedaboutyou—hadseenArrowpoint’scard.Ithinkyouhadnotmadehisacquaintanceintown.Hehasbeenagooddealabroad.Peopledon’tknowhimmuch.” “Nowearestrangers,”saidMrs.Arrowpoint.“Butthatisnotwhatmighthavebeenexpected.ForhisuncleSirHugoMallingerandIaregreatfriendswhenwemeet.” “Idon’tknowunclesandnephewsarenotsolikelytobeseentogetherasunclesandnieces,”saidhislordship,smilingtowardtherector.“Butjustcomewithmeoneinstant,Gascoigne,willyou?Iwanttospeakawordabouttheclout-shooting.” Gwendolenchosetogotooandbedepositedinthesamegroupwithhermammaandauntuntilshehadtoshootagain.ThatMr.Grandcourtmightafterallnotappearonthearchery-ground,hadbeguntoenterintoGwendolen’sthoughtasapossibledeductionfromthecompletenessofherpleasure.Underallhersaucysatire,provokedchieflybyherdivinationthatherfriendsthoughtofhimasadesirablematchforher,shefeltsomethingveryfarfromindifferenceastotheimpressionshewouldmakeonhim.True,hewasnottohavetheslightestpoweroverher(forGwendolenhadn