CHAPTER I

sontheoutskirtsofthetown,andthenthescrubbylittlehouseinwhichthegirlwouldlive,andthentheprofessorsandthemiserableyoungstudentsdevotedtothemorestrenuousworksofouryoungerdramatists,whowouldvisither,andhowherappearancewouldchangebydegrees,andhowshewouldflytoLondon,andhowKatharinewouldhavetoleadherabout,asoneleadsaneagerdogonachain,pastrowsofclamorousbutchers’shops,poordearcreature. “Oh,Mr.Fortescue,”exclaimedMrs.Hilbery,ashefinished,“IhadjustwrittentosayhowIenviedher!Iwasthinkingofthebiggardensandthedearoldladiesinmittens,whoreadnothingbutthe“Spectator,”andsnuffthecandles.Havetheyalldisappeared?ItoldhershewouldfindthenicethingsofLondonwithoutthehorridstreetsthatdepressoneso.” “ThereistheUniversity,”saidthethingentleman,whohadpreviouslyinsistedupontheexistenceofpeopleknowingPersian. “Iknowtherearemoorsthere,becauseIreadabouttheminabooktheotherday,”saidKatharine. “Iamgrievedandamazedattheignoranceofmyfamily,”Mr.Hilberyremarked.Hewasanelderlyman,withapairofoval,hazeleyeswhichwereratherbrightforhistimeoflife,andrelievedtheheavinessofhisface.Heplayedconstantlywithalittlegreenstoneattachedtohiswatch-chain,thusdisplayinglongandverysensitivefingers,andhadahabitofmovinghisheadhitherandthitherveryquicklywithoutalteringthepositionofhislargeandrathercorpulentbody,sothatheseemedtobeprovidinghimselfincessantlywithfoodforamusementandreflectionwiththeleastpossibleexpenditureofenergy.Onemightsupposethathehadpassedthetimeoflifewhenhisambitionswerepersonal,orthathehadgratifiedthemasfarashewaslikelytodo,andnowemployedhisconsiderableacutenessrathertoobserveandreflectthantoattainanyresult. Katharine,soDenhamdecided,whileMr.Fortescuebuiltupanotherroundedstructureofwords,hadalikenesstoeachofherparents,buttheseelementswereratheroddlyblended.Shehadthequick,impulsivemovementsofhermother,thelipspartingoftentospeak,andclosingagainandthedarkovaleyesofherfatherbrimmingwithlightuponabasisofsadness,or,sinceshewastooyoungtohaveacquiredasorrowfulpointofview,onemightsaythatthebasiswasnotsadnesssomuchasaspiritgiventocontemplationandself-control.Judgingbyherhair,hercoloring,andtheshapeofherfeatures,shewasstriking,ifnotactuallybeautiful.Decisionandcomposurestampedher,acombinationofqualitiesthatproducedaverymarkedcharacter,andonethatwasnotcalculatedtoputayoungman,whoscarcelyknewher,athisease.Fortherest,shewastallherdresswasofsomequietcolor,witholdyellow-tintedlaceforornament,towhichthesparkofanancientjewelgaveitsoneredgleam.Denhamnoticedthat,althoughsilent,shekeptsufficientcontrolofthesituationtoanswerimmediatelyhermotherappealedtoherforhelp,andyetitwasobvioustohimthatsheattendedonlywiththesurfaceskinofhermind.Itstruckhimthatherpositionatthetea-table,amongalltheseelderlypeople,wasnotwithoutitsdifficulties,andhecheckedhisinclinationtofindher,orherattitude,generallyantipathetictohim.ThetalkhadpassedoverManchester,afterdealingwithitverygenerously. “WoulditbetheBattleofTrafalgarortheSpanishArmada,Katharine?”hermotherdemanded. “Trafalgar,mother.” “Trafalgar,ofcourse!Howstupidofme!Anothercupoftea,withathinsliceoflemoninit,andthen,dearMr.Fortescue,pleaseexplainmyabsurdlittlepuzzle.Onecan’thelpbelievinggentlemenwithRomannoses,evenifonemeetstheminomnibuses.” Mr.HilberyhereinterposedsofarasDenhamwasconcerned,andtalkedagreatdealofsenseaboutthesolicitors’profession,andthechangeswhichhehadseeninhislifetime.Indeed,Denhamproperlyfelltohislot,owingtothefactthatanarticlebyDenhamuponsomelegalmatter,publishedbyMr.HilberyinhisReview,hadbroughtthemacquainted.ButwhenamomentlaterMrs.SuttonBaileywasannounced,heturnedtoher,andMr.Denhamfoundhimselfsittingsilent,rejectingpossiblethingstosay,besideKatharine,whowassilenttoo.Beingmuchaboutthesameageandbothunderthirty,theywereprohibitedfromtheuseofagreatmanyconvenientphraseswhichlaunchconversationintosmoothwaters.TheywerefurthersilencedbyKatharine’srathermaliciousdeterminationnottohelpthisyoungman,inwhoseuprightandresolutebearingshedetectedsomethinghostiletohersurroundings,byanyoftheusualfeminineamenities.Theythereforesatsilent,Denhamcontrollinghisdesiretosaysomethingabruptandexplosive,whichshouldshockherintolife.ButMrs.Hilberywasimmediatelysensitivetoanysilenceinthedrawing-room,asofadumbnoteinasonorousscale,andleaningacrossthetablesheobserved,inthecuriouslytentativedetachedmannerwhichalwaysgaveherphrasesthelikenessofbutterfliesflauntingfromonesunnyspottoanother,“D’youknow,Mr.Denham,youremindmesomuchofdearMr.Ruskin....Isithistie,Katharine,orhishair,orthewayhesitsinhischair?D