CHAPTER II

Theyoungmanshutthedoorwithasharperslamthananyvisitorhadusedthatafternoon,andwalkedupthestreetatagreatpace,cuttingtheairwithhiswalking-stick.Hewasgladtofindhimselfoutsidethatdrawing-room,breathingrawfog,andincontactwithunpolishedpeoplewhoonlywantedtheirshareofthepavementallowedthem.HethoughtthatifhehadhadMr.orMrs.orMissHilberyoutherehewouldhavemadethem,somehow,feelhissuperiority,forhewaschafedbythememoryofhaltingawkwardsentenceswhichhadfailedtogiveeventheyoungwomanwiththesad,butinwardlyironicaleyesahintofhisforce.Hetriedtorecalltheactualwordsofhislittleoutburst,andunconsciouslysupplementedthembysomanywordsofgreaterexpressivenessthattheirritationofhisfailurewassomewhatassuaged.Suddenstabsoftheunmitigatedtruthassailedhimnowandthen,forhewasnotinclinedbynaturetotakearosyviewofhisconduct,butwhatwiththebeatofhisfootuponthepavement,andtheglimpsewhichhalf-drawncurtainsofferedhimofkitchens,dining-rooms,anddrawing-rooms,illustratingwithmutepowerdifferentscenesfromdifferentlives,hisownexperiencelostitssharpness. Hisownexperienceunderwentacuriouschange.Hisspeedslackened,hisheadsankalittletowardshisbreast,andthelamplightshonenowandagainuponafacegrownstrangelytranquil.Histhoughtwassoabsorbingthatwhenitbecamenecessarytoverifythenameofastreet,helookedatitforatimebeforehereaditwhenhecametoacrossing,heseemedtohavetoreassurehimselfbytwoorthreetaps,suchasablindmangives,uponthecurband,reachingtheUndergroundstation,heblinkedinthebrightcircleoflight,glancedathiswatch,decidedthathemightstillindulgehimselfindarkness,andwalkedstraighton. Andyetthethoughtwasthethoughtwithwhichhehadstarted.Hewasstillthinkingaboutthepeopleinthehousewhichhehadleftbutinsteadofremembering,withwhateveraccuracyhecould,theirlooksandsayings,hehadconsciouslytakenleaveoftheliteraltruth.Aturnofthestreet,afirelitroom,somethingmonumentalintheprocessionofthelamp-posts,whoshallsaywhataccidentoflightorshapehadsuddenlychangedtheprospectwithinhismind,andledhimtomurmuraloud: “She’lldo....Yes,KatharineHilbery’lldo....I’lltakeKatharineHilbery.” Assoonashehadsaidthis,hispaceslackened,hisheadfell,hiseyesbecamefixed.Thedesiretojustifyhimself,whichhadbeensourgent,ceasedtotormenthim,and,asifreleasedfromconstraint,sothattheyworkedwithoutfrictionorbidding,hisfacultiesleaptforwardandfixed,asamatterofcourse,upontheformofKatharineHilbery.Itwasmarvelloushowmuchtheyfoundtofeedupon,consideringthedestructivenatureofDenham’scriticisminherpresence.Thecharm,whichhehadtriedtodisown,whenundertheeffectofit,thebeauty,thecharacter,thealoofness,whichhehadbeendeterminednottofeel,nowpossessedhimwhollyandwhen,ashappenedbythenatureofthings,hehadexhaustedhismemory,hewentonwithhisimagination.Hewasconsciousofwhathewasabout,forinthusdwellinguponMissHilbery’squalities,heshowedakindofmethod,asifherequiredthisvisionofherforaparticularpurpose.Heincreasedherheight,hedarkenedherhairbutphysicallytherewasnotmuchtochangeinher.Hismostdaringlibertywastakenwithhermind,which,forreasonsofhisown,hedesiredtobeexaltedandinfallible,andofsuchindependencethatitwasonlyinthecaseofRalphDenhamthatitswervedfromitshigh,swiftflight,butwherehewasconcerned,thoughfastidiousatfirst,shefinallyswoopedfromhereminencetocrownhimwithherapproval.Thesedeliciousdetails,however,weretobeworkedoutinalltheirramificationsathisleisurethemainpointwasthatKatharineHilberywoulddoshewoulddoforweeks,perhapsformonths.Intakingherhehadprovidedhimselfwithsomethingthelackofwhichhadleftabareplaceinhismindforaconsiderabletime.HegaveasighofsatisfactionhisconsciousnessofhisactualpositionsomewhereintheneighborhoodofKnightsbridgereturnedtohim,andhewassoonspeedinginthetraintowardsHighgate. Althoughthussupportedbytheknowledgeofhisnewpossessionofconsiderablevalue,hewasnotproofagainstthefamiliarthoughtswhichthesuburbanstreetsandthedampshrubsgrowinginfrontgardensandtheabsurdnamespaintedinwhiteuponthegatesofthosegardenssuggestedtohim.Hiswalkwasuphill,andhisminddweltgloomilyuponthehousewhichheapproached,wherehewouldfindsixorsevenbrothersandsisters,awidowedmother,and,probably,someauntorunclesittingdowntoanunpleas