CHAPTER III

DenhamhadaccusedKatharineHilberyofbelongingtooneofthemostdistinguishedfamiliesinEngland,andifanyonewilltakethetroubletoconsultMr.Galton’s“HereditaryGenius,”hewillfindthatthisassertionisnotfarfromthetruth.TheAlardyces,theHilberys,theMillingtons,andtheOtwaysseemtoprovethatintellectisapossessionwhichcanbetossedfromonememberofacertaingrouptoanotheralmostindefinitely,andwithapparentcertaintythatthebrilliantgiftwillbesafelycaughtandheldbynineoutoftenoftheprivilegedrace.Theyhadbeenconspicuousjudgesandadmirals,lawyersandservantsoftheStateforsomeyearsbeforetherichnessofthesoilculminatedintherarestflowerthatanyfamilycanboast,agreatwriter,apoeteminentamongthepoetsofEngland,aRichardAlardyceandhavingproducedhim,theyprovedoncemoretheamazingvirtuesoftheirracebyproceedingunconcernedlyagainwiththeirusualtaskofbreedingdistinguishedmen.TheyhadsailedwithSirJohnFranklintotheNorthPole,andriddenwithHavelocktotheReliefofLucknow,andwhentheywerenotlighthousesfirmlybasedonrockfortheguidanceoftheirgeneration,theyweresteady,serviceablecandles,illuminatingtheordinarychambersofdailylife.Whateverprofessionyoulookedat,therewasaWarburtonoranAlardyce,aMillingtonoraHilberysomewhereinauthorityandprominence. Itmaybesaid,indeed,thatEnglishsocietybeingwhatitis,noverygreatmeritisrequired,onceyoubearawell-knownname,toputyouintoapositionwhereitiseasieronthewholetobeeminentthanobscure.Andifthisistrueofthesons,eventhedaughters,eveninthenineteenthcentury,areapttobecomepeopleofimportance—philanthropistsandeducationalistsiftheyarespinsters,andthewivesofdistinguishedmeniftheymarry.ItistruethattherewereseverallamentableexceptionstothisruleintheAlardycegroup,whichseemstoindicatethatthecadetsofsuchhousesgomorerapidlytothebadthanthechildrenofordinaryfathersandmothers,asifitweresomehowarelieftothem.But,onthewhole,inthesefirstyearsofthetwentiethcentury,theAlardycesandtheirrelationswerekeepingtheirheadswellabovewater.Onefindsthematthetopsofprofessions,withlettersaftertheirnamestheysitinluxuriouspublicoffices,withprivatesecretariesattachedtothemtheywritesolidbooksindarkcovers,issuedbythepressesofthetwogreatuniversities,andwhenoneofthemdiesthechancesarethatanotherofthemwriteshisbiography. Nowthesourceofthisnobilitywas,ofcourse,thepoet,andhisimmediatedescendants,therefore,wereinvestedwithgreaterlusterthanthecollateralbranches.Mrs.Hilbery,invirtueofherpositionastheonlychildofthepoet,wasspirituallytheheadofthefamily,andKatharine,herdaughter,hadsomesuperiorrankamongallthecousinsandconnections,themoresobecauseshewasanonlychild.TheAlardyceshadmarriedandintermarried,andtheiroffspringweregenerallyprofuse,andhadawayofmeetingregularlyineachother’shousesformealsandfamilycelebrationswhichhadacquiredasemi-sacredcharacter,andwereasregularlyobservedasdaysoffeastingandfastingintheChurch. Intimesgoneby,Mrs.Hilberyhadknownallthepoets,allthenovelists,allthebeautifulwomenanddistinguishedmenofhertime.Thesebeingnoweitherdeadorsecludedintheirinfirmglory,shemadeherhouseameeting-placeforherownrelations,towhomshewouldlamentthepassingofthegreatdaysofthenineteenthcentury,wheneverydepartmentoflettersandartwasrepresentedinEnglandbytwoorthreeillustriousnames.Wherearetheirsuccessors?shewouldask,andtheabsenceofanypoetorpainterornovelistofthetruecaliberatthepresentdaywasatextuponwhichshelikedtoruminate,inasunsetmoodofbenignantreminiscence,whichitwouldhavebeenhardtodisturbhadtherebeenneed.Butshewasfarfromvisitingtheirinferiorityupontheyoungergeneration.Shewelcomedthemveryheartilytoherhouse,toldthemherstories,gavethemsovereignsandicesandgoodadvice,andweavedroundthemromanceswhichhadgenerallynolikenesstothetruth. ThequalityofherbirthoozedintoKatharine’sconsciousnessfromadozendifferentsourcesass