CHAPTER III

emostdevoutintentiontoaccomplishthework,thebookstillremainedunwritten.Papersaccumulatedwithoutmuchfurtheringtheirtask,andindullmomentsKatharinehadherdoubtswhethertheywouldeverproduceanythingatallfittolaybeforethepublic.Wheredidthedifficultylie?Notintheirmaterials,alas!norintheirambitions,butinsomethingmoreprofound,inherowninaptitude,andaboveall,inhermother’stemperament.Katharinewouldcalculatethatshehadneverknownherwriteformorethantenminutesatatime.Ideascametoherchieflywhenshewasinmotion.Shelikedtoperambulatetheroomwithadusterinherhand,withwhichshestoppedtopolishthebacksofalreadylustrousbooks,musingandromancingasshedidso.Suddenlytherightphraseorthepenetratingpointofviewwouldsuggestitself,andshewoulddropherdusterandwriteecstaticallyforafewbreathlessmomentsandthenthemoodwouldpassaway,andthedusterwouldbesoughtfor,andtheoldbookspolishedagain.Thesespellsofinspirationneverburntsteadily,butflickeredoverthegiganticmassofthesubjectascapriciouslyasawill-o’-the-wisp,lightingnowonthispoint,nowonthat.ItwasasmuchasKatharinecoulddotokeepthepagesofhermother’smanuscriptinorder,buttosortthemsothatthesixteenthyearofRichardAlardyce’slifesucceededthefifteenthwasbeyondherskill.Andyettheyweresobrilliant,theseparagraphs,sonoblyphrased,solightning-likeintheirillumination,thatthedeadseemedtocrowdtheveryroom.Readcontinuously,theyproducedasortofvertigo,andsetheraskingherselfindespairwhatonearthshewastodowiththem?Hermotherrefused,also,tofacetheradicalquestionsofwhattoleaveinandwhattoleaveout.Shecouldnotdecidehowfarthepublicwastobetoldthetruthaboutthepoet’sseparationfromhiswife.Shedraftedpassagestosuiteithercase,andthenlikedeachsowellthatshecouldnotdecideupontherejectionofeither. Butthebookmustbewritten.Itwasadutythattheyowedtheworld,andtoKatharine,atleast,itmeantmorethanthat,foriftheycouldnotbetweenthemgetthisonebookaccomplishedtheyhadnorighttotheirprivilegedposition.Theirincrementbecameyearlymoreandmoreunearned.Besides,itmustbeestablishedindisputablythathergrandfatherwasaverygreatman. Bythetimeshewastwenty-seven,thesethoughtshadbecomeveryfamiliartoher.Theytrodtheirwaythroughhermindasshesatoppositehermotherofamorningatatableheapedwithbundlesofoldlettersandwellsuppliedwithpencils,scissors,bottlesofgum,india-rubberbands,largeenvelopes,andotherappliancesforthemanufactureofbooks.ShortlybeforeRalphDenham’svisit,Katharinehadresolvedtotrytheeffectofstrictrulesuponhermother’shabitsofliterarycomposition.Theyweretobeseatedattheirtableseverymorningatteno’clock,withaclean-sweptmorningofempty,secludedhoursbeforethem.Theyweretokeeptheireyesfastuponthepaper,andnothingwastotemptthemtospeech,saveatthestrokeofthehourwhentenminutesforrelaxationweretobeallowedthem.Iftheseruleswereobservedforayear,shemadeoutonasheetofpaperthatthecompletionofthebookwascertain,andshelaidherschemebeforehermotherwithafeelingthatmuchofthetaskwasalreadyaccomplished.Mrs.Hilberyexaminedthesheetofpaperverycarefully.Thensheclappedherhandsandexclaimedenthusiastically: “Welldone,Katharine!Whatawonderfulheadforbusinessyou’vegot!NowIshallkeepthisbeforeme,andeverydayIshallmakealittlemarkinmypocketbook,andonthelastdayofall—letmethink,whatshallwedotocelebratethelastdayofall?Ifitweren’tthewinterwecouldtakeajaunttoItaly.TheysaySwitzerland’sverylovelyinthesnow,exceptforthecold.But,asyousay,thegreatthingistofinishthebook.Nowletmesee—” Whentheyinspectedhermanuscripts,whichKatharinehadputinorder,theyfoundastateofthingswellcalculatedtodashtheirspirits,iftheyhadnotjustresolvedonreform.Theyfound,tobeginwith,agreatvarietyofveryimposingparagraphswithwhichthebiographywastoopenmanyofthese,itistrue,wereunfinished,andresembledtriumphalarchesstandingupononeleg,but,asMrs.Hilberyobserved,theycouldbepa