CHAPTER III

cewascombinedwithafinenaturalinsightwhichsawdeepwheneveritsawatall,itwasnotpossibletowriteMrs.Hilberyoffamongtheduncesonthecontrary,shehadawayofseemingthewisestpersonintheroom.But,onthewhole,shefounditverynecessarytoseeksupportinherdaughter. Katharine,thus,wasamemberofaverygreatprofessionwhichhas,asyet,notitleandverylittlerecognition,althoughthelaborofmillandfactoryis,perhaps,nomoresevereandtheresultsoflessbenefittotheworld.Shelivedathome.Shediditverywell,too.AnyonecomingtothehouseinCheyneWalkfeltthatherewasanorderlyplace,shapely,controlled—aplacewherelifehadbeentrainedtoshowtothebestadvantage,and,thoughcomposedofdifferentelements,madetoappearharmoniousandwithacharacterofitsown.PerhapsitwasthechieftriumphofKatharine’sartthatMrs.Hilbery’scharacterpredominated.SheandMr.Hilberyappearedtobearichbackgroundforhermother’smorestrikingqualities. Silencebeing,thus,bothnaturaltoherandimposeduponher,theonlyotherremarkthathermother’sfriendswereinthehabitofmakingaboutitwasthatitwasneitherastupidsilencenoranindifferentsilence.Buttowhatqualityitoweditscharacter,sincecharacterofsomesortithad,noonetroubledthemselvestoinquire.Itwasunderstoodthatshewashelpinghermothertoproduceagreatbook.Shewasknowntomanagethehousehold.Shewascertainlybeautiful.Thataccountedforhersatisfactorily.Butitwouldhavebeenasurprise,notonlytootherpeoplebuttoKatharineherself,ifsomemagicwatchcouldhavetakencountofthemomentsspentinanentirelydifferentoccupationfromherostensibleone.Sittingwithfadedpapersbeforeher,shetookpartinaseriesofscenessuchasthetamingofwildponiesupontheAmericanprairies,ortheconductofavastshipinahurricaneroundablackpromontoryofrock,orinothersmorepeaceful,butmarkedbyhercompleteemancipationfromherpresentsurroundingsand,needlesstosay,byhersurpassingabilityinhernewvocation.Whenshewasridofthepretenseofpaperandpen,phrase-makingandbiography,sheturnedherattentioninamorelegitimatedirection,though,strangelyenough,shewouldratherhaveconfessedherwildestdreamsofhurricaneandprairiethanthefactthat,upstairs,aloneinherroom,sheroseearlyinthemorningorsatuplateatnightto...workatmathematics.Noforceonearthwouldhavemadeherconfessthat.Heractionswhenthusengagedwerefurtiveandsecretive,likethoseofsomenocturnalanimal.Stepshadonlytosoundonthestaircase,andsheslippedherpaperbetweentheleavesofagreatGreekdictionarywhichshehadpurloinedfromherfather’sroomforthispurpose.Itwasonlyatnight,indeed,thatshefeltsecureenoughfromsurprisetoconcentratehermindtotheutmost. Perhapstheunwomanlynatureofthesciencemadeherinstinctivelywishtoconcealherloveofit.Butthemoreprofoundreasonwasthatinhermindmathematicsweredirectlyopposedtoliterature.Shewouldnothavecaredtoconfesshowinfinitelyshepreferredtheexactitude,thestar-likeimpersonality,offigurestotheconfusion,agitation,andvaguenessofthefinestprose.Therewassomethingalittleunseemlyinthusopposingthetraditionofherfamilysomethingthatmadeherfeelwrong-headed,andthusmorethaneverdisposedtoshutherdesiresawayfromviewandcherishthemwithextraordinaryfondness.Againandagainshewasthinkingofsomeproblemwhensheshouldhavebeenthinkingofhergrandfather.Wakingfromthesetrances,shewouldseethathermother,too,hadlapsedintosomedreamalmostasvisionaryasherown,forthepeoplewhoplayedtheirpartsinithadlongbeennumberedamongthedead.But,seeingherownstatemirroredinhermother’sface,Katharinewouldshakeherselfawakewithasenseofirritation.Hermotherwasthelastpersonshewishedtoresemble,muchthoughsheadmiredher.Hercommonsensewouldassertitselfalmostbrutally,andMrs.Hilbery,lookingatherwithheroddsidelongglance,thatwashalfmaliciousandhalftender,wouldlikenherto“yourwickedoldUncleJudgePeter,whousedtobehearddeliveringsentenceofdeathinthebathroom.ThankHeaven,Katharine,I’venotadropofhiminme!”