CHAPTER IV

sonthatit’sbeingandnotdoingthatmatters,”shecontinued. “Emerson?”Ralphexclaimed,withderision.“Youdon’tmeantosayyoureadEmerson?” “Perhapsitwasn’tEmersonbutwhyshouldn’tIreadEmerson?”sheasked,withatingeofanxiety. “There’snoreasonthatIknowof.It’sthecombinationthat’sodd—booksandstockings.Thecombinationisveryodd.”Butitseemedtorecommenditselftohim.Marygavealittlelaugh,expressiveofhappiness,andtheparticularstitchesthatshewasnowputtingintoherworkappearedtohertobedonewithsingulargraceandfelicity.Sheheldoutthestockingandlookedatitapprovingly. “Youalwayssaythat,”shesaid.“Iassureyouit’sacommon‘combination,’asyoucallit,inthehousesoftheclergy.Theonlythingthat’soddaboutmeisthatIenjoythemboth—Emersonandthestocking.” Aknockwasheard,andRalphexclaimed: “Damnthosepeople!Iwishtheyweren’tcoming!” “It’sonlyMr.Turner,onthefloorbelow,”saidMary,andshefeltgratefultoMr.TurnerforhavingalarmedRalph,andforhavinggivenafalsealarm. “Willtherebeacrowd?”Ralphasked,afterapause. “There’llbetheMorrisesandtheCrashaws,andDickOsborne,andSeptimus,andallthatset.KatharineHilberyiscoming,bytheway,soWilliamRodneytoldme.” “KatharineHilbery!”Ralphexclaimed. “Youknowher?”Maryasked,withsomesurprise. “Iwenttoatea-partyatherhouse.” Marypressedhimtotellherallaboutit,andRalphwasnotatallunwillingtoexhibitproofsoftheextentofhisknowledge.HedescribedthescenewithcertainadditionsandexaggerationswhichinterestedMaryverymuch. “But,inspiteofwhatyousay,Idoadmireher,”shesaid.“I’veonlyseenheronceortwice,butsheseemstometobewhatonecallsa‘personality.’” “Ididn’tmeantoabuseher.Ionlyfeltthatshewasn’tverysympathetictome.” “Theysayshe’sgoingtomarrythatqueercreatureRodney.” “MarryRodney?ThenshemustbemoredeludedthanIthoughther.” “Nowthat’smydoor,allright,”Maryexclaimed,carefullyputtingherwoolsaway,asasuccessionofknocksreverberatedunnecessarily,accompaniedbyasoundofpeoplestampingtheirfeetandlaughing.Amomentlatertheroomwasfullofyoungmenandwomen,whocameinwithapeculiarlookofexpectation,exclaimed“Oh!”whentheysawDenham,andthenstoodstill,gapingratherfoolishly. Theroomverysooncontainedbetweentwentyandthirtypeople,whofoundseatsforthemostpartuponthefloor,occupyingthemattresses,andhunchingthemselvestogetherintotriangularshapes.Theywereallyoungandsomeofthemseemedtomakeaprotestbytheirhairanddress,andsomethingsomberandtruculentintheexpressionoftheirfaces,againstthemorenormaltype,whowouldhavepassedunnoticedinanomnibusoranundergroundrailway.Itwasnotablethatthetalkwasconfinedtogroups,andwas,atfirst,entirelyspasmodicincharacter,andmutteredinundertonesasifthespeakersweresuspiciousoftheirfellow-guests. KatharineHilberycameinratherlate,andtookupapositiononthefloor,withherbackagainstthewall.Shelookedroundquickly,recognizedabouthalfadozenpeople,towhomshenodded,butfailedtoseeRalph,or,ifso,hadalreadyforgottentoattachanynametohim.ButinasecondtheseheterogeneouselementswereallunitedbythevoiceofMr.Rodney,whosuddenlystrodeuptothetable,andbeganveryrapidlyinhigh-strainedtones: “InundertakingtospeakoftheElizabethanuseofmetaphorinpoetry—” Allthedifferentheadsswungslightlyorsteadiedthemselvesintoapositioninwhichtheycouldgazestraightatthespeaker’sface,andthesamerathersolemnexpressionwasvisibleonallofthem.But,atthesametime,eventhefacesthatweremostexposedtoview,andthereforemosttautlyundercontrol,disclosedasuddenimpulsivetremorwhich,unlessdirectlychecked,wouldhavedevelopedintoanoutburstoflaughter.ThefirstsightofMr.Rodneywasirresistiblyludicrous.Hewasveryredintheface,whetherfromthecoolNovembernightornervousness,andeverymovement,fromthewayhewrunghishandstothewayhejerkedhisheadtorightandleft,asthoughavisiondrewhimnowtothedoor,nowtothewindow,bespokehishorriblediscomfortunderthestareofsomanyeyes.Hewasscrupulouslywelldressed,andapearlinthecenterofhistieseemedtogivehimatouchofaristocraticopulence.Buttheratherprominenteyesandtheimpulsivestammeringmanner,whichseemedtoindicateatorrentofideasintermittentlypressingforutteranceandalwayscheckedintheircoursebyaclutchofnervousness,drewnopity,asinthecaseofamoreimposingpersonage,butadesiretolaugh,whichwas,however,entirelylackinginmalice.Mr.Rodneywasevidentlysopainfullyconsciousoftheoddityofhisappearance,andhisveryrednessandthestartstowhichhisbodywasliablegavesuchproofofhisowndiscomfort,thattherewassomethingendearinginthisridiculoussusceptibility,althoughmostpeoplewouldprobablyhaveechoedDenham’sprivateexclamation,“Fancymarryingacreaturelikethat!” Hispaperwascarefullywrittenout,butinspiteofthisprecautionMr.Rodneymanagedtoturnovertwosheetsinsteadofone,tochoosethewrongsentencewheretwowerewrittentogether,andtodiscoverhisownhandwritingsuddenlyillegible.Whenhefoundhimselfpossessedofacoherentpassage,heshookitathisaudiencealmostaggressively,andthenfumbledforanother.Afteradistressingsearchafreshdiscoverywouldbemade,andproducedinthesameway,until,bymeansofrepeatedattacks,hehadstirredhisaudiencetoadegreeofanimationquiteremarkableinthesegatherings.Whethertheywerestirredbyhisenthusiasmforpoetryorbythecontortionswhichahumanbeingwasgoingthroughfortheirbenefit,itwouldbehardtosay.AtlengthMr.Rodneysatdownimpulsivelyinthemiddleofasentence,and,afterapauseofbewilderment,theaudienceexpresseditsreliefatbeingabletolaughaloudinadecid