CHAPTER VIII

ofnight,wasthepresenceofloveshedreamt,drawingintoiteverydropoftheforceoflife,anddashingthemallasunderinthesuperbcatastropheinwhicheverythingwassurrendered,andnothingmightbereclaimed.Theman,too,wassomemagnanimoushero,ridingagreathorsebytheshoreofthesea.Theyrodethroughforeststogether,theygallopedbytherimofthesea.Butwaking,shewasabletocontemplateaperfectlylovelessmarriage,asthethingonedidactuallyinreallife,forpossiblythepeoplewhodreamthusarethosewhodothemostprosaicthings. Atthismomentshewasmuchinclinedtositonintothenight,spinningherlightfabricofthoughtsuntilshetiredoftheirfutility,andwenttohermathematicsbut,assheknewverywell,itwasnecessarythatsheshouldseeherfatherbeforehewenttobed.ThecaseofCyrilAlardycemustbediscussed,hermother’sillusionsandtherightsofthefamilyattendedto.Beingvagueherselfastowhatallthisamountedto,shehadtotakecounselwithherfather.Shetookherlettersinherhandandwentdownstairs.Itwaspasteleven,andtheclockshadcomeintotheirreign,thegrandfather’sclockinthehalltickingincompetitionwiththesmallclockonthelanding.Mr.Hilbery’sstudyranoutbehindtherestofthehouse,onthegroundfloor,andwasaverysilent,subterraneanplace,thesunindaytimecastingamereabstractoflightthroughaskylightuponhisbooksandthelargetable,withitsspreadofwhitepapers,nowilluminedbyagreenreading-lamp.HereMr.Hilberysateditinghisreview,orplacingtogetherdocumentsbymeansofwhichitcouldbeprovedthatShelleyhadwritten“of”insteadof“and,”orthattheinninwhichByronhadsleptwascalledthe“Nag’sHead”andnotthe“TurkishKnight,”orthattheChristiannameofKeats’sunclehadbeenJohnratherthanRichard,forheknewmoreminutedetailsaboutthesepoetsthananymaninEngland,probably,andwaspreparinganeditionofShelleywhichscrupulouslyobservedthepoet’ssystemofpunctuation.Hesawthehumoroftheseresearches,butthatdidnotpreventhimfromcarryingthemoutwiththeutmostscrupulosity. Hewaslyingbackcomfortablyinadeeparm-chairsmokingacigar,andruminatingthefruitfulquestionastowhetherColeridgehadwishedtomarryDorothyWordsworth,andwhat,ifhehaddoneso,wouldhavebeentheconsequencestohiminparticular,andtoliteratureingeneral.WhenKatharinecameinhereflectedthatheknewwhatshehadcomefor,andhemadeapencilnotebeforehespoketoher.Havingdonethis,hesawthatshewasreading,andhewatchedherforamomentwithoutsay