CHAPTER XIV

enitstruckMarythatKatharine,intheshadeofherbroad-brimmedhat,andinthemidstofthesmoke,andintheobscurityofhercharacter,was,perhaps,smilingtoherself,notaltogetherinthematernalspirit.Whatshesaidwasverysimple,butherwords,even“Yourtea,William,”weresetdownasgentlyandcautiouslyandexactlyasthefeetofaPersiancatsteppingamongChinaornaments.ForthesecondtimethatdayMaryfeltherselfbaffledbysomethinginscrutableinthecharacterofapersontowhomshefeltherselfmuchattracted.ShethoughtthatifshewereengagedtoKatharine,she,too,wouldfindherselfverysoonusingthosefretfulquestionswithwhichWilliamevidentlyteasedhisbride.AndyetKatharine’svoicewashumble. “Iwonderhowyoufindthetimetoknowallaboutpicturesaswellasbooks?”sheasked. “HowdoIfindthetime?”Williamanswered,delighted,Maryguessed,atthislittlecompliment.“Why,Ialwaystravelwithanotebook.AndIaskmywaytothepicturegallerytheveryfirstthinginthemorning.AndthenImeetmen,andtalktothem.There’samaninmyofficewhoknowsallabouttheFlemishschool.IwastellingMissDatchetabouttheFlemishschool.Ipickedupalotofitfromhim—it’sawaymenhave—Gibbons,hisnameis.Youmustmeethim.We’llaskhimtolunch.Andthisnotcaringaboutart,”heexplained,turningtoMary,“it’soneofKatharine’sposes,MissDatchet.Didyouknowsheposed?Shepretendsthatshe’sneverreadShakespeare.AndwhyshouldshereadShakespeare,sincesheISShakespeare—Rosalind,youknow,”andhegavehisqueerlittlechuckle.Somehowthiscomplimentappearedveryold-fashionedandalmostinbadtaste.Maryactuallyfeltherselfblush,asifhehadsaid“thesex”or“theladies.”Constrained,perhaps,bynervousness,Rodneycontinuedinthesamevein. “Sheknowsenough—enoughforalldecentpurposes.Whatdoyouwomenwantwithlearning,whenyouhavesomuchelse—everything,Ishouldsay—everything.Leaveussomething,eh,Katharine?” “Leaveyousomething?”saidKatharine,apparentlywakingfromabrownstudy.“Iwasthinkingwemustbegoing—” “Isitto-nightthatLadyFerrilbydineswithus?No,wemustn’tbelate,”saidRodney,rising.“D’youknowtheFerrilbys,MissDatchet?TheyownTrantemAbbey,”headded,forherinformation,asshelookeddoubtful.“AndifKatharinemakesherselfverycharmingto-night,perhaps’lllendittousforthehoneymoon.” “Iagreethatmaybeareason.Otherwiseshe’sadullwoman,”saidKatharine.“Atleast,”sheadded,asiftoqualifyherabruptness,“Ifinditdifficulttotalktoher.” “Becauseyouexpecteveryoneelsetotakeallthetrouble.I’veseenhersitsilentawholeevening,”hesaid,turningtoMary,ashehadfrequentlydonealready.“Don’tyoufindthat,too?Sometimeswhenwe’realone,I’vecountedthetimeonmywatch”—herehetookoutalargegoldwatch,andtappedtheglass—“thetimebetweenoneremarkandthenext.AndonceIcountedtenminutesandtwentyseconds,andthen,ifyou’llbelieveme,sheonlysaid‘Um!’” “I’msureI’msorry,”Katharineapologized.“Iknowit’sabadhabit,butthen,yousee,athome—” Therestofherexcusewascutshort,sofarasMarywasconcerned,bytheclosingofthedoor.ShefanciedshecouldhearWilliamfindingfreshfaultonthestairs.Amomentlater,thedoor-bellrangagain,andKatharinereappeared,havingleftherpurseonachair.Shesoonfoundit,andsaid,pausingforamomentatthedoor,andspeakingdifferentlyastheywerealone: “Ithinkbeingengagedisverybadforthecharacter.”Sheshookherpurseinherhanduntilthecoinsjingled,asifshealludedmerelytothisexampleofherforgetfulness.ButtheremarkpuzzledMaryitseemedtorefertosomethingelseandhermannerhadchangedsostrangely,nowthatWilliamwasoutofhearing,thatshecouldnothelplookingatherforanexplanation.Shelookedalmoststern,sothatMary,tryingtosmileather,onlysucceededinproducingasilentstareofinterrogation. Asthedoorshutforthesecondtime,shesankontothefloorinfrontofthefire,trying,nowthattheirbodieswerenottheretodistracther,topiecetogetherherimpressionsofthemasawhole.And,thoughpridingherself,withallothermenandwomen,uponaninfallibleeyeforcharacter,shecouldnotfeelatallcertainthatsheknewwhatmotivesinspiredKatharineHilberyinlife.Therewassomethingthatcarriedheronsmoothly,outofreach—something,yes,butwhat?—somethingthatremindedMaryofRalph.Oddlyenough,hegaveherthesamefeeling,too,andwithhim,too,shefeltbaffled.Oddlyenough,fornotwopeople,shehastilyconcluded,weremoreunlike.Andyetbothhadthishiddenimpulse,thisincalculableforce—thisthingtheycaredforanddidn’ttalkabout—oh,whatwasit?