CHAPTER XV

ThevillageofDishamliessomewhereontherollingpieceofcultivatedgroundintheneighborhoodofLincoln,notsofarinlandbutthatasound,bringingrumorsofthesea,canbeheardonsummernightsorwhenthewinterstormsflingthewavesuponthelongbeach.Solargeisthechurch,andinparticularthechurchtower,incomparisonwiththelittlestreetofcottageswhichcomposethevillage,thatthetravelerisapttocasthismindbacktotheMiddleAges,astheonlytimewhensomuchpietycouldhavebeenkeptalive.SogreatatrustintheChurchcansurelynotbelongtoourday,andhegoesontoconjecturethateveryoneofthevillagershasreachedtheextremelimitofhumanlife.Sucharethereflectionsofthesuperficialstranger,andhissightofthepopulation,asitisrepresentedbytwoorthreemenhoeinginaturnip-field,asmallchildcarryingajug,andayoungwomanshakingapieceofcarpetoutsidehercottagedoor,willnotleadhimtoseeanythingverymuchoutofkeepingwiththeMiddleAgesinthevillageofDishamasitisto-day.Thesepeople,thoughtheyseemyoungenough,looksoangularandsocrudethattheyremindhimofthelittlepicturespaintedbymonksinthecapitallettersoftheirmanuscripts.Heonlyhalfunderstandswhattheysay,andspeaksveryloudandclearly,asthough,indeed,hisvoicehadtocarrythroughahundredyearsormorebeforeitreachedthem.HewouldhaveafarbetterchanceofunderstandingsomedwellerinParisorRome,BerlinorMadrid,thanthesecountrymenofhiswhohavelivedforthelasttwothousandyearsnottwohundredmilesfromtheCityofLondon. TheRectorystandsabouthalfamilebeyondthevillage.Itisalargehouse,andhasbeengrowingsteadilyforsomecenturiesroundthegreatkitchen,withitsnarrowredtiles,astheRectorwouldpointouttohisguestsonthefirstnightoftheirarrival,takinghisbrasscandlestick,andbiddingthemmindthestepsupandthestepsdown,andnoticetheimmensethicknessofthewalls,theoldbeamsacrosstheceiling,thestaircasesassteepasladders,andtheattics,withtheirdeep,tent-likeroofs,inwhichswallowsbred,andonceawhiteowl.Butnothingveryinterestingorverybeautifulhadresultedfromthedifferentadditionsmadebythedifferentrectors. Thehouse,however,wassurroundedbyagarden,inwhichtheRectortookconsiderablepride.Thelawn,whichfrontedthedrawing-roomwindows,wasarichanduniformgreen,unspottedbyasingledaisy,andontheothersideofittwostraightpathsledpastbedsoftall,standingflowerstoacharminggrassywalk,wheretheRev.WyndhamDatchetwouldpaceupanddownatthesamehoureverymorning,withasundialtomeasurethetimeforhim.Asoftenasnot,hecarriedabookinhishand,intowhichhewouldglance,thenshutitup,andrepeattherestoftheodefrommemory.HehadmostofHoracebyheart,andhadgotintothehabitofconnectingthisparticularwalkwithcertainodeswhichherepeatedduly,atthesametimenotingtheconditionofhisflowers,andstoopingnowandagaintopickanythatwerewitheredoroverblown.Onwetdays,suchwasthepowerofhabitoverhim,herosefromhischairatthesamehour,andpacedhisstudyforthesamelengthoftime,pausingnowandthentostraightensomebookinthebookcase,oralterthepositionofthetwobrasscrucifixesstandinguponcairnsofserpentinestoneuponthemantelpiece.Hischildrenhadagreatrespectforhim,creditedhimwithfarmorelearningthanheactuallypossessed,andsawthathishabitswerenotinterferedwith,ifpossible.Likemostpeoplewhodothingsmethodically,theRectorhimselfhadmorestrengthofpurposeandpowerofself-sacrificethanofintellectoroforiginality.Oncoldandwindynightsherodeofftovisitsickpeople,whomightneedhim,withoutamurmurandbyvirtueofdoingdulldutiespunctually,hewasmuchemployeduponcommitteesandlocalBoardsandCouncilsandatthisperiodofhislife(hewassixty-eight)hewasbeginningtobecommiseratedbytenderoldladiesfortheextremeleannessofhisperson,which,theysaid,waswornoutupontheroadswhenitshouldhavebeenrestingbeforeacomfortablefire.Hiselderdaughter,Elizabeth,livedwithhimandmanagedthehouse,andalreadymuchresembledhimindrysincerityandmethodicalhabitofmindofthetwosonsone,Richard,wasanestateagent,theother,Christopher,wasreadingfortheBar.AtChristmas,naturally,theymettogetherandforamonthpastthearrangementoftheChristmasweekhadbeenmuchinthemindofmistressandmaid,whopridedthemselveseveryyearmoreconfidentlyupontheexcellenceoftheirequipment.ThelateMrs.Datchethadleftanexcellentcupboardoflinen,towhichElizabethhadsucceededattheageofnineteen,whenhermotherdied,andthechargeofthefamilyrestedupontheshouldersoftheeldestdaughter.Shekeptafineflockofyellowchickens,sketchedalittle,certainrose-treesinthegardenwerecommittedspeciallytohercareandwhatwiththecareofthehouse,thecareofthechickens,andthecareofthepoor,shescarcelyknewwhatitwastohaveanidleminute.Anextremerectitudeofmind,ratherthananygift,gaveherweightinthefamily.WhenMarywrotetosaythatshehadaskedRalphDenhamtostaywiththem,sheadded,outofdeferencetoElizabeth’scharacter,thathewasverynice,thoughratherqueer,andhadbeenoverworkinghimselfinLondon.NodoubtElizabethwouldconcludethatRalphwasinlovewithher,buttherecouldbenodoubteitherthatnotawordofthiswouldbespokenbyeitherofthem,unless,indeed,somecatastrophemadementionofitunavoidable. MarywentdowntoDishamwithoutknowingwhetherRalphin