CHAPTER XV

tendedtocomebuttwoorthreedaysbeforeChristmasshereceivedatelegramfromRalph,askinghertotakearoomforhiminthevillage.Thiswasfollowedbyaletterexplainingthathehopedhemighthavehismealswiththembutquiet,essentialforhiswork,madeitnecessarytosleepout. MarywaswalkinginthegardenwithElizabeth,andinspectingtheroses,whentheletterarrived. “Butthat’sabsurd,”saidElizabethdecidedly,whentheplanwasexplainedtoher.“Therearefivesparerooms,evenwhentheboysarehere.Besides,hewouldn’tgetaroominthevillage.Andheoughtn’ttoworkifhe’soverworked.” “Butperhapshedoesn’twanttoseesomuchofus,”Marythoughttoherself,althoughoutwardlysheassented,andfeltgratefultoElizabethforsupportingherinwhatwas,ofcourse,herdesire.Theywerecuttingrosesatthetime,andlayingthem,headbyhead,inashallowbasket. “IfRalphwerehere,he’dfindthisverydull,”Marythought,withalittleshiverofirritation,whichledhertoplaceherrosethewrongwayinthebasket.Meanwhile,theyhadcometotheendofthepath,andwhileElizabethstraightenedsomeflowers,andmadethemstanduprightwithintheirfenceofstring,Marylookedatherfather,whowaspacingupanddown,withhishandbehindhisbackandhisheadbowedinmeditation.Obeyinganimpulsewhichsprangfromsomedesiretointerruptthismethodicalmarching,Marysteppedontothegrasswalkandputherhandonhisarm. “Aflowerforyourbuttonhole,father,”shesaid,presentingarose. “Eh,dear?”saidMr.Datchet,takingtheflower,andholdingitatananglewhichsuitedhisbadeyesight,withoutpausinginhiswalk. “Wheredoesthisfellowcomefrom?OneofElizabeth’sroses—Ihopeyouaskedherleave.Elizabethdoesn’tlikehavingherrosespickedwithoutherleave,andquiteright,too.” Hehadahabit,Maryremarked,andshehadnevernoticeditsoclearlybefore,oflettinghissentencestailawayinacontinuousmurmur,whereuponhepassedintoastateofabstraction,presumedbyhischildrentoindicatesometrainofthoughttooprofoundforutterance. “What?”saidMary,interrupting,forthefirsttimeinherlife,perhaps,whenthemurmurceased.Hemadenoreply.Sheknewverywellthathewishedtobeleftalone,butshestucktohissidemuchasshemighthavestucktosomesleep-walker,whomshethoughtitrightgraduallytoawaken.Shecouldthinkofnothingtorousehimwithexcept: “Thegarden’slookingverynice,father.” “Yes,yes,yes,”saidMr.Datchet,runninghiswordstogetherinthesameabstractedmanner,andsinkinghisheadyetloweruponhisbreast.Andsuddenly,astheyturnedtheirstepstoretracetheirway,hejerkedout: “Thetraffic’sverymuchincreased,youknow.Morerolling-stockneededalready.Fortytruckswentdownyesterdaybythe12.15—countedthemmyself.They’vetakenoffthe9.3,andgivenusan8.30instead—suitsthebusinessmen,youknow.Youcamebytheold3.10yesterday,Isuppose?” Shesaid“Yes,”asheseemedtowishforareply,andthenhelookedathiswatch,andmadeoffdownthepathtowardsthehouse,holdingtheroseatthesameangleinfrontofhim.Elizabethhadgoneroundtothesideofthehouse,wherethechickenslived,sothatMaryfoundherselfalone,holdingRalph’sletterinherhand.Shewasuneasy.Shehadputofftheseasonforthinkingthingsoutverysuccessfully,andnowthatRalphwasactuallycoming,thenextday,shecouldonlywonderhowherfamilywouldimpresshim.ShethoughtitlikelythatherfatherwoulddiscussthetrainservicewithhimElizabethwouldbebrightandsensible,andalwaysleavingtheroomtogivemessagestotheservants.Herbrothershadalreadysaidthattheywouldgivehimaday’sshooting.ShewascontenttoleavetheproblemofRalph’srelationstotheyoungmenobscure,trustingthattheywouldfindsomecommongroundofmasculineagreement.Butwhatwouldhethinkofher?Wouldheseethatshewasdifferentfromtherestofthefamily?Shedevisedaplanfortakinghimtohersitting-room,andartfullyleadingthetalktowardstheEnglishpoets,whonowoccupiedprominentplacesinherlittlebookcase.Moreover,shemightgivehimtounderstand,privately,thatshe,too,thoughtherfamilyaqueerone—queer,yes,butnotdull.Thatwastherockpastwhichshewasbentonsteeringhim.AndshethoughthowshewoulddrawhisattentiontoEdward’spassionforJorrocks,andtheenthusiasmwhichledChristophertocollectmothsandbutterfliesthoughhewasnowtwenty-two.PerhapsElizabeth’ssketching,ifthefruitswereinvisible,mightlendcolortothegeneraleffectwhichshewishedtoproduceofafamily,eccentricandlimited,perhaps,butnotdull.Edward,sheperceived,wasrollingthelawn,forthesakeofexerciseandthesightofhim,withpinkcheeks,brightlittlebrowneyes,andageneralresemblancetoaclumsyyoungcart-horseinitswintercoatofdustybrownhair,madeMaryviolentlyashamedofherambitiousscheming.Shelovedhimpreciselyashewasshelovedthemallandasshewalkedbyhisside,upanddown,anddownandup,herstrongmoralsenseadministeredasounddrubbingtothevainandromanticelementarousedinherbythemerethoughtofRalph.Shefeltquitecertainthat,forgoodorforbad,shewasveryliketherestofherfamily. Sittinginthecornerofathird-classrailwaycarriage,ontheafternoonofthefollowingday,Ralphmadeseveralinquiriesofacommercialtravelerintheoppositecorner.TheycenteredroundavillagecalledLampsher,notthreemiles,heunderstood,fromLincolnwasthereabighouseinLampsher,heasked,inhabitedbyagentl