CHAPTER XV

rabbit. “It’squiterightthattheyshouldpoach,”saidMary,watchinghimtuggingatthewire.“IwonderwhetheritwasAlfredDugginsorSidRankin?Howcanoneexpectthemnotto,whentheyonlymakefifteenshillingsaweek?Fifteenshillingsaweek,”sherepeated,comingoutontheothersideofthehedge,andrunningherfingersthroughherhairtoridherselfofabramblewhichhadattacheditselftoher.“Icouldliveonfifteenshillingsaweek—easily.” “Couldyou?”saidRalph.“Idon’tbelieveyoucould,”headded. “Ohyes.Theyhaveacottagethrownin,andagardenwhereonecangrowvegetables.Itwouldn’tbehalfbad,”saidMary,withasobernesswhichimpressedRalphverymuch. “Butyou’dgettiredofit,”heurged. “Isometimesthinkit’stheonlythingonewouldnevergettiredof,”shereplied. Theideaofacottagewhereonegrewone’sownvegetablesandlivedonfifteenshillingsaweek,filledRalphwithanextraordinarysenseofrestandsatisfaction. “Butwouldn’titbeonthemainroad,ornextdoortoawomanwithsixsquallingchildren,who’dalwaysbehangingherwashingouttodryacrossyourgarden?” “ThecottageI’mthinkingofstandsbyitselfinalittleorchard.” “AndwhatabouttheSuffrage?”heasked,attemptingsarcasm. “Oh,thereareotherthingsintheworldbesidestheSuffrage,”shereplied,inanoff-handmannerwhichwasslightlymysterious. Ralphfellsilent.Itannoyedhimthatsheshouldhaveplansofwhichheknewnothingbuthefeltthathehadnorighttopressherfurther.Hismindsettledupontheideaoflifeinacountrycottage.Conceivably,forhecouldnotexamineintoitnow,herelayatremendouspossibilityasolutionofmanyproblems.Hestruckhisstickupontheearth,andstaredthroughtheduskattheshapeofthecountry. “D’youknowthepointsofthecompass?”heasked. “Well,ofcourse,”saidMary.“Whatd’youtakemefor?—aCockneylikeyou?”Shethentoldhimexactlywherethenorthlay,andwherethesouth. “It’smynativeland,this,”shesaid.“Icouldsmellmywayaboutitblindfold.” Asiftoprovethisboast,shewalkedalittlequicker,sothatRalphfounditdifficulttokeeppacewithher.Atthesametime,hefeltdrawntoherashehadneverbeenbeforepartly,nodoubt,becauseshewasmoreindependentofhimthaninLondon,andseemedtobeattachedfirmlytoaworldwherehehadnoplaceatall.Nowtheduskhadfallentosuchanextentthathehadtofollowherimplicitly,andevenleanhishandonhershoulderwhentheyjumpedabankintoaverynarrowlane.Andhefeltcuriouslyshyofherwhenshebegantoshoutthroughherhandsataspotoflightwhichswunguponthemistinaneighboringfield.Heshouted,too,andthelightstoodstill. “That’sChristopher,comeinalready,andgonetofeedhischickens,”shesaid. SheintroducedhimtoRalph,whocouldseeonlyatallfigureingaiters,risingfromaflutteringcircleofsoftfeatherybodies,uponwhomthelightfellinwaveringdiscs,callingoutnowabrightspotofyellow,nowoneofgreenish-blackandscarlet.Marydippedherhandinthebuckethecarried,andwasatoncethecenterofacirclealsoandasshecasthergrainshetalkedalternatelytothebirdsandtoherbrother,inthesameclucking,half-inarticulatevoice,asitsoundedtoRalph,standingontheoutskirtsoftheflutteringfeathersinhisblackovercoat. Hehadremovedhisovercoatbythetimetheysatroundthedinner-table,butneverthelesshelookedverystrangeamongtheothers.AcountrylifeandbreedinghadpreservedinthemallalookwhichMaryhesitatedtocalleitherinnocentoryouthful,asshecomparedthem,nowsittingroundinanoval,softlyilluminatedbycandlelightandyetitwassomethingofthekind,yes,eveninthecaseoftheRectorhimself.Thoughsuperficiallymarkedwithlines,hisfacewasaclearpink,andhisblueeyeshadthelong-sighted,peacefulexpressionofeyesseekingtheturnoftheroad,oradistantlightthroughrain,orthedarknessofwinter.ShelookedatRalph.Hehadneverappearedtohermoreconcentratedandfullofpurposeasifbehindhisforeheadweremassedsomuchexperiencethathecouldchooseforhimselfwhichpartofithewoulddisplayandwhichparthewouldkeeptohimself.Comparedwiththatdarkandsterncountenance,herbrothers’faces,bendinglowovertheirsoup-plates,weremerecirclesofpink,unmoldedflesh. “Youcamebythe3.10,Mr.Denham?”saidtheReverendWyndhamDatchet,tuckinghisnapkinintohiscollar,sothatalmostthewholeofhisbodywasconcealedbyalargewhitediamond.“Theytreatusverywell,onthewhole.Consideringtheincreaseoftraffic,theytreatusverywellindeed.Ihavethecuriositysometimestocountthetrucksonthegoods’trains,andthey’rewelloverfifty—welloverfifty,atthisseasonoftheyear.” Theoldgentlemanhadbeenrousedagreeablybythepresenceofthisattentiveandwell-informedyoungman,aswasevidentbythecarewithwhichhefinishedthelastwordsinhissentences,andhisslightexaggerationinthenumberoftrucksonthetrains.Indeed,thechiefburdenofthetalkfelluponhim,andhesustaineditto-nightinamannerwhichcausedhissonstolookathimadmiringlynowandthenfortheyfeltshyofDenham,andweregladnottohavetotalkthemselves.ThestoreofinformationaboutthepresentandpastofthisparticularcornerofLincolnshirewhicholdMr.Datchetproducedreallysurprisedhischildren,forthoughtheyknewofitsexistence,theyhadforgottenitsextent,astheymighthaveforgottentheamountoffamilyplatestoredintheplate-chest,untilsomerarecelebrationbroughtitforth. After