CHAPTER XVI

ncttoldherthatshehadpassedbeyondtheregioninwhichHenry’sadvicecouldbeofanygoodand,havingridhermindofitssuperficialannoyance,shesatherselfuponthestoneseat,raisedhereyesunconsciouslyandthoughtaboutthedeeperquestionswhichshehadtodecide,sheknew,forherself.Wouldshe,indeed,giveWilliamallhewanted?Inordertodecidethequestion,sheranhermindrapidlyoverherlittlecollectionofsignificantsayings,looks,compliments,gestures,whichhadmarkedtheirintercourseduringthelastdayortwo.Hehadbeenannoyedbecauseabox,containingsomeclothesspeciallychosenbyhimforhertowear,hadbeentakentothewrongstation,owingtoherneglectinthematteroflabels.Theboxhadarrivedinthenickoftime,andhehadremarked,asshecamedownstairsonthefirstnight,thathehadneverseenherlookmorebeautiful.Sheoutshoneallhercousins.Hehaddiscoveredthatshenevermadeanuglymovementhealsosaidthattheshapeofherheadmadeitpossibleforher,unlikemostwomen,towearherhairlow.Hehadtwicereprovedherforbeingsilentatdinnerandonceforneverattendingtowhathesaid.HehadbeensurprisedattheexcellenceofherFrenchaccent,buthethoughtitwasselfishofhernottogowithhermothertocallupontheMiddletons,becausetheywereoldfamilyfriendsandverynicepeople.Onthewhole,thebalancewasnearlyevenand,writingdownakindofconclusioninhermindwhichfinishedthesumforthepresent,atleast,shechangedthefocusofhereyes,andsawnothingbutthestars. To-nighttheyseemedfixedwithunusualfirmnessintheblue,andflashedbacksucharippleoflightintohereyesthatshefoundherselfthinkingthatto-nightthestarswerehappy.WithoutknowingorcaringmoreforChurchpracticesthanmostpeopleofherage,KatharinecouldnotlookintotheskyatChristmastimewithoutfeelingthat,atthisoneseason,theHeavensbendovertheearthwithsympathy,andsignalwithimmortalradiancethatthey,too,takepartinherfestival.Somehow,itseemedtoherthattheywereevennowbeholdingtheprocessionofkingsandwisemenuponsomeroadonadistantpartoftheearth.Andyet,aftergazingforanothersecond,thestarsdidtheirusualworkuponthemind,frozetocindersthewholeofourshorthumanhistory,andreducedthehumanbodytoanape-like,furryform,crouchingamidthebrushwoodofabarbarousclodofmud.Thisstagewassoonsucceededbyanother,inwhichtherewasnothingintheuniversesavestarsandthelightofstarsasshelookedupthepupilsofhereyessodilatedwithstarlightthatthewholeofherseemeddissolvedinsilverandspiltovertheledgesofthestarsforeverandeverindefinitelythroughspace.Somehowsimultaneously,thoughincongruously,shewasridingwiththemagnanimousheroupontheshoreorunderforesttrees,andsomighthavecontinuedwereitnotfortherebukeforciblyadministeredbythebody,which,contentwiththenormalconditionsoflife,innowayfurthersanyattemptonthepartofthemindtoalterthem.Shegrewcold,shookherself,rose,andwalkedtowardsthehouse. Bythelightofthestars,StogdonHouselookedpaleandromantic,andabouttwiceitsnaturalsize.Builtbyaretiredadmiralintheearlyyearsofthenineteenthcentury,thecurvingbowwindowsofthefront,nowfilledwithreddish-yellowlight,suggestedaportlythree-decker,sailingseaswherethosedolphinsandnarwhalswhodisportthemselvesupontheedgesofoldmapswerescatteredwithanimpartialhand.Asemicircularflightofshallowstepsledtoaverylargedoor,whichKatharinehadleftajar.Shehesitated,casthereyesoverthefrontofthehouse,markedthatalightburntinonesmallwindowuponanupperfloor,andpushedthedooropen.Foramomentshestoodinthesquarehall,amongmanyhornedskulls,sallowglobes,crackedoil-paintings,andstuffedowls,hesitating,itseemed,whethersheshouldopenthedooronherright,throughwhichthestiroflifereachedherears.Listeningforamoment,sheheardasoundwhichdecidedher,apparently,nottoenterheruncle,SirFrancis,wasplayinghisnightlygameofwhistitappearedprobablethathewaslosing. Shewentupthecurvingstairway,whichrepresentedtheoneattemptatceremonyintheotherwiseratherdilapidatedmansion,anddownanarrowpassageuntilshecametotheroomwhoselightshehadseenfromthegarden.Knocking,shewastoldtocomein.Ayoungman,HenryOtway,wasreading,withhisfeetonthefender.Hehadafinehead,thebrowarchedintheElizabethanmanner,butthegentle,honesteyeswereratherskepticalthanglowingwiththeElizabethanvigor.Hegavetheimpressionthathehadnotyetfoundthecausewhichsuitedhistemperament. Heturned,putdownhisbook,andlookedather.Henoticedherratherpale,dew-drenchedlook,asofonewhosemindisnotaltogethersettledinthebody.Hehadoftenlaidhisdifficultiesbeforeher,andguessed,insomewayshoped,thatperhapsshenowhadneedofhim.A