CHAPTER XXIV

Thefirstsignsofspring,evensuchasmakethemselvesfelttowardsthemiddleofFebruary,notonlyproducelittlewhiteandvioletflowersinthemoreshelteredcornersofwoodsandgardens,butbringtobirththoughtsanddesirescomparabletothosefaintlycoloredandsweetlyscentedpetalsinthemindsofmenandwomen.Livesfrozenbyage,sofarasthepresentisconcerned,toahardsurface,whichneitherreflectsnoryields,atthisseasonbecomesoftandfluid,reflectingtheshapesandcolorsofthepresent,aswellastheshapesandcolorsofthepast.InthecaseofMrs.Hilbery,theseearlyspringdayswerechieflyupsettinginasmuchastheycausedageneralquickeningofheremotionalpowers,which,asfarasthepastwasconcerned,hadneversufferedmuchdiminution.Butinthespringherdesireforexpressioninvariablyincreased.Shewashauntedbytheghostsofphrases.Shegaveherselfuptoasensualdelightinthecombinationsofwords.Shesoughttheminthepagesofherfavoriteauthors.Shemadethemforherselfonscrapsofpaper,androlledthemonhertonguewhenthereseemednooccasionforsucheloquence.Shewasupheldintheseexcursionsbythecertaintythatnolanguagecouldoutdothesplendorofherfather’smemory,andalthoughhereffortsdidnotnotablyfurthertheendofhisbiography,shewasundertheimpressionoflivingmoreinhisshadeatsuchtimesthanatothers.Noonecanescapethepoweroflanguage,letalonethoseofEnglishbirthbroughtupfromchildhood,asMrs.Hilberyhadbeen,todisportthemselvesnowintheSaxonplainness,nowintheLatinsplendorofthetongue,andstoredwithmemories,asshewas,ofoldpoetsexuberatinginaninfinityofvocables.EvenKatharinewasslightlyaffectedagainstherbetterjudgmentbyhermother’senthusiasm.NotthatherjudgmentcouldaltogetheracquiesceinthenecessityforastudyofShakespeare’ssonnetsasapreliminarytothefifthchapterofhergrandfather’sbiography.Beginningwithaperfectlyfrivolousjest,Mrs.HilberyhadevolvedatheorythatAnneHathawayhadaway,amongotherthings,ofwritingShakespeare’ssonnetstheidea,struckouttoenlivenapartyofprofessors,whoforwardedanumberofprivatelyprintedmanualswithinthenextfewdaysforherinstruction,hadsubmergedherinafloodofElizabethanliteratureshehadcomehalftobelieveinherjoke,whichwas,shesaid,atleastasgoodasotherpeople’sfacts,andallherfancyforthetimebeingcentereduponStratford-on-Avon.Shehadaplan,shetoldKatharine,when,ratherlaterthanusual,Katharinecameintotheroomthemorningafterherwalkbytheriver,forvisitingShakespeare’stomb.Anyfactaboutthepoethadbecome,forthemoment,offargreaterinteresttoherthantheimmediatepresent,andthecertaintythattherewasexistinginEnglandaspotofgroundwhereShakespearehadundoubtedlystood,wherehisveryboneslaydirectlybeneathone’sfeet,wassoabsorbingtoheronthisparticularoccasionthatshegreetedherdaughterwiththeexclamation: “D’youthinkheeverpassedthishouse?” Thequestion,forthemoment,seemedtoKatharinetohavereferencetoRalphDenham. “OnhiswaytoBlackfriars,Imean,”Mrs.Hilberycontinued,“foryouknowthelatestdiscoveryisthatheownedahousethere.” Katharinestilllookedaboutherinperplexity,andMrs.Hilberyadded: “Whichisaproofthathewasn’taspoorasthey’vesometimessaid.Ishouldliketothinkthathehadenough,thoughIdon’tintheleastwanthimtoberich.” Then,perceivingherdaughter’sexpressionofperplexity,Mrs.Hilberyburstoutlaughing. “Mydear,I’mnottalkingaboutyourWilliam,thoughthat’sanotherreasonforlikinghim.I’mtalking,I’mthinking,I’mdreamingofmyWilliam—WilliamShakespeare,ofcourse.Isn’titodd,”shemused,standingatthewindowandtappinggentlyuponthepane,“thatforallonecansee,thatdearoldthinginthebluebonnet,crossingtheroadwithherbasketonherarm,hasneverheardthattherewassuchaperson?Yetitallgoeson:lawyershurryingtotheirwork,cabmensquabblingfortheirfares,littleboysrollingtheirhoops,littlegirlsthrowingbreadtothegulls,asifthereweren’taShakespeareintheworld.Ishouldliketostandatthatcrossingalldaylongandsay:‘People,readShakespeare!’” Katharinesatdownathertableandopenedalongdustyenvelope.AsShelleywasmentionedinthecourseoftheletterasifhewerealive,ithad,ofcourse,considerablevalue.Herimmediatetaskwastodecidewhetherthewholelettershouldbeprinted,oronlytheparagraphwhichmentionedShelley’sname,andshereachedoutforapenandhelditinreadinesstodojusticeuponthesheet.Herpen,however,remainedintheair.Almostsurreptitiouslysheslippedacleansheetinfrontofher,andherhand,descending,begandrawingsquareboxeshalvedandquarteredbystraightlines,andthencircleswhichunderwentthesameprocessofdissection. “Katharine!I’vehituponabrilliantidea!”Mrs.Hilberyexclaimed—“tolayout,say,ahundredpoundsorsooncopiesofShakespeare,andgivethemtoworkingmen.Someofyourcleverfriendswhogetupmeetingsmighthelpus,Katharine.Andthatmightleadtoaplayhouse,wherewecouldalltakeparts.You’dbeRosalind—butyou’veadashoftheoldnurseinyou.Yourfather’sHamlet,cometoyearsofdiscretionandI’m—well,I’mabitofthemallI’mquitealargebitofthefool,butthefoolsinShakespearesayallthecleverthings.NowwhoshallWilliambe?Ahero?Hotspur?HenrytheFifth?No,William’sgotatouchofHamletinhim,too.IcanfancythatWilliamtalkstohimselfwhenhe’salone.Ah,Katharine,youmustsayverybeautifulthingswhenyou’retogether!”sheaddedwistfully,withaglanceatherdaughter,whohadtoldhernothingaboutthedinnerthenightbefore. “Oh,wetalkalotofnonsense,”saidKatharine,hidingherslipofpaperashermotherstoodbyher,andspreadingtheoldletteraboutShelleyinfrontofher. “Itwon’tseemtoyounonsenseintenyears’time,”saidMrs.Hilbery.“Believeme,Katharine,you’lllookbackonthesedaysafterwardsyou’llrememberallthesillythingsyou’vesaidandyou’llfindthatyourlifehasbeenbuiltonthem.Thebestoflifeisbuiltonwhatwesaywhenwe’reinlove.Itisn’tnonsense,Katharine,”sheurged,“it’sthetruth,it’stheonlytruth.” Katharinewasonthepointofinterruptinghermother,andthenshewasonthepointofconfidinginher.Theycamestrangelyclosetogethersometimes.But,whileshehesitatedandsoughtforwordsnottoodirect,hermotherhadrecoursetoShakespeare,andturnedpageafterpage,setuponfindingsomequotationwhichsaidallthisaboutlovefar,farbetterthanshecould.Accordingly,Katharinedidnothingbutscruboneofhercirclesanintenseblackwithherpencil,inthemidstofwhichprocessthetelephone-bellrang,andshelefttheroomtoanswerit. Whenshereturned,Mrs.Hilberyhadfoundnotthepassageshewanted,butanotherofexquisitebeautyasshejustlyobserved,lookingupforasecondtoaskKatharinewhothatwas? “MaryDatchet,”Katharinerepliedbriefly. “Ah—IhalfwishI’dcalledyouMary,butitwouldn’thavegonewithHilbery,anditwouldn’thavegonewithRodney.Nowthisisn’tthepassageIwanted.(InevercanfindwhatIwant.)Butit’sspringit’sthedaffodilsit’sthegreenfieldsit’sthebirds.” Shewascutshortinherquotationbyanotherimperativetelephone-bell.OncemoreKatharinelefttheroom. “Mydearchild,howodiousthetriumphsofscienceare!”Mrs.Hilberyexclaimedonherreturn.“They’llbelinkinguswiththemoonnext—butwhowasthat?” “William,”Katharinerepliedyetmorebriefly. “I’llforgiveWilliamanything,forI’mcertainthattherearen’tanyWilliamsinthemoon.Ihopehe’scomingtoluncheon?” “He’scomingtotea.” “Well,that’sbetterthannothing,andIpromisetoleaveyoualone.” “There’snoneedforyoutodothat,”saidKatharine. Shesweptherhandoverthefadedsheet,anddrewherselfupsquarelytothetableasifsherefusedtowastetimeanylonger.Thegesturewasnotlostuponhermother.Ithintedattheexistenceofsomethingsternandunapproachableinherdaughter’scharacter,whichstruckchilluponher,asthesightofpoverty,ordrunkenness,orthelogicwithwhichMr.Hilberysometimesthoughtgoodtodemolishhercertaintyofanapproachingmillenniumstruckchilluponher.Shewentbacktoherowntable,andputtingonherspectacleswithacuriousexpressionofquiethumility,addressedherselfforthefirsttimethatmorningtothetaskbeforeher.Theshockwithanunsympatheticworldhadasoberingeffectonher.Foronce,herindustrysurpassedherdaughter’s.KatharinecouldnotreducetheworldtothatparticularperspectiveinwhichHarrietMartineau,forinstance,wasafigureofsolidimportance,andpossessedofagenuinerelationshiptothisfigureortothatdate.Singularlyenough,thesharpcallofthetelephone-bellstillechoedinherear,andherbodyandmindwereinastateoftension,asif,atanymoment,shemighthearanothersummonsofgreaterinteresttoherthanthewholeofthenineteenthcentury.Shedidnotclearlyrealizewhatthiscallwastobebutwhentheearshavegotintothehabito