CHAPTER XXVII

London,inthefirstdaysofspring,hasbudsthatopenandflowersthatsuddenlyshaketheirpetals—white,purple,orcrimson—incompetitionwiththedisplayinthegardenbeds,althoughthesecityflowersaremerelysomanydoorsflungwideinBondStreetandtheneighborhood,invitingyoutolookatapicture,orhearasymphony,ormerelycrowdandcrushyourselfamongallsortsofvocal,excitable,brightlycoloredhumanbeings.But,allthesame,itisnomeanrivaltothequieterprocessofvegetableflorescence.Whetherornotthereisagenerousmotiveattheroot,adesiretoshareandimpart,orwhethertheanimationispurelythatofinsensatefervorandfriction,theeffect,whileitlasts,certainlyencouragesthosewhoareyoung,andthosewhoareignorant,tothinktheworldonegreatbazaar,withbannersflutteringanddivansheapedwithspoilsfromeveryquarteroftheglobefortheirdelight. AsCassandraOtwaywentaboutLondonprovidedwithshillingsthatopenedturnstiles,ormoreoftenwithlargewhitecardsthatdisregardedturnstiles,thecityseemedtoherthemostlavishandhospitableofhosts.AftervisitingtheNationalGallery,orHertfordHouse,orhearingBrahmsorBeethovenattheBechsteinHall,shewouldcomebacktofindanewpersonawaitingher,inwhosesoulwereimbeddedsomegrainsoftheinvaluablesubstancewhichshestillcalledreality,andstillbelievedthatshecouldfind.TheHilberys,asthesayingis,“kneweveryone,”andthatarrogantclaimwascertainlyupheldbythenumberofhouseswhich,withinacertainarea,littheirlampsatnight,openedtheirdoorsafter3p.m.,andadmittedtheHilberystotheirdining-rooms,say,onceamonth.Anindefinablefreedomandauthorityofmanner,sharedbymostofthepeoplewholivedinthesehouses,seemedtoindicatethatwhetheritwasaquestionofart,music,orgovernment,theywerewellwithinthegates,andcouldsmileindulgentlyatthevastmassofhumanitywhichisforcedtowaitandstruggle,andpayforentrancewithcommoncoinatthedoor.ThegatesopenedinstantlytoadmitCassandra.Shewasnaturallycriticalofwhatwentoninside,andinclinedtoquotewhatHenrywouldhavesaidbutsheoftensucceededincontradictingHenry,inhisabsence,andinvariablypaidherpartneratdinner,orthekindoldladywhorememberedhergrandmother,thecomplimentofbelievingthattherewasmeaninginwhattheysaid.Forthesakeofthelightinhereagereyes,muchcrudityofexpressionandsomeuntidinessofpersonwereforgivenher.Itwasgenerallyfeltthat,givenayearortwoofexperience,introducedtogooddressmakers,andpreservedfrombadinfluences,shewouldbeanacquisition.Thoseelderlyladies,whositontheedgeofballroomssamplingthestuffofhumanitybetweenfingerandthumbandbreathingsoevenlythatthenecklaces,whichriseandfallupontheirbreasts,seemtorepresentsomeelementalforce,suchasthewavesupontheoceanofhumanity,concluded,alittlesmilingly,thatshewoulddo.Theymeantthatshewouldinallprobabilitymarrysomeyoungmanwhosemothertheyrespected. WilliamRodneywasfertileinsuggestions.Heknewoflittlegalleries,andselectconcerts,andprivateperformances,andsomehowmadetimetomeetKatharineandCassandra,andtogivethemteaordinnerorsupperinhisroomsafterwards.Eachoneofherfourteendaysthuspromisedtobearsomebrightilluminationinitssobertext.ButSundayapproached.ThedayisusuallydedicatedtoNature.Theweatherwasalmostkindlyenoughforanexpedition.ButCassandrarejectedHamptonCourt,Greenwich,Richmond,andKewinfavoroftheZoologicalGardens.Shehadoncetrifledwiththepsychologyofanimals,andstillknewsomethingaboutinheritedcharacteristics.OnSundayafternoon,therefore,Katharine,Cassandra,andWilliamRodneydroveofftotheZoo.Astheircabapproachedtheentrance,Katharinebentforwardandwavedherhandtoayoungmanwhowaswalkingrapidlyinthesamedirection. “There’sRalphDenham!”sheexclaimed.“Itoldhimtomeetushere,”sheadded.Shehadevencomeprovidedwithaticketforhim.William’sobjectionthathewouldnotbeadmittedwas,therefore,silenceddirectly.Butthewayinwhichthetwomengreetedeachotherwassignificantofwhatwasgoingtohappen.AssoonastheyhadadmiredthelittlebirdsinthelargecageWilliamandCassandralaggedbehind,andRalphandKatharinepressedonratherinadvance.ItwasanarrangementinwhichWilliamtookhispart,andonethatsuitedhisconvenience,buthewasannoyedallthesame.HethoughtthatKatharineshouldhavetoldhimthatshehadinvitedDenhamtomeetthem. “OneofKatharine’sfriends,”hesaidrathersharply.Itwasclearthathewasirritated,andCassandrafeltforhisannoyance.TheywerestandingbythepenofsomeOrientalhog,andshewasproddingthebrutegentlywiththepointofherumbrella,whenathousandlittleobservationsseemed,insomeway,tocollectinonecenter.Thecenterwasoneofintenseandcuriousemotion.Weretheyhappy?Shedismissedthequestionassheaskedit,scorningherselfforapplyingsuchsimplemeasurestotherareandsplendidemotionsofsouniqueacouple.Nevertheless,hermannerbecameimmediatelydifferent,asif,forthefirsttime,shefeltconsciouslywomanly,andasifWilliammightconceivablywishlaterontoconfideinher.Sheforgotallaboutthepsychologyofanimals,andtherecurrenceofblueeyesandbrown,andbecameinstantlyengrossedinherfeelingsasawomanwhocouldadministerconsolation,andshehopedthatKatharinewouldkeepaheadwithMr.Denham,asachildwhoplaysatbeinggrown-uphopesthathermotherwon’tcomeinjustyet,andspoilthegame.Orwasitnotratherthatshehadceasedtoplayatbeinggrown-up,andwasconscious,suddenly,thatshewasalarminglymatureandinearnest? TherewasstillunbrokensilencebetweenKatharineandRalphDenham,buttheoccupantsofthedifferentcagesservedinsteadofspeech. “Whathaveyoubeendoingsincewemet?”Ralphaskedatlength. “Doing?”shepondered.“Walkinginandoutofotherpeople’shouses.Iwonderiftheseanimalsarehappy?”shespeculated,stoppingbeforeagraybear,whowasphilosophicallyplayingwithatasselwhichonce,perhaps,formedpartofalady’sparasol. “I’mafraidRodneydidn’tlikemycoming,”Ralphremarked. “No.Buthe’llsoongetoverthat,”shereplied.ThedetachmentexpressedbyhervoicepuzzledRalph,andhewouldhavebeengladifshehadexplainedhermeaningfurther.Buthewasnotgoingtopressherforexplanations.Eachmomentwastobe,asfarashecouldmakeit,completeinitself,owingnothingofitshappinesstoexplanations,borrowingneitherbrightnordarktintsfromthefuture. “Thebearsseemhappy,”heremarked.“Butwemustbuythemabagofsomething.There’stheplacetobuybuns.Let’sgoandgetthem.”Theywalkedtothecounterpiledwithlittlepaperbags,andeachsimultaneouslyproducedashillingandpresseditupontheyounglady,whodidnotknowwhethertoobligetheladyorthegentleman,butdecided,fromconventionalreasons,thatitwasthepartofthegentlemantopay. “Iwishtopay,”saidRalphperemptorily,refusingthecoinwhichKatharinetendered.“IhaveareasonforwhatIdo,”headded,seeinghersmileathistoneofdecisio