CHAPTER XXXII

ewhosucceedthemtheymustreaptheirrichestharvestswhenthefineweathercomesagainandthelovers,thesightseers,andtheholiday-makerspourthemselvesoutoftrainsandomnibusesintotheiroldpleasure-grounds.Itistruethattheygo,forthemostpart,unthankedbyname,althoughuponthisoccasionWilliamwasreadytogivesuchdiscriminatingpraiseasthedeadarchitectsandpaintersreceivedseldominthecourseoftheyear.Theywerewalkingbytheriverbank,andKatharineandRalph,laggingalittlebehind,caughtfragmentsofhislecture.Katharinesmiledatthesoundofhisvoiceshelistenedasifshefounditalittleunfamiliar,intimatelythoughsheknewitshetestedit.Thenoteofassuranceandhappinesswasnew.Williamwasveryhappy.Shelearnteveryhourwhatsourcesofhishappinessshehadneglected.ShehadneveraskedhimtoteachheranythingshehadneverconsentedtoreadMacaulayshehadneverexpressedherbeliefthathisplaywassecondonlytotheworksofShakespeare.Shefolloweddreamilyintheirwake,smilinganddelightinginthesoundwhichconveyed,sheknew,therapturousandyetnotservileassentofCassandra. Thenshemurmured,“HowcanCassandra—”butchangedhersentencetotheoppositeofwhatshemeanttosayandended,“howcouldsheherselfhavebeensoblind?”ButitwasunnecessarytofollowoutsuchriddleswhenthepresenceofRalphsuppliedherwithmoreinterestingproblems,whichsomehowbecameinvolvedwiththelittleboatcrossingtheriver,themajesticandcarewornCity,andthesteamershomecomingwiththeirtreasury,orstartinginsearchofit,sothatinfiniteleisurewouldbenecessaryfortheproperdisentanglementofonefromtheother.Hestopped,moreover,andbeganinquiringofanoldboatmanastothetidesandtheships.Inthustalkingheseemeddifferent,andevenlookeddifferent,shethought,againsttheriver,withthesteeplesandtowersforbackground.Hisstrangeness,hisromance,hispowertoleavehersideandtakepartintheaffairsofmen,thepossibilitythattheyshouldtogetherhireaboatandcrosstheriver,thespeedandwildnessofthisenterprisefilledhermindandinspiredherwithsuchrapture,halfofloveandhalfofadventure,thatWilliamandCassandrawerestartledfromtheirtalk,andCassandraexclaimed,“Shelooksasifshewereofferingupasacrifice!Verybeautiful,”sheaddedquickly,thoughsherepressed,indeferencetoWilliam,herownwonderthatthesightofRalphDenhamtalkingtoaboatmanonthebanksoftheThamescouldmoveanyonetosuchanattitudeofadoration. Thatafternoon,whatwithteaandthecuriositiesoftheThamestunnelandtheunfamiliarityofthestreets,passedsoquicklythattheonlymethodofprolongingitwastoplananotherexpeditionforthefollowingday.HamptonCourtwasdecidedupon,inpreferencetoHampstead,forthoughCassandrahaddreamtasachildofthebrigandsofHampstead,shehadnowtransferredheraffectionscompletelyandforevertoWilliamIII.Accordingly,theyarrivedatHamptonCourtaboutlunch-timeonafineSundaymorning.Suchunitymarkedtheirexpressionsofadmirationforthered-brickbuildingthattheymighthavecometherefornootherpurposethantoassureeachotherthatthispalacewasthestateliestpalaceintheworld.TheywalkedupanddowntheTerrace,fourabreast,andfanciedthemselvestheownersoftheplace,andcalculatedtheamountofgoodtotheworldproducedindubitablybysuchatenancy. “Theonlyhopeforus,”saidKatharine,“isthatWilliamshalldie,andCassandrashallbegivenroomsasthewidowofadistinguishedpoet.” “Or—”Cassandrabegan,butcheckedherselffromthelibertyofenvisagingKatharineasthewidowofadistinguishedlawyer.Uponthis,thethirddayofjunketing,itwastiresometohavetorestrainoneselfevenfromsuchinnocentexcursionsoffancy.ShedarednotquestionWilliamhewasinscrutableheneverseemedeventofollowtheothercouplewithcuriositywhentheyseparated,astheyfrequentlydid,tonameaplant,orexamineafresco.Cassandrawasconstantlystudyingtheirbacks.ShenoticedhowsometimestheimpulsetomovecamefromKatharine,andsometimesfromRalphhow,sometimes,theywalkedslow,asifinprofoundintercourse,andsometimesfast,asifinpassionate.Whentheycametogetheragainnothingcouldbemoreunconcernedthantheirmanner. “Wehavebeenwonderingwhethertheyevercatchafish...”or,“WemustleavetimetovisittheMaze.”Then,topuzzleherfurther,WilliamandRalphfilledinallintersticesofmeal-timesorrailwayjourneyswithperfectlygood-temperedargumentsortheydiscussedpolitics,ortheytoldstories,ortheydidsumstogetheruponthebacksofoldenvelopestoprovesomething.ShesuspectedthatKatharinewasabsent-minded,butitwasimpossibletotell.ThereweremomentswhenshefeltsoyoungandinexperiencedthatshealmostwishedherselfbackwiththesilkwormsatStogdonHouse,andnotembarkeduponthisbewilderingintrigue. Thesemoments,however,wereonlythenecessaryshadoworchillwhichprovedthesubstanceofherbliss,anddidnotdamagetheradiancewhichseemedtorestequallyuponthewholeparty.Thefreshairofspring,theskywashedofcloudsandalreadysheddingwarmthfromitsblue,seemedthereplyvouchsafedbynaturetothemoodofherchosenspirits.Thesechosenspiritsweretobefoundalsoamongthedeer,dumblybasking,andamongthefish,setstillinmid-stream,fortheyweremutesharersinabenignantstatenotneedinganyexpositionbythetongue.NowordsthatCassandracouldcomebyexpressedthestillness,thebrightness,theairofexpectancywhichlayupontheorderlybeautyofthegrasswalksandgravelpathsdownwhichtheywentwalkingfourabreastthatSundayafternoon.Silentlytheshadowsofthetreeslayacrossthebroadsunshinesilencewraptherheartinitsfolds.Thequiveringstillnessofthebutterflyonthehalf-openedflower,thesilentgrazingofthedeerinthesun,werethesightshereyeresteduponandreceivedastheimagesofherownnaturelaidopentohappinessandtremblinginitsecstasy. Buttheafternoonworeon,anditbecametimetoleavethegardens.AstheydrovefromWaterlootoChelsea,Katharinebegantohavesomecompunctionaboutherfather,which,togetherwiththeopeningofofficesandtheneedofworkinginthemonMonday,madeitdifficulttoplananotherfestivalforthefollowingday.Mr.Hilberyhadtakentheirabsence,sofar,withpaternalbenevolence,buttheycouldnottrespassuponitindefinitely.Indeed,hadtheyknownit,hewasalreadysufferingfromtheirabsence,andlongingfortheirreturn. Hehadnodislikeofsolitude,andSunday,inparticular,waspleasantlyadaptedforletter-writing,payingcalls,oravisittohisclub.Hewasleavingthehouseonsomesuchsuitableexpeditiontowardstea-timewhenhefoundhimselfstoppedonhisowndoorstepbyhissister,Mrs.Milvain.Sheshould,onhearingthatnoonewasathome,havewithdrawnsubmissively,butinsteadsheacceptedhishalf-heartedinvitationtocomein,andhefoundhimselfinthemelancholypositionofbeingforcedtoorderteaforherandsitinthedrawing-roomwhileshedrankit.Shespeedilymadeitplainthatshewasonlythusexactingbecauseshehadcomeonamatterofbusiness.Hewasbynomeansexhilaratedatthenews. “Katharineisoutthisafternoon,”heremarked.“Whynotcomeroundlateranddiscussitwithher—withusboth,eh?” “MydearTrevor,Ihaveparticularreasonsforwishingtotalktoyoualone....WhereisKatharine?” “She’soutwithheryoungman,naturally.Cassandraplaysthepartofchaperoneveryusefully.Acharmingyoungwomanthat—agreatfavoriteofmine.”Heturnedhisstonebetweenhisfingers,andconceiveddifferentmethodsofleadingCeliaawayfromherobsession,which,hesupposed,musthavereferencetothedomesticaffairsofCyrilasusual. “WithCassandra,”Mrs.Milvainrepeatedsignificantly.“WithCassandra.” “Yes,withCassandra,”Mr.Hilberyagreedurbanely,pleasedatthediversion.“IthinktheysaidtheyweregoingtoHamptonCourt,andIratherbelievetheyweretakingaprotegeofmine,RalphDenham,averycleverfellow,too,toamuseCassandra.Ithoughtthearrangementverysuitable.”Hewaspreparedtodwellatsomelengthuponthissafetopic,andtrustedthatKatharinewouldcomeinbeforehehaddonewithit. “HamptonCourtalwaysseemstomeanidealspotforengagedcouples.There’stheMaze,there’saniceplaceforhavingtea—Iforgetwhattheycallit—andthen,iftheyoungmanknowshisbusinesshecontrivestotakehisladyupontheriver.Fullofpossibilities—full.Cake,Celia?”Mr.Hilberycontinued.“Irespectmydinnertoomuch,butthatcan’tpossiblyapplytoyou.You’veneverobservedthatfeast,sofarasIcanremember.” Herbrother’saffabilitydidnotdeceiveMrs.Milvainitslightlysaddenedhershewellknewthecauseofit.Blindandinfatuatedasusual! “WhoisthisMr.Denham?”sheasked. “RalphDenham?”saidMr.Hilbery,inreliefthathermindhadtakenthisturn.“Averyinterestingyoungman.I’veagreatbeliefinhim.He’sanauthorityuponourmediaevali