CHAPTER XXXIII

ConsideringthatMr.Hilberylivedinahousewhichwasaccuratelynumberedinorderwithitsfellows,andthathefilledupforms,paidrent,andhadsevenmoreyearsoftenancytorun,hehadanexcuseforlayingdownlawsfortheconductofthosewholivedinhishouse,andthisexcuse,thoughprofoundlyinadequate,hefoundusefulduringtheinterregnumofcivilizationwithwhichhenowfoundhimselffaced.Inobediencetothoselaws,RodneydisappearedCassandrawasdispatchedtocatchtheeleven-thirtyonMondaymorningDenhamwasseennomoresothatonlyKatharine,thelawfuloccupantoftheupperrooms,remained,andMr.Hilberythoughthimselfcompetenttoseethatshedidnothingfurthertocompromiseherself.Ashebadehergoodmorningnextdayhewasawarethatheknewnothingofwhatshewasthinking,but,ashereflectedwithsomebitterness,eventhiswasanadvanceupontheignoranceofthepreviousmornings.Hewenttohisstudy,wrote,toreup,andwroteagainalettertohiswife,askinghertocomebackonaccountofdomesticdifficultieswhichhespecifiedatfirst,butinalaterdraftmorediscreetlyleftunspecified.Evenifshestartedtheverymomentthatshegotit,hereflected,shewouldnotbehometillTuesdaynight,andhecountedlugubriouslythenumberofhoursthathewouldhavetospendinapositionofdetestableauthorityalonewithhisdaughter. Whatwasshedoingnow,hewondered,asheaddressedtheenvelopetohiswife.Hecouldnotcontrolthetelephone.Hecouldnotplaythespy.Shemightbemakinganyarrangementsshechose.Yetthethoughtdidnotdisturbhimsomuchasthestrange,unpleasant,illicitatmosphereofthewholescenewiththeyoungpeoplethenightbefore.Hissenseofdiscomfortwasalmostphysical. Hadheknownit,Katharinewasfarenoughwithdrawn,bothphysicallyandspiritually,fromthetelephone.Shesatinherroomwiththedictionariesspreadingtheirwideleavesonthetablebeforeher,andallthepageswhichtheyhadconcealedforsomanyyearsarrangedinapile.Sheworkedwiththesteadyconcentrationthatisproducedbythesuccessfulefforttothinkdownsomeunwelcomethoughtbymeansofanotherthought.Havingabsorbedtheunwelcomethought,hermindwentonwithadditionalvigor,derivedfromthevictoryonasheetofpaperlinesoffiguresandsymbolsfrequentlyandfirmlywrittendownmarkedthedifferentstagesofitsprogress.Andyetitwasbroaddaylightthereweresoundsofknockingandsweeping,whichprovedthatlivingpeoplewereatworkontheothersideofthedoor,andthedoor,whichcouldbethrownopeninasecond,washeronlyprotectionagainsttheworld.Butshehadsomehowrisentobemistressinherownkingdom,assuminghersovereigntyunconsciously. Stepsapproachedherunheard.Itistruethattheywerestepsthatlingered,divagated,andmountedwiththedeliberationnaturaltoonepastsixtywhosearms,moreover,arefullofleavesandblossomsbuttheycameonsteadily,andsoonatapoflaurelboughsagainstthedoorarrestedKatharine’spencilasittouchedthepage.Shedidnotmove,however,andsatblank-eyedasifwaitingfortheinterruptiontocease.Instead,thedooropened.Atfirst,sheattachednomeaningtothemovingmassofgreenwhichseemedtoentertheroomindependentlyofanyhumanagency.Thensherecognizedpartsofhermother’sfaceandpersonbehindtheyellowflowersandsoftvelvetofthepalm-buds. “FromShakespeare’stomb!”exclaimedMrs.Hilbery,droppingtheentiremassuponthefloor,withagesturethatseemedtoindicateanactofdedication.Thensheflungherarmswideandembracedherdaughter. “ThankGod,Katharine!”sheexclaimed.“ThankGod!”sherepeated. “You’vecomeback?”saidKatharine,veryvaguely,standinguptoreceivetheembrace. Althoughsherecognizedhermother’spresence,shewasveryfarfromtakingpartinthescene,andyetfeltittobeamazinglyappropriatethathermothershouldbethere,thankingGodemphaticallyforunknownblessings,andstrewingthefloorwithflowersandleavesfromShakespeare’stomb. “Nothingelsemattersintheworld!”Mrs.Hilberycontinued.“Namesaren’teverythingit’swhatwefeelthat’severything.Ididn’twantsilly,kind,interferingletters.Ididn’twantyourfathertotellme.Iknewitfromthefirst.Iprayedthatitmightbeso.” “Youknewit?”Katharinerepeatedhermother’swordssoftlyandvaguely,lookingpasther.“Howdidyouknowit?”Shebegan,likeachild,tofingeratasselhangingfromhermother’scloak. “Thefirsteveningyoutoldme,Katharine.Oh,andthousandsoftimes—dinner-parties—talkingaboutbooks—thewayhecameintotheroom—yourvoicewhenyouspokeofhim.” Katharineseemedtoconsidereachoftheseproofsseparately.Thenshesaidgravely: “I’mnotgoingtomarryWilliam.Andthenthere’sCassandra—” “Yes,there’sCassandra,”saidMrs.Hilbery.“IownIwasalittlegrudgingatfirst,but,afterall,sheplaysthepianosobeautifully.Dotellme,Katharine,”sheaskedimpulsively,“wheredidyougothateveningsheplayedMozart,andyouthoughtIwasasleep?” Katharinerecollectedwithdifficulty. “ToMaryDatchet’s,”sheremembered. “Ah!”saidMrs.Hilbery,withaslightnoteofdisappointmentinhervoice.“Ihadmylittleromance—mylittlespeculation.”Shelookedatherdaughter.Katharinefalteredbeneaththatinnocentandpenetratinggazesheflushed,turnedaway,andthenlookedupwithverybrighteyes. “I’mnotinlovewithRalphDenham,”shesaid. “Don’tmarryunlessyou’reinlove!”saidMrs.Hilberyveryquickly.“But,”sheadded,glancingmomentarilyatherdaughter,“aren’ttheredifferentways,Katharine—different—?” “Wewanttomeetasoftenaswelike,buttobefree,”Katharinecontinued. “Tomeethere,tomeetinhishouse,tomeetinthestreet.”Mrs.Hilberyranoverthesephrasesasifsheweretryingchordsthatdidnotquitesatisfyherear.Itwasplainthatshehadhersourcesofinformation,and,indeed,herbagwasstuffedwithwhatshecalled“kindletters”fromthepenofhersister-in-law. “Yes.Ortostayawayinthecountry,”Katharineconcluded. Mrs.Hilberypaused,lookedunhappy,andsoughtinspirationfromthewindow. “Whatacomforthewasinthatshop—howhetookmeandfoundtheruinsatonce—howsafeIfeltwithhim—” “Safe?Oh,no,he’sfearfullyrash—he’salwaystakingrisks.Hewantstothrowuphisprofessionandliveinalittlecottageandwritebooks,thoughhehasn’tapennyofhisown,andthereareanynumberofsistersandbrothersdependentonhim.” “Ah,hehasamother?”Mrs.Hilberyinquired. “Yes.Ratherafine-lookingoldlady,withwhitehair.”Katharinebegantodescribehervisit,andsoonMrs.Hilberyelicitedthefactsthatnotonlywasthehouseofexcruciatingugliness,whichRalphborewithoutcomplaint,butthatitwasevidentthateveryonedependedonhim,andhehadaroomatthetopofthehouse,withawonderfulviewoverLondon,andarook. “Awretchedoldbirdinacorner,withhalfitsfeathersout,”shesaid,withatendernessinhervoicethatseemedtocommiseratethesufferingsofhumanitywhilerestingassuredinthecapacityofRalphDenhamtoalleviatethem,sothatMrs.Hilberycouldnothelpexclaiming: “But,Katharine,youareinlove!”atwhichKatharineflushed,lookedstartled,asifshehadsaidsomethingthatsheoughtnottohavesaid,andshookherhead. HastilyMrs.Hilberyaskedforfurtherdetailsofthisextraordinaryhouse,andinterposedafewspeculationsaboutthemeetingbetweenKeatsandColeridgeinalane,whichtidedoverthediscomfortofthemoment,anddrewKatharineontofurtherdescriptionsandindiscretions.Intruth,shefoundanextraordinarypleasureinbeingthusfreetotalktosomeonewhowasequallywiseandequallybenignant,themotherofherearliestchildhood,whosesilenceseemedtoanswerquestionsthatwereneverasked.Mrs.Hilberylistenedwithoutmakinganyremarkforaconsiderabletime.Sheseemedtodrawherconclusionsratherbylookingatherdaughterthanbylisteningtoher,and,ifcross-examined,shewouldprobablyhavegivenahighlyinaccurateversionofRalphDenham’slife-historyexceptthathewaspenniless,fatherless,andlivedatHighgate—allofwhichwasmuchinhisfavor.ButbymeansofthesefurtiveglancesshehadassuredherselfthatKatharinewasinastatewhichgaveher,alternately,themostexquisitepleasureandthemostprofoundalarm. Shecouldnothelpejaculatingatlast: “It’salldoneinfiveminutesataRegistryOfficenowadays,ifyouthinktheChurchservicealittleflorid—whichitis,thoughtherearenoblethingsinit.” “Butwedon