CHAPTER XVII. THE SCHOOL FEAST.

eunusualmovementserelong—perhapsto-morrow,possiblyto-night.Butmyeyesandearsarewideopen.Mr.Moore,youshallbeundersurveillance.Beyouvigilantalso,Lina." "Iwill.RobertisgoingIsawhimturn.Ibelievehenoticedus.Theyareshakinghands." "Shakinghands,withemphasis,"addedShirley,"asiftheywereratifyingsomesolemnleagueandcovenant." TheysawRobertquitthegroup,passthroughagate,anddisappear. "Andhehasnotbidusgood-bye,"murmuredCaroline. Scarcelyhadthewordsescapedherlipswhenshetriedbyasmiletodenytheconfessionofdisappointmenttheyseemedtoimply.Anunbiddensuffusionforonemomentbothsoftenedandbrightenedhereyes. "Oh,thatissoonremedied!"exclaimedShirley:"we'llmakehimbidusgood-bye." "Makehim!Thatisnotthesamething,"wastheanswer. "Itshallbethesamething." "Butheisgoneyoucan'tovertakehim." "Iknowashorterwaythanthathehastaken.Wewillintercepthim." "But,Shirley,Iwouldrathernotgo." CarolinesaidthisasMissKeeldarseizedherarmandhurriedherdownthefields.Itwasvaintocontend.NothingwassowilfulasShirleywhenshetookawhimintoherhead.Carolinefoundherselfoutofsightofthecrowdalmostbeforeshewasaware,andusheredintoanarrowshadyspot,emboweredabovewithhawthorns,andenamelledunderfootwithdaisies.Shetooknonoticeoftheeveningsunchequeringtheturf,norwasshesensibleofthepureincenseexhalingatthishourfromtreeandplantsheonlyheardthewicketopeningatoneend,andknewRobertwasapproaching.Thelongspraysofthehawthorns,shootingoutbeforethem,servedasascreen.Theysawhimbeforeheobservedthem.AtaglanceCarolineperceivedthathissocialhilaritywasgonehehadleftitbehindhiminthejoy-echoingfieldsroundtheschool.Whatremainednowwashisdark,quiet,businesscountenance.AsShirleyhadsaid,acertainhardnesscharacterizedhisair,whilehiseyewasexcited,butaustere.SomuchtheworsetimedwasthepresentfreakofShirley's.Ifhehadlookeddisposedforholidaymirth,itwouldnothavematteredmuchbutnow—— "Itoldyounottocome,"saidCaroline,somewhatbitterly,toherfriend.Sheseemedtrulyperturbed.TobeintrudedonRobertthus,againstherwillandhisexpectation,andwhenheevidentlywouldrathernotbedelayed,keenlyannoyedher.ItdidnotannoyMissKeeldarintheleast.Shesteppedforwardandfacedhertenant,barringhisway."Youomittedtobidusgood-bye,"shesaid. "Omittedtobidyougood-bye!Wheredidyoucomefrom?Areyoufairies?Ilefttwolikeyou,oneinpurpleandoneinwhite,standingatthetopofabank,fourfieldsoff,butaminuteago." "Youleftusthereandfindushere.Wehavebeenwatchingyou,andshallwatchyoustill.Youmustbequestionedoneday,butnotnow.Atpresentallyouhavetodoistosaygood-night,andthenpass." Mooreglancedfromonetotheotherwithoutunbendinghisaspect."Daysoffêtehavetheirprivileges,andsohavedaysofhazard,"observedhegravely. "Come,don'tmoralize.Saygood-night,andpass,"urgedShirley. "MustIsaygood-nighttoyou,MissKeeldar?" "Yes,andtoCarolinelikewise.Itisnothingnew,Ihope.Youhavebidusbothgood-nightbefore." Hetookherhand,helditinoneofhis,andcovereditwiththeother.Helookeddownathergravely,kindly,yetcommandingly.Theheiresscouldnotmakethismanhersubject.Inhisgazeonherbrightfacetherewasnoservility,hardlyhomagebuttherewereinterestandaffection,heightenedbyanotherfeeling.Somethinginhistonewhenhespoke,aswellasinhiswords,markedthatlastsentimenttobegratitude. "Yourdebtorbidsyougood-night!Mayyourestsafelyandserenelytillmorning." "Andyou,Mr.Moore—whatareyougoingtodo?WhathaveyoubeensayingtoMr.Helstone,withwhomIsawyoushakehands?Whydidallthosegentlemengatherroundyou?Putawayreserveforonce.Befrankwithme." "Whocanresistyou?Iwillbefrank.To-morrow,ifthereisanythingtorelate,youshallhearit." "Justnow,"pleadedShirley"don'tprocrastinate." "ButIcouldonlytellhalfatale.AndmytimeislimitedIhavenotamomenttospare.HereafterIwillmakeamendsfordelaybycandour." "Butareyougoinghome?" "Yes." "Nottoleaveitanymoreto-night?" "Certainlynot.Atpresent,farewelltobothofyou." HewouldhavetakenCaroline'shandandjoineditinthesameclaspinwhichheheldShirley's,butsomehowitwasnotreadyforhim.Shehadwithdrawnafewstepsapart.HeranswertoMoore'sadieuwasonlyaslightbendoftheheadandagentle,serioussmile.Hesoughtnomorecordialtoken.Againhesaid"Farewell,"andquittedthemboth. "There!itisover,"saidShirleywhenhewasgone."Wehavemadehimbidusgood-night,andyetnotlostgroundinhisesteem,Ithink,Cary." "Ihopenot,"wasthebriefreply. "Iconsideryouverytimidandundemonstrative,"remarkedMissKeeldar."WhydidyounotgiveMooreyourhandwhenheofferedyouhis?Heisyourcousinyoulikehim.Areyouashamedtolethimperceiveyouraffection?" "Heperceivesallofitthatinterestshim.Noneedtomakeadisplayoffeeling." "Youarelaconicyouwouldbestoicalifyoucould.Islove,inyoureyes,acrime,Caroline?" "Loveacrime!No,Shirleyloveisadivinevirtue.Butwhydragthatwordintotheconversation?Itissingularlyirrelevant." "Good!"pronouncedShirley. Thetwogirlspacedthegreenlaneinsilence.Carolinefirstresumed. "Obtrusivenessisacrime,forwardnessisacrime,andbothdisgustbutlove!nopurestangelneedblushtolove.AndwhenIseeorheareithermanorwomancoupleshamewithlove,Iknowtheirmindsarecoarse,theirassociationsdebased.Manywhothinkthemselvesrefinedladiesandgentlemen,andonwhoselipstheword'vulgarity'isforeverhovering,cannotmention'love'withoutbetrayingtheirowninnateandimbeciledegradation.Itisalowfeelingintheirestimation,connectedonlywithlowideasforthem." "Youdescribethree-fourthsoftheworld,Caroline." "Theyarecold—theyarecowardly—theyarestupidonthesubject,Shirley!Theyneverloved—theyneverwereloved!" "Thouartright,Lina.Andintheirdenseignorancetheyblasphemelivingfire,seraph-broughtfromadivinealtar." "TheyconfounditwithsparksmountingfromTophet." Thesuddenandjoyousclashofbellsherestoppedthedialoguebysummoningalltothechurch.