CHAPTER XXIII. AN EVENING OUT.

tt,who,havinghemmedsignificantlythrice—everyhembeingmeantasaloftyrebuketothesquabblingwomankind—said,"Now,IthowtIheerdacrack?" Noneanswered. "And,"hecontinuedpragmatically,"ast'maister'scomed,andashe'llenterthroughthishoyle,Iconsidereditdesirabletostepinandletyeknow.Ahouseholdo'womenisnivverfittobecomedonwi'outwarning.Hereheis.—Walkforrard,sir.Theywarplayingupqueerly,butIthinkI'vequietened'em." Anotherperson,itwasnowaudible,entered.JoeScottproceededwithhisrebukes. "Whatd'yemeanbybeingalli'darkness?Sarah,thouquean,canstt'notlightacandle?Itwarsundownanhoursyne.He'llbrakhisshinsageansomeo'yerpots,andtables,andstuff.—Taktento'thisbaking-bowl,sirthey'vesetiti'yerway,fairasiftheydiditi'malice." ToJoe'sobservationssucceededaconfusedsortofpause,whichCaroline,thoughshewaslisteningwithbothherears,couldnotunderstand.Itwasverybrief.Acrybrokeit—asoundofsurprise,followedbythesoundofakissejaculations,buthalfarticulate,succeeded. "MonDieu!monDieu!Est-cequejem'yattendais?"werethewordschieflytobedistinguished. "Ettuteportestoujoursbien,bonnes?ur?"inquiredanothervoice—Robert's,certainly. Carolinewaspuzzled.Obeyinganimpulsethewisdomofwhichshehadnottimetoquestion,sheescapedfromthelittleparlour,bywayofleavingthecoastclear,andrunningupstairstookupapositionattheheadofthebanisters,whenceshecouldmakefurtherobservationserepresentingherself.Itwasconsiderablypastsunsetnowduskfilledthepassage,yetnotsuchdeepduskbutthatshecouldpresentlyseeRobertandHortensetraverseit. "Caroline!Caroline!"calledHortense,amomentafterwards,"venezvoirmonfrère!" "Strange,"commentedMissHelstone,"passingstrange!Whatdoesthisunwontedexcitementaboutsuchanevery-dayoccurrenceasareturnfrommarketportend?Shehasnotlosthersenses,hasshe?Surelytheburnttreaclehasnotcrazedher?" Shedescendedinasubduedflutter.YetmorewassheflutteredwhenHortenseseizedherhandattheparlourdoor,andleadinghertoRobert,whostoodinbodilypresence,tallanddarkagainsttheonewindow,presentedherwithamixtureofagitationandformality,asthoughtheyhadbeenutterstrangers,andthiswastheirfirstmutualintroduction. Increasingpuzzle!Hebowedratherawkwardly,andturningfromherwithastranger'sembarrassment,hemetthedoubtfullightfromthewindow.Itfellonhisface,andtheenigmaofthedream(adreamitseemed)wasatitsheight.Shesawavisagelikeandunlike—Robert,andnoRobert. "Whatisthematter?"saidCaroline."Ismysightwrong?Isitmycousin?" "Certainlyitisyourcousin,"assertedHortense. Thenwhowasthisnowcomingthroughthepassage—nowenteringtheroom?Caroline,lookinground,metanewRobert—therealRobert,asshefeltatonce. "Well,"saidhe,smilingatherquestioning,astonishedface,"whichiswhich?" "Ah,thisisyou!"wastheanswer. Helaughed."Ibelieveitisme.Anddoyouknowwhoheis?Youneversawhimbefore,butyouhaveheardofhim." Shehadgatheredhersensesnow. "Itcanbeonlyoneperson—yourbrother,sinceitissolikeyoumyothercousin,Louis." "Cleverlittle?dipus!youwouldhavebaffledtheSphinx!Butnow,seeustogether.—Changeplaceschangeagain,toconfuseher,Louis.—Whichistheoldlovenow,Lina?" "Asifitwerepossibletomakeamistakewhenyouspeak!YoushouldhavetoldHortensetoask.Butyouarenotsomuchalike.Itisonlyyourheight,yourfigure,andcomplexionthataresosimilar." "AndIamRobert,amInot?"askedthenewcomer,makingafirstefforttoovercomewhatseemedhisnaturalshyness. Carolineshookherheadgently.Asoft,expressiverayfromhereyebeamedontherealRobert.Itsaidmuch. Shewasnotpermittedtoquithercousinssoon.Roberthimselfwasperemptoryinobliginghertoremain.Glad,simple,andaffableinherdemeanour(gladforthisnight,atleast),inlight,brightspiritsforthetime,shewastoopleasantanadditiontothecottagecircletobewillinglypartedwithbyanyofthem.Louisseemednaturallyratheragrave,still,retiringmanbuttheCarolineofthisevening,whichwasnot(asyouknow,reader)theCarolineofeveryday,thawedhisreserve,andcheeredhisgravitysoon.Hesatnearherandtalkedtoher.Shealreadyknewhisvocationwasthatoftuition.ShelearnednowhehadforsomeyearsbeenthetutorofMr.Sympson'ssonthathehadbeentravellingwithhim,andhadaccompaniedhimtothenorth.Sheinquiredifhelikedhispost,butgotalookinreplywhichdidnotinviteorlicensefurtherquestion.ThelookwokeCaroline'sreadysympathy.ShethoughtitaverysadexpressiontopassoversosensibleafaceasLouis'sforhehadasensibleface,thoughnothandsome,sheconsidered,whenseennearRobert's.Sheturnedtomakethecomparison.Robertwasleaningagainstthewall,alittlebehindher,turningovertheleavesofabookofengravings,andprobablylistening,atthesametime,tothedialoguebetweenherandLouis. "HowcouldIthinkthemalike?"sheaskedherself."IseenowitisHortenseLouisresembles,notRobert." Andthiswasinparttrue.Hehadtheshorternoseandlongerupperlipofhissisterratherthanthefinetraitsofhisbrother.Hehadhermouldofmouthandchin—alllessdecisive,accurate,andclearthanthoseoftheyoungmill-owner.Hisair,thoughdeliberateandreflective,couldscarcelybecalledpromptandacute.Youfelt,insittingnearandlookingupathim,thataslowerandprobablyamorebenignantnaturethanthatoftheelderMooreshedcalmonyourimpressions. Robert—perhapsawarethatCaroline'sglancehadwanderedtowardsanddweltuponhim,thoughhehadneithermetnoransweredit—putdownthebookofengravings,andapproaching,tookaseatatherside.SheresumedherconversationwithLouis,butwhileshetalkedtohimherthoughtswereelsewhere.Herheartbeatonthesidefromwhichherfacewashalfaverted.Sheacknowledgedasteady,manly,kindlyairinLouisbutshebentbeforethesecretpowerofRobert.Tobesonearhim—thoughhewassilent,thoughhedidnottouchsomuchasherscarf-fringeorthewhitehemofherdress—affectedherlikeaspell.Hadshebeenobligedtospeaktohimonly,itwouldhavequelled,but,atlibertytoaddressanother,itexcitedher.Herdiscourseflowedfreelyitwasgay,playful,eloquent.Theindulgentlookandplacidmannerofherauditorencouragedhertoeasethesoberpleasureexpressedbyhissmiledrewoutallthatwasbrilliantinhernature.Shefeltthatthiseveningsheappearedtoadvantage,andasRobertwasaspectator,theconsciousnesscontentedher.Hadhebeencalledaway,collapsewouldatoncehavesucceededstimulus. Butherenjoymentwasnotlongtoshinefull-orbedacloudsooncrossedit. Hortense,whoforsometimehadbeenonthemoveorderingsupper,andwasnowclearingthelittletableofsomebooks,etc.,tomakeroomforthetray,calledRobert'sattentiontotheglassofflowers,thecarmineandsnowandgoldofwhosepetalslookedradiantindeedbycandlelight. "TheycamefromFieldhead,"shesaid,"intendedasagifttoyou,nodoubt.WeknowwhoisthefavouritetherenotI,I'msure." ItwasawondertohearHortensejest—asignthatherspiritswereathigh-watermarkindeed. "Wearetounderstand,then,thatRobertisthefavourite?"observedLouis. "Moncher,"repliedHortense,"Robert—c'esttoutcequ'ilyadeplusprécieuxaumondeàc?tédeluilerestedugenrehumainn'estquedurebut.—N'ai-jepasraison,monenfant?"sheadded,appealingtoCaroline. Carolinewasobligedtoreply,"Yes,"andherbeaconwasquenched.Herstarwithdrewasshespoke. "Ettoi,Robert?"inquiredLouis. "Whenyoushallhaveanopportunity,askherself,"wasthequietanswer.WhetherhereddenedorpaledCarolinedidnotexamine.Shediscoveredthatitwaslate,andshemustgohome.HomeshewouldgonotevenRobertcoulddetainhernow.